For the first time since the act establishing it was passed in 2001, a special claims court will be activated in Montana for people who have contracted or died from an asbestos-related disease. (more…)

Credit: EPA

When the West Fork Fire threated to encroach on the former W.R. Grace and Co. asbestos mine in Libby, Montana, officials were preparing to deploy the Libby Asbestos Response Plan. As MyMeso previously reported, the mine was spared from the fire thanks to a drop in temperature and an increase in rainfall.  Daily Inter Lake reports local, state and federal officials used the experience as test run in case the mine is not as fortunate in the future, though. (more…)

The state of Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is facing a lawsuit claiming it has failed to ensure asbestos waste is safely handled and properly disposed. (more…)

The state of Montana entered the next step of remediation plans with the inaugural meeting of the Libby Asbestos Superfund Advisory Team last week. (more…)

Credit: EPA

What happens when a former asbestos mine catches on fire? It’s a question those fighting fires nearing Libby, Montana, the home of the former W.R. Grace & Co. asbestos mine, have had to address this week. News reports earlier this week discussed concerns the nearing West Fork Fire was causing due to its proximity to the mine and potential to release amounts of asbestos into the air. (more…)

Last week a town in Montana plagued by asbestos-related diseases received some welcome news. U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) announced last week the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) Clinic will receive $2,499,999 for asbestos health screenings. (more…)

The deadline for Libby, Montana, residents to request asbestos cleanup on their properties has come and gone. March 31 was the end of the Environmental Protection Agency’s “last call” for residents in Libby and surrounding Lincoln County to put their properties’ asbestos remediation on the EPA’s tab, according to the Flathead Beacon.

Libby was home to an asbestos-contaminated vermiculite mine from 1963 to 1990, and the EPA has been conducting asbestos cleanup in the surrounding area since it was declared a Superfund site in the early 2000s. The EPA has been wrapping up its final push to get residents to sign access agreements so the agency can investigate and/or remediate remaining properties. (more…)

Since 2005, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization’s (ADAO) annual International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference has brought together more than 300 speakers from 14 different countries to speak about joint efforts in education, advocacy and awareness.

This year’s event, to be held April 7-9, 2107, at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, is set to add to those numbers with doctors, scientists, experts, advocates and victims gathering to help prevent and eliminate asbestos-causing diseases. (more…)

Last week more than 1,000 workers, family members and community members sickened by a vermiculite mine near Libby, Montana, settled with the state of Montana for a total of $25 million.

The Flathead Beacon reports the settlements stem from nearly 100 lawsuits, each involving multiple claimants, brought against the state for failing to warn citizens of the hazards of the asbestos-contaminated W.R. Grace and Co. mine, which operated for decades outside of the town. The recent settlements follow another in 2011 for $43 million. The recent plaintiffs had not been diagnosed when the 2011 settlement with the state was reached. (more…)

In 2009, Edwin Moreau died of asbestos-related lung cancer after working at W.R. Grace Mine in Libby, Mont., for almost 30 years. Since he became ill, his wife, Cristita Moreau, has been battling to secure her husband’s benefits to cover his medical expenses. Initially, her claim for occupational disease benefits was refused by Transportation Insurance, W.R. Grace’s company covering claims from sick workers. In 2010, Moreau filed a petition with the Workman’s Compensation Court, which resulted in a settlement in 2013. (more…)