Libby, Montana

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For the film, see Libby, Montana (film).
Libby, Montana
—  City  —
Location of Libby, Montana
Coordinates: 48°23′17″N 115°33′13″W / 48.38806°N 115.55361°W / 48.38806; -115.55361Coordinates: 48°23′17″N 115°33′13″W / 48.38806°N 115.55361°W / 48.38806; -115.55361
Country United States
State Montana
County Lincoln
Area[1]
 • Total 1.95 sq mi (5.05 km2)
 • Land 1.91 sq mi (4.95 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation 2,096 ft (639 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 2,628
 • Estimate (2011[3]) 2,612
 • Density 1,375.9/sq mi (531.2/km2)
Time zone Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
 • Summer (DST) MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code 59923
Area code(s) 406
FIPS code 30-43450
GNIS feature ID 0786083

Libby (Ktunaxa: ʔaqswaq[4]) is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Montana, United States.[5] The population was 2,628 at the 2010 census.

Contents

Geography [edit]

Libby is located at 48°23′17″N 115°33′13″W / 48.38806°N 115.55361°W / 48.38806; -115.55361 (48.388128, -115.553707),[6] along U.S. Route 2.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.95 square miles (5.05 km2), of which, 1.91 square miles (4.95 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) is water.[1] Located in the Kootenai National Forest, between the Cabinet Mountains to the south and the Purcell Mountains to the north. The town lies in the heart of the Kootenai Valley along the Kootenai River, and downstream from the Libby Dam. Libby is at an elevation of 2096 feet (639 m).

Libby experiences a continental climate (Köppen Dfb).

Climate data for Libby
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 56
(13)		 65
(18)		 75
(24)		 90
(32)		 102
(39)		 106
(41)		 110
(43)		 109
(43)		 105
(41)		 89
(32)		 73
(23)		 65
(18)		 110
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 33.5
(0.8)		 41.3
(5.2)		 52.0
(11.1)		 62.5
(16.9)		 71.6
(22)		 78.9
(26.1)		 86.3
(30.2)		 86.8
(30.4)		 75.2
(24)		 59.0
(15)		 41.0
(5)		 33.0
(0.6)		 60.09
(15.61)
Daily mean °F (°C) 25.9
(−3.4)		 31.8
(−0.1)		 39.4
(4.1)		 47.0
(8.3)		 55.1
(12.8)		 61.8
(16.6)		 67.2
(19.6)		 67.0
(19.4)		 57.4
(14.1)		 46.0
(7.8)		 34.3
(1.3)		 26.9
(−2.8)		 46.65
(8.14)
Average low °F (°C) 18.2
(−7.7)		 22.2
(−5.4)		 26.7
(−2.9)		 31.4
(−0.3)		 38.5
(3.6)		 44.7
(7.1)		 48.1
(8.9)		 47.1
(8.4)		 39.6
(4.2)		 32.9
(0.5)		 27.6
(−2.4)		 20.8
(−6.2)		 33.15
(0.65)
Record low °F (°C) −46
(−43)		 −37
(−38)		 −20
(−29)		 −5
(−21)		 12
(−11)		 24
(−4)		 30
(−1)		 26
(−3)		 13
(−11)		 −7
(−22)		 −27
(−33)		 −39
(−39)		 −46
(−43)
Precipitation inches (mm) 1.95
(49.5)		 1.47
(37.3)		 1.31
(33.3)		 1.05
(26.7)		 1.63
(41.4)		 1.68
(42.7)		 1.30
(33)		 1.01
(25.7)		 1.02
(25.9)		 1.37
(34.8)		 2.40
(61)		 2.21
(56.1)		 18.4
(467.4)
Source #1: NOAA (normals, 1971-2000)[7]
Source #2: The Weather Channel (Records)[8]

Demographics [edit]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1890 260
—
1900 296 13.8%
1910 630 112.8%
1920 1,522 141.6%
1930 1,752 15.1%
1940 1,837 4.9%
1950 2,401 30.7%
1960 2,828 17.8%
1970 3,286 16.2%
1980 2,748 −16.4%
1990 2,532 −7.9%
2000 2,626 3.7%
2010 2,628 0.1%
source:[9][10]

2010 census [edit]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 2,628 people, 1,252 households, and 647 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,375.9 inhabitants per square mile (531.2 /km2). There were 1,416 housing units at an average density of 741.4 per square mile (286.3 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.9% White, 0.1% African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population.

There were 1,252 households out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.3% were non-families. 41.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.71.

The median age in the city was 45.8 years. 19.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.4% were from 25 to 44; 28.6% were from 45 to 64; and 22.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.


Economy [edit]

Libby's economy has largely been supported by the use of natural resources, such as logging and mining. Tourism is playing an increasing role in the local economy. 17 miles (27 km) upstream from Libby is the site of the Libby Dam, one of the Columbia River Treaty Dams, finished in 1975.

