Category Archives: Asbestos News
New Cause for Concern Following Joplin Tornado: Asbestos and Mesothelioma Risk
According to numerous reports, more than 130 people have died from a massive tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, last month. A report from the Missouri Department of Public Safety estimates than more than 8000 dwellings and 500 commercial property sites were either damaged or destroyed in the storm. With so much property damage, especially among [...]
Alabama Tornado Debris Poses Asbestos Danger
As residents of Jefferson County, Alabama, recover from the recent devastation from tornadoes that swept through the area, public health officials are warning them that the danger may not be over just because the storm clouds have passed. Some of the debris from older houses, businesses and government buildings may contain hazardous substances, which can [...]
Breast Cancer Drug May Help Fight Lung Cancer
A new study from researchers at the University of Geneva shows that the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen may also be useful in combating lung cancer. The study found that women who were undergoing treatment for breast cancer, with Tamoxifen as part of their chemotherapy routines, also showed a reduced death rate from lung cancer. The [...]
Baltimore Firms Get Record Fine for Faulty Asbestos Removal
In Baltimore, Maryland, a demolition firm and the corporate owner of a property where asbestos was being removed have both been fined, the demolition firm with a record $1,225,000 fine, the corporate building owner for $115,000. The demolition firm in question is Erie Vera LLC, of 230 N. Chester Street in Baltimore. The building owner, [...]
Missouri Brick Factory Faces Asbestos Removal, Repurposing
In New Mexico, Missouri, a brick factory that operated continuously from 1908 through 2002 under the name A. P. Green Refactories is being given a new lease on life under the Mid America Brick and Structural Clay Products, LLC corporate umbrella thanks to remediation tax credits of up to $1,379,477 under the Brownfield Development Program. [...]
Asbestos Closes York Primary School
The discovery of asbestos has led to the temporary closure York’s Wigginton School. Engineers were inspecting the school during the Christmas holiday and found asbestos insulation board which they felt needed to be replaced. The school was closed as a precaution while workers wait to began the process of asbestos removal. Parents received phone calls [...]
Denver Federal Center Gets Asbestos Remediation Preparatory to Solar Installation
At the Denver, Colorado, Federal Center, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is taking advantage of about $40 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act, or ARRA) funds to construct 35 acres of photovoltaic panels. Unfortunately, before the solar field construction can start, workmen have to remove several mounds of dirt contaminated with [...]
New Biomarkers May Speed Diagnosis of Mesothelioma
Earlier detection of mesothelioma and pancreatic cancer may be hastened thanks to new biomarkers identified by researchers at SomaLogic in Boulder, Colorado. Given the current difficulty in diagnosing and treating both these illnesses, the discovery is being met with much enthusiasm among the medical community. For the mesothelioma portion of the study, the SomaLogic team [...]
Mesothelioma Fears Raised As San Bruno Fire Releases Asbestos
The recent fires in San Bruno, California, were one of the worst environmental disasters in the area’s history. Although the fires have been extinguished and the smoke has cleared, other potential health hazards still remain. Much of the debris left behind from the ruined homes and businesses contained several toxins. Some of the older structures [...]
King County, Washington Apartment Owner Fined for Asbestos
Washington State regulators have charged the Longwell Company of Bellevue, a real estate investment and management company, with violating state asbestos regulations. Longwell, a private company, has – in its own words, “acquired, managed and disposed of multi-family real estate assets since 1992″. And it was in the course of these operations that Longwell allegedly [...]
