The not guilty verdict handed down today by a jury in a courtroom in Missoula, Montana was nothing short of infuriating. Five former W.R. Grace & Co. executives have been on trial for 11 weeks, charged with federal conspiracy, Clean Air Act violations and obstruction of justice. Charges against two were dropped during the trial. The remaining three were acquitted today of all charges.

Federal prosecutors, who apparently struggled in an uphill battle since the beginning of the case, alleged that the company knowingly exposed the residents of Libby to asbestos infused vermiculite, which was mined in Libby for 70 years. More than 200 people have died and more than 2,000 have become ill from the asbestos contamination. And it’s not just the miners who were exposed to the asbestos, but generations of Libby residents, and generations to come. Piles of the substance was made available for residents and was used in for wall and attic insulation, driveways, as a supplement to soil in gardens and ball fields and as a base layer for the high school track. In addition to it being spread throughout Libby, the vermiculite was also shipped throughout the US and Canada.

Here is the official statement from W.R. Grace Chairman, President and CEO Fred Festa:

“We at Grace are gratified by today’s verdict and thank the men and women of the jury who were open to hearing the facts. We always believed that Grace and its former executives had acted properly and that a jury would come to the same conclusion when confronted with the evidence.

During the time that Grace owned and operated the mine in Libby, Montana, the Company worked hard to keep the operations in compliance with the laws and standards of the day. Grace is committed to continually improving its Environment, Health and Safety performance. We comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations wherever we operate in the world. We are fortunate to have a group of dedicated employees who take their responsibilities seriously and care about the safety of our customers, their co-workers, their families and the communities in which they live.”

One commenter on The University of Montana trial blog called it the “The O.J. verdict of environmental crime.”

We make such promising strides in some areas of government that it is easy to forget, albeit momentarily, about the influence of big money and corporations. And then we have reminders thrust in front of us, such as this verdict, and it seemingly halts all of the positive momentum. For a glimpse at a handful of lives affected by the greed and irresponsibility of W.R. Grace, please take a few minutes and watch this trailer for the documentary film by High Plains: