Most Schools File Asbestos Cleanup Plans

WASHINGTON — About 94% of the nation’s school officials report that they have submitted government-required plans for dealing with cancer-causing asbestos in school buildings, the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday.

But the EPA said it had no information on how many of the schools have begun work to remedy their asbestos problems, although a federal law required such work to have begun by last July.

The statistics represented both public and private schools.

EPA spokesman Sean McElheny said that, as of late September, only 3,094 of 50,544 school entities had not submitted the required asbestos management plans to state agencies.

“We are greatly pleased with the high rate of compliance,” EPA Assistant Administrator Linda Fisher said. “Our nation’s schools are serious about tackling the asbestos problem.”

It was unclear from the EPA statistics how many school buildings were represented by the reporting requirements. McElheny said in some cases states reported actions by individual schools, while in other it was by district.