Asbestos in New Jersey
ranking in U.S. for mesothelioma & asbestosis deaths
Since its founding, New Jersey has been a largely industrial state, and the state's dependence on factory production increased in the Industrial Revolution. Emerging industries such as textiles, electric power plants and iron mining overtook agricultural jobs. Many New Jersey residents found employment in these occupations, where asbestos exposure was a major threat. Cities such as Paterson and Trenton expanded the most, developing many new factories to produce electric equipment, processed food and chemicals. As the most densely populated state in the nation, New Jersey also ranks sixth nationally for the most deaths from asbestos-related diseases between 1999 and 2008.
Treatment Centers in New Jersey
Cancer Institute of New Jerseyview more
Mesothelioma and Asbestosis Deaths, 1999-2008
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1064mesothelioma deaths in New Jersey
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309asbestosis deaths in New Jersey
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1373total mesothelioma and asbestosis deaths
Occupational and Environmental Areas at Risk
Many of New Jersey's prominent industries, including chemical development, textile manufacturing, shipping and railroad development exposed workers to large quantities of toxic asbestos. Sixteen of the state's thriving manufacturing plants employed over 102,700 individuals, and the eight shipyards in New Jersey employed 376,200 workers. These people often encountered asbestos in the walls or machinery in their workplace. Employees of oil, power and chemical plants also faced asbestos risks at their workplaces. One study published in the American Journal of Public Health suggested that as many as 486,400 individuals had been substantially exposed to asbestos in New Jersey workplaces since World War II began.
- A.O. Polymer
- Cosden Chemical Coatings
- Exxon Corporation, Bayway Refinery and Chemical Plant
- Naval Weapons Station Earle
- Rutgers University, Newark
- Texaco, Inc., Bayonne Terminal
- United States Testing Company, Inc., Hoboken
- Zonolite Company/W.R. Grace facility in Hamilton
- Celotex
- DuPont Chemical
- Johns Manville Products Corporation
- National Gypsum Company
- New York Shipbuilding Corporation
- Skillman Village Power plant
- Unarco
- WR Grace Wayne Interim Storage Site, Passaic County
The Johns-Manville Products Corporation
Johns-Manville Products Corporation, the world's largest producer of asbestos, opened their first insulation plant in central New Jersey in the early 1900s. The company patented their first product in 1868, and by 1923 they manufactured more than 200 different products, including:
- Transite
- Theater curtains
- Liquid paints
- Color-Blende shingles
- Flexboard
- Marinite to insulate Navy vessels
The company, which provided millions of dollars of industrial development, became one of the most notorious companies in asbestos litigation. Johns-Manville was given information about the toxicity of asbestos as early as the 1930s, but they continued to use the inexpensive insulator in their products for the next 50 years. Under the pressure of numerous legal cases, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1982. Six years later, the company completely ended their asbestos lines and developed a settlement trust to deal with the future health claims of former injured employees. Redevelopment of the former Johns-Manville facility – including proper asbestos abatement – is a key platform of 2011 mayoral candidate Angelo Corradino.
National Gypsum Company
In 1925, the National Gypsum Company developed an asbestos-containing wallboard. The company purchased an Abestone asbestos cement plant in Millington, New Jersey in 1954, where they manufactured asbestos cement that contained up to 15 percent asbestos. In 1980, the company went bankrupt dealing with the numerous lawsuits filed by former employees who developed illnesses from exposure at the worksite.
National Gypsum improperly delivered much of their waste to the Millington asbestos dump's New Vernon Road and White Bridge Road sites, leading to site contamination that was addressed in the early 1990s. The company entered into an administrative agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency in 1985 to ensure ongoing site studies and cleanup processes.
New Jersey Processing Facilities for W.R. Grace Vermiculite
The W.R. Grace vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, was the world's leading producer of vermiculite, exporting hundreds of thousands of tons of asbestos-contaminated product to refineries across the nation. Seven refineries in New Jersey received vermiculite from the now-notorious Libby mine, exposing workers to the fibers as they "puffed" the mineral into its usable form.
W.R. Grace's Zonolite facility at 15 Industrial Drive in Hamilton Township began processing Libby's vermiculite in 1948. Approximately 100,000 tons of asbestos-laden vermiculite was refined at the facility, which possessed the state's only heat expansion equipment. The process of "exfoliating" vermiculite through heat exposure was one of the most dangerous steps of refining, releasing high percentages of asbestos into the air as the vermiculite was "popped." This facility was named a Superfund Site by the Environmental Protection Agency and cleanup efforts were launched in 2006.
Other W.R. Grace Zonolite facilities in New Jersey included:
- 35 Industrial Way in Trenton
- 336 Whitehead Road, Trenton (Penn-Car Shops)
- 1 River Road, Edgewater
- 595 Rive Road, Edgewater
- 308 Gilligan Street, Newark
- 1101 South Front Street, Camden
These seven facilities processed over 2,500 shipments from Libby, totaling more than 338,000 tons of vermiculite. Click here to learn more about W.R. Grace's asbestos mines and processing plants.
A.O. Polymer
A.O. Polymer produced compounds such as plastics, resins and special polymers between the 1960s and 1993. In the 1970s, the facility was cited for numerous health violations, including 13 air quality violations, improper disposal of waste water and contamination of local drinking water. During the 1981 cleanup efforts, 61 cubic yards of asbestos material were removed from the four acre site.
New Jersey Renovation Projects Requiring Substantial Asbestos Removal
While the Environmental Protection Agency has developed regulations to prevent present and future asbestos threats, many buildings in New Jersey still contain asbestos. Renovating these structures could cause construction workers and area residents to inhale asbestos. Some of these buildings, such as a former psychiatric facility, are abandoned, and anyone who explores the empty buildings also may risk asbestos exposure. Current asbestos removal projects in New Jersey include:
- Capital One Bank – Union City Branch
- Greystone Psychiatric Hospital – Morris County
- Skillman Village, a 250-acre site in Somerset County
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© 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.
