Off-roaders protest clear creek closure

Off-road enthusiast who enjoy racing at Clear Creek have been protesting the closure of 31,000 acres of the California recreation area. The area was closed after the Environmental Protection Agency completed a study about the asbestos exposure risk for people involved at the Clear Creek Management Area. The risk assessment study completed by the EPA found that there is an increased long-term cancer risk for people carrying out certain activities in the area. The increased cancer risk is due to the presence of asbestos. The EPA’s soil sampling in several areas at the CCMA site found asbestos present in soil in some areas. EPA Toxicologist Daniel Stralka said that “Higher dust-generating activities produce higher exposures and, therefore, higher risks.” Asbestos levels measured in CCMA breathing zones are in the range seen in more industrial environments, and Stralka says these levels of asbestos are cause for concern. Jere Johnson, a Superfund project manager for the EPA, said “Frankly, we were surprised at how high the levels of asbestos are at Clear Creek.” The CCMA is home to the largest natural deposit of asbestos in the United States. The CCMA itself spans over 75,000 acres, and includes a 31,000 acre natural asbestos deposit. The Atlas Asbestos Mine Superfund Site is also located here. According to the EPA study, activities such as motorcycling, ATV, and SUV use are those most likely to disturb large amounts of asbestos dust, and these activities are responsible for the highest amounts of asbestos exposure. As a result of the study, approximately 31,000 acres of the CCMA were closed for all public uses. Don Amador, a frequent visitor to Clear Creek, is also a member of an off-road advocacy group called the Blue Ribbon Coalition. He and many other enthusiastic off-roaders are shocked at the closure, and plan to fight it. Amador says that no Clear Creek regulars have become sick as a result of being exposure to asbestos, and that nobody in the community has developed mesothelioma. Justin Hensley, another off-road enthusiasts and long-time Clear Creek visitor, agreed that he’d never heard of anyone developing mesothelioma, and said he believed the Bureau of Land Management was simply trying to reduce the challenges of managing a large recreational area. Hundreds of members of the off-roading community have met with Bureau of Land Management and Environmental Protection Agency officials to plead their case. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)