Asbestos in Michigan
Michigan is a historic part of America's Rust Belt, and the state's legacy of labor workers leaves little doubt why it ranks 9th in the country for deaths attributed to malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Written by Matt Mauney | Medically Reviewed By Arti Shukla, Ph.D. | Edited By Walter Pacheco | Last Update: July 16, 2024
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Written by Matt Mauney | Medically Reviewed By Arti Shukla, Ph.D. | Edited By Walter Pacheco | Last Update: July 16, 2024
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Ranking in Deaths:9th -
Mesothelioma Deaths:1,992 -
Asbestosis Deaths:44 -
Total Deaths:2,036
Asbestos Exposure in Michigan
Automobiles from Detroit are partially responsible for the high rate of asbestos-related diseases because several car parts contained asbestos before the 1990s.
Henry Ford founded the automobile industry in Detroit, Michigan. His other vital contribution to American work culture was assembly line manufacturing.
- Heat-resistant automobile parts
- Transmission components
- Clutches
- Brake pads
- Spark plugs
- Electrical systems
- Gaskets
Every year, more than 100 deaths in Michigan are attributed to toxic asbestos. National cancer statistics show the incidence of respiratory cancers in the state is 8% higher than the national average.
Occupations and Environmental Areas at Risk in Michigan
In Michigan, occupations such as pipefitters, mechanical engineers, electricians, school teachers, construction workers and assembly line personnel, are at an increased risk of developing asbestos-caused health conditions.
Asbestos exposure is linked to these other job sites in Michigan:
- Auto factories
- Industrial mills
- Petroleum refineries
- Hospitals
- Chemical plants
- Power plants
- Schools
- Vermiculite plants
Auto industry workers were exposed to numerous asbestos-containing components. These workers included assembly line employees and those building the parts. They were exposed to hazardous fibers and asbestos dust.
Asbestos has been found at facilities operated by:
- Buick
- Chevrolet
- Ford
- Plymouth
- Oldsmobile
- Cadillac
- Chrysler
- General Motors
- Pontiac
Other industrial facilities that are linked to asbestos exposure:
- Dow Chemical Company
- General Mills
- Post Cereal Company
- Upjohn
- Kellogg’s
- Marathon Oil
- Ralston Purina
Wayne, Macomb and Oakland Counties
Historically, the highest concentrations of mesothelioma and asbestosis cases in Michigan are located in the Detroit metropolitan area and the state’s most populous counties, including Wayne County, Oakland County and Macomb County.
These three counties reported more than 100 asbestos-related deaths in the 23 years from 1979-2001. Researchers believe this is underestimated, as the government did not record mesothelioma deaths until 1999.
President Bush Asked for Action
President George W. Bush participated in a 2005 town hall meeting about asbestos legislation in Clinton Township, Michigan. Bush, who hails from Texas, a state that has cracked down on mass torts related to asbestos, argued for Congress to pass national asbestos laws. Congress did not take any action related to asbestos.
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Get Your Free GuideAsbestos Imports and Deposits
Naturally occurring asbestos deposits are found in five areas of Michigan, including Iron Mountain, Marquette, Negaunee, Niagara and Norway.
Large amounts of vermiculite contaminated with asbestos fibers also were brought into Michigan for processing. Data from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry shows that seven Michigan cities contained facilities that processed vermiculite and generated asbestos dust between 1948 and 1989.
The following cities processed asbestos-contaminated vermiculite ore from 1948 to 1989:
- Dearborn
- Grand Rapids
- Reed City
- Warren
- Elsie
- Milan
- River Rouge
According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, the W.R. Grace Company, which owned a vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, sent 163,000 tons of contaminated vermiculite to Michigan for processing. Grace filed for bankruptcy in 2001 after facing 250,000 asbestos lawsuits. It still generates an annual income of $2 billion.
This Page Contains 10 Cited Articles
The sources on all content featured in The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com include medical and scientific studies, peer-reviewed studies and other research documents from reputable organizations.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2004, August 13). W.R. Grace Dearborn Plant. Retrieved from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Grace_Dearborn_HC_FS_english_108396_7.pdf
- Castleman, B.I. (2005). Asbestos disease in brake repair workers. In Asbestos Medical and Legal Aspects (pp. 451-488). New York, NY: Aspen Publishers.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2015, January). Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC WONDER Online Database. Retrieved from http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html
- Michigan Court of Appeals. (2010, December). Avram v. McMaster-Carr Supply Co. Retrieved from http://www.chamberlitigation.com/sites/default/files/cases/files/2010/Avram%20v.%20McMaster-Carr%20Supply%20Co.,%20et%20al.%20(NCLC%20Brief).pdf
- Michigan Department of Health. (2004, June). Profiles of occupational injuries and diseases in Michigan. Retrieved from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch_ProfilesReport_94691_7.pdf
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. (n.d.). Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration asbestos program. Retrieved from http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,1607,7-154-11407_15333_15369---,00.html
- Satyanarayana, M. (2008, November 20). Detroit: Ruling jeopardizes asbestos cases: Judge tosses out doctor's medical evidence, his expert testimony. Retrieved from http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/freep/access/1693717771.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Nov+20%2C+2008&author=MEGHA+SATYANARAYANA&pub=Detroit+Free+Press&edition=&startpage=B.3&desc=DETROIT%3A+RULING+JEOPARDIZES+ASBESTOS+CASES
- The American Presidency Project. (2005, January 7). Remarks in a discussion on asbestos litigation reform in Clinton Township, Michigan. Retrieved from http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=73746&st=&st1=#axzz1cUIsUFf8
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2007, March). Current best practices for preventing asbestos exposure among brake and clutch repair workers. Retrieved from http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/brakebrochure-paginated.pdf
- Welch, L.S. (2007). Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma, but not this asbestos exposure: An amicus brief to the Michigan Supreme Court. International Journal of Occupational Environmental Health, 13(3):318-327. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17915546
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