Ban Asbestos Blog

Asbestos Awareness Week: April 1-7, 2012

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Montana has been particularly hard hit by asbestos and the diseases it causes, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. In the small town of Libby, more than 300 people have died from asbestos related complications, which is astonishingly high for a town of less than 3,000 residents.

To honor those in Libby and elsewhere who have felt the direct effects of asbestos exposure, Montana Senator Max Baucus has successfully rallied his colleagues in Washington and passed a resolution designating the first week of April as “Asbestos Awareness Week” here in the United States.

This year, Asbestos Awareness Week will be held between April 1 and April 7. Senator Baucus told KPAX-TV, "Asbestos Awareness Week is a rallying cry to keep the tragedy of Libby from happening again. It's also an opportunity to remind people that much more work lies ahead to help victims of asbestos-related diseases."

Baucus was the driving force behind the EPA’s declaration of its first ever public health emergency in Libby. "Although we can never fully right the outrageous wrong that took place in Libby, we can fight to make sure the community has the tools it needs to heal. And, we can keep working hard to make sure the public is aware of the tragic impact of asbestos exposure," he said.

Asbestos Awareness Week is a good time to look back on this deadly substance and the industry that supported it for more than a century. Here are some key facts on asbestos in the United States and around the world.

Over a 20-year period, studies estimate that there were more than 230,000 asbestos-related deaths from diseases including mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer and gastrointestinal cancer
Despite the known health risks, asbestos remains legal in the United States
The USGS estimates that in 2010, 1,040 metric tons of asbestos were consumed in the United States
In 2010, more than 2 million tons of asbestos were consumed globally

It’s time to stop this shameful industry. Join our fight; ban asbestos now.

Liquefied Asbestos Once Was Used for Home Improvement

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Throughout the 20th century, asbestos materials were found in a whole host of consumer, commercial and military products. Everything from cigarette filters to shingles contained deadly asbestos fibers. Generations of Americans were put in danger of serious illnesses, such as mesothelioma and asbestosis, despite evidence that showed that the mineral could cause cancer.

Asbestos, which is a group of naturally occurring minerals, is composed of thin fibers. When these fibers are inhaled, serious medical problems can result. It can take as long as 50 or 60 years for these asbestos-related diseases to manifest themselves. At one point, asbestos was even liquefied and put into aerosol cans to be used as a sprayable insulator for pipes, furnaces and other household applications.

This vintage illustration was used to sell the product. It says, “Liquefied asbestos in handy pressurized cans for spraying on heating pipes, water pipes, above furnaces and around hot-air registers.” Keep in mind that although the man pictured is supposed to be spraying a known carcinogen, he is wearing no safety equipment, such as a mask or goggles.

Today, we know better than to work with asbestos without protection. Contractors who remove it from buildings are expensive to hire because of the precautions they have to take. Asbestos is treated the same as any other hazardous material, with procedures and products designed to limit the amount of fibers released into the air and prevent widespread exposure.

Despite the danger posed by these materials, asbestos is still legal here in the United States and used widely in many developing nations abroad. The consequences of asbestos use have been seen in people of all walks of life, and thousands have died in the United States alone from the ailments it causes.

Isn’t it time we end this deplorable industry with a full ban on asbestos?

Join our fight. Help us ban asbestos now.

Asbestos Stove Lining: Hidden Danger Used to Fix Our Stoves and Ovens

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Throughout history, asbestos has been used for products ranging from textiles to building materials. It was prized for its ability to reduce fire danger in buildings. But asbestos also leads to deadly diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis, and, before we knew all the risks, asbestos was a popular building material throughout the 19th- and 20th centuries.

One product, which originated in Vermont, was Rutland Stove Lining, which was used to fix the interiors of cooking and heating stoves. The material was mixed with water and applied like paint. As with many asbestos products, Rutland Stove Lining was prized for its low cost and flexibility of use.

The Rutland Fire Clay Company, which still exists, no longer makes the stove lining, which was originally billed as a miracle product. However, asbestos materials are still used in a variety of products, ranging from building materials to protective equipment for firefighters. Asbestos was used widely in the United States through the 1970s and, despite the known risks, remains legal to this day. In many developing nations, asbestos products are an important part of the growing construction industry and in many places usage is actually increasing.

The advertising and marketing of Rutland Stove Lining and similar products may seem quaint and charming, but these items were flat-out dangerous. They have been the cause of thousands of untimely deaths and traumatic diseases over the past 100 years.

Even though the stove lining isn’t sold today, asbestos is still in many of our homes and businesses. The potential for harmful health conditions – like mesothelioma – exists as long as the product is still legal to use.

Isn’t time to stop this dangerous practice and ban asbestos now?

New Study Shows the Effects of Asbestos on Workers

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The dangers associated with asbestos exposure have been documented back to ancient times. But despite all we know about asbestos and its ability to cause dangerous diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, it is still used around the world in construction projects. This puts thousands at risk of serious illness or death.

Scientists in Italy recently published a study on the effects of asbestos exposure on employees at an asbestos cement plant in the southern Italian city of Naples and the results were quite startling. The scientists focused on 1,247 laborers in the factory. They found a significant increase in deaths associated with respiratory diseases among the workers compared to the general population. The study looked at people who worked at the facility between 1950 and 1986, when asbestos use began to lose favor in Italy. It was eventually banned there in 1992.

The workers were tracked through 2005, and the study found that 240 subjects died as a result of respiratory diseases including pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer from asbestos. The authors of the study concluded that this was similar to other studies performed elsewhere in the world.

The results are an alarming reminder of how dangerous asbestos is to those who are exposed to its cancer-causing fibers. Nearly 20 percent of subjects died because of the exposure and this number could rise as more victims die over the coming years. Sometimes it can take 10-50 years for mesothelioma symptoms to fully develop.

Unlike our government, Italy has banned asbestos. Recently a court in Turin, Italy, convicted two businessmen of negligence stemming from the use of asbestos in their factory. In the United States, it is still legal to use asbestos for some applications and a ban on the substance has yet to be passed through Congress.

The evidence is clear; asbestos kills. Isn’t it time to reverse the disturbing trend of asbestos-related deaths? Isn’t it time we ban asbestos?

Chilling Asbestos Poster Focuses on the World Trade Center

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

“When life depends on it, you use asbestos” is the ironic tag line on a 1981 poster advertisement touting the use of asbestos in the World Trade Center in New York. Long before terrorism represented a global threat, asbestos posed a serious danger to people who lived and worked in structures that used the toxic substance as a building material.

The poster puts a high value on asbestos’ ability to reduce fire danger. It reads, “Asbestos contains fire, cannot burn and holds after metal and glass have melted down, giving vital time for people to escape.”

However, one of the most dangerous legacies of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, stems from the large amount of asbestos particles that infested the New York City air for several weeks following the disaster. The collapse of the building exposed thousands to a substance that is known to cause aggressive cancers such as mesothelioma, and now there is an emerging health crisis given this link between asbestos and 9/11.

It remains to be seen whether or not the collapse of the twin towers will eventually be known as one of the greatest asbestos-related disasters in history. We still don’t know how badly residents, first responders and clean-up crews were infected by the toxic dust in the air. The effects of asbestos exposure can take more than 50 years to fully appear.

Like many substances we now know to be hazardous, asbestos was once heralded as a miracle substance that would revolutionize construction. Looking back through history, advertisements for things like tobacco, lead-based paint, certain medications and asbestos look ridiculous given all that we know today about the health risks associated with these materials.

According to the World Trade Center advertisement, “We couldn't live the way we do without [asbestos].” Of course, we now know that it is possible to live without asbestos. In fact, it’s the right thing to do. Asbestos is still legal here in the United States, despite the overwhelming evidence that there is no safe level of exposure to it.

Many substances have been banned because of health risks. Isn’t it time asbestos is added to that list? We shouldn't see posters like this one anymore. Join us; help us ban asbestos now.

Image source: http://consumerist.com/images/resources/2007/04/asbestosad.jpg

Miles for Meso - Racing for a Mesothelioma Cure

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Miles for Meso is a national series of races, fun runs and walks to support mesothelioma awareness and research. Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos. While mesothelioma treatments are improving, there is no known cure for the disease and more funding is needed to support medical research in this field. The infographic below puts asbestos exposure and mesothelioma into perspective:

Spread the word about this deadly disease by sharing this post with your Twitter and Facebook friends by clicking the social sharing links below.

Spread the Word

You can embed this infographic on your own website or blog! Just copy the code below and paste it into your site.

<p><a href="http://www.sokolovelaw.com/blog/2012/02/24/miles-for-mesothelioma-racing-for-a-mesothelioma-cure"><img src="http://www.sokolovelaw.com/~/media/SokoloveLaw/Content/Mesothelioma/miles-for-mesothelioma-450.jpg" border="0" alt="Miles for Mesothelioma" width="450" height="2161"/></a></p><p> Miles for <a href="http://www.asbestos.net/mesothelioma">Mesothelioma</a> infographic brought to you by <a href="http://www.sokolovelaw.com/">Sokolove Law</a></p>

Also, click here to download a PDF copy of the infographic.

European Businessmen May Avoid Jail in Asbestos Case

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Despite being found guilty by an Italian court last week, Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny probably won’t serve his 16-year-long sentence for negligence associated with asbestos use in the business he used to run, the Eternit Group. Along with a Belgian businessman, Schmidheiny was given a sentence similar to those given to some convicted mass murderers in Europe. The prison term was also four years longer than the established maximums for the crime Schmidheiny committed.

However, according to Forbes, legal analysts believe that appeals to the verdict and Schmidheiny’s high net worth will keep him from serving time in prison. Schmidheiny, who claims that he was exposed to asbestos early in his own career, is also liable to pay damages to victims of asbestos exposure that happened when he was managing Eternit.

In Europe, where victims of asbestos-related ailments such as asbestosis and mesothelioma were often ignored by the courts, this verdict is seen as a huge victory for the injured parties. It opens the door for other asbestos cases and, hopefully, tough sentences that the criminals will actually serve.

Peter Schuermann, Schmidheiny’s spokesperson, told Forbes, “This verdict is totally incomprehensible for Stephan Schmidheiny’s lawyers and they plan to appeal to the next higher authority.” Schuermann noted that many newspapers in Europe have called the decision a “show trial,” predicting that the ruling will not stand.

Regardless of whether the appeals are successful, this verdict really hammers home the reality that those who knowingly used asbestos despite its risks are criminals. They deserve the same punishments for their crimes as those who have caused deaths through other means. Deaths from mesothelioma still occur every day because of the past, widespread use of asbestos. And despite pervasive knowledge about the dangers of the material, asbestos has not been banned in the United States.

Isn’t it time we learn from our past mistakes and stop this crime? Join us; ban asbestos now.

Jon Stewart Ridicules Asbestos Companies, Insider Trading in Congress

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Last night, Louise Slaughter, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from New York, brought a serious message to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” Slaughter is working to ban insider trading on Capitol Hill and helped author the STOCK Act. If passed, the bill will prevent members of Congress and their staff from being able to profit from insider information. Of particular interest is the privileged knowledge Congressmen have on the status of legislation that can affect industry regulations or the stock market as a whole.

It seems like common sense: the intent of the STOCK Act is to stop Congress members from committing an act that is illegal for members of the public to perform. While the bill has stalled at time, it now appears to be gaining bipartisan momentum and is expected to be passed.

