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'rf) Contractor says crew exposed to asbestos CM kers say company tAG< W * i d ^ *fwtO\ed (a? * asbestos dangerous? jcssjar o >3 <c = Asbestos work halts ^3 at Capitol t :< = it=sp > n>> Removal of asbestos will begin 03113859 EJMBft (5? s_i.--J (SE) t=> 0 ,,c> & n/ Summer, 1984 Quotes Without Gomment A monthly sample of news items from the Nation's Press about Asbestos in buildings As the Quotes Without Comments title implies these articles have been selected from newspapers and magazines from around the country. They do not necessarily represent recommended practices or the opinion of the National Asbestos Council and its members. Ex-workers say company polluted Stanhope water By FRED AUN {njoffr Ste/f Writer c-- STANHOPE -- Former employees of U.S. Mineral Products Co. say that the^irm routinely dumped asbestos in a* backyard landfill adjacent to the. Musconetcong River and a borough well now contaminated. with asbestos fibers. ' The workers contend the company deposited substantial amounts of ex cess asbestos In the dump cite up un til 1971. when it stopped using the carcinogenic material. REPRESENTATIVES of.the firm, contacted Wednesday, said they had no knowledge of the alleged dump. The firm's lawyer and its spokesman agreed that U.S. Mineral used asbestos until 1971. but both said they had not been employed by the firm long enough to confirm or deny the asbestos dump allegations. The state's Department of Eiw vironmental Protection also knows nothing about the alleged dump, ac cording to its spokesman. A' report released in January revealed Stanhope's water had more dissolved asbestos than any other New Jersey water system tested in a random sampling of 56 municipal systems. The town's Plane Street well, a short distance away from the U.S. Mineral plant on furnace Street, had the highest concentration of the fiber, according to the report. A STATE study by the state Geological Survey released last week says an industrial source, rather than a natural deposit, is the more likely cause of the contamination, ac cording to Mayor Michael Bender. But Bender added he thinks more definitive tests are needed before U.S. Mineral can be blamed. The workers making the accusa tion are less uncertain. "There's no doubt in my mind...I really, honestly, believe it came from U.S. Mineral." said former plant maintenance mechanic Richard Snook. "They dumped it out there for years and years and years." SNOOK, of Kemab Lake, said he was replaced by the firm after join ing a strike last year. He said he would have been working at the com pany for 18 years this month. _ Before becoming a mechanic, he held several positioiu in the com pany. some of which required daily handling and dumping of asbestos, be said. a-' "Oh, they were dumping it for the longest, longest time." said Snook. "I saw it. I took it out. I used to dump it in the old pit.'" - Another worker who said he was replaced because of the strike U Ray Garrigan of Cranberry Lake. Garrigan said he used to mix asbestos with wool fiber, piaster and cement for sale as a water-soluble insulation material to be sprayed on building beams. "I handled it in 100-pound blocks," he said. "I'm telling you, 1 worked there...] worked in asbestos hip deep." Editor's Note: This issue of "Quotes Without Comment" replaces the July and August issues. As you may appreciate, the editorial committee has had a very hectic summer. We plan to bring you "up-to-date" with the issue following this one (hopefully by late September). I would appreciate any comments you might have on content, format, or other topics. Please feel free to write Mark Shearon, Harmon Engineering & Testing, 1550 Pumphrey Avenue, Auburn, Alabama 36830, or Stewart Huey, CAE, Executive Director, National Asbestos Council, at the address shown below. A member service ot NATIONAL ASBESTOS COUNCIL 2786 North Decatur Road Suite 220 * Oewttur, Georgia 30033 * Phone 404/292-1113 031138SO i fi-T U--a e m m EPA faults school's way of taking out asbestos Pocono elementary school checks out OK By MARGARET REGAN Express education writer removal had not been properly handled. SWIFTWATER - The Environ mental Protection Agency has found that Pocono Mountain School District workers did not use proper "There were inconsistent records and inconsistent information." Luffy said. She noted that workers removed the asbestos from the precautions when they removed as building in a school van normally bestos from the Pocono Elemen used to transport children. tary Center in the spring of 1983. "It would have been better to do In a June 8 letter to the district, it in truck that could have been W. Ray Cunningham, director of easily cleaned." she said. the EPA's Air Management Divi sion, outlined the steps the workers According to Cunningham's let should have taken when they han ter, the Pocono Mountain workers dled the hazardous materials. neglected to moisten the insulation The EPA's role in the case is before they began removing it -- ended, spokeswoman Janet Luffy a technique that helps cut down said this morning, because the on asbestos dust; failed to seal off amount of asbestos in the school was below the leveJ that the EPA the work space; did not label the bags of asbestos; and failed to can regulate. clean the space immediately after "In order for our regulations to apply, there has to be 260 feet of they finished removing the asbes tos. pipe covered with asbestos," Lutly said. "The amount in the school was not that high. But we wanted the school district