EPA Declares Asbestos Related Emergency In Montana

The contamination, which originated from a long-term mining operation near the town, has led to more than 200 asbestos-related deaths in the last decade and an incidence of lethal asbestosis somewhere between 4000 and 8000 percent of the national average. The EPA had been coordinating decontamination efforts in the town for several years, managing to clean more than 1,100 homes, before officials decided to institute the public health emergency.

For decades Libby was the site of a vermiculite mine and ore processing plant owned by W.R. Grace & Co., which mined and processed the mineral for use in its Zonolite brand home insulation. Vermiculite is a versatile mineral, frequently used in all manner of insulation, plant fertilizers and fire retardants. Some vermiculite, like that mined in Libby, is naturally laced with asbestos mineral fibers which, when inhaled, greatly increase the risk of mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung caner.

Though the government banned the sale of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite in the early 1990s, by that time Libby's mine and processing center had already been in operation for 70 years, generating up to 24,000 pounds of toxic dust each day. W.R. Grace & Co. shut down its mine in 1990 and has since cooperated with the EPA, paying $250 million to cover the agency's expenses and millions more in residents' medical bills.

Libby's new emergency status and the funds that accompany it will be used to continue the EPA's current decontamination efforts at a faster pace. The agency has a queue of about 900 properties in need of decontamination in Libby and the neighboring town of Troy. Each decontamination takes several days and involves erecting a plastic tent over the building before conducting an extremely thorough vacuuming of the premises. Workers wear special uniforms equipped with respirators and will even dig up yards to remove asbestos from outside.

Though the EPA is trying to decontaminate as much of the town as possible, approximately 800 homeowners have either declined decontamination or proven impossible to contact. The EPA needs permission from the property owner before it can enter, so these homes will remain contaminated.

Alex Tilitz
atilitz@perecman.com
http://www.newyorkpersonalinjuryblog.com
Source: http://www.montereyherald.com/health/ci_12686332