Asbestos environment

Asbestos is the name given to a number of naturally occurring, fibrous
silicate minerals mined for their useful properties such as thermal
insulation, chemical and thermal stability, and high tensile strength.
Asbestos is commonly used as an acoustic insulator, and in thermal
insulation, fire proofing and other building materials. Many products in
use today contain asbestos.

Asbestos is made up of microscopic bundles of fibers that may become
airborne when asbestos- containing materials are damaged or disturbed.
When these fibers get into the air they may be inhaled into the lungs,
where they can cause significant health problems.

This page provides access to information about asbestos. On this Web
site, you may access general information about asbestos and its health
effects. You may also read about what to do if you suspect asbestos in
products, in your home or in your school (en español- asbesto en las
escuelas).

If you wish to obtain more information on asbestos, EPA maintains a
listing of asbestos resources available to the public. If you would like
to locate an asbestos contact, EPA maintains a listing of federal and
state asbestos contacts.

The National Directory of AHERA Accredited Courses (NDAAC) contains
information about training providers and approved courses nationwide and
is meant to serve as a comprehensive reference and resource document. It
should be useful for those training providers who offer accredited
asbestos courses and to all consumers of these training services. It is
also intended for use by federal and state agencies involved in the
training and accreditation of asbestos control professionals under the
federal law, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA).

EPA maintains a listing of the laws and regulations applicable to
asbestos. A 1989 regulation to ban most asbestos-containing products was
later overturned in court.