Related Topics ► Other TopicsIllinois (IL) Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure
Ranked seventh in the nation for asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer deaths, Illinois is well known for its industrial strength, and as such, asbestos use has a long history in the state. Even though Illinois contains no naturally occurring asbestos deposits, the raw mineral found a way into the state through industry and commerce. At least 372,776 tons of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite was shipped from Libby, Montana to 30 locations throughout Illinois, such as Chicago, Girard, Peoria, Quincy, Buda, and Calumet City.
One of these locations is the former W.R. Grace & Company facility in West Chicago (603 Fenton Lane). Between 1974 and the early '90s, this plant processed more than 273,000 tons of Libby's asbestos-containing vermiculite. In 1996, W.R. Grace stopped operations and sold the 6.4-acre site to Royal Corinthian in 1998. Presently, Royal Corinthian produces marble columns and rails in the facility. The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) reports recent samplings and tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency detected trace amounts of Libby asbestos in the soil surrounding the plant. The ATSDR also reports that samples and tests performed by W.R. Grace in 1996 showed asbestos levels in the air inside the facility were "below levels that would be a health concern." It is important to note the ATSDR website on this processing plant states, "Some information about the air sample results is missing and should be obtained, if possible, to confirm this conclusion."
According to a 1997 publication by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), "all levels of asbestos exposure studied to date have demonstrated asbestos-related disease - [and] there is no level of exposure below which clinical effects do not occur." Thus, there is no safe level of asbestos exposure that affords little or no health risk. Other industries with a history of asbestos usage in the state of Illinois have included power generation and oil refining. In fact, major corporations such as Amoco, Citgo, Mobil, Shell, and Standard have operated oil refineries in Illinois-and all have been named defendants in asbestos-related lawsuits. Just like oil refineries, power generation plants have used asbestos for its heat and fire resistance. Some power plants that have used asbestos in the state of Illinois have included the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Baldwin Power Plant, Illinois Light & Power, Chicago Nuclear Powerhouse, and Powerton Powerhouse, just to name a few.
Bordering Lake Michigan, Illinois bears a proud naval legacy with the Great Lakes Naval Base, the largest single training facility for the U.S. Navy. Though this naval base was not involved in shipbuilding, which is well-known for its avid asbestos use, asbestos exposure has been a problem at this training facility. Though the state is located thousands of miles away from any ocean, Illinois does feature an extensive shipbuilding history. Naturally, shipbuilding was economically important in the port city of Chicago, which provided many ships during the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. For example, the Chicago Ship Building Company was founded in 1890 and became the leading builder of steel ships on the Great Lakes.
In addition to industrial exposure, many public structures throughout the state have posed asbestos exposure issues, such as schools, hospitals, and government buildings. In Kankakee alone, asbestos has been a problem at industrial sites, a DOT parking garage, a Catholic school, the city hospital, and the water system (from contamination of asbestos-containing water pipes).
State Index
- Asbestos Testing for Oneida County Building Funded by Union
2008-11-20 15:50:02
The Oneida County Office Building in Utica, New York has recently tested negative for airborne asbestos. Apparently though, that isn't good enough for the union, which represents county employees. Uni ...Read More
- Asbestos Tests Show New Jersey Sports Field Poses No Risk
2008-11-20 15:36:54
Asbestos was discovered last month at a public area in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, which prompted concerns that there may be exposure risks for locals. Now, however, those fears have been allayed, as tests ...Read More - EPA and Vermont Working Together to Solve Asbestos Mine Problem
2008-11-20 15:19:39
State of Vermont officials have released a new statement about the urgent need for investigating the impact of an abandoned asbestos mine in Colchester. The mine, located near the towns of Eden and Lo ...Read More
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