Description
- Asbestos is a natural mineral. Asbestos Containing Material (ACM). “Asbestos” shall mean any hydrated mineral silicate separable into commercially usable fibers, including but not limited to chrysotile (serpentine), amosite (cumingtonite-grunerite), crocidolite (riebeckite), tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite.
Two families of asbestos minerals are recognized. Amphiboles represent one family with five members and serpentine (chrysotile) is the other family, amounting to 95 % of all asbestos used worldwide. The amphiboles (amosite, anthophyllite, actinolite, crocidolite, and tremolite) are characterized by being straight and needle-like fibers. The only commercially important varieties have been amosite and crocidolite. The serpentine or white asbestos (chrysotile) looks wavy under the microscope and has made up about 90–95 % of all asbestos used around the world. The number of products made over time containing asbestos has been estimated to be between 3000–5000.
Asbestos-containing waste material. “Asbestos-containing waste material” shall mean asbestos-containing material or asbestos-contaminated objects requiring disposal.
Asbestos-contaminated objects. “Asbestos-contaminated objects” shall mean any objects which have been contaminated by asbestos or asbestos-containing material.
Baseline
- All projects must first be tested for asbestos or presumed positive for asbestos as part of the environmental testing procedure.
- Presumed Asbestos Containing Material (PACM). “Presumed Asbestos Containing Material” shall mean all Thermal System Insulation and Surfacing Material as described in 15 RCNY § 1-38. PACM is considered to be ACM unless proven otherwise by appropriate bulk sampling and laboratory analyses.
- Asbestos-containing material. “Asbestos-containing material” (ACM) shall mean asbestos or any material containing more than one percent asbestos.
- If materials are found to contain friable or non- friable asbestos fibers, they must be abated through all applicable regulations (NYCDEP, NYSDOL, USEPA etc.)
Relevant Codes & Regulations
Strategies
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Last Updated on January 10, 2026 at 5:31 am
Downloads and Data
Specifications
Asbestos Abatement Work Plan Template (General)