LRAPA approves temporary variance from some asbestos

The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) Board of Directors approved a temporary variance from certain asbestos requirements to aid cleanup efforts for those impacted by wildfires in Lane County. This action relaxes some requirements for handling asbestos containing waste (ACW) for properties impacted by wildfires. Lane County, and seven additional Oregon counties, have entered into partnerships with Oregon’s Debris Management Task Force to assess and clear household hazardous waste from fire-damaged properties at no cost to property owners. Free removal of household hazardous waste is Step 1 in the wildfire cleanup process. Step 2 is ash and debris removal. State, county, and federal partners are actively developing funding and implementation options for Step 2. After Step 2 is complete, properties will be ready for communities to begin rebuilding. LRAPA does not recommend cleanup on your own because of the risks posed by asbestos and other hazardous materials. Instead property owners are strongly encouraged to participate in the county, state, and federal cleanup effort. To participate in this program residents must sign a Right of Entry form provided by Lane County before October 16, 2020. Property owners removing their own ACW must follow all applicable LRAPA Title 43 requirements regulating ACW. However, LRAPA’s Board of Directors approved a temporary variance suspending some requirements deemed unreasonable, burdensome, and impractical in the context of wildfire debris cleanup. The variance continues through October 1, 2021. A full review and description of this variance may be found on LRAPA’s website. The following rule changes apply for those who decide to hire a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to clean their properties: • Fees and notification requirements are suspended; commercial and residential projects with five or more dwellings requiring demolition must still submit a notification. • Open accumulation of ACW debris is allowed. • No requirement for negative-pressure enclosure of the ACW. • Use of mechanical equipment is allowed. The changes also allow residential property owners with four or fewer dwelling units to do the work themselves as long as certain conditions are met. These include: • Use of paid labor is not allowed. • The materials must be adequately wetted to prevent airborne particles. • All packaging, transport and disposal rules still apply. For more information about cleanup options for property owners go to the State of Oregon’s Wildfire Cleanup page: https://wildfire.oregon.gov/cleanup