We’ve all heard stories about how asbestos can be found in certain environments, but a story that appeared recently in the Chicago Sun-Times is disturbing for many reasons.  The article details the federal government’s calls for additional testing of an Illinois beach for air-borne asbestos.

“The U.S. EPA Thursday announced new tests will be performed next month at Illinois Beach State Park "to better determine the level of airborne asbestos."

A national panel of EPA experts made the recommendation to retest for asbestos, a known carcinogen.

The announcement follows by three weeks reports by the Chicago Sun-Times and NBC5 News, which raised new questions about the safety of the beach.

More than 2 million people annually visit the park, which is near Zion and runs for 6.5 miles along Lake Michigan.

Tests conducted last August by the federal government found the most deadly form of asbestos, amphibole fibers, in the sand.

"It is my understanding that we have found some amphibole asbestos in some of the air samples," Richard Karl, an EPA administrator said in a June interview.”

This is obviously terrifying news for scores of people.  If you have been injured as a result of asbestos exposure, you need to contact Williams Kherkher’s mesothelioma attorneys for a free consultation.  You can do so by calling toll-free (866) 950-9000.