Asbestos Exposure in Louisiana Chemical Plants
In Louisiana, chemical plant workers were regularly exposed to asbestos-containing products throughout most of the 20th century because the material was considered one of the best insulators on the market. However, chemical plant owners and product manufacturers continued to use asbestos even after they became aware of its link to deadly diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer because it was cheaper than the alternatives.
Last Updated:
- May 11, 2025
Which Louisiana Chemical Plants Used Asbestos?
Louisiana has historically been the home to many chemical plants due largely to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River. The chemical plants in Louisiana known to have used asbestos throughout the 20th century include the following:
View 53 Locations:
- Albemarle (Ethyl) – Baton Rouge
- Allied Chemical Plant – Baton Rouge
- BASF – Geismar
- Chemtura (Crompton/Uniroyal) – Geismar
- Chemtura (Witco) – Jefferson
- Chevron Oronite Chemical – Belle Chasse
- ChevronPhillips – St. James
- CII Carbon – Norco
- Criterion (So. Ionics Alcoa) – Geismar
- Deltech (Foster Grant) – Baton Rouge
- Dow – Plaquemine
- DuPont – Various locations in Louisiana
- DuPont (LaPlace) – LaPlace
- ExxonMobil Chemical – Baton Rouge
- ExxonMobil Lubes – Baton Rouge
- ExxonMobil Plastics – Baton Rouge
- ExxonMobil Poly (Allied/Paxon) – Baton Rouge
- ExxonMobil Resins – Baton Rouge
- Ferro – Zachary
- Formosa (Allied) – Baton Rouge
- Georgia Gulf – Plaquemine
- Great Lakes Carbon (Alcoa) – Port Allen
- Hexion (Borden) – Geismar
- Hexion (Resolution Performance Products) – Baton Rouge
- Huntsman (Ciba) – Geismar
- Ineos (ICI) – Plaquemine
- Innophos (Rhodia) – Geismar
- Lion Copolymer (DSM) – Baton Rouge
- Monsanto – Luling
- Mosaic (IMC – Agrico, Uncle Sam) – St. James
- Mosaic (IMC-Agrico) – Faustina
- Motiva – Geismar
- Nalco (Ondeo Nalco) – Garyville
- Norco Chemical, Shell (NMC) – Norco
- OxyChem (Convent) – Convent
- OxyChem (Vulcan) – Geismar
- Oxychem (Hooker) – Geismar
- PCS Nitrogen (Arcadian) – Geismar
- Pioneer (Stauffer) – St. Gabriel
- Poly One (Geon) – Plaquemine
- Praxair – Multiple locations in Louisiana
- Rhodia (Stuaffer) – Baton Rouge
- Rubicon/Huntsman – Geismar
- Shell Chemical – Norco
- Shell Chemical (East & West) – Geismar
- Shintech (BCP) – Plaquemine
- Shintech – PVC – Plaquemine
- Sid Richardson – Carbon Black – Addis
- Syngenta (Novartis & Zeneca) – St. Gabriel
- Total Petrochemicals (Atofina, Cosmar & Fina) – Carville
- UOP (LaRoche) – Baton Rouge and Shreveport
- West Lake (Geismar Vinyls, BCP) – Geismar
- Williams (Union Texas) – Geismar
How Chemical Plant Workers Were Exposed to Asbestos
Asbestos is known for its heat-resistant properties, making it a common component of insulation materials in chemical plants from the 1930s into the 1980s. It was used almost everywhere in chemical plant workers’ surroundings, including in covering for high-temperature piping systems that carried steam, chemicals, and by-products of the process.
When asbestos-containing insulation products were torn out and reapplied, the material’s microscopic fibers were released into the air. Workers then inhaled or ingested the fibers, putting them at risk of developing an asbestos-related illness like mesothelioma decades later. Even though some tradespeople did not work hands-on with asbestos-containing products, just being around those who handled asbestos directly created an ultra-hazardous work environment.
A Chemical Plant Worker's Story
“That's where I think that I got my main dose of asbestos.”
I worked at several job sites at chemical plants up and down Mississippi River. The last couple of jobs, I was becoming what they call a hot welder. They heated up the pipe to 1,200 degrees before you even start welding. And in that process they wrap the pipe with asbestos and then they put insulation in between the asbestos and they fold it over.
Asbestos Products Used Around Chemical Plant Workers
Because it was highly resistant to heat and fire, asbestos was often used to line high-temperature equipment, workbenches, and tables. Some protective clothing workers wore to prevent burns also contained asbestos. Some of the most common asbestos-containing materials chemical plant workers may have used include the following:
- Pipe insulation
- Block insulation
- High-temperature insulation cements
- Firebricks
- Refractory cements
- Spray refractory products
- Asbestos gasket
- Valve packing material
Did You Know?
Chemical plants continued to use asbestos-containing materials because the cost of asbestos-free products was roughly 10% more expensive.[1]
What Chemical Plant Trades Had the Highest Risk for Asbestos Exposure?
