My Home Was Built in 1970 – Should I Be Worried About Asbestos?
Homes in Los Angeles CA built prior to 1978 often contain asbestos.
If your home in Los Angeles CA was built in or around 1970, you should definitely educate yourself about the dangers of asbestos and exercise caution when handling any material that may potentially contain asbestos. Examples of such materials include roofing shingles, floor tiles, acoustic ceiling tiles, insulation, and paint.
Asbestos Bans
While more than 50 countries have totally banned asbestos, the US isn’t one of them. The EPA passed several bans in the 1970s, and the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1989 banned almost all uses of asbestos. Although the Supreme Court overturned most of this act in 1991, public awareness regarding the dangers of asbestos increased greatly, and today building materials tend to contain less than 1 percent asbestos, a level which is considered safe.
Asbestos Use
The US continues to import asbestos from countries including China, Russia, and Brazil. The peak of asbestos importation occurred in 1973, when 803,000 metric tons of asbestos were imported. In 2012, only 1,060 metric tons were imported, mainly for use by chemical companies creating chlorine. This…
AQMD – What is it and how does it help me?
The AQMD is dedicated to improving air quality in our communities by drafting and enforcing anti-smog regulations.
The AQMD, or Air Quality Management District, is a government air pollution control agency dedicated to improving air quality in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. The LA area is the smoggiest region in the country, due to a combination of urban congestion, high greenhouse gas emissions, and geography. The AQMD helps residents and business owners alike ensure that their activities do not contribute to excessive smog, which is hazardous to human health as well as to the planet. The AQMD accomplishes this goal through three main activities:
Establishing Regulations
Every city and county in California must take steps to ensure that they meet the clean air standards established by the Federal Clean Air Act and the California Clean Air Act. The AQMD helps cities and counties with this goal by creating plans, guidelines, and regulations that will enable them to reduce their emissions by five percent or more each year until their ambient air meets the cleanliness standards established by the California Clean Air Act. The main pollutants that are targeted by the…
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