to be aware of our concerns." Peter Nish, director of curricu lum and instruction for the district, said he believes the letter finally closes the long and controversial case on asbestos in the school. "We would like to think it's the end," he said, adding, "AU three The district, he added, did not provide the workers with appro priate safety equipment. "We believe all these steps should be taken when handling as bestos." Cunningham said. "With out judging the truh or falsity of any person's account. EPA wants to make the point strongly that asbestos is a very hazardous ma terial." tests we did on the school after The Pocono Mountain Elemen the asbestos was removed were tary Center was just one of thou negative." sands of schools, hospitals and The asbestos was used as insula tion on heating pipes in several classrooms and a hallway in the 1925 building. Nish said the school has been safe since the asbestos was removed in April 1983. Asbestos, formerly used often in other public buildings in the coun try containing asbestos. The ma terial was frequently used in the 1950s and l%0s for fireproofing, insulation and noise-muffling. Toward the end of the 1960s. medical experts began to trace the connection between asbestos and school construction, has been found various lung diseases, including to be dangerous when its fibers lung cancer. If flakes or micro are inhaled. scopic particles of asbestos escape Parents who disagreed with that assessment were responsible for into the air. people in the building breathe them into their lungs. bringing the EPA into the case. They complained to the federal agency that tests were done while children were silting in school, and that the removal had been dune haphazardly. They also argued that there was more asbestos in the school than the administration The EPA requires schools to in vestigate whether there is any as bestos in their building and whether it is likely to crumble and pose health hazards. Many schools and other public buildings around the country have was willing to admit. been checked for asbestos contami nation in recent years, and a few Investigators from the EPA of have oven had to be closed. fice in Philadelphia came to the district to interview parents and to speak with workers who had EXPRESS, Easton, PA done the removal, Luffy said. June 20, 1984 While EPA agreed with the district that there was only a small amount of asbestos in the building, they agre-'' wit i uts that the Being an 6Enemy9 of the Cooperative By Daniel Grant When my apartment building "converted to coopera tive ownership" a few years ago, I wasn't in the market for a real estate investment. But it was an eviction plan, and 1 could afford the "insider's price." What was I to do? I bought in. Having purchased my first piece of real estate fair apace," not to be confused with a house or even land), I waa dismayed to learn that I -- a cooperative apartment owner -- now had fewer rights than a tenant who rents from a more disinterested landlord. Before, when my landlord waa responsible for build ing repairs, the superintendent courteously completed the job. Now, the cooperative undertakes major capital improvement projects with no such guarantees to ita shareholders. I could list many examples, but most recently, a simple problem thatcould easily have been resolved has become a power struggle in which I have lost, and for which 1 have no legal protection. The co-op board of my building decided to replace the old and corroded water pipes with new ones. A good idea, but it's not that easy. 1 live in an apartment which waa subdivided many years ago and, unlike all of the other apartments in the building that have exposed pipes, mine are within the walls. To jet at the pipes, both on the kitchen and bathroom lines, the plumbers had to break into the walls. This created s Jot ofplaster dust, but that was expect ed.and I had placed drop cloths over furniture. It was just as off-hand remark, though, that one of the workmen eh frightened me no end -- the plaster contained SDust was flying, and it contained asbestos! I foreman of this group if, indeed, there was as bestos coming out ofthe wall. "Sure,"he said, "this kind o plaster always has it" He added that I shouldn't worry, relating stories of people who had worked with asbestos for years and never looked better. As soon as I heard this, I phoned the co-op board member who wsa in charge of the plumbing repairs at his law office. He first tried to cheer me with stories of his acquaintance with asbestoe, but 1 wasn't cheered. continued on another page - 2 03U3SS1 r.\./ 3 s=: e_^ <6 i -n L- Asbestos Bill Passes Senate Tfie Sertite'Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education today amended and passed which would create the Asbestos Remnv.1 Art out rJ comminw unanimoasly. Sen. Richard F. Kelly, (D-Hazelcrest) who is a committee member and a co-sponsor of the bill, explained the reason for amending the bill, "Prior to the amendment, the bill designated removal as the only means of ridding Illinois schools of the friable (crumbling) asbestos problem." "Due to the cost and time burden which would be placed on the school districts if removal is the only measure allow ed. the committee has approved the amendment which now allows alternative but still safe methods of ensuring the air our children and school employees breathe while at school is free of asbestos particles." If enacted, the bill, as amended, would require both pub lic and private school in Illinois which have friable asbes tos to