February 12th, 2008

A Washington State creek that is known to contain asbestos-laden silt is now a growing concern for residents as the flood season approaches. Four agencies are discussing plans of action, but no one has definitively said what will be done.

Swift Creek has contained naturally occurring asbestos for as long as residents can remember. The asbestos filters down from the mountains by way of streams and the creek, with asbestos filling the sediment in the waterway. Years ago, residents would have the creek dredged before flood season in the winter; the dredged material would be used as filler by companies in the area. But two years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency said the levels of asbestos were so high in the sediment that the dredging had to stop.

Now, residents in this Washington city are wondering what they are going to do as flood season approaches. The creek has not been dredged this year, causing a concern for 50 homes along the creek that could be flooded. Residents in the town say that the asbestos has not made anyone sick with asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma or asbestosis, so the creek should be dredged. While the debate goes on, no one organization is making a decision, and residents are waiting to hear what the final decision will be.