Asbestos Scare at Virginia Power Plant

By Peter DePaolis
Attorney

A tornado swept through Surry, Virginia, in April causing an outage at one of its power plants. As a result, a nuclear reactor at the plant required refueling, a process requiring hundreds of workers that can take up to one month to complete. During the work, one of the workers reported an asbestos threat at the damaged plant.

The State Department of Labor and Industry arrived and began an investigation. A spokesperson for the state agency confirmed that it is looking into the asbestos threat at the plant, but did not go into detail. A spokesperson for the plant’s owner said experts surveyed the area and determined that it was within the safe guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma cancer, a fatal type of lung cancer with an average life expectancy of 18 months. Mesothelioma symptoms are often confused with bronchitis and pneumonia, and unfortunately, the symptoms do not manifest until it is too late. It can take between 20 and 50 years before a victim even knows that they have the deadly disease.

If you believe you have suffered asbestos exposure, contact a Northern Virginia mesothelioma lawyer at Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis right away for a free consultation. Peter DePaolis is an experienced Northern Virginia mesothelioma attorney who can help you recover money to pay the medical bills associated with mesothelioma.

About the Author
Peter DePaolis joined the firm in 1980 and has since represented a large number of individuals involved in automobile collisions, truck accidents, bus crashes, defective products, and medical malpractice cases. A significant portion of Mr. DePaolis’ practice is devoted to working on behalf of people suffering from asbestosis, mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related cancers. He has led his firm’s fight against the asbestos industry and has recovered over $30 million in damages for asbestos victims and their families.