To ready complete article, please visit www.MIRG.org

Around the world, when public health workers call for national bans on asbestos, one of the things they hear from the local asbestos industry is that the U.S. has not banned asbestos. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued regulations to phase out the use of almost all asbestos products in 1989, and these rules were overturned in a court challenge in 1991. Industry spokesmen accordingly emphasize that the sale of almost all asbestos products is still allowed in the U.s. and point to the existence of a 1986 International Labor Organization OLO) convention on asbestos to assert that there are international standards in effect for “controlled use” of asbestos.(2)

By: Janna Goerdt, Duluth News Tribune

Health screenings for Northeastern Minnesota miners and their spouses who might have been exposed to asbestos fibers will begin this spring as part of a five-year study into what has caused a high level of rare lung cancer among mine workers.

Researchers from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota will talk about progress in the five-year, $4.9 million study into mesothelioma cases Thursday night at the Mountain Iron Community Center.

Tamara Diedrich from the NRRI will also speak about the geological aspect of the project.

Dr. Jeffrey Mandel, an occupational physician at the university, said researchers hope to complete a random, voluntary screening of about 2,000 people at the Virginia Regional Medical Center within a six- to nine-month period.

There have been 59 identified cases of the rare cancer among a group of Iron Range miners; study participants worked in Iron Range mines between the 1930s and 1982. The disease can appear 40 to 50 years after someone is exposed to asbestos and is fatal.

Researchers are trying to determine if there is a relationship between exposure to taconite dust and mesothelioma.

Seventeen miners were known to have developed mesothelioma between 1988 and 1996, and in 2007 then-Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Dianne Mandernach was widely criticized for not releasing information about 35 additional known cases.

Officials began calling for an investigation into the mesothelioma cases soon afterwards.

The Minnesota Legislature approved the $4.9 million study in April. The five-year study is supposed to find not only what caused the cancer cases, but also ways to avoid the problem in the future.

Those who have been selected for the random screening should be notified sometime in the next several months, Mandel said. The screening process would include a physical heart and lung exam, a chest X-ray, breathing tests and a blood test, he said.

Researchers have been busy collecting background information on workers’ job history and exposure to asbestos, and scientists from the Natural Resources Research Institute in Duluth have been collecting and analyzing air samples from locations across the Iron Range.

If you go:

University of Minnesota update on five-year mesothelioma study

6:30 p.m. Thursday

Mountain Iron Community Center, 8586 Enterprise Drive

Presentation scheduled to last one hour, plus time for public questions

Source: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com

by Deon Scott in All News, Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma Legal Issues, asbestos, asbestos cancer, mesothelioma

According to recent reports a clean up has been scheduled to remove asbestos from piping at a former Air Force base. The clean up is to take place at the former East-Central Illinois Air Force Base, in the village of Rantoul, Illinois. The Public Works Director said that he was pleased that the work was to be carried out.

Around a mile of former steam pipes at the base are insulated with asbestos, according to the report, and all of this will have to be removed as part of the clean up. The area has now been developed, and has hotels and attractions as well as residents who are concerned about asbestos exposure.

It is thought that the clean up project will cost around one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in total. An official said that the removal of the asbestos will help to ensure the health and safety of local residents as well as visitors to the area

However, it is thought that many of the other original buildings in the area may also contain asbestos, and there are concerns of contamination at nearby Heritage Lake, which is said to have been used as a toxic dumping ground in the past.

Exposure to airborne asbestos dust and fibers can result in a range of health problems, including the deadly asbestos related cancer known as mesothelioma.

Source: http://www.bloggernews.net

]]> http://mesotheliomalawyerfirm.com/?feed=rss2&p=109 http://mesotheliomalawyerfirm.com/?p=100 http://mesotheliomalawyerfirm.com/?p=100#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:42:05 +0000 admin http://mesotheliomalawyerfirm.com/?p=100 By Rachel Rasking-Zrihen / Times-Herald staff writer

Article Launched: 12/16/2008 02:03:55 AM PST

A Vallejo man diagnosed earlier this year with a deadly asbestos-related cancer has won a $7.5 million settlement of his case, his lawyers announced.

Robert “Bobby” Hilt of Vallejo, 64, was diagnosed with mesothelioma, which likely resulted from his work as a marine machinist and janitor in San Francisco and on Mare Island, said his San Francisco lawyer, Gilbert Purcell.

Mesothelioma is a fatal cancer of the lining of the chest cavity and lungs.

