An Arizona-based non-profit organization that operates several charter schools within the state has been fined more than $18,000 for violations of the Clean Air Act.

According to an article in the Arizona Daily Star, Portable Practical Education Preparation Inc., headquartered in Tucson, has been fined under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act as a result of government inspections conducted at their facilities in 2006.

Inspectors for the state environmental association say they found 500- to 600-square-feet each of asbestos-containing building material at the Celestino Fernandez Learning Center, 1840 E. Benson Highway, in Tucson; at the Raul H. Castro Learning Center, 530 12th St., in Douglas; and at the Manuel Bojorquez Learning Center, 203 Bisbee Road, in Bisbee.

The article notes that educational agencies in the state of Arizona (and in most states) are required by law to inspect their schools for asbestos and prepare management plans to prevent or reduce asbestos hazards.

Asbestos was widely used in schools throughout the country, particularly those that were built prior to around 1980. The material was once lauded for its fire resistant properties but is also a known carcinogen, causing diseases such as asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a fatal cancer.

The non-profit agreed to the fine without admitting guilt and have corrected the problems, noted a statement by the Arizona Environmental Protection Agency.

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