EPA Declares Air is Safe in Libby but Questions Remain

The EPA released the results of a two-year study on asbestos levels in the air around Libby, Mont. that says that asbestos levels in the air do not pose a significant cancer risk.

The study which began in October 2006 involved air samples from 18 locations in the Libby area as well as samples from Helena and Eureka as a reference. The amount of amphibole fibers in Libby air samples was slightly higher than those of Eureka but there was no statistically significant difference between air concentrations of Libby and Helena.

An EPA official announced that the likelihood of developing an asbestos related disease from breathing outdoor air was one in one million.

However one attendee questioned the methodology of the study because the EPA bases their risk assessment on the chrysotile form of asbestos. Libby was contaminated by tremolite asbestos fibers which are a member of the amphibole group and studies have suggested they are more toxic than chrysotile fibers which compose the serpentine group.

An EPA official responded that the science behind the survey was not perfect but that the community could no longer wait for more studies and that the data was sufficient.

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