
|
40 Sites Across The United States Received 10,000 Tons Or More of Asbestos-Containing Material From Libby, MT
The Specter-Leahy Asbestos Bill allows residents of Libby, Montana, home of the notorious W.R. Grace vermiculite mine to sidestep the Byzantine criteria for assistance in the bill, and receive a guaranteed award of $400,000. The provision is notable, not so much for its special attention to the people of Libby, who by all accounts deserve the assistance, but in the absence of such care for any of the hundreds of communities around the country that received and processed thousands of tons of asbestos contaminated Libby vermiculite for decades.
From 1948 to 1993, more than 5.8 million tons of asbestos-contaminated ore from Libby, MT, was shipped to 236 different addresses in 39 states. The federal government has launched a special health investigation into the site and surrounding communities of the 28 largest facilities. The government acknowledges that the nearby residents are at greater risk for asbestos-related diseases.
One compelling reason why these W.R. Grace asbestos "hotspots" deserve special consideration is the multi-count criminal indictment a federal grand jury handed down against Grace officials on Feb. 7, 2005. The prosecutor, William Mercer, called Grace's treatment of workers and residents of Libby "a human and environmental tragedy."
|
The indictment alleges that the company was aware of several studies documenting the dangers of asbestos exposure, but concealed this knowledge from EPA officials. These studies include a 1976 study which revealed a high incidence of asbestos-related lung problems in Libby employees; an animal study finding cancer in hamsters exposed to the asbestos fibers present at the mine; a 1981 health study of employees showing a high rate of asbestos-related lung problems; a 1982 mortality study showing a high incidence of respiratory cancers in Libby employees; and several specific case studies of employees with lung diseases.
If Grace behaved in such a manner towards its employees and neighbors, it must be assumed the company would be likely to treat with a similar, calculating disregard the workers and surrounding communities of the "hotspot" customers listed below, all of which received thousands of tons of deadly asbestos.
40 Sites Across The United States Received 10,000 Tons Or More of Asbestos-Containing Material From Libby, MT
City | Address | Number of Shipments | Tons Shipped* | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Newark, CA | 6851 Smith Avenue | 5,761 | 561,845 |
2 | New Castle, PA | 202 E. Cherry Street | 4,232 | 424,648 |
3 | Santa Ana, CA | 2502 South Garnsey | 3,778 | 359,344 |
4 | Trenton, NJ | 336 Whitehead Road, Penn-Car Shops | 2,562 | 336,228 |
5 | Dallas, TX | 2651 Manila Road | 3,399 | 327,411 |
6 | West Chicago, IL | 603 Fenton Lane | 2,325 | 219,115 |
7 | Phoenix, AZ | 4220 West Glenrosa Avenue | 2,248 | 212,458 |
8 | Houston, TX | S.W. Greer Spur | 1,978 | 185,305 |
9 | Wilder, KY | 112 North Street | 1,836 | 173,713 |
10 | Dearborn, MI | 14300 Henn Avenue | 1,636 | 162,658 |
11 | Portland, OR | 2303 N. Harding Avenue | 1,708 | 157,176 |
12 | South Omaha, NE | 36th & I Streets | 1,386 | 126,698 |
13 | New Orleans, LA | 4729 River Road | 1,326 | 122,838 |
14 | St. Louis, MO | 1705 Sulphur Avenue | 1,193 | 111,700 |
15 | San Antonio, TX | 354 Blue Star Street | 1,094 | 103,889 |
16 | Tacoma, WA | Port Dock No. 4 | 1,042 | 97,467 |
17 | West Glendale, CA | 5440 San Fernando Road West | 1,046 | 97,084 |
18 | Minneapolis, MN | 1720 Madison Street N.E. | 1,026 | 94,686 |
19 | Oklahoma City, OK | 201 North Eastern | 984 | 92,201 |
20 | Denver, CO | 111 South Navajo Street | 861 | 81,797 |
21 | Muirkirk, MD | 12340 Conway Rd. | 724 | 67,743 |
22 | North Little Rock, AR | Foot of Dixie Lane | 721 | 64,118 |
23 | Chicago, IL | 12300 South Ashland Avenue | 610 | 58,045 |
24 | Albuquerque, NM | 1822 First Street, N. W. | 595 | 55,727 |
25 | Milwaukee, WI | Grand Avenue District Yard | 571 | 53,969 |
26 | Bonham, TX | Highway 82 West | 509 | 47,284 |
27 | Salt Lake City, UT | 333 West First South Street | 749 | 40,428 |
28 | St. Louis, MO | 1367 S. Kingshighway Blvd. | 321 | 28,744 |
29 | Cleveland, OH | West Third Street | 260 | 23,760 |
30 | Great Falls, MT | 1226 River Falls | 288 | 23,479 |
31 | Spokane, WA | 1318 N. Maple Street | 295 | 20,756 |
32 | Hazel Park, MN | 1300 N. Mckinght Rd. | 204 | 19,613 |
33 | De Kalb, IL | 1120 Oak Street | 194 | 18,278 |
34 | Girard, IL | First & Mount Sts. | 164 | 17,815 |
35 | Minneapolis, MN | 459 Harding Street N. E. | 291 | 16,403 |
36 | Seattle, WA | 600 S. Edmonds Street | 174 | 15,296 |
37 | De Kalb, IL | 1008 Oak Street | 161 | 15,272 |
38 | Newark, CA | 37851 Cherry Street | 232 | 11,271 |
39 | Cambridge, MA | 62 Whittemore Avenue | 112 | 10,279 |
40 | High Point, NC | Highway 16 E. Cloverbar | 150 | 10,108 |
Source: Environmental Protection Agency data