Asbestos Exposure at Centralia Power Plant

The Centralia Power Plant used asbestos thermal insulation before 1985 to manage heat and the risk of fire created by coal-fired boilers and steam-driven machinery. Over time, the asbestos products deteriorated, requiring repair or overhaul and putting many workers at risk of asbestos exposure. Families of workers were also put at risk from asbestos brought home on workers’ clothing. From 1985 to 2000, Washington State Certified Asbestos Inspectors identified and removed asbestos from the plant on numerous occasions.

However, there is no clear evidence that all the asbestos was removed even after 2000. This means people who worked at Centralia Power Plant before 2000 had a high chance of asbestos exposure, but those who worked at the plant after 2000 may also have ingested or inhaled asbestos.

Centralia Power Plant workers may have also been exposed to asbestos through the following products:

• Acoustic plaster offered noise reduction inside the power plant. Asbestos was added for additional fireproofing properties.
• Asbestos blankets were used to control heat, prevent burns, and prevent fires in power plants.
• Asbestos pipe coverings were used to control heat and prevent burns and fires.
• Boilers contained asbestos insulation, packing, and gaskets.
• Asbestos-containing cement was used for many products, including fireproof covers for electrical equipment and heat-resistant asbestos cement pipes.

Pipefitters, insulators, maintenance workers, welders, and electricians had the highest risk of exposure. They directly handled asbestos by fitting, sanding, drilling, and cutting products that released asbestos fibers.

These workers may have exposed their loved ones to asbestos by returning home with fibers attached to their skin, hair, and clothes.

Additionally, engineers, managers, and others who did not work directly with asbestos were at risk of exposure.