Asbestosis Death 60 Times More Likely in Libby

ATLANTA - The results of a mortality review conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) indicate that the rate of deaths due to asbestosis in Libby, Mont., from 1979 to 1998 was 60 times the corresponding rate of the entire United States.

The rate of death caused by asbestosis - as either the primary or underlying cause of death - was even 40 times that of Montana's statewide rate, the review concluded.

ATSDR, a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, completed the review to generate an accurate picture of deaths …