W.R. Grace & Co. and seven executives were charged with breaking environmental laws and covering up how asbestos dust from its vermiculite mine had made workers sick. Vermiculite, a mineral used mostly in insulation and fireproofing materials, contained a lethal form of asbestos, which employees had to separate along with other contaminants. The county where Libby and the former Grace mine are located, have the highest death rate in the country from asbestos or asbestos-related conditions, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a unit of the Department of Health and Human Services. It is estimated the EPA will finish cleanup in Libby between 2008 and 2010.

Sources:
Prosperity Turned to Poison in Mining Town, Carrie Johnson and Dina ElBoghdady, Washington Post, 02/08/05

2. Md. Firm Accused Of Asbestos Coverup, Carrie Johnson and Dina ElBoghdady, Washington Post, 02/08/05

From EARTHWORKS MINEWIRE, Vol.8, No.3, February 18, 2005