In less than a month after Tom Fitz, Professor of Geoscience at Northland College, found rocks containing asbestos-like fibers in the proposed Gogebic Taconite (GTAC) iron ore mine in Wisconsin, Fitz returned to the Ashland County region. This time, Fitz was accompanied by geologists hired by GTAC to take additional samples of the grunerite rock for further testing.
Fitz and the GTAC geologists found more of the grunerite rock, containing asbestos-like fibers. According to Fitz, identifying the thin fibers within the rock “in the field” was simple. “It is apparent, when you look at the grunerite, that it is long, slender crystals,” said Fitz. Though the asbestos-like fibers were clear to the naked eye, proper identification and analysis of the rock formation will happen under a microscope. On his previous trip to the proposed mine, Fitz said that the rocks he examined were the “richest rock” of grunerite he has ever studied.
GTAC is not so quick to pass judgment on what may or may not be within the proposed iron ore mine. Bob Seitz, a spokesperson for GTAC, said that before declaring anything definitive about the rocks, more testing must be done. Though GTAC is not entirely dismissing the possibility of a rich concentration of asbestos-containing rocks at the mine, the company wants to proceed carefully. Among the questions additional testing are likely to answer will include how large is the concentration of grunerite; how much of the grunerite contains asbestos; and what is the best approach to extracting the desired iron ore with minimal exposure risk.
RESults from the rocks extracted by GTAC will not be made public for awhile. Depending on the permitting process, the results of the laboratory testing may not be made public for a year.
Asbestos is a highly lethal set of minerals once prized for its durability, heat resistance and insulating properties. Use of asbestos is now banned in the United States, as is mining for new samples, many countries including India and Russia, continue to make products containing asbestos. Exposure to asbestos particles can lead to serious, often, deadly medical conditions. Chief among lethal diagnoses linked to asbestos exposure is mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that can affect the delicate lining surrounding the lungs, heart or abdominal cavity.