Search Frequent Questions

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• Is it possible to complete in-house training for purposes of Asbestos Model Accreditation Plan (MAP) accreditation?

  Yes, as long as the training entity has approval for each of its accredited courses from either EPA or a state program at least as stringent as the MAP. These training programs, however, are subject to audit by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and/or the state in the same way…

  • Last published: May 30, 2024

• Read frequent questions on lead in drinking water

  Read frequent questions on lead in drinking water . Find a printable PDF copy of all frequent questions pertaining to lead .

  • Last published: November 4, 2024

• What are the public education requirements for non-transient, non-community water systems (NTNCWSs) that have exceeded the lead action level?

  Answer: When there is a lead action level exceedance, non-transient, non-community water systems (NTNCWSs) must post informational posters on lead in drinking water in public places or common areas in buildings they serve. NTNCWSs must also distribute informational pamphlets and/or brochures on lead in drinking water to each person they…

  • Last published: November 5, 2024

• How can lead get into my drinking water?

  Answer: Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. In homes with lead pipes that…

  • Last published: November 5, 2024

• Does boiling water remove lead?

  Answer: No, boiling water does not remove lead. Question (23002-32378) Find a printable PDF copy of all frequent questions pertaining to lead .

  • Last published: November 5, 2024

• Under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), are five transmission electron microscopy (TEM) outside air samples required to be collected with the five inside and the two blanks if the inside samples and blanks are below 70 structures/mm2?

  The five outdoor samples must be collected in addition to the five indoor samples, the two field blanks, and the one sealed blank for a total of thirteen air samples. (40 CFR part 763.90(i)(3)) If the five inside samples are below 70 structures/mm2 and the volume of air used for…

  • Last published: March 15, 2024

• Does the Asbestos Model Accreditation Plan (MAP) require that a written design plan be prepared by an accredited project designer before a covered response action begins inside a school or public and commercial building?

  No, the MAP does not explicitly mandate written design plans for covered response actions in a school or public and commercial building. However, EPA strongly recommends preparation of a written design plan before undertaking a response action. Other Frequent Questions about Asbestos Learn About Asbestos Asbestos and School Buildings Information…

  • Last published: March 15, 2024

• Are churches or sanctuaries that are under the local education agency's (LEA's) authority, which are attended by students for religious worship purposes during normal school hours, required to be inspected?

  If the church is not used for school instruction (e.g., math, spelling, etc.) purposes, no. However, when the church is under the authority of an local education agency (LEA) and is used for school instruction it must be inspected and included in the management plan. (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act…

  • Last published: March 15, 2024

• Are there criteria under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) for doing aggressive asbestos air monitoring?

  Yes. Unit III.B.7.d. of Appendix A to 40 CFR part 763, subpart E provides criteria for aggressive air monitoring. Other Frequent Questions about Asbestos Learn About Asbestos Asbestos and School Buildings Information for Owners and Managers of Buildings that Contain Asbestos Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos Asbestos Contaminated…

  • Last published: March 15, 2024

• A school uses a single room in a non-school building on a regular basis as a classroom for elementary and secondary education purposes during regular school hours. Is the room covered by the asbestos-containing materials in schools rule?

  The single room used by the school on a regular basis as a classroom is covered by asbestos-containing materials in schools rule (40 CFR part 763, subpart E), in addition to the hallways and bathrooms used by the school children. However, the rest of the building is not covered. Other…

  • Last published: March 21, 2024

• A school building burns down. A local education agency (LEA) wants to use a local community center under the authority of an LEA for 6 months due to the emergency. Does this temporary school building have to be inspected?

  Yes. 40 CFR part 763.85(a)(2) of the asbestos in schools rule states that, “[i]n the event that emergency use of an uninspected building as a school building is necessitated, such buildings shall be inspected within 30 days after commencement of such use.” Other Frequent Questions about Asbestos Learn About Asbestos…

  • Last published: March 21, 2024

• I work for a commercial lab and have questions on how to report the results of asbestos analysis for a local education agency (LEA). Who should I talk to?

  You can contact the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) National Voluntary Lab Accreditation Program (NVLAP) at (301) 975-4016 or at [email protected] . Other Frequent Questions about Asbestos Learn About Asbestos Asbestos and School Buildings Information for Owners and Managers of Buildings that Contain Asbestos Protect Your Family from…

  • Last published: April 4, 2024

• If vermiculite insulation bulk samples analyzed by standard polarized-light microscopy (PLM) analysis is found to be less than 1% asbestos is it still considered an asbestos-containing material under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)?

  Vermiculite insulation containing less than 1 percent asbestos does not qualify as asbestos containing material (ACM) under AHERA and the asbestos-containing materials in schools rule. If standard PLM analysis, ensuring that bulk samples comply with sampling requirements as laid out in 40 CFR part 763.86 and that subsequent analysis of…

  • Last published: April 4, 2024

• If my school does not have any known or assumed asbestos containing building materials (ACBM), do I need to reinspect?

  No. Only schools that contain friable and non-friable known or assumed ACBM must be reinspected once every 3 years. Other Frequent Questions about Asbestos Learn About Asbestos Asbestos and School Buildings Information for Owners and Managers of Buildings that Contain Asbestos Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos Asbestos Contaminated…

  • Last published: April 4, 2024

• What should a school do if it finds thermal system insulation (TSI) in a ceiling space, pursuant to the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)?

  If the space in which the TSI is discovered has never been inspected in accordance with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) inspection requirements, then such an inspection must be undertaken and should focus on all such previously unexpected space above a drop ceiling in which TSI is present…

  • Last published: April 22, 2024