Environmental Services

The three primary campus environmental issues are asbestos, lead, and indoor air quality.  The Environmental Services department of Facility Services manages these issues with the LSU Office of Environmental Health & Safety. 

Asbestos Containing Material

In 1992, the State of Louisiana hired a consultant to survey the campus for asbestos containing materials. This resulted in the creation of an Asbestos Management Plan for each building on campus.  The asbestos management plans list which materials are asbestos containing and which materials are not.  Per EPA and LDEQ regulations, LSU is mandated to “manage in place” asbestos containing materials until they are removed.  “Manage in Place” by definition ensures that no asbestos containing materials are disturbed, except in the rare case when there is an emergency.  The Environmental Services department in the Office of Facility Services performs maintenance corrective actions and removal of asbestos containing materials on campus.  Periodic surveillance inspections are held every six months, so that LSU can be proactive in keeping the asbestos containing materials in good condition. The department is currently working on a plan to update and computerize the asbestos management plans.

All building maintenance and renovation projects are reviewed for asbestos containing materials.  Asbestos containing materials are safely removed from the project area prior to the start of the maintenance or renovation work.  All contractors working on campus are given an Asbestos Notification Form, so that they know what asbestos materials have been removed and what, if any, asbestos materials remain in the project area. 

Health issues arise when asbestos materials are disturbed to the extent that asbestos fibers can become airborne and then inhaled by the occupants of a building.  Procedures are in place to prevent this type of disturbance from occurring through routine maintenance and renovation activities.  Since the creation of the Asbestos Management Plan, the Office of Facility Services and the Office of Environmental Health & Safety have worked closely with building coordinators, department heads, and individuals to educate the University community about asbestos.

Lead Based Paint

Testing for lead in paint is routinely done by the Paint Shop.  Lead based paint is confirmed by sending a sample to the lab. Ceramic tiles may also contain lead.  LSU has not used lead based paint on the campus since the 1970’s, so it is rare to find any lead based paint in buildings.

Indoor Air Quality

The Facility Services Environmental Services department and the LSU Office of Environmental Health & Safety have joint responsibility for the indoor air quality in campus buildings. The role of these groups is to respond quickly to indoor air quality concerns, perform a condition assessment that includes the determination of the cause of the IAQ problem, and take the necessary corrective action to eliminate the problem. In some cases, such as mold, a remediation is required in order to remove and clean mold contaminated building materials.  The Environmental, Health and Safety’s role is to respond to occupant health concerns and to review Facility Services’ efforts and ensure the problem has been properly corrected.