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Borden Chemical Plant

A producer of performance adhesives, binding and bonding resins, UV-curable coatings and the chemical formaldehyde for use in various wood and industrial markets, Borden Chemical Company got its start as the New York Condensed Milk Company in 1857. The company's primary product was the condensed milk that made Borden so famous, which historians say was sold to Union armies during the Civil War. New York Condensed Milk Company became Borden Condensed Milk Company in 1899, and in 1929, the company was acquired by the Casein Company of America.

In the 1950s, the company began to diversify. It became a manufacturer of small adhesives and constructed a sizeable formaldehyde plant in Springfield, Oregon, during that decade. Within the next 20 to 30 years, Borden - headquartered in Columbus, Ohio - became the largest producer of formaldehyde in the U.S. and later added printing inks, PVC and fertilizers to its production menu.

Borden, Inc., the parent company, was merged into Borden Chemical in 2001 when the food division of the company met its demise. In 2004, Borden Chemical was sold to Apollo Management Corporation and merged with Resolution Specialty Materials, Resolution Performance Products and the German firm Bakelite AG to form the company Hexion Specialty Chemicals. Essentially, that was the end of the Borden name, though Hexion retained the company's famous "Elsie the Cow" trademark until 2010.

Hexion then merged with Momentive Performance Materials Inc. in late 2010 and the company is now simply referred to as Momentive. Still headquartered in Columbus, the company produces thermoset resins as part of their Specialty Chemicals division and silicones and advanced materials as part of their Performance Materials division.

Borden Chemical and Asbestos

Borden Chemical Company had an impressive past and was well known in its field before it was dissolved in the early part of the millennium. Many individuals worked at Borden's plants, producing chemicals that were used in a variety of different industries.

Employment in a chemical plant usually meant long days, plenty of hard work and a number of potential dangers, as the chemical plants often included equipment and machinery that operated at very high temperatures. Especially in the era before stringent Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) safety rules, it wasn't unusual for explosions and fires to occur in the plants. As a matter of fact, Borden was cited in a 2004 explosion at one of its former plants in Kentucky for failing to recognize the consequences of an inadvertent chemical release that killed four workers.

Similarly, workers at Borden Chemical plants were subject to harm caused by toxic asbestos, which was used to curb fires and explosions but was also making workers sick. The asbestos was found in protective clothing and garments worn by plant workers and was also used to insulate equipment such as:

  • Pipes
  • Boilers
  • Furnaces
  • Ovens
  • Tanks
  • Reactors
  • Pumps

Though it was an excellent insulator, asbestos released tiny, sharp fibers into the air when it became worn or damaged (or "friable"). The fibers could then have been inhaled or ingested by Borden employees. Many years later, these same employees would discover they had serious lung problems, including mesothelioma, which can take up to 50 years to develop.

Borden Chemical and Asbestos Litigation

Chemical plants that operated between the 1940s and 1970s were likely to contain large amounts of asbestos, despite the fact that there was already plenty of evidence that the material was toxic. Reports about the carcinogenic properties of the mineral appeared in medical journals as early as the 1930s, yet chemical plant owners failed to heed warnings about its use and did not share this frightening information with employees. Instead, use of asbestos in chemical plants and other industrial settings continued. When the truth was revealed in the late 1970s that asbestos was a human carcinogen, those who were suffering from asbestos-related diseases finally recognized that, indeed, someone's negligence had caused them to get sick.

Thereafter, Borden employees began to file lawsuits against the company, alleging that asbestos exposure had occurred on-the-job. These suits continued for several decades and well into the new millennium. In documents presented to stockholders in 2003, Borden acknowledged the presence of asbestos lawsuits against the company but noted that they believed they had ample reserves to handle any asbestos liabilities. Borden continues to be named in asbestos-related lawsuits today, some thirty years after the use of asbestos was essentially halted.

Resources for Chemical Plant Workers

Many Borden Chemical workers were surrounded by asbestos during their time with the company. Most have since retired. Hence, retirees may believe that they are “out of the woods” in regards to developing an asbestos disease at this point in their lives. However, since mesothelioma has a very long latency period and is difficult to detect at an early stage, those who worked for Borden during the era of asbestos use must continue to monitor their pulmonary health carefully. Any coughing, chest pain or shortness of breath could be a sign of trouble.

If you worked for Borden and would like more information about being tested for mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases, take a moment to contact one of our helpful Patient Advocates, who can speak with you about this and other asbestos-related issues. For help, call (800) 615-2270 or complete the form on this page.

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