Asbestos in fire debris poses health hazard
by Duane Williams, KLCB-KTNY Radio
March 7, 2010
According to the Lincoln County Environmental Health Department, the lab that performed the analysis of debris from the Plywood Plant fire, misidentified the type of asbestos as amosite.
It is not. It is anthophyllite (an/tho/fy-lite), a lesser know form of asbestos.
The misidentification makes it no less a threat to Libby's health. Like other forms of asbestos, anthophyllite poses major, serious health problems. It is a carcinogen.
Anthophyllite was widely used in interior and exterior paint products and often co-exists in talc and can be found in talcum powders.
Lincoln County Environmental Health will take more samples. A contractor will be employed to extinguish the smoldering remains of the mill which have continued ot burn for a week. The plan will be to build a containment area for the debris which will later be transfers to the asbestos containment facility at the county landfill.
Contamination from the fire was found at the City Hall, Legion Field and Riverfront Park, Post Trailer Court, the Old Marion Orr place, and ironically, on the roof of the EPA offices.
To complicate things even more, the smoldering laminated beams are releasing formaldehyde into the air.
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Story by Duane Williams, KLCB-KTNY Radio, www.todaysbestcountryonline.com, e-mail: klcb@frontiernet.net.
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