Waste Education Series, Edition 2: Asbestos Picking and Permitting

Soils, which are contaminated with visible asbestos pieces, can be treated on site to enable re – use of soils, following validation, on site under a Materials Management Plan (MMP). As this is a waste treatment activity, there will need to be an appropriate Environmental Permit and/or Enforcement Position in place from the Environment Agency. There are two ways that this treatment activity can be regulated:

• Soils which are impacted with visible asbestos pieces (volumes greater than 1,000m3)
o Mobile Treatment Licence SR2008No. 27
• Soils which are impacted with visible asbestos pieces (volume less than 1,000m3)
o Enforcement Position Statement from the local Environment Officer

It should be noted that if the asbestos pieces identified in soils are non – licenced asbestos work, then Dunton could carry out this work themselves. If identified asbestos pieces are licenced asbestos work, then a specialist asbestos removal contractor has to be appointed to remove this asbestos from soils. No work shall be carried out until a Mobile Treatment Licence / Enforcement Position Statement is in place.

If total amount of waste identified on site that required any form of treatment is greater than 1,000m3, then EA won’t issue an Enforcement Position even if amount of waste requiring asbestos picking is less than 1,000m3

In the event of discovering unexpected visible asbestos the following procedures shall be undertaken;

• Excavate soils impacted with visible asbestos and stockpile it within a quarantine area;
• During excavation works control measures as per CAR 2012 must be in place;
• Soils impacted with visible asbestos must be stockpiled on an impermeable membrane and covered with polythene to prevent any release of fibres to the atmosphere and to prevent cross contamination of soils beneath;
• No picking of asbestos shall be undertaken until Enforcement Position / Environmental Permit is in place.

We are more than happy to help and advise on anything that you may be unsure of, so please contact our waste team on 0121 356 4360 or e-mail enquiries@duntonenvironmental.co.uk