Friday, March 29, 2024
35.0°F

My heart breaks for Libby, again

by H.M. Bowker
| February 12, 2016 7:09 AM

Letter to the Editor:

 

My heart breaks for Libby again. 

Everyone hoped that the final cleanup of asbestos in Libby would actually result in a successful, safe environment for everyone in Libby. Based upon recent articles from The Spokesman Review and The Western News, this cleanup leaves a great deal of area untouched in their cleanup.

The EPA planned to clean up approximately 14,000 properties. Approximately 700 properties were not touched in the process. I repeat, the EPA did not enter or clean up 700 properties. I understand that owners of these properties refused access. Libby oculd have advertised that all of the properties were clean by the EPA’s standards had everyone participated. I am sure that each of these people who refused access have their reasons for denying access.

Both of these articles supply some reasons why people may not be eager to let their properties be included in this final EPA cleanup. There is no way that all of the asbestos can be cleaned up – not with the methods EPA is using. Readers of the articles may see just how the EPA carried out the cleanup. I can’t be the only person who felt deep disappointment in how this cleanup took place.

The EPA designated W.R. Grace as the responsible entity for cleaning up the Zonolite mine.

W.R. Grace hid the deadly dangers of asbestos from the day that they bought the mine. They never told the miners, the families of the miners or the Libby community about the dangers of asbestos. W.R. Grace stood by while miners, their wives and children, and Libby people breathed the dust from the mine, got sick and died. 

They did not put warning labels on products that killed consumers all over the United States and over 12 foreign countries that used Libby’s asbestos-laden ore in hundreds of products.

When the U.S. government told W.R. Grace in the 1970s to tell the miners about the hazards of asbestos, W.R. Grace took the major move of making all miners quit smoking cigarettes or they couldn’t work there anymore. And, by the way, this “nuisance” dust might be harmful. Does this earn trust?

I am appalled as Libby again gets taken advantage of by EPA, and by EPA’s directive for cleanup of the mine by W.R. Grace. Will they sweep up cigarette butts and call it good? Will they again blow dust all over Libby to clean it out of the mine? 

I have no confidence in W.R. Grace to do right by Libby. And now I see that EPA is not able or willing to make decisions about cleanup that truly benefit Libby. Appointing W.R. Grace to do anything in Libby is a sin. Declaring bankruptcy rather than paying Libby families the damages they deserved is W.R. Grace’s way of supporting Libby. Libby deserves so much better than this.

 

H.M. Bowker,

Shoreline, Wash.