Editing Libby, Montana (section)

==Economy and environment==
[[Image:Libby, Montana.jpg|thumb|Downtown Libby]]
Libby's economy had been largely supported in the past by the use of natural resources, such as logging and mining. Mining and timber mills have since closed down. Tourism is playing an increasing role in the local economy. The [[Libby Dam]] is {{convert|17|mi|km}} upstream from Libby, one of the [[Columbia River Treaty]] Dams, finished in 1975.<!--must have employed lots locally, I don't know enough to cite/add that though-->   Libby is known as the "City of Eagles". Several eagle sculptures can be found around town, including a {{convert|60|ft|m|adj=on}} eagle at both ends of town.

In 1961, area volunteers opened the Turner Ski Area about 20 miles north of Libby. Owned by a nonprofit foundation, the Ski Area served around 4,600 visits per year in 2017/2018 and relies on volunteer hours and donations for most of its services.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Menzel|first=Claire|date=2019-01-06|title=Why are Northwest Montana's Ski Areas Still Independent?|url=https://flatheadbeacon.com/2019/01/06/northwest-montanas-ski-areas-still-independent/|access-date=2021-03-09|website=Flathead Beacon|language=en}}</ref> In the mid-1980s, a major [[ski resort]] was proposed for Great Northern Mountain, {{convert|20|mi|round=5|spell=in}} south of Libby.<ref name=srenv>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wFdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8O4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6959%2C1162131 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |last=Sher |first=Jeff |title=Super resort envisioned |date=March 4, 1984 |page=B1}}</ref> Discussions on land usage and wildlife reached the [[United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources]] in the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Reserved Water, and ultimately the ski resort was not built.<ref>{{Cite book|last=United States Congress Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Reserved Water|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ee1KAQAAIAAJ|title=Montana Wilderness: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Reserved Water of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Ninety-eighth Congress, First Session, to Review the Montana Wilderness Recommendations, Missoula, Mont., July 5, 1983; Anaconda, Mont., July 7, 1983, Great Falls, Mont., July 9, 1983|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|year=1984|pages=195|language=en}}</ref>

Libby's energy usage includes or potentially includes multiple renewable resources: biomass, hydroelectric, and solar. In 2008, a report found that wood pellet waste from nearby lumber mills could be used to produce several megawatts of electricity.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=June 2008|title=From Wood Waste to Renewable Energy: A Summary Report of Wood Utilization Efforts in Heating Systems in the Western United States and Territories|url=https://www.thewflc.org/sites/default/files/295_pdf.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512110253/https://www.thewflc.org/sites/default/files/295_pdf.pdf |archive-date=2021-05-12 |url-status=live|journal=Western Forestry Leadership Coalition}}</ref> The Flathead Electric Co-op began purchasing up to 2.5 megawatts of power from the F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Company in 2013 with a twenty year contract, leading to the construction of "a biomass-fueled electric generation facility at their plant near [[Columbia Falls, Montana|Columbia Falls]]."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Stoltze Biomass Facility|url=https://www.flatheadelectric.com/innovative-projects/stoltze-biomass/|access-date=2021-03-09|website=Flathead Electric Cooperative|date=May 18, 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> The Co-op "receives [[Renewable Energy Certificate (United States)|Renewable Energy Credits]]."<ref name=":0" /> The city also generates and sells hydroelectric energy.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016|title=Libby Hydro|url=https://www.flatheadelectric.com/innovative-projects/libby-hydro/|access-date=2020-12-13|website=Flathead Electric Cooperative|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2020, a statewide appraisal of Montana public schools' solar power potential, the Montana Community Solar Project, assessed Libby's schools and found the buildings had good potential, but installing solar panels would be financially inefficient as the schools' "electric demand charges [were] in the 92nd percentile when compared against the cohort of 25 schools."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Resources and Information|url=http://mtsolarcommunity.mt.gov/resources|access-date=December 12, 2020|website=Montana Community Solar Project|archive-date=December 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206003921/http://mtsolarcommunity.mt.gov/Resources|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Vermiculite mine and asbestos contamination===
In 1919, [[vermiculite]] was discovered in the mountains near town. In 1963 [[W. R. Grace and Company]] bought the local mine, by which time it was producing 80% of the vermiculite in the world.<ref name="tgn">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/08/usa-mining-libby-montana|title=Welcome to Libby, Montana, the town that was poisoned|author=Joanna Walters|date=March 7, 2009|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> Because the local vermiculite contains asbestos, and the mine's byproducts were used in local buildings and landscaping, the town suffered from an extremely high rate of [[asbestosis]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Matthew |last2=Hanson |first2=Amy Beth |date=2024-04-19 |title=BNSF Railway says it didn't know about asbestos that's killed hundreds in Montana town |url=https://apnews.com/article/libby-asbestos-warren-buffett-railroad-pollution-cd9a904dd919a171b0c4c93899867e42 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Nearly 10% of the population died from asbestos contamination, and the federal government later charged company officials for complicity.<ref name="tgn"/> On May 8, 2009, W.R. Grace & Co. was acquitted of charges that it knowingly harmed the people of Libby. It was also acquitted of subsequently participating in any cover-up. Fred Festa, chairman, president and CEO said in a statement, "the company worked hard to keep the operations in compliance with the laws and standards of the day."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Baldwin |first=Clare |date=2009-05-09 |title=W.R. Grace acquitted in asbestos case, shares leap |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5475GI20090508/ |access-date=2024-12-23 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> In 2004, ''[[Libby, Montana (film)|Libby, Montana]]'', a documentary on the situation, was released.

