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Last week, the Spanish government approved a royal decree under which thousands of asbestos-injured people will be able to obtain compensation via a nationwide scheme that will come into operation within three months. Depending on their injuries the claimants, or their beneficiaries, will be entitled to payments of between €32,000 and €96,000 (US$37,000 and $111,000). Applicants must submit a certificate of diagnosis issued by the health authorities, as well as their completed claim form to the Treasury of the National Social Security Institute. If no reply is forthcoming within 6 months, the claim is rejected. See: Thousands of asbestos victims to receive compensation ranging from 32,000 to 96,000 euros.

In a verdict handed down by the Washington State Supreme Court on May 29, 2025, the Court overturned its own precedent and denied immunity to Alcoa Inc., the former employer of mesothelioma sufferer Jeffrey Cockrum. The plaintiff had been occupationally exposed to asbestos during his 30-year employment at Alcoa’s Wenatchee Works aluminium facility; he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2022. Commenting on the judicial development, one observer noted that: “This ruling will likely result in a dramatic increase in liability for employers in Washington State whose employees may have been exposed to asbestos.” See: Washington Strips Employers of Workers’ Compensation Immunity for Asbestos Claims.

On the afternoon of June 18, 2025, MPs considered the subject of the “Removal of Asbestos from Non-Domestic Buildings” during a Westminster Hall Debate, which had been secured by Emma Lewell MP, representing the constituency of South Shields. During the debate, 3 Labor MPs and 1 Democratic Unionist Party MP called on the government to take timely and decisive action on the asbestos hazard. Concluding the debate, the Minister of State in the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education Sir Stephen Timms said the speakers were: “absolutely right to make the case for the goal of an asbestos-free Great Britain and a plan for asbestos to be removed across the country.” See: Asbestos Removal: Non-domestic Buildings.

Confirming the link between asbestos exposures and mesothelioma, last week Italy’s Supreme Court (the Court of Cassation) ordered the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to pay compensation of €670,000 (US$770,500) to the family of a naval carpenter and dry dock worker who died in 2013. The deceased had been employed for 38 years by the MoD which had, the Judges ruled, failed to adopt precautions and strategies to protect him from toxic exposures. See: Ucciso dal mesotelioma, muore operaio dell’Arsenale. Arriva il maxi risarcimento [Killed by mesothelioma, Arsenal worker dies. Huge compensation [finally] arrives].

By September 2025, New Zealand’s Ministry of Education should have a new accreditation scheme in place to systemize the control of asbestos remediation work at schools. High-profile examples of shoddy work by operators highlighted the need for the introduction of the new accredited supplier list of consultants, licensed removalists and accredited laboratories for follow-up testing. Commenting on the new rules, School Property Chief Executive Jerome Sheppard said: “we will expect all workers, whether directly employed or contracted through labour hire firms, to hold the appropriate qualifications, training and experience to undertake asbestos-related work safely and compliantly.” See: Education Ministry clamp down on asbestos exposure in schools.

According to a court filing on June 16, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering a ban on the use of asbestos introduced last year (2024) by the Biden administration. This prohibition was years in the making and a result of decades of lobbying by victims’ groups, trade unions and health and safety campaigners who denounced the huge death toll caused by asbestos-related diseases and cancers in the US. Asbestos liberated as a result of natural disasters in the US – the Maui (2023) and Southern California wildfires (2025) – pose a serious threat to the health of first responders, firefighters and members of the public. See: Cancer-causing asbestos has been regulated for decades and removed from buildings. Trump could allow one form to return.

On June 17, 2025, the Dutch Prosecutor’s office announced that charges of manslaughter and negligent homicide had been brought against Eternit, formerly one of the world’s largest asbestos conglomerates, for the deaths of two employees from the company’s plant in Goor. The parent company of Eternit is the Belgian building materials group Etex, which had a turnover in 2024 of €3.78 billion (US$4.37bn). See: Pays-Bas: la société Eternit poursuivie par la justice pour deux décès liés à l’amiante [Netherlands: Eternit company prosecuted for two asbestos-related deaths].

The toxic 75-acre site of a former asbestos industrial complex in Rochdale is attracting urban explorers bent on making content for YouTube and other platforms. Asbestos manufacturing began here in 1879 and continued for more than a century. The derelict buildings still standing are crumbling as are the asbestos products within the structures and the asbestos debris previously dumped on the site. None of the plans submitted by developers succeeded in gaining planning permission and no decontamination work has been carried out. See: The turbulent story of ‘Rochdale's Chernobyl’ where urban explorers and YouTubers now wander.

