06-096 C.M.R. ch. 425, § 8 - Monitoring Requirements and Requirements for Release of the Regulated Area

A. Monitoring Requirements. Asbestos abatement activities are subject to the following air and project monitoring requirements:

(1) Air Monitoring. Air monitoring, in the form of air clearance sampling, must be conducted for all asbestos abatement activities. A project specific air monitoring plan, including the mandatory air clearance sampling and optional additional area monitoring, must be developed and used for each project and the plan must be part of the project design. Any change(s) to the air monitoring plan must be made by a certified Asbestos Air Monitor or Asbestos Abatement Design Consultant and must become part of the project documentation. The air monitoring plan must be designed in accordance with these rules by an Air Monitor or Asbestos Abatement Design Consultant who has an independent business relationship with the asbestos abatement company performing the project whenever independent air clearances are required.

(2) Project Monitoring. Project Monitoring is not required by these rules but may be required due to contractual or other arrangement or specification. If an asbestos abatement activity is monitored, then written records of all project monitoring activities shall be maintained at the project site for the duration of the project and shall become part of each owner's and operator's official records for that project. This project monitoring documentation must be provided to the building owner within 6 months of project completion.

(3) Analysis. Air samples collected for air clearance sampling must be analyzed by a Department-licensed Asbestos Analytical Laboratory as follows:

(a) Each air sample collected shall be analyzed, as per the licensing section of this rule, by phase contrast microscopy (PCM) or transmission electron microscopy (TEM), or other Department -approved method; and

(b) For air sample analyses, results obtained from the TEM methodology, described in Appendix A to Subpart E, 40 CFR part 763, and shall be considered definitive when results differ.

B. Release of Regulated Area. A regulated area may not be released from the contractor's control until no visible debris remains in the regulated area, visual evaluations are completed, air clearance sampling in accordance with this section is conducted, and clearance standards are met. 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. Visual evaluations and air clearance sampling must be conducted by a certified Asbestos Air Monitor employed by an Asbestos Contractor, In-house Asbestos Abatement Unit, or Asbestos Consultant.

The following procedures shall be performed sequentially and documented:

(1) Visual Evaluation of Regulated Area. Following final abatement activities, including final clean and removal of equipment, supplies, and waste, and prior to removal of any layer of containment (if applicable) or glovebag and before conducting air clearance sampling, a visual evaluation of the regulated area shall be conducted, as specified below, to ensure that there is no visible dust or debris in the regulated area, including the containment. The regulated area must be completely drysuch that there is no visible evidence of water in the regulated area prior to conducting the visual evaluation.

The individual conducting the visual evaluation where there is a containment or glovebag shall:

(a) Inspect the decontamination facility (including remote decontamination facilities) and waste load-out unit (where applicable) to ensure there is no visible dust or debris present;

(b) Enter the regulated area/containment where the asbestos abatement activity was performed;

(c) Get close enough to see and touch the surfaces from which the ACM was removed or on which other abatement operations were performed;

(d) Inspect the surfaces from which the ACM was removed;

(e) Observe and touch the substrate;

(f) Examine the permanent features of the regulated area such as walls, conduits, pipes, ceiling tile grid bars, ducts, etc.;

(g) Examine the floor, walls, and other surfaces of the regulated area;

(h) Examine decontamination and waste-load out facilities;

(i) Examine places where the polyethylene sheeting may have fallen away from the walls or partitions; and

(j) Examine the polyethylene floor coverings to determine whether visible debris and/or contaminated water may have seeped through the plastic layers.

If debris is observed, the regulated area must be cleaned and another visual evaluation conducted. Project documents must reflect the recleaning activity(ies).

The Air Monitor must ensure that the regulated area is free of visible debris before conducting air clearance sampling.

The Air Monitor must document in the daily project log the time that the regulated area was determined to be free of visible debris so that air clearance sampling could commence.

(2) Air Clearance Sampling. Air clearance sampling must be performed and documented in accordance with this rule.

