The Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) has served the Libby, Montana community for more than 20 years, providing advocacy and care for patients diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. But the clinic will close its doors at the end of August after its federal grant funding was not renewed. This closes a chapter on a pioneering program that fundamentally changed our understanding of the impact of long-term asbestos exposure on communities.
Despite Five-Year Grant, Mesothelioma Screening and Care Services to End
After a five-year grant was approved by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in August 2024, the CARD staff had intended to continue providing mesothelioma and asbestos health services through at least August 2029, with continued federal funding subject to annual approval. The clinic has received the grant in various forms since 2011, based on the Environmental Health Hazards provision of the Affordable Care Act.
According to Executive Director Tracy McNew, “CARD was notified by ATSDR this month, during the second year of the project period, that it will not provide additional continuation of the grant beyond the current budget year, which ends August 31. CARD was not given a more specific explanation beyond ATSDR’s written notice.”
The federal grant funding has provided nearly all of CARD’s operating revenue, so the organization is beginning the process of closing and dissolving entirely — eliminating mesothelioma screening, lung cancer screening, case management, outreach, and education services for a community that has suffered asbestos-related disease for decades.
Revocation of Grant Leaves Mesothelioma Victims Without Services
McNew noted that a BNSF Railway lawsuit resulting in the seizure of CARD’s assets “significantly affected CARD’s operational environment,” and that the federal government recently began more stringent review of grants following President Trump’s August 2025 executive order on federal grant oversight. CARD will continue providing mesothelioma and asbestos health services through August 31, but will no longer provide long-distance screening services.
Libby, Montana’s community suffers disproportionate rates of mesothelioma and other illnesses – following decades of vermiculite mining, which released deadly asbestos fibers throughout the area. The work of the CARD clinic has both served the community and shaped public health understanding of asbestos-related disease in residential settings rather than purely occupational ones. It contributed to more than 150 scientific papers helping further scientific knowledge, improving mesothelioma care, informing public health practice, and guiding future response and prevention efforts.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you need information or assistance, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
