Asbestos Related Deaths Continue to Plague Libby, Montana

In the small town of Libby, Montana, asbestos and mesothelioma have become a part of everyday life. The town, which is home to just 3,000 residents, has been identified as the deadliest Superfund site in the country as a result of the nearby asbestos-contaminated vermiculite mine.

Sisters Gayla Benefield and Eva Thomson are two of the town’s residents who have not only watched their friends and family die of mesothelioma. Both sisters have the asbestos fibers in their lungs and are now at risk themselves.

An estimated 400 people have died in Libby due to asbestos illnesses and a near 1,500 residents have been exposed to the fibers as well. This means 15-20 people a month are diagnosed with asbestos-related illness in Libby alone. It was these shocking numbers that lead EPA chief Lisa Jackson to declare a health emergency in Libby last June.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer. Occurring in three forms, mesothelioma can affect the lining of the lungs, the lining of the stomach and the lining of the heart. The disease is caused by the claw-like asbestos fibers that attach to the lining of the internal organs. No cure has been found for mesothelioma and only palliative treatments, including chemotherapy, currently exist.

Since 1999 the EPA has faced the task of cleaning up schools, businesses and homes. Yet in recent years roadways and soil have been added to the project agenda. The clean up will cost the EPA more than $333 million.

As for now the people of Libby continue to fight the ongoing battle- the battle for their health as well as the battle for the clean up of their town.

“People say, ‘Why don’t you leave Libby?’” Benefield said. “I’ve got the fiber in me. That won’t make the problem go away. Not at all.”

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-asbestos-town,0,3304911,full.story