Asbestos City: How Libby Montana Killed It's Residents

Explore Libby, Montana's hidden tragedy. This picturesque town, nestled in the Kootenai River Valley, faced one of America's worst environmental disasters. Uncover the greed and negligence behind the asbestos exposure crisis.
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[@WonderDerek]

I once worked on removing an asbestos roof. It was my boss, his nephew, and myself. We all just used N95 masks, but the back of my throat started hurting pretty bad about an hour or so after the removal started. I didn't say anything for another hour or 2, until it got pretty bad. I mentioned it to the boss, and his reaction was borderline panic. I didn't understand the dangers of asbestos at the time, but he clearly did. He then gave me an actual respirator to wear while we finished the work and my throat got better over the next hour or so. They continued just wearing the N95, even after seeing me swap to a respirator. It was the only asbestos roof I've ever donr and would never do one again. Asbestos is nuts.

[@hollymcgrew4853]

I hope you will be ok my dad worked with cars in the 80s and all they were given was basically surgical masks when dealing with asbestos and nobody wore them because it wasn’t considered “cool” not that they would have done anything he passed away in 2015 asbestos is a terrifying substance 😔

[@wendychavez5348]

@WonderDerek I'm glad you're still around to tell the tale. Do you get checked regularly, since you know you were exposed?

[@BadBadger70]

The same thing happened in Wittenoom, Australia. The mining for blue asbestos in that town was shut down in 1966, and by the late 70's the Australian government shut down the entire town after they realised it's impossible to clean up the dust. In 2007 they officially removed Wittenoom from all maps and road signage..... if you happen to stumble across the area today you are met with signs simply saying "Danger! Asbestos in this Area. Cancer and Lung Disease Hazard"

[@kymcha]

A shame because the Wittenoom gorge is so pretty.

[@saaraa7876]

In Russia too. There’s a town actually called Asbest there, cause they have nothing else going for them. Dmitri Utkin, the founder of the Wagner company, was born there. Used to house a gulag too, now the home of lung cancer. At least Australia told the people to leave.

[@arthas640]

​@@saaraa7876well yeah but that's Russia, it's weird when their government doesn't try to kill them. Their branch of the communist party killed nearly as many Russians as the germans did and way more then the US ever did.

[@Dan-ry7ql]

Bout to post this haha

[@madenabyss6981]

The last person was evicted from Wittenoom In August/September 2022 in December 2022 a fire tore through the town destroying several buildings since then the town has been demolished forever but people still go up there

[@dawulpertingerofstarland5257]

Libby holds a dear place in my heart. Buldoc (WR Grace CEO) knew what he did to people. I watched several relatives gasp and wither away before my eyes. That crap settled on Libby like a fine snow. I would like to see a documentary on Butte, Montana as it is also a superfund site. Just know CEOs lie, people die.

[@AllTheHappySquirrels]

Same!

[@robinmiller5256]

A book titled ‘Libby ‘ is an excellent read. The author is Peacock and is from Livingston, Mt.

[@scottclark7559]

Butte, America is the best city on earth...the way the Anaconda company (and its successor) made millions and left taxpayers cleaning up the toxic mess is criminal...but it's an amazing place. Truly one of a kind. What happened in Libby is also criminal...heartbreaking how companies kill people for profit.

[@WowOafus]

@@scottclark7559it’s even more heartbreaking that people we elect allow it to happen and promote it

[@KevinBauman]

And yet, almost half of voters have been convinced that we should regulate corporations even less.

[@aq5426]

I want to know who at WR Grace got to the jurors and pressured them to acquit. You can't tell me a jury of 12 people saw ALL THIS EVIDENCE and thought "nah, they didn't do anything."

[@justmenotyou3151]

There was a WR Grace friendly judge that prevented a lot of evidence from being used in the trial. The prosecutors said they probably could not win the case with the suppression of the evidence, and they were right.

[@davidbeppler3032]

Corrupt judges are nothing new. Even Supreme Court judges take bribes.

[@BarackLesnar]

​@@justmenotyou3151that's so interesting. What is the judge's name?

[@justmenotyou3151]

@BarackLesnar I don't remember. However, if you'd some Google research, it should come up. That's how I found out.

[@PikachuFan123456789]

​@BarackLesnar I believe it was U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy.

[@arianamaria_]

Having grown up in New Jersey one of my core memories is all the commercials on local television talking about how if you were in Manhattan on 9/11 you may be entitled to compensation if you were diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis due to the massive amount of asbestos that was released when the towers fell. The dust cloud that hung over this city for months probably poisoned millions and we’re only now starting to see the full consequences of that

[@user-wm3bf7pi3u]

THAT explains the repopulation efforts of NYC.

