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Showing posts with label Asbestosis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asbestosis. Show all posts

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Expert Physicians Urge US to Ban Asbestos

Today's post is shared from nejm.org

"Each year, nearly 40,000 Americans die often painful, protracted deaths from diseases caused by asbestos. These deaths occur in firefighters, police officers, construction workers, miners, military veterans, shipyard workers, and maintenance workers whose exposures to asbestos are primarily occupational. Death also occurs in partners and children of such workers, whose only exposures to asbestos were from dust on clothing brought home from work by a family member. In the United States, treatment of asbestos-related diseases — including malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, and ovarian cancer1 — costs hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Friday, March 29, 2019

NJ Legislature Bans Asbestos


Both houses of the New Jersey Legislature has made history by passing a bill to ban the sale of asbestos products in the State. The legislation awaits the Governor’s signature. [Editorial Note:  A4416 NJ Leg Session 2018-19 was signed by the Governor  and enacted, Approved P.L. 2019, c.114 on May 10, 2019 - Click Here for Pamphlet Law].

Saturday, December 29, 2018

US Lawmakers Urged EPA to Investigate Talc Products

Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici today pressed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for answers following an alarming new Reuters report revealing that some everyday consumer products, including baby powders, may contain asbestos—a highly toxic chemical.

Friday, August 17, 2018

US EPA Still Not Banning Asbestos


The US EPA is about to approve 15 uses for asbestos, a known carcinogen. This action is consistent with the Trump Administration's effort ease regulations. This action is contrary to the efforts of the Obama Administration to entirely ban the use of asbestos in the US.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Asbestos and Mold in Schools: Paterson NJ Safety Officer Claims Mishandling

The presence of asbestos and mold in schools and the potential exposure of students and employees has been a major health concern for decades. A Paterson NJ health and safety office now claims that the Paterson NJ school system improperly mishandled the removal of these hazards in violation of Federal regulations.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Demolition of Paterson NJ Armory Highlights Present Danger of Asbestos

The emergency demolition of the decades old Paterson NJ Armory, an historic site, highlights that asbestos, a known carcinogen, remains a hazard to workers when older buildings require renovation or demolition.
asbestos remains a clear and present danger to workers. Despite the fact that asbestos may not be used as a new construction material,

Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, was used for years as a construction material because of its fire retardant and heat insulation properties.

The hazards of asbestos are well known. Exposure to asbestos may cause the latent development of: asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

The Paterson NJ Armory caught fire several days ago and resulted in  a major North Jersey fire alarm requiring the participation of firefighters to be called in from multiple jurisdictions to be be brought under control. Unable to reach and extinguish some parts of the fire, the Paterson Fire Department ordered that the historic building be demolished on an emergency basis.

Despite the knowledge of the fatal hazards of asbestos use, it  has yet to be banned in the United States.
….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Asbestos in Children's Toys


It has been reported that certain children's toys contain asbestos fiber. Asbestos is a known cancer producing substance.Today's post is shared from ewr.org

"The toys, purchased at national retail chains or through online retailers, were tested by a government-certified laboratory, using state-of-the-art equipment. Samples that tested positive were retested by another government-certified laboratory to confirm the results. The results are significant because even trace exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other fatal lung disease. 

"The tests found asbestos in four of the 28 boxes of crayons tested, several marketed under the names of popular fantasy characters Mickey Mouse, Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Two of the 21 crime scene fingerprint kits were tainted with asbestos.

Click here to read the entire article.

Click here to read Sen Ed Markey's Letter.
….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Asbestos Victims Ask Yale to Revoke an Honorary Degree


An Italian organization representing victims of asbestos exposure has asked Yale University to rescind an honorary degree awarded to the owner of the company they once worked for.

In the mid-1970s, Swiss billionaire Stefan Schmidheiny took over his family’s business. The Eternit company had plants around the world that produced asbestos cement products. The largest was in Casale Monferrato, Italy.

Connecticut lawyer Christopher Meisenkothen represents shipyard workers and boiler makers who worked with asbestos here in the U.S., and later developed diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. He is handling the Italian request to Yale, pro bono.

Meisenkothen described notes from an Eternit company meeting in the 1970s. "Clearly," he said, "they were acknowledging in 1976 that the workers were at risk. The plant continued to use asbestos for many years after that. They could have given the workers respiratory protection, [or] installed exhaust fans. And the worker testimony from workers at the time consistently indicates that there were no serious precautions taken in the plant."

Two years later, Schmidheiny began to dismantle the company's asbestos processing concern. He went on to use his wealth to support eco-friendly sustainable development in other parts of the world.

In 2012, Schmidheiny was tried in absentia in Italy. He was found guilty of causing the deaths of thousands of people in Casale Monferrato, and has been sentenced to 18 years...


