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Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in Illinois

Illinois has two well-documented asbestos sites in the Chicago area: a large former asbestos products plant on Lake Michigan in Waukegan and a high-volume vermiculite plant in West Chicago. This page covers both, Illinois deadlines, and where to find care.

Last reviewed October 28, 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this page.

In short

  • Documented sources: The Johns Manville site in Waukegan (Lake County); A vermiculite plant in West Chicago (DuPage County).
  • Deadlines: personal injury 2 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202); wrongful death 2 years (740 ILCS 180/2).
  • Care: 2 NCI-designated centers in the state, and 5 VA health care systems.
  • Confirm every deadline with a lawyer licensed in the state.

Documented asbestos exposure in Illinois

We list only sites where asbestos is documented by a government agency or published research. Many other workplaces in Illinois likely used asbestos-containing insulation and equipment, but we do not name a site unless we can point to a record.

The Johns Manville site in Waukegan (Lake County)

EPA's Johns Manville Corp. Superfund site in Waukegan includes a former manufacturing property of about 350 acres, with an asbestos waste disposal area of about 150 acres. About 3 million cubic yards of off-specification products and wastewater sludge were disposed of there. Johns Manville stopped operating at the site in the summer of 1998, and the manufacturing buildings were demolished in 2000 and 2001. Most cleanup work is complete.

A vermiculite plant in West Chicago (DuPage County)

Vermiculite mined at Libby, Montana, was contaminated with asbestos. The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) studied 28 sites around the country that processed it. W.R. Grace's plant in West Chicago processed Libby vermiculite from 1974 to the early 1990s, with an estimated 15 to 35 employees at a time. Invoices show roughly 274,000 tons shipped there in under 15 years.

Illinois filing deadlines

Claim Deadline Statute
Personal injury 2 years 735 ILCS 5/13-202
Wrongful death 2 years 740 ILCS 180/2

Illinois allows two years for personal injury (735 ILCS 5/13-202) and, for wrongful death, generally two years from the death (740 ILCS 180/2).

Deadlines and discovery rules change and depend on the facts. Confirm them with a lawyer licensed in Illinois. Compare other states in our national table.

Treatment in Illinois

NCI lists 2 designated cancer centers in Illinois that see patients:

Center (NCI profile) Institution and location, as NCI lists it NCI designation
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center Northwestern University Chicago, Illinois Comprehensive
The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center Chicago, Illinois Comprehensive

VA health care in Illinois

Veterans with asbestos-related illness can get care through VA. These VA health care systems serve Illinois; each system's page lists its medical centers and clinics:

For benefits, see veterans and VA benefits or our veteran claim help form.

Workers' compensation

Work-related illness may fall under Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission. Each state's system has its own notice and filing deadlines. NCI notes that federal civilian employees and longshore and harbor workers have separate federal programs through the U.S. Department of Labor.

Other states

California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington. See all states.

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Common questions

I worked in Waukegan years ago. What records help?

Write down your employer, job title, building, and years, and any product names you remember. Pay stubs, union cards, and a Social Security earnings statement can confirm where you worked.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws and deadlines differ by state and change; confirm anything that matters with a licensed attorney in your state. No one can promise how a claim will turn out.

Sources

  1. Johns-Manville Corp.: Superfund site profile, cleanup activities (U.S. EPA)
  2. Summary report: exposure to asbestos-containing vermiculite from Libby, Montana, at 28 processing sites in the United States (ATSDR, 2008; copy hosted by EPA)
  3. 735 ILCS 5/13-202 (Illinois official code)
  4. 740 ILCS 180/2 (Illinois official code)
  5. Find an NCI-designated cancer center (National Cancer Institute, list updated June 10, 2026)
  6. VA health care systems serving Illinois (VA.gov)
  7. Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission

Related pages

  • States: State-by-state mesothelioma resources: documented asbestos exposure sites, filing deadlines, NCI-designated cancer centers, and VA health care in each state.
  • Statute of limitations: How filing deadlines for mesothelioma and asbestos claims work, when the clock starts, and a table of injury and wrongful death deadlines in every state.
  • Treatment centers: How to find a cancer center with mesothelioma experience, the full list of NCI-designated clinical and comprehensive cancer centers, and questions to ask.
  • Veterans and VA benefits: How VA disability compensation works for veterans with asbestos-related illness, the evidence VA asks for, survivor benefits, and where to get free help.