Asbestos mining exposed workers to raw fibers during tasks such as extraction and bagging. Studies indicate that miners could have a 10 times higher risk of developing mesothelioma than the general public. Vermiculite, talc, taconite and coal miners also faced exposure.
Asbestos miners were directly exposed to raw asbestos as they mined and transported the ore for processing. Miners were also exposed to asbestos products in mining machinery and equipment such as brake linings, gaskets and heat panels. Despite its seemingly desirable properties, asbestos is a carcinogen, and mining the material puts miners at a high risk of developing related diseases.
The tasks asbestos miners performed changed over the years as technology developed safer mining methods and techniques. In the early days of asbestos mining, miners used chisels, shovels, hammers and other tools to break apart asbestos-containing ore. These tasks generated a lot of asbestos dust, and ventilation was an issue before safety standards were implemented in the late 1800s.
Mining of asbestos peaked during the Industrial Revolution when it was regarded as the perfect insulator for newly emerging factories. The mineral was refined and incorporated into a number of building materials, fabrics and other products. Asbestos mining ended in the U.S. in 2002, but it continues in certain countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan and China. According to a 2021 article published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, worldwide asbestos mining and consumption has stayed within the range of 1.3 million tons annually in recent years.
Modern mining methods involve fewer miners and rely more on technology and machinery to extract ore. While this resulted in fewer miners at asbestos mines, it did not eliminate the risk of asbestos exposure because miners were also exposed to asbestos parts while operating, maintaining and repairing machinery and equipment.
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Lorraine Kember: Mesothelioma caregiver explains how her husband was exposed in a mining town.
There’s very little question, that if Brian was exposed to asbestos when he was in Whitnoone with his family, Whitnoone in in Western Australia, the mining town. He traveled there with his parents, and they lived in the town for seven short months.
They played as children, he and his sister, Pat, played as children in the yard that was completely covered in asbestos dust, as was the town.
The around the picture theater, around the school ovals, everywhere they went, And the kids used to be covered in in gray dust, you know. And, sadly, we now know that that was asbestos.
How Asbestos Was Mined
In the United States, companies primarily mined asbestos in open pits rather than underground shafts. Crews blasted or drilled the ore from the pit, then crushed and dried it before milling. Milling separated the asbestos fibers from the surrounding rock through crushing, fiberizing, screening and grading the material.
How Miners Were Exposed
Blasting or drilling asbestos ore from open-pit mines
Crushing and drying the ore before milling
Crushing, screening and fiberizing the ore during milling
Aspirating and grading the separated fibers
Mining operations later tried to reduce airborne dust by switching from blasting to bulldozers and scrapers. They also tried wetting the ore before crushing it. These changes came too late for most miners who’d already spent years breathing in hazardous fibers.
Asbestos Mines, Miners and Mesothelioma
Many studies have documented increased rates of asbestos-related diseases among asbestos miners, their family members and in members of the community surrounding asbestos mines. According to a 2022 report by the European Commission, more than 70,000 workers died in 2019 from past exposure to asbestos. Miners faced even steeper odds. A 2017 study of 734 Finnish asbestos miners found their lung cancer risk was more than double and their mesothelioma risk was more than 10 times that of the general public.
Sean Marchese, RN and oncology medical writer for The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com, says, “The occupations that are at highest risk for asbestos exposure are usually blue collar workers or first responders, people that are dealing with unexpected events frequently. Even construction workers and people in industries such as engineering, deal with older materials and older items and objects that may have asbestos in them.”
Risks to Miners
In a 2020 study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, researchers reported excess deaths from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, among chrysotile asbestos miners in Italy. The study authors emphasized that the mine was not contaminated with other types of asbestos, such as tremolite, providing evidence that chrysotile causes all types of asbestos-related diseases.
In 2017, a study from Finland reported outcomes for 734 miners who had worked in asbestos mines between 1953 and 1967. Researchers found the asbestos miners’ lung cancer risk was more than double and their mesothelioma risk was more than 10 times higher than the general public.
Risks to Communities Near Mines
In 2017, researchers from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health published a study on the health effects of community exposure to asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from Libby, Montana, from 1979 to 2011. They reported excess cases of mesothelioma and asbestosis. They expected 1.79 cases of mesothelioma and found five, and they expected 0.58 cases of asbestosis and found 59 cases.
In 2002, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reported on asbestos-related disease mortality among residents of Libby, Montana, from 1979 to 1998, the years in which exposure was believed to be the highest. They found respiratory cancer deaths were 20 to 40 times higher and noncancerous respiratory deaths, especially asbestosis, were at least 40 times higher than expected.
In a 2000 study published in Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine, researchers reported cases of mesothelioma among people who lived near asbestos mines but never worked at the mine and never lived with anyone who worked at the mine. This data shows the negative health effects of asbestos mining on communities.
Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, laryngeal cancer and asbestosis. It is important to find a doctor specializing in your diagnosis to access innovative treatments and clinical trials. Treatments are available to help people live longer with these diseases.
A Montana District Court jury recently delivered a $36.5 million verdict in a bellwether case that is expected to significantly change the landscape of…
Miners of vermiculite, talc and taconite have been exposed to asbestos in contaminated deposits. Exposure was highest before asbestos regulations were implemented in the 1970s, but active vermiculite, talc and taconite mines in the U.S. remain contaminated with asbestos and pose an exposure threat to current miners. Coal miners have also developed asbestos-related diseases, and this is likely caused by asbestos products used in coal mining.
Vermiculite, Talc, Taconite and Coal Contamination
Mineral
Why It Had Asbestos
Peak Exposure Era
Documented Outcome in Miners
Coal
Asbestos products in mining equipment rather than the coal seam itself
Not established
The Mine Safety and Health Administration reported in 2005 that around 15% of U.S. coal mines had exposed at least one miner above its full-shift limit of 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter.
Taconite
Iron formations can host asbestos-form fibers
Ongoing; identified since the 1950s
University of Minnesota’s Taconite Workers Health Study found elevated mesothelioma incidence among taconite workers.
Talc
Talc forms in the same deposits as asbestos
Pre-1980
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reported excess mesothelioma, lung cancer and noncancerous lung disease in New York-area talc miners in 1980.
Vermiculite
Libby, Montana deposits were naturally contaminated with amphibole asbestos
Pre-1990
Hundreds of miner deaths. Libby designated an EPA Superfund site in 2002.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite is a mineral found in many parts of the world, and vermiculite deposits can contain many other minerals, including asbestos. One prominent vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, was tainted with asbestos and became one of the largest environmental disasters in the U.S. The W.R. Grace vermiculite mine killed hundreds of miners while thousands of Libby residents were sickened by the toxic dust. The mine was designated a Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2002.
In 2009, the agency administrator declared a public health emergency in Libby. This was the first time the agency had declared a public health emergency, which signaled to many public health officials the severity of the exposure risk in the town.
The EPA has decontaminated most of the town and now works with state and local authorities to manage lingering contaminated areas in and around Libby. It announced in 2018 the completion of a 3,000-site cleanup effort that included businesses, yards and parks throughout the area. By 2021, it had completed restoration efforts covering all roadways and major highways in and between Libby and nearby Troy.
Talc
Talc is the world’s softest mineral. It can form alongside asbestos, which has led to asbestos contaminating talc products, including talcum powder. Talc miners throughout the world have developed asbestos-related diseases working in talc mines. In 1980, the NIOSH reported excess deaths from mesothelioma, lung cancer and noncancerous lung disease in talc miners from New York-area talc mines known to contain asbestos.
An Oregon jury awarded a woman $260 million in punitive and compensatory damages after she claimed Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder caused her mesothelioma…
“Unfortunately, where the talc was mined to be put in these products, came from the same mines that asbestos came from and oftentimes, the companies were not doing their quality assurance properly, and a lot of the talc mines and products were contaminated with asbestos.”
— Karen Selby, RN, Patient Advocate at The Mesothelioma Center
Verified Asbestos.com Survivor
Taconite
Taconite is a variety of iron that can naturally form alongside asbestos. Several taconite mines came under fire for the high prevalence of asbestos-related diseases in their workers.
Researchers studying Minnesota’s Iron Range have reported an elevated incidence of mesothelioma among taconite workers. The University of Minnesota’s Taconite Workers Health Study was commissioned to investigate this pattern.
Coal
Coal is classified as an organic sedimentary rock made of decomposed plants. According to a 2005 report by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, around 15% of coal mines in the U.S. have exposed at least one miner to asbestos above the safety limit proposed by the administration. The full-shift limit is 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air.
Miners who develop asbestos-related diseases may be eligible to take legal action against the companies responsible for their asbestos exposure. Talk to a mesothelioma lawyer to learn more about your legal options to secure the compensation you may be entitled to.
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Asbestos miners and those who have developed asbestos-related illnesses from living near asbestos mines have successfully sued mine owners and manufacturers using asbestos in products to recover compensation to pay for medical costs.
In 2020, a multimillion-dollar settlement was reached between the family of a miner who died of mesothelioma and asbestos defendants, including his employer and manufacturers of the asbestos products he used on the job. The lawsuit claimed he was exposed to asbestos brakes and gaskets when maintaining mining equipment.
The family of a miner who died of mesothelioma filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2018 against manufacturers of the asbestos products he was exposed to while working as a mine prospector in the 1970s. The lawsuit claims the deceased miner was exposed to asbestos brakes and gaskets on mining machinery and equipment. The outcome of this case is unpublished.