So what does this have to do with asbestos ?

While much of the segment above is focused on financial regulations and politics, at the 5-minute mark the video begins to hit closer to home for the BAN cause. Rep. Slaughter cites an example of an asbestos company's stock sharply rising for no apparent reason around the same time as Congress was debating new legislation that would affect asbestos-related lawsuits. At the height of the issue, USG Corporation, the asbestos-producing company, saw its stock mysteriously double. It later turned out that USG Corporation’s growth was connected to people acting on a secret decision that Congress had decided to relieve companies like USG of their liabilities in mesothelioma lawsuits filed by victims who developed the disease as a result of asbestos exposure.

In other words, when lobbyists gained inside information that a Senate bill would not change reparations for victims of asbestos-related diseases, they were able to buy stocks at a low value. After the ruling became public, the stock prices of the asbestos-manufacturing companies rose since their businesses were no longer at risk of increased payouts to the injured parties.

While this issue isn’t directly tied to the BAN cause, there are many overlapping themes. For too long, companies have been allowed to put profits ahead of fairness, justice and human health. Meanwhile, asbestos is still manufactured and used in our country every day.

It’s time for our nation’s leaders to do the right thing. It’s time for business leaders to be treated the same as the public and for companies to be held accountable for any negligence and wrongdoing.

It’s time to ban asbestos now.

Italian Court Convicts Two Businessmen for Asbestos-Related Negligence

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Over the course of a century, usage of the toxic substance asbestos in Europe has largely mirrored use of the material here in the United States. Many countries either have a ban or strict regulations on asbestos use, which has been the case for about 20 years. However, it was only this week that the first Europeans were convicted of crimes associated with the use of asbestos, which is known to cause deadly cancers such as mesothelioma. Previously, companies, not people, had been the only parties held accountable for asbestos-related damages.

In Turin, Italy, a court has convicted Swiss business tycoon Stephan Schidheiny and a Belgian baron, Jean-Louis de Cartier, of negligence stemming from some 2,200 asbestos-related deaths in Italy before 1992. The BBC reports that the Italian court said the two had failed to follow safety rules at building firm Eternit, where they were key shareholders. They denied the charges, but now face lengthy prison sentences.

This verdict has excited asbestos advocates and victims, including people like us at Ban Asbestos Now, who are working to ban asbestos around the world. According to Euronews, French groups say they hope to see similar cases in their country, which has seen little progress on behalf of asbestos victims. Lawyer Jean-Paul Teissonnière said, “Asbestos justice handed down in Italy is the example for us to follow. In France, complaints were brought by victims and associations in 1996.”

This criminal conviction marks a major breakthrough from a legal perspective. Laurie Kazan-Allen, coordinator with the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), said, “There has never been a trial like the one that is happening in Italy. This is an incredible historic achievement. And I’m really sorry to say that we have never had anything like this in Great Britain. What we have there is individuals who will go to the courts to get compensation, but no one has ever been punished for the decisions they made as the heads of asbestos corporations.”

Although several similar convictions have been made here in the United States, asbestos remains legal here.

Isn’t time we stop all use of this toxic substance? Join our fight; ban asbestos now.

Advertising Asbestos on 1950s Television

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Despite the fact that society has observed negative health effects associated with asbestos all the way back to the days of the Roman Empire, the toxic substance is still in use today. In the United States, up to 3,000 cases of the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, while approximately 5 million pounds of asbestos is processed. At Ban Asbestos Now, we are working to change that, and we're always looking for examples of how asbestos became such a major part of our society.

The fact is, despite the grim realities associated with asbestos use, products that used asbestos fibers were touted as miracles of modern science and safe and effective alternatives to more traditional products. For example, the video above, “According to Plan,” produced by a defunct asbestos product advocacy group called the Asbestos Cement Products Association, advertizes the benefits of materials containing asbestos.

The film, which proclaims the benefits of home siding made with asbestos cement, focuses on how the product would provide many advantages to home owners. Brimming with 1950s-era charm, the video persuades potential customers to use asbestos products, which are “safer and more durable” when compared to their traditional counterparts. The narrator even notes that the mixture of asbestos fibers and cement, “Was given every conceivable test.” The asbestos cement resisted fire, was waterproof and remained strong under extreme weather conditions.

The commercial is almost funny, until we consider how dangerous asbestos truly is. Although asbestos cement shingles may have seemed like the perfect home siding solution to many in the 1950s, the dangers associated with asbestos were already beginning to affect those who worked with the product. The first recorded death from asbestosis occurred in 1924, and widespread use of the substance as part of war efforts throughout the 20th century has led to a rise in associated complications. It wasn't until the 1970s that asbestos use began to drop off. Even today, despite all we know, the substance remains legal in the United States.

Without a full ban, there is always a risk of exposure to those who come in contact with it. Join us in our fight to ban asbestos now.

Historic Buildings Fall Victim to Asbestos

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Protecting historic buildings is an important part of preserving our culture, but historic structures face a constant stream of threats both from both man and nature. While fights over buildings are often dramatized as battles between preservationists and construction developers, the reality is that many of the decisions made on whether or not to save a building are based mostly on the cost of maintenance, renovation or demolition.

Asbestos abatement is becoming a more prevalent issue for parties looking to protect older buildings. Many of these structures, which have been abandoned or show signs of age, have asbestos-containing products among their building materials and the removal process can be extremely costly. Asbestos was used as a building material in many major building projects in the United States from the late 1800s until the 1970s, when it became clear that the material was unsafe. Many of those buildings now sit in a state of disrepair because the funds to not exist to renovate the buildings or demolish them safely.

In Charleston, West Virgina, the former Staats Hospital has been empty since the early 1980s and shows many of the signs of three decades of decay. The hospital was built in 1922 and originally served as a movie theater and hub of culture for Charleston’s historic Elk City district. Without thousands of dollars in investment, the 47,000 square foot building will continue to deteriorate further exposing the asbestos contained within the walls. "It's an old building that needs complete remodeling," real estate developer Larry Kopelman told the Charleston Gazette-Mail. "You've got old-building issues."

Similarly, on the island of Kauai in Hawaii, the historic Lihue Sugar Mill, which opened in the middle of the 1800s and is one of the oldest permanent structures on the island, is being demolished as a means of controlling the asbestos hazards. The Hawaiian rain forest has accelerated the hazards presented from the structure, which is rapidly being consumed by the native vegetation after sitting dormant for more than a decade. The demolition of the structure is expected to take six months, with asbestos removal accounting for a big chunk of that time.

While tearing down the building is necessary because of the dangers presented by asbestos, for many in that community, the demolition means tearing down part of their history. Lyle Tabata, 55, who served as the last factory manager at the mill told the Honolulu Star Advertiser, "It's very sad that all the sugar companies have gone by the wayside.”

Both of these buildings put the spotlight on a bigger problem being experienced nationwide. Communities are being forced to destroy their history because of the dangers of asbestos and the potential for asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. Ultimately the only way to truly eliminate the risk of these diseases here in the United States is a national ban on asbestos. It's the only way to protect our safety -- and it just might help preserve our history.

Join our fight. Lets ban asbestos now.

Asbestos Ad from 1919 Promotes Fire Protection

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

There are plenty of examples of advertisements from the past promoting how great asbestos was. The Johns-Manville Corporation was one of the earliest adopters of asbestos-containing building materials, specifically the asbestos roofing advertised in this piece from 1919.

Immediately following World War I, the United States was in a rapid state of development and asbestos was starting to become a popular building material. As the advertisement points out, “The mushroom-like growth of American communities has brought the fire peril very near to all of us. Houses are crowded one against another. Your house is at the mercy of a community fire unless its roof is built to resist the flaming spark.”

At the time, community fires were a real concern for Americans. Events like the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the Great Toronto Fire of 1904 had not completely faded into memory. As people began to move from the countryside into cities, they believed the risk of fire was bound to increase.

What we didn’t know in 1919 is that despite asbestos’ ability to deter fire damage, it also can cause life-threatening diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. In fact, the first diagnosis of asbestosis, which definitively linked asbestos exposure to a deadly disease, would not be made until 1924.

Asbestos was advertised as being a ‘miracle mineral’ in the early 1900s. Of course, we now know how terrible the substance can be. It destroys lives, families and companies. The Johns-Manville Corporation, which ran this asbestos ad in 1919, filed for bankruptcy in the early 1980s as asbestos lawsuits led to mounting debts. It was one of the largest companies ever to file for bankruptcy protection at the time. At present, Johns-Manville no longer uses asbestos.

However, other companies do still manufacture and use asbestos-containing products in the United States. Given all that we know about the material now, it is unbelievable that asbestos is still actively used in our country. Isn’t it time we changed that?

Join our fight. Ban asbestos now.

Asbestos Delays Move for Prince William and Duchess Kate

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William had the world transfixed last April, but as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge settle into their roles in British society, they now have to deal with asbestos. According to the National Ledger, work has stalled on renovations to the couple’s residence in London’s Kensington Palace. "Early indications suggest that large quantities of asbestos will have to be removed,” a spokesman said. For us at Ban Asbestos Now, this story is a stark reminder that asbestos doesn’t discriminate. It can strike people of all walks of life, including royalty.

Asbestos was once a popular building material, particularly in larger projects. Kensington Palace became a royal residence in the 1600s and has been renovated several times since. Although asbestos is an effective way to reduce the risk of fire, it also is the primary cause of the deadly cancer known as mesothelioma, which affects the smooth lining of the lungs, abdomen and heart.

The royal couple’s new home isn’t expected to be ready for at least a year. Asbestos removal can be a complicated and expensive process. If it’s not done properly, the work can result in a release of dangerous asbestos fibers into the atmosphere.

Much like the United States, the United Kingdom used large amounts of asbestos for much of the 20th century. In the United States, discoveries similar to what was found in Kensington Palace are commonplace. Many of our country’s historic structures, homes and monuments still contain asbestos-ridden materials today. Asbestos touches all sorts of people – from those who live in grand palaces, to those who work in simple factories. Unfortunately, the health effects of asbestos exposure are potentially deadly, and are the same for people from all walks of life.

Hopefully crews can successfully remove asbestos from Kensington Palace and William and Kate will continue to build their lives together in a safe environment.

Perhaps now that the substance is affecting leaders around the world, more people will realize it’s time to ban asbestos now.

New Mexico Leader Ben Lujan Retires Due to Asbestos Exposure

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Asbestos-related diseases have impacted the lives of many different people, from ship workers and miners to housekeepers and teachers. At its height in the middle of the 20th century, asbestos usage was so widespread that millions around the world were exposed to the known carcinogen. Its harmful effects have cut short thousands of lives and have forced countless more people to stop working.

One of these victims is the speaker of New Mexico’s House of Representatives. The Rio Grande Sun reports that Rep. Ben Lujan intends to step down because of advanced lung cancer he believes was caused by asbestos exposure. Lujan believes he was exposed in his youth while working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. A member of New Mexico’s legislature since 1975, Lujan addressed his illness as the body opened its 2012 session, stating that he would not seek reelection to his seat.

In his speech, Lujan said, “This [cancer], I am certain, is the result of exposure to asbestos in my early days working on the hill in Los Alamos.” Lujan’s cancer is in stage four and requires complicated and dangerous treatments, including chemotherapy. "As a family, we gave stopping the cancer a top priority," Lujan said. "But there also was important work to be done for the people of New Mexico. So it was important to [my wife] and I to make that sacrifice and commitment. It was a choice we don't regret."

