When the world’s first full-scale atomic electric power plant devoted exclusively to peacetime uses appeared in December 1957 on a plot of land just 25 miles from downtown Pittsburgh, there was a lot of trepidation.
The word “nuclear” naturally instilled fear in the hearts of most American citizens, particularly those who had lived through World War II, and the thought of something nuclear in one’s own backyard had families running for the hills…and for what they considered to be safer places to raise their families.
Located near Shippingport, Pennsylvania, the Bruce Mansfield coal-fired power station, now owned by FirstEnergy, has long been not only an eyesore – marring the bucolic landscape of that area, but has also been the cause of a variety of health problems, the site of many accidents, and an overall concern to those who have worked there or lived near the plant.
In Pittsburgh, U.S. Steel was once a big deal. Founded in 1901 when three different steel companies merged, it was the first billion dollar corporation in the U.S. and it made lots of money for its owners and executives. Thousands upon thousands of individuals throughout the United States and in Canada and Central Europe have been employed by U.S. Steel (formerly USX) and the company’s massive tower still dominates Pittsburgh’s skyline, housing just a fraction of the employees that once made up the city’s U.S. Steel workforce.
Ormet Aluminum Plant asbestos exposure is a serious concern for workers who spent time around hot industrial systems, maintenance areas, insulation, and equipment repair at or connected to the Hannibal, Ohio facility across from New Martinsville, West Virginia. If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma (or another asbestos-related disease) and your work history includes Ormet or related contractors, deadlines can apply quickly—so it’s worth getting a focused case review while records and work history are still available.
Free Case Review (Confidential): Call (412) 781-0525or (855) 397-6640, or use the contact form to request a no-obligation review of your Ormet work history and diagnosis timeline.
Though aluminum maker Ormet Corporation closed the doors of its Hannibal, Ohio plant in 2013, the company left a lasting mark on the small town. Once the fourth-largest aluminum producer in the U.S., taking its proud place behind giants like Alcoa, Ormet owned “dozens of football field-sized buildings”, according to the Wall Street Journal, but closed after disputes between power providers and state regulators. At closing about 1,000 employees worked there. In years past, the number was much higher.
Ohio’s Former Ormet Aluminum Plant a Toxic Hazard
As a matter of fact, Ormet’s property was declared an EPA Superfund site in 1987. According to the EPA, “moderate levels of cyanide and fluoride, both mobile and in the groundwater, were identified, and soils in the area were identified as a primary ongoing contributor of cyanide and fluoride contamination to groundwater.” About 47 acres of the site were of major concern.
In addition, the employees at Ormet Aluminum were regularly exposed to asbestos. When the plant began operations in 1958, asbestos materials were popular because they were the cheapest and most efficient way to avoid fires inside plants where high temperatures were commonplace.
Asbestos was known for centuries as a top-notch fire resistant material, so it was often used as insulation for pipes, wiring, generators, boilers, and other equipment. Workers handled the material with their bare hands and rarely wore masks to avoid inhaling asbestos fibers.
Mesothelioma/Asbestos Legal Help – WV, MI & PA
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Usually, employees such as those at Ormet Aluminum knew little or nothing about the dangers of the material, and plant executives were unlikely to spread the word, even when it was becoming evident that asbestos inhalation was causing major respiratory problems among workers.
In aluminum plants, furnaces included asbestos material. Pots were lined with asbestos-containing refractories. Asbestos pipe covering was found throughout the reduction plant as well as in the South Plant at Ormet and in the rolling mill as well.
“Dough balls” used to stop molten aluminum from escaping the furnaces were made of raw asbestos fibers. Workers were even provided with protective clothing made of asbestos! Clearly, for many Ormet Aluminum employees, exposure was unavoidable.
Today, former workers are suffering the ravages of mesothelioma, a form of cancer that often takes decades to appear and is relentless once symptoms begin. Mesothelioma is historically one of the most difficult cancers to treat and one that responds least to conventional treatments like chemotherapy or radiation.
Sadly, it was clear that many Ormet employees (and exposed family members) would wind up treading the mesothelioma path, yet executives seemed not to care.
Don’t let Ormet and the companies that manufactured the asbestos products they used get away with murder…literally. If you have been sickened with mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure at Hannibal’s Ormet Aluminum plant, contact an experienced asbestos attorney for a list of your options. A successful lawsuit could help you and your family move forward during this difficult ordeal.
If your work history includes Ormet Aluminum asbestos exposure, don’t assume it’s “too old” to matter or that you have to prove every product name before you can act. What matters is your diagnosis timeline and a credible work history that can be documented and corroborated. The sooner you start, the easier it is to preserve records, locate witnesses, and build the strongest claim possible.
Free, confidential case review: Call (412) 781-0525 today, or use the contact form to request a no-obligation review. If you have a diagnosis, bring it—and we’ll handle the rest.
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FAQs
Who may have higher asbestos exposure risk at Ormet Aluminum?
Trades often involved in higher-risk work include maintenance crews, millwrights, pipefitters, boilermakers, electricians, insulators, welders, laborers, and contractors who worked outages, tear-outs, repairs, or equipment rebuilds.
What kind of proof helps in an Ormet Aluminum mesothelioma claim?
Helpful evidence can include union/work records, Social Security “Itemized Statement of Earnings,” employment files, coworker statements, job descriptions, and any documents showing the areas you worked (maintenance shops, boiler/steam systems, pump rooms, pipe runs, etc.). You don’t need every product name to start.
What if the exposure happened decades ago?
That’s common. Mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases often develop years after exposure. Many claims are still timely because legal deadlines often run from diagnosis or death—so acting sooner can protect your rights.
Mesothelioma/Asbestos Legal Help – WV, MI & PA
Speak directly with attorney Lee W. Davis. No call centers. Free, confidential review.
Most of us don’t think twice about who to thank when our light switches power up our favorite lamps or when we feel warm in the winter or cool in summers. Though we pay our utility bill each month and sometimes cringe at the amount on the “due” line, we rarely consider just what it takes to make life so convenient for the average American.
Working at a power company has its risks. That’s obvious. When one considers a job at a power plant, the first thing that comes to mind as far as safety is concerned is the chance for accidents that might involve fires, burns, or even electrocution.
If you made a journey to Pittsburgh any time during the first three-quarters of the 20th century, you would have been greeted with a skyline of smoke stacks and other industrial towers, all indicative of the vast number of steel plants that operated within the city and in the towns that bordered it. All of those mills employed hundreds of area workers, each fiercely loyal to the mill they called their home-away-from-home.
One of the oldest and busiest mills in the city – the one industry professionals say provided the most competition for giant Carnegie Steel Corporation – was Jones and Laughlin Steel, better known as simply “J & L”.
When the first petrochemical plant came to West Virginia in 1920, the locals found themselves on the cutting edge of this newfangled industry. Union Carbide had chosen Clendenin, West Virginia for this honor…and the people rejoiced.
Five years later, when the plant’s needs grew so large that they had to relocate, operations moved to South Charleston’s Blaine Island area adjacent to the Kanawha River, seemingly the ideal spot for a petrochemical company to do its thing and continue to expand.
