Articles Posted in Mesothelioma in New England

Maybe it’s just us Boston mesothelioma lawyers, but it seems like there have been many more instances of asbestos-related violations lately.

It could be that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is finally getting serious about asbestos exposure, or maybe construction and real estate officials have become lax in their treatment of this potentially fatal mineral.

Exposure to asbestos in Boston can be life-threatening if it turns into a diagnosis of mesothelioma, a rare and incurable form of cancer. Many schools have been in the news recently because they are finally cleaning up asbestos that has been in their gymnasiums, walls, piping and boiler rooms for decades.

Asbestos was used for most of the 20th Century in buildings throughout the country. New England buildings are old and historic and there’s no doubt that many schools, museums and factories were built with asbestos.

In Natick, a real estate broker has been fined $41,235 by the state’s DEP because he didn’t correctly remove asbestos. The broker has said he wasn’t the one who removed the asbestos, but rather was told to do so by a subcontractor.

In February 2009, the broker hired a contractor who didn’t have an asbestos license to remove asbestos insulation from a house in Worcester, according to the allegations. When the house was inspected by state officials along with the storage facility in Upton where the asbestos had been taken, they found the material hadn’t been removed, transported, labeled or packaged according to state regulations, the agency said.

The broker was then forced to hire a licensed asbestos contractor to remove the asbestos and make sure the home’s basement and the storage unit were no longer contaminated with the asbestos. He was fined $35,100 plus another $6,135 penalty that will be withheld as long as the broker doesn’t have any more violations in the next two years, the newspaper reports.

In lieu of a fine, the broker offered to put together an educational program for brokers who, like him, may not have been aware of the liability in such cases. That offer was rejected, he said.

I think all Massachusetts residents can appreciate that the state is going to great lengths to make sure our buildings — both old and newly renovated — are free from asbestos. By now, we all know that asbestos is highly dangerous and can lead to certain death upon diagnosis of mesothelioma.

While asbestos has never been officially banned in the United States, its dangers are well known. There is no excuse for this dangerous material to be used in our buildings so that people are put at risk. And while contractors are busy working quickly to maximize profits, they cannot overlook the dangers of renovation of an older building.

There’s no reason that buildings should still contain this very old and very dangerous natural mineral. It should not only be replaced with a safer alternative, but disposed of so no one else can be exposed and injured by it. Both construction professionals as well as real estate officials must listen up and take this seriously.
Continue reading

The Medford School Department has been fined $30,000 for improperly disposing of asbestos tiling at the Curtis Tufts Alternative High School, The Boston Globe reports.

What is sad here is that not only did the school not conform to rules and proper procedures for removing asbestos, but also that this school still had asbestos in it as of 2009. As the Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog reported in September, however, Medford isn’t the only school dealing with asbestos in Massachusetts.

The school district in North Reading was forking out about $275,000 to remove asbestos from middle and high schools there. It’s an issue that older schools in New England have despite the knowledge for decades that asbestos is dangerous and potentially deadly to those who are exposed.

Our Massachusetts mesothelioma lawyers are happy that schools districts are making asbestos removal a priority, but are discouraged that it has taken so long and even more frustrated that schools may be improperly removing it once they get around to finding the money to do it.

According to The Globe, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued the $30,000 fine, but later suspended it. The violation occurred in 2009 and officials decided to levy the punishment provisionally. If the school doesn’t have another violation for three years, it won’t have to pay the fine.

The school has sent two staff members to specialized asbestos removal training as part of the deal.

In May 2009, a cleanup crew took asbestos-laden tiles and dumped them in a trash container behind the school. Officials said that once they found out, they moved students to a different school so students weren’t exposed. The article doesn’t state how long the trash bin was at the school before students were moved, however.

According to a violation order cited by the newspaper, after the container was removed, it was sent to another school — Columbus Elementary School — before being returned to the Curtis school, where it went through decontamination and cleaning procedures.

State law requires that asbestos be removed in sanitary conditions that reduce the possibility that others are exposed. Medford workers failed to use water in the removal, seal the work area and clean the air with purification devices when removing it.

There’s a reason the state has regulations to remove asbestos in a certain way so people aren’t exposed. And when you’re talking about removing asbestos, it is most dangerous when it breaks up and gets airborne. So, doing a proper job of getting rid of it is extremely important.

No one should have to be exposed to asbestos, but especially not our children. They are our future and if they are exposed to asbestos in school, 30 years from now they could end up with a mesothelioma diagnosis.

When someone is exposed to asbestos — even only for a short time — a mesothelioma diagnosis can result decades later. That’s why many military veterans, especially those who were in the U.S. Navy, are now realizing that working on ships in the 1960s and 1970s exposed them to asbestos and is leading to their death.