remove, encapsulate, or enclose the problem. Friable asbestos has been found to cause lung diseases and in some cases cancer. . Several organizations voiced support of the legislation, two of which testified in favor of the bill. Representatives of the Service Employee's Union and the Illinois Associaiton of School Boards testified for the legislation, recommending some improvements to the bill in the areas of funding, re moval and certification of inspectors and contractors doing the identification and the abatement. . The AFL-CIO, State Board of Education, and the Illinois Catholic Conference, also registered in favor of the legis lation. ' ' Kelly commented on concerns expressed by the Depart ment of Public Health who said although they favored the concept of the legislation, they did not "have the people or the funding" to do what the legislation would mandate if enacted. The legislation designates that the DPH would be in charge of training and certifying inspectors. "The Department's concerns are justified." Kelly said. "However, we would not place a burden on the Department without appropriating the funds to allow them to do the job we have given them." "In passing legislation which would require school dis tricts to take actions to identify and contain the problem, we wilbe assured the health ofourchidlren. Asbestos is a prob lem which concerns our entire State, not just one area." Kelly said, noting several Chicago area schools have ins pected and found friable asbestos. Kelly recognized that the amount of funding for the pro ject is still an unanswered question. "Presently $20 million in School Construction Bond funds have been marked for the project. Experts have told us this will not be enough to fund the abatement project. Since many Illinois schools have yet to be inspected, we have only a rough idea of the number of schools we're dealing with and the amount the project will cost." BREMEN MESSENGER Midlothian, II, May 3, 1984 Asbestos removal program shifted by Senate to EPA A federal program of technical and not have expertise in the area of said there is solid evidence linking financial assistance aimed at qJiPV- asbestos. inhalation of asbestos to lung cancer nating potential dangers from astx*s Melcher said it was sensible to shift and other respiratory ailments. tos in school buildings has been the program to the EPA, which since Children are thought to be especially shifted by the Senate to the 1980 has required local school suspectible, he added. Environmental Protection Agency, districts to inspect school buildings "We have had a situation where Sen. John Melcher announced Thurs for asbestos contamination. How school officials have been required to day. ever, EPA has not had the legal inspect for asbestos and then share Melcher said the proposal making authority to require repairs. the results with parents and teach the shift, which he cosponsored, was The amendment would authorize ers, but remedial steps could be approved by the Senate as an (SO million for each of fiscal years taken only it the state or local board amendment to S. 1285. a measure to 1984 and 198S and (100 million for could provide the funding, in school improve mathematics and science each of five subsequent years to districts with serioos financial prob instruction in the U.S. The House remove or encapsulate asbestos, lems, this has meant being subject to approved similar legislation and Melcher said. Assistance would be a choice between top priorities," included it in its omnibus education provided in both loans and grants to Melcher said. reauthorization bill. financially needy school districts in Congress in 1980 provided for a which asbestos is a significant health RANGER REVIEW, Glendive, MT, program to assist schools in remov ing asbestos. Melcher explained. The threat. The senator said it is . estimated : June 10, 1984 program was placed in the Depart there are 14,000 public and private . ment of Education but it was never schools in the U.S. in which asbestos funded, partly because the depart was used, mainly as a material ment did not give the program high sprayed on ceilings. This material priortty and partly because it does can become loose and flake off. He 03113862 HWBB-0006M6 u--J <2 17=5^ Inconsistencies Mar VA Asbestos S3 By James Crawford '. The Veterans Administra tion needs to centralize its as bestos control efforts, says a supervisor of VA safety inspec tors in Madison, Wis., who is concerned about careless han dling of the cancer-causing fi bers at many hospitals. "That's the only way to maintain some continuity na tionwide," Brian Durtschi told Federal Times. "There's a fair amount of resistance out there" to following.asbestos precautions orderecPTy Washington. Of 25 VA medical centers in the midwest, none is fully in compliance with the agency's rules, the inspector said in a report last August. Durtschi said many asbestos removal projects now under way were poorly planned -- without the aid of experts -- but hospital managers are of ten reluctant to re-evaluate or alter them. "There are lots of dollars involved," he said. Disputes also arise over whether to remove all asbestos encountered in renovation pro jects, Durtschi added. Yet in the face of these prob lems, responsibility for VA's Project FEDERAl TIMES, Wash, D.C. May 21, 1984'" asbestos program remains fragmented. The agency's central office does not monitor compliance with rules for handjing the tox ic material safely. Nor does it settle disputes between inspec tors and hospital managers. And safety