Mesothelioma: Fernandina Beach, Florida

Fernandina Beach – History

Fernandina Beach is a city in the Nassau County, Florida. It is located on Amelia Island about twenty five (25) miles northeast of downtown Jacksonville. The Amelia Islands can be found on the southernmost part of the Sea Islands.

Since 1562, the city has flown eight (8) different flags, which thus earned it the nickname ‘Isle of 8 Flags’. The city’s location on Amelia Island and the abundance of natural forest made the city a popular sea point very early on. Fernandina Beach thus attracted settlers and businesses alike to its shores.

Seal of the city of Fernandina Beach

In 1939, ITT Rayonier Paper Mill opened its first southeast pulp mill in the city and it has since flourished. The company’s market segments are:

• Timber
• Real estate and,
• Performance fibers

The company to date maintains the city’s facilities. ITT Rayonier Paper Mill is now the leading international forest products company and is the fifth (5^th) largest land owner in the United States.

Another company that drove Fernandina Beach’s economy over the years is Smurfit-Stone Containers. The company’s main products include but are not limited to:

• Container board
• Corrugated containers
• Kraft paper
• Bleached paper board
• Market pulp

Asbestos and Job sites

There are several job sites that have been identified as having exposed tradesmen and workers alike to asbestos and asbestos fibers. This exposure most likely led to workers and tradesmen getting asbestos related illnesses such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. The job sites listed below have been identified as harboring asbestos containing materials, however, this list is not exhausted:

• Rainer Pulp and Paper
• Container Corporation of America
• Fernandina Pulp and Paper
• Kraft Corporation of America
• Babcock and Wilcox Company
• ITT Raynier Paper Mill
• Smurfit-Stone Container
• Digester Building
• Raynier Incorporated

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to compensation.