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Huge Fines for Rigging Asbestos Contracts
Mar 24, 2023
It was announced on March 23, 2023, that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had found 10 UK suppliers of demolition and asbestos services guilty of “illegally colluding” on bids involving 19 private and public sector projects worth £150 million which were carried out between 2013 and 2018. According to a CMA press release the defendants rigged the bidding process: “colluding on prices through illegal cartel agreements when submitting bids in competitive tenders for contracts.” Fines totalling £59,334,957 were issued. See: Ten construction firms fined total £60m for ‘illegally colluding’ on contract bids.
Victims’ Victory in Kyoto
Mar 24, 2023
On March 23, 2023, Presiding Judge Shohei Matsuyama of the Kyoto District Court ordered 16 building material manufacturers to pay compensation to 43 members of a class action lawsuit, including retired or deceased workers who had contracted lung cancer and/or mesothelioma as a consequence of inhaling asbestos at construction sites. According to the Judge: “It was recognized that the danger of asbestos was foreseeable in 1975 at the latest…” Amongst the legal arguments used by manufacturers to contest the claims was the fact that the injured who had smoked were partially responsible for their injuries. See: 石綿、メーカーに賠償命令 京都第２陣、国とは先に和解 [Asbestos Manufacturers Ordered to Compensate Kyoto 2nd Round, Reconciliation with Government First].
Protecting EU Workers
Mar 24, 2023
The commentary cited below, which was produced in collaboration with the European Commission (EC), discussed the urgency behind Europe’s drive to introduce stricter workplace protections against asbestos exposure in the context of the drive to meet climate change targets. The EC proposals to substantially reduce occupational asbestos exposure limits mirrors the current regime in France. Interviews with asbestos removal personnel and occupational health specialists informed the article. See: Why must asbestos regulations change to better protect EU workers?
Europe’s Rejection of Asbestos
Mar 24, 2023
In a rare divergence from usual practices, a Russian news portal published the translation of a European article detailing efforts by the European Commission (EC) to protect workers from toxic exposures to asbestos. In Russia, the world’s largest producer and exporter of asbestos, a de facto ban exists on the publication of any news which undermines the Russian asbestos sector. The text pointed out that: the EU had banned asbestos use in 2005; 78% of occupational cancers were related to asbestos exposures; 70,000 died in 2019 from asbestos-related diseases; and that the EC intends to reduce the asbestos exposure limit from 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cm³) to 0.01. See: Асбесту здесь не место [Asbestos has no place here].
Asbestos and Early Retirement
Mar 24, 2023
The article cited below explained the conditions, qualifications and procedures for obtaining early retirement in France due to historic occupational asbestos exposures. Workers with asbestos-related diseases recognized by the health authority, workers who had been employed in a company which had manufactured products containing asbestos and individuals who had been employed in the shipbuilding or ship repair sectors are eligible to apply for retirement at age 50. See: Préretraite amiante : qui peut en bénéficier? [Asbestos early retirement: who can benefit from it?].
Asbestos Eradication on Grand Canaries
Mar 24, 2023
Pursuant to European Union objectives to eradicate asbestos from the built environment by 2032, the Government of the Grand Canaries has confirmed its intention to finance an asbestos removal program. According to Eliza Monzón, head of technical services for the authority’s Waste Department: “in the first [asbestos] census of 2018, 200 homes were registered, while in a second census, in 2021, 3,000 did so." To date, 200 tons of asbestos were removed from domestic properties on the island. See: El Cabildo de Gran Canaria financiará la extracción del amianto [The Cabildo de Gran Canaria will finance the removal of asbestos].
Asbestos Eradication in Catalonia
Mar 23, 2023
The National Plan for the Eradication of Asbestos in Catalonia, an autonomous community of Spain, was approved by the Generalitat (Government of Catalonia) this week; the European Union 2032 deadline for the completion of the decontamination of the territory was adopted. It has been estimated that there are 4 million tonnes of asbestos-containing material still in Catalonia. The National Plan contains 21 actions, organized into 4 areas. Funds for the work are provided by the Generalitat under annual allocations. Considering that the estimated life of asbestos products is 30 to 50 years, by 2030 more than 85% of this material will have exceeded its useful life. See: Plan para retirar todo el amianto antes de 2032 [Plan to remove all asbestos by 2032].
Understanding and Preventing Cancer
Mar 23, 2023
In the Russian language article cited below, which appeared on a Kazakh news portal on March 20, 2023, oncologist Bakytzhan Ongarbaev, of the Kazakh Research Institute of Oncology and Radiology, warned citizens of the dangers posed by environmental factors such as exposures to “asbestos, radiation, chemicals, air and water pollution…” Advice about how to avoid the consequences of obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption was also given. Kazakhstan is one of the world’s largest producers of chrysotile (white) asbestos See: Семь главных факторов риска развития рака назвал казахстанский онколог [Kazakh oncologist names seven main risk factors for cancer development].
Asbestos Anxiety Claims
Mar 23, 2023
To our knowledge, the only country which recognizes asbestos anxiety as grounds for a personal injury claim is France. The article cited below is a timely discussion of developments in the French courts and includes a summation of a decision handed down on February 8, 2023 by the country’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) regarding claims brought for asbestos anxiety by subcontractors and judicial support for the rights of employees to be compensated in cases where the dignity of labor had been violated. See: Amiante: réparation du préjudice d’anxiété en cas de sous-traitance et atteinte à la dignité des salaries [Asbestos: compensation for anxiety suffered by subcontractors and for violation of the dignity of employees].
Precedent Set in Pisa Court
Mar 23, 2023
A verdict handed down by Labor Judge Rossana Ciccone in the Pisa Court was hailed as historic, due to the acknowledgement that the urinary tract cancer which caused the death of a glassmaker referred to by the initials TC, had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. The Court ordered the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) – which had initially rejected the family’s claim – to pay compensation of €500,000 ($US540,000). See: L’amianto colpisce le vie urinarie, 500mila euro a un vetraio [Asbestos affects the urinary tract, 500 thousand euros to a glazier].
Progress Update on US Ban
Mar 23, 2023
Last week (March 16 & 17, 2023), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published documents with information about plans to finalize the Agency’s position regarding the legality of the use of chrysotile asbestos and products containing it in the US. Feedback from a public consultation process was mixed with the representatives of the industrial sector arguing for action on an asbestos ban to be phased in and citizens’ groups calling for an immediate end to the use of this class 1 carcinogen. Further comments can be submitted until April 17, 2023. See: EPA Releases Additional Data on Ongoing Uses of Chrysotile Asbestos.
Claim for Renfe Worker Won
Mar 23, 2023
On March 20, 2023 the Superior Court of Justice of Cantabria, an autonomous region in Northern Spain, published news of a February 27, 2023 judgment which had recognized that the death of a railway worker was linked to asbestos exposures experienced in the workshops of the Renfe company; Renfe is the national passenger railway company of Spain. A previous court had ruled against the family and this case was the result of an appeal brought by the legal team representing the deceased’s widow. See: Tribunal condena a Renfe a indemnizar a viuda de empleado muerto por amianto [Court orders Renfe to compensate the widow of an employee killed by asbestos].
Acknowledgment of Urals’ Asbestos Hazard
Mar 22, 2023
The article cited below was uploaded on March 20, 2023 to a Russian news portal. The text was principally about a high-profile investigation of the activities of the “infamous owner of the no less scandalous FORES Group of Companies, Sergei Shmotiev.” In the article, reporter N. Popova referred to Shmotiev’s commercial interests in the mining town of Asbestos, noting that: “Asbestos is one of the ten most polluted cities in the Russian Federation, along with Chelyabinsk and Nizhny Tagil…Residents of the city without exception suffer from asbestosis (lung damage), as well as cancer.” See: Собрал Шмотьев и ушел [Gathered Shmotiev and left].
Rome Court Rejects Company’s Appeal
Mar 22, 2023
The children of Vincenzo Cecchini, who died from lung cancer as a result of occupational asbestos exposures, won their action at the Rome Appeal Court when judges Alberto Celeste, Donatella Casablanca and Olga Pirone rejected an appeal by the deceased’s employer, the transport company Cotral. As a result, compensation of €78,714 (US$84,000) will be paid to sons Claudio and Stefano; the case for Mrs. Cecchini was settled previously. Over decades, Cecchini had worked as a laborer, a line driver, a maintenance man and a heavy goods driver for Cotral. See: Autista Cotral vittima dell’amianto, confermata in Appello la condanna al risarcimento dei figli [Cotral driver victim of asbestos, compensation for children confirmed in appeal].
WHO/IARC Mesothelioma Research
Mar 22, 2023
A March 16 press release by the World Health Organization (WHO) / International Agency for Research for Cancer (IARC) announced the discovery of molecular variation in cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The findings of IARCS’s Rare Cancers Genomics Team could be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this cancer. The factors identified by which to categorize MPM were: “the number of chromosomes in the cancer cells; the morphological appearance of the cancer cells; the patient’s immune-system response to the cancer; and how certain parts of the cancer genes are turned on or off by epigenetic marks.” See: MESOMICS project uncovers molecular variation in mesothelioma, paving the way for improved diagnosis and treatment.
Asbestos Legacy in Saskatchewan
Mar 22, 2023
On March 13, 2023, WorkSafe Saskatchewan – “a partnership between the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety” – released the 2023-2028 Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy. According to the report: “Eighty-one per cent of the public was not aware of asbestos risk exposure during home renovation work. Ninety-four per cent of occupational disease fatalities between 2010 and 2021 in the construction industry [in Saskatchewan] were asbestos-related.” See: WorkSafe Saskatchewan Report: 2023-2028 Fatalities and Serious Injuries Strategy.
Asbestos Protocols in France
Mar 22, 2023
The article cited below summarized some of the requirements imposed by the French Government on homeowners, to protect residents, workers and tenants from toxic exposures to asbestos. If the presence of asbestos is suspected – and that is highly likely in properties built before 1997 – the property owner must engage a specialist to conduct an asbestos audit before the sale or renting of the building. In addition, asbestos identification work must be carried out before renovation or demolition work can proceed. See: Logement: comment vérifier la présence d'amiante dans une maison [Housing: how to check for asbestos in a house].
Tuscany, an Asbestos Hotspot
Mar 22, 2023
Between 1993 and 2018, there were 1,901 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in Tuscany, according to data released earlier this month. In addition, this Region in central Italy has nearly 60,000 tonnes of asbestos waste deposited in landfills, the second highest amount in the country. Every year, thousands of individuals who suffered historic and/or current asbestos exposures in the construction, energy production, transport, shipbuilding, rolling stock and mining sectors are bringing personal injury lawsuits in Tuscany. See: Amianto: 1901 casi di mesotelioma in Toscana dal 1993 al 2018 [Asbestos: 1901 cases of mesothelioma in Tuscany from 1993 to 2018].
Mesothelioma Death of NSW MP
Mar 21, 2023
On March 17, 2023, it was announced that the politician Stephen Bromhead had died aged 66 from mesothelioma, the signature asbestos cancer. Announcing his intention to retire after 12 years of representing the constituency of Myall Lakes, the New South Wales (NSW) Nationals MP said that this decision had been forced upon him after he had learned in August 2022 that he had contracted asbestos cancer: “It is simply the case that I have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, which means I cannot put 100 per cent into the job.” See: New South Wales Nationals MP, former member for Myall Lakes, Stephen Bromhead dies.
Accessing EU Asbestos Eradication Funds
Mar 21, 2023
In a press release issued on March 16, 2023 the Committee of the Regions (CdR) asked the European Union (EU) for city councils and regional governments to have direct access to community funds to eradicate asbestos from homes and buildings in Member States. In addition, the CdR recommended the adoption of an integrated and systemic EU strategy for asbestos removal which would cover issues such as “inventory, monitoring, safe disposal, storage, education and training methods.” During the plenary debate, Rapporteur Hanna Zdanowska called: “for increased cooperation at EU level and the need for new grant mechanisms and financial incentives for citizens interested in replacing asbestos roofing.” See: Local leaders urge stricter rules and more funds to deliver an asbestos-free Europe.
Rehashing Asbestos Propaganda
Mar 21, 2023
The text cited below brings a new element into reheated asbestos propaganda, claiming that vested interests are exploiting the “environmental agenda” as a means of progressing calls to ban asbestos. According to the author, the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos is “safe” despite bans imposed by many governments including former asbestos producing nations such as Canada and Brazil. These bans, say the text, are ill-informed as chrysotile “helps dynamically developing economies independently solve the complex tasks of building mass housing, developing social infrastructure and stimulating the real estate market.” See: Экологическая "повестка": идея или бизнес? [Ecological agenda: idea or business?].
Connecticut Mesothelioma Verdict
Mar 21, 2023
A Connecticut jury this month broke state records for the level of compensatory damages awarded in a mesothelioma case; punitive damages are yet to be determined. Defendants Vanderbilt Minerals and DAP, Inc., manufacturers of asbestos-containing building material used by John Peckham, were ordered to pay his widow and family the sum of $20 million for his 2020 death from the signature asbestos cancer. In the 1960s Peckham used DAP “33” window glazing which contained chrysotile asbestos and asbestos-contaminated talc. Whilst employed at the Stillwater Worsted Mill in East Woodstock, Peckham scraped and removed dried glazing from window frames whilst replacing hundreds of windows. See: Connecticut Jury Awards $20M in Worker’s Death from Asbestos Exposure.
Venice Court Verdict
Mar 21, 2023
The Venice Labor Court ordered the Port Authority to pay the daughters of a deceased dock worker €124,000 (US$132,000) for his death which had, the Court ruled, been caused by occupational exposure to asbestos whilst loading and unloading asbestos cargo received at the ports of Marittima and Marghera between the 1950s and mid-1980s. See: Mestre. Morto portuale di tumore: per anni si era occupato di sbarco e imbarco di sacchi di amianto. Risarcite le figlie di 124mila euro [Mestre. Port worker died of cancer: for years he had been involved in the unloading and loading of sacks of asbestos. Compensation of 124 thousand euros for his daughters].
Streamlining Asbestos Production
Mar 21, 2023
An asbestos-cement company in the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan announced on March 15 that its factory had been accepted into a nationwide project to increase industrial productivity. According to the article cited below, starting next month (April) experts from the Federal Center of Competence will inspect production lines of asbestos-cement tiles to identify problem areas in order to achieve operational efficiencies. See: Стерлитамакский фиброцементный завод стал участником нацпроекта «Производительность труда» [Sterlitamak fiber cement plant became a participant of the national project “Labor Productivity”].
New Funding for Mesothelioma Research
Mar 20, 2023
A donation of over £2 million for mesothelioma research was announced earlier this month by Cancer Research UK. Scientists at the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute in Glasgow and the Medical Research Council, Cambridge will use this money to study the long latency period of the signature asbestos cancer in an attempt to develop protocols for the prevention and treatment of a cancer which continues to claim thousands of lives in the UK every year. Commenting on this donation, Cancer Research UK spokesperson Dr Iain Foulkes said: “while new treatments that harness the immune system to attack mesothelioma are coming through, the long and painful legacy of asbestos use is still sadly being felt today.” See: £2.1m cash injection to help researchers detect asbestos cancer earlier.
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 20, 2023
Having withstood a fierce backlash from adverse publicity over the effects of asbestos contamination of Philadelphia’s public schools and school shutdowns over asbestos discoveries, municipal leaders threatened to withhold further funding until they receive a “detailed plan for rectifying the issue of unsafe and deteriorating school buildings” from the Philadelphia School Board. Calls are being made for state legislators to allocate funds to bring the city’s schools up to standard. So far, in 2023, there have been in excess of 195 asbestos removal projects in Philadelphia schools. See: City officials threaten to withhold school funding amid asbestos issues.
Asbestos Eradication in Pristina
Mar 20 2023
Work began this year (2023) in the capital of Kosovo to remove deteriorating and weathered asbestos roofing on public buildings under a program directed by the Directorate of Public Services. Commenting on this initiative, Professor Fatbardh Gashi of the Faculty of Chemistry said: “The project of changing the asbestos roofs which date back from the 60s, 70s, and 80s is welcome because these roofs emit carcinogenic substances on a daily basis and thus endanger our health.” See: Prishtina municipality to remove asbestos hardboard roofs.
Asbestos Removal in Málaga’s Schools
Mar 20, 2023
After a high-profile public campaign over asbestos contamination of schools in Andalusia, the authorities announced plans to remove asbestos-containing roofing at three educational facilities in Antequera, Benalmádena and Vélez-Málaga during the school holidays. A sum of €193,000 (US$207,000) was allocated for the removal and replacement of the toxic material. To date, the Regional Government of Andalusia has spent €6.6m (US$7m) on removing asbestos from local schools. See: La Junta adjudica la retirada de amianto en tres centros escolares de la provincia de Málaga [Board approves removal of asbestos in three schools in the province of Malaga].
WA Petition for Asbestos Memorial
Mar 20, 2023
An e-petition was launched on March 10, 2023 by residents of Western Australia calling on the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia to support calls for a permanent memorial in Perth and in the Pilbara “not just for the workers but also for their children, families, visitors, and local Traditional Owners of the land, many of whom have since lost their lives to deadly asbestos diseases.” More than four thousand West Australians have died from asbestos-related diseases. See: Wittenoom Memorial for Australia's worst industrial disaster.
Update on EPA Asbestos Ban
Mar 20, 2023
The attempt by The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos, the only type of asbestos still in use in the US, continues to be plagued by setbacks not least of which is the determined opposition by vested interests including representatives of the chlorine industry, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the chemical manufacturers’ American Chemistry Council and the oil industry’s American Petroleum Institute. If all the planets align, a proposed rule announced by the EPA on April 5, 2022 to outlaw the use of chrysotile asbestos in the US could become final by late 2023. See: The EPA’s Ongoing Battle to Ban Asbestos.
Ombudsman: Asbestos Progress Too Slow!
Mar 17, 2023
On March 13, 2023, during the presentation of the Spanish Ombudsman’s annual report, calls were made for the Governments of Aragon, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Ceuta, Community of Madrid, La Rioja and the Region of Murcia to implement, as a priority, plans to eradicate asbestos contamination from their jurisdictions. Under a 2022 law, municipalities were given a year to conduct asbestos audits; many have failed to do so in a timely manner which would almost certainly mean that the official deadline would be missed. See: El Defensor del Pueblo pide impulsar el censo de edificios afectados por amianto y acelerar la retirada de este tóxico [The Ombudsman asks [authorities] to promote the census of buildings affected by asbestos and accelerate the removal of this toxic [substance]].
Warsaw Funding for Asbestos Program
Mar 17, 2023
At a March 13, 2023 press conference in the Polish town of Przysucha the Minister of Climate Anna Moscow announced the allocation, by the Voivodship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Warsaw, of PLN8.5 million (US$2m) for asbestos eradication work; local communes can apply for up to PLN35,000 per project to subsidize decontamination work. See: Minister Moskwa: wsparcie dla samorządów Mazowsza m.in. na usuwanie azbestu [Minister Moscow: support for local governments of Mazovia, e.g. for asbestos removal].
Govt Benefits for Asbestosis Sufferers
Mar 17, 2023
From April 1, 2023, Vietnamese citizens will be able to access government benefits for an additional 35 occupationally-caused diseases including asbestosis under Circular 02/2023/TT-BYT amending Circular 15/2016/TT-BYT regulating occupational diseases entitled to social insurance. Once employees receive an occupational disease diagnosis the advice is for them to limit toxic exposures and seek treatment, according to Ministry of Health protocols. Under the insurance regime, the injured are entitled to nursing, rehabilitation and a reassessment of their working capacity in light of their condition. See: 35 bệnh nghề nghiệp được hưởng BHXH [35 occupational diseases are entitled to social insurance].
Asbestos Prison Sentence
Mar 17, 2023
In a press release issued on March 10, 2023 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it was announced that following an HSE investigation and a trial at Manchester Magistrates’ Court the Director – Daniel Luke Cockcroft – of a “supposedly” licensed asbestos removal company – Asbestos Boss Ltd. – and the company itself had been found guilty of breaching British regulations 8(1) and 11(1)(a) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The company never had an asbestos license and took no steps to protects workers or the public from toxic exposures. Cockroft was jailed for six months and ordered to compensate his victims. The company is yet to be sentenced. See: Company and its director prosecuted for unsafe removal of asbestos across Great Britain.
Asbestos Eradication Program Subsidies
Mar 17, 2023
On March 13, 2023, the authorities of Korea’s Suwon Special Administrative City announced the availability of funds of up to 2 million won (US$1540) to dismantle and remove asbestos-containing material from day care and senior citizen centers. Facility owners can download an application form from the Suwon Special City website and submit the completed form along with other relevant documents, including a copy of the asbestos investigation report, business registration certificate or corporate registration certificate, to officials at Suwon City Hall. See: 수원특례시, '석면 해체·제거 지원사업' 참여자 모집 [Suwon Special City, Recruitment of Participants in ‘Asbestos Dismantling and Removal Support Project’].
Asbestos Scare in Cádiz
Mar 17, 2023
The article cited below documented concerns of people from a densely populated area of Cádiz who reported that unscheduled and improperly conducted asbestos removal work had created a health hazard for residents. Appeals for information to the subcontractors carrying out the work were fruitless as they claimed the complainants were not property owners but only tenants. Requests for action by the City Council had been unproductive. See: Vecinos de Guillén Moreno denuncian que se está retirando el amianto de sus viviendas «de manera irregular» [Neighbors of Guillén Moreno denounce that asbestos is being removed from their homes “irregularly”].
Philadelphia High Schools Shut
Mar 15, 2023
Two days after a Philadelphia High School was closed because of asbestos contamination this month (March 2023), another high school in West Oak Lane was closed when asbestos material was found in the auditorium balcony and on two stairwells. A letter sent to parents by the Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia Tony Watlington admitted that “records indicate asbestos damage has existed in the auditorium since June 2021, and possibly longer.” Plans to relocate the students to an alternative facility failed when only 22 out of 390 pupils showed up for lessons at the new location; the others resorted to virtual schooling. See: Philadelphia students kept in asbestos-ridden school for over two years.
Asbestos Audit Regulations
Mar 15, 2023
On November 22, 2022 it became mandatory under the Asbestos Decree [Asbestdecreet], approved by the Flemish Parliament March 29, 2019, to produce an asbestos inventory certificate prior to the sale of any property built before 2001. The certificate can be provided following an on-site inspection by an asbestos expert. The paperwork must be registered with the Public Waste Agency (OVAM). Failure to comply with the regulations will result in the voiding of any property transfer. See: Belgium: As Of 23 November 2022, An Asbestos Certificate Is Mandatory When Transferring Real Estate Constructed Before 2001 In Flanders.
Victims’ Call for Justice
Mar 15, 2023
At a hearing at the Paris Criminal Court on March 9, 2023 lawyers for French asbestos victims called for criminal proceedings to be brought over the national asbestos scandal. In March 2022, the National Association of Asbestos Victims filed a direct citation naming former government officials, business leaders and/or doctors – all of whom had worked with or for the Permanent Committee on Asbestos – that had played a pivotal role in blocking plans to implement a French ban on the use of this carcinogenic substance. More than 3,000 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases in France. See: Amiante: une nouvelle impasse pour une procédure pénale? [Asbestos: a new impasse for criminal proceedings?].
Monterone Asbestos Scare
Mar 15, 2023
Following a complaint submitted by local people, municipal authorities and the police in the Italian town of Monterone took action on allegations regarding an asbestos pipeline. A representative of the local health authority requested the Mayor issue an order that the property owner submit the suspect pipe for testing in an authorized laboratory. The property owner was given a 60-day deadline to “send an analytical certificate of the content of the artefacts…issued by an accredited laboratory… [and] if asbestos content is found, to send a copy of the control, custody and maintenance program adopted.” See: Allarme amianto a Monterone, arriva l’ordinanza sindacale [Asbestos alarm in Monterone, union ordinance arrives].
Calls for Asbestos Action in Andalusia
Mar 15, 2023
On March 11, 2023, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) presented a motion to the Provincial Council of Málaga calling for asbestos ceilings to be removed from the Province’s schools. The motion was scheduled to be debated during a committee meeting of the Regional Government of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. See: El PSOE insta a la Junta a retirar los techos de amianto de los colegios de la provincia de Málaga [The PSOE urges Board to remove asbestos ceilings from schools in the province of Malaga].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 15, 2023
On March 9, 2023, the teaching of students from Walnut Grove Secondary in British Columbia, Canada was affected after contractors fixing a flood in the drama room discovered the presence of asbestos material. An officer from WorkSafe BC – the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia – issued a stop-work order so that air sampling of the affected room and other areas could be undertaken. The 2,000 students and 200 members of staff were sent home out of an abundance of caution until the results of the tests had been obtained. See: Asbestos worries shut down B.C. high school days before March break.
The STF and the Environment
Mar 14, 2023
The February 23, 2023 decision by Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) confirming the country’s ban on asbestos was discussed in the podcast cited below within the context of Brazil’s obligations to progress the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 interconnected global targets, so that “no one in the world would be left behind” in the struggle to achieve an “ecologically balanced environment, essential to a healthy quality of life…” Other recent decisions by the STF illustrate its commitment to preserve “life, dignity, justice and sustainability, with jurisdictional action…” See: Artigo: A força da manifestação do ministro [Article: The strength of minister's demonstration].
Asbestos Exposure in the Air Force
Mar 14, 2023
The Milan Court of Appeal issued a plaintiff’s verdict over the mesothelioma death (2012) of a 67-year old member of the Italian Air Force, ordering the Ministry of Defense to pay compensation of €500,000 (US$527,000) to his widow Graziella. Fabio Fabretti had served in the Air Force from March1965 to April 1966. During his military service, Fabretti was assigned to the operational missile base at Cordovado, where he was involved with the missile program in collaboration with NATO personnel. See: Morte per amianto, la Corte di appello di Milano condanna il ministero della Difesa a risarcire la vedova di un aviere [Death from asbestos, the Milan Court of Appeal orders the Ministry of Defense to compensate the widow of an airman].
Asbestos Compensation Tax-Free
Mar 14, 2023
On March 8, 2023, the authorities of the Spanish Province of Gipuzkoa unanimously approved a legislative proposal exempting Basque recipients of asbestos compensation from a proposed national scheme of the obligation to pay personal income tax on the payments. Spanish trade unionists are urging the Madrid Government to follow the Basque example and extend the tax exemption to all those in Spain affected by asbestos exposures. See: Gipuzkoa aprueba la exención fiscal de las indemnizaciones por amianto [Gipuzkoa approves tax exemption for asbestos compensation].
Asbestos Bankruptcies under Scrutiny
Mar 14, 2023
After the Philadelphia-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals on January 30, 2023 ruled against the use of the legal stratagem known as the “Texas Two-Step” by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to offload asbestos liabilities, new challenges are being launched by lawyers working on behalf of asbestos victims whose claims against asbestos defendants had been put on indefinite hold, with the Court’s opinion being cited. Writing the verdict issued by the Court of Appeals, Judge Thomas Ambro noted: “Good intentions – such as to protect the J&J brand or comprehensively resolve litigation – do not suffice alone,” to warrant bankruptcy. See: Asbestos Bankruptcies Facing Fresh Challenges After J&J Ruling.
Asbestos and Laryngeal Cancer
Mar 14, 2023
A claim has been won for the family of a worker who died aged 68 in 2019 from laryngeal cancer after having been exposed to asbestos during his two years of employment by the Montecatini Edison company, which had operated the aluminium plant in Fusina, Venice. Laryngeal cancer has been recognized by Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) as an occupational disease caused by exposures to asbestos. The compensation awarded to the family by the Court was €70,000 (US$74,000). See: Tumore alla laringe, risarcita famiglia di vittima amianto [Laryngeal cancer, asbestos victim's family compensated].
Asbestos Eradication: Update
Mar 14, 2023
Asbestos roofing was widely used throughout Croatia before asbestos was banned in 2005. Between 2011 to 2021, the equivalent of six Eiffel towers in weight (68,720 tonnes) of construction waste containing asbestos were removed. Since 2016 – when the Ordinance on construction waste and waste containing asbestos came into force – 21,188 tons of this toxic waste had been buried at certified landfills for hazardous waste, of which there are 18 in Croatia, and 550 tonnes had been exported for disposal. See: U deset godina uklonili azbestni otpad težine šest Eiffelovih [In ten years, asbestos waste weighing six Eiffel Towers has been removed].
After the War is Over
Mar 13, 2023
The article cited below explored the environmental catastrophe which will be left once Ukraine has won the war started by its Russian neighbors. In the starkest of terms, the author of the text explained: “The fact is that grenades, mines and other explosive shells destroy buildings, and they, in turn, emit asbestos.” Asbestos contamination is just one of the ecological problems Ukraine will face during its reconstruction; the others include: ground and water contamination with mercury, arsenic, lead and explosives – including TNT (trinitrotoluene). See: Война в Украине приведет к экологической катастрофе [War in Ukraine will lead to ecological catastrophe].
Asbestos Hazard Post-Earthquake
Mar 13, 2023
In the wake of the 5.6 earthquake which hit Cianjur, Indonesia on November 21, 2022 causing injuries, deaths and widespread destruction – 53,408 houses and 800+ public buildings, including schools, were damaged – emergency workers were observed handling broken asbestos-containing building material. Campaigners from the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network and the OSH Network documented the situation and provided targeted training for humanitarian workers to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard and avoid exposures to the deadly fibers whilst responding to the disaster. See: Indonesian earthquake prompts asbestos hazards training.
Medical Support for Asbestos-Exposed
Mar 13, 2023
In the absence of Slovenian regulations mandating medical surveillance protocols and support for individuals with a high risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases, the University Clinic for Lung Diseases and Allergies in Golnik – in the city of Kranj in the Upper Carniolan region – opened two outpatient clinics for people at high risk due to historical asbestos exposures; the clinics operate four hours a day, five days a week. The author of the article cited below neglected to mention the medical work which has been ongoing for many years for asbestos patients at the University Medical Center in Ljubljana. See: Азбест може да изазове болест четрдесет година након излагања [Asbestos can cause disease forty years after exposure].
Asbestos Claim from Metro Exposure
Mar 13, 2023
On March 3, 2023, a 39-year old worker employed by a subcontractor (ERI) filed an action in the labor court of Créteil, a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, claiming €300,000 (US$315,000) compensation for occupational asbestos exposures over twenty years. The claimant alleged that he had experienced great anxiety as a result of the knowledge of the toxic work conditions he had experienced whilst renovating Paris metro stations; he has been on sick leave from ERI since 2020. See: Amiante: dans le Val-de-Marne, un ouvrier demande 300.000 euros à un sous-traitant de la RATP [Asbestos: in Val-de-Marne, a worker demands 300,000 euros from an RATP subcontractor].
Asbestos in Children’s Centers
Mar 13, 2023
A meeting to consider ways to address asbestos contamination of local children’s centers took place on March 7, 2023 in Korea’s National Assembly. Commenting on the event, Lee Hak-young, who co-hosted the meeting, said: “I hope that this meeting will once again awaken awareness of asbestos and contribute to solving the problem of improving the environment of local children's centers where children and adolescents spend a lot of time.” During the session, key stakeholders including government officials, reported the reality of the situation on the ground and made recommendations. See: 지역아동센터 석면진단 의무화 됐지만… [Asbestos diagnosis at local children's centers has become mandatory, but…].
Asbestos Criminal Trial: Novara Update
Mar 13, 2023
As the asbestos criminal trial of Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny, charged with 392 counts of voluntary homicide of Italian citizens, draws to a close, Journalist Rocco Zagaria considered the possibility of the defendant once again escaping punishment, even if he was to be found guilty as charged as he has been in multiple jurisdictions. Trade union leaders interviewed for the article expressed concerns over Schmidheiny’s use of successful strategies to evade jail sentences and financial penalties. See: Amianto: processo Eternit bis alle battute finali [Asbestos: Eternit bis trial in the final stages].
Toxic Talc!
Mar 10, 2023
Another US case over exposures to asbestos-containing talc cosmetic products ended with a plaintiff’s victory in a South Carolina court on March 3, 2023. Mesothelioma sufferer Sarah Plant was awarded $29.14 million when the jury ruled on the guilt of talc supplier Whittaker Clark & Daniels. Since the proceedings began other defendants, including cosmetics company Mary Kay and makeup pigment company Color Techniques, had entered into confidential settlements with the plaintiff. See: Jury Awards $29M+ Cosmetic Talc Asbestos Verdict.
Asbestos & Lung Cancer
Mar 10, 2023
A Russian language article on a Belarus news portal about the causes of lung cancer highlighted the asbestos health hazard, acknowledging that exposures can cause asbestosis and that “prolonged exposure to asbestos in the workplace is harmful to the respiratory system.” The synergistic effect of smoking and asbestos exposures is discussed with the author pointing out that the lung cancer risk for smokers with occupational asbestos exposures is 59 times higher compared to non-smokers who do not work with asbestos. High-risk individuals are advised to quit smoking. See: Сигареты, вейпы и асбест: что может вызвать рак легких? [Cigarettes, vapes and asbestos: what can cause lung cancer?].
Update from Novara
Mar 10, 2023
The article cited below was written by Silvana Mossano, a veteran observer of the criminal trial in the Court of Assizes, Novara against Stephen Schmidheiny. The eight-page text covered proceedings on February 27. Highlighting the unique nature of the asbestos catastrophe which befell Casale Monferrato, Mossano explained the plaintiffs’ arguments, the asbestos contamination both inside and outside the factory, the processes of diagnosing the injured, the causal link between toxic exposures and their cancers, the state-of-the art of asbestos research and the motivation/intent of the accused. See: Legali di parte civile: «Schmidheiny sapeva quello che stava facendo e ha deciso il destino dei casalesi» [Civil action lawyers: “Schmidheiny knew what he was doing and decided the fate of the Casalesi [Casale inhabitants]”].
New HSE Asbestos Campaign
Mar 10, 2023
A campaign by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) entitled Asbestos & You was launched on March 7, 2023 to warn younger workers, particularly those in trades such as plastering and joinery, about the occupational hazard posed by asbestos material within the national infrastructure. Five thousand people die every year in the UK from asbestos-related diseases; the sector most affected by asbestos mortality is the construction industry. According to the HSE’s chief executive Sarah Albon: “Asbestos exposure in Great Britain is still the single greatest cause of work-related deaths. We are committed to protecting people in the workplace and reducing future work-related ill health.” See: HSE warns young construction workers about asbestos risk.
New Asbestos Insurance Policy
Mar 10, 2023
A March 6, 2023 press release by AIG General, a global insurance organization, announced the introduction of “an industry first Asbestos Dispersion Accident Expense Rider” aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan which will cover expenses incurred when “asbestos is dispersed outside a construction site due to an unforeseen accident…” The policy will cover the costs for emergency measures to address the contamination as well as outreach work to business premises and homes within 50 meters of the site, including asbestos removal costs. See: AIG Upgrades Commercial General Liability and Business Expense Insurance: Offers industry’s first rider covering asbestos dispersion accidents.
Asbestos Eradication on Paros
Mar 10, 2023
A €1,895,000 (US$2m) contract was signed on February 24, 2023 to replace aging asbestos-cement water pipes in the settlement of Agkairia on the Greek island of Paros. The funding for this project was supplied under the 2014-22 Operational Program of the Ministry of Development. A new water supply network will replace the defective asbestos pipelines in the Agkairia area and new pipelines will be added to supply water to areas as yet unconnected. Work on this project will start immediately and is expected to take a year to complete. See: ΔΕΥΑ Πάρου: Παρελθόν για τους ελαττωματικούς αγωγούς από αμίαντο στην Αγκαιριά [DEWA Paros: End of defective asbestos pipelines in Agkairia].
Public Protest over Plans for Toxic Waste
Mar 9, 2023
A public demonstration on March 4, 2023 took place in the Italian commune of Pontedera in Tuscany to voice the concerns of local people over the Region’s plans to re-open the Grillaia landfill for the disposal of hazardous waste, including asbestos debris. Grassroots citizens’ groups, environmental campaigners and representatives of political parties took part in the event. Demonstrators called on the Region to withdraw its plans and return the asbestos waste which has been arriving over recent weeks for dumping to its original location. See: Discarica dei veleni, rabbia in Valdera per dire no all’amianto (rissa politica compresa) [Poison dump, anger in Valdera for saying no to asbestos (including political brawl)].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 9, 2023
The discovery of asbestos in a 1915 Philadelphia high school, which was reported on March 4, 2023, led to the student body being relocated the following week to an alternative site: the fourth floor of the Strawberry Mansion High School. The contamination in Building 21 Philadelphia was identified following a routine inspection; following which, the school building was temporarily shut. Commenting on the state of the city’s schools, President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers Jerry Jordan said: “It is reprehensible that so many of our buildings are over 100 years old and have been neglected because there was not enough money in the budget to maintain them.” See: Philadelphia students move to new high school after asbestos scare.
Asbestos Defendants Lose Appeal
Mar 9, 2023
On March 5, 2023, the Third Region of Brazil’s Superior Labor Court reinstated a judgment that ordered Distribuidora Meridional Ltda., from the city of Garanhuns in Pernambuco State, and Eternit S.A. to pay compensation for collective moral damages in the amount of R$100,000 (US$19,250) and R$500,000 (US$96,230), respectively, due to their failures to comply with state law (Law 12.589/2004) that prohibited the manufacture, trade and use of asbestos or asbestos in any activity, especially in civil, public and private construction. See: Distribuidora e Eternit são condenadas por violar lei que proíbe amianto em Pernambuco [Distribuidora and Eternit are condemned for violating the law that prohibits asbestos in Pernambuco].
Asbestos at Military Base
Mar 9, 2023
After a media exposé in August 2022 of the presence of asbestos contamination at the Torrejón de Ardoz airbase, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) took steps to quantify the problem by contracting a specialist company, Laboratorio Echavarne, to conduct asbestos air sampling at a cost of €8,373 (US$8,900). Subsequently, a budget of €1,045,407 (US$1.1m) was allocated by the MoD to remove asbestos insulation from hot water pipes at the Torrejón base. See: El Ejército del Aire encarga un análisis de la presencia de amianto en suspensión en la base de Torrejón de Ardoz [The Air Force commissions an analysis of the presence of airborne asbestos at the Torrejón de Ardoz base].
Police Asbestos Eradication Order
Mar 9, 2023
During routine asbestos monitoring operations, members of the Municipal Police of Capaccio Paestum, a commune in the province of Salerno in south-western Italy, identified a city center building with damaged asbestos material. To prevent toxic exposures to the public, the owners of the premises were ordered to hire specialist contractors to remediate the property by removing and disposing of the damaged asbestos tiles. See: Amianto in uno stabile nel centro di Capaccio Paestum. Ordinata la bonifica dell’area [Asbestos in a building in the center of Capaccio Paestum. Reclamation of the area ordered].
Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard
Mar 9, 2023
In the aftermath of the earthquakes which occurred in Turkey in February, much has been written about the asbestos hazard during the clean-up operations. The article cited below constituted a primer on the asbestos issue, including information, such as, the types of asbestos, its cancer-causing potential, the extent of its use in Turkish buildings, the types of materials it was used in and the nature of the country’s environmental asbestos hazard. See: Asbest nedir, tehikeli mi? Binalarda asbest nerelerde bulunur, öldürür mü? [What is asbestos, is it dangerous? Where is asbestos found in buildings, does it kill?].
Teacher’s Asbestos Death Case Settled
Mar 8, 2023
It was announced last week that Rochdale Council had settled a case brought by the family of Hazel Healey, a teacher who died aged 73 in May 2022 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Mrs Healey believed that she been exposed to asbestos between 1971 and 1980 when she had worked at St Gabriel’s school. The Council initially denied liability but agreed to settle in December 2022 after the claimant’s lawyers unearthed documents showing that the school had contained asbestos. According to solicitor Steve Dickens: “The issue of asbestos in schools has repeatedly been ignored and kicked into the long grass by successive governments. Cases such as this highlight the human cost of the mistakes made decades ago.” See: Family wins settlement in claim over teacher’s asbestos cancer death.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard
Mar 8, 2023
According to the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), the powerful earthquakes in Turkey which occurred last month have left behind 116-210 million tonnes of rubble, “equivalent to an area of 100 square km (40 square miles), if it were stacked to a height of 1 metre. That is roughly the size of Barcelona.” The destruction of 156,000 buildings has produced 210 million tons of construction waste, some of which contains deadly substances such as asbestos. A spokeswoman for the UNDP said that: “The scope of the challenge is almost beyond comprehension.” See: Turkey faces challenge ‘beyond comprehension’ to clear earthquake rubble.
Mesothelioma Rise in Women
Mar 8, 2023
According to a publication by researchers from the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities which appeared in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the incidence of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma is on the increase amongst some female cohorts. The authors reported a positive correlation of mesothelioma rates with per capita gross domestic product, human development index and levels of occupational asbestos exposures. See: 中大：罕見癌症「間皮瘤」與石棉暴露關連大 女性發病率有上升跡象 [CUHK: The Rare Cancer “Mesothelioma” is Linked to Asbestos Exposure, and the Incidence Rate of Females Shows Signs of Rise].
Lazio Court Issues Victim’s Verdict
Mar 8, 2023
The Italian Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance, (INAIL) was ordered to pay €200,000 (US$213,400) to the widow of Mario Nicoletti, a worker from the Lazio region of central Italy, who died (2016) from mesothelioma having been occupationally exposed to asbestos at various places of employment, including construction worksites and a hospital. INAIL rejected the initial application for compensation and several other motions regarding this case before the Court of Rieti finally issued a ruling in favor of the victim’s family. See: Operaio morì per un mesotelioma causato da esposizione all’amianto: Inail condannata a risarcire la vedova [Worker died of mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos: Inail ordered to compensate the widow].
Remediating Toxic Landfill
Mar 8, 2023
Operations by Estonia’s Department of the Environment to decontaminate an illegal landfill in Männiku, a subdistrict of the capital, Tallinn, has begun. The company that operated this facility went bankrupt and, according to Rainer Wakra, director general of the Department of the Environment: “Today we see here a hundred barrels of paint, there are organic solvents and asbestos. These are the wastes that we eliminate first of all so that environmental pollution does not occur.” The cost for the total decontamination of this site has been estimated at 2 million euros. See: Департамент окружающей среды начал вывоз опасных отходов со свалки в Мяннику [The Department of the Environment has started the removal of hazardous waste from the landfill in Männiku].
Asbestos Exposure & Lung Cancer
Mar 8, 2023
A health alert was issued in Taiwan about the health consequences of exposures to asbestos and other carcinogens; such exposures can cause lung cancer even in non-smokers. According to the Department of Health, amongst the causes of lung cancer is “industrial and occupational exposure to certain chemicals or building materials (such as asbestos, nickel, uranium, chromium compounds, arsenic, polycyclic hydrocarbons, and chloromethyl ethers)…” See: 肺癌｜不吸煙全家4人患肺癌 7因素高危致命 2大家居風險易忽略 [Lung cancer: ... 7 factors are high-risk and fatal, 2 major household risks are easy to ignore].
Effect of Sanctions on Asbestos Sector
Mar 7, 2023
An article on the experiences of business leaders in Russia’s Sverdlovsk Region since the Russian invasion of Ukraine reported that the biggest hit had been taken by medium and large-scale businesses, most of which had been reliant on imports of foreign made equipment and parts. Mark Rozin, director of Ural Chrysotile, a company in Yekaterinburg producing chrysotile asbestos textiles and technical products, observed: “Sanctions are only now beginning to bite. The hardest times are just beginning. Now we are waiting for active support measures from the state.” See: «Самые сложные периоды от санкций начнем чувствовать только сейчас». Как уральский бизнес пережил год СВО [“We will only begin to feel the most difficult periods from the sanctions now.” How the Ural business survived the year of the NOW].
Asbestos in the Metro
Mar 7, 2023
The article cited below detailed progress of a criminal case being examined by the Paris Court of Justice over allegations of historic asbestos exposures in the Paris Metro. The complainant, who is suffering from “an anxiety-depressive syndrome” due to the knowledge of toxic occupational exposures, was quoted extensively in the article, detailing the multiple times over a 20-year period when he had drilled and removed asbestos material without any protective clothing or equipment. In addition to the criminal case, the complainant has petitioned the Créteil industrial tribunal for the judicial termination of his contract and compensation for his condition. See: Une juge enquête sur l'exposition d'un ouvrier à l'amiante dans le métro parisien [A judge investigates the exposure of a worker to asbestos in the Paris metro].
Trust Me, I’m a Doctor!
Mar 7, 2023
In the aftermath of a February 23, 2023 Supreme Court (STF) ruling which banned asbestos in Brazil, the Governor of the country’s only asbestos-producing state once again repeated asbestos industry propaganda, asserting that asbestos mining was safe and that he should know as he’s a medical doctor. On February 28, the Governor of Goiás Ronaldo Caiado made these comments at a mining seminar at the Pedro Ludovico Teixeira Palace in Goiânia, the state capital city. In 2019, Caiado signed a law authorizing asbestos mining to continue despite the 2017 STF asbestos prohibitions. See: Caiado diz que, como médico, afirma que extração de amianto em Minaçu não traz risco à saúde [Caiado says that, as a doctor, he claims that asbestos extraction in Minaçu does not pose a risk to health].
Research Update
Mar 7 2023
A seminar held in the Italian town of Monfalcone last week heard updates from Italian asbestos cancer researchers. “We have not yet finished paying for this tragedy,” said Mayor Annamaria Cisint “but we look to the future by aiming to totally dispose of asbestos thanks to the resources that the Region and the Municipality provide.” Leading medical experts presented data on the specifics of ongoing research projects regarding a variety of cancers linked to asbestos exposures including mesothelioma, laryngeal and ovarian cancer. See: A Monfalcone fatti passi avanti contro l'amianto, «oggi si vive di più» [In Monfalcone progress has been made against asbestos, “today we live longer”].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 7, 2023
In a press release by Ecologists in Action Jerez, the association expressed serious concerns about the safety of work being carried out to remove asbestos from schools in the Spanish city of Jerez: “the people who are removing the beams throw the fiber cement sheets from the roofs, violently fragmenting [them] against the ground and generating dust with a high asbestos content… it is incomprehensible that no one has taken measures to prevent this from happening, since this situation must be known to both the police and technicians from the Urban Planning or Sustainability Delegations.” See: Ecologistas en Acción Jerez insta al Ayuntamiento a que retire el amianto del antiguo edificio de Cartonajes Tempul [Ecologists in Action Jerez urges the City Council to remove asbestos from old Tempul Cartonajes building].
Asbestos Warning Downplayed
Mar 7, 2023
A March 1, 2023 interview with Russian oncologist Maxim Astrakhantsev highlighted the health hazard posed to Russians of exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens. However, in the interview report much effort was expended in trying to dilute the specialist’s warning by claiming that whilst amphibole types of asbestos were dangerous, chrysotile asbestos was readily expelled from the lungs and could be used safely under controlled conditions: “Pure chrysotile fiber does not reach the consumer ... [in products] it is in a bound form, which excludes the possibility of accidentally inhaling it. However, if you are going to saw or drill slate, you should take precautions.” See: Онколог Астраханцев и рак легкого: вредное производство и курение [Oncologist Astrakhantsev and lung cancer: harmful production and smoking].
Asbestos Epidemic on the Horizon?
Mar 6, 2023
According to the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery, there have been more than 80,000 Spanish deaths due to asbestos exposures, with another 50,000 expected by 2050. Regional and provincial data on asbestos mortality is incomplete. Only two cases of asbestos-related diseases have been reported in the Spanish Province of Segovia where an asbestos-cement factory owned by the Uralita company was operational for decades. Unions estimate that toxic workplace exposures could have caused 160 asbestos cancer deaths amongst the 800 strong workforce. See: Sanidad vigila a unos 230 empleados de Segovia por el amianto [Health monitors some 230 Segovia employees for asbestos].
Asbestos Eradication Plan
Mar 6, 2023
According to a February 27, 2023 press release from the Jeonbuk Office of Education, the municipality has approved a budget of 17.5 billion won (US$13.3m) to remove 82,000 square meters of asbestos material from schools in 2023. If this year's goal is achieved, only 55,000 square meters (1.1% of the total floor area) of asbestos material will remain schools. The deadline for eradicating this hazard in Jeonbuk is 2024, three years ahead of the deadline set by the Ministry of Education. See: 전북학교 석면 시설물 내년에 전부 없어진다 [All asbestos facilities in Jeonbuk schools will be removed next year].
Wave of Non-Occupational Mesothelioma
Mar 6, 2023
In a speech to the Western Australia (WA) Legislative Council on Feb 22, 2023, South Metropolitan MP Kate Doust read out a letter by 60-year old Kat Drage who contracted mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos during home renovation work. She has now run out of treatment options and has weeks to live. Citing anecdotal evidence of an increase in the number of cases of WA women contracting mesothelioma through non-occupational exposures, she said it was unforgivable that the rich state of WA had cut funding into research to find new treatment protocols and possible cures for this deadly disease. She called on WA politicians to remedy this and to make generous budget provisions for WA researchers. See: Parliament of Western Australia Legislative Council Live Broadcast Google Chrome 2023 02 22 20.
Asbestos Hazard after Earthquakes
Mar 6, 2023
A timely article analyzed under ten sections the post-earthquake asbestos hazard in the Turkish regions affected by the disaster, highlighting the widespread use of asbestos-containing material in the country prior to the national ban introduced in 2010. According to the Turkey Asbestos Deposits Map, the areas affected by the earthquake were in the region with the highest rate of environmental asbestos contamination and where asbestos-containing soil was traditionally used in rural homes. Advice was given about how first responders, clean-up crews and the public could be protected from deadly exposures. See: 10 soruda deprem sonrası enkaz çalışmaları ve asbest [Post-earthquake debris studies and asbestos in 10 questions].
Asbestos and Ice Hockey
Mar 6, 2023
The Quebec City of Rimouski has announced plans to close the Sun Life Coliseum after asbestos fibers were detected in the air of the amphitheater. Until the decontamination work has been completed, the building will remain closed. As a consequence, practice sessions and games by the junior ice hockey team – the Rimouski Océanic – will be moved to an alternative location. Quebec was, until just a few years ago, one of the world’s biggest producers of chrysotile (white) asbestos; provincial authorities played a leading role in the global fight to protect asbestos markets at all costs. See: Une contamination à l’amiante force la fermeture du Colisée de Rimouski [Asbestos contamination forces the closure of the Colisée de Rimouski].
Galicia’s Fatal Asbestos Legacy
Mar 6, 2023
As in other countries, different regions of Spain have different rates of asbestos cancer. Due to the presence of the naval shipyards, Galicia – an autonomous community in Spain’s northwest – is amongst those with the highest incidence of asbestos mortality. The city of Ferrol accounts for half of the asbestos cases in Galicia. Campaigners from the Galician Association of Asbestos Victims are calling for improved compensation for victims, more information and a nation-wide asbestos eradication plan to remove the hazard from the national infrastructure. See: Amianto, el veneno de la codicia [Asbestos, the poison of greed].
Asbestos ban now “Irrevocable”!
Mar 3, 2023
The February 25, 2023 press release cited below was from a Brazilian law firm which has represented asbestos victims for 18 years. Commenting on the Supreme Court’s (STF) February 23, 2023 decision upholding a 2017 STF verdict banning asbestos, lawyer Gustavo Ramos said: “Most Supreme Court Justices understood that the previous decision prohibiting the production, sale and use of chrysotile asbestos, used mainly for the manufacture of tiles and water tanks, is valid. The Supreme Court had accepted that the article of the federal law that allowed the use of chrysotile asbestos in civil construction was unconstitutional.” See: Supremo consolida banimento do amianto no Brasil [Supreme consolidates asbestos ban in Brazil].
Colon Cancer and asbestos Exposure
Mar 3, 2023
On February 22, 2023, Judge Alfonsina Manfredini of the Court of Lucca, Italy issued a historic ruling, finding that the death from colon cancer of a retired 72-year old pipe welder had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. The Judge ordered Inail – Italy’s Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work – to recognize the disease as occupationally caused, backdate the compensation payments to 2018 (when the case was filed), and pay interest and all the claimant’s legal costs. See: Tumore al colon dopo anni di esposizione all’amianto per lavoro: il tribunale condanna Inail a indennizzare l’operaio [Colon cancer after years of exposure to asbestos at work: the court orders Inail to compensate worker].
Asbestos Eradication Program
Mar 3, 2023
On February 26, 2023, the authorities of Yeongcheon, a South Korean city in North Gyeongsang Province, announced that in the interests of public health it would be subsidizing the removal costs of asbestos roofing for property owners. Applications must be submitted before the end of March with 10 million won ($US7,600) per property available for a total of 200 houses and 34 other buildings. See: 영천시, 주택 지붕 등 슬레이트 철거비 지원...3월 말까지 접수 [Yeongcheon City, support for slate demolition costs such as roofs of houses...Available until the end of March].
São Paulo Lawsuit
Mar 3, 2023
The Instituto Bioma Brasil (IBB), a Brazilian NGO, has launched a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Pernambuco against the Navy, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) and the companies responsible for allowing the São Paulo aircraft carrier to be buried off the Brazilian coast. The IBB is demanding at least R$ 105.5 million (US$20m) in compensation for environmental damage and collective moral damages. When the ship was deliberately sunk it contained tonnes of asbestos. PCBs, heavy metals and other toxic material. See: See: ONG pede na Justiça reparação por navio afundando em costa brasileira com amianto [NGO seeks compensation in court for sinking of ship containing asbestos off Brazilian coast].
Post-Earthquake Asbestos Hazard
Mar 3, 2023
The lack of certified asbestos disposal sites in the 11 provinces hit by the recent Turkish earthquakes was highlighted in the article cited below. Thousands of buildings, many of which contained asbestos, were destroyed by the quake, creating millions of tonnes of toxic debris. According to expert Kenan Yıldız, the deadly waste: “should be sent to disposal facilities with licensed vehicles in impermeable packaging and buried. When working with asbestos, CAT3 TYPE 5-6 overalls, FFP3 masks and gloves should be used.” See: Deprem bölgesinde asbest bertaraf tesisi yok [No asbestos disposal facility in the earthquake area].
Asbestos in Paradise?!?
Mar 3, 2023
The fire which tore through the Greek island of Evia in August 2021 destroyed 512,000 hectares of forest and fertile agricultural land. The clean-up of the toxic waste left by the burning of asbestos-containing buildings has been delayed due to what one commentator called “the merry-go-round of blame;” the multiple bureaucratic obstacles created by officials in the Thessaly administrative region and their counterparts in the Environment Ministry continue to frustrate the efforts of residents and local politicians. Eighteen months after the fire, asbestos cement slabs have still not been collected. See: Υγειονομική «βόμβα» ο καμένος αμίαντος στη βόρεια Εύβοια [Burnt asbestos in northern Evia is a health “bomb”].
Osasco’s New Asbestos Memorial
Mar 1, 2023
A four minute video which shows in fast motion the construction of a memorial to asbestos victims in Osasco, the former heartland of asbestos-cement production in Brazil, was uploaded to YouTube on February 28,2023 by Brazil’s Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). The accompanying text explained that: “Work is like a tree, which shelters in its shade and feeds with its fruits. It is the symbol that represents the support of life. Each day, however, they were slowly being poisoned.” See: Memorial das Vi´timas do Amianto || A Construção de Um Sonho [Asbestos Victims Memorial || Building a Dream].
Celebrating Historic Victory!
Feb 28, 2023
The interview with ban asbestos campaigner Engineer Fernanda Giannasi in the article cited below considered the implications of a February 23, 2023 Supreme Court ruling. Giannasi concluded her comments saying: “What makes this victory even more valuable for us are: 1) prohibition decided by the Federal Supreme Court, our Constitutional Court, something that has never happened in the world…. 2) asbestos mining was not bankrupt, as occurred in other countries; on the contrary, it was still ‘alive’, active, [and] powerful...” See: Fundadora da ABREA, Fernanda Giannasi comemora decisão do STF de proibir o amianto no Brasil [Founder of ABREA, Fernanda Giannasi celebrates the Supreme Court's decision to ban asbestos in Brazil].
Asbestos Controversy in Vietnam
Feb 28, 2023
A comprehensive article by Prof. Dr. Le Van Trinh, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Science and Technology for Occupational Safety and Health and former member of the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, on a news portal explained the hazard posed by human exposures to asbestos. The wide range of topics discussed included: the properties and uses of asbestos; the hazards of asbestos exposures; the types of diseases caused by toxic exposures; the presence of asbestos in talc-based baby powder; types of litigation arising due to asbestos exposures and the nature and extent of Vietnam’s asbestos sector. See: Amiang, những bệnh do amiang gây ra và tình hình sử dụng ở Việt Nam hiện nay [Asbestos, diseases caused by asbestos and current use in Vietnam].
Asbestos and Urban Renewal
Feb 28, 2023
As part of urban development, work on demolishing the Avogadro Tower in Nîmes, France began on September 22, 2022; operations were recently stopped due to the discovery of asbestos in the exterior seals of the building. A pre-work asbestos audit had not identified the toxic material. Whilst the original budget for the demolition work was €1.06 million (US$1.1m), with the delays and costs, the new budget is €3.68 m. See: NÎMES Rénovation urbaine: suspension de la démolition de la tour Avogadro [NÎMES Urban renewal: suspension of the demolition of the Avogadro tower].
Naval Asbestos Claim at Supreme Court
Feb 28, 2023
Spain’s Supreme Court has ordered the Ministry of Defence to pay compensation to the family of a second lieutenant in the Navy who died from asbestosis contracted as a result of workplace exposures during 45 years of military service. The sailor lodged his claim for €300,000 (US$316,130) on July 31, 2014, saying that he had been incapacitated due to conditions he experienced in the Navy. The claimant died in May 2020. His heirs appealed to the Supreme Court which finally awarded them the sum of €75,000 (US$79,000). See: El Supremo ordena triplicar la indemnización a un suboficial de la Armada que sufrió fibrosis por navegar en buques con amianto [The Supreme Court orders compensation to be tripled to a Navy non-commissioned officer who suffered fibrosis for sailing on ships with asbestos].
Asbestos Eradication in Schools
Feb 28, 2023
On February 23, 2023, it was announced that the Department of Education of the Korean municipality of Guri Namyangju, had allocated 10.8 billion won (US8.2m) for 2023-2027 to remove asbestos from all the public schools in the Guri and Namyangju region by 2027. To protect students and teachers, the asbestos eradication work will be carried out during the winter school holidays. Off the 171 schools in Guri and Namyangju, 91 still contain asbestos material; 46 buildings have already been decontaminated. See: 구리남양주교육청, 2027년까지 108억 들여 석면 제거 [Guri Namyangju Office of Education, 10.8 billion won to remove asbestos by 2027].
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Feb 27, 2023
On February 23, 2023, a well-attended workshop, Protecting Public Health and Creating a Safe Living Environment, was held in Bac Kan City, Vietnam. The event was organized by the Women's Union of Bac Kan Province in collaboration with APHEDA – Australia’s Union Aid Abroad – and the Vietnam Association for Occupational Safety and Health. In Bac Kan Province asbestos-cement roofing is ubiquitous and almost 90% of new roofing is made with asbestos. According to speakers at this meeting, this material poses a health risk to the workers who install it as well as to the people who live under it. See: Hội thảo: "Bảo vệ sức khỏe cộng đồng và môi trường sống an toàn [Workshop: “Protecting public health and safe living environment”].
Toxic Talc & Ovarian Cancer
Feb 27, 2023
Fifty-eight year old Montreal resident Manon Lavigne believes that she contracted ovarian cancer from her regular use of asbestos-contaminated Johnson & Johnson (J&J) talc-based baby powder. Urging other women to get themselves checked, Lavigne said: “Millions of people used baby powder for years and years… I'm sure people don't know about it.” J&J class actions in both the US and Canada have been reinvigorated by a recent ruling by a U.S. federal appeals court in Philadelphia which rejected the use of the Texas two-step to offload J&J’s asbestos liabilities. See: She blames her cancer on baby powder. Now she's suing and urges other women to 'get checked'.
Paying the Price for Toxic Talc
Feb 27, 2023
In a February 21, 2023 press release, US Congressman Steve Cohen announced that he had written to the US Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro of the Government Accountability Office to ask for a review of the federal government’s costs associated with treating patients who had become ill after using asbestos-contaminated Johnson & Johnson (J&J) baby powder: “Through our funding for health care, the federal government subsidized J&J by paying for the consequences of their misconduct…Since the 1970s, J&J has known its iconic baby powder contained asbestos.” See: Congressman Cohen Seeks GAO Review of Costs of Treating Patients Harmed by Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder.
Exposure due to Climate Change, Covid
Feb 27, 2023
Professor Sonja Klebe of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia has raised the alert about the cumulative effect of Covid-19, flooding and bushfires in Australia on increasing asbestos exposures: “The Australian Mesothelioma Register shows that an increasing number of exposures are now linked to home building work, which increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic… During the bushfires, fire fighters had to go into burnt buildings, many of which were old farm buildings containing asbestos… The same goes for the recent flooding; there would have been asbestos floating around in the debris.” See: Fears Australia's recent fires, floods and COVID-19 outbreak could lead to increased risk of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Working Group
Feb 27, 2023
The first meeting of the French National Assembly’s Asbestos Study Group will take place on March 7, 2023. The Chair of this group is Didier Le Gac, the deputy representing the constituency of Finistère (Brest rural). Le Gac has a knowledge of the asbestos dossier due to the high incidence of asbestos-related disease amongst constituents who had been employed in naval activities and at the port of Brest. The study group will bring together MEPs from all parties to monitor the issue. See: Le député Didier Le Gac présidera le groupe d’études «amiante» à l’Assemblée nationale [Deputy Didier Le Gac will chair the “asbestos” study group at the National Assembly].
Madrid’s Asbestos Legacy
Feb 27, 2023
Decades of asbestos use in the Spanish capital has left a long legacy of contamination. The article cited below discussed problems posed by asbestos material in Madrid’s Metro system, schools, hospitals, health centers, residential neighborhoods and industrial sites. A national law requiring that municipalities produce an asbestos census of the built environment will facilitate the national eradication of the contamination. According to the article’s author, the asbestos census: “represents a definitive tool for technical departments in charge of managing different processes. In addition to reinforcing efficiency, the objective is simplified thanks to the proper use of resources.” See: Los peligros del amianto en Madrid [The dangers of asbestos in Madrid].
Asbestos Health Alert!
Feb 24, 2023
Whilst the Government of Russia, industry stakeholders and “scientists” employed by them continue to deny that exposure to chrysotile (white) asbestos causes cancer – Russia is the world’s leading producer of chrysotile – a spokeswoman for the Museum of Geosciences in Moscow is in no doubt about the human health hazard, stating in the article cited below that: “It [chrysotile] is considered carcinogenic to humans due to the fact that penetrating into the lungs during inhalation, it causes microtrauma…” See: Гранит науки. Репортаж из Музея землеведения [Granite Science. Report from the Museum of Geosciences].
Rise in Asbestos Exports
Feb 24, 2023
New transport systems in China are being used to increase asbestos exports to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia from Qinghai, a landlocked province in the northwest of China, according to a February 20th news report from the Qinghai Provincial Department of Commerce. In 2022, there were 111 international freight trains from Qinghai, more than ten times the number in 2021. Amongst the cargo on the trains were shipments of asbestos, soda ash, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other goods. See: 青海：“青字号”产品借RCEP享优惠税率“出国” [Qinghai: “Qingzihao” products enjoy preferential tax rates “going abroad” through RCEP].
Asbestos in the Army
Feb 24, 2023
A verdict handed down by the Court of Rome ordered the Ministry of Defence to pay €600,000 (US$640,000) to the widow and children of Lieutenant Leopoldo Di Vico who died in 2015 aged 58 from asbestos cancer. The deceased had served as a mechanic in the armoured division of the Italian Army. During his military career he had been exposed to a cocktail of toxins including asbestos, depleted uranium and heavy metals. See: Amianto killer: il Tribunale di Roma condanna La Difesa a risarcire con 600 mila euro la famiglia di Leopoldo Di Vico [Killer asbestos: the Court of Rome orders [Ministry of] Defence to compensate Leopoldo Di Vico's family with 600 thousand euros].
Mesothelioma in Greece
Feb 24, 2023
The Greek language article cited below about mesothelioma – the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure – was highly significant considering that Greece had formerly been one of Europe’s producers of asbestos fiber. The text explained the causation, types and symptoms of mesothelioma, highlighting the ongoing risk to people with occupational, domestic, family and/or environmental asbestos exposures. See: Μεσοθηλίωμα: Με ποια σημάδια εκδηλώνεται και από τι προκαλείται [Mesothelioma: What are the signs and what causes it?].
Asbestos in Telecom Headquarters
Feb 24, 2023
Asbestos removal work began in January 2023 at the Central Telecommunication Building in Prague. The work is under constant surveillance by industrial hygienists. Their latest report, dated February 6, documented concentrations of respirable asbestos and mineral fibers at the site and in surrounding areas. Reporting satisfactory results, the report noted that: “the technical and technological equipment, including pre-positioned filters in the filtration and extraction units, is sufficiently effective.” See: Bourání Telecomu na Žižkově: Budovy obsahují rakovinotvorný azbest. Demolici kontrolují hygienici [Demolition of Telecom in Žižkov: The buildings contain cancer-causing asbestos. Hygienists are checking the demolition].
Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard
Feb 24, 2023
In the aftermath of the February 2023 earthquakes and aftershocks which hit Turkey, health experts have reconfirmed the hazard posed during clean-up operations posed by the historic use of asbestos in building material. The medical experts warned that: “Asbestos-contaminated areas should be identified, the use of asbestos-containing soil by the public should be prevented, and the towns under serious threat should be relocated if necessary.” Amongst the recommendations made was the continued monitoring of people most at-risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases. See: Asbest nedir? Asbestin sağlığa zararları nelerdir? [What is asbestos? What are the health hazards of asbestos?].
Ongoing Fight to Ban Asbestos
Feb 22, 2023
Efforts under the Biden Administration to protect Americans from toxic exposures to asbestos have hit the buffers, according to the article cited below from the Washington Post. Legal questions, political in-fighting and bureaucratic delays are hampering efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to outlaw the use of chrysolite (white) asbestos. The EPA is facing stiff opposition from vested interests including the US Chamber of Commerce, the chemical manufacturers’ American Chemistry Council and the oil industry’s American Petroleum Institute. See: EPA struggles to ban asbestos, other chemicals years after Congress granted new powers.
Eradicating a Toxic Legacy
Feb 22, 2023
Even as South Africa enacted laws to protect the population from asbestos exposures, the built environment remained contaminated. A project in Limpopo Province aims to remove asbestos roofing on 5,000 domestic properties. The commentary cited below included the asbestos legacy as an example of the crimes committed by the apartheid government: “When this government took over in 1994, it had the unenviable duty to undo decades of unrelenting, malicious, systematic, institutionalised, state-funded, organised and manifested hatred against a people… What should be brought to light, however, is that it has had to maintain governance, while travelling back in time to undo decades of apartheid crime…” See: OPINION. Undoing the legacy of apartheid, one asbestos roof at a time.
Asbestos at the University
Feb 22, 2023
Residents of the Spanish island of Gran Canaria were shocked when they were informed of the presence of asbestos on the premises of the University College of Las Palmas (CULP) after having been told in 2022 that the site was asbestos-free. Acting on this discovery, the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands instructed officials at the CULP that it must hire a specialized asbestos company to quantify and eradicate the contamination. Planned development work at the site has been put on hold pending the decontamination work. See: Sanidad encuentra amianto en el CULP tras asegurar en 2022 que no se había detectado ese material [Health finds asbestos in the CULP after assurances in 2022 that this material had not been detected].
Asbestos Eradication: Update
Feb 22, 2023
Accepting that the cost for the removal of asbestos from domestic properties is beyond the reach of many households, the South Korean Government has, since 2011, been progressing an asbestos eradication program to protect public health. A scheme operated under the Ministry of the Environment allocated 3.52 million won (US$2,700) per building for asbestos decontamination; local governments provided additional sums for demolition and other work. New figures released by the authorities in Jeonbuk Province stated that as of 2021 there were still 85,000+ buildings with asbestos; at the current rate, the decontamination program in Jeonbuk will not be completed until 2038. See: 석면철거 마무리 계획 앞당겨야 [Asbestos removal plan to be completed].
Asbestos Everywhere!
Feb 22, 2023
A series of articles appeared on February 20 in the regional media about the extensive asbestos contamination of the UK’s built environment. New information in these articles was obtained via a Freedom of Information request by the Irwin Mitchell Law Firm. Speaking about the firm’s findings, Solicitor Adrian Budgen said: “One of the main problem areas is revealed to be schools, which are obviously densely populated with pupils, teachers and other school workers for long hours at a time. It’s extremely worrying that so many still contain asbestos, essentially putting children at risk every day… once it’s disturbed or in a state of disrepair it can quickly become very dangerous… it’s a huge concern.” See: Over 150 Glasgow nursery, primary and secondary school buildings contain asbestos.
Asbestos Fly-Tipping
Feb 22, 2023
The Council of Alzira, a city of 45,000 people in Valencia, Spain, is fighting a continuous battle over the illegal dumping of asbestos waste, having recently removed 519 tonnes of toxic debris at taxpayers’ expense. According to a municipal spokesperson: “the most worrying thing about this situation is that more and more asbestos has been detected in landfills lately, it must be remembered that it is a carcinogenic material as scientific studies have shown.” See: Alzira alerta del incremento de residuos con amianto, material cancerígeno, en vertederos incontrolados en el término municipal [Alzira warns of the increase in waste containing asbestos, a carcinogenic material, in uncontrolled landfills in the municipal area].
Supreme Court Asbestos Litigation
Feb 20, 2023
A decision by the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) expected on February 16, 2023 regarding the continued mining of asbestos in Minaçu, in contravention of the 2017 STF ban on asbestos production, processing and use, was postponed until February 23. The memorandum cited below expressed the support of the Attorney General's Office (PGR) and the Attorney General for Labor (PGT), representing respectively Federal and Labor Prosecutors, for court action upholding the ban, stating that “there are no reasons of legal certainty or exceptional social interest that override the rights to health and an ecologically balanced environment…” See: PGR e PGT reforçam necessidade de banimento do amianto crisotila no Brasil [PGR and PGT reinforce the need to ban chrysotile asbestos in Brazil].
Bestbell Bankruptcy: A Fraud?
Feb 20, 2023
On February 17, 2023, cancer patient Wilson Buckingham petitioned a bankruptcy court in the Western District of North Carolina to dismiss a proposal to allow Bestbell, a subsidiary of US asbestos defendant Georgia-Pacific, to enter into a state of bankruptcy. Like thousands of other cancer victims, the lawsuit brought by mesothelioma sufferer Wilson Buckingham was put on hold pending the outcome of Bestbell’s bankruptcy proceedings. Buckingham’s lawyers said that the bankruptcy served “no purpose other than to prevent asbestos-related lawsuits from proceeding…” See: Cancer patient asks court to end Georgia-Pacific asbestos bankruptcy.
Asbestos Health Alert
Feb 20, 2023
Although Vietnam had a policy calling for the removal of asbestos since 2014, no effective measures have been taken to achieve this objective. The fact that Vietnam imported 65,000 tons of asbestos every year exacerbated the population’s health burden due to the carcinogenic properties of asbestos. In addition to the hazards posed by new asbestos products being incorporated within the national infrastructure are the dangers posed by deteriorating asbestos material within the built and natural environment. Despite the ubiquity of these toxic products, there is a very low level of public awareness about the health hazards of human exposures to asbestos at work or at home. See: Hậu quả của việc tiếp xúc với amiăng không kém gì dioxin [The consequences of exposure to asbestos are no less than for dioxin].
Asbestos Fund Delayed
Feb 20, 2023
Legislation needed to ensure the effective establishment of a Spanish Asbestos Victims’ Compensation Fund (the Fund) remains pending four months after the Government approved a law to create the Fund after sustained campaigning by asbestos victims’ groups and trade unions. The Fund, which will be managed by the National Institute of Social Security, should have been operational as of January 19, 2023. According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Inclusion, the need for regulatory modifications had delayed plans for the creation of the Fund. See: El fondo del amianto sigue pendiente del reglamento para compensar a victimas [The asbestos fund is still pending the regulation to compensate victims].
Billionaire Jail Sentence!
Feb 20, 2023
On February 16, 2023, the Turin Court of Appeal upheld the sentence handed down to Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny who was convicted of the aggravated manslaughter in 2008 of a worker from his company’s Piedmont asbestos-cement factory. Schmidheiny’s lawyers said they would appeal. Schmidheiny has been tried in multiple Italian courts over asbestos deaths of thousands of workers and members of the public. Proceedings which began on June 9, 2021 will, it’s believed, soon be ended in a case at the Novara Court of Assizes where Schmidheiny was charged with the deaths of 392 people. See: Amianto e cancro, confermata la condanna all'imprenditore svizzero [Asbestos and cancer, the sentence of the Swiss entrepreneur confirmed].
Earthquake Clean-up Planning
Feb 20, 2023
A blog by Greenpeace Turkey highlighted the difficulties faced by people and institutions in areas affected by the earthquakes, categorized as a “multidimensional catastrophe,” earlier this month. The Greenpeace text warned of the dangers of ill-planned clean-up activities and the inclination of authorities already under pressure to take short-cuts such as the illegal dumping of toxic waste. Regulations “to minimize the [amount of] demolition wastes by separating them at the source … [and to prevent dumping] the resulting debris into seas, lakes, streams,” must be followed to prevent further harm to the population and/or environment. See: Enkazdan Başka Felaketler Çıkmasın [No More Disasters from the Wreck].
Asbestos Alert!
Feb 17, 2023
An online article uploaded on February 15 to a Vietnamese news portal warned citizens of the multiple dangers posed by occupational asbestos exposures, pointing out that amongst those most at-risk were: welders, mechanics, bricklayers, welders, shipbuilders, carpenters, masons. plumbers, painters, demolition workers, drywallers, electricians, floor layers, furnace operators, enamellers, blacksmiths, insulators, glassmakers and maintenance workers. Citizens were advised that “reducing asbestos exposure is the best prevention.” See: Tìm hiểu về bệnh bụi phổi amiăng và cách phòng tránh [Learn about asbestosis and how to prevent it].
National Asbestos Observatory
Feb 17, 2023
The National Asbestos Observatory being set up by the Government of Quebec in the former asbestos mining town of Thetford Mines is tasked with researching issues related to “asbestos and the management of asbestos-containing mine tailings.” The institution is being created on the site of the Cégep de Thetford, a college of general and vocational education, as part of the Province’s 2022-2025 action plan “Asbestos and asbestos-containing mining residues in Quebec: towards the transformation of a liability into a sustainable asset.” See: Observatoire national de l’amiante : concertation et développement d’un savoir-faire au cœur de sa mission [National Asbestos Observatory: consultation and development of know-how at the heart of its mission].
Asbestos Injustice: Official Policy
Feb 17, 2023
A commentary uploaded last week by Architect and Professor Joaquin Ortega Herrera, which reviewed Spain’s tragic asbestos, quoted the Ministry of Health’s findings that the asbestos injuries of up to 99% of Spaniards went unrecognized by the Ministry of Social Security. This oversight was not due, he said, to bad luck but to the use of “administrative and legal means to prevent workers or their successors from obtaining their rights.” Despite the Government’s agreement to establish a national asbestos victims’ compensation fund, no recent news about this scheme had been released. See: OPINIÓN: Como ya es sabido el amianto es un canceri´geno de primer grado… [OPINION: As is well known, asbestos is a first degree carcinogen…].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 17, 2023
A call for action by seven trade unions warned of the dilapidation of England’s educational estate as a result of the Government’s austerity policy. Children and staff are at risk of toxic exposures in ageing schools, most of which contain asbestos. In its response to the unions’ letter, the Department of Education acknowledged: “there is a risk of collapse of one or more blocks in some schools which are at, or approaching, the end of their designed life expectancy...” According to Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, the school leaders’ union: “This is a disaster waiting to happen, which in the worst-case scenario could end up costing lives unless the government wakes up and acts.” See: Unions call for urgent action on England’s ‘dangerous’ school buildings.
Europe Asbestos Debate
Feb 17, 2023
On February 14, protecting citizens from asbestos was one of the three main subjects on the agenda of a meeting of the Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). According to an online report: Hanna Zdanowska, the Mayor of Lódz, Poland, presented the main points of her draft opinion: “Amending the Directive on Asbestos,” which is to be tabled at the CoR plenary session on March 15-16. “Asbestos,” she wrote “is a highly dangerous, cancer-causing substance that is still present in many buildings and is responsible for many avoidable deaths in the EU.” See: Tackling pollution and the energy crisis amongst EU local leaders 2023 key priorities.
Supporting Asbestos Victims
Feb 17, 2023
The UGT, Spain’s General Union of Workers, welcomed the introduction of a national asbestos compensation scheme 20 years after asbestos was banned in Spain. Under a medical surveillance operation run by the Ministry of Health, the condition of 4,737 people in the autonomous community of Castile and León who received occupational asbestos exposures is being monitored. The legacy of decades of asbestos use remains a potent threat to the population and the union called on the Government to prioritize measures for the eradication of asbestos from the country’s infrastructure. See: La epidemia silenciosa del amianto tiene bajo control sanitario a 900 trabajadores [The silent asbestos epidemic has 900 workers under medical surveillance].
Asbestos Alert over Toxic Thermoses
Feb 16, 2023
A health alert was issued in Vietnam about the dangers posed by asbestos fibers contained in the linings of thermos flasks exported from China. As a result of research undertaken at the Institute of Research & Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, China, the Chinese government had previously warned consumers that the Chinese thermos flasks contained asbestos. Thermos use is quite high in Vietnam and good quality thermoses tend to be more expensive than Chinese exports. See: Mối nguy hại khôn lường từ bình giữ nhiệt có chứa amiăng của Trung Quốc [The incalculable danger from China's asbestos-containing thermos].
Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard
Feb 16, 2023
As with other man-made or environmental disasters, Cyclone Gabrielle – which struck New Zealand in February 2023 – created a multitude of challenges. Specialists warned homeowners and community leaders about the hazard posed by asbestos in the debris left by the storm; any structure built before 2000 in New Zealand could contain asbestos materials. New Zealanders were advised not to “to remove or dispose of this [material] without professional advice… high winds, flooding, and other severe weather events can cause asbestos to erode and end up a health risk quickly…” See: Cyclone Gabrielle - Asbestos Warning.
Post-Brexit Asbestos Fears!
Feb 16, 2023
A press release issued on February 13, 2023 by the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) confirmed what many campaigners had feared: the Conservative Government’s plans to demolish asbestos protections enshrined in EU law in the post-Brexit bonfire of legislation. According to expert Jonathan Grant: “It is almost unbelievable that the Asbestos Regulations, which are essential to save lives, could be listed for potential repeal. We urgently need confirmation by the government that our health and safety is not going to be diluted.” The BOHS fears that the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, which provide the framework for the management of asbestos, could be amongst the laws on the Tory hit list. See: UK Asbestos Regulations effective, but listed for abolition by government at the end of the year.
Update: J&J Talc Litigation
Feb 16, 2023
Following an Appeals Court rejection of bankruptcy plans by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to offload its asbestos liabilities, US District Judge Michael Shipp has been appointed to take over toxic talc litigation against J&J; Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson, who had formerly supervised these proceedings, retired on February 1. Thirty-eight thousand cases brought over alleged asbestos contamination of J&J’s talc-based baby powder had been on hold since October 2021, due to bankruptcy filings which have now been disallowed. See: Thousands of J&J talc lawsuits in New Jersey get new judge.
Victims’ Appeal to the Supreme Court
Feb 16, 2023
On February 13, ANDEVA – the French Association for the Defence of Asbestos Victims – announced that it would appeal to the Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) the February 8th decision by the Paris Court of Appeal dismissing criminal charges against former executives of Eternit, the country’s largest asbestos conglomerate. “It is not possible,” said ANDEVA “that in a democratic state like France, a health disaster which was avoidable has not led to a criminal trial to judge the people who bear the responsibility [for this disaster].” See: Amiante: une association de victimes se pourvoit en Cassation après un non-lieu [Asbestos: an association of victims appeals to the Cassation after a dismissal].
