Asbestos removal from water pipes

I have the same problem with the house I just bought. The problem is that you are allowed to have asbestos in "non-living areas". The home inspector informed us of it on his tour, but told us that the owner had no legal reason to remove it. We tried to negotiate it into the asking price, but in this housing market it just didn't happen. It's removal is on my list of things to do around the house, but I'm not sure how to dispose of it.

Of course the question is what is legal? Only licensed asbestos removers are "allowed" to touch such insulation and then certify to the removal. In reality most people just put on gloves and a mask and do it. I read recently that a construction company near Syracuse, NY was recently taken to task for not doing the job properly. I remember seeing a building in downtown Boston near the old State House that was closed for years because somebody did a bad job removing asbestos.

Everything I've read on the Web states that asbestos removal is "expensive"; however, I can't find any hard facts about the average cost per unit. One alternative to removal is to enclose the asbestos-containing material in airtight new construction such as sheetrock or plaster. Effectively, this forms a pipe case.

Unit cost $100 linear foot for removal, notification, disposal.

You might try contacting a company named Geobond International, in Kansas City, MO. The company makes an easily-installed encapsulating material (a plaster-like material) that is listed/approved for permanently encasing asbestos and making it environmentally safe (a LOT less expensive than removing and disposing of it). Call Susan Michalski at Geobond (816-363-6800) for information, availability, installation requirements, and pricing. Tell her that Tom recommended contacting Geobond.