Hundreds have died and thousands more are sick due to asbestos poisoning in Libby, a community in Northwestern Montana dubbed “a town left to die” by the Seattle PI. Fortunately the EPA and HHS are attempting to provide justice for Libby residents. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said: “We are determining, for the first time in EPA history, the release of asbestos in the area constitutes a public health emergency.”

I first wrote about the trial in early May when five former executives of the W.R. Grace Co.—the company that mined for asbestos-contaminated vermiculite in Libby—were acquitted of all charges, including federal conspiracy, Clean Air Act violations and obstruction of justice.

Since then, charges have been dropped against the final defendant in the case, O. Mario Favorito, who previously held a number of positions at W.R. Grace including corporate legal counsel, and was on trial for accusations of criminal conspiracy to cover up the health risks of the asbestos contamination. The company allegedly proceeded with operations in Libby despite knowledge of the impact the asbestos poisoning has on the human body. The results have been tragic. According to The Missoulan:

A mortality study at the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby has identified 227 community members who are dead from asbestos disease, and lists more than 1,800 active cases resulting from exposure to the deadly fiber. The study also attributes scores of deaths to non-occupational asbestos exposures, and finds that 77 people who never worked at Grace’s mine in Libby have died of asbestos disease since 1998.

The ill effects are in no way confined to the miners and residents of Libby. A July 1 article in The Spokesman Review opens with the story of Todd and Kandi Smith, a married couple in Spokane, Wash. who purchased their home three years ago in West Central Spokane, Wash., not knowing that a nearby empty lot was once the site of W.R. Grace’s Zonolite factory. Zonolite is an asbestos-contaminated attic insulation, created from vermiculite shipped via rail to Spokane from the mine in Libby. Eight years ago, the EPA tested the soil from surrounding yards near the factory with trace amounts of asbestos, but as the article explains, asbestos testing and technology has advanced since then, leading them to retest earlier this month. W.R. Grace shipped the asbestos-contaminated vermiculite to many other locations throughout the country as well.

The W.R. Grace mine can be seen in the Northeast corner of the map, and in the city markers indicate sites related to the trial, including the High School where vermiculite was used as a base layer for the track, an export plant (now closed), the graveyard, and elementary school. (Courtesy Google and user JGrigg)

It makes my blood boil knowing that the criminal acts that resulted in these deaths are going unpunished, both due to having viewed the testimonies of generations of helpless residents, and also because my grandfather died from lung disease and intra-abdominal mesothelioma resulting from occupational exposure to asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma is a deadly lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure. So far, 33 of the deaths in Libby were due to the disease.

A comment on my previous post from Jill J, a former resident of Libby, shows the helplessness undoubtedly felt by many current and former residents:

“I lived there for several years and had a couple of children born there. I am very concerned. I already have lung diseases that are strange. I am not sure how to get someone to take me seriously about having been a resident of Libby and the possible consequences I am facing. Who can I turn to?”

We can not ignore Libby and its residents. There must be a collaborative effort to clean up the town and provide comprehensive health care for those already ill. If you or someone you know currently lives or previously lived in Libby and is concerned about their health, contact the Libby Asbestos Center and visit their page to see if a screening is necessary. For more information on the Public Health Emergency, visit the EPA website dedicated to the subject. And write a letter to the Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock to demand justice for the folks in Libby:

Montana Dept. of Justice
P.O. Box 201401
Helena, MT 59620.
Phone (406) 444-2026
Or via email: contactdoj@mt.gov