In a move the EPA deemed ‘historic,’ the agency has banned chrysotile asbestos, the only form of the cancer-causing mineral that the U.S. still imports and uses

  • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    The state can’t really stop you if they don’t even know that it’s in your house. If you start yanking out ceiling tiles made with asbestos and toss them in your household garbage, there’s no great way for your state to do anything about it. On the other hand, if you do get caught, you are likely all kinds of fucked.

    • Fosheze@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Not really. The correct way to dispose of asbestos is literally to put it in a garbage bag and send it to the dump. As far as a hazardous material it’s only really bad for people. It’s almost entirely chemically inert so it’s actually far less bad for the environment than most of the stuff that winds up in the dump. Even ocasional exposure wont do anything to most people (not that it’s good for you of course). It’s mainly an issue if you work in an industry where you handle it every day.

      I had to do some asbestos remediation in my house a while back (removing plaster filled with it) and I contacted the county about proper disposal. They literally just told me to bag it and huck it in a dumpster.

      • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        From what I’m finding, it has to be double bagged in 6mil bags, sealed, and can only be disposed of in landfills that are certified and approved for asbestos.

        And yeah, I would be utterly unconcerned about asbestos being present in my home, unless I had to do significant renovations that would disturb the asbestos. Unless you work with it regularly, or are doing something that generates asbestos dust, it’s just not a problem. OTOH, it caused lung cancers for thousands of people that were involved in the manufacture and installation of asbestos products.