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Good News, Bad News
May 19, 2025
A huge rise in profits and very generous stockholder dividends were reported last week by the French conglomerate Altrad – the current owner of the former UK asbestos giant Cape Plc. Altrad has been widely criticized for failing to engage with asbestos victims and Parliamentarians backing a call for a one-off £10 million (US$13.3m) donation for medical research into diseases caused by exposures to asbestos. In March 2025, Altrad’s CEO Ran Oren declined to take part in “a parliamentary hearing on Cape’s asbestos-related legacy.” See: Profit rises at Altrad amid asbestos-claims warning.
Asbestos Eradication in Almere
May 19, 2025
Responding to the asbestos crisis, a Dutch municipality announced last week plans to pay for the removal of all small asbestos roofs on buildings within its jurisdiction. A remediation campaign launched by the national government in 2019 failed to meet targets. Four hundred thousand Dutch buildings still have asbestos-containing roofs and 1,100+ Dutch citizens die annually from diseases caused by asbestos exposures. The Almere city council approved a plan to fully cover the cost of removing asbestos roofs from 1,000 small structures; by the end of 2026, all asbestos roofs on small buildings in Almere will be gone. See: Almere to remove all small asbestos roofs for free as national effort falters.
Asbestos Surveillance Health Program
May 19, 2025
On May 13, 2025, Mayor Chun Young-ki of South Korea’s Tongyeong City announced that on May 31 & June 1, 2025, the municipality will conduct a health audit of asbestos-exposed residents in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment. The check-ups offered under this program are free of charge for eligible applicants and will be conducted under the Asbestos Damage Relief Act. To qualify, people must have lived near shipyards or in houses with asbestos roofs or worked in asbestos-using industries. Family members of at-risk workers are also eligible for the screening. See: 통영시, 석면피해의심지역 주민 석면 건강영향조사 실시 [Tongyeong City conducts asbestos health impact survey for residents in suspected asbestos damage areas].
Remembering Henri Pezerat
May 19, 2025
The wonderful article by Prathamesh Kabra cited below highlighted the amazing work of French toxicologist Henri Pezerat who was one of the pioneers in the fight for asbestos justice in France. Henri worked closely with workers, as well as scientists, to identify and publicise the deadly occupational and public health consequences of the operations of the French asbestos industry. According to Kabra: “His work broke through the noise of industry-backed studies. He showed the true risks, and that helped change laws to protect people’s health. His life story still reminds me that a single determined voice can spark real change.” See: This Scientist Spent His Life Proving Asbestos Could Kill You.
Asbestos on the Beaches
May 19, 2025
An alert by Auckland Council warned local people to avoid the 5-10cm long fragments of asbestos-cement material (ACM) that had washed up on East Auckland beaches at Glendowie and Karaka Bays and by the Tāmaki River towards Panmure. Downplaying the health hazard, a spokesperson for the Council said: “We are asking people to take a common-sense approach and to simply leave ACM alone for the council to collect. Dogs and children should also be prevented from picking up the material.” Work was, the Council said, underway to decontaminate affected areas. See: Council warns of washed up asbestos on East Auckland beaches.
Good News from Perth!
May 19, 2025
The National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD) in Perth, Western Australia was awarded a A$200,000 (US$128,200) grant from the Medical Research Future Fund to implement an innovative three-year imaging trial for mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, under the leadership of Professor Roslyn Francis. The trial will investigate whether the use of a targeted imaging agent called girentuximab can improve the technique for detecting and monitoring mesothelioma. See: NCARD Secures Funding for Innovative Mesothelioma Imaging Study.
Asbestos Removal Program
May 16, 2025
As part of efforts to modernize the water network, in 2024 the Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority (SEWA) replaced 25 kilometers of old asbestos water pipes with new ones made from Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) material at a cost of 22 million dirhams (US$6m). This year, SEWA plans to replace a further 40 kilometers of old asbestos pipes in different areas of the UAE city of Sharjah, including Al Hazannah, Al Jazat, and Industrial Area 13, at a cost of 40+ million dirhams (US11m). See: SEWA undertakes projects to replace old water networks.
Asbestos Pollution: New Findings
May 16, 2025
A new paper by scientists from Hungary examined the ecological ramifications of asbestos-cement contamination of irrigation water. The research investigated the response of three plant species – Trifolium pratense, Medicago sativa, and Solanum lycopersicum. According to the authors: “When exposed to asbestos in water, plants experience toxic stress that can inhibit photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and germination. Asbestos can also adversely affect cell division and metabolism, risking plant growth, reproduction, and overall health…” See: The impact of asbestos cement pollution in irrigation water on physiological and germination characteristics of Trifolium pratense, Medicago sativa, and Solanum lycopersicum seeds.
New Judgment against INPS
May 16, 2025
Italy’s National Institute for Social Security (INPS) was, once again, condemned by an Italian court for rejecting a claim by an asbestos-injured worker. From 1976 till 1988, metalworker and welder Domenico Di Fraia was routinely exposed to asbestos at the GECOM SpA plant in Pozzuoli, Naples. As a result, he was diagnosed with bilateral pleural thickening, pleural plaques, and lymph node swellings. A labor judge in a Naples Court ordered INPS to recognize the claim and adjust Fraia’s benefits accordingly. See: Pozzuoli, operaio risarcito dopo 12 anni di esposizione ad amianto: «Giustizia arrivata in tempi brevi» [Pozzuoli, worker compensated after 12 years of exposure to asbestos: “Justice arrived quickly”].
Asbestos Clinic Shutdown
May 16, 2025
A vital and valuable resource for a town devastated by asbestos-related diseases was closed by local law enforcement personnel earlier this month. This action resulted from a federal verdict issued against the Card Clinic in a case brought by asbestos defendant BNSF Railways. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, the $3.1 million writ of execution on the Center for Asbestos Related Disease, Inc. was served pursuant to a lawsuit instigated by the BNSF Railway, owned by Warren Buffett, “which accused the clinic of filing hundreds of fraudulent claims over several years.” See: Libby's asbestos clinic shuttered after losing lawsuit to BNSF Railway.
Managing the Asbestos Hazard
May 16, 2025
Last month, the donation of US$4 million additional funding was announced by the Government of Japan and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya “for a vital environmental recovery initiative in Ukraine, where the ongoing war continues to pose environmental challenges.” Under the initiative: Enhancing capacity of hazardous waste management, measures will be implemented for the management of war debris containing asbestos to protect environmental and public health from potentially deadly exposures. See: Japan and UNEP unveil new funding for environmental recovery in war-affected Ukraine.
Toxic Talc
May 16, 2025
The focus of the article cited below was the deadly health hazards posed to consumers through the use of asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder, cosmetics and personal hygiene products. The author detailed steps taken by researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which led them to classify talc as “‘probably carcinogenic’ to humans, especially in relation to ovarian cancer” including animal studies and assessment of mechanistic evidence. See: Perigoso mineral cancerígeno pode estar dentro da sua casa [Dangerous Cancer-Causing Mineral May Be Inside Your Home].
No More Asbestos in Schools!
May 12, 2025
South Africa’s Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube last week told Parliament that her Department had succeeded in eradicating the asbestos hazard from all schools as part of the on-going mission to implement “infrastructure norms and standards.” Other issues still remained to be resolved but good progress was, she said, being made. The Minister, who has been a Member of Parliament for four years represents the Democratic Alliance party. See: DBE tells MPs it's eradicated all schools built with mud, asbestos.
Update: Asbestos Data
May 12, 2025
According to figures released on May 5, 2025 by the Catalan Government, the total amount of asbestos-cement remaining in the Catalan infrastructure is one, not two to three million tons as reported previously. Asbestos audits conducted by the Generalitat (Catalan government) and local councils, revealed that the carcinogenic material was generally used in Catalonia for roofing, water tanks and pipes. It is anticipated that the Asbestos Eradication Law in Catalonia will be approved by the end of 2025. See: From three million tons to one million: the Government recalculates the amount of asbestos yet to be removed.
Schools: Full Asbestos Removal Subsidies
May 12, 2025
In a shake-up of regional priorities, the Flemish Government confirmed its commitment to ensure that all schools are made safe for use in a statement which announced that from now on it will “fully reimburse schools for asbestos removal costs.” Plans to give every child in primary education a laptop were shelved in order to provide funding for the asbestos decontamination work. For years, Flanders has been among the most proactive EU authorities in addressing the toxic legacy left by the presence of asbestos material throughout the natural and built environments. See: ‘Return to basics’: Flanders ditches plans to provide laptops to primary school pupils.
Asbestos Legacy at Berkshire Hathaway
May 12, 2025
Having been brought to its knees by asbestos liabilities in 2006 Equitas, an insurance vehicle for Lloyd’s of London, paid Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BH) a lump sum of $7.1 billion to off-load its asbestos liabilities. Other organizations followed suit. Now, BH is finding that asbestos claims represent a problem and not an opportunity. Claiming that it hadn’t foreseen the “recent explosion in lawsuits alleging asbestos exposure through cosmetic talc products” BH is seeking protection from the bankruptcy court. See [subscription site]: A Berkshire Insurance Bet Went Bad.
Disposal of Asbestos Waste
May 12, 2025
The commentary cited below was a timely reminder about a problem plaguing many countries: how to rid itself of asbestos contamination. In Latvia, asbestos-cement roofing (slate) was a popular product; as a result, there are now 1 million+ tons of such material throughout the country. The asbestos problem isn’t easily solved, as removing and disposing of the toxic tiles could be hazardous if not done by specialist technicians. To address this problem, an expanded support program to facilitate decontamination is being developed by the Ministry of Climate and Energy. See: Куда девать старый шифер? Владельцы надеются на господдержку [What to do with the old slate? Owners hope for state support].
Asbestos Incident in Berlin
May 12, 2025
People living near the Jahn Stadium in Berlin's Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark were outspoken over the failure to contain asbestos contamination over several weeks during demolition work. The unwelcome discovery of friable asbestos material by workers and the lack of prompt and appropriate action had, community campaigners said, set off alarm bells regarding public health and safety in the surrounding Prenzlauer Berg area. According to the Berlin Senate, the “identified asbestos poses a limited health risk when managed appropriately.” See: Concerns Over Asbestos Exposure During Berlin Stadium Demolition.
Victory in Asbestosis Case!
May 9, 2025
On May 2, 2025, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced that an Osaka High Court verdict which had ordered the Government to compensate the family of an asbestos factory worker who died in 2020 would not be appealed; the Court had awarded the sum of ~6 million yen ($41,000) to the family, due to the state’s failure to take preventive and timely action on the workplace asbestos hazard. Government lawyers had told the court that the case had been time barred because of a 2019 change in the starting point for the statute of limitations. The High Court disagreed. See: State damages finalized over former worker's asbestosis in Japan.
Good News from Corsica!
May 9, 2025
After years of delays, demolition work will finally begin on the 30-hectare site of the former Canari asbestos factory on the French island of Corsica in October 2025; manufacturing operations at this industrial site ceased in 1965. The sum of €7 million (~US$8m) has been allocated for this work which is scheduled to be finished by June 2026. The tender for this complex project was won by Cardem, an asbestos removal specialist company which is part of the Vinci group. See: Démolition de l'usine d'amiante de Canari, en Haute-Corse: un chantier unique en Europe [Demolition of the Canari asbestos plant in Haute-Corse: a unique project in Europe].
Growing Support for Unilateral Ban
May 9, 2025
The article below cited medical, scientific and technical experts from Malaysia in support of recent civil society calls for a comprehensive and immediate ban on the use of all types of asbestos to be implemented by the Government. Amongst those quoted by reporter Harith Kamal were asbestos removal specialist Hisham Yahaya, International Islamic University of Malaysia Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Zubir Yusof and National University of Malaysia respiratory physician Associate Professor Dr Ng Boon Ha who warned of the regulatory gaps which still exist, such as the failure to ban the use of chrysotile asbestos even though the use of other types was outlawed years ago. See: Asbestos still in use despite known dangers.
Asbestos Legacy in Pristina
May 9, 2025
Politicians in Lipjan City, Kosovo are calling for the removal of asbestos-cement roofing on public buildings as a matter of urgency because of the continuing health hazard they pose to people in this Pristina District city. During a debate last week in the Municipal Assembly in Lipjan, Opposition leader Arsim Jashari said: “We have a fairly large number of public and private buildings in the municipality of Lipjan that were built years ago, so citizens can suffer direct damage from this asbestos material… municipal institutions must urgently engage in removing all this material from all public buildings.” Responding to Jashari’s comments, Lipjan’s Mayor Imri Ahmeti said work was underway in dealing with the issue. See: In Lipjan, urgent removal of asbestos materials from public buildings is required.
Asbestos on the Beach
May 9, 2025
Last week, New Zealand’s Education Ministry warned officials at 200 schools about asbestos contamination identified on Tāmaki estuary beaches. Officials at Glendowie School took immediate action to stop all school trips to local beaches which were known to be littered with asbestos-cement waste. According to Dr Julie Chambers, a spokesperson for the Tāmaki Estuary Protection Society: “There are a lot of very, very concerned residents.” The local council said that the risk was “considered extremely low to beach-users…” See: Asbestos-laden fibre cement board washing up on Tāmaki Estuary beaches.
Toxic Asbestos Legacy
May 9, 2025
An interview by reporter Antonio Valletta with journalist Giacinto Bevilacqua about his recent book “Mezzo litro di latte” (Half a Liter of Milk) was uploaded last week to a news portal in Venice, Italy. The title came from the common practice of asbestos companies in Italy to supply milk as a supposed antidote for workers at their toxic factories who spent their working lives engulfed in clouds of asbestos dust. Touching interviews with workers, widows, children, doctors, activists and trade unionists revealed the festering wounds, physical and emotional, left by this deadly industry. See: Quando mezzo litro di latte era l’antidoto: in un libro parlano le vittime dell’amianto [When half a liter of milk was the antidote: asbestos victims speak out in book].
São Paulo Legal Victory
May 6, 2025
Recognizing the causal link between workplace asbestos exposure and the asbestos lung cancer contracted by a retired worker, a São Paulo Regional Labor Court doubled to R$200,000 (US$35,000) the compensation for moral damages and awarded the 80-year-old retired Eternit worker a lifetime monthly pension equivalent to 100% of his final salary. The verdict condemned the company for failing to take timely measures to eliminate the use of asbestos from its production processes. See: Justiça concede dano moral e pensão mensal vitalícia a trabalhador com doença causada por inalação de amianto [Court awards moral damages and a lifetime monthly pension to a worker with a disease caused by asbestos inhalation].
Mesothelioma Research: Progress
May 6, 2025
“A significant step forward,” has been made in the treatment of the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, according to Professor Gareth Griffiths, director of the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and co-lead of the NERO trial which was conducted in 11 UK hospitals. The trial looked at the efficacy of using the PARP inhibitor niraparib which can kill cancer cells. The therapy, first used on breast and ovarian cancers, has been shown to improve outcomes for mesothelioma patients. More research will be carried out to identify measures “to stimulate an even better response in more people.” See: New hope for patients with asbestos-linked cancer.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Safety
May 6, 2025
A new resource is available online which has been developed by the United Nations Development Program (Ukraine) and Japan International Cooperation Agency to train people in Ukraine on the recommended procedures for dealing with asbestos contamination resulting from the destruction by Russian forces of 2.5 million+ homes, public and private buildings. This film was used recently during a two-day training program for officials from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine and the Kyiv Regional State Administration. See: United Nations Development Programme (Ukraine) and Japan International Cooperation Agency Training Resource.
Johnson & Johnson: Exposé
May 6, 2025
The article cited below is a review by Professor Perri Klass of “No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson (J&J),” by investigative reporter Gardiner Harris. Harris examined the secrets behind J&J’s continued sale of its asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder, before going on to discuss prescription drugs (Procrit, Risperdal), the ineffectual J&J coronavirus vaccine and faulty hip replacement devices. The book was, said the reviewer, “an indictment of a larger web of regulators and regulated, marketers and researchers — interlocking and interdependent in sometimes dangerous ways, and susceptible to imperatives that do not put our safety first.” See [subscription site but free access to one article]: ‘No More Tears’ exposes a company, and industry, imperiling consumers.
Commentary on Asbestos Stalemate
May 6, 2025
The Spanish language articled cited below from the Argentine online newspaper “Infobae” recapped Brazil’s struggle to ban asbestos, quoting leading campaigners who denounced the country’s failure to end the “environmental racism” represented by the production of asbestos fiber for export purposes only. Brazil, the author noted, “accounts for an estimated 10% of asbestos-related deaths worldwide, estimated at between 110,000 and 150,000, given that many go undiagnosed or unreported, especially in developing countries.” See: El amianto, una sustancia prohibida en Brasil, desató un intenso debate en el Supremo por una mina autorizada en Goiás [Asbestos, a banned substance in Brazil, sparked an intense debate in the Supreme Court over an authorized mine in Goiás].
Another Asbestos Death
May 6, 2025
It took Italian asbestos cancer victim G.C. months of agony to die in 2015 from the lung cancer he contracted as a result of hazardous workplace exposures. He had never been told of the dangers of working with asbestos. Although the family was awarded compensation of €1.5 million (US$1.7m), the horror of those months remains undimmed. See: Amianto, ex operaio muore di tumore dopo anni di lavoro. Alla famiglia 1,5 milioni: «Non conosceva i rischi, poi quel sangue...» [Asbestos, former worker dies of cancer after years of work. 1.5 million to the family: “He didn't know the risks, then that blood…”].
What’s in the Water?
May 2, 2025
Concern is growing in Scotland over reports of asbestos contamination in the water delivery system. Admitting that deteriorating asbestos-cement pipes are still being used for supplying public water, Scottish Water claims that it will take decades to replace the toxic pipes. The long delay to eradicate the carcinogenic hazard is being criticized by politicians, public health and legal specialists. The areas worst affected are Perth and Kinross, Angus, Dumfries and Galloway, and Shetland. See: Fears over growing number of asbestos fibres in our drinking water.
World Day of Asbestos Victims
May 2, 2025
April 28, commemorated as International Workers’ Memorial Day all over the world, is also recognized in Italy as the World Day of Asbestos Victims. In Casale Monferrato, regarded as the heartland of Italy’s epidemic of asbestos-related diseases, honorary awards were bestowed by the Mayor of Turin on key “protagonists of the civil and judicial battle against asbestos.” Among those honored were: the Public Prosecutor of the first Eternit trial Raffaele Guariniello and campaigners Bruno Pesce and Nicola Pondrano, activists from Casale Monferrato’s victims’ association: AfeVA. See: Giornata Mondiale delle vittime dell’amianto: a Casale la memoria conferma l’impegno per salute e giustizia [World Day of Asbestos Victims: in Casale commemoration confirms commitment to health and justice].
New Tourist Attraction
May 2, 2025
A new museum housed in the original South Shaanxi Asbestos Mine Office Building in Miaoba Community, Da'an Town, Shaanxi Province covers an area of 270 square meters and is divided into 9 units: “introduction, hard work, eventful years, development heyday, honor, culture, production tools, product and mining history, and innovation and struggle.” With the decreasing demand for asbestos at home and abroad during the 21st century, it is believed that this mine, like some others in China, ceased operations. Even so, today China remains the world’s third largest producer of asbestos. See: 陕南石棉矿矿史馆在大安镇建成 [The History Museum of the Asbestos Mine in Southern Shaanxi Opens].
Historic Asbestos Test Case!
May 2, 2025
On May 13, 2025 a book will be published detailing the David & Goliath battle to hold former UK asbestos mining corporation Cape PLC to account for the damage done by its toxic operations in South Africa. Research on this case began in 1995 by London-based human rights lawyer Richard Meeran; by the time the final resolution of this case was achieved in 2004, thousands of clients had become part of this multijurisdictional class action. The book reads like a best seller as it unravels the twists and turns of this historic legal battle. It joins the pantheon of classic texts revealing the depths to which asbestos corporations will go to preserve the asbestos income stream. See: In a Rain of Dust. – Death, Deceit, and the Lawyer Who Busted Big Asbestos.
Mesothelioma Treatment Advances
May 2, 2025
The article cited below from the news portal California, US highlighted progress being made in the use of surgical techniques such as Extended Pleurectomy/Decortication and Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for extending survival rates of patients with the signature asbestos cancer pleural mesothelioma. “What’s particularly exciting,” wrote the author “about these surgical advancements is how well they integrate with other forms of therapy… [like] chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted radiation…” See: New Surgeries Giving Early Pleural Mesothelioma Patients a Better Shot.
Asbestos Exposures Toxic? Who Knew?
May 2, 2025
An April 27, 2025 article in Pravda – a Russian broadsheet newspaper which was formerly the official newspaper of the Communist Party – included the virtually unprecedented acknowledgement that exposure to asbestos-cement roofing tiles [slate] could be harmful. In the world’s biggest asbestos-producing nation, such an admission is never made. While the asbestos industry lobby maintains that these products “can be used safely under controlled conditions,” they never go as far as delving into the consequences of uncontrolled conditions. See: Шифер ломается не просто так: вот главная ошибка при монтаже [Slate doesn't just break: here's the main mistake during installation].
Post-disaster Hazard in Suzu
Apr 29, 2025
An on-site survey on April 10, 2025 of Hotel Kairakuso in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, which was damaged by the January 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, identified the presence of crocidolite (blue) asbestos in fireproofing material on beams and columns. Raising the alarm, Secretary-General Fuyushi Nagakura of the Asbestos Center was categorical: “Measures should immediately be taken to prevent the dispersal of the substance and inform volunteers of the danger.” Commenting on the situation, a representative of the Ishikawa Prefectural Government said: “we have asked the hotel to take steps to prevent dispersal and stop using volunteers. We will consider necessary actions based on the survey.” See: Highly carcinogenic asbestos found exposed to air at Noto quake-hit hotel in central Japan.
Deadly Industrial Legacy
Apr 29, 2025
On April 23, 2025 a high-level meeting was held at municipal chambers in Sardinia to discuss the serious asbestos legacy on the island, which includes health risks to the population as well as environmental contamination. Taking part in the discussions was Giampaolo Lilliu, President of the Association of Asbestos-exposed People, who highlighted the environmental asbestos disaster at the defunct asbestos factory sites in Oristano and Marrubiu. See: “A Oristano e Marrubiu siti industriali ad alto rischio amianto. La Regione finanzi le bonifiche” [“In Oristano and Marrubiu [are] industrial sites with a high risk of asbestos. The Region should finance reclamation”].
Asbestos Exempt from New Tariffs
Apr 29, 2025
Shocking news of yet another unexpected development from the White House this week with the news that asbestos was on the list of “critical” items excluded from new US tariffs. Although asbestos use was banned in 2024 by the Biden administration, it is still used by chlorine producers in a few factories. A spokesperson for the American Chemistry Council (ACC), which had argued that the ban could hurt the chlorine industry, said the ACC “played no role in lobbying for asbestos to get a tariff exemption and didn’t know why it was included.” See: Politically Connected Firms Benefit From Trump Tariff Exemptions Amid Secrecy, Confusion.
Scottish Water Denounced by MSP
Apr 29, 2025
Earlier this month, the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Highlands and Islands questioned Scottish Water about its continued use of 5,816 km of asbestos-containing water mains pipes. According to a Freedom of Information reply, it may take until 2072 for these pipes to be replaced. Scottish Water said that most of the £40 million being spent every year on remediation work was for the replacement of deteriorating asbestos pipes which were susceptible to frequent breakages. See: Scottish Water criticised over ‘slow removal of dangerous’ asbestos water pipes in Caithness and other rural areas.
Approval for Mesothelioma Drug
Apr 29, 2025
Last week, Health Canada – “the department of the Government of Canada responsible for national health policy” – approved the use of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) with chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma. This decision was taken based on phase 3 trial results which showed improvements in survival, progression-free survival and an elevated response rate with the combination therapy. In September 2024, the US FDA also approved the use of this therapy for the treatment of mesothelioma patients. See: Health Canada Approves Pembrolizumab/Chemotherapy for Unresectable, Advanced or Metastatic Pleural Mesothelioma.
Asbestos Discovery on Patrol Boats
Apr 29, 2025
Earlier this month Spain’s Customs Surveillance Service, a unit of the Tax Agency, admitted that asbestos had been found on one of its fleet of Alcaraván patrol boats. All four of the vessels in the fleet were mothballed until further tests were carried out. Commenting on this discovery, a spokesperson from the SIAT trade union said: “It is inconceivable that vessels over 40 years old continue to carry out operational tasks. The last risk assessment review took place in 2016. SIAT has been requesting that the frequency of risk assessment reviews for each vessel be defined." See: La Agencia Tributaria deja en puerto sus patrulleras más antiguas tras encontrar fibras de amianto cancerígeno, material prohibido desde 2002 [Tax Agency leaves oldest patrol boats in port after finding carcinogenic asbestos fibers, a material banned since 2002].
Trade Union Press Release
Apr 24, 2025
A statement issued on April 17, 2025 by the National Education Union (NEU) – the largest education union in the UK and Europe – at its 2025 annual conference in Harrogate highlighted the deadly consequences of continuing government neglect of school infrastructure: “School building safety is of paramount importance, yet successive governments have paid lip service to it, especially where asbestos is concerned. The number of school staff and former pupils who have died from mesothelioma as a result of being exposed to asbestos at school continues to grow.” See: Health and safety in education – learning from Grenfell.
Another Conviction for Schmidheiny!
Apr 24, 2025
On April 17, 2025, the Court of Assizes of Appeal of Turin, Italy handed down a mixed verdict; while the new ruling confirmed a lower court’s guilty verdict of Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny, it reduced his punishment from 12 to 9 years and 6 months in jail. The defendant was convicted of having committed multiple manslaughters of workers at his company’s asbestos factory in Casale Monferrato. Schmidheiny had previously also been held responsible for asbestos deaths in several other Italian jurisdictions. See: Processo Eternit bis: pena ridotta all’ex amministratore Schmidheiny per le morti da amianto [Eternit bis trial: former administrator Schmidheiny receives reduced sentence for asbestos-related deaths].
Update on National Asbestos Ban
Apr 24, 2025
Although some restrictions on asbestos were implemented in 1999 and 2005, the use of asbestos-containing products in Malaysia remains legal, despite a government pledge to consider a national ban. The article cited below is a timely discussion of the deadly hazards posed by workplace and environmental exposures to asbestos and a reminder that scores of other countries have already acted to protect populations by prohibiting asbestos use. A spokeswoman for the Consumers’ Association of Penang, which has supported an asbestos ban for decades, called on the government to take decisive action sooner rather than later. See: Asbestos: The tiny fibres that threaten our lives.
Waterblasting Asbestos Roof
Apr 24, 2025
On March 9, 2025, structures in the vicinity of waterblasting operations on the roof of 102 Daniell Street, a domestic property in the Wellington suburb of Newtown, were contaminated by an asbestos slurry coming off the roof. Tests commissioned by local people found two types of asbestos in the debris. According to a council spokesperson there was “minimal risk to the general public,” nevertheless eradication work is being progressed by specialist contractors at buildings downwind of the site. See: Asbestos blown on to Wellington homes by waterblasters.
Urgent Need to Address Asbestos Hazard
Apr 24, 2025
On April 21, 2025 Councilor Sung Chang-yong, a member of the Planning and Finance Committee of South Korea’s Busan City Council, urged the municipality to take urgent action to protect citizens from the continuing hazard posed by the city’s shipbuilding legacy. Operations at the contaminated site continue to endanger the lives of workers as well as local people by liberating carcinogenic asbestos fibers into the atmosphere, he said, during the first plenary session of the 328th Extraordinary Congress. See: 성창용 부산시의원 "부산시, 수리조선소 유발 '환경성질환' 적극 대응해야" [Busan City Councilor Sung Chang-yong, “Busan City must actively respond to ‘environmental diseases’ caused by repair shipyards”].
Mesothelioma Data
Apr 24, 2025
A study published in journal Lung Cancer reported that China and the US had the world’s highest numbers of deaths from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. However, in 2021 “the ASIRs [age-standardized incidence rates] and ASDRs [age-standardized death rates] for mesothelioma were highest in the United Kingdom and Australia. The ASIRs were 2.01 for the UK and 2.00 for Australia. The ASDRs were 1.82 and 1.75, respectively.” See: US Had Second Highest Number of Deaths From Mesothelioma in 2021.
Victim’s Victory in Osaka!
Apr 23, 2025
On April 17, 2025, a decision by Chief Judge Yasushi Taniguchi of the Osaka High Court, Japan reversed a December 2024 verdict by Judge Yuki Tatsuno who had supported the government’s defence that the claim – from the family of a deceased asbestos factory worker – was barred by the statute of limitations. In the new ruling, Judge Taniguchi rejected this argument and ordered the government to pay compensation of ¥6 million (US$42,150) to the family. See: アスベスト被害の賠償請求権、除斥期間の起点は「労働局の被害認定時」…元労働者側が大阪高裁で逆転勝訴 [Statute of limitations for asbestos damage claims begins "when damage is certified by Labor Bureau" – former worker wins case in Osaka High Court].
Pioneering Asbestos Outreach Project
Apr 23, 2025
Results reported this month of a medical surveillance program of at-risk populations in the Brazilian State of Bahia raised serious concerns about the ongoing legacy of the commercial exploitation of asbestos at the Sao Felix Asbestos Mine in Bom Jesus da Serra and Poçoes. Out of a total cohort of 584 people examined, 66 were diagnosed with one or more asbestos-related diseases: 30% had been exposed at work with the remaining 70% exposed to asbestos in the environment. See: Estudo revela impactos do amianto na saúde da população do sudoeste baiano [Study reveals the impacts of asbestos on the health of the population in southwest Bahia].
Urban Transformation: Asbestos Alert
Apr 23, 2025
People living in the Kadikoy district of Istanbul are mobilizing over the hazardous conditions caused by developers’ continued failure to comply with mandatory asbestos health and safety regulations. Contractors are, they allege, falsifying clearance certificates to speed up demolition and clearance work on new projects and not removing asbestos material as required. Municipal officials deny these claims. Commenting on the situation Chest Diseases Specialist Sedat Urkmez warned: “Inhaling construction dust, especially if asbestos is present, can cause serious issues for cancer patients or those with weakened immune systems.” See: Asbestos concerns erupt during urban transformation on Istanbul’s Bagdat Avenue.
Calls for Asbestos Action Now!
Apr 23, 2025
The commentary cited below by journalist Katharine Quarmby called on the UK Government to prioritize the eradication of the asbestos hazard from the UK infrastructure: “Every month that the Government fails to act is another month in which people are being exposed to asbestos through no fault of their own – in their homes, at work, in the air and in public buildings. It doesn’t need to be that way – but only the Government can really turn this around.” See: Why the Government has to deal with the UK’s asbestos legacy.
Asbestos Crimes in the Basque Country
Apr 23, 2025
At a Barcelona press conference earlier this month, leaders of community and workers’ groups highlighted concerns over continued failures by developers to abide by mandatory health and safety regulations. The Association of Retirees and the Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Barcelona, which are calling for the removal of the asbestos material remaining within the Barcelona built environment, stipulated that this must be accomplished “always under appropriate conditions.” Several recent cases of dangerous worksites in local neighborhoods – La Verneda, Poblenou, and Eixample – were reported. See: Dangerous asbestos removal in Barcelona denounced: “No one checks to see if fibers are released”.
National Asbestos Eradication Program
Apr 23, 2025
An article uploaded last month, reported that on On March 11, 2025, the Kenyan Cabinet officially approved a nationwide program to eliminate the asbestos hazard from the built environment. In a press release about this decision, an official spokesperson explained that it was taken not only to “enhance public health and safety” but also to “reduce future disease burden, cut healthcare costs, and enhance environmental safety.” According to a directive issued at the meeting chaired by President William Ruto: “NEMA will oversee the safe removal, disposal, and handling of asbestos. County governments were urged to establish designated disposal sites.” See: Asbestos, the deadly material lining Kenya's public institutions.
Johnson & Johnson: New Book
Apr 16, 2025
The link below is to an interview with NY investigative journalist Gardiner Harris whose new book: “No More Tears: The Dark Secrets Of Johnson & Johnson (J&J),” reveals key J&J scandals including the company’s predatory marketing techniques, suppression of research findings and deadly decision-making processes which supported the continued sale of asbestos-containing talc-based powder and other pharmaceuticals decades after the human health hazards were known. See: ‘No More Tears’ author discusses Johnson & Johnson's questionable business practices.
Asbestos-cement Water Pipes Alert
Apr 16, 2025
According to Ömer Fethi Gürer, a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and a member of the TURKPA Commission on Environment, Natural Resources and Health Protection, 2,700 kilometers of drinking water pipes in Turkey are still made of asbestos-cement. They should, he said, be replaced as a matter of urgency because of the hazard they posed to human health. Over the last 15 years, 82% of asbestos water pipes – equal to 15,000 kilometers – have been replaced in Turkey. See: CHP'li Gürer duyurdu: '2 bin 700 kilometrelik içme suyu borusu asbestli' [CHP's Gürer announced: ‘2,700 kilometers of drinking water pipes are asbestos’].
Asbestos Alert!
Apr 16, 2025
Trade union representatives at garage workshops in Molenbeek, in the Brussels capital region of Belgium, reported concerns over the presence of asbestos at the workplace. The premises were owned by the Brussels Public Transport Company (the STIB). As a precautionary measure, the company announced that the 80 workers from the Molenbeek premises, would be relocated temporarily until testing and decontamination efforts had been completed. See: Amiante dans un atelier de la Stib à Molenbeek: le niveau inférieur à la norme requise, le personnel déménagera "par précaution" [Asbestos in a STIB workshop in Molenbeek: level not meeting required standard, the staff will move “as a precaution”].
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 16, 2025
According to NY Mayoral candidate Brad Lander, who is currently New York City Comptroller, in 2023-24 the Department of Education failed to carry out mandatory inspections of 82% of the city’s 1,700 school buildings. Commenting on the potential deadly consequences of this oversight for school users Lander said: “No level of exposure is safe, and prolonged exposure to asbestos during childhood can cause lung disease and can cause cancer.” See: Over 80% of NYC public schools built with asbestos were not inspected from 2023-2024, audit shows.
Victory for Puglia Asbestos Victims
Apr 16, 2025
Five years after a former soldier died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, the final ruling of the Trani Court was handed down; his widow was awarded a lump sum of €400,000 (~US$451,000) plus a monthly pension of €2,400 (~US$2,707) from Italy’s Ministry of Defense. The deceased had been a military radio operator and his death on February 10, 2020 was, the Court agreed, caused by toxic exposures during his service, making him a “victim of duty.” See: Militare morto per amianto in Puglia: il Ministero risarcirà la vedova con 400mila euro e 2400 euro al mese [Death of soldier in Puglia due to asbestos: the Ministry will compensate his widow with 400 thousand euros and 2400 euros per month].
Asbestos Prosecution in Manchester
Apr 16, 2025
Following a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive, self-employed roofing contractor Stephen Wilks was found guilty of breaching asbestos safety regulations after work carried out under his supervision in Altrincham, Greater Manchester in February 2022 led to the contamination of a residential area with asbestos-containing materials. As a result of his failure to comply with safety requirements, the health of two young workers and local residents was put at risk. Wilks was sentenced to pay £3,500+ (US$4,600) in costs and a 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work, by Ashton-Under-Lyne Magistrates Court. See: Tradesman fined after asbestos roof dumped in bin.
Asbestos Medical Outreach
Apr 14, 2025
The article cited below reported on the second phase of an asbestos outreach project in a former asbestos mining town in the northeast of Brazil. The results of a screening project organized in 2024 by the Public Ministry of Labor, the Brazilian Association of Asbestos Exposed and the Association of Asbestos-Contaminated Victims and Exposed Families showed that of the 584 people evaluated: 66 were diagnosed with one or more asbestos-related diseases; 30% of participants reported occupational exposures to asbestos; 70% reported environmental exposures. See: Estudo revela impactos do amianto na saúde da população do sudoeste baiano – MPT-BA [Study reveals impacts of asbestos on the health of the population of southwestern Bahia – MPT-BA].
Post-disaster Asbestos Hazard
Apr 14, 2025
Concerns over asbestos contamination following massive earthquakes in Turkey in 2023 have risen to new levels. Findings just reported from research undertaken in May 2024 show that airborne asbestos levels in earthquake areas “were well above the respirable fiber concentration limits determined by the United Nations World Health Organization in 1998.” Safety measures which were recommended by the researchers included: the use of wet working methods, isolation of demolition areas and the use of personal protective equipment by workers. See: Bir il deprem sonrası alarm verdi: Tehlike seviyelerine ulaştı [Province sounds alarm over aftermath of earthquake: danger levels reached].
Asbestos Removal Subsidies
Apr 14, 2025
This year Sokcho City, in the northeast of Gangwon Province, South Korea, allocated financial resources for the removal of asbestos-cement roofing from 87 buildings, including 81 residential and 6 commercial properties. Eligible property owners must apply to the municipality for grants of up to 2.32m won (US$ 2,380). According to the official press release: “The purpose of this project is to prevent health damage caused by asbestos exposure by supporting the cost of demolition and disposal of old asbestos-cement roofs…” See: 속초시, 2025년도 슬레이트 처리 지원사업 추진 [Sokcho City Promotes 2025 Slate Processing Support].
JH on the Move Again!
Apr 14, 2025
Plans by James Hardie (JH), Australia’s one-time asbestos giant, to merge with the US outdoor decking group Azek, are under investigation by the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia. JH is notorious for its efforts to off-load financial liabilities for the damage it has done. After years of dispute with the Australian government, a multibillion dollar compensation fund was set up to ensure that damages would be paid to the injured. Given JH’s relocation to Holland, Ireland and the US, the distrust expressed by the ADSA’s CEO Melita Markey is understandable: “We will need some very strong assurances that all of that [the compensation fund] will remain as it is.” See [subscription site]: Asbestos victims want compensation assurances from James Hardie.
Asbestos at Embassy
Apr 14, 2025
Following asbestos tests carried out in 2024 at the Cultural Center of the Spanish Embassy in Washington, D.C., high levels of airborne asbestos fibers were found. This month, Spain’s Council of Ministers approved an emergency budget of $155,646 for specialist contractors to remove asbestos from the Center “to prevent the continued deterioration of the areas and an increase in the airborne concentration.” Last month, the Association of Spanish Diplomats denounced “the poor condition” of many of Spain’s embassies and consulates, saying they posed “a serious risk to both the people who work there and the public who visit them.” See: More than €144,000 to remove asbestos from the Cultural Center of Embassy in the US.
Asbestos Contamination in Yeongdeok
Apr 14, 2025
Personnel from the Korea Asbestos Safety Association, a non-profit asbestos specialist corporation operating under the Ministry of Environment, continue to play an important role in assisting emergency workers at premises damaged by recent wildfires in Yeongdeok-gun county in South Korea’s North Gyeongsang Province. In a statement by Yeongdeok County Governor Kim Gwang-yeol, he explained: “Based on the association’s expertise, the investigation into dangerous and difficult asbestos-cement structures is proceeding quickly, which is a great help in the subsequent demolition and restoration work. See: 한국석면안전협회, 영덕군 산불 피해 복구 지원 [Korea Asbestos Safety Association, Yeongdeok-gun wildfire damage recovery support].
Asbestos Banned in Schools
Apr 10, 2025
India’s Education Ministry banned the use of asbestos in schools as a precautionary measure to protect students and staff from exposures to a carcinogenic substance. Commenting on the prohibition, Minister of State for Education, Jayant Singh Chaudhary said: “I hope this starts a movement to gradually phase out asbestos use throughout the country and we build a healthier and cancer-free nation for our children.” Asbestos-cement roofing has been widely used on public as well as private buildings throughout India. Its use has also been banned at railway stations. Data collected from 83 Indian hospitals identified 2,213 cases of the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma between 2012 and 2022. See: Exclusive | Education Ministry Issues Ban On Using Asbestos In KVs And JNV.
Parliamentary Asbestos Hearing
Apr 10, 2025
Evidence submitted on March 24, 2025 to a Parliamentary hearing on the legacy of Cape Intermediate Holdings (Cape Asbestos) conducted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health is now online. The testimony now available includes comments by: trade unions: NEU and NASUWT; victims’ campaigners: the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum, John Flanagan, Nevyn Stevenson; experts: Dr Robin Rudd, Professor Peter Szlozarek, Chris Chambers, Peter Gartside, Sarah Lyons and Harminder Bains. A full transcript of the meeting is also accessible. See: Evidence: Public hearing on legacy of Cape asbestos.
Post-disaster Asbestos Hazard!
Apr 10, 2025
The April 6, 2025 article cited below highlighted the environmental contamination caused by asbestos liberated during recent wildfires in Korea’s Gyeongbuk Province. According to a new report by the Environmental Health Citizens' Center and the Korea Asbestos Eradication Network: “most of the houses and warehouses destroyed by the wildfire had cement roofs containing asbestos, and it is highly likely that a large amount of asbestos dust was scattered in the air when they burned… This means that demolition workers, volunteers involved in restoration work, and even evacuees could be exposed.” See: 경북 북동부 산불 폐기물…“처리 비용만 1500억 이상” [Wildfire waste in northeastern Gyeongbuk Province... “The disposal cost alone is more than 150 billion”].
Righting a Wrong
Apr 10, 2025
Just a handful of the thousands of UK victims who contract asbestos-related lung cancer every year receive support or compensation for their injuries. This dichotomy between their treatment and that of sufferers of mesothelioma, the signature asbestos cancer, was the focus of comments made by Solicitor Daniel Easton in a recent blog. “There is,” he wrote “no justifiable reason why sufferers of asbestos-related lung cancer should not receive the same support from the law as those who have mesothelioma.” See: Blog: Time to treat victims of workplace asbestos cancers fairly.
Grant for Radiotherapy Research
Apr 10, 2025
A prestigious medical grant of A$100,000 has been received by West Australian researcher Dr Alistair Cook to “investigate how low-dose radiotherapy can improve immunotherapy outcomes, with potential benefits for patients who don’t currently respond to treatment” including those with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The grant will be used to support a project which will, Dr Cook said, “help us understand how broadly applicable our treatment is, and can take us one step closer to running a clinical trial in people with not only mesothelioma, but a wider range of tumours that are currently hard to treat.” See: Boosting immunotherapy: NCARD researcher receives Tour de Cure grant.
Raising Occupational Asbestos Awareness
Apr 10, 2025
Asbestos training has begun in Balıkesir, a city in the Marmara region of Turkey for scores of operatives working for the Balıkesir Water and Sewerage Administration (BASKI) who are involved with the replacement of deteriorating and end-of-life asbestos-containing pipes. To date, BASKI employees from the Bandırma and Edremit districts have taken part in the asbestos removal training program under the supervision of the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. See: BASKİ’den personeline asbest söküm eğitimi [Asbestos removal training for BASKI personnel].
A Deadly Legacy
Apr 7, 2025
The excellent commentary cited below explored the consequences of South Africa’s asbestos legacy. Between 1910 and 2002, 10 million+ tons of asbestos was produced at various chrysotile (white), crocidolite (blue) and amosite (brown) South African asbestos mines: “The profits were not only good, they were also immense.” Today in derelict asbestos mining towns like Msauli former workers, local people and communities pay the price for the riches reaped by the historic exploitation of this known carcinogen. A government scheme set up to compensate workers is underfunded and cumbersome and “the public healthcare system is unable to cope with the growing demand for specialist respiratory and cancer treatment.” See: The forgotten cost of asbestos.
New Asbestos Resource
Apr 7, 2025
An interactive map compiled by the Asbestos Information CIC identifying asbestos contamination and the incidence of asbestos cancer constituency-by-constituency was uploaded last week. According to the research: “there are at least 150 million asbestos items hidden in public buildings across the UK.” Campaigners are calling on the Westminster government to support plans for a national asbestos database as part of a comprehensive program to eradicate the asbestos hazard from the built environment. See: Do you live in an asbestos hotspot? Interactive map reveals levels of deadly material in your area with one town's deaths EIGHT times higher than road traffic accidents.
Making the Polluter Pay?
Apr 7, 2025
In mid-March, a hearing was held in the Flemish parliament regarding the responsibilities of former asbestos producers. Unsurprisingly, Eternit, Belgium’s “Asbestos Giant,” argued vociferously against the proposed imposition of a mandatory obligation for polluters to pay for remediation efforts needed as a result of their historic processing of asbestos. It has been estimated that it would cost 100 million euros a year for twenty years to remove Eternit asbestos from Flemish territory. The company rejected these requests as “disproportionate.” In response, members of the Environment Committee passed a resolution seeking legal advice on government options. See: Vlaamse meerderheid en oppositie willen asbestproducenten meer laten betalen [Flemish majority and opposition want asbestos producers to pay more].
J&J: Strike 3!
Apr 7, 2025
On March 31, 2025, US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez rejected Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J’s) $10 billion proposal to settle tens of thousands of cancer lawsuits alleging that asbestos in J&J’s talc-based baby powder had caused ovarian and other cancers. This was the third time J&J’s bankruptcy strategy was kicked out of a Texas court. According to plaintiffs’ lawyer Andy Birchfield, J&J’s “bankruptcy strategy was nothing more than a bad-faith maneuver to avoid full accountability.” “With this ruling,” Birchfield added, “we are now moving forward without delay to trial, where our clients will finally have the chance to present their cases before a jury and obtain the justice they deserve.” See: US judge rejects J&J’s US$10 billion baby powder settlement.
International Asbestos Conference
Apr 7, 2025
The 4th International Seminar on Surveillance of Asbestos Exposed Persons: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Health, Work and the Environment is being held in Rio de Janeiro on April 8 and 9, 2025. The event is being organized by The Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health (ENSP/Fiocruz), the Labor Prosecutor's Office (MPT), the Brazilian Association of Asbestos Exposed Persons (ABREA), and partnering organizations at home and abroad. The packed agenda will feature speakers from Brazil, Italy, Australia, Colombia, Portugal, and the US. See: Exposição ao amianto é tema de seminário internacional [Asbestos exposure is topic of an international seminar].
Asbestos Alert in Tuscany
Apr 7, 2025
Asbestos contamination was revealed under flooring in classrooms as a result of major renovation work at the Fedi-Fermi state technological institute in Pistoia, Tuscany. The unwelcome surprise triggered health and safety inspections and an immediate intervention by regional officials who acted promptly to implement urgent precautionary measures to protect workers and building users. See: Amianto al Fedi Fermi: "Ora interventi urgenti". Misure igienico-sanitarie. La scoperta degli operai [Asbestos at Fedi Fermi: “Urgent interventions now.” Hygienic-sanitary measures. Workers' discovery].
Asbestos Ban in All Schools
Apr 1, 2025
On March 28, 2025, a spokesperson for India’s Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (Central Schools Organisation) announced that the use of asbestos in construction and/or refurbishment projects in schools throughout the country had been banned by order of the Ministry of Education. Commenting on this prohibition, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said: “I was sensitised to the dangers of prolonged exposure to asbestos for children by scientists working in this arena…Safe learning environments are non-negotiable.” See: Govt bans use of asbestos in KVs, Navodaya Vidyalayas.
Construction Workers’ Lawsuit
Apr 1, 2025
A lawsuit was filed last week by 15 former workers and/or surviving family members over occupational asbestos exposures at former construction sites in Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and other areas. The claimants are suing six companies which manufactured and sold building material containing asbestos without any warning labels. Exposure to these products caused asbestos-related diseases including lung cancer and mesothelioma. See: 建設現場でアスベスト健康被害 元作業員や遺族など１５人 建材メーカー６社に損害賠償求める 広島 [15 former workers and their families sue six building material manufacturers for asbestos-related health damage at Hiroshima construction site].
Asbestos Alert in Flanders
Apr 1, 2025
Official data just released revealed that the asbestos hazard in Flemish schools was even worse than anticipated. Removal of toxic material in more than half of the schools inspected was now considered to be a “matter of urgency.” Responding to a Parliamentary question, a Flemish Member of Parliament Kim Buyst said: “The situation is more alarming than previously thought…We are talking about the health of our children and education staff.” See: Urgent asbestos removal needed in half of all inspected Flemish school buildings.
Parliamentary Asbestos Hearing
Apr 1, 2025
The press release by the Asbestos Victims Support Group Forum UK – the Forum – which is cited below detailed news of a hearing on March 24, 2025 by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, about the legacy of the UK’s second biggest asbestos conglomerate: Cape. Evidence given by eminent experts substantiated the validity of calls for Cape’s current owner, the French multinational Altrad, to make a one-off $10 million donation to medical research into asbestos-related diseases. Altrad’s CEO Ran Oren, who was invited to attend the hearing, did not participate. See: Public Hearing on Cape’s legacy on asbestos held in Westminster, London.
Going Asbestos-Free!
Apr 1, 2025
As a matter of public health, asbestos pipes in the public water delivery system in the Kaklık neighborhood of the Honaz District in central Denizli Province, Turkey are being replaced by the Denizli Water and Sewage Administration. The new pipes are made of safer, asbestos-free material which are less likely to rupture and cause cuts to water delivery. The use of asbestos was banned in Turkey in 2010. See: Kaklık’ta asbest borular tarihe karışıyor [Asbestos pipes are becoming a thing of the past in Kaklık].
Another Travesty at Supreme Court
Apr 1, 2025
For the second time, Italy’s highest court – the Court of Cassation – annulled a conviction of Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny who had been found guilty for the asbestos death of a worker from one of his asbestos-cement factories in Italy. The lower court had sentenced the defendant to 1 year and 8 months for the 2008 death of Giulio Testore, an employee at Eternit’s Cavagnolo plant. See: Amianto Eternit, la Cassazione annulla per la seconda volta la condanna del magnate svizzero Stephan Schmidheiny [Eternit Asbestos, the Court of Cassation annuls for the second time the conviction of the Swiss magnate Stephan Schmidheiny].
Hard Times for Asbestos Producer
Mar 28, 2025
Bad news this month for Russia’s 2nd biggest asbestos producer: Uralasbest. On March 11, the company confirmed that the workforce would be transferred to a three-day week to save money on labor (see: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/7564547) On March 21, the Board of Directors told attendees at the Uralasbest Annual General Meeting that the company did not intend to pay dividends for 2024. The company's latest annual report said that in 2025 it expected to implement a number of measures to reduce the cost of production, to increase labor productivity and search for new markets. See: Ураласбест не планирует выплачивать дивиденды за 2024г [Uralasbest does not plan to pay dividends for 2024].
Confronting a Deadly Legacy
Mar 28, 2025
A commentary in The Morning Star on March 21, 2025 celebrated a U-turn by the UK government which had, until very recently, categorically denied the hazard posed by the presence of deteriorating asbestos throughout the country’s infrastructure. The Sunday Tomes and the Daily Mail have been campaigning for asbestos eradication; this month, the BBC broadcast an insightful series about corporate asbestos cover-ups. An April 4 meeting is being organized in London to build support for the phased removal of all asbestos from schools. See: Is the government finally going to remove a silent killer?
Asbestos Conviction in Turin
Mar 28, 2025
Last week, Vincenzo Santoro was sentenced to a suspended jail sentence of 18 months and a fine of €691,000 (US$750,000) when he was convicted for his part in the manslaughter of 16 railway workers from the Officine Grandi Riparazioni (OGR [the “large repair workshops”]). The defendant had been employed between 1970 and 1979 by the State Railways as an external consultant at the OGR’s Corso Castelfidardo site in Turin. See: Dopo 50 anni medico 85enne condannato per la morte di 16 operai uccisi dall'amianto killer delle Ogr di Torino [After 50 years, an 85-year-old doctor is convicted over death of 16 workers at OGR, Turin].
Asbestos Screening Program
Mar 28, 2025
From March 18, asbestos medical screenings will be conducted by staff at The Asbestos Environmental Health Center, Cheonan Hospital. People eligible for the tests include residents from Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province in central South Korea who were exposed to high levels of asbestos liberated by mining and/or processing operations. Initially, the patients will have basic medical checkups and chest X-rays. Those with abnormal findings will be subjected to further procedures including chest CTs as well as pulmonary function and pulmonary diffusion tests. See: 제천시 수산면 석면건강영향조사 실시 [Asbestos health impact survey conducted in Susan-myeon, Jecheon-si].
Grassroots’ Calls for Asbestos Justice
Mar 28, 2025
The Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum (the Forum) – a national umbrella groups representing asbestos victims – is calling on the UK government to cease awarding contracts to Altrad and its subsidiaries because of the conglomerate’s refusal to engage constructively with victims. Altrad’s Chief Executive Ran Oren has refused to give evidence at a March 24th Parliamentary hearing into the history of Cape PLC, the UK’s 2nd biggest asbestos conglomerate which in 2017 became part of the Altrad Group. See: Campaign group calls for public contracts ban on Altrad.
Asbestos in Gauteng’s Schools
Mar 26, 2025
A March 20, 2025 press release issued by a South African opposition party – The Democratic Alliance – from Gauteng Province demanded that the “Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) accelerate the eradication of asbestos-containing schools in the province” because of the serious health risk to pupils and staff. According to Sergio Dos Santos, a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature since 2019, 29 schools in the province are built “predominantly from asbestos”; these facilities are attended by thousands of children. See: Human rights violation and health risk: DA Gauteng demands eradication of asbestos schools.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard
Mar 26, 2025
On March 19, 2025, California Senator Adam Schiff disclosed that in the aftermath of the horrendous fires in Southern California earlier this year, asbestos contamination levels in burnt out homes were higher in Altadena than Palisades. During a visit to decontamination workers at the Eaton Fire site, Schiff told reporters that “cleanup efforts could be affected by the higher presence of asbestos found in the Eaton Fire site than in the Palisades.” See: More fire-torn Altadena homes test positive for asbestos than Palisades — affecting cleanup times, Sen. Schiff says.
Asbestos Hearing in Parliament
Mar 26, 2025
A public hearing took place in Parliament on Monday, March 24, 2025 to examine “the legacy of Cape Holdings Ltd and other Cape companies, a leading manufacturer of asbestos products, now owned by Altrad.” Evidence was submitted by a panel of cross-Party MPs and peers including Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Professor of palliative care; Lord Hendy KC, former barrister; MP John Glen, former Cabinet Minister; Baroness Frances O’Grady, former general secretary of the Trades Union Congress; Peter Gartside, former Director of Cape; and others. See: Parliament to hold public hearing on legacy of Cape, leading manufacturer of asbestos products.
Asbestos and Urban Renewal
Mar 26, 2025
The destruction of asbestos-contaminated buildings which is part of urban redevelopment work in Istanbul is routinely exposing workers and the public to asbestos liberated by demolition workers. Scientists and campaigners warned that: “Istanbul residents are facing a serious asbestos threat due to the lack of pre-demolition asbestos inspections.” On the majority of building sites, no pre-demolition asbestos assessments are carried out. Although asbestos regulations were established by Turkey’s Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Ministry of Environment, district municipalities are responsible for the enforcement of regulations. See: Urban transformation or urban destruction? Hidden dangers in Istanbul’s renewal.
Flanders Asbestos Eradication: Update
Mar 26, 2025
Once again, the authorities in Flanders are leading the way in asbestos decontamination work. In recent years, the Public Waste Agency in the region of Flanders (OVAM) has collected and disposed of asbestos roofs from 2,716 farms; as of now, 26% of farms are classified as asbestos-free. An additional 820 collections from farms are scheduled and financial resources have been allocated to cover the collection of a further 1,200 asbestos roofs. Farmers must arrange and pay for the removal of their asbestos roofs and the installation of new roofs themselves. See: Asbestos collected from more than 2,700 Belgian farms for free.
A Deadly Legacy!
Mar 26, 2025
The fact that asbestos is present in 80% of residential and commercial buildings on the Solomon Islands is causing concern amongst government officials. Last week, Philip Baura, Director of the Architect and Building Management Services Division of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, said: “We will no longer endorse the use of building materials containing asbestos in future architecture projects, as outlined in the upcoming National Building Standard Bill. Furthermore, our team is actively engaged in the demolition of outdated structures constructed with this hazardous material.” See: Warning on asbestos and its associated health threat.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard
Mar 24, 2025
Assistance with Ukraine’s urgent need to address the environmental catastrophe caused by the Russian invasion is being provided by partners from Japan. The Japan International Cooperation Agency is providing “heavy equipment that allows fast processing of debris from damaged or destroyed structures.” It is also training personal from government partners in the safe handling of asbestos during decontamination and reconstruction efforts. As of January 2025, more than 250,000 buildings and infrastructure elements in Ukraine were partially or completely destroyed. Up to 70% of these structures are thought to contain asbestos material. See: Protect the environment: Japan transfers knowledge and equipment to Ukraine for the safe handling of hazardous asbestos.
NSW Asbestos Prosecution
Mar 24, 2025
A press release issued on March 18, 2025 by the New South Wales (NSW) Environment Protection Agency (EPA) reported that the NSW Land and Environment Court had found the director of Rubbish King Pty Ltd. Adam O’Brien guilty of supplying false or misleading information about the disposal of asbestos waste. The case had been brought by the NSW Environment Protection Authority whose Acting Director of Operations Claire Miles said: “Asbestos can be incredibly harmful if it isn’t handled properly, which is why there are strict conditions around the transport and disposal of asbestos.” See: Waste operator fined $90000 over asbestos waste offences.
Asbestos Eradication Program
Mar 24, 2025
A new pilot scheme announced by the Ministry of Environment will provide financial incentives for small farmers in the Czech Republic to remediate asbestos roofing. Applications must be submitted by the middle of 2026; the maximum payout per applicant is 1 million kroons (US$43,560). Commenting on the asbestos removal program, Minister Petr Hladík said: “In the future, we are ready to extend this call to individuals and legal entities.” According to the Czech Association for Asbestos Removal there are more than 7 million tons of asbestos-containing products in the Czech Republic. See: Фермеры в Чехии получат субсидии на утилизацию асбестовых крыш [Farmers in the Czech Republic will receive subsidies for the disposal of asbestos roofs].
STF Asbestos Impasse
Mar 24, 2025
The article cited below highlighted the failure of Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) to deliver a ruling by the published deadline of March 14, 2025 regarding the unconstitutionality of a Goiás state law allowing asbestos mining and exporting to continue in contravention of the country’s 2017 asbestos ban. Criticism of the continued stalemate was expressed by Brazilian asbestos victims’ campaigners, academics and medical experts as well as by international activists. See: Amianto: Último refúgio de mineral cancerígeno em GO segue sem destino definido no STF [Asbestos: Last refuge of carcinogenic mineral in GO remains without a defined destination in the STF].
Rising Incidence of ARDs in Miners
Mar 24, 2025
According to research published by trade unions active in the Moselle-Est region in northeast France: “There are now more asbestos diseases [being diagnosed] than silica diseases... Over the period 2017-2023, 2,773 asbestos-related diseases [ARDs] were recognized as occupational among former miners in Lorraine and the North, compared to 2,176 diseases caused by silica.” The findings were based on data sourced from multiple health insurance funds. See: Les cancers professionnels explosent chez les anciens mineurs: «Nous avons été exposés à des poisons toute notre carrière» [Occupational cancers are exploding among former miners: “We have been exposed to poisons all our careers”].
Asbestos Cancer Data: Update
Mar 24, 2025
A study undertaken by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) on behalf of the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF Kankerbestrijding) identified 3,900 work-related cancer cases in 2021, which constituted more than half of all Dutch cancer cases diagnosed that year. In excess of 1,400 of the occupational cancers were due to asbestos exposures; the majority of these were lung cancer. A spokesperson for the Cancer Society said that these figures, as bad as they are, underestimated the cancer incidence “because only the most common risk factors were examined.” See: Some 7,000 people per year get cancer from their work; Trade union shocked.
Asbestos Legacy at the ABC
Mar 20, 2025
A press release issued on March 18, 2025 by Australia’s Community and Public Sector Union commented on recent high-profile articles, all of which were behind pay walls, documenting an epidemic of asbestos-related diseases amongst employees of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). According to Jocelyn Gammie, the CSPU’s ABC Section Secretary, the union is working closely with the ABC “to ensure they provide support to current and former staff who may be reeling from this news, or worse, dealing with the tragic consequences of asbestos related disease.” See: Historic Asbestos Exposures at ABC.
Asbestos in Parliament
Mar 20, 2025
Over the past decade, 1,000 asbestos incidents and 44 fires were recorded in the UK Parliament, a UNESCO World Heritage site which is considered to be at high risk of a major fire due to the deteriorating condition of its buildings. Commenting on the seriousness of the situation, Lord Peter Hain warmed of a “Notre-Dame style inferno” should delays in restoration work continue. According to a report seen by Lord Hain: “management surveys were continuing to identify and monitor the presence of asbestos-containing materials to address whether they needed to be continually monitored, or removed if at risk of disturbance.” See: Fire could ‘burn down’ UK parliament and asbestos is rife, surveys show.
Explanation for Asbestos Stalemate
Mar 20, 2025
As people in Brazil awaited the final decision in a long-standing case over illegal asbestos exports from Brazil, Supreme Court Justice Nunes Marques threw a spanner into the deliberations by claiming he needed more time to study the case (ADI 6200). Coincidentally, an éxpose by the Globo organization was circulating which showed the same Judge partying in September 2024 with Ronaldo Caiado, the Governor of the asbestos mining state of Goiás. See: Ministro Nunes Marques pede vista em Sessão do STF e adia decisão sobre fechamento da SAMA em Minaçu [Minister Nunes Marques requests review of STF session and postpones decision on closing SAMA in Minaçu].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 20, 2025
Public support is growing in France for trade union calls for government action on the asbestos-in-schools scandal; almost all the country’s schools are contaminated with deteriorating asbestos-containing building material. At a union press conference on March 13, Guislaine David, general secretary of the leading primary school union FSU-Snuipp said: “We want to raise awareness about the issue of asbestos in schools and educational establishments… It's a health issue for the students and all the staff.” See: Amiante dans les écoles: une «volonté politique forte est indispensable» pour agir, alerte des syndicats enseignants [Asbestos in schools: “strong political will is essential” for action, warn teachers' unions].
Legal Victory for Soldier’s Family
Mar 20, 2025
Last week, a Milan Court deemed the Ministry of Defense (MoD) guilty and ordered it to pay compensation to the family of mesothelioma victim Francesco Maria Cairo. The court-ordered penalty for the MoD was a lump sum of €285,000 (US$311,275) and a monthly pension of €2,000 (US$2,185) to Francesco’s widow. The deceased had been exposed to asbestos during his military service. Once again, the Ministry of Defense was criticized for failing to take action to prevent toxic workplace exposures to asbestos. See: Amianto, il ministero della Difesa condannato a risarcire vedova di un ex militare morto per mesotelioma [Asbestos, the Ministry of Defense ordered to compensate widow of a former soldier who died of mesothelioma].
Asbestos & Esophageal Cancer
Mar 20, 2025
A cohort study of 13,481 Frenchmen occupationally exposed to asbestos revealed a significant association between asbestos exposure and esophageal cancer, with a 3% increased risk for every 10 fiber-years/mL increase. The researcher also found that the presence of pleural plaques was associated with a 2.8-fold increased risk of esophageal cancer after adjustment for asbestos exposure and smoking. See: Cette découverte sur l'amiante change notre compréhension du cancer de l'œsophage [This discovery about asbestos changes our understanding of esophageal cancer].
Government Asbestos Eradication Plan
Mar 17, 2025
At a March 11, 2025 cabinet meeting in Nairobi chaired by Kenya’s President William Ruto, a nationwide plan to remove asbestos from all private and public buildings was approved. This measure was adopted to protect public health and safety. In a press statement about the project, it was stated that “the National Environment Management Authority will oversee the safe removal, disposal, and handling of asbestos.” Local authorities around the country were urged to set up designated disposal sites and property owners were advised that they would have to pay for the decontamination work. See: Cabinet approves nationwide asbestos removal from all public, private buildings.
Asbestos Training Fraud
Mar 17, 2025
Jose Virgilio Fernandez, the owner of the Rhode Island Safety Environment Training Center, has been sentenced to two years’ probation for claiming payment for 20 individuals who, he alleged, had attended and completed an Environmental Protection Administration (EPA)-approved abatement training program between 2021 and 2023. In fact, the only person who attended these courses was an undercover EPA agent. On October 1, 2025, Fernandez pleaded guilty to a federal charge of making false statements. See: School Owner Sentenced for Falsifying Asbestos Removal Training Documents.
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 17, 2025
In the March 12, 2025 issue of the HSE ebulletin there was an update detailing the state of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) schools’ asbestos inspection program. Inspections carried out in 2023-24 showed “that most schools are complying with their legal duties and have effective systems in place to manage and monitor the condition of asbestos-containing materials.” Common problems included: insufficient asbestos training for members of staff and contractors; inadequate preparation for emergency work; lack of vigor in checking contractors’ credentials. See: HSE inspections of schools to assess the management of asbestos.
Post-earthquake Disaster!
Mar 17, 2025
Serious concerns have been expressed about the risk to public health posed by fresh produce grown in the 2024 earthquake zone which may be contaminated with asbestos fibers. A Turkish asbestos removal specialist warned the public "Do not consume without washing.” Uncontrolled asbestos removal work in earthquake-affected areas is spreading contamination so that local people and agricultural products from the earthquake areas are affected. By failing to regulate the work of contractors and developers, the authorities are allowing a second disaster to occur. See: Soframızda Asbest Olabilir! [We may have asbestos on our table!].
Deadly Legacy in Pistoia
Mar 17, 2025
Generations of people in the Italian town of Pistoia, Tuscany died as a result of employment at the Breda railway works where, for decades, asbestos exposures were commonplace. A book about this toxic workplace was published by trade unionist Andrea Vignozzi to commemorate the years of struggle for workers’ rights and remember the victims. The text included interviews with workers, factory delegates, political and union leaders, relatives of deceased workers, lawyers and archivists. The book was launched at a reception at the San Giorgio library on Saturday, March 15, 2025. See: Amianto, la vertenza: "Veleno in polvere". La storia in un libro [Asbestos, the dispute: “Poison in powder.” History in a book].
Asbestos and Lung Cancer Causation
Mar 17, 2025
On March 13, 2025, an article by US and Chinese researchers was published in the open access journal Scientific Reports that investigated the impact of various risk factors on lung cancer mortality (LCM) in non-smokers. The scientists found that: “occupational exposure to asbestos is another significant factor, with studies indicating that asbestos-related lung cancer (ARLC) incidence is six times larger than mesothelioma incidence, marking it as a critical health concern.” Amongst follow-up measures suggested by the coauthors of this paper was further consideration of how to reduce the prevalence of identified risk factors as part of lung cancer prevention strategies. See: Disentangling the effects of various risk factors and trends in lung cancer mortality.
ECHR Condemns Limitation Rules
Mar 13, 2025
Following a February 2024 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) which condemned Switzerland for failing to guarantee access to a fair hearing, on March 10, 2025 the Swiss Federal Supreme Court ordered that the verdict in a case brought by the surviving family of asbestos cancer victim Marcel Jann be referred back to the lower court, the Glarus Cantonal Court, for adjudication. The ECHR had criticized the application by the Swiss Court of protocols which time-barred the family’s compensation claim. See: Corte svizzera respinge sentenza sull’amianto, nuovo appello accolto senza precedent [Swiss Court rejects asbestos ruling, new appeal accepted without precedent].
Sad News
Mar 13, 2025
In a March 9, 2025 press release issued by the Belgian Asbestos Victims Association (ABEVA), it was announced that Xavier Jonckheere, the brother of the late ABEVA President Eric Jonckheere (2024), had also contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Eric and Xavier’s parents Pierre Jonckheere (1987) and Françoise (2000), brothers Pierre-Paul (2003) and Stéphane (2009), all died from mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos liberated by the operations of the Eternit Belgium factory in Kapelle-op-den-Bos, Belgium. See: Communiqué de presse du 9 mars 2025: Amiante: la famille Jonckheere encore touchée [Press release March 9, 2025: Asbestos: the Jonckheere family struck again].
Suspension of Asbestos Licence
Mar 13, 2025
The Class B Asbestos Removal Licence for an unnamed asbestos removal company in the state of South Australia was canceled on January 16, 2025 for 12 months by SafeWork SA. The action was taken after a successful prosecution of the company for infringements of asbestos regulations during demolition work in 2024 at two adjoining domestic properties in Adelaide without having removed asbestos in situ before work began. The prosecution was part of a ten-month audit campaign targeting more than 100 licensed asbestos assessors and removalists. See: Asbestos campaign leads to licence cancellation.
Asbestos Eradication at Schools
Mar 13, 2025
According to a news release from the Gwangju Metropolitan Board of Education, South Korea, asbestos removal and demolition projects at 16 schools – 7 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 4 high schools – were completed on schedule during the winter holiday, allowing children and staff to return to remediated premises in time for the new semester. The city's Board of Education plans to complete asbestos eradication from all schools within its jurisdiction by 2026. See: 광주시교육청, 학교 석면해체·제거 개학 전 완료 [Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, School Asbestos Dismantling and Removal Completed Before the Start of the New Year].
Public Outrage over Asbestos Pipes
Mar 13, 2025
The cancer hazard posed to French citizens from the continued presence of deteriorating asbestos-cement pipes within the national water delivery system was highlighted in the text of the article cited below. According to a 2020 study by the French National Institute for Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Research, 36,000 kilometers of these toxic pipes remain in place throughout the country. See [subscription site]: Canalisations en amiante: “La priorité absolue est de mesurer la présence de fibres dans l’eau” [Asbestos pipes: “The absolute priority is to measure the presence of fibers in the water”].
Progressing Asbestos Eradication
Mar 13, 2025
Individuals and companies have been offered financial incentives by the national authorities in Italy to remove asbestos from homes and commercial buildings. Home owners can apply for a partial reimbursement of up to €48,000 (US$52,400) for decontamination work by specialist contractors on each property. In addition, for certain work, applications can be made for a reduction in the VAT rate. There are also financial incentives offered by regions and municipalities to encourage the removal of asbestos from the built environment in their areas. See: Bonus amianto 2025: chi può richiederlo e perché affrettarsi prima della scadenza [Asbestos bonus 2025: who can apply and why hurry before the deadline].
Legal Victory in São Paulo!
Mar 11, 2025
The Labor Court in São Caetano do Sul (Greater São Paulo) ordered Saint-Gobain, the owner of the Brasilit company, to pay compensation of R$1 million (US$170,860) to the family of a worker who died of pleural mesothelioma as a result of workplace exposure to asbestos. The deceased had been employed at the Brasilit factory in São Caetano do Sul. See [subscription site]: Empresa é condenada a pagar R$ 1 mi a família de trabalhador morto após uso de amianto [Company ordered to pay R$1 million to family of worker killed after using asbestos].
Asbestos Lobby Offensive: Update
Mar 11, 2025
The current issue of the newsletter of Uralasbest – Russia’s 2nd biggest asbestos conglomerate – which was uploaded on March 6, 2025 boasted of the asbestos industry’s ongoing preparations for the upcoming meeting of the UN’s Rotterdam Treaty. Once again, asbestos spokesmen pledged, all efforts will be made to prevent the categorization of chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous substance. Buried in the text, was an interesting disclosure about the fall in domestic asbestos demand amidst growing calls to ban asbestos even in Russia, the world’s biggest asbestos producer. See: Хризотиловая ассоциация К Женеве готовы! [Chrysotile Association Ready for Geneva!].
Asbestos Alert in Saskatchewan
Mar 11, 2025
A feature article uploaded on Sunday, March 9, 2025 documented increasing pressure for the replacement of 600 km of deteriorating asbestos-cement pipes being used in the water delivery system of Regina, the capital city of the Canadian State of Saskatchewan. A 2010 government report confirmed that the composition of the aging pipes, which are 20% asbestos, was a cause for concern as they could release “asbestos fibre into the drinking water and could pose a hazard of malignant tumours of the gastrointestinal tract and other organs in consumers.” See: Research shows asbestos cement water pipes pose health risks to Regina residents.
Asbestos at Supreme Court
Mar 11, 2025
The article cited below recapped the background to the ongoing deliberations at the Brazilian Supreme Court regarding a Goiás state law which directly contravened a Supreme Court (STF) decision outlawing the production, processing and sale of asbestos fiber. A final decision is expected by March 14, 2025 with campaigners hopeful that the STF’s verdict will support their efforts to protect Brazilian citizens and others from potentially lethal exposures to an acknowledged carcinogen. See: Banido no país, amianto volta a ser pauta no STF por causa de lei em Goiás [Banned in the country, asbestos is once again on the agenda of the STF due to a law in Goiás].
Asbestos Exposure in the Navy
Mar 11, 2025
Last week, the Civil Court of Rome issued the final ruling in an asbestos case which condemned the Ministry of Defense (MoD) for failing to protect Clemente Crisci from deadly asbestos exposures during his naval career. As a result, the sub-chief helmsman died in 2018 from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. From 1966 to 1971, Crisci had served in the Navy; he had never been provided with personal protective equipment during his work on contaminated vessels. The MoD was ordered to pay compensation of €1 million (US$1.1m). See: Amianto killer, risarcimento da un milione alla famiglia di un marinaio morto per mesothelioma [Asbestos killer, one million compensation to the family of a sailor who died of mesothelioma].
Report on NSW Asbestos Waste Regime
Mar 11, 2025
In a newly published report, which is currently under consideration by the government of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, leading scientist Prof Hugh Durrant-Whyte recommended that the “state drop its ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to reusing waste materials that contain asbestos.” The States’ environment watchdog has already said that it will review the regime regulating the use of recovered fines, a cheap soil fill made by processing construction and demolition waste after large recyclable material had been removed. See: Former NSW asbestos investigator calls for more controls on waste disposal.
New Mesothelioma Data
Mar 6, 2025
Epidemiological data released on March 5, 2025, detailing the incidence of mesothelioma in Italy, showed that the regions of Piedmont, Lombardy, Liguria and Emilia Romagna accounted for 57% of all cases; 72.1% of sufferers were male; the average age at diagnosis was 71; nearly 70% of cases were caused by occupational asbestos exposures. Amongst those worst affected by mesothelioma were people in the building industry “which currently produces the highest number of cases and which also raises concerns for the possibility of current exposures…” See: RENAM INAIL: Pubblicato l’VIII (Ottavo) rapporto del registro nazionale sui mesoteliomi [RENAM INAIL: VIII (Eighth) report of the national registry on mesotheliomas published].
Top Secret Asbestos Factory in NI
Mar 6, 2025
The first instalment of a week-long series of 15-minute podcasts on BBC radio was uploaded on March 3. The interest of broadcaster Ophelia Byrne was piqued when she came across a curious development reported in a newspaper archive announcing the opening in 1967 of a factory in County Antrim, Northern Ireland (NI). The 90 invited guests were strictly instructed not to take any photographs and all the employees at the Ballyclare firm were required to sign “an oath of secrecy.” The factory was owned by Turner and Newall, the UK’s biggest asbestos conglomerate. See: Assume Nothing. Killer Dust. A Very Strange Event.
Funding Asbestos Compensation
Mar 6, 2025
On March 3, 2025, Switzerland’s National Council approved measures to guarantee the funds needed for the country’s occupational health insurer (Suva) to support a national asbestos compensation scheme. The scheme, which was established in 2016, had initially been financed by voluntary contributions from asbestos processing companies. Since 2020, however, no funds were received. Between now and 2030, it has been estimated that up to 50 million francs (US$56m) could be required to meet future commitments. The final decision of the Council of States remains pending. See: La Suva au service des victimes de l'amiante [Suva at the service of asbestos victims].
Asbestos in the Antarctic
Mar 6, 2025
Preliminary decontamination efforts have begun on an Australian base abandoned in 1969 which was categorized in 2024 by a French inspection team as a “clear risk” to the Antarctic environment. Toxic waste at the 33-hectare Wilkes Station site includes asbestos-riddled buildings and old fuel drums. Although, a full remediation of the coastal site has been promised by Australia, no timeline has been published. The United States established the base in 1957, before transferring its management to Australia in 1959. A recent Parliamentary investigation urged that Wilkes Station be remediated by 2030. See: Australia begins clean-up at Wilkes Station in Antarctica after environmental concerns.
Mesothelioma Research: Update
Mar 6, 2025
An article published on February 17, 2025 in The European Journal of Cancer Care by a team of UK researchers and campaigners focused on the experiences of people who contract peritoneal mesothelioma (PM). The objective of the study was to better understand “the care pathway of people with PM and to explore the patient experience of the care pathway.” Following on from the research team’s findings, the co-authors made recommendations to address existing variations in the level of care at every stage of PM patients’ journeys and troubling delays in patients being diagnosed. See: Variation in the Diagnostic and Treatment Pathway in Peritoneal Mesothelioma: A Mixed-Methods Study in the United Kingdom.
Toxic “Non-asbestos” Paint
Mar 6, 2025
On March 2, 2025 records in a Tokyo court revealed that thermal insulation paint sold by Nippon Special Paints company and used by Tokyo Metro on its trains was not asbestos-free as the company had claimed. Asbestos contamination was discovered during a site inspection in 2017 which found the toxic substance on the inside of trains. A lawsuit was filed in April 2020 with the Tokyo District Court by a company in Gunma Prefecture which demanded damages from Tokyo Metro and Nichite. See: 東京メトロ車両 使用の断熱塗料に基準値超えの石綿 17年の検査で発覚 [Insulation paint used on Tokyo Metro trains found to contain asbestos exceeding standard levels in 2017 inspection].
Toxic Talc!
Mar 3, 2025
During testimony given last week to a bankruptcy hearing in Houston, Texas over proposals by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to resolve “massive cancer litigation,” David Kessler, head of the US Ford and Drug Administration during 1990-96, accused the company of falsely claiming that its baby powder was asbestos-free. “There is,” Kessler told Judge Chris Lopez “asbestos in these products. You can’t get away from it.” This evidence was part of a raft of submissions made by opponents to J&J’s latest Chapter 11 draft agreement to settle 93,000 cancer claims. See: J&J Talc Settlement Blasted by Ex-FDA Head Over Asbestos Testing.
Promises Delayed, Promises Broken
Mar 3, 2025
In the article cited below, Spanish asbestos victims and trade unionists voiced anger over government delays in fulfilling promises to support asbestos victims, as spelled out in the Law on the Creation of a Compensation Fund for Asbestos Victims which was approved on October 5, 2022. At a meeting last week, Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Elma Saiz, met with campaigners and “pledged to intensify listening within the framework of collaboration and regular dialogue,” and reaffirmed “the Government's commitment to advance their demands.” See: España, cuarto país europeo con más muertes por amianto, sigue sin ayuda para las victimas [Spain, the fourth European country with the most deaths from asbestos, still has no help for victims].
Asbestos Phase-Out Plan
Mar 3, 2025
In a February 27th written reply to a parliamentary question, the lower house – the Dewan Rakyat – of the bicameral Parliament of Malaysia’s federal legislature was told by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad that the Hazardous Chemicals Management task force was considering plans to eradicate asbestos use. Whilst most types of asbestos had already been banned, the Minister admitted that although the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos had been restricted it had not yet been prohibited. “There are,” he wrote “other materials that can replace chrysotile asbestos in Malaysia.” See: Asbestos ban to be carried out in stages, Dewan Rakyat told.
Fight for Asbestos Justice
Mar 3, 2025
The widow of Canadian producer Robert Hakim is carrying on her husband’s battle after his untimely death from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, in 2021. He was 61 years old. Hakim alleged that he was exposed to asbestos whilst working at the Dufour auditorium of Chicoutimi College in Saguenay City, Quebec. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2020 and in 2021 filed a compensation claim with the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST). CNESST rejected the claim, saying it was time-barred. See: L’amiante a-t-elle mené au décès de Robert Hakim? [Did asbestos lead to the death of Robert Hakim?].
Asbestos Removal Program
Mar 3, 2025
The asbestos eradication program for schools in North Jeolla Province, also known as Jeonbuk State, Korea, is progressing rapidly according to officials who predict that all schools will be decontaminated by the end of 2025, two years ahead of the deadline set by the Ministry of Education. Because of the serious risk to health posed by asbestos, the Jeonbuk Office of Education started to decontaminate schools in 2019; removal work was needed at 87% (699) of the Province’s schools. See: 전북교육청, 학교 석면 제거…“올해 안에 제로화 달성” [Jeonbuk Office of Education removes asbestos in schools...“Achieve zero within this year”].
Autoimmune Disease & Asbestos
Mar 3, 2025
A paper uploaded on February 27, 2025 to the website of the peer-reviewed medical journal Autoimmunity Reviews categorized as urgent the need for investigation of the public health risk posed by exposures to amphibole asbestos which have been linked not only to cancers and respiratory diseases but also to autoimmune diseases. The coauthors of the paper recommended that policymakers, academics, healthcare workers, and governments take immediate steps to understand and contain risks posed by human exposures to amphibole asbestos fibers such as took place in Libby, Montana, New York City, regions of Italy and Australian crocidolite mining areas. See: Amphibole asbestos as a public health risk in 2025: Autoimmune disease.
Deadly Exports Despite National Ban
Feb 28, 2025
The ongoing production and export of asbestos from Brazil continues to pose a deadly health hazard to workers as well as members of the public. In contravention of the national asbestos ban, a 2019 Goiás State law allows asbestos production to continue at the Cana Brava mine in Minaçu. According to Engineer Fernanda Giannasi, of the Brazilian Association of People Exposed to Asbestos (ABREA): “every load that leaves the mine exposes workers and communities to risk. The permanence of asbestos in the Brazilian logistics chain is a reflection of the ineffectiveness of laws and the lack of oversight.” See: Brasil permanece como o terceiro maior exportador mundial de amianto [Brazil remains the world's third largest exporter of asbestos].
Asbestos Crimes in BC
Feb 28, 2025
A report released on February 24, 2025 by WorkSafeBC – the Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia – explained actions taken last autumn after the discovery of asbestos crimes committed by Van Isle Hazmat Inc. during the demolition of a two-storey, wood-framed house originally built in 1946. The company was fined $61,000 for failing “to prevent the spread of asbestos dust and debris, or to ensure that asbestos was handled according to procedures acceptable to Provincial workplace-safety agency.” See: Company fined by WorkSafeBC for ‘high-risk’ asbestos violation.
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 28, 2025
An opinion piece in the current issue of the UK magazine Schools Week reviewed options for managing asbestos material remaining within 80%+ of the educational infrastructure. Explaining the legal requirements and government guidelines, the author highlighted the need for transparency: “Parents should be allowed to review the school’s asbestos management plan. This transparency not only reassures parents that their children are not at unnecessary risk, but it also sets a benchmark for other schools to follow, promoting better compliance and safety standards. In the longer term, a national register of schools’ asbestos conditions would ensure uniform transparency.” See: How to manage asbestos risks now and for the future.
Scheduling of School Repairs
Feb 28, 2025
Hundreds of elementary, middle, and high schools in Korea are taking advantage of the winter school holidays to undertake asbestos eradication work before children return to classes on March 4. Unfortunately, work at seven schools with large buildings and complicated repairs will not be completed by the resumption of classes, with parents expressing concerns at the disruption to their children’s learning. Schools affected include: Seoul Jeongae, Seorabeoljung, Jeongdeokcho and Cheongju Hyehwa. See: [단독] 석면 공사에 일부학교 개학 연기… ‘돌봄 공백’ 어쩌나 [[Exclusive] postponement of the opening of some schools due to asbestos construction... What about the ‘care gap’].
Victims’ Solidarity!
Feb 28, 2025
On February 22, 2025 members of Cherbourg’s Association for the Defense of Victims of Asbestos and Occupational Diseases (ADEVA) attended the organization’s annual general assembly. Despite a multitude of bureaucratic and logistical difficulties being faced, the meeting was told that positive results were being achieved in the courts and the legislature with laryngeal and ovarian cancers finally recognized as occupationally-caused. Even after so many decades of fighting, however, “there is strong resistance from employers,” ADEVA lawyer François Lafforgue told attendees. See: Leur combat se poursuit: « Chaque jour, des victimes de l’amiante décèdent en France» [Their fight continues: “Every day, asbestos victims die in France”].
Turin Criminal Process: Update
Feb 28, 2025
Current proceedings over the guilt or innocence of Swiss defendant Stephan Schmidheiny, who stands accused of the voluntary manslaughter of 392 individuals from the Italian town of Casale Monferrato (CM), are approaching the end. The final hearings in this asbestos trial – Schmidheiny has been the defendant in many similar trials throughout Italy – will focus on three main issues: Schmidheiny’s role at Eternit’s CM asbestos factory; the motivation for his decisions; and the proof substantiating the link between the accused’s decisions and the toxic exposures which occurred. See: ETERNIT BIS – La delicata questione del nesso causale, gli scienziati tornano in aula [ETERNIT BIS – The delicate issue of the causal link, expert witnesses return to court].
Asbestos Ban on Trump Agenda
Feb 26, 2025
Last week Judge Carl Stewart of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request from the Trump administration to freeze litigation over the new US asbestos ban for 120 days or until mid-June to “to allow new [Environmental Protection] Agency leadership to review the underlying rule.” Proceedings on methylene chloride risk management rules have also been put in limbo. Chrysotile asbestos and methylene chloride were the first two chemicals restricted under the revised Toxic Substances Control Act. See [subscription site]: Asbestos and paint stripper chemical rule lawsuits in limbo.
Asbestos Lobby Agenda 2025
Feb 26, 2025
Recent news items from the website of Uralasbest – Russia’s 2nd biggest asbestos conglomerate – demonstrated the continued pressure being exerted by industry stakeholders to safeguard the Russian asbestos sector. During a meeting on January 30 (see: Unions to continue to defend chrysotile) “Independent Trade Unions” pledged their allegiance to the industry while on February 19, representatives of asbestos vested interests from Russia, Kazakhstan and CIS countries discussed current developments and considered measures to “counteract the “anti-asbestos campaign.” See: На Урале обсудили перспективы развития хризотиловой отрасли [Prospects for the development of the chrysotile industry were discussed in the Urals].
New Asbestos Narrative
Feb 26, 2025
New challenges to the asbestos lobby’s dominance of the national asbestos dialogue have included increasing public awareness of the asbestos hazard and legal victories won by consumer groups, which mandated that asbestos hazard warning labels in the local language be affixed to all asbestos-containing roofing material. According to campaigner Leo Yoga Pranata, the February 5 decision of the Central Jakarta District Court: “further strengthens the fact that asbestos roofs must include a warning label…” See: Terkait Penggunaan Atap Asbes dan Hubungannya dengan Kesehatan, Produsen Diminta Lakukan Hal Ini [Regarding the Use of Asbestos Roofs and Their Relationship with Health, Manufacturers Are Asked to Do This].
Hundreds of Asbestos Errors!
Feb 26, 2025
Following an investigation by the Ombudsman, One Housing – a housing association covering London and the southeast – disclosed over 800 incorrect asbestos risk entries. Having issued a finding of “severe maladministration,” the Ombudsman made a series of orders requiring One Housing to make “improvements to its asbestos record keeping and services, including a review of its asbestos safety management plan.” Acknowledging its failings, the housing association put new measures in place and recruited additional members of staff to facilitate the operation of a new guidance document. See: One Housing discovers over 800 incorrect records on high-risk properties and asbestos.
Asbestos Alarm!
Feb 26, 2025
Campaigners have raised concerns over plans by Turkey’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanization & Climate Change to increase shipbreaking capacity in Aliağa despite the dangers posed by asbestos and other hazards to workers and local communities. According to the President of the Asbestos Removal Experts Association Mehmet Şeyhmus Ensari, who opposed the proposals: “They have not poisoned Aliağa enough, they want to poison it a little more… there is no environmentally friendly dismantling, it is a [toxic] swamp.” See: İzmir’deki Aliağa Gemi Sökümleri Tesisleri’nin kapasite artışı için harekete geçildi: ‘Zehir tesisi’ büyüyor [Action has been taken to increase the capacity of Aliağa Ship Dismantling Facilities in İzmir: ‘Poison facility’ is growing].
Pleural Plaques / Digestive Cancer Study
Feb 26, 2025
A paper uploaded on February 19 to the website of the peer-reviewed BMC Public Health journal by a team of French researchers confirmed results from a large-scale study of asbestos-exposed workers showing “a likely relationship between asbestos exposure and oesophageal cancer, and the association between this cancer and pleural plaques after adjustment on CEI [cumulative exposure index] to asbestos.” Recommendations made included further research on the findings and the screening for oesophageal cancer in asbestos-exposed workers with pleural plaques. See: Asbestos exposure, pleural plaques and digestive cancers.
Toxic Talc, Do Over!
Feb 24, 2025
On February 18, 2025, Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) legal team was back in a Houston court for yet another hearing on why its $10 billion proposal to resolve litigation from tens of thousands of US cancer claimants should get the green light. The proceedings before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez were scheduled to last a fortnight at the end of which the Judge could either approve the settlement with ovarian cancer sufferers or end the current bankruptcy plan. See: J&J Begins Crucial Battle Over $10 Billion Baby Powder Settlement.
Victory in Florence
Feb 24, 2025
The Florence Court of Appeal confirmed a lower court ruling on February 20 awarding the family of an electrical maintenance worker in excess of €1 million (US$1,045,000+) because of workplace violations which caused his death aged 77 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The deceased had been exposed to asbestos for 20+ years during employment at power plants in Livorno owned by Enel S.p.A. an Italian multinational manufacturer and distributor of gas and electricity. See: Pisa: operaio morto per amianto. Corte d’Appello conferma condanna a Enel [Pisa: Worker dies from asbestos. Court of Appeal confirms Enel's conviction].
Elimination of Asbestos Study Group
Feb 24, 2025
In the weeks since French Parliamentarians declined to renew the remit of the National Assembly’s Asbestos Study Group, asbestos victims and other civil society campaigners have denounced this development in texts such as the January 25th blog post referenced below. Calling the elimination of this group “irresponsible,” the President of an asbestos victims’ group in southern France Alain Gueret accused the Assembly’s Deputies, all of whom had agreed with axing the group, of betrayal and insulting “victims and their families.” See: Suppression du Groupe d'Etudes sur l'Amiante de l'Assemblée Nationale [Abolition of the National Assembly's Asbestos Study Group].
Mesothelioma Research: Update
Feb 24, 2025
Western Isles Hospital (WI) – the largest general hospital in Stornoway, the largest town of the Outer Hebrides – recently announced plans to participate in “a major new UK study into asbestos-related cancer.” Using data from a total of 30 hospitals researchers will, over the course of the two-year MESO-ORIGINS study, investigate issues relating to the causation of mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. The research, which is funded by Cancer Research UK, is being led by staff at the University of Glasgow. Only 40% of Scottish mesothelioma patients survive for more than a year. See: WI Hospital to help study into asbestos cancer.
Independent Asbestos Audits in Seoul
Feb 24, 2025
On February 17, 2025, the Seoul Metropolitan Institute of Health and Environment (the Institute) announced that samples taken from 31 asbestos dismantling and removal sites (12 schools and 19 redevelopment sites) in 2024, showed all work had been be in compliance with government standards. Commenting on the Institute’s findings, Park Joo-sung said: “Asbestos has a harmful effect on the human body, so thorough management is essential… The institute will continue to do its best to alleviate the concerns and anxieties of Seoul citizens by conducting accurate and prompt asbestos inspections…” See: '석면'으로부터 안전한 서울…학교·재개발 석면 해체 현장 '모두 안전' [Seoul Safe from ‘Asbestos’... ‘All Safe’ at Schools and Redevelopment Asbestos Removal Sites].
Republican Putsch in Montana
Feb 24, 2025
Last week, the Montana House of Representatives passed legislation that could compromise the outcome of lawsuits related to the Libby Asbestos Superfund Site. The draft proposals had been progressed through committee hearings by Representative Anthony Nicastro, who had been the lawyer for the BNSF Railway in 3,000+ cases related to the railway’s culpability for asbestos-related diseases in Libby, Montana. For decades, BNSF shipped asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from the W.R. Grace mine to downtown Libby. Last year, a federal jury ordered the railway to pay compensation of $4 million each to the estates of two Libby residents who had died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Other cases are pending. See: Critics warn bills would let BNSF Railway off the hook in asbestos-related suits.
Ovarian Cancer and Asbestos
Feb 20, 2025
For the first time in the administrative region of Grand Est in northeastern France, a worker who contracted ovarian cancer as a result of occupational asbestos exposures was recognized as a sufferer of an occupational disease. During a period of 30+ years, the claimant had been exposed to asbestos dust from industrial furnaces in an earthenware factory in Sarreguemines and in a tile factory in Forbach. Her case was supported by the CFDT trade union of Freyming-Merlebach. See: Cancer des ovaires d’une ouvrière:«J'étais constamment exposée aux poussières d’amiante» [Ovarian cancer of a worker: “I was constantly exposed to asbestos dust”].
Asbestos at the TV Studios
Feb 20, 2025
It was disclosed this week, that employees of the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) who had worked at the company’s Ripponlea studios or at Broadcast House in Melbourne died from asbestos-related diseases. An ABC spokesperson confirmed that there had been “four (4) work-related claims made in relation to asbestos-related diseases between 1990 and 2024.” The deceased were technical staff and a broadcaster; two of the deaths were in 2024. Asbestos deaths have also been reported among staff at the BBC in London, at RTVE, the national Spanish broadcaster, in Madrid and in Rome at the headquarters of Italy’s national public broadcaster RIA. See: Asbestos exposure leads to ABC deaths.
Same Old, Same Old
Feb 20, 2025
Under a project called “Russian Production,” companies which exemplify the innovative spirit behind plans to develop “effective import substitution in various industries” are being showcased. Uralasbest, Russia’s second biggest asbestos conglomerate, was one of the examples chosen. In the article, a Uralasbest spokesperson said: “chrysotile [asbestos] is safe for health when used in a controlled manner. In fact, chrysotile asbestos has been used in Russia for over 100 years… its use in various industries has not caused the spread of any diseases.” See: Хризотил или «Горный Лен»: «Солидарность» Побывала на Комбинате «Ураласбест» [Chrysotile or “Mountain Flax”: “Solidarity” Visited the “Uralasbest” Plant].
Eternit Asbestos Trial: New Evidence
Feb 20, 2025
At a Turin Court on February 17 in a case proceeding against Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny, one of the expert witnesses for the prosecution Professor Corrado Magnani described the “accelerator effect” by which prolonged asbestos exposure “accelerates the evolution of mesothelioma.” Asbestos factory workers in Italy, Magnani told the Court, were increasingly likely to die prematurely the more asbestos they were exposed to. The defendant is facing charges of voluntary homicide with malice over the asbestos deaths of 392 workers and local people in the town of Casale Monferrato. See: Processo Eternit bis, la perizia: "Ogni esposizione all'amianto accelera la malattia" [Eternit bis trial, the expert report: Every exposure to asbestos accelerates the disease”].
Lawsuit Exposes Asbestos Secret
Feb 20, 2025
A headline article in the Sunday February 16, 2025 issue of Scottish newspaper the Daily Record disclosed that one of the country’s biggest construction companies, Springfield Properties Plc, had been accused by subcontractor Martin McGowan of burying asbestos waste under hundreds of new homes. Damning court documents were made public after the company was fined £10,000 for breaking health and safety laws. Details of the legal action can be accessed online: Martin McGowan v Springfield Properties Plc. McGowan is now suing the company for compensation believed to be in the region of £1.3 million. See: Scots housebuilder and SNP donor accused of burying asbestos dust under homes.
Big Win for Civil Society
Feb 20, 2025
The February 17th press statement cited below conveyed yet another win by Indonesian campaigners against asbestos vested interests. After six months of hearings, motions and deliberations, Chief Judge of the Central Jakarta District Court Marper Pandiangan threw out legal arguments by the asbestos manufacturers association (FICMA) which had sought huge damages from civil society groups following a March 2024 Supreme Court ruling mandating warning labels for asbestos roofing products. See: Menang! Penjualan Atap Asbes Harus Cantumkan Label Peringatan [Win! Asbestos Roof Sales Must Include Warning Labels].
Asbestos Cancer Breakthrough?
Feb 17, 2025
Means to secure the early detection of mesothelioma, the signature asbestos cancer, has long been a goal of researchers. Last week, it was announced that scientists from Sheffield Hallam University had pioneered a non-invasive test which could identify “cancer markers” or “red flags” in a breath sample. According to Dr Sarah Haywood-Small, associate head of the university's school of biosciences and chemistry: “The human breath contains valuable biological information—offering a window into our body's metabolism … By learning to read these signals, we can detect diseases earlier, monitor conditions more accurately, and potentially save lives.” See: Scientists developing ‘breath test’ for cancer.
INPS Condemned!
Feb 17, 2025
Last week, the Court of Rome called for an uplift in the pension paid to an aeronautical technician, who had been employed by Alitalia for 23 years, due to workplace asbestos exposures experienced whilst maintaining the company’s fleet of aircraft. The Labor Judge condemned The National Institute for Social Security (INPS) for initially rejecting the claim and ordered it to increase monthly pension payments by €500 (US$525) and pay arrears of €35,000 (US$36,700). The claimant has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition. See: Amianto in Alitalia: l’Inps condannata a adeguare la pensione di un ex tecnico aeronautico esposto alla fibra killer [Asbestos in Alitalia: INPS ordered to adjust the pension of a former aeronautical technician exposed to killer fiber].
Growing Demand for Asbestos Removal
Feb 17, 2025
With awareness growing regarding the asbestos hazard on Prince Edward’s Island (PEI), Canada, demand for the services of asbestos removal contractors is outstripping technical capacity. Compounding the growth in public concern is an increasing demand for renovation work which can only be undertaken once asbestos contamination has been removed. Not only are people on PEI keen to increase energy efficiency of their homes, but they are also eager to repair structural damage caused by Hurricane Fiona (2022). See: Le nombre de permis pour l’enlèvement de l’amiante a doublé à l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard [Number of permits for asbestos removal has doubled in Prince Edward Island].
FIVA Reclaims Asbestos Compensation
Feb 17, 2025
On February 11, 2025, the administrative court of Nantes ordered the city of Cholet, in western France to reimburse the Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund (FIVA) the sum of €66,000 (US$69,255) which it had paid out for the 2015 asbestos cancer death of a former employee. The deceased had been employed as a supervisor by the municipality from 1961 to 1993 during which time the authorities had failed to protect him from toxic workplace exposures. See: Agent exposé à l’amiante: 66,000 € à la charge de la ville de Cholet [Agent exposed to asbestos: €66,000 to be paid by the city of Cholet].
Asbestos Eradication: Update
Feb 17, 2025
On February 15, Ulsan City, South Korea announced that a budget of 92.48 million won (US$64,200) had been allocated for the removal and disposal of asbestos-cement roofing. These funds would help progress decontamination work of 13 residential and 4 non-residential buildings. According to an official spokesperson: “As asbestos is harmful to the human body and be can be liberated from old tiles, we will continue to support the cost of work to remove asbestos-cement roofing.” See: 울산 북구, 석면 슬레이트 지붕 철거에 9천만원 지원 [Ulsan Buk-gu donates KRW 90 million to demolish asbestos tile roofs].
EPA Fines in Asbestos Case
Feb 17, 2025
Following an investigation into the illegal dumping of asbestos-containing waste in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales (NSW), the NSW Environment Protection Agency (EPA) secured fines totalling $200,000 at the Parramatta Local Court from construction company He Co Pty Ltd. and its director George Khouzame. “This is,” said EPA’s Director of Operations Adam Gilligan “one of the largest fines ever secured for providing false or misleading information to the EPA and reflects the seriousness of Mr Khouzame’s actions, which could have hindered a major investigation into serious environmental offences.” See: Construction company fined $200,000 for providing false information to the EPA.
NSW Report on Use of Asbestos Waste
Feb 14, 2025
A report was uploaded this month (February 2025) by the Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer (OCSE) which had been tasked in 2022 by the New South Wales (NSW) Minister for the Environment with examining the use of asbestos-contaminated recycled waste in NSW. The OCSE’s 106-page final report concluded that “the current regulation of asbestos in waste needs to change”; there be a strict ban on the reuse of asbestos waste”; that the disposal of asbestos waste only be allowed at “facilities specifically licensed to receive that waste.” See: Management of asbestos in recovered fines and recovered materials for beneficial reuse in NSW.
Time for Asbestos Ban?
Feb 14, 2025
The properties, history and adverse effects of using asbestos were the focus of the Chinese language article cited below. Having explained that exposures to asbestos had been linked to several deadly diseases and cancers, the author asked why such a deadly substance was still being used in China. Highlighting the need for “vigilance,” it was concluded that given the high level of current demand for asbestos in China, it was not possible at this time to replace it with safer substitutes. See: 60多国禁用，石棉危害真的很大吗？为何我们还在用？ [More than 60 countries have banned it, is asbestos really harmful? Why are we still using it?].
California Replaces Toxic Pipes
Feb 14, 2025
An upgrade to the Bellflower water main project undertaken by a Los Angeles offshoot of the nationwide utility American Water, at a cost of $4.5 million, replaced “8,510 linear feet of aging 4 and 6-inch asbestos cement water main with new 8-inch ductile iron pipes, installing new service pipes for 170 customers…” According to the company, the work was done to safeguard public health and the environment. See: California American Water Completes $4.5M Los Angeles Water System Upgrades.
Victims of Duty Claim Tax Exemption
Feb 14, 2025
Members of the Italian Association of Families Exposed to Asbestos (AFEA) last week mounted a public demonstration on the failure to implement a ruling by the Supreme Court which had “recognized the right to exemption from personal income tax of pension payments” for people recognized as victims of duty, such as naval and other personnel who contracted asbestos-related diseases during military service. This campaign has been ongoing since 2017; during that time many AFEA members have died from their injuries. See: L’amianto come pane quotidiano, in cento scendono in piazza. Afea: “Cassazione ha riconosciuto l’esenzione Irpef dalla pensione, va [..., a hundred take to the streets. AFEA: "Supreme Court recognized Irpef exemption from pension, goes].
Provincial Asbestos Eradication Program
Feb 14, 2025
Subsidies for asbestos removal in 2025 were announced on February 11 by the authorities of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea’s most populous province. To safeguard public health, 170 million won (US$117,065) has been allocated to help home and business property owners to replace and dispose of asbestos-cement roofing; the maximum amount available for any one project is 7 million won (US$4,820). Applications can be sent to City Hall. See: 경기 광주시, 석면피해 예방 위한 슬레이트 처리·지붕개량 지원 [Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province, supports slate treatment and roof improvement to prevent asbestos damage].
Unitika Sued for Toxic Negligence
Feb 14, 2025
At a press conference on January 20, Mr. Toshihiko Kawai announced his plans to sue his former employer Unitika for its failure to protect him from exposures to asbestos at the Uji Plant of Japan Rayon from 1969 to 1979. As a result of the hazardous conditions at the factory, 73-year-old Kawai developed the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Kawai told the journalists: “I want the company to accept responsibility and apologize to the victims.” A lawsuit has been filed in the Kyoto District Court. See: 企業責任認め謝罪・賠償を アスベスト被害・元労働者がユニチカ提訴 京都地裁 [Acknowledging Corporate Responsibility, Apology and Compensation for Asbestos Damage | Former Worker Sues Unitika Kyoto District Court].
HSE U-Turn on Asbestos?
Feb 12, 2025
During her presentation to the February 5th Session of the Work & Pensions Select Committee, the HSE Chief Executive Sarah Albon announced that the HSE and government need to “look to remove asbestos entirely from built environment.” This is a volte face by the UK agency tasked with protecting occupational health, which had repeatedly argued that asbestos could be safely managed in situ despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. In addition, Albon said that the HSE accepted the need to: build capacity for the asbestos eradication sector; improve facilities for disposal and implement plans to create an asbestos register. See: Work and Pensions Committee Hearing February 5, 2025 [11:12-11:16].
Art & Asbestos
Feb 12, 2025
On February 4, 2025, an exhibition entitled Manca Juvan: The Valley opened at the Match Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia. The creator of this installation Manca Juvan explored “the impact of industrialization and industrial pollution in the middle Soca Valley,” a place which was the center of the country’s asbestos-cement industry and, as such, became an asbestos cancer hotspot. Using the personal stories of former factory workers, activists, physicians and experts, the artist challenged “simplistic statistical narratives that dehumanize… [to] reveal social polarization and underline the importance of building common ties, values and efforts to find sustainable solutions for the overall health and future of the valley’s peoples.” See: Opening of Manca Juvan's The Valley exhibition.
Toxic Legacy of Asbestos Mining
Feb 12, 2025
The article cited below from The Annals of Global Health reported research on contamination remaining at an abandoned asbestos mine in Roro Hills in the Jharkhand state of India. Having studied soil samples and exposure levels experienced by local people, the authors concluded that: “India should completely ban asbestos. However, even after the ban, closed mines may act as a potential source of exposure and ARDs. It is important that peri-mine areas need to be studied and intervened in scientifically to stop ongoing and future asbestos exposure. All countries engaged in asbestos mining need to invest in environmental risk mapping and hazard mitigation in their respective locations.” See: Understanding exposure risk using soil testing and GIS around an abandoned asbestos mine.
Asbestos Alert in Ankara!
Feb 12, 2025
A warning was issued by Turkish asbestos experts to people living in the capital city. The reason was the huge urban transformation projects in Ankara which were proceeding without diligence being paid to asbestos protocols stipulating the prior removal of asbestos from buildings due for renovation and/or demolition. Mehmet Seyhmus Ensari, President of the Asbestos Removal Specialists Association as well as the Occupational Health and Safety Federation, called on the government to do more to protect members of the public as well as construction workers from potentially deadly exposures. See: Ankara’nın havasında “asbest” alarmı! [“Asbestos” in Ankara’s air alarm!].
Asbestos Exposure in the Navy
Feb 12, 2025
Last week, Italy’s Ministry of Defense was ordered to pay compensation of €280,000 (US$289,200) by the Court of Turin to Monica Pittau, the daughter of naval engineer Luigi Angelo Pittau who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, in 2010, aged 60. The Court ruled that the deceased had routinely been exposed to asbestos whilst working on naval vessels and doing maintenance work at various naval bases. See: Risarcimento di 280 mila euro alla figlia del marinaio militare ucciso dall'amianto [Compensation of 280 thousand euros to the daughter of military sailor killed by asbestos].
