Asbestos Inspections Not Up to Par at Many Schools, E.P.A. Says

By Ellen Flax

WASHINGTON--More than one-third of all schools that have complied with the federal asbestos law conducted "deficient" or "seriously deficient" inspections for the cancer-causing fiber, a major review of the program by the Environmental Protection Agency concludes.

The report, released amid growing concerns over the efficacy of the school asbestos program and a year before the deadline for schools to conduct re-inspections, also found that many schools have management plans that are difficult to use and that most school custodians do not receive the training they need to protect themselves.

On the positive side, the report found that 90 percent of all asbestos containing material in schools was properly identified. It also found that only 1 in 10 "response actions" outlined in the mandatory management...