According to the English Montreal School Board, traces of asbestos were found in ventilation areas, and in mid-March a professional asbestos removal company eliminated the contaminate in those areas. Additional, precautionary tests, done after the successful removal of the asbestos from the ventilation areas, revealed that separate areas – those unrelated to the initial asbestos removal – in the schools had unsafe levels of asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring carcinogenic material used heavily in manufacturing from the mid-1800s to nearly the end of the twentieth century in industrialized countries. Deemed unsafe and dangerous to humans, use of asbestos in manufacturing dropped considerably.

In its heyday, asbestos was used in a variety of products, namely because of the mineral's versatile application nature. From artificial snow used on Christmas trees to car brakes and shoes to residential siding and plumbing fixtures, asbestos was one of the most widely used, naturally-occurring minerals in the history of manufacturing.

Exposure to asbestos – usually form inhalation or ingestion of loosened, airborne particles – is highly dangerous and can lead to severe health conditions. Mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer are a handful of deadly diseases linked to asbestos exposure.

Though the use of asbestos in manufacturing has since been banned, the prevalence of asbestos products remains significant. As it is the case with the John F. Kennedy High School, many older buildings, constructed from the 1920s and onward, will, undoubtedly, contain asbestos products.

If asbestos remains intact and left alone, it will not pose a serious threat; however, if the asbestos or the product that contains the asbestos is, in any way, disturbed or has deteriorated, the risk of exposure dramatically increases.

Proper asbestos removal and elimination is crucial to prevent unnecessary asbestos exposure.

The English Montreal School Board will meet on Monday night to study the air quality results from the John F. Kennedy High School to determine if the school is safe to reopen or if additional precautionary measures are needed.

According to the university newspaper, Pipe Dream, asbestos removal is currently underway at the Science II and Tuscarora Office Building, with additional removal operations taking place at the Heating Plant, Fine Arts Building, Central Campus Quad area, Couper Administration Building and other campus buildings between now and the start of the new fall semester.

Karen Fennie, spokesperson for the Physical Facilities department of Binghamton University, said they go “above and beyond what is required regarding monitoring and testing” for asbestos. “We’ve done removal of asbestos for years on campus without any safety issues, without any exposure issues, probably because we are so diligent about the way we go about managing this.”

Some students, however, fear that what’s being done isn’t enough to protect students, faculty, and staff from asbestos exposure. Jenna Fierstein, president of Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC), told the student newspaper that she was concerned about the proximity of asbestos removal work to a hallway in Science II that was still open to foot traffic. The abatement work, she said, is also close to classrooms that are currently still in use.

“I’ve had a lot of classes in Science II this semester,” said Fierstein, a biology and environmental studies major. “And every time I go in there, I see the construction thing with that big plastic barrier that says, ‘warning, asbestos.’ It kind of bothers me that they’re just doing construction in an area where students are heading back and forth.”

Fennie said the school is closely following state parameters for the handling of any asbestos-containing materials, but Fierstein and others doubt that they are totally safe from the possibilities of inhaling asbestos, which can cause lung scarring, asbestosis, or mesothelioma cancer.

“Following state laws and regulations just means that they’re doing only what’s minimally required,” the concerned student said. “And that’s not a very good defense. I mean, it’s a good legal defense if you don’t want to be sued … but it doesn’t actually make it so that they’re putting students’ safety and health as their top priority.”

According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, the suits were filed by a former mechanic with asbestosis and the families of three individuals who died of cancer in 2006 and 2007. All the plaintiffs said they were exposed to asbestos that was emitted from brake shoe linings from grinding machines made by Hennessy Industries.

Originally, Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn had ruled that Hennessy used no asbestos in its machines and should not be held responsible for injuries caused by dangerous substances in other companies’ products.

However, the First District Court of Appeal noted that the sole purpose of Hennessy’s grinding machines was to grind brake linings, which would - without a doubt – have resulted in the release of dangerous asbestos dust.

"When used as designed and intended, Hennessy's machines caused the release of the toxic agent," said Presiding Justice Barbara Jones in the 3-0 ruling. She added that if the plaintiffs can prove that the fibers caused their illnesses, which include the asbestos-caused cancer mesothelioma, they would be seeking to hold Hennessy accountable for its own conduct.

Hennessy, a Tennessee-based manufacturer of wheel service equipment, currently faces 20 lawsuits in San Francisco alone and several more throughout California. A panel from a Los Angeles appellate court is scheduled to make a ruling later this month as to Hennessy’s responsibility for the asbestos illnesses of plaintiffs in that jurisdiction.

Jenkins was the first EPA official to issue warnings about the corrosive dust emanating from the downed Twin Towers. After 9/11, the corrosive dust was found to cause extensive lung damage to first responders, with some of the lung damage becoming permanent.

At the time, many of the affected first responders – including police, fire and emergency workers – were not given proper or adequate protective gear that would have prevented extensive inhalation of the toxic dust.