Asbestos in Parliament
Feb 12, 2025
The Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health met in the House of Commons on January 27, 2025 to acquaint new MPs with a range of asbestos issues that could affect their constituents. Commenting on the session, Douglas McAllister, MP for West Dunbartonshire said that “it was a valuable opportunity to meet up with … asbestos victims support groups to discuss our common aims and future campaign techniques in relation to continuing our fight for full and fair compensation for all those who were not protected from asbestos exposure at work and developed mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer as a result.” See: MP Douglas McAllister vows to fight for asbestos victims.
End of Asbestos Defendant Immunity?
Feb 10, 2025
A press release issued on February 4, 2025 by Belgium’s Asbestos Victims’ Group (ABEVA) expressed support for a possible government U-turn which would allow asbestos victims in receipt of compensation from the Belgian Asbestos Fund (AFA) to also pursue legal action against a defendant which had failed to protect him/her from toxic asbestos exposures. To come into force this “intention” must be formalized into draft legislation and then be approved by Parliament. See: Accord de gouvernement fédéral - Une avancée importante pour certaines victimes de l'amiante, selon l'ABEVA [Federal government – An important step forward for some asbestos victims, according to ABEVA].
Twisted Logic?!?
Feb 10, 2025
A rather forced Russian article used research contained in a newly published 27-page paper by American academics to defend the ongoing use of chrysotile (white) asbestos by claiming that asbestos “hysteria” had been created by the tobacco lobby to counteract claims that smoking caused cancer. Contrary to the tobacco companies’ propaganda, the author asserted, the use of Russian asbestos (chrysotile) was harmless as proved by the lack of asbestos-related diseases in former Soviet Union countries. See: Мифы вокруг асбеста: кто финансирует исследования [Myths around asbestos: who finances research].
Toxic Talc
Feb 10, 2025
What is being called “one of the largest pharmaceutical product group actions in English and Welsh legal history” is being launched by lawyers on behalf of 3,500 people who claim they contracted cancer having used asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder sold by the US pharmaceutical giant: Johnson & Johnson (J&J). Pursuant to J&J’s failure to respond to a letter of claim filed last Summer, the lawsuit is due to be filed with the London High Court this month. When asked to comment on the upcoming proceedings, a spokesperson for J&J reasserted “the safety of talc-based Johnson’s baby powder.” See: Thousands to sue Johnson & Johnson in UK over alleged talc link to cancer.
Legal Victory for Victim’s Family
Feb 10, 2025
Last week, Labor Judge Álvaro Marcos Cordeiro Maia from the Simões Filho court in the Brazilian State of Bahia ordered that a metallurgical company which had employed a furnace operator who had subsequently died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma had been negligent in failing to protect him from toxic exposures. The deceased had worked for the company for fifteen years. The Judge accepted that the fatal cancer had been caused by workplace asbestos exposures and ordered the company to pay the surviving children R$300,000 (US$52,250). See: Filhos de operário morto por exposição a amianto receberão R$ 300 mil [Children of worker killed by asbestos exposure will receive R$300,000].
Asbestos Eradication Scheme
Feb 10, 2025
Pursuant to Korea’s national asbestos eradication program, Pohang City, Gyeongbuk Province recently announced subsidies for the removal of asbestos-containing roofing material from domestic, commercial and industrial buildings. People classed as vulnerable will be eligible for full grants for removal of toxic roofing from their homes. Applications can be submitted to the town hall along with photos of contaminated buildings. See: "석면 슬레이트 철거하세요"...포항시 슬레이트 처리 사업 추진 [“Remove Asbestos Slate”...Pohang City Promotes Slate Treatment Project].
Victims Demanding Enhanced Benefits
Feb 10, 2025
One hundred and twenty people who had worked for the chemical company Montifibre SpA, one of Italy’s largest conglomerates, are lobbying local authorities and the central government for additional economic benefits and early retirement due to their 20+ year long occupational exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens. The claimants, who are under medical surveillance, live with the threat of contracting debilitating and deadly diseases including various types of cancer. See: "Venti anni a contatto con l'amianto, vogliamo la pensione anticipata" [“Twenty years in contact with asbestos, we want early retirement”].
Unions Call for Asbestos Action!
Feb 6, 2025
On World Cancer Day, February 4, 2025, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) called on the European Commission to deliver on its promise to better protect workers from asbestos contained within the built environment. A 2022 Commission draft Directive to increase medical screening and support for at-risk workers remains pending and up to 7 million workers are routinely exposed to asbestos every year. According to Eurostat, EU rates of mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, rose 10% in 2021. See: ETUC – Cancer: Commission must end delay over asbestos action.
Documenting the Asbestos Hazard
Feb 6, 2025
On January 29, 2025, the Lao National Asbestos Profile was launched at a meeting of the the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU), Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA Lao Office and others. The document, which was called “a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to address asbestos exposure and related health risks,” revealed that Laos still imports chrysotile asbestos for the manufacture of roofing tiles; the number of asbestos roof tile factories decreased from 16 in 2014 to ~6 in 2024; five of these factories are owned by overseas investors. See: Lao workers set to stop asbestos exposure: Launch of the Lao National Asbestos Profile.
Government Lawsuit over Toxic Talc
Feb 6, 2025
On January 31, 2025, it was announced that the US Department of Health & Human Services is looking to recoup in excess of $1 billion from Johnson & Johnson (J&J) “as reimbursement for federal health agencies' payments of medical costs for patients who allege that the company's baby powder and other talc products caused them to develop cancer” under the Medicare Secondary Payer. On February 18, J&J’s attorneys will begin to argue the case for its current bankruptcy plan in front of US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez. See: US government could seek over $1 billion from J&J for cancer treatment costs.
Global Lung Cancer Incidence Rising
Feb 6, 2025
Andrew Gregory, the author of a front page article in The Guardian newspaper on February 3, documented the rise in lung cancer among non-smokers. Postulating that the cause of this was air pollution, the hazard posed by global asbestos usage did not get a mention. With millions of tonnes of asbestos incorporated within national infrastructures, the ongoing hazard to workers and members of the public is something which he would have been wise to acknowledge. See: Lung cancer diagnoses on the rise among never-smokers worldwide.
Chrysotile Hazard: Update
Feb 6, 2025
A newly published review of available evidence, government resources and the files of a Connecticut law firm were undertaken by lawyer Christopher Meisenkothen who identified “24 cases of mesothelioma associated with 4 Connecticut chrysotile-using factories. Eighteen of those cases had no known amphibole exposure.” The author asserted that even though this number was likely to be an underestimation, it was further proof of the consequences of human exposures to chrysotile (white) asbestos. “Continued vigilance,” he concluded “is required.” See [subscription article]: Underestimation of Chrysotile Health Risk due to Under-ascertainment of Mesothelioma: Evidence from a Century of Connecticut’s Experience with the “Magic Mineral”.
Marble/Granite Industries: Asbestos Update
Feb 6, 2025
An article by Indian and US authors published in the current issue of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health revealed asbestos contamination of ornamental and dimension stone and waste material – marble waste slurry – produced by their quarrying in India. The samples analyzed from a site in Rajsamand, Rajasthan found: tremolite, actinolite, anthophyllite and chrysotile asbestos. The presence of these carcinogenic fibers constitute potential health risks for workers, bystanders and tourists as well as downstream workers and members of the public who may be exposed to the toxic material after it has left the site. See: Marble Waste Dump Yard in Rajasthan, India Revealed as a Potential Asbestos Exposure Hazard.
“An Asbestos-Free World”
Feb 3, 2025
Pressure for a ban on asbestos is building in Malaysia, according to the article cited below by consultant respiratory physician and Social & Economic Research Initiative senior policy advisor Dr Helmy Haja Mydin. The text provided a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of continuing asbestos use and explained the health consequences for members of the public as well as workers from toxic exposures: “developing nations, where asbestos is still in use, face heightened risks.” Although asbestos is listed as a hazardous material under Environment Department regulations, it has not yet been outlawed in Malaysia as it has in many other countries. See: Useful, but dangerous: Asbestos needs to be phased out for our health.
Wartime Asbestos Hazard
Feb 3, 2025
The hazard posed by widespread asbestos contamination created as a result of Russian attacks on Ukraine was highlighted in the article cited below. Asbestos building products were widely used in Ukraine until 2022 when asbestos was banned. The national reconstruction effort which will be required once the bombing ceases will be hampered by the need for precautionary measures to prevent toxic exposures to first responders, rebuilders and citizens. See: Guerre en Ukraine: au-delà des énormes dégâts directs, le pays doit aussi gérer le défi de l’amiante [War in Ukraine: beyond the enormous direct damage, the country must also manage the challenge of asbestos].
Builders for Asbestos?!?!
Feb 3, 2025
In an interview with a reporter from Stroitelnaya Gazeta – a Russian publication covering the construction industry, production of building materials, housing sector, public utilities, development and architecture – the chairman of the Trade Union of Builders Boris Soshenko expressed his organization’s support for the continued industrial use of chrysotile (white) asbestos in Russia and around the world. One wonders whether the members of this “trade union” are aware of the fact that people in the construction industry are among those at the highest risk of contracting asbestos cancer? See: Профсоюз строителей поддержал российский хризотил [The Trade Union of Builders supports Russian chrysotile].
Truth & Consequences
Feb 3, 2025
The increasing popularity of hiding interesting articles behind paywalls is a source of frustration. On January 30, I was able to access a Korean language article which appeared to be a translation of a January 27 English article which I had not been able to access previously. The author explored the hidden consequences of massive asbestos use in India, quoting an expert from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai who warned “that more than 6 million people in India are at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases each year, and more than 600,000 of them are at risk of developing cancer.” See: 인도, 석면의 유혹에 빠지다...'침묵의 살인자' 위험 외면 [India succumbs to the temptation of asbestos...’silent killer’ turns a blind eye to danger].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 3, 2025
Asbestos in French schools has become a high-profile issue after multiple TV documentaries and news reports in recent months. In the last fortnight, there were a number of online articles about contamination of schools in northwestern, western and southern France. Staff at some schools are taking strike action, while others have engaged in public demonstrations in front of town halls and/or lobbying of municipal officials in the cities of Couville, Angers and Marseilles. The article below outlined shared concerns and reactions experienced by many of the protestors. See: Amiante dans une école de Couville : les risques sont "abusivement minimisés" pour l'Adeva [Asbestos in a school in Couville: the risks are “abusively minimized” for Adeva].
Asbestos Surveillance Program
Feb 3, 2025
A campaign is being promoted in Portugal by civil society groups to provide free screening for workers at high risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases. People eligible for the medical examinations include workers such as those from the asbestos-cement industry, the navy, the water supply and sanitation sectors who were occupationally exposed to asbestos for more than 10 years. The aim of the program is to facilitate early diagnoses of disease in order to commence prompt treatment. A non-invasive screening method combined with a low-dose thoracic CT scan will be used. See: Trabalhadores expostos a amianto estão a ser alvo de rastreio [Workers exposed to asbestos are being screened].
Progressing Asbestos Ban
Jan 30, 2025
Following up on the Cambodian Government’s concerns over the toxic use of asbestos, a workshop was held on January 27 in the capital to discuss the hazards posed by asbestos-containing construction material. The event was organized by the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction and was addressed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Land Management Say Samal. Public health expert Dr Quach Mengly told delegates that health issues caused by occupational asbestos exposures included lung cancer, mesothelioma and respiratory diseases. See: Land Ministry discusses future of asbestos.
Update: J & J Bankruptcy
Jan 30, 2025
In a court filing on January 17, 2025, the US Departments of Veterans Affairs and Health & Human Services raised objections over a $10 billion proposal by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to settle tens of thousands of cancer cases. The federal health agencies argued that the terms of the arrangement “could impair the government's reimbursement rights” for monies paid out by federal health programs including Medicare and Medicaid for treating patients with diseases caused by use of J&J’s asbestos-containing talc-based baby powder. See: US health agencies sound warning on J&J talc bankruptcy.
A Daughter’s Tale
Jan 30, 2025
The in-depth article cited below was published in the current issue of Prospect, a current affairs British magazine. The author Charlotte Bailey tells a heartfelt tale weaving in details of her father’s asbestos cancer journey with historical facts, highlighting key figures in the global struggle for asbestos justice. That the text flows seamlessly from personal matters – family holidays, doctors’ appointments – to global developments – the misdeeds of Canadian/US/Kazakh/UK asbestos companies – is testament to the immense effort which went into crafting this piece. One cannot fail to be moved by this family’s tragedy. See: Asbestos: a corporate coverup, a public health catastrophe.
Asbestos in Quarries
Jan 30, 2025
Preliminary assessment work carried out by the BRGM (the French Geological Survey) on 23 alluvial quarries in France confirmed that asbestos was present in samples found at 16 quarries. A number of national agencies and regional bodies have called on the operators of the quarries “to ensure the protection of workers, the environment, the population near these sites and consumers.” The Labor Inspectorate has been tasked with ensuring compliance with these duties. Investigations by the BRGM are continuing. See: De l'amiante dans 16 carrières françaises [Asbestos in 16 French quarries].
Asbestos Eradication Program
Jan 30, 2025
According to Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), plans are progressing for the removal of cancerous asbestos roofing from hospitals, schools, government houses and other institution across the country. NEMA director for environmental compliance David Ongare said the removal of the material is ongoing but there are many challenges, including a shortage of financial resources for the decontamination work and safe disposal of waste. See: Removal of asbestos on course despite hurdles, says Nema.
Incentives for Asbestos Removal
Jan 30, 2025
A report just issued by Australia’s Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (ASSEA) contains information from domestic and international programs aimed to encourage the eradication of the asbestos hazard from the built environment. The advantages and disadvantages of incentive schemes were considered and recommendations were made “to help governments plan and develop specific incentives or leverage existing programs to encourage proactive asbestos removal, subject to conducting their own risk assessments, stakeholder consultation and cost-benefit analyses.”See: Options for government supported incentives for proactive asbestos removal.
Victims’ Victory in Takamatsu
Jan 27, 2025
On January 23, a District Court sided with the claimants in a mesothelioma case over the 2003 death of a factory worker. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare argued that the lawsuit had been time-barred as more than 20 years had elapsed between the onset of disease and the initiation of a lawsuit. Chief Judge Kazutaka Tanaka of the Takamatsu District Court ruled that “that the damage caused by death from mesothelioma occurred at the time of death, and the rights of the bereaved families have not been extinguished” and ordered the government to pay 14.3 million yen (US$92,000). See: アスベスト訴訟 国に約１４３０万円の賠償命令 高松地裁 [Takamatsu District Court orders government to pay 14.3 million yen in asbestos lawsuit].
Hard Times Come to Asbestos Sector!
Jan 27, 2025
In a January 3, 2025 blog, the General Director of JSC Orenburg Minerals – Russia’s biggest asbestos producer – warned that 2025 would be grim. In an interview with journalist Andrey Albertovich, A.A. Golma said: “we understand that since the global problems do not end, our difficulties will also remain, and maybe even multiply. The sanctions remain, perhaps there will be even more of them, so the year 2025 will be very difficult. This will be a year of low turnover…. It will be difficult with production, sales, logistics, tasks, and money.” See: Подводим Итоги Года [Summary of our year].
Asbestos Scandal 2025
Jan 27, 2025
A devastating exposé uploaded this month highlighted dangerous asbestos conditions at leading UK universities many of which admit relying on old data or no data – with asbestos audits being lost or unavailable. Details amassed via freedom of information requests and old-fashioned research revealed that: “[19] universities confirmed between 60 and 81 recorded claims made for contracting asbestos-related diseases… [and] since 2014 … 13 universities have spent in excess of £88 million on asbestos removal and associated costs….” Multiple institutions reported the presence of “high-risk” asbestos material on campuses. See: The lethal impact and current status of asbestos in British universities.
A Fox in the Hen House?
Jan 27, 2025
The person selected by the new US administration as the second-in-command of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – the federal agency tasked with protecting the public from environmental dangers – is a lawyer with a contentious past as a defender of companies accused of “pollution harm.” In a brief filed in October 2024, on behalf of his clients the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, David Fotouhi argued that the “EPA failed to demonstrate that chrysotile [white] asbestos presents an unreasonable risk of injury.” The Senate has yet to approve Fotouhi’s nomination as EPA deputy administrator. See: Donald Trump’s No. 2 Pick for the EPA Represented Companies Accused of Pollution Harm.
Victim’s Win in Lazio
Jan 27, 2025
The family of a soldier who died from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma was awarded €320,000 (US$335,500) compensation by judges at the Lazio Regional Administrative Court. Italy’s Ministry of Defense was condemned for failing to protect the captain from occupational asbestos exposures at the La Spezia naval base and on numerous ships during his military service. See: Capitano morto di mesotelioma, Ministero condannato a risarcire [Captain dies of mesothelioma, Ministry ordered to pay compensation].
Data Indicts Construction Sector
Jan 27, 2025
Last month, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare) announced that 1,233 workplaces had been certified as having caused industrial accidents due to occupational asbestos exposures. Of the places named, 975 (80%) were new. The majority of those named (825; 67%) were construction worksites, of which 745 (90%) were named for the first time. A telephone consultation service was set up by the Ministry to take calls regarding the information released and the industrial accident compensation system. See:「令和５年度石綿ばく露作業による労災認定等事業場」を公表 [“Workplaces that have been certified as having work-related accidents due to asbestos exposure in FY2023” announced].
Three More Asbestos Deaths in Suffolk!
Jan 24, 2025
On January 17, 2025, verdicts of death by industrial diseases were handed down by Suffolk Coroners’ Court in the cases of Raymond Case from Newmarket and Brian Mallett from Lowestoft, who died on July 26, 2024, and Neville Cox from Stowmarket who died one week earlier on July 19. Mr Case contracted mesothelioma having been exposed to asbestos at workplaces as a carpenter/joiner; firefighter; Mallett’s death from mesothelioma was also caused by occupational asbestos exposure as was firefighter Cox’s, who had been exposed to asbestos during his service in the Royal Navy. See: Three asbestos related deaths in Suffolk in one week.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard
Jan 24, 2025
The presence of asbestos in the debris left by the intense wildfires that decimated parts of California last week intensified the challenges for first responders, local authorities and homeowners. As Los Angeles County health and municipal officials get to grips with the crisis, residents have been banned from cleaning up fire debris in Pacific Palisades and Altadena until hazardous materials inspections are completed by approved agencies. A hotline is being commissioned by the county Department of Public Works to address questions about the toxic debris. See: What happens to all the debris after the massive wildfires? The cleanup process is a complex one.
Mesothelioma Research Grant
Jan 24, 2025
Among other pioneering scientific projects, $600,000 has been allocated by the Western Australian Department of Health for research into innovative mesothelioma treatments under the leadership of Dr Jonathan Chee, from the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases at the University of Western Australia. Over the next three years, Dr. Chee will test promising combination therapies in his search for successful chemotherapy and immunotherapy protocols. His research focuses “on repurposing copper-binding drugs to improve treatment efficacy.” See: NCARD scientist awarded translation fellowship for innovative mesothelioma research.
Remember the São Paulo?
Jan 24, 2025
Almost two years after the infamous Brazilian aircraft carrier the São Paulo was deliberately sunk by the Brazilian navy 350 km off the coast, the article cited below recapped the background to this international scandal, asserting that “the Navy spent R$37.2 million (US$6.1m) to sink the decommissioned aircraft carrier São Paulo, which had been sold for R$10 million.” The vessel was contaminated with a cocktail of toxic products including asbestos-containing fireproofing and insulating materials. See: Porta-aviões da Marinha do Brasil foi afundado no Atlântico após navegar sem rumo por 6 meses [Brazilian Navy aircraft carrier sunk in the Atlantic after sailing aimlessly for 6 months].
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 24, 2025
An asbestos survey of regional schools undertaken by a Flemish language newspaper based in Antwerp, Belgium found that the vast majority of schools in Flanders contained deteriorating asbestos material. According to investigative journalist Joppe Nuyts: “School principals sometimes wait a year before receiving subsidies to be able to remove asbestos. It needs to go much faster. Children exposed to asbestos are more sensitive than adults and this is scientifically proven.” See: De nombreuses écoles flamandes polluées à l'amiante: certains directeurs doivent attendre... un an avant de pouvoir agir [Many Flemish schools polluted with asbestos: some principals have to wait ... a year before being able to act].
Victims Call for Criminal Trial
Jan 24, 2025
In a January 8, 2025 letter to France’s new Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin, Pierre Pluta, President of the regional association of asbestos victims (ARDEVA), called for a criminal trial to hold to account those people guilty of the health disaster caused by the country’s delay in banning asbestos. Asbestos-related diseases are killing ~5,000 people in France every year. Pluta’s last letter to the Ministry was never answered. See: "Jusqu'au bout je garderai espoir", Pierre Pluta, de l'association des victimes de l'amiante, écrit à Gérald Darmanin [“Until the end I will remain hopeful,” Pierre Pluta, from the association of asbestos victims, writes to Gérald Darmanin].
Asbestos Hazard in LA
Jan 22, 2025
Inevitably, as with other natural and man-made disasters, the asbestos hazard has reared its ugly head even as wild fires continue to rage in southern California. On January 15, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department sent an urgent warning to deputies in Altadena advising them to wear N95 masks and decontaminate uniforms before returning home due to readings which showed elevated levels of asbestos, lead and other harmful particulates in the air. See: Deputies warned to decontaminate clothes after lead, asbestos found in air near Eaton fire.
Asbestos at Lisbon Park
Jan 22, 2025
After a rather long-winded process that began in 2022, the presence of asbestos contamination on the promenade, the beach and Cascais railway line at the Algés recreational area in Lisbon, Portugal was confirmed last year. Samples taken from the area proved positive for white (chrysotile) and blue (crocidolite) asbestos. According to the final report issued, pieces of the material were “in poor condition and scattered everywhere, being broken and degraded, which increases the risk of exposure to asbestos fibers.” The local authorities have announced plans to rehabilitate the entire Algés riverfront. See: Amianto no Passeio Marítimo de Algés: “risco moderado” em Portugal é “elevado” para UE [Asbestos on the Passeio Marítimo de Algés: "moderate risk" in Portugal is “high” for the EU].
Asbestos Prosecution in British Columbia
Jan 22, 2025
For ignoring mandatory Canadian regulations for protecting people and the environment from asbestos exposures during a home renovation in Vancouver, the owners of NW Quality Flooring and Russ Tile Work LLC, were fined C$116,000 (US$80,550) “for willful serious violations and asbestos-related violations” following an investigation by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. The defendants are appealing the fines. See: Two Vancouver business owners fined $116,000 over violating asbestos rules.
Asbestos & the RAI
Jan 22, 2025
Italy’s national broadcaster, known as the RAI, last week took precautionary action by vacating its Rome headquarters after asbestos contamination had been discovered by inspectors from the local health authority following a water leak. Employees were instructed to work from home while the offices were being remediated. Those members of staff who were unable to work remotely were transferred to alternative temporary premises. See: Amianto alla Rai, chiusa la sede di viale Mazzini, dipendenti in smart working [Asbestos at Rai, the Viale Mazzini office closed, employees in smart working].
Low-Dose Radiation Treatment
Jan 22, 2025
Research published in the January 2025 issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy by scientists from research centers in Perth, Australia examined how low-dose radiation therapy might enhance immunotherapy treatment in mesothelioma. The paper detailed findings which showed that low-dose radiation could improve both tumor blood flow and oxygen levels. It was also discovered that “the timing of treatments was crucial – administering radiation and immunotherapy together showed the most promising results in their laboratory model.” See: Fractionated low-dose radiotherapy primes the tumor microenvironment for immunotherapy in a murine mesothelioma model.
Asbestos in the Navy
Jan 22, 2025
The occupational nature of the disease which killed Francesco Abbate, aged 75 when he died in 2020, was officially acknowledged by the Court of Taranto last week when it ordered Italy’s Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior to pay compensation of €500,000 (US$514,600) to his family. Abbate had served for 40 years in the military, first as a naval engine trainee, then as a non-commissioned officer and later as a Marshal. During his service, he was often exposed to asbestos. See: Taranto: amianto in Marina Militare, definitiva la condanna dei ministeri Difesa e Interno [Taranto: asbestos in the Navy, the condemnation of the Ministries of Defense and the Interior is final].
Lack of Asbestos Disease Data
Jan 20, 2025
In a January 7th letter to the Editor of the Pneumonology Journal, the six co-authors of the text cited below highlight the lack of scientific data on the incidence of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) in sub-Saharan countries. Attempting to start the discussion off, two ARDs cases from the Democratic Republic of the Congo were discussed. Patient 1 was diagnosed with mesothelioma which was, so the authors speculated, caused by environmental exposure to asbestos in Lubudi or occupational exposure as an auto mechanic. Patient 2 was diagnosed with asbestosis having worked for 21 years at an asbestos-cement factory. See: Asbestos-related diseases in Africa: sentinel cases of mesothelioma and asbestosis from DR Congo.
Asbestos Ban Proposal in RS
Jan 20, 2025
The Legislative Assembly of the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) is considering a bill submitted by Congressman Gustavo Victorino banning the use of asbestos-containing products by public bodies. Despite a Supreme Court (STF) 2017 verdict that prohibited asbestos use, toxic products remain within the built environment. “For this reason,” Congressman Victorino said “it is necessary to adopt measures that ensure the replacement of materials containing asbestos that have already been installed, in a technical and safe manner, in line with current legislation and the STF decision.” See: Projeto proíbe o uso de produtos à base de amianto nos órgãos da administração pública do RS [Bill prohibits the use of asbestos-based products by public administration bodies in RS].
Paying the Price for Asbestos Profits
Jan 20, 2025
The price being paid in human health for the profits of India’s thriving asbestos sector remains unquantified in the world’s largest asbestos importing country. Asbestos producers and trade associations representing the industry aggressively deny that the use of white asbestos (chrysotile) is dangerous. Ailing workers and their families disagree. Mareena Hawkes of Coimbatore, India is convinced that the cancers and ill health experienced by her deceased father-in-law, her husband, her daughter and many others were due to occupational and environmental asbestos exposures. See: Hidden disease in the world’s largest asbestos importer.
Product Recall after Asbestos Find
Jan 20, 2025
Korea’s Environment Ministry issued a recall on January 14 after detecting chrysotile (white) asbestos in brake pads sold on AliExpress, an e-commerce online marketplace. The illegal automotive parts were suitable for use on a range of cars including those sold by BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and Honda and Suzuki motorcycles. According to a spokesperson for the ministry, asbestos had previously been found in products sold on domestic e-commerce platforms such as Coupang and Gmarket. In 2024, an official audit identified the sale of the toxic parts also on AliExpress. See: Environment Ministry finds asbestos in car, motorcycle brake pads sold on AliExpress.
Asbestos in Parliament
Jan 20, 2025
The article cited below, which was published last month, revealed that two mesothelioma sufferers had filed claims over asbestos exposures experienced at the Palace of Westminster prior to 1992. Queries to the Corporate Officer of the House of Commons about these cases elicited no further information. It is likely there will be more cases as asbestos-containing products were used throughout the House of Commons and the House of Lords and multiple incidents of toxic exposures have been reported to the authorities. See: Asbestos and The Palace of Westminster.
Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
Jan 20, 2025
The 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake on January 17th led to many articles about the consequences of that disaster. Whilst the destruction of thousands of buildings in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture and the Hanshin region were obvious at that time, the damage caused by exposures to asbestos liberated during the earthquake is only now becoming manifest. See: 阪神・淡路大震災から30年、アスベストによる健康被害の疑いはこれまで知られてきた人数の３倍以上と判明… [Thirty years after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, it has been revealed that the number of people suspected of suffering from health damage due to asbestos is more than three times higher than previously known...].
Goiás’s Defiance of Supreme Court
Jan 16, 2025
Despite a 2017 verdict by Brazil’s Supreme Court outlawing the production, processing and use of asbestos, mining operations in the city of Minaçu continue under an illegal exemption granted by the State of Goiás. Brazil is now the world’s third largest asbestos producer and it seems the Court has lost the inclination to shut down an industry which is liberally dispensing contributions to politicians and others. The consequences for the workers and the townspeople are as predictable as they are dire as the story of one asbestos victim, referred to as B, illustrates. This is a devastating and timely article which deserves to be read. See: Proibido no Brasil, amianto ganha sobrevida com 'lei própria' em Goiás [Banned in Brazil, asbestos gains a new lease of life with its own law in Goiás].
Asbestos Eradication in Nyeri County
Jan 16, 2025
Pursuant to the Kenyan Government’s asbestos eradication program, this week the Member of Parliament for Nyeri town, Duncan Maina, announced the start of work to decontaminate local primary schools at a public event held at Kwanderi school. The toxic roofing is being replaced with iron sheets. Commenting on the import of this progressive program, the MP said: “We are changing this to rescue our environment, our children and the local community from the hazards of asbestos.” See: MP embarks on removal of asbestos roofs in primary school.
Asbestos Removal of Schools
Jan 16, 2025
On January 11, 2025, the Flemish Minister of Education Zuhal Demir announced that the regional government would now fully cover the costs of asbestos removal in all school buildings. Previously, school authorities could only recoup up to 70% of the costs. “We are,” the Minister said “doing this to protect the most vulnerable, our children, who spend a lot of time in school buildings, which should be a safe and healthy environment.” The sum of €5.4 million (US $5.5m) per year has been allocated for the eradication program. See: Flanders to pay full price for asbestos removal in region's schools.
Reading Council v Highdown School
Jan 16, 2025
A dispute over historic asbestos removal costs have led Reading Council to issue a legal action at the High Court to recover an alleged debt of £500,000 (US$607,700) from Highdown School and Sixth Form Center. According to the school’s solicitor Ryan McGillick, before it became an academy, the council removed asbestos from the school. In 2016, however, the academy learned “that the asbestos removal work that had been undertaken by the claimant prior to the transfer was performed to a very poor standard…” Due to the hefty repair bill faced by the academy an understanding had been reached, the school argued, to write off the debt. The council disagreed. The case remains ongoing. See: Revealed: Asbestos row behind school’s £500k legal stand-off.
Asbestos & Lung Cancer
Jan 16, 2025
A paper about lung cancer (LC) risks which appeared in The Lancet considered the role of asbestos exposure in the LC causation. According to the 11 UK and US authors the data showed that: “alarming [LC] rates remained in the USA, with almost three times higher ASMR [Age-Standardized Mortality Rates] compared to the global average, especially in males. Concerning increases were also seen in India, China, Indonesia, and Pakistan.” The fact that asbestos consumption remained high in India, China and other developing countries was a serious concern. The authors called for a comprehensive worldwide asbestos ban. See: Evolving trends in lung cancer risk factors in the ten most populous countries: an analysis of data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study.
Asbestos Alert Prompts Product Recall
Jan 16, 2025
A product recall for TRAXXAS radio-controlled trucks was announced by Suffolk Trading Standards on January 9, 2025 after asbestos had been discovered in the brake pads. The range of toy vehicles was sold in the UK from January 1, 2002 until June 10, 2024. In the recall notice, Suffolk Trading Standards said: “The product presents a risk to health as the slipper or brake pads sold as parts or sold installed in the affected radio-controlled vehicles contain chrysotile asbestos.” Even though asbestos has been banned in the UK for decades, contaminated products remain in circulation. See: TRAXXAS radio trucks recalled after asbestos found in brakes.
Asbestos Eradication Program
Jan 13, 2025
The article cited below included an update on a public–private partnership in Uganda which is helping rid schools of the hazard posed by the presence of deteriorating asbestos roofing. Welcoming the removal and replacement of toxic roofing on one of the classroom blocks at Walukuba West Primary School, Jinja City its headteacher Ziyadi Tamuzadde said: “These iron sheets will help us replace a roof that poses serious health risks to our learners and staff.” The school is used by 1,000 pupils, among whom are a number of special needs students. See: Indian Firms Ramp Up Efforts to Rid Jinja Schools [of] Asbestos Roofing.
Asbestos Dichotomy
Jan 13, 2025
The continued mining and export of asbestos in contravention of a Supreme Court 2017 verdict outlawing the asbestos industry was the focus of the January 10th opinion piece cited below. Condemning the illegal continuation of this toxic industry, Engineer Fernanda Giannasi said: “It’s not just about mining; every load that leaves the mine exposes workers and communities to risk. The persistence of asbestos in the Brazilian logistics chain is a reflection of the ineffectiveness of the laws and the lack of oversight. How long will the transportation and export of this deadly mineral be tolerated?” See: Brasil é o terceiro maior exportador, mesmo com banimento [Brazil is the third largest exporter, despite the ban].
Asbestos Ban and Climate Change
Jan 13, 2025
After calls by civil society groups for urgent action on Malaysia’s asbestos hazard, the Government confirmed it had commissioned a study of the environmental and health impacts of asbestos consumption. At the January 11th public launch of his book “Saving the Planet: Climate and Environmental Lessons from Malaysia and Beyond,” Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said: “We will assess how this issue is currently managed under existing legislation and policies. If there are gaps, we may need to improve them.” See: Govt mulls complete ban on use of asbestos.
New Protocols in the Archipelago
Jan 13, 2025
The Government of Spain’s Balearic Islands is commissioning an asbestos audit to facilitate the eradication of the asbestos hazard via a digital registry which will identify and eliminate this acknowledged carcinogen from public and private buildings. The authorities have set a 2028 deadline for the removal of asbestos from all buildings on the Islands. In addition, measures will be implemented to ensure compliance with national regulations pertaining to waste disposal, contaminated soil, etc. See: The Government calls for a digital census to eradicate asbestos in buildings.
Breakthrough Technology?
Jan 13, 2025
Information uploaded by UK journalist Katherine Quarmby on LinkedIn last week was sourced from an Instagram post detailing work by Imperial College students – Doruk Toto Ozturk, Diego Munoz Iglesias, Benedikt Huber and Emile Munier – on a prototype for sensing the presence of asbestos fibers in water. The new mechanism, which “continuously monitors asbestos concentrations,” could be a potential lifesaver by warning users of water delivery systems which still have asbestos-cement pipes in their networks of the presence of toxic fibers in the water. See: The first water monitor that can detect asbestos.
Numerous Asbestos Failures
Jan 13, 2025
Officials from Jeju City, South Korea reported that following inspections conducted between December 2-31, 95 out of 116 worksites were not in compliance with health and safety asbestos regulations. Duty holders were informed of the specific nature of their failures and were advised that re-inspections would be carried out in the first half of 2025. Commenting on the situation, the Head of the Environmental Guidance Division Kim Eun-so said: “We will continue to make active efforts to manage asbestos in buildings so that citizens can be protected from being exposed to asbestos…” See: 제주시 관내 석면건축물 116개소 중 95개소 정기점검 안해 [95 out of 116 asbestos buildings in Jeju City are not regularly inspected].
Asbestos Alert in Rural Areas
Jan 8, 2025
National, state and local organizations in Australia have been warning citizens about hazards posed by deteriorating asbestos-containing products hidden within the built environment for several years. In an article in the National Indigenous Times, Associate Professor Rick van der Zwan, from Southern Cross University, who works with the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency, explained that the capacity to act on the asbestos hazard is compromised “if you're living in a regional or remote community… [where] getting access to, qualified people is very, very difficult.” See: Experts warn of heightened asbestos risk faced by remote communities.
Identifying Toxic Roofing
Jan 8, 2025
Asbestos-containing roofing remains a popular product in Indonesia. According to a new publication by Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS) entitled Housing and Environmental Indicators 2024 almost 10% of domestic properties nationwide are covered with this material which has been categorized as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization. The highest percentage of affected properties are found in Bangka Belitung Islands Province (57.49 %) and DKI Jakarta Province (54.68%). See: Bahaya Atap Asbes Bagi Kesehatan, Padahal Paling Banyak Digunakan di Indonesia [The Danger of Asbestos Roofs for Health, Even though They Are Most Widely Used in Indonesia].
Asbestos Exposure and the Carabiniere
Jan 8, 2025
A regional administrative tribunal (Tribunali amministrativi regionali – TAR) in Italy ordered the Ministry of Defense to pay compensation of €252,363 (US$260,160) to the family of a member of Italy’s national police force – the carabiniere – who died aged 49 after service of 31 years at airports and ports as well as in mechanical workshops. According to the court’s verdict, the deceased was routinely exposed to asbestos throughout his service and there were no “technical preventative measures or personal protection equipment… such as respiratory masks with a P3 degree of protection” provided by his employer. See: Amianto, militare morto di cancro. Il Ministero dovrà risarcire i familiari [Asbestos, soldier died of cancer. The Ministry will have to compensate the family members].
Mesothelioma: Geographic Hotspots
Jan 8, 2025
An analysis of health data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – a US national public health agency – revealed that Minnesota, Maine, Washington and Louisiana are the states with the highest number of mesothelioma deaths per capita in the United States. The remaining worst affected states in the top ten rankings were: Massachusetts Utah, Michigan, Virginia, Oregon, New Mexico, South Carolina, and West Virginia. It was only last year (2024) that the Environmental Protection Agency finally banned the new use of asbestos in the US. See: Study: Louisiana has high Mesothelioma death rates.Jan 8, 2025
Study Looks at Mesothelioma in School Staff
Jan 8, 2025
The article cited below was a review of a recent paper entitled: Mesothelioma & Education Workers Study, which detailed “the experiences of presentation, diagnosis, treatment and care for current and former school-based education workers with mesothelioma.” Despite the fact that asbestos use was banned in the UK in 1999, asbestos-containing material remains in place in most schools. As a result, numerous teachers and staff members are being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. The paper concluded that more research was needed to address the hazard to children as well as education workers in order “to gain further insight into the mesothelioma patient experience.” See: Mesothelioma and Education Workers (MEWS): experiences of presentation, diagnosis, treatment and care.
Bushfire Asbestos Hazard
Jan 8, 2025
On December 16, 2024, Australia’s Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency issued a media alert warning Australians of asbestos hazards in the aftermath of a bushfire. According to the Agency’s CEO Jodie Deakes: “Bushfires not only devastate communities but can also disturb asbestos-containing materials, releasing fibres into the air. These fibres pose significant health risks if inhaled. This season, it’s crucial for homeowners to include asbestos safety in their bushfire preparation and recovery plans.” See: Media release: Be alert to asbestos risks this bushfire season.
Safeguards for Products Containing Talc
Jan 6, 2025
Under a federal rule proposed at the end of last month by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), cosmetic companies will be required to implement new procedures to ensure that makeup, baby powder and other personal care products are free of carcinogenic asbestos fibers. Commenting on the new protocols Dr. Linda Katz, director of the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, said: “We believe that the proposed testing techniques are appropriate methods to detect asbestos to help ensure the safety of talc-containing cosmetic products.” See: FDA proposes new testing rules to ensure cosmetics are asbestos-free.
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 6, 2025
Letters published in The Guardian newspaper on January 2, 2025 highlighted the ongoing hazard posed by deteriorating asbestos-containing material remaining within UK schools. Dr Gill Reed, former technical adviser to the Joint Union Asbestos Committee and author of the 2024 report What is the real risk from asbestos in schools? urged the UK government to “take immediate action to develop asbestos regulations and funding for the identification and remediation, as necessary, of all schools with unsafe asbestos levels,” while Colin Porteous, Emeritus professor of architectural science, from the Glasgow School of Art, underlined the need for “detailed site surveys of system-built schools.” See: Labour must get asbestos out of schools urgently.
Growing Asbestos Export Markets
Jan 6, 2025
Just over a week after the first shipment of 50 tons of asbestos left Aksai County, China bound for India, it was announced that another 300 tons of chrysotile (white) asbestos had left Dunhuang West Railway Station en route to Dushanbe, Tajikistan. New streamlined customs processes and government support for Chinese exporters were cited as spurs to the development of foreign markets for asbestos exports. See: 敦煌机场海关：全力护航中亚货运专列常态化开行 [Dunhuang Airport Customs: Fully support the normalization of the Central Asian freight train [service]].
Mesothelioma Research: Blood Markers
Jan 6, 2025
A paper published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine by scientists in Western Australia detailed research that identified blood markers which could help predict how mesothelioma patients would respond to medical treatment. The results of the trial revealed that patients who responded well to a protocol combining standard chemotherapy drugs (cisplatin and pemetrexed) with the immunotherapy drug durvalumab had higher levels of specific immune cells in their blood before and early on in their treatment. See: NCARD researchers discover blood markers that may predict mesothelioma treatment success.
Victim’s Verdict in Rome
Jan 6, 2025
On January 3, 2025, the Court of Rome sentenced Rete Ferroviaria Italiana/RFI – the State Railways – to pay compensation of €1,300,000 (US$1.34m) to the widow and two surviving children of an RFI worker who died aged 68 in 2009 from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The deceased had been employed by RFI from 1969 to 1971 at its workshop in Foggia, southern Italy as a mechanical adjuster. See: AMIANTO Morte di Rocco A. di Foggia per amianto nelle Ferrovie: condannata RFI al risarcimento [ASBESTOS Death of Rocco A. di Foggia due to asbestos [exposure] in Railway [facility]].
Processing Asbestos Mining Residue
Jan 6, 2025
As in other countries where decades of asbestos mining created mountains of waste, Kazakhstan technicians are working on methods for reclaiming iron, nickel, magnesium, silicon, etc. from the mining residue. The paper cited below detailed a “hydrometallurgical method for processing the CAW [chrysotile-asbestos waste] from the Zhitikara deposit in the Kostanay region of Kazakhstan.” The abstract of the paper concluded that “implementing pilot-scale hydrometallurgical processing of CAW can effectively address environmental issues that pose a threat to human health and provide commercial advantages.” See: Magnesium and silicon recovery from chrysotile asbestos waste of the deposit Zhitikara, Kazakhstan.
Yet More Propaganda!
Jan 2, 2025
Russian asbestos lobbyists finished 2024 as they began it with yet more disinformation about chrysotile (white) asbestos, which they continue to robustly affirm “is safe when used in a controlled manner.” In a Russian language text uploaded last month they cited a recent study [Chrysotile Asbestos: Current State and Development Prospects in the Mining and Processing Industry] which revealed that Russian asbestos exports accounted for 47% of world exports in 2023: “Long-term dynamics show that this year [2024] Russia will retain the leading position in the world chrysotile asbestos market.” See: Минерал преткновения: почему боятся асбеста? [Mineral stumbling: why are they afraid of asbestos?].
New Trade Route
Jan 2, 2025
The development of a new asbestos trade route from Aksai County, China to India was lauded in an online article on December 22 as a landmark “breakthrough” for Chinese asbestos companies. The first export shipment of 50 tons of Aksai asbestos to India was sent via the new link in December. According to official reports, asbestos reserves in Aksai County exceed 45 million tons, accounting for 1/3 of the country’s total reserves. The news of this development was reported with dismay in India [see: Breakthrough? Causing asbestosis, lung cancer, India to get tremolite asbestos from China].
See: 酒泉市阿克塞外贸出口实现零的突破 [Jiuquan Aksai's foreign trade exports have achieved a breakthrough].
EPA Asbestos Prosecutions in 2025
Jan 2, 2025
On December 24, 2024, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) of New South Wales (NSW), Australia announced that it had begun prosecutions against four defendants charged with supplying asbestos-contaminated mulch after the largest investigation in EPA history. The accused are: VE Resource Recovery Pty Ltd. (1 charge), Arnold Vitocco (1 charge), director of VE Resource Recovery Pty Ltd., Freescale Trading Pty Ltd. (50 charges) and Runkorp Pty Ltd. (50 charges). The offences relate to 26 sites, including Rozelle Parklands in Sydney, NSW, Australia. The first hearing in this case will be on February 7, 2025. See: EPA commences prosecutions against three companies in response to asbestos in mulch investigation.
Asbestos Contamination in Quarries
Jan 2, 2025
As a result of the discovery of asbestos contamination in 16 alluvial quarries throughout France, the government has implemented new measures to protect workers and members of the public from toxic exposures. The new regulations were progressed by the Directorates-General for Risk Prevention, Labour, Health and Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control following research by the Geological and Mining Research Office. See: Amiante dans les carrières: des mesures de protection demandées aux professionnels [Asbestos in quarries: protection measures required of professionals].
Flemish Asbestos Policy
Jan 2, 2025
The existence of distinct communities in Belgium – Dutch, French and German-speaking – affects most aspects of national life. The fact that two thirds of Belgian asbestos victims live in Flanders has spurred the authorities to adopt a proactive approach to asbestos, which persists in the built environment despite a national ban. The Flemish measures include: a 2040 deadline for asbestos removal from public buildings and mandatory asbestos certificates for real estate sales. See: Certificat amiante, plan de désamiantage des bâtiments publics en 2040 : pourquoi la Flandre a une longueur d’avance sur Bruxelles et la Wallonie? [Asbestos certificate, asbestos removal plan for public buildings in 2040: why is Flanders one step ahead of Brussels and Wallonia?].
Earthquake Asbestos Legacy: Update
Jan 2, 2025
The Mayor of the Turkish city of Adiyaman – one of the cities worst affected by the February 2024 earthquakes – highlighted the continuing health hazard posed by asbestos contamination of building rubble during a presentation he made last month at the 6th International Resilience Congress in Ankara, Turkey. Abdurrahman Tutdere told delegates: “In our calculations based on a total of 350 million tons of asbestos released after the earthquake, we found that 300,000 to 400,000 people in the region are likely to get various types of asbestos-related cancers, especially peritoneal and lung cancer, in the next 10 years.” See: Thousands still face risk of cancer due to asbestos released from rubble of Feb. 6 quakes in Turkey.
Schmidheiny Guilty, Again!
Dec 23, 2024
On December 18, 2024, Stephan Schmidheiny was once again convicted by an Italian Court for crimes committed by his asbestos company. The latest asbestos ruling by the Turin Court of Appeal found the defendant guilty of the manslaughter of Giulio Testore, who died of asbestosis in 2008 having worked at the Saca Eternit plant in Cavagnolo. The accused was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison. If the verdict is appealed to the Supreme Court, it is possible the conviction will be time-barred. See: Eternit bis, Schmidheiny condannato per Cavagnolo [Eternit bis, Schmidheiny convicted for Cavagnolo].
Meeting on Asbestos Industry Threats
Dec 23, 2024
Aggressive and unprecedented moves by Indonesian asbestos vested interests were discussed on December 18, 2024 at a National Consumer Protection Seminar in Jakarta, organized by the Local Initiative for Occupational Health and Safety Network (LION) Indonesia and the consumer protection group LPKSM Yasa Nata Budi. Explaining why a successful lawsuit was launched by these groups to mandate the labeling of hazardous asbestos-containing roofing material, Dr. Anna Suraya informed delegates that according to the WHO, ILO and IARC exposures to all types of asbestos have the potential to cause cancers. See: Wanting To Protect Consumers, LPKSM Yasa Nata Budi Is Actually Sued By Corporate Interests.
Adieu Eric!
Dec 23, 2024
The article cited below reported on the December 13, 2024 death of Eric Jonckheere, the leader of the Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims: ABEVA. Having lost his parents to asbestos cancer, Eric became an ardent campaigner at home and abroad for the rights of the injured and a powerful figure in the global network of ban asbestos activists. The subsequent asbestos deaths of two of his four brothers reinvigorated his efforts. Announcing the death of its President, ABEVA spokesperson Marc Molitor confirmed that its work will continue. See: Eric Jonckheere a rendu son dernier souffle mais le combat des victimes de l’amiante continue [Eric Jonckheere has taken his last breath but the fight of asbestos victims continues].
Progress on the Costa Blanca
Dec 23, 2024
The sum of €150,000 (US$158,000) has been allocated by the Alicante Provincial Council, Spain to undertake an asbestos census and eradication plan for 92 local areas. Technical experts will produce: maps showing: the contaminated sites; data on the size, year of construction and level of risk; and a draft schedule for an asbestos removal program. Commenting on this initiative Environment Deputy Magdalena Martínez said: “This material [asbestos], widely used in the past, represents a danger that must be addressed with specific and careful protocols.” See: The Alicante Provincial Council strengthens its commitment to the municipalities of the Marina Alta with the creation of a census of facilities with asbestos.
Asbestos Removal in Alaska
Dec 23, 2024
Three Alaska Native organizations received $3.8 million from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct asbestos audits and decontamination programs of lands conveyed through the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). The Aleut Corporation received $1.9+ million, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council $1.7+m and the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association $250,000. Commenting on these grants, EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller said: “By working together with our federal, state, tribal, and local partners, we can help many more to address the long-standing health and economic burdens of this contamination on their communities.” See: Three Alaska Native Entities Awarded $3.8M for Legacy Contamination Cleanup.
New Asbestos Standard
Dec 23, 2024
Progress on addressing its asbestos legacy has been slow in Portugal. The publication by the Portuguese Institute of Quality of guidelines for asbestos inventories and registers marks a significant step in the country’s efforts to eradicate the hazard posed by asbestos remaining within the built environment and raise awareness of the health threat to members of the public as well as workers. The new publication details protocols for collecting and analyzing samples and producing inventories which can be used by decision-makers for making risk assessments. See: Instituto Português da Qualidade publica norma para uniformizar inventariação de materiais com amianto [Portuguese Institute of Quality publishes standa
Another Asbestos Tragedy!
Dec 19, 2024
Sad news contained in a press release by the Belgian Asbestos Victims group (ABEVA) on December 15, 2024 was reported by several Belgian and French news outlets earlier this week. The ABEVA announcement confirmed the mesothelioma death of ABEVA President Eric Jonckheere, aged 66; four other members of his family had also died from the same cancer. See: Décès d'Eric Jonckheere, président de l'Association belge des victimes de l'amiante [Death of Eric Jonckheere, President of the Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims].
Legal Victory in Rio de Janeiro
Dec 19, 2024
A Regional Labor Court in Rio de Janeiro ordered the São Paulo company Teadit, a producer of asbestos-containing construction materials, to pay compensation of R$1.1 million (US$179,000) to the family of a former employee who died aged 72 in 2018 from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. According to the judge: “it cannot be forgotten that the employer contributed to the illness that killed the employee, since it did not provide him with the necessary safety to perform his duties.” See: Justiça manda indenizar família de homem morto por exposição a amianto [Court orders compensation for family of man killed by asbestos exposure].
Asbestos Phase-Out
Dec 19, 2024
Olin, one of the few American chloralkali production companies still relying on asbestos technology, announced last week that it would be transitioning to an alternative and safer process at its facilities in Texas by the end of 2025. Olin facilities in Alabama have already ended asbestos use while plans are progressing for facilities in Louisiana to adopt non-asbestos-based processes. Earlier this year, the US government announced a deadline of 5-12 years for companies to phase out asbestos use in US chloralkali production. See: Olin to shut diaphragm chloralkali capacity that serves Dow’s Freeport PO unit.
Footing the Bill!
Dec 19, 2024
Campaigners are calling on Australian state and territory governments to take a more active role in eradicating the asbestos hazard from the built and natural environments. Despite adopting national prohibitions on asbestos use in 2003, it’s been estimated that about 6.4 million tonnes of asbestos-containing material remains hidden within the national infrastructure. Asbestos removal is an expensive process; private individuals as well as local councils struggle to find the necessary funds for decontamination. An award-winning council scheme in New South Wales offered a $10,000 (US$6,400) incentive to cover waste fees for property owners who cleared asbestos, using qualified contractors. The feedback from the program has been, to date, positive. See: Asbestos removal stalls as uninsured home owners baulk at clean-up cost.
Providing Clean and Safe Water
Dec 19, 2024
The Nigerian Government has announced a public-private partnership to enable the renewal and expansion of a water delivery system in Enugu State, Nigeria. According to Governor Mbah, the $100 million agreement between the state government and Austrian investors will not only provide the funding to complete the water project but will also cover the costs of replacing aging asbestos-cement water pipes with ductile pipes. Work on this project will start in January 2025. See: $100M Austrian Investment: Enugu Residents To Get Water At Minimum Cost, Mbah Assures.
Expansion of Asbestos Protections
Dec 19, 2024
On December 17, 2024 Korea’s Ministry of Environment announced that the Enforcement Decree of the Asbestos Safety Management Act and the Enforcement Decree of the Environmental Health Act had been revised. Under the new legislation, all children's centers will be designated as facilities subject to mandatory asbestos audits. In addition, asbestos safeguards are being improved so that even smaller children’s centers – those with areas of less than 50m2 – will be required to conduct asbestos surveys from the end of December 2025. See: 석면·유해물 관리, 지역아동센터까지 확대…어린이 보호 [Asbestos and hazardous material management, expanded to local children's centers... Child Protection].
Partial Victory in NE France
Dec 17, 2024
On December 11, 2024, the Metz Court of Appeal ordered Luxembourg steelmaker ArcelorMittal to pay €10,000 (US$10,500) in damages to 58 out of 120 former employees who were suffering from “asbestos anxiety,” having been exposed to asbestos at the company’s sites in Gandrange, Florange and Rombas. Confirming the 2022 ruling of the Thionville Labor Court, the Court of Appeal found that the 62 other claims for “asbestos anxiety” were time-barred. Lawyers representing the unsuccessful plaintiffs are considering an appeal to the Supreme Court (the Court of Cassation). See: Exposition à l'amiante: ArcelorMittal condamné pour "préjudice d'anxiété" [Asbestos exposure: ArcelorMittal condemned for “anxiety damage”].
