Asbestos HUB

Air and Space Museum Employee’s Asbestosis Claim Denied Posted: 29 Mar 2009 09:24 AM PDT House Administration Committee Chairman Robert A. Brady (D-Pa.) said he would hold a hearing to investigate health-and-safety allegations regarding the handling of asbestos at the Smithsonian Institution. The hearing is to investigate “dangerous workplace conditions” at the Smithsonian after The Washington Post’s article about a worker who contends that his work on asbestos-containing walls at the National Air and Space Museum made him sick. Museum lighting specialist Richard Pullman, 53, filed a federal whistleblower claim with the Office of Special Counsel in March 2009 alleging that the institution retaliated by demoting him for reporting workplace-safety violations. The Smithsonian denies retaliating. Spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas said that the museum is safe for visitors and that tests show there is nothing harmful in the air. “Visitors are not allowed to walk into construction areas — of [Air and Space] or any other museum — and therefore they cannot be exposed to any potentially hazardous fibers,” she said in an e-mail. Pullman’s diagnosis is of asbestosis, though his workers’ compensation claim was denied, and he is appealing. Pullman has worked at the Air and Space Museu for 27 years and learned only a year ago that the compound used to join walls at the Air and Space museum contained asbestos. Brady, who leads the committee that oversees the Smithsonian, criticized museum officials who acknowledged to The Post that notification regarding asbestos had not been passed to workers after a consultant’s finding in 1992 that the walls contained asbestos. What? Why? “I am extremely concerned over allegations that the health and safety of Smithsonian visitors and workers have been compromised by a lack of communication and inadequate protection,” Brady said. “The rationale that staff and organizational changes have prevented effective action is unacceptable.” Well was anyone assigned to ensure that proper notification took place and why wasn’t it brought up again? 1992 isn’t that long ago. Pullman’s attorney David J. Marshall wrote in a letter to the office, “The museum attempted to clean up the potential asbestos release but its efforts were most likely not adequate because NASM management insisted that cleanup work be completed before the Museum opened at 10 a.m.” Geez, close the museum and clean it up. Another recent whistleblower case involved the Air and Space Museum. The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board in 2007 ordered the Smithsonian to reinstate museum specialist Michael Cross, who alleged he was fired in retaliation for reporting that ranking officials of the aviation museum had used the institution’s world-class aeronautical restoration facility in Maryland for personal projects. The case is now in U.S. District Court, and Cross left the museum earlier this year. Sounds like some additional oversight is needed to oversee the overseers. Read Washington Post coverage.

