Harvard currently faces the same asbestos waste problem as the rest of Massachusetts, DiBerardinis said. No dump cites accept asbestos in the state and it is illegal to take it across state lines, he explained.

Harvard has had to take some asbestos out of steam tunnels at the Medical School and store it in locked rooms of other Harvard tunnels, DiBerardinis said.

"We just hope that some of the dump cites will open again soon," DiBerardinis said.

DiBerardinis said he tests Harkness Dining Hall and the ceiling of Houghton Library--both made of asbestos tiling--every six months to insure that there are not dangerous levels of airbound asbestos fibers.

DiBerardinis confirmed yesterday that a pipe with exposed asbestos insulation is directly above the laundry machines in the Winthrop House basement.

He said he found asbestos fibers in the air surrounding the pipe. He said the level does not violate OSHA standards, but he plans to recommend to the Winthrop House superintendant that the exposed area be covered as soon as possible.

Another pipe sample collected in a B&G maintenance building last week also proved to be asbestos, DiBerardinis said, adding that he has not yet taken samples of the air around this pipe.