Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma in Minnesota
Minnesota, often referred to as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, boasts miles of beautiful shoreline and stunning forests. The state is also home to the famous “Twin Cities” Minneapolis and Saint Paul, where many large companies, including 3M, Target, and Best Buy, have set up their headquarters. Minnesota has a long history of industry, from forestry and paper production to iron mining and product manufacturing. Before the 1980s, many of these industries used asbestos, a cancer-causing heat resistant mineral, at their facilities subjecting Minnesotan workers and their families to exposure.
The experienced attorneys at MesoLawyersCare have successfully recovered monetary compensation for workers and their families who have been injured by jobsite exposure to asbestos in Minnesota and its neighboring states. While individuals can be exposed to asbestos in a number of ways, the following list of worksites in Minnesota are examples of places that present elevated risks for exposure to past and present workers.
1. 3M – St. Paul, MN
Founded in 1902 as a mining company, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, or 3M, has grown over the past century to become one of the most famous household brands in America. By the 1920s, the company began to focus primarily on product development. 3M developed items including waterproof sandpaper, masking tape, Scotch tape, and even Post-its. Today the company produces more than 60,000 products. Prior to the 1980s, much of the 3M manufacturing processes involved asbestos. 3M supplied their workers with 3M manufactured masks that were supposed to protect workers from the dangers of asbestos. However, the 3M masks failed to protect against asbestos exposure, leaving many workers at risk for developing asbestos related diseases, including a type of cancer called mesothelioma.
2. Conwed Corporation (Wood Conversion Co.) – Cloquet, MN
Originally founded in Delaware in 1921 as a manufacturer of commercial ceiling and interior products and building construction products, the Wood Conversion Company became known as the Conwed Corporation. The company used asbestos at their Cloquet, Minnestota plant in their production of ceiling tiles and other products from the late 1950s to 1970s. Not only were workers exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos from the tile manufacturing, but employees were also exposed to asbestos dust used in the mixing, grinding, and sawing required in making other construction products or while fixing asbestos insulated equipment. This dangerous dust was often taken home by workers on their clothing, leaving their family members exposed and at risk of getting sick. Consumers who cut and installed the ceiling tiles were also exposed to asbestos.
3. Boise Cascade – International Falls, MN
Boise Cascade is a large wood products manufacturer and distributor in the United States. The company gets its name from the city Boise, Idaho, where it was founded in 1957. Boise Cascade manufactures plywood, lumber, particleboard, and other wood products and building materials. Like many manufacturing companies at the time, Boise Cascade used asbestos in some of its products. It also used asbestos to insulate its machinery. Asbestos has properties that help to keep pipes and other machinery insulated and sealed during manufacturing processes that require high-temperatures. Numerous workers at Boise Cascade manufacturing plants were exposed to dangerous amounts of asbestos that caused them to develop mesothelioma and have brought claims against Boise Cascade. Furthermore, it often takes decades before symptoms appear, so new claims continue to be filed.
4. Hoot Lake Plant – Fergus Falls, MN (Otter Tail Power)
The Otter Tail Power Company formed in 1909, using the Otter Tail river to generate electricity. After four years, in 1913, the company built the Hoot Lake hydroelectric power plant. The Hoot Lake power plant uses over 120 train cars of coal each week to power the plant. The coal is pulverized and burned to power large boilers which convert water to steam. The pressure created by the steam is used to drive turbines that create electricity. This process requires extreme temperatures often reaching over 1,000 degrees. As a result, Otter Tail Power company, along with many power plants in Minnesota, used asbestos to insulate boilers and piping. Employees were exposed to asbestos dust while working with or fixing this asbestos lined equipment. Due to other environmental concerns, Otter Tail power will actually be closing the Hoot Lake plant in 2021.
5. University of Minnesota – St. Paul, MN
Although it may seem unexpected, the University of Minnesota is also an asbestos exposure site in Minnesota as our many colleges and universities throughout the United States. In the early 1980s, a “walk through” survey of the campus buildings revealed that over 180 of the campus building contained asbestos in some form. The University was required to undergo a costly asbestos abatement process to remove the harmful substance from the campus. Asbestos was most commonly used as sprayed-on fire-proofing material in pipes throughout buildings at the University. As the pipes aged, the asbestos often flaked off, allowing the dangerous fibers to become airborne and inhaled. Maintenance workers and all building occupants were put at risk of asbestos exposure and the life-threatening illnesses it can cause.
The skilled attorneys from MesoLawyersCare have recovered more than $10 billion dollars for people diagnosed with mesothelioma. Our firms have successfully represented workers exposed to asbestos at worksites in Minnesota and throughout the United States. For more information or a free consultation, fill out the form on this page, start a live chat now with one of our representatives, or call us today.
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