Timeline of Lowell/Eden Asbestos Mine

Timeline of Lowell/Eden Asbestos Mine

Map of 13 Towns within 10 Miles of the VAG Asbestos Mine

Truth Behind the Tailings: A Visit to the Lowell Asbestos Mine

KEEP OUT! 

Like threats of a trespassing sign, the information available on asbestos contamination in Eden and Lowell seemed to be keeping something out. Health studies concluded asbestos related deaths in the area and contamination of air and downstream water sources from an inactive mine. So why wouldn't the people who are supposedly most effected by asbestos contamination vote in favor of a Superfund process? Eden local Leslie White, an expert and activist against Superfund gave us a side of the story you can't find in government documents and popular articles.

The Vermont Asbestos Group mine was a focal point of economic stability for Eden and Lowell residents. The mine provided jobs, and although posed a health risk, provided income for many families in the area. Leslie noted, "Yes, these men knew the risks involved. But when you have 6 children to feed, future health concerns are less of a priority." It wasn't until the state conducted a health study that inactive asbestos tailings became a concern. 

Inactive Asbestos Tailings

The results of the State health study left locals enraged. Leslie argued that until the study was published, there was no worry about asbestos in the area. Out of staters vacationed in their rental homes, and locals went about their daily life. Yet after the study was made public, what once was considered to be quaint, rejuvenating mountain land was perceived as toxic, frightful, wasteland- thanks to nation wide media.

View of Tailings and Quarry 

The worst part about such powerful negative media is that the study was flawed. Not only did the property value and economic growth in Eden and Lowell spiral downward, it was inaccurately conjectured. The five asbestos related deaths referred to in the study were due to direct occupational exposure, and the amount of asbestos found in nearby water was minuscule; proven to be less harmful than city drinking water. I found particular interest in why the State would publish erroneous information. How could state officials, who consider themselves professional, make such devastating and careless mistakes?

Eden Local Leslie White looks onto proposed area for a Biomass Plant

Leslie suggested that the State may have been up to something. In order to become a Superfund Site, there needs to be legitimate human health concerns and proof of contamination. It is possible that the State, in attempt to provide the EPA with work, misconstrued the evidence of the health study. Despite the questionable motives of State government, it is my understanding that the flawed health study did more damage to the townships of Eden and Lowell than asbestos did. 

Livelihoods Abandoned, Seen Through a Chain Link Fence

My experience at the Vermont Asbestos Group Mine with Brianna and Ryan undoubtedly changed the way I view the Superfund controversy. Previously, I felt that the residents of Eden and Lowell blindly ignored the environmental impacts of asbestos contamination in hopes to save falling property values. Now I realize the complexity of the situation, the stakeholders involved and devastating role media has played in environmental policy. 

Ryan and I Posing Under the VAG Sign

Ryan and Brianna Posing in Front of Abandoned Mine Equipment

Asbestos Mine Site Visit

On Friday March 30^th, Katie, Ryan, and Myself made the trip out to Lowell, Vermont to visit the old asbestos mine.  We met Leslie White, a community member who knows everything about the mine and has worked very hard to educate the citizens of Lowell about the correct information regarding the mine.  When we got to the mine Leslie unlocked the main gate and we entered onto the property.  Despite the big locked gate at the entrance to the property, one could also easily enter onto the property simply by walking around the side of the gate.  Leslie described the mine back in the days of its peak operation.  She said it was like its own little city…with employees working around the clock in 3 shifts per day.  She explained how the employees received a good pay and how the mine was the center of the towns economy back then.  Leslies story then skipped many years forward to an incident in 2004 in which a town member found some of the old pilings from the mine in the wetlands on his property.  This guy thought this was not cool and raised a fuss about it.  The state of Vermont conducted a health study of the old mine site.  The study was released and made the mine look like a dangerous place full of toxicity.  It came out that the study was full of errors and the results that had been released to the public were flawed.  Lowell’s economy today is highly dependant upon seasonal rental properties.  After the health study was released a huge number of people were calling in to cancel their rentals and thus the economy took a hit.  Leslie worked hard to get the state to retract its health study and after 3 years they finally took it off the website.  This incident caused a great deal of mistrust between the people of Lowell and the state.  Leslie felt that these people who were supposed to be looking after the town and its citizens had let them down in a major way.  Leslie says that to this day the town has yet to recover from this incident.  After this incident Leslie and 4 others formed a committee.  Their purpose was to act as “fact finders” and present the correct well researched information to the people of the town.  Leslie and the other members of the committee played a huge role in educating people to make an informed decision about the superfund status of the site.  Leslie explained to us that “there are no asbestos fibers blowing around here”.  The mine has had mitigation work done on it and is not a big threat to human health in the area. 