[@Mr110074]

I live in North Jersey. On car rides I still get radio ads on 1010 Wens about the compensation funds for 9/11 survivors encouraging EVERYBODY (not just first responders) who was there and later got sick to apply.

[@OlogNogTheOnionLord]

I live in Montana. Not in Libby, but only 6-7 hours drive away. And even I was completely unaware of this incident for most of my life. The amount of awareness regarding this topic is tragic. Thank you for the video.

[@StitchyMe]

Same! I grew up in Bozeman and never learned of any of this!

[@buffetline2605]

I was just in Libby. Love Montana. You guys are lucky.

[@calebbean1384]

I love how Montana is so big it's "just six hours away" lol. That would get you across my entire state 😅

[@jpmountaingaming5681]

I also live in Montana and have never heard of this as well.

[@xnakxx]

Yup Same. I'm in Musselshell Co, I've took the 8 hour trip for gold panning a few times and never knew I was going to an area with such a past.

[@BLARG09]

My aunt just died of lung cancer there. She's lived there her whole life. She lived two weeks after diagnosis.

[@monkiesbanana321]

So sorry for your loss

[@Macho_Fantastico]

Sorry for your loss. 😢

[@plp666]

Am so sorry to hear this. 😢 2 weeks. Am a Coloradan and I wish our country cared more about its people. I can’t believe this is still happening in 2024.

[@BLARG09]

@plp666 she had a cat scan and because the Dr only comes once a month she didn't know for 30days after. I couldn't understand why they didn't call her! They could have had that time to get prepared. Hospice took so long to bring a bed that it never made it there, and she spent her last week in a chair. I don't think people realize what it's like in medical desserts. And how many their are in the US.

[@Baphomane]

Sorry for your loss. Much love to you & your Family

[@zeppy2732]

The song”Blue Sky Mine” by Midnight Oil is about Wittenoom a town devastated by asbestos mining in Australia.

[@jezman8652]

That was crocidolite aka Blue Asbestos. CSR were ultimately responsible for that mess, they knew of the dangers of mining the stuff but ignored them for the sake of their bottom line, the almighty dollar.

[@brentmiller3951]

I watched a documentary and they filled sand boxes with it .The asbestos there was blue and the kids in that sand box were blue from head to toe

[@catoverlords9560]

Great to see another Oils fan here. That entire album is a masterpiece.

[@Joe_Dirt82]

Was waiting for the "if you or a loved one" clip then remembered this is the 'grown-up' channel.

[@leobeboop4944]

If YOUUUUU or a loved oneeee was diagnosed with mesothelioma you may be entitled to compensationnn

[@laneputman7098]

I swearrrr😂

[@Montgumerz]

i'm so glad i wasn't the only one

[@lovedabluesrocknroll]

I felt guilty for laughing because it’s such an awful disease but that jingle is too good

[@kirnupiimaa]

They still snuck in a sneaky "breathtaking landscapes" at 15:40

[@Kangamoos]

My partner when to HS in Libby, and has had two unrelated forms of cancer, plus developed asthma and other congestive issues with their airway. We have been looking into ways to approach determining whether or not it was caused by living a decade in Libby, or just.. the worst luck ever.

[@multipletanksyndrome]

Does he know about the asbestos under the HS track?

[@NightridingDoom]

Definetly caused by Libby. I suggest getting a doctor who helps you sort out what damage asbestos has caused to her body. And then sue the fuck out of the government for failing to regulate

[@Kangamoos]

@@multipletanksyndrome ah.. no. That's interesting

[@deniseroe5891]

Aah, loopholes, yes. My husband worked for a major defense contractor. About 15 years ago there was an accident in an autoclave where asbestos is still used. The bricks fell and were pulverized, sending dust everywhere. They ask everyone to sign an agreement that they wouldn’t file a claim against the company if they got sick. He didn’t sign it. My husband developed kidney disease, stage 4, CHF, AFib, and liver disease along with diabetes. He passed away in December at the age of 64. I can’t help but wonder if this exposure led to his health problems.

[@kyledabearsfan]

That's the real problem, it leaves some reason for denial for these companies. People die all the time, so maybe it wasn't the asbestos? It's pretty horrendous.

[@talizorahnarrayya5916]

My grandfather worked in construction in the 60s and 70s. He had daily exposure with asbestos and his only protective gear was a wet rag. He died of lung cancer in 2018 after 3 years of battle. We never could link his cancer to his exposure to asbestos because he worked "under the table" for the majority of his time in the construction sector.

