Minnesota Mines to be Tested for Asbestos

Mesabi Daily News

ST. PAUL — Two Iron Range lawmakers had a “very good” meeting this week with University of Minnesota officials on the life-and-death concerns for miners because of the asbestos-related cancer — mesothelioma.

“We’re going to get going on this right away. Testing on ore and dust at all the mines will start immediately. We’re not waiting until next year like the governor wants,” said state Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia.

Rukavina and state Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, traveled to the Twin Cities for the meeting. The next meeting on the issue, which will be attended by representatives of the state Health Department and Department of Natural Resources, will be Aug. 8 on the Range, Rukavina said. “We’ll have everybody at the table.”

On July 13, Gov. Tim Pawlenty directed Health Department officials to spend about $100,000 to work with the U of M to develop three studies regarding mining-related health issues. But the governor said “protocols” would have to be developed between now and February 2008 when the Legislature convenes and funding could be approved for the studies.

However, Rukavina said there is already about $1 million available — $700,000 from the U of M and $200,000 to $300,000 from the Natural Resources Research Institute.

“By the end of the year we will have a handle on ore and the makeup of ore and the possible dust makeup in different plants and different parts of the mines,” Rukavina said.

Pawlenty’s directive came in response to a letter from the Iron Range legislative delegation last month calling for an independent study of the incidence of mesothelioma in Iron Range miners. That followed media reports that the Health Department had withheld public information on 35 more cases of miners with the disease. The department had the information since March 2006, but Commissioner Dianne Mandernach said she wanted to wait on releasing the data until funding could be secured and more studies done. The department then announced it knew of six more cases. Those 41 cases in area miners bring the total of known so far to 58.

“We not only need to know how this disease has affected retired miners, but it’s critical and urgent that we find out whether miners now working in the mines are vulnerable,” Rukavina said. “I’m excited about the way the university has taken the bull by the horns to get moving on this.”