Illinois Asbestos Exposure

Cook County, Illinois has long been considered a “judicial hellhole” by corporate defendants. Until recently, asbestos plaintiffs generally came out ahead when faced with lawsuits from a mesothelioma lawyer.

Recently however, a prominent judge in that jurisdiction has sidelined all asbestos actions in which the plaintiff has not been diagnosed with an asbestos disease nor shows symptoms.
There are two sides to the argument, here. On one hand, virtually everyone on the planet has been exposed to asbestos at some point in their lives. Asbestos diseases (especially mesothelioma) have long latency periods; one who has been exposed to asbestos may not have symptoms today, but could very well develop a disease in years to come.
On the other hand, asbestos diseases are fairly rare among the general population; even among those who worked in industries where asbestos was present, relatively few will actually develop asbestosis if they haven't already, and only a handful will contract mesothelioma.

Illinois Cities where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

Provided below is a list of cities in the state of Illinois where asbestos jobsites are known to have been located. If you worked at any of these companies and/or jobsites in Illinois 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.

Industry

Illinois is home to some sixty businesses, factories, schools and other institutions that have been sued over asbestos. Most of these are industries commonly associated with asbestos exposure, such as oil refineries (including Amoco, Citgo, Mobil, Shell and Standard) and numerous power stations. Another location is the Great Lakes Naval Base. Oddly, one named defendant has been the soft drink manufacturer, PepsiCo.
Although asbestos is not used in any phase of soft drink production, the fact is that PepsiCo – like virtually all large corporations in the world today – has been busily engaging in mergers and acquisitions, buying up companies that have nothing to do with soft drinks, such as defense contractors and media companies. In their eagerness to expand, those who arrange such deals often forget that when one company takes over another, the former acquires not only the latter's assets, but its liabilities as well – including any current, pending or subsequent judgments.
Asbestos is also to be found in many of the state's older buildings as well as its infrastructure. Asbestos was even found in some public water systems because of the asbestos cement used to manufacture water pipes between the 1930s and 1970s.
However, there is no naturally-occurring asbestos formations anywhere within the state of Illinois.

Statistics

According to the 2000 census, the population of Illinois was 12.8 million. During the preceding two decades, there were 1,731 casualties attributed to asbestos diseases.
Although mesothelioma is much rarer than asbestosis, there were three times as many cases of the former than of the latter. The reasons may be to two factors:

Mesothelioma is not usually diagnosed at mesothelioma clinics until its later stages, when it is virtually untreatable.
Amphibole asbestos, implicated in asbestos cancer, was far more commonly used than the chrysotile asbestos that causes asbestosis. This includes tremolite, which was not itself commercially used, but was a common contaminant of other products.

Other Illinois 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.

Anna

Anna State Hospital
Choate Mental Health and Develop
Fruit Growers Refining and Power Company
Union City Tract'N and Power Company

Argo

CFC International
Corn Products Company
Gatx Terminal

Baldwin

Baldwin Power Plant
Baldwin Power Station
Baldwin Steam Plant
Dynegy Power Corp
Illinois Power Company
Illinova Power Marketing Inc
Reabody Coal Company
Sprinkman Sons Corp

Bartonville

Allied Mills, Inc
Amerencilco
Bartonville Grade School
Central Illinois Light Company
Continental Grain
Edwards Station
Keystone Steel & Wire

Batavia

Furnsa Electric Company
Metal Dross Corporation
National Accelator Lab
Van Nortwick Paper Company
Western Paper Bag Company

Bedford Park

Corn Products International
General American Tank Storage Terminals
Johnson and Johnson
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M)
Moroney John J & Company
Viskase Company

Benton

First Bank Building
Franklin County Mining Company
Franklin Hospital
Industrial Plumbing & Heating
Petroff Packing Company

Bradley

Aventis Behring
Bunge Corp
Krolhler Manufacturing Company
Swift & Company

Cairo

Burkhart Manufacturing Company
Cairo and St. Louis Railway
Cairo Power Plant
Cairo Railway and Light Company
Cairo Water Company
E.L. Bruce Company
Missouri Cotton Oil Company
Singer Manufacturing Company
Solomon Terry

Calumet City

River Oaks Shopping Center
Swift & Company
United Chemical and Organic Products Company
Wilson and Company

Canton

Canton Gas and Electric Company
Central Illinois Light Company
Graham Hospital
International Harvester Company
P and O Manufacturing Inc
Parlin and Orendorff
Peoples Gas and Electric Light Company
United Electric Coal Company

Carbondale

Arena
Brush Towers
Frick Plumbing and Heating
General Classroom Building
Residence Halls #35 To 39
Southern Illinois University
United States Wildlife Commission
Wood Preserving Company

Carol Stream

Tri Star Metals

Clearing

Arkell Safety Bag Company
Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad Company
General Printing Ink Corporation
National Aluminate Corporation
U.S. Steel
Visking Corp
Witco Corp

Clinton

Clinton Gas Company
Clinton Nuclear Power Plant
Clinton Power Station
Clinton Power Station
Clinton Powerhouse
Illinois Central Railroad Company
Revere Copper & Brass Company

Coffeen

Amerenenergy Generating
Central Illinois Power Station
Central Illinois Public Service Company
Coffeen Power Station
Coffeen Powerhouse
Consolidated Coal Company, Inc.

