Department Awards Grants, Loans For Abestos Projects
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided $45 million in loans and grants to 327 public and private schools to fund projects aimed at removing asbestos. Since 1985, the EPA has allocated a total of $201.8 million to over 1,500 schools under the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act. The schools that received this financial aid were determined by the EPA to have the most severe asbestos problems nationwide and had to be in the bottom 70 percent of financially struggling districts.
This year, a total of 2,383 schools applied for the funding, which will be distributed between public and private schools at a ratio of approximately 9 to 1. The states that will receive the highest amount of funding overall are Illinois, with $9.2 million, and Indiana, with $4.3 million. However, critics argue that the program has been consistently underfunded since its establishment. The EPA has never actively sought financial support for school asbestos abatement projects, asserting that it should be the responsibility of the state and local authorities. Nevertheless, Congress has approved yearly appropriations of over $40 million for this effort since 1985.
Two years ago, an internal audit conducted by the EPA revealed that almost one-ninth of the funds distributed in 1985 and 1986 were allocated to projects that were considered less critical. As a result, the agency started awarding funding exclusively to schools facing the most severe asbestos issues. Additionally, Representative James J. Florio, a Democrat from New Jersey and one of the primary supporters of the 1986 legislation, has introduced a bill that aims to amend the current law.
This proposed measure would require asbestos consultants to provide evidence of financial responsibility for any liabilities arising from their work. It would also prohibit companies involved in air monitoring after an asbestos removal project from having a financial interest in any firm involved in planning or executing such activities. The bill strengthens the qualifications required for individuals seeking to become asbestos consultants and instructs the EPA to develop a plan for monitoring potential health and safety violations by conducting random on-site inspections of schools during asbestos-related activities. Furthermore, the bill extends most of the regulations applicable to schools, such as mandatory inspections and the development of management plans, to both public and commercial buildings.
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, the Superintendent of Schools, Constance E. Clayton, has proposed the creation of a federal "superfund" to finance asbestos-related activities. During a press conference to announce her district’s compliance with the federal asbestos law, which mandates that all schools submit management plans to state authorities by this week, Ms. Clayton stated that without federal support, they would face a significant financial crisis. The district has already invested $53 million in asbestos abatement and removal since 1984, and it may need to allocate an additional $40 million by 1995.
