Responses  to  Fedor  Zarkhin  at  The  Oregonian  re:  DEQ  asbestos  program   July  24,  2015     • Has  DEQ  adequately  protected  the  public  from  asbestos  exposure  as  a  result  of  demolitions  of   buildings  containing  asbestos?     Public  health  is  protected  when  asbestos  removal  and  disposal  are  done  properly  and  in  accordance   with  DEQ  requirements.  When  people  violate  these  rules  it  can  lead  to  increased  risk  of  exposure  for   workers  and  the  general  public.  DEQ  works  to  ensure  compliance  with  our  regulations  through   complaint  response,  inspections,  and  by  licensing  abatement  contractors.     • Has  DEQ  adequately  protected  the  public  from  asbestos  exposure  as  a  result  of  renovations  of   buildings  containing  asbestos?   Same  as  above.  Public  health  is  protected  when  asbestos  removal  and  disposal  are  done  properly  and  in   accordance  with  DEQ  requirements.  When  people  violate  these  rules  it  can  lead  to  increased  risk  of   exposure  for  workers  and  the  general  public.  DEQ  works  to  ensure  compliance  with  our  regulations   through    complaint  response,  inspections,  and  by  licensing  abatement  contractors.     • What  attempts  did  DEQ  make  between  1988  and  2001  to  require  a  survey  for  asbestos  prior  to  a   demolition  and/or  renovation?     DEQ  does  not  have  readily  available  information  about  that  time  period.  Oregon  law  and  DEQ  rules  have   always  required  that  asbestos  removed  during  demolition  or  renovation  be  bagged,  labeled  and   disposed  of  properly  and  that,  prior  to  demolition,  all  asbestos  materials  must  be  properly  removed,   using  proper  abatement  techniques,  by  a  licensed  asbestos  abatement  contractor  and  properly  bagged,   labeled  and  disposed  of  properly.     • Beyond  implementing  Senate  Bill  705,  does  DEQ  plan  any  other  rule  makings  that  would  increase   the  department’s  capacity  to  ensure  asbestos  is  removed  prior  to  a  demolition  or  a  renovation  at   a  home?   In  addition  to  writing  rules  to  incorporate  SB  705  requirements,  DEQ  is  also  planning  future  rulemaking   to  evaluate  and  update  Oregon’s  asbestos  rules.  This  rule-­‐making  is  planned  for  2016.         • Why  did  DEQ  take  no  position  on  Senate  Bill  705,  which  by  the  department’s  estimates  would   prevent  650  homes  a  year  from  being  demolished  with  asbestos  in  place?   DEQ,  as  most  other  state  agencies,  generally  maintains  a  neutral  position  on  legislation  sponsored  or   introduced  by  others.  DEQ  provides  information  to  sponsoring  legislators  and  other  interested  parties   when  asked.   • Air  quality  regulators  in  Southwest  Washington  require  contractors  to  submit  an  asbestos  survey   prior  to  a  demolition.  Why  did  DEQ  decide  not  to  enact  such  a  rule?  Would  it  help  prevent   demolitions  of  homes  with  asbestos  in  place  if  enacted  in  Oregon?   DEQ  requires  building  owners  to  have  a  survey  on  site;  the  regulations  do  not  require  they  submit  that   survey  to  DEQ  in  advance  of  the  project.  Oregon’s  rules  make  the  building  owner  responsible  for   completing  an  asbestos  survey  and  for  proper  asbestos  removal  prior  to  renovation  or  demolition.   Building  owners  are  ultimately  responsible  for  complying  with  asbestos  regulations,  proper   management  of  the  building  materials  in  their  own  buildings  and  for  ensuring  proper  removal  and   disposal  of  asbestos-­‐containing  materials  prior  to  renovation  or  demolition.       Demolitions  of  a  single  family  residence  require  asbestos  abatement  by  a  licensed  asbestos  abatement   contractor;  they  do  not  currently  require  a  survey.  For  demolition  a  home  is  not  considered  owner   occupied  so  an  owner  occupant  is  not  allowed  to  remove  asbestos.   • Southwest  Washington  also  requires  contractors  to  submit  a  notification  that  the  contractor   plans  to  demolish  a  building  on  a  specific  date,  whether  or  not  asbestos  is  found  in  the  building.   Why  did  DEQ  decide  not  to  enact  such  a  rule?  Would  it  help  prevent  demolitions  of  homes  with   asbestos  in  place  if  enacted  in  Oregon?   Oregon  law  directs  DEQ  to  adopt  rules  regarding  proper  asbestos  abatement  prior  to  renovation  or   demolition  but  does  not  direct  DEQ  to  receive  notifications  of  all  demolitions  in  Oregon.  DEQ’s   regulations  require  proper  removal  of  asbestos  containing  waste  materials  prior  to  renovation  or   demolition.   • Federal  NESHAPrules  require  that  a  notice  of  demolition  and  renovation  be  submitted  at  least   ten  days  prior  to  a  demolition  or  renovation  of  a  public  or  commercial  building,  or  a  residential   building  with  five  or  more  units,  whether  or  not  asbestos  is  found  in  the  building.  