On August 27, 2008, Leigh Carlisle lost her two-year battle with mesothelioma. She was only 28 years old, making her one of the youngest victims on record to have ever died from the asbestos-related cancer.  Leigh was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 26 after suffering from severe abdominal pains.  It took several years for doctors to arrive at Leigh’s diagnosis, and even after her death, medical professionals are baffled as to how she was exposed to the deadly material asbestos, which is the only proven cause of mesothelioma. 

In the majority of mesothelioma cases, the cancer takes 20 to 50 years to develop from the time of exposure to the point of diagnosis, meaning that Leigh’s death was most likely the result of her inhaling or ingesting asbestos particles as a small child.  Not long before her death, her attorney began to investigate the possibility that she could have contacted the disease at her primary school.  They are still awaiting a response to a Freedom of Information request about the buildings in which Leigh was taught as a child.

In addition to Leigh’s primary school falling under scrutiny, the route that she traveled everyday to get to school is also being investigated.  Leigh believed that she may have been exposed to asbestos as she passed by a factory yard on her walks to school.

“I used to take a short cut across a yard in Failsworth on my way to primary school,” explained Leigh in 2007. “I know that men working there cut asbestos sheets and handled asbestos materials in the yard, but I had no idea that by walking through the yard I could have inadvertently got cancer.”

Although the exact cause of her illness is still not confirmed, Leigh’s story has highlighted the cases of around 200 school workers from the United Kingdom who have died or are suffering from serious illnesses as a result of being exposed to asbestos in schools, and it is estimated that about 13,000 schools in the U.K. currently contain asbestos.  Asbestos was also widely used for school building projects in the United States and a shocking number of schools in the U.S. also presently contain asbestos. 

Because asbestos is an industrial material, and due to the long latency period between exposure and the development of mesothelioma, it has long been thought that the risks were exclusive to people born in the 1940s who worked as carpenters, loggers, shipyard workers, metal workers, electricians, and other occupations in various areas of construction.  However, with Leigh Carlisle’s passing, public safety officials are faced with the reality that asbestos-related diseases, including the deadly and incurable mesothelioma, do not discriminate when it comes to the age of its victims.  In addition, Leigh’s death serves as evidence that there is still much to be done when it comes to protecting children from asbestos. 

“Leigh had so much courage and strength - she was an inspiration to me and to others,” Leigh’s boyfriend, Michael Price, said. “Instead of flowers at her funeral, she said she wanted donations to the Oldham Cancer Support centre in Failsworth. Leigh would have liked to think that she helped the cancer centre to support other people.”

The deadline for Libby’s free asbestos screening is fast approaching. In 2003, the Montana Asbestos Screening and Surveillance Activities program was formed in response to a request from the residents of Libby, Montana, who have endured a great deal of asbestos contamination within their city. As a result of the contamination, more than 200 people have died from asbestos-related disease. In addition, more than 1,000 have been diagnosed with asbestos-induced illness.

The mission of MASSA is to provide free lung screening to present and former residents of Libby who experienced exposure to asbestos-contaminated vermiculite. To be eligible for a free initial and follow-up screening, a person must have lived, worked, played, or attended school in the Libby area for a minimum of six months prior to December 31, 1990.

Now Libby residents have until September 19 to take advantage of the free asbestos screening from MASSA. Since 2003, the program has administered 4,500 free lung exams for 3,100 people. Results of the MASSA screenings are sent for evaluation to the national Jewish Medical and Research Center, where specialists review the results to ensure medical objectivity. The MASSA program also collects data on how each person may have been exposed to asbestos.

For 70 years, W.R. Grace Co. operated a vermiculite mine in the town of Libby. Despite internal corporate knowledge that the mine was contaminated with asbestos, Grace chose to put profits ahead of public health and safety. Grace never informed its employees or the town of Libby about the asbestos contamination, and the consequence of that decision has been deeply paid by too many Libby residents.

Higher incidence of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma among Libby residents has been well documented through scientific research and medical study. All three exhibit a long latency period and are very expensive to treat. Malignant mesothelioma, for example, currently has no established cure and mesothelioma treatments are extremely costly.

