Durez Plastics Asbestos Exposure: Molding Compounds, Workers & Claims

Durez Plastics manufactured phenolic resins and molding compounds used in industrial plastic products. Published New York asbestos litigation provides direct evidence concerning asbestos-containing phenolic molding compound at Durez operations. In a 2022 Erie County case, a former Durez worker testified that he filled 50-pound bags of ground phenolic molding compound in a particularly dusty compound department and described asbestos-containing material used in the process. Other court records involving plastics manufacturing identify Durez as one of the recognized suppliers of phenolic molding compounds.

Product identification still matters. Phenolic molding compounds could use different fillers, and courts have cautioned that molding compounds from different manufacturers may be impossible to distinguish visually without formulation information or specialized analysis. Durez also operated industrial facilities in New York and Ohio that appear in U.S. EPA environmental records. No dedicated Durez §524(g) asbestos personal-injury trust was confirmed in the official government and court sources reviewed for this page, so no Durez trust payment percentage or scheduled disease value is presented.

🏢 Durez Plastics History & Facilities

Durez became associated with large-scale phenolic resin and molding-compound production. Government records identify Durez Corporation facilities in Niagara Falls, New York, and Kenton, Ohio. The EPA lists the Niagara Falls location at 5000 Packard Road and describes it as a Durez Corporation hazardous-waste corrective-action facility.

Durez Facts at a Glance

Topic	Verified / carefully qualified information
Business	Phenolic resins and molding compounds.
Documented asbestos issue	Asbestos-containing phenolic molding compound is described in New York asbestos litigation.
New York facility	Durez Corporation, 5000 Packard Road, Niagara Falls, NY, in EPA records.
Ohio facility	Durez Corporation/Kenton facility appears in EPA records.
Industrial process	Molding-compound production, bagging and related plastics-material operations.
Dedicated §524(g) Durez trust	No dedicated Durez trust confirmed from official sources reviewed.

Facilities & Records

Facility / record	What it establishes
Niagara Falls, NY	EPA identifies Durez Corporation at 5000 Packard Road.
Kenton, OH	EPA facility records identify Durez Corporation and plastics/resin operations.
EPA RCRA baseline	Both New York and Ohio Durez Corporation facilities appear in corrective-action records.
Erie County asbestos litigation	Worker testimony describes dusty Durez compound-department work and alleged asbestos-containing molding compound.
Federal plastics litigation	Durez appears among recognized manufacturers of phenolic molding compounds.

See Construction Materials Companies & Asbestos Exposure.

🧱 Durez Asbestos Molding Compounds

The strongest company-specific asbestos evidence concerns phenolic molding compound. These thermosetting materials were used to mold heat-resistant and electrically useful plastic components. Court records show that asbestos was one possible filler in phenolic molding compounds, while other formulations could use non-asbestos fillers. A Durez name or generic plastic appearance therefore does not prove asbestos content.

Documented Product / Material Evidence

Material	Evidence-based treatment
Durez phenolic molding compound	Court records identify Durez as a phenolic molding-compound manufacturer.
Asbestos-containing molding compound	Directly described in Durez-worker asbestos litigation.
Ground molding compound	Worker testimony describes filling bags of ground phenolic molding compound.
Phenolic plastics generally	Could contain different fillers; asbestos cannot be assumed for every formulation.
Finished molded parts	Manufacturer/source may be visually indistinguishable without formulation evidence.

Product Accuracy Rules

Statement	Accurate treatment
Durez operations involved asbestos-containing molding compound	Supported by court testimony/evidence.
Every Durez molding compound contained asbestos	Not established.
Every phenolic plastic contained asbestos	False as a general proposition; multiple fillers were used in the industry.
A finished molded component can be identified as Durez by sight	Court evidence cautions against this.
Dusty compound work could be an exposure pathway	Supported by Durez-worker testimony.

👷 Workers, Plants & Jobsites

Durez-related exposure allegations can involve workers at Durez plants as well as downstream plastics manufacturers that purchased molding compounds. The work most relevant to exposure analysis includes opening bags, dumping compound, mixing, bagging, sweeping and processing dusty molding materials.

