Asbestos in Schools
Concern about asbestos in schools and the adverse effects it may have on children has gone on for decades. The greatest threat for children occurred during the early and mid 20th century, when asbestos that is friable—or easily crumbled into dust—was commonly used in construction.
Because of the latency of asbestos-related diseases, many people exposed to asbestos did not develop health issues until 10, 20, 40, and sometimes even 60 years after exposure. In fact, it is likely that many people died before asbestos diseases had a chance to develop. However, because children were exposed so young, they can live long enough for an asbestos-related disease to develop.
Legislation to control asbestos in schools
The Asbestos in Schools Identification and Notification Act of 1982 (also known as the Asbestos in Schools Act of 1982) required that schools do the following:
- Inspect for friable asbestos-containing material (ACM)
- Analyze materials for asbestos content
- Alert parents or employees if asbestos was found
- Maintain appropriate records
However, a 1984 survey by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discovered that an estimated 34,800 schools had friable ACM, which meant potential exposure for 15 million students and 1.4 million school employees. The inspection required under the Asbestos School Act revealed the extent of asbestos in schools, but it failed to resolve the asbestos problem. Schools did not know the proper actions to take nor did they receive guidelines for taking effective action to deal with the asbestos.
Stronger legislation—The Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act
To more effectively address asbestos dangers for children, in 1986 Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). In addition to inspection for asbestos, AHERA requires that certain response actions occur. Under AHERA, schools are responsible for the following:
- Inspections
- Abatement (when necessary)
- Maintenance programs
- Periodic surveillance of asbestos
- Transport and removal
- School management plans (for asbestos)
AHERA set deadlines for conducting inspections, implementing operations and maintenance plans for friable ACM, developing management plans and submitting to governors, and implementing management plans. The legislation affects public, private, and religious educational facilities.