EPA releases draft estimates of asbestos toxicity in Libby and Troy, Montana (MT)
New information is key step in
helping finalize cleanup plans that protect the health of the
community
(Denver, Colorado – May 3, 2011) At a
public meeting at the Libby Memorial Center this evening, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency presented new draft toxicity
estimates on the specific type of asbestos in Libby and Troy,
Montana. These toxicity estimates, when final, will help secure the
best path forward for asbestos cleanup and protection of public
health at the Libby Superfund site. The Agency is releasing this
draft information earlier than usual in the scientific evaluation
process to be more transparent and to more fully engage the
community in the review process. The data are preliminary and could
change until this review process is complete, which will include
review by independent scientists.
Through this action today, EPA is delivering on
a promise made to the community to develop a scientific analysis of
Libby Amphibole asbestos. Based on requests from the community, the
final toxicity estimates for Libby Amphibole asbestos will be used
to develop EPA’s final risk assessment and cleanup decisions.
EPA will use these toxicity estimates to evaluate risks to adults,
teens and children who may be exposed to Libby Amphibole during
activities such as housework, playing in the yard or at school,
walking, bicycling or working in an office or outside.
Although EPA has made significant progress in
helping to remove the threat of asbestos in the land and air, and
with it, the increased risks of lung cancer and other respiratory
problems, actual and potential releases of amphibole asbestos
remain a concern in Libby. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson in
2009 declared a public health emergency in Libby, a
first-of-its-kind action that recognized serious impacts to public
health.
“For more than a decade, EPA has worked in
this community to clean up the pollution left behind by 40 plus
years of mining operations. Under this administration, EPA has
stepped up its commitment to provide the best science to finish the
job of protecting the health and future of the people of
Libby,” said Jim Martin, EPA’s Regional Administrator
in Denver. “Once we finalize these toxicity estimates, they
will help guide remaining cleanup actions and identify exposure
prevention practices to keep people safe."
“We decided to provide residents with this
draft toxicity estimates as early as possible to ensure that the
community is fully informed and engaged. This is a major step
forward in establishing the science to improve the cleanup of
asbestos in Libby and the protection of the families that live
here,” said Paul Anastas, EPA Assistant Administrator for
Research and Development.
The draft toxicity estimates released today
confirm EPA’s earlier assessments of the effectiveness of
cleanup actions in reducing exposures in Libby. Specifically,
current ambient air concentrations of Libby Amphibole do not appear
to result in levels of risk above EPA Superfund targets—which
are set to achieve a cleanup level that results in less than a 1 in
10,000 risk of developing lung cancer or a hazard index less than 1
for adverse non-cancer health impacts such as shortness of breath
and chest pain.
However, the draft toxicity estimates also
indicate that some indoor and outdoor activities that increase the
release of asbestos into the air may result in levels of risk that
exceed EPA targets. These draft findings, while not final,
underscore the need for additional cleanup actions and continued
adherence to EPA recommendations that prevent soils from being
disturbed, such as watering yards before mowing or digging. Further
assessment of exposure, peer review and dialogue with the community
will provide additional perspective regarding remaining risks and
the best strategy for reducing them
Today’s announcement is the latest step in
EPA’s continuing efforts to protect human health by reducing
exposure to a unique form of asbestos called Libby Amphibole
asbestos. Since 1999, EPA has worked to reduce risk by focusing on
removing the largest sources of exposure. To date, the agency has
spent more than $330 million and has safely removed more than
825,000 cubic yards of asbestos- contaminated soil from source
areas at 1,463 commercial and residential properties. EPA plans to
perform approximately 150 residential cleanups this
summer.
EPA has focused on reducing the largest sources
of contamination, including residences, schools, roads, processing
and disposal areas, and parks and ball fields. These efforts have
achieved significant reductions in air concentrations of asbestos
fibers in Libby. Those levels are 10,000 times lower since the
company left the community.
The Libby Asbestos site includes portions of the
towns of Libby and Troy and an inactive vermiculite mine seven
miles northeast of the town of Libby. Vermiculite had been mined at
the Libby site since the 1920s. In 1963, W.R. Grace bought the
Zonolite mining operations. The vermiculite from the Libby mine was
contaminated with asbestos, a human carcinogen that causes
mesothelioma and lung cancer. The mine closed in 1990. EPA started
cleanup activities in 2000 and in 2002 the area was listed as a
Superfund site.
While no precise statistics exist, vermiculite
insulation produced from Libby vermiculite was widely distributed
throughout the U.S. and it could potentially be present in millions
of homes. EPA recommends that the insulation be left in place
undisturbed. If the vermiculite insulation is undisturbed in attics
and walls, it is not likely to present a risk to people in the
home. EPA does not believe that cleanup action on vermiculite
insulation is needed outside of Libby or Troy at this time. Once
adopted, the toxicity estimates will apply to other locations in
the country where Libby Amphibole asbestos exposures may be of
concern.
EPA is working with the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, which is providing asbestos-related
medical care to area residents.
For more information on the draft toxicity data
released today, and on EPA’s cleanup activities in Libby and
Troy, visit http://www.epa.gov/libby.