Collinsville

Collinsville Electric Company
Glidden Company
Lumaghi Coal Company
Schuck Apartments
Southern Illinois Light and Power Company
St Louis Smelting and Refining Company

Cordova

3M
Commonwealth Edison Company
Cordova Powerhouse
Nitrin Chemical Corporation
Nitrin Gas Company
Quad Cities
Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station
Sargent and Lundy

Crystal Lake

Evangelical Lutheran Church
Pure Oil Company

Dolton

Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
Hales & Hunter
Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp
Tetco Metal Products Company

Duquoin

Freeman Fidelity Mine #11
Peabody Coal Company
Phelps Dodge Corp
Truax-Traer Coal Company
United Electric Coal Company

East Peoria

Caterpillar Tractor Company
Central Illinois Light Company
East Peoria Heating Plant
General Insulation & Roofing Company
Silver St Team Track
Wallace Station

Edwardsville

Bell Telephone
Edwardsville High School
Hamlin Casting Corp
Madison County Courthouse
Southern Illinois University
Wagner Electric

Elk Grove Village

Clingan Steel, Inc.

Ellis

Commonwealth Edison Company

Elmhurst

Black-Top Roads Company
Dramm Greenhouse
Economy Plumbing & Heat
Elmhurst Memorial Hospital
Memorial Hospital of Dupage County
Peoples Coal

Elwood

Army Munitions Plant
Elwood Ordnance Plant
SNG Plant
Stepan Chemical Company
U. S. Rubber Company

Federal

Alton Box Board and Paper Company
Federal Lead Company
Laclede Steel Company
Wood River Power Station

Geneva

Chas. Pope Glucose Company
Community High School
Geneva Modern Kitchens
Pope Glucose Company
Structural Clay Products

Grand Tower

Amerenenergy Generating
Central Illinois Public Service Company
Grand Tower Powerhouse
Middle West Utilities Company

Hartford

Amoco Oil Refinery
Anlin Company
Chemetco
Clark Oil & Refining Company
International Shoe Company
National Marine Service
Sinclair Oil Refinery
Wood River Oil & Refinery Company

Havana

Crescent Forge & Shovel Company
Dana Corporation
Dynegy Power Corp
Harvest Brands
Havana Powerhouse
Illinois Power Company
Lacey Drainage & Levee District
Metanzes Drainage & Levee District

Hennepin

Hennepin Power Station
Jones and Laughlin Steel Company

Henry

B F Goodrich Chemical Company
Blaw-Knox Company
Goodrich Chemicals Company

Herrin

Federal Wire Mill Corp
Freeman Coal Mining Company
Herrin High School
Norge Company
Pond Creek Coal Company
Robert Dick Coal Company

Highland Park

Deerfield Shields Township High School
Elm Place School
Gray Electric Company
Highland Park High School
Highland Park Hospital
Moran Plumbing & Heating
North Shore Electric Company

Hillsboro

American Zinc Company of Illinois
Commercial & Residential Construction
Hillsboro Electric Light and Power Company
Hillsboro Glass
Hillsboro High School
Southern Illinois Light and Power Company

Hinsdale

Hinsdale Hospital
International Harvester
Village of Hinsdale

Hoopeston

Allis Chalmers Manufacturing Company
Hoopeston Electric Light and Heating Company
Hoopeston Foods Inc
Illinois Canning Company
John Deere Vermilion Works
Pillsbury Mill

Hutsonville

Central Illinois Public Service Company
Hutsonville Powerhouse

Illiopolis

Borden Chemical Company
Munition Plant

Joppa

Electric Energy Inc.
Joppa Generating Station
Joppa Powerhouse
Joppa Steam Electric Station
Missouri Portland Cement Company

Kewanee

American Standard
Bennison Building
Consolidated Light and Power Company
Kewanee Light and Power Company
Kewanee Public Service Company
Kewanee Sewage District Plant
Mechanical Insulation Company
Walworth Company
Western Tube Company

Kincaid

Commonwealth Edison Plant
Dominion Energy Inc
Kincaid Powerhouse
Middlewest Utilities Company of Illinois

Lawrenceville

Indian Refining Company
Lawrenceville Works
Nitco Chemical Company
Texaco Oil Refinery
Texas Company
Witco Chemical Plant

Libertyville

Allied Mills
Anchor Coupling Company
Berggreen-Traynor
F.E. Mcfarland
Mcfarland Greenhouse
Morton Manufacturing Company

Litchfield

American Radiator & Standard Sanitary Company
American Radiator Company
Automotive Controls Corp
D.L. Wing and Company
Echlin Manufacturing
Litchfield Milling Company
Weatherproof Company

Lockport

H. S. Mccray
Lockport Powerhouse
Material Service Division
Public Service Company of Northern Illinois
Texaco Oil Refinery

Mapleton

Archer Daniels Midland
Baird Chemical Ind., Inc.
Caterpillar Tractor Company
Girdler Corp
Goldschmidt Chemical Corp

Marseilles

Becker Industries
Certain-Teed Production Corporation
General Roofing Company
Nabisco Brands Inc
National Buscuit Company Plant
National Phosphate Corp
Nbr. 64 Block Plant
Prymeland Development
W D Boyce