CREJ - Property Management Quarterly - January 2017
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that once was praised for its versatility, renowned for its heat resistance, flexible strength and insulating properties, and used for virtually everything in the home and in commercial construction. Basically, it added strength without adding much weight. There are six types of asbestos minerals, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. All commercial forms of asbestos are carcinogenic. When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibers are released into the air and can be inhaled. When these fibers are inhaled they can stay in the lungs for years and cause serious diseases. It often takes a progression of time for the exposed people to begin to exhibit signs of illness, which is why it is important that people are proactive and not reactive when dealing with asbestos. Structures built before 1980 often are filled with asbestos, needing only normal usage and age (wear and tear) to disturb the fibers and send them airborne. Friable ACM is any material that contains more than 1 percent asbestos by weight or area, depending on whether it is a bulk or sheet material and can be reduced to powder by the squeezing or crushing of an ordinary human hand, also called pulverizing. Asbestos can be found in almost all construction materials, floor tiles, roofing materials, furnaces, plumbing materials, appliances, fireplaces and window caulking, leaving most everyone vulnerable if the materials are disturbed. Effective Jan. 30, 2008, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission enacted emission standards for asbestos, governing asbestos abatement in Colorado. These standards are known as Regulation 8. It is important to note that structures of any age may contain asbestos containing materials, commonly referred to as ACM; even those newly built may have asbestos. There are circumstances where testing is not be mandatory. There must be proof that the building was built after Oct. 12, 1988, and the architect or engineer who built the building is required to sign and submit documentation showing that no ACM was specified or used in the construction of the building. If both of these requirements are not met, the structure must be tested for asbestos, regardless of age. The various levels of asbestos containing materials being manipulated can prompt the need for testing as well. If the structures/ components being disturbed exceed the levels listed below, they must be inspected for asbestos by a Colorado-certified asbestos building inspector. • Single-family residential dwellings – the red flag levels are 50 linear feet of piping; 32 square feet on other surfaces; or the volume equal to a 55-gallon drum. • Public and commercial buildings – the red flag levels are 260 linear feet of piping; 160 sf on other surfaces; or the volume equal to a 55-gallon drum. In most situations, a Colorado-certified general abatement contractor must remove the asbestos-containing materials. A written application to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment often is required and a 10-working day notification period (emergencies excluded) before the initiation of removal of regulated asbestos containing materials. All waste products from the removal must be disposed of at approved asbestos waste disposal sites, regardless of the quantity of ACM being disposed. Companies are required to abide by state regulations for disposing of the removed asbestos material properly, regardless of who removes it. It is never acceptable to recycle items with asbestos containing materials. If the asbestos is being removed from any structure other than one’s personal home, written notification is required to be submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at least 10 working days prior to the renovation or demolition. There is a fee associated with the notification. Notification must be filed by using a notification of demolition form available from the air pollution control division. The notification form will ask about the types of asbestos in the structure, quantity of asbestos involved and who will be performing the removal. The issue with self-removal is that it inevitably upsets asbestos deposits and releases thousands of harmful airborne asbestos particles. Proper asbestos abatement, under most circumstances, requires very specific protocol and is best handled by a professional. Only an individual or company licensed by the state of Colorado, after completing mandatory training, may remove asbestos from structures. It is important to note that if a structure is demolished, the owner of the structure will be subject to federal regulations even if there is no asbestos in the facility. The definition of demolition is the wrecking or taking out of any load-supporting structural member together with any related handling operations or the intentional burning of any facility.