Alaska Asbestos Resources

Asbestos in Alaska

Alaska has a number of large asbestos deposits in its geological mix.  Two of them are located near the towns of Juneau and Ketchikan, while the rest are found in more remote areas.  None of them have as yet posed a risk to the Alaskan population.  As in most areas, the danger of asbestos exposure comes from industrial sites and structures that once employed asbestos or asbestos products in their designs.

Ship repair has always been a hazardous occupation when it comes to asbestos exposure, and Alaska does have a few facilities that provide that service.  Other businesses that feature asbestos use and are located in Alaska include paper mills, located there to take advantage of the vast woodlands.  Oil is also a central feature in Alaska's economy, and oil refineries are known to use asbestos for insulation purposes, to control heat.  There are many oil company facilities in the state that not only refine but store crude oil. 

The use of asbestos as insulation in buildings is not the problem in Alaska that it is in the lower forty eight because there are not a lot of old buildings in Alaska - that is, structures built before 1975.  If there is current danger from asbestos in the state, it will most likely be found in some of the oil or paper mill sites, or perhaps at military facilities.  Nevertheless, if you have ever been employed at any of the jobsites listed below, there is a good chance you were exposed to asbestos at some point.  It becomes dangerous when it is disturbed or disintegrating, which leads to asbestos fibers being put in the air.

Inhaling asbestos fibers is what causes the vast majority of asbestos-related ailments.  Those include asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs that greatly reduces lung capacity and steadily gets worse.  Then there is malignant mesothelioma, a form of cancer that attacks the membranes lining the lungs, the chest wall, the outside of the heat and the abdominal cavity.  Mesothelioma is unusual in that it takes those asbestos fibers years and even decades to create cancerous cells that lead to the disease.  People who have been exposed to asbestos and inhaled it may not see the symptoms of mesothelioma for a long time.

The list below consists of jobsites that are considered probable sites where asbestos exposure can occur, or once could have occurred.  If you have ever worked at any one of them, talk with your doctor about the possibility of health problems due to asbestos.   One of the reasons mesothelioma is so lethal and so quick to kill is that it is rarely diagnosed until it has reached its latter stages.  If you have an asbestos related disease, contact an experienced attorney who can get you the compensation you are due from the asbestos companies.

Mortality from Asbestos in Alaska

According to a study of asbestos related deaths during the period 1979 to 2000, 25 deaths occurred from asbestosis and 23 to 31 from mesothelioma.  Those are small numbers, but it's a small population without a lot of old structures.  In 1999 the federal government began tracking mesothelioma deaths with some precision.  During the period from 1999 to the end of 2004 there were 30 deaths from mesothelioma.  Clearly the rate of occurrences is increasing, even though asbestos has not been used in this country in any form for almost twenty years.

Cancer treatment in Alaska

Providence has opened a cancer center at their major facility in Anchorage:

Providence Alaska Medical Center
3200 Providence Drive
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
(907) 562-2211
http://www.providence.org/Alaska/pamc/cancer/default.htm