...
Reuters Business Channel
RSS
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Military veterans and victims
of asbestos-related diseases fanned out in the U.S.
Capitol on
Tuesday to plead for and against an asbestos compensation bill
ahead of a Senate vote that aides said was too close to call.
For years, asbestos fibers were widely used for their
insulating and fire-retardant capabilities, but they are linked
to lung-scarring diseases, including cancer.
Hundreds of thousands of asbestos injury claims have been
filed, helping push into bankruptcy more than 70 U.S.
companies, including W.R.
Grace & Co.
(GRA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and USG Corp.
(USG.N: Quote, Profile, Research).
A sponsor of the controversial Senate measure, Arlen
Specter, appealed to colleagues not to kill the b...
Read more...