Inactive Asbestos Disposal Sites Program

Asbestos cannot be positively identified without microscopic analysis by a qualified laboratory technician. However, the trained naked eye can spot materials on the surface of, or in soil that have a high probability of being asbestos.

Generally speaking, asbestos manufacturing waste buried in the Nashua / Hudson area exists in the following forms:

• Pellets;
• Spheres;
• Whole sheets;
• "Plate waste" (sheet scraps/fragments);
• Rolled sheets;
• Dewatered sludge; and
• "Baghouse" (dust collector) waste.

However, the naked eye, trained by experience, can often detect the presence of asbestos manufacturing waste by also studying the physical characteristics of a site, including the vegetation and terrain. Based on experience, sites with the following features may contain buried asbestos waste:

• Topographic features indicating that the site has been filled;
• Debris, typically in the form of pellets, spheres and/or plate waste, located on or near the surface of the ground, or protruding from steep banks or extending into surface waters and wetlands;
• Scant vegetation and/or vegetation consisting of moss, sumac trees, poison ivy, and/or pricker bushes;
• Hummocks along a forest floor, often in a grid like or symmetrical pattern; and
• Refuse/solid waste items, such as glass bottles, cans and other household items.

Known Sites / One Stop Data Retrieval