July 14, 2004
The Southland’s air quality agency has issued a violation to the Housing
Authority of the City of Los Angeles for improper handling and removal of
asbestos during a city renovation project.
A sample taken from the project site and analyzed by the South Coast Air
Quality Management District confirmed the presence of asbestos in floor tile
debris.
“AQMD’s asbestos regulation is designed to protect communities from
asbestos contamination,” said Barry Wallerstein, executive officer of the
South Coast Air Quality Management District. “Not following proper
guidelines for asbestos removal may put the public at risk.”
AQMD inspectors issued a notice of violation to the Housing Authority on
July 7 for several violations of AQMD’s asbestos rule, including failure to:
- survey for the presence of asbestos before starting the project;
- follow required asbestos removal procedures; and
- provide proper training certification for project workers.
The violation notice was issued for a renovation project in an apartment
unit at 1303 Magdalena St. in Los Angeles.
The AQMD is now investigating similar projects conducted by the Housing
Authority, and has requested additional information from the city as part of
the investigation.
Asbestos was used until the 1980s in some building materials including
roofs, floor tiles, acoustic ceilings, insulation, sound-proofing, cement
pipes, heating ducts, pipe covering and other materials.
When left in place, asbestos in building materials typically does not
pose a hazard. When disturbed by demolition or renovation activity,
asbestos fibers can become airborne. Asbestos is a toxic air contaminant
and is known to cause lung cancer and other lung diseases.
AQMD’s Rule 1403 – Asbestos Emissions from Demolition/Renovation
Activities, is designed to protect public health by preventing hazardous
levels of asbestos from being released. The rule has a number of
requirements to safeguard against asbestos contamination, including:
- a facility survey to determine the presence of asbestos prior to
demolition and renovation activities;
- notification to the AQMD of any such activity;
- specified guidelines and procedures for properly handling and removing
asbestos; and
- recordkeeping of all such activities.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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