News Coverage
Asbestos claims 21
Report cites deaths in Manitowoc County since 1979
Published April 2, 2004
At least 21 people have died since 1979 in Manitowoc County from asbestos exposure.
Those deaths are among the estimated 716 asbestos-related fatalities in the state since 1979, placing Wisconsin 16th in the nation, according to a report by the Environmental Working Group.
The Washington D.C.-based environmental group completed its report after six months of researching government data.
Richard Wiles, author of the report, called the problems caused by asbestos "a public health epidemic."
Wiles estimates that 10,000 people a year are dying from asbestos exposure. "And it looks like it's increasing. We expect it to increase for the next decade," he said.
The EWG's report comes before a legislative vote, anticipated in April, on the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2003.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, would set up a fund of over $100 billion for victims of asbestos. Corporations that used asbestos and their insurance companies would pay for the fund.
Wiles hopes the EWG's report will highlight the continued problems caused by asbestos exposure.
The use of asbestos in several products was banned in the 1970s and 1980s, after health problems began cropping up in industrial workers who mined or otherwise worked with asbestos.
However, the use of asbestos - known for its durability and for being fireproof-was widespread.
At its peak, asbestos was used in insulation, siding, roofing and tiles for houses.
Asbestos can be found wrapped around heating and water pipes. In automobiles, asbestos may be found in brake linings, clutch facings and gaskets.
"People need to know that asbestos is still out there," Wiles said. "... Asbestos is not anything to be taken lightly. Do not underestimate the dangers of asbestos."
Local concerns
Although the EWG's report points to a serious health epidemic, local officials point out that current levels of asbestos exposure are minimal.
"I don't think there's a lot of exposure now," said Jim Blaha, director of the Manitowoc County Health Department.
At one time in the county's history, there were many people exposed to asbestos, typically through the shipbuilding industry, he said.
"You've got to keep in mind that (asbestos-related illness) takes 40 or 50 years to develop. We did have a lot of people making submarines and ships ... all had asbestos," Blaha said.
And despite bans against the use of asbestos, there are several older homes in Manitowoc that have asbestos-based products, said Larry Maloney, building inspector for the city of Manitowoc.
"If you find any houses in the city of Manitowoc with old slate siding or slate roofing, those are asbestos-containing materials," Maloney said.
"The older homes in the city - almost all of them used to have wood-burners, then converted over to gas in the basement. Almost all of the duct work ... that's also asbestos-containing materials. We'll still find quite a bit of that in older homes, in their basements."
However, both officials stress that these materials are not harmful, as long as the asbestos is encapsulated.
"If things are intact, they really don't present much of a problem," Blaha said.
"As long as asbestos is encapsulated - painted or coated so the open fibers aren't exposed, there's no harmful effects from it," Maloney said.
The city does not require homeowners to remove asbestos from their homes.
"We will recommend, if asbestos is no longer serving any purpose, that they remove it," Maloney said.
As long as a homeowner takes precaution for removal and disposal of asbestos-containing materials, a homeowner can remove asbestos from their own home, he said.