Between October 30th and November 5th, 60 bags of asbestos waste were illegally dumped in two Toledo, Ohio working-class neighborhoods, presumably by the same person or group of people. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesman Dina Pierce says the volume of asbestos recovered leads investigators to believe that the waste came from a large building or complex.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was used in construction throughout the 19th and 20th centuries because of its strength and fire resistant properties. However, asbestos is also toxic, and it’s use was banned in the United States in the late 1980’s because it is known to cause such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body’s major organs and cavities.

The Ohio EPA is working with area law enforcement in hopes of making an arrest. Once a culprit has been found, criminal charges could be filed. “We could be looking at a monetary penalty to a criminal penalty involving jail time. It’s definitely a very serious environmental violation,” explained Pierce.

Asbestos is both an environmental and health hazard. The carcinogenic mineral must be properly disposed of because it releases toxic fibers that are easily inhaled. These fibers lodge in the lungs and cause damage over decades that eventually leads to the development of pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs, or peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the abdomen.

Anyone with information regarding this case should call Rick Hassinger of Ohio EPA’s special investigations unit at 419-352-8461 or 800-686-6930.

Green space supporters hoping to build public trails near Peachtree Creek in Atlanta, Georgia, were happy to learn that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tests have found little to no asbestos contamination along the South Fork of the creek. Soil and air samples were gathered last spring to check for remaining traces of asbestos from a defunct vermiculite processing plant at Zonolite Road. The EPA found “barely detectable” asbestos contamination at only one site.

It recently became public knowledge that vermiculite, a substance used to make insulation, often contains asbestos, a carcinogenic mineral that causes lung and mesothelioma cancer, a rare malignancy of the protective lining of the body’s major organs and cavities. Asbestos is an environmental hazard, and even walking through soil containing asbestos can cause its minute fibers to become airborne. These fibers are inhaled and lodge in the lungs, where they cause damage that eventually develops into cancer of the lungs or the lining of the lungs, known as pleural mesothelioma, or of the lining of the abdominal cavity, which is known as peritoneal mesothelioma.

The single site at which contamination is still suspected is contamination is a plateau that is about 170 x 250 feet and located between the former Zonolite plant and the South Fork of Peachtree Creek. The EPA must now pressure the former vermiculite insulation manufacturer, WR Grace, to clean up the contamination. Should those efforts fail, EPA Superfund dollars can be appropriate for this site, which would be deemed a Legacy Vermiculite Site, one of dozens currently being assessed by the EPA.

In India, there is currently a nationwide ban on asbestos mining, yet a mine at Netaji Ka Bara in the Udaipur district has allegedly been revived and is flourishing. Asbestos is a highly toxic mineral used commonly in construction and industry. However, many country’s have banned it’s use, as it is known to cause such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the heart, lungs, chest and abdomen.

“I know the mine. It is an asbestos mine. I used to work in it, along with other villagers from my area, like Lalu Ram, Ram Lal as this was our only means of livelihood. It had been closed. But since the past three months work has resumed,” said Rooplal Vadera, a villager who worked at the mines before they were closed. “Mining is being done here in the morning while the ore is transported at night. It is supplied to some factory in Udaipur.”

Asbestos miner’s who are not provided appropriate protective gear, including respirators are the mostly likely de develop mesothelioma, although their wives and children can also be exposed to asbestos by handling contaminated work clothes. Most miners don’t realize the extent of their illness until it is too late, as mesothelioma doesn’t become symptomatic until it has reached stage three or four. By that point, the cancer has metastasized and even aggressive mesothelioma treatment can’t guarantee the patient much more than an additional six months of life.

The Rajasthan State Mines Labour Union (RSMLU) and the Mines Labour Protection Campaign (MLPC) have complained to various mines department officials but are still awaiting action.

The city council of Seward, Alaska is currently discussing the major obstacles facing the construction and maintenance of the Seward Library Museum. The primary topic of discussion is, of course, funding and where it will come from. The project is currently estimated at just over $10 million. The cost of demolishing the building currently on site is estimated at $39,000 because hazardous materials, such as lead paint and asbestos, must be removed.

Asbestos is a toxic mineral commonly found in buildings constructed prior to the late 1980’s, after which the use of asbestos was banned in the United States because it caused such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the heart and lungs and the cavities that contain them.

Whenever asbestos is present in a building, it must be abated before demolition can take place. Asbestos is most dangerous when it is disturbed, as it releases toxic fibers that can be inhaled by construction workers and residents within the surrounding community. Asbestos fibers lodge in a person’s lungs over decades eventually causing the development of pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma caneer, which affect the lining of the lungs and abdomen respectively.

Furnishing, fixtures and computers that cannot be salvaged from the old building will have to be purchased on a budget of $200,000, while another $500,000 has been budgeted for the museum’s exhibits. The Library Museum Building Project has been awarded $4.7 million in state funding, the Rasumson Foundation has agreed to a $500,000 contribution and there are hopes that the National Endowment for the Humanities will contribute another half-million.

After learning about the asbestos-tainted vermiculite mines in Libby, Montana, Colorado resident Ray Barker began to question the safety of vermiculite-containing insulation. After all, up until 1990, Libby’s mines produced 80 percent of the world’s supply of vermiculite. The asbestos contained in the vermiculite was slowly killing the town’s minors and mention exposing anyone who used the vermiculite products to carcinogenic asbestos fibers, which cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the lungs, heart, chest and abdomen.

Armed with this information Baker claimed that the Genesee County Community Action Resource Department’s program installing insulation for needy homeowners could disturb asbestos contaminated insulation. As the department’s employee, Baker was asked to insulate several homes with vermiculite insulation, and when he brought up the issue with his employer, he was fired shortly after.

Once Baker was gone, the department stopped using hazardous insulation, but Baker was not asked back. So he filed suit and eventually won $250,000 settlement. Yet this may not be much of a comfort if Baker is diagnosed with mesothelioma several decades down the line.

Asbestos found in vermiculite has barb-like fibers that are inhaled and penetrate the lungs. If improperly attired, Baker likely inhaled a significant amount of these fibers. Once they have penetrated the lungs, not only can the fibers cause lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma, which affects the protective lining of the lungs, but they can also generate peritoneal mesothelioma, affecting the lining of the abdomen.

Owens Corning, a leading manufacturer of building products based in Toledo, Ohio, produced asbestos-containing insulation from the early 1950’s to the early 1970’s. Asbestos is a toxic mineral that was eventually banned in the United State in the 1980’s and that is known to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the lungs, heart, chest and abdomen.

Because asbestos-containing insulation is responsible for causing cancer in so many mesothelioma cases, the 1990’s brought massive legal liabilities that forced Owens Corning to file for bankruptcy in October 2000. As is the case whenever asbestos exposure is involved, the company’s Chapter 11 proceedings were protracted and contentious.

Mesothelioma is a silent, aggressive and difficult to diagnose cancer. Most patients don’t experience any symptoms until they’ve reached stage three or four, when the cancer has metastasized and is virtually incurable. Although mesothelioma treatment combines surgery, chemotherapy and radiation in an attempt to save the patient’s life or significantly extend life expectancy, it is rarely fully successful. Once mesothelioma has been diagnosed, patients generally don’t live longer than 18 months.

Owens Corning emerged from Chapter 11 in October 2006, however, only now is stock reaching the levels at which the company first traded since declaring bankruptcy. While shareholders are surely pleased by this upturn, it’s not much of a comfort to those who contracted mesothelioma due to Owens Corning’s insulation or to their families. Those affected are likely to question why a company that caused the death of its patrons should continue to operate.

Representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection are surveying Carmel to identify asbestos structures damaged during a fire that swept through the community. Nine asbestos structures have thus far been identified, and the day following identification, the Ministry allocated the funds necessary to engage asbestos removal contractors.

Removal of asbestos is the only way to prevent public exposure to asbestos. This toxic mineral is known to cause such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the heart, lungs, chest and abdomen. Mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by prolonged asbestos exposure. People exposed to asbestos fibers now are likely to develop mesothelioma within 20 to 50 years.

