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July 2019
The agency amended its Asbestos Regulation (310 CMR 7.15), and updated its asbestos cement pipe guidance
See MassDEP Regulations, Policies & Guidance below to learn more about these changes.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring, mostly fibrous mineral that has been used in a variety of building products and industrial settings over the years because of its resistance to heat, fire, and many caustic chemicals.
The physical properties that give asbestos its resistance to heat and decay are also linked with a number of adverse human health effects. Asbestos tends to break apart into a dust of microscopic fibers that remain suspended in the air for a long time. When inhaled, these fibers can cause:
Symptoms can take up to 40 years to develop, all can lead to death, and each exposure increases your risk.
Although certain uses of asbestos were banned in the 1970s, and although very few if any building materials containing asbestos are still manufactured domestically today, asbestos has never been entirely banned in the United States and is still legally sold in commerce. Products containing regulated amounts of asbestos, mostly imports, are still sold in retail stores. They can be found in structures of all ages in various forms: decorative plasters, fireproofing, resilient flooring, heating system insulation, wallboard joint compound systems, mastics, roofing, exterior siding, and more.
Massachusetts requires anyone planning a project involving asbestos abatement, removal, or disposal to notify:
In addition to notifying these state agencies, you should check with the board of health, building inspector, and fire department in your town or city to determine whether you need to notify them or obtain any local approvals before beginning work.
Use the Asbestos Project Lookup under Key Actions below to search for notifications filed with MassDEP by community, project ID and dates, location address, and more.
See the MassDEP Asbestos Information & Resource Guide in Additional Resources below to learn more about state and federal regulatory requirements and find answers to common questions about asbestos.
Ten (10) working days (excluding weekends and holidays) before starting work, you are required by the MassDEP Asbestos Regulation (310 CMR 7.15) to submit to the agency:
In some cases, you may instead need to apply for:
You may initiate any of these notifications or applications from Key Actions below.
See Additional Resources below for:
The MassDEP Asbestos Regulation (310 CMR 7.15) was last amended in July 2019. See Additional Resources below for the full regulation and related guidance documents.
See also the Material-Specific Information section at Managing Construction & Demolition Wastes.
The Department of Labor Standards (DLS) regulates occupational asbestos exposure in Massachusetts. The agency also licenses asbestos removal contractors, analytical laboratories, and training providers.
See Additional Resources below to learn more.
There is only one landfill in Massachusetts currently permitted to accept asbestos waste, the Waste Management Fitchburg/Westminster Sanitary Landfill in Westminster, but it has decided,at least for now, not to accept any asbestos waste.
Some out-of-state landfills and transfer stations are also permitted by their states’ environmental agencies to accept asbestos-containing wastes generated in Massachusetts. Five facilities in bordering states are:
Before taking asbestos to a landfill or transfer station, contact the facility to determine if, when, and under what conditions the facility will accept the material. Asbestos abatement contractors licensed by DLS can be hired to remove asbestos and take it to an approved disposal facility. Asbestos wastes may not be sent to a combustion facility or construction and demolition (C&D) material processor.
Intact and unbroken vinyl asbestos tile (VAT) and asbestos containing asphaltic roofing and siding material that are removed in accordance with MassDEP regulations may be managed as solid waste and disposed in any MassDEP-permitted solid waste landfill. Prior to arranging for disposal, MassDEP recommends that the landfill be made aware that the waste VAT and/or asphaltic roofing and siding contain asbestos.
