The Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is one of hundreds of sites in our state where asbestos exposure has been problematic. As a manufacturing facility, the Y-12 national security complex boasts itself to be making our nation and our world safer. However, this same operation has posed serious threats to the health of employees and their families due to asbestos exposure.
Asbestos exposure is known to cause serious health problems including the non-cancerous lung disease asbestosis, which causes a build up of scar tissue in the lungs. Worse, asbestos also causes a deadly cancer known as mesothelioma. There are three primary types of mesothelioma: pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and pericardial mesothelioma, which attack the lungs, abdomen, and heart lining, respectively.
The Y-12 National Security Complex
The Y-12 National Security Complex, which operates under the US Department of Energy’s Nuclear Security Enterprise, is in the business of developing safe and reliable US nuclear weapons deterrent, retrieving and storing nuclear materials, fueling the US naval reactors, and performing other government and private functions.
In operation since 1943, the Y-12 National Security Complex has historically used a number of dangerous toxins including asbestos. Asbestos was prized by the Y-12 Complex for its fireproofing, insulating, and durability. In 1970, the organization became concerned with asbestos, PCBs, lead paint and other risks. The company implemented new policies to reduce the risks posed by these toxic agents; however asbestos continues to be a problem at the complex.
Y-12 currently has an asbestos program designed to reduce the risk of asbestos exposure on the job. This department is charged with ensuring that all operations involving asbestos-laden materials are carried out as safely as possible. This program must comply with federal, state, and organization specific codes regarding asbestos disturbance, remediation, and removal.
Despite these efforts, the risks of asbestos exposure continue to pose ongoing formidable challenges to those who work at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The risks associated with asbestos are made more complex by the fact that diseases caused by this material do not often develop until years, if not decades, after exposure.
If you or a loved one has worked at the Y-12 complex and subsequently developed an asbestos related disease, such as mesothelioma, please contact us to learn more about your legal rights and options. Our experienced attorneys can listen to your story and determine the best way to help you.
