The prosecutors representing the government in the W.R. Grace & Company trial have recently called on their final witness to testify against the company.
Dr. Richard Lemen, a former assistant surgeon general, stated to jurors that asbestos-contaminated vermiculite mined by Grace posed “an imminent risk” to those living near the mine and within the town of Libby, Montana.
“Because the materials were so widely spread out being put on things such as the high school track, being used in gardens, being used as covering roads, being used for playgrounds, being used for multiple purposes throughout the community there was a very widespread distribution of this material throughout the community,” said Lemen. “The more pathways they’re exposed to, the greater the accumulations of this material in their bodies.”
One of Grace’s attorneys criticized Lemen for receiving $350 an hour to testify as an asbestos expert and believed Lemen was alone in his way of thinking.
Federal prosecutors are stating that five retired executives of W.R. Grace knowingly exposed Libby residents to hazardous asbestos and chose to hide the risks from workers and government regulators.
The executives are being charged with violating the federal Clean Air Act and obstructing an Environmental Agency’s investigation into asbestos contamination. In addition to fines that could amount to millions of dollars, the five executives could face as many as 15 years in prison if convicted.
Tests have proven that exposure to Grace’s asbestos-tainted vermiculite has caused residents of Libby to contract asbestos-related diseases such as pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer developing in the lining of the lungs. Other illnesses that have been recorded in the area include lung cancer and asbestosis.
Now that the prosecution has presented their last witness, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy told jurors their next full day will not be until April 28, which is when the defense intends to call upon their first witness.
To date, asbestos exposure from Grace’s vermiculite mine has affected nearly 2,000 Libby residents and has been responsible for more than 200 deaths. Since Environmental Protection Agency investigations began almost a decade ago, the agency has inspected thousands of homes and businesses, taken 12,000 soil samples, and continues work to clean up the town.
Additional information about asbestos and mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.