The vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, one which is largest asbestos caused disasters in American history owned and operated by w.r. Grace & co. The company insured evidence the vermiculite is mined was piled with asbestos and that it was the cause of asbestosis and mesothelioma - a rare cancer of the protective lining the important organs and body cavities-, the miners and their families plagued lung cancer. All three are deadly diseases and the cancers are so aggressive that even with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, the standard mesothelioma rarely a fighting chance of survival have treatment, the patients.
After the EPA visited two years Libby first in 1999, filed bankruptcy protection, a move that declared grace President Paul Norris said the company was to protect that already around $2 billion had cost the company more than 325,000 asbestos-related personal injury damages. However, grace could not protect themselves from criminal charges. In February 2004, grace of one of the biggest environmental crime faced criminal in American history. Grace and seven current and former executives and managers were charged with knowingly the public and miners asbestos compromise and hide the knowledge of exposure.
Yet what appeared to be an open and shut case, the company and its directors of all charges ended with 12 jurors of investment portfolio in May last year. Grace's 21 lawyers and about 100 law clerks and researchers were only three Assistant U.S. attorneys played. Would the Defense spent well over $100 million, but if found guilty, could grace paid fines of up to $280 million, and company executives have faced prison terms of up to 60 years.
