Washington Asbestos Exposure

Washington State's Cascade, Okanogan and Rocky Mountain ranges have an abundance of serpentine rock, which is the source of 95% of all commercial asbestos. In addition to five "past producers" in the northern part of the state, several serpentine deposits are located in the center of the state in the vicinity of Ellensburg and Wenatchee.

Washington Cities where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

Provided below is a list of cities in the state of Washington where asbestos jobsites are known to have been located. If you worked at any of these companies and/or jobsites in Washington there is a possibility that you may have been exposed to harmful asbestos which is known to cause mesothelioma. Click on any link to view a complete list of jobsites in that city.

Maritime Heritage

Research at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland showed significantly elevated levels of asbestos disease among 4700 workers who had been employed at a Coast Guard shipbuilding and repair facility. Determining factors in the development of mesothelioma and asbestosis included the duration and the concentration of fiber exposure; those who had worked in the closed environment below decks over a long period of time were more likely to contract an asbestos disease. Those who have been exposed to asbestos should seek medical attention at any of the mesothelioma clinics in their area.

Todd Pacific and the Bremerton Naval Shipyard were two of the largest shipbuilding operations in the Puget Sound area; Kaiser, primary builder of the famous “Liberty Ships” of World War II operated facilities near Vancouver along the Columbia River,

Timber

For decades, the timber industry has been at the heart of Washington State's economy; this includes the paper industry and its derivative industries. Asbestos-containing materials are still to be found in the state's many paper and pulp mills, where they were used in the machinery and materials used in the paper-making process itself, such as drying felts and the adhesives used to affix them. Workers who have been negligently exposed should seek legal counsel from a mesothelioma lawyer.

Energy

Washington State is home to both hydroelectric and nuclear power plants. In either case, these facilities are among the most dangerous places to work when it comes to asbestos exposure. This was borne out by a Puerto Rican study published in 2007, in which 13% of chest x-rays taken of power plant workers showed abnormalities indicative of the early stages of asbestos disease.

Petrochemicals

Washington State is the first U.S. port of call for tankers from Alaska, and home to numerous oil refineries. As petroleum is a hazardous substance at all stages of production, asbestos materials were used almost everywhere from fire doors to the asbestos-lined overcoats, hoods and gloves.

The Aluminum Industry

Several asbestos lawsuits have been filed in Washington by former employees of the state's several aluminum plants. Aluminum production has been an important industry since World War Two, and the manufacturing process requires high levels of heat. Therefore, asbestos insulation was used throughout these facilities. Such insulating materials had a tendency to deteriorate and crumble over the years, however, releasing millions of fibers into the environment.

Statistics

Between 1980 and 2000, the population of Washington State increased by nearly 50%, and stood at 5.9 million at the end of the last century. Most of the population resides in the Puget Sound area. During the previous twenty years, 1,776 victims died from asbestos poisoning. Over half of these were due to asbestosis throughout the state.

Other Washington Jobsites Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

If someone you know has ever worked at one of the Jobsites listed below, they may have been exposed to high levels of asbestos. Asbestos exposure at any one of these Jobsites could put them at risk for developing one of the following asbestos related diseases: malignant mesothelioma (a terminal cancer), asbestos related lung cancer, asbestosis or pleural mesothelioma.

Sources

Cabrera-Santiago, Manuel et al. “Prevalence of Asbestos-Related Disease Among Electrical Power Generation Workers in Puerto Rico.” Presentation at American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, 2007.

Geological Research, Analyses and Services Programs. "Naturally Occurring Asbestos Locations in the Contiguous U.S. and Alaska." Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 25 May 2007.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/noa/usamap.pdf (accessed 23 August 2010).

Krstev, S. et al. “Mortality Among Shipyard Coast Guard Workers: A Retrospective Cohort Study.” Occupational and Environmental Medicine 64 (October 2007): 651-8.