Diary of a Mesothelioma Victim Posted: 28 Mar 2009 01:42 PM PDT Parts of a diary kept by a UK man as his life drew to a close while he suffered from mesothelioma was posted on the Daily Mirror website. Ken Sunderland passed away in late March 2009 but his daughter released the diary in hopes it would help others understand the disease and what it does to the body. In April 2006 I had a wonderful Golfing holiday in Florida with a bunch of blokes calling themselves, ‘The Friendship Golfing Society’. The last night was finished off in grand style at the Spanish Wells Golf and Country Club with US versus UK Karaoke fuelled by enormous G & T’s. I think we won but can’t be sure. I know we lost the golf match. The next morning I did not feel great and put it partly down to the excesses of the previous night but felt that it was a little more than that. I was a bit tight in the chest and suspected an infection setting in… My symptoms persisted and I eventually consulted my GP and complained of chest discomfort and wheezing. He asked if I had ever been exposed to asbestos and I replied oooyezzz sounding like Churchill the insurance dog. From 1959 when I was 17 years old for a period of 15 years I had worked in the shipbuilding industry as a draughtsman and engineer… I never worked directly with asbestos but at the end of the day it was usual to hose down boiler suits with compressed air to get rid of the excess. Of course no one was made aware of any dangers and the asbestos was applied and handled in a cavalier manner without thought of precaution. My Doctor said that whilst cases of mesothelioma were rare they were becoming increasingly common and it would be best to rule it out. I was duly despatched for a chest X-Ray at Alnwick Infirmary on 15th May 2006 and the results were available within a week and revealed a small pleural effusion on the left side… I became increasingly breathless and developed constant aching in my chest and began to feel quite ill… In A &E I was examined promptly, wired up like Frankenstein’s monster and given the full range of tests and checks considered desirable. This included a needle aspiration of fluid from the pleural cavity. Mr. Sunderland goes into more detail as the disease progresses and the treatments become painful. During my stay I underwent a blind needle biopsy procedure on the ward. This involved pushing a screw-ended needle in to my back which was then twisted in to the pleura and then withdrawn, removing a core sample… As his condition deteriorated, Mr. Sunderland underwent surgery and chemotherapy. I experienced the usual symptoms of chemotherapy including nausea and tiredness and minor hair loss (not on my head), but still well enough to function fairly normally, playing the occasional game of bowls and golf every week. One of the most troublesome symptoms, though, was night-time sweats where my pillows, bedding and pyjamas would be absolutely soaked. I took to wrapping tea towels and towels around my neck on retiring to bed to help soak up the sweat. This continued right throughout the 18 weeks of chemotherapy and beyond. I dutifully filled in my daughter’s - “Ken’s How Am I Feeling Today Record” - on pain of death, giving scores from 1 to 10 against many different categories. I got in to a routine of CT scans performed at 6-week intervals, and eventually finished the chemo cycle number 6 on the 23rd November. I noted that my tolerance to the chemo was being further tested at every session and on the last one, they reduced the Cisplatin dose because of my symptoms and I was extremely tired for a full week after the last session. At one point I was given a blood transfusion because of anaemia in September. I don’t recall being warned of the possibility or indeed of the existence of, peripheral neuropathy until I was told that the tingling in my hands, but particularly my feet, was due to this condition, which in turn was due to the chemotherapy. The problem in my hands was, and remained, very minor. The problem in my feet grew increasingly worse with a numbness which has continued to this day. In response to my questions at the time on this neuropathy I was told that it was unpredictable but likely to last up to 18 months before recovering - however it ultimately went on much longer than this. Mr. Sunderland was going to enter a trial being conducted in Germany but did not make it until the end. Around this time, information surfaced regarding a trial being carried out in Germany in the Frankfurt University Hospital. This was a process of chemotherapy called chemo-embolization whereby chemotherapy is administered directly in to the tumour via the arterial system. Research showed some very positive results and I made contact with a Plymouth patient who had been on the trial programme for less than a year and her tumour had showed over a 50% reduction (now 73%) and she had been told that it was dead and unlikely to revive. I contacted the programme Director, Prof Vogl, and sent him a copy of my latest CT scan. His response was positive in that he said he thought he would be able to help me. I duly made arrangements to travel to Frankfurt and had a first session on 3rd February 2009. This was all done in a one day visit and involved a high resolution MRI scan, a CT scan and the embolization procedure, and from entering the hospital at 11am, I was in a recovery ward shortly after 2pm. The procedure was painless and the side effects limited to tiredness and the usual constipation following chemotherapy. Prof. Vogl advised me that I would need 3 sessions at three week intervals and I made a further appointment for 6th March. On 12th February I was put on a course of diuretics by the NCCT trials unit to combat the potential ascites and arrangements were put in place to have an ultrasound scan to assess the extent of this condition. Within the next two weeks, I met with a palliative care specialist and arrangements were made to add further diuretics to those already prescribed. I made contact with the specialist through the suggestion of my GP to discuss my case with him and to establish his thoughts as to the options that might be open to me in view of the disease progression. It must be understood that I am extremely anxious to avoid hospital admission if at all possible, particularly in view of the earlier experiences described. Unfortunately due to a communication breakdown between hospital staff, the ultrasound scan was arranged during a planned trip to Portugal and it was subsequently postponed until our return on 3rd March… Unfortunately I found myself insufficiently well to keep the 2nd appointment in Frankfurt on the 6th March. In an email from Prof Vogl when advised of this situation advised me by email that he thought I would be better soon and to “keep my ears up”. There is more but the diary unexpectedly ends.  Rest in peace Kenneth Sunderland. Read the whole thing.

