Asbestos Tragedy Libby Montana 2004 USEPA

Processed vermiculite from the WR Grace Libby MT Mine contained tremolite, a form of asbestos, that was allowed to contaminate local homes and has caused hundreds of cases of asbestos-related disease in this small mountain town. Since November, 1999, the US EPA has cleaned up the major source areas of contamination around town. US EPA is now cleaning up smaller sources found in a variety of places such as around homes and businesses. EPA conducts stringent clearance sampling after cleanup and has begun some targeted sampling to measure the effectiveness of cleanup several months later. In February 2005, seven executives and managers of W. R. Grace were indicted on ten federal criminal counts of knowingly endangering residents of Libby, and concealing information about the health effects of its mining operations. The defendants are also accused of obstructing the government's cleanup efforts and wire fraud. For more and current information on the asbestos abatement work in Libby, go to the US EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/region8/superfund/libby/ . For more information about asbestos and the proposal to finally ban its use in the US, go to Senator Patty Murrays website http://murray.senate.gov/asbestos/index.cfm . This clip is from the 2004 US EPA video, Libby, Montana: An Asbestos Legacy. The entire video (11:30 minutes) is posted to GoogleVideo and can be viewed and downloaded at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6812852032323913573 . This video is from the ERTW website containing almost 100 free films of environmental cleanup and related issues http://www.ertvideo.org .

Category:

Education

Tags:

• asbestos
• tremolite
• vermiculite
• Zonolite
• EPA
• OSHA
• Libby
• Montana
• Hazwoper
• Hazardous
• Waste
• mesothelioma
• cancer
• asbestosis
• criminal
• WR
• Grace
• insulation
• earth
• day
• worker
• memorial

[andreuo11]

man i got this shit in my fuckin school!!!!!

[markdcatlin]

A 1986 US law called AHERA requires your school to carefully inspect and handle any asbestos containing materials. Ask to see your schools AHERA asbestos management plan - you have a right under AHERA to see it. Good luck.

[markdcatlin]

Agreed - we also need a good EPA and othewr regulatory agencies.

Mark

[superhornet69]

I'm not trying to sound like a smart-ass here, okay, but if all the whole town is contaminated, why not just pack everybody up and get em the hell out of there?!! Why would you want to continue to live there?

[SheilaJOliver]

See how Stockport Council in Cheshire, England are exposing 550 primary school pupils and 78 babies in the nursery to danger:-

youtube.com/watch?v=b0rCPnP5H9­­­o

"Experts" clear brown asbestos from Harcourt School site.

[CombatArchery]

i was born here....and live here today...

[lti12]

So is this Mold or what is this?

[molboskins]

Maybe OSHA for the employees, but that was long ago - check out the movie on this.

[everEbody]

For great information on mesothelioma go to: discussmesothelioma.blogspot,c­om

[torchkit]

This actually falls under the EPA's jurisdiction, not OSHA. But your point is taken.

[dayglowgreendoor]

I have a MIOSHA (OSHA in Michigan) report from 2004 stating that vermiculite from Libby, Montana contains less than 1% tremolite asbestos. There are six employees of WR Grace going to trial for criminal charges of making the same claim. Do you think I should do a video about it?