School officials must remain vigilant in getting asbestos out of their facilities and away from children. It is critical.
Continue reading

A recent article out of Pennsylvania makes some good points about mesothelioma in New England and beyond.

The good news is that at least National Mesothelioma Awareness Day has gotten into the national psyche and provided more awareness of this incurable and fatal form of cancer. The day, designated as such by the United States Congress, was September 26 and communities across the country used the day to remember loved ones who were struck down by this form of cancer and to raise awareness to those who aren’t familiar with it.

People diagnosed with mesothelioma in Boston tragically either were U.S. military veterans who were exposed to asbestos while serving our country or were workers in plants, factories or older buildings. Many buildings in the United States were constructed with asbestos because it is fire-resistant and can be used in many products, from insulation to ceiling tiles to use as coating for piping and brake pads.

After exposure, which can be as short as a matter of months, the asbestos forms tumors, typically in the chest along the lining of the heart or lungs. By the time they are discovered, the tumors are usually inoperable. The likely symptoms are chest pain, fluid build-up and heavy coughing.

Sadly, many people chalk up the symptoms to old age or years of smoking and don’t visit a doctor who specializes in asbestos-related illnesses, never having thought of asbestos being a culprit.

When someone is finally diagnosed with mesothelioma — it can take years or even decades for persistent symptoms to present themselves and for a diagnosis to be made — they typically live only about a year, on average.

It is a sad culmination to what is typically a long, full life filled with memories. But the last year is often marked with health struggles, frustration, resentment and sadness. Many people feel betrayed by the companies for whom they dedicated decades to in service.

Get checked out by a doctor if you have these symptoms and then meet with an experienced Boston mesothelioma lawyer, who can help.

Five pertinent facts about mesothelioma:

Treatment: Researchers have a basic knowledge of the cell biology and research has increased in recent years. Few treatment options are available that target mesothelioma specifically, which is why the median lifespan after diagnosis is so low.

September 11: An increase in diagnosis is expected in the next few years as survivors and volunteers of the September 11 attacks, specifically in New York, come to realize they have been exposed to asbestos from the buildings that collapsed and the toxins that were in the air that day and the following months.

Other exposures: The article states that 35 million attics in the United States contain contaminated vermiculite. Vermiculite is a natural mineral that had similar uses as asbestos. Much of the vermiculite contained asbestos and therefore was contaminated and caused health problems.

Long term hopes: Asbestos isn’t banned in the United States, but both branches of Congress tried to pass legislation banning it in 2007.

Future funding: Lawmakers in recent years have added mesothelioma to the group of cancers and illnesses that need funding in order to seek cures and to better understand this deadly cancer.
Continue reading

A recent Colorado apartment fire led to 126 people being out of a home after officials found widespread asbestos in the structure of the building, ABC News is reporting.

Asbestos was discovered in Springfield and throughout Massachusetts after tornadoes ran through the area this summer. When buildings get knocked down due to powerful storms or other natural disasters, they can be exposed for what they really are.

Not every apartment building in New England has asbestos, but many do. Proving that a company knowingly used asbestos and ignored the health risks can be a challenge. Visiting a doctor who specializes in asbestos-related diseases and illnesses is the first step. If diagnosed with mesothelioma in New England, contacting an aggressive Boston mesothelioma lawyer to fight for your rights is the second.

Companies must be held accountable for their actions. If they knowingly used asbestos in building structures and in making products for consumers and people got sick as a result, they can’t get away with it. But it takes extensive research in order to prove a person truly was injured by asbestos from a specific company and not from outside factors.

Families shouldn’t have to lose their loved ones too soon because they are diagnosed with a preventable form of cancer. Once diagnosed, most people only live about one year. Yet, asbestos exposure can happen years or decades earlier. It is one of the slowest-moving forms of cancer and stays hidden until the symptoms become clear — persistent coughing, fluid build-up and chest pain, among others.

By that point, it’s largely too late and the person’s fate is sealed. But that doesn’t mean the fight ends. An aggressive Boston mesothelioma lawyer will seek justice, even when the loved one has passed away.

In the Colorado incident, a fire broke out after an alleged case of arson. The apartment complex was left damaged and officials discovered hazardous asbestos contamination levels after the fire. Residents, after hearing about the discovery of asbestos in the apartment, now are concerned about their health because they had to rush through thick smoke to get out. The smoke may have contained asbestos, ABC News is reporting.

Firefighters were forced to rescue 20 residents from the three-story apartment building in Aurora. Four people were transported to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. It’s unclear if any of the residents have been looked at for asbestos exposure related illnesses.

While asbestos isn’t used in the United States anymore, it hasn’t been banned. While environmental agencies have sought to regulate its use and cleanup buildings that used it in the past, they have been only somewhat successful.

