We’re on the road to Libby. This is the first time I have headed to this picturesque, tiny Northwest Montana town for a large gathering that wasn’t a

The drive from Seattle to Libby is filled with the wonders of the Northwest. This far-better-than-average BBQ emporium in Sultan, Wash. isn't shy about supporting the president's programs. .

funeral for a friend I had come to care about or the annual memorial service for the hundreds of miners and their family members killed by exposure to asbestos from the now-closed vermiculite mine.

There is a picnic in Libby tomorrow, hosted by the clinic that cares for hundreds of residents with asbestos-related disease. I’m not really sure why it’s being held.

As I wrote elsewhere in this blog, June was a hit or miss month for the community.  The very long-awaited criminal trial of W.R. Grace and its top executives ended in a stunning acquittal.  If you really want to know why, there are painful day-by-day  reports in the archives from March to June.

On the good news side, after being hampered and then blocked by the Bush White House, the government finally found the guts to declare a Public Health Emergency for Libby. Last week, a former official with the Office of Management and Budget told me that it was Vice President Dick Cheney’s office put the kibosh on the public health emergency that EPA personnel on the frontlines in Libby said was vital. Cheney’s office, the official said, was extremely protective of industry and opposed  anything that could the asbestos industry’s life more difficult.

Among other things, the emergency declaration will supply money for an extensive cleanup of the asbestos contaminating the town and pay for medical care for those sickened by the lethal fibers.

I did just learn that Linda Reinstein, the Executive Director of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, is coming to town tonight to honor the asbestos clinic staff. Her organization is in the forefront of the fight for a Congressional ban on asbestos.

I’ll let you know how the picnic goes.