Asbestos Hill

Asbestos Hill is a former chrysotile asbestos mining site in the Ungava region of northern Quebec, Canada, operated from the early 1960s through the mid-1980s. The deposit is geologically distinct from the larger Eastern Townships asbestos belt of southern Quebec and produced fiber with somewhat different characteristics. The site is also known by its French name, Colline-Asbestos, and by the operating company name, Asbestos Corporation Limited's Purtuniq mine.

Origin

The deposit was identified by prospectors in the 1950s in the Cape Smith fold belt of the Ungava Peninsula. Commercial mining began in 1963 under Asbestos Corporation Limited, and the site became known simply as 'Asbestos Hill' for the prominent serpentinized ultramafic ridge that hosted the ore. Operations ceased in 1984 as demand collapsed.

Significance in Asbestos Context

For patients whose exposure history may trace back to Canadian chrysotile, identifying Asbestos Hill as a source can matter because fiber from this deposit has its own mineralogical signature. Trace element content, fiber length distributions, and accompanying minerals can differ from chrysotile mined in Thetford Mines or Asbestos (Val-des-Sources), Quebec. In fiber-burden or provenance analyses, experts may compare lung tissue or product fibers against reference samples from specific mines to support or rebut claims about which products and which suppliers contributed to disease. Asbestos Hill ore was shipped through the port of Deception Bay and reached refineries, textile mills, and product manufacturers across North America and Europe, so it can appear in the supply chain of insulation, gaskets, friction products, and cement products from the 1960s through the 1980s.

Example Sentence

The industrial hygiene expert traced the employer's raw fiber purchases in the 1970s to shipments originating from Asbestos Hill, which helped narrow the list of supplier defendants.

Related Terms

Chrysotile, Thetford Mines, Serpentinite, Provenance Analysis, Fiber Burden Analysis, Asbestos Corporation Limited

Notes

• If you or a family member worked with raw asbestos fiber or bagged chrysotile in the 1960s–1980s, ask your attorney to seek purchase records, bills of lading, and shipping manifests that may identify the mine of origin.
• Preserve any product packaging, invoices, or employer purchasing records you still have. Mine-of-origin documentation can strengthen identification of specific supplier defendants.
• Ask whether your case warrants a provenance or fiber-typing analysis on lung tissue or product samples, particularly if Canadian chrysotile is implicated.
• Note that 'Asbestos Hill' is sometimes confused with the town of Asbestos, Quebec (now Val-des-Sources); they are different sites with different operators and fiber characteristics.