A 5-year initiative that Federal Agencies have named the “Libby Amphibole Health Risk Initiative” will go into effect immediately in a monumental effort to further examine the long-term effects of asbestos exposure to Libby, Montana residents. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency have been working closely with scientists, health professionals and Libby residents since the mid-nineties. Funded by the HHS’ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease, the project will provide an in-depth assessment of adverse effects related to asbestos exposure, as well as a long-term study of Libby residents who were exposed at some point to asbestos and may not yet display symptoms related to mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that attacks the pleural lining of the lungs and has no known cure. In addition, the initiative will also assess the public health databases and local patient records in order to track asbestos exposure and eventual development of asbestos-related disease.
The funding is a monumental opportunity for the community and most especially for Montana Senator Max Baucus, who has been credited for his devotion to Libby residents and his tireless efforts related to ongoing asbestos awareness and investigations. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt called Senator Baucus “passionate” and stated that his organization and the other participating Federal Agencies looked forward to serving the affected Libby residents.
The concern over asbestos exposure in Libby dates back to the 1950’s, when mining corporation W.R. Grace knowingly exposed workers to asbestos and kept the dangers hidden from their workers and the general public. Air quality samples taken decades later revealed that there were in fact potentially dangerous levels of asbestos present in Libby, and there have been ongoing asbestos abatement and removal projects since 2000. Several Libby residents have since died from asbestos-related diseases, and hundreds more are at risk of developing mesothelioma or related diseases in the future as a result of various levels of exposure.
The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center commends the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency for their dedication to the further study of the effects of asbestos exposure in Libby, Montana. The funding will not only provide the means for ongoing investigation, but will also greatly benefit affected Libby residents in the form of preventative and long-term healthcare and treatment.
The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center is the web’s leading informational resource related to asbestos exposure, mesothelioma, and mesothelioma treatment. For further information, please visit the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center website.