Patients of MASSA and those who have not been screened are able to receive healthcare benefits through The Libby Asbestos Medical Plan. These benefits can be used for screening and follow-up tests. Anyone who has not been screened and would like to enlist with LAMP must have lived in Libby for no less than six months prior to 2000 to be eligible. For more information on this program and how to apply, contact the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby.

The United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a citation to the Frontier El Dorado Refining Co. of El Dorado, Kansas for two willful violations of federal health and safety standards. OSHA has proposed fines totaling $140,000 as penalty for the violations.

OSHA inspected the premises of the Frontier El Dorado Refining Co. on March 25, after the agency received several complaints that employees at the refinery were in danger of asbestos exposure.

Approximately 100 employees working for subcontractors were exposed to airborne asbestos that was being emitted from thermal insulation. The Frontier El Dorado Refining Co. is the owner of the facility where the work was carried out and acted as the general contractor for the project.

A major concern for the employees exposed to asbestos is the risk of developing asbestos-related disease, such as asbestosis or mesothelioma cancer. Asbestosis is a progressive pulmonary disorder, whereas malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer that typically affects the mesothelial lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen. Unfortunately, a cure for this cancer has yet to be established, and as a result, mesothelioma treatments tend to palliative in nature.

Charles E. Adkins, the OSHA’s regional administrator in Kansas City, said, “Our inspection revealed Frontier El Dorado Refining Co. did not require subcontractors at its facility to comply with OSHA regulations while handling asbestos-containing material. Employers must remain dedicated to keeping the workplace safe and healthful for all employees at its facility.”

The violations committed by the refining company include failure to comply with an OSHA asbestos standard for construction and failing to notify employees about the presence, location, and quantity of asbestos they were working with. Willful violations are defined as those which are committed with either intentional disregard of, or indifference to, OSHA requirements and regulations.

Now that the citation has been issued, the Frontier El Dorado Refining Co. has 15 business days to comply and pay the penalties for violations. They may also request an informal conference with OSHA representatives to discuss the violations, or contest the penalties and citations before an independent OSHA review commission.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the only time the Frontier El Dorado Refining Co. has been cited by OSHA. The company was cited in December 2007 for 18 serious violations and one willful violation, with penalties totaling $153,500.

Currently the company is contesting the violations it received last year.

The Southwyck Shopping Mall in Toledo, Ohio is currently scheduled for demolition in the upcoming months. Earlier this year, several documents reported the contamination of asbestos and black mold within the mall. And because the presence of asbestos can create serious health hazards, the Environmental Protection Agency may provide funding to ensure the work is carried out safely.

Most state laws prohibit buildings containing asbestos to be demolished until the asbestos is completely removed. In addition, all asbestos must be removed using techniques such as wet removal to prevent the dispersal of large amounts of airborne asbestos fibers.

Airborne asbestos fibers can float in the air for several weeks. If these toxic fibers are inhaled or ingested into the body, serious diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis can occur. Other known diseases that can result from asbestos inhalation or ingestion include gastrointestinal cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer.

Malignant mesothelioma can take several decades to develop after initial exposure occurs, which often makes mesothelioma treatment difficult. Because of this, most patients diagnosed with the disease receive palliative treatment rather than curative.

The mall’s problems became known in April when a city inspector said the condition of the mall was a health hazard for employees and the public. The inspector also suggested the building might have to be closed because of the contamination.

At the time, mall management was given 72 hours to clean up the mold and contain the asbestos before being shut down. Inspections following cleanup operations found no evidence of uncontained asbestos or mold, and as a result, the mall was allowed to remain open.

The city, however, had other plans for the mall and has long wanted to gain control of the property. Even with the asbestos and mold problems resolved, mall management was forced to close the mall and follow city instructions.

City Mayor Carty Finkbeiner says the mall’s owner is willing to cooperate with the city’s plans, and that the Southwyck Shopping Mall will be demolished by the end of December.

The city plans to use the $1.5 million federal loan from the EPA to remove the asbestos from the property and demolish the remains. However, the city may only take the loan if it agrees to complete demolition by the end of the year.

