This poison the water, soil, and vegetation. Canisters are usually buried in isolated areas, but people eventually buy that property and build houses. They stumble across the leaking canisters and by then the water and air is contaminated. The logging industry has been slashed, because too many trees were taken. The forest needs to be rehabilitated, before more can be taken.
New laws say that loggers have to replant areas that they log.
Many logging roads are gated to motorized vehicles, to protect new growth. Although mining and logging have slowed down, other industries are starting in Libby. The Mill is shipping scrap pine to places where trees are limited. The tourist industry is growing, as witnessed by Nordicfest and Logger Days. Hunting and fishing bring in tourists and that helps the economy grow.