$8 million slated for asbestos health research
by KLCB 1230 AM Libby News Radio
June 13, 2008
Eight million dollars over five years to do health research will be spent by the agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The health risk initiative will add to the understanding of long-term health effects of exposure to asbestos amphibole in Libby and the surrounding community.
The initiative is being called an unprecedented opportunity for Libby.
In the coming months, ATSDR will solicit proposals from leading Universities engaged in asbestos research. There are about a half dozen universities actively engaged and more are expected to come out of the wood work at such a major funding offer. The University of Cincinnati, University of Michigan, University of Washington, Mount Sinia, New York, and Harvard are all known to be researching some aspect of asbestos.
ATSDR and the EPA expect the selected institution to establish a field station in Libby, complete with research staff with the ability to reach back to their University resources. It is planned the project will be responsive to and accountable to the community concerns. It is estimated to be 2009 before the field station is established in Libby.
In other EPA news, it was announced that current manager for Libby, Paul Perinard, will be leaving the project. Perinard came to Libby as team leader of the emergency response in the early days of the EPA presence in Libby. He left the project once, only to return two years later.
The news of his departure was not viewed favorably by the Lincoln County Commissioners, who wanted to know why there needs to be a change.
Commissioner Rita Windom said she gets real heart burn just thinking about loosing Perinard on this project. All three commissioners feel that the project suffered and went stagnant after his previous departure. John Konzen commented on the vacuum that resulted from Perinard's previous absence and how then manager Jim Christiansen began assembling a team with a different vision. Perinard feels he does emergency response and that is what he likes doing. When he returned to the project it was to be a temporary "gig". Perinard's replacement should be in place by the end of the year. It is expected Perinard will remain with EPA's Region 8 and will remain a historical reference for the Libby project.
The Department of Environmental Quality and W. R. Grace have reached an estimated $5 million settlement. The settlement shares the same restrictions as the EPA/Grace settlement. The five million dollars will be managed by the State of Montana and can be used only for the Libby Asbestos Site. It will augment the $11 million set aside by the EPA for operation and maintenance.
_____________________________________
Story by KLCB 1230 AM Libby News Radio, www.todaysbestcountryonline.com
|
