2023
To Parents, Teachers, Building Occupants, and Employees:
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) has developed an Asbestos Management Plan to assure the safety of our buildings. Asbestos contamination in buildings can be a significant environmental and public health problem if not managed properly. In 1986, Congress enacted the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) primarily to require school districts to identify asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in their school buildings and take appropriate actions to control the release of asbestos fibers.
In compliance with AHERA regulations, MSBSD school facilities have been inspected by EPA-accredited building inspectors and laboratory tests have been made on building materials suspected of containing asbestos. The results of the inspection and tests confirm the presence of ACM in portions of some school facilities. It is important to note that these materials are in a form and condition that does not pose an imminent health threat to students, faculty, or employees.
With confirmation of the presence of ACM, an Asbestos Management Plan was developed for our schools by an EPA accredited management planner. The Management Plan includes the inspection and physical assessment reports, the training program for our custodial and maintenance personnel, the plans, and procedures to be followed to minimize disturbance of the asbestos-containing materials and a program for regular surveillance of the ACM. Every three (3) years, a re-inspection by an accredited inspector is conducted on all known, or assumed, ACM to determine whether its condition has changed and to make recommendations on managing or removing it. Periodic surveillance inspections are also performed twice a year to check the condition of the remaining asbestos and to determine if any action is needed.
The following buildings are documented as containing no ACM. Therefore, no operations and maintenance programs or inspections are required. Finger Lake, Goose Bay, Knik, Larson, Meadow Lakes, Pioneer Peak, Shaw, Sherrod, Machetanz, Sutton, Swanson, Talkeetna, Tanaina, Colony Middle School, Houston Middle School, Teeland Middle School, Burchell High School, Colony High School, Houston High School, Mat-Su Career & Tech High School, Su-Valley Jr/Sr High School, Nutrition Center/Warehouse, Midnight Sun Charter, Twindly Bridge Charter, Mat Su Day School, Valley Pathways, Joe Reddington JR/SR. High School, New Iditarod Elementary, Denaina Elementary, and Portable buildings with the following building numbers: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 64, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84.
On November 30, 2018, there was a significant earthquake that prompted an unscheduled, full AHERA assessment of our school district buildings. All ACM that is present in our buildings remained undisturbed.
The following MSBSD projects, scheduled for CY23, may require repair, removal, or encapsulation: District-wide (HVAC upgrades), District-wide (energy upgrades). The following schools are scheduled to have portable classrooms added this year: None at this time.
For buildings listed as containing ACM, workers must refer to the building’s AHERA Management Plan, prior to initiating any work, to ensure existing ACM is not disturbed. For further details on the locations of remaining ACM or on asbestos activities, you are welcome to review a copy of the Asbestos Management Plan in the maintenance office and at each facility during regular office hours. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District’s designated asbestos program coordinator is Dan Belanger. Please find his contact information below.
Dan Belanger
Compliance Program Coordinator
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
Ph: 907-864-20024 | Fax: 907-864-2081