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  • Home
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  • Services
    • Asbestos Sampling & Testing
    • Asbestos Removal and Abatement
    • Asbestos Survey
    • Black/Gray Water Cleanup
    • Commercial Cleaning & Sanitization
    • Complete Demolition
    • 24 Hour Emergency Response
    • Mold Remediation
    • Select or Interior Demolition
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June 30, 2017 by Banner Environmental Team Leave a Comment

Asbestos Found During Renovation Work at Brookline Residential Property

brookline asbestos

The importance of partnering with a licensed asbestos removal service such as Banner Environmental Services is continuously played out in reports across the media. Several times a year a company is hit with hefty fines and headlines cross newspapers stating several asbestos violations have been found and that the proper procedures were not followed. Most recently in Brookline, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) penalized a general contractor $98,150 for numerous asbestos violations found at a residential renovation project.

A complaint was filed in September 2016 to the Brookline Board of Health, which had issued a stop-work order earlier that day. MassDEP found evidence during the initial inspection of possible asbestos-containing debris and materials scattered outside the property that was undergoing renovation and demolition work. During the inspection, MassDEP obtained samples and through testing found and confirmed that dry, friable asbestos-containing cement shingles had been removed from more than half the exterior surface of the home, portions of which were in an open-top dumpster, and scattered inside the residence and outside on the ground throughout the property.

The developer was found to be in violation of several other offenses related to the mishandling of asbestos material, including pipe and duct work. MassDEP reports that the developer failed to complete the required asbestos survey. “Had it been completed, it would have indicated the wide prevalence of asbestos-containing materials present at the site,” said Eric Worrall, director of MassDEP’s Northeast Regional office in Wilmington. “Dry, friable asbestos is a serious public health risk that is not acceptable because the fibers can more readily become airborne and are known to pose a danger when inhaled.”

To read more, check out this article in The Valley Patriot. To learn more about Banner Environmental Services or to schedule a free estimate for your upcoming project, click here.

Filed Under: Asbestos, Projects, Renovations Tagged With: abatement, asbestos abatement, Asbestos Contractor, Brookline, massachusetts, Penalties, rules and regulations

May 18, 2017 by Banner Environmental Team Leave a Comment

Failing the Grade with Asbestos is Not an Option

Failing the grade

In 2015, a new report was published entitled, Failing the Grade: Asbestos in America’s Schools, from the office of U.S. Senator Edward Markey (D-MA). The report states that two-thirds of the school districts across 15 states have acknowledged the presence of asbestos in their schools.

What became apparent in the report is that asbestos brings a lot of unknown answers and scenarios surrounding it, such as:

  • How do I know if asbestos is present?
  • What are the dangers associated with it?
  • How can it safely and cost-effectively be removed?

These unknowns have caused analysis paralysis; whereby leaving individuals with an overwhelming sensation and uncertainty of where to start or how to go about it, so in turn they do nothing. Or they may think it does not apply to them and what they don’t know can’t hurt them, right? But the awful truth is that asbestos is very dangerous and it is all of our responsibilities to ensure the proper education and actions are taken to raise awareness of what asbestos is and the dangers it can impose.

Asbestos remains a large problem in schools throughout the United States, so beyond raising awareness of our teachers, parents, and the students – it is simultaneously important to enforce action. The Asbestos Information Act of 1988, a one-time publication, is now outdated. The report produced by Senator Markey calls for updating the Act to provide consumers with current information on asbestos-containing products. It also calls for:

  • the EPA to evaluate states’ Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) programs every ten years
  • require the states to communicate information to the EPA on their progress with implementation; and
  • increase funds available AHERA enforcement.

This is a report we can get behind. As an environmental services company, we know all too well the intricacies of asbestos and other harmful substances to our environment. We also know just how fast-paced the day-to-day is for everyone, schools included. The best place to start is prioritizing time to the asbestos concerns facing our schools today, and then in that time, identify if asbestos is present, and if it is, outline an action plan for educating and remediating the dangerous substance.

Learn more about our asbestos services here.

Filed Under: Asbestos, Projects, Renovations Tagged With: abatement, asbestos abatement, Asbestos Contractor, asbestos remediation, asbestos removal, Improper asbestos removal dangers, licensed asbestos contractor, massachusetts, rules and regulations, safety, schools

May 11, 2017 by Banner Environmental Team Leave a Comment

Asbestos Removal Done Right and Oh-So-Wrong

asbestos removal right wrong

Despite asbestos being outlawed as a construction material in the United States decades ago, it’s still rampant in existing structures, causing a nightmare situation in renovation and demolition projects. In most states, like Massachusetts, it’s mandated that a licensed asbestos abatement professional handles the removal of the highly-dangerous material.

