In a move the EPA deemed ‘historic,’ the agency has banned chrysotile asbestos, the only form of the cancer-causing mineral that the U.S. still imports and uses
No. A lot of those uses aren’t particularly dangerous unless you start doing things like drilling holes in it or otherwise producing dust. If it needs to be replaced, you’re on the hook for hiring somebody to remove it safely. Its use in new construction has been banned for decades.
This is just a ban on the last few uses of it.
The last I knew in the US you have a choice to remove it yourself, you can be as safe or unsafe as you see fit, there a very few rules. Or you pay a company which must follow strict regulation on its removal.
The state can’t really stop you if they don’t even know that it’s in your house. If you start yanking out ceiling tiles made with asbestos and toss them in your household garbage, there’s no great way for your state to do anything about it. On the other hand, if you do get caught, you are likely all kinds of fucked.
Not really. The correct way to dispose of asbestos is literally to put it in a garbage bag and send it to the dump. As far as a hazardous material it’s only really bad for people. It’s almost entirely chemically inert so it’s actually far less bad for the environment than most of the stuff that winds up in the dump. Even ocasional exposure wont do anything to most people (not that it’s good for you of course). It’s mainly an issue if you work in an industry where you handle it every day.
I had to do some asbestos remediation in my house a while back (removing plaster filled with it) and I contacted the county about proper disposal. They literally just told me to bag it and huck it in a dumpster.
This is correct. The only thing that is regulated is the disposal (at least in WA) - otherwise home owners are legally allowed to remove it themselves as they see fit. Not that I recommend it if you don’t know what you’re doing, but you won’t get a fine.
Source: am homeowner who (with saftey precautions such as a tent of 3 mil plastic, negative airflow, HEPA shopvac, soap and water, and a proper respirator) removed asbestos tape from my duct work.
Even drilling a few holes is pretty whatever. Just wear a respirator. Continued prolonged exposure is what will give you cancer. A couple random holes and single exposures aren’t gonna be a death sentence.
I have an asbestos siding home and low-key love it. It’s a great insulator, super durable, holds paint forever. Nobody should install it ever again, however. Once it’s there, it’s there for good. If it’s damaged and needs replaced, then you’ve got problems. Remediation and removel is ungodly expensive.
