Texas Asbestos Exposure

Texas is the primary domestic producer of petroleum products; this industry is among the three most dangerous industrial occupations in terms of asbestos exposure. Texas oil refineries and other facilities are operated by:

• BP Amoco
• Chevron
• Citgo
• Esso
• Exxon
• Fina
• Gulf
• Mobil
• Shell

All of these corporations have been named defendants in asbestos lawsuits with a mesothelioma lawyer.

Texas Cities where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

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

• Abilene
• Alvin
• Amarillo
• Austin
• Bay City
• Bayport
• Baytown
• Beaumont
• Borger
• Brownsville
• Channelview
• Corpus Christi
• Dallas
• Deer Park
• El Paso
• Evadale
• Fort Worth
• Freeport
• Galena Park
• Galveston
• Garland
• Grand Prairie
• Houston
• Irving
• Jacksonville
• La Porte

• Longview
• Lubbock
• Lufkin
• Marshall
• Midland
• Nederland
• New Braunfels
• Odessa
• Orange
• Pasadena
• Port Arthur
• Port Neches
• Richardson
• San Angelo
• San Antonio
• San Marcos
• Seguin
• Sherman
• Silsbee
• Temple
• Texarkana
• Texas City
• Tyler
• Victoria
• Waco

Petroleum Hazards

Like stone (of which it is a form), asbestos is heat-resistant, flame-retardant and impervious to chemical corrosion. Unlike stone, asbestos is soft and pliable, and therefore can be used in numerous applications that would normally require some type of soft, flexible fabric.
Whether in its crude form or in any of its several stages of refinement, petrochemicals are highly volatile making asbestos very useful when it comes to preventing death or injury from flame, or more importantly, property damage. Asbestos insulation was used to shield distillation columns, pipes and conduits, work surfaces and gaskets throughout the facility.
As asbestos insulation ages, it becomes brittle, and starts to crumble and release fibers into the environment. This state is known as friable. During Hurricane Rita, high winds damaged the refinery's insulation, spreading asbestos fibers throughout the region. Those who could have been exposed should seek medical attention at mesothelioma clinics in their area.

The Evidence

In a 2003 British study, 45,000 oil industry workers who had been employed for a period of at least one year during the thirty-five year period between 1946 and 1971 were tracked; the subjects included those who actually worked in the refineries and those who were employed in delivery and distribution. Workers in the first category were found to have more cancer than those in the second.

More Asbestos Industries

Texas is also home to numerous shipyards, power plants and chemical factories; all three have been identified as industries in which asbestos exposure constitutes a serious health risk. Power generation facilities are especially hazardous environments. Since asbestos is an effective electrical insulator it was used in almost every part of a power plant from conduit lagging to the machinery itself.
Until the early 1980s, asbestos insulation was used in almost every part of a ship's construction from the crows nest to the bilge. In a recent National Cancer Institute study, shipyard employees in a study of 4,700 people employed at a nearby Coast Guard facility demonstrated “significant excess mortality” from lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Asbestos In The Wild

Naturally-occurring serpentine deposits are located near the Government Canyon State Natural Area northwest of San Antonio. Serpentine is the source of “white” chrysotile asbestos; 95% of all commercial asbestos was of this type.

Other Texas 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.

Abernathy

• Southwestern Electric Power Company
• Southwestern Public Service Company
• Tuco Plant

Arlington

• Buick Oldsmobile
• General Motors Assembly
• General Motors Corp
• Spanish West Apartments
• U.T.A.
• Vandergriff Community Center

Athens

• Forest Grove Steam Electric Station
• Harbison-Walker Refractories
• Lone Star Gas Company
• Texas Power and Light Company
• Texas Utilities Services, Inc.

Avinger

• Aep Southwestern Electric Power
• Lone Star
• Southwestern Electric Power Company
• Southwestern Public Service Company
• Swepco
• Wilkes Powerhouse
• Wilkes Steam Plant

Bacliff

• Bacliff Steam Electric Station
• Houston Lighting & Power Company
• P H Robinson Plant
• Reliant Energy Inc

Bastrop

• Bastrop Park
• Lower Colorado River Authority
• Pathfinder Manufacturing
• Sim Gideon Power Plant
• Sim Gideon Steam Plant

Big Spring

• Cosden Oil & Chemical
• Cosden Petroleum Corporation
• Fina Oil and Chemical Company
• Safeway Grocery Chain Store

Big Springs

• Badger Manufacturing. Company
• Casden Refinery
• Cosden Oil & Chemical Company
• Cosden Petroleum Refinery
• James L. Edwards Warehouse
• Kasch Bros., Inc.
• Veterans Administration Hospital

Bishop

• Celanese Chemical Plant
• Celanese Corporation of America
• Celanese Plastics Company
• Champlin Petroleum Company
• Fluor Corporation

Blackwell

• Oak Creek Power Plant
• Oak Creek Steam Plant
• West Texas Utilities Company
• Wtu Power Station

Bogata

• Rivercrest Power Plant
• Texas Utilities Company
• Txu Electric Company

Bridge City

• Bridge City Powerhouse
• Cumbustion Engineering
• Entergy Corp
• Entergy Gulf States Inc
• Entergy Sabine Plant
• Gulf State Utilities Company
• Gulf States Utilities Company
• Sabine Power Plant
• Sabine Station

Brownwood

• Brownwood Hospital
• Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company
• National Guard Barracks
• Precision Insulation
• Thermal Products
• Triple B Corp

Bryan

• Bryan High School
• Bryan Municiple Electric System
• Elf Atochem North America, Inc.
• International Shoe
• Power Plant
• Rc Dansby Steam Plant
• Roland C. Dansby Power Plant
• Texas A&M University

Carrollton

• Bayfield Industries
• Country Place Court
• Emtex Division
• International Paper Company

Carthage

• Champlin Oil & Refining Company
• Chicago Corp
• Conoco Plant
• United Gas Pipe Line

Cedar Bayou

• Cedar Bayou Generator Station
• Chevron Chemical Plant
• Chevron Phillips Plastics
• Gulf Chemical Plant
• Houston Lighting & Power
• Spencer Chemical

Chaison

• Eastern Texas Electric Company
• Gulf States Utilities Company
• Magnolia Petroleum company
• Mobil Oil Company
• Security Oil Company

Channel View

• Atlantic Richfield Chemical Company
• Sinclair Petrochemicals
• T E Mercer Trucking
• Texas Butadiene & Chem. Corp

Chocolate Bayou

• Amoco Chemical Plant
• Amoco Refinery Plant
• Monsanto Chemical Company
• Phillips Refinery
• Sterling, Solutia

Clear Creek

• Clear Creek High School
• Mc Whirter Elementary
• Stewart Elementary
• Stone Webster Engng Corp
• Webster Intermediate

Clear Lake

• Celanese
• Nasa
• Nasa Manual Spacecraft
• University of Houston

College Station

• A & M University
• Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas
• Texas A&M University

Colorado City

• Col-Tex Refining Company
• Morgan Creek Power Plant
• Texaco Oil
• Texas Electric Service Company
• Txu Corporation

Conroe

• Columbia Carbon Plant
• Entergy
• Gasoline Plant Construction Corporation
• Grogan Brothers
• Gulf States Utilities Company
• Jefferson Chemical Company
• Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America
• Superior Oil
• Tidewater Pipe Line Company

Corpus Christie

• Coastal Refining

Corsicana

• American Rock Wool Corp
• Collins Middle School
• Corsicana Power and Light Company
• Corsiciana Gas and Electric Company
• Fire Engineers Inc
• Kent Middleton Refining Company
• Wolf Brand Products Company

Denison

• Ag Processing, Inc
• Coldstream Products Company
• Conway Oil Company
• Katy Industries
• Safeway Stores, Inc.
• Wj Smith Wood Preserving Company

Denton

• City of Denton - Municipal Generating Station
• College of Industrial Arts
• Community Food Room
• Denton Power Plant
• Municipal Power Plant

Diboll

• Precision Insulation
• Southern Pines Saw Mill
• Temple Eastex Incorporated
• Temple Industries
• Temple Inland Papermill

Dumas

• American Zinc Smelter Plant
• Cooper Bessemer
• Phillips Petroleum Company
• Shamrock Company Oil Company
• Shamrock Oil and Gas Company

Easton

• Southwestern Electric Power Company - Knox Lee
• Southwestern Gas & Electric Company

Edgewood

• Amoco Production Company
• Edgewood Plant
• Pan American Gas Plant
• Pan American Petroleum

Eldon

• Houston Power & Light Company

Etter

• Cactus Ordnance Plant
• Phillips Chemical Company
• Phillips Petroleum Company
• Spencer Chemical Company

Fort Hood

• Fort Hood
• Systek Flight Training

Fritch

• Amarillo Oil Company
• Continental Construction Corporation
• Natural Gas Pipeline
• Pioneer Gas Plant
• Texoma Natural Gas Company
• West Texas Gas Company

Grand Saline

• Morten Salt Company
• Southern Salt Company
• Wilderspin and Martin

Greens Bayou

• Armco Steel Mill
• Diamond Alkali Chemical
• Diamond Shamrock
• Nyotex Chemical Div
• Pennsalt Chemical Company
• Reichhold Chemical Company

Greenville

• Brown-Olds Plumbing & Heating
• City of Greenville S.E. Plant
• Greenville Electric Dept
• Greenville Electric Utility System
• Texas Aluminum Extrusion Plant

Gregory

• Bechtel Corporation
• Dow Chemical
• E.I. Du Pont De Nemours
• La Quinta Plant
• Reynolds Metals Aluminum
• Shermin Plant
• Sherwin Alumina Lp

Groves

• Atlantic Refining Company
• Atlantic Richfield Oil Refinery
• City Hall
• Fina Oil & Chemical Plant
• Phalen Tank & Boiler Service

Haskell

• Paint Creek Power Station
• Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company
• West Texas Utilities Company

Henderson

• Anderson Hickey
• H.B. Fountain Sheetmetal & Roofing
• Henderson Clay Products Plant
• Sinclair Oil and Gas Company

Huntsville

• First Baptist Church
• Huntsville State Teachers College
• Sam Houston State Teachers Colledge
• Sam Houston State University
• Texas Dept of Corrections

Ingleside

• Naval Station Ingleside
• Reynolds Aluminum
• Reynolds Metal Company
• Uni Oil Inc.

Jefferson

• Blackburn Syrup Works
• Lake Bauter Powerhouse
• Southwestern Electric Power Company
• Wilkes Power Plant

Karnack

• Longhorn Ordnance Works
• Thiokol Chemical Corporation
• Thiokol Plant
• Universal Match

Katy

• Exxon
• Humble Oil & Refining Company

Kerrville

• Griggs Health Center
• Kerriville State Hospital
• Kerrville Elementary School
• Kerrville High School
• Veteran's Affairs Hospital

Kilgore

• Baker Hughes
• Boraco Wax Company
• E. Texas Salt Water Disposal Company
• East Texas Salt Water
• Hercules Gasoline Company
• Kilgore Plumbing
• Petrolite Corporation
• Skelly Oil Refinery
• Southport Petroleum Company

Killeen

• Central Texas College
• Fort Hood
• Killeen Elementary School
• Killeen Junior High School
• Latter Day Saints Church
• Main Fire Station

Kingsville

• Celanese
• Exxon Refinery
• Humble Oil Refining Corporation
• King Ranch Gasoline Plant
• Texas Southern Electric Company

Lake Creek

• Foster Wheeler Corporation
• Superior Oil - Recycling Plant
• Texas Power & Light Company
• Txu Corporation

Laporte

• Dupont Chemical Plant
• E.I.Dupont Denemours
• Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
• Oxy Chemical Plant
• Rohm & Haas Company
• Tenneco Refinery
• Usi Chemical Plant

LaPorte

• Chemtron Chemicals
• Tenneco Plant

Laredo

• Central Power and Light Company
• Empresas Longaria
• La Pasada Motor Hotel
• Laredo Air Force Base
• Laredo Electric and Railway Company
• Laredo Power Station Unit Number 3
• Petroleos Mexicanos
• Southwestern Engineering
• Texas Miningsmelting Company