[Click here to see the rest of this post]


Saturday, December 28, 2013

Experts Speak Out About The Asbestos Industry

Today's blog post is shared from Laurie Kazan-Allen and the http://ibasecretariat.org

Part I - About the Asbestos Industry

Part II - Asbestos Causes Cancer and Why Asbestos Should Be Banned

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Garlock trial winds down; judge closes courtroom again

Asbestos bankruptcies have been problematic for injured workers and their families. The bankruptcies have drastically reduced benefits paid to individuals who have been exposed to asbestos fiber. Betting on time and delay, asbestos companies have utilized bankruptcy procedure to shield themselves from the economic consequences of asbestos disease: asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.Today's post was shared by Legal Newsline and comes from legalnewsline.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Legal Newsline) — The ongoing bankruptcy trial for Garlock Sealing Technologies wound down Monday with attorneys for the gasket manufacturing company and those representing asbestos claimants calling their last few witnesses with the judge closing the courtroom one more time during a lawyer’s testimony.

The bankruptcy trial, which began in July at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina and is expected to end later this month after a week-and-a-half break, will determine the estimated liability of the company for current and future asbestos claims. One of the central questions that will help establish how much Garlock will owe the claimants revolves around whether Garlock products, many removed decades ago, and no other sources of asbestos, led to cases of mesothelioma. Judge George Hodges will ultimately decide the estimated liability of the company for current and future asbestos claims and how much money the company will need to devote to a trust to escape bankruptcy.

David Glaspy, a California lawyer who has defended Garlock on more than 25,000 asbestos claims, testified that having disclosure of exposure information claimants against the company would have helped the company significantly in their defense.

To try and limit the company’s liability, Garlock attorneys are asserting that some plaintiffs, taking advantage of confidentiality provisions enacted for special trusts established to pay claimants who...
[Click here to see the rest of this article]


Saturday, August 3, 2013

Garlock testimony switches to financial liability

Asbestos companies have for decades attempted to limit their personal injury claims liability by filing for bankruptcy protection. The Union Asbestos and Rubber Company and Johns Manville were the first in a series of companies who have sough protection. Adequately funding an asbestos personal injury claims trust is essential to protect injured workers and other victims of asbestos disease, ie. asbestosis, lung cancer & mesothelioma. As long as asbestos is not banned in the US, it is critical that these trust adequately compensate the victims and potential victims for decades into the future. 

Today's post was shared by Legal Newsline and comes from legalnewsline.com

Bates
Bates
Attorneys transitioned Friday from days of expert testimony on the carcinogenic effects of asbestos and the work practices of attorneys representing asbestos plaintiffs to arguments about how much financial liability Garlock Sealing Technologies should face in the company’s ongoing bankruptcy trial.

Garlock attorneys called on economists to give the court estimates for how much money the company should place in a trust for future mesothelioma victims who might sue the company over exposure to asbestos from their products. Doing so will allow the company to escape bankruptcy.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Making The Path More Difficult for Asbestos Victims

The House Judiciary Committee has marked-up and passed legislation that will make it more difficult for asbestos victims to obtain benefits. Ironically these perennial legislative efforts make it more difficult  for those who served the US in various capacities, including military service.


The legislation, entitled, Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act (FACT) of 2013, allows asbestos companies and their insurers to go on a fishing expedition, to make it more difficult to obtain even reduced benefit payments. 

The NY Times, in an Editorial, wrote, "The bill would also increase the burden on claimants to supply information. But it puts virtually no burdens on asbestos companies, like disclosing the settlements they have reached with plaintiffs or requiring them to reveal where their products were used and when, so that workers know which companies or trusts might be liable for their injuries."

Friday, April 19, 2013

US EPA Reports: Better Planning, Execution and Communication Could Have Reduced the Delays in Completing a Toxicity Assessment of the Libby, Montana, Superfund Site

The US EPA could have done better in handling the asbestos exposure site in Libby Montana according to a report issued yesterday by the US EPA's Inspector General. 


"U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action officials did not complete  planned corrective actions under its Libby Action Plan in a timely manner. This occurred because the scope of the work was larger than originally thought; there was no established charter; and there were contracting delays, competing priorities, unanticipated work, and poor communication with stakeholders. Consequently, the Agency has twice revised its estimates for completing actions in response to our December 2006 report. 

"The toxicity assessment is one of two components (an exposure assessment 
being the other) that makes up the health risk assessment for determining 
cleanup levels in Libby. In December 2011, EPA informed us that the health 
risk assessment would be substantially delayed. As a result, the Agency’s final 
determinations that the completed and ongoing cleanup actions are sufficient to 
address the health risks from site contamination have been delayed from 2 to 6 
years, depending on the studies being performed. This is a significant concern, 
considering that the EPA Administrator declared a public-health emergency at 
the Libby site in 2009 and the Agency has spent over $400 million on cleanup. 
Communications about delays in completing Libby Action Plan items, and the 
reasons for those delays, were not always timely or clearly communicated to 
stakeholders; and EPA officials failed to update the Agency’s follow-up system 
or notify the Office of Inspector General (OIG) about known delays until 
planned corrective actions under the Libby Action Plan could not be met.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

US Surgeon General Alerts Americans to the Hazards of Asbestos Disease

The US Surgeon General issued an alert to Americans as to the hazards of asbestos disease, Dr. Regina Benjamin, on the occasion of National Asbestos Awareness Week 2013, has issued a statement alerting Americans to hazards of asbestos exposure.

