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Cape Coral Florida - Asbestos & Mesothelioma Resources

With a population of just over 118,000, Cape Coral, Florida is the second largest city by size in Florida. Established in 1966 and incorporated in 1975, Cape Coral is a relatively young city. The earliest homes and buildings in the city date only to 1958, and well over half of the buildings in Cape Coral were built after 1980. However, there are about 13,000 homes and buildings that were built during the years that asbestos was still being widely used for construction.

For its first few decades, Cape Coral was known as a sleepy little city with a large retiree population. The 1990s brought a boom in both population and construction, but the proportion of retirees in the population is still high.

Statistical Data

Despite its relatively small size, Lee County, where Cape Coral is located, ranks 55th among the counties most affected by asbestos related illnesses. The raw statistics gathered from U.S. government official mortality reports list 131 deaths from asbestosis and mesothelioma. Those deaths don't include deaths from cancers other than mesothelioma that may be linked to asbestos exposure.

Place	Asbestosis	Mesothelioma	Meso High	Total	High
United States	19758	23965	40411	43723	60169
Florida	1095	1976	3432	3071	4527
Lee County	39	92	158	131	197

** 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

While there are no known asbestos exposure sites in Cape Coral, those involved in the construction industry before 1980 were likely to have been exposed to asbestos on the job. Those contractors most likely to have been exposed are drywall installers, insulation or asbestos workers, roofers and tile installers.

Additionally, many current residents of Cape Coral are retirees who may have been exposed in other states and counties. An experienced Cape Coral mesothelioma lawyer can offer advice and guidance for Cape Coral residents who were exposed to asbestos on job sites or in the environment in other states.

Existing Asbestos Exposure Hazards

Older homes and buildings are the biggest asbestos concern in Cape Coral. Since asbestos only becomes a danger when the materials containing it are damaged or worn, homeowners, plumbers, electricians and others who work or live in older homes should be aware of any asbestos in their homes, and avoid damaging it when doing renovations and repairs. For example, many of the older homes in Cape Coral have asbestos siding, though it may be hidden beneath aluminum or vinyl siding. The asbestos siding should be removed by a professional to avoid exposing you and others nearby to asbestos fibers.

In addition, many of the underground pipes and conduits that carry water and waste throughout Central and Southern Florida were made with asbestos concrete, or are wrapped in an asbestos coating. Road work or construction can expose those pipes and release asbestos into the air. There have been reports (see below) of construction companies ignoring the stringent requirements for handling asbestos-contaminated waste. At least one local company has been accused of knowingly putting workers at risk by requiring them to handle asbestos waste without protective gear.

Asbestos in the News

In January 2008, Lee County officials learned that a firm in Naples, not fifty miles outside Cape Coral, had torn up miles of asbestos concrete pipes and allegedly dumped them illegally in a man-made lake between U.S. 41 and Interstate 75. (http://www.asbestos.com/news/florida-contractor-under-scrutiny-after-asbestos-problems.html) Workers employed by Posen Construction charged that they had been required to break up the asbestos containing concrete pipes, load them into trucks and dump them illegally, all without wearing safety equipment and protective masks. After the Florida DEP began investigating the company for asbestos violations, Posen was awarded yet another contract to widen the roads in the Florida community.

Legal Issues

Homeowners and building owners who plan to demolish or renovate a structure that contains asbestos are required by city statute to notify the EPA of their pending actions. It is the responsibility of the owner of the building to have it surveyed before demolition to locate and remove any asbestos before work begins. The asbestos statutes for Florida are found in S.469 of the Florida Code.

Enforcement and compliance with air quality and asbestos regulations are handled by the Florida Department of Environmental Quality. The agency also handles air quality monitoring.

Treatment Centers

Mayo Clinic
4500 San Pablo Road
Jacksonville, FL 32224
(904) 953-0853
http://www.mayoclinic.org/mesothelioma/
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville is actively involved in research and clinical trials to discover new and more effective treatments for mesothelioma.

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