September 6th, 2006
Workers in the Prudhoe Bay oil field have discovered asbestos along the pipelines while stripping insulation of corroded pipes for testing. State labor regulators will now be investigating the possibility of asbestos exposure among workers at the site.
The pipes were originally installed in the 1970s, when asbestos was still widely used as an insulation material. The oil field, which is the largest in the nation, was partially shut down recently due to leaks and corrosion, and the discovery of asbestos makes matters even worse for the operator, BP.
Workers at the site have now been told to stop stripping the pipelines until steps have been taken to determine what needs to be done and what sort of safety measures and precautions need to be taken in order to protect workers.
A spokesperson said that up to 200 workers had been working on stripping the pipelines in order for testing to be done after the initial corrosion and leaking had been identified.