While an outpouring of support came from his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, Lujan’s overall prognosis is not as positive. Asbestos-related cancers often result in death for its victims, as many of these diseases such as mesothelioma are notoriously hard to treat. Democratic state Sen. Mary Jane Garcia told the Las Cruces Sun News that Lujan's announcement cast a sobering tone for the session. "It’s such a shock. I knew nothing of this," she said. "Stage 4 cancer, that is so heavy. But I am sure the speaker will try to keep working."

Here at Ban Asbestos Now, we're tired of reading stories like this. It's time to stop cutting livelihoods short.

Join our fight; help us ban asbestos now.

Super Bowl a Reminder of NFL Great Merlin Olsen's Asbestos-Related Casualty

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

When the New England Patriots and New York Giants take to the field for Super Bowl XLVI, chances are commentators will take some time to discuss the traumatic injuries often associated with the sport of football. We will likely hear about everything from concussions and bruises to torn ACLs, broken fingers and neck trauma. These are all fairly common on-field injuries for football players that the National Football League, for good reason, is trying to limit.

At Ban Asbestos Now, the Super Bowl is also a reminder of a football legend whose life was cut tragically short due to asbestos exposure. Merlin Olsen, a defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams, appeared in 14 Pro Bowls over the course of his 15 seasons in the league in the 1960s and 1970s, and ultimately earned a spot in the Football Hall of Hame. For Olsen, the effects of asbestos exposure proved too much, ultimately causing his death March 11, 2010, at the age of 69. The cause of death was mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. In a lawsuit filed following his diagnosis in 2009, Olsen contended that his first contact with asbestos materials occurred in his youth. He had worked in construction after school and during summer vacations and was "around workers working with asbestos drywall patching compounds.” Following his career in the NFL, Olsen was a broadcaster for NBC Sports and also appeared as an actor in "Little House on the Prairie." He was a tremendously talented individual who, sadly, won't be joining this year's NBC telecast of the Super Bowl. His is just one more example of a life cut short by the harmful effects of asbestos exposure.

Like many sports leagues, the NFL is moving to try and minimize the long-term damage that on-the-field injuries pose to players by experimenting with new rules and enforcements, as well as new technologies for protective equipment and medical care. But despite all we know about the dangers associated with asbestos, little is being done today to continue to mitigate the risks associated with inhaling its toxic fibers. In the United States, asbestos usage continues to be legal. Several tons of the substance are used annually and the deaths caused by it continue to mount.

It’s time to end all usage of this substance. It's time to be proactive about asbestos-related injuries, like the NFL is doing with on-field injuries.

Are you ready to ban asbestos now?

Warren Zevon: Singer, Songwriter and Asbestos Victim

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

American rock and roll musician Warren Zevon was born on January 24, 1947, and would have been 65 last Tuesday. Unfortunately, his life was cut short in 2003 after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Zevon, perhaps best known for his 1978 hit “Werewolves of London,” never knew when he was exposed to the substance, but even minor contamination can lead to cause a number of deadly diseases for its victims.

Mesothelioma is most commonly found in people who worked directly with asbestos. Usually, this means miners, shipbuilders, factory workers and construction workers. Nevertheless, Zevon’s story is one that reminds us that many people succumb to mesothelioma, asbestosis and other asbestos related diseases without any direct or sustained contact to asbestos materials.

In many ways the dangers of second-hand asbestos exposure are not unlike the dangers of second-hand smoke, which is banned in public spaces in 27 states. When processed, individual asbestos fibers are often only visible with a microscope. These fibers, which when inhaled damage the lining of one’s lungs over the course of several decades, are easily transported through the air or even on clothing worn in a location where asbestos was used. As a result, exposure to family members, neighbors and other acquaintances of asbestos workers can easily occur. Occasionally, in places where asbestos production and processing was a major industry, such as Libby, Montana, second-hand asbestos can represent a massive issue.

Zevon, who sung about asbestos use in factories in his 1987 song “The Factory,” likely was exposed at a relatively young age. While he went about his life, the asbestos slowly developed into an ultimately terminal case of mesothelioma. It can often take 10-40 years from the initial asbestos exposure for symptoms of mesothelioma to show.

Zevon wrote, recorded and produced his last album, “The Wind,” in the year between his diagnosis and his eventual death. It was released just two weeks before he died. That album, largely inspired by his fight against his disease, went on to win several Grammy Awards, but also is an allegory for the stark realities faced by victims of asbestos.

Preventing tragedies like the death of Warren Zevon is only possible if asbestos is banned.

Join our fight. Help us ban asbestos now.

Asbestos Found in School Science Kits

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

We all know that schools use equipment that is old, dated or even expired on occasion. This can include old textbooks, course materials or even laboratory equipment. Before we knew of the dangers associated with asbestos, many schools used the material in laboratory exercises. Although the use of asbestos in schools has dropped off, school officials in Australia recently made a grim discovery with their science equipment. In the state of Queensland, which is supposed to have the strictest anti-asbestos regulations in Australia, asbestos-containing materials was found in school science kits.

Asbestos, the deadly substance known to cause cancers such as mesothelioma, harms its victims when the fibers are inhaled. Many of the science kits were more than 20 years old, meaning an entire generation of Townsville students were put at risk by using this equipment. It is indeed conceivable that similar situations exist in many American schools; this discovery is certainly cause for concern here, even though officials in Queensland contend that the materials posed little threat to students.

Queensland’s Minister of Education, Cameron Dick, said an alert was issued to schools at the time and a whopping 159 kits were taken out of area schools. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Dick contended that students were at minimal risk as the asbestos was in rock form. "I'm advised by our asbestos health adviser, Dr. Keith Adams, that there is minimal risk to any student who may have come in contact with that and we have withdrawn all the mineral kits from Queensland schools," he said.

Meanwhile, NineMSN is reporting that the asbestos-tainted science kits have generated considerable political fights between Queensland officials. “Labor is dangerously exposing our children to asbestos," Bruce Flegg of the center-right Liberal National Party said on Monday. “We are still seeing far too many examples of children and teachers who are exposed to potentially deadly airborne asbestos fibers. It would seem Labor chose to keep the revelation under wraps to avoid adverse publicity."

Queensland’s Premier, Anna Bligh of the leftist Labor Party, blamed the opposition for the asbestos material found in the schools. She said, “It was not the Labor Party who put asbestos in schools. It was the Liberal and National parties of Queensland who continued to put it in our schools long after the world knew that it was a dangerous material." Bligh called her party’s efforts, "The biggest asbestos removal program in the country."

The finger-pointing between politicians is incredible. Shouldn't they be more concerned that these potentially dangerous materials were readily available in schools? This attitude is something we see in countries all around the world, including in the U.S. Even though this particular incident occurred in Australia, it's a good reminder that we should be vigilant about the materials and products our schools and community centers use on a regular basis. Let's ensure the safety of our children.

Let's ban asbestos now.

Asbestos is Big Business Abroad

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Today, the United States processes more than 2,200 metric tons of deadly asbestos materials each year. In our opinion, that's 2,200 metric tons too many, even though it is a significant drop compared to our usage 50 years ago. Although our country's widespread usage of asbestos has diminished significantly over the past three decades, the toxic product is still actively mined, sold and used in construction projects worldwide, particularly in Asia. According to data compiled by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, China and India, the two most populous countries on the planet, represented the two largest consumers of asbestos. Other major consumers include Russia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.

"When asbestos was banned in industrialized countries and [producers] started to lose money, they came to the developing countries to recover their investments,” Dr. Guadalupe Aguilar Madrid told the Center for Public Integrity and the BBC.

Each year, one million metric tons of asbestos is mined in Russia, which exports most of this mineral and keeps only a quarter of this production within its own boundaries. On the other hand, China uses a staggering 626,000 metric tons of the toxic substance annually. But only half of that is mined domestically, and the country relies on other asbestos producing countries, such as Canada, Russia and Brazil, to make up the difference. India uses 300,000 metric tons annually, but produces very little domestically, relying almost exclusively on imports.

Given all that is known about the dangers associated with asbestos use, the numbers are staggering. If you were to look at production per capita, you'd see that Russia, a country of about 140 million residents, mines a whopping 15 pounds of asbestos per person, per year!

Research has shown that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure which avoids any risk of mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Although it is comforting to know that production and consumption of asbestos in the United States is declining, the substance still poses a risk to Americans at home and abroad, a risk that can only be mitigated with a full ban on asbestos here.

We should encourage Congress to ban asbestos in the U.S., to set the right example for other leading world powers. It's time to do the right thing. Join our fight. Help us ban asbestos now.

Cleaning Up New Jersey's Asbestos Problem

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The removal and disposal of asbestos used as a building material is a dangerous, expensive and highly technical process. Contractors who work with the deadly substance usually need to hold a license from the state and require specialized equipment and safety precautions before undertaking any asbestos-related job. If proper procedures are not followed when working with asbestos, not only can there be significant health consequences for the workers, but the contractors also can be liable for significant financial penalties.

In Gibbstown, N.J., local contractor Lovett Contracting is facing legal action and potentially stiff fines from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a result of the alleged improper clean-up and removal of asbestos-containing materials used in a former DuPont Chemical gunpowder plant. The lawsuit alleges Lovett was in violation of the federal Clean Air Act and the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants regarding asbestos. The EPA is seeking $32,000 per day and per violation as well as court costs, which can ultimately amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars of violations for the contractor.

According to The Gloucester County Times, the EPA allegations listed six violations, including failure to take required precautions in demolishing or removing about 5,000 feet of piping and 3,000 feet of pipe insulation with dangerous amounts of asbestos that could be exposed to the air. Once airborne, the asbestos becomes a hazard to employees and the local community alike.

While the contractor had no comment to local media, EPA spokesman Elias Rodriguez said, “Asbestos is a known carcinogen, and inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious health risks.” He noted, “Using water and equipment such as glove bags and other containment measures prevents the release of asbestos fibers and minimizes the chance of exposure.”

However, high government penalties will not save the lives currently in peril because of this added risk of developing asbestos-related cancers. All these fines can do is punish the offenders. They can not take away the pain, suffering and struggle many mesothelioma and asbestosis victims face on a regular basis. Workers are regularly put at risk during these massive asbestos clean-up projects, with little upfront protection.

Isn’t it time to ban this deadly substance? Join us and help us ban asbestos now.

13 Years After a Ban, the UK Continues to Fight the Effects of Exposure to Asbestos

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

With the rise and fall of the asbestos industry in Canada making headlines recently, it'd be easy for some to think that the global asbestos problem could immediately be solved with a ban. It sure seems to make sense: if we stopped mining and manufacturing asbestos, we'd be able to prevent deaths from asbestos-related cancers such as mesothelioma forever.

Unfortunately, a ban is only step one in the fight to beat asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos once was used so widely that it exists potentially everywhere. It can turn up in places you'd least expect it — in the ceilings and floors of buildings that were built before 1980, in duct tape, caulking and textured paints, and even in car brakes and other automotive parts, just to name a few.

Given the pervasiveness of asbestos over the years, signs of the material and deaths from mesothelioma can occur for decades after a country bans its use. One needs to look no further than the United Kingdom (UK) to see an example of how a country must manage its "asbestos legacy" long after it has been prohibited.

