Mesothelioma in Beaumont, Texas
Many of the prominent industries in Beaumont, Texas, used asbestos. Beaumont is home to several oil refineries, chemical plants and shipyards. Workers in these industries were likely exposed to asbestos. Exposure can lead to malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos diseases. Victims can find local legal and treatment resources below.
Learn More About Asbestos and Mesothelioma in Beaumont
Beaumont, Texas Mesothelioma Treatment
Beaumont is a smaller city, with a population of just under 120,000. Therefore, specialized mesothelioma treatment within the city is limited. However, 85 miles west of Beaumont is Houston, Texas.
Houston offers access to several of the country’s leading mesothelioma doctors. Experienced doctors and care teams may provide patients with an individualized treatment plan. In many cases, treatment may help mesothelioma patients extend survival and improve quality of life.
Cancer Centers for Mesothelioma Serving Beaumont, Texas
Cancer care options in the city of Beaumont may be limited. However, Houston is a large city with several cancer centers offering dedicated mesothelioma programs.
For example, Baylor College of Medicine has a designated Mesothelioma Treatment Center, which is part of the larger Lung Institute. Baylor College of Medicine also offers various support services for patients and families.
Beaumont, Texas Mesothelioma Doctors
Finding the right doctor can be an important decision for many patients. Mesothelioma patients will find many specialists to choose from in Houston, Texas. These doctors will develop personalized treatment plans catered to patients’ unique needs.
Beaumont, Texas Mesothelioma Lawsuits
Beaumont residents and workers may have unknowingly experienced asbestos exposure. As a result, many have developed asbestos diseases. In many cases, asbestos manufacturing companies knew of the connection between asbestos exposure and cancer.
If you were exposed to asbestos in Texas at a commercial, residential or military site and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to compensation. Individuals with asbestos diseases may be able to file a lawsuit against the responsible parties. Specialized asbestos and mesothelioma attorneys can help asbestos victims file an asbestos claim.
Some individuals may also be able to join a class action lawsuit. These lawsuits often represent a large group of people who were exposed in similar ways or by a common party. For example, a recent lawsuit included the employees of 22 refineries, chemical plants and shipyards located around the country, including in Beaumont.
Finding a Lawyer or Law Firm in Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont residents may have experienced occupational asbestos exposure from several worksites. Working with an experienced asbestos law firm may help individuals successfully seek compensation. Several local and national law firms with experience in Texas mesothelioma lawsuits can serve clients in the Beaumont area.
The success of an asbestos claim is dependent on many factors, including the severity of disease, exposure history and health history. Beaumont mesothelioma lawyers will help individuals gather the relevant information needed to file a claim.
Deadlines for Filing Mesothelioma Lawsuits in Beaumont, Texas
Claims need to be filed by a specific deadline called the statute of limitations. Statutes of limitations vary by state and by claim type. Individuals should contact a Beaumont mesothelioma attorney to learn more about the filing process.
Claims must be filed within 2 years after an asbestos-related diagnosis.
Claims must be filed within 2 years after an asbestos-related death.
Successful lawsuits and claims may result in an asbestos settlement and other benefits. Compensation from a successful claim may help individuals and their families pay for treatment-related costs.
Age: 81
Occupation: Shipyard worker
Jobsites Worked at: Samuelson Shipyard (1944 – 1947)
Settlement: ~$1,983,976
Age: 55
Occupation: Pipefitter
Jobsites Worked at: Mobil Refinery (1993 – 1997)
Settlement: ~$1,030,645
Age: 92
Occupations: Navy, Inspector
Jobsites Worked at: Jefferson County Civil Defense Department (1951)
Settlement: ~$963,046
Age: 74
Occupations: Household exposure, Shipyard
Jobsites Worked at: Sun Oil Co. (1950 – 1956)
Settlement: ~$550,702
Asbestos Use in Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas, residents may be exposed to asbestos in a number of settings, including at workplaces, public buildings and private settings, such as at home. Many of the city’s most prominent industries used asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). These industries included oil, ships and chemical refining.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral. The mineral is dangerous when inhaled and can lead to serious health conditions, such as mesothelioma. Often, symptoms of asbestos diseases do not appear for up to 50 years after exposure.
| Gender | Number of Deaths |
|---|---|
| Male | 83 |
| Female | 10 |
Beaumont, Texas Oil and Asbestos
In 1901, oil explorers struck a large oil reserve under Beaumont’s Spindletop Hill. This was a lucrative discovery for the city of Beaumont, contributing to an oil boom. For many years, the oil industry remained one of the city’s top employers.