[@kyledabearsfan]

@@talizorahnarrayya5916 Im sorry for your loss, its a shame that these large corporations always have a loophole get out of fail free cards. Its always the worker that gets ruined.

[@PositiveOnly-dm3rx]

None of those diseases are connected with asbestos tho... And being exposed to asbestos once wont do ANYTHING to you... you're acting like the people who claim smoking a single cigarette is an instant death sentence. That's not how anything works...

[@PositiveOnly-dm3rx]

​@@kyledabearsfanin India people work in asbestos up to their waists every day. Guess what the death rate is? It's not. It's literally the same as the rest of the country. You're scared of your own shadow...

[@wendychavez5348]

My nephew passed away in November, 2023 of mesothelioma, probably related to exposure to asbestos. He was a top student at the New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology, and did work in the mines while there. His 35th birthday was celebrated at his gravesite with family and friends, but only his memory. He went from saying, "My tummy hurts!" on Halloween to signing his will 2-1/2 weeks later. I'm still processing his loss. Thank you for helping me learn more about his life & death.

[@martindobrev-u6j]

@@wendychavez5348 he got mesothelioma at 35y..?

[@martindobrev-u6j]

how much time to develop mesothelioma at 35..

[@wendychavez5348]

He had some exposure to asbestos when he was a baby. During college, he did some work in the mines, which exacerbated things. But there were less than 3 weeks between the time we KNEW the problem existed & his death.

[@AustinMcGrannLive]

As a life long Montanan and a big fan of yours Simon! Thank you!

[@Blackfatrat]

Major props to Poland which is the only country with a comprehensive plan to remove ALL asbestos from their country by 2032. My country hasn't used Asbestos since 1979(banned 82, but the building union agreed to stop the use earlier) but it's still in a fuck ton of buildings.

[@JulietNerming]

motherland is incredible

[@ShammaAzmi]

How are they removing it? What methods will they be using?

[@Blackfatrat]

@@ShammaAzmi you can either remove it from those specific buildings, with safety equipment etc or just tear down the buildings, which also requires you to be careful so its not breathed in.

[@marshallkeiffer238]

My parents grew up in this town. They remember riding in the back of a truck with a pile of it. They put that shit on everything. Walls for installation, gardens and yards for fertilizer. It was everywhere.

[@the80hdgaming]

I remember working for a contractor and running into a few older houses that had vermiculite in the walls for insulation...

[@multipletanksyndrome]

And sledding on piles during the summer

[@sallyintucson]

Fertilizer! I never knew it was used for fertilizer.

[@kassipojad3726]

​@@sallyintucsondid you watch/listen to this video??

[@snoox27]

It's only the dust particles that will fk you up

[@samantha-jane4424]

Reminds me of Whittenoom in Western Australia and the absolute criminal negligience and devastation blue asbestos and the companies that mined and refined it caused. I wish Libby, Montana residents affected by this solidarity in their fight for justice and recognition.

[@TorWalker1]

In Australia it was the Hardie company. The asbestos mining here was equally cirrupt and chasing consequences took decades.

[@smalltime0]

well... wittenoom is still condemned.

[@duncancurtis5108]

You won't find Wittenoom on a map.

[@VicInSthAus]

@@duncancurtis5108 you can find it on google maps. But i think its only due to interest. A couple years ago it was "officially" no longer a town and meant to be removed from future maps

[@markbeaulieu130]

In Canada we still use Hardie board. I won't work with it but many fellow tradesmen still swear by it.

[@shgstewart4674]

In Canada, the company was literally called "Asbestos Company." (We Canadians don't mess around when naming things.) The headquarters was in a town called Asbestos, Quebec. (We Canadians don't...) It's now called "Val-des-Sources" (Spring Valley). The Asbestos Company is still fighting to keep asbestos from being completely banned. Our record on this is horrible.

[@justmenotyou3151]

Fun fact: Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, the local body that regulates asbestos in Spokane County, states that vermiculite no longer needs to be sampled, just assume to be friable asbestos and abate it if you need to disturb it during demolition or renovation. Expensive.

[@benparrish9547]

Puts us back a few grand when we bought a place in the valley

[@aborch7]

If it wasn’t for Libby, I don’t think my town (Ambler, PA) would have gotten the attention it did from the EPA. Asbestos is crazy, it’s become a ~special interest~ of mine. Great video 💜

[@victoriaeads6126]

Is the Ambler area asbestos issue related to the section of Valley Forge that is off limits because it used to be an asbestos mine?

