South Carolina: Mesothelioma Lawyers Share SC Asbestos Exposure Map

COLUMBIA, South Carolina – Mesothelioma lawyers from the national asbestos litigation firm of Levy Konigsberg LLP (“LK”) are continuing to help South Carolina mesothelioma patients and families obtain legal compensation from companies who manufactured, sold or used asbestos-containing products. In this article, they share a map of asbestos exposure sites in SC (scroll down to see the map).

Every year, thousands of men and women across the country are diagnosed with mesothelioma, including many in South Carolina. Even more are diagnosed with lung cancer and asbestosis. All of these asbestos-related diseases could have been prevented if workers had been properly protected from exposure to asbestos.

Due to the presence of numerous textile mills, power plants and industrial employers throughout South Carolina, mill workers, powerhouse employees, insulators, plumbers, laborers, electricians, pipefitters, chemical operators, machinist, boilermakers, engineers and many other trades were routinely exposed to asbestos on a daily basis at their places of employment. Mesothelioma lawyers at LK have extensive experience in investigating these occupational exposures:

South Carolina Textile Industry

Textile manufacturing in South Carolina spread throughout the state before the start of the Civil War. By the early 1980’s, after decades of growth, South Carolina was considered the preeminent textile center of the world. Thousands of South Carolina citizens were employed at textile mills across the state. Many of these textile workers were exposed to asbestos during the manufacturing process where raw asbestos was converted into yarn and other finished products.

Textile Workers

Because asbestos is fire resistant, textile manufacturers incorporated vast amounts of asbestos fiber into its fireproof goods, including aprons, gloves, mittens and protective jackets. Manufacturers of textile products also discovered that asbestos fibers strengthened the products they produced. Workers at South Carolina’s textile mills worked with and around raw asbestos fibers. Many textile operators were employed solely to separate or weave asbestos fibers which were eventually incorporated into the end products manufactured at the textile mill.

Other workers were also exposed to asbestos at these South Carolina textile mills. Various tradespeople, including laborers, millwrights, electricians, boilermakers, insulators, pipefitters, and independent contractors were exposed to the raw asbestos incorporated into the textile products produced at these mills. These tradespeople also worked with and around the asbestos-containing machinery and equipment necessary to operate the textile mills, including boilers, furnaces, pumps, valves, motors, generators, packing, gaskets, and masonry products. Many of these tradespeople were routinely exposed to asbestos on a daily basis at these South Carolina textile mills.

Dr. John Dement, PhD, CIH, of the Duke University Medical Center, conducted several investigations into asbestos exposures suffered by textile workers at North Carolina and South Carolina textile mills*. Dr. Dement’s research found that textile manufacturers predominantly incorporated chrysotile asbestos into their manufactured goods. Chrysotile asbestos is a type of asbestos which features longer and thinner fibers than other forms of asbestos, a fact which appealed to the operators of textile mills. Dr. Dement’s research determined that textile workers who routinely worked with and around chrysotile asbestos in North Carolina and South Carolina textile mills were at an increased risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. Dr. Dement’s research has established a scientific link between the development of cancer and exposure to long thin asbestos fibers.

Mesothelioma lawyers at LK are experienced in identifying the unique asbestos exposures suffered by individuals at South Carolina’s textile mills. Regardless of your occupation at a South Carolina textile mill, there are several areas of exposure which must be investigated. During your free consultation, an LK attorney will gather all relevant employment information to determine all possible sources of exposure you or your loved one suffered at a South Carolina textile mill.

Charleston Naval Shipyard

Located on the Cooper River, the Charleston Naval Shipyard began operations in 1901. At the end of World War I, Congress appropriated funds for the building of cruiser warships, which took place in Charleston, SC. Over time, activities at the Charleston Naval Shipyard expanded, and construction provided resources for additional work, including submarine overhauls and the building of destroyer tenders. Thereafter, Charleston Naval Shipyard employees began overhauling nuclear submarines and converting retired vessels to seaworthy stats. In 1968, due to the expansive work occurring at the Charleston Naval Shipyard, the Navy ordered that Poseidon missiles be erected at the shipyard. Construction of this project required the development of a six-story building. The Charleston Naval Shipyard employed thousands of South Carolina citizens through to 1996, when operations at the shipyard ceased.