Environmental Racism & Asbestos
Feb 16, 2023
A timely editorial in O Globo – a daily Brazilian newspaper considered to be right-wing and conservative – was published on February 13 by Fernando Gabeira, a politician and veteran campaigner on environmental issues. Having discussed the sinking by the Brazilian Navy of its former flagship, an international toxic hot potato contaminated with tonnes of asbestos, PCBs etc., Gabeira pointed out that a unilateral Supreme Court decision by Minister Alexandre de Moraes had allowed asbestos mining to continue in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court verdict. Like the sinking of the São Paulo, this wrote Gabeira, was yet another example of environmental racism, sending to other countries a substance too dangerous to use in Brazil. See: O naufrágio da sensatez [The shipwreck of wisdom].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 14, 2023
In a press conference at Incheon City Hall, the Incheon Environmental Movement Federation and campaigners from the National School Asbestos Parents Network, the Korea Asbestos Eradication Network, and the Environmental Health Citizens’ Center warned the city and the Office of Education about the dangers of asbestos removal in schools. Speakers at the event highlighted faulty regulation of the asbestos hazard during asbestos removal work at two schools during the winter school vacation. See: "인천 학교 석면 철거 엉터리... 민·관 감시단 구성해야” [“Incheon school asbestos removal is a sham... A private and public monitoring group needs to be formed”].
No Remedy for Toxic Legacy
Feb 14, 2023
The deadly asbestos legacy plaguing the UK was well documented in interviews with sufferers of asbestos-related cancers including nurse Helen Bone and shipyard worker Ron Snaith, who detailed the daily reality of life as mesothelioma patients in an excellent new article on the Al Jazeera website. According to consultant nurse and CEO of Mesothelioma UK Liz Darlison, the UK has: “such poor guidelines compared to our European neighbours, who have been far more proactive on prevention. The government has been non-committal on a timetable [for removal].” See: A long and lethal legacy: In the shadow of asbestos in the UK.
Plumber’s Victory over City Hall
Feb 14, 2023
On February 2, 2023, it was announced that Segovia City Council had allocated €143,000 (US$152,850) to pay its share of an out-of-court agreement with a plumber who had worked for the Council between 1973 and 1983. As a result of occupational asbestos exposures experienced, the Spanish worker had experienced health problems. A Council spokesperson was adamant that this was a one-off: “all the safety protocols for handling asbestos have been in place in all the works that the City Council executes,” he told journalists. See: Ayuntamiento de Segovia indemniza a un fontanero por la exposición a amianto [Segovia City Council compensates a plumber for exposure to asbestos].
Vital Research Update
Feb 14, 2023
New data revealed by Brazilian researchers confirmed the existence of a national asbestos epidemic, with thousands of deaths from asbestos-related diseases occurring between 1996 and 2017. The statistics were amassed after consulting a variety of records and institutions, including the Health Information System, the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System, the Hospital Admission Communication Archive, the Inca Hospital Cancer Registry of the National Cancer Institute and the Notifiable Diseases Information System. Experts are urging the Supreme Court to consider these facts when considering litigation about banning asbestos in Brazil. See: Exposição ao amianto mata 145 pessoas por ano no Brasil, revela pesquisa [Exposure to asbestos kills 145 people a year in Brazil, reveals research].
No Eternit Criminal Trial!
Feb 14, 2023
On February 8, 2023, the investigating chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal confirmed an order issued in July 2019 by investigating magistrates from the public health department of the Paris court that dismissed the criminal case against Eternit, formerly France’s largest asbestos conglomerate. Amongst the reasons the court gave for this decision was the fact that Eternit had complied with legislation in force at the time the alleged criminal actions had taken place. Representatives of asbestos victims’ groups said they would appeal this decision to the Supreme Court (Court of Cassation). See: Amiante: le non-lieu dans le dossier Eternit confirmé, les victimes forment un pourvoi [Asbestos: the dismissal in the Eternit case confirmed, the victims appeal].
Asbestos Incident under Investigation
Feb 14, 2023
Seprona, the unit of the Spanish Civil Guard responsible for preserving nature, the environment and water resources, is investigating the use of soil mixed with asbestos in the construction of a roundabout in Santa Brígida, Gran Canaria. According to local sources, there is no legal dump for asbestos waste on the island; many companies fly-tip the toxic waste in ravines and off cliffs to avoid the expense of sending it to a legal site on the mainland. See: El Seprona investiga el uso de escombros mezclado con amianto en una obra en Santa Brígida [Seprona investigates the use of rubble mixed with asbestos at a worksite in Santa Brígida].
Asbestos Trial: Update
Feb 13, 2023
A significant landmark was reached last week in the trial against Swiss asbestos entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny who is charged with voluntary homicide over the deaths of hundreds of asbestos factory workers and members of the public. At to the end of the presentation of evidence by both parties, the public prosecutor asked the Court of Assizes to hand down a life sentence. Closing statements by both parties are pending. The final verdict is not expected for some months. See: Eternit Bis, chiesto l’ergastolo per l’imprenditore svizzero Stephan Schmidheiny [Eternit Bis, life sentence requested for the Swiss entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny].
New Wave of Litigation
Feb 13, 2023
Whilst asbestos-injured construction workers in Japan can access government benefits for injuries they sustained from workplace asbestos exposures, ailing shipyard workers cannot. Eleven people are progressing lawsuits at the Osaka and Sapporo district courts, claiming that toxic occupational exposures to asbestos between 1953 and 2003 caused them to contract lung cancer or mesothelioma. According to one of the claimants’ lawyers: “The shipbuilding industry has been left out of the compensation framework. We have no choice but to file individual lawsuits.” See: 造船業の石綿被害、元労働者が国を提訴へ「救済から取り残さないで」 [Asbestos damage in the shipbuilding industry, former workers to sue the government “Don't be left out of relief'”].
Supreme Court’s Victims’ Verdict
Feb 13, 2023
On February 8, 2023, the French Supreme Court issued a judgment confirming the rights of asbestos victims to obtain damages from former employers for harm sustained at their workplaces. Anxiety claims were, the Court found, valid when an employer breached safety obligations by using a toxic, albeit legal, product without implementing effective safety precautions. Claims for compensation for moral damages were valid when illegal substances, such as asbestos, were used by an employer in breach of national prohibitions. See: Usage illégal de l’amiante et atteinte à la dignité des salaries [Illegal use of asbestos and attack on the dignity of employees].
Rubber Workers’ Victory in Talc Litigation
Feb 13, 2023
For decades. personal injury claims for asbestos-injured workers against their former employer B.F. Goodrich Co. and its suppliers were lost as a result of a catalogue of lies. A $60 million settlement has been reached for 3,800 Akron, Ohio rubber workers and their heirs with Eastern Magnesia Talc, the biggest supplier of talc or soapstone to US rubber companies from the 1950s to the early 1980s. Claimants will receive between $4,000 and $300,000. According to plaintiffs’ lawyer Tom Bevan: “What we’re doing now is correcting an injustice that occurred as many as 30 years ago…Unfortunately, these people haven’t survived to see the money, but it should go to their children or heirs.” See: ‘Correcting an injustice’: How one company's lies killed thousands of Akron rubber workers
A Toxic Legacy, A Potent Threat
Feb 13, 2023
Although Italy banned the mining, processing and use of asbestos in 1992, the legacy left from production at its asbestos mines of 3.8 million tonnes of fiber during the 20th century continues to pose a health threat to citizens. The Ministry of the Environment has identified 11 superfund sites contaminated with asbestos; throughout the national infrastructure asbestos material has been identified at 107,000+ sites. Work to develop and implement measures to remediate contamination in the built and natural environments is being carried out by the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) in collaboration with government, technical and academic partners. See: Siti Contaminati da Amianto [Sites contaminated by Asbestos].
Sinking of the São Paulo under Investigation
Feb 13, 2023
An investigation by the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources over the sinking of the São Paulo off the coast of Brazil on February 3 has begun. On the ship were tonnes of asbestos, PCBs, metals and other toxic substances. In a statement by the Ministry of Defense, the Attorney General's Office and the Brazilian Navy, the authorities defended their actions stating that: “[our] analyses considered aspects related to navigation safety and the environment, with special attention to the mitigation of impacts on public health, fishing activities and ecosystems.” See: Porta-aviões com toneladas de amianto e traços de radiação é afundado na costa brasileira [Aircraft carrier with tons of asbestos and traces of radiation is sunk off the Brazilian coast].
A Date with History: February 16
Feb 8, 2023
On February 16, 2023, Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) is scheduled to issue its long-awaited decision in a case over whether the continued production, processing and export of chrysotile (white) asbestos – in contravention of an STF 2017 ruling –were unconstitutional. In previous cases, the STF had ruled that state asbestos bans were constitutional and that the national asbestos policy allowing asbestos use was unconstitutional, in line with damning evidence from the National Cancer Institute about the carcinogenicity of asbestos and the difficulty of preventing deadly workplace exposures. See: Artigo: O STF e a ferida aberta do amianto [Article: The STF and the asbestos open wound].
European Workers Being Failed
Feb 8, 2023
In a February 6 press release by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), plans by the European Parliament to lower the asbestos exposure limit to 0.01 fibres/cm³ were condemned as “too little, too late.” Calling for a more stringent limit (0.001), the ETUC also said that the five-year time period for the implementation of the new protocol was far too long in light of the fact that 90,000 Europeans were dying from asbestos-related diseases every year. Commenting on the deficiencies in Parliament’s asbestos policy, the ETUC’s Deputy General Secretary Claes-Mikael Stahl said: “It would be particularly irresponsible of EU policymakers to set an unsafe exposure limit after introducing a policy in the Renovation Wave which will see many more workers exposed to asbestos.” See: Asbestos protections too little, too late.
Increase in Asbestos Removal Subsidies
Feb 8, 2023
From February 6, 2023, the budget allocated by South Korea’s Ministry of Environment to cover the costs of the demolition of asbestos roofing will be almost doubled to 7 million dong (US $5,550) per household. The expansion of funds is intended to speed up the eradication of the asbestos hazard from the built environment in line with the country’s deadline of 2033 for the removal of all asbestos roofing throughout South Korea. Key aspects of the Government’s detailed and timetabled road map for the elimination of asbestos have been allocated to multiple government departments and agencies. See: ‘석면 슬레이트 지붕’ 철거비 지원규모 2배로 확대 ['Asbestos slate roof' demolition cost support doubled].
Quantifying the Military’s Asbestos Legacy
Feb 8, 2023
According to information published by the Europe National Press, Spain’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has recognized as occupationally-caused 77 deaths caused by asbestos-related diseases amongst former service personnel. Although asbestos use was banned in Spain in 2002, asbestos material remains in military hardware and installations, including several bases which were the subject of recent exposés. A spokesperson for the MoD said that it was conducting “constant surveillance of the working conditions of its personnel.” See: Defensa ha reconocido 77 muertes en acto de servicio por exposición a amianto [Defense has recognized 77 deaths in the line of duty due to exposure to asbestos].
Towards an Asbestos-Free Europe!
Feb 8, 2023
A European Commission communication on how to achieve an asbestos-free future acknowledged the potentially horrific impact the continent’s asbestos legacy could have on the population should effective steps not be taken to prevent toxic exposures, especially in light of the expected increase in renovation works. Two hundred and twenty million housing units were erected prior to the EU banning asbestos; construction workers are amongst the cohorts worst affected by asbestos-related diseases. The communication included a raft of proposals to: support the injured, protect workers, ensure the safe removal and disposal of asbestos material, and reenforce member states’ efforts to eradicate the hazard. See: Asbestos: a serious renovation headache for the European Union.
Asbestos in Schools
Feb. 8, 2023
A January 30 press release by the Incheon Federation for Environmental Movement (IFEM) condemned simultaneous removal of asbestos from schools during the winter vacation saying: “Due to the nature of the risk of exposure to group 1 carcinogens… partial removal should be avoided as much as possible...The Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education should more thoroughly inspect schools undergoing asbestos removal work.” Due to failures to appropriately monitor the removal work, the IFEM plans to set up a monitoring group to inspect schools where asbestos removal is currently in progress. See: 인천 학교 32개 석면철거 대상...“부분 철거 위험 노출 키워[32 schools in Incheon subject to asbestos removal...“Increased exposure to partial demolition risks”].
Addressing a Toxic Legacy
Feb 6, 2023
Accepting that it is not possible to completely control toxic exposures to asbestos at work and at home, the Government of Vietnam took steps to protect the population by banning the use of amphiboles (1998) and making plans to end the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos in building products. In 2020, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health identified 210 cases of mesothelioma; many cases went undetected and experts believe that that there could be 11,500 cases of mesothelioma by 2030, if action is not taken. See: Thông tin về Amiang và bệnh ung thư [Information about Asbestos and Cancer].
Judge Rules on the Sinking of the São Paulo
Feb 6, 2023
It was reported on February 2, 2023, that an attempt to obtain an injunction from the Federal Court of Pernambuco to prevent the Brazilian Navy from sinking the former aircraft carrier the São Paulo in the Atlantic Ocean had failed. Although Federal Judge Ubiratan de Couto Maurício of the 9th Pernambuco Court agreed that the sinking would cause environmental damage, he said that the extent of the damage was not known. He ordered that the vessel be sunk 350 km off the Brazilian coast, at a depth of approximately 5,000 meters and outside of Environmental Protection Areas where there were no documented submarine cables. See: Marinha confirma plano de afundar navio feito de amianto [Navy confirms plan to sink ship containing asbestos].
Hypocrites and Liars!
Feb 6, 2023
The author of the article referenced below which was uploaded to a Russian website could not resist the temptation to exploit news about the sinking by the Brazilian Navy of its asbestos-laden flagship to bolster the image of home-grown chrysotile asbestos, remarking that: “According to scientists, amphibole has a very harmful effect, unlike chrysotile asbestos.” Before Western sanctions were imposed in retaliation for Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Russia had been the world’s largest producer and supplier of chrysotile asbestos. See: Бразилия потопила свой последний авианосец: чем это грозит экологии [Brazil sank its last aircraft carrier: how does this threaten the environment].
Supreme Court Victory
Feb. 6, 2023
The Labor Section of Italy’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) issued a victims’ verdict allowing 11 asbestos claimants to submit applications for early retirement and/or government benefits even though they had missed government deadlines. The plaintiffs had worked for 10 to 20 years in a shipyard where they had been routinely exposed to asbestos. Two lower courts had rejected the arguments advanced by the victims’ legal team. The case will now be returned to Rome’s Court of Appeal for further consideration. See: La Cassazione apre nuovi scenari per la maggiorazione per amianto della pensione [The Cassation opens up new scenarios for increased pension for asbestos [exposure]].
Wittenoom Remembered
Feb 6, 2023
The review cited below is of a play premiered in Melbourne, entitled Wittenoom, by Mary Anne Butler about a mother and daughter who lived in the notorious Australian mining town of Wittenoom in the 1940s. Highlighted were the excellent performances, strength of the writing and positive contribution of the sound design, with the author concluding that “the story of Wittenoom is a stark reminder of the deceptive and immoral practices large corporations maintain in the name of profit…The show draws themes of grief, memory and injustice together in an undeniably moving way. It is a powerful and compelling requiem for the people whose lives have been destroyed.” See: More than 2,000 people from Wittenoom died of asbestos-related diseases. A powerful and compelling requiem brings their story to the stage.
Asbestos Fly-tipping in Catalonia
Feb 6, 2023
Following the discovery of two tonnes of asbestos-containing construction debris illegally dumped near a wind farm in Tarragona, a port city in Spain’s Catalonia region, members of the Civil Guard opened an investigation to identify the perpetrators. The Civil Guard notified the Waste Agency of Catalonia to arrange the removal of the toxic waste and informed the Tortosa Court of the facts pending the commencement of legal action. See: Descubierto un vertedero ilegal de dos toneladas de uralita con amianto en El Perelló [An illegal dump of two tons of asbestos-containing uralite discovered in El Perelló].
Legal Battle over São Paulo Rages On
Feb 2, 2023
After the Brazilian Navy announced plans to sink the toxic hot potato which is the São Paulo – the retired aircraft carrier and Brazil’s former flagship – the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) filed a public civil action before the 2nd Federal Court of Pernambuco seeking an injunction to stop the ship being scuttled. The MPF told the court that the sinking of the São Paulo which was scheduled for February 1 could cause “irreparable damage to the marine environment, the public health of the population and irreversible health consequences.” See: MPF pede à Justiça que proíba Marinha de afundar porta-aviões aposentado impedido de atracar no Brasil [MPF asks Justices to prohibit Navy from sinking retired aircraft carrier prevented from docking in Brazil].
Toxic Talc Battle
Feb 2, 2023
On January 30, 2023, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit rejected Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) latest attempt to off-load tens of thousands of asbestos cases by filing a contentious bankruptcy. In its 56-page verdict, the judges wrote: “LTL (the subsidiary into which the asbestos claims were dumped), at the time of its (bankruptcy) filing, was highly solvent with access to cash to meet comfortably its liabilities.” The personal injury claims were made by people who alleged that the cancers they contracted had been caused by use of J&J’s asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder. See: U.S. court rejects J&J bankruptcy strategy for thousands of talc lawsuits.
Shipbreaking Audit 2022
Feb 2, 2023
Data published on February 1, 2023 by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform detailed figures for the scrapping of ocean-going commercial ships and offshore units in 2022. Of the 443 vessels scrapped, 292 were dismantled on dirty and dangerous tidal beaches in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The worst dumper country of the year was China followed by Brazil, whose state-owned oil company Petrobras sent four of its old tankers and two of its floating platforms for dismantling on South Asian beaches in 2022, reaching a total of 34 vessels in the last decade. See: Press Release – Platform publishes list of ships dismantled worldwide in 2022.
Navy’s São Paulo Solution
Jan 31, 2023
Despite protests by the Brazilian Minister of the Environment Marina Silva, the Navy announced plans to sink the hull of the São Paulo in the sea off the Brazilian coast. The vessel became something of an international toxic hot potato after the Turkish Government rescinded permission for it to be scrapped in a Turkish shipyard because of concerns over the presence of asbestos and other toxic materials. Since the ship was returned to Brazil, provincial and government authorities have refused permission for it to dock. In its day, the São Paulo was Brazil largest warship with capacity for 40 aircraft. See: Marinha quer afundar casco de porta-aviões barrado pela Turquia [Navy plans to sink hull of aircraft carrier barred by Turkey].
Asbestos Sector Flourishing
Jan 31, 2023
The “article” cited below reads like a press release from the Kostanay Minerals JSC, Kazakhstan’s sole asbestos producer. Amongst the facts reported were: total output from the company was 17.5 million tonnes (t) of white asbestos; annual production was 250,000t; 95% of all products were sent to Uzbekistan, India, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, China, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Thailand and Kyrgyzstan. The imposition by Western countries of sanctions on Russian trade, led Kostanay to replace Russian ports with ports in Georgia and Lithuania. The fact that asbestos causes cancer was not mentioned. See: Костанайские карьеры: как добывают асбест на одном из крупнейших месторождений в мире [Kostanay quarries: mining one of the largest deposits of asbestos in the world].
Asbestos Eradication Program
Jan 31, 2023
On January 28, 2023, the South Korean Province of Jeonbuk-do announced plans to address asbestos contamination in 90 daycare centers. The twenty-seven buildings worst affected – which have recorded high levels of airborne asbestos fibers – will be demolished this year. By the end of 2024, asbestos will be eradicated from the remaining properties. According to a provincial official: “We started the project to prevent exposure of sensitive infants and toddlers to harmful substances.” See: 전북도, 올해 어린이집 27개소 석면 자재 철거 지원 [Jeonbuk-do supports removal of asbestos materials from 27 daycare centers this year].
Asbestos Eradication Program: Update
Jan 31, 2023
Delays were announced in the start of a massive asbestos eradication program scheduled for the Badia del Vallès housing project in Barcelona. According to a spokesperson for the local government, no specialist contractor had been found who was capable of undertaking all the tasks involved to remove and/or encapsulate toxic products in the 5,372 apartments and infrastructure. A sum of €4.5 million (US$4.9m) had been allocated to pay for the decontamination. See: La retirada de amianto en Badia del Vallès vuelve a retrasarse hasta 2024 [The removal of asbestos in Badia del Vallès is delayed again until 2024].
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 31, 2023
Four out of five schools in England and Wales contain asbestos; as a result, the number of teaching staff dying from workplace asbestos exposures continues to rise. Statistics revealed in the article cited below were obtained by Freedom of Information requests to the Department for Education. Even though the Government continued to prevaricate over the asbestos scandal, a Department for Education spokesperson asserted that: “We take the safety of children and those who work with them incredibly seriously – which is why we expect all local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos in school buildings effectively, in line with their legal duties.” See: The Silent Killer in Schools. Government Under Fire for Failing to Act on Lethal Asbestos.
Senator Supports Toxic Industry
Jan 31, 2023
Brazilian Senator Vanderlan Cardoso, whose constituency included Brazil’s sole remaining asbestos mining conglomerate, welcomed a new Supreme Court action which allowed mining to continue despite previous judicial verdicts that had banned the commercialization of asbestos nationwide. According to him: “the [asbestos] ban was a wrong decision that needed to be reversed to guarantee the jobs of the mining company's workers.” See: “Lutei por isso desde que cheguei ao Senado”, disse Vanderlan sobre a liberação da produção de amianto em Minaçu [“I have fought for this since I arrived in the Senate,” said Vanderlan about the sanctioning of asbestos production in Minaçu].
Appeal to President Lula!
Jan 27, 2023
Recapping the São Paulo aircraft carrier fiasco, the editorial cited below quoted a manifesto by Brazilian groups & partners which said the situation was “a cursed legacy of the Bolsonaro government.” Fears that the ship, now in the Navy’s possession, would be sunk impelled the authors to warn this would be “an environmental disaster with political repercussions and immense environmental damage due to the existence of carcinogenic asbestos, possible radioactive sources, arsenic, PCBs, heavy metals, among other harmful agents …” See: Porta-aviões brasileiro com amianto à deriva no oceano Atlântico: Mais uma herança maldita do governo Bolsonaro [Brazilian aircraft carrier with asbestos adrift in the Atlantic Ocean: Another cursed legacy of the Bolsonaro government].
Supreme Court Ruling for Victim
Jan 27, 2023
On January 25, 2023, it was announced that Italy’s Supreme Court had passed a historic sentence that confirmed the liability of the multinational Solvay Chemicals as per a verdict by the Florence Court of Appeal. It is the first judgment against Solvay; a worker, who contracted pleural plaques and pleural thickening from asbestos exposures at the company’s Rosignano plant, will receive ~€3,000 (US$3,260). Commenting on the case, one expert said: “This sentence is historic because Solvay has not only always denied the use of asbestos… but has continued to deny the rights of those exposed who have contracted asbestos-related diseases.” See: Danni da amianto, “sentenza storica” Cassazione condanna Solvay [Damages from asbestos “historic sentence” from Court of Cassation condemns Solvay].
Unwelcome Surprise from STF
Jan 27, 2023
On January 23, 2023, it was announced that Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) had suspended a judgment by the Superior Court of Justice, which had ordered that production at the SAMA asbestos mine be suspended; as a result of this ruling, asbestos mining will remain legal for the time being. In 2017, the STF had issued a verdict prohibiting the extraction, production, sale and use of asbestos in Brazil. Asbestos stakeholders appealed the decision, with the asbestos mining state of Goiás passing a law overruling the STF. See: Minaçu: STF autoriza a retomada da exploração de amianto no município [Minaçu: STF authorizes the resumption of asbestos exploitation in the municipality].
Insurers Accused of Delaying Tactics
Jan 27, 2023
The Zurich American Insurance Company has been accused of needlessly dragging out the judicial process in order to force asbestos plaintiff Ralph Hutt to settle his claim. Some weeks ago, mesothelioma sufferer Hutt was awarded $36.5 million by a Montana jury which had accepted his claim against Zurich, the current owner of the Maryland Casualty Company. The insurer had, the jury found, failed to protect miners from hazardous exposures at the vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana. According to Hutt’s lawsuit against Zurich: “It is profitable for Zurich to breach its claim settlement duties and thereby increase the time over which it can generate income on money owed…” See: Lawsuit claims insurance company deliberately stalling in Libby asbestos cases.
Asbestos Legacy: The Facts
Jan 27, 2023
A commentary by Professor Antonio Alarcó Hernández in Spain’s Medical Gazette reviewed key aspects of the country’s asbestos legacy. Amongst the information presented was the following: between 1994 and 2008, there were 3,943 asbestos deaths in Spain; during the 20th century 2.6 million tons of asbestos were imported, with consumption highs achieved between 1960 and 1980; 75% of the asbestos went into the manufacture of fiber cement construction material. The author supported plans for the creation of a national asbestos compensation scheme and an asbestos eradication program to remove the toxic fiber and material containing it from the country’s infrastructure. See: Un peligro latente y silencioso: el amianto [A latent and silent danger: asbestos].
Asbestos Ruling in Amsterdam
Jan 27, 2023
A verdict handed down this week by an Amsterdam court found that the FloraHolland company had been negligent in allowing asbestos exposures to occur on multiple occasions at its various premises, including the flower market in Aalsmeer. The action was brought by a trade union on behalf of 15 current employees and the verdict means that should they or their former workmates contract an asbestos-related disease they will not need to bring a lawsuit to obtain compensation. In the judgment, the court said that although FloraHolland had known in 1990 that material containing asbestos was present in its premises, it had not issued warnings to staff until 2009. See: Top Dutch flower auction exposed employees to asbestos for years.
São Paulo Mystery
Jan 25, 2023
Having been refused permission to dock at various Brazilian ports after an aborted trip to Turkey for dismantling, on January 20 the Brazilian Navy took control of the hull of the redundant aircraft carrier the São Paulo following an ultimatum from the Turkish shipowners. The location of the Sao Paulo is unknown but it is believed to be proceeding away from the Brazilian coastline. It is feared by campaigners that the ship, which has become a contentious issue for the authorities, will be deliberately sunk. See: Porta-aviões ‘vagando’ no mar: entenda por que navio foi proibido de atracar no Brasil e Marinha assumiu controle [Aircraft carrier ‘wandering’ at sea: understand why the ship was banned from docking in Brazil and the why the Navy took control].
Supreme Court Issues Victims’ Ruling
Jan 25, 2023
Two recent decisions by the French Supreme Court (the Court of Cassation) expanded the rights of the families of victims who had died from industrial diseases and/or workplace accidents to access compensation, not only for loss of earnings but also for physical and moral suffering caused by the negligent behaviour of employers. As a result, dependents will be better compensated, in particular, the surviving families of workers who had died from diseases caused by occupational asbestos exposures. See: Amiante: indemnisation des salariés victimes ou de leurs ayants droit [Asbestos: compensation for employee victims or their dependents].
Asbestos Hazard at the Port of Taranto
Jan 25, 2023
A ship – the Vittorio Veneto – which had been decommissioned by the Italian Navy in 2007 and abandoned at the port of Taranto in 2013 continues to pose an imminent threat to public safety due to the presence of asbestos-containing material on board. An investigating judge has ruled that even though no harmful incident has occurred, the abandonment of the ship is an environmental disaster due to: “its proximity to the city centre, exposure to bad weather, the corrosive action of sea water, the ascertained state of opening of the ventilation hatches and the massive presence of asbestos (both inside and outside the boat)…” See: Taranto, la nave Vittorio Veneto carica di amianto al porto è un rischio [Taranto, the Vittorio Veneto ship loaded with asbestos at the port is a risk].
A Fatal Legacy
Jan 25, 2023
Interviews with two Spanish asbestos victims were featured in the article cited below. Mesothelioma sufferer José Antonio worked in the asbestos removal industry from 1999 until 2007 using pressurized air to remove asbestos from buildings. Neither he nor his workmates knew of the dangers of the work processes they were using. Vanesa’s bricklayer father died from mesothelioma; his wife also died from this cancer, having inhaled the deadly asbestos fibers brought home on his work clothes. See: “Mis padres murieron por amianto. Fue muy duro decirle a él que ella había enfermado por limpiarle la ropa del trabajo” [“My parents died from asbestos. It was very hard to tell him that she had gotten sick from cleaning his work clothes”].
Fighting for Asbestos Justice
Jan 25, 2023
Former carpenter and shipyard worker, Henri Tite-Grès has been fighting on behalf of asbestos victims for decades in his capacity as a trade union representative, union secretary, head of the national office of the shipbuilding branch of the metallurgy federation and President of the Mutuelle de la Méditerranée. Working alongside French lawyers, the union progressed claims on behalf of families of asbestos victims. In 27 years, there have been 4,500 cases; 18% of the claimants are now dead. See: “L’amiante est un Hiroshima silencieux”, juge Henri Tite-Grès, qui en a fait le combat de sa vie [“Asbestos is a silent Hiroshima,” judge Henri Tite-Grès, who made it the fight of his life].
Cape Must Pay!
Jan 25, 2023
In a letter sent by members of a Parliamentary group, the MPs and peers called on the parent company of one of the UK’s largest asbestos conglomerates (Cape PLC) to donate the sum of £10 million towards medical research into asbestos-related diseases as restitution for negligent behaviour which had knowingly endangered the lives of workers. Documents obtained as a result of a tough legal battle contained evidence that Cape had “provided misleading reassurance about the dangers of asbestos.” According to the letter, Cape “played a major role in exposing people to the toxic substance (asbestos), meanwhile profiting at their expense.” See: MPs urge asbestos company to pay £10m to fund cancer research.
Corporate Profits Trump Victims’ Claims
Jan 23, 2023
Strategems used by American corporations to offload financial liabilities continue to insulate insurers and manufacturers from asbestos claims. Koch Industries, an industrial conglomerate, received almost $2.5 billion in dividend payments in 2022 from its unit Georgia-Pacific, which had dumped its asbestos liabilities into a subsidiary (Bestwell) that filed for bankruptcy in a North Carolina court just three months after it had been set up. Thousands of asbestos lawsuits had been filed against Georgia-Pacific accusing the company and its executives of concealing knowledge about the hazard posed by asbestos contained in its building products. See: Koch gets $2.5 bln in dividends from unit that offloaded asbestos liability.
Asbestos Legacy in NHS
Jan 23, 2023
Research published on January 19, 2023 by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) confirmed widespread asbestos contamination of National Health Service (NHS) buildings in London (451 premises) and Scotland (695 premises), with two thirds of properties affected. Information on asbestos in other NHS buildings in these areas where a Trust or Board was not the asbestos duty-holder was not available. Two thirds of the NHS buildings which were found to be contaminated were open to the public. The report was produced by the Labour Research Department. See: Asbestos still widespread among NHS trusts and boards.
Plan for Asbestos Eradication in Madrid
Jan 23, 2023
The removal of asbestos-cement roofing on homes in the Spanish capital will be facilitated by the allocation by the Madrid City Council of €1 million (US$ 1.1m). Residents in 21 districts in the city including those in the neighborhoods of San Pascual, Poblado Dirigido and Meseta de Orcasitas will qualify for subsidies of €4,000 to €10,000 this year to remove the toxic material. The funds will be paid once a building permit has been granted and before work on the roofing commences. See: Amianto en el tejado: la larga lucha por acabar con una convivencia tóxica [Asbestos roofing: the long struggle to end a toxic coexistence].
Asbestos Scandal Uncovered
Jan 23, 2023
On January 18, 2023, the Seoul Office of Education announced that it had lodged a complaint against companies which had filed erroneous reports relating to the presence of asbestos at 17 schools. The fraudulent activity had been discovered after on-site audits by the Seoul Office of Education which is now seeking to recover all monies paid to the negligent companies and to bring charges against the wrongdoers. New procedures were implemented as of January 10, 2023 to prevent a recurrence of these incidents. See: 학교 석면 검사 '부실'…서울교육청, 석면 잔해물 '허위조사' 업체 고발 [School asbestos inspection 'poor'… Seoul Office of Education files complaint against company for 'false investigation' of asbestos debris].
Asbestos: Public Health Hazard
Jan 23, 2023
Despite frequent complaints by residents in the Agios Nektarios district of Patra, western Greece regarding the presence in the neighborhood of an asbestos roof covering 114 homes, no action has been taken by the municipal authorities. The residents’ call for the asbestos roof of the former Workers’ Housing Organization (OEK) dwellings to be replaced by the municipality fell on deaf ears. As the OEK no longer exists and as its successor is unable to assist with this problem, campaigners are calling for the central government to take action on this public health hazard. See: ΠΑΤΡΑ: Οργή και απογοήτευση στον Άγιο Νεκτάριο – Οι κάτοικοι αφέθηκαν στο έλεος του… “καρκίνου” [PATRA: Anger and disappointment in Agios Nektarios - Residents left at the mercy of... “cancer”].
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 23, 2023
According to replies received to a Freedom of Information request, asbestos-containing material is present in more than 40 primary, secondary, nursery and assisted support needs schools in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Commenting on these findings, a spokeswoman for the charity Clydebank Asbestos Group said: “Although the use of asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, it sadly remains a serious public health issue. Asbestos still exists within the fabric of many of our old and public buildings, such as schools and hospitals. As a result, people will continue to be exposed to asbestos and be at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease.” See: Renfrewshire: Asbestos in schools is ‘ticking time-bomb’
Urban Renewal in Istanbul
Jan 19, 2023
The municipal administrative team were accused of failing to enforce regulations intended to prevent asbestos exposures during demolition work on old buildings in the Karanfilköy neighborhood of Beşiktaş, in Istanbul. Local residents said that despite the presence of asbestos-containing material in the buildings, no warnings had been given by the municipality and no steps had been taken to minimize the liberation of carcinogenic fibers during the building work. See: Kansere davetiye gibi yıkım pes dedirtti [Destruction, like an invitation to cancer, made one give up].
Asbestos Campaign: Update
Jan 19, 2023
Following a meeting in Bercy, France in December 2022, a coalition of civil society groups – including Finances Solidaires, the General Confederation of Labour, the French Democratic Confederation of Labour, the General Confederation of Labor, the French Confederation of Christian Workers, the National Union of Autonomous Trade Unions, and the French Confederation of Management, General Confederation of Executives – reaffirmed their commitment to eliminating asbestos from all their sites and facilitating recognition for all those whose lives had been adversely affected by toxic workplace exposures. See: Dossier amiante: les trois priorités de l'ensemble des fédérations syndicales des Finances [Asbestos file: the three priorities of all finance union federations].
Asbestos Deaths in Cheltenham
Jan 19, 2023
In the second week of January, a Gloucester coroner heard evidence about the deaths of three members of a Cheltenham factory maintenance team, all of whom had died from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma. Adjudicating the December 2, 2022 inquest into the death of Nigel Ibbotson, 61, Assistant Gloucestershire Coroner Roland Wooderson heard that in the 1980s Ibbotson had routinely been exposed to asbestos-containing material including Asbestolux sheets at various workplaces. A verdict of death by industrial disease was recorded. See: Three members of Cheltenham factory maintenance team died from asbestos-related cancer in Gloucester.
Asbestos Eradication in Piedmont
Jan 19, 2023
On January 16, 2023, Regional Councilor Mattteo Marnati announced that funds of €208,000 (US$226,000) had been allocated for the replacement of pipes and insulation in the heating systems of three buildings in Vercelli as part of the region’s Zero Asbestos Program. “These are,” said Marnati “small interventions because much has already been done to remove asbestos from public buildings. However, the effort of the Region and local authorities is aimed precisely at operating in a targeted and punctual way.” See: Amianto zero: dalla Regione 208mila euro per Rosa Stampa, Agrario e Provincia [Zero asbestos: 208 thousand euros from the Region for Rosa Stampa, Agrario and the Province].
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 16, 2023
Trade unions, working with UK scientists, announced plans to research the risk posed to teachers of working in schools containing asbestos, after new data showed an elevated mesothelioma mortality among teachers born between 1955 and 1974 that bordered “on statistical significance.” Commenting on this initiative, joint general secretary of the National Education Union Kevin Courtney said: “This research is vitally important. We believe it will establish once and for all the risk asbestos in school buildings poses to the health of teachers, support staff and children. We hope the results will convince the government of the urgent need for an independent review of current policy, which is to manage rather than remove asbestos.” See: UK unions call in cancer expert over fears of asbestos risk to female teachers.
Addressing Asbestos Mortality in BC
Jan 16, 2023
According to statistics released by WorkSafeBC – the occupational health and safety agency for the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) – 17 out of the 29 construction workers who died from occupational injuries in 2021 were killed by toxic workplace exposures. In BC, asbestos exposures kill more workers than any other toxic substance. In the spring of 2023, a new Asbestos Control Training program will be launched in BC by the BC Construction Safety Alliance to educate BC’s 240,000 construction workers and asbestos removal operatives. See: Environ 30 travailleurs de la construction perdent la vie au travail chaque année en C.-B. [Approximately 30 construction workers die on the job every year in B.C.].
Widower’s Fight for Justice
Jan 16, 2023
Although the authorities at the Pierre-Paul Riquet hospital in Toulouse acknowledged that the 2021 lung cancer death of childcare assistant Marie-Christine Anglade had been caused by exposure to asbestos in the hospital premises in which the Purpan crèche was located, they continued to dispute whether her death was “a result of her work,” as she was a childcare assistant and not a technician. Disgruntled with these unsatisfactory findings, the deceased’s husband Pascal Anglade is considering an appeal to the administrative court. See: Toulouse: L’exposition passive à l’amiante au sein d’un CHU au cœur du combat du mari d’une salariée morte d’un cancer [Toulouse: Passive exposure to asbestos in a university hospital at the heart of the fight of the husband of an employee who died of cancer].
Landmark Demolition Project
Jan 16, 2023
Demolition work will begin in January 2023 on an 18-story 1970s building, formerly belonging to Telecom now owned by the Central Group development company, in Prague that contains 3,000 tonnes of asbestos-containing material. Subcontractors hired to remediate and dispose of the asbestos were previously fined 450,000 crowns (US$ 20,295) by the Czech Environmental Inspectorate for failing to prevent the liberation of asbestos from a site in Prague's Michle district. See: Крупнейшее захоронение опасного асбеста: в Праге снесут башню штроугала [The largest burial of dangerous asbestos: Strougal’s tower in Prague will be demolished].
São Paulo Update
Jan 13, 2023
The São Paulo continues to haunt the Brazilian coast after multiple authorities refused it permission to dock over concerns relating to asbestos and other toxic substances on board. On January 11, the company representing the Turkish owner of the vessel said that if the authorities did not secure the ship a place to berth, it would be abandoned. In response, the Brazilian Navy on January 12 reiterated its position that the responsibility for dealing with the vessel belonged to its owner and not the Navy and that: “the asbestos currently existing in São Paulo does not pose health risks, in the state in which it is found. See: Porta-aviões com amianto no casco é impedido de atracar em Pernambuco por inviabilidade portuária [Aircraft carrier with asbestos in the hull is prevented from docking in Pernambuco due to port unfeasibility].
Asbestos at Durham University
Jan 13, 2023
The January 12th article cited below presented a damning indictment of a failure to address widespread asbestos contamination in Durham University. Seventy-four accommodation buildings in 10 Durham University colleges contained asbestos, of which 214 were given a material score of 10 or above out of 12. This score indicated that the material was considered “as having a high potential to release fibres and therefore hazardous.” More recent reports suggested that the condition of the asbestos had deteriorated over time as the amount now considered hazardous increased to 29%. See: Over 1264 incidents of asbestos found in college accommodation buildings.
Eradicating Asbestos in Schools
Jan 13, 2023
Asbestos removal work is being carried out by contractors commissioned by the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education to eradicate the toxic substance from 16 schools in South Korea during the winter school vacation. After the work has been completed, the asbestos monitoring group – made up of parents, asbestos supervisors, external environmental experts, representatives of civil society and school staff – will conduct follow-up tests to measure the air quality inside affected classrooms. See: 울산교육청, 겨울방학 학교 60곳 교육환경개선 [Ulsan Office of Education, Improvement of educational environment in 60 winter vacation schools].
Financial Support for Asbestos Removal
Jan 13, 2023
A municipal scheme offered to homeowners in the Italian town of Chioggia, part of the Metropolitan City of Venice, was, said Councilor for the Environment of the Municipality of Chioggia Serena De Perini: “an opportunity… to be seized to dispose of asbestos in complete safety, also taking advantage of an economic incentive.” A subsidy of €250 (US$270) will be paid by the Council towards the cost of each contract. Up to 1,000 kilograms of manufactured asbestos products can be removed under the scheme or 75 square meters of slabs. See: Amianto in abitazioni civili, Veritas offre l’opportunità di smaltirlo in sicurezza [Asbestos in civilian homes, Veritas offers the opportunity to dispose of it safely].
Asbestos Settlement for Libby Crimes?
Jan 11, 2023
On January 10, Governor of the US State of Montana Greg Gianforte announced that the State had been offered $18.5 million to settle claims over asbestos contamination caused by the operations of the vermiculite mine owned by W.R. Grace in the town of Libby. Environmental pollution occurred from the time mining started in 1963 until it ceased in 1990. A clean-up program carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency cost $600 million; in 2008, the company agreed to pay $250 million towards the cost of the decontamination work. See: W.R. Grace offers $18.5M to settle Montana asbestos claims.
EU Funds for Asbestos Eradication
Jan 11, 2023
Funding of €2.4 million (US$2.6m) from the European Union’s Rehabilitation of Residential Environments Program has been designated for work to remove asbestos from hundreds of private apartments in the Juan de la Cierva neighborhood of the Spanish city of Getafe. Some of the money allocated will be used for work to reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling in 250 properties by 35% per year. See: GETAFE/ 250 viviendas de Juan de la Cierva quedarán libre de amianto [GETAFE / 250 homes in Juan de la Cierva will be free of asbestos].
Low Level of Asbestos Awareness
Jan 11, 2023
On January 9, 2023, the results of a survey undertaken by personnel from the Citizens’ Center for Environmental Health, Korea were published. In the survey, more than half (56.7%) the people questioned didn’t know whether asbestos was present in the schools their children attended. In addition, 42.1% didn’t know whether their house, office or factory contained asbestos material. A not insignificant number of people (17.6%) also didn’t know that asbestos was classed as a group 1 carcinogen. See: 국민 절반 이상 자녀 학교건물의 ‘석면’ 사용 여부 모른다 [More than half of the population does not know whether ‘asbestos’ is used in school buildings for children].
Victim’s Verdict Upheld in Montana
Jan 11, 2023
A jury decision awarding 36.5 million dollars to asbestos plaintiff Ralph V. Hutt was upheld by Montana Judge John W. Parker of Cascade County District Court. Defendant Maryland Casualty Company had, the jurors found, conspired with the Libby-based mining company W.R. Grace to conceal the extent of the hazard posed by the mining of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite. Judge Parker said the insurance company’s actions were so atrocious that it’s behaviour could have been grounds for an even higher monetary award. See: Cascade County judge upholds jury’s $36.5M decision in asbestos case.
Asbestos in Parliament
Jan 11, 2023
According to Dame Meg Hillier MP, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, there is an “unacceptable cloak of secrecy” around the restoration program for the Houses of Parliament due to a rise in the estimated cost of the refurbishment which had risen from £7 billion to £22 billion. The Houses of Parliament, which are a UNESCO world heritage site, are riddled with asbestos. In 2021, it was revealed that asbestos incidents during building work had potentially put at risk the lives of 117 contractors and members of staff. Any work undertaken in the building runs the risk of disturbing asbestos which “runs the whole length of the building.” See: 'Unacceptable cloak of secrecy' around Houses of Parliament restoration, says MP.
Verdict Upheld Smoker’s Asbestos Claim
Jan 11, 2023
Despite a history of tobacco use, a labor judge in the Civil Court of Rome issued a claimant’s verdict in an asbestos case brought by a former employee of the Cotral transport company. The Lazio company was ordered to pay compensation of €157,000 (US$169,000) to the children of a driver/laborer who died aged 59 from asbestos-related lung cancer. The Court found that his smoking did not bar the claim but reinforced it, as asbestos exposure multiplied the hazard posed by smoking. See: Morì a causa dell’amianto, condannata compagnia di trasporti [Death from asbestos, transport company condemned].
Call for Action on Asbestos Hazard
Jan 9, 2023
A commentary in the January 5 issue of the Oncology Times considered the findings and recommendations made in a peer-reviewed paper entitled The silent malignant mesothelioma epidemic: a call to action, published in the Lancet Oncology in October 2022. Accepting that the malignant mesothelioma epidemic was fueled by the consumption of asbestos, a joint effort by medical professionals, health officials and civil society was needed to tackle widespread lack of asbestos awareness and provide an alternative dialogue to propaganda spread by pro-asbestos lobbyists. See: The Role of Asbestos in Global Malignant Mesothelioma.
Extension of Benefits for At-Risk Workers
Jan 9, 2023
Decrees published in the Official Journal of the French Government on December 31, 2023 affirmed plans to extend until December 31, 2027 the current asbestos scheme covering shipbuilding and repair workers occupationally-exposed to asbestos. The scheme was originally due to end in 2022. Commenting on the news, Didier le Gac, a Member of the National Assembly representing the port town of Brest, said that he was “delighted with this additional time which must now be used to change the situation and ensure the total disappearance of asbestos in the naval sector. It is a matter of both the health of ship repair employees and the competitiveness of a strategic sector for the Brest market.” See: L'équation budgétaire de l'exécutif se précise [The executive's budget equation becomes clearer].
Welsh Asbestos Scandal
Jan 9, 2023
According to a new report, 5,264 council, health board and Welsh Government buildings contain asbestos material. More than 1,300 of the toxic structures are schools. Asbestos-containing products are present in more than 90% percent of all Welsh Government buildings with 92% of Cardiff Council buildings being affected. Carmarthenshire had 182 schools with asbestos, the highest of all council areas, followed by Cardiff with 104. Reacting to this discovery, Welsh Conservative Shadow Local Government Minister Sam Rowlands MS said: “the scale of this issue suggests a public health risk that is just not being tackled.” See: Investigation reveals thousands of Welsh Government buildings contain deadly asbestos.
Asbestos Benefits’ Increase
Jan 9, 2023
The Italian Government’s budget for the financial year 2023 and the multi-year budget for the three-year period starting this year increased the amount of benefits paid by INAIL– Italy’s National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance – to asbestos victims. As of January 1, 2023, there was a 2% uplift in monthly payments; in addition, one-off INAIL benefits to mesothelioma sufferers increased from €10,000 (US$10,653) to €15,000. New benefits were introduced for workers exposed to asbestos who had worked in the railway rolling stock production sector. See: Fondo Vittime Amianto, cosa dice la Legge di Bilancio 2023 [Asbestos Victims Fund, what the 2023 Budget Law says].
Supporting Victims’ Rights
Jan 9, 2023
In a statement issued on January 4, 2023, the Basque Association of Asbestos Victims (Asviamie) called on health professionals to notify patients when there was a “suspicion” that they had contracted diseases caused by occupational exposure to carcinogenic products such as asbestos so that they might pursue compensation and support for the injuries sustained. Patients so-informed had options for obtaining government benefits and/or settlements from former employers responsible for the toxic exposures they had endured. See: Instan a los médicos a comunicar su sospecha en casos de amianto [Doctors urged to communicate their suspicion in asbestos cases].
Uplift in Pensions
Jan 9, 2023
Under government measures to deal with the cost-of-living crisis in France, pensions paid to asbestos victims by the Compensation Fund for Asbestos Victims (FIVA) were increased by 4% as of December 30, 2022; the uplift was applied retroactively from July 1, 2022. In 2021 FIVA, whose mission is “to ensure full compensation for all the damage suffered by victims and their dependents resulting directly from exposure to asbestos on the territory of the French Republic,” received 17,300 claims from asbestos victims. See: L'indemnisation des victimes de l'amiante va augmenter en 2023 [Compensation for asbestos victims will increase in 2023].
Asbestos Blockade
Jan 5, 2023
In 2022, Sverdlovsk Railway blocked shipments by Uralasbest – Russia’s 2nd biggest asbestos producer – to China. According to a Uralasbest spokesman: “China is the most important strategic partner for the Uralasbest plant. Of the total annual output of 240,000 tons of asbestos, a quarter is sent to China. The loss of this market due to the non-acceptance of our cargo by the SVZhD [Sverdlovsk Railway] is fraught with serious losses and downtime for the enterprise, which employs 4,500 people.” See: «Ураласбест» заявил о возможной приостановке производства из-за отказа СвЖД отправлять хризотил в Китай [“Uralasbest” announced a possible suspension of production due to the refusal of the Sverdlovsk Railway to send chrysotile to China].
National Asbestos Scandal
Jan 5, 2023
The stunning exposé cited below revealed the deadly consequences of the uncontrolled use of asbestos in India: “In 2021, India accounted for 44% of global [asbestos] imports, a 29% increase on 2020. Russia and Brazil are its key sources.” According to research published by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai), in the coming decades more than 6 million people in India could contract an asbestos-related disease including 600,000+ cases of cancer. Those affected include not only asbestos workers and miners but family members and members of the public who lived near asbestos mines and/or asbestos-using factories. See: ‘We are all exposed to it’: the human face of India’s asbestos timebomb.
Mesothelioma Incidence & Unilateral Bans
Jan 5, 2023
A paper published in December 2022 by an international team of researchers considered whether a nation’s incidence of mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, had an impact on what actions – such as banning asbestos or restricting its use – were adopted by national governments. The authors of the paper concluded that a country’s “mesothelioma burden had an impact on, and together with its identification, explained the banning of asbestos in many countries.” Recommendations made included adopting preventative measures to eliminate asbestos-related diseases. See: Must countries shoulder the burden of mesothelioma to ban asbestos? A global assessment.
Asbestos Eradication in Avaré
Jan 5, 2023
In a round-up of municipal accomplishments in 2022, the authorities in Avaré – a Brazilian city in the State of São Paulo – reviewed work which had been done to eradicate the asbestos hazard from regional hotspots. In what was termed “a historic victory for collective health,” the Municipal Secretary of the Environment ordered the removal of approximately 400 tons of asbestos debris that had been illegally dumped over 20 years ago. In addition, asbestos dumped in streams in Avaré was also removed to prevent flooding in the central region. See: Retirada de amianto abandonado foi importante conquista em 2022 [Removal of abandoned asbestos was an important achievement in 2022].
Asbestos Mortality Data: Update
Jan 5, 2023
Data released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in November 2022 confirmed the deadly toll paid by UK workers for historic asbestos exposures. Of the 13,000 occupational deaths that occurred every year, 12,000 were caused by lung diseases. Mesothelioma, the signature asbestos cancer, killed 2,544 people in the UK in 2020; according to the HSE “annual mesothelioma deaths are expected to reduce over the period 2020 to 2030.” See: Health and safety at work Summary statistics for Great Britain 2022.
Asbestos Cancer Latency Study
Jan 4, 2023
An academic paper published in the December 2022 issue of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, which examined the latency period of malignant mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer in Korea, found that the latency periods for malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer were 33.7 and 40.1 years, respectively. The shortest latency periods were found in former asbestos factory workers; people who worked or lived near an asbestos mine had relatively long disease latency. See: Disease Latency according to Asbestos Exposure Characteristics among Malignant Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer Cases in South Korea.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard
Jan 4, 2023
An interview on the Australian Broadcasting Channel with the Director of Shelter at Miyamoto Relief Dave Hodgkin, an Australian working in Indonesia to assess the damage from the November 21, 2022 5.6-magnitude earthquake in the town of Cianjur, highlighted the danger posed by the ubiquitous presence of asbestos throughout the region. Mr. Hodgkin said that continuing efforts to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard amongst government officials and the public are countered by intensive lobbying by asbestos vested interests determined to preserve the continued sale of asbestos in the country. See: Former Canberran assesses asbestos risk in earthquake damaged Indonesia.
Toxic Talc
Jan 4, 2023
In December 2022, a California jury issued a plaintiffs’ verdict in a case brought against cosmetics giant Avon, now owned by Natura & Co, over the fatal asbestos cancer contracted by Los Angeles resident Rita-Ann Chapman. Mrs. Chapman, who began using Avon body and face powders aged 8, was awarded $40.8 million in actual damages and a further $11.3 million in punitive damages after jurors found that the company had acted with “malice, oppression or fraud” in hiding the health risks associated with the use of these products. Avon’s lawyers announced plans to appeal the verdict; this is the first such case Avon has lost in the US. See: California Jury Awards Woman $52.1 Million in Mesothelioma Case Against Avon.
Protecting Europe’s Workers
Jan 4, 2023
On December 4, the Council of the European Union announced that an agreement had been reached by Ministers of Employment to tighten EU restrictions protecting workers from occupational asbestos exposures. The Council planned to negotiate with the European Parliament on measures for lowering current exposure levels as part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. If the new rules are agreed, no worker would be exposed to a concentration of more than 0.01 fibres of asbestos per cm³ – a tenfold reduction to the current allowable level. Although asbestos use in the EU was banned in 2005, asbestos-containing material remains in older buildings. The vast majority of occupational cancers recognised in the EU are related to asbestos. See: Asbestos: Council agrees to improve protection of workers.
No Berth in Angra!
Jan 4, 2023
The saga of the São Paulo, the former Brazilian flagship which has become an international pariah and a national scandal, continued last month. The Brazilian city of Angra in the southwest of Rio de Janeiro State issued a ban on the docking of all vessels containing asbestos or radioactive material in the municipality. In October, the State of Pernambuco had ruled that the São Paulo would not be allowed to dock in the Port of Suape because of the hazards it posed to human health and the environment. See: Prefeitura de Angra recorre à Justiça para impedir atracação de porta aviões com amianto e vestígio de material radioativo em todos os portos da cidade [City Hall of Angra resorts to Justice to prevent docking of aircraft carriers with asbestos and traces of radioactive material in all ports of the city].
Asbestos Propaganda
Jan 4, 2023
In December, Russian asbestos propagandists continued their disinformation campaign; releasing articles such as the one cited below and another entitled: Why are people afraid of asbestos?. They lauded the continued use of chrysotile (white) asbestos with statements such as: “All CIS countries are actively importing chrysotile fiber as are China, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries of Southeast Asia. It [asbestos] helps dynamically developing economies independently solve the complex tasks of building mass housing, developing social infrastructure and stimulating the real estate market.” Asbestos critics were said to be corrupt and evidence on the carcinogenicity of chrysotile dismissed as “rumours.” See: Экологическая «повестка»: идея или бизнес? [Environmental agenda: idea or business?].
Progress in Brussels
Dec 9, 2022
On December 8, 2022, the European Union (EU) Council agreed to toughen workplace protections against asbestos by reducing allowable levels of exposure and adopting more modern technology for counting asbestos fibers. “Greater protection of workers against the risks of asbestos will save lives. EU Member States must drastically limit the exposure of workers to the danger posed by asbestos, and I am glad that they are willing to do so,” said the vice-president of the Government and Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic, Marian Jurecka. See: Consejo UE acuerda aumentar protección de los trabajadores frente al amianto [EU Council agrees to increase worker protection against asbestos].
The Endless Voyage of the São Paulo
Dec 9, 2022
The former Brazilian aircraft carrier São Paulo continues its journey to nowhere. After Turkish authorities rescinded permission for the ship to be scrapped in Turkey, the vessel returned to Brazilian waters. Authorities in multiple Brazilian cities refused permission for the ship to dock due to concerns over the presence of asbestos and other hazardous material on board; it is now moored about 30 km off the coast of Pernambuco, near the Port of Suape. According to the Government of Pernambuco, the ship “remains without docking permission and continues on the high seas.” See: NAVIO-FANTASMA: Porto de Suape rebate MSK e nega falta de combustível que ocasionou troca do rebocador do porta-aviões [GHOST SHIP: Suape Port refutes MSK and denies lack of fuel that led to replacement of aircraft carrier tug].
Chlorine Production and Asbestos Deaths
Dec 9, 2022
The photographic essay cited below was a damning indictment of the behaviour of US chlorine producers Olin and OxyChem which negligently exposed workers to asbestos and other hazardous substances over many decades. For the first time, workers have broken their silence about the reality of working in plants belonging to these companies. Their accounts of routine toxic exposures are in direct contradiction to the continued reassurances provided by the corporations to US government agencies. Efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to ban asbestos have repeatedly been blocked by lobbyists representing the chlorine industry. See: Factory workers across the U.S. say they were exposed to asbestos on the job.
Asbestos Use, Diseases and Compensation
Dec 9, 2022
In India, the use of asbestos remains legal. Measures to protect workers and members of the public from toxic exposures remain virtually unknown. As a result, there is a growing epidemic of asbestos-related diseases and deaths throughout the country. Compensation for these diseases is difficult to obtain. Three thousand asbestos-injured workers have collectively received 14 million pounds from a fund set up to pay compensation by the British company Turner & Newall, which built the first asbestos factory in India in the 1930s. Campaigners are calling on international and Indian-owned asbestos-using companies to make restitution to workers and communities which they have harmed. See: Raising awareness about asbestos pollution in India: Challenges ahead.
More Asbestos Propaganda
Dec 9, 2022
The commentary cited below rehashed threadbare industry propaganda extolling the virtues of chrysotile (white) asbestos whilst denying the proven health hazards to human beings exposed to its fibers. According to the author: “the [German] army cannot do without it” as asbestos material is used in T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks. Parroting asbestos lobby disinformation, the text affirmed that: “Chrysotile fiber is excreted from the human body in a short period of time without harming it” and the asbestos industry “benefits millions of people around the world by protecting [them] against fire and high temperatures.” See: Асбест в ГДР: история защитного снаряжения полувековой давности [Asbestos in the GDR: the history of protective equipment half a century ago].
The End of Brazil’s Asbestos Industry?
Dec 8, 2022
A blog reviewing recent judicial developments in the Brazilian State of Goiás highlighted a decision by the Superior Court of Justice which annulled an injunction that had allowed asbestos mining by SAMA Minerações Associadas, a subsidiary of Eternit S.A., to continue at its Minaçu mine in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court decision. In 2019, the Government of Goiás passed a law allowing extraction of asbestos for export purposes only. See: Decisão judicial em Goiás coloca cotas raciais em xeque no mês da Consciência Negra [Judicial decision in Goiás puts racial quotas in check in the month of Black Consciousness].
Scotland’s Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Dec 8, 2022
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Clydebank Asbestos Group, a new book, entitled Asbestos and Clydebank, was published focussing on the personal stories of former workers who, as a result of toxic workplace conditions, had contracted asbestos-related diseases. Electrician Stuart Riddle had been employed at John Brown’s shipyards alongside thousands of other Scottish workers. He recalled a particular incident during the construction of the QEII during which he was showered with asbestos fibers produced by the work of a joiner cutting holes in the ceiling of the radio room to install light fittings. See: Clydebank: Part 3 of our series of stories of ‘Asbestos and Clydebank’.
Asbestos: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Dec 8, 2022
Asbestos exposure remains the cause of the vast majority of occupationally-caused diseases in Canada. The article cited below reviewed the development of the asbestos industry, the risks posed by asbestos exposures, and the continued failures, by both countries which have banned asbestos use and those which have not yet done so, to protect populations from the asbestos hazard. Of particular relevance was the section of the text which highlighted the environmental danger posed by the destruction of the Ukrainian infrastructure by the Russian bombardment. See: Asbestos: The Miracle Mineral of our Worst Nightmares.
In the Aftermath of Asbestos Mining
Dec 5, 2022
A stunning photographic essay published last week revealed the environmental consequences of thirty years of asbestos mining in the Canadian town of Baie Verte, Newfoundland. The Advocate asbestos strip mine, which opened in 1963 and ceased production in the 1990s, is just a five-minute drive from Baie Verte. It provided employment for local people, many of whom moved to the town to take up jobs at the mine which was one of the largest asbestos mines in Canada. According to the article, many former workers contracted fatal asbestos-related diseases and virtually nothing has been done to remediate the mine. Mountains of toxic asbestos mining waste continue to dominate the landscape. See: Don’t Hold Your Breath.
National Asbestos Legacy
Dec 5, 2022
Until fairly recently, there has been little coverage of the deadly impact of asbestos exposures in Romania. The article cited below by Romanian journalist Adrian Stoica highlighted the discrepancies which exist between European Union and Romanian asbestos regulations. Under Romanian law, the allowable asbestos limit value is 0.1 fibers/cm3, much higher than that of the EU. Although asbestos production, sale and use were banned in Romania in 2007, exposure to asbestos still exists in many workplaces. The historic use of asbestos and the failure to remediate the Romanian infrastructure has created a situation in which members of the public as well as workers could be routinely exposed to asbestos material. See: “Silent killers,” in 35 million EU homes.
Asbestos Compensation in Northern Ireland
Dec 5, 2022
Since 2011, Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy (DfE)and Department for Communities (DfC) paid out in excess of £40 million compensation to workers who contracted asbestos-related diseases in Northern Ireland. The DfE managed claims against Harland and Wolff (H&W), the former Belfast ship-building company that built the Titanic; in its heyday, the H&W yards employed 30,000 people. The DfE paid out £35m+ to 1,500 people between 2011 and 2021 with the DfC paying out £5.8m to 378 workers not employed by the ship-building industry over the same period. Asbestos fatalities in NI increased almost 60% in 2020 compared to 2019. See: Asbestos-related compensation pay outs top £40m.
European Asbestos Protocols: Update
Dec 5, 2022
The commentary cited below was written by Nikolaj Villumsen, a Danish Member of the European Parliament. In 2021, he had been the rapporteur of the European Parliament’s report on protecting workers from asbestos. His analysis of new measures proposed by the Parliament to address the deadly legacy left by asbestos within Europe expressed both hope and frustration. Whilst welcoming the introduction of mandatory health screenings, registration of asbestos in buildings and an update of the list of occupational diseases related to asbestos exposure, he condemned the failure to lower the limit value for asbestos to 1,000 fibres per cubic meter, in line with recommendations from the EU Parliament. See: Why the EU asbestos directive revision … needs revising.
Mesothelioma Scheme Review
Dec 5, 2022
From April 2014 to March 2022, the UK Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS) – which is funded by a levy on the employers’ liability insurance industry – paid out a total of £254.9 million for 2,815 claims. The majority of the compensation (£212.6m) went to applicants with £42.3m going to the Department for Work and Pensions as reimbursement for interim benefits previously paid out. During this period, 70% of claims were successful. In the year ending March 31, 2022, 325 applications were received which was 7% more than the previous year; the success rate for applications last year was 74%. See: Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme annual statistics April 2014 to March 2022.
Asbestos Memorial
Dec 1, 2022
On Sunday morning, December 10, a ceremony will be held in Osasco – the former heart of Brazil’s asbestos-cement industry – to honor workers and members of the public who died from exposure to asbestos. During the event, a 7 meter tall memorial will be unveiled on a roundabout across the street from the site of the former Eternit asbestos factory, the largest such operation in all of Latin America. The event is the result of a collaboration between Osasco City Hall and ABREA, the Brazilian Association of People Exposed to Asbestos. See: Osasco entrega Memorial em homenagem às vítimas do amianto [Osasco delivers Memorial in honor of asbestos victims].
Asbestos Removal Exposure Risks
Dec 1, 2022
A study commissioned by the New Zealand Demolition and Asbestos Association of the asbestos removal sector concluded that the number of workers at risk from toxic exposures remained high. Authors of The Asbestos Sector Review recommended that better training and increased protection were needed for tradespeople and DIYers to prevent exposures to asbestos in the built environment. According to the Association’s President Helina Stil: “There is a massive inconsistency of standards across the board. It makes it very confusing for contractors and that also leads to risks for workers with these differing standards.” See: Review finds number of workers exposed to asbestos grossly underestimated.
EU Asbestos Legacy
Dec 1, 2022
The focus of an interview of Jukka Takala, former president of the International Commission on Occupational Health, and Rolf Gehring, of the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers, was the ongoing epidemic of asbestos-related diseases currently killing thousands of workers in Europe every year. Both experts called on the European Union to take stronger action to lower allowable levels of occupational exposures in order to protect workers undertaking remediation and renewal of the built environment. See: Trade unionists: ‘We get more and more asbestos-related illnesses’.
Asbestos Removal Stops Traffic
Dec 1, 2022
The Mont Blanc highway tunnel connecting France and Italy will be closed for three months a year over the next 18 years to allow asbestos-containing material to be removed. The closure of the tunnel will impact adversely on both tourism and business. Trained operatives working for specialist asbestos removal companies will be tasked with remediating the tunnel. In both Italy and France, thousands of people die every year from asbestos-related diseases. See: Amianto nel traforo del Monte Bianco: chiuderà 3 mesi l’anno [Asbestos in the Mont Blanc tunnel: it will close 3 months a year].
Asbestos Exposures at Military Bases
Dec 1, 2022
On November 16, 2022, speakers at a public meeting of the Association for Supporting Asbestos Victims, Families and Bereaved Families Related to the Military Stationed in Okinawa, provided updates for asbestos-exposed workers and family members regarding access to legal aid and medical care to pursue claims related to toxic exposures at US military bases in Japan. Hundreds of claims have been registered to date, with 12 lawsuits against the national government succeeding for people from Okinawa prefecture. See: 米軍基地アスベスト被害、遺族給付金の期限32年まで延長「被害者掘り起こしを」 支援の会が総会 沖縄・北谷 [U.S. military base asbestos damage, bereaved family benefits extended to 32 years. Victim support group general meeting Okinawa Chatan].
Europe’s Asbestos Scandal
Nov 29, 2022
A cross-border investigation supported by Jouranlismfund.eu into the deadly repercussions of Europe’s use of asbestos, has resulted in the publication this month (November, 2022) of a series of articles and TV programs in Denmark, Croatia, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, etc. which revealed the ubiquitous presence of asbestos throughout the European infrastructure; the ongoing epidemic of asbestos-related deaths; and the calls by trade unionists and campaigners for regional action to impose stricter workplace regulations. See: Asbestos: The Lethal Legacy.
Deadly legacy; ongoing hazard!
Nov 29, 2022
During Australia’s annual asbestos awareness week – which started this year on November 21 – new data was published which confirmed the ongoing deadly legacy posed by the country’s widespread use of asbestos throughout the national infrastructure. According to the Federal Government, one in every three homes remains contaminated by toxic material; this situation continues to pose an imminent risk not only to residents but also to tradespeople. Nearly four times the number of Australians are killed annually by asbestos-related diseases as die from road traffic accidents. See: Asbestos warning as 4000 Aussies killed every year.
Asbestos in Schools
Nov 29, 2022
The Bologna Court of Appeal ruled that the Ministry of Education and not the Municipality of Bologna, the owner of the school, was liable for the 2017 mesothelioma death of a teacher who had been exposed to asbestos in the school where she had taught from 1981 until 1990. Judicial proceedings which had been launched before her death finally resulted in a judicial verdict awarding compensation of 930,000 euros (US$965,100) to the deceased’s children. See: Morta per l’amianto nella scuola. Una sentenza di condanna del Ministero che fa discutere [Death due to asbestos [exposure] in school. Controversy over sentence imposed on Ministry].
Court Asbestos Ban
Nov 28, 2022
It was announced this month that Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice had ordered the cessation of asbestos mining at the country’s sole asbestos mine, which had been producing asbestos for export despite an earlier Supreme Court (2017) ruling banning asbestos production, sale and use. The judgment annulled an injunction (2019) obtained by the mine owners - Sama Mineração S/A, a company of the Eternit group – under which operations had continued. It remains unknown whether Sama will abide by the new ruling. See: STJ ordena que Sama pare de extrair amianto em Minaçu [STJ orders Sama to stop extracting asbestos in Minaçu].
Asbestos Management Update
Nov 28, 2022
A 28-page review of UK asbestos management published this month (November 2022) revealed that 20 years after the Duty to Manage Asbestos became law, the majority of UK buildings contained asbestos material, much of which could pose “a potential risk to public health, and which need remediation or removal.” The authors of the report recommended that further measures be taken to expand the investigation, standardize data collection and identify toxic material in buildings. See: Review of UK Asbestos Management 2022.
Total Asbestos Ban in 2023
Oct 31, 2022
From May 2023, there will be a total ban on the import of all goods containing asbestos to Taiwan; according to the Environmental Protection Agency, this measure was being taken to protect the health of citizens. Since 1999, regulations for importers bringing asbestos products into the country had grown increasingly stricter. Since January 1, 2018, all imports were banned except for asbestos products brought into the country for research, experimentation, and education. See: 《產業》石棉產品明年5月起全面禁止輸入 違者最高罰30萬 [“Industry” asbestos products will be completely banned from being imported from May next year, and violators will be fined up to 300,000].
Understanding Pleural Cancer
Oct 31, 2022
An article by Vietnamese medical expert Dr. Nguyen Kinh Kha explained various types of pleural cancers, their symptoms, genesis of the diseases and various types of medical protocols used for diagnosing and treating patients. Under the section headed: What is lung cancer, the first cancer discussed was mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. The first cause listed for mesothelioma was “long time direct exposure to asbestos,” a substance banned in 55+ countries around the world but still commonly used in Vietnam, especially amongst ethnic communities. See: Ung thư màng phổi: dấu hiệu, chẩn đoán và cách điều trị [Lung cancer: signs, diagnosis and treatment].
Toledo, an Asbestos Hotspot
Oct 31, 2022
Asbestos contamination has plagued several neighborhoods in the Spanish town of Toledo for several years. On October 28, 2022, city councillor Julio Comendador, addressing a plenary session of the City Council, warned that there was an environmental disaster due to the presence of asbestos in houses which are more than fifty years old owned by the Ministry of Defence in the Santa Bárbara neighborhood, in close proximity to a school and playground. See: Cs pide medidas para retirar el amianto de los edificios [Cs calls for measures to remove asbestos from buildings].
Asbestos-Free Certificates, the Future?
Oct 31, 2022
Following the precedent set by Flanders, a Brussels MP is pushing the Brussels Region to impose a certification scheme under which properties put up for sale will require a document attesting to the fact that they are free of asbestos material. Unfortunately, Alain Maron – Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region – replied that such a scheme would impose a “cumbersome” burden on property owners which could depress sales of real estate in Brussels. Existing regulations, Maron said, provide sufficient protection. See: Transaction immobilière: vers un certificat “garanti sans amianto” à Bruxelles? [Real estate transaction: towards a “guaranteed asbestos-free” certificate in Brussels?].
Poacher Turned Gamekeeper
Oct 31, 2022
In an ironic twist of fate, a conglomerate which had been a prolific user and promoter of asbestos building products in Europe, Latin America and around the world is now championing the use of sustainable and alternative technologies in Vietnam. For the eighth year, Saint-Gobain sponsored an award which recognized the work of property developers in Vietnam “dedicated to raising the standard of living for all walks of life, while satisfying extensive environmental friendliness criteria.” See: Saint-Gobain Việt Nam đồng hành cùng PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards lần thứ 8 [Saint-Gobain Vietnam accompanies the 8th PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards].
Asbestos Alert
Oct 31, 2022
The commentary referenced below was written by a technical asbestos expert whose grandfather was routinely exposed to asbestos at UK worksites; the text provides a useful recap of asbestos facts, regulations and responsibilities. According to UK regulations, duty holders must identify asbestos and take action to minimize exposures by managing or removing it: “As a rule of thumb, when planning to carry out any work on a building that has been built or refurbished before 2000, assume that ACMs [asbestos-containing materials] are present until you know otherwise.” See: Managing asbestos and its risks.
Asbestos Crime and Punishment
Oct 28, 2022
A French court case which has been languishing for 26 years will be heard in a Paris Court in 2023. Eighteen hundred members of a class action are bringing charges against 14 “national actors” for failures to prevent a national catastrophe which caused more than 100,000 French deaths from asbestos-related diseases. Amongst those accused are asbestos industrialists and senior officials from government ministries. If convicted, the accused could be jailed for up to ten years. See (subscription site): Le procès pénal du scandale sanitaire de l’amiante devrait s’ouvrir à la fin de 2023, vingt-six ans après la première plainte [Asbestos health scandal criminal trial set to open at end of 2023, 26 years after first complaint].
Asbestos Audits for House Sales
Oct 28, 2022
As of November 23, 2022, anyone selling a domestic property in Flanders will be required to have an asbestos certificate for all structures built before 2001. The mandatory document will consist of a detailed inventory of all material present which contains asbestos and must be prepared by an authorized specialist. The cost of an asbestos inspection will be between €300 and €600 (US$604); registering the document with OVAM – the Public Waste Agency in the region of Flanders – will cost another €50. See: La Flandre exige désormais un certificat amiante [Flanders now requires an asbestos certificate].
Asbestos & Home Renovations
Oct 28, 2022
Asbestos exposure remains the leading cause of work-related deaths in British Columbia (BC). WorkSafeBC – the statutory agency in BC tasked with preventing occupational injury and disease – recently reminded homeowners of their responsibility to protect workers from asbestos exposures: “Homeowners must get their homes tested for asbestos before renovation or demolition work begins… While there are monetary costs associated with asbestos surveying and safe abatement, the human cost of not doing this is far greater.” See: Homeowners have responsibility to protect workers from asbestos exposure: WorkSafeBC.
Asbestos Eradication: Update
Oct 28, 2022
On October 25, 2022 Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba, a Member of the Executive Council of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal provincial government who is responsible for human settlements and public works, launched the Province’s asbestos roofing eradication program. Under this initiative, asbestos roofing on domestic properties will be replaced; the toxic roofing is mostly found in former black townships built during the apartheid regime and Bantustan homeland governments. Asbestos removal work, which will begin in Estcourt township, will be carried out in Umlazi and KwaMashu in Durban, Mondlo in Vryheid and parts of Mbali township in Pietermaritzburg. See: KwaZulu-Natal launches its asbestos roofing eradication programme, starting in Estcourt.
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 28, 2022
The Andalusia branch of the Spanish trade union CCOO has demanded that asbestos be removed from educational buildings “without further delay” as a matter of top priority. At a recent meeting of the Committee for Health and Safety of Andalusian teachers, a spokesperson for the union said that “despite the commitment made by the Andalusian Administration many educational centers still have asbestos in their facilities.” See: CCOO-A exige la retirada "sin más dilaciones" del amianto de centros educativos: "Denota nula preocupación por la salud" [CCOO-A demands the removal “without further delay” of asbestos from educational centers: “Denotes no concern for health”].
Asbestos Exposures at Construction Sites
Oct 28, 2022
Claimants who contracted asbestos-related diseases from toxic conditions at Japanese construction sites were joined by community activists, politicians and trade unionists at a meeting held in Tokyo on October 25, 2022. The event was preceded by a public rally in front of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Ministry of the Environment. During the symposium which followed, speakers considered the progress being made in setting up a government relief fund and expanding benefits available for injured construction workers. Multiple legal actions are ongoing with a verdict expected on November 7 in the Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Shipbuilding Pneumoconiosis and Asbestos Lawsuit. See: ンネルじん肺救済法実現を [Implementation of Construction Pneumoconiosis Relief Law].
OxyChem’s Asbestos Crimes
Oct 26, 2022
In a follow-up article to a devastating exposé on the legacy created by the operations of a chlorine plant owned by the OxyChem company (see: They inhaled asbestos for decades on the job. Now, workers break their silence), the environmental and human consequences of toxic fallout from an OxyChem plastics factory have been revealed. Whilst chrysotile (white) asbestos was used in the chlorine production, crocidolite (blue) asbestos was used at the plastics factory. Both fibers are deadly. See: Lawsuits: A Factory Blew Asbestos Into a Neighborhood; Decades Later, Residents Are Getting Sick and Dying.
Supreme Court Victim’s Verdict
Oct 26, 2022
The Labor Chamber of the Spanish Supreme Court ordered Bridgestone Hispania SA (formerly Firestone) to pay compensation of €148,746 (US$148,300) for the asbestos death of a former employee. The deceased had worked at the company’s factory in Basauri from 1969 until 2009. During that time, he was negligently exposed to asbestos as a result of which he contracted mesothelioma, the signature asbestos cancer. The Court also ordered that medical check-ups for family members who were exposed to the asbestos fibers brought home on his work clothes be provided by Bridgestone. See: Condenan a Bridgestone a indemnizar a la familia de un trabajador muerto por amianto
Asbestos Sector Update
Oct 26, 2022
According to an article from the China News Service, the asbestos mining sector in Qinghai Province, which accounts for one third of the country’s asbestos reserves and has a domestic market share of more than 60%, has “achieved a boom in production and sales.” The 64-year old conglomerate has experienced ups and downs during its history but industrial restructuring, market-oriented operation and mixed ownership reform have stimulated growth. Chrysotile production from January to September 2022 was 22% greater than the same period in 2021; sales also grew by 43%. See: 青海柴达木盆地老矿企三年改革实现“破冰” 产销两旺 [The old mining enterprises in the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai have achieved “breakthroughs” and both production and sales are booming].
Waste Management in the Post-War Era
Oct 26, 2022
Campaigners from a non-governmental organization in Kryvyi Rih, the largest city in central Ukraine, have expressed concern over the dangers posed by toxic substances such as asbestos present in the tonnes of construction debris created by the Russian invasion. In a video created by the NGO, basic interim measures for the safe management of waste were outlined. See: Громадські активісти у Кривому Розі привертають увагу до небезпеки будівельного сміття, що утворилось внаслідок обстрілів міста: що з ним робити? [Public activists in Kryvyi Rih draw attention to the danger of construction debris created as a result of shelling].
Asbestos Fibers in Drinking Water
Oct 26, 2022
New tests have established that asbestos fibers were present in water which flowed through 28 aqueducts between the Italian cities of Modena and Bologna. The contamination originated from the pipes used to deliver the water which were made of asbestos-cement. The ingestion of these fibers could cause cancers of the biliary tract. According to Giovanni Brandi, Associate Professor in Medical Oncology at the University of Bologna: “we are increasingly convinced of the non-innocence of asbestos fibers ingested in water.” See: Monitoraggio amianto, fibre ancora presenti in 28 acquedotti tra Modena e Bologna [Monitoring of asbestos, fibers still present in 28 aqueducts between Modena and Bologna].
Madrid Asbestos Protest
Oct 26, 2022
A demonstration in front of the headquarters of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, which was organized by the Workers' Commissions (Comisiones Obreras, CCOO) – Spain’s largest trade union – took place on October 20, 2022. The workers and union demanded that the Ministry adopt a policy of zero tolerance to asbestos instead of the current policy which was based on periodic measurements that reported “tolerable levels of asbestos.” See: Trabajadores del Ministerio de Cultura protestan ante su sede por el amianto [Workers of the Ministry of Culture protest in front of its headquarters over asbestos].
Déjà vu, Again!
Oct 24, 2022
The residents of the Montana town of Libby know all about the deadly repercussions of mining operations. Thousands of residents as well as workers have paid with their health and even their lives for the profits of the vermiculite mining company: W R Grace. Grace employees liberated asbestos fibers as a consequence of their production processes; these toxic fibers wreaked havoc on the people of Libby who contracted a variety of deadly asbestos-related cancers and diseases. The latest health alert in Libby is over selenium in the runoff from coal mines in British Colombia, 125 miles away, which could end up in U.S. lakes and rivers. See: Doubts Downstream.
Ministry of Defence: Asbestos Update
Oct 24, 2022
Spain’s Ministry of Defence announced that it had recognized claims from 80 former service personnel with asbestos-related diseases which were, the Ministry agreed, caused by workplace asbestos exposures. The Ministry admitted that asbestos material was widely used in the services and remained present on a number of military bases. This year, the Ministry acknowledged that the 2020 asbestos death of Navy Admiral Francisco Javier González-Huix, who was the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was categorized as a death in the line of service due to his exposure to asbestos on board Spanish ships and submarines. See: Defensa ha reconocido a 80 militares la contaminación por amianto como acto de servicio [Defense has recognized 80 soldiers for asbestos contamination as an act of service].
Victim’s Verdict in Sicily
Oct 24, 2022
The Palermo Court of Appeal upheld a verdict ordering Italy’s National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance (INAIL) to pay compensation to the family of a worker who had died of lung cancer after having being exposed to asbestos at his workplace over a period of 36 years. INAIL’s lawyers had argued that the victim's smoking history and not hazardous working conditions had caused his illness. The legal battle to achieve this positive outcome had taken six years. See: Operaio morto per amianto, l’Inail condannata a risarcire la moglie [Inail ordered to compensate wife of worker who died due to asbestos].
Asbestos Alert in Amagasaki
Oct 24, 2022
Mayor Kazumi Inamura of Amagasaki City, a town at the heart of Japan’s asbestos epidemic, has asked the Minister of Environment Akihiro Nishimura and other members of the government to increase the resources and facilities provided for the support of victims of asbestos-related diseases who had been exposed to asbestos liberated by the operations of the Kubota company’s former Kanzaki Factory. See: アスベスト被害者への支援策、拡充求め緊急要望書 尼崎市長が環境相らに提出 [Mayor of Amagasaki Submits Urgent Request for Expansion of Support Measures for Asbestos Victims to Minister of the Environment].
