Asbestos Exposure in New York

New York Asbestos Areas

You live in New York? Identify the closest area that may have exposed you to asbestos.
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Asbestos Companies in NY

Did you or someone you know worked for a New York based company that exposed them to the deadly asbestos fibers?
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Asbestos at Workplace

Have you worked with asbestos and inhaled the fibers? See a list with the jobs that may have exposed you to asbestos.
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New York Power Plants

Have you lived close to a power plant in New York state? Have you worked for any of the power plants?
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NEW YORK ASBESTOS REGULATIONS

Asbestos is gradually becoming a prime threat causing lethal lung cancer disease called mesothelioma. A number of asbestos related regulations have been framed both nationwide and in New York in order to reduce its exposure to public.

Asbestos Regulations in NY in 2009

The two major federal agencies administering asbestos control in US are:

  • Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) - The agency of United States Department of Labor and
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - The agency of federal government of US.

Besides federal regulations on asbestos, the local agencies of New York State reinforce and further regulate asbestos exposure, treatment and disposal procedures through city specific rules.

OSHA Asbestos Regulations

OSHA creates regulations in order to minimise work related injuries and ensuring safety at workplace. It has issued regulations for protection of workers from asbestos exposure which includes provisions about industries having to provide training regarding asbestos exposure and connected ailments to workers, setting safety standards and conducting regular inspections to ensure conformance to standards. There are different industry specific standards for asbestos under OSHA regulations (General, Shipyard and Construction industry standards), the Permissible Exposure limit (PEL) of asbestos in air has been reduced to 0.1 asbestos fibres per cubic centimetres of air across all the industries. A similar notification in UK called ‘Control of asbestos regulations 2006’ has introduced similar regulations in UK, with the maximum asbestos exposure being limited to 0.1 asbestos fibres per millilitre of air.

EPA Asbestos Regulations

EPA, whose main objective is ensuring human health by taking care of environmental health, has two asbestos regulations:

  • Clean Air Act (CAA) and
  • Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

As per the laws, EPA can carry out inspections to check for violations in asbestos standards and in case of a violation impose penalty of as much as $37,500. In addition, EPA also makes available asbestos information to the public through a list of asbestos resources and federal asbestos contacts. The offices of OSHA and New York State Department of Health also provide similar information.

Control of Asbestos Regulations at NY Based Companies

Besides the nationwide laws, the city of New York has its own set of rulings for asbestos control. For instance, there are rules from Division of Solid & Hazardous materials, New York State Department of Environmental Control (NYSDEC) to regulate carrying and disposal of asbestos waste after abatement in an asbestos project. New York State Department of Labor also has regulations regarding abatement and removal of asbestos materials in projects. Asbestos Control Bureau under Department of Safety & Health, New York State Department of Labor allows removal of asbestos dust and related project wastes only through a set of licensed contractors having employees trained and certified for the task.