Workers & Activities to Investigate

Worker / role	Potential historical activity
Compound-department workers	Bagging, filling and handling ground molding compound.
Laborers	Sweeping and cleaning dusty production areas.
Mixer operators	Working around mixing equipment.
Preform operators	Dumping molding compound into hoppers or forming pellets.
Press operators	Processing phenolic compounds into molded parts.
Maintenance workers	Servicing compound-processing machinery and dusty areas.
Electric/plastics fabricators	Machining or processing finished phenolic components where product composition is documented.

Potential Work Settings

Setting	Evidence to investigate
Durez compound departments	Employment records, department assignment, coworkers and process records.
Plastics molding plants	Supplier invoices and formulation records.
Electrical-component manufacturing	Part specifications and compound supplier records.
Industrial fabrication	Material purchase records and product identification.
Maintenance/cleanup	Work orders, job descriptions and witness testimony.
Durez facilities	Plant records and government facility documentation.

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🌫️ How Durez Asbestos Exposure Occurred

The 2022 Schreiner decision contains unusually specific testimony about Durez plant conditions. The worker described filling 50-pound bags, dust escaping during bagging, mixers operating in the compound area and daily sweeping. That evidence is claimant-specific, but it illustrates the kinds of tasks that should be investigated in a Durez exposure history.

Potential Exposure Pathways

Activity	Potential mechanism
Bag filling	Dust escaping while ground molding compound entered bags.
Opening bags	Dust generated when industrial compound bags were opened.
Dumping into hoppers	Airborne dust during transfer of granular/powdered compound.
Mixing	Dust around compound mixing processes.
Sweeping	Re-suspension of settled production dust.
Machining molded material	Requires proof that the specific finished formulation contained asbestos.

Exposure Variables

Question	Why it matters
Was the material actually Durez?	Supplier identity must be established.
Which formulation was used?	Not all phenolic compounds had the same filler.
Did it contain asbestos?	Central exposure fact.
Was material dusty or disturbed?	Relevant to inhalation pathway.
How frequently did work occur?	Duration/frequency can matter.
Can plant or supplier records corroborate it?	Strengthens product identification.

⚖️ Durez Asbestos Claims & Trust Status

Durez has appeared in asbestos personal-injury litigation, including New York cases involving alleged exposure to molding compounds and plant operations. The official government and court materials reviewed for this page did not establish a dedicated Durez §524(g) asbestos personal-injury trust. This page therefore does not assign Durez a trust payment percentage, scheduled disease value, trust asset balance or average trust payout.

Claims / Trust Status

Issue	Status
Durez asbestos litigation	Confirmed in published court records.
Durez plant-worker exposure allegations	Confirmed.
Downstream molding-compound litigation	Confirmed in court records.
Dedicated Durez §524(g) trust	No dedicated trust confirmed from reviewed official sources.
Durez trust payment percentage	Not presented.
Scheduled trust disease values	Not presented.
Potential civil claims	Depend on defendant identity, exposure evidence, causation, jurisdiction and deadlines.

Important Distinctions

Evidence	What it does not automatically prove
Durez worked with asbestos-containing compound	That every Durez formulation contained asbestos.
Worker was employed at Durez	That the worker had a legally sufficient asbestos exposure.
Durez supplied molding compound	That a particular finished component contained asbestos.
Durez named in a lawsuit	Liability or compensation.
EPA facility record	It documents the facility/environmental program, not an individual asbestos injury.

📊 Documented Durez Asbestos Cases

Published decisions are valuable because they show both the evidence supporting Durez exposure allegations and the limits of product identification. They should not be treated as findings that every Durez worker or every Durez product involved asbestos.

Selected Court Records

Record	Significance
Schreiner v. 84 Lumber Co. (N.Y. Sup. Ct., Erie County, 2022)	Describes a worker bagging ground phenolic molding compound at Durez, dusty conditions, mixers and daily sweeping; addresses asbestos-supplier identification.
Kestenbaum v. Durez Corp. (N.Y. Sup. Ct., 2013)	Discusses phenolic materials and explains that molding compounds could use asbestos or other fillers; emphasizes product/formulation identification.
Butler v. Union Carbide Corp. (Ga. Ct. App., 2011)	Plastics worker identified Durez among molding compounds used in dusty preforming work, illustrating downstream industrial use.
Speck v. 3M Co. (N.D. Cal.)	Court noted experts could not visually distinguish molding compounds made by Union Carbide, Durez, Plenco or others without formulation information/sophisticated analysis.
EPA Durez facility records	Government confirmation of Durez industrial facilities in New York and Ohio.