Oregon  DEQ   has  no  such  requirement.  Why?   DEQ’s  asbestos  abatement  requirements  are  as  stringent,  or  more  stringent  than,  the  federal   requirements;  how  the  regulations  apply  depends  on  the  specific  details  of  a  project.     For  projects  that  are  subject  to  the  federal  NESHAP,  DEQ  rules  require  the  building  owner  and/or   abatement  contractor  to  provide  DEQ  with  ten  day  notification  of  a  friable  asbestos  abatement  project   and  five  day  notification  of  a  non-­‐friable  asbestos  abatement  project.  This  requirement  also  applies  for   projects  that  are  smaller  than  NESHAP  sized  asbestos  abatement.  Oregon  law  directs  DEQ  to  adopt  rules   regarding  proper  asbestos  abatement  prior  to  renovation  or  demolition  but  does  not  direct  DEQ  to   receive  notifications  of  all  demolitions  throughout  Oregon.    Federal  asbestos  NESHAP  rules  only  apply  to   asbestos-­‐containing  material  to  be  removed  before  demolition  or  renovation  for  projects  where  the   total  amount  of  asbestos  is  greater  than  260  linear  feet,  160  square  feet,  or  35  cubic  feet  from  non-­‐ residential  facilities  with  more  than  four  units.  The  federal  asbestos  NESHAP  does  not  regulate  non-­‐ friable  asbestos.     Oregon  law  and  DEQ  rules  require  proper  removal  and  disposal  of  both  non-­‐friable  and  friable  asbestos-­‐ containing  materials  with  the  exception  of  the  owner-­‐occupant  renovation  noted  above  (for  owner-­‐ occupant  projects,  asbestos  waste  must  still  be  bagged,  labeled  and  disposed  of  properly),  small  projects   involving  less  than  three  square  feet  or  three  linear  feet  (this  material  must  still  be  properly  disposed)   and  for  encapsulated  asbestos  that  stays  encapsulated.     • The  department  estimates  that  requiring  a  pre-­‐demolition  survey  for  asbestos  (SB705)  would   prevent  the  demolition  of  650  homes  with  asbestos  inside  annually.  That  would  imply  that   thousands  of  Oregon  homes  have  been  demolished  with  asbestos  inside  since  2002,  when  the   department  withdrew  a  rule  that  would  have  required  such  surveys.  Does  DEQ  bear  some   responsibility  for  cases  where  workers  or  members  of  the  public  contract  an  asbestos-­‐related   disease  as  a  result  of  breathing  asbestos  fibers  released  during  demolitions?   DEQ’s  rules  have  never  allowed  for  demolition  of  a  building  with  asbestos  containing  material.  Oregon’s   asbestos  regulations  require  that  building  owners  be  responsible  for  knowing  whether  their  buildings   contain  asbestos  materials  and  for  proper  management  of  asbestos  containing  materials.    DEQ  rules   require  proper  abatement  of  asbestos  prior  to  renovation  or  demolition  as  explained  above.       • Here  are  some  of  our  findings.  If  there  are  factual  inaccuracies,  please  point  them  out  and   provide  the  correct  information.   -­‐  In  a  comparison  of  City  of  Portland  demolition  data  with  DEQ  asbestos  project  data,  The   Oregonian/OregonLive  found  that  no  more  than  25  percent  of  the  775  homes  demolished  in   Portland  since  2011  had  an  asbestos  abatement.  DEQ  estimates  that  85  to  90  percent  of   demolished  homes  require  an  abatement.       DEQ  cannot  verify  the  numbers  used  by  the  Oregonian.   -­‐  Industry  complaints  prompted  DEQ  to  weaken  an  asbestos  survey  requirement  in  2002  that  the   department  has  recognized  since  1989  is  necessary  for  the  prevention  of  improper  removal  of   asbestos.  Despite  warnings  that  this  would  increase  exposure  to  the  public,  and  assurances  on   the  department’s  part  that  it  would  reconsider  the  reversal  or  find  an  alternative  to  surveys,  DEQ   has  done  nothing  to  advocate  for  such  a  rule  since  2002.       Please  refer  to  the  chronology  provided  to  the  Oregonian  on  July  17,  2015.   -­‐  DEQ  currently  relies  entirely  on  referrals  and  complaints  to  catch  contractors  or  individuals   demolishing  or  renovating  homes  without  first  removing  asbestos.  The  agency  does  not  compare   demolition  permits  data  with  asbestos  abatement  data,  as  The  Oregonian  did.       DEQ  works  to  ensure  compliance  with  the  asbestos  regulations  through  informational  outreach,   complaint  response,  inspections,  and  through  licensing  abatement  contractors.  DEQ  works   staewide  with  local  governments,  fire  departments,  the  Construction  Contractors  Board,  Oregon   OSHA,  the  Oregon  Health  Authority  and  others  to  continually  improve  education  of  contractors   and  building  owners  to  improve  building  owner  awareness  of  asbestos  abatement   requirements.