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A Painesville, Ohio company was recently fined $25,000 by the Environmental Protection Agency for violating an air pollution law during a March 2007 asbestos cleanup. The COE Manufacturing Co. removed asbestos from five buildings on its Bank Street property without notifying health department officials 10 days before performing the work, the Ohio EPA said.

The unauthorized activity involved the removal of about 320 feet of asbestos-containing pipe insulation and 900 square feet of asbestos-containing floor tile from the buildings. The violation was discovered by an inspector after most of the material had already been removed and hauled away. As a result, the inspector could not determine whether the work had been done without releasing asbestos into the air, which raised concerns for proper notification of surrounding homes and businesses.

Asbestos was once considered a “miracle material” due to its durability and versatility, as well as its fire-retardant and friction-resistant qualities. Before the discovery of its more hazardous properties, asbestos seemed a very useful and effective insulator and was utilized as insulation in buildings, including homes, schools, and apartments.

However, when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed or damaged, they release a dust filled with microscopic asbestos fibers into the air. The airborne asbestos can travel up to 150 feet, which is a major concern of the EPA, as well as the residents that live and work near Bank Street, where the asbestos cleanup violations occurred.

Breathing in asbestos dust can lead to asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, and individuals who have been exposed to asbestos may not develop these diseases until 15 to 40 years after their initial exposure. As a result, it could be decades before a person discovers the extent of damage to their health caused by an improper abatement in a nearby area.

Individuals affected by mesothelioma develop malignant cells within the mesothelium, the protective lining that covers most of the body’s vital internal organs, including the heart sac, pleural cavity, and abdominal cavity. Currently, the only proven cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.

It was eventually determined that The COE Manufacturing Co. preformed the asbestos abatement from the five buildings on Bank Street properly. However, because the Ohio EPA couldn’t determine that it was not released into the atmosphere, the $25,000 fine was still imposed.

Some individuals have questioned the need to assign such a hefty fine to a job done correctly. However, most members of the community agree that by enforcing companies to follow proper procedure, these policies help provide a level of protection that benefits everyone.

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) has established a grant program to help newly diagnosed mesothelioma patients travel outside of their local area to consult with an expert on their asbestos-related cancer. The Mary and Bob Cosentino Travel Grant Program was named for Mary Cosentino, who served on the Board of Directors of The Meso Foundation and lost her own battle to peritoneal mesothelioma on January 26, 2008. Mary and her husband, Bob, have both been longtime supporters of The Meso Foundation.

Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor that aggressively and painfully invades the lining of the lungs, heart or stomach until it destroys the vital organs. Due to the rarity and complex nature of the disease, research to understand mesothelioma and develop effective treatments has lagged far behind that of other cancers. As a result, most available treatments are experimental and only available at one of the handful of medical centers that specialize in mesothelioma.

In addition to struggling with their deteriorating health, mesothelioma patients and their families typically face huge financial hurdles. The loss of employment income due to disability and the need for a caregiver to stay at home with the patient present enormous financial losses. In addition, accessing treatment is expensive because most patients do not live in close proximity to centers with mesothelioma expertise. To make matters worse, treatments are often not covered by medical insurance, nor are the costly travel and lodging expenses to reach them.

Mary and Bob Cosentino recognized that many patients suffering from mesothelioma are without the financial means to travel to specialized treatment centers. “There are some patients unable to consult with experts at major mesothelioma centers because they cannot afford travel expenses,” explained Bob Cosentino. “Those concerns are what prompted us to contribute to the Travel Grant Program established by The Meso Foundation.”

In addition to giving patients new opportunities for access to better mesothelioma treatment, Mary provides hope to those who look to new methods of healing and treatment. Mary sought out and benefited from several clinical trials and experimental protocols offered by specialists across the country. Statistically, the life expectancy of those diagnosed with mesothelioma is only about a year, but when Mary Cosentino passed away earlier this year, it had been more than five years since her diagnosis.

Says toxins seeping into Raritan River putting public health in danger.

The Edison Wetlands Association urged a federal judge yesterday to grant an injunction against Basell USA forcing the chemical company to clean up toxins seeping into the Raritan River about 100 yards from a local boat slip and fishing spot.