Oil refineries used asbestos for its ability to withstand high temperatures. For instance, oil refinery gaskets often contained asbestos to tightly seal pressurized pipes. It was also used in insulation and fireproofing materials.
A March 2006 study investigated occupational asbestos exposure at Beaumont oil refineries. Researchers estimated workers’ exposure levels between 1940 and 1985.
The study found instances of occupational exposure among the following professions:
- Boilermakers
- Insulators
- Pipefitters
- Welders
According to the researchers, insulators experienced the highest levels of exposure. Though there is no safe level of asbestos exposure, higher levels of exposure are more likely to lead to asbestos-related diseases.
Beaumont, Texas Chemical Plants and Asbestos
The Beaumont-Port Arthur metropolitan area is home to several chemical facilities. ExxonMobil and TPC Group (formerly known as Texas Petrochemicals) operated plants in the area. Until the 1980s, chemical plants frequently used asbestos. Asbestos is chemical- and heat-resistant, making it useful during chemical processing.
TPC Group constructed a plant in neighboring Port Neches, Texas in the 1940s. Pipe coverings and block insulation in the facility contained asbestos. Workers in this plant may have been exposed to asbestos during construction and renovation.
When asbestos fibers age, they are likely to break down and become airborne. As a result, old buildings still pose a health threat.
In November 2019, several explosions at the TPC Group chemical plant sent debris into the air. As a result of the explosion, asbestos fibers became airborne. Residents of Beaumont, Nederland and Port Arthur were warned about the asbestos danger by Jefferson County leaders. Officials believe up to 50,000 Beaumont–Port Arthur area residents may have been affected.
Beaumont, Texas Ships and Asbestos
Beaumont is close to several ports, making it an ideal area for shipbuilding and anchoring. In 1946, the United States government developed the Beaumont Reserve Fleet on the Neches River. The anchorage is still active today as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF).
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) conducted an Environmental Assessment for the Control of Asbestos Hazards for all NDRF sites in 1980. According to the report, all 327 NDRF vessels contained asbestos.
Asbestos was used in ship construction for strength and heat resistance. Sailors, shipyard workers and shipbuilders were at high risk of asbestos exposure while working on these vessels.
Individuals not working directly on ships at the Port of Beaumont may have also faced exposure. For example, some workers loaded and unloaded asbestos materials at the docks. Many port employees faced exposure during this period.
Other Beaumont, Texas Asbestos Exposure Sites
Asbestos was most popular in Beaumont from the early 1900s to about 1985. As a result of widespread use, the mineral was found in many settings and industries in the city.
Older public buildings are especially likely to contain asbestos. Structures built before 1985 may have asbestos in ceilings, insulation or floor tiles. Buildings with aging asbestos in Beaumont include:
- The Jefferson County Courthouse: Originally built in 1803, the Jefferson County courthouse has undergone several renovations. As part of these updates, the courthouse underwent asbestos remediation, including the removal of asbestos floor tile. Lawyers, judges and other frequent visitors may have faced exposure. Recently, a judge’s widow filed a wrongful death lawsuit for her husband’s mesothelioma-related death. She believed his disease came from asbestos exposure at the courthouse. He worked there until 1996.
- Smith Middle School: Hundreds of schools across the United States contain asbestos materials, including Smith Middle School. Floor tiles throughout the school contained asbestos. The tiles were removed, and the school underwent a full renovation in 2009.
Active and inactive worksites both present asbestos exposure risks. The following list shows Beaumont asbestos exposure sites, though it is not exhaustive.
Beaumont, Texas Jobsites Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred
- Alco Products
- American Insulation Company Inc.
- Ap Green F B Company of Tex
- Arch Chemicals Inc
- Arco Refinery
- Armstrong Contracting & Supply Corporation (ACandS, Inc.)
