Why Care About Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring group of mineral fibers that are flexible, fire resistant, and can pose a serious threat to human health when the microscopic fibers become airborne and are inhaled.

Exposure to asbestos is the only known cause for the rare cancer mesothelioma which affects the protective lining of the lungs, abdomen, and some of the body's other internal organs.

Improperly packaged asbestos exposes everyone in your vicinity to contamination and serious health hazards.

Get A Pro To Help

According to the US EPA you can't tell if a material contains asbestos by looking at it unless it is properly labelled. When in doubt, it is best to have the material analyzed by a professional. Taking samples by yourself is not recommended. It can be more hazardous to take a sample by yourself than it is to leave the material in place.

A professional service will know what to look for and how to properly take a sample. Talk to the businesses below if you suspect that you have asbestos in your household.

Get A Pro To Clean Up! Clean Up Services

After you have done testing to confirm you have asbestos (see locations at bottom of this page), get a professional to do the removal. It is the safest option for you and your family.

The EPA says that you cannot identify asbestos just by looking at a material. Learn more about friable asbestos and non-friable asbestos at the bottom of this page if you have questions.

There are several businesses that will do the removal of asbestos to help you get rid of the material safely (see locations at bottom of this page).

Drop It Off At A Local Facility

Before dropping off asbestos at the Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center, you must follow specific bagging procedures. For imagery instructions, check out our asbestos guidelines here. If you need to dispose of asbestos at the Tajiguas Landfill, download our permit application for further instructions. More information is listed below. Please take safety precautions while handling asbestos.

Asbestos Service Round-Up

Here is a quick reference for asbestos management. Each location offers different services, call ahead to confirm service availability. Locations are listed by region in the "Where To Go" section below. Click on the location for more details.

• Asbestos Removal

  • AbateX— 6409-A Camino Vista
  • Channel Coast Corporation— 123 Santa Barbara Street
  • Pearl Bay Corporation— 912 De la Vina Street
  • Precision Environmental, Inc.— 180 Canada Larga Road

• Asbestos Testing

  • Channel Coast Corporation— 123 Santa Barbara Street
  • Inside Environmental— 3009 De La Vina Street, Suite A
  • Pearl Bay Corporation— 912 De La Vina Street
  • Insight Environmental— 3009 De La Vina Street
  • Western Analytical Lab— 12734 Branford Street, #19
  • 3West Environmental, Inc. - 2355 Westwood Blvd., West Los Angeles, CA, 90064

• Asbestos Disposal

  • Safety Kleen— 5310 Overpass Road
  • *Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center— University of California, Environmental Health and Safety Building, Building 565, Mesa Road
  • City of Lompoc Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility— 1585 N. "V" St
  • City of Santa Maria Landfill, aka City of Santa Maria Regional Landfill— 2065 East Main Street
  • Asbury Environmental Services— 2100 North Alameda Street
  • BGI— 527 North Rice Avenue
  • C.J. Seto Support Services, LLC— 2300 Knoll Dr, Unit G
  • Clean Harbors, Inc.— 880 W Verdulera St
  • Industrial Waste Utilization— 5601 State Street
  • Stericycle, Incorporated

Important Disposal Instructions

• Improperly packaged asbestos, including bags with holes or tears, or bags over the allowed weight limit, will not be accepted. Check out our asbestos guidelines here.
• The asbestos containing material must be double bagged and sealed (using the specially required marked 6 mil plastic bags) when it is dropped off at the collection center. The end of the bag should be twisted (goose neck tied) and then folded over and wrapped tight with duct tape. It should then be placed in a second bag which is sealed in the same manner. For imagery instructions, check out our asbestos guidelines here.
• Normal trash bags or other containers are not acceptable.
• FREE asbestos bags are available from the Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division office. Please call (805) 882-3602 ahead of time to schedule an appointment to come pick up the bags. We cannot prepare the bags for residents who show up without an appointment. These free asbestos bags are located at 130 East Victoria Street, Suite 100, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 or at the Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center. Bags are available for homeowners doing their own abatement.
• Each bag must weigh no more than 25 pounds.
• A maximum of 50 pounds (about two bags) is accepted for free per trip from households at the CHWCC.
• Please make sure the asbestos containing material is ‘wetted’ or damp before placing in the bag.
• If you need to dispose of asbestos at the Tajiguas Landfill, download our permit application for further instructions.

Business Instructions

• Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) enforces asbestos related air quality laws for demolition and renovation of all business structures and apartment buildings with more than four units.
• Advanced notification to the APCD may be required before removing asbestos.
• Contact the APCD at (805) 961-8800 or visit the APCD website if you have questions.
• If you have large quantities of non-friable asbestos, please contact the County of Santa Barbara’s Transfer Station at(805) 681-4345 or visit LessIsMore.org/Permits for a permit application and further instructions.

Friable Asbestos

Friable asbestos is easily broken up into smaller pieces and can be very dangerous. It may be found in old popcorn ceilings, textured paints, acoustical spray-on ceilings, pipe insulation, and the millboard pictured above. Read more about asbestos on the EPA's website.

Non-Friable Asbestos

Non-friable asbestos is hard to break into smaller pieces. Although it is less dangerous than friable asbestos, it should still be treated with caution and disposed of properly. Non-friable asbestos is found in old shingles, siding, and floor tiles (pictured above). Read more about asbestos on the EPA's website.

If you have large quantities of non-friable asbestos, please contact the County of Santa Barbara’s Transfer Station at(805) 681-4345 or visit LessIsMore.org/Permits for a permit application and further instructions.

Where to go

• All of Santa Barbara County (2)

  • AbateX — 6409-A Camino Vista
  • Channel Coast Corporation — 123 Santa Barbara Street

• Santa Barbara Area (2)

  • Channel Coast Corporation — 123 Santa Barbara St
  • Pearl Bay Corporation — 912 De la Vina Street

• Goleta & UCSB Area (1)

  • *Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center — University of California, Environmental Health and Safety Building, Building 565, Mesa Road

• Lompoc Valley & VAFB (2)

  • City of Lompoc Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility — 1585 N. "V" St
  • City of Lompoc Landfill (Scalehouse) — Avalon Rd (south end)

• Santa Maria Valley (1)

  • City of Santa Maria Landfill, aka City of Santa Maria Regional Landfill — 2065 East Main Street

• Outside Santa Barbara County (2)

  • AbateX — 6409-A Camino Vista
  • Precision Environmental, Inc. — 180 Canada Larga Road