Libby is a city in and the
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of
Lincoln County-National protected areas:* Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail *Flathead National Forest *Kaniksu National Forest *Kootenai National Forest -Demographics:...
,
MontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,626 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Libby is located at 48°23′17"N 115°33′13"W (48.388128, -115.553707), along
U.S. Route 2U.S. Route 2 is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada...
.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land. Located in the
Kootenai National ForestKootenai National Forest is located in the far northwestern section of Montana and the northeasternmost lands in the Idaho panhandle, United States along the Canadian border. Of the 2.2 million acres administered by the forest, less than 3 percent is located in the state of Idaho. Forest...
, between the
Cabinet MountainsThe Cabinet Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains, located in northwest Montana and the Idaho panhandle, in the United States. The mountains cover an area of 2,134 square miles...
to the south and the
Purcell MountainsThe Purcell Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which includes the Selkirk, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. They are located on the west side of the Rocky Mountain Trench in the area of the Columbia Valley, and on...
to the north. The town lies in the heart of the Kootenai Valley along the
Kootenai RiverThe Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
, and downstream from the
Libby DamLibby Dam is a dam on the Kootenai River in the U.S. state of Montana.Dedicated on August 24, 1975, Libby Dam spans the Kootenai River upstream from the town of Libby, Montana. Libby Dam is tall and long. Lake Koocanusa is the name of the reservoir behind the dam; it extends upriver from...
. Libby is at an elevation of 2096 feet (639 m).
Libby experiences a
continental climateA humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(
KöppenThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfb).
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,626 people, 1,132 households, and 669 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,061.9 people per square mile (798.3/km²). There were 1,264 housing units at an average density of 992.5 per square mile (384.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.51% White, 0.15% African American, 1.26% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.53% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.
There were 1,132 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,276, and the median income for a family was $29,615. Males had a median income of $30,174 versus $19,675 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $13,090. About 10.0% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Libby's economy has largely been supported by the use of natural resources, such as logging and mining. 17 miles (27.4 km) upstream from Libby is the site of the
Libby DamLibby Dam is a dam on the Kootenai River in the U.S. state of Montana.Dedicated on August 24, 1975, Libby Dam spans the Kootenai River upstream from the town of Libby, Montana. Libby Dam is tall and long. Lake Koocanusa is the name of the reservoir behind the dam; it extends upriver from...
, one of the
Columbia River TreatyThe Columbia River Treaty is an agreement between Canada and the United States of America on the development and operation of dams in the upper Columbia River basin for power and flood control benefits in both countries. For more information about the Columbia River Treaty, visit Columbia Basin...
Dams, finished in 1975.
Zonolite and asbestos
VermiculiteVermiculite is a natural mineral that expands with the application of heat. The expansion process is called exfoliation and it is routinely accomplished in purpose-designed commercial furnaces. Vermiculite is formed by weathering or hydrothermal alteration of biotite or phlogopite...
, an ore found in the area in 1881, had been mined in the area since 1919. In 1919, E.N. Alley bought the Rainy Creek claims and started the Zonolite Company. Zonolite is a branded trademark product made from vermiculite.
W. R. Grace and CompanyW. R. Grace and Company is a Columbia, Maryland, United States based chemical conglomerate.The company has two main divisions, Davison Chemicals and Performance Chemicals. The Davison unit makes chemical catalysts, refining catalysts, and silica-based products that let other companies make...
bought the Zonolite mine in 1963. Previously,
loggingLogging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
was the leading source of employment in Libby. In 1999, the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer published a series of articles documenting extensive deaths and illness from the asbestos contaminated vermiculite at Grace's former mine. Federal Government investigators subsequently found that air samples from the area had high levels of fibrous
tremoliteTremolite is a member of the amphibole group of silicate minerals with composition: Ca2Mg5Si8O222. Tremolite forms by metamorphism of sediments rich in dolomite and quartz. Tremolite forms a series with actinolite and ferro-actinolite. Pure magnesium tremolite is creamy white, but the color grades...
asbestos, which is suspected to have caused asbestos related ailments among former Zonolite employees and their family members. More than 274 area deaths are suspected to have been caused by asbestos-related diseases, and 17% of the residents who participated in the ATSDR screening study in Libby were found to have pleural abnormalities, which may be related to exposure to asbestos.
