U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal by W.R. Grace to escape criminal prosecution

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected without comment the appeals of W.R. Grace and six of its top executives, who have been criminally charged with releasing asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from a mine in Libby, Montana. The decision means the case will now go back to U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy of Missoula for trial. “We are disappointed. We take this seriously,” admitted Greg Euston, a spokesman for W.R. Grace. Trial could begin in late fall in a prosecution that is “one of the most