Philadelphia Asbestos Lawyers: Asbestos Scare in Washington DC

On October 30, 2015, the Cannon House Office building in Washington DC was evacuated upon learning that there had potentially been an asbestos leak. The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) confirmed that an asbestos leak had in fact occurred during the recent construction that was a part of the Cannon Renewal Project. Since then, the Cannon House has been closed until further notice so the scene can be evaluated and the proper steps and procedures can be taken to ensure the least amount of damage. An AOC spokesperson said updates will be provided as the investigation continues. However, she did not respond to a question regarding how many workers had been potentially exposed to the asbestos leak.

The Cannon House is the oldest congressional office building and is currently undergoing a reconstructive process that is estimated to cost nearly $573 million and 10 years to complete. “The Cannon Renewal Project” came to fruition in 2014 and, including this most recent incident, has since then resulted in the temporary closure of the House twice due to asbestos leaks during construction. In July 2014, yet another asbestos spill called for the House side of the Capitol to be evacuated and closed temporarily. The Unions representing the AOC workers and the Capitol Police expressed their concerns regarding the toxic substance their workers had been exposed to. Seemingly, this made little difference to the future execution of the ongoing construction project.

It has been known for over 100 years that asbestos causes mesothelioma, a multitude of other cancers and other lung/respiratory diseases. This discovery and the statistics surrounding it prompted the creation of much safer substitutes. Despite the existence of such substitutes, asbestos continues to make its way into the walls of our houses, places of work and even our children’s toys. In 2015 alone, over 400 metric tons of asbestos were consumed in the United States for these purposes. The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries and Risk Factor Study from the Lancet Medical Journal found that in 2013, occupational asbestos exposure was responsible for 194,000 deaths- an 80% increase from the World Health Organization’s reported yearly average of 107,000.

Philadelphia Asbestos Lawyers at Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown and Sandler are committed to Recover Compensation for those Suffering from Mesothelioma

Philadelphia mesothelioma lawyers at Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler are committed to ensuring that justice is served for cases involving damages resulting from asbestos exposure. If you or a loved one has developed mesothelioma or any other asbestos related illness, call us today at 800-369-0899 or submit an online inquiry to talk to one of our lawyers about how to begin your case and recover the compensation you are due for their losses.