Asbestos is Not Accepted at NEDT Collection Centers
The following information is provided to help you find alternatives for disposal. Asbestos and construction materials and products that contain asbestos are not accepted at NEDT collection centers. Exercise caution when it comes to handling, storing, and disposing of these products.
At NEDT, we accept many kinds of household hazardous products, but not hazardous construction materials. When it comes to hazardous waste such as asbestos, the risk they pose during removal, transit, and delivery puts both the homeowner and staff at risk. Today we’re going to talk about what to do when you discover hazardous construction materials like asbestos and why you should leave removal and transportation to the experts. Learn more about your options below and learn more about products we don’t accept here.
Hazards
- Microscopic asbestos fibers from friable (loose or crumbling) asbestos can be suspended in the air and inhaled. Once inhaled, fibers remain in the lungs, causing lung cancer.
- Asbestos may be found in many materials used for home construction, including pipe insulation and insulating boards, textured wall surfaces, electrical equipment, floor and roofing tiles, and certain adhesives.
Handling
- If asbestos is in good condition and fibers are not exposed, it does not need to be removed.
- Slightly damaged or loose asbestos can be re-wrapped rather than removed.
- Asbestos should be handled only by an asbestos abatement contractor licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards. Learn more about when you need to call in specialists to deal with hazardous materials.
- MassDEP requires notification at least ten (10) business days before any asbestos removal activities.
- All asbestos-containing materials must be containerized, labeled, and removed in accordance with MassDEP requirements.
- Do not dust, sweep, or vacuum particles suspected of containing asbestos.
Management Options
- All asbestos materials must be disposed of in landfills permitted to receive asbestos. One Massachusetts landfill is currently permitted to accept asbestos-containing wastes:
Waste Management Fitchburg/Westminster Sanitary Landfill
165 Fitchburg Road (Route 31)
Westminster, MA 01473
Telephone: 800-963-4776
- Some out-of-state landfills and transfer stations are also permitted by their state’s environmental agencies to accept asbestos-containing wastes generated in Massachusetts. Two in bordering states are:
Waste Management Turnkey Landfill
90 Rochester Neck Road
Rochester, NH 03839
Telephone: 800-963-4776
RED Transfer & Logistics
173 Pickering Street
Portland, CT 06480
Telephone: 860-342-1022
- You can also contact your MassDEP regional office asbestos program. Find your region’s email and phone number by using the following links:
- Before taking asbestos to a landfill or transfer station, contact the facility to determine if, when, and under what conditions the facility will accept the material. Asbestos abatement contractors licensed by DLS can be hired to remove asbestos and take it to an approved disposal facility. Asbestos wastes may not be sent to a combustion facility or construction and demolition (C&D) material processor.
- Intact and unbroken vinyl asbestos tile (VAT) and asbestos-containing asphaltic roofing and siding material that are removed in accordance with MassDEP regulations may be managed as solid waste and disposed of in any MassDEP-permitted solid waste landfill.
For more information, see MassDEP Asbestos, Construction & Demolition Notifications.
This information was brought to you by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and NEDT. For more information, including links to their guides, visit our Fact Sheets & Links page, and make sure to check out our NEDT Blog and Household Hazardous Products Resources for more in-depth information.