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UK’s Daily Mirror Posts Turner & Newall Wall of Shame Posted: 26 Mar 2009 08:56 AM PDT Director Robert H Turner wrote in 1937: “All asbestos fibre dust is a danger to lungs. If we can produce evidence from this country that the industry is not responsible for any asbestosis claims, we may be able to avoid tiresome regulations and the introduction of dangerous occupational talk.” Tiresome regulations, eh? Turner & Newall was founded in 1871 in Rochedale, UK, under the name Turner Brothers to manufacture cloth packaging. By World War I, it had built an asbestos plant at Trafford Park to make Trafford Tile asbestos cement sheets. By the 1920’s it was Turner & Newall and had opened asbestos mines in South Africa. After World War II the company again diversified into automotive industry components. From 1939 until 2001, the company operated an asbestos mine at Havelock in Bulembu in the Kingdom of Swaziland, Southern Africa. Former employees have experienced asbestos diseases because they lacked safety-wear to protect them from the hazardous material. The miners of Havelock failed in their efforts to bring a legal action in Britain against the company. The attitude of management, the absence of trade unions or an effective regulatory authority meant that work conditions at Havelock were harsh. May Charlson was a poster girl for asbestos. As a 16-year-old she worked for Turner & Newall in Rochdale, Lancashire, weaving asbsetos fibers brought from the company’s mines in South Africa and Zimbabwe, into heat resistant cloth. Nearly 50 years on, as anyone could predict, she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, and died in 2002 at age 64. She was arguably one of the lucky ones since her illness only lasted nine weeks. Mesothelioma is a horrible way to die. In 1924, Turner & Newall employee Nellie Kershaw became the first official victim of asbestosis. The firm refused to accept responsibility for her death, saying it would “create a precedent”. Neither Nellie nor her family got a penny. The 1931 Asbestos Industry Regulations were supposed to limit asbestos exposure but the rules only applied to workers doing certain jobs, such as spinning and weaving asbestos fiber, and less than one quarter of Turner & Newall’s workforce was covered. Asbestos factory bosses successfully fought against extending the regulations to their cleaners and drivers and, crucially, the tradesmen and women who used asbestos outside the factory gates. That decision was to cost tens of thousands of lives. Turner & Newall knew the risks all along. The link between asbestos and cancer was finally proved in the 50s. Turner & Newall invited Richard Doll of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to study their workers - then tried to ban his report when he found their staff were 10 times more at risk of lung cancer. A letter to Turner & Newall’s directors from their lawyers in 1964 revealed that: “We have over the years been able to talk our way out of claims or compromise for comparatively small amounts, but we have always recognised that at some stage solicitors of experience would, with the advance in medical knowledge and the development of the law, recognise there is no real defence to these claims and take us to trial.” But rather than admit defeat, Turner & Newall fought on. Asbestos regulations were tightened again in 1968 but Turner & Newall safety standards remained lacking. Pictures of workers in 1970 showed them wearing no head gear or masks. But in 1982, Turner & Newall had a £30million loss, with the costs of compensation payouts topping £6million. Turner & Newall’s compensation payouts rose to tens of millions of pounds a year and then to hundreds of millions. In 1997 it was sold off to Federal-Mogul Corpration, a US company, which, predictably, moved to protect itself against bankruptcy and just emerged in 2007. It’s too bad executives at Turner & Newall don’t face the same criminal charges as executives of W.R. Grace for deliberately choosing to withhold safety precautions and kill people. Somehow the ignominious end to the company isn’t enough. Read the entire story at the Daily Mirror.

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Andrew Schneider to Speak at Asbestos Awareness Conference March 28, 2009 Posted: 25 Mar 2009 08:13 AM PDT Award winning journalist Andrew Schneider, known for his thorough investigative reporting, was announced as the keynote speaker at the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization's (ADAO) Fifth Annual International Asbestos Conference to be held on March 28, 2009 in Manhattan Beach, California. Schneider has years of experience reporting on public health, safety and environmental issues, including asbestos contamination, and has garnered the attention of national and global leaders and has helped voice the plight of thousands of people who have fallen victim to unsafe environmental conditions. Schneider was a senior national correspondent for investigations at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer before its recent closure. If you follow this blog at all, you know we are huge fans of Andrew Schneider. If you’re in the area, do try to go see it. Read the Press Release.

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Asbestos at Air and Space Museum? Posted: 24 Mar 2009 07:53 AM PDT NPR reports that one of America’s much-loved museums is laden with asbestos. In a story in Sunday’s Washington Post, reporters James Grimaldi and Jacqueline Trescott report that asbestos is present in the walls of the National Air and Space Museum. Visitors are not thought to be at risk, but one worker is now sick. A 1992 study by the Smithsonian found that asbestos-containing joint compound was used to seal wall seams; however in the ensuing years, that information was not communicated with museum managers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the compound six years after construction of the museum began in 1972. An asbestos awareness class alerted a museum worker to the danger. Richard Pullman was shocked when he was told there was asbestos in the walls of the museum. “I’ve been drilling and sawing into these walls for years, unprotected,” Pullman told Grimaldi. After the class, Pullman consulted a doctor and was diagnosed with asbestosis, a progressive disease where the ingested fibers work their way into the lungs. Had anyone spoken up or better documented the presence of asbestos, Pullman’s disease would likely have been avoidable. Museum workers say they weren’t aware of the danger, and the Smithsonian tells Grimaldi that the current administration only found out last year. The awareness sessions are part of the institution’s response to the situation. Better late than never for the news, but what about the workers? The Smithsonian also says they immediately imposed proper methods of working with the materials that contain the asbestos, but complaints from workers prompted an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The investigation resulted in a citation for mishandling and improper notification, Grimaldi reports, and the Smithsonian acknowledges that the workers were not properly notified. A citation? For jeopardizing lives? Grimaldi stresses that there is no danger for visitors to the museum. Tests indicate the museum’s air is safe, and a cleanup operation removed the dust that had accumulated in the building from the drilling and sawing. At this point, there might be a trust issue with those announcements, no?

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UK Teen Fighting Mesothelioma Posted: 22 Mar 2009 07:53 AM PDT Asbestos cancer kills one person every five hours in Britain. Now a UK teen may be one of them. Sophie Ellis has been fighting asbestos cancer for four years. She was only 13 when she was diagnosed with mesothelioma - making her Britain’s youngest ever victim of this deadly disease. It is unknown how Sophie came to develop mesothelioma, a cancer linked exclusively to asbestos. Breathing in just one fibre can trigger mesothelioma. But because it normally develops 15 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos, it mainly strikes the middleaged and the elderly. Sophie’s case is therefore a little startling but consider how many public buildings and schools have been found to have asbestos lurking in the walls. Perhaps Sophie was exposed somewhere as a very young child. Or she could have passed by a building undergoing asbestos removal with an owner who cut corners and let the dust fly. Now 17 and about to start a second course of chemotherapy, Sophie says: “Nobody has a clue where I got it from.” “We can’t think of a time when I would have come into direct contact with asbestos. It took a while for the doctors to diagnose because they just didn’t expect me to have it at such a young age. “They said I was the first teenager in the UK to have developed it in the last 30 years.” Sophie developed a sore side from what she thought was a judo injury. Tests later found a tumor on the lining of her right lung. Eight months of chemotherapy followed before the lung was removed. The disease lay dormant for a while but cancerous cells still remain and Sophie must now have more treatment. Sophie still dreams of performing onstage in London’s West End. But with an average survival time after diagnosis of mesothelioma being between six and nine months, she does not know how much time she has to fulfill that dream.

How to Find Reputable & Experienced Mesothelioma Attorneys

Mesothelioma attorneys are experienced in the highly complicated world of asbestos related law. Mesothelioma lawyers will fight to obtain financial compensation to fund your necessary healthcare, and to secure the financial future of your family. When looking for the services of Mesothelioma attorneys one should never just consult their local telephone book or Google the Internet alone. There is a way in which one must go about these things. Follow these steps to get the help that you need in the event that your life has been touched by this crushing disease.

 

Step1

The first thing that you must do is be fully aware that there are sharks in the water. Let me explain, Mesothelioma attorneys fall under the category of personal injury law. There are probably millions of personal injury lawyers in the country. However, you DO NOT want just any personal injury attorney handling your Mesothelioma case. When looking at litigation for Mesothelioma, the question is not "if" the offending company is guilty, because the answer is always yes. There is only one way to get Mesothelioma and if you have been exposed, you probably already know how you got it. Unfortunately, there are many personal injury attorneys who know that there is a lot of money to be made off of these types of cases, so they will take your case when they don't have the proper experience. Be very careful.

 

Step2

Next you should read all that you can about the disease, so that you will know everything there is to know before contacting Mesothelioma attorneys. Quiz the lawyers about the disease and see how much he/she actually knows about Mesothelioma. If it seems as though you are teaching the attorney something brand new, you need to drop them immediately. The best place to go to learn all about Mesothelioma or any other form of cancer is the American Cancer Society (ACS). A link to the ACS Mesothelioma page can be found below.

 

Step3

When searching the Internet for Mesothelioma attorneys, you will want to be sure to pay attention to the structure of their website. Try to find a site that offers a wealth of information about the disease as well as information about how much Mesothelioma specific experience the attorney has gained over the years.

 

Step4

When searching for Mesothelioma attorneys in the yellow pages, you will need to find the lawyers that tout their experience in the area. Again, you're not just looking for any personal injury lawyer; you're looking for an experienced Mesothelioma lawyer. This point cannot be stressed enough.

