ASBESTOS IN THE NEWS
California residents living on asbestos fault protest new housing construction

February 23, 2009 -- Serrano, Calif., residents living in the landmark housing development of El Dorado Hills have united against a proposal to build 135 homes on a nearby ridge that contains a toxic form of asbestos known to cause mesothelioma.

The protest represents the first organized opposition to construction in any of the known natural asbestos deposits of the California Sierra foothills. While other areas may contain more naturally occurring asbestos, no area has drawn more attention from health experts and regulators than El Dorado Hills, a bedroom community of 43,000.

10 years of public health warnings

Geologists and environmental health experts who have studied the area for years warn that carving roads, utility trenches and building foundations is bound to release breathable asbestos fibers into the air.

According to organizers, the primary health concern is mesothelioma, a fatal cancer of the chest and lung membranes. Asbestos exposure can also lead to other illnesses, including lung cancer and asbestosis.

Breathing the type of asbestos commonly found around the Oak Ridge area of the community for just brief periods can be enough to trigger asbestos disease. Children are especially at risk due to outdoor activities that can kick up asbestos dust during play.

California: No. 1 state for mesothelioma deaths

California records more deaths by mesothelioma than any other state in the country, according to health experts.

Several California communities are laced with geological asbestos veins. The fibrous mineral, best known for its use as a fire retardant, is commonly found near earthquake faults in foothills of the Coast Range, the Klamath Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.

The truth about asbestos

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for the health and safety of their workers. That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court.

Time to seek justice!

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers for 25 years. In that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a FREE legal consultation, please notify us through the communication form on this page. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, future and past lost wages, and damages. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.