Grace to Pay Record Superfund Settlement

W.R. Grace Agrees to Pay Federal Government $250 Million for Montana Asbestos Work

March 12, 2007

W.R. Grace & Co. is an industrial supplier who owned and operated a vermiculite mine near the city of Libby, Montana for almost 30 years. The ores of vermiculite, a substance used in insulation and packaging products, in this mine also contained asbestos fibers. As a result, much of the surrounding area was contaminated, and Libby residents have suffered from asbestos-related disease in epidemic proportions. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has spent $168 million on investigation and cleanup since 1999, and there is still much work to be done. In recent court proceedings, Grace has agreed to reimburse the government $250 million for their expenditures on environmental cleanup.

Get the full story as reported by Associated Press writer, Susan Gallagher, Helena, Mont. Mar 12, 2008 (AP)

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