In Waynesville, North Carolina, aging county buildings are facing increased scrutiny. The buildings in question are the DSS and health department properties, which serve a combined total of 22,000 Haywood County residents every year. Roughly 20 percent of the Haywood County population receives services at DSS, making the state of the building an important matter for locals.

The current DSS building started life as a county hospital back in 1927, with an addition being constructed in 1950. The health department, located about a mile further down the Old Asheville Highway from DSS, operates out of a building that is over half a century old.

While county officials are eager to repair and improve the buildings, the budget needed for these projects could be astronomical. According to local architects, the staff in these buildings would have to be relocated for an entire year during renovations. These renovations include removing lead and asbestos, as well as installing modern heating, venting and air conditioning.

Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer for which there is no known cure. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.

Commissioner Skeeter Curtis says that the current state of disrepair at these buildings comes from lack of regular maintenance. “I think this is a lesson that all of us should learn,” said Curtis.

“The better you take care of your facilities and your belongings, the better off you’re going to be in the long run.”

According to a recent inquest, a UK man’s death has been attributed to the rare cancer mesothelioma, most often linked to asbestos exposure. The man, former naval worker Kenneth Garside, was 84 at the time of his death back in 2008.

Garside was exposed to asbestos for decades of his life as he worked in a shipyard. Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers has long been linked with mesothelioma, as well as lung cancer, asbestosis, pleural plaques, and other types of lung damage. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.

Garside, of Fareham in the UK, was employed as a shipwright at a naval yard near Portsmouth. He passed away on February 2, 2008, after battling with mesothelioma. Despite the best efforts of research scientists from around the globe, there is no cure for mesothelioma.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy do benefit some patients, but the cancer is always fatal. However, there are those who live for seven years or more with the cancer after being diagnosed.

Portsmouth and south-east Hampshire coroner David Horsley recorded a verdict of death from industrial disease during the recent inquest into the man’s death, explaining: “He [Garside] would have had decades of exposure to asbestos through his working life. He spent most of his working life in close proximity to it. I can conclude very safely that he died due to industrial disease.”

Road work projects rarely make headlines, but the site of one overpass project in Lee County, Florida has been getting a lot of media attention in recent months. Asbestos, a known carcinogen, was discovered on the site of the Summerlin overpass in late 2009. Multiple tests were conducted at the site to help local officials comprehend the scope of the asbestos contamination at the site, as well as to help figure out who should shoulder the blame for placing the material on the site.

Now, an asbestos consultant hired by project contractor Posen Construction has stated that the best course of action is to remove the large chunks of asbestos-containing material from the site, as well as checking all fill dirt/material at the site for asbestos.

Because asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, there are many state and federal laws in place which govern the handling, removal, and proper disposal of the carcinogenic material. According to federal organizations such as the US EPA, there is no safe level of asbestos exposure, although small amounts of the material are legally allowed at some sites. For example, in Lee County, the asbestos present at the Summerlin site must be less than 260 linear feet.

If asbestos levels exceed that limit, fines can be levied. Mesothelioma typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years.

The report, which was delayed for two weeks, recommends that “all fill dirt should be filtered for asbestos, which should then be destroyed at an approved dump site,” according to local sources. A second asbestos report has also been commissioned, and will be released soon.

In Bloomington, Illinois, an asbestos lawsuit has come to an end, and a mesothelioma victim has been awarded over $17 million. Jayne Menssen developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos in her former workplace, and has been awarded $17.87 million by the jury for the case. Menssen worked as a secretary at Union Asbestos and Rubber Co., later called Unacro Industries Inc., from 1967 to 1969.

Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. Exposure to asbestos can also cause lung cancer and asbestosis. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and can aggressively attack the body, often killing within weeks or months of being diagnosed. While there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure for this rare cancer, which is almost exclusively linked to asbestos exposure. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and most patients are dead within 24 months of being diagnosed.

The defendants in the Menssen case were Pneumo Abex LLC and Honeywell International Inc., who were linked to the suit because of their corporate predecessors. The companies were charged with knowing the risks of asbestos exposure, but failing to take steps to protect their workers from the health risks associated with asbestos exposure.

The total amount of the compensatory award for Menssen was decided after the jury deliberated for a single day. The jury awarded compensatory damages of $3.5 million against both defendants, as well as punitive damages of $4.37 million against Pneumo Abex and $10 million against Honeywell.

In West Virginia’s Kanawha Circuit Court, two couples have filed separate asbestos-related lawsuits against a combined total of over 150 companies. Robert L. Wood and Candice J. Wood, of Wheeling, West Virginia named 125 companies in their suit. Meanwhile, John D. Kontra Sr. and Mary Ann Kontra, of Glendale, Arizona named 67 companies.

The men in each coupling argue that they were exposed to asbestos-containing materials during the course of their working lives. In December of 2009, Mr. Wood was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer that can kill within two years of being diagnosed.

Mr. Kontra has been battling lung cancer since July of 2009. Both men admit that they have a past history of smoking. It has been acknowledged by organizations such as the US Environmental Protection Agency that smoking can increase the potential of asbestos exposure to lead to various forms of cancer. According to local new sources, both lawsuits are suing the companies for “negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentations and post-sale duty to warn”.

A small number of the 125 companies named in the Woods’ case include: 3M Company; A.O. Smith Corporation; Flowserve FSD Corporation; Flowserve US, Inc.; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Milwaukee Valve Company; Mobay Chemical Corporation; Monongahela Power Company; Virginia Electric Power Company; and Zurn Industries, Inc.

Some of the 67 companies named in the Kontras’ case are: Elliott Turbo Machinery Company; Ford Motor Company; Foseco, Inc.; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; Garlock, Inc.; General Electric Company; Uniroyal, Inc.; Viacom, Inc.; and Vimasco Corporation.

