Taconite Mining: Ecological Effects and Remediation
Amphiobole asbestos like fibers called cummingtonite-grunerite(including amosite)¹²³ which are now known to be carcinogenic toxins. These fibers were expelled out of the exhaust stacks and surged out into Lake Superior through the waste water. ⁴ The discharge of wastewater also resulted in something called the green water phenomenon. This phenomenon caused the once pristine clear waters to become cloudy and take on a green hue. The green water was linked to the decrease in Pnotoporei, also known as scud, presence.⁴
Human Health
Asbestos is known to be linked to a higher probability of gastrointestinal, mesothelioma, lung, and larynx cancers.¹ However, back then, it was something that had only recently become understood by medicine.¹² The residents had no way of knowing just how dangerous these fibers could be to their health, especially when these fibers were present in their drinking water. 17-74 million amphiobole fibers were found per liter of water.³ It was estimated that if the drinking water was not treated that cancer rates would increase. If residents consumed this contaminated water, over 20 years, they would have ingested the same amount of asbestos like fibers as asbestos workers had in four years.³ These results were staggering as asbestos workers were known to be at much higher risk than the general populace.
These results would help spur a court case that would last a little over a year and be stalled by appeals until 1980 that would result in Duluth's current water filtration system. It also was a landmark decision that gave the EPA greater power to regulate corporate pollution.
Timeline ¹
1971 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency begins administrative enforcement for air pollution caused by its beneficiating plant at Silver Bay
1972 - United States District Court files suit against Reserve Mining Company
June 1973 -EPA and the PCA announce simultaneously that effluent from Reserve's Silver Bay Plant and the drinking water of north shore communities contain high concentrations of fibers similar to asbestos -- a known human carcinogen
August 1973 - The trial of United States v. Reserve Mining Company begins in Minneapolis with the health issue the first order of business.
March 1974 - Representatives of Republic Steel Corporation and Armco Steel Corporation appear in court to produce documents related to on-land disposal, pursuant to a subpoena. Reserve is subsequently charged with exhibiting bad faith for not previously disclosing two documents in particular.
May 1975 - Reserve agrees with PCA on a $34million air pollution control program
August 1975 - Construction of a permanent water filtration plant in Duluth finally begins
November 1975 - Judge Lord convenes a hearing to consider the filtration of drinking water and orders state officials to attend for their "educational" benefit. Reserve is ordered to deposit $100,000 with Duluth to cover filtration expenses. Reserve appeals.
May 1976 - Judge Devitt finds Reserve guilty of violating its discharge permits and fines the company $837,500. Reserve is also found guilty of bad faith for improperly withholding evidence during the federal trial and is fined $200,000.
November 1976 - Duluth's new $6.9 million water filtration plant begins operating and is judged highly successful.
1977 - Minnesota Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision upholding the district court. The state agencies are ordered to issue permits for Mile Post 7, subject to condition already agreed to by Reserve.
1978 - Officials of Reserve, Armco, and Republic announce that, given reasonable interpretation of the permits for the disposal system at Mile Post 7, Reserve would be able to meet the conditions and be out of Lake Superior by the deadline of 15 April 1980.
1. Bartlett, Robert V. The Reserve Mining Controversy: Science, Technology, and Environmental Quality. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1980.
2. United States v. Reserve Mining Co. (U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota -408 F. Supp. 1212 February 21, 1976), 1976 United States Justia 5-72-Civil-19.
3. Bastow, Thomas F. "This Vast Pollution...": United States of Americ v. Reserve Mining Company Washington, D.C.: Green Fields Books, 1986.
4. Berndt, Michael E., and William C. Brice. 2008. The origins of public concern with taconite and human health: Reserve mining and the asbestos case. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 52 (1, Supplement) (10): S31-9.
