E.P.A. to test for asbestos in northeast Minneapolis; meeting Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m.

No. 08-OPA141

CHICAGO (Sept. 9, 2008) - E.P.A. Region five will begin an indoor air assessment involving 30 to 50 homes in northeast Minneapolis on Sept. 24.

The homes selected are a sample of the in excess of 260 residences where outdoor areas were cleaned of "Libby asbestos" contamination from the long-closed Western Mineral Products/W.R. Grace plant at 1720 Madison Saint E.P.A. conducted a series of cleanups starting in 2000 in the Holland, Logan Park and Sheridan neighborhoods. E.P.A. will now assess indoor dust and air to confirm that "Libby asbestos" fibers from the Western Mineral plant have not gotten into homes.

Mailings to the 30 to 50 homes will arrive in the next few days. E.P.A. outreach staff will then contact residents and owners for voluntary access permission. Generally, EPA's technicians will collect samples of air and dust from 2 locations in each home using environmental monitoring equipment.

A public meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Logan Recreation Center, 690 13th Ave. N.E. E.P.A. staff will be joined representatives from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Department of Health and the city of Minneapolis.

Lab analysis of the samples collected may take up to 4 months to process and evaluate, with the results provided to residents and owners of the tested homes. If necessary, based on the data generated in September, E.P.A. may schedule a 2nd round of tests on an additional group of homes in early 2009.

The Western Mineral Products/W.R. Grace plant operated from the late 1930s until the late 1980s. The facility processed vermiculite ore from a mine in Libby, Mont., that was contaminated with asbestos. Locally this material is sometimes called "Libby asbestos."

Residents with questions about the asbestos assessment or with special accommodation requests for the public meeting may contact E.P.A. community involvement coordinator Don de Blasio, 800-621-8431, Ext. 64360, or [email protected]. Find more information including a fact sheet at http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/neminneapolis. Technical documents are accessible for review at the Hennepin Co. Library Northeast, 2200 Central Ave. N.E.

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