Victims of Montana asbestos pollution that claimed hundreds of lives are taking Warren Buffett’s railroad, BNSF Railway, to court for accountability.
The residents of Libby, Montana, where the tragedy unfolded, are seeking justice for the negligence they allege led to widespread illness and death due to asbestos exposure.
The first trial among the many lawsuits against BNSF is set to commence soon, with accusations of negligence and wrongful death.
Paul Resch, a resident battling asbestos-related illness, vividly recalls the clouds of contaminated dust from vermiculite-laden trains that circulated through his town.
The vermiculite, mined near Libby and shipped by BNSF for insulation across the U.S., caused untold harm to the community.
The upcoming trial involves the estates of Joyce Walder and Thomas Wells, who succumbed to mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Both lived near the rail yard, and their families seek accountability for their suffering and loss.
The mine, once a major global supplier of vermiculite, closed in 1990, leaving behind a legacy of environmental devastation and human suffering.
The EPA declared a public health emergency in Libby in 2009, recognizing the severity of the situation. Cleanup efforts have been ongoing, but the scars of the tragedy linger.
Despite BNSF’s denials of responsibility, the plaintiffs are determined to hold the railroad accountable. They argue that BNSF’s actions, or lack thereof, contributed to the pollution that devastated their community.
The trials represent a quest for justice and closure for the victims and their families, who have endured immeasurable pain and suffering due to the actions of corporate entities.