Supporting Osaka’s Asbestos Victims
Dec 17, 2024
Following the release of new asbestos disease data last week by the Japanese Government, victims’ groups in asbestos hotspots held telephone hotline sessions on December 12 & 13. In Osaka, the city with the country’s highest number of asbestos deaths (169), staff and volunteers from the Kansai Workers' Safety Center operated a free consultation service using a toll-free number between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on those days. See: 大阪は全国最多 アスベストが原因で発症するとされる中皮腫で死亡した人 被害者支援団体が相談電話 [Osaka has the highest number of deaths from mesothelioma, believed to be caused by asbestos, in Japan; victim support group launches hotline].
Victim’s Appeal Victory
Dec 17, 2024
A unanimous decision by the Regional Labor Court of Rio Grande do Sul, which overturned a ruling by a lower court, ordered an automotive parts manufacturer to pay compensation of 100,000 Brazilian reais (US$16,600) to a press operator who developed irreversible lung disease – interstitial pulmonary fibrosis – due to workplace asbestos exposures. The claimant had been employed by the company for 38 years. The decision can be appealed. See: Indústria de peças automotivas deve indenizar aposentado que desenvolveu doença pulmonar após mais de 30 anos de trabalho em contato com amianto [Auto parts industry must compensate retiree who developed lung disease after more than 30 years of working in contact with asbestos].
Compliance with Asbestos Waste Regs
Dec 17, 2024
On December 12, 2024 the governing body of southern Switzerland’s Valais Canton approved plans to increase unannounced inspections for landfills located in Charrat, Riddes and Grône; noncompliance with health and safety regulations have previously been reported at all these waste sites even though landfill operators are “required to take all measures to limit the risk of emission of asbestos fibres during unloading.” The Valais Deputies also mandated that the name of prospective landfills be provided as part of the public tender process for municipal construction projects. See: Amiante: plus de contrôles inopinés dans les décharges valaisannes [Asbestos: more unannounced checks at Valais landfills].
Pleural Plaques: Update
Dec 17, 2024
An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine on December 7, 2024 reported findings of “acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)” in X-rays taken of two sisters who had been exposed to asbestos on their father’s work clothes. He had been employed as a thermal insulator and returned home covered in “snow-like particles.” Both of the sisters had extensive calcified plaques in both lungs and were diagnosed as suffering from secondhand childhood exposure to asbestos. See [subscription site]: Pleural Plaques from Secondhand Asbestos Exposure.
Asbestos Mining Continues Despite Ban
Dec 17, 2024
The extremely thoughtful and informed article cited below described the ongoing asbestos contradiction which exists in Brazil. Despite the fact that the production, processing and transport of asbestos was banned years ago by the Supreme Court, the Cana Brava chrysotile (white) asbestos mine – owned by SAMA Minerações (SAMA Minerals) – continues to operate in Goiás State. In contravention of national asbestos prohibitions, Goiás legislators adopted a law postponing the deadline for ending asbestos mining until 2029. See: Proíbido e cancerígeno, ainda se extrai Amianto no Brasil [Banned and carcinogenic, asbestos is still extracted in Brazil].
New Government Disease Data
Dec 13, 2024
On December 11, 2024 Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released the most recent data showing an increase in the number of construction and other workers certified with occupational injuries and diseases caused by workplace exposure to asbestos. There were 1,232 successful applications in 2023, which was the 13th consecutive year that the number of cases exceeded 1,000. The Ministry also published the names and locations of the businesses which had employed the injured claimants. See: アスベスト労災認定 昨年度1232人 13年連続1000人超 [Asbestos workers’ accident certification: 1,232 people last year, more than 1,000 people for 13 consecutive years].
Legislation to Strike Out Asbestos Claims
Dec 13, 2024
On December 10, 2024 a major hurdle in progressing legislative efforts to bar claimants in Ohio from accessing compensation for asbestos-related diseases was overcome when the State’s House of Representatives voted to support Senate Bill 63 which, according to plaintiffs’ lawyer Shawn Acton, “will snuff out most asbestos lawsuits prematurely in the legal process.” The draft law now returns to the Senate which must approve changes made in the House. If the Senate agrees to the amendments, the bill goes to the Governor to be signed into law. See: Ohio lawmakers pass bill to make asbestos suits harder to win.
Asbestos in Gauteng’s Schools
Dec 13, 2024
The Democratic Alliance (DA) of the South African Province of Gauteng called for urgent action to eliminate asbestos contamination of Gauteng’s 29 schools. The DA’s Chair, Mike Moriarty, demanded a timetabled response to the asbestos emergency and “greater accountability from the Gauteng Department of Education and the Department of Infrastructure Development,” neither of which accepts responsibility for the serious health risk to the 25,000 students and 700 teachers using these facilities. See: Democratic Alliance Demands Immediate Action to Eradicate Asbestos Structures in Gauteng Schools.
A Work in Progress
Dec 13, 2024
According to staff at the offices of the CFDT Miners trade union in the Freyming-Merlebach commune in northeastern France, the process of obtaining compensation for anxiety experienced by former miners who had been occupationally exposed to asbestos is both time-consuming and bureaucratic. Despite the administrative difficulties, in 2021 asbestos anxiety claims brought by 700 Lorraine coal miners were recognized. The outcome of similar claims for 300 other miners is pending. See: Amiante, cancers... Ils ont travaillé dans les mines et sont maladies [Asbestos, cancers... They have worked in the mines and are sick].
One Nation’s Ongoing Asbestos Epidemic
Dec 13, 2024
During Australia’s National Asbestos Awareness Week, the deadly impact of occupational and non-occupational asbestos exposures was highlighted. Amongst people being newly diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases are a number of teenagers who were allegedly exposed to asbestos contained in their homes or schools. Different states have different protocols for dealing with asbestos, with no one government agency or authority tasked with protecting the population from a known carcinogen. Although asbestos use was banned in Australia more than 20 years ago, the built and natural environment remain contaminated. See: Asbestos diseases hitting young Aussies as warning issued to home renovators.
Mesothelioma Scheme: Update
Dec 13, 2024
Between April 2023 and March 2024, £26.6 million (US$33.9m) compensation was paid to hundreds of mesothelioma claimants by the UK Government’s Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme. People diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma (or their dependents) “who were negligently exposed to asbestos during a period of employment, but who are unable to take legal action to seek financial redress through the civil courts” are eligible to bring a claim for a lump sum payment. Since the Scheme came into being, it has paid out £304.7m (US$387.8m) in compensation to 2,170 applicants. The Scheme is funded by a levy on the employers’ liability insurance industry. See: Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme annual statistics April 2014 to March 2024.
Asbestos Lobby on the Attack
Dec 10, 2024
Following a workshop in Russia at the end of November held by the asbestos industry-backed group the International Alliance of Trade Unions Chrysotile, a resolution was released by the participants and organizers calling on “all people of good will who use chrysotile asbestos to develop a consolidated position on the safety of the controlled use of the mineral and to defend it jointly at the international level.” See: Международный альянс профсоюзов выступил против запрета хризотила [The International Alliance of Trade Unions opposes the ban on chrysotile].
Asbestos Roofing on Public Buildings
Dec 10, 2024
On December 5, 2024, the Cabinet Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Aden Duale reminded members of the National Assembly Public Petitions Committee that Kenya had banned asbestos 18 years ago. Despite his efforts to engage with other ministries to progress a national asbestos eradication program as an urgent matter of public safety, the pace of removal work has been slow. In consideration, therefore, his Ministry has set a deadline of the end of the month for all asbestos roofing to be removed from public buildings. See: CS Duale orders removal of asbestos roofing from Gov’t offices, schools, hospitals.
Lung Cancer Spike in Non-Smokers
Dec 10, 2024
The rise in lung cancer among non-smokers in India has led to a more precautionary approach to be recommended, including the use of High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) within “population-based screening programmes targeting high-risk groups.” Eligible cohorts for testing should include people who work with asbestos and other acknowledged carcinogens. As per the latest data, 50% of those diagnosed with lung cancer in India are non-smokers. According to Dr Badiger: “Early detection and tailored treatment remain the key to saving lives and mitigating the impact of lung cancer across India.” See: Surge in lung cancer rates among non-smokers in India drives the need for better diagnostic tools: Dr Badiger.
Asbestos Inspection Program
Dec 10, 2024
The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced a new asbestos inspection program to ensure that local authorities are managing the risk of asbestos according to government guidelines and legislation. The head offices of dozens of local councils will be visited and site visits will be made to several different council premises, including libraries, museums and leisure centers, to assess whether local authorities are complying with the “duty to manage” requirements as set out in Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. See: Councils’ asbestos management to be assessed during inspection campaign.
Mesothelioma Research: Update
Dec 10, 2024
Researchers from Australia’s National Centre for Asbestos-Related Diseases (NCARD) were part of a West Australian collaborative investigation into the psychological needs of mesothelioma patients and their carers. Having considered information supplied by 36 patients and 25 caregivers, the scientists found that support was needed to: ensure access to a range of information sources and contacts; coordinate appointments and treatment schedules; improve emotional and practical support services; and address patients’ and carers’ mental health concerns. See: NCARD Research Reveals Critical Support Needs for Mesothelioma Patients and Carers.
Roof Tiles from Recovered Plastic Waste
Dec 10, 2024
A pilot project in Indonesia to replace asbestos-cement roofing with hard-wearing roofing made from recycled plastic has been completed on two homes on Batam Island. According to a press release from the group Seven Clean Seas (SCS), each roof tile was created from 1.5 kg of plastic waste. The material needed for the two homes used 1,700 kg of plastic which was recovered from the ocean and turned it into 1,186 roofing tiles. Since 2018, SCS has recovered 4,500+ tonnes of ocean plastic. See: Transforming Lives With Innovation: Revolutionizing Housing with Recycled Roof Plates.
Asbestos Eradication Law in Catalonia
Dec 6, 2024
On December 3, 2024, President Salvador Illa approved a draft law to eradicate the asbestos hazard from Catalonia – which stipulated strict procedures and timelines for the removal of asbestos from the built environment. Once the law is implemented, fines of up to €100,000 (US$105,000) could be levied on property owners who fail to comply with asbestos removal orders. It will also become mandatory for asbestos certificates to be presented during all property transactions, including sales, purchases, and rentals. See: Government approves ‘pioneering’ bill to eradicate asbestos in Catalonia.
Victory in Paris Court!
Dec 6, 2024
French officials in Saint Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, hailed a November 27th decision by the Paris Court of Appeal condemning the owners of a company, which for almost forty years operated an asbestos factory in the area. The defendant – Comptoir de minerals et matières premières [Minerals and raw materials company] – was ordered to pay the municipality ~ €14 million (US$14.8m) for damaging health and the environment. The money awarded was for work to decontaminate the derelict factory and surrounding area. See [subscription site]: Amiante à Aulnay-sous-Bois: la société mère de «l’usine-poison» devra verser près de 14 millions d’euros [Asbestos in Aulnay-sous-Bois: the parent company of the “poison factory” will have to pay nearly 14 million euros].
Landmark Reform in WA
Dec 6, 2024
On December 1, 2024, the Civil Liability (Provisional Damages for Dust Diseases) Act 2024 came into force – under which, Western Australians diagnosed with diseases caused by the inhalation of asbestos or silica dust have “improved access to fair and just compensation” like victims in other Australian States. As a result of the new legislation, individuals in WA “who develop multiple separate illnesses because of inhalation of asbestos or silica dust” will be entitled to seek subsequent damages should they develop new conditions arising from the same exposure. See: Fair compensation outcomes for dust disease sufferers commence.
Connecticut Mesothelioma Verdict
Dec 6, 2024
A unanimous November judgment of the Superior Court Judicial District of Bridgeport, Connecticut ordered that $7.5 million compensation in punitive damages be paid by R.T. Vanderbilt Holding Company to the surviving family of an engineer who died aged 81 in 2023 of mesothelioma. In May, 2024, a jury had also found the same defendant liable for $15 million after a four-week trial. The deceased, who had worked for General Electric Co. and Olin Corp., had routinely been exposed to asbestos between 1960 and 1979. See: Judge awards $7.5M in punitive damages to CT-based family of engineer who died of mesothelioma.
Two More Tragic Deaths
Dec 6, 2024
People in Belgium, which for decades had been at the center of Europe’s asbestos industry, have an in-depth knowledge of the consequences of asbestos exposures. The asbestos cancer deaths on November 27, 2024 of Erik Meersschaert (68) and Luc Heirbaut (67) were an unwanted reminder of the price this small country had paid for its deadly asbestos legacy. Both of the deceased were artists and had worked with asbestos, one at a factory and the other in a garage, decades ago. Luc’s father (2002) and brother-in-law (2022) had also died from the same asbestos cancer. See: Kunstenaars Erik (68) en Luc (67) op dezelfde dag gestorven aan dezelfde kanker: “Asbest is helaas overal” [Artists Erik (68) and Luc (67) died on the same day from the same cancer: “Asbestos is unfortunately everywhere”].
Concern over Asbestos Roofing
Dec 6, 2024
Local residents concerned about the deterioration of asbestos roofing on homes in Govan Mbeki Municipality, in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa are calling on the local government to eradicate the hazard by replacing the toxic roofing with safer material. According to Mxolisi Mlata (66), “municipal officials came to my house earlier this year and promised to replace the asbestos roof with corrugated iron, but this has still not happened.” Speaking on behalf of the municipality Donald Green said information collected by the authorities documenting the asbestos contamination had been sent to the Department of Human Settlements. See: Residents want Govan Mbeki Municipality to remove asbestos roofs.
Going Asbestos-free in China!
Dec 3, 2024
The article cited below documented the increasing availability debate in China – one of the world’s biggest asbestos producers and users – of asbestos-free alternative products. In this case, the safer fireproofing products under discussion are based on fiberglass, silicone rubber and polymer materials. Included in the text is a section on asbestos fireproofing which stated that this type of fireproofing is being “gradually phased out” due to the health hazards posed by its use: asbestos use had, the author wrote “been banned in many countries” as it caused diseases and cancer. See: 防火套管的材料选择对其性能有何影响？ [How does the choice of material for a fireproof sleeve affect its performance?].
Toxic or Non Toxic Talc?
Dec 3, 2024
According to the Russian website to which it was uploaded the article cited below, about the asbestos contamination of cosmetics, was written by journalist Nikolai Grinko. If so, he should be congratulated for producing an informative piece explaining a number of matters of historical and scientific interest. The last paragraph, however, was totally out of keeping with what came before and can only be explained by the author experiencing a memory lapse or by someone else writing the contradictory conclusion saying it was “completely pointless to urge women to use less cosmetics.” See: Ученые предупреждают об опасности талька в косметике [Scientists warn about the dangers of talc in cosmetics].
Victim’s Victory in São Paulo
Dec 3, 2024
Judge José Luiz Xavier of the 2nd Chamber of the Regional Labor Court of Brazil’s 1st Region (Rio de Janeiro) confirmed a lower court verdict ordering the São Paulo manufacturer of construction materials Teadit to pay compensation of ~R$1.1 million (US$181,200) to the family of an employee who died, aged 72, from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in 2018. According to the Judge: “the employer contributed to the illness that killed the employee, since it did not provide him with the necessary safety to perform his duties…” See: Justiça manda indenizar família de homem morto por exposição a amianto [Court orders compensation for family of man killed by asbestos exposure].
Tribunal Calls for Asbestos Action
Dec 3, 2024
India’s National Green Tribunal (NGT) condemned the failure of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to take action on serious concerns about the hazard posed to human health by asbestos contamination of schools, despite a directive ordering that a scientific study be undertaken to learn “whether the health risks for students differed from those faced by industrial workers exposed to asbestos.” The Ministry was ordered to send a senior MoEFCC officer to court on December 17 to explain why it had not complied with the NGT’s directive. See: NGT slams MoEF for ‘stalling action’ over asbestos sheets in educational institutions.
EPA Acts on Legacy Asbestos
Dec 3, 2024
On November 27, 2024, Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the final Risk Evaluation for Asbestos Part 2: Supplemental Evaluation Including Legacy Uses and Associated Disposals of Asbestos conducted under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Following extensive research, the EPA concluded that “legacy uses of asbestos that result in asbestos exposure significantly contribute to the unreasonable risk presented by asbestos.” Among those at highest risk from exposures asbestos within the built environment are construction workers and first responders, as well as their family members. See: EPA Finalizes Part 2 TSCA Risk Evaluation for Asbestos.
Power Plant Ruling
Dec 3, 2024
A compensation payout of €1,500,000+ (US$1.6m+) was awarded to the family of a refinery worker from Naples, Italy who died from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The deceased, referred to as V.T., had worked for 20 years in several capacities throughout the thermoelectric plant which had been owned by Mobil Oil Italiana. Based on the court’s investigation, the Labor Judge ruled that the company had used asbestos without occupational protections being implemented; as a result of the company’s negligence, V.T. contracted cancer. See: Amianto killer: raffineria Kuwait condannata a risarcire la famiglia dell’operaio morto per mesothelioma [Killer asbestos: Kuwait refinery ordered to compensate the family of worker who died of mesothelioma].
Asbestos Banned for Use in ADB Projects
Nov 29, 2024
A five-page policy paper called the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) recently disseminated by the Asian Development Ban (ADB) – “a regional development bank … [working] to promote social and economic development in Asia” – contained new provisions prohibiting the use of asbestos in ADB-funded projects. Included now on the Prohibited Investment Activities List is “financing the production, trade or use of asbestos fibers… This change is premised on a precautionary approach to avoid exposure risks to project workers and community members to all forms of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials given the significant health risk.” See: Asian Development Bank Environmental and Social Framework Policy Paper.
Asbestos in Schools
Nov 29, 2024
A press statement issued by South African politician Bronwynn Engelbrecht, a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (MPL) and a member of Gauteng’s Education Committee, on November 26, 2024 called for urgent eradication of the asbestos hazard from public schools. Despite a commitment made in 2013 by the Gauteng Department of Education to address the deadly contamination, the MPL claimed that “29 schools in Gauteng are built entirely or predominantly from asbestos…” See: Gauteng’s 29 asbestos schools a disgrace, demanding action from uncaring Gauteng government.
Asbestos & DIY
Nov 29, 2024
As Asbestos Awareness Week commenced in Australia, a lot of articles and resources were uploaded highlighting the country’s deadly legacy created by decades of asbestos production and use. One in three Australian domestic properties still contain asbestos. The article cited below focused on the ongoing health hazard posed by DIY work in asbestos-containing homes; anecdotal evidence suggests that an increase in asbestos disease levels is due to non-occupational asbestos exposures such as those which occur during unsafe home renovations. See: Asbestos is still found in one in three Australian homes and DIY renovations are leading to exposure among women and children.
Eradicating the Asbestos Hazard
Nov 29, 2024
Ecological restoration work to restore abandoned asbestos mines in the Giant Panda National Park in Shimian County, Sichuan Province, China has been completed. After decades of asbestos mining, 245 hectares of land covering the areas of Banchanggou, Guangyuanbao and Xinkang have been neutralized using a “five-step construction method” of mine ecological restoration to address “the geological disasters, soil erosion and leakage problems caused by large-scale slag accumulation, and improve the survival rate and construction efficiency of the restored vegetation.” See: 石棉县废弃矿山生态修复完成 助力大熊猫国家公园建设 [The ecological restoration of abandoned mines in Shimian County was completed to help the construction of the Giant Panda National Park].
Asbestos in Cosmetics
Nov 29, 2024
The contamination of talc with asbestos fibers and the use of that talc in consumer products for personal hygiene and care has resulted in a new wave of asbestos litigation by people injured through their use of toxic baby powder, face powders, eye shadows etc. The application of toxic products to the face means that the inhalation of harmful fibers is likely. The author of the article cited below calls for action saying: “If the use of talc-based cosmetics is to become a matter of consumer risk, similar to smoking, consumers must be made aware of the potential dangers.” See: Why Asbestos Is Still Being Found in Some Cosmetics.
Unfit for Purpose
Nov 22, 2024
According to a report issued on November 15, 2024 by the National Audit Office, the UK Government’s spending watchdog, the former Tory Government spent £15 million on the acquisition of a derelict prison site in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex to provide accommodation for migrants in a bid to defuse public anger at the rising cost of housing asylum seeks in hotels. The site was, subsequently, “deemed unfit for its intended purpose due to [asbestos] contamination.” Months prior to the purchase being completed, planning checks revealed “high risk” contamination “from asbestos-containing materials in existing buildings and contaminated ground.” See: Home Office ‘cut corners’ and 'wasted' £15m on asbestos-riddled migrant camp.
Asbestos Disease Data: Update
Nov 22, 2024
According to data released by Italy’s National Institute of Health (ISS), there was an average of 1,545 deaths a year from mesothelioma between 2010 and 2020, almost all of which were in people over 50 years old. Throughout that time period, there was a total of 17,000 mesothelioma-related deaths with 375 municipalities showing higher mortality rates than the regional average. Mesothelioma mortality was elevated in regions with industrial asbestos legacies such as Piedmont, Lombardy, Val d'Aosta and Liguria. Although asbestos use was banned in Italy in 1992, asbestos remains a priority public health issue. See: L’amianto in Italia resta un’emergenza nazionale [Asbestos in Italy remains a national emergency].
Asbestos Incident at Quebec Shipyard
Nov 22, 2024
A number of workers at the Davie shipyard in the Quebec city of Lévis were exposed to asbestos during repair work on the Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Toronto on October 17, 2024. A report on Radio-Canada said that the workers had used a rotary tool to remove a gasket from the ship's exhaust system. By doing so, they created an emission of dust which contained asbestos fibers. Work was shut down, the site was secured, and an investigation was begun. As the workers had not anticipated finding asbestos in the gasket, they were not wearing the personal protective equipment which would have been required for this type of work. See: Davie workers exposed to asbestos.
Eradicating the Asbestos Hazard
Nov 22, 2024
On November 21, 2024 South Korea’s Ministry of Environment and the Social Welfare Joint Fundraising Association held a public event in Seoul to highlight the successful completion of many projects to eradicate the asbestos hazard from schools and welfare centers used primarily by children. Work by the Ministry of Environment to decontaminate these high-priority structures has been ongoing since 2017. The winners of the Asbestos Safety Poster Competition were announced during the event. See: 환경부, '아동복지시설 석면안전 선언 및 성과 발표회' 개최 [Ministry of Environment Holds ‘Asbestos Safety Declaration and Performance Presentation in Child Welfare Facilities’].
New Mesothelioma Diagnostic Tool
Nov 22, 2024
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Philadelphia announced a breakthrough discovery that would enable scientists to identify complex DNA patterns as a way of achieving an early diagnosis of mesothelioma, the signature asbestos cancer, without the need for interventional medical procedures. The results of their study – Individualized Cell-Free DNA Monitoring With Chromosomal Junctions for Mesothelioma – were published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology Clinical and Research Reports. See: Innovative test that detects complex DNA patterns may improve mesothelioma detection rate in blood.
Cancer Case Launched against J&J
Nov 22, 2024
A report released by the BBC this week claimed that women with ovarian cancer are part of a first-of-its-kind UK legal action against the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) which for decades produced talc-based baby powder contaminated with asbestos. The legal team representing 1,900 potential claimants, including cancer patients, survivors and families, say that this lawsuit will be the “largest pharmaceutical product group action in English and Welsh legal history.” In the US, there are tens of thousands of cancer cases against J&J still pending. See: Women plan UK legal action over talc cancer claims.
New Toxic Waste Disposal Technology
Nov 18, 2024
A recently published academic paper by Italian researchers examined options for safely managing asbestos-containing waste with a focus on a new technology which “reduces the treatment time (and costs) and yields a reusable, asbestos-neutral building material.” Having considered various aspects of an innovative process for the thermal inertization of asbestos waste – as an alternative to landfill disposal – the authors of the paper recommended that further study be undertaken to assess “hidden environmental costs and risks.” See: Economic valuation of the thermal inertization of asbestos waste—an Italian case study.
Asbestos Tragedies on Land & Sea
Nov 18, 2024
Texts published last week in the French daily newspaper L'Humanité (Humanity), which were sadly behind a pay wall, documented the human consequences of historic asbestos use on land and at sea. The article cited below featured input from Dr Alain Carré, an occupational physician in the electricity and gas industries for more than three decades, whilst the other one (Jusqu'à 200 000 marins exposés à l'amiante: le drame silencieux des personnels de la Marine nationale [Up to 200,000 naval personnel exposed to asbestos: the silent drama of the French Navy) documented the effects of toxic exposures on naval personnel. See: Amiante: «On n’imagine pas le nombre de personnes qui ont été exposées» [Asbestos: “We can’t imagine the number of people who have been exposed”].
Legal Action against UK Conglomerate
Nov 18, 2024
Dozens of asbestos-injured claimants are suing one of the UK’s biggest asbestos groups – Cape PLC – and its global affiliates including Anglo American, De Beer Group PLC and others for the harm caused by their export of asbestos to US states such as South Carolina. According to the lawsuit, Cape executives colluded to hide the risks posed by the use of asbestos from its employees and others and “to avoid financial responsibility for the harm it knew it was causing” in US states. See: 159 Plaintiffs Sue Cape Asbestos Over Decades of Negligence and Fraud Stemming from Asbestos Exposure.
Government Settles Mesothelioma Claim
Nov 18, 2024
It was announced last week that a 73-year old man from Uji City, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2023, had reached a settlement with the Japanese Government four months after a lawsuit was begun; the settlement was approved by the Kyoto District Court. The claimant had been occupationally exposed to asbestos between 1969 and 1979 at a textile factory. He received the full amount of compensation he sought which was 12.65 million yen (US$82,000). See: アスベスト訴訟 元作業員の男性が国と早期和解 京都地裁 [Asbestos Lawsuit: Former Worker Reaches Early Settlement with Government Kyoto District Court].
New Water Source or Toxic Legacy?
Nov 18, 2024
Scientists from the National Asbestos Observatory are undertaking research to quantify whether or not there are asbestos fibers in mining wells in Thetford Mines and Val-des-Sources, cities where asbestos mines were operational throughout most of the 20th century. The purpose of this study was “to provide data to promote responsible management of the site.” Proposals have been made to use the wells as sources of drinking water; “there are currently no standards regarding asbestos in drinking water in Quebec.” See: Amiante: l’eau et les enfants sous la loupe des chercheurs à Val-des-Sources [Asbestos: water and children under the microscope of researchers in Val-des-Sources].
EU Asbestos at Work Directive
Nov 18, 2024
An online conference on “Asbestos at Work Directive’: Challenges and Opportunities,” is being held on November 28, 2024 by the European Commission. Speakers during the 4-hour afternoon session will consider the use of measures by Member States to facilitate “the effective implementation of the recently revised Asbestos at Work Directive.” Compliance with this Directive is essential to reduce the EU’s incidence of asbestos-related disease and death; “currently 4.1 to 7.3 million workers in the EU are exposed to asbestos… In 2019, occupational exposure to asbestos claimed over 70,000 lives in the EU.” See: European Commission to hold online asbestos conference.
Asbestos Dumped in the Mediterranean
Nov 15, 2024
A public scandal has erupted after it was revealed that six million tonnes of asbestos-containing material excavated from the seabed off the coast of Turkey’s Mersin Port was dumped back into the sea even though an asbestos alert had been contained in the environmental impact assessment provided to representatives of the development company. Highlighting the occupational, environmental and public health risk posed by the dregding of this polluted site, the Mersin Governor's Office and Mersin Metropolitan Municipality were urged to abandon the project. See: Mersin limanında denize 6 milyon ton zehir döktüler [6 million tons of poison dumped into the sea in the port of Mersin].
Asbestos Crimes in Demolition Sector
Nov 15, 2024
A report on Swedish Radio News on November 14, 2024 exposed the hazards created by small and large building companies which are failing to comply with health and safety regulations during asbestos removal operations and demolition work at buildings containing asbestos. Although Sweden banned asbestos in 1982, workers and members of the public are still at risk from toxic exposures. In 2023, inspectors at the Swedish Work Environment Authority reported 200 instances of noncompliance with asbestos removal regulations. See: Hundreds of safety violations when removing asbestos.
Asbestos Removal Disease Data
Nov 15, 2024
An analysis of disease data from a large UK cohort of licensed asbestos removal workers reported higher than expected mortality from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, such as lung cancer. The researchers found “high smoking rates among asbestos workers and reported a greater than additive interaction between smoking and asbestos on lung cancer mortality… Smoking rates remain high (40%), nearly 10% of workers reported dry stripping asbestos, and fewer than 10 (<0.5%) reported having been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease.” See: Fifty years of the Great Britain Asbestos Workers’ Survey (AWS): past, present and future.
Asbestos Trade Data
Nov 15, 2024
On October 21, 2024, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) uploaded “Advance Data Release of the 2023 Annual Tables (2023 tables-only release)” which contained updated asbestos production and consumption figures. Whilst total production worldwide was down to 1,240,000 tonnes (t), Russia and Kazakhstan retained their positions as top producers with outputs of 600,000t and 255,200t, respectively. India, China and Uzbekistan were the top three consuming countries using 482,000t, 284,000t and 125,000t, respectively. See: Asbestos Statistics and Information.
National Asbestos Crisis
Nov, 15, 2024
In a thought-provoking article by Cristina Billion, the relatives of Italian asbestos victims detailed personal tragedies they experienced as a result of toxic asbestos exposures at work, at home or in the environment. Salvatore Cimmino spoke of the death of his wife Anna Marie from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma; she had worked at a power station. Anna Maria Guzzi described the loss of her husband Fabio Guarnase (48) whose environmental and occupational exposure took place in their home town, Broni. Despite the countless asbestos deaths, few legal cases against owners, managers or employers have succeeded. See: We, Condemned by Asbestos.
Asbestos Eradication of Water System
Nov 15, 2024
VASKI – the utility in charge of the water and sewage systems in the Turkish district of Erciş, Van Province in the east of the country – has started to detoxify the drinking water system by replacing asbestos-containing pipes in the city center. According to the municipal authorities, to date 1,000+ asbestos pipes have been replaced to “ensure that citizens have access to healthy water.” During a recent photo opportunity, Van Municipality Co-Mayors Neslihan Şedal and Abdullah Zeydan examined the pipe renewal work and were briefed on the project by Department Head Bayram Kızıltaş and construction site foremen. See: VASKI renews Erciş's drinking water infrastructure.
Asbestos in Schools
Nov 11, 2024
In the article cited below, the author and trade unionist Hank Roberts discussed recent research findings to substantiate the dangerous consequences of the Health and Safety Executive’s “wait and see” asbestos policy, calling for an immediate rethink by the Labour Government. Referencing articles by Steve Boggan in the Daily Mail as well as data from the report: What Is The Real Risk Of Asbestos In Schools, Roberts urged grassroots groups to “fight together in unity to ensure that we can finally get rid of the dreadful scourge killing our teachers, support staff and pupils in education.” See: Asbestos deaths in schools will grow.
“Historic” Award in Lung Cancer Appeal
Nov 11, 2024
The Italian shipyard company Fincantieri was ordered to pay compensation of €1,150,000 (US$1,240,000) to the family of a 65-year old Venetian carpenter and welder who died in 2015 from lung cancer due to routine asbestos exposures at his workplace. The ruling of the Venice Court of Appeals was hailed as “a historic decision” as it vastly increased the size of the first instance court’s €80,000 award and confirmed “the causal link between the disease and prolonged [occupational] exposure to asbestos fibers…” See: Operaio morto per esposizione all’amianto, Fincantieri condannata a pagare un milione e 150mila euro [Worker died from exposure to asbestos, Fincantieri ordered to pay one million and 150 thousand euros].
Mayo Clinic Diagnostic Progress
Nov 11, 2024
A technique developed by researchers at the Mayo Clinic centers in Minnesota and Arizona could “increase the detection rate of cancer DNA in the blood. This approach focuses on shuffled or swapped sections of DNA in mesothelioma cancer cells, called chromosomal rearrangements.” By facilitating earlier diagnoses of mesothelioma, the new technique could allow more time for treatment as well as a wider option of targeted therapies to choose from. Based on preliminary positive results, there are plans to expand this study to fine tune the testing method. See: Innovative Mayo Clinic test may improve mesothelioma detection rate in blood.
Kudos for Researcher from China!
Nov 11, 2024
Developments reported on a Chinese news portal last week related that Dr Jiayan Liao, a Senior Lecturer at Sydney’s University of Technology, had been awarded the NSW Early Career Researcher of the Year (Physical Sciences) for her work on exploring how nanotechnology could be exploited to achieve early detection of mesothelioma cancer cells. Dr. Jiayan arrived in Australia from China in 2016 for her PhD studies which were completed in 2020. See: 悉尼华人学者获奖：探索纳米技术应用于早期癌症检测 [Sydney Chinese scholar wins award for exploring nanotechnology for early cancer detection].
Asbestos STILL in Schools
Nov 11, 2024
The dilapidated and dangerous state of the UK school estate – much of which contains deteriorating asbestos products – remained largely unaddressed in the first Labor Government’s budget since the election. The £1.4 billion allocated for the school rebuilding program and the £2.1 billion to maintain existing schools is just a £300 million increase; billions more are needed to eradicate the hazards posed by the presence of asbestos and Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) material to make the buildings safe for use by pupils and staff. See: UK budget: a pittance for crumbling, asbestos riddled schools.
Asbestos at Nursery Schools
Nov 11, 2024
Officials in Changwon City – the capital of South Korea’s South Gyeonsgsang Province – recently announced plans to subsidize asbestos removal expenses for six public and private daycare centers. The sum allocated for this project is around 100 million won (US$ 71,530) and is, say the municipal authorities, a necessary “investment…[to] protect children from the risks of asbestos and create a safe daycare environment.” See: 창원특례시, 어린이집 환경개선사업 추진 “박차 [Changwon Special City, “Accelerates” Promotion of Daycare Center Environment Improvement Project].
Promoting Asbestos Sales in 2024!
Nov 7, 2024
The article cited below – which was no longer accessible the day after IBAS uploaded the link via social media – confessed that Russia’s initiative in the creation of BRICS – “an intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates” – in 2009 was to promote Russian economic interests such as those of the chrysotile (white) asbestos industry. Asbestos exports from Russia are sent to China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka etc. As global demand for asbestos plummets, Russian exporters are looking to BRICS to protect and grow asbestos markets. See: Международный диктат большинства: зачем нужен БРИКС? [International Dictate of the Majority: Why Do We Need BRICS?].
Well Done, Nicola!
Nov 7, 2024
Earlier this week, Western Australia’s annual Premier Student Scientist of the Year Award was presented to PhD candidate Nicola Principe, an immunologist from the University of Western Australia researching protocols for treating the deadly asbestos cancer mesothelioma by harnessing the body’s own immune system to kill cancer cells. In addition to her research, Nicola and three other PhD students – Lizeth Orozco, Jess Boulter and Caitlin Tilsed – established the Western Australian Kindness in Science initiative to provide mental support for young scientists. See: WA Student Scientist of the Year 2024.
Asbestos in Schools
Nov 7, 2024
According to the French trade union Sud-Éducation 53, hazardous conditions at many asbestos-containing primary schools, high schools and colleges in Mayenne, France persist due to non-compliance with health and safety guidelines. As a result, the health of students as well as staff members is been endangered. Asbestos-containing pipes, plaster, slates, floor, ceiling and roofing tiles, etc. were widely used in the construction of educational institutions in France, especially those built in the 1970s. See: De nombreux élèves mayennais confrontés sans le savoir à de l'amiante dans leur établissement, selon Sud-Éducation 53 [Many Mayenne students unknowingly confronted with asbestos in their school, according to Sud-Éducation 53].
Online Asbestos Resource for Schools
Nov 7, 2024
On October 31, 2024, a new guidance document: Managing asbestos in your school or college was uploaded to the website of the Department of Education. The publication is intended to assist school leaders, governors, local authorities and academy trusts in England with their duty to safely manage asbestos in schools and colleges. The publication supplements information from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) contained in various other documents including: The duty to manage asbestos in buildings and Asbestos management checklist for schools. See: Managing asbestos in your school or college.
Contamination of the Built Environment
Nov 7, 2024
An asbestos audit in Jeju City, the capital of the Jeju Province in South Korea, conducted from May to October 2024, confirmed the ubiquity of asbestos-containing roofing with 26,758 buildings showing signs of contamination. The vast majority of these buildings were still in use. The worst affected area was the Aewol-eup neighborhood of the capital with 3,250 toxic structures. Based on the survey results, the city plans to implement measures to promote asbestos eradication and replacement projects. See: 1급 발암물질 석면 건축물 ‘애월읍 최다’ 철거 추진 [Promotion of demolition of class 1 carcinogen asbestos buildings ‘mostly in Aewol-eup’].
Asbestos Waste Collection in Brittany
Nov 7, 2024
People interested in making use of the free municipal collection of asbestos waste must register their request by November 8 on the website of the Joint union for the collection and sorting of household waste (Syndicat mixte de collecte et tri des déchets ménageres /Smictom) of the Fougères commune of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany, France. There are strict labelling and packaging requirements for this one-off collection of the asbestos waste which is limited to 0.5 m3 per household. See: Une collecte d’amiante organisée dans le pays de Fougères [An asbestos collection organized in the Fougères region].
Toxic Talc Recall
Nov 4, 2024
Asbestos fibers found in baby powder during routine tests by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prompted a recall earlier this week of talc-based Dynacare Baby Powder in 35 US States. Commenting on this development, a spokesperson for the FDA said: “If talc mining sites are not carefully chosen or if proper steps are not taken to adequately purify the talc ore, it may contain asbestos.” The product was also sold on Amazon. Dynacare is asking customers to stop using the product and return it for a refund. See: Baby powder potentially laced with asbestos now under recall in 35 states.
Sad News from Sydney
Nov 4, 2024
The death of veteran Australian journalist and broadcaster Matt Peacock was announced on October 31, 2024. Matt was known around the world for his work exposing the crimes of Australian asbestos giant: James Hardie Industries (JH). He joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1973 and was its foreign correspondent in London, Washington and New York. His seminal work “Killer Company: James Hardie Exposed” was made into a popular ABC mini-series – called Devil's Dust – which dramatized the consequences for workers of putting their trust in JH. Matt died suddenly, aged 72, of pancreatic cancer. See: Matt Peacock, former ABC journalist renowned for investigating asbestos issues, has died aged 72.
Good News for Londoners
Nov 4, 2024
Sufferers of asbestos-related cancer in the London area will now have the support of clinical nurse specialist Karen Connolly who will be based at St Bartholomew's Hospital, the oldest hospital in London. Commenting on the news, Nurse Connolly, who has been a lung cancer nurse for 10 years, said: “I’m hoping to play a role in developing the treatment, care and support available for mesothelioma patients and their families ensuring that they get access to new and effective treatments for their symptoms.” This post is being funded by the charity: London Asbestos Support Awareness Group. See: New mesothelioma specialist nurse to support London’s cancer patients.
Joined Up Asbestos Policy
Nov 4, 2024
A detailed and well-written article in Korea’s Women’s Times Magazine explained the government’s strict health and safety regime governing the removal and disposal of asbestos-contaminated building material. Having discussed the ubiquity of asbestos products throughout the country, the author explained the consequences for human health posed by exposures to the toxic material and highlighted the many measures put in place by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Education Health to prevent such exposures. See: [정책진단] 석면 건축물·슬레이트 철거 지원사업 잘되고 있나 [Is the asbestos building and slate demolition support project going well?].
Asbestos in New Memorial
Nov 4, 2024
It sounded like a good idea: making a memorial sculpture out of parts of a World War II bomber that was shot down over Markermeer Lake in the central Netherlands in 1943. Unfortunately, it was found that Sculptor Laura O’Neill unwittingly used pieces of a wrecked BK716 Short Stirling plane found in the lake four years ago that contained asbestos. After initial tests came back positive for asbestos, follow-up tests are being conducted. The memorial commemorated the bravery of the seven men who died in the plane crash. See: Asbestos found in memorial made from remains of wartime bomber.
Asbestos and Lung Cancer: New Resource
Nov 4, 2024
The final paper of a special issue of the Lung Cancer Journal – Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer: An Update – was recently uploaded. Another seven papers on this subject are also available at the link below and cover topics such as: asbestos history and use; what a reporting pathologist needs to know; ultrafine particulate definitions vis-à-vis carcinogenicity; screening for lung cancer; environmental asbestos exposures etc. All the papers can be downloaded free from the journal’s website. See: Special Issue: Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer: An Update.
Nationwide Asbestos Patrols
Oct 30, 2024
Earlier this month, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and Ministry of the Environment announced a joint initiative to conduct asbestos surveillance at construction sites around the country during October and November 2024. During these inspections, technical experts will ensure that work is being undertaken in compliance with mandatory safety laws and regulations intended to prevent the dispersion of asbestos into the environment and ensure that asbestos-containing industrial waste is being safely disposed of. See: 綿対策に係る全国一斉パトロールを実施します [We will be conducting nationwide patrols to combat asbestos].
Conflicted Asbestos Policy Reflections
Oct 30, 2024
Brazilian developments are discussed in the feature cited below in light of asbestos prohibitions adopted in the US earlier this year. Although the Supreme Court (STF) banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos in Brazil in 2017, asbestos production for export purposes continues at the asbestos mine in Goiás State. The STF was scheduled to rule on shutting down the mine weeks ago but instead said that the decision had been postponed. See: EUA proíbem compra e uso de amianto no país e estimulam Brasil a discutir prejuízos de ser o terceiro maior produtor do material para exportação no mundo [US bans purchase and use of asbestos in the country and encourages Brazil to discuss the losses of being the third largest producer of this material for export in the world].
Hazards of Asbestos Brakes
Oct 30, 2024
An October 5, 2024 meeting at the Bangka Belitung (Polmanbabel) Manufacturing Polytechnic, considered the consequences of the use of asbestos-containing brake pads. On the panel of expert speakers were representatives of the Indonesian Doctors Association, Yamaha, Honda, and brake-pad manufacturers. Among the facts conveyed were: asbestos exposures can cause cancers; Honda banned asbestos use in brake pads in 2006; cheaper asbestos brake pads have a considerably shorter service life than safer alternatives. See: Polman Negeri Babel Gelar FGD Bahas Bahaya Asbestos di Kampas Rem, Soroti Dampak Kesehatan dan Keamanan [Polmanbabel Holds Focus Discussion Group to Discuss Dangers of Asbestos in Brake Pads, Highlights Health and Safety Impacts].
Remembering Dick Jackson
Oct 30, 2024
A magazine article published this week highlighted the pioneering work of Richard (Dick) Jackson, an insulation engineer, a dockyard worker, a trade union safety representative, a grassroots organizer, an asbestos victims’ advocate and an international campaigner. On July 15, 1979, Dick founded Hull Action on Safety and Health, later renamed Hull Asbestos Action Group (HAAG), and over the next fifteen years proceeded to fight 250 compensation cases and help “turn the tide of industrial and medical opinion” on asbestos. He died on October 30th, 1994 from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Thirty years on, we are still fighting many of the same battles. See: Remembering Richard Jackson.
Laval’s Asbestos Legacy
Oct 30, 2024
According to an article in the Laval Courier, the majority of the 120+ buildings in the Quebec town of Laval which are listed on an asbestos registry are operated by the municipality, including the Laval School Service Center (CSSL) and the Laval Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS). Asbestos-containing products are found in 85% of Laval’s primary schools and 93% of secondary schools. Other affected facilities include: City Hall, nursing homes, hospitals, administrative offices and group homes. Measures being taken to protect workers and building users from hazardous exposures are discussed. See: Plus de 120 bâtiments publics avec de l’amiante à Laval [More than 120 public buildings with asbestos in Laval].
Victim’s Verdict in Abruzzo
Oct 30, 2024
The Court of Teramo, Italy ordered the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) to compensate the family of a train driver who died from an asbestos-related disease he contracted as a result of hazardous workplace exposures. The verdict for the surviving family of Dionisio Merli comes 14 years after the deceased had been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. INAIL fought the claim saying that the disease had been caused by the claimant’s smoking history. See: Sentenza storica: l'Inail condannato per malattia professionale da amianto [Historic ruling: INAIL convicted [i.e. ordered to pay compensation] in occupational asbestos disease [case]].
A New Era!
Oct 28, 2024
Six years after asbestos removal work began on Barcelona’s trains, the final asbestos-containing train on the L1 metro line was withdrawn from service. As well as being in the trains, asbestos was on roofs and in the tunnels and stations of the transport system. The company in charge says that 90% of the asbestos has been removed and that a €1.3 million (US$1.4m) contract has been signed to remove the remaining 10%. Dozens of employees and former employees have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. See: El último viaje del tren con amianto: la L1 se despide del último convoy en la red metropolitana [The last journey of the train containing asbestos: the L1 says goodbye to the last convoy on the metropolitan network].
Calls for Immediate Asbestos Ban
Oct 28, 2024
At an event on October 24, 2024 at the Legislative Palace in Mexico City, politicians, medical and scientific experts called for an immediate end to asbestos use in Mexico. During presentations, speakers considered the consequences of decades of asbestos consumption in Mexico and called for measures to quantify the consequences of toxic exposures amongst the population and a program to eradicate asbestos from the country’s infrastructure. See: Piden en foro de análisis sobre la Ley General de Erradicación del Asbesto que se apruebe una reforma legislativa en la materia [In an analysis forum on the General Law for the Eradication of Asbestos, approval is sought for legislative reform on the matter].
A Tragic and Ongoing Legacy
Oct 28, 2024
The commentary cited below by Professor Justin Stebbing of Anglia Ruskin University highlighted key aspects of the UK’s ongoing asbestos disaster, including the dangerous conditions found in the majority of UK schools caused by the presence of deteriorating asbestos-containing material. “It seems,” Professor Stebbing concluded that the “only way to finally eradicate the health risks of asbestos is to remove it from public buildings. Strict enforcement of regulations, public education, safe removal programs and support for those who’ve been exposed to asbestos will be essential in ensuring that asbestos related health risks are finally eradicated.” See: How asbestos exposure continues to be a dire health risk – 25 years after it was banned.
Asbestos Industry Event in Bishkek
Oct 28, 2024
An event organized by asbestos industry stakeholders masquerading as an “international scientific and practical conference” took place earlier this month to spread industry propaganda regarding the safety of the “controlled use of asbestos.” Co-organized and attended by pro-asbestos proponents from Kazakhstan – the world’s second biggest asbestos-producer – delegates were told of the unique properties of chrysotile (white) asbestos, its regional availability and its comparatively low price. See: Здоровье и хризотил: научная конференция в Кыргызстане даст толчок исследованиям минеральных волокон в СНГ [Health and Chrysotile: Scientific Conference in Kyrgyzstan to Boost Mineral Fiber Research in CIS].
Deja-Vu in Turin!
Oct 28, 2024
Once again, Turin prosecutors have returned to court to launch a legal action to hold to account the Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny for a death caused by toxic exposures which occurred at the Eternit company’s asbestos factory. In this case, the former asbestos entrepreneur and company owner/director is facing manslaughter charges over the 2008 death of a worker from Eternit’s Cavagnolo plant (Turin). Over the last 20 years, Schmidheiny has been charged over the asbestos deaths of workers and members of the public in multiple jurisdictions in Italy. See: Eternit bis: riparte a Torino il processo d'appello [Eternit bis: appeal trial starts again in Turin].
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 28, 2028
An asbestos scandal is unfolding in Paju City, in South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province regarding the improper removal and storage of toxic waste generated by asbestos decontamination work at local schools. Staff from Paju City Council and the Ministry of Employment and Labor are reviewing actions taken by an asbestos removal company and the Paju Education Support Office, both of which are suspected of violating mandatory regulations. See: 파주시 “학교지원센터, 석면해체작업·감리 부적절 정황 포착” [Paju City “School Support Center, Detection of Improper Asbestos Dismantling Work and Supervision”].
Asbestos Alert in Kostanay Region
Oct 25, 2024
People in the Kazakh asbestos mining town of Zhitikar, in the Kostanay Region of northern Kazakhstan, are mobilizing over the elevated incidence of cancer in the region, which is home to the country’s only chrysotile (white) asbestos mining facility. The residents are demanding that the region be recognized by the authorities as an environmental disaster zone. Zhitikar has the fourth highest incidence of cancer in the region. In response to these concerns, the Ministry of Ecology issued instructions for inspections of the industrial facilities. See: Экокатастрофа: в Житикаре связали рак с добычей асбеста - обзор казпрессы [Eco-disaster: cancer linked to asbestos mining in Zhitikar].
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 25, 2024
An October 22, 2024 press release by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and an October 23, 2024 article in the Socialist Worker (‘Cost-cutting culture’ could unleash asbestos deaths ‘tsunami’ in schools) called on the new Labour Government to take immediate steps to address the national crisis caused by the continued presence of asbestos in UK schools, hospitals and other buildings. Steps being recommended included: the establishment of a central asbestos register, a national program for the phased eradication of asbestos from schools and the implementation of a rigorous system of inspection and supervision. See: Education unions position on asbestos.
Shame on Them!
Oct 25, 2024
The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) once again fudged asbestos litigation intended to shut down mining operations that were in contravention of the country’s constitution as well as a nationwide asbestos ban. STF virtual proceedings began on October 18, 2024. On October 23, Minister (STF Judge) Alexandre de Moraes inexplicably interrupted the trial and said the decision would be postponed indefinitely even though it was known that the majority of STF judges supported shutting down the Goiás State asbestos mine owned by Eternit S.A. – Brazil’s one-time asbestos giant. See: Supremo Tribunal Federal (Supreme Court) Agenda – ADI 6200.
Remediation Workers Abandoned
Oct 25, 2024
Workers who rehabilitated old asbestos mines and dumps in South Africa’s Limpopo Province between 2019 and 2022 accused their former employer: Lafata Mechanical Engineering, a contractor which had been appointed by the Department of Mineral Resources to undertake this work, of non-compliance with government requirements by failing to ensure that they received medical examinations at the end of their contracts. The workers say they feel abandoned and fear for their health as a result of having been involved with the asbestos clean-up operations. See: Asbestos mine workers demand justice over abandoned medical exams.
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 25, 2024
Millions of dollars have been allocated to undertake essential repairs in seven schools in Philadelphia. Some of the $175 million from the Pennsylvania State program will be used for repairs and renovations which will include the removal of asbestos and lead. According to the text of the article cited below, asbestos eradication will be undertaken in the hundred-year-old Overbrook High School in West Philadelphia as part of a $5 million refurbishment program of the school. Officials estimate that Philadelphia’s schools, which average 75 years old, need about $8 billion in building repairs. See: These 7 Philly schools just got millions in state money for these projects.
Creating Domestic Asbestos Demand
Oct 25, 2024
At the beginning of this month (October 2024), it was announced that Kazakhstan’s first facility for manufacturing asbestos-cement façade panels had begun operations. This development is part of the drive to increase domestic consumption of home-grown asbestos, most of which is exported to foreign countries as Kazakh consumers have little appetite for using products containing a known carcinogen. After Russia, Kazakhstan is the world’s second biggest asbestos-producing country. See: В Казахстане открыли первый завод по производству фиброцементных фасадных плит [The first plant for the production of fiber cement facade panels has opened in Kazakhstan].
Asbestos in Parliament
Oct 22, 2024
A disturbing article by journalist Steve Boggan appeared in the Daily Mail on October 19, 2024. Boggan disclosed details of recent asbestos incidents in Parliament, all of which were in contravention of health and safety regulations. As a result of multiple failures to comply with mandatory guidelines, thousands of contractors, full-time and part-time Parliamentary members of staff as well as MPs could have been exposed to a known carcinogen. To protect workers and the public from future exposures, the newspaper has launched a campaign for the creation of a national asbestos database. See [subscription site]: Exposed. How the Palace of Westminster is riddled with deadly asbestos – and there have already been two terrifying incidences which may have endangered workers and Mps.
Supreme Court to Rule on Asbestos Mining?
Oct 22, 2024
On October 18, 2024, Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) held a virtual plenary session to discuss proposals which would allow asbestos mining for export purposes to continue for another five years. The law [20.514/2019] under which this contravention of the Brazilian asbestos ban persists was passed by the State of Goiás and is almost certainly unconstitutional. The STF was due to give a final ruling on shutting down mining operations months ago. The scheduled date for the verdict came and went with nothing further said about the pending asbestos litigation. Another hearing is set for October 25, 2024.
WHO Asbestos Alert
Oct 22, 2024
An asbestos fact sheet was uploaded on September 27, 2024 to the website of the World Health Organization (WHO). It was available in English, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Spanish and French. The new WHO resource confirmed that: all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile (white asbestos), are carcinogenic; construction workers remain at high risk of workplace exposures and the majority of all occupationally-caused deaths are due to exposures to asbestos. According to the WHO: “Asbestos-related diseases can be prevented, and the most efficient way to prevent them is to stop the use of all forms of asbestos to prevent exposure, as more than 50 WHO Member States have already done…” See: Asbestos. Key Facts.
Asbestos Waste Handling & Disposal
Oct 22, 2024
Recognizing the hazard posed by the failure to regulate the disposal of asbestos-containing debris, Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on October 18, 2024 uploaded a list of fifteen transporters and landfill sites which had been approved to handle asbestos waste in the counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Migori, Taita Taveta & Kiambu. As there are a total of 47 counties in Kenya, it is clear that the level of asbestos removal capacity which exists is not adequate for the country’s needs. On August 28, 2024, the Kenyan Government ordered that asbestos roofing on public and private buildings must be removed within 90 days as it posed a serious risk to public health. See: List of NEMA-Approved Asbestos Roof Landfills.
