U.S. Bureau of Mines

The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) was a federal scientific agency that studied mining, mineral processing, and mineral commodities, including asbestos, from 1910 until its closure in 1996. It published extensive reports on asbestos deposits, production figures, fiber properties, industrial uses, and worker exposure conditions, much of which became part of the public scientific record on asbestos hazards.

Origin

Congress created the Bureau of Mines in 1910 within the Department of the Interior, initially to investigate mine safety after a series of deadly coal mine disasters. Its scope expanded to include comprehensive surveys of industrial minerals such as asbestos, talc, and vermiculite. The agency was defunded and closed in 1996, with its functions transferred to the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies.

Significance in Asbestos Context

USBM reports are a critical historical record showing what industry and government knew about asbestos (where it was mined, who used it, in what products, and at what exposure levels), often decades before warnings reached workers. Patients' legal teams use Bureau publications (Minerals Yearbooks, Information Circulars, Reports of Investigations) to trace which companies produced or consumed asbestos in specific years, to identify contamination in talc and vermiculite deposits (such as Libby, Montana), and to rebut defense claims that hazards were unknown. Bureau dust-measurement studies in mines, mills, and factories also provide quantitative exposure data that experts use to reconstruct a worker's likely dose.

Related Terms

NIOSH, OSHA, Libby Vermiculite, State-of-the-Art Defense, Minerals Yearbook, U.S. Geological Survey

Notes

• Ask your legal team whether USBM publications relevant to your industry, employer, or product exposures have been searched. Minerals Yearbooks and Information Circulars are often pivotal in establishing what was known and when.
• If you worked with vermiculite, talc, or industrial minerals, Bureau reports may identify the mine source and any documented asbestos contamination tied to your specific product.
• Preserve any product names, brand labels, employer names, and approximate work dates; these allow investigators to match your exposure to specific Bureau-documented mines, mills, or industrial operations.
• Many USBM documents are archived at the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Technical Information Service, and university mining libraries. Your attorneys' historical experts know how to access them.

People

People the documents tie to U.S. Bureau of Mines, most often named first, with the titles the documents give them.

• Walter Bank: Mining Engineer unreviewed
• Glen W. Sutton: Chief unreviewed
• Kenneth L. High: Mining Engineer unreviewed
• Amin N. Alameddin: Mining Engineer unreviewed
• William J. Campbell: Program coordinator unreviewed

In our library

10 documents in our library name U.S. Bureau of Mines, by collection.

In the Union Carbide documents

U.S. Bureau of Mines is named in 102 Union Carbide documents dated 1932 to 1986 (6 as the source, 102 mentioned), from asbestos lawsuits over Union Carbide's Calidria asbestos. 100 of them are published in our collection.

• National Safety Council, 1932 Transactions of the Twenty-First Annual Safety Congress, Industrial Health Section Excerpts on Mineral Dusts, Asbestos and Silicosis (1932) Union Carbide H (mentioned)
• National Safety Council, 1932 Transactions of the Twenty-First Annual Safety Congress, Excerpts with Papers on Mineral Dusts, Asbestos and Silicosis (1932) UC-5086 (mentioned)
• General Order No. 2-5, Elimination of Dusty Conditions (1943, revised later), with Information Bulletin 602 on Hazardous Chemicals Used in Paint Manufacture UC-5463 (mentioned)
• Foundation Facts: Industrial Hygiene Foundation Trustees Hold Spring Meeting, with Photograph and Caption (1945) UC-5365 (mentioned)
• T. J. Hall to Dr. A. E. Pufahl on West Coast Asbestos Markets and Customer Calls (1959) Union Carbide 42 (mentioned)
• Union Carbide Sales Memo on West Coast Asbestos Markets (1959) with Calidria RG-244 Call Reports and Mixing Tests at Reichhold, Jacksonville (1970, 1975) UC-942 (mentioned)
• T. J. Hall to A. E. Pufahl and Others on West Coast Asbestos Markets (1959) UC-2642 (mentioned)
• Henry F. Smyth, Jr. to Dr. T. W. Nale on Vinyl Chloride and Chloroform Inhalation Toxicity Data from Dow (1959) UC-5220 (mentioned)
• Paul W. McDaniel, Report of Investigation of Dust Conditions at the Nuclear Division Mine and Mill, King City (1963) UC-1388 (mentioned)
• T. W. Nale to K. Lentz Transmitting P. W. McDaniel's Report on Dust Conditions at the King City Mine and Plant (1963) Union Carbide 61 (mentioned)
• Thomas W. Nale to Kenneth Lentz Transmitting P. W. McDaniel's Industrial Hygiene Report on the King City Mine and Plant (1963) UC-2832 (mentioned)
• Thomas W. Nale to Kenneth Lentz Transmitting P. W. McDaniel's Industrial Hygiene Report on the King City Mine and Plant (1963) UC-4007 (mentioned)
• Union Carbide Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology Documents, Including D. E. Deese on Sandblasting (1967) UC-1265 (mentioned)
• D. E. Deese on Sandblasting Hazards and Respirator Recommendations at Gulf Coast Plants (1967) UC-5148 (mentioned)
• J. A. Riddle to S. P. Smith on Major Hazards at the King City Plant (1969) UC-149 (mentioned)
• R. E. Joyner to C. U. Dernehl and N. H. Ketcham Forwarding Johns-Manville Safety Precautions for Asbestos Fibres (1969) Union Carbide 132A (mentioned)
• R. E. Joyner to C. U. Dernehl Transmitting Consumer Products Division Memo on Asbestos Fibre Safety Precautions (1969) UC-5070 (mentioned)
• T. Frank Tobin (Stedfast Rubber) to Union Carbide on Asbestos Resin and Respirators, with J. A. Riddle's Reply (1969) UC-151 (mentioned)
• J. A. Riddle to T. Frank Tobin (Stedfast Rubber) on Handling of Calidria Resin-Grade 144 Asbestos, with Tobin's Inquiry (1969) UC-17 (mentioned)
• Matthew M. Swetonic (Johns-Manville) to J. A. Riddle on Sending Insulation Industry Hygiene Research Program Reports (1969) UC-108 (mentioned)
• American National Standard Z88.2-1969, Practices for Respiratory Protection, with Appended Respirator Regulatory Outline Slides and Federal Register Notice (1969) UC-1708 (mentioned)
• Paul W. McDaniel to J. W. Rawlings Transmitting Write-Up on Asbestos Standards and Dust Control at King City (1971) UC-2916 (mentioned)
• F. H. Larrison, Jr. to J. F. Emerson on Federal and State Inspection of Airborne Asbestos Dust at the King City Mill (1971) UC-2451 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers to R. E. Byrne and Others on Toxicology Update for CALIDRIA Asbestos Marketing (1971) UC-177 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers to Marketing Staff on Toxicology Update: TLVs, Respirators and Asbestos Hazard Positions (1971) UC-1546 (mentioned)
• F. H. Larrison, Jr. to J. A. Riddle on Dust Control Priorities at the King City Mill, with Attached 1971 Bureau of Mines and State Inspection Papers (1972) UC-886 (mentioned)
• F. H. Larrison, Jr. to J. A. Riddle on Dust Control Priorities at the King City Mill (1972) UC-2450 (mentioned)
• B. L. Ingalls to S. Seector (National Starch & Chemical) on Asbestos Dust Measurement and Respirators, with F. H. Larrison Jr. Letter to California Division of Industrial Safety (1972) UC-4488 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers to Robert Kurz (Westinghouse) on RG-144 Use, Asbestos Toxicology Position Paper and Respirators (1972) UC-606 (mentioned)
• Glen W. Sutton to F. H. Larrison Transmitting the Bureau of Mines Asbestos Dust Health Study of the Calidria Plant (1972), with Report and Larrison Reply to California Division of Industrial Safety UC-1289 (mentioned, source)
• Glen W. Sutton (Bureau of Mines) to F. H. Larrison Transmitting the Asbestos Dust Health Survey Report on the Calidria Plant, with Bureau of Mines Report and Larrison Letter to California Division of Industrial Safety (1972) UC-1367 (source, mentioned)
• E. A. Piersall Reply Message on Bureau of Mines Calidria King City Asbestos Dust Health Study (1972) UC-991 (mentioned)
• E. A. Piersall Reply Message to P. W. McDaniel Forwarding Bureau of Mines Health Study of the Calidria King City Plant (1972) UC-2461 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers to R. W. Grigg (Kaiser Gypsum) Answering Questions on Asbestos Toxicology and Regulations (1972) UC-4492 (mentioned)
