AMBLER, Pennsylvania - The Environmental Protection Agency met with the BoRit Community Advisory Group last week to discuss their final cleanup plans for the asbestos and other toxic chemicals at the old BoRit site.

Larry Johnson, Community Involvement Coordinator for the EPA, stated that the plan is still being drafted and there is no date set for its release. Johnson says that he has received 320 emails from citizens concerned with exposed asbestos at the site, erosion of the stream banks and the ongoing site monitoring being conducted by the EPA.

Removal action is being designed to address those specific issues, Johnson said. The final plan will be revealed and discussed at a public meeting which has been delayed because health agencies have requested the opportunity to present an environmental review at the same time. A state and local epidemiologist will be on hand to discuss the review and answer questions about the air monitoring and possible health effects. One of the reviews will deal specifically with cancer.

Asbestos, one of the main contaminants at the site, is a known carcinogen. Airborne asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma, a rare cancer that is only found in those who have been exposed to asbestos, and to increase the risk of developing lung cancer,  asbestos cancer, and a number of other deadly cancers. Asbestos also causes an invariably fatal condition where lung scarring progressively debilitates and cripples the lungs.

Removal work will begin at the site after the meeting. A representative of the EPA will be available at the site at least once a week so that concerned citizens can discuss the removal process and other concerns. In addition, there will be public meetings at the end of the removal process to address the effectiveness of the removal.

Meanwhile, BoRit is also going through the Site Assessment Program to deciced which of five main cleanup options best addresses the needs of the community and the problems of the site. That process will determine whether or not BoRit will be proposed to the National Priorities List, which is a last resort reserved for the most badly contaminated sites where there are no other alternatives. NPL is only called upon when hazardous sites meet specific criteria, including that the site must be subject to regulations under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 - better known as Superfund.

In addition, sites considered for Superfund may be issued a health advisory by the Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Various factors are weighed into a final ‘threshold number’. Factors taken into account include the amount of waste at the site and the effect of the waste on community health and the environment.

A score has not yet been determined for BoRit. In order to be considered for the Superfund designation, a site must score at least 28.5 on the scale.

There should be an indication by summer as to whether BoRit will proceed as an NPL proposal. Even if it is not, EPA will remain involved in assisting the community with cleanup plans and efforts.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 21st, 2008 at 5:09 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Pennsylvania. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.