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PORTLAND, Ore - Employees of a former Portland-area vermiculite processing plant were exposed to asbestos during a period from 1967 to 1994, a Oregon Department of Human Services report has found.

The report released Tuesday said the employees were exposed to asbestos in vermiculite that was mined at Libby, Mont. then processed at the Portland plant. The Oregon facility processed more than 193,000 tons of the mineral, which is used in attic insulation and as a soil additive. Family and other household members may have been exposed as well because the fibers can attach to clothing and hair.

Asbestos exposure can increase a person's chance of developing lung cancer and other lung and respiratory disorders.

State health officials said people who may have been exposed should see a doctor with experience in asbestos-related lung disease for evaluation.

This is the second of two Oregon Libby vermiculite facilities investigated. The state reported similar findings with Supreme Pearlite in North Portland last fall.

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