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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090617/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_epa_asbestos_health_emergency

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.

Jackson called Libby a "tragic public health situation" that has not received the recognition it deserves from the federal government for far too long.

Asbestos contamination from a now-closed vermiculite mine near Libby has been cited in the deaths of more than 200 people and illnesses of thousands more.

First off, this is a decade too late. Second off, this article is blowing it way out of proportion. Thoughts? (Especially Lucas)

I saw that just about 2 minutes ago.

You're right. It's WAY TOO LATE to be worrying about it now. Most settlements have been reached. I actually have a couple friends that worked in Libby at the facility...let's just say that they don't work anymore, and not because they're ill, but because they came into a lot of money over this.

As for Libby now, besides having a lot of snotty people at the golf course (Yes, THE gold course.), it's doing fine. I think they'd be doing better if they'd just drop the matter and not scare everyone off. It's a beautiful place.

This is typical of government. They're saving the day when the day's long past, and acting like they're being heroic, too.

It's history now...time to move on.

Oh, and they act like the town was wiped off the map. It wasn't.

Libby's a dump, but it isn't as bad as the article makes it seem.

Spicoli wrote:Libby's a dump, but it isn't as bad as the article makes it seem.

Town's a dump, but fishing's great!

Lucas wrote:

Spicoli wrote:Libby's a dump, but it isn't as bad as the article makes it seem.

Town's a dump, but fishing's great!

Lots of good fishing in that part of the state; really, lots of good fishing in the state, period.

Vermiculite was used for so many things. I remember crawling through it on my belly in attics when I worked as a TV antenna installer during my high school days. The stuff was dusty and breathed in more than my share of it. It was also used as a bedding for outdoor BBQ grills. I used it as payload when playing with my Tonka trucks as a kid. I remember getting paid $5 a day to help a guy tear down an old house near my place in the early 1970's. I whole wall full of the stuff fell on me when I ripped off a piece of siding.

Mark wrote:Vermiculite was used for so many things. I remember crawling through it on my belly in attics when I worked as a TV antenna installer during my high school days. The stuff was dusty and breathed in more than my share of it. It was also used as a bedding for outdoor BBQ grills. I used it as payload when playing with my Tonka trucks as a kid. I remember getting paid $5 a day to help a guy tear down an old house near my place in the early 1970's. I whole wall full of the stuff fell on me when I ripped off a piece of siding.

'Dead Man Walking!'