Asbestos in the Sauna
Oct 24, 2022
The virtues of using products containing chrysotile (white) asbestos were reviewed in the article cited below about the best measures for fireproofing Russian saunas. It was noteworthy that during the discussion of this subject there was absolutely no mention of the deadly health hazards posed by the use of asbestos, especially in highly friable material such as asbestos felt mats which were placed “in front of the oven mouth; [so that] random sparks and coals will fall on it, and, therefore, the floor will not catch fire.” See: Правила пожарной безопасности в бане: как подготовиться с умом [Fire safety rules in the bath: how to prepare wisely].
Asbestos Eradication Goal
Oct 24, 2022
Spain’s Health and Environment Plan (the plan) announced the Government’s intention to eradicate the asbestos hazard from the country by 2028, 4 years before the European Union deadline of 2032, and to improve the medical care of people diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). Goals specified in the plan included improving measures for treating people with ARDs, establishing a registry of ARDs and introducing protocols to minimize the impact of toxic waste. See: España aspira a adelantarse a la UE y eliminar todo el amianto antes de 2028 [Spain aspires to get ahead of the EU and eliminate all asbestos before 2028].
Johnson & Johnson: Update
Oct 21, 2022
As a result of the fall in demand for Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder in India, the company’s largest factory in the country has been sold. In the past, J&J had controlled 70% market share in the baby powder segment in India. This year J&J announced that its talc-based baby powder, which has been found to contain asbestos fibers, will be withdrawal from all global markets in 2023. The factory in Maharashtra, which was completed in 2016, has been off-loaded in a fire sale to the Hetero company, which said it will upgrade the facility and eventually employ 2,000 workers on the site. See: Johnson & Johnson reportedly selling its biggest plant in India over low demand.
Asbestos Reality in Chlorine Plant
Oct 21, 2022
The 2021 closure of the chlorine plant in Niagara Falls, owned by the OxyChem company, has emboldened many of the former workers to speak out about the horrific conditions they endured. The narratives, which were collected from scores of workers described the ever-present asbestos dust and lack of effective protective measures, shocked experts who reacted with comments such as “totally unacceptable”; “fraught with danger”; “it sounds like something that maybe would happen in the 1940s or the 1950s.” Even now OxyChem and Olin are contesting efforts by the US government to ban imports of asbestos, claiming it would drastically impact on their companies’ profitability. See: They inhaled asbestos for decades on the job. Now, workers break their silence.
Modernization of Asbestos Industry
Oct 21, 2022
The puff piece cited below praised the ongoing transformation of the Russian asbestos industry, detailing opportunities offered by the Western sanctions imposed upon Russia to develop domestic markets for asbestos-containing building products. A diversification of the product range to offer more colors, finishes and textures has increased consumers’ choice, making chrysotile building material ever more popular in CIS countries: “In addition to private companies, chrysotile cement is actively used in capital repair programs and repair of the country's infrastructure.” See: Хризотилцементная промышленность: трансформация ради будущего [Chrysotile cement industry: transformation for the future].
Municipal Asbestos Law Upheld
Oct 21, 2022
According to a Special Body of the Court of Justice of São Paulo, a law adopted by Jundiaí City that regulated the collection of asbestos-containing construction debris and equipment was constitutional. The law did not, the Court ruled, countermand federal or state legislation: “Municipalities have common competence, together with the other entities of the Federation, to protect the environment and combat pollution in any of its forms… and also legislate on matters of local interest and supplement federal and state legislation, as appropriate.” See: Lei municipal que prevê recolhimento de amianto é constitucional, diz TJ-SP [Municipal law that provides for asbestos collection is constitutional, says TJ-SP].
Asbestos Death & the Railways
Oct 21, 2022
Another worker from the railway workshop (OGR) in Bologna has died from mesothelioma, nine months after he had been diagnosed with the signature asbestos cancer. Eighty-four year old Nino Dall'Olio had been exposed to asbestos during his employment as a sheet metal body builder. Commenting on this tragedy, Simonetta Saliera, former President of Legislative Assembly of Emilia-Romagna, said that Dall'Olio's death was “a new piece in a tragedy that reminds us every day of the importance of always fighting for workers' rights and health in the workplace.” See: La strage dell’amianto: morto un altro ex operaio Ogr [The massacre of asbestos: another former OGR worker dies].
Unions Call for Stricter Controls
Oct 21, 2022
Europe’s “wave of green renovation” combined with the EU’s failure to impose strict enough limits on occupational exposures will almost inevitably result in many more avoidable deaths from toxic workplace exposures to asbestos. Recent proposals by the European Commission would decrease permitted occupational exposure to asbestos from 100,000 to 10,000 fibres per cubic metre (f/m3). This new limit would still be ten times as high as that recommended in 2021 by the European Parliament, and supported by the trade unions, of 1,000f/m3. In Holland the limit is already 2000f/m3. See: Asbestos: eradicating the hidden killer.
Asbestos Crimes in Jundiai
Oct 19, 2022
On October 17, 2022, the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) sent a complaint to the Labor Public Ministry (MPT) about non-compliance with health and safety regulations during demolition activities carried out by workers employed by Jundiai municipality, a city in the state of São Paulo. As a result of the illegal flouting of regulations, workers and members of the public were being exposed to asbestos fibers. See: Denúncia enviada, pela ABREA, ao MPT para que sejam tomadas medidas a respeito do descumprimento do Anexo 12 da NR-15, em obra realizada pela Prefeitura Municipal de Jundiaí [Complaint sent by ABREA to the MPT so that measures can be taken regarding non-compliance with Annex 12 of NR-15, in a work carried out by the Municipality of Jundiaí].
Asbestos in Scottish Hospitals
Oct 19, 2022
Data gathered as a result of Freedom of Information requests to Scottish health boards established that 52% of their buildings contained asbestos. Whilst the figure for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was 60%, that for NHS Lothian was 92%. According to the Scottish Government: “We recognise the hazard of asbestos and the risks to health it poses, however asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed which is why it is important it remains in-situ while it is in ‘good’ condition, and that all Health and Safety Executive guidance is followed when planning and carrying out any removal…NHS England has found that over 90% of their buildings checked in the last three years have been found to have asbestos-containing material.” See: Asbestos: More than half of Scotland's NHS buildings contain potentially deadly dust.
Post-Asbestos Era
Oct 19, 2022
As Ukraine embraces a post-asbestos era, traditional and new technologies are being explored to develop asbestos-free measures for insulating domestic properties. Inventor Vasily Smerklo has been producing thermal insulation panels made from reeds using skills he learned in the Netherlands making reed roofing. Technical aspects of this process were discussed in the article cited below. See: Поможет согреть дом в самую суровую зиму: украинец предлагает утеплять жилища необычным и экологичным материалом [It will help to warm the house in the most severe winter: Ukrainian offers to insulate dwellings with unusual and environmentally friendly material].
Asbestos and Urban Transformation
Oct 19, 2022
The huge pace of urban transformation in Turkey continues, with questions being asked about the negative impact on the population of failures to implement health and safety measures. The ubiquity of asbestos material in buildings being demolished necessitates the use of special precautions under expert supervision and in accordance with strict guidelines. Without this, asbestos fibers can be liberated and become a danger to demolition and construction workers as well as local people. See: Kentsel dönüşüm ve çevre sağlığı [Urban transformation and environmental health].
Calls for Asbestos Archive
Oct 19, 2022
With more than 5,000 deaths from asbestos-related diseases in the Piedmont region to date, Italian scientists are calling for a centralized effort to collate data and documents and establish an asbestos archive for researchers. According to author Alberto Gaino: “It is widely believed that asbestos is a residual phenomenon, but it is still destined to worsen. Although it has been banned, disposal and reclamation is slow and it is expected that until the end of this century it will be a problem.” See: Amianto, incubo infinito 300 tumori l’anno e picco ancora lontano [Asbestos, an endless nightmare of 300 cancers a year and a distant peak].
Asbestos Awareness and Expertise
Oct 19, 2022
Building capacity and ensuring compliance with stricter Japanese asbestos regulations that came into force in October 2022 are core goals of the Tokyo-based Nextage Group. The company will offer: the services of asbestos surveyors; study sessions on asbestos; and specialist training for operatives wishing to gain certification as asbestos surveyors. See: ネクステージグループ／調査受託から人材育成まで／アスベスト新規制対応の新サービス提供開始（2022年10月13日号） [Nextage Group / From Investigation Commission to Human Resource Development / Start of New Service Offerings in Response to New Regulations on Asbestos (October 13, 2022 issue)].
Asbestos Crime & Punishment
Oct 17, 2022
The English version of a 36-page March 2022 decision by the Norwegian Appeal Court was last week uploaded to the website of the Platform on Clean Shipbreaking. The verdict was categorical about the crime committed by businessman Georg Eide who had attempted to illegally export the asbestos-contaminated Tide Carrier (later renamed the Harrier) to Gadani, Pakistan for dismantling. The Court unanimously ordered that the defendant serve six months in jail and pay a fine of NOK10,000 (US$940). The company Eide Marine Eiendom AS was fined NOK2,000,000 (US$188,000). See: Norwegian Appeal Court decision (translated into English) in the case against Georg Eide.
Compensation Uplift for Asthma Sufferer
Oct 17, 2022
It was reported on October 13, 2022 that in a unanimous decision Brazil’s Superior Labor Court increased from R$15,000 (US$2815) to R$80,000 (US$15,000) compensation awarded to a quality inspector for a friction materials company who had been exposed to asbestos at work and as a result developed asthma. The claimant’s lawyer had argued for compensation of R$317,000 (US$59,000) which included both physical and moral damages. The Indaiatuba Labor Court had awarded the worker R$300,000 (US$56,300) but the Regional Labor Court of the 15th Region had reduced this amount to R$15,000. See: Turma aumenta indenização a inspetor que desenvolveu asma brônquica por exposição ao amianto [Increased compensation award to inspector who developed bronchial asthma from asbestos exposure].
Asbestos Legacy in Built Environment
Oct 17, 2022
The author of the Russian language commentary cited below, which was uploaded to a Lithuanian news portal last week, highlighted the hazard posed by asbestos material remaining in the built environment. Irena Tarashkeviciene, from the National Center for Public Health, wrote: “asbestos was used to insulate pipes and insulate sockets, so it can still remain in old houses. The same thing with the roofs of houses: roofing tiles were was made from the same asbestos.” Drilling and handling of the toxic materials can release carcinogenic fibers into the atmosphere. See: Старое и новое жилье: разницу видят и строители и специалисты в сфере здравоохранения [Old and new housing: the difference can be seen by both builders and healthcare professionals].
Asbestos in Drinking Water
Oct 17, 2022
A brief global review by Italian researchers from the University of Bologna published this month examining state-of-the-art knowledge about the asbestos hazard in drinking water concluded that: “the issue of asbestos in the water remains open and that it has been closed too quickly, not applying (imprudently) a precautionary principle. The resolution of the European Parliament of 14th March 2013, which urges the EU to monitor asbestos in drinking water and the potential health risks, has however shown that politics (at least for once) has proven more sensitive than academics in protecting public health.” See: Is drinking water safe? A neglected source of asbestos fibres.
Brazilian Ghost Ship
Oct 17, 2022
In the article cited below, Brazilian journalist João Lara Mesquita wrote that the former aircraft carrier the São Paulo was a “new ghost ship” with a “cursed” fate. The actions of the various stakeholders in the “pantomime” to export the toxic vessel were detailed at some length with particular attention paid to decisions made by the Brazilian Navy and the Turkish shipyard company Sök Denizcilik. In a publication released on October 6, the Navy claimed that its decision-making regarding the fate of the São Paulo had taken into account international protocols and national regulations. See: Um porta-aviões fantasma a vagar em alto-mar [A phantom aircraft carrier roaming the high seas].
Clydebank’s Asbestos History
Oct 17, 2022
A book entitled “Asbestos and Clydebank” was released last week to mark the 30th anniversary of a charity working to support workers and families affected by asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). The publication by the Clydebank Asbestos Group (CAG) contained interviews with former shipbuilders and tradesmen who contracted ARDs as a result of toxic workplace exposures. According to CAG Co-ordinator Rachel Gallagher: “West Dunbartonshire has frequently topped national tables for asbestos-disease, undoubtedly due to past shipbuilding and heavy industry, but it affects all of Scotland.” See: Asbestos victims share first-hand accounts of substance's devastating impact in new book.
Toxic Baby Powder Banned
Oct 15, 2022
In a statement dated October 7, 2022 and emailed on October 11, Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care announced that the import of Tiger Brands’ baby-powder products would be banned in Zimbabwe one month after South Africa had recalled these items from sale due to asbestos contamination. The banned products include: Purity Essentials Baby Powder and Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Essentials Baby Powder in 100g, 200g and 400g containers. The Ministry ordered that all of these products already in the country should be withdrawn from sale. See: Government bans baby powders that cause cancer in children.
Exposé: National Disgrace
Oct 15, 2022
Hundreds of people with the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma are missing out on compensation, according to data accumulated by the Health and Safety Executive and reported in the October 2022 issue of Hazards Magazine. UK mesothelioma compensation claims fell by 11% from 2,471 in 2011/12 to 2,204 in 2021/22 despite the fact that there were 8% more mesothelioma deaths in 2020 (2,544) than in 2010 (2,347). According to the article in Hazards: “The UK’s system to compensate people who suffer occupational injuries or diseases as a result of their employer’s negligence has been critically and deliberately damaged by the Conservatives…” See: WORTH LESS| Conservatives are burying compensation and prevention.
Asbestos Debate at EU Parliament
Oct 15, 2022
Asbestos proposals by the European Commission to protect workers and members of the public from toxic exposures will be considered by the European Parliament on October 20, 2022. If/when the directive is adopted, Member States will have two years to implement national legislation. Every year, occupational asbestos exposures claim the lives of 70,000+ Europeans. Plans to update hundreds of millions of EU homes and buildings will require workers to remediate asbestos-containing properties. The increasingly stricter workplace regulations are designed to create safer working conditions. See: Le nuove misure dell'Ue per limitare i danni alla salute dell'amianto [The new EU measures to limit damage to health by asbestos].
Mesothelioma Treatment: Update
Oct 15, 2022
The article cited below was published online on October 8, 2022 in the Journal of Cancer Metastasis and Treatment by Italian researchers. The paper considered the revolution in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM): “In the last years, the therapeutic scenario of different tumor types, including MPM, has dramatically changed due to immune checkpoint inhibition. The promising results of this approach have promoted new efforts into clinical research, and many trials investigating novel therapeutic combinations are currently ongoing.” See: Immunotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma: a long story ended in success.
Asbestos Legacy at Wittenoom
Oct 15, 2022
The traditional owners of the biggest asbestos-contaminated site in the southern hemisphere – the Banjima people – have reignited the debate over the thorny issue of Wittenoom, Western Australia, a town so contaminated by decades of asbestos mining that the state government has virtually closed it down. Neither the state nor the federal government has ever committed to remediating the toxic 46,000 hectares which, says Banjima elder Maitland Parker, is “not only destroying country, but … our beliefs and our culture and everything else that goes with it.” See: Traditional owners reignite debate on stalled plans to clean up asbestos waste at Wittenoom.
Asbestos Waste Service
Oct 15, 2022
A municipal initiative in the capital of Lithuania will be operational seven days a week to help prevent fly-tipping by allowing homeowners free collections of asbestos-containing building debris and products. Applications must be made to the town hall and must specify basic details, including the type of waste and amount to be collected. See: В Вильнюсе будут бесплатно собирать отходы, содержащие асбест [Vilnius to collect waste containing asbestos free of charge].
Asbestos Alert to Homeowners
Oct 14, 2022
An article on a news portal in Mordova, a Russian region, ranked asbestos as the most hazardous construction material in a list of the top 10 dangerous materials for homeowners to avoid. Considering the censorship on negative publicity about asbestos in Russia, the world’s largest asbestos producer, the fact that the warning was issued was most unusual. According to the text: “Asbestos is one of the most powerful carcinogens. Prolonged inhalation of its particles is fraught with the development of not only inflammatory processes in the respiratory system, but also malignant tumors.” See: Качественный ремонт или как выбрать безопасные для здоровья стройматериалы [High-quality repairs or how to choose building materials that are safe for health].
Roadmap to Asbestos Ban
Oct 14, 2022
During comments made to a meeting in the Cambodian capital on October 4, 2022 to launch the National Asbestos Profile, Labour Minister Ith Samheng confirmed his government’s intention to ban the use of asbestos to protect the health not only of workers but also members of the public. The Minister said that he was working with other ministries and stakeholders to end the use of asbestos at construction sites. Amongst the other speakers who addressed the delegates were medical expert Dr Quach Mengly and ILO National Coordinator in Cambodia Tun Sophoan. The event was co-organized by the Ministry, the ILO/OSH Japan Programme and Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA). See: Government wants to end use of asbestos.
Impending Asbestos Ban
Oct 14, 2022
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of Taiwan last week announced that the import of asbestos-containing products would be banned as of May 2023, as part of the Government’s efforts to protect the population from toxic exposures. As of now, asbestos material can only be used in Taiwan for educational, experimental and research purposes. In 2021, 0.11 kilograms of asbestos was imported; so far this year, 16.82 grams of asbestos material has been imported. See: Imports of products containing asbestos banned from May 2023: EPA.
São Paulo Blame Game
Oct 14, 2022
The scandal over illegal plans to export Brazil’s former flagship to Turkey is growing with accusations and denials being spouted by key actors. On October 6, the Navy issued a document claiming that much of the asbestos that had been on the vessel had been removed and that even if it hadn’t, the asbestos on board was not hazardous. Another high-profile article published the same day reported that the Pernambuco Environment Agency had refused permission for the ship to dock at the Port of Suape over environmental concerns. See: Marinha do Brasil diz que amianto presente no casco do NAe São Paulo não oferece riscos [Brazilian Navy says that asbestos present in the hull of the NAe São Paulo poses no risks].
Protest in Barrow!
Oct 14, 2022
On October 15, 2022, campaigners will be holding a demonstration in front of Barrow town hall to protest at plans by the Department of Work and Pensions to close a benefits center and reassign 40 members of staff specializing in the handling of industrial injuries claims, such as those submitted by sufferers of asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos victim support groups are concerned that the closure could result in delays to the processing of claims submitted by gravely ill patients. Without government benefits, it is likely people would die “without being able to afford care and heating.” See: Protest to take place in fight to save 40 jobs in Barrow.
Global Asbestos Panorama 2022
Oct 14, 2022
The article cited below, which appeared in Volume 23, Issue 10 of the October 2022 edition of The Lancet Oncology, reported the latest data on the global epidemic of mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Having considered various subjects such as mesothelioma carcinogenesis and prevention, and emerging medical treatments, the authors highlighted the part played by the asbestos industry lobby in frustrating efforts to protect global populations from deadly exposures. In the opinion of the authors. a worldwide asbestos ban was crucial to eradicate asbestos-related diseases. See: The silent malignant mesothelioma epidemic: a call to action.
Victory in Madrid for Asbestos Victims
Oct 8, 2022
On October 5, 2022, the Spanish Senate approved a law to establish a national fund to compensate asbestos victims. The Fund, which will be operated by the National Social Security Institute, has been allocated a budget of €25 million (US$24.7m) to provide payouts to victims of occupational, environmental and domestic exposures. According to government data [see also: Amianto, una negra historia [Asbestos, a black history]], 700 people contract mesothelioma every year, with many cases of other asbestos cancers and respiratory diseases going unrecognized. See: Luz verde a la ley que indemnizará los envenenamientos por amianto [Green light for the law that will compensate for asbestos poisoning].
Post-War Reconstruction
Oct 8, 2022
In an article earlier this month, Ukrainian politician Olena Shuliak discussed her Government’s plans to reconstruct the country’s infrastructure respecting EU norms. “European standards are,” she said “not only about modern architecture. They pay a lot of attention to environmental safety. For example, the Council recently legally banned the use of asbestos in construction. We overcame a frantic lobby, including that of Russian companies, to get rid of this harmful carcinogenic material.” Techniques for dealing with asbestos-containing debris are currently under investigation. See: Олена Шуляк: Відбудова інфраструктури України враховуватиме екологічну безпеку [Olena Shulyak: Reconstruction of Ukraine's infrastructure will take environmental safety into account].
Asbestos Outreach Project
Oct 8, 2022
In Italy, as in other countries, rates of asbestos cancer and respiratory diseases vary from region to region. The port city of La Spezia in the Liguria Region is an asbestos hotspot. In 2018, an agreement was signed between the Government and the Region to implement a health surveillance protocol for at-risk workers. Unfortunately, during the Covid pandemic, this program was suspended. The Regional Coordination Committee has committed this month to restarting this vital program as a matter of urgency. See: Sorveglianza ex esposti amianto, Medusei: “Soglia di attenzione resti alta e si riattivi il protocollo sanitario” [Surveillance of those who have been exposed to asbestos, [Medusei?]: "Attention threshold remains high and the health protocol is reactivated”].
Asbestos Countermeasures
Oct 8, 2022
To help protect citizens of the Brazilian municipality of Florianópolis from hazardous exposures to asbestos, a substance banned in Santa Catarina state by Municipal Law number 10.607/2019 and in all Brazil by a 2017 Supreme Court decision, an asbestos workshop was organized by the Research Institution for Occupational Health: Fundacentro at which Italian engineer Alessia Angelini discussed technical aspects of her country’s fight against asbestos. See: Florianópolis discute os perigos do amianto e a Lei Municipal que proíbe o uso do material [Florianópolis discusses the dangers of asbestos and the Municipal Law that prohibits the use of the material].
Ending Asbestos Use
Oct 8, 2022
In order to protect public and workers’ health, regulations are being put in place in Vietnam to strictly control and minimize the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos in building products, with a view to adopting a comprehensive ban by 2030. Throughout Asia, asbestos use is decreasing, with national bans in Japan and Korea. In China, the use of asbestos-cement boards decreased by more than 70% between 2006 and 2021. According to a government spokesperson: “In the future, our country [Vietnam] must innovate technology, use fibers that are safe for human health to replace chrysotile fibers…” See: Hướng đến phát triển vật liệu lợp “nói không” với amiăng trắng [Towards the development of roofing materials that “say no” to chrysotile].
Asbestos on the Railways
Oct 8 2022
A paper published in the October 2022 issue of the Journal of Occupational Medicine by Italian researchers reconstructed the levels of asbestos exposure for a cohort of railway rolling stock workers in the absence of historical environmental monitoring data. The job/exposure matrix levels were calculated based on company production and asbestos consumption data. The cohort was composed of operatives who had applied sprayed asbestos insulation between 1956 and 1979 in railway workshops. Thirty workers and one family member with mesothelioma were identified. See: Past Asbestos Exposure in Rolling Stock Manufacturing in the Absence of Environmental Monitoring: An Original Method.
Mesothelioma Data from Insurers’ Database
Oct 6, 2022
The 2021 Annual Report of the Employers’ Liability Tracing Office, which operates an insurance industry database “to give claimants easy access to their employer’s liability insurance data,” noted that of the 70,740 successful claims responded to in 2021, 7,062 enquiries were made by people who had contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Whilst the search enquiry success rate for all claimants was 91.9%, the success rate for mesothelioma enquiries was 79.9%. Mesothelioma and asbestosis were ranked number 2 & 3 respectively in the top 10 disease types of claimant search enquiries. See: Employers’ Liability Tracing Office: 2021 Annual Report.
Asbestos Schizophrenia
Oct 6, 2022
At the same time as Brazil’s former asbestos giant Eternit S.A. is fighting a rear-guard battle at the Supreme Court to overturn the country’s 2017 asbestos ban, it is also progressing the company’s transition to asbestos-free technology. The article cited below updated markets on Eternit’s development of asbestos-free concrete tiles that generate solar energy as part of the Eternit commitment to a sustainable and greener corporate future. Eternit claims that installation of the tiles can cut electricity bills by up to 90%. See: Economia de luz e melhor para a saúde: conheça a 1ª telha solar do Brasil [Energy saving and better for health: discover the 1st solar tile in Brazil].
Asbestos Exposure in the Navy
Oct 6, 2022
After years of judicial setbacks, it was announced last week that the Court of Torre Annunziata had condemned Italy’s Ministry of Defense and Ministry of the Interior for their responsibility for the 2017 mesothelioma death of 69-year-old naval engineer Mario La Rocca. The verdict recognized that his fatal cancer had been caused by daily toxic exposures during his military service and awarded his widow a monthly pension as well as a lump sum payment of €350,000 (US$343,000). See: Amianto killer sulle navi, ministeri Difesa e Interno condannati per la morte di Mario La Rocca [Killer asbestos on ships, defense and interior ministries condemned for the death of Mario La Rocca].
Asbestos Propaganda 2022
Oct 6, 2022
An infomercial, camouflaged as an article, advanced asbestos industry propaganda extolling the virtues of chrysotile (white) asbestos mined in Russia over other types of asbestos. The author, reviewing Russian automotive markets in light of Western boycotts over the invasion of Ukraine, concluded that domestic car production and automotive parts made with Russian asbestos would suffice for consumer demand, alleging that “this mineral… does not pose a threat to both human health and the environment.” See: Почему в России нет проблем с тормозными колодками и кому спасибо за это? [Why are there are no problems with brake pads in Russia and who should we thank for that?].
Asbestos at the Ministry
Oct 6, 2022
A Madrid protest is being organized for October 20, 2022 by the CCOO trade union to highlight the presence of asbestos material at the headquarters of Spain’s Ministry of Culture and Sports. According to a union communique, some asbestos was removed from the building but only from the fifth floor where the office of Minister Miquel Iceta was located. The union is demanding that all the toxic material be eradicated from the building to protect the health of all employees and building users. See: Trabajadores del ministerio de Cultura anuncian movilizaciones por la presencia de amianto en el edificio [Ministry of Culture workers announce mobilizations due to the presence of asbestos in the building].
Asbestos Found on Conservation Site
Oct 6, 2022
It was reported by the Environment Protection Authority of the Australian State of Victoria that asbestos and other industrial waste had been found in a conservation area in Melbourne. The site in Truganina had contained an endangered eco-system and was home to some of the last remaining native grasslands in the state. The owner of the conservation site Centreland Agriculture blamed the contamination on a contractor who had dumped toxic soil on the property without the owner’s knowledge or approval. See: Asbestos and industrial waste found at conservation area meant to protect Victoria's grasslands.
Making Europe Asbestos-Free!
Oct 3, 2022
Last week, the European Commission presented its roadmap to “better protect people and the environment from asbestos and ensure an asbestos-free future.” The multi-pronged approach called on EU institutions, Member States, social partners and stakeholders to make the eradication of asbestos contamination a priority objective in order to protect current and future generations. Amongst the measures proposed were: better communication about the asbestos hazard, improved diagnosis and treatment protocols, new technology for safer asbestos removal and disposal and stricter regulations to limit workplace exposures. See: Commission acts to better protect people from asbestos and ensure an asbestos-free future.
Mesothelioma Update
Oct 3, 2022
On September 29, 2022, it was announced that the Federal Drugs Administration – the US agency responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety of medicines and biological products and the safety of the nation's food etc. – had granted orphan drug designation to SynKIR-110, a type of T-cell therapy, for the treatment of a type of mesothelioma. Preclinical studies had shown that SynKIR-110 could produce remissions in mouse models of glioblastoma and mesothelioma. See: FDA grants orphan drug designation to CAR-T for mesothelioma.
European Commission Proposals: Critique
Oct 3, 2022
Proposals announced on September 28, 2022 by the European Commission to lower asbestos exposure limits to 0.01 fibres/cm3 and not 0.001 fibres/cm3 as the European Parliament had supported in 2021 were condemned by workers’ groups, with Claes-Mikael Stahl, European Trade Union Confederation Deputy General saying: “European limits on asbestos exposure are dangerously high and put thousands of workers, particularly those in construction, at risk of developing cancer every year…Unfortunately, the Commission have sided with business lobbyists over science in proposing a limit which would still leave many workers exposed to asbestos and at risk of developing cancer. People’s lives should always come before profit.” See: New EU asbestos limit still leaves workers’ lives at risk.
Victory in the Battle of the São Paulo
Oct 3, 2022
A press release issued on September 28, 2022 by a coalition of Turkish, Brazilian and European civil society groups broadcast the news that the former Brazilian flagship called the São Paulo would shortly return to Brazilian waters after a fruitless return journey of ~12,500 miles (20,000 km) to Turkey. The Brazilian authorities had auctioned the vessel and the new owners had received permission to scrap it in Turkey ignoring international treaties and protocols. After the Turkish Government rescinded permission for the ship to enter the country, the Brazilian authorities ordered it to return to Rio de Janeiro. See: Toxic aircraft carrier São Paulo rejected by Turkey returning to Brazil.
Asbestos Hazard: Alert
Oct 3, 2022
The legacy of asbestos mining in Quebec remains a hazard to local people according to a new TV documentary which showed footage of huge mountains of asbestos waste dominating the landscape of the town of Val-des-Sources, formerly called Asbestos, in the Estrie administrative region of Quebec. According to epidemiological data, the inhabitants of Val-des-Sources are four times as likely to contract an asbestos-related disease as other Canadians. Tests undertaken by researchers for the program documented high levels of asbestos contamination of the river at the foot of the piles of tailings. See: Estrie: les dangers encore bien présents de l’amiante [Estrie: the still very present dangers of asbestos].
Call for Improved Information Services
Oct 3, 2022
An article uploaded on September 28, 2022 reported that a dossier submitted to the Minister for Environment and Climate Action Lily D'Ambrosio by the Latrobe Valley Asbestos Taskforce in the Australian State of Victoria had recommended establishing “a central body to handle concerns about asbestos.” According to the Chair of the Taskforce Jane Anderson: “People don't know where to go for help, and so they can't readily access the information needed… There is no clear line of authority, and it is very concerning that across all sectors of the community, the real impacts and risks of asbestos exposure are not fully understood.” See: Call to establish Victorian asbestos body.
Asbestos Outreach Project
Sep 30, 2022
An asbestos outreach project – Health in Bom Jesus da Serra – was undertaken by students and staff from the State University of Southwestern Bahia (UESB), Brazil to evaluate the effects of asbestos exposure on residents of Bom Jesus da Serra, a former asbestos mining town in the Brazilian state of Bahia. A variety of tests were carried out on 60 participants, including spirometry, dynamometry, bioimpedance, mobility and flexibility tests, 6-minute walking tests, measurement of cranial compliance and anthropometric assessment; sleep quality and quality of life questionnaires were completed. See: Projetos da Uesb avaliam efeitos da exposição ao amianto em moradores de Bom Jesus da Serra [UESB projects evaluate the effects of exposure to asbestos on residents of Bom Jesus da Serra].
Asbestos in Buenos Aires Schools
Sep 30, 2022
The city government of Argentina’s capital has been called “irresponsible and reckless” by Buenos Aires Councillor Cosme Herranz for its failure to have actioned plans to remove asbestos material from the schools CEIP Villar Palasí and the CEIP Maestro Tarazona. Planning for asbestos eradication at the schools had been ongoing since 2017 and, said the Councillor, the delays by the Ministry of Education were “unjustifiable.” When Councillor Herranz asked about the reasons for the delays, he was told that the receipt of funding from the Ministry for the work had been delayed; as a result, the decontamination will be carried out next summer (2023). See: IP exige la retirada «inmediata» del amianto existente en dos centros escolares de la ciudad [IP demands the "immediate" removal of existing asbestos in two schools in the city].
Recognition of Veteran’s Asbestos Death
Sep 30, 2022
In a legal breakthrough on September 26, 2022 Korean Judge Lee Tae-young of the Daejeon District Court 1st Administrative Unit reversed a decision which had barred the family of a 56-year-old military officer from receiving compensation for his death from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma and recognized that this disease had been directly caused by asbestos exposures which had taken place during his 30 years of military service. The Veterans Affairs Office did not appeal. Commenting on the outcome of the litigation, the family’s lawyer said that more cases of servicemen with asbestos cancer were likely to occur in the future. See: 석면 노출 30년 만에 숨진 장교, 법원 “공무상 재해” [Death of officer after 30 years of asbestos exposure, officially ruled as “accident” by court].
New Asbestos Documentary
Sep 30, 2022
On September 22, 2022, the premiere of a French TV documentary took place on ARTE, a European public service channel dedicated to culture. The 92 minute program by directors Thomas Dandois and Alexandre Spalaïkovich is available online until November 18, 2022 and can be viewed in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish. The film-makers took a global perspective on the production, marketing and use of asbestos, investigating examples of damage done to workers and members of the public in a number of countries, including France, Spain, Germany, Canada, India, Bangladesh etc. It was a tragic tale but very well told. See: Asbestos – The Never-Ending Story.
Asbestos Awareness: Update
Sep 30, 2022
Researchers investigating the level of asbestos awareness of the population of the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts and Nevis established that 70% of the residents were concerned about the effects of asbestos exposures on the public and agreed that the government should take action to prevent these exposures. Fifty-four percent of the 1,009 people surveyed were in favor of banning the use and import of all asbestos products and materials; those with higher levels of asbestos knowledge were more likely to favor a total ban. See: Asbestos awareness among the residents of St. Kitts and Nevis: a cross-sectional study.
Clean-up of Toxic Island Site
Sep 30, 2022
Work to clean up more than 15,000 tons of construction waste at an illegal dumpsite was begun on September 21, 2022 by Palma City Council in Son Güells, a neighborhood on the Spanish island of Mallorca; it was estimated that the clean-up would take two months. Contained amongst the 15,000 tonnes of construction waste are up to 60 tonnes of asbestos material. The City Council will recoup the one million euros the decontamination will cost from the landowner who allowed the illegal dumping to take place. See: Cort limpia Son Güells con el temor de encontrar amianto [Cort to clean Son Güells [dumpsite] fearing to find asbestos].
Congratulations to Dr Melvin Chin!
Sep 28, 2022
On September 8, 2022 Dr Melvin Chin presented his PhD thesis at the University of Western Australia. Dr Chin is a treating oncologist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; he was sponsored to undertake his research by the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) under its PhD Mesothelioma Medical Scholarship Program. Having been awarded the inaugural ADSA scholarship in 2017, Dr Chin has progressed efforts to help mesothelioma patients make more informed decisions regarding their treatment options and provide support for both patients as well as families. See: Meet Dr Melvin Chin – The Inaugural Recipient of the ADSA PhD Medical Research Scholarship.
Posthumous Legal Victory
Sep 28, 2022
In a decision handed down by Judge Beatrice Marrani of the Court of Velletri, Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) was ordered to compensate the family of forklift driver Giovanni Panariello for his cancer death in 2017 after it had been proved that his demise at aged 66 had been caused by occupational asbestos exposures. The deceased had removed asbestos from railway carriages. The amount awarded included a lump sum of €110,000 (US$ 106,500) plus a widow's pension of €2,000 a month. See: Operaio muore di mesotelioma: rimuoveva amianto dalle carrozze ferroviarie [Worker dies of mesothelioma: he removed asbestos from railway carriages].
Asbestos Roofing and Water Collection
Sep 28, 2022
The lack of clean drinking water in coastal regions of Bangladesh is a serious problem. Local people often harvest rainwater from their asbestos-cement roofs for domestic use. The lung cancer contracted by a schoolteacher from Gabura, Bangladesh has been linked to her practice of drinking water collected by this method for more than 13 years. Climate change researchers have developed a technology to harvest the rainwater safely using a concrete base, a polyplastic tank with a low-cost cloth or other filtration device, and pipe fittings which are attached to the tank's roof. See: For safe consumption, rainwater needs proper harvesting.
Asbestos Ban: Update
Sep 28, 2022
As plans to outlaw asbestos use in Sri Lanka were advancing in 2017, the Russian Government announced it would ban imports of Sri Lanka tea. At that time, Russia was the largest importer of Ceylon tea – 48 and 36 million kilograms in 2011 and 2015, respectively; in 2016, Sri Lanka tea exports to Russia were valued at US$143 million. Most of the asbestos fiber in Sri Lanka comes from Russia. As a result of the threat, Sri Lanka postponed asbestos prohibitions. An article published last week, reported that the Sri Lanka had decided to stop using asbestos by 2029. No further information was available. See: Colombo ready to join Russian payment system.
Asbestos Memorial
Sep 28, 2022
A commentary published on September 21, 2022 on a Canadian news portal set into context the new Asbestos Memorial in downtown Vancouver which is a public recognition of the “thousands of workers poisoned and killed by this deadly substance.” Sculptor Douglas R. Taylor and playwright John MacLachlan Gray who created the silver-coloured mobile sculpture attended the September 22 dedication ceremony. Exposures to asbestos cause one-third of all occupationally-caused deaths in Canada. It is noteworthy that the article cited below failed to mention that the asbestos which killed these workers was mined in Canada and was exported around the world. See: Joey Hartman: New memorial reminds us that although asbestos is banned, it’s still killing people.
Resumption of Asbestos Murder Trial
Sep 28, 2022
On September 21, 2022, criminal proceedings against asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny resumed in the Court of Novara, Italy after the long summer break in proceedings. Hours were spent in discussing basic facts such as: when the “guilty workplace exposures” of the 392 victims took place, the nature and symptoms of mesothelioma and how individual cases of mesothelioma were diagnosed. Defendants’ witnesses extrapolated on their views regarding the body’s ability to clear asbestos fibers from the lungs. See: All’Eternit Bis sull’amianto «c’è un’evidente incertezza» [At the Eternit Bis asbestos trial “there is a clear uncertainty”].
More Cancers Officially Linked to Asbestos
Sep 26, 2022
On September 19, 2022, the French National Health Security Agency confirmed that “some cancers of the larynx and ovaries are indeed linked to exposure to asbestos” and that these two cancers were generally “under-reported and under-recognized.” The Institute for Public Health Surveillance (forerunner of Public Health France) and other international organizations such as the United Nations’ International Center for Research on Cancer had recognized the asbestos link with cancers of the larynx or ovaries several years ago. See: Les autorités sanitaires confirment le lien entre l'exposition à l'amiante et certains cancers du larynx et des ovaires [Health authorities confirm link between asbestos exposure and certain laryngeal and ovarian cancers].
Holding Johnson & Johnson to Account
Sep 26, 2022
On September 19, 2022, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia heard arguments that Johnson and Johnson (J&J) had callously dumped 40,000 cancer cases, claiming potential bankruptcy, despite the fact that it was one of the country’s biggest companies. The claimants – the majority were women – accused J&J of selling baby powder contaminated with asbestos fibers. It is not known when the court ruling will be handed down; any verdict is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court. See: J&J tried to block lawsuits from 40,000 cancer patients. A court wants answers.
Long Tail Asbestos Legacy
Sep 26, 2022
Despite having been banned in Italy for 30 years, the widespread historic use of asbestos remains a serious public and occupational health hazard. The commentary cited below considered the multiplicity of issues generated by the contamination, including: ongoing deadly human exposures; the national epidemic of asbestos-related diseases and cancers; the slow process of asbestos remediation of the built environment; alternatives for asbestos disposal; and other issues. See: Edifici contaminate In Italia il problema dell’amianto rimane irrisolto [Contaminated buildings in Italy – the asbestos problem remains unresolved].
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 26, 2022
Of all the workers’ compensation paid by Cumbria County Council, the largest bill has been for asbestos exposures. In 2018/19, a member of the school staff received £200,000+ following asbestos exposure; the claim was brought in 2006. According to Chris Brooksbank, the secretary of Cumbria's National Education Union branch: “We've had school staff die after asbestos exposure… it's in the majority of schools in Cumbria.” A spokesperson for Cumbria County Council said: “For maintained schools in relation to asbestos, the county council provides guidance and for regular asbestos management surveys… For academies, voluntary aided, foundation and independent schools, the council has no employer responsibility for health and safety.” See: Cumbria County Council pays out £200,000 after asbestos exposure.
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 26, 2022
An ongoing inquiry by a committee of the New South Wales (NSW) Legislative Council, the Upper House of the Parliament of the Australian State of NSW, has revealed that students and staff at Sydney’s Castle Hill High School were "put in jeopardy" due to an asbestos cover-up which took place in 2016. The school community had been reassured that an asbestos test was negative when it was in fact positive. Despite the presence of asbestos in the ceilings, classes continued. According to NSW Department of Education official Leanne Nixon said asbestos levels at the school “were now safe.” See: Asbestos 'cover up' at NSW school: inquiry.
Asbestos Scandal: A Global Concern
Sep 26, 2022
On September 20, 2022, a documentary entitled Asbestos, the never-ending story premiered on ARTE, a European public service channel. The 90 minute program directed by Thomas Dandois and Alexandre Spalaikovich embraced the global nature of the asbestos scandal, exposing the decision-makers and businesses that continue to profit from a deadly trade long after the hazards had been exposed. Despite the already huge death toll caused by toxic exposures, asbestos sales continue to flourish in Asia thanks to lobbying by aggressive asbestos stakeholders. See: « L’Amiante, l’histoire sans fin », sur Arte: danger mortel et scandale Mondial ["Asbestos, the never-ending story", on ARTE: mortal danger and world scandal].
Railway Workers & Asbestos Anxiety
Sep 20, 2022
On September 14, 2022, the 5th Chamber of the Labor Court of Amiens, France issued a victims’ verdict in a case over asbestos anxiety caused by the knowledge of toxic workplace exposures at railway workshops in north-central France operated by the SNCF, France's state-owned railway company. The case was launched in 2016; in 2017 seventy workers were each awarded compensation of €60,000 (US$60,100). In 2018, the Reims Court of Appeal overturned the verdict. Since 2016, two claimants died from asbestos cancer, a third is undergoing chemotherapy and six have been diagnosed with pleural thickening. See: Procès de l'amiante à la SNCF : les cheminots de Romilly-sur-Seine obtiennent un dédommagement financier [Asbestos trial at the SNCF: the railway workers of Romilly-sur-Seine obtain financial compensation].
J&J’s Baby Powder “Unsafe”
Sep 20, 2022
Last week, the Food & Drugs Administration in the Indian State of Maharashtra cancelled Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) license for the manufacture of baby powder over safety concerns after samples from Pune and Nashik were declared not of standard quality by the government. In a clarification issued by J&J, the company reassured consumers that the baby powder was safe, did not contain asbestos and did not cause cancer. The firm plans to challenge the Maharashtra ruling in court. See: Johnson & Johnson Issues Clarification After Cancellation of Manufacturing License of Its Baby Powder, Says ‘It Is Safe and Does Not Contain Asbestos That Causes Cancer’.
Building Capacity for Asbestos Testing
Sep 20, 2022
Committed to protecting Cambodians from toxic asbestos exposures, on September 13, 2022 officials from the General Department of Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Prevention met with representatives of Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA) in Phnom Pen to discuss measures to build the country’s technical capacity in the fight for asbestos safety. In October, Australian analytical experts will train Cambodian technicians on the use of analytical methods for detecting asbestos fibers. On September 15, the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training ran a workshop to devise a roadmap for the eradication of asbestos-related diseases in Cambodia. See: Oz team offers CCF asbestos class.
Official Error in Mesothelioma Case
Sep 20, 2022
A lawsuit was launched by a bereaved Japanese family over the unauthorized disposal by the Labor Standards Inspection Office of vital documents required for a mesothelioma compensation case. Relatives of the construction worker, who died aged 54 in 2003 of an industrial accident, having been occupationally exposed to asbestos, needed the paperwork as evidence in a lawsuit against a building material manufacturer. Responding to a 2021 request by the family for documents about the case, officials admitted that records of interviews with colleagues had been mistakenly discarded. See: 労基署が『永久保存のはずの文書廃棄』[Labor Standards Office “disposes of documents that are supposed to be permanently preserved…”].
Asbestos Crimes & Punishment
Sep 20, 2022
It was announced on September 16, 2022, that WorkSafeBC, the statutory agency in British Columbia tasked with preventing occupational injury and occupational diseases, had imposed a record fine of over $700,000 (US$525,500) on a Toronto-based demolition company that had been contracted to clear fire damage at a commercial site. The company had failed to comply with asbestos regulations as a result of which operatives were working in illegal and toxic conditions. See: WorkSafeBC imposes record-high single penalty of $710,488 for asbestos violations.
Asbestos Legacy in the Military
Sep 20, 2022
Following the disclosure of asbestos contamination at the Torrejón air base in Spain, more pollution has been revealed at military bases and airfields throughout the country including the Gando air base, the military airfield at León and the air base at Villanubla. Asbestos-containing material was widely used in the construction of barracks and ships. Claims from former service personnel for asbestos-related injuries have been reported. This Summer the Navy recognized the asbestos cancer death of Admiral Francisco Javier González-Huix, Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as having been caused by his military service. See: El amianto preocupa en la base aérea de Torrejón: detectado también en Gando, León y Villanubla [Asbestos is a concern at the Torrejón air base: also detected in Gando, León and Villanubla].
Asbestos on ILO Agenda
Sep 17, 2022
On September 6, 2022, the International Labour Organisation’s Project Advisory Committee on enhancing Occupational Safety and Health held a meeting in Phnom Penh about standards in the construction sector. According to Yan Thy – Secretary-General of the Building and Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia who was at the meeting – subjects on the agenda included procedural matters such as regulations and policies adopted by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training pertaining to the health and safety of construction workers as well as challenges associated with asbestos in products used by construction workers. See: ILO holds third meeting on Occupational Safety, Health in construction.
Questions over Sales of Toxic Baby Powder
Sep 17, 2022
India’s consumer market for infant products is dominated by Johnson & Johnson (J&J). According to one expert: “When you talk about the baby talcum product market in India, Johnson & Johnson still has the lion’s share in this portfolio. It has about 60 to 70% of market share in the country today.” In the face of a tidal wave of US litigation over the asbestos content of its iconic baby powder, J&J has maintained the product is safe. The recent announcement that this product would be withdrawn from sale in 2023 raises concerns amongst consumers, with people asking why the product was not withdrawn in India at the same time as it was withdrawn in the US and Canada. See: A look at Johnson & Johnson’s Presence In India And Discontinuation of Its Products Controversy.
Eradicating Catalonia’s Asbestos Pollution
Sep 17, 2022
On November 26, 2022, a conference will be held in Barcelona to consider how best to rid Catalonia of asbestos contamination. The event is being organized jointly by the Asbestos-Exposed Pensioners of Macosa-Alstom and the Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Barcelona. It is hoped that conversations at the meeting will mobilize civil society sectors and expedite the urgent measures needed to comply with EU asbestos removal guidelines. See: Convocan una convención en Barcelona para liberar Catalunya de amianto [Convention [to be held] in Barcelona on freeing Catalonia from asbestos].
Asbestos Removal in Flanders
Sep 17, 2022
Pursuant to Flanders commitment to be asbestos-free by 2040, the Flanders Government has allocated €3.5 million (US$3.5m) in a bill designed to eradicate the asbestos hazard from the care sector. Until mid-October 2022, healthcare institutions can apply for funding to the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM). A further €9m has been allocated to tackle the asbestos legacy in other sectors including: agriculture, education and social housing. See (subscription site): Flanders provides €3.5 million to remove asbestos from healthcare centres.
Asbestos an Election Issue
Sep 17, 2022
Winnipeg mayoral candidate Rana Bokhari has pledged to start an asbestos testing program for the city’s water this Autumn should she be elected. On September 12, she told journalists that: “We have not tested Winnipeg’s water for asbestos fibres since 1995… As research into the issue of asbestos in water pipes and the possibly detrimental effect on human health has continued for the past 30 years, it’s become increasingly obvious that we are ignoring a major potential health hazard in our water system.” Bokhari also plans to lobby the federal government to include Winnipeg’s water delivery system in their upcoming infrastructure review. See: WINNIPEG VOTES: Bokhari promises to start testing water for asbestos.
Legal Victory for Asbestos Victim
Sep 17, 2022
Appeals by former employers of a man who died from an asbestos-related disease were dismissed by the High Court of Justice of the Basque Country which confirmed a lower court’s verdict that the worker's pleural cancer had been caused by occupational exposures to asbestos and silica. One of the defendants’ arguments during the appeal was that the deceased’s smoking habit had caused the illness and not hazardous workplace conditions. As a result of this decision, upgrades will be made in the monthly pension received by his widow. See: El TSJPV confirma el origen laboral de un cáncer tras la exposición al amianto [The TSJPV confirms the occupational origin of cancer after exposure to asbestos].
Asbestos Ban Clarification
Sep 14, 2022
The Russian language article cited below, which was uploaded on September 10, 2022, considered the September 6, 2022 vote by the Ukrainian Parliament which banned the use of asbestos and debunked myths being spread by pro-asbestos interests to spread alarm. The ban only pertains to the new use of asbestos and does not mandate removal of asbestos material already incorporated within the built environment. Ukraine industry has a year to make the transition to safer asbestos-free technologies. See: Запрет использования асбеста в производстве: почему он вреден [The ban on the use of asbestos in production: why it (asbestos) is harmful].
Exposé: Johnson & Johnson
Sep 14, 2022
A detailed analysis of the history and strategies of the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was published in the September 12, 2022 issue of the New Yorker magazine. The text by journalist Casey Cept was methodical as well as comprehensive in its description of how this national brand exploited consumers’ trust whilst promoting the company’s iconic baby powder despite the presence of asbestos fibers. J&J made full use of loopholes in government oversight to avoid regulation and exploited judicial stratagems to freeze claims by US cancer victims. It is a sorry tale but one exceedingly well told. See: Johnson & Johnson & New War on Consumer Protection.
Asbestos Alert!
Sep, 14, 2022
The pubic outcry in Turkey over plans to import an asbestos-laden Brazilian warship for scrapping at an Izmir ship-breaking facility has raised the profile of the asbestos hazard. Following on from the successful campaign to reject the toxic ship, questions are now being asked about the dangers posed by demolishing or renovating asbestos-containing buildings. The author of the text cited below called on municipal and federal authorities to act urgently to prevent asbestos pollution by implementing and enforcing regulations to control urban transformation projects. See: Kentsel dönüşümde kanser riski! [Cancer risk in urban transformation!].
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 14, 2022
The asbestos contamination of the educational infrastructure of the Spanish capital remains a contentious issue for teachers, staff, parents and children. One building causing alarm for parents is the Meseta de Orcasitas school in Usera, Madrid, the second largest school in the district, used daily by 500 children and 20 teachers. It was built in 1978 and has broken roofing made of corrugated iron and asbestos. In 2018, the Government of Madrid pledged to remove all asbestos material from public schools. See: Dar clase bajo un techo de 2.000 metros de amianto: “Nuestros niños lo respiran seis horas al día” [Teaching under a 2,000 meter roof of asbestos: “Our children breathe it six hours a day”].
Asbestos Litigation: Update
Sep 14, 2022
In their opening arguments on September 9, 2022, lawyers representing defendants in a case brought over the asbestos death of a construction worker argued that the building material manufacturer was not at fault, because “the workers should have used dust masks.” The case, which is being heard at the Takamatsu District Court, is over a lung cancer death in 2013; ten manufacturers of asbestos-cement building products are being sued for damages of 29.7 million yen (US$209,000). See: 全国一斉“建設アスベスト訴訟” 建材メーカー争う姿勢示す 高松地裁で初弁論【香川】 [Nationwide “Construction Asbestos Lawsuit” shows fighting stance of building material manufacturers. First argument at Takamatsu District Court [Kagawa]].
Asbestos in City Hall
Sep 14, 2022
On September 12, 2022, news was reported of an unwelcomed discovery in the town hall of the Italian city of Modena. The cost of removing asbestos in the tiles and adhesives on the second and third floors of the building will be €240,000 (US$243,000). The work must be done now, said a City Council resolution passed last week, because the flooring showed “conspicuous signs of deterioration, such as breakages and detachment of tiles or marked signs of abrasion…” See: Modena, pavimenti in amianto in municipio: rimozione costa 240mila euro [Modena, asbestos floors in the town hall: removal will cost 240 thousand euros].
Asbestos Alert in Phnom Penh
Sep 12, 2022
On September 9, 2022, Deputy Director-General Dim Theng of Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce's Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Department (CCF) met with Representatives of the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Phnom Penh to discuss the health risks associated with exposures to asbestos, especially amongst construction workers. According to a news report about this meeting: “Cambodia is yet to implement a law banning the import of products containing asbestos, although the CCF expected the government to pass a law doing so in the near future. The government is currently drafting a roadmap to reduce the impact and risks of asbestos-related diseases in Cambodia.” See: EuroCham, CCF raise awareness of asbestos risks.
Boomerang Ship on Way Home
Sep 12, 2022
After travelling thousands of miles, Brazil’s former flagship: the São Paulo is on its way home having been barred by the authorities in Gibraltar and Turkey from proceeding any further on its journey to a scrapping yard in Izmir. Due to environmental concerns, many people in Brazil, Turkey and elsewhere opposed the decision to allow the ship to leave Brazil. Now that it is on its way to Rio de Janeiro, campaigners are calling for transparency and consultation on future decisions regarding how to dispose of what has become an international hot potato. See: Após ser proibido de entrar na Turquia, porta-aviões São Paulo está voltando ao Brasil [After being banned from entering Turkey, aircraft carrier São Paulo is returning to Brazil].
The End of WA Asbestos Mining Town
Sep 12, 2022
On September 8, 2022, 80-year old Lorraine Thomas – the last resident of the toxic town of Wittenoom in Western Australia (WA) – was evicted from her home by government officials and bailiffs pursuant to WA legislation. Mrs Thomas had missed the August 31, 2022 deadline for evacuating the premises due to “personal circumstances.” The WA Government had long struggled with how best to protect West Australians from deadly exposures to asbestos remaining in the soil, water and soil of Wittenoom; the current plan is to completely shut the town down so that no tourists will visit. See: Wittenoom's last resident evicted as WA government shuts down asbestos-contaminated town.
Toxic Talc
Sep 12, 2022
Last week, the discovery in South Africa of trace levels of asbestos in test samples of Tiger Brands talc led to a product recall by the company, which said that: “the affected batch of raw materials does not meet Tiger Brands’ strict quality and safety standards.” Asbestos fibers were found in pharmaceutical-grade talc powder used as a raw material. Tiger Brands’ baby products are manufactured in two factories located in Ndabeni in Western Cape and Isando in Gauteng. See: Some baby powder products recalled in SA as asbestos is detected.
Asbestos & Natural Disasters
Sep 12, 2022
A symposium held in Nagano City, Japan on September 3, 2022, considered the state-of-the-art response to asbestos liberated during natural disasters such as Typhoon Number 19, an extremely violent and large tropical cyclone that caused widespread destruction in Japan in October 2019. Sixty participants heard presentations from technical and medical experts in the session run by the Municipal Asbestos Countermeasures Center and the NGO Tokyo Occupational Safety and Health Center. See: 災害時におけるアスベスト対策の教訓を学び合う…市行政、専門家交えシンポジウム [Mutual learning of lessons learned from asbestos countermeasures in the event of a disaster…Symposium of city administrators and experts].
Ukraine Bans Asbestos!
Sep 7, 2022
This week the Parliament of Ukraine adopted draft law No. 4142, which prohibited the use of all types of asbestos-containing products for construction. Explaining these developments, Ukrainian politician Olena Shulyak said that the process to ban asbestos had been ongoing for some years but outside forces from Russia and Kazakhstan had brought pressure to bear on the Government hoping to block progress. Finally, Ms. Shulyak concluded, as a result of a vote in Parliament on September 6, 2022 “Ukraine will get rid of the health-threatening Soviet construction legacy.” See: Олена Шуляк: У будівництві заборонять азбест [Olena Shulyak: Asbestos will be banned for construction].
Calls to Speed Asbestos Removal in Schools
Sep 7, 2022
The largest Spanish trade union, the CCOO (Comisiones Obreras; the Workers' Commissions) has criticized the current program of works to remove asbestos from schools in the Spanish capital as much too slow. According to the CCOO, as many as 361 educational centers in Madrid could still contain asbestos. Commenting on the unsatisfactory rate of progress, Isabel Galvín, Secretary General of Education of CCOO Madrid said: “At this rate, according to our calculations, the total elimination of asbestos would not be achieved for another forty years, despite the new 2028 deadline set to remove this material.” See: El tímido plan para retirar amianto de los colegios de Madrid [Timid plan to remove asbestos from schools in Madrid].
Mesothelioma Benefits: Update
Sep 7, 2022
A press release issued on September 2, 2022 by the Swiss Compensation Fund for Asbestos Victims welcomed new regulations which will allow more mesothelioma patients to submit compensation claims. According to the new rules, eligible claimants will now include those who were diagnosed between 1996 and 2006; formerly only claimants with post-2006 diagnoses had been eligible for payouts from the Fund which, since it was started at the end of 2021, has paid 117 claims worth 12.3 million Swiss Francs (US$12.5m). See: La prescription prolongée de dix ans pour les victimes de l'amiante [The limitation [period] extended by ten years for asbestos victims].
Asbestos Pollution in Quebec
Sep 7, 2022
The disastrous environmental impact decades of asbestos mining have had in Quebec is gathering more attention, with campaigning groups demanding political parties make commitments to eradicate the hazard during the current election cycle. Members of the Irish Trout Lake Protection Association want pollution of the Bécancour River caused by run-offs from mountains of asbestos waste in Thetford Mines to be addressed as a matter of priority. See: Passif minier: l’APLTI interpelle les candidats en cette période électorale [Mining liabilities: the APLTI challenges the candidates during this election period].
Asbestos Education Program
Sep 7, 2022
On September 5, 2022, the Korean Association for Asbestos Safety and Health held an intensive workshop to raise asbestos awareness amongst public officials and civil servants under a program developed in partnership with the Ministry of Justice. Topics covered included the asbestos safety management law, guidelines and regulations pertaining to asbestos inspections of buildings, and case studies for civil servants in local governments. See: 한국석면안전보건연대, 법무부 석면안전지킴이와 함께한 ‘석면안전관리 심화예방교육’ [‘Intensive Asbestos Safety Management Training’ with Korea Asbestos Safety and Health Association and Ministry of Justice asbestos Safety Keepers].
No to São Paulo Transit!
Sep 5, 2022
According to a news portal in Gibraltar, the authorities in Gibraltar have said that the São Paulo warship en route from Brazil to Turkey for scrapping will not be allowed to transit through British Gibraltar Territorial Waters including the Strait of Gibraltar. The reason for this decision was the presence on board of “toxic paints, asbestos, and cancer-causing chemicals.” Emails to the UK and Gibraltar Governments about this situation remain unanswered. See: Ship carrying toxic materials would not be permitted to enter BGTW, says Government.
Russian Lobbyists at UN Meeting
Sep 5, 2022
Reports from the Romanian capital Bucharest sent by colleagues attending a UN agency’s (SAICM) fourth meeting of the intersessional process considering the Strategic Approach and sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020 that took place between August 29 and September 2, noted the presence of Russian-led asbestos lobbying groups, including the International Chrysotile Association (ICA) and the Alliance of Trade Union Organizations “Chrysotile” [See Photo]. In light of the Russian war on Ukraine, delegates objected to the presence of the Russian delegation; their objections were ignored. See: Fourth meeting of the intersessional process considering the Strategic Approach and sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020 (IP4) Bucharest, Romania, 29 August-2 September 2022.
Toxic Legacy in Limpopo
Sep 5, 2022
In a 2 minute 38 second clip uploaded to YouTube on August 31, 2022 by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, members of a former asbestos mining town in the South African Province of Limpopo spoke out about the daily hazard they endure due to the continued presence of toxic waste created by decades of asbestos mining. Although the local mines ceased operations in the 1970s, rehabilitation of the mines and dumps has been slow and, as a result, local people remain at risk. South Africa was the only country in the world which produced commercially all three of the most commonly used asbestos fibers: amosite (brown), crocidolite (blue) and chrysotile (white). See: Unrehabilitated asbestos mines pose a health risk to Limpopo villagers.
Asbestos Alert!
Sep 5, 2022
The international scandal over Johnson & Johnson’s asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder and the company’s announcement that it would withdraw this toxic product from sale in 2023 in all global markets was the starting point for an article about the hazard posed to people in Thailand from the country’s ongoing use of asbestos-containing building, automotive and other products. According to medical expert Dr. Somkiat Siriruttanapruk “We’ve found that about 80% of people with mesothelioma [the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure] have been exposed to asbestos… You should avoid using products that contain asbestos, so we can bring a halt to asbestos-related diseases. Safer alternatives to asbestos are now available.” See: Hidden danger: how asbestos can harm our health.
Asbestos in UK’s Public Buildings
Sep 5, 2022
The article cited below, which was uploaded on August 31, 2022, considered the human health consequences of exposures to asbestos-containing products remaining in 300,000+ public sector buildings in the UK, including NHS hospitals. A study commissioned by Mesothelioma UK and carried out by researchers at the University of Sheffield recommended that “awareness of the asbestos risk should be added to the mandatory training for new members of NHS staff…” Mesothelioma UK plans to continuing lobbying efforts calling for improved oversight, more resources and increased monitoring to reduce toxic exposures. See: Preventable asbestos cancer – mesothelioma.
Victim’s Verdict for Toxic Naval Exposure
Sep 5. 2022
On August 30, 2022, news was released of a decision by Italian Judge Claudio Patruno which awarded €1.3 million (US$1.3m) to the family of engineer Camillo Limatola, who died in 2013 aged 59 from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma, after having been hazardously exposed during his service in the Navy between 1973 and 1978. According to the Judge: “from the documents produced it emerged that, both in the environments in which Limatola worked and on board the ships in which he was embarked, asbestos was present and frequent…” See: Amianto, il ministero della Difesa condannato a risarcire con 1,3 milioni di euro i familiari di un militare morto per mesothelioma [ordered to compensate the family members of a soldier who died of mesothelioma with 1.3 million euros].
Civil Society Victory!
Sep 3, 2022
On August 26, 2022 after huge protests throughout Turkey over plans to import the renegade Brazilian warship the Sao Paulo for scrapping in Izmir, Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum announced a U-turn on official policy and withdrew permission for the vessel to enter Turkish territorial waters. Groups campaigning on behalf of the environment, health and safety, local communities and medical professionals welcomed the news, affirming their position that the dumping of toxic waste in Turkey was unacceptable. See: Asbestli Brezilya gemisi Türkiye karasularına sokulmayacak [Brazilian ship with asbestos will not enter Turkish territorial waters].
Import Ban on Toxic Baby Powder
Sep 3, 2022
On August 20, 2022, Cambodia’s directorate-general of Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Repression (CCF) temporarily halted the import and distribution of several brands of talc baby powder after asbestos contamination had been found. Explaining the reason for this action, an official spokesperson said: “Asbestos must not be present in cosmetic products because it can cause severe danger to consumers' health, especially as it can cause cancer.” Amongst the banned products were Johnson & Johnson’s iconic baby powder and Johnson & Johnson's blossoms baby powder. See: DKSH recall baby powder after CCF detects asbestos.
Faster Asbestos Exports to Vietnam
Sep 3, 2022
On August 23, 2022, a new rail link was inaugurated that connected the Chinese city of Nanchang to Vietnam; as a result of this new service, the time for transport of cargo from China to Vietnam will be reduced from 20 days by sea and rail to 8 days by rail. The inaugural train on this service was used to forward 41 carriages of asbestos fiber to Vietnam that had been sent to the city of Xi'an in central China from Kazakhstan. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kazakh asbestos exporters have been looking for new routes for cargoes which had formerly been transited via Russian ports. See: Trung Quốc khai trương chuyến tàu hàng từ Tây An sang Việt Nam [China opens freight train [link] from Xi'an to Vietnam].
Asbestos Outreach Project
Sep 3, 2022
Asbestos telephone hotlines were operated on August 27 & 28, 2022 by the non-governmental organizations Asbestos Victims Relief Fund (Kobe) and the Pneumoconiosis/Asbestos Victims Relief Fund (Kanagawa Prefecture) to provide legal, medical and administrative information to people concerned about asbestos exposures and their family members. Members of the public were able to call on a toll-free number from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. See: アスベスト被害、全国一斉の電話相談実施へ ２７、２８日 神戸のＮＰＯ法人 [Asbestos damage, nationwide simultaneous telephone counseling on 27th and 28th. NGO cooporation in Kobe].
Asbestos in Schools: Update
Sep 3, 2022
As children in the Spanish capital get ready to return to classes, Deputy Mayor Begoña Villacís reassured parents that progress had been made in eradicating the asbestos hazard from the educational infrastructure. The latest program of works, which was nearing completion, has removed asbestos from 23 early childhood and primary education centers in Madrid. In 2021, asbestos was removed from 26 other schools. A deadline of 2030 for the complete elimination of asbestos from all schools in Madrid has been set. See: Vuelta al 'cole' sin amianto en 23 centros educativos públicos más de Madrid [Back to school without asbestos in 23 more public educational centers in Madrid].
Asbestos in Schools: New Inspections
Sep 3, 2022
A blog dated August 22, 2022 on the website of the Association of School and College Leaders considered plans by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to commence an inspection program in UK schools this autumn to ascertain whether asbestos was being managed as per government guidelines. This decision was, said the HSE, based on feedback from a 2019 survey which showed that 20% of schools were not in compliance with asbestos regulations such as The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. New epidemiological data showed that “there is evidence of higher rates of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma…for teachers and administrative occupations than…for nurses, sales occupations and process operatives…” See: Asbestos inspections in schools, colleges and trusts.
Victims’ Victory in Osaka!
Aug 30, 2022
On August 23, 2022, for the first time in Japan a settlement was agreed between the bereaved family of a construction worker who died from an asbestos-related disease and a manufacturer of asbestos-containing building material. According to the agreement submitted to the Osaka District Court, the plaintiffs will receive compensation of 12.87 million yen (US$ 93,500), The company Nippon Insulation also apologized for the demise of the subcontractor from Nara in western Japan who died from lung cancer in 1999, aged 74. See: First Asbestos Settlement with Manufacturer in Japan [ニュース速報: メーカーとの最初のアスベスト和解が日本で達成されました].
Izmir Protest: “We Will Stop!”
Aug 30, 2022
On August 23, 2022, members of grassroots associations, and environmental organizations were joined by local politicians at a high-profile demonstration in front of the Alsancak Türkan Saylan Cultural Center against plans to import the asbestos-laden former Brazilian warship the Sao Paulo to Turkey for dismantling at a ship dismantling yard in Aliağa. The slogan for the day was “We will stop” the poison from entry; protestors held up placards with these words on them and also applied the words to visible body parts to reinforce their message. The protest was shown live on social media platforms. See: Ölüm Gemisini Durduracağiz Platformu’ndan protesto [Protest from the We Will Stop the Death Ship Platform].
Controversy over J &J Marketing Strategy
Aug 30, 2022
Following the announcement by the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J) on August 11, 2022 that it would cease selling its iconic talc-based baby powder in all global markets in 2023, an Indian journalist asked why Indian babies would still be exposed to a product which had been found to contain asbestos fibers whilst those in the U.S. and Canada were not. J&J, which has a 60%+ market share of all baby powder sales in India, will not take the product off shelves in 2022 but will phase out sales next year, a decision which a J&J spokesperson confirmed. See: Johnson & Johnson won’t take controversial baby powder off shelves in India.
Urgent Action on Toxic Talc
Aug 30, 2022
Cambodia’s Directorate General for Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Control last week banned from sale 12 types of imported baby powder from Thailand and Malaysia which had been found to contain asbestos fibers. Amongst the products which were ordered to be withdraw from Cambodian markets were: Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J’s) 380g talc and J&J’s Blossoms talc 380g. On August 11, 2022 J&J announced that it would withdraw its iconic talc-based baby powder from all global markets in 2023, 2 years after sales of this product were ended in North America. See: Des talcs pour bébé retirés de la vente au Cambodge pour cause d'amiante [Baby talcum powder withdrawn from sale in Cambodia due to asbestos].
Save Phoenix House!
Aug 30, 2022
In a press release issued this week, Liverpool Walton MP Dan Carden called on the Department for Work and Pensions to stop the scheduled closure of Phoenix House in Barrow, a specialist service which processes claims for work-related illness including those due to asbestos exposures. Commenting on the adverse effect this closure could have on the many asbestos victims in Liverpool, Carden said: “This is a specialist service providing welfare benefits to terminally-ill workers after negligent exposure to asbestos. If the next Prime Minister cares about the victims of this scandal, one of their first acts must be to step in to stop its closure.” See: Merseyside asbestos victims will be hit by closure of specialist site, warns city MP.
Ongoing Asbestos Exposures
Aug 30, 2022
In a published interview with a legal expert from Australia, the ramifications of that country’s third wave of asbestos-related diseases were discussed. This wave was associated with occupational and non-occupational exposure to asbestos as a consequence of repair, renovation and demolition work. According to lawyer Roger Singh: “Each year in Australia between 700 and 800 people are diagnosed with this rare and aggressive cancer [mesothelioma]. In the 2018-2019 financial year, the estimated health expenditure for mesothelioma cases was $27.4 million.” Much of Australia’s social housing still contains asbestos; the contamination can be hazardous for tenants. See: The tragic Australian asbestos legacy has not yet run its course.
More Mining in Wittenoom?
Aug 25, 2022
Documents released in Australia through Freedom of Information requests revealed that the mining corporation owned by Australia’s richest person, Gina Hancock, had considered developing iron ore mining in the former asbestos town of Wittenoom in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (WA). According to the papers, the WA Government was reassured that Hancock Prospecting could manage the asbestos risk whilst carrying out mining operations. The traditional owners of the land, who have been lobbying for the WA government to clean-up the town and its surroundings, are opposed to further mining. Wittenoom was closed by the WA Government earlier this year because of the widespread contamination. See: FOI documents reveal Hancock's plan to mine iron ore at asbestos-riddled Wittenoom.
MP Explains Ban Asbestos Legislation
Aug 25, 2022
Since 2017, the path to an asbestos-free Ukraine has not been an easy one, said MP Elena Shulyak. The first ban announced by the Ministry of Health was quashed by the Government under intense pressure from industry lobbyists. Legislation now progressing through the Parliament in bill No. 4142 will institute a comprehensive and immediate prohibition on the use of all types of asbestos. The prohibition will bring the country into alignment with EU regulations as per requirements set out in the Association Agreement with the EU. See: Депутат рассказала, почему в Украине хотят запретить использование асбеста в строительстве [MP tells why Ukraine wants to ban the use of asbestos in construction].
Sale of Toxic Baby Powder to End
Aug 25, 2022
In a statement made on August 19, 2022 in Quezon City, civil society groups from the Philippines – including the EcoWaste Coalition, Associated Labor Unions-TUCP and Arugaan – welcomed the news that Johnson & Johnson would be ending the sale of its talc-based baby powder in all its markets, including the Philippines, having withdrawn it from sale in North America in 2020. Commenting on this development, Gerard R. Seno, National Executive Vice President of the ALU-TUCP said: “Other baby powder manufacturers should follow suit and replace talc with alternatives that will not pose asbestos-related risk.” See: Groups Welcome Company’s Decision to Stop Selling Talc-Based Baby Powder Worldwide.
Barcelona’s Fight against Asbestos
Aug 25, 2022
Developments in Barcelona have been hailed as breakthroughs in the fight against the region’s toxic asbestos legacy. Barcelona’s Social Court Number 8 for the first time recognized that contact with asbestos was, with “almost absolute certainly” the cause of the mesothelioma death in 2019 of a worker for the Barcelona Metro. At the same time, the Government of Catalonia has begun work on an asbestos census to identify the presence of toxic material in public and private buildings with a view to elimination by 2032 of all asbestos contamination. See: Paso adelante en la lucha contra el amianto con un censo de edificios afectados y una sentencia judicial pionera [Steps forward in fight against asbestos with a census of affected buildings and a pioneering court ruling].
Asbestos Eradication in Flanders
Aug 25, 2022
In a press release issued earlier this month, Flemish Minister for Environment Zuhal Demir announced that the Flemish Government had allocated an additional sum of €5.5 million (US$ 5.7m) for work to eradicate asbestos from 165 schools and 190 healthcare institutions. “In addition,” Minister Demir said “we can also make asbestos inventories for hundreds of buildings in order to prepare for future removals.” The provision of the funds under the Asbestos Building Action Plan will enable remediation work to be prioritized. See: Vlaamse regering maakt 5,5 miljoen euro vrij voor asbestverwijdering in scholen en welzijnsinstellingen [Flemish government releases 5.5 million euros for asbestos removal in schools and welfare institutions].
Asbestos Hazard: Update
Aug 25, 2022
Workers employed by a contractor engaged by South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy have complained about hazardous conditions at old asbestos mines in Mathabatha village, Limpopo Province where they do not have protective clothing or masks to safeguard them from the inhalation of asbestos fibers. According to spokesperson Bokamoso Molokoane: “There’s no safety here. We work without proper PPE for asbestos work and there are no showers here. We go home with these overalls contaminated with asbestos, which is dangerous because our children and families get exposed to asbestos.” See: Workers at old asbestos mines in Limpopo claim they operate in dangerous environment.
Renegade Ship Coming to Europe!
Aug 23, 2022
In a timely and well-documented press release issued on August 17, 2022 NGOs – the Basel Action Network (BAN), the NGO Shipbreaking Platform and partnering organizations – warned national governments and international agencies about the illegal dumping of toxic waste by the Brazilian Navy, which was ignoring international treaties and protocols to off-load the aircraft carrier the São Paulo by exporting it to a Turkish shipyard for dismantling. As well as containing PCBs, lead/cadmium paint and possible traces of radioactive material, the São Paulo is believed to have hundreds of tonnes of asbestos-containing material on-board. See: Brazil Silent as Renegade Aircraft Carrier Moves in Defiance of Injunction and International Law.
Asbestos-Containing Sediment Hazard
Aug 23 2022
On August 22, 2022, construction will begin on a major project to dam the source of asbestos-containing sediment in the Sumas Mountains which is released into a creek in East Whatcom County, Washington State. One hundred thousand cubic yards of toxic sediment winds up in Swift Creek and from there flows into the Sumas River. In July 2022, the Department of Environment issued a warning about the hazard: “Avoid walking, driving, cycling, riding horses, or disturbing the riverbed or dredge piles along Swift Creek and Sumas River, or where flooding may have left deposits… When disturbed, asbestos fibers in the dry sediments can become airborne. Airborne asbestos can be inhaled and potentially cause health problems.” See: Construction on asbestos-filled creek in Whatcom to begin next week.
August Asbestos Offensive!
Aug 23, 2022
A Ukrainian asbestos industry propagandist issued yet another broadside over the Ukrainian government’s efforts to ban chrysotile asbestos. Lobbyist and executive director of the Ukrainian Chrysotile Association – an association representing the interests of asbestos industry stakeholders – Petro Pozharko said that the Government’s evidence supporting the ban was a collection of outdated information, junk science and fake news. According to Pozharko, there is no reliable epidemiological data from Ukraine that justified outlawing the use of asbestos, a substance used by countries worldwide. See: Ініціатори заборони хризотилового азбесту спираються на фейки та маніпуляції, - експерт [The initiators of the ban on chrysotile asbestos rely on fakes and manipulations, the expert said].
Enquiry over Toxic Military Exposures
Aug 23, 2022
The results of an enquiry into asbestos exposures experienced by British service personnel during military exercises overseas since 2018 were published by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Defence Safety Authority on August 18, 2022. The 118-page report was not an easy read. From what can be surmised on a cursory reading, it was confirmed that asbestos exposures did in fact take place. Multiple recommendations were made to avoid such incidents in the future, including collaborations with NATO and Allied training partners. See: Corporate report – Investigation into the alleged exposure of UK Defence Personnel to asbestos during overseas exercises and training since 2018.
Asbestos Alert in the Military
Aug 23, 2022
On August 17, 2022, the Association of Spanish Troops and Sailors (ATME) issued a warning about the absence of protective measures in some military barracks where asbestos-containing material may be present in the plumbing. The ATME cited the example of the barracks in Pamplona where asbestos-cement pipes were removed in August 2021 by personnel from the Services Unit “without any type of specialized training or protection material.” See: Militares alertan de la ausencia de medidas de seguridad con el amianto en los cuarteles [Military warn of the absence of security measures regarding asbestos in barracks].
Ukraine Parliament Must Act!
Aug 18, 2022
To protect public health, Ukrainian Parliamentarians are urged, in the commentary cited below, to ignore asbestos industry propaganda and progress work to outlaw all asbestos use. The first sentence in his exposition makes the author’s position crystal clear: “Asbestos, used widely in construction for many decades, is a dangerous carcinogen.” Citing the position of multiple international agencies which advocate ending asbestos use, the author is “convinced that the document [draft legislation] should be adopted so that the use of asbestos finally becomes a forgotten practice in our country.” See: Чому Верховна Рада має заборонити азбест [Why the Verkhovna Rada should ban asbestos].
Corporation Dumps Cancer Claims
Aug 18, 2022
On August 16, 2022, it was announced that yet another US asbestos defendant had dumped its asbestos-liabilities to avoid thousands of claims from cancer victims, with the divestment by Crane Holdings of the wholly-owned subsidiary Redco Corporation. All Crane’s liabilities, including asbestos liabilities, had been transferred to Redco which has been bought by Spruce Lake Liability Management Holdco LLC. According to a press release issued by the company: the “Transaction permanently removes all asbestos related liabilities and obligations from Crane’s balance sheet.” See: Crane Holdings to divest legacy asbestos liabilities.
Decades of Asbestos Injuries and Deaths
Aug 18, 2022
The length and breadth of Italy’s national asbestos tragedy are the subject for author Raffaella Tallarico in the article cited below. The sad plight of members of the public who had the misfortune to be born in Casale Monferrato as well as asbestos workers from the town’s asbestos-cement factory are considered within the context of the national epidemic of asbestos-related cancers and diseases. Between 1993 and 2018, there were 31,572 mesothelioma cases diagnosed of which 56% of patients lived in Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria and Emilia-Romagna. Like Casale, the town of Broni is an asbestos hotspot due to the historic operations of the Fibronit asbestos factory. See: Trent’anni senza Eternit, ma di amianto ci si ammala ancora [Thirty years without Eternit, but we still get sick from asbestos].
Asbestos Propaganda: Reboot
Aug 18, 2022
Considering the progress being made by the Ukrainian Parliament in outlawing asbestos, the industry has hit back in a commentary by Petr Pozharko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Chrysotile Association, hardly an unbiased party to the debate. In his skewed text, Pozharko claims that there is no legitimate reason for Ukraine to ban asbestos; the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos is not harmful to human health; and chrysotile, when bound within a cement matrix, is safe. The author concludes by assuring readers that: “There are many international medical studies confirming the safety of chrysotile.” See: Петр Пожарко: Ни один международный документ не обязывает Украину запретить использование асбеста [Petr Pozharko: No international document obliges Ukraine to ban the use of asbestos].
Early Retirement for Asbestos Workers
Aug 18, 2022
As a result of mass mobilization by asbestos victims’ groups, trade unions and campaigners, the French Government some years ago enacted legislation allowing asbestos-exposed workers to qualify for early retirement. To be eligible for the government benefits – and be allowed to retire aged 50-60 – an applicant must have been employed in a facility which made asbestos-containing materials, used asbestos insulation at work or worked at the dockyards. See: Retraite: voici les Français qui peuvent profiter du dispositif de préretraite pour amiante! [Retirement: the French people who can take advantage of the early retirement scheme for asbestos!].
Asbestos Justice, a Fickle Thing in Spain
Aug 18, 2022
The ups and downs for Spanish asbestos victims were reviewed in the text cited below which began with the news of the Supreme Court’s rejection of the asbestos claim brought by the family of national icon José María Iñigo. Whilst many claimants have succeeded in cases brought against former employers, including Nissan, Uralita, Garay Coatings, Navantia and Izar, some cases have failed. Recently, an agreement was reached by the Madrid Metro with asbestos claimants which will avoid a wave of future litigation. See: El asbesto en los tribunals. Los casos del amianto acumulan 3.300 sentencias y reparaciones millonarias [Asbestos in court. Asbestos cases have produced 3,300 sentences and millionaire reparations].
Johnson & Johnson U-Turn
Aug 16, 2022
In a major reversal of corporate policy on August 11, 2022, Johnson & Johnson – the multinational pharmaceutical – announced it planned to withdraw its iconic talc-based baby powder from all global markets in 2023. The presence of asbestos in the product has led to nearly 40,000 legal claims from cancer victims as a result of which it was withdrawn from sale in North America in 2020. Groups representing asbestos victims, women, consumers and investor-activists had all called for sales of the product to be stopped as a matter of public health in all markets. See: Johnson & Johnson to replace talc-based powder with cornstarch.
