25
YES:
- school teacher (Miriam Schwartz)
- Mayor (Ali Sahin)
- Graduate student (Majid Sahin)
- Lawyer A (Vadim Shteyler)
- Victim A (Neyra Azimov)
- Lawyer B (Adiba Ishak)
- Doctor (Haran Ratna)
- Environmental Protection Specialist (Nicole Babushkin)
- EPA (George Papadopoulos)
- Contractor (Colette Salami)
NO:
- Grace’s Environmental and Health safety Officer (Miriam Harari)
- Long time Grace worker (Charissa Cheung)
- Lawyer (Nickeitta Leung)
- Grace’s CEO (Jonathan Lin)
- Production Manager (Alessandro Alempijevic)
- TBA (Salim Hasbini)
- TBA (Kyulee Seo)
JUDGES:
- Bushra Wazed
- Ilya Ryvin
- Alexandra Chudner
- Chinemerem Eze
MODERATOR:
- Jonathan Chang
Teacher — Miriam Schwartz, yes the Grace company should be held responsible.
Let me introduce myself. I’m a sixth grade Social Studies teacher in New York City. I have a BA in education, received a Masters Degree from Columbia, and am currently working on a doctorate in the field. I enjoy teaching immensely and have learned a lot over the years. I have also created a few of my own philosophies in regard to teaching styles.
I don’t believe in sheltering students. They’re not dumb (in fact, some of my students are brighter than most of my peers) and they understand just as much as we do. It is just as important for them to be informed citizens as it is for anyone of voting age. This is why I have started a weekly current-events portion of my class where students read a recognized newspaper and summarize an article. We then discuss the topic of the article itself in class. No topic is too controversial, and they know that. If it’s important enough to be in the newspaper, then it’s important enough for us to know about.
One topic that has been coming up far too frequently is the topic of asbestos. I wouldn’t mind if it was constant new developments in a field, but all it seems to be is recurring problems of the same corporation. Finding new ways the company wronged its workers and continues to wrong the people of Libby, Montana. I could lie to my students and say that corporations really have the best of intentions in mind and there’s no way this company possibly knew what was going on. But more and more evidence keeps coming up that they were quite clear of the dangers of asbestos and that there was asbestos in their mines.
Yes, they are paying for it after the fact, but how can you compare money for possible curing of a severe illness to prevention of that illness entirely? This is not something I ever wanted my kids to have to learn. How can I instill in them a pride for American society when this is what capitalism has turned corporations into? Big money-making machines with no regard for human life. A company like W.R. Grace & Co. comes into a small town and everyone right away worships them for helping their economy and providing so many jobs. But in the end, all the secret stories pop up of CEOs covering things up to save money; hardly the town’s best interests in mind anymore. This is big business—as long as the secrets remain secrets, everything’s fine and everyone supports them. It’s not until trends start showing and the facts become too blunt to ignore that the lawsuits start coming, and then the corporation is forced to take blame.
The debate itself boils down to a he-said she-said one between the heads of the corporation and the media. We say they knew full and well, they say they had no way of knowing and had they known, you could bet they would’ve checked everything to ensure it was safe. While this may be possible, it is very unlikely that until it was public knowledge that the corporation would have found it worth it for them to change anything. And this is something I do NOT want my eleven-year-olds thinking about American society – about the conniving money-making machine that politics and corporations have turned into.
W.R. Grace & Co. knew about the dangers of asbestos, maybe not as much as we learned later on, but they knew—and they ignored it, hoping it would go away. Even if the evidence doesn’t entirely find them guilty, there’s certainly enough for them to be responsible for the pain and suffering they’ve caused the people of Libby, Montana because this pain has spread all the way to m classroom in New York City and the classrooms of students all over the world.
The asbestos accident in Libby, Montana is an issue still on debate today. As an Environmental Protection Specialist in Region 8, I was placed on the Emergency Response unit, inspecting many different locations in Libby. What we found shocked us. We saw a major problem spreading in this community.
The crucial question here is if the Grace Company should be held responsible for the Libby, Montana accident. And my answer is yes, they should. We have to scrutinize the facts here. In the late 1970’s the executives obtained knowledge of the toxic nature of tremolite asbestos in its vermiculite through internal epidemiological, medical and toxicological studies, as well as through product testing. Despite legal requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act to turn over to our agency (EPA), the information they possessed, W.R. Grace and its officials failed to do so on numerous occasions. In addition to concealing this information from the EPA, the indictment alleges that W.R. Grace and its officials also obstructed the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health when it attempted to study the health conditions at the Libby mine in the 1980s. They knew the health risks of their asbestos, but, W.R. Grace and its officials distributed asbestos-contaminated vermiculite and permitted it to be distributed throughout the Libby community.
Just to remind everyone about the history of this mine, W.R. Grace owned and operated a vermiculite mine and vermiculite processing facilities in Libby from 1963 to 1992. The vermiculite ore found in Libby is contaminated with asbestos fibers. Mining and processing activities resulted in the spread of vermiculite - and the associated asbestos fibers - to numerous homes, businesses, and schools throughout the town. Not only were the residents in Libby affected by this incident but businesses involved with common commercial products were affected as well. Some 1,200 people have been identified as suffering from illnesses linked to asbestos exposure at Libby.
Mainly the people of Libby were hurt the most. Hundreds of people in Libby, including former mine workers, their families, and other residents, have exhibited signs and symptoms of asbestos-related disease. Our research shows that the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry conducted medical testing of Libby residents in the summer of 2000, and observed lung abnormalities in 18% of the people tested. Health studies on residents of the Libby area show increased incidence of many types of asbestos related disease, including a rate of lung cancer that is 30 percent higher than expected when compared with rates in other areas of Montana and the United States. ATSDR also found in a mortality review in the Libby area (from 1979-1988), 92 percent of those who died from asbestosis and 17 percent of those who died of lung cancer were former employees of the W.R. Grace facility in Libby.
Now consider such an accident and compare this to the size and location of Libby, Montana. Libby, as well, has population of less than 3,000, and 12,000 people live within a ten-mile radius. As an environmental protection specialist it is my duty to inform those in risk of any hazardous effects on one’s health and especially in regions such as Libby. Asbestos, a recognized human carcinogen, is known to cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a lethal tumor of the lining of the chest and abdominal cavities. Because of its health risks our specialists, including myself have been removing asbestos-contaminated soils and other materials in and near Libby since May 2000. We, as well began to focus on the nearby town of Troy, Montana.
