Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog

December 29, 2011

Whitman Church Has Asbestos, Must Be Removed To Prevent Exposure

Local developers in Whitman have plans to take a nearly 200-year-old church and turn it into an apartment complex. But officials have pointed out that there are risks of asbestos exposure in Massachusetts if it’s not removed properly, The Boston Globe reports.

Our Massachusetts mesothelioma lawyers worry that when old buildings are being renovated or significantly altered that contractors won’t take the necessary steps to ensure that asbestos is properly removed. If a structure is hammered at and picked away in places, especially during a major renovation, asbestos that is deep within the walls or used as insulation can come loose.

Once that dormant asbestos comes loose and gets into the air, workers and the general public can be put at risk for exposure. Once ingested, the asbestos can stay in a person’s body for decades before they feel the typical symptoms associated with mesothelioma:

Fluid build-up
Chest pain
Heavy coughing
Breathing problems

What makes mesothelioma even more dangerous is that many of these symptoms are hidden by other ailments or simply old age. Many people don’t take the necessary steps to try to detect an asbestos-related illness until it’s too late.

Research has shown that once a person is diagnosed with mesothelioma, they only live about 12 months. This is in stark contrast to the fact that a person can be exposed to asbestos decades earlier and not be diagnosed until they are much older.

In fact, this is how most cases occur. A young adult takes a job that involved working with or around asbestos, not knowing the effects of it or perhaps he or she wasn’t told they would be working with asbestos. Decades later, they find out they have mesothelioma, a rare and incurable form of cancer that is directly tied to asbestos exposure.

According to The Globe, a Whitman developer wants to turn First Baptist Church of Whitman, which closed in 2009 because of a dwindling congregation, into an apartment complex after purchasing the property for $200,000. The town passed on a chance to buy it for $425,000 after taxpayers were concerned that renovating the church into a senior center would cost of $1.1 million because of the presence of asbestos and other problems.

The developer told the newspaper that he is attempting to turn the 12,000-square-foot church into 15 one-bedroom apartments after obtaining permits and adding a floor. The developer said he intends to keep the exterior the same.

The article doesn’t address the asbestos issue, but it is assumed that the developer will go to great lengths to ensure no asbestos is left in the building, especially because of his plans to convert it to housing. Given that the church is located in the town’s center, it will also be important to ensure that others aren’t exposed during asbestos removal procedures.
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December 26, 2011

Salem Construction Firm Penalized By State For Asbestos Removal Problems

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection recently penalized a Salem construction company nearly $40,000 because it hired an unlicensed asbestos contractor to work on two sites in 2010, the Boston Globe reports.

Our Massachusetts mesothelioma lawyers have reported many times before about problems contractors have had in properly removing asbestos from the historic homes and buildings throughout New England.

Sadly, companies haven’t done nearly a good enough job of taking this problem seriously. Construction companies decades ago regularly used asbestos in building structures when they didn’t know the ill-effects of asbestos, despite its usefulness. Years later, researchers found that asbestos was dangerous, yet some companies still used it or didn’t warn employees or residents of the dangers, leading to asbestos exposure in Massachusetts.

And today, the problems continue. The government has developed methods that companies must adhere to in order properly remove asbestos from buildings that were built years ago. But licensed and specifically trained asbestos removal companies must be used, not just any general contractor.

When asbestos is removed improperly from a building, it can be released into the air, which can lead to people ingesting it. And that’s when it becomes dangerous. People today are being diagnosed with mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos decades earlier. Because asbestos is no longer used in the United States, companies improperly removing asbestos may be the only way that a new generation of people ends up suffering from this rare and incurable form of cancer.

According to The Boston Globe, the contractor was fined by the state environmental agency for work done on two separate work sites. The first was at a school in Marblehead from January to March 2010 and in April 2010. The second was at Bolton’s public safety building in April 2010. In both cases, asbestos abatement work was done on those buildings.

The company used to remove the asbestos was not licensed in the state to remove asbestos and none of the companies involved notified the state about the work, as required by state law.

