What's that flaky white stuff?

By Brad Stratton

To reduce the risk of exposing workers and the public to asbestos, Bob Sloan of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Air Management Program has simple advice for contractors considering building renovations or demolition: "Have the facility pre-inspected by a certified inspector."

Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen. "Many contractors either don't know or ignore the regulations," said Jennifer Hansen, marketing director for Schauer & Associates Inc., a Milwaukee environmental contractor.

Saeid Rahmanpanah agrees. The general manager of Professional Asbestos Removal Service in Milwaukee said building owners have said to him, "I don't want to know (the regulations), just make the problem go away."

Rahmanpanah recalls being called urgently to a renovation site where three men had just ripped down ceiling tiles. Their hair was white from a powdery substance disturbed by their work. The carpeting was blanketed with debris. The area had not been inspected for asbestos prior to the work and the contractor wasn't sure what to do.

Rahmanpanah had samples of the material sent for analysis, which confirmed what he feared: the powder was laden with asbestos. Rahmanpanah's crews were able to contain and clean up the problem, but today he is most concerned about those three men.

"Who is going to answer to them 25 years from now?" he asked.

Heavy fines

Ignoring U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations enforced by state agencies is done at one's own peril. Recent fines levied in Wisconsin for improperly removing or disposing of asbestos or not following procedures have run as high as $200,000, Sloan said.

Using people properly trained in dealing with asbestos-containing material is important because asbestos cannot be conclusively identified by visual inspection alone. Sloan said it is best to assume that all materials contain asbestos and conduct sampling to determine exact asbestos content when the situation warrants. State regulatory agencies use the Wisconsin Occupational Health Lab (979 Jonathan Drive, Madison, Wis., 53713, 608-263-6550).

It also is important to plan for projects that might involve asbestos. Sloan said the Air Management Program must be notified at least 10 business days before the demolition or removal begins for all building demolitions (regardless of whether any asbestos-containing material is present) and when more than 260 linear feet, 160 square feet or 35 cubic feet of asbestos-containing material is going to be removed.

The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services Division of Public Health requires 10 calendar days notice of any such work so it can plan to visit work sites and verify that properly trained people are always on site.