Libby, Montana and W. R. Grace and Company

If you were to ask me about Montana’s environmental disasters, the first place that I’d likely tell you about is Berkley Pit, a gigantic hole created by the Anaconda Company’s open-pit mining of copper. It’s the natural story to tell. In fact, it’s become a tourist attraction – even The Daily Show has visited.

But unfortunately, as horrible as Berkley Pit is, it isn’t the worst environmental disaster that has happened in Montana. That honor belongs to the area surrounding Libby, Montana, where W.R. Grace and Company mined vermiculite laced with asbestos until 1990. In this area, around 1,200 people have developed asbestos-related illnesses, and since 2000, the EPA has spent $120 million to try to clean it up. W. R. Grace and Company allegedly knew that asbestos was being released since 1956, and in 2005 the US Department of Justice began criminal proceedings against the company. Finally, just last month, the criminal trial began.

While this case is incredibly interesting for many reasons, coverage of the trial is especially noteworthy. In a joint project between the Schools of Law and Journalism, students from the University of Montana are following the trial and publishing their notes and analysis on a blog as well as live-tweeting the trial on Twitter. Their coverage provides amazing access to the courtroom. They are telling the story in a professional, yet engaging, way and in my opinion, it is much more fascinating than any episode of Law & Order.

For more background information about Libby and its vermiculite mine, read the Wikipedia articles on Libby, Montana and W.R. Grace and Company, and watch the documentary Libby, Montana. All of these sources cover the issues much better than I can in this blog post. And check out the U of Montana’s coverage of the trial. It’s a nice example of how new media platforms can open courtroom doors and educate the public about the justice system. – K

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