 

Step5

Once you have come up with a list of possible Mesothelioma lawyers, you will want to check their credentials with your state's Bar Association if you should happen to find a local attorney. Keep in mind that lawyers in this area often have a license to practice in more than one state; therefore, it would be wise to check their credentials in their home state.

 

Step6

A good resource and referral page for Mesothelioma lawyers and disease information can be found at Asbestos.com. The service is free and the people there are very friendly. They refer people to Mesothelioma attorneys across the nation who will be happy to speak to you about your current situation. The people at Asbestos.com seem to be on the level, and they claim to put the lawyers that they refer through a stringent qualification process for Mesothelioma experience. However, one should never put all of their faith in any one resource. Be wise and be sure to check the credentials of any lawyer in which they or anyone else suggests.

 

Step7

Asbestos related litigation is the largest and most expensive mass tort in United States history. If you have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, chances are good that you have been the victim of an awful civil wrongdoing. Therefore, only qualified Mesothelioma attorneys will be able to assist you best. Don't trust your future to just some ad in the phone book or over the Internet.

An Overview of Mesothelioma Cancer

Cancer takes on many forms and results from many causes. Some cancers are preventable. Some forms of cancer have a good prognosis. The type of cancer that is the focus of this article is called Mesothelioma and it is preventable. If someone develops mesothelioma, typically the prognosis is poor and families need to seek help from a mesothelioma lawyer.

 

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos and the legacy of mesothelioma is a disturbing one. Thousands of people unduly suffer from the effects of asbestos exposure and many more have wrongly died. The hazardous effects of asbestos became know in the 1920s but corporations, who were using asbestos, did not tell their employees of the danger nor did they use alternative materials.

 

Thousands of persons were unnecessarily exposed to asbestos and as a result many developed mesothelioma in their later years. If you, or anyone you know, have mesothelioma contact a mesothelioma lawyer to help you receive compensation if you were wrongly exposed to asbestos.

 

If you know someone who died from mesothelioma, it is important that their family contact a mesothelioma lawyer who can recommend whether a mesothelioma lawsuit may result in compensatory benefits.

 

Mesothelioma attacks what are called mosothelial cells of an organ. The most common organ cells affected by mesothelioma are those in the lungs, heart or abdomen. Pleural mesothelioma is the most predominant type of mesothelioma and it presents as an extremely virulent variety of lung cancer. Pleural mesothelioma is separated into two explicit categories. The first type is called diffuse and malignant (cancerous) and the second type is known as benign (not cancerous).

 

Malignant mesothelioma is a life-threatening rare condition accounting for almost 75% of all the mesothelioma cases. Malignant mesothelioma must be treated aggressively as it is a malignant type of cancer.

 

Not only for this reason but, also because more often than not, by the time it is has been diagnosed, the disease has moved into an advanced stage of cancer. The diagnosis of mesothelioma can only be made definitively by taking a biopsy and conducting a pathological analysis.

 

As the pleural mesothelioma tumor spreads over the pleura, (a thin membrane that covers the outside of the lungs) it produces thickening of this membrane. As the thickening progresses, a restraining type of girdle effect takes place.

 

As the pleural membrane becomes thicker and more restrictive, the lungs become more restrained and start to diminish and become smaller. The ultimate result of this progression is that the lung(s) are less capable of performing their functions.

 

One of the first signs someone will begin to experience is shortness of breathe. This will initially be noticeable when they put forth energy or effort in actions such as light exercise, making a bed, and yard work etc.

 

As the pleural mesothelioma grows and the lung(s) become less functional, the difficulty in breathing expands to occurring when the patient is involved in activities requiring even less exertion than light exercise. Eventually the pleural mesothelioma patient will experience shortness of breath even when lying down, sitting in a chair, and/or resting.

 

The tumor is constricting the lungs as it moves inward and as it expands outward, to affect nearby tissue of the chest cavity and ribs, it more than likely will create an excessive level of pain.

 

The second type of mesothelioma mentioned above is referred to as peritoneal. The tumor associated with form of mesothelioma affects the peritoneum membrane that lines several abdominal organs. Peritoneal mesothelioma is not as rare as pleural mesothelioma but it presents more aggressively and as a results in a reduced life expectancy.

 

As with all cancers, peritoneal mesothelioma can be benign or malignant. Peritoneal mesothelioma takes years to develop and it is generally discovered by sheer chance and prior to symptoms beginning.

