Baron & Budd the cornerstone donor of the International Mesothelioma Program

                                                                                   
Asbestos is the generic name for six naturally occurring minerals that have been used in commercial products for their strength, flexibility, low electrical conductivity, and resistance to heat and chemicals. Because of these properties, there are a wide variety of commercial asbestos applications:

• electrical wiring and switching components
• fire retardant insulation for buildings  building materials like drywall, joint compound, roofing shingles
• HVAC insulation
• Automotive gaskets and friction materials (brake pads, clutch linings)
• Boiler insulation, pump gaskets and packing materials.

Mesothelioma is a dreaded cancer that is nearly always caused by just one factor: asbestos exposure. It's an unfortunate truth that millions of Americans and people all over the world have been poisoned by toxic levels of asbestos, putting them at risk for mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other deadly diseases that are directly caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers.

Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Patients with mesothelioma suffer from malignant cells proliferating in the mesothelium, a type of protective tissue that encases our bodies vital organs. The cancer’s attack on the mesothelium wreaks havoc in the patient’s body, causing tumors, swelling, the accumulation of fluid in the chest and abdominal cavities, inflammation, and a general breakdown of many organ systems. Sadly, mesothelioma has a poor prognosis; most cases are very difficult to treat effectively and almost all cases are terminal.

Exposure to asbestos can cause deadly and debilitating disease. It can also cause confusion over the legal remedies available for workers or consumers. "Do I have a workers' compensation claim?" "Should I file for Social Security?" "What about my union disability pension?" "Is the manufacturer of asbestos products liable for my injury?" "Will my recovery of one benefit reduce my recovery of another?"

Officials with the New York Hotel Trades Council, the umbrella group representing 25,000 unionized city hotel workers, said they began an organizing drive at the New Yorker after workers there complained to them about wages and about having to remove asbestos without adequate equipment.

Asbestos in Washington

For the last twenty years or so the State of Washington has been known as the home of Microsoft and the many tech startups that are clustered around their headquarters in Redmond.  High tech has both augmented and replaced the state’s more traditional industries, which include wood products, Boeing Aircraft, shipbuilding and repair, and oil processing.  Bremerton and Seattle were destinations for Alaskan oil tankers prior to the construction of the pipeline and remain so today.

What is Asbestos?

For most individuals, especially those born in the last 40 years, the mention of asbestos conjures up thoughts of a dangerous substance that's sickened many people and caused myriad deaths around the world. That's an accurate description.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is the name for a group of naturally occurring silicate minerals that can be separated into fibers. The fibers are strong, durable, and resistant to heat and fire. They are also long, thin and flexible, so that they can even be woven into cloth.