Asbestos in Rhode Island

About Rhode Island

As the smallest U.S. state, Rhode Island is not historically known as a hotspot for asbestos exposure. A naturally occurring crocidolite asbestos deposit is found in Cumberland near the northeast state line, but it was never mined. Rhode Island’s economy is largely focused on health care and education.

Manufacturing, which is the industry most often associated with asbestos exposure, is the state’s third-largest industry. In terms of manufacturing, Rhode Island is generally noted for costume jewelry, fabricated metal products, machinery, electrical equipment and some shipbuilding.

Rhode Island is ranked 38th in the nation for total asbestos-related deaths. Between 1999 and 2013, 214 asbestos-related deaths were recorded. For mesothelioma, a rare cancer most often attributed to asbestos exposure, 172 deaths were documented. Mesothelioma patients in Rhode Island can find specialists that study and treat this rare cancer in nearby Massachusetts at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Notable exposure locations throughout the state include schools, manufacturing sites and shipyards. Power generation plants and chemical plants in operation before the 1980s were also a likely source for asbestos exposure. Although asbestos-related deaths in Rhode Island rank relatively low in comparison to national statistics, the state still strictly regulates asbestos removal to prevent future exposure.

In October 2019, reports surfaced of asbestos contamination at a former radio broadcast center in East Providence, Rhode Island. The exposed building had fallen into disrepair and been vandalized, posing an exposure threat to those nearby. The building owner was required to remove asbestos and other contaminants before demolition of the building could begin.

Rhode Island’s Occupations and Areas at Risk

Rhode Island was once one of the leaders in textile production. This particular industry has a history involving asbestos exposure because asbestos was one of the minerals commonly used in commercial cloth and fabrics. Asbestos was also regularly found in the industrial equipment used in textile factories, primarily for fireproofing. While the textile industry remains part of the state’s economy, most textile factories relocated to the southern U.S. after the Great Depression. The Rhode Island Textile Company has been producing textiles in the state since 1913, and was operational throughout the peak decades when asbestos use was at its highest.

Numerous jobsites and buildings throughout Rhode Island have been a source for asbestos exposure. For example, the Department of Education Administrative Building (known as the Roger Williams Building) in Providence contained 30 and 50 percent chrysotile asbestos in the insulation surrounding pipes and furnaces. On August 7, 1991, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health was asked by the Professional Employees Union to conduct a Health Hazard Evaluation on the building. The Department of Education first moved into the building in 1981.

Air samples in the furnace room indicated the presence of airborne asbestos. Friable asbestos was also located along the boilers, furnaces and steam pipes that ran around the walls and basement ceiling. Employees had to walk through these areas to reach the parking area. At the time of the evaluation, employees were already experiencing respiratory problems.

Shipyards

Shipyards throughout the U.S. have been major sources of asbestos exposure since the 1930s. Thousands of asbestos-containing materials were used to construct ships, and workers were unaware of the hazards associated with asbestos. Anyone who built ships or served on them between the 1930s and 1970s were likely to experience some degree of asbestos exposure.

Clean Air Act Violation

In 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fined a Johnston, Rhode Island, company $256,320 for violations of the Clean Air Act. Between 2004 and 2005, the Bilray Demolition Company, Inc. demolished buildings that used to house the Seaboard Foundry. The fine occurred after the EPA alleged the company failed to follow asbestos removal regulations.

Asbestos in Rhode Island Schools

Three schools in Providence, Rhode Island, were a source for asbestos exposure in 1990. The schools included Winsor Hill, Brown Avenue and Sarah Dyer Barnes. More than 600 students, teachers and administrators between the three schools may have been exposed to asbestos for as long as one year. The suspected exposure came from old asbestos-containing vinyl tiles that were ripped up during the summer of 1990. The Rhode Island Department of Health closed the schools until asbestos issues were resolved.

There are no recent reports of lawsuits related to asbestos exposure in Rhode Island schools. However, the state Department of Health completed a statewide survey in 1978 that uncovered major asbestos health risks in several schools. A published report of the findings, titled Asbestos Hazard Evaluation in Rhode Island Schools, describes four schools where spray-on asbestos contaminated classrooms, corridor ceilings and a gymnasium. Spray-on asbestos, a popular insulation material from the 1950s to the early 1970s, was found in 24 of the 326 schools that participated in the survey.

Regulations for Managing Asbestos

Rhode Island’s Asbestos Control Program works to protect the public from asbestos exposure. The program is responsible for making sure the provisions of the Rhode Island Rules and Regulations for Asbestos Control are followed. In addition, the Rhode Island Asbestos Act defines schools as high-priority buildings when asbestos is involved. Although regulations do not require asbestos removal from schools, asbestos-containing materials must be identified and maintained. This applies to other public buildings as well.

Many jobsites in Rhode Island used products that may have exposed workers to asbestos. While the state has taken steps to limit asbestos exposure and to ensure safe handling of asbestos in the future, asbestos-related diseases remain a concern because of the long latency period between the initial exposure and the onset of symptoms.

Asbestos Violations

To protect workers and the public from harmful exposures, the EPA and the Rhode Island Department of Health enforce strict regulations on any activities involving asbestos. If asbestos work is done unsafely or completed by someone who is not certified, large fines or jail time may result.