The Salem company paid $8,700 in fines and another $30,450 will be suspended for a 12-month period. Four of its workers will have to go through 16 hours of asbestos training in the next six months. One worker will be required to take 40 hours of asbestos training to act as an asbestos supervisor.

The inherent problem with the situation is that companies make hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to take a contract to work on a building. If they are looking at a measly $8,000 fine versus hiring another company for much more, it makes more fiscal sense to take the fine. Despite the health risks, to some people this makes better business sense and often that’s what happens.

Our environmental experts must be diligent to ensure that our communities are protected and not exposed to dangerous asbestos, which can lead to a painful and certain death from mesothelioma.
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December 22, 2011

Building Demolition May Have Left Workers, Public Exposed to Asbestos

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency has found that the experimental demolition at an apartment complex in 2007 in Texas may have exposed the public to asbestos.

This was the fear many had in Massachusetts during the summer when a tornado blew through Springfield and Western Massachusetts, downing buildings and injuring and killing several people. With those buildings demolished, it is possible that many people — the general public, police and fire responders and others — could have been exposed to asbestos in Massachusetts.

Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers wrote in August that officials were concerned that the many older or historic buildings that collapsed may have been made with asbestos, leading it to be spread throughout the atmosphere after the tornadoes.

In Fort Worth, Texas, the EPA approved an experimental method of destroying a building and a new report states that the method may have exposed many to asbestos in that area. The “wet” method of demolition is a tactic in which crews coat walls and ceilings with a soapy or foamy water during the demolition to try to keep the amount of asbestos from going airborne down. Fort Worth was the first urban area to test this method.

This method is intended to save money and give workers more protection because they can soak the building from afar. But when experts tested the area during the demolition, they found asbestos fiber released in the area. The report states that the “wet” method “threatens health and safety.”

This report was an initial finding and a full report on the demolition and method is forthcoming. City officials are waiting on that report before determining how great the risk may have been to its citizens.

Some advocacy groups have urged the EPA to stop its alternative methods of demolition of buildings, but the government agency continues to test different methods, aside from its standard approved designs, to take down buildings with asbestos.

The report of the 2007 demolition also states that some workers were on site without proper safety and protection equipment, a possible violation of OSHA standards. Video footage showed pedestrians nearby who may have been exposed to harmful carcinogens that were inside the building.

The federal government requires that crews remove asbestos before demolition in order to prevent it from getting into the environment. Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers have documented in recent months how some Massachusetts contractors have been fined for improperly removing asbestos from schools. It is a hazard not only to workers, but also to neighbors.

This is the most common modern-day cause of asbestos exposure. Since buildings are no longer constructed with asbestos, the way most people today are exposed are when they dwell in or do work on old buildings or if those buildings are torn down in an unsafe manner. This is why contractors must take additional precautions when working on these historic buildings in New England.
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December 19, 2011

Australian Actor Dies After Asbestos Exposure as a Teenager

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

An Australian actor who spent time on the big screen and small screen on the island nation died recently at the age of 67 after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, The Telegraph reports.

Sadly, our Boston mesothelioma lawyers anticipate seeing more and more obituaries of people who die because decades ago they were exposed to dangerous asbestos in New England without their knowledge.

Asbestos is a dangerous mineral that was used for decades to construct buildings, fireproof ships and create commonly used products such as hair dryers and crockpots because of its fire-resistant nature. When it was first discovered, authorities didn’t know of the potentially harmful effects.

Yet, it was later found to be potentially deadly when ingested, typically by breathing it in. This happened not only to workers in old factories or in construction, but military veterans and everyday citizens as well.

In the Australian actor’s case, it was in a job out of high school working as an apprentice carpenter in the 1960s that led to his death. It’s likely that he didn’t know that working with asbestos sheeting would eventually lead to his death. Harold Hopkins, who started in more than a dozen movies, including one with Mel Gibson, and played rolls in 160 television episodes, was survived by six siblings.