The
United States Environmental Protection AgencyThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) has been overseeing the removal of asbestos-contaminated soils and other suspect materials in and near Libby since May 2000, and has spent
$The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
370 million in
SuperfundSuperfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
money on cleanup.
On June 11, 2008, the EPA and the Department of Health and Human Services launched an $8 million investigation into the effects of asbestos exposure on the people of Libby.
In 2008 a $60 million settlement was reached with an unspecified number of owners of homes and businesses throughout the United States who used insulation products made by Grace & Co. The attics were insulated with Zonolite, which contained vermiculite that was contaminated with asbestos.
Two documentary films,
Libby, MontanaLibby, Montana is a 2004 documentary film about the biggest case of community-wide exposure to a toxic substance in U.S. history. The film details the story of the iconic, mountainside town and the hundreds of residents who have been exposed to asbestos, raising questions of the role of corporate...
, and
Dust to Dust, and four books (
An Air That Kills by Andrew Schneider and David McCumber,
Libby, Montana: Asbestos and the Deadly Silence of an American Corporation by Andrea Peacock, and
Wasting Libby: The True Story of How the WR Grace Corporation Left a Montana Town to Die (and Got Away with It) by Andrea Peacock, and
Fatal Deception by Michael Bowker) have been written regarding the asbestos issue in Libby.
In February 2005 the Federal Government began a criminal conspiracy prosecution of Grace and of seven current and former Grace employees. The government alleged that Grace conspired to hide from employees and the town residents the asbestos dangers and that it knowingly released asbestos into the environment. On May 8, 2009, a jury found W.R. Grace & Co. and the accused employees not guilty on all counts, ending what was called the biggest environmental-crime prosecution in U.S. history.
On June 17, 2009 the EPA declared its first public health emergency. This emergency covers Libby and nearby
TroyTroy is a city in Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 957 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Troy is located at ....
. It will provide an additional $130 million in cleanup and medical assistance. The 2010
Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
includes a provision which would expand
MedicareMedicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
payments to victims of such public health emergencies.
Media
Radio stations in Libby include:
- KLCB
KLCB is a radio station licensed to serve Libby, Montana. The station is owned by Lincoln County Broadcasters. It airs a Country music format.KLCB and KTNY share studios at 251 W Cedar St. in Libby...
AM 1230 country musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
- KTNY
KTNY is a radio station licensed to serve Libby, Montana. The station is owned by Lincoln County Broadcasters. It airs an adult hits, smooth gold music format....
FM 101.7 adult hitsAdult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist...
- KJRZ-LP FM 105.3 Low-power FM Station
Low-power broadcasting is electronic broadcasting at very low power and low cost, to a small community area.The terms "low-power broadcasting" and "micropower broadcasting" should not be used interchangeably, because the markets are not the same...
Newspaper:
- The Western News- biweekly
- The Montanian - Weekly
Public schools
Libby is served by the Libby School District.
- High School- Libby High School
- Middle School- Libby Middle School
- Elementary School- Asa Wood Elementary School
Notable residents
- Scott MacDonald
Scott MacDonald is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring roles as Captain Manning on short-lived series Threshold, Burley from HBO series Carnivàle, and as Commander Dolim from Star Trek: Enterprise, and as the title character from 1996 horror film Jack Frost.He grew up in Libby,...
, actor
- Marc Racicot
Marc F. Racicot is a U.S. politician and lobbyist and member of the Republican Party. He was the governor of Montana from 1993 until 2001. After leaving office, Racicot worked as a lobbyist for the law firm Bracewell & Giuliani. His notable clients included Enron, Burlington Northern Santa Fe,...
, governor of Montana from 1993 until 2001
- Keith Tower
Keith Raymond Tower , is a former professional American basketball player.A 6'11" forward-center from the University of Notre Dame, Tower was never drafted by an NBA team but did manage to play in 4 NBA seasons from 1993 to 1997. He played for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee...
, NBA player
External links