The UK government banned asbestos in 1999 with the passing of The Asbestos Prohibitions Amendment Regulations. However, The Health and Safety Executive, a UK government body responsible for the regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, estimates that more than half a million non-domestic buildings on the island of Britain contain asbestos to this day.

As a result, occurrences of mesothelioma in the UK are among the highest in the world. The UK government estimates that 4,000 residents die as a result of complications associated with asbestos exposure annually. Those numbers are expected to rise, since it can take years to develop illnesses after exposure to the deadly substance. By comparison, in the United States, there are an estimated 10,000 deaths attributed to asbestos-related diseases each year.

The dramatic rise in mesothelioma deaths both at home and abroad underlines the dangers associated with even the smallest exposures to asbestos. The United States will continue to face these same asbestos-related health risks so long as the material is allowed to be used - and perhaps even long after it's banned.

There's no reason for our political leaders to delay in banning this deadly material. It's time to ban asbestos now.

After 15 Years and 92,000 Asbestos-Related Deaths, Still No Ban

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Mesothelioma was first recorded by the World Health Organization in 1994, but extensive demographic pictures just recently have emerged about the deadly disease. And to no one's surprise, the incidence of this asbestos-related cancer has increased and the age-adjusted mortality rate more than doubled during a 15-year study period.

According to a recent WHO bulletin, 92,253 deaths from mesothelioma were reported by more than 80 countries between 1994 and 2008. (Sadly, this number only included mesothelioma deaths, and did not account for victims of other asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis or lung cancer.) Most mesothelioma deaths occurred in the United States and in the western and northern regions of Europe, but more generally, deaths occurred in countries with high incomes. The 10 countries with the highest incidence of mesothelioma deaths are in the industrialized world, including Japan and South Africa. Not surprisingly, these countries also had high cumulative asbestos use. South Africa, for example, was once a major producer of asbestos and was the site of the first diagnosed mesothelioma cluster. The incidence of mesothelioma in countries with high incomes was 16 times the rate of incidence in low-income countries.

Some other disturbing facts from the WHO bulletin:

The age-adjusted mortality rate increased by 5.37 percent per year during the study period
The mean age at death was 70
The ratio of male to female deaths was 3.6 to 1
Less than 12 percent of all deaths occurred in middle- and low-income countries

As troubling as these numbers are, the incidence and mortality rates are probably much worse than reported. The study was not able to draw data from China, India, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan or Thailand -- all countries that have produced and consumed asbestos at high levels over a number of years.

Given mesothelioma’s long latency period -- it sometimes takes 10-50 years after exposure for symptoms to surface -- it’s expected that these numbers will only continue to rise until asbestos production and usage is banned.

Perhaps the most shocking fact of all is that this deadly material is still legal in the U.S.

It's time for federal, state and local governments to understand the urgency of the spreading disease, the lack of any safe level of exposure to asbestos, and its lack of discrimination by age, gender or race of victim.

It's time to join our fight.

It's time to ban asbestos.

Asbestos In the News: 50 Years of Deadly Evidence

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Industrialized nations have been living with the uses of asbestos -- and consequences from that use -- for more than a century. But it's hard to imagine that we've been living for nearly 50 years with evidence, studies and research into the dangers of asbestos, and yet, it still continues to be manufactured, used and exported in many corners of the globe.

Here's a chronological look at 10 articles over the past five decades that chronicle the effects of asbestos, as well as efforts in the global fight to ban this deadly material.

"Asbestos Increases Cigaret Cancer Peril," The Milwaukee Journal, June 20, 1967
The combination of exposure to asbestos particles at work and smoking cigarets [sic] greatly increases the risk of developing lung cancer, it was reported Monday.
"Non-Tobacco Additives Probe Asked," Lodi News-Sentinel, Sept. 28, 1970
Attorney Ralph Nader asked the Federal Trade Commission Sunday to investigate use of asbestos, glass fibers, and other non-tobacco additives in cigars and cigarettes.
"Asbestos Fiber Peril in Coats," Miami News, June 8, 1971
About 200,000 women's coats containing potentially hazardous amounts of asbestos fibers woven into the woolen fabric have been sold in this country since last fall, a New York physician reported yesterday.
"Asbestos, Cancer Linked," St. Petersburg Times, July 27, 1972
Two cancer researchers say they have confirmed through human lung cancer cases the theory that occupational exposure to asbestos enhances the cancer-causing effects of cigarette smoke.
"Asbestos to Claim 1 Million Lives, Researcher Says," Los Angeles Times, Feb. 23, 1973
A noted researcher told a Senate subcommittee today that by the end of this century asbestos will claim the lives of a million Americans who have worked or are now working with the fibrous mineral.
"Powders Contain Asbestos Fibres," Montreal Gazette, March 8, 1976
Ten out of 19 body and baby powders tested at Mount Sinai Hospital were contaminated with asbestos fibres capable of causing a rare form of chest and abdominal cancer, researchers said yesterday.
"Petitioners Seek to Ban Asbestos," The Free Lance-Star, July 15, 1976
Consumer and environmental organizations are petitioning the government to ban wall patching compounds containing asbestos, saying more than one million Americans may be exposed each year to the potentially cancer-causing fibers in their own homes.
"Asbestos Feared As Hazard in All New Jersey Schools," Miami News, Jan. 4, 1977
The air in New Jersey schools may have high levels of asbestos fibers, scientists reported yesterday after studying the levels at eight schools in one county.
"US Bans Asbestos Products," Milwaukee Sentinel, April 29, 1977
The Consumer Product Safety Commission Thursday banned spackling compounds and other wall patching mixtures containing asbestos as possible causes of cancer.
"40 Added to List of Hair Dryers Containing Asbestos," Deseret News, April 18, 1979
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it has identified more than 40 additional models of hair dryers that contain asbestos, an insulation material that has been linked to cancer.

Despite the mounting evidence, product bans and agency directives in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the U.S. still has not acted to ban asbestos. The EPA banned most asbestos-containing products in 1989, only to have that rule overturned in the federal court system. Numerous bills in Congress have gone nowhere, most recently a bill passed by the Senate in 2007 that would have banned the importation of asbestos.

Asbestos is still found in more than 3,000 consumer products, and chances are you know someone who has been affected by this deadly cancer-causing agent. After 50 years, don't you think it's time to Ban Asbestos Now?

The Bartonville State Hospital: Ghosts and Asbestos

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Usually the abandoned Bartonville State Hospital scares away those not wanting to experience ghosts and spirits. But the cost of asbestos removal could have been the more frightening part for an investor who pulled out of a plan to turn the old asylum for some of Illinois' more severely mentally ill patients into a tourist attraction.

Richard Weiss, a Missouri man who purchased the 109-year-old campus of buildings three years ago from the state with no money down and no payments to the state until 2018, announced one of his investors had withdrawn from the project for "business reasons," according to the Peoria Journal Star.

The main campus building, the Bowen Building, was abandoned by Illinois in 1972 and must be cleaned of asbestos before it can be rehabilitated -- at a cost of more than $200,000. Weiss, who is said to have many ideas for the property, had hoped to offer tours of the building that would allow for money to start coming in for the necessary repairs, but the building was closed two years ago by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the state's Department of Public Health.

No tours, no money.

It's a familiar story, unfortunately. Rehabbing old buildings often are difficult projects financially because of the removal of asbestos, which was considered at one time essential for insulation. Even though new construction was forbidden to use asbestos beginning in the 1970s, many older properties like the Bowen Building and other buildings at the former Bartonville State Hospital still contain the deadly material.

Weiss had hoped the town of Bartonville would pay for the abatement of asbestos, but the town is holding off until it is assured of a financially viable plan for the hospital, maybe one more certain than being dependent on the paranormal.

But let's not leave Bartonville State Hospital just yet. Not without a story from its past. This one, involving a mute resident without a name other than A. Bookbinder, nicknamed "Old Book," and a former gravedigger at the hospital who had himself died and was about to be buried on the grounds.

"In the midst of the commotion," Dr. [George] Zeller once wrote, "a wailing voice was heard and every eye turned toward the Graveyard Elm whence it emanated. Every man and woman stood transfixed, for there, just as had always been the case, stood Old Book, weeping and moaning with an earnestness that outrivaled anything he had ever shown before."

After a few moments of this, Dr. Zeller summoned some men to remove the lid of the coffin, convinced that Old Book could not be inside of it. The lid was lifted and as soon as it was, the wailing sound completely stopped. Inside of the coffin lay the body of Old Book.... unquestionably dead. It was said that every eye looked upon the still corpse and then over to the Graveyard Elm. The apparition had vanished.

"It was awful, but it was real," Dr. Zeller continued. "I saw it; 100 nurses saw it and 300 spectators saw it."

A few days later, the Graveyard Elm mysteriously began to wither and die. In spite of efforts to save it, the tree declined over the next year until it was completely dead. Later, after the dead limbs had dropped, workmen tried to remove the rest of the tree, but stopped working after the first cut of the ax caused the tree to emanate an "agonized, despairing cry of pain." After that, Dr. Zeller suggested the tree be burned. However, as soon as the flames started around the tree’s base, the workers quickly put them out. They later told Zeller that they heard a sobbing and crying sound coming from it.

Many old buildings deserve preservation and new life, but not at the expense of the health of others. While the dangers of asbestos may not have been known at the time of the construction of the Bartonville State Hospital, the link between asbestos and mesothelioma is clear and understood worldwide.

It's time to preserve the living and Ban Asbestos Now.

Is This Really the Death of Canada's Asbestos Mine Empire?

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

For the first time in 130 years, Canada's asbestos mines are quiet. Finally.

The country has announced that production was halted at the Lac d'amiante du Canada operation in Thetford Mines, Quebec, following the closure of the Jeffrey Mine in Asbestos, Quebec, earlier this year. Financial and environmental issues were cited in the closure of each.

Once considered Canada's Gold, asbestos has tarnished Canada's legacy since some political leaders aggressively protect the deadly substance and support the industry’s expansion. To this day, Canada continues to be one of the world's largest exporters of asbestos -- even though it is universally considered a health hazard, a cancer-causing agent, and no longer used within the country itself.

It's a hot-button issue, with all of Canada's political parties except the Conservatives pushing for a ban.

The Toronto Sun recently reported the appeals to government of an Ontario woman who lost both of her parents to asbestos-related disease:

Heidi Von Palleske -- a self-proclaimed "asbestos orphan" -- wants to convince the Conservative government to ban the exportation and mining of asbestos. "Four days before [mom] died, I recorded a plea where she asked that the exportation of asbestos to Third World countries stop because nobody -- nobody -- should die the way she was dying," said Von Palleske.

The Cobourg, Ont., resident said her father worked in an asbestos mine and her mother developed a rare illness because she inhaled asbestos fibres from his clothing.

Von Palleske's 11-year-old daughter also had harsh words for the Canadian government:

"I can't believe it," said Cavanagh Matmor. "They don't know how it feels to have a grandmother and grandfather die of asbestos. But they don't listen to others... It breaks my heart knowing that they're going to continue doing that."

