Asbestos removal
Asbestos fibers can lead to life-threatening diseases. As long as asbestos is trapped in other material, it is not necessarily dangerous. It becomes a health risk when asbestos fibers are released and can be inhaled. For example, during demolition work.
How do you know if you are dealing with asbestos-containing material?
With the naked eye, it is impossible to tell whether a material contains asbestos or not. The only way to find out is to have a material sample analyzed in a laboratory. Thus, when a material is to be considered "suspect," it should always be assumed that it contains asbestos.
How do I recognize asbestos suspect materials?
To find out, check out the Asbestos Roadmap.
Do I need to remove asbestos?
You are not (yet) required to remove asbestos-containing materials. If the asbestos-containing material is not dislodged/damaged/machined etc., you may simply leave it in place. There are plans from the rijksoverheid to make it mandatory to remove asbestos-containing materials exposed to the outside air (roofing sheets, etc.) over time, but there is no concrete legislation for this at this time.
Do you want to remove and return materials containing asbestos? This is only possible with an approved demolition notification. You can do this through the Omgevingsloket.
At least 5 working days before you start if some sheet materials are involved, but at least 28 days if other materials are involved. You must file a demolition notification before removing the asbestos-containing material from a building(s). It is therefore not the intention, nor allowed, to remove asbestos-containing material from a building and then go and get a 'permission slip' from the municipality to hand it in at the waste disposal site.
Asbestos removal by yourself?
You may remove asbestos-containing materials yourself only if all three of the following Requirements are met:
- The sheets must be rigid, adhesive-bonded hard sheets, such as corrugated roofing, (i.e., no asbestos cardboard or asbestos gypsum sheets, etc.)
- The boards must be screwed, not nailed or glued
- it must be a maximum of 35m2 of sheet material per plot, whereby sheets removed in the past also count
If one or more of the above Requirements are not met, you may not remove the asbestos yourself.
You must always submit a demolition notification before removing any asbestos-containing material from a building. It is therefore not the intention, nor permitted, to remove asbestos-containing material from a building and then obtain a 'permission slip' from the municipality to hand in the asbestos-containing material at the waste disposal site.
Need asbestos removal?
If you do not meet the Requirements for being allowed to remove asbestos-containing material yourself, you must have it done by a certified asbestos removal company. You will then also have to have an asbestos inventory report prepared by a certified asbestos inventory company. An overview of both types of companies can be found at Ascert. The company that inventoried the asbestos or is going to remove it can usually also arrange the demolition notification for you.
What does it cost?
The municipality does not charge for filing a demolition notification.
If you need to have an asbestos inventory report drawn up, there are costs involved. This also applies in such a case to having the asbestos-containing material removed. It is then advisable to request quotations from a few different companies. A list of these companies can be found at Ascert.
Can you remove the asbestos-containing material yourself? Then you can hand in up to 35 m2 of sheet material free of charge at the environmental street.
Grant
The municipality has no subsidy scheme for the removal of material containing asbestos, but the province and the Rijksdienst voor ondernemend Nederland (RVO) regularly offer subsidy opportunities for this purpose. See www.fryslan.frl and www.rvo.nl.
What to do.
Follow the following procedure if you want to remove (or have removed) asbestos-containing material:
- Make a demolition notification on Omgevingsloket online, at least 28 working days before you start. If it only involves roofing sheets, which meet the Requirements for being allowed to remove them yourself, the deadline is at least 5 working days.
- After your report, you will receive an acceptance letter. This will tell you exactly what you need to do.
- May you remove the asbestos-containing material yourself? Then package it well; double wrap it in sturdy plastic (such as agricultural plastic). Plastic may also be available at the Environmental Zone. In addition, the material must not be damaged. And no asbestos fibers may be released.
- Then deliver the material to the environmental site. Bring the acceptance letter with you.
- Then report to the municipality that you have finished the work. No later than the 1st working day after. How to do this is in the acceptance letter.
Asbestos to be handed in at the Environmental Facility
You will receive a letter if your demolition notification is approved. Private individuals who bring their own asbestos-containing material to the Environmental Site should bring this letter with them.
Asbestos must be packed in a double layer of strong and undamaged plastic (at least 0.02 mm thick, e.g. agricultural film) and taped tightly. Do not make the packages too heavy as you will have to throw them into the container yourself. For more information, visit www.omrin.nl.
Other frequently asked questions
May I investigate on my own whether a material contains asbestos?
No. Only a certified company may do this. You can find a list of these companies at Ascert.
Are asbestos remediation costs tax deductible?
No.
When do I need an asbestos inventory report?
You always need an asbestos inventory report if you are going to demolish (or have demolished) (part of) a building(s), even if you yourself believe that there are no asbestos-containing materials in (that part of) the building(s). For example, you also need an asbestos inventory report if you are going to remove the chimney/smoke ducts from a building. The only exception is if you can prove that the building (part) in question was built after January 1, 1994.
If you do not meet the three Requirements for being allowed to remove asbestos-containing material yourself (see above), you also always need an asbestos inventory report.
The report must be prepared by a certified asbestos inventory company. You can find a list of these companies at Ascert. An asbestos inventory report prepared by yourself or a non-certified company is invalid.
What happens if I remove asbestos-containing material without demolition notification?
If you remove asbestos-containing material, without having filed a demolition notification to do so, you are guilty of an economic crime.
