Understand the requirements for Asbestos & Demolition Projects
ORCAA regulations define an asbestos project as any activity involving the abatement, renovation, demolition, removal, salvage, clean up, or disposal of asbestos-containing materials (ACM), or any other action that disturbs or is likely to disturb any asbestos-containing materials. It includes the removal and disposal of stored asbestos-containing materials or asbestos-containing waste material. This term does not include the application of duct tape, rewettable glass cloth, canvas, cement, paint, or other non-asbestos materials to seal or fill exposed areas where asbestos fibers may be released. ORCAA defines ACM as more than 1 percent (1%) of asbestos. Notification is not required for the removal and disposal of non-friable asbestos caulking, window glazing, or roofing.
Contractors’ & Property Owners’ Guide to Asbestos & Demolition Notification
Demolition projects (larger than 120 sq. ft.) within Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties REQUIRE A NOTIFICATION and require the following conditions be met prior to the demolition.
Note: Demolition notifications require 14 days prior notice. That 14-day period begins after ORCAA receives the completed notification form, asbestos survey, and payment.
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) regulations define a demolition project as the wrecking, dismantling, or removal of any load-supporting structural member that makes that portion of the structure unusable.
An asbestos survey performed by an AHERA-certified building inspector needs to be included in the demolition notification. If there is asbestos in the structure, an ORCAA Asbestos Notification form must also be completed, and the asbestos will need to be safely and legally removed.
Note that ONLY certified asbestos abatement contractors – or the homeowner of an owner-occupied single-family home – may perform the asbestos removal and abatement work. All removed asbestos-containing materials must be appropriately handled and disposed of in certified asbestos disposal facilities.
Owner-occupied Home Guide to Asbestos & Demolition Notification
Asbestos projects within Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties REQUIRE A NOTIFICATION and require that the following conditions be met prior to the demolition.
A homeowner renovating their own home should be aware of materials that may contain asbestos. An asbestos survey is not required for single-family home renovations. Instead, homeowners may collect samples and submit them to a National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) certified lab.
Before demolishing a structure
An asbestos survey and ORCAA Notification must be submitted to ORCAA 14 days prior to demolition starting. Only Certified Asbestos Building Inspectors can do the survey for demolitions.
If asbestos was detected in the survey
The asbestos material must be abated prior to demolishing or renovating the structure. This requires an Asbestos Notification and fee. See Asbestos Projects below.
Notifications for “Asbestos Projects”
An Asbestos Notification is needed for projects that include more than 48 square feet or 10 linear feet (pipes) of asbestos-containing material. In these cases, a Notification must be filed with ORCAA at least 10 days before work begins unless the project meets ORCAA’s definition of an Emergency (see website). The Notification must have the start and end dates noted, as well as the location of the property.
Homeowners wishing to remove asbestos
Hire a certified asbestos contractor or review ORCAA’s three guidance documents for the most common do-it-yourself abatement projects. The owners of a single-family residence may do the work themselves. Guidance documents are available for:
General Guidelines:
- Certified asbestos contractors can be found on ORCAA’s website, on the Washington State Labor and Industries website, as well as conducting an internet search.
- Asbestos samples must be sent to an NVLAP Laboratory (National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program) per 40 CFR 763.87. A list of labs can be found on ORCAA’s website.
- The start date for asbestos abatement projects must be at least 10 days from the submission date of the complete application and payment.
- It is the responsibility of the building owner and/or asbestos contractor to ensure all ACM identified (or suspected) in the survey and proposed to be removed, have been removed, and properly disposed of in accordance with ORCAA’s Regulations.
- A copy of the asbestos survey, Asbestos Notification, and any subsequent amendments must be kept on-site and be available for review by Agency inspection personnel.
- Use the Completion Notification and Amendment Form to make changes to the original notification.
- The original asbestos notification will expire on the Completion Date. To change the completion date, an Amendment and Completion Notification form must be received PRIOR to expiration. If the notification expires and the project is not complete, you must submit and pay for another asbestos notification. Under no circumstances will a project be extended beyond 1 year from the original submission date.
- Upon completion of the project, fill out and submit an Amendment and Completion Notification, documenting the actual date of completion.
- Contractors who also work outside ORCAA’s six-county jurisdiction should consult with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 office (EPA-R10) about notification requirements in other parts of Washington. EPA-R10 will refer callers to the appropriate EPA office or local clean air agency as shown on the map here.
- The EPA provides guidance for reporting asbestos projects in this PDF document: Guidelines for Submitting National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Asbestos Notification Forms for Renovations and Demolitions.