No one – not even celebrities – is safe from the dangerous effects of asbestos. That could be the case with the late Penn State coach, Joe Paterno. The coach, who was fired amid moral controversy in November 2011, announced shortly after that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, but expected to recover.

Unfortunately, Paterno did not make a recovery. Because of the short time period between his diagnosis in November 2011 and his death in January 2012, Paterno and his time had little time to speculate of what could have caused the cancer. Now, doctors question whether Paterno’s illness was the result of asbestos exposure earlier in life.

The reason for the speculation is surrounding the specific type of lung cancer Paterno died of. The doctors at Mount Nittany Medical Center, where Paterno was a patient, stated that his cancer was only synonymous with smokers. Paterno, who was a non-smoker, may have developed the cancer as a result of asbestos exposure.

Apparently, the small-cell lung cancer that Paterno died is almost non-existent in non-smokers. Like mesothelioma – a rare cancer associated only with asbestos exposure – the cancer is extremely aggressive and offers a bleak outlook for victims. Paterno, himself, hardly had a chance to battle the disease, as the chemo treatments proved too hard on his body.

Asbestos in the U.S.

Asbestos is a mineral that was in high demand for manufacturing in the 20^th century. However, sometime mid-century, information began surfacing about the dangers of asbestos to the human body and about the deadly, aggressive cancers it was responsible for causing.

Asbestos remained a large part of U.S. manufacturing until the 1980s, when restrictions were placed on its usage. However, because of its long latency period (it can take several decades for illness to develop), it is often difficult for victims to trace the original source or sources of asbestos exposure. But in the past, those who did were successful in getting large settlements from the companies at-fault for careless exposure.

Paterno’s family has not commented on whether they will consider their legal options concerning the development of the beloved coach’s cancer and subsequent death. Only time will tell if they can prove that the cancer was caused by asbestos exposure, and if so, where that exposure came from.

As if the disasters and casualties surrounding September 11, 2001 weren’t enough to handle, a threat still looms for the victims who survived the World Trade Center attacks that devastated Manhattan. That threat could mean life-threatening respiratory health issues and cancer over the next few decades.

Approximately 400 tons of asbestos were used in the construction of the World Trade Center in New York City. At the time the twin towers were built, asbestos was a standard component of building construction and insulation. The mineral, however, is extremely hazardous to human health and has been proven to cause a fatal form of cancer known as mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, an ultimatum deadline two weeks ago left survivors, rescuers and bystanders who were exposed to the asbestos ash that coated the city with few options for getting compensation for their asbestos-related diseases.

Victim’s Compensation Fund

In 2010, the government established a Victim’s Compensation Fund worth $2.76 billion. The fund’s purpose is to provide aid to individuals who are suffering or will develop health problems as a result of the dust, smoke and debris that surrounded the city that day. However, the government left out one important component – coverage for asbestos exposure.

Although the fund does provide coverage for a number of respiratory problems, victims who develop mesothelioma and asbestosis – arguably some of the most severe effects of toxic dust exposure on September 11^th – will not receive any compensation to help pay for medical expenses and other losses related to the diseases. However, the government is expected to review the provisions in the fund very soon, which will likely include reconsideration of funding for asbestos-related diseases and complications.

Until now, many of the victims who were concerned about asbestos exposure and the diseases that have or could develop as a result of it have filed lawsuits against those responsible for the presence of asbestos is the towers. However, when the Victim’s Compensation Fund was established, it was designed to provide financial provision for victims who do not receive alternative compensation from a separate lawsuit or settlement.

The deadline to decide whether to pursue compensation in court or to apply for compensation from the Victim’s Compensation Fund was on January 2, 2012. Anyone who had a pending lawsuit was forced to decide whether to drop the litigation and hope for modifications to the Victim’s Compensation Fund rules, or else gamble on the chance of getting a settlement or favorable judgment in court.

As of now, anyone who chose to drop their lawsuits will not be covered by the Victim’s Compensation Fund if they develop asbestos-related problems. Only time will tell if the federal government will choose to extend the provisions of the fund to help them as well.

School officials at the Newton North High School in Massachusetts expected to pay a hefty sum toward asbestos abatement costs when it demolished the old structure to build a newer campus. What they didn’t expect was exactly how much the abatement would cost them – almost $14 million.

That’s nearly double the budget the school originally had for asbestos abatement costs. In fact, with the costs of asbestos removal at the school included, it makes the new Newton North High School the most expensive high school ever built in Massachusetts, which is not making many residents and tax payers very happy.

The $14 million bill came as the result of having to deconstruct the old high school brick by brick to avoid polluting the air with dangerous asbestos fibers that are known to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. A multitude of asbestos-related lawsuits, along with pressure from state and federal environmental standards, persuaded the district to take extreme precaution with the project.

Mixed Emotions Surround Asbestos Abatement

Although many residents are outraged at the steep costs associated with asbestos abatement at the Newton North High School, parents, teachers and school officials are relieved and comforted knowing that the building was properly abated and no threats of asbestos contamination remain.