In the wake of 9/11, Christine Todd Whitman, the former administrator for the EPA, was warned by the Bush administration to not disclose the health risks from the corrosive dust.

As a whistleblower, Jenkins called out the EPA for intentionally covering up the health dangers which included toxic amounts of cement particles, glass fibers, lead and airborne asbestos. Further, the dust rising from Ground Zero had an extremely high pH level which, when breathed in, would be akin to inhaling powdered chemicals. Essentially, the dust included toxins that would wreck havoc in the body from the brain to the lungs.

Asbestos, a known human carcinogen, is the only cause of mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer. Most commonly, mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs, though it may also affect the linings of the heart and abdominal wall. Pleural mesothelioma, as this form is known, results from direct exposure to asbestos.

Many 9/11 first responders have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, other lung conditions and different types of cancer because of the lack of protective gear and the Bush administration's downplay of the imminent health dangers of the World Trade Center dust.

In 2010, Jenkins was officially terminated from her position with the EPA.

Jenkins will be reinstated with back pay.

According to an article in the Tri-City Herald, testing was prompted earlier this year when workers began to raise concerns about asbestos exposure during activities associated with the demolition of facilities at the former nuclear production complex.

In particular, Hanford workers were concerned that asbestos insulation from outdoor steam lines may have been affected by the weather or other nearby work, causing it to become friable and flake off. In addition, they questioned whether asbestos-containing materials that may remain on the ground from already demolished buildings could be damaged by walking or driving through them, causing the release of airborne fibers.

Workers also believed that deteriorating existing buildings not yet demolished could present asbestos hazards. Any of these scenarios presented by employees could potentially result in the inhalation of toxic asbestos fibers, which can cause diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer.

The huge amount of concern, notes the article, stemmed partly from an EPA report on whether the Hanford workers should be able to mechanically remove asbestos-containing cement board, also known as transite. Though it is considered unfriable, the EPA worried that removal with an excavator would cause it to crumble or be reduced to powder, presenting further risk to the workers.

However, the DOE hopes that workers concerns disappear with the latest report, which involved the findings from more than 2,800 samples collected during demolition activities and another 277 samples from devices attached to workers' lapels during earlier demolition of several asbestos-containing buildings. Samples were also taken from vehicles at the construction site and the water supply was tested as well.

All samples showed no findings that should be of concern to those at the site, the department said. They’re hoping that a program launched earlier this year, which involves picking up any fragments of materials suspected of containing asbestos and adding covers, including soil, to certain areas, helped in the campaign to keep workers safe.

Now known as the “Oriental Nicety,” the infamous ship is banned from entering India until the owners verify that the ship does not contain any toxins.

Toxins in question include asbestos, mercury, arsenic and residual oil, and the ship must be fully decontaminated, according to Indian officials.

A ruling by the Supreme Court in India prevented the Exxon Valdez from entering a scrap yard in the state of Gujarat where the ship would have been turned into metal parts estimated at $16 million. This issue was brought before the Supreme Court by concerned environmental activists citing the uncontrolled and mandated business of bringing in potentially dangerous ships to be broken down.

Current owners – a shipbreaking firm – purchased the Exxon Valdez in order to turn it into scrap parts.

Further, Gujarat officials have banned the Exxon Valdez from anchoring near the coastline during the decontamination process.

The Exxon Valdez's last moments highlight another issue concerning India's shipbreaking industry. Law governing India's vast shipbreaking industry are relatively lax when it comes to workers' safety. Environmental activists cite that many workers who work on ships that have not yet been contaminated are oftentimes exposed to deadly toxins.

Exposure to the toxins found on the Exxon Valdez can be life-threatening. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma, a rare, yet deadly form of cancer that affects the protective lining of the lungs, heart or abdominal cavity. Separately, asbestos has been used to build ships before the substance was banned in manufacturing.

Exposure to mercury leads to impaired speech, hearing and vision. Arsenic is linked to many types of cancer and a lower immune response to infections. However, the level of exposure needed to reach deadly diseases linked to arsenic or mercury poisoning vary, but with asbestos, even the smallest amount may lead to mesothelioma.

The owners of the Exxon Valdez are currently trying to appeal the ruling.

According to a story aired on WECT-TV6 News, workers at the new natural gas plant found asbestos debris that likely came from an underground structure that was more than 50 years old and built during a time when asbestos use was commonplace, especially in power plants.

Tests were immediately performed on the material and came back positive for asbestos. Representatives of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) were called in to assess the situation and it was determined at that time that all construction should stop until the issue can be fixed. Another pile of asbestos had been found a few weeks ago and that material has since been removed.

Scott Sutton, a representative from owner Sutton Energy in Wilmington, told the media that he was unaware of any complaints of health issues related to asbestos exposure. Nonetheless, the energy company wants to be sure that exposure doesn’t occur, hence the work stoppage. The company also stressed that anyone working at the existing Sutton Energy coal burning plant on the site is not in danger of inhaling asbestos fibers, which can cause tumors to form and result in a diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer, asbestosis, or other lung diseases.

