The city of Marston, in Missouri, is to replace aging, asbestos-containing water pipes with a new system.

The original pipes were installed in the mid-1950's and are now leaking because they have become brittle with age. Up to now, the pipes have not been repaired because of the dangers to workers from inhaling the asbestos dust when attaching pvc fittings. Although there is little research on the problems associated with the ingestion of asbestos (as opposed to inhaling it), but the EPA advises that it could lead to stomach, colon and kidney cancer.

Mesothelioma Web

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 06:06 AM | Permalink

The Mesothelioma Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center is now recruiting patients for a clinical research study of a new targeted radiation and chemotherapy protocol for pleural mesothelioma.

Dr Robert Taub, who is the director of the New York Mesothelioma Center and professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University says:

"Current surgical and chemotherapy treatments of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma are unsatisfactory, and have not been shown to significantly prolong survival. In this study, we will investigate whether a combination of chemotherapy and radiation targeted directly at the lung's lining can improve outcomes while avoiding surgery." He went on to comment that this approach has shown minimal toxic side effects when compared to systemic chemotherapy.

To find out more, contact the address below:

Office of Public Affairs
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
627 West 165th Street
New York, NY 10032
tel: 212.305.5587
fax: 212.305.8023
email: pr@nyp.org

Press Release

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:11 AM | Permalink

On Monday this week, the Supreme Court rejected two appeals by Grace concerning the February 2005 indictments including charges that the chemical company knowingly endangered the lives of its workers and others in the tiny Montana town of Libby.

So, after three years of confusion, stalling, and appeals, it is beginning to appear that the trial will really happen.

Depending on legal schedules, the trial looks likely to begin before the end of 2008.

Seattle PI

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:22 AM | Permalink

The Asbestos Control Bureau of the state Department of Labor has issued a citation to the city of Olean in New York State for not conducting an asbestos survey before demolishing the locker rooms and restrooms at a city stadium.

Al Jakubowski, an industrial hygienist and supervisor with the bureau, confirmed Friday that the Asbestos Control Bureau issued a citation to the city on June 12 after Department of Labor inspectors visited the site. Inspectors also went to the town of Olean Fire Hall, where the concrete from Bradner was dumped so the debris could be inspected.

Jakubowski would not comment beyond confirming that a citation was issued. He said any fines levied against the city for not obtaining an asbestos survey would be determined by the Department of Labor in Albany.

Olean Times Herald

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:43 AM | Permalink

There is a glaring hole in the disclosure process for home buyers, because asbestos is generally regarded as "outside the scope" of a home inspection and typically is not mentioned by most home inspectors.

The loophole arises from the fact that any material disclosed as a potential source of asbestos could lead to the inspector being held liable for other possible asbestos materials not mentioned in the inspection report. To play safe, the home inspection industry has excluded asbestos as a consideration during home inspections.

Examples of materials that might contain asbestos include:

* sheet vinyl flooring
* asphalt and vinyl floor tiles
* adhesive mastics
* acoustic ceiling texture
* old heat duct insulation
* asphalt composition roofing materials
* plaster
* stucco
* drywall
* joint compound

However, in the majority of cases, these building materials don't contain asbestos so, to be fair, it is easy to see why home inspectors err on the side of caution.

But this failure to disclose can lead the new home owner into dangerous territory when renovating; interior renovations often involve, for example, the removal of acoustic ceiling texture or of sheet vinyl flooring and, without prior knowledge, the unwary renovator may proceed without caution.

It seems that the onus is on the home buyer to proceed with caution.

Is disclosure of asbestos part of home inspections?

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 06:32 AM | Permalink

Zimbabwe's asbestos mines, which lost their bid to prevent South Africans from imposing a ban on the use of the product in their country, in line with an international crusade against the use of asbestos, are facing a fresh battle to retain staff that could become redundant as a result of the new development.

South Africa expressed concerns over the environmental and health effects of using asbestos, prompting the ban. There are fears of massive job losses in Zimbabwe due to the ban on the use of asbestos in South Africa, which was one of Zimbabwe’s major markets. Revenue generated from asbestos sales had supported in excess of 10 000 workers for decades, and helped keep the troubled economy afloat through foreign currency receipts.

