Region 8
Libby Asbestos: Major Milestones
Region 8 Libby pages
- 1999 – EPA responds to citizen, local government and media concerns regarding possible exposure to asbestos from nearby vermiculite mine. EPA emergency responders begin to characterize the nature and extent of the asbestos contamination in Lincoln County and to execute the removal of the main sources of asbestos in population centers.
- 2002 – The Libby Asbestos Superfund Site is added to the National Priorities List (NPL – “Superfund”). 3000+ properties are screened, and residential cleanups begin.
- 2008 – EPA negotiates the largest cash settlement in Superfund history ($250,000,000) to recover cleanup costs from the W.R. Grace Corporation.
- 2009 – For the first time in the history of the agency, EPA declares (under CERCLA) a Public Health Emergency in Libby to provide federal health care assistance for victims of asbestos related disease.
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2010 – Records of Decision that outline the selected remedies for Operable Units 1 and 2 (former Grace export and screening plants) were signed, paving the way for these properties to be returned to productive reuse.
OU1 Record of Decision (PDF) (144 pp, 1.8MB)
OU2 Record of Decision (PDF) (148 pp, 1.8MB)