In a report dated December 5, 2006 based on known facts about Asbestos hazards to health, acting Inspector General Bill A. Roderick of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, outlined a number of concerns about the EPA's plan to cleanup Asbestos contamination in Libby, Montana. Asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma, a fatal lung cancer, which has prompted testing and cleaning to eliminate toxicity and further hazards to health from Asbestos contamination at Libby, Montana. Acting at bequest of the senators of Montana, Roderick initiated his review of the EPA's efforts. He was struck by a number of "time critical issues" which prompted him to issue a report, which, in thirty days, he hopes will result in a "corrective action plan."
Asbestos hazards to health and the associated risks of acquiring mesothelioma from Asbestos exposure are well documented. Roderick launched his investigation on August 22, 2006, after two congressional requests were issued calling for an evaluation into how well the EPA was dealing with Asbestos contamination in Libby Montana. Upon inspection, Roderick and his fellow inspectors were dismayed to find that the EPA had not "followed its own guidance regarding the conducting of a toxicity assessment" thereby frustrating efforts to determine how well the Libby cleanup was progressing. He also found the EPA's public document, Living with Vermiculite and Asbestos in Your Home, to be "inconsistent about safety concerns."
In his report, Roderick's recommends that the EPA begin extensive testing of the region to ascertain Asbestos health hazards by measuring the levels of toxicity present in the area, which may still be causing harm to area's citizens, as well as to review and correct any misleading documents that had been mailed or passed along to Libby's citizens about the hazards of Asbestos exposure and cleanup efforts.
To view a copy of the Quick Reaction Report, "EPA Needs to Plan and Complete a Toxicity Assessment for the Libby Asbestos Cleanup", please click on the following link: http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2007/20061205-2007-P-00002.pdf
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