In a small Philadelphia suburb, a few miles away from the recent Democratic National Convention, a 35-year asbestos Superfund clean up project has been underway.

Many residents of Ambler, Pennsylvania are surprised to learn that the area was once an asbestos manufacturing mecca, which may have put them at risk for asbestos cancer exposure.

History of Ambler Asbestos Sites

For six decades beginning in the late 19th century, asbestos production was a vital part of Ambler’s local economy.

Both the BoRit Asbestos and Ambler Asbestos Piles Superfund Sites are a result of disposal operations by three asbestos product manufacturing companies from the late 1800’s through 1974.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) became involved with the Ambler Asbestos Piles Superfund Site in the early 1970s in response to public complaints of air and water contamination.

In 1983, EPA’s Emergency Response Team and PADEP conducted an initial Superfund Site Inspection. Based on sampling performed during the inspection, the Centers for Disease Control issued a Public Health Advisory concerning the site.

Shortly thereafter, the EPA determined that the site posed an imminent and substantial asbestos cancer exposure risk to the public and made the decision to proceed with a Superfund removal response action in 1984.

In April 2006, due to changing conditions at the Ambler sites, the EPA’s Site Assessment Program conducted sampling and detected asbestos in the air, soil, surface water and sediments.

The BoRit Asbestos Superfund Site was added to EPA’s National Priorities List of most hazardous waste sites on April 9, 2009, making it eligible for cleanup using federal Superfund program funding.

The EPA’s most recent assessment of the site, in September 2012, showed that the site continues to be protective of human health and the environment.

EPA is currently working to remove any potential asbestos cancer exposure risk at the site, by covering all asbestos-containing materials throughout the site. All removal cleanup work on the Superfund Site will be completed in 2016.

Critics Concerned About Asbestos Cancer Exposure

Still, critics have voiced that the soil cover may not be deep enough to prevent asbestos cancer exposure, noting that animals or an uprooted tree can release the toxic asbestos.

They are also concerned that the asbestos piles are in close proximity to the Wissahickon Creek which flows into the Schuylkill River and flows through Center City Philadelphia. Concerned critics point out that the EPA doesn’t test the Ambler asbestos sites for groundwater contamination.

“I don’t think they have been as good as they should be,” said Arthur Frank, an environmental health expert at Drexel University who has studied the Ambler waste sites for community groups. He said snow and ice can expose the piles.

But the EPA’s Greg Voigt stated that the Ambler sites have had successful reviews every five years since the site cleanup was completed in 1996, claiming it is “validation” that the EPA’s cleanup and monitoring efforts are effective in preventing asbestos cancer exposure.

“There’s always going to be a certain contingent [that does not like EPA’s approach], and we’ll have to agree to disagree on certain issues,” said Voigt, who also states that the EPA has community meetings every two months in Ambler regarding concerns about the asbestos site and cleanup.

Asbestos Cancer Exposure

In cases where people are aware of or suspect the source of asbestos cancer exposure which led to their diagnosis with mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer, or another asbestos disease, it is possible for these victims to file asbestos cancer exposure lawsuits in demand of compensation for their medical expenses and other losses.

To learn more about filing an asbestos cancer lawsuit, contact an experienced asbestos litigation attorney for a free, no-obligation consultation.