California's Toxic State Rock Fact Sheet
- Serpentine, a form of asbestos ore, is the state rock of California.[1]
- Everyday activities that disturb naturally occurring serpentine, such as walking or recreational activities, can expose Californians to lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other diseases.[2]
- Asbestos found in serpentine is considered a hazardous carcinogen by the California EPA.[3]
- Serpentine was chosen as the state rock in order to promote the asbestos mining industry in California.[4]
- Asbestos mining no longer has any commercial value to California.[5]
- Chrysotile asbestos, found in serpentine, is linked to increased risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma.[6]
- All major commercial forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, can cause mesothelioma in lab animals.[7]
- It is impossible to set a minimum threshold, below which cancer will not be caused by asbestos fibers.[8]
- Chrysotile asbestos has been banned in over 40 countries, including most of Western Europe, with more countries soon to follow.[9]
- The U.S. Senate has introduced the Ban Asbestos Act of 2007, designed to ban asbestos in the United States, as well as dramatically increase research and treatment of asbestos diseases.[10]
- California leads the nation in asbestos-related deaths.[11]
- Asbestos is a generic name given to the fibrous variety of six naturally occurring minerals that have been used in commercial products. Asbestos is made up of fiber bundles. These bundles, in turn, are composed of extremely long and thin fibers that can be easily separated from one another.[12]
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[1] California Government Code, Section 425.2 ("Serpentine is the official State Rock and lithologic emblem."). Serpentine was designated as the state rock of California in 1965. Serpentine occurs in less than one percent of the state, although it naturally occurs in at least 42 of the state's 58 counties.
[2] California EPA, http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/Schools/upload/Recommended_Housekeeping_for_NOA_102306.pdf
[3] California EPA Air Resources Board, http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/asbestos/general.htm
[4] Department of Conservation, letter to Governor Edmund Brown supporting selection of serpentine as the state rock, April 16, 1965
[5] Bradley S. Van Gosen, Reported Historic Asbestos Mines, USGS Open-File Report, 2005-1189
[6] Yano and Wang, American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 154 Nr. 6, 2001.
[7] World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC Monographs on the Carcinogenic Risk to Humans, March 16, 1998.
[8] World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC Monographs on the Carcinogenic Risk to Humans, March 26, 1998.
[9] International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, current as of July 30, 2007.
[10] Library of Congress online legislative database, 2007.
[11] Environmental Working Group, April 18, 2004, http://www.ewg.org/node/16091
[12] U.S. Geological Survey, May 11, 2007, http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs012-01/