Supreme Court Travesty
Aug 16, 2022
Last week, news was circulated of a decision by Spain’s Supreme Court which concluded that the 2018 asbestos cancer death of national icon José María Iñigo had not been caused by the negligence of his employer, despite a wealth of evidence to the contrary. Whilst the court of the first instance – Social Court Number 2, Madrid – had issued a victim’s verdict in March 2021, in November 2021 the Superior Court of Justice (TSJ) of Madrid over-turned that decision. Rejecting an appeal brought by the family’s legal team, the Supreme Court upheld the TSJ’s decision. See: El Supremo niega que José María Iñigo muriera por exposición al amianto en los platós [The Supreme Court denies that José María Iñigo died from exposure to asbestos on sets].
Flora and Fauna of the Asbestos Region
Aug 16, 2022
The article cited below took an unusual look at the resources of one of Quebec’s former chrysotile asbestos mining towns. Having acknowledged the area’s industrial legacy, the author described the wonders to be found in the Serpentine-de-Coleraine Ecological Reserve. As well as describing the native fauna, the writer recounted the “impressive” view of gigantic asbestos waste tailing dumps and clambering through holes – abandoned open pit asbestos mines. At no point is there any mention of the hazard posed by the presence of so much toxic waste in the mine tailings and on the site of abandoned pits. See: Mines et nature à Thetford Mines [Mines and nature in Thetford Mines].
Asbestos Clean-up in New York
Aug 16, 2022
In an August 12, 2022 news release by the Environmental Protection Agency, it was announced that an agreement had been reached to remediate asbestos waste piles at the former TechCity site – a location once used by the IBM company to manufacture computers – in Ulster County, New York to preserve public health and turn “formerly contaminated land into a boost for the local economy.” According to the agreement, the developer iPark87, LLC “will remove asbestos from the interior of Building 1, remove three large debris piles containing asbestos… and dispose of the waste off-site at an EPA-approved landfill.” No public funding will be used to decontaminate the site. See: EPA and Senator Schumer Mark Recent Settlement to Remove Asbestos Piles from TechCity Site in Ulster County, New York.
Abysmal Asbestos Disease Monitoring
Aug 16, 2022
Following a high profile expose about widespread asbestos contamination at Spain’s Torrejón military air base earlier this month, it has been reported that few of those currently being exposed or who had been exposed at the former American base had been examined for signs of asbestos-related diseases. In an interview last week with the Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo, it was disclosed that of the 154,000 at-risk Ministry of Defense workers, only 117 had been examined. See: Defensa sólo realizó 117 exámenes médicos relacionados con la exposición al amianto en 2021 [Defense only conducted 117 medical exams related to asbestos exposure in 2021].
Status of Nation’s Asbestos Legacy
Aug 16, 2022
A paper recently published in the Central European Journal of Public Health by researchers from the Czech Republic described the nation’s history of asbestos use, discussed measures to minimize hazardous exposures and considered long-term health consequences of toxic exposures for members of the public as well as workers. The co-authors concluded that: data on asbestos-related occupational diseases, especially cancers, was grossly underreported; raising professional awareness of the asbestos hazard was crucial to achieve early diagnoses; deteriorating asbestos material remained in the built environment; “quarrying of asbestos-containing aggregate and its subsequent use” is an ongoing problem. See: Asbestos danger in central Europe is not yet over – the situation in the Czech Republic.
New Wave of Asbestos Cases
Aug 15, 2022
According to an industrial disease legal specialist, the number of cases being brought for asbestos-related diseases caused by indirect exposure is growing. Expanding on this contention, Solicitor Tony Hood: said: “We’ve definitely noticed a change in the way those diagnosed with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos. While we continue see many cases of workers from traditional heavy industrial areas, such as shipbuilding, there are an increasing number of clients instructing us who have been exposed in non-traditional ways.” These cases can be quite complex as white-collar claimants often have no knowledge of how and when they were exposed to asbestos. See: News focus: A white-collar wave of mesothelioma claims.
Admiral’s Asbestos Death “In Service”
Aug 15, 2022
In the August 2, 2022 edition of the Official Gazette of Spain’s Ministry of Defense, it was duly noted that the asbestos-related cancer death in 2020 of Admiral Don Francisco Javier González-Huix Fernández – formerly the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – had occurred as the result of his naval service. Following this ruling, his widow will now receive the full pension to which he was entitled. It did not go unnoticed that the Admiral’s death in the line of duty was recognized with a degree of speed not seen in the processing of similar claims from naval personnel of lower rank. See: Defensa reconoce como “acto de servicio” el fallecimiento de un almirante a causa del amianto en los buques [Defense recognizes as “act of service” the death of an admiral due to asbestos in ships].
Update: Progress of Asbestos Ban
Aug 15, 2022
An article on a Ukraine news portal on August 8, 2022 highlighted the role played by Ukrainian politician Serhiy Nagornyak in trying to persuade Parliament to renege on efforts to ban asbestos in Ukraine. According to the text, on July 26 Nagornyak told members of the Parliamentary Committee on Health Issues that unless the ban was rejected, scores of people would face unemployment at the building materials factory in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine in territory now controlled by the Russians. According to an agreement with the EU, Ukraine is obliged to ban asbestos as part of the process of joining the EU. See: "Слуга" намагався загальмувати заборону в Україні небезпечного азбесту [“Servant” tried to stop the ban on dangerous asbestos in Ukraine].
Improving Asbestos Regime in Flanders
Aug 15, 2022
On August 8, 2022, Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir announced new proposals to strengthen checks on asbestos removal sites in Flanders. Minister Demir wrote a letter to the Federal Minister of Labour Pierre-Yves Dermagne requesting that action be taken to clarify the demarcation between the duties of the Flemish and Federal Governments regarding the supervision of asbestos removal, demolition, laboratory testing and asbestos waste collection. Although the Flanders Government had pledged to make Flanders an asbestos-free region by 2040, there is still, said Minister Demir, insufficient monitoring of many key aspects of the asbestos regime. See: Minister calls for stronger checks on asbestos removal.
Madrid Metro Settlement
Aug 15, 2022
As a result of an agreement reached by asbestos-injured workers and/or surviving family members with the company which runs the Madrid Metro, the Prosecutor’s Office asked the Madrid Court to drop the asbestos case against the company. The investigation into claims of negligence against several high-ranking executives who were in charge of occupational health and safety matters will be dropped in light of the resolution of the case and the payment of compensation. None of the Madrid Metro accused will now be charged. See: El juez archiva el caso del amianto en el Metro de Madrid tras la petición de Fiscalía y los acuerdos de indemnización [The judge files the Madrid Metro asbestos case at the request of the Prosecutor's Office following compensation agreements].
The Illegal Departure of the Sao Paulo
Aug 15, 2022
Many of the key facts and issues regarding the sale of the Brazilian aircraft carrier the Sao Paulo to a Turkish buyer were examined in the article cited below. Legal steps taken to stop the departure of the ship included an August 4, 2022 injunction by the 16th Federal Court of Rio de Janeiro ordering the ship to return to the Port of Rio de Janeiro. This ruling was obtained by the Brazilian Institute of Lawyers (IAB). The ship did not return. A spokesperson for the Brazilian Association of Asbestos Victims said: “In our view, it is a crime against the environment that the Brazilian authorities allowed an asbestos-containing aircraft carrier to sail towards Turkey despite all risks.” See: Asbestli Gemi Brezilya’da da Tartışılıyor [Asbestos Ship Discussed in Brazil].
The End of Asbestos Housing
Aug 11, 2022
On August 5, 2022 during a session at the National Assembly, the Government of Mauritius announced plans to demolish 1,800 asbestos-contaminated social housing units built in the 1960s. New housing will be constructed to replace those destroyed but there was no response to requests by campaigners for access to a work schedule. The use of asbestos was prohibited in Mauritius by the Dangerous Chemicals Control Act 2004. See [subscription site]: A Maurice, des logements sociaux promis à la destruction à cause de l’amiante [In Mauritius, pledge to demolish social housing due to [presence of] asbestos].
National Asbestos Controversy
Aug 11, 2022
The escalating controversy over plans to send an asbestos-laden former Brazilian warship to a Turkish scrapping yard has generated a wider debate about the country’s ongoing failures to address the asbestos hazard despite the fact that Turkey officially banned asbestos in 2010. Asbestos-containing products – such as fireproofing tapes, gloves, wire, gaskets etc. – can still be purchased in Turkey from online shopping sites. According to the Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters' Association, 21 Turkish companies exported asbestos-containing products worth $27,200 dollars in January 2022. These illegal actions are possible due to a lack of government oversight and import/export controls. See: Türkiye’nin asbest tablosu [Turkey's asbestos table].
Legal Breakthrough for Asbestos Claimants
Aug 11, 2022
Solicitors in Scotland have set a new precedent with a verdict handed down in the case Kelman v Moray Council. This ruling will benefit future asbestos claimants as it supported a more lenient approach to the question of when plaintiffs knew or ought to have known that they suffered from an asbestos-related condition. In 1999, Mr Kelman was diagnosed with pleural plaques; when he developed mesothelioma in 2019, the defendants argued that legal action was time-barred. The Judge disagreed, finding that even though Kelman was aware of his asbestos related diagnosis in 1999, he had not known he could bring a claim and therefore the limitation period had not yet started. See: Recent ruling will have significant impact on asbestos related claims.
Asbestos Profits More than Halved
Aug 11, 2022
Accounts published on August 5, 2022 by Russia’s second biggest asbestos conglomerate: Uralasbest reported that net profits had fallen dramatically from 544 million rubles for the first half of 2021 to 204 million rubles for the same period in 2022. Uralasbest Director Yakov Remennik blamed the downturn on the depreciation of the US dollar, the stagnation of the construction market and a substantial increase in the rate of taxation levied on asbestos mining enterprises. There was, curiously, no mention made of the impact of Western sanctions imposed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. See: «Ураласбест» сократил чистую прибыль в 2,5 раза [Uralasbest reduced net profit by 2.5 times].
Asbestos at Air Base
Aug 11, 2022
The Torrejón military air base in Madrid has “thousands of meters of heating pipes” covered with deteriorating friable asbestos material. According to asbestos removal specialist Diego González: “The pipes are rotten. It's the scariest place I've worked on… I'm still surprised. The workers and those who come to the air base are not aware of the risk. They are exposed. Asbestos is everywhere.” Questions put to the Ministry of Defense about the toxic state of the base were not answered. See: El amianto más peligroso infecta la base aérea militar de Torrejón: "No había visto nada igual en 10 años. Está disuelto como el polen" [The most dangerous asbestos contaminates the Torrejón military air base: “I had not seen anything like it in 10 years. It is distributed like pollen”].
Mesothelioma on the Italian Railways
Aug 11, 2022
Last week, a Court in Velletri – a commune in the Metropolitan City of Rome – issued a victim’s verdict when it awarded the widow of train driver Maurizio Di Meo a lump sum of €80,000 (US$ 82,000) plus a monthly pension of €1,600. Mr. Di Meo died in 2018 from the cancer mesothelioma due to workplace asbestos exposures. The deceased, who was from the town of Colleferro, had been employed by the State Railways; he was only 60 years old when he died. The compensation will be paid by the National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance [Istituto nazionale per l'assicurazione contro gli infortuni sul lavoro (INAIL)]. See: Macchinista delle Ferrovie morto a causa dell'amianto. L'Inail pagherà [Railroad driver died due to asbestos [exposure]. Inail will pay].
More Asbestos Lies!
Aug 10, 2022
The article cited below listed lies being spread about a draft piece of Ukrainian legislation (Bill No. 4142) on public health, intended to bring the country into compliance with the EU legal system. Amongst the most targeted provisions of the bill is, said Mykhailo Radutsky, the proposal to ban asbestos. The disruptors, who use multiple methods to spread false rumours including Russian bot farms, say that these provisions will force Ukrainians to remove asbestos roofing; this is untrue. as the prohibition only bans the use of new asbestos material. See: Михайло Радуцький спростував найвідоміші фейки про законопроект № 4142 про систему громадського здоров’я [Mykhailo Radutsky refutes the most notorious lies concerning draft law No. 4142 on the public health system].
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Aug 10, 2022
Rapid industrialization, the retirement of experienced workers and a lack of training in occupational health and safety (OHS) for current staff have resulted in a perfect storm in Laos which ensured that hazardous workplace conditions, including exposures to asbestos, remained a fact of life. A 3-day course was held this summer in Vang Vieng, Vientiane Province by the Laos Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) and Australia’s Union Aid Abroad – APEHDA to train junior union officials in asbestos eradication and workplace safety. The objectives of the sessions included building OHS capacity of LFTU members who, in turn, would be able to raise grassroots awareness of the asbestos hazard. See: Junior union officials trained on asbestos safety.
Cancer Hotspots from Toxic Rainwater
Aug 10, 2022
An elevated incidence of cancer has been reported in villages near Bangladesh coast, with experts explaining that the rise in cases was the result of drinking rainwater collected on asbestos-cement roofs. Saiful Islam from the locality of Shyamnagar in the North Indian State of West Bengal told a journalist that most of the local homes were covered with asbestos roofing: “People know its adverse impact on the human body but they ignore the consequences,” he said. Muhammad Nazmul Hasan, from the village of Chandmukhi, said his family stopped using rainwater collected on the asbestos roof after his father Abdul Sattar died from cancer in February 2022. See: Growing asbestos use causing deadly diseases in coastal Bangladesh.
Act Now to End Asbestos “Shame”
Aug 10, 2022
The British Occupational Hygiene Society, the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection and the Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management (FAAM) last week urged Tory leadership hopefuls to end the “national shame” of asbestos-related deaths, calling for a “proper national plan” to stop toxic exposures currently killing 5,000 Britons/year, and condemning the “wishy-washy” response to a Parliamentary report calling for a 30-year deadline for asbestos eradication. “The government,” said FAAM’s Jonathan Grant, “needs to have a proper joined-up strategy using research, tax incentives, communication, building control, the conveyancing system, technology and the opportunities arising from the greening of buildings.” See: Tory leadership hopefuls urged to end ‘national shame’ of asbestos deaths.
Asbestos-Cement Company Annual Report
Aug 10, 2022
According to a new report issued by the Russian asbestos-cement Belgorodasbest company, a subsidiary of Russia’s 2nd biggest asbestos producer: Uralasbest, business is good. Belgorodasbest recorded a net profit increase for the first half of the year of 1.7 times what was earned in the same period last year. According to the company’s report, the net profit for January-June 2022 was 58.3 million rubles vs 34.7 million rubles for the first half of 2021. See: Перешедший “Ураласбесту” “Белгородасбестоцемент” в I полугодии увеличил чистую прибыль в 1,7 раза [Belgorodasbestocement, taken over by Uralasbest, increased its net profit by 1.7 times in the first half of the year].
Asbestos Hazard at Fukushima
Aug 10, 2022
According to an August 4, 2022 news report, large amounts of asbestos material used in the construction of Units 1 to 6 of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant remain in place even though the plant is being decommissioned as a consequence of the 2011 nuclear accident. Because of the radioactive contamination of the reactor building, the removal of the asbestos is even more complicated than usual: “There are about 1,700 cubic meters of asbestos insulation wrapped around pipes, but only 90 cubic meters (about 5%) have been removed.” See: 福島第1原発に残り続けるもう一つの「危険物」とは [What is another “dangerous material” that continues to remain at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant?].
Madrid Metro: Final Report
Aug 8, 2022
The final report by the Prosecutor’s Office on conditions at the Madrid Metro was issued on August 4, 2022; it condemned the company’s management for multiple failings as a result of which workers were exposed to asbestos and contracted asbestos-related diseases, including fatal cancers. The company had not, the report concluded, evaluated the risk of occupational asbestos exposure from 1986 to 2017; as a result, no safety measures had been put in place to address the asbestos hazard. See: Sin equipos de protección, sin información y sin controles de salud: las irregularidades en el caso del amianto del Metro de Madrid [Without protective equipment, without information and without health controls: the irregularities in the Madrid Metro asbestos case].
Tax Cuts for Asbestos Industry
Aug 8, 2022
Earlier this month, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade announced plans to implement measures to reduce taxation on the asbestos industry by reclassifying it within the framework of the Tax Code in the group of “non-metallic raw materials used mainly by the construction industry,” and not in the category of mining and chemical raw materials. This measure will, said a Ministry spokesperson, improve the stability of the largest producers of chrysotile asbestos – Orenburg Minerals and Uralasbest – as well as benefit other Russian companies processing and selling chrysotile asbestos. See: Минпромторг предложил вывести асбест из-под повышенной ренты [The Ministry of Industry and Trade propose to remove asbestos from higher tax category].
Mesothelioma Research: New Findings
Aug 8, 2022
A retrospective study by Brazilian doctors to evaluate the efficacy of measures in place between 2009 and 2020 to diagnose patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) concluded that: “the unfamiliarity of health professionals with MPM and the patient's lack of knowledge of prior asbestos exposure were the major factors to cause a long time interval between the onset of symptoms and beginning of treatment.” As a result of these delays, few patients survived for more than one year. The co-authors called for “progressive improvements in the abilities to recognize MPM…” See: Mesothelioma in a developing country: a retrospective analysis of the diagnostic process.
Toxic Legacy on Prince Edward Island
Aug 8, 2022
The authorities on Prince Edward Island, one of Canada’s eastern maritime provinces, have announced plans to conduct asbestos audits at 39 government-owned sites. Testing will be done simultaneously to establish whether other toxic materials such as lead paint or mercury are also present. Tourist attractions, historic sites and public buildings will be surveyed. It has not yet been announced what the budget for this work is to be; no results are expected before March 2023. According to provincial spokesperson April Gallant: “Intact and undisturbed asbestos presents no direct health hazard but does present a potential exposure hazard should fibres be released and inhaled.” See: Province to assess 39 sites for asbestos.
Asbestos Alert in the Pacific Region
Aug 8, 2022
A new publication has raised public concern in Fiji over the hazard posed by asbestos waste deposited in landfill: “while buried material may not give rise to airborne asbestos fibres if securely contained, inappropriate disturbance of this waste could give rise to harmful levels of asbestos fibres in air,” warned the Model Asbestos Management Policy Report. The publication by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, which was funded by the EU, warned that “the management and disposal of asbestos and asbestos containing materials (ACM) was an ongoing concern in the Pacific region.” See: Asbestos – an ‘ongoing concern’.
Working to Eradicate the Asbestos Hazard
Aug 8, 2022
Plans have been announced by representatives of the Kyushu-Okinawa region and Yamaguchi Prefecture to work with a specialist company that conducts surveys and provides advice on how to prevent asbestos exposures during work on damaged buildings in the aftermath of disasters. According to Governor Kabashima: “Kumamoto Prefecture has experienced major disasters such as earthquakes and heavy rains, and has recognized the importance of initial responses to prevent scattering of asbestos.” See: 九州沖縄各県と山口県 アスベストの調査行う２団体と協定 [Kyushu Okinawa Prefecture and Yamaguchi Prefecture Agreements with two organizations that conduct asbestos surveys].
Asbestos Hazard to the Aegean
Aug 3, 2022
The Greek language article cited below highlighted the implications for the Aegean region of the import of a toxic Brazilian warship to Turkey. The Sao Paulo is due to set sail on August 5; there could be around 900 tonnes of asbestos on board. The ship was purchased by a Turkish company which applied for and was granted permission to scrap it in Aliağa. Campaigners who are trying to block this illegal international transfer of hazardous waste argue that the Ministerial permission obtained was based on paperwork that was both incomplete and incorrect. See: Πως η Τουρκία απειλεί την υγεία των νησιωτών μας προξενώντας παράλληλα τεράστια οικολογική καταστροφή στο Αιγαίο [How Turkey threatens the health of our islanders while at the same time causing a huge ecological disaster in the Aegean].
Court Issues Victim’s Verdict
Aug 3, 2022
On August 1, 2022, a court in Grosseto, Tuscany Italy handed down a plaintiff’s verdict when it ordered Italy’s Interior and Defense Ministries to pay compensation of €400,000 (US$ 410,000) to the family of Antonio Ballini who had been exposed to asbestos whilst in the Italian Navy from 1965 to 1968; he died in 2014 aged 69 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. His widow will also receive a lifetime pension of €1,900/ month. See: Amianto, ministeri dell'Interno e della Difesa risarciranno vedova di un militare della Marina [Asbestos, interior and defense ministries will compensate widow of a navy soldier].
Asbestos Closes Manchester Court
Aug 3, 3033
According to HM Courts & Tribunals Service, the “building issue” which closed Manchester Crown Court last week was the discovery of material suspected to contain asbestos. When the building was constructed in the 1960s, asbestos-containing products were routinely used for fireproofing and/or insulation purposes. Tests by specialist contractors are ongoing and urgent cases have been moved to Minshull Street Court, Manchester and Bolton Crown Court. According to the Ministry of Justice, £100 million was spent in 2021 on court maintenance and repairs. See: City centre court shut down for urgent asbestos tests.
Navarra’s Toxic Asbestos Legacy
Aug 3, 2022
A victim’s association in Navarra, Spain – the Navarra Asbestos Association (ANANAR) – has announced that in the five years of the Group’s existence, 52 people in the local community have died from asbestos-related diseases. A spokesperson for the Group said that 3,000 people in Navarra are now living with asbestos-related diseases. ANANAR is lobbying the regional government to initiate an asbestos eradication program in order to protect citizens from future exposures. As of now, only 10% of the asbestos in Navarra’s built environment has been removed. See: En Navarra hay más de 3.000 personas afectadas por el amianto [In Navarra there are more than 3,000 people affected by asbestos].
Asbestos Hot Potato
Aug 3, 2022
The authorities of the small fishing village of Marsaxlokk, Malta have told the Times of Malta that the municipal budget does not have funds for the removal of toxic asbestos pipes dumped on the roadside over two months ago; the council’s annual budget is €400,000 a year. Although the removal of the waste is the responsibility of the council the town is not, said officials, able to pay €9,500+ to collect and dispose of the hazardous waste safely. The Environment and Resources Authority has been offered the Department of Local Government assistance with any environmental permits that may be required to handle this waste, but has not offered financial support to remediate the toxic waste. See: Local council says it does not have the money to remove roadside asbestos pipes.
New Asbestos Licensing Regime
Aug 3, 2022
Under new and stricter rules for asbestos removal in Fiji, licenses are now required for specialist contractors engaged in asbestos eradication work concerning friable material. The adoption of measures recommended in a report published by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme means that asbestos removalists must consult multiple duty holders as well as property occupiers and neighbors before work is carried out. The objective of the new regime is to prevent toxic exposures to asbestos operatives and members of the public, and thereby reduce the incidence of asbestos-related diseases. See: Asbestos removal requires licence.
Asbestos Marketing Drive in Thailand
Aug 2, 2022
According to the article cited below, a spokesperson for the largest asbestos conglomerate in Thailand believed that local building material producers were looking to increase asbestos imports from Russia from 40,000 tons per year to 200,000 tons per year. Three thousand Thai workers are currently employed by asbestos companies; this figure could increase to 5,000, the company spokesperson predicted. Thailand could, he said “become a kind of regional hub for the production of asbestos products in Southeast Asia. ‘Currently, we are exporting finished asbestos products to neighboring countries’”. See: Производители в Таиланде заинтересованы в наращивании объемов поставок асбеста из России [Producers in Thailand are interested in increasing the volume of asbestos supplies from Russia].
Victory for Barcelona Metro Worker
Aug 2, 2022
At a July 29 press conference, the news was delivered that a Barcelona court had set a precedent by ruling that the mesothelioma death of a worker for the Barcelona Metro company had been due to workplace asbestos exposures. The Judge found it was “highly probable that the deceased (the worker) was in contact with asbestos, especially in the years 1988 and 1989, when he provided services as an electrical installer. It is possible that this exposure was not intense or prolonged, but that does not rule out that he contracted the disease for that reason.” The company plans to appeal the verdict. See: Un juzgado social reconoce por primera vez el amianto como causa de la muerte de un trabajador del metro de Barcelona [Social court recognizes asbestos for the first time as the cause of the death of a Barcelona metro worker].
Asbestos Research Program
Aug 2, 2022
A scientific project entitled: Asbestos-Related Respiratory Diseases in [Italian] Industrial Areas is recruiting subjects to participate in this 3-year research program, the purpose of which is to establish the effects of occupational asbestos exposures and to identify early markers of disease in at-risk subjects. This is a joint study headed by Dr Roberto Cherchi from Cagliari, Italy and Professor Pierluigi Cocco, Manchester, UK working in collaboration with the Italian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (AIEA). See: Si cercano volontari per un nuovo studio sulle esposizioni all’amianto [Volunteers are sought for a new study on asbestos exposures].
Say No to Toxic Brazilian Export
Aug 2, 2022
In a joint press release by Turkey’s Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DISK) and Brazil’s Confederation of Trade Unions (CUT), the organizations pledged to fight plans to export the asbestos-laden former warship the São Paulo from Brazil to Turkey to protect shipbreaking workers in Turkey, members of the public and the environment. DISK and CUT called on their respective governments to “carry out impartial and transparent inspections and to comply with international conventions.” See: “CUT ve DİSK olarak asbestin ve gemi söküm işlemlerinin işçilere, halk sağlığına ve çevreye verdiği zararlara karşı birlikte mücadele edeceğiz!” [“CUT and DISK will fight together against the damage caused by asbestos and shipbreaking processes to workers, public health and the environment!”].
Toxic Pipes, Toxic Water
Aug 2, 2022
The Wallonia Water Society [Société Wallonne des Eaux (SWDE)] has been publicly condemned by a resident of Bernissart, a city in the Belgian province of Hainaut, for failing to address the hazard posed by the 3,100 kilometers of asbestos-cement pipes installed in the 1950s and still being used to deliver the municipality’s water. These pipes contain up to 15% asbestos which can, it is claimed, leach into the drinking water. See: “La SWDE n’a pas l’air de s’en tracasser”: Vincent dénonce la présence d’amiante dans les canalisations d’eau potable en Wallonie, “une matière cancérigène” [“The SWDE does not seem to care”: Vincent denounces the presence of asbestos in the drinking water pipes in Wallonia, “a carcinogenic material”].
Asbestos Eradication in Florianópolis
Aug 2, 2022
In a July 28, 2022 news clip on NDTV – a Brazilian state television network based in the city of Florianópolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina State – a reporter announced that city officials had declared their intention to remove asbestos from all public buildings following the practice adopted in countries such as Italy, where measures were being taken to protect occupational and public health by eradicating asbestos from the built environment. According to news reports, Florianópolis is the first Brazilian city to embark on an asbestos eradication program. See: Prefeitura de Florianópolis vai remover amianto de prédios públicos [Florianópolis City Hall will remove asbestos from public buildings].
Protest over Arrival of Brazilian Warship
Jul 29, 2022
On July 28, 2022, there was a demonstration by the People's Liberation Party (HKP) outside the Aliağa headquarters of the company which plans to dismantle a Brazilian warship which is due for arrival in Turkey within the next few weeks. The vessel – most recently called the São Paulo – contains more than 600 tonnes of asbestos. HKP members and supporters object to the import of the toxic ship and are calling for Ministers to rescind permission for its import into the country. See: HKP'den asbestli gemiyi sökecek şirketin önünde protesto: 'İnsanlık suçu işlemekteler' [Protest in front of the company that will dismantle the ship with #asbestos from HKP: 'They are committing crimes against humanity'].
Asbestos Hazard & Firefighters
Jul 29, 2022
Whilst the hazard posed by occupational asbestos exposures to firefighters continues to remain unrecognized in most parts of Spain, this week the Gran Canaria Firefighters Consortium was added to the Register of Companies with Asbestos Risk (RERA). Inclusion in the RERA, will result in greater protection and prevention measures being implemented to limit toxic workplace exposures to firefighters on the island of Gran Canaria. The CCOO Spanish trade union, which has been campaigning for this recognition, welcomed the news. See: Por primera vez se reconoce en España la exposición al amianto de un parque de bomberos [For the first time, exposure to asbestos in a fire station is recognized in Spain].
New Asbestos Link to Asia
Jul 29, 2022
On July 24, 2022, for the first time, a new rail-sea link was used for the export of asbestos mined in China. This link will, it was claimed, streamline the movement of goods, reduce costs and shipping times. The initial shipment of Chinese asbestos was composed of four containers of 80 tonnes. The goods will go by train to Qinzhou Port, Beibu Gulf, Guangxi; from there, the cargo will go to Indonesia. In 2019 and 2020, Indonesia was, respectively, the 4th and 5th biggest asbestos-consuming nation in Asia. See: 肅敦煌首次通過西部陸海新通道鐵海聯運列車出口石棉 [Dunhuang, Gansu exports asbestos for the first time through the rail-sea combined transport using the new western land-sea passage].
Asbestos Exposure in the Navy
Jul 29, 2022
This week news was circulated that the Labor Court of La Spezia. a port city in Liguria, Italy, had condemned the Ministry of Defense (MoD) and ordered it to pay interim compensation of €100,000 (US$102,000) to the family of a civilian employee of the Navy who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in October 2017. The Judge ruled that the MoD had not taken measures to safeguard the workforce from exposures to asbestos. A hearing in September 2022 at a court in Genoa will finalize the total compensation due to the plaintiffs; this sum could exceed a million euros. See: Morte da amianto per mesotelioma, condannato il Ministero della Difesa [Death from mesothelioma caused by asbestos, Ministry of Defense sentenced].
Mesothelioma Victory over Insurers
Jul 29, 2022
The July 27, 2022 High Court Judgment of Mrs. Justice Yip was the first reported verdict in a direct action against an insurer for a living mesothelioma claimant. In her decision, the Judge found that the Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act 2010 applied to this mesothelioma claim because the plaintiff’s cause of action was not completed until after 1 August 2016, the date the 2010 Act came into force. Shortly before the trial, Zurich Insurance PLC had agreed to pay compensation of £650,000 plus an indemnity for future medical costs. Even though the Independent Insurance Company Limited was insolvent, the judge ordered it to pay compensation of £204,076. See: Judgment Mr Michael Keegan Claimant - and - (1) Independent Insurance Company Limited (2) Zurich Insurance PLC.
Toxic Tourism in the Urals
Jul 29, 2022
The Russian language blog cited below extolled the scenic wonder, technological advances and tourist potential of the chrysotile asbestos quarry belonging to the Uralasbest company in the town of Asbest. A link to a website to arrange future bookings for this adventure was helpfully included in the text. The author, who was most impressed by the metallurgical furnace at the factory, did not mention the fact that exposure to chrysotile asbestos can cause a variety of cancers as well as respiratory diseases. See: Завод «Эковер»: как производят теплоизоляцию и искусственный грунт [Ecover plant: how thermal insulation and artificial soil are produced].
Asbestos Conference in Rome
Jul 26, 2022
On July 26, 2022 a conference is being held in Rome to consider Italy’s asbestos legacy, 30 years after the country had banned the use of all types of asbestos. Amongst the speakers will be leading medical experts, researchers, technical experts and politicians who will reflect on progress made in eradicating the hazard and the multitude of challenges remaining. The presence of asbestos-containing material in deteriorating building stock, the asbestos contamination found in soil and rural areas will also be discussed. See: Amianto, ambiente, salute: l’analisi della situazione a Roma Capitale d’Europa [In Rome, an analysis of the situation regarding asbestos, the environment, and health].
New EPA Asbestos Discovery in Dallas
Jul 26, 2022
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos fibers found in soil samples from yards near the former site of the Texas Vermiculite Company were the result of the company’s manufacturing operations from 1953 to 1992. Although the plant was decontaminated, no testing or remediation had ever been done in the West Dallas properties near the former W.R. Grace vermiculite processing plant. Between 1967 and 1992, nearly 400,000 tons of vermiculite ore from Libby, Montana was used at the plant. Many of the workers and residents of Libby have contracted asbestos-related diseases. See: EPA Finds Asbestos in the Soil Near the Former W.R. Grace Plant in West Dallas.
Plans to Develop Toxic Rochdale Site
Jul 26, 2022
The purchase in 2021 by ESG Trading Ltd. of the land on which the notorious Turner Brothers Asbestos (TBA) factory once stood for a “mixed use development” has, once again, rung alarm bells amongst the local community. Former TBA employees and campaigners have repeatedly warned the council that asbestos waste which was dumped on the site remained in place. No asbestos audit or environmental clean-up has been carried out of the 72-acre site. Plans to turn the site into a nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary are supported by local councillors and members of the public. See: World’s biggest asbestos factory in Rochdale ‘should become a nature reserve not a housing site’.
Asbestos Removal from Schools
Jul 26, 2022
A news clip broadcast on July 23, 2022 on the South African Broadcasting Company reported the intention of the Education Department of the Northern Cape to remove the asbestos hazard from all the province’s school by 2030. Work will begin on a handful of institutions this year; the others will be decontaminated as funding becomes available. In interviews with local people, this initiative was warmly received. South Africa, formerly the only country in the world to produce amosite, chrysotile and crocidolite asbestos banned the use of all types of asbestos in 2008. See: Northern Cape education pledges to get rid of asbestos schools by 2030.
Rebranding by Johnson & Johnson
Jul 26, 2022
Having withdrawn its talc-based baby powder from North American markets – it remains on sale elsewhere – in 2020, Johnson and Johnson (J&J) has launched a new range of baby care products: Vivvi & Bloom. Marketed under this brand are body wash and shampoo, body lotion and a massage oil. The 34,000 cancer claims against J&J arising from the asbestos fibers allegedly contained in its iconic baby powder remain in limbo due to the use of contentious legal instruments via which J&J dumped its asbestos liabilities into a company which was immediately put into bankruptcy. See: J&J launches new baby care brand amid ongoing asbestos controversy.
Government Flim-Flam over Asbestos Crisis
Jul 22, 2022
On July 21, 2022 the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee published the Government’s response to the Committee’s report about the validity and functionality of the asbestos policy operated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The priorities and scope of the HSE’s operations, when compared to those in neighboring countries, were found to be outdated. On a cursory reading, the Government’s reply is an amorphous collection of words which, when taken together, give the impression that things will eventually improve but that any action such as setting a 40-year deadline to eradicate the asbestos hazard is presumptive and not cost effective. See: The Health and Safety Executive’s approach to asbestos management: Government Response to the Committee’s Sixth Report of Session 2021–22.
Legal Breakthrough by Asbestos Victims
Jul 22, 2022
On July 19, 2022 it was announced that an agreement had finally been reached by the Madrid Metro company with the relatives of 13 deceased employees and 7 injured workers. All of the claimants had suffered from asbestos-related diseases contracted via occupational exposures. The CCOO – the largest trade union in Spain – called the agreement a “great milestone” as it not only secured compensation for those who had been injured already but secured compensation for future claimants who will no longer have to take legal action to safeguard their right to fair and equitable treatment. See: Fin a años de calvario de las víctimas del amianto de Metro de Madrid [End to years of ordeal for the victims of asbestos in the Madrid Metro [company]].
Support for Immediate Asbestos Ban
Jul 22, 2022
A July 20th blog by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), based on its 39-page submission to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) over plans to finally end the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos in the US, encouraged the EPA to act more decisively by: banning asbestos within 6 months, securing workers the same protections from asbestos exposures as would be provided for members of the public, “not consider costs or other non-risk factors in risk evaluations,” etc. See: EPA Takes Important Step to Ban Chrysotile Asbestos.
Toxic Exports to Turkey
Jul 22, 2022
On July 19, 2022, European NGOs sent a five-page letter to Carolina Fiorillo Mariani, the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality of the Brazilian Institute of Environmental and Renewable Natural Resources about plans to send a redundant Brazilian aircraft carrier to Turkey for dismantling. The authors of the text raised multiple concerns about the export of the São Paulo which was, they said, laden with asbestos-containing material, PCBs and other toxins. Having reviewed the Inventory of Hazardous Materials and the Recycling Plan for the ship, they concluded that the “export of the SÃO PAULO to Turkey is likely illegal…Brazil must halt the export. We urge Brazil to do so.” See: Letter to Carolina Fiorillo Mariani.
Asbestos Hazard for Firefighters
Jul 22, 2022
The commentary cited below explained key elements of a July 18, 2022 publication by Italy’s National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance (INAIL) entitled: Fire and explosion risk in construction. Prevention and emergency procedures. The widespread use of asbestos building material in Italy during the 21st century meant that the majority of the national infrastructure remains contaminated. The focus of the INAIL document was on measures needed to prevent or minimize asbestos exposures during or after conflagrations, such as access to asbestos building audits and the use of specialist clothing, personal protective equipment and state-of-the-art safety protocols. See: Edilizia: la gestione degli incendi in presenza di amianto [Construction: fire management in the presence of asbestos].
Asbestos Precedent Set in Italy
Jul 21, 2022
A hurdle was overcome in Italy last week with a Court of Appeal ruling which accepted that a psychological injury had been sustained due to the fear of contracting an asbestos-related disease. Claimant Claudio Visintin had been routinely exposed to asbestos whilst employed as a docker in the Port of Trieste from 1970 till 1981; as a result of these exposures, he contracted pleural plaques. His application for compensation for this condition was denied in 2015. Since then, his psychological state had deteriorated and he was diagnosed with PTSD. See: Trieste: Tribunale accoglie appello di Visintin colpito da disturbo psichiatrico per esposizione ad amianto [Trieste: Court accepts Visintin's appeal of suffering from psychiatric disorder due to exposure to asbestos].
Asbestos Antiques?
Jul 21, 2022
Controversy is rife over the sale by the New York auction house Sotheby’s of two refectory tables by the 20th century French designer Jean Prouvé which contained asbestos material. The tables, topped with a type of sheetrock, were made from Granipoli concrete which is a mixture of cement and asbestos. The first 1939 table was sold in December 2021 for $988,000 whilst the second was sold in June 2022 for $1.6m. Antiques dealer Jonathan O’Hea raised the alarm when he read that the piece was made of “fibrated Granipoli concrete.” See: Sotheby’s Sold a Jean Prouvé Table for $1.6 Million Last Month—But Didn’t Mention It Might Contain Asbestos.
Contaminated Ship gets Import Licence
Jul 21, 2022
The São Paulo, a former Brazilian aircraft carrier purchased on March 12, 2021 by a Turkish shipbreaking company, is on its way to Aliağa after the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change on May 30, 2022 approved an import license submitted by the purchaser Sök Denizcilik. People living near the Aliağa shipbreaking yards, environmental campaigners, technical experts and politicians had been campaigning to block the import of the vessel which contained an estimated 600 tonnes of asbestos-containing material and, which they alleged, constituted an environmental and ecological time bomb. See: Asbest yüklü gemi Aliağa’ya getiriliyor: Toplu katliam demek [Asbestos-laden ship is brought to Aliağa: It means mass murder].
Cape Asbestos Company’s Legacy
Jul 21, 2022
The timely article cited below, which was published in the July 21, 2022 issue of the London Review of Books, underlined the toxic legacy still wreaking havoc on British citizens who were occupationally, environmentally or domestically exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured by the Cape Asbestos Co. After a fierce legal battle by the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum, a treasure trove of corporate documents revealed the contentious measures Cape and its partners had adopted to prevent government action on the asbestos hazard and suppress damning evidence about the results of human exposures. In 2017, Cape was taken over by Altrad, a French construction company, which accepts no responsibility for Cape’s deadly legacy. See: Bad Dust.
Living and Dying from Asbestos Diseases
Jul 21, 2022
A book published in July had contributions from 26 authors, each of whom had first-hand knowledge of the disastrous consequences of Japan’s use of asbestos. The texts were written from two perspectives, 12 from the experiences of sufferers and 14 from carers; subjects discussed included the tortuous process to obtain a diagnosis and the effects of the disease on marital relationships and family dynamics. The editor was Professor Sumiko Oshima of Hokusei Gakuen University. Between commissioning the book and publication three of the 12 patients had died. See: 中皮腫の告知、受け止め前へ 患者・家族26人の体験記を出版 [Publication of the experiences of 26 patients and their families prior to receiving and accepting mesothelioma diagnoses].
Navy Goes Greenish!
Jul 21, 2022
A spokesperson for the Italian Navy last week announced that the infamous asbestos roofing at the Navy’s warehouses in Marola, La Spezia will be remediated and replaced by solar panels as part of a drive for sustainability. The presence of the deteriorating Eternit asbestos-cement roofing at the maritime base has long been a bone of contention with local people. Removal work will begin with the remediation of building 166. The decontamination is part of a logistical upgrade and development project in the Marola area. See: La Spezia, dove c'è l'amianto la Marina installerà pannelli solari [La Spezia, where there is asbestos, the Navy will install solar panels].
Alert: Asbestos in Building Debris
Jul 18, 2022
The environmental repercussions of the Russian bombardment of Ukraine were the focus of the article cited below. The author explained that due to the historic use of asbestos-containing building products – especially roofing material – throughout Ukraine, there is a very real chance that building rubble could contain asbestos fibers; exposure to asbestos can cause a series of respiratory conditions as well as deadly diseases including multiple types of cancer. Ukrainians were warned that toxic asbestos waste must be wrapped and disposed of only at designated sites; it should never be discarded elsewhere. See: Украинцам объяснили, в чем главная угроза здоровью от разбомбленных домов [Ukrainians told of the main threat to health from bombed house [debris]].
Union Support for Asbestos Fund
Jul 18, 2022
Last week, the Spanish UGT – the General Union of Workers – issued a statement supporting a vote by the Chamber of Deputies to set up a National Asbestos Victims’ Fund. Whilst welcoming news of a political consensus regarding the scheme, the CGT queried details not yet finalized including: the precise nature of who is eligible to bring a claim, how much compensation would be paid and whether payments would be tax exempt. The UGT is also urging that Spanish citizens who handled asbestos at work should be allowed to retire early. See: UGT valora la aprobación del texto de Ley para la creación del Fondo de Compensación de las Víctimas del Amianto [UGT values the approval of the text of the Law for the creation of the Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund].
Asbestos in Schools: New Inspections!
Jul 18, 2022
From September, schools in England, Scotland and Wales can expect pre-arranged visits from Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors tasked with ensuring that duty holders are in compliance with government guidelines and regulations for safely managing asbestos in the built environment. A poll undertaken in 2019 by the Department for Education found that nearly one in five (17.8%) of schools were not managing asbestos “in line” with government guidance. The same report also confirmed the presence of asbestos in more than 80% of the country’s schools. See: Schools face asbestos inspections from September.
Twelve States for Asbestos Ban
Jul 18, 2022
A letter dated July 13, 2022 was sent by a coalition of Attorney Generals (AGs) from 12 states to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Michael Regan calling for an immediate and total ban on the use of the remaining types of asbestos still used in the US. Commenting on the AGs’ action, California’s AG Rob Bonta said: “Public health and the integrity of our communities go hand in hand. This isn’t something that’s up for debate: Asbestos harms people, it weakens communities, and puts at risk the lives of those who come into contact with it… we are urging EPA to do all it can to better protect the public from the dangers of asbestos.” See: Attorney General Bonta Calls for Stronger Protections Against Toxic Asbestos.
Hired Gun Goes to Novara
Jul 18, 2022
On July 11, 2022 a US defendant expert gave evidence at the criminal trial in Novara, Italy of Swiss entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny. As would be expected, the testimony of Gary Marsh was in direct contrast to that of other experts. The prosecutors laboriously extracted admissions from Marsh that he had testified on behalf of US defendants including Monsanta, pharmaceutical corporations as well as the American Chemistry Council. Marsh argued that in asbestos cases what mattered was “the time from the first exposure (or first exposures) to the fiber” and not cumulative exposures. See: Esperto Usa sulla diffusione di fibre: gli usi impropri di amianto in città più colpevoli della fabbrica Eternit [US expert on the spread of fibres: misuse of asbestos in the city more culpable than the Eternit factory].
New Mesothelioma Treatment Approved
Jul 18, 2022
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended (see: NICE final appraisal determination document) the first immunotherapy treatment for 14 years for NHS treatment of mesothelioma patients. A combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab will now be available for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in England and Wales. Commenting on this news, Professor Nick Maskell said: “Combination immunotherapy with ipilimumab/nivolumab has shown superiority over chemotherapy and the decision to approve this provides a new routinely available standard of care for NHS patients.” See: New drug treatment approved for asbestos-related cancer patients in England and Wales.
Asbestos in Incheon Schools
Jul 14, 2022
At a morning press conference on July 14, 2022 in Incheon, Korea members of a coalition of campaigners, parents and technicians announced the results of their 2022 survey of Incheon schools. According to the data collected, one third (280) of all the elementary, middle and high schools (968) still contain asbestos material. A spokesperson of the Incheon Federation of Environmental Movements Shim Hyung-jin told the meeting: “In order to make an asbestos-free school [system] by 2027, we need to establish a monitoring system and transparently monitor the demolition process.” See: 인천 유초중고 중 1/3은 석면학교…“대책 마련 돼야" [One-third of Incheon elementary, middle and high schools are asbestos schools… “Measures must be taken”].
Ban Asbestos NOW!
Jul 14, 2022
In a commentary uploaded on July 12, 2022, the North American coalition of Public Interest Research Groups (P.I.R.G.) called on the US Government to follow the lead of 70 other countries and implement a comprehensive and immediate ban on the use of asbestos. In it’s commentary, the P.I.R.G. noted that: “There is overwhelming evidence that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos” and that “asbestos exposure contributes to thousands of Americans dying from asbestos-related illness and disease each year.” See: UPDATE: 9,227 comments submitted urging EPA to ban deadly asbestos.Jul 14, 2022
Eradication of Toxic Landscaping
Jul 14, 2022
On July 13, 2022, environmental and consumers’ groups welcomed news of the removal of two huge landscaping boulders from the grounds of Incheon Grand Park. The work was undertaken by city authorities after a successful campaign raised public awareness that the stones contained deadly asbestos fibers. The work had been carried out on July 12. According to a press spokesperson for Incheon Grand Park: “The removed asbestos landscape stone was safely disposed of by a professional asbestos treatment company.” See: 인천 환경단체 "인천대공원 석면 조경석 철거 환영" [Incheon environmental group “Welcome to the removal of asbestos landscaping stone at Incheon Grand Park”].
Isle of Man Acts on Asbestos
Jul 14, 2022
In August 2022, new regulations to protect workers on the Isle of Man from toxic exposures to asbestos will be introduced, with prohibitions on the sale of asbestos-containing building products. In addition, the Manx Government approved UK 2012 regulations introducing responsibilities to duty holders, property owners and employers to minimize occupational asbestos exposures. Currently, there are no Manx laws in force which prohibit people from working with asbestos. According to Environment Minister Clare Barber “the legal duty and guidance would protect people's health and allow the government to better monitor and manage the risks.” See: Isle of Man adopts new rules to protect workers from asbestos.
Yet More Asbestos Propaganda!
Jul 13, 2022
A Russian language article uploaded on July 12, 2022 extolled the virtues of home-grown Russian chrysotile (white) asbestos and highlighted the myriad of products made using it, including asbestos-cement pipes used for flood control. The focus of the text is the large-scale installation this month (July 2022) of asbestos pipes in the city of Vladimir, 120 miles east of Moscow, to prevent flooding which is common during the rainy season. There is no mention in the text of the article about the carcinogenic nature of chrysotile or the human health hazards posed by its use. See: Хризотиловый водоотвод: решение проблем с затоплением на десятилетия [Chrysotile drainage: solving flood problems for decades].
Save Phoenix House Campaign
Jul 13, 2022
The MP for Barrow Furness Simon Fell is leading a campaign to reverse plans to close the Barrow office of the Department for Work and Pensions in September 2023. According to Fell, staff at Phoenix House have a unique expertise in handling industrial injuries and disablement benefits claims, many of which are from people suffering from asbestos-related diseases. The appeal to the Secretary of State is supported by local people as well as members of the Asbestos Victims’ Support Groups Forum which highly values the work of the 40 staff members at Phoenix House. See: MP’s campaign to save 40 ‘vital’ civil servants in Barrow.
Calls for National Asbestos Commission
Jul 13, 2022
On June 15, 2022, the Social Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Italian Parliament, approved a bill to establish a National Committee of Inquiry on Asbestos. The first signatory of the bill Deputy Federico Fornaro urged colleagues to support the draft legislation saying: “It is important that the political forces unanimously agree on the establishment of a commission of inquiry on asbestos and on the remediation of contaminated sites. The battle against asbestos is a battle that continues today.” See: A Roma, Fornaro: «Servono risorse per eliminare l’amianto in Italia» [In Rome, Fornaro: “Resources are needed to eliminate asbestos in Italy”].
The Eric G. Saint Award 2022
Jul 13, 2022
At the AGM of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) this month, the 2022 recipient of the prestigious Eric G. Saint Award was named as Professor Richard Lake, Acting Director of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases – a Perth-based world class facility progressing research into treatments for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. In announcing the award, Counsellor and Head of the ADSA Advisory Service Rose Marie Vojakovic said “Professor Lake is a very humble and dedicated researcher.” For nearly 40 years, Prof. Lake has been at the forefront of research into tumor immunology with a focus on mesothelioma. His many research papers, which have been cited many times, continue to inspire the work of other scientists. See: Prof Richard Lake awarded the ADSA Eric G. Saint Award.
EPA Asbestos Action
Jul 13, 2022
On June 29, 2022, a notice was published in the Federal Register regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) evaluation of the health hazards posed by legacy uses and disposal of asbestos in the US. Subjects covered in Asbestos Part 2 included: the conditions of use, hazards, exposures and at-risk populations. According to an EPA spokesperson, the document will be finalized no later than December 1, 2024. As of now, there is no ban on the use of asbestos in the US. See: Asbestos Part 2 Supplemental Evaluation Including Legacy Uses and Associated Disposals of Asbestos; Final Scope of the Risk Evaluation To Be Conducted Under the Toxic Substances Control Act; Notice of Availability.
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 13, 2022
According to Northern Ireland’s Education Authority (EA), nearly 90% of its 1,100 schools contain asbestos; most of them contain chrysotile (white) asbestos but hundreds also contain amosite (brown) asbestos and crocidolite (blue) asbestos. There were, said the EA in a response to an assembly question by SDLP assembly member Colin McGrath, “strict processes in place for asbestos management.” Asbestos is also present in other NI public buildings which were built or refurbished prior to the UK 1999 asbestos ban. See: Asbestos identified in majority of schools in Northern Ireland.
Increase in Mesothelioma Mortality
Jul 8, 2022
Data collected by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was published this week, documenting 2,544 mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain in 2020, a 6% increase compared with 2019. Eighty-two percent of the fatalities were male and 18% female. The majority (65+%) of mesothelioma deaths occurred in people aged over 75 years with the mortality rate increasing in this cohort; the incidence of death decreased amongst people under 65. As has been observed in the past, men employed in the construction industry were in the most high-risk category for contracting mesothelioma due to the widespread use of asbestos-containing products in this industrial sector. See: Mesothelioma statistics for Great Britain, 2022.
Asbestos Exports Blocked, Again!
Jul 8, 2022
News was reported this week of the latest decision in what has been called in Brazil the war of the injunctions. In her decision, Judge Alessandra Aranha, ruled that the laws of Goiás State only extend to “the geographical limits of the state.” It follows, therefore, that asbestos fiber mined in Goiás under a state law which countermands a 2017 Supreme Court asbestos ban, cannot be transported through other states, such as São Paulo (SP), which have banned asbestos. Therefore, cargo from the SAMA asbestos mine cannot be exported from SP’s Port of Santos. See [Subscription only]: Mineradora sofre derrota judicial contra exportações de amianto, minério cancerígeno [Mining suffers legal defeat against exports of asbestos, carcinogenic ore].
National Asbestos Legacy
Jul 8, 2022
In a recent public pronouncement, a spokesperson for the Latvian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development said: “There is nothing worse than burying asbestos-cement in the ground or breaking it up to put on the road or along the edges of flower beds.” Although asbestos use was banned in Latvia over 20 years ago, old material was still being recycled or illegally dumped by roads or in the countryside. Highlighting the hazards of exposure to asbestos, the author of the article cited below said that the problems caused by the use of asbestos was a classic example of ignoring the precautionary principle before adopting a potentially toxic technology. See: апрещен, но не забыт. Почему шифер все еще большая проблема? [Banned but not forgotten. Why is asbestos-cement still a big problem?].
Transitioning to Asbestos-Free Material
Jul 8, 2022
The article cited below about the use of green technology for construction of housing in Vietnam highlighted the long-term hazard posed by asbestos-containing building products which not only had “a direct effect on construction workers but also … a negative impact on the health of people living in the house after completion.” When inhaled, chrysotile (white) asbestos fibers “can cause serious diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis and lead to death.” Safer products are available such as PVA roofing sheets, corrugated iron sheets, plastic corrugated sheets and unbaked tiles which do not endanger health or the environment. See: Giải pháp sử dụng vật liệu an toàn cho sức khỏe khi xây nhà [Solutions to use safe materials for health when building houses].
Grassroots Initiative in Matsumoto
Jul 8, 2022
At a press conference in Matsumoto City, Japan on July 7, 2022, representatives of the Nagano Prefecture Asbestos Countermeasure Center – a coalition of trade unions and non-governmental organizations – highlighted the hazard posed to health by the presence of asbestos remaining within the national infrastructure. An outreach initiative scheduled to take place on July 17 will facilitate free telephone consultations between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for people concerned about toxic exposures. Individuals seeking face-to-face appointments with the legal and medical experts at Matsumoto City Labor Hall will need to pre-book. See: 今月１７日にアスベスト相談会を開催 主催団体が利用呼びかけ [Asbestos counselling session will be held on the 17th of this month].
Mesothelioma Risk for Firefighters
Jul 5, 2022
On July 1, 2022, in a press release issued by the World Health Organization and the International Agency on Research on Cancer, it was announced that after a new evaluation of the carcinogenicity of occupational exposure to firefighters, it was shown that there was “sufficient evidence” to conclude this cohort of workers had elevated incidences of the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma and bladder cancer. Worldwide, there are more than 15 million part-time as well as permanent firefighters. See: IARC Monographs evaluate the carcinogenicity of occupational exposure as a firefighter.
Asbestos Legacy during Wartime
Jul 5, 2022
The environmental and ecological effects of Russia’s constant bombardment of Ukraine were the subject of the article cited below. The repercussions of the destruction of natural eco-systems and the pollution of the environment will not only be felt throughout Europe but will also exacerbate the climate crisis. The widespread usage of asbestos in Ukraine in the past has left a deadly legacy in the bombed-out ruins and damaged infrastructure with asbestos fibers becoming airborne and thus a potent human health hazard. See: Випалена земля і забруднена вода: катастрофічні екологічні наслідки війни Росії проти України [Scorched Earth and Polluted Water: Catastrophic Environmental Consequences of Russia's War Against Ukraine].
Asbestos Alert in İzmir
Jul 5, 2022
News was circulated last week confirming the dangerous consequences for workers and communities located near Turkish shipbreaking facilities. When tested by a laboratory, samples taken of suspect material from a vessel at the Kılıçlar yard in İzmir-Aliağa were found to be amosite (brown) asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen. See: İşçiler numuneyi gizlice gönderdi, laboratuvarda en tehlikeli asbest türü olduğu ortaya çıktı: İzmir-Aliağa’da Kılıçlar firması işçilere çıplak elle asbestli gemi söktürüyor [Workers secretly sent sample which turned out to be the most dangerous type of asbestos in the laboratory: Kılıçlar firm in İzmir-Aliağa has workers dismantle asbestos ships with bare hands].
Scotland’s Asbestos Legacy
Jul 5, 2022
On Action Mesothelioma Day last week, the article cited below was featured in the Herald, a Scottish broadsheet newspaper. The author of the text reported that due to the country’s industrial heritage, there was a high incidence of asbestos cancer in Scotland. In recent years, campaigners and medical experts have mobilized new support routes for the injured including the national clinical network for mesothelioma which delivers high quality, equitable care to all of Scotland’s affected patients and their families. In addition, cutting edge research into the development of new treatment protocols is being progressed by scientists at the University of Glasgow.See: Agenda: Help us fight this pernicious cancer with links to asbestos.
Asbestos Victims’ Fund: Update
Jul 5, 2022
A new agreement has been reached amongst political groups in Spain’s Congress of Deputies to support plans to establish a national fund to compensate occupational, environmental and domestic victims of asbestos exposure. Approval for the scheme, which is expected to be granted within three months, will be required from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. The fund will be administered by the National Institute of Social Security and have a board of directors which will include trade unionists and asbestos victims’ representatives. See: Buenas noticias para las víctimas del amianto: el gobierno compensará a las victimas del amianto [Good news for asbestos victims: the government will compensate asbestos victims].
Europe’s Asbestos Hazard
Jul 1, 2022
An article on a Russian website on June 28, 2022, reported the findings of an EU report about the hazard posed by environmental exposures to a variety of toxins. The text concluded that 10% of all cancers contracted in Europe were due to such exposures. Whilst the author of the Russian article noted that: “Second-hand smoke and asbestos are well-known carcinogens and have been heavily regulated in recent years,” he failed to mention that Russia is the world’s largest supplier of asbestos and continues to maintain that asbestos can be used safely and is a boon to people in developing countries. See: Названа причина каждого десятого случая рака в Европе: что это и как все исправить [The cause of every tenth case of cancer in Europe named: what it is and how to fix it].
Victory for Power Station Worker
Jul 1, 2022
This week, a court in Florence issued a victim’s verdict when it awarded the bereaved family of 77-year old electrician Ronaldo Cerri €1 million+ (US$1,042,693+) in compensation for his death in 2016 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The court found that his employer Enel had been grossly negligent in having failed to protect workers at the Marzocco power plants in Livorno from exposures to asbestos. From 1966 to 1986, Mr. Cerri had maintained the plants’ asbestos-insulated turbines. See: Operaio vittima dell’amianto: lavorava nella centrale del Marzocco, Enel condannata per 1 milione di euro [Worker victim of asbestos: he worked in the Marzocco plant, Enel ordered to pay 1 million euros].
Environmental Exposures & Cancer
Jul 1, 2022
On June 28, 2022, the European Environment Agency uploaded a web report, Beating cancer – the role of Europe’s environment, which laid out a multi-pronged European Union (EU) strategy for reducing the cost of exposures to toxins such as asbestos. In the 27 EU Member States, ~2.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer and 1.3 million die from it every year. In 2018, the economic costs of the disease were estimated to be €178 billion (US$187 bn). Although asbestos has long been banned in the EU, products containing it remain in place. Multiple EU safeguards have been introduced to protect workers and consumers from asbestos exposures and preparatory work to lower the existing occupational exposure limit to asbestos is underway. See: Exposure to pollution causes 10% of all cancer cases in Europe.
Civil Society Campaign for UN Action
Jul 1, 2022
The experiences of Indonesian ban asbestos campaigners who took part in the June 2022 meeting of the Rotterdam Convention (RC) in Geneva strengthened their resolve to continue efforts to protect vulnerable populations from the deadly dangers of asbestos exposures. In the article cited below, asbestosis sufferer Mr Sriyono and activist Ajat Sudrajat reported that asbestos stakeholders had, once again, blocked United Nations progress on regulating the global trade in asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen. At a plenary session, Mr Sriyono urged RC delegates to take action to prevent more people, like himself and his co-workers at an asbestos textile factory, from contracting asbestos-related diseases. See: “We will not stop raising our voices” – Indonesian delegates defiant at Rotterdam asbestos conference.
A Vacation to Die For!
Jul 1, 2022
A photographic essay by a travel reporter extolled a recent visit she made to the asbestos quarry and plant operated by Uralasbest, Russia’s 2nd biggest producer of chrysotile (white) asbestos. Amongst the 13 images included in the text was a selfie showing the author reflected in the mirror of one of the huge dump trucks operating in the open pit mine. A brief recap of the history of the town of Asbest in the Sverdlovsk region is provided to give some context to the photographs. At no point in the article are the carcinogenic properties of asbestos mentioned. See: Гигантский асбестовый карьер: как добывают горный лен [Giant asbestos quarry: how chrysotile asbestos is mined].
Compensation for Victim’s Family
Jul 1, 2022
A Bilbao Court condemned Cuprum SA for failing to protect its workforce from asbestos exposures and ordered it to pay compensation of €154,771 (US$161,064) to the family of a 63-year old worker who died in 2017 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The Court accepted evidence presented that: no safety measures had been implemented by the company to minimize levels of airborne asbestos fibers; there was no training of workers or protective clothing provided; and no medical examinations of the workers had been carried out. See: Condenan a Cuprum SA a pagar 154.771 euros a la familia de un fallecido por amianto [Cuprum SA is ordered to pay 154,771 euros to the family of an asbestos deceased].
Landmark Ruling in Venice
Jun 27, 2022
On June 22, 2022, a verdict from the Court of Appeal in Venice confirmed the responsibility of four Admirals from the Italian Navy for having caused the asbestos-related deaths of six soldiers. Whilst the sentences were light, one or two years in jail, the defendants were also ordered to compensate the bereaved families, pay court costs and pay compensation to the civil parties in this trial, including the Association of Democratic Medicine and the Italian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed. The Venice ruling overturned a first instance decision by the Padua Court. See: Vittime amianto Marina Militare, sentenza storica: scatta la condanna [Military asbestos victims, historic sentence: the sentence is confirmed].
Asbestos Alert in Aliağa
Jun 27, 2022
Technical experts and trade unionists last week announced that the dismantling by the Kiliçlar shipbreaking company of the ship named Gökhan Han in the Turkish city of Aliağa had been undertaken without precautions or measures to prevent toxic exposures to asbestos-containing material on board the vessel. Concerns over the inadequacy of the working conditions led to samples being taken which, when analysed in a laboratory, confirmed the presence of amosite (brown) asbestos in the suspect material. See: ASUD ve EİB açıkladı: Asbestli 'Gökhan Han' gemisi Aliağa'da sökülüyor [ASUD and EİB announced: Asbestos ship 'Gökhan Han' is being dismantled in Aliağa].
Asbestos Awareness: New Initiative
Jun 27, 2022
Despite the fact that asbestos use was banned in Australia nearly 20 years ago, asbestos-containing products remain in one third of the country’s domestic properties. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency is launching a campaign to “encourage sellers to disclose the presence of asbestos in their properties to minimise the health risks for buyers.” In addition, ASEA is calling on landlords to inform renters of the presence of asbestos in order to prevent toxic exposures. As of now, it is not required to identify asbestos as part of pre-purchase building inspections in Australia. See: The danger still being found in 33 per cent of Australian homes.
Remining Asbestos Mining Waste
Jun 27, 2022
On June 23, 2022, a spokesperson for the Uralasbest company – Russia’s 2nd largest asbestos producing conglomerate – announced that plans were on course for the construction of Russia’s first plant to extract magnesium, mainly in the form of magnesium sulfate, for agricultural use, from mountains of asbestos mining waste in the city of Asbest, Sverdlovsk Region. According to Andrei Litvinov, construction will start next year with completion in 2025; the plant will produce 20,000 tonnes of magnesium sulfate per year for consumption at home and abroad. See: Первый в России завод по производству спортивной магнезии появится в Свердловской области [Russia's first plant for the production of magnesia from waste will appear in the Sverdlovsk region].
Quebec Asbestos Waste Project
Jun 27, 2022
The Provincial Government of Quebec has allocated $500,000 to the company SIGMA Devtech to progress its ECO2 Magnesia project which will process magnesium-rich asbestos waste from the former Carey chrysotile asbestos mine situated in the cities of Tring-Jonction and Sacré-Coeur-de-Jésus. Production of magnesium oxide at this site will begin in 2024. During the first phase of this project, 160,000 tons of asbestos mining waste will be processed and 20,000 tons of magnesium oxide will be produced. See: Québec octroie 500 000 $ dans la revitalisation des résidus d'amiante [Quebec grants $500,000 for reprocessing asbestos residues].
Asbestos-Cement Industry: Update
Jun 27, 2022
According to Yakov Yalansky, director of the asbestos- cement products department of Ural Chrysotile JSC, the company is increasing the range of products and volume of output to take advantage of the growth in Russia’s asbestos-cement industry. Forty million rubles (US$750,000) is being invested in the modernization of the 114 year-old Bryansk asbestos-cement production facility, the oldest such factory in Russia. See: Группа компаний BF Tech направит до 40 млн рублей на восстановление одного из старейших заводов России [BF Tech group of companies will allocate up to 40 million rubles for the restoration of one of the oldest plants in Russia].
Occupational Asbestos Exposures: Update
Jun 23, 2022
A commentary on the website of the Environmental Defense Fund, a US environmental advocacy group, highlighted, the disconnect between government policies to safeguard the health of the general public and workers. The text cited below focused on proposed rules by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which would permit “a risk level to workers 100 times less protective than for everyone else!” As far as the EPA is concerned, there is a “higher acceptable cancer risk for workers than the rest of the population.” See: Workers are people too; EPA should treat them that way.
Update from Novara Trial
Jun 23, 2022
On June 22, 2022, asbestos technical expert Andrea D'Anna testified at the asbestos criminal trial of Stephan Schmidheiny in the Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy. According to his evidence, the majority of environmental asbestos exposures in the town of Casale Monferrato resulted “from the erosion of the roofs, the re-suspension of the dust in open attics. paved courtyards and streets due to the mechanical action of crumbling.” Asbestos emissions from the Eternit factory in the town were, he said, very low. The next hearing in this trial will be on July 11, 2022. See: Eternit Bis: «L’amianto in centro? Non solo per la fabbrica» [Eternit Bis: “Asbestos in the center? Not just the factory”].
Northern Ireland’s Asbestos Epidemic
Jun 23, 2022
A BBC investigation into asbestos issues in Northern Ireland (NI) documented 800+ asbestos-related deaths between 2009 and 2020 with an almost 60% increase in mortality in 2020 compared to 2019. Since 1972, the number of asbestos deaths has been increasing every year. Improvements in diagnosing these diseases could, said Northern Ireland's coroner, be leading to more asbestos-related diseases being listed on death certificates. The case of mesothelioma sufferer Tony Rogers was discussed at some length; the 65-year old social worker died in 2022. As a student, Mr Rogers had worked on a building site; however, there was not enough evidence to establish if that is where he was exposed to asbestos. See: Asbestos: Calls for awareness over exposure-related deaths in Northern Ireland.
Quebec’s Asbestos Mining Legacy
Jun 23 2022
The reaction of a Quebec environmental campaigning group – The Irish Trout Lake Protection Association – to a press conference at Thetford Mines last week highlighted the ecological contamination posed by the erosion of asbestos mining waste in the region, with a focus on the pollution of the Bécancour River with asbestos fibers and heavy metals including chrome, nickel and copper. The implementation of a plan to remediate Quebec’s mountains of asbestos waste is awaited. See: Plan d’action de 38,5M $ pour le passif minier: un pas dans la bonne direction, mais… [$38.5M action plan for mining liabilities: a step in the right direction, but…].
Johnson & Johnson Decried
Jun 23, 2022
It comes to something when a pro-industry advocacy organization – The American Council on Science and Health – widely acknowledged for its bias in favor of industry, condemns the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J). In an article on its website, J&J’s use of the “Texas two-step” to deprive dying cancer victims of compensation was soundly condemned as a gross betrayal of the company’s mission statement to “put the interests of ‘mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services’ above those of shareholders.” See: Thinking Out Loud: The Texas Two-Step.
Mr Fluffy Taskforce to Shut
Jun 23, 2022
A billion dollar government initiative to address the toxic legacy posed by the use of loose-fill asbestos insulation (Mr Fluffy) in domestic properties in the Australian capital is to be ended at the end of this month (June 2022). Since it was set up in 2014, the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) Government’s Asbestos Response Taskforce has helped remediate more than 1,000 properties. According to the Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction Rebecca Vassarotti, although, asbestos remains an issue in the ACT community, the Taskforce had done its job: “We’re almost at the point where we have completely eradicated loose-fill asbestos in the community…” See: ‘Significant milestone’: Mr Fluffy taskforce to shut up shop at the end of the month.
Environmental Disaster in Ukraine
Jun 20, 2022
A repercussion of the Russian invasion of Ukraine not often mentioned was the focus of the article cited below which considered the nature and amount of construction debris caused by the continued bombardment of the country. The quantity of the rubble, much of which is contaminated with toxic substances like asbestos, dwarfs Ukraine’s capacity to dispose of it to landfill sites. A new Law on Waste Management is under consideration by a Parliamentary Committee. In the meantime, Ukrainians are warned to use precautions when dealing with toxic waste including debris from asbestos roofing. See: Будівельне сміття: куди подіти залишки об'єктів інфраструктури? [Construction waste: where are the remnants of infrastructure to go?]
More Propaganda from Asbestos Lobby
Jun 20, 2022
The article cited below extolled a “victory” achieved by a Russian-led cabal at a UN meeting in Geneva last week where just five countries blocked attempts to list chrysotile asbestos on Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention; substances on this Annex are subject to mandatory regulations designed to ensure that importing countries have sufficient information to make informed decisions about whether they can be used safely by its citizens. According to the author, chrysotile asbestos is an indispensable boon to populations in developing countries; the fact that it is classed as a class 1 carcinogen is not mentioned. See: Антиасбестовые активисты не смогли запретить хризотиловый асбест [Anti-asbestos activists failed to ban chrysotile asbestos].
Expose: Debacle at UN Convention
Jun 20, 2022
In three languages, the Swiss-based NGO Solidar Suisse detailed how a handful of asbestos stakeholders once again prevented the UN’s Rotterdam Convention from taking action on the unregulated global trade in chrysotile asbestos. Despite a well-attended side event, correspondence to the RC Secretariat, the testimony of an Indonesian asbestos victim, a June 14th demonstration and other initiatives to draw the attention of delegates to the disastrous consequences of the asbestos free-for-all, a Russian-led veto exploited a contentious Convention loophole to stonewall progress. See: Action in Geneva: Stop Asbestos at Last! [English, German, French].
Loopholes Denying Justice to Cancer Plaintiffs
Jun 20, 2022
A 28-minute Behind the Money podcast broadcast on June 15, 2022 which was entitled “Inside Johnson & Johnson’s Bankruptcy two-step” told the story of American couple Val and Holly Johnson who on May 5, 2020 decided to sue Johnson & Johnson, alleging that the company’s negligence had led to Val contracting the deadly cancer mesothelioma. According to the Johnsons, the company had sold asbestos-containing talc-based baby powder knowing that this contamination could cause consumers to contract cancer. On October 5, 2020, a jury awarded 61-year old Val $27 million, finding J&J guilty of “malice or fraud… as well as negligence.” Due to financial machinations by the company, it now looks unlikely that he or his wife will ever see a penny. See: Inside Johnson & Johnson’s bankruptcy two-step.
Quebec Government Backs Waste Project
Jun 20, 2022
At a press conference on June 16, 2022 André Bachand, a member of the national Assembly of Quebec, announced the Province’s backing of plans to exploit 800 million tonnes of asbestos mining waste in Thetford Mines and Val-des-Sources – an asbestos mining town formerly called Asbestos – to extract magnesium, nickel and silica. According to Minister of the Environment Benoit Charette, who was also present at the Thetford Mines press conference, the Quebec Government has allocated $38 million+ to develop measures to “decontaminate, rehabilitate and reclaim” land polluted by the asbestos mining industry throughout the 20th century. See: Une deuxième vie pour les déchets d’amiante [A second life for asbestos waste].
Serpentine: California Resource and Hazard
Jun 20, 2022
Serpentine rock, found in northern and central California, can contain chrysotile (white) asbestos fibers. Oddly enough, Serpentine is the state mineral of California. Although, California’s Air Resources Board acted in 1990 to minimize hazardous exposures, the use of crushed Serpentine as a road surfacing material, liberated and continues to liberate toxic fibers as did the development of new housing in El Dorado Hills, a suburb of Sacramento where deposits of naturally occurring Serpentine rock were bulldozed and reused. Monitoring of asbestos fiber levels in El Dorado Hills identified contamination in the air, soil, and water. See: Environmental Asbestos Risks in California.
Asbestos Veto in Geneva
Jun 15, 2022
During a June 14th plenary session debate at the Rotterdam Convention (RC), a multilateral UN treaty dedicated to protecting populations and the environment from exposures to toxic substances, a handful of countries once again blocked the inclusion of chrysotile asbestos on Annex III. Listing of chrysotile, which has been recommended by the RC’s Chemical Review Committee, would ensure that importers were provided with vital information on the hazards posed by chrysotile so that they might make an informed decision about whether it can be used safely. The veto on progress was orchestrated by the asbestos-producing and using countries of Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. See: Earth Negotiations Bulletin: Report of main proceedings for 14 June 2022.
Deadly Demonstration
Jun 15, 2022
The day before the UN’s Rotterdam Convention was scheduled to vote on adding chrysotile asbestos to a list of dangerous substances, workers from the Uralasbest company – Russia’s 2nd biggest asbestos producer – held a public protest. Using bales of chrysotile asbestos to spell out the words “NO BAN” and 90 Uralasbest employees to spell out the word “CHRYSOTILE,” they made their feelings known about any measures which could adversely impact on global asbestos sales. As always, the fact that chrysotile is a class 1 carcinogen was ignored by the propagandists. See: No chrysotile ban! Уральские рабочие против международного запрета горного льна [No chrysotile ban! Ural workers against the international ban on chrysotile].
Asbestos Compensation Scheme: Update
Jun 15, 2022
On June 13, 2022, the upper house of the National Diet of Japan unanimously approved an amendment to the Asbestos Health Damage Relief Law which reinstated the rights of families who had suffered asbestos bereavements to claim special survivor benefits, by extending a deadline of March 27, 2022 for a further ten years. The deadline had been extended twice before and there was a national outcry when the Government had allowed the scheme to lapse. See: 改正アスベスト健康被害救済法 参院本会議で可決・成立 [Amendment of Asbestos Health Damage Relief Law Passed and enacted at the Upper House plenary session].
Pro-Asbestos Bias Denounced
Jun 15, 2022
Within the Indian Government there is a disconnect on the human and environmental health risks posed by exposures to asbestos. Asbestos mining has been banned throughout the country, likewise the trade in asbestos waste, and work is ongoing to remove asbestos from 7,000 railway stations. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Chemicals continues to rely on an out-dated study co-sponsored by the asbestos industry which downplayed the toxic effects of asbestos exposures on workers to block the United Nations’ Rotterdam Convention from taking action to protect global populations from toxic exposures. See: Chrysotile asbestos: Chemicals Ministry hostage to NIOH's old, ‘discredited’ study.
Congressional Hearing on Asbestos Ban
Jun 13, 2022
On June 9, 2022, invited speakers addressed members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works at a hearing to gather evidence regarding pending proposals to prohibit the use in the US of all types of asbestos fiber and all types of products containing asbestos fiber. Amongst those giving evidence on bill S. 4244 were experts representing asbestos victims and trade unions, medical experts, and spokespersons from commercial interests. The draft legislation was introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Suzanne Bonamici. See: A Legislative Hearing on S. 4244, Legislation to Prohibit the Manufacture, Processing, and Distribution in Commerce of Asbestos.
Problematic Rotterdam Convention
Jun 13, 2022
The Swiss-based NGO Solidar Suisse last week published online resources to apprise delegates to the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention, meeting in Geneva this week, of the urgent need to overcome existing hurdles and take action to: “list onto Annex III of the Convention, all CRC (Chemical Review Committee) recommended hazardous chemicals and substances blocked until now; Redouble efforts to improve the effectiveness of this important Convention; Implement the right to know for all Parties to the Convention and respect the scientific recommendations by the CRC.” See: Convention with Deadly Flaws.
Victim’s Verdict in La Spezia
Jun 13, 2022
After two years of litigation, a Labor Court in La Spezia, Italy delivered a verdict against the Ministry of Defense (MoD); the court found that the MoD had negligently exposed a civilian worker at the Maricommi naval base to asbestos as a result of which he contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma and died in 2017. From 1958 to 1994 the deceased had worked as a handyman and was routinely handling asbestos-containing materials installed on electrical panels, boilers and other equipment. The MoD was ordered to pay the family of the deceased the sum of €100,000 (US$105,220). See: Morto per amianto nel 2017, Ministero della Difesa condannato a risarcire la famiglia [Died of asbestos in 2017, Ministry of Defense sentenced to compensate his family].
Post-Disaster Reconstruction Hazard
Jun 10, 2022
The insightful and timely article cited below, which was uploaded on June 8, 2022, highlighted the environmental and ecological disaster in Ukraine caused by the Russian invasion. “One issue of serious concern,” wrote the co-authors “is the problem of unprecedented asbestos contamination, at a scale that the world is ill-equipped to deal with… Ukraine itself was [whilst part of the Soviet Union] a major producer of asbestos, and used high volumes of asbestos-containing materials in construction.” It’s believed that up to 60% of roofing in the country is asbestos-cement material. See: Rebuilding Ukraine: The Imminent Risks.
Attack on UN Convention
Jun 10, 2022
On June 8, 2022, the Building and Woodworkers’ International (BWI), which represents 13 million trade unionists worldwide, affirmed its “commitment to our allies and partner trade unions and civil society organisations to rescue the Rotterdam Convention from being highjacked by asbestos lobbyists, ensuring that it will fully realise its mandate,” according to a statement by its General Secretary Ambet Yuson. The BWI was disappointed that the Convention’s Secretariat had allowed the International Chrysotile Association, an asbestos lobbying group, “to participate in the COP 2022 in Geneva as an observer and even hold a pro-asbestos side event.” See: Inclusion of pro-asbestos group in Rotterdam Convention COP condemned.
Asbestos Outreach Care
Jun 10, 2022
On June 9, 2022, a new asbestos outreach program was announced by officials from the Korean city of Sacheon, Gyeongnam. Anyone who believed that he/she was exposed to asbestos can obtain a free health checkup for asbestos injuries without booking by attending clinics between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Hyangchon-dong Administrative Welfare Center (June 25) and the Sacheon-eup Administrative Welfare Center (June 26). During these sessions, individuals will consult a doctor, have an X-ray taken and fill out an asbestos exposure history questionnaire. See: 사천시, 찾아가는 석면피해 무료 건강검진 [Free health checkup [facility] for asbestos damage visiting Sacheon City].
Swearing during Papal Audience
Jun 10, 2022
Wearing t-shirts with a swear word, 30 members of an Italian choir performed for Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square, Rome this week. The members of the choir are from the Italian province of Alexandria, in the Piedmont region, which is a hotspot for a deadly cancer (mesothelioma) caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was widely used throughout Italy until it was banned in 1992. Italy’s biggest asbestos-cement factory was located in Casale Monferrato, Piedmont; as a result of occupational and environmental exposures, local people as well as workers from the Eternit company’s plant have died. See: The F-word appears at a papal audience, but for a good cause.
Denounced for Blocking UN Progress
Jun 10, 202
The commentary cited below reviewed the inglorious role India has played in preventing the United Nations from taking action on the global asbestos scourge by listing chrysotile (white) asbestos as a hazardous substance on Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention. The global trade in materials on that list is subject to regulations to provide prior-informed-consent to importing countries so that dangerous products are not brought into nations unable to protect populations from toxic exposures. India has, with asbestos stakeholders from Russia and Kazakhstan, been instrumental in frustrating the will of the majority of parties to the RC who support listing of chrysotile asbestos. See: India May Disagree – but UN Should List Chrysotile Asbestos as ‘Hazardous’.
The Polluter Pays in North Carolina
Jun 10, 2022
On June 8, 2022, the US department of Justice issued a press release announcing that a settlement had been reached following legal action begun in 2019 under the Superfund Law by the Federal Government to recoup the costs of removing 4,000 tons of asbestos-contaminated debris at two Superfund Sites in North Carolina. The sum of $1.25 million will be repaid to the Government by Fred D. Godley Jr. and his companies 436 Cone Avenue LLC and F.D. Godley Number Three LLC. Commenting on the outcome, EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman said: “EPA is committed to protecting communities by enforcing an individual’s obligations to properly manage and dispose of hazardous waste.” See: Fred D. Godley Jr. and Companies to Pay $1.25 Million for Asbestos Cleanup.