The main objectives of the South African regulations is to prohibit the use, processing or manufacturing of any asbestos or asbestos-containing products unless it can be proved that no suitable alternative exists. The regulations, which were gazetted in 2004, came into force this year and are causing panic among companies in asbestos related industries in Zimbabwe.

Afrika News Update

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 12:46 PM | Permalink

It has emerged that, despite warnings from experts hired to monitor the presence of asbestos at London's Houses of Parliament and parliamentary assurances that asbestos within the buildings was safely contained, during the past three years staff and visitors to the historic Palace of Westminster have been at risk of exposure to high levels of asbestos contamination.

An asbestos survey of the Palace was conducted in 2005 and identified more than 200 areas of contamination. Early last year, the House of Lords was told that more than 1000 air tests had been carried out and while 40 sites were reported as negative for asbestos risk, no mention was made of the other 160 sites.

According to the British Control of Asbestos Regulations (2006), if asbestos is in good condition, it may be safely left in place as long as its condition is monitored and steps are taken to ensure that it is not disturbed. However, a number of easily accessible sites were not made safe; these sites include a kitchen cupboard that was wedged shut with a spoon as well as other cupboards that were routinely used by cleaners and Palace staff.

Asbestos at The Palace of Westminster

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 11:30 AM | Permalink

Following an alleged mishandling of asbestos during a renovation project, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center is facing federal fines of $110,000.

In December 2007, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said that no safeguards were taken when disposing asbestos during renovation works. The hospital was notified of the findings last Tuesday.

The OHSA carried out their inspection following a complaint received from an employee who was concerned at the lack of safety measures undertaken, particularly in regard to decontamination of clothing and the use of respirators. In the event there were 17 citations, all of which related to asbestos.

Falls Medical Center Faces $110,000 Fine

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 11:19 AM | Permalink

In Reno, Nevada, a group of vandals got more than they bargained for when targeting Swope Middle School Monday night.

The school is currently undergoing roof replacement, and the old roof contains asbestos. On Tuesday morning police received a report of vandalism at the school and, when they arrived, found several hundred shingles from the old roof had been thrown into the parking lot and street.

Broken shingles can release asbestos.

Hazmat crews wearing respirators and full-body suits worked well into the afternoon Tuesday, to clean up and remove the dangerous materials. School district officials say the vandals should come forward, not only to pay for the damage they did...but also because they probably need to seek medical treatment.

Vandals Exposed to Asbestos

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:24 AM | Permalink

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials in Hartford, Connecticut, think someone was trying to save money by dumping bags of asbestos containing debris in a Hartford neighborhood. .

The Connecticut DEP removed 18 trash bags filled with insulation that were left on the side of Chestnut Street and took them to a secure landfill.

DEP spokesman, Brian Emanuelson, said that the bags were open to the public and anybody could have walked over them, or stepped on them.

Outraged neighbors say that this was not the first time the area had been used as a dump and the two fields surrounding their homes have been used as dumping grounds before.

Anyone with information about who is responsible is asked to call the DEP. The main number for the DEP is 860-424-3000

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:06 AM | Permalink

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is reminding residents in storm-damaged areas to take precautions against possibly being exposed to asbestos while removing and disposing of debris.

KDHE regulations require that any contractor removing asbestos be licensed. If homeowners elect to do the work themselves, it is strongly recommended that the following working practices are adopted:

. Workers should wear a respirator for protection, as well as gloves to help keep dust and fibers off of hands.

. Coveralls, hard hats and other protective clothing should also be worn when possible.

. Shower and wash thoroughly after debris removal, to remove dust and fibers on your body that could later become airborne.

. Materials being removed from damaged structures that were built before 1980 should be dampened with water under low pressure before removal, to minimize dust and fibers.

. Only disturb materials that need to be removed, in order to prevent the needless release of dust and fibers.

. Knock down structures wall-by-wall, folding each wall in on itself to minimize excess breakage of asbestos-containing material.

. During demolition, the structure should be kept wet to minimize the release of fibers.

