Asbestos in Nebraska

Occupations at Risk

Vermiculite processors at W.R. Grace's Western Mineral Products facility in Omaha, Nebraska faced one of the largest exposure risks in the state. At this plant workers unloaded, heated, bagged and swept asbestos and asbestos waste, leading to potential exposure when the fibers were scattered into the air.

Power plant workers also came into contact with asbestos at their worksites. Employees of Nebraska power plants may have loosened asbestos from pipes, gaskets, boilers or other equipment. Plants where workers may have been required to operate asbestos-insulated machinery include Blue Hill City Light and Water, Whelan Energy Center and Madison Utilities.

Jobsites at Risk

Part of Nebraska's power generating network, Sheldon Station and its Mark T. Moor Substation are coal-based power plants where asbestos was used. Currently, the boilers at Sheldon Station can generate up to 225 megawatts of electricity. These boilers, as with many other boilers used in factories before the 1980s, were likely insulated with asbestos.

Western Mineral Products, founded in the 1940s in Omaha, Nebraska, was a manufacturer of insulation and concrete aggregate. Its products were primarily made with asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from Libby, Montana. From 1967 until its closing in 1989, the facility processed more than 165,000 tons of Libby vermiculite. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has evaluated the area and has stated that there is now little or no risk of asbestos exposure from the site. However, past employees of Western Mineral Products were exposed to asbestos while working.

Flood-Related Asbestos Exposure

In 2011, the Missouri river flooded, swamping areas of Nebraska such as Omaha and Council Bluffs. Many homes and offices were ruined by the floodwaters, and asbestos-containing home construction materials may have been exposed during the disaster. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services directs property owners to properly dispose of all asbestos-contaminated flood debris at a designated landfill.

Due to excessive flood damage, homeowners may consider demolishing unsalvageable buildings, but the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) requires an asbestos inspection before any renovations are performed. Buildings that the flood has made structurally unstable may be demolished without an inspection, but appropriate permits and notifications must be completed. In response to the cleanup efforts, the NDHHS is reducing the notification period from 10 days to 24 hours for flood-damaged buildings. Read more about Nebraska's asbestos requirements for flood-damaged buildings here.

Legislation

Asbestos removal and disposal are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition to these federal laws, Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has made some state-specific regulations. These state laws apply to almost every business or individual involved in an asbestos project.

State regulations require any asbestos-related project to be reported to DHHS before it is started. DHHS outlines the proper safety practices for asbestos inspection, removal, encapsulation and demolition projects. These rules require workers to seal asbestos materials, wear protective gear and minimize debris. After asbestos materials have been removed, DHHS also requires air sampling to be taken to ensure that no airborne asbestos fibers are present.