Asbestos in West Virginia

Mining is heavily tied to asbestos, and no state is more heavily tied to mining than West Virginia.  Coal mining is the state’s main economic stronghold.  Also high in West Virginia asbestos exposure are chemical plants (DuPont and Union Carbide are two examples) and power plants, which are plentiful as well in the state.  Two metal works sites in the state, Weirton Steel and Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel, are both known to have exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos can also be found in residential homes and businesses for insulation.  The material is extremely heat-resistant and those properties have made it popular to use as insulation for crawl spaces and water pipes.  Electrical conduits, boilers, and HVAC equipment and ductwork are likely to contain the substance as well.  It can keep the items it surrounds either hot or cold, as desired.

West Virginia Asbestos Regulations

Employees can work in a variety of occupations within a business and still be very accessible to asbestos exposure.  From the miners to the secretaries, no one is immune from possibly coming into contact with the dangerous asbestos fibers.  A revised Asbestos Standard for General Industry from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), found on their web site, can shed light on West Virginia asbestos regulations.

Asbestos Removal

The State of West Virginia regulates the removal of asbestos by mandating compliance with Asbestos Abatement Licensing of the state’s Public Health Code.  West Virginia asbestos regulations require a training course for someone to be licensed to remove asbestos.  More information can be found at West Virginia Accreditation Standards.

 Asbestos Exposure Risks

Exposure to asbestos, its fibers and dust particles, can be extremely hazardous to your health.  If you have worked in a coal mine, chemical plant, or power plant, in any capacity, you should seek asbestos help in West Virginia.  An asbestos attorney can discuss your case with you in detail.

Asbestos-Related Illnesses

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer, an aggressive form, which has been linked to asbestos exposure.  If you have been exposed to asbestos, you may not know if you have contracted a disease for a long time.  Mesothelioma is known as latent; it can hide for a long time.  When symptoms do appear, they show up fast and must be treated aggressively.

Mesothelioma is not the only asbestos-related disease to come from exposure to the substance.  During the decades of the 1980s and 1990s, West Virginia asbestos exposure saw 594 deaths due to contamination with the toxic substance.  Less than 50 percent were attributed to mesothelioma, with the remainder associated with a disease known as asbestosis, a non-cancerous illness.  West Virginia has statistics that rank it No. 3 in the nation for crude morality rate, while it ranks No. 26 for mesothelioma cases.  More than 25 percent occurred in Kanawha County, where among the leading industries are coal, chemicals, electric power, and mine equipment and machinery.  There has also been an asbestos lawsuit filed against the Norfolk Southern Railway Company.  An asbestos attorney can help you decide if you have a case.

Legal Help for Asbestos?

A lawsuit currently in litigation in West Virginia is battling it out in the court system over X-rays.  The chest X-rays are expected to show silicosis or asbestosis.  The lawsuit was brought by Earl Baylor against CSX Transportation for exposure to asbestos and is now playing out in the state’s court system.

If you have reason to believe you have been exposed to the toxic substance, get asbestos help in West Virginia by contacting an asbestos attorney today to discuss what legal recourse may be open to you.