• Minutes of Meeting on Measuring Employee Asbestos Exposure to Meet the Proposed OSHA Standard, submitted by N. H. Ketcham (1972) UC-2175 (mentioned)
• Paul W. McDaniel to J. L. Myers on Asbestos Fiber Survey at American Biltrite Plant, Trenton, N.J. (1972) UC-2906 (mentioned)
• James W. Rawlings to Reichhold Chemical Industries (R. C. Sulick) on Asbestos Regulations and RG-244 Customers (1972) Union Carbide 200 (mentioned)
• James W. Rawlings to R. C. Sulick, Reichhold Chemical Industries, on Asbestos Regulations and RG-244 Customer Compliance (1972) UC-1364 (mentioned)
• James W. Rawlings to Cargill Company (Attn. H. Nakano) on Asbestos Regulations and RG-244 Customers (1972) UC-4493 (mentioned)
• W. N. Johnson to J. W. Rawlings on the June 22, 1972 Asbestos Information Association Meeting (1972) Union Carbide 205 (mentioned)
• W. Johnson to J. W. Rawlings on the June 22, 1972 Asbestos Information Association Meeting (1972) UC-1518 (mentioned)
• Robert E. Byrne, Jr. to "Bill" Transmitting Draft Calidria Asbestos Material Safety Data Sheet (1972) UC-4484 (mentioned)
• M. P. Proctor (Thorpe Products Co.) to D. S. Meaden (Shell Oil Co.) on the OSHA Asbestos Dust Standard, with Attachments (1972) UC-2065 (mentioned)
• Union Carbide Material Safety Data Sheet for Calidria Chrysotile Asbestos, with Handwritten Edits (1972) UC-790 (mentioned)
• Union Carbide Material Safety Data Sheet for Calidria Chrysotile Asbestos (1972) UC-2032 (mentioned)
• P. W. McDaniel to F. H. Larrison on Dust Counts of Air Samples Collected at King City (1972) UC-2447 (mentioned)
• W. N. Johnson Transmittal to F. H. Larrison and E. A. Piersall of AIA/NA Memos on FDA and Bureau of Mines Asbestos Actions (1972) UC-4282 (mentioned)
• Matthew M. Swetonic (Asbestos Information Association/North America) to Member Companies Transmitting Mine Safety Bill, Stanton Fiber Study and Trade Press Items (1973) UC-3981 (mentioned)
• Matthew M. Swetonic (Asbestos Information Association/North America) to Member Companies Transmitting Mine Safety Bill, Stanton Fiber Study and Press Clippings (1973) UC-5099 (mentioned)
• T. R. Madden (Reichhold Chemicals) to E. W. Jansen on OSHA Asbestos Requirements for Use of Asbestos in Polyesters, with Form Letters and Handling Procedure (1973) UC-1552 (mentioned)
• William H. Lander, 'With Proper Precautions, Asbestos Use in Plastics Held Safe by UCC Official,' Plastics Corner, The Journal of Commerce (1973) UC-1633 (mentioned)
• L. A. Schutz, Walter Bank and George Weems, Airborne Asbestos Fiber Concentrations in Asbestos Mines and Mills in the United States (1973) UC-1450 (source, mentioned)
• Floyd H. Larrison, Jr. to E. S. Prochnik Forwarding California Farmer Consumer Reporter Article on the Asbestos Hazard (1973) UC-1383 (mentioned)
• L. G. McMullen Industrial Hygiene Preliminary Report to A. W. Boyd on Asbestos Exposures During Kaylo Insulation Tear-Out at Oxide I Converter (1973) UC-4618 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers to W. C. Thurber on the OSHA Citation Issued to Georgia-Pacific's Akron, New York Plant (1973) UC-4623 (mentioned)
• Gypsum Association Special Committee on Asbestos in Joint Treatment Compound: Report of August 8, 1973 Meeting on Field Testing Plan (1973) UC-5455 (mentioned)
• K. S. Freeman to J. N. Walker on Caution Labels for Joint Compounds and the Gypsum Association Asbestos Committee (1973) UC-5467 (mentioned)
• G. J. Weihs, Chrysotile Asbestos Markets and Forecasts for Group 7 (1974) UC-2638 (mentioned)
• G. J. Weihs, Chrysotile Asbestos, Group 7 (Shorts): Market Analysis and Forecasts (1974) Union Carbide 278 (mentioned)
• G. J. Weihs, Chrysotile Asbestos (Group 7, Shorts) Market Analysis, Union Carbide Marketing Services Department (1974) UC-209 (mentioned)
• G. J. Weihs, Chrysotile Asbestos, Group 7 (Shorts): Market Analysis, with Morgan Guaranty Transmittal Letter to W. C. Thurber (1974) UC-1509 (mentioned)
• G. J. Weihs, Chrysotile Asbestos (Group 7, Shorts) Market Analysis for Union Carbide Marketing Services (1974) UC-4630 (mentioned)
• G. J. Weihs, Chrysotile Asbestos Markets and Forecasts for Group 7, with W. C. Thurber Cover Note and Related Memos (1974) UC-944 (mentioned)
• Lorin E. Kerr (UMWA) Statement to NIOSH Public Hearing on a Proposed Standard for Asbestos Exposure in Coal Mining (1974) UC-4356 (mentioned)
• Norman J. Hearn to Sen. Milton Marks Opposing California Bill S-2419 on Spraying Asbestos, with Federal Register Attachment and AIA Mailgram (1974) UC-1321 (mentioned)
• NIOSH Cumulative Supplement to July 1974 Edition of NIOSH Certified Personal Protective Equipment (September 1974) UC-1316 (mentioned)
• L. T. Windel to W. W. McManus Transmitting Summary of the O.S.H.A. Inspection of the Brownsville Plant (1974) UC-1804 (mentioned)
• NIOSH 'Dear Colleague' Letter on Asbestos Exposure During Servicing of Motor Vehicle Brake and Clutch Assemblies, in Current Intelligence Bulletin 5 (1975) UC-3138 (mentioned)
• Robert A. Clifton (U.S. Bureau of Mines), 'Asbestos in the United States--Supply and Demand,' Remarks to the Third International Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Asbestos (1975) UC-2644 (mentioned, source)
