asbestos found

[wward]

Someone who doesn't speak English bought the house next to mine and remodeled it. They busted the siding into 2 and 4 inch pieces and left it laying around the house. The renters do not speak English either and I have no way to communicate this issue to them. I had a piece tested and the results stated 20% asbestos in the tested piece. This house is 16 feet from mine and I'm furious. I live in Tampa Fl. and have called the Fla. Department of Environmental Protection and have had no return phone call.
How would you address this issue?
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[Larry D. Kage]

I don't know, I would probably ask them to clean it up or have it cleaned up. What language do they speak? There are enough translation sites on the web that you could, most likely, communicate well enough to get the point across. I'm thinking they can read. It's an idea anyway. Good luck!

[ldapkus]

Originally Posted by wward

Someone who doesn't speak English bought the house next to mine and remodeled it. They busted the siding into 2 and 4 inch pieces and left it laying around the house. The renters do not speak English either and I have no way to communicate this issue to them. I had a piece tested and the results stated 20% asbestos in the tested piece. This house is 16 feet from mine and I'm furious. I live in Tampa Fl. and have called the Fla. Department of Environmental Protection and have had no return phone call.
How would you address this issue?
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Don't visit your neighbor without wearing full protection???

[gbeaumont]

Originally Posted by wward

Someone who doesn't speak English bought the house next to mine and remodeled it. They busted the siding into 2 and 4 inch pieces and left it laying around the house. The renters do not speak English either and I have no way to communicate this issue to them. I had a piece tested and the results stated 20% asbestos in the tested piece. This house is 16 feet from mine and I'm furious. I live in Tampa Fl. and have called the Fla. Department of Environmental Protection and have had no return phone call.
How would you address this issue?
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Whitley,

I would suggest that you contact the Environmental Protection Commision of Hillsborough County: http://www.epchc.org/Asbestos.htm I am assuming that you are in Hillsborough, if you are not you need the equivalent authority in your jurisdiction (City/County board of health or environmental protection).

Regards

Gerry

[dfogleman]

Question, in an outdoor setting while the siding is laying there is it anymore harmful than when it was installed?

Also, while it was being broken would it have created enough of a hazard for anyone, even those breaking it. As I understand it is the dust which is carried into the lungs that causes the damage.

Note, I am not trying to downplay your situation, however I would like to learn from it. Too many opinions about Asbestos and too hard to get the straight facts.

Best of luck closing the language barrier.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Chances are what was being removed was asbestos siding and they were being sloppy about it and most probably did not pose a danger unless they were cutting it and making dust.
Asbestos siding is a non-friable material and for years was allowed to be removed by homeowners.
It still can today under certain circumstances, but disposal has to be initiated properly according to the DEP regulations.

I would just call the EPA and advise them of the activities happening with the notation fact that it is in fact 20% asbestos content siding.

There are proper ways to dispose and remove asbestos material contents and proper protocols on how this gets done need to be followed.
Unfortunately, not everyone plays by the established rules.

Marcel

[bandag]

Call the police dept. codes dept. social services, are they spanish? someone in those 3 dept. should know spanish. They have to know about that stuff now, before their kid puts a piece in his mouth, etc.

[gbeaumont]

Hi to all

Originally Posted by dfogleman

Question, in an outdoor setting while the siding is laying there is it anymore harmful than when it was installed?.

Yes it quite likely is as it will have been damaged and succeptable to more damage it its current position causing some of the fibers to become friable (released into air) obviously less of a problem outside, but still a cause for reasonable concern.

Originally Posted by dfogleman

Also, while it was being broken would it have created enough of a hazard for anyone, even those breaking it. As I understand it is the dust which is carried into the lungs that causes the damage.

Yes the removal. cleanup and disposal of asbestos cement siding is regulated by the EPA.

Here is more information: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html

Regards

Gerry

[wward]

Thanks Gerry- I have called the Hillsborough county line and I'm waiting for a return call.

Donald- I don't know much about Asbestos but have been told the harder pieces like exterior siding are safe while intact but these are broken into small pieces. I believe the problem here will be when it rains and the pieces get wet they can break down and then be dispersed.

What brought this to my attention in the first place was my 2 year old son bringing a piece in the house from my back yard!

[Stephen Masek]

Yes, some fibers would have been released, but it is difficult to guess if an exposure at or above the permissible exposure limit (PEL) or short term exposure limit (STEL) could have occurred to people in your home. Is there any dust from their demolition of teh asbestos-cement siding on your property? If so, the abatement contractor they need to hire will also need to clean those areas.