South Dakota Mesothelioma & Asbestos

Asbestos in South Dakota

In Britain asbestosis and mesothelioma are sometimes referred to as “industrial disease.”  The reason for this is that the use of asbestos and asbestos products was developed in response to new requirements of the industrial age.  Asbestos was used as insulation and as a fire retardant material in steel mills, textile mills, paper mills and power plants.  It was also used in the components of mechanical devices on production lines to provide heat reduction and reduce friction among moving parts.

South Dakota has very few industrial locations where asbestos products would be expected to be in use.  The mineral was also used, however, to develop consumer products for home use such as roofing, ceiling tiles, flooring and floor tiles, wallboard and insulation.  Many South Dakota homes built before 1980 probably have one or more of these products.  It is a rule of thumb with old asbestos products that if they can be left in place undisturbed it is probably safer to do so than to remove it and risk releasing asbestos fibers into the air.

Power plants and commercial plumbing systems used asbestos for insulation and as a fire retardant.  In industrial areas where heat was overbearing workers were often supplied with asbestos protective clothing.  The job sites listed below are locations known to have been places where employee exposure to asbestos on a regular basis was likely.  There aren’t many of them, but if you were employed at any one of them at any time you should discuss the implications of asbestos exposure with your doctor.

For humans the danger of asbestos exposure is possible inhalation or ingestion of tiny asbestos fibers.  Those fibers work their way into internal tissue, most often along the chest wall or on the outer lining of the lungs.  The result is mesothelioma cancer, a lethal carcinoma that attacks the lining of the lungs.  Eventually it can lead to lung cancer, meaning tumors within the lungs as well.  asbestosis is caused by fibers scarring the lungs which lead to permanent impairment of breathing capacity.

The asbestos companies who developed products and uses for asbestos have been found liable for the illness asbestos has caused in hundreds of thousands of Americans.  If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease, contact one of our experienced attorneys to discuss the compensation owed to you by the asbestos companies and the multi-billion dollar trusts they have established to compensate victims.

DAKOTA MIDLAND HOSPITAL ABERDEEN SD
RISAGER PLUMBING & HEATING CO ABERDEEN SD
ST. LUKE HOSPITAL POWER PLT ABERDEEN SD
BIG STONE CITY POWER PLANT BIG STONE CITY SD
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY BROOKINGS SD
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PIERE SD
A. H. BENNETT CO. RAPID CITY SD
AMDAK CORPORATION RAPID CITY SD
CONSOLIDATED COAL CO RAPID CITY SD
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE RAPID CITY SD
HALDE AND FLEER, INC. RAPID CITY SD
HEALY PLUMBING & HEATING CO. RAPID CITY SD
HEALY PLUMBING & HEATING CO. ELDER SIDING RAPID CITY SD
RAPID CITY AIR FORCE BASE RAPID CITY SD
RED BALL WAREHOUSE RAPID CITY SD
REVILLO SCHOOL REVILLO SD
MACARTHUR CO. SIOUX FALLS SD
NORTHERN STATES POWER CO. SIOUX FALLS SD
PATHFINDER POWER PLANT SIOUX FALLS SD
XCEL ENERGY SIOUX FALLS SD
STATE HOSPITAL YANKTON SD

Deaths due to Asbestos Exposure in South Dakota

There is a study that was conducted to analyze the number of asbestos related deaths in this country in the last two decades of the twentieth century.  The figures were broken out by state and as you might anticipate, the deaths were much higher in industrialized states.  Over that period 63 deaths were attributed to asbestos exposure in South Dakota.

However the federal government did not begin to track mesothelioma deaths until 1999.  From that point through 2004 there were 34 deaths in the state due to mesothelioma cancer.  Despite the absence of asbestos products over the last thirty years the disease is still with us and has yet to show signs of slowing.

Cancer Care in South Dakota

There are four federally recognized comprehensive cancer centers for treatment and research in states adjacent to South Dakota.

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

Masonic Cancer Center 
University of Minnesota
420 Delaware Street, S.E. 
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 
Tel: (612) 624-8484 
Tel: (888) 226-2376 
Fax: (612) 626-3069 

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center 
Mayo Clinic Rochester
 200 First Street, S.W. 
Rochester, Minnesota 55905 
Tel: (507) 266-4997 
Fax: (507) 284-1544 

Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
The University of Iowa
200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Tel: (319) 353-8620
Fax: (319) 353-8988

Within the state there are these facilities:

Avera Cancer Institute
Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center
800 East 21st Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
605-322-8000
Broke ground in April 2008

Rapid City Regional Hospital
Cancer Care Institute
353 Fairmont Boulevard
Rapid City, SD 57701
(605) 719-1000