Libby residents want more information about asbestos toxicity
Residents of Libby, Montana met with federal scientists on December 1 to talk about how toxic the amphibole asbestos from the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine really is. One couple was forced off their land 10 years ago as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took over the cleanup of their property, which is now known as Operable Unit 2. The owners are awaiting a Record of Decision about their property sometime after December 16, but an EPA toxicologist admitted that he doesn’t know what a “safe dose” asbestos level is for the land.
While the EPA has performed risk assessments for various parts of Libby, they are based on old science that uses polarized light microscopy and outdated data. The EPA is at least five years away from completing epidemiology and toxicology studies of Libby’s asbestos contamination. Residents are frustrated and hope that the EPA will use the best available science to give the people of Libby the information they need about their hometown.
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