The settlement, which will exceed $7.5 million after all parties ante up, is among the richest in California history, particularly for someone Hilt’s age, Purcell said. There have been some higher awards, but those were for much younger patients, Purcell said.

Hilt and his wife of 43 years, Geraldine, were plaintiffs in a trial that began last month in San Francisco Superior Court with 11 defendants that made, supplied or distributed the asbestos-containing products Hilt worked around from the early 1960s through the early 1970s, Purcell said. Two weeks into the plaintiff’s case, the last of the defendants settled out of court, he added.

The Hilts declined to be interviewed.

A San Francisco native, Hilt worked as a janitor for Schlage Lock Co.’s Bayshore plant from 1963 to 1965. He then went to work at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, where he was employed until 1972.

In the early 1970s, Hilt was “loaned out” to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, where he worked as a machinist in the nuclear reactor compartments of Sturgeon Class submarines, Purcell said.

Hilt’s asbestos exposure came from all of those work environments, Purcell said.

In 1972, Hilt took a job with the U.S. Mint in San Francisco, where he stayed until his 2004 retirement.

The Hilts took a liking to Vallejo during his stint on Mare Island, and they moved here more than 20 years ago, Purcell said.

Hilt was diagnosed with mesothelioma by his doctors at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Vallejo. That led to research into his work history to determine where he may have been exposed to asbestos.

Hilt is doing relatively well physically, Purcell said. “Typically, people with mesothelioma live 12 to 18 months from the time of clinical diagnosis,” he said. “Mr. Hilt is coming up on a year now. But his good physical condition and his good attitude have made it possible for him to continue functioning fairly normally.”

E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.

Source: http://www.timesheraldonline.com

Last update: 4:28 p.m. EST Dec. 10, 2008

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Dec 10, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Registration is now open for the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization’s (ADAO) 5th annual Asbestos Awareness Day Conference March 27 - 29, 2009 at the Manhattan Beach Marriott in Manhattan Beach, CA.

Affected individuals and families, employers, employees, research scientists and medical experts from around the globe are expected to attend. This international conference will offer medical, occupational and environmental information about asbestos-related disease, and provide a special emphasis on prevention and early detection.

Expert speakers will discuss preventing exposure, identifying occupational and non-occupational exposure, public health and environmental aspects of exposure and the early warning symptoms of disease. Musician Jordan Zevon, whose father Warren Zevon lost his life to asbestos disease, is the keynote speaker. Zevon is a prominent advocate for the rights of asbestos victims and their families.

“Communicating how to prevent deadly asbestos exposure and recognize asbestos-related disease in its earliest stages is critical to our efforts in 2009,” said Linda Reinstein, executive director and co-founder, ADAO. “Primary care physicians often misdiagnose or do not recognize signs of disease as they fail to ask patients about possible risk factors they have experienced when completing health history questionnaires.”

According to Michael R. Harbut, M.D., MPH, FCCP, co-director, National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers, Karmanos Cancer Institute, “Early detection and treatment are significant for optimal long-term health of the patient. Some of the asbestos cancers can be beaten into remission or outright cured. Although the non-malignant diseases caused by asbestos aren’t generally curable, they are often quite treatable, and we can often greatly enhance the quality of life.”

The global asbestos crisis will be an integral part of the 2009 ADAO conference, with a particular emphasis on India, the world’s largest importer of asbestos. “Inhalation of the deadly dust is increasing in some developing countries,” said Laurie Kazan-Allen, founder and coordinator of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. “Many innocent and unsuspecting people around the world continue to be exposed to a known carcinogen.”

The conference is made possible with the support and collaborative efforts of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat.

The conference registration fee includes continental breakfast, lunch and Sunday Brunch and Remembrance Service. The charge is $250 for professionals and $125 for students, patients and caregivers. The Sunday Remembrance Brunch is $25 with conference registration or $50 without conference registration. Organizations with 10 or more registrants attending will receive table recognition.

For further information or to register, go to www.AsbestosDiseaseAwareness.org.

About ADAO

In 2004, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families. The mission of ADAO is to provide the most advanced medical, occupational and environmental information available about asbestos-related diseases to individuals throughout the world.

ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims and concerned citizens a united voice to help ensure their rights are fairly represented and protected, while raising public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure and often deadly asbestos related diseases. ADAO is an independent organization funded through voluntary contributions and staffed by volunteers.

About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

Located in mid-town Detroit, MI, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of 41 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Caring for more than 6,000 new patients annually on a budget of $216 million, conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials, the Karmanos Cancer Institute is among the nation’s best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 faculty members, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, the Institute strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. For more information call 1-800-KARMANOS or go to www.karmanos.org.

