The Cancer Factory: Industrial Chemicals, Corporate Deception, and the Hidden Deaths of American Workers
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Book Overview
"No journalist knows more about toxic chemicals in the workplace than Jim Morris. The Cancer Factory is the crowning achievement of his estimable career spent walking fence lines, factory floors, and doctor's offices."
--Dan Fagin, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Toms River "The Cancer Factory could not come at a better time, as we reckon with how our bodies pay the price for our nation's toxic history and as today's workers fight not for only their rights but for their very lives.... A powerful and essential read."
--Anna Clark, author of The Poisoned City The story of a group of Goodyear Tire and Rubber workers fatally exposed to toxic chemicals, the lawyer who sought justice on their behalf, and the shameful lack of protection our society affords all workers Working at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company chemical plant in Niagara Falls, New York, was considered a good job. It was the kind of industrial manufacturing job that allowed blue-collar workers to thrive in the latter half of the 20th century--that allowed them to buy their own home, and maybe a small boat for the lake. But it was also the kind of job that exposed you to toxic chemicals and offered little to no protection from them, either in the way of protective gear or adequate ventilation. Eventually, it was a job that gave you bladder cancer. The Cancer Factory tells the story of the workers who experienced one of the nation's worst, and best-documented, outbreaks of work-related cancer, and the lawyer who has represented the bladder-cancer victims at the plant for more than 30 years. Goodyear, and its chemical supplier, DuPont, knew that two of the chemicals used in the plant had been shown to cause cancer, but made little effort to protect the plant's workers until the cluster of cancer cases--and deaths--was undeniable. In doing so it tells a broader story of corporate malfeasance and governmental neglect. Workers have only weak protections from exposure to toxic substances in America, and regulatory breaches contribute to an estimated 95,000 deaths from occupational illness each year. Based on 4 decades of reporting and delving deeply into the scientific literature about toxic substances and health risks, the arcana of worker regulations, and reality of loose enforcement, The Cancer Factory exposes the terrible health risks too many workers face.
--Dan Fagin, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Toms River "The Cancer Factory could not come at a better time, as we reckon with how our bodies pay the price for our nation's toxic history and as today's workers fight not for only their rights but for their very lives.... A powerful and essential read."
--Anna Clark, author of The Poisoned City The story of a group of Goodyear Tire and Rubber workers fatally exposed to toxic chemicals, the lawyer who sought justice on their behalf, and the shameful lack of protection our society affords all workers Working at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company chemical plant in Niagara Falls, New York, was considered a good job. It was the kind of industrial manufacturing job that allowed blue-collar workers to thrive in the latter half of the 20th century--that allowed them to buy their own home, and maybe a small boat for the lake. But it was also the kind of job that exposed you to toxic chemicals and offered little to no protection from them, either in the way of protective gear or adequate ventilation. Eventually, it was a job that gave you bladder cancer. The Cancer Factory tells the story of the workers who experienced one of the nation's worst, and best-documented, outbreaks of work-related cancer, and the lawyer who has represented the bladder-cancer victims at the plant for more than 30 years. Goodyear, and its chemical supplier, DuPont, knew that two of the chemicals used in the plant had been shown to cause cancer, but made little effort to protect the plant's workers until the cluster of cancer cases--and deaths--was undeniable. In doing so it tells a broader story of corporate malfeasance and governmental neglect. Workers have only weak protections from exposure to toxic substances in America, and regulatory breaches contribute to an estimated 95,000 deaths from occupational illness each year. Based on 4 decades of reporting and delving deeply into the scientific literature about toxic substances and health risks, the arcana of worker regulations, and reality of loose enforcement, The Cancer Factory exposes the terrible health risks too many workers face.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0807059145
ISBN13:9780807059142
Release Date:January 2024
Publisher:Beacon Press
Length:264 Pages
Weight:0.80 lbs.
Dimensions:1.0" x 6.4" x 9.1"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
Corporate Greed
Published by Sally Mander , 1 year ago
5 stars, Corporate Greed
THE CANCER FACTORY
by Jim Morris
When we think of all of the products that we have here in America, we don't usually consider all that was needed to develop those products.
This book gives an expose on the employees who have worked in the "cancer factories," specifically the Goodyear Plant using DuPont chemicals in Niagra Falls, New York. The author goes on to tell a little bit about the suffering of workers from all sorts of factories across the USA, ones that the public has heard of, like Karen Silkwood in Oklahoma, in a nuclear plant. And others like the chemical plant that required female workers to have hysterectomies to work in the factory, because the chemicals were proven to cause horrible birth defects.
These examples are from before OSHA-Occupational Safety and Health Administration that works to provide a safe work environment for employees.
We follow several different people throughout the book; workers who were diagnosed with bladder cancer; Steve Wodka who worked as an investigator to delve into the secrets that the cancer factories were willing to keep. There are probably hundreds of workers out there who will come down with unusual cancers related to jobs working with dangerous chemicals.
Highly recommend. "Mindlessly dumping powder into bags..." All of the while, not knowing that their health, safety, and that of their family members are at stake.
I received a complimentary copy of #TheCancerFactory from #BeaconPress I wasn't obligated to post a review.
#CancerCausingJobs #OSHA #NonFiction #Goodyear #DuPont #History #Crime #PenguinRandomHouse #JimMorris #Economics
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