- Austin Junior High
- Beaumont Chemical Plant
- Beaumont City Docks
- Beaumont Electric Light and Power Company
- Beaumont Ice Light and Refining Company
- Beaumont Iron & Metal
- Beaumont National Linen Services
- Beaumont Shipyards
- Beaumont Water Works
- Beaumont Well Works
- Beaumont, Port Arthur and Port Nachez Railway
- Bechtel Corporation
- Bethlehem Steel Shipyard
- Big Three Industries
- Boiler House North 3
- Bridge City Powerhouse
- Brown Center Old Beaumont Highway
- Central Freight Lines
- City Auditorium
- Civic Center
- Comet Rice Mills
- Continental Can Company
- Crystal Ice Company
- Dresser Ideco
- Dunbar Elementary School
- Dupont Chemical Plant
- E.I. Dupont De Nemours & Company Inc.
- East Texas Pulp and Paper
- Exxon/Mobil Oil Corp
- Forward Reduction Company
- Foster Grand Chemical Company
- G A Jahn and Company
- G.S.U. Powerhouse
- Geo A Burt
- Gibson Products Company
- Goodyear Chemical Company
- Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
- Gray Hall
- Gulf Refining Company
- Gulf States Utilities Company
- Houston Chemcial Company
- Humble Oil & Refining Company
- Industrial Insulators, Inc.
- J M Guffey Petroleum Company
- Lamar College
- Lasco of Beaumont, Inc.
- Lone Star and Crescent Oil Company
- Louisiana Supply Company
- Lower Neches Valley Authority
- Magnolia Petroleum Company
- Marshall Middle School
- Mcfaddin-Weiss Kyle Rice Milling Company
- Mcintosh Electric
- Mobil Eclipse
- Mobil Grease Plant Tank Farm
- Mobil Pipeline Company
- Mobile Oil Refinery
- Morris Hall
- National Oil and Pipe Line Company
- Neches Ins
- Oil City Brass Works
- Olin Corporation
- Olin Mathieson Chemical
- Olin Mathieson Sulfur Plant
- Park Dale Mall
- Pennsylvania Shipyards
- Petroleum Tower Building
- Philips Petroleum Refinery
- Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company
- Port of Beaumont
- PPG Industries
- San Jacinto Building
- Security Oil Company
- Sinclair-Koppers Chemical Plant
- St. Elizabeth Hospital
- Sun Oil Company
- Terra Industries Inc
- Texaco Refinery
- Texas Gulf Sulphur Company
- Texas Highway Department
- Texas Metal Works
- The Edson Hotel
- Thorpe Insulation
- Trotti & Thompson, Inc.
- Union Oil Refinery
- Velsicol Chemical Plant
Sources
Beaumont Independent School District. Smith Middle School Hurricane Estimate. December 2008.
Belisle R. Jefferson County Courthouse repairs cost $3M to date. Herald Mail Media. July 2017.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Underlying Cause of Death, 1999-2020. CDC Wonder Online Database.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancer burden: Jefferson County, Texas Mesothelioma, 2012-2016. United States Cancer Statistics: Data Visualizations.
Department of State Health Services. Texas Asbestos Health Protection Act. June 2003.
Leagle. Jefferson County v. Farris. No. 01-17-00493-CV. August 2018.
Texas Escapes. The Jefferson County Courthouse.
United States Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors. The Ports of Port Arthur, Sabine, Beaumont and Orange, Texas. 1940.
U.S. Department of Commerce Maritime Administration. Environmental Assessment for the Control of Asbestos Hazards in MARAD programs. July 1980.
Williams P, Paustenbach D, Balzer J and Mangold C. Retrospective Exposure Assessment of Airborne Asbestos Related to Skilled Craftsmen at a Petroleum Refinery in Beaumont, Texas (1940–2006). Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. August 2006;70(13):1076-1107. doi: 10.1080/15287390701208305
Wooster R and Sanders CM. Texas State Historical Association. Spindletop Oilfield. Texas State Historical Association. Updated April 2019.
Yates D. Justices backtrack in asbestos suit against Jefferson County, substitute previous opinion. Southeast Texas Record. January 2019.
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Jennifer Lucarelli
Mesothelioma Lawyer and Legal Advisor
For more than two decades, Jennifer Lucarelli has served as Legal Advisor at Mesothelioma.com. She has advocated for more than 1,000 asbestos victims, securing millions in settlements and helping them access quality medical care.
