Guidelines For Timely Asbestos Waste Disposal
Asbestos waste disposal should be done properly by asbestos contractors and homeowners. The Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division regulates the disposal of asbestos as a waste that is solid. The regulations on asbestos for disposal criteria for landfills and packaging of asbestos for disposal is included in Section 5 of the solid waste regulations, that is, 6 CCR 1007- 2. Landfill holders are required to handle wastes of asbestos in a particular manner as stated by these regulations. If the landfill operator is contacted prior to the disposal of asbestos, disposal of non-friable asbestos is accepted. It is at the disposal of these landfill holders to accept or reject any material containing asbestos for disposal. Serious risks of health are associated with asbestos waste handling. Asbestos wastes should be handled with extreme care. They must be packaged before the actual disposal at waste and recycling centers. There are guidelines that should be followed in order to safely dispose asbestos waste. Some of these are given below:
For larger quantities of stabilized asbestos in a tipping vehicle: a) The container or vehicle should be lined with heavy duty plastic sheeting that is used by builders. b) Each sheet of the waste should be made wet thoroughly. c) The waste material should be then loaded into the vehicle or container. d) A plastic sheeting must be folded and secured with duct tape or the tapes used by builders, over the asbestos wastes. e) To minimize the dust release, unloading must be done in a proper manner. For material that has to be hand loaded: a) Wet every asbestos sheet with water, thoroughly. b) The waste asbestos sheets should be then wrapped in heavy duty builders plastic. The plastic to be used should be of the grade of 200 microns in thickness. c) The package should then be sealed completely, using duct tape or builders' tape. Manageable size packages should be made in order to safely load and unload the bundles. For example, small bundles should be made for unloading that has to be done by hand. For sliding off on a trailer, larger bundles should be made. The non-friable asbestos waste should be buried in the disposal areas that are designated for the same. This should be done in such a manner so as to avoid the release of the dust of asbestos. No specific regulations have been made for non friable asbestos to be labeled or packaged. However, in certain cases, it may be necessary for packaging as it prevents asbestos dust from releasing, even after asbestos is eroded or crushed. |