Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog

July 25, 2011

Insurance Companies Building Reserves For Mesothelioma in Boston, Nation

A recent story by the Reuters News Service reports that insurance companies are adding more and more money to their reserves to fend off lawsuits on behalf of workers who were exposed to asbestos.

The story cites information from the American Cancer Society that suggest new cases of malignant mesothelioma have dropped at an annual rate of 1.8 percent from 1999 to 2008. But while reported cases may be dropping, the story doesn’t properly address the fact that a mesothelioma diagnosis in Boston can happen 30 to 40 years after exposure to asbestos. So while the numbers may have dropped in the last 10 years, there may be a new wave of victims who are at high risk of being diagnosed.

Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers have been fighting big businesses and insurance companies for years. Those who attempt to deny harming people who were exposed to asbestos and suffer from this incurable and quick-to-kill form of cancer need to be held accountable. The average life expectancy for someone diagnosed with mesothelioma is about 12 months.

According to the article, while diagnoses may be dropping, the number of lawsuits have increased, causing insurance companies to put more money into reserves to fend off cases by aggressive attorneys fighting for the rights of injured clients. Insurance companies are seeing more lawsuits against what they call “peripheral insureds,” such as contractors who worked on projects where asbestos was used.

The article focuses on the plight of insurance companies, which tend to make educated guesses about how long a particular risk will endure and how much it will cost them to be done with it. The article correctly implies that for insurance companies, victims are simply a dollar sign and not a person who is hurting from being unnecessarily exposed to asbestos.

The article states that many of the rescue workers at Ground Zero following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in New York were exposed to high concentrations of asbestos — in some cases nearly a million times the normal background level.

Asbestos, while it has never been officially banned in the United States, has been used less frequently in recent decades because of its link to illness. It was so attractive to builders because of its ability to insulate and be fire-retardant and was also used to manufacture floor and ceiling tiles and in ships and shipyards for the U.S. Navy.

Many people may have been exposed without knowing it and came to suffer — or will come to suffer in the future. Microscopic asbestos flakes are inhaled and travel through the blood system before attaching to major organs, such as the heart and lungs. They sit for years and sometimes decades before turning into the deadly cancer mesothelioma. The symptoms include chest pain and trouble breathing. Smokers often chalk up the symptoms to their habit, but it may be the asbestos exposure that causes the medical problems.

Insurance industry officials cited in the article lament the fact that asbestos claims aren’t going away any time soon because of their cost. But do the victims and family members of people who have suffered for years deserve compensation. We think so. And now workers’ lives are being cut short because of this debilitating illness.
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July 18, 2011

University of Hawaii Receives Donation to Research Mesothelioma in New England and Beyond

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The University of Hawaii recently received an anonymous $3.6 million gift to research mesothelioma, an incurable and fatal cancer that often goes undiagnosed for decades before killing its victims, The Associated Press reports.

This is great news for the family members of mesothelioma victims in Massachusetts and throughout New England who have witnessed how this cancer’s devastation. Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers are prepared to fight for those who were unjustly exposed to the asbestos that led to a mesothelioma diagnosis.

According to The Associated Press, the donation is the second-largest in the university cancer center’s history and could go a long way toward understanding and helping to stop this fatal illness. According to aboutmesothelioma.net, the Hawaii researchers have spent the better part of the last 15 years studying in a region of Turkey where nearly 50 percent of its residents have died from mesothelioma as a result of exposure to eroinite, a naturally occurring mineral found in rock formations that is considered even more toxic than asbestos. It is used in road paving in the United States.

This area of Turkey resembles Libby, Montana, where 70 percent of the country’s asbestos was discovered between 1919 and 1990. In this town there was a mine that employed a large percentage of the population. And hundreds of thousands of tons of vermiculite, which contained asbestos, were shipped to plants that processed it and manufactured goods sold throughout the country. In Libby, thousands have gone ill and hundreds have died and thousands more are probably undiagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses after the town was covered in a haze of asbestos flakes.

