Asbestos Update

Greetings;

The Buffalo News ran an interesting series last week on the City’s demolition program. For those of us who work in the industry, it’s a nice reflection on how the City is aggressively dealing with urban blight using local resources. EEA is proud to have helped the City develop a program that successfully eliminates thousands of dangerous structures every year.

Much of that work involves asbestos abatement, of course, and the costs associated with that work can account for a significant portion of the demolition expense. Ironically, most of the funding for these demolitions comes from the State and, under the current scenario, eventually makes its way back to Albany in the form of abatement project notification fees. This helps the State generate a fair amount of revenue. Take a look at this link to the DOL listing of active notifications. You can do the math…

Toward that end; the State is mulling a revision to the asbestos project notification fee schedule.

Options include:

1. Reducing notification fees for removal of non-friable ACM-Tom Meade, Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY) founder and abatement contractor emeritus, is sheparding this initiative through the regulatory process. This proposal should have the effect of reducing costs for property owners who follow the rules and bring in qualified contractors to properly remove asbestos while making compliance more affordable for those who simply can’t afford to comply. The State would likely realize more notification income, from complying property owners who can afford more abatement as well from the owners and contractors who may currently operate outside the system.

2. Capping notification fees for residential demolitions– Municipal official across the State are appealing to their representatives in State government to encourage the DOL to cap notifications for court ordered pre-demolition asbestos abatement and controlled demolition to a maximum of $2,000.00. This makes good sense, given the scale of such work across Upstate and much like the non-friable proposal, should result in a net gain of notifications when communities can afford more abatement and demolition.

Interested parties can contact DOL, local demolition officials or their elected representatives. Membership in PACNY is also a great way to get involved and provide input on the evolution of the abatement industry in New York.

May is to training what December is to retail. It’s a great time to attend training as contractors begin mobilizing for summer work. Here’s a couple sessions that you don’t want to miss and a couple of them could have you in a job by June 1.

Asbestos Allied Trades Initial in Buffalo
Asbestos Handler Initial in Rochester
Asbestos Inspector Initial in Buffalo
Lead Renovator Initials in Rochester, Manhattan and Buffalo