The Supreme Court denied an appeal by W.R. Grace on Monday, setting the wheels in motion for a criminal trial against the corporation. W.R. Grace and several of its former executives [one who has since passed away] were indicted in 2005 on various charges related to improper disposal of asbestos-containing materials, which has been linked to the development of pleural mesothelioma in Libby residents. Lawyers for a group of residents claim that there have been 225 confirmed deaths, and that another 1,200 residents are suffering from asbestos-related diseases.
A trial was initially set for September of 2006, but was delayed indefinitely after a series of appeals on behalf of the W.R. Grace legal team.
Former Grace executives are facing fifteen years in prison if convicted for knowingly exposing Libby residents to dangerously high levels of asbestos. The corporation itself, which declared bankruptcy in 2001, could be ordered to pay up to $280 million dollars in restitution. Grace agreed to refund $250 million dollars to the Federal Government in March of 2008 to cover various asbestos decontamination costs in Libby, and officials estimate that W.R. Grace could be shelling out upward of one billion dollars in restitution and other costs by the conclusion of the criminal trial.
“We will be prepared to defend ourselves,” stated Grace Spokesman Greg Euston.
Asbestos exposure has been conclusively linked to the onset of mesothelioma, a deadly form of lung cancer that has a survival rate of less than 1%.
The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center commends The Supreme Court for their decision to move forward with a criminal case against W.R. Grace and pushes for the continued serving of justice to affected Libby residents.
The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Center is the web’s leading resource for information related to asbestos exposure, mesothelioma, and mesothelioma treatment. For additional information, please visit The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Center website.
