January 19th, 2008

A new report released this week points out that asbestos exposure is not limited to Libby, Montana where a vermiculite mine produced tons of asbestos. The deadly effects of the material have been found at Ground Zero, as well as other Grace mines.

A report issued this week is underlining the fact that asbestos exposure is not limited to Libby, Montana, the site of W.R. Grace’s now infamous vermiculite mines. While Libby came to the forefront of asbestos victims minds, the company owned mines in other parts of the country, where the dangers of the substance is just as real. Asbestos exposure has been measured at other sites, such as Ground Zero, as well and been found to be hazardous, but the mines of vermiculite can pose a threat for decades. Mines in Pennsylvania allowed discarded material to be taken by anyone; some of the material was found in a playground across town.

The people of Libby, and now other across the country, have to live with respiratory illnesses as a result of asbestos exposure. Asbestosis, emphysema and mesothelioma are all linked to asbestos exposure, and all of them are untreatable when detected. The effects of exposure can take decades to manifest, and diseases like mesothelioma are usually terminal when the victim is diagnosed.