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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]
[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.
[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.
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