Asbestos in Illinois
ranking in U.S. for mesothelioma & asbestosis deaths
Illinois has a broad economic base with large markets in manufacturing, agriculture, coal, petroleum, power generation and timber. In the past, these industries used asbestos-containing materials for their fire-resistant and insulating properties. Many workers exposed to the fibers developed diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer, placing Illinois 7th in the nation for asbestos-related deaths.
Illinois is also home to 30 locations that received at least 372,776 tons of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from Libby, Montana. The locations with facilities that processed the asbestos-tainted vermiculite include Chicago, Girard, Peoria, Quincy, Buda and Calumet City.
Asbestos continues to be a concern for Illinois. The Johns-Manville Superfund Site in Waukegan, for example, is a noted asbestos hazard by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Another source of asbestos in Illinois can be found in old school buildings. With so much asbestos activity in the state, Madison County, Illinois, has become a national hotspot for asbestos litigation.
Treatment Centers In Illinois
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Mesothelioma and Asbestosis Deaths, 1999-2008
- 1,208mesothelioma deaths in Illinois
- 120asbestosis deaths in Illinois
- 1,328total mesothelioma and asbestosis deaths
Occupations and Environmental Areas at Risk
While asbestos products were used in a variety of industries throughout Illinois, those who worked in the state's oil refineries and power plants have the highest risk for developing asbestos related diseases. Major oil companies such as Amoco, CITGO, Mobil, Shell and Standard operated oil refineries in Illinois and all have been named defendants in asbestos-related lawsuits.
Power generation plants used asbestos-containing products primarily for their insulating capabilities. Power plants in Illinois that used asbestos include the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Baldwin Power Plant, Illinois Light & Power, Chicago Nuclear Powerhouse and Powerton Powerhouse.
- A.E. Staley Manufacturing Co. in Decatur
- Baldwin Power Plant
- Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center
- Dearborn Rubber Corporation
- Emerson Electric Facility
- Freeman Coal Company in Farmsville
- Illinois Beach State Park
- Illinois Light & Power
- Kautt & Bux Manufacturing in Mundelein
- LTV Steel
- Mobil
- Pneumo Abex
- Shell
- Amoco
- Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant
- Chicago Nuclear Powerhouse
- CITGO
- Dixie Square Mall in Harvey
- Eureka Company in Bloomington
- Grundy Industries, Inc. in Joliet
- Illinois Central Railroad Companionship
- Johns-Manville Corporation
- Kentile Floors, Inc. in Chicago
- Metal Works
- Pittsburgh Plate Glass in Mt. Zion
- Powerton Powerhouse
- Standard
Illinois Beach State Park
While there are several Superfund Sites in Illinois with asbestos concerns, one in particular is the Johns-Manville site in Waukegan, Illinois. This 150-acre disposal area has approximately three million cubic yards of wastewater sludge containing asbestos and other toxins. The site is bordered by Lake Michigan and Illinois Beach State Park. Studies have indicated that airborne asbestos is the greatest potential risk. Johns-Manville ceased operations at the site in 1998. Asbestos hazards are still being addressed.
Asbestos-Containing Superfund Site in Illinois
Between 1974 and the early 1990s, the former W.R. Grace & Company facility in West Chicago processed more than 273,000 tons of asbestos-containing vermiculite shipped from Libby, Montana. Those who worked at the plant were exposed to hazardous levels of asbestos fibers and are at high risk of developing diseases related to asbestos exposure. W.R. Grace stopped operations at the West Chicago plant in 1996. In 2003 the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry reported tests conducted by the EPA detected trace amounts of Libby asbestos in the soil surrounding the plant.
Asbestos in Illinois Schools
Many of Illinois’ schools and administrative buildings were constructed with asbestos. Depending on when the asbestos risk was discovered and how each facility handled the problem, teachers and other employees or students who attended these schools may be at risk for an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma. As these buildings age, the risk for asbestos exposure increases and old asbestos products present the hazard of releasing fibers into the air. Anyone who attended the following school locations may be at risk for an asbestos-related disease:
- Magnolia, Illinois School – Maple and Monroe Street
- Newman, Illinois School – 708 North Broadway
- Milton, Illinois School – South Mill Street
- Thebes, Illinois School – 7th and Oak Street
- Cairo/ Lincoln, Illinois School – 29th Street
A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company in Decatur, Illinois
In 1989, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a request from the Allied Industrial Workers of America International Union, Local 837, to evaluate asbestos hazards at A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company's facility. Although the company's medical monitoring program did not detail any concern for asbestos-related diseases, the union was worried about potential weaknesses in their reporting because medical testing outside the company's medical monitoring program suggested otherwise. For instance, several cases of asbestosis were reported and one employee died from pleural mesothelioma. These findings led the union to ask for assistance from NIOSH in evaluating the effectiveness of Staley Manufacturing Company's monitoring program.
Illinois Asbestos Litigation
Madison County, Illinois, is well known for its class action lawsuits and asbestos litigation. Since the early 2000s, the county took steps to enable its judicial system to handle and process a large number of asbestos cases from around the country. Historically, the verdicts of asbestos cases are much more favorable for plaintiffs in Madison County, increasing the incentive for plaintiffs and their representatives to file in the area. This is especially true for cases involving mesothelioma, a cancer most notably caused by asbestos.
In 2003, then Chief Judge Nicholas Byron said “I’m certainly not going to bar [out of state cases] and [I’m going to] provide justice if they think that they can get it faster. Now that is speed. You can’t tell me that Cook or any other county in the State of Illinois or even United States would compare with that. If [expedited mesothelioma cases] are from the United States, I’m certainly not going to bar them. My philosophy is to give an American dying of mesothelioma, or even lung cancer if they made the case, a forum."
Between 1994 and 2004, 5,000 asbestos cases were filed in Madison County. In 2003 alone there were 953 cases filed, many by plaintiffs who never visited Madison County. Between 2006 and 2008, the number of asbestos-related claims filed there increased by 97 percent. The number of mesothelioma cases filed between 2006 and 2009 increased each year:
W.R. Grace Vermiculite Processing Plant in West Chicago
Between 1974 and the early 1990s, the former W.R. Grace & Company facility in West Chicago processed more than 273,000 tons of asbestos-containing vermiculite shipped from Libby, Montana. Those who worked at the plant were exposed to hazardous levels of asbestos fibers and are at high risk of developing diseases related to asbestos exposure. W.R. Grace stopped operations at the West Chicago plant in 1996. In 2003 the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry reported tests conducted by the EPA detected trace amounts of Libby asbestos in the soil surrounding the plant.
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© 2012 The Mesothelioma Center |
Last Modified Wednesday, February 22nd, 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.
