Introduction, continued

Exposure to asbestos in vermiculite ore may increase the risk of asbestosis. Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease that can produce shortness of breath and permanent lung damage, and increase the risk of dangerous lung infection, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen.

From the peak 1950s to the 1980s, contaminated ore from the Libby mine was shipped throughout the U.S. to processing and receiving facilities in different cities. The EPA has identified vermiculite facilities in the U.S. that received vermiculite ore from Libby, Montana.

The activities at these sites included, but are not limited to, the manufacturing of building construction materials, insulation, steel, plastics, fertilizer, and chemicals.