Imerys

Imerys and Asbestos-Contaminated Luzenac Group Talc

Named for the French village where it was founded in the 1840s, Rio Tinto bought the Luzenac Group in 1988. Imerys then purchased the company in 2011. This acquisition gave Imerys the largest presence in the global talc market.

Asbestos contamination of talc led to mounting lawsuits against Imerys. Eventually mounting asbestos-related litigation, including mesothelioma lawsuits, led the company to declare bankruptcy.

Magris Resources Canada acquired Imerys’ North American talc business in late 2020 for $223 million as part of a Chapter 11 sale. Imerys has maintained its supply didn’t include asbestos-contaminated talc and the company wasn’t responsible for plaintiffs’ asbestos exposure.

Talc and Asbestos Contamination

Talc and asbestos are both naturally occurring minerals often occurring in the same geological formations together. This can lead to the contamination of talc with cancer-causing asbestos. Asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma cancer.

Talc is the softest naturally occurring mineral, and it has a variety of uses. Manufacturers use it in paper, paints, plastics, ceramics and many types of building materials. Talc is also an ingredient in some fertilizers and pesticides. Perfumed talcum powder is a common personal hygiene product and talc is added to many cosmetics. 

Purified talc is used in pharmaceuticals and certain medical procedures. Imerys still offers what the company describes as “micronised decontaminated talc” via Luzenac Pharma, though the company notes talc products aren’t available in the U.S. or Canada.

Asbestos-contaminated talc dust puts patients, consumers, miners and manufacturing workers at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. Workers who use talc-based products are also at risk of occupational asbestos exposure, such as painters, ceramic workers, construction workers and agricultural workers.

Imerys’ Bankruptcy and Asbestos Trust Fund

Imerys Talc America and subsidiaries, Imerys Talc Vermont and Imerys Canada Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Feb. 13, 2019. The company sought protection from lawsuits alleging asbestos in its talc caused cancer.

At the time of the filing, Imerys Talc America was facing more than 14,000 asbestos claims in courts across the U.S. Imerys Talc America, Inc. and the company’s former owner, Cyprus Mines Corporation, created a collective trust of $862 million in January 2024. 

Asbestos trust funds like Imerys’ proposed, but not yet finalized fund set aside money to settle existing and future legal claims. These funds pay people who developed illnesses like mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis, as well as families who lost a loved one to asbestos disease.

Asbestos Litigation Involving Imerys

Imerys has been named in thousands of lawsuits over asbestos-contaminated talc it supplied to major companies, including Johnson & Johnson. J&J used Imerys’ talc in its popular Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products.

Notable Imerys Mesothelioma Verdicts and Settlements 

• $117 million: Stephen Lanzo III and his wife received this jury verdict after he developed mesothelioma from decades of using Johnson & Johnson talc products. The verdict came in 2018, and Imerys, which supplied the talc, was responsible for $36 million.
  
• $22 million: The family of Richard Booker received this jury verdict after he died of mesothelioma linked to asbestos in Imerys-supplied talc used at paint factories. The verdict was issued in 2017.
• $5 million: Imerys settled with 22 women who developed ovarian cancer from Johnson & Johnson baby powder made with its talc. The settlement occurred in 2018.

When Imerys filed for bankruptcy in April 2019, J&J remanded about 2,400 lawsuits to federal courts across the U.S. Within a month, plaintiffs began challenging those removals, arguing they were improper and lacked jurisdiction.

Most of the J&J cases involve women who allege the talc caused ovarian cancer. A smaller share of lawsuits involve mesothelioma linked to contaminated talc.