Advertising

The Seattle Times Company

NWjobs | NWautos | NWhomes | NWsource | Free Classifieds | seattletimes.com

The Seattle Times

Local News


Our network sites seattletimes.com | Advanced

Originally published Monday, March 16, 2009 at 7:10 PM

Comments (0)     E-mail E-mail article      Print Print view      Share Share

Defense: Govt knew of asbestos danger, did nothing

A medical expert in the W.R. Grace & Co. trial was excused Monday after three and a half days on the witness stand, mostly under defense cross-examination aimed at undermining his credibility.

MISSOULA, Mont. —

A medical expert in the W.R. Grace & Co. trial was excused Monday after three and a half days on the witness stand, mostly under defense cross-examination aimed at undermining his credibility.

The Missoulian newspaper reported the proceedings on its Web site.

Dr. Aubrey Miller began his testimony last Tuesday in the government's criminal case against Grace.

On Monday prosecutors sought to reinforce Miller's key points, and the defense was then given a second chance at cross-examination, unusual in federal criminal cases.

Miller was part of an emergency response team sent to Libby by the Environmental Protection Agency in November 1999. He said Columbia, Md.-based Grace and several one-time officials had known about the asbestos contamination for years through company product testing.

Thomas Frongillo, an attorney for defendant Robert Bettacchi, accused Miller of hiding information about the types of asbestos in Libby's air.

Frongillo had earlier pointed to studies that showed how the bulk of asbestos found in Libby's vermiculite is composed of winchite and richterite asbestos, which is not regulated by the federal government.

"You didn't tell the jury that 95 percent of the fibers that had been tested and analyzed in Libby were winchite and richterite. You were aware that winchite and richterite were unregulated weren't you?" Frongillo said. "Sitting here today in 2009, 10 years after you arrived in Libby, the minerals winchite and richterite remain unregulated, isn't that right?"

"As far as I'm concerned this is all asbestos," Miller replied - an answer that U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy told jurors to ignore.

James Becker, a former financial analyst for W.R. Grace, took the stand just before the lunch break and testified regarding his role on a task force during the 1970s, when Grace officials asked him to assess problems associated with the continued mining of vermiculite in Libby.

Becker's analysis was meant to determine if mining vermiculite ore was a sustainable business operation, and included the threat of lawsuits and the issue of public health.

"There was awareness within the division that dust from the mill had settled over a large area of town," Becker said.

advertising

---

On the Net:

University of Montana trial coverage blog: http://blog.umt.edu/gracecase

Grace case documents: http://www.mtb.uscourts.gov/mtd/mtdcaselookup.asp

---

Information from: Missoulian, http://www.missoulian.com

Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company


Get home delivery today!

More Local News

UPDATE - 10:59 PM
Illegal workers quietly let go

Metro won't cut bus service after all

NEW - 10:50 PM
Jerry Large: Food-bank theft turns into a gift

Bumper to Bumper: How can the city let bridges go dark?

NEW - 01:00 AM
Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul

Advertising

Video

Raw Video | Real Salt Lake receives the MLS Cup trophy
Real Salt Lake is handed the 2009 MLS Cup trophy at Qwest Field, November 22, 2009.

Raw Video | Real Salt Lake fans celebrate
Real Salt Lake fans enter Qwest Field
Raw Video | MLS Cup Opening Ceremony
LA Galaxy's David Beckham
Real Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman
MLS trophy arrives in Seattle
Chittenden Locks Inspection
Full interview with New Moon actors
Interview with New Moon actors

Marketplace

nwautos

2009's most fuel-efficient sedansnew
Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment

Open Houses

Find this weekend's open house listings.
Or search by location:

 
Most read
Most commented
Most e-mailed
 
 
Advertising