Libby May Face Three More Years of Cleanup from Asbestos Problems

Libby, MT: A ten-year-long $206 million cleaning effort in the city of Libby, Montana, may require an additional three years to remove the asbestos brought on by a local mining company, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).



The city of Libby has been hit with a number of asbestos-related problems due to the local vermiculite mine - which, under owner W.R. Grace, heavily polluted the town with tremolite asbestos dust.



According to The Western News, asbestos has caused more than 300 deaths in the area. The Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby also sees as many as 2,800 patients suffering from asbestos-related diseases. Dr. Alan Whitehouse, a retired pulmonary specialist, tells the Daily Interlake that the Libby residents who have been exposed to asbestos face a 59 percent probability of death upon diagnosis.



W.R. Grace, currently in the process of resolving its own bankruptcy, was acquitted of federal negligence charges earlier this year, but still faces more than 760 Libby-related claimants in civil trials.



Somewhat ironically, the EPA's extensive cleanup efforts have revitalized the town's economy. As Lincoln County Commissioner, Marianne Roose, told the Western News, "our community would be in a world of hurt without the cleanup."