Mesothelioma Support in Texas

Exposed to asbestos in Texas?
We have options for mesothelioma victims and residents of Texas.

First Name
Email Address
Telephone Number
State
Message

Asbestos detected in the debris of military housing

When children living in the Ft. Bliss housing for military families started falling ill, it became a matter of concern. More so, when it was found that the illness was due to the asbestos debris around the Van Horne Housing Development that was created when old homes were pulled down over the past couple of years. This colony is located inside the U.S. Army post in New Mexico that is home to 2,724 people or more.

Until the mid 70s, asbestos exposure in Texas was present  as this material was used in insulation in the form of asbestos-cement siding, or ACS. It is also found in older floor tiles, sheet flooring, flooring glues, acoustical ceiling sprays, decorative wall sprays, some plaster finishes and plaster/sheetrock repair compounds, and in the sealant around windows and doors, among others. People living in such houses inhale air laden with asbestos from these building materials and contract a respiratory disorder known as asbestosis or mesothelioma, a cancer of the mesothelial tissues that encase the vital organs. The disease that surfaces after an inordinately long gestation period is fatal. It is reported that more than a quarter of the asbestos-related deaths in the U.S. are from mesothelioma.

The residents of the Van Horne Housing Development are at great risk since there is no minimal level of exposure that is considered safe. A single fiber of asbestos can cause mesothelioma.

Garrison Commander Col. Leonard Wells said that asbestos presence was "low-hazard" but most families had been moved out of the area where the remaining houses are being demolished and only 120 people remain in the Van Horne section. Some allegations surfaced that the soldiers and their families had been intimidated and asked to refrain from commenting on the Van Horne problems.