EPA study looks for better asbestos removal technology.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a draft report that evaluates an alternative demolition process for buildings containing asbestos.

Scientists and engineers from EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory and the Dallas regional office compared the current process of demolishing an asbestos-containing structure with a new method called the Alternative Asbestos Control Method (AACM). The first demonstration project was successfully completed in Fort Chaffee, Ark. Preliminary findings show the AACM procedures to be protective for cleanup of many asbestos-containing buildings.

Two similar buildings containing similar types and quantities of asbestos were demolished last April. One demolition used AACM, and one used the standard National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) method. Environmental emissions were monitored during demolition.

The current NESHAP process involves removal of some asbestos materials prior to demolition of a structure. After demolition, the removed asbestos and the demolished structure are disposed of in approved landfills.

Similarly, the alternative method removes some friable asbestos materials, but some asbestos-containing materials remain. The structure is then wetted with amended water to control the release of asbestos fiber prior to and during demolition. Demolition debris and several inches of affected soil from the AACM process are disposed of as asbestos-containing debris at an approved landfill.

Data from the evaluation demonstrated lower than expected levels of asbestos and reduced potential for worker exposure. The cost and time savings for the first study were also found to be significant.

The draft report is available at www.epa.gov/region06/6xa/asbestos.htm.