Could it be that taconite dust may makes Iron Range miners sick?

This is a question that remains central to the debate over the apparent cluster of mesothelioma cases among former mine workers in the region. More than 58 former miners have recently been diagnosed with the rare form of cancer, according to the newest information released by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Although the media has focused attention lately on the efforts of the department of health to keep news of the rising cancer toll from the public for over a year, local elected officials, union representatives and health officials agree that the real question is how bad will the cancer toll get for miners in the area?

Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Pike says "That should be the biggest issue." The numbers are particularly alarming, said Rukavina, because so many new cases have been discovered in just the last three years. A state study from 1998-2003 identified 17 cases of mesothelioma out of about 72,000 miners who worked in the area between the 1930s and 1982. But recent information from a cancer registry has identified an added 41 cases in just the last three years. In every instance, the miner died from the disease.

Iron Rangers have been talking for years about a possible increase of new cancer cases. "Perhaps the tidal wave is coming," said Rukavina.

Fears initially arose back in the 1960s and 70s when state litigation against Reserve Mining widely revealed the presence of asbestos-like fibers in the taconite a company mined near Babbitt. Since then, some miners have been outspoken in asking for more testing of the health effects of exposure to ore dust, especially on the eastern end of the Iron Range, where the presence of asbestos-like fibers was more pronounced. Mesothelioma, which has a latency period of 30-50 years, is one of only a handful of cancers that are definitively linked to asbestos exposure.

Rukavina, a former mine worker himself said, "That’s what we keep saying." "We’ve been concerned that the problem is with the dust."

Others, including Rep. Tom Anzelc, DFL-Grand Rapids, argue that dust could still be putting mine workers at risk. He said the recent spike in reported cancer cases could be just the tip of an iceberg that may soon become apparent, and could affect more than mine workers. "In addition to the hundreds and thousands of members of the steelworkers union who worked in these plants, there are equally as many or more members of the building trades that worked there as well," he said. "You’re talking carpenters, electricians, sheet metal workers, pipe-fitters and others who spent a lot of time in these plants and could face some of the same concerns." Anzelc said the health issue could hit the Iron Range hard in years to come. "I still remember the Miles Lord case and the issue of the asbestos fibers. I have a strange feeling that all of this is connected," he said.

In fact, state health officials aren’t ruling that possibility out. According to Dr. Alan Bender, who directs the health department’s Chronic Disease and Environmental Epidemiology Section, funding for the work was suddenly eliminate in 2002 due to state budget cuts just as his office was set to begin a study of the dust issue. "We are still unsure of the answer to that question," said Bender.

Bender is now a proponent of reinitiating a new round of studies that are designed to find the answers area miners are seeking, but the department still doesn’t know where it will find the funding for the work, and Bender said the studies would most likely cost a few million dollars to complete. The department did apply for a federal grant for a study two years ago, but that application was rejected last August. Bender said the department has identified a few other potential federal funding sources and that officials there hope to have a new funding request submitted to those sources on or around Oct. 4.

Bender indicated that a thorough look at the health issues related to taconite mining would require three separate studies. Besides an examination of the mesothelioma cases, Bender said a nationwide examination of the death certificates of former miners could give a clearer picture of whether miners face unusual health risks. "You could compare and contrast all causes of death in the miners with the general population, and not just for mesothelioma, but for all causes of death," he said.

Bender also remarked that a third study, which would include detailed health screening of selected mine workers could also provide useful information on a broad range of possible health impacts from the work.

"It’s important to look beyond the issue of mesothelioma," said Bender. "If in fact there is something in that dust that is causing an increase in mesothelioma cases, it could also be contributing to other similar asbestos-related diseases, such as asbestosis or lung cancer."

Anzelc was curious as to why the health department never sought funds for this research in the most recent legislative session. Health officials apparently indicated during the legislative session that they had sufficient resources to their job, he said.

Bender indicated that he and other epidemiologists within the health department prefer to seek a federal source of funding, due to fears that state funding was inconsistent. "There has been a lot of frustration trying to get the funding to bring this issue to closure," he said. "There’s been a long history of stops and starts. We don’t want to disappoint people further."

In a legislative committee hearing in St. Paul on Tuesday, Health Commissioner Dianne Mandernach and others from the department testified on the decision to withhold cancer data from the public. Health officials learned of 35 more mesothelioma cases in the early half of 2006, but didn’t divulge that information to the public until March, 2007. Since then, six more cases have been discovered, raising the total number of mesothelioma cases among mine workers to 58.

Mandernach was apologetic regarding the delay in the release of information, but had few answers when asked why she didn’t seek state funds for more research during the legislative session. The only comment she had was that the issue did not make the department’s cut.

The session also highlighted a disagreement within the department on whether or not to release the information when officials were first made aware of it.

Dr. Bender testified that he had encouraged department officials to release the information right away, but indicated that he was overruled by higher-ups. Various copies of inter-department emails showed that top officials were adamant that news of the additional cancer deaths not get out.

Commissioner Mandernach said she preferred to wait to release any information until funding was in place for new research. She did acknowledge, however, that she had made a wrong decision.

One must ask then, has information been withheld for years?

Anzelc is concerned that some health officials may have withheld health information from mine workers for many years. He said, "I’m very interested in connecting the dots, and establishing the record of communication between state officials and the various mining companies going back to the 1950s. I think we need to understand what kind of communication we’ve had in the past and determine where we need to go in the future."