2/24/11 Of the more than 500 people from Indiana who died from an asbestos-related illness between 1979 and 1980, one was notable–not only because of his celebrity status, but because of how that celebrity status brought mesothelioma to the attention of the mainstream media and the average American. Actor Steve McQueen, who appeared in films [...]
2/24/11 The list of job sites, companies, factories and public facilities in Massachusetts at which asbestos -containing materials (ACMs) are now or have been used is extensive, containing over 400 different industries and institutions. They run the gamut from the usual industrial settings such as gas works, power plants, foundries and shipyards to several school [...]
2/24/11 Iowa’s primary industry is agriculture; as a result, the rate of asbestos-related mortality in this state has been somewhat lower than other areas of the nation. Since 1979, 460 Iowans (out of a population of approximately 2.9 million) have lost their lives to asbestos diseases. The overwhelming majority of these were from mesothelioma, which [...]
2/23/11 According to a map published by the American Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), there has been a large and thriving asbestos industry in the state of Arizona, concentrated in and around the Tucson area. American Asbestos Mines, a division of Arizona Asbestos Inc., operated several such mines during the 1950s and 60s. Arizona [...]
2/22/11 In terms of geology, naturally-occurring asbestos is associated with volcanism and areas in which earthquakes are common. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the geologically-active areas in the Pacific regions of North America – including Alaska – should contain numerous deposits of asbestiform minerals. Alaska is also home to many industries, both [...]
2/23/11 During NASA’s halcyon days, when anything seemed possible and the launching of a spacecraft was an event watched on TV by millions, southern Florida was at the center of it all. The launch of a spacecraft by means of a chemically-fueled rocket and the stress of re-entry entail dealing with an incredible amount of [...]
2/23/11 Were you aware that asbestos is the Golden State’s official mineral? Serpentine – the source of chrysotile asbestos – is found in abundance in the foothills of California’s three major mountain ranges. It should come as no surprise. Major asbestos operations are located in Quebec and upstate New York, which is part of the [...]
2/23/11 For those who wonder about what the American West was like in the first part of the 19th Century, Wyoming is a good approximation. For its size (the 10th largest state at nearly 98,000 square miles), it is the least densely populated; less than half a million humans inhabit the state. It should then [...]
2/23/11 (Courtesy Photo) Asbestos is in fact an issue of great concern to many people in Georgia, including those involved in their state chapter of the Environmental Information Association. This group regularly provides information on asbestos management, abatement and disposal, including a list of authorized disposal sites and education on the state’s geology and how [...]
2/23/11 Although geologically active, Hawaii differs from the continental U.S. in that its terrain was not formed from folding action resulting from the collision of tectonic plates, but from the building action of volcanoes. As a result, Hawaii is unique in that it is one of the few places in the world that has no [...]
