Almost 6 years after the terrorist attacks, lower Manhattan has recovered somewhat; Building 7 of the WTC was rebuilt, plans are underway for more buildings, and over 15,000 people have moved into the area in recent years. However, the legacy of asbestos remains. The Deutsche Bank was damaged back in Sept 2001 and has never […]
More on the World Trade Center area cleanup Read More »
There’s always a temptation for regulators and policy-makers and their advisors to take money from the very interests they are regulating/overseeing/legislating. It recently came out that the epidemiologist Richard Doll, who famously established the link between smoking and cancer, was a paid consultant to the chemical industry, even when he was conducting a government study
Conflict of interest among public health experts? Read More »
Minnesota’s state health department did an analysis of iron miners and found a high incidence of mesothelioma. Another case of occupational exposure to asbestos resulting in cancer. Of course there are other pulmonary diseases associated with mining. The asbestos in question here was present in the ore pulled out of the ground.
Mesothelioma found among Minnesota iron miners Read More »
The Pump Handle reports that Senator Murray’s hearings included testimony from a worker in the U.S. Capitol tunnels. We reported last year on the asbestos found underneath the Capitol building and the risks it poses to people working down there.
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The Senate Health Committee’s employment and workplace safety subcommittee held a hearing yesterday and the widow of Bruce Vento testified. Vento was a congressman who died several years ago from mesothelioma. Senator Patty Murray is continuing her crusade to ban asbestos, and reintroduced her bill to ban the material. Murray has tried to get this
Vento testifies; asbestos bill reintroduced Read More »
General Electric is charging $115 million after-tax charge on its accounting books to cover asbestos cases. The company has already paid $500 million to settle asbestos cases, and has 509,000 claims pending. Like many large industrial companies, GE used asbestos in its products, even though it was not a primary asbestos maker. GE’s power turbines
The British Press Association is reporting about 47-year-old woman with mesothelioma who was exposed to asbestos dust as a child. Her father died last year from cancer, and the woman Debra Brewer remembers asbestos on his work clothing when she was young. There are unfortunately many such cases of children being exposed through their father’s
Exposed as a child; sick as an adult Read More »
The Washington Post reports (via the Los Angeles Times) the passing of Les Skramstad, one of the early leaders notifying the world about the dangers from the Libby Montana vermiculite mine. Skramstad worked there from 1959 to 1962 and was diagnosed with asbestosis in 1996. He subsequently got mesothelioma, which is what he died from.
Key figure in Libby situation dies of mesothelioma Read More »
There’s a story out of Wisconsin about former employees of CSX Railroad looking into the use of asbestos in their workplace. “They claim asbestos was present in various types of packing materials, gaskets, floor tile, ceiling paint, brake shoes, steam hoses, firebrick, and welding gloves.” More on asbestos exposure.
Railroad workers concerned about asbestos exposure Read More »
A judge had appointed a mediator to try to resolve the dispute between W.R. Grace and victims of asbestos hazards created by that corporation. Today in the news there is a story about the breakdown of that negotiation. Too bad, because this might mean more litigation that W.R. Grace cannot possibly win. Grace tried to
W.R. Grace, victims don’t settle Read More »