But Hawaii researchers are hoping to conduct a clinical trial in this region of Turkey, called Cappadocia, in order to further their studies. They have already discovered that asbestos kills cells through a process called programmed cell necrosis that leads to the release of a protein molecule HMGB1. Those exposed to asbestos have an elevated level of the protein in their blood. And it sets off an inflammatory chain reaction in tissue that causes the release of mutagens that promote tumor growth. Researchers believe that by interfering with the inflammatory reaction, it may be possible to decrease the occurrence of mesothelioma.

“Mesothelioma is a serious public health problem,” said Virginia Hinshaw, chancellor of the University of Hawaii Manoa. “We’re proud that Dr. (Michele) Carbone’s team is leading the world in this area of discovery. This gift validates their efforts and will help them remain at the forefront of thoracic oncology research.”

Asbestos exposure is especially problematic in Hawaii because of the military’s use of asbestos in ships and buildings at Pearl Harbor and the remains of the shipyard that was bombed in 1941 by Japanese forces. As a result, Hawaii has higher rates of the cancer than other parts of the country. Veterans from years ago have been diagnosed with mesothelioma in recent years, though the life span after diagnosis is only about a year.
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July 16, 2011

$22 Million Verdict Against Goodyear Shows Devastating Effects of Asbestos Exposure in Boston

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A recent jury verdict against The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and Goodyear Canada of $22 million for workers exposed to asbestos in the 1970s is a sign of the potential future litigation that will be brought against companies for ignoring the devastating effects, the Bradenton Herald reports.

Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers believe now is the time to act if you or a loved one inhaled asbestos for years at work, in an old building or in years of service in the U.S. military. This incurable cancer acts slowly and quickly at the same time.

As someone exposed to asbestos continually inhales its microscopic fibers day after day and year after year, the fibers travel through the blood system before depositing on the lining of major organs such as the lungs and heart. There, they cultivate for years and sometimes decades before causing health problems. Many workers from the 1960s and 1970s have had few symptoms over the last 30 or 40 years but are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related illnesses. And after diagnosis, the median time to live is only 12 months. Short-term exposure to asbestos has also been linked to mesothelioma.

Sadly, many companies and businesses were aware of the dangers of asbestos, but continued using the substance because of its durability, cost and usefulness. And even as more and more facts came out over the years about the deadly substance, companies were resistant to renovating their buildings and old factories, leaving workers at risk.

In this case, two workers were exposed to asbestos in gaskets while working as steamfitters between 1969 and 1973 and a number of upstate New York job sites near Buffalo. Goodyear manufactured sheet gasket material that contained asbestos.

One of the men was diagnosed with lung cancer and was awarded $11.6 million for pain and suffering and $1.9 million to his widow. The jury found the companies 42 percent responsible for his lung cancer, though he smoked.

As for the other man, the jury found the companies 12 percent responsible for the lung cancer, though he, too, smoked. His family was awarded $8.5 million in pain and suffering.

These are large numbers and they show that the jury believed the company ignored the risks of asbestos and still used the material in their buildings. And for these two men, it became fatal.

More and more of these cases are popping up across the country because baby boomers exposed to asbestos are now being diagnosed and are seeking lawsuits to take care of their families. But it is crucial to act quickly if one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma.

These cases require sometimes years of research to detail the facts and put together a case in court. But our firm is committed to helping those who have unjustly been exposed to asbestos that has caused painful and life-threatening illnesses.
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July 15, 2011

High School Teenager Succombs to Mesothelioma

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In a tragic and baffling case, a California football player died recently from mesothelioma after fighting the illness for more than a year, the Pasadena Star-News reports.

Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers have seen many people throughout New England diagnosed with mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos, but it’s shocking to see a case of a teenager killed by the fatal and incurable illness. The cancer is deadly and a person usually only lives about a year after being diagnosed with mesothelioma in New England.

Mesothelioma has many symptoms, which often makes it difficult to diagnose. Long-time mine workers, those who worked in the military or other factory jobs may be most at risk. But others, who worked in offices made with asbestos may also be at risk and if employers knew of the risks but exposed employees to potentially harmful products as a result, they should be held accountable for their actions.

The Pasadena High School football standout died recently after battling mesothelioma for about a year. He survived cardiac arrest twice over the past several days to fend off death, but his family recently pulled him off life support at the National Institute of Health.

According to news reports, the teen was plagued with health problems ever since March 2010, when his heart stopped during a medical procedure to drain fluid from his chest. Despite that, he played linebacker in his senior year.

