Safe Demolition Essential to Avoid Asbestos Exposure

December 29, 2011

Demolition projects are rife with hazards and not just those that come from falling debris and heavy machinery. The presence of asbestos in a building that is to be torn down presents a number of dangers as such work can allow the naturally occurring mineral’s fibers to become airborne, which can have deadly consequences. The [...]

Read the full article →

Casale Monferrato Council Signs ‘Pact with the Devil’ Over Asbestos Contamination

December 19, 2011

It’s a good thing the mayor and town council of Casale Monferrato, Italy, weren’t presiding over the Nuremberg Trials following World War II, as it’s now clear that these individuals care little about serving justice to the parties responsible for severe crimes. Reports indicate the town council, led by Mayor Giorgio Demezzi, has decided to [...]

Read the full article →

Chemical Company BASF Catalyst Seeks Dismissal of Lying Accusations in Asbestos Case

December 6, 2011

International chemical company BASF Catalyst and its corporate law firm recently asked a New Jersey federal court to dismiss charges that it allegedly lied to asbestos disease victims and their families about the presence of the carcinogenic substance in its talc. According to Public Justice, an amicus brief was filed in the class-action Williams, et [...]

Read the full article →

Eternit Seeks to Protect Itself, Shed Asbestos Exposure Blame

November 28, 2011

An ongoing trial in Italy is the latest example of an asbestos company looking to skirt the legal system and absolve itself from blame at the expense of exposure victims. In a recent blog post, Laurie Kazan-Allen, the Coordinator of International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), noted that the “Great Asbestos Trial” involving asbestos conglomerate Eternit [...]

Read the full article →

Some Conservative Canadian Lawmakers Question Asbestos Position

November 21, 2011

Exposure to asbestos causes malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. This is a fact that has been proven for nearly 50 years and is accepted by virtually every medical professional on the planet, but that hasn’t stopped some Canadian officials from claiming the naturally occurring substance can be used safely. However, a growing number of [...]

Read the full article →

Government Accountability Office Refutes Asbestos Manufacturers’ Claims Over Trusts

November 8, 2011

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report that demonstrates the true role of asbestos trusts, suggesting that these trusts do, in fact, have measures to prevent fraud and are transparent. According to the report, which was requested by House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith, asbestos trusts paid out approximately 3.3 million claims valued [...]

Read the full article →

Honeywell International Attempts to Shed Liability through New Legislation

November 1, 2011

Having been a member of the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) since 2007, Honeywell International is hoping the government arm can succeed in granting legal immunity to corporations that manufacture dangerous products. According to a recent report from the American Association of Justice, the ILR has sought to [...]

Read the full article →

New Gene Sequencer is Poised to Revolutionize Mesothelioma Research

October 25, 2011

In the U.S., mesothelioma has led to countless deaths, and currently, little can be done about it. However, the Thoracic Oncology Program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has ushered in a new era in mesothelioma research by acquiring a state-of-the-art genetic sequencing tool. Called the 5500 SOLiD Sequencer, the device offers researchers [...]

Read the full article →

A Deadly Reminder: 20th Anniversary of Overturning U.S. Asbestos Ban Marked

October 18, 2011

On October 18, 1991, vested interests including the federal government of Canada, the province of Quebec and asbestos supporters and stakeholders successfully overturned the U.S. Asbestos Ban and Phase-Out Rule (ABPR). Laurie Kazan-Allen, the Coordinator of International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), said in a press conference marking the anniversary in Ottawa that the decision to [...]

Read the full article →

Major New Mesothelioma Technology Celebrated at UCSF

October 11, 2011

I was honored last week to speak at an intimate reception which celebrated the inauguration of a major collaboration between global biotechnology company Life Technologies Inc. and the Thoracic Oncology Laboratory at the University of California in San Francisco. Founded in 1995 by thoracic surgeon David M. Jablons, MD and thoracic oncologist Thierry Jahan, MD, [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →