Spokane yards retested for asbestos
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting soil tests in the yards of homeowners who live near the former site of Vermiculite Northwest in Spokane, Washington, a Zonolite factory that made asbestos-ridden attic insulation. The yards had been previously tested for the presence of asbestos in 2000 and 2001, but the new tests are being conducted with advanced technology that can now detect lower levels of asbestos fibers.
While homeowners like Kandi Smith were embarrassed when the men in hazmat suits and respirators dug up their lawn – because neighbors may have thought it was part of a meth lab cleanup – they were grateful for the soil testing. They would like to know if there is asbestos on their property.
The EPA decided to retest the yards in Spokane following the declaration of a public health emergency in Libby, Montana near the site of a former vermiculite mine. It costs between $900 and $1,400 per yard to conduct the soil analysis on each yard; soil testing will also be done on property owned by the county. The results of these tests may trigger further investigation and testing of air samples.
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