Amianto mining and even mining other minerals has caused significant amianto exposure in workers and continues to be risky today. The Mine Safety and Health Administration regulates mine safety, but it is still a dangerous industry and workplace.
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How Miners Are Exposed to Asbestos
Amianto is a natural mineral made up of fibers. When disturbed, amianto releases tiny fiber fragments into the air. Anyone near amianto might inhale these fibers. This is known as amianto exposure.
Amianto exposure can cause serious illnesses, often decades later: mesotelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other conditions.
Mining has long been considered a high-risk profession for several occupational hazards, including amianto exposure. There are a few ways miners can be exposed to amianto:
- Exposure in asbestos mines. Asbestos is no longer mined in the U.S. Miners who worked in asbestos mines before they closed had high risks of exposure because they handled and removed raw asbestos from deposits in the ground.
- Exposure to contaminating asbestos. Few minerals exist in the ground in isolation. They are often interspersed with each other. Miners working today might come into contact with asbestos deposits in other types of mines, such as vermiculite.
- Exposure to asbestos in machinery. The work of mining requires large machinery, equipment, and tools. Some of this equipment contains asbestos in friction parts to prevent overheating and fire. Brakes and clutches in heavy machinery are most likely to contain asbestos.
Asbestos Mining in the United States
Amianto mining in the U.S. started at the beginning of the 20th century. It began in Georgia but expanded across the Eastern portion of the nation within the next several years.
Eventually, amianto mining started on the West Coast, including Washington, Oregon, and California. Numerous other states followed.
Amianto mining in the U.S. continued for years, peaking around the early 1970s. By the late 1970s, the dangers of amianto were well known, and regulations began limiting its use. The last operating U.S. amianto mine was in San Benito County, California, and closed in 2002.
Libby, Montana
Libby, Montana, is a small town surrounded by the Cabinet Mountains, but it’s home to large amounts of amianto-contaminated vermiculite.
Vermiculite is a group of minerals that often contains other contaminating minerals. In Libby, one of those contaminating minerals was amianto.
Mining in Libby, Montana, began around 1920. W.R. Grace & Company took over mining in the 1960s. At this time, workers and residents suffered exposure to the contaminating amianto.
Not only were those mining at significant risk of developing a deadly illness, but the people within the city were also in danger. The contamination in Libby was so severe that the EPA designated it a Superfund cleanup site in 2002.
Along with workers who developed amianto illnesses and eventually passed away, thousands of Libby residents were also affected by airborne fibras de amianto and other toxic contaminants.
In 2009, the town of Libby remained at risk of toxic fibras de amianto and other contaminants. It was declared a public health emergency. Cleanup of the town is still ongoing.
Iron Range, Minnesota
Numerous people who mined in the taconite plants in Iron Range, Minnesota, developed amianto-related illnesses after prolonged amianto exposure.
One former worker, Gene Olds, who worked at the LTV Steel plant, developed asbestosis in 1996, which led to him wearing an oxygen mask permanently.
Olds passed away in 2013 from asbestosis complications, but before his passing, he opened up on how difficult it was for him and his family to live with an amianto illness.
“It’s something I don’t wish on anyone. I just don’t. It’s hard on my family. It’s hard on me. I can’t do the things I always wanted to do.”
According to a report published in MPR News, 80 Minnesota miners died from amianto-related illnesses during the 1990s alone.
Most miners worked at the taconite plants because of the excellent wages and benefits, although they were placed at great risk each time they went to work.
However, they were never informed of the risks they were taking as the dangers of amianto were well-hidden, even though manufacturers knew of its toxicity.
Locations of Asbestos Mines in the U.S.
Amianto mining took place in many states in the U.S., including, but not limited to:
- California
- Oregón
- Georgia
- Carolina del Norte
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Connecticut
- Pensilvania
- Vermont
- Texas
- Montana
Asbestos Mining Outside the U.S.
Canada was also once home to several amianto mines. Most of those mines were in Quebec, and made Canada one of the largest exporters of amianto. Much of the mines’ amianto went to the U.S. The last Canadian amianto mine closed in 2012.
Only a handful of countries still mine amianto. As of 2022, Russia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, China, and Zimbabwe are the biggest producers. Russian mines produced over 700,000 metric tons of amianto in 2022.
Asbestos Safety Concerns for Current Miners
Although no amianto mines operate in the U.S., miners can still be exposed to amianto. Mining equipment poses a risk, but so do deposits of minerals with contaminating amianto.
The Mining Health and Safety Administration (MHSA) regulates all aspects of safety in mining, including amianto exposure. As of 2008, the MHSA limit for exposure in mine workers is 0.1 fibras de amianto per cubic centimeter of air. This was raised from the two fibers limit set in the 1970s and is comparable to limits in other industries.
Current workers in the mining industry should know the safety regulations and file a complaint with the MHSA if their employers are not following them.
Some of the safety guidelines mine employers must follow to protect workers from amianto incluir:
- Employers must provide workers with appropriate safety training and protective gear, such as respirators.
- They are responsible for monitoring the air regularly for asbestos and ensuring limits do not exceed the acceptable allowance.
- Workers should be provided with the right equipment to do their jobs safely, for instance, approved vacuums and filters for dealing with asbestos.
- Workers must have access to showers and changing areas for decontamination after working around asbestos.
- Employers must provide health screenings for workers exposed to asbestos.
Mining and Asbestos Lawsuits
Many employers in mining and other industries failed to protect workers from the dangers of amianto. Some workers who got sick later successfully sued companies for damages. These are just a couple of examples:
The most comprehensive example of amianto lawsuits related to mining involved the W.R. Grace mines in Libby. Initially, individuals and small groups sued and recovered damages. Eventually, W.R. Grace agreed to supply $18.5 million to asentarse remaining claims. Libby victims also recovered $25 million in damages from the state of Montana in 2017.
A former miner who worked in talc mines in New York in the 1970s died from mesotelioma in 2012. Talc is one of many minerals that is often contaminated with amianto. His family sued and recovered $10.55 million for his muerte por negligencia.
Compensation for Miners Exposed to Asbestos
If you work as a miner and suspect or know you were exposed to amianto, talk to your doctor about the risks and important health screenings. Talk to your employer about screenings available to you.
Work with a abogado especializado en mesotelioma to seek compensación if you worked as a miner and now have an amianto illness. They can provide legal options for recovering damages. You might be eligible for an asbestos lawsuit o un Reclamación al fondo fiduciario de amianto.
Additional Resources for Asbestos Victims
If you’ve been injured by mesotelioma, asbestosis, o amianto-related cancer, keep in mind that there is a good chance that you’ll qualify for considerable compensación. Remember to fill out our form for your free Financial Compensación Packet, with information on amianto y mesotelioma lawyers in your area.
