Asbestos News Roundup: 9.9.11

September 9th, 2011. By LucyC

A 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 Lawsuits

Jefferson County, TX: An asbestos lawsuit has been filed by the family of the late Augustine Aranda Sr, naming the man’s former employer, Atlantic Richfield, and two other companies, Beazer East Inc, and BP Products North America, as defendants.

The lawsuit, filed by Aranda’s widow Patsy Aranda and her children, allege Aranda was exposed to asbestos dust and fibers through his work at Atlantic Richfield, where he was an employee. The lawsuit does not give dates of employment.

“As a result of such exposure, Aranda developed … asbestosis and lung cancer, for which he died a painful and terrible death on November 13, 2010,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit also alleges the defendants knew of the health issues related to asbestos exposure for decades, but still allowed their employees to work with asbestos products. (SETexasrecord.com)

Yuba County, CA: An ex-employee of Yuba County has filed a lawsuit alleging he discovered asbestos problems in the county courthouse and told state regulators about them only to be laid-off in retaliation for whistle-blowing.

According to the lawsuit, filed by former county maintenance worker Billy Wilden Sr, the presence of asbestos in the courthouse’s boiler room was mentioned by a contractor working with the county in June 2009. The contractor told the county’s Administrative Services Office about asbestos insulation around pipes in the boiler room. However, it wasn’t until after another employee was asked to remove the asbestos without proper training, and subsequently mentioned that request to Wilden, that Wilden raised the issue with other administrative services staff. The lawsuit alleges that when the official who had ordered the asbestos removal discovered questions were being asked, he began a pattern of harassment against Wilden.

In September 2009, Wilden informed the California division of Occupational Safety and Health about the asbestos problems, leading to a series of Cal-OSHA fines in January 2010 against the county totaling $11,500.

The lawsuit states Wilden was laid off as of July 1, 2010, as a result of budget cuts. Just a month before, Yuba County issued 22 layoff notices. The county, the Administrative Services Office and several officials in the office are listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

“As a proximate result of Defendants’ conduct, Plaintiff has sustained and continues to sustain substantial losses in his earnings and other employment benefits and continues to suffer humiliation, emotional distress, and mental and physical pain and anguish, all to his damage in a sum according to proof,” the lawsuit states. (appeal-democrat.com)

Home Renovations Linked to Asbestos-Related Diseases

Cinnaminson, NJ: A new international study is shedding light on the health risks associated with asbestos and home renovation projects. The study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, has shown an alarming rate of asbestos-related diseases that can be correlated to exposure to asbestos from home renovation projects.

The research found that 35.7% of females and 8.4% of males with mesothelioma in Western Australia between 2005 and 2008 were attributable to asbestos exposure from home renovation projects. Although this study took place in Australia, which banned asbestos in 2003, the significance of the study to people in the United States is clear. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have been able to ban some asbestos containing products in recent years, but countless older homes still have many materials that contain asbestos.

According to the EPA, “Today, asbestos is most commonly found in older homes, in pipe and furnace insulation materials, asbestos shingles, millboard, textured paints and other coating materials, and floor tiles. Elevated concentrations of airborne asbestos can occur after asbestos-containing materials are disturbed by cutting, sanding or other remodeling activities. Improper attempts to remove these materials can release asbestos fibers into the air in homes, increasing asbestos levels and endangering people living in those homes.”

“This new research into asbestos related illness and its direct link to home renovations should open people’s eyes to the dangers associated with asbestos containing materials in our homes,” reported Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President, Marketing at EMSL Analytical, a leading asbestos testing laboratory. “Fortunately, testing suspect materials before beginning home renovation projects has never been quicker and easier,” he said. (webwire.com)

Tags: Asbestos, asbestos lawsuits, Asbestos Mesothelioma, asbestos_mesothelioma

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