W.R Grace is the main reason why this problem began. W.R. Grace & Co. was ordered to pay over $54.5 million to reimburse the federal government for the costs of investigation and cleanup of asbestos contamination but instead they have refused to accept this responsibility. The millions of dollars in litigation fees that W.R. Grace has spent in this misguided effort to escape responsibility for the Libby cleanup would have been much better spent on cleanup efforts or on health care for Libby residents!
So I urge the residents of Libby to unite and fight with the EPA against the W.R Grace Company for introducing this problem and denying its responsibility!
W. R. Grace and Company is not responsible for the incidents that have occurred in Libby, Montana. We aided the people of Libby by providing the majority of the jobs and also establishing various ballparks for the children of the community. The Grace Company has been part of the core of the community for more than sixty years.
As for the incident itself, the Grace Company is not legally responsible for what happened. It is unfortunate that such terrible things have plagued those innocent people but no law states that our company was obligated to stop all production and lose millions of dollars. We are a corporation, so our primary concern is for the well-being of our stockholders.
At the time, we didn’t know all of the harmful effects of asbestos. It was only until after the exposure that we truly understood the side-effects of the poison. At the time, it wasn’t as if we could have prevented such a tragedy, it was beyond our control. We feel terrible about what has happened, and we give our condolences to those who have been affected, but we as a company did not break any laws, so it is not our responsibility. Many may believe that we have a moral responsibility. However, such a responsibility only extends as far as we are acting as individuals. The corporation as a unit bears no responsibility until the law makers state it so.
You may be asking “if we shouldn’t blame the Grace Company, then who can we blame? Someone has to take responsibility!” I wholeheartedly agree that someone needs to answer for what has been done. The answer is simple: The government regulatory programs like the EPA should take full responsibility. It is up to them to regulate and make sure a catastrophe like this doesn’t occur. It is their reason for existing. If they couldn’t prevent something as terrible as this from happening, then why do we have such programs? It is not our job to monitor and care for the environment. That is their duty. Our duty as a business is to do what is best for the business. It seems unfair that they would blame us for not stopping our business and our duties to do the job that they were supposed to.
Others have claimed that our company, which used to specialize in asbestos products caused nothing but pain and suffering because all asbestos products are poisonous and kill innocent people. To people who make such a claim, I say this: “Look at the whole picture.” Before asbestos was widely known to cause debilitating illnesses, it was used for so many different things, including fireproofing, brake pads and shoes, stage curtains, thermal pipe insulation, and many different parts commonly found in buildings such as insulation boards, ceiling tiles, and cement sheets and pipes for construction. It was renowned for its resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage as well as being extremely strong and flexible. It has been a large part of our daily life since the 1800’s, although many people were unaware of just how common it was. Asbestos itself dates back to the Ancient Greeks. It was commonly used despite even their knowledge of the harmful effects of asbestos.
If the Greeks knew the dangers, then why did they continue to use the toxin? Well it’s simple. They continued to use it because its benefits outweighed the risks. They kept using it because they were consciously aware of the dangers and tried to avoid its effects. Finally, some of you may be wondering “if the Greeks knew about the hazards centuries ago, then why didn’t we use that information to prevent this catastrophe?” The answer to this is a bit more complicated and there isn’t such a clear-cut answer. One explanation could be that the information was not retained over time and such information was lost, especially to the general public. Another explanation is perhaps that like the Greeks, the general population today could have been aware of the potential toxicity of asbestos but considered the usefulness and convenience to outweigh its potential consequences. Thus, the risks were often overlooked and overshadowed by the miracle products asbestos helped create. There have been many asbestos-related deaths over the years, but it only caught the media’s attention when the toxin became widespread and epidemic, affecting huge populations. The media then used such disasters to fuel the general public’s fear and distort common views and opinions.
Should our company be the scapegoat that suffers the consequences of negligence by the government and the zeal of the media? Asbestos was already an integral part of our lives, so why should one entity suffer the blame for something that was inevitable and out of our control? The answer is we shouldn’t. The blame should be placed squarely on those who are responsible for protecting the welfare of the people. The government was completely aware of the dangers of asbestos and yet did nothing to save the innocent suffering bystanders of Libby, Montana. We are on your side citizens of Libby. We are as outraged as you are that the EPA did not try to prevent such a terrible event. They had the tools and the knowledge and they chose to not do anything.
Lawyer for W.R Grace: W.R Grace Should Not Be Held Responsible
From 1963 to 1990 W.R Grace operated a vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana. Unfortunately the mine closed in 1990 due to the discovery that the vermiculite deposits in Libby were contaminated with a form of asbestos called tremolite. Government officials would like you to believe that Grace knowingly endangered the people of Libby by concealing important scientific information pertaining to asbestos dangers at the Libby mine. They would also like you to believe that W.R Grace should be held responsible. However, as gathered from the evidence I have obtained, the only thing that W.R Grace is guilty of and responsible for is investing in a faulty company. So, I would like to take the time to refute the above claim and others made that support why W.R Grace should be held responsible.
Claim #1: W.R Grace is the owner of the mine thus it is only fair that the company be held responsible.
In 1913 the mine in Libby was discovered and operated by the Zonolite Company. During its period of occupancy at the mine both Zonolite and the Montana State Board of Health Department were aware that extremely high levels of asbestos dust were present at the Libby mine. Unfortunately, unaware of such findings W.R Grace purchased the mine from Zonolite in 1963. However, once Grace became aware of the presence of asbestos in the dust at the mine the company consistently implemented various occupational health programs each time it was made aware of the discoveries on the health hazards associated with asbestos. The company also spent a great deal of time and money improving its operations to reduce the amount of asbestos and dust its employees was exposed to. For example the company started an annual x-ray program in 1964 that enable employees to track their health from year to year. The company also required employees to wear respirators in most locations in the mine and banned smoking on the premises once they became aware that smoking increases the risk of contracting certain asbestos related diseases.
The measures that Grace implemented during the years it operated the mine reduced the levels of dust in the mine tremendously. If I may I would like to submit the following data into evidence that support the improvements that has been made since the turnover of the Libby mine in 1963 from Zonolite to Grace:
• 1966 - Montana Board of Health reports total dust concentrations at Libby plant between 8.0 and 52 mppcf, noting, “some good work has been made and housekeeping has substantially improved over previous times. But, other engineering changes need to be implemented to further reduce dust.” Grace responds with plans to further reduce dust through purchase of high-load fans, application of oil on mine roads and research to develop wet mill technology. Grace installs 50-foot stack, plus additional exhaust fans and cyclones to further reduce dust.
• 1967 - State Board of Health reports, “our view of the operation of the plant and the dust samples taken in the dry mill during these two periods indicated that, in general, the dustiness in the dry mill had been reduced substantially from previous periods and the systematic review of the dust concentration showed a reduction over previous periods.”
