In 1914, the poet Carl Sandburg published his great poem, “Chicago”, which included the following: Hog Butcher for the World, Tool maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler; Stormy, husky, brawling, City of the Big […]

It was an important moment in 2012 when the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer declared that diesel fumes are “carcinogenic to humans.” For workers everywhere, this finding confirmed that their long-term exposures to diesel exhaust likely […]

Asbestos was identified as a toxin by the Association of American Railroads in 1937. By 1958, railroads knew asbestos caused cancer. After 1960, it was medically accepted that asbestos definitely causes mesothelioma. Despite that, locomotive and parts manufacturers didn’t stop […]

Silicosis is a progressive, disabling, and often fatal lung disease caused by exposure to silica dust. Silica is one of the most common minerals in the earth’s crust and is a basic component of soil, sand, granite, and most other […]

Long-term exposures to diesel exhaust can greatly increase your chances of developing cancer and leukemia.  Why?  Because diesel engine exhaust is a mixture of several toxic substances, including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, unburned and partially burned hydrocarbons (e.g., aromatic and […]