EPA Releases Plan To Test Alternative Method To Remove Asbestos

EPA is submitting a draft Quality Assurance Project Plan for external review for the Alternative Asbestos Control Method demonstration project. An alternative method for removing asbestos from older buildings during demolition will be evaluated and compared to removal techniques previously authorized by National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). If successful, the newer method could allow the safe demolition of many abandoned buildings around the nation that present serious risks to nearby residents. Using the Alternative Asbestos Control Method, these former contaminated areas would then be available for redevelopment, creating jobs and tax revenues for communities.

The newer method will be tested in spring 2006 at a remote location at Fort Chaffee, Ark., chosen to assure no public exposure. Buildings on the east side have a clearance of approximately 1,000 feet from the nearest occupied site, and far greater in all other directions. The demonstration will include extensive environmental monitoring, that allows for a representative of the city, state health department, or EPA to stop work if conditions so merit.

The Alternative Asbestos Control Method first removes the most friable (easily crushed to a powder) asbestos-containing materials before demolition, but leaves some asbestos containing materials (primarily wall systems) in place. Then the demolition proceeds using water containing agents similar to detergents to increase the water's ability to penetrate dust layers and surfaces, trap asbestos fibers and minimize their potential release to air.

The project is a joint effort of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Department of Energy, and EPA. Public involvement is an important component for project success, and there will be opportunities for stakeholder input throughout the work.

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	Did You Know?
	There are detailed Asbestos exposure monitoring standards Except for brake and clutch repair where a "preferred" control method is used, each employer who has a workplace or work operation covered by this standard must assess all asbestos operations for their potential to generate airborne fibers. Where exposure may exceed the PEL, employee exposure measurements must be made from breathing zone air samples representing the 8-hour TWA and 30-minute EL for each employee.