“This is like a cancer on the lower Raritan River,” Robert Spie gel, EWA executive director said yesterday, while holding scraps of deteriorating tar he found along the shoreline in front of Basell, a plant formerly owned by Akzo Nobel Chemical Inc. at the foot of Meadow Road in Edison.

Both Akzo and Basell are named as defendants in the lawsuit the EWA filed in January. Spiegel said dangerous levels of toxins — including the carcinogen benzene — were found more than a year ago. The company dug wells on the site to stop the seepage, but the latest tests show the pollution continues, Spiegel said.

U.S. District Court Judge Faith Hochberg set a hearing for Aug. 18.

Jack McGuire, an attorney for the chemical company, issued a statement noting that over the past year, the company has been working with the state Department of Environmental Protection on many of the issues raised in the court documents. McGuire said his clients will “continue to work with the DEP to make sure the environment is protected.”

Richard Chapin, an environmental engineer who works for the Wetlands group, said trenches should be dug to cut off the seepage and then all the toxic debris must be removed from the area.

When the river is at low tide, Chapin said the seepage, which has a slimy sheen, is seen coming out at various points along the shore. There has been a chemical plant operating on the site for 100 years, he said. Chapin believes the seepage might be from lagoons that once contained the chemical waste. While the material in the lagoons was supposed to have been solidified and removed, Chapin argued it’s probably the source of the pollution.

Attorneys representing Basell in the lawsuit could not be reached for comment yesterday.

EWA officials said they fear that the public’s health is being jeopardized. Signs should be posted immediately warning the public of the dangers, Judith Weinstock, an at torney for the EWA wrote in the legal brief seeking the injunction.

The toxins were found 100 yards from the Edison boat basin, the township’s only public access to the river and one of only a few points to reach the lower Raritan, according to Greg Remaud, conservation director for the NY/NJ Baykeepers, an environmental group that works to protect the entire harbor. He charged the chemi cal company is using a “strategy of delay” to keep from taking necessary steps to rid the waterway of the toxins.

Spiegel said once the seepage was found, the company should have considered it an emergency situation requiring immediate action.

Lawrence Hajna, a state DEP spokesman, said Basell has been working to remedy the problem, which appears to be made worse during periods of heavy rain. He said a new plan was developed to eliminate the seepage, involving re grading the area to remove soot and debris. He said the state is also reviewing a permit to work along the shoreline to eliminate the pollution.

Considering the Illinois shoreline has an extensive history of asbestos contamination, the recent start of the 2008 beach season along Lake Michigan has prompted a local conservation group to issue advice on how beachgoers can minimize inhalation and ingestion of toxic asbestos fibers.

Located in Waukegan, Illinois, the Johns-Manville Asbestos Superfund Site is home to one million tons of asbestos waste. The 150-acre site was used as an asbestos disposal area and harbors approximately three million cubic yards of off-specification materials and wastewater sludge. Bordered by Lake Michigan and Illinois Beach State Park, water contaminated with asbestos fibers is periodically released from this site into the lake. Currents transport the fibers southward, which wash up along beaches stretching as far south as Chicago’s Oak Street Beach.

According to tests performed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2002, water released from the site contaminates the lake with millions of asbestos fibers per liter of water. Dredging operations located immediately offshore has compounded the problem by disturbing settled asbestos in the lake’s sediment. The disturbed fibers break free of the sediment and are subsequently washed ashore. Some of this dredged sediment was even used by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to replenish sand lost due to beach erosion at Illinois Beach State Park.

A major concern is the fact that much of the asbestos contamination is tremolite asbestos, which is considered to be several hundred times more hazardous to human health than asbestos fibers commonly found in urban settings. Exposure to tremolite asbestos has been strongly linked to the development of mesothelioma cancer. Mesothelioma is an extremely aggressive cancer that attacks the body’s mesothelial cells, which compose the mesothelium lining that protects organs and body cavities. Very few cases of mesothelioma have ever been cured, putting the mortality rate at nearly 100 percent.

Public officials have claimed the present levels of asbestos are not a threat to public health, but Jeffery Camplin, an environmental/health safety engineer and nationally known asbestos expert, refutes these claims. Requested by the Illinois Dunesland Preservation Society to review studies performed by the EPA, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), as well as a contractor hired by the Chicago Park District, Camplin found the studies were “deeply flawed and severely lacking in standardized scientific protocols.”

