GAO Rips Asbestos Cleanup: Report criticizes EPA work in Hamilton, other sites
Source: NJ.Com
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, has released a report slamming the EPA’s cleanup of asbestos-contaminated sites, such as one in Hamilton, New Jersey. GAO states that the EPA underestimated the public health risks of the sites and of the actual cleanup of the sites by using a scientifically inaccurate formula that minimized the severity of the problem. GAO also criticized the EPA for failing to properly notify residents and municipal agents of the towns where the cleanup was taking place.
The cleanup of the sites is part of the fallout from the 1999 revelation that W.R. Grace’s vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana was contaminated with asbestos. Grace shipped the materials extracted from this mine throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. When the story broke, the EPA commenced an investigation and a cleanup of the 271 different sites where the materials was shipped to. To determine the levels of contamination at the site, the EPA used a standard of "1 percent asbestos by weight" to determine if a cleanup is necessary. However, GAO reports, this was not the appropriate standard to use for this kind of cleanup. By using an erroneous formula, GAO alleges that the EPA has failed in its mission to protect the public health. An EPA scientist with knowledge of the GAO report, said “The standard of 1 percent asbestos by weight used in many cases is one used to address the removal of solid commercial insulation such as an old furnace wrapped in asbestos. It is definitely not applicable to (airborne) asbestos and is definitely an inappropriate standard to apply to vermiculite.”
The GAO report comes after the EPA has completed its analysis of 266 of 271 of the sites and has finished cleanup of 19 of the sites. The EPA has not officially responded to the GAO report yet, so it is unclear what the fallout of the report will be.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, has released a report slamming the EPA’s cleanup of asbestos-contaminated sites, such as one in Hamilton, New Jersey. GAO states that the EPA underestimated the public health risks of the sites and of the actual cleanup of the sites by using a scientifically inaccurate formula that minimized the severity of the problem. GAO also criticized the EPA for failing to properly notify residents and municipal agents of the towns where the cleanup was taking place.
The cleanup of the sites is part of the fallout from the 1999 revelation that W.R. Grace’s vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana was contaminated with asbestos. Grace shipped the materials extracted from this mine throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. When the story broke, the EPA commenced an investigation and a cleanup of the 271 different sites where the materials was shipped to. To determine the levels of contamination at the site, the EPA used a standard of "1 percent asbestos by weight" to determine if a cleanup is necessary. However, GAO reports, this was not the appropriate standard to use for this kind of cleanup. By using an erroneous formula, GAO alleges that the EPA has failed in its mission to protect the public health. An EPA scientist with knowledge of the GAO report, said “The standard of 1 percent asbestos by weight used in many cases is one used to address the removal of solid commercial insulation such as an old furnace wrapped in asbestos. It is definitely not applicable to (airborne) asbestos and is definitely an inappropriate standard to apply to vermiculite.”
The GAO report comes after the EPA has completed its analysis of 266 of 271 of the sites and has finished cleanup of 19 of the sites. The EPA has not officially responded to the GAO report yet, so it is unclear what the fallout of the report will be.
Labels: asbestos
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10:50 AM
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