Unless chunks of vermiculite asbestos are falling from the sky and landing in Libby, Montana, — oh wait, that was 40 years ago and should have stopped by now — it appears someone thought it amusing to leave a calling card in Riverfront Memorial Park in Libby, Mont., on July 1, 2008.
Mike Cirian, who works with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, found a six-inch wide, 50-yard long line of vermiculite in a high traffic area that follows the length of the parking lot near the boat ramp and pavilion building site.
Mr. Cirian sent vac trucks to the area for emergency cleanup and informed the City of Libby, which owns the property, as well as Libby Police.
Mr. Cirian added the chunks were too big to come from underground, and they did not come off any of the contractors’ trucks doing the multi-million Superfund asbestos cleanup. He said:
“Flakes this big don’t work themselves up from underground and make it to the top and stay intact. I don’t know how it got there. It’s really unusual.”
Formerly the old Export Plant site, the park has been cleaned at least three times in the past. One was a removal action done by W. R. Grace & Co., the second occurred during the building of the boat ramp, and the third was the EPA’s cleanup of the park, digging down as far as 18 inches.
Mr. Cirian said the vermiculite had been tracked up and down the parking lot by vehicles, creating a 12,000-square-foot of space to be cleaned of potential contamination.
According to Mr. Cirian, the two active companies hired by the EPA for the vermiculite removal in Libby are ASW Associates and Environmental Restoration, each working on nine properties apiece.
In 2006, Environmental Restoration’s parking lot received a similar mysterious deposit of vermiculite.
Libby police chief Clay Coker said they are opening an investigation into the spill, and could potentially punish an assailant under a felony Criminal Mischief law, which includes vandalism or tampering with property to endanger or interfere with its use, with damages over $1,000.
Mr. Coker said at this point there are no known suspects and nothing to investigate except that it happened, but that law enforcement would be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.
The discovery of vermiculite is not expected to affect the pavilion project slated to begin July 8, 2008. The Libby pavilion is part of an order awarded last July 1, 2008, which also moved seven properties in Troy to the front of the line for vermiculite asbestos removal.
