The Palm Springs Courthouse on Tahquitz Canyon Way in California may be harboring asbestos, according to KPSP Local 2 news.

Signs posted on the exterior of the courthouse indicate that there may be asbestos inside and urge individuals to wear protective clothing and a mask or respirator to prevent inhalation of asbestos fibers when inside the building. Renovations are currently underway inside parts of the courthouse.

Some employees have been relocated to a different part of the building to be further away from the potentially hazardous area.

KPSP Local 2 news has not yet received confirmation that asbestos has in fact been found inside the courthouse and are waiting for an “official response” from the county and a private contractor that is handling renovations.

John Bacon, Superintendent of the Barre Town, VT school district released a statement on Monday after the town’s elementary school was determined to be free of asbestos contamination.

“It’s been taken care…and things are safe,” said Superintendent Bacon.

Air quality monitoring and sampling had been underway at the school after concerns were raised about the presence of asbestos in the school. Officials closed the school and halted a summer construction project as a safety precaution.

Questions about possible asbestos contamination arose after a school in Montpelier had been closed by the Vermont Department of Health due to asbestos-related violations. Testing began at the Barre Town school as a precautionary measure. According to Superintendent Bacon, any problems at the school were “easily remedied” and the building has been given a “clean bill of health.”

The Barre Town school will reopen next week in time for the start of the new school year.

A Department of Education report has revealed that Public School 265 in Rockaway, NY contains dangerous levels of asbestos. The school houses students with autism and other learning and emotional disorders.

Pictures posted on the Daily News website show crumbling walls, peeling paint and damaged floor and ceiling tiles, all of which contain asbestos. Parents say that they are “just discovering” the extent of disrepair inside their children’s school.

“It’s horrible, especially when you’re dealing with kids with disabilities,” said Parent Association President Albert Hiller, whose son, James Joel, attends School 265. “They’re always taking the back-door approach when it comes to us.”

Building teachers claim that officials inspected the school back in July and noted the dangerous conditions, but teachers and over 100 students still remained in the building for summer school, which ended last week.

According to teacher’s union president Randi Weingarten, the Department of Education purchased the school building recently despite interior conditions.

“I’m deeply disappointed that the DOE [Department of Education] missed all the warning signs that ought to be in place to stop the purchase of a building like this,” Weingarten stated.

In addition to asbestos exposure, which is the only known cause of pleural mesothelioma, officials are also concerned about the presence of lead within the school building.

Department of Education officials will hold a meeting on August 19th to assess the situation and determine their next course of action.

The widow of a man who worked at British Nuclear Fuels for more than 40 years has received a large six-figure settlement in an asbestos case brought on behalf of her husband, who died only three weeks after he was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in April 2007.

According to an article in the North-West Evening Mail, Ronald Rumney trained with the company as an electrician from 1952 to 1957 and then continued to work for British Nuclear Fuels until his retirement in 1994.

His wife, Norma, says Ronald felt strongly about filing a claim for compensation for his illness and instructed his wife to continue with the suit after his death. Mrs. Rumney also worked at British Nuclear Fuels’ Sellafield refinery but has not shown any signs of developing asbestos-related disease, the article notes.

“When Ronald was told he had mesothelioma and had only weeks to live, we were devastated,” said Mrs. Rumney. “He knew he had been exposed to asbestos at Sellafield and was determined that justice be done.”

“Unfortunately his tumor was so aggressive, he died shortly afterwards and I vowed to continue the fight,” she adds. “I’d like to thank all of his colleagues who came forward as witnesses to help us with the case. They helped prove how Ronald was exposed to asbestos at Sellafield.”

Asbestos abatement at the Columbia County Courthouse in Portage, Wisc. can’t wait until next year because of the danger of exposure to the toxic mineral, Building and Grounds Inspector Cory Weigel told the county’s finance committee earlier this week.

An article in the Portage Daily Register quotes Weigel as saying that asbestos removal at the courthouse is essential as county maintenance employees often need access to the pipes, wires and ducts concealed by the hallway ceiling tiles on all three levels of the courthouse. Weigel notes that those tiles, made with asbestos, are friable, which means they are crumbling and can easily release airborne asbestos dust when handled.

County finance committee members grumbled about the $74,000 cost, but Weigel stood his ground about the abatement, reminding them that exposure to asbestos can cause serious pulmonary diseases, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. He says the project will begin as soon as a licensed abatement professional can be found. There are only a few in the county, he notes, and many of them work on school buildings during the summer when students are on vacation.

The courthouse abatement will be done during the weekends when the courts are closed and no employees or members of the public are present, Weigel stressed.

The need for the removal project was discovered earlier this year when small amounts of asbestos was found in 15 areas of the building, probably caused by old pipe insulation. Discovery of the asbestos tiles in the ceiling came later and prompted a quicker and more costly remedy.

Bozeman, Montana residents are being warned that asbestos may be in their homes, gardens, and neighborhoods, reports a story aired on KBZK – TV. Residents of the cities of Helena and Livingston are also being told they may face the same hazards, the story reports.

The asbestos in question originated from the former Karst Mine and other similar mines in Gallatin County, reports Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The Karst Mine operated from the early 1900s until the 1950s and mined the anthophyllite type of asbestos, a member of the amphibole group.

“Asbestos insulation milled from ore originating at the Karst Mine is known as Karstolite and has been found in several structures in Bozeman, Helena and Livingston,” said John Podolinsky, Project Officer with the DEQ Asbestos Control Program.

Podolinsky adds that the material was used through the 1950s in homes throughout the area, mostly as attic insulation. “An undetermined number of homes and commercial buildings built before 1960 may contain the insulation. We want to make sure the public is aware of this possibility and if someone finds Karstolite in their home or business that they take proper precautions for handling asbestos,” Podolinsky said.

The DEQ has also detected asbestos in the soil in Bozeman. “Asbestos ore was stockpiled at the Montana Rail Link Asbestos, CMC Asbestos Gallatin Gateway and CMC Asbestos Bozeman sites, and may be found in area soils where it was disposed of or used as fill material,” the story reports. Some sites have been cleaned up while others are currently undergoing clean-up.

The agency has warned residents that if they spot asbestos on their properties or at any other outdoor areas, they should call for an inspector.

“If you think you have found asbestos ore in your yard, park or near hiking trails, do not disturb or transport the soil yourself. Contact the DEQ or refer to our website for more information,” says Colleen Owen, Project Officer with the DEQ Remediation Division.

Homeowners who are upgrading their insulation to help save money as energy costs rise need to watch out for the presence of asbestos-containing vermiculite in their attics, notes an article in The New York Times.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), millions of homes in America contain attic insulation made with vermiculite. However, not all vermiculite contains asbestos, the agency explains.

The homes most likely to contain asbestos-tainted insulation were insulated between the 1920s and the early 1980s, the article states. During that time, the majority of vermiculite used in insulation products came from the contaminated mine in Libby, Mont., the same mine that has caused the death of more than 200 individuals and sickened thousands in the small Montana town.

While homeowners can usually distinguish between vermiculite and other types of insulation, it’s more difficult to determine whether or not the vermiculite contains asbestos, notes Ed Cahill, national director of asbestos services for EMSL Analytical of Westmont, NJ.

And when a homeowner is uncertain, the best thing to do is test, Cahill notes. Several testing methods are available, the most popular being the Cincinnati Method, which involves placing a sample of the insulation in a large beaker of water, Cahill explains. The vermiculite floats and any material containing asbestos sinks to the bottom.

While it’s not necessary to call an abatement professional if asbestos-tainted vermiculite is to remain undisturbed, a licensed company should be called if the homeowner wants to replace it or add more insulation.

It has often been said that there is a definitive link between cancer and lifestyle. Some experts believe that cancer – at least some types – could be avoided if individuals would practice better lifestyle habits, including regular exercise and the consumption of healthy foods, including plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grains.

Doctors and scientists have spent decades examining the connection between food and cancer (and other illnesses as well). While these experts might disagree on particulars, for the most part they agree that certain foods contain the right vitamins, minerals, or plant phytochemicals to help prevent cancer or assist in fighting the disease. Some doctors have even devised specific “anti-cancer” diets that they distribute to their patients in hopes of fending off the disease or slowing its progress.

Some of the most common foods found on those diets, including those designed for mesothelioma patients, include:

Broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, mustard greens, kale, and cauliflower – These so-called cruciferous vegetables contain three cancer-protective biochemicals including sulforaphane, which blocks enzymes that draw carcinogens into healthy cells.

Soy products – The photonutrients in soy inhibit the growth of new blood vessels necessary for tumor survival. Studies have shown, for example, that Japanese women who consume large amounts of soy are four times less likely to die of breast cancer than American women, who historically eat little soy.

Fish and flax oils - Omega 3 fatty acids, such as those found in oily fish and flax seeds, help produce the phytochemicals known to inhibit cancer. Salmon and tuna are great sources of these fatty acids and some cancer patients also take a tablespoon of flaxseed oil each day, which can be mixed in with salad dressing. Olives and olive oils are helpful as well.

Carrots, sweet potatoes, hard-shell squash (i.e. butternut, pumpkin) – Full of beta-carotene, these foods can block the growth of potentially-cancerous cells. Cancer patients or those trying to avoid the disease should eat about 25 mg. per day, much more than the average person usually consumes. Eating these beta carotene products with tomatoes provides an even bigger boost as the lycopene in the tomato enhances the absorption of beta carotene.

Mushrooms – White button mushrooms, the most common type, work at blocking aromatase, which is an enzyme that can promote the growth of cancer cells. Studies show they may be especially helpful for prostate cancer patients.

Foods High in Vitamin C - Vitamin C boosts the immune system by increasing the production of lymphocytes in the body, blocking the formation of nitrosamines, often found in processed meats. The best source of Vitamin C is fresh fruits and vegetables such as oranges, red berries, red and green bell peppers, kiwi, tomatoes, and spinach. High intake of Vitamin C is especially effective in preventing intestinal cancers.

The owners of a power plant along Lake Michigan are sifting through giant piles of sand in search of toxic asbestos that threatens the waters of one of America’s Great Lakes and the beaches that line the lake.

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, Midwest Generation Power Company has obtained a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to sift through about 15,000 cubic yards of sand, dredged over the past several years from a nearby canal that draws lake water to cool the company’s coal-fired plant.

The utility company is testing to see whether asbestos can be removed from the sand so that it can be sold to road builders, a spokesman from Midwest Generation said.

But EPA officials worried that the sifting would cause asbestos fibers to make their way into neighboring communities. They ordered the company to cover the area with a tent and bring in fans that filter the air, which is then tested several times daily.

The move by Midwest Generation is being done in an attempt to stop asbestos contamination on Illinois State beaches. It comes on the heels of a report by environmental experts, which says the toxic mineral is a health hazard to those who use the beaches on a regular basis. Local politicians deny there is a problem.

The sand pile at Midwest Generation was no doubt contaminated by material from the former Johns-Manville factory, which manufactured asbestos shingles and pipe at the location for more than 60 years.

“We’re looking for ways to remove this sand from the property without taking it to a landfill,” said Charlie Parnell, a spokesman for Midwest Generation, which bought the Waukegan plant from ComEd in 1999. “This is a problem that affects a lot of people, not just us.”

The testing began last month but the public was not notified, explains the article, because this is only a test to see if the sifting will work. If it does and Midwest Generation continues with the project, the community will be given notice.

Libby, Montana’s Center for Asbestos-Related Diseases, also known as the CARD Clinic, is in serious need of money and one U.S. Senator says he’s going to help them find the funds that will keep them from going under.

An article in The Western News reports that Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont) vowed to do everything he possibly can to save the clinic, which serves the ever-growing number of Libby-area residents stricken with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, such as asbestosis.

“We’re going to get in contact with the people who are the decision-makers in the EPA and try to apply pressure from my position to get them to break loose with some money for the work that these guys are doing,” Tester said. “It’s valuable work. I think it’s critically important to the community and the cleanup and health of the citizenry so I just need to push them and plead the case and hopefully, they’ll do the right thing in the end.”

Dr. Brad Black, CARD director, doesn’t think the clinic will close but admits that it takes time to get money coming through certain channels. Things sometimes get caught up in red tape, he notes.

“I think there are monies that flow that are coming to CARD in the bureaucratic process and it takes time to get through,” Black said.

Tester disagrees and fears CARD’s demise. “I absolutely think so,” Tester said when asked if he thinks the clinic could close. “I was here a year ago or so and it’s definitely gotten worse since then. I think that’s absolutely a reality and hopefully it’s a reality that won’t come to fruition.”

Dr. Black admits that the clinic’s health care fee for service has dropped off over the past several years and that a $248,000 appropriation is currently stuck in the processing phase, making money tight.