Senator Jon Tester has suggested a new plan that will help clean up the town of Libby, Montana and promote better health care for victims of asbestos exposure.
The town of Libby is the site where W.R. Grace & Company operated a toxic vermiculite mine that was contaminated with asbestos. Outside of the mine, asbestos contaminated nearly every part of the town, including fields, roads and even playgrounds. Asbestos also reached the yards of people’s homes as W.R. Grace would often provide asbestos-contaminated soil for those that wanted to use it in their gardens.
During a recent hearing, Tester asked Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administer Lisa Jackson to join the efforts of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and work to eliminate asbestos contamination throughout the community. Tester told Jackson the joint effort would be “a giant step forward in meeting some of the challenges that occur in Libby.”
Since the official closing of the mine in 1990, more than 200 Libby residents have passed away from asbestos-related diseases such as malignant mesothelioma and nearly 2,000 have become sick. The entire community is now a Superfund site.
After hearing Tester’s new plan, Senator Dianne Feinstein offered to help, saying, “Why don’t we work together on some report language for the bill, which essentially would mandate the EPA to really do what Senator Tester has just suggested: take a new look at it, and give us some findings.”
Tester’s statement also stressed to Jackson that “The situation in Libby is serious enough that it demands your personal attention. And immediate attention.”
Earlier this year, Jackson agreed to visit Libby at the request of Montana Senator Max Baucus, who has been an advocate for asbestos victims in Libby for quite some time.
According to Baucus, “The folks of Libby mean a lot to me. I’ve been there more than 20 times since 1999 and what’s happened there is wrong. Cleaning up Libby, getting folks the health care they deserve and helping the town rebuild its economy and its future is of utmost importance. And you can bet Jon and I will keep EPA’s feet to the fire to make sure that happens.”
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