History of Asbestos in Maine
In relation to the national average, citizens of Maine are at a heightened risk for asbestos exposure. This is partly due to the presence of several asbestos mines that operated throughout the 20th century. High concentrations of airborne asbestos particles in these mines often resulted in health issues for miners later in life.
Many other Maine worksites also have a history of asbestos. For example, power plants, chemical plants, paper mills and other heavy manufacturing industries frequently used asbestos products to resist the high heats present during these production processes. Maine shipyards are another place of increased risk. This is due to the fact that asbestos was used heavily as insulation in both private and naval ships for much of the past 100 years.
Asbestos was also used as insulation in a high number of Maine buildings and homes. The potentially hazardous material was used extensively for such purposes until 1975. As such, demolition, restoration and other construction efforts on these buildings can often lead to airborne asbestos exposure if proper precautions are not taken.
Companies with Potential Asbestos Exposure
The source of your asbestos exposure can often be a mystery. In an effort to help you identify where you may have inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers, the following list consists of known sites in Maine that either contain asbestos or contained asbestos at some point in the past. However, keep in mind that this list is not comprehensive.
- ACME Engineering
- Algin Corp.
- Allen Quimby Veneer
- Alloy Products
- American Cyanamid
- American Woolen Mills
- Ametex Inc,
- Aroostook Potato
- AT&T
- B&M Railroad
- Bangor Hydro-Electric
- Bates College
- Bath Iron Works
- Boise Cascade Mill
- Bowdoin College
- Calais Paper
- Central Maine Power Co.
- Chemetron Corp.
- Chevron Oil
- Cousins Island Power Plant
- Dow Air Force Base
- Eastern Fine Paper
- Eastern Refractories
- Eastland Woolen Mill
- Fairchild Semiconductor
- Foster Manufacturing
- Frary Wodd Turning Corp.
- Fraser Paper
- Georgia Pacific
- Good Will Home Assocation
- Gould Academy
- Great Northern Paper
- Harvey F. Gamage Shipbuilders
- Hollingsworth & Whitney
- International Paper
- Lincoln Paper
- Loring Air Force Base
- Madison Paper
- Mahaney Co.
- Maine Maritime Academy
- Maine Medical Center
- Maine State Prison
- Maine Yankee Atomic Power Plant
- MT Mercy Academy
- New England Electric
- New England Insulation
- New England Shipbuilding
- Northern Chemical
- Oxford Paper
- Pantex Rubber
- Penobscot
- Portsmouth Naval Shipbyard
- Raytheon
- Sanford Textile Mill
- Scott Paper
- Simplex Wire & Cable
- South Portland Shipyard
- St. Regis Paper
- Taterstate Frozen Foods
- U.S. Naval Air Station
- Union Carbide
- University of Maine
- Valksing
- W.L. Blake & Co.
- W.F. Wyman Plant
Asbestos-related Deaths in Maine
Mesothelioma death rates throughout the United States are estimated at 11.7 per 1 million. According to a 2004 study, Maine averages 26.4 cases of mesothelioma per million residents, a statistic that is more than double that of the national average.
Between 1999 and 2004, 278 mesothelioma deaths were reported in the state of Maine. Prior to 1999, records explicitly related to mesothelioma death rates were not documented. However, a retroactive study estimates that between 168 and 263 Maine residents died from mesothelioma between the years of 1979 and 2000. Additionally, another 219 deaths for this time period are attributed to asbestosis.
Where to Find Help
There are 64 cancer research centers in the United States that work in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). These facilities are typically considered top-tier facilities for the treatment of mesothelioma. One such center is located in Bar Harbor, Maine. Additional mesothelioma treatment centers can be found in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Mesothelioma Treatment Centers in Maine
The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center
600 Main Street
Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 USA
Patient Information: 207-288-6000
Cancer Care Center of York County
27 Industrial Avenue
Sanford, Maine
Patient Information: 207-459-1600
Nearby Mesothelioma Treatment Centers
Norris Cotton Cancer Center
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
One Medical Center Drive
Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756-0001
Patient Information: (603) 653-9000
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
44 Binney Street, Rm. 1628
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Patient Information: 617-632-2100
Maine Mesothelioma Lawyer
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, then a Maine mesothelioma lawyer can assist you with the legal process. Even if you have yet to determine where and when in Maine you were exposed to asbestos, mesothelioma lawyers may be able to build a case.
Simon, Eddins & Greenstone, LLP, has an entire team of mesothelioma lawyers working cases similar to those found in Maine. We have helped many mesothelioma clients from across the country seek retribution and accountability from those responsible for their deadly exposure to asbestos. In many cases, these clients were awarded multi-million dollar verdicts.