About IBAS

The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), established in 2000, provides a conduit for the exchange of information between groups and individuals working to achieve a global asbestos ban and seeking to alleviate the damage caused by widespread asbestos use. Such use may be largely historical in the established economies of the West but is continuing in developing nations. Since its inception, IBAS has been involved in co-sponsoring and supporting national and international conferences furthering the above aims. In so doing, we have sought to counter the asbestos industry’s control of the information stream and to provide a platform for victims to speak out against the injustices they have suffered. Through its coordinator, Laurie Kazan-Allen, IBAS channels the views of a network of victims’ groups, medical and legal professionals and concerned individuals. IBAS has a continuing role in raising public awareness of asbestos hazards and providing informed comment on current developments.

SOURCE: Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

A California man and his wife have filed an asbestos suit against 55 defendant corporations, claiming the mesothelioma with which the man was diagnosed was wrongfully caused.

Arvid and May Johnson claim Arvid was diagnosed with the disease Sept. 15, according to a lawsuit filed Sept. 25 in Madison County Circuit Court.

They say Arvid worked from 1947 until 2004 for various companies, including the U.S. Navy, Ace Hardware and various filling stations.

They state Arvid’s exposure was foreseeable and should have been anticipated by the defendants, according to the lawsuit.

They claim his disease was caused after he was exposed to and inhaled, ingested or otherwise absorbed asbestos fibers.

The Johnsons allege the asbestos-related disease disabled and disfigured Arvid and has caused substantial medical costs. Arvid also has and will continue to experience physical pain and mental anguish, they claim in the lawsuit.

Mesothelioma hindered and prevented Arvid from pursuing his normal course of employment, according to the suit.

As a result, he lost large sums of money, the Johnsons claim.

Because of the disease, May claims she has been deprived of the support, devotion, care, society and consortium of Arvid.

In the four-count lawsuit, the couple is seeking sums in excess of $50,000, punitive and exemplary damages in excess of $100,000 and compensatory damages in excess of $50,000.

They are represented by Richard L. Saville, Jr., Robert J. Evola, Ethan A. Flint and David J. Page of Saville, Evola & Flint in Alton.

Source: http://www.madisonrecord.com

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Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos. Anyone exposed to asbestos needs to see a mesothelioma cancer specialist and consult a mesothelioma lawyer.

Boston, MA, (JusticeNewsFlash.com) September 26, 2008  –  Over the past few months, the discovery of asbestos, in schools, in the New York area has caused alarm. Parents are shocked, and officials don’t seem to be alleviating concerns.

The month of September 2008 has brought more reports and complaints. Parents at Heim Elementary School in Amherst, New York, began expressing serious concern, with the discovery of asbestos found in the floor tiles of the school. According to product liability lawyers, there are laws against children being exposed to asbestos materials because of the high risk of contracting mesothelioma lung cancer, due to secondary exposure.

Officials at Apollo Middle School also confirmed asbestos products were found by plumbers, electricians, and other construction workers preparing to renovate in the third floor building. This project included a new roof and is now on hold.

Recently, reports have begun surfacing, of a bidding war in Oneida, New York. Various asbestos-abatement companies are seeking to win the asbestos products removal contract after asbestos-contaminated materials were discovered, at a former school on Elizabeth Street.

According to numerous asbestos articles and mesothelioma organizations, there are many difficulties with renovations of aged structures. The number one complaint is the high cost induced, by the need for asbestos workers trained in the proper handling and removal of various types of asbestos products.

Mesothelioma risk factors are on the rise in our school age population due to the increased types of asbestos exposure during renovation projects. If you or your child has experienced direct or secondary exposure to asbestos products you may consider consulting a mesothelioma lawyer. These attorneys specialize in mesothelioma settlements and mesothelioma lawsuits. A skilled attorney may help you receive the proper mesothelioma treatment and compensation for your injury.

Click here: To learn more on Mesothelioma cancer, treatment and finding a mesothelioma lawyer

Heather Ryan, Health News Reporter for JusticeNewsFlash.com - News Press Release Distribution for lawyers

Written by heather

Source:  http://www.justicenewsflash.com

UTICA –A Plattsburgh business owner has been convicted of falsified monitoring results for asbestos removal companies.

Mark Desnoyers, 53, of 210 Dennis Lane, Plattsburgh, was found guilty following a two week jury trial in federal court in Utica.

