Center For Hazardous Materials Research (CHMR)
The pollution prevention practices described here have worked for other demolition firms.
Pollution prevention is the reduction or elimination of discharges or emissions to the environment. This includes all pollution: hazardous and non-hazardous, regulated and unregulated, across all media, and from all sources. Pollution prevention can be accomplished by reducing the generation of wastes at their source (source reduction) or by using, reusing or reclaiming wastes once they are generated (environmentally sound recycling).
Each of the pollution prevention practices described in this fact sheet is an extension of the simple but powerful idea that it makes far more sense to eliminate the generation of waste than to develop complex and costly treatment schemes once it has been generated.
Before demolition begins, determine if any hazardous materials are present Problems can develop unexpectedly. They may be hidden, for instance, underground. Whenever possible, try to identify problem areas before demolition begins.
Building maintenance, repair, and demolition generate waste that can be valuable for use in new construction, as material that can be recycled, or as raw material that can be beneficially used at another location.
Wastes typically generated by demolition activities include:
Demolition projects present unique difficulties. Managers are unlikely to have much advance information about the materials they will be working with. Each site will present unique opportunities for materials reuse. Each site will also pose unique hazards.
In order to take advantage of reuse opportunities and minimize hazards, each site should be carefully evaluated before demolition begins.
Reuse of materials that normally would be considered rubble can not only reduce disposal costs at the demolition site, but also reduce materials costs at the construction site where they are used. Inspect the site before demolition begins and list materials that should be saved. Then select demolition methods and procedures that will promote reuse. Demolition items that can be reused include:
Recycling is the use, reuse or reclamation of a waste after it has been generated. Examples of opportunities for recycling demolition waste include:
Asbestos-containing wastes present unique hazards. Asbestos is one of the most hazardous materials encountered during demolition activities. Some asbestos materials can break into fibers which float in the air. These minute fibers are not visible to the unaided eye. They pass through the filters of normal vacuum cleaners and reenter the air. When fibers present in the air are inhaled, they represent a health risk. Asbestos has been used in a wide variety of products, including household and building materials such as:
Boiler room walls and ceilings may also be covered with asbestos containing material. Asbestos may be present in the backing of some vinyl sheet flooring. Fibers can be released if the backing on the sheet flooring is sanded.
Demolition or renovation operations in facilities which contain friable asbestos above certain quantifies are regulated under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulations (40 CFR 61). These regulations specify asbestos ession limits and control procedures.
Asbestos is also regulated by local authorities, such as the local county health department. Local regulations are generally more restrictive than the federal regulations. They may include:
This fact sheet should only be considered as an introduction to pollution prevention. Since ...... developed, it cannot include every existing pollution prevention practice. of a specific practice should not be considered an unqualified endorsement, and not every practice is suitable for every facility.
Pollution prevention requires a new attitude about pollution control. Traditional thinking places all the responsibility on a few environmental experts in charge of treatment. The new focus makes pollution prevention everyone's responsibility. Preventing pollution may be a new role for production-oriented managers and workers, but their cooperation is crucial. It will be the workers themselves who must make pollution prevention succeed in the workplace.
Management commitment and employee participation are vital to a successful pollution prevention program. Management can demonstrate its commitment to pollution prevention and encourage employee participation by:
Center for Hazardous Materials Research (CHMR)
320 William Pitt Way
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
(800)334-CHMR
(412) 826-5320
James Hemby
Pollution Prevention Program
U.S. EPA Region III
841 Chestnut Building
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 597-9800
Greg Harder
Division of Waste Minimization and Planning
PA Department of Environmental Resources
PO Box 2063
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-7382
National Association of Demolition Contractors
4415 W. Harrison Street
Hillside, IL 60162
(708) 449-5959
The Center for Hazardous Materials Research (CHMR) is a non-profit subsidiary of the University of Pittsburgh Trust, and is a non-regulatory organization. Its mission is to assist in developing and implementing practical solutions to the technical, environmental, economic, and health problems associated with hazardous and solid waste. For more information on this and other CHMR publications call (800) 334-CHMR.
Last Updated: January 9, 1996