The occupational exposure to asbestos remains a major health hazard to workers who are involved in the restoration, rehabilitation and repair of older buildings. Asbestos exposure causes latent medical conditions such as: asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a fatal malignancy. Asbestos is still not banned in the US.


During National Asbestos Awareness Week, April 1-7, I urge Americans to learn about the dangers of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that occurs naturally in our environment; in rock and in soil.  Because of its fiber strength and heat resistance, asbestos has traditionally been used in a variety of building construction materials, as insulation and as a fire retardant.

Activity that disturbs asbestos causes small asbestos fibers to float in the air.  Inhaling these fibers leads to asbestos-related diseases.  Three of the major health effects associated with asbestos exposure are lung cancer; mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin lining of the lungs, chest, abdomen and heart;  and asbestosis, a serious progressive, long-term, non-cancer disease of the lungs.

Anyone who disturbs asbestos is at risk.  However, it is of special concern for construction, insulation, and demolition workers, pipefitters, boilermakers and others who might disturb asbestos found in old buildings or equipment as part of their work.  The hazard is also very real to home handymen, first-responders, and community volunteers. 

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Failure to Remove Asbestos Property Results in Guilty Plea

California contractos who failed to properly remove asbestos construction material from a job site plead guilty in Federal Court to a a violation of the asbestos work-practice standards of the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. Asbestos is a know cancer causing substance. It is linked to: asbestos, lung caner and mesothelioma.

Joseph Cuellar, 73, of Fresno, Calif.; Patrick Bowman, 46, of Los Banos, Calif.; and Rudolph Buendia III, 50, of Planada, Calif., each pleaded guilty today to a violation of the asbestos work-practice standards of the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to the indictment, Joseph Cuellar was the administrative manager of Firm Build Inc., Patrick Bowman was its president, and Rudolph Buendia was its construction project site supervisor. From September 2005 to March 2006, Firm Build operated a demolition and renovation project in the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California. They were to turn Building 325 into a mechanic training center for the Merced County Board of Education. The defendants hired local high school students from the Workplace Learning Academy in Merced to perform some of the renovation.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Another Asbestos Company Files for Bankruptcy: Rapid American / Philip Carey Manufacturing Co.

On Friday Rapid-American Corp., successor to asbestos liability of Philip Carey Manufacturing, filed for bankruptcy protection. Philip Carey was established in 1888 and was a long-time manufacturer of insulation products containing asbestos fiber.

Asbestos litigation was initiated in the 1970's for health conditions arising out of the exposure to asbestos products including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. 

One of the successor companies was Celotex that had filed for bankruptcy protection previously. The Celotex bankruptcy fell shirt of covering the financial responsibilities of the asbestos litigation claims, and the responsibility fell upon Rapid America.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Russian Money Interests Are Milking the Asbestos Cash Cow

The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat today reports about the corrupt connection between the Russian asbestos industrry and the IARC (the International Agency for Research on Cancer). To advance the mining and exportation of a known carcinogen, asbestos, and furthering the sufferring from asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma is an uncontionable act.
"Far from being coincidental, the research being conducted, the conferences being held and the papers being published are part of a long-term, orchestrated plan by asbestos stakeholders to counter all attempts to tarnish the image of chrysotile asbestos, a substance which continues to be sold in large quantities around the world. As long as money is to be made, the industry will leave no stone unturned in its quest to milk the asbestos cash cow. It is sad to see that they may now have new allies to help them do so."
Click here to read the complete article: The Lancent Highlights the IARC Controversey

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Asbestos Disease Remains a Problem Despite Lower Consumption in the US

Recently release statistics from the US Geological Survey brings some hope to reducing asbestos disease in the US.  Historically, as the production of asbestos fiber lowers, so does the incidence of asbestos related disease, which is a latent medical condition that takes 10 to 30 years to manifest itself.

Asbestos this has been used for decades in the United States in militray and civilian environments in various forms including construction material and insulation. It appears in commercial and military buildings and equipment, as well as residential and consumer appliances. 

Asbestos has been causally connected to a rare and fatal cancer,  mesothelioma. Asbestos has also been linked to various other cancers including: lung cancer, a well as a pulmonary condition, asbestosis.


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

How to Protect Public Employees and Communities From Asbestos Exposure

It is unconscionable in this day and age for a worker who is exposed to asbestos fiber in the workplace. Ironically, in the 1950's, in Paterson, NJ, the city where the world renown asbestos researcher, Irving J. Selikoff MD, had conducted the initial the sentinel studies linking asbestos exposure with a fatal cancer, mesothelioma, public employees are still being exposed.
Despite the courts and public opinion frowning on such terrible events, it is imperative that the legislatures of the nation take the appropriate measures to ban asbestos in use, and to require a registry all sites where asbestos is known to be present. Additionally, the sites should be publicly listed in a registry by the US EPA and those site declared to be areas where a potential health emergency exists.