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Asbestos Lobby Group to Dissolve

Thursday, May 17th, 2012

The pro-asbestos voice of the Canadian asbestos mining industry has publicly announced its decision to dissolve after almost three decades.

The Chrysotile Institute is a pro-asbestos lobby group funded by the Quebec government and it represented the international voice of the Canadian asbestos industry. It lobbied to promote the “safe” use of chrysotile asbestos, which it claims does not pose an excessive risk to workers if handled using specific controlled methods.

Asbestos in Canada
Until recently, Canada continued to be a major exporter of the mineral that is now banned in over 50 countries, and was once in fact the largest. One of the contentious issues has been the fact that, since the widespread ban on asbestos, sales were made almost exclusively to developing nations like India where regulations aren’t as stringent – and where there has been a growing outcry among activists against the use of the dangerous mineral.

As quoted in an article in the Ottawa Citizen, NDP MP Pat Martin, a former miner who has a record of voicing his criticism of the asbestos industry asserted, “It’s just another demonstration of the death rattle of the asbestos industry in this country.”

His statement comes at a time when the Canadian asbestos industry is at a complete halt, with no active mining sites, although the Quebec government has promised loan guarantees of $58 million to Montreal based Balcorp, a company in a bid to re-open the giant Jeffery Mine in Asbestos, Quebec.

As the controversy continues to make headlines, asbestos continues to be an unwanted part of many home and property owners’ lives.

Asbestos in Older Homes
If your home was built before the 1970′s, you should assume it contains asbestos in one form or another. At one time, the fireproof and nearly indestructible material was considered a “miracle” construction material.

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.

Contact us for a quote – 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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City of Toronto Fined for Asbestos Violation

Thursday, May 10th, 2012

Lawyers for the City of Toronto recently pleaded guilty to a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act with respect to potential asbestos exposure to workers on a construction project. The violation under Ontario Regulation 275, Section 10(5) carries a $60,000 fine along with a 25% surcharge that goes into a provincial fund that assists victims of crime.

At issue was a renovation project undertaken on a City owned property on Richmond Street East in April of 2011. When an inspector from the Ministry of Labour visited the site, he asked the workers about the presence of asbestos. The workers told the inspector they didn’t know whether the project contained any asbestos or asbestos containing materials or not.

Environmental Audit
In fact, an environmental audit had been done on the building in 2007 and had found asbestos containing materials. That audit was never given to the contractor by the City, and that’s the legal point where the violation occurred.

While in this case, there was no evidence that the workers were actually exposed to any asbestos, the issue is a very real on when it comes to renovating older buildings and homes. Asbestos becomes dangerous when the fibres can be inhaled, so as long as any asbestos containing material is intact, it’s considered safe, but during renovation projects, damaged and deteriorated materials can easily produce airborne dust.

Before You Renovate
The fact of the matter is that if your home was built before 1970, you have to assume that it contains asbestos, and it may appear in a wide variety of places including but not limited to:

  • Roofing shingles
  • Floor and ceiling tiles
  • Pipe insulation and chasing
  • Popcorn ceilings
  • Textured paints

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 Pipe Chases at the Royal Military College

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

Defence Minister Peter Mackay has been feeling the heat lately – perhaps that’s why his office issued a slew of press releases earlier this week. Among them is a contract issued by Defence Construction Canada for pipe chase asbestos abatement and removal in one of the Royal Military College facilities.

Abatement by removal would have the advantage of also removing the need to constantly monitor and maintain the asbestos-containing material, in this case riser pipe chasing. The so-called pipe chase is a common area to find asbestos in both residential and industrial buildings.  A “pipe chase” is typically a narrow area of a home or building that contains plumbing piping and sometimes electrical wiring. It can be something like a small, tight room or simply a groove where the pipes fit in.

Once thought of as a “miracle mineral”, asbestos has many properties that seemed ideal for construction purposes, among them its fireproofing abilities as well as its insulating properties. Asbestos seemed like the natural material for pipe chasing, insulation and many other uses – and what’s more, it’s an area of your own older home that you may have overlooked.

What Should I Do?

It sounds alarming, but the first thing to remember is this: as long as the material is intact and/or bound up in concrete (as it would be in tiles or paneling), asbestos is not considered to be a threat. Once it has deteriorated, or is damaged, it can become friable, which means that the fibres may be inhaled. Inhaled into the lungs, it can cause lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Standard home inspections do not look for asbestos in all these areas, and it’s doubly important if you’re planning on renovations.

If your home was built before 1970, then you have to assume that it does contain asbestos- perhaps in your pipe chases. 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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Posted in Asbestos Removal, Asbestos risks, News | No Comments »

Study Links Asbestos Exposure to Heart Disease

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

The link between asbestos and lung disease, particularly deadly mesothelioma, has been well established for decades. A recent study published in the international peer-reviewed British journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine has found a link between asbestos exposure and cardiovascular disease too.

The study looked at mortality rates and causes for British asbestos workers during the period 1971 to 2005, drawing information from 98,912 workers in total. In particular, researchers analyzed the numbers gleaned on cardiovascular deaths with a median follow up of 19 years.

The results were adjusted for smoking and other factors. After analyzing the data, researchers concluded that cerebrovascular and ischaemic heart disease (strokes and heart attacks in layman’s terms) were significantly higher among the asbestos workers as compared to the general public.

