Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

The Vermont Health Department report shows that people who live or lived near a former asbestos mine have higher rates of developing an asbestos-related disease, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.

 

Chrysotile asbestos, a fibrous mineral, was mined from Belvedere Mountain until 1993, when the mine closed. The Health Department studied the health records and birth certificates of people living in towns within a 10 mile radius of the mine. The conclusion of that report was that people from the towns studied did not have higher rates of lung cancer, but that they did have higher rates of contracting or dying of asbestosis. 

 

Asbestosis is a scarring of the lungs which can cause shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, and eventual death. Asbestos, if intact, does not usually create a safety threat. However if asbestos dust or fibers are released into the air, the risk of inhalation of the deadly material greatly increases. Inhalation of asbestos causes a range of diseases, such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis, as well as pleural plaques, thickening and effusions.   Exposure can occur from inhalation of contaminated air in the working environment as well as from air in the vicinity of the source of asbestos. 

The main concern for people who live in the community surrounding the closed mine is a huge tailings pile left behind after closure. The state is has been taking measures to try to contain the contamination.