Asbestos Tests Positive at Ash Grove Cement Company

A tremolite sample taken from the Ash Grove Cement Company quarry outside of Helena, Montana, has been confirmed to be asbestos.

Test results were released on Wednesday. The testing was completed by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.

The asbestos has been found in isolated areas of the limestone quarry.

A spokeswoman for the Mine Safety and Health Administration stated, “MHSA’s bulk sampling results indicate that tremolite asbestos is present in the pit as isolated occurrences due to geologic intrusions into certain zones of the quarry.”

A spokeswoman for the Ash Grove Cement Company has declined to comment until the remaning test results have been released. At that time, the company will begin to formulate a plan of action with state and federal agencies.

The Ash Grove plant has been closed since March 16, when the tremolite was first identified. Workers have been sent home, and were paid in full from the 16th through last Friday. Workers will not be allowed to return to work until all testing is complete.

In one of its naturally occurring forms, tremolite is a form of asbestos that can cause damage to the lungs if inhaled. Inhaled asbestos fibers pierce the walls of the lungs and cannot be removed. Asbestos inhalation has been linked to conditions such as asbestosis or mesothelioma, a form of cancer.

Tremolite asbestos is also making headlines elsewhere in Montana. Tremolite is associated with vermiculite, one of the forms of asbestos found in Libby, Montana. Asbestos is the central issue of the ongoing W.R. Grace Company federal trial.