Cause and effect?
Asbestos causes inflammation – that’s where its harmful effects on the human body begin – and it is thought that inflammatory processes contribute to cardiovascular disease as well. The study did not establish asbestos as a clear risk factor, (i.e. as a clear cause and effect,) but the numbers are significant and provide a starting point for further investigation.

Asbestos in Your Home
If your home was built before 1970, there’s a good chance it contains asbestos in some form too, and it may show up in a wide variety of places including insulation, floor and ceiling tiles, roofing, pipe insulation and more. 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.

Asbestos “Accident”
Even if it’s currently intact, however, there’s no telling what can happen. Earlier this month, children just stateside were discovered unwittingly playing with asbestos thinking it was sidewalk chalk. The asbestos was wrapped around pipes as insulation in an empty Niagara Falls, NY school. Authorities assume that the pipes were stolen, with the thieves dumping the insulation just outside the building, which is where the children found it.

Get peace of mind from GreenStream Environmental, where we can offer a home inspection and asbestos removal or abatement services as required. Don’t fool around with something so dangerous – call GreenStream 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 29th, 2012

Just as the 8th annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference is about to take place in California this weekend (March 30 – April 1), residents of a Manitoba town fume over 410 tonnes of asbestos debris left in the local dump.

The Conference is designed to increase awareness of the dangers of asbestos and included among the events and guests are Barbara McQueen, widow of Steve McQueen and a performance by musician Jordan Zevon. Both Steve McQueen and Jordan’s father Warren Zevon, a noted rock musician, died of mesothelioma and the truly scary thing is that while McQueen suspected it happened during his days as a Marine, neither of the men was ever sure where they’d ever been exposed to asbestos.

Their examples illustrate both the seriousness of the matter and the level of vigilance and care that must be taken when it comes to asbestos exposure. That’s currently a big issue for the residents of Gillam, Manitoba, who found out recently that their town’s community dump site is home to tonnes of waste that come from a former air force station in Northern Ontario.

Among the debris left via an agreement between the town’s council and the contractor who completed the demolition is 410 tonnes of asbestos. Officials insist that the material is in pellet form, i.e. non-friable and therefore not inhalable or a danger to public health. The material is contained in plastic bags marked “Caution, Danger, Cancer-causing lung disease agents”.

Despite the assurances, residents have taken photos of bags with clear rips and a grey powdery substance seeping out of them, and are looking for more answers.

If your home was built before 1970, there’s a good chance it contains asbestos in some form too, and it may show up in a wide variety of places including insulation, floor and ceiling tiles, roofing, pipe insulation and more. 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.

Get peace of mind from GreenStream Environmental, where we can offer a home inspection and asbestos removal or abatement services as required. Don’t fool around with something so dangerous – call GreenStream 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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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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Ontario Town Receives Aid for Asbestos Removal

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Recently, the town of Goderich, Ontario, got word that the Ontario Disaster Relief Fund would provide the $850,000 to compensate for asbestos removal in the town’s court house. The fund was designed for this kind of situation where other funding isn’t available – since the insurance available does not cover this expense.

Tornado Damage

On August 21, 2011, a violent tornado ripped through the picturesque town on the shores of Lake Huron. With winds estimated at 250 to 300 kph, the damage to many of the town’s buildings was extensive. The pretty town has roots that go back generations, and much of the downtown retained the charm of times past in historic storefronts. What goes along with older buildings much of the time, however, is the risk of asbestos contamination.

One of the damaged buildings was the town’s court house, an iconic cement structure at the centre of the town square. After the storm, testing ordered by the Ministry of Labour and Environment Ministry discovered asbestos, necessitating professional removal procedures.

Renovations

The danger from asbestos comes when it becomes friable, or the fibres deteriorate and become airborne. 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, it doesn’t take a tornado to disturb or 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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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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Italian Court Ruling Spotlights Asbestos in Fibre Cement

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

A court in Turin, an industrial region of Italy, handed down a landmark sentence recently in the case of a company owner who exposed his workers to the dangers of asbestos inhalation. The court sentenced the Swiss man to a 16-year prison term over what is said to be the deaths of 2,000 workers. The man and another major shareholder were also order to pay the equivalent of $105 million (US dollars) to thousands of former workers and citizens who lived in proximity of the plant. The firm in question, Eternit, produced fibre cement and its Italian branch went bankrupt in 1986.

Asbestos in Fibre Cement
Fibre cement is often used for siding of both residential and industrial buildings. Because it can be moulded to any form, it often appears as imitation wood siding, clapboard or shingles. Harkening back to the Italian court case, Eternit was the original brand name for fibre cement panels, as patented in Austria in 1901 by Ludwig Hatschek.

Asbestos fibres were added to the cement mix originally to take advantage of the mineral’s virtually indestructible properties, increasing the strength of fibre cement panels. It was widely banned from use in the 1980′s in many countries, but still exists as siding on many older homes and buildings.

As long as the material remains intact and tightly bound in the cement mixture, and the asbestos material is confined to the exterior of your home, you and your family aren’t at a significant risk. However, once the material begins to deteriorate and becomes friable, meaning it can be inhaled, and you’re planning on removing and/or replacing the siding, that risk increases.

Before any renovation projects…
Do yourself a favour and 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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Posted in Asbestos Removal, Asbestos risks, News | No Comments »

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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Posted in Asbestos Remediation, Asbestos risks, News | No Comments »

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