Older buildings and homes are often the subject of asbestos-related headlines – sometimes for good and sometimes for the bad. Let’s take a closer look.

For a Connecticut middle school, the asbestos removal was done so safely and by proper standards that activities were still able to be conducted in other parts of the building. The school needed to remove asbestos-laden tank and pipe insulation in their mechanical room as well as tile flooring in one section of the school. Although school officials opted to do the project in the summer, the school was still operating for summer activities. Parents of students were notified and no programming was interrupted thanks to the licensed abatement professionals ability to sanction and isolate the work areas. Regular air testing was also initiated to ensure the safety of the children.

And while this is how it should be done always, unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

In Ohio, the owner of a real estate development company has been fined and sentenced with jail time for the illegal removal and disposal of asbestos. In an attempt to save money, the individual hired a scrap worker to remove the asbestos from a building set to be demolished. The worker then disposed of the asbestos in a nearby wooded area and in trash bins in the neighborhood.

And in Pennsylvania, a man was sentenced to over a year in prison for falsifying documents, claiming that he had removed asbestos from an old church. However, the man never did the work and also fraudulently billed the property owner for services never executed.

Since asbestos was regularly used in building right up until 1990, it’s still very common in structures and needs to be completely removed during renovations and before demolitions. It’s critical to contract with a licensed asbestos abatement company, such as Banner Environmental Services, for all such work. Banner Environmental Services is fully-licensed and trained, providing service to Rhode Island and Massachusetts (including the Cape Cod area, Nantucket, and the Islands). Contact us for more.

Filed Under: Asbestos, Projects, Renovations Tagged With: abatement, asbestos abatement, Asbestos Contractor, asbestos remediation, asbestos removal, Boston, Cape Cod, Complete Demolition, environment, environmental protection, Fines, Improper asbestos removal dangers, interior demolition, licensed asbestos contractor, MA licensed, massachusetts, Nantucket, Penalties, rhode island, Rhode Island licensed asbestos contractor, rules and regulations, schools

April 18, 2017 by Banner Environmental Team Leave a Comment

Massachusetts Launches New Initiative to Help Protect the Public from the Dangers of Asbestos

MA initiative Massachusetts Launches New Initiative to Help Protect the Public from the Dangers of AsbestosLast month, Massachusetts’ Attorney General Maura Healy announce a new initiative to help educate and protect children, families, and workers from the dangers of asbestos. The initiative, Healthy Buildings, Healthy Air, will bring together state agencies and school districts to ensure safe practices are upheld for the handling and removal of asbestos. It will also focus on educating those with the greatest risks caused by asbestos, specifically children, the elderly, and low-income families.

Asbestos has been widely used in many building products because of its tensile strength and chemical and thermal resistance – and therefore can be found in older residential homes, commercial properties, schools, hospitals, and more. Unfortunately, asbestos is also a carcinogen that causes lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma and is responsible for 12,000 to 15,000 deaths in the United States each year. This makes it extremely hazardous to workers handling it, and if it isn’t handled properly and gets into the air, it can be hazardous to an even greater population.

Due to the hazard, strict regulations and procedures have been enacted to prevent asbestos exposure. That is why asbestos abatement is not a DIY project and professional remediation services are required by law from state-licensed asbestos contractors.

The new initiative comes on the heels of a 2015 report from the office of U.S. Senator Edward Markey (D-MA), Failing the Grade: Asbestos in America’s Schools, where two-thirds of the school districts in 15 states acknowledged asbestos was present in their schools. Given its extensive presence, providing asbestos education and ensuring safe measures are taken to remediate it have become vital to a healthy tomorrow.

More details on the Healthy Buildings, Healthy Air initiative can be found in the official announcement to better protect the public. In the meantime, if you need more information on asbestos at your property, including testing, sampling, or removal, please contact us, we will be happy to help.

Filed Under: Asbestos, Renovations Tagged With: abatement, Asbestos Contractor, asbestos remediation, asbestos removal, environmental protection, health, Improper asbestos removal dangers, massachusetts, Massachusetts licensed asbestos contractor, Massachusetts licensed asbestos removal contractor, Massachusetts Licensed Contractor, rules and regulations, safety

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