The Stauffer Chemical Company was located on Old Lewiston Road in Lewiston, New York. The plant was originally constructed in 1916 as the Niagara Smelting Company and acquired by Stauffer Chemical in 1942. Stauffer Chemical initially manufactured aluminum, but shortly the purchase of the Old Lewiston Road facility, the company began to manufacture industrial chemicals, including chlorine, sodium hydroxide, silicon, sulfur chloride and other chemicals. In 1957, Stauffer Chemical completed a major addition to its Lewiston facility in order to accommodate the demands for boron trichloride, an essential raw material used in the manufacture of rocket fuel.  By 1958, and as the U.S. missile program was well underway, Stauffer Chemical’s Lewiston plant was considered the world’s largest boron trichloride plant. Stauffer Chemical closed its Lewiston facility in 1976, and the plant was demolished in 1980. 

Prior to the late 1970s, dozens of asbestos-containing materials were utilized at Stauffer Chemical’s Lewiston plant in the chemical manufacturing process and during maintenance procedures. Numerous trades, including cell house operators, chemical operators, boilermakers, millwrights, pipefitters and other laborers were exposed to asbestos during the manufacturing process of chemicals. These tradesmen were exposed to asbestos dust and fibers when asbestos-containing materials were applied and removed from equipment throughout the plant. Inhaling dust and particles from the manipulation of asbestos-containing materials placed workers at risk for developing mesothelioma or lung cancer. Even those who were not in direct contact with asbestos materials remain at risk for the development of asbestos-related diseases.

Stauffer Chemical was a large chemical processing facility located on over 200 acres of land near Mount St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston. The plant itself consisted of approximately seven buildings, including the cell house, sulfur pot building, boiler house, pipe shop, warehouse and an office building. Workers at Stauffer Chemical and outside contractors applied asbestos-containing insulation to chemical and steam lines, steam traps, boilers and chemical storage tanks throughout the plant. During the removal and application of asbestos-containing insulation, tooth saws and hammers were used to strip dry and worn insulation from surfaces. Asbestos gaskets, packing material and asbestos rope were also used in equipment throughout this facility. The process of removing, applying and manipulating asbestos-containing materials on a regular basis contaminated the air at Stauffer Chemical with asbestos dust and fibers, which workers inhaled.

Raw asbestos was also utilized in the manufacturing process of chlorine. Raw asbestos was mixed with caustic and used in cell construction in order to line inner parts of cells to make chlorine. In the process of opening and dumping bags of asbestos into a mixer, laborers inhaled asbestos dust and fibers.

Our clients understand the importance of securing legal representation as soon as possible after a diagnosis of mesothelioma. If you or a loved one once worked at Stauffer Chemical Company, in Lewiston, New York, and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, we urge you to contact us regarding your legal rights.