This year’s wildfires engulfed nearly 9 million acres of land in the US, marking the most destructive fire season in 70 years and costing nearly $3 billion so far. While the fires are under control, a toxic threat still looms in the wake of the destruction. By destroying older homes and businesses, the release of asbestos fibers is putting many first responders, cleanup crews, and residents at risk of harmful exposure. In this blog, we’ll review the reasons the western wildfires generated concern about asbestos and what our community can do to prevent similar dangers. [Read more…] about Western Wildfires Generate Concern About Asbestos
Environment
Can Asbestos Be Used to Fight Climate Change?
Asbestos has left a scar on society with long-lasting repercussions. There’s no question of the damage it has inflicted on tens of thousands of families in the United States. However, should we consider every aspect of asbestos bad? It’s a fireproof and heat-resistant material, but we’ve found that the tradeoff is not worth the accompanying health risks. However, a recent discovery indicates there may yet still be a use for the hazardous material. Learn how, despite the ever-present dangers, asbestos can potentially be used to fight climate change. [Read more…] about Can Asbestos Be Used to Fight Climate Change?
Can Asbestos Travel Through the Food Chain?
There are dangerous chemicals and substances that can make their way through the food chain, such as chlorinated pesticides, herbicides, and mercury. But can asbestos be transmitted between organisms in the same way? Asbestos is a hazardous material that releases airborne microscopic fibers that present a threat to most living creatures, and most are aware of its danger to our respiratory system. However, since the fibers do not break down over time, should we be worried whether asbestos can travel through the food chain as well? [Read more…] about Can Asbestos Travel Through the Food Chain?
Does Asbestos Have an Effect on the Environment?
Most people are well aware of the negative impacts of asbestos on their health. For centuries this hazardous material has affected the human population, but this risk reaches far beyond contaminating indoor air quality. Far fewer people are aware of asbestos’s effect on the environment, and with construction and demolition projects being performed on older properties, it’s important to become aware of the risk. In this blog, we will discuss the ways asbestos contamination can impact the outdoors. [Read more…] about Does Asbestos Have an Effect on the Environment?
Is Your Building Making Your Employees Sick?
As an employer, you want to look out for the health and welfare of your employees, especially their long-term health and even their lives. This extends beyond simply needing a healthy workforce to care for those who work for you. Having a building or property that makes your employees sick is dangerous on so many levels, from the above health conditions to issues with your bottom line, legal liability, and government investigation. Let’s learn a bit about how Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) can affect your business in offices, factories, warehouses, and more. [Read more…] about Is Your Building Making Your Employees Sick?
How the EPA’s Significant New Use Rule Could Affect Asbestos
On June 1st, 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), specifically the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, proposed a new rule concerning asbestos. This rule, the “Significant New Use Rule” or SNUR had two parts: first blocking some of the currently unregulated uses of asbestos, and then building a new framework for those and other new uses of asbestos to gain formal approval after testing and a safety review by the EPA. For asbestos watchdogs, this is why the SNUR is concerning, as it could potentially bring in new asbestos products into the US for use. [Read more…] about How the EPA’s Significant New Use Rule Could Affect Asbestos