Mayor Finkbeiner is confident the demolition will be completed in time, and local developer Larry Dillon hopes to complete the construction of the new mall by 2010.

A California man who was convicted by a federal jury for violating the Federal Clean Air Act has been sentenced to 10 months in a federal prison for illegally demolishing a building that contained large amounts of asbestos.

The conviction relates to a vacant, asbestos-contaminated two-story building owned by Wassim Mohammad Azizi that was demolished in Hayward, California. Azizi, who currently resides in Tracy, must begin serving his sentence on December 1, 2008.

Investigation of the case was triggered by the Environmental Protection Agency. After hearing that illegal asbestos handling had been carried out on the Hayward site, an inspection revealed a number of Clean Air Act violations.

During the five-day trial, the jury heard Azizi failed to notify the EPA and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District that demolition of the Hayward building may result in an asbestos hazard. Azizi, who renovates and sells commercial properties, hired an unlicensed worker to demolish the Hayward building. According to prosecutors, Azizi was already aware that the building contained hazardous materials.

Azizi was convicted of three felony charges for Clean Air Act violations. These violations include illegally demolishing a building that contained asbestos, neglecting to remove the hazardous material prior to demolition, and violating work safety practices. The jury also found that Azizi failed to use proper asbestos handling and wet-removal techniques to keep the building safe for employees and the public.

Most state laws require that a building containing asbestos cannot be demolished until the asbestos is removed. In addition, asbestos must be removed using techniques such as wet-removal to prevent the dispersal of large amounts of airborne asbestos fibers. Failure to comply with these laws constitutes violation of the federal Clean Air Act and also puts public health and safety at risk.

A major concern for those exposed to asbestos is the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma cancer. Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that usually affects the pleural lining of the lungs, but can also affect the mesothelial lining of the abdominal cavity and the heart sac.

In a prepared statement issued during the trial, EPA Special Agent Nick Torres said, “The defendant not only risked exposing the public and any workers at the site to asbestos, a known carcinogen, but also tried to cover up his crime by lying to the local enforcement agency.”

For more information on mesothelioma and how to avoid asbestos exposure, please visit the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.

New reports about Freewinds, the Scientology-owned cruise ship, suggest more people than previously recorded may have been exposed to crocidolite asbestos over the last few years. Crocidolite asbestos is one of the most toxic forms of asbestos, and is known to cause several types of asbestos cancer.

Initial reports of asbestos problems surfaced in April. However, a recent statement from the vessel’s captain has indicated there may have been previous incidents where asbestos was released through the ship’s onboard ventilation system.

After being quarantined on April 26 at Mathey Warf in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, Curacao Drydock Company was hired to perform refurbishment and repairs, but quickly ceased work due to the risk of asbestos exposure.

Several officials—including head of the Department of Labor Affairs, Christiene van der Biezen, and local health department head, Tico Ras—inspected the ship and found significant amounts of asbestos in paneling. Subsequently, the Executive Council held a meeting and decided that informing the public would be the best way to avoid rumors and other problems.

According to other news reports, allegations about asbestos aboard the ship were made at least seven years ago. Lawrence Woodcraft, an architect and former Scientologist, claimed to have filed an affidavit affirming he encountered asbestos on the ship in 1987—more than twenty years ago—and informed Scientology leaders.

After the Curacao Drydock Company withdrew its workers, a team from the United States arrived to clean up the Scientology cruise ship. The arrival of the cleanup team was reported by Amigoe, the longest-running daily news publication in Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. The team was supposedly comprised of members of Scientology’s own paramilitary organization, the “Sea Org.”

Evidently, the asbestos problems for the Freewinds and its Scientologist owners are not yet over. A new report indicates that even before the ship was quarantined in Curacao back in April, the organization hired the company Nordica Engineering to gut and refurbish its interior.

One news report from International.org claims Scientologist representatives lied to Nordica Engineering about the amount of asbestos on board, and that Nordica workers who occupied the ship are now in danger of developing asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma.

