Asbestos is a naturally occurring group of minerals that are flexible, fire resistant and virtually indestructible. Asbestos fibers do not dissolve in water or evaporate and are resistant to heat, fire, chemical and biological degradation. Asbestos was used in over 3,000 products for strength, thermal insulation, acoustical insulation, and fire protection. It can be found in some types of ceiling or floor tiles, siding, shingles or insulation. It is harmful when the asbestos fibers are disturbed and become airborne during removal.
Asbestos fibers do not have any detectable odor or taste and are difficult to identify; products containing Asbestos are not often labeled as such. You may want to have the suspected product tested if it is not labeled. The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious disease to the lungs and other organs that may not appear until years after the exposures has occurred.
Asbestos removal is highly regulated. Call the Southwest
Clean Air Agency at (360) 574-3058 for information on asbestos
removal. All Asbestos must be disposed of at a landfill with approval
to accept Asbestos material. For disposal at any Columbia Resource
Company’s transfer station in Clark County you must first
contact Columbia Resource Company’s Environmental Manager
at (360) 695-4858 to obtain disposal forms and packing instructions.
