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Asbestos in Products and Buildings and How to Manage It
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber, once widely used in building materials and products for its thermal insulating properties and fire resistance. Intact, undisturbed asbestos-containing materials generally do not pose a health risk. These materials may become hazardous and pose increased risk if they are damaged, are disturbed in some manner, or deteriorate over time and release asbestos fibers into building air.
A number of building materials and products still in use today contain asbestos. Asbestos remains in use as an acoustic insulator, and in thermal insulation, fire proofing, roofing, flooring and other materials. You can find a more complete list of past uses of asbestos.
This Web page contains links to information to help you manage asbestos:
EPA Publications on Managing Asbestos
Non-EPA Asbestos Publications
Sources of Additional Information
EPA Publications on Managing Asbestos
Publications on Dealing with Asbestos in Products
Publications on Dealing with Asbestos in Buildings
Publications on Dealing with Asbestos in Schools
Publications on Dealing with Asbestos in Products
Document Title |
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TSCA Hotline |
Asbestos Ombudsman |
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| Protect Your Family from Asbestos-Contaminated Vermiculite (June 2009) (HTML) | |||
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Current Best Practices for Vermiculite Attic Insulation (May 2003) |
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Publications on Dealing with Asbestos in Buildings
Document Title |
Available On-line |
TSCA Hotline |
Asbestos Ombudsman |
Managing Asbestos in Place: A Building Owner's Guide to Operations and Maintenance Programs ("Green Book") (December 2009) |
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Guidance for Controlling Asbestos Containing Material in Buildings ("Purple Book") (June 1985) |
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Asbestos in Buildings: Guidance for Service and Maintenance Personnel ("Custodial Brochure") (July 1985) |
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Fact Sheet/Press Release--EPA Releases Asbestos-in-Public-Buildings Study and Recommendations to Congress: Extent and condition of asbestos containing materials in public and commercial buildings (February 1988) |
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Publications on Dealing with Asbestos in Schools
Document Title |
Available On-line |
TSCA Hotline |
Asbestos Ombudsman |
The ABCs of Asbestos in Schools (August 2003) |
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El ABC del Asbesto en las escuelas (September 2004) |
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Environmental Hazards in Your School: A Resource Handbook (October 1990) |
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Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-519) |
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100 Commonly Asked Questions about the New AHERA Asbestos-in-Schools Rule: Collection of questions on the AHERA rule (May 1988) |
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Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Reauthorization Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-637) |
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A Guide to Performing Re- inspections under AHERA (February 1992) |
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How to Manage Asbestos in School Buildings; AHERA Designated Person's Self-study Guide - EPA 910-B-96-001 (January 1996) |
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Asbestos-in-Schools--A Guide to New Federal Requirements for Local Education Agencies: Guidance for Planning and Inspections (February 1988) |
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Asbestos in Schools--Evaluation of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)--A Summary Report [EPA/560/4-91-012] (June 1991), and Fact Sheet (July 1991) |
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Read more about asbestos in schools on EPA’s website.
Non-EPA Asbestos Publications
The following organizations publish asbestos guidance, standards and testing methods. These publications are available for a fee to the general public. Consult with the individual organization for the exact cost.
- National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) - Asbestos Control Publications
- Association for Standards and Testing Methods - Choose a topic from the "Select Search" box and enter "Asbestos" in the search box. - ASTM
Other Sources of Information
TSCA Hotline
E-mail Address: tsca-hotline@epa.gov
Hours of Service: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST) M - F
Telephone: 202-554-1404
TDD: 202-554-0551
Fax: 202-554-5603 (Fax available 24 hours a day)
Asbestos Ombudsman
Hours of Service: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST) M - F
Telephone: 800-368-5888 (available 24 hours a day)