Administration to Spend $1M to Remove Asbestos

Harvard will spend $1 million this year to remove and protect asbestos in University-owned property, administration officials said yesterday.

Since last July, the University has located 65 places where the cancer-causing material must be taken out or contained at an estimated total cost of $1 million, according to a comprehensive list released this week by the administration.

Thirty-eight of the areas have already been cleaned-up and the remainder will be finished by June 31, said Vice President for Administration Robert H. Scott.

However, the University's list is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all asbestos-ridden areas on campus, he said.

University officials said they do not know which buildings on campus contain asbestos. They added that virtually all buildings constructed before 1978 contain at least some asbestos, which can cause cancer when inhaled.

The largest asbestos removal project currently underway is a $300,000 job on the 10th floor of William James Hall. Preliminary work has started for the job, which will begin in June, officials said.

According to the list, six of the projects are currently "on-hold" for a variety of reasons, but Scott said that these projects will be completed within the next two or three years. One reason for the delay is the University's policy of holding off abestosclean-up projects in buildings slated forrenovation until the scheduled repair work begins,Scott said.

The University has performed seven emergencyrepair jobs this year, including work in ApleyCourt and Mower and Lionel Halls, according to thelist. Most of these jobs come in response toindividual complaints and are usually "small,"said Michael N. Lichten, assistant director forfacilities in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Harvard's Department of Environmental Healthand Safety (EHS) receives five to 10 abestosemergency calls a week, but only 10 percent ofthem end up requiring work, said EHS asbestoscoordinator Nancy Curtin. "A lot of people don'tknow the difference between fiberglass andasbestos," she said.

Asbestos Suits

While Harvard is in the process of removing thesubstance from the campus, the University has alsobecome involved in two suits against asbestosmanufacturers.

Harvard has filed a $7 million claim againstthe Johns Mandiville company, which is currentlyin the midst of bankruptcy proceedings, said AllanA. Ryan, the Harvard attorney who handles asbestossuits.

"The court that's handling this bankruptcy hasrecommended a settlement that would settle allclaims at about 30 cents on the dollar," Ryansaid, adding that the money will be used to defraythe costs of replacing the material.

The University is also involved in a classaction suit filed last August against allmanufacturers of asbestos except Johns Mandville,Ryan said.

The case is currently in pre-trial hearings,and Judge C. Weston Houck is expected to rulewhether a class action is appropriate sometimethis fall, said Edward Westbrook, the lawyer whois representing Harvard and the other plaintiffsin the case.

If the judge accepts the class action, twocolleges in South Carolina will serve asplaintiffs and represent the nearly 3000 collegesand universities who are included in the category,Westbrook said. If not, each school will have tofile a seperate suit against the asbestosmanufacturers, he said.

In this case, Harvard is "not suing for anyparticular dollar amount. The class as a whole issuing for the cost of replacing the asbestos,"Ryan said. If the universities win their case, aclaim settlement center would be set up toreimburse the schools as they incur replacementcosts, he said