EPA releases final Libby asbestos report

Federal environmental regulators are seeking public comment on a toxicology study that details the dangers of asbestos from a Montana mine that has killed hundreds of people.

A summary of the document was released in May, outlining the potency of asbestos from a now-shuttered W.R. Grace mine that operated for decades near the northwest Montana town of Libby.

Thursday’s release of the full, 467-page study by the Environmental Protection Agency opens a 60-day public comment period. The deadline for comments is Oct. 24.

The study suggests the cancer risk from Libby’s asbestos is relatively similar to the dangers posed by other types of asbestos. Yet it also reveals significant non-cancer health risks and shows people can be sickened by inhaling even the slightest trace of Libby asbestos fibers.

The purpose of the toxicological review is to provide scientific support and rationale for the hazard pertaining to chronic inhalation exposure to Libby’s unique amphibole asbestos. Data in the report will be filed with the federal Integrated Risk Information System.

Online:

http://www.epa.gov/ncea