Ethics and Environmental Health

This website was created to promote public understanding of the social, ethical, and legal implications of the gene-environment interactions associated with asbestos-related diseases.  Much of the information presented on these pages emerged from the work of the Ethics - A Bridge for Communities and Scientists (E-ABCs) project conducted in the community of Libby, Montana. Health problems in this community were created by high levels of exposure to asbestos fibers from a vermiculite mine that began its operation in the  1920s and continued through 1991.  Exposures to asbestos varied for workers and residents of the community depending on a number of factors. The six-year initiative, described in these pages:

• Assessed community knowledge of health and understanding of asbestos-related disease;
• Developed and implemented an electronic and on-site, educational curriculum to help the public understand the risks of environmentally related disease, the ethical and economic implications associated with those risks, and the strategies that protect against discrimination and psychological stress.