The Washington Post – Lyndsey Layton
“Asbestos was heavily used in schools built between the 1940s and the late 1970s, when the federal government banned its use in new construction. Asbestos is not considered a health risk when it is stable and undisturbed. But if asbestos deteriorates and its microscopic fibers become airborne, it can increase the risks of lung cancer, mesothelioma and other lung disease. The Environmental Protection Agency estimated in 1984 that 15 million students and 1.4 million teachers and school personnel were at risk of exposure to airborne asbestos, based on a sampling of 2,600 public and private schools.”(more)