Final meeting on EPA asbestos test plans
Officials will discuss how they will gauge residents' exposure in El Dorado Hills.

The last of three public meetings by federal environmental officials to tell El Dorado County residents about plans to conduct tests crucial to assessing the potential for exposure to naturally occurring asbestos.

The science seminars, sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, were lead-ins to tonight's public meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Folsom Community Center, where plans to conduct the first tests designed to gauge residents' exposure to asbestos, particularly that of children at play, will be discussed.

"Asbestos has the potential to touch much of what is dear to all of us. ... We hope to help community members make more informed decisions," Dan Meer, supervisor of the EPA investigation, told the audience at Wednesday's seminar.

Although naturally occurring asbestos was discovered last month in Folsom at the site of the future Lago Vista High School, Meer said the cleanup plan for that site is not under his agency's jurisdiction.

The city of Folsom will host a meeting on its own asbestos situation within the next month, a spokeswoman with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District said.

During last week's science seminars, state and federal scientists stressed the importance of upcoming testing to improve the ability to identify and measure asbestos fibers in the air and predict human risks.

Starting next month, the agency plans air and soil sampling on the dirt baseball diamonds and children's playground at the El Dorado Hills Community Center and on sports fields at two elementary schools and one middle school.

Testing is also planned along the unpaved New York Creek running trail in El Dorado Hills.

EPA officials have said they do not know whether the proposed test sites contain naturally occurring asbestos. But they suspect the areas could be contaminated, based on their proximity to the West Bear Mountains Fault. Asbestos sometimes forms in narrow cracks caused by movements along earthquake faults.

Technicians in protective clothing will simulate typical outdoor recreation activities while donning instruments that collect samples of airborne dust.

The sampling is the core of an EPA environment assessment announced earlier this year after the agency found very high levels of asbestos fibers on paths and sports fields at Oak Ridge High School.