Mesothelioma Testing Provided for Libby Residents
After declaring a public health emergency for the town of Libby, Montana in June earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will begin using a $6 million health care grant today, November 9, for treating patients with an asbestos-related disease.
On November 16, that money will also be used to start screening community residents for potential asbestos-related issues, including those related to asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.
Montana Senator Max Baucus said, “Help has arrived on the ground for folks in Libby who are victims of asbestos-related disease. It’s imperative that people exposed to vermiculite asbestos get screened to identify any asbestos-related disease. If diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, Libby residents deserve to get the very best treatment possible.”
Approximately 400 Libby residents have passed away from an illness related to asbestos exposure. According to the HHS, about 500 people out of the 3,900 that currently live in Libby and the nearby town Troy experience asbestos-related problems.
Statistics also reveal that about 50 new medical cases related to asbestos are reported each year and nearly 2,000 Libby residents have been affected since the official closing of W.R. Grace and Company’s asbestos-contaminated vermiculite mine in 1990.
Workers from the mine (most being Libby residents) not only exposed themselves, but family members as well by carrying home asbestos fibers on their work clothes. Other locations throughout Libby were contaminated with asbestos-laden soil from the mine, including fields, roads, playgrounds and gardens.
Exposure to asbestos can occur by either inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers. If asbestos is disturbed, the microscopic fibers often remain airborne for long periods of time, increasing the risk of exposure. The EPA says there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.
The $6 million health care grant is being administered by the Lincoln County Health Department and other health care providers. Information about the health services available can be found on the Web site www.libbyasbestos.org.
According to Baucus, “These services are a result of a long fight to get Libby residents the resources they need to move forward towards a bright future.”
Additional information about mesothelioma and asbestos exposure may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.
