Asbestos in Ohio
ranking in U.S. for mesothelioma & asbestosis deaths
Asbestos exposure continues to be a major threat for Ohio residents, ranking the state among the top 10 for asbestos-related deaths. Individuals are at a higher risk for asbestos diseases if they worked in factories or worked with high-heat machinery. People may have been exposed to asbestos if they worked in metal works plants such as those run by Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel, AK Steel Holding Corporation or LTV Steel, all of which had operations in Ohio. Similar risks apply to manufacturers of car parts, such as employees of Ohio Cast Products.
Anyone who worked in a vermiculite processing plant is also at an elevated risk for asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. The Scotts Company and other Ohio vermiculite plants received the raw mineral from Libby, Montana. Vermiculite from Libby is known to contain asbestos, which is released during processing and poses a health hazard.
Residents who suspect they've been exposed to asbestos have resources at their disposal. Government-approved educational programs provide important asbestos-related information to the public, and Ohio is home to one of the top cancer centers in the country. Mesothelioma patients and their families in Ohio may also have legal options to cover medical costs.
Treatment Centers in this State
Cleveland Clinicview more
Mesothelioma and Asbestosis Deaths, 1999-2008
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1138mesothelioma deaths in Ohio
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190asbestosis deaths in Ohio
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1328total mesothelioma and asbestosis deaths
Occupations and Environmental Areas at Risk
Ohio is the nation's largest producer of rubber, plastics, metal products and appliances. Each of these manufacturing processes requires a significant amount of insulation and fireproofing. Widespread use of the toxic mineral resulted in more than 1,300 mesothelioma and asbestosis deaths in the 10-year period from 1999 to 2008. A disproportionately high number of asbestos-related deaths occurred in Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Cleveland.
Asbestos exposure has been linked to various businesses and facilities across the state.
- Factories
- Chemical Plants
- Steel Mills
- Vermiculite Processing Plants
- Power-Generating Facilities
- Petroleum Refineries
- Automotive Assembly Lines
- AK Steel Holding Corporation
- Asberry-Chambers Asbestos
- Coleman Trucking, Inc.
- Electrode Corporation
- Honey Creek Contracting Company
- Kaiser Aluminum
- LTV Steel
- National Cash Register (NCR) in Dayton
- Norfolk Southern Railway Company
- Railroad Friction Products Corporation
- Republic & Allied Waste
- Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel
- American Ship Building Company
- APEX Manufacturing
- Cottrill Trucking
- Hoerner-Waldorf Corporation in Jefferson
- H&M Demolition Company of Holland
- Laskin/Poplar Oil Company
- NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Buildings 500 and 501
- Owens Corning
- Rapid American/Philip Carey Manufacturing
- Weirton Steel Plant in Stuebenville
NASA Glenn Research Center
In 2004 and again in 2007 employees at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland contacted the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to request an inspection of buildings 500 and 501 because they were concerned about potential health hazards and noted asbestos as an ongoing concern because the buildings were constructed with asbestos products. They were also worried about a high incidence of cancers among employees of the two buildings.
After inspecting the facilities, NIOSH found that the majority of asbestos had been removed from the buildings during abatement projects and that the remaining asbestos posed minimal to no threat to current employees. The inspection summary states, however, that former employees may have been exposed to asbestos prior to major abatement projects. These employees may be at risk of developing mesothelioma or lung cancer because of past exposure. The NIOSH report found no abnormal cancer rate among current or former employees at the time, as employee cancer diagnoses and rates were consistent with national averages.
Ohio Cast Products
Ohio Cast Products manufactured iron car parts in Canton until its bankruptcy in 2004. The site was abandoned until 2008, when a fire destroyed significant portions of the facility. Firefighters dispatched to the site discovered numerous containers filled with flammable liquid. The fire department requested further inspection and cleanup help at the site. During an official inspection, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials found asbestos and other hazards. The EPA labeled the former Ohio Cast Products site as a Superfund site and began immediate cleanup. This included asbestos abatement to get rid of large amounts of asbestos particles could easily contaminate surrounding air and soil.
Although the site is now being cleaned up and monitored, former employees at Ohio Cast Products may have been exposed to asbestos, some as recently as 2004. Individuals who worked at Ohio Cast Products or who entered the abandoned site may develop mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis.
The Scotts Company and Libby, Montana
Between 1967 and 1980, the Scotts Company's Marysville facility received and processed 430,000 tons of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from Libby, Montana, making it the largest U.S. consumer of the ore in the nation. Vermiculite from Libby is notorious for containing harmful asbestos fibers.
When the vermiculite was processed, it released asbestos particles into the air. These particles posed a hazard for the plant's workers, who were put at risk to develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related health conditions. Medical studies conducted on the workers noted that 26 percent of the company's employees had asbestos-related lung scarring or pleural plaques.
The EPA feared that local residents were also at risk of asbestos exposure. People living in the area before 1980 may have been incidentally exposed to asbestos in the air near the plant. However, soil samples from 2000 were negative for asbestos contamination and the area was declared safe.
Asbestos Violations and Indictments in Ohio
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Honey Creek Contracting Company
Honey Creek Contracting Company and its owner, David Sugar, bought Weirton Steel Plant in 2004 with plans to renovate the facility. According to prosecutors, Honey Creek and its owner knew the plant contained more than 36,000 feet of asbestos pipe insulation. But the company allowed workers to remove the asbestos insulation without following proper procedures, thereby violating the Clean Air Act. In August, 2011, Honey Creek and Sugar were convicted of conspiracy to violate asbestos requirements. Honey Creek was fined $30,000 and ordered to pay for employee X-rays. Sugar was fined $10,000 and given a probation sentence of 36 months.
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Famous Realty of Cleveland
In 2011, Famous Realty of Cleveland was fined $20,700 for failure to meet EPA regulations for handling asbestos during demolition of the former Apex Manufacturing site. After the demolition was completed in 2008, an Ohio EPA inspector found dry, crumbling asbestos-containing material in the debris. Workers involved in the demolition and residents who live nearby are at risk of asbestos exposure because proper abatement procedures were not followed.
Asbestos Litigation in Ohio
The Ohio judicial system is designed to efficiently handle asbestos claims as they are filed. Regulations are in place to streamline the process, unify complaints and classify case types and demands. Ohio courts also regulate who is allowed to file asbestos cases. Unlike other states in which people can sue for potential future problems, Ohioans may only sue if they have verifiable asbestos-related health problems such as mesothelioma.
Many national and regional companies that exposed Ohioans to asbestos are now being sued for their negligence. In fact, it's common for plaintiffs to name dozens of companies in one asbestos lawsuit. In 2010 a woman from Lawrence County sued 83 asbestos manufacturers and distributors she claims are responsible for her husband's asbestos-related death. The wrongful death case is ongoing as of 2011.
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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.
