As Libby Asbestos Cleanup Gets Done, the Dying Continues
The homes and businesses affected by asbestos contamination in Libby, Montana, are cleaned up, but the town continues to suffer the after-effects of more than six decades of asbestos-laden dust being pumped into the air by a nearby vermiculite mine. There continues to be a steady stream of sick and dying residents in the town, as it can take 40 years or more after exposure for symptoms of the disease to develop. Of the 8,100 properties checked for asbestos by the Environmental Protection Agency, 2,600 required cleanup, which led to the excavation of gardens and yards and cleaning asbestos insulation from attics and walls. By late September, only a handful of properties remained to be examined, and just a couple of cleanups were still in process. The work of cleanup itself is potentially deadly, and everyone who was working directly on the site wore full hazmat suits, including masks and respirators. Progress is slow as the backhoe must be cleaned before transitioning to cleaned portions of land. Cleanup also does not end with the houses, as the mine and surrounding forests also are affected.