A group of state and county officials and others met Thursday to discuss ways to minimize potential risks from a mineral used in road material in western North Dakota.
Erionite, a substance similar to asbestos, has been linked to mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer, and is found naturally in the western part of the state. It is widely used in gravel on rural roads in the area.
Scott Radig of the North Dakota Department of Health said a stakeholders group met Thursday to discuss possible safe levels of erionite and what counties should do with the substance in the future. No health problems in the state have been linked to erionite, but officials want counties that use gravel containing it to be cautious.
“We don’t want to alarm people,” Radig said. “Yet we want people to be aware of potential issues.”
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Radig said the group would look at three other states with significant naturally occurring asbestos for ideas on how to deal with erionite.
Commissioners from Slope, Stark, Bowman and Dunn counties attended the meeting.
“The idea is that the North Dakota Health Department has is to give us some guidelines as to what the acceptable levels would be and if there is an acceptable level,” said Scott Ouradnik, a Slope County commissioner. “We’re looking to the doctors and scientists to tell us what we should or shouldn’t do with it.”
The lack of guidelines so far is complicated by the frequent need for maintenance on rural roads in western North Dakota, caused by heavy truck traffic from oil and gas drilling.
“With the oil activity, you’re on these roads quite often,” said Stark County Commissioner Russ Hoff. He is hoping for more definite guidance from the state.
“There’s a lot of what-ifs,” he said. “My view as a commissioner is, ‘Tell us if we can use this or not.’”
Erionite has been linked to cancer in Turkey. A study by the health department released in October showed nothing conclusive here, but mesothelioma can occur decades after exposure, Radig said. State and county officials want to balance reducing risks with acceptable guidelines for handling erionite gravel.
Radig said the next step by the group is to form smaller groups to address issues such as risk mitigation, education and tracking potential health effects.
“There’s no history or data on it. They don’t really have anything to go by,” said Bowman County Commissioner Lynn Brackel. “The state is willing to work with us, but it’s going to take some time.”
(Reach reporter Christopher Bjorke at 250-8261 or chris.bjorke@bismarcktribune.com.)
