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Los Angeles - Asbestos & Mesothelioma Resources

In June 2005, Paul Brodeur, long-time writer for the New Yorker, wrote in an article for the Los Angeles Times that:

"What the president and the Republicans fail to appreciate is how far the ripples of asbestos disease have spread... As it happens, the ripples extend far beyond the outskirts of the town (Libby, Montana). More than 700 mills across the nation have processed millions of tons of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite mined in Libby. Government evaluators believe it to be "most likely" that many of these mills have released hazardous levels of asbestos dust into the environment."

What Brodeur doesn't add is that W.R. Grace, the company that owned the vermiculite mine in Libby, also owned California Zonolite, one of those 700 mills to which his commentary referred. It is currently on the list of ASTDR cleanup sites, and is only one of literally hundreds of places in the city where workers, neighbors and residents were - and in some cases continue to be - exposed to asbestos.

With an estimated population of 3.8 million, Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, though it is less than half the population of New York City, the largest city in the nation. It is a major West Coast center of commerce, finance and industry, and a transportation hub for air, rail and water. Nearly 65% of the city's housing was built between 1939 and 1979, the years when asbestos was most likely to be used in home construction. Much of the city's infrastructure also dates from those years. Like most major cities in the United States, Los Angeles is battling with issues related to asbestos, including removal and remediation, renovation and demolition of older buildings that might release asbestos into the air.

Statistical Data

The state of California ranks first in the nation for asbestos related deaths, reporting between 4,273 and 5,792 deaths from asbestosis or mesothelioma between the years of 1970 and 2000. Although only ten percent of California's population resides in Los Angeles, Los Angelenos account for nearly 20% of asbestos-related deaths during those years.

Place	Asbestosis	Mesothelioma	Meso High	Total	High
United States	19758	23965	40411	43723	60169
California	2088	2276	3795	4364	5883
Los Angeles County	336	533	914	869	1250

** The government did not begin tracking mesothelioma separately as a cause of death until 1998. When they did, the mortality rate nationwide for deaths from mesothelioma more than doubled. The lower number in each range represents an estimated mortality rate based on cancers that were thought to be mesothelioma. The higher range reflects the mesothelioma rate if one assumes that the incidence during the earlier years was actually twice that reflected by government statistics.

Historical Asbestos Exposure Sites

Los Angeles, like any major city, has many buildings where asbestos was used in construction. Any person who worked at or around construction sites between 1920 and 1980 was probably exposed to asbestos in the products used. Below is a partial list of the many public buildings where asbestos is known to have been used. Anyone who worked on the construction of these buildings may have been exposed to asbestos. In addition, many of these buildings have been renovated or repaired since they were built, which may have resulted in further toxic exposure to asbestos:

• Los Angeles Bar Association
• Los Angeles Housing Authority
• Los Angeles High School
• Los Angeles International Airport
• Los Angeles Sports Arena
• Los Angeles Times Building
• Los Angeles Trade Technical School
• Los Angeles City College
• Los Angeles City Hall
• Los Angeles County Courthouse
• Los Angeles County Hospital
• Los Angeles County Dept. Of Mental Health
• Los Angeles County Jail
• Los Angeles County Music Center
• Los Angeles Garment Center
• Los Angeles Criminal Court Building
• Los Angeles General Hospital
• Los Angeles Federal Savings & Loan
• Los Angeles Hall of Records
• University of California
• ARCO Twin Towers
• Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) Refinery
• Tishman Office Building
• Children's Hospital
• Goodyear Tire & Rubber Plant
• University of Southern California
• Firestone Tire Store
• Ford Assembly Plant
• Safeway Stores
• Southern Edison Building
• Western Pipe & Steel Company
• United California Bank
• Texas Corporation Office Building
• of California Medical Center
• Union Pacific Switchyard
• U.S. Rubber Tire & Synthetic Rubber Plant
• Western Pipe & Steel Plant

Los Angeles County Water and Electric Located at Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County Water and Electric used oil and coal in the manufacturing of electricity. It is the largest municipal utility in the United States, supplying nearly four million homes and businesses. Los Angeles County Water and Electric has been in business for over 100 years. Asbestos was used in many ways in power plants, both for protective clothing and to insulate pipes and moving parts in machinery and generators. Asbestos is still present in most power plants, but workers should be aware of any areas within the plant where they may be exposed to asbestos, and by law, are required to be provided with safety equipment designed to reduce the possibility of exposure to asbestos.

California Zonolite/Diversified Insulation/W.R. Grace
5440 West San Fernando Road, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California.
The Zonolite production plant was in operation until about 1976, but may have been processing vermiculite from the Libby mine any time up until 1976. It is currently listed as one of the ATSDR's Phase 1 cleanup sites. According to a press release updated in June 2007, the Glendale site processed vermiculite from Libby between 1950 and 1977. ATSDR estimates that from 70 to 150 former workers were exposed during the time the plant operated. The CDC warns that those who worked at the plant are most at risk for asbestos exposure, as are those who lived with anyone who worked at the plant. Those who lived in the area may also have been exposed to asbestos from plant emissions, especially those who lived downwind of the plant. They also warn that workers and others may have brought home waste rock from the plant, and children may have played in waste rock from the plant.