officials, located in the Department of Medicine and Surgery, have no say over asbestos removal by VA's Of fice of Construction, which is in charge of an increasing share of this work. Months of negoti ations have still not produced an agreement between the two bureaucratic rivals on asbes tos policy. The safety office largely plays a technical and educa tional role, said its chief, Wil liam Brooks. "On asbestos, it's just awareness-raising right now. It's all we can do," he said in an interview. "It's very difficult. If the im portance of a regulation is not understood by the person im- plementing it, you'll never get the intent of that regulation served." Such a lack of awareness made for a dangerous situa tion last year at the Lincoln, Neb., VA hospitai, according to an American Federation of Government Employees rep resentative there. A contractor removed asbes tos-laden steam pipes through hospital corridors and stair ways, leaving chunks of the hazardous material every where, said local union presi dent Jerry Haggerty. When he confronted medical center director Max Lybarger about the risk to employees, Haggerty said, the official told him the asbestos hazard had been overstated. "The director said he sat at his desk while (the contractor] removed it from his own office and that it wasn't visible in the air," Haggerty recalled. "The implication was that if you couldn't see it, it wksn't dangerous." a Lybarger said he co re call no such conversatSh. "I don't know what they're talk ing about," he said. "We're as concerned about the employ ees' health as much as the union is -- probably more so. We don't want any employee to be exposed unnecessarily." It's the job of VA safety and fire protection engineers to po lice such situations. But few have the expertise to cite viola tions and are thus timid in do ing so, AFGE representatives complain. When inspectors cite asbes tos violations, they are not re ported to Washington--except on an anecdotal basis. Durtschi compiled his score card on midwest facilities at his own initiative. He's now de veloping a more detailed sys tem to report compliance, which he hopes will eventually be used throughout VA. At present, however, the central office has no plans to institute forma! reporting from facilities, officials said. Follow-up on violators, as well as resolution of any dis putes about inspectors' find- Schools reject share By Lynne Royce Newt-Times staff DANBURY - The Board of Edu cation is not responsible for paying for school asbestos removal projects, Chairman Philip Penster suys. Fenster's comment came in re sponse to mayoral aide Robert Stein berg's suggestion that the board pay half of the 1193,000 project proposed for this summer. educational accounts, Fenster said. Asbestos removal is part of a pro posed $5.7 million project to bring schools into compliance with state and federal fire, safety, health and building codes. Architects recommended to school and city officials that asbestos be re moved from eight schools this sum mer because it is located in areas near staff and students. The board will decide how to code compliance projects may be reimbursed by the state by 56.7 per cent, Steinberg predicts the board would be reimbursed by a little lees than $50,000 for paying for half of the summer project "Frankly," he wrote in a letter to Fenster, "I cannot understand why the Board of Education would send the message to our students, parents, and staff that for the risk of $50,000, out of your 32-plus million 1984-85 Steinberg wants the board to use spend its surplus when it meets to budget, you would not approve first funds from its 1984-85 budget or out night and plans to adopt Us 1984-85 phase asbestos removal immediately of its S146.765 surplus (rom this budget on June 26. Both meetings and allocate the funds necessary to year's budget. will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Mill do the work. Your budgets are not Ridge Intermediate School. But spending money for asbestos Inflexible." removal work wouid jiioiiHwi ^e" Because asbestos removal and The City-Wide Parent-Teacher Or- NEWS-TIMES, Danbury, CT, June 13, 1984 (Cont'd on next page) 4 03I13SG3 L--j fiff1 j INCONSISTENCIES MAR PROJECT (Cont'd from previous page) ings, is left to VA's six regional directors. The priority of as bestos control varies in differ ent areas. Brooks's superior, deputy planning and engineering di rector Richard Falco, de fended VA's decentralized management. "We've made a choice to manage with a very, very small corporate head quarters," he said. "Although there are some questions of compliance or non-compliance, we look at the line supervisor in the field to manage this like they manage resources, like they manage who works where. It's just one more thing a line official is re sponsible fordoing." But Falco conceded, "These line officials, have external forces operating on them from several different directions. They react as best they can." Where asbestos is con cerned, the most effective ex ternal pressures have come from outside the agency. An internal history of VA's asbestos efforts, obtained un der the Freedom of Informa tion Act. is candid on this point: ^ "Laws governing employee exposure to asbestos have been in effect since 1971, but yA central office management action lagged until 1979. Fortu nately for the agency, era- . ployee/public awareness of the : substance was negligible dur ing the same time period. "Increasing labor and me dia involvement in asbestos has resulted in central office activity at VAMC Atlanta, VAMC