Archive for the ‘Asbestos Remediation’ Category

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Add an Asbestos Inspection to Your Spring Home Buying Checklist

Friday, April 27th, 2012

Spring is in the air and many people have home buying on their minds. The Canadian Real Estate Association and BMO have come up with a statement of recommendations, and both advise spring homebuyers that property inspections should go way beyond the typical parameters of the standard inspection included in most property sales.

Among other, they mention absestos specifically as an issue to keep in mind when looking to buy a home.

Asbestos in Older Homes
In the case of asbestos, the primary concern would be for houses built before the 1970′s, when the fireproof and nearly indestructible material once considered a “miracle” construction material was largely banned from use in building homes.

Asbestos can show up in a wide range of areas in your home:

  • Roof shingles and gutters
  • Floor and ceiling tiles
  • Vermiculite insulation
  • Window and door sealing putty
  • “Popcorn” or textured ceilings
  • Textured interior house paints

It’s not always immediately apparent to the untrained eye, and may appear in a variety of forms too, from the cement mixtures commonly found in floor and ceiling tiles to the grey clumps of vermiculite insulation to plaster-based mixtures on the ceiling. If you are looking to buy an older home then do yourself a favour and include an asbestos inspection on the list of things to do. You’re ensuring both your health and the investment of your hard earned dollars in the property

Please Note!
The material is considered safe as long as it’s intact, but damage or deterioration can produce friable asbestos, or particles that can be inhaled – with a deadly potential. Please don’t try to handle it yourself.

Get peace of mind from GreenStream Environmental - call us for a quote today.

In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.

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Asbestos in the News

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

National broadcaster the CBC has begun a series of segments this week devoted to the issue of asbestos, a lingering concern in Canada decades after the problematic mineral was banned or restricted from use virtually worldwide.

One of the segments profiles an innovative program at Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital, a world leader in cancer treatment and research. The Mesothelioma Research Program is the only one of its kind in North America. Among other things, it looks to proactively screen people who were exposed to the dangerous material via the workplace. The hope is to catch the deadly disease early, since most of the time, by the time symptoms appear, the disease is already in an advanced state and death sometimes imminent.

Nearly a thousand such workers have been screened with CAT scans since 2005, and the Program has established a biobank of mesothelioma tumours. Physicians believe even a small amount of exposure can result in the disease, which then takes decades to develop. That’s why the incidence of mesothelioma continues to rise, even though it’s been banned from virtually every workplace since the 1970’s. In fact, there were 400 cases diagnosed last year, about double the rate of occurrence found 20 years ago.

Construction Trades
The majority of workers came to be exposed to asbestos while employed in the construction field. Some of them described working in clouds of asbestos dust. Once seen as a near miraculous material, asbestos – fireproof and nearly indestructible – was used in virtually every part of a building, from siding to roofing to window and door sealant, ceiling panels and floor tiles. Both residential and industrial construction was affected.

In another headline, an Australian man who’d famously been given up for dead at the foot of Mount Everest in 2006 succumbed to mesothelioma and passed away this week. He too, was exposed to the material at a construction job.

Asbestos in Your Home?
If the exposure came from building homes, then what does that mean for you and your home? If your home was built before 1970, it’s almost certain there is asbestos somewhere in one of the many locations it was commonly used. But don’t panic just yet.

Renovations
The danger from asbestos comes when it becomes friable, or the fibres deteriorate and become airborne – meaning you can inhale them. As long as it’s bound up in a mixed material like cement tiles or contained in walls, it’s not considered a threat.

However, age and lack of maintenance over time can potentially cause damage or deterioration to the asbestos that may exist in your home. Renovations of any kind can disturb materials and cause just the kind of damage that can lead to airborne asbestos fibres.

If your home was built before 1970, then you have to assume that it does contain asbestos. Before any renovation projects, call in the experts from GreenStream Environmental Services for an asbestos inspection. At GreenStream Environmental Services, we offer professional vermiculite and asbestos remediation services to help you contain and then rid yourself of this problem.

