What we do for an asbestos survey:

Before a renovation or demolition is performed on any building, the EPA, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), Massachusetts state law, and most towns require building owners to perform asbestos inspections to determine the presence of hazardous materials. Contractors must obtain a written asbestos report based on a survey conducted by a licensed asbestos inspector(survey) before starting any construction/demolition work.

This report certifies that the building is asbestos free, in order to prevent asbestos fibers from accidentally being released into the environment. New laws that started in June 2014.

Pre-demolition/renovation survey

Mass DEP requires a survey of the area to be affected by a demolition or renovation project to be conducted before the project starts, to identify all materials containing any amount of asbestos that is present in the facility or facility component to be demolished or renovated. Please Note : there is a similar requirement in the Federal Asbestos National Emissions Standards for Hazardous pollutants (asbestos NESHAP),(section of the final regulation).

The Mass DEP asbestos regulation [310 CMR 7.15 (1)] defines “Suspect Asbestos-Containing Material” as “products that have a reasonable likelihood of containing asbestos based upon their appearance, composition and use”, and lists non-fiberglass insulation as an example. Vermiculite insulation is one form of non-fiberglass insulation that is considered to be Suspect ACM due to its likely contamination with asbestos.

All Suspect ACM ( including vermiculite insulation ) that could be affected by the demolition or renovation must be identified during the pre-demolition/renovation survey [310 CMR 7.15 (4)] .
While there is commonly held misconception that buildings constructed after 1980 do not contain asbestos, this is not true.
A partcial list of product categories that might contain asbestos is listed in the regulation. It includes, but is not limited to:

  • Non-fiberglass insulation ( e.g.pipe, boiler, duct work, e.t.c)
  • Cement/transite shingle.
  • Vinyl floor and wall tiles
  • Plaster, cement/transite pipes, cement sheets ( corrugated and
    decorative),
  • Ceiling tiles
  • Cloth vibration sampels or duct work
  • Spray- on fireproofing
  • Mastic ( flooring or cove base adhesive or damp proofing )
  • Asphalt roofing or siding materials. ( shingles, roofing felts, tars, etc )