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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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September 21, 2017 by Banner Environmental Team Leave a Comment

Three Things to Ask When Hiring a Contractor for Asbestos-related Work

Hiring Contractors

Hiring an asbestos contractor can be an intimidating task for many people. What are the questions one should be asking? What are the primary considerations? Where does one begin? We’ve established the three baseline questions we encourage everyone to ask a potential asbestos contractor.

1.) Is the contractor licensed? This perhaps is the most critical matter at hand. For starters, it is illegal to perform asbestos removal if you are not state-licensed and the rationale is simple. Asbestos is dangerous, not only in its form, but when removing it you run the risk of exposing those removing it and the public-at-large. Add to it the fact that if it is not disposed of properly the danger can amplify from there. Licensed asbestos contractors have invested their time and resources to learning the protocol of working with asbestos in a way that minimizes risk and ensures the safety of others. Each state maintains a list of licensed asbestos contractors, making it an ideal place to start when hiring a contractor or beginning to make your inquiries.

2.) How much will it cost? Given the dangers tethered to asbestos and the need to follow strict guidelines in working with it, people see dollar signs. The good news is that looking at the costs associated with an asbestos project doesn’t have to be daunting. Many licensed contractors are happy to review the project at hand and provide a cost-free estimate. This is a win-win for both the contractor and the person hiring one, so that they can get on the same page from the beginning and leave the guesswork behind.

3.) Do they come recommended? Trust is a key attribute when making the decision to hire a contractor, which is why we typically ask people we know who they trust and use for a realtor, tax accountant, or even a doctor. And now with the internet, recommendations and reviews are easier to harvest. What do people have to say about a contractor? A simple perusal on Google and/or Facebook could have your answer.

Banner Environmental Services is a licensed contractor in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If you have an environmental project, contact us for your free estimate today, and should you want references, simply let us know and we will be happy to provide. In the meantime, here are what a few of our customers had to say about us.

Filed Under: Asbestos Tagged With: contractor, licensed asbestos contractor, MA licensed, remediation, rhode island, Rhode Island licensed asbestos contractor

September 14, 2017 by Banner Environmental Team Leave a Comment

Customer Service Inside and Out

Environmental Home InspectionWe recently performed a routine environmental assessment in a residence for potential new buyers. The buyers really appreciated our customer service and attention to detail in our office and the expertise and professionalism from the team on-site too.

Kym Mahoney, our Client Relations Manager, led the customer through the process from inquiry to results, and oversaw the entire experience. Kym works in our Avon office and manages scheduling appointments, handling collections, applying for any necessary permits and/or completing applications with the State.

Each customer has different expectations and circumstances and we try to ensure that they are satisfied and happy with Banner Environmental Services. We did just that based on this email we received shortly after completing the assessment:

I want you to know that your team really made a difference in our lives today and we could not have gotten through it without your immediate response and your personal attention to caring about and acknowledging the painful experiences connected with the inspection outcomes. We thought this would be our new home and now we are moving to a better place and have you to thank for all your information provided. 

We want customers to feel that they have had a terrific experience from setting up their first appointment to receiving their closing paperwork, and are pleased that we could leave this client feeling assured of the process and results.

If you need more information on our residential environmental inspection services, contact us today.

Filed Under: Projects, Review Tagged With: Boston, Environmental Services, Home Inspections, licensed asbestos contractor, MA licensed, Residential Inspections

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

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