Councilman alleges EPA owes community $2 million.
A city councilman in Libby said Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency owes the asbestos-plagued Superfund community $2 million for the demolition of several contaminated buildings.
The city-owned buildings included an export plant for asbestos-laden vermiculite that was shipped from the site across the country by W.R. Grace, the now-bankrupt chemical and mining company.
After the buildings came under city ownership about a decade ago, they were torn down by Grace at the direction of the EPA.
City Councilman DC Orr said that after settling a civil suit against Grace last year for $250 million, the agency was obligated to repay the city $2 million. That’s the amount Grace offered in 2000 to buy back the property where the demolished buildings stood.
Read more here.