According to the news article, he died of mesothelioma, only seven months after being diagnosed. This falls in line with typical reports that a person lives about 12 months after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Friends said he was healthy, living on fruits, vegetables and nuts, primarily. Yet, the cancer struck quickly. The strange thing about mesothelioma, a form of cancer that has no known cure, is that it takes years to develop. In this case, it was about 50 years between the time he was exposed to asbestos as a teenager to the time he died.

But once a person is diagnosed, their life quickly comes to an end. This is one of the more frustrating things about this form of cancer. It takes so long to develop, masks itself as potential other health problems and once diagnosed leads to a quick death.

Researchers have been working in recent years to develop a cure and to find out more information about this form of cancer. Though it is rare — some say about 10,000 people worldwide die each year — compared to other forms of cancer, it is one that, in many cases, was preventable.

Many corporations that used asbestos in their products or in their buildings later realized there were health risks involved, yet did little to inform their employees. Some people ended up working loyally for years or decades for company officials who set them up to have health problems later in life without warning.

And now, decades after being exposed, their bodies are breaking down and they are suffering a frustrating and painful death because of something that could have been avoided. It’s possible that someone else’s negligence paved the way for a victim to endure a life of mesothelioma.
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December 15, 2011

Alabama City Has to Deal With Asbestos-Laden Building Issue

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The city of Mobile, Alabama, is dealing with an old city hall building built with asbestos, a cancer-causing mineral found throughout the United States. A website of Alabama news, The Press-Register, reports that it will cost $240,000 to remove asbestos and other contaminants that have been found inside. This can happen anywhere. Just look at the New England cities and school districts that have been in the news lately regarding their dealings with asbestos in key buildings, including many schools.

Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers have reported many instances in recent months of school districts and cities facing fines for improper asbestos cleanup and for taking years to discover asbestos, a mineral that can cause deadly illnesses.

Asbestos exposure in Boston is a major issue, though it rarely gets the same media coverage or advertising campaigns as other forms of cancer. It is deadly and causes the fatal cancer mesothelioma in Boston and worldwide.

Many old factories, city-owned or not, were built with asbestos. And over time, due to shifting in the ground, natural disasters or damage to the buildings, asbestos can break apart and become airborne and affect many people unknowingly.

For people who worked in those old buildings or live there to this day, they could be put at risk. Asbestos is microscopic and breathing it in can happen to anyone. The odd thing about mesothelioma, though, is that it can take years or decades to be diagnosed.

A person may have no ill-effects from exposure for a long time and not think twice about his or her experience from decades earlier. But when they begin feeling the effects, including chest pain, fluid build-up, trouble breathing and other symptoms, it may take a while for a medical professional to properly diagnose it. By then, the average person lives nine to 12 months.

That’s why city officials and school districts shouldn’t grapple with the issue at all. Despite the bad economy and many municipalities facing budget cuts, the health and safety of people should take precedent over less-important issues.

Our Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog has reported how school officials have wrestled with parents over the issue of whether a school with asbestos should be rebuilt; a city has had asbestos-filled buildings and done nothing about it, and real estate developers and officials have been fined or imprisoned for not properly handling asbestos.

In the Mobile, Ala., issue the old building has become an “eyesore” but still appraises for nearly $1 million, according to The Press-Register. An assessment of the building recently confirmed the building has asbestos. It has been for sale for four years. City officials say they are seeking a federal grant to help with the cleanup. The grant is run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The building was built in 1940s and was designed as a hotel for seamen. It was used by different owners through the years, but the city bought it in the 1980s and used it for office space. Since then, vandals and vagrants have made their home there.
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December 12, 2011

WHO Reports 92,000 Mesothelioma Deaths Between 1994 and 2008

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The World Health Organization reported recently that more than 92,000 people died in 83 countries over a 15-year span that ended in 2008.

While that is a low number considering the number of people there are worldwide — nearly 7 billion — one must take into consideration how many deaths worldwide go unreported or are in countries where research on mesothelioma simply takes a back seat to other matters.

