May 21st, 2008

Residents of a small Maine town are worried that a construction company is illegally dumping hazardous materials in their local landfill. The construction debris is thought to contain asbestos.

Some residents in Eliot, Maine are concerned about construction going on hundreds of miles away. They say that a company building homes in Massachusetts is illegally dumping hazardous materials in their small local landfill. An earlier agreement between the town and the construction company stated that the developer could dump inert materials in the landfill, such as concrete and soil. But since the homes are now in their final stages of construction, residents think the materials could contain asbestos.

The idea of asbestos-laced soil being dumped in a small landfill not approved for hazardous waste is disturbing. Only places that are certified to accept and contain the dangerous material can have asbestos dumped for disposal at their facilities. This is to make sure the asbestos does not become airborne, causing a risk of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos is only a danger to the public when it breaks apart, or becomes friable, and can then be inhaled or ingested into the body. Breathing in asbestos fibers has been linked with mesothelioma, a type of cancer, and other respiratory illnesses.