Asbestos abatement carried out in schools is subject to regulations under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) of 1986. The AHERA rule (40 CFR Part 763) specifies a bifactorial process for determining when an asbestos abatement site is clean enough for the primary containment barriers to be removed. The process consists of a thorough visual inspection of surfaces for debris, residue, or dust to establish that a 'no dust criterion' has been achieved. After the abatement site has passed a thorough visual inspection, air samples are collected under aggressive sampling conditions; i.e., air blowers are used to dislodge fibers from surfaces and circulating fans keep the fibers suspended during sampling. The air samples are analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). If no visible debris, residue, or dust is detected by the unaided eye, the site is more likely to pass the TEM clearance air test specified in the AHERA rule. Data from a previous EPA study were evaluated to examine the relationship between passing a thorough visual inspection and the AHERA clearance test. The purpose of the paper is to examine the relationship between passing a visual inspection and the AHERA TEM clearance test.