asbestos removal method shut down

"Public Justice, environmental groups and labor unions have long urged the EPA to shut down its asbestos-removal experiments," and finally EPA has shut down this dangerous asbestos removal method.  "The EPA conducted tests of this method and each time got releases of asbestos, potentially exposing on-site workers and nearby residents to the deadly carcinogen."  Sadly, this comes too late for the Gulf Coast residents who returned to rebuild after the Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.  Hurricane damaged homes sat idle for years.  A large number of these homes contained asbestos.  Even after demolition of the home, there remained the concrete slabs with asbestos flooring materials.

In St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana,  EPA's original plan to burn asbestos containing material at the Paris Road Landfill was changed after residents received help from Public Justice and Tulane University's Environmental Law Clinic.  EPA changed the test burn to include only none asbestos containing materials and vegetative debris. 

However, the questionable asbestos removal and demolition method continued with little safeguards for public health.  The hurricane damaged houses and buildings were simply sprayed with water from the nearby fire hydrants in an attempt to suppress asbestos release and contamination. Workers did not always wear protective gear and although the individual home lot was taped-off, residents were never notified.  Even school bus stops remained the same, allowing children to walk past active demolition sites.  There was other asbestos trouble at makeshift storage sites often located within residential-zoned districts.  Even the asbestos flooring glue residue on the concrete slabs was "sealed" with a red, pinkish paint.  Later slab removal and recycling occurred at newly permitted sites in close proximity of neighborhoods.     

http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy141/concerned_citizens_2010/asbestos/

In the 2008 photo above, residents relax outside on their carport while an asbestos containing home is demolished. Notice the little yellow asbestos monitor on the empty house next door and another asbestos monitor adjacent to the occupied home.

Not as much water suppression as one might hope for.

Above photo:  A harsh chemical was used to remove the asbestos flooring glue. This chemical made residents feel extremely nauseated. The concrete slab was then painted with a red-pinkish seal before removal. The slabs were brought to a makeshift storage area where they were crushed and recycled.

Some of the recycled concrete was used to form 'T-Wall" structures for the MR-GO Levee repairs.

http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy141/concerned_citizens_2010/asbestos/

more asbestos troubles

 asbestos demo slideshow

recycling asbestos treated cement slabs


The Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") has acknowledged that "there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos." 51 Reg. 15722, 15728 (1986) (emphasis added). "Diseases associated with asbestos exposure include asbestosis, mesothelioma, cancer of the lung, and cancer of the gastrointestinal tract."



DEQ officials state:
DEQ regulates the conditions under which a storage site may operate in order to protect human health and the environment. We have no authority over zoning discrepancies. The zoning issue is a function of the Parish, and as such, a non-compliance issue will be handled by them.



On behalf of Concerned Citizens Around Murphy, Tulane Environmental Law Clinic (TELC) worked with Public Justice to stop EPA from conducting an experimental burn of asbestos contaminated waste in St. Bernard Parish that would have violated EPA’s own hazardous air pollutant regulations. TELC and Public Justice submitted a Notice of Intent to Sue the agency, alleging that EPA’s plans to experiment by departing from health and safety standards would treat “a storm-devastated Louisiana parish as a laboratory for illegal experiments.” In response, EPA dropped its plans to burn regulated asbestos containing material during the experiment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulane_Environmental_Law_Clinic

http://www.tulane.edu/~telc/accomp.pdf

^ Notice of Intent of Concerned Citizens Around Murphy to Sue to EPA (June 3, 2008) http://www.tulane.edu/~telc/assets/Notice%20Letters/6-3-08%20CAA%20NOV%20to%20EPA%20Asbestos%20Burn.pdf

^ EPA Response to Comments, Disaster Debris Reduction Pilot Project – St. Bernard Parish (June 23, 2008), http://www.tulane.edu/~telc/assets/agency/06-23-08%20EPA%20resp.pdf

