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According to a recent report from KPBS News, there have been more than 300 water main breaks in San Diego from January 2012 through late 2015. This is an unprecedented number of water main breaks and has resulted in an estimated loss of 35 million gallons of water in an area that is constantly in need of more water.

rustypipesOne person interviewed for the news feature said she was heading out of her home around 6:30 in the morning when she learned there was water coming up through the pavement across the street from where she lived. At first, it seemed like a small amount of water, but soon it looked like a river.   The water was coming from an eight-inch water main that had burst below her street. By the time the spill was cleaned up, nearly 400,000 gallons of water had been spilled onto her street, and the entire block was without running water for more than a day. This was a tragic loss of water and major inconvenience for those depending on that main to deliver their water. Eventually, the city sent a water wagon to provide the residents with clean water to use. Continue reading

The once proud Cleveland Public Power Plant has been sitting closed for years.   The United States Environmental Protection Agency discovered that the plant, which sits along the shores of Lake Erie, had been leaking thousands of gallons of lubricating oil into the lake. This spill occurred last Easter, and EPA ordered the plant owners to clean up the shoreline and do no further damage.   The reason for the toxic spill was because some of the older tanks and waste containers ruptured, allowing the waste contained in them to flow out of the building and into a river.

waterfront-industry-159568-mAt this point, cleanup crews went to work trying to the remove the lubricant material and anything else polluting the shoreline. While the cleanup was going reasonably well, something unexpected happened when they discovered asbestos located throughout the building and in many of the tanks that had ruptured, causing the problems in the first place. As if this was not bad enough, many of these tanks that contained asbestos were fully submerged in the wastewater flowing out of the building. This made cleanup efforts extremely difficult and costly. The flooding was so deep that some of the tanks were under 13 feet of wastewater. Continue reading

On the corner of D and Athens Street in South Boston sits a red brick building that served as South Boston’s main police station for just less than 70 years before it finally closed in the early 1980s. Since its closure, the building sits empty, and it has for many years, but city officials hope that will not be the case for much longer.

danger-keep-out1-709062-mAccording to a recent news article from the Boston Globe, the old Southie police station is going to be turned into a state-of-the-art housing facility for military veterans.   While the building has never been declared a historic structure, it does have a significant amount of history, and the building itself has a great deal of character. After all, it was designed by the same architect who designed the courthouse on East Bay Street and Fenway Park, where the Boston Red Sox play. Continue reading

Folta v. Ferro Engineering, an appeal from the Supreme Court of Illinois, involved a plaintiff who worked from 1966 to 1970 as product tester and shipping clerk for defendant. During the few years he worked for defendant, he was exposed to asbestos on a regular basis, according to the record of the case.

judgeAsbestos fibers are very toxic to humans. Once they are inhaled, they can become trapped in a layer of tissue known as the mesothelium, where they can metastasize into a deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma. That can occur in the lungs, chest cavity, abdomen, and other organs, and it can quickly spread to other parts of the body. However, it normally takes between 20 and 50 years for victims to develop noticeable symptoms of mesothelioma, and by the time they are first diagnosed, they are often informed they only have a very short period of time left to live. Continue reading

When people think of where United States Congress members work, they are often picturing the iconic United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. While the Capitol building is certainly where Congress members go to vote on bills and speak on the floor of the House and the Senate, only a few longstanding members of Congress actually have offices in the Capitol building, because there simply isn’t enough space. For this reason, there are several congressional office buildings located next to the Capitol building, such as the Hart building and Cannon House Office Building that houses over 100 members of the United States House of Representatives and their respective staff.

freedom-2-889854-mHowever, according to a recent article from Fox News, an asbestos scare has caused the Architect of the Capitol to close the 114-year-old building for major renovations. It should be noted that the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is not a person but the federal agency responsibly for maintaining the condition of the many federal buildings on Capitol Hill and for handling any major construction or renovation projects. Continue reading

According to a recent news article form The National Law Review, Massachusetts Court of Appeals has recently made a significant ruling on a case involving non-payment of a subcontractor for issues involving asbestos abatement (removal) responsibilities.

gavel21In this case, Acme Abatement Contractor, Inc. v. S&R Corporation, a general contractor was working on a public demolition and hired a subcontractor to perform most of the work. However, after subcontractor performed most of the work, contractor refused to pay subcontractor for any of the work. At this point, subcontractor filed a civil contracts lawsuit against general contractor in the Massachusetts Superior Court. In this case, after discovery and hearing cross motions for summary judgment, the superior court granted summary judgment in favor of contractor. In other words, the court was convinced it was acceptable for contractor to withhold payment to subcontractor based upon the alleged deficiencies in performance. Continue reading

According to a recent article from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (one of the nation’s leading cancer hospitals), new collaborative research suggests that there may be beneficial treatment for mesothelioma if the BAP1 gene is targeted.

mWd8Wf2Mesothelioma is technically not what we typically refer to as lung cancer. It is an entirely different type of cancer caused by exposure to toxic asbestos fibers, which become embedded in a layer of tissue surrounding internal organs known as the mesothelium. Mesothelioma can form in the chest cavity, stomach, or other organs, but, since it affects breathing and often develops in the lungs, many people incorrectly believe it is the same as lung cancer. Continue reading

Anyone familiar with the Worcester area is probably at least somewhat familiar with the historic Stearns Tavern currently located in Webster Square. According to recent article in the Worcester Telegram, the historic tavern was built in 1812 by Charles Stearns to operate as a tavern. Years later, it was operated by the hotel and stagecoach stop for travelers passing through the city of Worcester.

tosignacontract3The tavern was later sold to other people and used for other purposes. In the 1950s, it was a furniture shop, and ten years later it was a carpet store. In the mid 1970s the building was moved from its original location on Main Street to the Weber Square area, where it has sat for the past several decades. After being relocated, it was used as a local bank. The building hosted several different banks over the years, including Bank of America, which moved out about two years ago. Continue reading

There has been a lot of media attention lately and strong public reaction about a report released concerning bacon, which should be expected from both camps on the validity and importance of this recent report by the Worth Health Organization (WHO), according to a recent article by Reuters.

bacon-1-1323904The report conducted by the World Heath Organization and its Internal Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) stated there was a causal link between eating red meat and developing prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. The agency also found that eating processed meats such as what is found in many sandwich meats, bacon, and other processed foods, increases one’s risk of colorectal cancer, if the patient eats these processed meats every day. Continue reading

When firefighters arrive at a burning building, truck crews will typically go to work fighting their way inside to look for victims, while ladder companies and engine companies set up and start fighting the fire itself. Every aspect of working as a firefighter and responding to a blaze is very dangerous.   There is always the risk firefighters will be badly burned, trapped under a building as it falls apart around them, or suffer severe injury from breathing thick smoke.

mgySaLaTo prevent smoke inhalation injuries, firefighters will often wear a self-contained breathing apparatus, like a scuba driver wears, but this equipment is designed to work in fire instead of underwater.   Air packs firefighters wear are often called Scott Packs after the company that makes them. This is the same company that makes respirators and ventilators for use in asbestos abatement projects, but the two products are not interchangeable. In other words, a firefighter air pack is not extremely effective at keeping a firefighter safe from asbestos inhalation in a fire, and an asbestos abatement pack wouldn’t be much help in fire. Continue reading

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