Glossary
RACM
Also: Regulated Asbestos-Containing Material
EPA NESHAP's term for friable ACM, plus non-friable ACM that has become friable, or that will be subjected to demolition forces likely to crumble it.
RACM stands for Regulated Asbestos-Containing Material. The term is defined in EPA NESHAP at 40 CFR 61.141 as:
- Friable ACBM.
- Category I non-friable ACM that has become friable.
- Category I non-friable ACM that will be or has been subjected to sanding, grinding, cutting, or abrading.
- Category II non-friable ACM that has a high probability of becoming or has become crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by the forces expected to act on the material in the course of demolition or renovation.
RACM is what triggers the NESHAP notification thresholds (260 linear feet, 160 square feet, 35 cubic feet) and the rule’s work-practice requirements. Material that is ACBM but is genuinely non-friable and is removed intact may not be RACM.
The classification is fact-specific and depends on the removal method as much as the original material condition. A floor tile removed by careful prying is not RACM. The same tile broken with a chisel becomes RACM the moment the breaking happens.