In addition, the Scientology organization has failed to pay Nordica the $3.5 million it owes for the work that was completed.

A new asbestos-related lawsuit filed in Madison County, Illinois is showing the world that people exposed to asbestos are not only at risk for developing mesothelioma cancer. Other cancers, including lung, gastrointestinal, and colon cancer may be caused by asbestos exposure.

Despite its known toxicity, asbestos was heavily used throughout the twentieth century in construction materials and thousands of other products. Due to this widespread usage, thousands of people across the country have paid the price with their health, dying from serious and painful diseases such as malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.

These three diseases have come to be considered as signature diseases of asbestos exposure. But some of those exposed to asbestos have developed cancers outside of these three, including prostate, breast, and colon cancers. It is not known whether asbestos directly causes these cancers, but many studies have shown asbestos exposure elevates the risk of developing them.

As a result, some asbestos-related lawsuits are filed by people who have developed cancers other than mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure. One such lawsuit was filed by Illinois resident Alan Howard, who claims that he developed colon cancer as a result of asbestos exposure.

The lawsuit, filed in Madison County Circuit Court on August 20, names a total of 60 defendant corporations, claiming that each either manufactured or distributed asbestos-containing products that contributed to Howard’s disease.

According to the lawsuit, Howard was diagnosed with colon cancer in July 2007. The suit claims the defendants failed to provide suitable instructions for working with asbestos safely and wrongfully manufactured asbestos-containing products when an adequate substitute for asbestos was available.

Howard and his wife claim they both have suffered as a result of Howard’s colon cancer. Howard says he has suffered severe physical and mental pain, and has lost the ability to earn income since he is now unable to work. In addition, treatment measures have been very expensive. Howard’s wife is also seeking damages for the loss of her husband’s companionship, society, and services.

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional administrator in Dallas, Texas, Richard Greene, is trying to institute a questionable method of asbestos removal in what he refers to as “neglected urban areas.” This method of removal is known as the “wet method,” in which water is sprayed on the area where asbestos-contaminated materials are being removed.

Asbestos experts across the nation, including EPA scientists, have scrutinized the wet method and have attempted to warn the public that this method is not a proven way of eliminating, or substantially reducing, the risk of asbestos exposure. This is partially because the EPA has neglected to use conventional safeguards to test if the method is actually effective.

Numerous medical professionals and some government agencies have reported that even limited exposure to asbestos has been shown to produce disease later in life. For many decades it had been scientifically established that exposure to asbestos causes a range of terminal diseases, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma cancer. The latter disease is almost always fatal and is typically diagnosed in later stages of development due to an extended latency period. For this reason, mesothelioma treatments tend to be ineffective in curing the disease.

With no solid evidence of the efficacy of the wet method, those concerned for the safety and welfare of the public are alarmed that this method is even being considered. Some ethicists have even commented that the testing of this unproven method in poverty-level, minority communities is an infringement of environmental justice policies. These “neglected urban areas” are essentially serving as a testing ground for the controversial wet method of asbestos removal.

Despite numerous reasons to protect the public from an unproven asbestos removal method, Greene, along with others from the EPA, are pushing for this method to be institutionalized before the Bush Administration leaves office. The Bush Administration has a history of supporting the asbestos industry, and this industry-friendly asbestos removal technique would be much easier to approve under the current administration as opposed to a Democratic-run White House.

Unfortunately, this is not the only political attempt to undermine asbestos safety regulations in the United States. Under pressure from the Bush White House, and subsequently the White House Office of Management and Budget, the EPA proposed an alteration of asbestos regulations that would change the way the agency measures the cancer-causing risks of asbestos exposure.

A scientific panel met with public officials and the EPA on July 21 and 22 in Washington D.C. to discuss the potential regulation changes. The scientific panel, among others in attendance, openly criticized the proposed changes in regulations during the meetings and released an official opinion in early August.

“Not at this time,” read the statement from the Scientific Advisory Board’s asbestos panel, who apparently did not have a change of heart upon further analysis of the EPA’s proposal. Though the EPA does not need approval from the scientific panel to pass the regulation changes, the public denouncement of the proposal is certainly not advantageous for the asbestos industry.

