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Motor Vehicle Brake Image

General Description

Vehicle brake pads and clutch linings may still contain asbestos which present a potential health threat to personnel. If you are in the automotive repair industry, you may want to read OSHA's information bulletin about asbestos in brakes and clutches.

Summary of Federal Requirements

The process for removing brake pads and clutches which potentially contain asbestos is regulated by OSHA as a human health concern under 29 CFR 1910.1001.

The disposal of the asbestos-containing brake pads and clutches through is an environmental issue. Federal facilities must not discharge any visible emissions to the outside air during the collection, processing (including incineration), packaging, or transporting of any asbestos-containing waste material generated by the source, or uses one of the following emission control and waste treatment methods:

  • adequately wet asbestos-containing waste material as follows:
    • mix control device asbestos waste to form a slurry; adequately wet other asbestos-containing waste material
    • discharge no visible emissions to the outside air from collection, mixing, wetting, and handling operations, or use the methods specified by 40 CFR 61.152 to clean emissions containing particulate asbestos material before they escape to, or are vented to, the outside air
    • after wetting, seal all asbestos-containing waste material in leak-tight containers while wet; or, for materials that will not fit into containers without additional breaking, put materials into leak-tight wrapping
    • for asbestos-containing waste in leak-tight containers or leak-tight wrapping, label the containers or wrapped materials using the following warning labels that are printed in letters of sufficient size and contrast so as to be readily visible and legible

      DANGER
      CONTAINS ASBESTOS FIBERS
      AVOID CREATING DUST
      CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE HAZARD

    • for asbestos-containing waste material to be transported off the facility site, label containers or wrapped materials with the name of the waste generator and the location at which the waste was generated.

  • process asbestos-containing waste material into nonfriable forms as follows:
    • form all asbestos-containing waste material into nonfriable pellets or other shapes
    • discharge no visible emissions to the outside air from collection and processing operations, including incineration, or use the method specified by 40 CFR 61.152 (see checklist item T2.5.9.US) to clean emissions containing particulate asbestos material before they escape to, or are vented to, the outside air
    • for facilities demolished where the RACM is not removed prior to demolition or for facilities demolished according to 40 CFR 61.145(c)(9) adequately wet asbestos-containing waste material at all times after demolition and keep wet during handling and loading for transport to a disposal site (NOTE: Asbestos-containing waste materials covered by this paragraph do not have to be sealed in leak-tight containers or wrapping but may be transported and disposed of in bulk)
    • use an alternative emission control and waste treatment method that has received prior approval by the Administrator.

Asbestos-containing waste material must be disposed of at an approved landfill or at USEPA-approved site that converts RACM and asbestos-containing waste material into nonasbestos (asbestos-free) material.

Summary of State Requirements

States may have stricter standards for the packaging and disposal of asbestos-containing waste.

Laws and Statutes

The Clean Air Act

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