Asbestos in Terra-lite
What is Terra-lite?
Terra-lite is a vermiculite soil conditioner manufactured by W.R. Grace and Company. Although today’s Terra-lite is safe, prior to 1990 all W.R. Grace vermiculite was contaminated with tremolite asbestos, a particularly dangerous form of the fibrous mineral. Grace knew for decades that the vermiculite from their Libby, Montana mine contained asbestos, but kept the knowledge hidden from their workers and the public.
Asbestos exposure has been definitively linked to a wide range of serious illnesses including asbestosis and mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer that affects the lungs, abdomen and in rare cases, the heart.
Grace vermiculite has killed and injured thousands, including children who played on piles of contaminated waste rock that lay outside of its processing plants and played on the town baseball field that was covered in mine waste rock. Until 1990 when the mine was finally closed down, 80 percent of the world’s vermiculite came from Grace.
Grace has never admitted to wrongdoing in Libby, and continues to be a profitable company located in Cambridge, Massachusetts to this day, despite having filed for bankruptcy protection in the 1990s.
Mesothelioma lawyers may be able to help you
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related disease from workplace or home exposure to asbestos, contact an experienced mesothelioma lawyer immediately. Mesothelioma attorneys have helped thousands of mesothelioma patients win compensation for lost wages and medical costs.
Asbestos companies knew of the risks of asbestos exposure for decades before the public knew. There are avenues to compensation for their criminal actions. Mesothelioma attorneys may be able to help.