Most South Dakota asbestos was not in big factories. It was in boiler rooms: the coal-fired stations that carried electricity across a rural state, the steam plants that heated its hospitals, colleges, and courthouses through long winters, the packing house in Sioux Falls, and the mines and cement kilns of the Black Hills. Boilermakers, pipefitters, and maintenance men there worked with the same asbestos insulation, refractory, and gaskets as crews in far more industrial states. On the trusts' lists, South Dakota comes down to a few clusters:
- Sioux Falls — the John Morrell packing plant and Northern States Power's generating stations, among them the Pathfinder plant;
- the eastern power grid — the Big Stone Plant on the Minnesota line and Northwestern Public Service's plants at Mitchell and Aberdeen;
- the Black Hills — Black Hills Power & Light's plants at Rapid City, Deadwood, and Lead, and the Homestake gold mine;
- Rapid City — Ellsworth Air Force Base and the state-owned cement plant;
- state institutions — the South Dakota State Hospital at Yankton and the veterans' facilities at Hot Springs; and
- the college and market towns — South Dakota State University at Brookings and Dakota Midland Hospital in Aberdeen.
When these companies went bankrupt, the trusts set up to pay their asbestos claims each published a list of locations where its products were proven to be present. For South Dakota, those lists hold 184 entries across 39 communities, from 17 asbestos trusts. One plant can appear many times, under different names or on different trusts' lists.
Every asbestos trust claim has to prove two things: that a company's asbestos-containing product was present at a job site, and that the worker handled that product, or worked close enough to it, to breathe its dust. If you or your loved one worked at a site on those lists during the applicable years, the first half is already established, because the trust has acknowledged its products were there.
We help workers who are alive and recently diagnosed, adult children and spouses researching on behalf of someone who is sick, and families of workers who have already passed away from mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis. If you are a worker who has just been diagnosed, calling early keeps more options open for your family. There is still a claim to be made for families of workers who have already passed; we handle wrongful death cases routinely.
You don't need the product names or old records. No fee unless we recover compensation for your family.
South Dakota filing deadlines and trust eligibility, in brief
South Dakota gives a diagnosed worker three years to bring a personal-injury claim. Exactly when the clock starts varies, so to be safe, count from the date of diagnosis. If symptoms or an earlier X-ray, CT scan or screening showed asbestos disease, a South Dakota court may count the three years from then, so call us right away. After a death, the family's wrongful-death claim has three years from the date of death. If your loved one is alive and diagnosed, calling early keeps more options open.
South Dakota deadlines, the wrongful-death rule, and how they apply to your family
Most workers exposed before 1983 can also file against the Johns-Manville Settlement Trust independently of anything documented at a specific site. How trust eligibility works.
We help families of workers who have already passed away. Wrongful death and survival action claims are routine work for our firm, and South Dakota allows both.
Free family asbestos health screening. Our representation includes free asbestos health screening for family members of every client who may have been exposed at home through asbestos brought into the household on a worker's clothing, hair, or vehicle. The screening is a chest X-ray read by a B-reader, with a CT scan if needed; it looks for asbestos-related changes in the lungs and isn't a diagnosis or a reliable way to find mesothelioma early.
The sites profiled below show confirmed asbestos products based on the asbestos trusts established for companies that did business there. Those trusts exist because Clarence Borel, a Gulf Coast insulator, chose to sue in 1969 — not for himself, but because he realized his coworkers would die the same way he was dying. His decision created the legal framework that produced the trust system you're about to scan.
Today the choice is yours. You can file trust claims based on the documented exposure at your loved one's worksite — paper claims, no courtroom. Or you can follow Clarence Borel and also sue the manufacturers and premises owners directly, which allows us to build a full exposure profile for every site your loved one worked at and recover from defendants the trust system doesn't reach. Read his story.