Many buildings, especially those built decades ago, still have asbestos in them and can possibly harm people who are exposed to the asbestos therein. Many workers from the 1950s, 60s and 70s are now feeling the effects of asbestos exposure with mesothelioma diagnosis today. Exposure risks are particularly acute for those involved with the construction or demolition of such structures.
Continue reading

As the new school year is upon us, officials are planning out syllabi, scheduling events and trying to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.

But what many school systems are considering, including the one in North Reading, is removal of asbestos from its facilities in order to protect children from being exposed and opening them up to the possibility of getting mesothelioma in New England.

In 2011, it’s sad that there are still many schools that have buildings that contain asbestos. It’s been public knowledge for decades that long-term or even some exposure to asbestos can lead to a fatal diagnosis of mesothelioma or other illnesses. As Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers reported in July, one southern Massachusetts school’s buckling gymnasium floor is finally being replaced, at a cost of about $280,000. It’s a lot of money, but well worth the price of ensuring our children are kept safe from harmful asbestos fibers.

In North Reading, which is about 20 miles north of Boston, school officials must fork out about $275,000 to remove asbestos from the middle and high schools, the North Reading Patch reports. The move is part of a larger plan to replace the schools’ septic system for $2.5 million.

This is just part of a recent plan by school officials to remove asbestos from the schools over time. A boiler will be replaced at one of the district’s schools in order to remove asbestos. Federal environment specialists will be called on to test air before, during and after the process is complete.

Officials told the news media that an old boiler, piping and other materials will be removed from the building from an exterior door and that a wall made from cinder blocks encloses the boiler in order to seal it off from students or faculty, who won’t face exposure to harmful asbestos fibers.

What makes asbestos so dangerous is people typically don’t know they’ve been exposed. Older buildings used asbestos for years as insulation because it is so good at fighting off fire and it’s usefulness not only on the inside of a building’s walls, but also in tile, piping and other materials that people use every day.

Microscopic asbestos fibers can be inhaled or otherwise ingested and they travel through the blood system and land on major organs, such as the heart and lungs as well the lining of the stomach. There, they can stay for years and sometimes decades before showing up in common symptoms for mesothelioma, such as coughing, chest pain and built-up fluid. By then, it’s likely the patient will only live 12 months.

That’s why eliminating asbestos from buildings quickly is important. People can unknowingly be exposed and then have their lives ruined as they get older because of companies that failed to take the steps to properly keep them safe.
Continue reading

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that a developer has been ordered by state officials to pay $100,000 to make up for breaking asbestos removal laws when renovating and converting a plastics company site to retail and commercial space.

At the turn of the 20th Century and the following decades, many builders used asbestos because it was fire-resistant and affordable in the building of factories, buildings and houses throughout New England. So, asbestos has been sitting in many older buildings for years and people have been exposed to asbestos in Boston and other towns throughout New England likely without knowing it.

And while asbestos is no longer being regularly used in buildings and products in the United States, it was never officially banned. Yet, at least some state officials have taken steps to make sure asbestos is removed from buildings that are redeveloped into shopping plazas or office complexes. These historic buildings that make New England beautiful shouldn’t be torn down because of asbestos, but they should be made safe for future generations.

Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers have seen the awful effects of asbestos exposure and how it can shorten a person’s life through no fault of their own.

According to the newspaper account, the project in Leominster, north of Worcester, was shut down in 2009 after Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection investigators found that required precautions weren’t taken to prevent the release of asbestos. According to the newspaper, workers removed asbestos insulation from heating pipes, dislodged and removed pipes covered with asbestos and got rid of other material containing asbestos — all illegally.

The state alleges in a lawsuit it filed against the developer that he continued renovating the old building even though the project was stopped by state officials. He allegedly pressed on with the work even though he needed emergency containment measures to be put into place, ordered by a state-licensed asbestos contractor.

The contractor later decontaminated the site and disposed of the asbestos waste from two buildings on site. The $100,000 fine was a settlement. A lawyer for the developer blamed the issue on a subcontractor. The building was formerly used to manufacture pink flamingo lawn ornaments and was one of Worcester’s first plastics companies. It went bankrupt and closed in 2006.

The average citizen must be aware of their surroundings. A person wouldn’t stand behind a vehicle spewing exhaust for fear that it could be harmful to them in the future. The same should go for whether they choose to live in an old apartment building or shop in a historical building that has since been converted to retail space.

While these buildings can look nice compared to quickly made and sometimes cookie-cutter looking modern buildings, they most likely were built with asbestos-laden products, including insulation, flooring, piping, boiler room equipment and other things. The primary risk comes when employees are asked to rehab such building and bring them up to date for modern uses. Without the proper precautions, asbestos exposure can have deadly results.
Continue reading