• 1974 - New wet mill becomes operational, significantly reducing airborne mill asbestos dust to levels considered safe by government agencies–several thousand times lower than when Grace purchased the mine from Zonolite in 1963.
Thus, W.R Grace should not be held responsible on the claim that they own the mine because asbestos was discovered at the mine prior to the turnover of ownership to Grace and Grace implemented various measured to reduce the presence of the airborne asbestos dust in the mine.
Claim #2: Grace should be held responsible because the company failed to inform employees of the presence of asbestos in the mine.
This claim is irrational because in the mid 1970s the company installed signs in areas of the mine that warned of asbestos in the dust. Likewise in 1983 Grace filed a notice under Section 8(e) of the Toxic Substances Control Act, reporting possible health effects from exposure to tremolite at Libby.
Claim #3: Government officials would like you to believe that Grace knowingly endangered the people of Libby by concealing important scientific information pertaining to asbestos dangers at the Libby mine.
When examining this claim I simply asked myself, how can Grace be charged for concealing information pertaining to asbestos in the mine if state inspectors such as the State Board of Health of Montana inspected the company? Also according to a report made in 2001 by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration’s Inspector General, Grace’s Libby operation was regularly inspected and that it was consistently in compliance with exposure guidelines applicable at that time.
W.R Grace did not do anything wrong while operating the mine in Libby. Prior to the discovery of the dangers of asbestos numerous companies used asbestos in their products. In fact “to this day asbestos is used in thousands of commercial applications, including in automobile brakes, despite the fact the majority of Americans believe otherwise and remain convinced that this environmental hazard has been banned”. During the years of operating the mine in Libby Grace complied with the state of Montana guidelines about the exposure of asbestos. The company also initiated a three-part medical program to provide immediate medical coverage to any and all Libby residents diagnosed with asbestos-related illness. The plan includes annual donation of $250,000 to St. Johns Lutheran Hospital for independent testing, plus additional sums for purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, staffing and technology. So I conclude by asking how can we hold a company that has sacrifice its profits by closing the mine in 1990 and have continued to invest million of dollars to help reduce an environmental issue discovered in the occupancy of its company responsible?
Nickeitta Leung
Libby, Montana was a city like any other city in the United States. Its residents were hardworking and respectable. Most of them earned their living working in the woods, in the mills, and in the mines. The least they could expect was a good life to ensue their hard work. That is quite understandable and we can all relate to that. However, unfortunately, they were wronged and betrayed. In recent years, a trend was discovered: hundreds of people were being killed from the mine dust in Libby through respiratory illnesses such as asbestosis and mesothelemia.due to the asbestos found in the nearby vermiculite mine. No one informed these people of the asbestos; no one informed them of the irreversible danger. Now, these residents and workers cannot do anything about it except find who was responsible for all the damage. Who was supposed to inform them so they could take necessary precaution?
In section 2613(a), it says “[Information] shall be disclosed if the Administrator determines it necessary to protect health or the environment against an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.”
¬¬W.R. Grace bought and operated the vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana from 1963 to 1990. Because they were the “manufacturers” of the asbestos-containing vermiculite as referred to in the act, it was Grace’s responsibility to let the public know of any harmful substances they discover. The questions then become Did they know? And if yes, did they do enough about it according to law? Throughout all these years of operating the mine, was it possible that the executives of W.R. Grace really did not know of the true conditions of the mine and the extent of the contamination?
I’ll start with a little history of the mine before and after W.R Grace purchased the mine. When Grace bought the mine in 1963, it assumed all liabilities of the former owner. Therefore, any knowledge that the former company had was turned over to W.R. Grace. In 1956, the State of Montana advised Zonolite, the former owner, was advised to lower the high amounts of asbestos dust where the vermiculite ore was processed. In fact, Ben Wake, Industrial Hygiene Engineer for Division Control for State of Montana who conducted the study, specifically requested more information about the asbestos when available.
In 1958, Wake requested that 3 sputum samples, a mixture of saliva and mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract, from three men exposed to the asbestos dust be analyzed. However, there are no responses to this request on file. In 1959, Ben Wake conducted a follow up investigation of the previous study in 1956. He reported that there was some progress in reducing the dust in the dry milling process but not to a satisfactory level. After giving Zonolite Company some time to reduce the asbestos dust, Wake further analyzed air samples and ore samples and concluded that asbestos was still present in the ore and 40% of asbestos fibers in the air dust samples analyzed. After another follow up investigation, he concluded that no significant progress had been made and requested that Zonolite Company attend a meeting to discuss the lack of compliance with the recommendations and warnings given in 1956, 1959, and 1962. That was before W.R. Grace came into the picture in 1963, but all that information was transferred over to W.R. Grace and made them responsible for anything Zonolite needed to do. It is clear Zonolite was to blame then but did W.R Grace do enough to fix it? It is clear that that information was clear and available. No one is blaming W.R. Grace for what happened in ’56, ’59, and ’62. In fact, it is known that soon after the purchase, W.R. Grace did set up a system to reduce the amount of asbestos dust in the air. It seems that Zonolite Company was the only one guilty and that Grace Company was doing the right thing; they were fixing various facilities to reduce both air and water pollution based on the inspections and available information between time of purchase and 1990. So it seems. However, it was found that W.R. Grace did not follow through completely. Beginning in the late 1970’s, W.R. Grace attained knowledge of the toxicity of tremolite asbestos in its vermiculite through internal studies, including epidemiological, medical, and toxicological studies and product testing. They did not turn over this information to EPA as required by the Toxic Substances Control Act. They later also hindered the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) from studying the safety and health conditions at the Libby mine in 1980s. Besides for holding back the information, they continued to distribute the asbestos-containing vermiculite. The workers were also not informed and, therefore, left the mines with asbestos dust on their clothing, which was brought home and exposed the rest of their families to the asbestos as well. People in Libby even used the vermiculite in their gardens without thinking twice. Had they known of the danger would they have put themselves in danger? On top of that, when the Libby mine was closed in 1990 W.R. Grace did not disclose to the purchasers of their property any knowledge on its asbestos contamination. I attached below a short interview made in 1991 with a worker at the W.R. Grace plant. It shows how W.R. Grace was only concerned about the financial aspect of the company and had no interest in the health of Libby residents and workers. Therefore, it only seems like they followed instructions after inspections, but they only did enough to avoid further scrutiny. They did not disclose any information they obtained which, as a result, prevented the EPA from taking certain measures and did not inform the workers, which put them at great risk for disease as was later confirmed by the deaths of many Libby residents from asbestos-related diseases. For not following the guidelines of the Act, W.R. Grace is guilty and should be held responsible for their actions.
