Articles Posted in Mesothelioma in New England

Officials in Massachusetts have filed a $1 million claim for funds to clean up more than 100 years of pollution from companies, Dow Jones Newswires reported recently.

Among the companies the state is requesting money from is the predecessor to W.R. Grace & Co., which, as the Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog has previously reported, was responsible for operating the vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana as well as several plants that processed the asbestos-tainted vermiculite.

Mesothelioma in Massachusetts is a serious form of cancer that is deadly and incurable. Research has shown that the median life expectancy after diagnosis is about 12 months. Our Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers have seen the destruction this cancer and other asbestos-related illnesses can do to a family.

According to the article, factories around the 22 acres of land in water in the state’s Blackburn & Union Privileges Superfund Site were contaminated with asbestos, arsenic, lead and other hazardous substances.

This latest proposed settlement follows a roughly $13 million agreement last year with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It includes $300,000 to help fund state-run groundwater restoration projects and $575,000 for other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service projects.

The company that preceded W.R. Grace & Company manufactured asbestos brake linings and clutch linings at the property from 1915 to 1936, the state said. A predecessor to another party in the settlement, Tyco Healthcare Group, LP, later ran a textile factory there from 1946 to 1983 and used caustic solutions.

W.R. Grace ran the Libby mine from 1963 to 1990, when it was shut down. The mine operated beginning in 1919 and shipped — at its peak — about 2 million tons of asbestos-laced vermiculite throughout the country. Plants across the United States heated the vermiculite and turned it into insulation, peat moss, ceiling and floor tiles and other commonly used products. The U.S. Navy was a large importer of the material and used it on ships and in shipyards. The Libby mine produced about 70 percent of the country’s vermiculite.

In Libby, where many people worked at the plant because it was a main source of employment, hundreds have died and many have fallen ill because of asbestos-related diseases. Some have noted that the town was coated in a film caused by the mine and its workers.

These microscopic asbestos flakes were ingested by workers, their families and anyone who lived nearby. And the asbestos would travel through the blood system and land on major organs, such as the heart and lungs. There, they would stay for sometimes decades before producing symptoms of mesothelioma — chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and fluid.

Because the asbestos can cultivate for sometimes 30 or 40 years before showing symptoms, many smokers would simply chalk up the pain to a smoking habit or older people to the aging process. But exposure to asbestos was preventable, as many companies and employers knew the hazardous effects, yet exposed workers without regard for the health and well-being.
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The June tornadoes that ripped through Springfield and other parts of western Massachusetts destroyed buildings — killing three people.

But as the Daily Hampshire Gazette recently reported, along with the destruction, the tornadoes may have opened up a secondary public concern with exposure to asbestos. Because many of the buildings in Springfield are several centuries old, many were build with asbestos.

Asbestos has never been officially banned in the United States, but companies have wisely discontinued its use after it became linked to illnesses and cancer, such as mesothelioma. Buildings constructed centuries ago and into the 1970s may have contained asbestos. It was used because of its ability to insulate and be a fire retardant.

And workers in older buildings and factories, as well as Navy seaman, may have been exposed to the natural mineral for years. The U.S. military was a heavy user of asbestos. But asbestos is tricky in that exposure is difficult to detect because it is microscopic and can be ingested or inhaled and sit inside a person for up to 40 years without being detected. After attaching to major organs, such as the heart and lungs, it can lead to a diagnosis of many illnesses, including mesothelioma. Mesothelioma patients have an average life expectancy of 12 months after diagnosis.

According to the article, there were an estimated 500 buildings destroyed in Springfield after tornadoes, one with maximum winds of 160 mph, wreaked havoc on a 39-mile path in about an hour. Debris was found as far away as 40 miles.

Immediately following the tornado, with many buildings collapsed, there was a risk to public health from airborne asbestos fibers.

“During the demolition, we monitored the air quality in downtown Springfield and all the results were well within health and safety standards,” said Catherine Skiba, spokeswoman for the Western Massachusetts regional office of the Department of Environmental Protection.

While there may be standards for the air quality, it’s unclear from the article exactly how frequently the air was tested and when. The article also only addresses Springfield and not the neighboring towns.

Cleanup crews from throughout the region that came to help could have been exposed to asbestos in older buildings that collapsed. Emergency responders to Ground Zero in New York following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were said to be exposed to high concentrations of asbestos.

While it would certainly be good news if those living in tornado-damaged towns and cities weren’t exposed to high levels of asbestos, it may be prudent to see a doctor anyway. For those who have lived in New England and visited, worked in or lived in centuries-old buildings, exposure to asbestos may be ongoing without us even knowing it.
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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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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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Boston Mesothelioma Lawyers are hopeful that this ongoing series on asbestos exposure throughout the United States can be informative and eye-opening for those who may have been exposed to asbestos, which can cause the deadly and incurable cancer mesothelioma.

Exposure to asbestos can come from many places. In fact, all of us have been exposed at some point in time. It is the length, duration and severity of exposure that is important. In these cases, workers across the country were exposed by vermiculite, which is used in insulation and other construction products. In other cases, someone who lived with a miner, can be exposed to deadly levels. Even people who live near a mine or are exposed to miners can inhale the microscopic asbestos particles, which can cling to the walls of a person’s organs.

