ABOUT THIS COURSE
The EPA requires schools to appoint an asbestos management coordinator, called the "AHERA designated person" to be responsible for a number of asbestos-related activities, including the implementation of the plan for managing asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM) in the school buildings and compliance with the federal asbestos regulations.
Even though the AHERA requirements have been in place for some time, EPA inspectors have encountered misunderstanding and confusion on how to implement the requirements, as well as how to best manage asbestos in school buildings. We have designed this training course to help the designated person understand his or her responsibilities and comply with the federal asbestos requirements. This course is recommended for persons recently appointed to the position of AHERA Designated Person, as well as persons who have held the position for some time.
Background
On October 22, 1986, Congress promulgated the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), Public Law 99-519. AHERA mandated that the EPA develop regulations to respond to asbestos in schools. On October 30, 1987, the EPA promulgated the Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools Rule (hereinafter referred to as the AHERA Rule), 40 CFR Part 763, Subpart E. This rule requires that all of the nation's nonprofit elementary and secondary schools, both public and private, inspect their school buildings for asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM), develop a plan to manage the asbestos for each school building, notify parents and staff regarding management plan availability, provide asbestos awareness training to school maintenance and custodial workers, and other requirements.
The governing authority responsible for AHERA compliance is the Local Education Agency (LEA). "Local Education Agency" means either any local educational agency as defined in Section 198 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (often called school district), the owner of any private, non-profit elementary or secondary school building, or the governing authority of any school operated under the Department of the Defence's education system.
In July 1991, the EPA released the results of an evaluation of AHERA implementation. The results showed that certain elements of school asbestos programs were not being effectively implemented.
Over the past decade, EPA staff have observed that the quality of school asbestos programs depends heavily on the dedication and work of the AHERA Designated Person (DP). Schools without a competent DP tend to have more AHERA violations. Schools with DPs who know the AHERA requirements can effectively prevent the release of asbestos fibers through their own actions, as well as their ability to hire and oversee the work of personnel conducting asbestos-related activities at their school buildings.
AHERA Designated Person Required Training
AHERA requires that the DP be adequately trained to carry out his or her responsibilities. Due to the differing needs of school districts based on the size of the district and the amount and condition of the ACBM, AHERA does not list a specific training course or specific number of hours of training for the DP. Further, AHERA does not require the DP to be accredited. Specifically, the regulations note the training must include the following topics:
health effects of asbestos
detection, identification and assessment of asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM)
options for controlling asbestos-containing building materials
asbestos management programs.
relevant Federal and State regulations concerning asbestos, including AHERA and its implementing regulations and the regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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