Air clearance sampling is subject to the following requirements:

(a) The containment must be completely drysuch that there is no visible evidence of water in the regulated area prior to conducting air clearance sampling.

(b) Immediately prior to conducting air clearance sampling, the Air Monitor shall implement aggressive sampling by sweeping the walls, ceiling and floor with the exhaust of a minimum one(1) horsepower leaf blower. Stationary fans shall then be placed in locations which will not interfere with air sampling equipment. Fan air shall be directed to the ceiling. One fan shall be used for each 10,000 square feet of regulated area floor area and shall run throughout the air clearance sampling event. Aggressive sampling is not required when a regulated area is in a dirt crawl space or when dirty or dusty conditions not related to asbestos abatement activities exist outside the regulated area and will result in rendering filter media unreadable. Static air clearances samples are required when aggressive sampling is not appropriate.

(c) The minimum number of air clearance samples is as follows:

(i) 2 samples for activities that contain less than 100 linear/square feet, or any combination thereof, total of ACM;

(ii) 3 samples for activities that contain more than 100 but less than 1,000 linear/square feet or any combination thereof total of ACM; and

(iii) 5 samples for activities greater than 1,000 linear/square feet total or any combination thereof of ACM.

(d) PCM air clearance samples must contain at least 2,452 liters of air and the sampling flow rate must not exceed 16 liters of air per minute.

(e) Notwithstanding the above, for asbestos abatement projects conducted in schools, the number and flow rate of the air clearance samples must be in accordance with the requirements of 40 CFR Part 763, Subpart E.

(f) Air clearance samples shall be analyzed as follows:

(i) For asbestos abatement projects in schools that impact more than 160 square feet or 260 linear feet of asbestos-containing material, air clearance sample analysis must be in accordance with the requirements of 40 CFR, Part 763, Subpart E, Appendix A (effective December 14, 1987).

(ii) For all other projects, air clearance sample analysis must be in accordance with Appendix A (referenced above), the most current version of NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Methods 7400 or 7402, as applicable the OSHA Reference Method Asbestos Standard for General Industry, 29 CFR 1910.1001 Appendix A (effective date July 20, 1986) for personal air samples, or otherDepartment-approved analytical method.

(iii) The total fiber count of each of the air clearance samples collected inside the regulated area must be less than or equal to 0.010 f/cc (fibers per cubic centimeter) of air (as analyzed by phase contrast microscopy), or must be less than or equal to 70 s/mm² (structures per square millimeter) by TEM (transmission electron microscopy, or must be below the clearance criteria for another Department-approved method(s) to release the work area.

(g) Failures of air clearance sampling (not meeting the clearance criteria of 0.010 f/cc or 70 structures/mm²) require that the asbestos abatement contractor:

(i) Wet wipe and HEPA vacuum the entire regulated area;

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Note: Potentially contaminated make-up air may be pre-filtered and/or excluded from entering the regulated area prior to re-cleaning the entire regulated area.

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(ii) Resample and reanalyze either by NIOSH 7400, or NIOSH 7402 (TEM) or AHERA TEM 40 CFR Part 763 (effective October 30, 1987); and

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Note: School projects must follow the AHERA sampling and analysis protocols.

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(iii) Repeat wet wiping, HEPA vacuuming and re-sampling until the air clearance standards of this section are met.

(3) Final Inspection after Removal of Containment. Immediately upon completion of removal of the containment of the regulated area, an Asbestos Air Monitor or Asbestos Project Supervisor must visually inspect all surfaces within the regulated area for visible debris. If there is no containment, then the visual evaluation of regulated area shall be consistent with section 8.B(1) of this rule. If visible debris is observed, the regulated area must be cleaned by HEPA vacuum or wet methods until there is no visible dust or debris present. This final inspection must be documented in the daily project log. This documentation must include a statement that the regulated area was clear of visible debris and the name and signature of the person conducting this final inspection.

Notes

06-096 C.M.R. ch. 425, § 8