The Bruxist - Vermiculite

   A story of an industrialist crime and the ruining of one of God's beautiful places, a plot so despicable that you will believe hell is necessary to house the patron souls of absolute greed. I had never heard of Libby, Montana before moving to the Northwest in 2005. This unbelievable tale of betrayal and knowingly poisoning an entire town is not new, but undoubtedly the worst.
   I wrote this song shortly after learning of the workers unwittingly transferring the toxic dust to their families and homes. The wonder mineral "vermiculite" from the Libby mine was tainted with asbestos. To make matters worse, the abundant material was used in their local landscaping, playgrounds and ball fields as well. The end material was shipped all over the US, and is still present to this day as attic insulation in older homes.
   This story does not end well, the men in charge of the mine, who were literally responsible for the painful, cancer deaths of entire families got off scot-free. The United States government has tried for decades to mitigate the damage, but at this point, it seems unlikely that Libby can ever be made whole again.