Elf Atochem Was One of Many Owners of Calvert City Plant
The chemical plant in Calvert City originally goes back to the 1800s, and asbestos was long a part of the facility. Elf Atochem owned the plant in the 1990s through the early 2000s. For decades, workers and contractors were exposed to cancer-causing asbestos fibers. If you worked there and contracted an asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation.
Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers represent people diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases who seek compensation for the harm they suffer. If this is your situation, contact us at 855-385-9532 to learn more about how we can help you obtain compensation for your injury.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a group of mineral fibers resistant to fire, heat, electricity, and corrosion. Asbestos has been used in about 3,000 products, including pipe insulation, building materials, floor tiles, cigarette filters, vehicle brakes, and clutches. These fibers are strong, durable, light, and microscopic.
Why is Asbestos Dangerous?
Asbestos was used in thousands of products because its fibers are tiny, light, strong, and durable. Those same qualities make them incredibly hazardous to the human body. The fibers won’t immediately cause a deadly reaction in people who inhale or swallow them. It may take years or decades for the damage caused by asbestos to become apparent.
Fibers become stuck in human tissue. The immune system tries to get rid of them, but the fibers destroy the cells meant to dissolve them instead. This results in scar tissue, inflammation, and, over time, severe breathing problems and genetic cell mutations that result in cancer tumors.
Asbestos causes or increases the risk of several cancers, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly cancer that can affect several parts of the body. It can involve the linings covering organs (including the heart and lungs) and the chest and abdominal cavities.
What is Elf Atochem?
Elf Atochem was the corporate name of the owner of a chemical plant in Calvert City, Kentucky, from 1992 to 2004. The plant goes back to the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company in the 1800s. That company changed its name and later merged with another to form the Pennwalt Corporation in 1969.
In 1989, the French company Elf Aquitaine acquired Pennwalt and two other chemical companies, merging them to form Atochem North America, Inc. That later became Elf Atochem 1992, which became Atofina Chemicals in 2000, and was reorganized in 2004 to become Arkema.
Why Was Asbestos Used in Chemical Plants?
Chemical companies used asbestos because it’s resistant to chemicals, extreme temperatures, and fire. Until the late 1970s, asbestos-containing insulation products, gaskets, and packing materials were extensively used in industrial operations, refineries, chemical plants, naval ships, and energy plants.
Asbestos was in or on the following:
- Boilers
- Boiler valves and pumps
- Heat exchangers
- Gaskets sealing chemical-carrying pipes
- Steam pipe insulation
- Laboratory equipment
- Electrical equipment
- Insulation on machinery generating heat for chemical reactions
Asbestos-containing products were in office floor and ceiling tiles. Safety equipment and clothing meant to protect employees from high heat contained asbestos.
Which Elf Atochem Workers Would Be Exposed to Asbestos Fibers?
The greatest danger from asbestos comes when materials are applied, torn, cut, drilled into, or removed, because that’s when fibers can be released and carried into the air, where they can be inhaled or swallowed. Fibers can also come loose if the equipment the product’s on vibrates or through age and deterioration.
The closer and more frequently someone worked with asbestos-containing products, the greater the threat they posed. This includes employees and contractors who worked in the plant. Even those present in the plant, but who do not handle or touch asbestos products, may inhale fibers. This is especially true when equipment was maintained or repaired because asbestos insulation would be removed and replaced.
Family members of those working at the plant were also at risk. Those working with asbestos in the area would return home in clothes covered in microscopic fibers that could drift through the household until someone inhaled or swallowed them.
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, compensation may be received for the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income and illness-related costs and expenses
- Past and future medical treatment
- The negative effects on relationships
If you have an asbestos-related condition due to asbestos exposure at the Arkema plant in Culver City or elsewhere, improve your chances of a successful claim by retaining a lawyer 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 chemical plant 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 of your case, you should discuss how we can help with a Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyer.
Call Us Today for A Free Consultation
If you or a family member in Kentucky suffers from an asbestos-related condition, Satterley & Kelley PLLC is 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.