The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), which is part of the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, released a summary report Oct. 29 that reviews exposure to asbestos-containing vermiculite from Libby, Montana, at 28 processing sites in the United States. Conducted in cooperation with state health department partners, the site evaluations examined potential past, current and future pathways of exposure to asbestos associated with the Libby mine.

According to the summary report, the ATSDR began evaluating the Libby-related sites at the request of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), following documented health-related effects of vermiculite in Libby itself. The summary says the EPA identified 245 sites within the U.S. that may have received shipments of asbestos-containing vermiculite from Libby. Of that number, the 28 sites chosen for this study by the ATSDR were either mandated for study by the EPA due to existing asbestos contamination, or were selected because the site processed more than 10,000 tons of vermiculite from the Libby mine.

The summary states that ATSDR was able to identify three groups who experienced “significant exposure to Libby amphiboles in the past while these facilities actively exfoliated vermiculite: former employees, household contacts of former employees, and some community members who had frequent, direct contact with vermiculite or waste rock from the exfoliation process.”

Health effects associated with breathing asbestos include asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs; mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs; and lung cancer. It can take as long as 30 or more years for the affects of asbestos exposure to manifest with symptoms.

ATSDR and its state health partners created a health consultation, fact sheet and media announcement for each of the 28 sites studied. These are available at the ATSDR web site.

You can also read the ATSDR Summary Report Fact Sheet or the Full Summary Report.

The ATSDR, based in Atlanta, Ga., is a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. According to its web site, ATSDR serves the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted information to prevent harmful exposures to diseases related to toxic substances.

Hamilton Jordan 1944-2008. Hamilton Jordan, who served as President Jimmy Carter’s chief of staff, died Tuesday, May 20, after a battle with mesothelioma.

This was the fourth time Jordan battled cancer. In the 1980s, he was diagnosed with leukemia lymphoma. About 10 years later, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He also had two battles with skin cancer. In 2000, Jordan wrote a book about his experience with cancer, titled “No Such Thing as a Bad Day,” which provided inspiration to cancer survivors.

He and his wife, Dorothy, founded Camp Sunshine, a nonprofit camp for children with cancer, and Camp Kudzu, a nonprofit camp for children with Type 1 diabetes. Jordan also founded the Georgia Cancer Coalition, a $1 billion organization funded by tobacco settlement money.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has published the following statement from Jordan’s family:

The Jordan Family greatly appreciates the overwhelming amount of love and support we have received from our friends during the many difficult years of Hamilton’s illness. We are saddened beyond words at his death, but we are also at peace knowing that he is finally comfortable after years of fighting an incurable disease. A truly unforgettable person, Hamilton will be remembered as a compassionate, brilliant, and selfless human being who touched so many lives with his limitless generosity.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that your donations be sent to any of the following charitable organizations:

The Hamilton Jordan Mesothelioma Research Fund at the University of Maryland-Baltimore Foundation, University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, 100 North Green Street, Suite 600, Baltimore MD 21201

Camp Sunshine, 1850 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA 30033, enriching the lives of children with cancer through recreational, educational and support programs throughout the year

Camp Kudzu, 4279 Roswell Road, Suite 102, Box 254, Atlanta, GA 30342, providing education, recreation and peer-networking programs for children with diabetes

Community Advanced Practice Nurses, Inc., 173 Boulevard NE Atlanta GA 30312, offering free mental and physical healthcare to the homeless and medically underserved.

A memorial service for Hamilton Jordan, White House chief of staff during the Carter administration, will be held with family and close friends at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 23, at The Carter Center. Seating begins at 1 p.m. President Carter as well as other friends and colleagues over the years, will offer remarks and reminiscences. The event will not be open to press coverage.