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Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure in Arizona

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Jennifer Lucarelli Lawyer and Legal Advisor

If you have worked and lived in Arizona for a significant amount of time, there is a chance that you were exposed to asbestos at home or in the workplace. Prolonged exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health problems including pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. As a service to people who live in Arizona, we have compiled the following information about asbestos and mesothelioma in Arizona.


01. Statistics

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Statistics in Arizona

  • From 1999-2015, approximately 798 Arizona residents died from mesothelioma
  • Arizona has a mesothelioma death rate of about 9 per million each year (Source: CDC)
  • There are 103 known sites of naturally occurring asbestos in Arizona, of which 96 contain chrysotile asbestos mostly found in Gila and Pinal counties (Source: USGS)
  • The highest concentration of asbestos can be found in Gila county, especially in the areas around the Salt River Canyon which has about 90 deposits. Over the course of about 50 years, over 75,000 pounds of asbestos was mined from this area by over 160 operating mines (Source: Arizona Geological Survey)
02. Asbestos in Workplaces

Asbestos Use in Arizona Work Environments

Arizona has a lot of naturally occurring asbestos, which contributed to its usage in a lot of different industries.

Mining:

Though the last asbestos mine in Arizona shut down in the early 1980s, it was extremely prevalent throughout the state because of the large amounts of natural chrysotile asbestos. Asbestos was also once considered the most important resource at the San Carlos Indian Reservation, which led to the operation of 7 asbestos mines.

Copper Smelting:

Copper mining was also quite prevalent in Arizona, which created the need for copper smelters, who would use heat and chemical processes to melt and refine the metal ore. Companies like Phelps Dodge Copper Mine and Magma Copper Company used asbestos in their equipment because of its durable properties.

Oil Refineries:

Four oil refineries in Alabama, like the Coastal Mobile Refinery, used a variety of asbestos materials in construction of the facility and the required machinery for the chemical processes, putting many oil refinery workers at risk.

Manufacturing:

Various manufacturing companies used asbestos in their machinery and facilities. An infamous asbestos manufacturer, W.R. Grace and Co, also operated a vermiculite packing plant in Phoenix known as Solomon’s Mines, Inc. The vermiculite from this company was contaminated with asbestos from their mines in Libby, Montana, putting employees of the plant at risk of exposure.

Military:

Asbestos was used throughout the military, including the United States Air Force and Marines. Williams Air Force Base and the Yuma Marine Corps Air Station were two important facilities for the military, among the leading training stations for their respective branches. Ultimately the station in Yuma was listed as Superfund Sites because of various environmental contaminants, including asbestos.

Power Plants:

Power Plants: Companies like the Cholla Power Plant and the Yucca Power Plant made use of a variety of asbestos products in their machinery and construction. Industrial safety experts have stated that power plants are among the most hazardous when it comes to asbestos exposure.

03. Superfund Sites

Asbestos Superfund Sites and Shipyards in Arizona

Arizona has had a few sites added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund list because of environmental concerns, including asbestos.

Mountain View Mobile Home Estates (Gila)

The 17 acre Mountain View Mobile Homes were established in 1973 on the site of a former asbestos mill, Metate Asbestos Corporation. Two of the three mills were originally ordered to close because they failed to meet the EPA’s emission requirements. Former mill owners, however, attained permits to rezone the area into a residential property. In doing so, they covered up various asbestos waste contaminating the grounds with topsoil and even left some of their equipment around the area. At the same time, the third asbestos mill continued to operate nearby. The site was added to the Superfund list in 1982, temporarily rehoming the approximately 100 or so residents during cleanup. After extensive cleanup efforts and further investigations, the site was removed from the list in 1988.

Yuma Marine Corps Air Station (Yuma)

The Yuma Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS Yuma) occupies almost 3,000 acres near Yuma. It originally served as a training facility for the Air Force, but was transferred to the Marines in the late 1950s. The site was included on the Superfund list in 1990, primarily because of contaminated groundwater and improper disposal of waste fuels directly on the grounds. The soil was also found to be contaminated with asbestos from various waste materials. The military and ADEQ worked on a remediation process, installing wells and testing samples. Monitoring and maintenance activities remain in place today.

04. Exposure in Cities

Arizona Cities with Asbestos Problems

Provided below is a list of cities in the state of Arizona where asbestos use in the workplace is known to have occurred. Click on a city below to see more detailed information about the specific job sites where asbestos exposure occurred.

