The Vermont Health Department has agreed to further investigate the possible health risks of a closed asbestos mine, following criticism over an earlier report that erroneously found a higher-than-expected incidence of lung cancer among nearby residents.
Officials say new data could show that no one died from the lung disease asbestosis as a result of living near the former Vermont Asbestos Group mine in Eden.
The original study showed residents who lived near the mine had higher-than-normal rates of contracting or dying of asbestosis. Five deaths, including two of mine workers, and 14 hospitalizations were reported, from 1995 to 2006.