Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

The danger of mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases is just too high.  That’s why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to step in and help with the cleanup of the Gibson County Emge meat packing plant in Fort Branch, Indiana.  The plant burned for four days last month until firefighters were able to get the blaze under control, leaving behind debris containing toxic asbestos.  The property has been left as-is because the scope of the cleanup is just too great for its owner to handle. 

In light of the risk of leaving the debris to remain or the contaminated  materials to be removed by unqualified contractors, the EPA has decided to help.  The EPA and other federal and state agencies have long known that no amount of asbestos is safe and even minute exposure can lead to debilitating and deadly diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.  Regulators announced that they would step in and remove all the cancer causing asbestos that remains at the site. 

Usually the agency doesn’t take such direct action and merely oversees such projects, but the owner, David Mounts of Evansville, of the destroyed plant wasn’t up to the task.  The project will be spearheaded by Kevin Turner and is expected to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $400,000.  Removal is expected to begin in August and should last no longer than two months—barring any unexpected interruptions. 

While the owner of the property has declined to clean up the mess -and may not be legally required to do so- Turner says the company will most likely be found financially responsible for the cleanup, at least in part. 

Also, if a exposed person is injured because of the owner’s negligence in the matter, he may be held financially responsible for their treatment and other expenses.   

The plant, like many other across the country and the world, used asbestos materials as insulation for pipes and furnaces and the like.  Asbestos was commonly added to heat shields and insulator materials until the process was banned in the 1980s.  In addition to asbestos containing insulation, transite, a form of asbestos-laden wallboard, was also found at the cleanup site. 

The EPA is taking the opportunity to educate and inform the Gibson County community of the dangers of exposure to asbestos and the proper fashion in which contaminated materials should be handled.  The EPA and Indiana laws mandate that only licensed professionals are allowed to handle asbestos, that it must be transported in sealed containers, and only licensed facilities are allowed to accept such debris.