Concern about potential hazards from asbestos in state-supported universities and community colleges prompted a survey that revealed asbestos abatement could cost an estimated $216.5 million.

Ten universities, including NIU and 50 community colleges receiving state funds, were included in a report filed with the Illinois Senate on March 31.

The purpose of the report is to comply with Senate Resolution 169 and to assist the Illinois Asbestos Abatement Authority in deliberation of its policies and plans, said Ross Hodel, Illinois Board of Higher Education deputy director.

Cost estimates for asbestos abatement (containment or removal) and possible presence of asbestos were reported by the study. Figures ranged from $0.4 million for Governors State University to $118 million for the University of Illinois. NIU’s cost estimate for asbestos abatemtent is $32.2 million. No estimates were given for the community colleges.

Hodel advised caution when reviewing the report because information submitted by the educational facilities is not uniform.

“Before the Senate passed this resolution, several universities had spent a lot of money and used differing approaches,” Hodel said. “We preferred to use the money (available for asbestos abatement) for removing hazardous situations.”

Reports submitted by colleges and universities vary in scope and method. Some institutions surveyed all campus buildings, while others surveyed only those built during the period of time asbestos was used in construction.

Also, cost estimates were derived without using uniform guidelines. The five Board of Governors’ universities used outside consulting agencies to identify asbestos-containing materials.

Other schools used a blue-print analysis—reviewing building construction specifications and plans to locate possible asbestos-containing materials.

NIU used a visual inspection in which building areas likely to contain asbestos were inspected, said Robert Vest, NIU safety officer.

Hodel said, “The only thing you can say about cost estimates for asbestos is they are usually wrong. Determining the actual amount and degree of friability is difficult.”

Level of friability is determined by how easily the asbestos-containing material can be destroyed or damaged by hand pressure.

The report concluded by urging legislators to ” … resist the temptation to expend our resources on crash programs of asbestos removal … lest we find ourselves unprepared to cope with more acute risks.”

“The problem is of such magnitude in this state, I think these legislators don’t know what to do,” Vest said. “We don’t have any money to run the place—it’s just not realistic.”

Universities account for more than half of the total space owned by the state, according to the report.