[@aborch7]

@@victoriaeads6126 nope, they were separate. Ambler’s asbestos manufacturer was Keasbey & Mattison, while Valley Forge was owned by Ehret. Both sites were locations where they’d quarry calcium & magnesium carbonate, which was needed to mix in to the asbestos that was hauled in from Canada 😊

[@danielwimberly4940]

Thank you for bringing attention to this. Not very many know about this outside of our area.

[@roberthaynes488]

The book "An Air that Kills" by Andrew Schneider and David McCumber is about Libby Montana and is a great book. Goes into great depths as to exactly what happened there.

[@rhondahankins4026]

I have that book. Yes it’s recommended reading for sure!

[@ImaCatMaia]

This is the town that my husband grew up in! Both of his parents are buried there, and we've been to visit multiple times. We live about 8 hours away in western Washington. I love it - i's an absolutely beautiful place...quite a few huge mansions there as well. Part of the movie "The Revenant" (starring Leonardo DiCaprio) was filmed there, along with several other movies.

[@kdjorgensen98]

Misleading title. It should read "How a corporation murdered its workers in pursuit of profit, again."

[@paulbennett772]

This and the tobacco harm denial scandal, and others, exemplify why the USA is an uncivilised third-world country. Where honest workers are taken advantage of, paid pittances, while the big companies indulge in their greed for money. The most powerful people in the USA are lawyers, who line their pockets by winning lawsuits against people who can't afford to challenge them. It's a thoroughly rotten society where only the accumulation of money & therefore influence has any value. How glad I am to live in Europe.

[@jb81600]

Yeah that and their insurance company for frauding the victims.

[@kakyointhemilfhunter4273]

So every corporation that's ever existed?

[@lil_lizzy]

Corporations are thankfully flammable

[@brazensmusings2738]

@@kakyointhemilfhunter4273 In the US they have the law that supports such behaviour. At worst the corporation gets fined to bankruptcy, the decision makers can just setup shop under a new name with improved strategy to commit further murder for profit.

[@DreamHooksFishing]

I’ve worked in Eureka on and off over the years. I remember my first time driving to Libby. For a good hour or two I couldn’t figure out why such a scenic area was so desolate and why the housing was so cheap. It wasn’t until I switched over to the FM radio and started hearing ads regarding mesothelioma. Once I got back to Eureka I started asking around and almost everyone I talked to knew of a family member or friend that had suffered from the asbestos exposure. It really blew my mind.

[@petergarayt9634]

In the sixties there was a Manville asbestos plant in Scarborough Ontario Canada. A friend of mine who lived in the area told me they sometimes walked to school when 'something' from the plant was coming down on them like it was snowing.

[@steinm02]

My home town, and related to my MS thesis. Great video, Simon and team!

[@Onora619]

Asbestos has been a serious problem in the Hawaiian islands for generations, especially in largely concrete buildings like military and public school buildings. In the early 2000s (when I lived there) they had ONLY just begun to remove it from the walls and ceilings. At the time there was (and presumably still is) a standing lawsuit if you've developed asbestosis as a result of people cutting corners because it was cheap. My personal theory is that my mother may have developed lung cancer because of it. I believe it is all much safer now, but I've been gone for almost 20 years so I can't say for certain.

[@Cecilpedia]

I live in West Virginia, which is pretty infamous when it comes to unsafe building practices, especially in mining and fuel refinery towns. Over 70 percent of all houses in the state have lead paint somewhere in the house right now, and 90 percent have had lead at one point. My house has both lead and asbestos. Because of that, the attic is completely off limits.

[@user-io9ie5cs8j]

In the 1980s, I helped build the Fort Lewis Army Base above ground ammunition depot at Tacoma WA. I was on the asbestos installation team. A month's work at 4 times minimum wage of the time. 250k square feet. Every wall and ceiling. All of it, sprayed. I wasn't at the front of the "hose", so I wasn't issued a respirator; but we had suits/hoods. I went through heavy paper masks every 10 minutes, but tried once without. I started using them in 3 minutes. Again, this was the 1980s. I got paychecks for another 5 months. Overtime this and that etc. In 2013 we had a real scare. The doctor thought my breathing issues was mesothelioma, and ordered an endoscopy. It turned out it was a serious lung infection from dental work. I've lost 20% of my left lung to scar tissue. Thank God.

