For your information, The Mack Group, LLC has compiled the following glossary of asbestos abatement and removal terms and terminology to assist our clients.
AHERA – The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, passed by Congress in 1986.
CERCLA – The Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act which is also known as the “Superfund.”
EPA – The United States Environmental Protection Agency
EHSD – Environmental Health and Safety Division, U.S. EPA.
Friable Asbestos Material – Any material containing more than one percent asbestos, as determined using the method specified in Appendix A, subpart F 40 CFR part 763, section 1, Polarized Light Microscopy, that when dry, can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure. If the asbestos content is less than 10 percent as determined by a method other than point counting by polarized light microscopy (PLM), verify the asbestos by point counting using PLM.
Glove bag – A sealed compartment with attached inner gloves used for the handling of asbestos-containing materials.
NARS – National Asbestos Registry System
Negative pressure enclosure – means any enclosure of an asbestos abatement project area where the air pressure outside the enclosure is greater than the air pressure inside the enclosure and the air inside the enclosure is changed at least four times an hour by exhausting it through a HEPA filter.
NESHAP – The National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants found in Title 40 CFR Part 61 promulgated under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act.
NIOSH – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
NVLAP – National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program.
OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health Administration.
PLM – Polarized light microscopy, as defined in Appendix A, subpart F, 40 CFR part 763, section 1.
RACM – Regulated Asbestos-Containing Material.
RACM means;
- (a) Friable asbestos material,
- (b) Category I nonfriable ACM that has become friable,
- (c) Category I nonfriable ACM that will be or has been subjected to sanding, grinding, cutting, or abrading, or
- (d) Category II nonfriable ACM that has a high probability of becoming or has become crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by the forces expected to act on the material in the course of demolition or renovation operations regulated by the Asbestos NESHAP.
RCRA – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
TSCA – Toxic Substances Control Act
Visible Emissions – Any emissions, which are visually detectable without the aid of instruments, coming from RACM or asbestos-containing waste material, or from any asbestos milling, manufacturing, or fabricating operation.
OTHER TERMS
Asbestos Abatement Project – means any demolition, renovation, repair, construction, or maintenance activity of any public or private facility that involves the repair, enclosure, encapsulation, removal, salvage, handling, or disposal of any asbestos-containing material (ACM) with the potential of releasing asbestos fibers from asbestos-containing material into the air.
Asbestos Abatement Worker – means any employee of a licensed asbestos contractor who engages in asbestos abatement, has completed a training program approved by the governing agency and has been issued a certificate by that agency.
Asbestos Abatement Site Supervisor – means any asbestos abatement worker employed by a licensed asbestos contractor who has been specifically trained as a supervisor in a training program approved by the governing agency and who has been issued a certificate by that agency.