Baltimore and VAMC Beckiey." This year, the Department of Medicine and Surgery will spend $8 million on 18 specific asbestos removal projects and plans to spend $7.5 million on 38 projects in 1985. The Office of Construction has a $4 million asbestos fund to use as needed in fiscal 1984, with $25 million requested for next year. With separate funding and organizational autonomy, the two VA branches almost inev itably cross swords over asbes tos policy. in a septemoer 23 memo, safety official Brooks ex pressed concerns about con struction officials' attempts to set their own asbestos policy, contained in a set of guidelines he characterized as "confus ing, inadequate and possibly harmful to the interests of the Veterans Administration." "I must re-emphasize that asbestos must be treated with extreme caution," Brooks add ed. "Unlike many other as pects of construction, improper asbestos procedures can result in a direct threat to a facility during the prefect, as well as create future liabilities." The construction office re cently revised these guidelines 7- a four-page jumble of policy statements and technical specifications -- again without the use of a staffexpert. Associate construction di rector Chin Fun Kwok said in dustrial hygiene consultants will be hired for each project and will advise contractors on whether all asbestos needs to be removed. Well-contained asbestos may not always be removed, he said -- another point of con tention with DM&S officials, who want the hazard removed wherever possible in the course ofconstruction work. On the recommendation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, VA re cently upgraded the authority of its top safety and health official. The post, held by deputy chief medical director John Gronvall, is still in DM&S. In a recent interview, however, he expressed his hope of working out jurisdictional problems with VA's deputy administra tor, Everett Alvarez. These organizational rival ries extend well beyond the construction office. In a recent memo. Brooks complained about the safety office's lack of jurisdiction over VA cemeter ies, supply depots and office space managed by the General Services Administration. Officials have postponed as bestos clean-up outside DM&S until a consultant completes an industrial hygiene guide -- a project expected to take at least a year. Waiting that long "to alert these people* to their current responsibilities," Brooks said, "could result in unnecessary and preventable exposure to VA beneficiaries, employees and visitors " SCHOOLS REJECT SHARE {Cont'd from previous page) ganixation doesn't care which agency is financially responsible for the project, said Marilyn Dietrich, vice president "Asbestos should be definitely re moved this summer while children are dm in school." Dietrich said. "City Hall and the Board of Educa tion have a moral obligation to the children of Danbury to taka care d the asbestos problem as soon as pos sible." Common Council Chairman Con stance McManus said she believes the majority of the council wants a* bestos removed this summer. "Ibe council wants to work wtth the (school) board and make sere schools are brought into compliance with state guidelines. The council's only goal is to make sure children go to safe schools," McManus said. Funding recommendations will have to be made to the council by its public works committee, which is re viewing the architect's report, McManus said. Both McManus and committee Chairman Joseph DaSilva said the council will support a bond issue ref erendum to raise tbe $5.7 million. Neither would predict If the commit tee would ask tbe school board to help pay (or the summer asbestos project Barbara Baker, chairman of the board's committee which oversees building maintenance, said she doesn't "understand what all the rush is about" to get asbestos out of some schools this summer. "The Health Department In Dan bury Indicated there was no immedi ate danger," Baker said. "Tbe school board does not have sny money for the project. If the city does not have $200,000, then this work should be included in the bond issue." Friable (deteriorating) asbestos should be removed "sometime, as soon as possible," said Jack Kozuchowskl of the city Health Depart ment. He said the material Is not located in many areas students fre quent. 03113864 Is Globe asbestos dangerous? t4\b Is it or isn't it dangerous? The long-time controversy over In 1990, a state of emergency "Such general terms do not in 1980 showed levels of asbestos that remains at a closed was declared at a Globe mobile- acknowledge component parts fibers per cubic mete^ A mill and adjacent trailer court in home park built adjacent to the and, therefore, perpetuate Research Council staff meMer Globe has flared up again. old asbestos mill site, with some misunderstanding of specific said such levels would indicate a The controversy was renewed of the residual asbestos used as characteristics," Peirce said. cancer risk of nearly one case la by the dash between a report fill material. . Asbestos is composed of tiny, 100 people. G--> recently released by a national In 1983, the federal En fibers that are both incredibly He conceded, however, that the L--d research group and the con* vironmental Protection Agency strong and light enough to be study's risk ranges could be turning efforts by a large number decided on a "buyout" of inhaled. `These fiber types act faulty. He added that chrysotile of Globe residents to force state Mountain View Mobile Home differenfly because of the con is less hazardous