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LIBBY- An unknown trace of asbestos that was found in several samples of wood chips all around Libby had some residents fearing that another asbestos exposure nightmare for their small town.

But new findings from the US Environmental Protection Agency suggest there is no asbestos exposure from the wood chips.

The EPA tested the wood chips from the former Stimson Lumber site in 2007 and an unknown level of asbestos was detected in four of the 20 samples, but upon further testing, those samples showed no exposure to asbestos.

The EPA came back in for more in-depth testing this summer and ran qualitative data on 15 samples, which gives them an exact percentage of contamination. Only one sample tested positive for asbestos, and qualitative results revealed the contamination was very minuscule.

During the activity-based sampling, which includes spreading, raking and digging the wood chips, E-PA workers say they came up with zero exposure.

"You can never tell how dangerous one fiber is just by naming the number out, or by what the amount is. That's why we go back and do the activity-based samples, because that is the recognized method for asbestos to determine if there is an exposure," EPA Remedial Project Manager Mike Cirian explained.

He added that the EPA plans no further response actions for the wood chip piles at this time.