Bell Asbestos Mines, also known as Bell’s United Asbestos Company, Ltd., was an asbestos mining business headquartered in Quebec, Canada. The company changed hands a few times but continued mining and manufacturing asbestos, putting workers and consumers at risk for mesothelioma and other illnesses for decades.
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History of Bell Asbestos Mines
In 1936, the Turner & Newall Company acquired Keasbey and Mattison Company, the owners of Bell Mines, which extracted and mined raw chrysotile asbestos.
- A year later, Turner & Newall created a fully-owned subsidiary and named it Bell Asbestos Mines, Ltd. The new company, a spin-off of Bell Mines, also extracted and mined asbestos.
- J.W. Roberts Ltd., a company that merged with Turner & Newall, began using the mined asbestos to create products such as Limpet, a spray-on product used for its insulation properties. Although Limpet was manufactured in England, it was distributed worldwide, including in the U.S.
- As a spray-on product, Limpet caused high asbestos exposure rates. The spray material released more fibers into the air than non-spray products.
- In 1962, Nicolet Industries and the CertainTeed Corporation bought out the company. The licensing to Limpet, also known as Sprayed Limpet Asbestos, was given to the Armstrong Contracting and Supply Company.
- The Armstrong Contracting and Supply Company transferred the Limpet licensing to the Atlas Asbestos Company in 1967. Atlas Asbestos Company was part of an internal department of Bell Asbestos Mines.
- When the licensing for Limpet transferred, people affected by it started filing claims against the Bell.
Federal-Mogul, a Michigan automotive parts company, acquired Turner & Newall and its subsidiary Bell. Federal-Mogul filed for bankruptcy in 2001 after facing asbestos liabilities and lawsuits from Bell and other Turner & Newall subsidiaries and products.
Products Made with Bell Mines Asbestos
Turner & Newall used asbestos from the Bell mines in many products. The most harmful was the Limpet spray-on asbestos insulation. Sprayed asbestos materials cause more exposure because the spraying action releases more asbestos fibers into the air.
Other products made with asbestos from the Bell mines include:
- Other types of insulation
- Adhesives
- Cement
- Paper
- Textiles
Occupations Affected by Bell Asbestos Mines
Bell Asbestos Mines faced lawsuits from various workers, including those who transported the asbestos to those who built and worked around asbestos-containing products.
The most direct harm occurred in and around the mines. Workers at the mines and people who lived nearby risked exposure to the fibers of asbestos released during mining activities. The mine was located in Thetford, Quebec, Canada.
More widespread exposure occurred in other industries where workers used products containing asbestos from Bell mines. Many workers in various occupations were affected by asbestos mined at Bell, including:
- Insulation workers
- Carpenters
- Electricians
- Painters
- HVAC workers
- General maintenance workers
- Miners
Further, over 200 tons of waste was dumped by Bell Asbestos Mines. Thetford, Quebec, was severely polluted, placing workers at risk and residents in danger of developing asbestos-related illnesses.
Bell Asbestos Mines Lawsuits
Starting in 1932 and lasting throughout the 1970s, Bell Asbestos Mines was responsible for supplying raw asbestos fibers to numerous manufacturing companies throughout the U.S.
Turner & Newall Company faced asbestos-related lawsuits started by workers who transported the materials or worked at companies that manufactured asbestos-containing products. These are some examples:
- Fletcher McDaniel used Limpet spray-on asbestos for decades in his career as a plasterer. He got sick as a result and sued Bell, Turner & Newall, and other responsible companies. This was an early case from 1985 that helped establish a more reasonable statute of limitations for asbestos-exposure victims who didn’t get sick until many years later.
- James Fischer died from lung cancer after working with products made with asbestos that came from Bell Asbestos Mines. In a lawsuit, the court found Bell to be 20% liable for Fischer’s death and was ordered to pay $60,000.
- Robert Truitt used Limpet asbestos as an employee at DuPont in Delaware. He developed asbestosis and lung cancer and sued Bell Asbestos Mines and other companies. Truitt settled out of court. The amount was not disclosed.
The Turner & Newall Subfund Asbestos Trust
Federal-Mogul Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2001. To complete the requirements for bankruptcy, Federal-Mogul was required to set up an asbestos trust fund to compensate claimants.
The trust fund handled all claims against Turner & Newall, including any claims against Bell Asbestos Mines.
In 2011, the trust fund began accepting claims under the name of T&N Sub Fund Trust. The trust fund offers claimants two options when filing for compensation: an expedited claim or an individual claim. In 2022, the trust administrators reduced the payment percentage for claims to 5.9%.
For more information on the differences between an expedited and an individual claim, refer to our article, Mesothelioma Trust Funds.
If you worked with or around asbestos or for Bell Asbestos Mines, you are at risk for mesothelioma and other illnesses. Contact a mesothelioma lawyer to find out what your legal rights are. You could be eligible for compensation from the T&N trust subfund.
Legal Resources and Additional Information
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