Speeches

Remarks by Governor Judy Martz
Libby Community Action Group
Libby, Montana
October 25, 2001

Check Against Delivery

Good Afternoon. The reason I am here today is to give you an update on where we are with regard to a National Priorities - or Superfund - Listing for Libby.

Quite simply, I want what is best for the people of Libby, and the future of this community. I want to make Libby a safe place to live, work, play, and visit.

I have been saying that Montana is open for business. That means, every corner of our great state, needs to be able to hang that banner. Libby needs to be "Open for Business".

The citizens of Libby, their friends, and their neighbors have been torn apart by the devastating events that bring us here today. No community deserves to have the burden that you carry.

We need to move in a unified direction that leads us down the road to recovery.

This decision will be one of the most important decisions of my term in office, because it is absolutely critical that we do what is best for the people of Libby.

As you know, the mechanism and associated timeline are in place for this designation. EPA Administrator Christie Todd Whitman traveled here in early September. I greatly appreciate her willingness to witness the seriousness of this matter firsthand.

At that time, the EPA estimated that they would have the results of their risk analysis to us by the end of October.

In recent discussions, the EPA has indicated that the time frame will instead be mid-November. I trust that they will indeed adhere to that timeline.

I want to tell you personally that contrary to what you may have read or heard, I have not drawn a line in the sand regarding a Superfund listing for Libby.

Please do not interpret my measured approach to this important decision as anything other than that - a measured approach. What I want is what is best for Libby. If I get solid answers to the questions I am asking, I will not oppose a Superfund listing.

Between now and the time of their report, it is critical that we convey our strong recommendations to the EPA about what is best for the people of Libby.

We have traveled to Libby numerous times over the past several months, and your county commissioners recently met with me in the Capitol.

In discussions with locally elected officials and members of the Community Advisory Group, I have heard well-stated concerns about the proposed designation and the future of this community and its people.

You have asked us very pointed, sometimes difficult questions, and I commend you for being forthright.

Just yesterday, I received a letter from the Community Action Group, many of whom are here today.

In that letter, you requested that I utilize the Silver Bullet option.

In response, first, it is important that we all understand what the silver bullet means.

Each state in the nation can use the silver bullet once to establish a Superfund site - that means one time - forever.

The loss of life in Libby cannot be overstated. And I share your strong desire for immediate action.

In that regard, as you know, the biggest advantage of a silver bullet is to speed up the process.

But, if I were to use a silver bullet today, how much time would it save? Unfortunately, at the most, six months, which is a relatively short period of time, when you consider that the cleanup operation is already underway.

So, as I told your county commissioners at the Capitol two weeks ago, I am not inclined to use a silver bullet at this time. However, let me be clear that I am not ruling out the silver bullet because something could happen between now and decision time to use the silver bullet.

But now, let's focus on the process that we are currently going through for a Superfund listing.

It is now time that our questions are presented to the EPA to ensure that they are answered in the plan that comes to my office. And now is the time for the EPA to answer them.

The plan from the EPA must reflect the best possible solution. Allow me to outline the questions I am asking, and the commitments I am looking for.

I want a commitment for a timeframe for the town to be cleaned up and de-listed from the Superfund designation. This should not be a designation that hangs over the good people of this community for years. Let's clean it up, clean it up quickly, and get the town off the Superfund list.

I also want a commitment that the EPA will work with local businesses and homeowners, holding them harmless.

I want commitments from the EPA that they will employ local residents to the fullest extent possible. If that involves training, I want it included as well. But, I want the people of Libby to receive the benefits of cleanup jobs if it is at all possible.

I want commitments regarding the expected costs, and what the state's fiscal responsibility will be.

As you have no doubt read, I have asked my Budget Director, Chuck Swysgood, to find funding to pay for the state's share of this cleanup.

Let me be perfectly clear with regard to the cost. The costs do not drive my decision. They are merely a reality that must be planned for. What drives my decision is what is best for the people of Libby.

However, we need a commitment from EPA on these costs, so that we can plan for the appropriate expenditures.

I also want to know what we can do for the long-term health care needs of this community.

I will leave no stone unturned in an effort to provide meaningful healthcare assistance to those impacted by the tragedy that has hit this community.

Now, I realize that this may not be a full listing of the questions and commitments that we need. That is why I am asking for your help.

I have been relying on certain key members of my staff and cabinet as we work to address issues surrounding Libby.

This internal working group is made up of the few individuals who know the issues. These trusted members of my staff can drive the process to ensure that the EPA's plan serves the needs of the people of Libby.

I want you to know who these people are. They include my Environmental Quality Director, Jan Sensibaugh; my Public Health and Human Services Director Gail Gray; my Budget Director, Chuck Swysgood, my Policy Director, Mike Foster; and my natural resources policy advisor Todd O'Hair.

I have asked them to work closely with the EPA, the Bush Administration, our Congressional delegation, and the people of Libby to develop a strategy for cleanup.

Here in Libby, the county commissioners will be the contact point for my office in delivering these priorities through the working group to the EPA.

Again, it is absolutely critical that the plan from the EPA reflects the best possible solution.

As you know, I am not here on a political mission. I will not tell you things that I cannot deliver. I do not intend to add to the acrimony surrounding this debate by posturing for the sake of politics.

I have taken a hard line on Superfund designation in an effort to bring the EPA to the table, so that we can deliver the best possible solution for Libby.

As Governor, I do not have the luxury of making statements or taking public stands that make great sound bites or are merely politically correct.

With that said, I am not opposed to a Superfund Listing. I am exploring it. Through our working group, we will continue in discussions with the EPA. We will search for answers and commitments to the issues important to all of us.

If we can get the commitments we need in regard to these and other questions, then we are on the right track to complete a Superfund designation for the community of Libby, and its people.

Thank you for your time, and I will now answer any questions.

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