Spaniards can sue in New Jersey for asbestos exposure on U.S. Navy ships

May 28th, 2008 Mike Evans

An Insurance Journal article reports that a group of Spanish workers injured by asbestos-containing insulation while working on U.S. Navy ships docked in Spain can sue the manufacturer of the insulation in New Jersey — where the products were produced — according to the ruling of a three-judge panel of the New Jersey Superior Court. The workers are seeking recovery for asbestosis they say was caused by their exposure to asbestos on the ships. The court ruled that U.S. Navy ships are considered U.S. territory wherever they are docked; therefore, claims for asbestos exposure on a Navy ship should be heard in the U.S., according to the court.

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Chicago, Illinois beach contaminated with asbestos

May 28th, 2008 Mike Evans

A May 27, 2008 Environment News Service article reports that asbestos fibers from the Johns-Manville Asbestos Superfund site have been washed into Lake Michigan, contaminating beaches as far south as Chicago’s Oak Street beach. Asbestos is known to cause malignant mesothelioma and other types of cancer and disease. There is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos. The Illinois Dunesland Protection Society says, if you cannot avoid Lake Michigan beaches, there are some tips you can follow to try to minimize breathing asbestos:

  • Avoid Eating and Drinking at the Beach! Asbestos and amphibole fibers can contaminate your hands, food, and containers. Eat in picnic areas away from the beach.
  • Avoid Disturbing the Sand! Microscopic asbestos can be released from the sand when agitated. The federal Centers for Disease Control found that amphibole asbestos fibers can be released from wet sand and become airborne.
  • Shower Off and Clean Belongings Prior to Leaving the Beach! The deadly amphibole asbestos fibers can be found wherever beach sand can go. Wash your whole body including hair, ears, and under fingernails. Pets should also be washed down prior to leaving the lakefront and beaches.
  • Carefully Clean or Isolate Items Used at the Beach! The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns, “Don’t track material that could contain asbestos through the house.”
  • Take care when shaking out towels and blankets that may have come into contact with sand. Remove all beach clothing before entering your car or home. Launder clothing, blankets, and towels separately. Store shoes and hard to clean items outside.
  • Avoid Certain Cleaning Methods! Do not dust, sweep, or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos. According to the EPA, “These steps will disturb tiny asbestos fibers and may release them into the air.” The use of High Efficiency Particulate Air, HEPA, filtered vacuums is recommended for cleaning up toxic dust and fibers.

These tips were compiled by Jeffery Camplin, an Illinois licensed asbestos professional and nationally recognized asbestos safety risk expert.

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First asbestos, now carbon nanotubes can cause mesothelioma

May 22nd, 2008 Mike Evans

A study by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies found that some carbon nanotubes, which are used like building blocks in nanotechnology, can cause cancer, just like asbestos. According to a Computerworld article about the study, the nanotubes actually look like asbestos fibers, behave like asbestos fibers, and can cause cancer of the lung lining. The cancer can take 30 to 40 years to appear following exposure.

It’s a good thing the study was done this soon. We can hope that it will allow us to avoid another tragedy such as the one involving wide-spread exposure to asbestos and the resulting cases of mesothelioma and other types of asbestos-caused disease and cancer.

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EPA honors man for work protecting kids from asbestos

May 13th, 2008 Mike Evans

Asbestos in art clay for children? Apparently somebody, somewhere, thought it sounded like a good idea.  Fortunately there are people such as Ron Skomro who don’t think that’s such a good idea. According to a Connecticut Business News Journal article, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently honored Skomro for his efforts to protect children from being exposed to asbestos in art clay. Skomro, supervisor of the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s Asbestos Program, worked with suppliers to stop the sale of art clay in the state that contains asbestos-containing talc.

Skomro also got the Art & Creative Materials Institute to require member manufacturers to reformulate their products to remove asbestos, which has been linked to diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

We at the Mesothelioma Attorney Alliance say kudos to Mr. Skomro.

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