Shipyard operations required the presence of civilian workers, independent contractors, and military personnel. South Carolina citizens and military personnel present at the Newport Shipyard were unaware of the serious health hazards created from their routine exposure to asbestos dust at the Charleston Naval Shipyard.

Vessel building, repair and overhaul work performed at the Charleston Naval Shipyard typically occurred in cramped spaces with poor ventilation resulting in regular exposure to high levels of asbestos dust. Individuals present at the Charleston shipyard regularly worked with asbestos-containing equipment and gaskets, packing, raw asbestos, insulation, and other asbestos-containing materials throughout their careers. Mesothelioma lawyers at LK are experienced in identifying the unique asbestos exposures suffered by individuals who were employed at the Charleston Naval Shipyard.

South Carolina Power Plants

Numerous companies established power plants throughout South Carolina between the 1940s and 1980s, including Duke Energy, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, Carolina Power & Light Company, and Lockhart Power. For decades, these companies employed thousands of individuals in South Carolina. The generation of power at these power plants required the use of large, high-temperature equipment. Boilers, furnaces, turbines, cooling towers and ovens were installed, maintained and repaired at these power plants. This equipment required large amounts of asbestos-containing products to properly function. Other products, including pumps, valves, motors, wire, cable, heaters, air conditioning units, gaskets, packing, chillers, and steam traps were necessary to allow the powerhouses to properly function. Individuals working at these South Carolina power plants were exposed to high levels of asbestos dust from their work with or around these products. During power plant “outages,” where independent contractors and employees would replace and repair large equipment, many people were exposed to high levels of asbestos dust. An experienced LK attorney will investigate all possible sources of your asbestos exposure at these South Carolina power plant worksites.

Two major power plant employers in South Carolina were Duke Energy and South Carolina Electric & Gas Company:

Duke Energy

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Duke Energy is the nation’s largest electric power company. For several decades, Duke Energy operated power plants throughout South Carolina cities, including Greenwood, Lancaster, Chester, Cherokee, Chester, Pickens and Anderson.

South Carolina Electric & Gas Company

As early as 1957, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company operated six coal-fired power plants throughout South Carolina.

South Carolina Industry

South Carolina’s industry between the 1930s and 1980s included manufacturers and producers of turbines, boilers, paper, foundry materials, automotive accessories, beverages, oil products, petroleum, construction materials, cleaning chemicals, industrial chemicals, and other everyday consumer products. Individuals in South Carolina employed at these worksites routinely worked with and around asbestos-containing products without knowledge of the serious health hazards created by exposure to asbestos. Attorneys at LK have the expertise necessary to carefully analyze your work history to identify the unique asbestos exposures that were present at your previous places of employment.

Individual Case Review

In South Carolina, and across the country, many people have also developed mesothelioma from non-occupational asbestos exposures, such as automotive work, home renovations, and other hobbies, or from “second-hand asbestos exposure,” which occurred when work clothes contaminated with asbestos were worn home. An experienced LK attorney will assist your family in determining all possible sources of your exposure to asbestos dust.

South Carolina worksites where asbestos exposure occurred most commonly include:

Figure 1. Map of the most common asbestos exposure worksites in the State of South Carolina.

If you or your loved one are a South Carolina resident or were exposed to asbestos in South Carolina, and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, please call 1-800-637-6529 or contact us electronically on this website to receive a FREE consultation with mesothelioma lawyers at Levy Konigsberg LLP.

* Dement J M, Brown D P, Okun A. Follow-up study of chrysotile asbestos textile workers: cohort mortality and case-control analyses. Am J Ind Med 1994. 26431–447.447