More than 70% of residential roofs in Ukraine are covered with asbestos-cement roofing sheets
More than 70% of residential roofs in Ukraine are covered with asbestos-cement roofing sheets, which consist of 10-15% chrysotile asbestos.
“In our towns and villages, especially those that are close to the front line, there are a lot of pieces of asbestos slates that rub against each other, people walk on it and breathe it. Asbestos is fine in its whole form, but it's very dangerous if it's smashed,” says Svyatoslav Pavlyuk, EECU executive director.
The topic of asbestos exposure has not been thoroughly studied in Ukraine - there was no interest from the authorities. Therefore, there is no data on the number of people affected by asbestos-cement or related industries in Ukraine.
Given its widespread distribution, asbestos is included in large quantities in the construction waste resulting from the military actions of the Russian Federation.
This problem is well described in the column by Yulia Chorna, iC consulenten Ukraine's expert on environmental issues and sustainable development, for Ekonomichna Pravda. Link - https://www.epravda.com.ua/columns/2024/07/8/716360/
A few important points from the article:
The Law “On the Public Health System”, which came into force in October 2023, prohibits the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials in Ukraine in reconstruction and new construction projects.
In the sphere of asbestos management, Regulation No. 1073 “On Approval of the Procedure for Waste Management Resulting from Damage (Destruction) of Buildings and Structures as a Result of Military Operations, Terrorist Acts, Sabotage or Works to Eliminate Their Consequences, and Amendments to Certain Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine” defines the rules to be followed if construction waste is mixed with any asbestos-containing materials.
To fill in the temporary gaps in the legal and regulatory framework, experts from iC consulenten Ukraine, Austrian CES clean energy solution and French Neo Eco have developed a White Paper on the management of asbestos-containing materials, which contains an analysis of the current situation in the field of ACM management in Ukraine and a methodology for asbestos management that can serve as a guide for companies that need to develop an ACM management strategy.
What to do with the legislation? Among the main tips from the experts:
1. Clearly describe screening procedures and improve laboratory tests.
2. Create a system of risk assessment and work to remove ACMs.
3. Organize a system of landfills for the disposal of ACM.
4. Create a system to raise awareness.