Asbestos Exposure at Pleasant Prairie Power Plant

Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin | Wisconsin Electric Power Company | Coal-Fired Steam Generating Station

⚠️ CRITICAL WISCONSIN FILING DEADLINE WARNING

Wisconsin law gives mesothelioma and asbestos disease victims only THREE YEARS from the date of diagnosis to file a lawsuit — not three years from exposure. Under Wis. Stat. § 893.54, missing this deadline permanently eliminates your right to compensation, regardless of how strong your case may be.

If you or a family member has already been diagnosed, the clock is running right now. Do not wait for symptoms to worsen, for a second opinion, or for the “right time.” Every day of delay narrows your legal options and reduces the time your attorney has to build the strongest possible case.

Wisconsin asbestos trust fund claims may be pursued simultaneously with a civil lawsuit — and while most asbestos bankruptcy trusts do not impose strict filing deadlines, the assets in those funds are finite and depleting as more claims are filed. Workers and families who delay filing trust claims risk receiving reduced payouts — or finding that certain trusts have exhausted their remaining funds.

If you need an asbestos attorney in Wisconsin, contact us today. The three-year deadline under Wis. Stat. § 893.54 waits for no one.

If You Worked at Pleasant Prairie and Now Have Mesothelioma or Asbestosis — You May Have Legal Rights

The Pleasant Prairie Power Plant supplied electricity to hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin homes and businesses for decades. For the insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, electricians, and other skilled tradespeople who built, maintained, and operated this facility, that same plant may have carried a hidden danger — asbestos-containing materials woven into nearly every high-heat system throughout the structure.

If you or a loved one worked at the Pleasant Prairie Power Plant and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation. This guide covers what asbestos-containing products were allegedly present at this facility, which trades faced the greatest potential exposure risk, and what Wisconsin mesothelioma settlement and lawsuit options may be available.

Time is critical. Wisconsin’s three-year filing deadline under Wis. Stat. § 893.54 begins on your diagnosis date — not when symptoms first appeared. If you have already been diagnosed, a Wisconsin asbestos cancer lawyer can help protect your legal rights. Contact us today.

About the Pleasant Prairie Power Plant

Facility Location, Ownership, and Operational History

The Pleasant Prairie Power Plant sits in Kenosha County along the western shore of Lake Michigan — approximately 35 miles south of Milwaukee and 65 miles north of Chicago. Wisconsin Electric Power Company (WEPCO), a predecessor to We Energies, owned and operated the plant throughout most of its operating life.

Key facility facts:

Construction began in the late 1950s, with additional generating units added in subsequent phases
At peak capacity, the plant reportedly generated over 1,600 megawatts from coal-fired steam generating units
Hundreds of permanent workers plus thousands of contract workers during maintenance turnarounds
Final coal-fired generation ceased in the early 2020s
Workers at every stage — construction, operations, maintenance, and decommissioning — may have encountered asbestos-containing materials

Why Asbestos Was Used in Coal-Fired Power Plants

Coal-fired electricity generation creates extreme thermal and mechanical demands that historically required asbestos-containing materials. These products were chosen because they performed safely at temperatures exceeding 1,000°F, insulated high-pressure steam piping effectively, resisted fire and mechanical stress, and remained inexpensive and widely available.

Manufacturers including Johns-Manville, Owens-Illinois, Combustion Engineering, Garlock, and Armstrong aggressively marketed these products to utilities and industrial facilities throughout Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. The result: generations of power plant workers — and workers at comparable Wisconsin facilities including Allen-Bradley in Milwaukee, Allis-Chalmers in West Allis, Falk Corporation in Milwaukee, and A.O. Smith in Milwaukee — may have been exposed to asbestos fibers released when these materials were installed, maintained, repaired, or removed.

⚠️ Do Not Delay: Wisconsin Asbestos Statute of Limitations

Before reading further: if you have already received a mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer diagnosis, Wisconsin’s three-year statute of limitations under Wis. Stat. § 893.54 may already be counting down. The information below is critical for understanding your potential exposure and your legal rights — but none of it matters if you miss the filing deadline. Contact an experienced Wisconsin asbestos attorney today, before you finish reading this article.

Asbestos-Containing Materials Allegedly Present at Pleasant Prairie

Based on the systems present at coal-fired steam generating stations of this era, and consistent with documented cases at comparable Wisconsin power plants including We Energies’ Oak Creek Power Plant and the former WEPCO Menomonee Valley Station in Milwaukee, the following asbestos-containing materials may have been present at Pleasant Prairie:

Block Insulation and Pipe Covering Products

Block insulation — thick, pre-formed sections applied to large-diameter high-temperature pipes, boiler casings, and turbine surfaces — reportedly represented one of the most hazardous asbestos-containing product categories used at power plants of this era. Cutting, sawing, breaking, or otherwise disturbing block insulation could reportedly release high concentrations of respirable asbestos fibers.

Pipe covering — curved, pre-formed sections applied to smaller-diameter steam and condensate lines — was reportedly present throughout the facility’s piping systems. Workers may have encountered such products on virtually every steam line, feedwater line, and condensate return line in the building.

