Educating the public on the long-term effects of asbestos

To the Editor:

I am hoping that the following will resolve the Toxicity report EPA states it needs to have before they can tell the truth as to how safe Libby is to the health and safety of all the people in Libby. The EPA has downplayed/lied, about this deadly exposure for the last seven plus years at a cost of $150 plus million and at the expense of innocent people/families who since 1999 have continued to move to Libby being told Libby is safe. This is a deadly lie, knowingly. Because the following scientific data which was known in the 90's and also downplayed by EPA and ATSDR and others since 1999 in Libby, this I hope will wake all of you up to the truth on behalf of the children, your children which I also hope all of you demand why you all have been lied to. I also would not mind being paid for this data I am supplying to you all since I am saving you all millions and resolving the Toxicity report, which EPA stated will take another three years to complete while innocent people/families continue to be exposed to something we all know kills you, knowingly.

Source of data: Dept. of Health and Human Services - ATSDR Toxicology Profile for Asbestos (update) Sept. 2001.Page 82 statement: Providing limited evidence that some transplacental transfer of asbestos fibers may occur, one group of investigators has reported that asbestos fibers were detected more frequently and at higher mean concentrations in human fetal and placental tissues associated with still-born infants compared with placental tissue associated with live born infants from the same hospital. Hague etal. 1991, 1992,1996, 1998). In the latest study from this group, asbestos fibers were found in 50 percent of fetal digests and 23 percent of placental digests from still born infants compared with 15 percent of live born placentas.

Hague AK, Kanz, MF, 1988 Asbestos bodies in children's lungs. Arch Pathol Lab Med 112: 514-518.

Hague AK Vrazel DM 1998. Transplacent al transfer in P.G. mice. Ball Environ Contain Toxicol 60: 620-625.

Hague AK, Kanz MFR, Man Cuso, MGetal 1991: asbestos in the lungs of children. Ann NYAcnd Sci 419-429.

Hague AK Mancugo MG, Williams MG, etal 1992. Asbestos in organs and Placenta of 5 stillborn infants suggests transplacental transfer.environ Res. 58(2); 163-175.

Hauge AK, Vrazal DM, Uchida T.1998. Assessment of asbestos burden in the placenta and tissue digests of stillborn infants in South Texas. Arch Environ Contain Toxicol 35: 532-538.

Hague AK, Vrazel DM, Burau KD, etal 1996. Is there placental transfer of asbestos? A study of 40 stillborn infants. Pediatr Pathol Lab Med 16:877-892.

Letter to Robert Raisch from Suzanne M. Wuerthele, Ph.D. region Toxicologist Region 8 dated Feb. 10 1988 states: There is also evidence that exposure to asbestos at an early age increases the risk of developing mesothelioma. Infants are deemed to be the population most in need of protection.

I suggest all of you educate yourselves as I have to understand the truth on behalf of the children since no one in Libby will tell you the truth. I just have. Check this out yourself if you don't believe me since I have been the only one telling all of you since 1999, that Libby is not a safe place to live and raise a family. You're welcome.

Michael Crill

Missoula