The point that Boston mesothelioma lawyers want to convey is that the number isn’t simply a statistic. These are people’s lives we’re talking about. A mother or father, brother, sister, uncle or aunt who died as a result of asbestos exposure in Massachusetts or anywhere else on the globe.

This form of cancer is rare, in part, because it’s so difficult to diagnose. The common symptoms could be confused with other forms of cancer or sometimes simply old age. Typically, they include coughing, fluid build-up, chest pain and other symptoms typically associated with other illnesses.

And because mesothelioma can be caused by asbestos exposure decades in advance — sometimes 30 or 40 years earlier — victims may have no idea that they have been exposed and at risk. Many may ignore the symptoms, but as it progresses and gets worse, the cancer can be tricky to diagnose, as it usually takes a specialist to discover it.

This can take many medical visits and a lot of time, which is valuable at that stage. Once it’s diagnosed, most people live about 12 months, a short and unpredictable time table, given the fast-moving nature of the cancer.

For those who worked in old factories, shipyards, in the Navy or other military branches, in boiler rooms or around old car parts, or in construction or plumbing, you could have been put at risk without your knowledge. Equally important to note is that some companies may have known that its products, equipment or buildings contained asbestos.

Asbestos was used for decades in insulation and other industries because it was fire resistant and it was versatile. Once research began, companies were notified that it was hazardous and could be deadly. Many did nothing to stop its use or warn employees.

According to WHO, cases of mesothelioma are more common in men than women. It is “one of the most important occupational carcinogens” and that “the burden of asbestos-related disease is rising.” Some estimates state that 43,000 people die each year from the disease.

As our Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog has reported before, many third-world countries use asbestos to this day, which is concerning for health officials. Our lawyers reported recently that Canada has rededicated its asbestos exportation business and plans to ship bundles of the material to India for use there. Researchers from Hawaii are looking at areas of Turkey where a vast majority of people die from mesothelioma because of a related mineral that is used in the people’s buildings.

Mesothelioma remains is a growing problem because many people who worked in these dangerous fields decades ago are experiencing the illness now that it’s been diagnosed.
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December 8, 2011

Boiler Room Worker, 71, Dies After Years of Asbestos Exposure

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A former boiler room worker died of an “all too familiar” way — mesothelioma, a coroner in England said recently.

Mesothelioma in Massachusetts and elsewhere is a fatal illness, and it’s not just a problem in New England. Other countries, England included, also has had many reports of mesothelioma that have lead to deaths.

Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers have seen many relatives of clients die. We have also met many people who have suffered because of mesothelioma and die as a result of it.

Asbestos in Massachusetts has put many people at risk of its harmful effects. That’s because many homes throughout New England, as well as factories, boiler rooms, mills auto parts companies and other locations were built using asbestos in parts of the buildings. Because it was affordable and fire-resistant, it was the material of choice in many common products and industries.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer that is rarer than other cancers such as breast, colon, mouth, lung and prostate. Sadly there is no known cure.

According to the Reading Post in England, a 71-year-old man, who worked in boiler rooms, died recently after having been exposed to asbestos as a member of the Merchant Navy and while working at a power station.

His son called him a “devoted family man.” The area coroner concluded that it was exposure to asbestos during his working years that led to his death. He said he had rarely seen mesothelioma spread as far and as quickly as it had in this man’s case.

Many people who spent decades dedicating their lives to a company to make a living wage found out later in life that their health was at risk because of the asbestos in the parts or equipment they worked with or around. It is a form of cancer that has been researched for decades, but not with the same vigor as the more popular and common forms of illnesses.

In many cases, their companies, or companies that manufactured products used in their field of work, knew that asbestos was dangerous and did nothing to stop using it. And despite learning that workers were getting sick as a result, many bosses chose profits over health and didn’t tell their employees. Years and decades later, the dedicated employees found out that they were now closer to death because that knowledge wasn’t spread.

