Maryland Passes Asbestos Worker Protection Law

Beginning October 1, 2012, asbestos remediation workers in Maryland will be facing a fine five times larger then the maximum amount currently allowed by law for violating any environmental laws relating to asbestos in the state.

Leaders of the Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA) say this new fine, a maximum of $25,000, is setting a standard all states should follow.
Collected fines will be deposited into the Asbestos Worker Protection Fund, which was created by the new law. The proceeds will be used to increase asbestos outreach and stronger enforcement of asbestos-related environmental laws.

According to recent report published in the LHSFNA June 2012 e-newsletter, many asbestos contractors in Maryland have taken shortcuts with asbestos abatement projects in order to underbid their competition, who may be doing their job correctly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “When handled, asbestos can separate into microscopic-size particles that remain in the air and are easily inhaled. Persons occupationally exposed to asbestos have developed several types of life-threatening diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.”

Despite laws against its use in construction in the United States, asbestos is still found in many buildings, especially those built from 1935 to the 1970s.

“EMSL Analytical has three decades of experience testing for asbestos, and our expertise has made us the nation’s leading asbestos testing laboratory with over 30 locations nationwide,” states Ed Cahill, Vice President of EMSL’s Asbestos Division. “Our company helps clients monitor the asbestos abatement process by offering the most advanced analysis of their samples, including those from the air, settled dust, building materials, vermiculite, water, soil, and rock.”

For more information regarding EMSL’s asbestos services, please call 800-220-3675 or visit www.EMSL.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a full service testing company providing quality lab services under the same private ownership since 1981. Including the corporate lab facility in Cinnaminson, NJ, EMSL Analytical operates over thirty laboratories nationwide in the US and Canada. We provide analytical services for environmental, indoor air quality (IAQ), industrial hygiene, forensics and materials science, consumer products, food safety, PCR, pharmaceutical, asbestos, lead, and radiological samples. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations, as well as state and federal regulating bodies.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior VP of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) 1-800-220-3675

jfrasca@emsl.com