Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in Minnesota

Documented asbestos exposure in Minnesota

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

Northeastern Minnesota and the Iron Range

The Minnesota Department of Health reported in 2003 that 81 men in northeastern Minnesota were diagnosed with mesothelioma from 1988 to 1999, compared with about 45 expected from statewide rates, an 81% excess. Rates among women were not elevated, which the department said strongly suggests workplace exposure, and Carlton County had the state's highest mesothelioma rate. The department points to the former Conwed plant in Carlton County, which used large quantities of commercial asbestos to make mineral board and ceiling tile and employed more than 5,000 workers from 1958 to 1974.

A separate 2003 department study found 17 men diagnosed with mesothelioma in Minnesota from 1988 to 1996 who had worked in iron mining. Of the 15 with enough job history to evaluate, 14 had potential exposure to commercial asbestos, in mining jobs, other jobs, or both. Many of those jobs, such as plumbing, carpentry, boiler operation, and maintenance, are common to both kinds of work.

A vermiculite plant in northeast Minneapolis

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. Western Mineral Products processed Libby vermiculite in northeast Minneapolis from 1936 to 1989, with an estimated 11 to 52 employees at a time, and invoices show roughly 122,800 tons received. ATSDR reports that the plant's waste rock was advertised as "free crushed rock" and many neighbors used it in yards, gardens, and driveways. In Minnesota Department of Health interviews with more than 6,700 people connected to the plant and neighborhood, 690 said they played in or around the waste rock piles as children. EPA inspected more than 1,600 residential properties and cleaned up 260 yards.

Minnesota filing deadlines

Minnesota allows six years for personal injury (Minn. Stat. 541.05, subd. 1(5)). Wrongful death claims must be brought within three years of the death and within six years of the act or omission (573.02).

Also note: Wrongful death: 3 years from death, and within 6 years of the act or omission.

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

Treatment in Minnesota

NCI lists one designated cancer center in Minnesota that sees patients:

NCI also lists the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center under Arizona, noting facilities in Florida and Minnesota.

VA health care in Minnesota

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

• VA Minneapolis health care
• VA St Cloud health care

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

Workers' compensation

Work-related illness may fall under Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Workers' Compensation. 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, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington. See all states.