Never forget the damage done to Libby by the asbestos crisis

To the editor:

Isn’t it ironic that the Lincoln County Commissioners and some folks want to rebrand Libby?

Libby took a hell of a hit to its economy thanks to W.R. Grace and Co. and the many who covered it up. But why would anyone want to forget what was done to the people of Libby?

County Commissioner Mark Peck may want to forget and move on, but why tell people that have been affected by asbestos-related diseases to move on? Folks might be able to better deal with this if they were recognized for what they have endured by the town that was supposed to protect them and instead caved to a big corporation. If you want people to move on, compensate them fairly for what you’ve done to them. Don’t sell them out for pennies on the dollar. Treat victims with respect and stand up for them in their time of need.

And, a reality check: Libby will never be truly clean. You can throw an endless supply of money at it and it won’t matter. The Environmental Protection Agency and state have known this for years. Rebranding only invites more people to become victimized.

You can’t rewrite the history of Libby, but you can make it a sustainable community if done correctly. Businesses come and go. The key is promoting the right type of business.

Trying to cover up what happened to Libby isn’t the right way to go. The damage done to Libby will always be there — just look around. Telling people to move on only victimizes them all over again. So Mr. Peck, what do you and the other promoters have to gain by throwing victims under the bus? Just curious.

Jeff Denny

Ocean Park, Wash.