Asbestos Suppliers and Exposure Sites in Arizona

Arizona Asbestos Suppliers

Due to its proximity to California, many California based suppliers of asbestos containing products did business in Arizona and performed work at Arizona job sites.

For example, Industrial Insulation Company of Phoenix, Arizona was an Arizona Corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Thorpe Insulation Company of California. Industrial Insulation installed Kaylo an asbestos containing pipe insulation manufactured by Owens Corning, at the Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona in 1966. In 1979, Industrial Insulation Company merged into Thorpe Insulation Company. Thorpe Insulation is legally responsible for the actions of its predecessor. Thorpe Insulation has filed for bankruptcy protection but has set up a trust to pay asbestos claims.

Another company, with a similar sounding name, J. T. Thorpe, Inc. was a California Corporation which did refractory and insulation work on boilers at various sites in Arizona including Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. J. T. Thorpe Inc. has filed for bankruptcy protection but it too has set up a trust to pay asbestos claims.

Asbestos Job Sites in Arizona

Tucson, Scottsdale, Yuma and Glendale are the cities within Arizona that have been known to pose the highest risk of asbestos exposure. The Magma Copper Company, just north of Tucson in San Manuel, is one industrial site with potential exposure risk. In addition, there are seven power plants throughout Arizona:

• Childs-Irving Power Plant
• Cholla Power Plant
• Octillo Power Plant
• Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station
• Saguaro Power Plant
• West Phoenix Power Plant
• Yucca Power Plant

There were also several asbestos mines during the 1950’s and 60’s run by American Asbestos Inc.

Even though it has been many years since asbestos was used at these sites, anyone who worked at these locations remains at risk of developing an asbestos related disease since there is a long latency period, up to 50 years from time of exposure before symptoms begin to appear.