Earlier this year, the New York Times highlighted what appears to be a “troubling pattern of mesothelioma”, as discovered by several geologists and epidemiologists working in southern Nevada. These researchers discovered a tremendous amount of evidence that the landscape there was filling with asbestos—and residents living nearby were suffering from mesothelioma in droves. While asbestos occurs naturally in some areas of the country, most notably, researchers found that, in Nevada, commercial development, specifically, has been releasing the naturally-occurring asbestos from minerals and sending asbestos fibers into the wind, arguably causing health issues for nearby residents.
While the dangers associated with asbestos fibers have been released to the public more or less, the overlap between the particular mining operations and the numbers of residents that sustain asbestos-related lung diseases—most-all of which never actually worked in the mines, just lived near them—has not been well-publicized until now.
State Responds by Trying To Hide Evidence
The Environmental Protection Agency declared the site to be a public health emergency in 2009, and since then, researchers have found the presence of asbestos in various Nevada cities and even running into neighboring Arizona, affecting various highway projects because exposure to these minerals could be contributing to disease in a new way. Specifically, research reveals that mesothelioma is hitting younger people and women in particular who live in these mining operation areas.
What followed was one of the biggest public health controversies in the country: Upon learning of these findings, state officials with the Nevada Department of Health forced the researchers to withdraw their research and revoked their access to the state cancer registry. Specifically (and possibly for the first time ever), the state health officer invoked the department’s right to pre-approve scientific research and threatened legal ramifications if the researchers published their manuscripts–something most-all scientists have reportedly never seen happen before. As noted by the scientific community in general, additional information (and thus research) is needed in order to make well-informed public health decisions in this case.
A Need for Protective Measures Around Mining Operations
Researchers in this area have called for the use of basic protective measures, for example, people wearing face masks and limiting outdoor activities on particularly windy days. Having been denied access to the state cancer registry, they have instead turned to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for their statistics and published their findings in The Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
New Orleans Mesothelioma Lawyers
Evidence is mounting that exposure to asbestos is harmful to your health, not only if you directly work with it, but, in some instances, even if you live close to commercial development that manages to release it from naturally-occurring minerals.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, an attorney with Harrell & Nowak, serving New Orleans and surrounding communities, can help you secure the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to learn how we can help you.