Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

Stephen Barron, Controller of Northampton County, decided to call in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate the air quality of government owned and operated buildings in Easton, Pennsylvania.  Barron has repeatedly brought his concerns to the attention of powers that be in Northampton County only to have them, allegedly, dismissed without so much as due consideration.  But is this a political squabble or is the health and welfare of employees and visitors to these county buildings at risk due to asbestos contamination?

Asbestos, even in small amounts, can cause a wide variety of debilitating and deadly diseases including lung cancer and mesothelioma.  The EPA recognizes that no amount of airborne asbestos can be considered “safe” while OSHA standards limit airborne asbestos contamination to one-tenth of one fiber per liter of air. 

Barron is not the only worker worried that his health may be at risk.  Several employees housed in the county buildings have expressed concerns over the air quality.  The buildings were built before the asbestos ban in the mid-1980s and therefore likely contain the mineral in some form.  The cancer causing mineral was added to thousands of building materials and commercial products from the 1920s to the 1970s.  It is most often found in insulation, floor and ceiling tiles, and adhesives, such as those used to mount flooring. 

Barron originally proposed air quality testing at the county courthouse, Gracedale nursing home and the Governor Wolf Building last fall, coinciding with his request that employees receive yearly medical surveillance—similar to an annual physical.  The county allegedly ignored Barron’s request which led Barron to contact the EPA.

EPA investigators visited the sites and tested the air but as of the end of May had not yet filed a final report on their findings.  While the lack of results may be troubling, it’s not uncommon in cases like this.  Many times the EPA gives three-week to three-month deadlines when testing such samples because of the workload heaped upon the regulatory body.

County Executive John Stoffa called Barron’s actions “meddling,” stating that Barron is overstepping his bounds.  Stoffa went on to say that the asbestos “is an administrative issue, not a controller issue…It is something we addressed through our safety committee.  We have taken preventative measures."  Stoffa did not elaborate on what those measures were.

If the EPA results show unsafe levels of asbestos in the air, the county officials could be facing fines, personal lawsuits, and even criminal charges.  However, if asbestos levels are found to be within safety limits the matter will likely be dismissed.