Asbestos is the term for a group of minerals which have rather amazing qualities. They are heat resistant, do not conduct electricity, block sound, and resist chemical change. As well, they are fibrous and very durable and strong.

For about a century until the 1970s or 1980s, asbestos was mined worldwide and used in many industries. Family homes, schools, and most buildings of any type had asbestos in insulation for electrical wires, in drywall, flooring, ceiling tiles, and plumbing. The people who worked in industries using asbestos, or who worked in asbestos mines, were exposed daily to the tiny asbestos fibers which easily become airborne. From the air, they get stuck in clothing, hair, shoes, food and drinks. So they were breathed in daily, and ingested in meals. Family members were exposed to the fibers brought home in clothing etc.

Most asbestos mines have been closed down. But wherever asbestos was extracted from the earth or processed in nearby plants, the fibers remain in dust, in the soil, blown by the wind, posing a hazard to local residents. All those sites need to be cleaned up and the asbestos safely disposed of. The Federal Government has been active in this, in particular the Environmental Protective Agency (EPA).

There are many abandoned asbestos mines across the U.S. and in other countries such as Britain, Australia and South Africa. In Britain and Australia, cleanup is underway. In South Africa, it has not begun at all and from many old mines, blue asbestos fibers (the most deadly type of fibers) blow every day on to nearby communities. Those mines were owned and run by various international companies, including one owned by Stephen Schmidheiny, a Swiss environmentalist who began the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Recent Clean-up Efforts

In this country, the U.S. Geological Survey has conducted a long project to identify and map asbestos mines and the occurrences of asbestos, whether or not they have been mined. The E.P.A. is now supervising a variety of Superfund cleanup projects nationwide, of which the following are some examples.

· The Coalinga Asbestos Mine, Coalinga, California

· The Vermont Asbestos Group mine on Belvedere Mt. In Vermont

· Chicago Milwaukee Corporation (CMC) Bozeman Asbestos Facility in Montana

W.R. Grace & Co. in Montana

In August, 2004, clean up began at a mine at Libby, Montana, which was blowing asbestos into a power substation in Salt Lake City, Utah. For forty years asbestos had been processed nearby at Libby. One of the large corporations involved is W.R. Grace & Co. This company had previously mined vermiculite (another useful mineral used in insulation) which occurred here mixed in with asbestos.

Grace has been the subject of over 70,000 lawsuits involving mesothelioma and asbestosis, and has been investigated by a U.S. Grand Jury for “crimes” committed at its Libby vermiculite mine.

PacifiCorp (previously called Utah Power and Light) has an agreement with the E.P.A. to clean out asbestos from the substation in downtown Salt Lake City. They will be excavating and disposing of about 3,900 cubic yards of dust and soil contaminated by asbestos.

In March, 2008, Grace agreed to pay $250 million for government cleanup at the Libby mine. That is the largest fine every imposed under the E.P.A.’s Superfund cleanup program.

Asbestos cleanup will clearly be ongoing for quite some time yet. It can be very expensive, as it requires specially-trained workers, and must be done to a high standard to make each contaminated area safe again.

If you have been diagnosed with asbestosis or mesothelioma, the two deadly diseases caused mostly by asbestos fibers, you may be able to obtain compensation for your medical costs, pain and suffering, and perhaps more. The first step would be to arrange a free consultation with an experienced asbestos attorney . He or she would assess your situation and advise you of your legal rights and options.