• John L. Myers, "Handling Asbestos: Chrysotile Asbestos in Plastics," Journal of Paint Technology Reprint (1975) UC-1461 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers, "Handling Asbestos: Chrysotile Asbestos in Plastics," Journal of Paint Technology (1975) UC-2631 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers, "Handling Asbestos: Chrysotile Asbestos in Plastics," Journal of Paint Technology Reprint (1975) UC-5188 (mentioned)
• Asbestos Information Association/North America File on the Third Annual Industry-Government Conference, Sept. 8-9, 1976 (1976) UC-4241 (mentioned)
• Equitable Environmental Health, Inc. for the Asbestos Information Association/North America: Engineering Feasibility and Economic Impact Study of a Proposed OSHA Asbestos Regulation in the Construction Industry, Phase 1 Data Base Development (1976) UC-2550 (mentioned)
• Equitable Environmental Health, Inc. for AIA/NA: Engineering Feasibility and Economic Impact Study of a Proposed OSHA Asbestos Regulation for the Construction Industry, Phase I Data Base (1976) UC-2599 (mentioned)
• H. B. Rhodes to C. R. Allenbach on Toxic Substances Control Act Listings for Calidria Asbestos Products (1977) UC-3914 (mentioned)
• H. B. Rhodes to W. C. Thurber Transmitting Draft SPE Paper on Consumer Safety in Asbestos-Containing Plastics (1977) UC-1431 (mentioned)
• Harrison B. Rhodes (signed by John L. Myers) to Dr. J. J. Welsh and T. W. Carmody on Sputum Cytology Results from the King City Asbestos Plant (1978) UC-4950 (mentioned)
• Hilton C. Lewinsohn to Fernard Lincoln, Telex on the Regulatory Status of Asbestos-Containing Talc, with Lincoln's Query (1978) UC-2600 (mentioned)
• A. P. Yalcinkaya to L. P. Berti on Demolition of Buildings #20 and #21 at Texas City, with Attached Asbestos Standard, Monitoring Report and NIOSH Nickel Criteria Document (1978) UC-1128 (mentioned)
• Draft Testimony of Earl W. Shortridge for Union Carbide Opposing Proposed Revision to Monterey Bay Air District Rule 424 (1979) UC-3920 (mentioned)
• OSHA Asbestos Standard, 29 CFR § 1910.1001, Code of Federal Regulations Title 29, Parts 1900-1919 (1979) UC-5084 (mentioned)
• AIHA Connecticut River Valley Section Notice, Garber Letter to H. C. Lewinsohn, and Paper 'Asbestos and Fiber Carcinogenesis' (1979) UC-4218 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers to J. J. Sibley Transmitting J. W. Rawlings's March 30, 1972 RG-244 Regulatory Letter to Cargill and Customer List (1980) UC-2921 (mentioned)
• Asbestos Information Association/North America, Proceedings of the Sixth Industry-Government Conference, Alexandria, Virginia (1981) UC-4896 (mentioned)
• R. E. Byrne, Jr. to Calidria Customers Enclosing EPA Asbestos Reporting Rule Materials, with Internal Mailing Memo and Enclosures (1982) UC-843 (mentioned)
• OSHA Asbestos Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1001, Appendix A, with Amendment of November 4, 1983 UC-1256 (mentioned)
• D. T. Watters to Holders of Safety/Health Technology Manual on Revised Practice SH-256, Asbestos Insulation Removal and OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (1983) UC-2344 (mentioned)
• Union Carbide Central Engineering Recommended Practice SH-256: Removal and Handling of Asbestos-Containing Insulation Material (1984) UC-2607 (mentioned)
• Pamela S. Zurer, 'Asbestos: The fiber that's panicking America,' Chemical & Engineering News Special Report (1985) UC-1716 (mentioned)
• R. L. H. Murphy to Committee Members Forwarding Mount Sinai Letter (Franzblau and Lilis to R. Cherniack) Criticizing the Asbestos Diagnosis Consensus Statement (1986) UC-2580 (mentioned)
• Calidria Asbestos Toxicology Report, with Handwritten Annotations and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.93 Asbestos Dust Standard Page (December 22, year not shown) UC-187 (mentioned)
• Union Carbide Metals Division Customer Call Reports on Michael-Walters (Stoppit Sealant) and Two Paint Accounts (1976-1983) UC-260 (mentioned)
• Calidria Asbestos Toxicology Report, with Handwritten Annotations, and 29 CFR 1910.93a Asbestos Dust Regulation Page UC-1496 (mentioned)
• Compilation on Respirator Standards and Regulations: ANSI Z88.2 Appendix, Federal Register Part 11 Amendments, and Union Carbide Respiratory Protection Outline UC-1968 (mentioned)
• Calidria Asbestos Toxicology Report with Handwritten Annotations, Attached to OSHA Asbestos Dust Standard 29 CFR 1910.93a (undated) UC-2568 (mentioned)
• Campbell, Huggins and Wylie, Chemical and Physical Characterization of Amosite, Chrysotile, Crocidolite, and Nonfibrous Tremolite for NIEHS Oral Ingestion Studies (Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations 8452) UC-2620 (mentioned, source)
• Welsh Manufacturing Co. Model 7165 Single-Use Disposable Respirator Brochure (undated) UC-4161 (mentioned)
• 3M Brand Respirator 8710 Advertising Brochure "The nose can't do it alone," with Laminaire Tyvek Disposable Garments Brochure (undated) UC-4162 (mentioned)
• Compilation: S. Holmes Paper 20 on Asbestos Threshold Limit Values (Lyon, 1972) with Asbestos Information Association and Bureau of Mines Letters on Coal Mine Asbestos Standards (1972-1974) UC-4357 (mentioned, source)