Desnoyers, owner of Adirondack Environmental Associates, was an air monitor who took samples required to document the purported full and safe removal of asbestos from numerous commercial buildings and private homes.

However, the evidence established that Desnoyers secretly entered into agreements with the owners of asbestos removal companies to falsify his results. In so doing, the abatement companies in and around the Plattsburgh, NY area were able to ignore significant environmental safeguards mandated by law and disturb the asbestos in a manner that spread this deadly substance throughout the areas purportedly being cleaned. The conspiracy between Desnoyers and the abatement contractors left facilities massively contaminated and exposed clients/victims to this substance.

Desnoyers was convicted of a conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act and to commit mail fraud; aiding and abetting substantive Clean Air Act violations; mail fraud; and multiple counts of making false statements to Special Agents of the U,S, Environmental Protection Agency.

One week prior to the start of the trial, John Wood, 57, 20 Glen Drive, Plattsburgh, owner of J & W Construction, Inc.–and asbestos removal company– pleaded guilty to the Clean Air Act and mail fraud conspiracy involving Desnoyers. Wood admitted his role in directing the illegal removal of asbestos from numerous commercial facilities and private homes and in utilizing Desnoyer’s false air reports to fool clients into believing all the asbestos had been safely removed.

He also pleaded guilty to contempt of court for violating numerous conditions of pretrial release, including committing additional illegal asbestos abatements after he had already been indicted for such conduct. Wood testified against Desnoyers at trial.

Curtis Collins, 50, 3103 Essex Road, Willsboro, owner of Adirondack Asbestos, also pleaded guilty to conspiring with Desnoyers and Wood, and testified against Desnoyers. Collins acknowledged his role in the illegal removal of asbestos.

Sentencing as been scheduled in Utica, NY before the Hon. David N. Hurd on Feb. 13, Desnoyers faces a maximum possible term of incarceration of 25 years and a fine of $1.25 million plus restitution to victims; Wood faces a maximum possible term of incarceration of 5.5 years and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution to victims; Collins faces a maximum of incarceration of 5 years and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution to victims. 9-21-08

Source: http://www.northcountrygazette.org

]]> http://mesotheliomalawyerfirm.com/?feed=rss2&p=56 http://mesotheliomalawyerfirm.com/?p=54 http://mesotheliomalawyerfirm.com/?p=54#comments Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:56:48 +0000 admin http://mesotheliomalawyerfirm.com/?p=54 Posted by Andrew Schneider at September 22, 2008 12:54 p.m.

It’s great when someone gets nailed for taking actions that endanger public health. For some, including me, it’s even better when that someone getting busted is a government entity that acted as if the law didn’t apply to them.

That’s what happened last week when a federal court ruled that the city of St. Louis and the city-owned Lambert-St. Louis International Airport violated federal asbestos safety standards when they demolished asbestos-laden buildings in Bridgeton, a
community in the path of a new runway.

The EPA calls the technique the “wet method,” and hopes to use it in urban areas throughout the country. In using the technique, the environmental agency ignores its own detailed regulations requiring the removal, bagging and safe disposal of the cancer-causing asbestos from the structure.

Instead, water hoses were used to blast the contaminant from pipes, walls, ceilings and attics.

Beginning in 2000, St. Louis officials started destroying 2,000 structures for the construction the runway and the unauthorized method was used for more than three years.

In mid-2004, The Post-Dispatch reported that airport contractors had used the untested “wet method” on 260 homes and had plans for hundreds more. They seemed not to care that many of the homes nearby were still occupied by people who had yet to settle on the forced sales.

This did not keep contractors from targeting neighboring homes with the high-pressure streams, which, in many cases, sent the asbestos-carrying water streaming down neighborhood streets.

Many of EPA’s top toxicologists and asbestos experts decried the technique as dangerous, insisting that the effectiveness of the processed be carefully evaluated for safety. Other EPA technicians insisted that the unusual method was a “major money-saver,” and should be used. Headquarters supported the pro-industry stance until some members of Congress weighed in.

The same EPA officials that supported the St. Louis testing wanted to use the method to bring down a motel in Fort Worth and continue to try to use it in poor sections of other Texas cities. AS it happens, the method’s most vocal supporter is Richard Greene, EPA’s regional administration in Dallas. A former mayor of Arlington, Texas, he said the technique is a great idea. Yet I have found no indications that he has called for health studies on the method.

The successful suit against St. Louis officials was brought by Public Justice. The non-profit public interest law firm sued in behalf of people who lived near the demolished buildings and were concerned that their health was threatened by asbestos releases during the demolitions.

