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Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma in Arkansas

Expert Fact Checked

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Jennifer Lucarelli Lawyer and Legal Advisor

If you have worked and lived in Arkansas 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 Arkansas, we have compiled the following information about asbestos and mesothelioma in Arkansas.


01. Statistics

Arkansas Mesothelioma and Asbestos Statistics

While Arkansas does not have much naturally occurring asbestos, citizens of the state can still be exposed at work and home.

  • From 1999-2015, 264 Arkansas residents died from mesothelioma
  • Arkansas has a mesothelioma death rate of approximately 5 people per million (Source: CDC)
  • Arkansas only has two known sites of naturally occurring asbestos in the Hot Springs area and Russellville area (Source: USGS)
  • Asbestos was used widely in a number of industries, causing exposure rates to be especially high in Jonesboro, Little Rock, Pine Bluff, and Fayetteville (Source: USGS)
02. Asbestos in Workplaces

Asbestos Use Across Arkansas Industries

Asbestos has been employed in several industrial areas within the state of Arkansas, bringing workers and others into close proximity to the deadly substance.

Manufacturing:

Historically, one of the biggest manufacturing names in Arkansas was Reynolds Metals, which is famous for its Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil. The company first started mining operations in Bauxite, Arkansas, a town named after a type of aluminum ore (bauxite), and for a time the company operated plants in Arkadelphia and Malvern, both of which were closed in 1985. Asbestos was used in the aluminum smelting process, due to the high levels of heat involved. Other manufacturers used asbestos as well, including lumber manufacturers run by various companies, one of which was Singer, the famous maker of sewing machines.

Power Plants:

Until 1989, the primary provider for electricity in the state was Arkansas Power & Light (AP&L), although some cities had their own power generation facilities, such as Jonesboro’s City Water & Light plant. Power plants frequently used asbestos in insulation and other parts, due to the material’s resistance to electricity and heat created as part of the power generating process.

Higher Education:

The University of Arkansas has had problems with asbestos in its buildings for many years, including campuses in both Fayetteville and Jonesboro. Asbestos has also been found on site at Arkansas State College and the State Teachers College.

Mining:

Although it is not as big of an industry as other states, Arkansas has a fair number of open-cut mining and strip mining operations. These types of mines can be particularly harmful to nearby residents and communities, especially if asbestos occurs naturally with the mined materials.

Oil Refineries:

While Arkansas does not have as many oil refineries as some states, several have been known to expose their employees to asbestos, including the Tri-State Refining Company in Wilson, the Helena Cotton Oil Company in Helena, and Cross Oil in Smackover.

Military:

A 2013 report indicated from the commander of Little Rock Air Force Base indicates that materials containing asbestos were used in the base’s buildings, and that many of those buildings still contained asbestos as of that report. The base had previously had problems with asbestos as well, such as in October 1994 when an emergency order was issued to resolve problems of “eminent release of asbestos to the open air.”

03. Superfund Sites

Asbestos Superfund Sites in Arkansas

Several locations in Arkansas have been added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of Superfund sites for various reasons, among them the presence of asbestos-containing materials.

Mountain Pine Pressure Treating

The Mountain Pine Pressure Treating site in Plainview, AR, was home to a 95-acre plot of land used to treat wood from the 1960s through the mid-1980s. The primary concerns of the EPA were pentachlorophenol (PCP) and copper chromated arsenate (CCA), two chemicals used in the wood treatment process. These chemicals were stored in large tanks that contained asbestos, and asbestos was also found in the buildings on the land, requiring abatement to be performed as part of the cleanup. The EPA removed the Mountain Pine Pressure Treating site from the Superfund list in 2005 after six years of cleanup efforts.

04. Exposure in Cities

Arkansas Cities Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

Read more about large jobsites where asbestos exposure occurred in the major cities of Arkansas. If you or a loved one worked at any of these sites in Arkansas, you may be at risk to develop malignant mesothelioma. Click on any link below to view a complete list of work sites in that city where employees were exposed to asbestos.

05. Other Work Sites

Asbestos Exposure at Other Arkansas Job Sites

Beyond the major cities and towns in Arkansas, 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.