. Materials that could contain asbestos should be kept wet and covered by a tarp or other enclosure while being transported on a vehicle for disposal.

. These materials must be disposed only at approved sites.

. Consult with KDHE personnel on-scene for direction.

. Consult with a licensed contractor or emergency personnel trained in asbestos removal and disposal whenever possible.

Materials that could contain asbestos include the following items in structures built before 1980:

. Ceiling and floor tiles
. Textured ceilings
. Roofing materials, including shingles and roofing felt
. Siding
. Vermiculite attic insulation
. Pipe wrapping materials
. Acoustical panels
. Asbestos-cement materials, such as pipes, millboard and corrugated sheet items

WIBW

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 06:07 AM | Permalink

The estate of a Florida man who died from mesothelioma filed suit against 12 defendant corporations in Madison County Circuit Court May 30, claiming his disease was wrongfully caused.

Mitchael Gonzales was employed from 1951 to 1987 as a chipper, grinder and welder at various locations. His estate claims that during the course of his employment and during home and automotive repairs he was exposed to and inhaled, ingested or otherwise absorbed asbestos fibers emanating from certain products he was working with and around and that the defendants knew or should have known that the asbestos fibers contained in their products had a toxic, poisonous and highly deleterious effect upon the health of people.

Defendants in the case are:

Atlas Asbestos Company
Bell Asbestos Mines
Bondex International
Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Trust (successor to Felt Products Manufacturing)
Federal-Mogul Asbestos Personal Trust (successor to the former Vellumoid Division of Federal-Mogul, Foseco)
Georgia-Pacific,
John Crane
Pneumo Abex
RPM International
RPM Inc.
T.H. Agriculture & Nutrition

Gonzalez, who died on November 24 2007 was diagnosed with the disease on October 3, 2007, just weeks before he died.

The estate is seeking at least $200,000 in damages for negligence and willful and wanton conduct.

Asbestos Cases in Madison County

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:50 AM | Permalink

News today that federal agencies plan a five-year, $8 million dollar study aimed at understanding the effects of exposure to lower levels of asbestos in Libby. The focus of the studies will be to determine whether exposure to lower levels of Libby asbestos is associated with increased risk of lung disease, cancer, chronic illnesses, autoimmune diseases or other health problems.

There will be a variety of aspects to the work, including a comparative study of film and digital chest x-rays to determine which is best for assessing the condition of lungs.

ABC Montana

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:44 AM | Permalink

A recent article in the Journal of Thoracic Surgery suggests that the presence CD8+ , a type of immune cell, is associated with better prognosiscertain immune cells are associated with improved prognosis for patients undergoing extrapleural pneumonectomy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

CD8+ cells are T-lymphocytes, cells that can search out and kill specific types of virus-infected and cancer cells. When these cells find their target cells they cause them to secrete proteins; the proteins then attract nearby white blood cells that surround and destroy the infected cells.

This supports the reported improvements with the use of interferon or interleukin when used with chemo and surgery, both of these drugs work with the immune system.

However, there is also discussion surrounding the use of natural approaches, using substances that are known to affect immune response. Studies have been undertaken to look at the effects of vitamins, mushrooms, and tea on CD8+ cell counts.

Of course, there are all sorts of ethical issues surrounding the use of unproven treatments on real, live mesothelioma patients, which means there have been no clinical studies using any of these items on meso patients. There are financial reasons for the lack of clinical studies too.

Perhaps the findings of this most recent study will provide the impetus for the cash rich research bodies to back some good quality trials to ascertain if natural products are of value to mesothelioma patients in either prolonging or improving their quality of life.

Surviving Mesothelioma
Impact of tumor-infiltrating T cells on survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 03:16 AM | Permalink

Following news some five weeks ago that Freewinds, the cruise ship belonging to the Scientology movement had to be impounded due to contamination with blue asbestos, it appears that the ship is still on lock-down. Experts advise that decontaminating the ship would cost millions of dollars and may not even be possible.

