Risky Asbestos in 20% of Buildings, EPA Estimates

One in every five public and commercial buildings contains some potentially dangerous asbestos, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated Monday in a new report mandated by Congress.

But the agency rejected calls to extend large-scale inspections and clean-up efforts beyond the schools. “Don’t panic. There’s nothing to suggest. . . there are terrible conditions that exist out there,” John A. Moore, EPA assistant administrator, said.

Critics, however, blasted the EPA’s assessment as a tame response to a widespread problem.

The agency was ordered to report on whether the asbestos problem in public and commercial buildings warrants the same extensive response that has been put in place for school buildings through a $3-billion program.

The answer, EPA officials suggested Monday, is no.

Emphasis on Schools

“We need to continue to place our primary focus on asbestos in schools,” EPA Administrator Lee M. Thomas wrote in the report. “It would be foolish for the country to consider a large new program of asbestos control” elsewhere without extensive study first, he said.

Using figures from a 1984 building survey, the EPA estimated that 733,000 public and commercial buildings, or 20% of the 3.6 million facilities studied nationwide, contain some “friable” asbestos. That means that the asbestos, a known carcinogen once commonly used as insulation, can readily crumble under pressure, making it likely to release hazardous fibers.

Past surveys have indicated that a third of all public schools contained asbestos.

Beyond the percentage of buildings affected, Moore suggested that the schools demand a greater response to the problem than other facilities because of students’ longer life expectancies and their “rough play,” which could jar asbestos fibers free.

He also pointed to the prohibitive cost--an estimated $51 billion--of putting in place asbestos inspection and clean-up programs for buildings nationwide.

Agency’s Recommendations

Instead, the EPA recommended, for now, that Congress:

--Step up the technical training of inspectors and asbestos-abatement professionals, at a cost of $6 million over three years.

--Spend $1.8 million to devote special attention to thermal-system insulation asbestos.

--Step up enforcement of present regulations.

--Study the effectiveness of the asbestos-control programs now in force in the schools before considering extending them to other buildings.

The EPA’s report did not address the question of asbestos in private homes.

Congressional staff members who have worked on the asbestos issue and expect further legislation this session said that they were still sorting through the report Monday, but Rep. James J. Florio (D-N.J.), an active participant in past discussions, took little time in denouncing the EPA for “sweeping this alarming problem under the rug.”

Bill Borwegen of the 850,000-member Service Employees Union, also was troubled by the report. He said that workers are worried about exposure to asbestos and they want, at the very least, regulations that would require building owners and managers to test for asbestos hazards and notify employees of the results.