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Archive for June, 2009
Monday, June 29th, 2009
A Eugene, Oregon developer will have to appear in court in August on charges of unlawful air pollution and supplying false information to the Oregon Department of Air Quality. The charges stem from a demolition of old mills on a property that allegedly caused asbestos to be handled in a way that did not meet asbestos regulations.
Dan Desler, the man charged, appeared in court and was granted an August continuance date.
EPA Superfund money will be used in this summer’s effort to clean up the site.
We recently posted that mortality rates for mesothelioma are expected to peak in the year 2010 and have high hopes that rates will drop rapidly from that point on. How fast they drop, and how long the downward trend continues depends, in part, on the actions of individuals and companies. We can only hope that asbestos contamination, such as what has occurred on the site mentioned above, will also experience rapid decline.
As long as asbestos is in our environment, mesothelioma will continue to be a risk.
Tags: asbestos, EPA, mesothelioma
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Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
The town of Libby, Montana continues to recover from the disappointment of losing their lawsuit against W. R. Grace, a company that operated a vermiculite mine in the area. Asbestos from the mine has led to more than 200 asbestos related deaths and 2000 illnesses in a town of 3000 residents.
Despite the horrific tragedy that has occurred in the town, residents such as Dean Herreid and Mayor Doug Roll choose to focus on the future. Says Roll, “We need to get the stigma of the ‘death town’ away from us. It’s been hanging over us for at least nine years.”
Herreid suffers from asbestosis yet he agrees. “Don’t feel sorry for us. That’s not what we want.”
Hope on the horizon for Libby:
Tags: asbestos, Libby Montana, vermiculite, WR Grace
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
$6 million in healthcare is on the way for Libby, Montana residents suffering from asbestos diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos cancer.
Montana Senator Max Baucus recently announced that the funding will come in the form of a federal grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services. The money will go to the Lincoln County Health Department and three other health organizations for screenings and healthcare for people suffering from any asbestos disease.
The area is a federal Superfund site because of large scale asbestos contamination from the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine that was operated in the area for several decades. Asbestos victim advocates such as Sen. Baucus urge the Environmental Protection Agency to consider the situation in Libby a “public health emergency”. This designation would pave the way for even more federal money to help asbestos victims in the area.
News of the federal asbestos healthcare grant will likely be a ray of sunshine to a community that has been hit with astounding loss, disappointment, and death over the last decade.
Tags: asbestos, EPA, Libby Montana, mesothelioma, vermiculite, WR Grace
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Thursday, June 4th, 2009
The National Institutes of Health recently reported the results of one of the longest-running studies of British asbestos workers ever completed: mortality among British asbestos workers undergoing regular medical examinations (1971-2005). The results: the previously known connection between asbestos exposure and deaths from lung, peritoneal and pleural cancers, mesothelioma, and asbestosis were again confirmed.
98,117 workers were studied from 1971-2005. They completed medical examinations and a brief questionnaire. Participants were also “flagged” for death registration and those records, including cause of death and medical history, were reviewed. 15,496 deaths were reported and the death rate, or standardized mortality rate (SMR), for diseases were:
- Stomach cancer: 166
- Lung cancer: 187
- Peritoneal cancer: 3,730
- Pleural cancer: 968
- Mesothelioma: 513
- Asbestosis: 5,594
These SMRs were reported to be “statistically significantly elevated.” We heartily agree! In fact, we believe that the thousands of deaths caused by asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma should never have happened.
Asbestos exposure and mesothelioma are preventable. However, the people responsible for preventing it, companies that made, sold, and/or utilized asbestos and asbestos products, failed their workers, the users of their products, and many innocent bystanders by refusing to warn about the dangers of asbestos exposure and making products that put high levels of asbestos in the air to be breathed in and swallowed.
This study adds to the gigantic pile of evidence against these asbestos product manufacturers. It also is a devastating reminder of the countless men, women, and children whose lives have been destroyed by the greed of asbestos companies.
SEG Law’s mesothelioma attorneys believe that even one asbestos or mesothelioma death is too many. And we stand strong to protect the rights of victims because the companies that should have been protecting them failed them.
Tags: asbestos, mesothelioma, study results
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Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
Oregon Senate Bill 105 was passed May 26, 2009 by the Oregon House of Representatives. If Governor Ted Kulongoski signs the bill into law, polluters in the state can expect to see significantly higher penalties.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality proposes the increase of penalties originally set in 1973. They note that inflation has caused the penalties to become negligible and a higher incentive is needed to protect humans and the environment from toxic pollution such as asbestos.
The proposed increases include:
- A maximum administrative penalty for asbestos abatement from $10,000 to $25,000 per day.
- Intentional or reckless violations that create likelihood of extreme hazard to public health or extensive environmental damage – increase from $100,000 to $250,000 per day.
- Misdemeanor fines related to asbestos abatement from $10,000 to $25,000 per day.
Are These Increases Necessary?
We agree that the increases proposed by this bill are a great idea. In fact, we think they should be even higher. From very early on, the health risks of asbestos exposure, such as mesothelioma and asbestos cancer, were covered up for one main reason: greed.
Today, greed is still the major reason that folks continue to be exposed to this deadly substance. Even though mesothelioma is 100% preventable, it’s not likely that we’ll see it disappear for at least 4-5 decades. The reason for this is that even though strict laws regarding asbestos abatement are in place nationally, companies and people continue to try to save money by skipping vital precautions for demolition. Nearly every day, some newspaper around the country reports on another asbestos violation by someone trying to save a few bucks.
We see this frequently, but apparently not enough people have heard it and taken it to heart, so we’re going to say it again: how long will companies continue to put a price on a person’s life? Because that’s exactly what they’re doing when they handle asbestos in any way other than that allowed by law.
To learn more about the proposed bill, view the SB105 Fact Sheet.
To learn more about mesothelioma, read our mesothelioma page.
If you or a loved one have been exposed to asbestos and have developed mesothelioma, contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced mesothelioma lawyer.
Tags: asbestos, fines
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