An environmental newsletter on EPA’s website reported the panel’s decision is likely to stall further development of the proposed regulations. Legal counsel for the EPA stated it would be shocking if the agency pursued the issue any further in the near future.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos. Due to the long latency period associated with this disease, symptoms of mesothelioma often arise several decades after initial exposure to asbestos. As a result, patients with mesothelioma rarely live longer than two years after diagnosis.

Mesothelioma treatments have little effect on the disease when it is detected late, and most are palliative rather than curative. However, Heather Von St. James has done exactly that—two and a half years after surgery to remove mesothelioma tumors, she remains miraculously cancer-free.

Having been diagnosed with the deadly cancer just three months after the birth of her daughter Lily, Von St. James says that dying just wasn’t an option.

She was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma when doctors discovered a large lump in her left lung. Shortly after diagnosis, she underwent radical surgery which removed her entire left lung, the lining of her heart, half of her diaphragm, her sixth rib, and several lymph nodes.

Two and a half years later, the radical surgery has paid off: Von St. James remains free of the debilitating cancer and believes she’s been completely cured.

According to the National Cancer Institute, around 2,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in America every year. With an average latency period of two to five decades, most people who develop mesothelioma in the twenty-first century were actually exposed to asbestos between the 1960s and 1980s.

Another trend is found in an increasing number of people who are developing mesothelioma even though they never experienced occupational exposure to asbestos. Von St. James is likely one of those who experienced what is known as secondary asbestos exposure.

She remembers her father, who worked as a construction laborer for Ainsworth-Benning, coming home with his work clothing covered in white dust. Von St. James’s father worked with and around asbestos-containing construction products, but at the time they were unaware that asbestos exposure is harmful and should be avoided at all costs.

Von St. James has attempted to sue Ainsworth-Benning and other companies that manufacture asbestos-containing products, but she has thus far experienced no success, as the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled the construction company has too little connection to Minnesota to be sued in that state.

This October marks the two-year anniversary of the end of her mesothelioma treatment. After her radical surgery on February 2, 2006, she completed a twelve-week course of chemotherapy. She receives a CT scan every four months, and so far, the cancer has not returned. Von St. James plans to be the first mesothelioma patient to live a long, full life—she wants to live another fifty years.

With the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina passing, the cleanup project for the city of New Orleans is far from over. In fact, a new set of problems has arisen since the project began, the most concerning one being the threat of asbestos cancer.

The Government Accountability Office said earlier this week that the cleanup work is nowhere near over, with more than 6,000 homes still needing to be demolished. The GAO reported to congress that there are many environmental problems involved in the project.

In the report, John B. Stephenson, GAO director for natural resources and environment, wrote, “Nearly three years later, the New Orleans area still faces significant debris management issues and challenges.”

Among these challenges are issues involving illegal dumping of waste and the disposal of hazardous waste at landfills that are not equipped to handle such materials.

Regulators who inspected local landfills found items such as tires, medical waste, and creosote telephone poles that were dumped without the required authorization. Other landfill issues include the breaking of discharge limits, and failure to cover waste with soil every two weeks.

In addition, there have been problems relating to the mishandling of asbestos-containing waste. According to the GAO report, at least seven incidents of asbestos mishandling have been noted.

Storms that cause an enormous level of destruction to homes and buildings can increase the risk of asbestos exposure dramatically. Many asbestos-containing materials were used in the construction of older homes, and when these materials are damaged toxic asbestos fibers are likely to be released into the air.

If these fibers are inhaled or ingested into the body, they can attach to the mesothelial lining of the lungs, heart, and abdomen. And since the body in unable to expel these fibers, serious diseases such as mesothelioma can result.

Sam Coleman, an Environmental Protection Agency official overseeing the Katrina cleanup project, says every step has been taken to manage landfills effectively. He also believes none of the landfills being used to collect hurricane debris pose a safety risk.

The GAO has asked the EPA to review the way it responds to disasters and outline its plans to improve disaster responses. According Stephenson, the threat of future hurricanes makes this an urgent matter.