Asbestos Mortality: Update
Oct 22, 2024
A recent publication – “Impact of asbestos on mortality. Italy, 2010-2020” – by Italy’s Higher Institute of Health (ISS) reported that between 2010 and 2020, 1,545 Italians died from mesothelioma (on average) each year, of whom 1,116 were male and 429 female. Although Piedmont, Lombardy, Valle d'Aosta and Liguria were the regions with the highest number of deaths, asbestos deaths were recorded throughout the country. According to the ISS data, asbestos mortality hotspots were found in municipalities with shipyards, asbestos-cement production centers, heavy industry and asbestos mines. See: Asbestos: Every year in Italy 1,545 people die from mesothelioma.
Government Support for Asbestos Victims
Oct 22, 2024
New data from South Korea substantiates the high level of deaths caused by environmental exposures to toxins and carcinogens and predicts that the incidence of mortality will rise in the coming years. From 2011 to August, 2024, 8,049 people had been recognized as suffering damage due to asbestos-related diseases. There were 4,622 cases of people who died from asbestosis, 1,417 from lung cancer and 830 from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. Compensation was paid by the government to 1,176 claimants suffering from these diseases. See: [단독]가습기살균제·석면·오염…'환경성 질환' 피해 1만8천명 육박 [[Exclusive] Humidifier disinfectant, asbestos, pollution… 'Environmental disease' damages approaching 18,000 people].
Asbestos Exposure on ILO Agenda
Oct 21, 2024
An October 4, 2024 technical meeting at the Geneva headquarters of the International Labor Organization, which was attended by representatives from government, employers and workers, reached a number of conclusions regarding just transition proposals for the building industry, including the cement sector, based on the report cited below. Paragraph 97 on page 35 of the report highlighted the ongoing asbestos hazard in both ban and non-ban countries: “exposure to asbestos is still a cause of concern, including for workers in the building materials industry.” For decades, construction workers have been amongst those at the highest risk of potentially deadly workplace asbestos exposures. See: Report for the meeting: Promotion of decent work and a just transition in the building materials industry, including cement.
Govt Condemned over Asbestos Failings
Oct 21, 2024
On October 18, 2024, the Trieste Court of Appeal confirmed the guilt of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defense for the asbestos-related death of Sergeant Dario Zuban, who had served in the Navy and died from mesothelioma 9 years ago, aged 60. Zurban was exposed to asbestos on land and at sea when he worked as a naval engineer between 1976 and 1978. The Court ordered that Zurban’s widow Gina Natalini Risi receive a lump sum payment of €285,000 (US$309,400) and a lifetime monthly pension of €2,100 ($US2,280). See: Vittima dell’amianto: maxi risarcimento alla vedova Zuban [Asbestos victim: maxi compensation to Zuban's widow].
Asbestos Cancer on the Rise
Oct 21, 2024
A paper published in the Journal of the National Cancer Center in September 2024 by scientists from China, Germany, Sweden and Canada reported that “the burden of MM [malignant mesothelioma – the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos] has been significantly increasing in China over the last three decades and will continue to increase in the upcoming decade, suggesting an urgent need for a complete ban on chrysotile asbestos in China.” China is one of the few countries still mining asbestos. In 2022, it produced 130,000 tonnes (t) and consumed 261,000t. See: Burden of malignant mesothelioma in China during 1990–2019 and the projections through 2029.
Building Technical Capacity
Oct 21, 2024
The Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion Department of the European Commission (EC) is recruiting asbestos experts to support EC efforts to increase occupational asbestos protections by improving good practice guidelines, providing practical solutions for employers and workers, and holding online half- and full-day information workshops in October & November 2024. The vast majority of occupationally-caused cancers recognized in EU member states are due to asbestos exposures. See: Asbestos experts wanted – work with us to prepare good practice guidelines.
Legal Victory in Connecticut
Oct 21, 2024
On October 15, 2024, a jury in Bridgeport, Connecticut issued a plaintiff’s verdict in a case brought by mesothelioma sufferer Evan Plotkin against Johnson & Johnson (J&J). Plotkin was diagnosed in 2021 with this asbestos cancer which he alleged had been caused by his use of J&J’s talc-based baby powder. The jury ruled that in addition to the $15 million verdict, the company must pay punitive damages, the amount of which will be determined by the trial judge at a later date. The company said it will appeal the judgment. See: J&J must pay $15 million to man who says its talc caused his cancer, jury finds.
Asbestos Trial of Medical Consultant
Oct 21, 2024
The trial has started in a Turin Court of an 84-year old doctor accused of manslaughter for colluding with company directors and managers at workshops operated by the Italian State Railways, where few efforts were made to prevent workplace asbestos exposures. As a result of their negligence, 16 workers have died from asbestos-related diseases. According to the prosecutor, the doctor – the only surviving member of the conspiracy – failed to carry out mandatory medical duties. See: Sedici lavoratori morti per l'amianto alle Ogr 50 anni fa, medico a processo [Sixteen workers died from asbestos at the OGR 50 years ago, doctor on trial].
Asbestos Hazard in Domestic Settings
Oct 15, 2024
The prevalence of asbestos-containing products throughout homes in Kazakhstan is cited as a classic example of the dangerous technologies of yesteryear. Unfortunately, the presence of this toxic material within structures and in Kazakh homes continues to pose a serious health risk. The fact that the author of the text cited below commented on the carcinogenic nature of chrysotile asbestos is of significance as Kazakhstan is the world’s second biggest asbestos exporter and one of the key orchestrators of the global asbestos propaganda campaign. See: Какую смертельную опасность таят вещи из бабушкиного серванта [What mortal dangers are hidden in things from grandmother's sideboard].
Former British Company Sued in SC
Oct 15, 2024
A case against the former UK conglomerate Cape Asbestos and other defendants has been listed for a February 2025 trial by a South Carolina (SC) Court. The litigation arises from historic sales by Cape of asbestos-containing material in SC and other US states. The case is Cape, PLC, individually and successor in interest to Cape Asbestos Company Limited, by and through its duly appointed receiver, Peter D. Protopapas v. Anglo American PLC, et. al., case number 2020-CP-4001759. See: Anglo American PLC, ESAB Corp. and Billionaire Mohed Altrad to Stand Trial for Cape Asbestos Liabilities.
Yet Another Legal Defeat for Eternit
Oct 15, 2024
The 4th Division of a Regional Labor Court in São Paulo, last week ordered Brazil’s asbestos giant Eternit, SA to pay compensation of R$1 million (US$178,000) to a worker who had contracted mesothelioma as a result of workplace asbestos exposures. The 76-year old claimant worked for Eternit for thirty years. The plaintiff’s lawyer Janaína Amadeu said the verdict could become a precedent for similar cases. See [subscription site]: Eternit é condenada a pagar R$ 1 milhão a trabalhador que comprometeu pulmão com amianto [Eternit ordered to pay R$1 million to worker whose lungs were compromised by asbestos].
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 15, 2024
On October 11, 2024, the Uganda Minister of State for the Luwero-Rwenzori Region Alice Kaboyo launched a new government initiative when she distributed asbestos-free replacement roofing material to schools in the Busoga and Luwero sub-regions. These buildings are currently roofed with asbestos-containing sheeting, a product which the Government has deemed a hazard to human health. In addition to the 15,333 iron sheets distributed in 2023-24, this year the Government will distribute an additional 15,000 iron sheets. See: Gov't starts iron sheet distribution to replace asbestos roofing in schools.
Swindon Memorial Revamp
Oct 15, 2024
Because of Swindon’s industrial legacy as a railway building center, the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma is often referred to as the “Swindon disease.” A Mesothelioma Garden in Queen’s Park, which was first opened in 2003, was reopened last week after extensive renovations to improve accessibility and ensure that the public space continued to provide a “suitable space for reflection.” See: Town's cancer memorial garden given revamp.
Update from Sicily
Oct 15, 2024
A 66-year old power station worker won his case last week when the Court of Messina ordered that the Italian Workers Compensation Authority (INAIL) recognize his disease as occupationally-caused. The claimant suffers from chronic bronchopathy, microplaques of the diaphragm and pulmonary fibrosis. He had worked as a maintenance man for Enel, Italy’s National Electricity Board, for 30 years at numerous power plants in Sicily, including those in San Filippo del Mela, Augusta, Priolo, Porto Empedocle, etc. See: Amianto, in Sicilia 6200 morti in 25 anni. Vince la battaglia legale un ex lavoratore nelle centrali Enel [Asbestos, 6200 deaths in Sicily in 25 years. A former worker in Enel power plants wins legal battle].
Lung Cancer & Asbestos
Oct 10, 2024
China’s epidemic of lung cancer is costing 10,000 lives every year and in excess of 20 billion yuan in lung cancer treatment costs. Eighty per cent of lung cancers in China are lung adenocarcinomas; the majority of these patients did not smoke. Dr Chen Jinxing, a medical expert from Taiwan, advised women not to use cheap powdered cosmetics because they might be contaminated with asbestos fibers and to limit the amount of time they wear make-up to minimize the cancer risk. See: 不抽菸、没做饭仍罹肺腺癌 台大医：1类化妆品别用 [If you don't smoke or cook, you still get lung adenocarcinoma. National Taiwan University doctor: Don't use Class 1 cosmetics].
Cancer Cases Rise Despite Asbestos Ban
Oct 10, 2024
The legacy of historic asbestos use in Singapore has been linked to the escalation of asbestos cancer cases despite the fact that asbestos use was banned 30+ years ago. In the early 1980s, there were five cases diagnosed of mesothelioma – the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos – every year; in 2019, there were 110 cases. For sufferers to access government benefits, the link between occupational asbestos exposure and the disease must be proved. This is often very difficult as shown by the fact that of the 394 cases reported to the Singapore Cancer Registry, only 94 were confirmed as occupational by the Ministry of Manpower. See: Asbestos: Singapore’s Toxic Past Is Catching up With It.
Asbestos Disaster in Gaza
Oct 10, 2024
In the aftermath of man-made and environmental disasters, the hazard posed by the liberation of asbestos by widespread destruction adds yet another layer of hazard to local people as well as to emergency workers and reporters. The situation in Gaza, which has been under sustained bombardment since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, was described in the article cited below as a “Death Sentence” for people who have no way of escaping from the toxic air: “According to United Nations estimates, some 800,000 tonnes of the bombed-out debris across Gaza may be contaminated with asbestos.” See: ‘Death sentence’: Asbestos released by Israel’s bombs will kill for decades.
New Hope for Mesothelioma Patients
Oct 10, 2024
Following approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, a new treatment option is being recommended as the first-line treatment for patients with advanced or metastatic pleural mesothelioma. The new protocol combines the use of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) – an immune checkpoint inhibitor (immunotherapy) – with chemotherapy. Using personalized medicine to better delineate effective treatments, the use of this combination is dependent on the subtype of mesothelioma with patients with non-epithelioid mesothelioma responding “much better” to immunotherapy than those with the epithelioid subtype. See: Keytruda Plus Chemo New Standard of Care in Pleural Mesothelioma.
Mobilizing Students in Asbestos Struggle
Oct 10, 2024
Students from Casale Monferrato, the town at the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos epidemic, have long played a valuable role in the campaign to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard and keep a high public profile for the disaster which killed not only asbestos workers but also members of the public. Last week, 800 students formed a “human chain,” as they marched through the town to the park built on the site of the infamous Eternit asbestos factory. See: Casale, 800 studenti formano una 'catena umana' contro l'amianto [Casale, 800 students form a ‘human chain’ against asbestos].
Forty Years on the Asbestos Frontline
Oct 10, 2024
Clydeside Action on Asbestos, now renamed Action on Asbestos, marked its 40th year anniversary last week. This Glasgow-based charity was started by men with first-hand experience of occupational asbestos exposures from their work in Scottish shipyards and factories. The appalling conditions they described were widespread as was “the misinformation they were given by their bosses” who reassured them that that exposure to white asbestos was safe. The employers were, said campaigner Phyllis Craig, “counting on workers’ ignorance.” See: Asbestos charity's tribute to workers as it marks 40 years.
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 8, 2024
Although asbestos was banned in Korea, there are still asbestos-containing products within the national infrastructure. The asbestos contamination of schools is of particular concern and news of the asbestos cancer death of one former student was reported in the article cited below. Lee Sung-jin was in his 30s when he died having been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma when he was 18 years old. It is believed that he had been exposed to asbestos roofing in his childhood home as well as asbestos material in his elementary school. See: [단독] 교실 천장이 부른 비극…"잠복기 최대 40년" 우려 출처 : SBS 뉴스 원본 링크 [Exclusive. Classroom ceilings sparked tragedy... “Incubation period of up to 40 years”].
Asbestos Landmark Verdict
Oct 8, 2024
On October 3, 2024, a court in Naples, Italy ordered that the shipyard defendant Fincantieri pay compensation of €1 million (US$1.1m) to the surviving family of a worker who died from pleural mesothelioma in 2019, aged 59. The deceased, who had been employed by the company from 1977 to 1981 at the Castellammare di Stabia plant, had been routinely exposed to asbestos. The size of the verdict and the recognition of the worker’s exposure to asbestos fibers brought home by his shipyard worker father was, said the family’s lawyer, a “significant milestone towards justice for asbestos victims.” See: Amianto nel cantiere, risarcimento da un milione per operaio [Asbestos at construction site, compensation of one million for worker].
Legal Victory in Porto Alegre
Oct 8, 2024
Judge Rodrigo Machado Coutinho of the 6th Federal Court of Porto Alegre, Brazil ruled on September 29, 2024 that the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) must pay R$100,000 (US$ 18,325) for moral damages to the family of a professor who died of asbestos cancer. The deceased, who had worked as a bacteriologist in a UFRGS lab, had been exposed to asbestos due to UFFRGS’s negligence in failing to implement safeguards. See: UFRGS é condenada a indenizar em R$ 100 mil família de professor que morreu de câncer causado por amianto [UFRGS is ordered to pay R$100,000 in compensation to the family of a professor who died of cancer caused by asbestos].
NCARD Annual Update
Oct 8, 2024
The text cited below is a brief report on the annual scientific meeting of Australia’s National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD), which was held on September 18 & 19 at the Harry Perkins Building in QEII Medical Centre, Perth. During the sessions, NCARD researchers were able to explain their work to an audience which included members of the community and asbestos victims’ campaigning groups as well as scientific and medical experts. Research updates were provided on topics such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and pleural disease; also discussed was cancer biology in general and the health system’s national infrastructure. See: NCARD 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting – Public Lecture available online.
Organization News from Chesterfield
Oct 8, 2024
As of October 1, 2024, the asbestos support charity formerly called the Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team (DAST) changed its name to East Midlands Asbestos Support Team (EMAST). After providing support for asbestos victims in Derbyshire for 20 years, EMAST staff believed that the wider geographic area covered nowadays needed a name that better reflected the expansion of services to include asbestos disease sufferers and their families across the East Midlands and Cambridgeshire. See: Local asbestos support charity DAST changes name to EMAST.
Asbestos Discovery in Naha City
Oct 8, 2024
The discovery of sprayed asbestos material on the ceilings of municipal apartment buildings has triggered plans to transfer residents from 59 households to alternative accommodation in 2025. Once the occupants have been relocated, asbestos removal work will be undertaken by specialist operatives. In the meantime, according to city officials, there was no health risk as the material was not in a friable or deteriorating state. See: 那覇市営住宅からアスベスト、59世帯を転居へ 健康被害の報告なし [Naha Municipal Housing to Relocate 59 Households to Remove Asbestos. No Health Hazards Reported].
Legal Attack by Asbestos Bullies
Oct 4, 2024
In retaliation for a Supreme Court victory mandating the labelling of asbestos-containing roofing products being sold in Indonesia, asbestos stakeholders from the FICMA trade association issued legal proceedings against civil society campaigners claiming damages for loss of future income. The robust defence being mounted by the consumer protection organization LPKSM Yasa Nata Budi is supported by a network of civil society groups including LION Indonesia, the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network, the Consumer Protection Institute and the Aysa Nata Budi Foundation as well as international partners. See: Corporate Bullies: Asbestos manufacturers sue ban asbestos campaigners.
Asbestos Trial of Railway Official
Oct 4, 2024
A former official of the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF) – France's national state-owned railway company – will face trial at the Paris criminal court for charges related to alleged asbestos exposures to SNCF employees between 1998 and 2000. Under the management of the accused, who is 79 years old and is suffering from an asbestos-related condition, it is alleged that mandatory protections weren’t implemented and toxic workplace exposures were commonplace. See: Amiante: 25 ans plus tard, un procès ordonné contre un ancien responsable SNCF [Asbestos: 25 years later, a trial ordered against a former SNCF official].
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Oct 4, 2024
In September, 2024 the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, in collaboration with sustainable development consultants from the AV Group B.V, organized an Asbestos Alternatives Workshop in Tajikistan, a country which between 2019 and 2021 used on average 18,000 tonnes of asbestos a year. The workshop reported on research undertaken last year in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Following the presentations and discussions, participants agreed to work towards an asbestos phase-out to protect citizens from contracting the deadly asbestos-related diseases caused by toxic exposures. See: Asbestos Alternatives Workshop in Tajikistan – September 2024.
Rejection of WA Asbestos Landfill
Oct 4, 2024
Western Australia’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) refused an application to amend the licence for a landfill site at Mirrabooka which would have allowed it to accept asbestos-containing material. In its October 2nd decision, the DWER said: “it was decided that the risk of asbestos exposure to nearby sensitive receptors, including residential housing, aged care, and multiple schools, was unacceptable…” Melita Markey CEO of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia welcomed this decision saying: “Australia is a vast country – we shouldn’t be burying toxic waste in residential areas.” See: Media release. Asbestos landfill application refused.
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 4, 2024
On October 1, 2024, a spokesperson for Kamakura City, Japan announced that sprayed asbestos-containing material had been found in the ceilings of classrooms and hallways at four local elementary and junior high schools. In two of the schools “asbestos was exposed and was in danger of scattering due to deterioration or damage.” Following a 2008 investigation, it was believed that all the sprayed asbestos material had been removed from the schools. See: 鎌倉の市立小中４校でアスベスト検出 うち２校は劣化や破損で飛散の恐れ [Asbestos detected in four Kamakura city elementary and junior high schools, two of which are at risk of scattering due to deterioration or damage].
City Asbestos Eradication Initiative
Oct 4, 2024
The Italian city of Pesaro has allocated €30,000 (US$33,113) for an asbestos remediation fund for private citizens wishing to undertake asbestos removal work at domestic properties. According to Councilor for the Environment Maria Rosa Conti the subsidies “will cover 50% of the expense incurred for each individual intervention, up to a maximum of one thousand euros…” All applications to the city must be submitted by the specialist companies contracted to do the decontamination work. See: Amianto, il ’bando zero’. Mini-fondo di partenza: solo 30mila euro ai privati per i lavori di smaltimento [Asbestos, the 'zero ban'. Mini-starting fund: only 30 thousand euros to private individuals for disposal works].
New Asbestos Fact Sheet
Oct 1, 2024
A fact sheet uploaded by the World Health Organization (WHO) on September 27, 2024 confirmed key aspects of the WHO’s asbestos policy and expanded on others. The text was available in English, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, French and Arabic. According to the WHO: all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile (white asbestos), are carcinogenic to humans; construction workers are at high-risk of toxic workplace exposures; and 70% of the 200,000 annual occupational deaths worldwide are caused by exposure to asbestos. The fact sheet notes that “asbestos has been prohibited in more than 50 WHO Member States.” In fact, the text should have read: “asbestos has been prohibited in 70 WHO Member States.” See: Asbestos: Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases.
Mesothelioma Statistics
Oct 1, 2024
New data relating to 2021 sourced from the European Occupational Diseases Statistics database and collated under the auspices of Eurostat – a directorate of the European Commission – were published last week which confirmed the ongoing epidemic of mesothelioma in European Union (EU) Member States. The countries with the highest incidences of this cancer were: Italy, Germany and France. The total number of EU mesothelioma deaths in 2021 were 2,380. This figure is significantly lower than previously due to the exit of the UK from the EU; the annual number of mesothelioma deaths in the UK in 2021 and 2022 were, respectively, 2,290 and 2,257. See: Mesothelioma cancer: still a relevant occupational disease.
INAIL Wins Huge Verdict in Ravenna
Oct 1, 2024
Labour Judge Dario Bernardi of the Court of Ravenna ordered Eni Rewind SpA – an environmental remediation group operating in the petrochemical and mining sector –to reimburse Italy’s Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) the sum of €7 million (US $7.8m) which it had paid in compensation to the families of 24 petrochemical workers who had died from asbestos-related diseases. See: Amianto: Eni Rewind condannata a pagare a Inail 7 milioni [Asbestos: ENI Rewind sentenced to pay INAIL 7 million].
Asbestos Audit of Public Buildings
Sep 30, 2024
To minimize the incidence of accidental exposures to asbestos, the Quebec Asbestos Victims’ Group (AVAQ) published a map showing the name and location of 3,700 asbestos-contaminated buildings in Quebec. The structures listed included schools, hospitals and libraries, as well as federal and provincial government buildings. Commenting on this initiative, AVAQ’s scientific advisor Norman King said: “We want it to be a prevention tool for people.” “Prevention is,” King added “the first step to making sure no one develops these debilitating and deadly diseases.” See: Une carte pour prévenir les morts liées à l’amiante [A map to prevent asbestos-related deaths].
Cape and Anglo American in Court
Sep 30, 2024
South Carolina (SC) Judge Jean H. Toal, in charge of the state’s growing asbestos docket, is embroiled in a knockout fight with multiple defendants and their lawyers over the asbestos liabilities of foreign-owned companies Cape Asbestos, now part of the French Altrad Group, and British-owned Anglo American. In her latest ruling, the judge agreed to postpone the trial from December 9 until early February, 2025. The defendants strenuously deny that Judge Toal has jurisdiction over them as they are foreign owned and never sold asbestos in SC. See: Foreign mining company caught in South Carolina's asbestos machine must go to trial in February.
Asbestos & the Military
Sep 30, 2024
The Lazio Regional Administrative Court condemned Italy’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) for the asbestos death of a former soldier and ordered it to pay compensation of €135,000 (US$151,000) to his family. The deceased, who was 62 years old when he died from mesothelioma in 2005, had worked in the Navy for more than 10 years at sea and on land, including postings to the Maritime Military Arsenal in Taranto, southern Italy and other sites. See: Amianto, il Tar del Lazio condanna il Ministero della Difesa per la morte di un militare [Asbestos, the Lazio Regional Administrative Court condemns the Ministry of Defense for the death of a soldier].
Mesothelioma Case
Sep 30, 2024
The recently published case study cited below detailed the difficulties in diagnosing a female patient suffering from a persistent nonproductive cough in Guatemala. By the time she was finally diagnosed, the 57-year old had advanced-stage malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). She died one month after diagnosis. Concluding their text, the reporting doctors noted that: “This case underscores the need for constant vigilance and maintaining a high suspicion for MPM in patients presenting with nonspecific pulmonary symptoms with any history of working in high-risk occupations.” See: A Case of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma With Unknown Asbestos Exposure.
Asbestos Eradication: Update from Tainan
Sep 30, 2024
On September 23, 2024, city councillors of Tainan City, Taiwan raised concerns about the shortage of municipal funds and capacity to fulfil recent government orders regarding asbestos eradication from the built environment. According to estimates, the city produces 50,000 tons of asbestos building waste every year; at the current rate of asbestos removal, it would take 50 years to decontaminate the municipality. There are only two specialist asbestos removal companies operating in the city and a limited capacity for disposal of the toxic waste produced by their operations. See: 台南5万吨石棉废弃物待清理 民代忧：50年才能清完 [Tainan's 50,000 tons of asbestos waste needs to be cleaned up, and the people are worried: it will take 50 years to clean up].
The Asbestos Tragedy in Illinois
Sep 30, 2024
A temporary exhibit – sponsored by the Laborers International Union of North America, Midwest Region –opened this month at the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington, Illinois entitled: A Deadly Deception: The Asbestos Tragedy in McLean County. Many of those employed at the Bloomington asbestos factory owned by the Union Asbestos and Rubber Company paid with their lives for the privilege of working for the company. The tale told by the curators highlights “the workers’ experience, their fight for better working conditions, and the onslaught of litigation that followed.” See: A Deadly Deception: The Asbestos Tragedy in McLean County.
Truth & Consequences
Sep 27, 2024
People continue to die in Sri Lanka from lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, laryngeal cancer and ovarian cancer caused by exposure to asbestos-containing products used in Sri Lanka. Efforts by the government to impose an asbestos ban by 2024 were quashed by economic pressure from global asbestos producers including Russia. Since the 1960s, the biggest use of asbestos in Sri Lanka has been for the manufacture of asbestos-cement roofing material which is extensively used in the country. Recent research ascertained that this type of roofing was composed of up to 15% asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen. See: Asbestos: A Silent Threat SL Can No Longer Ignore.
On the Run from Asbestos Crimes
Sep 27, 2024
Police in Alberta, Canada are looking for Jason McCallum, a 50-year-old worker from Edmonton Public Schools who was charged with falsifying results from asbestos tests undertaken between May 2018 and August 2020. Following a lengthy investigation, McCallum and an accomplice were charged with forgery and fraud. As a result of the incorrect information they supplied, eight workers were “potentially exposed” to asbestos in May and June 2022. See: Man accused of faking asbestos reports for Edmonton’s largest school division.
Restructuring of Asbestos Company
Sep 27, 2024
The article cited below highlighted key factors in the successful restructuring of a major asbestos production conglomerate in China. The state-owned Qinghai Chuang'an company in Qinghai Province, China had been on the verge of bankruptcy due to multiple factors including its distance from target markets and rigid business practices. As a result of a three-year transformation process, the company’s brand had been repositioned and its market competitiveness enhanced. See: 向新求变、向绿而生——青海创安以改脱困的启示 [Seeking innovation and green development: enlightenment from Qinghai's efforts to create a safe and secure environment and escape poverty].
Legal Victory in Sapporo
Sep 23, 2024
The Sapporo District Court, Japan on September 20, 2014 ordered compensation of ¥ 250 million yen (US$1.7m) to be paid by five companies which had manufactured asbestos-containing building products to 34 former workers and/or bereaved families. The defendants were: Nichias and Taiheiyo Cement, both in Tokyo, A&A Materials in Yokohama City and Nozawa in Kobe City. All the claims related to asbestos exposures experienced at construction sites. See: 建設現場で石綿、5社に2億5000万円賠償命令 札幌地裁 [Sapporo District Court orders five companies to pay 250 million yen in compensation for asbestos found at construction sites].
Asbestos Contamination of Tap Water
Sep 23, 2024
Reports disseminated in July, 2024 of asbestos-contaminated tap water being delivered to homes in the small Pennsylvania county of Brockway caused consternation among local people. According to the article cited below, no remedies have been found for this problem and the populace continues, where possible, to rely on bottled or filtered water. The Brockway School District installed a water filtration system to provide safe water for students and staff. See: Pennsylvania County Parents Sick with Worry as Tests Reveal High Asbestos Levels in Their Water.
Landmark Verdict in Naples!
Sep 23, 2024
A verdict handed down by a court in Naples, Italy last week was declared by Coroner Nicola Maria Giorgio to be: “a precedent in Italian jurisprudence for safety at work.” The defendant in this case was the Asl Napoli 1 Center, a company which represented the hospital were routine asbestos exposures had caused the mesothelioma death of a nurse. The company was ordered to pay compensation of €727,000 (US$810,000) to her surviving family. See: Napoli, la storica sentenza sull’amianto: risarcimento di 727mila euro per gli eredi di un infermiere [Naples, the historic sentence on asbestos: compensation of 727 thousand euros for the heirs of a nurse].
Landmark Legal Ruling!
Sep 20, 2024
An Administrative Court in Colombia handed down a decision which held the country’s major asbestos conglomerate – Eternit Colombiana SA – to account for the damage done to workers. The Court ordered the defendant to pay 12,700,000,000 pesos (~US$3 m) within 10 days to the Fund for the Defense of Collective Rights and Interests for distribution to the claimants. In addition, Eternit was given 20 days to issue a public apology and was told it must publicize the contents of this verdict so that more asbestos victims could claim compensation. See: Víctimas del asbesto en Colombia le ganaron demanda a Eternit: la empresa deberá pagar más de $12.000 millones y ofrecer disculpas [Asbestos victims in Colombia won a lawsuit against Eternit: the company must pay more than $12 billion and apologize].
Improving Victims’ Rights in WA
Sep 20, 2024
As a result of the adoption of the Civil Liability (Provisional Damages for Dust Diseases) Bill 2024 by the State Parliament of Western Australia (WA), sufferers of asbestos-related diseases will have “improved access to compensation.” The “landmark” legislation will bring WA in line with other states by allowing claimants to receive provisional damages – i.e. for asbestosis – and subsequently bring additional personal injury claims should they develop other asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma. See: New laws lift compensation outcomes for dust disease sufferers.
Increasing Domestic Asbestos Consumption
Sep 20, 2024
Russian asbestos stakeholders, faced with the loss of overseas markets, have been pioneering new uses for homegrown chrysotile asbestos. The article cited below reported an improved “new” technology which extended the service life of roads by 25 years. The incorporation of chrysotile asbestos into stone-mastic asphalt concrete and/or the use of an asbestos-containing stabilizing additive together with bitumen reduces production costs and strengthens road surfaces. Development work and production of the asbestos material for roadwork construction is ongoing in facilities in the Sverdlovsk and Orenburg regions. See: Российские дороги наращивают прочность: хризотил против сурового климата [Russian roads are building up strength: chrysotile against a harsh climate].
Asbestos Claims by Military Personnel
Sep 20, 2024
The commentary cited below recapped the ongoing hazard posed to American military veterans who were exposed to asbestos whilst serving during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Those at highest risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease (ARD) were those who served in ships built prior to the 1980s; as asbestos was also used by the Army and Air Force and was incorporated into military barracks, the health of other service personnel was also at risk. Individuals concerned about symptoms should seek medical care as early detection of ARDs “considerably improves treatment results and prolongs life expectancy.” See: Johnson: Asbestos exposure can affect veterans years after service.
Asbestos in the Army
Sep 20, 2024
The Court of Florence, Italy ordered the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to pay damages of €147,630.00 (US $164,200) to the widow and €158,986.00 (US $177,000) to the son of a soldier who had died from mesothelioma having had been exposed to asbestos from the beginning (November 6, 1952) until the end (March 27, 1956) of his period of military service. Expert evidence presented to the Court documented the routine asbestos exposure experienced not only by the deceased electrician but also by many other Italian soldiers. See: Esposto all'amianto durante il servizio militare, mori prt un cancro dopo 60 anni: il Ministero risarcisce con 300mila euro [Exposed to asbestos during military service, [soldier] died of cancer after 60 years: Ministry compensates 300 thousand euros].
New Mesothelioma Treatment Approved
Sep 20, 2024
Following positive results for the KEYNOTE-483 randomized, open-label trial, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – a federal agency tasked with “protecting and promoting public health through the control” of many products including medical treatments – approved the use of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) plus pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma. See: FDA approves pembrolizumab with chemotherapy for unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Calls for National Program
Sep 17, 2024
An article and video uploaded last week by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, repeated calls by asbestos victims and campaigners for a prioritized nationwide asbestos eradication program (VIDEO: Retired WA teacher with mesothelioma pushes for asbestos disposal). The stories focused on retired teacher Kerry Wynn-Taylor, who is living on “borrowed time,” having contracted asbestos cancer. Ms Wynn-Taylor is calling on the Government to coordinate and finance work “to safely dispose of more than six million tonnes of ageing asbestos… from buildings across the country.” See: National push to remove millions of tonnes of asbestos from homes to save thousands of lives.
Paying for Asbestos Injuries
Sep 17, 2024
Discussions are ongoing at the heart of the Swiss Government about how the bill for asbestos compensation is to be covered and who should be eligible for payouts under the national scheme. Following the approval of an amendment to the Accident Insurance Act on September 13, 2024 by Switzerland’s Federal Council, the Swiss Insurance Institute (SUVA) will in future “contribute to the compensation of victims of asbestos-related diseases who are not covered by insurance.” See: Maladies liées à l’amiante: «Il serait peut-être temps de réallouer ces coûts à la bonne caisse» [Asbestos-related diseases: “It may be time to reallocate these costs to the right fund”].
Asbestos Warnings!
Sep 17, 2024
Responding to a three-month ultimatum by Kenyan Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale for the removal of asbestos roofing from the built environment, the Kenya Chemical Society (KCS) called on the Government to ensure that decontamination work strictly adhered to recommended procedures, citing the health risks to workers as well as members of the public posed by the hasty and ill-prepared removal and disposal of asbestos-containing material. KCS member Joseck Alwala urged the Government to work with KCS personnel who can provide the expertise needed for the development of asbestos waste management protocols. See: State urged to ensure proper disposal of asbestos after Duale’s ultimatum.
Increased Payouts for Victims
Sep 17, 2024
The news has been reported from multiple Labor Courts in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais of increased compensation payouts in lawsuits brought by workers for asbestos-related diseases. In a recent trial the amount of damages awarded was raised from R$40,000 (US$7,050) to R$200,000 (US$35,300) by a panel of the Superior Labor Tribunal (TST); another TST panel increased the damages in a similar case from R$50,000 (US$8,900) to R$300,000 (US$53,310) whilst another raised the compensation awarded from R$200,000 (US$35,300) to R$600,000 (US$206,625). See: TST aumenta indenizações a trabalhadores expostos a amianto [TST increases compensation for workers exposed to asbestos].
Asbestos Warning!
Sep 17, 2024
The continued use of asbestos in Sri Lanka, which had issued national asbestos prohibitions in 2018, continues to endanger the lives of all its citizens. The ban was postponed after intensive economic pressure from Russia, the country which continues to be the main asbestos supplier to Sri Lanka. The findings of research contained in this year’s “Asbestos Investigation Report in Sri Lanka,” supported calls by medical, scientific and environmental experts for an immediate asbestos ban to protect the lives of all Sri Lankans. See: අපේ රටෙත් තැන තැන ඇස්බැස්ටස් දූෂක කාරක [Asbestos pollutants are everywhere in our country!].
Deadly Ongoing Mr Fluffy Legacy
Sep 17, 2024
Research published this Summer (ACT Asbestos Health Study II) reported an increased asbestos cancer risk for males who had lived in Canberra homes contaminated with Mr. Fluffy sprayed asbestos insulation. “We found,” said Principal Investigator Professor Rosemary Korda “that men who had lived in an asbestos-affected home at some point since 1984 were 2.7 times more likely to develop mesothelioma compared to the rest of the ACT [Australian Capital Territory] male population.” There was also an elevated incidence of colorectal cancer amongst men and women who had lived in Mr Fluffy homes. See: Research Finds Asbestos Raises Cancer Risk for ACT Residents.
Sad News from Casale Monferrato
Sep 12, 2024
The death was announced on September 11, 2024 of Romana Blasotti Pavesi, who for decades had led the fight for asbestos justice in the bereaved Italian town of Casale Monferrato. Having lost her husband, sister and daughter to asbestos-related diseases, Romana played a pivotal role in mobilizing the fight to hold the owners and managers of the Eternit Asbestos Group to account for the deaths their operations caused not only to workers and family members but also to local people. See: Addio a Romana Blasotti Pavesi, pasionaria della lotta all'amianto [Farewell to Romana Blasotti Pavesi, a passionate advocate for the fight against asbestos].
Insufficient Progress in Asbestos Eradication
Sep 12, 2024
On September 6, 2024, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology published the results of a survey on the use of asbestos-containing insulation materials in school buildings and other facilities. Since the inspections undertaken 5 years ago, 2/3 of the structures, 72 in total, still contained deteriorated or damaged asbestos-containing insulation. Details of the investigation results were published on the Ministry's website. See: 学校施設のアスベスト、劣化・損傷する保温材72機関が保有…文科省 [Asbestos in school facilities, insulation material that deteriorates and is damaged, owned by 72 institutions…Ministry of Education].
EU Progress on Asbestos
Sep 12, 2024
On September 10, 2024, Commissioner Thierry Breton, on behalf of the European Commission, provided an answer to a parliamentary question about asbestos. According to the response: “The Commission recognizes the dangers of asbestos. The revised Asbestos at work Directive lays down limit values for workers’ exposure to asbestos, as well as sets obligations for employers to identify and address asbestos risks in buildings… The Commission has been engaging with EU citizens, national authorities and stakeholders to prepare the proposal on the screening and registration of asbestos in buildings… an impact assessment has been prepared to identify the optimal combination of measures.” See: Parliamentary question - E-001432/2024(ASW). Answer given by Mr Breton on behalf of the European Commission.
Asbestos Management in Social Housing
Sep 12, 2024
News was released this week of an asbestos event in Scotland to be held by the Social Housing Safety Network on October 8, 2024 at the Merchants House of Glasgow. During a full day of presentations, delegates representing social housing providers in Scotland will be informed about state-of-the-art asbestos management techniques. Subjects which will be discussed include: legislative requirements for social landlords, the need for asbestos surveys and re-inspections, the compilation of asbestos registers and understanding and operating Asbestos Management Plans. See: Asbestos Management in Social Housing: The Practical Approach.
Asbestos Mismanagement in Busan
Sep 12, 2024
A spokesperson for the Municipal Audit Committee in Busan, Korea announced on September 8, 2024 that asbestos surveys undertaken at 135 public buildings managed by Busan City and 16 districts and counties over a 40-day period last spring had found multiple examples of hazardous conditions. The inspectors discovered that many public buildings had not been properly assessed for the risk of asbestos contamination and that many of them still contained friable material. As a result of these unsatisfactory findings, the asbestos management system was being “comprehensively reorganized.” See: “암에 걸릴 수도 있는데…” 부산시 공공 석면 건축물 관리 부실 [“You could get cancer…” Poor management of public asbestos [containing] buildings in Busan].
Mesothelioma Session in Okayama
Sep 12, 2024
On September 29, 2024, a coalition of civil society stakeholders, including the Japan Asbestos & Mesothelioma Society and the medical oncology department at Okayama University Hospital, is holding a seminar on the medical treatment of mesothelioma patients. The event will take place at the Convention Center, Okayama City, Japan. The program will feature presentations by Shinichi Fujimoto, vice president of the Society, and Dr. Tei Goto of the National Rare Cancer Center who will talk about new mesothelioma treatments. Information will also be made available about a Kansai-based mesothelioma patient group. See: 「中皮腫」治療テーマにセミナー ２９日、岡山 [Seminar on the theme of “mesothelioma” treatment 29th, Okayama, Japan].
Supreme Court Asbestos Verdict
Sep 10, 2024
On September 3, 2024, France's Supreme Court rejected appeals on behalf of asbestos victims against a 2023 decision by the Paris Court of Appeal which dismissed charges against asbestos company executives who had been indicted for manslaughter and unintentional injury. This was the latest in a series of defeats for asbestos victims and their legal representatives in their 30+ year battle to hold to account some of the people responsible for a national epidemic killing thousands of French men and women every year. See: Amiante: non-lieu définitif dans le dossier Eternit [Asbestos: definitive dismissal of Eternit case].
Ban Asbestos Now!
Sep 10, 2024
Last week, a representative from the Building and Wood Workers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC) appealed to the Ministry of Labour to introduce regulations to restrict and prevent the use of asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen, in construction materials, to protect occupational health. According to the BWTUC President Sok Kin, long-term exposure to asbestos impacts people’s health and causes health problems, such as asbestosis and lung cancer. The BWTUC, said Sok Kin, is happy to partner with the government in efforts to raise asbestos awareness among workers. See: Building union asks Labour Ministry to act on asbestos.
Verdict for Lazio Cancer Victim
Sep 10, 2024
The surviving family of lung cancer victim Luigi Pennacchietti will receive compensation of €500,000 (US$552,200) for his death at 37 years old from an asbestos-related disease following a decision by the Rome Court of Appeal. The defendant COTRAL, a public transport company from Lazio, had been negligent in failing to take precautions to protect electromechanic Pennacchietti from asbestos exposures during the nine years he was employed at the company’s workshops. See: Amianto, un’altra condanna. Questa volta c’è la concausa [Top of FormAsbestos, another conviction. This time there is [identification of] the contributing cause].
Nationwide Asbestos Removal Program
Sep 10, 2024
A national directive issued on August 28, 2024 by the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Aden Duale mandated the removal of asbestos roofing sheets from all public and private buildings within the next three months. Duale instructed the National Environment Management Authority to audit the location of this toxic material throughout the country as a preliminary step to removing the hazardous material in order to enhance public safety and protect citizens from the known health risks associated with asbestos exposure. See: State Orders Removal of Asbestos Roofs in 90 Days.
J&J: Update
Sep 10, 2024
It was announced on September 4, 2024 that the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) planned to throw another $1.1 billion at efforts to resolve tens of thousands of legal claims alleging that asbestos fibers in the company’s talc-based baby powder had caused cancers in US consumers. If J&J can get agreement to the new settlement from 75% of the claimants, it can proceed with plans to bankrupt the subsidiary company it created as a means of off-loading its asbestos liabilities by the end of this month. See: Johnson & Johnson to pay additional $1.1 bn to resolve talc settlement.
New Mesothelioma Data
Sep 10, 2024
Official data released on September 6, 2024 documenting the incidence of mesothelioma in Italian regions up until June 30, 2024 revealed that over the period 2018-2022 the rate remained high for both men and women, with the highest rates recorded in Reggio Emilia: 5.1 for men and 2.2 for women. Other asbestos cancer hotspots were Parma, for men only, Piacenza and Ravenna. The region with the lowest recorded rate for both men and women was Rimini. See: Amianto-epidemiologia/report mesoteliomi Emilia Romagna [Asbestos-epidemiology/mesothelioma report Emilia Romagna].
Memorial to the Asbestos Dead
Sep 6, 2024
On Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 7 p.m., in Kapelle-op-den-Bos, Belgium – formerly the location of one of Europe’s largest asbestos-cement factories and the epicenter of a devastating cancer epidemic which has taken the lives of family members and local people as well as workers – a statue was unveiled in remembrance of the asbestos victims. Although this municipal recognition of the asbestos disaster was long overdue, the Association of Asbestos Victims was neither consulted to contribute its input to the project nor invited to speak at the ceremony. See: Inhuldiging beeld 'Ademloos' tijdens het feestweekend [Breathless. Inauguration of the statue 'Breathless' during the festive weekend].
New Uses for Asbestos
Sep 6, 2024
Researchers at Perm National Research Polytechnic working at a facility in Alapaevsk, Sverdlovsk Region to devise new uses for home-grown Russian asbestos announced this week that a pilot project for improving the quality and durability of road surfaces by using chrysotile asbestos had succeeded. According to their news release: “The technology has already received a patent and can be applied to concrete and asphalt plants throughout the country.” See: Ученые Пермского Политеха улучшили качество асфальта [Perm Polytechnic University Scientists Improve Asphalt Quality].
Addressing the Lung Cancer Epidemic
Sep 6, 2024
The announcement that Liu Qian – a famous magician in China – contracted lung cancer generated a lot of media coverage last week. Having been diagnosed early, Liu Qian had an operation and gave up smoking. Many of the articles about his diagnosis highlighted famous people who also died of lung cancer. The article cited below included a description of the types and stages of lung cancer, available treatments as well as main risk factors including: smoking, air pollution, secondhand smoke, and exposure to chemicals such as chromium and asbestos. See: 48岁刘谦自曝罹患肺腺癌引热议，如何预防中国第一大癌? [48-year-old Liu Qian's self-exposure of lung adenocarcinoma has caused heated discussions, how to prevent China's first major cancer?].
Asbestos at School
Sep 6, 2024
The beginning of the new school year was disrupted for 1,400 Canadian students by the discovery of asbestos at the Horizon Jeunesse high school in Laval, Quebec. The school will be shut until the middle of October with students either being asked to work remotely or being relocated to other premises. Students had been scheduled to return to school on August 28. Decontamination and clean-up work by specialist contractors is proceeding. It is likely that the asbestos found at the school was supplied by one of Quebec’s asbestos mines. See: Asbestos leak disrupts return to class at Laval, Que., high school.
Support for Asbestos Eradication
Sep 6, 2024
Mayor Lee Jae-joon of Suwon City, South Korea is urging local people to apply for civic grants to remove asbestos roofing and other asbestos material from privately-owned buildings. Available funding will cover the entire refurbishment cost for “'priority support households” and other vulnerable groups with smaller sums being allocated to other households. Building owners must apply in person at the Saebit Civil Complaint Office which is on the first floor of Suwon City Hall. See: 슬레이트 철거 지붕개량 지원.. 수원시, 신청 접수 [Slate demolition roof improvement support.. Suwon, application reception].
New Asbestos Cancer Data
Sep 6, 2024
New data documenting the ongoing mesothelioma epidemic in Australia was uploaded on August 28, 2024 to the website of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australia's national agency for information and statistics on Australia's health and welfare. In 2022, there were 685 deaths from mesothelioma; in 2023, 617 mesothelioma patients were diagnosed at a median age of 77. Ninety percent of sufferers reported known or suspected incidents of asbestos exposure. See: Mesothelioma in Australia 2023.
Talc Health Warning
Sep 2, 2024
A warning from thoracic surgeon Chen Jinxing alerted women in China to the health hazard posed by the use of asbestos-containing talc-based cosmetic products. Dr Jinxing, who is the director of the Department of Surgery of National Taiwan University Hospital, explained that exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer, ovarian cancer and malignant endometrial cancer and suggested that consumers do not choose “cheap powdered cosmetics, and remove makeup as soon as possible.” See: 女性不抽菸仍罹肺癌 台大医示警：化妆品也有风险 [Women who don't smoke still suffer from lung cancer National Taiwan University doctor warns: cosmetics also have risks].
E-commerce and Asbestos
Sep 2, 2024
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare issued a warning on August 29 regarding the availability of asbestos-containing products from online retail outlets. Although products containing 0.1% or more of asbestos are prohibited from being manufactured, imported, or sold under the Industrial Safety and Health Act, items – such as ZHANGXINWEN's Ceramic Wire Mesh, HanaHaul's Ceramic Wire Mesh, Asbestos Wire Mesh (8 pieces) – can be purchased online. See: 厚労省、ECモールへ出品のアスベスト使用製品に注意喚起…主要ECモールに確認を要請 [The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare warns of asbestos-using products listed in EC malls ... Requests confirmation from major e-commerce malls].
Cancer Research: Update
Sep 2, 2024
A study published in the August 2024 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications concluded that the ability of the immune system of a mesothelioma patient to fight mesothelioma can be affected by the presence of certain gut bacteria. This being so, changes in a patient’s diet could improve the benefits of medical treatment. According to researcher Professor Dean Fennell, the presence of specific gut bacteria – Provetella, eubacterium ventriosum group and biophilia – increased the likelihood of a positive patient response to immunotherapy treatment. See: Gut bacteria influence responses to immunotherapy in patients with asbestos related cancer, Leicester study finds.
Asbestos & Lung Cancer
Sep 2, 2024
The article cited below was uploaded to a news portal in the Chechen Republic of Russia during Lung Cancer Prevention Week. The fairly lengthy text focused on the increasing incidence of lung cancer in Russia, the factors which cause it as well as the treatments available. Having explained that most lung cancers were caused by smoking, other key risk factors were highlighted such as exposures to asbestos: “People who work with asbestos have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. If they also smoke, the risk increases significantly,” the author said. See: С 19 – 25 августа неделя профилактики рака легких [From August 19 to 25, Lung Cancer Prevention Week].
Support & Information for Cancer Sufferers
Sep 2, 2024
On the afternoon of September 1, 2024, members of the Hokuriku Branch of the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Disease Patients and Families Association held a consultation and information session in Kanazawa City to examine the ongoing consequences of the 7.5 magnitude January 1, 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake. Mesothelioma sufferer Akira Oshima, from Kahoku City, Ishikawa Prefecture, gave a presentation during which he shared his experience. See: 「石綿に理解深めて」震災がれきで被害懸念 支援団体が相談・交流会 [“Deepen your understanding of asbestos” Concerned about damage caused by earthquake rubble support groups hold consultations and exchange meetings].
Avoiding Asbestos Exposures
Sep 2, 2024
The curious article cited below underscored the hazard posed by handling asbestos-containing automotive products. The author failed to mention the availability of asbestos-free alternatives. Highlighting the recommended training, procedures and equipment, “including but not limited to protective masks, protective clothing, protective gloves and goggles,” for handling these products, the author concluded that: “strict adherence to safety measures is not only a protection for the health of personnel, but also a responsibility for the environment.” See: 处理石棉材料时应采取哪些安全措施？这些措施有哪些环保意义? [What safety measures should be taken when handling asbestos materials? What are the environmental implications of these measures?].
Asbestos Taskforce in Bahia
Aug 28, 2024
During September 2-21, 2024, 450 asbestos-exposed workers and members of the public in Bom Jesus da Serra and Poções, cities in the Brazilian State of Bahia, will be invited to take part in a medical screening program to detect symptoms of asbestos-related diseases. The pioneering outreach project is jointly coordinated by personnel from the: Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, the Heart Institute of São Paulo and the Labor Public Ministry. Participants will be offered clinical examinations including spirometry tests and computed tomography scans (CTs). See: Ex-funcionários e familiares da SAMA passarão por rastreamento de saúde em Bom Jesus da Serra [Former SAMA employees and their families will undergo health screening in Bom Jesus da Serra].
Omsk Experts Issue Asbestos Alert
Aug 28, 2024
In an article uploaded to a Russian news portal on August 21, 2024, the Omsk Ministry of Health warned Russians about the lung cancer risk posed by exposures to carcinogenic substances experienced by workers in some occupations. The first named carcinogen in the text was asbestos. The synergistic effect of asbestos exposure and tobacco use was highlighted by the author who explained that at-risk workers who had occupational exposures to asbestos included those in the shipyards, printing companies and the textile industry as well as carpenters and electricians. See: В омском Минздраве назвали список профессий, которые могут вызвать рак лёгких [The Omsk Ministry of Health names a list of professions that can cause lung cancer].
Offshore Asbestos Hazard
Aug 28, 2024
The results of a study using data from a cohort of 25,000 workers confirmed that asbestos-exposed male offshore workers in the petroleum industry were at an elevated risk of developing pleural cancer. The research was undertaken by academics from the University of Oslo working in collaboration with colleagues from the Cancer Registry of Norway; it was funded by the Research Council of Norway. The scientists speculated that “the risk of pleural cancer may also be linked to their potential exposure to asbestos before they began work in the offshore industry.” See: Asbestos Tied to Pleural Cancer in Offshore Workers.
Asbestos Alert in Pravda
Aug 28, 2024
On August 22, 2024, an article about the national lung cancer epidemic appeared on a news portal run by Pravda.ru, which before privatization was an instrument of the Russian government. Nowadays, this news service is not connected to the government, which might explain how the author of the text cited below was able to issue a health warning about exposures to asbestos, a natural resource highly prized and well protected in Russia. For decades Russia, the world's biggest asbestos producer, has continued to maintain that asbestos use is safe. See: На ранних стадиях симптомов нет: как вовремя распознать рак легкого [There are no symptoms in the early stages: how to recognize lung cancer in time].
Prioritizing Asbestos Eradication
Aug 28, 2024
The Kenyan Government has ordered the authorities of schools, hospitals and other institutions to eradicate asbestos roofing from their buildings by the end of December 2024 to protect citizens from carcinogenic exposures. On August 12, 2024 when Aden Duale became Kenya’s Environment Cabinet Secretary, he promised to get rid of asbestos as soon as possible. “We cannot be having our men and women in uniform being housed under asbestos, the same case to our school-going children and even patients in our hospitals.” At one time, asbestos was mined in Kenya but this is no longer the case. See: No more asbestos roofing – state.
Health Clinic Fightback
Aug 28, 2024
On August 21, 2024, legal representatives for a health clinic in Libby, Montana appealed a contentious 2023 jury decision ordering it to pay almost $6 million for having submitted hundreds of false claims on behalf of asbestos-injured people. The facility is located in Libby, Montana, a town of 3,000 people which became infamous due to the local epidemic of asbestos-related diseases caused by years of vermiculite mining. Asbestos fibers were liberated by the mining and transport of vermiculite, causing former employees, family members and townspeople to contact debilitating and deadly diseases. See: Montana asbestos clinic seeks to reverse $6M in fines, penalties over false claims.
Rising Male Mesothelioma Rates
Aug 21, 2024
The Russian language article cited below highlighted new data documenting an explosion in male cancer cases in the coming decades. It reported that: “in terms of growth rates, mesothelioma (in terms of the number of cases) and prostate cancer (in terms of the number of deaths) will take the lead.” As mesothelioma is the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, the rise in mesothelioma deaths in Russia was predicted by international experts years ago; Russia is the world’s largest asbestos-mining and exporting country. See: Исследование: к 2050 году смертность от рака среди мужчин вырастет на 93% [Study: Cancer deaths among men will increase by 93% by 2050].
