Back in March I blogged about conditions in the "toxic town" of Libby, Montana - read the original blog post.

News now comes from the US that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared a health emergency in the town, where the rate of lung disease is between 40 and 60 times the national average.

The US Government will provide more than $130 million to treat asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma and to clean up contaminated areas.

It is the first time that the EPA has declared a health emergency of this nature. The declaration will no doubt come as a huge relief to the long-suffering residents of Libby, a town that has seen significant asbestos exposure stretching back to the 1920s.