Bad Vermiculite
Asbestos dangers remained hidden for decades
Sad story of more people affected by asbestos-laden vermiculite at a processing plant in Salt Lake City. The ore that was processed came from Libby, Montana, where 200 people have died from asbestosis or complications arising from exposure to asbestos.
I’ve written about vermiculite before on blurbomat (here and here). o
The story of Libby is tragic, made even more so by purported "Montana Folks" screwing them at every turn. Former Gov. Marc Racicot (who was also the chair of the Republican Party and Bush's re-election campaign), through his role as head of the American Insurance Association led the charge to defeat legislation that would provide federal impetus to begin to heal the community.
Dust from the vermiculite mines was taking home with the miners - on their clothes, hair - and then infected their wives and children. The local running track was covered, and so the junior high and high school students inhaled it deeply when at track practice.
Throughout, W.R. Grace board members operated under the full and complete understanding that they were causing generational cancer in this tiny mountain community working so hard for the company. They knowingly concealed information when repeatedly asked about the health dangers.
It's like a bad, bad dream, and we're nowhere near waking up.
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