Asbestos danger on Illinois’ beaches

In 2006 another report was released ostensibly by the University of Illinois, Chicago, although documents make it clear that the Attorney General’s Task Force, whose members were appointed by state attorney general Lisa Madigan, had a heavy hand in writing the report.
The study acknowledges that its scope was determined by Task Force members, including IDNR, U.S. EPA, Illinois EPA, the United States Army Corp of Engineers and other parties who had a direct interest in showing that the park did not contain dangerous levels of asbestos. ATSDR reviewed the study.
If anything, this study should have raised more alarm with the ATSDR, EPA and other agencies involved, as it concluded that amphibole asbestos, which has been shown to be much more likely to cause cancer at low exposure levels, is present not only on the ISBP beaches, but on Oak Street Beach in Chicago as well.
Oak Street Beach is one of Chicago’s most popular parks, and receives thousands of visitors during the height of summer.

Chicago's Oak Street Park, where amphibole asbestos has been found.

Oak Street beach was supposed to be a normal, uncontaminated beach to compare the ISBP beaches against.
Instead, it showed unusually high levels of amphibole asbestos. This should not have been surprising, had the ATSDR and other agencies looked at this study which found asbestos pollution in Lake Michigan along the Illinois shoreline, all the way to Indiana, as early as 1960.
But the Oak Street results were omitted from the final report, which stated that:

The Oak Street Beach site was selected as a background site for purposes of this study. However, sampling results indicated that the site had elevated asbestos structures per gram of PM10 compared to other beach sites. Due to the sensitivity of the sampling and analytical methods and in order to preserve a conservative approach, this site was subsequently excluded as a background site for purposes of this study because the results would have masked other study comparisons.

Amphibole fibers were, according to the report, found at nearly every site tested, but the levels were said to be below the EPA’s threshold for action. Interstingly, the EPA had never assessed the risk posed by amphibole asbestos, which would allow it to determine a threshold for action. ATSDR is currently helping the EPA study amphibole risk in Libby, Montana.

Since 2006 several tests have claimed to show that Oak Street Beach is safe, but news accounts have questioned this.
In 2006 the ATSDR, with help from the IDNR, did yet another study, this time taking air samples.
The study determined that the beach was safe, although it did turn up some disconcertingly high levels of asbestos.
These high levels were noted in a memo written to the ATSDR by the Illinois Johns-Manville Superfund manager, Brad Bradley.
“The actual air monitoring results raise concerns regarding the safety of human use of the beaches,” Bradley writes. “What is going on here, either the beach is safe or the safety is questionable.”
Bradley’s questions led to yet another study in 2007, this one done by the EPA. Once again, the study was done outside of beach season, during a week which saw several days of rain.
In a critique of this study, Camplin writes:

Of the 20 air samples taken during children’s recreational activities of sandcastle building, 4 samples (or 20% of children’s activities) disturbed measurable levels of asbestos fibers including the more deadly amphibole form of asbestos. ATSDR must acknowledge that 20% of children’s activities resulting in detectable levels of asbestos fibers in wet sand, during non-beach season conditions, are not considered acceptable findings.

Questions over the validity of the 2007 study led to the latest one, released by the ATSDR on March 10, 2009.

In a case of either incredibly bad timing, or utter audacity, this was the exact same day that a congressional committee released this report. The report looks at the work of ATSDR in several locations across the country, including at Illinois State Beach Park. Camplin testified before the committee about the ongoing issues at the park.
Among the committee’s findings:

Many independent scientists, medical professionals, local environmental groups and public health advocates believe that rather than objectively and aggressively trying to identify the source of reported health problems, ATSDR often seeks ways to avoid linking local health problems to specific sources of hazardous chemicals. Instead, saysone current ATSDR scientist who spoke to the Committee on the condition of anonymity:
“It seems like the goal is to disprove the communities’ concerns rather than actually trying to prove exposures.”

Camplin, Kakuris, and the Illinois Dunesland Society have submitted responses to the ATSDR’s most recent study, and, despite the history of studies at ISBP, they believe that this time it will be different.
“I have faith in the Obama administration,” Kakuris says. He believes that he and Camplin’s latest responses to the ATSDR, combined with the criticism of the agency by congress, and the Obama administration’s promises of restoring integrity to science, openess to government, and increased environmental protection, have made this the perfect time for change on the beaches of Illinois.
Kakuris believes anyone involved in squelching reports about asbestos risks at Illinois beach pose should be held accountable.
“If you walk the beaches and you see these little kids all over the beach, playing in the sand, and burying themselves…” says Kakuris. “They’re taking this asbestos in, and yet you have these public officials rigging tests to say its safe. You can’t just let them get away with this.”
For Camplin and Kakuris, the only remedy at this point would be to have an outside group of independent scientists look at the beach.
“I think that ATSDR and CDC and USEPA are not capable of doing an honest and credible job,” Kakuris says.
But, talking about more testing, he stops himself.
“The thing is, whatever tests have been done, if you do good testing, you’re only going to find more asbestos. Where is the point that we stop spending money and start going forward with solutions?” he asks.

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