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The Governor of the State of California has proclaimed a State
of Emergency for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino
counties resulting from widespread fires and high winds commencing
October 21, 2007. In response, AQMD has issued the following Executive
Orders, temporarily suspending requirements and waiving fees to aid in
the wildfire recovery process.
• Asbestos Removal and Demolition (Executive Order 07-02)
Debris from burned homes may contain Asbestos.
Building materials containing asbestos, a toxic air contaminant, were
used in the construction of residences and commercial buildings prior
to 1984 – and even later. When disturbed by fire, demolition, or
remodeling,
asbestos can become airborne and may also be present in the ash
and debris of a burned building.
AQMD Rule 1403 -
Asbestos Emissions from Demolition/Renovation Activities contains a
number of notification and fee requirements that would delay critical
actions necessary to protect public health and safety, cleanup, and
repair work needed to remediate the effects of the current emergency.
On October 25, 2007, AQMD temporarily suspended the following
requirements and fees:
o Rule 301(n) – Asbestos notification fee
o Rule 1403(d)(1)(B)(i)(I) – 10-day notice for demolition or
renovation activities
o Rule 1403(d)(1)(B)(iii) – emergency demolition additional
information
o Rule 1403(d)(1)(B)(iv) – emergency renovation additional information
It is critical that homeowners and professional contractors use
caution in protecting themselves during the
cleanup of debris from roofs, floor tiles,
acoustic ceilings, insulation, sound-proofing, cement pipes, heating
ducts, pipe coverings, and any materials which may contain asbestos.
For additional information, please see AQMD’s
Asbestos Removal and
Demolition Guidelines or contact AQMD’s asbestos hotline at (909)
396-2336.
• Mobile Refuelers for Firefighting (Executive Order 07-01
& Executive Order 07-03)
AQMD Rule 461- Gasoline Transfer and Dispensing, section 461(c)(2),
requires mobile refuelers to be equipped with a vapor recovery system
to capture fuel vapor displaced from the receiving fuel tank while
refueling. The recent wild fires has necessitated the use of mobile refuelers which do not comply with the vapor recovery requirement. On
October 24, 2007, AQMD issued an Order temporarily lifting this
requirement for the operation of mobile refuelers used in refueling of
vehicles and equipment necessary to fight
the fires and complete the subsequent
cleanup or repair work in the areas affected by wildfires,
provided operators comply with the conditions specified
within the respective Executive Orders.
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