Real Screen, May 2002
by Carl Mrozek

Libby, Montana was once the site of the largest vermiculite mine on North America. It also has the dubious distinction of being one of the most toxic towns in the U.S. For the film Libby, Montana, producers Doug Hawes-Davis and Drury Gunn Carr of High Plains Films in Montana will interview a cross section of residents, and will capture the intense debate that rages at public hearings as the town seeks Superfund status - a designation that would make Libby eligible for the tens of millions of dollars needed to redress the poisoning of its air, land and people. The producers blend the current debate with compelling archival footage of 'open pit' operations during the mining heyday of the 40s, 50s and 60s contrasting it with today's morbid silence at the shuttered plant.

Libby residents find themselves beleaguered by medical and economic questions in the wake of the shutdown of the mine and the bankruptcy proceedings of the former owners (as they try to dodge legal liability and the massive cleanup costs). Abandoned by their former employer, residents are divided over where to lay blame - on shareholders, greedy company officers, or on government officials charged with regulating mining to ensure the public health and safety in Libby and in the 30 states and six countries where products were shipped.
According to Hawes-Davis, "This is the story of a town confronting its painful past and struggling to define its future." An underlying question is whether it is too late to save Libby and if it is, whether this can happen again in the 21st century. Libby, Montana is scheduled for completion on fall 2002.