, Arkansas Jobsites Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

  • 3M Company
  • A.M.C., Inc.
  • Ace Contractors, Inc.
  • Acme Brick
  • Alcoa
  • Alcoa
  • Alcoa
  • Alcoa Aluminum
  • Alcoa Aluminum
  • Aluminum Company of America
  • Aluminum Company of America
  • American Machine & Foundry (AMF) Bicycle Plant
  • American Oil Refinery
  • Amoco Oil Company
  • Anderson Elementary School
  • Ark Power and Light
  • Arkansas Baptist Health Medical Center
  • Arkansas Brick and Tile Company
  • Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp
  • Arkansas Glass Container Corporation
  • Arkansas Kraft
  • Arkansas Light and Heat and Power Company
  • Arkansas Louisiana Gas Company
  • Arkansas Mechanical Contractors
  • Arkansas Nuclear One Generating Station
  • Arkansas Power & Light
  • Arkansas Power & Light
  • Arkansas Power & Light (AP&L)
  • Arkansas Power & Light Company
  • Arkansas Power & Light Company
  • Arkansas Power & Light Company
  • Arkansas Power & Light Company
  • Arkansas Power & Light Company – Couch S. E. Station
  • Arkansas Power & Light Company – Lake Catherine
  • Arkansas Power & Light, Lynch Station
  • Arkansas Power and Light Company
  • Arkansas School for the Deaf
  • Arkansas State College
  • Arkansas State University
  • Arkansas State University – New Cafeteria Building
  • Arkansas Water and Light Plant
  • Arkla Chemical Company
  • Arkla Chemical Corp
  • Arlington Bath House
  • Arlington Hotel
  • Army and Navy General Hospital
  • Army and Navy General Hospital
  • Asher Avenue Station
  • AT&T
  • Ball Serv. Dist. & Eng. Company
  • Ballman Cumming Furniture
  • Bare Brand Hosiery
  • Bechtel Corp
  • Bechtel Power Plant
  • Berry Petroleum
  • Bitucote Products Company
  • Bornice Anthracite Coal. Company
  • Bradley Lumber Company
  • Bradley Lumber Company of Arkansas
  • Breeding Insulation Company Inc.
  • Buck Eye
  • Buckeye Cellulose Corp
  • Buckeye Cotton Oil Company
  • Cacus Lumber Company
  • Campbell Soup Plant
  • Capco Plant
  • Carl E. Bailey Generating Station
  • Cecil Lynch Station
  • Central Heating and Manufacturing Company
  • Central Pipe Supply Company, Inc.
  • CHI St. Vincent Hospital
  • CHI St. Vincent Infirmary
  • City Ice and Cold Storage Company
  • City of Fort Smith, Ark Water Department
  • City Water & Light Plant
  • Cole Manufacturing Company
  • Columbian Chemicals Company
  • Columbian Gibson Company
  • Cotton Belt Railroad
  • Cross Oil
  • Crossett Lumber Company
  • Crossett Paper Mills Inc.
  • Dacus Lumber Company
  • Darragh Company
  • Davis Construction Company
  • Delta Products Company
  • Dierks Paper Company
  • Dierks Paper Company
  • Dierks Paper Mill
  • Dillards Dept Store
  • Dodson Insulation Company, Inc.
  • Dravo Steel Shipping
  • Dyke Brothers
  • E.L. Bruce Company
  • Eagle Home & Building Insulators
  • El Dorado Chemical Company
  • El Dorado Foundry Machine & Supply Company
  • El Dorado Utilities, Inc.
  • Entergy Pine Light
  • Ethyl Corporation
  • Fagan Company, Inc.
  • Fayetteville Hospital
  • Fayetteville Veterans Administration Hospital
  • Feather Lite Manufacturing Company Div N
  • Federal Office Building, Warrior Construction Company
  • Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
  • Firestone
  • First Methodist Church
  • Fischer Cement & Roofing Company
  • Flint Creek Power Plant
  • Flint Steel Company
  • Fort Smith Chair Company
  • Fort Smith Light and Traction Company
  • G.W. Shirley Plumbing & Heating Company
  • General Motors Corp; Fabricast Div
  • General Sheet Metal Company
  • General Water Works Corporation
  • Georgia Pacific Corporation
  • Georgia Pacific Pulp & Paper
  • Gerber Plant
  • Global Steel
  • Great Lakes Chemical
  • Great Lakes Chemical Corporation
  • Harvey Couch Steam Elec
  • Helena Cotton Oil Company
  • Helena Gas Electric Company
  • Helena Ice Company
  • Helena Power Company
  • Hot Springs Electric Light Company
  • Hot Springs Water Company
  • Hurricane Creek Plant
  • Hurricane Creek Plantt
  • Indeck Power Equipment Company
  • Independence Steam Station
  • Industrial Tool & Die Casting Company
  • International Paper Company
  • International Paper Company – Southern Kraft Division
  • International Paper Corp
  • International Paper Mill
  • Jiffy Insulation Company
  • John L. McClellan Generating Station
  • John Monk Refinery
  • Jones Mechanical Contractors
  • Jonesboro Water & Light Plant
  • Kalmar Steel Corp
  • Kansas City Hardwood Flooring Company
  • Kansas Power & Light Company
  • Kingsway Hotel
  • Knox Hill Siding
  • Koppers Company Inc
  • Lake Catherine Power Plant
  • Lake Catherine Power Station
  • Lawrence Electric Company, Inc.