05. Other Work Sites

Asbestos Risks at Smaller Arizona Job Sites

Beyond the major cities and towns in Arizona, asbestos exposure has also occurred at a number of other job sites. Select a town to see the list of its work sites where asbestos exposure occurred. Asbestos exposure at any one of the sites revealed could put a worker at risk to develop pleural mesothelioma.

Arizona Directory of Asbestos Work Sites

Select a city to see a list of work sites where asbestos exposure occurred.

, Arizona Jobsites Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

  • Abitibi Consolidated
  • Adams Insulation
  • Agua Fria Generating Station
  • Alcoa Corporation
  • Allison Steel Manufacturing Co.
  • Allison Steel Manufacturing Company
  • Aluminum Processors, Inc.
  • American Smelting & Refining Company
  • Anaconda Copper Mining Company
  • Apache Generating Station
  • Apache Powder Company
  • Apache Station
  • Ariz. Eastern Railroad Company
  • Arizona Bank Building
  • Arizona Brewing Company
  • Arizona Commercial Copper Company
  • Arizona Copper Company Ltd
  • Arizona Copper Company Ltd
  • Arizona Edison Company
  • Arizona Electric Power Cooperative
  • Arizona Engine and Pump Company
  • Arizona Ice and Cold Storage Company
  • Arizona Light and Power Company, Inc.
  • Arizona Liquor Distribution
  • Arizona Packaging Company
  • Arizona Portland Cement Company
  • Arizona Public Service
  • Arizona Public Service Company
  • Arizona Public Service Company
  • Arizona Rr Company
  • Arizona State College
  • Arizona State Hospital
  • Arizona State Teacher’s College
  • Arizona State Teachers College
  • Arizona State University
  • Arizona State University
  • Arizona State University – Smelter
  • Arizona State University Library
  • Arizona State University, Tempe Campus Tunnel
  • Arizona Table Pad Company
  • Asbestos Engineering & Supply Company
  • Asu Utility Tunnel
  • Banner Desert Medical Center
  • Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center
  • Bartlett-Heard Land and Cattle Company
  • Bhp Cooper
  • Borel Office Building
  • Boy Scouts of America, Roosevelt Council Headquarters
  • Bureau of Reclamation
  • Calumet and Arizona Mining Company
  • Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center
  • Carlsons Brick & Builders Supply
  • Central Arizona Light & Power Company
  • Central Arizona Street Electric Station
  • Central Plaza Building
  • Century Brick Company
  • Childs-Irving Power Plant
  • Cholla Power Plant
  • Cochise Powerhouse/ Arizona Electric Power Co-Op
  • Combustion Equipment Company
  • Constable Ice and Fuel Company
  • Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company
  • Crystal Ice and Cold Storage Company
  • Cudahy Packing Company
  • Cypress Mines
  • Detroit Copper Mining Company
  • DeVry University, Phoenix Campus
  • Douglas Improvement Company
  • Duval Mine
  • Eagle Milling Company, Inc.
  • El Paso and S W Rr Company
  • Fenco, Inc.
  • Fiberglass Engineering & Supply Division, Owens-Corning
  • Flagstaff Electric Light Company
  • Ford Motor Company
  • Fort Huachuca
  • Fort Huachuca
  • Garrett AiResearch
  • General Aluminum & Chemical Corporation
  • General Electric
  • General Electric – Turbine
  • General Electric Company (GE)
  • Gibson Copper Company
  • Globe Light and Power Company
  • Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery
  • Honeywell, Inc.
  • Hotel Adams
  • HP Copper
  • Hughes Aircraft Company
  • Indian Hospital
  • Indian River School
  • Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company
  • Inspiration Copper Mine
  • Inspiration Copper Mine
  • International Consolidated Copper Company
  • Irvington Generating Station
  • John C. Lincoln Medical Center
  • Kaiser Refractories
  • Kennecott Copper Company
  • Kennecott Copper Mine
  • Kennecott Copper Smelter
  • Kennecott Minerals Company
  • Kyrene Steam Power Plant
  • Kyrene Steam Power Plant
  • Le Fleur Corporation