In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.

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A Movie Set with Familiar Issues: Asbestos & Mould

Thursday, March 15th, 2012

Built to withstand a four-megaton nuclear bomb, a former military facility deep underground in Northern Ontario is now home to a movie shoot – and some familiar old problems.

Known as The Colony, the compound was the twin of an American base at Colorado Springs, and was the command and control centre for the North American Air Defence Command for more than four decades. The bunker was located 68 storeys below the rocky terrain of the North Bay area of Ontario. Decommissioned in 2006 when it was replaced by a newer – and above ground – facility, the complex is still owned by the DND (Department of National Defence) and while not in use, is currently the set for a feature film starring actors Bill Paxton and Laurence Fishburne.

A Futuristic Set with Old Problems

The film has a futuristic plot about survival in a “new ice age” but the building itself, according to a DND brochure, has a lot of old problems, including:

  • Asbestos in pipe insulation. Asbestos was often used to insulate steam pipes, boilers and furnace ductwork in the form of an asbestos blanket or asbestos tape. The material can become released in the air where it can be inhaled and therefore dangerous if the material is damaged, or if it’s disturbed or removed during renovations
  • Mould in the walls of one of the rooms, which has been sealed off. Water leaks from a roof or around windows is a very common source of mould growth inside walls. The trouble with this type of mould growth is that you’ll seldom know about it until it’s already taken hold.

Vigilance is the Answer

An aging high tech facility, or your lovely older home – with the same common hazards. The only way to know about these often hidden sources of unwelcome contamination in your home and get peace of mind is to call in the professionals for an inspection.

In between professional inspections, you’ll want to inspect your home yourself on a regular basis, keeping an eye out for sources of moisture and condensation, accumulation of little black spots on walls and floors, and an overall musty odour – these are your clues to mould growth.

Keep an eye on your pipe and furnace insulation. As long as it’s entirely intact, it’s not considered dangerous, but once it starts to crumble, don’t fool around – call in the experts right away for abatement or removal.

At GreenStream Environmental, we’ve got the solution for your “old home” issues, including:

In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.

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Vermiculite Insulation – In Our Schools

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

After vermiculite insulation was found in a Peterborough area school about a year ago, the Ministry of Labour completed an inspection and the substance was determined to be contained and therefore not an immediate risk.

Containment of the substance is a key issue, however, and the local school board then instituted a practise of monthly inspections for the some 40 schools thought to contain the vermiculite insulation, along with annual inspections for asbestos in all the district’s schools.

The local Teacher’s Federation has said that’s not enough, and is asking the Ministry, among other things, for a third party assessment of all asbestos management plans.

The teachers’ concerns are well founded. The harmful effects of asbestos exposure are well documented, and known to be particularly harmful to children.

Vermiculite Insulation
Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that isn’t a risk by itself in its pure form. Because of the nature of the material, however, and the geological processes that go to create it, it can sometimes occur in areas where asbestos is also present.

The mineral expands when it’s heated, making it seem like the ideal material to insulate homes and other buildings, and vermiculite was widely used as home insulation until the early 1990′s, especially in attic spaces. In North America, the bulk of it came from a mine in Libby, Montana which was found to be contaminated with asbestos. The mine was closed in 1990 once the asbestos contamination was discovered.

Unheated, vermiculite is shiny and flaky. Once heated, it expands to a chunky kind of appearance, and is brownish or beige in colour.

If you suspect that your home was insulated with vermiculite, then you should assume that it is contaminated with asbestos. If it’s entirely contained then it’s not considered a health risk, since the harmful effects come from inhaling the asbestos fibres, but exposure is a constant risk and regular and frequent inspections are a necessity.

In addition, you should not:

  • Store items in your attic
  • Let your children play in the attic

Removal is the only way to ensure lasting peace of mind – and your home’s resale value – but it’s not something you should attempt on your own. Even if you’re only renovating, when it comes to any work that has the potential to disturb the material in your walls, you need to call in professional help.

