Division of Environmental Health

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our Environmental Health Services office at 10777 Main Street in Fairfax is open during regular business hours 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. Clinic services are not offered at this location.
703-246-2201 TTY 711
10777 Main Street
Fairfax, VA 22030
Pieter A. Sheehan, REHS
Director, Division of Environmental Health

Asbestos

Asbestos is a confirmed human carcinogen. Asbestos is a naturally formed mineral fiber. Certain forms of cancer are caused by asbestos fibers. The primary means of exposure is breathing asbestos fibers.

Extensive regulations have been created to protect public and worker health by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In Virginia these regulations are both enforced by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. Additionally, natural deposits in Virginia are occasionally encountered at quarries and mines. The mines and quarries are regulated by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.

Naturally Occurring Asbestos in Fairfax County, Virginia

Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) has been mapped in approximately 11 square miles of Fairfax County, which includes a part of Fairfax City. Asbestos-bearing bedrock is interspersed in the underlying Green Stone Rock Formations of the bedrock. Surface exposure of these bedrock formations is rare. 

The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District has information about construction in known areas of asbestos-bearing bedrock with suggestions for construction safety.

Maps

Resources

Fairfax Virtual Assistant