The abandoned golf and silver mines near Randsburg, California have been closed for over a century, but a variety of dangerous materials, including arsenic and asbestos, have been found in dust and soil samples.

Tests revealed “some of the highest arsenic levels in the country,” according to Randsburg officials. In fact, the levels here are estimated to be almost 460,000 times higher than the “safe limit” outlined by the federal government.

When gusts of wind blow up in the desert, these toxins are carried on currents, putting Randsburg residents at risk of exposure.

This situation is not uncommon, as there are a number of abandoned mines throughout the U.S. that have contaminated the nearby soil, water and air with asbestos, radon, arsenic, mercury, and lead. The situation in Libby, Montana is probably the most well-known, with thousands of former miners and their families suffering from asbestos-caused health problems stemming from the now-defunct W.R. Grace corporation.

In Randsburg, officials continue to monitor the levels of hazardous materials. A fear that clean up efforts may cause significant “environmental damage” is delaying any type of decontamination efforts, according to Richard Forester of the Rand Mining District.

Approximately 300 people reside in Randsburg and the neighboring communities of Red Mountain and Johannesburg. As development in this area continues, these communities are getting closer to the contaminated abandoned mines.

Exposure to asbestos is the only conclusive cause of mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer that has no known cure. In addition, exposure to lead, radon, arsenic, and mercury may also cause cancer.

Residents living nearby abandoned mines should speak with their doctor about respiratory testing to determine whether or not they are at an increased risk of developing certain diseases, including asbestos cancer, as many of these ailments have a latency period of as many as fifty years.

Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer typically pass away within the first two years following diagnosis, and mesothelioma treatment methods are simply pallative measures.

Asbestos is in the process of being removed at the Dobbs Ferry High School in Dobbs Ferry, New York. The school district is spending approximately $23,000 to remove the dangerous substance in the high school’s auditorium. The removal is necessary due to the fact that asbestos-containing materials located in the auditorium have recently become damaged.

Asbestos was used in a wide range of building materials during the early to mid twentieth century before its dangerous nature was realized. During the 1970’s use of the substance began to become regulated upon the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Damaged asbestos may cause fibers to be released into the air which could result in exposure to the harmful substance. Asbestos exposure has been known to lead to the development of a number of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Because these diseases typically have a significantly long latency period treatment options for the diagnosed are very limited.

The asbestos at the Dobbs Ferry High School was discovered during the annual inspection which was conducted last month. Throughout the rest of winter recess the materials will be removed by Asbestos Corp. of America.

According to school officials the project should be completed by Tuesday December 30th in plenty of time for the student’s return to classes next week. No faculty or students were reported to have been exposed to asbestos.

The Mount Vernon School District has recently hired an environmental service company to complete testing for and abatement of asbestos found in two special education classrooms at the A.B. Davis Middle School located in Mount Vernon, New York. The district decided to close the school after testing done by Niche Analysis proved that asbestos, although not particularly dangerous, existed in the two classrooms.

Asbestos was used in a variety of building materials including insulation during the early twentieth century. It was unknown how dangerous the substance was until the 1970’s. It was around the same time that congress formed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and use of asbestos began to become more regulated.

The asbestos was discovered as a result of a leak in the classrooms heating system that passed through fireproofing material that contained asbestos. The leak was found on Christmas Day and began in the guidance suite according to a spokeswoman for the Mount Vernon School District.

All areas that contain asbestos have been sealed off until the asbestos abatement project is complete.

Exposure to disturbed asbestos-containing materials has been known to lead to the development of a number of asbestos-related diseases such as lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and asbestosis. These diseases typically have a long latency period which often means that the diagnosed are left with limited effective treatment options by the time that diagnosis occurs.

The school district has hired Infinity Environmental Services to conduct the abatement of the dangerous materials.

A number of Western Washington University Students will not be able to return to their dorm rooms located at the school in Bellingham, Washington after Christmas Break due to flooding and the discovery of asbestos-containing materials. Students returning to the Gamma Hall dormitory will be faced with having to attempt to save some of their belongings from the flooding and relocating until emergency repairs can be completed.

Repairs to the building are expected to cost approximately $650,000. The high price has much to do with the discovery of the asbestos-containing materials in the building which was constructed in 1962. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that the use of asbestos in building supplies began to become regulated by the government when congress formed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Because the building has such extensive amounts of asbestos in the walls and sheetrock much of it will have to be demolished and rebuilt before students will be able to return to the dormitory.

Exposure to materials containing asbestos has been known to lead to a number of irreversible diseases which include asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. Treatment options for those diagnosed with such diseases are often very limited due to their long latency period. In many cases such diseases are already in the advanced stages of development by the time the discovery is made.

The flood in the sixteen rooms of the dormitory is the result of a broken radiator pipe. University officials expect that the repairs to the building will be completed by the end of January 2009.

The public meetings regarding the Lowell and Eden asbestos mines in Vermont that were originally supposed to take place last month have now been rescheduled for next week. The two meetings were canceled due to inclement weather conditions and postponed until a later date.

Now the state of Vermont Health Department is preparing to discuss their findings regarding a recent health study related to asbestos and the residents of Eden and Lowell.

Asbestos was used in a number of materials during the early twentieth century. The mines in Eden and Lowell which are owned by W.R. Grace have been found to contain vermiculite contaminated with the dangerous substance.

The recent study that has been conducted by the state health department shows a relation between the residents of the two towns and asbestos-related ailments. Those that live within 10 miles of either of the two mines were found to be at higher risk of developing an asbestos-related illness according to the study.

Asbestos exposure has been known to lead to the development of a number of different asbestos-related diseases. Three of those diseases include asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. Because such diseases typically have such a long latency period patients are often left with limited choices regarding treatment. In many cases such diseases are already in their advanced stages of development by the time they are discovered.

The first of the two meetings is scheduled in Eden at the Eden Central School on January 12th at 6:30 in the evening. The second of the meetings will be held in Lowell on January 13th at the Lowell Grade School.

Colorado State Patrol is searching for the driver of a tractor trailer that tipped and left behind dirt contaminated with asbestos this past Friday at approximately 2:45 in the afternoon. The driver of the trailer who was apparently speeding allegedly fled the scene and has yet to be found.

Due to safety issues regarding exposure to asbestos the contaminated dirt has since been cleaned up by an environmental oversight company specializing in the safe removal and cleanup of asbestos.

Exposure to asbestos-containing materials has been known to result in the development of any one of a number of asbestos-related diseases. Such diseases include mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer and all can take anywhere from twenty to fifty years to be discovered.

For this reason effective treatment options for those diagnosed are often very limited by the time initial diagnosis occurs. In many cases such diseases are already in their advanced stages of development.

The incident took place in Greely, Colorado on the eastbound ramp to U.S. 34 coming from the direction of U.S. 85. The cleanup project was overseen by the Colorado State Patrol Hazardous-Material Team.

The asbestos study being conducted at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport Authority located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is scheduled to be completed on January 12th. Following the study and subsequent asbestos abatement a $7 million dollar renovation on various parts of the airport will begin.

Asbestos-containing materials must first be removed from the building in order to prevent possible exposure to cancer causing asbestos fibers. Such exposure can result in any one of a number of asbestos-related diseases which include asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Because of the generally long latency period of these diseases treatment options for those that are diagnosed are often very limited by the time the discovery is made.

The area of the airport being remodeled is the Costello Terminal which is approximately forty years old. At the time the terminal was constructed asbestos was often used in a number of building supplies including insulation. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that use of the material began to become regulated upon the formation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The president of Koch Hazard, the architectural firm hired to handle the project, Chris Shiltz has stated that necessary abatement at the site should be modest and will mostly consist of mechanical piping insulation.

Airport General Manager Mike Marnach has estimated that the actual renovation project after the asbestos abatement is complete will take approximately sixteen months.

Some students in Oklahoma were unable to return to classes following the holiday break in their own school today due to an issue related to hazardous materials. Asbestos was found in the Adams Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma yesterday and now the school has been closed until further notice is provided.

Officials for the Labor Department have since determined the building to be unsafe and the school district has relocated Adam’s students to the nearby Roosevelt Middle School.

Exposure to asbestos-containing materials has been known to lead to the development of a number of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

Typically these types of diseases do not fully develop and show on tests for anywhere from twenty to fifty years. Due to this tendency mesothelioma treatment options for the diagnosed are often very limited. In many cases such diseases are already in the advanced stages of development by the time they are discovered.

Asbestos was often used in building supplies throughout the twentieth century. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that use of the dangerous substance began to become regulated when congress formed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Many buildings constructed before this time have asbestos-containing materials in some portion of the building. The materials must be safely removed in order to prevent exposure.

A new test will soon be offered by Rosetta Genomics that will be able to distinguish asbestos-caused malignant pleural mesothelioma from lung cancer. The miRviewâ„¢meso test is a MicroRNA-based diagnostic test that will allow doctors to rule out the possibility of mesothelioma in those individuals that have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials.

Exposure to asbestos has been known to result in any one of a number of asbestos-related diseases which include not only lung cancer and mesothelioma, (often referred to as asbestos cancer) but asbestosis and other respiratory problems as well. Often because such diseases have a significantly long latency period treatment options for those diagnosed are often very limited. In many cases the diseases are in their advanced stages by the time that they are discovered twenty to sixty years after initial exposure to the dangerous toxin.

Rosetta Genomics’ clinical lab located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is expecting to conduct approximately two-thousand of the miRview™meso tests throughout 2009. The company has approximately sixteen million dollars in funds appropriated for the testing that will be conducted at the Philadelphia clinical lab.

According to researchers for the company this is the first test of this type and as Harvey Pass, MD has stated, “Will become an important tool for both oncologists and pathologists in obtaining the right diagnosis in these patients.”

Rosetta Genomics made the announcement regarding the availability of the test early last week.

An asbestos-related lawsuit has recently been filed in the Jefferson County District Court of Texas by four brothers who claim that their father’s recent death due to mesothelioma was wrongfully caused by Chevron and Gulf Oil. According to the lawsuit Gliese Bergeron developed mesothelioma as a result of his employment with Chevron and Gulf Oil.

In the lawsuit it is stated by Bergeron’s four sons, Kyle, Dan, Ted, and Mark Bergeron that their father was employed with the company as a pipefitter, truck driver, operator, maintenance planner, and insulator in 1942 and again from 1946 until 1983. It was during this time that the plaintiffs feel their father was exposed to dangerous asbestos-containing materials.

Exposure to such materials is commonly known to result in the development of any one of a number of asbestos-related diseases which include mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Because such diseases typically take twenty to sixty years to show in tests the diagnosed are often faced with very limited treatment options by the time diagnosis occurs. In many cases such diseases are already in the advanced stages of development by the time that the discovery is made.

The sons of Bergeron feel that the outcome of such exposure should have been foreseeable by their father’s employer.

Kyle, Dan, Ted, and Mark Bergeron are seeking punitive and exemplary damages in an unspecified amount. Gliese Bergeron passed away from mesothelioma on October 31st of 2008.