ELR Citation: ELR 20573
No(s). 5-72 Civ. 19 (D. Minn. Apr 20, 1974)

The court enjoins defendant's discharges of asbestos-like fibers into the air and Lake Superior after finding that exposure to these fibers can produce cancer and other asbestos related diseases. Several municipalities, including Duluth, use this portion of the lake for drinking water, and the court rules that the health risk presented by the discharges warrants an immediate injunction. The discharges also constitute a common-law nuisance, and are a violation of both the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and Minnesota regulations. The court notes that it has taken into account defendant's continued and long-standing refusal to implement an on-land disposal system for the 67,000 tons of taconite tailings deposited in the lake daily.

Counsel for Plaintiff United States
Robert G. Renner
U.S. Attorney
U.S. Courthouse
Minneapolis, MN 55401

John P. Hills
Department of Justice
Washington, DC 20530

Michael Gross
Thomas Bastow
Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460

Counsel for Plaintiff Minnesota
Warren Spannaus, Attorney General
Jonathan H. Morgan, Solicitor General
Byron E. Starns, Chief Deputy Attorney General
102 State Capitol
St. Paul, MN 55155

Counsel for Plaintiff Wisconsin
Robert W. Warren, Attorney General
John E. Kofron, Asst. Attorney General
114 East State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702

Counsel for Plaintiff Michigan
Frank J. Kelley, Attorney General
Robert A. Derengoski, Solicitor General
Clive Gemmill, Asst. Attorney General
Jerome Maslowski
Francis J. Carrier
603 Seven Story Office Building
Lansing, MI 48913

Counsel for Private Environmental Groups
%Howard J. Vogel
2750 Dean Parkway
Minneapolis, MN 55416

Counsel for Defendant Reserve Mining Co.
Edward T. Fride
Hanft, Fride, O'Brien, & Harries
1200 Alworth Building
Duluth, MN 55802

Maclay Hyde
Lindquist & Vennum
4200 I.D.S. Tower
80 South 8th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Counsel for Defendant Republic Steel Corp.
William T. Egan
Rider, Bennet, Egan, Johnson, & Arundel
1910 First National Bank Building
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Counsel for Defendant Armco Steel Corp.
Charles Murnane
Murnane, Murnane, Battis & Conlin
1400 Northern Federal Building
St. Paul, MN 55101