Oregon Asbestos Resources

Asbestos in Oregon

The original industrial base for the State of Oregon was the city of Portland.  Today there are high-tech industries scattered across the state's landscape; thirty or forty years ago however the industrial strength in the state was in wood products and paper along with shipbuilding and ship repairs.   Portland has been a major port on the Pacific Coast, for both commercial freight and for commercial fishing.

The list below is of jobsites believed to have been places where employees were exposed to asbestos.  Among them is a list of ships, because in the case of Navy and commercial vessels asbestos was widely used as insulation material.  Pipes and fittings in the engine room and throughout the ship were coated with asbestos in order to help control the heat.  As this material aged and disintegrated or was removed and replaced it gave off asbestos fibers that impacted crewmembers and ship repair workers.

The state is heavily forested and is still exporting lumber products; fifty years ago however the state had many paper mills operating on its rivers.  Some of those mills are still operating; all of them used asbestos products on their production lines.  Some mills have changed hands three or four times, which is why this list includes names of mills that were renamed many years ago.  Mesothelioma, the lethal cancer caused by asbestos, can take decades after asbestos exposure has occurred to manifest any symptoms.

The state also has some refineries and chemical plants, two industries that seem to go together.  Some chemical plants produce fertilizer for agricultural use, which is still a viable business sector in Oregon.  If you are employed or have been employed in one of these facilities, you may want to talk with your doctor about the effects of asbestos exposure - especially if you are having any chronic chest pain or respiratory problems.

Asbestos Related Deaths in Oregon

In 2004 the Environmental Working Group released an extensive study on the number of  asbestos related deaths that were recorded between 1979 and 2000.  The analysis took into account the possibility that some deaths attributed to lung cancer may have been lung cancer that was secondary to pleural mesothelioma.  Malignant mesothelioma begins in the outer lining of the lungs and over time will gravitate to the lung itself and cause tumor growth.

Oregon is ranked fifteenth among the fifty United States for asbestos related deaths over that period.  403 deaths are attributed to asbestosis, while mesothelioma claimed between 431 and 721 lives.  For its population, Oregon has fairly high asbestos-related fatality figures which may be due to the amount of waterfront industries that have been there for many years.

In 1999 the federal government began tracking mesothelioma deaths in detail.  Over the period from 1999 through 2004 there were 264 deaths attributed to mesothelioma. 

Cancer treatment in Oregon

Oregon has excellent medical facilities for cancer treatment in research.  The National Cancer Institute has developed a network of forty one cancer treatment facilities and designated them as comprehensive cancer treatment and research centers. One of them is in Oregon:

OHSU Cancer Institute
Oregon Health & Science University
3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd.
Portland, Oregon 97239-3098
Tel: (503) 494-1617
Fax: (503) 494-7086
http://www.ohsucancer.com/ 

Other options in Oregon include:

Willamette Valley Cancer Center Locations:
http://www.wvcancercenter.com

Eugene
520 Country Club Road
Eugene, Oregon 97401
541-683-5001

Florence
1845 Highway 126
Florence, Oregon 97439
541-683-5001
541-997-6147
 
Springfield
2260 Marcola Road
Springfield, Oregon 97477
541-741-3451
541-741-5111

Providence Cancer Center Locations:

Providence Portland Medical Center
4805 NE Glisan St
Portland, OR 97213
503-215-6014

Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
9205 SW Barnes Road
Portland, Oregon 97225
503-216-1234

Providence Milwaukie Hospital
10150 SE 32nd Ave.
Milwaukie, Oregon 97222
503-513-5300