Asbestos trust coverage across South Dakota
The Johns-Manville Settlement Trust is open to most workers exposed before 1983, regardless of which specific worksite the exposure occurred at. Johns-Manville supplied so much asbestos and so many asbestos products across so many American industries that the trust does not require site-specific documentation. For mesothelioma claims, even one day of asbestos exposure before December 31, 1982 (at work or through a family member's work clothes brought into the home) can qualify a worker for Johns-Manville Settlement Trust compensation.
For lung cancer, asbestosis, and other non-mesothelioma asbestos diseases, the threshold is 60 months of total asbestos exposure with at least 6 months occurring before December 31, 1982. The one-day-of-exposure threshold for mesothelioma reflects how the disease actually develops (even brief exposure can cause it) and most major asbestos trusts apply similarly low-threshold eligibility for mesothelioma claims.
Because Johns-Manville keeps no site list of its own, every worksite on another trust's list also qualifies for Johns-Manville. Sixteen other trusts list South Dakota worksites. The number of South Dakota entries on each trust's list:
- Johns-Manville: no list of its own; every site on the other trusts' lists qualifies
- Babcock & Wilcox: 46 entries (industrial and utility boilers)
- W.R. Grace: 42 entries (Monokote spray fireproofing and Zonolite)
- Owens Corning: 23 entries (Kaylo and high-temperature pipe and block insulation)
- Eagle-Picher: 20 entries (insulating cements and pipe covering)
- A.P. Green: 16 entries (refractory brick, castables and cements)
- Fibreboard: 9 entries (Pabco pipe and block insulation)
- U.S. Gypsum: 7 entries (joint compound, plaster and acoustical products)
- Combustion Engineering: 6 entries (boilers and refractory)
- Western Asbestos: 4 entries (insulation contracting and distribution)
- Plibrico: 3 entries (refractory plastics and castables)
- DII Industries (Halliburton): 2 entries (pumps, compressors and oilfield equipment)
- Owens-Illinois: 2 entries (Kaylo pipe and block insulation)
- Burns & Roe: 1 entry (power-plant engineering and construction)
- Kaiser Aluminum: 1 entry (refractory and insulating products)
- Pittsburgh Corning: 1 entry (Unibestos pipe insulation)
- Turner & Newall: 1 entry (Limpet sprayed asbestos and asbestos textiles)
Trust coverage at this depth means most South Dakota workers with significant industrial exposure histories can file claims with several trusts — typically Johns-Manville plus the site-specific trusts documented at their worksites.
South Dakota cities and their industries
Open a city to see the worksites there that the asbestos trusts recognize, grouped by industry, with why each industry used asbestos.
Rapid CityRapid City is the gateway to the Black Hills: Black Hills Power & Light's Ben French plant, the state-owned cement plant, and Ellsworth Air Force Base just east of town.
Construction. Construction trades handled asbestos joint compound, plaster, fireproofing, floor tile, roofing, and pipe insulation on new buildings and renovations, and worked beside the insulators who installed it.
- A. H. Bennett Co.
- Healy Plumbing & Heating Co.
Power plants and utilities. Power plants' boilers, turbines, and high-pressure steam lines were insulated, lined, and sealed with asbestos products, and every overhaul released dust across the plant.
- Black Hills Power & Light — Ben French plant
- General Public Utilities — Rapid City power plant
Paper mills and manufacturing plants. Paper mills, glass plants, lumber mills, and factories ran their own boilers and steam systems, insulated with asbestos pipe covering and sealed with asbestos gaskets. A paper mill's recovery boilers were among the most asbestos-intensive equipment anywhere.
- South Dakota Cement Plant
Military installations. Military bases ran boiler plants, steam distribution systems, and aircraft and vehicle maintenance shops, and built and renovated for decades with asbestos-containing materials.
- Ellsworth Air Force Base
Sioux FallsSioux Falls, the state's largest city, is listed for the John Morrell packing plant and Northern States Power's generating stations, among them the Pathfinder plant.
Power plants and utilities. Power plants' boilers, turbines, and high-pressure steam lines were insulated, lined, and sealed with asbestos products, and every overhaul released dust across the plant.
- Northern States Power Company
- Northern States Power — Pathfinder plant
Food plants, breweries, and sugar mills. Sugar mills, breweries, corn and flour mills, and packing houses ran on steam: boilers, cookers, evaporators, and dryers, with miles of insulated pipe, all built with asbestos insulation, gaskets, and packing.
- John Morrell & Co.
AberdeenAberdeen, the market town of the northeast, is listed for a Northwestern Public Service power plant and Dakota Midland Hospital.
Public and commercial buildings. Office towers, hospitals, schools, hotels, and government buildings were built with asbestos fireproofing, insulation, plaster, and floor tile, exposing the trades who built and renovated them and the maintenance crews who kept their boilers and steam lines running.
- Dakota Midland Hospital
Power plants and utilities. Power plants' boilers, turbines, and high-pressure steam lines were insulated, lined, and sealed with asbestos products, and every overhaul released dust across the plant.
- Northwestern Public Service
Other South Dakota communitiesOne worksite each in 8 more communities.
Power plants and utilities. Power plants' boilers, turbines, and high-pressure steam lines were insulated, lined, and sealed with asbestos products, and every overhaul released dust across the plant.
- Big Stone Plant (Otter Tail Power) — Big Stone City
- Black Hills Power & Light — Deadwood plant — Deadwood
- Black Hills Power & Light — Kirk plant — Lead
- Northwestern Public Service — Mitchell
- Watertown Light & Power — Watertown power plant — Watertown
Public and commercial buildings. Office towers, hospitals, schools, hotels, and government buildings were built with asbestos fireproofing, insulation, plaster, and floor tile, exposing the trades who built and renovated them and the maintenance crews who kept their boilers and steam lines running.
- Pierre Junior High School — Pierre
- South Dakota State Hospital — Yankton
- South Dakota State University (South Dakota State College) — Brookings
Mesothelioma settlement values at South Dakota's most-documented worksites
These worksites appear on the approved-site lists of at least two trusts besides Johns-Manville. Trust counts are minimums: a trust may list a site under a name we haven't yet matched to it. The years are the exposure window the trusts' lists recognize at each site; most lists end at 1982.
Open a worksite to see each trust that lists it, with the mesothelioma values the trust publishes and its current payment percentage. "Trust values together" adds up those trusts' values at their payment percentages: the low figure uses each trust's scheduled value, the high figure each trust's published maximum, which Individual Review can reach. Most mesothelioma claims are paid above the scheduled value. But each trust sets its own eligibility rules — the years, the work, and the length of exposure it requires — so few people qualify for every trust on a list, some trusts publish no fixed schedule, and these figures are not a prediction of any recovery. All trust values and payment percentages.
South Dakota State University (South Dakota State College)
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fibreboard | $135,000 – $450,000 | 3.5% | $4,725 – $15,750 |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| W.R. Grace | $180,000 – $450,000 | 30.1% | $54,180 – $135,450 |
| Western Asbestos | $117,087 – $524,025 | 51.1% | $59,831.46 – $267,776.78 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Big Stone Plant (Otter Tail Power)
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| Western Asbestos | $117,087 – $524,025 | 51.1% | $59,831.46 – $267,776.78 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Northwestern Public Service
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Black Hills Power & Light — Ben French plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Burns & Roe | Not published | — | — |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
South Dakota State Hospital
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| W.R. Grace | $180,000 – $450,000 | 30.1% | $54,180 – $135,450 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Dakota Midland Hospital
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Northwestern Public Service
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Black Hills Power & Light — Deadwood plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Black Hills Power & Light — Kirk plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Pierre Junior High School
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
A. H. Bennett Co.
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle-Picher | No fixed schedule | — | Set case by case |
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Ellsworth Air Force Base
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
General Public Utilities — Rapid City power plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| DII Industries (Halliburton) | $60,718.95 – $256,000 | 60% | $36,431.37 – $153,600 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Healy Plumbing & Heating Co.
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Owens-Illinois | $100,000 – $382,600 | 65% | $65,000 – $248,690 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
South Dakota Cement Plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
John Morrell & Co.
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Combustion Engineering | $75,000 – $400,000 | 15.3% | $11,475 – $61,200 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Northern States Power Company
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.P. Green | $165,694 | 6.0% | $9,941.64 |
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Northern States Power — Pathfinder plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owens Corning | $215,000 – $650,000 | 4.3% | $9,245 – $27,950 |
| Pittsburgh Corning | $175,000 – $500,000 | 19% | $33,250 – $95,000 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
Watertown Light & Power — Watertown power plant
| Trust | Mesothelioma value | Payment % | Payment at that % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock & Wilcox | $90,000 – $400,000 | 4.3% | $3,870 – $17,200 |
| Western Asbestos | $117,087 – $524,025 | 51.1% | $59,831.46 – $267,776.78 |
| Johns-Manville | $350,000 – $750,000 | 5.6% | $19,600 – $42,000 |
A closer look at major South Dakota worksites
The worksites below are the ones the most asbestos trusts recognize in South Dakota — four or more, counting Johns-Manville — along with Ellsworth Air Force Base and the John Morrell packing plant, two of the state's largest employers. Each profile draws on the trust signatures present at the site to identify the products workers handled, the trades most heavily exposed, and the asbestos types they likely encountered. Your specific worksite may be documented even if it doesn't appear here — call us.
South Dakota State University (South Dakota State College) — Brookings
South Dakota State University in Brookings is the state's land-grant university. It was South Dakota State College until 1964, which is why the trusts list it under both names — the State College engineering building, the University's engineering building and animal science complex, and "College-South Dakota State." It is one campus.
Workers exposed. Campus construction crews — plasterers, drywall finishers, ironworkers, and insulators — and the university's own maintenance staff: pipefitters, steamfitters, boiler operators, and electricians who kept the heating plant and its steam lines running, and who disturbed the old insulation and fireproofing in later renovations.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 5 asbestos trusts — Fibreboard, Owens Corning, W.R. Grace, Western Asbestos, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1952 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. Fibreboard's Pabco pipe and block insulation and Owens Corning's Kaylo line, its high-temperature grades made with amosite (brown asbestos), covered the steam and hot-water piping in the campus buildings, and the Western Asbestos signature reflects insulation supplied and installed by that contracting and distribution company. W.R. Grace Monokote spray fireproofing went onto the structural steel of the newer buildings; Grace's fireproofing and Zonolite products were made with Libby vermiculite contaminated with tremolite and other amphibole fibers. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
Big Stone Plant (Otter Tail Power) — Big Stone City
The Big Stone Plant is a coal-fired generating station near Big Stone City, at the Minnesota border, that went into service in 1975. Otter Tail Power operates it, and Northwestern Public Service and Montana-Dakota Utilities have been co-owners. The trusts list it under Otter Tail Power, the Big Stone Power Plant (Unit 1), a Northwestern Public Service–Otter Tail entry filed under Grant County, and a power plant at "Big Stone"; it is one facility.
Workers exposed. Boilermakers, pipefitters, insulators, millwrights, electricians, and laborers on the construction crews of the early 1970s, followed by the plant's operators and the outage crews who rebuilt boiler and turbine insulation.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 4 asbestos trusts — Babcock & Wilcox, Combustion Engineering, Western Asbestos, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1970 through 1983.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. The Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering signatures reflect boiler work at the station, with pipe and block insulation, refractory, and gaskets and packing on access doors and steam connections. The Western Asbestos signature points to insulation supplied and applied during construction, its high-temperature grades often made with amosite (brown asbestos). Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
Northwestern Public Service — Mitchell
Northwestern Public Service Company was the electric utility for much of eastern and central South Dakota; it later became NorthWestern Corporation (NorthWestern Energy). The trusts list its Mitchell power plant under Northwestern Public Service, Northwestern Public Service Company, and "Mitchell #3"; it is one facility.
Workers exposed. Boilermakers, insulators, pipefitters, refractory workers, mechanics, electricians, and operating personnel. Boiler overhauls, tube replacements, refractory rebuilds during planned outages, and steam-system maintenance generated the most concentrated exposure.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 4 asbestos trusts — Babcock & Wilcox, Combustion Engineering, Eagle-Picher, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1929 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. The Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering signatures reflect the plant's boilers, with their boiler insulation, refractory, and gaskets and packing on turbines, condensers, pumps, and valves. Eagle-Picher One-Cote and magnesia insulating cement and pipe covering went onto the steam lines, mixed and troweled by hand. High-temperature pipe and block insulation at stations like this one was often made with amosite (brown asbestos), and chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
Black Hills Power & Light — Ben French plant — Rapid City
The Ben French plant was Black Hills Power & Light's coal-fired generating station in Rapid City; the utility is now part of Black Hills Corporation. The trusts list it under the Ben French Power Plant, Black Hills Power & Light, and Black Hills Power, Incorporated, all in Rapid City; Black Hills Power & Light's plants at Deadwood and at Kirk, near Lead, are listed separately and appear in the table above.
Workers exposed. Boilermakers, pipefitters, insulators, refractory workers, millwrights, electricians, and plant operators, along with the construction and overhaul crews.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 4 asbestos trusts — Babcock & Wilcox, Burns & Roe, Eagle-Picher, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1954 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. The Babcock & Wilcox signature reflects the station's boilers, with pipe and block insulation, refractory, and gaskets and packing. Burns & Roe did power-plant engineering and construction work here, and Eagle-Picher insulating cement and pipe covering went onto the steam and turbine piping. High-temperature insulation at coal-fired stations was often made with amosite (brown asbestos), and chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
South Dakota State Hospital — Yankton
The South Dakota State Hospital at Yankton, long known as the Yankton State Hospital, is the state's psychiatric hospital, opened in territorial days and now the South Dakota Human Services Center. The trusts list it as the South Dakota State Hospital, its employee building, and the Yankton State Hospital (one trust spells the city "Yarkton"); it is one institution.
Workers exposed. The hospital's powerhouse and maintenance staff — boiler operators, pipefitters, steamfitters, insulators, and electricians — and the building trades who put up and renovated its many buildings over the decades.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 4 asbestos trusts — Babcock & Wilcox, Combustion Engineering, W.R. Grace, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1913 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering boilers in the central heating plant carried boiler insulation, refractory, and gaskets and packing, and the steam lines that ran from the plant to the wards were wrapped in pipe insulation, its high-temperature grades often made with amosite (brown asbestos). The W.R. Grace signature, on the employee building, reflects Grace fireproofing and Zonolite products made with Libby vermiculite contaminated with tremolite. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
Ellsworth Air Force Base — Rapid City
Ellsworth Air Force Base, east of Rapid City near Box Elder, opened in 1942 as the Rapid City Army Air Base and was renamed in 1953 for Brigadier General Richard Ellsworth. It has been a bomber base for most of its history and was also home to a Minuteman missile wing. The trusts list the base hospital, its 100-bed hospital, and Building 803.
Workers exposed. Federal civilian maintenance workers, Air Force personnel, and contractors' crews — pipefitters, insulators, plumbers, sheet-metal workers, electricians, and boiler-plant operators — who built and kept up the base's hospital, hangars, and heating plants.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 3 asbestos trusts — Owens Corning, Owens-Illinois, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1955 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. Because the Owens-Illinois trust signature is present, Owens-Illinois Kaylo high-temperature pipe insulation, an amosite (brown asbestos) product, was used at this site during the 1948–1958 manufacturing window, on the steam and hot-water piping of the base hospital; Owens Corning continued the Kaylo line afterward and supplied more pipe and block insulation across the base. Fittings were finished with insulating cement, and gaskets and packing sealed the boilers, pumps, and valves. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
John Morrell & Co. — Sioux Falls
John Morrell & Co. opened its Sioux Falls packing plant in 1909, and for most of the century it was one of the city's largest employers. Smithfield Foods acquired Morrell in 1995 and still runs the plant. The trusts list it under John Morrell and Company, John Morrell Company, and John Morrell & Co; it is one facility.
Workers exposed. Boilermakers (large steam-generating boilers powered the rendering, cooking, and cleaning operations), pipefitters, insulators, refrigeration mechanics, mechanics, and maintenance trades. The central boiler house and the steam piping running throughout the plant were the highest-exposure work environments.
Trust documentation: recognized by at least 3 asbestos trusts — Babcock & Wilcox, Combustion Engineering, and Johns-Manville. The trusts' lists document their products here from 1929 through 1982.
Products, trust signatures, and asbestos types. The Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering signatures reflect the plant's boilers, with their boiler insulation, refractory on the furnaces, and gaskets and packing on access doors and steam connections. Pipe insulation on the hot-side process piping for rendering, cooking, and cleaning, its high-temperature grades often made with amosite (brown asbestos), and insulation on the refrigeration lines added further exposure. Chrysotile (white asbestos) ran through most of these product categories.
South Dakota entries by city
The trusts' lists hold South Dakota entries in 39 communities. Open the list below for the number of entries in each. Call us for any specific worksite — whether or not the city appears here.
Entries on the trusts' lists, city by city
| City | Entries on the trusts' lists |
|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | 43 |
| Rapid City | 35 |
| Aberdeen | 14 |
| Yankton | 12 |
| Deadwood | 6 |
| Big Stone City | 5 |
| Brookings | 5 |
| Mitchell | 5 |
| Watertown | 5 |
| Custer | 4 |
| Hot Springs | 4 |
| Mobridge | 4 |
| Pierre | 4 |
| Huron | 3 |
| Pluma | 3 |
Entries are also listed in Alcester, Belle Fourche, Blackhawk, Bowdle, Clark, Clay County, Dakota Dunes, Elk Point, Faulkton, Fort Meade, Frederick, Gettysburg, Hartford, Hermosa, Highmore, Lead, Milbank, Redfield, Revillo, Rosebud, Sanator, Vermillion, Wall and Webster.
Search the asbestos trusts' South Dakota lists
Type any name the plant went by — the company, a later owner, or the city — to see every entry on the trusts' lists that matches, as the trusts wrote it, with each trust and the years it lists.
184 entries, as the trusts list them.
Worksites named in court opinions
Court decisions in our library name these South Dakota workplaces as places where people were exposed to asbestos.
Lakeside Ceramics
- In re New York City Asbestos Litigation (2020): Part-time worker in his wife's ceramics business, 1980-2000
- In re New York City Asbestos Litigation (2020): Part-time worker in wife's ceramics business, 1980-2000
Ainsworth-Benning Construction, Inc.
- James v. 3M Corporation (2008): Child of a laborer exposed to father's work clothes, late 1970s and early 1980s
Every worksite named in South Dakota court decisions, with all their decisions
Don't see your worksite?
Your worksite may be documented even if it doesn't appear on this page. If your loved one worked at a South Dakota facility not listed, call us. Johns-Manville requires no site list at all, and we can often document exposure through the products, contractors, and equipment at a site even when no trust lists it by name.
Smaller worksites, contract jobs, short-tenure employment, and exposures across multiple sites are all part of the case-building process.
Call 833-4-ASBESTOS for a free case review.
How a South Dakota case may work
Walter is a 72-year-old retired power plant worker from Deadwood. From 1972 through 2004 he worked at Black Hills Power generating operations in western South Dakota — primarily in the maintenance and boiler operations departments, with regular work across the broader plant operations including turbine maintenance, condenser repair, and steam-system maintenance. His job involved frequent contact with asbestos insulation on high-pressure steam lines, refractory replacement work in boilers during maintenance shutdowns, gasket and packing replacement on turbines and condensers, and the broad range of asbestos-containing products used pervasively across coal-fired utility operations. He worked alongside insulator contractors when major insulation rebuilds happened, which extended his exposure to product handling beyond his direct trade.
He had no significant health complaints until late 2025, when he developed unusual chest discomfort, fluid retention around the heart, and shortness of breath on exertion. Imaging and a biopsy in April 2026 confirmed pericardial mesothelioma of the biphasic mesothelioma variety — an unusual presentation that required specialized cardiothoracic oncology evaluation. Like many South Dakota power workers of his generation, Walter had no idea his decades of plant work could cause cancer decades after he last set foot in the boiler house.
After Walter's daughter called our firm, we matched his employment history to the asbestos bankruptcy trusts that list each of his worksites, together with his product-handling reconstruction. The trusts' lists for Black Hills Power & Light's Deadwood, Kirk, and Ben French plants support filings against at least four site-specific trusts — Babcock & Wilcox (boilers), Burns & Roe (power-plant engineering and construction), Combustion Engineering (boilers and refractory), and Eagle-Picher (pipe covering and insulating cement) — plus automatic Johns-Manville Settlement Trust eligibility based on his pre-1982 exposure. Our representation includes free asbestos health screening for Walter's wife and adult children — take-home exposure from work clothes is a recognized exposure pathway for asbestos disease in family members, and the screening is part of how we serve the whole family. Recoveries from cases like Walter's routinely fund what insurance does not cover — travel to academic cancer centers, lodging during extended treatment, out-of-pocket medication costs, and home help. The nearest NCI-designated cancer center for a South Dakota worker is the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, Minnesota (a major referral destination for South Dakota mesothelioma patients), where advanced treatments including lung-sparing surgery, HIPEC for peritoneal cases, and the latest immunotherapy combinations are available. When the written agreement and applicable law permit it, our firm can also advance the cost of travel and lodging when getting to the right treatment center matters. How legal recovery funds mesothelioma treatment access →.
For the full doctrinal treatment of South Dakota's discovery rule, the slight/more-than-slight comparative fault framework, modified joint and several liability, premises liability standard, and damages framework, see the South Dakota mesothelioma law guide.
This example is general. Every case depends on the diagnosis, exposure history, dates, defendants, applicable law, and available evidence.
What happens when you call
A staff attorney answers — not a screener. The first call usually runs 20 to 30 minutes. We listen to the work history, identify which South Dakota worksites and trust channels apply to your loved one's exposure, and explain the timeline and case structure for your family's specific situation.
We never pressure anyone to retain us during the first call. If you decide to move forward, we come to you — phone, video, or home visit, whichever works best. No travel to our offices is required at any point in the case.
You do not need to come to the call with product names, exposure dates, or work records. We reconstruct the exposure history using our worksite database, the trust documentation for each manufacturer, employment and union records, and coworker interviews. The conversation starts with what you remember; we handle the documentation work from there.
A spouse, adult child, or other family member can call for the worker. Many of our first calls are from a daughter or wife researching on behalf of a parent or husband. That is standard, and the family member can make the call without the worker on the line.
Call 833-4-ASBESTOS for a free case review.
Why families choose our firm
- $400M+ recovered and 200,000+ verified exposure sites nationally; all 184 South Dakota entries on the asbestos trusts' lists. Our work starts from documented exposure, not from generic intake scripts.
- Worksite-specific knowledge. When you call, we can speak to the products, trades, and trust channels at Northwestern Public Service, Black Hills Power & Light, Ellsworth Air Force Base, and the other South Dakota worksites on the trusts' lists, and to the civil claim pathways available.
- Trust + civil + federal benefits coordinated case by case with the trial team. Asbestos bankruptcy trust filings, civil lawsuits against still-solvent manufacturers and premises owners, and federal-benefit applications (VA service-connected disability for veterans, FECA for federal civilian employees, SSDI for eligible claimants) are coordinated case by case with the trial team to maximize recovery.
- Remote case handling. Phone, video, or home visit — whichever works for your family. No travel to our offices is required.
- Free family asbestos health screening. Take-home asbestos exposure is a recognized exposure pathway; screening is part of how we serve the whole family.
