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EPA Asbestos Risk Assessment Is Flawed

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asbestos risk - fibers
Dangers from asbestos

The dangers from asbestos were identified decades ago; still, the long-awaited Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) draft of its asbestos risk assessment is flawed. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is a non-profit independent organization dedicated to alerting the public and government agencies, especially the EPA, about the deadly risks posed by exposure to asbestos. Linda Reinstein, ADAO president, released this statement after reading the EPA’s assessment draft.

“For nearly four years, ADAO and other stakeholders have urged EPA to use the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act to ban asbestos in the United States. The risks of asbestos have been well-documented for decades. As it stands, the draft asbestos risk assessment the EPA has proposed will perpetuate the dangers of asbestos and undermine the chance for the national ban on asbestos the nation desperately needs.”

What are the risks?

Inhalation of asbestos fibers can lead to lung cancer, asbestosis, and the deadly mesothelioma. It is a silent killer as it can wait decades, up to 50 years, before it shows up and is diagnosed. These are preventable deaths. Yet, almost 40,000 people die from one of these diseases each year in the United States alone.

Even Bob Sussman, the former EPA Deputy Administrator, states the “EPA’s incomplete and un-protective risk evaluation is a big step back from the decades of high-quality work by government scientists on this extremely dangerous carcinogen.” Sussman also serves as ADAO counsel.

While the US refuses to ban asbestos, nearly 70 countries have – including most industrialized nations. The US continues to import and use tons of raw asbestos every year.

What can be done?

A host of experts and advocates agree that this mineral – asbestos – is a preventable risk for everyone. Asbestos exposure can occur through many circumstances, including job sites, remodeling, old buildings, even makeup marketed to teen girls. As Reinstein states, “The evaluation, as proposed, fails to protect the public from this deadly and knowable threat. EPA continues to drag its feet and has repeatedly put chemical company concerns before protecting the public. We urge them to act, but we can’t afford to keep waiting, which is why we call on Congress to pass the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN).”

If this concerns you, contact your congressional representative and tell them you want this bill passed.

Johnson & Johnson Discontinue Talc-Based Baby Powder

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After producing baby powder since 1894, Johnson & Johnson will discontinue talc-based baby powder in the United States and Canada. Years of charges their baby powder contained traces of asbestos brought lawsuits and public distrust. J&J suffered a loss in market value along with lessening sales. In 1980, J&J began selling a cornstarch version of the powder in response to the criticism. They will continue to market that product.

The connection between asbestos and talc

Talc is a mineral mined underground, as is asbestos. They are often found in close proximity to each other. The problem occurs because they can be mingled in the mining process.

Asbestos in any amount is not safe. For some women, the continual use over time led to ovarian cancer and for others, mesothelioma, a fatal disease.

Why are there lawsuits?

A congressional investigation uncovered internal documents showing Johnson & Johnson knew for over 50 years their baby powder contained asbestos. This knowledge was not passed on to consumers. Juries in many cases found Johnson & Johnson guilty, awarding large amounts to the plaintiffs. Testing found asbestos in many of the samples. However, Johnson & Johnson testified their testing did not find any trace in the same samples.

Though the product was marketed toward babies, most baby powder was purchased for adult women. As of this March, Johnson & Johnson had 19,400 lawsuits pending which involved the talc baby powder.

J&J decision to discontinue talc-based baby powder

Even as they announced the discontinuation, J&J stood by their assertion that there is no asbestos in their talc. They cite lessening sales caused by misinformation and litigation advertising. It appears they determined the best course for the brand was to remove this baby powder from their lineup of products.

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In a statement, J&J said it “remains steadfastly confident in the safety of talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder.”

Linda Reinstein, president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Association, published this remark, “Americans should be able to trust they are safe from asbestos. Johnson & Johnson spent decades misleading the public to think their often asbestos-contaminate baby powder was safe when they knew it was not. Today’s announcement that they will stop selling this potentially deadly product is a victory for public health. A small and influential group of chemical companies in America still rely on asbestos and have stood in the way of a national ban of this deadly substance. We can’t wait for them to follow J&J and see the error of their ways. Congress must pass the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN) and ban asbestos once and for all.”

