Asbestos in Maine
ranking in U.S. for mesothelioma & asbestosis deaths
Shipbuilding, one of the oldest industries in Maine, is a tradition that dates back more than 400 years. Shipbuilding also ranks among the most dangerous industries in America for exposure to asbestos, a mineral which once was considered vital to the building and operation of seaworthy vessels. It's a major reason why at least 291 Maine residents died of malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases from 1999 to 2008. With more than 200 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline, the water always has provided a thriving way of life in Maine. The shipbuilding industry in Maine produced everything from early clipper ships to World War II destroyers to today's custom yachts. Until recent years, asbestos was used extensively for its fireproofing and anti-corrosive qualities, leaving so many workers in the building industry vulnerable to its downside.
Much of the asbestos exposure in shipbuilding took place before the turn of the century, but the long latency period, from time of exposure to obvious symptoms, still leaves many at risk today. Like many states, Maine has a number of regulations regarding the handling and disposal of asbestos. Among those laws is one that requires the Department of Environmental Protection to be notified whenever work will include a piece of asbestos greater than three square feet in size, and that it must be done by licensed professionals.
Maine also has its share of chemical plants and paper mills, too, more job sites where asbestos was once used extensively. There are no state laws requiring the removal or repair of asbestos-containing materials, except in schools.
Treatment Centers in this State
Maine Medical Center Cancer Instituteview more
Mesothelioma and Asbestosis Deaths, 1999-2008
- 227mesothelioma deaths in Maine
- 64asbestosis deaths in Maine
- 291total mesothelioma and asbestosis deaths
Occupations and Environmental Areas at Risk
Asbestos never was mined actively in Maine, but there is an asbestos prospect in the Western part of the state and a higher-than-normal asbestos-related illness rate surrounding the area. There are a few other naturally-occurring asbestos deposits in the state. Maine also borders Quebec, Canada, where asbestos mines operated for generations.
Maine also has its share of occupations that traditionally have been the source of asbestos exposure and related diseases like mesothelioma and asbestosis. There were those who worked in paper mills, power plants, shipyards, military bases and iron foundries in Maine. Any who worked in those industries likely had some exposure to asbestos. And experts have concluded that any amount of exposure to asbestos is a health risk.
Power plant employees often worked around machinery and equipment lined with asbestos insulation. Turbines and generators, along with the gaskets, valves and pumps that made them go, were covered in asbestos, which insulated those parts against heat and possible fire. Paper mills that used heavy machinery to turn sheets of pulp into paper inadvertently were exposing workers to asbestos through the insulation materials that were used to prevent overheating.
- Brunswick Naval Air Station (Brunswick)
- Dow Air Force Base (Bangor)
- Sanford Textile Mill (Sanford)
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (Kittery)
- Great Northern Paper Company (Lincoln)
- Rumford Paper Mill (Rumford Falls)
- Oxford Paper Company (Rumford)
- New England Shipbuilding Corp (Portland)
- Yankee Nuclear Power Plant (Wiscasset)
- Central Main Power Plant (Lewiston)
- Bath Iron Works (Bath)
- Union Chemicals Company (South Hope)
- International Paper Company (Androscoggin)
- New England Insulation Company (Bangor)
- Loring Air Force Base (Limestone)
Paper Mills Not Sued
James Crowley and Emile Richard, two former paper mill workers in Maine, filed separate lawsuits in 2006, but neither held the mills where they worked responsible. Their litigation was against two dozen businesses that provided asbestos products that were used at the mills. Crowley worked at the former Oxford Paper Mill in Rumford, Maine, for three years, while Richard worked at International Paper in Jay, Maine, for 35 years. The outcome of the case is unknown.
Landmark Asbestos Lawsuit
In a historic decision, a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1983 ordered a federal judge to review a jury trial that denied payment for any damages in an asbestos lawsuit brought by the widowed wife of a Bath Iron Works painter against Raybestos-Manhattan Inc. and Unarco Industries Inc., two asbestos manufacturers. The case was the first of 212 asbestos cases heard in federal court in Portland, Maine, and it changed the direction of asbestos litigation in the state. The employee was Blaine Austin, who had died of mesothelioma. Austin's wife Margaret won a wrongful death verdict of $323,456.
Superfund Sites in Maine
There are 14 industrial or military sites in Maine placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) as part of the Superfund law, which was passed by Congress in 1980 in response to the improper disposal of hazardous substances. Only after a preliminary investigation indicates that federal involvement is warranted is a site placed on the list.
Asbestos was listed as one of the contaminants at both the Brunswick Naval Air Station and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, along with the Eastern Surplus Company in Meddybemps. Maine faces a number of challenges with the asbestos present in the state.
Demolition of the Forester Manufacturing plant in Wilton was halted in July 2011 after airborne tests revealed the building contained high levels of asbestos. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was called to perform the tests, which returned higher than permissible levels of asbestos for workers to be present.
A fire in the plant just before demolition was suspended meant fire fighters and police were also potentially exposed to airborne asbestos fibers, and OSHA required proof from the building owner before the destruction of the plant could continue. The plant dates back to 1903, and while leaving its asbestos untouched posed no threat to the public, the demolition and subsequent fire released asbestos into the air, prompting an immediate health response.
A representative from OSHA urged anyone who might have been exposed to the fibers to have chest X-rays performed. While the agency cannot require everyone at the site to seek medical attention, they can force employers to provide access to those services in Maine. Because even low exposure to asbestos can potentially cause mesothelioma in the future, testing both immediately and over the long term is recommended.
-
05/24/2012 -
One of the biggest asbestos-abatement jobs ever done in Buffalo, New York, is being handled now by a local company with a history of asbestos-related ..
-
05/23/2012 -
A new class of anti-cancer drugs is nearing the clinical trial phase and may eventually be available for treatment of aggressive diseases like pancrea ..
-
05/23/2012 -
School districts all across America have been wrestling in recent years with the task of removing and disposing of toxic asbestos from older buildings ..
© 2012 The Mesothelioma Center |
Last Modified Thursday, February 16th, 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.
