Asbestos

Asbestos is a mineral found in rock formations. When mined and processed, it takes the form of very small fibers that are invisible. A typical asbestos fiber is 1,200 times smaller than a hair strand. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2004, these fibers, mixed with binding materials are then used in asbestos-containing building materials that include fireproofing material (sprayed on beams), insulation material (on pipes), acoustical or soundproofing material (sprayed onto ceilings and walls), and in miscellaneous building materials, such as asphalt, vinyl, and cement to make products like roofing felts, shingles, siding, wallboard, and floor tiles. The fibers, if released from the product in some manner, remain in the air and can be inhaled. Asbestos is categorized as either friable or nonfriable. Friable asbestos can be crumbled or broken by hand pressure and is of the most concern because these fibers can be released into the air more readily and inhaled into the lungs. Nonfriable asbestos is less invasive but requires monitoring for deterioration and change to a friable state.

The peak of asbestos use in schools was from the mid-1940s through the 1970s. The EPA estimated in 2004 that nearly all elementary and secondary schools in the United States have asbestos-containing insulation and building materials. The percentage of asbestos in any one material varies, and few precise estimates can be made about the amount of asbestos due to lack of standards in labeling during peak years of use in schools.

Asbestos, left undisturbed, does not pose a major health risk. But as schools have aged and been subjected to renovation and deterioration, concerns grew, and in 1987, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), Title 20, Chapter 52, Section 4011, was enacted. It required the EPA to develop regulations to address asbestos issues in public and private schools. School districts were made responsible for (a) conducting periodic inspection for both friable and nonfriable asbestos, (b) establishing plans for asbestos management, and (c) creating a framework to provide information about the status of asbestos in the district to parents, teachers, and citizens. The EPA has an asbestos-inschools assistance program and creates multiple publications to help districts understand the potential harm, and possible actions have been created and are updated as new information emerges.