Environmental rehabilitation of buildings and other structures has become legally necessary for businesses cited with environmental violations or for those businesses undergoing renovation. In particular, businesses must perform environment rehabilitate inspections and programs by removing harmful substances like asbestos, lead and contaminated soil. The goal is to create an environment where people may live and work without being exposed to life-threatening chemicals.

Your efforts to restore the environment in your business should begin by requesting an environmental rehabilitate consultation. That consultation will identify whether the paint on your walls contains lead, whether the insulation contains asbestos and whether the soil the structure is on contains pollutants and carcinogens. To avoid environmental litigation, make sure you cover all the bases.

1. Begin an environmental restoration project by checking your soil.

2. Check inside your structure to determine whether environment rehab requires the removal of asbestos.

3. Avoid lead litigation with environment restoration targeted at remediating lead paint inside your building.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider soil remediation as a first step towards an environmental rehab program

If the groundwater at or near your structure has become contaminated, chances are it has seeped into the soil. Start an environmental rehab program immediately to prevent further soil pollution that becomes more expensive to remediate.

I recommend: Located in Newark, New Jersey, Joseph Environmental has rehabilitated soil for construction companies, government agencies, real estate and insurance firms. Since 2000, Terra Therm has used the most up to date soil rehabilitation technology. The company also maintains a staff of consultants who can advise you on its thermal treatments for soil. Contact Thermal Remediation Services for in situ thermal soil rehabilitation.

Request an environmental rehab consultant test for the presence of asbestos

Decades ago, asbestos was used in building insulation materials until it was suspected to be a cancer causing agent.

I recommend: Sal's Abatement, in Florida, performs full service environment rehabilitation with its asbestos remediation services, including emergency clean up projects. Enviro Vantage will inspect your business for signs of asbestos in insulation, floors and tiles and will then design an environmental rehabilitation plan.

Have an environmental rehabilitation specialist check for lead-based paint on your walls

Rehabilitation can require the removal of lead paint from structures built before the 1960's and 1970's.

I recommend: New York company, Action Environmental Group, has performed a full line of environmental rehabilitation services for ten years. This includes the removal of harmful lead paint from structures undergoing renovation. The National Registry of Environmental Professionals has certified the Chase Environmental Group to perform lead remediation.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Environmental rehabilitation and disaster clean up will also be necessary if there's been an emergency at your company, such as a spill of hazardous material.