Asbestos Management: Actions Taken by the EPA

Read about the EPA Region 7’s Asbestos Management for the Kansas, Missour, Nebraska and Tribal Regions and the actions they have taken to manage asbestos remediation.

A. Re-inspected all local schools.
In 1995, all local schools were re-inspected by a state licensed asbestos inspector. The purpose of this inspection was to identify the type, location and condition of all ACM present in each school. As required by AHERA, this step will be repeated in 1998.

B. Prepared a schematic for each school which outlines the type and location of ACM present in the building.
A blueprint has been prepared for each local school which outlines the location and type of all ACM known to exist within the building. It is the responsibility of the School Facilities Maintenance Director, as the plan manager, to use this document to notify all workers prior to allowing them to work in an area where ACM is present. The Maintenance Director is also responsible for updating the schematic as more ACM is discovered or removed.

C. The school department has designated the Facilities Director to manage the plan.
The School Department Director of Facilities Maintenance has been designated the individual responsible for supervising the implementation of the local AHERA plan. In this capacity, he is responsible for directing all local asbestos management activities at the local schools as required by AHERA. In order to fulfill the responsibilities of this role, this individual has been required to complete the the 16 hour asbestos management training specified by AHERA.

D. Additional staff training.
All members of the custodial staff have completed at least two hours of asbestos awareness training to enable the staff to identify ACM and to inform them of pertinent asbestos management protocols. The roll of these staff members is to simply report the discovery of new ACM or a change in existing ACM to the coordinator.

In addition, two members of the custodial staff have also completed additional asbestos training to enable these staff members to conduct small asbestos abatement or repair activities involving less than 3 linear feet of material.

All repair and abatement activities must be supervised by the Director of Facilities Maintenance and conducted in accordance with all applicable state and federal safety standards. All larger abatement or repair activities must be completed by a state licensed asbestos abatement firm.

E. The asbestos management plan required by AHERA has been re-instituted.
Efforts have been implemented to reinvigorate the local asbestos management plan. As a result, staff training has occurred, self monitoring and inspection is now taking place, and some notification is being provided.

Courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency