POV on Libby & Asbestos

Last summer, Andrea Peacock guested here for a week (first batch (in reverse order), final post).  Peacock is the author of Libby, Montana: Asbestos and the Deadly Silence of an American Corporation. 

PBS’s P.O.V. series is premiering a program about Libby in a couple of weeks.  From the press release:

“Libby, Montana” tells the heartbreaking story of Libby – a quiet town nestled below the rugged peaks of the Northern Rockies in Montana — home to the worst case of community-wide exposure to a toxic substance in U.S. history.  Once the site of an active vermiculite mine, the town now suffers an extreme public health crisis as hundreds of ex-miners, their families and friends are sick or have already died from asbestos exposure. “Libby, Montana” takes a long working day’s journey into a blue-collar community, and traces their struggle to clean up their town and bring government attention to their dire situation.  “Libby, Montana” will premiere Tuesday, August 28th at 10PM on most PBS stations (be sure to check your local listings on our site).

And the preview:

Update: Overlawyered notes the show, links to posts relating to W.R. Grace’s filings suggesting that the problems are less than alleged, referring to the posts as including “actual data,” presumably in implicit contrast to the P.O.V. show.  The show has screened as a documentary, so perhaps Ted’s seen it, but I don’t think so.  The show’s producers’ website (linked to above) includes a link to the Grace PR website, and I hope (but do not know) that the producers sought Grace’s perspective as well. 

–BC