Asbestos threat at Dominion Virginia Power plant

Surry, Virginia, suffered a blackout due to a tornado that swept the region on April 16. A local power plant, owned and operated by Dominion Virginia Power (DOM), was immediately passed to the electricity generator for the rest of the division.

Due to the lack of electricity, a process required the plant's nuclear reactor refueling Sun spokesman Rick Zuercher said can take up to a month, and hundreds of entrepreneurs. The various components of the reactor are in areas or buildings separated from the central government contractors came and went throughout the plant for some time to complete the project.

One of the companies involved reported threat of asbestos, which has attracted the attention of the State Department of Labor and Industry. Asbestos is a toxic chemical known to be used in insulation systems and building elements. Heavily regulated by the S. U. Environmental Protection Agency, asbestos is a cause of serious respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a rare cancer.

Mesothelioma is perhaps most commonly associated with exposure to asbestos. In case of inhalation of asbestos fibers can initiate a process of mutation that develops into a system of various cancers fantasy. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common of the two types of mesothelioma, tumors that extend through the protective lining of the lung. peritoneal mesothelioma is less common, specific tumors in the lining of other abdominal cavity, such as the heart or diaphragm.

Mesothelioma has a long latency period, often between twenty and fifty years. Victims of mesothelioma usually do not know you have been exposed to asbestos, which makes early diagnosis difficult. The symptoms resemble those of pneumonia and bronchitis and has not shown that the last step and the tumor more aggressive. The diagnosis is usually followed by a short life expectancy, on average eighteen months.

Nearly three thousand Americans suffer from mesothelioma each year. Most of these cases are due to asbestos in the workplace. The World Health Organization provides a rapid increase in the number of cases of mesothelioma in the world, including asbestos continues to be used throughout the world.

State Department of Labor and Industry spokeswoman Jennifer Wester, Surry Central was part of the investigation. He said, "We're looking into it, yes," but did not comment on investigations or situation.

Zuercher said a team of experts examined the area and considered good questions on the basis of guidelines that exposure in the security structure with the Safety and Health Standards Board.