Nov. 5, 2003
In the Wake of
Wildfires
Air quality
officials this week urged homeowners to use caution when cleaning up debris from
burned homes that could contain asbestos, a toxic air contaminant.
“Homes and buildings
built before 1984 may contain asbestos materials,” said Barry Wallerstein,
executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
“Homeowners cleaning up debris from these homes should take steps to protect
themselves, or hire a licensed contractor to handle the cleanup.”
To aid the wildfire
disaster recovery, AQMD has streamlined its asbestos notification process and
waived fees for contractors cleaning up homes damaged or destroyed by the
fires. AQMD regulates materials containing more than 1 percent asbestos.
Prior to 1984 – and
potentially even later -- asbestos was used in some building materials including
roofs, floor tiles, acoustic ceilings, insulation, sound-proofing, cement pipes,
heating ducts, pipe coverings and other materials. If asbestos was present in
the building materials, it could also be present in the ash and debris of a home
burned by the recent wildfires.
When left in place,
asbestos in building materials typically does not pose a hazard. When disturbed
by fire, demolition or remodeling, it can become airborne. A toxic air
contaminant, asbestos is known to cause lung cancer and other lung diseases.
In addition to asbestos,
dust from fire debris can be a hazard when it becomes airborne.
AQMD offers the following
tips to help homeowners protect themselves from potential asbestos exposure:
- Hire a licensed asbestos abatement contractor if asbestos is known
to be present. Debris should be stabilized by wetting and covering with plastic
sheeting until removed;
- When wetting suspected or known asbestos-containing material, use
a fine, low-pressure spray of water and avoid generating runoff; and
- To reduce the amount of material disposed of as asbestos – and the
cost of disposal – homeowners can hire a certified asbestos consultant to test
and identify asbestos so that it can be separated from non-asbestos debris.
For more information:
AQMD is the air pollution
control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San
Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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