On June&nbsp;17, 2009, the EPA declared its first public health emergency, which covered Libby and nearby [[Troy, Montana|Troy]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-22 |title=Jury: BNSF Railway contributed to 2 deaths in Montana town where asbestos sickened thousan |url=https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/jury-bnsf-railway-contributed-to-2-deaths-in-montana-town-where-asbestos-sickened-thousan |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=KECI |language=en |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> It had provided an additional $130&nbsp;million in cleanup and medical assistance.<ref name=CNN/> The 2010 [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]] includes a provision which provided [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] coverage to individuals of such public health emergencies.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/health/policy/21healthcare.html|title=Deep in Health Bill, Very Specific Beneficiaries |last=Pear|first=Robert|date=December 20, 2009|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 22, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_f46c85e6-eddc-11de-a34f-001cc4c002e0.html|title=Libby is big winner in Senate's mammoth health care bill|last=Werner|first=Erica|date=December 21, 2009|agency=Associated Press|publisher=The Missoulian|access-date=December 22, 2009}}</ref>
 
By 2015, the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) was concluding the removal of asbestos-contaminated soils and other suspect materials in and near Libby<ref name=CNN>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/17/montana.asbestos/index.html|title=Asbestos cleanup 'emergency' declared in Montana town|date=June 17, 2009|work=CNN|access-date=December 22, 2009}}</ref> and had spent $425&nbsp;million in [[Superfund]] money on cleanup.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/04/libby-montana-asbestos-superfund_n_857713.html |  title = Libby, Montana: Health Risk Remains In Asbestos-Plagued Town  | work = Huffington Post | date = May 3, 2011 | access-date = July 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/04/libby-montana-asbestos-superfund_n_857713.html  |title=Libby Asbestos|work= Huffington Post |access-date=July 5, 2011 |date=May 4, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title = Petition For Writ of Certiorari, W.R. Grace & Co., Kootenai Development Company, and W.R. Grace & Co.- Conn, petitioners  | date = April 27, 2006 | url = http://www.scotusblog.com/archives/W.R.GracePetition%28Apr.27,2006%29.pdf | access-date = August 4, 2010}}</ref> That year, an EPA review of toxicity and risks found that the cleanups had managed asbestos exposure risk effectively. By the end of 2018, the EPA had removed "more than one million cubic yards of contaminated soil," and area cleanup was completed that year, except for the location of the former mine, which is the disposal site of the contaminated soil. Contaminated construction materials were disposed of "in a specially designed landfill cell."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Libby Asbestos Site; Cleanup activities|url=https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.cleanup&id=0801744|access-date=2021-01-22|website=cumulis.epa.gov|language=en}}</ref> The remaining contamination is limited to the forests and property in or near the former mine, with cleanup plans pending and with controls for higher exposures during wildfire fighting.<ref name=":1" />

In 2020, the EPA transferred control of the site to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bolton|first=Aaron|title=EPA Moves To Transfer Oversight Of Libby, Troy Superfund Sites To Montana|url=https://www.mtpr.org/post/epa-moves-transfer-oversight-libby-troy-superfund-sites-montana|access-date=2020-12-13|website=Montana Public Radio|date=31 October 2019|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Brown|first=Matthew|title=US transfers care for towns polluted with asbestos to state|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/us-transfers-care-for-towns-polluted-with-asbestos-to-state/2020/07/01/80e0f6c8-bbc8-11ea-97c1-6cf116ffe26c_story.html|access-date=2020-12-13|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The same year, the local Center for Asbestos began offering testing for [[Autoantibody|autoimmune markers]] for [[pleural disease]], which would act as an early screen for at-risk patients.<ref>{{Cite press release|last=Disease|first=Center for Asbestos Related|title=Autoantibodies Established as Useful Tool for Screening Patients with Libby, MT Asbestos Exposure|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/autoantibodies-established-as-useful-tool-for-screening-patients-with-libby-mt-asbestos-exposure-301003123.html|access-date=2020-12-21|website=PR Newswire|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=(ANA) Antinuclear Antibodies|url=https://libbyasbestos.org/ana/|access-date=2020-12-21|website=CARD in Libby, MT|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Ground water contamination ===
A second EPA Superfund site is the Libby Ground Water Contamination site at a former lumber and plywood mill which ceased operations in 1969. The mill's disposal practices and spills contaminated the soil, surface water, and groundwater with chemicals including [[pentachlorophenol]], which the EPA discovered in nearby well water in 1979. Site reviews are held every five years, and as of 2020, several controls are in place to prevent contact with and consumption of contaminated materials.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LIBBY GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION Site Profile|url=https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.cleanup&id=0800412|access-date=2020-12-21|website=United States Environmental Protection Agency|language=en}}</ref>