Asbestos Watch

March 14, 2005

Maryland Chapter of the White Lung Association (WLA) meets the first Monday of each month at 7:00 pm. We meet in the St. RitaÕs Church School cafeteria, located behind the church at the corner of Dunman Way and Dunleer Ave. in Dundalk, MD. Next Meeting April 4, 2005.

Aberdeen, MD. The Aberdeen Proving Ground will not continue with its plans to let private contractors and Helen Bentley proceed with a scheme to turn asbestos into play sand. Bentley and Company managed to get 5 million dollars in US taxpayer funds to design an operation which would take asbestos from old military bases, mix it with acid and other chemicals and supposedly render it safe to use as sand for beaches, play grounds, roadways and lawns.

Community representatives came to the White Lung and pleaded for expertise testimony against this proposal. After studying the documents released to the community by the Army, the WLA National Board prepared an "evaluation" paper which was delivered to the Army, the MD Department of the Environment, local, state and public political representatives and the press. Community and scientific representatives agreed with the WLA. MD Dept of Environment, who had formerly approved the project, remained silent.

Soon it was discovered that the Bentley Plan would bring a tractor-trailer of asbestos waste in plastic bags into Harford County every hour. Further, the plan called for the open air unloading whose activities would be monitored with "visual" inspection. The plan wanted to flush the wastewater into the Chesapeake Bay. Once these and other facts were brought to lights public opposition was so opposed to this that the Army reconsidered it. The Army also did not want to have another environmental disaster on their hands and finally decided not to proceed with the operations at the Aberdeen, MD base.

Dundalk, MD. The White Lung Association, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization and other asbestos victims groups have opposed Senator Alan SpectorÕs "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act". You are invited to a bus trip to Washington DC to make your views known about what you think about this legislation. The bus trip is scheduled for Tuesday, March 29 and Friday, April 1, 2005. To register call 410-243-5864. The bus will leave from Meritt Blvd. Shopping Center lot one block south of Holibird.

Washington DC. Congress is now considering a national day to honor asbestos victims and to warn against the hazards of asbestos. You are invited to attend on the first of April. Call 410-234-5864 if you want to go to Washington, DC on April 1, 2005.