A reminder from both the TNRD and the City of Kamloops for people to be aware of the potential for asbestos ahead of home renovation work.

TNRD Manager of Environmental Services Jaime Viera says before people do any work on a building constructed before 1990, they should be aware about proper safe-handling procedures.

“More and more aware of you know the risks of possible asbestos exposure to workers at landfill sites,” he said. “So we just want to remind the public that they need to be aware of potential risks of asbestos in their waste loads before they come to a landfill or transfer station to dispose of it.”

Viera says materials containing asbestos need to be pre-approved before it can be disposed off.

“So it’s up to the person hauling that material to have it properly bagged and then it gets buried directly in a landfill so it’s not exposed with the potential of a truck running them over or a bulldozer, that sort of thing,” added Viera. “They go straight into the landfill and get buried and then they’re sealed off.”

And he says those materials are only accepted at the Mission Flats Landfill in Kamloops or the Lower Nicola Landfill near Merritt.

Viera says asbestos can be found in more than 3,000 building materials, like vinyl and linoleum flooring, stucco, drywall mud, incandescent light fixture backings, and deck under-sheeting.

Repeated exposure can lead to lung cancer and other lethal asbestos-related diseases.