Northwest Clean Air Agency

Because of the health risks associated with inhaling asbestos fibers, you may be required to hire a specially certified building inspector to survey a renovation or demolition project prior to beginning work. Inspectors certified according to the requirements of the Asbestos Hazards Emergency Response Act (AHERA) are trained to do asbestos surveys. An asbestos survey identifies materials likely to contain asbestos that will be disturbed or need to be removed in order to complete your project. Once identified, those materials will be sampled and sent to a lab to determine if asbestos is present. If the material contains more than 1 percent asbestos, proper techniques must be used to minimize the risk of exposure and to dispose of the materials safely.

Remember, every asbestos situation may be different. Understand your responsibilities as a property owner or contractor and use appropriate methods for asbestos removal. If you have questions, please contact us to discuss the specifics of your project.