Asbestos Should Be Disposed of By A Professional:
As far as removing asbestos is concerned, one is dealing with an entirely toxic chemical and should be disposed of by a professional only. With that said, the fundamental way of legally getting rid of it is to return it back to the earth. In which case, the handling of the material is crucial, for the fibers cannot become airborne. Ultimately, the asbestos should find its way to a landfill, certified for housing asbestos and keeping the materials closed interminably. The landfill needs to have enough space to house the toxic materials. Lastly, the landfill site has to have the proper burial site ready, with enough clean area for dealing with the asbestos when it arrives.
As it stands now, asbestos is considered a solid waste air pollutant, and the individual that wishes to dispose of the materials is entirely responsible for anything that comes into contact with the asbestos; therefore, keeping it contained, keeping the fibers from becoming airborne is absolutely vital. Each and every package delivered by a company or individual requires the correct address, the project’s origination, and other very important details. In case it hasn’t been said enough, the individual that disposes of the asbestos is held legally responsible for any harmful actions if anything should go wrong.
How To Dispose of Asbestos:
Assuming that the previous statement has been understood entirely, the following is a short list of procedures that meet federal laws regarding the disposal of asbestos, according to Solid Waste Rules:
• Before the operation commences, typically paperwork begins for the landfill disposal 24-hours ahead of time, i.e., before the initial load arrives at the landfill. Often this process will take several weeks, at least until all the arrangements are negotiated.
• The employees at the landfill will create the perfect sized trench that will hold the asbestos upon delivery. Basically, the trench needs to be dug in a way that after the asbestos is placed in it, the soil can be placed over the trench, without bothering the asbestos containers. This does not require too much soil. The trenches have to be narrow; winds should not blow across the topsoil; the direction of the trench is very important. One trench should be a ramp for the delivery truck, and the truck has to back down the bottom of the ramp after it delivers the waste.
• The landfill workers will be wearing protective equipment, from head-to-toe; this includes respirators. At which point the workers will load the waste from the truck.
• Workers will take the waste packages from the vehicle to the desired area of the trench; even the plastic bags cannot be thrown lightly, for if they were to burst, asbestos fibers can spill out, causing irrevocable damage.
• Once the asbestos is in its proper place, at least three feet of solid waste soil has to be compacted to avoid exposure. The asbestos waste containers cannot be compacted before they are covered up.
Make Sure The Asbestos Containers Are Sealed properly:
If the asbestos containers are not in a leak-tight container, the landfill operator will deny its disposal and report it to authorities. At which point, it must be re-packaged and sent to yet another landfill. Once again, proper arrangements must be made ahead of time with the next landfill. It is useful to utilize the larger landfills at first because they have the ability to handle more materials and normally have more experience in doing so. Lastly, adhering to the proper laws and not engaging in the disposal of asbestos without a professional’s assistance will ensure that the process runs smoothly.