Interview
———
Mr. Worthington: Were there residential homes surrounding the plant?
Mr. Junker: Yeah. Some little Mexican homes, you know, with outhouses, that type of home.
Mr. Worthington: Did any of the people living around the plant ever complain to you or anyone else about dust levels coming from the plant?
Mr. Junker: Yeah.
Mr. Worthington: Prior to 1973, Mr. Junker, did you ever specifically advise any of the employees at the plant to avoid asbestos dust?
Mr. Junker: Prior to ‘73, no.
Mr. Worthington: Did you understand there may be a health problem association with asbestos exposure?
Mr. Junker: I had some inklings
Mr. Worthington: Did you ever discuss that notion or inkling with your employees?
Mr. Junker: No
Mr. Worthington: And can you just please tell me why you didn’t do that?
Mr. Junker: Because I wanted them all to croak, that’s why!….
Because I didn’t want to cause a lot of uproar… You can’t go out to a black — a couple of black men on the line and tell them that they are going to die tomorrow from asbestos breathing and expect them to even come into the plant tomorrow, and you know it, or if you don’t, you should. You just don’t do it.
Mr. Worthington: Do you know if you or your boss sent a letter out to the owners of the building and schools and hospitals? (that were sold products to)?
Mr. Junker: What would be the reason for that? We would have everybody and his uncle trying to find out if they could sue us. That would be asking for — that would be murder.
Mr. Worthington: Did you understand that in the 1950s, 60s and 70s that vermiculite from Libby, Montana had a form of asbestos in the ore?
Mr. Junker: Yes.. Yes, we did. We knew it. We found out about if from Grace…Grace told us there was a certain amount of asbestos in vermiculite.
Mr. Worthington: Do you believe a company who makes a dangerous product has a duty to warn consumers about potential health risks?
Mr. Junker: Yes, I think if it’s a hazard to your health, it probably does have…but what can you do about these things? …to tell the public about a potential hazard — is kind of asinine, I think.
Mr. Worthington: It’s bad for business?
Mr. Junker: Yeah, it’s bad for business.
George Papadopoulos
EPA Worker: Yes the W.R. Grace company should be held responsible
The town of Libby, Montana has been dealt much harm from the W.R. Grace Company. The Grace Company knew exactly what the situation was and they tried to conceal it from the public and the government for so many years in order for them to continue making their profits from the vermiculite mine. The damage that the Grace Company had done is irreparable, the citizens of Libby have already been exposed and so many of them are dying from either, mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer. The tremolite asbestos was all over the vermiculite deposits and nothing was dove to stop the mining; however a lot was done to conceal this information for such a long time. Various health studies on residents of the Libby area show a rate of lung cancer that is 30 percent higher than expected when compared with rates in other areas of Montana and the United States (EPA). This is just a staggering number, which was clearly not the case before the mining of the mountains took place.
As an employee of the EPA I have been working with many others to try and clean up the big mess that the Grace Company has caused this small town. Although Grace continues to say that they have helped the community by offering jobs and building various fields for children to play in this is just foolish. They were offering jobs to local residents however they were not protecting them from all of the asbestos exposure; with the job they offered these people they also offered a death sentence. The playgrounds that Grace built for the children of Libby should make the company feel disgraced seeing as they were build so close to the major sites of asbestos exposure. These young children have been breathing the toxic air for years and who can tell if they wont develop an asbestos related disease in their future.
The company I work for has been working very hard to clean the environment of Libby however the Grace Company went so many years without contributing to the clean up project. It is interesting to see that when sued for reimbursement of the money spent with the clean up and the future spending needed Grace decided to file for bankruptcy.
This bankruptcy filing is very questionable however since in 2006, Grace reported annual sales of $2.8 billion, with a net income of $18.3 million. Grace employs more than 6,400 employees in nearly 40 countries (PBS).
The W.R. Grace Company has caused too much harm to the environment and the families of the residents of Libby, Montana for them to get away with what they have done. They should be punished greatly for this problem since they are the obvious cause of the asbestos exposure to the entire town of Libby. Concealing the evidence for so many years in order for them to make substantial profits is just inexcusable and the people of the United States will not allow this mistreatment of human life and the environment to go unpunished.
Sources:
1) http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/85daa4a9f7d7d930852570180054ef19/68436e8c69e4b0dc85256fa1008070c5!OpenDocument
2) http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2007/libbymontana/update_wrgrace.html
Production Manager — Alessandro Alempijevic, no the Grace company should not be held responsible.
The Vermiculite mine at Libby, Montana was operated by W. R. Grace from 1963 to 1990 when the mine closed. Many people are attempting to blame the incident that occurred in Libby Montana on the Grace Co. However there are many reasons why W. R. Grace should not be held accountable for the asbestos contamination of Libby. Firstly, the area was already being mined since 1923. This was 40 years before the mine was being operated by the Grace Co. The 40 years of vermiculite mining prior to the 27 under Grace C. operation are also a contributing factor to the contamination of asbestos in Libby. Secondly, we had not become aware of the dangers of asbestos until the 1970’s by which the Mine Safety and Health Administration began inspections of the mine. The Mine Safety and Health Administration is responsible for administering the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. It is their job to enforce compliance with mandatory safety and health standards. The Mine Safety and Health Administration inspected the mine from 1978 when the Mine Safety and Health Administration was established until 1992, which was after the mine closed. The Mine Safety and Health Administration had something called a Permissible Exposure Limit. This quantifies an amount of asbestos exposure that is permissible to not cause any fatal accidents. Samples taken from the mine from 1978 to 1992 were evaluated to be under the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s Permissible Exposure Limit. The method used by the Mine Safety and Health Administration to analyze asbestos samples is called Phase Contrast Microscopy. Transmission Electron Microscopy is another method which allows for greater magnification of small fibers. Using this method instead of the method that was used could possibly give more accurate results for determining whether samples were really over the Permissible Exposure Limit. Inspectors were found to have either little or no education regarding asbestos exposure despite the fact that information on asbestos has been available since the 1960’s. The Mine Safety and Health Administration also does not address contamination from asbestos that reaches outside of the mine. Had the Mine Safety and Health Administration done its job properly perhaps the Grace Co. would have closed the mine sooner. If the mine was passing inspections why should it close? If it were a serious threat to the mine workers and the people of Libby surely the Mine Safety and Health Administration would not have passed the mine in its inspection. Aside from this the mine seemed to be doing great things for the community. It provided many jobs to the people of Libby as well as making other contributions such as the construction of a track field for students. Despite not being responsible for this incident the Grace Company is spending millions to help clean up after it. W. R. Grace is donating $250,000 a year to St. John’s Lutheran Hospital to provide health screening to anyone in Libby.
http://www.oig.dol.gov/public/reports/oa/2001/2E-06-620-0002.pdf
Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Vadim Shteyler and I am honored to represent the proud people of Libby, Montana in this Court of Law. For three decades, the Grace company has slowly poisoned the population in Libby and countless other cities with asbestos. Asbestos is highly carcinogenic, causing forms of lung cancer called mesothelioma and certain gastrointestinal cancers. It also leads to asbestosis and, since it is often inhaled, many lung diseases. Dangers of asbestos were known since the early 1900’s and very well documented and understood by the 1930’s. Mining asbestos-contaminated vermiculite and concealing its harm demonstrates a complete disregard for the environment and, especially, human life.
