John McGaw wrote:
I've always found perlite to be useful in applications similar to this.

BTW vermiculite is NOT ILLEGAL but it seems that some of the ill-informed
have decided that since vermiculite from one location in the US had some
asbestos in it that all vermiculite must be dangerous and that the sky is
falling and refuse to have anything to do with it no matter the source. If
you can find a vendor with the intelligence to know the difference you
should have no trouble buying vermiculite.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/ve..._overview.html



I agree about the perlite. But asbestus litigation is a growing industry,
and with number of companies with deep pockets and actual liability
concerns dwindling, the lawyers are going after anyone who can even spell
"asbestus". I wouldn't sell vermiculite, even from a certified asbestus
free supplier; I don't an unscrupulous lawyer breathing down my neck 20
years from now when some gardener (who may or may not have been my
customer) gets mesothelioma and starts suing garden centers that
once-upon-a-time sold vermiculite.

Best regards,
Bob