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At a Libby, Montana community meeting with EPA Administrator Steven Johnson, Montana Senator Max Baucus threatened to pursue a subpoena for EPA documents relating to agency decisions concerning the asbestos situation in Libby. Libby, Montana is the home of the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine that caused extensive asbestos contamination in the town. Senator Baucus cited a 2002 news report that alleged the EPA’s request to declare a Public Health Emergency was denied by the White House, and he is determined to uncover why a Public Health Emergency was not declared in Libby in 2002. The declaration would have authorized more extensive asbestos cleanup, as well as increased screenings and health care for Libby residents, who develop asbestos-related diseases at 40 to 60 times the national average and contract mesothelioma at 100 times the national average.
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