[@martindobrev-u6j]

u was diagnosed with mesothelioma and dr removed 20%of ur left lung and u are okay?😊

[@user-io9ie5cs8j]

@@martindobrev-u6j I think you misunderstood. 80s installed asbestos. 2013 serious left lung issues, suspected mesothelioma, and Doctors did endoscopy. Results showed it's actually a lung infection from dental work performed 2 months earlier. Once healed, the scar tissue covering 20% of my left lung rendered that same 20% completely nonfunctional for life. Does that help explain? Asbestosis and mesothelioma are still on the horizon. Thank you for your reply, Martin, I'm always grateful for the chance to talk with people

[@scooby45247]

this is why corporate regulations are important..

[@dennisligma4958]

Tell that to republican de-regulation big business people. Mainly gas companies but many hate more expensive safer options lol.

[@scooby45247]

@@dennisligma4958 dont forget insurance or big pharma or the NRA or any of the other lobbying corporations that buy congress.. vote progressive for progress..

[@Nostripe361]

@@dennisligma4958 sadly people ignore long term safety for cheap products today

[@Spooky_Platypus]

Not according to the Supreme Court!

[@mtheory85]

Every regulation is written in blood.

[@Lordrocky24]

I was waiting the whole time for the Mesothelioma can-can. Been watching too much Brain Blaze.

[@melissamargolese8782]

🎵If you or a loved one were diagnosed with mesothelioma you may be entitled to financial compensation…🎵

[@EveryFairyDies]

I'm so proud of my work. Look at you all, waiting for the Can-Can!

[@DedMan516]

​@@EveryFairyDiesyou're a legend Lorelei

[@EveryFairyDies]

@@DedMan516 As are you!

[@DedMan516]

@@EveryFairyDies aw shucks ma'am

[@goffrd137]

Locally we pronounce the area of Kootenai as koot-a-nee . I wonder if Simon can do a video about the Hanford Superfund clean up in Washington State next

[@SamIAm1260]

I was thinking the same thing when he said "ai". It was a nice chuckle before the terrible reality.

[@benparrish9547]

When we bought our house in Spokane valley, about 2.5 hours ago, we had to have Libby vermiculite removed from our attic. Most the area’s old homes had Libby material

[@enishigrudge]

Japan had been using asbestos as late as 2012 so when the Noto earthquake happened, I noticed none of the emergency workers nor volunteers had asbestos safety gear…

[@Istandby666]

I bet Simon could make a ton of videos on all the places around the world that this has happened to.

[@vetinaris1297]

Hmm. In first world countries most would be in America. In developing world 99% will be american and western companies doing it.

[@Blackfatrat]

@@vetinaris1297 A shit ton of it is in China, russia and countries like it. So not the west nor western countries. we're not to blame for everything in the world lol.

[@vetinaris1297]

@@Blackfatrat not everything but we act as slave owners across developing world. 2 wrongs are 2 wrongs not justification for each other.

[@captainspaulding5963]

​@vetinaris1297 so.... do you not count Australia as a first world country? Or did you just post this without doing any research whatsoever? Because what happened there was far worse than Libby....

[@vetinaris1297]

@captainspaulding5963 where did I say that? I didn't include all first world by name or all corporate destruction coz there's too many.

[@PearlTheFrenchie]

For some reason, every time I see Simon narrating a video I suddenly become interested and really enjoy it. Nice 💯

[@MikeBaxterABC]

A complete ban on asbestos was not final in Canada until 2018!!!

[@user-rm4ez8pb6x]

The US Navy tried to bully me when I was discharged in 1999. I marked I had been exposed to asbestos while working onboard ship. They immediately brought in an officer that warned me my discharge may be put in hold for tests if I mark I had been exposed. I replied I had nothing else to do and they were paying me to sit in a room on shore. My discharge wasn't delayed. But I refused to sign my papers until they put back in that I had been exposed. They "forgot" to add it.

[@Kriss_L]

We had to have the walls in our office tested for asbestos before we could drill into them to mount a TV (on a Navy base). Seems no one else in the build was aware of that requirement either.

[@user-rm4ez8pb6x]

@@Kriss_L mine gets even more unbelievable. I get a job at the post office after the US Navy. They start to refurbish the area where customers wait, the lobby. And they found out the floor tiles had asbestos. I can't get away from this crap.

[@chasegilmond5637]

Further on this subject, the silver valley in Northern Idaho and Butte Montana are dark chapters of corporate greed and the suffering it has caused the residents and the environment

[@rhondahankins4026]

We used to say - ‘Butte, it’s the pits’. I wasn’t from there, I was from a different small town in western Montana, but my dad used to take us there so we could see where the copper bracelets we wore came from, plus he had friends that had moved there when I got older so we would go for a visit every once in awhile.

[@calyodelphi124]

The fact that a grand jury acquitted WR Grace of liability pretty much tells you all you need to know about who actually gets to make the rules in our society.

