Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in Pueblo

Colorado Fuel and Iron built a large steel mill in Pueblo in the late 1800s, and it became the city's economic anchor. Blast furnaces, open hearths and rolling mills used asbestos insulation, furnace linings and protective gear. Steelworkers, bricklayers and maintenance crews worked around these materials for decades, and dust spread onto clothing and equipment. The mill shaped Pueblo's neighborhoods for generations, and many families had several relatives working there at once. Furnace relining, ladle repair and steam line maintenance were constant jobs, and workers in many departments spent time near that work. Dust from these tasks settled on clothing that went home each night.

Pueblo was also a rail hub, with shops that repaired locomotives and rail cars using asbestos insulation and brake materials. A coal-fired power plant south of town used asbestos on boilers and turbines, and the Pueblo Army Depot stored and maintained military materials in older buildings. Many Pueblo families have worked at the mill or rail shops across several generations. Many Pueblo tradespeople worked at the mill, the rail shops and the power plant at different points in their careers. Pay records, union files and Social Security earnings statements can help rebuild those histories decades later, which matters when identifying the products involved.