W.R. Grace (WRG PI Trust)

About W.R. Grace and the Libby, Montana Disaster

W.R. Grace & Co. was a diversified chemical and specialty materials company that became one of the most significant sources of civilian asbestos exposure in American history. Grace’s asbestos liabilities stem primarily from two product lines: Zonolite vermiculite attic insulation and Monokote spray-applied fireproofing.

Zonolite attic insulation was manufactured from vermiculite mined at the Libby, Montana mine — a deposit Grace acquired in 1963. The Libby mine’s vermiculite ore was naturally contaminated with tremolite asbestos, a particularly virulent fiber type. Grace mined and processed this ore without adequately protecting workers or the Libby community. Workers at the mine and the town’s residents breathed asbestos-contaminated dust for decades. The resulting disease rates in Libby were catastrophic — far above any comparable community. The EPA designated the area a Superfund site and, in 2009, declared a public health emergency in Libby — the first such declaration in U.S. history for a contaminated community.

Beyond Libby, Zonolite was sold to millions of American homeowners as attic insulation. Approximately 35 million pounds were sold between 1959 and 1984. Homeowners who disturbed this insulation — and contractors who encountered it during renovations — face asbestos exposure risks that continue to this day.

Monokote was Grace’s brand of spray-applied cementitious fireproofing, applied to structural steel beams in high-rise buildings during construction. Early Monokote formulations (prior to the mid-1970s) contained chrysotile asbestos, and application workers experienced intense airborne fiber exposure during the spray application process. Monokote was used in countless office towers, hospitals, schools, and public buildings nationwide.

W.R. Grace filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2001. After one of the longest and most complex asbestos bankruptcy proceedings in history, the WRG PI Trust was established in 2014 to compensate all personal injury victims.

Trust Fund Details

At 30.1%, the WRG PI Trust pays significantly more than many lower-percentage trusts. A mesothelioma claimant with a $250,000 scheduled value would receive approximately $75,250 from this trust alone — making it one of the most valuable trust fund claims for eligible workers.

Who Is Eligible to File with the WRG PI Trust?

The trust covers a broader range of exposure scenarios than most other asbestos trusts, because Grace’s products reached both occupational and residential populations.

Occupational exposure categories:

• Workers at the Libby, Montana vermiculite mine and processing facility
• Workers at vermiculite expansion plants that processed Libby ore
• Spray fireproofing applicators who applied Monokote to structural steel
• Construction workers (ironworkers, carpenters, electricians) present during Monokote application in high-rise buildings
• Building maintenance workers who disturbed Monokote fireproofing during renovation or repair
• Workers at W.R. Grace manufacturing facilities that processed asbestos-containing materials
• Insulators and construction workers at facilities where Grace construction chemicals were used

Residential/para-occupational exposure:

• Residents of Libby, Montana who were exposed to asbestos dust from the mine and processing operations
• Homeowners and contractors who disturbed Zonolite attic insulation during home renovation projects
• Family members of Libby mine workers who were exposed to asbestos brought home on workers’ clothing

The WRG PI Trust is one of the few asbestos trusts that explicitly compensates residential and community exposures alongside occupational ones.

How to File a WRG PI Trust Claim

1. Attorney consultation: A mesothelioma attorney will evaluate your exposure history — whether occupational (Monokote application, mine work) or residential (Zonolite in your home).
2. Product identification: Your attorney establishes which W.R. Grace products you were exposed to and in what context. For Zonolite claims, documentation that your home contained Zonolite insulation may be required.
3. Medical documentation: Pathology report and diagnosis records are compiled to establish the qualifying disease category.
4. Claim submission: Your attorney submits the complete claim package to the WRG PI Trust administrator following the trust’s distribution procedures.
5. Review and payment: The trust processes the claim and pays at 30.1% of the applicable scheduled value upon approval.

Can You File Other Claims at the Same Time?

Yes. Workers who were exposed to W.R. Grace products typically also encountered products from other manufacturers at the same job sites. Spray fireproofing applicators, for example, often also worked with or around Unibestos, Kaylo, and Manville insulation products. All applicable trust claims can be filed simultaneously, and lawsuits against solvent defendants can proceed at the same time. The WRG PI Trust claim does not reduce or offset any other recovery.

For Libby, Montana residents and mine workers, there may also be claims available through the CARD Act (Community Assistance, Research, and Development) and other federal programs in addition to trust fund claims.

Frequently Asked Questions