Improving Air Quality in Your Community
Indoor Air: Special Concerns in Older Homes: Asbestos
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.Additional Information
You can help homeowners reduce emissions of asbestos that may affect their families, their neighborhood, and the community by conducting these activities:
- Sponsor awareness activities
- Assist homeowners
- Assist business and building owners
- Assist with training
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Sponsor Awareness Activities
How?- Sponsor an Asbestos Awareness Month to focus public attention on the how to identify and fix potential problems with asbestos in the home.
- Host Asbestos Awareness Workshops where the public can meet with asbestos abatement professionals.
- Maintain an Asbestos Awareness booth or table at public places such as libraries, community centers, and municipal buildings.
- Both the EPA and the American Lung Association have materials that may be useful for Asbestos Awareness programs. Check out their links in the "More Information" section below.
- Decreases risk to homeowners by increasing their awareness about the danger of asbestos.
- Many pamphlets and posters may be available at no cost from EPA and other organizations.
- Costs to put together customized materials for brochures and posters.
- Information about asbestos.
- EPA's Asbestos in Your Home Web site.
- American Lung Association
web page on asbestos.
Assist Homeowners
How?- Help homeowners understand why asbestos is dangerous and how to safely remedy the problem. Check out the Additional Information box for information on asbestos remediation.
- Help homeowners locate asbestos abatement professionals. Check out EPA's list in the "More Information" section below.
- Provide funding for homeowners to use for asbestos remediation.
- Help homeowners locate other funding opportunities which may be available from your state or local agency.
- Decreases risk to homeowners by putting them in touch with asbestos abatement professionals.
- Costs associated with providing funding for homeowners to use in asbestos abatement.
- For homeowners with questions about asbestos, you can refer them to the Toxic Substances Control Hotline, (202) 554-1404, Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5:00 ET.
- The EPA maintains a list of regional and state contacts for local asbestos abatement professionals.
Assist Business and Building Owners
How?- Sponsor asbestos regulation awareness seminars for business and building owners, contractors, and consultants.
- These seminars can provide an overview of the asbestos regulations relevant to your community and can impress upon them the importance of following asbestos regulations.
- For information about asbestos regulations for business and building owners, check out the information in the "More Information" section below.
- Increases worker and building occupant safety.
- Reduces exposure to asbestos.
- Decreases liability costs.
- Costs associated with sponsoring asbestos awareness seminars.
- EPA maintains a list of publications related to asbestos in buildings.
- The National Institute of Building Sciences offers publications related to asbestos control.
Assist with Training
How?- Serve as a contact for asbestos remediation professionals seeking training.
- Sponsor training classes.
- Partner with state agencies to enforce the training requirements for asbestos remediation professionals.
- Offer funding to asbestos remediation professionals who may not be able to afford training on their own.
- Reduces incidences of training fraud.
- Promotes better coordination between asbestos remediation professionals and government regulators.
- Costs to hire trainers for classes.
- Funding to train asbestos remediation professionals.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration offers training materials, courses, and other resources.