The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) was enacted by Congress to determine the extent of, and develop solutions for, problems with schools that may have been constructed with asbestos.

In 1988, the Olathe School District had an inspection performed to locate all asbestos-containing materials in our facility and an Asbestos Management Plan was developed.

We have recently had our facilities re-inspected as required under AHERA. The EPA-accredited inspector located, sampled if needed, and rated the condition and hazard potential of all material in our facilities suspected or known to contain asbestos fibers.

A part of our Asbestos Management Plan is to provide notification to parents, teachers, and employees' organizations about the availability of the plan. The Management Plan is available for inspection by all members of your organization. A copy of the Management Plan is kept in the office of each school building and copies of all plans for the district are kept in the district's Service Center library. These Asbestos Management Plans are available for your review during normal business hours.

In addition to his other duties, Dave Brewer is also the asbestos program manager as required by the Environmental Protection Agency. He is located at the district's Service Center.

At the Olathe Public Schools, our goal is not to merely comply with federal, state, and local regulations on safety and environmental issues, but to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure your children, our employees, and building visitors have a healthy, safe environment in which to learn and work.