CAM Environmental is an Asbestos Training Provider licensed by the Texas Department of Health (license # 00-0066) and certified by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (certificate # A03TF0095).  The following is a list of asbestos courses and refreshers that are scheduled to be held during  May  2003:             

 

  

                      Abatement Worker Course (32 Hour)              

                      Abatement Worker Refresher (8 Hour)           

                                          May 8                         Nederland

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Asbestos survey???  I don't need an asbestos survey, do I?  After all, asbestos is no longer used in this country, right?  Wasn't it banned in the 80's?  

Confused over the need to have an asbestos survey performed?  You're not alone.  Oh, by the way, asbestos was banned in 1989 but the ban was overturned in 1991 (see EPA link) so asbestos is still a common component of many building and insulation materials such as roofing felt, floor tile, millboard, brake linings, gaskets, and many roofing coatings, to name a few.  What this means is that if  you are going to be drilling, grinding, cutting, sanding, or demolishing any type of structure, you have the potential of disturbing asbestos containing materials.  

The Texas Department of Health (TDH) estimates that on over 80% of projects, an asbestos survey was not performed before demolition, renovation, or remodeling activities began.  The problem with this statistic is that over 70% of the time, asbestos was being disturbed during these projects creating a serious health hazard for workers.  To remedy this problem, Texas Senate Bill 509 was signed into law on May 3, 2001.  

In a nutshell, Senate Bill 509 states that any municipality that requires a permit before renovating or demolishing a public or commercial building may not issue the permit unless the applicant provides "evidence acceptable to the municipality" that the building does not contain asbestos.  The most common form of evidence is an asbestos survey.

There are some important points that need to be emphasized.  First, this bill applies to "public and commercial buildings" only.  Public and commercial buildings are usually classified as non-residential, public access buildings or apartment buildings larger than 4 units.  (Note:  This does not mean that asbestos is not a concern when renovating or demolishing a private residence--just that a private residence does not fall under the jurisdiction of this bill.)  Second, asbestos surveys are required on all buildings regardless of the year of construction.   Lastly, asbestos surveys must be completed by a person appropriately licensed by the TDH to perform such a survey.  An asbestos survey varies in cost depending on the size of the building being demolished or area being renovated.

For more information on Senate Bill 509, see the TDH list of FAQ's at www.tdh.state.tx.us/beh/asbestos.  Note:  this is a fairly large PDF file and may take some time to load so be patient--the information is worth the wait.

CAM Environmental is a TDH licensed Asbestos Consulting Agency.  Our Asbestos Technicians have the required licenses and training to conduct an asbestos survey in a cost effective manner.  Samples taken during the survey are analyzed at CAM's TDH-licensed asbestos laboratory.  Once the survey is complete, CAM's Individual Asbestos Consultant can design abatement specifications and provide project management during the abatement process.  For more information on CAM's asbestos services, email us at  info@cam-enviro.com.