Anaheim Mesothelioma Attorneys

In an Asbestos Nation article, the author mentioned a 1980 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proclamation: “The Agency has determined that exposure to asbestos in school buildings poses a significant hazard to public health."

More than 40 years after that quote first appeared, asbestos in public schools is still a huge issue and Anaheim is not immune to this problem. Check out these incidents:

• In 2014, the Ocean View School district had to close three schools because asbestos was found in the classroom. The school district had to use an emergency reserve fund because construction problems delayed the school campus reopening. Over 150 parents removed their children from the school district in reaction to the asbestos exposure fears.
• Washington Elementary students had to leave school for over five months because of possible asbestos exposure.

And although the total numbers are low, elementary school teachers are twice as likely to die of mesothelioma as the general public. While teachers’ mesothelioma death rates are only half those of construction workers, the rates are actually much higher than those of chemical industry and railroad workers. Those workers suffer higher known asbestos exposure rates.

The EPA considers that any building constructed before 1981 contains asbestos. While you might think that anyone in an at-risk asbestos-containing materials (ACM) building would be equally susceptible to inhalation of asbestos fibers, think again.

According to the EPA, children are more active and therefore have a higher breathing rate. They also breathe more frequently through their mouths; asbestos fibers could then travel directly to the lungs. Young children are naturally shorter than adults so they may breathe closer to the floor where hazardous asbestos particles fall to and land.

In fact, a British study concluded that:

Because of differences in life expectancy, for a given dose of asbestos the lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma is predicted to be about 3.5 times greater for a child first exposed at age 5 compared to an adult first exposed at age 25 and about 5 times greater when compared to an adult first exposed at age 30.

The United States Congress passed the Asbestos School Abatement Act in 1984. The law provided $600 million of loans and grants to help determine the asbestos danger to school students and staff. The law gave the EPA the power to disburse the funds.

The AHERA mandated the policies for schools to follow regarding possible asbestos contamination. The AHERA stated that schools need to be inspected every three years and that asbestos problems have to be managed. Trouble spots must be sealed and/or kept in good condition so that fibers cannot be released. The EPA is responsible for enforcing provisions of the AHERA.

Anaheim residents need to beware of asbestos because it exists not only in schools but also in many manufacturing sites and plants:

• Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
• Electro-Optical
• Jacobs Constructors
• United States Bedding
• Jerry’s Refrigeration
• Union Pacific
• Chevron
• VA Hospital
• Johns Manville
• FAA

If you are worried about asbestos in or near your home or workplace, you need to contact a qualified Anaheim Mesothelioma Attorney like the Throneberry Law Group. The Throneberry Law Group provides aggressive and compassionate support and representation for asbestos cancer victims. Call an experienced Throneberry Law Group attorney today at (888) 506-1131, or visit them online for 24/7 assistance.