Asbestos Continues to Plague Libby, Montana Residents
Libby, Montana is a small town nestled the Northern Rockies along the beautiful Kootenai River. Although Libby is a recreational, hunting and fishing paradise, the town is now most famous for being the former home of an asbestos mine, owned and operated by WR Grace. Vermiculite asbestos, also known under the brand name, Zonolite, has sickened and killed many local residents. In addition, it is estimated that 35 million homes in the United States contain Zonolite insulation, so the deadly impact of asbestos from this small town has a long reach.
Exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma, a form of asbestos cancer that develops in the lining of the body’s internal organs, and asbestosis, a painful scarring of the lungs – both fatal diseases. Perhaps what is most sad is that WR Grace officials knew of the dangers of asbestos for decades and yet continued to operate the mine and ship, manufacture and produce poisonous products without providing any warning or protection to workers, their families, purchasers, or the environment. And it seems that the damage and conspiracy continues for Libby residents despite the mine being closed in 1990.
The most recent tragic news for residents is that two huge piles of wood chips located on the edge of town are contaminated with asbestos – and even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had performed tests that came back positive for asbestos, they did nothing to warn or stop residents from loading up truck loads and distributing it throughout their town in residences, schools, and even city parks and playgrounds.
Not until March of last year when the Associated Press began to investigate did EPA officials ban residents from taking and transporting the wood chips. The risk of exposure to asbestos in areas where the bark has already been distributed is unknown. For residents, this is one more disappointment in government efforts to clean up their town and worry of one day developing mesothelioma.
Over half of the town’s population has been affected by exposure to asbestos and an estimated 400 residents have died as a direct result. Mesothelioma has a long latency period, so even if someone is exposed today, it can take as long as 50 years to develop into disease. Due to this, many residents now live in fear that sometime in the future, they or their loved ones will be sickened by unwanted exposure.
The EPA has spent close to $400 million in the last 11 years in efforts to clean up the town, and despite all this, the threat remains. EPA officials have offered to test residents’ wood chips and bark if requested.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease, contact our mesothelioma law firm to speak directly with one of our expert asbestos attorneys who can give you a free case evaluation as well as send valuable resources that discuss all the essential information you need to know about asbestos, how to file a mesothelioma lawsuit, and mesothelioma treatment options.
