State Rock May Get Tossed

By Dean Lee

What started out an idea by some to bring awareness to the dangers of asbestos by dethroning Serpentine as the State’s official rock and removing the rock classification altogether has geologist at odds with lawmakers
in Sacramento as they get set to vote on SB 624. A vote could come as soon as
Monday.

At issue is olive green Serpentine, historically associated with small amounts of chrysotile, a variety of asbestos.

State Senator, 24th District, Gloria Romero authored the bill, which simply removes the category of the state rock from the Government Code. Geologists and teachers have called the issue a waste of time saying
Serpentine is important to California’s history.

Teala Schaff, Press Secretary for Romero said if the bill passed the Assembly, it would go for a final vote on the Senate floor. She said that would happen by the end of the month. The bill would still have to be
signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger she added.

The bill has also been heavily amended, since being introduced, to remove language declaring Serpentine Rock dangerous and a source
for chrysotile asbestos and that exposure to it increases the risk of the

cancer mesothelioma.

Sierra Jenkins a Field Representative for Romero said having a state rock is misguided.

“The original thinking, that Serpentine should be a state rock in the first place was based on junk science,” Jenkins said. “We really did it because we thought it contained asbestos and that it was supposed to
move the asbestos industry. In that logic, it makes sense to now drop it.”

She also said the asbestos language was removed for fear of lawsuits.

Jenkins added the bill originated when Linda Reinstein, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, approached Romero to sponsor the bill.

Dr. Leon Silver, retired Professor for Resource Geology at Caltech, said Serpentine should stay the state rock agreeing with well-known mineralogist Malcolm Ross who has been outspoken on the issue.

Ross had said chrysotile is less harmful than some other forms of asbestos and harmless to casual exposure.

Silver said, “I myself feel that in its natural form, asbestos is no problem in California.”

He said the issue is in other states, and Canada, where the mineral is mined in large quantities. He said only a large exposure to it will cause mesothelioma.

Asbestos also has to be airborne where it can become trapped in the lungs, he explained.

He said dropping Serpentine, as the state rock, does not address the real issues of mesothelioma which he explained industry was well aware of.

Outcrops of Serpentine can be found in the Cost Ranges, above San Luis Obispo to the Oregon boarder, he also explained. It is most commonly used for decoration, from landscaping to jewelry.

State Rock May Get Tossed

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