Duregger, Niek (2021) The asbestos roofing issue: An assessment of initiatives and governance arrangements for the removal of asbestos roofs in The Netherlands. Master thesis.
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The asbestos roofing issue - Masterthesis Niek Duregger (s1683985 - 25414703).pdf Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
After banning the use of asbestos in 1993, the Dutch government initially ordered the removal of all exterior asbestos containing materials on roofs such as slate roofing and corrugated sheets by the 1st of January 2024. In the end this proposed ban on asbestos roofs did not get past the Senate even after changing the starting date to 2025. The ban was found impracticable and not thought true well enough. Although the initial research was conducted with an upcoming ban in the making at its basis, the cancelation of the ban does not make this study any less valuable. Regardless if the ban will still be put into work later on in the future, there is still a large number of asbestos roofs that need to be replaced sooner or later. The asbestos containing material that is on roofs is at the end of its lifespan and heavily weathered causing dangerous asbestos fibers being released into the air. Inhalation of asbestos fibers is linked to serious health hazards and can cause respiratory diseases and cancers such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. It goes without saying that this is not desirable and therefore a ban should be set in place. The responsibility and costs of the removal are placed in the hands of the roof owner. If they fail to do so they will face consequences such as fines from the municipality or being excluded from insurance. In recent years, the removal of asbestos roofs was subsidized by government but this financial help is by far not enough to cover the costs of removal and the installation of a new roof. Many roof owners are therefore still reluctant to replace their roof. At the current pace of removal, the goal to remove all asbestos roofs by the earlier proposed year 2025 will not be met. This study has a closer look at various initiatives and governance arrangements that could help to speed up the removal of asbestos roofs. By placing them in a framework for planning oriented action their suitability is analysed and discussed. This provides us with a set of most desirable and suitable initiatives and governance arrangements according to the theory. The conclusion of this study however is that there are no specific initiatives and governance arrangements that work best. Rather than that it is the combination of all of them that contributes to solving the asbestos roofing issue.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Degree programme: | Environmental & Infrastructure Planning |
| Supervisor: | Van Kann, F.M.G. |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Aug 2021 11:45 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Aug 2021 11:45 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3669 |
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