There is an interesting opinion column published in the Saturday, May 16 issue of The Billings Gazette, urging Montana residents to beware of asbestos danger. The piece, published in the wake of the W.R. Grace & Co. trial, which acquitted the vermiculite mining company of criminal responsibility in the contamination of the town of Libby, Montana, warns of widespread vermiculite danger throughout the state, and beyond.

Penned by Bruce Ingraham, a resident of Butte and president of the Asbestos Contractors and Consultations Association of Montana, the column points out that vermiculite asbestos mined in Libby was shipped throughout the state of Montana and across the country by railcar. He notes that nearly 90 percent of mesothelioma cases reported in Montana occur in communities along the railroad lines, where, he says, “literally trainloads of vermiculite were used as attic or wall insulation in your home or your neighbor’s home.”

Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer most often affecting the lining of the lungs, but which also may in rarer instances affect the lining of the abdomen and/or the heart. It is solely caused by exposure to asbestos. There is currently no proven cure for mesothelioma.

Among the materials Mr. Ingraham includes on his list of asbestos hazards are boiler pipes, floor tile, linoleum, popcorn texture, ceiling tile, drywall compound, plaster and window putty. He notes that asbestos is present in many construction materials even in structures built as late as the 1990s.

Part of the problem in Montana, he says, is that compliance with the state’s Department of Environmental Quality Asbestos Control Program (ACP) is voluntary when it comes to residential projects, and that there is widespread noncompliance. Homes and apartments with less than four units are exempt from asbestos regulations, Ingraham says.

On its web site, the ACP says that the State of Montana has a specific homeowner asbestos exclusion rule for homeowners conducting renovation or demolition projects. Under this rule, homeowners are not held to the state’s asbestos abatement laws as long as asbestos-containing materials will not affect anyone besides the owner himself, or anyone outside the homeowner’s private property.

The ACP notes that the exclusion rule only applies to the homeowner, and does not extend to any contractors hired by a homeowner. According to the ACP, “Contractors who conduct demolition, renovation, remodeling, or asbestos abatement activities in a home are obligated to follow OSHA regulations and other applicable regulations. According to OSHA, the contractor must exercise due diligence by inspecting for asbestos to determine whether materials that will be impacted contain asbestos.”

But because compliance is not required on residential projects, these regulations are very often overlooked, Ingraham says. All too often, he says, the presence of asbestos is ignored by homeowners and contractors, and as a result, hundreds of Montana workers are exposed to asbestos without their knowledge, he says.

“In some Montana communities, the noncompliance rate for asbestos is 90 percent,” Ingraham writes.

Tags: asbestos, Libby, mesothelioma, Montana, vermiculite, W.R. Grace & Co.

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