Workers Exposed to Asbestos for Decades at Plant in New York:
We hear a great deal about the dangers of asbestos exposure these days. But many people assume this is a disease only faced by older people who worked in poor conditions decades ago. In reality, workers have faced the dangers of asbestos much more recently.In October of 2022, NPR's Morning Edition reported on how workers in America are still affected by the devastating health consequences of asbestos exposure. The story focused on former workers at the OxyChem plant in Niagara Falls, New York, but the same tale has played out in countless manufacturing plants across the U.S.
Exposure to Asbestos at Work
At the OxyChem plan in the 1990s, workers reported to NPR that "asbestos dust hung in the air, collected on the beams and light fixtures and built up until it was inches thick. Workers tramped in and out of it all day, often without protective suits or masks, and carried it around on their coveralls and boots." Despite widespread knowledge that asbestos could cause cancer, including deadly mesothelioma, the illnesses might not be diagnosed until decades after exposure. Workers reported that conditions remained the same, despite pleas to management to address worker safety, until the plant closed in 2021.
The EPA Knows the Risks of Asbestos
Asbestos is a known carcinogen. The link between asbestos and chronic conditions like asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer has been known for decades. So why hasn't the U.S. banned its use? Most of the asbestos imported into the U.S. is used by two chemical companies that argue they need it to operate in aging plants. But they also claim to have much more stringent safety standards, keeping workers safer. Nonetheless, concerns still exist, and the EPA has proposed a rule that would ban one type of asbestos fiber.In 2020, 2022, and 2023, several legislators co-sponsored the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act, prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, processing, and use of six types of asbestos fibers, going further than the EPA proposed rule. While the bill has failed to proceed to a vote in past years, the 2023 legislation is still pending.
You Need an Experienced Asbestos Claims Attorney
If you or a loved one are living with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or other chronic condition related to asbestos exposure, you don't have to handle it alone. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your illness. The experienced attorneys at the Madkesho Law Firm have been helping victims of asbestos exposure since 1972. Find out how we can help you. Call us today at 1-888-910-MESO (6376), or contact us online. Your consultation is free, and there's never a charge unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
