Hawaii Asbestos Exposure

Although Hawaii has no naturally-occurring asbestos deposits, it is home to two military bases as well as two major oil refineries – all of which have long been acknowledged as major sources of asbestos exposure.

Hawaii Cities where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

Provided below is a list of cities in the state of Hawaii where asbestos jobsites are known to have been located. If you worked at any of these companies and/or jobsites in Hawaii there is a possibility that you may have been exposed to harmful asbestos which is known to cause mesothelioma. Click on any link to view a complete list of jobsites in that city.

• Hilo

• Honolulu

The Sites

A National Cancer Institute study of 4700 subjects who had worked at a Coast Guard shipyard between 1950 and 1963 revealed that such persons ran a significantly elevated risk of developing asbestos disease than the population at large. At Pearl Harbor, this was not only due to ship repair facilities but on-base oil refineries as well.
The irony when it comes to oil refinery workers is that the asbestos exposure was often due to the fire suits and gloves that were designed to protect them from burn injuries. This clothing was lined with asbestos, and when the linings became worn, those fibers were released into the immediate environment.

The Statistics

Over half of the 138 deaths from asbestos cancer reported in Hawaii between 1979 and 1999 were due to mesothelioma. The difference was even more pronounced on the less-populated islands of Kauai and Maui, where mesothelioma victims outnumbered those with asbestosis by two-to-one.
This seems odd, considering that mesothelioma is extremely rare compared to asbestosis. While there is no single answer to this, part of the answer lies in the fact that much of the asbestos insulation used in sea going vessels was made up of hard, needle-like amphibole fibers, which are known to work faster in causing the cellular mutations leading to cancer. If you believe you may be at risk for an asbestos-related disease you should seek medical attention at any of the mesothelioma clinics in your area.
Another issue is the fact that all respiratory diseases exhibit nearly identical symptoms in their early stages, making mesothelioma difficult to diagnose until it has reached an advanced stage. Because it is malignant, mesothelioma can and does spread to many other places in the body. However, the progression of asbestosis' progression usually stops once the patient is removed from the source of asbestos. Contacting a mesothelioma lawyer in your area is important if you believe you were negligently exposed to asbestos.

Other Hawaii Jobsites Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

If someone you know has ever worked at one of the Jobsites listed below, they may have been exposed to high levels of asbestos. Asbestos exposure at any one of these Jobsites could put them at risk for developing one of the following asbestos related diseases: malignant mesothelioma (a terminal cancer), asbestos related lung cancer, asbestosis or pleural mesothelioma.

Aiea

• California and Hawaiian Sugar Company
• Honolulu Plantation Company

Barbers Point

• Chevron Usa Inc
• Dillingham Petroleum Corp
• Standard Oil

Hana, Maui

• Kaeleku Sugar Company Ltd
• Reciprocity Sugar Company

Hawaii

• Erra Plantation
• Ewa Sugar Mill
• Hilo Electric Light Company
• Kanoehe Rauch Company
• Kohala Sugar Company
• W.A. Ramsay, Ltd.
• Waialua Plantation

Island of Mani

• Haiku Sugar Company
• Kikei Plantation

Kahului, Maui

• Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company Ltd.
• Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company
• Hawaiian Commercial Sugar
• Matson SS Lines
• Maui Electric Company Ltd
• Maui Land Devlop and Pineapple Canning Corp

Kapolei

• Chevron Hawaii
• Tesoro Hawaii

Kauai

• Grove Farm
• Kauai Electric Company, Ltd.
• Kekaha Sugar Company

Keaau

• Puna Sugar Company, Ltd

Kekaha

• Kekaha Sugar Company, Ltd

Kohala

• Kohala Sugar Company
• R R Hind Hawai Plantation

Lahaina

• H Hackfield and Company
• Pioneer Mill Company Ltd