City of Powell River staff are developing a policy that will prohibit the issuance of permits for renovations or demolitions without a hazardous materials assessment. The policy is designed to protect property owners and building trade contractors from exposure to hazardous materials in buildings constructed prior to 1990.
Until the late 1980s, more than 3,000 products containing asbestos, a hazardous material, were used in house construction. When older houses are renovated or demolished, there is a high probability of encountering asbestos-containing materials, which may release asbestos fibres. These are extremely fine and can stay in the air for hours. Unprotected workers exposed to asbestos-contaminated air can breathe in the fibres, which may cause serious health problems, including lung disease and cancer.
As reported in last week’s Peak, Powell River has the largest cluster of asbestos-related diseases in BC. Asbestos-related diseases are the number one occupational killer in BC and across Canada.
Carlos Felip, manager of development services, presented a report to councillors about the issue at the June 7 committee-of-the-whole meeting, days before the awareness-raising Walk for Truth-Asbestos Kills here in Powell River. He explained that recent changes affecting WorkSafeBC regulations have resulted in the obligation to perform a hazardous materials assessment on any building built before 1990 that is going to be renovated or demolished by a hired person. At this time, however, property owners are advised to have an assessment done, but WorkSafeBC has no jurisdiction to enforce a regulation on homeowners working on their own property.
Currently, city staff bring WorkSafeBC requirements to the attention of owners proposing demolition or commercial renovations of a building. However, it is the property owner’s responsibility to contact WorkSafeBC to receive instructions as to what is required and how to proceed.
“The city can provide assistance to protect the health of all citizens by adopting a policy that makes it mandatory to conduct a [hazardous materials assessment] prior to any work in pre-1990 buildings,” Felip wrote in his report.
Certified inspectors must perform the assessment, which costs from $1,000 to $3,000.
If the assessment discovers levels of asbestos exceeding 0.5 per cent in a given sample, the site where the sample came from is deemed contaminated. This may warrant an abatement procedure that could potentially cost the owners an additional $5,000 to $20,000.
Felip suggested that councillors may want to lobby federal and provincial government officials at the annual UBCM (Union of BC Municipalities) conference to make grants available for the assessment as well as for abatement procedures.
After a lengthy discussion, councillors decided to direct staff to prepare a policy for handling hazardous waste and also to prepare a resolution about the province’s responsibility in the issue to present at the UBCM convention.
University of British Columbia is currently conducting a research study into mesothelioma, an illness that is caused by exposure to asbestos.
Suhail Marino is one of the investigators with a team from the School of Population and Public Health. “We are hoping to interview people who have had experiences with mesothelioma and workers’ compensation,” she said. “We are interested in people who have mesothelioma or people who have friends or family. Even if they haven’t actually filed for compensation, we want to still hear about them.”
Less than 50 per cent of people with mesothelioma are filing for compensation with WorkSafeBC, said Marino. “We’re trying to understand what is the blockage, where is the obstacle that they’re not filing,” she said. “They can get a lot of benefits, there’s a lot for the family, not only the individual. We’re trying to understand where are the gaps that are happening.”
Participants have an in-person interview, conducted at a time and location convenient for them, that takes about 30 minutes. A $100 honorarium is available for eligible participants.
Interested readers can contact Marino for more information at 1.604.822.0200 or email at [email protected].
