Bernard Josefsberg, the School Superintendent at the Anna C. Scott school in Leonia, New Jersey, was severely admonished by parents of his students after he failed to inform them of an upcoming asbestos removal project. The asbestos removal, which took place around the middle of last month, was conducted over a weekend. Students returned to class as normal on the following Monday, which apparently alarmed parents after they learned of the asbestos abatement project.
Parents sent angry e-mails to the Board of Education, some saying that the school was intentionally covering up health risks and keeping parents in the dark. Many parents who reacted strongly to the unannounced asbestos project did not attend the meetings Josefsberg called to address the issue, whose purposes were primarily to apologize for a lack of communication. Josefsberg, who admitted openly to failing to communicate effectively, maintained that the project was conducted according to state and federal regulations and that the students were not subjected to any health risks. The air in the school, he said, was tested for asbestos particles before the children were allowed to return to school on the Monday following the project.
The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, or AHERA, which is a provision of the Toxic Substances Control Act passed in 1986 outlines the EPA’s regulations concerning asbestos abatement projects in U.S. schools. The act requires that schools undergo periodic asbestos testing, develop a plan to address asbestos removal, and notify parents, teachers and employees of developments within that plan on an annual basis. The act also requires maintenance staff to undergo asbestos awareness training and mandates that only properly licensed contractors can remove asbestos from school buildings.
Asbestos exposure has been conclusively linked to a wide variety of serious and even fatal illnesses such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, which is why Josefsberg became the target of such venomous criticism. According to Scott Higgins, an ABS Environmental spokesperson who supported Josefsberg in the meetings called with the school children’s parents, the project was completed according to state and federal protocol and posed no health risks to either the children, the staff or anyone else.
To ease the parents concerns, however, a construction safety committee has been formed from school staff whose responsibilities will include keeping families informed of upcoming construction or renovation projects at the school. Additionally, the remainder of the asbestos abatement will not be performed until summer vacation.