Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first results of its report on the toxicity of new contamination of Libby, Montana, the city where miners and their families in the 1990's were dying of diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma from asbestos in vermiculite mined. The EPA has declared Libby a Superfund site in 1999 and began the cleanup, which cost from $ 370 million, an unprecedented number for the organization.
The new report is much less pollution than it was in 1990 when the mines were closed, and explains that urban air is safe to breathe, but some areas still have unhealthy levels of asbestos and require additional cleaning.
"We will keep cleaning this summer. We clean more aggressive trying to get a real insight into the exhibition that takes place there," said Regional Administrator of EPA's James Martin. "We will here a while, but we still have work to do. We're not leaving until we have finished, but we're making progress. We are making real progress and it is good. "
The effects of asbestos is still felt by Libby residents, such as asbestos cancer takes anywhere from 20 to 40 years to develop. Many residents of Libby may still be diagnosed with mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that affects the protective lining of the protective lining of the lungs, heart, chest and abdomen due almost exclusively by exposure to long-term to asbestos. This rare form of cancer usually does not become symptomatic until it reaches stage three or four, which makes it very difficult to detect and ultimately terminal.
The new report is much less pollution than it was in 1990 when the mines were closed, and explains that urban air is safe to breathe, but some areas still have unhealthy levels of asbestos and require additional cleaning.
"We will keep cleaning this summer. We clean more aggressive trying to get a real insight into the exhibition that takes place there," said Regional Administrator of EPA's James Martin. "We will here a while, but we still have work to do. We're not leaving until we have finished, but we're making progress. We are making real progress and it is good. "
The effects of asbestos is still felt by Libby residents, such as asbestos cancer takes anywhere from 20 to 40 years to develop. Many residents of Libby may still be diagnosed with mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that affects the protective lining of the protective lining of the lungs, heart, chest and abdomen due almost exclusively by exposure to long-term to asbestos. This rare form of cancer usually does not become symptomatic until it reaches stage three or four, which makes it very difficult to detect and ultimately terminal.