            Leslie went on to describe the superfund process to us.  The way it works os that the town has to say yes to superfund status before the EPA will give them any information about the clean up plan or process.  After saying yes, the EPA has a 3-5 year period to do as they see necessary to clean up the site.  Additionally, the state has to agree to cover 10% of the estimated cost of the project.  Cleaning up the mine would be a huge process with a very large price tag.  It would involve moving the pilings of waste back into the quarry, which might in fact be more dangerous than just leaving them be as they are.  The community was not satisfied with this process and did not see this intense “fix” to be aligned with the threat that the mine poses.  The community vote was overwhelmingly against the superfund status and many believe that some remediation work would be sufficient.  The town feels that it is important to look at all the possible options that could be done to clean up the site.  They are looking to examples of other mine clean up projects around the world.  Leslie explained that “any money they spend up here is not going to save any human life…”  A rough estimate for what the state would have to cover if the site did attain superfund site status would be 25 million dollars.  Isn’t there some more beneficial things the state could do with this huge amount of money that would benefit more people?

            The site visit really trough into focus for me the different levels of involvement on the community, state, and national level.  It is a trick thing to get these levels working together and in the case of the Lowell asbestos mine, not all parties involved were on the same page.  There seems to be a lot of misconceptions out there about the mine and its potential health effects.  The main environmental hazard posed by the mine is erosion into the streams surrounding the mine site.  IT has been shown that some aquatic biota is damaged in the parts of the streams near to the mine but further down this problem does not exist.  When the water that fills the quarry is tested it shows drinking water quality. 

            Leslies story was very captivating and full of information that we had not previously found in our research.  We left the site visit and interview with a new understand of how powerful listening to a community’s story can be.  We also left considering and questioning the role of the media in this issue.  Why is it that we had to travel all the way out to Lowell in order to get the whole story?  The site visit was very worthwhile and proved to be an enjoyable afternoon for all.  

Primary Source Document: Mesothelioma from ChrysotileAsbestos: Update

By Marty S. Kanarek

The tailings of the Lowell asbestos mine remain onsite, with minimal regulation and less then adequate safety measures being taken to protect from the potential harms of the mineral. There are a variety of types of asbestos; the negative health consequences of some are better understood than others. Chrysotile asbestos, the type of asbestos that stayed behind as a firm legacy when the mining companies moved out, still inspires medical controversy concerning its human health impacts. This primary source compilies evidence supporting the hypothesis that chrysotile asbestos can lead to mesothelioma. It also mentions numerous other cancers that chrysotile asbestos has been connected to. Due to overwhelming support for a strong causal relationship between chrysotile asbestos and cancers like mesothelioma, the author, Marty S. Kanarek, advocates for an international ban on all types of asbestos. The old Lowell mine site is coated in chrysotile asbestos. Citizens who live nearby, or individuals who visit the site for curiousity or recreation, are potentially in danger because of the powerful, crippling properties of asbestos. If looked at in the context of the Lowell asbestos mine, and the nearby public, this article is an urgent call to action. Clean up is imperative, and time is not going to be generous with chrysotile asbestos.

Article found at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1047279711001803

Primary Documentation: Summary of 2009 Biological and Chemical assessments within Burgess Branch, Hutchins Brook, Dark Branch and Gihon watersheds

Data Summary and Findings: Vermont Asbestos Group Mine


This document is a summary of a study the EPA in 2008. Soil, air, and dusts samples were collected from the Burgins Branch, Hutchins Brook, Dark Branch, and the Gihon Watersheds, to document asbestos amounts and see if any off-site asbestos exposure was present. Essentially, the study was conducted to see if asbestos is released into the air and could be inhaled by people living near the mine site. Data collected showed that asbestos was present in the air, soil, dust, and materials in surrounding buildings. Out of 66 samples, chrysotile asbestos was detected in 55 of them.    Asbestos was found in all the dust samples. Based on this data collected, the Agency recommended several measures. These include restricting access to the mine site, restricting the re-use of tailings, and continuing to monitor the mine site for exposure risks.



