Landmark Asbestos Contamination Trial Begins; Town of Libby, Montana Was Devastated
In what is being called the largest prosecution of an environmental crime in U.S. history, the trial has begun for a Montana mining company accused of conspiring for decades to spread toxic asbestos on the small town of Libby, Montana. The pollution resulted in 200 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries to residents of the town.
Exposure to asbestos, a mineral that was mined and used in countless commercial and industrial products, can lead to mesothelioma, an aggressive and deadly form of cancer which targets the linings of the lungs, heart, and other internal organs. Inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers also can result in asbestosis, a chronic respiratory disease that can progress to mesothelioma.
Officials from W.R. Grace & Company, the mining company blamed for polluting the town of Libby and conspiring to cover up the dangers of asbestos, could face up to $280 million in fines and prison time if convicted in the trial. The company contends it acted responsibly in producing vermiculite, a material used in insulation, fertilizers, and other products. The vermiculite made at the plant contained tremolite asbestos, an especially toxic form of asbestos.
Conspiracy Alleged
Residents of Libby who were injured by the mining operation blame the company for allowing toxic asbestos to billow out of the facility and rain down on the town. Residents said the toxic powder would collect on car roofs like falling snow and dust baseball fields and front lawns. All the while, the mining company kept officials in the dark about the dangers of asbestos, the residents allege.
Federal prosecutors also accuse W.R. Grace of attempting to impede the investigation into the pollution by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies, who started looking into the plant in 1999. The 10-count indictment against the company also includes charges of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
Company officials do not deny that asbestos escaped from their plant and into the town of Libby. The company even paid millions for medical treatment for residents injured by the toxic dust. But company officials deny that W.R. Grace conspired to conceal the dangers of vermiculite containing asbestos or interfered with the federal investigation into the plant.
‘Clouds of Smoke’ Described by Residents
Residents of Libby said clouds of smoke would emanate from the mine and dust the entire town. Residents saw no danger in the material, which was mixed with wood chips and covered the ground all over town. Children would play in piles of the asbestos dust and catch it on their tongues like falling snowflakes, residents said.
Former workers said once the company learned about the dangers of asbestos in the vermiculite, there were efforts to minimize the dangers to residents. The toxic dust escaping the plant was dismissed as a mere “nuisance” that was harmless, officials said.
“It was a purpose of the conspiracy to conceal and misrepresent the hazardous nature of the tremolite asbestos contaminated vermiculite, thereby enriching defendants and others,” the federal indictment reads.
Trial Expected to Last For Months
The trial of W.R. Grace & Company is being held in federal court in Missoula, Montana and is expected to last until the summer of 2009, officials said. Testimony began in March 2009 with victims who lost loved ones due to the asbestos contamination sharing their stories with jurors. Prosecutors said they will use the company’s own internal documents to show the conspiracy to hide the dangers of asbestos.
Residents of Libby were subjected to deadly toxic exposure for generations and they have waited 10 more years for the case to reach trial. Hopefully, their long wait for justice for their loved ones is nearing a fair end that will allow them to be compensated for their devastating losses.
Related posts:
- First Yamaha Rhino Trial Begins in Texas The first of hundreds of personal-injury lawsuits filed against Yamaha...
- Tap Water in Massachusetts Town Contaminated with E. Coli Residents of Milford, Massachusetts have been told to boil all...
- Montana Mining Town Ravaged by Asbestos Declared Public Health Emergency The tiny mining town of Libby, Montana, where hundreds of...
- Chemical Company Acquitted of Exposing Montana Town to Toxic Asbestos The W.R. Grace chemical company and three of its executives...
- Smithsonian Worker Claims Asbestos Threat Was Mishandled and Whistleblower Abuse A worker at the Smithsonian Institution claims the national museum...