Asbestos Discovery Shuts Down Operations
Aug 21, 2024
An on-site inspection earlier this month (August 2024) at the Ford UK Parts Distribution Centre in Daventry, Northamptonshire led to the discovery of small amounts of asbestos-cement material. Operations were stopped as specialist cleaners were called into the plant. Putting in place a “contingency action,” parts destined for this site were re-routed to Cologne, Germany and Valencia, Spain. It’s believed that this discovery could lead to an investigation regarding potential breaches of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. See: Ford parts centre suspends operations over asbestos.
Another Asbestos Tragedy
Aug 17, 2024
The death was announced this week of Canadian Minister and MP Chuck Strahl who had been diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2005, aged 48, after having been exposed to asbestos whilst employed in the logging industry in his home Province of British Columbia. After his diagnosis, Strahl spoke out against the federal government’s continued support for the asbestos industry. For years, the Canadian delegation blocked progress being made by the UN on protecting populations from potentially deadly exposures to asbestos. Throughout most of the 20th century, Canada was the world’s largest asbestos producer. See: Former Chilliwack, B.C., MP Chuck Strahl dead at 67.
Asbestos Alert over Cancer Spike
Aug 21, 2024
The article cited below which appeared on a news portal in China on August 18, postulated four explanations for the elevated cancer risk in males. The second reason given was: “Occupational exposure: Men are more likely to engage in some high-risk occupations, such as construction, chemical, mining and other industries, and may be exposed to harmful substances, such as asbestos, benzene and other carcinogenic chemicals, increasing the risk of cancer.” China is both one of the world’s largest asbestos-producing and asbestos consuming countries. See: 癌症较容易找上男性！医生揭4大原因 [Cancer is more likely to strike men! Doctors reveal 4 reasons].
Asbestos in Schools
Aug 21, 2024
On August 17, 2024, Uganda’s Prime Minister – Robinah Nabbanja – urged officials to replace asbestos roofing on schools in the Busoga region with iron sheets as a matter of public safety. He asked that asbestos eradication programs be prioritized and funding from education budgets be allocated to cover removal and replacement costs. According to the PM, the toxic roofing was deteriorating and outdated and should not only be removed from schools but also from housing estates. Work is ongoing by MM Integrated Ltd. Uganda to re-roof 18 primary schools in the Busoga region as part of the “No Asbestos project.” See: Nabbanja tells Busoga schools to replace asbestos roofs.
Legal Disparities for Asbestos-related Diseases
Aug 21, 2024
Although the UK has the world’s worst incidence of asbestos-related mortality, some areas are worse affected than others. According to an August 15, 2024 press release by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), in the 40 years up to 2022: “There were 648 deaths among males in the Plymouth area from mesothelioma, a merciless deadly cancer which is caused by exposure to asbestos.” Although it’s widely believed that there are an equal number of deaths from asbestos-related lung cancer, there is an unfair legal disparity between how these two categories of sufferers are treated. See: Grim legacy of workplace asbestos exposure in south of England.
Mystery at the STF
Aug 16, 2024
The final Supreme Court (STF) verdict on the illegality of asbestos mining in Brazil, in contravention of a 2017 national ban, was scheduled to be handed down on August 14, 2024. Asbestos victims, campaigners and lawyers made their way to Brasilia to stand witness to this historic moment. It never came. With no explanation, the Court carried on business as usual but neglected to deliver the ruling in this case. Observers were dumfounded. Enquiries are ongoing about the reason for the delay/postponement/annulment but, as yet, there is no explanation from the Court. See: STF adia audiência sobre banimento do cancerígeno amianto na mina de Minaçu, em Goiás [STF postpones hearing on banning carcinogenic asbestos at the Minaçu mine in Goiás].
Asbestos Water Pipes: Update
Aug 16, 2024
The article cited below, which was uploaded on August 14, 2024, reported the ongoing hazard posed by the continued use of deteriorating asbestos-containing pipes in water delivery systems in Belgrade and Vojvodina Province. Although municipal authorities announced that these pipes would be replaced, they did not commit to a timetable for the work. If the current pace of repairs were to be maintained – 10 kilometers a year – the removal and replacement work in Belgrade could take almost 40 years. Other asbestos challenges faced by the country are also briefly discussed in the text, including the matter of how to safely dispose of asbestos waste. See: Environment: What is asbestos and is it dangerous.
Eternit SA
Aug 16, 2024
As a historic verdict of Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) in an asbestos case was awaited this week, it was reported that a company still profiting from the commercial exploitation of asbestos, which had been banned by the STF in 2017, had seen a 150% increase in exports in recent years. Eternit SA, Brazil’s former asbestos giant, has just emerged from financial restructuring and corporate reorganization after several years of bankruptcy proceedings. The output from the mining operations of the Sama company, an Eternit subsidiary, are exported under an “unconstutional” exemption legislated by Goiás State. See: Eternit fatura com exportação de amianto enquanto espera voto do STF [Eternit makes money from asbestos exports while awaiting the Supreme Court's vote].
Avon Files for Bankruptcy
Aug 16, 2024
In an August 12, 2024 press release, the Avon company announced that it had filed for voluntary Chapter 11 reorganization because of potential liabilities posed by hundreds of U.S. cancer claims over the presence of asbestos fibers in its talc-containing consumer products. According to the company the move was intended “to address its debt and legacy talc liabilities.” “Today's action,” said Avon Chair John Dubel “and the proposed sale of Avon's non-U.S. operations will maximize the value of our assets and enable us to address our obligations in an orderly manner.” See: Avon Products, Inc. Takes Steps to Address Debt and Legacy Liabilities in U.S. Court Process.
New Online Resource
Aug 16, 2024
A new upload to the website of Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) is a very useful tool for ban asbestos campaigners. The 4-page full color booklet concisely encapsulated the present-day global asbestos panorama, including: diseases caused by asbestos exposures, countries which have banned asbestos use and those which are still producing and using it. The section on relevant developments in Southeast Asia is of particular interest along with graphs showing national consumption trends. APHEDA, working with Australian and international partners, is very active in mobilizing support for asbestos bans throughout the region. See: Asbestos booklet.
Asbestos Removal at Development Site
Aug 16, 2024
Asbestos removal work has begun on the site of what will become the Hyundai Gwangju shopping mall, a 300-room luxury hotel and 4,186 apartments in the South Korean city of Gwangju. According to the work schedule, the current plans says that demolition work of the old textile factory currently occupying the site is due to commence in March 2025. Massive amounts of asbestos were used in the ceilings, roofing and partition walls of the old factory’s buildings. See: 더현대 광주’ 들어서는 전남일신 방직공장 철거 시작 [The Hyundai Gwangju begins demolition of Jeonnam Ilshin Textile Factory].
J&J Settlement
Aug 15, 2024
It was reported on August 12, 2024 that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had reached the threshold needed for its proposed $6.5-billion settlement of talc claims to proceed. The company’s third attempt to resolve the contentious bankruptcy of its subsidiary LTL Management achieved more than 75% approval from cancer claimants according to news circulated by Bloomberg News. As of now, there are 61,000 lawsuits pending over allegations that asbestos fibers were contained in J&J talc-based baby powder, a substance which was withdrawn from sale in North America in 2020 and globally in 2023. See: J&J has enough support from claimants for $6.5-billion talc settlement, Bloomberg reports.
Ban Asbestos NOW!
Aug 15, 2024
At the conclusion of a seminar on the “Contemporary challenges of asbestos after the ban” which was held at the headquarters of Fundacentro – the Jorge Duprat Figueiredo Foundation for Occupational Safety and Medicine – in São Paulo City, organizers and speakers signed a letter addressed to the country’s Supreme Court urging that it uphold its 2017 verdict outlawing the asbestos industry. On August 14, the STF is due to give its final ruling on a Goiás State exemption allowing the continued mining of chrysotile (white) asbestos for export purposes. See: Carta ao STF defende banimento total do amianto [Letter to the Supreme Federal Court defends total ban on asbestos].
EPA to Act on NSW Asbestos Hazard
Aug 15, 2024
An investigation by The Guardian (Australian) newspaper has shamed the New South Wales Environment Protection Agency (EPA) into a crackdown on the waste industry after multiple examples of noncompliance with safety regulations were uncovered. New tests by the EPA which found asbestos fibers present at 7 out of 13 facilities producing or selling cheap landscaping material confirmed The Guardian’s findings. According to the EPA’s CEO Tony Chappel, the watchdog is considering “significant changes” to the regulations that apply to soil fill made from recycled construction and demolition waste. See: NSW waste industry faces crackdown on recycled soil after asbestos found in more than half facilities tested.
Ambiguous but Promising?
Aug 15, 2024
An article uploaded last week documented work to replace two and a half kilometers of “old cast-iron and asbestos-cement pipes” in the Russian City of Archangel to provide cleaner water via a more secure network for 6,500 citizens. The text said that the new water delivery system will utilize “strong and durable material.” It was not specified whether this material would be asbestos-free. One can but hope! See: РВК-Архангельск прокладывает сети водоснабжения на Левом берегу [RVK-Arkhangelsk lays water supply networks on the Left Bank].
What Future for Toxic Site in Quebec?
Aug 15, 2024
After years of unfulfilled promises by government and private developers, folks in the former asbestos mining town of Asbestos, Quebec (now renamed Val-des-Sources) are proposing to purchase the nearly bankrupt company Tergeo. Should they succeed, they would be able to implement plans for sustainable development work at the site of the former Jeffrey chrysotile (white) asbestos mine which would benefit the local community. On the defunct industrial land are 110 million tonnes of asbestos mining waste which the town hopes will be processed to reclaim valuable minerals. See: L’ex-capitale mondiale de l'amiante veut reprendre le contrôle de son destin [Former world capital of asbestos wants to regain control of its destiny].
Eternit Bankruptcy: Update
Aug. 15, 2024
After six years of financial reorganization, on August 9, 2024 Brazilian courts approved the emergence of former asbestos giant Eternit SA from judicial reorganization proceedings necessitated, it was alleged, by the country’s 2017 ban on asbestos. In a statement to reporters, Eternit's chief financial officer Vitor Mallmann said that the process of transitioning from the use of asbestos to polypropylene fiber was “painful.” See: Justiça aprova saída da Eternit (ETER3) da recuperação judicial após 6 anos [Court approves exit of Eternit (ETER3) from judicial reorganization after 6 years].
Asbestos in Schools
Aug 12, 2024
Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported last week disturbing evidence obtained via The Official Information Act (OIA) documenting the government’s dangerous failures to protect school users from deadly exposures to asbestos. As recently as May 2024, the Ministry of Education told the RNZ that school boards and principals were responsible for managing the asbestos as per mandatory health and safety laws. A 2023 legal analysis just obtained via the OIA contradicted this opinion, concluded that the Ministry had the ultimate responsibility for asbestos contamination of schools. See: Documents reveal ‘widespread non-compliance’ over asbestos in schools.
Raising the Alert
Aug 12, 2024
The commentary cited below described the potential hazards posed by the ongoing consumption of asbestos in Armenia despite the global trend to outlaw the use of this acknowledged carcinogen. The author noted that “Aram Sargsyan, leader of the country’s Republic party and a former prime minister” is part owner of a company which produces asbestos-containing roofing material in the city of Arafat. Investigations by the author of this text revealed that national bodies including the Ministry of Defense, the National Security Service, and the Armenia Television and Radio Broadcasting Network bought asbestos roofing in recent years. See: Armenia’s Asbestos Problem: Government Continues Using Carcinogen Despite Global Ban.
Another Construction Lawsuit
Aug 12, 2024
On August 8, 2024 a class-action lawsuit was filed in Sapporo District Court, Japan by eight former workers and/or bereaved families seeking damages of 150 million yen (US$1m) from four companies. It was alleged that the defendants manufactured and supplied asbestos-containing construction material to worksites where hazardous exposures occurred from the 1950s. As a result, workers contracted deadly asbestos-related diseases including mesothelioma and lung cancer. See: 建設現場の石綿被害 集団訴訟で元労働者ら８人が追加提訴 建材メーカー４社に１億５千万円賠償求める 札幌地裁 [Eight former workers file additional lawsuit over asbestos damage at construction sites, seeking 150 million yen in damages from four building material manufacturers].
Research Progress: Mesothelioma
Aug 12, 2024
The article cited below, which was uploaded on August 7, 2024, documented progress made by a research team led by Dr Alastair Cook at Australia’s National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD). After combining immunotherapy with modified radiation in mice mesothelioma models, the scientists achieved a 100% cure rate. Explaining the new treatment strategy, Dr Cook said: “Together with a radiation physicist, we came up with a strategy which doesn’t just cause mass death and destruction of the tissue but helps to remodel the way that the blood vessels work in the tumour, so the immune cells can get into the tumour, which means you might have a better chance of a response.” See: Breakthrough research giving new hope for treatment of dust diseases.
Compensation for Asbestos Death
Aug 12, 2024
The Court of Vercelli ordered Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) to pay compensation of €150,000 (US$164,000) to the family of Vincenzo Patrucco, who died at 67 years old from pleural mesothelioma caused by workplace asbestos exposures. In addition, his widow Rita Sempio will receive a monthly pension of €1,740 (US$1,900). Patrucco was born in Casale Monferrato and worked for a company which transported asbestos-containing material produced by the Eternit asbestos conglomerate. See: Amianto a Casale Monferrato: Inail condannata ad Indennizzare la vedova di Vincenzo Patrucco [Asbestos in Casale Monferrato: INAIL Ordered to Compensate Vincenzo Patrucco's Widow].
Asbestos Hazard? What Hazard?
Aug 12, 2024
“Mass hysteria” was suggested as the reason for concern in Western countries over the climate crisis and the carcinogenicity of asbestos by the author of the article cited below. Critics who disagree with the accepted truth – such as those who say that asbestos can be used “safely” under controlled conditions – are ignored and/or persecuted. Actions taken by the European Union to outlaw asbestos were explained as an attempt to promote sales of EU asbestos-free alternatives. See: Ученые против повестки: изменение климата как фактор международной политики [Scientists Against the Agenda: Climate Change as a Factor in International Politics].
Sportswashing Asbestos Crimes
Aug 5, 2024
On August 1, civil society groups represented by the ACTU – the Australian Council of Trade Unions – and the Asbestos Support Group Network condemned the Parramatta Eels rugby team for reviving a sponsorship deal with the notorious James Hardie (JH) Group. Generations of residents from the Sydney suburb of Parramatta, where the team is based, paid with their lives for the privilege of working in JH factories. Denouncing this arrangement, ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam O’Brien said: “James Hardie should provide funding to asbestos support groups so they can continue offering essential services to individuals diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases and their families.” See: Parramatta Eels overlook asbestos victims’ by signing James Hardie sponsorship deal.
Asbestos Exposures in Parliament
Aug 5, 2024
It was announced last week that staff at the House of Commons (HoC) would be offered preventative X-rays to monitor their health “after material breaches of asbestos and construction regulations” took place at the UK’s seat of Government between October 23 & 27, 2021. During that time, it’s believed that 81 contractors and 36 HoC members of staff could have been exposed. Other services provided for affected staff included an appointment with the House of Commons GP and a spirometry breathing test. See: House of Commons staff offered X-rays after asbestos rules breached.
Asbestos in the Water?
Aug 5, 2024
On August 2, a news team from San Antonio, Texas broke a story about the health hazard posed by aging asbestos-containing pipes used in the local water delivery system. According to new research, there are still 2,000 miles of asbestos-cement water pipes in the city; they constitute 27% of the pipes for the entire San Antonio water system. These toxic pipes pose a health hazard not only for local people who consume the water but also for the work crews called upon to repair and/or replace the pipes. This month, an asbestos eradication program will be launched to replace the toxic pipes; it could, however, take years to complete the work. See: 27 percent of SAWS water pipe contains asbestos, experts divided on health risks.
Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer
Aug 5, 2024
A special issue of the journal Lung Cancer was uploaded in July, 2024 which considered multiple facets of the ongoing lung cancer epidemic caused by asbestos exposures. The international epidemiologists, medical and scientific experts who authored the papers recapped the history of asbestos use and reviewed the molecular epidemiology of asbestos-related lung cancer. New data about lung cancer causation by environmental exposures were presented and pioneering screening strategies were discussed. See: Special issue. Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer: An Update.
Asbestos Diseases in the Military
Aug 5, 2024
New figures suggest that in the last six years mortality from cases of asbestos-related diseases amongst members of the Italian military – including the Army, Air Force, Navy and Carabinieri – exceeded 5,000. A coalition of civil society groups have joined forces to make manifest the consequences of deadly exposures at home and abroad, such as those which take place during foreign military missions. In a memorandum of understanding signed by the four participating organizations, it was noted that there was a serious failure to protect military personnel serving abroad from exposures to asbestos and other toxins. See: Amianto, 1300 casi di mesiotelioma tra le forze armate [Asbestos, 1300 cases of mesiothelioma, among the armed forces].
Asbestos Removal from Schools
Aug 5, 2024
It was announced last week by officials from Cheongdo-gun County in South Korea’s North Gyeongsang Province that special guidance will be given and inspections done on schools where asbestos removal work had been carried out to ensure that the buildings are safe for use by children and staff. Eradication work is often undertaken during the summer school holidays and the advisors from Qingdao County will provide on-site guidance and assessments to monitor compliance with mandatory guidelines and asbestos health and safety regulations. See: 청도군, 석면해체․제거 특별 지도점검 실시 [Cheongdo-gun, special guidance inspection for asbestos removal and demolition].
Supporting Tasmania’s Asbestos-Injured
Aug 2, 2024
As per the Asbestos-Related Diseases (Occupational Exposure) Compensation Amendment Bill 2024 which was adopted by the House of Assembly of the Australian State of Tasmania on July 30, 2024, asbestos victims and their families will receive financial assistance with support services. In addition, funds will be allocated for the provision of “professional training, community education and public information.” According to Madeleine Ogilvie, Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs: “The Tasmanian Government… remains committed to addressing the impacts of asbestos exposure.” See: Enhancing support for asbestos-affected workers and families.
Sad News from Casale Monferrato
Aug 2, 2024
The death was announced this week of the 72-year old labor leader Mauro Patrucco who fought for years for the rights of workers at the Eternit asbestos-cement factory in Casale Monferrato, Italy. In 2010, Patrucco was a key witness at the Turin asbestos trial against the owner of the company Swiss industrialist Stephan Schmidheiny; he told the court of the horrendous and dangerous working conditions and disclosed that he was fired in retaliation for his efforts to protect the workers. See: La scomparsa di Mauro Patrucco, ex delegato sindacale Eternit [The death of Mauro Patrucco, former Eternit union delegate].
Asbestos Eradication from Schools
Aug 2, 2024
The Office of Education, in the South Korean Province of Chungcheongbuk, which has the third highest rate of asbestos-contaminated schools in the country, reported that it is on course to remediate the asbestos hazard in all the schools in North Chungcheong Province by 2026. The current rate of asbestos removal at schools in the province is significantly higher than the national average. By the end of 2024, the majority of the schools will be asbestos-free. See: 충북교육청, 2026년까지 학교 석면 모두 없앤다 [Chungbuk Office of Education “100% removal of asbestos in schools by 2026”].
Calls for Local Action on Toxic Schools
Aug 2, 2024
Work is ongoing in the Busoga region of Uganda to identify and eradicate asbestos-containing material in schools. According to a spokesperson from the Education Department of Jinja City, in the east of the country, four local primary schools contain asbestos; a further 14 schools in Busoga are similarly contaminated. Due to budgetary constraints, officials are calling on local businesses to donate iron sheets to replace the toxic roofing now on the buildings. MM Integrated Steel Mills Uganda Ltd. – a company based in Jinga – said it would provide free roofing for the decontamination program. See: 18 schools in Busoga listed for iron sheets to replace asbestos.
Asbestos Enquiry Upheld
Aug 2, 2024
A London researcher whose request for information from Waltham Forest Council had been rejected by officials as “vexatious” and “intended to annoy,” was vindicated this week by a ruling issued by the Information Commissioner who said that the Council’s refusal of the Freedom of Information request from Nick Tiratsoo was “neither reasonable nor appropriate.” On September 5, 2023, Tiratsoo had asked the Council about its handling of asbestos at the Town Hall. In 2014, a report by the Health and Safety Executive was categorical about the Council’s asbestos failings, saying there had been “no coherent plan to manage asbestos materials” and “no system of regular inspection.” See: Information Commissioner says council’s FOI refusal was ‘unreasonable’.
Scary New Data
Aug 2, 2024
A rehash of a story uploaded last week included a very worrying addition. The news first reported on July 24, 2024 about the expansion of China’s asbestos export markets in Asia detailed the first ever shipments of chrysotile (white) asbestos from Gansu Province to Tajikistan. A similar text uploaded on August 1, 2024 added the following information: “According to statistics, in the first half of the year, Dunhuang Airport Customs supervised the export of more than 8,000 tons of chrysotile asbestos from local enterprises, showing a continuous growth trend.” See: 甘肃省温石棉首次出口中亚国家 [Chrysotile asbestos from Gansu Province is exported to Central Asian countries for the first time].
Alert over Asbestos Imports
Jul 30, 2024
What is believed to be a new information sheet warned Australians of the possibility of asbestos incorporated into pre-fabricated building products being imported to Australia. According to the Australian Border Force, asbestos has been found in components used in imported prefabricated building structures such as “flooring, panel insulation and fibre cement sheeting (also known as fibre board, composite board and density board).” Asbestos was banned in Australia in 2003 and is all imports of asbestos-containing material are prohibited. See: Asbestos in imported prefabricated building products.
Toxic Thermoses
Jul 30, 2024
An information warning about the potential hazard posed by the use of asbestos-containing thermos flasks was uploaded on July 27, 2024 to a Vietnam news portal. According to the China Quality and Inspection Testing Institute many thermos bottles when inspected by experts were found to contain asbestos fibers. Consumers were advised to buy top quality products and follow all upkeep and use instructions. Damaged thermos flasks should be discarded. See: Tại sao ngày càng nhiều người tẩy chay bình giữ nhiệt? Sử dụng bình giữ nhiệt có tăng nguy cơ ung thư? [Why are more and more people boycotting thermos bottles? Does using thermos bottles increase the risk of cancer?].
Toxic Talc
Jul 30, 2024
Last week, a US appeals court affirmed a decision that ended a second attempt by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to settle tens of thousands of cancer claims using the contentious legal stratagem known as the “Texas two-step.” The Court ruled that J&J’s plan was invalid as the shell company it had set up to receive the liabilities was not in “financial distress.” Despite this ruling, J&J is progressing yet another attempt to settle the lawsuits brought by people who allege their cancers were caused by the use of asbestos-containing J&J talc-based baby powder. See: With J&J pushing a 3rd talc bankruptcy, court affirms earlier loss.
New Mesothelioma Profile?
Jul 30, 2024
According to the article cited below, an increasing number of women under 50 years old are being diagnosed with mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, in Canada. Mesothelioma patients have traditionally been older men from asbestos-using industries such as shipyard and constructions workers; female mesothelioma sufferers made up a small minority of the total of people diagnosed. Associate Professor Sheila Colla is just 41 and has mesothelioma; she never worked with asbestos. She believes she was exposed to asbestos in old schools or community centers in her hometown of Toronto. See: Are women under 50 the new face of mesothelioma?
Asbestos Contamination & Renovation Work
Jul 30, 2024
Long after many industrialized countries banned asbestos, Japan continued to import and install asbestos-containing material. As a result, property owners are faced with the legacy of this toxic material in their buildings. Considering the complexity of mandatory guidelines and laws in Japan regarding asbestos removal work, individuals are advised to employ specialist firms to eradicate the hazard. One such firm is inviting the public to a renovation trade fair in Tokyo next week. See: アスベストの事前調査から解体作業、廃棄物の収集、輸送、処分まで包括的なサポートを提供します [Integrated support from preliminary asbestos survey to demolition work, collection, transportation and treatment of waste].
Asbestos Cancer in the Navy
Jul 30, 2024
An appeal was upheld by the Lazio Regional Administrative Court, Italy which supported claims of moral, existential, biological, and patrimonial damages brought by the family of electrician Ciro Centofanti against the Ministry of Defense. The deceased died in 2020, aged 78 from asbestos cancer; during his Naval service as an onboard electrician, from 1960 to 1979, he had routinely been exposed to asbestos. His family was awarded €308,000 (US$334,000) in compensation with another case pending. See: Ucciso dall'amianto, il Tar condanna il ministero della Difesa a risarcire una vita [Killed by asbestos, the TAR orders the Ministry of Defense to compensate a life].
Protecting Victims’ Rights
Jul 25, 2024
On July 23, 2024, a bipartisan bill was introduced in the US Senate that would prevent financially viable companies from dumping their liabilities via the use of a legal manoeuvre – commonly referred to as the “Texas two-step.” The “Ending Corporate Bankruptcy Abuse Act of 2024” was sponsored by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island and Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican. The “Texas two-step” has been used by companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Georgia-Pacific to off-load asbestos liabilities in tens of thousands of cancer cases. See: US Senate bill aims to curb Texas two-step bankruptcies.
Call for Asbestos Ban
Jul 25, 2024
On July 22, 2024, the Consumers’ Association of Penang conveyed a 15-page Memorandum to the Prime Minister and other government ministers calling for asbestos use to be banned comprehensively throughout the country. Citing evidence from the World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the Asian Ban Asbestos Network and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, the memorandum concluded: “Malaysia should have banned asbestos a long time ago. We cannot wait any longer and sacrifice more lives.” See: Call for Outright Ban on Asbestos.
Green Future: No Place for Asbestos
Jul 25, 2024
The commentary cited below was about the growing popularity of green technologies, especially in the construction industry. The author highlighted the hazard posed by the incorporation of asbestos into building products saying: “in a number of countries, asbestos is banned in construction, as it is considered a harmful material.” Although nothing was said specifically about the need to outlaw asbestos, it was clear from the tone of the article that the author felt that the use of this toxic substance was contrary to the fulfillment of Azerbaijan's green priorities. See: Больше, чем тренд [More than a trend].
Expanding Asbestos Exports to Asia
Jul 25, 2024
On July 22, 2024 a train carrying six containers of 120 tons of chrysotile (white) asbestos left Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China en route to Tajikistan. This was the first time that Gansu chrysotile asbestos was exported to a Central Asian country. In the past, China consumed almost all the asbestos it mined. It seems that the creation of additional transport routes is encouraging producers to expand overseas markets. Considering that asbestos regulations in most Central Asian countries are either non-existent or unenforced, this development is of serious concern. See: 甘肃温石棉首次出口塔吉克斯坦 [Gansu chrysotile asbestos was exported to Tajikistan for the first time].
Asbestos at the Palace
Jul 25, 2024
A report issued on July 23, 2024 by The National Audit Office (NAO) about the £369 million, 10-year Buckingham Palace refurbishment program noted that although compliance with the works schedule and financial budget were good “other challenges, such as the discovery of more asbestos and structural damage than expected – common in heritage programmes – could have been foreseen.” Whilst it is reassuring that the asbestos hazard at the Palace is being addressed, the hazard posed by asbestos material contained within the majority of UK schools remains an imminent threat to students and staff. See: Progress on the Buckingham Palace Reservicing programme.
Toxic Talc
Jul 25, 2024
Current negotiations between the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and the companies which supplied it with talc for use in its manufacturing processes are believed to be inching towards a settlement. Under the proposal, the suppliers – Imerys Talc America and Cyprus Mines Corporation – will contribute to a $505 million settlement package. J&J is facing 57,000+ lawsuits from claimants who allege their cancers were caused by exposure to asbestos fibers in J&J talc-based baby powder. See: Johnson & Johnson Nears Settlement in Talc Dispute.
Lung Cancer Screening Program
Jul 23, 2024
The French National Institute of Cancer [INCA] has launched an appeal for applications for interested parties to roll out a nationwide lung cancer screening program for at-risk individuals. The targeted population includes: adults 50 to 74 years old and long-term smokers or former smokers. People who will not be screened include those exposed to asbestos, radon, passive smoking and air pollution. 52,777 cases of lung cancer (LC) were diagnosed in France in 2023; most LC diagnoses in France are made at a late stage of the disease. See: Appel à candidatures 2024 Dépistage des cancers du poumon - Programme pilote [Call for applications for 2024 Lung cancer screening - Pilot program].
Deadly Earthquake Legacy
Jul 23, 2024
On July 21, 2024, it was announced that a 6th worker had been certified by the Kobe Nishi Labor Standards Inspection Office as having a work-related injury after contracting the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma having been exposed to asbestos during clean-up work following the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The injured man who is 67 years old, was born in Amagasaki City, but now lives in the Hanshin area. Commenting on his experience after the disaster, the cancer sufferer said: “There were many people who did similar work in the disaster areas, so there are probably even more patients.” See: 阪神・淡路被災地：震災によるアスベスト被害 [Hanshin-Awaji disaster area: Asbestos damage caused by the earthquake].
Asbestos at the Olympics
Jul 23, 2024
Days before the 2024 Summer Olympics were due to begin in France, the news was circulated about the discovery of asbestos contamination in the Lille subway system. From July 27, scores of basketball and handball matches are scheduled to be held in Lille. The focus of investigations now progressing concerns six metro trains and one train station, which is currently closed. See: Lille: La Decouverte d’Amiante Menace le Bon Fonctionnement des Metros Pendant les Jo 2024 [Lille: Discovery of Asbestos Threatens Normal Functioning of Metros during 2024 Olympics].
A Toxic Legacy
Jul 23, 2024
The July 8, 2024 commentary by a Ukrainian environmental expert which is cited below delineated the multitude of asbestos-related challenges facing Ukraine, which historically had used asbestos in vast quantities for the production of asbestos-cement material including roofing. Russian attacks on the national infrastructure have created unquantifiable amounts of asbestos-contaminated building debris and Ukraine is struggling to implement procedures to ensure the safe collection and disposal of this waste. See: Що не так із азбестом і як бути з горами небезпечних будівельних відходів [What's wrong with asbestos and how to deal with mountains of hazardous construction waste].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 23, 2024
An updated list of schools which still contain asbestos material was released at a press conference by a coalition of civil society groups in Busan, Korea on July 18, 2024. According to the new information, out of 12,058 elementary, middle, and high schools in South Korea, 2,925 still contain asbestos; in other words, 1 out of 4 schools are still contaminated despite the nationwide asbestos removal program and a deadline of 2027 for the eradication of all asbestos in schools. The regions with the highest number of toxic schools are: Gyeonggi (767), Seoul (422), Gyeongnam (347), Gyeongbuk (264) and Jeonnam (260). See: 전국 초중고 '석면학교' 2925곳 명단 공개 [A list of 2,925 elementary, middle, and high ‘asbestos schools’ nationwide released].
20 Year Wait for Justice
Jul 23, 2024
Italy’s National Institute for Social Security (INPS) was ordered by the Appeal Court of Rome to increase monthly pension payments to eleven workers (or to their heirs, since many had died from asbestos-related diseases during their 20-year wait for justice). The injured had been exposed to asbestos whilst employed in ship construction at the Posillipo shipyard in the Lazio region of central Italy. See: Amianto: Ex dipendenti della Posillipo di Sabaudia risarciti dall’INPS dopo 20 anni. Avranno una maggiorazione della pensione [Asbestos: Former employees of Posillipo di Sabaudia compensated by INPS after 20 years. They [or their heirs] will receive an increased pension].
Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers
Jul 17, 2024
The article cited below, which was uploaded on July 8 2024, referenced new data published in The Lancet which revealed that: “a ‘substantial portion’ of lung cancer patients in India are those who do not smoke.” In 2020, there were 72,510 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed and 66,279 deaths according to research by doctors from the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. Exposure to asbestos was listed as one of the causes of the high rates of lung cancer in India, along with environmental and air pollution, exposures to chromium, cadmium, arsenic and coal, and second-hand smoke. See: Most of India's lung cancer cases are linked to non-smokers. Here's why.
Precautionary Asbestos Audits
Jul 17, 2024
Staff at the Department of Waste Management (DWM) in Tuvalu, an island country in the South Pacific, are taking a proactive approach to the legacy of asbestos use, with new protocols for identifying toxic products. According to DWM Director Mr Epu Falega: “By knowing where the asbestos is we can help our communities live with it safely.” Using newly acquired technology, the first survey of the 148 buildings on Niu island was conducted. Nineteen of the 131 samples tested were found to contain asbestos including those taken from roofing on the old chapel which was built in 1925. See: Protecting communities in Tuvalu from the threat of asbestos.
Mesothelioma Victim Sues the Government
Jul 17, 2024
A precedent was set on July 9, 2024 when a mesothelioma sufferer, who had been employed at a textile factory in Uji City, sued the government for failing to protect him in a lawsuit being heard in Kyoto District Court. Between 1969 and 1979, the worker had been tasked with handling burlap bags containing asbestos which was fed into the production line for the manufacture of heat insulation products. As a result of workplace exposures, he contracted the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. See: ユニチカ工場で石綿暴露 宇治市の元労働者が救済求め提訴 中皮腫発症し今年３月に労災認定 [Asbestos exposure at Unitika factory. Former worker with mesothelioma in Uji City sues for relief and [exposure] is certified as a worker's accident in March this year].
Asbestos in the Tunnels
Jul 17, 2024
As of July 15, 2024, two tunnels in the east of Brussels were closed as part of an asbestos removal and remediation project being carried out over the summer months. According to one of the supervisors Inge Paemen: “The work involves removing asbestos and repairing and protecting the reinforced concrete ceilings… Asbestos was already removed from part of the ceilings in summer 2020. This will now be finished and the ceilings will also be repaired.” The work on four key tunnels is being undertaken at this time as traffic flow is 20% decreased during July and August. See: Two Brussels tunnels closed for works from Monday.
Asbestos Removal in Schools
Jul 17, 2024
The Office of Education in Chungnam City, Korea is implementing plans to remove asbestos from selected schools during the 2024 summer school holidays. On July 12th, attendees at a training session for individuals tasked with monitoring this work were informed that asbestos removal work would be undertaken in 37 schools. Among the team of monitors are: school principals or vice-principles, asbestos building safety managers, parents, members of civic groups, on-site representatives of asbestos dismantling and removal companies, and construction supervisors. See: 충남교육청, 여름방학 학교 석면해체·제거 감시단 교육 [Chungnam Office of Education, summer vacation school asbestos dismantling and removal monitoring group training].
Upcoming Decision on Asbestos Ban
Jul 16, 2024
The article cited below by veteran ban asbestos campaigner Brazilian Engineer Fernanda Giannasi is an excellent summation of the current state-of-play regarding the process of banning asbestos in Brazil. The commercial exploitation of asbestos was prohibited by order of the Supreme Court (STF) in 2017. Under a state granted exemption, which was and is unconstitutional, asbestos mining continued at the SAMA facility in Goiás State; all the fiber produced was exported. On August 14, 2024, the STF will, after a wait of 7 years, give its ruling on shutting down the mine. See: Fernanda Giannasi: Fim definitivo do amianto no Brasil está nas mãos do STF [Fernanda Giannasi: The definitive end of asbestos in Brazil is in the hands of the STF].
An End to the Asbestos Era?
Jul 16, 2024
On July 12, 2024, the head of Russia’s 2nd largest asbestos conglomerate: Uralasbest admitted that the outlook for the asbestos industry was bleak: “Over the past two decades, the situation on the chrysotile market has been getting worse every year. In different countries that are consumers of our products, there is pressure at the government level: opponents of chrysotile are calling for a ban on asbestos.” For this reason, Yuri Kozlov said, the company had been working to diversify with the launch of new production lines at its enterprises in Belgorod, Bryansk, Krymsk and Sterlitamak. See: Глава "Ураласбеста": новые линии производства откроют в Белгороде, Брянске и Крымске [Head of Uralasbest: New production lines will open in Belgorod, Bryansk and Krymsk].
Landmark Ruling for Bereaved
Jul 16, 2024
Last week, the Kobe District Court ordered the Japanese Government to pay 11,000 yen (US$70) to the family of a man who died from asbestos cancer because the Labor Standards Department had illegally destroyed records documenting his toxic exposure. It is believed that this is the first time that a punishment has been handed down for the mistaken disposal of public documents. See:「父も労災記録も戻ってこない」アスベスト吸い込み死亡の男性 労基署が記録廃棄 国に賠償命じる判決 [“Neither my father nor the records of his work-related accident were returned” - Man dies after inhaling asbestos; Labor Standards Office destroys records; court orders government to pay compensation].
Asbestos at the University
Jul 16, 2024
Sixteen lecture halls were closed on July 6, 2024 at the University of Lille, France after routine maintenance work discovered traces of asbestos on June 17, 2024 in air handling units of lecture halls built during the 1960s at the University of Lille, France. The authorities say that asbestos remediation and refurbishment work required to make the premises safe will take at least 2 years and cost several million euros. See: L'Université de Lille ferme 16 amphis du campus Cité scientifique après la découverte d'amiante [The University of Lille closes 16 lecture halls on the Cité scientifique campus after the discovery of asbestos].
Asbestos Crime & Punishment
Jul 16, 2024
In return for $3,000,000 (US$3.9m), between 2018 and 2022 Devon landowner Christopher Garrett allowed 12,000 tonnes of asbestos debris to be dumped on land designated as a floodplain alongside his home. According to the Environment Agency (EA), this is the worst such crime ever to have been committed in Devon and Cornwall. Exeter Crown Court last week sentenced the 64-year old defendant to 32 months in jail and ordered him to pay £200,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The EA believes it would cost in excess of £2.5m to decontaminate the site. See: Devon man sentenced to 32 months for dumping waste on floodplain.
Asbestos Remediation Program
Jul 16, 2024
Toxic asbestos-cement pipes which are part of the water delivery network serving 8,000 households in the Greek city of Lagadas in Thessaloniki are finally being replaced. The €4,000,000 (US$4.36m) project was approved by the Ministry of the Interior. In addition to the human health risk posed by the aging toxic pipes, they were also liable to leak and/or burst necessitating frequent and expensive repairs to be carried out on the obsolete network. See: Λαγκαδάς: Ξηλώνεται επιτέλους το δίκτυο αμιάντου στο σύστημα ύδρευσης [Lagadas: The asbestos network in the water supply system is finally being dismantled].
Propaganda Camouflaged as History
Jul 11, 2024
The article cited below, which was uploaded on July 8, 2024 to a Russian-language news portal, reviewed the positive contribution the asbestos sector had made to Russia and the glowing long-term prospects for the industry. Technological experimentation has succeeded in producing new uses for asbestos and the mining debris left behind once the chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber is extracted. Amongst the substances now being reclaimed from the waste are: sports magnesia, silica and components for use by the steel and rubber industries. See: Метаморфозы горного льна [Metamorphoses of mountain flax].
Asbestos: Australia vs Indonesia
Jul 11, 2024
When comparing asbestos policies in Australia and Indonesia, author Gwyn Roberts pointed out that in the 1980s there was a divergence of attitude by the countries, finalizing in asbestos being banned in Australia in 2003. In Indonesia, however, there is no prohibition on asbestos use and the country is the world’s 2nd largest importer. Ban asbestos mobilization is gaining traction and in March 2024 the Supreme Court mandated that asbestos-containing products sold in the country must carry health warnings. Lobbyists at the Chrysotile Information Center and elsewhere continue to spread industry reassurances that chrysotile asbestos is safe for humans to use despite the WHO, ILO and other international agencies categorizing chrysotile asbestos as a Group 1 carcinogen. See: Asbestos danger.
Asbestos Shenanigans
Jul 11, 2024
Off-loading asbestos liabilities has become a popular pastime for corporations facing a tidal wave of lawsuits from those injured by the production, use and sale of asbestos-containing material. According to the July 10th article cited below: “Private equity firms (in the US) are quietly buying up a literal toxic asset: companies’ liabilities for decades of asbestos poisoning.” Once the huge payouts from the industrial manufacturers have been received and the liabilities transferred, the new owners make use of well-tried legal machinations to deny or delay the payment of claims. See: Wall Street Is Investing In Your Asbestos Poisoning.
One Asbestos Giant Buys Another
Jul 11, 2024
On July 9, 2024 it was announced that the multinational construction material maker Saint Gobain SA had completed the acquisition of Australia-based building materials maker CSR for A$4.3 billion. CSR is a frequent defendant in asbestos-related lawsuits brought by Australian claimants from around the country. The use of asbestos by the company’s subsidiaries in the US and Brazil have also led to litigation from injured employees, relatives and members of the public. Press releases from Saint-Gobain and CSR are fulsome with praise for the takeover; it is unlikely that Saint-Gobain’s asbestos victims will share their enthusiasm. See: Saint-Gobain completes the acquisition of CSR in Australia.
Asbestos Accident in Paraná State
Jul 9, 2024
A truck from the Brazilian city of Goiânia loaded with 47 tonnes of chrysotile asbestos overturned on Brazilian highway PR-092 in Paraná State over the weekend. The 44-year-old driver was injured in the accident and was taken to a local hospital. Broken sacks of asbestos – an acknowledged carcinogen – were photographed on the road and surrounding areas. Brazil’s only operational asbestos mine is located in the city of Minaçu, 300 miles from Goiânia. See: Caminhão carregado de amianto tomba na PR-092, e deixa motorista ferido [Truck loaded with asbestos turns over on PR-092, leaving driver injured].
Right to Free Speech Upheld for Scientist
Jun 9, 2024
According to a Reuters report, on June 28, 2024, New Jersey District Judge Georgette Castner “dismissed a lawsuit brought by a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiary against a scientist who published a paper linking talc-based consumer products to cancer, finding that the research was not fraudulent or libelous.” Dr. Jacqueline Moline had been sued over comments she made in a 2020 paper which concluded that exposure to asbestos-contaminated talc products could cause mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposures to asbestos. See: Scientist defeats J&J lawsuit over cancer research.
Asbestos Exports to Africa
Jul 9, 2024
On July 4, 2024, 50 tons of chrysotile asbestos departed by train from Dunhuang City – in China’s northwestern Gansu Province – to Tianjin Port, where the cargo will be sent by ship to Nigeria. This is the first time Gansu asbestos has been exported to Africa. As a result of streamlined customs procedures in Dunhuang, asbestos export markets have expanded in recent years to include Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia in Southeast Asia and Nigeria in Africa. The author of the text cited below predicted that the new system will facilitate a “growth in (asbestos) export volume.” See: 甘肃温石棉首次出口非洲 [Gansu chrysotile asbestos exported to Africa for the first time].
TV Exposé
Jul 9, 2024
A 25-minute documentary by Al Jazeera which was uploaded on July 4, 2024 reported the repercussions of the commercial exploitation of asbestos in India, the world’s largest asbestos-importing country. Interviews with British barrister Krishnendu Mukherjee, trade union leader Rajkamal Tewary, local politicians, asbestos industry workers, family members and campaigners revealed the ongoing human misery being caused by occupational and environmental asbestos exposures. Footage shot of young men, with no masks or protective equipment, shovelling asbestos-containing mining debris into sacks for use on building sites was truly shocking. See: Asbestos: The toxic mineral endangering millions in India.
Toxic Talc
Jul 9, 2024
On July 5, 2024, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a monograph which categorized talc as a probable human carcinogen: “After thoroughly reviewing the available scientific literature, the Working Group of 29 international experts classified talc as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A) on the basis of a combination of limited evidence for cancer in humans (for ovarian cancer), sufficient evidence for cancer in experimental animals, and strong mechanistic evidence that talc exhibits key characteristics of carcinogens in human primary cells and experimental systems.” Many talc-containing products have been found to contain asbestos fibers. See: IARC Monographs evaluate the carcinogenicity of talc and acrylonitrile IARC Monographs Volume 136.
Another Railway Tragedy in Bologna
Jul 9, 2024
Italian Judge Gianluigi Bettini awarded the family of a 79-year-old railway worker who committed suicide after being diagnosed with mesothelioma – dubbed “railway workers’ cancer” – €800,000 (US$870,000). The deceased had worked in the carpentry department of the central railway depot in Bologna where carriages were maintained and/or repaired. Lawyers for the defendant company – Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), owner of Italy's railway network – have said that they will appeal the verdict. See: Bologna, si tolse la vita dopo la diagnosi del «tumore dei ferrovieri»: «Rfi deve risarcire la famiglia per l'amianto killer» [Bologna, [worker] took his own life after being diagnosed with “railway workers' cancer”: “RFI must compensate the family for the killer asbestos”].
Logistical Links: Update
Jul 4, 2024
The article cited below described the effectiveness of measures being implemented to further trade between Kazakhstan and countries in Asa including new and improved trade links and bilateral trade agreements between China and Kazakhstan. Shipments of chrysotile asbestos fiber are among the exports being shipped from Kazakhstan to China and from China to other countries in central Asia. See: “一带一路”为中亚农产品和矿产品提供出海便利 [The Belt and Road Initiative provides convenience for Central Asian agricultural products and mineral products to go overseas].
Remembering the Kubota Shock
Jul 4, 2024
The 19th anniversary of Japan’s “Kubota Shock” – the description given to the seismic realization that the country was being decimated by an epidemic of asbestos mortality – was marked by an event on June 29th in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. Up to that date, hundreds of employees and local people had suffered from exposures to asbestos liberated by the operations of the Kubota company’s Kanzaki Plant. According to a municipal spokesperson, asbestos exposures create a “silent time bomb” because it takes a long time for the toxic dust to affect health. See: 周辺住民の被害422人 クボタショック19年 尼崎の集会で報告 [422 people affected by the Kubota shock 19 years ago reports Amagasaki meeting].
Asbestos Alert
Jul 4, 2024
The article cited below which was uploaded to a news portal in Kazakhstan reported the closure of a historic German building due to asbestos contamination. Reminding readers that: “In the 20th century, asbestos was used in construction as a refractory mineral…” the author concluded by pointing out that “by the 1990s, it turned out that it was extremely harmful to health and causes lung cancer.” In Kazakhstan, the world's 2nd biggest asbestos producer, the national asbestos agenda has been strictly controlled to prevent adverse information being circulated; whether this is a blip or a sign of a change in policy remains to be seen. See: Одну из крупнейших ратуш Германии закрыли: нашли токсичный материал [One of the largest town halls in Germany was closed: toxic material was found].
Lung Cancer Verdict
Jul 4, 2024
Very few cases of asbestos-related lung cancer are recognized or compensated in the UK despite the fact that there are thousands of these cases occurring every year. It was reported last week that a successful outcome had been achieved for the family of a Scottish shipyard worker who died of asbestos-related lung cancer. Unhelpful findings reported by a pathologist and post-mortem results that were unsupportive were disputed by a consultant engineer who found that the deceased had experienced workplace asbestos exposures in excess of 225f/ml, almost an order of magnitude greater than the Helsinki criteria. A settlement with the employer’s insurers was negotiated. See: Successful lung cancer settlement despite failure to meet Helsinki criteria.
Schmidheiny Guilty!
Jun 28, 2024
On June 26, 2024, the Napes Court of Appeal confirmed a lower court’s verdict that the Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny’s negligence had caused the asbestos-related death of a worker from the Eternit Bagnoli factory in Naples. The jail sentence of three years and six months for negligent homicide was upheld. Lawyers for the defendant said that he would appeal “this unjustified sentence” to the Italian Supreme Court. This legal action is one of many being progressed against Schmidheiny over his responsibility for the deaths and injuries caused by the Swiss Eternit Group. See: Confirmation du jugement contre Stephan Schmidheiny [Confirmation of the judgment against Stephan Schmidheiny].
Victims’ Verdict in Fukoka
Jun 28, 2024
On June 27, 2024, the Fukuoka District Court ordered 5 building material producers from Kyushu island, Japan to pay compensation of 148 million yen (US$~922,000) to 65 injured asbestos claimants and/or surviving family members. In his ruling presiding judge Ueda Hiroyuki concluded that “it was possible for manufacturers who produced and sold building materials containing asbestos to predict that indoor construction workers would be exposed to dust. Therefore, the manufacturers had a duty to warn workers about the dangers and how to avoid them, but they did not.” See: 建設アスベスト訴訟 ５社に１億４８００万円賠償命令 [Construction asbestos lawsuit: Five companies ordered to pay 148 million yen in damages].
Queensland Victory in Asbestos Case
Jun 28, 2024
The legal team representing 77-year old asbestos claimant Kim Martin achieved a landmark verdict before the Supreme Court of Queensland, which ordered Amaca – formerly known as James Hardie & Coy – to pay $2 million+ for exposing the plaintiff to asbestos as a result of which he contracted the fatal cancer mesothelioma. Martin had routinely worked with Hardie products; he had never been warned of the asbestos hazard or been advised to use protective equipment. This was the first pain and suffering award for a mesothelioma victim handed down in Queensland; it was also Australia’s largest pain and suffering award for a mesothelioma victim. See: Amaca ordered to pay $1.21m in landmark decision from Qld jury.
Outlook for Asbestos Sector
Jun 28, 2024
According to an independent credit rating agency (ICRA) in India, profits of manufacturers of asbestos-cement roofing are likely to achieve growth of up to 9% in 2025-26 after recovering from disruptions and price rises for Russian asbestos exports in 2022-24 caused by the war on Ukraine. The ICRA analysis of market conditions concluded as follows: “The key players are moving towards de-risking their business profiles by entering non-asbestos segments due to regulatory risks associated with the threat of a ban on the usage of these products and on the mining of asbestos in the producing countries.” See: Asbestos-based roofing players’ PBIT margins likely at 8-9% in FY25 and FY26, margins to slide in FY22-24 on Russia-Ukraine conflict, supply chain disruptions.
Surveillance Program under Threat
Jun 28, 2024
During a radio broadcast on June 26, 2024, a spokesperson for the local asbestos victims’ group (ADEVA) in Sarthe, northern France expressed the concerns of members about plans by Public Health France to end the national mesothelioma surveillance scheme due to funding constraints. According to ADEVA’s Sonia Hertz: “If the monitoring program is stopped there is a chance that some of the victims will no longer come forward. There are already 27% of mesothelioma cases that are not reported.” See: Amiante: l'ADEVA de la Sarthe inquiète pour le suivi des maladies [Asbestos: Sarthe members of ADEVA concerned about the follow-up of patients].
Asbestos Waste: Civic Nightmare
Jun 28, 2024
Residents of Pocheon City, South Korea are becoming increasingly concerned about the hazard posed by illegally dumped asbestos waste at a landfill facility. The failure of the authorities to take action was criticized by local people. In response, an official of the Environmental Guidance Division said that officials were “promptly investigating the illegally buried pieces of asbestos slate. Through on-site verification and detailed analysis, we plan to determine the exact amount of landfill and impact, and take necessary measures.” See: [단독]포천시 불법 매립지, 유해 석면 방치… 환경 당국의 늑장 대응에 주민 불안 가중 [Exclusive. Illegal landfill in Pocheon City, neglect of harmful asbestos… Delayed response from environmental authorities increases anxiety among residents].
Asbestos-cement Water Pipes
Jun 26, 2024
The article cited below which documented the increasing fragility of water supply delivery systems throughout Canada, highlighted the widespread presence of deteriorating asbestos-cement pipes: between 2010 and 2022, there were 2,477 asbestos-cement water main breaks in Regina, the capital city of Saskatchewan Province. Up to now, there has been no monitoring or regulation of asbestos in Canadian water; in addition, there is no validated method or certified laboratories in Canada to measure asbestos in water. The federal government is currently compiling a national inventory of asbestos-cement water pipes which will be ready in 2025. See: Calgary's water emergency is just the start.
Toxic Talc
Jun 26, 2024
Yet another class action was filed on June 17, 2024 against the US Pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J) by cancer claimants who alleged that use of the company’s talc-based products caused ovarian and other cancers. The thousands of potential plaintiffs seek damages and the establishment of a medical monitoring program “on behalf of women who have been diagnosed with cancer, or might develop it in the future, allegedly as a result of using the company's baby powder and other talc products.” See: J&J hit with new class action over talc seeking medical monitoring for cancer.
New Asbestos Data
Jun 26, 2024
According to data released on June 19, 2024 by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, there were 1,170 worker’s accident claims caused by asbestos recognized in 2023; this was 91 cases more than in the previous year. Amongst the diseases acknowledged were: 642 cases of mesothelioma and 433 lung cancers. Toxic exposures in the construction industry accounted for 65.2% of the total whilst 28.8% were due to exposures in the manufacturing industry. See: 石綿労災、２３年度は１１７０件認定 前年度比９１件増、厚労省まとめ [Asbestos worker's accident certified in FY23 1,170 cases, an increase of 91 cases from the previous year, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare summary].
Alert over the use of Asbestos-Cement Pipes
Jun 26, 2024
An article uploaded on a Russian news portal on June 20, 2024 about the availability of material for construction projects in Russia, which reviewed the range and cost of asbestos-cement pipes, concluded as follows: “Despite the continued use of asbestos-cement pipes in Russia, it is worth considering alternative materials that provide similar functionality without potential health risks. Asbestos-free alternatives, such as plastic or concrete pipes, are becoming increasingly popular in many countries due to their safety and environmental benefits.” See: Асбестовая труба: особенности производства в России [Asbestos pipe: features of production in Russia].
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 26, 2024
A campaign by trade unionists in the French department of Eure-et-Loir, located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, has raised the alert over the hazard to children as well as staff due to the presence of deteriorating asbestos-containing material in schools: 70% of schools in Eure-et-Loir contain asbestos material. Only 25 out of 36 nursery schools are asbestos-free while 57 out of 84 elementary schools contain asbestos as do 31 of 39 middle schools and 15 of 16 high schools. See: De l’amiante dans 70% des écoles d’Eure-et-Loir: «On empoisonne les futures générations!» [Asbestos in 70% of schools in Eure-et-Loir: "We are poisoning future generations!”].
