New Hampshire Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure Risks

While many New England states have some locations with naturally-occurring asbestos, New Hampshire fortunately does not. However, a number of jobsites and other locations (including schools and public buildings) exist where workers and residents may have been exposed to asbestos.

At Risk Occupations and Locations in New Hampshire

Workers at as many as 50 different jobsites may be at risk of asbestos exposure. The list includes pulp and paper mills, oil refineries, chemical companies, power plants, jobsites of other manufacturing industries, and Air Force and Navy bases. Also on the list are several educational institutions, and some commercial buildings. The inclusion of non-industrial sites may be surprising, but it's important to remember that between the 1940s and the mid-1980s, asbestos was widely used in construction materials, and the use of these materials was not limited to industrial construction.

Asbestos was used in construction to make these buildings safer and more resistant to fire. However, as asbestos-containing materials age and deteriorate, they are more likely to release fibers into the air. Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers can cause serious and incurable diseases such as asbestosis, and a rare but devastating form of cancer called mesothelioma.

Asbestos-related diseases have long latency periods. This means patients who develop mesothelioma or asbestosis may have been exposed to asbestos two or more decades prior to demonstrating symptoms of the diseases. For this reason, if you have worked in one of the jobsites listed above, you may wish to schedule regular check-ups with your doctor.

Jobsites with Known Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos Related Deaths in New Hampshire

Between 1980 and 2000, 234 New Hampshire residents died as a result of asbestos-related disease (roughly one in every 7,000 people). Mesothelioma was slightly more prevalent than asbestosis, and most mesothelioma victims were residents of Hillsborough and Rockingham counties. New Hampshire is ranked 42nd in the nation for the number of mesothelioma cases.

Legal Resources for New Hampshire Residents

There have been few high profile lawsuits in New Hampshire, despite the large number of potential exposure sites. New Hampshire has passed several laws and regulations to protect residents from asbestos exposure.

Among these was an act that allowed the Department of Environmental Services to impose administrative fines on people who violate New Hampshire's asbestos laws, including air pollution laws. The commissioner of the department can impose a fine of up to $2,000.

State bill1369-FN-LOCAL was introduced in 2000. This allowed the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to expand its asbestos-licensing program to people who disturb asbestos waste at disposal sites. In addition, the role and authority of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in the regulation of asbestos disposal sites was clarified. Finally, the bill also exempted property owners from statute RSA 141-E penalties, as long as they complied with disclosure regulations (or were not aware of the presence of asbestos on the property), reported the asbestos, and took steps to prevent the further release of asbestos.

Senate Bill 115-FN was introduced in 2005. In this bill the responsibility for asbestos issues was transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Environmental Services. In addition, a permanent account for asbestos fines was established, with the money intended to be used for administration of DES asbestos-related responsibilities.

House Bill 25-FN-A, a capital improvements funding bill, was introduced in 2007. This bill allotted funds for asbestos abatement activities: $2 million in Hillsborough County North, $1.16 million for abatement and upgrades at a Veterans' Home, and almost $1 million for further asbestos abatement in the state.

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