In Jacksonville, Florida, a devastated mother is convinced that the death of her son is linked to the condition of her apartment, which contained mold and asbestos. Michele McGrady moved into her apartment back in 2006. Two years later, her son died mysteriously in bed.

The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was an asthma attack, which McGrady says was triggered by either mold, asbestos or both. Asbestos is linked to respiratory conditions like asbestosis and mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects 3,000 new patients in America each year.

McGrady filed a wrongful death lawsuit last month against the apartment owner. "I thought the Village of Baymeadows would be the best," McGrady told reporters. "I feel like I failed." Lawyers for the apartment complex responded to the allegations by saying that the death was unforeseeable. In addition the lawyers say that the apartment manager never was told of the conditions in the room. McGrady said that while her son did suffer from asthma, he had not shown any symptoms for six years. "There was just no warning whatsoever," she said.

Shortly after the death of her son, Mrs. McGrady asked the apartment manager if the asbestos present in the apartments could have contributed to the death of her son. The apartment manager told her that was not the case. The apartment was damaged by flooding before the death of Mrs. McGrady’s son.

McGrady’s attorney, Mike Roberts, said, "As our apartment complexes get older, the owners and landlords have to take responsibility," he said. "Asbestos and mold aren’t nuisances to be swept under the rug."

The Sumas River flows through Washington State and into Canada, and holds a deadly secret: toxic asbestos flows along the currents. Surprisingly, the source of the asbestos contamination is not an immoral corporation, but is in fact Mother Nature herself. The asbestos in the river is naturally occurring. The hillside above the part of the river known as Swift Creek has been slowly crumbling for 50 years, releasing asbestos into the water.

"You hear the word ‘asbestos’ and you think of lung cancer and everything," said Mike Parker, who lives alongside the creek. "There have been lawsuits filed over it." Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which is linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.

The EPA sent teams to study the river earlier this year to study the asbestos. "I think as long as people exercise reasonable precautions, they should be OK. But we are trying to get the word out to the public," said Linda Anderson-Carnahan of the EPA.

EPA teams found that asbestos from the hillside had washed into the river and flowed all the way into Canada. An elevated level of asbestos was found to be present near the Sumas River.

To stop the asbestos from contaminating the water, officials would need to find a way to stop the landslides, a measure that could cost millions. For the time being, officials are warning people to avoid the area. Local residents told reporters that many visitors from the Olympia area have come to see the toxic river, but all who visit – and those who reside nearby – should avoid the area.