Dumped bag may hold asbestos

Associated Press

A plastic bag possibly containing asbestos was found illegally dumped in Central O'ahu.

Carroll Cox, president of the environmental watchdog group EnviroWatch, said he found the bag Sunday in Poamoho near Whitmore Village while looking for illegal dump sites.

Cox said the bag was marked "Warning: Contains asbestos fibers."

Two metal pipes were found in a bag typically used for disposal of asbestos materials, said Liz Galvez of the state Office of Hazard Evaluation.

The contents of the bag will be analyzed to determine whether they contain asbestos, she said.

Marilyn Carlsmith, who owns the property with her brother, said the area had been used as a dump site without her permission. She says a group that restores old military vehicles agreed to clean up the property in exchange for use of the area.

Exposure to asbestos has been linked to lung cancer.