An expert team of United Nations workers have completed their field work for a study of asbestos contamination resulting from recent combat on the Gaza strip. The team of eight experts from the United Nations’ Environment Program spent 10 days in Gaza studying various other environmental issues. In addition to asbestos-related issues, the team studied waste management systems and water quality in the coastal areas. The team is expected to make their recommendations for improving health and environmental issues on the Gaza strip within the coming months.

The experts inspected 32 sites during their 10 day study. These sites included schools, sewage facilities, landfills, and residential areas. Samples were collected for laboratory analysis, and the experts are also planning to prepare an evaluation of the amount of money it will take to repair damage done to the environment. All samples collected will be analyzed within the coming weeks.

Asbestos could pose a serious health risk to soldiers and residents of the Gaza strip. Asbestos is linked to many serious health issues, including pleural mesothelioma.

The study was deemed necessary after a particularly intense bout of fighting beginning in late December of 2008. A three week Israeli offensive against Hamas and other Palestinian groups lead to heavy bombing of the strip, with many buildings now reduced to rubble. Shortly after this bout of fighting was over, United Nations staffers became concerned that the destroyed buildings could pose environmental risks due to airborne asbestos or other pollutants.

During the May field mission, the team conducted two asbestos handling workshops, as well as health and safety practices relating to the demolition of damaged buildings.

A fire last week at Farmer’s Furniture in Salisaw, Oklahoma has many locals wondering if asbestos may have become airborne during the blaze.

Farmer’s Furniture was located in a historic 110-year old building. The blaze started Tuesday afternoon, and firefighters continued to fight the inferno through Wednesday.

The fire quickly grew into an out-ofcontrol blaze, filling the air with toxic smoke that some believe contained asbestos particles. Among those concerned about the potential for an asbestos release is Salisaw Fire Chief Anthony Armstrong.

Reports have yet to state when or if air quality testing will be conducted to see if asbestos was released.

Police officers worked in tandem with the fire department to cordon off a four block region of downtown to protect residents from the blaze and any toxic effects from the smoke.

The blaze was so intense that firefighters from two neighboring towns were also called in to battle the flames.

Firefighters currently believe the cause of the fire was electrical, although the cause has yet to be officially declared.

Airborne asbestos fibers can become lodged in the lungs if inhaled. These deadly particles can then hasten the development of such deadly diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer, and pleural mesothelioma.

Asbestos was once commonly used in building materials such as fireproofing, insulation, tiles, and even some cements and paints. The deadly substance, once prized for resistance to heat and chemical damage, is now known to be a deadly killer.

World War II veteran Merle Kalp is 90 years old, and suffers from an asbestos-related lung condition. But despite his age and waning health, Kalp took the time to attend a military ceremony for his great-granddaughter.

Maria Quatse wanted her great-grandfather to be the one to pin her newly earned Air Force lieutenant bars on her shoulders at her commissioning ceremony,.

Kalp served in the army during World War II, and was stationed in Okinawa when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Maria wanted to honor her great-grandfather’s service and legacy by inviting him to participate in her ceremony.

“There’s not many World War II vets out there anymore,” said Quatse. “I was happy I could have my own great-grandfather, who was a World War II vet, pin the bars on me. … I just think it shows the generations of the military members.”

Kalp said it meant a lot to him to be involved. Due to his failing health, he was worried he would be unable to attend the ceremony. Asbestos exposure can lead to asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma cancer, and as a result, Kalp’s health is in decline. In addition to bad legs, he has also faced a dramatic loss of lung strength in recent months. The poor condition of Kalp’s lungs is attributed to asbestos exposure from his career as a machinist.

The issue of veterans and mesothelioma cancer has long been a concern, as vets who served during the WWII-era and beyond and were exposed to asbestos during their time in the military are now developing asbestos illnesses.

When asked if he would be well enough to attend his other great-granddaughter’s graduation from West Point next year, Kalp stated “I don’t know if I’ll be around next year for West Point…These lungs are going to get me yet. I sure want to go there.”

On Monday evening, the Town Meeting for officials in Somerset, Massachusetts passed a warrant item for funding repairs and asbestos removal for a local school.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen linked to asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a disease with a long latency period, meaning that many sufferers of the disease do not develop initial symptoms until decades after exposure to toxic asbestos.

The meeting ran exceptionally well, a fact that Town Administrator Dennis Luttrell attributed to a pool of exceptionally well-informed voters.

“I think it was a result of everything being well-vetted,” Luttrell said. “The budget was discussed in the open at selectmen’s meetings and people could read about it in the newspaper or watch it on television. It was a rigorous process.”

$750,000 in funding was approved for repairs to an aging school. $300,000 of that amount was budgeted specifically for the design and repair of the structure itself. The remaining $450,000 was allotted for asbestos abatement.

Those figures represent that highest possible number, but engineers will continue to negotiate with local contractors for a lower fee.

Asbestos will be removed only in areas where workers are present. Those areas will need to be sealed off to prevent the spread of asbestos fibers throughout the air of the building. Removing all the asbestos located beneath the building would be too expensive. Some reports have estimated that complete asbestos removal could cost as much as $2 million.

The asbestos removal planned for now is being done as part of an emergency repair on the building.

Since February 2008, a huge section of Somerset High School’s northwest wing has been shut down due to fears that the aging columns supporting that wing could collapse.

.

Wisconsin’s Glen Loyd is set to retire this month after a career in consumer advocacy that has lasted nearly 30 years.

Loyd will turn 70 in October. Over the course of his career, Loyd has fought for consumer rights. Loyd’s first big consumer rights story. While living in Chicago in the early 1970s, he was working at Today’s Heath magazine.

During his time in Chicago, Loyd recalls an instance involving construction workers, who were spraying the steel girders of skyscrapers with fireproofing chemicals. The overspray from the chemical wash was falling on pedestrians below. Loyd did some investigating, and found out that the toxic chemical wash included deadly asbestos.

In the seventies, the general public was fairly ill-advised about the long-term health consequences of asbestos exposure. It was not until the early eighties, when the federal government passed asbestos usage regulations that the public understood that asbestos exposure could lead to the eventual development of asbestosis, lung cancer, and malignant mesothelioma, all of which may be fatal.

For consumers, information about the potential dangers of asbestos exposure was often non-existent, as there were no warnings on asbestos product packaging. Large companies like W. R. Grace and James Hardie, an Australian-based manufacturer, often went to great lengths to hide the dangers of asbestos from their consumers.

Although he plans to retire, Loyd still will continue posting to his blog, and will appear as a guest on television and radio shows. Loyd’s policy is to speak unpaid on issues of consumer safety, and that policy will continue through his retirement.

Unemployment among construction workers nationwide is running close to 20 percent. In New York City, many construction workers are looking to distinguish themselves from other unemployed workers in the same field by undertaking additional training, including asbestos abatement education.

Asbestos removal is an important part of construction and renovation, as many older buildings contain the deadly substance. Asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma, among other health problems.

Getting into the construction trade in New York City is very competitive. Last year during a three-day period in February, over 2,500 people applied for apprenticeships in the New York City Construction Unions. Out of the entire applicant pool, only 200 people were selected. This year, even fewer applicants will be selected; officials say they plan to limit acceptance to 150 people in order to ensure that there is enough work to go around.

There is certainly non-union work available for construction workers in New York City, but the majority of projects will be taken by the unions due to federal regulations.

Some construction hopefuls, including 21-year old Brandon Ingram, hope to distinguish themselves from the competition by furthering their education. Each weekday morning, Ingram attends a class on asbestos abatement in East Harlem. He also studies carpentry and plumbing in Soho.

Ingram says that he thinks having “green” training will help him land a job, and ensure that he can secure a long-term career in the construction field.

At Morgens Hall on the University of Cincinnati campus, students are concerned about ongoing asbestos and mold issues plaguing the building.

Both black mold and asbestos are highly toxic, and can cause severe respiratory problems. Asbestos is known to cause deadly medical conditions such as asbestosis or mesothelioma. Asbestosis, a chronic scarring of the lungs, has been known to kill in some cases, as the disease can lead to respiratory failure. Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is aggressive, and linked almost exclusively to asbestos exposure.

Students at the university are now worried that both current and former residents of Morgens Hall may be at risk for developing these conditions.

Despite being notified of the issues almost immediately after they were discovered, the university has yet to respond to the reports.

The university is required by law to respond to the situation by notifying all previous residents who could be affected by the toxic mold.

“Unfortunately, no one from Housing and Food Services, or any other UC office, has contacted me about this,” said Peggy Shannon-Baker, a former resident of Morgens Hall. “To my knowledge, past residents still have not been informed of this, nor have we even received a statement that actually confirms that mold is or was found in Morgens.”

The U.S. Military reported on the dangers of black mold, which contains a chemical called trichothecene mycotoxin. Trichothecene mycotoxin “causes multiogran effects, including emesis and diarrhea, weight loss, nervous disorders [and] cardiovascular alterations,” stated the report.

The month of May is, in some states, Toxic Injury Awareness and Education month. With that in mind, alumni and current students at the University of Cincinnati are hoping that they will receive a formal notification from university officials regarding this matter.

Students, past and present, who would like more information may call the university’s Office of the President at 513-556-2201, or the Environmental Health and Safety Office at 513-383-3242.

Six weeks after the Kull Meat Packing plant fire in Steubenville, Ohio, city officials have declared that demolition at the site needs to commence.

The plant caught fire at the end of March. The Ohio state fire marshal examined the scene, but was unable to discover the cause of the fire.

Family members of the plant’s owners told reporters that before the fire, three-fourths of the plant was not in use.

The meat packing plant, which includes a retail space, may not be salvageable. While the retail space is still up and running, family members have stated that may not be the case for long.

Steubenville Police Chief John Morelli told reporters that the owners of the Kull Meat Packing Plant have been working closely with officials and the mayor to develop a time frame for demolition.

The owners also want to assure ordinary citizens and officials that they have had continuous contact with the EPA as a precautionary measure. The owners of the site are committed to taking proactive measures to ensure that any asbestos that may be present at the site is removed properly prior to the start of demolition.

The owners do not have insurance, and it seems unlikely that they will rebuild.

Asbestos is known to cause deadly medical conditions such as asbestosis or mesothelioma. Asbestosis, a chronic scarring of the lungs, has been known to kill in some cases, as the disease can lead to respiratory failure. Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is aggressive, and linked almost exclusively to asbestos exposure.

94-year-old Rubert Ellington of Tennessee is currently seeking $2.5 million in damages from his former employers. Ellington claims his former employers have damaged his health. Asbestos exposure is linked to the eventual development of asbestosis, lung cancer, respiratory ailments and mesothelioma cancer.

Ellington blames Illinois Central Railroad and BNSF for asbestos-related damages. Ellington claims he was exposed to asbestos during work from the 1950s to the 1970s. Ellington first sued Illinois Central Railroad in U.S. district court in East St. Louis in 2007. The case against BNSF was added at a later date.

Railroad workers are among those considered to be at a heightened risk of developing an asbestos-related illness. The issue of asbestos disease in former railroad workers has long been a concern, as the majority of surfaces in a train were covered with some sort of asbestos insulation.

However, the aging Ellington runs the risk of having the case dismissed by U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno of Philadelphia. Judge Robreno is responsible for pretrial proceedings in asbestos suits from federal courts around the nation. Robreno has worked to clear out asbestos claims to the tune of 6,000 a day this year.

Robreno took over the position last year, and made a big change. Now each plaintiff is required to state a single claim for each defendant, and blanket claims against a group of defendants are no longer allowed.

Unfortunately, that means that what was once a pool of tens of thousands of claims has now become a pool of more than three million lawsuits.

Asbestos was once a common component of building materials, shipyard construction, and even auto parts. Many Americans who worked in manual labor fields from the 1950s to the 1980s may have been unknowingly exposed to the deadly substance, which was once prized for a high resistance to both heat and chemical damage.

A former U.S. Navy machinist has won just over $12 million in damages in a Los Angeles County Court case.

The former machinist developed a terminal illness after he was exposed to asbestos while working on a Navy ship during the 1960s. Asbestos illnesses are not uncommon in Navy veterans.

The jury ruled on the case on Monday, and the damages will come from two firms indicted in the case.

Both the manufacturer and supplier of an asbestos product must pay 66-year-old Charles H. Cundiff a large settlement. Mr. Cundiff will receive $10 million in damages for pain and suffering, as well as an additional $506,000 in economic damages for lost wages due to his mesothelioma cancer.

Cundiff’s wife was awarded also awarded damages in the amount of $1.5 million for loss of consortium.

John Crane, Inc., which made Insulag, and Lone Star Industries, which delivered the asbestos-laced insulating cement to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, sold a defective product, and did not inform consumers such as Mr. Cundiff of potential health risks associated with the products.

Mr. Cundiff handled Insulag cement during the overhauling of the USS Kitty Hawk during a nine month period in the 1960s.

Asbestos was once prized for a natural resistance to flame and chemical damage, and was used in the construction of homes and other buildings without regulation until the late seventies, when usage laws were implemented in an effort to protect people’s health. Asbestos is linked to the development of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer.

Navy and shipyard workers are commonly believed to have an elevated risk of developing mesothelioma due to their proximity to asbestos. Other professions that are believed to be at an elevated risk for developing mesothelioma include mechanics, miners, and teachers.