[@ragtowne]

I live in Northwestern Montana and while now it is common knowledge I had no idea the extent to which greed covered up corporate sins on the population and town of Libby (which is still a major stop on the Amtrak Empire Builder) driving through you can see it is sad reminder of a once a thriving town - still the landscape is spectacular and with nearby Lake Koocanusa the opportunity for year-round recreation makes it a great tourist destination

[@Jin420]

First thing I think of when it comes to asbestos -- Wizard of Oz. The snow on the set was 100% asbestos.

[@benparrish9547]

Oh yikes!

[@samgray49]

My grandfather was a elevator mechanic and last year when he ended up in the ER for heart failure, they saw lesions on his lung. A biopsy showed it was asbestosis, and all are precancerous. We are opting for no treatment and just monitoring because he's 82, but we are looking into legal pathways against Thorp aka Dover elevator. And my cousin an open iron worker who participated in the cleanup after 9/11 was diagnosed with mesothelioma

[@martindobrev-u6j]

hey im so sorry for your loss:( how old was ur uncle when he was diagnosed with meso?…

[@MikeBaxterABC]

12:22 $2500 per claiminet!!! .. what a joke!!

[@daveboz1984]

We used asbestos matt's and equipment in our science classes years ago. It was just everywhere

[@MikeBaxterABC]

3/8" thick asbestos panels were sold here in Canada well into the 1980's .. I used them under the wood stove in one house.

[@SoundShinobiYuki]

I collect vintage and antique cookbooks- I’ve got a few that, before the days of electric kettles, suggest keeping your coffee and teapots warm during social occasions (where you’d want a steady supply of it to drink) by keeping them on asbestos pads.

[@daveboz1984]

@@SoundShinobiYuki i imagine even the tea cosy (cover over pot) would likely contain it as well for warmth aha. mad world :D

[@SoundShinobiYuki]

@@daveboz1984 Not impossible, though every old lady I knew growing up (and now me) had a lovingly hand-knitted one! I sure HOPE they didn’t make asbestos knitting yarn. 😂

[@daveboz1984]

@@SoundShinobiYuki 🤣

[@smac1706]

Crazy that I've lived in Montana since 2007 and I've never heard of this until just now...🤯

[@NightridingDoom]

shows how big the corruption really is

[@SuperMadman41]

Probably deliberate. Corporations do not like their dirty secrets exposed 🙈🙉🙊

[@softwaifu]

I'm surprised how many friends I have that live in or near Libby who think their water is perfectly clean 😢

[@kandreasworld4374]

"Prioritizing profit over human safety." It's the American way. 🤬

[@joshuabaker5712]

You think America is bad go look at most other countries. In some slavery is still used.

[@BabyMakR]

@@joshuabaker5712 Yeh. By American corporations. It's much cheaper to bribe government officials in those countries than in the USA.

[@LunaOrgana]

Yessss let’s just a whole nation because of a few corrupt assholes. It’s why so many people are coming and immigrating here right?

[@jacobheitmann6795]

Hey its my homestate and simon covering the reason i gotta listen to mesothelioma commercials everyday

[@thehangmansdaughter1120]

OMG, I know about this town. One of my lecturers at Uni had a brother who worked in that town as a doctor. He and one of his children were exposed to asbestos and developed scared lungs that eventually killed them. That's why this particular teacher told us all about the evils of asbestos, encouraging us to write to our local government about asbestos in public buildings, which we did, en masse, until the begged us to stop. This was 30 years ago.

[@erinbyrnes5921]

No executives were punished by a Federal jury? How, why? It sounds like no justice was done.

[@captainspaulding5963]

Money, money is the reason.

[@jeffdroog]

Because money

[@jerrykorman7770]

Justice? No such thing. It’s all about the Benjamins

[@canedust]

To quote a song about a similar town in Australia; "They're crossing their fingers, they pay the truth-makers"

[@vetinaris1297]

Hiw many corporate execs have ever faced justice in the history of corporate destruction?

[@Macho_Fantastico]

I know two people who've died due to illnesses from asbestos exposure. I can't even imagine a whole town being exposed to it. Disgusting, pure greed. That poor town, the people deserved better.

[@dockerdave]

You should have a look at the history of Wittenoom in Western Australia and the disaster of the asbestos mining there, in conjunction of the despicable behaviour of the James Hardy company and its treatment of the workers who contracted asbestosis/mesothelioma. Former Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (one of the most senior government positions), Julie Bishop, was a lawyer working for the company, and their tactic was to delay any compensation cases until the victim died, thus avoiding having to pay compensation.