In the meantime, the situation continues to be assessed and a team from OSHA will make a decision as to when the 350 workers on the project can return to their jobs. Officials hope that the plant will be completed by 2014 and hope that the asbestos removal won’t delay construction to any great extent.

According to an article in the New York Observer, the condition of the Chelsea Hotel has continuously gone downhill over the last several years. Tenants say that asbestos “lurks in the air shafts” and that the walls of the building are covered in mold. Both are conditions that can be seriously damaging to the health of those who live inside.

Tenants and others concerned with the condition of the historic building say that the current landlord has done absolutely nothing to make the structure, which was once representative of all that Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood had to offer, safer and more livable. The iconic red brick building, built in 1896, is currently in a serious state of decay, officials say, not from neglect but from repair work done shoddily. Furthermore, the landlord has shown little or no regard for the health of the tenants, declaring the building “unoccupied” when applying for building permits for renovations.

Thanks to landlord Joseph Chetrit’s hasty and poorly done renovations, both silica dust and asbestos fill the air on a regular basis, tenants say. That means they’re faced with the possibility of inhaling the fibers, which can cause serious lung diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma cancer.

“This is what happens when an owner puts the rights to make a lot of money over the right of tenants to live peacefully,” said Assemblyman Dick Gottfried. “The personnel has been very forthright in seeming to promise to do things. It’s just the fact that they don’t,” added painter Mary Anne Rose-Gentry, who lives in an apartment with flaking ceilings and crumbling asbestos tile.

The tenants, 100 in all, filed a lawsuit against Chetrit in December, demanding that he fix unsafe conditions and remove environmental hazards such as the asbestos. So far, they’ve granted the landlord multiple extensions, but none of their demands have been met at this time.

According to an article in the Rosemount Town Pages, the college is still waiting - two years later – to find out what they should do with the contaminated dirt, which appears to contain pieces of asbestos siding that was used to line several university buildings that were demolished more than 15 years ago.

President of the college, Ron Thomas, said that DCTC hired an engineering firm to test the site after the asbestos was found. They dug down to two feet and found no further asbestos materials, so the site was deemed safe for the field. Thomas agrees with the assessment that the field is safe for baseball players and fans and notes that the college will take care of removing the asbestos-laden dirt. However, they are still waiting for instructions from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency instructing them as to how to dispose of the dirt.

In the meantime, that pile of dirt lies close to where the city of Rosemount plans to build a community athletic complex. The complex will include 4 softball/little league fields and one field for older players. Concessions, restrooms, a parking lot, and other buildings may be constructed as well.

For now, however, the planning commission has hesitated to begin construction because of the asbestos nearby. They’re concerned about putting adults and children in contact with dangerous asbestos materials, which – even in small amounts – can cause mesothelioma cancer if inhaled. Once the asbestos removal takes place, the commission said they’ll feel more comfortable allowing construction to begin.

Cancer groups have benefited from this free platform, in that, they have opened the doors for cancer patients of all kinds to connect together and share valuable, and oftentimes, life-saving information, support and resources.

Before the advent of social media, cancer patients had limited community-oriented resources, usually in the form of friends or family who have battled cancer before. In some cities and towns, support groups were formed to help cancer patients and surviving loved ones to come to terms with and understand what exactly was going on. With these situations, the interaction was somewhat limited.

Frequently, if you had a rare form of cancer or had unusual circumstances surrounding your cancer, you were on your own. Reaching out to other survivors was unheard of until the birth of social media.

Facebook allows users to create pages specifically oriented to a profession or interest. Whether the “interest” is a hobby, sport, celebrity or disease, there are hundreds, if not, thousands of other Facebook users that are experiencing the same condition.

For Gabe Canales, the founder of Blue Cure Foundation, an organization devoted to prostate cancer, the idea of launching a Facebook page was natural. Though the personal inclination was to find other men facing the same diagnosis, the Blue Cure Foundation became more of a platform for survivors and family members alike to share their experiences, troubles, triumphs and information.

Suffice it to say, but the Blue Cure Foundation's Facebook page – along with many others – are responsible for changing the face of cancer.

In no other time have patients, survivors and loved ones have had the same amount of access to professional information, personal experience and support than at any other time. No longer do people with rare forms of cancer feel as though they are fighting their battle alone; with Facebook, they can instantly connect with countless others and share their experiences in real time.

With the prevalence of cancer-related Facebook pages, many oncologists and other medical professionals have weighed into the on-going discussions. Factual, up-to-the-minute medical information is often available to Facebook users. Among the Facebook pages dedicated to cancer support include the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance – a site devoted to mesothelioma, an unusual cancer typically caused by asbestos exposure – the American Cancer Society and Breast Cancer Awareness.