“This is the first time a federal court has held a city liable for violating federal asbestos safety standards,” said Public Justice Environmental Enforcement Director Jim Hecker, co-counsel in the case.

“It’s outrageous that public health officials risked exposing an entire community to asbestos, just so the city and the airport authority could save money by using a cheaper asbestos removal method.”

Those who lived in the community, especially those with children, worried about about asbestos fibers float freely when the runoff water dried.

“The Airport Authority used the illegal wet method on three houses within a block of my home while I was living there,” said Carole Donnelly, a Bridgeton resident. “I am outraged that no one told me that this method was illegal and that required steps to protect my health were ignored.”

Sean Donnelly, who also lived nearby added: “The city and the airport authority conducted an illegal and immoral human experiment on our community without our knowledge or consent.”

Public Justice successfully fought another EPA effort to use the method in Ft. Worth late last year.

Some in EPA say they hope that when and if Greene is replace with the change of administrations, calmer heads will prevail and conduct the extensive testing needed to determine whether the wet method is actually safe to use.

Most agree that a new technique for removing asbestos would be useful, but only if it does no harm.

If you want a lot more detail on what happened in St. Louis, here is a link.

Source: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com

“Alfacell is currently considering a range of options to enhance shareholder value,” said Lawrence A. Kenyon, Alfacell’s president. “We continue to make progress on the completion of our rolling new drug application (NDA) and have undertaken this project in an effort to accelerate the recognition of the value of ONCONASE(R) as a potential treatment for cancer indications in addition to mesothelioma.”

Alfacell provides no assurance that the initiation of a process to explore strategic alternatives will result in a transaction. No decision has been made to enter into any transaction at this time. The company does not currently intend to disclose developments with respect to the exploration of strategic alternatives unless and until its board of directors has approved a specific transaction.

About ONCONASE(R)

ONCONASE is a first-in-class therapeutic product candidate based on Alfacell’s proprietary ribonuclease (RNase) technology. A natural protein isolated from the leopard frog, ONCONASE has been shown in the laboratory and clinic to target cancer cells while sparing normal cells. ONCONASE triggers apoptosis, the natural death of cells, via multiple molecular mechanisms of action.

Alfacell has licensed the U.S. commercial rights for ONCONASE to Strativa Pharmaceuticals, a division of Par Pharmaceutical, Inc. Strategic marketing and distribution agreements for ONCONASE have been secured with BL&H Co. Ltd. for Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, USP Pharma Spolka Z.O.O., an affiliate of US Pharmacia, for Eastern Europe, GENESIS Pharma, S.A. for Southeastern Europe, and Megapharm Ltd. for Israel.

ONCONASE has been granted fast track status and orphan-drug designation for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma by the FDA. Additionally, ONCONASE has been granted orphan-drug designation in the European Union and Australia.

About Alfacell Corporation

Alfacell Corporation is the first company to advance a biopharmaceutical product candidate that works in a manner similar to RNA interference (RNAi) through late-stage clinical trials. The product candidate, ONCONASE, is an RNase that overcomes the challenges of targeting RNA for therapeutic purposes while enabling the development of a new class of targeted therapies for cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Alfacell has completed Phase III clinical trials of ONCONASE in unresectable malignant mesothelioma and, in addition to ongoing efforts to complete the related rolling New Drug Application, Alfacell is currently planning for Phase II clinical trials in other oncology indications. For more information, visit www.alfacell.com.

Safe Harbor

This press release includes statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements, usually containing the words “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “expect” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, uncertainty whether the clinical trial results will allow the company to complete submission of a New Drug Application and if a New Drug Application submission is completed, uncertainty whether FDA will file or approve such application, uncertainties involved in transitioning from concept to product, uncertainties involving the ability of the company to finance research and development activities, potential challenges to or violations of patents, uncertainties regarding the outcome of clinical trials or differences of opinion in interpreting the results of clinical trials, the company’s ability to secure necessary approvals from regulatory agencies, dependence upon third-party vendors, the company’s ability to timely regain its compliance with NASDAQ continued listing standards and maintain such compliance, and other risks discussed in the company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.

Media Contact: Investor Contact:
David Schull or Wendy Lau Andreas Marathovouniotis
Russo Partners Russo Partners
212-845-4271 212-845-4253
david.schull@russopartnersllc.com andreas.marathis@russopartnersllc.com
wendy.lau@russopartnersllc.com

SOURCE Alfacell Corporation