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News Release

HHS SECRETARY THOMPSON ANNOUNCES $1.7 MILLION
TO ADDRESS HEALTH CARE NEEDS IN MONTANA

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today that the department will provide $1.7 million in funds to support long-term health care needs for residents in Montana, particularly residents in Libby and Lincoln County. The funds will be used to develop innovative programs to assist individuals exposed to asbestos.

"At HHS, we are dedicated to implementing immediate and long-term steps to help those residents in Libby, Montana," Secretary Thompson said. "Exposure to asbestos is a serious public health threat, and we are taking a variety of measures to address the needs of community members and local health officials."

Since 1999, HHS and the Environmental Protection Agency have evaluated human asbestos exposures in Libby, Mont., where up to 70 percent of homes, and up to 30 percent of businesses contain asbestos.

Under the awards, HHS' Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will provide $550,000 to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services for conducting periodic medical screening related to exposure to asbestos for eligible participants, and an additional $40,000 in funds to conduct an economic analysis of follow-up testing and care for asbestos-related medical conditions. This activity will be jointly funded through ATSDR and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The ATSDR is also utilizing $1 million in funds to develop a Tremolite Asbestos Registry (TAR), which will allow the latest medical research and treatment advances to be communicated to affected persons and their health care providers. The TAR will enable ATSDR and Montana health officials to follow progression of disease over time.

In addition, Secretary Thompson also announced $180,000 in awards supported by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to address special health care needs, psychological and social services, as well as asbestos education and outreach.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: October 22, 2002