Low-level asbestos delays local logging efforts

Despite the discovery of Libby Amphibole Asbestos in bark and duff in the Upper Flower Creek timber set aside by the Department of Natural Resources to be logged, the local DNRC official is confident the operation will proceed.

“There has been extremely low traces of asbestos discovered in the timber,” DNRC Unit Manager Mark Peck told Lincoln County Commissioners last week.

“The discovery has kind of thrown us a curveball,” Peck said after the agency spent nearly $25,000 on the study.

Still, Peck is optimistic the timber, which has been sold to F.H. Stoltze Land and Timber soon will be taken.

“In this business, we say failure is not an option, so, yes, we’re confident we can get the deal done,” Peck said.

Sale of the 4.7 million board feet will benefit Montana schools, and Peck and staff estimated the value of the timber to be $735,000.

“We’ll need to consider the risk assessment, but Stoltze is none too eager to go in there, but we feel like it can get done.”

Peck reiterated asbestos is naturally occurring.

“We just need to come to a risk assessment. If we use the OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) guidelines, it’s below that, but we still need that ruling.”

Peck said the DNRC manages “about 12 or 13 trusts” in the state that are recipients of timber sales proceeds.

In Montana, 53 million board feet are harvested each year, much of it coming from the northwest.

Hid office managed 32,000 acres of timberland for the state.

“Essentially, we are the Forest Service of the state,” Peck said.