Asbestos Control

The division has rules to help keep asbestos out of the air we breathe. Asbestos is a microscopic mineral fiber that was put into thousands of kinds of building materials. It can be found in pipe insulation, flooring, walls, ceilings, roofs and many other materials. It was useful because it made these materials fireproof, soundproof and sturdy. By the 1960s, though, scientists had concluded that asbestos can cause lung cancer.

When asbestos-containing materials crumble, they release asbestos fibers into the air. This crumbling can happen when buildings are renovated or demolished, and it can even happen when materials deteriorate through aging. Breathing these fibers can cause lung cancer.

People who work for the division have the job of regulating other people who actually work with asbestos -- people who find it, people who figure out what to do with it and people who remove it.

Special Programs Branch staff review school asbestos management plans to make sure that if a school building contains any asbestos, there’s a map of where it is, what shape it’s in and how it’s being handled. We also make sure that all asbestos professionals – not just management planners, but also inspectors and removers – are properly trained to deal safely with asbestos. We work with asbestos inspectors in the division’s Field Operations Branch by giving them information they can use when they visit schools and other facilities to check that asbestos is being handled safely. Our asbestos staff rely largely on a science background and communications skills to do their jobs.

With certification, asbestos abatement entities have the training and background to protect Kentucky's environment and its citizens' health and welfare.
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• Asbestos - How Can It Be Controlled? - This is a brochure on how to control asbestos in the home, school and the workplace.
  
  
• Asbestos Regulations - This is a summary of the asbestos regulations.
  
  
• Asbestos in the Attic? - This is an information sheet on the recent studies that some attic insulation could contain asbestos.
  
  
• Licensing - The Division for Air Quality has two licensing programs - one associated with National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) (abatement contractor certification) and the other with Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Reauthorization Act (ASHARA) (individual accreditations in five asbestos-related disciplines).
  
  
• Asbestos FAQ - Frequently asked questions concerning asbestos-related activities and information.
  
  
• Asbestos Forms and Applications - Some of the items included on this page are project notifications, applications for contractor certification and individual accreditation, etc.
  
  
• Training and Certification Information and Asbestos Contacts - The following asbestos-related items include training and certification for asbestos removal and licensing as well as a list of accredited asbestos contacts.
  
  
• 2008 Schedule for Asbestos Regulation Orientation Session - This page lists the dates for the Asbestos Abatement Regulations Orientation Sessions.