In an interview this month with Indian Journalist Puja Awasthi, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said that banning asbestos was not just a moral issue but also a health imperative. The Minister, who in April, 2025 announced that the use of asbestos would be banned in all India’s schools, called on the Government – the Commerce Ministry, Corporate Affairs Ministry and Finance Ministry – as well as commercial organizations to prioritize the health of India’s citizens over commercial gain. See: ‘Asbestos ban is a health imperative, not just a moral issue’: Jayant Chaudhary.

In a case brought over the asbestos death of naval engineer Michele Cannavò, the Rome Civil Court ordered the Navy to pay compensation of €400,000 (US$463,000) to the deceased’s family. Mr Cannavò, who was from Catania, died from pleural mesothelioma after decades of occupational exposures to asbestos on board ships – in the engine rooms, corridors, from pipe linings etc. – and onshore at the Augusta Military Arsenal and elsewhere. See: Esposizione all’amianto, Marina Militare condannata a risarcire 400mila euro [Exposure to asbestos, Navy ordered to pay compensation of 400 thousand euros].

Following a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), construction site supervisor Adrian Barraclough was fined £1,800 after he exposed children and staff at a primary school in Bristol to asbestos during renovation work carried out in May 2023. The accused used a circular saw to cut through asbestos insulating board thus spreading fibers throughout the school hall. Barraclough pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Commenting on the outcome of the case HSE inspector Ian Whittles said: “In this case, wholly unacceptable exposure to asbestos fibres occurred as a result of an individual employee not following instructions and procedures designed to prevent such occurrences.” See: Site supervisor fined after exposing school pupils to asbestos.

The confusion, much of it deliberately manufactured by vested interests, which seems to dominate India’s asbestos dialogue has paralysed the national government which continues to allow thousands of tonnes of deadly asbestos to be imported every year. The massive use of asbestos over several decades has left the country with a terrible legacy with many people now being diagnosed with asbestos-related cancers and diseases. There is no systemized and coherent national scheme to track the injured and relatively no support or assistance available to them or their families. See: Why has India not banned asbestos, a known carcinogen?

On June 14, 2025, Professor Emeritus Kenichi Miyamoto, gave a 90-minute lecture “Endless Asbestos Disaster” as part of a program of activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the “Kubota Shock,” the moment when Japan’s deadly asbestos legacy exploded onto the public consciousness. During the free public event, Dr. Kazunori Okabe, Director of the Department ofThoracic Surgery gave a presentation “Asbestos and Pleural Mesothelioma” and Dr. Hiroshi Iida, Secretary General of the Amagasaki Occupational Safety and Health Center, discussed the “Serious Asbestos Damage in Amagasaki.” See: 石綿被害「クボタショック」20年　95歳になった公害研究者の思い [Asbestos Damage “Kubota Shock.” 20 Year Thoughts of a 95-Year-Old Pollution Researcher].

A ruling by Veterans Affairs Canada that had denied benefits for service-related injuries to the widow of a military veteran, was overturned on May 21, 2025 by the Veterans Review and Appeal Board panel. The two-member appeal board panel found that the prostate cancer which killed the marine engineer had been caused by long-term exposures to asbestos in boiler rooms of naval vessels. The claimant was awarded full disability benefits. See: Canadian veteran’s family wins compensation for cancer linked to asbestos on military ships.

The name of the largest gender-equal rugby league training facility in Australia, which is operated by the New South Wales Parramatta Eels rugby league team, was last week revealed to be the James Hardie (JH) Centre of Excellence and Community Centre. In May, 2025 asbestos diseases sufferers termed the club’s decision to link up with JH “outrageous.”Generations of fans of the West Sydney-based team would have suffered fatalities as a result of toxic exposures experienced at JH asbestos factories in Sydney and elsewhere. See: Parramatta Eels announces James Hardie as Naming Rights Partner of Centre of Excellence.

On June 10, 2025 a landmark step was taken in Casale Monferrato, the Italian town at the center of a national asbestos epidemic, when the Asbestos Strategic Committee unanimously approved the terms of a new clinical, preclinical and translational mesothelioma research project. Supporters of the new program, said it was “a significant step forward in taking care of mesothelioma patients and improving treatment pathways at the regional level.” See: Terapie personalizzate e qualità della vita: sì a un nuovo progetto di ricerca contro il mal d’amianto [Personalized therapies and quality of life: yes to new research project tackling asbestos sickness].