Link: http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/wastediv/SMS/VAG/ATSDR-August%202009%20VAG%20Data%20Summary%20and%20Findings.pdf

Popular Article: Repurposing Eden Mines

By David Hallquist

Historically, the impact of the Lowell asbestos mines cannot be overstated. Local communities depended on the mines for over a century before its production was promptly halted in 1993. Since then, the mining property has ceased to yield anything, and has not been applied to any purpose besides being a dump for hazardous asbestos mine tailings. Employment in the area has become a problem. Directing the area towards a renewed and useful future, while creating jobs, would be the ideal situation for these mines. The Lamoille Economic Development Corporation has suggested such a fresh, nonhazardous rehabilitation, to be located on the old-mine site. Biomass, created through tree plantations, could be produced in the area, with easy transportation to powerplants or liquefying operations because of the existing mine infrastructure. Employment would be resurrected with the proposed implementation of biomass production. Before this progressive condition can be attained, however, the mines must first be cleaned. The controversial Superfund status must be secured so that the Lowell mines region can develop into a stronger environmental and economic community.

Article located at: http://vtdigger.org/2012/01/29/hallquist-repurposing-eden-mines/

Vermont Asbestos Group Mine

http://www.epa.gov/region1/er/sites/vagmine/images/vagm4.jpg

Popular Article: Superfund Status of Lowell Asbestos Mine

Faced with a looming decision, residents of Lowell and Eden fear the “superfund stigma” and property value loss of an intensive EPA clean up of the Lowell Asbestos Mine. The estimated cost of cleaning the mine is between $20 to 100 million dollars, as allocated by the government. The state has tried to stabilize the large tailing piles at the mine, but tests have proven that traces of asbestos have made their way through wetlands and can be found one mile away from the site. Despite the studies conducted, several citizens claim that there are no direct health concerns for people, so the state should just leave the piles alone. Supporters of the superfund clean up are driven by the potential of renewable energy; if the site is cleaned, future development of a biomass plant is possible. Governor Peter Shumlin promised to gain approval from both towns before deeming Lowell as a superfund site. Early in March, Vermonters unanimously voted against the superfund status with 103 votes to 38 in Lowell, and 106 to 3 in Eden. These residents rejected the cleanup proposal, concerned that the superfund would do more harm than good, worrying their private property would be included as part of the EPA project.. As a dominantly working class township, the citizens of Eden and Lowell’s economic stability lies in their property value, which is seemingly more important than environmental or human health impacts of asbestos mining.

Articles Used: 

Lowell Eyes Superfund Designation for Mine

February 25, 2012

Orleans Record

http://orleanscountyrecord.com/main.asp?SectionID=7&SubSectionID=32&ArticleID=20604

Rejecting Superfund Status Puts End to Asbestos Clean Up

John Dillion

March 8, 2012

Vermont Public Radio

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/93698/rejecting-superfund-status-puts-end-to-asbestos-cl/ 

Primary Documentation

Primary Documentation: Mineralogical Characterization of Tailings at the Vermont Asbestos Group Mine, Belvidere mountain, Northern Vermont

Written by: Denise M. Levitan, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Mickey E. Gunter, Robert R. Seal II, I-Ming Chou, and Nadine M. Piatak

Link: http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/wastediv/SMS/VAG/Reports/gsaposter08-asbestos-final.pdf

            This is an illustrated study report from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Idaho.  The mining operation at Belvidere Mountain resulted in 3 waste piles that are estimated to contain over 70 million tons of tailings.  This waste has negative impacts on wetlands downstream from the piles.  The report details different methods used for testing samples from various areas of the site.  It includes many illustrated and graphical analysis of the data.

Popular Article

Article: Vermont Residents Vote against Superfund Status for Asbestos Mine

Written by: Mark Hall

Link: http://www.asbestos.com/news/2012/03/09/vermont-residents-vote-against-superfund-status-for-asbestos-mine/

            Residents of the 2 towns surrounding the old Asbestos mining site have decided against turning the site into a superfund site.  The town’s residents were opposed to the idea of having the EPA come in to carry out a cleaning of the mine and its surrounding areas.  The vote was carried out by town hall meetings in both towns.  The vast majority of voters said no and expressed concern that designating the site as a superfund site could potentially cause more harm than good.  The town residents did not feel comfortable with the EPA coming in and having free reign to do with the site as they pleased. Many though the clean-up of the site would be a large inconvenience.  A specific concern was traffic problems being created.  Not all members of the towns are convinced of the dangerous health effects that asbestos is said to be responsible for.

