United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2003-04-14 monographic deposited born digital 25 p. GA 1.13:GAO-03-469 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-469 P0b002ee180390212 f:d03469 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-469 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-469 GAO-03-469 Environmental monitoring Fiber inhalation diseases Hazardous substances Health hazards Libby (MT) Other Written Product A06633 Between 1979 and 1998, the number of deaths in Libby, Montana from asbestosis--a lung disease that progressively restricts breathing and can be fatal--was 40 to 80 times higher than the average for the United States. Vermiculite ore--containing high concentrations of asbestos--was mined at Libby between 1923 and 1990, and accounted for most of the world's vermiculite. Mining, processing, or any disturbance of the contaminated vermiculite releases asbestos fibers into the air, which can lead to respiratory illnesses, including asbestosis. When processed, the vermiculite is used in insulation, fireproofing materials, garden materials, and other products. GAO reviewed the history of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) involvement in Libby prior to the agency's initiation of cleanup actions in 1999, the status and costs of EPA's cleanup in Libby, and other actions EPA and other federal agencies are taking to address exposure to asbestoss-contaminated materials. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-469/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-469.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-469/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-469.pdf GAO-03-469 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-469 Other Written Product GAO-03-469; Hazardous Materials: EPA's Cleanup of Asbestos in Libby, Montana, and Related Actions to Address Asbestos-Contaminated Materials; Environmental monitoring Fiber inhalation diseases Hazardous substances Health hazards Libby (MT)