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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels August 26, 2004 Asbestos dump poses no threat By Steve Zimmerman Ashland Daily Tidings Piping containing a form of asbestos that was found in a pile of dirt removed from a Southern Oregon University road project was basically harmless and was disposed of properly. That was the finding of Steven Croucher, environmental specialist for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. "In the form the asbestos was found (solid pipe) it was a lot more difficult for the asbestos to become airborne," he said. "The airborne hazard is the only one we look at." Asbestos is most dangerous when it is broken up and becomes dust and is then dispersed into the air. That most often happens when older buildings that contain asbestos are torn down. The substance in the pipe at SOU was in solid form and was disposed of quickly Wednesday. "We have fairly specific regulations for the handling of asbestos," Croucher said. "It was disposed of at a site that accepts materials containing asbestos. It probably went to Dry Creek in White City but the company could have taken it to any site in the state." Caution tape was put up around the mound of dirt warning of potential danger within the mound. That was done strictly as a precaution. Croucher said Trinity Excavation did the right thing once the discovery was made of the asbestos pipe. "What they did was once they realized there was asbestos present in the pipe, the immediately called DEQ and isolated the area," he said. "It was cleaned up in a timely manner. The college has been very responsive to any and all types of these incidents." Now that the pipe has been discovered, one might assume that the college should try to isolate all other piping that may contain asbestos in one form or another and replace it. But that is not what DEQ recommends. "Leaving the materials in place is the best way to proceed when dealing with asbestos," Croucher said. "If you have a vinyl floor covering and you want to replace it, the best way is to just go over the old floor so it doesn't disturb the asbestos in the vinyl." Croucher thinks that the increase in lawyers' ads about exposure to asbestos has led to the dissemination of misinformation. "At one time or another, almost everybody has been exposed to asbestos," Croucher said. "Those ads on TV cause misinformation to get out and unrealistic expectations among the apparent victims." Croucher wants all residents to know that DEQ's response to the SOU situation was a normal one. "If there had been grave public danger, our response would have been much different." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams