The Kansas department of corrections is under investigation by the EPA for allegedly exposing workers to dangerous amounts of asbestos dust during an asbestos abatement project at the Topeka prison in 2005. According to state and federal laws specially licenses contractors must be used for asbestos removal projects to ensure that the proper safe handling and disposal procedures are followed. The Kansas department of corrections carried out similar projects during the following years for which evidence exists proving that the proper measures were taken to protect inmates and workers from the dangers of asbestos contamination. No such evidence exists for the 2005 project, however.

Exposure to asbestos dust can cause a variety of health complications including mesothelioma, a rare and terminal cancer that can develop years or even decades after exposure to the dangerous substance. When the microscopic asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested due to improper handling methods they can easily enter the body and pass through the lung or intestinal walls because of their unique, needle like shape. The fibers eventually become lodged in the mesothelium, a protective lining that encases the body’s organs, where it causes the soft tissue to scar. That scarring can develop into malignant tumors over years or even decades, which then spread throughout the body inevitably causing death.

According to Topeka prison inmates and the workers who were present for the abatement project in 2005, the exposure levels were far above what’s necessary to pose significant health risks. The workers were allegedly directed to clean up asbestos contaminated debris using shovels, brooms and grinders without safety training or sufficient protective gear. The workers described the amount of asbestos contaminated dust present throughout the project as “horrendous” to the EPA, claiming that it coated their clothes and even clogged the furnace’s filter several times. In addition, the workers claim that the materials being removed from the prison were not disposed of properly, but instead were simply placed into dumpsters where they would be hauled away like normal garbage. If this were true, it could create a potential health risk for sanitation workers as well.

Removing asbestos safely and properly is costly and time consuming, but it is required by law to protect the health of workers and the inhabitants or employees of the building undergoing asbestos abatement. Properly licensed asbestos abatement crews wear protective clothing and ventilators as well as follow safe handling and proper disposal guidelines that reduce the risk of exposure.

EPA investigators visited the prison earlier this year to determine whether the allegations are true. Their findings have been passed on to federal attorneys, but as of yet no legal actions have been taken against the Kansas department of corrections.

Workers contracted as part of the redevelopment effort for a RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) base in Edinburgh have voiced concerns about the safety of the work environment, specifically the presence of dangerous asbestos fibers and other toxins in the workplace. Union officials are planning to hold a meeting to address the worker’s concerns.

Australia introduced a complete ban on asbestos in 1991, the same year that the asbestos ban in the United States was overturned in the case of Corrosion Proof Fittings versus the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Australia’s ban, much like tightening regulations and in other developed countries around that time, followed decades of growing concern and increased public outcry about the dangers of asbestos fibers in the workplace and at home.

Exposure to asbestos fibers has been conclusively linked to several serious diseases including mesothelioma, an aggressive and incurable cancer that kills some three thousand people in the United States alone every year. When individuals are exposed to an asbestos contaminated environment, the microscopic, needle shaped fibers enter the body through inhalation or ingestion. After passing through the lung or intestinal walls, the tiny fibers become entangled in the mesothelium, a protective lining which surrounds our vital organs, where they cause the development of scar tissue. After years or even decades of lying dormant, this scar tissue can develop into malignant tumors which then spread to other organ systems.

Because of the disease’s long latency, that is, the time it takes from initial exposure to asbestos until the development of malignant tumors, mesothelioma diagnoses continue to rise worldwide. The disease’s prognosis is incredibly dismal, often granting patients less than two years to live from the time of diagnosis.

Unfortunately, while developed nations continue to tighten restrictions concerning the use of the dangerous mineral, many developing countries are filling the vacuum created in the demand for asbestos products. Countries such as India, Mexico and China continue to use asbestos products with little or no safety precautions, ensuring a redoubled struggle with mesothelioma in future generations.

Jason Wilder, the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union organiser for the workers in Edinburgh, was concerned about the efficacy of the safe handling and disposal procedures used by the various contractors. “The workforce is not confident in those procedures,” he said,”there seems to be quite a significant amount of asbestos in that area built up over the years.”

The redevelopment of the base will include the construction of new laboratories, a new air traffic control tower, and a new hospital.