CONCLUSION: Asbestos fibers can still become airborne

Airborne asbestos fibers on the ground can dislodge and become air-borne very easily.

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.

NEWS UPDATE:

Research indicates that asbestos fibers on the ground can become airborne.

An indeterminate health hazard existed for people that lived near the facility while vermiculite was processed there (1940s to 1974).

The community around the site could have been exposed to asbestos fibers from plant emissions, from waste rock brought home for personal use, or from indoor household dust that contained asbestos from one or more outside sources.

Insufficient information is available to determine if these exposures occurred, how often they may have occurred, or what concentrations of airborne asbestos may have been present during potential exposures. This information may never be available.

The Vermiculite NW facility no longer processes vermiculite at the site and no evidence of onsite waste piles were observed during a recent site visit.

The pathways for current or future community exposure to airborne Libby asbestos from facility emissions and to onsite waste piles have been eliminated and pose no public health hazard.

Individuals within the community could be exposed to asbestos from vermiculite waste rock used as fill material, for gardening, or for paving driveways.

This current and future exposure pathway is an indeterminate public health hazard because insufficient information is available to determine if waste material from the facility was used within the community.

An indeterminate health hazard exists for current and future on-site workers involved in site remediation or redevelopment. On-site air samples taken while soil was being disturbed revealed that some asbestos fibers can become airborne. The amount of fibers in the air, though low, may be at levels of concern under other conditions that involve both excavation and disturbance.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos illness like mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis, complete the form on this page to get a FREE and prompt review of your case by a leading asbestos attorney. Weitz & Luxenberg is a leading mesothelioma law firm with a substantial history of success in asbestos exposure cases.