He was hospitalized five times in May as local doctors struggled to diagnose what was wrong with his body. Recently, at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, doctors discovered that Lacy was suffering from mesothelioma. The tumors filled his chest and pressed against his heart, restricting blood flow. And after a year, his battle ended. It’s unclear whether Lacy was exposed to asbestos or how he might have contracted the cancer.

It is a sad story and one that thousands of family members throughout the United States are keenly familiar with. More than 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year. And the median life expectancy after diagnosis is only about 12 months.

This is an odd cancer because it can form over 30 or 40 years after exposure to asbestos and then move rapidly. Asbestos is a natural mineral that was mined from 1919 to 1990 in the United States. And while it has never been banned in this country, it is rarely used because of its potential health risks.

When people inhale microscopic asbestos fibers either from old buildings or from working in factories, the fibers travel through the blood system and line the wall of major organs, such as the lungs and heart. There, they cultivate for years and sometimes decades before presenting the following symptoms:

•Shortness of breath •Fluid between the lung and chest wall •Fatigue or anemia •Wheezing, hoarseness or cough •Coughed up blood •Abdominal pain •Problems with bowel
But by then, it is typically too late. As in the case of the football player, doctors sometimes have difficulty making a true diagnosis and all the while, the cancer is developing. By the time a specialist comes into play and makes a correct diagnosis, it’s usually too late.
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July 5, 2011

Series on Top Asbestos Exposure Sites Continues by Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

For the last several weeks, Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers have detailed on our blog more than two dozen sites across the country, including in Massachusetts, that were used for years to process vermiculite, a natural mineral that can contain asbestos.

Asbestos was used throughout the 20th Century to insulate houses and businesses and make floor and ceiling tiles and other products. It was also used in shipyards, on military ships and in automobile brake pads, shoes and clutch discs.

But while its use hasn’t been banned in the United States, the manufacture of products containing asbestos has severely declined in recent years because of the discovery of, and attention to, asbestos-related illnesses. That includes mesothelioma in Boston and elsewhere.

Mesothelioma is a fatal and incurable form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. And the median survival rate after a diagnosis of mesothelioma is less than a year. Many people aren’t diagnosed for 30 or 40 years because microscopic asbestos fibers lay unnoticed in the walls of major organs, such as the heart and lungs, while the cancer develops. It isn’t until other symptoms persist that people tend to get checked and the cancer is discovered.

From 1919 to 1990, a vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana produced some 70 percent of the vermiculite used throughout the country. Much of the vermiculite was contaminated with asbestos. Millions of tons of vermiculite was shipped to plants throughout the country, including in Massachusetts, where workers heated it to manufacture products.

While the Libby mine closed in 1990, the federal government is still helping the people there, many of whom have fallen ill or died. The government in recent years dedicated more than $100 million to cleanup the area and provide healthcare for people exposed. Federal researchers believe people who lived near the mine or the plants and those who lived with employees of the vermiculite companies are at risk for mesothelioma and other diseases related to asbestos exposure.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently produced a website dedicated to providing information about more than two dozen plants that imported and processed the vermiculite.

Mesothelioma in St. Louis: This Zonolite Company site operated from the late 1940s to 1998 and produced nearly 140,000 tons of vermiculite, which was shipped in from Libby.

The CDC warns that not only workers and their families, but the more than 13,000 people who lived within a mile of the plant, including an elementary school, could have been exposed to asbestos and should be checked by a doctor.

Mesothelioma in New Orleans: This Zonolite Company plant processed about 148,000 tons of vermiculite from Libby. The CDC reports that much of the vermiculite contained asbestos.

The plant operated from 1965 to 1989 and sat in a mixed residential, commercial and industrial part of the city. Based on 1990 U.S. Census data, more than 5,000 people lived within a mile of the site.

Mesothelioma in Minneapolis: According to research on this Zonolite plant, which operated from 1938 to 1989, about 93,000 tons of vermiculite from Libby was processed here.