Mountain View Generating Plant Is A Dallas Legacy

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Mountain View Generating Plant is a Dallas legacy, though much of its past had undesirable consequences.  

Mountain Creek Lake sounds like such a pleasant place to relax and enjoy the scenery. In actuality, the lake was built, not for relaxation, but as a cooling reservoir for the Mountain View, more generally known as Mountain Creek, power plant. The plant was built starting in 1938, with additional units built in 1945, 1949, 1956, 1958, and 1967. Through the years, it was also called the Dallas Power and Light Mountain Creek Station, Mountain Creek Steam Electric Station, and Mountain Creek S-E Generating Station.

Mountain View Generating Station
Mountain View Generating Plant early photo.

What was the Mountain View Generating Plant? 

Mountain View was a steam generating power plant that ran turbines, which then generated electricity. Steam plant built in this time period commonly had pipes, steam-lines and steam driven equipment which were extremely hot and therefore were built using asbestos-containing insulation. In addition, gaskets and rope packing were made from asbestos and used on steam flanges and steam powered equipment, like pumps, valves, turbines, and boilers. Steel surfaces also had fireproofing made from asbestos. 

Workers at most power plants through the 1980s were likely exposed to asbestos. In fact, if a power plant was built before 1980, it is almost a certainty that asbestos was in the facility or in the products made there. Because asbestos is comprised of microscopic fibers that are easily inhaled, workers in the plant – and sometimes their families – daily inhaled these fibers, creating a health problem for the future. Asbestos diseases are often fatal, especially mesothelioma. Other diseases include lung cancer and asbestosis. After an individual is exposed to asbestos, it can take 20 to 40 years or more for symptoms to develop. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.

What has happened to Mountain View?

In 2018, Exelon Generation Co LLC, going through bankruptcy, sold Mountain Creek along with three other power plants to their creditors.  Two of the generators were retired by that time.

Photo Courtesy of Edwin J. Foscue Map Library, Southern Methodist University

How Does COVID-19 Affect Lung Cancer Patients?

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The novel coronavirus, commonly called COVID-19, primarily affects breathing as it is a respiratory disease. But specifically, how does COVID-19 affect lung cancer patients?

Since there is currently no vaccine or treatment directly targeted for COVID-19, people with lung cancer need to be particularly aware of guidelines for protection strategies against the disease by following CDC directions. There are many causes of lung cancer, but exposure to asbestos is a major cause. Asbestos can also lead to the fatal lung disease, malignant mesothelioma.

How does COVID-19 affect lung cancer patients?

Since people with lung cancer are in one of the more high-risk groups for acquiring COVID-19, know the basics of prevention:

• Practice social distancing – Stay home as much as possible. If outside your home, wear masks and gloves, wash your hands with soap and water before and after any encounter with others or with in-store products for at least 20 seconds, and maintain a minimum of six feet between yourself and others. This includes during doctor visits and other medical appointments.

• Get tested – Since lung cancer classifies as high-risk, get tested if there are new symptoms beyond normal. Others who fall into this category are adults over 65, adults with other serious diseases, and those who are taking chemotherapy drugs or have other immunity issues. Symptoms include a dry cough, trouble breathing, and a temperature of 100.4 or over.

• Speak with a doctor – In all cases, if you or a loved one has lung disease, it is highly recommended to speak with their doctors to determine any guidelines the doctor may suggest for your specific situation. Here you can also access and print an informative handout produced by the Lung Cancer Research Foundation.

Should I really be concerned?

In a word, yes. Currently, the United States leads the world in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. However, the number may be much greater as many people experience COVID-19 with no symptoms. That doesn’t mean they can’t pass the virus on to others, so social distancing is extremely important – especially for high-risk individuals.

Remember, there is no treatment geared specifically for COVID-19 and there is no preventative vaccine. The only protection is squarely on each individual to do their best to follow all CDC guidelines.

What drugs are being used?

Some medications have shown promise but there are currently no COVID-19 specific drugs approved through a completed study.

Vaccines virtually eliminated smallpox and polio in past decades. Scientists are currently working toward developing vaccines that could end, or lessen the effects of, coronaviruses as well. In this month, there are almost 80 vaccine development initiatives ongoing. Best case timeline for vaccine development is 18 months.

Are lung cancer patients more susceptible to COVID-19?

While patients with lung cancer do not appear to be more likely to get COVID-19, if they do acquire the disease, complications are more likely. If a patient is undergoing immunosuppressive treatment, such as chemotherapy, their immune system may not be able to fight it off, however. Cancer patients, overall, should be more vigilant about all the precautions. Following all guidelines provides the best chance of avoiding contraction of COVID-19.

Clinical Trials of Cuban Lung Cancer Vaccine Continue

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Research cooperation between two countries that don’t communicate politically – the United States (US) and Cuba – allows a strange relationship to make strides against cancer. Now a Cuban lung cancer vaccine is in US clinical trials.

How did this strange relationship begin?

After Fidel Castro took over as president of Cuba, causing great harm to most of the middle class, over half the doctors fled the island. There is no doubt that his authoritarian, sometimes ruthless, leadership had unimaginable downsides, but there is a side that cannot be ignored. He was determined to bring Cuba to the forefront in science and medicine.

He sent thousands of people to other countries to study at top medical universities. Because Cuba was so isolated due to the American embargo and its geography, they lacked not only doctors, but medicines, as well as hospital and medical equipment and supplies. To service the medical needs of the population and reach the global standing Castro demanded, Cuba was forced to conduct research and create medicines within the country on their own – and it paid off.

Making strides against cancer

A famous American oncology doctor, Randolph Lee Clark, visited Cuba and Castro in 1980 with information about interferon, a promising drug for treating cancer. It intrigued Castro enough that he sent doctors to visit Clark and also to Finland to study their methods of purifying interferon from white blood cells. By the time the doctors returned to Cuba, a new laboratory awaited them along with an instruction from Castro, “Make interferon for Cuba.” These doctors worked tirelessly to reproduce the method for purification seen in other countries. In 42 days, they were ready with the process.

Meanwhile Castro sent Luis Herrera to Europe to learn information about genetic engineering, a science that was changing science throughout the world. Herrera brought this knowledge back to Cuba.  These two new scientific breakthroughs were the start of Cuba’s biotechnology development and recognition as a medical power.

Cuban lung cancer vaccine trials in US begin in earnest

For years, US citizens suffering from Stage 4 cancers, traveled illegally to Cuba for cancer treatments unavailable in the US. For many, what had been a death sentence, now became a chronic illness but one that could extend lives for possibly years. The CIMAvax vaccine from Cuban researchers, which was based on interferon and genetic engineering, extended lives.

This caught the attention of scientists at Roswell Park in the US. When President Obama opened the doors to a new relationship with Cuba, two Roswell researchers traveled to Cuba and met with scientists there. Roswell scientists wanted to learn more about CIMAvax and the Cuban scientists wanted to learn more about the world-class immunology treatments developed by Americans. They also wanted access to America’s advanced research equipment that could speed and enhance their work.

The relationship began in earnest after hearing a presentation made by Cuban doctors at Roswell Park in 2011. A 2015 trade mission led by Gov. Andrew Cuomo ended with an agreement between Roswell Park and Cuba’s Center for Molecular Immunology (C.I.M.). This was an agreement to initiate a clinical trial for CIMAvax targeting lung cancer – a trial approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be held in the US and a first for a Cuban drug. This may be a boon to those with lung cancer brought on by asbestos exposure. In the Roswell trials CIMAvax is joined by a checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab possibly making the vaccine even more successful.

Today, the clinical trial is still gathering information, but once it passes, it is expected to be cleared for used by patients in the US by the FDA. With travel – once again illegal – unnecessary for patients, it would be available to many more patients who have little hope at this time.

What about the future?

There is already an agreement for a biotech joint venture between the US and Cuba – a first. They also agreed to build a new biotech facility in Cuba for more research on cancer drugs. The facility will be jointly owned by Roswell Park and C.I.M. They visualize factories manufacturing new medicines for people around the globe.

Candace Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, said, “I know everything that we do with Cuba can be a challenge because of the relationship between our two countries,” Johnson said. “We’re very hopeful. It seems to me it would be very difficult … from the FDA’s perspective, if this drug has a role, that it wouldn’t be available in this country.”