Toxic Town Receives Attention, Money From Obama Administration

A small town in Montana has a big cleanup ahead. According to several news sources, the Environmental Protection Agency has been assigned to clean up an entire town covered in toxic dust, a residual from years of vermiculite mining close to the town. Libby, Montana, the town in question, would receive over $130 million in additional federal aid to assist in cleaning up the highly dangerous mess, which is estimated to have caused over 200 deaths. This number drastically exceeds the national average for deaths related to asbestos exposure and asbestosis.

The town of Libby was coated with a layer of asbestos-laced dust that blanketed everything from trees to cars to playgrounds; no one was immune to exposure. The dust originated from a nearby vermiculite mine which has been in operation since 1919. Dust from the plant covered lawns, trees, cars and drifted through the air in a hazy smoke. The vermiculite dust alone is not toxic, but the particulate matter was infused with a substance called tremolite asbestos, chemically linked to mesothelioma. According to federal prosecutors, this high level of exposure resulted in more than 200 deaths and 1,000 illnesses over several decades.

The alarming fact of the matter is that this level of extreme exposure in an isolated location is incredibly dangerous for residents of the town and for federal health regulatory institutions. Earlier this year, a federal jury acquitted the operator of the mine along with three of its former executives of criminal charges related to the contamination. The facility was under the control of W.R. Grace from 1963 until it closed in 1990, and prosecutors insisted that its executives had knowledge of the toxic substance's release. Additionally, they claimed that the company tried to conceal the danger the dust presented from the community.

The total cost of the cleanup is uncertain at this point, but with the federal government's contribution, the grand total now comes to $333 million, with $6 million going to local health care providers to screen, diagnose, and treat asbestos related illnesses. The agency also stated that it needed sufficient time to conduct extensive research concerning the health effects of this particular type of asbestos, as well as specific locations in the town where the dust has been spread or concentrated.

Mesothelioma is a deadly and debilitating form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. No known treatment can currently completely cure the effects of the cancer, which is why it is imperative that a patient recently diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer locate an experienced mesothelioma lawyer who can provide a free legal consultation as to the development of a possible mesothelioma lawsuit. Developing litigation of this nature may result in monetary funds being dispersed to a victim, who can then use such compensation to pay for costly medical treatments and increase quality of life during their cancer.