Kansas Asbestos Sites

The assortment of industries in which asbestos exposure was prevalent includes those that were built more than thirty years ago and those that utilize heat in their work processes. Those are power plants, refineries, chemical plants, railroads and steel mills. Kansas has a number of electric producers that were begun as coops in remote areas. Those plants must be fairly old, as would the oil refineries and natural gas production facilities in the state.

Asbestos is a great natural insulator and as such was a popular choice for insulating pipes, boilers and other fittings in industrial settings where heat was part of the work. Asbestos protective clothing was often provided to workers for further heat protection. Inevitably some of that asbestos grew old and worn and when it did, tiny asbestos fibers were released into the air.

Asbestos Exposure Health Risks

All of this was before it was established that asbestos is a carcinogen and the root source of many respiratory afflictions as well. The worst asbestos-caused disease is malignant mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer that is caused by asbestos fibers that work their way from inside the lungs to the outer membrane. Many times mesothelioma does not become apparent until years and even decades have passes since exposure to asbestos occurred. That is why we are still seeing cases of mesothelioma in this country, thirty years after asbestos was banned from most products.

Asbestos Jobsites in Kansas

The list below consists of Kansas jobsites where hazardous exposure to asbestos was a probability for workers. If you or a relative worked at any of these sites and believe you have an asbestos-related disease you should speak with an experienced Kansas mesothelioma lawyer about your rights to compensation. A little further down the page you will find some of the finer cancer treatment facilities in the area.

Mortality in Kansas from Asbestos Diseases

According to a national study released in 2004, Kansas reported 95 deaths due to asbestosis during the years 1979 to 2000. The mesothelioma deaths in the state during that period fall within the range of 265 to 450.  Since 1999 the federal government has been tracking mesothelioma deaths much more meticulously and there are accurate figures from that date forward. During the period from 1999 through 2004 there were 138 mesothelioma deaths due to asbestos exposure. Despite the ban on asbestos products, mesothelioma deaths continue to compile.

Cancer Treatment in the Kansas Area

There are 64 major cancer treatment and research centers in the country that have been designated as 'cancer control centers' by the National Cancer Institute. These prominent facilities are engaged in cancer treatment and/or research and are qualified for federal grants to further their exploratory work.

Kansas does not have one of these facilities, but it is surrounded by those in nearby states:

Eppley Cancer Center
University of Nebraska Medical Center
600 South 42nd Street
Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6805
Tel: (402) 559-4238 
Fax: (402) 559-4652

Siteman Cancer Center
Washington University School of Medicine
660 South Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63110 
Tel: (314) 362-8020 
Fax: (314) 454-1898 

University of Colorado Cancer Center
University of Colorado at Denver
13001 E. 17th Place
Aurora, Colorado 80045
Tel: (303) 724-3155
Fax: (303) 724-3162