Asbestos hazard for loggers in kootenai forest

LIBBY, Montana â€" A research project conducted by the U.S. EPA uncovered an asbestos hazard in the Kootenai Forest, 20 miles outside Libby, Montana, location of the former W.R. Grace asbestos-contaminated vermiculite mine. The asbestos hazard may not be connected to the mine, though. The project, conducted in 2006, found that trees cut down in the Kootenai National Forest area released asbestos fibers when they are cut down. The study used a control area in Missoula, Montana as a comparison. The asbestos contamination may be associated with a former vermiculite processing plant located nearby. Vermiculite mined at the Libby mine was contaminated with tremolite asbestos. The mine operated for decades, and was closed in 1994. In the years since its closing, over 1,200 residents of Libby and the surrounding areas have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been mined and processed for use for centuries, but it wasn’t used widely until the middle of the last century. In the years between World War I and 1980, millions of tons of asbestos were mined, processed and used in consumer products throughout the world. The EPA estimates that asbestos was used in over 700,000 public buildings, 30,000 schools and as many as 26 million homes during those years. Asbestos dust contains miniscule fibers of the mineral that are a serious health hazard when inhaled or swallowed. The fibers can remain in the body for decades, causing significant and serious health hazards that include pleural scarring known as asbestosis. Asbestosis is a progressive condition characterized by scarring of the lungs. Other conditions associated with asbestos are lung cancer and mesothelioma, a deadly rare cancer that is only found in those who were exposed to asbestos. The Libby mine has been in the news for several years because of the hazards associated with breathing asbestos-laced dust. W.R. Grace, who operated the mine from 1963 to 1990, has faced hundreds of thousands of claims related to its sale of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite. The vermiculite mined at Libby was processed and much of it sold as Zonolite Attic Insulation, which was meant to be spread loose in attics. It’s estimated that Zonolite may be found in millions of homes around the country. The EPA recommends that homeowners who find Zonolite in their attics avoid disturbing it as much as possible because of the possible hazard of asbestos exposure. The results of the Kootenai study suggest that there may be even more danger of asbestos exposure in the Libby area. Researchers measured the levels of asbestos in the breathing zone and in the clothing of loggers harvesting firewood in the Kootenai National Forest. They found high levels of asbestos contamination when trees were being cut down. Loggers involved in harvesting wood in the Kootenai Forest should be aware of the dangers of asbestos, and consult their doctors about follow-up care and monitoring for the early symptoms of asbestosis or mesothelioma. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)