Asbestos by State

State rules

Rhode Island

Rhode Island’s asbestos rules are issued by the Department of Health and published by the Department of State as 216-RICR-50-15-1. They license asbestos contractors, supervisors, and workers, require asbestos abatement plans, and certify training courses, competent persons, analytical services, and consultants. A building owner who will do an abatement project, other than a spot repair, must submit a plan and wait for written approval. EPA lists Rhode Island among the twelve AHERA waiver states and names health-department contacts for the program, for AHERA, and for NESHAP. The health department’s own website returned HTTP 403, so this entry cites the rule text that loaded.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
Who runs the asbestos program
Rhode Island Department of Health
Who must be licensed or accredited
Department of Health rules license asbestos contractors, supervisors, and workers, and they certify training, analytical services, and consultants.
Official program page
Official page →

The purpose section says the rules set minimum standards for asbestos control under R.I. Gen. Laws section 23-24.5-5(c). “Department” means the Rhode Island Department of Health. The owner rule is strict: except for spot repairs, abatement does not start until the department approves the plan in writing. Contractor licenses are granted to applicants who meet the rule and pay the fee in the department’s fee-structure regulations. The rule text says a contractor license expires two years from issuance unless suspended or revoked sooner, and it is renewed every two years. Worker and supervisor licenses are part of the same part.

Plan contents, as described in health-department material that failed the header check, are not repeated as linked facts. The rule itself is the enforceable point: written approval first. Schools are covered by the state because EPA lists an AHERA waiver. A school abatement can need the approved plan, licensed people, and the waiver program’s school file. OSHA’s construction standard still applies to employees on the job. The program number EPA lists is 401-222-7784 if a form and the rule seem to disagree.

EPA lists Bonnie Cassani-Brandt at 401-222-7784, Daniel Ziobro for AHERA at 401-222-3611, and Alexander Yelle for NESHAP at 401-222-7777, all with doh.asbestos@health.ri.gov. Use the NESHAP number for a demolition-notice question and the AHERA number for a school plan. Because the health website would not return HTTP 200, confirm form names with those contacts rather than with a bookmark that did not load.

Official resources in Rhode Island

Rhode Island asbestos control rules

Licenses, abatement-plan approval, and the two-year contractor term.

EPA state asbestos contacts

Lists Rhode Island among AHERA waiver states and gives health-department phones.

EPA asbestos in schools

Federal school baseline that waiver states implement.

OSHA construction asbestos standard

Worker-protection rule for employees.

Key facts for Rhode Island

What to do next

  1. Wait for written plan approval before abatement, unless the job is only a spot repair as the rule defines it.
  2. Ask for contractor, supervisor, and worker licenses that are inside the two-year term.
  3. Call the NESHAP contact and the AHERA contact as separate questions.
  4. Confirm current forms by phone because the health website did not load.

Looking for your city or county in Rhode Island?

We haven't found official program-level pages for Rhode Island we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:

  1. General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Rhode Island, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
  2. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    Rhode Island Department of Health
    Website →
    Phone: (401) 222-7784 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)
    Your city or county office: Local governments →
    Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Rhode Island page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  3. Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

Asbestos rules planner →

Do you serve Rhode Island? Get a featured listing for $30/month, clearly labeled as a paid placement.