Asbestos takes lives in Japan

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TOKYO (AP) -- Three major Japanese engineering companies said yesterday that 41 employees who had handled asbestos in recent decades had died, while 14 others were still receiving medical treatment.

The announcements by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. and Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co. were the latest revelation in an expanding number of deaths and illnesses linked to asbestos pollution.

In recent weeks, about 20 Japanese companies have reported more than 350 deaths potentially linked to the carcinogenic material, sending government agencies scrambling to assess the depth of the problem.

Industrial equipment maker Kubota Corp. last month was the first to reveal that 79 workers at its asbestos-producing plants had died over several decades.

Questions from reporters about charges that residents living near the factories had fallen ill with asbestos poisoning prompted Kubota to start its own investigation into illnesses and deaths linked to the material. The results of the inquiry led to the public announcement and compensation for workers and three residents, the company said.

The Japan Asbestos Association then asked all 24 member companies to investigate past health problems. The industry group said it would publicly disclose any findings.

In the United States, lawmakers and special-interest groups have been struggling to negotiate the terms of a $140 billion asbestos trust fund. The trust would be funded by U.S. manufacturers and insurance companies and would shield them from future claims by people with asbestos-related illnesses.

Past asbestos lawsuits bankrupted U.S. companies Owens Corning Fiberglass and W.R. Grace.