Some of the ore was left behind after it was heated and left outside the plant, where citizens would pick it up and use it in their yards, gardens, driveways, barbecues and other construction products.
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June 30, 2011

Lawsuit Blames Asbestos Exposure For Veterans’ Mesothelioma, Death

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The estate of a man who died after a battle with mesothelioma has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in New Orleans against some of the nation’s biggest companies, including Viacom, Inc., General Electric Co., Uniroyal, Inc. and others.

Boston Mesothelioma Attorneys are available to represent clients from throughout New England who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. Mesothelioma in Boston is an incurable and fatal cancer that usually takes 30 to 40 years before a diagnosis is made.

That’s because people have ingested the microscopic fibers, which travel through the blood stream and attach to the walls of major organs, such as the lungs and heart. They stay for years and sometimes decades before people experience symptoms and are diagnosed.

Some common symptoms, according to the Mesothelioma Cancer Network:

Persistent dry cough without phlegm
Plueral effusions (typically containing blood)
Blood in the sputum (fluid) or coughing up blood
Difficulty swallowing
Inexplicable weight loss
Fatigue
Sweating or fever
Persistent chest or rib area pain, painful breathing
Inexplicable shortness of breath
Development of lumps under the skin on the chest

In the case in New Orleans, the man was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2010, the article reports. And the lawsuit alleges he was exposed to asbestos while he was aboard United States Navy vessels from 1966 to the late 1970s. The lawsuit states that exposure was a result of asbestos dust emanating throughout the USS Rehoboth, the USNS Albert J. Meyer, the USNS Flyer, the USNS Wyman, the USNS Kingsport and the Sgt. Alfred Shoup.

The lawsuit alleges the companies produced an unreasonably dangerous product, didn’t warn the public, of defective design, strict products liability and breach of implied and expressed warranties.

The United States military was one of the largest consumers of asbestos in the early and mid 20th century. The military used it on Navy ships, Army barracks, U.S. Air Force planes and other products. And 70 percent of the vermiculite, a natural mineral that contains asbestos, was mined in Libby Montana and shipped to plants across the country to be exfoliated.

Asbestos was used for insulation, to create floor and ceiling tiles, peat moss, gardening and landscaping products and other uses. While it has never officially been banned in the United States, it’s use has been severely curtailed in the last two decades because of its effects.

Many companies knew of the effects or at some point discovered the problems asbestos can cause but did nothing to protect workers. And many Americans were wrongfully exposed to asbestos, which can cause mesothelioma and other fatal diseases. Those who were wrongly exposed years ago should seek justice. First, see a doctor that specializes in asbestos-related illnesses and then call our law firm to discuss your rights.
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June 21, 2011

As Boston Baby Boomers Age, Mesothelioma Diagnoses Could Rise

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A recent article by Time Magazine reports that in the next 20 years, asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, will surge in Asia based on a recent report from the World Health Organization. And 7,000 people will turn 65 years old a day in the United States, perhaps the next wave of those affected by mesothelioma in Boston.

While asbestos is rarely used in the United States anymore, it has never officially been banned. And third-world countries continue to import asbestos for insulation and other uses even though it has been linked to devastating illnesses. They may well learn what the United States has long ago learned — that asbestos causes fatal illnesses. The World Health Organization estimates that about 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos at the workplace and 107,000 people die each year from asbestos-related illnesses because of workplace exposure.

Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers have seen clients struck down by mesothelioma and other deadly asbestos-related illnesses. Many times, exposure to asbestos could have been prevented and businesses and companies should be held liable for harming their employees. A diagnosis of mesothelioma can take 30 to 40 years, which makes it difficult to pinpoint when someone was exposed, but our law firm will help. Mesothelioma is devastating because it is a fatal and incurable form of cancer. More than 7 percent of Boston’s population identified itself as Asian in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, so, if you or a loved one are exposed to asbestos and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, call today so we can discuss your case.

According to the Time article, Asia accounts for 64 percent of global asbestos use, five times higher than it did in the 1970s. And perhaps that’s because decades ago, the United States stopped being such a heavy user of asbestos. Asbestos has been used to make peat moss, ceiling and floor tiles and was commonly used in the construction of houses and commercial properties.

The U.S. Military was one of the largest importers of the material because it was used in the construction of many Navy ships, U.S. Army tanks and Air Force planes, among other uses. And baby boomers may be the next group to be affected. According to AARP, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 1, more than 7,000 people will turn 65 years old each day.

