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Mesothelioma & Asbestos News Page
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Vets urge asbestos reform
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| By: Eric Halverson, Past State Commander, Michigan Dept. VFW |
October 04, 2004 |
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| When members of Congress return to Washington for work next month, there will be just a few weeks remaining to wrap up their work for the year. |
As a veteran, I hope their short list of things to do includes approving a bill that will provide relief to our men and women in uniform who were exposed to deadly asbestos during their tours of duty gone by and now find themselves fighting a powerful enemy: asbestos-related disease.
For more than 30 years from World War II through most of the Vietnam War, asbestos was used widely in military constructions. Aboard Navy ships of that era, it could be found from the boiler rooms to the bulkheads.
The military stopped using this substance in the mid 1970s when it was becoming apparent the substance was dangerous and even deadly. But too late for the many thousands of veterans who had already been exposed.
Today, veterans battling asbestos related illnesses have literally nowhere to turn for compensation or relief. Unlike other workers, who can seek relief in the courts from the employer responsible for their exposure, veterans are prohibited from suing the government for compensation. While veterans could, in theory, sue the companies who sold asbestos to the U.S. military, in fact, those companies have disappeared into bankruptcy.
Congress has a rare opportunity today to fix a badly broken asbestos litigation system that leaves sick veterans and other victims of asbestos exposure stranded in our courts. A proposal in the U.S. Senate would create a $140 billion privately funded victims' fund to compensate the truly sick fairly and quickly.
And it responds specifically to the plight of veterans, by creating a simple avenue for them to seek compensation.
While asbestos exposure is mostly a thing of the past, asbestos-related diseases most surely are not. Because of the long latency periods of these illnesses, many of our veterans who were exposed years ago are only learning today that they are sick.
And sadly, there may be another generation of veterans that will wrestle with this problem. According to recent news reports, a National Guard unit in Iraq was exposed to asbestos in the military base outside Mosul where they were stationed for nine months. It could be decades before these soldiers learn whether they will become sick from this exposure. But these brave soldiers need assurance that they will be taken care of if they do wind up sick with asbestos-related diseases.
I urge Senators Stabenow and Levin to support asbestos victim compensation fund legislation when they go back and to make sure that this bill is approved and sent to the President this year. |
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Halliburton issues may surface at VP debate tonight Despite denials of any stake in the firm, Cheney still feels scrutiny over his old company BY ANDREW METZ AND JAMES TOEDTMAN STAFF WRITERS October 5, 2004
Judge delays hearing on asbestos lawsuits in Mississippi Associated Press JACKSON, Miss. - A circuit judge has given lawyers more time to prepare for a hearing on the status of asbestos cases in three southwest Mississippi counties.
New statement published on nonmalignant diseases related to asbestos exposure Posted By: News-Medical in Disease News Published: Monday, 4-Oct-2004
When members of Congress return to Washington for work next month, there will be just a few weeks remaining to wrap up their work for the year.
Hardie in election spotlight By Ean Higgins October 05, 2004 LABOR yesterday reopened the James Hardie Industries asbestos compensation scandal as an election issue, promising a Latham government would refer the matter to US and Dutch authorities for investigation.
Going for a Halliburton Having a former boss as US vice-president is turning out to be more trouble than it is worth for Dick Cheney's old company, writes David Teather
Ohio Ruling Gives Priority to Sick Asbestos Claimants October 4, 2004 Ohio's Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, where the majority of asbestos cases have been filed in the state, issued an administrative order recently that gives priority to cases filed by individuals exhibiting symptoms of illness from exposure to asbestos.
Moon-Suited Technicians Play Ball for Asbestos Test It was a surreal sight at a community park in El Dorado Hills on Friday, as Environmental Protection Agency workers in protective "moon suits" played softball and other games.
Workers sent home while asbestos is replaced Monday, 4 October 2004 Workers from the Dux Hot Water factory at Moss Vale were sent home on Thursday while asbestos sheeting on the site was replaced. |
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