Grace’s attitude towards life and health is obvious given its past. In 1988, the company’s Woburn, Massachusetts packaging plant was indicted on two counts of lying to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the amount of hazardous material used. Grace pleaded guilty on one count and was fined $10,000, the maximum at the time and a mere slap on the wrists for the multi-billion dollar company. It was also sued for contaminating a well with toxic chemicals, causing five children to die of leukemia. However, it settled the case with $8 million.
Now, in Libby, Montana, hundreds of miners, their families, and neighbors are dead from asbestos poisoning. And at least 1,200 people are sick from the asbestos mines. Grace’s idea of compensation is buying the sick some medicine, hosting an annual talk with a doctor, and giving them gym membership. A clear paper trail from Grace itself proves the company’s eager effort to conceal health effects of the mine from the public. It actively prevented health inspections of miners and never labeled the material with asbestos warnings, all to save a few bucks on proper handling and disposal. And with careless shipping across hundreds of sites in its multinational empire, many others may have been harmed, including Seattle residents. But Grace gave these people a talk and a gym. Is that what thousands of lives costs?
The entire town is now contaminated with asbestos. Not only did the asbestos ruin thousands of lives but it will ruin many more to come. Future generations living in Libby will be poisoned and suffer the same fate. The EPA spent about $120 million to help decontaminate Libby and estimates that it will take another $175 million to do the job. The Grace Company, however, conveniently filed for bankruptcy because of overwhelming lawsuits. And yet, it still employs over 6,000 workers, operates in about 40 countries, and takes in $2 billion every year. Grace is hiding its assets through other companies it owns and filing for bankruptcy merely to avoid liability. Undoubtedly, Grace is unconcerned by little matters of thousands of deteriorating lives and a destroyed environment. And Grace continues to evade responsibility showing no remorse. Murder, fraud, libel, conspiracy and obstruction of justice are not justified by profit. Grace must be held fully responsible.
Although a wealth of information about asbestos dangers is just a click away, I was not aware of it until very recently because of all the active cover-up of any worrying facts by the asbestos companies. In fact, I’m not even sure I heard the word asbestos before it was released in the NYC air as a result of the attack on the world trade center. Now, I find that its use is widespread and that its dangers have been studied for decades.
W.R. Grace was not the first company to cover up or downplay the risks associated with asbestos from the public, including its own employees. There is a long and deadly history of asbestosis because of knowledgeable negligence on the part of greedy company superiors who failed to inform.
John’s Manville, another asbestos company, produced medical reports on the fatalities of its workers – reports for internal company use only. In 1934, they decided to get involved in journalism – editing articles published about asbestos to downplay anything that might be worrying. In 1942, the president of the Johns Manville allegedly said that any company that tells its workers about asbestosis is a fool, and that by not mentioning it they save a lot of money. Another money-saving decision was made in 1952: not to label asbestos containing products with a warning or caution label.
Johns Manville is just one early example of asbestos company leaders thinking only of themselves. ‘In 1953, National Gypsum’s safety director wrote to the Indiana Division of Industrial Hygiene, recommending that acoustic plaster mixers wear respirators “because of the asbestos used in the product.” Another company official noted that the letter was “full of dynamite” and urged that it be retrieved before reaching its destination. A memo in the files noted that the company “succeeded in stopping” the letter, which “will be modified.”’
The Grace Company bought the vermiculite mine in Libby in 1963. In 1964, it implemented an annual x-ray procedure for all employees that found 65% of the employees that had been working over 20 years had lung disease by 1969. These results were not reported to anyone – not even those employees. Men judged to be ill were moved to less hazardous jobs — not for their protection, but to keep them working. In 1968, the company’s safety officer speculated that if Grace could keep sick workers from being exposed to more dust, “chances are that we may be able to keep them on the job until they retire, thus precluding the high cost of total disability.”
Some may argue that the Grace executives of today should not pay for the evils of those from the 60’s. I may have agreed, if these evils had not continued. As recently as 1980, when a study was to be conducted on Grace employees in Libby in connection to disease, Grace officials exerted energy to “obstruct and block” the study, “be slow, review things extensively and contribute to delay,” and “attempt to apply influence.” This study ended up being delayed for years.
Because of the sneaky ways asbestos companies have conducted their business, millions of homes are now infested with asbestos containing insulation that requires extensive time, money, and energy expenditures to remove. And I have to answer to all those angry customers who I’ve installed this insulation for.
I’m tired of taking the blame. It’s time to point at the real culprit, WR Grace, and to demand that they clean up this mess. I urge all those with asbestos in their houses as a result of buying Zonolite insulation to file a claim against Grace before the deadline of October 30, 2008 so that they may pay for the damage that only they (not me, they) are responsible for.
My name is Easy Bower. I am a long time worker at the W. R. Grace and Company. After the asbestos incident at Libby, Montana, there are constant hot debates among my coworkers. Despite the many different perspectives, we agreed on two things: first of all, it is not good for the company to go bankrupt. After Grace declared bankruptcy, a few of my coworkers lost their jobs. That is not the main concern though. The main concern is what happened at Libby. Is it really the company’s fault? Many of you argued that it is the company’s fault because the owners and leaders and the company made a very bad decision by hiding the true effects of working in the mines. I cannot speak for everyone, but many of my coworkers agree with me. Although I believe that the managements of the company did something wrong, I don’t think that the company should be responsible for the situation.
To determine who is responsible, we need to first understand the nature of a company. All businesses look after their own interest first. That is, though, also the interest of stockholders and the economy. This is the nature of capitalism and this is what we have in the United States. What gives us, as workers, rights and protection? The federal laws and regulations protect us. It is the government’s responsibility to take care of its people. Throughout history, the government fought and compromised with businesses about laws and regulations that protect the workers and residence in the US. Thus if the government knew all along the risks of something and hide it to the public, it is clearly the government’s fault.