Canada introduced the western world to asbestos, according to this excellent magazine article from The Globe & Mail, Canada's Chronic Asbestos Problem:

Defensive about his town’s reputation, [Thetford Mines Mayor Luc] Berthold told a Montreal reporter that the effect of asbestos dust on health pales compared to that of smog in Montreal. In the anteroom to Berthold’s office, piles of glossy flyers promote asbestos’s “safe and irreplaceable fibres,” with charts proving that tobacco and highway accidents are thousands of times more dangerous than asbestos in schools.

It’s hard to blame the place for this attitude. After all, it wouldn’t exist without the strange fibre that a farmer named Joseph Fecteau stumbled upon in 1876. He’d hit a rich vein of asbestos, long known in Europe as a miraculous substance that could not be burned or damaged by fire. Within a few years, the Thetford area was the asbestos capital of the world, and Quebeckers called the fibres white gold.

And some are not willing to let that tarnished reputation go quietly. The owner of the Jeffrey Mine says his mine isn't closed. Both the Jeffrey Mine and Lac d'amiante du Canada continue selling asbestos in their reserve inventories. A prominent Montreal asbestos trader is working to reopen the Jeffrey Mine, and there's talk that production may resume in Spring 2012.

It's time to support our northerly neighbors as they try to eradicate asbestos production from their country once and for all. Join us in our effort to Ban Asbestos Now!

Taking Action on National Mesothelioma Awareness Day

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Aside from legal ads on TV, many Americans don't know what asbestos is or where it can be found, let alone that exposure to this dangerous material can result in the development of an asbestos-related cancer such as mesothelioma. In fact, mesothelioma occurs in such a small number of patients - it's estimated that only 2,500-3,000 new patients are diagnosed every year - that the disease is often referred to as an orphan disease. And while new mesothelioma treatments can alleviate symptoms and improve a patient's quality of life, to date there is no proven cure for the disease.

Perhaps most troubling is the fact that despite these known health risks, asbestos is still not banned in the United States and is manufactured and used every day.

But you can help change this. There are a number of easy ways for you to join the fight to ban asbestos and beat mesothelioma forever, and it all begins with one simple goal: raising awareness.

Each year, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) recognizes September 26 as National Mesothelioma Awareness Day in order to educate the public about the dangers of asbestos exposure and raise much-needed financial support for research towards improved treatments of the disease. The first Mesothelioma Awareness Day was started in 2004 by a group of volunteers and every year since has been larger and more widespread.

Want to participate, but don't know where to start? Here are some ideas:

Write a letter to Congress urging them to ban asbestos. We have a pre-written letter on our homepage you can sign and send digitally in minutes. (Yes, your representatives really receive them and sometimes they'll even write you back!)
Spread the word! You can click the Facebook and Twitter buttons on the top or bottom of this page to easily share the news about Mesothelioma Awareness Day with your friends.
Join MARF's social media campaign. They have ready-to-use facts and updates for you to share online.
Plan or attend a fundraising event. You can check MARF's event calendar to see if there's anything planned in your area, and if there isn't, they have other ideas how you can become involved - both on 9/26, as well as throughout the year.
Make a donation to a non-profit organization like MARF or the Asbestos Disease Organization (ADAO).
Check out the Mesothelioma Resource Center's list of ways to raise mesothelioma awareness, which include contacting local news outlets, meeting local government leaders, fundraising and more.

Whether it's the click of a mouse or a dollar in a donation jar, you CAN make a difference on National Mesothelioma Awareness Day. By raising awareness, we can save lives through safety education and prevention, as well as gaining support for the movements to ban asbestos and secure additional funding for improved treatments.

So take action and spread the word! Together, we can ban asbestos and beat asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.

21-Year-Old Diagnosed with Mesothelioma

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Kevin Morrison of Norwood, Massachusetts, was a young man with a bright future. The 21-year-old graduated from Norwood High School three years ago where he was a star athlete. During his senior year he was captain of both the football and hockey teams. But as Boston.com reports, Kevin’s plans changed in February when he was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. While there are no details on what caused Kevin’s cancer, exposure to asbestos fibers is the most common cause of mesothelioma.

While many think that asbestos-related diseases only affect the elderly, this tragic story is a reminder that asbestos cancers such as mesothelioma can affect people of any age. The latency period for these diseases is anywhere from 20 to 40 years, meaning that it can take decades for mesothelioma symptoms to develop after the initial exposure to asbestos. But as this young man’s case shows, there is no definite timetable for the conditions caused by this deadly mineral. Exposure to asbestos has been linked to a litany of other diseases, including lung cancer and asbestosis.

Since receiving his devastating mesothelioma diagnosis, Kevin has been treated by doctors at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. According to Morrison’s doctors, he would be better treated using alternative treatments which are sadly not available in Boston. Like many other families with members battling mesothelioma, the Morrison family’s finances have been exhausted by medical bills. If you would like to help, you can donate to Kevin’s Cause, a charity gathering funds to help pay Kevin’s mounting medical bills.

Asbestos does not discriminate by age, gender or race. As we’ve said here time and time again, there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos and surprisingly, this deadly mineral is still legal in the United States. Please join us in our fight to ban asbestos to prevent more tragedies such as this from occurring.

Jon Stewart Speaks Out Again, Lampoons Shortcomings of 9/11 Health Care Bill

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Last Thursday, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" brought its unique brand of political satire to point out a major flaw in the 9/11 Health Care Bill for Ground Zero first responders. The highly-touted bill covers a litany of diseases such as chronic coughing, laryngitis and carpal tunnel, but surprisingly does not cover cancer treatments. The argument used by some is that there is no scientific proof that the dust inhalation caused the cancers which are killing the brave heroes who fought dangerous conditions to find the remains of those who died there following the terrorist attacks.

When the World Trade Center was constructed in 1968, asbestos was used as a fireproofing material. While there were several asbestos abatement projects after construction, hundreds of tons of the toxic mineral were still present at the time of the terrorist attacks. When the buildings collapsed that fateful day, a toxic dust cloud filled with carcinogens rolled from the site, creating a 16-acre disaster zone. Dangerous levels of asbestos were reported throughout the city, and the clouds caused dust to enter vents and open windows throughout the city.

Over 40,000 emergency workers were exposed to this toxic dust at Ground Zero, and the results are beginning to show, as a large number of these rescuers are developing rare diseases and cancers such as mesothelioma at an alarming rate. Thousands more were exposed from being in the area during and after the events as well. It will be very difficult to know just how many more first responders were effected since mesothelioma symptoms can take decades to surface.

Hopefully the attention brought to this story by Jon Stewart will create a need to change this situation. It is time to give first responders the medical treatment they deserve.

Two Asbestos Wrongs Make A Right?

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:02:00 -0400

Journalist Mark Bonokoski, recently featured in the London Free Press, has stirred up a lot of controversy in a recent article. While discussing a letter sent by activists to Zimbabwe Dictator Robert Mugabe requesting that he does not reopen the country’s asbestos mines, Bonokoski recommended that the mines indeed be opened to save the economy of the struggling nation. While the opening of this mine may mildly stimulate the nation's economy, it will also greatly increase the number of serious and fatal diseases found in the region. Exposure to asbestos has been linked to asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, and is estimated to kill more than 107,000 people globally every year.

In the same article, Bonokoski weighed-in on Canada blocking an international agreement to restrict the sale of chrysotile asbestos. He said of Canada's pro-asbestos actions: “Quite simply because it was the right thing to do.” Bonokoski defended his statement by saying that since the government of Quebec awarded a $58-million loan to the owners of the Jeffrey Mine in Asbestos, Quebec, they couldn’t simply just throw their money away. Apparently Bonokoski believes that two wrongs will make a right.

It is time to ban asbestos throughout the world to prevent exposing any more people to this deadly mineral. Bolstering the global asbestos trade by mining and manufacturing this silent killer should be the last idea on the minds' of our leaders and journalists.

Dangerous Cycle in Asbestos Town

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

As reported by Associated Press, those who have lived in the town of Libby, MT for the last few decades have seen around 400 people die and an additional 1,750 suffer from asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma cancer and asbestosis. Emotions and anxiety ran high recently when it was discovered the struggle is not yet over. This week, it was revealed that two giant piles of bark and wood chips that have sat on the edge of town for years are contaminated with an unknown level of asbestos. Residents have been helping themselves to truckload after truckload of the material to place in yards, city parks, outside school and at the local cemetery. No one ever told them the piles may be filled with the toxin that has killed so many of the people they loved.

An AP investigation found that the federal government has known for at least three years that the wood piles contained asbestos, but they did not know the level of contamination. EPA documents show that in 2007, 20 samples were taken from the pile, four of which showed potentially dangerous asbestos fibers. The piles came from a now-defunct timber mill that took thousands of trees from a forest affected by asbestos from a nearby mine.

The potential for more contamination has frayed nerves in the town of 3,000 people and further eroded confidence in the government to clean up the mess. Resident Lerah Parker, who has spread truckloads of the material around her property, worries, “We thought we were coming to an end and now we have this issue all over again.” Residents are justified to feel concerned about the public health of their town. Asbestos is one of the only causes of mesothelioma and, unfortunately, the mesothelioma life expectancy can be grim.

Residents aren’t the only ones scrambling at this time. The EPA is now trying to gauge the public health risk and is preparing to issue guidelines about how residents should handle the wood, including warnings not to move or work with the material when it's dry to avoid stirring up asbestos. But the agency has decided it won't track down where the chips went, saying it no longer has jurisdiction because the material is now classified as a commercial product.

Libby has fought an uphill battle against asbestos for many years. This is not a resting point. They must continue leading the fight for an asbestos-free country.

Yes, We Spread Asbestos Awareness with the Help of a Law Firm, and We’re Proud of It

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

At a dinner party the other night, I was asked about what I did for work. I replied, “I’m in asbestos awareness and advocacy.”

Blank stare.

“We’re trying to get the word out about the dangers of asbestos. Most people don’t realize how dangerous it is, and that it’s not a banned substance in the United States. We’re trying to change that.”

“What is asbestos anyway? Isn’t it an old chemical they used to make in the 1950s?”

This person, a well-educated woman in her 40s, is like the majority of people we here at Ban Asbestos Now meet. Folks who have a vague idea that asbestos is somehow “bad,” but really have no clue what it is (a naturally occurring mineral), how widespread its use was (and still is), and how inhaling it can lead to severely debilitating and fatal illnesses such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.

And even if they are aware of asbestos and its dangers, most do not realize that it is not currently a banned substance in the US, as it is in almost 60 other nations, including those of the European Union. And they are probably also not aware that despite diminished use here in the US, asbestos continues to kill more than 10,000 people a year in the US alone.

We want to change that. And we are, but we need help to do it.

Ban Asbestos Now researches and develops content to educate and inform about asbestos awareness, has been running a letter writing campaign that allows readers to send a letter to their Congressperson urging them to ban asbestos, and continually supports grassroots efforts that raise funds for mesothelioma research, such as the Miles for Meso 8k road race.

We could probably not do this if we were not backed by the Sokolove Law Firm.

You see, asbestos law firms have stepped in to fight for the victims of asbestos cancer when the U.S. government has been unable or unwilling to do so. As difficult as it is to believe, the government is beholden to corporate America. And the corporations that dealt in asbestos, and profited mightily from it, were some of the richest and most powerful in the world.

Civil justice law firms like Sokolove Law are not beholden to corporations. They are only answerable to the individuals who hire them. So when a pipefitter who has lost his lung capacity and possibly his life to the negligence of a company that makes billions in profits each year, who is going to help him fight?

