ONE IMPORTANT PART OF A BASELINE SURVEY, which was covered in Chapter 2, is the assessment of the ACM. Assessment is the process of evaluating the condition of the ACM at the time of the survey and predicting what could happen to make the condition worse. The decision to remove ACM is based on this assessment as well as the type and quantity of the ACM and other factors. This chapter provides a detailed discussion of the assessment protocols in ASTM E 2356, which offer a significant improvement over methodologies that have been in use for a number of years. In particular, the ASTM E 2356 assessment protocols differ from the “AHERA protocol” in several respects. Those who have become accustomed to using the “AHERA protocol” and wonder why ASTM E 2356 takes a different approach should read the sidebar on page 25 and start “thinking outside the AHERA box.”