Two landfills in western Arizona are facing increased scrutiny, and will face a total of $58,000 in penalties after a number of violations were noted at the sites earlier this month.

Both landfills, one owned by Allied Waste Industries Inc. and the other owned by a subsidiary of Allied Waste, have agreed to pay the penalties levied against them, according to officials with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Peg Mulloy, spokeswoman for a parent company of Allied Waste, says that the violations in question occurred two years ago, and the problems have since been remedied.

"We believe we were doing within what our permits allowed in both situations," Mulloy said. "The inspector didn’t believe that was the case. We accept that fact and have corrected the situations."

Copper Mountain Landfill, a subsidiary of Allied Waste near Wellton, will pay an $11,000 penalty. During an inspection many months ago, contaminated soil and petroleum oil were noted at the site. Meanwhile, Allied Waste Industries’ La Paz County Landfill, located near Parker, must pay a $47,000 penalty. An inspection found exposed solid waste, contaminated soil, and three exposed bags of asbestos. Exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive cancer of the lungs, abdominal cavity, or lining of the heart.

“This hazardous management of solid waste put employees and the community at risk but the company has remedied the situation,” ADEQ director Benjamin H. Grumbles said.

Attorney General Terry Goddard added: "Any company handling solid waste needs to rigorously comply with state standards to protect the health of our citizens and our environment. Among Arizona’s greatest assets are its natural beauty and quality of life. All of us – individuals and businesses alike – have a responsibility to protect those assets for future generations."

In Jamestown, New York, the demolition of the Winter Garden Theater is scheduled for later this month. However, before the building can be torn down, asbestos abatement must take place. According to Jason Stronz, executive director of the Jamestown Renaissance Corp. (JRC), a contractor for the asbestos abatement and demolition will be chosen soon.

”Structurally, the building is sound. It’s an eyesore more than anything else and there’s no real significance to it in terms of architecture. Nothing is going into that space that’s feasible or that will generate enough revenue to offset the costs of renovating it. It’s honestly a situation where we can do a lot more with it torn down than we can with it remaining on the property,” he said.

Removing asbestos from the site prior to demolition is required by law. Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and the disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms.

”A lot of people have, over the years, looked at the Winter Garden with plans to renovate it or bring something else into that space,” said John Merino, executive director of the Gebbie Foundation.

”The problem is that the costs associated with doing so are simply insurmountable. (The board) looked at the JRC’s plans and liked them. I think it’s going to be a major improvement.”

estos disease liability

In Richmond, Virginia, the state’s House of Delegates has voted to pass a bill that will shield one company from asbestos-related health claims.

The bill, HB 629, does not mention any particular company by name, but it has been reported that due the wording of the bill, it is meant to protect a Philadelphia-based company known as Crown Cork & Seal, which has plants in Suffolk and Winchester. Crown Cork & Seal has never manufactured any products containing asbestos, but it is liable for asbestos-related health claims because back in 1963 it purchased the stock of Mundet Cork Co., which had an asbestos insulation division.

Asbestos exposure has often been linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemotherapy, there is no known cure. Mesothelioma may affect the lining of the lungs, as well as the membrane that encases the heart, or the tissues of the chest or abdominal cavity. The majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.

Opponents argued that the bill gives special treatment to the company.

"They’ve come to us and asked us to undo the effects of a bad deal they made," said Delegate Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax County. "It sets a horrible precedent."

At Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) in Nacogdoches, Texas, the demolition of the student apartments in the Garner building has begun. Full demolition must wait until asbestos abatement has been completed, however, meaning that the process of demolition will be ongoing for several weeks.

"The demolition of Garner is going to take approximately six weeks to complete. Now, we’ve been doing a lot of preliminary work as far as asbestos abatement and the demolishers have been working inside, but the actual bringing down of the building from the outside is going to take five to six weeks." said Lee Brittain SFA’s Physical Plant Director.

Asbestos exposure has been conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that often affects the lungs, as well as other abdominal tissues. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure.

The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and many patients are expected to live for only a couple of years with the disease. Asbestos exposure can also cause other health issues. These include various forms of lung cancer, pleural plaques, and asbestosis.

The Garner apartments date back to 1969. By this August, a parking garage will have taken its place. A new freshman dorm is also going to be erected at the site, and that should be completed by 2011.

St. Lawrence County officials have decided to postpone the planned study for possible uses for the former Judson Street jail in Canton, New York. The study was expected to cost $110,000, and given the current economic climate, officials agreed that the money might be better spent elsewhere.

"After we heard the gloom and doom news about the financial shape we’re in, we thought we needed to do something different," said Legislator Frederick S. Morrill. "I’m afraid, though, that if we just neglect the jail, it could end up like the J&L site [a contaminated site near Star Lake]. We don’t want it to sit there 30 years and end up with a real mess on our hands."

According to Mr. Morrill, the oldest parts of the former jail could contain asbestos, as well as other hazardous materials. "We need to know the total cost of removing that stuff so it doesn’t just sit there," he said.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health problems, including mesothelioma, a rare but lethal form of cancer with no known cure. While many mesothelioma patients do benefit from chemotherapy, the majority are dead within just two years of being diagnosed, with the cancer sometimes killing within weeks or months in other cases.

Legislator J. Patrick Turbett argues that the jail does not need immediate attention. "The jail was occupied by human beings until we moved to the new jail in May, so I don’t think there is a significant environmental problem that exists today," Mr. Turbett said.

"If they’re saying we had people living in conditions like that, they should be prepared for a whole slate of lawsuits…A lot of asbestos issues exist only after you disturb it. If we’re not going to touch anything, we’re not going to disturb anything. We’re talking about hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars to move ahead. I think it could be put off indefinitely until our financial conditions improve."