More than 70 percent of the country’s asbestos came from a mine in Libby, Montana, where the natural mineral vermiculite, which can contain asbestos, was mined. It was shipped to plants across the country, including Massachusetts, where workers processed it and manufactured products that were sent across the country. The plant operated from 1919 to 1990 and in that town, thousands have gotten ill and hundreds have died due to exposure.

People get sick when microscopic asbestos fibers are ingested, travel through the bloodstream and attach to the walls of major organs, such as the lungs and heart. They stay for years and sometimes decades before the signs cause a person to get checked, which leads to a diagnosis. By then, it’s often too late.
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June 15, 2011

Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers Continue Tracking Top Asbestos Exposure Sites

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researched more than two dozen plants and a mine that processed vermiculite, a natural mineral that can contain asbestos. And, as research has shown, exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma in Boston, a fatal and incurable form of cancer.

Boston Personal Injury Lawyers have represented clients who have been wrongfully exposed to asbestos and who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases and illnesses. We are committed to helping those who have been injured by seeking help with medical bills and damages resulting from this debilitating illness.

More than 70 percent of the asbestos in the United States came from a vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana that operated from 1919 to 1990. The mine pumped out millions of tons of the natural mineral. The mined vermiculite was then shipped to plants throughout the country, including in Massachusetts, and workers there exfoliated the vermiculite to manufacture everything from peat moss to floor and ceiling tiles to insulation.

But as the people of Libby have sadly discovered, the dust that coated the town contained microscopic asbestos fibers that, when ingested, attached to the walls of major organs, such as the heart and lungs. And after a 30- to 40-year incubation period, can lead to a diagnosis of mesothelioma, which has no cure. Thousands of people in Libby have been diagnosed with illnesses and several hundred have died. The federal government has dedicated more than $100 million to cleanup and health-related efforts in Libby even today, some two decades after the mine shut down.

And while workers are certainly affected, their families, those who drove in their cars and washed their clothes are also affected. And even people who lived in a town or city or near a plant are at risk for exposure. And because it can take so long for a diagnosis to be made, it’s important to seek medical care as soon as possible if you may have lived near one of the plants or the Libby mine. A diagnosis may be devastating, but our firm will work to help you recover funds if you were unjustly exposed.

Mesothelioma in Kentucky: This W.R. Grace plant operated from 1952 to 1992, when it was shut down. It received Libby vermiculite during those four decades and exfoliated more than 220,000 tons.
In 1990, the U.S. Census reported that about 9,000 people lived within one mile of the site.

Mesothelioma in Michigan: This Zonolite Company and W.R. Grace plant operated from the 1940s to 1989. The plant exfoliated about 206,000 tons of vermiculite from Libby.

Mesothelioma in Chicago:The W.R. Grace & Company facility operated from 1974 to the 1990s in West Chicago, processing more than 273,000 tons of vermiculite. the facility closed in 1996 and the company sold the property.
Census data shows that more than 3,000 people lived within a mile of the site in 1990.
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June 10, 2011

Boston Personal Injury Lawyers Track Top Asbestos Sites That Cause Mesothelioma

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers have spent a few weeks outlining the more than two dozen sites across the country where federal researchers have confirmed that workers, their families and the general public were exposed to asbestos, the main cause of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma in Boston is a form of cancer that has no cure. When people inhale the tiny asbestos particles, they stick to the lining of major organs, such as the heart and lungs and develop for years, sometimes as long as 30 or 40 years, before people are diagnosed with mesothelioma.

While asbestos has never officially been banned in the United States, companies have stopped using it because of the known effects and the many lawsuits — as many as 800,000 nationwide — that have been brought because of the mineral. Asbestos is found in vermiculite, a mineral primarily mined in Libby, Montana from 1919 to 1990. The Libby mine produced 70 percent of the country’s asbestos, which was used for insulation, car parts, ceiling and floor tiles and other products.

In Libby, thousands of people have fallen ill and hundreds more have died due to asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma. Books and news reports have chronicled how the mine, the town’s main source of income, would create a dust over houses, cars and grass that children played in because of its vast production.