In an effort to help prevent future cases of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, the Illinois Dunesland Preservation Society is offering tips to beachgoers to minimize the inhalation and ingestion of potentially deadly asbestos fibers. The society advises against eating and drinking at contaminated beaches, as well as disturbing the sand in any way. Visitors of the affected beaches are also recommended to rigorously shower and clean belongings before leaving, as asbestos fibers can be found anywhere beach sand reaches. The society also warns against certain cleaning methods, such as shaking off towels or dusting shoes off, which can release asbestos fibers into the air.

Concerned beachgoers are likely wondering what, if any, activities are free from the risk of exposure to asbestos at Lake Michigan’s beaches. According to Illinois Dunesland Preservation Society President Paul Kakuris, “Waves wash fibers onto the beaches where sand releases asbestos during beach activities, exposing millions of unwitting victims to deadly asbestos fibers while corrupt public officials and polluters’ consultants rigged studies, using government funds.” Naturally, the society strongly advises against anyone visiting Lake Michigan’s contaminated beaches.

By Michelle Whitmer

On November 15, 2007, Americans tuned in to watch the Democratic presidential hopefuls debate from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Many expected Senator Hillary Clinton to bear the brunt of the offensive set forth by her rival Democratic candidates Senator John Edwards and Senator Barack Obama. While the televised debate did find her to be the designated target, the forementioned gentlemen of the Democratic party found themselves short on new “ammo” and their target claiming to be wearing a “Pantsuit made of asbestos.”

Hillary’s pun, which implied her understanding that she was in the proverbial hot seat, earned laughs from the packed auditorium and established Clinton’s departure from the vulnerable woman the media had initially portrayed to the well-prepared pundit she was now channeling. And while many understood that the Senator’s reference to her “asbestos pantsuit” was a means of ascertaining her determination and durability, some stood scratching their heads not quite grasping the full meaning of the Senator’s reference to the hazardous material in regards to her wardrobe.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring material that features heat and fire-resistant characteristics as well as excellent insulating qualities. These characteristics made it an ideal material for use in ceiling tiles, roofing materials, insulation, and thousands of other products. Despite the established dangers of asbestos, use of this hazardous mineral has not been discontinued or banned in the United States.

Senator Clinton’s proclamation that she was dressed in asbestos made for a comedic moment at the Las Vegas debates. However, it was hardly the first reference to asbestos and its potential utility in clothing. Ancient Greeks mined asbestos materials from the earth and wove them into cloth. They then used clothing made of the cloth to wrap people prior to cremation. Additionally, the asbestos cloth was woven into table coverings and napkins, which could then be cleaned by simply being tossed into the fire after a meal was finished.

Along with the fireproof abilities of its fibers, ancient cultures also recognized that many of the slaves that worked to mine and produce asbestos-containing products developed illnesses and died at young ages. In fact, many wealthy slave owners used asbestos exposure as a qualifier and refused to purchase slaves that had come in contact with the material.

Should Senator Clinton persevere to earn the nomination from the Democratic National Convention to continue her run for the presidency, many organizations stand to benefit from her economic development plans that would allocate additional funding for various educational and human safety associations, coincidentally including The Asbestos and Mesothelioma Awareness Center. However, due to her flailing presence in the current national polls, she may want to consider investing in more metaphorical asbestos-infused accessories if she is to withstand the heat.

By Kaylen Myrick

A cruise ship known as the “MV Freewinds” is the traveling get-a-away for many of the scientologist elite and it was recently revealed it has cancer-causing blue asbestos in the ventilation system.

This cruise ship was once top secret and was the main training center for those seeking to rise to the high position of OT VII. This floating luxery ship was equipped with a gym, hospital, cinema, and disco. This was a place where scientologists paid thousands of dollars to attend courses, only to be exposed to the most lethal form of asbestos.

As of April 28, 2008, the MV Freewinds was sealed and quarantined at the Mathey warf in Otrabanda, Curacao. This, following the discovery of significant amounts of blue asbestos, was released into the ship’s ventilation system. The Curacao Drydock Company (CDM) was contracted to conduct refurbishment and repairs on the MV Freewinds, but immediately stopped work due to extreme risks.