Compensation for Mesothelioma Death
Jun 26, 2024
Yet another railway worker’s asbestos death has been recognized by the Court of Taranto, Italy which ordered the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) to pay substantial compensation to members of the family of Pascale Laperchia. The deceased, who had been employed as a maintenance worker for 35 years by the State Railways, died from the signature cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma, in 2021 at the age of 73. See: Lavoratore morto per l'esposizione all'amianto: condannata l'Inail [Worker died from exposure to asbestos: INAIL condemned].
Railway Asbestos Trial?
Jun 20, 2024
It was reported last week, that in May 2024 a request had been made by the Paris prosecutor's office for trial of a former railway official who is accused of having endangered the lives of railway workers at a maintenance center in Saintes (Charente-Maritime) between 1998 and 2000 by failing to prevent workplace exposures to asbestos. The 79-year-old accused is referred to as Gilles L. and is a former director of the Établissement Industriel de Maintenance du Matériel (Industrial Establishment for Equipment Maintenance). The decision on whether or not there will be a trial remains in the hands of the investigating judges in charge of the case. See: Amiante, 25 ans après: y aura-t-il un procès pour l'ancien responsable SNCF? [Asbestos, 25 years later: will there be a trial for the former SNCF official?].
Victim’s Verdict by Top Court
Jun 20, 2024
According to the Basque Association of Asbestos Victims, the Supreme Court of the Basque Country rejected an appeal from Nervacero SA, a Spanish steel producer, against a Labor Court judgment awarding the sum of €163,931 (US$176,200) to the family of a worker who died in 2020 from mesothelioma. The deceased had inhaled asbestos at the steel mill due to no safety measures being in place to protect the workers from toxic exposures. See: Ratifican la indemnización de 163.931 euros a la familia de un trabajador vasco que murió tras trabajar décadas expuesto al amianto [Compensation of 163,931 euros to the family of a Basque worker who died after working for decades exposed to asbestos has been ratified].
Caring for the Caregivers
Jun 20, 2024
A $1.1 million grant has been received by the Michigan State University (MSU) to undertake a study designed to improve psychosocial support for mesothelioma caregivers. The funding was donated by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. The research by MSU social work doctoral students Jen Hirsch and Linda Zhang will take four years and feature various research modes including: information gathering, in-person sessions, homework and in-depth participant interviews. See: MSU School of Social Work received $1.1M grant for mesothelioma research.
Addressing the Asbestos Legacy
Jun 20, 2024
Sixty years after operations had ceased, the derelict asbestos mine and processing units in the Corsican town of Canari has become a toxic eyesore. Work at remediating this site, previously owned by the Eternit asbestos conglomerate, is due to begin in 2025 after an 8-month long “meticulous preparatory phase.” A budget of €6 million (US$6.5m) for the decontamination work is expected to overrun due to the widespread pollution present in this environmental blot on the landscape. See: Dans le Cap Corse, le seul site industriel d'amiante de la métropole va être démoli [In Cap Corse, the only asbestos industrial site in the metropolis will be demolished].
Breakthrough in Russia?
Jun 19, 2024
Russia’s Ministry of Health last week uploaded to its website a proposal to recognize as occupationally-caused diseases cancers caused by exposure to a number of substances, including asbestos. After a consultation period, which ended on June 17, 2024, the draft regulations will be finalized; they are scheduled to come into force on March 1, 2025. As Russia’s is the world’s largest producer of asbestos and the paymaster for the global asbestos lobby, this news will, almost certainly, be a huge shock to vested interests. See: Онкологию признают профессиональным заболеванием [Cancer to be recognized as an occupational disease].
The Long-tail Asbestos Legacy in NSW
Jun 19, 2024
Residents of the former asbestos mining town of Baryulgil in New South Wales (NSW), Australia are still paying with their lives for the mining of chrysotile asbestos, even though operations ceased decades ago. From 1953-1979, the James Hardie (JH) company’s asbestos mine was the biggest employer in Baryulgil. Generations of JH employees died from asbestos-related diseases as have local people exposed to the asbestos waste JH gave away free for use as landfill for roads, playgrounds and sports areas. See: Years after Baryulgil's asbestos mine closed down, a deadly legacy remains with the people of this land.
Asbestos Risk to Construction Workers
Jun 19, 2024
The paper cited below was published in the May 2024 issue of the Indonesian Journal of Medical Sciences. The aim of the study undertaken by the five Indonesian co-authors was to better understand the danger posed by asbestos exposures to construction workers, in order to find measures to minimize the hazards. “The construction sector has,” they concluded “the highest exposure to asbestos compared to other sectors or industries and has a high number of asbestosis cases.” Recommendations made included the provision of state-of-the-art personal protective equipment and the implementation of a health and safety regime with checks on workers’ health and worksite inspections by health and safety specialists. See: Occupational Asbestos-containing Materials Exposure and Risk of Asbestosis among Construction Workers.
Supporting Asbestos Cancer Patients
Jun 19, 2024
The almost always fatal outcome of a mesothelioma diagnosis, the age of most of the injured, the severity of physical symptoms and the lack of treatment options impose an almost unsustainable psychological burden on patients, many of whom experience anxiety, depression or PTSD. The delays in NHS appointments and the lack of mental health counsellors exacerbate an already difficult situation. Counsellors employed by a charity supporting asbestos victims have a vital role to play in safeguarding the mental as well as the physical health of patients. See: Treating anxiety and depression in mesothelioma patients.
Asbestos Discovery in Western Australia
Jun 19, 2024
It was reported on June 18, 2024, that government biosecurity laboratories in Perth, Western Australia had been closed as a precautionary measure on June 14 after the discovery of aging asbestos material. Three hundred employees normally work at the plant and animal labs housed at the dilapidated South Perth facility belonging to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. An investigation and air monitoring tests are ongoing. A new biosecurity facility is under construction at Murdoch University; when it’s opened in 2027, 350 staff will work there. See: Asbestos scare closes government biosecurity labs in South Perth.
Victim’s Ruling in Florence
Jun 19, 2024
A sub-contractor – Franco Berti – who had been exposed to asbestos whilst working at a facility owned by Enel S.p.A. – an Italian multinational manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas – has been awarded €118,000 (US$127,000) by the Florence Court of Appeal. Unsafe working conditions, which were the result of Enel’s negligence, resulted in the claimant contracting asbestosis in 2014. Enel is considering appealing this verdict to the Supreme Court (Court of Cassation). See: Esposizione all’amianto, la Corte d’appello di Firenze condanna Enel a pagare 118mila euro [Exposure to asbestos, the Florence Court of Appeal orders Enel to pay 118 thousand euros].
Supreme Court Reverses Erroneous Ruling
Jun 18, 2024
On June 12, 2024, Italy’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) annulled the acquittal by the Court of Appeal of Palermo of individuals who had been charged over the asbestos deaths of 39 shipyard workers from the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Sicily. The Court of Appeal had ruled that workplace asbestos exposures at the shipyard had ceased in the 1980s although many witnesses testified otherwise. A new trial has been ordered. See: Palermo. Morti per amianto al cantiere navale: cassazione annulla assoluzioni [Palermo. Asbestos-related deaths at the shipyard: Court of Cassation annuls acquittals].
Asbestos-Free Schools by 2026
Jun 18, 2024
On June 13, 2024, the Gyeonggi Provincial Department of Education in South Korea announced that it was on track to eradicate the asbestos hazard from all its schools by 2026. In 2024, the Department Office of Education invested 136.5 billion won (US $99.3m) for the asbestos removal project in 199 schools. Responding to criticism that the expertise of asbestos monitors in schools was inadequate, additional professional training will be provided to strengthen the competency of asbestos staff at the Education Support Agency. See: 경기도교육청, 학교 석면 제거 2026년까지 완료 목표 [Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education aims to complete asbestos removal in schools by 2026].
Asbestos Replacement Program
Jun 18, 2024
More than 30 years after they were installed, asbestos-cement pipes in Nicosia, Cyprus are in “critical condition… with portions of the network collapsing.” Over four thousand meters of these aging and toxic pipes need replacing. A remediation program, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme costing €1 million (US$1.1m), will take place between June 15 and September 15, 2024. to safeguard the health of all Nicosians. See: EU-funded works commence to replace old asbestos pipes in critical Nicosia Sewer.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Legacy
Jun 18, 2024
Almost thirty years after the Great Hanshin Earthquake devastated the Hanshin region of Japan, doctors speaking at a June 12th press conference at the Hyogo Prefectural Health Insurance Medical Association expressed concerns about the increasing incidence of asbestos-related diseases amongst earthquake survivors in the decades to come. Forty percent of medical professionals consulted for a survey by the Hyogo Medical Association agreed that the number of victims will increase in the future due to the asbestos scattered during and after the disaster. See: 阪神大震災で石綿被害｢今後増加｣4割 発生30年で医師ら [40% of doctors believe asbestos damage from the Great Hanshin Earthquake "will increase in the future," 30 years after occurrence].
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 18, 2024
Parents whose children attend a school in the commune of Amayé-sur-Orne in the northwest of France have broken the silence about the asbestos contamination of the unnamed school their children attend. The town hall is trying to keep this scandal under wraps but finally some of the parents have openly expressed concern over the hazard. Although the municipal authorities had prior knowledge of the contamination, no warnings were given to parents until May 14, 2024. See: L'école d'Amayé-sur-Orne contaminée par de l'amiante, les parents d'élèves s'inquiètent [The school in Amayé-sur-Orne contaminated by asbestos, parents of students are worried].
Toxic Talc Settlement
Jun 14, 2024
On June 11, 2024, the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced that it had reached a $700 million settlement with 42 US states and Washington, D.C. The payout is intended to resolve charges that the company misled consumers into believing that the use of J&J’s talc-based products was safe. J&J did not admit wrongdoing. There are currently over 60,000 cancer claims from plaintiffs who allege their diseases were caused by asbestos fibers contained in the company’s talc-based baby powder. See: Johnson & Johnson reaches $700 million talc settlement with US states.
Asbestos Hazard in War Debris
Jun 14, 2024
A dossier released by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ukraine on June 11, 2024 detailed the scale of environmental damage caused by Russian attacks. To deal with the huge amount of building debris, an innovative facility for processing waste opened in the Kyiv region with support of UNDP and the European Union. To ensure no asbestos is present in recycled material, a special laboratory is being installed and measures adopted to identify asbestos fibers in both waste and air. Currently, asbestos waste is wrapped and stored in temporary facilities prior to developing a technology for burying it in designated landfills. See: ООН открыла в Украине инновационную станцию по переработке отходов войны [The UN has opened an innovative station for processing war waste in Ukraine].
Uralita Victims’ Long Wait for Justice
Jun 14, 2024
At a June 6, 2024 Madrid press conference, spokespersons for the law firm of Cremades & Calvo-Sotelo announced a legal strategy to secure compensation for some of the victims of the former Spanish asbestos giant Uralita, despite the company’s protracted bankruptcy proceedings. Starting within the next 2 months, lawyers will attempt to get the courts to reclassify some of the injured as “involuntary creditors,” in order to provide them with preferential collection options that they do not currently have. See: Un despacho se aferra a Ley Concursal para que afectados por Uralita reciban indemnización [Law firm to use Bankruptcy Law to secure compensation for Uralita’s asbestos victims].
Seller Beware!
Jun 14, 2024
At the June 6, 2024 meeting of Choshi City Council, Japan, the council unanimously approved a supplementary budget that allocated 12.96 million yen (~US$82,000) in reparations and other expenses for the company which in 2019 purchased the land and three-story building formerly used by the Fire Department. By selling this asbestos-containing property to the company without prior notification of the asbestos present, the council had breached its duty of disclosure. See: アスベスト使用の旧庁舎売却は説明義務違反 銚子市が損賠に同意 [Choshi City agrees to compensation for damages due to breach of duty of disclosure in sale of former government building containing asbestos].
Asbestos in Cosmetics
Jun 14, 2024
The presence of asbestos fibers in beauty products has led to an increasing number of US lawsuits from UK consumers who believe their cancers were caused by the use of contaminated bronzer, blusher, eye shadow, foundation, mascara, lipstick, dry shampoo and other items of make-up. One such litigant was Hannah Fletcher, who sued Clinique, Estée Lauder and Avon in the US after contracting peritoneal mesothelioma at 42 years old. Another UK peritoneal mesothelioma sufferer Jade Jenkins is now suing US cosmetics companies who she believes are responsible for her cancer. See: Is there asbestos in your makeup? Why women with cancer are suing big beauty brands.
Asbestos Remediation Project
Jun 14, 2024
The South Africa Tshwane Municipality announced on June 11, 2024 plans to replace decaying asbestos-cement water pipes in Sinoville, in the north of Pretoria. According to Ward 50 councillor Lenise Breytenbach: “The asbestos pipes are ancient and are a health risk and prone to busting at any given time… The asbestos pipes should’ve been replaced years ago.” Lindela Mashigo, a spokesperson for the Tshwane authorities, said that the pipes were being replaced under the city’s approved pipe replacement program; additional areas will be remediated in the next financial year. See: Metro continues to replace decaying water pipes in north.
Addressing a Toxic National Legacy
Jun 12, 2024
At an Ottawa press conference during World Environment Week, the Green Party of Canada and Prevent Cancer Now (PCN) called on the federal government to address the danger posed by the continued use of deteriorating asbestos-cement water pipes. Addressing the gathering, PCN representative Dr. Meg Sears said: “Canada has no methods or certified laboratories to measure asbestos in water, so there is no data on drinking water. It’s time for the federal government to start assembling the data, and to stop saying there is no evidence that ingested asbestos is harmful when there is no Canadian evidence whatsoever.” See: Green Party of Canada and Prevent Cancer Now Calls for Long-Overdue Action on Asbestos Cement Water Pipes.
Plaintiff’s Toxic Talc Victory
Jun 12, 2024
A jury in the US State of Oregon handed down a victim’s verdict earlier this month when it ordered the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $260 million to a claimant who contracted mesothelioma as a result of using the company’s asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder. The payout, which included $60 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages, was awarded to the 48-year old plaintiff Kyung Lee and her husband. A J&J spokesperson said that the company would appeal. See: J&J must pay $260 million in latest talc trial, Oregon jury says.
Illegal Asbestos-Cement Pipes Seized
Jun 12, 2024
An action taken by Norwegian authorities was declared an act of economic warfare in a Russian language article reporting the news that customs officers in Longyearbyen, Norway had seized 235 kilograms of asbestos-containing pipes destined for use in the Russian mining enclave in Barentsburg. Even though Norway had banned asbestos decades ago, the Russian state-owned company – Arktikugol Trust – running Moscow’s activities in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard had previously been exempt from this prohibition. An official complaint has been lodged. See: Норвежское правительство запретило российский импорт асбеста на Шпицберген [Norwegian government bans Russian asbestos imports to Svalbard].
Edinburgh Judges Issue Victim’s Ruling
Jun 12, 2024
Justices in the Inner House of the Court of Session, Scotland’s Supreme Court, dismissed an appeal by Scottish Power against a verdict awarding damages to the widow and surviving family of Robert Crozier who died in 2018 from mesothelioma contracted as a result of workplace asbestos exposures. Crozier had worked for Scottish Power between 1969 and 1992 as a mechanical fitter. See: Scottish Power loses appeal against award of damages to family of deceased employee who developed mesothelioma.
Justice for Firefighter’s Family
Jun 12, 2024
Last week, Italy’s Council of State ordered the Ministry of the Interior to pay compensation of €370,000 (US$397,000) for the 2008 mesothelioma death of S.G., a firefighter from Trieste. The deceased, who died aged 75, had given 34 years of service working in the regional capital. During that time he had received toxic exposures as a result of wearing gloves and firefighting suits made of asbestos. The Home Office initially denied that this exposure had caused the mesothelioma. See: Vigile del fuoco morto per amianto, Stato condannato a risarcire la famiglia [Firefighter’s Death due to Asbestos, State Ordered To Compensate Family].
Environmental Asbestos Hazard
Jun 12, 2024
Data from a 2023 asbestos health impact survey revealed that the number of local people who experienced adverse health effects as a result of exposure to asbestos liberated by the operations of a small shipyard repair facility in Tongyeong City is increasing. Of 150 people examined last year by staff from the Asbestos Environmental Conservation Center of Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital, twelve were recognized as asbestos victims. Asbestos victims are able to obtain benefits from the city for their injuries. See: 통영 소형 조선소 인근 석면 피해주민 증가…지난해 12명 확인 [Last year's Resident Health Impact Survey].
Asbestos Ban in Capital City
Jun 10, 2024
Last week, it was reported that the Jakarta Provincial Health Office had prohibited the use of asbestos material in domestic properties on the grounds of public safety. Speaking on behalf of the authority, Dwi Oktavia confirmed that the ban had been adopted to prevent potentially carcinogenic exposures occurring. The Director of an Indonesian NGO – Local Initiative OHS Network – applauded the position and stressed that after a major Supreme Court decision stipulating that hazard warnings be placed on all asbestos products, more action needed to be taken to implement these landmark decisions. See: New asbestos ban: Jakarta Health Office prohibits the killer dust for resident safety.
Asbestos Regulatory Failures
Jun 10, 2024
An article in the June 2, 2024 Australian edition of The Guardian recapped the scandal caused by the use of asbestos-containing mulch at public sites in New South Wales (NSW). Despite reassurances voiced by the State’s Premier Chris Minns confirming a high-profile investigation by staff from the NSW Environment Protection Authority, there have, to date, been no prosecutions. Another disturbing regulatory failure making the news involved the production by Australian waste companies of toxic “recovered fines” for use as cheap fill by landscaping and gardening companies. See: How much more asbestos regulatory failure needs to be exposed before the NSW government gets the political will to act?
Mesothelioma Clinical Trials in Scotland
Jun 10, 2024
According to figures collated by Public Health Scotland, half of all Scottish cases of mesothelioma occur amongst men on the west coast, with Glasgow a particular hotspot. MITOPE is a new clinical trial for these patients, designed to assess the effectiveness of a new cancer treatment: RSO-021. Commenting on the research protocol, Professor Kevin Blyth, of the University of Glasgow said: “we are hopeful that this trial, if successful, could offer a new effective treatment option for patients here in Scotland and across the UK. We are also hoping to develop similar trials involving direct treatment into the pleural space through our Cancer Research UK-funded network.” See: Scots patients battling cancer linked to asbestos given new hope with clinical trial.
Collapse of Asbestos Roofing Market
Jun 10, 2024
The article cited below included an interview with Kenyan Engineer Clifford Muthomi who explained that health reasons are behind the switch of consumer preference for asbestos-cement roofing to clay tiles, galvanized iron sheets and other safer alternatives. “Asbestos is not good for health,” Muthomi said. “That is why today the most common roofing materials are made of clay and iron. Recently, many Kenyans have embraced the flat roof design, which means concrete roofs are also becoming popular.” See: Kenyan Engineer Shares Preferred Roofing Options, Features: “These Roofs Don't Go Out of Fashion”.
Environmental Disaster in Naples
Jun 10, 2024
For decades, an unscrupulous businessman from Campania illegally buried asbestos and other toxic waste – estimated to be 200,000 tonnes+ – in a disused quarry in the Neapolitan capital. The authorities now involved include the Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Campania, an environmental geology Professor, members of the ecological operational unit of the Carabinieri and the economic-financial police unit of the Guardia di Finanza: a military police force reporting directly to the Minister of Economy and Finance. See: Napoli, rifiuti e amianto sepolti nell'ex cava da bonificare: "Disastro ambientale" [Naples, waste and asbestos buried in the former quarry to be reclaimed: “Environmental disaster”].
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 10, 2024
An article uploaded earlier this month, reported criticism by a civil society coalition of the government’s continued failure to deal with the national emergency caused by the presence of deteriorating asbestos material in the majority of the country’s schools. The experts – from the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), asbestos victims’ groups, Mesothelioma UK and education unions, warned that: “Up to 150 school workers and pupils are at risk of death or fatal exposure from asbestos each year as current plans to fix the UK’s crumbling schools fail to address the deadly building material.” See: 150 deaths and fatal exposures every year from asbestos in UK’s crumbling schools.
Supreme Court Victory
Jun 4, 2024
The May 31, 2024 blog cited below issued by the Indonesian NGO LION [Local Initiative for Occupational Safety and Health Network] discussed the implications of a recent Supreme Court decision supporting the right of citizens to have prior warning before using asbestos-containing materials. The ruling was a huge victory for campaigners as it accepted that asbestos was a toxic material which should be clearly labelled to protect workers and members of the public. Concluding the blog, the author noted that the decision provided: “legal legitimacy and strong support for the [ban asbestos] movement” in Indonesia. See: Konsumen Melawan Asbes, Kemenangan Penting Dalam Perlindungan Kesehatan Masyarakat [Consumers Fight Asbestos, an Important Victory in Protecting Public Health].
Rising Exports of Banned Mineral
Jun 4, 2024
The explosive contents of the article cited below have been reverberating throughout Brazilian social media since it appeared last week. The author explained that far from slowing down, asbestos production at the country’s sole remaining mine was increasing, despite a 2017 Supreme Court ruling outlawing the commercial exploitation of asbestos. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Brazil had overtaken Russia as the number one asbestos exporter to India, the biggest asbestos-importing and using country in the world. Campaigners criticized the Supreme Court’s failure to rule on the unconstitutionality of the State law exempting the Cana Brava mine from the national ban. See: Guerra da Ucrânia alavancou exportações de amianto do Brasil [Ukraine war boosted asbestos exports from Brazil].
Addressing the Asbestos Legacy
Jun 4, 2024
In a recent interview with reporter Hamidur Rahman, Bangladeshi Occupational Medicine specialist Dr Mahmud Hossain Faruquee spoke of the difficulties in both Bangladesh and India of identifying people with asbestos-related diseases. However, the expert noted, the absence of evidence was not evidence of absence and more work needed to be done to increase medical capacity, build treatment facilities and create support networks for the “invisible” asbestos victims and their families. Faruquee highlighted the negative influence of commercial vested interests, including the International Chrysotile Association, in protecting the status quo. See: Health rules must be maintained when using Asbestos: Expert.
Call to Ban Asbestos!
Jun 4, 2024
A remarkable article uploaded on May 31, 2024 on China's leading health portal – 39.health – called for an immediate and comprehensive asbestos ban. Upon further research it transpired that the article was on a site based in Taiwan which explained why the author was brazen enough to be so outspoken. China is one of the world’s leading asbestos producing and using countries. The text quoted the views of Dr. Chen Tianhui and his team from the Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, all of whom supported the need for asbestos bans in developing countries. See: “是时候全面禁用石棉了！”超级致癌物石棉，就藏在你身边 [“It's time for a total ban on asbestos!” Asbestos, a super carcinogen, is hiding right next to you].
Asbestos Profits: Update
Jun 4, 2024
On May 31, 2024, an Indian asbestos company reported a significant rise in profits compared to 2023 figures: since 1973, U.P. Asbestos Ltd. has been a manufacturer of asbestos-cement building products. The company currently has production facilities at Mohanlalganj, Lucknow and at Dadri, Gautam Budh Nagar. India is the world’s largest asbestos importing and using country. According to a 2023 research paper: “Each asbestos-cement sheet that is produced and utilized poses a significant risk of disease throughout its entire life cycle, from mining and processing to installation, demolition and disposal. All those involved in these processes face a significant risk of exposure.” See: U.P. Asbestos standalone net profit rises 30.26% in the March 2024 quarter.
Jury Award for Bereaved Family
Jun 4, 2024
The family of a Connecticut man who had worked at the General Electric (GE) plant in Pittsfield, Massachusetts won a $15+ million compensation award from a jury last month (May, 2024); the jury concluded that the asbestos cancer death of Nicholas Barone had been caused by toxic workplace exposures. The defendant in the case was Vanderbilt Minerals LLC, a successor to International Talc, the company which had supplied the GE plant with asbestos-contaminated talc. The amount of punitive damages Vanderbilt will be required to pay has not yet been determined. See: A former Pittsfield GE plant engineer successfully argued in court that materials he worked with contained asbestos and caused his fatal cancer.
Rugby and Asbestos
May 31, 2024
An asbestos victims’ group based in Sydney, last week challenged local rugby team – the Paramatta Eels – for renewing sponsorship ties with former asbestos company James Hardie (JH). From 2025, the name of the company will be featured on the front of the team’s jerseys. Between 1981 and 1995, the team’s heyday, JH had been its primary sponsor. Reacting to the official announcement of this news, a spokesperson for the victims said: “I think it's outrageous…To see the name Hardie on these football jumpers will trigger in some families memories of loved ones that have died from being exposed to these James Hardie products.” See: Parramatta Eels urged by asbestos sufferers to drop James Hardie sponsorship.
Ban Asbestos, End Mesothelioma
May 31, 2024
An analysis of data sourced from a paper recently published documenting the global incidence of occupationally-caused diseases which focused on mesothelioma – the signature cancer associated with exposures to asbestos – concluded that: “Mesothelioma deaths attributable to occupational asbestos exposure are continuing to rise … and the crisis in the global healthcare system has not been abated.” The authors of the paper advised that governments which have not yet banned asbestos do so without delay and that those countries which have bans already in place implement strict protocols to ensure that workplace exposures do not occur. See: Global burden of mesothelioma attributable to occupational asbestos exposure in 204 countries and territories: 1990–2019.
Asbestos at the RAI
May 31, 2024
The third mesothelioma death believed to have been caused by asbestos exposures at the premises of Italy’s national broadcaster – RAI – was headline news in Naples last week with multiple articles reporting the story of RAI Napoli employee Pasquale Russo, who died of the asbestos cancer in 2020, aged 76, after thirty years of employment. Russo’s daughter Lucia told journalists that her father had told her that asbestos material was present in the RAI studios, buildings and stage sets. Her father had never been warned about the asbestos hazard by his employer. See: Amianto alla Rai di Napoli, la denuncia della famiglia di Pasquale Russo, morto per mesothelioma [Asbestos at Rai in Naples, the complaint of the family of Pasquale Russo, who died of mesothelioma].
Washington Company Fined & Decertified
May 31, 2024
A company called Seattle Asbestos of Washington – a contractor specializing in asbestos removal work – was fined by the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) over dozens of infringements of asbestos regulations at multiple domestic properties in Washington State. Upon discovery of the shoddy and illegal working practices, L&I ordered all work to stop and began the process of revoking the company’s certification to undertake asbestos removal projects in the State. The company was fined $790,000+. See: Washington Asbestos Removal Company Fined Nearly $800K.
Asbestos in Schools
May 31, 2024
On May 28, 2024, 15+ teachers at the Alexandre-Dumas middle school in Marseilles, France exercised their right to withdraw their labor over serious concerns arising from the presence of deteriorating asbestos material in the school’s infrastructure. Although asbestos, which is in floor tiles in the corridors, offices and classrooms, is a class one carcinogen, neither the owners of the premises nor the Department of Education has taken steps to address the hazard in order to safeguard students and members of staff. See: À Marseille, face à l'amiante, des professeurs du collège Alexandre-Dumas cessent le travail [In Marseilles, faced with asbestos, teachers at the Alexandre-Dumas college stop work].
The Asbestos Legacy Lives On
May 31, 2024
An article in El Pais, a daily publication considered to be a Spanish newspaper of record, highlighted last week the ongoing hazard posed by asbestos-containing material throughout the built environment. According to the author of the article Albert Garcia which is cited below: “Spaniards live among hundreds of thousands of tons of asbestos…” Considering the current level of asbestos eradication, it is unlikely that Spain will meet the EU deadline of 2028 to remove asbestos from public buildings and 2032 to remove it from other properties. See: Amianto: cuando el peligro está en casa (y usted no lo sabe) [Asbestos: when the danger is at home (and you don't know it)].
Pro-Asbestos Diatribe
May 30, 2024
Uploaded on May 27, 2024, the article cited below is another in a long line of contrived texts conflating multiple subjects in an attempt to expose the self-serving goals of health and safety campaigners who progress efforts to ban the use of asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen. For the first time in my experience, the word “eco-terrorist,” was used to describe the civil society activists engaged in the “aggressive” promotion of sustainable, asbestos-free green technologies. See: Экология против промышленности: борьба за лучшее против эффективного [Ecology vs. Industry: Fighting for the Best vs. the Effective].
Asbestos in Bank
May 30, 2024
The cost of renovations at the 1960s heritage-listed Sydney headquarters of the Reserve Bank of Australia has skyrocketed due, in some part, to the discovery of a huge amount of asbestos; up to 5 times more than in similar-aged buildings: “The asbestos is in so many areas that whole floors are ‘exclusion zones’ and workers need to be wearing full hazardous material protection gear.” Four years after work first began, the budget – more than $1 billion – is nearly 300 per cent more than the original estimate. With completion at least five years away, a financial report on the project by the federal parliament's Public Works Committee is expected soon. See: Four-year, billion-dollar blowout as RBA's horror renovation uncovers asbestos, cracks and death-trap lifts.
Occupational Asbestos Diseases: Update
May 30, 2024
The paper cited below, by academics in China, analyzed data on the number of deaths from occupationally-caused asbestos-related diseases in the US from 1990 to 2019. There were different incidence rates across the country, with the highest number of fatalities in California. The leading cause of workplace asbestos deaths over the last five years were from tracheal, bronchial, and lung cancer. Concluding the paper, the authors advocated “for the U.S. to immediately implement a total prohibition on asbestos.” See: Assessing trends and burden of occupational exposure to asbestos in the United States: a comprehensive analysis from 1990 to 2019.
Court Victory for Naval Officer
May 30, 2024
An appeal by asbestosis sufferer and former naval officer Salvatore A. to the Lazio Regional Administrative Court was successful when the Court ordered the Ministry of Defense to pay him €50,000 (US$54,300). This payout is in additional to other benefits he has been awarded as a victim of military duty. From 1978 to 2014, the claimant had served in the Italian Navy at various naval bases and on board ships and submarines. He was routinely exposed to asbestos throughout his military service. See: Amianto nelle navi della Marina militare: risarcito un maresciallo palermitano [Asbestos in Navy ships: a marshal from Palermo compensated].
New Asbestos Class-Action
May 30, 2024
A class-action asbestos lawsuit has been filed in the Osaka District Court by shipyard workers against the Japanese Government. The claimants include one asbestos victim and the families of seven others who died from asbestos-related diseases. Although the Government implemented a benefit system to compensate construction workers injured by asbestos after a Supreme Court ruling, shipyard workers are not eligible under the scheme as it now stands. The first shipyard lawsuit was filed in February 2023. See: 造船作業中に「アスベスト」吸い込み健康被害 国に賠償を求め追加提訴 [Inhalation of “asbestos” during shipbuilding work and health damage. Additional lawsuit filed against the government for compensation].
Municipal Asbestos Program
May 30, 2024
The authorities in Imsil County in central South Jeolla Province, South Korea are continuing efforts to protect the population from hazardous asbestos exposures. In May 2024, work is proceeding on the compilation of an asbestos management map; asbestos inspections of 27 public buildings, including universities, daycare centers, hospitals, are also being carried out. Fines will be issued for infringements of asbestos building management standards in accordance with the Asbestos Safety Management Act. See: 임실군, 석면으로부터 안전한 생활환경 조성 [Imsil-gun creates a living environment safe from asbestos].
Fraud Accusations: Johnson & Johnson
May 28, 2024
Six law firms announced last week that they would be mounting a class action in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey against Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) “fraudulent” attempt to off-load asbestos liabilities to a bankrupt company. The claimants in these cases are women who contracted ovarian cancer after using J&J talc-based baby powder contaminated with asbestos. J&J is accused of “playing a dark game of chess with this country's financial and judicial systems. With a net worth of nearly $400 billion, this corporation has deliberately manipulated assets to sidestep its obligations to ovarian cancer victims and in so doing has robbed them of true and rightful justice.” See: Proposed Class Action Filed by Six Law Firms Alleging Series of Fraudulent Transfers by Johnson & Johnson in Talc Litigation.
Asbestos at Shipbreaking Yards
May 28, 2024
A new 24-minute video by Human Rights Watch documented the horrendous conditions experienced by shipbreaking workers in Bangladesh among which were routine exposures to asbestos. According to one of the experts interviewed, most of the ships at the breaking yards contain asbestos; the workers have no protective equipment or clothing to protect themselves, and work barefoot and without masks. The liberated asbestos fibers go into the environment and the ecosystem posing a threat to the health of local people as well as wildlife. Furthermore, there is no downstream management of toxic waste. See: Shipbreaking: The Most Dangerous Job in the World.
Government Support for Asbestos Industry
May 28, 2024
The article cited below, which was uploaded on May 22, 2024, contrasted the banning of asbestos in the US with the expansion of the asbestos industry in India. Ignoring health warnings from international agencies and institutions, the Government of India is taking steps to “encourage production and usage of asbestos or fibre cement based products in the country…” Even before the new measures were implemented, India was the world’s largest importer and consumer of asbestos. A 2019 study by researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research predicted that half a million people would die of asbestos cancer in India over the next 40 years. See: India tweak norms to boost asbestos production; 70 countries ban it.
Another Mesothelioma Death at RAI
May 28, 2024
After the high profile mesothelioma death of Franco di Mare highlighted the asbestos hazard faced by employees of Italy’s national broadcaster RAI, the Assistant Public Prosecutor Giovanni Conzo has opened an investigation into another asbestos death. Sixty-two year old Mariusz Marian Sodkiewicz, who died of mesothelioma on May 13, 2024, had also worked for RAI. Pursuant to the investigation, the Assistant Public Prosecutor ordered that an autopsy be performed. See: Amianto in Rai, per il dipendente morto la Procura indaga per omicidio colposo [Asbestos in Rai, the Public Prosecutor's Office investigates manslaughter for the dead employee].
Asbestos on Farms
May 28, 2024
In Europe, asbestos-cement materials have been widely used in the construction of agricultural buildings. According to a survey by the Regional Chamber of Agriculture, 94% of farmers in Brittany, France are worried about the presence of asbestos materials on their farms and believe that the cost for removal and disposal of these toxic products is prohibitive. It has been estimated that there are one million tonnes of asbestos in Brittany most of which are in “corrugated fibre cement roof tiles and flat exterior cladding sheets.” See: L'amiante, omniprésent dans les campagnes bretonnes et dans l'esprit des agriculteurs [Asbestos, omnipresent in the Breton countryside and in the minds of farmers].
Low Level Exposures and Asbestosis
May 28, 2024
A study by Danish researchers in the April 2024 issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, a peer-reviewed bi-monthly publication, found “exposure–response relations between cumulative asbestos exposure and incident asbestosis in the Danish general working population with mainly low-level exposed occupations…” These conclusions were based on official data from all asbestos-exposed workers from 1979 to 2015 and cases of asbestosis registered by the Danish National Patient Register. See [download link]: The asbestos–asbestosis exposure–response relationship: a cohort study of the general working population.
Increasing Asbestos Consumption
May 24, 2024
The use of asbestos, a designated carcinogen, is increasing in Bangladesh, where asbestos-cement roofing is a popular product. There is little awareness of the asbestos hazard amongst consumers, workers or officials. Under these conditions, the asbestos industry in Bangladesh is flourishing; it is worth Tk 260cr (US$ 22.20 million). The long latency period for asbestos-related illnesses has created a “silent epidemic” of debilitating and deadly diseases with no deaths being attributed to asbestos cancer due to lack of medical capacity. See: Country’s annual revenue from asbestos use amounts to Tk 260cr.
Understanding Asbestos in 2024
May 24, 2024
The continuing presence of asbestos material in Japanese buildings remains an ongoing hazard to workers as well as members of the public. A timely reminder of the hazards of human exposures to asbestos were contained in the article cited below, which also included background information on the nature of asbestos fibers, the properties of the mineral and the uses to which it was put before national prohibitions were implemented. See [subscription site]: 粉じん吸って「がん」に スベストによる健康被害、今も危険 [Breathing in the dust can cause cancer; health damage caused by asbestos remains dangerous].
Asbestos Hazard Rising
May 24, 2024
In a report issued on April 25, 2024 by Dr. David R. Boyd – UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment – the author highlighted the risk to the population in the Maldives of exposures to asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen which is still legally used in the country. Asbestos is imported in large volumes for the production of asbestos-cement sheets despite the WHO’s warning that the use of asbestos should be stopped due to the cancer risk. Boyd recommended that the Government should enact a Hazardous Substances law and stop the import and use of all asbestos products. See: UN Expert: Maldives Stuck Between Rock and Hard Place on Climate Change Issue.
No Asbestos Disease at Uralasbest?
May 24, 2024
According to the May 2024 issue of the company newsletter issued by Uralasbest – Russia’s 2nd largest asbestos conglomerate – “The number of occupational diseases is growing in Russia.” The author of the text about occupational health, praised the actions of Uralasbest, which is a “responsible employer” unlike others and listed a variety of medical facilities and programs operated by the asbestos mining conglomerate. Due to modern working conditions “not a single employee of the plant in 2023 was diagnosed with occupational diseases, although back in 2009-2015 there were such cases.” The nature of those cases wasn’t disclosed but one can reasonably assume they were asbestos-related. See: Uralasbest Newsletter (The Asbestos Worker), May 2024 issue.
The Legacy of Asbestos Mining
May 24, 2024
In the run-up to World War II, work was accelerated to develop supplies of asbestos at Japanese mines. The history of one mine – the Kiyomi Asbestos Mine – was the subject of the article cited below. Describing the conditions, a former worker said: “The asbestos dust was unbearable. There were no masks. We sometimes put towels over our mouths and noses, but the dust would get in our throats, and we couldn't work without gargling every now and then.” A large number of Kiyomi workers have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. See [subscription site]: 「ほこりが喉にたまった」劣悪な環境 知られざる石綿鉱山の被害 | 毎日新聞 [“Dust got stuck in my throat” - the poor working conditions and unknown damage caused by asbestos mine].
Call for Asbestos Ban
May 24, 2024
A 2023 article in the Jurnal Biomedika Dan Kesehatan (Indonesia’s Journal of Biomedicine and Health) entitled “Occupational Asbestos Related Diseases in Indonesia: A Call for Urgent Action and Awareness” highlighted the failure of Indonesia to ban asbestos despite the known risk of debilitating and fatal diseases. “It is expected,” write the authors “that there should be hundreds to a thousand cases of asbestos-related disorders in Indonesia each year.” Recommendations made included a comprehensive ban, the use of safer materials, standardized medical surveillance for at-risk workers, and increased awareness and cooperation amongst stakeholders to eradicate asbestos-related diseases in Indonesia. See: Occupational Asbestos Related Diseases in Indonesia: A Call for Urgent Action and Awareness.
Media Coverage of Asbestos Hazard
May 22, 2024
In a program on Russian TV, Dr Sergey Agapkin discussed carcinogenic environmental exposures. According to Agapkin, the link between toxic exposures and cancer has been proved. The first example he cited was asbestos: “asbestos fiber, accumulating in the body, can,” he said “cause damage, cell mutation and lead to the development, for example, of lung cancer.” As Russia is the world’s biggest asbestos producer and the leader of the global asbestos lobby, there is a de facto ban on the dissemination of information which could impact on the industry. Bearing that in mind, the comments by the doctor were highly significant. See: Сергей Агапкин: плохая экология – фактор риска развития рака [Sergey Agapkin: poor ecology is a risk factor for cancer].
Toxic Talc and Ovarian Cancer
May 22, 2024
An analysis of research by seven scientists from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, North Carolina into the link between the use of asbestos-containing talc products and ovarian cancer – which was published on May 15, 2024 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology – “found that applying talc powder to the genitals was associated with ovarian cancer and that the association was greater for people who used the powder frequently or for long periods of time.” The title of the peer-reviewed paper was: Intimate Care Products and Incidence of Hormone-Related Cancers: A Quantitative Bias Analysis. See: Study links talc use to ovarian cancer – a potential boon for thousands suing J&J.
Recognition for Mesothelioma Researcher
May 22, 2024
On May 21, 2024 Professor Dean Fennell, Chair of Thoracic Medical Oncology at the University of Leicester, was elected as a member of the prestigious Academy of Medical Sciences for a lifetime of work studying the fatal asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. His pioneering research to starve mesothelioma cancer tumors by cutting off their food supply led to a breakthrough clinical trial using a new combination chemotherapy treatment which has seen marked improvements in patients’ survival rates. See: University of Leicester specialist is recognised for a lifetime’s devotion to cancer research.
Mesothelioma: Hot Button Topic
May 22, 2024
In the wake of the May 17, 2024 death of famous Italian journalist and TV personality 68-year-old Franco Di Mare, an article in Italy’s edition of Vanity Fair was published which reported on the disease which caused his death: mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. The article commenced with a discussion of Di Mare’s tragic experience and explained the nature of mesothelioma, what caused it and the available medical treatments, none of which are curative. See: Mesotelioma maligno, che cosa rende così aggressivo il raro tumore causato dall'esposizione all'amianto [Malignant mesothelioma, what makes the rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure so aggressive].
Asbestos and the Fight Against Cancer
May 22, 2024
The April 2024 blog cited below by asbestos specialist Charles Faulkner highlighted the importance of the safe and timely management of installed asbestos products in the fight against cancer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Pursuant to the UAE Government’s commitment to reduce cancer levels it was essential, said Faulkner, to implement “comprehensive asbestos management strategies that encompass stricter regulations, rigorous enforcement, and widespread public education on the risks of asbestos exposure. Such measures are critical not only for cancer prevention but also for advancing overall public health standards in the region.” See: UAE's Robust Fight Against Cancer: Asbestos Management Takes Center Stage.
Asbestos in Schools
May 22, 2024
A variety of asbestos-related subjects were the focus of multiple articles in the aftermath of the May 17th asbestos-related death of famous journalist Franco Di Mare. The article cited below detailed the presence of asbestos material in Italy’s educational infrastructure and estimated that at least 2,000 schools were still contaminated. These toxic buildings are used by 356,900 students and 50,000 school staff. The cities with the highest numbers of unremediated schools include Turin (66), Milan (89), and Genoa (154). See: Amianto a scuola, oltre 2.000 scuole ancora non bonificate [Asbestos in schools, over 2,000 schools still not remediated].
Sad News from Rome
May 21, 2024
The journalist Franco Di Mare died at his home in the Italian capital on May 17, 2024 just weeks after he announced on national TV that he had contracted mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. During the April 28 broadcast, 68-year-old Di Mare – who was a much respected and popular foreign correspondent, reporter and TV personality – described the “repugnant” behaviour of his former employer, the national broadcaster RAI. Shortly before he died, he married his long-term partner Giulia. Di Mare’s last book – Le parole per dirlo. La guerra fuori e dentro di noi [The words to say it. The war outside and within us] – was published last month. See: Il cronista in guerra contro l’amianto [The reporter at war against asbestos].
Addressing a National Crisis
May 21, 2024
Asbestos was the first of three topics covered in a communiqué issued on May 10, 2024 by attendees at the Work Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation Meeting; the ongoing national epidemic is killing 4,000+ people a year. The signatories, Workers’ Compensation Ministers from all Australian states and territories, agreed to progress work to endorse by June 19, 2024 the latest phase of the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency’s Asbestos National Strategic Plan 2024-2030 as a matter of national importance. See: Work Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation Ministers' Meeting – 10 May 2024.
Complacency or Resignation, You Decide
May 21, 2024
The discovery of deteriorating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) material in schools and other buildings, created a panic among school users, parents and staff, with the UK Government promising a full program of inspections and remediation. The article cited below, however, suggests that structural experts have now accepted that little will be done in the short-term to address the Raac hazard: “We don't just demolish because a building already has asbestos, we'll take the asbestos out, it's a way of controlling its presence. This is the answer and this is what we should be doing with Raac. That has been lacking in the approach.” See: We will have to learn to live with Raac as we’ve lived with asbestos, say structural engineers.
Exploring the Potential of Mesothelin
May 21, 2024
A paper published by Brazilian pathologists in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Immunology suggested “that the expression of a molecule called mesothelin (a protein synthesized by mesothelioma tumor cells) helps predict the clinical evolution of mesothelioma. And, furthermore, that the protein would be a potential therapeutic target.” In other words, the research findings of A.N. Qualiotto, C.M. Baldavira et al confirmed the importance of mesothelin not only as a biomarker but also as a potential target for treating mesothelioma patients. See: Marcador proteico ajuda a prever mortalidade entre pacientes com tipo agressivo de cancer [Protein marker helps predict mortality among patients with aggressive type of cancer].
Asbestos Support in Cheonan
May 21, 2024
On May 16, 2024, the Asbestos Environmental Health Center of Cheonan Hospital, announced that it had received approval from Korea’s Ministry of Environment to continue its asbestos support program until May 2027. In 2009, the center was designated to conduct health impact surveys on individuals at risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases, including people who lived near: asbestos mines, asbestos-using factories, shipyard repair facilities and areas with a high density of asbestos-cement roofing. Out of 6,200 individuals examined, almost 3,000 were classed as victims and potential asbestos victims. See: 순천향대천안병원 석면환경보건센터, 2027년까지 사업 연장 [Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital Asbestos Environmental Health Center extends business until 2027].
Northern Territory Victory!
May 22, 2024
The Supreme Court of Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) issued a landmark ruling supporting the claim by the family of Darwin builder Iraklis Roussos who died from asbestos-related lung cancer. The court, which rejected the defendant’s arguments that it was the deceased’s smoking habit that had caused his disease, ruled that the lung cancer was “due to his prolonged exposure to asbestos during his decades of building work, despite his history of excessive smoking…” The family was awarded $329,000 (US$220,270) in damages and interest. Despite the fact that three times as many Australians are diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer as mesothelioma, very few of them succeed in bringing legal claims. See: NT Supreme Court gives ‘new hope’ for asbestos-related lung cancer cases.
Railway Company’s Asbestos Infringements
May 17, 2024
The Italian municipality of Pometino warned the state-owned railway company – Società Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A. – that sanctions would be imposed should it fail to remove illegally dumped asbestos from a landfill site in the city within 30 days. Furthermore, the site in Via della Siderurgia, in Santa Palomba must be fully remediated. Both projects must be carried out by companies which have environmental authorizations and are certified by the National Register of Environmental Managers. See: Pomezia diffida le Ferrovie dello Stato: rimuovete la discarica (con amianto) di Santa Palomba [Pomezia warns the State Railways: remove the Santa Palomba landfill (containing asbestos)].
Supreme Court Ruling
May 17, 2024
On May 13, 2024, the US Supreme Court declined to support a lawsuit by asbestos victims who argued that the defendant corporation Georgia-Pacific was not entitled to legal protection as a result of a bankruptcy action filed by its affiliate Bestwell, which was created in 2017 as a means of off-loading Georgia-Pacific’s asbestos liabilities. This process, which is commonly known as the Texas Two-Step, puts a hold on all litigation including personal injury asbestos lawsuits. See: Texas Two-Step Asbestos Bankruptcy Avoids Supreme Court Look.
Increase in Asbestos Profits
May 17, 2024
At the April 27, 2024 Annual General Meeting of Uralasbest – Russia’s 2nd largest asbestos conglomerate – shareholders approved a motion to allocate 19% of net profit for 2023 to dividends. In 2023, the company’s net profit was 1.84 billion rubles, a 30+% increase on 2022. According to information shared by the company at the meeting, as of January 1, 2024, its reserves were estimated at 2.69 billion tonnes of ore and 59.17 million tonnes of chrysotile asbestos. See: "Ураласбест" направит 19% чистой прибыли за 2023г на дивиденды [Uralasbest will allocate 19% of net profit for 2023 to dividends].
Asbestos in Schools
May 17, 2024
Following the May 7, 2024 asbestos protest by parents of students at the Picasso school in Vesoul, France on May 13 the municipal authorities – which continued to deny that the asbestos at the school posed a threat to children and staff – announced plans to relocate the children from 11 of the school’s 14 classes until further notice. The three classes remaining at the Picasso school will use a building known to be free of asbestos. See: Amiante à l'école Picasso de Vesoul: 11 classes ont déménagé dans d'autres écoles de la ville [Asbestos at the Picasso school in Vesoul: 11 classes have moved to other schools in the city].
Ipswich, an Asbestos Hotspot
May 17, 2024
On May 11, 2024, Suffolk Coroners' Court dealt with three cases arising from asbestos-related diseases. The 2023 death of Ipswich man Percy Ambrose was found by presiding coroner Darren Stewart to be the result of a known industrial disease: asbestos-related lung cancer. On the same day, an inquest was opened into the mesothelioma death (January 8, 2024) of retired carpenter David Fiddaman, another Ipswich man, and the suspected asbestos-caused death (January 19, 2024) of Julie Wright, also from Ipswich. See: Inquest covers three asbestos related deaths in Ipswich.
Asbestos Ban – A Long Time Coming
May 17, 2024
The commentary cited below contained a concise and lucid explanation of why the US, despite a mountain of scientific and medical evidence, continued to use asbestos long after other nations had banned it. After a quick review of landmark developments in the last 120+ years, author Naomi Oreskes explained that efforts to ban asbestos in the US had been repeatedly frustrated by asbestos vested interests. Concluding the article, Ms Oreskes wrote: “America was once a leader in occupational health and safety. Now we are laggards. It took 126 years for us to heed Lucy Deane’s warning about the dangers of asbestos. We need a better way to translate science into policy.” See: Asbestos Is Finally Banned in the U.S. Here’s Why It Took So Long.
Asbestos in Schools
May 15, 2024
New Zealand’s Education Ministry last week announced consultations on protocols for renovating and remediating schools in light of the widespread pre-2000 use of asbestos. In the article cited below, examples of potentially hazardous incidents were described, including one which took place in a Maihiihi School in 2022, when an apprentice builder demolished a wall and dumped the debris in a skip. During the process, asbestos “in a very poor state of disrepair” was exposed. Although the school’s asbestos survey had identified asbestos on the premises, no contamination was reported in the area under renovation. See: Maihiihi School: Otorohanga building apprentice unaware of asbestos.
Tornado’s Asbestos Damage
May 15, 2024
Two days after a tornado hit the West Australian (WA) city of Bunbury, on May 12, 2024, Roger Cook – the Premier of the WA State Government – announced payments of up to $4,000 for residents whose homes were destroyed; people whose homes suffered “severe damage” will be able to claim up to $2,000. A HazMat emergency was declared after the storm due to the widespread dispersion of asbestos from damaged homes and businesses with specialist contractors commissioned to undertake emergency clean-up work. Local people were asked to stay away from the hazard area and were warned to be cautious if asbestos was in their properties. See: WA government announces payments of up to $4,000 after homes destroyed in Bunbury tornado as asbestos alert issued.
Award for Asbestos Film
May 15, 2024
A short documentary film about the devastation caused by asbestos won the Sorriso Anmil (National Association of Mutilated and Disabled Workers) Award at a film festival in Rome, Italy. The film, which is called Cara Alice (Dear Alice), was directed by Gabriele Armenise and was based on a book about the deadly legacy left by the Fibronit asbestos factory in Bari. See: Il dramma dei morti di amianto della Fibronit nel corto di Armenise vince il premio Anmil: “Una tragedia invisibile” [The tragedy of Fibronit's asbestos deaths in Armenise's short film wins the Anmil award: “An invisible tragedy”].
Asbestos Anxiety in France & Sweden
May 15, 2024
A paper uploaded on May 8, 2024 to the website of the Industrial Law Journal compared the ways in which the French and Swedish legal systems compensated people with occupational diseases. The discussion initially focused on Supreme Court decisions in France which upheld the right of workers without any symptoms of disease to claim compensation for the psychological disorder called “asbestos anxiety,” a condition not recognized by Swedish courts. The authors of this paper suggested ways in which the French concept of asbestos anxiety could be adopted using current occupational safety and health regulations in Sweden. See: From the Recognition of ‘Psychiatric Disorder Caused by Asbestos Exposure’ to the Mobilisation of Dignity in Labour Law: A Comparison of France and Sweden.
Non-occupational Asbestos Disease
May 15, 2024
The incidence of asbestos-related diseases contracted via non-occupational exposures is growing in Australia. A 3-minute clip broadcast on May 11, 2024 on Sky TV news detailed the stories of teenagers Jarni Greatorex (16) and Cody Bartell, both of whom have mesothelioma, the signature cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Calling for urgent government action, Melita Markey, CEO of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia, said that the country’s tragic asbestos legacy was now a public health emergency. See: Non-occupational asbestos exposure on the rise in Australia.
HSE Asbestos Prosecution
May 15, 2024
Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), company director Paul Stephens was fined £60,000+ by a Judge at Truro Crown Court for failing to adopt mandatory protocols to prevent the liberation of asbestos during work at a site in Cornwall in 2020. Stephens’ company – Stephens and Stephens Developers Limited – had control over the assessment and removal of all asbestos containing materials (ACMs) on site. As a result of his failures, demolition workers were exposed to asbestos. See: Company fined after workers exposed to asbestos during hotel demolition.
Prioritize Asbestos Eradication – Now!
