Mesothelioma and Asbestos News - October 2006

Group Wants Asbestos Banned in Saskatchewan
October 31, 2006 - A group of environmental activists known as Ban Asbestos Saskatchewan (BAS) has appealed to the provincial government to ban the hazardous material in this central Canadian province.

Parents Concerned About Asbestos in Alabama School
October 31, 2006 - Parents of students at John Essex High School in Marengo County, Alabama are concerned that asbestos removal during the school year...

School Headmaster Dies of Asbestos Exposure
October 31, 2006 - The widow of a British Roman Catholic school headmaster is trying to decide whether to sue the school for her husband’s death. 

Daughter Sues Over Mom’s Second-Hand Asbestos Death
October 30, 2006 - A woman in Sunderland County, England is suing a local shipyard, alleging that her mother’s death from mesothelioma was caused by her father’s long-time employment there.

Former Boston-area Shipyard Workers Fear for their Health
October 30, 2006 - The Boston Patriot Ledger reports that former warehouse workers at the now-defunct Hingham Shipyard fear that they were exposed to large amounts of asbestos during their tenure there.

Asbestos Dumped on Marco Island
October 30, 2006 - Marco Island, Florida officials were shocked and dismayed to discover that someone had dumped several dozen pieces of asbestos...

New Asbestos Trust Eases Burden for Owens Corning
October 25, 2006 - Three lawyers have been appointed to oversee the new Owens Corning/Fibreboard asbestos injury trust fund, which will allow the embattled Ohio company to emerge from bankruptcy.

Iowa Parents Upset About Asbestos Removal
October 25, 2006 - Parents of students at Valley High School in Des Moines are concerned about the removal of asbestos from the school during regular school hours.

Search for Asbestos at WTC Site
October 25, 2006 - This past Monday evening, workers at Ground Zero began to test for asbestos in the crevices and manholes that have remained untouched since the infamous day in 2001 when the towers fell.

Chicago Medical School Hosts Mesothelioma Conference
October 20, 2006 - The University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine will play host to the eighth annual conference of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG) this weekend. 

Eli Lilly Launches Phase III Alimta Trials
October 20, 2006 - According to a press release issued by Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceuticals, their Phase III trials for the cancer-fighting drug Alimta have begun.

Asbestos Not Deadly in Former Calgary Army Barracks
October 20, 2006 - Inspectors for Health Canada have told members of the Tsuu T’ina nation that the homes they’ve been living in illegally for the last several years do not contain dangerously high levels...

Calgary Area Residents Urged to Abandon Homes
October 17, 2006 - CBC News reports that hundreds of residents in a native community just west of Calgary, Alberta (Canada) are being urged to leave their homes...

Four Companies Settle Second-Hand Asbestos Lawsuits
October 17, 2006 - A woman from Mississippi has successfully sued four large corporations for her asbestos-caused lung cancer that she blames on second-hand exposure.

Dutch to Clean Up Their Toxic Ship
October 17, 2006 - The asbestos-laden toxic ship Otapan returned to the Port of Amsterdam this week after being turned away by Turkish authorities when it arrived in that country for ship-breaking earlier this year.

Asbestos Not Added to Toxic Substance List
October 16, 2006 - Reuters has reported that chrysotile asbestos has been kept off a watch list of toxic substances, due to a campaign spearheaded by Canada...

Asbestos Clean-Up Ending at Minneapolis Park
October 16, 2006 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is putting the finishing touches on the clean-up of Gluek Park, a Minneapolis park and designated Superfund site.

Five Year Freeze Lifted on Asbestos Compensation
October 16, 2006 - Thousands of UK asbestos victims can now begin to collect compensation after a five-year freeze. 

Supreme Court Rejects W.R. Grace Appeal
October 11, 2006 - On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused to release W.R. Grace and Company from a $54 million clean-up bill for their vermiculite facility in Libby, Montana.

NJ School Removes Asbestos While in Session
October 11, 2006 - Parents at a Union City, NJ elementary school are up in arms about the removal of asbestos materials from the school’s boiler room during school hours.

Will Asbestos Be Added to Global “Watch List”?
October 10, 2006 - This week, representatives from more than 100 governments will gather in Geneva, Switzerland to assess the progress they’ve made on the Rotterdam Convention...

Canada Sees Huge Rise in Asbestos Claims
October 10, 2006 - Canadian officials report that asbestos-related claims have risen dramatically and will continue to do so throughout the next few decades.

More Asbestos Plagues Kansas City Site
October 9, 2006 - Kansas City’s Citadel Plaza retail development, which in recent months has been the site of much controversy over asbestos-laden dirt and its removal, is facing yet another challenge. 

Candy Factory Worker Sickened by Asbestos
October 9, 2006 - A woman from Yorkshire, England, who spent decades working for a candy factory in nearby Sheffield, believes she’s developed pleural plaques...

Arizona Fines Charter Schools for Asbestos Violations
October 9, 2006 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been cracking down on Arizona’s many charter schools, says an article in the Arizona Republic. 

Newfoundland Government Compiles List of Asbestos Mine Workers
October 5, 2006 - The Newfoundland (Canada) government is following through on a promise to develop a registry of former workers of the Baie Verte asbestos mine...

Indiana Apartment Buildings Contaminated with Asbestos
October 5, 2006 - As many as 18 buildings at the Timber Ridge apartment complex in Marion County, Indiana, may be contaminated with asbestos, county officials have announced. 

Ireland Opens First Asbestos Center
October 4, 2006 - Northern Ireland has established its first center in East Belfast to aid victims of asbestos exposure and asbestos-related diseases. 

Arizona Workers Exposed To Asbestos
October 4, 2006 - In a press released issued in late September, the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry...

Scotland Passes New Meso Compensation Bill
October 2, 2006 - Trying to close a loophole on a former bill which stated that compensation could be paid to a living sufferer of mesothelioma, but at a lower rate than would be paid...