Asbestos News Roundup: 8.12.10

August 12th, 2010. By LucyC

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Madison County, IL: Norvel and Dorothy Arnold of Texas have filed an asbestos claim alleging that Norvel Arnold developed mesothelioma after his work as a laborer on his family’s farm from 1950 until 1953, as a laborer in the U.S. Army from 1953 until 1955, as a laborer at a boatyard in 1955, as a laborer at an airbase in 1956, as a laborer at HJ Heinz Cannery from 1956 until 1957, as a laborer at a dairy from 1957 until 1959, as an equipment operator at a grain elevator from 1960 until 1973 and as an equipment operator for the county from 1973 until 1993. 

Richard C. Dwight of South Carolina, also filed a suit claiming that he developed mesothelioma resulting from exposure to asbestos while he was a member of the U.S. Air Force from 1953 until 1955, a laborer at DuPont from 1955 until 1968 and a seller and servicer of filters and filter systems for Carolina Filters from 1968 until 1988. 

A couple from Missouri, James F. and Mary Joan Hensley have filed an asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit alleging that James developed mesothelioma after his work as a home remodeler, home rebuilder, roofer, tiler, drywaller and electrician from 1950 until 1979, as a shadetree mechanic from 1949 until 2009, as a demolition man from 1950 until 1955, as a laborer at a processing plant from 1955 until 1957, as a laborer for Pipeline Inc. from 1957 until 1961, as an interior designer from 1961 until 1970 and as a worker for Beckman Construction Company from 1970 until his retirement. (Madisonrecord.com) 

Asbestos Hot Spots

Hollister, MO: Students at Hollister Junior High will be starting their new school year in temporary classrooms after a flood resulting from a burst pipe revealed asbestos in the floor tiling.

School Superintendent Tim Taylor said the leak sent about two inches of water throughout the building, which houses some 200 students during the school year. As the floor tiles began to dry and peel, asbestos glue was discovered, which was used to seal the tile.

Horizon Environmental was brought in to remove all the glue from the floor and perform two tests, a surface test and an air test, to ensure that all asbestos has been eliminated from the building. Taylor expected the whole process to take about two weeks. (Businessweek.com)

Sun River, OR: A Sunriver Owners’ Association plan to cap and contain asbestos-contaminated soil located at the central Oregon resort has been approved by the State Department of Environmental Quality.

“DEQ has determined that this action will meet requirements to protect human health and the environment,” the agency said in a written statement. The agency will accept public comment on the plan through 5 p.m., September 1, according to the news release.

In July 2010, the property owners group filed a $3.2 million lawsuit against the federal government and other previous owners of the 3,300-acre resort community, saying that is the estimated cost of removing the asbestos.

According to a report in the Registerguard.com:

“The lawsuit said asbestos-laden insulation material was found in a 6-acre burial site for nearly 100 demolished buildings from Camp Abbot, a World War II training camp that once stood on the high desert property south of Bend.

After the camp was closed, the future resort site passed through a succession of private owners before being developed as Sunriver in 1968. The community now has about 1,700 year-round residents and a population of up to 20,000 visitors during the vacation rental season.”

The General Manager of the Owner’s Association, Bill Peck, told the paper that the DEQ announcement does not mean Sunriver will abandon its lawsuit. “We’re keeping our options open,” he said.

The asbestos mitigation plan developed by the homeowners group and endorsed by DEQ calls for capping the contaminated soil with clean soil, asphalt or concrete, “with institutional controls to maintain and monitor the cap.”

Members of the public can review the “cap and contain” proposal at DEQ’s Bend office, 475 N.E. Bellevue Drive, Suite 110 in Bend. Anyone wishing to make an appointment to do so—or to ask questions about the plan—should call Marcy Kirk, 541-633-2009. (registerguard.com)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Mesothelioma

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