Sharon Steel Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos Lawyers

Representing Sharon Steel Workers with Mesothelioma & Asbestos Cancer Claims

Workers at Sharon Steel and Sharon Steel Hoop in Pennsylvania and Ohio were potentially exposed to asbestos, and may develop lung diseases, including mesothelioma.

Many former workers at Sharon Steel plants have been diagnosed with asbestos-related cancers, and other serious diseases. The bulk of the cases have been proven to be caused by toxic work sites managed by negligent employers in the steel industry.

The fibers from asbestos can be lodged in the lungs, which can cause permanent damage, and in some cases, tumors. Inhaled asbestos fibers can directly cause cancer and other disorders, including mesothelioma.

Nearly any worker in a steel works could be at risk of developing serious health issues, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

A 325-acre tract formerly owned by the now bankrupt Sharon Steel Corporation (Farrell Works Disposal Area) has been deemed a Superfund cleanup site by the EPA. The Farrell Works area is in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, near the Pennsylvania/Ohio state border. For decades, the Sharon Steel Corporation used the area to dispose of furnace slag and sludge. From 1949 to 1981, management allegedly dumped millions of gallons of waste acid over the slag to try to neutralize the waste.

The resulting pollutants ended up in the soil and groundwater, leaving the site contaminated. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in 1998. In 2000, EPA worked with a local company to enable the reuse of slag at the site for construction and road projects.

In 2006, EPA divided the Sharon Steel site into two areas so that site businesses could continue to operate during cleanup. In 2006, EPA selected a remedy for part of the site. It includes treating contaminated slag and sludge, stabilizing eroded riverbanks, land and groundwater use restrictions, and long-term groundwater, surface water and sediment monitoring.

Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Asbestos Lawyer representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of toxic tort and mesothelioma claims. The Firm can investigate any toxic exposure issue for Sharon Steel workers and accepts cases on contingency fees to eliminate any financial risk for the families we represent.  

Asbestos Exposure in Sharon Steel

Asbestos was used in steel foundries for building and machinery insulation. Countless Americans have been exposed to asbestos. Data from the World Health Organization show about 30 percent of deaths from occupational cancer each year could be caused by toxic exposure.

Asbestos was found in equipment that included the following:

• Ovens
• Hot blast stoves
• Furnaces
• Rolling mills
• Tanks
• Boilers
• Cranes
• Steam pipes

Sharon Steel positions commonly exposed to asbestos include:

• Pipefitters & Plumbers
• Machinists
• Boilermakers
• Welders
• Insulators
• Maintenance Crews

Is There Compensation for Former Sharon Steel Workers?

Lawyers claim that asbestos manufacturers and steel plant operators knew about potential health dangers of asbestos products but failed to warn staff, and put profits before Sharon Steel workers.

Workers at Sharon have been involved in asbestos litigation for many years. Former employees may have a substantial injury claim due to the amount of toxic products they likely were exposed to.

Was I Exposed to Asbestos in Sharon Steel Plants?

The inevitable breakdown of asbestos materials and  cutting of the material creates a toxic dust. Fibers may be inhaled and can lead to mesothelioma and other severe forms of lung cancer. Unlike some other ingested toxins which may be flushed from the body over time, the toxic fibers usually remain embedded in the lungs.

Secondary exposure is also possible through fibers traveling on a family members clothing. Due to health concerns, all new uses of asbestos have been banned since 1989. The repercussions of the use, however, live on.

Each year hundreds of Ohio and Pennsylvania men and women are diagnosed with lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis and mesothelioma—related illnesses potentially due to past toxic exposure. The vast majority of those who develop lung cancer and mesothelioma worked closely with toxins.

Workplaces may have been filled with toxic materials, and employers may have failed to warn of the serious health risks of the job. Examples of related illness include:

• Angiosarcoma
• Mesothelioma Cancer
• Asbestosis
• Lung Cancer
• Esophageal Cancer
• Colorectal Cancer
• Adenocarcinoma
• Pulmonary Fibrosis

Many of the deaths from mesothelioma in the United States are the result of toxic exposures decades prior. Despite years of action by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aimed at limiting exposure for much of the last 40 years, so many structures were built with asbestos that exposures are still common.

To consider legal action, you may talk to Attorney Joe Lyon for information on toxic exposure, treatment and compensation. Filing an occupational exposure lawsuit helps to raise the awareness of job safety, and helps secure the financial compensation available to former workers and families.