By Janice Pennington on July 27, 2009
For some time, scientists have been studying the presence of asbestos in Swift Creek. Now the United States Environmental Protection Agency has found the dangerous substance in Sumas River, downstream of Swift Creek, in Whatcom County. The culprit is a landslide from Sumas Mountain, which deposits asbestos-contaminated sediment into Swift Creek,.
The EPA has identified naturally occurring asbestos in water, river bank sediment, and flood deposits in several locations in Whatcom County, all the way north to the Canadian Border. The EPA’s Sumas riverbank samples revealed higher concentrations of asbestos than earlier samples taken from Swift Creek, with some concentrations as high as 27 percent asbestos. In response to these findings, Dan Opalski, the Seattle director of EPA’s Superfund Cleanup Office, cautioned: “These asbestos levels deserve close attention.”
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By Janice Pennington on July 20, 2009
Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington was forced to close its Humanities Building on July 13 while a section of asbestos ceiling was removed from the second floor. Unfortunately, the asbestos ceiling piece was improperly contained and sealed before it was taken off-site, which could have contaminated the rest of the building with asbestos fibers. The University had to evacuate all students and staff and cancel the day’s classes as cleanup contractors and environmental consultants were called to the scene to assess the matter and take air samples. After the air sampling showed that the structure was safe, the Humanities Building was reopened the following day, July 14.
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By Janice Pennington on July 13, 2009
Alimta, a cancer drug manufactured by Eli Lilly & Co., initially was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004 for treatment of patients suffering from mesothelioma, a fatal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Now the FDA has approved Alimta (pemetrexed) for use as maintenance therapy in cases of advanced lung cancer.
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By Janice Pennington on July 6, 2009
The Journal of the American Medical Association has published a study of mesothelioma deaths in the U.S. between 1999 and 2005. Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, is always fatal. The study reported 18, 068 deaths from mesothelioma from 1999 to 2005. 95 % of deaths occurred in men and 80 % in whites. In the six years between 1999 and 2005, the number of deaths from mesothelioma increased 8.9%, though the annual death rate was stable. Six states had a death rate that exceeded the national average: Maine; Wyoming; West Virginia; Pennsylvania; New Jersey; and Washington.
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