  • Lee Wilson Company Soy Bean Mill
  • Lion Oil Company
  • Little Rock Basket Company
  • Little Rock Cotton Oil Mills
  • Little Rock Heating Company
  • Little Rock School District Buildings
  • Little Rock Traction & Electric Co.
  • Little Rock Traction and Electric Company
  • Lucent Technologies
  • Lynn Whitsett Company
  • M.M. Cohn Store, Mccain Mall
  • Majestic Hotel
  • Marion Hotel Company
  • Merchants Lighting Company
  • Middle South Services, Inc.
  • Middle South Utilites, Inc.
  • Middle South Utilities Inc.
  • Mississippi Valley Generating Company
  • Missouri Pacific Railroad Company
  • Mo-Pac Railroad
  • Monsanto Chemical Company
  • N.A.D. Ordinance Plant
  • National Gypsum Company
  • Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America
  • Northeast Arkansas Insul. Company
  • Nuclear One Powerhouse
  • Oak Grove Elementary School
  • Oklahoma Gas and Elec Tire Company
  • Old Bell Telephone Building
  • Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation
  • Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation
  • Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation
  • Owasso Manufacturing Company
  • Ozark Insulation Company, Inc.
  • Ozark Ordnance Works (OOW)
  • Pan Am Southern, LLC.
  • Paper Mill
  • Pfeifer Plumbing & Heating Company, Inc.
  • Philips Lighting Company
  • Pine Bluff Arsenal
  • Pine Bluff Light and Water Company
  • Pine Bluff Mill
  • Pineville Kraft Corp
  • Pirelli Tire North America
  • Plant 7, Poinsett Lumber and Manufacturing Company
  • Poinset Lumber and Manufacturing Company, Plant Number 9
  • Poinsett Lumber and Manufacturing Company
  • Poinsett Lumber Company Plant North 8
  • Poinsett Lumer Company
  • Potlatch Forrests Inc
  • Premier Cotton Mills
  • Procter & Gamble Company (P&G)
  • Retail Crucers Ice Company
  • Reynolds Aluminum
  • Reynolds Aluminum
  • Reynolds Aluminum Company
  • Reynolds Aluminum Plant
  • Reynolds Metal Aluminum Plant
  • Reynolds Metals
  • Reynolds Metals
  • Reynolds Metals Company
  • Reynolds Metals Company
  • Root Petroleum Company
  • Root Refining Company
  • Rozzell Corporation
  • Safeway Inc.
  • Seaman Dunning Corp
  • Singer Company Wood Prod Div
  • Singer Furniture
  • Singer Manufacturing Company
  • Skelly Oil Company
  • So. Kraft Div International. Paper Company
  • South Side High School
  • Southern Kraft Corporation
  • Southern Kraft Div International. Paper Company
  • Southern Lumber Company
  • Southernextrusions
  • Southwest Manufacturing
  • Southwestern Bell Telephone
  • Southwestern Bell Telephone Company
  • Southwestern Bell Telephone Company
  • Southwestern Bell Telephone Company
  • St. Joseph Hospital
  • St. Joseph’s Hospital
  • St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company
  • St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railway
  • Standard Brake Shoe
  • State Teachers College
  • Sturbridge Townhouses
  • Sun Company, Inc.
  • Swift Chemical Company, Inc.
  • Teletype Corporation
  • Timex Airport Plant
  • Tosco Corporation
  • Tower Building
  • Tri State Mill & Supply
  • Tri State Mill & Supply Company
  • Tri State Mill & Supply Company
  • Tri State Mill & Supply Company
  • Tri State Refining Company
  • Triangle Insulation Company
  • U. S. Army Pine Bluff Arsenal
  • U.S. Veterans Hospital
  • UA Journeyman & Pipefitting Industry
  • Union Carbide
  • Union Floor & Carpet Company, Inc.
  • Union Pacific Railroad Company
  • United Electric Securities Company
  • United Insulation
  • University of Arkansas
  • University of Arkansas
  • University of Arkansas – Central Power Plant
  • University of Arkansas – Expansion of Campus Utilities
  • University of Arkansas – Mens Dorm North 2
  • University of Arkansas – New Womens Residence Hall
  • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Medical Center
  • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) University Hospital
  • Valley Planing Mill Company
  • Vender Bros., Inc.
  • Vulcan Materials Company
  • W.R. Grace
  • W.R. Wrape Stone Company, Inc.
  • Warren Bank
  • West Side Paint
  • Westinghouse Electric Corporation
  • Wheeling Pipe Line, Inc.
  • Whirlpool
  • Williams Energy
  • Wilson Lee & Company
  • Winburn Tile Manufacturing Company

Find Mesothelioma Doctors, Lawyers and Asbestos Exposure Sites Near You

Find Mesothelioma Doctors, Lawyers and Asbestos Exposure Sites Near You
Sources [+]
  • 1

    Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Asbestos Siding.

  • 2

    Marcello B. Lowell Buildings Set For Demolition Contain Asbestos.

  • 3

    Neuhalfen, Susan. “Mesothelioma Lawyer Johnson Still Worries About Arkansas Asbestos Exposure.” Market Wire, 11 August 2007.