Asbestos is located inside almost all of the residences of the 29 Garden St. apartment building, according to a University-commissioned report, and first-year students and their parents say they have not been notified of the potential hazard.

The report, obtained by The Crimson last week from a concerned parent of a first-year resident of the building, said the asbestos is a "minimal" hazard, but found the cancercausing material in rooms, the freight elevator and two trash and laundry rooms on various floors of the apartment building.

For the second straight year, more than 150 first-years are living at 29 Garden St. because of the ongoing renovations of Yard dormitories.

Routine activities like cleaning, moving furniture, or even hanging plans may cause the contained asbestos to become "friable," or crumbled, and "be transported through the air," the report says. This could present an "asbestos hazard," according to the report.

"Non-friable material may become friable at any time as a result of the activities in the building," the report warns. "Activities which may cause the material to become friable should be avoided."

The report, prepared by Diversified Environmental Corporation of Norwell, estimates it would cost $51,054 to remove all asbestos from the building. The same company removed asbestos tiling from 29 Garden St. in January and March of this year.

In interviews last week, officials from Harvard Real Estate and around the University downplayed some of the findings of the report. The officials, including Dean of Freshmen Elizabeth S. Nathans, said the building is safe and that there is no health hazard to students.

Several pointed out that the report calls any hazard presented by the asbestos "minimal." Most of the asbestos, these officials noted, is contained within floor tiling and other structures.

The report also identified the presence of asbestos-containing materials such as floor tiles through-out the Harvard Police Department, which is located in the 29 Garden St. basement. Contaminated areas include the first floor police property room, men's and women's bathrooms, the officer locker rooms and the first floor police task force room.

Robert Kotowski, the president of Harvard's police officers union, yesterday said he was upset about the report.

"It sounds like the union would have a nice lawsuit here if this all comes tobe," said Kotowski, who first learned of thereport from The Crimson Friday. "It's adisgusting, disgusting way to treat employees. Ifthis is, in fact, true, someone should be heldresponsible."

The report also states that Harvard shouldinform all building occupants about the locationof materials with asbestos and "inform them of thepotential hazards associated with disturbing"them.

But when first-year students moved into thebuilding this weekend, parents and students saidthey had not been informed of the existence ofasbestos-containing materials throughout thebuilding.

"We have received tons of information andnothing about asbestos. The problem concerns me intwo ways: First, because of potential healthproblems; and second it would raise my interest inwhy we weren't told," said Dr. Riccardo Cortese,who had traveled with his son from Rome, Italy. "Irealize this is a delicate matter, but I wouldlike to know more about it."

Kotowski and a handful of police departmentemployees interviewed over the weekend said they,too, had not been notified about the asbestos.Kotowski said officers were told only about acouple of specific asbestos removal projects andwere never notified about the general presence ofasbestos throughout the building.

Nathans, the dean, said that while she has notseen the asbestos report, she has been briefedabout it and is "satisfied the building is safe."