The construction of a large overpass project in Fort Myers, Fla., area has come to a halt while Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) investigators test suspicious materials found on the worksite. The Summerlin Road overpass in Lee County is Southwest Florida’s largest road project, according to NBC-2 News. During a recent site visit, county transportation leaders spotted the material, which they believe contains asbestos, an environmental hazard. Asbestos fibers can cause serious illness, including asbestosis, a severe scarring of the lungs, and mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the chest and lungs, or, more rarely, the abdomen or heart.

NBC-2 quotes John Iglehart from the FDEP as saying, “We take asbestos very seriously because it is such a human health threat.”

The suspected asbestos-containing material was observed among some filler materials on the work site. It is believed the material is leftover water pipes recycled from another project. If the pipes contain asbestos, it will mean they ought to have been properly disposed of, using protective measures in handling a hazardous material. It is illegal to recycle these types of materials and use them in other projects.

According to NBC-2, the project’s lead contractor, Posen Construction, may have improperly disposed of the pipes and then used them in the recycled fill material. The news agency says this is not the first time Posen has been cited for such environmental violations. In fact, they report, Posen Construction has been cited at least 24 times since July 2008 and fined at least $12,000.

The Florida DEP is currently testing the chunks of suspicious material obtained from the job site, but a FDEP investigator says a surface inspection reveals fibers consistent with asbestos. Asbestos becomes dangerous when it is released into the air and inhaled, which is a possibility if the materials on the site are crushed or broken.

Until FDEP makes a final determination, the $25-million project is on hold. If asbestos is found, NBC-2 reports, “the next step will be determining who is responsible, how it happened and most immediately – cleaning it up.”

Read the full story and watch a video of the news coverage.

I’ve posted about several mesothelioma fund-raising and awareness events during the past month, happening in places like Texas, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania. Activities have ranged from bike rides to walks and even a bowl-a-thon. Proceeds from these events have gone toward mesothelioma research, through the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF), or will benefit an individual, like Shanna Kurtz, in her personal battle against mesothelioma.

Today I heard from two people who are looking for ways to help raise awareness of mesothelioma and funds for research. One lives in California and the other in New York. If you know of any events in these areas in the coming weeks, please email us at myMeso – you can just click that green “Contact Us!” button on the home page, or you can email me directly at wendi.lewis@beasleyallen.com.

Also, if you send us information about an event, please include information about where the proceeds will go (either to an individual or an organization) and let us know how people can donate even if they cannot attend the event. Many people in the meso community will still want to help, even if they aren’t able to travel to your area to participate.

I look forward to helping you get the word out about your mesothelioma awareness event!

Family and friends of Raymond Beltrami gathered at Ormond Lanes in Ormond Beach, Fla., on March 21 to participate in a Bowl-a-thon fund raiser to benefit mesothelioma research, and to raise awareness of this terrible cancer.

The event was organized by Tara Music, in honor of her father, Raymond Beltrami, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in January 2008 and passed away just six short months later. She says, ‘Because I could not do anything to save him, I have felt the need to spread awareness about this horrific disease.”

For a $15 registration fee, participants received three games of bowling, lunch and a commemorative t-shirt. The event raised almost $1,000, and donations are still coming in!

You can help – mail your contribution to Tara’s attention at 11 Woodgate Court, Ormond Beach, FL, 32174. Proceeds will benefit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF), which is dedicated to finding a cure for mesothelioma.

Pictured at top: Tara’s nephew, Dylan Hogan, holds a photo of Raymond Beltrami.

Pictured below, from left: Tara’s sister, Rene Hogan, mom Noreen Beltrami, Tara, and Raymond’s mother, Gladys Beltrami.

This is a reminder to our readers that the Mesothelioma Bowlathon fund raiser is set for tomorrow, March 21, at Ormond Lanes in Ormond Beach, Fla. This event is being organized by Tara Music, in honor of her father, Ray Beltrami, who passed away as a result of mesothelioma on July 1, 2008.

If you live in the Ormond Beach area, it’s not too late to participate! The event is set for 1-3 p.m., with registration beginning at the bowling alley at noon. The $15 registration fee includes three games, lunch and a t-shirt. Proceeds will benefit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, which is the national organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-ending disease.

If you are not able to participate in the event, you can still make a donation. Mail your contribution to Tara’s attention at 11 Woodgate Court, Ormond Beach, FL, 32174. For more informatin, you can email Tara at tmusic1@cfl.rr.com or call 386-405-8264.

Live in Florida near Daytona? Sign up to participate in the Mesothelioma Bowlathon, set for Saturday, March 21, at Ormond Lanes in Ormond Beach, Fla. The event will be held from 1-3 p.m., with registration beginning at noon. A $15 registration fee includes three games, lunch and a T-shirt. Proceeds will benefit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

The event is being organized by Tara Music, in honor of her father, Ray Beltrami. He was diagnosed with meso in January 2008, and passed away July 1, 2008.

