Rules Proposed to Get Asbestos Out of Schools

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed regulations Wednesday directing elementary and secondary schools to start disposing of asbestos by mid-1989 in what is expected to be a $3.2-billion program.

But the plan, the most costly environmental requirement proposed for local school districts, provides almost no federal assistance, prompting financial worries among representatives of the nation’s 108,000 schools.

“There is an asbestos problem, and we need to provide a safe environment for schoolchildren across America,” said Claudia Mansfield, government relations specialist for the American Assn. of School Administrators. “But we also need the money to do that. There is absolutely no local money to comply with the regulations.”

Subject to Public Review

The regulations, subject to a 60-day public review period, were mandated by Congress last year to rid the nation’s schools of asbestos, which causes lung cancer and other lung diseases.

Sprayed onto ceilings and wrapped around hot-water pipes, boilers and air conditioners for insulation and fireproofing, asbestos was used in school construction from the 1940s until it was banned in the early 1970s. In 1984, the EPA estimated that asbestos was present in 45,000 schools.

The EPA plan would require all public, private and parochial schools to hire licensed inspectors to search their buildings for asbestos. Local school districts would have to submit remedial plans to their states by Oct. 12, 1988.

By July 9, 1989, the districts would have to start implementing the plans, choosing a strategy appropriate for each school. Construction materials that have “severe and extensive” damage and are releasing asbestos fibers would have to be isolated and material removed as soon as possible, the regulations say.

Less-seriously damaged materials could be covered by latex paint to seal in the fibers.

Inspection Required

The regulations would permit undamaged asbestos to remain in place but require school districts to inspect such materials every six months for safety.