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Trial to begin against railroad over deaths in Montana town where thousands were exposed to asbestos

By AMY BETH HANSON and MATTHEW BROWN
Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A trial is set to begin against BNSF Railway over the lung cancer deaths of two people who lived in a northwestern Montana town where thousands of people were exposed to asbestos from a vermiculite mine. Jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday morning in Helena. For decades, the W. R. Grace & Co. mine produced the contaminated vermiculite. The estates of Thomas Wells and Joyce Walder argue BNSF Railway and its corporate predecessors stored asbestos-laden vermiculite in a large rail yard in Libby before shipping it out. The lawsuit argues the railroad failed to contain the dust, which blew around town and was inhaled by residents.

Article Topic Follows: AP National

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