Asbestos Exposure in Plattsburgh New York
Plattsburgh and Asbestos-Related Diseases
Plattsburgh, located on the eastern foothills of the Adirondack Mountains on the western shores of Lake Champlain, has a population of close to 20,000. Plattsburgh was home to the Plattsburgh Air Force Base until 1995. The city is home to the State University of New York which enrolls 6,000 students and has one of the finest regional medical facilities, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital.
Plattsburgh takes great pride in its historical museums including the Battle of Plattsburgh Interpretive Center, the Champlain Valley Transportation Museum, the Kent-Delord House, and the Clinton County Historical Museum. Located on beautiful Lake Champlain and adjacent to Adirondack Park the area provides spectacular views, walking and hiking trails and other amenities.
Plattsburgh Air Force Base, which was an active military base since the early 1800’s, closed in 1995 as part of military base realignment. Another large employer, the Georgia-Pacific paper plant, is housed in the former Lozier Auto Factory that produced luxury automobiles in the early 1900s.
Like other military installations, many of the buildings located on the Plattsburgh Air Force Base contained asbestos, a known carcinogen that can lead to mesothelioma and lung cancer, as well as other respiratory illnesses. The asbestos-containing materials were also used in aircraft. In addition, it was used as an insulator, in gaskets in airplane engines, in brakes and hoses.
Due to the popularity of asbestos with the military, it has been estimated that nearly 30 percent of veterans who served between the 1940s and 1970s may have been exposed. Government statistics show that veterans account for nearly 30 percent of all cases of mesothelioma.
The Plattsburgh area was also home to several other industries that manufactured or processed asbestos-containing products. Some of the manufacturing companies in the Plattsburgh area include Georgia Pacific Corporation, Plattsburgh Light and Power Company and Vanity Fair Paper Mills, Inc.
Historically, suppliers of asbestos products did not provide adequate safety warning to the men and women who worked with these products and equipment every day. Many inhaled asbestos fibers leaving them at risk for developing mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer or other respiratory diseases.
Family members of these workers have also developed mesothelioma after being exposed to the fibers clinging to their hair, clothes and shoes when returning home after work. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports, “Asbestos is a human carcinogen with no safe level of exposure.”
Asbestos: Hazardous to Workers
Asbestos was used extensively in many products and equipment including boilers, turbines pumps, valves, brakes, insulation, bricks, joint compounds and electrical equipment. It was also used in brake pads and clutches of large equipment and other vehicles.
Asbestos fibers, when swallowed or inhaled, lodge in the body and can cause inflammation in the tissue lining the organs which can potentially lead to cancer affecting the lungs, abdomen or heart. Asbestos exposure is also linked to asbestosis, a reaction to the asbestos that causes buildup of scar tissue around the lungs, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.
While most people diagnosed with mesothelioma were exposed on their jobs or from using asbestos in their homes, others have developed mesothelioma from indirect contact with asbestos. Family members may have ingested or inhaled asbestos fibers clinging to the clothes of loved ones who worked in an area of heavy asbestos usage. Still others were exposed to asbestos in their home during construction or renovation projects.
Mesothelioma can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, but once the disease has reached an advanced stage, life-threatening complications develop. Early detection of mesothelioma can positively influence a patient’s survival by increasing treatment options and improving his or her quality of life while battling the cancer.
Mesothelioma Specialists in Plattsburgh
Patients can be treated by dedicated medical professionals who specialize in the treatment of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related pulmonary diseases. Specialists can prescribe a treatment that best alleviates the symptoms allowing, in many instances, for the patient to have an improved quality of live and extended survival.
A patient and a mesothelioma specialist working as a team can develop a treatment protocol that best meets the patient’s needs. Many times, a mesothelioma specialist will develop the treatment plan and will supervise its implementation, while the patient still meets with his or her local doctor.
If you think you are one of the victims, seek help from our New York recommended asbestos lawyers at Belluck & Fox. We also have locations at Albany, Rochester, and Woodstock. See also asbestos exposure in Poughkeepsie New York.