Illinois Asbestos Exposure

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, many workers are still at risk for asbestos exposure. The agency names dozens of occupations that could expose workers, including industries prevalent in Illinois. They include:

• Auto repair
• Chemical industry
• Construction
• Mining
• Oil refining
• Power generation
• Shipbuilding
• Steel manufacturing
• Tile installation

Numerous jobsites in Illinois are contaminated with asbestos. Some may qualify as Superfund sites. Superfund sites are areas the EPA has identified as contaminated and marked for cleanup.

Oil production

Illinois workers faced exposure to asbestos at oil refining facilities, including:

• Mobil Oil Refinery (Joliet): The name later changed to ExxonMobil.
• Standard Oil Refinery (Whiting): Also known as Amoco or BP Refinery.
• Union Oil Facility (Lemont): Also known as Unocal, Uno-Ven or CITGO Refinery.

Power-generating plants

Power plants often relied on asbestos, exposing workers to potential harms. For example, the Crawford Power Plant/Hilco station required the removal of nearly 430,000 square feet of asbestos and 211,000 linear feet of asbestos pipe after it was decommissioned.

Smelting

The Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Company Superfund site was once a zinc manufacturing plant. The 227-acre site ceased operations in 2001 as a result of bankruptcy. The closure left the site polluted with asbestos and other waste.

In 2019, between 1,500 and 2,000 people died in Illinois as a result of occupational asbestos exposure. Only California, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas reported more than 2,000 deaths during the same time period.

Illinois dedicates state resources to mitigating the public health risks of asbestos. The state Environmental Protection Agency – a separate entity from the federal agency – has its own Asbestos Unit dedicated to enforcing the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). It provides clear guidance for defining asbestos-containing materials, including an explanation of the added hazard of friable asbestos. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) also monitors elementary and school facilities for asbestos-containing materials.

Asbestos-related diseases

Prolonged exposure to friable asbestos-containing material can lead to serious asbestos-related diseases like:

• Asbestosis: Caused by inhaling asbestos fibers, symptoms of this chronic lung disease might take years to develop.
• Lung cancer: Evidence links prolonged asbestos exposure to the development of growths in lung cells.
• Mesothelioma: A rare type of aggressive cancer that attacks the layer of tissue that surrounds many internal organs, including the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), heart (pericardial mesothelioma) and abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma). 

These illnesses can develop over decades, leading to symptoms that are often irreversible. Non-friable asbestos may pose less of a threat.

Several federal laws govern the manufacturing and use of asbestos. Current U.S. asbestos laws ban all new uses of asbestos, from asbestos-containing paper and flooring felt to sprayed-on asbestos applications. Asbestos products are no longer manufactured in the U.S.

The federal government still allows asbestos in some existing products and imported asbestos-containing products.

The state of Illinois also regulates asbestos. This includes setting requirements for:

• Abatement (disposal, removal, renovation or demolition)
• Licensing and training for asbestos abatement professionals
• Notification before demolishing or renovating buildings with asbestos-containing materials
• Selling a home that has asbestos-containing materials

If you’ve contracted a disease that you believe developed as a result of asbestos exposure, you may be eligible to sue. An attorney with experience handling asbestos litigation can review the facts of your case, determine your eligibility and evaluate the applicable statute of limitations.

Surviving loved ones and family members afflicted by secondary asbestos exposure may also be eligible to file a claim. An asbestos lawsuit settlement or award can help people afford ongoing medical care and compensate them for pain and suffering.

In some cases, asbestos settlements have bankrupted companies that used to sell, market or manufacture asbestos-containing materials. In some cases, corporate entities such as Johns-Manville formed trusts to handle asbestos payouts.

Learn more about asbestos bankruptcy claims.

Motley Rice attorneys have decades of experience advocating for clients who developed asbestos-related illnesses. Our team helped expose corporate knowledge of the dangers of asbestos exposure and continues to seek justice through lawsuits on behalf of those harmed.

Learn more about asbestos litigation.