In 2017, more than 1,000 residents and former miners from Libby, Montana, reached a $25 million settlement with the state of Montana for failing to protect the residents of the town from the dangers of the W.R. Grace asbestos-contaminated vermiculite mine.
A Montana judge approved a $43 million settlement in 2011 between the state of Montana and 1,300 plaintiffs from Libby, Montana, for failing to warn the plaintiffs about the dangers of living near the asbestos-contaminated Libby mine.
In September 2011, ironworker and coal miner Delbert Russell filed a personal injury lawsuit against 123 asbestos manufacturers claiming their asbestos products caused him to develop mesothelioma after 45 years of working as a miner. The outcome of the case is unpublished.
Asbestos trust fund claims may also be an option for patients and their loved ones. There is approximately $30 billion in asbestos trust funds to help people who develop mesothelioma and other diseases. It is smart to work with a mesothelioma lawyer who has vast experience and a track record of success. They can help to secure the most compensation for your claim to help your family financially recover.
Expert Insight
“With regard to Utah, it seems like the most cases we’re getting are mining cases, which is really, really unique. We have substantial mining in Utah.”
— Carl Money, Attorney
Asbestos Mining in North America
Before asbestos mining came to the United States, it was already commonplace in Canada. Quebec was a large mining area, although mines operated in cities throughout Canada. At one point, Canada had several dozen mines in operation and was the largest exporter of asbestos to the U.S. and many other countries. Canada’s last asbestos mine closed in 2012, and the country passed a nationwide ban on asbestos in 2018.
Asbestos mining in the U.S. began just before the turn of the 20th century. The first mine opened in the Sall Mountain area of Georgia. Eventually, about 60 mines operated in the eastern U.S., while many others were thriving in California, Oregon and Washington.
U.S. asbestos mining peaked around 1973, a few years before the federal government issued warnings about the mineral and began to regulate its use. Unfortunately for most of the miners, many were already exposed, and the restrictions came much too late.
The last operation to close on the East Coast was the Lowell chrysotile quarry in Vermont, which ceased operations in 1993. The King City Asbestos Company mine in the Coalinga asbestos district of San Benito and Fresno counties in California was the last asbestos operation in the U.S., closing in the early 2000s.
Location
State
Notes
Closed
Eastern U.S. mining belt
GA, NC, VT and neighboring states
Around 60 mines operated across the eastern states
Through the 20th century
King City Asbestos Company mine
California
Coalinga asbestos district, San Benito and Fresno counties; last U.S. asbestos operation
Early 2000s
Lowell chrysotile quarry
Vermont
Last operating mine on the East Coast
1993
Sall Mountain Region
Georgia
First U.S. asbestos mine, opened 1894
1907
Western operations
California, Oregon, Washington
Multiple mines operated alongside the eastern belt
While currently active mines are found abroad, U.S.-based contractors often work overseas via multinational companies and international recruitment of experienced miners. American workers can face significant asbestos exposure and health risks as a result.
Countries like Russia, Kazakhstan and China continue asbestos use worldwide, mining and exporting the mineral even as more nations move to ban it. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, asbestos mines in Brazil and Russia supplied the vast majority of asbestos fiber imports to the U.S. between 2016 and 2020. These imports are primarily used by the chloralkali industry to produce chlorine with asbestos diaphragms.
The Geological Survey reports a small amount of asbestos is imported through products. These include brake blocks used in the oil industry, rubber sheets for gaskets used to create a chemical-containment seal to produce titanium dioxide, certain other types of preformed gaskets and some vehicle friction products aside from brakes.
Survivor Experience
There’s very little question that Brian was exposed to asbestos when he was in Wittenoom with his family, in Western Australia, the mining town. He traveled there with his parents, and they lived in the town for seven short months. They played as children in the yard that was completely covered in asbestos dust, as was the town.
Lorraine Kember, mesothelioma caregiver
Verified Asbestos.com Survivor
Asbestos Products Associated With Mining
In addition to direct exposure to raw asbestos ore and fibers, asbestos miners were exposed to asbestos products in machinery and equipment.
Asbestos Products Used in Mining
Brakes and Clutches: Asbestos brake linings and clutch facings were commonly found on mining machinery. Workers who replaced these parts endured high levels of asbestos exposure.
Gaskets: Asbestos gaskets were common on machines and equipment that generated heat. Anyone who cut or replaced these gaskets was at risk of exposure.
Fireproof Blankets: Welding and fireproof blankets were commonly made with asbestos until the 1980s. These blankets were used by miners to protect them from heat and sparks generated by mining equipment. Over time these blankets broke down and released asbestos fibers.
Pipe Insulation: Pipes in mine tunnels were often wrapped with asbestos wrap insulation. Any time this material was disturbed, ripped or damaged, it could release microscopic asbestos fibers into the tunnel.
Transite Panels: Transite panels containing asbestos were used in mines because they were durable and resistant to heat. If these panels were damaged, they could release asbestos fibers.
Workers who maintained asbestos-containing equipment experienced direct exposure to toxic fibers. Replacing and repairing asbestos parts led to the release of toxic fibers. This equipment was often located in poorly ventilated areas, which increased the risk of asbestos exposure.
Common Questions About Asbestos Mining
Is asbestos still mined in the United States?
No. Asbestos mining ended in the United States in 2002, when the last operation, the King City Asbestos Company mine in California’s Coalinga district, closed. Vermiculite, talc and taconite mines still operate in the U.S. and some of those deposits remain naturally contaminated with asbestos.
Is asbestos still mined today?
Yes, mining continues in several countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan and China, despite a global push toward bans. Asbestos use worldwide has declined for decades, but production hasn’t stopped.
How many asbestos miners died?
No single figure covers every asbestos mine, but cohort studies give a measure of the risk. A 2017 study of 734 Finnish asbestos miners found lung cancer risk more than double and mesothelioma risk more than 10 times, that of the general public. At the Libby, Montana vermiculite mine, the W.R. Grace operation killed hundreds of miners and sickened thousands of residents.
Which US states had asbestos mines?
About 60 asbestos mines operated across the eastern United States, beginning with the Sall Mountain mine in Georgia, which started large-scale production in 1894. Vermont hosted the last East Coast operation, the Lowell chrysotile quarry, which closed in 1993. California, Oregon and Washington also had operating mines and California’s King City mine was the last to close in the country.
Where is the world’s largest asbestos mine?
Russia’s asbestos mine at the town of Asbest, in the Ural Mountains, is among the world’s largest. A 2019 New York Times report found residents living near the mine have elevated rates of lung cancer.
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Whitmer, M. (2026, September 17). Asbestos Mining and Exposure. Asbestos.com. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://www.asbestos.com/occupations/mining/
Whitmer, Michelle. "Asbestos Mining and Exposure." Asbestos.com. Last modified September 17, 2026. https://www.asbestos.com/occupations/mining/.
My primary support since being diagnosed with Mesothelioma, over 2 years ago, has been this company. Their monthly nationwide support group has been a tremendous help for me. I have learned about others' treatments and have been able to freely discuss mine, knowing others walk the same walk as I do and fully understand. Karen Selby, the nurse and patient advocate, has helped me so much. I call her and she delivers. She's experienced in Thoracic surgeries, is supportive, kind, knowledgeable, and makes a patient feel very cared for! The whole staff are polite, caring, and will help with Mesothelioma victims' many needs. I feel very blessed to have this Organization by my side as I live with this cancer.
I found out about The Mesothelioma Center while researching Peritoneal Mesothelioma days after being diagnosed with malignant cancer. While a lot of the 'Mesothelioma' websites are actually law firms just trying to get your business, theirs is a user-friendly, comprehensive website set up to aid patients, their loved ones, and/or caregivers with all things related to a cancer diagnosis from asbestos exposure. I was soon put in touch with one of their doctors, Snehal Smart, M.D., who immediately sent me a packet of general information, a book on surviving Mesothelioma, and offered me assistance in finding doctors, reputable law firms, financial help, support groups, and so much more! The Mesothelioma Center's website is, in my opinion, the best resource for anyone suffering from cancer due to asbestos. Dr. Smart is amazing! She is very knowledgeable and helpful, but she is also a very kind, caring doctor who appears to go the distance whether she is researching a pertinent topic, making suggestions, providing contacts, or just being a good listener on the other end of the phone. In addition, Dr. Smart referred me to a law firm who is now fighting to get me compensation for the negligence of those defendants whose products exposed me to asbestos and caused my subsequent cancer. Thank you, TMC and Dr. Smart, for helping me determine the best treatment plan for my cancer and being part of my miracle. I am currently cancer-free and back to being a mom to my precious daughter. The Mesothelioma Center, their website, and their staff rock!!
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My brother was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma. I began researching it online. The information I received from The Mesothelioma Center is all-inclusive. No need to look anywhere else! The first phone call was with Karen, and she answered all my questions with ease. She also had a calming effect by presenting all the options available for my brother and his family. Thank you!
My father was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma. We, as a family, were devastated. We were uncertain where to even start, so we reached out to The Mesothelioma Center. They were absolutely amazing. They provided physicians in our area who specialize in this type of cancer because it is so rare. They also set us up with a firm who specializes in getting funds that are set aside to help with our medical bills. I’m so glad we made the phone call. They were very knowledgeable, supportive, sincere, and true patient advocates.
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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