Despite the price of the abatement, it is possible that the millions spent in abatement costs could pale in comparison to possible future lawsuits from those exposed to the mineral due to improper, although more affordable, asbestos removal from the building.

Asbestos is a fire-retardant, naturally occurring mineral that was used heavily in construction between the 1950s and 1970s, despite confirmations that the mineral caused serious health conditions and even fatalities in those exposed to it. Although asbestos is no longer used in to build homes, schools and other structures, many buildings still contain the mineral.

The Environmental Protection Agency requires professional handling and abatement of asbestos in those buildings before they can be demolished in order to avoid causing workers and building occupants to develop potentially deadly diseases.

As the nation takes time today to reflect on the horrible attacks of Pearl Harbor that killed 2,402 people seven decades ago, we pay tribute to those who lost their lives fighting for our country’s freedom. The United States Navy took a big hit that day, but there is another war that has been quietly raging among Navy veterans.

Asbestos in Navy Shipyards

Many navy veterans are suffering from the effects of prolonged asbestos exposure. Asbestos, a fire-resistant mineral frequently used in navy shipyards during the World War II era, is extremely hazardous to the human respiratory system. Asbestos fibers are so small and fine; they are easily inhaled or ingested, embedding in to the lining of the lungs and chest cavities. It is there that the fibers lay dormant for decades, before eventually causing complications – the most severe of which is mesothelioma cancer.

Navy shipyards contained asbestos between the 1930s and the 1970s, and other branches of the U.S. military began using it during the 1940s. During that time, hundreds of thousands of veterans were exposed to the fibers. Today, approximately 30 percent of all cases of mesothelioma diagnosed occur in veterans.

Not even Pearl Harbor service members were spared of the effects of asbestos. In a November interview with National Public Radio, surviving Pearl Harbor veteran, Frank Curre, not only recounts the events of Pearl Harbor from his position on the USS Tennessee, but he also shared with the well-known media outlet that he suffers from mesothelioma as a result of his time and service in the U.S. Navy.

The symptoms of mesothelioma imitate respiratory diseases, causing chest pains, coughing and a struggle to breathe. Under the surface, however, the effects are even more serious. The cancer causes fluid build-up and the development of tumors in the mesothelium lining of the chest, lungs and abdominal cavity. Often, mesothelioma does not respond to traditional cancer treatments, leaving victims with a poor prognosis for survival.

Filing a Mesothelioma Claim Against the U.S. Navy

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs offers voluntary compensation only to veterans suffering from mesothelioma who can prove that the disease is the direct result of serving in the military alone. If the VA suspects that there could be any secondary sources of asbestos exposure, it may not approve compensation. For this reason, veterans are encouraged to acquire legal assistance in filing a claim for mesothelioma damages.

Resource:

National Public Radio: Living to Tell the Horrible Tale of Pearl Harbor

In April 2011, contractors were hired to repair the aging Surrey nuclear power plant in Southeastern Virginia. Individuals in charge of plant safety assured the contractors that there were no asbestos exposure risks involved in the project, as all of the asbestos in the plant’s pipes had been abated, or else contained clear warning signs indicating the presence of asbestos.

When contractors began work replacing the pipes in the reactor’s turbine building, there were no asbestos warning labels present on the pipes. However, as workers began to cut into the pipes, a fine, particle-like substance filtered into the air – landing on the contractors’ clothing and permeating the air they were breathing. After following the pipes down two floors, they discovered an asbestos warning label.

Because the nuclear plant’s owner had no air sampling equipment present at the time of the incident and state investigators didn’t arrive until three days after the incident, investigators are unsure as how much asbestos the contractors came in contact with. However, reports from the State Department of Labor reveal that asbestos fibers were found on 12 workers, as well as three work trailers.

Asbestos is a dangerous mineral fiber used heavily in manufacturing between the 1920s and the 1970s, despite warnings that the fibers could cause respiratory problems, as well as life-threatening cancers. Many companies began eliminating the use of asbestos in the 1980s before it was finally banned permanently in the early 1990s. Unfortunately, contractors remain at increased risk for exposure to the mineral when working on old structures built using asbestos, such as the Surrey nuclear power plant.

Doug Larkin, co-founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, notes that state and federal oversight of company compliance with asbestos safety laws needs improvement. Larkin says that there are too few inspectors available to ensure public and worker safety, and with regard to the Surrey nuclear plant incident, he says, “It’s incredible that people are still being exposed today. This type of behavior is absolutely appalling.”

Asbestos inhalation and ingestion is directly responsible for the development of mesothelioma in thousands of people each year – many of whom do not develop the disease for several decades following initial exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer with no cure, and it’s almost always fatal.

The state fined Quality Specialties Inc. $4,900 for improper pipe labeling at the Surrey nuclear facility, but that doesn’t necessarily indicate that further accountability will not be required of Quality Specialties Inc., plant owners or other companies involved in the hazardous asbestos exposure incident. Apparently, the contractors are currently exploring their legal options regarding the event. According to Dr. Arthur Frank, chair of Drexel University’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, the workers “are at an increased risk, but it’s hard to say if they’ll develop diseases. Only time will tell.”