 

Primary Documentation: Program Case for Pursuing Superfund Listing of the VAG Mine Eden and Lowell, Vermont

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Waste Management Division proposed to put the Vermont Asbestos Group (VAG)  Mine on the EPA’s National Priorities List, calling upon a Superfund process to address asbestos related contamination and environmental degradation. After careful consideration, Vermont’s Waste Management Division concluded that the State does not have sufficient resources to clean the VAG site, and because no single party can be held responsible for the environmental damage, the Superfund Trust would be of great help. Research suggests that there have been and continue to be releases of hazardous materials by erosion of tailings and waste rock piles, contaminating downstream wetlands and streams. This habitat destruction will continue to worsen as erosion proceeds and sediment builds up. In addition, the Vermont Asbestos Group Mine presents significant technical challenges for Vermont to handle alone, but Superfund has access to resources and funds that efficiently evaluate the impact and risks of such a complex, dangerous site. More investigation is necessary to better define the degree and magnitude of asbestos contaminated silt in order to distinguish if groundwater is in fact being contaminated. Lastly, EPA’s Superfund provides federal funding that would compensate for the State’s lack of resource and revenue capability to investigate and remediate the convoluted project. To ease public tension, the State promises to coordinate with the EPA and community to verify public participation. In conclusion, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and Waste Management Division advocates the proposal of the VAG Mine as a Superfund Site because the state does not have adequate resources to assess the site, providing practical  long term solution. They strongly believe that the remedial Superfund Program is the only way to properly clean up the site, preventing long term environmental degradation and threat to human health due to asbestos contaminated groundwater.

Primary Documentation Used:
Program Case for Pursuing Superfund Listing of the VAG Mine Eden and Lowell, Vermont
April 23, 2010
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Waste Management Division

http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/wastediv/SMS/VAG/0423.final.caseforsuperfund.figures.appendicies.pdf

Popular Article-- "Stalemate on Belvidere Mountain"

Burlington Free Press- March 3rd, 2012
Written by Candace Page

Link to article: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120304/GREEN01/120303016/Stalemate-Belvidere-Mountain-?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

This article details the conflict between citizens in Eden and Lowell County concerning whether the Lowell Asbestos mine should be considered a Superfund site. Members of the board said they were both certain the proposal would be rejected. The EPA has taken measures to reduce erosion and runoff, but much more remains- estimates are that the cleanup would cost $250 million. 30 million tons of tailings remain in the wake of the closed mine. Water washes the tailings down the mountain and into wetlands and streams. Citizens who oppose the proposal say that designating the site as a Superfund site will decrease property values around the mine, and skepticism about the connection between living near the mine and contracting diseases such as cancer and asbestiosis. Essentially, residents of Lowell and Eden feel they've been misled or "scared" into voting for the Superfund proposal. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin agrees with the majority of the residents and says that it is better to "let sleeping dogs lie" when it comes to mine cleanup. Even though studies have been conducted, health and ecological effects of the mine are vague and unclear.

Professional Article/Documentation

http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/details.asp?pid=11057

Under magnification at 650X, the picture below reveals the presence of white asbestos (raw chrysotile) excavated from the Lowell Asbestos Mine on Belvidere Mountain in Vermont. It is obvious that the fibrils are arranged in both clusters and individually, these details characteristic to raw asbestos. According to the CDC, workers can develop cancer of the lung tissue and/or mesothelioma. Both of these diseases develop over long periods of asbestos exposure and almost always result in immediate death. Although difficult to prove, it is possible to contract cancers of other internal physiological systems just from breathing asbestos contaminated air. An increasing possibility of public health consequences is of recent debate, but difficult to quantify. Studies show that earlier identification of the Mesothelioma virus can improve chances of survival.

-report by CDC?John Wheeler, PhD
-photo credit- Janice Haney Carr

Popular Article

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/82863/lowell-residents-concerned-about-asbestos-exposure/

 Residents in Lowell Vermont are afraid property values will drop with developing reports of negative health effects associated with the remains of the Lowell Asbestos Mine. Many of the town's roads were built with materials containing asbestos. The residents have even used asbestos dust instead of winter sand to melt road ice and to backfill springs. Unfortunately, the EPA and the State of Vermont are just now researching the dangers of living within close proximity of the mine. Officials have found hand fulls of cancer cases that could possibly be related to asbestos exposure. Although their situation seems like an obvious consequence of stupidity, either we can help these individuals find a solution or allow them to continue wallowing in asbestos poison.