Toronto's Asbestos Removal Experts | Serving Toronto, GTA and Ontario

Asbestos Lobby Group to Dissolve

Manny Oliveira (Toronto's Asbestos Removal Expert) — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:47:38 +0000

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.

City of Toronto Fined for Asbestos Violation

Manny Oliveira (Toronto's Asbestos Removal Expert) — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:09:26 +0000

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.

Add an Asbestos Inspection to Your Spring Home Buying Checklist

Manny Oliveira (Toronto's Asbestos Removal Expert) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:18:36 +0000

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

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

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

Asbestos Pipe Chases at the Royal Military College

Manny Oliveira (Toronto's Asbestos Removal Expert) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:48:52 +0000

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.

Study Links Asbestos Exposure to Heart Disease

Manny Oliveira (Toronto's Asbestos Removal Expert) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:27:15 +0000

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.

Is There Asbestos in Your “Dream Home”?

Manny Oliveira (Toronto's Asbestos Removal Expert) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:43:10 +0000

It’s spring and a time of year that many people start to think about looking for a new home, whether that’s “brand new” or “new to you”. Certainly, there are advantages – and disadvantages – to newer and older homes alike that go beyond the structures to the neighbourhoods and surroundings. Many people are attracted to mature, older neighbourhoods with tree-lined streets and established infrastructure.

However, as the Canadian Real Estate Association advises, there are steps you should take to protect your interests, not only the economic side of things but also in terms of your health. Older homes , particularly those built before 1970, can present a number of issues that need special consideration beyond the usual inspections.

Asbestos
Among these is asbestos. Nowadays, it’s the pariah of the construction industry but at one time, it was considered a miracle material – fire resistant and extraordinarily resistant to damage of almost any kind. In the early 20^th century, it was widely used for a huge variety of products from oven mitts to home insulation – in fact, Germany’s infamous Kaiser Wilhelm built himself a cottage entirely made of asbestos in order to withstand fire bomb attacks in the First World War.

Asbestos may show up in a range of areas in a home, including:

Insulation – vermiculite insulation in North America came largely from a Montana mine that was contaminated with asbestos
Floor tiles
Ceiling tiles – often referred to as “acoustic ceilings” for their soundproofing qualities
Wall panels
Roofing tiles
Window and door sealant
Outdoor paneling

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. 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 deal with 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.

Asbestos in the News

Manny Oliveira (Toronto's Asbestos Removal Expert) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:35:51 +0000

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.

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

Asbestos in the News

Manny Oliveira (Toronto's Asbestos Removal Expert) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 23:14:48 +0000

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.

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.

A Movie Set with Familiar Issues: Asbestos & Mould

Manny Oliveira (Toronto's Asbestos Removal Expert) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 01:50:57 +0000

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:

Asbestos abatement and removal
Mould Removal

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

Ontario Town Receives Aid for Asbestos Removal

Manny Oliveira (Toronto's Asbestos Removal Expert) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:31:40 +0000

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.

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.