Asbestos in Zonolite Construction Products
The Zonolite company produced asbestos-tainted vermiculite insulation products from the early twentieth century until about 1990, when the mine that produced the material in Libby, Montana was closed. W.R. Grace Company bought Zonolite in 1963, and despite knowing of the severe health concerns of the Zonolite products, did nothing to warn its workers or the millions of people who used and lived around its products.
Vermiculite was seen as a “miracle” product – its mica-like layers would pop and expand when heated, creating a very lightweight but strong material with excellent insulation and fireproofing properties. Pure vermiculite is not hazardous. But Zonolite vermiculate was contaminated with high levels of tremolite asbestos, a particularly dangerous form of asbestos that once inhaled or ingested could manifest as an asbestos related disease such as asbestosis or mesothelioma. Tremolite asbestos was released from the vermiculite as dust during the mining operation and popping operations.
Anyone who came into contact with the dust was exposed to tremolite asbestos and is at risk for developing mesothelioma. This includes the miners, their wives who washed their dusty clothing, their children who got hugs when they returned from work, the people who worked in the popping plants all over the country, the homeowners who used their products and lived in their now contaminated houses, and all of the children who played in the heaps of waste rock that W.R. Grace had stacked outside of their factories which dotted the country.
But the most tragic victims of Grace’s Zonolite products are the people of Libby. Despite knowing the rock contained asbestos, Grace” generously” gave the people of Libby as much waste rock and vermiculate as they wanted. Unknowing townspeople used it in their gardens, in their homes, and most famously, on their town baseball fields and running track. Just running the bases exposed countless children from Libby and visiting teams to lethal levels of asbestos.
Many thousands have died or become gravely ill in Libby and across the country from Grace’s Zonolite product. This number is expected to climb substantially as the 15-40 year mesothelioma latency period runs its course. W.R. Grace still operates in Cambridge, Massachusetts today and was never substantially punished for its blatant disregard for human life.
Zonolite construction products included:
- Mono-kote spray on fireproofing
- Zonolite and Dyzone systems for roof decks
- Water repellent masonry fill insulation
- Dyfoam polystyrene insulation boards
- Permadeck structural tile and planks
- Dri-Pac thermal-setting roof insulation
- Insulating roof deck systems
- Insulating concrete
Call us at (800) 278-8675 to speak with a mesothelioma paralegal
If you believe you may have been exposed to asbestos from Zonolite products, or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may want to consider calling an attorney to discuss your legal options. A qualified mesothelioma attorney can help you get the compensation that you and your family need and deserve.
Mesothelioma attorneys have helped thousands of mesothelioma patients win compensation for lost wages and medical costs.