than other types officials to "remove the health Estates. The site was considered trasting physical and chemical of asbestos. stigma" on the area. ' Arizona's top priority for federal attributes. For instance, D.W. Jaquays, president of A study by the National "Superfund" cleanup money. chrysotile fibers curl into spirals, Jacquays Asbestos Corp., an v--r Research Council, an arm of the Ross, who also presented a talk whereas crocidolite and amosite Arizona company, said the study U------J National Academy of Sciences, at the University of Arizona, said develop straighter, more needle-' was "a lot of rehash of old stuff. was conducted at the request of 95 percent of the commercial like fibers, and appear to They have no research and no the Environmental Protection asbestos used in the United States penetrate more deeply into the figures to back it up." Agency. It attempted to measure the risks of asbestos exposure to the general public, but came under fire from critics who contend the most common form of asbestos is not harmful. A petition drive in Globe is chrysotile or "white" asbestos. This is the type mined in Globe. Ross contends the culprit in the asbestos scare is crocidolite, or "blue," asbestos, which, be said, ^ is a known carcinogen and Should be banned. The blue variety and amosite, or "brown," asbestos terminal air sacs of the lungs," said Peirce. "Chrysotile may have become the victim of `guilt by association.' having been lumped with the more dangerous minerals, crocidolite and amosite, under the general ttrm, Jaquays' firm was a leading developer, miner and miller of asbestos in the Globe area for many years. Most of the mines, now closed, woe located along the south rim of the Salt River Canyon. recently urged state, officials to each account for two percent of asbestos. either prove the risk of cancer the asbestos used in this country, "Studies of the non- BREWERY GULCH GAZETTE among the population or give the be said. occupational health risk of Bisbee, A2, May 10, 1984 area a clean bill of health. According to Ross, despite the chrysotile suggest do detectable A presentation was made April wide dissemination of white excess disease; therefore, the Uafa to two committees of the asbestos in our environment, prevailing generalization that Arizona Legislature in Phoenix there is no evidence that very any non-zero exposure to by a delegation of approximately frequent non-ecenpitional ex chrysotile can cause any serious 100 Globe residents. They asked posures to the material is harm medical problems should be members of the House Natural ful. questioned," Peirce concluded. Resources Committee and Health Rossi cited studies of the Committee to help them assort Thetford mines in Canada where Peirce's comments appeared that the type of asbestos found in no appreciable difference in in a recent issue of FIELD- the Globe area is safe. asbestos-related diseases was NOTES, the quarterly The delegation was led by found. publication of the Arizona Bureau Hubert Wood and Alvin "I have read thousands of of Geology and Mineral Gerhardt, who brought with them papers on,asbestos and related Technology. petitions which they said had topics...I consider myself an The previously-mentioned been signed by more than 4,000 expert on asbestos, yet I have study by the National Research county residents. The petitions never been invited to testify Council, however, contends that said unfavorable publicity has before a federal committee on exposure to any type of asbestos blighted Globe's image as a this topic," he said. is harmful, including exposure to desirable place to live. Ross said there are several chrysotile. The committee members areas, including national The work was a compilation of listened for about 90 minutes, but defense, for which there ia no data from nine previous studies took no immediate action. substitute for asbestos. "We can't of workers in insulation and other float a nuclear submarine asbestos-related industries. EXPERT SAYS `NO' . Dr. Malcolm Ross of the United States Geological Survey told Globe residents recently that the type of asbestos mined in the area and processed at a nowclosed mill on the east side of the city is not dangerous. Ross has been involved with the asbestos controversy for years. The fuss in Globi said Ross, has "gotten out V band." without it," be said. "GUILT BY ASSOCIATION* Dr. H. Wesley Peirce, a geologist with the Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology, wrote recently that, "Like the word `snakes,' asbestos is not a scientific word. Both are lumping terms encompassing a group of similar, yet different species. The study contends that a person breathing a "typical" amount of asbestos, a relatively tiny amount of 400 fibers per cubic meter, would have a nine in a million chance of developing mesothelioma, a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. Testing of the area near Mountain View Estates at Globe 6 03113863 S=! s_-, U------4 ' Water ----------------- ' Continued from Page A1 He said the unusable asbestos and asbestos mixtures were scooped up with bucket loaders each day and brought out to the dump. BUDD LAKE resident Henry Ul lrich. another former U S. Mineral worker who confirmed the asbestos dumping, said much of the material also was trucked to the Cat Swamp area in Byram. They used to truck some out and some they put in their own dump/' Ullrich said. "We used to use the 100-pound blocks of asbestos." said Ullrich "Sometimes we got a broken block and the whole block would go out." When asked