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New York - Merchant Marine School
History
The City of New York has always been an integral port for its entire existence, and as such it required strong defensive fortifications in case of attack from a foreign power. In 1826 the Federal Government purchased 52 acres of land in the Throgg's Neck section of the Bronx as a location for Fort Schuyler, which was completed in 1845. The fort provided strong defenses for the city throughout the Civil War. After the hostilities ceased, it became impractical to continue its use as a major fortification and it was all but abandoned by 1870. In 1875 the New York State obtained the land and the old fort. Several decades of renovations followed, more buildings were constructed and in 1934 it became the official home of the New York State Merchant Marine Academy.
Throughout the following years, the New York State Merchant Marine Academy has evolved. In 1948 it was one of the original education institutions that created the State Universities of New York (SUNY). It is now SUNY Maritime College, and Fort Schuyler is a maritime museum.
Asbestos Use at Merchant Marine School
Construction projects and renovations have occurred throughout the decades following SUNY's incorporation of the Maritime College in 1948. Work done during the 1950s through the 1970s was often marked by use of asbestos in many products including insulation and tiles. Asbestos is a strong mineral that is fire-resistant, thus making it ideal for everything from floor tiles to boiler-room insulation. It has only been since the 1970s that the dangers associated with asbestos containing products became known, listed below. Asbestos is still present at SUNY Maritime College as it contains asbestos sprayed ceilings, vinyl asbestos floor tiles and asbestos insulation on most of the piping systems throughout the campus. The school even published an ad in February, 2005 seeking a Plant Utilities Engineer who would oversee many projects including "minor asbestos removal projects" (website listed), clearly demonstrating that asbestos is still found at SUNY Maritime College.
Merchant Marine Academy Workers At Risk for Mesothelioma and Asbestos Disease
By the mid 1970s, strong evidence was uncovered regarding the health dangers associated with prolonged exposure to asbestos. Many who had worked with asbestos for extended periods of time were coming down with pulmonary diseases (such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis) from breathing asbestos dust.
The asbestos related diseases include:
- Mesothelioma: a type of cancer only caused by asbestos exposure that attacks the lining around the lungs and/or heart and/or abdomen. This cancer is not in the organs themselves, though untreated it will spread. The most common form is pleural mesothelioma (lung lining), then peritoneal mesothelioma (stomach lining), and then pericardial mesothelioma (heart lining).
- Asbestos Related Lung Cancer: while lung cancer can come from numerous sources, asbestos exposure can lead to the formation of a malignant tumor that blocks the air passages (common for smokers who were exposed to asbestos).
- Asbestosis: a pulmonary condition, only caused by exposure to asbestos, where scar tissue builds up in the lungs causing breathing problems and low blood flow.
The diseases associated with asbestos are similar in that their symptoms often do not appear for many years after exposure. It is not uncommon for someone to develop lung cancer after a 10 year lag between onset and initial exposure. Mesothelioma and asbestosis often do not become apparent for 30 to 40 years after the initial exposure to asbestos. Common symptoms include difficulty breathing, chest pains, a dry hacking cough that sometimes contains blood.
The health problems associated with asbestos were not just isolated to people who worked directly with the product. The asbestos dust would spread easily through the air putting workers who never used it at risk. Family members were also at risk because workers would return home with the dust on their clothes, shoes and even hair.
There are different treatments available for patients suffering asbestos related cancers and diseases. These include, but are not limited to: chemotherapy and certain medications including Lovastatin which can be used as an antineoplastic agent preventing the growth of certain cancerous tumors, and Alimta (also called Pemetrexed) which has been approved by the F.D.A. for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
