Oregon DEQ developing rule for mandatory asbestos surveys prior to residential demolition

Following the Oregon Legislature’s passage of SB 705 this summer, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is proposing regulations that would require an asbestos survey prior to the demolition of residential properties.

The surveys are mandated by the new law.

The regulation will require that an inspector survey all houses, except for those with exemptions, and specify the survey procedures. One exemption will be a cutoff date for properties built on or after a date determined in the rule.

SB 705 calls for the new regulation to be in effect as of Jan. 1, 2016. Since that date does not give the DEQ adequate time to institute a permanent rulemaking, the department is concurrently developing a temporary and permanent regulation.

The temporary rule will be reviewed by the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) in December, according to the DEQ, while the permanent rule is expected to be completed in April 2016.