Asbestos News: October, 2008

Friday, October 31st, 2008

In CONNECTICUT, a contractor had a scare in late September 2008 when working at Bethel High School. He had gotten a powdery substance, which appeared to be asbestos, on his shirt,. As a result, the school was contacted and subsequently shut down, sending students and staff home.

The mysterious material on the contractor’s shirt turned out to be a non-asbestos modern fireproofing material called Blaze Shield. Blaze Shield and asbestos are virtually identical without microscopic analysis. A thorough study of the sample was made to ensure that the material was not the dangerous substance, asbestos, which it turned out not to be. The decision to err on the side of caution was made by The Morganti Group. It was a prudent move given the history of the school and the $1.2 million already spent in asbestos abatement at the high school campus.

School Superintendent Gary Chesley praised the choice, even if it seemed that the school was needlessly closed. Superintendent Chesley has told the public that all contractors have been educated about the presence of Blaze Shield to prevent future fears.

In COOK COUNTY, IL, September 2008 flooding has forced an emergency meeting of the East Main District 63’s school board to begin taking measures against asbestos discovered in waterlogged carpets at Gemini Junior High.

Damaged carpet removal at the school revealed asbestos-containing glue had been holding it down. Air quality tests showed that the air met safety standards, but the exposed asbestos must be removed in accordance with the law.

To remedy the problem, the Superintendent urged the school board to have the asbestos completely removed rather than just covered. This would eliminate the need to worry about it in the future, even though it is the more costly choice. By an unanimous vote, the school board approved the idea and permitted the superintendent to meet with contractors to undertake the task.

While cost estimates are unknown, the state has given verbal approval for financial assistance in paying to have the asbestos removed from the school.

Until the job is finished, students have been bussed to other campuses where they are in makeshift classrooms.

Sources:

“Fireproofer, Not Asbestos, Found“, (New Milford, CT) Bethel Beacon, 26 September 2008

“Officials favor abatement of asbestos at Gemini“, Niles (IL) Herald-Spectator, 24 September 2008

Mesothelioma Patients Sought for Ongoing Clinical Trial

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

A new device for treating mesothelioma is being studied by the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research. To be conducted, the trials will need patients suffering from mesothelioma to volunteer. The device — the Electronic Tool for Monitoring Symptoms and Syndromes Associated With Advanced Cancer (nicknamed E-MOSAIC) — is being tested to see whether or not its use in monitoring mesothelioma symptoms helps to control them. The goal of the study is to determine if the E-MOSAIC is an effective means of communication of symptoms between doctor and patient. If it is, better courses of treatment can be sought.

Most drug trials examine products to treat or cure a disease, but the E-MOSAIC is intended to be tested as a palliative treatment. Palliative treatments are those that seek to improve quality of life in patients undergoing other treatments for their disease. The E-MOSAIC is being considered as a means of reducing pain and suffering.

Ideal candidates for the study will be those 18 years old or older, suffering from an advanced cancer that results in pain, appetite loss, weight loss, fatigue, depression, and/or anxiety. Patients must also be taking palliative anticancer treatment continuously every week or every other week as an outpatient. Health professionals conducting the E-MOSAIC trial will rule on final eligibility. Those interested should contact Dr. Florian Strasser, MD, at the Kantonsspital in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

The study will consist of two randomly assigned groups. Both will use an electronic hand-held device, but one group will use it to monitor their symptoms and diet. The second group will record diet and specific symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, depression, and overall well-being. Weekly evaluations by nurses will also be made of both groups.

An increase in quality of life for mesothelioma patients and those suffering from other forms of cancer is the goal of the study. The trials are expected to be finished by July of 2010.

Source:

“Mesothelioma Patients Needed for Clinical Trial Looking to Advance Palliative Treatment“, MedHeadlines, 12 September 2008

Asbestos World Watch

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

In AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, Royal Philips Electronics NV is forced to pay 241 million Euros ($353 million US) to cover the costs of asbestos claimed filed against one of its American subsidiaries. Insurance companies are anticipated to return 105 million Euros to Royal Philips Electronics NV.

Up until 1981, Philips’ TH Agriculture and Nutrition LLC unit distributed asbestos. The result has been a series of claims against the company for diseases related to asbestos exposure. In order to pay for the costs of covering these and future claimants, Philips has proposed the establishment of a $900 million trust fund. Once three-fourths of those with claims as well as the United States courts approve the measure, the trust fund can be formally established.

This is not the first of large costs incurred by the Amsterdam-based company. The last payout was for 265 million Euros in the third quarter of 2006.

In SHROPSHIRE, UK, 2009 will be the earliest the family of a woman who perished in 2007 from asbestos exposure at a military base will see compensation from the Ministry of Defense. The exposure resulted from a fire at a military base that burned asbestos; the woman, Ellen Paddock inhaled this ash, which led to her untimely death at the age of 31.

In 1983, a fire at a military depot in Donnington, Shropshire, went out of control. Dust and debris from the fire rose into the air and settled on the homes in the surrounding neighborhood. At the time, Ellen Paddock was seven year old when she played in these “asbestos snowflakes” as they fell from the sky.

She became gravely ill with mesothelioma in the 2000s, dying in November of 2007. The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure, and it is unlikely exposure for so young a woman could have come from a source other than the military depot fire. If her death did result from the asbestos from the fire, her neighbors at the time will need to be vigilant for symptoms of asbestos-caused diseases themselves.

The Ministry of Defense refuses to comment on the still pending matter. Ellen Paddock’s case is not set to be heard in the High Court until the summer of 2009.

In WINNIPEG, CANADA, asbestos has been found in space allotted by the University of Winnipeg for a future campus bookstore and cafe. The university is not releasing any further details about the site or any other problems that might have been discovered.

The building once housed a United Army surplus store, which close its doors in late 2007. At the time, the University of Winnipeg signed a 10-year lease with purchase option in 2007.

A decision on the building’s future will be made by the board of regents before the end of 2008.

Sources:

“Philips Has EU241 Million Charge for Asbestos Claims (Update1)“, Bloomberg, 26 September 2008

“Wait for Compensation after Asbestos Death“, BBC Inside Out, 24 September 2008

“U of W Finds Asbestos in Leased Surplus Store“, Winnipeg Free Press, 25 September 2008

Government Chooses for Money Over Public Health?

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Could the United States government be putting the public health at risk due to costs? That is a question Senator Baucus and others are asking. News was revealed in a September 2008 hearing in Environment and Public Works committee in the Senate that the government chose to not declare Libby, Montana, an emergency site from asbestos contamination due to the potential costs that could accrue if other sites sought the same distinction around the country.