! ! FINAL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE MINNESOTA TACONITE WORKERS HEALTH STUDY DATE: November 24, 2014 TO: Sen. David Tomassoni, chair Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Committee 317 Capitol Sen. Tony Lourey, chair Senate Health and Human Services Finance Division 120 Capitol Sen. Kathy Sheran, chair Senate Health, Human Services and Housing Committee 120 Capitol Rep. Tim Mahoney, chair House Jobs and Economic Development Finance & Policy Committee 591 State Office Building Rep. Sheldon Johnson, chair House Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries 549 State Office Building Rep. Tom Huntley, chair Health and Human Services Finance Committee 585 State Office Building Rep. Tina Liebling, chair House Health and Human Services Policy Committee 367 State Office Building FROM: John R. Finnegan, Jr., dean and professor (E-mail:
[email protected]; Phone: 612 625 1179) Jeffrey Mandel, associate professor, principal investigator (E-mail:
[email protected]; Phone: 612 626 9308) COPIES: Iron Range Legislative Delegation Rep. David Dill Rep. Mary Murphy Sen. Tom Bakk Rep. John Persell Rep. Tom Anzelc Sen. Tom Saxhaug Rep. Carly Melin Rep. Jason Metsa 1! ! ! November 24, 2014 Dear Legislators: We are pleased to present the final report on our research regarding the health status of taconite workers. This report covers the assessments made by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH). The Natural Resources Research Institute will be submitting a separate report on the environmental characterization work that they have been doing. This report contains the SPH’s efforts in occupational exposure, mortality and cancer incidence, case-control studies and the respiratory health survey of taconite workers and spouses.