how far the local dump is from the Musconetcong River. Ul lrich said. "You could throw a stone and you wouldn't have to use all your might. ' to reach it. ACCOUNTS of the asbestos dump were confirmed by another former worker, who asked that his com ments or name be unpublished, and one man who still works at U.S. Mineral who also requested anonymity. "They dumped it right out there in their dump, which is right above that number five well they're talking about." said the man. "So naturally, it would have to go somewhere." U S. Mineral spokesman Peter Rushlon said the company voluntari ly stopped using asbestos in 1871. two years before its use was banned in the state. REGARDING the employees' as sertions about dumping. Rushton said he had "only hearsay infor mation" he would not divulge. He said he has been a U.S. Mineral worker for five years. Company president James Verhalen. who has been with the firm for several years, was out of state. U.S. Mineral's attorney. Leonard Pasculli. said he would try to contact Verhalen. No call was returned to the Herald Wednesday night. Pasculli said the only company * dump he is aware of is a storage : facility near the plant classified by the DEP as a "non-hazardous. non- ' toxic landfill." He said that facility is used to store basalt, a mineral now used instead of asbestos in the insula tion material. PASCULLI SAID the DEP has asked the company to make some changes to the basalt piles, but the agency has made no mention of a buried asbestos dump. "That's about the only investiga tion the DEP's been doing." he said. "There's been no testing or question about asbestos testing in the recent past " James Staples. DEP spokesman, informed of the former employees' accusations, said finding an asbestos dump there "would be a great, sim ple breakthrough.'' However, he said the state has no regulation against asbestos in drink ing water, since asbestos has been proven to be carcinogenic only when inhaled. ' BENDER, who worked at U.S. Mineral for a short time in the late 1970s. said the borough has asked the state to take surface water tests up stream and downriver of the plant. He said tests have also been re quested for Lake Musconetcong and the Morris Canal. Regarding the employees' claims. Bender said. "I have heard these rumors mentioned, even at council meetings.. I had heard rumors and stories but I'm not ready to blame anyone until 1 have more facts, and now we're talking about giving somebody a really bad name." He said he thinks U.S. Mineral would be held responsible for clean ing up the site if a dump is found, even though there may not have been laws against landfilling the fiber in former years. SUSSEX COUNTY Health Depart ment Director Paul Wegroann. When asked about the alleged dump. said, i can t honestly say I've heard that rumor before. This is a new report to me." Referring to the employees. Wegmann added. "I'm sure we'd be very interested in talking to those folks." He said that, should the Health Department come up with "hard data, .good evidence...we'd probably take some decisive action." The director said that action might include ordering test beri&ft twoae if the dump exists. NEW JERSEY HERALD, Newton, NJ, June 28, 1984 Asbestos Work at Capitol POST-TRIBUNE, Jefferson City, MO, May 17, 1984 Asbestos work halts ot CdpitoliTM:^! Concerns ov^r the safety of workers removing asbestos insulation in a basement area of the Missouri Capitol has brought the work to a temporary halt, according to Walter Johnson, director of the state's Division of Design and Construction. . Johnson said on Wednesday that Harold G. Butter Inc. of Jefferson City, the contractor for the asbestos removal, had been told to stop work until it showed it was complying with state safety regulations. The firm's president. Harold Butter, said there were no safety problems, only different interpretations of safety rules by the state and the contractor. Butter also said be expected work to resume .shortly, when state officials and tbe contractor worked out their differences. Johnson saief had ordered the Butter firm to stwork laat grkky on r the removal of asbestos pipe bsahtioo in the Capitol's basement cafeteria. The actual insulation removal was subcontracted by the Butter firm to F.O. Rutherford Insulation ot St. Louis, but as contractor Butter was responsible for the work, Johnson said. Tbe main problem was that workers were not using required protective gear, such as masks to cover their full head and disposable coveralls to be left each day at the job site, Johnson said. "All they were using were just painting masks" covering the nose and mouth, Johnson said. In addition, inspectors found a work supervisor was not present as required by state regulations, Johnson said. "They have not yet come back and told us how they're going to move to rectify the situation," Johnson uid. However, Butter denied the workers were using improper protective gear, and said the only problem was the state's differing interpretation of safety regulations. Butter also said concerns about asbestos dust leaving the work area, which is surrounded by plastic sheeting, probably arose because dust from unrelated construction work in tbe Capitol sometimes drifted to other areas of the building. "In a sense we're being tarred by somebody else's brush," Butter said, adding the state Department of Natural Resources had determined asbestos was not drifting away from the work site. 7 NttBB-0006450  SF2 e_- u--J lr-J L' 1? w~ Removal of asbestos will begin u> ATLANTA-JK'moval of friable crumbling asocslbs at the sjie of the former Swainsboro Print Wo^ks manufacturing firm in Swamslxiro will begin Tuesday, according to Charles U. Jeter. Environmental Protection Agwy <EPA> regional administrator. Asbestos-ciinUmmig ntdlcr.il has been widely usi*d as a flame retardant and insulator and when dry and friable may be released into the air. The fibers are harmful when inhaled and can cause asbestosis. a lung ailment. Asbestos must be removed by and materials fmm the plum i so Removal of the asbestos is being undertaken while the material is* still wet and less likely i<> In** disbursed into the environment. Safety procedures in effect during the clean up will assure workers and residents are not exposed to The asbestos was discovered during an earlier dean-up at the site in February. 