Abstract
Features of the 2020 amendment to the Air Pollution Prevention Act, with regard to the prevention of asbestos dispersal during dismantling work, are as follows: 1) all construction materials are included as objects of the Act; 2) contractors are obligated to report results of investigations to the prefecture before starting any dismantling work and to make/keep a record of investigations; 3) after the removal of asbestos-containing materials is completed, contractors are obligated to report the results of the work to the contractee and to make/keep a record regarding the work; 4) certain acts that violate “work standards” have become subject to direct punishment without administrative orders to conform to these “work standards”; because such administrative orders are extremely difficult to issue during the very short period when dismantling work takes place.
An amendment to require the measurement of air concentrations for asbestos surrounding the isolation area was postponed due to the fact that measurement results are usually issued in five to seven days and there are an inadequate number of scanning electron microscopes to measure the air concentration of asbestos fibers.
