EPA DELAYS CONTENTIOUS ASBESTOS DEMOLITION PLAN OVER RISK ERRORS

摘要

EPA is delaying plans to test a controversial "grind and burn" method for destroying asbestos-contaminated Hurricane Katrina debris after the agency said it miscalculated the dangers in its risk assessment for the method. The delay comes just months after EPA dropped another novel asbestos demolition method, known as the "wet" method, over similar concerns - further dampening the prospects that EPA will pursue either alternative, which would have eased an air toxics rule governing the demolition of asbestos-containing buildings. This is the latest setback to EPA's long-running effort to pursue alternatives to its national emissions standard for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for asbestos demolition. EPA June 14 announced it was deferring plans to conduct a pilot test of a method for grinding and burning hurricane debris contaminated with regulated asbestos-containing material (RACM). The pilot was to determine whether the process would be "cost effective and environmentally sound" and to support the work. EPA conducted a risk assessment that found cancer risks from the method could be as low as 6 in 100 billion.