Local Company Fined for Improper Asbestos Removal at Youth Center

Posted by Catherine Fleming on January 13, 2012

Solomon's Porch youth center in Wenatchee, WA is to serve hundreds of high-risk teens and!Solomon's Porch.jpg includes a homeless shelter. However, part of the construction that was under way last year apparently included asbestos removal that violated guidelines. The contractor, Evergreen Asbestos, was fined $25,450 for 14 violations.

The L&I spokesperson, Hector Castro, indicated that this particular contractor should have known better. The agency's concern focused on the workers' safety, although Castro was not sure if nonworkers might have been exposed to dangerous material soon after the asbestos removal project. 

The company owner of Evergreen Asbsestos maintains that there was no risk to the workers. However, violations cited include that the contractor failed to ensure that "all surfaces were maintained as free of ... dusts and waste containing asbestos. One employee was on his hands and knees in no protective equipment or clothing." Additionally, employees were allowed to wear half face respirators with facial hair, beards, and goatees.

A cavalier attitude toward workers' safety is what has led to billions of dollars of lawsuits on behalf of those, who suffer or have died from mesothelioma, a deadly disease resulting from asbestos exposure.

 

Exposure in Washington - Foss Launch and Tug Company

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on January 26, 2011

Foss Launch and Tug Company began in 1889.  As the years went on, the company grew.  The company, among other work, repaired and refurbished vessels.  During much of this work, in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, workers were exposed to asbestos containing materials.  Asbestos containing materials on boats included insulation, boilers, pipe fittings and gaskets.  Unfortunately, exposure to asbestos containing materials can lead to mesothelioma and other asbestos related cancers.
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Exposure in Washington - Texaco Oil Refinery

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on January 23, 2011


The Texaco Oil Refinery opened in Anacortes, Washington in 1958.  During this time period asbestos containing products were being widely used.  Not surprisingly, at the refinery, asbestos containing products such as protective clothing, insulation and gaskets were used at this refinery, as well as, many other refineries across the country.  Many workers at the plant were exposed to asbestos containing products.  Now, many years after exposure, workers are experiencing the effects of the exposure in such diseases as mesothelioma and other asbestos caused cancers.  The long latency period for the development of these diseases is a characteristic of exposure to asbestos.  In addition to holding the manufacturers of asbestos containing products accountable, the refinery owners, can also, be held responsible for their knowledge of the dangers of asbestos.

Causes of Asbestos-Related Diseases

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on January 02, 2011

445.jpegMany folks ask what causes Asbestos-related diseases.  Mesothelioma, one of the most serious asbestos-related diseases, and other related cancers are caused by repeated inhalation of asbestos fibers.  The fibers are not visible and testing to determine whether or not the deadly microscopic fibers are in the air requires special equipment.   Asbestos was used in insulation, roofing, floor tile, siding brake linings and other fire retardant materials.  Worker using asbestos containing materials or around those using asbestos containing materials had no knowledge of its dangers.  These workers got up each and every day to provide for their families, all the while, exposing themselves to deadly microscopic fibers.  Those that have suffered or are suffering from Asbestos-related diseases are entitled to accountability from those who knowingly caused their exposure.

What happens to asbestos when it enters the environment?

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on December 02, 2006
Asbestos fibers do not evaporate into air or dissolve in water. However, pieces of fibers can enter the air and water from the weathering of natural deposits and the wearing down of manufactured asbestos products. Small diameter fibers and fiber-containing particles may remain suspended in the air for a long time and be carried long distances by wind or water currents before settling. Larger diameter fibers and particles tend to settle more quickly.

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How can asbestos enter and leave my body?

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on November 24, 2006
If you breathe asbestos fibers into your lungs, some of the fibers will be deposited in the air passages and on the cells that make up your lungs. Most fibers are removed from your lungs by being carried away or coughed up in a layer of mucus to the throat, where they are swallowed into the stomach. This usually takes place within a few hours. Fibers that are deposited in the deepest parts of the lung are removed more slowly. In fact, some fibers may move through your lungs and can remain in place for many years and may never be removed from your body. Amphibole asbestos fibers are retained in the lung longer than chrysotile asbestos fibers.

