Asbestos

In 2024, the Ministry of Climate and Energy implemented a historically significant Asbestos Support Program across Latvia. The program focused on collecting, transporting, and safely disposing of asbestos-containing slate in landfills. Its goal was to reduce the environmental and health risks associated with asbestos-containing waste. The total program budget was €350,000.

The program was carried out in three phases, allowing multiple target groups to apply: individuals with low-income or socially disadvantaged status and Latvian Honorary Families holding the Honorary Family certificate. Representatives of these categories could apply for the free disposal of asbestos-containing slate.

Results: High Participation and Reduced Environmental and Health Risks

A total of 656 applications were received, with 271 households receiving support. In total, 711.79 tons of asbestos-containing slate were removed.

Regional Breakdown (Table):

Due to limited funding, 257 applications were rejected. Additionally, 128 applications were denied due to non-compliance with program regulations or withdrawal by applicants during implementation.

Funding Allocation Across Latvia’s Regions

The available funding was distributed proportionally based on the estimated volume of asbestos-containing slate roofing in each region, as determined by a 2023 assessment. The assessment revealed that approximately 1 million tons of asbestos-containing slate remained on building roofs across Latvia. The regional distribution of asbestos-containing slate was as follows:

• Riga region – 12%

• Zemgale region – 17%

• Kurzeme region – 23%

• Latgale region – 23%

• Vidzeme region – 25%

Following the first two phases of the program, it was observed that participation from target groups in the Latgale region was significantly lower than expected. As a result, part of the funding initially allocated to Latgale was redistributed to other regions. This reallocation enabled the approval of applications that had been initially rejected due to insufficient funds.

Public Awareness Campaign: "Let the Old Asbestos Roof Go!"

Ahead of the program launch, an informational campaign titled “Let the Old Asbestos Roof Go!” was conducted from February 26 to May 31, 2024. The campaign aimed to educate residents about the dangers of asbestos-containing materials and their health risks, as well as to raise awareness about the proper management of asbestos waste, including safety precautions when handling such materials.

Conclusions and Next Steps

The implementation of the Asbestos Support Program marked a significant step towards a healthier and more environmentally friendly Latvia. Despite limited funding, the project successfully facilitated the safe disposal of a considerable amount of asbestos-containing slate.

Given the strong public interest in asbestos disposal and the remaining large quantities of asbestos-containing slate on residential properties, the Ministry of Climate and Energy is currently working on solutions to continue supporting residents in asbestos waste collection and disposal.

The Asbestos Support Program was implemented as part of the LIFE Integrated Project "Waste To Resources Latvia - boosting regional sustainability and circularity" (LIFE Waste To Resources IP, LIFE20 IPE/LV/000014), co-financed by the European Union’s LIFE program and the National Digital Development Agency.