 

Typically the symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include: abdominal pain, a generalized weakness, poor appetite with eventual lose of weight, nausea and vomiting, and swelling of the abdomen.

 

The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma progress slowly and as time passes they become more and more severe. As with pleural mesothelioma, there is no cure and the prognosis is affected by the tumor size and stage, the type of tumor cell, and the response to treatment.

 

Treatment options for both types include: chemotherapy, radiation, surgical intervention, and intra-operative photodynamic therapy; which is the latest drug and light treatment used in the early stages of mesothelioma. If you feel you have been irresponsibly exposed to asbestos, call a mesothelioma attorney today.

 

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Two Weeks After First Funeral, Harold St. John Gets Another One Posted: 20 Mar 2009 03:33 AM PDT Two weeks after Harold St. John’s family held his funeral, they finally will be allowed to bury him. Right before the funeral, attorneys for the defendants in St. John’s asbestos case insisted on taking the body back and conducting an autopsy to examine the asbestos fibers in his lungs, while his family vigorously objected. NJ.com reports that an appeals court panel has affirmed a decision by a judge in New Brunswick denying defendants the right to have an autopsy performed against the family’s wishes on the 67-year-old St. John, who died last month from an asbestos-related cancer of the lungs. In a four page decision released today, the appeals panel agreed with Superior Court Judge Philip Paley that “defendants did not present … a sufficient basis from which to conclude that retrieval of lung tissue samples would likely lead to evidence of such significance that a limited autopsy should be ordered over the objections of Mr. St. John’s family.” Geez, how about objecting just on the grounds that it was in poor taste to yank a body from a funeral? The family opposes autopsies on religious and moral grounds, according to their attorney, Moshe Maimon. An order was served on the funeral director moments before St. John was to be buried. Hours later, his family was told his body had been returned to the funeral home. The order was sought by Honeywell International and Chrysler Motor Corp., two of the many companies St. John and his family sued last year after he became ill with mesothelioma resulting from exposure to defendants’ products while working in a family-owned auto repair shop in the 1950s and 1960s. The St. John family said a private burial service will be held this week. St. John’s widow, Diana, and daughter, Debbie Eisenbrey, today released a statement saying the family is “relieved.” Ya no kidding. The St. John family attorney said: “Chrysler and Honeywell put the St. John family through the nightmare when, as the court found, an autopsy was unlikely to yield any significant evidence,” Maimon said. “We are relieved that Harry St. John can finally rest in peace.” Michael Palese, a spokesman for Chrysler, said “we are disappointed with the decision of the New Jersey (appeals court). We are considering our legal options.” However, they also said “Chrysler’s deepest sympathies are with the St. John family for their loss.” Oh please. Read the story history and developments on NJ.com.

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Andrew Schneider Speculates About What Justice Could Be Done For Libby Posted: 18 Mar 2009 04:54 AM PDT First, we are sad to see that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has closed. They have done a fantastic job reporting on the progress of the W.R. Grace mining, cleanup, after-effects, and now the trial. As a reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, I broke the story of the asbestos poisoning of Libby, Mont ., 10 years ago. Tonight, the paper prints its final edition, which means I won't be able to write about the outcome of the W.R. Grace criminal trial for the newspaper that first revealed what happened to Libby and its people. I'm going to try to keep up with the trial on this blog. But I thought I'd share with you the final post I wrote for the PI: What the people of northwestern Montana that I've spent a decade covering hope they will see coming out of the federal courtroom in Missoula. Libby resident Les Skramstad has passed on but before his death, told Schneider that he’d give up a year of his fleeting life just to sit in the front row of hard, wooden benches in Judge Donald Molloy's courtroom and watch justice delivered to W.R. Grace and five of its former VPs' and top managers. Schneider speculates that Skramstad wouldn’t have been happy were he here to witness the trial now. Les wanted to watch them swing. He anguished over the unbearable knowledge that on his work clothes, he brought that poison from the mine into his home and into the lungs of his wife, Norita, and three of his children. He wanted the death penalty for them, and he offered to build the gallows. Schneider reports that according to Libby residents he has spoken to in the past month, Grace and its executives should be standing trial for homicide. Unfortunately, the Clean Air Act of 1999 not have provisions for homicide charges so the accused W.R. Grace executives are only being held accountable for actions after that date. Read Schneider’s entry in Andrew Schneider Investigates.