Report Finds SC Ranks 22nd In Number of Deaths Caused By Asbestos-Related Diseases
Feb 6, 2004 | AP A new report has found South Carolina ranks 22nd in the nation in the number of deaths caused by diseases related to asbestos.The Environmental Working Group of Washington, DC, says at least 628 people in South Carolina died from asbestos-related diseases between 1979 and 2001.
Charleston County leads the state in the number of asbestos-related deaths with at least 180. The report says only 42 counties in the nation reported more asbestos death than Charleston.
Officials say the Charleston area tops the list because asbestos were once widely used at the old Charleston Naval Shipyard.
The report analyzed government data on two asbestos-related diseases: mesothelioma and asbestosis.