Asbestos law firms are not the only organizations fighting for this cause. Asbestos advocacy groups such as ADAO and MARF are making significant contributions to the gain traction in Congress towards a definitive and lasting ban on asbestos, as well as educate the public on the dangers of asbestos and raise funding for mesothelioma treatments.

While some people might be predisposed to think that all law firms are greedy and selfish (an assumption that's not true!) we believe that the only way to make real and lasting changes in the asbestos landscape is to have all voices join together and make a difference. The louder we are, the more they will listen.

The Asbestos Surge in Asia is a Global Problem

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

According to The New York Times, Asia currently accounts for 64% of global asbestos use, a nearly five-fold increase from the 1970s. In light of these numbers, researchers are predicting a massive rise in asbestos-related diseases in the coming decades. The Asian Pacific Society of Respirology recently published a study on asbestos use in 47 countries, and found that Cyprus, Israel, and Japan had the highest age-adjusted mortality rates in Asia. Some of the diseases that have killed hundreds of thousands of people include mesothelioma cancer, lung cancer, and asbestosis.

“Despite concerns of the global ARD epidemic and Asia's growing importance in the world, data on current asbestos use and asbestos related diseases in Asia remain limited,” research leader and acting director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Occupational Health Ken Takahashi said in a statement. His study is aimed at informing public health planning and regional health policies in Asian countries.

Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring minerals often used in manufacturing, building and construction, the shipbuilding and automotive industries, in power plants, and even household products such as oven mitts and duct tape. Because it is relatively affordable, asbestos also tends to be attractive to developing countries, resulting in unregulated asbestos import and use in these nations. While asbestos has been largely phased out in the developed world (after contributing to the deaths of tens of thousands of people in America alone) it’s still common throughout much of the developing world. The World Health Organization has identified asbestos as one of the most dangerous occupational carcinogens, as many have developed mesothelioma symptoms due to asbestos exposure.

Dr. Ken Takahashi, author and director of a W.H.O. occupational health group, is concerned that "the sharp increase in asbestos use in Asia will see a surge of mortality and morbidity from asbestos related diseases in this region in the decades ahead." There is a worrying lack of information concerning asbestos use and ARDs in Asia, and Asian governments have a long way to go yet in banning the use of asbestos. So even as the media explodes over the fires in Arizona, radiation leaks in Japan, and that ever-present climate change, we need to remember that problems exist in the developing world that may be quieter and less captivating, but no less insidious.

Asia’s “asbestos addiction” is fueled largely by Canada, which mines and exports the material, but has outlawed the use of the mineral within its own borders. You can read more about the Canadian-Asian asbestos tie and subsequent controversy here.

Canada’s Poisonous Asbestos Exports Drawing Attention

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:14:00 -0400

Last week, Bloomberg published a story on the “slow poison” that was scarring the lungs of Indian citizens. The poison that they referred to is asbestos, a mineral used for its fire resistant properties and tensile strength. Asbestos is used in many products in India, including cheap roofing that is often used for slum housing. At $7 per sheet, the price is hard to beat; but the value comes with a serious hazard. Inhalation of the asbestos fibers released when the sheets are damaged can cause serious diseases such as mesothelioma cancer, an asbestos-related disease that affects the lining of the lungs and abdomen.

According to the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database, India is the world’s largest importer of asbestos. The Asbestos Cement Producers Association, an industry lobby group, claims that the country has over 100,000 people working for companies that produce or use asbestos materials. Many of these companies do not have the appropriate safety measures in place to keep workers safe when handling this hazardous material. Worse yet, asbestos exposure can occur second-hand, as families may inhale fibers that become imbedded in a worker’s clothing and are brought home.

Nearly 55 industrial countries have already banned asbestos, citing its well known health hazards as reason. Such nations include Japan as well as all the members of the European Union. Sadly, the United States has yet to ban asbestos outright, though the material is highly regulated. Canada has banned the use of the mineral inside the country, but still mines and exports asbestos to India and other countries.

It seems that the international community as a whole is concerned about Canada’s exports, and not simply its asbestos practices. The Vancouver Sun reports that the European Parliament slammed Canada on the annual seal hunts and the practices of the oil industry which harm natural biodiversity. Hopefully the increased media coverage and mounting international pressure will convince Canada to ban asbestos exports and close their mines.

Joplin Tornado Leaves Asbestos Contaminated Debris

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:29:00 -0400

Joplin, Missouri is still reeling from the devastating tornado that slammed into the area, leveling a third of the city and killing more than a hundred people. While the area is struggling to rebuild, they face a hidden danger lurking in the debris. The rubble scattered in the street most likely contains household and medical waste products, fuel lines ruptured during the event, and asbestos from older buildings. Any one of these hazards could poison residents and those there to aid in the clean-up effort.

Asbestos is of specific concern, as its presence would be very difficult to detect. The carcinogenic mineral was previously used in more than 3,000 products ranging from construction materials to oven mitts. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization has estimated that 35 million homes have a deadly, asbestos-tainted insulation called Zonolite – a staggering number for just one, specific asbestos-containing product.

Asbestos can be present in almost anything, and the only way to know for sure if the debris is contaminated is if it is labeled or has been tested by a professional asbestos inspector. To avoid possible exposure to this poison, the Mesothelioma Resource Center urges residents to wet down debris before handling them to reduce the threat of airborne asbestos and to place all materials into leak proof containers so they can be shipped to the proper landfill. Following these actions will greatly reduce possible asbestos exposure. However, if you do identify asbestos, you should not disrupt the material and contact a trained professional to safely remove it.

Exposure to asbestos has been linked to serious diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. It is crucial that all precautions are taken to avoid contaminating yourself or others. Tragedies such as the one that hit Joplin remind us why we must take steps to ban asbestos. If this material was not present, it would greatly reduce some of the risks facing those who are preparing to rebuild.

Asbestos Executive’s Response to Daily Show Roasting

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Canada’s ongoing export of the world’s deadliest industrial material reached Comedy Central on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. The sheer absurdity of pretending that chrysotile asbestos can be used safely, while so many suffer from diseases like mesothelioma and asbestosis that are linked to asbestos exposure, caught the attention of the political satire show. The segment lasted five minutes, ridiculing the industry, the mining company, and the town of Asbestos; however, the humor didn’t end there. Following the episode’s airdate, Mr. Bernard Coulombe, Executive Director of Jeffrey Mine in Asbestos, released a response that even the biggest asbestos fan would struggle to take seriously.

Coulombe incredulously suggested to interviewer Aasif Mandvi that there is obviously no health problem with asbestos because when you walk the streets of Asbestos you don’t see any sick people. If that wasn’t enough, moments later he explained that people in India wouldn’t be bothered by asbestos fibers because they are “used to pollution. …It’s like they have a natural antibiotic.” This, of course, was in reference to India being Canada’s largest importer of the toxic mineral.

After the segment aired, Coulombe indicated, "It was already too late by the time I realized that this program was not a serious news show and that all the host wanted was to make fun of me and the town's representatives, to insult us and to deliver anti-asbestos propaganda."

The days when CEOs spoke to the media without being prepped by their public relations staff for possible flak are long gone – except in Asbestos. Coulombe apparently failed to research the program featuring him, as it airs on the Comedy Central network. This does little to guise the show’s roots in satire. Despite its humorous presentation, the content of the show should not be tossed aside as farce.

The reality is that all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, which is mined and exported by Canada, kills over 100,000 people each year. Even with this statistic and a global movement to ban asbestos there are those spreading pro-asbestos, profit-motivated claims that it is “safe.” Those who have suffered through the decades and their advocates deeply disagree. Victims have sought mesothelioma attorneys to take action against these industry giants on their behalf, aiding them to win their deserved mesothelioma settlements. The Coulombes in this world can babble about “safe chrysotile” all they want, but the Jon Stewarts will boldly reveal the devastating facts that effortlessly make a mockery of their claims.

Daily Show 1, Asbestos 0

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

After months of following the Canadian asbestos debate, the absurdity of the pro-asbestos (or chrysotile, as they prefer to call it) movement gets wearisome.

So the Ban Asbestos Now team wants to give a big thank you to The Daily Show for shining a light on just how ridiculous the debate has become.

The Canadian government and the asbestos industry are more interested in putting profits ahead of people. While it is not used at all within Canada, asbestos is exported to developing countries with far lower safety standards. India alone imports 400,000 tons of chrysotile a year.

And while the Canadian government and asbestos industry argue that “their” chrysotile asbestos is safe, it is anything but. More than 100,000 people die from asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer every year.

In this video, Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi takes on Bernard Columbe, the man spearheading the expansion of the infamous Jeffery Mine in Asbestos, Quebec and Asbestos Town Director Georges-André Gagné. Some of our favorite quotes include:

Aasif Mandvi: “Does ‘asbestos’ mean something different in French than it does in English? Because in English is means ‘slow hacking death.’”
Georges-André Gagné: “Asbestos has been banned in some parts of the world, but here in Quebec, we are saying ‘use more asbestos.’”
Bernard Columbe: [It’s okay for the Indians to use asbestos because] “Indians are used to the pollution. It’s like they have a natural antibiotic.”

You can’t make this stuff up.

One thing not mentioned in this brilliant piece: even though we laugh at the Canadians for pushing asbestos, it's actually not banned in the United States.

Learn more about the asbestos industry and make your voice heard by writing Congress and urging them to ban asbestos today.

EPA Declares Libby, Montana Still At Risk of Asbestos Exposure

Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Libby, Montana has long been considered the most notorious, asbestos-plagued town in the U.S. For decades, a W.R. Grace & Co. vermiculite mine blanketed the town with toxic dust, exposing a huge number of residents to asbestos and unknowingly putting innocent families at great risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma and asbestosis. While the mine closed in 1990, its deadly legacy remains. Libby has since been named one of the largest and deadliest Superfund sites by the Environmental Protection Agency, and the government cleanup of the town has lasted more than a decade and cost more than $370 million.

However, good news is finally emerging from Libby’s sad, asbestos-laced story. Recently, officials announced the once-deadly ambient air in this rural town is now safe.

While results from the latest toxicity report were encouraging, health officials conceded that some homes previously addressed by the cleanup crews remain a risk and might need to be revisited. They suspect those areas have been re-contaminated by homeowners who have unintentionally brought in asbestos from contaminated sites. To prevent re-contamination of these homes, the EPA is planning to begin cleaning alleys between houses and entire neighborhoods instead of individual building. They also plan to pursue a "curb to curb" approach that will no longer make exceptions for homeowners who want parts of their yards left intact.

Another 150 homes are slated for cleanup this summer, leaving 200 more properties in the federal cleanup plan. Officials say they have been denied access to an additional 600 sites that could be contaminated.

In a separate study, research performed by the EPA suggests the cancer risk from Libby’s asbestos is similar to the danger posed by other types of asbestos. Scientists have previously claimed Libby’s unique strain of the mineral was hundreds of times more toxic than asbestos found elsewhere.

In all, the future of Libby, Montana finally looks hopeful. Perhaps future generations will breathe fresh air again in this rural, mountain town. Although, no matter how many years pass, the 400-plus who were killed by this deadly mineral will never be forgotten. Families have pursued mesothelioma settlements, empowered activists are fighting to ban asbestos on a national level, and everyone has learned from their strength. But at the end of the day, all of this will be in vain if the larger public doesn’t take note of the asbestos tragedy in Libby and take meaningful steps to eliminate this material and its related diseases once and for all.

