BERLIN — Plant workers employed before 1982 who were diagnosed with various cancers are entitled to special benefits. Lung cancer, esophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer and mesothelioma are frequently caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos-laced products were used for decades at Brown Paper Company. Neither employees nor management were aware of the asbestos risk.   

Asbestos is a mineral that in its natural state is harmless. It becomes harmful when it is pulled apart or ground up into flexible fibers. Then, when inhaled or swallowed, microscopic asbestos fibers may be permanently affixed to body tissue. Over many years, these fibers may cause genetic changes that can lead to cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, “It can take from 10 to 40 years or more for asbestos-related cancers to appear.”   

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