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Trail of asbestos leads to Minnesota; Vermiculite, a harmless mineral used in home insulation, is now a monstrous culprit to families of lung-disease victims. For years, a mine in Montana shipped vermiculite contaminated with deadly asbestos fibers to two Minneapolis plants, where at least 24 workers have since died of lung disease.(NEWS)
- Article from:
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Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
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March 19, 2000
- Author:
- Gordon, Greg
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2000 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The sign outside the northeast Minneapolis plant was a magnet for neighborhood residents: "Free. Crushed Rock."
Mike Janowiec remembers playing "king of the mountain" on the huge waste pile of processed vermiculite ore as a child half a century ago, romping with his pal Harris Jorgenson and other kids on the grounds of Western Mineral Products Co.
While the youngsters watched, people loaded the ore into trailers, car trunks and wheelbarrows to spread over their dirt driveways, gardens and even the bottoms of their barbecues. Folks in the neighborhood had no warning that the vermiculite was contaminated with deadly tremolite asbestos.
Jorgenson's family believes ...