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Grace, Oldon to Clean Up Asbestos in Easthampton, Mass.

  • Jul 20, 2010

W. R. Grace & Co. and Oldon Limited Partnership have agreed to pay an estimated $833,000 to clean asbestos-contaminated soil at a site in Easthampton, Mass. They also agreed to pay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s past cleanup costs of $72,537.

The 2.3-acre site is located in a mixed residential, commercial and agricultural area and includes a facility owned by Oldon. Grace leased the facility, located on Wemelco Way, from Oldon between 1963 and 1992. During that time, Grace received asbestos-contaminated vermiculite concentrate from the Zonolite mine in Libby, Mont., and produced Zonolite attic insulation and fireproofing material.

Investigations by EPA have identified asbestos contamination at the facility including asbestos-contaminated soil behind the vacant building on the eastern half of the property and residual asbestos contamination inside the building. The settlement agreement requires this contaminated soil and the interior of the building to be cleaned up. The parties are also responsible for cleaning up asbestos-contaminated soils discovered on a railroad right-of-way owned by the town that is slated to become a bike trail, as well as soil on other properties immediately adjacent to the facility.

“The parties involved in this site have stepped up to the plate in cleaning their own facility,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “This kind of action helps protect the environment and public health and we applaud them for taking responsibility.”

Comments

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 Tony Nocito New York City, New York

W.R. Grace has worked on a process that destroys asbestos, but the process only destroyed one type of asbestos, Chrysotile (Serpentine). The driver behind the research and development of this process was the multi-millions, if not a billions, of square feet of asbestos spray-on fireproofing containing Chrysotile asbestos, in a fireproofing product developed and sold, throughout the world, by Grace, sprayed on beams and decking in buildings. Grace could not meet EPA approval on the process, because the process did not fall under the Clean Air Act standard for asbestos destruction. Grace is faced with many sites that have spray-on fireproofing as well as vemiculite from Libby Montana, and the Libby, Montana site itself. W.R. Grace is very aware of the ABCOV process of asbestos destruction that works on all 6 forms of asbestos in asbestos containing material. Grace also knows that ABCOV is a non-thermal, EPA approved process that stops all asbestos liability when used. Grace and Oldon are going to clean-up the Easthampton, Mass site only to put it in a another site ---- a landfill. Landfill regulation requires a cell for asbestos, when the asbestos is dumped from the height of a trailer it could create dust. As the signs posted outside an asbestos landfill explicitly explain the dangers of asbestos. Also, the landfill has a possibility of becoming a Superfund site that will need to be cleaned up at a later date. The EPA states that all hazardous wastes carry future costs. Gusess who will pay for those future costs-----taxpayers.

Mon, Jul 26, 2010 Larry AZ

I question the scientific validity of this report. To my knowledge, Libby Montana vermiculite contains less than 1% tremolite and that is the only regulated asbestos material in it. Based on the regulatory definition of asbestos, vermiculite does not copntain asbestos. It does contain other minerals that could be termed "asbestos" but are not regulated forms, e.g. winchite and richterite. Since adverse health affects that look like asbestos exposure results have been documented among the miners and their family members, it appears likely that winchite and richterite should be regulated asbestos minerals. My questions is, "Why isn't EPA or OSHA trying to expand the regulatory definition of asbestos to include these two minerals?

Tue, Jul 20, 2010 Cheap calls http://www.briing.com/

I think the society didn't let Grace and Oldon a lot of options. Still their act deserves admiration. I regret that some of the things that have been done to the nature can't be restored

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