Last W.R. Grace Charges Dismissed

The Missoulian is reporting today that the federal government has dismissed its charges against O. Mario Favorito, the only remaining defendant in its conspiracy case against seven former managers of W.R. Grace & Co.

The seven men had been charged with violating the clean air act and knowingly exposing the people of Libby, Mont. to dangerous levels of asbestos. To this date, 290 people have died of asbestos disease in Libby, and another 1,800-2,000 have been sickened by asbestos exposure there, according to Dr. Brad Black, director of the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby.

Grace attorney Favorito had been part of the original case against the managers, but had his case separated because he was also the other six defendant’s legal counsel, which could have created a conflict of interest.

The government’s move to dismiss the case comes as no surprise, considering that a unanimous jury dismissed all charges against the other executives on May 8, 2009 (click here for a good story on that case).

What may be interesting now is that many employees of the Environmental Protection Agency have been under a gag order, restricting them from talking to the media about issues regarding Libby. The lifting of this order may free up some important sources for future investigative reports about continued issues with asbestos pollution in Libby.

Click here to read the full story in Missoulian.