[@robynstopped]

Thank you for covering this subject. I don't think the danger of Asbestos can be overstated. The damage it causes to lungs is horrifying and permanent.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

Ah yes, mining villages, truly a great *tumor* on the well being of their citizens...

[@softwaifu]

Long time fan of the channel and i live about 2 hours away from Libby (which is actually just 1 major town away and in the same valley) and i cackled when i saw this thumbnail. GET EM SIMON!!

[@rogerthornton4068]

I'm from Virginia and went to Libby for a couple days on business years ago. Libby is a sweet nice town. Too bad the power and greed of a corporation killed so many people.

[@Trevorious2010]

Last time I was this early, there was no Carbon Tax!

[@NismoXero]

I live near Libby. Near as in American near, only 400 miles, and had never heard this. Thank you.

[@capnyoungs6896]

never thought i'd ever see a video on this channel that takes place soooo close to home! i live in western montana!

[@kathrynd5158]

I stayed in Libby for a few days while camping in the late 1990s. It struck me how all the birds and squirrels looked sickly. I didn't know about the air quality problem until the final day of my visit, though.

[@RediOfDeath]

Did some work there as a geotech engineer and the amount of safety gear and crazy amounts of dirt we moved is amazing that it’s still in cleaning

[@justmenotyou3151]

Fun fact. A representative of WR Grace set on the advisory board for rule making regarding asbestos. They knew that if sample vermiculite normally, it would be one percent or less asbestos. Therefore, the asbestos regulations define asbestos content as >1 % asbestos. Problem: When sampling vermiculite, you need to get to the lowest level. For example, where it's used as attic insulation, sample the vermiculite at the contact of the insilation and the top of the ceiling. Here, you find a ton of loose fibers. This stuff will go airborne as soon as you mess with it. Loose fibers are the key to the vermiculite problem.

[@jessicasmith6017]

My grandfather was a chemical engineer for ALCOA and got his degree in the 30s and it was widely known that asbestos was deadly back then when he and my grandmother bought there home the first thing he did was have the insulation removed and replaced with asbestos free stuff and all of the paint stripped and repainted with lead free paint. He didn't play with safety he passed away along time before I was born but all of us grandkids know what asbestos did to you from a young age.

[@7HmanThe]

On a similar note, I recently read the wikipedia page on Itai-Itai Disease, and would love to see a video on it

[@densalbeach1]

Great video, have a look at Turner & Newall, asbestos processing factory in the Spodden Valley, Rochdale, England. Vouched as safe by Cyril Smith, MP, but thousands affected with significant exposure to asbestos fibres from the factory including school children.

[@MtnTechie]

I work in Libby currently. It's amazing how many transplants continue to pour into the area, totally unaware of what happened. If they knew, they probably would go somewhere else, which would be great. You failed to mention the BNSF railroad played a major role in all this, transporting the product in uncovered rail cars for decades. BNSF was aware of the dangers the whole time, did nothing.

[@Linda-hf7vr]

I've been to Libby, Montana, my ex was born and raised there. I remember seeing the zonolite mine signs while we were driving up to the Libby Dam. I remember the family saying that the mine was currently open (this was the early '90s) but that it the mine alternating open and closed depending on the various law suits. My ex's family was primarily involved with the logging industry. It's a beautiful area (there have been various movies filmed there) but it is pretty isolated there. Back then they were just getting a McDonalds. So interesting to hear all of this that I never knew,

[@jolness1]

I live in Montana and poor Libby got fucked. The economy collapsed and they were left with crazy high rates of cancers and other diseases.

[@SpikeKastleman]

I used to live just north-north-east of Libby in BC, Canada. Been in the water that flows to Libby eventually.

[@user-pi7gc4wg8k]

Simon is the mall santa of youtube.

[@chrism8180]

I always used to get your videos and rarely see them now

[@addisonmartin3200]

YAAAY. Love seeing the horrors that have been conducted in my home state brought to light!

[@TravTheNarratorRedux]

Grandparents used to live here and I used to visit from WA quite often till my grandfather passed In a tree accident. Beautiful country for atv and horse riding.

[@gts3360]

If you get the chance look up Wittenoom in Western Australia and the blue asbestos. Pictures of kids playing in blue sandpits and miners having shoveling races to see who could fill a drum with blue asbestos fastest.

[@Reitz86]

If you are or were licensed in the asbestos management/ abatement industry, good chance Libby Montana was referenced in the training material.

[@RhonwenBear]

Corporations will always choose profit over lives. These companies are not our friends.

