The Nation : Asbestos Accord Reached

Congressional negotiators agreed on legislation ordering the safe but costly removal of cancer-causing asbestos from up to 30,000 public schools. Within hours, the House endorsed the legislation, a compromise version of separate plans passed by the House and Senate. Sen. Robert T. Stafford (R-Vt.), chairman of the Environment Committee, predicted easy Senate approval within a week. The Environmental Protection Agency issued a statement supporting the bill’s goals but listing its reservations about its “many regulatory requirements.” The EPA said it would decide in the next few days whether to recommend a veto to President Reagan.