Zonolite and asbestos [edit]

Vermiculite, an ore found in the area in 1881, had been mined in the area since 1919.[11][12] In 1919, E.N. Alley bought the Rainy Creek claims and started the Zonolite Company. Zonolite is a branded trademark product made from vermiculite.[13] W. R. Grace and Company bought the Zonolite mine in 1963. Previously, logging was the leading source of employment in Libby. W.R. Grace closed the mine in 1990. Federal government investigators subsequently found that air samples from the area had elevated levels of fibrous tremolite asbestos, which is suspected to have caused asbestos related ailments among current and former Zonolite employees, along with non-mine employees. [14][15][16] More than 274 area deaths in the past 60 years are suspected to have been caused by asbestos contaminated vermiculite. In the following years, fewer than 17% of the residents who participated in the ATSDR screening study in Libby were found to have pleural abnormalities. The mine has been closed since 1990.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been overseeing the removal of asbestos-contaminated soils and other suspect materials in and near Libby since May 2000,[17] and has spent $370 million in Superfund money on cleanup.[18][19][20]

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.[21]

Two documentary films, Libby, Montana, 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[22] 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.[22] On May 8, 2009, a jury found W.R. Grace & Co. and all of the accused employees not guilty on all counts. During the trial the federal government dropped all of the charges against 2 of the former executives. The remaining 4 were all found not guilty by a Montana jury. The last defendant was never tried and charges against him were dismissed shortly after the not guilty verdicts.

On June 17, 2009 the EPA declared its first public health emergency. This emergency covers Libby and nearby Troy. It will provide an additional $130 million in cleanup and medical assistance.[17] The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes a provision which provided Medicare coverage to individuals of such public health emergencies.[23][24]

Media [edit]

Radio stations in Libby include:

Newspaper:

  • The Western News- biweekly
  • The Montanian - Weekly

Education [edit]

Public schools [edit]

Libby is served by the Libby School District.[25]

  • High School- Libby Middle-High School[26]
  • Elementary School- Libby Elementary School[27]

The Asa Wood elementary school students were moved into the old middle school in 2011, making the two schools K-6 and 7-12, respectively.

Private schools [edit]

  • Libby Adventist Christian School[28]
  • Kootenai Valley Christian School.[29]

Transportation [edit]

The dimly lit interior of the train station in Libby, Montana

Amtrak serves Libby through a local station.

Notable residents [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-18. 
  2. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-18. 
  3. ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-04. 
  4. ^ "FirstVoices: Nature / Environment - place names: words. Ktunaxa.". Retrieved 2012-07-07. 
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  7. ^ "Climatography of the United States NO.81". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 15, 2011. 
  8. ^ "Monthly Averages for Libby, MT". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 15, 2011. 
  9. ^ Moffatt, Riley. Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850-1990. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1996, 132.
  10. ^ "Subcounty population estimates: Montana 2000-2007" (CSV). United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2009-03-18. Retrieved 2009-05-09. 
  11. ^ Site Background - Region 8 - Libby Asbestos - United States Environmental Protection Agency.
  12. ^ "About the Film" - Libby, Montana - at PBS
  13. ^ "A town left to die" - Seattle Post-Intelligencer - November 18, 1999-January 27, 2007.
  14. ^ Peacock, Andrea. "Libby, Montana: Asbestos and the Deadly Silence of an American Corporation." Johnson Books (2003).
  15. ^ Zalac, Frédéric. "Deadly Dust" - CBC News - February 7, 2003 | Updated March 2005
  16. ^ Zalac, Frédéric. "Deadly Dust 2" - CBC News - September 28, 2004.
  17. ^ a b "Asbestos cleanup 'emergency' declared in Montana town". CNN. 2009-06-17. Retrieved 22 December 2009. 
  18. ^ "Libby, Montana: Health Risk Remains In Asbestos-Plagued Town". Huffington Post. May 3, 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011. 
  19. ^ "Libby Asbestos". Huffington Post. May 4, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-05. 
  20. ^ "Petition For Writ of Certiorari, W.R. Grace & Co., Kootenai Development Company, and W.R. Grace & Co.- Conn, petitioners" (PDF). April 27, 2006. Retrieved 4 August 2010. 
  21. ^ "Libby Updates". US EPA. Retrieved 2010-08-04. 
  22. ^ a b Scott, Tristan. "W.R. grace trial: Prosecutors call initial witnesses". Missoula, MT: Missoulian. Retrieved 2010-08-04. 
  23. ^ Pear, Robert (2009-12-20). "Deep in Health Bill, Very Specific Beneficiaries". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2009. 
  24. ^ Werner, Erica (2009-12-21). "Libby is big winner in Senate's mammoth health care bill". Associated Press. The Missoulian. Retrieved 22 December 2009. 
  25. ^ Libby School District
  26. ^ Libby High School
  27. ^ Libby Middle School
  28. ^ Libby Adventist Christian School
  29. ^ Kootenai Valley Christian School

External links [edit]

Municipalities and communities of Lincoln County, Montana, United States
Cities
Towns
CDPs
Unincorporated
community
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