Study to explore high incidence of mesothelioma in those working in Minnesota mines

A compromise over the funding of a mesothelioma study in Minnesota's Iron Range mines gained approval from House lawmakers and will soon reach the governor's desk, according to TwinCities.com on April 22, 2008.

The bill authorizes a $4.9 million research program over the next five years to determine why so many retired taconite miners have died of mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer linked to asbestos exposure.

The research will examine whether there are asbestos fibers in the taconite dust that could be responsible for this slow-growing cancer. It also will examine the health hazards for today's miners, as well as the exposure risk for spouses and nearby communities.

To date, the Department of Health in Minnesota is aware of 58 former miners who succumbed to mesothelioma.

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