EPA further stated:"However, if these materials are in poor condition and are friable or they are subjected to sanding, grinding, cutting, or abrading, they are to be treated as friable asbestos material." (See Federal Register/Vol.55. No.224 / Tuesday, November 20, 1990 / Rules and Regulations / p. 48409)

http://www.deq.state.ok.us/aqdnew/asbestos/index.htm

http://www.deq.state.ok.us/aqdnew/asbestos/index.htm#EPA

http://www.deq.state.la.us/portal/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=umtrFI6TkdI%3D&tabid=2885

Overall Air Quality Concerns - Asbestos

Because we care for the future of our community and for the safety and health of our children, all our residents, and the many workers in our area, we resolved to take action on the Clean Air Act violations in our community.

EPA's recent efforts to conserve landfill space explored disaster debris volume reduction with an experimental asbestos grind and burn at our Paris Road landfill. Asbestos containing debris scheduled to be incinerated with an Air Curtain Destructor pilot test was canceled because of citizens concerns for public health. The EPA curtailed their plans and chose only to test burn and grind non RACM containing C & D debris along with vegetative matter, as explained in the EPA 's pilot tests comments .

At prior council meetings, St Bernard Parish officials traded a temporary burn permit to the EPA for a renewal of a no action assurance from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The no action assurance was a renewal of permission to demo without asbestos abatement. The RACM houses however are to be 'burrito wrapped' and hauled to the River Birch Landfill on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish.


Residents first became aware of the incinerator project by attending EFC meetings; the Executive Finance Meetings where St Bernard Parish Councilmembers customarily discuss business matters and ordinances before voting to bring such items before the full council. However, the agendas for both the EFC and the Council Meetings never contained verbiage of asbestos. While residents may sign up to speak for two (2) minutes at a council meeting, the ability to comment was difficult given the lack of information prior to the council's February 7, 2008 vote. Through public records requests, CCAM received the information about two weeks later.

Several active CCAM members whose work and lifestyle brings them in and around the landfill area spoke up to the EPA about their concerns for public health through these prior council meetings and the subsequent EPA community outreach meetings in June. The EPA June meetings were held in response to residents claims that there had been no adequate public notice given even by local standards.

St Bernard residents who attended two community outreach meetings with EPA officials in June reported the agency's response to our questions.

Q: HOW are they going to know that the one home for C&D burn experiment is NON Asbestos containing?

answer. "the answer they gave us...They chose 1 house out of 12,000. It has been tested by EPA and the results were compared to other tests made by another company, and the parish demolition company. They said the asbestos was minimal and not harmful. It is in the joints of the house."

Q: This resident asked about the large variety of everyday items in a typical house that would never reduce its size even in the temperatures of the ACD. Examples given were the electrical outlets, ceramic fixtures and hardware and other such auxiliary goods. Questions were also raised about the lead paint, plastic and mercury contents of a typical house.

CCAM wants to recognize the improvements to our quality of life and protection of our public health achieved by a number of residents and workers who made a commitment to our community by taking action on Clean Air Violations.

CCAM is also very appreciative of the expertise and stealth field work by Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, especially Lacy Smith, student attorney at TELC and Jim Hecker, a lawyer with Public Justice in Washington, D.C.

Recent articles about this asbestos experiment can be read at

EPA to burn houses with asbestos During test run, air will be monitored Saturday, February 09, 2008 By Paul Rioux
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1202538125169240.xml&coll=1

EPA DELAYS CONTENTIOUS ASBESTOS DEMOLITION PLAN OVER RISK ERRORS
by: Anthony Lacey INSIDEEPA-29-26-13 http://www.insideepa.com/

Daily Environment Report - EPA Cancels Project to Grind, IncinerateNo. 117 Wednesday, June 18, 2008Page A-5 ISSN 1521-9402 http://www.bna.com/products/ens/bder.htm


Read more about EPA's Disaster Debris Reduction Project - St Bernard Parish Louisiana
http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/debris_reduction.htm

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