Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is investigating a troubling incident which took place at the Topeka Correctional Facility in Topeka, Kansas in 2005.  Several female inmates inside the correctional facility allege that they were forced to remove asbestos-containing materials without proper training or safety gear during an extensive renovation at the facility [...]

Contrary to popular belief, there is no asbestos ban in the United States.  In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created a Final Rule regarding the manufacture, importation, processing and distribution of asbestos that virtually banned all use of asbestos and asbestos containing materials (ACMs).  However the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the rule [...]

Asbestos, a naturally occurring, inexpensive and readily available mineral that was known for its fire resistant and insulating properties, was widely used in the construction of homes and buildings from the early 1900’s until the early 1980’s.
Anyone who is buying, demolishing, restoring, renovating, or repairing a building constructed before the 1980’s will need to be [...]

Several government created entities are involved in the regulation of asbestos and protecting the public from and warning them about its dangers.   Exposure to asbestos, even a solitary incident, can lead to mesothelioma, asbestosis and other cancers.  Probably the most well-known federal regulatory agency is the Environmental Protection Agency, which is responsible for protecting human [...]

It has been almost nine years since the unforgettable attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.  The impact of the attacks on our country is immeasurable, and we will always feel it.  These attacks also had an environmental and health impact on the people of Manhattan as well.   When the Twin Towers [...]

The week marked the beginning of the high-profile trial against W.R. Grace & Co. and five of their executives.  Grace is charged with federal conspiracy of knowingly exposing their workers and residents in Libby, Montana to asbestos, a toxic substance known to cause fatal diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.  They are also charged with obstruction [...]