Residents in Libby, Montana have received a grant to deal with their asbestos-related diseases from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

The grant is for the amount of $6 million and will be dispersed through the area within the next two years, starting on August 1, 2009 and ending on July 31, 2011. The HRSA supplied $4 million while the remaining $2 million is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Numerous individuals in the area have been affected by asbestos fibers that have been released into the air from the mine that was once operated by W.R. Grace & Company. Other individuals have found asbestos in their homes and have become ill from the exposure.

The individuals in the county have come down with numerous illnesses, including Mesothelioma cancer and lung cancer.