Superfund Information Systems: Site Profile

Superfund Site:

LIBBY ASBESTOS SITE
LIBBY, MT

Health & Environment

On this page:

What Are the Risks at the Site?

Risks and pathways addressed by the cleanup include health risks from people being exposed to dirt, dust and vermiculite that contain asbestos.

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Contaminant Information

Asbestos is considered a contaminant of concern (COC) at the Libby Asbestos Superfund site. COCs are chemicals that need to be addressed by a cleanup action because they are a potential threat to human health or the environment. Because of its fiber strength and heat resistance, asbestos has been used in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire retardant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has a series of summaries about contaminants, called ToxFAQs. Check out ToxFAQ on asbestos.

View a full list of contaminants of concern for this site.

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Performance Measures

EPA uses performance measures to track environmental results at Superfund sites. If you have any questions or concerns about the measures at this site, please contact the site team members listed under Site Contacts.

Read more about Superfund Remedial Performance Measures.

Performance
Measure		 Status at this
Superfund Site		 What does this mean?
Human Exposure Under Control No Yes means assessments indicate that across the entire site:
  1. There are currently no unacceptable human exposure pathways; and
  2. EPA has determined the site is under control for human exposure.

No means an unsafe level of contamination has been detected at the site and a reasonable expectation exists that people could be exposed.

Insufficient data means that, due to uncertainty regarding exposures, one cannot draw conclusions as to whether human exposures are controlled, typically because:
  1. Response to the contamination has not begun; or
  2. The response has begun, but it has not yet generated information sufficiently reliable to evaluate whether there are currently any unacceptable human exposure pathways at the site.
Groundwater Migration Under Control Not a Groundwater Site

Yes means EPA reviewed all information on known and reasonably expected groundwater contamination. EPA concluded the migration of contaminated groundwater is stabilized and there is no unacceptable discharge to surface water. EPA will conduct monitoring to confirm that affected groundwater remains in the original area of contamination.

No means EPA has reviewed all information on known and reasonably expected groundwater contamination, and the migration of contaminated groundwater is not stabilized.

Insufficient data means that due to uncertainty regarding contaminated groundwater migration, EPA cannot draw conclusions as to whether the migration of contaminated groundwater is stabilized.

Construction Complete No

Yes means the physical construction of the cleanup is complete for the entire site.

No means either physical construction is not complete or actions are still needed to address contamination.

Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use No Yes means:
  1. All cleanup goals affecting current and reasonably anticipated future land uses of the entire site have been achieved, so there are no unacceptable risks;
  2. All required land-use restrictions or other controls have been put in place; and
  3. The site has achieved Construction Complete status.

No means that one or more of these three criteria have not been met. However, a site listed as no may still have redevelopment occurring on portions of the site and additional redevelopment may be possible.

Important Note: Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use (SWRAU) is an internal performance measure and is not a reporting of site-specific risk. The determination that a site is SWRAU is based on the information available at the time the determination is made. That determination may revert if site conditions change, or if new or additional information is discovered regarding the contamination at the site.

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Superfund