AN ACT Relating to naturally occurring fibrous silicate materials;
HB 2605 revises Washington law governing asbestos and naturally occurring fibrous silicate materials. The bill redefines key terms, including “asbestos,” “asbestos-containing building material,” and “naturally occurring fibrous silicate material,” and updates the concentration thresholds and testing references used to determine whether a material is covered. It also clarifies that the chapter applies to building materials used in construction, renovation, repair, and maintenance of a broad range of buildings and structures, while excluding automobiles, recreational vehicles, boats, and other mobile transportation.
The bill creates or expands labeling, use, and management requirements for asbestos-containing building materials. It makes it unlawful, beginning on the effective date, to manufacture, wholesale, or distribute asbestos-containing building material that is not properly labeled, and it extends labeling requirements to stock-on-hand held after a specified date. It also generally prohibits the use of asbestos-containing building materials in new construction or renovation, subject to several exceptions for residential construction, preordered or already-possessed materials, contract-breach situations, and certain low-content commercial aggregates or asphalt/concrete materials. In addition, owners of covered facilities must inspect for asbestos, maintain an asbestos management plan, update it periodically, and make it available to state and local agencies and interested parties.
HB 2605 would amend multiple sections of Washington’s asbestos-related statutes in Title 70 RCW, tightening definitions and compliance obligations for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, contractors, and facility owners. It would also incorporate federal EPA testing methods and federal toxic substances control requirements into state law, while preserving limited exemptions and setting out new inspection and management-plan duties for facilities engaged in covered industrial activities. The bill would affect the handling, sale, labeling, and use of asbestos-containing building materials and naturally occurring fibrous silicate materials in construction and related industries.
The recorded votes suggest strong support for the bill. It passed the House Environment & Energy Committee unanimously, 20-0, and then passed House third reading and final passage by an overwhelming 90-1 vote. No committee transcripts were provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate organized opposition or significant concerns in the available materials.
The main points of potential contention are the bill’s restrictions on the use and distribution of asbestos-containing building materials and the compliance burden imposed on industry and facility owners. The bill includes exemptions for residential construction, preexisting contracts or inventory, and certain low-content materials, which suggests lawmakers were balancing public-health protections against practical and economic concerns. It also allows the department to grant labeling exemptions where compliance is technically infeasible or would create undue economic hardship, indicating that manufacturers and wholesalers may have raised feasibility or cost concerns. However, the voting record shows little visible resistance in the legislature.