Summary: Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the training and accreditation of asbestos inspection and abatement personnel, focusing on the: (1) status of state accreditation programs; and (2) adequacy of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Model Accreditation Plan.
GAO found that: (1) although legislation required states to establish an accreditation program by 1989, only 31 states had an accreditation program for all five asbestos disciplines; (2) although EPA reviews and approval of state programs were not mandatory, 18 states have voluntarily obtained EPA approval of their programs; (3) mandatory EPA approval of all state programs for all five disciplines would help to ensure that the accreditation programs complied with EPA model plan minimum requirements; (4) there were a number of problems with school asbestos inspections, management plans, and abatement efforts, which state and local officials believed were linked to asbestos personnel's limited education and experience; and (5) the EPA model plan included no education or experience requirements.
