ASBESTOS EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Atlantic Bay Contracting is highly experienced in asbestos removal and proudly serves both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In general, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection requires that all asbestos abatement processes be notified 10 workdays prior to the asbestos removal begins.
However, there are many cases in which the asbestos abatement is extremely urgent and must be acted upon quickly. Customers in need of emergency asbestos removal have an option to waive the 10 workday notification period. Below are listed the required steps to obtain a waiver number:
The first step to obtain a waiver is to call the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The Northeast Region numbers for the Massachusetts DEP are 1 (978) 694-3274 and 1 (978) 694-3236. The homeowner is required to contact the Massachusetts DEP unless; the homeowner is unable to be contacted, the homeowner is incapable of making phone calls, or if you manage the property on their behalf. In order to find out which region your home or property is located in, click in this link and enter your city to find the appropriate office to connect with.
At this point, you should be connected to an asbestos inspector. If you are not, then leave a message on their voice mail system. Please understand that the Massachusetts DEP is a state funded operation and they are doing their best to be efficient as possible. The Massachusetts DEP can be reached between 8:45AM to 4PM from Monday through Friday.
When you are able to reach the asbestos inspector, explain your emergency to them. Some examples of theses emergencies are: leaking pipes, damaged heating system, or any type of hazard involving asbestos.
After you discuss your urgent situation with the inspector, they will ask you for some personal information. The inspector will ask you for: the name of the property owner, and the amount of hazardous asbestos you need removed.
After you give the inspector the information, the inspector will grant you a waiver number. Please note that it is extremely important to remember the inspector’s name, as it is crucial for the asbestos contractors notification papers.
Once you have received your waiver number you must call or email the contractor of your choosing. Make sure to present your contractor with your waiver number and the name of the inspector. All asbestos contractors must have the waiver number and the inspector’s name before they conduct the asbestos removal. It’s crucial to note that waiver numbers are good for 5 working days from when they were issued.
Once the contractor has received the waiver number from you, they must contact the Department of Labor Standards online to obtain the second waiver number. Your asbestos contractor should check to see if there are any requirements from the local health department regarding permitting procedures, fees or waiver numbers. Once the asbestos contractor has received the waiver numbers they are then able to commence with the asbestos removal project.
If you have questions about whether your asbestos contractor performed the correct notification procedures, you can request that they give you the transmittal number that they received by submitting from ANF-001. This number is how the state keeps track of all asbestos projects. It is requested from The State Program Administrators that users do not abuse the waiver system and only utilize the system for emergencies only.
You can view the database where these notifications are stored here.