By August 2, the firefighting workforce had fully contained the hearth. It burned an estimated whole of two acres.
The Tub Gulch a part of the Kootenai Forest is within the Operable Unit 3 (OU3) of the U.S. Environmental Safety Company’s (EPA) Superfund web site. This unit contains the vermiculite mine chargeable for the area’s asbestos contamination.
A 2012 examine detailed the extent of the asbestos contamination within the OU3 forest. The examine outcomes confirmed that even the bushes of the OU3 forest have Libby amphibole asbestos within the bark. Because of this, the realm earned the nickname the Asbestos Forest.
Analysis from 2009 confirmed that just about 90% of the asbestos within the decaying plant matter would keep on the bottom. Nonetheless, roughly 10% would grow to be airborne, resulting in publicity danger.
The Tub Gulch Hearth was one in every of six fires within the space over slightly greater than every week. As soon as added up, these fires burned a complete of 5.7 acres. Two different notable fires in recent times close to Libby embrace:
In 2017, the West Fork Hearth burned greater than 20,000 acres close to Libby.
In 2016, the Freeway 37 Hearth burned 70 acres close to the Libby Superfund web site.
For Libby residents, these wildfires doubtless add to their ongoing asbestos issues.
A Temporary Historical past of the Libby Superfund Website
The Libby vermiculite mine operated from the early Nineteen Twenties as much as 1990. Whereas energetic, the mine produced 80% of the world’s provide of vermiculite. Vermiculite is a mineral that was as soon as used as insulation.
The EPA positioned the location on the Nationwide Priorities listing for cleanup in 2002. The location has eight operable models (OUs), with the mine being in OU3. Presently, seven OUs have had remediation accomplished. Solely OU3 stays, with an estimated completion by 2026.
W.R. Grace as soon as owned and operated the mine. A really friable (crumbly or powdery) type of asbestos contaminated the vermiculite pulled from the mine. In April 2023, the corporate provided an $18.5 million settlement to assist the EPA clear up the location.
After declaring chapter, the corporate established an asbestos belief fund for private accidents. It additionally began a separate fund to cowl abatement prices.
What’s Subsequent for the Tub Gulch Hearth Space?
Sadly, firefighters face an elevated danger of asbestos publicity each time they enter an space that’s contaminated with asbestos merchandise. In Libby, fires are a good steeper concern as responders have to fret about fires in buildings and wildfires within the Superfund web site.
The native forestry division has recruited firefighters who’re correctly skilled and prepared to work in OU3. In 2016, the EPA and the Montana Forest Service agreed to share the Libby fireplace safety prices.
The EPA continues remediation efforts on the Libby mine. Nonetheless, the danger of wildfires within the space continues to pose an issue. As soon as the EPA has completed cleanup of OU3, the added asbestos publicity dangers will lower.