Libby Residents Settle Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits
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Libby Residents Settle Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits

ByAlex Strauss

Residents of Libby, Montana who have contracted mesothelioma and other disease from exposure to asbestos will share a $43 million dollar settlement. The settlement is a response to 200 lawsuits filed over the contaminated W.R. Grace & Co. vermiculite mine outside of Libby.  A Montana district court ruled that the state failed to “warn and protect” Libby residents about the dangers of asbestos, which include mesothelioma.  According to the Los Angeles Times, payouts for the 1,300 plaintiffs will range from $500 to more than $50,000. The state did not admit liability as part of the settlement and those who signed it agreed to release the state from future claims. Although the Libby mine has been closed since 1990 and the Environmental Protection…

Mesothelioma and the Spread of Asbestos
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Mesothelioma and the Spread of Asbestos

ByAlex Strauss

Though it has been shut down for more than a decade, a mine in Libby, Montana is still raising health concerns for asbestos-contaminated ore it once shipped to hundreds of sites across the country. A report published in the June issue of Inhalation Toxicology finds that people living in several of the communities surrounding the ore processing sites may have a higher incidence of mesothelioma and other cancers. From the time it opened in the early1920s, the Libby mine processed vermiculite ore. Though it was useful for insulation, fireproofing materials, and lawn and garden products, the mineral contained a type of asbestos, which has been linked to an increased risk of various lung disorders, including asbestosis (scarring of lung tissue), mesothelioma, and lung cancer….