Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act

Operating under contract to EPA, the TCSA Hotline provides technical assistance and information about programs under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), including the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act (ASHAA), the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), and the Lead Exposure Reduction Act. Hours 8 30 a.m. - 5 00 p.m. EST weekdays. 

By 1979, the production of PCBs had been phased out because of the strict regulations of the TSCA. Only totally enclosed products that include PCBs are exempted. Also, a threshold of 50 parts per million (ppm) was established by the USEPA, as concentrations under that level do not cause unreasonable risk. Since the inception of these regulations, high levels of PCB concentrations have dropped from 12% of the American population in 1979 to nearly 0% in the late 1980s (Rosenbaum, 1995). In addition to PCBs, the TSCA has also been used to help reduce the unreasonable risk of asbestos in the environment. In 1986, the TSCA was amended to include the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. The primary function of this act was to remove asbestos from the nation s schools, and it was passed in response to studies that found asbestos to be an airborne carcinogen. In 1989, the USEPA issued regulations that would phase out all uses of asbestos in commercial products by 1997. 

Interim Final Enforcement Response Policy for the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (Jan. 31,1989). 

ERA, Office of Compliance Monitoring, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Interim Final Enforcement Response Policy for the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (Jan. 31, 1989) AHERA ERP 1-31-89 as amended by Memorandum from Jesse Baskerville, Director, Toxics and Pesticides Enforcement Division, Office of Regulatory Enforcement, EPA, Revision of the AHERA Enforcement Response Policy Civil Penalties for Failure to Conduct Reinspections (Aug. 4, 1998) AHERA ERP Amend 8-4-89... 

Chapter 16 Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act Resources... 

In addition. Section 211 of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act provides employee protection from discrimination by school officials in retaliation for complaints about asbestos hazards in primary and secondary schools. 

Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986 (Title II of TSCA)—U.S. Federal legislation requiring all schools to determine the location and condition of asbestos containing material, and setting up procedures for issuing credentials to those who disturb asbestos for testing or removal. 

The Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act (SHAA) of 1984 was passed to encourage the removal of asbestos from schools. In 1986, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act was passed to correct in deficiencies in the previous Act. The final rule, issued in 1987, required local education agencies... 

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