Ineffective air pollution control deters estimation of asbestos exposure to residents

The attorneys at the personal injury law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg have decades of experience defending victim’s rights in practice areas that include: accidents/general injury, dangerous drugs, medical malpractice, and environmental pollutants.

LATEST NEWS UPDATE:

Because the facility operated before the implementation of strict air pollution control regulations, it did not have sophisticated pollution control devices. The vent system on the vermiculite expansion furnace used a low-velocity cyclone as its primary pollution control device and a high-velocity cyclone as its secondary control device.

A former worker reported that an exhaust duct with a width of about 12-16 inches protruded 10 ft. from the roof, but no emission testing was conducted during plant operation. The lack of stack or ambient air testing complicates any estimation of asbestos exposure to residents living near the facility.

Asbestos emitted in air from the facility could, however, have impacted nearby residents, and air dispersion modeling can estimate asbestos concentrations in air in the adjacent neighborhood.

Because of the lack of testing, more data is needed from W.R. Grace records or former worker contacts before ambient exposures can be estimated through modeling.

Courtesy of the Washington Department of Health