The Barbours Cut Container Terminal, which also was known as Barbours Cut Docks, is a top container handling facility that is situated off the Gulf of Mexico between La Porte, Texas and Morgans Point. It is currently owned by the Houston Port Authority. Unfortunately, Barbours Cut Docks has a long, sad history of asbestos exposure. This problem has lead workers and local residents to develop dangerous illnesses after years of exposure to asbestos. (Mesotheliomalawyercenter.org)
The History of Barbours Cut Docks
Barbours Cut Docks opened for business in 1977, which offered a better alternative to the Turning Basin Terminal, which was more than six hours from the Gulf of Mexico. Barbours Cut Docks reduced the time in half by putting it only three hours from the Gulf.
Over the years, the terminal grew to more than 250 acres. It also started a cruise ship terminal, which was in operation until 2007. But as large as Barbours Cut Docks became, its use of asbestos for years left many people ill and also threatened the delicate ecosystem of the area.
Barbours Cut Docks and Asbestos Exposure
The EPA released a 2008 report by the EPA that revealed the docks contained large deposits of asbestos. Not only putting people at risk for asbestosis and mesothelioma, but many residents in the La Porte and Houston area were also diagnosed with leukemia, according to a University of Texas Study in 2007. This occurred after the terminal was using many hazardous chemicals in its daily operations. Children who live within a two-mile radius of the docks are twice as likely to be diagnosed with leukemia.
SEE ALSO: Texas Mesothelioma Lawsuit Help
While there are no records of dock workers filing asbestos settlement lawsuits against Barbour Cut Docks, many others who worked at various shipyards in the Houston area have filed lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers that sold asbestos-containing products to shipyards.
Generally, shipyard employees such as those at Barbours Cut Docks have been exposed to asbestos needlessly in the past. After asbestos was found to be a health risk in the 1970s, its use was greatly restricted at all shipyards. It also was ensured that workers would be properly protected with safety gear and training.
Some of the shipyard employees who may have been exposed to hazardous asbestos particles include electricians, welders, and those who made repairs or operated dock machinery. Even people who moved asbestos-containing materials from one part of the Barbours Cut Docks to another may have been exposed.
Barbours Cut Docks Takes Out Administrative Building
A 2003 inspection report by the Houston Port Authority Commission showed the administration building was full of asbestos, so it was taken down and removed. The removal cost $30,000 and was overseen by the Port Authority.
Scientific Studies
Many studies have been conducted with former shipyard workers to determine how much asbestos exposure these workers had and the damage that it did to them. Studies generally find that many shipyard employees at Barbours Cut Docks and other shipyards have dangerous asbestos fibers in their chest cavities and lungs.
These workers have a high risk for illnesses stemming from asbestos exposure, including mesothelioma and asbestosis. Many of these clinical studies were done in the 1960s and 1970s and have been a key part of highlighting the dangers of asbestos exposure and leading to better shipyard worker protections. (Mesothelioma.net)
Get Mesothelioma Legal Help Immediately
The Barbours Cut Docks may have unnecessarily exposed workers and their families to asbestos and many other hazardous materials. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and worked at Barbours Cut Docks, it is recommended to talk to a mesothelioma attorney near you. You may be able to get compensation from one of the companies that provided asbestos or asbestos-containing materials to the Barbours Cut Docks.