The Nation : Asbestos Funding Scored

Federal money to help schools clean up asbestos is not reaching those with the worst problems, Rep. James J. Florio (D-N.J.) said. Florio released an internal Environmental Protection Agency audit that said the agency gave $387,000 to 10 schools with a total of 36 hours of human exposure weekly, while eight schools with a combined 19,173 exposure hours did not get the $391,000 they needed. Inhaling asbestos fibers can lead to lung cancer and other diseases. The EPA estimates the fibers are present in 31,000 schools attended by 15 million students. An EPA official blamed the problem on a congressional mandate that every state get a minimum share of the money.