WASHINGTON , June 17 (UPI) -- A public health emergency exists at the Libby asbestos site in Montana , two U.S. environment and health agencies said Wednesday. During the past few years , hundreds of asbestos-related disease cases have been documented in an area that covers the Montana towns of Libby and Troy , Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a news release. EPA is working with the Health and Human Services Department , which is making available a short-term grant to provide asbestos-related medical care to Libby and Troy residents. This is the first time EPA made a determination under the Comprehensive Environmental Response , Compensation and Liability Act that conditions at a site constitute a public health emergency. Jackson said the determination recognizes serious impact to the public health from contamination at the Libby site -- a Superfund site -- and underscores the need for more action and healthcare for area residents who have been or may be exposed to asbestos. "We're making a long-delayed commitment to the people of Libby and Troy. Based on a rigorous re-evaluation of the situation on the ground , we will continue to move aggressively on the cleanup efforts and protect the health of the people ," Jackson said. Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry investigations found a "staggeringly higher " number of the occurrences of the lung condition asbestosis , in the Libby area from 1979-1998.

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