ATSDR Reports on Asbestos-Containing Vermiculite From The Libby Mines
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has produced a report on 28 U.S. sites that have processed asbestos-containing vermiculite from the mines of Libby, Montana. While the EPA identified a total of 245 U.S. sites that may have received the asbestos-containing vermiculite from Libby, the ATSDR narrowed its list down to 28 in which they would base their study on. All of the sites studied had processed a minimum of 100,000 tons of vermiculite from the Libby mines and had been mandated by the EPA to take further action at the site due to contamination.
The report contains information compiled while evaluations were done on sites that processed the vermiculite. The evaluations focused on potential past, current, and future pathways of exposure to asbestos associated with the Libby mines. The report summarizes the findings of the evaluations along with recommendations that local, state, and federal agencies can use to address similar sites.
ATSDR started the evaluations of these sites per the Environmental Protection Agency’s request based on a report pertaining to Libby, Montana the ATSDR had done in 2002.
The 2002 report showed asbestosis mortality rates in the community as much as 40 to 80 times higher than expected; lung cancer mortality rates 20% to 30% higher than expected. Most of the asbestosis cases were former Libby mine employees along with employees from the facilities that processed the vermiculite from Libby. Moreover, the family members of some of these employees were also affected due to the asbestos fibers retained on the worker’s clothing.
Based on their evaluations, the ATSDR concluded that three main groups of people experienced significant exposure to asbestos from the Libby mines; former employees, former employees’ families, and members of the communities that surrounded the processing sites. Although the Libby mine hasn’t been running since 1990, there is still believed to be residual asbestos located in settled dust as well as the soil surrounding the facilities where the vermiculite was processed.
In the report, ATSDR made recommendations on how to improve awareness about exposure to asbestos associated with these sites.
ATSDR along with EPA are guilty of lieing since 1999, by tellin/selling Libby Mt as a safe place to live and raise a family.Since 1999,the deadly asbestos exposure has been downplayed and since 1999, over 300 people/families have moved to Libby to be exposed,to suffer and die as I and THOUSANDS of PEOPLE FROM LIBBY.Not a few.Not many.Not dozens.BUT over 2000 people have and are dead and dying today from past exposure in Libby.This is but a fraction of the true deaths as many died without proper diagnoses,on porpoise/knowingly.Thousands have died and continue to die not being told the truth as to why they are dying.10 years of selling Libby.Do any of you see what the problem here is?Educate yourselves for your and your childrens sake.Please don’t listen to these liers who knowingly continue to say Libby is safe when they know people will suffer and die.Criminal and sickning.No one seem to care.No one is stopping these continued killings/poisoning.I am talking about human beings damn it.It is wrong to lie.Dead wrong…..