WR Grace Asbestos Contamination Still Haunting Industrial TexasSan Antonio, Texas - Cleanup crews are in the midst of a massive decontamination project at a Texas industrial site more commonly known as "Big Tex." The site, located on the banks of the San Antonio River was supposed to be completely cleaned by the end of December. Recent discoveries of excessive asbestos contamination have now put this date in doubt.
"Big Tex" is a collection of rusting and abandoned industrial buildings that were set to be demolished once the area was free of environmental hazards. The Environmental Protection Agency has indicated that 26 50-by-50 foot structures are contaminated with harmful levels of asbestos.
Unsurprisingly, the industrial site has long been associated with W.R. Grace & Co., a mining and specialty chemical company that was distributing, throughout the country, millions of tons of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite out of its Libby, Montana mines. The San Antonio operation was one of the firm's largest contracts and received nearly 100,000 tons of the ore from 1961 to 1989.
The asbestos-tainted vermiculite was used as an industrial insulation in many of the plants structures and fixtures. Vermiculite fixtures still exist in most of the buildings set to be demolished, which means an extended asbestos removal process is now likely.
W.R. Grace corporate executives are set to appear in criminal court in February under charges that they knowingly distributed hazardous vermiculite. In addition to criminal charges filed, the company has been entangled in nearly $1 billion of class action suits since the mid 1990's from those who have become ill or died as a result of asbestos exposure.
