W.R. Grace criminal trial underway
Trial is underway in the federal courthouse in Missoula, Montana against W.R. Grace and five of the company’s former executives. Asbestos from Grace’s vermiculite mining operations was spread throughout the town of Libby, Montana—and more than 200 people are dead, about 2,000 sick today, because of it. The company and its executives knew the risk, but they did nothing to protect Libby residents. In fact, they gave out mining debris to be used by residents in gardens. Grace gave away its asbestos-containing fill to be used for school running tracks. If convicted of violating the federal Clean Air Act and of obstructing the EPA investigation in Libby, they could be sentenced to as much as 15 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines.
Proecutors will try to prove that the defendants knew about the health risks of the asbestos in its vermiculite ore and conspired to hide that knowledge. The trial is anticipated to go on for several months.
For the full story, go to the Associated Press.
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