Canadian Political Leader Visits, Promotes Asbestos Mine

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper today visited the seat of Canadian asbestos production when he made a campaign stop in the town of Asbestos, Quebec. This small town is home to the infamous Jeffrey Mine, one of the largest asbestos operations in the world. Even though this known carcinogen has been banned for use in the country, Canada still exports the mineral to developing nations across the world – most of which do not have the appropriate measures in place to safely handle the material. As a result of this controversial approach to asbestos, The Globe and Mail described Harper’s visit by headlining an article: “Canada labeled ‘immoral asbestos pusher’ as Harper visits Quebec mining town.”

Harper used this stop to vocalize his support of the ailing industry. He has often stated that asbestos can be safely used and continuously downplays the health risks. Rather than further phasing out the asbestos industry, Canada instead recently approved a government-funded expansion of operations at the Jeffrey Mine. These actions all continue even after one of Harper’s own cabinet members, Chuck Strahl, has been diagnosed with mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure.

Not surprisingly, this political play drew widespread criticism, including an open letter from environmental and union activists addressed to Harper. Rideau Institute member Kathleen Ruff wrote, “The science is indisputable that all asbestos is deadly. Not a single reputable authority supports your claim that chrysotile asbestos can be safely used,” in the letter written on behalf of more than 15 activist groups.

As shocking as this story is the fact that asbestos has yet to be banned in the United States. It is time to ban asbestos and put an end to this material’s legacy of hypocrisy and death.

A Safer Future: TSCA Reform Introduced in Senate

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A landmark bill was introduced to the US Senate last week, intending to replace the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). As reported by Sustainable Business, the “Safe Chemicals Act” is a response to persistent and vocal warnings from scientific and medical experts who claim that the TSCA has failed to curtail common chemicals, such as asbestos and BPA, that have been linked to various cancers, learning disabilities, infertility, and more.

Specifically, the “Safe Chemicals Act” would

Require EPA to identify and restrict the "worst of the worst" chemicals, including those that persist and build up in the food chain
Require basic health and safety information for all chemicals as a condition for entering or remaining on the market
Reduce the burden of toxic chemical exposures on people of color and low-income and indigenous communities
Upgrade scientific methods for testing and evaluating chemicals to reflect best practices called for by the National Academy of Sciences
Generally provide EPA with the tools and resources it needs to identify and address chemicals posing health and environmental concerns.

"Under current law, EPA is powerless to act against even the most notorious chemicals," said Richard Denison, Ph.D., Senior Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund and a leading expert on TSCA. "The Safe Chemicals Act would provide EPA with the authority it needs to protect public health; the marketplace with the information companies need to innovate safe products; and consumers with the comfort in knowing that their families are being protected," he concluded.

Once passed in 1976, TSCA’s assumption that chemicals should be considered innocent until proven guilty was starkly different from the approach taken with pharmaceuticals and pesticides. A large body of science has since showed this presumption to be unfounded. Published studies in peer-reviewed journals have shown many common chemicals can cause chronic diseases and can be toxic even at low doses.

Many chemicals are used to make everyday products like furniture, plastics and food cans. There is a risk that these chemicals may migrate from the products into our bodies. The Center for Disease Control found that the blood or tissue of almost every American carries hundreds of the chemicals, sometimes even before birth. Chemical exposure lives not only in food products, but can be environmental. Many have unknowingly experienced radon or asbestos exposure while in their home, workplace, or public buildings. Exposure to asbestos has been linked to diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. Since the manufacturing of products with asbestos was made illegal, many survivors or their families have filed mesothelioma lawsuits to receive monetary compensation for asbestos manufacturers' negligence. Of course, the Safe Chemicals Act would address additional dangerous, loosely-regulated chemicals, not just asbestos, but above all else it would force manufacturers to prove their products are safe for use before any illnesses are inflicted or lawsuits needed.

Under TSCA, EPA can not restrict even the most dangerous of these chemicals and lacks the information it needs to evaluate how this complex mixture of chemicals affects our health. Despite the partisan divide on the issue, advocates believe Congress will take action soon. Major chemical and consumer product companies such as DOW, BASF, and Procter & Gamble support the reform of TSCA. Everyone should benefit from this reform, because it is in businesses’ best interest to make safer, healthier products – including, specifically, banning asbestos once and for all.

Now Playing: Your Asbestos Awareness Week PSA

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In recognition of National Asbestos Awareness Week, Ban Asbestos Now! asked its supporters to submit pictures and videos that "put a face to the BAN cause" to be included in a public service announcement (PSA). The images could be anything - from advocates working to raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, to fundraising events for mesothelioma treatments, to pictures of patients bravely battling asbestos-related diseases.

Now, after the contributions of many BAN community members, we're proud to present our final 15-second PSA. Thanks to the support of Sokolove Law (the sponsors of the Ban Asbestos Now advocacy program) this video will be airing through the end of National Asbestos Awareness Week (April 1 - April 7, 2011) on YouTube channels including health, news, and law & government for the larger public to see.

This is just the beginning of our efforts to raise awareness about the fight to ban asbestos on a national scale. We still need your help! There are many ways to help, especially during this important week. You can find more quick, easy ways to make a difference in this fight here.

Together, we can make our voices heard and BAN!

National Asbestos Awareness Week 2011

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Earlier this month, Congress passed a resolution declaring the first week of April as "National Asbestos Awareness Week." The resolution states that National Asbestos Awareness Week seeks to "raise public awareness about the prevalence of asbestos-related diseases" and "urges the Surgeon General to warn and educate people about the public health issue of asbestos exposure."

This is the seventh time Congress has recognized National Asbestos Awareness Week, and is the result of tireless work from advocacy groups like the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) and Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), who co-sponsored the bill and has fought for the rights and health of the victims of the asbestos tragedy in Libby, Montana.

Asbestos is a known human carcinogen and exposure can result in the development of devastating diseases such as asbestosis, malignant lung cancer and mesothelioma. According to estimates from the World Health Organization, more than 107,000 people die each year from these asbestos-related diseases, and roughly 125 million people are exposed to asbestos in the workplace. And now, for the seventh year, Congress has acknowledged the need to increase awareness and education about the dangers of this material.

So now what?

Any one (or all of) the below would be a great way to make a meaningful contribution to National Asbestos Awareness Week. It's easy!

Go to our homepage and use our form to write a letter to Congress urging them to ban asbestos. The form only takes about 1 minute to complete, and actually goes to your representatives. (Many times, they'll even write back with an update!)
Share your story on our tribute wall and help others see how these are PEOPLE affected by asbestos exposure, not just numbers. Some submissions will even be considered for inclusion in a public service announcement that might one day air nationally.
Make a donation to a non-profit such as the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) or the American Cancer Society.
"Like" Ban Asbestos Now on Facebook.

And, most importantly:

Help spread the word! Tell others to find us on Facebook or visit www.BanAsbestosNow.com to make a difference in the fight against this deadly material!

The Ban Asbestos Now team and its supporters are fighting year-round to ban asbestos and eliminate mesothelioma, but for the first week of April, our cause will be at the forefront. Let's band together and make our voices heard! Together, we can make a difference and ban asbestos in the United States once and for all.

Asbestos Cigarette Filters Caused Mesothelioma Victim's Cancer

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Asbestos and cigarettes have both separately been linked to lung cancer, but now they’re intertwined in a lawsuit together. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a mesothelioma victim was just awarded $1.4 million dollars in his mesothelioma lawsuit against Lorillard Tobacco Co. You may be wondering just how these two deadly products came to be involved in the same case, and it is part of an interesting history.

At the beginning of the 1950s, tobacco companies were becoming concerned by the increasing murmers of a connection between cigarettes and lung cancer. In a bid to dismiss concerns, companies began offering filtered cigarettes. Lorillard Tobacco was the company who employed the brilliant idea of using Micronite filters in their Kent cigarettes and boasted them as a healthy and smart alternative to unfiltered cigarettes. These Mirconite filters were composed of a mixture that was 70 percent cotton/acetate and 30 percent crocidolite asbestos. This specific form of asbestos is regarded by many experts as the most hazardous of the six minerals classified as asbestos. Between 1952 and 1957, Kent sold near 13 billion of these asbestos-laden smokes.

This is where Don Lenney, the plaintiff who was awarded $1.4 million comes in. Mr. Lenney smoked Kent cigarettes when they contained Micronite fibers and is now afflicted with the terminal cancer mesothelioma. These filters were so thick that smokers like Mr. Lenney would inhale deeper to obtain their full flavor, causing asbestos fibers to be inhaled with the smoke. The fibers then embedded themselves in his lungs, scarring and irritating membranes which later led to the development of his asbestos cancer.

Don Lenney’s story is tragic and underlines the need to ban asbestos in the United States. Even with all the scientific data, this deadly material is still legal. While cigarette filters no longer contain asbestos, the fiber is still manufactured and used everyday, and exists potentially everywhere - in products such as insulation, drywall, duct tape and even children's toys.

Together, we can stop this deadly legacy and ban asbestos now.

Israel to Completely and Totally Ban Asbestos - When Will America?

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Another industrialized country has made the sane decision to ban asbestos.

Israel is joining 55+ other industrialized countries that have totally banned the deadly mineral, which is known to cause numerous serious illnesses, including mesothelioma. The most notable holdouts to a complete ban on asbestos are Canada and the United States.

While Israel has had a de facto ban on asbestos since the 1980s, the Asbestos Bill would make asbestos illegal to use in any form and mandate the removal of all existing asbestos over the next 10 years. The bill was approved this week by Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee and is expected to be passed into law in August.

While this is a step in the right direction, the process of removing existing asbestos is going to be no small task: the state of Israel is almost literally built on asbestos cement – a mixture of 90 percent concrete and 10 percent asbestos – a mix that was very popular in the 1950s and 60s for its high durability and low cost. Some estimates place the asbestos-covered area to be in the tens of millions of meters.

There is a sense of urgency here; it was once believed that only intense exposure to asbestos over many years could cause cancer. It is now believed that even small to medium exposures can be harmful.

We admit it – we’re buoyed by Israel’s decision. But we can’t help but ask – when is the United States going to follow suit? Over 10,000 Americans die from asbestos exposure each year. Shouldn’t there be more urgency and outrage in this country?

The last great effort to ban asbestos was Senator Patty Murray’s Ban Asbestos in America Act that was passed in the Senate in 2007, yet never became law. Currently, many chemical safety groups and avocactes are urging Congress to revise the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which might also lead to an asbestos ban in the United States.

Indian Students Protest Against Cancer-Causing Factory

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In a farm-dominated area of India, a factory lays half-built.

The youth of the village in Bihar have worked tirelessly to stop the construction of an asbestos plant that could threaten the health of its populace. Initially Devendra Ram, a villager near the plant, was ecstatic at the idea of the jobs this factory would create. But when his son Hare Krishna told him of the dangers of the material, Mr. Ram changed his mind.

Hare Krishna learned of the dangers of asbestos from his science classes in the government-run school he attends. More students joined and the protests began. The campaign grew as students were able to convince their parents and others of the risks the factory would bring. It has proven to be effective, as the factory’s construction has stalled.

