Arizona (AZ) Asbestos Removal & Abatement Resources:

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality defines "asbestos" as "a term to describe six naturally occurring incombustible minerals, including chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite, which are characterized by the presence of densely packed bundles" (1). Because of its durable, heat-resistant, insulating qualities, it was widely used until the late 1970s in building material, including fireproofing, thermal and acoustic insulation, condensation control, decoration, and approximately 3,600 other commercial products (1).  The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality also estimates that 30 million tons of asbestos has been used in the past (1).  Because of this usage, it is not uncommon for buildings that were created before the 1980s to have material that contains asbestos in them. Unfortunately, since its wide usage, Arizona has also recognized the health threat that damaged asbestos fibers can pose, increasing the development of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis (1). Since asbestos is most threatening when the bundles of fibers are damaged and become airborne, where they can be inhaled or ingested, the renovation or demolition of homes that contain materials with asbestos can pose a serious threat to untrained workers (1).  To avoid putting themselves and their families at undue risk, many home and business owners choose to have asbestos testing completed by professionals before beginning renovations or demolitions, and have asbestos abatement, encapsulation, or encasement performed if necessary.

Hiring a Professional

Arizona is dedicated to protecting its residents from potential asbestos exposure, and it has developed the Air Quality Division to monitor the handling of asbestos regulations (1).  Arizona also complies with Asbestos National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air pollutants, which regulates asbestos handing during renovations or demolitions, asbestos removal, and the transportation and disposal of asbestos waste (1). While the United States Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for regulating asbestos related activity, the Clean Air Act delegates that responsibility to state and local governments, so each state may have slightly different regulations (1).  Because of this, it is important to hire an Arizona asbestos professional to ensure that all state and local regulations are followed.  In Arizona it is required that before any facility, including institutional, commercial, public, industrial, or residential structure containing more than four dwelling units, is renovated or demolished, it must be thoroughly inspected by a certified professional for asbestos (1).  If asbestos is found in these sorts of facilities, it must be contained before demolition or renovations may be completed.

Asbestos Abatement

Preparing the Area

Handling such a dangerous material as asbestos in a safe way requires specific equipment and training and should be left to professionals.  Some equipment that is required for asbestos abatement in Arizona is HEPA filtered vacuums, Portable air ventilation systems, water sprayers, amended water, backup power supplies, and showers and baths, and a variety of safety equipment and tools (2).  Before beginning asbestos removal, all heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems must be disabled, and all openings must be sealed (2).  Workers must remove all mobile objects must be cleaned and removed from the room, surfaces and stationary objects must be cleaned, covered and sealed, and an enclosure must be built following strict guidelines, where negative pressure is to be established before beginning (2).  Once the area is prepared and the workers are in their protective gear, they may proceed with the removal of asbestos.

Asbestos Removal

There are many general work practices that must be adhered to ensure that minimum exposure is achieved.  For example, whenever it is possible and practical, workers should be shielded from the area of removal.  When asbestos is being removed, it is important to keep the fibers saturated in order to prevent them from becoming airborne and to place the waste directly into airtight, approved bags that are immediately sealed and sent to a holding area before disposal (2).  When the material has sharp edges that could puncture through bags, waste must be placed in airtight containers instead (2).  To further minimize the risk of airborne fibers, whenever it is possible, large portions of material containing asbestos should be removed without being damaged (2).  During the removal, it is also necessary to conduct tests to monitor for airborne concentrations of asbestos to determine the cleanliness of all enclosed areas.

Cleanup

Finally, it is time to clean the area before it can be reconstructed and reinhabited.  Even while the removal is still being performed workers must keep the surfaces clean of any visible dust by wiping down surfaces with wet sponges and then vacuuming them with HEPA vacuums (2).  It is also required that all surfaces within the enclosure be completely cleaned before the enclosure is taken down, and it is recommended that the surfaces be sprayed with an approved encapsulant after the are has been cleaned of all visible dust (2).  At this point, it is the contractor’s responsibility to remove the asbestos waste from the holding area by contacting local, approved dumpsites and transporting it using approved methods  (2).

Because asbestos abatement is often quite expensive, there are also the options of encapsulation and encasement, which involve not removing, but enclosing the hazardous material. However, these are not always options in the case of demolition or renovation. If you believe that your home or business may be contaminated by asbestos, protect yourself and your loved ones by have dangerous asbestos, you can contact one of a number of trained professionals right here in Arizona who will explain your options.

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