The governor of Vermont, during a recent conversation about the former Vermont Asbestos Group mines in the towns of Lowell and Eden, told constituents that  he didn’t find it necessary to do anything about the mines, which have been of major concern to those who live near the sites for quite some time.

According to an article in the Burlington Free Press, when questioned about the mines and whether or not the state should seek Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund status for the clean-up of the mines, Governor Peter Shumlin responded: “That asbestos has been there a long time. It’s better to let sleeping dogs lie.”

There have been mixed reactions among locals as to whether or not the mine area should become a Superfund site. Many residents fear that such a designation will have a detrimental affect on their property values. Hence, they are opposed. Others believe it is important that the site be properly cleaned in order to avoid exposure to asbestos, which is a known carcinogen that can cause a variety of ailments, most notably mesothelioma cancer, which usually attacks the lining of the lungs and is caused by inhalation of tiny, sharp asbestos fibers. Miners who worked at the site are at highest risk for developing the disease, which can take decades to appear.

A spokesperson for the governor believes Shumlin stated what he believed to be the majority opinion of the people of Lowell and Eden. However, the local Department of Environmental Protection – in reports compiled during the last 12 months – note the presence of piles of hazardous waste, and the agency has been encouraging the towns to go ahead and seek the Superfund designation, noting that this is the only program that has the tens of millions of dollars needed to make the site free of environmental and health risks.

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