BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1468
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Date of Hearing: May 28, 2003
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Darrell Steinberg, Chair
AB 1468 (Pavley) - As Amended: May 14, 2003
Policy Committee: Natural Resources
Vote: 8-3
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a testing protocol for negative air
machines (NAMs), devices used in asbestos abatement work to
maintain negative pressure inside the abatement enclosure.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Each NAM must be leak tested on a monthly basis, including a
test of the wheel attachments, control panel, seam and rivets
of the housing and the high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA)
filter.
2)Prohibits the NAM from emitting more than 0.01 asbestos fibers
per cubic centimeters.
3)Requires NAM testing to be conducted by an independent testing
company, and requires a testing company to issue a
certification to the abatement contractor and affix it to the
NAM.
4)Requires the NAM owner or operator to maintain a copy of the
certification for every NAM used on a work site, and to
maintain and make testing records available for inspection by
the local air district.
5)Requires any NAM that fails a leak test to be repaired,
removed from the work site, or replaced.
6)Requires the appropriate air districts to enforce all of the
above, and subjects violators to citation and administrative
fines determined by the district.
AB 1468
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FISCAL EFFECT
1)Moderate statewide costs, perhaps $500,000 in FY 2003-04, to
local air districts to implement NAM testing requirements and
enforcement. These costs are covered by revenue generated
from fees local air districts are authorized to impose on the
regulated community.
2)Moderate potential costs, perhaps $200,000 annually starting
in FY 2004-05, to various state agencies, school districts,
and local agencies to the extent this new testing and
certification requirement increases the costs of asbestos
abatement projects contracted out by these agencies. Costs to
local agencies are reimbursable from the state. (GF, bond
funds, and various special funds.)
COMMENTS
Rationale . The author believes it is vital that NAMs be tested
frequently to better ensure that only clean, asbestos-free air
is exhausted to the outside or recirculated within the building.
The author notes that, while a NAM's HEPA filter is tested
during the manufacturing process, without recurrent testing,
there is no guarantee it will continue to remove 99.97% of any
airborne matter
Analysis Prepared by : Steve Archibald / APPR. / (916)
319-2081