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Originally published in THE TIMES HERALD RECORD. January 28. 1977 RVC said handling asbestos properly ALBANY -- As Rondoul Valley High School doors dosed today to allow workers to spray ceiling asbestos tiles with fixative, an official of the New York State Department of Health maintained that air contamina tion from the tiles is not a hazardous public health prob lem. "There is no evidence that it poses an acute problem, and I think it is being handled in appropriate fashion." said Dr. Nicholas Vianna of the department's Bureau of Food and Institutional Sanitation. Rondout Valley High School will remain closed Friday to allow a New Jersey firm, KRC-Assodaies, to spray about 55,000 square feet of ceilings with a clear polymer coating they developed especially for the pur pose. The spray reacts chemically with asbestos molecules to form a tough surface coating that prevents flaking when the material begins to disintegrate. Rondout Superintendent Dr. James O'Connell had ceiling materials tested after hearing a televised report of a school closing in New Jersey for asbestos particle contamination. Tests showed a concentration of .15 to .17 asbestos fibers per milliliter of air at the high school. O'Connel said that the Environmental Protection Agency sug gested minimum is no more than .1 fibers per-milliliter. while the Bureau of Labor recommends not more than .5 per milliliter. New York Slate has no minimum standard for con tamination by asbestos particles. Dr. Vianna said. "Our only experience has been with people such as asbestos miners, industrial workers, and pipefitters, workers who inhale large amounts of asbestos," he said. "Regarding minimal amounts in the air, it remains to be seen." Repeated exposure in large amounts over long periods of time can cause chronic diseases, including cancer, he said. Asked for his definition of a long time, he replied:" Something like 15 or 20 years." The Ulster County Department of Health does not have any minimum air contamination standards for asbestos. A spokesman referred inquiries to state offi cials. A survey of Ulster County school administrators disclosed that all were aware of the problem and that all had checked up on their own districts after Dr. James O'Connell, the Rondoul Valley superintendent of schools, disclosed his district's plans at a superintendent's conference last week. Robert McCarthy, the New Paltz superintendent, said that about 14,000 square feet of ceiling tiles in the middle school contained asbestos. He hired Rossnagel and Associates of Cherry Hill, N.J. to conduct tests which were scheduled to begin today. "Results of air contamination measurements will be available early next week and appropriate action will be taken if in dicated," McCarthy said. Louis A. Sal/mann, Kingston superintendent, said district buildings had been checked after hearing tele vised reports of a school closing in New Jersey. Onlytwo boiler room ceilings in the entire district contain asbestos, he said. Saugerlics Superintendent Daniel Lee said that David Hildebrand, superintendent of buildings and grounds, had been made aware of the problem about three years ago and had checked out all district buildings. All tests were negative and there are no asbestos materials in any of the buildings, Lee said. Dr. Jack Keough, Onteora business manager, said the district had also hired Rnssnagel and Associates to do a scries of tests. The final test, to determine if deteriora tion and fiaking of the asbestos has occurred, is set for next Wednesday. PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT UC-1958 OSHA List RtlMMd The Occupational Safety and Health Administration IOSHAI has released a tentative list of chemicals for possible regulation under the mechanism for regulating cancer hazards in the work place which it proposed in October. 1977. The list was compiled for OSHA by Dement Associates. Inc. of Washing* ton. D.C.. which reviewed and cate gorized the 2.000 chemicals identified as suspect circmogens by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Chemical substances included on the OSHA list appear to meet OSHA's criteria for Category I. II and III substances In issuing the list. OSHA's Director of Health Standards Programs, Grover Wrenn. noted. "I would like to em phasize that the final regulation issued from this rulemaking may contain somewhat different criteria for classify ing Category 1. II. or III taaic sub stances as carcinogens." Wrenn also pointed out that OSHA has not yet sci entifically examined the list and that continuing review might result in sub stance being added or deleted from the list. Wrenn encouraged all participants in the policy proceeding to include in thetr written submissions a list of pri orities for regulation of these sub stances. as well as an explanation of the criteria they would use. BRG 0449 &