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Large Box of Asbestos-Containing Materials Illegally Dumped in New Hampshire


Illustration of potential asbestos exposure in a building

A 1,700-pound box of asbestos-containing construction building materials was illegally dumped in Candia, New Hampshire on a class VI section of North Road on Thursday, August 11.

A resident reported the box to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Then an official from the department confirmed the box contained asbestos. The box was later removed.

According to the National Cancer Institute, if asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can become lodged in the lungs and cause scarring and inflammation. Eventually, this will affect one’s ability to breathe and lead to fatal health problems such as mesothelioma cancer.

Although New Hampshire has no naturally occurring asbestos within its borders, it does have more than fifty different locations in which asbestos exposure has been a problem. These sites range from power generation plants and oil refineries to military bases, and even public buildings such as schools and banks.

Shipyards and power plant facilities are two of the riskiest work environments when it comes to asbestos exposure. It was the S.S. Morro Castle incident in September 1934 that led shipbuilders to start using substantial amounts of asbestos in the construction of sea-going vessels.

Naval personnel and civilian employees of the Portsmouth Navy Yard who worked or were stationed there prior to 1980 may be at risk for contracting asbestos disease. Those who believe they have been negligently exposed to asbestos should seek legal guidance from a mesothelioma lawyer.

Petroleum is not only volatile, but highly toxic as well. Because of this, asbestos-containing products were used extensively in the construction of petroleum-related facilities. Like all asbestos products and building materials, these become friable as they age.

In fact, three percent of work-related deaths have been attributed to mesothelioma at the Coastal Oil refinery. The entire energy industry has made use of asbestos at one point or another, including power generation plants and natural gas facilities such as the Dover and Exeter gas plants.

Between 1980 and 2000, there were 234 asbestos-related deaths in New Hampshire. That’s about one in every 7,000 people. Mesothelioma was slightly more prevalent with patients primarily concentrated in urbanized regions of Hillsborough and Rockingham.

A number of job sites exist in New Hampshire where asbestos has been located, especially in the cities of Berlin, Concord, Dover, Manchester, Nashua, and Portsmouth.

Candia officials ask for anyone who sees suspicious activity in the area to report it to the Candia Police Department at 603.483.2318.