This series of blogs is based on a nationwide analysis of 28 sites across the United States produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Previous blog entries detailed sites closest to Boston. People may have lived near or worked in any of these sites and moved to New England. If you believe you have been exposed to asbestos anytime in the last decade, contact Boston Personal Injury Lawyers today.

Mesothelioma in Dearborn, MI: This site opened in the 1950s until 1989 and was run by the W.R. Grace & Company and Zonolite Company.

According to the CDC, the Dearborn site exfoliated more than 200,000 tons of vermiculite from 1966 to 1988 and records before 1966 weren’t available The site where the plant was is now owned and operated by a car parts company. Environmental researchers found that samples of soil at the site found asbestos in the mid-2000s. Vermiculite waste found inside the building also contained asbestos.

Mesothelioma in West Chicago, IL: The W.R. Grace & Company owned this site, which operated from 1974 to the early 1990s. It processed vermiculite that was shipped from the mine in Libby.

According to records analyzed by the CDC, the Chicago plant processed more than 273,000 tons of vermiculite in the time it operated. The site was sold in 1998 to a marble column manufacturing company. The CDC reports that the area around the plant is primarily commercial, but that in 1990, 3,000 people lived within a half mile of the plant.

Mesothelioma in Wilder, KY: A CDC investigation into this plant revealed that W.R. Grace & Company owned it from 1952 to 1992.

The plant processed about 220,000 tons of vermiculite in the 40 years it operated. The main products of the plant included structural fireproofing, thermal insulation for masonry construction, lightweight concrete aggregate and other products that use vermiculite. Waste materials were disposed of on site.
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June 8, 2011

Mesothelioma Series Continues Look at Asbestos Sites That Could Affect Boston Residents

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In its ongoing series about asbestos exposure throughout the United States, Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers point out several more vermiculite mines and plants they may have led to exposure to tens of thousands of workers, relatives and the public.

The series is based on an analysis of 28 sites nationwide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that had exposure to vermiculite mined at a plant in Libby, Montana, where thousands of people have fallen ill and hundreds died because of exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos and it has no cure. After inhaling tiny fibers from asbestos, they can line the walls of internal organs. They sit undetected for up to 30 or 40 years before a person is diagnosed with the fatal cancer.

Vermiculite is a natural mineral that expands with heat and while not all vermiculite contains asbestos, much of it does. Asbestos has regularly been used in car machinery, insulation in houses and businesses, as well as ceiling tiles and other products. And while asbestos use has never been banned in the United States, its use has been curtailed following more than a decade’s worth of reports about the ill effects asbestos has on people.

Over the next few weeks, Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog will detail the sites across the country where vermiculite was mined, plants it was shipped to and whether today, sometimes even more than a decade after a plant was shut down, asbestos is still present in the air and soil of the nearby area. Anyone who may have worked in a mine or plant or thinks they have been exposed to asbestos should meet with a doctor who specializes in asbestos-related illnesses and also with Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers, who may be able to ensure justice and help with medical bills if they are unjustly exposed.

Mesothelioma in New Castle, PA: This W.R. Grace & Company site is located in New Castle Pennsylvania, on the western border of the state. According to the CDC, the plant operated from 1969 to 1992 and processed more than 172,000 tons of asbestos-containing vermiculite.

During the 23 years of its operation, the plant received vermiculite from the Libby, Montana site, which produced nearly 70 percent of the vermiculite sold in the United States from 1919 and 1990, when it operated. The agency warns workers, relatives and people who lived near the site that they could be at risk for exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma in Ellwood City, PA: This former W.R. Grace & Company and Zonolite company facility was located within 13 miles of the New Castle site.

It operated from 1954 to 1969 and federal researchers confirmed that workers were exposed to more than 100,000 tons asbestos-tainted vermiculite that was shipped from the Libby mine. Workers, but also their cohabitants, who could have been exposed to their clothes and dust from the asbestos, should be examined.

Mesothelioma in Marysville, OH: A study by the CDC revealed that The Scotts Company owned and operated this plant from 1967 to 1980. The company, formerly called O.M. Scott and Sons Company ran the plant in Marysville, Ohio, which sits northwest of Columbus.

The site exfoliated about 430,000 tons of vermiculite in the 13 years it was operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week before it was shut down.
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