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[aruanan]

Although all forms of asbestos are known to cause cancer, most specialists in asbestos disease believe the rare "amphibole" found in parts of western El Dorado and Placer counties is several hundred times more potent than the more prevalent "chrysotile" type historically used in fireproofing and insulation products.

Chrysotile asbestos is one of the most abundant naturally-occurring minerals. It's virtually impossible to escape contact with it. There are cities with such high naturally-occurring levels that if they had happened as a result of industry, they would be shut down as completely (and unnecessarily) as Times Beach, Missouri was over dioxin. And yet these cities (one called Asbestos) do not have higher than normal lung cancer rates.

The cancer scare from asbestos came as a result of workers in shipyards during WWII being in contact with amphibole asbestos. Most of those who came in contact with this asbestos who later developed cancer also happened to be smokers.