Asbestos and Mesothelioma Alert: EPA Oversees Asbestos Decontamination in Libby

September 27, 2009

A Montana country club is cleaning up contaminated dirt with supervision from the EPA after concerns about asbestos contamination were raised. The dirt was apparently contaminated with vermiculite, a naturally occurring mineral that contains asbestos.

The cleanup is currently ongoing on the front nine of the Cabinet View Country Club in Libby, a town made famous for its devastating asbestos disease problem. It has been reported that the project will cost $1.8 million.

EPA officials say workers are removing asbestos from underneath greens and tee boxes, and workers on the site have been seen wearing protective suits and safety gear. These precautions must be taken, as asbestos exposure can cause serious health problems, such as the cancer mesothelioma. EPA officials have stated that they hope to complete the work on the site by the end of the fall.

Once widely used in a number of products, vermiculite is now regulated in an effort to limit asbestos exposures. A former vermiculite mine in Libby, owned and operated by W.R. Grace & Co., has sickened hundreds of Libby residents. The Libby mine was the source of over 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the U.S. from 1919 to 1990.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is attributed almost exclusively to asbestos exposure. The disease affects 2,000 to 3,000 people in the United States each year, and thousands more abroad. Instances of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses have spiked in Libby in recent years. A trial that ended earlier this year was particularly devastating for Libby residents, as Grace Executives were found not guilty of knowingly endangering those who worked in the mine and lived nearby.