[@stevefebian4766]

4:12 mesothelioma just took away our beloved colleague few weeks ago..all of us thought that she's having a bad spine problem since December 2023, but after doing couple of test mesothelioma was only discovered a week before she passed away.. r.i.p Hazel

[@Invertedblueroses]

Went to Libby during a Montana hiking and camping trip back in 2022, had no idea.

[@johnfender6468]

I live in Manville NJ. It had the biggest asbestos plant in the world. The town is named after the company Johns-Manville. The old timers said it would snow in the summer . Asbestos snow.

[@maximilienmonty9588]

Jeffrey mine in literal Asbestos (recently renamed to Val-des-Sources), Quebec, anyone?

[@LennoxMatt1]

Grew up in Danville, right next door

[@Mechknight73]

Western Australia has a case a lot like this. The town of Wittenoom grew from asbestos mining. Blue asbestos is known for being the most toxic of all asbestos type. Like Libby, nobody except the higher ups in the company. The mine closed in the 60s due to it being unviable. The state government did their best to wipe the town off the map due to the contamination. It no longer exists on official maps, nor on road signs. 18 months ago, the last buildings were demolished, and the cleanup continues to this day. I did manage to get a few photos before this happened, but it's obvious that the level of contamination from both the town and the surrounding gorges means it will be a big problem for years to come

[@multipletanksyndrome]

I used to live in Libby. Our house was on the other side of the main clean up site, so we had to drive past it whenever we went to or from town.

[@multipletanksyndrome]

I knew a guy whose job was to chip off built up of asbestos off the bottom of vehicles. When he'd get home from work, he'd take off his coveralls, and his wife would shake off the dust before washing them.

[@BostonGhost617]

As someone that works in insulation, you won't believe how many houses are still filled with vermiculite

[@LaserRifle]

Do you think you inhaled at least a couple of asbestos fibres from the vermiculite contaminants? Are you worried about it? I work as a carpenter's helper and I did come across this a few times.

[@sleigh4019]

My great aunt died in 1998 and it was from working at ship yards in ww2 ..crazy

[@glentaylor71]

I grew up there. My grandfather died of brown lung from mining long before i was born, and half of my older relatives are dead of COPD or lung cancer.

[@davidbennettracing538]

Have you heard of the James Hardy Company in Australia? You want to talk about Into The Shaddows…

[@Istandby666]

This place is like that town in Australia. Corporations need to be fully responsible for any death or heathcare issues for their employees and the towns/ cities they're in. How many companies and how many towns/ cities have this happened to? Citizens need to stand up and require the government to help the people not the corporations.

[@gregbaxter5525]

Wittenoom is the town in Aus.

[@Waywardwindfall]

I wish Simon would do a series like this. I would love to see him speak about the uranium mill spill in Navajo Nation (Church Rock, New Mexico.) I grew up literally across the street from a uranium telling pond and half my neighbors have lung and thyroid cancer. This happens in small towns in every state. America sucks that way. Profit over people.

[@vitorpereira9515]

I would rather spent a weakend camping in Krakatoa then go to this city.

[@Idontexisthahaa]

Video #17 protesting the use of unnecessarily loud music in a macabre history video

[@LennoxMatt1]

I grew up next to the town of Asbestos in Quebec, the site of the largest open pit asbestos mine in the world...yeah I've had my exposure limit

[@leafyrox]

Devastating story of corporate greed. Asbestos is a terrible thing. It was used extensively in building materials. Lead is no picnic, either. And now we have pfas and microplastics.

[@blueboltshrimp]

omg I just clicked on this video because it was in my recommendeds and I got jumpscared by Simon Whistler's voice he's everywhere!!!!

[@VashGames]

The town has a literal "breathtaking landscape"

[@SerialChiller1000]

Billings resident here. I was surprised that Libby's story was/is known worldwide for a city being poisoned.

[@-NightAngel]

I used to live in Libby and still have family in Eureka. How have I never heard of this? 🤯

[@darthmonkey7718]

Thank you Simon

[@Leukavia]

I grew up in a Columbia Falls, Montana; Everyone in Montana either had a relative or knew someone whose relative was one of those who’d gotten sick from this. Commercials about Mesothelioma were the most common commercials that were on all the local channels. When you’re younger, you don’t really think too much about this kinda thing. But then you become an adult and everyone you know is getting sick and suddenly you just start realizing how fucked up it truly was

[@zosothezephead837]

14:47 I think someone off-camera just held up a sign to Simon saying "Not 'asbes-toes', 'asbestos'"

[@MicaAvali]

Simon talking about mesithelioma… I’m half expecting the song. Damnit brain blaze