Sen. Steve Daines on Thursday sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of Libby, asking the agency to ensure that local government or homeowners are not held liable for future cleanup costs related to the Asbestos Superfund site.
The letter comes after Daines visited Libby on April 14, when he sat down with local leaders at Hav-A-Java coffeeshop to discuss ongoing planning for the site’s operations and maintenance phase.
“I heard directly from Lincoln County leaders regarding their concerns that property owners and local government could be held liable for future clean-up costs of the Libby Asbestos Superfund site,” Daines said in a prepared statement. “I’ve asked the EPA to work with local officials and community leaders before making any consequential decisions regarding a long-term maintenance plan for the site.”
In his letter, addressed to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, Daines wrote that “my constituents have a strong desire to have their input taken into account in the development of EPA’s O&M plan for the site.”