08-28-13 News Release - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

News Release April 26, 2013 Page 2 Asbestos - related demolition is a very regulated area, at both the federal and state levels. A copy of the 1"page to 1DEM's website is attached which provides access to literally hundreds of pages of documents. It would appear that "residential buildings that have four (4) or fewer dwelling units" are exempt from "notification and removal requirements" but are NOT exempt from "disposal requirements ". In light of this, the Administration was also asked: "In light of the City's proposed plan to demolish multiple dwellings, does that plan impact any exemptions from the governing rules & regulations on asbestos removal ?" We are also attaching a copy of IDEM's Form 52571 which is an "Application Checksheet for Asbestos Contractor ". "In light of the City apparently considering doing some demolition in -house and some demolition by outside contractors, does the City have the expertise and required training ?" In light of the $6.825 million dollars already spent on a 3 -year vacant /abandoned program which began in 2007; the current appropriation of $1 million for this year; and with new budget proposals for 2014 being developed, we would like assurance that as the vacant & abandoned properties program moves forward, that the best possible decisions are being made. An additional area of concern which we brought to the Mayor's attention and the new Code Enforcement Director in yesterday's hand - delivered letters inquired about the City's compliance with federal and /or state regulations dealing with the removal of "lead- contaminated dust" and "lead -based paint ". Since many of the dwellings ear - marked for demolition probably include these items, and since there are both civil and criminal penalties for "failure to comply" with them, we want to make sure that this topic is also addressed. The Common Council is ever mindful of its overall Mission Statement: "To make certain that our City Government is always responsive to the need of our resident & that the betterment of South Bend is always our highest priority': Sharing relevant information, opportunities for informed discussions and collaboration are essential.. especially when involving the spending of taxpayer dollars. We believe that this is critical to the success of the proposed program. We hope that answers will be forthcoming.