“Because I could not do anything to save him, I have felt the need to spread awareness about this horrific disease,” Tara says.

For more information, contact Tara at tmusic1@cfl.rr.com or call 386-405-8264. If you are on Facebook, you can visit the MyMeso page to find a link to this event. A map to this event is available.

If you are not able to attend, but would like to make a donation, you can mail your contribution to Tara’s attention at 11 Woodgate Court, Ormond Beach, FL, 32174.

As he lay dying of mesothelioma in a Miami area intensive care unit, successful attorney, Democratic Party activist and philanthropist Milton M. Ferrell, Jr., recorded a video deposition against asbestos manufacturers, according to a report in the Miami Herald. Ferrell passed away just a little over 15 hours later, on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Recorded with literally his last breaths, the video deposition names the Big Three automakers, along with specific brake manufacturers, accusing them of marketing “unreasonably dangerous” products and failing to warn people about the asbestos danger inherent in the products, the Herald reports. According to the paper, Ferrell worked on automobiles as a young man, and it is suspected he inhaled asbestos fibers while working on brakes.

Ferrell, who was listed among the country’s top 100 attorneys in 2006, began suffering what his wife described as “flu-like symptoms” about two years ago, the Herald reports. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in Spring 2008 and had his left lung removed in May. But the cancer spread to his brain, stomach, hip and his right lung. He rejected pain medication on his deathbed in order to record his deposition, according to the Herald.

Among his achievements, he founded his own firm, Ferrell Law, with offices in Miami and New York. Active in Democratic politics, he was a major fundraiser for President Bill Clinton and served as John Kerry’s Florida finance chairman in 2004 during Kerry’s bid for the White House.

Funeral services are set for Friday, Nov. 21, at 11 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Miami. The family requests in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Ferrell is survived by his wife Lori, son Morgan and daughter Whitney.

A friend of mine just sent me this update:

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that a 2004 law imposing stricter rules on those suing for asbestos-related injuries can be applied to cases pending before the legislation was passed, a move that could frustrate thousands of people seeking claims.

The 6-1 decision Wednesday means that many of the 40,000 Ohio cases filed before the law was enacted are likely to be dismissed. It also has potential ramifications in Florida, Georgia, Kansas and other states that have sought to use such laws to reduce litigation related to the cancer-causing substance.

Am I the only one that finds it incredible that all this legislation is being passed to protect businesses, while legislation intended to protect consumers has been stalled for over 10 years?

I am very interested to hear your opinions on this developing story. Please use the comment feature, below.

Read the full story here: http://www.mesothelioma.law.pro/news/2008/10/16/ohio-supreme-court-changes-the-rules-for-asbestos-victims-seeking-justice/

I received an email a few days ago from Nancy Wagner, in Jacksonville, Florida. She found our site through the Lung Cancer Alliance message and journal sites, over at Inspire.com. She wanted some mesothelioma awareness materials, like our awareness bracelets, to share with people around her, in memory of her father, Bill, who passed away with mesothelioma in 2004. Nancy was kind enough to share her Dad’s story with us:

My Dad, Bill [Hackett], was a master mechanic and boilermaker from the time he was 25 until he retired on disability at age 61. During this time he dismantled and rebuilt or built boilers to run some of the company’s largest factories and businesses. He started out at Maryland Ship Building and Dry Dock and then went on to become an independent contractor.

Over the years he was exposed to asbestos hundreds of times, not knowing back then that it would be what eventually claimed his life.

From the time he was retired due to this disability until his death in 2004, he suffered tremendously with breathing disorders from mesothelioma. He faced several surgeries and had to have fluid removed from his body numerous times. There were days he could hardly breathe at all, but he kept going. How I will never know.

Because he had been self employed, there was no insurance because he could not afford it. And social security did not pay very much on a monthly basis. Being a decorated WW II veteran, he was entitled to some treatment through the Veterans Administration.

My father was a very independent man and refused to give up or give in to anything that stopped him from doing what he wanted and going where he wanted. And he refused to be a burden on any one, especially his daughters. Until the week he died he continued to serve as Chaplain of the American Legion Post and made arrangements for former veterans’ funerals and assisted their families.

But he never told us about the cancer. He went to all of his chemo appointments and never told us anything. It wasn’t until after his death and the Death Certificate was issued did we know this is what took him. He died alone, 2 weeks before Christmas, in the house where we grew up.

My dad was truly a great man. I believe the reason he never told any of us was because we lost our Mom to cancer when she was 34 and he was 36 and he didn’t want us to have to face losing him to cancer, even though it was a different kind.

Almost 2 years after his death, I found out that I have stage IV lung cancer.

Cancer in any form is life threatening. The more people are aware of the signs and symptoms of cancer, the better off they will be. Annual checkups are vital. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Cancer caught early can be cured. The later the stage, the more intense the treatments and the less chance for remission.

I’d just like to thank Nancy for sharing her Dad’s personal story with us, and for helping to raise awareness and urge for early detection and research. God bless you.