Westview Park residents fear they may be inhaling asbestos in the dust generated by construction activity in their community, according to the president of the community's civic association.

Because neither the state nor Baltimore County have regulations or plans for dealing with the naturally occurring mineral, however, government response to the community's plight has been slow in coming.

"Everyone is letting evidence slip away in the rain," said Steve Whisler, president of the Westview Park Improvement and Civic Association, referring to recent heavy downpours that washed dust into the soil and street gutters.

During an emergency meeting of residents and government officials Oct. 1 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Catonsville, Whisler called for the Maryland Department of the Environment to test houses and other buildings near the 1505 N. Rolling Road construction site to determine the level of asbestos contamination, if any.

He commended the county and the site developer, Enterprise Homes, for halting a mid-September rock-crushing operation that generated the dust.

Enterprise ordered the work stopped Sept. 22, when tests showed asbestos naturally present in the rocks, according to company spokeswoman Amy Elias. Enterprise then notified Whisler on Sept. 25 about the mineral's presence.

In addition, Enterprise hired an environmental services company, EA Engineering, Science and Technology Inc. of Sparks, Md., to test the construction site for airborne asbestos and to develop protocols for workers who may be handling materials that contain the naturally occurring mineral.

"What I'm not satisfied with is whether or not we have an adequate assessment of risk in adjacent homes, businesses and the grounds, streams and property that we all live on and use every single day," Whisler said.

Although EA Engineering is also charged by Enterprise with testing some of the surrounding homes and businesses, Whisler said he would prefer to see a contractor handle the issue that does not have ties to Enterprise.

He asked that the state apply the federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, which requires elementary and secondary schools to inspect their buildings for asbestos-containing building material and prepare plans to prevent or reduce asbestos hazards.

Asbestos can cause lung diseases, including cancer, if inhaled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Although the law does not apply to naturally occurring asbestos, as was found at the Enterprise Homes site, Whisler asked the state to hire independent contractors to inspect the site and surrounding area.

More than 85 people attended Whisler's emergency community meeting last week. They heard from guest speakers Jonas Jacobson, who directs the Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management, and Angelo Bianca, deputy director of the Maryland Department of the Environment's Air and Radiation Management Administration.

Bianca said he would forward Whisler's request to Secretary of the Environment Shari Wilson.

Also speaking at the meeting was Dr. Cliff Mitchell, director of environmental health coordination at the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, who said that most people who are exposed to asbestos do not develop asbestos-related diseases.

Those who do likely were exposed to extremely high levels over a period of years, he said.

He said he estimated the Enterprise Homes site exposure to be "very, very low."

There are no medical tests other than lung removal and examination that can determine how much of the airborne material a person has inhaled, he said.

He encouraged anyone with concerns to consult a private physician and offered to work with a person's private physician and with the county Department of Health to answer questions about the risk.

"This is something that we are interested in following and in monitoring closely," he said.

A Baltimore-based company, Enterprise broke ground July 17 for the $12 million-, 83-unit project, which is due for completion by June.

Hord Coplan Macht Inc. is the architect. Whiting-Turner is the contractor.

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