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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2008)
Asbestos continues to sicken, kill U.S. workers By MICHAEL GUTWIG & SETH DAVIDSON As a career interior decorator, Mari- lyn Stratton of Beaverton, Oregon, was used to carrying heavy samples of rugs, tiles, wallpaper, carpets, and catalogs that showcased the tools of her trade. Her skills as a decorator have been showcased in three “Street of Dreams” homes and a number of “Showplace Homes” in the Portland area during her lengthy career. A workaholic, even at age 73, Strat- ton seemingly was always on the go. Until the onset of summer 2006, when she began experiencing pain in her chest. Concerned that someone as fit and active as she would be suffering from chest pains, her husband, retired arbi- trator Dick Stratton, insisted on a visit to the doctor. X-rays taken in early June revealed a build-up of fluid around her lung. More tests were taken and the di- agnosis was horrific: malignant pleural mesothelioma. “Meso” is an aggressive cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs. The only known cause of this fa- tal disease is asbestos. Asbestos is a mineral found in na- ture. Its fibers are long, thin, flexible, strong — and resistant to heat, fire, rot, mildew, water damage and electrical and chemical damage. Prior to 1975, the so-called “miracle fiber” was used heavily in Navy ships and shipyards; in office, school and home construction building materials such as drywall, flooring and roofing; in automotive products like brake pads; and in con- sumer products like hair dryers. Asbestos fibers are invisible and cannot be smelled or tasted. But when • Studies have shown that asbestos exposure is responsible for 1 in every 125 deaths of men over the age of 50. • Asbestos is the largest single cause of occupational cancer. • 30 percent of all victims of as- bestos-related diseases were ex- posed to asbestos on naval ships and in shipyards. This slide shows the nearly invisible asbestos fibers as compared to grains of rice and human hair. On the penny, just under President Lincoln’s nose, are more than 20,000 asbestos fibers. Virtually indestructible, these fibers can remain suspended in air for days. Roger G. Worthington, P.C. leads the fight to find a cure for Mesothelioma cancer caused by asbestos exposure Since 1989, we have been dedicated to helping asbestos cancer patients get justice in the courtrooms and help in the hospitals. In the last ten years, we have recovered over $725 million for our clients. $34 Million: $20 Million: $12.6 Million: $10 Million: $8.4 Million: 60 year-old Navy veteran and carpenter 54 year-old engineer 69 year-old psychiatrist exposed at home 54 year-old woman exposed via father’s clothes 60 year-old Navy veteran and crane operator 800-831-9399 For a free booklet of medical/legal information, including medical experts, patient profiles, clinical trials and asbestos products, call us or visit our website. www.mesothel.com Mesothelioma typically We’ve helped hundreds develops 20 to 60 years after the first asbestos exposure. Each year about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the U.S. of patients find the best doctors, coast to coast and we’re known for providing up-to-date medical information and patient education. Asbestos lawyers for life. Offices in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Dallas, Texas • Lawyers licensed in California, Oregon, and Texas Roger G. Worthington, P.C. has donated more than $2.5 Million to medical research working on a cure for mesothelioma — more than all the asbestos companies combined. PAGE 4 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS inhaled or swallowed, the fibers have been found to be lethal. The fibers can lodge in the lungs and other soft tissues, resulting in changes to the cells that may eventually result in meso, asbesto- sis and other types of cancers — some of which have latency periods of more than 40 years. In the U.S., statistics show 4,000 people are diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma each year, and 10,000 Americans or more die each year from all asbestos-related disease. According to the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, an estimated 27 mil- lion people may have been exposed to Asbestos found in household products, toys The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) has released a study showing asbestos is in common toys and household products. Products such as Scotch High Performance Duct Tape, DAP “33” window glazing, DAP “Crack Shot” spackling paste, Planet Toys “CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit,” and Gardner Leak Stopper roof patch are on the list. Over 250 suspected products cur- rently sold in national retail stores within the last 18 months were tested by the Scientific Analytical Institute, Inc. The products included children’s toys, hardware, cleaning products, and cosmetics. The testing process followed procedures outlined by the U.S. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency. Testing also found asbestos in other products such as toy play clay from China and Thailand, pre-packaged pot- ting soil from the U.S., hair rollers from China, cosmetics from France, baking flour, powdered household cleaners and kitchen appliances from China. ADOA was founded in 2004 by as- bestos victims and their families to raise awareness about the dangers of as- bestos and to push for more and im- proved product testing. • In 2005, world production of as- bestos was 2.4 million metric tons, an increase from 2.36 million met- ric tons in 2004. Russia led the world in asbestos production, fol- lowed by China, Kazakhstan, Canada, Brazil, and Zimbabwe. • Asbestos has not been mined in the United States since 2002, and imports, mostly from Canada (88 percent), satisfy domestic manufac- turing needs. • Asbestos has been banned in 40 countries. The United States isn’t one of them. asbestos during the period of 1940 to 1979. Tillinghast-Towers Perrin, an ac- tuarial consulting firm, estimates that more than 100 million Americans may have been exposed through products containing asbestos and asbestos used in buildings. Portland is considered a “meso” hotspot because of its history of ship- building, paper and pulp mills, alu- minum plants, and construction. Despite these warnings — and the staggering health consequences — the United States continues to import over $100 million worth of asbestos prod- ucts each year. Asbestos still can be found in about 3,000 different products, ranging from cement panels, sheets, and tiles; fabric, including yarn, thread, cord, and string; gaskets, packing ma- terial; aircraft parts and more. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash- ington) has been trying for six years to pass a bill banning asbestos in the United States. Last October, advocacy groups thought they had a break- through when Murray’s Ban Asbestos in America Act passed in the Senate. SB 742, they said, would finally ban as- bestos while investing millions of dol- lars to develop effective treatment for asbestos-related diseases, and in a pub- lic education campaign. However, according to Roger Wor- thington, an attorney who specializes in asbestos victim lawsuits, after all par- ties had agreed on the bill’s language, asbestos industry representatives were able to insert a last-minute change — altering the word “products” to “mate- rials” — before sending the bill to the floor for a vote. “Asbestos-containing materials,” ac- cording to Worthington, “are statutorily defined as anything with more than 1 (Turn to Page 5) APRIL 18, 2008
