Georgia (GA) Asbestos Removal & Abatement Resources:
In the state of Georgia, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) share joint responsibility for regulating environmental exposure and the protection of workers from asbestos exposure. OSHA is primarily responsible for the health and safety of workers who may be exposed to asbestos in connection with their jobs. The EPA’s primary responsibility, in regard to asbestos, is in the development and enforcement of regulations designed to protect the public and general environment from airborne asbestos contaminates. Asbestos fibers are known to be hazardous to human health (2).
The state of Georgia defines “asbestos” as any naturally occurring hydrated mineral silicates separable into commercially used fibers. The different forms of asbestos include serpentine, chrysotile, cummingtomite-grunerite, amosite, riebeckite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite (1).
OSHA has state and local standards in place to protect employees who perform asbestos work. The EPA’s Worker Protection Rule extends those standards to include medical examinations, air monitoring and reporting, protective equipment, work practices, and record keeping. Any individual who plans a renovation or demolition of any building must notify appropriate agencies on the federal, state and local level and follow all regulations determined by each level (2).
The EPA recommends that all workers who come in contact with asbestos be properly trained and certified, and refrain from disturbing asbestos materials without taking proper precautions regarding the health of the public (2).
Asbestos Abatement Procedures
Owners and operators are required to hire a professional asbestos contractor to aid in the removal and abatement of any known asbestos material. Contractors must be able to provide a list of references of persons who can validate their work quality, a list of prior jobs where they were responsible for removal or abatement of asbestos containing materials, and comprehensive contact information of building owners for whom they have done work for in the past. Contractors should also be prepared to provide records of air monitoring data from previous project sites (3).
Once a contractor is hired, there are additional regulations that must be followed. Among those regulation is the requirement that contractors possess and maintain on-site written standard operating procedures and employee protection plans. These procedures must include specific references to applicable OSHA, EPA, and Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) regulations; federal and state certification; accreditation; and a Georgia issued license for performing asbestos abatement projects (3).
Contractors should also be able to produce information on any asbestos abatement project that they have performed in the past, including any breach or non-compliance issues and contractual penalties. Upon request, contractors must list any citations levied against them by any federal, state or local agency for violations in regard to asbestos handling. This list should include comprehensive information regarding the specific project, with explanations about how the allegations were resolved and any legal claims which have been filed against them. The contractor should also be able to furnish the owner or operator with a list detailing available equipment for use in an asbestos abatement project (3).
Any owner or operator involved in a demolition or renovation project must provide the Environmental Protection Division of Georgia with written notice of their intent and plan for removal or encapsulation. The written notice must be on the Asbestos Abatement or Demolition Project Notification form provided by the division, and must be returned by U.S. Mail. All asbestos containing materials must be abated from the building before demolition can begin. A Georgia licensed abatement contractor’s agent will perform a survey to determine if the asbestos can be removed or encapsulated to best ensure that the material does not become friable during demolition (4).
Under Georgia law, in alignment with Federal Rule, it is required that notification must occur at least ten working days in advance of any demolition, renovation, or abatement procedures. This includes site preparation procedures. Notification regulations also include the following:
- All demolition projects are subject to the rules and regulations of notification and abatement, regardless of the amount of asbestos present.
- All residential structures are required to present notification individually, even if the demolition is part of a larger project such as a road expansion or industrial development project.
- Residential buildings are the same location, scheduled for demolition at the same time, and controlled by the same owner, are considered part of the same project and are subject to notification requirements.
- Legal owners of residences where four or fewer units are involved are not required to submit notification unless they are part of a larger project as outlined above.
- Any project involving ten or more linear feet or ten or more square feet of asbestos containing material will require notification (4).
In the case of an emergency abatement project, the division must be notified within 24 hours of the initiation of the abatement; and a justification notification must be sent, with the plan for abatement, within 7 days. The justification must contain information regarding the specific date and time that the emergency occurred and a description of the event that resulted in the emergency (4).
Disposal of Asbestos Containing Material
Any vehicle used in the transportation of asbestos containing materials must be appropriately marked according to state guidelines during loading and unloading. Labels must be placed on the containers that detail the original location of the asbestos, including the name of the company or owner of the building.
When asbestos containing materials are brought to a waste disposal site, the containers must be accompanied with a waste shipment record. This record must be signed and returned to the owner or operator of the property from which the asbestos was removed. If there is any discrepancy between the documentation and the actual amount of material that was disposed of, it is the responsibility of the waste site operator to reconcile the difference, or report the discrepancy to the agency overseeing the project, within 15 days (2).
Owners of disposal sites are responsible for keeping records attached to the deed of the site that detail the use of the property in the disposal of asbestos materials. They must also record the location, depth, area and volume of all asbestos waste with indications on the deed of where the information is available. Owners of existing disposal sites, which have previously been used for asbestos disposal, must obtain written approval before excavating or disturbing asbestos containers on the site (2).
'Georgia (GA) Asbestos Removal & Abatement Resources' Sources:
1. “Georgia Code: O.C.G.A. § 12-12-3” The State of Georgia. 2007. 22 Jan 2008.
http://www.ehso.com/2. “The Asbestos Informer” United States Environmental Protection Agency: Region 4: Asbestos. 10 Jan 2008. 22 Jan 2008.
http://www.epa.gov/region4/air/asbestos/inform.htm3. “Guidelines for Asbestos Abatement Projects” Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Mar 200. 22 Jan 2008.
http://www.usg.edu/ehs/guidelines/asbestos_abate.phtml4. “Asbestos Notification Requirements” Environmental Protection Division: Georgia Department of National Resources. 23 Apr 1999. 22 Jan 2008.
http://www.gaepd.org/Documents/asbnotify.html
Bookmark This Article: del.icio.us: