EPA declares health emergency in Montana town

WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency for the first time has declared a public health emergency in a contaminated community, targeting a Montana town Wednesday for immediate federal attention.

The declaration by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson involving Libby, Mont., will not result in an evacuation, but will require an extensive cleanup and better health protections for residents with asbestos-related illnesses.

The Story

Why did it take the EPA so long to actually do something?

The vermiculite deposit at the Libby, Montana mine, was (and is) heavily contaminated with asbestos. Numerous people were knowingly[5] exposed to the harmful dust of vermiculite that contained asbestos. Unfortunately, the mine had been operating since the 1920s, and environmental and industrial controls were virtually non-existent until the mine was purchased by the W.R. Grace Company in 1963. Yet, knowing the human health risks, the mining company still continued to operate there until 1990.

wikipedia

So apparently this company was allowed to stay in business up until 1990. In 1999, according to wikipedia, a Seattle PI story was run on the dangers of the asbestos contaminated Libby, Montana mine. Supposedly the EPA responded to this and dumped untold millions of dollars into the cleanup of this mess.

Here we are a decade after the PI story emerged and the EPA has finally declared a health emergency in Libby and neighboring town Troy. This is the first time the EPA has declared a disaster since the Superfund was enacted in 1980.

I see this as another colossol failure by another large government organization. They say they are taking the necessary steps now to get it right.... ya only two decades after that mine was shut down because the danger was well known. The conspiracy here is our slow-motion health agencies who thumb their noses at hazards to avoid a negative public image... at the cost of US public health!