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What recommendations has the federal government made to protect human health?

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on November 23, 2006

The federal government develops regulations and recommendations to protect public health. Regulations can be enforced by law. Federal agencies that develop regulations for toxic substances include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Recommendations provide valuable guidelines to protect public health but cannot be enforced by law. Federal organizations that develop recommendations for toxic substances include the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

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How can asbestos affect children?

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on November 22, 2006
Asbestos exposure in both children and adults may occur while breathing air in or near buildings (public or private) containing asbestos building materials or near asbestos-related industrial operations. Children breathe differently and have different lung structures than adults. It is not known if these differences may cause a greater amount of asbestos fibers to stay in the lungs of a child when they are breathed in than in the lungs of an adult. Children drink more fluids per kilogram of body weight than adults and can also be exposed through asbestos-contaminated drinking water.

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What happens to asbestos when it enters the environment?

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on November 16, 2006
Asbestos fibers do not evaporate into air or dissolve in water. However, pieces of fibers can enter the air and water from the weathering of natural deposits and the wearing down of manufactured asbestos products. Small diameter fibers and fiber-containing particles may remain suspended in the air for a long time and be carried long distances by wind or water currents before settling. Larger diameter fibers and particles tend to settle more quickly.

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How might I be exposed to asbestos?

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on November 14, 2006

Asbestos minerals are widespread in the environment. They may occur in large natural deposits, or as contaminants in other minerals. For example, tremolite asbestos may occur in deposits of chrysotile, vermiculite, and talc. Asbestos may be found in soil that is formed from the erosion of asbestos-bearing rock.

You are most likely to be exposed to asbestos by breathing in asbestos fibers that are suspended in air. These fibers can come from naturally occurring sources of asbestos or from the wearing down or disturbance of manufactured products including insulation, automotive brakes and clutches, ceiling and floor tiles, dry wall, roof shingles, and cement. However, these products do not always contain asbestos.

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What is asbestos?

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on November 11, 2006

Asbestos is the name given to a group of six different fibrous minerals (amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, and the fibrous varieties of tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite) that occur naturally in the environment. One of these, namely chrysotile, belongs to the serpentine family of minerals, while all of the others belong to the amphibole family.

All forms of asbestos are hazardous, and all can cause cancer, but amphibole forms of asbestos are considered to be somewhat more hazardous to health than chrysotile.

Asbestos minerals consist of thin, separable fibers that have a parallel arrangement. Nonfibrous forms of tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite also are found naturally. However, because they are not fibrous, they are not classified as asbestos minerals. Amphibole asbestos fibers are generally brittle and often have a rod- or needle-like shape, whereas chrysotile asbestos fibers are flexible and curved. Chrysotile, also known as white asbestos, is the predominant commercial form of asbestos; amphiboles are of minor commercial importance.

Asbestos fibers do not have any detectable odor or taste. They do not dissolve in water or evaporate and are resistant to heat, fire, chemical and biological degradation. Because of these properties, asbestos has been mined for use in a wide range of manufactured products, mostly in building materials, friction products, and heat-resistant fabrics.

Since asbestos fibers may cause harmful health effects in people who are exposed, all new uses of asbestos have been banned in the United States by the EPA.

How can asbestos affect my health?

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on November 11, 2006
Information on the health effects of asbestos in people comes mostly from studies of people who were exposed in the past to levels of asbestos fibers (greater than or equal to 5 µm in length) in workplace air that were as high as 5 million fibers/m³ (5 fibers/mL). Workers who repeatedly breathe in asbestos fibers with lengths greater than or equal to 5 µm may develop a slow buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs and in the membrane that surrounds the lungs.

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Is there a medical test to determine whether I have been exposed to asbestos?

Posted by Kevin Coluccio on November 09, 2006
The most common test used to determine if you have received sustained exposure to asbestos is a chest x-ray. A chest x-ray is recommended for detecting exposure to asbestos only in persons who have sustained relatively heavy exposure. A chest x-ray is of no value for detecting evidence of asbestos exposure in a person whose exposure to asbestos has been only brief or transient.

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