Good news for Libby area residents
It’s a foregone conclusion that Libby will be dealing with the aftermath of asbestos poisoning from the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine for years to come, but last week’s long-awaited final cleanup plan at least puts a time frame on the remaining work to be done. That plan is an important benchmark in a saga that already has dragged on for more than 15 years.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s record of decision released last Monday revealed what most people more or less expected, that the cleanup of about 300 remaining properties will continue for another two to three years. After that, the federal agency will pull up stakes and oversight of Libby and Troy will be put on a kind of autopilot called “institutional controls.”
Exactly what those controls will be is still a little fuzzy, but the EPA has advised the public there will be a “robust plan... to make sure the remedy remains protective.” There is an $11 million fund from a 2008 settlement with Grace that is earmarked for ongoing maintenance starting in 2017. That money will pay for unforeseen situations in which excavation or extreme building alterations expose more asbestos.
Some Libby folks are leery — perhaps rightfully so — whether that $11 million pot of money will be enough, and wonder how long it will last. Residents of the greater Libby area will be dealing with health issues linked to asbestos for many years to come. They should be able to live without fear of further environmental contamination from asbestos.
A final remedial plan for the vermiculite mine site is still forthcoming, but there is good reason to believe that the worst is behind Libby and Troy. A toxicity report released just over a year ago revealed asbestos air concentrations in Libby now are about 100,000 times lower than when the mine and processing facilities were in operation. And a subsequent health risk assessment essentially determined it is possible to live and work in the Libby area without excessive exposure to asbestos.
Those reports, plus the final remediation plan for the Libby and Troy communities, are at long last a breath of fresh air.