Call the Experts
Be safe rather than sorry – call in experts for help before any renovations. Please DO NOT DISTURB OR HANDLE the material in question, or try to sweep/vacuum it away. There is no “safe” level of exposure.

At GreenStream Environmental Services, we offer professional vermiculite and asbestos remediation services. In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.

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Exposing Workers to Asbestos Nets Vancouver Man Jail Time

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

Arthur Moore, a Vancouver area demolition contractor, was recently sentenced to a 60-day jail term for exposing his employees to the hazards of asbestos.

The case is a rare example of a jail term handed down to an employer who exposes his employees to preventable health risks, but did not go far enough according to some sources. Lawyers working on behalf of the B.C. Workers’ Compensation Board had asked for a term of 6 months to a year, and the president of the province’s Federation of Labour was quoted as saying the sentence wasn’t nearly long enough for “basically giving the death sentence to a whole lot of workers.” He noted that criminal neglect charges should have been filed as well.

Mr. Moore operated his demolition business in the greater Vancouver area under various company names, and the court documents detail a shocking case. Mr. Moore was in the habit of hiring recovering addicts, many of them teenagers and reportedly as young as 14. He then knowingly sent them to demolish buildings that contained asbestos materials without the proper protection. He’s said to have put the lives of some 50 workers at risk over the last few years.

Worker Safety = Client Safety
It’s the responsibility of every employer to ensure a safe work environment, and when it comes to asbestos exposure, the risks are well known. Since the harmful effects come from inhaling asbestos in its friable form, construction and demolition workers are at particular risk, along with those involved in the asbestos abatement and removal industries.

Here at GreenStream Environmental Services, we understand that protecting our workers means we’re protecting our clients too. If your contractor doesn’t care about his own employees, how can he ensure your safety? Our employees are experienced and fully certified to handle asbestos remediation, removal and clean-up, and operate with the highest standards of equipment and safety procedures.

Before any renovation projects, call in the experts from GreenStream Environmental Services for an asbestos inspection. At GreenStream Environmental Services, we offer expert and certified vermiculite and asbestos remediation services to help you contain and then rid yourself of this problem.

In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.

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Firefighters Evacuated From Fire House Due to Asbestos Exposure

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Firefighters routinely expose themselves to danger in the effort to save lives and property, including the knowledge that they may be exposed to asbestos when their work takes them into older structures. It’s an expected part of the job. What they don’t expect, however, is to be exposed to those kinds of risks in their very own house, but that’s just what happened recently in upstate New York.

The firefighters at Fire House 3 in Lackawanna were evacuated in late December when testing confirmed the presence of dangerous amounts of asbestos fibre in the air. The tests were ordered by the firefighters union after large quantities of dust were noticed in the building. They’ll remain out of the building while asbestos abatement work goes on.

The older structure was undergoing renovations to the piping system and boiler, and a spokesperson for the union said that the initial reaction was simply to issue a memorandum that advised the firefighters to avoid the second floor of the building. However, it proved impossible to completely avoid the upper level and the dust disturbed by the renovations circulated throughout the building.

Union Concerned
While the abatement work is obviously the right step to take, the firefighters and their union are concerned that it took a few weeks from the testing in early December to issue the order to evacuate, as well as that the initial order to avoid the second floor was entirely inadequate as a preventive measure. The danger from asbestos comes from inhaling the fibres, and no level of exposure is considered safe.

If your home was built before 1970, it too may house building materials that contain asbestos. Before any renovation projects, call in the experts from GreenStream Environmental Services for an asbestos inspection. At GreenStream Environmental Services, we offer professional vermiculite and asbestos remediation services to help you contain and then rid yourself of this problem.

In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.

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Asbestos, Vermiculite and Christmas Ornaments

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

Christmas is the time when people thrive on continuing family traditions. From Mom’s incredible gravy method to the star on the tree that’s been handed down for three generations, it’s a time to include the past in today’s celebrations. When it comes to those Christmas ornaments, however, there are a couple of things you should consider.

What’s in the Attic?

If yours is an older home, you may just be storing your seasonal ornaments in the attic. That can be a problem if your home was insulated with vermiculite. Vermiculite is a natural mineral that was used for home insulation for most of the 20th century. The majority of the vermiculite used in insulation in North America comes from a Montana site that was heavily mined from the 1920’s until the 1990’s. By itself, vermiculite isn’t a known health risk; the problem is that the Montana site was contaminated with asbestos.

Even if other types of insulation were used in your home, it may also contain vermiculite, which was commonly marketed as a do-it-yourself project. Many homeowners went into the attic themselves to pour it down into the walls in order to bolster the effect of existing foam or other insulation.

Whatever you’re storing in an attic with vermiculite insulation could be covered in asbestos dust. It’s a particular concern when it comes to Christmas ornaments in that children are often the ones to handle and play with them, and children are also the most vulnerable to the health effects that come from asbestos exposure.

Artificial Snow

A lesser risk comes from very old Christmas balls, wreaths and other ornaments with fake snow. It may seem shocking today, but asbestos flakes were often used as decorative artificial snow and many early 20th century ornaments include that substance. Even now, after decades, they may contain small amounts of asbestos.

They may have sentimental value, but you’re probably better off setting aside older Christmas ornaments in favour of newer and safer materials.

Did you know?

There’s a scene in the classic film The Wizard of Oz where Judy Garland as Dorothy, along with Toto and her other traveling companions are put to sleep by a spell cast by the Wicked Witch of the West. They’re awakened by a snowfall – and in the film that snowfall was made up entirely of flakes of white asbestos that covered the whole cast and set.

Vermiculite Insulation:

Vermiculite insulation, which was most often sold under the name ‘Zonolite® Attic Insulation’, is brown or greyish and pebbly in texture. If you see it in your attic or elsewhere in your home, and before any renovation projects, please DO NOT disturb it. The danger from asbestos comes from inhaling the fibres, and anything you can do to contain or avoid it until you can call in the experts from GreenStream Environmental Services will help to minimize the impact.

At GreenStream Environmental Services, we offer professional vermiculite and asbestos remediation services to help you contain and then rid yourself of this problem.

In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.

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DRDC Building to be Renovated Due to Mould, Asbestos

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

The construction standards of yesterday become the renovation problems of the present, and government structures are no exception. Ottawa’s Public Works Department is renovating a building used by the Defence Research and Development Canada after a worker complained of headaches and other health related issues.

Mould Removal

Among other issues, water leaks had raised concerns about mould growth. Testing in previous years had found the presence of mould, some of which was toxic. A site inspection revealed rainwater pooling at the foundation which then leaked into the building, and the report included mention of the lack of gutters or flashing along the side of the roof, conditions that led to the leak.

Asbestos Removal

Bids are currently being sought for the $233,500 project, and include a provision requiring a specially certified asbestos abatement and removal company to deal with extensive asbestos as it exists throughout the building, including in the interior piping, floor tiles and window caulkings.

From cutting corners on flat roofing to using the latest “miracle material” for construction, what once seemed viable is now a public concern.

When it comes to your own home, keeping an eye on your roofing and being aware of materials used in your home are just the beginning. If you suspect the presence of mould in your home, or if you are experiencing suspicious and otherwise inexplicable health issues like frequent headaches, difficulty in breathing, eye irritation and other flu or allergy-like symptoms then you need help from the experts.

Please note – if you suspect any kind of asbestos use in your home, and before any renovation projects, please DO NOT DISTURB OR HANDLE the material in question. The danger from asbestos comes from inhaling the fibres, and anything you can do to contain or avoid it until you can call in the experts from GreenStream Environmental Services will help to minimize the impact.

It is not considered dangerous if the tile or other material is still intact; however any future nicks or breaks in the surface can mean a potential hazard.

