ASARCO owned an asbestos mine in Canada and an asbestos pipe manufacturing business that exposed workers to the toxic mineral. Asbestos litigation led to a bankruptcy filing that established the ASARCO asbestos trust fund in 2009.
Written by D. Carl Money | Legally Reviewed by Yvonne Waterman | Edited by Amy Edel | Last Update: January 7, 2026
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ASARCO filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2005. The reorganization plan created a trust funded with more than $900 million to compensate current and future asbestos claimants. It also required ASARCO to pay $1.79 billion for environmental cleanup at more than 80 sites across 19 states.
Asbestos Trust Updates
This asbestos trust fund began accepting claims in December 2009. Through December 31, 2024, it processed more than 527,000 asbestos personal injury claims, approving 1,609 for compensation payments in 2024 and distributing $80,169,199 that year. The trustee, David F. Levi, works with the Trust Advisory Committee and Future Claims Representative to oversee claims and manage assets for the ASARCO Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust.
People exposed to asbestos from ASARCO products can seek legal assistance with filing claims with the ASARCO asbestos trust fund. A mesothelioma lawyer can help you gather evidence needed to prove your eligibility with the trust, ensure your claim is filed on time and correctly and process your payout for you.
In addition to filing with the ASARCO trust, an experienced asbestos attorney can determine if there are additional responsible parties in your exposure to asbestos. If these asbestos companies haven’t declared bankruptcy and established an asbestos trust fund, you may be able to file a mesothelioma lawsuit as well. The amount you receive from the ASARCO trust fund may be deducted from compensation from separate asbestos lawsuits. An experienced lawyer can help you navigate these legal complexities.
Our Patient Advocates are available 24/7 to connect you with the right legal help for you and your family and offer extensive free resources. Our team can schedule appointments with leading mesothelioma doctors for you, help you join active mesothelioma support groups for patients and caregivers and assist with insurance.
Asbestos trust funds were created to help people exposed to asbestos. We make it simple to start your claim.
Access Trust FundsThousands of lawsuits were filed against ASARCO and its subsidiaries, including CAPCO and Lake Asbestos of Quebec. These suits argued the company was liable for asbestos exposure that led to mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases.
Notable ASARCO Asbestos Lawsuits
Many of the lawsuits claimed the plaintiffs experienced asbestos exposure to Lake Asbestos of Quebec’s asbestos. In addition to ASARCO’s mining operations in Canada, exposure often occurred at the company’s asbestos product manufacturing plants in the U.S.
Founded in 1899, the American Smelting and Refining Company consolidated several mining, refining and smelting operations in the U.S and Mexico. The company entered the asbestos mining industry in the 1950s and started an asbestos pipe manufacturing business in the 1960s.
ASARCO’s Asbestos History
From the early 1950s through 1989, ASARCO owned an asbestos mine in Black Lake, Quebec. The discovery of asbestos beneath Black Lake led to a dredging project that created one of the largest open-pit asbestos mining operations in the world. ASARCO’s mine supplied its pipe subsidiary with asbestos. CAPCO and other manufacturers used the material in piping for its resistance to corrosion.
Today, ASARCO is an Arizona-based miner, smelter and refiner of copper. Grupo México, a conglomerate with operations in mining, transportation and infrastructure, now owns the company.
ASARCO’s asbestos products and mining operations exposed many workers to dangerous asbestos fibers. ASARCO’s asbestos mine in Canada produced asbestos fibers that it sold to other ASARCO subsidiaries, including CAPCO. The mine also sold the toxic fiber to hundreds of asbestos product manufacturing plants throughout the U.S. The biggest asbestos companies, including Armstrong, Celotex, GAF, Garlock, Johns Manville, Raybestos Manhattan, Owens Corning, U.S. Gypsum and Union Carbide, owned many of these plants.
ASARCO’s Asbestos Products
ASARCO’s subsidiaries also exposed workers to asbestos. Lake Asbestos of Quebec exposed miners and millers to raw asbestos ore and processed fibers. Employees who manufactured pipes at CAPCO worked directly with asbestos fibers.
CAPCO operated asbestos pipe manufacturing plants in Ragland, Alabama, and Van Buren, Arkansas. The company used about 6,000 tons of asbestos annually to make pipes. Exposure also occurred when construction workers and pipefitters installed these asbestos pipes, which included sewer pipes. People who developed asbestos-related illnesses from these asbestos products may file claims with the ASARCO Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust.
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Asbestos.com. (2026, January 13). ASARCO Trust Fund and Lawsuits. Retrieved January 15, 2026, from https://www.asbestos.com/companies/asarco/
"ASARCO Trust Fund and Lawsuits." Asbestos.com, 13 Jan 2026, https://www.asbestos.com/companies/asarco/.
Asbestos.com. "ASARCO Trust Fund and Lawsuits." Last modified January 13, 2026. https://www.asbestos.com/companies/asarco/.
A mesothelioma lawyer who specializes in asbestos litigation reviewed the content on this page to ensure it is legally accurate.
Yvonne Waterman, Ph.D., is the founder of the European Asbestos Forum and a specialist in asbestos litigation. Waterman has worked to build a global network of professionals fighting for a future without asbestos exposure and disease.
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