Title
Amending Chapter 6-600 of The Philadelphia Code (“Asbestos”), by adding and revising provisions related to various fees, all under certain terms and conditions.
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THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Title 6 of The Philadelphia Code is amended to read as follows:
TITLE 6. HEALTH CODE
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CHAPTER 6-600. ASBESTOS
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§ 6-602. Licenses.
In order to ensure that asbestos work is properly performed so as to protect building occupants and the general public from exposure to asbestos, all qualified asbestos contractors shall be licensed.
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(4) Licenses shall be valid for one (1) year. The annual license fee shall be [six hundred dollars ($600)] seven-hundred fifty dollars ($750), plus an annual non-refundable application fee of [fifty dollars ($50)] sixty-three dollars ($63).
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§ 6-603. Permits and Notification.
In order to ensure that asbestos work is properly performed so as to protect occupants of buildings and private residences and the general public from exposure to asbestos, permits shall be required for all major asbestos projects and notification shall be required prior to the commencement of all minor asbestos projects.
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(3) Project permit fees shall be computed as follows, subject to a minimum fee of [one hundred and fifty dollars ($150)] one hundred eighty-eight dollars ($188) -
(a) [three and three quarters percent (3.75%)] 4.70% of the cost of the asbestos abatement contemplated under the permit, so long as said cost is less than or equal to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000); and
(b) an additional [one and seven eighths percent (1.875%)] 2.35% for any portion of the cost of abatement cost over fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).
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(10) Minor Asbestos Project Notification.
(a) No contractor or other person shall commence a minor asbestos project unless he/she has notified the Department in accordance with regulations established by the Board at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the commencement of the project. Such notification shall be accompanied by payment of a [forty-five dollar ($45)] fifty-six dollar ($56) notification fee.
§ 6-604. Certification.
In order to ensure that asbestos work is properly performed so as to protect occupants of buildings and private residences and the general public from exposure to asbestos, asbestos workers, asbestos project inspectors, asbestos investigators and analytical testing laboratories shall be certified as competent by the Department of Licenses and Inspections.
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(2) Asbestos Project Inspectors.
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(d) Certification shall be valid for one (1) year. The annual fee shall be [two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225)] two hundred eighty-one dollars ($281).
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(4) Asbestos Investigators.
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(c) Certification shall be valid for one (1) year. The annual fee shall be [two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225)] two hundred eighty-one dollars ($281).
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§ 6-606. Standards for Major Asbestos Projects.
The Board shall establish by regulation standards for major asbestos projects in order to protect the health and safety of building occupants and the general public by preventing the dispersion of asbestos fibers through a building or into the environment. Such major asbestos project standards shall include, but not be limited to, the following requirements:
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(6) The Department may approve alternative equivalent methods for work area preparation proposed in the permit application if the methods required by this Section are not technically feasible or would cause unsafe or unhealthy conditions. A request to the Department for approval of alternative equivalent methods shall include the reasons for not using the methods required by this Section and a description of the proposed alternative methods. The fee for an application for an alternate method request pursuant to this subsection shall be [forty-five dollars ($45)] fifty-six dollars ($56).
§ 6-607. Standards for Minor, Small and Incidental Asbestos Projects.
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(3) The Department may approve alternative equivalent methods for work area preparation proposed in the permit application if the methods required by this Section are not technically feasible or would cause unsafe or unhealthy conditions. A request to the Department for approval of alternative equivalent methods shall include the reasons for not using the methods required by this Section and a description of the proposed alternative methods. The fee for an application for an alternate method request pursuant to this subsection shall be [forty-five dollars ($45)] fifty-six dollars ($56).
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§ 6-617. Miscellaneous Provisions.
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(3) The fees set forth in this Chapter 6-600 may be revised by regulations of the Department, to cover costs of program administration that are effective on or after July 1, 2026, provided that no fee shall be increased to an amount higher than the fee as it existed on July 1, 2026 multiplied by the CPI Multiplier, as defined in Section 9-102 of the Code, and further provided that for fees established in this Code after July 1, 2026, the fee shall not be increased to an amount higher than the fee on the date that it was established, multiplied by the CPI Multiplier, using as the base figure for purposes of determining the CPI Multiplier the most recently published CPI-U as of July 1 of the year the fee was established.
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SECTION 2. This Ordinance shall be effective July 1, 2026.
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