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EPA administrator visits asbestos-plagued town of Libby
Although the W.R. Grace asbestos trial wrapped up months ago, the cleanup of the asbestos contamination in Libby, Montana is still getting lots of attention. Most recently, the site was visited by Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Mr. Stanislaus took over responsibility for overseeing Superfund sites in June.
Extensive asbestos cleanup is crucial in Libby, a small town that has been plagued by asbestos fears for years. Exposure to asbestos can lead to the development of mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer, later in life. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that can lie dormant for decades but kill within months of being diagnosed.
Mr. Stanislaus took a tour of affected sites in Libby sites last week, telling local reporters, "I very much come from a perspective of communities having a strong role in the decisions of government...I've really impressed on my staff that we provide access and transparency in a way that communities can participate effectively through all of the decisions that we make."
Allan Payne, an attorney helping the City of Libby through the Superfund process, thinks that Mr. Stanislaus' speech struck a chord with the residents of Libby.
"That's critical for this community," Payne said. "Those are uplifting words for us. Those are very powerful things and I know that there's substance behind those."
Brad Black, a county health officer and physician at Libby's Center for Asbestos Related Disease, added, "Certainly now as we're talking about moving from emergency removal to remediation, this is where we start setting standards of cleanup...how in the world are we going to clean it up right?'"
"In terms of the short-term stuff, what we want to do is prevent exposure," Mr. Stanislaus said. "• I look forward to hearing your comments on how do we make sure we prevent exposure, while also being clear that we have to move forward on the science."