Wisconsin Asbestos Exposure

Virtually all asbestos exposure in Wisconsin is work-related; the state has no natural deposits except along its border with Michigan's upper peninsula.

Wisconsin Cities where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

Provided below is a list of cities in the state of Wisconsin where asbestos jobsites are known to have been located. If you worked at any of these companies and/or jobsites in Wisconsin 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.

Paper and Pulp Mills

Kimberly Clark and Georgia-Pacific one of the top 10 employers in the state; Wisconsin's production of paper products exceeds that of Washington and Oregon. Direct use of asbestos is not normally considered a hazards to pulp mill workers. However, in the past asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) were used in drying felts and adhesives. These drying felts had to be changed quite often, and were a major source of asbestos exposure.

Beyond this, most exposure to asbestos fibers in paper and pulp mills – as well as any number of industrial or public buildings constructed prior to the 1980s – was the result of deteriorating building materials containing ACMs. These include any or all of the following:

• Monokote (a type of sprayed-on insulation manufactured and marketed by W.R. Grace & Company)
• Transite (concrete wallboard impregnated with asbestos)
• floor and ceiling tiles
• mastic
• paint
• countertops

Power Plants

Blue and brown asbestos has considerably resistance to electricity. It was used extensively throughout the construction of power generation facilities. ACMs could be found in electrical cloth, conduits and even the machinery itself, including turbines and generators. Asbestos inside machinery has especially hazardous, since it could eject millions of friable asbestos fibers into the immediate environment while in motion.

A Puerto Rican study published in 2007 examined the chest x-rays of over 1,100 workers; more than 130 of them showed signs of asbestos disease. Workers who have been negligently exposed should seek legal counsel from a mesothelioma lawyer.

More Asbestos Jobsites

For the reasons outlined above, building trades such as construction, renovation and demolition pose their own asbestos hazards. Most states as well as the EPA have strong regulations regarding asbestos; in most cases, older buildings must be inspected before work is allowed to begin. If asbestos is discovered, contractors are legally required stop work and call on qualified asbestos abatement personnel. Failure to do so can result in fines of up to $500,000.

In contrast, the services of licensed asbestos contractors can be had for $20,000 to $50,000, depending on the size and nature of the abatement.

Statistics

In the 20 years preceding the 2000 census, 725 asbestosis victims deaths were reported. Most of these were due to mesothelioma patients. Victims in the Milwaukee metro area, accounted for 144 of these deaths; few fatalities were recorded in rural Wisconsin, however. Those who have been exposed to asbestos should seek medical attention at any of the mesothelioma clinics in their area.

Other Wisconsin 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.

Evans, David and Greg Johnstone. “Asbestos Use Companies and Locations in Wisconsin.” All About Malignant Mesothelioma, (September 2006)

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).