EPA on Asbestos Management: Have the Hazards in Schools Been Exaggerated?

Read about the EPA Region 7’s observations regarding the hazards of asbestos and ACM in schools in the the Kansas, Missour, Nebraska and Tribal Regions.

I have also detected a pervasive belief among the maintenance staff and school administration that the asbestos hazard has been severely exaggerated by the media and governmental agencies. Much of the staff approach asbestos management as more of a bureaucratic paper shuffle than a step toward protecting public health.

This attitude and approach has a major impact in how the school system implements and complies with AHERA. This also impacts whether the required worker notifications are made prior to utility work or renovations, or whether contingency planning is conducted prior to initiating renovations.

Failure to pre-plan in both cases can easily result in the uncontrolled release of asbestos. I also believe the low level of concern expressed by state personnel during the investigation of improper asbestos abatement activities conducted during the spring of 1995 re-enforced the belief that the asbestos hazard has been overblown.

Another noteworthy observation is that ACM is present in a number of high traffic areas where accidental damage or vandalism could easily occur. I am not talking about floor tiles but instead asbestos pipe insulation. The concrete or grouted joint insulation is usually fairly durable but the paper type insulation is fairly fragile.

I have found this type of material on exposed pipe runs located in locker rooms, offices, restrooms and workshops. In one workshop, I found that students and staff had severely damaged the pipe insulation by placing wood and other materials on the pipes to create storage shelves.

This modified storage arrangement most likely resulted in the release of some asbestos into this area. A phased removal and replacement of these materials appears to be the wisest approach for eliminating the hazard created by pipe insulation in high traffic areas.

I have noted that even with renewed interest in asbestos management much of the ACM within the local schools has not been identified and labeled as required by AHERA.

Due to the amount of computer cable installation and renovation occurring in the schools, there is a major concern that these activities could easily result in the release of asbestos if the workers are uncertain of where the ACM is or what is ACM. This may pose a greater health risk to the individual workers, but it also represents a significant regulatory and civil liability for the school department as well.

Courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency