Libby program addresses asbestos exposure

The stark reality of life in Libby is that the potential for further exposure to asbestos is an ongoing risk.

There will be residents wanting to remodel homes in which asbestos insulation has been sealed away and declared non-hazardous. Buildings will be demolished from time to time, and excavation is a given in any community where there will be growth and new development.

Sometimes property owners inadvertently come across vermiculite on their property.

To address this ongoing concern, a new public health program aimed at reducing Libby area residents’ exposure to asbestos has been launched.

The Lincoln County Asbestos Resource Program was developed under the guidance of the City-County Board of Health for Lincoln County and is funded through a cooperative grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The agencies wanted a pilot program that could become a long-term management tool for reducing the risk of exposure to asbestos communitywide, explained Nick Raines, program manager for the Asbestos Resource Program. He came on board in May 2012 and spent more than a year developing the program.

“We looked at other [similar] programs in the region,” Raines said, noting efforts in East Helena and Anaconda in Montana and the Kellogg, Idaho, area, all of which have undergone reclamation from past mining activity.

Raines spoke with community leaders of groups such as the Community Action Group and Technical Advisory Group that are involved in the asbestos aftermath.

“We did a lot of general community outreach,” he said.

By mid-2013 the program was rolled out, and it now has three full-time staffers. In addition to Raines there’s an outreach and education coordinator and a resource and initiative coordinator.

Raines said Board of Health members had two key concerns: They wanted a program with flexibility that focused on evaluation and evolution; and they wanted the program paid for by outside funding.

“They didn’t want county tax dollars supporting it,” Raines said.

Right now the grant funding runs through 2016.

Eventually the EPA’s cleanup work in the Libby area will come to an end — estimates are three to five years from now — and the goal was to have a program in place after the EPA is gone.

The Asbestos Resource Program is built on three pillars, including education, resources and initiatives.

The education pillar involves speaking to community organizations and service groups about what the program can do for local residents regarding the risks associated to asbestos exposure and how to reduce those risks.

Next month the staff will work with the Libby and Troy school districts to bring the message to students.

The resources pillar gives residents the materials they need to manage risk.

The program has taken over two programs that are critical for reducing asbestos exposure in the future.

Ambient air monitoring in both Libby and Troy is now handled by the Asbestos Resource Program. It monitors air at three fixed locations in both cities.

“We felt it was important data to have long into the future,” Raines said, explaining that the data can provide reassurance to people wanting to relocate to the Libby area as well as local residents.

An APR hot line (406-291-5335) is now the primary point of contact for UDig calls in Lincoln County. Since the hot line began taking calls in January it has handled roughly 700 UDig tickets and 90 other calls.

“This portion of the program is intended to provide property owners with support when dealing with contaminated materials left after cleanup,” Raines said.

The initiatives pillar of the program will revise existing or establish new ordinances and regulations, again for the purpose of reducing or preventing the public’s risk of exposure to asbestos. One example would be incorporating asbestos risk information into the building permit process.

The Asbestos Resource Program can be reached at (406) 283-2442 or email lcarp@libby.org. More information is available online at www.lcarp.com.

“We rely on people to remember to call us,” Raines said. “There’s an opportunity to develop a program with long-lasting effects.”