Environmental air samples revealed asbestos fiber concentrations

Indoor air samples were taken from the facility on two separate occasions in the early 1970s. The first event consisted of three samples, all of which exceeded the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter (f/cc) with one sample exceeding the then-current PEL of 5 f/cc.

This event prompted a follow-up inspection by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. The inspector noted a dusty work environment with inadequate ventilation. Air samples from within the facility revealed asbestos fiber concentrations that ranged from 6.1 to 50 f/cc. All samples were above regulatory levels.

One Vermiculite NW worker, himself diagnosed with asbestosis, spoke of other former workers who have died because of lung disease. Newspaper articles have also reported that Vermiculite NW workers may have developed respiratory disease, with one dying of mesothelioma 36 years after working at the Spokane plant for only 23 months.

Courtesy of the Washington Department of Health