Tidal Wave of Asbestos Claims
Jun 8, 2022
On June 7, 2022, nearly 200 new claims were lodged against 20+ companies that had manufactured asbestos building materials by workers and bereaved relatives at district courts in Sapporo, Sendai, Saitama, Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka, Okayama, Takamatsu, and Fukuoka. Additional legal actions are planned in Tokyo, Nagoya and Fukuoka. The plaintiffs are angry that, while the Government accepted liability for damage done by its failures to protect workers from toxic exposures, negligent manufacturers refuse to pay compensation or contribute funds to a National Asbestos Compensation Scheme. See: 建設アスベスト、新たに190人がメーカー提訴 全国10地裁に [190 construction asbestos cases filed with manufacturers in 10 district courts nationwide].
Construction Workers’ Increased Cancer Risk
Jun 8, 2022
On June 2, 2022, an article was uploaded documenting the ongoing battle between European trade unions and construction companies over how to protect workers from occupational exposures to asbestos. According to official statistics, 88,000 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases in the European Union. Many tradespeople who remain at high risk of workplace exposures, despite the fact that asbestos was banned in the EU in 2005, are in the construction sector including: plumbers, electricians, painters etc. Unions are concerned that the EU’s ambitious Renovation Wave program will lead to more toxic exposures unless stricter occupational health and safety measures are put in place. See: Europe’s renovation wave risks exposing workers to asbestos.
Eradicating the Asbestos Hazard
Jun 8, 2022
A donation of US$40,000 from the NGO Habitat For Humanity International to the Phu Vang District People's Committee, Vietnam will be used to support the removal of asbestos roofing from 60 homes in the Thua Thien Hue province. The asbestos eradication program is part of ongoing efforts to improve living conditions and public health, and reduce the presence of asbestos in the Phu Vang district. See: HFHI tài trợ hơn 900 triệu đồng giúp cải thiện điều kiện sống, sức khỏe cho người dân Huế [HFHI sponsors more than 900 million VND to help improve living conditions and health for Hue people].
Victory for Construction Workers
Jun 8, 2022
On June 3, 2022, a settlement was approved in the Osaka District Court for construction workers in an action against the Japanese Government. The claimants sought damages for occupational asbestos exposures against the Government and the manufacturers of asbestos building materials. One of the successful claims was over the death of a truck driver who had delivered asbestos building materials to a construction site; this is the first time that a claim against the Government by a worker not engaged in construction had succeeded. No settlement was reached with the manufacturers; proceedings continue. See: 建設アスベスト訴訟、トラック運転手の遺族と和解 大阪地裁 [Construction asbestos action settled with truck driver’s bereaved family at Osaka District Court].
Waltham Forest’s Asbestos Crimes
Jun 8, 2022
Despite attempts by trade union reps to raise the alarm over asbestos in the London Borough of Waltham Forest (LBWF), officials failed to prevent exposures to asbestos occurring in council buildings. As a result, since 2011 the council has been ordered to pay compensation to four former employees totalling nearly £600,000; the amounts paid out for two other claims remain unknown. Commenting on the Council’s negligence Linda Taaffe, secretary of Waltham Forest Trades Council, said: “If LBWF had acted on matters put to them by local trade union health and safety representatives there is a good chance lives might have been saved and a huge amount of money that the authority could have put to better use would also have been saved.” See: Missed opportunities to avert asbestos risk.
Asbestos Research in Galicia
Jun 8, 2022
The results of a Spanish research project by Sara González Veiga has revealed the high price paid by women in Galicia for washing the asbestos-covered clothes of family members. Ms. Veiga’s research was facilitated by local asbestos victims’ groups: ANANAR and AGAVIDA. The researcher highlighted the failure of the authorities to acknowledge or compensate people who contract asbestos-related illnesses as a result of domestic exposures. See: Sara González: “As mulleres tamén enfermaron polo amianto, non son só viúvas ou ‘señoras de” [Sara González: “Women have also become ill with asbestos, they are not just widows or partners [of victims]”].
Victim’s Appeal Succeeds!
Jun 3, 2022
On June 1, 2022, it was reported that an appeal on behalf of the family of a deceased steelworker had succeeded. The Court in Taranto, Italy ruled that the decedent’s former employers Telecom Italia Spa and Fintecna Spa were “jointly and severally” liable to pay compensation for the 67-year old worker’s death from pleural mesothelioma, as they had failed to protect him from workplace exposures to asbestos. See: Morte da amianto: scatta la condanna [Death from asbestos: the sentence is confirmed].
New Asbestos Regime for House Sales
Jun 3, 2022
On May 25, 2022, it was announced that as of November 23, 2022, it will become obligatory for all homes built before 2001 in Flanders to have an asbestos certificate before they can be sold. It is not a requirement that the asbestos be removed but it is mandatory that a report commissioned from an expert is provided certifying that the property is “asbestos-safe.” According to Ann Cuyckens from the Public Waste Agency of Flanders: “Asbestos is a major problem that we carry with us from the past and that has still not gone away.” See: Asbestos certification required for sale of pre-2001 houses in Flanders.
Spreading Awareness and Good Practice
Jun 3, 2022
An asbestos program for officials in the South Korean City of Busan whose duties might bring them into contact with asbestos has been announced. The training program for the civil servants will be compiled and delivered by staff from the Korean Association for Asbestos Safety and Health. Amongst the topics which will be covered are: asbestos removal guidelines, techniques for preventing toxic exposures of removal operatives, and asbestos safety management inspection protocols. See: 한국석면안전보건연대, 2022 첫 '찾아가는 석면안전관리 심화교육' 부산시 공무원 대상 개시 [Korea Association for Asbestos Safety and Health, 2022 first ‘visiting asbestos safety management in-depth education’ for public officials in Busan].
Tory Call for Asbestos U-Turn
Jun 3, 2022
In a commentary uploaded to the Conservative Party website on June 1, 2022, Lord Hunt of Wirral, President of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, cited updated cancer data and Parliamentary findings which quantified the UK’s ongoing epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. The Parliamentarian called on the Government to provide “adequate support for the growing number of asbestos victims… [and] remove this dangerous substance, to protect our future generations, once and for all.” See: David Hunt: Asbestos removal can form a crucial part of levelling up.
Update: Novara Asbestos Trial
Jun 3, 2022
On May 30, 2022, the cross-examinations by the public prosecutors took place of three defence expert witnesses in the case against the Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny accused of causing the asbestos deaths of 392 people from the Italian town of Casale Monferrato. During the next hearing in the Assize Court in Novara on June 22, 2022, defence witnesses occupational physician Mauro Danna and epidemiologist Emeritus Professor Gary Marsh (US) will give evidence. See: Il patologo della difesa: «Quei 392 mesoteliomi? Alcuni certi, alcuni possibili. Magari erano altri tumori» [Defense pathologist: “Those 392 mesotheliomas? Some certain, some possible. Maybe it was other tumors”].
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 1, 2022
The Australian media reacted with predictable fury this week to news that the New South Wales Department of Education had given false reassurances in 2016 that Castle Hill High School (CHHS) in Sydney did not contain asbestos. According to a statement made on May 31: “The teachers and parents of CHHS have made numerous complaints regarding Asbestos to the Department of Education over several years which still remain unanswered.” On May 26, 2022, they were finally told that tests undertaken in 2016 had shown the presence of asbestos at the school. Investigations are on-going. See: MP slams Education Department over asbestos found at Sydney school.
Holding Guilty Companies to Account!
Jun 1, 2022
On May 30, 2022, members of the National Liaison Committee for Construction Asbestos Litigation met with Japanese Communist Party Diet members to express concern over the continued refusal by building material manufacturers to contribute to the National Asbestos Compensation Fund and to apologize to workers injured by exposure to their toxic products. Members of the House of Representatives who attended the meeting included: Tomo Iwabuchi, Akira Kasai, and Toru Miyamoto. Speaking on their behalf, Mr. Kasai said that: “The fundamental issues of corporate social responsibility and the responsibility of the government are being questioned, and we need political action.” See: 建設アスベスト補償基金 [Construction asbestos compensation fund].
Asbestos Hazard in Shipbreaking Yards
Jun 1, 2022
Asbestos contamination and the dangers arising from it are of serious concern to Turkish shipbreaking workers and people living in communities near the shipyards. In the commentary cited below, Health and Safety Specialist Şenay K. Özdoğan answered questions about the public and occupational health hazard posed by asbestos; explaining the type of asbestos fibers, the cancers and diseases which can be caused by inhalation of these fibers and the need to follow strict guidelines and mandatory regulations during shipbreaking operations to minimize the liberation of asbestos fibers. See: Asbest işlerinde işçi sağlığı ve iş güvenliği [Occupational health and safety in asbestos works].
Understanding National Asbestos Legacy
Jun 1, 2022
A collection of research papers by Brazilian experts was uploaded to a government website which discussed the causation of asbestos cancer, the underreporting of asbestos-related diseases and mortality data. Epidemiologists revealed that hospital and other data on the incidence of rare asbestos cancers were unreliable as so many asbestos cancers remained undiagnosed. To produce better data, medical guidelines for diagnosing malignant pleura mesothelioma were recommended in a paper by Dr. Eduardo Algranti published in May, 2022. “There is,” he said “not only underreporting, but also underdiagnosis of asbestos-associated cancers.” See: AMIANTO: Artigos abordam exposição ocupacional ao asbestos [ASBESTOS: Articles address occupational exposure to asbestos].
Banjima Asbestos Clean-up Campaign
Jun 1, 2022
Aboriginal elder Maitland Parker is dying from asbestos cancer but continues his fight to force the West Australian government to decontaminate the former asbestos mining town of Wittenoom, now officially closed to prevent tourists from taking toxic vacations. “My people were,” says Parker “never consulted about the asbestos mine’s existence in the first place and now no one will talk to us about cleanup either.” Despite the cessation of asbestos mining in Wittenoom over 50 fifty years ago, three million tonnes of dangerous waste remain in and around the town. See: ‘I’m so angry, I’m wild’: the never-ending wait to clean up asbestos town Wittenoom.
Ban Asbestos, Save the Planet
Jun 1, 2022
The paper cited below and another asbestos commentary [Invited Perspective: Eliminating Toxics to Prevent Disease: Asbestos Leads the Way] were featured in the current online version of Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed open access monthly journal with support from the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Both documents support the global consensus that the best way to prevent asbestos-related diseases is to stop using asbestos. See: The Ecological Association between Asbestos Consumption and Asbestos-Related Diseases 15 Years Later.
Compensation for Ovarian Cancer
May 27, 2022
On May 24, 2022, the House Social Affairs Committee of the Belgian Parliament approved a bill which will secure compensation for victims who contract ovarian cancer due to asbestos exposure. This will be achieved by adding ovarian cancer to the list of diseases for which compensation is paid by the Belgian Asbestos Victims’ Compensation Fund. When the Fund was set up in 2019 compensation was awarded to sufferers with mesothelioma, lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, asbestosis and other pleural diseases but not ovarian cancer. See: Amiante: les malades du cancer de l'ovaire pourront être indemnisées [Asbestos: ovarian cancer patients can be compensated].
Ensuring that the Polluter Pays!
May 27, 2022
On May 23, 2022, MP Ian Lavery, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group, tabled an Early Day Motion – an EDM is a short proposal that gives MPs the opportunity to express an opinion, publicise a cause or support a position – calling on the House of Commons to support a campaign by the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum and the Trades Union Congress to hold former UK asbestos producer Cape PLC to account for damage caused to workers by occupational asbestos exposures. A national campaign is calling on Cape Holdings PLC to pay £10 million “towards the funding of mesothelioma research.” See: Cape Holdings and asbestos research EDM 93: tabled on 23 May 2022.
Asbestos in Schools
May 27, 2022
At a Seoul press conference on May 25, 2022, researchers from the Citizen's Center for Environment and Health and the National School Asbestos Parents Network, informed journalists that “4-5 out of 10 elementary, middle and high schools nationwide are still ‘asbestos schools’.” Campaigners called on the government to prioritize the removal of asbestos from schools as a matter of urgency. The news was widely reported by the media. At one-time, the use of asbestos material in schools had been mandatory; asbestos was banned in Korea in 2009. See: 환경단체 "전국 초중고교 절반은 여전히 '석면 학교'" [Environmental group “About half of elementary, middle and high schools nationwide are still ‘asbestos schools’”].
Asbestos Profits
May 27, 2022
On May 24, 2022, Russia’s second biggest asbestos producer: Uralasbest reported that it had tripled its net profits in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. For January-March this year, the company reported net profits of 591 million rubles compared to 180.2 million rubles in 2021. Given the current logistical difficulties resulting from sanctions imposed in retaliation for Russia’s attack on Ukraine, these profits are somewhat surprising as Uralasbest exports the majority of asbestos fiber produced by its mining operations. It will be interesting to see what results are reported for the second quarter of 2022. See: «Ураласбест» в первом квартале утроил чистую прибыль [Uralasbest tripled its net profit in the first quarter].
Asbestos Removal Scam, Police Action
May 27, 2022
A police raid took place in Broni, Italy this week over allegations that a contractor which had been paid €8 million (US$8.6m) by the Ministry of the Environment and the Lombardy Region to reclaim the contaminated site of an old asbestos-cement factory had been guilty of fraud and crimes against the environment for having failed to fulfil the reclamation contract. According to the Pavia public prosecutor Fabio Napoleone: “an articulated system of fraud in public supplies and provision of services had been committed for the benefit of the companies involved.” See: Ex Fibronit Broni, truffa nella bonifica dall’amianto: sequestrata un’area di 140 mila metri quadrati [Former Fibronit Broni, asbestos reclamation scam: an area of 140 thousand square meters seized].
Public Protest in Madrid
May 27, 2022
A colorful and well-attended demonstration was mounted by asbestos victims’ groups and trade unionists in the Spanish capital on May 25, 2022 to protest threats to the funding of a national asbestos compensation scheme. Proposed legislation could place the Asbestos Fund under the auspices of the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services (Imserso). This arrangement could, said the protestors, compromise the financing of the Fund and prevent access to social security benefits. See: Las víctimas del amianto protestan para que el nuevo fondo de compensación tenga los recursos necesarios [Asbestos victims protest so that the new compensation fund can have the necessary resources].
Court Condemns Asbestos Sales
May 25, 2022
On May 20, 2022, it was reported that the Pernambuco Court of Justice, in the Northeast region of Brazil, rejected the appeal of a verdict ordering the removal of asbestos-cement tiles and sentencing defendants to pay damages for selling a product which had been banned by a Supreme Court order (2017). The Pernambuco Court said that as Federal Law No. 9,055/95 allowing the sale of this banned product was unconstitutional, the commercial transaction was illegal. In addition, the Court pointed out, Pernambuco State Law No. 12,589/04 completely prohibited the use of all products made from asbestos. See: TJPE Mantém Nulidade em Venda de Produto Cancerígeno [TJPE maintains nullity in the sale of carcinogenic products].
Tokyo Rally Calls for Asbestos Justice
May 25, 2022
To mark the first anniversary of the historic Supreme Court ruling for construction workers injured by asbestos exposures, on May 20, 2022 a public rally was held in Tokyo by construction workers and groups representing them. Speakers at the event called on the Japanese Government to apologize for failing to protect workers from hazardous occupational exposures and ensure that manufacturers recompense individuals injured by using their asbestos products. At the meeting, at Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall, attended by 1500+ people, it was announced that on June 7, a new asbestos class action would be launched in seven district courts against building materials manufacturers. See: メーカーの謝罪・補償基金求め [Manufacturer's apology / compensation fund request].
Demolition of “Outdated” Asbestos Houses
May 25, 2022
Officials in Xiqiao Town, a municipality in the Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong, China announced last week that, pursuant to new ordinances, they were progressing efforts to improve the management of urban and rural areas by demolishing properties including houses roofed with asbestos material. The cleared sites will be redeveloped by public-private partnerships and will include the construction of a modern industrial park and other facilities to encourage economic growth in the district. See: 南海逐步消除石棉瓦房铁皮锈屋 扎实完成“两违”治理工作任务 [South China Sea gradually [region] eliminates asbestos, tile houses, iron rust houses, and solidly completes the task of “two violations” governance].
A Toxic National Legacy
May 25, 2022
The commentary below examined the deadly asbestos legacy of Italy, a country which had not only been one of Europe’s biggest asbestos users but also a significant producer of the deadly fiber. Since Italy banned asbestos in 1992, many regulations and guidelines have been introduced to protect workers and citizens from toxic exposures. Thirty years after asbestos was banned, asbestos material remains within the national infrastructure with asbestos roofing produced by Eternit of particular concern. See: Bonifica dall’amianto e rimozione Eternit, perché è necessario [Remediation of asbestos and Eternit removal, because it is necessary].
Bahia Asbestos Outreach Initiative
May 25, 2022
On May 14, 2022, a public asbestos seminar – organized by staff from the Federal Institute of Bahia (IFBA), the Brazilian Association of Asbestos Victims (ABREA) and the Association of Victims Contaminated by Asbestos and Exposed Families (AVICAFE) – was held at the IFBA to consider measures for monitoring the health and supporting people with asbestos-related diseases in the Bom Jesus da Serra region. Commercial mining operations at a local asbestos mine and the widespread use of asbestos waste in public and private spaces have resulted in a high incidence of asbestos-related diseases in the region. See: IFBA realiza seminário sobre os efeitos nocivos do amianto na região de Bom Jesus da Serra [IFBA holds a seminar on the harmful effects of asbestos in the Bom Jesus da Serra region].
Defence Stage of Schmidheiny Criminal Trial
May 25, 2022
On May 16, 2022, the Assizes Court in Novara, Italy heard evidence from defence witnesses who argued that Stephan Schmidheiny – who stands accused of having caused the deaths of 392 Italians from the town of Casale Monferrato (CM) – had introduced measures to protect workers in the Eternit CM factory from hazardous exposures to asbestos. According to one witness “all the data show a drastic decrease in the levels of exposure (to asbestos) in line with the improvements introduced at the Eternit plant in the period 1973-1982.” The next two hearings were scheduled for May 23 and May 30, 2022. See: I consulenti della difesa insistono: «Schmidheiny migliorò molto le condizioni di lavoro all’Eternit» [Defense consultants insist: “Schmidheiny greatly improved working conditions in Eternit”].
Time to Ban Asbestos!
May 23, 2022
On May 4, 2022, the UN Global Compact in Ukraine – a UN initiative that brings together business, investors, civil society, labor organizations, local and federal governments to pursue Sustainable Development Goals – called on the Parliament to ban the use of all types of asbestos and products containing them. Ukraine had prohibited asbestos in 2017, only for the ban to be reversed after pressure from vested interests. A bill going through Parliament, which was approved on its first reading, will ban asbestos in line with EU legislation. See: Верховну Раду закликають заборонити азбест та запустити циркулярну економіку задля відновлення України [We call on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to ban asbestos and launch a circular economy to restore Ukraine].
Asbestos Alert in China
May 23, 2022
Scientific findings published online on May 19, 2022 by researchers from China and Australia highlighted the dreadful consequences of toxic exposures in these countries, noting that asbestos caused the largest number of work-related lung cancer deaths in both. The co-authors of the paper cited below warned that: “the continued use of certain types of asbestos [in China] and the lack of health education on occupational carcinogen may further increase LCM [lung cancer mortality] burden attributable to occupational exposure. See: Age-period-cohort analysis of lung cancer mortality in China and Australia from 1990 to 2019.
Asbestos Ban Bill
May 23 2022
A May 18, 2022, press release by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, who represents the state of Oregon, announced the tabling of Congressional legislation to prohibit the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce of all types of commercial asbestos. In his statement, the Senator said: “We’ve known for generations that asbestos is lethal… Other developed nations have already acted to protect their citizens from this deadly substance by banning asbestos. Why has America not done the same?” See: Merkley, Bonamici Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Ban Asbestos and Save Lives.
Another Asbestos Death in Quebec
May 23, 2022
A feature article in the May 20, 2022 edition of the Montreal Journal – the French-language tabloid newspaper with the largest circulation of any newspaper in Quebec – related the story of asbestos widow Linda Grandmont, whose husband Réal Truchon had died aged 64 in 2020 due to asbestos exposure experienced whilst employed at the Canadian public broadcasting corporation: Radio-Canada. Mr. Truchon was a lighting technician, lighting designer and technical instructor for the broadcaster; he died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. See: Son mari tué par l’amiante de Radio-Canada [Lighting designer dies after being exposed to deadly fibers in former public broadcaster tower].
MP Calls for Plans to Remove Asbestos
May 23, 2022
A commentary uploaded on May 20, 2022 to a Labour Party website by MP Ian Lavery – Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group – called for the implementation of a program to remove asbestos material from the national infrastructure to protect the lives of working people. Referencing labour gains in recent local elections, Lavery called on councils to make asbestos removal a priority issue. “Labour councils,” he wrote “need investment and backing from the government to carry out this big job… in the fastest possible timeframe, because for thousands of working people it’s a matter of life or death.” See: Asbestos is a matter of life and death for working people. We need urgent removal.
Asbestos Compensation Scheme Update
May 23, 2022
On May 17, 2022, a bill to overhaul the compensation system for asbestos victims in Belgium was debated in the Parliamentary Social Affairs Committee. Draft legislation would introduce the concept of the “polluter pays” so that companies which had exposed workers to asbestos would be obliged to pay compensation directly. In addition, under the new system, asbestos victims could accept compensation from the national fund and also instigate a lawsuit against negligent employers, something which is now forbidden. See: L'indemnisation des victimes de l'amiante fait débat à la Chambre [Compensation for asbestos victims is debated in the House].
America’s Toxic Industrial Legacy
May 18, 2022
The investigative piece cited below explored in some depth the deadly consequences of employment in tire-industry jobs in the heartland of the USA. A cocktail of deadly exposures was part of the workplace experience of employees at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. factory in Akron, Ohio. Amongst the most toxic materials used in the workplace were asbestos and benzene. According to veteran asbestos litigator Thomas W. Bevan, in the beginning Goodyear denied using asbestos, saying: “We’re a tire company; we don’t use asbestos!” despite the fact they had an asbestos department at the plant. See: It was the Rubber Capital of the World. The health consequences linger.
Parliament Debates Compensation Fund
May 18, 2022
On May 18, 2022, discussions began in the Work, Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Committee of the Spanish Parliament about amendments to draft legislation submitted by the Basque Parliament to establish a national asbestos compensation fund. Victims’ supporters are concerned that the socialist group and Minister José Luis Escrivá will seek to limit financing. According to campaigners, the Socialist Parliamentary Group intends to curtail the independence and financial resources allocated for the new fund. See: Las víctimas del amianto temen que el PSOE haga caer el fondo de compensación que les prometieron [Asbestos victims fear that the PSOE will drop the compensation fund they were promised].
Asbestos in Schools
May 18, 2022
Officials in the Department of Education in South Korea’s Gyeongbuk Province announced on May 17, 2022 that work to remove asbestos from schools in the district will be completed in 2025; the original deadline had been 2027, but due to the danger to students and staff posed by the presence of asbestos material in the schools, remediation work had been made a priority. In 2022, decontamination work is being carried out in 112 schools; to minimize toxic exposures to the children, the work will be undertaken during the summer and winter vacations. See: 경북교육청, 학교 석면 제거 2년 앞당겨 완료 예정 [Gyeongbuk Office of Education to complete school asbestos removal two years earlier].
Mesothelioma: Causes, Care, Compensation
May 18, 2022
An article about the causation, symptoms and treatment of pleural mesothelioma on a French news portal highlighted the high incidence of this signature asbestos cancer amongst men who’d been employed in the construction sector, 97% of whom could pinpoint workplace exposures to asbestos-containing building products. New protocols for patients with mesothelioma involve intravenous immunotherapy treatment which can prolong life by 18 months. To access compensation from a government scheme (FIVA), mesothelioma claimants must have been occupationally exposed to asbestos. The majority of mesothelioma patients do not apply to FIVA. See: Cancer: le mésothéliome mieux identifié [Cancer: better identified mesothelioma].
Asbestos Eradication Program: Too Slow!
May 18, 2022
The eradication of asbestos contamination in Italy’s built environment is not going to plan, with only 25% of the toxic material removed despite the availability of government funds specifically earmarked for this work. Eight million euros (US$8.4m) remain unspent in a fund set up under article 56 of law 221 of 2015 to cover the cost of asbestos removal from public buildings. According to the article cited below, there are more than 50,744 public buildings in Italy which still have asbestos roofs. See: Il problema dell’amianto in Italia è ancora lontano dall’essere risolto [The asbestos problem in Italy is still far from being solved].
Support for At-Risk Populations
May 18, 2022
Changes were announced this week in the management of an asbestos outreach project in South Korea’s Chungnam Province. The formerly privately-run project – called the asbestos victims’ health care initiative – has been put into the hands of a public institution: the Hongseong Medical Center. Services available to participants and their families include: home visits, health check-ups, psychological counselling and symptom management training. Asbestos, a known carcinogen, was widely used in Korea in building products, soundproofing material, textiles, automotive parts and shipbuilding. See: 충남 석면피해자, 홍성의료원서 집중 관리 [Intensive management of asbestos victims in Chungcheongnam-do, Hongseong Medical Center].
Asbestos Hazard: Ecological Update
May 16, 2022
A blog uploaded last week by Ukrainian Parliamentarian, ecologist and economist Elena Krivoruchkina highlighted the deadly legacy posed by the asbestos used to construct the country’s built environment in light of the widespread destruction caused by Russia’s attack on the country. The author noted that on the first reading in Parliament in February 2021. the bill to ban asbestos was approved; it has not yet been finalized. She categorized Russia’s destruction of Ukraine not only as a war crime but also an eco-crime in light of the hazard posed to human beings by the liberation of asbestos fibers from damaged structures. See: Азбестова бомба уповільненої дії: війна та радянський будівельний спадок [Slow-motion asbestos bomb: war and the Soviet construction legacy].
Glimmer of Hope for J&J Victims
May 16, 2022
On May 11, 2022, the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals announced plans to reconsider contentious measures implemented by the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to put into bankruptcy a purpose-built subsidiary in order to freeze almost 40,000 cancer claims against the parent company. The litigation put on hold concerned the sale of talc-based baby powder containing asbestos fibers to American consumers. The appeal will revaluate a February 2022 ruling by Judge Michael Kaplan from a federal bankruptcy court in Trenton, New Jersey. See: Not so fast on Johnson & Johnson's Texas Two-Step strategy as appeals court says it'll take another look.
Legal Victory for Naval Officers
May 16, 2022
On May 13, 2022, the Council of State (France) rejected an appeal by the Ministry of Armed Forces to void a judgment awarding former Naval personnel compensation for occupational asbestos exposures. The State was ordered to pay each of the 17 claimants the sum of €3,000 (US$3,125) for “moral damages” under article L.761-1 of the code of administrative justice. The case had first been heard by the administrative court of Rennes in June 2019, with the administrative court of appeal of Rennes subsequently confirming the victims’ verdict in January 2021. See: Amiante: l’État devra indemniser d’anciens officiers mariniers [Asbestos: the State will have to compensate former petty officers].
Asbestos in the Built Environment
May 16, 2022
A report just released by the Labour Research Department, on behalf of the Trades Union Congress and the all-party parliamentary group on occupational safety and health, revealed that of 31 local authorities contacted only one had completely removed asbestos from all its buildings. Commenting on these findings, MP Ian Lavery, Chair of the parliamentary group said: “The government must provide local councils with enough funding, with an aim to make all public buildings asbestos-free.” See: Thousands of local authority buildings in England still contain deadly asbestos — more than two decades after its use was banned in Britain.
Compensation for Welder’s Family
May 16, 2022
On May 6, 2022. a labor judge in the town of Massa, central Italy ordered the employer of a deceased welder to pay compensation of €1,146,296 (US$1.2m) to his family. The worker, who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, had been employed by the Nuovo Pignone company at its Massa plant from 1965 to 1986 during which time he was routinely exposed to asbestos “to an extent exceeding the regulatory limit.” The judge dismissed arguments advanced by the company’s lawyers claiming working conditions were within permissible exposure limits and that the deceased had been a smoker. See: Amianto: Morte di un Operaio Saldatore, Nuovo Pignone Condannato a Risarcire oltre un Milione alla Famiglia [Asbestos: Death of a Welder, Company Sentenced to Pay over a Million to the Family].
Claimants’ Verdict in Rouen
May 16, 2022
On May 10, 2022, the French department of Seine-Maritime was found guilty by a Rouen court of having exposed four employees to asbestos; damages of €3,000 (US$3125) were awarded to each of the claimants. From April 14 to 17, 2015, the claimants had “regularly picked up … dust containing asbestos without any protective equipment” whilst employed on a river vessel. When asked if the judgment would be appealed, a spokesperson for Seine-Maritime said it was “still too early … to give an answer on if it will appeal or not.” See: Amiante: le département de Seine-Maritime condamné [Asbestos: the department of Seine-Maritime condemned].
Moving Towards an Asbestos Ban in Asia!
May 13, 2022
The Good Practice Guidance for the Management and Control of Asbestos: Protecting Workplaces and Communities from Asbestos Exposure Risks released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is widely regarded as confirmation of the Bank’s commitment to honoring its promise to outlaw the use of asbestos in all projects funded by the ABD. During the launch of the document last month (April 2022), the ADB Director of Safeguards Bruce Dunn indicated that the ban would be announced in March 2023. Until then, the ADB has warned staff to avoid the use of asbestos-containing materials in existing and new procurement. See: Asia Development Bank one step closer to asbestos ban.
Progress in Avaré!
May 13, 2022
In what is being termed a “historic victory for public health,” the Municipal Department of the Environment in the Brazilian city of Avaré oversaw efforts to remove 400 tonnes of asbestos waste which had been lingering for years on a public highway. The toxic material had been dumped by the company Auco Automotive Components. The site was remediated and the waste was sent to an authorized Waste Management Center in Guatapará. See: Amianto abandonado há anos é retirado por ação da Prefeitura de Avaré [Asbestos abandoned for years is removed by action of the City Hall of Avaré].
Asbestos at the Museum
May 13, 2022
A very popular tourist destination in Brussels, the Institute of Natural Sciences, is grappling with the discovery earlier this year of asbestos contamination, according to an announcement by museum officials who revealed that asbestos fibers had been found in the Institute’s ventilation ducts. On March 23, 2022, officials said that the contamination affected “the offices, laboratories and collections part of our Institute.” A working group is preparing a feasibility study exploring options such as remediation, renovation and demolition. See: L'amiante aura-t-il la peau d'une partie de l'Institut des sciences naturelles à Bruxelles? [Will asbestos take over part of the Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels?].
Official: 25% Rise in Asbestos Mortality
May 13, 2022
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been released which confirmed that over the last 20 years there has been a 25% increase in the number of women dying in the U.S. from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Between,1999 to 2020, 12,227 females aged 25 and up died from mesothelioma; the majority were older than 55. The states with the highest female mesothelioma death rates were: Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin, according to a report in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
See: CDC: Mesothelioma Deaths Up Among Women.
Holding Asbestos Defendants to Account
May 11, 2022
At a May 9 Tokyo press conference, it was announced that a group of asbestos-injured construction workers are launching a class action lawsuit in June 2022 against manufacturers of asbestos-containing building products. In May 2021, the Supreme Court had ordered that the Japanese Government pay compensation for having failed to act, as a result of which construction workers were hazardously exposed to asbestos; the Government has set up a scheme to pay compensation. Although, courts have ruled that manufacturers were also negligent, these defendants have yet to pay compensation to the injured. See: 建設アスベスト被害 建材メーカーに賠償求め各地で一斉提訴へ [Construction workers seek compensation from building material manufacturers].
Colorectal Death Caused by Asbestos
May 11, 2022
Last week, a Brazilian Labor Court issued a victim’s verdict awarding the family of a deceased worker the sum of R$500,000 (US$97,200) for his cancer death. Judge Celso Araujo Casseb, from the 5th Labor Court of Osasco/São Paulo, ruled that there was no question about the link between the worker’s occupational exposure to asbestos and the fact that he had died from colorectal cancer. The appeal lodged by Eternit, the defendant, was rejected, with the Judge noting that the death had caused “moral damages to his family members…” See: Eternit pagará R$500 mil a filhos de trabalhador morto por amianto [Eternit will pay R$500,000 to children of worker killed by asbestos].
Mesothelioma: New Drug Treatment
May 11, 2022
A treatment for mesothelioma (the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure) which is being progressed in the UK can prolong the life of sufferers by slowing down the growth of tumors, according to data from a new trial centered around the use of a new drug called: abemaciclib. This protocol was used with some success to treat patients who had not been responding to chemotherapy or immunotherapy drugs. The patients on the clinical trial experienced few “serious side effects and were also less dependent on pain medication as a result of the treatment.” See: New treatment offers hope for asbestos cancer patients [with the same disease] that took the life of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren.
Supreme Court Asbestos Verdict
May 11, 2022
The Spanish Supreme Court ruled this week that a worker’s death from mesothelioma had been caused by occupational exposure to asbestos between 1984 and 2010 at a factory owned by the Bridgestone Hispania company. Compensation of €145,000 (US$153,000) was awarded by the Court, which found that the company had been negligent in failing to prevent its workforce from experiencing toxic asbestos exposures at its factory. See: Bridgestone condenada a indemnizar a la familia de un trabajador fallecido por amianto [Bridgestone sentenced to compensate the family of a worker killed by asbestos].
Asbestos Ban Remains on the Agenda!
May 9, 2022
A Russian language article uploaded to a Ukrainian website on May 6, 2022, highlighted the ongoing struggle by the Ukraine Parliament to ban asbestos in order to comply with EU regulations. The author of the text cited below reported some disturbing facts: Ukraine continues to import asbestos from Russia and Kazakhstan; the Russian-Kazakh asbestos lobby continues to spread pro-asbestos propaganda in Ukraine; the asbestos lobby plans to rebuild cities destroyed by the Russian army with products containing Russian asbestos. See: Верховную Раду призвали запретить асбест и принять закон "Об отходах" [The Verkhovna Rada urged to ban asbestos and adopt the law "On Waste"].
Expansion of Asbestos Production
May 9, 2022
On May 5, 2022, a new assembly line for asbestos-cement building products became operational at a factory owned by Visaka Industries – one of India’s largest asbestos-cement conglomerates – in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, India. The company is one of the major players in the country’s asbestos-cement industrial sector. India is the world’s largest importer of asbestos fiber, most of which is used for the manufacture of building products such as roofing sheets and tiles and sewage and water pipes. See: Visaka Industries Ltd commissions new line at Asbestos Cement division.
Government U-Turn on Deadline
May 9, 2022
Public outrage over the expiration on March 27, 2022 of a deadline for asbestos victims to submit claims for benefits under a special government scheme has been acknowledged by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party which have proposed an amendment to the Asbestos Health Damage Relief Act to extend the deadline for claiming benefits by 10 years. Their amendment will be presented to the Japanese Diet during the current session. See: “石綿 特別遺族給付金 期限延長を” 自・公が野党に呼びかけ [“Extending the deadline for asbestos special survivor benefits” The public calls on the opposition].
Asbestos Removal Regulations
May 9, 2022
Guidelines on mandatory protocols to address the asbestos legacy in Spain are continually evolving. The article cited below provided a timely update on regulations pertaining to companies which specialize in the removal of asbestos from the built environment. Topics covered included: registration and certification procedures and the submission of detailed work plans specifying asbestos remediation methods, security measures and the qualifications of operatives employed on projects. See: La plataforma del amianto se consolida en Madrid [Asbestos [procedural] platform consolidated in Madrid].
Asbestos at the Sorbonne
May 9, 2022
The Censier campus of Sorbonne University in the 5th arrondissement of Paris was closed to students and staff on April 14, 2022 due to hazardous conditions posed by the deterioration of asbestos-containing material used in 1964 to construct the 25,000 m2 center for the teaching of literature, languages, performing arts, communication and European studies. In 1997, the university was listed as one of the ten most dangerous establishments in France because of the presence of asbestos throughout its infrastructure See: Amiante: après des années de polémique, quel avenir pour le site Censier de la Sorbonne à Paris [Asbestos: after years of controversy, what future for the Sorbonne Censier site in Paris].
Asbestos Removal Industry Guidelines
May 9, 2022
A document published last week by Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), a public entity tasked with protecting workers’ health, considered subjects of importance during complex and protracted projects to remediate asbestos-contaminated sites. Topics covered included the roles and responsibilities during asbestos remediation of clients, duty holders, asbestos coordinators, contractors, subcontractors and on-site technical directors. See: Amianto: le figure professionali connesse alle attività di bonifica [Asbestos: the professional figures connected to reclamation activities].
Draft Measures to Monitor Asbestos Imports
May 6, 2022
A proposal published on May 5, 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set out in 80 pages draft guidance for asbestos-importing companies to inform the EPA about the amounts and uses of all asbestos and asbestos material brought into the USA as per Section 8 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The proposed measures are intended to address a loophole recognized by US District Judge Edward Chen who ruled in 2021 that the Agency had not fulfilled its “obligation to collect reasonably available information to inform and facilitate its regulatory obligations under TSCA.” See: Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act: Asbestos.
Asbestos Legacy: Death & Contamination
May 6, 2022
A feature article on a Spanish news website reported the recent asbestos death of another worker from the Madrid Metro: 65-year old Luis Gómez. Despite the best efforts of some local authorities and regional governments, exposure to asbestos remains an everyday hazard for people all over the country using contaminated infrastructure. A recent survey revealed that there is a low level of asbestos awareness in Spain and, for that reason, measures to minimize toxic exposures are often neglected. See: ¿Qué es el amianto, por qué es tan peligroso y en qué lugares y construcciones se puede encontrar? [What is asbestos, why is it so dangerous and in what places and buildings can it be found?].
Jail Sentences for Asbestos Crimes
May 6, 2022
Two employees of Ensure Asbestos Management Limited were jailed for 10 and 15 months respectively after a prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Chelmsford Crown Court agreed with the HSE that the defendants had not protected workers from asbestos exposures during a major refurbishment project in Plymouth in February 2017. Commenting on the verdict, HSE inspector Georgina Symons said: “Workers should be supported by their employers when they raise health or safety concern. This case sends a clear message that those responsible will be held to account for their failings.” See: Asbestos removal managers jailed after cutting corners on job.
Update: Mesothelioma Research
May 6, 2022
In a paper just published by a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii’s Cancer Center, recommendations were made for the treatment of people with the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. According to the lead author Dr. Michael Carbone: “The paper will help physicians in the U.S. and abroad to understand the unique aspects of mesothelioma in carriers of genetic BAP1 mutations. This will help them take better care of their patients and family members who may have inherited the defective BAP1 gene.” See: Life-saving new approaches for mesothelioma cancer recommended.
London’s Asbestos Shame
May 6, 2022
Speaking at a ceremony on April 28, 2022 to commemorate London’s asbestos victims, former insulation engineer Peter Auger said he had worked with asbestos for almost 60 years, as a result of which he now suffered from breathing problems and had contracted asbestosis A legal claim he made against 12 former employers was settled last year. Addressing the rally last week, 79-year old Mr. Auger said: “I feel angry. Firms haven't looked after me and treated me with disrespect... I only wanted to earn a living, I've earnt them money and the thanks they give you is one of them has given me asbestosis.” See: 'I feel angry': Retired engineer looks back on asbestos working conditions.
Expansion of Asbestos Waste Capacity
May 4, 2022
News that the capacity for dealing safely with asbestos waste in several Brazilian cities has been increased has been circulating this week. According to reports, this initiative is being progressed as part of the commercial operations of a company based in the city of Santo André, São Paulo. Santo André Municipal Environmental Sanitation Service (Semasa) is hoping to prevent asbestos fly-tipping in order to protect public health as well as the environment from the illegal dumping of toxic waste. See: Semasa amplia locais para receber resíduos de poda e amianto [Semasa expands sites to receive pruning and asbestos waste].
Provincial Asbestos Action Program
May 4, 2022
People in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province living under asbestos roofing, still ubiquitous throughout the country, have expressed growing concerns over the hazard posed to their families from such proximity to a known carcinogen. According to Bafadile Lenkoe, Northern Cape Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Human Settlement Head of Department, there is a plan to remediate the asbestos roofing on the almost 20,000 homes in the Province which remain contaminated. In a statement to the press, Lenkoes said that the Government plans to “eradicate asbestos roofs in the Northern Cape.” See: Kimberley residents at risk due to asbestos exposure.
Eternit Condemned!
May 4, 2022
A loophole in the Belgian process of delivering justice for asbestos victims was highlighted last week with the announcement on April 28, 2022 that a landmark case had been filed against Eternit, formerly the owner of asbestos-cement factories in Belgium and abroad. The case was initiated by the President of the Belgian Asbestos Victims Group (ABEVA), who has contracted the same asbestos cancer as his parents and two brothers. Mr. Jonckheere explained that the current system whitewashed the crimes of negligent companies by forcing applicants to the National Asbestos Fund to renounce their right to take legal action. See: Procès Eternit : vers une indemnisation plus juste des victimes de l’amiante? [Eternit trial: towards fairer compensation for asbestos victims?].
Chlorine Producers Attack Asbestos Ban
May 4, 2022
A thoughtful commentary on actions being taken by US vested interests to contest plans by the Biden Administration to ban the use of asbestos in the US highlighted arguments advanced by trade associations and chlorine producers which say that the prohibitions would not only threaten thousands of jobs but also cause a shortage of drinking water. In evidence submitted to the EPA on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Martin J. Durbin urged the “EPA to reconsider the specific condition of use of the chemical substance [chrysotile asbestos] and the drastic impact it would have on drinking and wastewater systems.” See: Chemical industry fights U.S. government move to ban asbestos.
Asbestos on the Madrid Metro
May 4, 2022
On May 4, 2022, workers from the Madrid Metro will hold a partial strike to highlight the continued presence of asbestos in the capital’s transport system. According to union officials, eleven workers have already died from asbestos-related diseases. To ensure that the workers affected receive the support they require, the union is demanding that a process for recognizing these diseases in a timely fashion be put in place, and that the removal of asbestos throughout the Madrid Metro be expedited; the company’s 2028 deadline for the completion of the decontamination program is, say the unions, unacceptable. See: Amianto, el principal cancerígeno laboral que mata a 90.000 personas al año en la UE [Asbestos, the main occupational carcinogen that kills 90,000 people a year in the EU].
Asbestos Legacy: Death and Contamination
May 4, 2022
The multiplicity of tragedies caused by decades of asbestos production and consumption in Italy continue apace with 4,000 asbestos deaths every year, and large swathes of land and the built environment contaminated by a known carcinogen. At the current rate of remediation, it will take 70 years before the asbestos hazard is eradicated from the country; the lack of capacity for asbestos waste must, say campaigners, be addressed. A new medical outreach program in Sardinia has begun to identify at-risk workers in order to facilitate an earlier diagnosis of asbestos cancer. See: Amianto: Cnaa, subito smaltimenti e bonifiche [Asbestos: CNAA (National Coordination [Federation] of Asbestos Associations), immediate disposal and reclamation].
Toxic Talc, Toxic Shareholders
May 3, 2022
Shareholders attending the virtual Annual General Meeting of the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) on April 28, 2022 considered a raft of resolutions including one which called on J&J to withdraw the sale of asbestos-containing talc-based baby powder not only from North America but also from markets around the world. Despite the urging of campaigners representing groups endangered by these double standards and ethical investors such as Glass Lewis which called on J&J to stop “all sales of talc-based baby powder … outside North America,” resolution 10 was defeated with one observer remarking: “This is no longer a political or legal or consumer problem…This is a shareholder problem.” See [subscription site]: Johnson & Johnson investors reject proposal to end global talc sales.
Asbestos Uncertainty in the Urals
May 3, 2022
At the Annual General Meeting of Russia’s second biggest asbestos producer – PJSC Urals Asbestos Mining and Processing Plant (Uralasbest, Sverdlovsk Region) – which took place last week, shareholders approved the company’s decision to retain this year’s dividends in light of the unsettled economic situation resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In 2021, the company's net profit was 2.1 billion rubles, 1.5 times what it had been in 2020. See: Акционеры "Ураласбеста" решили не распределять прибыль и не выплачивать дивиденды по итогам 2021г [Shareholders of Uralasbest decided not to distribute profits and not pay dividends for 2021].
Asbestos Family Tragedy
May 3, 2022
An article on the website of the Belgian Radio-Television service for the country’s French community broke the news last week that a 5th member of the same family had announced he had contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma which had killed both his parents and two of his brothers. Following his Mother’s ground-breaking legal action against Eternit, which had operated the asbestos factory at Kapelle-op-den-Bos responsible for their toxic exposures, Eric Jonckheere instituted a new legal challenge accusing Eternit of wilful misconduct [“intentional faute”]. See: Atteint d’un mésothéliome, l’aîné d’une famille décimée par l’amiante ouvre un nouveau combat judiciaire [Affected by mesothelioma, the eldest of a family decimated by asbestos opens a new legal battle].
Asbestos Demo in Bologna
May 3, 2022
On the afternoon of April 28, International Workers Memorial Day, bereaved family members, asbestos victims and trade unionists mounted a demonstration in Bologna to highlight the deadly cost paid by workers from the large Railway Repair Workshops (OGR) for their employment; to date, 300 OGR workers have died from asbestos-related diseases. Speakers addressing the public rally decried the fact that 30 years after Italy had banned asbestos, people continue to die from toxic workplace exposures, with many deaths going unacknowledged and uncompensated. See: Amianto killer, sindacati e lavoratori Ogr tornano in piazza: “Giustizia per le vittime” [Killer asbestos, trade unions and Ogr workers return to the streets: “Justice for the victims”].
Asbestos in Schools
May 3, 2022
The Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional Coordination and Development Commission announced last week that pursuant to the Lisbon 2020 Regional Operational Program, work to remove asbestos from 142 schools in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area will be completed by the end of this Summer (2022). The total cost of this work has been covered by a grant of €21.5m (USA $22.7m) from the European Regional Development Fund. See: Remoção de amianto em 142 escolas da região de Lisboa concluída no verão [Asbestos removal in 142 schools in the Lisbon region completed in the summer].
Quebec Lowers Asbestos Exposure Levels
May 3, 2022
Workplace restrictions for allowable exposures to asbestos have been tightened in Quebec by the Committee on Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) to safeguard occupational health. Following the Quebec Government’s approval of the new amendment to the CNESST Regulation on occupational health and safety for construction work, the exposure standard which was set at 0.1% in a material or product containing asbestos has been changed to 0.1 f/cm3. See: Protection accrue des milieux de travail: modifications des valeurs d'exposition admissibles de l'amiante dans l'air [Increased protection of workplaces: changes to permissible exposure values for asbestos in the air].
Asbestos Industry Offensive
Apr 29, 2022
In a Russian language article uploaded on April 26, 2022, activities held by Kazakhstan’s only asbestos-producing company, Kostanay Minerals, to mark International Chrysotile (Asbestos) day on April 16, 2022 were reported. On that day a public rally was held to mobilize the support of local people for the asbestos industry, with company officials denouncing ban asbestos campaigners as “environmental extremists.” A representative of the Chrysotile trade union, which is supported by the company, parroted industry propaganda that “chrysotile is safe used under controlled conditions.” See: В Казахстане стартовала эстафета эко-субботников в защиту хризотила [Relay race of eco-subbotniks in defense of chrysotile has started in Kazakhstan].
Strike over Asbestos in Madrid Metro
Apr 29, 2022
Workers from the Madrid Metro staged a partial strike on April 27, 2022 to raise awareness of the occupational hazard they face from asbestos contamination of the transport system. Their key demands included the creation of a compensation fund for employees exposed to asbestos and early retirement for at-risk workers. A rally was held in front of the Congress of Deputies from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to vocalise their demands for a speedy resolution of these issues, noting that: “Every day that passes, there are more people affected…” See: Paros parciales en Metro de Madrid hoy para protestar por el amianto [Partial stoppages in Madrid Metro today to protest about asbestos].
Safeguarding Italians from Toxic Exposures
Apr 29, 2022
Marking the 30th anniversary of Italy’s ban on asbestos, journalist Rosy Battaglia asked how much had been achieved in the country’s quest to address its toxic asbestos legacy. Whilst some remediation of the infrastructure has been carried out, the majority of the toxic products remain in place and thousands of people continue to die from toxic workplace and environmental exposures every year. The lethal effects of the toxic legacy continues to be underestimated by national, regional and local authorities. See: Perché sull'amianto in Italia siamo tornati all'anno zero [We are back to the year zero on asbestos in Italy].
Another Tragic Death!
Apr 29, 2022
A Canadian commentary about the death of a beloved uncle asks why countries had to kill to run their economies. When he was a youngster, the Uncle had worked with asbestos, a substance much used at the time. Fifty years later, in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, he died from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. In contrast to the restrictions and bans introduced in other countries, Canada did not ban asbestos until 2016. Much too late for the writer’s Uncle and so many others. “What,” asked the author “is the price of human life when it comes to running the economy?” See: Quand il faut tuer pour faire tourner l’économie [When you have to kill to run the economy].
Medical Surveillance of At-Risk Populations
Apr 29, 2022
Medical screening sessions carried out by staff at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, under the auspices of the Korean Ministry of Environment in accordance with the Asbestos Damages Relief Act, will take place between April 25 and November 2022, to assess the health impact on residents in asbestos hotspots in North Jeolla Province, South and North Chungcheong Provinces, North Gyeongsang Province, Ulsan City etc. The health impact survey is free of charge for patients. See: 순천향대 천안병원 석면피해 우려지역 주민 건강영향조사 [Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital Health Impact Survey for Residents in Areas of Concern for Asbestos Damage].
Increase Asbestos Landfill Capacity
Apr 29, 2022
Eighty medical, scientific and technical experts have signed a petition calling on the Italian Government to increase the capacity for asbestos landfill in order to prevent wide-scale fly-tipping of asbestos waste which has become an endemic problem throughout the country. The lack of regulated asbestos dumpsites had, agreed the petitioners, hampered efforts to remediate an infrastructure which still contained a multitude of asbestos-containing products. See: 80 firme di medici del lavoro, igienisti, epidemiologi, tecnici della prevenzione, ingegneri, scienziati: Appello per aprire discariche di cemento amianto [80 signatures of occupational doctors, hygienists, epidemiologists, prevention technicians, engineers, scientists: appeal to open landfills for asbestos cement].
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 25, 2022
An exposé on rbb24, a German TV channel, broadcast on April 22, 2022 highlighted a scandal which is endangering the lives of schoolchildren, teachers and support staff in Berlin schools. Despite government regulations which stipulate that inspections every five years be made to safely manage asbestos in schools, not all districts are in compliance. In the Spandau district, for example, the condition of asbestos products in 16 schools has not been checked for at least 12 years; 7,700 students and 750 teachers use these buildings. One in three state schools in Berlin contains deteriorating, highly friable asbestos material. See: Mehr als 200 Berliner Schulen mit Asbest belastet [More than 200 Berlin schools contaminated with asbestos].
Improving Health Surveillance for Workers
Apr 25, 2022
On May 4-6, 2022, the Third International Asbestos Seminar will be held in São Paulo, Brazil. This event, which is co-organized by groups representing asbestos victims (ABREA), labor prosecutors (MPT), academics (DIESAT) and others will consider the best measures to provide health surveillance for Brazil’s asbestos-exposed workers. Presentations from Brazilian as well as international medical, environmental, technical, academic and trade union experts will inform the discussion. There will be simultaneous translation into Portuguese and English; virtual observers can apply to attend the online sessions. See: 3rd International Asbestos Seminar, May 4-6, 2022, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
National Asbestos Remediation Program
Apr 25, 2022
A campaign restarted in Rwanda on April 12, 2022 to progress Government plans to remove asbestos roofing on buildings throughout the country. Decontamination work, which has been ongoing since 2009 to remediate asbestos roofing, has eradicated about 70% of the toxic material. It’s believed that a further 500,000 square meters of asbestos roofing remains on public buildings such as schools and hospitals. Between April 12 and May 12, 2022, officials from the Rwanda Housing Authority will visit every district of the country to meet local leaders and community representatives to encourage them to replace asbestos roofs. See: Rwanda Resumes Battle Against Asbestos.
Calls for More Help for Asbestos Victims
Apr 25, 2022
On April 20, 2022, the Ministry of Environment released data showing that asbestos-related diseases contracted by 166 people (119 with asbestos damage, 69 with asbestos-related lung disease and 34 people with mesothelioma) in Incheon, South Korea had been officially recognized between 2011 and 2021. Campaigners are calling for more financial provision and increased medical capacity for supporting asbestos victims. Rep. Hong Moon-Pyo has submitted two amendments to the Asbestos Damage Relief Act which would boost health management and preventative measures for local residents. See: 인천서 석면 노출 피해 인원 연 15명..피해 예방 시급 [15 asbestos exposure victims per year in Incheon. Immediate damage prevention [needed]].
Extension of Asbestos Relief Scheme
Apr 22, 2022
On April 21, 2022, at a joint meeting of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Liberal Democratic Party, it was announced that a 10-year extension had been agreed to a government “special survivors benefits” relief scheme for bereaved relatives of workers who had died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Under the previous scheme, March 27, 2022 had been the deadline for the submission of claims. As a result of nationwide protests by asbestos victims’ groups and supporting organizations, the Government agreed to extend the scheme. See: アスベスト被害の救済延長へ 自公部会が改正法案了承 [LDP-NKP approves amendment bill to extend relief for asbestos damages].
New Rail Link: Faster Asbestos Shipments
Apr 22, 2022
On April 21, 2022, the inaugural trip of a new railway service linking China to Laos and Southeast Asia was featured in news released by the Chinese Government. According to information provided, cargo dispatched from Dunhuang, Gansu Province in 20 containers included 530 tonnes of Chinese asbestos. The exported goods were destined for Vientiane, Laos from where they will be transported by road to Bangkok, Thailand. The new railway link will shorten the delivery time to Bangkok by 12 days. See: 甘肃开通首列中老铁路国际货运列车 [Gansu opens first China-Laos railway international freight train].
Asbestos Anxiety Challenge by Ministry
Apr 22, 2022
On April 21, 2022, the French Ministry of Armed Forces challenged 17 out of 170 judgments handed down on January 8, 2021, by the Nantes Administrative Court of Appeal awarding former naval personnel from €8,000 (US$8,640) to €27,000 (US$29,150) compensation for mental distress (asbestos anxiety) caused as a result of toxic workplace exposures. The Ministry alleged that some of the claimants had not demonstrated that they had experienced sufficient psychological distress to qualify for this compensation. The Council of State is expected to announce its decision in May. See: Amiante dans la Marine nationale. Le Conseil d’État pourrait confirmer le préjudice d’anxiété [Asbestos in the French Navy. The Council of State has to confirm prejudice of anxiety [judgments]].
Johnson & Johnson
Apr 22, 2022
Shareholders of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) who meet on April 28, 2022 for the company’s Annual Meeting will be asked to consider a resolution entitled: Discontinue Global Sales of Baby Powder Containing Talc which calls on the company “to halt the sale of its talc-based Baby Powder globally to protect women and marginalized communities across the globe.” This resolution was proposed by Tulipshare Ltd., an activist-investor platform based in London, in support of worldwide condemnation of J&J’s hypocritical marketing strategy whereby toxic talc-based baby powder has been withdrawn from North America but remains on sale elsewhere. See: Johnson & Johnson Notice of Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement.
Legal Victory in Florence
Apr 22, 2022
On April 21, 2022, the Court of Appeal of Florence, Italy upheld the verdict of the Court of Grosseto which had condemned the Ministry of Economy and Finance for failing to prevent a former Marshall of the Finance Police from contracting asbestosis due to toxic workplace exposures. The 75-year old claimant will receive €50,000 (US$54,200) for his asbestos-related disability, arrears of €100,000+ ($108,400) and a monthly lifetime pension of €1,500 (US$1,626). Initially the Ministry had recognized the claim but then rejected it, as a result of which the case was brought to the Court of Grosseto. See: Amianto, maresciallo della finanza “vittima del dovere”: risarcimento e vitalizi [Asbestos, finance marshal “victim of duty”: compensation and annuities].
Supreme Court Affirms Workers’ Rights
Apr 21, 2022
The Brazilian Supreme Court this week accepted the opinion of the Attorney General’s Office which upheld the legitimacy of an administrative act (Ordinance 1851/2006) issued by the Ministry of Health (MoH) that stipulated that companies which had worked with asbestos provide a list of former employees to the authorities, so that health surveillance of those at-risk groups could be undertaken. The MoH ruling had been suspended by an injunction issued by the Superior Court of Justice after a company had filed a writ of mandamus. This injunction has now been annulled. See: AGU derruba no STJ liminar que prejudicaria controle de exposição ao amianto [AGU overturns an STJ injunction that would harm asbestos exposure control].
Asbestos Eradication Deadline
Apr 21, 2022
Today (April 21, 2022), a report was issued by the Parliamentary Work and Pensions Committee which called on the Government to commit to a deadline for removing all asbestos from 300,000 non-domestic UK buildings. Recognizing the deadly toll paid by workers for asbestos exposures, MPs concluded that: “We need a pan-government and “system-wide” strategy for the long-term removal of asbestos, founded on strong evidence of what is best from a scientific, epidemiological, and behavioural point of view.” Committee Chair MP Stephen Timms said: “the Government and HSE must now come up with a strategic plan which builds the evidence on safer removal and prioritises higher risk settings such as schools…” See: Set 40 year deadline for non-domestic building asbestos removal, MPs say.
Second Claim Succeeds for Asbestos Injury
Apr 21, 2022
On April 20, 2022, the widow of a factory worker who had contracted asbestos-related lung cancer and obtained 8.4 million yen (US$65,800) compensation from the Japanese Government, succeeded in another claim against the Government. In a settlement, the Government paid her 3.1 million yen (US$24,270) for the untimely death caused by her husband’s exposure to asbestos at the Hashima City factory where he had worked for the Nichias company. See: アスベスト訴訟で国と和解 死亡で国と再び和解が成立 [Settlement with the country in asbestos proceedings. Another settlement reached due to death [of victim]].
Toxic Environment in West Singhbhum
Apr 21, 2022
Inhabitants of a tribal village in the Indian State of Jharkhand continue to suffer from diseases caused by exposure to asbestos fibers and waste material scattered throughout the region as a consequence of decades of asbestos mining. Huge mountains of chrysotile (white) asbestos tailings dominate the landscape of local villages and lung complaints and breathing difficulties are very common. Due to a lack of medical capacity, patients are forced to travel far afield – to Ranchi, Hyderabad, Delhi – to access medical treatment. See: Asbestos mining health hazards continues to plague this tribal village in Jharkhand.
Court Fines for Asbestos Crimes
Apr 21, 2022
Justice Duggan of the Land and Environment Court of News South Wales (NSW), Australia issued a fine of A$270,000 to Munaf Al-Sarray, an employee of Ace Demolition and Excavation Pty Ltd., who pleaded guilty to falsifying paperwork for the disposal of asbestos waste at two NSW landfills in February and May 2017. The Judge noted that because of the presence of asbestos, the offence “could have resulted in a risk of harm to the environment and community safety.” See: EPA fines Ace Demolition employee $270,000 for falsifying waste dockets.
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 21, 2022
The Department of Education of Catalonia, an autonomous community of Spain, has announced that it has allocated €11 million (~US$12m) over the next three years for its program to eradicate asbestos from its schools. The budget is for work to be undertaken at 39 schools. Much of the work will consist of the removal of toxic asbestos roofing which was widely used before Spain banned asbestos use in 2002. A 2017 map made by the Department of Education revealed that asbestos had been identified in 291 schools and institutes not only in roofing but also in downspouts, pipes and blackboards. See: Cataluña invertirá 11 millones para retirar el amianto de 39 escuelas en tres años [Catalonia will invest 11 million to remove asbestos from 39 schools in three years].
Jharkhand’s Asbestos Legacy
Apr 19. 2022
Decades of asbestos mining in the Roro hills of the Indian State of Jharkhand have left their mark on the landscape as well as the people. According to the article cited below, many elderly people in a dozen local villages believe that their lung conditions and breathing difficulties are a direct result of their environmental exposures to asbestos. Although asbestos mining in Jharkhand ended in 1983, no efforts have been made to remediate the mines or areas surrounding them. In 2019, the National Green Tribunal ordered Jharkhand officials to remove the toxic waste; up to now, no decontamination work has been undertaken. See: The ghost of asbestos mining continues to haunt this tribal village in Jharkhand.
Asbestos Disease Hotspots in High Use Areas
Apr 19, 2022
The findings of Brazilian researchers published in the March 19, 2022 issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reported that between 2000 and 2017, there was excess mortality from typical asbestos-related diseases (ARD-T: mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural plaques) as well as an excess of lung cancer deaths in both sexes and ovarian cancer deaths in women in areas where asbestos mines and asbestos-cement plants had operated. It was concluded that: “Analytical studies are necessary to document the impact of asbestos exposure on health, particularly in the future, given the long latency of asbestos-related cancers.” See: Sex-Specific Mortality from Asbestos-Related Diseases, Lung and Ovarian Cancer in Municipalities with High Asbestos Consumption, Brazil, 2000–2017.
EPA Asbestos Ban: Review
Apr 19, 2022
The ubiquity of asbestos-containing products throughout the United States remains a potent human hazard despite steps by the Biden administration to outlaw future use of chrysotile (white) asbestos. Scientists, medical experts and campaigners decried a draft ban by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as insufficient and inadequate in light of historic use of asbestos products which have become part of the national infrastructure. According to the author of the article cited below: “The agency is expected to look at legacy uses in the future, but it could be years before potential risks are assessed, let alone addressed.” See: Despite new regulations, US faces major asbestos problem.
Marking World Earth Day
Apr 19, 2022
April 22, 2022 – World Earth Day – will see students from schools in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato (CM), take part in “flash mob” activities to depict themes including the asbestos legacy in CM, whose residents continue to contract lethal diseases from the exploitation of asbestos at the former Eternit asbestos-cement factory. The plant was closed down in 1986 and the industrial area remediated. On the site of the former factory stands a public park called Eternot; this is where the students will perform throughout the day. The asbestos actions will be in support of litigation in Novara on behalf of 392 CM residents who died from asbestos diseases. See: Un grande flash mob per le vittime dell'amianto e per l'ambiente [A great flash mob for asbestos victims and the environment].
Initiative to Support Asbestos Victims
Apr 19, 202
On April 24, 2022 a meeting is being held in Maebashi, a city in the Kanto region of central Japan, by the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Disease Patients and Family Association (Kita-Kantou Branch) to identify and inform people at high-risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). Speakers will include people who have been diagnosed with ARDs and bereaved family members who will share their experiences and explain issues, including how to access medical and financial support for the injured. See: 石綿被害を訴えて 24日に前橋で相談会 患者や遺族の講演も [Consultation meeting at Maebashi on the 24th to consider asbestos damage. Lectures by patients and bereaved families].
The Ongoing Asbestos Legacy
Apr 19, 2022
The widespread use of asbestos in Spain has left a dangerous legacy for workers, members of the public and the environment. At work, school and home, people are unknowingly being exposed to toxic material which remains hidden within walls, on roofs, in automobile engines, on ships and in many other places where asbestos-containing products had been used. Despite the best efforts of the country’s Labor Inspectors, the toxic exposures continue. See: La inconsciencia, espontánea o inducida, en el manejo laboral del amianto y en algunos de nuestros actos cotidianos [Unconscious, spontaneous or intentional occupational handling of asbestos in some of our daily acts].
Claimant’s Ruling for J&J Victim
Apr 14, 2022
On April 12, 2022, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan ruled that despite bankruptcy proceedings freezing asbestos claims against Johnson & Johnson (J&J), a lawsuit could proceed on behalf of the family of a deceased plaintiff who had sued the company in 1986. The plaintiff dropped his lawsuit when J&J produced evidence showing that no tests had been done which showed that J&J talc contained asbestos. This was a lie. Because of the falsehoods told by the company, the case can proceed. J&J said it “will defend the case if it proceeds.” See: Johnson & Johnson Can’t Block Lawsuit Claiming It Lied About Asbestos in Talc.
Manslaughter Convictions in Palermo
Apr 14, 2022
Former managers of the Fincantieri Shipbuilding facility in Palermo were given prison sentences by an Italian Court which found them guilty of the manslaughter of 21 workers. The accused, Antonino Cipponeri and Giuseppe Cortesi, were told they must spend 2 years and 8 months and 3 years in prison, respectively, for having failed to take mandatory precautions to protect the workforce from toxic exposures to asbestos and asbestos-containing products used in the shipyard. To secure compensation for their loved ones’ deaths, the surviving families will have to launch a civil action. See: Amianto: condannati ex vertici Fincantieri Palermo [Asbestos: former Fincantieri Palermo leaders sentenced].
Successful Asbestos Prosecutions in B.C.
Apr 14, 2022
Two construction companies in British Columbia (B.C.) were recently fined over infringements of workplace asbestos regulations after prosecutions by the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia, (WorkSafeBC), a statutory agency tasked with preventing occupational injuries and illnesses. Talofa Removals & Demolition Ltd. was fined $5,000 for multiple deficiencies in its procedures for handling asbestos-containing materials during a pre-demolition asbestos abatement assessment. Army Pre-Demolition Ltd. was fined $2,500 for failing to comply with multiple requests for the submission of asbestos waste disposal records. See: Four B.C. construction firms fined over OHS violations.
Calls to Replace Water Pipes
Apr 14, 2022
A new study published by the International Water Association’s Water Supply Journal of the University of Otago’s School of Geography concluded that underground asbestos-cement pipes in many Christchurch suburbs were releasing asbestos fibers into the city’s main water supply. Over 40% of the city’s water is delivered via aging asbestos-cement pipes. Having sampled water at 35 locations across the city, the researchers found “abundant evidence” of asbestos fibers. Calls by the authors of this paper for a systematic replacement of the aging pipework were widely supported. See: Call for pipe upgrades after asbestos found in Christchurch drinking water.
Asbestos Remediation of Barcelona Metro
Apr 14, 2022
More than 8,500 kilograms of asbestos cement have been removed from the Maragall metro station in Barcelona as part of the ongoing asbestos remediation program of the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona [Barcelona Metropolitan Transport System (TMB)]. Sections of this metro line were out of service from April 9 to 18 to allow this work to proceed. Those commuters affected by the closure have been able to use alternative transport such as coaches being run by TMB to serve the area. See: Retiran más de 8.000 kilos de amianto en la estación de metro de Maragall [More than 8,000 kilos of asbestos have been removed from Maragall metro station].
Scotland’s Regime on Pleural Plaques
Apr 13, 2022
In Chapter 4 of the 95-page discussion paper (no. 174) by the Scottish Law Commission, published in February 2022, the subject of provisional damages and asbestos-related diseases was considered: “While accepting that each case is fact-sensitive, it is possible that the law on provisional damages as it operates in the context of pleural plaques in combination with the law on limitation and the 2009 Act may produce some inequitable results, and on any view, a high degree of uncertainty.” Interested parties were invited to give their views on whether current rules on provisional damages for pleural plaques claimants were equitable and if not what improvements should be made. See: Scottish Law Commission’s Discussion Paper on Damages for Personal Injury.
Operation of Compensation Scheme
Apr 13, 2022
The article cited below provided information on the operations of a new government entity set up by the Japanese Government to provide compensation to construction workers injured as a result of occupational exposures to asbestos. The establishment of the administrative scheme became necessary after a landmark decision was handed down by the Supreme Court in 2021 that found that the Government had been negligent in failing to take timely action in recognizing the human health hazard posed by exposures to asbestos. See: アスベストによる健康被害 給付金制度創設、救済に光 [Health damage caused by asbestos, establishing a benefit system].
Supporting Injured in Castilla-La Mancha
Apr 13, 2022
On March 31, 2022, The National Institute of Social Security and the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha signed an agreement to undertake joint actions in relation to workers suffering from diseases caused by occupational exposures to asbestos. A working group will be constituted by the two parties to consider measures to identify and support individuals who have been adversely impacted by employment in workplaces where asbestos-containing products were made or used. See: El personal afectado por amianto recibirá atención para concretar cómo afectó este residuo a su capacidad laboral [Personnel affected by asbestos will receive attention to specify how this residue affected their work capacity].
Asbestos Link to Head and Neck Cancers?
Apr 13, 2022
An article by French researchers which appeared in the online version of the British Medical Journal last week reported that there was “a significant dose–response relationship between CEI [cumulative exposure index] of exposure to asbestos and head and neck cancers” based on an analysis of a cohort of 13,481 male workers who had been occupationally exposed to asbestos between October 2003 and December 2005. The study concluded that a relationship existed “between asbestos exposure and head and neck cancers, after exclusion of laryngeal cancers, regardless of whether associated pleural plaques were present.” See: Head and neck cancer and asbestos exposure.
Compensation for Asbestos Victims
Apr 11, 2022
On April 8, 2022, Brazil’s Federal Public Ministry and the Public Ministry of the State of Bahia announced that they had guaranteed a reserve of approximately R$ 8.9 million (US$1.9m) to secure priority compensation payments to 49 people in the town of Bom Jesus da Serra, Bahia whose lives had been damaged by exposure to asbestos created by the mining operations of the Sama S/A Minerações Associadas company at the São Félix asbestos mine between 1940 and 1968. See: Contaminados por amianto, moradores do sul da BA ganham direito a prioridade no recebimento de indenizações [Contaminated by asbestos, residents of southern BA are entitled to priority in receiving compensation].
Justice in Naples for the Asbestos Dead?
Apr 11, 2022
Last week, the Court of Assizes in Naples sentenced 74-year old Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny to 3 years and 6 months in an Italian prison for the manslaughter of Antonio Balestrieri, an employee from the Eternit asbestos factory in Bagnoli. When charges brought by the Public Prosecutor over six other deaths were ruled to have been time-barred or invalid due to a technicality, family members shouted out “shame.” The verdict is being appealed by both sides. See: Morti da amianto all'Eternit di Bagnoli, una sola condanna per omicidio colposo. I parenti delle vittime: “Vergogna” [Deaths from asbestos in Eternit’s Bagnoli plant, only one conviction for manslaughter. Relatives of the victims: “Shame”].
Asbestos Hazard at California Prison
Apr 11, 2022
In early 2022, trade union officials issued complaints to US authorities over multiple failings at a Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin California that included the existence of deteriorating asbestos-containing products throughout the facility. Their complaints have been found to be accurate by a government watchdog. As a result, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel has requested that Attorney General Merrick Garland undertake an investigation and report back within 60 days. According to Emery Nelson, spokesman for the Bureau of Prisons: “All safety concerns reported by staff are being addressed.” See: Feds Accused of Ignoring Asbestos, Mold at Women's Prison.
Toxic Landscaping in Korean Park
Apr 11, 2022
At a press conference on April 7, 2022, Korean environmental groups – the Incheon-Gyeonggi Environmental Movement Federation, Environmental Health Citizens' Center, and Korea Asbestos Expulsion Network – lambasted the authorities for failing to act on the hazard posed by the presence of asbestos-contaminated ornamental stones landscaping Incheon Park, which has 4 million visitors every year. A spokesperson told journalists that the temporary measures taken to minimize the health hazard were unacceptable and that the contamination must be eradicated as a matter of priority. See: 시민건강 위협 인천대공원 석면조경석 철거해야 [People’s health threatened, Incheon Grand Park asbestos landscaping stone must be removed].
Contentious Decision by Basque Court
Apr 11, 2022
A court in the Basque city of San Sebastián last week ruled that the widow and children of a worker who had died from lung cancer having been exposed to asbestos at the Pedro Orbegozo-Acenor foundry should only receive half of the sum awarded in April 2021 by the National Social Security Institute. The reason for cutting the compensation from €159,754 (US$174,000) to €80,000 was the deceased’s smoking history. A group representing asbestos victims condemned this decision, stating that it was “cynical and immoral to exculpate or minimize corporate responsibility by blaming individual consumption habits as the cause of illnesses.” See: Un juez reduce a la mitad la indemnización de amianto por ser la víctima fumadora [A judge cuts asbestos compensation in half on account of a victim’s smoking history].
Unexplored Asbestos Legacy
Apr 11, 2022
A paper published by three Albanian researchers in February 2022 in the International Journal of Latest Research in Engineering and Technology provided useful information about the country’s asbestos industry which continues to use asbestos unhindered by regulations. According to the authors, the vast majority (70%) of the asbestos consumed in Albania today is used for the manufacture of asbestos-cement building products. Between 1930 and 1990, approximately 190,000 tons of asbestos were used. The authors called on the government to ban asbestos immediately and to introduce protections for workers and the public in line with EU regulations and guidelines. See: Presence of Asbestos in Albania, an Approach.
Asbestos Eradication at Wittenom?
Apr 6, 2022
As a result of legislation passed by the Parliament of Western Australia, the remaining homes and buildings in the toxic asbestos mining town of Wittenoom will be destroyed. However, remediating the extensive asbestos contamination in the town and surrounding areas would be, said one expert, “one of the biggest and most complex mine site rehabilitations in history.” Dr Adam Cross estimated that the clean-up could cost $100+ million. The original owners of the land, the Banjima native title holders of the Pilbara, remain adamant that they want the land cleansed and returned to their ownership. See: Wittenoom is officially closed, but can the asbestos be cleaned up?
Asbestos Blight in Toledo
Apr 6, 2022
Contamination of a residential neighborhood and local river in Toledo, Spain by asbestos-cement waste has long been a contentious issue in the city. The Ombudsman has been monitoring the situation and has lately intervened demanding updates from the City Council and Vice-Ministry of the Environment regarding progress of asbestos remediation in the Santa María de Benquerencia neighborhood. The Ombudsman called on the authorities to report back on the work being carried out. See: El Defensor del Pueblo propone análisis continuos del amianto [The Ombudsman proposes continuous analyses of asbestos].
J&J Condemned by Grieving Mother
Apr 6, 2022
The tragic case of Hannah Wilt, who died on February 14, 2022 at the age of 27 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, was the focus of the article cited below, which explored the means put in place by Johnson and Johnson to avoid paying compensation to people injured by exposures to asbestos fibers contained in their talc-based baby powder. The fact that one of the wealthiest corporations in the US had dodged claims from dying plaintiffs was described as “heartless” and “ruthless” by Hanah’s Mother who said: “It's disgusting that for monetary gain they will stop at nothing.” See: Rich companies are using a quiet tactic to block lawsuits: bankruptcy.
Union’s Asbestos Alert in Cherbourg
Apr 6, 2022
At a special meeting of the Social and Economic Committee held on April 1, 2022 by the Cherbourg Naval Group of the CGT trade union, warnings were given about the presence of asbestos in ten buildings, with union officials demanding guarantees that all employees would be protected from toxic exposures. Asbestos contamination of the Radiguet building had already been confirmed and the building was closed. The results of other tests from the site are awaited. See: Amiante: la CGT de Naval Group « ne veut pas créer de psychose » mais… [Asbestos: Naval Group's CGT "does not want to create psychosis" but...].
Legal Victory in Florida for UK Widow
Apr 6, 2022
A jury in a circuit court in Broward County southeast Florida awarded British citizen Roseann Donovan $18 million dollars in a case she brought over her husband’s death from asbestos cancer. Marine engineer Michael Donovan had worked in the boiler rooms and engineering spaces in Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships operated by the UK Ministry of Defence. Most of the vessels had been built in the 1960s and contained asbestos products which had been made in the US. See: Broward Jury Awards $18 Million to Foreign Plaintiff in Asbestos Case.
Distribution of Mesothelioma Cases
Apr 6, 2022
A paper by Australian researchers in the online May 2022 issue of the Lung Cancer Journal examined the geographic incidence and survival rates for people who contracted the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma in Australia. Whilst the number of cases varied throughout the country, the incidence rate was lower in remote areas and higher in major cities; “survival was uniformly poor.” Some clusters of disease could can be explained, the scientists reported, “by the location of historical mines and asbestos-related industries.” See: Geographic distribution of malignant mesothelioma incidence and survival in Australia.
Government Support for Asbestos Industry
Apr 4, 2022
As a result of the economic sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Russian asbestos exports have been blocked. As Russia is the largest producer and exporter of asbestos fiber, the difficulties this sector its experiencing are of national concern. According to a news report of March 31, Orenburg Minerals – Russia’s largest asbestos conglomerate – has reported “problems even with the delivery of products to China [which can be sent by rail]. Problems with payment have been resolved only with India and China; they are being solved with Turkey and Iran.” See: Субсидии в 200 млн рублей на процентную ставку выделили оренбургским предпринимателям [Subsidies of 200 million rubles for the interest rate were allocated to Orenburg entrepreneurs].
Legal Win for Mechanic’s Family
Apr 4, 2022
An appeal by the family of deceased mechanic Pedro Orbegozo-Acenor was successful last week when the Superior Court of Justice in Donostia, Spain awarded his heirs compensation of €313,000 (US$346,000) for his 2020 death from asbestos-related lung cancer. The Court ruled that between 1969 and 1992 five companies had failed to protect him from toxic workplace exposures. In a previous court ruling, the family’s claim had been dismissed with a verdict which acquitted the companies and blamed the disease on the victim’s smoking history. See: Cinco empresas tendrán que indemnizar con 313.000 euros a los herederos de un trabajador con cáncer por amianto [Five companies will have to compensate the heirs of a worker with asbestos cancer with 313,000 euros].
Victims’ Ruling by Kobe Court
Apr 4, 2022
On March 31, 2022, Judge Satoshi Saito of the Kobe District Court awarded compensation of 20.8 million yen (US$164,000) each to three men who had been employed at the Kobe docks unloading and handling asbestos cargo from the mid-1950s and, as a result, contracted asbestos-related lung cancer. The Judge ruled that according to Japanese law, the employers were required to have protected the workers from exposures to dangerous substances; they failed to do so. See: 神戸港貨物確認元従業員 アスベストで肺がん 法人に賠償命令 [Compensation awarded to former employees from Kobe Port who Contracted Lung Cancer after Unloading Asbestos Cargo].
Mesothelioma Causation: Update
Apr 4, 2022
The results of research by American scientists could pave the way for a better understanding of how mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, is caused and how it can be prevented. A research team, led by Dr. Christian Mosimann, at the Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado and their international partners reported last week that in numerous mesothelioma tumors the Hand2 protein – normally dormant after the embryonic stages of life – is reactivated. This discovery could help doctors develop better treatments and therapies for mesothelioma patients. See: Study Shows Critical Protein May Play a Role in Origin of Mesothelioma.
Improving Asbestos Protection in BC
Apr 4, 2022
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (BC) is currently considering legislation (Bill 5 – 2022) to help protect workers from occupational exposures to asbestos. Under the draft proposal, all asbestos abatement contractors in BC would be required to operate under license. Furthermore, asbestos removal operatives as well as supervisory staff would need to complete safety training. The proposed law details measures for developing the new licensing and certification schemes for the asbestos abatement industry. See: B.C. plans to license asbestos contractors, require mandatory training and certification for workers.
Confronting Italy’s Asbestos Legacy
Apr 4, 2022
The scathing commentary referenced below, about the betrayal of Italy’s asbestos victims by employers, “partisan consultants,” self-interested professionals and multiple courts, explained how vast financial resources had been disbursed to protect parties responsible for causing a national disaster. The author reported that by the end of the 21st century, asbestos-related diseases will have caused 100,000 deaths in Italy and the expenditure of over 100 billion euros for decontamination work. “At the current disposal rates we will,” he wrote “be an asbestos free country only in the last years of the century.” See: “Il silenzio dell’amianto”: un libro-inchiesta sulla guerra giudiziaria contro le vittime del lavoro [“Asbestos silence”: an investigation of the judicial war against the victims of work].
Johnson & Johnson Russian U-Turn!
Mar 31, 2022
Responding to global condemnation of its continued presence in Russia despite Western sanctions, the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J) announced on March 29, 2022 that it would stop selling some of its products in Russia. It will also stop enrolling patients in clinical drug trials it was running in Russia. Whilst the company seems to have responded to public pressure in this instance, it has not yet reversed measures put in place to prevent cancer patients from suing the company over injuries they sustained from the use of its asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder. See: J&J to stop selling personal care products in Russia.
