Libby, Montana Amphibole Health Risk Initiative

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will invest $8 million in a series of projects related to Libby, Montana, designed to advance the scientific understanding of amphibole exposures.

The initiative will seek input and advice from Libby residents and organizations and is expected to include:

• Studies that compare the health status and conditions of people who were exposed to Libby asbestos in childhood to the health status and conditions of people who did not have such exposure.
• Expanded evaluation of Libby residents who were exposed to the asbestos, including those who had lower levels of environmental exposure to the Libby asbestos.
• An assessment of whether the adverse health effects of exposure to Libby asbestos extend beyond lung disease.
• Strengthening existing public health tracking systems (e.g., the State Cancer Registry) and patient health record databases in order to better link exposure information to health conditions and outcomes.
• Continuation of a study by ATSDR and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that compares film and digital chest x-rays in an effort to determine which is best for assessing the status or conditions of lungs.

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