Todd Shipyards (http://www.asbestos.com/shipyards/todd-shipyards/los-angeles.php)
Located in San Pedro, the Los Angeles Shipbuilding facility was taken over by Seattle based Todd Shipyards in 1943. Todd continued to operate the shipyard, known as Tod Shipyard, Los Angeles, until the shipyard closed in 1989. At its peak, Todd Shipyard employed over 12,000 people. The shipyard built, launched and outfitted 10 naval vessels and repaired or converted 2,376 ships during World War II.

Los Angeles Shipyard & Drydock Company was the predecessor of Todd Shipyards.

Other shipyards at Port of Los Angeles included:

Al Larson Boat Shop
Al Larson Boat Shop is the oldest shipyard in Southern California. It has been in operation for over 100 years, and was an active shipbuilder during both World Wars. Currently, the shipyard serves commercial and recreational customers, but during those wars and in the past, the Boat Shop maintained and repaired tugboats, government ships, research vessels, barges and offshore oil equipment.

Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
In 1922, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation acquired the Southwestern Shipbuilding Company. The yard built 26 destroyers, as well as converting cargo vessels into troop carriers and supply craft, and averaged repairing two large naval vessels a day during the war. After the war, Bethlehem Shipyard repaired large ships and mothballed Navy oil tankers. The shipyard was sold in 1981.

California Shipbuilding Corporation (Cal Ship)
Organized in 1940, Cal Ship was the second largest emergency shipyard in the U.S. during World War II. The yard began building ships in May 1941, and within four months was delivering up to a dozen ships every month. Cal Ship delivered a total of 196 ships in 1943 alone. In 1947, the shipyard was acquired by National Metal & Steel Corporation, who continued to operate at the Port of Los Angeles until January 1, 1986.

Consolidated Steel Corporation
Consolidated Steel operated an emergency facility at the Wilmington mud flats. It was a very active shipyard during World War II and was closed after the war.

By law, nearly every surface in commercial liners and Navy ships contained asbestos as a defense against fire. Those working in and around shipyard were commonly heavily exposed to asbestos, and comprise one of the largest occupational groups affected by mesothelioma and asbestosis. Anyone who worked at any of the shipyards named may have been exposed to asbestos. Those most at risk were the workers directly involved in shipbuilding operations, particularly those doing pipefitting, sealant and insulation work, but even those who worked in offices may have been exposed to asbestos in the air, or on the clothing of those who worked with asbestos more directly.

Existing Asbestos Exposure Hazards

In 2004, a group of workers with the Los Angeles Housing Authority reported that for years they had been required to remove tiles containing asbestos without proper safety precautions. The workers said that they first met with their supervisor about their concerns nearly five years earlier, pointing out that they tiles they were removing appeared to contain asbestos. They were further required to scrape the adhesive from the tiles, creating more dust. The work was done with tenants in residence in the building. Tests showed that the tiles contained 7% asbestos and the adhesive contained 5% asbestos.

This is, unfortunately, not an isolated occurrence. Most older buildings in L.A. contain asbestos, in floor, wall and ceiling tiles, in pipe insulation and the insulation around electrical wiring and in other places too numerous to count. The Los Angeles United School District has been systematically removing asbestos from its buildings since the 1980s, but there are still schools that contain asbestos in the walls, under the floors and in the ceilings, heating ducts and vents. Maintenance and plant facilities workers for the school department should be fully trained in recognizing asbestos, and all schools should have an asbestos management plan that details the location of all asbestos in every building in the district.

In addition, workers in demolition and renovation should be aware of the requirements for asbestos surveys before any major work takes place in older buildings. In the 2004 case, the Los Angeles Housing Authority was fined for a number of violations, including the lack of surveys before work began.

Asbestos in the News

Los Angeles juries are traditionally sympathetic to victims of asbestos and the asbestos industry. In May 2008, a Los Angeles jury awarded a $9.7 million judgment to a Georgia man who developed mesothelioma due to his work at the Long Beach Naval Station. Doctors say that the plaintiff has less than a year to live. In October, another LA jury awarded $35.1 million to a Navy tender for a similar injury.

Legal Issues

In April 2007, a Los Angeles contractor was found guilty of violating the Clean Air act by knocking down four buildings without a demolition permit and of improperly removing and disposing of asbestos tainted waste from a job site. Meruelo Maddox Properties was banned from building any new construction at a Union Station site for 18 months.

There are a number of agencies in California concerned with enforcing the rules and regulations regarding asbestos. A full listing of agencies concerned with asbestos in California can be found in the Asbestos Fact Sheet distributed by the Department of Toxic Substances Control at http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/PublicationsForms/upload/OAD_PBL_Asbestos_FS3.pdf

Treatment Centers

Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of California at Los Angeles
10833 Le Conte Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1781
800-825-2631
310-825-5268

USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Southern California
1441 Eastlake Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90033-0800
213-764-0816

Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center
8631 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
800-CEDARS-1

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
8700 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
800-CEDARS-1

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