Lowell Asbestos Mine The Lowell Asbestos Mine on Belvidere Mountain was operated by the Vermont Asbestos Group (VAG) and was the last operating asbestos mine in the United States when it closed in 1993. The mine produced chrysotile fiber for decades.
Last verified: 2026-03-09Asbestos mining on Belvidere Mountain dates to the 1890s, with large-scale commercial operations beginning in the 1930s. The Vermont Asbestos Group operated the mine through its final decades, producing chrysotile fiber primarily for the Canadian and American markets. It was the last asbestos mine to close in the United States, shutting down in 1993 as demand collapsed under regulatory pressure and liability concerns.
Underground mining and surface milling operations exposed workers to high concentrations of airborne chrysotile fibers. Crushing, screening, and bagging operations were particularly dusty. Tailings piles on Belvidere Mountain continue to release fibers when disturbed, and nearby Eden and Lowell communities experienced ambient exposure from mine operations.
The following job categories at Lowell Asbestos Mine had the highest risk of asbestos exposure:
Workers developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis, with disease rates well above the general population. Studies of Vermont asbestos miners confirmed elevated mortality from respiratory cancers. The long latency period means former workers remain at risk decades after the mine closed.
Health information is based on established medical research on asbestos exposure. Asbestos is classified as a known human carcinogen by the National Cancer Institute, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consult a physician for medical advice specific to your situation.
Workers exposed to asbestos at Lowell Asbestos Mine may be entitled to compensation through asbestos trust funds, personal injury lawsuits, or veterans benefits. Mesothelioma patients and their families have recovered billions in compensation from companies that manufactured or used asbestos products.
Find Out If You QualifyWorkers who were employed at Lowell Asbestos Mine between 1940s–1993 may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials. If you've been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may have legal options including trust fund claims and lawsuits.
The mine closed in 1993, making it the last operating asbestos mine in the United States. The Vermont Asbestos Group ceased operations as regulatory pressure and falling demand made continued mining economically unviable.
Yes. Tailings piles from decades of mining remain on the mountain and can release asbestos fibers when disturbed by weather, recreation, or construction. The Vermont Department of Health advises caution in the area.
Former workers should inform their physician about their asbestos exposure history and request appropriate screening. If diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, consulting an experienced asbestos attorney can help determine eligibility for compensation.
No. Missing paperwork is normal after this long, and it is not what decides a claim. A Social Security earnings statement lists every employer you had, by year, and can usually be requested directly. Union records, W-2s and a DD-214 for military service do similar work. Coworkers who were there can also confirm conditions. What matters most is what you remember, written down in your own words.
Yes. A wrongful death claim can be brought by the estate or eligible family members, and it is a separate route from a claim the patient would have brought themselves. It also runs on a different clock: the deadline generally starts at the date of death rather than the date of diagnosis, which means families are sometimes still in time when they assume they are not. Deadlines are set by each state, so confirm the one that applies to yours.
Possibly. Asbestos fibres travelled home on work clothes, in hair and in vehicles, and household members were exposed while washing laundry or greeting someone at the end of a shift. This is called secondhand or take-home exposure and it is a recognised route to a claim in its own right, not an exception. If you are documenting a family member's work history, write down your own contact with their work clothing as well.
You do not need a lawyer, a diagnosis, or a decision to do this. You need a piece of paper. Memory is the part of a claim nobody else can reconstruct for you, and it is the part that fades.
If you are doing this for a relative who has died, write down what you remember too, including work clothes brought home to be washed. Household exposure is a real claim, not an edge case.
That is usually enough to work out which claims are open to you — trust funds, a lawsuit, or VA benefits if the exposure happened in service. You do not need records, dates you are certain of, or the name of a product. If you are asking on behalf of someone who has died, a family member can file and the deadline runs differently. No cost, no obligation, and no pressure to decide anything today.
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