Asbestos in Schools

Starting in the early 1980s, the EPA began investigating asbestos in schools and assessing the risk it posed to students and teachers. As the consequences of exposure became increasingly clear, the EPA enacted a series of rules and regulations to prevent harmful exposures and minimize health risks when abatement was necessary.

1980- EPA Estimated Asbestos Risks in Schools
An EPA risk study revealed more than 8,500 schools contain friable asbestos, a form that can easily crumble and shed airborne fibers. The EPA determined more than 3 million students and 250,000 teachers and school workers were at risk for harmful exposures.

1982- Asbestos-in-Schools Rule Enacted
The EPA issued the Asbestos-in-Schools rule, requiring schools to inspect for asbestos materials, document there locations and make this information readily available to teachers, parents and school workers. Schools also had to provide custodial workers an EPA guide on reducing asbestos exposure.

1984- The Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act (ASHAA)
ASHAA provided grants and interest-free loans to public and private schools that lacked the necessary funding for emergency asbestos removal actions. Congress appropriated $382 million for ASHAA from 1984 to 1993, but supplied no additional funds after 1993.

1986- The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)
Congress passed AHERA, requiring schools to develop an official plan outlining the location of asbestos materials and how they will be managed. AHERA gave the EPA authority to issue fines and civil suits against school systems and administrators that fail to follow federal asbestos laws during any activities related to asbestos.

1990- The Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Reauthorization Act (ASHARA)
ASHARA helped schools ensure they have the necessary expertise, technical assistance and financial resources to identify asbestos and remove it when necessary. The act required anyone involved with asbestos activities in commercial buildings, schools and other public buildings to be trained and accredited for asbestos work.