Closed Asbestos Mine May Lower Property Values in Vermont

Eden, VT—At a meeting held on December 12, 2008 at the Eden Central School, Vermont state health and environmental officials fielded questions from local residents about a recent state Health Department study that has raised fears about the presence of a long ago-closed asbestos mine in the area. Hundreds of area citizens packed the school’s gymnasium in an attempt to get more information from health officials about the controversial report that claims there is an increased risk of asbestos-caused disease for anyone living within a 10 mile, 13 town radius of the Vermont Asbestos Group (VAG) mine.

For over 100 years, asbestos was mined from the VAG’s sprawling excavation on Belvidere Mountain in Eden and Lowell, though, due to significant health concerns, the mine ceased production of the extremely hazardous mineral in 1993. The Health Department report relies on a scientific study that recorded three deaths and 14 hospitalizations for asbestosis amongst residents of the affected towns between the years 1994 and 2006. While the number of asbestos-caused health problems seems small, experts claim that the number is statistically significant because of the limited and sparsely populated geographic area.

The Health Department report did not attempt to identify the type or levels of asbestos exposure amongst those whose health had been affected—leaving those issues for another day. Many residents of the affected area say the report raised more questions than it answered. Other local and nearby townspeople, many of them angry, contend that the report is seriously flawed, and that its findings are going to result in a significant lowering of property values in the area.

Some angered residents pointed to another report finding that claimed there also existed an increased risk of lung cancer for residents who lived close to the VAG mine, a finding that was subsequently retracted after statisticians discovered an error in the study. “Now you’re all making statements about the flawed survey, the fact that it was flawed did not get out,” said Betty Jones, a long time area resident whose husband worked in the nearby asbestos mine. “I have 200 acres that abuts the mine, and this makes my land worthless. What are you going to do about that?”

Vermont State Health Commissioner, Dr. Wendy Davis spoke to the assembled group about many aspects of the asbestos report, stating that while many of the report’s findings were preliminary, area residents should still pay close attention to the underlying fact that any exposures to asbestos must be taken seriously, and at the very least, all individuals should stay well clear of the mine. At the same time, Dr. Davis attempted to calm the fears of other meeting participants who expressed a concern about the health of their children, saying that the mine, in its present state, posed no immediate pediatric health risk, though, again, all persons should avoid direct contact with the areas directly adjacent to the asbestos mine.

Dr. Davis spoke at some length about the very real danger of environmental exposures to asbestos, that contact with the once ubiquitous material was responsible for tens of thousands of deaths around the world—mortalities stemming from asbestosis (a sever scarring of the lungs), mesothelioma cancer, lung cancer, and other respiratory ailments. While many townspeople at the meeting continued to express their displeasure with the report, chiefly citing their concerns about its devastating impact on property values, others heeded Dr. Davis’ words about the very real dangers of exposure to asbestos while others praised the Health Department’s efforts to raise public awareness about the potential hazards of the nearby asbestos mine.

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