Living Near an Asbestos Factory or Mine Mention mesothelioma and most people picture the victims as those who handled asbestos on a daily basis. Construction workers. Insulators. Tile installers. Welders. Pipe fitters. Steel workers. But those affected by asbestos-related diseases aren’t always the ones who work directly with the hazardous mineral. Some people are exposed … Read more
Ban Asbestos Advocates Dismayed with Latest EPA Move On June 1, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its “problem formulation” documents for the first ten chemicals under review as required by the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which was signed into law during the Obama administration. Those chemicals include … Read more
Imerys SA Reports Settling Talc Claims According to a story published today in Bloomberg, a unit of Imerys SA, a supplier of talc to Johnson & Johnson and various other similar businesses, has agreed to settle claims filed by 22 women who allege they developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos-tainted talc … Read more
Australia Cracks Down on Notorious Asbestos Dumper Dib Hanna has become famous – or rather, infamous – in Australia as an asbestos dumper. Over the last decade, the middle-aged man has become Sydney’s most notorious illegal asbestos dumper, local news outlets write, and now he’ll become more well known as the first person to be … Read more
Austin Firefighters Concerned about Asbestos at Fire Station A group of 24 firefighters in the Mueller neighborhood of Austin, Texas have filed worker injury affidavits with the city after they say they were exposed to asbestos due to dislodged asbestos-containing ceiling tiles in their station. It’s just the latest in a string of incidents reported … Read more
Asbestos Clean-Up at Old Beech Nut Plant Authorities report that the outdoor piles of asbestos-containing debris at the old Beech Nut baby food plant near Albany are now gone, offering locals some relief from the eyesore that has so long been a part of their neighborhood and providing them with the knowledge that asbestos dust … Read more
Asbestos in USDA Building May Be Making Workers Sick It’s rather ironic that the people who have been charged with watching out for the health and safety of America’s food supply could be risking their own health while doing their job, simply because of renovations in the building in which they work. Recently, a union … Read more
Miami Secretary Says Courthouse Gave Her Lung Cancer The Miami-Dade County Courthouse is in deplorable condition. Built in 1928, it has certainly seen better days and is in need of much repair and renovation. So, say some, it’s not a far stretch to imagine that daily exposure to asbestos may have caused a long-time employee … Read more
Montana Creates New Asbestos Court In 2001, the Montana Supreme Court passed a law that would establish a special claims court for individuals who developed asbestos-related diseases or died due to asbestos exposure from the now-defunct W.R. Grace and Co. mine in the town of Libby. However, the court was never activated. But now, for … Read more
City Workers Followed Orders, Inhaled Asbestos About twenty city employees in Austin, Texas say they were only following orders when, this past July, they entered a utility building, pulled down the ceiling, removed the furniture, and swept up the debris left behind. What they didn’t realize is that those orders put them in harm’s way … Read more