History of Asbestos in North Carolina
Agriculture and textiles are the foundation of North Carolina's economy. For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, North Carolina's biggest producers were tobacco, cotton and wood products. In the latter half of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century, the economy expanded to include most of the industries typical for many of our United States: manufacturing (especially paper and pulp, but also chemical, metal, and a host of others); shipping, both commercial and naval; oil; construction; power generation; retail; hospitality and others.
There are also several known deposits of asbestos in the state.
Companies with Possible Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos was so widely used in the United States during the majority of the 20th century that it could have been present just about anywhere including most buildings constructed before 1980.
Below is a list of sites believed to have possibly exposed people to asbestos. This list is only partial.
- Airwood Industrial Park
- Akers Motor Lines
- Ambrose Insulation
- American Cyanamid
- American Timber Products
- Applied Insulation Co.
- Arrowood Industrial Park
- Barhardt Manufacturing
- BASF
- Berkeley Mills
- Broyhill Furniture
- Cannon Mills Co.
- Carolina Power and Light
- Celanese Corp.
- Charles Pfizer & co.
- Charlotte Airport
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- Charlotte Town Mall
- Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station
- China Grove Cotton Mills
- Cone Mills
- Covil Insulation Co.
- Cuttor Building
- D&B Insulation Company
- Dramerton Finishing Plant
- Duke Power Co.
- Durham VA Hospital
- English St. Siding
- Erwin Mills
- Farmers Chemical Association, Inc.
- Federal Reserve Bank in Charlotte
- Fiber Industries
- Fieldcrest Cannon
- Fort Bragg
- General Electric
- General Tire
- Glaxo Wellcome, Inc.
- Golden Belt Manufacturing
- Goodwin & Paterson Co.
- Guy M. Beatty & Co.
- H.K. Porter
- Henderson Water Treatment Plant
- Hickory Manufacturing
- Industrial Insulation Co.
- Jacksonville Plywood Mill
- Kelly Springfield Tire
- Kerr Bleachery
- Lance Snack Foods
- Lundy Packing
- Mayflower Plant
- Merita Bakery
- Nylon Industries
- Owens-Corning Fiberglass
- Parkdale Mills
- Pipe & Boiler Insulation, Inc.
- Porter-Hayden Co.
- R.H. Bouligny
- Rea Magnet Wire co., Inc.
- Riverbend Power Plant
- Skyland Power
- Southeastern Magnesium & Asbestos Co.
- Southern Bell Telephone co.
- Southern Desk Co.
- Southern Railroad
- Southern Railroad Siding
- Starr Davis Co., Inc.
- Threads, Inc.
- US Steel
- Wachovia Bank
- Waterwork Siding
- Western Electric Co.
- Western North Carolina Vocational School
- Westinghouse Electric
- Weyerhauser
- Wyatt Insulation, Inc.
Asbestos-related Deaths in North Carolina
During much of the 1900s, pleural mesothelioma was frequently confused with more common types of lung cancer. As a result, the number of deaths resulting from the disease was not accurately recorded until 1999, when the government mandated accurate records for mesothelioma.
Between 1979 and 2001, an estimated 534 deaths in North Carolina were attributed to mesothelioma. To show how inaccurate those number probably are, consider that after accurate records were kept, the number of mesothelioma deaths rose to 325 in the period from 1999 through 2004.
Where to Find Help
Mesothelioma Treatment Centers
A couple of cancer centers in North Carolina have experience specifically treating mesothelioma:
Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center
Duke University Medical Center
Dr. David H. Harpole, Jr., M.D.
Associate Professor of Surgery, Thoracic Oncology Program
DUMC Box 3627
Durham, North Carolina 27710
Phone: 919-684-5613
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
102 Mason Farm Rd.,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7295
Phone: 919-966-3036
Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center
Wake Forest University
Medical Center Boulevard
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1082
Phone: 919-716-7971
North Carolina mesothelioma lawyers highly recommend that you contact them to learn your legal rights as soon as possible after receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis and beginning treatment; before the statute of limitations runs out.
Simon, Eddins & Greenstone, LLP is a mesothelioma firm, and we specialize in making the legal process as simple and comfortable as possible during this very difficult time. We offer a team of support personnel to assist you in finding treatment, organizing your finances, reviewing your legal options, and connecting you to other mesothelioma resources such as victim and caregiver support groups.