Spokane gets asbestos review
admin | Jul 02, 2009 | Comments 5
Detail of W.R. Grace Zonolite insulation bag. Andrew Rich photo.
by Paul Peters
This week, Spokane, Washington made the news when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began testing yards near a former plant where W.R. Grace & Co. processed vermiculite contaminated with tremolite asbestos.
The vermiculite had come from Libby, Mont., where, according to the Center for Asbestos Related Disease, nearly 300 have died from asbestos exposure. Once processed, Grace sold the vermiculite as Zonolite brand attic insulation, which eventually found its way into millions of homes across the U.S.
The EPA had studied the yards and the site of the former plant back in 2000 and 2001, and at the time had only found “trace amounts” of asbestos in the yard soils.
Exactly what the “trace amounts” were is unclear, but it has been well established that tremolite asbestos, a component of Libby asbestos, can cause mesothelioma at low exposures.
This would seem to be enough to justify not just another round of testing, but a cleanup of these yards.
According to several news accounts, the EPA was retesting the Spokane yards for three reasons. Because of the public health emergency declared by EPA in June, because there are new health standards, and because there are new testing methods.
But interviews with EPA employees involved with the site, as well as a review of the records, show that none of these reasons hold true.
Julie Wroble, the risk analyst for the site, says that the testing they plan to use, known as California Air Resources Board method 435, “isn’t anything new.”
In fact, documents indicate it was developed in 1991. Incidentally, these documents specify that method 435 be used for serpentine family asbestos. Asbestos from Libby is of the amphibole family.
Likewise the “new” standards are fairly old. The “old” standard, which had been used by the EPA to declare places like Libby, Illinois Beach State Park, and post-9/11 Manhattan safe, was never meant to be a health standard, which the EPA stated outright in this 2004 document.
Finally, Greg Weigel, the EPA’s on-scene coordinator for the site, says the impetus for reviewing the site dates back to a study done in October 2008, which recommended revisiting previous sites that processed Libby vermiculite, and is not related to the Public Health Emergency.
The plans for re-testing this site, he says, were in the works for months.
The Spokane site is just one of more than 200 places where Libby vermiculite was processed. In 2006, the EPA’s Office of the Inspector General stated that the EPA had no way of knowing whether or not Libby was clean.
The EPA has yet to develop a standard for exposure to tremolite asbestos.
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In March of 2005,EPA lier Paul states that 16,000 samples had been taken and nothing found.Some detect and non detect, we were told.No concern.16,000 samples at how much each??? Also in the budget of $21 Million, $4 Million was taken out and went “somewhere” but not on clean-up.Some say the samples cost this…for nothing??? Then in June of 2007 at a Senate Hearing a David Newman testified that EPA used the wrong scopes(less power)knowingly, to test and were offered two new scopes(20,000 times) and EPA turned them down.This explains the thousands of tests and nothing found in a town that is layered with asbestos.EPA lied.(DUH) THEN, in 2007, U of M did testing of tree bark and found in one sample…530 Million asbestos fibers in ONE GRAM of bark.One Gram of bark will kill alot of people.Imagine what that one tree can kill!!! I am serious…And now EPA is RE TESTING all again and again.spending/wasting more millions and yet still no one is stopping this continued deadly exposure by stopping all people from moving to Libby.So the killings continue and so do the lies being told/sold.This is so criminal how is this allowed and who the hell will stop this known killing of people…since 1999.Libby Health Emergency MEANS STAY THE HELL AWAY.Libby is not safe to anything that breathes.Please.
I will bet you dollars to do nuts, that EPA says either “nothing found/detect/non-detect in the yards in Spokane where tons of this deadly Tremolite asbestos was shipped to from Libby Mt.One thing that is true is that the Spokane area and North West holds the record in the US for MS and other causes of exposure to Libby asbestos…Tremolite.Crohns and Diverticulitis/Colon cancer/etc etc are caused by asbestos when asbestos destroys your immune system.Fact..
Today I contacted Max Baucus office to address the issue of a large log home being built on the site just above where the loading dock for the trains was.This entire site has not been cleaned and IS one of the deadliest sites in Libby still.HOW in God’s name can a family move there is criminal and beyond me…I was told that EPA can’t tell folks what to buy and where to live and I said oh but it is ok to lie and tell them all is ok when they ALL will suffer and die from exposure EVERYDAY from this site it is so contaminated.I told her to tell Max that those people/that family living on that property and exposing them to a death sentence…THIS is no different/exactly, then the Parkers moving on their site and being told 10 years later, three generations of the Parker family are dying from the same thing…asbestosis.THIS is happening to that family across the River and ALL families moving to Libby being told Libby is safe.I requested Max tell me why these folks are sentenced to death…knowingly.I expect no reply but damn it…he too is guilty of knowingly killing more people by the lies he is telling that Libby is safe.Even after a Health Emergency is announced.Worthless…I also asked if EPA is buying these people out once they find out the truth and move.Some have after moving to Libby.I hope they sue the boots off those who sold them Libby.Anyway,some one has to care.
I called Max Baucus office to find out where and how do I get on the Health Emergency to begin paying for my oxygen and medical needs after years of no help at all.I was told to contact the CARD in Libby as they are handling the Medical part of the Health Emergency which means that CARD has control of over $160 million dollars plus the $6 million received this year and the $250 thousand each years(over 2 million) by WR Grace…etc etc.The problem I have with this is the wrong crooks are running this show just as they have since they became WR Grace employees(beginning 1963).Many of these players ARE WR Grace cronnies and need to be in prison yet Max Baucus keeps supporting these crooks.Gee,wonder why???All I know is I am sending all my medical bills to Max so he can make sure I am treated fairly.Aaahhhh… maybe not… being he too is up WR Grace.What was I thinkin…The feeding of this dead horse is so unreal that it is allowed to continue.And the people still suffer till death.Unreal…
In a call today from CARD I was informed that the CARD did not get $160 million and that the $6 Million they did get months befor the Health Emergency, some how came from the 160 Million meaning Libby gets $154 Million from the $250 Million Grace gave Libby for clean up and Medical.I was also told that LAMP should of been paying for my oxygen what medicare paid.I was turned down by LAMP for help.So at this point,I have no point…that makes sense except all my medical bills will be sent to the CARD/LAMP/Baucus??? I don’t care.I ain’t paying no one a dime more after 10 years of no help.WR Grace has paid for my Zoloft only…Glad they are concerned about my brain and mental condition…my bi polor…and I still own guns…ya think?? Take care and stay away from Libby Mt.Thank you