Chicago Area Exposure Map
Documented Exposure Sites
| # | Facility | Industry | Active Period | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US Steel South Works | Integrated Steel | 1881–1992 | Critical |
| 2 | Inland Steel East Chicago | Integrated Steel | 1893–1998 | Critical |
| 3 | Crane Co. (Chicago Valve Division) | Industrial Valves & Fittings | 1855–present | Critical |
| 4 | Acme Steel / Interlake Steel | Steel / Coke Production | 1888–1998 | Critical |
| 5 | Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing | Railroad Car Manufacturing | 1880–1981 | High |
| 6 | Commonwealth Edison Fisk Street Plant | Electric Power Generation | 1903–2012 | High |
| 7 | Illinois Central Railroad Burnside Yards | Railroad Maintenance | 1856–1970 | High |
| 8 | Chicago Shipbuilding Company (South Chicago) | Great Lakes Shipbuilding | 1891–1947 | High |
US Steel South Works / Calumet Steel District
US Steel South Works operated from 1881 to 1992 on a sprawling lakefront campus in South Chicago, and at its peak employed over 20,000 workers producing steel rail, structural shapes, and wire rod. Three primary asbestos exposure routes defined the South Works experience: first, heavy asbestos insulation on blast furnaces, boilers, and hot-blast stoves where process temperatures demanded it; second, asbestos-containing gaskets and packing in the Crane Co. and other industrial valves and fittings threaded throughout the mill’s steam and process piping; and third, asbestos used in the construction and ongoing renovation of mill buildings over more than a century of operations. Maintenance trades — pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and insulators — had the highest cumulative exposure rates, but production workers throughout the facility shared a common environment where asbestos dust was a routine presence. When the plant closed in 1992, it had for decades ranked among the world’s largest steel producers. Claims against steel company defendants and asbestos product manufacturers continue to be resolved through Cook County courts and asbestos bankruptcy trust funds.
Crane Co. produced industrial valves and pipe fittings containing asbestos gaskets and packing throughout the 20th century. Crane products were installed at virtually every major industrial facility in Chicago — including every steel mill in the Calumet corridor — and workers who installed, removed, or maintained Crane valves are among the most common asbestos plaintiffs in Cook County. The gaskets and packing in Crane valves released asbestos fibers during installation, maintenance, and removal, creating repeated exposure events for the pipefitters and mechanics who worked with them over decades-long careers. Crane has been found liable in hundreds of asbestos cases nationwide and maintains an active asbestos litigation settlement program; former Chicago-area workers who used Crane products may have claims both against Crane and against the insulation manufacturers whose products surrounded the piping systems in which those valves were installed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, significantly. Workers at US Steel South Works, Inland Steel, Acme Steel, and other Calumet-region mills were exposed through three primary routes: (1) asbestos insulation on blast furnaces, boilers, and hot-blast stoves; (2) asbestos-containing gaskets and packing in valves, pumps, and pipe fittings; and (3) asbestos used in construction and renovation of mill buildings. Maintenance trades — pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights — had the highest exposure rates. Mesothelioma claims from former Chicago steelworkers continue to be filed and resolved through Cook County courts and asbestos bankruptcy trusts.
Illinois provides 2 years from the date of mesothelioma diagnosis to file a personal injury lawsuit under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. The discovery rule applies — the clock starts at diagnosis, not at the time of asbestos exposure, which may have been 20–50 years earlier. Wrongful death claims also have a 2-year deadline. Contact an attorney immediately after diagnosis; Cook County law firms handling asbestos cases can typically schedule an expedited consultation for mesothelioma patients.