1984. when waste 'chemicals were removed from the abandoned building under Ihe federally-financed Super Fund Program The asbestos i-anup will also use federal monies and is expected to lake several w<*eks fot completion qualified contractors to minimize exposure to workers and the public. Mr. Jeter said. The Swainsboro facility, damaged hy fire in December 19H3, was involved in bleaching, dying and printing of cloth before it closed in l Asbestos in the facility was disturbed during recent salvage operalioas to recover machinery dangerous materials, the EPA official said. Roger Shaw, county manager, who is acting as local coordinator for the clean-up operation, said local and state of/icials will work closely - with ERA officials to assure local services are available as needed. Super Fund is a Si b billion program administered by EPA to clean up abandoned waste sites. BLADE, Swainsboro, GA, June 6, 1984. "Being an 'Enemy'..," continued belou Contractor says crew You live io New York, end New York ha* plenty of stuff in the air, he aaid, but I wasn't wild about this line of argument either. 1 told him that the Environmental Protection Agency exposed to asbestos 1 fVrJtil By Mary Ann Roser moved by Ray Hundley, owner of Herald-Leader staff writ* A demolition contractor claims that he and seven of his workers were exposed to harmful asbestos while removing ceilings at Leestown Junior High School is Lexington. Odine Demolition of Nichoiasvilte, and his exew. "For some reason, some small amount was left in the ceiling," said. Rotert Cocanougher, an assistant su perintendent for the school system. But the workers might not have been After the asbestos was discovered exposed to asbestos, and if they were, .11 days ago, the Lexington-Fayette it is uncertaSTOfil such an amount County Health Department halted could pose a health risk, be said. work on the ceilings and sealed off a pertioa of the budding, said Larry Delph, supervisor of the health depart ment's environmental protection section. Officials with Superior Systems could not be readied for comment yesterday. A man who answered the phone at the St. Charles office said company President Bob Canaday was "We have cautioned those gentle "on the road" and would not be calling men that they were exposed and to see in for messages until Thursday. a physician," Delph said. "! feel like they got paid to take it School officials and those working out and we didn't even get paid to eat on the school renovation project knew it," Hundley said yesterday. that the hazardous material was in the His crew had been working on the ceilings at Leestown. But it was sup ceilings for a week and a half before posed to have been taken out by they found that not ail the asbestos had Superior Systems Inc. of Si. Charles, been removed, he said. * requires special procedures and equipment for removing asbestos from school*. Should hi* fellow shareholders de serve something less? He was unimpressed. Live with it, he said, and if I didn't like it, move out. I said that I would like to have the plaster sealed off and the air sampled before the job went any further. At this, be threatened a lawsuit if work was interrupted in any way. The hole in my wall stayed open for 15 days, with the asbestos-plaster percolating out all the while. During this time, I spoke with five lawyers, all of whom stated that there was nothing 1 could do. The wort: was necessary, ao I could not legally stop the workmen. "If it comes down to who knows best how the work should be done," one attor ney said, "who would a judge believe -- you or the guys doing it for a living?" I also was told that the issue is really a political one and not legal -- 1 should organize fellow shareholders who must be equally affected. They listened but did nothing more than shake their heads. They didn't have the prob lems because they weren't having their walls broken inter ! called back the lawyer. "I guess you lose," he said, advising me not to make too much of a big deal of it, since the co-op board could make reprisals against me by disqualifying any buyers of my apartment when I decide to sell it What's left? I put on a workman's mask and begin the expensive and time-consuming task ofcleaning up a mess f had nothing to do with creating. The hazards to my health are quietly forgotten by fellow shareholders whio have chosen not to acknowledge their existence. Mo. -- before the ceilings were re Majority rule, in this instance, has voted through silence to deny the rights of e minority. ''Rights," how HERALD-LEADER, Lexington, Kentucky ever, is the wrong word. It's a legal word, and the law afford me nothing. Consideration and fairness cannot be legislated. . v- July 4, 1984 NEWSDAY, Garden City, NY Hay 9, 1984 031138S7