Alaska Asbestos-Related Deaths from 1999-2017

89
Mesothelioma Deaths
11
Asbestosis Deaths
100
Total Deaths

Asbestos Exposure in Alaska

Industries in Alaska with a high risk of asbestos exposure include shipbuilding, mining, milling, and oil refining. Alaska has a large number of oil refineries, paper mills, and shipyards.

Shipyards and Asbestos

With the largest coastline in the United States, Alaska has several ship repair and shipbuilding facilities. Asbestos was heavily used on ships to insulate pipes and boilers. Shipyard workers and shipbuilders were often exposed to toxic asbestos fibers while building or repairing equipment that was insulated with asbestos-containing materials.

Power plants and Oil Refineries

Equipment used in power plants and oil refineries in Alaska used asbestos-containing materials to insulate from heat and fire damage. Workers in these facilities were often put at a higher risk of developing asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

Mining and Asbestos Exposure

Alaska has an abundant amount of natural deposits of asbestos that have been known to form alongside other minerals that are mined and processed. Minerals at these sites can become contaminated with asbestos. Mining and excavation of these minerals could make hazardous asbestos fibers become airborne, putting the miners at risk of asbestos exposure that could lead to the development of diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

Partial list of work sites in Alaska with known asbestos exposure
  • Agrium-Kenai Fertilizer Plant
  • Alaska Pulp Mill in Sitka
  • Alaskan Pipeline at Valdez
  • Allen Marine Shipyard
  • Ambler Gravel Pit
  • Amoco-BP Oil Refinery
  • Anchorage Presbyterian/Alaska Regional Hospital
  • Arctic Surplus Salvage Yard in Fairbanks
  • Atlantic Richfield Co (ARCO) Swanson River Oil Refinery
  • Bonnie Brae Quarry
  • Bokan Mountain uranium-thorium mine
  • Burlington-Conoco-Phillips Oil Refinery
  • California Creek Mine
  • Cassiar Asbestos Corp., Ltd
  • Clinton Creek/Cassiar Asbestos Open Pit Mine
  • ConocoPhillips Oil Refinery
  • Elmendorf Air Force Base
  • Fish Creek Quarry
  • Georgia Pacific Paper Mill in Ketchikan
  • Golden Valley Steam Plant
  • Greens Creek silver, zinc, gold, and lead mine
  • Gulf-Standard-Chevron Oil Refinery
  • Humble-ExxonMobil Oil Refinery
  • Kennicott copper mine
  • Ketchikan (Vigor) Shipyard
  • Ketchikan Paper Mill
  • Kodiak Shipyard
  • Ladd Air Force Base at Fairbanks
  • Marathon-Kenai-Tesoro Oil Refinery
  • Nixon Fork gold mine
  • Pennzoil-Shell Oil Refinery
  • Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage
  • Seward Ships Drydock
  • Sinclair-ConocoPhillips Oil Refinery
  • Slate Creek Asbestos Mine
  • Tenneco-Chevron Oil Refinery
  • Texaco-Chevron Oil Refinery
  • Trans-Alaska Pipeline
  • Unocal-Chevron Oil Refinery
  • U.S. Naval Base at Kodiak
  • Usibelli Coal Mine
  • Valdez Marine Terminal

Statute of Limitations to File Mesothelioma Claim in Alaska

There is a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit for mesothelioma that varies for each state called the statute of limitations. This means if you do not file within the time limit, you will never be able to pursue legal action or obtain compensation. It’s important that you take legal action within this time frame so you do not miss out on receiving the compensation you may deserve. Contact us here to learn more about how we can help.

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What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a deadly and rare form of malignant cancer that is caused by asbestos exposure. The most common forms of mesothelioma are: pleural and peritoneal. Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of the abdominal cavity.

Victims with pleural mesothelioma may have respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and fatigue. Victims with peritoneal mesothelioma may have abdominal swelling, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and weight loss.

The latency period for mesothelioma is very long. The average latency period is about 30 years, but can be shorter than 15 years or longer than 40 years. This means individuals with mesothelioma may take decades to present symptoms from the time they were exposed to asbestos.

What is asbestosis?

Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease caused by asbestos exposure. When asbestos is inhaled the fibers irritate and scar the lining of the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. The lungs become stiff and cannot expand and contract normally. Symptoms of asbestosis are shortness of breath, chest pain, and a dry, persistent cough. Like mesothelioma, the latency period for asbestosis is very long. Symptoms may not present for 10 to 40 years after asbestos exposure.

Military Asbestos Exposure

It is extremely important to know that our attorneys do not sue the military. We seek accountability from the asbestos companies that sold dangerous asbestos products to the military.

Members of all branches of the military may have been exposed to asbestos before it became more restricted in the 1970s. The U.S. military used asbestos products in many areas because of its low cost, durability, and heat resistant properties. The common use of these asbestos products put many U.S. veterans at risk of developing asbestos related diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Below is a list of the military branches and common asbestos exposure sites:

  • Navy – shipyards, boiler rooms, submarines
  • Army – barracks, shipyards, construction
  • Marine Corps – armored vehicles, barracks, ships, aircraft
  • Coast Guard – inside ships, ships, boiler rooms
  • Air Force- bases, airplanes, jets, aircraft maintenance