At GreenStream Environmental Services, we offer professional vermiculite and asbestos remediation services along with mould removal services for your one stop shop for peace of mind.

In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.

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Asbestos Tile Removal Closes Toronto Fire Station

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

The recent closure of Fire Station 244 on Birchmount  Avenue north of Sheppard in Toronto caused understandable consternation among area residents. Even when Toronto Fire Services officials explained that the displaced personnel and equipment would be temporarily housed nearby and despite their assurances, the area’s residents worried about increased response times. Time will tell if the move has any such impact.

As the Fire Station’s neighbours found out, the closure comes in the wake of much needed renovations to the building, including the  removal of asbestos floor tiles. At one time – long before the health-related effects of asbestos were known or understood – the use of asbestos floor tiles seemed like a no-brainer. The material was known to be fire resistant and nearly indestructible and was considered a material of choice even, as it turns out with some irony, in a fire station. Flash forward to the present and that means a lot of hidden dangers that could exist in any residential, public or commercial building, particularly those constructed before 1970.

The closure of the Fire Station is anticipated to last about six weeks, and is just the latest example of what’s become an all too familiar story – a public institution closed for removal of asbestos-related construction materials. It’s unlikely to be the last.

You may be particularly concerned about floor tiles containing asbestos in your own home if there is any flooring that was installed before 1970. In the 1960’s, asbestos floor tiles were extremely common in both residential and institutional settings.  In an older home, many people first discover the existence of asbestos tiles when doing renovations.  When removing relatively new flooring, it’s not uncommon to find layers of old flooring underneath.

If you suspect any kind of asbestos use in your home, and before any renovation projects, please DO NOT DISTURB OR HANDLE the material in question. The danger from asbestos comes from inhaling the fibres, and anything you can do to contain or avoid it until you can call in the experts from GreenStream Environmental Services will help to minimize the impact.

It is not considered dangerous if the tile or other material is still intact; however any future nicks or breaks in the surface can mean a potential hazard.

At GreenStream Environmental Services, we offer professional vermiculite and asbestos remediation services.

In the Toronto area contact GreenStreamEnvironmental.ca – Toronto’s asbestos removal specialists – at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.  You’ll be glad you did.

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Victims of Asbestos Protest Proposal to Reopen Quebec’s Jeffrey Mine

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

As the Quebec government considers a proposal to re-open the bankrupt Jeffrey asbestos mine by a group of investors – a deal that would involve $58 million in provincial loan guarantees – Ontario families of asbestos victims held a news conference in Toronto in early November. The group, mainly from the Sarnia area, related heartrending stories of the ravages of mesothelioma and the other lung problems engendered by exposure to asbestos.

The group, with the backing of Sarnia’s mayor, invited Baljit Chadha, the lead investor in the proposed project, to come to Sarnia, Ontario and meet with asbestos victims and their families. Sarnia’s waterfront is home to a memorial to the workplace victims of asbestos exposure. The victim’s group went even further, urging government help for workers currently at the remaining asbestos mines in this country in order to transition to other industries.

Mr. Chadha is president of Balcorp Ltd., an international marketing and investment firm based in Montreal, and hopes to revive the Jeffrey asbestos mine – the world’s second largest – with a view to exportation of asbestos to the developing world, including his native country of India along with Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The Jeffrey Mine contains chrysotile asbestos, and in the face of growing protests, company representatives went so far earlier this year as to say they do not believe this variety of asbestos to be harmful to humans. Will the Quebec government continue to support this industry, and will Mr. Chadha visit Sarnia?

The hazards of asbestos are well documented, and may be present in a wide variety of areas in your own home here in the GTA, including siding, ceiling tiles, insulation and more, particularly if your house was built before 1970.

If you suspect the presence of asbestos in your home, and before any renovation projects, the trained and fully-certified asbestos experts at Greenstream Environmental can handle your asbestos remediation and removal needs. Call us for a quote today – Toronto’s asbestos removal specialists – at (416) 818-9414.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite, mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA, GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414.

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