Ash Grove Cement Company has confirmed that all tests conducted on the cement manufactured at the company’s plant outside of Helena, Montana, are negative for asbestos contamination.

Company spokeswoman Jacqueline Clark says the test results are from an independent laboratory.

Ash Grove still needs to conduct additional testing in the coming weeks. At issue is whether the mineral found in the company quarry was correctly identified as tremolite, a deadly mineral used in the production of asbestos.

It is hoped the company will reopen in April.

The testing includes work by the U.S. Mine Safety & Health Administration and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

The plant and quarry were shut down on the 16^th, and workers were sent home. Workers have been paid in full from the 16^th until the 27^th of March, but will receive no further monetary compensation for time lost until the plant re-opens. Workers will not be able to return to their jobs until testing is complete and the company is assured that their employees will be able to work in a safe environment.

Tremolite is a type mineral commonly used in the production of asbestos. The company has not verified that the substance is actually tremolite and are waiting on verification from the people performing the analysis on the quarry. If inhaled, tremolite particles may be hazardous to a person’s health. How much damage is caused by tremolite is dependent on how much tremolite has been inhaled.

Tremolite is a mineral that ranges in color from a pure, creamy white to white with green stripes. Inhalation of this mineral has been linked to asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

The Wyatt Park clubhouse in Laconia, New Hampshire, is facing an uncertain future. The Laconia Parks and Recreation Commission has voted to recommend to the City Council to demolish the 59-year-old structure. It will be up to the City Council to decide whether the park house will be demolished or renovated. Renovations will be costly, and will need to include funds for asbestos abatement.

Several months ago the city’s building inspector found that the park house would require major repairs in order to bring the building up to code. All told, the building inspector recommended $70,000 worth of repairs to make the park house functionally usable.

The Wyatt park house, like each of the park houses around the city of Laconia, most likely contains lead paint and floor tiles that contain asbestos. If the property is to be renovated, the asbestos floor tiles will need to be removed. Asbestos, when inhaled, can lead to a variety of health issues, from asbestosis to lung cancer to mesothelioma.

Funds to repair the park house were requested in the 2009-2010 city budget, but the funds were not included in the budget recommendation that went before the City Council.

The Wyatt Parkhouse was closed last spring when citizens became concerned over the dilapidated condition of the structure.

Until 2008, the Wyatt Parkhouse was a site for voted to cast their ballots, the home of a pumpkin carving contest, and a carnival. Over the years, the park house went from a popular rental property for functions to a nearly forgotten property.