Around the world, mobilization over the asbestos hazard continued to accelerate in recent weeks. Among the issues tackled were: the rights of victims, the responsibility of governments, deadly national legacies, the eradication of contaminated infrastructures and the need to outlaw asbestos use in countries which have not yet done so. The initiatives rolled out by civil society groups, trade unions and governments to raise public awareness, support the injured and protect populations in Asia, Africa and Europe confirm that the global asbestos discourse is now an integral part of mainstream discussions on human rights, environmental justice and green technology. [Read full article]

I always knew there was something Quixotic about the confrontation of British mining conglomerate Cape Asbestos by thousands of South Africans from poor mining communities in the late 1990s; just how epic the battle was has taken me 30 years to fully appreciate. The publication of a new book – In A Rain of Dust, Death, Deceit and the Lawyer who Busted Big Asbestos – was a revelation with its tale of corporate crime, apartheid capitalism, boardroom clashes, vulture funds and a huge cast of characters. Summing up the importance of this publication, one UK campaigner said: “This new book has a relevance not just to those of us fighting for the rights of the asbestos-injured but to everyone concerned about human rights, environmental justice and corporate responsibility.” [Read full article]

In a press release issued today, asbestos victims’ groups from around the world came together to welcome a new book: In a Rain of Dust – Death, Deceit and the Lawyer Who Busted Big Asbestos which was published in London on May 13, 2025. The text written by David Kinley joins the pantheon of other English-language classics which stripped away carefully crafted corporate façades to show the ugly reality which lies behind asbestos industry profits. The gripping story of how a London-based human rights solicitor with little prior knowledge about asbestos called to account one of the UK’s biggest asbestos conglomerates is not only a riveting read but also a timely reminder of the consequences of an industrial legacy that continues to cause death and destruction on a global scale. [Read full article]

Around the world, International Workers Memorial Day (IWMD) was celebrated on April 28, 2025 by trade unions, labor federations and groups representing victims of workplace illnesses and accidents. Although the theme of this year’s activities was the threat of artificial intelligence to workers, many of the events held highlighted the imminent hazard posed by asbestos to workers both in countries where its use remains legal and those where it is banned. With millions of tonnes of asbestos material still contaminating national infrastructures and over a million tonnes of asbestos fiber being used every year, neither workers nor the public are safe from deadly exposures. The IWMD slogan: “remember the dead, fight for the living” is as apt now as it’s ever been. [Read full article]

For decades, the existence of a regional asbestos epidemic has been a fact of life for people living in towns near a former asbestos mine in Bahia, a state in the northeast of Brazil. A pionnering pulmonary screening program has now confirmed what local people already knew: there is, indeed, a high incidence of occupationally and environmentally caused asbestos cancers, asbestosis, pleural plaques and other respiratory diseases in the Bahia towns of Bom Jesus da Serra, Poções, Caetanos and Planalto. Recommendations made by the specialists who implemented the surveillance program included: continuous monitoring of at-risk individuals, better recording of disease levels and data and the creation of a local center of excellence for the treatment of lung diseases. [Read full article]

People continue to die from asbestos-related cancers and diseases more than thirty years after asbestos was banned in Italy. For decades, victims’ associations, trade unions, community groups and public prosecutors have sought to hold negligent parties to account for the damage done. One defendant who has been indicted and convicted in multiple jurisdictions is Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny, former owner and a director of the Swiss Eternit company and the main shareholder of the defunct cement production company Eternit Italia. On April 17, the Turin Court of Appeal confirmed a lower court’s verdict which held him responsible for scores of asbestos deaths even though it reduced the length of the prison sentence. [Read full article]

It is remarkable to witness the heightened engagement of national authorities with asbestos legacies in key global hotspots. The imposition of new restrictions, progression of medical projects, upscaling of impact assessments and implementation of eradication programs are indicative of an ever-growing awareness of the urgent need for action to prevent future deaths. Work is also on-going in scores of other countries in screening at-risk populations, securing compensation for victims of asbestos-related diseases, documenting the crimes of asbestos defendants, highlighting long-standing injustices of compensation schemes, and exposing hazardous workplaces and practices. Scrupulous monitoring of developments is essential to preserve progress made in the battle for global asbestos justice. [Read full article]

A catalog of recent developments are suggestive of major problems at Russia’s second largest asbestos conglomerate: Uralasbest. On March 10, the company announced that the workforce would be put on a three-day week to save money on labor costs. Reacting to this news, panicked Uralasbest employees, already on minimum wage, told reporters that their income could decrease by a further 30%. Many were “seriously considering quitting.” Just a few days after the Uralasbest bombshell had exploded, the company announced that it was abandoning the three-day week in the face of employee “dissatisfaction.” The press service of Uralasbest declined to comment further. [Read full article]

After an eight-year wait, Brazilian and international asbestos watchers were optimistic that the Supreme Court’s (STF’s) definitive ruling on the illegality of asbestos exports would be handed down by March 14. As has happened so many times before, the delivery of an STF asbestos decision was upended. This time, the impasse was caused by Judge Kassio Nunes Marques, an appointee of the disgraced former President Jair Bolsonaro. Marques said he needed more time to consider the arguments of case ADI 6200. As he has been a STF Judge since November 5, 2020, one wonders why he had not found time to study the case files? There might be 103,000,000 reasons for this. [Read full article]

