Federal environmental regulators will hold a meeting in Libby on Wednesday, June 1 at 5 p.m. to talk about the future cleanup of the nearby defunct vermiculite mine. Asbestos from the mine led to a public health emergency in Libby.
The meeting will outline the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s response for determining what the clean-up process for the former mining site near Libby and Troy will look like. The mine was closed in 1990. The EPA says it will take some time before it proposes options for cleanup of the site, but the agency wants to educate the public and receive input on what locals want out of the process.
The EPA has already cleaned more than 2,600 residential properties within the asbestos superfund site, which encompasses Libby, Troy and nearby highways and railways.