Asbestos Dangers Hidden for Decades
A downtown Salt Lake City processing plant that was heavily polluted with an especially toxic form of asbestos is responsible for Ralph Blevin's asbestosis. Blevin left his $1.95/hour paying job at the plant 45 years ago, but still suffers from the effects. His chest frequently hurts so much that he cannot sleep. Blevin says that "there's no, way of making it better. There's no cure." Blevin was not aware of the dangers of asbestos at the time and even after having contracted asbestosis, was not aware for some time that his time at the plant was responsible for the onset of the disease.
Other Utah residents are also believed not to be adequately educated about the dangers of asbestos. Vermiculite, from a Libby, Montana mine, was a popular insulator in Utah for years. However, health and environmental officials have not warned former plant workers and the Utah public of the risks. Max Dodson, the assistant director of the federal Environmental Protection Agency's Denver region, says that the Libby vermiculite problem is "profound."
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