Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving about 4.1 million residents in the L.A. region. LADWP, founded in 1902, serves an area of about 465 square miles and employs more than 9,000 people.
The department has a “Green L.A.” initiative whose goal is to reduce its carbon footprint on the greater Los Angeles area. It aims to lead the fight against global warming and actively tries to preserve and protect the region’s water supply.
Customers are encouraged to sign up for “green” power generated with wind, solar or geothermal energy. LADWP’s power sources include coal, nuclear energy, natural gas and hydroelectric plants, but it also owns or co-owns a number of renewable plants. The department aims to do away with its coal-powered plants by 2020.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Asbestos
Power plant equipment generally operates at exceedingly high temperatures, creating potential for fires, explosions and burns. For several decades, this hot equipment was insulated with asbestos, a heat-resistant material that can have deadly effects when it is cut or damaged. Asbestos insulation was used in LADWP power plants to insulate pipes, electrical wires, generators and other machinery.
In 2007, LADWP demolished a number of asbestos-containing structures and failed to notify the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) beforehand. This posed a threat to public health. If proper EPA-mandated disposal procedures are not followed, asbestos fibers may be released into the air surrounding the demolition site. Workers and nearby residents may then inhale the fibers and become at risk to develop mesothelioma or asbestosis.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Asbestos Litigation
As early as the 1930s, doctors and scientists were warning factory and plant owners not to use the mineral, but the majority of these warnings were ignored. Asbestos use continued to be standard practice until the late 1970s when government regulations significantly limited its use. Despite the limits, the rate of asbestos-related diseases increased throughout the late 20th century because mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years. A growing number of people have sued factories, plants, mills and utilities like LADWP because of diseases related to asbestos exposure.
In 2010, a Los Angeles jury awarded $200 million in punitive damages to the wife of a LADWP employee. The employee regularly cut asbestos-containing pipe and unknowingly brought asbestos fibers home on his clothes. When the wife laundered the clothes, she inhaled the fibers which remained in her lungs. Because of her secondhand exposure, she was diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer. LADWP was deemed 30 percent responsible for the woman’s illness and was ordered to pay 30 percent of the total damages ($60 million).
Resources for Power Plant Workers
Whether exposed to asbestos directly or indirectly, anyone who has come into contact with this toxic mineral has the potential to develop asbestos-related diseases. Those who may have inhaled asbestos fibers should monitor the condition of their lungs. This includes scheduling routine check-ups, receiving annual chest X-rays and informing a doctor of past exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is an aggressive disease. An early diagnosis is essential.
For more information on where you can go in your area to be tested for mesothelioma, contact a Patient Advocate at the Mesothelioma Center at (800) 615-2770. For more details on the disease and about asbestos exposure in general, complete the form on this page.
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© 2012 The Mesothelioma Center |
Last Modified Thursday, February 23rd, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Sponsored by a law firm concentrating in asbestos litigation, The Peterson Firm, LLP with offices at 1350 Connecticut Ave, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington DC 20036.
