EPA Grants New England Schools $631K for Asbestos Control

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it awarded a total of $631,000 this year to five New England state agencies to ensure schools properly manage asbestos-containing materials. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island each received between $100,000 and $166,000 from the government agency, depending on the amount of initiatives they are committed to in accordance with the EPA’s Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). AHERA requires public school districts and nonprofit private schools to inspect their schools for asbestos-containing materials and prepare management plans to reduce asbestos hazards. The EPA requires schools to have a designated person assigned to handle asbestos issues. Schools must update asbestos management plans every three years and notify parents when a new plan is filed. The annual EPA funding helps establish and carry out these plans, including potential asbestos abatement projects. The grant also helps states maintain an asbestos accreditation and certification training program. Vermont, which only performs the inspection portion of the program, received $16,000 from the EPA. Exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health conditions such as asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer. Asbestos Prevalent in New England Schools Asbestos-containing building materials remain prevalent in schools built before the 1980s. The EPA estimates there are asbestos-containing materials in most of the nation’s primary,...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: AHERA asbestos abatement Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act asbestos in schools Bridgette Hoskie Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Connecticut Department of Public Health Dunn Environmental Group EFI Global Emily Figdor en Source Type: news