The particles typically sit inside a person for 30 to 40 years before symptoms are present and a diagnosis can be made. The link between asbestos and mesothelioma has resulted in more than 800,000 court cases. The U.S. military was one of the largest consumers of asbestos and federal court cases have topped 700,000.

As previously reported on Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did years of research on 28 sites across the country that mined vermiculite containing asbestos. Between 1919 and 1990, a site in Libby, Montana, was responsible for producing more than 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the United States in that time, the Environmental Protection Agency reports. That mine shipped vermiculite to plants across the country, where miners exfoliated it to produce insulation and other products.

Asbestos has never officially been banned in the United States, but companies have curtailed its use over the years. Previously, it was used in thousands of products, including drywall material, gaskets, packing, automotive brakes, ceilings and floor tiles.

Mesothelioma in Brutus, NY: This plant, which was owned by the former Zonolite Company and W.R. Grace, operated from1963 to 1989.

It processed 148,485 tons of vermiculite mined in Libby used in insulation, building products, agricultural products and fireproofing material. After the vermiculite plant closed, a cocoa husk mulch company operated until 2001. It is unoccupied today.

According to researchers, the area near the plant is a mix of agricultural, undeveloped and residential properties. The Village of Weedsport is less than 1/4 mile from the site and in 1990, 1,267 people lived within one mile.

The agency recommends that former workers or those who lived with workers see a doctor who specializes in asbestos-related diseases and illnesses due to likely exposure.

Mesothelioma in Beltsville, MD: This W.R. Grace & Company/Zonolite Company site operated from 1966 to the early 1990s and processed vermiculite mined in Libby.

During a 22-year span, 93,000 tons of vermiculite were processed at the Maryland site. The facility exfoliated vermiculite to manufacture insulation, building products, agricultural products and fireproofing material.

Mesothelioma in Tampa, FL: The southernmost site in the nation researched for exposure to asbestos, this site has processed vermiculite since the 1950s.

Before 1991, the plant, which was owned by Zonolite and W.R. Grace & Company, processed at least 49,000 tons of vermiculite that came from the Libby mine. Houses sit 1/10 of a mile from the site and in 1990, 4,645 people lived within a mile.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently came out with an analysis of 28 sites nationwide that received asbestos-containing vermiculite from a mine in Libby, Montana, where hundreds died and thousands went ill because of heavy exposure to asbestos.

Over the next few weeks, Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog will write a series of reports detailing these sites, information gathered by federal authorities and tips for people who may have been exposed to asbestos. As previously written in our blogs, researchers continue searching for treatment options, but mesothelioma in Massachusetts is classified as terminal and has no known cure. But Boston Personal Injury Lawyers can help ensure that justice is done if you have been exposed to asbestos.

Unfortunately, a mesothelioma diagnosis is usually not made until between 30 and 40 years after initial exposure, which makes it difficult for a victim to link the cancer to the asbestos exposure. Tiny asbestos particles can be inhaled and cling to the walls of organs and over time create the deadly cancer.

But it’s not just be people who worked in vermiculite mines who are affected. Someone who washed the clothes of miners can be affected or someone who lives near the mine itself can years later come down with this horrible cancer.

According to a 2009 CNN article, the mine in Libby started in 1919 and produced vermiculite, which is a mineral often used in insulation, until 1990. Dust from the plant covered grass, the tops of cars and drifted through the air and became part of residents’ daily lives, though they didn’t know the dangers. Even some 20 years after the plant closed, the federal government provided $130 million in cleanup and medical assistance.

The Libby mine shipped vermiculite to plants throughout the country, where other workers would exfoliate asbestos-containing vermiculite.

Mesothelioma in Massachusetts: The Zonolite Company operated a plant in Easthampton, Mass. and received asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from Libby, Montana from 1963 to 1984.

The facility continued producing vermiculite from other sources until 1992. The site, which includes a former rail line, is in a mixed residential and commercial area. An analysis by federal agents determined that workers, people who lived with workers and others who passed near the site could have had heavy exposure to asbestos.

Even in 2006, asbestos samples were found in thick vegetation on the site. According to 2001 data, about 1,400 people live within a half mile of the site and they, too, could be affected.

Mesothelioma in Edgewater, NJ: While reports don’t specifically indicate, it appears this facility in northern New Jersey began receiving vermiculite from the Libby mine in the 1960s and processed vermiculite there until the 1990s.

From 1967 to 1969, the plant processed about 300 tons of vermiculite from Libby. This plant used the vermiculite to manufacture gypsum wallboard.

Mesothelioma in Trenton, NJ: This Zonolite Company/W.R. Grace facility operated between 1948 and 1994.

In that time, the facility exfoliated about 350,000 tons of vermiculite from the Libby site. It is an 8.44-acre site in a zoned industrial area. A residential area is only 1/4 mile to the west. A company now on site shreds and recycles paper.

The study concluded that former employees were exposed to hazardous levels of Libby asbestos, and some have developed asbestos-related diseases and died. Workers’ family members and others in the community may also have been exposed.
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