News Coverage
Area leads S.C. in deaths tied to asbestos
Lawyers' report cites widespread use of material at former naval shipyard
Published March 6, 2004
A new report has found that the Charleston area leads the state in deaths attributed to asbestos, a legacy of the former Charleston Naval Shipyard.
A national study paid for by trial lawyers says Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties account for more than one-third of South Carolina's asbestos-related deaths, largely because of widespread use of asbestos at the Charleston shipyard.
"The deaths you 're seeing are from exposure decades ago," said Richard Wiles, senior vice president with the nonprofit Environmental Working Group of Washington, D.C., which wrote the study "Asbestos, Think Again."
"But they haven 't reached their peak, " Wiles said. "You 'll see more people dying from asbestos-related exposure in Charleston and all across South Carolina. "
According to the report, which is based on federal data, Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties recorded at least 246 of the state 's 628 deaths between 1979 and 2001 from two asbestos-related diseases: mesothelioma and asbestosis.
The study was released as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is trying to rekindle an effort to end asbestos lawsuits and let injured parties get a slice of a victims ' fund supported by asbestos companies and insurers.
Supporters say the bill would keep companies in business after facing large liability judgments.
The Environmental Working Group opposes Frist 's proposal, as does the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, which paid about half the cost of the study with a $176,000 grant. Both say victims would lose their right to seek damages.
Asbestos, a mineral, was one of the more common materials found at the shipyard during its peak years of operation, which started during World War II and ended when the facility was ordered closed in 1993. During that time, asbestos was widely used as a coating to insulate pipes and fire-proof bulkheads.
"Submarines were a big user, " Wiles said.
But asbestos is a silent killer for some workers who unwittingly inhaled bits of fibers before the danger of cancer and other diseases was known. Thousands of workers were employed at the yard during its lifetime, and many retired locally.
Mount Pleasant attorney Joe Rice, who drew attention in the early 1990s for negotiating a series of billion-dollar asbestos settlements, said there have been more asbestos-related health claims out of the shipyard than from any commercial business in Charleston. Asbestos exposure has been devastating for former shipyard workers, he added, many of whom "felt abandoned " when the facility closed.
Statewide, more than 3,000 people have filed suit over asbestos-related injuries, and Rice said his office receives about six to 10 inquiries a week about asbestos cases.
Rice was highly critical of Frist 's proposal, calling it "the largest corporate bill that has ever been considered by Congress. "
Frist is expected to begin floor action on an asbestos bill during the last week of March or the first week of April.
Asbestos legislation has been part of the tort reform effort pushed by President Bush and Republican allies. The House of Representatives has let the Senate take the lead on asbestos legislation, but both chambers must eventually pass the same bill before it can go to Bush for his signature. There are doubts the effort will go anywhere this election year, including from Republicans.
A spokesman for Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said the asbestos bill is still in "leader negotiations " and declined to comment until the measure reaches the floor. Sen. Fritz Hollings ' office did not return a call seeking comment.