ABSTRACT
After providing some background about asbestos, this chapter explores the reasons behind the Libby disaster, detailing how a growing company allowed its workers and the town to be exposed to asbestos for decades. This is a story of a company that mined and distributed zonolite vermiculite laced with asbestos knowing that the consequences were potentially deadly and that a single town was exceptionally exposed to the danger. Although the story has its share of villains, it also has many heroes, including two in particular: the investigative reporter Andrew Schneider and Libby resident Gayla Benefield, both of whom helped push Libby onto the national agenda. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the legal ramifications for W. R. Grace stemming from its role in the disaster. On March 11, 2008, Grace agreed to pay $252.7 million—the largest cash settlement in Superfund history—to reimburse the federal government for the costs of investigation and cleanup.
