Illinois action group issues oak street beach warning

Chicago, Illinois â€" The shoreline of Illinois, and of Ilinois Beach State Park, have long been associated with asbestos contamination. As the 2008 beach season opens, an Illinois conservation group has issued asbestos warnings and advice for beach-goers to reduce their exposure to asbestos fibers. The history of asbestos contamination at Lake Michigan goes back twenty years or more, when asbestos fibers were released and carried south across Lake Michigan from a location which is now known as the Johns-Manville Asbestos Superfund site in Waukegan. The site is located near the south end of Illinois Beach State Park. Once an asbestos-disposal area of 150 acres, the site now contains around 300,000,000 cubic yards of waste, including asbestos, lead, and chromium, according to the EPA. EPA tests carried out as recently as May 2002 indicate that water from the superfund site is released into Lake Michigan occasionally, contaminating the water with these dangerous substances. Local conservation group the Illinois Dunesland Preservation Society has issued a warning about the risk of asbestos exposure, due to the fact that lake currents may be moving asbestos fibers as far south as Oak Street Beach, a popular summertime spot for residents. The Illinois Dunesland Preservation Society suggests that people visit the beach limit can their risk of exposure to asbestos in several ways, including: • Avoiding eating and drinking while at the beach • Avoid disturbing sand as much as possible • Shower and clean all belongings before leaving the beach • Keep items used at the beach separate from other household items, and launder any clothes and towels used at the beach separately. • Don’t sweep, dust, or vacuum any debris that might contain asbestos. The tips and warnings were compiled by Illinois asbestos expert Jeffery Camplin, who reviewed studies by the EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at the request of the Dunesland group. Camplin’s conclusion was that the studies were flawed and lacking in terms of the use of standardized scientific protocols, and Dunesland group President Paul Kakuris believes that the studies were “rigged” to cover up official involvement in allowing the asbestos pollution to continue unchecked. However, EPA officials say that a study carried out in 2005 to assess asbestos levels at Oak Street Beach used valid sampling and testing methods. The ATSDR explains, “The air samples collected contained asbestos concentrations consistent with levels that would be expected in urban areas and that recreational activity at Oak Street Beach does not pose a public health hazard.” (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)