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Inspector General: EPA's Unapproved Asbestos Removal Methods May Put Workers, Public at Risk

Dec. 19, 2011
In a Dec. 14 report, EPA Inspector General Arthur A. Elkins Jr. addressed EPA's authorization of unapproved methods of asbestos removal at its own sites. Elkins called for a halt to these unapproved methods, which may violate OSHA requirements and potentially expose workers to carcinogens, and said the agency should notify any workers or residents who may have been exposed to asbestos as a result.

According to this Early Warning Report, "Use of Unapproved Asbestos Demolition Methods May Threaten Public Health," unapproved approaches asbestos removal are in use or under consideration at several EPA sites, including the Hanford Superfund Site in Washington state. One alternative method, dubbed the "wet method," entails hosing down the debris during building demolition in order to contain the asbestos. EPA, however, "has not approved or shown that these 'wet' methods are protective of human health," the report stated.

When inhaled, asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer or other serious lung diseases. The approved method of asbestos removal requires that trained specialists in protective gear remove all of the asbestos before demolition.

"The use of unapproved methods is counter to EPA regulations," Elkins wrote in the report. "The current and proposed use of unapproved methods may jeopardize the health and safety of the public."

Environmental groups and labor unions have long urged the EPA to shut down its asbestos-removal experiments. Jim Hecker, environmental enforcement project director for Public Justice, said "shoddy science and bureaucratic dysfunction" have protected the wet method for years. He expressed hope that this report "will finally put the nail in the coffin of this unapproved and dangerous method of asbestos removal."

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.

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