1. Ready to demolish a building
Ready to demolish a building? For safety’s sake, take out hazardous wastes first!
START by using this brief tutorial to find what you need on this web site

2. Prior to Demolition… One Needs to Seek Out Hazardous Materials
To ensure worker and occupant safety
To comply with local, state, and federal regulations
To avoid future liability
To protect the environment

3. What are the environmental impacts we are trying to avoid?
There are chemicals and materials that MUST stay out of standard landfills
To avoid chemical reactions or explosions in the landfills
To avoid future leaching of these or other chemicals from the landfills
To comply with state and federal laws

4. What are the environmental impacts we are trying to avoid?
Further, if not first removed from the jobsite, hazardous materials, pieces and particles can be released during demolition onto the ground and mobilized by wind or storm runoff
When it rains, stormwater flows to the local creek and then to San Francisco Bay
There are chemicals and materials that need to stay out off of the land and out of the waterways

5. Building owners, managers, contractors, and DIYers need to know:
Where to find these materials
How to identify them
Possible hazards to building occupants, demolition staff, and the environment
Possible liabilities if ignored
What to do with these materials when they find them
HOWEVER… the correct answer varies WIDELY from one hazardous material to the next!

6. Thus a brochure and web page were developed to lead to the answers

7. Many reviewers have assisted in assuring the accuracy of the information:

8. First, you can use the brochure as a quick checklist to remind yourself and others of the hazards you should be looking for:

9. To help speed up the inspection, the checklist has been split into two parts

10. First, a list of hazards that may be at any building

11. Second, a list of hazards that are only expected at buildings built or remodeled prior to 1980

12. The brochure fold-over is tied to both lists, using photos to help you know what to look for.

13. So, the brochure helps you identify the specific health hazards…

14. …while the detailed answers for hazard management and disposal are on this companion web site:

15. Let’s take a look through the web site
Go to
When you click on “Step 1,” you will see a long list towards the bottom of that page

16. It looks a bit ominous at first, but again, it has been organized to help you out

17. We have divided the insights by the building type and age
Structures of any age
Industrial and institutional structures
Structures built or remodeled before 1980

18. 1. Structures of Any Age:
Chemically treated wood (arsenic, chromium, copper, creosote, and/or pentachlorophenol)
Pressure-treated dimensional lumber
Creosote-treated railroad ties (outdoor landscaping)
CCA (chromated copper arsenate)-treated wood

19. 1. Structures of Any Age: Ceilings and floors (asbestos)
Textured ceilings
Ceiling panels and tiles
Resilient flooring – vinyl floor tiles and backing on vinyl or linoleum sheet flooring
Mastic adhesive

20. 1. Structures of Any Age: Insulation (asbestos)
Cement-based insulation (sheets, shingles, and pipes)
Furnace, water heater, and heating duct blanket or tape insulation
Roofing shingles and mastic (asbestos)
Photo from EPA: Vermiculite insulation in an attic

21. 1. Structures of Any Age: Light bulbs and lamps (mercury)
Fluorescent tubes and bulbs
High-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs
Neon tube signs and lamps
Light ballasts (PCBs or DEHP)
PCB ballast from an old fluorescent overhead lamp

22. 1. Structures of Any Age: Wall thermostats (mercury)
Smoke detectors (radioactivity)
Glow-in-the-dark EXIT signs (radioactivity)

23. 2. Industrial or institutional structures have additional considerations:
Industrial electrical switches and relays (mercury)

24. 2. Industrial or institutional structures have additional considerations:
Industrial electrical switches and relays (mercury)
Medical/dental/veterinary (mercury)
Medical/dental equipment
Laboratory fume hoods
Sewer lines
Add photos

25. 2. Industrial or institutional structures have additional considerations:
Industrial electrical switches and relays (mercury)
Medical/dental/veterinary (mercury)
Medical/dental equipment
Laboratory fume hoods
Sewer lines
Schools (mercury)
Gym flooring
Add photos

26. 3. Structures built or remodeled prior to 1980 may also contain:
Paint (lead)
Galbestos – an asbestos cement board – 1944 ad “Prewar Tested for Postwar Roofs”

27. 3. Structures built or remodeled prior to 1980 may also contain:
Paint (lead)
Electrical transformers and capacitors (PCBs)
Galbestos – an asbestos cement board – 1944 ad “Prewar Tested for Postwar Roofs”

28. 3. Structures built or remodeled prior to 1980 may also contain:
Paint (lead)
Electrical transformers and capacitors (PCBs)
Caulk and sealants (PCBs)
Galbestos – an asbestos cement board – 1944 ad “Prewar Tested for Postwar Roofs”

29. 3. Structures built or remodeled prior to 1980 may also contain:
Industrial or institutional materials (PCBs)
Paint (lead)
Electrical transformers and capacitors (PCBs)
Caulk and sealants (PCBs)
Adhesives
Insulation
Applied dried paints, coatings, or sealants
Molded rubber parts
Paint
Felt or fabric products such as gaskets
Plastics
Sound-deadening materials
Galbestos
Galbestos – an asbestos cement board – 1944 ad “Prewar Tested for Postwar Roofs”

30. Each subject-link provides information about hazard management and disposal. Next are a few examples:

34. Some topics (such as lead paint, asbestos, and PCB-containing materials) have extensive insights about where to find the material and what steps to take:

35. Asbestos (cont’d)
Some topics (such as lead paint, asbestos, and PCB-containing materials) have extensive insights about where to find the material and what steps to take.

36. The bulk of specifics are on those pages.
Steps 2 and 3 provide some follow-up insights

37. Step 3 is about disposal… Let’s dig a little deeper

38. Transport and Disposal
Transport and disposal of hazardous waste is regulated by EPA and DTSC
Transporter must hold a valid registration issued by DTSC
A current list of registered hazardous waste transporters is available in the Registered Hazardous Waste Transporter Database at:

39. Transport and Disposal
The generator of the hazardous waste is responsible for and required to dispose of all hazardous wastes in accordance with Federal and State waste disposal regulations
Permitted hazardous waste facilities are contained in DTSC’s Envirostor database at:

40. Transport and Disposal
Wastes generated during the project may include:
The originally identified hazardous material
Solid waste generated as part of clean up process
Liquid waste generated as part of clean up process

41. So, let’s recap!

42. Prior to Demolition, Step 1 is identification…
Check All Buildings
Chemically treated wood
Asbestos-containing material
Mercury-containing fixtures and equipment
Particularly institutional and industrial structures
Light ballasts
Exit signs
Smoke detectors
Additional Issues for Buildings Built Prior to 1980
Lead paint
PCBs in electrical equipment
PCBs in caulk, sealants, and other materials

43. Then… Step 2: protect yourself, staff, and building occupants
Step 3: comply with state and federal transportation and disposal laws

44. Please assist this effort to prevent pollutant dispersal:
Go to:
Help others find the web site!

46. Disclaimer
These documents refer to state and federal regulations that are legally complex and may be subject to varying interpretations, in some cases due to variable, site-specific characteristics. The regulatory information in these documents is presented as background information only and does not replace or supplant the requirements of federal or California law and regulations.

47. Acknowledgements
Demolition brochure and website were reviewed by the following agencies:
Bay Area Air Quality Management District – Air Toxics Inspection Group
Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group
Calif. Department of Public Health
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch
Occupational Health Branch
California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
California Department of Toxic Substances Control
San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
San Francisco Department of Environment
San Francisco Estuary Partnership