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Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in Missouri

Missouri's documented record includes a St. Louis plant that processed asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from the 1940s to the late 1980s, in a densely populated part of the city. This page covers that plant, Missouri's 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: A vermiculite plant in St. Louis.
  • Deadlines: personal injury 5 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. 516.120(4)); wrongful death 3 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. 537.100).
  • Care: 1 NCI-designated center in the state, and 4 VA health care systems.
  • Confirm every deadline with a lawyer licensed in the state.

Documented asbestos exposure in Missouri

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

A vermiculite plant in St. Louis

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. The Zonolite Company, later W.R. Grace, plant on Sulphur Avenue in St. Louis processed Libby vermiculite from 1944 to 1988, with an estimated 12 to 19 employees at a time, and invoices show roughly 139,500 tons received. ATSDR counted about 13,600 people living within a mile of the site.

We are researching other documented sites in Missouri and will add them only when we can cite a government or published record.

Missouri filing deadlines

Claim Deadline Statute
Personal injury 5 years Mo. Rev. Stat. 516.120(4)
Wrongful death 3 years Mo. Rev. Stat. 537.100

Missouri allows five years for personal injury (Mo. Rev. Stat. 516.120(4)) and three years for wrongful death (537.100).

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

Treatment in Missouri

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

Center (NCI profile) Institution and location, as NCI lists it NCI designation
Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital St. Louis, Missouri Comprehensive

NCI also lists The University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

VA health care in Missouri

Veterans with asbestos-related illness can get care through VA. These VA health care systems serve Missouri; 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 Missouri Division of 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, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington. See all states.

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Common questions

Does Missouri's five years start at exposure?

Missouri's statutes and courts set when a claim accrues, and for slowly developing illness that is generally not the date of exposure. Ask a Missouri lawyer to check your dates.

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. Summary report: exposure to asbestos-containing vermiculite from Libby, Montana, at 28 processing sites in the United States (ATSDR, 2008; copy hosted by EPA)
  2. Mo. Rev. Stat. 516.120(4) (Missouri official code)
  3. Mo. Rev. Stat. 537.100 (Missouri official code)
  4. Find an NCI-designated cancer center (National Cancer Institute, list updated June 10, 2026)
  5. VA health care systems serving Missouri (VA.gov)
  6. Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation

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.