Hundreds of residents in the otherwise idyllic mountain town of Libby, Mont., are dying painful deaths as asbestos contaminates and scars their lungs, causing them to slowly suffocate.
Sadly, it is a fate that could have been avoided.
For years, the workers who mined asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from the top of a nearby mountain suffered from lung ailments.
But the dust clouds also floated over the town, and the mix was trucked home by unwitting miners who put it into their attics and gardens, thinking they were getting quite a deal on a product that was sold nationally as insulation, commercial fire retardant and garden fertilizer.
The company that ran the mine, W.R. Grace, gave free vermiculite to locals for years. All the while, company memos show that Grace officials knew the stuff was making people sick.
Now, nearly 19 percent of Libby’s 8,000 residents suffer from asbestos-related diseases. More than 265 people have died, and one clinic makes 20 diagnoses a month. The youngest victims never set foot in the mine, which shut down 14 years ago.
Internal memos show Grace officials knew workers were getting sick as far back as 1976. They hid that information from federal agencies and residents, according to court records.
The company denies knowingly endangering workers and says it has spent more than $10 million in a voluntary program to cover medical bills. It’s not enough.
Contamination is everywhere, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cleaned up only about half of the properties at a cost of nearly $130 million. Grace should clean up its mess.
Next year, a criminal case brought by the U.S. attorney in Montana will go to trial on charges of conspiracy, endangerment and obstruction of justice against the company and seven former officials.
We hope the people of Libby will get justice and fair compensation.
