The Center for Asbestos Related Disease is working on new research articles that will be released throughout this year. They will be focusing on asbestos and autoimmune disease. The articles will show results from analyzing the health impact of exposure to amphibole asbestos from Libby, Montana. It can take less exposure to amphibole asbestos fibers to cause cancer compared to other fibers like chrysotile asbestos, making amphibole more dangerous. The first article should be released this month. The goal of the articles is to educate medical professionals and the public about asbestos. The CARD clinic has been in operation since 2000 and has a team of doctors, nurses, specialists, and researchers giving care and resources to people in Libby.
Libby became a popular mining location for vermiculite in 1919. The problem with vermiculite is that it can easily be contaminated with asbestos. People in Libby and surrounding areas all became exposed to dangerous asbestos dust. The mine finally stopped operation in 1990. Around 2,400 people in the Libby area were diagnosed with an asbestos related disease. In a 2021 report from the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, it shows that nearly 700 residents died from an asbestos related disease including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos lung cancer. The mining company W.R. Grace filed for bankruptcy in 2001 after many lawsuits, including ones related to the Libby mine. A $3 billion trust was created in 2014 to compensate people affected with asbestos related diseases. Libby was designated a Superfund site in 2002 and was put on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List. W.R. Grace agreed to pay $18.5 million in 2023 to help restore the area damaged by asbestos.
This past year in May 2023 Montana lawmakers designated CARD a Center of Excellence and only one month later, a federal jury found CARD guilty of filing false claims. It was accused of filing 337 false claims, which allowed patients to take advantage of Medicare and other benefits they should not have been able to receive. The clinic had to pay almost $6 million in penalties and damages. In August 2023 CARD filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The board’s Vice President explained that filing for bankruptcy allows the clinic to continue operations and to serve patients.
