Asbestos Landfills: Burying Asbestos, Wetting Asbestos, Asbestos Decontamination Process

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Asbestos is an ongoing public health hazard.

Despite its documented dangers, asbestos was not banned in the United States until 1989.

We know today that asbestos is an incredibly dangerous substance, capable of causing severe respiratory distress and disease, up to and including cancer.

Asbestos Removal Laws

The Environmental Protection Agency began restricting the import, manufacture, and use of asbestos-containing materials, or ACMs, in the late 1970s.

While the federal government has yet to recognize asbestos as a toxic waste, employers and private businesses must still comply with the National Emission

Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

NESHAP broadly instructs commercial enterprises to adhere to the Clean Water Act, which:

Specifies safe work practices for asbestos, to be followed during the demolition and renovation of most large structures;

Requires that companies notify regulatory officials of any demolition or renovation work affecting an asbestos-contaminated building or site;

and

Seeks to regulate and limit potential emissions of airborne asbestos.

NESHAP’s Asbestos Disposal Rules

Although NESHAP has some exceptions, it typically requires that any positively identified asbestos-containing materials be:

Isolated prior to disposal;
Wetted and sealed inside a labeled, leak-tight container;
and
Transported to a landfill authorized to process asbestos waste

Active and Inactive Asbestos Landfill Expectations

The federal government classifies asbestos-containing landfills as “active” or “inactive.”

All active asbestos-containing landfills must be free from visible asbestos emissions.

If there are any detectable emissions, then the landfill must use alternative disposal methods:

At the end of each operating day, or once per every 24-hour period, the landfill must cover asbestos waste with at least 15 centimeters of compacted, non-asbestos-containing material; or
Apply a resinous or petroleum-based dust suppression agent to the affected waste.

Irrespective of how an authorized asbestos landfill chooses to reduce environmental emissions, any remnant asbestos waste must be covered by either non-asbestos-containing materials or be placed in an area with warning signs and restricted-entry fencing.

Inactive asbestos landfills are subject to similar requirements.

An inactive asbestos landfill must:
Have no visible emissions;
Cover asbestos waste with at least 15 centimeters of compacted non-asbestos-containing material.
The affected area should then be covered by maintained vegetation; or
Cover asbestos waste with at least 60 centimeters of non-asbestos-containing materials.

Asbestos Recycling
The United States government allows private parties and commercial enterprises to recycle asbestos.
However, asbestos recycling can be a complex, painstaking, and expensive process.

The Potential Dangers of Asbestos Landfills
When asbestos landfills comply with federal and state-level regulations, they pose little danger to the public.

However, people living close to an asbestos landfill should be aware that improperly stored or disposed asbestos has the potential to contaminate drinking water.

Heavy rains, severe storms, and other inclement weather events could displace asbestos fibers, forcing them into underground aqueducts or above-ground sources of water.

http://www.AsbestosClaims.law is your comprehensive resource for all things asbestos. We hope this information helps you.