Two state agencies are investigating a major case of illegal asbestos dumping, reportedly consisting of more than 100 plastic bags of the carcinogenic material.

These bags reportedly contain concrete asbestos board (CAB), dumped at two locations in Jefferson County during the month of September 2016.

According to air quality specialist of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) Mike Shults, he has never seen a bigger illegal asbestos dumping case in the 11 years of his membership in the ORCAA.

It is important to note that Shults covers six counties for the agency; he states that if there had been a bigger case of asbestos dumping he would have known.

Lead investigator and air quality specialist Pinky Feria Mingo is hoping that the individual responsible comes forward or an eye witness may soon provide more information.

Also working as a part time employee for Jefferson County Public Health, Mingo emphasizes the severe environmental health risks asbestos dumping imposes on the public.

With 55 bags of CAB found dumped in bushes near a state Department of Natural Resources office and another 52 bags near Lake Anderson, Mingo’s fear of asbestos health problems is a legitimate concern.

Asbestos Dumping Raises Health Concerns

While dormant asbestos is relatively harmless, the fibrous substance becomes highly dangerous when released into the air. Once inhaled or swallowed, these fibers can become embedded in a person’s lungs and eventually fester into cancer cells.

This process can take decades for the patient to develop any symptoms, so delayed discovery often leads to latent diagnoses and shortened life expectancies.

Among the asbestos health concerns officials are worried about, mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer are the most prevalent.

While both cancers are extremely rare and caused by asbestos exposure, they differ in development. Mesothelioma refers to cancer developing in the mucus lining of the lungs, while asbestos lung cancer occurs when the fibers attack the lungs directly.

Mingo and other officials began their investigation when the first bags were found on Sept. 13, 2016, near Cape George, with the second bags found several days later near Lake Anderson.

Mingo stated it was not known if the asbestos bags came from the same source and is calling for protective equipment to be shipped in for officials so the contents of the bags can be examined.

There are no legally designated asbestos dumping sites in Jefferson County, with the nearest approved location in Port Angeles at the Clallam County Regional Transfer Station.

Mingo and other officials believe that the culprit may have used a paid contractor, based on the fact that the expensive part of asbestos removal is the labor and not the disposal.

Mingo further stated the culprit could face both civil and criminal penalties for the illegal asbestos dumping. According to ORCAA, the individual may face fines as a high as $14,915 for allegedly “breaking air quality rules.”