Meanwhile, Scientology continues to promote cruises on the Freewinds, receiving large cash advances from Scientologist prospective passengers, who have been informed only that the ship is going through an ordinary refurbishment. Already, the cult has missed several planned sailing dates, but it continues to seek funds for voyages in the near future. According to Radar Online, the cult has scheduled conventions starting in July and running through November.

Yet all the extremely hazardous "cleaning" of the blue asbestos may be in vain. According to officials in the Netherlands' Ministry of Environment, which dealt with an asbestos-laden ship in 2006 that was eventually demolished, the cost to make Freewinds safe for passengers, if it is even possible, may run into many millions of dollars, probably more than the ship itself is worth.

As previously reported, leaders of the Scientology cult were informed of the pervasive contamination back in 1987, but did nothing. Scientologists believe that disease is caused not by microbes or toxic substances, but by the presence of "suppressive persons" (SPs), or people who disagree with Scientology and its goals. Moreover, Scientologists believe that high-level Sea Org members cannot get cancer or any other disease.

Well, that's okay then.

Enturbulation

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 11:33 PM | Permalink

Back in the Apollo era, asbestos filler material was used between bricks on the launch pad and, following Saturday's shuttle launch, workers wearing protective suits are picking up bits of asbestos at launch pad 39A, where a 20 foot by 75 foot of the flame trench was damaged.

Apparently, the 6,000,000 lbs thrust from Discovery's engines was channeled by the flame trench and blasted the bricks and asbestos out beyond the perimeter fence, some 1,800 feet away.

Cleanup is expected to be complete next week.

An investigation team is looking into the cause of the damage and the method for repair. The team will consider whether the concrete simply weakened or whether erosion under the launch pad could allow more damage during the next shuttle launch in October.

Asbestos Slows Launch Pad Clean Up

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 11:26 PM | Permalink

Following news that Randy Loftis, a contractor from Charleston, West Virginia, escaped a custodial sentence despite serious and repeated abuse of the asbestos disposal regulations, the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center has called for tougher penalties.

Loftis was twice accused of disposing asbestos illegally, once in 2004 and again in 2006. Both violations occurred on the same property. He also violated two stop and desist orders after criminal complaints were issued last year. Loftis was required to provide proof in court that he had properly disposed of the asbestos-containing materials, but West Virginia DEP reports claimed that Loftis had repeatedly transported asbestos from several different job sites, including sites in neighboring counties, to illegal dumping locations.

In court on Monday of this week, Loftis apologized for his actions; his attorney pleaded his case with the argument that his client was a "self-made-man" who contributed positively to his community.

Loftis ordered to pay $37,500 in restitution to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. In addition to the fine, Loftis must surrender to the West Virginia DEP and the two years he must spend on probation, Loftis must also fulfill community service hours and may be ordered to undergo counseling.

The Judge in the case indicated that, while the breaches of regulations were serious, they did not warrant a jail sentence. Had he wished to do so, the Judge could have ordered up to four years in State prison.

Transworld

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 03:36 AM | Permalink

Early in April, the EPA announced a $250 million settlement for clearing up the asbestos contamination left in Libby, Montana, by W R Grace. Today, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality have proposed an additional $5.1 million settlement for future cleanup work in Libby.

The proposal is being opened for public comment, and must be approved by the federal judge handling the W.R. Grace bankruptcy case.

Any comments must be received by 7th July, 2008. To get the full details, click here.

Montana News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 04:22 AM | Permalink

In England, when doctors told Jon Matthews he had mesothelioma, they warned him it was unlikely he would live to see Christmas.

The 58-year-old was determined to prove them wrong and placed a £100 ($200) bet that he would still be around in a year. The doctors simply told him that the longest anyone had survived was 25 months.

This is what he has said today:

"Today is 25 months and a week, so I've beaten that record. I do get bad days, obviously, but I'm feeling fine today. Everyone's feeling fine if they're going to pick up five grand."

When asked how he would spend his windfall, he said half the money would go to the British cancer charity, Macmillan, and, "The other half I'm going to spend on myself - booze and fags probably - I don't have anything to lose."

Oh, and just so as you don't get the wrong end of the stock - in England 'fags' means cigarettes!

The Guardian

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 03:46 AM | Permalink