EPA ASBESTOS IN SCHOOLS RULE
All schools in the nation, public or private, with students from grades K – 12, are subject to the Asbestos in Schools Rule, known as AHERA, which became Federal Law on October 30th, 1987. http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/aherafaq.html The rule requires schools to identify asbestos that is present in their buildings, develop a Management Plan to manage the asbestos, and reinspect those materials every three years. These three activities are not the only requirements of the rule, but are the most important requirements, and are known as the "Big Three."
The Schools Rule "Big Three"
1. Initial Inspection - All schools covered under the rule are required to have an initial AHERA inspection conducted by an accredited inspector to determine the location and condition of any asbestos in the school building before students can occupy the building. This applies to ALL school buildings with students K – 12, constructed or acquired both prior to, and following the 1987 AHERA regulation.
2. Management Plan - Should Asbestos be present, a response action and maintenance plan must be designed by an accredited planner and developed into a formal Management Plan. That plan becomes a working document that will identify areas where Asbestos is being managed, detail the procedures required to safely manage those areas, and assure warning before renovations or maintenance activities are performed that would disturb the Asbestos.
3. Three Year Reinspection - Every three years, all schools must hire a currently Accredited Asbestos Inspector to reinspect the facility and review the previous inspections and Management Plan. This will assure that any new schools, acquisitions of space, or physical changes due to renovation or construction are in full compliance with the regulation. This reinspection must be submitted to the appropriate State & Federal agencies.
For a complete understanding and review of the AHERA regulation please visit these official EPA Internet site:
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/asbestos/pubs/asbestos_in_schools.html
Initial AHERA compliance due date was 10/30/89, with required reinspection years 92, 95, 98, 01, 04, 07…
2007 is a “3-year Asbestos Reinspection Period” for AHERA Compliance. Inspections must be performed prior to 10/30/07
Note: The AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act) regulation requires that ALL school buildings, including those that came into service since the1987, as well as those that were found to be “free of asbestos containing materials” in some earlier inspection, be reinspected or reviewed to assure their ongoing compliance with the regulation. ACBM’s (Asbestos Containing Building Materials) remain present in many products available today, and it is both prudent and required by AHERA regulation, that every LEA (Lead Educational Authority) be aware of any such materials that may have been used in the construction of, or ongoing maintenance of their facilities. To comply with the regulation, this 3 year reinspection must be performed by a Certified Asbestos Inspector, and the required documentation submitted to the State DOE, and the Federal EPA prior to 10/30/07.
Please allow me to introduce myself… my name is Jack Schafer, and Asbestos Associates is my company. I am a Professional Engineer and an Accredited Asbestos Inspector, and my company was founded in 1985 and has performed Asbestos Inspections and developed Management Plans exclusively in Georgia Private Schools since that time.
2007 marks the 20th year anniversary of AHERA, and perhaps the most significant year yet, as both the Georgia Dept of Education and the EPA gear up to review the thousands of reports that they will receive, and note those that fail to report as required.
The AHERA Regulation requires that the 3-year reinspection be performed by a “Certified Inspector”. Most schools with no known ACBM or facilities that have a well documented “Asbestos Management Plan” in place, and are up-to-date in reporting, will require simply a review of the facility and filing reports with the required agencies. Facilities that have more critical asbestos issues, and those that have not remained in compliance with the Federal AHERA Regulation would obviously require more time and involvement. Unfortunately, many schools have let their Asbestos Management & AHERA Reporting Requirements fall behind, and our work over the past years has been addressing non-compliance issues following EPA Field Inspections… Ignoring the regulation will NOT make it go away, and could involve considerably more time and resources,
October 30th is fast approaching, and this 3 year reinspection needs to be completed and filed with the Ga. DOE and the Federal EPA prior to that date. Unfortunately, there are considerably more school buildings than there are Certified Asbestos Inspectors, so please do not delay. Contact my office at 770-475-4100, or complete the Information Request Form, and we will contact you as soon as possible to further discuss your requirements.
Kind Regards,
Jack Schafer, PE
Owner & Chief AHERA Inspector