Asbestos Dangers & Willamette Industries’ Hawesville Paper Mills
Key Takeaways
- The Willamette Industries paper mills in Hawesville, Kentucky, used large amounts of asbestos insulation on boilers, pipes, and machinery.
- Workers—and even family members exposed secondhand—later developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers.
- Asbestos fibers were released into the air during maintenance, repairs, and normal plant operations.
- Satterley & Kelley, PLLC has deep experience representing Kentucky paper mill employees harmed by asbestos exposure.
- Former mill workers may still be eligible for compensation through asbestos trust funds or lawsuits.
The Willamette Industries paper mills in Hawesville, Kentucky, is an example of how older industrial operations powered by steam exposed workers to asbestos. Decades after exposure, asbestos can destroy their health with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers.
If you or a loved one worked at a Hawesville mill and is diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos disease, Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, can help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Learn more by calling us at 855-385-9532.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is the name for a group of mineral fibers that are extremely light, strong, and durable. Individual fibers are so small that they can’t be seen with the naked eye. They’re so light that they can float through the air for hours. Asbestos fibers are resistant to fire, heat, electricity, and chemicals, which made them attractive to companies that produced thousands of products over centuries.
Why is Asbestos Dangerous?
Because they’re so light, fibers are easily swallowed or inhaled if you’re in the area. After they lodge in tissue in your body, due to their strength and durability, they may remain there for the rest of your life.
Your immune system tries to destroy them, but asbestos fibers withstand this attack. You end up with scar tissue, inflammation, and, potentially, after many years, genetic changes that turn healthy tissue into malignant tumors.
Asbestos fibers cause various types of cancer throughout the body. One is mesothelioma, which affects the linings of the heart, lungs, abdominal organs, and the abdominal and chest cavities. Mesothelioma is a treatable but fatal cancer that killed an estimated 54,905 Americans from 1999 to 2020, according to medical researchers.
What was Willamette Industries’ Hawesville Paper Mill?
Located in Hawesville, Kentucky, the company operated three paper mills. The first, the Kentucky Medium Mill, was built in 1967. The second, the Bleached Pulp Mill, came online in the 1969-1970 timeframe. In the early 1980s, the Fine Paper Mill was built. Over time, the facility passed through various owners and is currently owned by Domtar.
Why was Asbestos Used in These Paper Mills?
Asbestos was present in Willamette’s first two mills at the Hawesville location. Paper mills operate with high heat, steam, and heavy mechanical systems. These facilities pose a high-risk safety environment for workers, in part due to the heat generated and used there.
Although it posed long-term health risks to workers, asbestos insulation on extremely hot equipment helped keep temperatures under control in workspaces. They also helped the equipment function more efficiently.
Those in these mills, whether they were employees or contractors, could be exposed to asbestos fibers in the following ways:
- Steam pipes and boilers insulated with asbestos: The mill’s thermal systems required insulation to maintain heat and efficiency. That insulation was often asbestos-based. During repairs, maintenance, or due to deterioration over time, asbestos fibers were released into the air
- Insulators and specialty contractors: Workers hired or assigned to insulate, maintain, or repair equipment had the worst asbestos exposure. They cut, applied, removed, or repaired asbestos-containing insulation, which would release fibers into the plant
- General plant environment: Light, microscopic asbestos fibers can migrate through the air, settle, and recirculate as the air moves, so even workers not directly working with asbestos products could inhale or swallow airborne asbestos. Ducts, ventilation systems, and shared corridors would carry this contamination throughout the mills
- Secondary exposure: Workers would bring home asbestos fibers on their clothing or hair, exposing their spouses or children. Many mesothelioma claims have been pursued due to this “take-home” exposure
In the mills’ daily operation, asbestos fibers swirled about. How much asbestos would be present would depend on the location’s proximity to insulation and what was being done with it. Office workers, production workers, and visitors could be exposed.
Why Should I Contact Satterley & Kelley, PLLC?
If you or a family member is diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer, you may be entitled to compensation for what you’ve endured. Depending on the circumstances, you may obtain compensation for the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income and illness-related costs and expenses
- Past and future medical treatment
- The negative effects on relationships
Our clients have received millions of dollars in settlements and jury awards. Successful verdicts for clients in different types of cases across the country include judgments between $2 million and $35.7 million.
If you have an asbestos-related condition due to asbestos exposure at these Hawesville paper mills, improve your chances of a successful claim by retaining an attorney with the following:
- Knowledge of Kentucky and federal asbestos laws, deadlines, court procedures, and jury dynamics
- Access to historical industrial and asbestos litigation records
- Experience in paper‑mill-based mesothelioma litigation
- Resources to secure experts who can show asbestos caused your illness, where it came from, and the harm you suffer due to your illness
- The ability to tailor strategies for your unique situation
Given the complexity and stakes, you should discuss with a Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyer how we can help.
Call Us Today for A Free Consultation
Whether you worked at the Willamette Paper Mills or elsewhere, if you or a family member in Kentucky suffers from an asbestos-related condition, Satterley & Kelley PLLC will be the law firm you can trust. Call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or complete our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.