The Vermont Attorney General's office is estimating the cost of cleaning up the closed Belvidere Mountain asbestos mine at $210 to $250 million. The Lowell/Eden mine had operated for more than 100 years before it closed, and the remaining piles of waste rock contain dangerous, toxic asbestos. $2 Million Already Spent on Waterways Protection
In 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spent nearly $2 million in a clean-up aimed at preventing the mine's asbestos from entering and damaging nearby wetlands and streams. The EPA is now considering whether the mine itself should be placed on the federal Superfund list, which would make the mine's clean-up eligible for federal money. Locals Have Higher Rates of Asbestos Illnesses
In the meantime, Vermont's Health Department reported that residents living near the mine have significantly higher rates of asbestosis and lung cancer. The state of Vermont is suing:
* The current owner of the mine - the Vermont Asbestos Group, and * G-1 Holdings, a successor to the company that owned the mine earlier
However, the Vermont Asbestos Group's attorneys claim that the company's only remaining asset is a warehouse, and G-1 Holdings is engaged in reorganization plans with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The government is a -second-tier- creditor, in line behind other creditors such as banks that are seeking debt payments from the company. An Attempt to Get the Funding
As Vermont Assistant Attorney General John Beling noted, -We're not optimistic that we're going to get 100 percent recovery, but we're going to attempt to get as much as we can out of the bankruptcy and out of the state court proceeding.-
(Source: somekeyword Learn More about Asbestos Mines
If there's a property in your locale that may have asbestos waste - or if you're concerned about asbestos near your home for any reason - contact mesothelioma center to speak with an asbestos attorney in your area to discuss your circumstances.
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