Libby, Montana - The way has been cleared for a long-awaited criminal trial to begin after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from asbestos company W.R. Grace. In 2005, the company and six of its executives were indicted on charges of being in violation of the Clean Air Act by allegedly releasing asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from a Libby, Mont. mine between 1963 and 1990. The mine closed in 1990. The six executives were also charged with knowingly putting the lives of mine workers and town residents in danger. Approximately 300 out of 2,600 Libby residents have died from asbestos-related diseases and many hundreds more have become sick. W.R. Grace executives will face up to 15 years in prison if they are convicted at the criminal trial. W.R. Grace recently agreed to pay $3 billion to settle over 100,000 lawsuits filed against the company by individuals that became injured or were killed by the company's asbestos-containing products.
It Was the Worst of Times, It Was Asbestos Times
Posted by Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance editorial staff
June 27, 2008
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