Colleges Have Asbestos in Their Older Buildings
Students come and go, but decades after they were installed, asbestos-containing products in college buildings may remain for the foreseeable future. These schools must abate dangerous asbestos to prevent a health hazard that may present decades from now.
Is Asbestos on College Campuses?
Yes, asbestos is found in college campuses throughout the country. According to the EPA, it’s estimated that 34,800 schools, colleges, and universities have asbestos on campus.
That’s because asbestos-containing products were widely used in large public buildings until the early 1980s, including college dorms, classrooms, and residential halls.
Unless they’re removed, asbestos stays where it is, slowly deteriorating and drying out, possibly releasing cancer-causing asbestos fibers into the air where they can be inhaled or swallowed by anyone passing by.
What Exactly is Asbestos?
Asbestos is the name for a group of naturally occurring mineral fibers that are light, strong, durable, and resistant to heat, fire, electricity, chemicals, and corrosion.
Asbestos has been used in more than 3000 products over the centuries, including as insulation for pipes carrying pressurized steam, floor tiles, wallboard, cement, and vehicle brakes and clutches, according to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Why Asbestos is So Dangerous
Asbestos is a well-recognized health hazard. The fibers are too small to be seen with the naked eye and light enough to stay airborne for hours.
Inhaling enough fibers can cause scar-like tissue in the lungs to be so dense that it impairs the ability to breathe (asbestosis). Fibers can also cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a fatal cancer of the lining of the lungs, chest cavity, abdominal cavity, and abdominal organs that may take up to 40 years to develop.
Where is Asbestos Commonly Found in Schools?
Asbestos had many uses because it was versatile and cheap during its peak use. Asbestos’ key features were its insulating abilities, strength, and durability. Common locations containing asbestos on a college campus could include:
- Ceiling tiles
- Acoustical tiles
- Vinyl flooring (including backing and glue)
- Wallboard
- Ductwork insulation
- Pipe insulation
- Boiler insulation
- Cement sheets
- Textured “popcorn” ceilings
- Electrical system insulation
- Paint
Many college campuses expanded and constructed new buildings after World War II to accommodate veterans. At the time, asbestos-containing products were popular construction materials that could be used throughout buildings, from the basement to the roof. The use of these products largely ended by the early 1980s.
Which Campuses Have Asbestos in Their Buildings?
Any college campus building constructed before the early 1980s may have some type of asbestos product. It’s estimated that about 6,000 college and university campuses are in the US. Some of the campuses with asbestos issues include:
University of North Carolina (UNC)
Ten residence halls on UNC’s campus in Chapel Hill have asbestos-containing materials, according to a report released by the university last year, reports The Daily Tar Heel. Those buildings typically house about 2,700 students. About two dozen other buildings were also found to have asbestos.
The amount of asbestos in materials found on the campus ranged from 2% to 75%. Products containing them include:
- Spray-applied material
- Plaster
- Elastomeric coatings (rubbery coatings containing chemical compounds)
- Floor tiles
The university stated that any damaged or friable asbestos products would be the first to be abated (sealed or removed).
Dartmouth College
This Ivy League university in New Hampshire started abating asbestos in the school’s Alumni Gymnasium in April.
Debris that fell from the gym’s ceiling contained asbestos. According to Athletic Business, the school believes the asbestos is limited to the building’s Office.
Harvard University
The Ivy League college in Boston admitted in 2017 that many of its buildings had asbestos. The oldest building on campus finished construction in 1720. Harvard was renovating dorms at the time of the announcement.
Administrators stated that asbestos’ presence wasn’t a concern because school administrators supposedly knew where asbestos products were located and abated them when they started falling apart. In 2016, a senior returned to his dorm room and found it covered in asbestos-laced dust that had fallen from the ceiling, reports the Harvard Crimson.
Penn State
Back in 1977, employees at Penn State began complaining about parts of the ceilings falling to the floor. According to a PennLive report, the school tested over 100 buildings and found that the falling materials contained asbestos.
At the time, the estimated cost of removal was $8.5 million, and reports suggest that the school decided the cost wasn’t worth it, which implies it’s still present today.
Now Penn State’s website has information about its buildings containing asbestos.
California State University Long Beach (CSLB)
California State University Long Beach also published information on its website as recently as December 2024 with a full list of all the buildings on campus containing asbestos.
There are over 65 buildings on the list, many with asbestos found in multiple locations.
The California Health and Safety Code Section 25915 requires them to provide written notice to employees to inform them about asbestos presence in buildings.
Get Help If You’re Diagnosed With an Asbestos-Related Disease
If you or a loved one worked or studied at a college or university and were later found to have lung cancer or mesothelioma, contact Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, because you may be entitled to compensation for the harm you suffer.
We have more than 30 years of collective experience representing injury victims in asbestos litigation, and we can represent you, too. Call us at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation with a Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyer.