Jobsite Spotlight – Gouverneur Talc
In 1948, the Gouverneur Talc Company began mining and milling talc near Balmat, New York. A subsidiary of R. T. Vanderbilt, Gouverneur Talc produced talc for various industrial uses, including the manufacture of paint, ceramics and plastic molding compound. In 1974, the mines and mills of the International Talc Company were acquired by Gouverneur Talc. These facilities were adjacent to the Gouverneur Talc mine. In 2008, Gouverneur Talc ceased talc production at its Balmat facilities.
https://www.northcountryatwork.org/archive-items/w-h-loomis-talc-mine-in-balmat/
Many workers and outside contractors who worked at Gouverneur Talc put themselves and their families at risk for developing mesothelioma and lung cancer as a result of their exposure to asbestos while performing their routine job duties at Gouverneur Talc. In fact, Jefferson County, which is just south of the area where the mines were located and where many of the miners lived, has continually had one of the highest mortality rates for mesothelioma in the United States over the past fifty years.
The industrial talc from the Gouverneur region of New York State is called “industrial talc” to distinguish it from “cosmetic talc.” The industrial talc from the Gouverneur region of New York State is also called “fibrous talc.” The industrial, or fibrous, talc from the Gouverneur region contains asbestos fibers which causes mesothelioma and lung cancer.
If you or a loved one worked, lived or played near the Balmat mines and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, we urge you to contact us regarding your legal rights.