The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review an appeal by W. R. Grace & Co., in a case against them in Libby, Montana. Because of the decision, criminal charges can move forward against the company and six of its executives for violating the Clean Air Act. The company was charged in 2005 with willingly endangering mine workers and other Libby, Montana, residents by knowingly allowing releases of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from mining activities. The resulting asbestos diseases devastated the area causing widespread mesothelioma and other diseases linked to inhalation of asbestos products.

Increased incidences of mesothelioma in iron ore miners in northeastern Minnesota have prompted the state to fund a study to determine the probable cause.

Add talcum powder products to the list of possible carcinogens to avoid. A group of physicians, consumer organizations and public health officials is petitioning the Health and Human Services department and the Food and Drug Administration to place warning labels on talcum powder products. At particular risk are those women who use such products frequently in the genital area. Many talcum products contain traces of asbestos, linked to mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.

A supervisor of the asbestos program in the Connecticut Department of Public Health has been honored by the Environmental Protection Agency for his efforts to stop the sale of art clay that has asbestos-containing talc. The supervisor, Ron Skomro, worked with suppliers to stop the sale of art clay in Connecticut and persuaded the Art & Creative Materials Institute to require member manufacturers to reformulate their products to remove asbestos. Asbestos has been linked to asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, most often fatal lung diseases.

That asbestos is a human carcinogen is recognized by the EPA, OSHA, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and numerous other international and national agencies. The Clear Creek Management Area in Central California (CCMA) contains the largest deposit of asbestos in the United States. . The CCMA spans more than 75,000 acres across San Benito and Fresno Counties and includes the Atlas Asbestos Mine Superfund Site. It includes a 31,000 acre outcrop of naturally occurring asbestos. The CCMA is visited by hikers, campers, hunters, botanists, rock collectors, off-highway vehicle riders and others and has about 35,000 visitors per year.