Research has shown that the median life span after a person is diagnosed with mesothelioma is about 12 months. That’s a short time to live after finding out you are set to die. That’s what makes the cancer so devastating — it takes decades to develop and then kills within months of discovering it. Let’s hope the cancer can get more exposure to help people in the future.
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December 5, 2011

Connecticut Legislative Group Looks to Make Changes to Inform Buyers of Asbestos

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The Connecticut Post is reporting that a legislative panel is working on changes to the state’s disclosure form used in residential real estate transactions that would inform people whether asbestos is or has been inside the house.

Boston mesothelioma lawyers believe this is a good step in helping to prevent more people from being exposed to asbestos in New England.

Asbestos is a dangerous mineral that was used for most of the 20th century as insulation in buildings, in coating pipes to keep them warm and stave off fire, and in common consumer products such as ceiling tiles and brake pads. Construction crews have used it mixed with other materials in road projects.

It wasn’t until around 1990 that mining and shipment of the product stopped, though it was never formally banned in the United States. Other countries, including Canada and Russia, still export asbestos to third-world countries.

Because of its pervasive use, you can see how many older buildings, especially in a region of the United States as old as New England, may still contain asbestos. Sadly, researchers have found asbestos to be extremely hazardous and can not only cause illness, but death.

Mesothelioma in Massachusetts is a rare form of cancer and there is no cure. Despite decades of research concluding that asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma, medical professionals haven’t been able to figure out how to cure it.

That’s why the efforts being made in Connecticut are important for everyone. According to the newspaper, the panel didn’t recommend making homeowners list hazardous waste on the property because many household items are deemed hazardous. But the panel instead recommends that sellers must say whether there have been any citations filed on the property.

That question aims to answer whether any clean-up agencies have been to the property to do work. The panel’s work may benefit the town of Stratford, where more than 100 homes have been declared toxic dump sites. They weren’t told of the toxicity of the property before buying.

The panel of lawmakers is also considering adding a question that requires sellers to list the age of the structure and tell potential buyers whether an older home may need repairs and could contain asbestos or lead paint.

This is an important step because education is one thing that has been lacking regarding asbestos exposure. Because it can take years or decades to turn into mesothelioma, many people simply didn’t know they were being put at danger when they worked in shipyards, in factories or in other places that contained the hazardous material.

That’s why many people are stuck in such a bad situation. Their companies didn’t tell them they were dealing with asbestos even after they knew it was hazardous. This caused many people to get sick even though they didn’t realize it until later in life.
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November 30, 2011

Occupy Movement Protestors Take Over Asbestos-Laden Building

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

After starting in New York City, the Occupy Wall Street movement has spread like wildfire throughout many parts of the United States and the world. Occupy Wall Street protesters say they have taken to the streets and parks of America to highlight problems associated with the separation of classes — the wealthiest 1 percent and the rest of the people. Their biggest frustration is with the big businesses that have made millions, while the middle class continues to seemingly disappear.

But one recent situation got notoriety not only because there were arrests, but because of the location that protesters decide to take over. A recent group of protesters in Washington, D.C., chose the Franklin School, an old school and homeless shelter that has been abandoned since 2008.

When more than 200 individuals gathered and formed a “human chain” around the building, police negotiated with them to get them to the door in order to avoid more arrests. When firefighters knocked down the door, police arrested 13. But, as the Washington City Paper reports, the building has been known to have lead and asbestos, both hazardous to humans.

Asbestos exposure to people, even in small doses, can lead to a diagnosis of mesothelioma in years down the road. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that is caused by asbestos exposure.

As our Massachusetts mesothelioma lawyers have said before, there is no cure and it is fatal 100 percent of the time. When officials have knowledge of this dangerous mineral being inside buildings and do nothing to remove it or warn people, they can be liable.

Many workers in factories and old buildings have given decades of service only to find out years later that they were ingesting the dangerous mineral dust for years. And all that hard work and saving for retirement can be spent on medical bills, despite knowing that they can’t enjoy that time at all. The median lifespan after diagnosis is 12 months.

