Articles Posted in Asbestos Exposure

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According to a recent news article from the Bangor Daily News, an asbestos abatement (removal) project at an old mill location will cost around $16 million to complete.   This location has been tested and is known to contain above-ground asbestos and other toxins, as well as underground toxins.

old buildingThis huge factory was once a very profitable paper mill that produced tissues and bonded writing paper.  However, like many paper mills, it used a large amount of caustic chemicals in the paper making process.  Asbestos was used because of its natural ability to resist caustic chemicals, as well as fire, heat, and electricity. Continue reading

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While companies in the asbestos industry worked hard for more than a century to keep the fact that asbestos exposure causes malignant mesothelioma from the general public, this is not the only serious and potentially deadly illness asbestos exposure can cause. One of the lesser known, but still fairly common asbestos related illnesses is known as asbestosis.

asbestosAsbestosis occurs when the deadly fibers are inhaled and become embedded in the lungs. These fibers are very sharp and can cut and scratch the tissue lining the lungs.  Over time, these cuts can form scar tissue that gets progressively thicker as it keeps opening and healing time and time again. Once this scar tissue is allowed to build, it can obstruct the victim’s airway making it very difficult to breath.  This causes chronic shortness of breath and other serious medical conditions.  Asbestosis is similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is seen most often in smokers.  While a victim can be treated and will likely have to use an oxygen tank, it is not curable and can be deadly. Continue reading

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According to a recent news article from The Louisiana Record, a man with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has just filed a lawsuit against a factory that produced asbestos products for many years.  He claims in his mesothelioma lawsuit that he was exposed at his residence to the deadly asbestos fibers, which ultimately caused him to develop mesothelioma. He reportedly lived near a factory that used the substance regularly in protduction.

oldfactoryIn his complaint, he said he lived near the plant that used chemicals that contained asbestos during the 1980s.  He was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma in 2015 and has just filed this suit.  He further claims that they knew of the dangers of their asbestos-filled chemicals and should have warned those in the area and taken steps to make the air around the factory safe.  Having failed to so, he alleges, they are responsible for his fatal disease.  His doctors have told him he doesn’t have long left to live. Continue reading

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On the banks of the Deerfield River in Monroe, Massachusetts sits what is left of a paper mill that has long since closed.  The mill is completely dilapidated and is now an asbestos-laden mess that is slowly slipping into the river.  Not only is it an eyesore that many would like to get rid of, it is an ever increasing environmental disaster in the making that needs to go, according to a recent news article from Mass Live.

asbestos dustIf it is not addressed soon, it will certainly fall into the river, and that will release large quantities of deadly asbestos fibers, as well as a great deal of waste and other debris, into the water and surrounding soil. This is certainly something that residents and country officials, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), would like to avoid. Continue reading

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In 2014 the Denver Broncos were in the National Football League (NFL) and played two of their games at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.  As these games were going on, the United States Attorney’s Office has alleged that the owners of a nearby apartment complex were doing a large renovation project that was putting dangerous levels of asbestos in the ambient air.  They further allege that this was putting Denver residents and those at the playoffs games at risk for inhaling those deadly fibers, according to a recent news article from the Denver Post.

shingleThe U.S. Attorney’s Office has just filed federal criminal charges against the company that owns the apartment complex and the director of the company in his personal capacity.  While it seems strange, a corporation can have criminal charges against it, because it is a considered a “jural person,” meaning that is treated as a real person within the context of being a defendant or plaintiff in a criminal or civil case.  While the company will obviously not go to jail, it can be fined, and people at the company who are named in the indictment could go to prison upon a conviction. Continue reading

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All across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, local towns and school boards are forced to deal with aging school buildings that are in desperate need of repair and asbestos abatement.  While this is not a problem unique to Massachusetts by any means, the area is home to large number of these aging schools and that is resulting in a serious problem.

asbestos-300x225One of these schools is located in Wareham, where the 50-year-old school building is in serious need of repairs. The school is currently undergoing roofing repairs, and the heating system is being replaced.  However, the school board is running into two major problems that are delaying completion of the projects, as discussed in a recent news article form Wicked Local Wareham. Continue reading

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According to a recent news article from KCUR News, a class action lawsuit involving 7,500 employees at the old Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas was just settled in the amount of $80 million.  This was a settlement on the eve of trial, as a jury had already been chosen and the case was set to open the following day.

onemilliondollars1-300x199The class action plaintiffs alleged that, while they were working in the old courthouse in 1983, the engineering company that was conducting major renovations caused asbestos dust to be spread throughout the entire building. Continue reading

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There is no question that exposure to asbestos fibers will often result in the development of malignant mesothelioma.  This can involve malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) when the disease originally starts in a victim’s lungs, or it can involve malignant pericardial mesothelioma when it first occurs in a patient’s chest.  If the cancer is first formed in the victim’s abdomen, the cancer is known as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.  However, it should be noted that wherever the cancer forms, it can quickly spread to other parts of the body and new tumors can develop.

rubble-1432323-mCompanies in the asbestos industry tried for years to hide this definitively proven medical fact, and were pretty successful, given that it is not well known by the general public.  However, mesothelioma isn’t the only danger of asbestos exposure. Ine of the other medical conditions caused by asbestos is known as asbestosis.

Asbestosis occurs when the deadly asbestos fibers cause a scarring to the tissue inside a patient’s lungs.   Symptoms of asbestosis are similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is usually caused by years of smoking.  Like COPD, asbestosis can be treated with medication. Patients are often required to carry an oxygen tank, which is cumbersome, but the alternative is potentially deadly. It’s a condition that requires prompt diagnosis and thorough treatment. Continue reading

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According to a recent article from E News Park Forest, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, (D-Ill.,) has called on the federal Environmental Protection Agency to give top priority on the list of chemicals it will be reviewing under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act.  This act is a reform to the Chemical Substances Control Act of 1976.

senateThe act was signed by President Barack Obama in June of this year. The law gives the EPA authority to regulate chemicals based upon how they affect vulnerable groups of people like small children, older Americans, pregnant women, and industrial workers who are often required to be around potentially hazardous chemicals on a frequent basis. Continue reading

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There is no question that being an asbestos abatement professional is a hazardous job.  Workers in this industry are at high risk of inhaling asbestos fibers that are too dangerous for anyone else to be around. For this reason, the industry is heavily regulated and employers must ensure workers have all the proper protection and training. This can be costly, but it’s necessary.

Unfortunately, as a recent incident revealed, even asbestos abatement firms sometimes cut corners to save costs, putting workers – and the public – at risk.

tosignacontractIf a property owner suspects that there is asbestos on his or her property, the first thing that must be done is for a certified asbestos inspector to come and take samples.  Once these samples are collected, they will be sent to a materials testing lab for microscopic analysis.  The lab will not only determine if there are asbestos fibers present, but what kind of asbestos fibers they are, which is important, because some are even more dangerous than others. Continue reading

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