In the same way, the government should be responsible for the asbestos incident in Libby. It is scary to learn that many products were made by asbestos-filled materials, while the consequences of asbestos had been found as early as the mid-1900’s. Even up to 1999, asbestos is not banned according to the EPA Asbestos Materials Bans: Clarification. Zonolite and later W. R. Grace Company have been mining vermiculite in the area since 1919 and asbestos has been emitted. The FDA tested soils and air often but never warned the residents of Libby. As early as 1975 to 1980’s, the FDA has been testing air quality in Libby. It recorded levels of asbestos well above the OSHA action level of 0.1 fibers/cc in downtown Libby (U.S.EPA, 2000). However, the government took no actions and created no regulations for use and content of asbestos. According to a report in 2001, the operation in Libby was regularly checked and it consistently compliances with federal guidelines at the time. If the government thinks that the situation is all right, why should the company stop its business and warn the people.
Even though the Grace Company did not inform people at the time, it regretted and tried to help. It does care about worker’s health. Since 1964, the company imposed an annual x-ray program for workers to track their health. The company also requires employees to wear respirators in most mine locations.
According to the Libby, MT news, the W. R. Grace Company did a few things after the consequences of asbestos came out. After the incident, the company compromised with the government and participated in the cleaning of the mining site and air pollution in Libby along with the government. In 2000, the company developed a medical program for all that were affected by the Libby mine. Although the Grace Company declared bankruptcy in 2001, it declares that it will sustain the program. More than 800 people were helped with a total of more than $14 million. In addition, Grace Company has donated more than $2 million to the local St. John’s Lutheran Hospital since 2000. In 2008, it adds $25 thousand to the donation. In April 2008, a compromise was reached and the company has agreed to pay the victims $3 billion.
Therefore, I believe that the company should not be responsible, but the government should. After all, the company is the owner’s company, but the government is the people’s government.
Works Cited
U.S. EPA, Region VIII, Action memorandum (draft) for the Libby asbestos site - export plant and screening plant former processing areas;. 2000: Libby, MT.
http://www.libbymt.com/news/
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/grace-to-retain-medical-program,344481.shtml
Ali Sahin
Mayor of Libby
Yes, the Grace Company should be held responsible.
Good afternoon to all, I am the mayor of Libby, Montana. I am writing this statement in regarding the contamination incident involving the W.R. Grace and Company and the residents of Libby and Troy, Montana. The problem in this incident is that the resident of Libby, Montana claims that the Grace Company exposed its workers and their families to asbestos intentionally with out informing them. As the mayor of Libby, I agree with the people and say “Yes the W.R. Grace and Company should be held responsible for exposing its workers and the towns’ people to asbestos.”
As to why I believe that the company should be held responsible? I would like to bring up a verdict that a jury in Libby had made in 1998. After hearing a “Grace executive testify that he knew there was asbestos up in the mine, and that it could kill the mine workers and their families,” the jury awarded the family $250,000 in wrongful-death damages. I believe that this is strong evidences that the company did not care for its workers, their families and Environmental Protection laws. An executive testifying such details only makes the company guiltier than they are. The company should pay for all the damages they have caused. This includes cleaning the environment and wrongful-death damages.
Gayla Benefield a resident of Libby has seen for many years’ lung diseases spreading through out the town. It also harmed her family as well by killing her parents. Her father died first than her mother from asbestosis – a condition that causes the lungs to thicken because of exposure to asbestos. Benefield recalls “It took my mother 17 months to slowly suffocate. The oxygen she was getting was the equivalent to what you would give a newborn, because that was the size of the lung capacity she had when she died.” As the mayor of Libby I must insure that people must not suffer like the Benefields’. To make sure that such an incident does not take place again we should make it clear that those who ignore the law will be penalized like the Grace Company.
I also believe that the Environmental Protection Agency should have acted quicker. After decades of neglect they have only recently started investigation. Their report is not completed but, a team has identified 33 asbestos deaths among Libby residents who had no occupational connection to the mine. Paul Peronard the EPA team leader says “Asbestos in the mine led to asbestosis in the town — and all the signs point to W.R. Grace.”
Other evidences that can be used against the company includes: an internal company memo discussing “the dangers of exposing our employees to asbestos,” four years after the memo 130 workers had chest X-ray taken the results showed a third of them were abnormal. The company itself also estimated that some 5000 pounds of asbestos was released each day. The company also ignored warnings of local doctors who told them that the miners were getting sick. The company also covered up their own studies showing exposure to airborne tremolite caused asbestosis.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/85daa4a9f7d7d930852570180054ef19/68436e8c69e4b0dc85256fa1008070c5
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/PHA/libby/lib_p1.html
Graduate Student in Science and Law researching the incident in Libby Montana
Senator Patrick Leahy said “This is the most lethal substance ever widely used in the workplace” when he mentioned how dangerous asbestos is and what solutions are being devised to help those who suffers from its illnesses. Asbestos is the name given to fibrous minerals that have high tensile strength, the ability to be woven, and resistance to heat and most chemicals. There are many uses for the material in the present day. However, the health risks outweigh the benefits and the material becomes a hazardous substance to be avoided. The material causes various diseases to the lungs depending entirely on the conditions of exposure and the habits of the persons exposed to the fibers. The material was once used everywhere including insulation, roofing, clothing, and pipeline wraps. However, since it was discovered to be carcinogenic many attempts have been made for the removal of the substance from all public areas. There are many organizations, offices in the government, local and federal, which monitor the safety of the environment including the protection of all life.
Today there are about hundreds of thousands of asbestos cases in the courts. The litigation process has cost many companies, the government, and Americans money. Senator Patrick claims that between 1940-1980 more than 27.5 million workers were exposed to asbestos. However, 19 million of them have had high exposure. Unfortunately, during recent times more and more people who file suits are those seeking for easy money. The process has choked out the court system and the taxpayers are the ones paying for the judicial system. This overwhelming system has also caused many companies to go out of business concurrently cutting short the payment for injuries to seriously affected families. It is also believed that people who get sick in the future are most likely not going to be compensated. Since the courts are packed with cases on asbestos, many victims die without knowing that there families received any of the compensation. In some cases families who can’t afford health care are burdened with medical bills and no family income that could support it. The judicial branch has declared multiple times that congress needs to regulate the litigation process. In any case, if there are any needs for new programs or a new system for judging cases taxpayers have to pay the costs. Since the inception of the litigation process some 74 companies have gone out of business.
