VDOLI Asbestos Notification and DPOR-Licensed Inspectors Before a Virginia Beach Demolition

A great deal of Virginia Beach housing and commercial stock was built in the decades when asbestos-containing products were common: floor tile and mastic, popcorn ceilings, roofing, siding, pipe wrap and duct insulation. Demolition of an older structure generally triggers a survey requirement under the federal asbestos rule, and in Virginia the associated notification is handled by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. This article is background only; check current requirements with VDOLI before you rely on any date or threshold.

Two different agencies, two different jobs

• VDOLI: Receives the demolition and renovation notification where it applies. Notice is generally required about ten working days before demolition begins, but confirm the current period and form.
• DPOR: The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation licenses asbestos inspectors and abatement contractors. Ask to see the license, and verify it through DPOR's public lookup.
• The city: Permits and Inspections may ask for survey results or notification confirmation as part of the demolition permit. Ask what documentation they want attached.

What a survey looks at

The inspector samples suspect materials in every area that will be disturbed and sends them to a laboratory. The report lists what was found, where and in what quantity. That report is the document a demolition contractor needs to price the job correctly, and it is usually what the notification is built from.

Abatement and removal

When regulated material is present, it is generally removed by a licensed abatement contractor before or as part of demolition, using containment and wet methods and then packaged for disposal. Waste goes only to facilities that accept it, and waste shipment records are normally kept. A teardown contractor that does not hold the abatement license should coordinate with one that does, not skip the step.

Questions worth asking

• Who is filing the notification, and when will we get a copy?
• Is the inspector who surveyed the building independent from the abatement firm?
• Will a lead-based paint check be done on pre-1978 homes?
• What happens to the schedule if more material is found once walls are open?

We coordinate surveys, notifications and abatement partners for Virginia Beach teardowns. Call (757) 699-1638 and we will lay out the order of work for your building.