People sifting through the rubble of the nearly 1,000 homes destroyed by the May 4th tornado that ravaged the town of Greensburg, Kansas are likely being exposed to asbestos, according to an article published by the Kansas City Star. According to a local asbestos abatement expert, many of the destroyed homes were built before 1980 and therefore are likely to contain asbestos, when the toxic fiber was common in construction materials.
Asbestos can cause illnesses such as mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen.
The Environmental Protection Agency is powerless to monitor the situation under federal and state law, however. The EPA took air samples in eight locations around Greensburg, all of which came back negative for asbestos. If they had tested positive for asbestos, the EPA would legally be able to take further action to protect residents and workers. But without positive samples, the EPA does not have legal authority to require homeowners whose homes were destroyed to ensure that asbestos from the debris is not released into the air.
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