Two initiatives have come to the fore recently highlighting the human, environmental and ecological tragedy which has befallen Slovenia's picturesque Soča Valley. From 1921, this area was the heartland of the country's asbestos-cement industry with a sucession of companies routinely exposing thousands of workers and residents to carcinogenic asbestos fibers. A great debt is owed to author/researcher Jasmina Jerant and documentary photographer and filmmaker Manca Juvan who cast fresh eyes over an old scandal. Using their unique talents, they succeded in thrusting vital questions onto local, national and international agendas and once again forced us to question the compromises ordinary people are forced to make to provide for their families. [Read full article]

Brazilian asbestos, banned at home, continues to poison millions of people in India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe etc. whilst simultaneously enriching Brazilian stakeholders. In 2023, international sales of Brazilian asbestos were worth $103,000,000, making Brazil the world’s 2nd largest exporter. Deadlines published by the Supreme Court (STF) for ending the legal limbo in which exports of this prohibited substance continued were inexplicably postponed in August and October 2024. On the eve of STF proceedings which could end the constitutional impasse, global campaigners issued a press release urging the Court to end this “immoral and unjustifiable double standard.” [Read full article]

There is a special place in hell reserved for the panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit which on November 27, 1991 derailed an incipient US ban on asbestos. The knock-on effect of the verdict was that asbestos use remained legal for another 33 years, creating yet more asbestos victims. It was with a pronounced sense of déjà vu that on Friday, February 21, 2025 I learned that the same court had acceded to demands from the Trump administration to pause implementation of a 2024 national asbestos ban. Under the administration of Republican President George W. Bush the asbestos cancer risk to Americans was ignored in 1991; knowing what we do about Donald Trump, is it likely that the outcome will be different this time around? [Read full article]

A statement issued on February 13th conveyed news of yet another win by Indonesian campaigners against asbestos vested interests. After six months of hearings, motions and deliberations, Chief Judge of the Central Jakarta District Court Marper Pandiangan threw out legal arguments by the asbestos manufacturers association (FICMA) which had sought huge damages from civil society groups following a March 2024 Supreme Court ruling mandating warning labels for asbestos roofing products. FICMA has until the middle of March to file an appeal. [Read full article]

News that the Republic of Moldova banned asbestos late last year must have sent a seismic shock to asbestos producers in Russia and Kazakhstan. Although Moldova had in recent years consumed little or no asbestos – in 2022 Moldova imported a mere $16,400 worth of asbestos, 80% of which came from Russia – the elimination of yet another national market will almost certainly intensify the high level of anxiety being experienced by asbestos stakeholders. Throughout the region, asbestos markets are looking increasingly unstable with mounting challenges of pro-asbestos rhetoric and growing awareness among national governments of the high costs being incurred by society for industry profits. [Read full article]

In the run-up to the glitzy 2025 awards season which sees recognition for stars of stage and screen, the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) is acknowledging impactful work of a different kind. Winners of the Screen Actors Guild, the Academy Awards, the Golden Globe and Critics Choice receive imposing and tasteful statuettes to mark their successes. Not so the “winners” of the IBAS Devil’s Dust Awards 2025 whose ruthless promotion of an acknowledged carcinogen and/or suppression of victims’ rights have earned them a rather revolting accolade: a virtual avatar appropriately nicknamed the Lucifer. With so many potential candidates, it was hard to chose this year’s “winners.” The entities named in this years Dishonors List come from Brazil, France & Indonesia. Want to know more? Read on. [Read full article]

As recently as 2020, Russia was the world’s leading supplier of asbestos, accounting for 65% of global output. A mere three years later this figure had fallen to 48% with Russian producers facing falling demand and increasing competition. In the December 2024 newsletter produced by Uralasbest, Russia’s second biggest asbestos conglomerate, its General Director explained that among the challenges the company faced in 2024 were bureaucratic hurdles and logistical obstructions – i.e. persistent and continuing disruptions to asbestos cargo rail shipments. What he failed to mention, however, was the progress being achieved by global campaigners which has “significantly reduced the possibility of exporting chrysotile asbestos… [and created] the crisis faced by asbestos-producing businesses.” [Read full article]

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Demonstration in Woluwe Park, Brussels, 2006

Under cloudy skies, members of Belgian and French Asbestos Victims' Associations from Dunkirk and Bourgogne marched side-by-side in the third annual demonstration organized by ABEVA, the Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims. Erik Jonckheere, ABEVA's Co-chairman, condemned the government which still refuses to recognize the plight of the asbestos injured.

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