Closed Montana Mine Still Causing Asbestos-related Deaths

By Jim Greene

Published on June 09, 2010

Twenty years after it was closed, the vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, is still claiming victims. Each month, 15 to 20 people are diagnosed with asbestos illnesses at a clinic in the town that once supplied 70 percent of the U.S. demand for vermiculite building insulation.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the same Libby mine that yielded vermiculite ore until closing in 1990 also contained asbestos, which mixed with and contaminated the vermiculite. The potentially lethal mixture was inhaled by mine workers and carried out of the mine on their clothing and on the wind, potentially contaminating the entire town.

Health Workers Blame 400 Deaths on Asbestos from Mine

At least 400 residents of the town that has a current population of about 3,000 have died of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma cancer and asbestosis, according to health workers. Mesothelioma, which can attack the lungs, the heart, and the tissue that lines the chest and abdominal walls, is incurable, fatal, and may take decades to detect.

Up to 70 percent of miners in a 1980s study had asbestos fibers in their lungs and X-rays have shown about 1,500 Libby residents and mine workers to have signs of asbestos-related lung damage.

W.R. Grace & Co. ran the Libby mine from 1963 to 1990, after purchasing the Zonolite Co., previous mine operators. Grace claims not to have known about the asbestos issue when it purchased Zonolite and to have done its best to separate asbestos from vermiculite ore during processing.

Uninformed Residents Tilled Asbestos into Lawns

Prodded by press reports of trouble in Libby, the EPA began a cleanup project a decade ago that has revealed asbestos in homes, schools, and businesses. The agency dug up entire yards after learning that residents, uninformed about the health hazard, tilled asbestos-laden vermiculite ore waste into their lawns.

Grace declared bankruptcy in 2001 and fought for eight years to limit their financial liability for the damage to Libby. The company finally settled for a $250 million payment to the EPA. Last year, Grace was found not guilty of charges of covering up the hazards caused by the mine.

If you suffer from mesothelioma or have lost a loved one this incurable disease, contact an experienced product liability/personal injury attorney. You may be eligible for financial compensation to help you deal with medical bills and to ensure your family's financial security without you.

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