The Grace Company is a chemical conglomerate. Like any other huge organization the company makes a fortunate on its products. They major products are all chemical needs in the industry sector and building sector such as catalysts, coatings, residential building materials and other construction products. The W.R. Grace Company has been notorious to corporate crimes that involve inhumane incidents. These include the asbestos problems to employees and contamination in Montana, and other water pollution problems. At one time it was believed that 3000 consumer products contained asbestos. The Grace Company knowingly endangered the lives of the people living in the community near the asbestos mines. The company decided to conceal information about the health effects of asbestos.
It was not until 1973 that Dr. Irving Selikoff published a paper revealing his findings in his research project that was initiated in 1967. He concluded that of the one million workers who were exposed to asbestos 200,000 people would die with a lung disease. The company has had 250,000 lawsuits against it. The company attempted to file for bankruptcy which was rejected because the government believed that the company wanted to save itself from the lawsuits. The court ruled that the Grace Company was directly involved in the death of almost 200 people living in Montana. Ethical rules were completely violated and the endangerment of the environment was ignored. If the court allowed the company to get away with the crimes it had committed than the court will be indirectly given the green light to all toxic industrial companies to abuse and harm the environment and people by showing them the alternative of paying for damages. Thus, condemning any company for improper damage to any part of the ecosystem will enforce governmental regulation over all operations. Therefore, it will lead to more laws and protection against illegal, unethical, and inhumane actions by rich companies and/or organizations.
References
1. A Bill on asbestos, the United States senate
2. http://www.asbestossolution.org/history_here.html
3. http://www.mesothelioma-mesothelioma.org/regulation.htm
4. http://thejohnmcnamarafoundation.org/history.html
5. http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/chemistry/Asbestos.html
6. http://www.maacenter.org/asbestos/history.php
Hello. My name is Dr. Haran Ratna. I am in opposition to the use of asbestos and thus believe that W.R. Grace and Company should be held responsible for its action. It peddled its product of asbestos fully knowing the harm that it causes people who are exposed to it for extended periods of time.
Asbestos is a group of minerals which have high resistance to heat, electricity and chemical damage. It also increases the strength of materials. This is the reason why asbestos was so readily used throughout history. It was regularly woven into fabric and mixed into building materials, such as cement, to increase tensile strength. However, those exposed to asbestos were also those subject to harm.
The most common disease related to asbestos exposure is Mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer. This disease is characterized by the development of malignant cells in the mesothelium, the outer lining, of lungs and pleural cavity. Asbestos particles have also been known to affect the abdominal cavity as well after being transported through the lymphatic system. The smaller the particle, the more likely it is to be inhaled and penetrate the lung tissue. Thus, smaller particles of asbestos, most often circulating in the air, are much more harmful than larger particles. The asbestos particles are phagocytosed by the cell and adhere to the chromatin fibers. Thus, chromosome- spindle fiber interaction during cell division is disrupted. Furthermore, the cell cycle is disrupted and the cell becomes cancerous. Structural arrangement of chromosome arms has also been known to occur. Also, asbestos has been known to mediate the incorporation of foreign DNA into chromatin. These gene abnormalities lead to deletion and/ or malfunction of necessary tumor suppressor genes necessary for prevention of malignancies. Symptoms of mesothelioma include chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing and cough, fatigue, anemia, fluid in chest cavity, and presence of coughed up blood. In more severe cases, intravascular clotting (resulting in internal bleeding), jaundice, pulmonary emboli, ascites and low blood sugar will be present. If the cancer has spread to the abdominal cavity, abdominal pain, fluid in abdomen, problems with bowel movements and weight loss will be present.
Asbestos can also cause intra-dermal warts. This is caused when asbestos crystals are lodged in the skin, causing formation of callus-like growths. It can cause plaque build up in the lung tissue, which can be observed through x-ray. If severe, this plaque build up may be characteristic of Mesothelioma.
W.R. Grace sold its product of asbestos fully knowing the risks of its use and subjected the residents of, not only Libby, Montana but, the world to disease and hardship for no other reason but to make a profit. This is why I believe that they should be held accountable for their actions.
Position: NO
As a Health and Environmental Officer for the Grace Company, it is my duty to clear their soiled name in Libby, Montana. First, allow me to give a small history backdrop for Libby and the W.R. Grace Company. Vermiculite, a certain type of ore found in Libby, (defined as: a hydrated laminar magnesium-aluminum-iron silicate), had been mined since 1919. In 1919, E.N. Alley bought Rainy Creek land and created a company called the Zonolite Company. (Zonolite is a trademark product made from vermiculite). In 1963, W.R. Grace and Company purchased the Zonolite mine from the previous owner. When they closed the mine in 1990, both the United States Environmental Protection Agency AND the local Montana Department of Health and Environment tested the air and soil, and found no traces of asbestos. A second examination, this time with more updated equipment, found that the samples contained traces of fibrous tremolite, which is suspected in the scores of asbestos-related ailments. Since that discovery, the EPA has spent over 120 million dollars in cleanup efforts. The EPA has determined that asbestos is released from the mines, in addition to other activities that disturb the local soil. Before the W.R. Grace Company came to Libby, the biggest industry in the area was the logging industry. Logging carries numerous risks, both to the surrounding ecological environment, and to the actual laborers dealing with heavy and hazardous machinery.
Specific types of asbestos are less dangerous than others. According to the fact sheet of Natural Resources Canada, “…current knowledge and modern technology can successfully control the potential for health and environmental harm posed by chrysotile asbestos.” The way asbestos can potentially contaminate an individual is if, and only if, a person is exposed to a potent kind of asbestos for a long period of time. Disease is extremely unlikely to result from a single, high-level exposure, or even from a long period of exposure to lower levels of asbestos. Since the asbestos-related diseases rarely show symptoms, it is quite difficult to realize the existence of asbestos in an area. An example of such a disease is Diffuse pleural thickening, where continuous asbestos exposure can cause hardening and calcifying of the skin. Asbestos fibers are invisible to the naked eye, as its width is nearly a seventh of a single human hair.
The Grace Company has done much to rectify the situation around the property they bought. Already, they spent $39 million of the Company’s money to help with the cleanup of contaminates in the wells, lagoon, and on-site landfill. None of the previous are currently in use. The Grace Company shut down the two wells in 1978 as a precautionary measure. As Grace’s Health and Environmental Officer, I have fulfilled the requirements of my occupation over the years. It is only within the last decade or so that the United States Government has instituted specific regulations on asbestos safety. When the company first opened in Libby, we could never have foreseen the negative impacts of asbestos. No equipment yet existed to properly test for such chemicals in the soil and in the air. Without those tools, and without the knowledge that we now thankfully possess, and without the federal restrictions which are in effect today, the Grace Company must be exonerated. We simply didn’t know- we couldn’t know. We deeply sympathize with those affected by this unfortunate situation. We hope that the new government safety regulations, technological advances and complete area cleanup will prevent any such future occurrence.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logging#Usage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libby_Montana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libby,_Montana#Zonolite_and_asbestos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos#Other_asbestos-related_diseases
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos#Critics_of_safety_regulations
http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/land/site.tcl?epa_id=MAD001002252#description
Here is the link to my video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khacw2Uw8aU
Here is the link to my video again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbz38Y1Kn8o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJR_KpDn3no
My video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy67RLg5g_I
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy67RLg5g_I
Enjoy!
