Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in Waukegan

The Johns-Manville plant in Waukegan manufactured asbestos-containing building materials such as roofing, siding and pipe for much of the twentieth century. Production lines cut, mixed and shaped asbestos fibers, and dust was a constant part of the job. Plant workers, maintenance staff and people who handled scrap and waste material were exposed, and some carried dust home on their clothing, exposing spouses and children. Dust from cutting and finishing asbestos products could settle on machinery, floors and clothing, and routine cleanup often stirred it back into the air. Some workers stayed at the plant for decades, building up many years of exposure.

Waste from the plant was disposed of on site, and the area later became a federal Superfund site because of asbestos contamination. Local residents raised concerns about asbestos-containing debris along the shoreline and nearby properties. Waukegan also had other industrial employers, and many people who worked at the plant spent their careers in nearby factories and construction jobs. For families in Waukegan, asbestos exposure often reaches back several decades and more than one generation. The plant's history is well documented in environmental and legal records. That documentation can be useful to families today, because it helps confirm what was made there and how long operations continued.