Countywide : Asbestos-Removal Rule Is Revised

Ventura County approved a new regulation for asbestos removal on Tuesday that for the first time applies to home remodelers as well as large-project contractors.

The regulation, which amends the existing county rule, makes it illegal to demolish or remodel residences or buildings where asbestos is present without a licensed asbestos-removal contractor. Property owners who live in the house they are remodeling and who are doing their own work are exempted.

Existing asbestos-removal regulations, and those approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, do not apply to private homes and residential buildings with fewer than four units.

Asbestos, which causes cancer when particles are released into the air and breathed into lungs, was most commonly used in insulation, ceilings and floor tiles in residences built after World War II and before 1978.

“Asbestos can cause a number of serious diseases, some of which can be fatal,” said Richard H. Baldwin, head of the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District.

Baldwin said the county can help residents determine whether their homes have asbestos through either a telephone or home inspection at no charge. But if a county inspector sends a sample of the material to a laboratory for analysis, the resident would be responsible for the charge. Baldwin said some laboratory charges can be as low as $20.

More involved inspections can cost up to $250 by private businesses, officials said.