St. Patrick Center & Laclede Gas Properties — St. Louis Asbestos Exposure

If you or a family member worked at or near the St. Patrick Center or associated Laclede Gas properties in St. Louis and has since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer, Missouri regulatory records confirm asbestos-containing materials were present at this site in documented, regulated quantities. Missouri law gives you five years from the date of diagnosis to file a personal injury claim under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120. Contact a mesothelioma lawyer in Missouri before that window closes.

About This Site

The St. Patrick Center is a social services facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Missouri DNR NESHAP regulatory records link this address to a cluster of asbestos abatement and demolition projects spanning 2010 through 2015, involving structures associated with both the St. Patrick Center itself and adjacent former Laclede Gas Company properties — including a former Crown Foods building and a gas holding tank station.

Six separate NESHAP project notifications are on file, documenting regulated quantities of asbestos-containing materials across multiple structures at this address. Contractors performing abatement and demolition work at this site were legally required to notify MDNR precisely because the materials present posed a regulated health hazard.

Workers who performed construction, renovation, maintenance, or demolition at this site — or worked in close proximity to those activities — may have been exposed to airborne asbestos fibers.

Asbestos-Containing Materials Documented at This Site

Missouri DNR NESHAP records for this property confirm the following asbestos-containing materials through mandatory regulatory notification filings. No specific manufacturer is identified in the NESHAP records for these materials. Where manufacturer names cannot be attributed to a specific site through regulatory filings or publicly filed litigation records, we do not speculate — the hazard is tied to the material type and the era of construction, not a product label.

• Friable asbestos-insulated pipe — Documented in NESHAP records A5609-2011 (260 linear feet) and A5664-2012 (265 linear feet). Friable pipe insulation was the most common high-temperature insulation material used in commercial construction from the 1930s through the 1970s. Products of this type routinely contained chrysotile or amosite asbestos. (EPA: Learn About Asbestos)

• Thermal System Insulation (TSI) — Documented in NESHAP records A5719-2012 (270 linear feet) and 6931-2015. TSI applied to pipes, boilers, and mechanical equipment was a primary asbestos application in twentieth-century commercial buildings. (ATSDR Asbestos ToxFAQs)

• Drywall and joint compound — Documented in NESHAP record 6931-2015 (Former Crown Foods demolition). Drywall finishing compounds manufactured prior to the mid-1970s commonly contained asbestos as a binder and texture agent across the industry. Identifying a specific brand from material removed during demolition is not feasible — the regulatory record confirms the material type, not its label. (OSHA: Asbestos in Construction)

• 12×12 floor tile and mastic — Documented in NESHAP record 6931-2015. Resilient floor tiles and adhesive mastics manufactured between the 1950s and 1980s commonly incorporated asbestos fiber as a reinforcing and fire-resistant agent. (EPA: Asbestos in Your Home, Schools, and Buildings)

• Transite board — Documented in NESHAP record 6931-2015. Transite is a fiber-cement composite that incorporated asbestos as a structural reinforcing fiber. It was used extensively in commercial construction for panels, flues, and mechanical applications through the early 1980s. (NIOSH: Asbestos)

• Roof tar and roofing materials — Documented in NESHAP record 6931-2015. Asbestos-containing roofing felts, built-up roof systems, and associated mastics were standard in commercial construction through the 1970s.

• Metal flue — Documented in NESHAP record 6931-2015 as part of the Former Crown Foods demolition scope.

Friable Asbestos: The Highest-Risk Category

Friable materials — those that crumble under hand pressure when dry — release respirable fibers without requiring mechanical disturbance. The NESHAP records for this site document over 500 linear feet of friable pipe insulation across three separate projects. Workers who cut, sanded, stripped, or demolished these materials may have been exposed to fiber concentrations far exceeding what is now considered safe. Bystander trades workers present during these operations face the same exposure risk as those performing the work directly.

Trades and Occupations at Risk

Workers in the following trades may have been exposed during work at these properties:

• Pipefitters and Insulators — Members of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 1 and UA Local 562 in Missouri may have worked with or near asbestos-insulated piping systems throughout Laclede Gas infrastructure.
• Boilermakers — Boilermakers Local 27 members involved in installing and maintaining boilers and related equipment may have encountered asbestos-containing gaskets and insulation.
• Construction and Demolition Workers — Workers involved in the 2011–2015 renovation and demolition projects were present during regulated asbestos abatement operations.
• Maintenance Personnel — Routine maintenance at Laclede Gas properties may have involved repeated contact with asbestos-containing insulation and mechanical seals prior to any abatement.