In the Washington, D.C., case, protesters sneaked into the abandoned building without city permission. They hung a huge banner — Franklin for the 99% — which tipped off the fact that they were inside. Once the word got out and other gatherers came by, police responded.

The article reports that a 2008 building assessment found that the school, listed on the registry of historic landmarks, contains enough lead and asbestos that it wasn’t safe for people to be inside. The report likely shows that it shouldn’t have been used as a shelter in the first place and that many children were exposed to these elements when it was used as a school in years past.

Given that the economy is bad and winter approaching, more and more people are finding homeless shelters a necessity. It may be a good use of funds for city leaders to clear the hazardous asbestos and lead out of the building so it can be used again. The article states that it once had 300 beds available. The city has been closing shelters down in recent months and not building new ones.

Investors are also considering turning the historic landmark into a boutique hotel, which city leaders like because it would generate money through hotel taxes. Either way, buildings shouldn’t stand if they contain dangerous levels of asbestos.

Anyone who goes inside — an inspector, a homeless person or city leader — can be exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos that can be deadly. Even a small amount of asbestos can lead to this rare and incurable form of cancer.
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November 25, 2011

Canada Has Banned Asbestos, Yet it is One of the World’s Leading Exporters

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

As our Massachusetts mesothelioma lawyers blogged about in September, our neighbors to the north in Canada have come under fire in the international community because it makes hundreds of millions of dollars from exporting asbestos to other countries.

An article in September reported that investors came up with $25 million to continue the asbestos industry in Canada after it was beginning to die out. Despite backlash from the public because asbestos is known to be a deadly mineral, investors hope to ship the dangerous material to third-world countries, where there are fewer regulations and where people have less of a voice to stop it.

It has been reported that more than 50 percent of deaths in one village in Turkey are because of asbestos-like exposure in materials used to build houses. Canada’s efforts, along with Russia as the two largest exporters of asbestos, could very well lead to many diagnoses of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is incurable. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. Strangely, the exposure can happen years and even decades before a person is diagnosed. That’s one reason many military veterans, especially those who served in the U.S. Navy, are now being diagnosed with and dying from mesothelioma. The Navy used asbestos to coat its warships and submarines for decades.

Canadian officials, who were virtually alone last year to block a United Nations treaty that would have added asbestos to a list of restricted hazardous materials, have faced criticism both inside the country and worldwide. Critics say exporting the material to less-developed country is akin to profiting off death.

Supporters say that the new, modern asbestos is more tightly bonded and won’t flake apart and cause damage. The man leading the charge to export Canada’s asbestos is Indian and has said he doesn’t feel that this new asbestos is damaging like the asbestos of days gone by.

A recent article out of Toronto looked at Canada’s asbestos situation, including the fact that 125 million people are exposed to asbestos in their workplace, and more than 100,000 people die every year from cancers related to asbestos exposure.

The most shocking issue reported by the article is that asbestos is banned in Canada and yet it is a large exporter. In the United States, asbestos isn’t actually banned, but it hasn’t been used for decades.

Officials in towns where asbestos is a major industry seem oblivious to the harmful effects of asbestos, the article states. The towns have used asbestos to salt roads during snow storms and have used piles of it at ATV parks primarily used by teenagers.

They point out that smog, highway accidents and tobacco use are far more dangerous than the asbestos that is keeping their towns afloat and their people working. Sadly, money has overrun common sense.

And the article goes on to report that money — and politics — is the reason Canada’s dangerous asbestos industry is coming around, even in 2011. It’s because India’s government has far fewer regulations on asbestos and other dangerous materials and its people — poor and with little voice — can’t resist. Apparently making money with little to no regard for human life has driven the rebirth of Canada’s asbestos industry.

Thankfully, American companies aren’t attempting this. But residents still are at risk because many buildings and products were created with asbestos, which remains there to this day. That’s why mesothelioma will continue to be a risk until all asbestos is removed from our schools, houses and buildings.
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