Rock Wool Manufacturing Company
Founded in 1943 around Leeds, Alabama, Rock Wool Manufacturing is a residential wool insulation manufacturer. Many of their modern products are marketed under the trade name Delta, and their involvement in construction materials expanded gradually, encompassing insulating cements and asbestos boards in the 1950s. In 1988, the company began producing wrapped pipe insulation.
Rock Wool Manufacturing Company’s product line gradually came to include items used in all areas of construction. The firm still makes products for industrial and commercial buildings, as well as marine applications. Until 1987, Rock Wool manufactured two types of mineral wool insulation material, blow wool and batt wool.
The process of melting raw leftover waste material from smelting and metal processing operations and blowing air over the resulting mix caused the expulsion of asbestos fibers. The fibers were subsequently formed into various insulating materials, cements and boards.
These processes created byproducts such as antimony, arsenic and lead that contaminated groundwater. Asbestos was a common insulating material and was frequently used in high-heat Rock Wool products.
Soil remediation actions for Rock Wool’s Belton, Texas, plant included installing clay covers to prevent runoff and building containment cells to hold materials that might otherwise leach toxins into groundwater. The property is still managed under the Environmental Protection Agency Institutional Control regulations.
Rock Wool also used asbestos in two of their cement products, One Shot and Delta Maid AF. These adhesives were used to secure thermal pipe insulation to pipes after asbestos insulation had been tightly wrapped around them. When old insulation was destroyed during replacements, asbestos dust was released into breathing spaces.
Because Rock Wool products were used at sea and on dry land, both factory workers and sailors who maintained pipe insulation may have been exposed to asbestos. People who worked in power plants or around insulated boilers where Rock Wool was used are also at higher risk than the general populace for asbestos-related diseases.
Asbestos Litigation
In addition to having cases brought against them, Rock Wool has also been named a co-defendant in multiple suits against shipping firms and major corporations whose workers used their products (Force, Yiannopoulos, & Davies 2008).
During a 1994 trial, a jury found Rock Wool negligent of producing unreasonably dangerous products (Court of Appeal of Louisiana 1998). In addition to having to pay damages to a number of parties, the company was found guilty of not putting hazard warnings on their products. In 1996, these lawsuits forced the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (Coppolo, 2009).
The Asbestos Resolution Trust was formed to process new claims against Rock Wool Manufacturing Company. After the firm filed for bankruptcy, a method was needed to settle the personal injury claims that were received, and the trust was established. It provides an online portal with registration periods that detail open filing times for new plaintiffs and describe payment terms. This trust does not allow claim processing year round, as it addresses cases that concern two separate asbestos manufacturing companies.
If you have experienced signs or symptoms of mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer or other asbestos-related conditions, fill out the form on this page to receive information about treatment and legal options.
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Last Modified Thursday, February 9th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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