Like all movements, the Indian work to ban asbestos has not come without bloodshed. The BBC reported that last month police fired upon protestors and over 24 people have been injured in baton charges. The future of the factory might be decided by the continuation of these protests.

Even with the demonstrations a manager of Balmukund Cement and Roofing, which is responsible for the factory, is denying that the asbestos they work with is a health hazard. According to the company, white asbestos has none of the dangers that blue asbestos has if it is used properly. The World Health Organization refutes this, noting that asbestos exposure has been associated with lung cancer, mesothelioma and many other diseases. White asbestos has been banned in more than 50 industrialized nations.

Clearly, it doesn’t always take a mesothelioma lawyer receiving a mesothelioma settlement for justice to be served. Sometimes it just takes people standing up for what’s right and making their voices heard to together make a difference.

Canada Boosting Its Economy by Exporting Mesothelioma to the Developing World

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The money-making world of the asbestos industry continues to go round. After more than 50 countries instituted laws to ban the use of the harmful mineral linked to the causation of mesothelioma and other devastating diseases, Canada is trying to bring asbestos back into economic fashion.

Don’t be confused; Canadians do not have a sudden urge to erect asbestos towers, nor do they crave asbestos as a dinner seasoning. While Canada has yet to completely ban asbestos, asbestos use within Canada is heavily regulated and generally unused. While only 5% of the mined asbestos fibers stay in Canada, 95% is exported to the developing world. India is the largest importer with a full 43%.

India, however, is not doing anything to stop this concerning global trend that is injecting new life into the asbestos industry. In Patna, India, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi recently denied the harmful health effects of asbestos exposure. We suppose he did not read reports by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that 90,000 people die of asbestos related illnesses globally each year. Critics fearfully estimate that if India does not do more than talk about strict asbestos regulation, this number will skyrocket.

If the asbestos industry were a football team, the fans filling the stands would be the Chrysotile Institute. The Institute has mandated not only to export the deadly fiber to the developing world, but also its “unique expertise on safe and responsible use,” including “expert” statements such as:

“The chrysotile asbestos industry should, of course, always assume its responsibility, and under these conditions, it could continue to flourish, and there are excellent reasons for that. India, like all developing countries, has enormous infrastructure needs. Its immense population requires reliable and low-cost materials for housing. As was the case for developed countries after the Second World War, chrysotile is an affordable material that effectively meets those needs.” – The Chrysotile Institute

It’s true that asbestos flaunts the tempting reality of low-cost building materials. India’s infrastructural needs may be met and the numbers may look good on paper. Houses will be built, and people will have places to live.

However, as seen by WHO’s research there is a very big price to pay. The economy does not suffer from this toxic dust if it is not well-regulated in India. The people do.

For more information on the issue, check out the Mesothelioma Resource Center’s blog post “India Refuses to Ban Asbestos, Canada Rejoices” or IBN Live’s report from India.

Canada Cuts Federal Funding for Major Asbestos Lobby Group

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Before we could even publish our most recent post on the controversial asbestos industry in Canada, we began reading reports of some good news from our neighbors to the north.

The Canadian federal government has heard the collective voice of both national and international health organizations demanding that the country “Ban Asbestos Now!” and stop exporting the deadly material to developing countries such as India. As a result, the government has responded with a quiet retraction of federal funding for Canada’s largest asbestos lobby group, the Chrysotile Institute.

The federal government’s withdrawal of funding applies only to the 2011-12 fiscal year, which begins April 1. Until then, the Chrysotile Institute will continue receiving their usual national support for not only domestic use of the dangerous mineral linked to mesothelioma and other deadly diseases, but also to continue exporting asbestos to developing nations.

The government might have imagined that the funding cut would be met with cheers and a a global sigh of relief from activists, but The Canadian Cancer Society and other critics would be wise not to slump into their chairs with complacency. Some experts and activists believe that the government will continue to support the industry in other forms, leaving many BAN proponents wondering what will happen next.

NDP MP Pat Martin, a critic of the asbestos industry, questioned whether the government actually cut the funding at all, noting that they can later reinstate it through supplementary spending estimates. Martin went on to say the lobby group has received support through Canada’s trade missions, trade junkets and efforts to keep asbestos off an internationally agreed upon list of hazardous substances.

The federal government’s financial separation from the Chrysotile Institute is indeed something to celebrate. However, while it is a step forward in the cause to ban asbestos worldwide, it may not be the end of the government’s relationship with the Chrysotile Institute. As this story develops and critics’ concerns are addressed, be engaged, stay alert, and refuse to be silenced.

You can check out the full story from the Ottawa Citizen here.

2011 Miles for Meso Fights to Ban Asbestos, Cure Mesothelioma

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

On February 13, hundreds of runners gathered in Boca Raton, Florida to support the fight to ban asbestos and find a cure for mesothelioma at the 2011 South Florida Miles for Meso. The event, sponsored by Sokolove Law and organized by renowned mesothelioma activist Larry Davis, raised awareness and more than $30,000 of funding for treatment research.

The video above is not only a great recap of the event, but a reminder of the importance of raising mesothelioma awareness and educating the public about the dangers of asbestos exposure. Dr. Richard Alexander, a mesothelioma clinical researcher at the University of Maryland Medical Center, participated in the Miles for Meso event and emphasized that these benefit events do make a difference in the larger fight to beat asbestos cancers and related diseases. The gap is wide between the federal funding allocated for mesothelioma research and what is actually needed, and many institutions are heavily dependent on other sources of funds, such as those provided by philanthropic organizations like the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF). Additionally, many people are unaware that the United States has not banned asbestos and that health hazards associated with the “silent killer” still exist.

On behalf of Larry Davis, MARF and Sokolove Law, the Ban Asbestos Now team would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who participated in the event and helped in the shared fight against mesothelioma. Together, we can ban asbestos and find a cure for this devastating disease.

We've yet to Ban Asbestos - but do we Need to Ban Erionite too?

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

For decades people have been aware of the dangers of asbestos, but recent reports are beginning to suggest that there a is new mineral posing a similar public health hazard to the United States. Erionite, the mesothelioma-causing rock once thought to be only native to Turkey, has been found in large deposits throughout the western part of the U.S. Gravel that has been contaminated with erionite has been used for decades to pave a variety of things from roads to parking lots and public areas. Unfortunately, these findings beg the question: are we on the brink of another outbreak of asbestos-related diseases, this time caused by erionite rather than asbestos exposure?

In 2006, the North Dakota Department of Public Health became aware of this potential problem and quickly recommended the end of using erionite-containing gravel. They also began testing for the mineral before mining for gravel. However, it is believed that erionite-containing gravel is still being shipped outside the state.

Surprisingly, these measures are not sitting well with all residents of the state. Many tax-payers feel as though officials are jumping the gun with the data currently presented. Some experts have said that since there has not been an increase in mesothelioma cases, erionite does not pose the same health hazards as asbestos. However, mesothelioma has a long latency period and symptoms sometimes take 10-50 years to appear. This timeframe is fast approaching in connection with the start of the use of erionite gravel. Hopefully a sad precedent has not been set where a material's dangers were ignored and workers were put at risk handling the mineral. The comparison is frightening: concentrations of airborne erionite in Dunn County, North Dakota, equal or exceed those in Boyali, a Turkish village with a 6.25% mesothelioma-related mortality rate.

Dunn County may end up resembling Libby, Montana. Libby was devastated by mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis due to years of asbestos mining that occurred nearby. The asbestos crisis in Libby is considered to be one of the largest public health emergencies in U.S. history.

Now is the time to prevent meosthelioma from being spread to the masses, but will they listen before another tragedy strikes? Only after we learn from our past mistakes can we ban asbestos and keep families safe by acknowledging the dangers of other, similar minerals like erionite.

Ban Asbestos Now Leading the Fight Against Mesothelioma at the 2011 South Florida Miles for Meso

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This weekend, Ban Asbestos Now will take to the streets in the fight against mesothelioma at the 2011 South Florida Miles for Meso 8K road race. Founded by the Simmons Mesothelioma Foundation and sponsored by Sokolove Law, Miles for Meso is a national series of races and walks dedicated to raising mesothelioma awareness and funding research for treatments. In addition to raising money for a cure, Ban Asbestos now also hopes to raise awareness for the BAN! cause and eliminate mesothelioma at its source.

As mentioned in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel video above, these events truly can make a difference. Not only is education and awareness key – especially when it comes to the dangerous yet all-too-common material like asbestos – but the money raised is critical to help fuel research for a cure for an “orphan disease” like mesothelioma that traditionally has not received major funding or attention. All proceeds from the South Florida Miles for Meso will benefit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

It’s not too late to help! Sign up now for the 8K race or 4K tribute walk. If you can’t make the event, you can still donate to the cause and help beat mesothelioma. And don’t forget to sign our letter to Congress urging them to ban asbestos!

Together we can ban asbestos and find a cure for mesothelioma!

Canadian Official Dying of Asbestos-Related Disease Supports Asbestos Industry

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Ban Asbestos Now team recently came across a news story that illustrates both the tragic health effects and ridiculous political forces at work in the debate surrounding the re-opening of a Canadian asbestos mine.

The dangers of asbestos have been known for decades and more than 50 countries have enacted measures to ban the use of this deadly material. While Canada does not allow asbestos to be used within its own borders, it continues to mine and export it, oftentimes to developing countries that do not have appropriate safety measures in place.

Not only is Canada disregarding the fact that asbestos exposure can lead to devastating diseases like lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, but a leading Canadian politician battling an inoperable asbestos-related illness has lended his support to the asbestos industry.

Yes, it seems backwards, but we'll say it again: a Canadian official dying of an asbestos-related lung cancer does not want to ban asbestos, and in fact wants to support the expansion and growth of the asbestos industry. Infrastructure Minister Chuck Strahl says he wants to leave his personal health out of the debate on whether Canada should be mining and exporting asbestos, and wants to make sure decision-makers are "getting into the debate on whether or not it can be managed properly."

We certainly wish Mr. Strahl the best in his fight against cancer, but hope that politicians see him as yet another sad example that (frankly) asbestos kills people and should be banned.

Turkey to Ban Asbestos

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Multiple news outlets are reporting that Turkey will ban all production, use and supply of asbestos as of Friday. Asbestos has been partially banned in Turkey for some time now, but the country’s Environment Management Directorate General released a statement saying that the new directorate will abide by European Union (EU) regulations and fully ban the material.

The official statement says the asbestos ban will “both eliminate diseases stemming from the substance and end emission of asbestos to the environment.” When asbestos-containing products are damaged or disturbed, asbestos fibers can be released and inhaled, which can lead to serious health problems and illnesses such as malignant lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

The BAN! team wants to acknowledge Turkey for joining a group of more than 50 countries that have banned the production and use of asbestos in all its forms. Despite all that is known about the dangerous and adverse health effects of asbestos, most of the world’s people still live in countries where asbestos use continues, usually with few safeguards. These regulations take a stand against such hazardous and oftentimes needless practices.

The United States is among the countries that have yet to ban asbestos. Unfortunately, many Americans equate “asbestos” with the large number of mesothelioma lawsuits that have been filed against manufacturers rather than a very real danger that surrounds many of us every day.

We need to use Turkey and the other countries that have banned asbestos as an example of the opportunity we have to follow their lead, take action and make this country a better, safer place for all. Please take a moment to sign our letter to Congress on the Ban Asbestos Now homepage and help make a difference today.