What Asbestos Did in One Town

Once, residents of Ambler, Penn., considered manufacturer Keasbey & Mattison Co. the town’s most respected corporate citizen. The company provided well-paying jobs for Ambler residents, and even contributed some of the town’s public buildings. Unfortunately, the company also contributed something else—enough tons of asbestos waste and pollution to transform sections of Ambler into Superfund sites.

The case of Ambler is so high profile, the University of Pennsylvania has secured a $1.2 million grant to do a “holistic” study on it, says an article in the Times Herald, a local newspaper. Among other topics, researchers will investigate how asbestos waste has impacted the health of Ambler’s residents. Already, there are clearly documented links between asbestos and serious diseases, including mesothelioma, a rare but deadly cancer.

However, the new study also aims to discover “the broader effects asbestos has had on the community,” according to Dr. Frances Barg, the study’s principal investigator. Barg is an associate professor of family medicine and community health at UPenn. The grant will fund her research team for five years.

Keasbey & Mattison produced asbestos and related building products in Ambler from 1897 to 1934, the article notes. In fact, asbestos production lasted until the 1980s, when the public recognized the risks involved.

Asbestos has affected victims in many ways. Asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma, which affects the linings of the heart, lungs, or abdomen.

Have you or a loved one been exposed to asbestos in the workplace and developed mesothelioma? You can call Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation to discuss a potential mesothelioma lawsuit.

Tags: