Libby, Montana, a town that once seemed lucky to have a booming vermiculite mine that employed at least 200 people, now struggles with a rising asbestos mesothelioma problem. Libby asbestos contamination was so pervasive that the area was granted Superfund status in 2002 and is the largest cleanup effort to date with $56 million spent.

The W.R. Grace & Co. vermiculite mine, which operated between 1963 and 1990, drew vermiculite from the soil, which numerous lawsuits assert was contaminated with asbestos. The tainted product was processed in Libby by the company for insulation products which were shipped domestically throughout all 50 states.

In the mining and product conversion process, thousands of people suffered asbestos exposure. Lawsuits against the mining company assert thatLibby asbestos contamination has contributed to hundreds of deaths from lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer-specific to asbestos exposure that attacks the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen. Many other individuals have compromised lung capacity related to Libby asbestos exposure with diseases such as asbestosis.

The consequences of Libby asbestos exposure may be felt for decades to come in the small Montana town. Asbestos fibers that embed in the mesothelium, tissue linings of the organs of the chest and abdominal cavities, can lay dormant for years before blooming into a type of cancer that almost always results in death. The average latency period from exposure to disease development is 35 years with 10 years generally being the minimum.

EPA Cleanup of Libby Asbestos

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Superfund cleanup efforts were completed in 2015 with 6,000 residential and business inspected and 2,100 of those actually cleared of any source of asbestos contamination. The EPA believes that at least one million cubic yards of hazardous material have been eliminated since the turn of the millennium.

The agency thinks the best course of action for what remains is to leave it undisturbed, but this solution raises red flags for the town’s populace. Many have expressed concern as to who will pay for future cases that develop in the area while any contaminants remain, even if the fibers are contained and not airborne.

Lawsuits Led to Mine’s Bankruptcy

In 2001, after W.R. Grace & Co. dealt with thousands of liability claims against them for cases of lung cancer and mesothelioma, the mining corporation filed for bankruptcy. Their bankruptcy just recently concluded and opened the door for further litigation but under a tight deadline. Because of a 3-year statute of limitations put in place by the state, potential litigants that were diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases prior to Feb. 25, 2015, need to file by that date in 2018.

The mining company has faced allegations in the past asserting that they knew the dangers of asbestos contamination and failed to warn residents and workers. The company has been accused of gross negligence and failure to provide a safe working environment. The State of Montana has also faced lawsuits in the past for purportedly knowing and allowing W.R. Grace & Co. to operate with unscrupulous lack of concern for the environment and the people of the region.