Today, Camp Roberts is operated by the California Army National Guard, which uses it to host annual training for both its own units and the British Army. The expansive 42,000-acre site first opened in the years immediately before the United States entered World War II. Because asbestos and other toxins were used in the construction of
Today’s mesothelioma victims were exposed to asbestos decades ago, with most having been exposed on the job. When the dangers of the mineral were revealed, most asbestos companies discontinued its use, but many of the sites where it was mined, processed, and used in manufacturing or as an insulating or strengthening agent were contaminated by
After asbestos was linked to the development of malignant mesothelioma, its use diminished dramatically. But legacy asbestos used decades ago continues to pose a threat. Despite stringent regulations for handling asbestos, negligence continues to place people at risk. This week Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul took legal action against the owners and operators of a
Think you’re safe from asbestos? Think again. Any building built before the 1980s – whether residential, commercial, or industrial – has a good chance of having been built using asbestos-contaminated materials. The good news is that asbestos is generally safe if it’s undisturbed. But the minute that asbestos is sanded, sawed, torn, or damaged in
The Quigley Company manufactured refractory products used in a variety of high-heat settings. Many of the products that it sold between the 1940s and 1970s contained asbestos, the mineral that has been linked to malignant mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and other serious illnesses. The company was named in hundreds of thousands of personal injury
The Keene Corporation began as a producer of heat-sealed plastic packaging, but expansion saw it acquire new companies, including manufacturers of fireproofing material that contained asbestos. With a list of 1,415 job sites where Keene asbestos-contaminated products were used, the company was named in over 11,000 asbestos personal injury lawsuits. In 1993, Keene filed for
Kaiser Gypsum Company, Inc., and its parent company Hanson Permanente Cement, Inc. were manufacturers and sellers of several products containing asbestos. Those products sickened tens of thousands of workers, and the two companies were named in over 38,000 asbestos-related lawsuits. With 14,000 pending lawsuits and an unknown number of future claims, the companies sought Chapter
Asbestos has many properties that make it useful, but its resistance to fire is one of the most important. it’s why it was used so frequently to create multiple fire-resistant and fire-retardant items, including fire-resistant clothing for firefighters, heat-resistant gloves and aprons for welders, insulation, and spray-on fireproofing. That practice was discontinued in the late 20th
Papermaking and pulp represent one of the largest industries in the world, and the United States accounts for the majority of the world’s consumption of paper. Papermaking has played an important economic and social role in U.S. history, but its contributions came at a cost to paper mill workers exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos contamination.
Arguably the most famous U.S. shipyard, the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is notable for both its historic role in the country’s entry to World War II and as a source of asbestos exposure. Still a functional military facility today, the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is also a Superfund site where investigations and cleanup activities are