Letters to the editor

Asbestos problems extend beyond Libby

No matter where you live in Montana, you may have your own “Libby” next door.

Asbestos, vermiculite, cancer, mesothelioma and death are words that have become synonymous with that unfortunate town.

Yet, asbestos contaminated vermiculite was shipped all over Montana and the nation.

This same awareness of Libby needs to be applied to your own home, school and work environment. Vermiculite insulation, which is often less than 5 percent asbestos, is only one of thousands of asbestos products used in Montana. Many buildings in the Montana building industry contain far more asbestos than vermiculite and can easily become airborne under the most common construction activities.

Karstolite, a nearly 100 percent asbestos product, also produced in Montana, presents a far greater exposure risk. Any careless renovation, demolition or disposal can distribute a carcinogenic layer of dust across your home, property or workspace.

Illegal and improper asbestos abatements occur many times a day all across Montana. Do you trust your neighbor, employer or educator to care for your health and to have honestly assessed all the materials that may have contained asbestos before scattering the dust from the material from their property to the landfill?

The Montana DEQ’s indifference to the known problem of illegal abatement and exposures is no different than W.R. Grace’s failing to protect the workers and citizens of Libby.

If you have concerns about a project where asbestos should be a consideration and you don’t believe it is, contact the Montana Asbestos Control Program at 444-2690 or the DEQ Enforcement Division at 444-2411 and tell them to prevent Libby from happening next door to you.

Bruce Ingraham

Chairman, Ingraham Environmental

Thanks for support on the Fourth of July

Bigfork Fire Department would like to thank our sponsors for making our Fourth of July barbecue a huge success. We appreciate all the support from this wonderful community, and especially from the following businesses: Glacier Bank, Bigfork Chamber of Commerce, Frito Lay, Costco, Flood Co, Target, Walmart, Petty Johns, Culligan, Rosauers, Pepsi, Super One.

Bigfork Fire

Department