Montana’s Libby town was declared a public health emergency because of the asbestos contamination, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lisa Jackson announced in a press conference held in Washington D.C. today June 17.
It was the first time the EPA has made such a determination after the Superfund law that requires the clean up of contaminated sites was passed in 1980.
Libby and a nearby town Troy, in Lincoln County, Montana, have long been contaminated by the asbestos. The asbestos pollution has caused more than 200 deaths and 1,000 illnesses in decades.
The Libby operation began producing vermiculite — a mineral often used in insulation — in 1919. But the vermiculite was contaminated with tremolite asbestos, a particularly toxic form of asbestos that has been linked to mesothelioma, a cancer that can attack the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart.
Dust from the plant covered patches of grass, dusted the tops of cars and drifted through the air in a hazy cloud that became a part of residents’ daily lives.
Jackson’s declaration will result in renewed and extensive contamination cleanup (at least $125 million invested in the next 5 years), along with enhanced medical assistance (with an additional $6 million granted) to treat asbestos-related illness in Libby and Troy.
Kudos to The Obama Administration! And wish the people in Libby and Troy live in a clear, asbestos-free environment in the near future!
More details on sources: CNN, AP, Flathead Beacon
