A Hamden, Connecticut man was recently honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for his efforts to protect children from the asbestos that is sometimes found in art clay.

According to an article in The Connecticut Business News Journal, Ron Skomro, supervisor of the state Department of Public Health’s Asbestos Program, was presented with the 2008 Environmental Merit Award last month during a gala ceremony in Boston.

Skomro was integral in halting the sale of asbestos-containing art clay in the state of Connecticut. Though clay appears harmless, some clay contains talc, which is often naturally contaminated with asbestos. Talc is added to clay to lower the temperature at which the clay needs to be heated, the article explains.

“Skomro also got the Art & Creative Materials Institute to require member manufacturers to reformulate their products to remove asbestos,” the article points out. Asbestos exposure has been associated with diseases like asbestosis, pleural plaques, and mesothelioma, an aggressive asbestos-caused cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs.

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