Asbestos News Roundup: 11.15.12 – Asbestos & City Construction

November 15th, 2012. By LucyC

The weekly roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.

Asbestos Exposure & City Construction Workers

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an awareness organization founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004, released a statement this week confirming that workers in Houston, Texas were exposed to asbestos while repairing one of the city’s water mains in 2011.

The statement notes that the Scientific Analytical Institute (SAI) determined that the pipe was composed of 35 percent asbestos (25 percent chrysotile asbestos and 10 percent crocidolite asbestos). According to the workers, they were not informed that the pipe contained asbestos nor given personal protective equipment appropriate for handling asbestos. The workers told ADAO that they were instructed to cut the pipe using a power saw and sledge hammer, which released asbestos into the environment.

Beginning in the 1960s and continuing into the 1980s, cities throughout the U.S. installed millions of miles of asbestos-cement pipes. As these pipes wear over time, they rupture and require repair.

“Cities must ensure that asbestos-cement pipe is handled with utmost caution,” said Dr. Celeste Monforton, senior research associate at George Washington University’s School of Public Health and Health Services. “The serious health harm caused by asbestos exposure is well-known. I was appalled to hear how this known carcinogen was handled in such a frivolous manner in the City of Houston.”

ADAO is urging the City of Houston to (1) identify and make public the location of all water mains containing asbestos-cement pipe; (2) adopt OSHA’s standards of practice for handling asbestos and ensure that all city-contracted projects comply with them; and (3) identify and notify all workers engaged in water main repairs of their potential exposure to asbestos and implement a program to provide long-term medical screening and care for all of them.

Asbestos Lawsuits

St. Clair County, IL: Earl Marshal and his wife Bertha have filed an asbestos lawsuit against 64 defendant corporations, which, they allege are responsible for Earl Marshall’s diagnosis of lung cancer.

In their lawsuit, the Marshalls claim the defendant companies exposed him to asbestos-containing products throughout his career. Earl Marshall worked as a plumber at Hawthorne Racetrack in Cicero, Illinois, from 1963 until 1977; as a cook at Peter Pan Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, from 1977 until 1978; and as a self-employed construction/demolition worker from 1978 until 1989.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the plaintiff’s safety.

As a result of his asbestos-related disease, Earl Marshall became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaint says. In addition, he became prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, he claims.

In his six-count complaint, Earl Marshall is seeking a judgment of more than $100,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000 and punitive damages in an amount sufficient to prevent the defendants from performing similar conduct in the future, plus other relief the court deems just. (madisonrecord.com)

St. Clair County, IL: Gerald Campbell, recently diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer, has filed an asbestos lawsuit seeking damages from 54 defendant corporations.

In his lawsuit, Campbell alleges the defendant companies caused him to develop lung cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career as a laborer at St. Regis Paper Mill from 1956 until 1957 and as a rigger at Monsanto from 1957 until 1993.

Campbell claims the defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the plaintiff’s safety.

As a result of his asbestos-related disease, Campbell became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaint says. In addition, he became prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, he claims.

In his five-count complaint, Campbell is seeking a judgment of more than $50,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000, economic damages of more than $150,000 and punitive damages in an amount sufficient to prevent the defendants from performing similar conduct in the future, plus other relief the court deems just. (madisonrecord.com)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma

This was posted on Thursday, November 15th, 2012 at 3:29 pm and is filed under Emerging Issues . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.