Communication challenges in responding to a slow-motion environmental disaster: Exposure to asbestos-contaminated vermiculite in Libby, Montana

More than 270 people have died; hundreds have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases (ARD) (including multiple-generations within families), and thousand exposed with uncertain futures. Because lag time from exposure to diagnosis is 10-40 years, the local disaster will continue to unfold for decades. In addition, the disaster is unfolding geographically: in hundreds of communities where vermiculite was processed; among occupations at risk for exposure (e.g., firefighters, construction workers/contractors); and residents of 35 million homes with vermiculite insulation. Although previous research has addressed effective and ineffective communication responses to rapidly-striking natural disasters, the needs and challenges of communicating during a slow-motion disaster differ. When the disaster became realized through investigative reporting, this isolated rural community did not have the existing infrastructure, resources or expertise to respond effectively. Challenges unique to slow-motion disasters emerged: (1) involve human error, are avoidable, add elements of blame/conflict regarding responsibility; (2) ambiguity about onset means lack of “warning,” (3) unofficial evidence of “disaster” must build prior to organized response; (4) consequences are relatively invisible (versus vivid images of destruction); (5) substantially varied timeline of disaster's consequences across individuals, thus sub-populations are simultaneously at different “phases” of impact; (6) uncertainties associated with sciences playing “catch-up”; (7) community-level conflict challenging risk and health messages; (8) community dynamics affecting medical, diagnostic, social support and coping responses.