91视频

Metro is now requiring proof of asbestos testing at its Metro Central and Metro South transfer sites.

The administrative rule change comes amid increasing awareness of asbestos dangers. The additional step also helps Metro maintain its permit with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, said Ken Ray, senior spokesman for Metro.

The new rules, which take effect April 1 and are , requires DIY homeowners in many cases to wrap subject materials in double-lined plastic bags available for purchase in safety supply stores.

Asbestos fibers are found in building materials in structures built from the 1940s to the 1970s. They can increase the risk of lung disease if inhaled during home renovations or demolitions.

Under Metro’s new rules, customers will be asked upon arrival at the transfer stations if their loads contain any materials for which asbestos tests are required. If they do and they have paperwork documenting passage of the test, they’ll be allowed to deposit loads on the transfer station floor. If they don’t, they will have other options, Ray said.

One alternative for residential customers will be to leave 50 pounds or less of asbestos-containing material at a Metro household hazardous waste facility, so long as the waste is properly bagged in advance.

The other alternative is to take material to one of five private transfer stations in the Metro service area. Two landfills that will accept asbestos waste are the Hillsboro Landfill and the Wasco County Landfill in The Dalles.

鈥淲e encourage folks to call the landfill ahead of time to get the hours of operation, the cost and the instructions for how to properly prepare the materials,鈥� Ray said.

If a Metro staffer suspects a dumped load contains asbestos, Ray said, the area will be quarantined and the suspect materials will be tested. In the case of a positive test for asbestos, Metro will track the dumper down and bill the person for the cost of remediation.