“Clouds of dust were falling on us at every blow of the truncheon, but at that time we knew nothing about asbestos,” recalled Jesús Ropero Calcerrada, a 73-year-old man who was tasked with scraping asbestos from railway carriages during his working life in Beasáin, in the Basque country in Spain. He and others were not offered any protection from … [Read more...]
EPA finds asbestos poses cancer risks for workers, reigniting calls for ban
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that [ asbestos dust ] poses an unreasonable risk of [ lung cancer and mesothelioma ] to both workers and consumers who inhale it, ramping up pressure on the agency to ban the substance. In a draft risk assessment published this week, the EPA said that workers who inhale [ asbestos dust ] … [Read more...]
Montana Supreme Court: BNSF Not Shielded from Liability in Libby Asbestos Cases
In a unanimous decision, the Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday determined that BNSF Railway Company is not shielded from liability for its role in spreading asbestos-laden dust in the Northwest Montana town of Libby, where hundreds of people [ who developed asbestos-related disease ] have died and thousands more are sick due to … [Read more...]
State Proposes ‘Asbestos Watch Area’ Near Old Davidson Mill
State environmental officials want to designate part of the west side of Davidson as an “asbestos watch area.” But the renewed discussion about asbestos from an old factory nearby is reviving concerns among residents in the historically African American neighborhood. The neighborhood around the former Carolina Asbestos factory near downtown … [Read more...]
A Most Reckless Proposal — A Plan to Continue Asbestos Use in the United States
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 … [Read more...]
It’s time for the EPA to ban asbestos once and for all
Nearly 40,000 Americans die from preventable asbestos-caused diseases every year, yet the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) still hasn’t banned this toxic substance. Asbestos was once marketed as a “miracle mineral” for its flame-resistance, strength and flexibility to use in construction, but has since been revealed for what it truly is: a … [Read more...]
Data on mesothelioma mortality: a powerful tool for preventing asbestos-related disease
Asbestos is a disaster. It has been responsible for over 200?000 deaths in the USA, for 400,000 deaths in Europe and continues today to cause an estimated 180,000 deaths each year worldwide. Asbestos is a known cause of cancer, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer considers all forms of asbestos—including chrysotile, the form in … [Read more...]
Asbestos cancer misdiagnosis prompts call for greater awareness of symptoms of mesothelioma
An Australian woman whose asbestos-related cancer was misdiagnosed twice says doctors and patients need to be more aware of the symptoms of mesothelioma. Two months ago Ruth Rose and her husband, Geoff, from Tuross in NSW, were getting ready for the trip of a lifetime — they were headed to New York to travel along Route 66. But when she got off … [Read more...]
Costs related to asbestos exposure much higher than original estimates
The annual cost of newly diagnosed mesothelioma and lung cancer due to work-related asbestos exposure is significantly higher than first thought, according to a study by the Institute for Work & Health. The original tab was $1.9 billion, but a review of figures now puts that cost at $2.35 billion, according to research by senior scientist … [Read more...]
‘This house killed me’: DIY home renovators the third wave of asbestos victims
It was a winter’s day when Herman Maifoffer walked out of his home for what he knew would be the last time. He had helped build the small three-bedroom house in Cabramatta where his three children had grown up and where he had lived for 40 years. As he was wheeled into an ambulance, his wife Rosemary asked if he wanted one last look around. … [Read more...]
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