The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement with Accel Schools Ohio LLC to address lead paint and asbestos concerns at three of its schools in Ohio: Youngstown Academy of Excellence, Niles Preparatory Academy, and STEAM Academy of Warren. Under the EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act authority, the order requires Accel to take specific actions to mitigate potential health hazards.
The mandated actions include restricting access to school buildings until testing confirms the absence of asbestos and lead paint hazards, notifying parents about these concerns, and fully assessing and abating the identified hazards.
“EPA is holding Accel accountable to protect students and staff from asbestos and lead exposure,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “Children deserve healthy school environments where they can focus on learning. EPA will continue to work to reduce lead and asbestos hazards in Ohio and across the United States.”
Blood lead testing is being promoted as a measure for assessing children’s exposure to lead. The Youngstown City Health District hosted a free blood lead testing event on June 25 for students attending Youngstown Academy of Excellence. Parents are encouraged to contact their pediatricians or primary healthcare providers for more information on blood lead testing.
The order outlines timelines ensuring that inspection, abatement, and clearance work are completed before allowing re-entry into affected areas by students, faculty, or staff, aiming for completion by the start of the 2024/25 school year. Additionally, Accel must report on asbestos and lead-based paint conditions at the three schools for five years following completion of required work.
On June 13, EPA issued a notice of violation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to Accel regarding asbestos concerns at these schools. Under TSCA authority, EPA has subpoenaed records from Accel concerning compliance with Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) regulations across all its brick-and-mortar schools in Ohio and Michigan. AHERA mandates that public school districts, charter schools, and religiously affiliated schools inspect their facilities for asbestos, prepare management plans, notify parents about potential hazards inside buildings, and take action to mitigate those hazards.
Accel operates 77 in-person charter schools primarily in Ohio and 15 online schools nationwide. In March 2024, a complaint was filed with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency concerning asbestos at Youngstown Academy of Excellence. Following state-conducted visual inspections which led to notifying EPA due to its AHERA authority in April 2024, EPA conducted its own inspections at all three affected academies confirming deteriorating asbestos presence alongside suspect lead paint issues.
For further information on regulations regarding lead exposure or potential effects contact the National Lead Information Center Hotline or visit EPA’s website. Information on asbestos exposure can be found through the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's website or EPA’s dedicated pages.
Possible violations of AHERA or Renovation Repair Painting Rule requirements can be reported via EPA’s enforcement website.
More details about this settlement are available on the EPA website.
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