---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 2641"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "2641"
heading: "Congressional findings and purpose"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/2641"
units:
  - "Chapter 53 — Toxic Substances Control"
  - "Subchapter II — Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response"
---

# §2641. Congressional findings and purpose

- (a) **Findings—** The Congress finds the following:
  - (1) The Environmental Protection Agency’s rule on [local educational agency](/usc/15/2642.md?p=7) inspection for, and notification of, the presence of [friable asbestos-containing material](/usc/15/2642.md?p=6) in [school buildings](/usc/15/2642.md?p=13) includes neither standards for the proper identification of [asbestos-containing material](/usc/15/2642.md?p=4) and appropriate [response actions](/usc/15/2642.md?p=11) with respect to [friable asbestos-containing material](/usc/15/2642.md?p=6), nor a requirement that [response actions](/usc/15/2642.md?p=11) with respect to [friable asbestos-containing material](/usc/15/2642.md?p=6) be carried out in a safe and complete manner once actions are found to be necessary. As a result of the lack of regulatory [guidance](/usc/15/2602.md?p=7) from the Environmental Protection Agency, some [schools](/usc/15/2642.md?p=12) have not undertaken [response action](/usc/15/2642.md?p=11) while many others have undertaken expensive projects without knowing if their action is necessary, adequate, or safe. Thus, the danger of exposure to [asbestos](/usc/15/2642.md?p=3) continues to exist in [schools](/usc/15/2642.md?p=12), and some exposure actually may have increased due to the lack of Federal standards and improper [response action](/usc/15/2642.md?p=11).
  - (2) There is no uniform program for accrediting [persons](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) involved in [asbestos](/usc/15/2642.md?p=3) identification and abatement, nor are [local educational agencies](/usc/15/2642.md?p=7) required to use accredited contractors for [asbestos](/usc/15/2642.md?p=3) work.
  - (3) The [guidance](/usc/15/2602.md?p=7) provided by the Environmental Protection Agency in its “[Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Material in Buildings](/usc/15/2642.md?p=5)” is insufficient in detail to ensure adequate responses. Such [guidance](/usc/15/2602.md?p=7) is intended to be used only until the regulations required by this subchapter become effective.
  - (4) Because there are no Federal standards whatsoever regulating daily exposure to [asbestos](/usc/15/2642.md?p=3) in other [public and commercial buildings](/usc/15/2642.md?p=10), [persons](/usc/15/7a.md?p=6) in addition to those comprising the Nation’s [school](/usc/15/2642.md?p=12) population may be exposed daily to [asbestos](/usc/15/2642.md?p=3).
- (b) **Purpose—** The purpose of this subchapter is—
  - (1) to provide for the establishment of Federal regulations which require inspection for [asbestos-containing material](/usc/15/2642.md?p=4) and implementation of appropriate [response actions](/usc/15/2642.md?p=11) with respect to [asbestos-containing material](/usc/15/2642.md?p=4) in the Nation’s [schools](/usc/15/2642.md?p=12) in a safe and complete manner;
  - (2) to mandate safe and complete periodic reinspection of [school buildings](/usc/15/2642.md?p=13) following [response actions](/usc/15/2642.md?p=11), where appropriate; and
  - (3) to require the [Administrator](/usc/15/2642.md?p=2) to conduct a study to find out the extent of the danger to human health posed by [asbestos](/usc/15/2642.md?p=3) in [public and commercial buildings](/usc/15/2642.md?p=10) and the means to respond to any such danger.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 94–469, title II, § 201, as added Pub. L. 99–519, § 2, Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2970.)