Mesothelioma and Asbestos News - May 2006

Workers Fired after Asbestos Protest
May 31, 2006 - A group of workers in the United Kingdom were all fired at the end of a two-week protest which centered on improper removal of asbestos from a building site in Pembrokeshire, England.

Florida Courthouse Employees Sickened by Asbestos
May 31, 2006 - While Jacksonville’s Duval County Courthouse is being cleared of asbestos, construction workers wear protective gear, yet employees who work in the building aren’t being extended the same precautions...

U.S. Asbestos Fund Bill to Include 9/11 Victims
May 30, 2006 - According to an article published by Reuters, sponsors of legislation to compensate U.S. asbestos victims said on Friday they had expanded it...

Paul Gleason Dies of Mesothelioma
May 30, 2006 - The High Court of England has ruled that two former dock workers have the right to sue the government for compensation over asbestos-related illness.

Landmark UK Case Opens Doors for Asbestos Victims
May 26, 2006 - The High Court of England has ruled that two former dock workers have the right to sue the government for compensation over asbestos-related illness.

Social Security Changes Aid Montana Asbestos Victims
May 25, 2006 - After several months of rallying for change, the Social Security Administration has issued a ruling that will make victims of Libby, Montana asbestos poisoning eligible to apply for disability benefits.

Oregon Plant Workers Unknowingly Exposed to Asbestos
May 25, 2006 - According to a report issued by the Oregon Department of Human Services, dozens of workers at a former Portland-area vermiculite processing plant were exposed to dangerous asbestos for nearly three decades...

Small Declines in Asbestos-Related Cancer
May 24, 2006 - Researchers in the United States have noted a slight decline in the rate of new mesothelioma cases reported annually in this country...

EPA Cleans Up NY’s Fort Edward
May 24, 2006 - After much pressure from concerned citizen’s groups and local officials, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has begun removal...

Teacher Tested Positive for Asbestos
May 23, 2006 - Parents in Saugus, Massachusetts are concerned about the diagnosis of an elementary school teacher, who recently tested positive for asbestos exposure. 

Japanese Firm Reports More Asbestos Deaths
May 23, 2006 - Recent reports of 33 more asbestos-related deaths at Osaka, Japan’s Kubota Corporation bring the total deaths related to this deadly material to 109.

State Park Strewn with Asbestos
May 22, 2006 - Apparently, it’s not unusual to walk Illinois Beach State Park, located near Zion, Illinois, and find asbestos. 

North Carolina City Vows to Clean Up Asbestos-Laden Power Plant
May 20, 2006 - An old power plant which has sat idle in Kinston, NC for more than 30 years will finally be cleaned up, according to an article in the Kinston Free Press, if costs are not too prohibitive. 

Widow of School Teacher Files Asbestos Suit
May 19, 2006 - According to an article in the New Britain (Conn.) Herald, the widow of a long-time school teacher is filing a workers comp suit against the town of Plainville for her husband’s death due to consistent exposure to asbestos in the workplace. 

WR Grace Seeks Trial Delay
May 19, 2006 -WR Grace Company is attempting to stall the trial in a case brought against them by the U.S. government, saying that they’ve had inadequate time to prepare for the high-profile court trial.

Asbestos Causes Mass Apartment Evacuation
May 18, 2006 -Residents of more than 200 apartments in one of downtown Denver’s biggest complexes had to evacuate their homes due to dangerously high levels of asbestos.

Onconase® Offers Hope to Patients with Mesothelioma
May 18, 2006 -The Alfacell Corporation, manufacturers of a chemotherapy drug called Onconase®, have released findings that substantiate the fact that treatment with the drug improves the rate of survival for patients with inoperable mesothelioma.

James Hardie Industries to Make Lump Sum Asbestos Payment
May 17, 2006 - Following in the footsteps of other companies that have recently reached a decision to make lump sum compensation payments to mesothelioma sufferers, James Hardie Industries of Australia has earmarked $716 million for asbestos payments. 

Study to Show Effects of Asbestos on Neighboring Communities
May 16, 2006 - A first-of-its-kind study will be conducted in Minneapolis in hopes of discovering just how asbestos fibers from workplaces may affect those outside..

Owens Corning to Pay Billions in Asbestos Claims
May 15, 2006 - Bloomberg News reports that insulation mega-giant, the Owens Corning Corporation, will pay a whopping $5.2 billion to resolve asbestos claims, allowing it to emerge from a state of bankruptcy.

Asbestos-Laden Ship Returning to France
May 12, 2006 - After much pressure from environmental groups like Greenpeace, the French have decided to recall a ship that was headed to India in order to dump hazardous waste. 

Brewing Company Sued for Asbestos Exposure
May 11, 2006 - A woman who worked for Peoria, Illinois-based Pabst Brewing Company is suing the beer producer for alleged asbestos exposure, which she claims has caused her lung cancer. 

Colorado Asbestos Case Drags On
May 9, 2006 -The case of 22 fraternity brothers vs. Colorado College has been stuck in the courts for more than seven years, frustrating the plaintiffs, defendant, and the attorneys representing them.

Sioux City Sues Over Abandoned Asbestos Waste
May 8, 2006 - The town of Sioux City, Iowa is suing an excavation company for leaving asbestos-containing debris at the demolished site of a downtown building for more than 6 years, creating a health hazard that may have affected those who frequent the area.

Firm Fined for Asbestos Violations
May 6 , 2006 - A Big Flats, New York asbestos removal service company was recently fined $100,000 for years of improper removal of the material which, when not handled according to guidelines, can result in danger to those exposed to airborne fibers.

Potential Asbestos Problem at American Airlines Base
May 6, 2006 - Workers at the American Airlines base in Tulsa, Oklahoma were recently warned of potential exposure to asbestos materials from some of the airline’s Boeing 757 jets.

World Trade Center Search Halted due to Asbestos
May 1 , 2006 - This week, the search for human remains on the top of a building in the vicinity of the former World Trade Center had to be halted due to the overwhelming presence of asbestos in the debris that was being combed.