Libby Area Technical Assistance Group, Inc.
P. O. Box 53, Libby, MT 59923
December 8^th, 2009 Regular Board Meeting Minutes

1. Meeting began at approximately 7:10 p.m.

2. EPA Report: Mike Cirian reported on four projects:

1. Asa Wood School -The School Board approved the plan to build a new school and to demolish the old one. A team has been put together to investigate and to identify how much the government is responsible for the tear down. During Christmas vacation, they will do a cost benefit analysis. CDM will do the investigation and give Mike Cirian the results.
2. Hazwopper Training – will hold a class for 20 people who need training to work for a contractor. They will make sure there are people trained after the EPA leaves.
3. Heritage Museum – there is a log cabin on the property that was the original museum. The chinking has vermiculite. After the first of the year, he will have a plan to take it apart and to rebuild it.
4. Libby Hotel – They don’t have the results back. None of the walls are insulated. There are bags of vermiculite and vermiculite fell from the ceiling when the pipes burst. The pipes in the basement are wrapped in asbestos. The structure is in good shape and will be gutted to put in insulation.
5. Mike Cirian explained the EPA structure in region 8. They are planning on clean ups in Troy in 2010. The DEQ will manage that.

3. Terry Spear (Conference call): Dr. Brad Black recommended John Dement from Duke University to work with Terry on the report.

1. Health risk is uncertain especially in children.
2. Risk of non-cancer plural disease has not been addressed and may be more significant.
3. Uncertainties must be reduced in Libby and must be better understood.
4. They must do Toxicity studies specific to Libby amphibole.
5. The method used to quantify must be improved.
6. Studies that have implicated short fibers must be done by TEM.
7. We need more activity based sampling.
8. TEM analysis must be used to quantify fiber in soil. It is important to say pathways have been eliminated.
9.  The effects of contaminated soil need to be understood.
10. We do not have enough information to eliminate the risk of exposure.

We should not rush to do a ROD until epidemiological and toxicological studies have been finished. 

The city/county health board will use Terry’s final report to come up with their response. LeRoy proposed that we put it out for approval and ask for responses over our website.

ROD for OU1: if they underestimate the risks in this report, the same underestimation will be carried over to the rest of the units. Exposures will probably be less in OU1 and OU2. A presentation will be given to the city council.

LeRoy moved that the final copy should be ready by December 15 for the board to approve by e-mail and then it would go to the public. Abe seconded. Motion carried. The comment date has been moved to January 15.

4.  New Business:

Minutes: LeRoy moved and Phillip seconded to approve the minutes of the November meeting. Motion carried.

We have no minutes for August, September or October. Tiffany has written a letter of resignation.

Phillip moved we approve. LeRoy seconded.

We need to advertise for a new grant administrator. Donna will work as interim administrator until a new one can be hired. Mile will check with Linda Armer about legal implications.

Abe Troyer resigned from the board. Abe mentioned that when he was first on the board he had been involved with the clean up but now he is not and the procedures have changed so much, he feels he has nothing to offer the TAG for now.

Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.