(1) At the conclusion of any asbestos project conducted in a facility, the owner of the facility or the owner's designee shall ensure that final visual inspection and air clearance sampling are conducted in all asbestos project work areas.

(2) The concentration of asbestos fibers in air clearance samples collected pursuant to (1) must be:

(a) less than or equal to 0.01 fibers per cubic centimeter of air for each of five samples collected within the work area, if analyzed by PCM. The PCM analysis must be conducted using the NIOSH 7400 or NIOSH 7402 method; or

(b) less than or equal to the average concentration of 70 structures per square millimeter for five samples collected within the work area, if analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM analysis must be conducted using EPA's interim TEM analytical methods provided in 40 CFR 763, subpart E, appendix A.

(3) Final visual inspection and clearance sampling and analysis must be conducted as follows:

(a) a person performing a final visual inspection and final air clearance sampling shall:

(i) observe the entire asbestos project area to verify that the asbestos project contractor has removed all visible asbestos-containing waste, dust, and debris from the work area;

(ii) require any necessary recleaning by the asbestos project contractor and conduct subsequent visual inspections that verify that the asbestos project contractor has removed all ACM identified in the asbestos project permit and related asbestos-containing waste, dust, and debris from the work area; and

(iii) complete a signed, written affidavit verifying that the asbestos project contractor has removed all ACM identified in the asbestos project permit and related asbestos-containing waste, dust, and debris;

(b) a person collecting final air clearance samples shall:

(i) ensure final clearance air sampling and testing are not performed until after the final visual inspection has been completed in accordance with this rule;

(ii) once the work area has passed the final visual inspection, sweep an air stream from a high-speed blower or equivalent air-blowing device across all surfaces in the work area for a time adequate to disturb air in all areas of the work area prior to beginning final air clearance sampling;

(iii) ensure the air is continually agitated, creating maximum air disturbance in all potentially occupied areas, i.e., continually running fans, during the collection of final air clearance samples. Agitating the air in the work area prior to final air clearance sampling is not required for unoccupied areas such as crawl spaces; and

(iv) immediately after agitating the air in the work area, begin collecting at least five final clearance air samples in the work area;

(c) for an asbestos project with more than a single isolated work area within a large space contained by four walls and a ceiling, the owner or operator of a renovation or demolition activity shall ensure the isolated work areas are sampled by taking at least one air sample within each isolated work area. If more than five isolated work areas are used in a space contained by four walls and a ceiling, at least five aggressive air samples must be collected. The first four air samples must be gathered from those isolated work areas where the greatest potential for asbestos exposure exists; the fifth sample must be taken in the last isolated work area in which the asbestos project occurred;

(d) for asbestos projects employing glovebags, the owner or operator of the renovation or demolition activity shall have at least one aggressive air sample collected in the immediate area of each glovebag, with at least five air samples collected for each space contained by four walls and a ceiling. If more than five glovebags are used in a space contained by four walls and a ceiling, at least five air samples are required for that space. The five samples must be gathered from areas where the greatest potential for asbestos exposure exists;

(e) the asbestos project may not be cleared until after the final visual inspection and after the results of all required air clearance samples demonstrate that asbestos concentrations do not exceed the applicable concentration specified in (2);

(f) persons conducting a final visual inspection and final air clearance sampling and testing shall record:

(i) the names of the asbestos project contractor/supervisor and the person or persons conducting final visual inspection and final air clearance sampling;

(ii) the name and address of the facility site and location of the asbestos project;

(iii) the number of the asbestos project permit issued by the department;

(iv) the date of final visual inspection and final air clearance sampling;

(v) whether the work area was aggressed;

(vi) the number of samples collected;

(vii) the type of samples (i.e., PCM or TEM);

(viii) a statement of whether final visual inspection and final air clearance sampling has documented the completion of the asbestos project;

(g) the final visual inspection and air clearance sampling report must include the signatures of the project contractor/supervisor and final air clearance sampling person attesting to the completion of the asbestos project; and

(h) the results of the final visual inspection and final air clearance sampling and testing must be maintained by the asbestos project contractor and by the person who performed the sampling and must be made available to the department within five working days of a request for the results.

(4) For asbestos projects with final air clearance sampling, the person conducting final air clearance sampling shall:

(a) collect five samples of air, with each sampling at least 1,199 liters of air, by using an air sampling pump capable of drawing a volume that is equal to or greater than 1,199 liters of air through each of the five millimeter filters, at a rate equal to or greater than one liter and less than ten liters per minute for TEM samples and equal to or greater than one liter and less than 16 liters per minute for PCM samples;

(b) ensure that the flow rate for each air sampling pump is calibrated at the beginning and end of the sampling period; and

(c) ensure air sampling cassettes are placed four to six feet above the floor at a 45 degree angle down. The cassettes must be uniformly distributed throughout the work area. At least one cassette must be located in each room. If the asbestos project was conducted in more than five rooms, a representative sample of rooms must be selected. Each cassette must be subject to normal air circulation, avoiding room corners, walls, ceilings, obstructed locations, and sites near windows, doors, or vents.

(5) If the background level of asbestos, as identified by the thorough inspection required in ARM 17.74.354(1), is determined to exceed the maximum allowable concentration in (2), the department may issue a written waiver from (3)(e) upon receipt of a written request in advance of the asbestos project.

(6) An asbestos project is considered complete when the final visual inspection documents no residual visible ACM, dust, or debris is present, and the results of clearance air sampling meet the requirements of (2).

(7) Air samples required by this rule may be analyzed only by laboratories accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) or laboratories that participate in the AIHA proficiency analytical testing (PAT) program and that have received a "proficient" rating for asbestos PCM samples, or another laboratory accepted in writing by the department. For sampling and sample analysis, a quality assurance program must be implemented as described in the NIOSH 7400 method or another quality assurance program accepted in writing by the department. PAT results must be submitted to the department upon request.

(8) PCM analyses required by this rule may be conducted only by a person certified in the NIOSH 582 or 582E sample collection and analytical method and who participates in a round robin quality assurance/quality control program for PCM analysts or another certification or quality assurance/quality control program accepted in writing by the department in advance.

(9) TEM sample analyses required by this rule must be conducted by a laboratory accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program or a laboratory accredited by an equivalent accreditation program that is accepted in advance by the department in writing.

(10) Proposed alternate standards and methods for clearing asbestos projects that provide results at least as accurate as the standards and methods set forth in (1) through (9) may be used if approved in advance by the department in writing. Requests for approval to employ alternate standards and methods must be submitted in advance to the department on a form provided by the department.

(11) A person performing a final visual inspection and final air clearance sampling:

(a) must be accredited by the department as an asbestos project worker or asbestos project contractor/supervisor; and

(b) may not be contractually associated with the asbestos project contractor, and there may not be any common ownership or employment relationship between the person or entity carrying out the asbestos project and the person or entity conducting the final clearance or sampling and analysis operations.