Disappointing Asbestos Verdict in Grace Trial
May 21, 2009 by admin
Filed under Asbestos & Mesothelioma
A federal jury found W.R. Grace not guilty of asbestos contamination. The Libby, Montana case has been the center of asbestos litigation and the results of the verdict are disappointing to say the least when considering all the facts.
From the Flathead Beacon:
On May 8, following a months-long trial, a U.S. District Court jury in Missoula acquitted W.R. Grace & Co. and three former executives on charges that they knowingly exposed Libby residents to tremolite asbestos from the company’s vermiculite mine and then covered it up to continue making profits and avoid liability.
The mine was first opened in 1939 and W.R. Grace purchased it in 1963, keeping it in operation until 1990. Vermiculite, a mineral containing the deadly asbestos, was used predominantly as insulation and fireproofing in millions of homes across the nation. At one point, 80 percent of the world’s vermiculite came from the Grace mine.
Libby’s story has been told countless times over the last decade. Books have been written and documentaries have been produced. Roving journalists became part of everyday life. They were there to tell the story of miners sickened by years of breathing in asbestos-laden dust, of family members who became sick after miners brought it back on their clothes, and of the hundreds of others who fell ill by exposure.
Last month, the government dropped charges against two W.R. Grace executives, William J. McCaig and Robert C. Walsh. The three who were found not guilty on May 8 were Henry A. Eschenbach, Jack W. Wolter and Robert J. Bettacchi. The final defendant, Grace’s in-house lawyer O. Mario Favorito, is scheduled for trial in September.
Read the full story here: A New Chapter for Libby
