Asbestos can be found in countries all over the world including here in the USA, where it hides in rock formations (https://www.asbestos.net/exposure/risks/where-is-asbestos-found/). Storms in California earlier this year brought to light issues at the Oroville Dam after it was damaged in February of 2017 (http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-oroville-spillway-damage-20170220-story.html). One of these issues is that the main spillway for the dam was found to be built into asbestos containing rocks, which makes an already tough repair project even more complicated and dangerous (http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/17/oroville-dam-asbestos-found-in-spillway-rock-dust-controls-increased/). Special precautions have to be taken to ensure worker and public safety and to prevent excess dust and debris from being released into the air and water as the repairs progress. These types of projects are best handled by using licensed professionals and/or consulting hazardous materials experts and guidelines to make sure that larger problems are not created as a result of improper techniques. This will be an interesting project to monitor as cleanup and repair continue to see what environmental, site and health issues may arise.
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