  • Lenco Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.
  • Luke Air Force Base
  • Luke Air Force Base
  • M.H. Sherman Company
  • Magma Copper Company
  • Marathon Steel Company
  • Marsh Company Murray
  • Merabank Tower
  • Mercury Mines of America
  • Merritt Air Conditioning, Inc.
  • Metcalf Copper Smelter
  • Miami Copper Company
  • Morenci Power Plant
  • Morenci Smelter Plant
  • Morenci Water Company
  • Motorola 52nd Street Plant
  • Mountain Bell Telephone Company
  • Murray Marsh
  • National Brewing Company
  • National Malleable & Steel Corporation
  • Navajo Generating Station
  • Navajo Generating Station – Salt River Project
  • New Corneilia Copper Company
  • Normande Iron & Metal
  • Northern Arizona University
  • O’Malley Lumber Company
  • Ocotilla Power Plant
  • Old Dominion Copper Mining and Smelting Company
  • Ott Hardware Company
  • P D Acid Plant
  • Pacific Fruit Express Company
  • Page Arizona Powerplant
  • Page Power Plant
  • Palo Verde Generating Station
  • Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Plant
  • Papago Park Administrative Building
  • Phelps Dodge Acid Plant
  • Phelps Dodge Aluminum
  • Phelps Dodge Copper Mine
  • Phelps Dodge Copper Mine
  • Phelps Dodge Copper Mine
  • Phelps Dodge Copper Mine
  • Phelps Dodge Copper Products
  • Phelps Dodge Corporation
  • Phelps Dodge Corporation
  • Phelps Dodge Corporation (Douglas Smelter)
  • Phelps-Dodge Corporation
  • Phoenix Cement Company
  • Phoenix Cement Company
  • Phoenix Charging Plant
  • Phoenix Civic Plaza, Symphony Hall
  • Phoenix Gas Works
  • Phoenix Indian School
  • Phoenix Memorial Hospital
  • Phoenix Newspaper Building
  • Phoenix Railway Company
  • Phoenix Steel Corporation
  • Phoenix Utility Company
  • Ponderosa Paper Products Company Incn
  • Power Plant
  • Ray Consolidated Copper Company
  • Reynolds Aluminum Plant
  • Reynolds Metals Company
  • Safeway
  • Safeway – Warehouse
  • Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Company
  • Saguaro Power Plant (APS)
  • Sahuaro High School
  • Salt River Project
  • Salt River Project
  • Salt River Pump & Supply Company, Inc.
  • Salt River Valley Water User Association
  • San Manuel Copper Corporation
  • San Manuel Copper Refinery
  • Santa Fe Elementary School, Team Track
  • Shannon Copper Company
  • Smurfit Stone Corp
  • Snowflake Paper and Pulp
  • Snowflake Paper Mill
  • South Lawn Memorial Cemetery
  • South Western Nitrochemical Company
  • Southwest Forest Industries
  • Southwest Forest Industries
  • Southwest Forest Industries, Inc.
  • Southwest Lumber Mills
  • Southwest Lumber Mills Inc
  • Southwestern Agrichemical Company
  • Southwestern Alloys
  • Spreckels Sugar
  • Spreckels Sugar Company
  • Spreckles Sugar Plant
  • St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center
  • Sunnyslope Family Health Center
  • Sunnyslope High School
  • Superior and Boston Copper Company
  • Titan Missile Museum
  • Tovrea Meat Packing Company
  • Tucson Electric Power (TEP)
  • Tucson Gas and Electric Company
  • Tucson High Magnet School
  • Tucson Metal & Manufacturing Company
  • Tucson VA Medical Center
  • U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Welton-Mohawk Gila)
  • Uneeda Appliance Company
  • Union Carbide Corporation
  • Union Pacific Railroad
  • United Verde Copper Company
  • United Verde Extension Mining Company
  • United Wholesale, South Pacific Team Track
  • University of Arizona
  • Us Inspection Station
  • Valley National Bank
  • W.S. Power
  • West Phoenix Power Plant
  • Western Electric Company, Inc. Cable Plant
  • Western Rolling Mills
  • Williams Air Force Base
  • Wisconsin Tissue
  • Yucca Power Plant
  • Yuma Desalting Plant
  • Yuma Electric Water Company
  • Yuma Ice and Cld Stge Company
  • Yuma Marine Corps Base

Find Mesothelioma Doctors, Lawyers and Asbestos Exposure Sites Near You

Find Mesothelioma Doctors, Lawyers and Asbestos Exposure Sites Near You