Libby cleanup included in bill

The Daily Inter Lake

Language about the federal government's cleanup of asbestos contamination in Libby has been included in an Interior appropriations bill passed this week by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

At the request of the Libby community, Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., inserted a provision that directs the Environmental Protection Agency to work with the city of Libby to develop an acceptable timeline for completion of the "record of decision."

The provision also urges the EPA to give local businesses consideration in the agency's contracting process.

The record of decision is a public document that explains which alternatives will be used to clean up a Superfund site.

Libby residents have raised concerns about the EPA's actions in Libby, highlighted by the recent discovery of asbestos at the former export plant that already had been cleaned twice.

The EPA regional administrator responsible for Montana recently visited Libby and assured community members that their comments would guide the agency's actions, Burns said in a press release.

"EPA needs to develop a timeline for the record of decision, not continue delaying," Burns said. "This process needs to move forward in a spirit of cooperation with the community, so their concerns are addressed before the ink dries. We need to ensure Libby businesses are given a full and fair chance to compete for business opportunities there."

Burns said he expects to discuss the cleanup issue with EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson in the next few days as part of their ongoing dialogue about Libby.

Burns is chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee and a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.