What the Records Show

Finding	Interpretation
Dusty Durez compound-department work	Documented by worker testimony.
Asbestos-containing molding compound at Durez	Supported in asbestos litigation record.
Multiple molding-compound manufacturers	Confirmed.
Visual identification of supplier/formulation	Can be unreliable.
Every Durez compound asbestos-containing	Not established.
Automatic liability from plant employment	Not established.

📋 Durez Claim Evidence & Product Identification

A Durez claim investigation should establish where the person worked, the specific molding compound or process involved, whether asbestos was present, how dust was generated and whether records or witnesses corroborate the exposure history.

Evidence That May Help

Employment, union and Social Security records.
Plant department and job-assignment records.
Durez bags, labels, formulation sheets or photographs.
Supplier invoices and purchase records.
Industrial process and product specifications.
Coworker, supervisor or foreman testimony.
Medical and pathology documentation.
Evidence describing bagging, mixing, dumping, sweeping or machining work.

Claim Investigation Checklist

Step	Question
1	Was the claimant employed by Durez or a downstream customer?
2	Which plant, department or jobsite?
3	What Durez product/formulation was present?
4	Is asbestos content documented for that formulation?
5	What task generated dust?
6	How often and how close was the claimant?
7	Can supplier, plant or witness evidence corroborate exposure?
8	What other asbestos sources were present?

Numbers We Do Not Invent

Item	Treatment
Durez-only claim count	No reliable current official total confirmed.
Durez trust payment percentage	No dedicated trust confirmed.
Scheduled disease values	Not presented.
Average Durez settlement	Not inferred from individual cases.
Percentage of all Durez compounds containing asbestos	Not stated without reliable formulation data.
Guaranteed compensation	None.

Compensation is not guaranteed.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Did Durez Plastics use asbestos?

Published asbestos litigation provides evidence of asbestos-containing phenolic molding compound in Durez operations, including worker testimony about compound-department work.

What did Durez manufacture?

Durez manufactured phenolic resins and molding compounds used in industrial plastics and molded components.

Did every Durez molding compound contain asbestos?

No such conclusion is supported by the reviewed records. Phenolic molding compounds could use asbestos or other fillers, so formulation-specific evidence matters.

How could Durez workers have been exposed?

Court testimony describes bagging ground molding compound, dust escaping from bags, mixing operations and sweeping dusty compound areas.

Where did Durez operate?

EPA records identify Durez Corporation facilities including 5000 Packard Road in Niagara Falls, New York, and a Durez facility in Kenton, Ohio.

Could workers at other companies encounter Durez compound?

Yes. Court records involving plastics manufacturing identify Durez as one of the molding-compound brands used at downstream plants.

Does Durez have a dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust?

No dedicated Durez §524(g) asbestos personal-injury trust was confirmed in the official government and court sources reviewed for this page.

What evidence is useful in a Durez asbestos claim?

Employment and department records, product or formulation identification, supplier records, coworker testimony, evidence of dusty work and medical documentation may all be important.

🧾 Durez Plastics Asbestos Summary

Detail	Confirmed / qualified information
Business	Phenolic resins and molding compounds.
Asbestos evidence	Asbestos-containing phenolic molding compound documented in litigation.
Exposure tasks	Bagging, mixing, transfer and sweeping described in court testimony.
New York facility	5000 Packard Road, Niagara Falls, NY, per EPA.
Ohio facility	Kenton, Ohio, in EPA records.
Dedicated Durez §524(g) trust	No dedicated trust confirmed.
Guaranteed compensation	No.

📚 Confirmed Primary & Court Sources

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Call 800.291.0963
Live chat is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Submit Your Case

Employment at Durez or work with a Durez product does not automatically establish asbestos exposure, disease causation, liability or compensation. The plant, product formulation, dates, work activity, exposure evidence and medical evidence must be evaluated individually. Compensation is not guaranteed.

⚕️ Legal & Medical Information Disclaimer
This page provides general educational information and is not legal or medical advice. Consult qualified healthcare and legal professionals for individual guidance.