Is the problem with asbestos in Swift Creek going to spread to the Sumas River?
Tests indicate that asbestos from Swift Creek has traveled into the Sumas River. It’s recently been found in the water and the sediment deposited in and next to the river. For many years, asbestos has been detected in pump filters on the Canadian side of the border. This indicates that asbestos has been moving into the Sumas River for quite some time. Some parts of the Sumas River have flooded or been dredged in the past due to sediment build-up. Although there is no sampling data, it could be assumed –- based on current information — that some of the dredged Sumas River sediment may have originated in Swift Creek and may have contained asbestos. As sediments continue to fill in the Sumas River, the likelihood of flooding and asbestos-containing sediment being deposited along the river will increase.
Related Questions
- If there is asbestos in materials carried down Swift Creek and the Sumas River, do all of the Swift Creek and Sumas floodplains have asbestos?
- What is the "relative risk" posed by the asbestos at Swift Creek and Sumas River when compared to other things?
- Is the problem with asbestos in Swift Creek going to spread to the Sumas River?
