Banner Environmental Services - MA & RI

Asbestos Removal & Environmental Services

24 HR Emergency: 866-934-2374

Get asbestos abatement estimate

  • Banner Environmental Services - MA & RI
  • Home
  • About
  • 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
    • Vermiculite Removal
  • Careers
  • News
  • Contact

February 2, 2018 by Banner Environmental Team Leave a Comment

We Partner with Schools to Provide Asbestos Remediation Services

Asbestos Services for Schools

The presence of asbestos is no walk in the park for anyone, but for schools it is an even greater burden. As with any asbestos remediation project there is a need to carefully remove the hazardous material all while protecting the surrounding environment and ensuring no asbestos fibers are released into the air.

According to the American Lung Association, “When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, tiny fibers break off and are suspended in the air. These fibers may remain airborne for long periods of time before settling in dust.”

Educational agencies are also required, under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), to inspect their school building for asbestos-containing materials, develop a plan to manage it, and then take actions to help reduce and prevent asbestos hazards. The plan they develop not only needs to be updated every three years, but it also needs to be communicated to all parents involved. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides annual funding to help schools establish and execute these plans. It also helps states maintain an asbestos accreditation and certification training program. This funding is key, as the costs for schools to develop, execute, and get ahead of asbestos remediation plans can be costly.

The EPA recently announced an award of $631,000 to five New England state agencies. Given the history in New England and its structures, asbestos is very common. The recent news article, announcing the EPA award, also articulates the notable asbestos issues found in schools throughout New England.

As a Massachusetts and Rhode Island fully-licensed asbestos contractor, we have over 25 years’ experience partnering with schools to provide asbestos-related services. Should your school be looking for assistance in 2018 to develop and execute an asbestos remediation plan, please give us a call at 866.934.2374 or e-mail [email protected].

Filed Under: Asbestos Tagged With: Asbestos Contractor, Massachusetts licensed asbestos removal contractor, rules and regulations, schools

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

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

LOCATIONS

Corporate/Headquarters::
31 Hayward Street, Suite 2A/#205
Franklin, MA 02038
-
Shop Location:
672 Pleasant St
Norwood, MA 02062

WBE CertifiedDCAMM Certified

CONTACT

24 HR Emergency: 866-934-2374

Get asbestos abatement estimate

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Subscribe to our newsletter for information on asbestos, mold, and other environmental issues.
* indicates required

Copyright © 2021 · HOMEOWNER SERVICES · CORPORATE SERVICES · GOVERNMENT SERVICES · CONTACT US

COVID 19 NOTICE: In light of the current events surrounding the COVID 19 pandemic, Banner Environmental Services is offering commercial cleaning and sanitization services to spray, fog and disinfect your respective commercial and industrial spaces.
LEARN MORE | CONTACT US