Although mesothelioma takes a long time to develop, it is entirely asymptomatic until it reaches stage three or four. By that point, the cancer has metastasized and is considered incurable. Mesothelioma treatment, which combines surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, generally considered palliative and adds an average of only six months to a patient’s estimated lifespan.

Asbestos cement roofs were the primary worry after the blaze. “after extinguishing of the flames, hazards which jeopardize the public remain. We are taking action to remove them so that rehabilitation of the damages caused by the fire will proceed in a safe environment,” explained Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Israel’s fire and rescue services have developed a joint procedure for treating asbestos structures damaged by fire. This procedure protects both firefighters and the population from asbestos exposure caused by fires.

The 11 Scott County courtrooms located in Scottsburg, Indiana, will undergo electrical rewiring, painting, carpet replacement and ceiling tile and asbestos removal thanks to the board of supervisors’ approval of $109,236 worth of bids. Along with a previous bid of $60,152 for courthouse audiovisual equipment, the project’s total budget is $175,000.

Before major renovation can begin, all asbestos must be removed. Asbestos is a toxic mineral that has been proven to cause such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body’s major organs and cavities.

In order to conduct the courtroom asbestos abatement, floor tile adhesive will have to be removed using a mild solvent and the remnants must be carefully and meticulously vacuumed. Although the asbestos removal won’t involve sealing off areas of the building, workers certified asbestos removal workers must be very careful not to expose people in the building to asbestos dust.

Asbestos is particularly dangerous when it is disturbed, as it releases carcinogenic fibers that are easily inhaled. These fibers lodge in the lungs and fester for decades, eventually causing the development of pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, cancers that affect the lining of the lungs and abdomen.

The project is expected to take six months, with a different courtroom to begin renovation every two to three weeks. Construction is not expected to interfere with the court schedule. The new and improved courtrooms will all have flat-screen TVs and laptop connection ports.

Paijit Sangchai is the owner of Flexoresearch, a company based in Khlong Luang, Thailand that has developed a series of blended enzymes that can recover pulp or fiber from laminated paper. This invention makes previously unrecyclable cigarette packs, stickers and milk cartons, recyclable. One of the enzymes dissolves the water resistant chemical coating, while the others work on the paper and adhesive layers.

The planet now heaves a sigh of relief not only because the resulting pulp can be used to produce new paper products and clean plastic that can be recycled and used to produce new products, but also because it can be turned into building materials that can be used in place of asbestos. Asbestos is a toxic mineral used in construction because of its durability and fire resistant properties. However, asbestos has long been linked to such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the heart, lung, chest and abdomen.

Time Magazine named Flexoresearch one of “10 start-ups that will change your life.” While the World Economic Forum named the company one of 31 “Technology Pioneers,” adding that Flexoresearch’s products were “poised to reduce the use of asbestos in the developing world, positively impacting people’s health.”

If Flexosearch is successful in reducing the amount of asbestos used internationally, it will live up to the World Economic Forum’s claim, as mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Eradicating the use of asbestos would drastically reduce the number of mesothelioma cases in developed countries, where even the best hospitals and research facilities can find a cure, and developing countries, where mesothelioma treatment is non-existent and there are few government regulations regarding asbestos exposure.

Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has pledged $5.5 million in state aid towards rehabbing Tract A of Science Park a abandoned Winchester Repeating Arms Company factory located in New Haven. The funding will aid in transforming the building into the new headquarters for Higher One, a company that handles financial services for students at 650 colleges and universities. The company employs 170 people and plans to move into the new space to accommodate its growing workforce.

Workers are now slated to begin removing lead and asbestos, both toxic materials found in most pre-1980’s construction. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been linked to such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesotelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body’s major organs and cavities.

Asbestos and lead removal is expected to take a few months, but is a step that cannot be neglected. When asbestos is disturbed, as is normal during renovation or demolition, it releases carcinogenic fibers that are inhaled by construction workers. These fibers lodge in the lungs and cause damage over decades that eventually evolves into pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, which affect the lining of the lungs and abdomen respectively.

The state will pay another $3.5 million for environmental cleanup, and Higher One plans to spend $46 million on the rehab. Because the building will require significant environmental cleanup, fifteen neighbors from Dixwell and Newhallville are being trained in environmental remediation.