July 23, 2007, The Associated Press reported that over 500 current and former residents of a West Dallas neighborhood that was home to a vermiculite plant showed up for asbestos screening over the weekend.
In 2005, the federal government determined that the Texas Vermiculite plant could have exposed its employees and neighbors to asbestos.
W.R. Grace & Co. operated the plant from 1953 to 1992 before it was demolished between 2001 and 2002. It produced fire-retardant materials extracted from vermiculite. The process released asbestos fibers, which are small enough to be inhaled, into the air and the surrounding area. Human exposure to the fibers increases the risk of lung cancer and other disorders, including asbestosis, a condition that makes breathing difficult. Most cases occur 15 or more years after initial exposure.
Health officials screened 25 people with chest X-rays in May. Eight of them showed signs of asbestos-related disease. Further testing is needed to confirm those results.
"It was higher than we were expecting," said D. Brad Walsh, a Parkland senior planner, who organized the screening campaign.
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