The Country’s Largest Abandoned Asbestos Mine Is Right Here In Vermont

Did you know that there is an abandoned Vermont asbestos mine? There sure is, and it's huge!

Asbestos was first discovered on Belvidere Mountain in the Eden/Lowell area of Northern Vermont in 1823. Mining began in 1902 on the southwest side of the mountain, and it continued until the mine was shut down in 1993. Today, large piles of remains are still there totaling about 30 million tons of asbestos tailings. Since its closure, there have been talks, plans, and agreements on how to deal with the former Vermont Asbestos Group's former mine, although not much appears to have been done. Let's take a look at this abandoned asbestos mine in Vermont, and later we'll give you some links for further reading.

We've also included a fascinating YouTube video by Adventureswithme but please note we do not recommend exploring this place for yourself. The Belvidere Mountain asbestos mine is dangerous to visit, but it sure is an interesting piece of Vermont history.

The Vermont Asbestos Group's mining operations shut down in 1993, and in 2013, financial negotiations were settled on what was needed to clean up this 1,550-acre toxic waste site.

While the funds necessary have been agreed upon, nothing has been started and plans on how it will be cleaned up are still pending.

At one time, The Vermont Asbestos Group was one of the largest producers of white asbestos in the world.

It employed 320 people before the health threats of asbestos became known.

As shown in the video, "Chrysotile is a type of asbestos that naturally occurs at Belvidere Mountain."

It was commonly used in construction materials, brake pads, and other items.

Today, it is known that exposure to asbestos causes a wide range of serious and fatal health conditions.

These conditions include a loss of lung function, asbestosis, cor-pulmonale, lung cancer, mesothelioma, laryngeal cancer, gastro-intestinal cancers (including stomach, colon, and rectal), and ovarian cancer, and is suspected of causing kidney cancers.

Check out the video of this abandoned asbestos mine here.

This abandoned asbestos mine in Vermont isn't the only thing you may not have known about places in Northern Vermont. Not only are there lots more abandoned mine shafts in Vermont, but there are also a all sorts of other eerie abandoned places in VT. Take a road trip on a truly unique drive in Vermont that isn't on every map you'll come across! Cool, right?

You can also check out even more abandoned places in Vermont that will send shivers down your spine. Which ones have you seen? Let us know below in the comments section.