FEMA Denies Asbestos Cleanup Funds in Arkansas

The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has denied the residents of Chafee, Arkansas to fall under “federal disaster area” status. Recently in the area, fires broke out and destroyed more than 150 World War II structures, all of which are suggested to contain asbestos materials. FEMA’s decision has prevented the town from receiving federal funds that would greatly finance the cleanup operations, including those concerning asbestos abatement.

In total, the entire cleanup project is expected to cost $4.6 million, and resident officials are worried about being forced to pay the costs themselves. If the town is responsible for the cleanup, it is likely that future development plans within the community will be set back several years.

The funds are being held from the city partly because of tests performed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which indicated that the asbestos levels are too low to qualify for the EPA’s Superfund designation. However, other tests taken by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality found asbestos contamination in several areas that were much higher than original EPA testing. This has local citizens fearing for their health, as well as for the future of their community. Because of these findings, the EPA has agreed to return in 30 days for additional testing.

Following a fire, tiny asbestos fibers can be released into the air. In fact, these fibers have the potential to suspend in the air for several weeks and pose a threat to anyone coming in contact with them. The inhalation of asbestos fibers has been linked to serious respiratory conditions, including mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

Currently, the EPA has plans to alter the way it measures the risks of asbestos. As of now, only six types of asbestos are being regulated by the government, and the new regulations suggested by the EPA will change how the toxicity of those types are defined. Public health authorities are against the EPA’s proposals and claim the changes are for political reasons and not to protect public health.

The situation at Chafee is a prime example of what could happen across the country if the EPA changes its standards. As a result, more cases like this could arise throughout the nation and potentially expose innocent citizens to asbestos.

By Jensen Whitmer

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 7th, 2008 at 3:54 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Legislation, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.