The disturbing aspect to this mess is it sounds like some within the scientology community have known about the asbestos risks for 21 years. Lawrence Woodcraft, a former Scientologist and architect, claims that he encountered blue asbestos while working on the ship in 1987—according to a affidavit filed in 2001.

Church leaders did not consider asbestos to be a huge problem because Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard had declared fiberglass as dangerous, with no mention of asbestos in his writings. Scientologists teach an alternative process as the cause of cancer, emphasizing personal choice and problems with relationships.
Anyone who boarded the ship through the duration of those 21 years should know they’ve been exposed to the most lethal form of asbestos and should consult a doctor immediately to test for mesothelioma (the cancer resulting from asbestos exposure).

The following was released by the Church of Scientology. Unfortunately, they seem to be denying any wrong doing:

‘The Freewinds regularly inspects the air quality on board and always meets or exceeds US standards. Inspections done on April 15, 2008 and April 28, 2008 again confirmed that the air quality is safe, in accordance with the standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Clean Air Act.’

‘The Freewinds is currently undergoing a complete refit, including renovations of all cabins and accommodations facilities as well as upgrading all navigational and nautical safety equipment to meet or exceed future maritime codes scheduled for implementation in the year 2010. The true and accurate story is that the Freewinds is being restored to better than new condition and no expense has ever been spared in meeting the highest safety standards of any seagoing vessel. The Captain of the Freewinds is a highly respected officer who is known for his competence and for his dedication to safety at sea. He and the Freewinds have received numerous commendations from port authorities and other ships for the help they extended to the islands in ports of call, as well as the training of maritime students in maritime safety for which the Freewinds is renowned. The Freewinds will be completing its refit on schedule.’

By: Jesse Herman

Located in San Benito and Fresno counties in California, the Clear Creek Management Area (CCMA) encompasses more than 70,000 acres of breathtaking, mountainous landscape. A recreational area enjoyed by more than 35,000 visitors a year, the CCMA boasts scenic views, endemic species, multipurpose terrain, and ecological resources.

In May 2008, must to the dismay of the CCMA’s loyal visitors, more than 30,000 acres of the recreation area were temporarily closed by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The closure was prompted by the recent release of an asbestos risk assessment performed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The BLM, which initially assessed the asbestos at Clear Creek in 1992, has warned visitors of the naturally occurring asbestos since the early 1990s, and has advised against breathing dust, drinking creek water, as well as other common activities. In 2004 and 2005, as a part of an analysis of the resident Atlas Asbestos Mine Superfund Site, the EPA conducted a battery of tests to assess the extent of exposure risk within the 30,000-acre deposit of naturally-occurring asbestos (which is the largest in the United States and one of the largest in the world).

Though previous studies found high levels of asbestos in CCMA, only warnings were provided to the public until the more conclusive and encompassing assessment was released by the EPA in May 2008. According to the report, just five visits a year over the course of three decades could lead to the development of lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases.

Despite these alarming facts, some groups are outraged at the closure of CCMA. Groups such as the BlueRibbon Coalition are already raising funds to legally challenge the closure in court. The western representative of the BlueRibbon Coalition, Don Amador, claims chrysotile asbestos (the main type of asbestos found in the area) is “not a health risk.” With 800 miles of trails, the CCMA is known as one of the top 10 areas for off-roading in the country. “We are in for a long, hard battle,” says Amador, who believes the land should be made available to the public for recreational use at any cost.

Amador’s claim that chrysotile asbestos poses no health threat to humans is not supported by scientific evidence gathered by the EPA and other federal agencies. Decades of scientific and medical analysis have long-proven that chrysotile asbestos, the most commonly used form of asbestos, is a veritable human carcinogen. In addition to chrysotile, the EPA also found tremolite and actinolite forms of asbestos within CCMA. All of these forms of asbestos are known to cause a variety of diseases, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma cancer.

Currently, the BLM is working on developing a new management plan for CCMA. Rick Cooper, the BLM’s Hollister field manager, has stated the agency’s first priority is preserving public health and safety. “Based on EPA’s results, we believe a temporary closure of most of the CCMA is in the public interest and we ask for the public’s cooperation.”

Though many faithful visitors of CCMA may not be pleased with the closure, Cooper says, “With the closure in place, we will immediately move on with developing a long-term resource management plan for the area with the public’s full involvement.”

By Michelle Whitmer