DALLAS (Legal Newsline) – In honor of Children’s Health Month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Texas Department of State Health Services a $124,741 grant to help reduce asbestos exposure in schools.
The EPA announced the grant on Oct. 16.
It said the money will go toward compliance monitoring and assistance, public outreach, inspections, enforcement actions and ensuring workers are properly trained and accredited in removing asbestos.
Because federal regulations require both public and private schools to protect students and employees from asbestos exposure, the schools must inspect their buildings for asbestos-containing material, prepare management plans and address the hazards by preventing exposure or removing the products.
“[D]uring this time of year, we make a special effort to reach out to the community to raise awareness about the unique vulnerability of kids,” the EPA stated. “Children are different from adults in how they interact with their environment and how their health may be affected by these interactions. These differences make them particularly susceptible to environmental hazards.”
From Legal Newsline: Reach Heather Isringhausen Gvillo at asbestos@legalnewsline.com