Summary: Before the health risks were recognized, thousands of buildings were constructed with materials containing asbestos. The full extent of the problem in federal buildings is unknown because no single agency has assumed responsibility for collecting information on this situation. Furthermore, the agencies GAO reviewed lack complete and accurate inventories of the buildings containing asbestos. The most comprehensive data available, dating from a 1984 EPA survey, suggest that nearly 40 percent of federal buildings contain asbestos that is loose to the touch. GAO discovered asbestos materials at all 14 federal worksites it visited; at 11 of these sites some of the materials were damaged or were deteriorating. The worksites visited were not fully implementing Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements and the Environmental Protection Agency's recommendations for managing asbestos. Of the five agencies reviewed, only the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Forest Service had issued policies informing worksite managers about how to manage asbestos. In addition, only GSA routinely monitored the effectiveness of the asbestos programs at the worksites. Officials responsible for asbestos management at these agencies were either unaware of OSHA's asbestos requirements or believed that the requirements applied only under limited circumstances, such as when asbestos might be disturbed during renovations or repairs.
