By Glenn S. Draper on February 17, 2010
It is undeniable that Puget Sound Naval Shipyard has brought great prosperity to the Kitsap Peninsula. Indeed, the Defense Department is one of the largest sources of jobs in the Puget Sound region. In late 2008, ten thousand workers were employed at PSNS and the number was expected to grow by this year. Of those workers, civilians outnumber military by more than 10 to 1. Throughout the nation’s economic downturn, local crews have continued to renovate some of the military’s most sophisticated vessels, including nuclear powered aircraft carriers and fast attack submarines. (more…)
By Benjamin R. Couture on February 7, 2010
For decades, members of local branches of the Asbestos Workers Union labored across the country to install asbestos insulation products at shipyards, power plants and countless other industrial sites. Now hazardous materials removal workers must go in and take the products back out again. As is now well known, exposure to asbestos insulation and other asbestos containing products may cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. (more…)
By Brian F. Ladenburg on February 7, 2010
A landmark of Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood for decades, Sunset Bowl was torn down in January to make way for a new apartment complex. Though workers were poised to demolish the once popular bowling alley on January 19, the demolition was delayed for a time while workers tackled removal of asbestos inside the building. The workers knew in advance that the building was contaminated with the substance, but once they started working, they discovered more asbestos than had been anticipated. (more…)
