Strategic Weapons Facility, Bangor
Bangor, Washington is home to the Strategic Weapons Facility, and it is owned by the United States government. The site was built for the purpose of constructing weapons such as missiles and launchers which are often used on large naval vessels.
Every weapons building facility contains a large number of dangers. By its very nature a plant that creates weapons is a hazardous work site, and the people who take positions there are well aware of the hazards they will encounter while on the clock. People who accepted employment at the Strategic Weapons Facility knew the risks of the job, but most of them could not have realized another threat they would face while spending time at the Bangor based site. This additional danger came in the form of exposure to asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral that was found within a variety of products all over the work site.
Asbestos is mined from large deposits all over the country, and was originally put to great use around the start of the American Industrial Revolution. The mineral is strong, heat resistant and easy to obtain, which made it one of the most commonly sought after materials for construction and other products for years. It was so eagerly accepted and put into production that researchers were not able to uncover a frightening fact about the mineral until several decades after it was being used as a base for hundreds of different products. The startling fact was that the mineral is poisonous, and exposure to it could lead to breathing disorders, scarred lung tissue, cancerous diseases such as mesothelioma and even death.
People who spent time around products that contained asbestos regularly breathed in the tiny fibers that made up the heavy duty mineral. These fibers would break off and become airborne, especially while being used within insulation that was needed to keep large equipment operating properly at work sites such as the Strategic Weapons Facility.
Anyone who worked at the Bangor based site while products containing asbestos were in use may have breathed in enough of the hazardous material to develop serious illnesses. If you or anyone you know was employed at this location, you are urged to notify your doctor about it immediately.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
