More Regulations Needed On Removal of Asbestos

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen would like to see regulations around asbestos removal beefed-up.

Staff brought a proposal to the district’s environment and infrastructure committee that, if approved by the RDOS board, will bring a resolution to the Union of B.C. Municipalities asking for a certification and licensing system for those handling asbestos removal.

“We’ve seen very good contractors that do this work and we’ve seen contractors that don’t do this work,” said an RDOS staffer. “We’ve seen a very big difference between what the qualifications are for these groups, and when we look at some of the qualifications, they may not meet the standards put forward by WorkSafeBC. These are concerns for us as landfills that deal with materials on a daily basis, also for homeowners.”

He added that soil contaminants have much stricter regulations than hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead paint.

The staff proposal passed a vote from the committee, but not without some protest from some of the smaller communities.

The City of Penticton recently decided to look at its own processes on providing demolition permits following the teardown of a building on Van Horne Street that proceeded without proper asbestos removal.

original article: http://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/186503/RDOS-eyes-asbestos