Asbestos tile removal/disposal in Cook County (Chicago, Chicago Heights: house, inspector)

[rstravis]

OK, first of all, I'm not really looking for advice on what to do or whether to panic -- there's plenty of that out there in cyberspace already, and I've already spoken with people in the asbestos abatement industry. I just want to know a couple of facts about Illinois laws and resources.

But I bought a house last year, and it was built in the 1940s. I've done quite a bit of cosmetic work on the interior, and in doing so I've read about vinyl asbestos tiles. I suspect that some of the tiles in my basement are vinyl asbestos, and because of seepage, they are beginning to crack and chip. I do plan to have them tested (I'm going to send samples in within the next week or so).

If they do come back positive for asbestos (which I strongly suspect, at least for the tiles in my laundry room), I plan to encapsulate them -- probably with vinyl sheet flooring, although I"m considering Home Depot's Allure flooring as well, or ceramic tiles. But some of them are very loose, and I would like to dispose of the loose tiles and do a skim coat.

So here's the questions. First of all, are there any regulations in Illinois (Chicago Heights specifically) about removal? Can I do it myself as long as I follow EPA guidelines? Please post only facts, not opinions, as I've read plenty of those already -- I don't plan to remove them, but if I decide to, so I can lay ceramic tiles, I just want to know if I can LEGALLY do it.

Secondly, if I do, how do I dispose of it in Illinois? Are there landfills that accept asbestos? Are you allowed to put a SMALL amount in the trash (i.e. 2 or 3 12X12 tiles)? How expensive is disposal?

Third, I'm going to also have my drop ceiling tiles tested. It's highly unlikely, based on what I've read, that they would contain asbestos, but I'm trying to play it safe. If they do, and I want to replace them, can I just take them down and dispose of them, or are there other laws, since I understand there's a higher likelihood of friability in ceiling tiles? (these are the 4X2 acoustic tiles).

Thanks in advance for any advice. My plans are to replace the ceiling tiles (cigarette-stained from prior owners), and encapsulate the floor, but I just need to know what other options are so I can weigh them, since I want to get this done by the end of October.

Thanks.

[rstravis]

Never mind ... if anyone was reading this anyway. I did a bit more research and found out that Cook County is the only county in the state that does not except single family homes from regulations. So, in a nutshell, I cannot remove them myself, which means I have to go with encapsulation, so I'll just let the tiles lay as is and install sheet vinyl flooring or ceramic tiles over it.

When I called the city, though, they actually somehow took that as a complaint (don't ask my how that miscommunication happened)! And they sent an inspector out, ready to issue a citation. That in and of itself pissed me off, but some good came of it -- he was able to look at the floor and tell me exactly what I needed to know about encapsulation, so now I know I'll be able to take care of everything legally. I'll have someone out next week to test the tiles, and the ceiling while they're here, and if the ceiling tiles are a problem, I'll leave them alone until I can afford to have them removed. And assuming the floor tiles are VAT, I'll just encapsulate them. I'm still annoyed that the city treated my question as a complaint (why would I issue a complaint about myself?), but I'm glad the inspector was able to answer questions.