A town left to die

Tiny Libby, Mont., depended for years on the jobs at a vermiculite mine. But the mine is closed now, and a P-I investigation shows the town is paying a tragic price for those jobs. Hundreds of former miners, their wives and children, and other townspeople have either died or been diagnosed with fatal illness from asbestos the mine released into the air. No one stepped in to stop the dying. Now the town wonders when it will end, and if the town's children are still at risk.

(Also see "Asbestos, The Forgotten Killer." The EPA finds asbestos in many common garden products. Plus, the P-I discovers that some vermicuite from a mine where workers and their families died from asbestos exposure is still available in the Seattle area.)

(Note: Also see a chronological list of the P-I's extensive coverage of asbestos-related issues from 1999 to 2002.)


A U.S. flag flies over Libby's main street.

Hundreds are dead or dying
Asbestos from a now-closed vermiculite mine on a mountain near Libby has killed 192 people and left at least 375 with fatal diseases. Doctors say the people of Libby will keep dying for decades. (Nov. 18, 1999)

It all started with the search for gold
Prospectors first put pick and shovel to Zonolite Mountain 119 years ago. Many mining-claim records are missing or illegible, but what is known is that almost 80 percent of the world's vermiculite came from Libby. (Nov. 18, 1999)

While people are dying, government agencies pass buck
Everyone seems to agree someone needs to do do something about the hundreds of people from Libby who have either died or been diagnosed with fatal diseases after being exposed to tremolite asbestos from a vermiculite mine. But every official and every agency has a reason why, so far, they have not been that somebody. (Nov. 19. 1999)

'No one ever told us that stuff could kill you'
Darlene Joy Riley called her cancer "George." Last year, George killed her. The story of one woman who didn't work at W.R. Grace's vermiculite mine but died after getting asbestos fibers in her lungs. (Nov. 19, 1999)

- The History of W.R. Grace Co. (Nov. 18, 1999)

- Libby's lost miners: A gallery of eight who died (Nov. 19, 1999)

- Group organizes to help victims (Nov. 19, 1999)

- Authorities sending teams to Montana mining town (Nov. 22, 1999)

- Montana's governor knows asbestos danger (Nov. 25, 1999)

- Finally, Libby asbestos victims have their say (Dec. 3, 1999)

- Initial tests reveal areas of asbestos in and around Libby(Dec. 3, 1999)

- Deadly ore was shipped around U.S., Canada (Dec. 22, 1999)

- Just 23 months hauling ore -- dead 36 years later (Dec. 22, 1999)

- Asbestos study is expanded nationwide (Jan. 18, 2000)

- Grace to pick up medical bills in tainted town (Jan. 22, 2000)

- Immediate cleanup sought in mining town (Feb. 2, 2000)