Asbestos in Libby, Montana
Sometimes the contamination from a mine for vermiculite or asbestos itself becomes so widespread that it can be said that the entire town has been contaminated by the deadly fibers. One such town that has been completely contaminated is Libby, Montana.
Libby, Montana, between 1910 and 1990, was home to one of the world’s largest vermiculite mines. During this period, some estimates have the mine producing up to 80% of the world’s vermiculite supply. While the mine did wonderful things by employing many of the town’s workers, now it is looking more like a curse.
Sometime between 1910 and 1990, or perhaps even earlier than that, the mine’s vermiculite became contaminated by asbestos. This asbestos was then removed from the mine with the vermiculite and shipped all over the world in insulation.
In addition to potentially contaminating a huge number of buildings, the asbestos-tainted vermiculite tainted the entire town. When workers left the mines at the end of the day, they tracked the asbestos into their homes and cars via their clothes, hair, and bodies. This, over the huge number of years the mine was open, has managed to contaminate the town with asbestos to the point that individuals who have had zero time in the now-closed mines and no familial connection to the mines are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
To combat this epidemic, the town has a free asbestos clinic. So far, in the history of the clinic, more than 2,600 people have been treated for symptoms. The town currently has a population of roughly 2,700 people.
Contact a Mesothelioma Lawyer
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease as a result of the negligent actions of an employer or contractor, contact the mesothelioma lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-800-781-3955.