Names in the documents

The spellings documents use for U.S. Bureau of Mines, OCR misreadings included, so a search for any of them finds this page: Bureau of Mines · U. S. Bureau of Mines · Bureau of Mines, Department of the Interior · U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines · California Bureau of Mines · Federal Bureau of Mines · US Bureau of Mines · the U.S. Bureau of Mines · United States Bureau of Mines · U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, Health and Safety Technical Support Center (Denver) · United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Mines · Bureau of Mines, Department of Interior · U.S. Bureau of Mines, Health and Safety Technical Support · Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines · United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines · U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines Health and Safety Program · United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, Health and Safety Technical Support Center · U.S. Bureau of Mines (Health and Safety Program Technical Progress Report 72) · US Bureau of Mines (through 1995), then US Geological Survey · Asbestos Information Association/North America (with a U.S. Bureau of Mines letter and a conference paper) · Denver Technical Support Center (U.S. Bureau of Mines) · Bureau of Mines Alameda, California office · Publications Distribution Section, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines · Health and Safety Technical Support (Bureau of Mines) · Bureau of Mines test center, Pittsburgh.

Where this comes from

This page brings together every document in our library that names U.S. Bureau of Mines, across collections. Titles and affiliations are taken from the documents themselves, and units and subsidiaries are grouped under the company they belong to.