Minnesota state agencies won't participate in Iron Range mining company's health study

Minnesota’s Department of Health and Pollution Control Agency have announced that they won’t participate in a health study of current and former workers planned by Cleveland-Cliffs, an Iron Range mining company whose workers have shown extremely high rates of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma, a rare cancer associated with asbestos exposure, has been diagnosed in 145 men in Northeastern Minnesota since 1988. The company had hoped that its study, scheduled for completion in two years, would proceed with the cooperation of the state agencies. The agencies have decided that they will not participate in the company study, however, and will instead invest their resources in a comprehensive study of mesothelioma in miners in Northeastern Minnesota’s Iron Range planned jointly between the University of Minnesota and the state health department. The state committed to this joint study with the University of Minnesota after scandal erupted over the health department’s year-long delay in reporting the death of 35 additional Iron Range miners from mesothelioma. Cleveland-Cliffs claims that it will still go ahead with its study and will hire an independent firm to complete the work. Lawmakers would prefer that the company scrap its plans and question whether the study would have any credibility.