OR Asbestos Abatement cheat sheet

Oregon DEQ Asbestos Abatement Essentials

• Oregon's asbestos program is administered by DEQ under OAR Chapter 340, Division 248; rules cover licensing of abatement contractors, certification of workers, supervisor and contractor notification, work practices, and waste handling.

• A certified asbestos abatement contractor license is required before performing abatement for compensation; individual workers and supervisors must hold valid DEQ-issued certificates, and the contractor must keep certificates on file and available at the job site.

• DEQ must receive a written abatement notification before work begins; the notification identifies site, scheduled dates, contractor, supervisor, scope, and abatement methods, and material changes to the schedule require an updated notification.

• A regulated asbestos abatement project generally triggers notification when the amount of asbestos-containing material to be removed meets or exceeds the threshold in OAR 340-248; small projects still must follow work practice and waste disposal rules.

• Abatement means removal, enclosure, or encapsulation of asbestos-containing material; a survey or inspection by an accredited inspector is the basis for determining whether material is asbestos-containing and must precede demolition or renovation planning.

• Asbestos-containing material is material containing more than 1 percent asbestos by weight, determined by polarized light microscopy (PLM) under EPA Method 600 or an equivalent DEQ-accepted method; point counting may be required for certain regulated materials.

• Work practices include a regulated area with signage, negative air pressure with HEPA filtration, wet methods, sealed barriers and decontamination units, and prohibition of dry sweeping, visible dust, and uncontrolled demolition of asbestos-containing material.

• Asbestos waste must be wetted, bagged or wrapped in leak-tight containers labeled as asbestos waste, and transported with a DEQ waste shipment record to an approved landfill permitted to accept asbestos; friable waste handling and disposal records are retained.

• Oregon requires asbestos abatement workers and supervisors to complete accredited training and refresher courses on the required schedule, and DEQ certification requires application, fee, and proof of current training; certification is not transferable between individuals.