Don't turn EPA into scapegoat
A vermiculite insulation leak at Libby Elementary School last week is a reminder that the danger of asbestos exposure continues to lie very near the surface in Libby.
After a front-end loader poked a hole in the school's concrete wall while removing snow, about a half a garbage can full of vermiculite spilled from the hole as the snow melted away. School officials and the Environmental Protection Agency should be commended for their quick response in cleaning up the small spill.
Yes, it's concerning that asbestos remains within the school's walls, where officials say it doesn't pose a threat unless it's disturbed. But we're not sure it warrants the alarmist tone Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., took, saying, "heads should roll at EPA."
To his credit, Baucus has long been an advocate for finding ways to help Libby through its asbestos woes. He has pushed to have a public health emergency declared for Libby, which would allocate more resources for cleanup and asbestos removal.
The federal government has spent millions upon millions on asbestos cleanup in Libby while the perpetrator of the pollution, W.R. Grace & Co. has comparatively spent very little on cleanup.
Asbestos remains a problem in Libby, but in this election year it shouldn't become campaign rhetoric for Baucus. It doesn't seem to us that heads should roll at a federal agency that seems to be doing the best it can to clean up Libby.
Congratulations to Kelsey Schmid-Sommer for keeping a winning tradition in Whitefish this winter.
Schmid-Sommer has dominated women's telemark racing at the national level for the last three years. Last month, she swept three events in national finals in Idaho to win the overal U.S. national women's championship.
Whitefish has become a hub for the U.S. telemark racers, producing top competitors over the last decade. Joining Schmid-Sommer in strong finishes this year are Whitefish racers Eric Lamb, Jeannine Poucel and Peter McMahon.
This season isn't over for Schmid-Sommer and her teammates, who will be competing at the World Cup Finals at Sugarbush, Vt., this month. Good luck to them.