Here’s the link to my video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLAmJnUlj8
As the victim of a cruel fate that has hit my town of Libby Montana, I Mary Smith speak out not only for myself but for all those who are suffering from the horrors the Grace Company has inflicted. In 1988 at the age of twenty I was diagnosed with an illness that today is known as “asbestosis.” My life has been reduced to coughing and I’m unable to walk up a flight of stairs without breathing heavily as if I’ve ran a mile. The hours of sleep and rest I’ve lost because of my chest pains and tears are detrimental—I’ve given up a lifestyle of leisure and joy. Only the death of a loved one can compare to such a horror—something that I have had the misfortune of knowing.
My beloved brother Victor, who had worked in those damn mines within miles of our home and store, passed away in 1990 due to lung cancer. And as if that’s not bad enough, my only daughter Mary Belle, my poor baby, was born with Mesothelioma and the doctors say she has only six months left to live. Why?? I know why, because if it weren’t for that damn Grace Company and their greed and whatnot, for their deception, all this would not have happened. They have deliberately taken advantage of our poor community, put false smiles on their faces with promises of employment and God knows we needed jobs in our town. But they knew all along that those men would slowly die off, and so would their wives and children. But why would they care? They don’t. But I do, and the Grace Company should be held responsible for all the grief they’ve caused.
Many have been diagnosed with horrible diseases and have no money to pay for medical care. I myself had to sell the hardware store my family owned for generations in order to pay for the doctor visits, nebulizers and treatments as such. Money doesn’t rain from the sky here. The Grace Company should compensate everyone! And although that will never replace the sons, daughters, husband and wives people have lost, it will perhaps give some hope to those left and cure them of their troubles. Twenty years have passed and I am now 40 years old. I will not live a long life. My daughter won’t even live long enough to take her first steps and I will soon stand above her grave and shed tears on the freshly turned soil. Nobody deserves this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tYVNh6a1kA
my video
Link to my video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGhNw6h_mRY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoiPT81fYOY
had some issues with my camera finally got it to work but the audio skips a bit at the end
Here is the link to my video clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4vKM9zJMaQ
Here is the link to my video clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvKIma3GqPc
Here is the link to my video clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFGvx9Xuyz0
This is my video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNnLzrUWQdQ
Hello. My name is Kyulee Seo. As a W. R. Grace Company stockholder, I am here to stand for its name and integrity. Due to the many unjustified lawsuits against the W. R. Grace Company, I have come forth to speak upon its credibility. I have experienced first-hand the safety measures of the company for I have kept continual interest in the company that I invested in. In the company’s defense, the amount of asbestos in the air was kept below what was then believed to be the “safe” level where people would not be adversely affected, but that it was nearly impossible to keep up with the changes. By 1968, the limit dropped to 2 million fibers per cubic foot; in 1976, it was 2 fibers per cubic centimeter; today, it’s 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter. The unfortunate part of the deal is that technology could not keep up with the changes, despite the company’s expensive efforts. Overall, the Grace Co. donated $14 million for health care, $250,000 yearly which added to over $2 billion a year to save St. John’s Hospital, agreed to pay $3 billion to victims, and $39 million to help the government clean the areas.
As common knowledge, the chemical industry is not a safe place. However, the Grace Company has always esteemed and retained safety as one of its highest priorities. Grace’s attorneys have announced, “the company did what it was legally obligated to do in an era when regulations involving asbestos were evolving along with the knowledge about its dangers.” According to Grace’s attorney Gary Graham, “Thirty years ago, there was asbestos in virtually every home,” Graham told jurors. “You could go down and buy asbestos at the local hardware store. It was everywhere.” In addition, the company says it didn’t know tremolite asbestos was as hazardous as other forms of asbestos. Tremolite was never used commercially, so little was known about it in the ’50s and ’60s, when asbestos was considered a largely beneficial product. Grace did what it could about the dust. The company spent $14 million on dust control measures in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The company
hired an engineer in the ’60s to design a new wet mill. Until the wet mill was up and running in 1974, however, Grace had to use a dry mill process that was inherently dusty and difficult to maintain. One cannot blame the company for the ignorance and unaware era.
On behalf of safety of its workers, respirators were required in certain areas, although workers may not have worn them. The company sent the results of abnormal chest X-rays to the workers’ doctors. Workers were given pulmonary function tests. In 1979, Grace banned smoking. Not only does the Grace Company follow the highest standards in health and safety laws and regulations, but also exceeds the safety systems of other corporations in the chemical industry by increased and state-of-the-art techniques for recycling, waste reduction and energy savings. It is true, a great quantity of chemical waste has already been made, but this is a definite consequence of the products made from any manufacturing factory of this industry. Nevertheless, citizens can rest assured because the Grace Company have completely reformed and established environment, health and safety (EHS) programs that effectively reduce the impact of harmful wastes and pollution for the
atmosphere and citizens alike. The EHS Management System manages and synchronizes all the activities going in and also out of the facilities. Within the company, the total injury rates have been far below the average and still steadily declining. I can guarantee that the facilities are thoroughly inspected and scrutinized for meeting the requirements of the American Chemistry Council.
In order to maintain the credibility of the Grace Company, safety measures are thoroughly carried out since it is their goal and responsibility to citizens. Although the Grace Company may still produce wastes
from manufacturing, it is important to realize that the Grace Company products are true necessities. If the Grace Company does not make them, another company must, and the Grace Company far exceeds to standards of safety over others.
Although the Grace Company has great sympathy for those who have supposedly become ill due to chemical toxin, “The injuries and damages of which Plaintiffs complain were caused by misuse, abuse or improper use and handling of products by Plaintiffs.” People should be held accountable to a certain extent for their own actions. Every person diagnosed with an illness around the something-mile radius of a Grace Company factory cannot deem the factory as being reprehensible. Children who played in piles of mine waste, people who used waste vermiculite in their gardens, workers who did not wear required respirators and smokers are all worthy of blame!
video!
take 2….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU9P8IS5H8I
my video (I finally figured it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjwGF-I_0PM