Chemical plant workers were tradespeople and union members for the most part. Some of the occupations most commonly exposed to asbestos in chemical plants include the following:
- Insulators
- Pipefitters
- Mechanics
- Millwrights
- Laborers
- Welders
- Electricians
- Boilermakers
- Ironworkers
- Maintenance Workers
At-Risk Family Members of Chemical Plant Workers
Family members are also at risk of secondary asbestos exposure when a chemical plant worker brings home asbestos fibers on their clothing. If an exposed father returns home from a chemical plant without changing work clothes and hugs his child, that child could be exposed to asbestos fibers. If a father comes home and gives his asbestos-laden work clothes to his wife to launder, the spouse and the rest of the family may be exposed.
Questions About Mesothelioma?
Many chemical plant workers are uncertain about what steps to take after receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis.
Was Enough Done to Protect Chemical Plant Workers in Louisiana?
Little, if anything, was done to protect chemical plant workers from asbestos exposure on the job. Although chemical plant companies knew the dangers of asbestos as early as the 1930s and their knowledge continued to grow throughout the next 4-5 decades, they considered it too expensive to switch to non-asbestos methods. Many chemical companies, including Dow Chemical Company and Union Carbide Chemical, have a history of lobbying to oppose the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposals to ban asbestos. They have also gotten the attorneys general of a dozen states to speak against the potential ban.
Did You Know?
The Dow Chemical Company performed a “cost per cancer” analysis and determined it would cost the company over $1.2 billion to switch all its plants to non-asbestos processing methods.[1]
A Wife's Story
“My Kids and I Was in Disbelief”
My husband worked at Mosaic, which is a chemical plant. They produce different kinds of chemicals there. He was in maintenance. He worked on repairing pipes and replacing the pipes that may have gotten broken. My husband never mentioned that the people working there along with himself could be in danger of asbestos.
What Compensation May Be Available for Chemical Plant Workers?
If you have worked at a chemical plant in Louisiana and have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma, you have multiple options for compensation.
1) Mesothelioma Lawsuits: You may be eligible to file a mesothelioma lawsuit against the manufacturers of the asbestos products to which you were exposed.
2) Asbestos Trust Funds: You may also be able to file claims with various asbestos trusts, which currently contain roughly $30 billion combined.
Mesothelioma Settlements and Verdicts for Chemical Plant Workers
Mesothelioma and lung cancer patients may be eligible for anywhere from $500,000 to $10 million in compensation. However, results vary and are not guaranteed.
Our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., has obtained millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts on behalf of Louisiana chemical plant workers who were exposed to asbestos and later diagnosed with mesothelioma.
$5.95 Million Verdict Against Dow Chemical Company for a Worker with Terminal Mesothelioma
A Dow Chemical Company plant worker was diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma. After a trial by jury, Dow was found liable on all counts relating to its use of asbestos, which exposed thousands of workers and caused cancer in many.[1] The jury awarded the worker nearly $6 million for his suffering.
$9 Million Settlement for a Daughter with Mesothelioma from Secondary Exposure
The daughter of a chemical plant worker was exposed to asbestos as a child through her father’s dirty work clothes. She later developed epithelioid peritoneal mesothelioma. Her father had worked for less than six months at petrochemical facilities along the Mississippi River.
$8 Million Settlement for an Insulator with Mesothelioma from Chemical Plant Work
Our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., obtained an $8 million settlement for an insulator diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos while working in oil refineries and chemical plants throughout Louisiana. Years earlier, he had also been diagnosed with a non-malignant asbestos-related disease.
$7 Million Settlement for a Tradesman with Mesothelioma from Chemical Plant Work
A pipefitter and welder worked at multiple petrochemical plants along the Mississippi River around Baton Rouge. He later developed biphasic pleural mesothelioma. Our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., obtained over $7 million in settlements to provide financial security and peace of mind to him and his family.
Results are not guaranteed and vary.
Order Your Free Mesothelioma Book
Contact Louisiana Mesothelioma Advocates
If you or a loved one worked at a chemical plant in Louisiana and suspect exposure to asbestos, contact Louisiana Mesothelioma Advocates today. We will connect you with our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., who can recommend the best routes for seeking treatment and compensation. A diagnosis like mesothelioma can be devastating, making it hard to take immediate action. However, we urge you to act quickly.
Content Reviewed by
Todd Kale
Todd Kale meets with mesothelioma patients and their families across Louisiana to investigate their asbestos exposure, providing compassionate support and guidance during a difficult time.
Cited Source
- Dow Chemical Company Hit With $5.95 Million Asbestos Cancer Verdict in Case Led by Baron and Budd Mesothelioma Attorneys | Business Wire. (2013a, August 21). https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130821006177/en/Dow-Chemical-Company-Hit-5.95-Million-Asbestos
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- Louisiana Chemical Plants with Asbestos Exposure
- How Chemical Plant Workers Were Exposed
- Highest Risk Trades at Chemical Plants
- Was Enough Done to Protect Workers in Louisiana?
- Compensation Available for Chemical Plant Workers
- Mesothelioma Settlements for Chemical Plant Workers
- Contact Louisiana Mesothelioma Advocates