Manufacturers whose asbestos-containing insulation products were allegedly used at Pleasant Prairie and similar Wisconsin and Midwest coal-fired facilities include:

Johns-Manville Corporation — a major asbestos product manufacturer whose thermal insulation was reportedly standard specification at Wisconsin utility power plants, marketed under trade names including Kaylo and Thermobestos
Owens-Illinois (and successor Owens Corning) — allegedly produced asbestos-containing insulation for utility and industrial applications throughout the mid-twentieth century, with products reportedly distributed widely across Wisconsin industrial facilities
Eagle-Picher — reportedly manufactured asbestos-containing insulation for power generation applications

Boiler and Steam System Insulation

The steam boilers at Pleasant Prairie reportedly operated at extreme temperatures and pressures. Multiple systems may have been insulated with asbestos-containing materials, including boiler casings, economizers, superheaters, reheaters, and air preheaters.

Combustion Engineering, a major supplier of boiler systems to utility power plants throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest, allegedly supplied boiler equipment at facilities of this type, with that equipment reportedly incorporating asbestos-containing insulation as part of standard specifications. Boilermakers who worked directly on these systems during construction and maintenance outages — including members of Boilermakers Local 107, which represented tradespeople at heavy industrial and power generation facilities across southeastern Wisconsin — may have faced particularly high potential exposure.

Turbine System and Associated Equipment Insulation

Steam turbines were reportedly insulated with asbestos-containing materials, including turbine casings, steam inlet and exhaust connections, and associated piping systems.

During routine turbine overhauls — common events in any power plant’s operational life — workers removed, replaced, or worked alongside such insulation. Electricians who were members of IBEW Local 494, representing electrical workers at utility facilities throughout the Milwaukee metropolitan area and southeastern Wisconsin, may have been present in turbine halls during such work.

Feedwater Heaters and Heat Recovery Equipment

Feedwater heaters recover waste heat from turbine exhaust and pre-heat water returning to the boiler. These vessels and associated piping reportedly operated at elevated temperatures and pressures, and may have been insulated with asbestos-containing block insulation and pre-formed pipe covering from manufacturers including Johns-Manville, Owens-Illinois, and Eagle-Picher.

Gaskets and Valve Packing Materials

Throughout the plant’s steam, water, and fuel systems, asbestos-containing gaskets and valve packing were reportedly installed at flanged connections, valve bonnets, pump seals, and turbine connections.

Pipefitters, millwrights, and maintenance mechanics who regularly broke flanged connections or repacked valves may have encountered these materials routinely throughout the plant’s operational life. Members of Pipefitters Local 601, representing pipefitters and steamfitters throughout southeastern Wisconsin including the Kenosha and Racine County industrial corridor, may have performed this work regularly during the plant’s decades of operation.

Manufacturers whose asbestos-containing sealing products were allegedly used at Pleasant Prairie and similar Wisconsin industrial facilities include:

Garlock Sealing Technologies
Armstrong World Industries
W.R. Grace

Insulating Cement and Trowel-Applied Compounds

Insulating cement — a trowelable compound applied to fittings, valves, and irregular surfaces — reportedly contained asbestos and was used extensively throughout the plant. Mixing and applying this material could release respirable fibers. Chipping away dried cement during repairs generated substantial dust. Members of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 19, representing insulators throughout Wisconsin, may have applied such materials directly during construction and maintenance operations.

Spray-Applied Fireproofing and Thermal Coatings

Structural steel throughout the facility may have been treated with spray-applied asbestos-containing fireproofing, particularly in areas built or renovated before the early 1970s, when EPA restrictions on spray application of asbestos-containing products took effect.

Fireproofing manufacturers whose asbestos-containing products were allegedly used at power generation facilities include:

W.R. Grace (trade name Monokote)
Johns-Manville

Acoustic Tile and Ceiling Materials

Areas of the plant constructed or renovated in the 1960s and early 1970s may have contained asbestos-containing acoustic ceiling tiles and wall panels. Armstrong World Industries and Georgia-Pacific are among manufacturers who allegedly produced such products for commercial and industrial applications during this period.

Occupations at Highest Risk for Asbestos Exposure at Pleasant Prairie

Many trades may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials in the course of their work at Pleasant Prairie. The following occupations carried the greatest potential exposure risk.

Insulators (Heat and Frost Insulators)

Exposure risk level: HIGHEST

Insulators — members of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 19, the union representing insulation workers throughout Wisconsin — worked directly and continuously with asbestos-containing insulation products throughout the plant’s construction and operational life. They may have:

Cut, shaped, and fit block insulation and pipe covering, including products marketed under the Kaylo, Thermobestos, and Aircell trade names
Applied asbestos-containing insulation to pipes, boilers, turbines, and other high-temperature systems
Removed deteriorated asbestos-containing insulation before applying new material during maintenance outages
Worked in enclosed spaces with limited ventilation

Due to direct, sustained contact with products allegedly manufactured by Johns-Manville, Owens-Illinois, and Eagle-Picher, insulators generally faced among the highest potential occupational asbestos exposures of any trade at coal-fired power plants. Wisconsin insulators represented by Heat and Frost Insulators Local 19 worked not only at Pleasant Prairie but at comparable facilities including Allis-Chalmers in West Allis and Falk Corporation in Milwaukee, where similar asbestos-containing products were allegedly present.

If you worked as an insulator at Pleasant Prairie and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis, Wisconsin’s three-year filing deadline is running. Contact a Wisconsin asbestos cancer lawyer today — do not delay.

Boilermakers