- No fee unless we recover compensation for your family.
Frequently asked questions
Is my South Dakota worksite documented?
Possibly. The asbestos trusts' approved-site lists hold 184 South Dakota entries in 39 communities — power plants, hospitals and state institutions, schools and colleges, Ellsworth Air Force Base, the Sioux Falls packing plant, Black Hills mines, and a range of smaller commercial and public buildings. You can search every entry on this page. Even if a specific facility isn't listed, we can often document exposure there through the products and contractors involved. Call us with the employer name, the city, and the approximate years, and we can confirm coverage during the first conversation.
What does "trust coverage" mean for my case?
When an asbestos manufacturer files for bankruptcy, it typically sets up a settlement trust to pay future asbestos victims. Each trust maintains documentation of where its products were used. When we say a site is "recognized by at least 4 trusts," we mean four different asbestos trusts have records establishing that their products were used at that location — meaning a worker exposed there is positioned to file claims against all four. Trust claims operate as paper filings, separately from any civil lawsuit, and recoveries from one trust do not reduce or offset recoveries from another.
Does my loved one qualify for the Johns-Manville trust?
Probably yes, if your loved one had asbestos exposure before 1983 and developed an asbestos-related disease. Johns-Manville does not require proof that its products were at a specific worksite, and for mesothelioma even one day of exposure can qualify. How Johns-Manville eligibility works.
Do I need to know which asbestos products my loved one handled?
No. The product-identification work is something we handle. Most workers — and most surviving family members — do not remember specific brand names from forty or fifty years ago. We use the trusts' site lists, the trust documentation for each manufacturer, employment and union records, and coworker interviews to reconstruct the product-handling history.
What if my loved one worked at multiple South Dakota sites?
That is the typical pattern for our cases — a utility career across Northwestern Public Service plants at Aberdeen and Mitchell, a contractor career across multiple Black Hills jobsites, or maintenance work at several state institutions. Each site adds documentation depth and expands the trust roster. Call us with the full work history; the multi-site reconstruction is part of our standard case work.
What if my loved one's worksite has closed or been demolished?
Site closure does not affect trust claims or civil lawsuits. The trust claims are based on the manufacturer's product use at the location; the civil claims are against the manufacturers and (where applicable) successor entities. The Homestake Gold Mine, many historic Sioux Falls operations, and other South Dakota facilities have closed or been repurposed — and we continue to file claims for the workers who served at those sites.
Can we file a claim if my loved one already passed away?
Yes. South Dakota provides both wrongful death claims (brought by the estate's personal representative for the surviving family's losses) and survival action claims (the decedent's own pre-death damages). The wrongful-death claim must be brought within three years from the date of death; the estate's survival claim keeps the worker's own deadline, paused for one year after the death, so it may run out sooner. We handle wrongful death asbestos cases routinely.
Are veterans and federal civilian workers at Ellsworth Air Force Base covered?
Yes — through multiple pathways. Air Force veterans with documented asbestos exposure during service may be eligible for VA service-connected disability — available with proof of in-service asbestos exposure and a doctor's opinion linking it to service. Federal civilian employees at Ellsworth AFB are covered by FECA (Federal Employees' Compensation Act), which allows claims against asbestos product manufacturers, though FECA benefits must be repaid from that recovery. Asbestos trust claims and civil claims against product manufacturers may also be available; the order of filings is decided case by case with the trial team.
Talk with a South Dakota asbestos lawyer
Whether your family is dealing with a new diagnosis, a very sick loved one, or a death from mesothelioma, we are ready to help. Your loved one's worksite may already be on the trusts' lists — or we can help document it if it isn't.
You do not need to know the product names. You do not need to have all the records. You do not need to travel to our office. A spouse or adult child can call for the family.
Related resources
This page is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Every asbestos case turns on its own facts, exposure history, diagnosis, deadlines, available evidence, and applicable law. Reviewing this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, call 833-4-ASBESTOS for a free case review.