Related Topics ► Other TopicsNew York (NY) Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the state of New York bears three naturally occurring geological deposits of asbestos. One deposit lies in the northeastern portion of the state, in Jefferson County. The other two sites are located in the southeastern region of the state, near the New York/Rhode Island state line. The ATSDR also reports two "prospect" occurrences near the Vermont state line, which are defined as locations where an asbestos deposit was evaluated for commercial use, but was not developed.
Asbestos History in New York
Considered by some to be the birthplace of the American asbestos industry, New York City holds an impressive history regarding asbestos. In 1858, Henry Ward Johns founded the H.W. Johns Manufacturing Company, a company specializing in the manufacture of asbestos roofing, textiles, and insulation materials. At the ripe age of 21, the innovative Johns formed what later became the Johns Manville Corporation (JM), which became the world's largest producer of asbestos products. With the Industrial Revolution in full swing, Johns successfully developed and marketed asbestos products in antebellum New York City.
Through the mid-1980s, JM mined and produced asbestos for application in industries such as automotive, aerospace, insulation, and construction. In 1982, JM sought protection from creditors and filed for bankruptcy, citing asbestos law suits as the cause. At that time, JM was No. 181 on the Fortune 500 list and the wealthiest firm to ever file Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Johns, who discovered many uses for asbestos in his lifetime, died in 1898 of "dust phthisis pneumonitis" - a medical euphemism for asbestosis. Due to Johns' industrial influence, countless old and historic buildings in New York (as well as the Mid-Atlantic and New England states) have undergone asbestos abatement. Conversely, many older buildings have yet to receive necessary asbestos removal.
Industrial commerce found a strong foundation in New York, and as a result, the historical use of asbestos in the state is widespread. In fact, almost 400 public buildings, jobsites, and institutions in New York are known to have issues with asbestos exposure. These structures range from industrial jobsites - such as oil refineries, shipyards, chemical companies, and power plants - to public buildings - such as restaurants, schools, office facilities, and churches and synagogues. The list represents cities from across the state: Albany, Binghamton, Bronx, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Elmira, Hudson Valley, Long Island, Manhattan, Queens, Rochester, Rockland, Staten Island, Syracuse, Utica, West Chester, and Yonkers.
For example, the Astoria Powerhouse in Queens and the Arthur Kill Powerhouse in Staten Island, both previously owned by Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con-Ed), are known for their extensive asbestos usage. Among a myriad of other power generation plants in New York, these powerhouses were two of Con-Ed's largest, and are responsible for exposing many plant workers to asbestos. The elevated amounts of heat generated in a power plant demand a durable and reliable insulation for safety purposes, and for many decades, asbestos insulation was considered the optimal option for all industrial plants.
In addition to power plants, shipyards are another example of sites in New York that have posed an asbestos exposure threat. Case in point, a 1939 health report from the U.S. Navy's Surgeon General revealed that workers at the Brooklyn Navy Shipyard were suffering from asbestosis (a severe respiratory disease) caused by exposure to the asbestos-containing materials. This shipyard experienced a boom in production during World War II, when war efforts required a variety of equipment and vessels. During the war years, the Brooklyn Navy Shipyard operated non-stop, employing more than 70,000 workers. The GMD Shipyard, located within the Brooklyn Navy Shipyard, is the largest dry dock facility in New York, and also produced vessels for the Second World War. Many other ships used in the war effort came out of another shipyard in New York, the Caddell Dry Dock and Repair. Located on Staten Island, this shipyard also used asbestos for its natural fire and heat resistance in many materials. Another shipbuilding facility located near the Brooklyn Navy Shipyard, the Todds Shipyard, Brooklyn, also supplied vessels for the war effort. In just New York alone, thousands upon thousands of shipyard workers were exposed to asbestos-containing materials, predominately from the 1940s through the 1970s.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund, between 2,626 and 4,088 individuals died from either asbestosis or mesothelioma in the state of New York between 1979 and 2001. Why the discrepancy? The lower figure represents 20 years of mortality data taken before the government began tracking mesothelioma as a cause of death (nationwide mesothelioma mortality more than doubled, from 935 in 1998, to 2,343 in 1999), and the higher figure represents the estimated total deaths (assuming mortality was twice the previous statistics reported by the government). These figures only represent a fraction of the asbestos-related deaths in New York, as asbestos-induced lung cancer is not included in the statistics. Additionally, asbestos-induced gastrointestinal cancer is not included in the statistics, which, although contested by asbestos industry, accounts for approximately 1,200 gastrointestinal cancer cases a year.
Current Asbestos Concerns
The most recent pressing issue surrounding asbestos in New York is the estimated 2,000 tons of asbestos that infiltrated New York City on September 11, 2001. When the World Trade Center (WTC) towers fell, a dust cloud containing more than 2,500 contaminants extended across the city, reaching as far as New Jersey. Individuals living and working near the WTC and those who assisted in cleanup were adversely affected by the contaminated plume. Thousands of those exposed to the dust have reported disturbing health issues, ranging from respiratory ailments to various forms of cancer, the most common being lung cancer.
If you or anyone you know was near the WTC on 9/11, assisted in cleanup measures, or lived or worked near the center, you are strongly advised to monitor your health and seek help from a physician. It is not too late to contact The World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program, which provides free and confidential monitoring examinations to workers and volunteers who responded to the WTC attacks. Those who partake in the program will receive free medical examinations at regular intervals to monitor their health. The program's website, WTCExams.org, provides information on how to sign up and offers location information for examination sites.