Despite cleanup at vermiculite plant, asbestos dust contamination lingered

The property was sold in March of 1994 to an unrelated party. By 2000, the facility was divided into two sections and leased to two businesses (occupied by various businesses over time). Although the building had been power washed by W.R. Grace when they vacated the premises, dust from the rafters was released into the air by the vibrations caused by passing trains. The dust reportedly fell on work products and employees of the businesses.

EPA was investigating a number of sites throughout the country where Libby vermiculite had been reportedly processed. As part of this investigation, EPA visited the Vermiculite Northwest/W.R. Grace plant in March 2000 and collected soil, dust, and air samples inside the former plant. Based on the sampling of dust on the exposed rafters in the building, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), lead agency for site cleanup, required further cleanup.

In 2002, cleanup was completed by pressure washing, removing contaminated dust, and scraping the rafters and insulation that had been sprayed on walls previously. After follow-up interior cleanup was complete, the ODEQ determined that no further cleanup actions were needed at the site. However, there have been many advances in the understanding of vermiculite cleanups and fiber toxicity since the site’s initial cleanup, and SHINE staff recommended that the site be revisited by the EPA for further limited sampling.

Currently, the building is leased in four sections to different businesses and groups of businesses. EPA, along with staff from SHINE and ODEQ and a former plant employee, recently revisited the property in August 2004 and March 2005, to begin investigating if adequate cleanup was performed in 2002. Initial samples have indicated that further cleanup is needed.