Crushed Asbestos Pipes Buried at Johnstown, PA Area Park

In June 2009, a former employee in the Johnstown, PA suburb of Nanty Glo Borough reported that crushed asbestos had been dumped at the borough’s park and pool properties for decades.

The worker reported that crushed asbestos-containing pipes had been dumped and buried in the area since the 1970s, and that dumping still took place within the past few years. The worker also stated that the crushed asbestos pipes may be buried mere inches below the ground.

Aside from the alleged illegal dumping of asbestos-containing materials, the area may be stricken by other environmental concerns from the contamination, including runoffs from a stream in the park, which flows into the Davis Run and a Cambria County fishing spot. Area residents have expressed concern that asbestos-contaminated landfill may have leached onto their property.

Even limited exposure to asbestos is known to cause serious illnesses such as mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer or asbestosis.