Asbestos-Related Diseases

Asbestos exposure is the established cause of the following serious conditions:

• Mesothelioma — An aggressive cancer of the pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial lining, almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Median survival without treatment is measured in months.
• Asbestosis — Progressive, irreversible lung scarring with no cure.
• Lung Cancer — Asbestos exposure significantly elevates risk, compounded further by smoking history.
• Pleural Plaques — Calcified pleural scarring, a marker of significant prior asbestos exposure.

These diseases typically do not appear until 20 to 50 years after first exposure — meaning workers active at this site in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s are receiving diagnoses today.

Secondary Exposure: Family Members

Asbestos fibers travel home on work clothes, hair, and tools. Spouses who laundered work clothing and children who greeted a parent at the door may have been exposed to the same fibers. Secondary exposure claims are legally viable when a household member has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. An asbestos cancer lawyer in St. Louis can evaluate your family’s options at no cost.

Missouri’s Five-Year Filing Deadline

Missouri’s statute of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims is five years from the date of diagnosis under § 516.120 RSMo — not from the date of exposure and not from the onset of symptoms. The clock starts the day a physician confirms your diagnosis.

Every month of delay is a month that evidence ages, witnesses become unavailable, and employment records disappear. Call a Missouri asbestos attorney as soon as you receive a diagnosis.

Your Legal Options

Missouri residents diagnosed after working at or near these properties may pursue:

• Personal injury lawsuits against manufacturers and distributors of asbestos-containing products
• Asbestos trust fund claims — over $30 billion remains available from trusts established by bankrupt manufacturers; trust claims can be filed simultaneously with a lawsuit
• Wrongful death claims — available to surviving family members

The St. Louis City Circuit Court has a well-established asbestos docket. Madison County, Illinois — across the river — is among the most plaintiff-favorable asbestos venues in the country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should I do immediately after a diagnosis? Get your medical records in order and call an asbestos cancer lawyer in St. Louis the same day. Early contact allows your attorney to begin preserving evidence before memories fade and witnesses become unavailable.

Q: How long do I have to file in Missouri? Five years from diagnosis under § 516.120 RSMo. That deadline is firm.

Q: Can family members file secondary exposure claims? Yes — if a household member developed an asbestos-related disease as a result of take-home fiber exposure, a claim is viable.

Q: My exposure was decades ago. Is it too late? Almost certainly not. The five-year clock runs from diagnosis, not from the time you worked with these materials. Consult a Missouri asbestos attorney immediately to confirm your eligibility.

Data Sources

• EPA ECHO Facility Compliance Database
• OSHA Establishment Search
• EPA: Learn About Asbestos
• ATSDR Asbestos ToxFAQs
• OSHA: Asbestos in Construction
• NIOSH: Asbestos
• Missouri Department of Natural Resources NESHAP asbestos notification records

Litigation Landscape

Industrial facilities in the St. Louis area that used pipe insulation, floor tile, and transite products during the mid-to-late twentieth century generated significant asbestos exposure litigation. At facilities of this type, primary defendants have historically included manufacturers such as Johns-Manville, Owens-Corning (formerly Fiberglas), Combustion Engineering, Crane Co., W.R. Grace, Garlock, Armstrong Industries, Babcock & Wilcox, and Eagle-Picher Industries. These companies supplied thermal system insulation (TSI), cement-asbestos products, gaskets, and other building materials commonly installed in utility and industrial settings.

Workers exposed to asbestos-containing products at St. Patrick Center and related Laclede Gas properties have potential claims against multiple asbestos bankruptcy trusts established by these manufacturers. The Johns-Manville Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust, the Owens Corning Settlement Agreement Trust, the Combustion Engineering Settlement Agreement, and trusts associated with Crane Co., W.R. Grace, Garlock, Armstrong, and Eagle-Picher remain accessible to claimants who can establish occupational exposure and causation. Trust claims typically proceed independently of court litigation, though eligible workers may pursue both remedies depending on applicable trust distribution procedures.

Documented asbestos cases arising from industrial facilities with similar product exposures—including pipe insulation, floor tile, and structural demolition work—have established precedent for worker recovery in Missouri courts and trust proceedings. These claims often involve multiple defendants and require clear nexus between specific products and diagnosed disease.

Workers who spent time at St. Patrick Center or Laclede Gas properties and later developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis should contact an experienced Missouri asbestos attorney to evaluate trust claims and potential litigation.

Missouri DNR Asbestos Notification Records

The following 6 project notifications are on file with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (NESHAP program). These are mandatory public regulatory filings documenting asbestos abatement, demolition, and renovation work at this site.

Source: Missouri Department of Natural Resources, NESHAP Asbestos Abatement Program — public regulatory records.

For informational purposes only. Not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this page. © 2026 Rights Watch Media Group LLC — Disclaimer · Privacy · Terms · Copyright