Who Regulates Asbestos Removal and Disposal?

Asbestos regulations are important to the ship scrapping industry because many ships being scrapped contain significant amounts of ACM. During ship scrapping activities, ACM must be properly removed and disposed of. Therefore, being aware of and complying with all applicable regulations for asbestos removal and disposal is important for your ship scrapping operation. The process of removing and disposing of ACM is subject to various federal, state, and local environmental and safety and health requirements.

EPA. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations necessary to protect human health and the environment. Asbestos is regulated by EPA under two laws: (1) the Clean Air Act (CAA), under the Asbestos National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), and (2) the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Some of the requirements for asbestos removal and disposal under these laws include: inspections; notifications; supervisor training; and the proper removal, transport and disposal of asbestos.

Specifically, the Asbestos NESHAP is intended to minimize the release of asbestos fibers during demolition and renovation activities (including ship scrapping) through work practices. EPA has delegated authority to inspect and enforce the asbestos NESHAP regulations to most states. Where the program has been delegated, the state agency may have requirements that are more stringent than the federal requirements. The asbestos NESHAP requirements will be discussed in more detail in the following sections.

OSHA. OSHA is responsible for the health and safety of workers who may be exposed to asbestos in the work place. OSHA regulations covering asbestos exposure set a maximum exposure limit and include provisions for engineering controls and respirators, protective clothing, exposure monitoring, hygiene facilities and practices, warning signs, labeling, record-keeping, and medical exams.