Cancer Alley Asbestos Exposure Claims

The world's first fossil fuel well originated in Louisiana in 1901. Ever since, the area along the Mississippi River has witnessed a boom in offshore oil wells and refineries. Since most regulatory bodies and laws did not come into existence until the 1970s, operations of the petrochemical industries remained unregulated for decades.

In the early 1970s, a public awareness drive exposed the toxicity levels of emissions from these industries, revealing for the first time the industry's impact on public health and the environment. A Washington Post article in 1987 referred to the region as "Cancer Alley" and the name stuck.

Find out if you qualify for Cancer Alley asbestos illness compensation

Due to the presence of oil refineries & large-scale petrochemical operations in this part of Louisiana, the soil, water, and air along this corridor are rife with hazardous chemicals including carcinogens, mutagens, and embryotoxins. It was suggested that the residents had unknowingly been made a part of a "massive human experiment".

One of the longstanding concerns at oil refineries has been exposure to asbestos or asbestos-containing materials. It is a proven fact that asbestos exposure has caused severe illness and fatally among countless workers and the surrounding communities in the Cancer Alley area.

Asbestos in Cancer Alley Refineries

Asbestos occurs naturally on earth and is made up of minute, fibrous crystals. Due to its heat-resistant qualities, the substance was used widely in the manufacture of fire-resistant clothing, insulation, building materials, pipes, and many other products.

Additionally, asbestos was commonly found in materials making up fireproof ceilings, roofs, floors, and walls. Asbestos was also used in manufacturing clutch facings and brake pads in the automobile industry.

Asbestos Found to Cause Cancer

Due to its anti-corrosive nature and resistance to high temperatures, asbestos-containing materials were in widespread use in Louisiana refinery operations for decades. Asbestos was commonly used as an insulator in various applications, including boilers and other equipment exposed to higher heat levels. It was primarily used in constructing Louisiana refineries and even maintenance work to safeguard the infrastructure from corrosive chemicals commonly found in refining processes and higher temperatures.

When the Louisiana oil refineries were initially built in the early 1900s in the area that would come to be known as Cancer Alley, people were unaware of and did not fully understand the harmful effects of asbestos. However, with time, the dangers of large-scale asbestos use were understood, and many studies have confirmed this finding.