For 70 years, vermiculite mined and processed in Libby, Montana, accounted for about 80 percent of the world's supply for use in building materials, insulation, and soil amendments. In 1999, nearly a decade after the mine closed, news of Libby's elevated death rates from a rare asbestos-related lung disease triggered a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emergency response investigation and cleanup. A toxic form of asbestos fiber contaminating the vermiculite—Libby amphibole—was identified as the deadly culprit posing an imminent public health threat through an asbestos-related disease rate 60 times greater than the general U.S. population.
As prime contractor, CDM investigated, managed, designed, and oversaw construction of an accelerated Superfund cleanup throughout the 180-square-mile area. Over 4 years, CDM successfully managed the unique $80 million investigation and cleanup:
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The contaminant screening study, the largest single-season field investigation in EPA history, assessed more than 4,200 properties, identifying 1,400 with elevated levels of contamination. Results enabled EPA to prioritize properties needing immediate cleanup—saving time, money, and protecting public health.
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New analytical methods and lower detection levels were established specifically for Libby amphibole asbestos, and new testing approaches reduced the average per-sample cost by more than half (from $245 to $95). In addition, a trend analysis allowed removal sampling to be reduced by more than 90 percent.
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A comprehensive, legally defensible information management system organized more than 1 million pieces of data, aiding EPA in securing the reimbursement of $54.5 million in investigation and cleanup costs.
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The streamlined removal design and cleanup process produced an unprecedented 545 designs and led to the cleanup of 335 priority properties, rapidly reducing the overall risk to the community while reducing design costs by 75 percent. The compressed and cost-saving process sets the precedent for future "mega-site" Superfund cleanups.
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The responsive community relations program, with onsite information office and dedicated Web site, facilitated continuous open and sensitive communication with the Libby community, resulting in a 90-percent participation rate from local residents and business owners.