Mesothelioma threat through national fiber-optic initiative

Asbestos has put another stop to Australian advances. The National Broadband Network (NBN), a government owned company, has had to halt their progress towards a nationwide fiber installation due to the presence of asbestos.  With a massive plan to include 93% of the nation, NBN set about connecting the country through fiber-optic technology. Only 7% would be left with other forms of internet and digital connectivity.

The plan included use of existing telegraph poles and underground conduits. About 25% of the new fiber would be hung from poles while the large majority would be buried in an existing underground infrastructure of ditches. However, asbestos was found to be present in the cement and building materials of included ditches and conduits.

Switching its primary focus from technology to safety, NBN administrators are now considering the best way to move forward. Exposing asbestos would threaten safety and health for workers and the public. Asbestos is known to cause severe respiratory conditions. Rare cancer mesothelioma is most associated with asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is characterized by malignant tumors in the lung ling and lining of other abdominal cavities. There are available mesothelioma treatments, but no known cure.

Costs associates with asbestos removal are high. Trained professionals with appropriate protective gear must test all potentially dangerous materials and them remove it without exposing the fibers. In this case, complexity had been added by trouble differentiating between asbestos and non-asbestos cement.

NBN spokeswoman Rhonda Griffin sounds optimistic. She said the “…costs of asbestos management has been factored in to our business case. Where asbestos is identified or suspected, NBN Co contracts the services of fully qualified asbestos experts to remove any aged asbestos-containing infrastructure and dispose of it as per all safeguards required under regulation. Independent hygienists are engaged to monitor any removal.”

Asbestos removal contractors are anticipating a busy season as this unexpected NBN situation redirects funds and efforts. Director of Sydney based asbestos removal company Alkene, Bill Snell said, “It’s going to be a major job actually.” He expects his firm and others to be busy.

There is a responsibility to the public in this case, which causes concern for many. A nationwide effort to connect a population may easily turn into a nationwide nightmare. With health and safety on the line, not all are so confident of NBN’s, and the government’s, ability to handle it.

Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union national secretary Peter Tighe said, “It’s obviously something we’ve got to be very careful about. You can’t just send somebody out and say, ‘Pull cables through’.”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 29th, 2010 at 8:04 AM and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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Removing Christmas Decorations may Pose Asbestos Threat

Caution while removing Christmas decorations stored in the attic! Removing your holiday tinsel and lights could carry a hidden health risk of mesothelioma a rare but aggressive form of cancer that is caused almost exclusively asbestos.

It is estimated that around 35 million homes in the United States are insulated with an insulation known as Zonolite which has been found to contain fibers of asbestos. Zonolite is most commonly found in older homes throughout the US but is unlikely to pose a health risk if left undisturbed. However, removing Christmas decorations could cause a disturbance. Zonolite has not been sold for years, but the longer it remains in homes, the greater the likelihood that it will become disturbed and produce dust.

In the past asbestos was once a popular form of ‘safe’ artificial snow.  It was mixed with mica and sold in the 1930’s as ‘snow drift’ to be liberally sprinkled indoors around Christmas trees, or used to flock their branches.  After the health risks of asbestos came to light, these products were taken off the market.

The EPA recommends that homeowners do not remove asbestos themselves and that it be left intact in its place.  Asbestos that must be removed should be removed by a trained abatement professional.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma contact Legal View to learn about your legal options at 866-9LAW-NOW. Our operators are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. 1-866-952-9669. Visit LegalView for more information about finding a potential mesothelioma lawyer and other information about environmental toxins, including asbestos.

Tags: Asbestos, Mesothelioma

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 at 7:31 am and is filed under Asbestos & Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Social Security Under Threat From the “Catfood Commission”

If you haven’t heard of the Debt and Deficit Commission, pay attention. You need to know about it, especially if you are over the age of 50 or so, or hope to be that old someday.

The Debt and Deficit Commission was created by President Obama last April to address the problem of growing federal deficits and to suggest ways to get the budget balanced by 2015. The Commission is made up of current and former U.S. senators and representatives of both parties, plus some corporate CEOs, a former director of the Office of Management & Budget, some advisers to past administrations and a former Union president. The co-chairs are Alan Simpson, former Republican senator from Wyoming, and Erskine Bowles, former chief of staff to President Clinton. The D&DC is supposed to present recommendations to Congress by no later than December 1.

Now, you may be thinking that it’s a good idea someone is looking at the budget. And you may be right. But what has been leaking out of the D&DC is alarming. It appears that at least part of the D&DC is looking to balance the budget by cutting Social Security. Co-chair Simpson also has made noises about cutting benefits to veterans exposed to Agent Orange in the Vietnam War.

Social Security may be the most popular U.S. government program of all time. Since its origination in 1935, Americans have  come to depend on Social Security to help them through their retirement years.  This includes many, if not most, people diagnosed with the deadly lung cancer mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, which most often happened on the job. But because the disease takes many years to develop, the diagnosis often comes later in life, when the patient is retired.

The Social Security fund is separate from the federal budget, so the money paid out of the fund doesn’t come out of the budget. Yet co-chairman Simpson and some other members of the D&DC have made it clear they want Social Security on the chopping block. Observers speculate they plan to use the Social Security surplus to pay down the federal deficit so they won’t have to consider raising taxes on the wealthy.

That’s why the Debt and Deficit Commission has been nicknamed the “Catfood Commission” — seniors will have to survive by living on cat food.

The good news is that Congress doesn’t have to accept what the “Catfood Commission” recommends. The bad news is that if Republicans gain control of Congress in the November midterm elections, there’s a good chance it will.

Several Republicans running for Congress, such as Alaska Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller, are saying openly that the United States should transition out of the Social Security program. Incredibly, in spite of the recent meltdown in the financial sector, many conservatives still are pushing the idea of investing Social Security money in the stock market.

As I wrote in an earlier post, Social Security is not in crisis, and there are ways it could be made solvent for many decades without cutting benefits, raising the rate of FICA taxes, or postponing the retirement age to 70. So why is anyone even talking about cutting Social Security?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 at 9:37 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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