Dangerous Developments in Ankara
Mar 31, 2022
The Ankara Cement Factory is due for demolition as part of a huge regeneration plan which will include the construction of a residential area, commercial units and a special education zone. The overlapping involvement of local and regional public institutions has been problematic, say technical experts concerned about the asbestos fallout from the demolition of this factory which will, they say, endanger local people as well as construction workers, harm the ecosystem and pollute the environment via contamination of air, soil, rivers and lakes. See: Uzmanlar: Ankara Çimento Fabrikası yıkılırsa asbest yayılacak [Experts: Asbestos will spread if Ankara Cement Factory is destroyed].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 31, 2022
A report issued on March 16, 2022 by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee raised concerns about the Department for Education’s: “understanding of asbestos within the school estate. Asbestos is a significant, and potentially dangerous, problem in many schools. We have previously found that the Department did not have a complete picture of asbestos in school buildings… it has still not earmarked specific funding for asbestos management, or determined whether this is a barrier to schools engaging with the Department on asbestos risks.” The Department has been given 6 months to produce a report showing “its full understanding of asbestos across the estate…” See: Tens of millions of public money used to “prop up” poorly managed academy schools with potentially excessive levels of pay.
No Justice for Jussieu’s Asbestos Victims
Mar 31, 2022
French asbestos victims reacted angrily to the dismissal by a Paris Court of an asbestos case brought more than 26 years ago for people who received toxic asbestos exposures at Jussieu University. The verdict supported arguments that there was a: “scientific impossibility (…) of determining (…) at what moment or even at what period the contamination took place.” Commenting on this news, a spokesperson for the Jussieu Anti-Asbestos Committee said that the dismissal was “scientifically and legally erroneous” and claimed that the Committee had accumulated evidence which incriminated those responsible for the death of “thousands” of people. See: Amiante à Jussieu: 26 ans de procédure et un non-lieu [Asbestos in Jussieu: 26 years of proceedings and a dismissal].
Illegal Demolition in Oran
Mar 31, 2022
The destruction of 500 prefabricated buildings in Oran, a major coastal city in the north-west of Algeria, has caused public unrest, as they contained asbestos-cement. Former residents say that since the 1980s, 100 people had died due to toxic exposures in the units. There was no asbestos audit made prior to the demolition and no asbestos removal carried out before the demolition crews moved in last week. Algeria banned asbestos in 2009 and according to regulations, a company specialized in asbestos removal should have been employed to decontaminate the building to prevent the release of asbestos fibers into the air. Police suspended work on March 27 for further investigations. See: Demolition de “Batimate Taliane” a Oran. Quid du danger de l’amiante? [Demolition of “Batimate Taliane” in Oran. What about the danger of asbestos?]
Asbestos Remediation in Getafe
Mar 31, 2022
At its most recent plenary session, the City Council of Getafe, a city in the Community of Madrid, approved a motion obliging landowners to remediate asbestos contamination dumped on their land. According to politician Ángel Muñoz, who addressed the meeting, asbestos audits have already been carried out in 80% of municipal buildings. A coalition of political parties urged the authorities in Getafe to embrace harsh measures to end illegal fly-tipping of asbestos waste in order to comply with goals set out in the Strategy for Reconstruction and Resilience of the Community of Madrid. See: GETAFE / Los propietarios de terrenos tendrán que ‘eliminar’ los vertidos con amianto [GETAFE / Landowners will have to ‘eliminate’ dumping of [waste containing] asbestos].
Expanding Domestic Asbestos Markets
Mar 28, 2022
Long-term plans by Russian asbestos producers such as Orenburg Minerals to expand domestic markets for chrysotile (white) asbestos are coming online at an apposite time. Due to sanctions imposed on exports as a result of Putin’s war on Ukraine, the majority of asbestos shipments scheduled for export has been blocked. By developing a new range of asbestos-cement building products which are aggressively promoted with misleading assurances such as “Chrysotile is a safe, controlled use mineral” which is “fully recyclable in the environment,” stakeholders seek to increase national consumption of asbestos. See: Фибратек – Всегда Доступное Качество [Fibratek – Always Affordable Quality].
Dealing with Toxic Waste Dumps
Mar 28, 2022
Quebec politicians and commercial interests responded positively to last week’s announcement by the Quebec Government which promised investment over the next six years of $61 million to address the environmental situation created by decades of asbestos mining. Mountains of toxic waste dominate the landscape throughout the region; as they contain a significant percentage of asbestos fibers, they continue to endanger life. Plans to process tailings to reclaim valuable minerals which, said the President of 3R Minéral Inc, “is the only viable, environmental and economic solution to address a major long-standing environmental issue in the region,” are being contested by environmental campaigners. See: Les résidus d’amiante et miniers au cœur des priorités ciblées [Asbestos and mining residues at the heart of targeted priorities].
Medical Outreach Initiative in Busan
Mar 28, 2022
On March 25, 2022, Busan City announced that it would be providing free medical check-ups for 1,000 people who had lived near asbestos mines, shipyards or asbestos-processing factories because of the environmental hazard posed by toxic fibers liberated from such locations. Busan was the first Korean city to pioneer such an outreach project, with the first screenings taking place in 2008. The examinations this year will, once again, be conducted by personnel from the Asbestos Environmental Health Center at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital; to date, the Center has screened 21,092 people, of whom 624 had an asbestos-related disease. See: 부산시, 석면 피해 지역주민에 '찾아가는 건강검진' 실시 [‘Visiting health check-ups’ for residents affected by asbestos in Busan].
Local Elevation of Airborne Asbestos Levels
Mar 28, 2022
On March 23, 2022 information was released by Japan’s Ministry of Environment which confirmed that some of the data from routine testing for airborne asbestos levels at 40 locations throughout the country was disturbing. While asbestos concentration in the general environment has been decreasing in recent years, elevated levels continue to be found in areas where asbestos processing or mining had taken place. Investigations are ongoing and measures to protect at-risk citizens are being considered. See: 北海道ノザワ工場から「ほぼ毎年」アスベスト飛散か 最大で住宅地の150倍超 環境省・検討会で指摘 [Ministry of the Environment Study shows, levels of [airborne] asbestos from Hokkaido's Nozawa plant are up to 150 times [average] residential area values "almost every year"].
J&J Pioneers Toxic Legal Stratagems
Mar 28, 2022
The headline of the article cited below is considered by some to be one the more insulting in recent memory as it triumphs as a victory the disenfranchisement of people dying from cancer contracted through exposure to asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder sold by the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J). The author explored the ramifications of a February 2022 court decision allowing J&J to exploit a legal loophole to avoid its liabilities and considered how other defendants facing product-liability claims like 3M Co., and Dow Inc. might also dump claims to protect the corporate bottom line. See: J&J’s Victory Over Cancer Victims Clears Path for 3M, Others.
ADF Asbestos Exposures in Tonga
Mar 28, 2022
Members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) who had been deployed for six weeks to assist people in Tonga in the aftermath of the devastating January 2022 tsunami have expressed concerns about their exposures to asbestos debris during clean-up operations on the archipelago. The ADF confirmed “that members of Operation Tonga Assist discovered asbestos material while clearing debris and destroyed local infrastructure on Atata Island after the January disaster.” See: Asbestos scare emerges as HMAS Adelaide's troubled Tonga mission concludes.
Final Days for Wittenoom Properties
Mar 25, 2022
Although Western Australia’s toxic township of Wittenoom – for decades home to a mine producing crocidolite (blue) asbestos fiber – was officially degazetted in 2007, “idiotic” tourists still travel to the town despite the deadly nature of the risks of spending time in such a contaminated site. On March 24, 2022, it was announced that the Wittenoom Closure Bill had been passed by the WA Parliament as a result of which the state government will be allowed to acquire and demolish the final properties remaining in private hands. According to Lands Minister John Carey, the law signals the end to Wittenoom as a destination: “There will be, in effect, nothing left to visit,” he said. See: WA Government bill to close asbestos-riddled town Wittenoom ends ‘dark chapter’ of state's history.
Asbestos Ruling in Fukuoka!
Mar 25, 2022
On March 24, 2022, the Fukuoka High Court dismissed an appeal by Kitakyushu City and a building maintenance company which had been found guilty by a lower court of having exposed a worker to asbestos at the Kitakyushu City Gymnasium in 1990; as a result of that exposure, he died aged 78. Judge Yoshiaki Moritomi upheld the verdict of the Fukuoka District Court ordering the defendants to pay the family 25.8 million yen (US$211,000). According to the claimant’s lawyer, the 2020 decision by the District Court was the first in Japan to recognize the responsibility of local governments for public facilities which contained asbestos. See: アスベスト訴訟控訴審も北九州市に賠償命令 福岡高裁 [Asbestos proceedings appeal also ordered compensation to Kitakyushu City Fukuoka High Court].
Make Asbestos Action a Priority
Mar 25, 2022
On March 22, 2022, the European Public Service Union (ESPU) – representing 8 million European public service workers – issued a press release calling on the European Commission to take urgent steps to protect workers from asbestos. Amongst the measures called for to stop toxic exposures to firefighters, emergency services providers, demolition and asbestos removal operatives and others, the EPSU called for a substantial reduction of permissible occupational asbestos exposure levels in light of the fact that “there is no threshold under which asbestos fiber air concentration is harmless and protection of any worker coming into contact with asbestos fiber is a vital matter.” See: EPSU calls on the Commission to stop asbestos deaths.
Asbestos Cancer Case Begins!
Mar 25, 2022
On March 24, 2022, a trial in a personal injury lawsuit began in a court in the Spanish city of Donostia, in the north west of the country. The case was brought by the family of a man who had worked as a painter / welder at two companies between 1968 and 1999. Both companies – Productos Isolantes (Paisa), now known as Ercross, and Zardoya Otis – are accused of causing his 2020 death by failing to take timely and effective action to protect him from workplace exposures to asbestos. The family is claiming compensation of €136,783 (US$~150,000). See: Ercross y Zardoya serán juzgados por amianto [Ercross and Zardoya will be tried for asbestos [offences]].
Report from Novara Asbestos Trial
Mar 25, 2022
The criminal trial of Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny, accused of the voluntary murder of 392 Italians, resumed on March 21, with testimony from 15 witnesses called to provide alternative explanations as to how their relatives were killed by asbestos. This ploy is an attempt by the defendant’s legal team to “prove” that it was other asbestos and not that liberated by the operations of the Eternit plant in Casale Monferrato between 1976 and 1986 – when Schmidheiny was in charge – which had caused the fatal illnesses. Did your Mother’s family have an asbestos-cement roof on its chicken coop? garage? shed? The trial continues on March 28. See: Eternit Bis, l’auto blu tutta puntinata di «lentiggini» di polvere [Eternit Bis, the blue car all speckled with “freckles” of dust].
Use of New Technology to Track Asbestos
Mar 25, 2022
The small Spanish town of Vivares in the Badajoz Province announced this week that it had completed work on an audit of asbestos roofing on private and public buildings using a new technology, called Spatial Geolocation of Materials with Asbestos, which is capable of geolocating asbestos cement roofs and classifying them according to their age and areas of contamination. According to the Mayor, the town will now be able to implement action plans for the phased replacement of these toxic roofs. See: Vivares crea el primer censo de edificios con amianto [Vivares creates the first census of buildings with asbestos].
Impact of Sanctions on Asbestos Sector
Mar 23, 2022
On March 22, Uralasbest – Russia’s 2nd biggest asbestos group – announced it was asking the Russian government to implement measures to mitigate the financial impacts of the country’s war on Ukraine. The company was requesting help to circumvent sanctions on exports so that asbestos shipments by sea might be restarted to crucial markets which included 35 countries throughout Asia. In 2020, the largest importers of Russian asbestos were: India ($67M), China ($38.5M), Indonesia ($22M), Sri Lanka ($9.4M), Vietnam ($9.4M), Uzbekistan ($7.8M), Thailand ($7.6M) & Bangladesh ($6.5M). See: «Ураласбест» попросил федеральное правительство помочь экспортёрам с [Uralasbest asks the federal government to help exporters with logistics].
New Asbestos Benefits Law Payments
Mar 23, 2022
On March 18, 2022, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced that it had paid compensation to the first tranche of applicants pursuant to the new Construction Asbestos Benefits Law. On March 2, 86 claims were approved from construction workers who had sprayed asbestos or worked at certain indoor workshops during specific time periods. The successful applicants included employees, self-employed workers and owners of small and medium-sized businesses, who had contracted asbestos-related illnesses. While compensation amounts vary, the maximum payout is 13 million yen (~US$107,500). See: 「建設アスベスト給付金法」に基づく給付金を初めて支給 [First payment of benefits based on the Construction Asbestos Benefits Law].
Hidden Truths in Company Archive
Mar 23, 2022
The article cited below which appeared in the online version of The Guardian on Sunday, March 20, 2022 examined information in documents belonging to Cape Asbestos and associated companies which had been preserved as a result of a lengthy legal battle by the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum (the Forum). Taken collectively, the journalist said that it was clear that Cape “withheld information on risks posed by the carcinogenic material [asbestos], playing down the dangers while lobbying the government for product warnings to be tempered.” See: UK asbestos maker withheld information on material’s risks, court papers show.
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 23, 2022
A concerned father of a 4-year old nursery school pupil in southern France has reported that samples of building rubble stored in front of the school, which he had tested in February 2022, contained up to 15% chrysotile (white) asbestos. Eleven tonnes of toxic waste had been removed from the building’s roof many months ago and left in situ in non-waterproof bags. Replying to the report submitted by the parent, town hall officials said: “the asbestos treatment center in Perpignan had refused this waste because it was not in containers as stipulated by law: waterproof and with an asbestos logo/label.” See: Err Cerdagne) / Amiante à l’école: un parent d’élève dénonce un scandale municipal… [Err Cerdagne / Asbestos at school: a parent denounces a municipal scandal…].
Uralasbest on War Footing
Mar 23, 2022
Despite a substantial increase in profits for the financial year 2021, Russia’s 2nd largest asbestos conglomerate Uralasbest announced this week that it would not be paying dividends. On April 22, 2022, at the company’s Annual General Meeting, shareholders will be told: “A decision was made not to distribute profits due to the aggravation of the external economic situation. It is better not to spend these funds now, so that later there will be an opportunity to support production if there is not enough working capital.” See: Свердловский производитель асбеста отказался платить дивиденды [Sverdlovsk asbestos producer refused to pay dividends].
Special Asbestos Issue
Mar 23, 2022
The special Asbestos Issue of the peer-reviewed journal referenced below (uploaded this week) includes a collection of ten research papers from global authors on the adverse consequences for human health of asbestos exposures nationally as well as globally. Six of the papers were published in 2021 and the remaining four were published this year. Among the authors are some of the most renowned asbestos researchers in Brazil, Italy, Denmark, Colombia, Japan and Australia. See: Asbestos Exposure and Health Impact Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Calls for Action over Racist Policies
Mar 21, 2022
In a March 17, 2022 press release, lawyers representing African-American women with cancer claims against Johnson and Johnson called on the “Congressional Black Caucus to denounce Johnson & Johnson’s alleged exploitation of Black Americans and to close a legal loophole that allows the company to avoid properly compensating thousands of Black women who suffered ovarian cancer from the use of Johnson & Johnson’s powder products.” The lawyers said they were “shocked that Johnson & Johnson …would knowingly inflict physical, psychological, and financial harm on Black Americans not once, but three times.” See: Attorneys Ben Crump and Diandra “Fu” Debrosse Zimmermann Decry Alleged Johnson & Johnson Exploitation of Black Americans & Evasion of Responsibility.
Help for Asbestos Victims
Mar 21, 2022
An asbestos victims’ group – the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Diseases Patients and Family Association – organized an emergency asbestos hotline on March 18 to 20, to answer questions from potential claimants with asbestos injuries so that they might submit applications for benefits from a Japanese Government scheme due to close on March 27, 2022. The Association estimated that there were at least 20,000 eligible claims which have not yet been submitted. See: 石綿被害の電話相談、全国一斉で18～20日実施 27日請求期限 [Telephone consultation for asbestos damage, carried out nationwide from March 18 to 20; March 27 deadline for submission of claims].
Asbestos Trial: Update
Mar 21, 2022
On March 16, 2022, the defense team for billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny began presenting its case at the murder trial in Novara, Italy; the defendant is accused of causing 392 asbestos cancer deaths in his capacity as the CEO of the Swiss Eternit Group. Twenty relatives were called on to testify about the multiple exposures to asbestos, at work and elsewhere, experienced by the deceased. According to one observer, their evidence revealed “a community massively contaminated and workers grossly exposed without precautions or warnings from management.” The next hearing is on March 21. See: Eternit Bis, «Senza mascherine raschiavano i vetri della fabbrica per eliminare la crosta di polvere» [Eternit Bis, “Without masks they scraped the glass [windows] of the factory to remove encrusted dust”].
Asbestos Trial in Rouen
Mar 21, 2022
On March 15, 2022, a hearing started in Rouen in which the Department of Seine-Maritime stood accused of exposing employees to asbestos from April 14 to 17, 2015 during dismantling work on a ferry. The officers allege that they were exposed to asbestos whilst removing engine components from the tank; as a result of these actions, their lives and the lives of others at the site were endangered. The Prosecutors argued that there were no adequate risk assessment and prevention strategies, little or no training, no instructions to wear personal protective equipment and other serious failures to ensure compliance with mandatory regulations and guidelines. See: Rouen. Au tribunal, quatre agents ayant été exposés à l'amiante attaquent le Département [Rouen. In court, four agents who were exposed to asbestos attack the Department].
Public Asbestos Hazard Protest
Mar 21, 2022
Last week, campaigners and local people demonstrated outside Izmir’s shuttered Buca Prison to highlight the environmental health hazard posed by the destruction of a huge building which had not undergone any asbestos removal work. The protestors called on the Turkish authorities to stop the work and ensure that all health and safety regulations were observed on the site. Asbestos-containing building products were used in the construction in 1959 of the prison. See: Buca Cezaevi'nde asbest tehlikesi: Halkın sağlığını, ranta kurban etmeyin [The danger of asbestos in Buca Prison: Do not sacrifice public health for profit].
Recognition of Occupational Asbestos Cases
Mar 21. 2022
Of the 18 cases of workplace asbestos-related diseases that the National Institute of Social Security has confirmed – 10 of the claimants have died – just six cases lodged by public transport workers have been officially recognized. The first Madrid Metro worker whose occupational claim was accepted was Julián Martín, who died aged 60 in October 2018 from asbestos cancer. As a result of the furore caused by his death, the Madrid Metro committed to a program of asbestos eradication throughout its network. On March 16, the Works Committee of the Madrid Metro called for stoppages to protest at management’s lack of progress. See: 10 trabajadores de Metro de Madrid fallecidos por el amianto en cinco años y un proceso penal pendiente [10 Madrid Metro workers killed by asbestos in five years and criminal proceedings are pending].
Asbestos in Imported Beehive Smokers
Mar 18, 2022
Australian authorities this week issued a warning to beekeepers about the likely presence of asbestos fibers in imported beekeeping equipment such as battery-powered electric and manual smokers purchased online. The manual models can have asbestos fabric in the bellows while the electric models are often made with bonded asbestos. All imports of products containing asbestos are illegal in Australia and people importing these banned products could incur heavy fines as well as prison sentences. Between September 2021 and January 31, 2022, the Australian Border force identified 39 bee smokers suspected of containing asbestos. See: Asbestos Warning for Beekeepers.
Human Stupidity as Seen in Asbestos Town
Mar 18, 2022
The essay cited below by author Bjarne Knausgard appeared on the Heisenberg Report, a virtual portal for political and economic news, on March 13, 2022. The starting point for this esoteric political-philosophical-economic discussion was the installation located at the entry to Asbest, Russia’s asbestos mono-town, which features a coat of arms of asbestos fibers and the text: Asbest, my town and my fate. With phrases such as “malignant stupidity,” “turbocapitalism” and a “myopic ecological experimentation,” readers are left in no doubt about the author’s rejection of the municipal slogan which he believes has helped create “a slow death in a hyperoptimized dystopian trap.” See: The Metaphysics Of Stupidity (Asbestos Is Our Future).
Asbestos Pipes Caused Landslide?
Mar 18, 2022
A $5 million lawsuit has been filed in the State of Washington after a January 17, 2022 landslide endangered the lives of a Seattle family. The plaintiffs and homeowners John and Barb Surdi alleged that the town of Bellevue had been aware of and failed to warn them of the possibility that deteriorating asbestos-cement pipework could result in such a catastrophic loss. Their lawyer David Bricklin argued that the use of iron pipes would have prevented the landslide and destruction from happening. See: Family of collapsed Bellevue home files $5M claim against city, alleging failure to warn them, [and to] replace aging water pipe.
Korea’s Deadly Asbestos Mining Legacy
Mar 18, 2022
The effects of asbestos mining and processing in South Korea’s Chungnam Province continue to impact on local people. The extended article cited below contains interviews with asbestos victims whose exposures to fibers from the Gwangcheon Mine – once Asia's largest asbestos mine – and other mines led them to contract asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis. Annual output from the Gwangcheon Mine, which operated from 1938 to 1986, was 190,000 tonnes. Because of its asbestos mines, the region of Chungnam is home to the largest number of Korea’s asbestos victims; between January 2011 and July 2021, 37% of Koreans recognized as asbestos victims came from Chungnam. See: Chungnam Province, the largest asbestos-damaged area in Korea...“Never-ending pain.”.
Asbestos Compensation Fund: Update
Mar 18, 2022
On March 15, 2022, Spanish trade unions, members of asbestos victim support groups and campaigners demanded that asbestos-injured workers be allowed to apply for compensation to a national asbestos compensation fund, proposals for which are now being considered by the Spanish Congress. Last week, the government had indicated that it planned to bar workers from submitting claims to this fund, saying that such claims were already covered by provisions for workers’ compensation. On March 17, debate in the Labor Commission began on the proposals for the €25 million (US$28m) scheme. See: Los sindicatos exigen incluir a los trabajadores en el fondo público del amianto: “Era lo acordado” [The unions demand inclusion of workers in the national asbestos fund: “It was what was agreed”].
Asbestos Incident in Parliament
Mar 18, 2022
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – the “regulatory body responsible for promoting the cause of better health and safety at work” – has launched an official investigation into an asbestos release which took place in Parliament in October 2022 that could have affected 115+ members of staff. Although an asbestos audit of Parliament recorded around 2,500 places where asbestos was present, neither the contractors nor officials at the House of Commons had taken note of the presence of the toxic material in the residence of the Speaker of the House. The HSE was formally notified of the incident on February 10 and 81 at-risk contractor staff and 36 House authorities' staff were told on February 17. See: Health and Safety Executive Investigating Asbestos Release in Parliament.
Remediating City’s Asbestos Pipes
Mar 16, 2022
According to the article cited below, construction work in Karl Liebknecht Street – one of the main thoroughfares in the Moldovan city of Tiraspol – which began in February 2022 will continue for a further two months. The project will update old infrastructure including water and sewer networks; deteriorating asbestos-cement pipes are being replaced with new polymer pipes which “are much better quality and will last much longer.” See: Новый асфальт на столичной улице К. Либкнехта, где меняют трубы, появится к лету [New asphalt on the capital's K. Liebknecht street, where pipes are being changed, will appear by summer].
Asbestos Hazard and Urban Regeneration
Mar 16, 2022
Turkish asbestos technical experts have raised the alarm about the demolition of Izmir’s Buca Prison which began on March 4. The facility was closed by the Ministry of Justice in 2021 and was believed to be contaminated with asbestos. Calls have been made for the local authorities to disclose information contained on the mandatory pre-demolition asbestos audit to reassure local people that asbestos is not being liberated into the environment by the construction work as photos shared on social media seem to indicate that “no precautions were taken” to prevent the spread of toxic fibers. See: Buca Cezaevi yıkımında 'asbest' şüphesi: Belediye asbest envanter raporunu açıklasın çağrısı [Suspicion of ‘asbestos’ in Buca Prison demolition: Call for municipality to publish asbestos inventory report].
Victims Challenge to Yale University
Mar 16, 2022
On March 10, 2022, an Italian victims’ group AFeVA sent a letter to members of a new committee tasked with considering the origins of donations and whether or not the donations made to Yale University were ethical in light of the business activities or political actions of the potential donors. This letter referred to sums provided to Yale by Stephan Schmidheiny, a Swiss asbestos billionaire who is being tried in multiple Italian jurisdictions over the asbestos deaths of workers and members of the public. In 1996, Schmidheiny received from Yale an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for promoting “stewardship of the global environment.” AFeVA is urging Yale to rescind this honor. See: Letter from AFeVA to Yale.
Asbestos in the Steel Industry
Mar 16, 2022
The Asbestos Group of the CSC Belgian trade union has raised the alarm over the possibility of asbestos exposures to members who had worked at steel production facilities which closed 40 years ago in the town of Jemappes. Several former workers have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases believed to have been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. In Jemappes, there were 1,200 workers when the plant closed in 1982; after so many decades, it is not unusual for the injured to forget the toxic exposures they experienced at this and other industrial facilities. See: Des anciens travailleurs des laminoirs de Jemappes victimes de l’amiante? [The asbestos collective is mobilizing for rolling mill workers].
Asbestos Compensation Fund Proposal
Mar 16, 2022
The Labor and Social Security Commission of the Spanish Congress are scheduled to begin a debate on 174 amendments presented by the Basque Parliament to a proposal for the creation of a national compensation fund for asbestos victims on March 16, 2022. If the draft legislation is passed unchanged, the Fund would award: “complete reparation of the damages both of any person who has obtained recognition of an occupational disease caused by asbestos and of any person who has suffered damage due to exposure to asbestos” in Spain. See: El Congreso avanza en la definición del fondo de compensación a las víctimas del amianto [Congress advances in the definition of the compensation fund for asbestos victims].
Preventing Asbestos Exposures
Mar 16, 2022
In order to publicize the introduction of stricter regulations under the revision of the Air Pollution Control Law (April 2021), officials from Kosai City are mounting an outreach program to educate duty-holders about new measures required to prevent the dissemination of asbestos fibers during refurbishment and demolition work. Contractors are now obliged to submit results of preliminary surveys to the prefecture prior to the commencement of work. See: 建物解体時の石綿飛散防止 法改正で県が啓発活動 [Prefecture government raises awareness by amending the Asbestos Scattering Prevention Law when dismantling buildings].
Mechanic’s Victory over the Ford Motor Co.
Mar 15, 2022
On March 10, 2022, a Missouri jury issued a plaintiff’s verdict in a cancer case brought by a former mechanic against the Ford Motor Company. William Trokey had alleged that he had contracted the fatal cancer mesothelioma having worked with toxic drum brakes produced by Ford from 1960 to 1968. The jury agreed and awarded him and his wife $20 million. In the company’s defence, Ford’s lawyers had argued that Trokey’s exposure to Ford’s products was too limited to have caused his cancer which could, they said, have been the result of other exposures. See: Ford hit with $20m in Missouri Asbestos Trial.
Increasing Profits in Asbestos Sector
Mar 15, 2022
A subsidiary of Russia’s 2nd biggest asbestos conglomerate Uralasbest on March 10, 2022 announced a trebling of net profits from the sale of asbestos-cement building products for 2021 compared to 2020. In the media release, the Belgorodasbestocement company said that over the same period revenue rose by 37.2%. The company, established in 1952, exports asbestos-cement roofing material as well as pipes. See: “Белгородасбестоцемент” в 2021г увеличил чистую прибыль в 3,4 раза на фоне роста выручки [“Belgorodasbestocement” increased net profit by 3.4 times in 2021 against the background of revenue growth].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 15, 2022
The commentary on Italy’s asbestos legacy cited below pointed out that the widespread presence of toxic products throughout the educational infrastructure continued to endanger the lives of all school users including teachers, staff and children. Although Law 257/92 banned the use of asbestos in Italy in 1992, remediation efforts have been slow as a result of which the built and natural environment remain contaminated. Efforts by civil society groups to press the Ministry of Education to adopt a 2030 deadline for the eradication of asbestos in schools were ongoing. See: Amianto ed eternit al bando da 30 anni, ma ancora in 2.300 scuole: ogni giorno lo respirano 50mila docenti e Ata e 350mila alunni [Asbestos and eternit banned for 30 years, but still in 2,300 schools: 50 thousand teachers and staff and 350 thousand pupils breathe it every day].
Asbestos Cancer Audit
Mar 15, 2022
After reviewing data collected between 1970 and 2000, Turkish academic and chest specialist Prof. Dr. Lüfti Kapaklü concluded that 100,000 people in 400 villages, mainly in Central Anatolia and eastern Turkey, were affected by asbestos exposures. According to the Professor, the Central Anatolian provinces of Kütahya, Ankara, Çankiri, Yozgat, Çorum, Sivas and eastern provinces of Malatya, Diyarbakır and Elazığ were cancer hotspots because of exposures to asbestos used in the wall plaster and roofing of village houses and because of the presence of naturally occurring asbestos in the region. See: Türkiye'de 400 köy asbest yüzünden kanserli [400 villages in Turkey with cancer due to asbestos].
Asbestos Remediation of Madrid’s Schools
Mar 15, 2022
On March 14, a conference organized by trade unions, asbestos victims’ associations, community groups and civil society campaigners will take place in Madrid to consider the latest proposals for eradicating the asbestos hazard from schools in the Spanish capital. Invited speakers, including medical experts, politicians and community activists, will consider draft legislation presented in November 2021 to the Community of Madrid to achieve this goal. See: Jornada en la Asamblea de Madrid para debatir sobre el amianto en los colegios de la region [Conference at the Madrid Assembly to discuss asbestos in schools in the region].
Green Light for Mesothelioma Treatment
Mar 15, 2022
A Greek portal for medical news reported progress in Europe for the treatment of mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The European Commission’s approval of a pioneering monoclonal antibody therapy gives doctors a new non-surgical protocol for first-line treatment of patients in EU countries with pleural mesothelioma. See: Επιθετικός καρκίνος προκαλείται από έκθεση σε αμίαντο. Έγκριση της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής για πρωτοποριακή θεραπεία μονοκλωνικών αντισωμάτων [Aggressive cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos. European Commission approval for pioneering monoclonal antibody therapy].
Activists Win Approval from US SEC
Mar 11, 2022
A resolution calling on Johnson & Johnson’s shareholders to rule on the company’s racist marketing policy will be put to a vote at the company’s upcoming annual general meeting. Although J&J banned the sale of its iconic asbestos-laced talc-based baby powder in the US and Canada in response to 38,000 cancer lawsuits, sales of this product continue elsewhere. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) supported a motion calling out these double standards by activist-investors from the platform Tulipshare whose CEO Antoine Argouges said: “Having our proposal on the ballot marks a momentous step in accountability. See: Cancerous baby powder may get the boot, thanks to Tulipshare.
Human Experimentation by J&J
Mar 11, 2022
Still reeling from the explosion of bad press over its abandonment of cancer sufferers exposed to asbestos in its baby powder, the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J) was revealed this week to have used inmates in the US prison system as guinea pigs. The subjects, most of whom were black inmates in a Philadelphia prison, were injected with asbestos fibers “to compare the [effects of the] cancer-causing compound to talc.” Apologizing for its action J&J, nevertheless, said: “the tests did not violate research standards at the time.” See: Court docs reveal J&J’s role in prison tests comparing talc to asbestos.
Slow Road to Justice in Naples & Turin
Mar 11, 2022
Asbestos victims in Italy have learned to be patient after decades of investigations and proceedings to hold to account entrepreneurs, company executives and officials whose decisions led to a national epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. This week, court hearings took place in Naples and Turin in criminal trials against the Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny who owned Eternit asbestos factories in both jurisdictions. The biggest ongoing Italian trial against the same defendant is proceeding in the Court of Assizes in Novara where he is accused of the voluntary murder of 392 people. See: “Sapeva dei danni da amianto”. Si riapre il caso Eternit [“He knew about the damage from asbestos.” The Eternit case reopens].
Navarra Actions on Asbestos
Mar 11, 2022
On March 8, 2022, the Parliamentary Health Commission of the Spanish Region of Navarra unanimously approved a motion urging the Government to prepare a protocol for the removal of asbestos dumped on public roads and to initiate a campaign to raise public awareness of the asbestos hazard. Amongst other measures, the resolution asked the authorities to draw up an operational plan for the total eradication of asbestos in Navarra which delineated specific actions, timelines and budgetary commitments. See: El Parlamento de Navarra pide un protocolo para retirar el amianto de las vías públicas [The Parliament of Navarra requests a protocol to remove asbestos from public roads].
Progress on Asbestos Issues in Asia
Mar 11, 2022
In an annual review, the Australian campaigning group Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA detailed measures to raise the profile of the asbestos hazard throughout Asia during 2021. APHEDA partnered with NGOs, government ministries and civil society groups on initiatives in Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Pacific Island countries. “We are,” the review concluded “very encouraged by the progress made in 2021 under difficult circumstances. We can see that the asbestos industry is in decline, but thousands of tonnes of asbestos-containing materials still pour into these countries. A total ban is needed...” See: A year in review: Asbestos – Not Here, Not Anywhere campaign.
Failures of Compliance with Asbestos Regs
Mar 11, 2022
A 133-page Research Report just released by the HSE, which examined the consequences of asbestos exposures to operatives working in the licensed asbestos removal industry, identified key failings at the eight sites visited between 2016 and 2019. At one of the sites “there were higher personal exposures than the other seven sites, with some 80% of the personal exposure measurements above the control limit.” On four of the eight sites visited peak results were above the control limit. It is extremely disturbing that even in the presence of HSE inspectors there were many examples of bad practice during asbestos removal work. See: Asbestos exposures to workers in the licensed asbestos removal industry.
Building Material Manufacturers Sued
Mar 7, 2022
Last week, 21 construction workers from Osaka with asbestos-related diseases or surviving families sued 12 manufacturers of toxic building materials; in the past, such claimants issued joint proceedings against manufacturers and the Government. With the Japanese Government having been forced by a Supreme Cout ruling (2021) to acknowledge responsibility for the asbestos injuries sustained by construction workers, litigants are now targeting the manufacturers. The plaintiffs are seeking a sum of 357 million yen (US$3.1m). See: 全国初“建材メーカーのみの責任を問う”裁判 アスベスト被害受けた元作業員らが提訴 [For the first time in Japan former workers with asbestos diseases file a lawsuit to “hold building material manufacturers to account”].
Asbestos Exposure in the Navy & Shipyards
Mar 7, 2022
An in-depth article on a Spanish news portal revealed the deadly effects of asbestos exposures amongst naval personnel in Galicia, an autonomous community in northwest Spain. According to Pneumonologist Carmen Diego almost 90% of the naval workers examined by computerised tomography (CT) showed signs of asbestos-related symptoms, conditions or diseases. Up to 90% of a cohort of workers from the Ferrol shipyards were affected by asbestos exposures as well as a number of women who had washed their husbands toxic work clothes. See: “En los TAC, vemos que el amianto afectó a casi el 90% de los operarios del naval” [“In the CT scans, we see that asbestos affected almost 90% of naval workers”].
March 3, a day of Mixed Blessings!
Mar 7, 2022
The 93rd birthday of Italian campaigner Romana Blasotti Pavesi and the first hearing at the Turin Court of Appeal in a case against billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny who stands accused of the manslaughter of workers from the Eternit asbestos factory in Cavagnolo took place on the same day, March 3, 2022. The Judge presiding over the proceedings was also a Judge in the landmark 2012 case in which the same defendant was sentenced to 18 years in jail for his role in causing “a permanent wilful environmental disaster.” That verdict was later over-turned by the Supreme Court on a technicality. See: 3 marzo: buon compleanno Romana! E in Appello si discute l’Eternit Bis per Cavagnolo [March 3rd 2022: happy birthday Romana! Appeal Eternit Bis Cavagnolo Manslaughter Trial].
Urgent Calls to Extend Claim Deadline
Mar 7, 2022
Campaigners are calling for urgent action by the Japanese Government to reconsider plans to stick to a March 28, 2022 deadline for the submission of claims by people suffering from asbestos-related diseases as a result of non-occupational exposures such as residents who lived near the asbestos-processing Kanzaki factory. Others who benefited from the scheme were people unable to claim workers’ accident compensation due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Under a law enacted in 2006, these claimants or surviving family members were eligible for government benefits under the scheme set up by the Asbestos Health Damage Relief Act. See: 「静かな時限爆弾」アスベスト 古い被害、再び閉ざされる救済 [“Silent time bomb” asbestos damage relief [scheme] to shut].
Initiatives for Asbestos Eradication
Mar 7, 2022
The commentary cited below by legal expert Jorge Vila Lozano delineated the evolution of legal and legislative strategies to eradicate asbestos from the built environment in Spain as a matter of environmental and public health. According to a judgment handed down in December 2021 by the Provincial Court of Madrid, owners of asbestos-containing properties must pre-warn potential purchasers; failing to do so could incur heavy costs. A law due to come into force soon – the Law on Waste and Contaminated Soils for a Circular Economy – sets a “zero tolerance” for the presence of asbestos in Spanish municipalities. See: Tribunales, amianto y salud pública [Courts, asbestos and public health].
Support in Asbestos Town for Russian War
Mar 4, 2022
The news that Russian municipalities were inserting a Z into their names on city signs to show support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine was substantiated by the short article cited below which featured a picture of the sign for the asbestos mining town of Asbestos where a letter Z had been placed over the letter S on the night of March 3. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the letter “Z” is applied with paint on the sides of Russian armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, tanks and other kinds of equipment engaged in active military deployment. See: Неизвестные ночью «переименовали» Асбест [Unknown people “renamed” Asbest at night].
Waiting for Asbestos Justice in Italy
Mar 4, 2022
The latest hearing in the Italian trial of Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny heard the Naples Public Prosecutor ask the Naples Court of Assizes to sentence the defendant to 23 years and 11 months for the asbestos deaths of eight workers and members of the public whose exposure to toxic dust produced by the asbestos-cement factory owned by Eternit in Bagnoli caused their deaths. The defendant was charged with the voluntary murder of the deceased. The defence will present its closing arguments on March 23. See: Amianto: pm Napoli, condannate Schmidheiny a 23 anni e 11 mesi [Asbestos: pm Naples, Call for Schmidheiny to be sentenced to 23 years and 11 months].
Union Advocates Urgent Action on Asbestos
Mar 4, 2022
The Spanish Trade Union UGT is calling on the government to permit workers who had been exposed to asbestos during their employment to retire at 60 years of age. This provision should be included in the bill now being processed through Congress to establish a Compensation Fund for Asbestos Victims. According to the UGT, in 2021 only 25 asbestos-related cancers were recognized as occupational diseases. The union stressed that all workers who had experienced occupational asbestos exposures should be identified, monitored and supported. See: UGT pide la jubilación a los 60 años para las víctimas del amianto [UGT calls for retirement at age 60 for victims of asbestos].
Mesothelioma Victims: Update
Mar 4, 2022
The Japanese NGO Mesothelioma Support Caravan is calling on the Government to extend the March 27, 2022 deadline for the submission of asbestos claims. A subcommittee tasked with considering asbestos compensation awards has not met for five years. In 2021, the Ministry of Environment refused to clarify when the next meeting would take place. Anecdotal evidence collected by the NGO suggests that more patients are being diagnosed with mesothelioma in their 40s and 50s; 40% of victims experience financial hardship. See: 「“中皮腫”が治る時代に」闘病生活を送るアスベスト被害者の訴え [Complaints of asbestos victims struggling to survive [economically] because of their illness in an era when mesothelioma “is treatable”].
Workplace Hazard in Asbestos Factories
Mar 4, 2022
A paper published on February 25, 2022 in the International Journal of Environmental Research into Public Health by researchers from Zimbabwe and South Africa detailed efforts to develop a job exposure matrix specific to the chrysotile asbestos-cement manufacturing industry, to better understand the health consequences of workplace exposure to chrysotile (white) asbestos. They found that personal exposure concentrations in the Harare and Bulawayo asbestos factories exceeded the OEL of 0.1 f/ml and that amphibole asbestos fibers were present in almost all the bulk samples of chrysotile asbestos which were tested. See: Job Exposure Matrix for Chrysotile Asbestos Fibre in the Asbestos Cement Manufacturing (ACM) Industry in Zimbabwe.
Asbestos Deaths in Libby, Montana
Mar 4, 2022
Research published in this month’s issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine by academics regarding the cause of death of a cohort of 1,883 individuals occupationally and/or environmentally exposed to amphiboles produced during vermiculite mining operations in Libby, Montana confirmed that “Asbestos is the leading cause of mortality following both occupational and nonoccupational exposure to LA [Libby amphiboles] in those with asbestos-related disease.” See: Case-fatality study of workers and residents with radiographic asbestos disease in Libby, Montana.
Still Waiting for Asbestos Justice!
Mar 2, 2022
On February 28, 2022, one of the first French groups to expose the national asbestos scandal – the Jussieu Anti-Asbestos Committee – issued a press release denouncing a “scientifically and legally erroneous” judgment by a Paris court (February 24) which, after 26 years, dismissed litigation over asbestos contamination of Jussieu University. According to the judges, it was not possible to link the toxic exposures which took place at the University to the pathologies which later developed. The Committee is appealing this dismissal. See: Scandale de l'amiante : non-lieu prononcé dans le dossier Jussieu, le Comité anti-amiante fait appel [Asbestos scandal: dismissal pronounced in the Jussieu case, the Anti-Asbestos Committee appeals].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 2, 2022
A £300,000 plan to cut the bottoms off classrooms doors, which had been backed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, to improve ventilation in Scottish schools and thus protect the health of students and staff has attracted condemnation from asbestos victim support groups in Scotland. Phyllis Craig of the Glasgow-based group Action on Asbestos saying: “Asbestos can be found within doors and in different areas in schools and I would sincerely hope this is taken into consideration before any work is carried out… Asbestos exposure can have health consequences decades after exposure and this needs to be recognised and treated with the seriousness that it merits.” See: Asbestos fear over Sturgeon’s plan to cut bottom off school classroom doors.
Eternit Brazil: Financial Update
Mar 2, 2022
Information reported by Eternit, Brazil’s former asbestos giant, to the Brazilian Stock Exchange last week, confirmed several disturbing facts regarding the continued production by an Eternit subsidiary of chrysotile asbestos fiber, despite a 2017 Supreme Court ruling banning the production, use and sale of all asbestos: 20% of Eternit’s net revenue comes from chrysotile production; in the last quarter of 2021, Eternit exported 37,000 tonnes of chrysotile, a 27% increase over the same period in 2020; in the last quarter of 2021, export sales of chrysotile generated a net income of R$71 million (US$14m), 35% up on the same period in 2020. See: Eternit (ETER3) has lower profit and projects exit from judicial recovery.
Asbestos Claims from Iron Foundry
Mar 2, 2022
Since the asbestos victims’ group – the Poitou Foundries Association [Association des Fonderies du Poitou/APF] was established in 2014, 124 claims for occupational injuries caused by workplace asbestos exposures have been recognized by the authorities, with compensation pay-outs of up to €200,000 (US$225,000) being received. Between 1981 and 1996, more than a thousand employees were exposed to asbestos at the factory: “there are,” says AFPA President Éric Lemer “still two asbestos-containing furnaces left at the cast iron foundry.” See: Scandale de l'amiante aux Fonderies du Poitou : 124 salariés reconnus en maladie professionnelle et indemnisés [Asbestos scandal at the Poitou Foundries: 124 employees recognized as having an occupational disease and compensated].
New Treatment Protocol for Mesothelioma
Mar 2, 2022
In January 2022, Australian and US researchers published a paper detailing a new protocol for treating patients with advanced pleural mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposures to asbestos. The paper was published online on the website of the British Medical Journal and outlined the parameters of a “multicentre open-label randomised trial” involving 480 patients with advanced pleural mesothelioma who will be randomized into one of two regimes using either a cocktail of immunotherapy plus chemotherapy medications or chemotherapy drugs only. See: Protocol of DREAM3R: DuRvalumab with chEmotherapy as first-line treatment in advanced pleural Mesothelioma—a phase 3 randomised trial.
Asbestos Crimes and Punishment
Mar 2, 2022
Having pleaded guilty to infringements of asbestos regulations, Essex company director Billy Hopwood was sentenced to ten months imprisonment and disqualified as a director for five years after a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). His company Ensure Asbestos Management Limited, now in liquidation, was fined £100,000 for failing to comply with asbestos survey regulations and falsifying documents. As a result of its cutting corners, the company had exposed workers to asbestos. Commenting on the case, HSE inspector Georgina Symons said: “The dangers associated with asbestos are well known and a wealth of advice and guidance is freely available from HSE and other organisations.” See: Asbestos removal company fined for failing to protect workers.
NJ Verdict Disenfranchises Cancer Victims
Feb 28, 2022
On February 25, 2022, US bankruptcy judge Michael Kaplan ruled that Johnson and Johnson (J&J) could proceed with a contentious bankruptcy manoeuvre which had frozen cancer claims from 38,000 plaintiffs who alleged that their diseases had been caused by exposure to asbestos fibers in J&J’s talc-based baby powder. “The Court,” said Kaplan “remains steadfast in its belief that justice will best be served by expeditiously providing critical compensation through a court-supervised, fair, and less costly settlement trust arrangement.” During the five-day trial in New Jersey which preceded this verdict, claimants’ lawyers argued that J&J’s actions had deprived “innocent talc victims of their day in court.” See: Johnson & Johnson wins a key court battle in baby powder case.
Asbestos in Parliament
Feb 28, 2022
A new report has revealed that restoration work at the Palace of Westminster could take up to 76 years and cost as much as £22 billion. Continued delays in addressing the situation has worsened the condition of this Grade 1 Listed World Heritage site: “Preliminary reports into the crumbling Parliament building have revealed that the degradation is worse than anticipated, while the levels of asbestos are higher than first thought.” Asbestos contamination is just one of the problems; other work is needed to modernize fire safety, renew wiring, plumbing and data systems, improve security and accessibility and carry out essential conservation work on the structure. See: Palace of Westminster restoration could take over half a century and cost £22bn.
Railway Repair Shop in Foggia
Feb 28, 2022
The article cited below, which was uploaded on February 22, 2022, detailed news of a legal victory achieved by an Italian family over the mesothelioma death of a worker who had been exposed to asbestos whilst employed at the Railway Workshop in Foggia. Commenting on the outcome of the case. the lawyer representing the family said: “Despite the resistance of the railways… it has been shown that the killer fiber was used in carriages and locomotives, and that those who worked there, unfortunately suffered high exposure.” The Rome Court ordered the state-owned railway holding company to compensate the deceased’s widow and two adult children. See: Foggia, operaio muore per esposizione all’amianto: condanna per Ferrovie dello Stato [Foggia, worker dies from exposure to asbestos: conviction for State Railways].
Ten Year Wait for Justice
Feb 28, 2022
A decade after the death of a Spanish welder, a Madrid Court ordered four of his employers to compensate his widow and two children. The defendants had been found guilty of exposing the deceased to asbestos between 1975 and 1981 when he was employed to build the Almaraz nuclear power plant. The Judge awarded the widow €208,270 (US$233,000) and each of the children €95,883 (US$107,140). See: Indemnizan a herederos de soldador expuesto a amianto en Central de Almaraz [Compensation for heirs of welder exposed to asbestos at the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant].
Asbestos Alert over Toxic Schools
Feb 28, 2022
Last week, a warning was broadcast by the Asbestos-Free Schools Movement (MESA) – an association of activists working with environmental groups in Portugal – about the hazard posed by the continued presence of asbestos contamination in some schools. “The school community is concerned about this situation,” said André Julião, MESA’s founder and coordinator. Environmental campaigner Íria Roriz Madeira described feedback from analysts present during remediation work which suggested that the unexpected discovery of additional sources of asbestos on school premises was only addressed when funds were available to pay for the extra work required. See: Existem materiais com amianto nas escolas públicas que não foram mapeados [There are materials with asbestos in public schools that have not been mapped].
Major Legal Victory for Libby Worker
Feb 28, 2022
A feature length article in the New York Times detailed news of a landmark verdict in the fight for asbestos justice by people in Libby, Montana who had been injured by asbestos exposures resulting from vermiculite mining operations of W.R. Grace. While W.R. Grace avoided most of its liabilities using via bankruptcy laws, Maryland Casualty Company, a workers’ compensation insurer which had “engaged in affirmative actions to conceal the asbestos exposure risk and worker injuries,” has been found guilty and ordered to pay damages of $36.5 million to asbestosis sufferer Ralph Hutt, who had worked for W.R. Grace for 18 months in 1968 and 1969. See: Ex-Worker Wins $36.5 Million From Company That Hid Asbestos Damage.
EU Asbestos Initiative: Call for Evidence
Feb 24, 2022
On February 22, 2022, the European Union announced that a public consultation would be held on revisions to Directive 2009/148/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work. Evidence pertinent to this topic can be submitted to the Commission until March 22, 2022: “Anyone who is interested or might be affected by an existing or proposed law or policy can share their views, sending comments or position papers or reply to public consultations. This includes: public national, local and regional authorities, businesses, civil society organisations, and individual citizens”. See: Health & safety at work – protecting workers from asbestos exposure.
Long Wait for French Justice
Feb 24, 2022
On January 28, 2022, the Paris Court of Appeal dismissed four out of seven cases brought by the families of former miners from Lorraine who claimed that their loved ones had contracted asbestos-related diseases due to hazardous exposures during employment by the company Houillères de Bassin de Lorraine (Coal mines of the Lorraine Basin/HBL). Of the three cases still proceeding, two of the miners have already succumbed to their injuries and the 3rd is gravely ill. This litigation was first filed in 2005. See: Amiante: après 17 ans de procédure, les familles de 3 anciens mineurs mosellans attendent toujours justice [Asbestos: after 17 years of proceedings, the families of 3 former Moselle miners are still awaiting justice].
Illegal Asbestos Dumping
Feb 24, 2022
On February 21, 2022, a spokesperson for the environmental campaigning group Quercus disclosed that an official complaint had been submitted to the authorities exposing the dumping of asbestos waste in a Portuguese forest of pine trees. According to Raul Silva, director of Quercus Aveiro and deputy director of Quercus Portugal: “The area is owned by the City Council and borders the Industrial Zone of Ovar, but the information we have is that this landfill has been in existence for a long time and [that activity] has increased in recent months, with several places in the pine forest serving as a deposit for waste from public works.” See: Quercus denuncia lixeiras com amianto e outros materiais no pinhal de Ovar [Quercus denounces dumps containing asbestos and other materials in the Ovar pine forest].
Asbestos Fund Update: Accounts for 2020
Feb 24, 2022
In 2020, the Belgium Asbestos Fund paid out compensation of €19,000,000 (US$21.5m) to asbestos victims and their dependents according to a press release issued on February 22, 2022 by Belgium’s Federal Agency for Occupational Risks. According to the scheme, mesothelioma claimants are entitled to a monthly pension of €1,865 ($US2,110) and a lump sum of €10,200 ($11,540). In 2020, €10.7 million were paid to victims who also received lump sums of €1.8m; €6.2m were paid to surviving family members with €56,460 paid for funeral costs and €34,180 paid for medical care. See: Le Fonds amiante a octroyé près de 19 millions d’euros aux victimes et ayants droit en 2020 [The Asbestos Fund granted nearly 19 million euros to victims and beneficiaries in 2020].
Delay in Mesothelioma Data
Feb 22, 2022
On February 14, 2022, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced that the release of statistics detailing mortality in Great Britain from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, and asbestosis during the years 1968 to 2020 had been delayed. The publication of the HSE report with this information has been rescheduled for July 2022. See: Mesothelioma and asbestosis mortality in Great Britain: 1968 to 2020.
Insurer Liable as Part of Asbestos Conspiracy
Feb 22, 2022
Asbestosis sufferer Ralph Hutt won a historic victory last week when a Montana jury handed down a judgment awarding him the sum of $36.5 million in an action against the insurance company Maryland Casualty Company which had not only sold policies to W.R. Grace Co., the owners of the vermiculite mill in Libby, Montana, but had also colluded with the company to hide from employees the truth about the toxic nature of their employment. Whereas W.R. Grace Co. managed to avoid its liability to asbestos-injured workers by a convenient bankruptcy, the jury found that the insurer had had a duty as the administrator of Grace’s safety planning to warn workers of the hazards. See: Libby asbestos worker wins historic $36.5M award from Cascade County jury.
Asbestos Memorial Day: Update
Feb 22, 2022
On February 17, 2022 Federico Riboldi, the Mayor of the town at the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos epidemic, attended a hearing at the Bureau of the Constitutional Affairs Commission of the Senate of the Italian Republic to consider a motion calling for an annual Memorial Day for Asbestos Victims to be established. Welcoming the proposal, Mayor Riboldi said: “The approval of the bill will be a fitting recognition for the many families who have suffered, and continue to suffer, from the killer fiber.” Trade union campaigners and spokespersons for asbestos victims also supported the proposal. See: Un disegno di legge per istituire la Giornata in memoria delle vittime amianto: oggi l’audizione [A bill to establish the Day in memory of asbestos victims: today the hearing].
Quantifying India’s Asbestos Problem
Feb 22, 2022
According to Dr. Gopal Krishna, “no building or vehicle in India is free of carcinogenic asbestos mineral fibers.” Despite the fact that 70 countries have banned the use of asbestos around the world, India continues to import chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber from Russia, Brazil, and Kazakhstan to be used in the manufacture of household goods, automotive parts and building products. Data sourced from the Indian Minerals Year Book which was published in November 2021 indicated that 361,164 tonnes of asbestos fiber was imported in 2020 as well as 25,009 tonnes of asbestos-cement products. See: No building or vehicle in India 'is free of' carcinogenic asbestos mineral fibres.
Improving Maritime Asbestos Protections
Feb 22, 2022
On February 18, 2022, the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency published new guidance – MGN 669 (M+F) – updating health and safety at work asbestos regulations, pertaining to merchant shipping and fishing vessels, which detailed new procedures and rules to protect sailors and others from asbestos exposures. The regulations apply to: ships, yachts and fishing vessels owners, merchant ships, hovercrafts, and small commercially operated vessels. Duty holders include owners, officers, skippers, and professional and amateur crews. See: MGN 669 (M+F) Health and safety asbestos regulations.
Asbestos in Cádiz High School
Feb 22, 2022
On February 17, 2022, students, parents, school staff, the CCOO and CGT trade unions, and political groups demonstrated in the town of Olvera in the Spanish Province of Cádiz, Andalusia, over the failure by the authorities to remove asbestos from the roof of the gym at IES Zaframagón High School. This issue has been highlighted on multiple occasions over the last two weeks by an energized educational community which has continued to expose a situation imperilling the lives of school users, employees and local people. See: Manifestación por la retirada del amianto del instituto de Olvera [Demonstration for the removal of asbestos from an institute in Olvera].
Asbestos Exposures at Westminster
Feb 21, 2022
“A huge failure of safety systems” resulted in dozens of people being exposed to asbestos during renovation work at Parliament last Autumn (2021). The exposures occurred during an incident at Speaker’s House, the residence of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. The individuals affected, who were engaged in fire safety work, were being notified by the authorities at the House of Commons. Whilst an investigation was carried out, construction work was suspended. According to a 2016 report, the Palace of Westminster was “riddled with asbestos.” See: Dozens warned of asbestos exposure after incident in UK parliament.
New: Mesothelioma Data
Feb 21, 2022
The Seventh Report of the Italian Register on Mesotheliomas, published earlier this month by the National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance, reported: “results of the epidemiological surveillance of incident cases of malignant mesothelioma detected by a network of Regional Operational Centers.” Of interest was data regarding occupations and tasks most likely to involve asbestos exposures. Whilst cases in the asbestos-cement, shipbuilding and railway rolling stock sectors fell, the incidence of mesothelioma amongst construction workers rose from 12.1% in 1993-98 to 17.1% in 2013-18. See: RENAM INAIL: Pubblicato il VII rapporto del registro nazionale sui mesoteliomi [RENAM INAIL: The VII report of the national register on mesotheliomas has been published].
Senator Durbin Goes on the Attack!
Feb 21, 2022
In remarks to the Senate on February 15, 2022, Senator Dick Durbin castigated the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson for lying to consumers about asbestos contamination of its iconic baby powder and for engaging in contentious financial manoeuvres which would deprive thousands of cancer victims of their day in court. Durbin did not pull his punches saying: “There’s a justice system for rich people and powerful corporations – and there’s the system for everyone else… And many days, it seems that the gulf between those two systems of justice is getting wider and deeper.” See: “They Knew There Was Asbestos In Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder:” Durbin Shreds J&J In Senate Speech.
Strike at 22 Ship Recycling Yards
Feb 21, 2022
A strike which started last week brought most of the work at the Aliağa ship recycling yards in Turkey’s İzmir Province to a standstill. The strikers were calling for improved conditions, including the supply of personal protective equipment and more investment in workplace health and safety, and higher pay for the dangerous work they do. Protesters congregated in front of the offices of the Ship Recycler's Association to issue their demands. Aliağa’s cancer rates are much higher than the Turkish average due, campaigners say, to occupational and environmental exposures to carcinogens contained on the ships being scrapped. See: Ship recycling workers’ protest shakes Aliağa.
ILO Update: Occupational Diseases
Feb 21, 2022
A 629-page book by the International Labor Organization published this year (2022) entitled “Diagnostic and exposure criteria for occupational diseases. Guidance notes for diagnosis and prevention of the diseases in the ILO List of Occupational Diseases (revised 2010)” deals with a cross-section of diseases. Texts pertinent to people involved with asbestos-related diseases can be found in section 2.1.1 Pneumoconiosis (pages 426-35) and section 3.1.1. Occupational cancer caused by asbestos (pages 526-30). See: Diagnostic and exposure criteria for occupational diseases (ILO).
Asbestos Hazard in Construction
Feb 21, 2022
Research published in Volume 19, Issue 2 of The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in January 2022 examined historical asbestos exposure measurements, time trends and effects of preventive measures in Danish workplaces between 1971 to 1997. Based on the 9,236 asbestos measurements in the final database, the scientists concluded that: there was a considerable range of asbestos concentrations in different occupations with the highest concentrations registered during the handling of asbestos products in the construction services. See: Historical Asbestos Measurements in Denmark—A National Database.
Johnson and Johnson: New Jersey Update
Feb 16, 2022
On February 14, 2022 representatives of LTL Management, the contentious bankrupt subsidiary set up by Johnson and Johnson in which it dumped cancer claims related to the use of its asbestos contaminated talc-based baby powder, appeared in a New Jersey court to defend the bankruptcy, saying it was the best way to reach an “equitable, efficient, and consensual resolution” of 38,000+ claims. Disagreeing with this opinion, plaintiffs’ lawyer Jeffrey Jones told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan: “At its core, this case is rotten.” Judge Kaplan has scheduled a five-day trial. See:Johnson & Johnson defends talc bankruptcy strategy called ‘rotten’ by cancer plaintiffs.
Lowering Lung Cancer Rates
Feb 16, 2022
Actions put in place as a result of research started in the 1970s by Prof. Dr. Selahattin Yazıcıoğlu has resulted in lowering the rates of lung cancer amongst populations living in the Turkish districts of Çermik, Çüngüş, Ergani and elsewhere The Professor discovered that a local custom for decorating houses with a “limestone-like soil called white plaster” was implicated in the elevated incidence of cancer as it contained asbestos fibers. Eliminating the use of this material and facilitating the construction of concrete buildings have proved to be beneficial. See: Diyarbakır’da akciğer kanser vakaları azaldı [Lung cancer cases decreased in Diyarbakir].
Asbestos Victims’ Struggle
Feb 16, 2022
A survey of conditions endured by sufferers of asbestos-related diseases in Japan, carried out in 2019 and 2020 by the NGO Mesothelioma Support Caravan, revealed that many respondents were in financial distress: in 2019, 47% of people reported that their income had decreased by 2 million yen (US$17,300+) or more after their diagnosis even though they were in receipt of government benefits. Most of those affected are in their 50s and are paying for their children’s education. According to NGO Chairman Takao Umeda: “Patients and their families are in trouble. I want the Government to review the system as soon as possible so that it does not continue.” See: アスベストでの中皮腫患者 40％余が困窮 “国の支援策充実を” [More than 40% of patients with mesothelioma are in need].
British Columbia’s Action on Asbestos
Feb 16, 2022
Earlier this week it was announced that the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia, commonly known as WorkSafeBC, had issued fines of almost $56,000 to three firms for asbestos-related occupational health and safety violations. The companies which had been found guilty of asbestos infringements were: Onni Contracting Ltd., Coastal Wall Systems Ltd. and Kisito Ndenecho/Cloverman Environmental Contracting. According to WorkSafeBC, exposure to asbestos is the number one killer of workers in the Province. See: British Columbia firms charged over asbestos-related violations.
Italian Betrayal of Asbestos Victims
Feb 16, 2022
Raffaele Guariniello, a retired public prosecutor, has slammed the Italian justice system, saying that it has systematically failed asbestos victims by acquitting executives and managers who had been responsible for toxic exposures which had resulted in employees, relatives and members of the public contracting deadly cancers and diseases. Guariniello has challenged the Italian Parliament to take measures to hold to account those individuals and entities responsible for the country’s epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. See: Amianto, l’allarme impunità di Guariniello: “Ci sono i morti, ma nessuno è colpevole. Io provai a cambiare le cose, tocca al Parlamento” [Asbestos, Guariniello's alarm over impunity: “There are dead, but no one is guilty. I tried to change things, it's up to Parliament”].
Union Raises Asbestos Alarm
Feb 16, 2022
The Spanish trade union UGT has condemned the failure by the authorities to implement a register of asbestos-exposed workers despite the high incidence of occupational asbestos disease in the Cantabrian region in the North of Spain. According to the union, 113 workers, possibly many more, at 13 companies are being exposed to asbestos as a matter of routine. Those at high risk include construction workers and people working to remediate or replace material made of asbestos-cement such as pipework or roofing tiles. See: Más de un centenar de cántabros trabajan expuestos al amianto pero sigue sin crearse el registro autonómico [More than a hundred Cantabrians work exposed to asbestos but the regional registry has not yet been created].
Supreme Court Asbestos Victory!
Feb 15, 2022
A ruling by Japan’s Supreme Court on February 9, 2022 dismissed appeals of a verdict which had awarded 53 plaintiffs damages for asbestos-related injuries. The claimants, who were construction workers or surviving family members, had been awarded compensation of 125 million yen (US$1.1m) by the Fukuoka High Court against four companies which had manufactured asbestos-containing building products, with the Court ruling that the manufacturers had had a responsibility to warn the workers of the asbestos hazard but had failed to do so. See: メーカー４社の責任確定 建設石綿九州訴訟―最高裁 [Responsibility of 4 manufacturers confirmed by Supreme Court; asbestos proceedings for Kyushu plaintiffs].
Schools’ Asbestos Removal Program
Feb 15. 2022
On February 9, 2022, a spokesperson for Gyeonggi Province announced plans by the Provincial Office of Education to remove 500,000 square meters of asbestos from 151 schools and 7,570 classrooms by the end of this year (2022). If work goes according to plan, all schools in the Province will be asbestos-free by 2027. By 2021, half of all schools had been remediated. Asbestos was used as a ceiling material for classrooms in the 1970s and 1990s due to its insulating, thermal insulation, and noise blocking functions. See: 경기도, 올해 151개교 석면 제거…2027년까지 모든 학교 완료 [Gyeonggi-do to remove asbestos from 151 schools this year... All schools completed by 2027].
Illegal Sale of Asbestos Aggregate
Feb 15, 2022
The inadvertent sale of asbestos-contaminated concrete aggregate between December 2018 and March 2021 by the Fleurieu Regional Waste Authority in South Australia has left councils in Victor Harbor, Alexandrina, Yankalilla and Kangaroo Island liable for a multi-million-dollar remediation bill. The toxic material was used for building and road construction. Whilst issues at the majority of sites affected have been addressed, a small proportion have not yet been remediated. The Environmental Protection Agency has issued two Environment Protection Orders to Alexandrina Council which require the council to undertake a series of measures to make restitution. See: Asbestos-Affected Properties on EPA Register.
Progressing Occupational Safety
Feb 15, 2022
At a meeting in Turkey last week Mehmet Şeyhmus Ensari, President of the Turkish Federation of Occupational Health and Safety Associations and the Asbestos Removal Experts Association updated Mr. Erinç Sağkan, President of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, about current occupational health and safety developments with a focus on asbestos. President Sagkan committed his association to supporting efforts being taken to safeguard citizens from toxic exposures to asbestos in Turkey. See: Türkiye Barolar Birliği'nden İSG'ye destek sözü [Promise of support to OHS from the Union of Turkish Bar Associations].
Toledo’s Toxic Legacy
Feb 15, 2022
A citizens’ group in Toledo – Izquierda Unida, Podemos – has again raised concerns about the hazard posed by asbestos waste dumped in the municipality. The toxic deposits are a souvenir of years of asbestos product manufacturing by local companies. The campaigners have asked the City Council to develop “a comprehensive exhaustive protocol to monitor and control these uncontrolled dumps and to remove them as soon as possible.” Environmental asbestos pollution in Toledo is a long-standing problem; local people have organized multiple protests demanding action be taken by the authorities. See: Piden un mayor control para evitar vertederos incontrolados de amianto en Toledo [Calls for greater control to avoid uncontrolled asbestos dumps in Toledo].
Asbestos Roofing: Too Toxic for Use
Feb 15, 2022
A feature article in last week’s issue of Vents magazine, a publication established by California college students with a focus on news about Asian-American politics and popular culture, examined the subject of asbestos-cement (AC) roofing which is widespread throughout Asian countries. Having discussed the properties of asbestos and its uses, the author Shahbaz Ahmed considered evidence about the risks it posed to occupants of buildings with AC roofs before concluding: “Asbestos roofs … are quite harmful. Its risks and negative effects certainly outweigh its positives.” See: How harmful are asbestos roofs?
Liver Cancer and Asbestos
Feb 9, 2022
On January 26, 2022, the Rouen Court of Appeal ruled that the 2019 death of the foreman electrician Hervé Abasse had been caused by occupational exposure to asbestos. This is the first time such a finding had been handed down in France and was partially based on legal precedents from Nordic countries. The Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund was ordered to pay compensation to the family of the deceased after having argued that his death had been caused by smoking and not asbestos. See: L'amiante est bien responsable de sa mort : une victoire judiciaire pour la famille d'Hervé [Asbestos was indeed responsible for his death: a legal victory for Hervé's family].
Ethical Investors Target Johnson and Johnson
Feb 9, 2022
An article in The Guardian newspaper on February 6, 2022, reported that a group of ethical investors had submitted an official request to Johnson and Johnson (J&J) and to the Securities and Exchange Committee for a resolution to be debated at the company’s April 2022 Annual General Meeting which called on J&J to withdraw the sale of talc-based baby powder worldwide not just in the US and Canada. The group backing this resolution is the London-based investment platform Tulipshare. To avoid liability to 40,000+ cancer victims, J&J off-loaded their claims into a separate company which was immediately put into bankruptcy. See: Johnson & Johnson faces push to force global ban on talc baby powder sales.
Mesothelioma Treatment Breakthrough
Feb 9, 2022
On February 7, 2022 mesothelioma patients in Scotland were told that they will now be able to access new immunotherapy treatments (see: New Drug Treatment Approved For Asbestos-Related Cancer Patients In Scotland) as a result of a decision by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). Approval was given by the SMC for the use of Nivolumab – a treatment that stimulates the immune system to fight the cancer – and is administered in combination with ipilimumab. See: February 2022 decisions news release.
Release of New Asbestos Data
Feb 9, 2022
On February 7, 2022, Italy’s National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance released two documents supplementing information on the country’s asbestos risk. The first report was a data analysis of compensation paid between 2016 and 2020 by the National Victims’ Fund for asbestos-related diseases. The second document was entitled Recognition and characterization of materials containing asbestos through hyperspectral image analysis which explained the use of one type of spectral imaging to more accurately identify the presence of asbestos in material samples. This technique can be used by a trained operative and does not require an expert analyst thereby reducing operating costs. See: Inail: i dati e le novità sul rischio amianto e le malattie correlate [Inail: data and news on asbestos risk and related diseases].
Mesothelioma Flash Mob!
Feb 9, 2022
Members of an Italian asbestos victims’ association – the Mesothelioma Aid Group – demonstrated in the center of Lecco, Lombardy last week to raise the alarm over the presence of asbestos throughout the national infrastructure. They gathered in the Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, outside a building which will become the new town hall, a building contaminated with asbestos. The initiative was a collaboration with students and environmental activists who circulated an “Open Sky” petition calling for measures to improve air quality in the region. One of the demands is for a simplification of bureaucratic procedures for the remediation of asbestos. See: Mobilitazione in piazza contro l’amianto killer [Mobilization in the streets against killer asbestos].
Asbestos Waste: A National Crisis
Feb 9, 2022
Three articles published on February 4, 2022 highlighted the nationwide scale of the problems caused by the illegal dumping of asbestos in the UK. The article cited below reported an incident in Northern Ireland which resulted in a successful prosecution of Portadown Recycling and Skip Hire Limited. The other two articles related to actions taken in Scotland over illegal asbestos dumping in Glasgow and 12 cases of asbestos fly tipping in Sheffield.
See: Company fined for unnecessary spread of asbestos material.
Exposé: Johnson & Johnson!
Feb 7, 2022
The feature length article cited below exposed the long-standing plan – code name: Project Plato – implemented in 2021 by the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to circumvent 38,000+ personal injury cancer claims arising from the presence of asbestos fibers in its iconic talc-based baby powder. Even as J&J reassured courts, claimants and the stock exchange that it would defend these claims vigorously, it was proceeding with secret discussions over how best to avoid liability to dying customers. One observer said that J&J’s actions “marked a benchmark low for killer capitalism.” See: Inside Johnson & Johnson’s secret plan to cap litigation payouts to cancer victims.
São Paulo Action on Asbestos
Feb 7, 2022
On February 4, 2022, the Policy Commission of the City Council of São Paulo approved draft legislation [PL 609/2020] authored by former councilman Ricardo Teixeira which implemented mandatory requirements for the collection of asbestos tile in São Paulo City. Commenting on this development Councilman Rodrigo Goulart recalled the historic role São Paulo had played in taking action on the asbestos hazard, saying: “The project initiated by former councilman Ricardo Teixeira reinforces the prohibition of asbestos in civil construction (in our City).” See: Projeto de Lei Paulista PL609/2020; a recolha de telhas de amianto e outras provisos [São Paulo Draft Law PL609/2020; the collection of asbestos roofing tiles and other provisions].
Urgent Call for Improved Asbestos Protections
Feb 7, 2022
In the run-up to World Cancer Day (February 4), the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) called for stricter asbestos safeguards, stronger asbestos management measures and improved awareness – especially amongst smaller businesses – of regulations in order to safeguard workers from the asbestos hazard. IOSH spokesperson Ruth Wilkinson said: “We know that asbestos is still all around us. This, coupled with a worrying lack of awareness about the danger it poses and how to prevent exposure, means people are being put at risk every day. This is simply not good enough.” See: “It’s time to get tough on asbestos,” says IOSH.
Condolences over Death of Korean Activist
Feb 7, 2022
Members of the Japan Association of Asbestos Victims and Their Families, Ban Asbestos Japan and other groups in Japan last week published their condolences over the sad news about Korean ban asbestos activist Jeong Ji-yeol who died from asbestos cancer on January 28. Jeong had played a pivotal role not only in the campaign for the rights of Korean asbestos victims but also in campaigns to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard and its impact on workers and members of the public during trips to Japan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Nepal. See: 석면추방 앞장 정지열 대표 타계에 일본인들도 애도 [Japanese people mourn the death of Jeong Ji-yeol, a ban-asbestos leading figure].
Alert: Asbestos on Sicily!
Feb 7, 2022
Lack of action by successive governments over widespread asbestos contamination in Sicily, which has caused 1,600 deaths since the late 1990s, was condemned last week by environmental activists. There was, they said, no asbestos mapping carried out in Sicily despite the existence of a regional law (2014) mandating this duty. Calling for the implementation of an asbestos information campaign, campaigners said that public administrators, municipal officers and civil servants had received no training for dealing with asbestos. See: Amianto, dopo il piano regionale in Sicilia è cambiato poco. Legambiente: «Poca informazione non favorisce bonifiche» [Asbestos, little has changed since the regional plan in Sicily. Legambiente: “Lack of information does not promote reclamation”].
Remediation of Asbestos in Buildings
Feb 7, 2022
The South Korean City of Jeongeup is progressing efforts to remove and replace deteriorating asbestos-cement roofing to protect the population from exposures to a known cancer-causing fiber. “Aging roofing made with asbestos,” said a city official “contains a class 1 carcinogen, which can be fatal to health over a long period of exposure.” Since 2012, the City has spent a total of ₩ 4.83bn (US$403m) to remediate asbestos and demolish 227 buildings. A budget of ₩ 1.39bn (US$1.1m) has been allocated for the 2022 asbestos removal program. See: 정읍시, 발암물질 ‘석면 차단’ 안전하고 쾌적한 주거환경 개선 [Jeongeup City improves safe and comfortable living environment by blocking carcinogen ‘asbestos’].
An Asbestos Working Life
Feb 4, 2022
The interview cited below was with Balzhan Bisenkulova who works in the packaging department of Kostanai Minerals JSC, Kazakshtan’s only producer of chrysotile (white) asbestos. Born in Russia, Mrs. Bisenkulova had worked at Orenburg Minerals, a Russian asbestos mining conglomerate, before her marriage. She has worked for Kostanai Minerals for 18 years – sewing bags for 13 years and operating machines which pack chrysotile asbestos fiber into 50 kilo bags for five years. Running two machines at the same time, she can produce 60 bags an hour. See: 50 мешков в час [50 bags per hour].
Mobilizing Support for Asbestos Industry
Feb 4, 2022
A resolution issued by a meeting last month (January 2022) of the council of trade unions of the city of Asbest, Sverdlovsk region, Russia and the coordinating council of the Women for Safe Work and Social Stability condemned “fake anti-asbestos campaigns” and unscientific propaganda circulated by anti-asbestos activists in league with producers of non-asbestos products. The text of the resolution noted: “For 40 years, scientists have not been able to prove its (white asbestos) harm to human health; numerous studies have appeared confirming the safety of the mineral with controlled use.” See: Женщины за хризотил: Урал готовится к бою [Women for chrysotile: Ural is preparing for battle].
Public Outrage over Toxic Water
Feb 4, 2022
Following a TV broadcast exposing the health hazard posed by Belgian water delivery systems which used asbestos-cement pipes, there has understandably been an upsurge of public concern over the safety of drinking tap water. Mayors in the worst affected areas in Wallonia have demanded explanations from the water utility company: SWDE. “We were never made aware of the situation,” said Jacques Chabot, Mayor of Waremme. He said that SWDE had sent an email warning about the broadcast of the documentary. See [Subscription site]: Conduites d'eau en amiante-ciment : « On veut des explications » [Asbestos-cement water pipes: “We want explanations”].
Confronting a Deadly Legacy
Feb 4, 2022
Exposure to asbestos incorporated within the Spanish infrastructure is causing between 5,000 and 6,000 deaths per year. The fact that asbestos was banned in 2002 has not eliminated the threat posed by the toxic [asbestos-containing] material, much of which is deteriorating with age. A shortage of trained asbestos removal operatives means that the complete eradication of asbestos will not be achieved in the foreseeable future. In addition, “the non-existence of direct subsidies for removing asbestos” is another disincentive for homeowners to employ asbestos removal specialists. See: Fibrocemento con amianto: qué hay que saber para retirarlo [Fiber cement containing asbestos: what you need to know to remove it].
Family of Electrician Compensated
Feb 4, 2022
Earlier this week, a court in Arezzo, Italy recognized the mesothelioma death in 2017 of a former employee of the railway production company of Società Anonima Costruzioni Ferroviarie e Meccaniche (Anonymous Railway and Mechanical Construction Company [SACFEM]) as having been caused by occupational exposures to asbestos. From 1960-1978, the deceased had worked as an electrician building railway carriages. Labor Judge Giorgio Rispoli awarded the family the sum of €64,000 (US$73,100) compensation and €12,000 (US$13,710) for litigation costs. See: Arezzo, muore di amianto: sentenza del giudice per ex lavoratore Sacfem. Risarcimento ridotto [Arezzo, death from asbestos disease: judge's verdict for former Sacfem worker. Reduced compensation].
Temporary Government U-Turn
Feb 4, 2022
On February 1, 2022, the French Government postponed the implementation of new regulations – “pre-work identification” via use of the RAT device – which although providing improved safeguards for workers’ health would also increase costs at the Brest shipyards. The critics of the new scheme said that workplace asbestos protections should be harmonized throughout Europe in order to avoid unfair competition from Dutch, Spanish or Polish competitors. See: Amiante: le gouvernement accorde un répit aux chantiers navals, Brest soulagé [Asbestos: the government grants respite to shipyards, Brest relieved].
Another Shipyard Victim
Feb 2, 2022
News was uploaded to the web on January 31 that union leader, Ferol City Councillor and victims’ campaigner Rafael Pillado had contracted mesothelioma from exposures to asbestos at the Bazán de Ferrol shipyards. Explaining the reasons for broadcasting this private news, Pillado said: “I don't want my disease and that of so many others who were affected to be hidden.” He intends to bring a lawsuit so that he can hold to account those parties responsible for failing to take action to prevent his exposures to a known carcinogen. See: Rafael Pillado, histórico sindicalista ferrolano, anuncia que padece un cáncer provocado por el amianto [Rafael Pillado, leading unionist from Ferrol, announces that he is suffering from cancer caused by asbestos].
Asbestos Convictions in Campania
Feb 2, 2022
On January 28, 2022, the first sentences were handed down to managers of the Isochimica company in Avellino, Southern Italy and officials from the State Railways for failing to protect operatives who had carried out asbestos removal work from 1982 to 1988 on carriages belonging to the Italian State Railways; as a result of this negligence, scores of workers contracted deadly cancers and respiratory diseases. Four defendants – Isochimica’s safety manager Vincenzo Izzo and his deputy Pasquale De Luca, and Aldo Serio and Giovanni Notarangelo, from the railway company – were sentenced to 10 years. See: Amianto all’ex Isochimica di Avellino, dopo 40 anni arrivano 4 condanne a 10 anni e 22 assoluzioni [Asbestos at the former Avellino Isochimica [company], after 40 years there are 4 10-year sentences and 22 acquittals].
Failure to Safeguard Barcelona’s Children
Feb 2, 2022
Dr Josep Tarrés, a leading Spanish medical expert, has warned that school children in Barcelona were routinely experiencing toxic exposures to a known carcinogen due to the failure of the political authorities to remove asbestos from the municipality’s built environment. Children who attend schools in buildings surrounded by asbestos roofing “could develop cancer in 35, 40 or 50 years. In fact, some will develop cancer due to asbestos that would have been totally preventable if it were removed.” According to Dr Tarrés: “If we continue at the current rate, it will take 250 years to eliminate asbestos in Catalonia.” See: Josep Tarrés, neumólogo: “Niños de colegios cercanos al amianto desarrollarán un cancer” [Josep Tarrés, pulmonologist: “Children from schools close to asbestos will develop cancer”].
Confronting One Country’s Deadly Legacy
Feb 2, 2022
An opinion piece in the February 2022 issue of the US magazine Lawyer Monthly, reviewed the country’s deplorable asbestos history and pointed out that “between 1990 and 2019, more than 1 million people in the United States were harmed or died due to asbestos-related illnesses.” Despite this deplorable statistic, asbestos use remains legal throughout the country and asbestos-containing building products, friction material and gaskets remain on sale. Efforts to ban asbestos by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Congress have, to date, failed. See: Could the United States Legally Ban Asbestos Forever?
Asbestos-Cement Pipes Safe, say SWDE!
Feb 2, 2022
Following the broadcast of a recent TV documentary on the prevalence of asbestos-containing water pipes in Belgium, SWDE (a public utility responsible for water delivery in parts of Southern Belgium) defended its replacement policy. A company spokesperson said: “Each year, we replace the drinking water distribution pipes of the SWDE at a cost of 100 million euros. 10 years ago, 15% of our entire network was made up of asbestos and cement pipes. Today, we are at 11%, because we are replacing these used pipes with other materials.” See: Amiante dans les conduites d’eau: la SWDE rassure quant à la dangerosité de la situation… [Asbestos in water pipes: the SWDE reassures as to the dangerousness of the situation…].
Parliamentary Asbestos Inquiry
Feb 2, 2022
An analysis of evidence given to a Parliamentary asbestos hearing on December 15, 2021 which appeared on the website of a UK news and feature website questioned the accuracy of information conveyed by Epidemiologist Professor Julain Peto who had told MPs that “there is no current evidence that teachers are more heavily exposed than anybody else.” Other aspects of his testimony that were examined in this commentary were his assertions that asbestos removal work raised the level of airborne asbestos fibers and that air measurements were not useful for “understanding the cumulative risks of exposure for occupants of buildings.” See: Supplementary comments from the ‘Airtight on Asbestos’ Campaign.
BBC Asbestos Claims
Jan 31, 2022
A feature article in the Observer on Sunday January 30, 2022 documented an explosion of asbestos cancer claims recognized by the BBC, noting that to date the corporation had paid out £1.64m (US$2.2m) to 11 former employees who had died from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Amongst the claimants were make-up artists, engineers, riggers, set builders, studio managers and producers who had worked at 18 BBC locations including: Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingham, Dickenson Road Studios, Manchester, BBC Scotland’s headquarters, Glasgow and Broadcasting House, Television Center, Alexandra Palace and Bush House in London. See: Families win BBC payouts over 11 asbestos cancer deaths.
Propagandists Misreport WHO Guidance
Jan 31, 2022
Russian industry lobbyists continue to spread disinformation about the asbestos policies of international agencies. The article cited below reported as a victory new guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2021 which, they said did not: “include strict restrictions on the use of asbestos-containing building materials in plumbing systems around the world.” In fact, the 32 page WHO document categorically supported banning asbestos-cement pipes: “No new sources of asbestos fibres in drinking-water should be introduced.” See: Позиция ВОЗ: новые подробности об асбестовых трубах [WHO position: new details about asbestos pipes].
Asbestos Alert in Belgium
Jan 31, 2022
A high-profile TV documentary broadcast in Belgium on January 26, 2022 highlighted the presence of deteriorating asbestos-cement pipes throughout the country. Pipe networks are delivering water of doubtful quality in several districts, with some areas affected far worse than others. The highest concentration of toxic pipes was reported in Wallonia where there are 3,000 kilometers of asbestos-cement pipes. In other words, 11% of Wallonia’s water delivery system uses asbestos-cement pipes. See: Amiante dans l’eau potable: découvrez si votre commune possède des conduites en amiante-ciment [Asbestos in drinking water: find out if your municipality has asbestos-cement pipes].
Is HSE’s Asbestos Policy Fit for Purpose
Jan 31, 2022
The third and final session of a Parliamentary investigation by the Work and Pensions Committee into whether the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) policy for managing the country’s asbestos hazard is fit for purpose will take place on Wednesday, February 2, 2022. Evidence given during previous hearings, including information about asbestos protocols of other European countries, exposed multiple failures by the HSE to take timely and effective action to protect working people from toxic exposures to millions of asbestos-containing products incorporated within the national infrastructure. See: Work and Pensions Committee to question Minister Chloe Smith and HSE officials - Wednesday 2nd February at 9.15am.
One Nation’s Asbestos Tragedy
Jan 31, 2022
Failures by successive administrations in India are responsible for the continued use of a toxic material banned in scores of other countries: asbestos. Alhtough asbestos mining was prohibited in India in 2011, asbestos-containing products such as asbestos-cement tiles remain a popular choice for consumers because of their relatively low cost. Vested interests in the asbestos industrial sector have dispensed considerable funds to political candidates and decision makers in order to maintain the status quo despite the dangers to human beings exposed to asbestos material at work or at home. See: New Delhi still imports asbestos, risking 50,000 deaths a year.
Indictment of Ministry of Defense
Jan 31, 2022
After ten years of legal filings and hearings, last week the Lazio Regional Administrative Court ordered Italy’s Ministry of Defense to pay compensation for the asbestos death at aged 46 of Marshal Giuseppe Lazzari. The deceased had been exposed to asbestos whilst serving in the Italian Army from 1992 to 2010, as a result of which he developed mesothelioma. The Ministry had previously rejected a claim brought by his widow and children. See: Amianto: Ministero della Difesa Condonnato al Risarcimento per la Morte del Maresciallo Giuseppe Lazzari [Asbestos: Ministry of Defense Ordered to Pay Compensation for the Death of Marshal Giuseppe Lazzari].
Concerns over Asbestos-Cement Pipes
Jan 28, 2022
Residents in the Portuguese City of Benavente, in the Santarém District, have expressed concern about the quality of water delivered through the city’s aging asbestos-cement waterpipes. The water utility company Águas do Ribatejo refuted any claims of contamination, saying tests conducted in a certified laboratory showed that the water was safe to drink. Local people are calling for the aging asbestos-cement pipes to be replaced as a matter of public safety. See: Moradores da Barrosa preocupados com canalizações contendo amianto [Barrosa residents concerned about pipes containing asbestos].
Transition from Asbestos Mining
Jan 28, 2022
The article cited below discussed a topic familiar to ban asbestos campaigners: how does a former asbestos mining town transition to a safer and more sustainable future. Interviews with workers, politicians and experts about the future of Minaçu – Brazil’s only remaining asbestos mining town – indicated a new willingness to engage in discussions about measures to diversify the region’s economic base to compensate for the loss of mining jobs. Calls for the asbestos mining company Eternit and government to support initiatives to ensure a just transition were reported. See: Beset by legal battles, Brazil asbestos town eyes a safer future.
Clash of Ministries on Asbestos Policy
Jan 28, 2022
An attempt by Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction to rename the project currently titled “Roadmap for ending the use of chrysotile asbestos for the production of asbestos roofing by 2023” to “Strengthening the management and use of chrysotile [asbestos] in the production of building materials” has been condemned by the Ministry of Health’s Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health in Official Letter No. 16/SKNN&MT V/v on multiple grounds including the overwhelming need to protect the population from toxic exposures to chrysotile asbestos. See: Kiến nghị giữ nguyên tên Đề án “Lộ trình dừng sử dụng amiang trắng để sản xuất tấm lợp amiang” [Proposal to keep the name of the Project “Road to stop using chrysotile for the production of asbestos roofing sheets”].
Improving Occupational Safety Protocols
Jan 28, 2022
A proposal to improve protection for Korea subcontractors dismantling and removing asbestos are under consideration by the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee. On January 24, 2022, draft legislation entitled the “Partial Amendment to the Occupational Safety and Health Act,” which aims to restrict those eligible to undertake asbestos remediation work to licensed personnel and companies was submitted by Lim Ja, the representative from Sangju, Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. See: 임이자 의원 “석면해체·제거작업 근로자들의 처우 개선” [“Improving the treatment of asbestos dismantling and removal workers”].
Grassroots Mobilization in Barcelona
Jan 28, 2022
Retired workers from the Macosa-Alstom company who had been exposed to asbestos whilst producing equipment and vehicles for the Barcelona metro continue to support workmates now suffering from asbestos-related diseases, and to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard throughout the region. According to the group’s spokesperson Miguel Moreno, the asbestos deaths of 33 former work colleagues have been recognized by the Courts and 15 more cases are pending. On January 28, a book about the Macosa factory in Poblenou, where generations of workers were exposed to asbestos, will be launched at a public meeting. See: Los Jubilados de Macosa-Alstom, contra la pasividad de Barcelona para retirar el amianto [Retirees from Macosa-Alstom against Barcelona's passivity over asbestos removal].
Asbestos in Welsh Schools
Jan 28, 2022
Guidance for Asbestos Management in Schools in Wales issued in 2014 was updated on January 21, 2022. The new 22-page document, which was issued by the Education Directorate of the Welsh Government, sets out a range of measures that schools must take to ensure “that any asbestos present in your school is managed properly.” Government resources and contacts are provided and warnings are given regarding failures to comply with the guidance which could expose pupils and staff to serious risk as well as attract financial penalties. See: Asbestos Management in Schools. Updated January 2022. Guidance document no: 279/2022.
Asbestos Anxiety in Tours
Jan 25, 2022
On January 20, 2022, the Versailles Administrative Court of Appeal reversed a May 2021 judgment of the Orleans Court denying eight plaintiffs leave to pursue a legal action against the French City of Tours which had negligently exposed them to asbestos at their workplaces between 2000 and 2012. As a result of their toxic exposures, the eight litigants are seeking damages of €30,000 (~US$34,000) for asbestos anxiety. The latest ruling will permit this lawsuit to proceed. See: Préjudice d'anxiété lié à l'amiante : une première victoire pour huit salariés de la métropole de Tours [Anxiety damage linked to asbestos: a first victory for eight employees of the metropolis of Tours].
Victory for Asbestos Victim
Jan 25, 2022
A lawsuit brought over the death in 2021 of a Japanese worker who had been employed for 30 years at a factory in Kitakyushu City manufacturing asbestos-cement roofing has been settled with the Government of Japan agreeing to accept liability and pay compensation of 11.5 million yen (US$101,000) to the deceased’s family. The claimants alleged that the worker had contracted lung cancer as a result of occupational exposures to asbestos which had resulted from the failure of the Government’s timely action to control the asbestos hazard. See: 北九州アスベスト訴訟 国が１１５０万円支払う和解成立 [Kitakyushu Asbestos Proceedings Settlement in which the country pays 11.5 million yen].
New Asbestos Data from INAIL
Jan 25, 2022
Figures have been released by Italy’s National Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance (INAIL) detailing the scale of the country’s asbestos epidemic during the last few years. The 29-page INAIL file included data regarding asbestos-related diseases recognized by INAIL, annuities for asbestos-related diseases paid by INAIL, the number of professional beneficiaries of the Asbestos Victims Fund and benefits awarded for non-occupational mesotheliomas. According to Table 1, the number of cases of workers with asbestos-related occupational diseases which were recognized by INAIL were: 2016 (1,776), 2017 (1,720), 2018 (1,583), 2019 (1,638) and 2020 (923). See: Pubblicazioni INAIL: Le malattie asbesto-correlate –2021 [INAIL publications: Asbestos-related diseases – 2021].
Libby, Montana’s “Public Health Emergency”
Jan 25, 2022
A press release issued last week by the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, Montana highlighted the publication in the December 2021 issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine of a paper about the asbestos “public health emergency” in Libby. Between 2000 and 2010, 203 people in Libby died due to asbestos-related diseases. Sixty-seven per cent of the deceased had been occupationally exposed to asbestos whilst employed at the local vermiculite mine and elsewhere; the remainder had been environmentally exposed to asbestos fibers liberated by the mining process or used around town to build baseball fields, running tracks, etc. See: Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) Article Illuminates High Levels of Asbestos Related Mortality.
New Tool for Mesothelioma Grading
Jan 25, 2022
A new method for assessing mesothelioma stages was considered in a paper by UK researchers which was published in The American Journal of Surgical Pathology. The co-authors recommended the use of a Mesothelioma Weighted Grading Scheme which used various criteria to assess the severity and type of the disease. Doctors who used this protocol for 369 patients with pleural mesothelioma found that the median survival varied considerably based on the scores: 17 months for low grades, 10 months for intermediate scores and only 4 months for high scores. See: Malignant pleural mesothelioma patients’ experience by gender: findings from a cross-sectional UK-national questionnaire.
Florence Court Delivers Justice for Widow
Jan 25, 2022
After more than a decade of legal filings and judicial reversals, on January 11, 2022 asbestos widow Susanna Vannucci triumphed in the case she brought over the 2012 death of her husband Emilio Corbo when the Florence Court of Appeal overturned an unfavorable verdict by the Court of Pistoia. The Florence court ordered INAIL – Italy’s Institute for Occupational Accident Insurance – to pay Mrs Vannucci €240,000 (US$271,500) in arrears and a monthly income of €1,800 (US$2,036). See: Il marito fu ucciso dall’amianto Vedova risarcita dopo dieci anni [Husband was killed by asbestos. Widow compensated after ten years].
Eternit Bis Trial: Update
Jan 24, 2022
The trial of Stephen Schmidheiny, accused of causing over 392 asbestos deaths in Italy, continued on January 17, 2022 with the defendant’s legal team cross-examining medical and scientific experts who had categorically linked the operations of Schmidheiny’s asbestos-cement manufacturing processes to occupational and environmental cancers. Case-by-case challenges made by Schmidheiny’s lawyers to the mesothelioma diagnoses were robustly defended by the Public Prosecutors. Due to the rise in Covid cases in Italy, the trial is being suspended until March 16. See: Eternit Bis, il processo riprende il 16 marzo. Ma l’imputato Stephan Schmidheiny non sarà in aula [Eternit Bis, the trial resumes on March 16. But defendant Stephan Schmidheiny will not be in court].
Asbestos Audits in Barcelona
Jan 24, 2022
In order to comply with an EU objective for the eradication of asbestos by 2022, the Urban Planning Commission of Barcelona unanimously approved the implementation of mandatory asbestos audits of public buildings and spaces. In addition, a proposal to produce a timetable for undertaking the required work was ordered. During discussions of the Barcelona City Council, politicians from opposition parties highlighted the municipality’s repeated failures to carry through on plans to tackle the city’s asbestos legacy. See: Barcelona censará el amianto de la ciudad sin comprometerse a su retirada [Barcelona will census the city's asbestos without committing to its removal].
Asbestos Removal Program in Schools
Jan 24, 2022
The Department of Education in the Korean City of Ulsan announced on January 19, 2022 that asbestos remediation would take place in Pyeongsan Elementary School and Byeongyeong Elementary School (Annex) during the winter school vacation. After this work was completed, external experts would supervise air monitoring tests to ensure that the school was safe for use. According to an official, asbestos remediation work at eight other schools will be undertaken during the summer and winter vacations this year. See: 울산 학교 환경개선, 평산초·병영초 석면해체·제거 완료 [Ulsan school environment improvement, asbestos dismantling and removal completed at Pyeongsan Elementary School and Byeongyeong Elementary School].
Remembering Libby, Montana
Jan 24, 2022
The article cited below detailed international man-made disasters and listed the “Montana Asbestos Clouds” in fourth place after the Aberfan Colliery Slip (Wales), the Seveso Disaster (Italy) and the Chernobyl meltdown (Ukraine). The US disaster was caused by the mining of vermiculite in the town of Libby, Montana during the 20th century as a result of which asbestos contamination spread throughout the town exposing not only miners but also other employees and local people to invisible fibers capable of causing various cancers and diseases. The scale of the disaster, with almost 10% of the townsfolk dying from asbestos-related diseases, led to a massive and protracted clean-up operation by the Environmental Protection Agency. See: 10 of the world’s biggest man-made disasters.
Asbestos Hotline
Jan 24, 2022
On January 19 and 20, 2022, a free telephone hotline was set up in Osaka, Japan by legal advisors to inform potential applicants about the process for submitting claims to a government compensation scheme for construction workers who contracted various diseases as a result of occupational exposures to asbestos. The benefits’ scheme is operated by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. See: 建設現場のアスベスト被害 電話相談 給付金受け付け開始で [Telephone consultation accompanies rollout of compensation [scheme] for those injured by asbestos at construction sites].
Toxic Legacy of 9/11 Attacks
Jan 24, 2022
The Italian language article cited below explored the deadly legacy posed by asbestos contamination of national infrastructures. The subject was timely because of the ongoing criminal case against the Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny who is charged with causing hundreds of deaths of Italian workers and local people. The author of this article cited data from the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center during which clouds of toxic dust – including asbestos – spread throughout Manhattan. The first known fatality linked to the attack was that of first responder Nick Ursta. He died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in 2019. See: La nube di polvere post Torri Gemelle? «Era amianto» [The dust cloud after the Twin Towers? “It was asbestos”].
Asbestos Alert!
Jan 19, 2022
An article on a Vietnamese news portal highlighted the deadly danger posed by the popularity of asbestos-cement roofing material, exposure to which can cause a variety of cancers and diseases. The majority of the asbestos fiber used in the manufacture of 80 million m2 of asbestos-cement roofing products in Vietnam every year comes from Russia. Medical and scientific experts are working in Vietnam to raise awareness of the availability of safer products and encourage consumers, especially lower income customers, to abandon toxic roofing. See: Chất Amiăng trong tấm lợp Fibro xi măng là “kẻ thù” gây hàng loạt ung thư nguy hiểm [Asbestos in Fibro-cement roofing is an “enemy” that causes a series of dangerous cancers].
Asbestos Outreach Initiative
Jan 19, 2022
A medical program to screen high-risk workers for asbestos-related conditions, which was developed in conjunction with the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), used a mobile Low Dose Computed Tomography unit to examine 223 workers from a former asbestos factory in Pedro Leopoldo City in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. “Pleural plaques or nodules were identified in 19% of individuals, with a median exposure time of 13.5 years. Five individuals had moderate or marked signs of pulmonary fibrosis, and one was diagnosed with low-stage pulmonary adenocarcinoma.” See: Abstract PO-260: Screening of Brazilian underserved [overlooked] workers exposed to asbestos in loco with a mobile low dose computed tomography [unit].
Victim’s Verdict in Naples
Jan 19, 2022
What has been termed “a historic sentence for workers who have been in contact with the killer fiber (asbestos) in shipbuilding over the years,” was handed down recently by Labor Judge Dionigio Verasani of the Torre Annunziata Court in Naples, Italy who ruled that two of the former employers – Fincantieri S.p.A and Sait S.p.A. – of mesothelioma victim Angelo T. were jointly and severally liable for his death from mesothelioma in 2016. The companies were ordered to pay his family compensation of €1 million (US $1.14m). See: Morì a causa dell’amianto, risarcimento di un milione di euro alla famiglia [One million euros in compensation to the family of man whose death was caused by asbestos].
Commencement of Benefits Program
Jan 19, 2022
A government scheme to provide financial support to asbestos-injured construction workers in Japan which will avoid the necessity of them bringing legal action to obtain compensation becomes operational on January 19, 2022 as per stipulations in the Construction Asbestos Benefits Law which was adopted by the Diet on June 9, 2021. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has pledged to “make every possible effort to implement the benefit system based on this law,” including the distribution of information to potential applicants. See: 建設アスベスト給付金法が１月19日に施行されます [Construction Asbestos Benefits Act will come into effect on January 19].
Improving Asbestos Protections
Jan 19, 2022
A decree to be published in France this year (2022) will specify the measures needed for compliance with a standard published on November 20, 2021 (NF P94-001); the provisions of the decree will relate to the identification of environmental asbestos, the geological study of soils and rocks in situ, as well as recommended methodologies for finding and dealing with naturally occurring asbestos. A period of grace will allow all professionals and geologists to train and prepare for implementing the new protocols. See: L'amiante naturel désormais traqué jusque dans l'environnement [ Natural asbestos now tracked down to the environment].
Critique of Government Fund
Jan 19, 2022
Auckland-based lawyer Philip Schmidt, who has been representing people with occupational disease claims submitted to New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) for more than 20 years, has gone public with his concern over the rejection by the ACC of claims for medical treatment for asbestos cancer victims without the clinicians treating the patients having been consulted. Schmidt cited cases where ACC funding was denied because medicines were not on the Pharmac-approved list. Even though exceptions are permitted, the ACC did not consult the patients' oncologists or review their notes. The ACC is, it said, in discussions with Mr. Schmidt over his allegations. See: Lawyer urges ACC to review asbestos cancer policy.
Alert over Istanbul Regeneration
Jan 17, 2022
The article cited below, which was uploaded on January 11, 2022, raised the alarm over the failure to control the asbestos hazard caused by the demolition of a toxic factory in Istanbul and the uncontrolled disposal of the hazardous waste from the site. Five thousand workers used to be employed at the site of the 26,000 m2 Aksu Yarn Factory; developers have plans to construct luxury housing once the area has been cleared. Asbestos specialists estimate that there is 350 tons of asbestos waste on the site. Government regulations and guidelines for asbestos removal are, they say, not being followed. See: Yıkılan iplik fabrikasından açığa çıkan asbest, kamyonlarla İstanbul’a yayılıyor [Asbestos released from the destroyed yarn factory spreads to Istanbul with trucks].
New US Asbestos Testing Protocols?
Jan 17, 2022
On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a white paper on the state-of-the-art of scientific testing for asbestos contamination of talc-containing cosmetics and talc intended for use in cosmetics; the text was a collaborative effort and was produced by the Interagency Working Group on Asbestos in Consumer Products. The paper’s authors made several recommendations including using both Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) to identify the presence of asbestos. The paper is currently being peer reviewed. See: FDA Releases Federal Interagency Working Group Scientific Opinions on Testing Methods for Asbestos in Talc-Containing Cosmetic Products.
Asbestos Alert in British Columbia
Jan 17, 2022
In a press release issued on January 13, 2022 by First Nation campaigners, in collaboration with NGOs, provincial and federal authorities were condemned for allowing toxic shipbreaking to take place in Union Bay, British Columbia (BC). Hazardous practices which were commonplace for employees of Deep Water Recovery Ltd. at the improvised shipbreaking yard exposed workers and local residents to a cocktail of toxins including asbestos and PCBs. The Canadian authorities were urged to “to halt immediately the breaking of ships at Union Bay…” See: NGOs join local residents and First Nations in fight against toxic shipbreaking in British Columbia.
Victims’ Legal Victory in Sicily
Jan 17, 2022
Last week, a labor judge in the Termini Imerese Court in Palermo, Italy issued a verdict supporting asbestos appeals by 21 claimants who had worked for various periods between the 1960s and 1995 at a factory operated by the Matesi di Campofelice SpA company, which later became Filatura di Campofelice SpA. The Judge ruled that the INPS (Istituto Nazionale Previdenza Sociale (National Social Security Institute) must pay pension entitlements in recognition of the fact that the claimants had been occupationally exposed to asbestos. See: Amianto nelle fabbriche siciliane: il Tribunale di Termini Imerese condanna l’INPS [Asbestos in Sicilian factories: the Court of Termini Imerese condemns the INPS].
Johnson & Johnson Update
Jan 17, 2022
On January 11, 2022, Chief US District Judge Freda Wolfson – a New Jersey federal judge – denied a request from claimants suing Johnson and Johnson (J&J) who had asked the Court for permission to bypass bankruptcy protections put in place to shield the pharmaceutical giant from personal injury claims, including some from dying cancer plaintiffs. Wolfson. who did not say why she declined to decide the matter, said she would explain her reasons within twenty days. There are estimated to be 38,000 claims against J&J arising from asbestos contamination of its baby powder. These claims were put into a new entity in 2021 which was then put into bankruptcy. See: J&J talc judge says legal shield dispute is for bankruptcy court.
Asbestos Time Bomb
Jan 17, 2022
A January 13, 2022 interview with Spanish asbestos victim Luis Yuste, Vice President of the Association in Defense of Asbestos Victims, highlighted the daily reality of people living with asbestos anxiety caused by the knowledge that they had been exposed to asbestos throughout their working lives. Yuste told the journalist: “Every time I go to have a check-up, I have a very bad time. I live with the permanent fear that the disease has advanced and that my end is near.” Having watched many co-workers succumb to asbestos cancer, he felt as if there was a time bomb ticking away inside his body. See: El eterno olvido de los afectados por el amianto [The eternal forgetfulness of those affected by asbestos].
Demolition of Asbestos Houses
Jan 13, 2022
Residents from a settlement of asbestos-containing prefabricated houses made in East Germany and erected in the 1980s in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in the far-east of Russia, are being resettled due to concerns over the danger posed by the presence of asbestos which “increases the likelihood of malignant tumors.” In 2020, the properties were listed for demolition. In all likelihood the asbestos used by the German factory which produced the prefabs originated in Russia, the world’s largest supplier. Russian asbestos stakeholders continue to deny that exposure to (white) asbestos can harm human health. See: Мэрия Комсомольска для переселения жителей «Берлина» купила еще 30 квартир [Komsomolsk Mayor's Office has purchased 30 apartments to relocate residents of the "Berlin" [settlement]].
New Asbestos Regulations in BC
Jan 13, 2022
Asbestos-related diseases remain the leading cause of occupational deaths in British Columbia (BC). To reduce the death toll, the Provincial Government is proposing the imposition of asbestos licensing rules under its Workers Compensation Act. Under the new mandatory regulations, asbestos removal contractors must obtain a license from WorkSafeBC – the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia – to operate in BC. In addition, all employers, workers and contractors who remove asbestos must undertake a recognized asbestos safety training program. See: BC proposes asbestos licensing rules in workplace safety bid.
Failing to Square the Circle
Jan 13, 2022
During a 2022 interview with Luís Augusto Barbosa, the CEO of Brazil’s former Asbestos Giant: Eternit S.A., attempted to explain the inexplicable: the Company’s abandonment of asbestos for the manufacture of products destined for Brazil’s consumers with its continuation of asbestos mining for exports to Asia. The operations of the SAMA asbestos mine made a 30% contribution to the conglomerate’s profits for 2020. Eternit’s healthy balance sheet might, said one observer, indicate that the company would soon emerge from judicial recovery. See: Com a palavra... Eternit: Fabricante de telhas tenta desapegar do amianto [By words [alone]... Eternit roofing manufacturer tries to dispose of asbestos [problem]].
Asbestos Concerns in Korean Cities
Jan 13, 2022
Campaigners from the Korean groups Environmental Health Civic Center and Incheon Environmental Movement Association revealed on January 12, 2022 the findings of tests which showed that landscaping boulders used at two landmark sites contained tremolite asbestos fibers. The toxic products were located at Incheon Grand Park and the Bucheon Shopping Mall in the cities of Seoul and Bucheon respectively. The use of asbestos has been banned in Korea since 2003. See: 환경단체 "인천대공원·부천 복합쇼핑몰서 석면 검출" [Environmental group “Detection of asbestos in Incheon Grand Park and Bucheon Shopping Mall”].
Alleged Contamination of Cosmetics
Jan 13, 2022
A California NGO, Environmental Health Advocates (EHA), has launched a lawsuit in the Oakland Superior Court against suppliers of cosmetic products – eyeshadow and blushers – which were contaminated with asbestos fibers. The supplier B2 Fashions is accused of failing to inform the public of the presence of asbestos, a known carcinogen. EHA argues that “no customers would voluntarily apply asbestos-laced cosmetics to their faces if they knew such a decision could result in a cancer diagnosis.” Despite the company receiving a 60-notice alerting them to the contamination, there had been no recall and the toxic products had remained on sale. See: Entorno Law Files Lawsuit Against B2 Fashions, Inc. For Asbestos In Eyeshadow & Blush Palette.
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 12, 2022
Following the discovery of asbestos-containing products at the Las Salinas de San Fernando institute by the Spanish trade union CGT, the Inspectorate of Labor demanded that the Cádiz Territorial Education Department, which is part of the Andalusian Regional Government, take urgent action to remove the toxic material. The Education Department announced that the remediation required would be undertaken in the coming academic year. See: Inspección de Trabajo exige a la Junta que retire el amianto cancerígeno existente en un instituto de San Fernando [Labor Inspection requires the Board to remove the existing carcinogenic asbestos in a San Fernando institute].
No Asbestos Dump in Mont-Saint-Vincent!
Jan 12, 2022
Campaigners in France who blocked the development of asbestos waste facilities by the Rougeot company at its Mont-Saint-Vincent quarry last year, remain concerned about the possibility that this toxic waste might be dumped elsewhere in the region. The exploitation of various legal and environmental loopholes could, they warn, be exploited, thereby endangering the health of the population as well as polluting the environment. A public inquiry by the authorities in Creusot Montceau begins on January 17 to consider modifications to urban plans that might affect this issue in 34 cities in the region. See: Mont-Saint-Vincent – L’amiante et le plui ne font pas bon ménage [Mont-Saint-Vincent – Asbestos and rain don't mix].
Rescheduling of Asbestos Trial
Jan 12, 2022
The asbestos trial nicknamed Eternit Bis, which began in in Novara, Italy last year was disrupted earlier this week when one of the six judges was in self-isolation and one of the plaintiffs’ expert witnesses contracted Covid-19. After protracted debate between the Judges and the lawyers, it was decided to delay the January 10 proceedings for one week. On January 17, Prof Irma Dianzani, Dr Pietro Gino Barbieri, Prof Mauro Giulio Papotti, Dr Edoardo Bay and victims’ relatives will give evidence. At that time, another assessment will be made regarding the proposed timetable for the rest of the trial. See: Eternit Bis, incombe la pandemia: udienza il 17, poi stop temporaneo [Eternit Bis, the pandemic is looming: hearing on the 17th, then temporary stop].
Asbestos in Domestic Properties
Jan 11, 2022
Work ordered by the Mauritius Ministry of the Environment to remediate housing built with asbestos material is continuing this year. Contractors have been tendering for the demolition of 150 properties under a scheme being administered by local government inspectors and the Ministry of Housing. In the first instance, owners and occupants of affected properties are contacted so that an investigation can be carried out and plans made for rehousing of residents. All removal and disposal of the toxic building products are subject to regulation by the Mauritius Standard Bureau and other government agencies. See: Logement: la fin définitive des maisons en amianto [Housing: the definitive end of asbestos houses].
RIP Victor Escobar
Jan 11, 2022
Colombian lung cancer sufferer Victor Escobar took advantage of a new euthanasia law to bring an end to his suffering on January 7, 2022 thereby becoming one of the first Latin Americans with a terminal disease to legally end their life. The sixty-year old former insulator, who believed his work with asbestos-containing products caused his cancer, died in his home town of Cali in the presence of his family and doctors. He gave permission for his death to be recorded to encourage others who found themselves in a similar position. Although he was a devout Catholic, he believed that God would not “punish me for trying to stop suffering.” See: Colombian dies publicly under new euthanasia policy.
Victims’ Condemnation of Spanish System
Jan 11, 2022
Members of the Association of Victims Affected by Asbestos in Catalonia (AVAAC) have condemned the Spanish Government and the authorities in Catalonia for failing to recognize the negative consequences for Spanish workers who had been employed by companies which had used asbestos fiber in the production of building material and automotive parts. Comparing Spanish compensation payments for the injured to the system in France revealed, said AVAAC, a woeful under-recognition of the scale of the Spanish epidemic. See: Las víctimas del amianto denuncian el olvido institucional y reclaman la consideración profesional de la enfermedad [Asbestos victims denounce institutional neglect and demand professional consideration of the disease].
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 11, 2022
According to research, 350,000 children and 50,000 teachers are being exposed to asbestos still present in Italian classrooms. On December 20, 2021, a Labor Judge in Bologna ruled that the Ministry of Education was negligent in preventing the asbestos-related death of Professor Olga Mariasofia D’Enilio. The Court ordered the Ministry to pay compensation of €930,358 (~US$1 million) to the teacher’s heirs. On December 13, 2021, a special UN rapporteur expressed concern over Italy’s failure to take measures to stop toxic exposures occurring at contaminated sites and waste dumps and resulting from fibers liberated by asbestos products incorporated within the national infrastructure. See: Amianto, almeno 350 mila bimbi ancora esposti: anche in classe [Asbestos, at least 350,000 children still exposed: even in the classroom].
Asbestos Audits for Smaller Premises
Jan 11, 2022
New legislation – the Amendment to the Asbestos Safety Control Act – has been proposed by Korea’s National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee intended to close loopholes which had allowed unsafe practices to continue by owners of buildings with a total floor space of less than 500 m2 including administrative and public institutions, medical and cultural facilities and schools, all of which will now have to undertake asbestos audits to identify the presence and condition of asbestos-containing material on site. See: [e법안 프리즘]윤준병, ‘건축물 석면조사 사각지대 해소법’ 마련 [[e-Bill Prism] Jun-Byung Yoon, ‘A method for resolving the blind spots of asbestos investigation in buildings’].
Victim’s Victory in Navarra
Jan 11, 2021
In the face of objections from Spain’s National Institute of Social Security (INSS) and Mondelez España Galletas Production SL (the former employer of the claimant), the Superior Court of Justice of Navarra reconfirmed a 2005 ruling which had found that the plaintiff’s injuries had been caused by occupational exposure to asbestos over a period of twenty years employment dismantling the company’s ovens with no protective clothing or equipment. The benefits now paid to the litigant will, the Court said, be €1,957 (US$2,215) per month. The fact that the claimant had been a smoker was irrelevant to the case, said the Court. See: El TSJN reconoce una incapacidad por amianto desde hace más de 15 años [The TSJN has recognized an asbestos disability lasting more than 15 years].
Parliamentary Reading of Asbestos Bill
Jan 7, 2022
In a January 6, 2022 interview with Mikhail Radutsky, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Health, Medical Assistance and Health Insurance, the Parliamentarian confirmed that a second reading of the Ukraine Parliament’s Bill No. 4142 “On the Public Health System” was due to take place shortly and would include draft legislation outlawing asbestos use. Since most of the country’s former asbestos-using factories have already transitioned to safer non-asbestos technologies, this ban should have little impact on the national economy. See: Михаил Радуцкий, председатель Комитета ВР по вопросам здоровья нации, медицинской помощи и медицинского страхования [Mikhail Radutsky, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Health, Medical Assistance and Health Insurance].
Calls for Asbestos Ban!
Jan 7, 2022
On January 7, 2022, it was reported that civil society groups in the Philippines were reconfirming support for an immediate and comprehensive ban on the use of all asbestos-containing products on the grounds of public health and safety. In a January 6 statement, EcoWaste and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said that the Chemical Control Order (CCO) for Asbestos “needs serious enhancement” in order to stop the import of asbestos fiber and products containing asbestos. According to TUCP President Raymond Mendoza, the lack of asbestos warning labels on toxic material and a widespread complacency about asbestos exposures will lead to higher levels of disease in the future. See: EcoWaste, TUCP push for stronger anti-asbestos policy.
Asbestos Alert for Construction Workers
Jan 7, 2022
Italian researchers reconfirmed the elevated incidence of the asbestos cancer malignant mesothelioma (MM) amongst construction workers. Of 31,572 patients with MM identified from government data between 1993 to 2018, almost 70% had reported occupational exposure to asbestos. Of these, 21% had worked in the construction sector; the relevant figure for the period 1993-98 was 16% and for the period 2014-18 24%. The authors of the paper cited below concluded that: “There is a need to implement education and training for workers involved in activities such as remedial, maintenance, and building renovations, especially with reference to old buildings.” See: Asbestos Exposure and Malignant Mesothelioma in Construction Workers—Epidemiological Remarks by the Italian National Mesothelioma Registry (ReNaM).
Addressing a Toxic Legacy
Jan 7, 2022
A designated priority of the French Government’s Fourth Occupational Health Plan, published on December 20 2021, was countering the occupational risk posed by asbestos incorporated within the national infrastructure. Pursuant to this objective, were new measures to train operatives, improve workplace conditions via collaboration with a range of stakeholders, identify asbestos issues in the agricultural sector and promote innovations for the identification and safe removal of asbestos. See: The Fourth Occupational Health Plan.
EPA Asbestos Evaluation: Part II
Jan 7, 2022
On December 29, 2021, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made public its Draft Scope of the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos Part 2: Supplemental Evaluation Including Legacy Uses and Associated Disposals of Asbestos (Draft Scope) for the evaluation of asbestos issues excluded from Part 1 such as legacy uses, associated disposals and the hazard posed by asbestos fibers found in talc and talc-containing products. Evidence can be submitted to the EPA during the public consultation until February 14, 2022. See: EPA Publishes Draft Scope of the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos Part 2: Supplemental Evaluation Including Legacy Uses and Associated Disposals of Asbestos.
Phasing out Asbestos Use
Jan 5, 2022
A case study from the Tri Le commune in Vietnam’s Que Phong district was discussed in the article cited below which also recapped the health warnings given at a December 2021 asbestos awareness conference. The experience of the Thi Phuc family was related as an example of how disadvantaged people in the country’s mountainous areas might better safeguard their families’ well-being by replacing toxic asbestos-cement roofing tiles with environmentally friendly alternatives such as iron roofing sheets. See: Quế Phong, Nghệ An: Bỏ tấm lợp Fibro xi măng có nguy cơ nhiễm amiăng sang lợp mái tôn [Que Phong, Nghe An: Replacing the use of toxic asbestos-cement roofing sheets with corrugated iron roofs].
Childhood Asbestos Exposure Study
Jan 5, 2022
An article by researchers in Denmark which examined “the asbestos-associated cancer incidence and the risk of multiple cancers in former school children exposed to environmental asbestos in childhood” was uploaded on December 27, 2021 to the website of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health as part of the Special Issue entitled: Asbestos Exposure and Health Impact. The study confirmed that there was a significant association between childhood exposure to asbestos and the onset in later life of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma as well as other cancers. See: Cancer Incidence and Risk of Multiple Cancers after Environmental Asbestos Exposure in Childhood—A Long-Term Register-Based Cohort Study.
Provincial Backing for Asbestos Removal
Jan 5, 2022
From December 30, 2021 until February 25, 2022, economically challenged residents in Hampyeong County in Korea’s South Jeolla Province can apply for subsidies to remove toxic asbestos-cement roofing from domestic properties and non-residential buildings such as barns and warehouses; the budget allocated by the Provincial authorities for this phase of its “2022 slate treatment and roof improvement support project” totals 352 million won (US$~295,000). See: 전남 함평군,1급 발암물질 석면 '노후 슬레이트 처리 지원사업’ 접수 [The 'Aging slate Treatment Support Project' for asbestos, a class 1 carcinogen, implemented in Hampyeong-gun, Jeonnam].
Culpability for Brazil’s Asbestos Disaster
Jan 5, 2022
An article which reviewed aspects of the “500 years of Franco-Brazilian relations” discussed the case of Saint-Gobain (SG) and its part in the history and tragic legacy of Brazil’s asbestos mining and production industry. SG played a pivotal role in developing Brazil’s asbestos industrial sector with its ownership of an asbestos mine in the State of Goiás. SG directors took measures to protect asbestos markets in Brazil even after France had banned the use of asbestos. It was not until January 2003 that SG ended the use of asbestos fiber at its Brazilian factories; in December 2003 it sold its interests in the Cana Brava chrysotile asbestos mine. See: Une curieuse histoire des relations franco-brésiliennes [A curious history of Franco-Brazilian relations].
Pursuer’s Ruling in Scottish Court
Jan 5, 2021
Judge Lady Wise at the Scottish Court of Session granted former council employee John Kelman leave to sue his former employer Moray Council which, it is alleged, was responsible for occupational exposures to asbestos the plaintiff sustained between 1980 and 1984 whilst working with large domestic storage heaters. Mr. Kelman was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2019 but had suffered from other conditions previously which might have alerted him to the possibility of future injuries; if so, the statute of limitations for bringing a claim had expired. In her written judgment, Lady Wise gave Mr Kelman permission to proceed and estimated that the value of the claim could be up to £200,000. See: Man allowed to pursue 'asbestos cancer' claim against Moray Council.
Asbestos Alert in Asia-Pacific Region
Jan 5, 2022
The 33rd International Congress on Occupational Health, which is being organized by the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) and its partners is due to take place in a digital format in February 2022. Special Session 43: Elimination of asbestos-related diseases in Asia Pacific was proposed by the Asian Ban Asbestos Network and the Japan Occupational Safety and Health Resource Center. The speakers scheduled to participate are: Jukka Takala, Dr. Anna Suraya, Ashish Mittal, Lance Richman and Ken Takahashi. See: SS43 Elimination of asbestos-related diseases in Asia Pacific.
WHO Calls for Asbestos-Free Water!
Jan 4, 2022
A briefing uploaded on December 21, 2021 by the World Health Organization (WHO) which served as the background document for the development of Guidelines focusing on the hazard posed by asbestos contamination of drinking water was adamant about the need to remediate toxic water delivery systems: “In line with WHO’s position that all types of asbestos should no longer be used, to most efficiently eliminate asbestos-related disease (WHO, 2006, 2014, 2018), sources of asbestos fibres in drinking-water, such as A/C pipes and storage containers, should not be newly installed.” See: Asbestos in drinking-water.
Pushback by Asbestos Lobby
Jan 4, 2022
Yet another Russian language pro-asbestos media blitz by vested interests was uploaded on December 28, 2021 to a Ukraine news portal which intimated that people who supported the Ukraine Government’s plans to ban asbestos were, like anti-vaxxers, anti-science. According to the author of the article cited below, there is no valid evidence for the use of chrysotile asbestos to be banned in Ukraine and enacting the draft prohibition currently under discussion by the Parliament could negatively impact the country’s economic prospects. See: Запрет асбеста: что думают об этом специалисты отрасли [Banning asbestos: what industry experts think of it].
Asbestos Propaganda Reboot
Jan 4, 2022
The article cited below which was uploaded to a Russian website on December 30, 2021 contained misleading and erroneous statements commonly recycled by asbestos vested interests. Whilst asserting that exposure to chrysotile asbestos “has long been considered harmless,” the author praised the “special properties of (chrysotile) asbestos” which made it an ideal material for use by the construction and other industrial sectors. There was, however one aspect of this “article” that was unusual; the notation at the bottom of the text which acknowledged that the “Information [was] provided by the company.” See: Асбокартон для теплоизоляции на предприятиях [Asbestos board for thermal insulation in enterprises].
Asbestos Alert in Vietnam
Jan 4, 2022
Vietnamese civil society groups in collaboration with Australian experts held a workshop on December 27, 2021 in the Que Phong district of Nghe An Province to raise awareness about the asbestos health hazard. The speakers detailed the consequences of occupational as well as environmental exposures to asbestos-containing roofing material, which remains a common choice for lower income families in some parts of the country. Calls for tax incentives to support the use of asbestos-free products were made. See: Tập huấn 'Nâng cao nhận thức về tác hại của amiăng đến sức khỏe đồng bào dân tộc thiểu số [Training on ‘Raising awareness about the harmful effects of asbestos on the health of ethnic minorities’].
Oscar Peano Mesothelioma Scholarship
Jan 4, 2021
Although it seems strange to find an article about the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in the pages of the glossy monthly Vanity Fair Italy, the December issue included an insightful piece about the life and death (2020) of Oscar Peano informed by an interview with his daughter-in-law author Francesca Marson. Oscar had a love of trees, plants and flowers and as the manager of Turin’s public parks used his passion to enhance the lives of the city’s residents. In his memory, his family raised funds to support a scholarship for research into clinical trials for people suffering from pleural mesothelioma. See: Chi era Oscar Peano e perché la sua storia ha ispirato una Borsa di Studio contro il mesotelioma [Who was Oscar Peano and why his story inspired a scholarship for research into the control of mesothelioma].
Asbestos on London Underground
Jan 4, 2022
Information accessed about asbestos-containing material on various London underground lines and in some stations was uploaded to the internet in December 2021 in reply to Freedom of Information requests. In most instances, such as the Bakerloo line, the asbestos was “typically found on rolling stock” and not in “public facing areas” (see: Pictogram). Nevertheless, asbestos-containing material was present in Pimlico underground station in areas which interfaced with the general public. See: 1972 stock Asbestos information.
Ruling for Railway Workers
Dec 24, 2021
On December 21, 2021 news was released of a landmark ruling by the Paris Court of Appeal which supported claims by 119 former railway workers who had developed psychological conditions due to occupational asbestos exposures. After an eight-year legal battle, the SNCF –the railway company owned by the French State – was ordered by the Court to compensate employees who had worked amongst asbestos contamination and, as a result, had developed “asbestos anxiety.” See: Amiante: un «préjudice d’anxiété» reconnu pour une centaine de cheminots [Asbestos: “prejudice of anxiety” recognized for a hundred railway workers].
Farewell Professor North!
Dec 24, 2021
On December 23, 2021, 61-year old Gillian North died at her home in Australia from asbestos cancer which she believed had been contracted as a result of toxic exposures during home renovations in London and in Sydney. Since receiving a diagnosis of mesothelioma three years ago, Professor North had been researching asbestos and warning fellow Australians about the deadly danger which lurked in their homes. It’s believed that up to 80% of Australian homes could contain asbestos building products. See: Celebrated professor dies at 61 from asbestos-related cancer after being exposed while renovating her home – just days after warning Australians to ‘wake up’ to the preventable threat.
Asbestos Contamination at WHO
Dec 24, 2021
The iconic Geneva headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO), which was built in the 1960s, is now being remediated to remove asbestos-containing material. While the work is ongoing, WHO personnel have relocated to temporary premises at which on December 20, 2021 the first in-person WHO news conference since July 2020 was held. According to a WHO spokesperson: “The appropriate precautionary measures will be taken to contain and remove any asbestos (or other harmful material) in accordance with local building codes and health and safety legislation.” See: WHO opens sleek new site as iconic building cleansed of asbestos.
News from Novara Asbestos Trial
Dec 24, 2021
The Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy heard testimony on December 20, 2021 from medical and scientific experts for the prosecution about hereditary susceptibility to developing asbestos-related diseases: “the genetic factor alone is not enough. Even where there is a hereditary predisposition, if you don't breathe in asbestos fibres you don't develop the disease because exposure to asbestos is what triggers the onset of mesothelioma.” The next hearing in the case against Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny will take place on January 10, 2022. See: Mesotelioma: casi di predisposizione ereditaria, ma nessuno si ammala senza esposizione all’amianto [Mesothelioma: cases of hereditary predisposition, but no one gets sick without exposure to asbestos].
Vestiges of Asbestos Mining
Dec 24, 2021
The machines lay silent and the wheels no longer turn at former asbestos mines in Quebec. The mining industry which defined many communities was a source of sustenance and pride to the Quebecois; so much so that one town was even named Asbestos. The town was founded in 1899, the same year that a British factory inspector first reported on the toxic nature of occupational asbestos exposure. In 2020, voters in Asbestos supported a move to change the town’s name to Val-des-Sources (Valley of the Springs) in an effort to distance the municipality from its toxic past. See: Asbestos Mine.
Saga Court Settlement Update
Dec 24, 2021
On December 22, 2021, three asbestos cases brought against the Japanese government by bereaved family members were settled before trial proceedings commenced at the Saga District Court. The litigation related to toxic employment at a former asbestos product factory in Tosu City, on the island of Kyushu. These cases were the last of 123 similar claims listed for adjudication by judges at the Saga Court. See: 鳥栖アスベスト訴訟で新たに３人和解 佐賀地裁へ提訴の原告全員和解 [Three new settlements in Tosu asbestos proceedings. Reconciliation of all plaintiffs in Saga District Court].
Asbestos Alert to Home Renovators
Dec 22, 2021
The dying wish of a law professor from Australia’s Deakin University is to raise public awareness about the hazard posed to do-it-yourself renovators by the presence of toxic products in their homes. Gill North is dying from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma which she contracted as a result of exposure to asbestos during DIY home renovations in the UK and Australia in the 1990s. Professor North told journalists: “This is much worse than the COVID-19 crises because the numbers that are dying – and that are likely to die – are much higher.” To spread the warning about asbestos, Professor North has set up the registered charity, Asbestos Awareness Australia. See: A deathbed warning about the danger of asbestos in homes.
Fighting to Ban Asbestos in Ukraine
Dec 22, 2021
The text of the article cited below, which was uploaded to a Ukraine news portal on December 17, documented the ongoing controversy in the Ukraine Parliament over plans to ban the use of asbestos, a prerequisite for joining the European Union. Kazakh officials and other asbestos vested interests were, the author reported, bringing pressure to bear on Ukraine parliamentarians to reverse or, at least, delay the planned prohibitions in order to preserve markets for chrysotile (white) asbestos and products containing it. See: Некоторые “слуги народа” в Раде выступают против запрета в Украине опасного асбеста из Казахстана [Some “servants of the people” in the Rada oppose the ban in Ukraine of hazardous asbestos from Kazakhstan].
Asbestos Removal in Schools
Dec 22, 2021
On December 21, 2021, the Department of Education of the South Korean Province of Chungnam announced that 92 billion won (US$ 78.3m) had been allocated for work to promote school safety in 2022. Amongst the projects being funded by these resources is work to dismantle and remove asbestos from schools – due to be completed by 2026, a year before the Ministry of Education target. Commenting on the raft of improvements which will be made next year, the Superintendent of Education Kim Ji-cheol said: “the health and growth of students and the safety of the educational community must be prioritized.” See: 충남교육청, 안전한 교육환경 조성에 920억원 투자 [The Chungnam Office of Education is investing 92 billion won in the creation of a safe educational environment].
Johnson & Johnson’s Toxic Powder
Dec 22, 2021
On December 17, 2021, Democratic Senators and members of the House of Representatives wrote to the incoming CEO of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Joaquin Duato to denounce the company’s financial manoeuvrings to off-load 38,000 claims from people who allege they had contracted asbestos cancer as a result of using J&J’s talc-based baby powder. “We write today,” the letter said “to inquire if you, as incoming CEO, will continue Johnson & Johnson’s current efforts to avoid accountability to cancer victims, or if you will reverse course. Your response will help inform the direction of our oversight and legislative response to this important issue.” See: Durbin, Senate and House Dems: Will Johnson & Johnson Continue To Avoid Accountability To Cancer Victims?
Quebec’s Toxic Asbestos Legacy
Dec 22, 2021
For decades the production and processing of chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber in Quebec mining towns constituted the basis of local economies. Regulations or restrictive measures to minimize hazardous occupational and environmental exposures were forestalled for political reasons; to date, protective legislation, such as it is, in Quebec lags far behind that in other Canadian Provinces. In fact, Quebec does not include asbestos in its hazardous materials’ legislation and has not banned the manufacture, import and use of asbestos-containing products despite a national asbestos ban introduced as of December 31, 2018. See: Les législations relatives à l’exposition à l’amiante au Québec [Legislation relating to exposure to asbestos in Quebec].
Growing Sustainable & Green Technology
Dec 22, 2021
In 2022, the Italian government is introducing new incentives to encourage citizens to replace toxic asbestos-cement roofing with sustainable green technology: solar panels. Accessing the new subsidies and tax bonuses has been streamlined to encourage a wider take-up of the new schemes to grow renewable energy sources in Italy. The initiatives are enshrined in Legislative Decree 199/2021, which transposed the EU Directive 2018/2001/EU on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. See: Pannelli solari al posto dell'amianto: aumenta il bonus per il tetto green [Solar panels instead of asbestos: increase of bonus for green roof].
Asbestos Data and Support for Victims
Dec 20, 2021
Following the release on December 15, 2021 by the Japan Ministry of Labor of asbestos disease data, civil society groups organized a telephone asbestos hot line on December 16 & 17 for people concerned about historic asbestos exposures at work or in the environment. According to government figures, 1,060 people with mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer were eligible last year for benefits from the national scheme for occupational injuries and diseases. A Ministry official predicted that in years to come 1,000 people will be eligible for this asbestos disease compensation. See: Annual asbestos payouts likely for 1,000 people for years to come.
Award for Mavis Nye!
Dec 20, 2021
The news that Mavis Nye had been named the “Most Influential person in health & safety for 2021” was greeted on December 17, 2021 with great excitement by people in the UK and abroad. Asbestos victims’ campaigners and ban asbestos advocates from Japan, India, Canada and Australia joined UK colleagues in congratulating Mavis on this tribute. Mavis, who contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos fibers on her husband’s work clothes, is the country’s most high profile “mesothelioma warrior,” and both online and in person she provides support and solace for people affected by mesothelioma. Amongst the other 15 candidates for this award was Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Advisor to the UK Government. See: Dr Mavis Nye named SHP’s Most Influential person in health & safety for 2021.
Identifying Asbestos Hotspots
Dec 20, 2021
On December 17, 2021, a paper by Colombian researchers which was part of the Special Issue Asbestos Exposure and Health Impact was uploaded to the website of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. In examining the fallout from asbestos mining and manufacturing it was estimated that in 2005, 10,489 people lived within 500 m of an asbestos processing facility or mine in Columbia. In 2018, within a distance of 10,000 m, the number was 6,724,677. The co-authors recommended that a mesothelioma registry should be established and that other surveillance strategies be implemented to identify people at high-risk of contracting asbestos related diseases. See: Using GIS to Estimate Population at Risk Because of Residence Proximity to Asbestos Processing Facilities in Colombia.
Asbestos Victims’ Compensation Fund
Dec 20, 2021
A recent analysis of the figures reported by the French Asbestos Victims’ Compensation Fund [Fonds d’Indemnisation des Victimes de l’Amiante – FIVA] for 2020 revealed that there was a 13% decrease in the number of claims for asbestos-related occupational diseases recognized (17,023 in 2020 vs 19,725 in 2019). Because of delays in processing claims caused by Covid, 1,000 applications had still not been dealt with by December 31, 2020: “The recorded decrease is hence merely a statistic and does not reflect reality.” Compensation paid for claims recognized in 2020 equalled €233.9 million (US $265m). FIVA has the duty to reclaim payouts to claimants from former employers and has an 86% success rate in doing so. See: Asbestos claims are once again at the centre of litigation.
Domestic Asbestos Hazard
Dec 20, 2021
Algeria’s French language newspaper El Watan has reported the widespread presence of asbestos-containing products hidden within the country’s infrastructure in an article uploaded on December 16, 2021. People in the suburb of Dergana, northeast of Benzerga, have long complained about the hazard they endure on a daily basis because of the presence of deteriorating asbestos material in the walls of their apartments and in their bathrooms. For years, local people have called for the authorities to decontaminate these properties; to date, no action has been taken. See: Alerte à l’amiante à dergana (paris): énième sos les habitants [Umpteenth SOS for Residents].
Update: Asbestos Criminal Trial
Dec 20, 2021
Evidence heard at the Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy on December 13, 2021 in the trial against Stephan Schmidheiny included testimony from prosecution witnesses Professor Corrado Magnani, Dr. Dario Mirabelli Massimiliano Bugiani, Pavilio Piccioni, and Dr Ferruccio Perrelli who highlighted the hundreds of premature deaths caused by toxic exposures to asbestos fibers liberated by the operations of the Eternit asbestos-cement plant in Casale Monferrato. The next hearing on December 20 will feature testimony from Professor Irma Dianzani, and Professor Edoardo Bai, expert witnesses for the prosecution. See: «Senza l’Eternit non ci sarebbero stati a Casale tutti quei mesoteliomi» [“Without the Eternit Plant we wouldn’t have had all those mesotheliomas in Casale”].
Asbestos Criminal Trial?
Dec 17, 2021
A hearing on December 15, 2021 at the Paris Court of Appeal was, said a spokesperson for the asbestos victims’ group ANDEVA during an online press conference on December 14, the last chance to hold to account those people guilty of causing the asbestos epidemic in France which had taken the lives of untold numbers of workers, family members and people in contaminated communities. Numerous legal proceedings over the last twenty years had failed to get justice for the country’s asbestos dead and asbestos companies such as Eternit had escaped lability for the harm done by commercial decisions which had prioritized corporate profits over workers’ health. See: Eternit: les victimes de l'amiante espèrent obtenir un procès [Eternit: asbestos victims hope to get a trial].
Victory for Kyushu Construction Workers
Dec 17, 2021
News of an agreement between the Japanese Government and 52 plaintiffs, most of whom were surviving family members of construction workers from the Kyushu region who had been affected by asbestos-related diseases, was announced at a Tokyo news conference on December 13, 2021. The central government, which after a ten-year legal battle apologized to the families, offered to pay each claimant about 10 million yen (US $88,900) depending on the severity of his health issues. A government fund to compensate construction workers injured by occupational asbestos exposures will become operational in June 2022. See: Court-mediated settlement on asbestos damage too late for many.
Toxic Legacy Posed by Asbestos Pipes
Dec 17, 2021
A 31-page text published in December 2021 by Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA) was entitled Asbestos-Cement Water and Sewer Pipe Management Guidelines. The objective of the new resource was to “assist organisations providing water and/or sewerage services (referred to as ‘water agencies’) eliminate or minimise the risk of exposure to asbestos fibres being released from asbestos-cement (AC) pipes.” It has been estimated that there are 40,000+ km of AC water pipes and 5,000 km of AC sewer main pipes in Australia. See: Asbestos-Cement Water and Sewer Pipe Management Guidelines.
Multimillion Dollar Mesothelioma Verdict
Dec 17, 2021
In a unanimous jury verdict, a court in King County, Washington was told that retired teacher George Kraemer had contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos fibers brought home on his father’s work clothes nearly 80 years ago. Mr. Kraemer was awarded $10,000,000 against Lone Star Industries, the company which had taken over Pioneer Sand & Gravel, the supplier of asbestos insulation to the Todd Shipyard which had, in the early 1940s, built destroyers for use by the American Navy during WW II. Kraemer's father had worked as an insulator at the shipyard. See: East Wenatchee Retired Teacher Wins $10 million Judgment in Asbestos Case.
Development Plans for Asbestos Site?
Dec 17, 2021
Reacting to news about plans to clean up the now derelict site of Europe’s largest asbestos-cement producer, one campaigner quoted the famous US baseball player Yogi Berra and said: “It’s déjà vu all over again.” The specialist remediation company ESG Trading Limited intends to completely remediate contaminated buildings and land in Rochdale which had belonged to the former Turner Brothers Asbestos company. Local people were sceptical about the firm’s insistence that the end-use for the decontaminated site was undecided, despite the fact that the cost for the clean-up was estimated at £20m. See: Plans to develop derelict site of former asbestos factory expected by end of 2024.
Raising Asbestos Awareness in Italy
Dec 17, 2021
A civil society initiative launched in 2019 continues to raise asbestos awareness amongst schoolchildren in the Italian region of Monfalcone. In the academic year 2020-21, pupils in 30 classes in local high schools studied asbestos subject matter to educate them about the history of asbestos use, the properties of asbestos and the region’s toxic industrial legacy. A source book used by the students is called “Polvere” (Dust) by Alessandro Morena which relates the experience of the members of an asbestos victims’ group: Associazione Esposti Amianto e del gruppo vedove dell’amianto [The Association of the Asbestos-Exposed and the Asbestos Widows’ Group]. See: L’amianto a scuola Riparte il progetto “Te lo racconto io” rivolto agli student [Asbestos at school The “I'll tell you about it” project for students starts again].
Weird Twist in Ukraine’s Asbestos Battle
Dec 14, 2021
One of the world’s largest asbestos mining companies and the only asbestos conglomerate in Kazakhstan – Kostanay Minerals JSC – has been pressurizing the Ukraine Parliament to abandon ban asbestos plans. In a bizarre twist, not seen before in asbestos politics, Kostanay is now trying to bribe Ukrainian vested interests with the enticement that the company (Kostanay) will make a major investment in the Ukraine mining sector to develop sites for the exploitation of titanium ore deposits or to purchase a major titanium company in Ukraine. Previously, there had been rumors that Kazakhstan would supply Ukraine with Kazakh Covid-19 vaccines in return for a U-turn on the planned ban. See: Казахский производитель асбеста заинтересовался украинскими недрами [Kazakh asbestos producer is interested in Ukrainian subsoil].
Laryngeal Cancer Cause: Asbestos Exposure
Dec 14, 2021
Italy’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) has issued a ruling in case no. 38862/2021 accepting a claimant’s demand for recognition of the fact that he contracted laryngeal cancer as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos. Lower courts, including the Court of Appeal, had rejected his claim. The favorable ruling by the Supreme Court means that the litigant will be paid benefits by INAIL, Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work. See: Carcinoma alla laringe per esposizione ad amianto, si alla rendita INAIL [Laryngeal cancer due to exposure to asbestos, yes to INAIL annuity].
Parliamentary Asbestos Enquiry
Dec 14, 2021
On December 15, 2021, the second day of sessions by the Parliamentary Work and Pensions Committee will take place into whether or not the current asbestos policy of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is fit for purpose. Giving evidence in the first session this week will be: epidemiologist Professor Julian Peto, Assistant Professor Clare Gilham, Professor John Cherrie and Kevin Brampton of the British Occupational Hygiene Society. In the second session, testimony from experts in asbestos removal operations and occupational health and safety will be given. See: Work and Pensions Committee to question health experts and asbestos industry.
A Very Special Relationship
Dec 14, 2021
An article by Tracy Hayward and Anna Nowak of the National Centre for Asbestos-Related Diseases (NCARD) in the current issue of Inspire delineated the close relationship between NCARD researchers and members of the Perth-based Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) who not only raise funds for the scientists but also take an active role in collaborating and inspiring them in their work. Patients, family members and interested citizens are welcomed at NCARD open sessions to inform them of the state of projects and promising lines of enquiry. Likewise, researchers are invited to the ADSA Ecumenical service and other events as well as into clinical settings to better understand the patients’ experiences. See: Shared Understandings – Standing Side by Side against Asbestos-Related Diseases.
Experts Call for Benefits’ Review
Dec 14, 2021
An investigation undertaken by academics and medical experts into the benefits available in Japan for people with asbestos-related diseases has identified a “disparity in relief” between the amounts they receive and the amounts paid by the government to other claimants with occupationally-caused diseases. The recommendations made by the “Asbestos Damage Relief System Study Group,” which were announced on December 12 at a meeting in Tokyo, included an uplift in monthly payments and a national review of the ”entire national system to eliminate disparities and gaps." See: アスベスト被害救済で格差が 学者らが制度見直し提言 [Disparity in asbestos damage relief; expert proposals to improve system].
Asbestos Controversy in Patras
Dec. 10, 2021
Deputies Costas Markou and Sia Anagnostopoulou from Patras, the regional capital of Western Greece, have called on the authorities to produce documentation regarding the pervasiveness of asbestos-containing material in Patras and delineate measures which will be put in place to eradicate this public health hazard. In their submissions to the Ministers of Digital Governance, Labor and Social Affairs, Environment and Energy and Health, the Deputies highlighted the prosecution of officials from the Greek Postal company who had neglected to protect workers and customers from asbestos in their buildings. See: Μάρκου-Αναγνωστοπούλου: Ο αμίαντος εξακολουθεί να “μολύνει” με διάφορους τρόπους την Πάτρα [Markou-Anagnostopoulou: Asbestos continues to “contaminate” Patras in various ways].
Union Raises Asbestos Alarm
Dec 10, 2021
The Swiss SIT trade union denounced Rampini SA – a major Geneva public works company – for flouting asbestos regulations by allowing its operatives to work on demolition sites where asbestos was present without any protective measures or adequate equipment. In some instances, users of certain buildings including school children were exposed to asbestos fibers liberated by illegal work practices. The union reported these infringements to SUVA, the insurance fund which deals with occupational health and safety in Switzerland. See: Des ouvriers manipulent de l’amiante sans la moindre protection [Occupational health - Workers handle asbestos without any protection].
Update from Novara Trial
Dec 10, 2021
Evidence presented by expert witness including Drs. Gino Barbieri and Dr. Mauro Giulio Papotti on December 6, 2021 in the trial of Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny detailed the evolution of knowledge about the causal link between asbestos exposure and the cancer mesothelioma. The medical records of 30 of the 392 deceased individuals on whose behalf this case was brought by the Public Prosecutors were examined in detail during the day’s proceedings. Each of the deceased had lost, on average, 30 years of life due to his/her cancer. See: Morti anzitempo: il mesotelioma ha soffocato la speranza di vita anche con un anticipo di 30 anni [Early deaths: mesothelioma reduced life expectancy by up to 30 years: stories of women and men].
Controversy over Asbestos-cement Water Pipes
Dec 10, 2021
The commentary cited below about contamination of the water delivery system in the small New York town of Altamont references a November 2, 2021 amendment to the NY Constitution’s Bill of Rights which said: “Each person shall have a right to clean air and water, and a healthful environment.” The author of this text interviewed Altamont’s superintendent of public works Jeff Moller, Professor Yanna Liang, Chair of the Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, from the University at Albany and Professor Arthur Frank, medical specialist in asbestos-related diseases from Drexel University to clarify the occupational and public health risk posed by asbestos-cement pipes. See: We shouldn’t play Russian roulette with our water supply.
Demand Grows over Asbestos Removal
Dec 10, 2021
The ubiquity of deteriorating asbestos-cement roofing (locally called Uralita after Spain’s biggest producer of this type of material) and other asbestos-containing building products throughout Barcelona are causes of great public concern. Local groups such as the Associació de Veïnes i Veïns Clot-Camp de l'Arpa [The Clot-Camp of Arpa Neighborhood Association] are demanding that the City Council honors promises made regarding plans to eradicate asbestos contamination in the Catalan capital. See: Miles de metros de amianto amenazan a los vecinos del Camp de l'Arpa del Clot [Thousands of meters of asbestos threaten the residents of Camp de l'Arpa del Clot].
Asbestos Cancer: A Family Affair
Dec 10, 2021
A court award of €43,000 (US$48,660) for the widow of a worker who had been employed at the Port of Venice, Italy is being appealed by her lawyer Enrico Cornelio who stated that this was a “derisory” sum. Having suffered the loss of her husband, who died from asbestos cancer seven years ago, the claimant is herself now suffering from the same cancer. It is alleged that whilst laundering his contaminated work clothes, she was exposed to asbestos fibers and, as a consequence, contracted cancer. See: Venezia, risarcita la moglie di un morto d’amianto. Lavorava al porto [Venice, the wife of an asbestos dead worker compensated. He worked at the port].
Ukraine Fight to Ban Asbestos
Dec 8, 2021
A detailed of analysis of the fight by the Ukraine government to ban asbestos, as has been done throughout the European Union, highlighted the lobbying of domestic and foreign asbestos vested interests who mounted a coordinated attack to preserve the status quo. Although a first bill passed through Parliament some months ago which included a provision to ban asbestos, it is possible that threats from the Kazakh-Russian asbestos lobby could succeed in postponing the implementation of asbestos prohibition regulations. Civil society groups in Ukraine continue to campaign for a ban to protect Ukrainians from deadly exposures to asbestos. See: Откажется ли Украина наконец от опасного асбеста? [Will Ukraine finally give up dangerous asbestos?].
Asbestos Industry Propaganda
Dec 8, 2021
An article uploaded on December 6, 2021 to a Russian website was, no doubt, informed by the asbestos lobby: it rehashed standard commercial rhetoric extolling the virtues of asbestos and negating evidence about its toxicity. Accusing health and safety campaigners of “fanning the flames of public hysteria” for advocating the use of asbestos-free alternatives, the author of this article also branded them as “imperialists.” Ending the use of chrysotile asbestos material would, the author wrote, deprive developing countries of safe and reliable products needed for the construction of national infrastructures. See: Асбестовые страсти: ученые против империализма [Asbestos passions: scientists against imperialism].
Toxic Talc Update
Dec. 8, 2021
An article recapping the controversial steps by which Johnson and Johnson (J&J) managed to temporarily suspend the tens of thousands of cancer claims against it pointed out that once a 60-day reprieve has been spent and the litigation is moved from North Carolina to New Jersey, things could change. J&J used the “Texas Two-step” to dump the personal injury lawsuits into a shell company which it immediately put into bankruptcy. This legal strategy has not yet been tested by a New Jersey court so some hope remains for the thousands of claimants who allege that they were injured by exposures to asbestos fibers contained in J&J’s talc-based baby powder. See: J&J Baby Powder Lawsuits On Hold For Now.
Complacency over Faulty Masks
Dec 8, 2021
On November 18, 2021 a letter was sent to the French Minister of Labor Élisabeth Borne alerting her about adverse findings regarding the efficacy of a popular type of mask produced by 3M Scott used by asbestos removal operatives. As a result of the malfunctions identified “tens of thousands of workers would be exposed to cancer risks.” On October 28, the Ministry published its reply in the Official Journal saying that this type of mask was certified for use as per French regulations. Unfortunately, this opinion was shared by Laurent Pietraszewski, the Secretary of State for Occupational Health. See: Masques amiante: le ministère du Travail appelle simplement à respecter les consignes d'utilisation [Asbestos masks: the Ministry of Labor simply calls for compliance with the instructions for use].
Ban Asbestos Battle in Ukraine
Dec 8, 2021
On December 6, 2021, two articles were uploaded detailing the fight by the Ukraine Parliament to ban asbestos as part of the country’s plans to join the European Union; the first reported on: Kazakh opposition to Ukrainian plans to halt the use of asbestos. According to this article, between 2006 and 2016, Ukraine imported 556,000 tons of chrysotile asbestos, of which 64.5% came from Russia and 35.5% from Kazakhstan. The article cited below recounted steps taken by Kazakh governmental and commercial interests to forestall the ban in order to protect the profits of Kostanay Minerals, a Kazakh asbestos mining company. See: Украина планирует отказаться от использования асбеста в строительстве [Ukraine plans to abandon the use of asbestos in construction].
Posthumous Campaign for Justice
Dec 8, 2021
Legal experts are predicting that the reversal of a lower court ruling regarding the death of José María Íñigo from asbestos cancer will lead to the case being sent to the Supreme Court. The Superior Court of Justice of Madrid last week rejected a January 2021 verdict that the cause of the popular Spanish TV entertainer’s death had been exposure to asbestos present in the studios of the national broadcaster TVE. José María Íñigo was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 2015; he started work for TVE in 1975 and even had an office at the studio. See: The second death of José María Íñigo: justice fails [in finding] that he did not die of asbestos.
Call for Asbestos Ban in Thailand
Dec 6, 2021
An article on the news portal of the Pattaya Mail highlighted the fact that despite a government commitment to ban asbestos in 2000, no action had been taken to implement prohibitions. In recognition of this lapse, a session entitled Asbestos-Free Thailand was held by the Public Relations Department of the Thai National Health Assembly to consider actions to progress this vital safeguard for Thai citizens. Speakers at the event included: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul, Public Relations Department Director-General Lt. Gen. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, and National Health Commission Office Deputy Secretary-General Prida Tae-arak. See: Forum held to realize ‘Asbestos-free Thailand’.
Judicial Betrayal in Ravenna
Dec 6, 2021
Italy’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) rejected allegations that asbestos deaths at the Ravenna petrochemical plant had been the result of criminal actions, according to a verdict handed down last week. Twenty-five former managers and executives of the company which had operated the industrial site between the 1960s and 2012 had been indicted by the public prosecutors over 95 asbestos deaths. Only six of the defendants – one of whom was deceased – were found guilty in the second degree of negligence in relation to a single case of pulmonary asbestosis. See: Ravenna, morti d’amianto al petrolchimico, la Cassazione: nessun colpevole [Asbestos deaths at Ravenna petrochemicals, Cassation (verdict): not guilty].
Asbestos Victory over Insurers in Montana
Dec 6, 2021
On November 23, 2021, by a 6-1 majority 69-page ruling in the case of: National Indemnity Co. V. State of Montana, the Montana Supreme Court affirmed a lower court judgment that a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary must pay the State of Montana $97.8 million in asbestos claims and other costs pursuant to a comprehensive general liability policy issued for 1973 through 1975. The Court accepted that the State knew about the existence of hazardous conditions at the site of W. R. Grace and Co.’s vermiculite mine in Libby. Two issues were remanded back to the lower court. See: Montana awarded $97.8M in asbestos insurance claim case.
Asbestos Panorama in Latin America
Dec 6, 2021
A paper uploaded last week to the website of the Journal of Public Health Research examined the repercussions of decades of asbestos consumption in Latin America. Only six countries, including Colombia, have banned the use of asbestos. Having reviewed these national asbestos laws, significant weaknesses were highlighted which, said the authors, resulted in dangerous loopholes endangering both occupational and public health. The authors recommended that: “countries that have already banned asbestos consider updating and strengthening their existing laws and develop clinical guidelines for the management, monitoring, and rehabilitation of asbestos-related diseases.” See: Asbestos and cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean: we may have won some battles, but definitely not the war.
November 29 Hearing at Asbestos Trial
Dec 6, 2021
Evidence submitted to the Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy on November 29, 2021 by expert witnesses explained and quantified Italy’s “red zones,” areas with high incidences of mortality from asbestos-related diseases. Epidemiologists and medical professionals including Dr. Massimo Capra Marzani, Professor Corrado Magnani and Dr. Dario Mirabelli explained the causation of mesothelioma by reference to types and sites of asbestos exposure, induction, latency/preclinical phase and disease manifestation. See: Mesotelioma, come si «insedia» il tumore dopo l’esposizione all’amianto [Mesothelioma, how the tumor “develops” after exposure to asbestos].
Update: Mesothelioma Compensation Scheme
Dec 6, 2021
Established in 2014 as a fund of last resort to pay compensation to claimants who contracted mesothelioma as a result of workplace asbestos exposures, the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS), according to its annual report, has dispensed £231.7 million (~US$307M) to 1,650 people. In 2019 and 2020, the average amount awarded per case was £144,000 (~US$191,000). The DMPS is financed by an annual levy on active employers’ liability insurers by agreement with the Government. See: Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme: annual review 2020 to 2021.
Asbestos Mining Company Update
Dec 1, 2021
Uralasbest, one of Russia’s biggest asbestos mining and manufacturing conglomerates, announced this week that it was on course to fulfil its five year mission to produce 300,000 tonnes of chrysotile asbestos fiber and ten million tonnes of asbestos-containing building products every year. By 2023, a new plant to crush stone will be operational which will allow volumes of rock processing to increase from 2 million tonnes in 2020 to 4 million tonnes. See: Миссия выполнима. Градообразующее предприятие Асбеста реализует масштабный план развития [Mission Possible. The founding enterprise of the city of Asbestos is implementing a large-scale development plan].
Travesty of Justice!
Dec 1, 2021
On November 30, 2021, Madrid’s Superior Court of Justice overturned the verdict of Madrid’s Social Court 2 which had found that the cancer death of the famous Spanish entertainer and TV personality José María Íñigo had been caused by exposure to asbestos at the TV studios of the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation (Corporación de Radio y Televisión Espaola, S.A. RTVE). The Superior Court was not convinced that Íñigo had been exposed to asbestos by RTVE or that such exposure had caused him to contract mesothelioma, a fatal cancer caused by asbestos exposure. See: Un tribunal revoca la sentencia que atribuyó la muerte de José María Íñigo al amianto de TVE [The Madrid Superior Court of Justice overturns the previous sentence that linked the death of José María Íñigo to asbestos (exposure) at TVE].
Asbestos Anxiety Claims
Dec 1, 2021
Presentations regarding the current state of litigation on behalf of claimants suffering from asbestos anxiety were the focal point of a meeting of Adeva 29, a local asbestos victims’ group in Brest, France on November 26, 2021. Eighty attendees were told that whilst some claims were recognized, such as those from people who had worked at industrial sites where asbestos exposures had been identified, other claims were strongly contested such as those initiated by people who had worked in the merchant navy or aboard fishing vessels. The average value of asbestos anxiety claims was €8,000 (US$9,000). See: À Brest, la reconnaissance du préjudice d’anxiété lié à l’amiante patine pour certains [In Brest, the recognition of anxiety prejudice linked to asbestos remains elusive for some].
Estimates of Asbestos-related Lung Cancer
Dec 1, 2021
Research regarding the number of asbestos-related cases of lung cancer which occurred in various Italian occupational sectors found that the risk was higher for men then women, with the highest figures amongst construction workers who had 2.8 lung cancer deaths to every one mesothelioma death. The scientists estimated that there were 3,814 cases of lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure between 2010 and 2015 in Italy. The co-authors of this paper stressed the importance of better information and prevention strategies, improved health surveillance of workers and a more responsive legal protocol for identifying claims. See: L'impatto dell'esposizione occupazionale ad amianto sul tumore del polmone in Italia [The impact of occupational exposure to asbestos on lung cancer in Italy].
HSE Asbestos Prosecution
Dec 1, 2021
On November 29, 2021, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced that after the defendants had pleaded guilty to contravening asbestos regulations in 2019, Peterlee Magistrates Court had fined the Park View Academy of Church Chare, Chester Le Street and its contractors T.W. Steam & Heating Services Limited of Durham £7785.37 and £6,710.37 respectively, including costs. Following the verdict HSE inspector Ashfaq Ali said: “Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.” See: School and contractor fined for unsafe removal of asbestos.
Paris Protest & Action by Asbestos Victims
Nov 29, 2021
On November 25, 2021, 2,000 French asbestos victims staged a street demonstration and public rally in Paris to reenforce calls for a criminal trial of people responsible for the country’s asbestos epidemic; all of the accused had worked with the Permanent Committee on Asbestos, a trade association supported by asbestos vested interests. A direct summons to the Paris judicial court was lodged demanding that the silence over this scandal which had lasted for 25 years could no longer be tolerated. The victims appealed directly to the criminal court without going through a judicial enquiry. Three thousand people die every year in France from asbestos-related diseases. See: Amiante: les victimes relancent le procès penal [Asbestos: victims relaunch criminal trial].
Mining Company Liable for Medical Costs
Nov 29, 2021
Last week, Brazil’s sole remaining asbestos mining company: Sama Minerações Associadas, a subsidiary of the Eternit group, was ordered by a Goiás state court to pay for medical tests for a period of 30 years for former employees who had worked with asbestos at its mine in Minaçu, Goiás. The company is appealing this verdict. In contravention of a Supreme Court ruling issued in 2017, the company announced in November 2021 that it planned to recommence asbestos mining. See: Sama é condenada a pagar exames médicos por 30 anos para ex-funcionários que trabalharam com amianto [Sama is ordered to pay for medical tests for 30 years for former employees who worked with asbestos].
Update: Asbestos Removal in Catalonia
Nov 29, 2021
The Government of Catalonia has allocated €4.5 million (US$5m+) for the removal of asbestos from 200 buildings in Barcelona. According to the proposed work schedule, the asbestos eradication work will be completed by 2025. In July, 2021, Pere Aragonès President of the Government of Catalonia approved a National Plan for the Eradication of Asbestos in Catalonia. After years of campaigning by the city council and local people, this news was warmly received. See: El Govern destina 4,5 millones a retirar el amianto de 200 edificios de Badia (Barcelona) [The Government allocates 4.5 million to remove asbestos from 200 buildings in Badia (Barcelona)].
Asbestos Dumpsites Full in Italy!
Nov 29, 2021
A persistent problem throughout Italy is the lack of sites for legally disposing of asbestos waste. This issue was raised last week by regional councillor Emanuele Zanon, the former mayor of Cavasso Nuovo. According to Zanon: “All the disposal plants are practically closed and companies are forced to turn to Norway, with skyrocketing costs…The problem is that in Italy there are hardly any sites available to accommodate these materials.” The lack of availability of affordable dump sites will, Zanon warned, lead to illegal and dangerous fly-tipping. See: Emergenza amianto, Zanon lancia l'allarme [Asbestos emergency, Zanon raises the alarm].
Possible Drinking Water Asbestos Risk
Nov 29, 2021
Having considered evidence, including studies by Italian researchers from the International Association of Doctors for the Environment, the European Parliament on October 20, 2021 approved a motion (Protection of Workers from Asbestos\) which recognized the risk of contracting oesophagus, stomach and colon cancer from the ingestion of asbestos fibers in drinking water. Although the evidence was not definitive, the motion recommended that the precautionary principle should be followed and called on Member States to carry out regular monitoring of drinking water. See: Amianto, il Parlamento Europeo cita uno studio ISDE e approva una mozione a difesa dei cittadini [Asbestos, the European Parliament cites an ISDE study and approves a motion in defense of citizens].
Tragic Death of Colin Clarke
Nov 25, 2021
A fit 45-year father of two from Perth, Australia has died from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Colin Clarke, who was an emergency doctor, had no knowledge of having been exposed to asbestos. He survived for three years after the diagnosis had been made. Now, his wife Liz Clarke is working to raise awareness of the dangers to other Australians posed by the ubiquity of asbestos-containing products within the national infrastructure. This week, being asbestos awareness week, her message has gone out to people working in various trades, to home renovators and to tourists: educate yourself about the hazard and take steps to avoid any exposure. See: Perth man, 45, succumbs to mesothelioma as wife spreads asbestos awareness.
Asbestos Trial: Update from Novara
Nov 25, 2021
Testimony heard previously during the criminal trial in Novara, Italy over 392 asbestos deaths that occurred in Casale Monferrato confirmed that: “All 392 persons named in the charges listed against the defendants in the Eternit Bis trial died of mesothelioma, caused by the asbestos fibres they breathed in.” On November 22, 2021, lawyers defending Swiss asbestos tycoon Stephan Schmidheiny – who is charged with voluntary manslaughter – cross-examined prosecution expert medical witnesses about measures used to ascertain the cause of death of the deceased. The next hearing is November 29. See: Difesa al contrattacco: «Mesoteliomi certi solo se confermati da analisi immunoistochimiche» [Defense against the counterattack: “Mesotheliomas are certain only if confirmed by immunohistochemical analyses”].
Asbestos and Urban Transformation
Nov 25, 2021
Turkish politician and Vice President of the Republican People’s Party Gürsel Tekin issued warnings this week of the danger posed by uncontrolled urban transformation projects which liberate toxic asbestos fibers from old buildings being renovated or demolished. “Public health is,” he said “under serious threat.” Questions he put to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization focused on renewal projects underway in the Istanbul district of Fikirtepe. Tekin wanted to know: what precautions were being taken by contractors, what environmental supervision was in place, what documentation existed about mandatory checks of asbestos levels. See: Gürsel Tekin: “Kentsel dönüşüm, kentsel felakete dönüşmesin” [Gürsel Tekin: “Urban transformation should not turn into an urban disaster”].
