06- 096 C.M.R. ch. 425, § 2 - General Provisions
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Note: While the activities delineated below are not subject to this rule, they are subject to the following regulations:
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Note: Please contact the DEP Asbestos Hazard Prevention Program at (207) 287-2651 to receive information on how to perform the activities listed below safely and how not to become subject to the requirements of this rule.
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Note: The use of bead or shot blasting equipment constitutes grinding and is therefore a regulated activity. Scraping and scrubbing asbestos-containing asphaltic or petroleum-based materials is not considered sanding, cutting, grinding or abrading.
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Note: The work practice requirements for the removal and containerization of greater than 3 square feet of asbestos-containing latex, asphaltic or petroleum-based materials that are sanded, grinded, abraded are set forth in Section 7(D) of this rule. The work practice requirements for the removal and containerization of more than 105 square feet of asbestos-containing latex, asphaltic or petroleum-based materials that are cut with mechanical roof cutters are set forth in Section 7(D); performing these activities requires licensure as an asbestos abatement contractor. The 105 square feet threshold is based on EPA's "Interpretive Rule Governing Roof Removal Operations 40 CFR Part 61 Appendix A to Subpart M dated June 17, 1994 which states that cutting 5,580 ft2 of asbestos-containing roofing material creates 160 ft2 of friable ACM, the point at which asbestos-containing roof project becomes subject to federal NESHAP requirements; cutting 105 ft2 of asbestos-containing roofing material creates 3 ft2 of ACM, the regulatory threshold of an "asbestos abatement activity" per Maine asbestos laws and regulations.
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Note: Homeowners should contact the DEP Asbestos Hazard Prevention Program at (207) 287-2651 to receive information on how to safely perform this activity. If you live in a single-family home that you own and want someone else to remove your asbestos siding for you, you must hire a licensed asbestos abatement contractor. The removal of asbestos siding from multi-family dwellings and commercial buildings must be done by a Maine-licensed asbestos abatement contractor.
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Note: The work practice requirements for the removal and containerization of greater than 3 square feet of other asbestos-containing cementitious materials not listed above and for asbestos-containing piping and electrical conduits that are sanded, grinded, abraded or mechanical cutter are set forth in Section 7(D) of this rule; performing these activities requires licensure as an asbestos abatement contractor.
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Note: The work practice requirements for the removal and containerization of intact asbestos-containing caulking or glazing that are sanded, grinded, abraded or cut with a mechanical cutter are set forth in Section 7(A) of this rule;performing these activities requires licensure as an asbestos abatement contractor.
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Note: Joint compound used as a layered system on walls, ceilings, etc., is not exempt.
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Note: An example of this type of operation would be removal of a flange gasket by cutting or removing the piping on either side of the flange.
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Note: Removingasbestos-containing flooring products with an ice scraper is an aggressive removal method and therefore subject to the work practice requirements set forth in Section 7 of this rule; performing this activity requires licensure as an asbestos abatement contractor. Many vinyl sheet floor covering products have a felt back layering to them; asbestos fibers are present in the layering. The felt is readily visible on the back side of the flooring product. The layers can separate during the removal process thereby releasing asbestos fibers; using infrared heat or heat guns to loosen the product from the substrate may not prevent this (layer separation) from occurring.
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Visual evaluations and air clearances for an asbestos abatement project involving more than 100 linear/square feet, or any combination thereof, of ACM must be performed by an asbestos consultant firm. The asbestos consultant firm must have an independent business relationship with the asbestos abatement contractor or asbestos in-house abatement unit performing the abatement, except as provided in sections 7(D)(1)(l) and 7(D)(2)(g) of this rule.
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Note: A Maine-licensed asbestos abatement contractor may conduct the required visual evaluation and air clearance sampling for an asbestos abatement project under their contractual control that involves less than 100 linear/square feet, or any combination thereof, of ACM provided the individual conducting visual the evaluation and air clearance sampling is a Maine-certified Asbestos Air Monitor.
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Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.