Union Carbide & Carbon Chemical Corporation’s Plant and Asbestos
The Union Carbide and Carbon Chemical Corporation managed the federal government’s massive Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, which produced enriched uranium for decades. Workers were not only exposed to cancer-causing radiation but to asbestos products as well, which were used heavily due to the heat and the amount of electricity in the facility.
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 the Union Carbide/Carbon Chemical Corporation?
The Union Carbide & Carbon Corporation was formed in 1917 by combining four companies. From that parent, several subsidiaries were created with similar-sounding names, including the Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation. Carbide absorbed its major operating subsidiaries in 1949. The company name was changed to the Union Carbide Corporation in 1957. The plant was operated for a time by the Union Carbide Corporation’s Nuclear Division.Union Carbide is now a division of Dow Chemical.
What was the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP)?
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) is located on a 3,556-acre federal reservation 15 miles west of Paducah. The PGDP operated from 1952 to 2013 for national defense purposes and to create uranium for civilian nuclear power plants.
Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation (under one name or subsidiary or another) operated these facilities on behalf of the government between 1952 and 1986.
Why Was Asbestos Used in Uranium Enrichment Facilities?
A gaseous diffusion process like the PGDP plant used would have needed especially heavy asbestos use on its equipment because of its industrial nature:
- Pipe insulation: The facility had miles of pipes carrying steam, hot gases, and chemicals would have been wrapped in asbestos insulation
- Boiler and furnace insulation: The plant used enormous amounts of heat and steam
- Gaskets and seals: Asbestos-containing gaskets were standard in high-temperature, high-pressure piping systems
- Valves and flanges: They were commonly packed with asbestos rope or cloth
- Floor tiles: Vinyl asbestos floor tiles were standard in industrial and commercial buildings of that era
- Ceiling and wall materials: Spray-on asbestos fireproofing was common in large industrial structures in the 1950s
- Electrical insulation: The facility used massive amounts of electricity, and asbestos-insulated wiring and electrical components
Given how long the plant operated, materials aged, degraded, and were repeatedly cut into, torn, removed, and replaced for repairs and maintenance. PGDP workers from 1952 through at least the early 1980s worked with essentially no regulatory protections around asbestos.
Which Workers Would Be Exposed to Asbestos Fibers?
If an asbestos-containing product is installed, torn, cut, drilled into, ripped open, or removed, fibers will be released into the area. Those fibers would float through the air, where they could be inhaled or swallowed.
Those working directly with asbestos, whether they were employees or contractors, had the greatest exposure. This can include construction and maintenance workers, pipefitters, and electricians. Given how readily asbestos fibers move through the air, anyone working at PGDP could be exposed to asbestos and potentially develop an asbestos-related disease.
Family members of workers could also be exposed because workers would come home with asbestos dust on their clothes. The fibers could end up floating through the home, where anyone in it could inhale or swallow 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 PGDP 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 with mesothelioma litigation
- Access to 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 with a lawyer at Satterley & Kelley, PLLC how we can help.
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.