Latest News on Mesothelioma Research
Nov 25, 2021
A paper by mesothelioma researchers from Australia which was uploaded on November 16, 2021 to the website of Science Direct examined how “the advent of cancer immunotherapy – and in particular the immune checkpoint inhibitor class of drugs – has resulted in recently approved new treatment options, with more currently under investigation.” The co-authors reviewed results from clinical trials and described new protocols for achieving early diagnoses of mesothelioma, before considering what new technologies might be progressed for treating mesothelioma patients. See: Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Banning Asbestos Use in Vietnam
Nov 24, 2021
A commentary by Associate Professor Dr. Bui Thi An, Director of the Institute of Natural Resources, cited below, elucidated the efforts of civil society activists, trade unionists, medical and scientific experts and politicians to protect Vietnamese people from toxic exposures to asbestos. As per a request by the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Construction drafted a Roadmap to End the Use of Chrysotile Asbestos by 2023 and a National Action Plan to Eliminate Asbestos-Related Diseases. Unfortunately, it looks like asbestos vested interests were able to forestall implementation of these protocols and so prolong the use of asbestos-containing construction material in Vietnam for the foreseeable future. See: Quá trình vận động dừng sử dụng Amiăng trắng ở Việt Nam [Campaign to stop the use of chrysotile in Vietnam].
Asbestos Exports Fuel Corporate Profits
Nov 24, 2021
An announcement by the Brazilian conglomerate Eternit SA on November 10, 2021 confirmed a healthy economic position after the company had in 2018 filed for judicial recovery under Brazilian bankruptcy laws, a year after the Supreme Court banned asbestos. Although Eternit – Brazil’s former asbestos giant – no longer uses asbestos in products it manufacturers for domestic consumption, 121,000 tonnes of asbestos fiber produced at its asbestos mine in Goiás State is being exported this year. This is a 165% increase in output compared to 2020. See: Eternit (ETER3) dobra o lucro no balanço do 3T21 [Eternit (ETER3) doubles earnings in the 3Q21 balance sheet].
Eradicating Asbestos in Madrid’s Schools
Nov 24, 2021
Civil society groups, including citizens’ action groups and trade unions, supported by politicians from various parties are demanding that the Madrid Community Government take urgent action about the hazard posed by asbestos contamination of the city’s schools. A Master Plan for the Elimination of Asbestos in the Community of Madrid which had been approved by the Madrid Assembly in 2020 has yet to be implemented. The plan calls for asbestos audits of each school as well as a management plan for the safe removal of asbestos products from the educational infrastructure. See: Guerra al amianto en los centros educativos de Madrid [Asbestos war in the educational centers of Madrid].
Death at the Opera House
Nov 24, 2021
The famous Italian Opera House La Scala claimed another victim with the death on November 19, 2021 of 83-year old electrician and sound engineer Franco Colombo who succumbed to mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. In 2019, Mr. Colombo had testified for the prosecution at a trial over asbestos deaths of La Scala colleagues. His is the 14th asbestos death of technicians, singers, musicians, workers and maintenance workers who had worked at the opera house. To date, no one has been held accountable. See: Amianto, morto l’ex fonico della Scala [Asbestos, former La Scala sound engineer has died].
Asbestos at the Shipyards
Nov 24, 2021
The article cited below detailed the ongoing predicament faced by Navantia – a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company – due to historic cases of occupational asbestos exposures at its workplaces. Since the first asbestos claim was made in 2000, there has, said a company spokesperson, been an “exponential increase” in the number of compensation cases brought by former Navantia employees. The courts, which have proved sympathetic to these plaintiffs, have awarded sums as high as €400,000 (US$450,000) in individual cases. The company has just launched a new legal strategy for minimizing litigation expenses. See: Navantia se blinda ante los litigios por amianto con un contrato de 1,9 millones [Navantia shields itself against asbestos litigation with a 1.9 million contract].
Insulting HSE Penalty for Toxic Exposures
Nov 24, 2021
A November 18, 2021 press release from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) announced that a construction company had been fined £300 with £8,266.40 in court costs “after disturbing asbestos and removing it without adequate precautions at a pub in Trowbridge, Wiltshire” in September 2018 during renovation work. As a result of these actions, employees and people in the local area were exposed to asbestos fibers. Speaking about the case, an HSE Inspector said the “HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those [companies] that fall below the required standards.” See: Construction company fined for unsafe removal of asbestos.
More Asbestos Lies
Nov 22, 2021
The November article cited below featured disinformation from Russian asbestos lobbyists reassuring citizens that chrysotile (white) asbestos, such as that produced in Russia, was safe for use. Blaming Western economic and political interests for spreading lies about chrysotile, the author reported: “Scientists around the world claim that chrysotile is safe.” It is a fact that some scientists – those commissioned by industry stakeholders and asbestos defendants – allege that chrysotile use is safe. On the other hand, independent scientists and international agencies such as the WHO, ILO & IARC say that exposure to all types of asbestos can prove fatal. See: Безопасность и капремонт: популярные мифы о хризотилцементной продукции [Safety and overhaul: popular myths about chrysotile cement products].
Migration of Asbestos Fibers: New Research
Nov 22, 2021
Peer-reviewed laboratory research reported in the November 2021 online issue of the Journal of Hazardous Materials questioned the safety of burying asbestos waste due to new findings by US scientists which showed that asbestos fibers could, in the presence of certain organic material in soil, become mobile. This revelation means that buried asbestos could eventually reach groundwater and “could make it to nearby communities via irrigation, or become airborne after washing up and drying out on riverbanks.” The research could, if confirmed by additional work, have serious implications for the way the Environment Protection Agency and other government bodies handle asbestos-contaminated sites. See: Mobility of asbestos fibers below ground is enhanced by dissolved organic matter from soil amendments.
Addressing Regional Asbestos Challenges
Nov 22, 2021
A virtual meeting on November 17, 2021 in Apia, Samoa brought together Australian and local experts “to help countries understand the importance of a regulatory framework to address adverse impacts of ACM [asbestos-containing material] on human health and the environment” in Pacific island countries during the Third Clean Pacific Roundtable. The importance of establishing asbestos management plans, an asbestos code of practice and an agency to co-ordinate work addressing a multiplicity of challenges were emphasized by the speakers. Pilot projects to abate asbestos contamination in Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, and Tonga are ongoing. See: Clean Pacific Roundtable Zeroes In On Addressing Asbestos Containing Materials.
Asbestos Trial: Update from Novara
Nov 22, 2021
The latest court hearing in the case against Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny over the asbestos deaths of 392 people in the town of Casale Monferrato took place at the Court of Assizes in Novara on November 15, 2021. During the session, bereaved relatives as well as medical and epidemiological experts gave evidence over the catastrophic results of asbestos contamination caused by operations at Schmidheiny’s asbestos-cement factory. At the next hearing on November 22, the plaintiffs’ and defendant’s lawyers will cross-examine the five consultants who testified on November 15. See: «E’ il mesotelioma la causa di tutte quelle 392 morti»: parlano i consulenti della procura [“Mesothelioma is the cause of all those 392 deaths”: the prosecutor's office consultants speak].
Asbestos Whistle-blower Fights On
Nov 22, 2021
Allegations over occupational asbestos exposures brought by David Ian Hamilton against a former employer resulted, he alleges, in his dismissal in 2019. As the lawsuit wends its way through the courts, the Vancouver Island whistle-blower is working to raise awareness of the hazard posed by asbestos to trade union members and others whose employers had failed to provide asbestos training. WorkSafeBC – a statutory agency in British Colombia tasked with preventing occupational injury and disease – has operated an Asbestos Initiative Program since 2016; in 2020, it conducted 3,000 inspections during which it issued ~1,500 asbestos-related orders for violations, of which 959 were high-risk. See: Vancouver Island asbestos warrior doesn’t accept WorkSafeBC’s response.
Asbestos Compensation Fund 2022?
Nov 22, 2021
A “historic” agreement reached on November 17, 2021 will allow politicians in Spain’s Congress of Deputies to add the sum of €25 million (US $28.2m) to the national budget for 2022. This money will be used to set up a National Asbestos Compensation Fund to provide state benefits to people injured through toxic exposures. Work on draft legislation to set up this Fund is underway. Campaigners from the Basque Region have been working for years to address long-standing injustices caused by asbestos exposures to workers and people living near toxic sites, in collaboration with trade unionists and asbestos victims’ groups from other Spanish regions. See: Los Presupuestos incluirán 25 millones para indemnizar a las víctimas del amianto [Budgets will include 25 million to compensate asbestos victims].
Increase in Asbestos Output
Nov 18, 2021
A Russian language article uploaded on November 16, 2021 reported on current developments at the Kazakh company Kostanay Minerals JSC, one of the world’s biggest asbestos producers. According to a company spokesman, Kostanay is now working at full capacity and is on track to produce 248,000 tonnes of asbestos fiber in 2021. Almost all (98%) of the company’s output is exported to countries in Central and Southeast Asia. Plans to ban asbestos use by Ukraine – a current importer of Kazakh asbestos – are being countered at the very highest levels via communications and negotiations of Kazkh ministries, intergovernmental agencies and the Kazakh embassy with their counterparts in Ukraine. See: Из пике на пик [From peak to peak].
Parliamentary Asbestos Investigation
Nov 18, 2021
On November 17, 2021, the Parliamentary Committee on Work and Pensions opened an investigation into whether the Health and Safety Executive’s asbestos policy, which advocates managing asbestos rather than removing it from the built environment, was fit for purpose. In the first session, evidence was heard from technical and scientific experts from France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. In the second session, witnesses from Mesothelioma UK, the Forum of Asbestos Victim Support Groups, the Joint Union on Asbestos Committee and a law firm detailed the human tragedies resulting from asbestos exposures with an emphasis on the repercussions of exposures to asbestos still contained in public buildings such as schools and hospitals. See: MPs to investigate hundreds of asbestos-related deaths among teachers.
Union Action on Asbestos
Nov 18, 2021
A press conference held at the headquarters of the ELA trade union in Navarra, Northern Spain heard about the human cost of the country’s tragic asbestos legacy with relatives telling of their bereavements – the loss of loved ones who had been exposed to asbestos whilst working at a foundry or on the railways. Litigation for asbestos compensation is slow and unpredictable with one lawyer adding that: “Litigation is a process that re-victimizes, because they kill you in the company you worked in and they kill you also in court.” The union called on the Government of Navarra to support the injured and allocate funds to pay for a phased removal of all asbestos products. See: La justicia llega tarde para las víctimas del amianto en Navarra [Justice is late for the victims of asbestos in Navarra].
Victim’s Verdict in Pisa
Nov 18, 2021
The Italian Ministry of Defense has been ordered by a court in Pisa to pay compensation for the asbestos cancer death in 2003 of Francesco Volterrani who was exposed to asbestos insulation on naval ships and in suits which he wore whilst performing emergency drills from 1965 till 1993 when he retired. This verdict was hard-fought by the Ministry of Defense which is facing many more such claims from families of thousands of other servicemen who died after exposure to asbestos in the Italian Navy. See: Pisa, morì per l’amianto: ministero condannato al risarcimento danni [Pisa, died of asbestos: ministry ordered to pay damages].
Mesothelioma: Treatment Update
Nov 18, 2021
New data published in Nature Medicine, a peer-reviewed medical journal, has shown improved survival rates in people with previously untreated, unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma treated with Imfinzi (durvalumab) plus platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone. According to the lead author of the study, Dr. Patrick Forde, director of the Thoracic Oncology Clinical Research Program at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore: “the signals here are that there are groups of patients who derive a significant benefit from the combination of chemo with immunotherapy.” Whilst none of the 55 participants achieved a complete response, 31 showed a partial response to treatment. See: Imfinzi-Chemo Combo Improves Survival for Mesothelioma.
Victims’ Action in Cádiz
Nov 18, 2021
At a meeting this week of an asbestos victims’ support group – the Association of People Affected by Asbestos Exposures in the Cádiz Naval Sector – in the Spanish town of San Fernanda, participants were warned that the number of cases of asbestos-related diseases was increasing. The assembly was updated on procedural matters as well as legal and medical developments such as an improvement in the judicial climate for asbestos lawsuits. The group supported calls in Spain for a comprehensive asbestos regime which would include setting up a national asbestos compensation fund. See: Afectados por el Amianto del Sector Naval de la Bahía de Cádiz advierte del repunte de casos [Group representing those Affected by Asbestos from the Naval Sector of the Bay of Cádiz warns of rebound in cases].
Asbestos Awareness Cooperative Project
Nov 17, 2021
On the morning of November 10, 2021 a signing ceremony took place, in Hanoi, of a Memorandum of Understanding by Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) and Vietnamese Groups: the Association for the Support of Mountainous Economic Development and the Human Rights Research Center in mountainous areas. The signatories pledged to cooperate on a project to raise awareness about the asbestos health hazard to ethnic minorities including people who live in the country’s mountainous region where asbestos roofing remains a popular choice for many householders. See: Lễ ký kết thỏa thuận hợp tác nâng cao nhận thức về mối nguy hại của amiăng [Signing ceremony of cooperation agreement to raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos].
Construction Workers Families' Settlement
Nov 17, 2021
On November 10, 2021, Judge Takeshi Tachikawa in Japan’s Fukuoka District Court agreed a settlement with the Government over claims by twenty bereaved families of construction workers from Fukuoka, Kumamoto Prefecture. The cases – known collectively as the Kyushu Construction Asbestos Proceedings – were over the continued failure by the authorities to protect workers from occupational exposures to asbestos. This was the first settlement in Kyushu after the May 2021 Supreme Court ruling which had acknowledged the negligence of the Government and building material manufacturers. See: アスベスト訴訟、九州初の和解…元労働者遺族ら２０人と国 [Asbestos proceedings, Kyushu's first settlement ... 20 former workers' bereaved families and the country].
Remediation Plans for Iconic Asbestos Site
Nov 17, 2021
News that a UK remediation company – ESG Trading – had purchased the contaminated site of what was once the world’s largest asbestos manufacturer has received a mixed reception. Speaking for many local people, campaigner and archivist of the Spodden Valley Trust educational and research body Jason Addy said that the company’s assertion that any remediation strategy would exceed statutory requirements “sounds promising”; but added: “The devil will be in the detail, especially as the PR copy already presumes this site to be an ‘opportunity to contribute to the future growth of Rochdale’.” See: Response to purchase of former Turner Brothers Asbestos site.
Action on Wittenoom: Update
Nov 17, 2021
In the most recent of many attempts to bring an end to the toxic legacy of Wittenoom – the infamous blue asbestos mining town in Western Australia (WA) – the State Government is planning to seize control of 14 properties still privately owned, under a bill working its way through the WA Parliament. Twelve kilometers from Wittenoom are three million tonnes of asbestos mining waste. Despite wiping the town from the map and multiple public warnings about the extensive pollution, tourists continue to visit the contaminated site. To date, more than 1,200 former Wittenoom residents and workers have died from asbestos-related cancers and respiratory diseases. See: Last homes in asbestos-riddled Wittenoom to be demolished, but some want to stay.
Portugal’s Toxic Asbestos Legacy
Nov 17, 2021
A commentary by Iria Roriz Madeira considers the toxic legacy left by the widespread and unregulated use of thousands of asbestos-containing products in Portugal. The author exposed a series of loopholes in government actions, industry regulations and common practices which underscored the ongoing hazard asbestos posed to human health. “Until we have a transparent and rigorous survey of materials containing asbestos,” the author noted “we will be a long way from the European target of removing all asbestos by 2032 and we will continue to expose ourselves voluntarily and involuntarily to this carcinogenic material.” See: Podemos livrar-nos do amianto? [Can we get rid of asbestos?].
Mesothelioma Follow-up Care
Nov 17, 2021
A paper uploaded on November 10, 2021 to the website of the British Medical Journal reported findings from a study – undertaken by three National Health Service Trusts in the South of England – investigating follow-up care received by mesothelioma patients. Key stakeholders were consulted, including mesothelioma specialist nurses, mesothelioma patients and carers, and local clinical commissioning group members. Areas of particular interest which were identified included “the importance of continuity of care, the provision of timely information and the central role played by mesothelioma specialist nurses, supported by the wider multidisciplinary team.” See: Improving mesothelioma follow-up care in the UK: a qualitative study to build a multidisciplinary pyramid of care approach.
New Mesothelioma Data
Nov 15, 2021
On November 10, 2021, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare published a report, entitled Mesothelioma in Australia, which noted that there was a long-term trend showing a steady increase of cases of mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, in Australia. “On average,” the paper noted “two people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in Australia each day – with a median age at diagnosis of 75 years old.” The human cost of the epidemic is up to 800 new cases every year; in financial terms, estimates for the impact on the health system of these cases is A$27.4m (US$20m). See: Mesothelioma in Australia 2020.
Asbestos Death of Former President
Nov 15, 2021
On November 11, 2021, the FW de Klerk Foundation announced that the former President had died from mesothelioma at his Cape Town home. He had been diagnosed in March, 2021 with this asbestos cancer and had been receiving immunotherapy treatment. Preliminary research has established that it was highly likely that he had been exposed to asbestos as a Member of Parliament in his Gauteng constituency and as the Minister for Mineral and Energy Affairs. South Africa was the only country in the world to have produced all three types of commercially used asbestos: chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite. See: FW de Klerk: South Africa's former president dies at 85.
J&J Toxic Talc Litigation: Update
Nov 15, 2021
In what is being seen as a “major setback” for Johnson & Johnson (J&J), on November 10, 2021 Federal Bankruptcy Judge Craig Whitley in North Carolina allowed a 60-day stay on 38,000 asbestos lawsuits against the company over sales of its talc-based baby powder. The Judge had previously said these cases should be heard in New Jersey where the company is headquartered. J&J, which used a legal manoeuvre known as the “Texas two-step” to dump the cancer claims into a new bankrupt entity called LTL, wanted all the litigation frozen during a case review which could take years. See: A judge temporarily halts baby powder cancer lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson.
Update: Parliament Asbestos Enquiry
Nov 15, 2021
On November 17, 2021, the first session will be held by the Parliamentary Work & Pensions Committee which is investigating whether the current asbestos management policy of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is fit for purpose. Witnesses giving evidence during the two morning panels will include representatives of UK asbestos victims, and campaigning bodies as well as technical and scientific experts from France, the Netherlands and Germany. See: HSE’s approach to asbestos management: Work and Pensions Committee to hold first oral evidence session.
Heartache and Grief: Another Day in Court
Nov 15, 2021
The article cited below continued the coverage of the asbestos trial of Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny in the Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy with information about the testimony provided on November 8 by bereaved relatives who described, in heart-rending detail, the suffering of mothers, fathers and husbands killed by asbestos exposures. The defendant has been charged in absentia with the voluntary manslaughter of 392 people from the town of Casale Monferrato who were exposed to asbestos liberated by the operations of his factory. The next hearing has been scheduled for November 15. See: Le storie d’amianto raccontate da quelle voci pacate che urlano come il tuono in un temporale d’agosto [The stories of asbestos told by those quiet voices that scream like thunder in an August storm].
Legitimacy of Claims over Toxic Anxiety
Nov 15, 2021
This commentary on the acceptance by the French Supreme Court of “anxiety claims” – which were first recognized in 2010 for people who had developed psychological conditions as a result of historic occupational asbestos exposures – provided a useful recap of the evolution of this type of litigation with a focus on five verdicts issued in asbestos anxiety cases by the Court on October 13, 2021. The Court supported claims by workers who had been made redundant and who had, as a result of medical follow-ups, established that that they had symptoms of asbestos exposure, to wit diffuse pleural thickening. See: Reconnaissance du préjudice d’anxiété: les nouveaux apports de la Cour de cassation [Recognition of the prejudice of anxiety: new contributions from the Court of Cassation].
Vindication of Asbestos Whistle Blower
Nov 12, 2021
On October 28, 2021, the Italian Supreme Court confirmed a verdict of the Court of Appeal of Reggio Calabria which had upheld the right of railway worker Antonino Pulitanò to issue an asbestos alert over toxic exposures in the maintenance and inspection department of Trenitalia’s railway plant in Reggio Calabria. Trade unionist Pulitanò had endured disciplinary sanctions which led inevitably to his dismissal from his job for his whistleblowing activities. See: Ferrovie, operaio licenziato per aver denunciato la presenza di amianto vince in Cassazione [Railways, worker sacked for having reported the presence of asbestos wins in the Supreme Court].
Déjà vu, All Over Again!
Nov 12, 2021
The acquisition of a problematic industrial site in Rochdale once owned by an asbestos manufacturer has raised the concerns of local people who have, on multiple occasions, had to expose dangerous plans by developers to build homes on this contaminated site. The 45-hectare site was the headquarters for Turner Brothers Asbestos (TBA), a company which specialized in the manufacturer of asbestos-cement building products. Toxic waste discarded by TBA is still to be found under the soil and in the Spodden River. According to a company spokesperson for the new owner of the property – ESG Trading Limited, a specialist remediation company – “no remediation work will begin without all relevant approvals being in place.” See: New owners for former Turner Brothers Asbestos site.
Flow of Illegal Asbestos Imports
Nov 12, 2021
Since the beginning of 2020, asbestos has been found in a myriad of products imported from China, including toys such as remote controlled cars, building materials, consumer products such as irons, and automotive parts. Expressing her concern, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions Michele O'Neil said: “There is absolutely no safe level of asbestos exposure. Literally, one fibre can eventually lead to death. This is how dangerous this product is.” According to one Australian trade expert: “in China, a product containing 5 per cent asbestos was considered asbestos-free.” See: Calls for more testing after asbestos found in imported toys and building materials.
Support for Asbestos Victims
Nov 12, 2021
On Saturday, November 20, 2021 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm a free, confidential emergency telephone hotline will be operational to take enquiries from Japanese people worried about asbestos exposures. The service is being offered by legal and medical experts in Nagoya City who will provide information about available benefits and treatment for the injured. See: アスベスト(石綿)による健康被害についての無料電話相談を実施 [Free telephone consultation on health hazards caused by asbestos].
Award for Montana Asbestos Medic
Nov 12, 2021
A long career of public service has been recognized by the Montana Public Health Association with the announcement that Dr. Brad Black, the former Medical Director of the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD), would receive its 2021 Career Achievement Award at a ceremony in April 2022. Dr. Black was one of the founding members of the CARD clinic and remains “a leading advocate for healthcare, treatment, and research to benefit those impacted by Libby amphibole asbestos.” Residents as well as workers in the town of Libby, Montana have, for decades, contracted asbestos-related diseases from workplace and environmental asbestos exposures. See: CARD's Dr. Brad Black Wins State Public Health Award.
Asbestos Compensation and Benefits in Italy
Nov 12, 2021
The text of the article cited below recaps benefits available to Italian asbestos victims from a fund established by Law 244/2007 and regulated by Ministerial Decree 30/2011. The Asbestos Victims Fund provides additional financial compensation for pensioners with asbestos exposure-related illnesses and, in the event of death, for their surviving relatives. To obtain these benefits, claimants must apply to the Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro [the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work/ INAIL]. See: Fondo Vittime per l’Amianto: cos’è, come funziona e gli ultimi aggiornamenti [Victims Fund for Asbestos: what it is, how it works and the latest updates].
Addressing WA’s Toxic Legacy
Nov 9, 2021
The problems posed by contamination created by mining at the Wittenoom crocidolite asbestos mine in Western Australia have been highlighted this month. The article cited below featured an interview with asbestosis sufferer Robin Chapple, who as a young migrant to Australia had worked at the mine in 1976. Chapple rejected the WA Government’s excuses for not tackling the pollution and urged people not to visit the deadly attraction. His warning has been reiterated by the Perth-based Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia which has launched an awareness campaign (see: ADSA's Wittenoom Community Education TV Campaign - November 2021) targeted at holidaymakers. See: Why cleaning up Wittenoom and surrounding areas is important.
Victory for Construction Workers
Nov 9, 2021
On November 4, 33 plaintiffs settled claims with the Japanese Government over outdoor occupational asbestos exposures at construction sites; the sum awarded was 435 million yen (US$3.8m). Prior to the settlement the lawsuit was scheduled to be heard by Judge Nohisa Honda at the Osaka District Court. Although the Government had agreed compensation terms for asbestos-injured construction workers previously, they had excluded from the settlement people who had worked outdoors. This development could be pivotal for future claims. See: 屋外作業員、国と初和解 建設アスベスト訴訟―大阪地裁 [Outdoor workers settle for the first time with the government in construction asbestos proceedings in Osaka District Court].
Asbestos Asphalt Removal in Bordeaux
Nov 9, 2021
The commencement of roadworks in the Caudéran district of Bordeaux was a matter of serious concern for traders and residents who were aghast at the warning signs erected announcing the presence of asbestos and the operatives working in full body covering protective clothing. A budget of €360,000 (US$417,000) had been allocated by City Hall to remove asbestos asphalt which had been used to dampen the sounds of the traffic. The work is being carried out during the weekends to reduce the inconvenience to the public. See: Travaux à Bordeaux Caudéran: « l’amiante dans le bitume, on en trouve un peu partout! » [Works in Bordeaux Caudéran: “Asbestos in bitumen is found almost everywhere!”].
Legal Precedent Benefits Asbestos Victims
Nov 9, 2021
In an astounding legal breakthrough last week at the High Court, Scots law was applied to an English asbestos cancer case which enabled a mesothelioma widow, her children and extended family members to obtain compensation for the 2019 death of David Haggerty. The deceased had worked at the ICI factory in North Ayrshire, Scotland in the 1970s where he had been occupationally exposed to asbestos. Mr Justice Ritchie awarded Mrs Haggerty and her children over £600,000 for their losses with compensation also being paid to extended family members as allowed under Scottish law. See: English judge allows Scots law of damages in mesothelioma claim.
Environmental Asbestos Regulations
Nov 9, 2021
This month (November 2021), the Association Française de Normalisation (French Standardization Association/ AFNOR) published an environmental asbestos standard (NF P94-001) which will mandate, once the implementing decree is adopted, that an investigation be undertaken to ascertain the presence of asbestos prior to any operation being commenced which might expose a worker to naturally occurring asbestos in soil or rock. The standard is pertinent to operations during geotechnical research exploration, drilling, laying foundations, underground excavation work and other similar processes. See: La norme NF P94-001 repérage amiante environnemental a été publiée [The NF P94-001 environmental asbestos standard has been published].
Calls for Government Support for Victims
Nov 8, 2021
At a November 4 press conference at Ulsan City Hall, members of the Ulsan branch of the National Plant Construction Labor Union called upon the Korean Government to support petrochemical workers who had contracted asbestos-related diseases as a result of workplace exposures at the Ulsan Petrochemical Plant. According to the union, in 2018, 14 out of 120 union members tested had contracted asbestos-related lung disease; in 2019, 9 out of 82 members examined were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. See: 울산플랜트건설노조 “석면 피해 검진·조사 지원 조례 제정하라” [Ulsan Plant Construction Union “Enact ordinance to support asbestos damage inspection and investigation”].
Remove Asbestos, Save the Planet!
Nov 8, 2021
The publication on November 2, 2021 of the paper cited below could not have been more timely, coinciding as it did with COP26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Co-authors Alessia Angelini and Stefano Silvestri showed how tax incentives to encourage the removal of asbestos-cement roofing in Italy would benefit the economy by generating tens of thousands of new jobs, the population by preventing exposures to a known carcinogen cancer, and the planet by replacing asbestos-cement roofing with safer and better performing material which would result in energy savings. See: Asbestos Removal Acceleration for New Jobs and Fossil Fuel Use Reduction for Public Health and Climate Readiness: A Contribution to the Revival of the Italian Economy Post-COVID-19.
Madrid Asbestos Demonstration
Nov 8, 2021
On November 4, 2021, asbestos victims and trade unionists mounted a public protest in Madrid outside the Chamber of Deputies to highlight the unfulfilled government promise to set up a national asbestos compensation fund. An itemized and costed scheme for the Fund should, they argued, be included in the 2022 budget with an initial allocation of €25 million (US$29m). Although approval for the Fund had been agreed by the Congress on April 23, 2021, legislation required to implement the plan has failed to materialize. See: Víctimas del amianto, frente al Congreso: “Llevamos años sin protección” [Victims of asbestos, in front of Congress: “We have been without protection for years”].
Sad News from Western Australia
Nov 8, 2021
Professor Bill Musk died suddenly on November 3, 2021 at his home in Perth, WA. He was an outstanding physician and a major contributor to developing protocols for the management of asbestos-related diseases, having authored many academic papers on the subject. He was the Chief Investigator of a ground-breaking cohort study of people who had lived and worked at the asbestos mining town of Wittenoom. As a long-time supporter of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA), Professor Musk took great care of ADSA members with asbestos-related diseases. Condolences to his family and friends, of whom there were many. See: Bill Musk Obituary Notice.
Regulating Asbestos Removal in Schools
Nov 8, 2021
Civil society groups in Portugal are concerned about the lack of available asbestos information and the failure to closely regulate asbestos removal work at school premises. Campaigners have taken to task officials in the Almada City Council who allowed asbestos removal work to be carried out during school hours. This work, which has alarmed parents, has created “a climate of concern and there are even situations of parents who decided to withdraw their children from school until the work was completed,” said André Julião, the coordinator of the movement Asbestos-Free Schools (MESA). See: MESA e ZERO preocupados com falta de informação sobre remoção de amianto [MESA and ZERO concerned about lack of information on asbestos removal].
EU Asbestos Action Plan
Nov 8, 2021
The Spanish language article cited below explored the ramifications for EU citizens of a European Parliament resolution of October 20, 2021 with recommendations to the Commission “On the protection of workers against asbestos.” Issues highlighted in the resolution included energy renovation of buildings and a European strategy for asbestos removal. To achieve the aim of “becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050,” the European Parliament is recommending, amongst other measures, the safe removal of asbestos from the built environment. See: Amianto en la UE, bases de la estrategia europea para su retirada [Asbestos in the EU, bases of the European strategy for its removal].
Accepting China’s Asbestos Reality
Nov 4, 2021
In something of a remarkable turnaround, an article uploaded on November 1, 2021 to a Chinese website announced that a new treatment – based on the use of nivolumab combined with ipilimumab (CheckMate-743) – for the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, mesothelioma had been approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China. China is amongst the world’s largest producers and consumers of asbestos and information on the occurrence of asbestos-related diseases had been hard to access. See: 打破恶性胸膜间皮瘤治疗僵局，免疫“双子座”改写患者生存期 [Break the deadlock in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, immune "Gemini" rewrites the survival period for patients].
2021 Rise in Asbestos Production
Nov 4, 2021
Uralasbest, Russia’s second biggest producer of asbestos fiber, reported last week that for the first nine months of this year, there had been a 7% increase in net profit. According to the company, 300,000 tonnes of chrysotile asbestos fiber will be produced by its mining operations in the Sverdlovsk region in 2021. Asbestos production by Uralasbest accounts for 21% of annual global asbestos output and 41% of all Russian production of chrysotile asbestos fiber. Eighty per cent of Russian chrysotile is exported. See: “Ураласбест” за 9 месяцев увеличил чистую прибыль на 7% [Uralasbest increased its net profit by 7% in 9 months].
Hope for Pulmonary Fibrosis Sufferers
Nov 4, 2021
A decision by the National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE) has approved the distribution on prescription of Nintedanib for people suffering from the asbestos-related condition of pulmonary fibrosis. This “game changer” could benefit over 30,000 patients. Welcoming the news, Consultant Respiratory Physician Dr Nazia Chaudhuri from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said: “I am absolutely delighted with the NICE decision to be able to give life changing antifibrotic therapy to all patients with progressive lung fibrosis.” The drug had previously only been available to patients with specified lung conditions and people with pulmonary fibrosis paid £3,000+ to obtain it. See: Life-extending drug for chronic lung disease available on the NHS.
WA Government Fiasco
Nov 3, 2021
A November 1, 2021 commentary in The National Indigenous Times – a publication on a website that focuses on issues related to indigenous Australians – took the West Australian (WA) Government to task for its complete failure to act on the environmental catastrophe left on land belonging to the Banjima people which had been decimated by decades of crocidolite (blue) asbestos mining operations. Despite the existence of the Mining Rehabilitation Fund which has assets of A$200 million, not one penny has been spent on cleaning up the Wittenoom site. See: Blue sky spin and bias hides toxic legacy.
Asbestos Alert in Turkey!
Nov 3, 2021
A commentary on the problems caused by urban transformation projects which liberate asbestos into the environment due to illegal working practices included input from Professor Asli Odman, Asbestos Removal Specialist Kenan Yıldız and Geology Engineer Eşref Atabey. Although the use of asbestos was banned in Turkey in 2010, loopholes persist which result in toxic exposures to workers as well as members of the public. In addition to exposures from toxic material incorporated within the country’s infrastructure, naturally occurring asbestos continues to endanger the health of 72,000 Turkish citizens living in hundreds of villages throughout the country. See: Köylerden kentlere asbest artık her yerde [From villages to cities, asbestos is now everywhere].
Island’s Deadly Industrial Legacy
Nov 3, 2021
Pressure is growing on the authorities in the Greek town of Chalkida on the island of Evia to take action on the deadly legacy from a former asbestos-cement factory; the plant, which had been owned and operated by the Ellenit company, was operational from 1961 until 1990. To date, 250 factory workers from the plant have died from asbestos-related diseases; untold numbers of local residents have also died as a result of environmental exposures to asbestos liberated by the factory’s manufacturing processes. See: Οι ευθύνες του Δήμου στα απομεινάρια ΕΛΕΝΙΤ [The responsibilities of the Municipality regarding the legacy of ELENIT].
Anxiety Claims on the Rise
Nov 3, 2021
The acceptance by French Courts of the disability caused by anxiety over historic occupational asbestos exposures has enabled many claimants to access compensation. Initially, only people who had been employed at asbestos processing establishments listed by decree in 1998 were eligible. Court rulings in 2020 awarded compensation for this condition to 264 former Baccarat employees (€9,000), 387 Bosch employees (€8,000) and 1,200 Renault Trucks workers. In 2019 the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) extended the concept of asbestos anxiety to include occupational exposure to any harmful or toxic substance. See: De plus en plus d'entreprises attaquées et condamnées pour le préjudice d'anxiété [More and more companies targeted and convicted for anxiety injury].
State Accepts Asbestos Liabilities
Nov 3, 2021
A flood of claims for asbestos-related deaths of dock workers at the Port of Trieste has forced the Italian Government to take action and allocate €20 million (US$23m) over two years for total compensation payments for these claims. Since 2005, 44 asbestos claims against the Port Authority have been upheld; it has been estimated that the 14 cases which remain pending could cost €5m to settle. As 2,000 dockers had been employed at the Port between the 1960s and 1990s, there could be many more claims to come. See: Portuali vittime dell’amianto fondo risarcimenti da 5 milioni [ Compensation fund of 5 million for port asbestos victims].
Madrid Asbestos Protest
Nov 3, 2021
Trade unionists from the CCOO Madrid and UGT Madrid will join members of the Madrid Association of Asbestos Victims at noon on November 4, 2021 at a public demonstration outside the Congress of Deputies “to demand the unblocking of the processing of the bill for the creation of a compensation fund for asbestos victims.” A bill endorsing the fund had been approved by a majority vote at a plenary session of the Congress of Deputies on April 13, 2021; since then, the proposed law seems to have languished in the Committee on Labor, Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations. See: Las víctimas del amianto exigen la tramitación urgente del fondo de compensación [Asbestos victims demand urgent processing of the compensation fund].
Johnson & Johnson: Bankruptcy Update
Nov 1, 2021
According to a news report of October 27, 2021, it’s possible that US Bankruptcy Judge Craig Whitley, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, may derail Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J’s) attempts to off-load its liabilities for cancers caused by use of its talc-based baby powder to a bankrupt company: LTL Management LLC. On October 26, the Judge ordered LTL to justify their choice of a North Carolina jurisdiction when most of the talc claims against the company were filed in New Jersey, the location of J&J’s & LTL’s corporate headquarters. (For more on the background to this case see Johnson & Johnson’s ‘Texas-two-step’ puts spotlight on US bankruptcy regime.)
See: Judge May Not Let Johnson & Johnson Subsidiary File for Bankruptcy in N.C.
Dangerous Demolition Practices
Nov 1, 2021
Ecologist and İzmir Deputy Murat Çepni last week called for action on the illegal demolition of buildings that contained asbestos material. The rapid pace of urban transformation projects and the laxity of enforcement of regulations had opened loopholes which had allowed dangerous practices to persist. It was essential, according to the Deputy, to hold a parliamentary investigation regarding the public health and environmental problems caused by the uncontrolled demolition of buildings which contained asbestos. See: Çepni: 2010'da yasaklanan ve kansere neden olan asbest, hala kullanıliyor! [Çepni: Banned in 2010 and causing cancer, asbestos is still used!].
Asbestos in Schools
Nov 1, 2021
According to a spokesperson for the Bloco de Esquerda – a leftist democratic-socialist party in Portugal – the City Council of Almada ordered asbestos removal work to begin at the Anselmo de Andrade Secondary School while students and teachers were in attendance. It’s alleged that work to remove asbestos-cement roofing, which started on October 13, posed a health hazard to all those on the premises at that time. The Council denied that removal work was undertaken during school hours saying that only preparatory work had been done at that time with the removal work scheduled after 6 p.m. See: Está a ser removido amianto em escola de Almada durante o período letivo? [Is asbestos being removed at a school in Almada during the school term?].
Eradicating the Asbestos Hazard
Nov 1, 2021
Last week, two companies based in the Balearic Islands signed an agreement to formalize a commercial initiative which will see them join forces to offer a 21st century solution to a long-standing problem: what to do about toxic asbestos-containing roofing. Operatives from SAMPOL Energy and Vestalia will remove asbestos roofing at industrial sites and replace it with photovoltaic panels which will remediate the presence of carcinogenic material as well as reduce the companies’ carbon footprint. See: SAMPOL Energía y Vestalia unen fuerzas para convertir el amianto en energía solar [SAMPOL Energía and Vestalia join forces to convert asbestos into solar energy].
Update: Asbestos Cancer Research
Oct 28, 2021
The article cited below reported on the publication on October 14, 2021 of a paper entitled: Nivolumab versus placebo in patients with relapsed malignant mesothelioma (CONFIRM): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, phase 3 trial in The Lancet. Research conducted by the UK authors of the paper concluded that: “Nivolumab represents a treatment that might be beneficial to patients with malignant mesothelioma who have disease progression on first-line therapy.” See: Malignant mesothelioma overall survival increased by nivolumab.
Empty Promises as Asbestos Deaths Mount
Oct 28, 2021
Despite promises by the Government in Madrid to set up a fund to compensate Spanish asbestos victims, there are no indications that the upcoming budget will include provisions for establishing a nationwide scheme. In 2017, the Basque Parliament demanded that Congress acted swiftly to support the injured, many of whom lived in the Basque Country. In April, 2021, Congress said that processing of this initiative would go ahead with the support of all parliamentary groups except for the far-right Vox Party. Alas, deadlines have come and gone and nothing has been finalized. See: Hacienda se niega a incluir en los Presupuestos el fondo de compensación a las víctimas del amianto [Treasury refuses to include the compensation fund for asbestos victims in Budgets].
Illegal Dumping of Asbestos Waste
Oct 28, 2021
On October 27, 2021 it was reported that truckloads of toxic soil were being dumped across the city of Melbourne in Australia. Much of the soil had, said the reporter, been found to contain asbestos. An increase in the cost of using licensed landfill sites to dispose of contaminated earth was one reason that developers, builders and waste disposal companies were resorting to illegal fly tipping. In some instances, the waste was sold at a low price as in-fill for the building of hardstanding or paved areas. Consumers were warned to query the bona fides of contractors offering to remove waste or provide in-fill at cheap prices. See: Truckloads of asbestos-ridden soil being dumped across Melbourne.
Quebec’s Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Oct 28, 2021
An episode of The Green Week, a program on the French-language public television channel ICI Radio-Canada Télé, that was broadcast on October 23, 2021, featured a 20+ minute segment entitled: “Restore the Impossible.” Through historic footage and numerous photographs, the episode detailed widespread contamination, by hundreds of thousands of tonnes of asbestos mining waste, in the city of Thetford Mines and other former asbestos mining sites. Asbestos fibers contained in the mountains of tailings get into the air as well as into surface water, posing a health hazard to local people and damaging the environment. See: La Semaine Verte Octobre 23, 2021 [The Green Week. October 23, 2021].
Guilty of Asbestos Manslaughter!
Oct 27, 2021
Last week, the Court of Appeal in Lecce, Italy sentenced former company directors Sergio Noce and Attilio Angelini to one year and ten months of imprisonment for the manslaughter of six workers who had died from asbestos-related diseases caused by toxic occupational exposures. Sergio Noce, now 84, was a director between 1982 and 1984 of Italsider, Italy’s largest steel producer. Attilio Angelini was employed as a company manager between 1984 and 1987. Both sentences were suspended. Before this ruling, other verdicts in this case had been issued and cancelled by the Court of Cassation and the Court of Appeal. See: Ex Italsider, morti per amianto: condannati due ex dirigenti [Former Italsider, dead of asbestos: two former executives sentenced].
Asbestos on the Railways
Oct 27, 2021
The legacy of asbestos-containing material used on the UK railways remains a problem for managers as well as workers. “It is possible that any train, station or depot constructed before the year 2000 may contain asbestos,” reported an article uploaded on October 25, 2021. The article listed pieces of legislation and guidelines which assigned responsibilities for protecting workers and the public from toxic exposures including: Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals Regulations 2013 and Waste Classification WM3 2015. See: Managing asbestos on the railway.
California: New Rights for Victims' Relatives
Oct 27, 2021
On October 1, 2021, the Governor and Secretary of the State of California signed a bill which will allow family members to posthumously claim compensation for pain and suffering endured during the lifetime of a deceased relative. The new law – based on Senate Bill No. 447 – comes into effect on January 1, 2022 and marks a turning point for people killed by asbestos-related diseases and others. Forty-five other US states, have similar provisions which uphold the legal rights of victims and their families; the hold out states are Florida, Idaho, Colorado and Arizona. According to one US attorney, prior to the passage of this bill, “asbestos companies received a ‘death discount’ if a mesothelioma victim passed away prior to trial.” See: Bill Information: SB-447 Civil actions: decedent’s cause of action.(2021-2022).
Quebec’s Environmental Asbestos Disaster
Oct 25, 2021
One of the many adverse legacies of Canada’s asbestos mining industry is the widespread contamination posed by the dumping of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of asbestos-contaminated waste. The article cited below describes recent discoveries made in Thetford Mine, a Quebec city founded on the commercial exploitation of chrysotile (white) asbestos, known locally as white gold. Eight hundred million tonnes of toxic tailings cover an area of 1,500 hectares through which the Bécancour river flows. As the dumps erode, rainwater takes asbestos fibers downhill and into the water table and stream. See: Restaurer la vallée de l'amiante une halde à la fois [Restoring the asbestos valley one dump at a time].
Evidence for Ukraine Asbestos Ban
Oct 25, 2021
An English language article uploaded on October 20, 2021 to a Ukraine news portal reported an interview with Andreas Helbl, Director of iC Consultants Ukraine and Managing Partner of CES clean energy solutions. Helbl was categorical about the human health hazard posed by the use of asbestos saying exposure to “any type of asbestos is dangerous… We know that asbestos is dangerous in principle… Therefore, most countries in the world have banned the use of asbestos a long time ago. The market began to offer new types of building materials, and it turned out that there is no such great need for asbestos and that it can be easily substituted...” See: In sustainable construction, the use of recycled materials gives the building extra points and increases the company's rating.
Toxic Railway Imports into Vietnam
Oct 25, 2021
On October 24, 2021, an article was uploaded to a Vietnam news portal which raised the alert over the donation by Japan of 37 forty-year old railway carriages which could contain products made with asbestos. Although the Japanese carriages were more modern than the ones currently used in Vietnam, experts warned of environmental, health and economic issues posed by putting into service carriages known to be contaminated. If a specialist company in Vietnam were to remove the asbestos material, there is no service licensed to handle hazardous asbestos waste in Vietnam. See: Vụ 37 toa tàu Nhật Bản tặng, cần xem xét cẩn trọng vật liệu sản xuất [The case of 37 carriages donated by Japan, need to carefully consider production materials].
Outreach Initiative for Asbestos Victims
Oct 25, 2021
On October 21 & 22, 2021 a “Healing Camp” took place in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, Korea to help bolster the psychological health of people suffering from asbestos-related diseases. The event, which has been held every year since 2015, was hosted by the Asbestos Environmental Health Center of Soonchunhyang University, and had a particular emphasis on the mental and physical stress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The participants benefited from time spent in the Magoksa forest, recreational activities and health information sessions. See: 충남, 석면 피해자 심리적 안정 돕는다 [Chungcheongnam-do helps asbestos victims to psychologically stabilize].
Legal Win for Bereaved Family
Oct 25, 2021
Last week Dr. Tania De Antoniis, a Judge of the Court of Ancona Labor and Social Security Section issued a victim’s verdict over the mesothelioma cancer death in 2017 of a worker who had been employed building ovens over a thirty year period. For decades, asbestos-containing products had been used to insulate the ovens. The Judge dismissed the arguments advanced by the defendant who had asserted that the death had been caused by environmental not occupational exposures to asbestos, awarding the family €900,000 (US$1 million). See: Amianto killer, risarcimento da 900 mila euro [Asbestos killer, compensation of 900 thousand euros].
Asbestos Eradication in Schools
Oct 25, 2021
The removal of asbestos from schools in Korea is not being achieved at a uniform rate, with lower than average rates of eradication in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Daejeon. A document released on October 24, 2021 listed the asbestos removal rates from schools as reported by 17 metropolitan/provincial offices of education; nationwide, the average was 56.2% at the end of June, 2021. Better than average results were achieved in Sejong (99.9%), Jeonbuk and Gangwon (81.7%), and Jeju (71.0%). Korea’s Ministry of Education has set a deadline of 2027 for the complete elimination of asbestos from schools. See: 학교 석면 제거 지역별로 편차 커…서울·경기 절반 안 돼 [Asbestos removal in schools varies widely by region… Less than half for Seoul and Gyeonggi-do].
European Parliament Action on Asbestos
Oct 22, 2021
By a vote of 675 votes in favor, 2 against and 23 abstentions, Members of the European Parliament voted this week in Strasbourg to ask the European Commission to reduce occupational exposure limits to asbestos from the current limit of 0.1 fibers / cm3 to 0.001 fibers / cm3. In addition, the MEPs issued a call for a European strategy to eradicate the asbestos hazard from the built environment. Asbestos-related occupational diseases should, they agreed, be recognized and compensated in all member states. See: L'amianto uccide ancora 30mila europei ogni anno. Strasburgo: “Rimuoverlo da tutti gli edifice” [Asbestos still kills 30,000 Europeans every year. Strasbourg: “Remove it from all buildings”].
Unions Act on Toxic Imports
Oct 22, 2021
Last week, Australia’s Electrical Trades Union (ETU) called on the Assistant Minister for Customs Jason Wood to order the Australian Border Force (ABF) to ramp up screening of imported building materials following the discovery of asbestos-contaminated plasterboard at a construction site in Sydney. The toxic products, which were imported from China by building materials supplier USG Boral, contained “low levels” of asbestos. According to the ABF, it is the responsibility of importers to ensure they do not bring banned products into Australia. See: Sydney asbestos scare prompts union call for increased border screening.
Asbestos Industry Growth Reported
Oct 22, 2021
During an interview, Kazakhstan asbestos entrepreneur Erbol Nurkhozhaev reported that chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber production at the mine owned by Kostanay Minerals JSC was reaching capacity levels. He predicted that production in 2021 would reach 250,000 tons(t), up from 227,000t in 2020. The company plans to add another shift to the work roster so that by 2024 production could reach 350,000t/year. Negotiations in Ukraine and Turkey were, he said, ongoing despite the fact that the former country plans to ban asbestos and the later banned it in 2010. Kostanay will be targeting markets in Central and Southeast Asia where demand for asbestos is growing. See: «Мы вышли на предел мощности», - Ербол НУРХОЖАЕВ [“We have reached the limit of capacity,” – Erbol Nurkhozhaev].
Failings of Asbestos Regulations
Oct 22, 2021
According to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), the regulation of workplace and environmental exposures to asbestos in Canada are governed by a patchwork of regulations which are inconsistent and erratic. Following the publication of a new CSA study – Asbestos Management in Canada: Assessing the Need for a National Standard – the Association is calling for the adoption of a national standard to “help foster consistency in asbestos management among jurisdictions, harmonize regulations and practices across the country, establish training and minimal competency levels, and support efforts to enforce compliance.” See: Canadian workers ‘unequally protected’ against asbestos exposure.
Demand for Asbestos-Free Materials
Oct 22, 2021
An article on a Ukraine news portal reported increasing consumer demand for building materials which are asbestos-free. According to Andreas Helbl, CEO of iC consultants Ukraine, the transition to asbestos-free technologies will, judging from past experiences, not adversely affect the economy as it will be a gradual process with sufficient time for industrial processes to be transitioned to produce safer material. Plans to ban asbestos are well underway in Ukraine with an asbestos prohibition bill currently under consideration by the Parliament. See: Отказ производителей стройматериалов от асбеста не влияет на экономику – эксперт [Refusal of manufacturers of building materials to use asbestos does not affect the economy – expert].
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 22, 2021
On October 20, 2021, the Council of the Portuguese city of Faro announced that all municipal schools were now asbestos-free. The eradication of asbestos contamination at the remaining schools affected had been carried out by the company José Quintino, Lda. under the Algarve2020 program at a cost of €682,000. Work which was undertaken included: “removing the covering of roofs made up of asbestos-cement boards and accessories… [and] the installation of a new covering consisting of panels in galvanized steel sheet …” See: Escolas do concelho de Faro estão livres de amianto [Schools in the municipality of Faro are asbestos-free].
Post-Pandemic Calls to Ban Asbestos
Oct 20, 2021
Increasing mobilization of civil society groups in Asia has highlighted the human cost of asbestos use. According to the Regional Secretary of the Building and Wood Workers International Apolinar Tolentino: “This tragic death toll will in future, be avoidable, if countries stop importing asbestos. While global asbestos consumption has fallen by 75 percent in the last 40 years, this is not the case in Asia, where almost all exports are now landing. This is because the asbestos industry still has influence in many governments in Asia.” “There are,” said campaigner Phillip Hazelton “much safer, high quality and competitively priced alternative products for all those that currently are in use that contain asbestos.” See: Calls for asbestos bans across Asia and Pacific intensify.
Working to End Asbestos Exposures!
Oct 20, 2021
On October 19, 2021, the Members of the European Parliament voted in a plenary session of the European Parliament on a legislative report on Protecting Workers from Asbestos. Trade unions actively backed this initiative with Tom Deleu of the European Federation of Building and Wood Workers saying: “We cannot turn our backs on construction workers, firefighters, miners, and workers in cleaning or waste disposal, who are regularly exposed to asbestos. No one should be exposed to asbestos!” The resolution was approved by an overwhelming majority! See: Vote for the Asbestos Report!
Asbestos Alert in Italy!
Oct 20, 2021
This month, an initiative has been launched by trade unions and business groups in Italy to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard amongst workers in the construction, renovation and demolition sectors. Both hard and virtual copies of the brochure entitled “Asbestos Eye” are being circulated to provide updated information on procedures required to protect workers from toxic exposures. According to Giacomo Meloni, President of one of the project’s sponsoring partners: “When in doubt about whether asbestos is present at a worksite. it is better to stop and have the experts verify” the situation rather than take any risks. See: Confartigianato Sardegna: un opuscolo contro il rischio amianto [Confartigianato Sardegna: a brochure on how to avoid asbestos risks].
Update: Johnson & Johnson
Oct 20, 2021
More details have been reported of the mechanisms used by Johnson and Johnson (J&J) to off-load tens of thousands of asbestos cancer claims from consumers who used its iconic talc-based baby powder which has been found to contain asbestos fibers. Last week, J&J put the claims initiated by ovarian cancer and mesothelioma sufferers into a company called LTL Management LLC; on October 14, LTL filed for bankruptcy protection in the state of North Carolina. The talc lawsuits will now be suspended until LTL’s bankruptcy proceedings have been resolved. See: J&J puts talc liabilities into bankruptcy.
New Data Identifies Asbestos Hotspots
Oct 20, 2021
Korean campaigners have, for the first time, been able to confirm the deadly repercussions for people living in houses with asbestos-cement roofing using official data. Information collected by officials in the South Korean City of Busan, who have been monitoring the incidence of asbestos cancer since 2011, showed an elevated incidence of asbestos-related disease (ARD) in 11 densely populated areas with asbestos roofing. In these areas, a total of 119 people have contracted ARD. Thirty thousand homes in Busan still have asbestos-containing roofing. See: [취재수첩]119명 석면 질환, 국내 첫 공식 수치 [Reporter's Handbook] Korea's First Official Statistics on 119 Asbestos Disease cases.
A Deadly Legacy!
Oct 20, 2021
The consequences of the widespread and unregulated use of asbestos were discussed in the article cited below. Despite the existence of evidence documenting the human health hazard posed by asbestos exposures, a variety of practices were endorsed by the government as a result of which workers and citizens contracted fatal cancers and debilitating diseases. Propaganda distributed by a lobbying group – the National Association of Chrysotile-Cement Manufacturers – was instrumental in prolonging the use of asbestos in Spain throughout the 20th century. See: Salud y cambio global (5): Cuidado con el amianto, que nos sigue matando un siglo después [Health and global changes (5): Beware of asbestos, which continues to kill us a century later].
J&J Dumps Cancer Liabilities
Oct 18, 2021
In a widely anticipated and high-profile move that was reported as far afield as Russia and Brazil within minutes of the announcement being made, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) declared it had off-loaded liabilities from tens of thousands of cancer cases using the Texas two-step to exploit corporate bankruptcy laws. J&J dumped the claims over asbestos-contaminated talc-based J&J baby powder into a new subsidiary which was promptly put into Chapter 11 protection. Commenting on the news, US Attorney Joe Satterley categorized J&J’s decision as “corporate fraud at its worst” saying: “There’s no way this litigation presents a material threat to this company. It’s laughable.” See: Johnson & Johnson Puts Talc Injury Claims Into Bankruptcy.
Ban Asbestos Event in Zimbabwe
Oct 18, 2021
A workshop on September 30 & October 1, 2021 offered the opportunity for union leaders to raise awareness of the occupational asbestos hazard in Zimbabwe, one of the world’s few remaining asbestos-producing countries. The event was held by unions affiliated with the Building and Wood Workers International. Nicholas Mazarura, General Secretary of the Zimbabwe Construction and Allied Trades Workers’ Union and President Peter Mutasa of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions urged the government to take urgent action to ban asbestos to protect workers. Representatives of employers’ groups and the National Social Security Authority said it was premature to talk about banning asbestos and further research was needed. See: Zimbabwe: Unions pressure government to ban asbestos.
Union Calls for Asbestos Eradication Program
Oct 18, 2021
The CWU trade union, representing nearly 188,000 UK communication workers, on October 14, 2021 issued a press release documenting the union’s demands for the Government to undertake the complete eradication of asbestos material from the built environment. According to the CWU’s national health, safety & environment officer Dave Joyce “an estimated six million tons of this fibrous mineral [is] present in more than 1.5 million buildings, including schools and hospitals… UK nurses and teachers are three to five times more likely to develop mesothelioma because of the asbestos in the buildings in which they work.” See: House of Commons Asbestos Inquiry – CWU calls for complete eradication of ‘this toxic fibre’ from all UK buildings.
Victims’ Verdict in Bari
Oct 18, 2021
Earlier this month (October 2021), Italian Judge Agnese Angiuli of the Bari Court, Labor Section issued victims’ verdicts which recognized the right of two former Alitalia employees to retire early and receive an uplift in pension payments because of their occupational exposure to asbestos at the Naples and Bari-Palese airports for more than 25 years. See: Dipendenti ex Alitalia Esposti ad Amianto all’Aeroporto Capodichino di Napoli: Il Tribunale Condenna INPS al Prepensionamento [Former Alitalia Employees Exposed to Asbestos at Naples Capodichino Airport: The Court Instructs INPS to allow early retirement].
EPA U-Turn on Asbestos
Oct 18, 2021
On October 12, 2021, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a settlement with civil society groups which had issued lawsuits against the Agency to force it to adequately evaluate under 2016 revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act, all the human health risks posed by asbestos. The EPA has agreed to expand the scope of its investigations and to review risks to citizens posed by exposure to all types of asbestos fibers – including chrysotile (white) asbestos – as well as asbestos legacy uses by December 1, 2024. See: US EPA to strengthen asbestos risk evaluation.
Compulsory Asbestos Audits
Oct 18, 2021
On October 14, 2021 the publication of a long-awaited Regulation on Demolition of Buildings which mandates that asbestos audits be carried out prior to the commencement of any building or demolition work in Turkey was welcomed by asbestos removal experts. The new regulations will come into force on July 1, 2022, six months later than originally planned. See: Asbest Söküm Uzmanları Derneği Başkanı Ensari: Denetime Gelen Müfettişler Bile Asbestin Ne Olduğunu Bilmiyor [Asbestos Removal Specialists Association President Ensari: Even the inspectors who come to do the inspection don’t know what asbestos is].
Remembering Tommy Nelson
Oct 15, 2021
The funeral took place on October 13, 2021 of one of Scotland’s pioneering asbestos victims’ advocates Tommy Nelson. Tommy, with his friends Harry McCluskey and Iain McKechnie, ran one of the UK’s first charities to support former workmates who had contracted asbestos-related diseases. In an online tribute uploaded on October 14, Phyllis Craig, Director of Action on Asbestos – formerly Clydeside Action on Asbestos – said: “Tommy… put his heart and soul into making sure that those who had been diagnosed with an asbestos condition were treated with dignity and respect.” See: Tommy Nelson, asbestos campaigner and founder member of Clydeside Action on Asbestos, has passed away, aged 83.
Maltepe Asbestos Audit Program
Oct 15, 2021
As a result of the widespread use of asbestos-containing products in Turkey, much of the country’s built environment remains contaminated. Regulations intended to prevent toxic exposures to building and demolition workers are routinely ignored. An asbestos inspection program set up in 2016 in Maltepe, a district in Istanbul, however, has identified asbestos in 1,925 properties prior to allowing demolition work to begin. The program operates under the auspices of the Directorate of Environmental Protection and Control and employs two asbestos removal experts to conduct asbestos audits. See: Maltepe asbest denetiminde örnek ilçe [Sample district in Maltepe asbestos inspection].
Asbestos Loophole Exposed
Oct 15, 2021
Although the Canadian Government banned the use of asbestos at the end of 2018, a loophole remains which allows the resale of products containing asbestos. As long as this situation persists, say medical experts and health and safety campaigners, Canadians will remain at risk from toxic exposures. Unfortunately, when the problems created by the loophole were reported to Environment and Climate Change Canada – the department of the Government of Canada responsible for coordinating environmental policies and programs – no action was taken. See: Produits contenant de l’amiante: des médecins préoccupés par une échappatoire [Asbestos-containing products: doctors concerned about a loophole].
Calls for Wittenoom Remediation
Oct 15, 2021
The Banjima tribe, the traditional owners of the land on which the now derelict Wittenoom blue asbestos mine sits, are calling for the remediation of the 46,000 hectare site contaminated with 64,000 tonnes of highly toxic waste. On October 12, 2021, a petition was tabled at the Parliament of Western Australia calling on the Government to identify those responsible for the environmental catastrophe and to produce a budgeted remediation program which will restore the Pilbara site. "We want,” said Banjima Elder Matiland Parker “our Country cleaned up and made safe for all people, for now and for future generations.” See: Banjima take Wittenoom clean-up fight to WA Parliament.
Asbestos Anxiety Claims
Oct 15, 2021
On October 12, the Industrial Tribunal at Chateauroux examined asbestos anxiety claims from 242 former workers who had been employed at La Halle d’Issoudun (Indre) – a logistics and transport company. According to the claimants, the management of the company – which closed in 2020 – had known about the presence of asbestos in the warehouse since 2010 but had kept the workforce in the dark about the extensive contamination until 2019, shortly before the site was closed. The judgment will be handed down on January 7, 2022. See: Indre. Exposés à l’amiante, 242 ex-salariés aux prud’hommes pour faire reconnaître un préjudice d’anxiété [Indre. Exposed to asbestos, 242 former employees appear at the industria
Online Rally Calls for Relief Reforms
Oct 15, 2021
An online rally, attended by eight members of the Diet, victims of asbestos-related diseases and relatives, was held on October 7, 2021 by a group representing asbestos cancer sufferers, to highlight the inadequacy of medical care and the paucity of treatment options for patients with mesothelioma, the signature cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Discrepancies existing under the Asbestos Health Damage Relief Act which financially penalized sufferers were also examined. See: アスベスト被害者の救済制度 「抜本改正」求めオンライン集会 [Online rally for asbestos victim relief system “dramatic revision”].
Alert over Asbestos Use in Vietnam
Oct 12, 2021
The article cited below appeared on October 9, 2021 on a Vietnamese website and warned of the dangers posed by the continued use of a class 1 carcinogen in Vietnam. With a latency period measured in decades and the widespread presence of asbestos-containing material throughout the country, workers and consumers remain at risk of toxic exposures on a daily basis. Diseases linked with exposure to asbestos include several types of cancer. See: Bị hơn 60 quốc gia cấm, loại “chất độc” gây ung thư mà WHO khuyến cáo hóa ra đang rình rập ngay trong những đồ vật quen thuộc nhà bạn [Banned by more than 60 countries, the “poison” that the WHO tells us causes cancer turns out to be lurking within familiar objects].
New Asbestos Roofing Factory
Oct 12, 2021
On October 7, 2021, a new factory for the production of asbestos-cement roofing material was opened by the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon in the city of Buston in the north of the country. The manufacturing equipment for the new plant was made in China, one of the world’s biggest producers and users of asbestos. The plant’s output will be sold domestically and will replace imported goods. President Rahmon urged factory owner Zarif Samadov to expand production levels and launch new product lines. See: Рахмон открыл новое промышленное предприятие в Бустоне [Rahmon opens new industrial plant in Buston].
Asbestos Find Closes Construction Sites
Oct 12, 2021
Wild-cat action was taken at a multi-billion dollar development site in Brisbane when a small group of workers learned of the presence of asbestos-contaminated plasterboard products imported from China. Routine laboratory tests had found low levels of asbestos contamination in a sample of vermiculite used at the Camellia site in Sydney. “It seems,” said a company spokesperson “likely that this contamination occurred at the source of mining the vermiculite, but in any event occurred prior to delivery to our sites.” Work was later suspended at a number of other construction sites by trade unions. See: Asbestos scare: Workers walk off building sites, including Queen’s Wharf.
Progress in Banning Asbestos: Update
Oct 12, 2021
Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam, there has been substantial progress made by ban asbestos campaigners with a 50% drop in asbestos fiber imports in the last two years. The fall in imports has been due to increasing awareness of the asbestos hazard which has resulted from actions undertaken by the Vietnam OSH Association, the Institute for Resources, Environment and Community Development and their Vietnamese partners working in collaboration with the Australian organization Union Aid Abroad, the German Catholic Bishops’ Organization for Development Cooperation, the Asian Ban Asbestos Network and others. See: Vietnam Eliminating Asbestos Disease Campaign Update.
Secondary Occupational Exposure Case
Oct 12, 2021
On October 6, 2021, a settlement was reached by lawyers representing the Japanese Government with the family of a woman who died from asbestos cancer. Although the deceased had not worked with asbestos herself, she had been employed from 1953-1954 and 1957-1960 in a factory in Amagaski City where the processing of asbestos had taken place. A payment of ¥14 million (US$125,200) compensation was made. See: アスベスト扱わない作業で死亡の女性…国が賠償金１４００万円の支払いで遺族と和解 [A woman who died from secondary occupational asbestos exposure... The government settled with the bereaved family by paying compensation of 14 million yen].
Government Asbestos Payments Increase
Oct 12, 2021
An announcement on September 27, 2021, clarified changes that will be made on January 1, 2022 to compensation payments to Italian asbestos victims by the National Institute for Insurance against Occupational Accidents and Diseases (INAIL). The changes include a monthly increase equivalent to 15% of the retirement pension and one-off payments of €10,000 to mesothelioma patients or surviving relatives as long as applications for this benefit were made within three years of when the condition was diagnosed. See: L'indennità per le vittime di amianto diventa mensile [Compensation for asbestos victims goes monthly].
Police to Investigate Asbestos Case
Oct 7, 2021
The Danish Working Environment Authority has referred to the police a case in which a construction site manager in Copenhagen allowed asbestos exposures of 20 members of the workforce to continue for a week during August 2021. The manager initially lied about the presence of asbestos and then forged test results to say that no asbestos had been found. When union members grew suspicious and rang the laboratory which had analyzed samples taken at the site, they were told that the samples had shown the presence of asbestos. Three hundred people die in Denmark every year from asbestos-related diseases. See: Tømrere udsat for asbest efter test-fusk: “Nu får jeg måske uhelbredelig kræft” [Carpenters exposed to asbestos after test cheating: “Now I may get incurable cancer”].
Compensation for Dockyard Workers
Oct 7, 2021
On October 6, 2021 at a news conference in the capital of Malta, government spokesmen announced government compensation for 49 asbestos victims who had worked in the dockyards – ranging from €5,800 to €16,600. The amounts seem paltry considering that other dockyard workers or their surviving families had received between €140,000-€150,000 in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Finance Minister Clyde Caruana told the attendees at the meeting, which included retired dockyard workers: “We are here today because the health of workers was put at risk… What happened, happened. We can’t turn back the clock. But today we can recognize what happened and at least the government can do the least thing, which is compensation.” See: Dockyard workers compensated for asbestos exposure – but most have already died.
Calls to Ban Asbestos in Asia!
Oct 7, 2021
An article on the website of the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) reported the ongoing mobilization by BWI affiliates, asbestos victims’ groups and partnering organizations which are calling for asbestos to be outlawed by Asian governments in order to protect the health of workers and members of the public. A Joint Communiqué issued at the end of a three-day online conference last month said that “asbestos, which is still being consumed in many countries, is a time bomb that can explode at any moment with deadly consequences.” See: Asia: Advocates push for a total ban of asbestos trade.
Court Supports Factory Victim’s Claim
Oct 7, 2021
A former worker from a biscuit factory in the Northern Spanish city of Viana has won his case at the Superior Court of Justice of Navarra. The claimant, who has “pleural effusion, possibly fibrosis,” argued that his disability was due to an occupational disease caused by workplace asbestos exposure over a 20-year period. The Judge, who agreed that the disability was permanent and had been caused by asbestos exposures, awarded him benefits of €1,957.61 (US$ 2,260) per month against the objections of lawyers representing the National Institute of Social Security and the former employer. See: Reconocen a un trabajador que su enfermedad se debe a la exposición al amianto durante 20 años en Viana [The cause of a worker’s illness is recognized as due to 20 years of asbestos exposure in Viana].
Asbestos Hotlines
Oct 7, 2021
From 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on October 5 & 6, 2021, citizens concerned about workplace asbestos exposures in Japan, past and present, were able to access to a range of specialists in Sendai on an asbestos hotline set up by trade unions, medical institutions and legal professionals. Whilst the aim was to spread awareness of the rights of construction workers injured by occupational asbestos exposures, callers throughout Japan were also able to consult on issues relating to other diseases caused by toxic exposures at workplaces. See: 建設アスベスト被害 電話相談会 [Construction asbestos damage telephone counselling].
Victim’s Court Triumph
Oct 4, 2021
A Basque court this month (October 2021) ordered the former employers of a worker who died in 2015 from an asbestos-related disease to pay compensation to his family equivalent to 50% of the Social Security benefits they receive. In April 2018, a court in Donostia confirmed that the death was due to an occupational disease which had been caused by “significant exposure to asbestos fibers” in the workplace. The earlier denial by government agencies that the death was occupationally related was rejected by the court. See: Condenan a pagar un recargo del 50% en una muerte por amianto [Ordered to pay a 50% surcharge over asbestos death].
Korean Asbestos Hotspots
Oct 4, 2021
The South Korea city of Busan has the second highest number of asbestos patients (16.1%) in the country after Chungnam (36%), according to an analysis undertaken by the Environmental Health Civic Center and Korea Ban Asbestos Network. On October 3, 2021, they announced that, according to government data, 5,295 people received asbestos benefits in Korea between 2011 and 2021. There are 10 abandoned mines in Chungnam which are, it is believed, contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos factories were operational in Busan between the 1970s and 1990s. See: 전국 석면환자 부산 2위…경기·서울보다 많아 [Busan ranked second in the nation for asbestos patients… More than Gyeonggi and Seoul].
Asbestos In Schools
Oct 4, 2021
The BBC and trade unions are raising the alarm over asbestos contamination of 900 schools in Wales; these properties constitute 60% of all schools in Wales. Whilst most of the properties are regularly expected, some surveys are more than ten years old. Guidance by the Welsh Government recommends that asbestos surveys should be kept up to date. David Evans, Wales Secretary for the National Education Union, who was alarmed about the presence of asbestos in schools said: “We would be keen to know what plans each local authority has in place for the safe removal of this asbestos, it is simply unacceptable in this day and age.” See: Safety worries as asbestos in 60% of Welsh schools.
Appeal Court Upholds Victim’s Ruling
Oct 4, 2021
An Argentinean insurance company was ordered by a Court to pay compensation of US$72,730 to a former employee of a gas company who as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos has contracted the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. A Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s ruling in favor of the claimant, agreeing that no safeguards had been put in place to protect the workforce and that the company ART Expert had been negligent. See: ART deberá pagar $7 millones a trabajador expuesto al amianto [ART must pay $7 million to worker exposed to asbestos].
Government to Defend Asbestos Industry
Oct 1, 2021
An article on a Russian website rehashed the news that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had in early September 2021 recommitted the Government to the defense of an industrial sector which employed 400,000 people in the mining of chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber and manufacture of 300 types of asbestos-containing products; asbestos companies like Orenburg Minerals made valuable contributions to the Russian economy. The author of the text bemoaned the continuous attacks on the industry from foreign commercial and political interests which had undermined confidence in the use of asbestos products, thereby decreasing demand. See: Государство поддержит хризотиловую индустрию в РФ [The state will support the chrysotile industry in the Russian Federation].
Asbestos Industry: Illegal and Immoral
Oct 1, 2021
In a commentary of September 28, 2021, Carlos Juliano Barros considered the ludicrous and illegal situation in Brazil which has allowed an asbestos mining company to continue producing and exporting chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber despite a Supreme Court ban. According to Barros: “nothing justifies the mining of a fiber banned in more than 60 countries by express recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO).” He condemned the ineptitude of the judiciary and the short-term outlook and greed of local and federal authorities. See: Nada justifica que o Brasil continue exportando um produto cancerígeno [Nothing justifies Brazil continuing to export a carcinogenic product].
Flouting of National Asbestos Ban
Oct 1, 2021
On September 8, 2021, a letter was sent to the the Canadian government by civil society groups raising the alert over the availability on eBay Canada of items such as asbestos-containing gloves, ironing boards, kitchen items, tiles, etc. despite the fact that the Government had banned asbestos at the end of 2018. The Government was asked to implement measures to prevent sales of new asbestos-containing products as well as the resale of second-hand ones. See: Canadian government asked to stop sale of asbestos-containing products.
Government Failing Asbestos Victims
Oct 1, 2021
At an event at the Press Center of the Chungnam Provincial Office on September 30, 2021, Korean asbestosis victim Nam-eok Lee joined other speakers in calling for new government measures to recognize asbestos victims, improve compensation payments and provide better treatment for victims. Lee told the meeting: “I never worked in an asbestos mine… I lived right next to Gwangcheon Station, and at that time, there was a mountain of asbestos piled up like a mountain. I used to paint on the ground with asbestos.” The Government was not, he said, managing asbestos properly. See: “석면 방치한 정부 책임 커... 차등 없이 지원해야” [The government is responsible for neglecting asbestos… We need support without discrimination.”
Second Mesothelioma Nurse for Welsh Patients
Oct 1, 2021
As part of Project Cymru, an initiative to improve services for mesothelioma patients in Wales, it was announced this week that Sam Williams had been appointed by Mesothelioma UK as the second Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Wales. CNS Williams, who will join Sarah Morgan, Mesothelioma UK Senior CNS and Project Lead for Wales, will be based at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and will be providing support for mesothelioma patients in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen and South Powys. See: New Clinical Nurse Specialist appointed to support asbestos-related cancer patients in Wales.
A Toxic Legacy, A Call for Action
Oct 1, 2021
The widespread and unregulated use of asbestos in Spain continues to claim lives with millions of toxic products remaining in the built environment. As asbestos-containing products age, they become increasingly friable and likely to release toxic fibers into the air. The only way to protect workers and the public from the asbestos hazard, say Spanish campaigners, is to eradicate the contaminated products from the national infrastructure. A coalition of civil society groups, asbestos victims’ associations and trade unions has issued a call for a Comprehensive Asbestos Law to address the multiplicity of challengers posed by the national asbestos legacy. See: Amianto, una amenaza silenciosa y mortal: “Quitarlo significa salvar vidas [Asbestos, a Silent and Deadly Threat: “Removing it means saving lives”].
France’s Asbestos Catastrophe
Sep 28, 2021
An insightful and comprehensive commentary on the sustained and diverse failures by the French Government to address the deadly repercussions of decades of asbestos use has been written by the daughter of Paul Dupeyroux, who died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma having lived near an asbestos factory during his childhood. Author Virginie Dupeyroux condemned the lack of funding for asbestos cancer research, the failure to decontaminate the environment, the marginalization of victims and the lack of support they receive. She also indicted the judicial system which had failed to hold to account any of company executives or lobbyists responsible for the country’s asbestos epidemic. See: Scandale de l’amiante: le mépris de l’État français [Asbestos scandal: contempt for the French state].
Call for Lower Asbestos Exposure Limit
Sep 28, 2021
On September 27, 2021, the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs will have a virtual meeting during which they will consider a legislative report on Protecting Workers from Asbestos. Paramount amongst the issues to be discussed is whether a new Occupational Exposure Limit for asbestos should be set at 1000 fibers/m3 (0.001f/cm3). A press release by the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (link below) urged the European Parliament to make this issue a priority saying the current standard was “far outdated” and did not protect “construction workers, miners, and workers in cleaning or waste disposal…” See: Press Release: “On asbestos there is no right or left! Vote for zero cancer!”
Regional Asbestos Outreach
Sep 28, 2021
Justine Ross, the CEO of Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency last week participated in a virtual meeting about progressing efforts in Cambodia to safeguard citizens from asbestos exposures. She explained the nature and scope of Australia’s deadly asbestos legacy and the need to stop all types of asbestos exposures as a matter of utmost urgency. This week Ms. Ross will be updating ban asbestos campaigners taking part in the 2021 virtual meeting of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network about the Agency’s remit to help progress asbestos bans throughout Asia. See: Website of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency.
Update: Mesothelioma Treatments
Sep 28, 2021
A paper just published in the New England Journal of Medicine by mesothelioma researchers working in the UK considered “how rapid advances in our understanding of the genetics and biology of malignant pleural mesothelioma could translate into more effective therapies.” The authors of this paper, who concluded that well-controlled investigations and personalized treatment plans could progress the search for improved treatments, noted the continued increases in mesothelioma rates in developing countries. See: Perspectives on the Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.
Reinvention of Former Asbestos Giant
Sep 28, 2021
The former Brazilian asbestos conglomerate Eternit S.A. has announced progress in its plans to market a revolutionary asbestos-free roofing technology which makes lower cost photovoltaic tiles available in Brazil. The company abandoned production of asbestos-cement roofing products because there was no longer a “social license” for the sale of this material. Nevertheless, the Eternit subsidiary SAMA continues to mine chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber which is exported to countries around the world. See: Após deixar o amianto e lançar telha de energia solar, a Eternit quer mais [After rejecting asbestos and launching solar energy tile, Eternit wants more].
Honeywell Sues Asbestos Trust Fund
Sep 28, 2021
A frequently named asbestos defendant Honeywell International Inc. has brought a lawsuit [15-00204] in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh) against a trust fund that had been set up to resolve the bankruptcy of North American Refractories Co. (Narco), a former Honeywell affiliate. In return, administrators for the trust fund have issued a countersuit accusing Honeywell of trying to evade its liability for asbestos claims brought by individuals injured by exposure to Narco products. See: Honeywell, Asbestos Victims Battle Over $2.3 Billion in Claims.
Record Number of Mesothelioma Deaths
Sep 23, 2021
Data revealed on September 10, 2021 by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare documented a record number of deaths in 2020 from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Fatalities were concentrated in the areas of Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Sapporo, Nagoya and Amagasaki, with the number of deaths amongst males (1,337) nearly five times that of females (268). Epidemiologists predict that between 2000 and 2040, the Japanese mesothelioma epidemic could claim a further 103,000 lives. See: 昨年の中皮腫死1600人超で最多 ワースト3は東京・大阪・神奈川 アスベスト曝露と連動 [Last year's mesothelioma deaths exceeded 1,600, the worst 3 linked to Tokyo / Osaka / Kanagawa asbestos exposure].
Toxic Talc Lawsuit Reinstated
Sep 23, 2021
On September 21, 2021, by unanimous consent a California Appeals Court reinstated a lawsuit by the widow of Douglas Strobel against Johnson and Johnson (J&J). Mr. Strobel’s death aged 68 in 2020 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma was caused, he believed, by his lifelong use of J&J’s talc-based baby powder. In the Court’s 44-page ruling, they rejected an earlier finding that expert witnesses did not have first-hand evidence that the talcum powder used had contained asbestos fibers and remanded the lawsuit for “further proceedings.” This decision can be appealed to the California Supreme Court. See: Court reinstates suit by Solano County woman against J&J over baby powder.
Reprieve for Export of Toxic Warship
Sep 23, 2021
From the moment plans were announced to export the redundant Brazilian warship the São Paulo to Turkey for scrapping, environmental activists, Turkish politicians and communities in the shipbreaking Province of Izmir have been campaigning to keep the vessel in Brazil. Citing multiple infringements of international protocols and inadequate protections at Turkish scrapyards, the São Paulo has ignited a debate over the dumping of ships, often containing a multitude of toxins including asbestos, in Turkey. The latest development in this saga is a lawsuit filed at the 16th Federal Court of Rio de Janeiro by a group wanting to turn the former aircraft carrier into a museum. See: Ação popular tenta barrar sucateamento de antigo porta-aviões da Marinha [Popular action tries to stop the scrapping of a former Navy aircraft carrier].
Wallonia Says NIMBY
Sep 23, 2021
Available space for the approved disposal of asbestos waste in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of southern Belgium, is running out. Of four possible landfills in Wallonia, one has been closed for years, another is nearly full and another is due to close in 2022. That leaves the site in Habay as the only one available. Habay’s Mayor says the increase in toxic dumping would pose a risk to the health of the town’s residents and to people living in villages along the roads used by transport companies to bring the debris to Habay. Questions have been submitted for the attention of Walloon Minister of the Environment Céline Tellier about alternative solutions to this problem. See: Les déchets d’amiante de Wallonie viendront-ils tous à Habay? Des élus s’inquiètent [Will all asbestos waste from Wallonia come to Habay? Elected officials worry].
New Asbestos Victims’ Outreach Project
Sep 23, 2021
Earlier this week, the Emilia Romagna branch of the Italian asbestos victims’ group AFeVA announced plans to open a bureau in Rimini on October 4, 2021 to provide on-the-spot information and support for sufferers of asbestos-related diseases and people who have concerns about toxic exposures. Other AFeVA Emilia Romagna branches are already up and running in the Italian cities of Bologna, Reggio Emilia, Rubiera, Ravenna, Faenza, Ferrara and Rovigo. See: AFeVA ER Sportelli Amianto: apre lo sportello amianto di Rimini [AFeVA ER Asbestos branches: opens the asbestos branch in Rimini].
2028 Deadlines for Asbestos Eradication
Sep 23, 2021
Draft Spanish legislation on waste and contaminated soils being prepared by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge will, if approved by Parliament, mandate that municipalities conduct asbestos audits of their buildings and draw up a program for asbestos eradication within one year and remove the most dangerous asbestos-containing materials in their buildings by 2028. See: Los ayuntamientos deberán eliminar el amianto de mayor rie