Letters

Monday, 8/4/97 Letters

Safety First "Asbestos Work, It’s a Dangerous Job" in the July
28 Daily Bruin leaves readers with the impression that asbestos
work on UCLA buildings is endangering workers and the campus
community. This is simply not the case. The UCLA Office of
Environment Health and Safety (EH&S) closely monitors all major
asbestos-abatement projects on campus. EH&S has a full-time
asbestos coordinator (a California certified asbestos consultant)
who evaluates potential contractors before abatement projects begin
to ensure that they meet all asbestos certification requirements.
Additionally, during abatement projects, the asbestos coordinator
frequently inspects projects for compliance with Cal/Occupational
Safety and Health Administration asbestos exposure guidelines. Even
the union spokesperson quoted in the article recognized that the
firm selected to remove asbestos from Royce and Hedrick halls was
highly qualified. Because many campus buildings are old, asbestos
abatement is a common occurrence at UCLA. And with every
project,the university diligently follows safety standards and
state regulations. UCLA’s experience and rules-compliance
activities ensure that asbestos abatement continues to be a very
low-risk activity on campus. Further, EH&S is always available
to address any concerns regarding asbestos removal or other campus
safety issues. Regarding labor-rates allegations in the story, UCLA
is committed to fairness, and requires the contractor to pay
prevailing wages on the two projects in question. Enforcement,
however, is the responsibility of the California Division of Labor
Standards, which is notified by UCLA of any written wage
complaints. UCLA has received none on these projects. James R.
Greenwood Director of Environment, Health and Safety and Kip Baker
Contract Administrator Shame on you I am embarrassed to know that
Adjoa Middleton is an English major at UCLA. Her article inaptly
titled "Federal aid helps dreams come true" (July 28-Aug. 3) lacked
any semblance of coherence. She completely fails to develop any
cogent argument for how federal welfare makes a positive impact. In
addition, this article strays aimlessly into a pathetic liberal
rant about Proposition 187 which does none of the things she says
it does because it is held up in the courts. Middleton is totally
wrong about the worth of federal transfer payments and restrictions
against illegal immigration. Michael C. MacNeil Fourth-year
Political Science/History