Asbestos clinic forced to close in Montana town where thousands sickened by dust

Local authorities in a small Montana town have closed an asbestos screening clinic due to a court order to use its assets to pay off a debt to BNSF railroad. The town of Libby, near a mine that has caused illnesses from asbestos dust, had the Center for Asbestos Related Disease shut down by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. The clinic has been vital in assisting victims of the toxic dust. BNSF has faced legal action for its role in the pollution, including a lawsuit accusing the clinic of falsely diagnosing patients to receive government benefits. The closure of the clinic will impact public health in the area, and efforts to reopen it are underway despite the bankruptcy declaration following the fraud judgment.