May 14, 2024
On May 9, 2024, a joint statement on asbestos was issued by trade unions, asbestos victims’ groups, research institutions and campaigning bodies, that called on the Australian Government to prioritize the removal of 6.2m tonnes of asbestos from Australian workplaces, public buildings and homes, in order to save 28,000+ lives. Every year, 4,000 Australians die from asbestos-related diseases. A petition entitled “Eradicate Asbestos” was also uploaded which stated: “There is simply no safe level of asbestos… We need asbestos gone – now.” See: Joint Statement addressed to Work Health & Safety Ministers.
Asbestos Eradication Bill Approved
May 14, 2024
On May 7, 2024, Catalonia’s Government approved a bill to address the region’s deadly asbestos legacy. The Asbestos Eradication Bill, when it’s approved by Parliament, will facilitate the safe removal of asbestos from buildings and facilities. It’s estimated that there are ~4 million tons of asbestos-cement and between 6 and 30,000 of other asbestos-containing materials. These products, most of which were put in place between the 1960s and late 1980s, have reached or are approaching the end of their useful lives. Through the regulatory framework – National Plan for the Eradication of Asbestos – the Commission for the Eradication of Asbestos in Catalonia intends to eliminate the asbestos hazard. See: S’aprova el Projecte de llei per a l'erradicació de l'amiant [The Asbestos Eradication Bill is approved].
Mixed Messages from the Ministry
May 14, 2024
At a May 8, 2024 press conference, Minister Inga Bērziņa of Latvia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM) announced, what many critics said, was an ill thought-out program for the eradication of toxic asbestos roofing. According to Bērziņa, under an EU-funded program the Latvian Government would pay the costs for the removal, disposal and replacement of toxic roofing for people categorized as “needy or low-income.” When questioned, the Minister later said that the funding would not cover the costs of removing the roof. See: Пособия за сдачу шифера: эксперты указывают на неточности [Subsidies for the removal of asbestos roofing tiles: experts point to inaccurate information].
Asbestos in Hospitals
May 14, 2024
The article cited below highlighted a myriad of problems adversely affecting UK hospitals as a result of chronic underfunding by the Conservative Government. Amongst the issues mentioned was the deterioration of decades-old asbestos products which has caused some wards to be shut. Other problems impacting on the effectiveness of the NHS were rat and cockroach infestations, leaky plumbing, missing, faulty and old equipment and outdated medical technology. See: Chronic underfunding, broken equipment and asbestos in the ceilings: this is the NHS in 2024.
Accessing Asbestos Benefits
May 14, 2024
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare last month sent information on the “Special Survivor Benefit System” to 3,012 families of people who died from mesothelioma, notifying them that they were eligible to apply for benefits under the Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance Act. There is, however, a five-year statute of limitations. If this has expired, a bereaved family may submit an “asbestos-related” claim if the deceased’s illness was caused by toxic exposures at work. See: 中皮腫により亡くなられた方のご遺族に 「特別遺族給付金制度」などの案内文を送付しました [We sent information on the “Special Survivor Benefit System” to the families of people who died from mesothelioma].
Asbestos Update Shows Major Failings
May 14, 2024
According to the results of a recent US research project asbestos exposure remains a “significant threat” in the United States, the dangers of asbestos exposures are commonly underestimated and recommendations for health screening of at-risk individuals are routinely ignored. The author of the article cited below expressed surprise that almost 2 out of 5 US workers were still at risk from toxic workplace exposures; when asked, few of them were aware of the serious hazard of such exposures. See: Asbestos Safety Demands Lifelong Vigilance – Here's Why.
Asbestos in Schools
May 10, 2024
On May 7, 2024 concerned parents mounted a demonstration outside the Pablo Picasso school, in the Vesoul commune, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, eastern France. The protesters were calling on the local authorities to address asbestos contamination, saying their children were at risk from toxic exposures in the classrooms. Alain Chrétien, Vesoul’s Mayor, was present to alleviate their anxiety, saying that the “level of asbestos in the city's schools is not a cause for concern.” See: "À l'intérieur, c'est bourré d'amiante": des parents d'élèves ont bloqué l'entrée de l'école Picasso à Vesoul ce mardi [“Inside, it's full of asbestos”: parents blocked the entrance to the Picasso school in Vesoul on Tuesday].
Replacement of Asbestos Roofing
May 10, 2024
Work began in October 2023 on a R3 billion (US$163m) project to remediate asbestos roofing on domestic properties in the South African Free State Province. Work on 200 properties has been completed to date, leaving ~36,000 still to go. The toxic roofing is being replaced with corrugated iron sheets. According to a government spokesperson, the goal is to remove asbestos roofing from 2,000 properties a year prior to upgrading homes. See: Process to remove asbestos roofs in Free State finally gets underway.
Asbestos Production and Use Data 2023
May 10, 2024
Updated data on the Statista website confirmed that the level of global asbestos production in 2023 was 1.3 million tonnes (t) with only four countries mining asbestos: Russia (630,000t), Kazakhstan (260,000t), China (200,000t) and Brazil. Another Statista page (Regional Consumption of Asbestos Worldwide) showed that Asian countries were the biggest markets for asbestos, consuming 99% (1,320,000t) of the asbestos used every year. See: Mine production of asbestos worldwide in 2023, by leading countries.
Update from Sydney
May 10, 2024
By early March, 2024, asbestos-contaminated mulch –most of which contained friable, loose asbestos – had been identified at 75 places in the Sydney area. Whilst several sites have been remediated, work is still ongoing in parks, streets and other outdoor spaces with many areas still out of use. Asked about the reasons for the delay in the clean-up, a spokesperson for the Environment Protection Authority said: “Once we have established the status of clean-up works at all sites, we will work with landowners to establish a reasonable timeframe for completing works … Where landowners fail to clean up sites in a timely manner, the EPA may consider regulatory action.” See: More than 5 months after asbestos was discovered in Sydney, sites are still contaminated.
Toxic Legacy of Asbestos Roofing
May 10, 2024
According to the author of the article cited below, there is an estimated one million tonnes of asbestos-containing roofing throughout Latvia. Because of the expense of disposing and replacing the toxic material, many people continue to live under these roofs even though exposure to the asbestos fibers they contain could cause cancer. Commenting on the current situation, Atis Trace – Director of the Waste Circulation Department of Latvia’s State Environmental Service – explained that whilst the levels of AC roofing in the capital are relatively low, in more remote regions they are higher. See: Асбестовые шиферные крыши распространены в Латвии: они содержат канцероген [Asbestos slate roofs are common in Latvia: they contain a carcinogen].
Asbestos Legacy in Quebec
May 10, 2024
The former asbestos mining town of Thetford, Quebec used the occasion of a visit to the municipality of Provincial MPs Isabelle Lecours and Bernard Drainville – who is also the Minister responsible for the Chaudière-Appalaches region – to reiterate demands for government funding to support the economic diversification of the area in the aftermath of the mandatory shutdown of asbestos mining. In addition, spokespersons for the Thetford welcoming committee deplored, what they called, excessive and costly precautionary asbestos regulations. See: La Ville de Thetford espère que cette fois-ci sera la bonne [The City of Thetford hopes that [decision] this time will be the right one].
Johnson & Johnson: New Proposal
May 7, 2024
The news released on May 1, 2024 that the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had proposed a new deal to resolve tens of thousands of cancer cases resulting from asbestos fibers in its talc-based baby powder was covered extensively at home and abroad. If the proposal is agreed, J&J would be able to resolve current and future ovarian cancer claims which make up 99% of the talc-related lawsuits brought against the company. Last year, J&J settled 95% of the outstanding legal actions on behalf of mesothelioma plaintiffs for an undisclosed sum of money. See: Johnson & Johnson proposes $6.5bn settlement of talc cancer lawsuits.
Pinpointing Asbestos Hotspots
May 7, 2024
An unofficial asbestos audit of UK regions published by an asbestos sampling company last week revealed that “samples taken from properties in the East of England are more likely to be positive than those from anywhere else in the UK.” The raw data which formed the basis for this analysis was provided by thousands of consumers who sent 5,300+ samples to the company collected by the use of home testing kits in 2023. Other regions which showed high levels of asbestos included: the South East (36%), the South West (36%) and Wales (34%). See: Data reveals which UK regions have the highest presence of asbestos.
Remembering the Asbestos Dead
May 7, 2024
As part of activities marking International Workers Memorial Day (April 28), the Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia (WorkSafeBC) – a statutory agency tasked with preventing occupational injury and occupational disease – reported that of the 175 workers who died in 2023, 27.4% (48) had died from asbestos-related diseases. In addition to the traditional industries where workers used or processed asbestos, over a period of 40+ years, generations of British Columbians also worked at the Cassiar asbestos mine in the north of the Province. See: WorkSafeBC reports 175 workers died in 2023.
Asbestos in Schools
May 7, 2024
New Zealand’s Ministry of Education has said it is considering the provision of additional support to help schools deal with asbestos. The unexpected discovery of asbestos-containing material by construction workers engaged to renovate 8 classrooms in 2022 created such stress that that Principal John Hunte of Glenavon School was seriously considering quitting. The decontamination work remains ongoing and could eventually cost taxpayers millions of dollars. Hunte said that his passion is teaching children and not site or project management. See: School's struggle with asbestos removal: ‘It's destroyed me’.
Healing Camp in Arboretum
May 7, 2024
Since 2015, staff from South Chungcheong Province have held 22 Healing Camps for 1,000 asbestos victims and their families. This year’s camp was held in early May at Cheonripo Arboretum in Taean County, South Korea. The purpose of the activities were to foster the psychological well-being of the injured and their relatives using a variety of techniques and experiences. According to Director Koo Sang-do: “…the emotional healing program for victims is an important endeavour…We will do our best to alleviate the pain of the victims and their families….” See: 충남도, 석면피해자 힐링캠프 개최 [South Chungcheong Province holds healing camp for asbestos victims].
Charting the National Asbestos Epidemic
May 7, 2024
The thoughtful and detailed article cited below included a wide-ranging discussion of mesothelioma, covering subjects such as causation, latency periods, types of exposure, regional hotspots, disease registries and predicted levels of diseases. According to data from the Mesothelioma Registry of the Emilia-Romagna Region, between January 1, 1996 and June 30, 2023, there were 3,513 cases of malignant mesothelioma, 72% in males and 79% in subjects 65+. “Almost a quarter of the cases, were recorded in the province of Bologna alone.” Efforts to continue monitoring the incidence of the cancer were recommended by the paper’s co-authors. See: Come è cambiata l’esposizione all’amianto nel Nord Italia dal 1996 al 2023 [How asbestos exposure has changed in Northern Italy from 1996 to 2023].
Mesothelioma Shock on TV Show
May 3, 2024
A famous Italian journalist shocked the nation when he gave an exclusive interview on a Sunday night primetime chat show, announcing that he had contracted the terminal asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Franco Di Mare said he believed that he had inhaled asbestos dust during his years covering the Balkan wars for RAI TV. The company management continued to ignore requests from him for information about his assignments as a foreign correspondent. See: Franco Di Mare, la malattia scoperta 3 anni fa: «Al posto del polmone destro c'era il nulla. La Rai? Piena di amianto» [Franco Di Mare, the disease discovered 3 years ago: “Instead of the right lung there was nothing. La Rai? Full of asbestos”].
Asbestos Profits Falling
May 3, 2024
During a meeting on April 26, 2024 of the Vietnam Roofing Association, officials of the trade association bemoaned the harsh economic climate in which they were operating, saying that increased costs of chrysotile asbestos fiber and other raw materials were impacting on their companies’ bottom lines. In the face of growing support for a national asbestos ban, the Association was progressing outreach educational work to shore up demand for asbestos-cement building materials, the use of which, speakers said, was “safe.” See: Hội nghị thường niên Hiệp hội Tấm lợp Việt Nam năm 2024 [Vietnam Roofing Association Annual Meeting 2024].
Health Surveillance Program
May 3, 2024
From April 28, 2024, workers from the Piedmont Region who were exposed to asbestos became eligible to join a new health surveillance program which provides free medical monitoring. Via a series of medical tests and procedures, the members of the program will be better placed to obtain early diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases, thereby providing more treatment options. The health surveillance activity is being sponsored by a consortium of local, municipal and regional health authorities. See: Lavoratori esposti all’amianto: al via un programma gratuito di sorveglianza sanitaria, come aderire [Workers exposed to asbestos: a free health surveillance program launches, how to join].
Asbestos Issue Raised in Parliament
May 3, 2024
In the Turkish National Assembly, the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change was questioned about the hazard posed to construction workers engaged on the building of the Dilovasi Hospital Connection Road Viaduct by the presence of tens of thousands of tonnes of toxic debris contaminated with pollutants including three types of asbestos: crocidolite, chrysotile and amosite: “The fact,” said MP Evrim Rizvanoglu, “that workers work in an environment where they are exposed to this dangerous substance during road construction is a major concern in terms of occupational safety.” See: Kocaeli'deki asbest tehlikesi meclis gündeminde [The danger of asbestos in Kocaeli is on the agenda of parliament].
Remembering the Asbestos Fallen
May 3, 2024
Campaigners held a vigil on April 25 – in the run-up to the World Day for Safety and Health at Work – in Harmignies, Belgium to remember those who had died as a result of toxic exposures at the Coverit factory, an asbestos-cement production facility owned by the Eternit Group. Nearly 75% (170) of the plant’s former workers have died from asbestos-related diseases. The event was organized by the Asbestos and Hazardous Products Committee, a group which campaigns for justice for the injured and for stricter regulation of construction and demolition work at sites where asbestos was used. See: Harmignies: commémoration des victimes de l'amiante de Coverit lors de la journée mondiale de la santé au travail [Harmignies: commemoration of the victims of Coverit asbestos on World Day for Health at Work].
Revising the Occupational Diseases List
May 3, 2024
Proposals are being considered by the Vietnamese Government to add 35 occupational diseases to the social insurance list – amongst the new diseases under consideration are: occupational silicosis; occupational asbestos pneumoconiosis; occupational mesothelioma; occupational talc pulmonary dust disease and occupational asthma. The Ministry of Health has requested that the Department of Health Environment Management coordinate the consultation with relevant agencies in order to prepare revised guidelines for the diagnosis of occupational diseases. See: Đề xuất 35 bệnh nghề nghiệp được hưởng bảo hiểm xã hội [Proposing 35 occupational diseases entitled to social insurance].
Victim’s Victory in Kumamoto
Apr 30, 2024
The Kumamoto District Court ordered defendant companies Japan Refrigeration and Amakusa Plant to pay 27.72 million yen (US$172,000) compensation to a 78-year old plaintiff who alleged that he had developed lung cancer as a result of workplace asbestos exposures. In its ruling, the Court agreed that the companies had neglected the duty of care they owed employees to ensure a safe working environment. The claimant was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016. See: 作業中にアスベスト吸い肺がん、熊本地裁が２社に２７７２万円支払い命令…安全配慮義務違反を指摘 [Lung cancer from asbestos inhalation during work, Kumamoto District Court ordered two companies to pay 27.72 million yen ... Pointing out violations of duty of care].
Asbestos-Cement Roofing Decline
Apr 30, 2924
The article cited below contained an interview with Mr. Vo Quang Diem, Chairman of the Vietnam Roofing Association – a trade association representing the interests of manufacturers of roofing, including companies making products containing asbestos-cement (AC). Diem related the trials and tribulations of the Association’s members, including rising prices for raw materials, government uncertainties and fluctuating market conditions. Production of AC roofing was 18% down in 2023. Pressure is being put on the Prime Minister and the Government to rescind plans to phase out asbestos use to give certainty to industrialists so that they would invest in production facilities. See: Triển khai hiệu quả giải pháp ổn định thị trường phibro xi măng [Effectively deploy solution to stabilize the fibro cement market].
Good News in Scotland
Apr 30, 2024
The national charity Mesothelioma UK announced last week that funding had been obtained to cover the cost of its clinical nurse specialist team leader in Scotland, Carolyn MacRae. Ms. MacRae is based at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital which is run by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The donor of this contribution was the Clydebank Asbestos Group, also based in Glasgow, whose members will certainly benefit from the support offered by the mesothelioma specialist nurse. See: Funding secured for asbestos cancer nurse leader in Scotland.
Asbestos Mortality in Greece
Apr 30, 2024
Greece was an asbestos-producing and consuming country before a ban was adopted in 2005 as per EU regulations. According to the results of the paper cited below, which was co-authored by five researchers from Larissa, Greece, the annual age-standardized mesothelioma mortality rate for males and the whole population has been in decline since 2011. The authors highlighted the benefits of a national mesothelioma registry as well as an epidemiological program to monitor the incidence of asbestos-related diseases, in particular mesothelioma, in order to pinpoint geographic asbestos hotspots. See: Asbestos ban policies and mesothelioma mortality in Greece.
Asbestos an Election Issue
Apr 30, 2024
Members of ABEVA – The Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims – are asking candidates for the June 2024 elections to address the asbestos issue in political manifestos: “There is not a town, a village, a hamlet in our country that does not have asbestos-cement roofs, gables, and pipes.” ABEVA reminded politicians that the historic use of massive amounts of asbestos products in Belgium during the 20th century continues to endanger the lives of citizens in the present day. See: Élections 2024, les victimes de l’amiante se rappellent aux candidats en vue des scrutins : « Il n’est pas un hameau dans notre pays qui ne compte des toits en amiante-ciment » [2024 elections, asbestos victims remind candidates in view of the polls: “There is not a hamlet in our country that does not have asbestos-cement roofs”].
Asbestos-related Lung Cancer
Apr 30, 2024
The thoughtful commentary by specialist asbestos solicitor Daniel Easton, which is cited below, highlighted the discrepancy between the incidence of asbestos-related lung cancer and compensation levels in the UK due to a hostile legal framework which allows full compensation for claimants with work-related mesothelioma but not to those suffering from lung cancer. “There is,” Mr Easton wrote “absolutely no justification for treating sufferers of asbestos-related lung cancer differently. The symptoms, cause, and prognosis are akin to mesothelioma, yet victims face additional hurdles in securing compensation.” See: Asbestos-related lung cancer sufferers are being denied full compensation due to legal discrepancies.
Victims’ Verdict in Montana
Apr 25, 2024
On April 22, 2024, a federal jury in a Montana court ruled that the actions of the defendant corporation – BNSF Railways – had contributed to the lung cancers contracted by two people from the mining town of Libby who were exposed to asbestos fiber when vermiculite shipments were transported from the mine by BNSF many decades ago. The claimants died of their asbestos illnesses in 2020. The estates of the deceased were awarded $4 million in compensatory damages. See: Jury: BNSF Railway Contributed to 2 Deaths in Montana Town Where Asbestos Sickened Thousands.
Asbestos Waste at Nuclear Sites
Apr 25, 2024
According to an announcement this week, protocols for better managing asbestos waste from nuclear plants in the UK will be developed pursuant to contracts awarded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and the Nuclear Waste Services to the Asbestos Innovation Partnership. Under current practices “non-nuclear contaminated asbestos waste goes to hazardous landfill, some contaminated asbestos is allowed in very small quantities in the Low Level Waste Repository, and the bulk is designated for disposal in a future Geological Disposal Facility.” See: NDA group establishes innovative partnership to manage asbestos waste at legacy nuclear sites.
Support for Daughter’s Claim
Apr 25, 2024
On April 23, 2024, the Florence Court of Appeal awarded Annalia Volterrani – bereaved daughter of 52-year old Francesco Volterrani who died in 2000 – compensation over his asbestos death; she was 14 years old when her father died. The deceased had worked for 32 years in the Italian Navy. The Ministry of Defense – which had previously compensated Annalia’s mother and sister – was ordered to pay Annalia a monthly pension of €2,000 (US$2,140) including the sum of €360,000 (US$385,000) in arrears. See: Perse il padre per l’amianto, Ministero della Difesa condannato: alla figlia vitalizio e arretrati [Lost her father to asbestos, Ministry of Defense [ordered to pay] daughter's annuity and arrears].
Expanding Firefighters’ Protections
Apr 25, 2024
Following recommendations made in 2023 by an independent review panel, the Australian State of Queensland announced plans to change its workers’ compensation scheme to expand protections for firefighters. Among the ten new diseases added to the list of illnesses presumed to be related to firefighting which have been linked to asbestos exposures are: asbestos related disease (15 years exposure); malignant mesothelioma (15 years); lung cancer (15 years); and ovarian cancer (10 years). Workers diagnosed with a listed cancer but who have served below the threshold are required to show the illness is work-related. See: Miles Government continues to improve workers’ compensation scheme.
International Asbestos Day
Apr 25, 2024
Desperate to regain control of the international asbestos debate, in 2008 asbestos vested interests designated April 16 as International Chrysotile (White) Asbestos Day. Activities this year included a couple of events in Russia’s asbestos heartland in defence of “mountain flax” – which is under constant bombardment so the asbestos lobby says from greedy Western financial interests including health & safety campaigners. Calling chrysotile products, “the people’s products,” the author said that between them Russia’s two chrysotile mines have enough asbestos ore to last for 100 years. See: В России отмечают международный День Хризотила [International Chrysotile Day is celebrated in Russia].
Upcoming Grassroots Protests
Apr 23, 2024
On April 22 & 23, 2024, rallies organized by a dozen asbestos victims’ support groups are being held in the Italian cities of Monfalcone and Trieste to demonstrate the strength of public outrage at a change in national legislation which will benefit companies like Fincantieri shipbuilding – a defendant in many asbestos cases – and not asbestos victims. The protestors are demanding that the €20 million (US$21.3m) of public money intended for Fincantieri be reallocated for medical research and treatment of mesothelioma. See: Mobilitazione vittime amianto [Mobilization of asbestos victims].
Victim’s Victory in Toxic Talc Case
Apr 23, 2024
On April 19, 2024, a jury in Chicago, Illinois ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Kenvue – the former consumer healthcare division of J&J – to pay compensation of $45 million to the family of mesothelioma sufferer Theresa Garcia who died in July 2020. The claimants allege that Mrs Garcia had contracted mesothelioma after having used asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder produced by J&J. Commenting on the verdict, J&J spokesperson Erik Haas said that the company would appeal the decision immediately. See: Court Orders Johnson & Johnson And Kenvue To Pay $45 Million In Talcum Baby Powder Lawsuit.
Asbestos Fallout from Russian War
Apr 23, 2024
Asbestos fibers were identified in each of the ten samples of building debris – including roofing materials, underground building materials and pipes from apartment buildings and schools in 4 locations in Kyiv and Kharkiv – analyzed by a Tokyo-based laboratory. Commenting on these findings, Professor Ken Takahashi said: “The results of this analysis serve as a basis for warning local workers and residents about asbestos and taking countermeasures. We also need to get international organizations and other organizations to recognize that the cost of countermeasures is necessary.” See: ウクライナの被害建物からアスベストを検出 日本企業が分析 [Japanese company analyzes asbestos detected in damaged buildings in Ukraine].
Lombardy’s Asbestos Tragedy
Apr 23, 2024
In the run-up to International Workers Day (April 28), CGIL Brescia – the local affiliate of the Italian General Confederation of Labour – organized a conference entitled: “A future without asbestos.” Data presented by speakers at this event disclosed the names of regional and provincial asbestos hotspots. One of the highest incidences of asbestos-related diseases in Italy is found in the Lombardy region, with its capital, Milan, very badly affected. See: Allarme amianto a Milano: aumentano gli ammalati e i decessi. Le province lombarde più colpite [Asbestos alarm in Milan: the number of sick people and deaths is increasing. The most affected provinces of Lombardy].
BNSF Railroad Denies Liability
Apr 23, 2024
On Friday, April 19, 2024, the legal team for BNSF Railways told a Montana federal civil court that the company was not liable for the lung cancer deaths of two Libby residents as it hadn’t known that the vermiculite transported by the railways was contaminated with asbestos fibers. According to lawyer Chad Knight “In the 50s, 60s and 70s no one in the public suspected there might be health concerns.” This is the first of many lawsuits to be heard in a federal civil court over the railroad’s culpability for the disaster which befell the former mining town. See: BNSF Railway says it didn't know about asbestos that's killed hundreds in Montana town.
Westminster Palace: Update
Apr 23, 2024
An article in the Sunday issue of France’s Le Monde newspaper which was published on April 21, 2024 detailed the “deplorable state” of the Palace of Westminster, highlighting “walls full of asbestos,” miles of antiquated electrical wiring, leaking pipes and rat infestations. “We are,” said former clerk of the House of Commons Lord Lisvane “never far from a catastrophic breakdown of our services, a fire or a structural collapse…” See: Amiante, rats, fuites d'eau: le Palais de Westminster menace de s'effondrer [Asbestos, rats, water leaks: the Palace of Westminster threatens to collapse].
Calls for Government Action on Ban
Apr 18, 2024
At an April 15, 2024 press conference organized by the Bangladesh Ban Asbestos Network (B-BAN) and Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE), held in the capital of Bangladesh, health and safety campaigners and technical experts urged the government to ban asbestos to “protect human health and the environment, as asbestos is a known carcinogen.” In his comments to the meeting, Aminur Rashid Chowdhury Repon, Executive Director of the OSHE Foundation, announced that chrysotile (white) asbestos fibers had been identified during recent laboratory analyses of cement sheeting and automotive brake shoes. See: Experts for banning asbestos in Bangladesh.
Mesothelioma Treatment Update
Apr 18, 2024
Under new provisions, which came into effect on April 1, 2024, some patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma can receive medical treatment using a new dual immunotherapy cocktail that has been shown to prolong life for many patients. As the care will be provided by the National Health Insurance, patients will not have to face costly medical bills. See: 石棉致癌潛伏期達40年 惡性肋膜間皮瘤癌現生機 4/1起雙免疫治療納入一線給付 [Asbestos carcinogenesis has a latentcy period of up to 40 years. The incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma cancer is increasing. Dual immunotherapy will be included in first-line benefits starting from 4/1].
Political Inertia Blocks Reform
Apr 18, 2024
It was announced on April 16, 2024 that attempts by Belgian politicians to reform legislation blocking lawsuits by claimants who had received compensation from the Belgian Asbestos Fund (the Fund) had failed. With elections looming, there was, said a spokesperson for the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats political party, no chance of amending the legislation in the short-term. In March, the Social Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies had once again rejected a bill to allow recipients of payouts from the Fund to launch legal proceedings against a company despite receiving compensation from the Fund. See: Pas d'accord au sein de la majorité sur l'amiante [No agreement within the [Federal] majority [parties] on asbestos].
Test Case for Asbestos Victim in Hashima
Apr 18, 2024
On April 15, 2024, a family launched a legal action to claim compensation for the 2018 asbestos cancer death of a 79-year old man who had worked near an asbestos processing factory owned by the Nichias company. The claimants argue that during the deceased’s 13 years employment at a Hashima workshop, he had breathed in asbestos liberated by the Nichias Hashima Plant in Gifu Prefecture. Under Japanese law, people can obtain compensation for contracting asbestos cancer if they lived near an asbestos factory. There is no such provision for people who worked near such a facility. See: 「石綿工場の近くで勤務」、中皮腫で死亡 責任裁定、遺族が申請 [“Working near an asbestos factory,” died of mesothelioma liability ruling, bereaved family applies].
Italy’s Asbestos Legacy
Apr 18, 2024
The article cited below contained a wide variety of facts and figures detailing Italy’s ongoing asbestos catastrophe. There are, according to the text, 4,400 people diagnosed every year with asbestos-related diseases and a million asbestos-contaminated sites throughout Italy which collectively contain 40 million tons of asbestos; asbestos is present in 2,400 schools, 1,000 libraries and 350 hospitals. With just 18 facilities capable of disposing of asbestos waste, calls are being made for government action to build capacity as a matter of urgency. See: Amianto, i dati epidemiologici evidenziano una situazione di allarme [Asbestos, epidemiological data show an alarming situation].
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 18, 2024
According to emails released last week by New Zealand’s Ministry of Education under the Official Information Act, two classrooms were extensively contaminated after friable asbestos in wall linings was disturbed during renovation work without prior tests having been done. Eventually, the school authorities were able to get the asbestos-containing material removed. For the last year the Ministry of Education has been considering a scheme to establish a national register of approved asbestos removal firms; no such scheme has been implemented yet. See: School classrooms contaminated with asbestos after linings taken off without testing.
Exposé at WA Nickel Mine
Apr 17, 2024
An exposé in the April 11, 2024 issue of the West Australian documented misleading information circulated by WorkSafe – the health and safety regulator in Western Australia (WA) – reassuring workers that “none of the samples [from the Mt. Keith nickel mine] exceeded the workplace [asbestos] exposure standard...” According to a certified lab, asbestos fibers were present in samples from the mine. Commenting on this news, Ms. Markey, CEO of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia said: “We need more collaboration between workers and the regulators… There should also not be two sets of standards for contractors versus salaried employees.” See [subscription site]: ‘More needs to be done’ after asbestos detection at BHP Nickel West’s Mt Keith clashes with WorkSafe result.
Reevaluating National Position on Asbestos
Apr 17, 2024
A well-researched and comprehensive article published on April 12, 2024, reviewed Brazil’s asbestos dossier in light of asbestos prohibitions announced by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last month. The text of this article covered a wide range of material and sources and included a discussion of the World Health Organization’s asbestos policies, Brazilian epidemiological data on asbestos-related diseases and technological progress in creating asbestos-free substitutes. See: Vale a pena ser o terceiro maior produtor de amianto no mundo? [Is it worth being the third largest producer of asbestos in the world?].
Warning about Asbestos Hazard
Apr 17, 2024
The article cited below from a source in China, reaffirms the carcinogenic nature of chrysotile asbestos, citing evidence from the WHO and IARC. The author emphasized the variety of asbestos products, warning that: “People who are exposed to asbestos for a long time can face serious health risks. Eventually, this underlying inflammation may evolve into serious diseases such as asbestosis, pleural mesothelioma, etc., and may even lead to the development of malignant tumors such as lung cancer.” China is the world’s 2nd largest asbestos user and 4th largest producer. See: 被60多国禁用的一级“致癌物”，1Kg含百万根尖针！为何我国随处可见 [A first-class “carcinogen” banned by more than 60 countries, 1kg contains millions of sharp needles! Why can it be seen everywhere in China?].
INPS Loses Another Asbestos Case
Apr 17, 2024
The Court of Appeal of Catania, Italy issued a victim’s verdict in an asbestos case brought by petrochemical worker Francesco Castorina, who had been employed for 35 years as a maintenance worker in a plant in the Priolo-Augusta petrochemical facility. The Court ordered Italy’s National Institute for Social Security (INPS) to reevaluate the claimant’s pension contributions and pay the amount owed to him since the INPS first rejected his application for asbestos benefits. See: Lavoratore del Petrolchimico esposto all’amianto, Tribunale condanna l’Inps [Petrochemical worker exposed to asbestos, Court condemns INPS].
Asbestos Company’s Denials and Deceit
Apr 17, 2024
An article in the March 31, 2024 issue of The Sunday Times revisited the damage done to workers and members of the public by the nefarious activities of former asbestos giant Cape plc, the maker of asbestos-containing construction products such as Asbestoslux. A treasure trove of documents acquired by the Asbestos Victims Support Group Forum, which was uploaded to the internet, documented a litany of lies and deceit by which the company forestalled legislation and delayed efforts to implement measures to protect product users. The company, which was bought by the French multinational Altrad, continues to resist calls by victims for a £10 million contribution for medical research into asbestos-related diseases. See [subscription site]: No Cause for Anxiety: Asbestos firm hid cancer risk for 30 years.
Toxic Mulch Found in Melbourne
Apr 17, 2024
New laboratory tests revealed that mulch used at eight Melbourne parks, including the PA Burns Reserve and the Altona Coastal Park, contained asbestos fibers. Further testing was ongoing at some of the contaminated sites with remediation work underway at others. Duncan Pendrigh, director of regulatory services of the Environment Protection Authority, said he was “confident asbestos discovery in Victoria would not be as widespread as New South Wales, where bonded asbestos has been discovered at more than 75 sites, including parks and schools.”See: Asbestos confirmed in seven Melbourne parks after latest tests.
Asbestos Victims Sue Railroad Company
Apr 15, 2024
Texas-based BNSF Railway, a company owned by the American billionaire Warren Buffet, is being sued by multiple asbestos victims – including 61-year old asbestos victim Paul Resch and the estates of Joyce Wald and Thomas Wells – who alleged that the railway failed to prevent cancerous fibers being liberated as a result of its operations in the Montana town of Libby. To date, arguments advanced by BNSF’s legal team in defence of the company have been rejected by U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris. See: Victims of Montana asbestos pollution that killed hundreds take Warren Buffet's railroad to court.
Asbestos Anxiety Verdict
Apr 15, 2024
An industrial tribunal in Rouen ordered the DS Smith Paper company in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, France to compensate 131 asbestos-exposed employees last month (March 2024). The judges agreed that, as a result of hazardous workplace exposures, the claimants suffered from “asbestos anxiety,” a fear of contracting an asbestos-related disease. Compensation payouts ranged from €1,200 (US $1,280) to €15,000 (US $15,980) per employee. See: Rouen. Affaire DS Smith: l'entreprise condamnée à indemniser 131 salariés exposés à de l'amiante [Rouen. DS Smith case: the company ordered to compensate 131 employees exposed to asbestos].
Evolving Technology for Asbestos Waste
Apr 15, 2024
Massive amounts of asbestos-containing waste are being created around the world every year. Burying this material in regulated landfills is, at best, a temporary solution. The article cited below discussed progress being made by companies in the Netherlands and France in detoxifying this waste using heat processes, microwaves or chemicals to destroy the fibers, so that the material can safely be reused, thereby eliminating the need to further contaminate dumpsites or the environment. See: Asbestos is a global waste problem – here's how we might get rid of it.
Victory for Asbestos Appellant
Apr 15, 2024
The Court of Velletri, in the Italian capital city, this month upheld an appeal from 60-year old Piero De Luca, who alleged that as a result of asbestos exposures at the Colgate Palmolive plant in Anzio he contracted pleural plaques and pleural thickening. His application for asbestos benefits and early retirement was rejected by the Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS) in 2020. The Court ordered INPS to increase by 30% the social security benefits paid to the claimant bringing the sum to €2,500 (US$2665) per month. See: Amianto alle porte di Roma, lavoratore affetto da placche pleuriche: tribunale condanna l'Inps [Asbestos on the outskirts of Rome, worker suffering from pleural plaques: court condemns INPS].
Shut-down of Asbestos Registry
Apr 15, 2024
WorkSafe – New Zealand's primary workplace health and safety regulator – has ceased funding the national asbestos registry, claiming it was unreliable and redundant. Commenting on this development, researcher Dr Terri-Ann Berry said that the existence of a “centralised, well-maintained asbestos exposure registry” was pivotal for determining trends in asbestos-related diseases and identifying population- and regional-hotspots. Every year, 220 people are diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases in New Zealand. See: Asbestos exposure register should be continued – researcher.
Asbestos Outreach Work: Update
Apr 15, 2024
The Asbestos Health Impact Survey in the South Korean Province of Gyeongsangnam-do is now in its fourth year of operations. Outreach work by staff members seeks to identify at-risk members of the public and provide check-ups by medical staff from the Asbestos Environmental Health Center at Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital. People who are eligible for the free screening include those who had lived within a 2km radius of asbestos exposure sources (asbestos factories, shipyards, repair yards, etc.) for more than one year or worked with asbestos or asbestos-containing material. See: 석면 피해 의심된다면, 늦기 전에 무료 석면건강영향조사 받으세요! [If you suspect asbestos harm, get a free asbestos health effects survey before it's too late!].
Biggest Investigation in EPA’s History
Mar 11, 2024
After the presence of asbestos-contaminated mulch had been confirmed at 75 sites in Sydney, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) of New South Wales is progressing an investigation to identify those responsible. “While the EPA works on its criminal investigation, the government will move to tighten regulations and make further changes as required,” Penny Sharpe, the Environment Minister of NSW, said. “The discovery of asbestos in mulch,” Sharpe added “led to the biggest investigation in the EPA’s history.” See: Asbestos-contaminated mulch found at 75 sites across Sydney, watchdog finds.
Asbestos Malfunctions at GSA
Mar 11, 2024
The General Services Administration (GSA), an independent US government agency tasked with helping manage federal agencies, published a 48-page report in March 2024 (see: Federal Real Property: More Consistent Monitoring of Asbestos Could Improve Oversight) that disclosed that 2/3 of the GSA’s buildings (638 out of 955) haven’t been inspected for asbestos for five years, including some of which that may never have been inspected. A comprehensive plan for completing required inspections and updating the agency’s asbestos policy is under consideration by GSA officials. See: Federal Real Property: More Consistent Monitoring of Asbestos Could Improve Oversight.
Asbestos Settlement for Kobe Plaintiffs
Mar 11, 2024
On March 6, 2024, a settlement was reached in the Kobe District Court between the Japanese government and relatives of a 78-year old self-employed electrician from Hyogo Prefecture who died from mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos at construction sites. The Government will pay a total of 14.3 million yen (US$97,200) in compensation to the three sister-in-laws of the deceased. See: アスベスト被害で男性死亡 遺族と国が和解へ 原告請求通り1430万円支払い 神戸地裁 [A man dies due to asbestos damage The bereaved family to receive 14.3 million yen from the government as ordered by Kobe District Court].
Eradicating the Asbestos Hazard in Incheon
Mar 11, 2024
The municipal authorities of Incheon, a South Korean city bordering the capital of Seoul, are offering subsidies of 7 million won (US$5,320) to encourage property owners to commission specialist contractors to remove and replace asbestos-containing roofs and other products to protect the public from toxic exposures. The city has allocated 1,432 billion won (US$1.1m) for asbestos remediation of 333 houses, 33 non-residential buildings, etc. during the coming fiscal year. See: 인천시, 주택 슬레이트 철거 시 최대 700만 원 지원 [Incheon City supports up to 7 million won for demolition of house slate].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 11, 2024
New Zealand’s Ministry of Education said that as a result of shoddy work by licensed asbestos removal companies, tighter regulations are on their way to protect workers and members of the public from potentially deadly exposures to a known carcinogen. Under protocols currently being considered, the Ministry would only allow work to be undertaken by asbestos specialists which are members of a national panel of approved contractors. On March 7, 2024, Ministry spokesperson Sam Fowler told reporters: “We have identified examples of poor removal practice where, for example, asbestos cement pieces have been found in outdoor areas after a clearance certificate for the area had been issued.” See: Ministry signals tighter controls after 'inadequate' asbestos removal in schools.
The Secret is Out!
Mar 11, 2024
In the aftermath of a broadcast on France 5 of the TV documentary “Asbestos, Our Schools are Sick,” the media was awash with articles denouncing the presence of asbestos-containing material throughout the educational infrastructure. The article cited below featured the views of former MP and whistleblower Jean-Marie Schléret who was president of the National Observatory for School Security for 26 years. According to Schléret, the ubiquity of the contamination and lack of adequate communication have made the situation in many schools even worse. See: Amiante dans les écoles: trois questions à l’ancien député de Meurthe-et-Moselle et lanceur d'alerte Jean-Marie Schléret [Asbestos in schools: three questions for former MP for Meurthe-et-Moselle and whistleblower Jean-Marie Schléret].
NSW Government and EPA Under Attack
Mar 7, 2024
Clover Moore, the Lord Mayor of Sydney, last week denounced failures of the New South Wales (NSW) Government and the NSW Environmental Watchdog which led to the unfolding asbestos scandal in and around Sydney. At an extraordinary general meeting on March 4, the Mayor said that the council had incurred costs of $200,000 for testing of samples of mulch thought to be contaminated with asbestos at dozens of locations in the city. According to Carolyn Walsh, chair of the NSW asbestos taskforce, 90+% of the contaminated mulch had come from the company Greenlife Resource. See: Clover Moore attacks NSW government and EPA over ‘regulatory failure’ before asbestos crisis.
Asbestos TV Exposé
Mar 7, 2024
The article cited below included a discussion of an episode entitled “Asbestos, our sick schools,” which was broadcast on France 5 as part of the “Vert de Rage” documentary series on March 4, 2024. Based on research by journalists, it was reported that a third of French schools still contained asbestos which was poorly monitored and badly understood by school administrators and staff. According to Public Health France, 60 teachers or school workers contract mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, every year. See: L’amiante dans les écoles, un fléau qui perdure en France [Asbestos in schools, a scourge that continues in France].
Another Asbestos Victim in Casale
Mar 7, 2024
The death was announced of 62-year old Daniela Zanier, a mesothelioma victim who was environmentally exposed to asbestos whilst living in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato, for decades home to an infamous asbestos-cement factory owned and operated by the Swiss Eternit Group. Mrs Zanier had been an active member of the local asbestos victims’ group: AFeVA. The funeral took place on March 4, 2024. AFeVA spokesperson Bruno Pesce said: “She leaves us with a great emptiness, but also deep anger and bitterness for the cause that took her away.” See: Vittime dell'amianto a Casale, morta Daniela Zanier. "La mia unica colpa: aver respirato l'aria" [Asbestos victims in Casale, Daniela Zanier died. “My only fault: having breathed the air”].
Encouraging Safe Removal of Asbestos
Mar 7, 2024
The Environmental Protection Department of the City of New Taipei, a special municipality located in northern Taiwan, announced last week plans to subsidize asbestos eradication work on domestic properties. Asbestos-containing debris is now listed as hazardous waste and must be dealt with according to mandatory protocols. Municipal funds have been allocated to encourage the safe disposal of this toxic material. Residents wishing to get rid of asbestos material in their homes have until October 31, 2024 to submit an application for funding. See: New Taipei Offers Subsidies for Asbestos Material Cleanup.
ABAN Meeting in Colombo
Mar 7, 2024
On March 3, 2024, members of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN) – a coalition of grassroots groups and individuals which was founded in Hong Kong in 2009 – met in Colombo, Sri Lanka for the South Asia Strategy Meeting 2024. Speakers from Japan, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Korea, India and Pakistan updated delegates on current struggles and developments in their countries, including the evolving role of victims’ campaigners, environmentalists, trade unionists, medical professionals and consumer groups. The session was co-organized by ABAN and the Centre for Environmental Justice, and co-sponsored by : IBAS, ANROEV, AMRC, Solidarity Center, and the OSHE Foundation. See: Picture of Colombo Meeting Banner.
Asbestos Fallout from January Earthquake
Mar 7, 2024
Several weeks after the January 1, 2024 earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japanese citizens were reminded of the hazard posed by asbestos contamination created by natural and man-made disasters during a symposium in Okayama City convened by the Tokyo Occupational Safety and Health Center and the local Okayama Occupational Safety and Health Center. Members of the public in the affected area were warned to avoid demolition sites and wear specialist masks such as N95s to limit their inhalation of asbestos fibers. See: 災害とアスベスト リスク知り対策の徹底を [Disasters and Asbestos Risks Awareness and Prevention].
Asbestos Eradication Program in Enugu
Mar 6, 1924
On February 29, 2024, the Governor of the Nigerian State of Enugu Peter Mbah said that a program to replace damaged asbestos pipes had led to the scarcity of water in some parts of the state when water stations and sub-stations had been shut for maintenance and replacement work. According to information relayed by Mbah, 90% percent of water pipes in Enugu were made of asbestos and had been installed during the colonial era. Enugu’s old asbestos water delivery pipes are being replaced with modern ductile iron pipes. See: Enugu says water scarcity caused by replacement of damaged pipes.
Asbestos at Town Hall
Mar 6, 2024
The presence of asbestos was just one of several areas of concern according to a new report by Krissy Trigg, the manager of Buller District Council’s Community Services Group, in the West Coast Region of New Zealand: “Asbestos was identified in multiple areas, including a high-risk product found in the boiler room, which would cost up to $80,000 to remove.” The Council’s CEO Steve Gibling says the council’s headquarters in Brougham House, Brougham Street, Westport are safe to occupy and use. See: Council offices a risk for earthquake, fire, asbestos.
Shipbreaking Hazard in Comox Valley
Mar 6, 2024
Shipbreaking operations by the American-controlled company Deep Water Recovery has caused consternation among people living in Union Bay on Vancouver Island. Speaking on their behalf, Marilynne Manning of the group Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound said: “[the ships] are all full of those hazardous materials: lead, mercury, cadmium, asbestos.” Agreeing with her, Comox Valley Regional District director Daniel Arbour said: “Everybody thinks it’s appalling that an activity like that would happen in this specific place.” Deep Water Recovery co-owner Mark Jurisich admitted that there is asbestos in the ships but that as it was contained, there was no pollution. See: Residents upset over Vancouver Island shipbreaking operation.
Asbestos Legacy
Mar 6, 2024
Although asbestos was banned in Latvia in 2001, before then the widespread use of products containing it have left a long-tail legacy of contamination in the built and natural environment. Many domestic properties are still roofed with asbestos material which can become hazardous as the products deteriorate. Asbestos-containing building debris, which is classed as hazardous waste under Latvian laws, is subject to strict protocols for its safe removal and disposal. See: Асбест — хуже ядерных отходов, или Как в Латвии надо утилизировать старый шифер [Asbestos Is Worse Than Nuclear Waste, or How Old Tiles Should Be Disposed of in Latvia].
Asbestos and Green Revolution
Mar 6, 2024
The focus of the February 28, 2024 commentary cited below was a discussion of the bonuses and pitfalls of the “green revolution.” Contractors were warned that in the eternal quest for economic savings, mandatory precautions against exposures to asbestos must be observed: “going green does create new risks, one of which is asbestos coming to light during upgrades. And such is the danger with this material that today’s contractors need to be extra vigilant when upgrading properties.” See: Asbestos: the unseen threat in the UK’s green revolution.
Rome Verdict for Mesothelioma Victim
Mar 6, 2024
The Court of Rome last week condemned the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the case brought over the 2019 asbestos death of 56-year old Aldo Martina. The MoD was ordered to pay the deceased’s family the sum of €200,000 (US$216,400) as it had failed to protect the soldier from exposures to asbestos during his military service in La Spezia and Brindisi. As a communications technician, Martina was constantly in contact with asbestos fibers from engine room equipment, cables, paint and insulation products. See: Amianto, Il MInistero della Difesa dovrà risarcire la famiglia di un militare [Asbestos, the Ministry of Defense will have to compensate the family of a soldier].
Rising Incidence of Asbestos Cancer
Mar 5, 2024
On February 29, 2024, the Federal Agency for Occupational Risks announced that the number of applicants with mesothelioma recognized by the Belgian Asbestos Fund (AFA) was 253 in 2023, the highest number since 2009. In previous years, the average number of successful cases was between 197 and 200. It is unknown why the figure has risen by 28%. Before asbestos use was banned, Belgium had been a large asbestos consumer and exporter of asbestos-containing products. See: Amiante en Belgique: le nombre de victimes reconnues est en forte augmentation [Asbestos in Belgium: the number of recognised victims is rising sharply].
Saying No to Asbestos in Schools
Mar 5, 2024
Hundreds of people in the Ugandan town of Jinja took part in a “No Asbestos” 5 km marathon and walk; the February 24th event was headed by Nathan Igeme Nabeta, Jinja South East’s Member of Parliament who was joined by other civic leaders and officials of the Busoga Kingdom. The purpose of this activity was to raise money to buy iron sheeting to re-roof classrooms still covered with asbestos roofing. According to event organizer Meddie Mbentyo: “The Government of Uganda banned the use of asbestos in roofing classrooms…we hope to role out this initiative in other schools with asbestos roofs.” See: Hundreds of Jinja residents participate in No Asbestos Marathon.
Illegal Fly-tipping in the Setúbal District
Mar 5, 2024
On February 21, 2024, Portugal’s Republican National Guard (GNR) announced the discovery of illegal dumping of toxic waste, including asbestos tiles, at 12 locations in the municipalities of Alcochete, Barreiro, Moita and Montijo, following inspections by members of the Nature and Environment Protection Service of the Montijo Territorial Detachment. The hazardous material was found on dirt roads, next to bushy areas and close to industrial areas. See: GNR deteta deposição ilegal de resíduos em Alcochete, Barreiro, Moita e Montijo [GNR detects illegal disposal of waste in Alcochete, Barreiro, Moita and Montijo].
Firefighters’ Cancer Risk
Mar 5, 2024
Throughout February 2024, French firefighters via their largest union – the Autonomous Federation – worked to mobilize support for calls to better protect members from exposures to occupational carcinogens, such as asbestos. A 2022 study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer found that firefighters were routinely exposed to carcinogens at work. A 2023 study established that firefighters are three times more likely to die from certain types of cancers than the rest of the population. See: Amiante, fumées… Des pompiers en grève alertent contre les cas de cancer qui flambent [Asbestos, fumes... Striking firefighters warn of soaring cancer cases].
Asbestos Issues in Australia and the UK
Mar 5, 2024
The unfolding asbestos scandal which started in Sydney in January 2024 and has spread to Canberra and Queensland was the starting point for the discussion in the article cited below about the UK’s asbestos legacy, including the public health risk posed by the continuing delivery of drinking water via “hundreds of thousands of miles” of aging and deteriorating asbestos-cement pipes. It could cost £5-8bn to replace the stock of asbestos-cement water mains currently being used the UK and Ireland. According to the BBC, some studies show a correlation between exposure to asbestos through drinking water and incidences of stomach and gut cancers. See: ‘Beyond belief’: fears of asbestos return.
Precautionary Approach to Cancer
Mar 5, 2024
Cancer mortality is skyrocketing in Vietnam according to the article cited below. The best health outcome for cancer patients is obtained as a result of early diagnoses of disease. Amongst the 12 cohorts of people urged to take preventive action listed in the article were those who had a history of exposure to potentially carcinogenic substances, such as asbestos, benzene, arsenic, etc. For individuals “with a history of prolonged exposure, or working in toxic environments, exposed to the above chemicals,” annual check-ups were recommended. See: 12 đối tượng cần đi khám sàng lọc định kỳ ung thư [12 cohorts who need routine cancer screening].
Jury Award for Asbestos Series
Mar 4, 2024
Last week, it was announced that the series “Asbestos Danger,” by Pelin Ünker and Serdar Vardar of DW Turkish TV had won the Jury Special Award 2024 in a competition organized by the Istanbul Medical Chamber. In a statement by the 5-member jury, it was explained that the series had “comprehensively examined the danger of asbestos and the possible damages that will occur due to exposures after the February 6 earthquakes last year.” The award ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 17, 2024, at Istanbul Kültür University Bakırköy campus. See: DW Türkçe'nin Asbest Tehlikesi dizisine Jüri Özel Ödülü [Special Jury Award for DW Turkish's Asbestos Hazard series].
Asbestos at the Ship Scrapping Yards
Mar 4, 2024
Exposure to asbestos is just one workplace hazard that Bangladeshi workers experience during the dismantling of cargo ships, tankers and other vessels. After 30 years of such exposures at the Chittagong scrapyard in southern Bangladesh, 55-year old Fazlul Karim contracted an asbestos illness which has left him with a respiratory capacity of only 60%. Medical tests conducted in 2016 by an Indian doctor found that 35% of the 101 shipyard workers examined suffered from asbestosis due to hazardous occupational conditions. See: Bangladesh: L'amiante clandestin des navires occidentaux [Bangladesh: Clandestine asbestos from Western ships].
ADSA Accolade!
Mar 4, 2024
On February 27, 2024, Member of the Australian House of Representatives Russell Broadbent made a statement in Parliament highlighting the incredible work of the Perth-based advocacy group the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA): “For decades the ADSA has been fighting for the rights of asbestos victims, including people who worked at the infamous mine in Wittenoom and the people who lived in that town. The ADSA pioneered groundbreaking legal action and worked closely with stakeholders, including trade unions, to raise public awareness of asbestos risks and look after the injured.” See: Statements on Indulgence. National Ban on the Use of Asbestos: 20th Anniversary.
Eternit’s Rosy Future?
Mar 4, 2024
Eternit, SA, formerly Brazil’s leading asbestos producing and processing group, has informed the stock exchange of plans to emerge from bankruptcy reorganization in the coming months. Diversification into products for solar energy generation and modular construction have offset losses incurred as a result of the national ban on asbestos. Buoyant statements by CEO Paulo Roberto Andrade about rising corporate profits ring hollow to the Eternit’s many asbestos victims who are still fighting for recognition and compensation for the asbestos-related diseases they contracted as a result of workplace asbestos exposures. See: Muito além do amianto: o futuro da Eternit após a recuperação judicial [Far beyond asbestos: the future of Eternit after judicial recovery].
Anger in Parliament over Cancer Cuts
Mar 4, 2024
On February 6 & 8, 2024 written questions were submitted to the French National Assembly and Senate over the progress of plans by Public Health France to shut the national mesothelioma surveillance program which had, for 20 years, facilitated the production of knowledge on mesothelioma incidence and post-diagnosis survival as well as identified hotspots of occupational and environmental asbestos exposure. According to Public Health France, this action is to be taken in response to financial constraints. The Government was asked to rethink this decision. See: National Assembly Written question no. 14904 and Senate Written question no. 09996.
Removing Asbestos from Schools
Mar 4, 2024
On February 29, 2024, authorities from South Korea’s Jeonbuk Province announced plans to complete the removal of most asbestos from its schools by the end of the year (2024). For technical reasons, a small amount of asbestos-containing material will remain in place until 2025. Since 2019, the Metropolitan Office of Education invested 204 billion won (US$153m) to decontaminate the educational infrastructure. “The goal,” said a spokesperson from the Metropolitan Office of Education “is to achieve zero asbestos three years ahead of the 2027 target set by the Ministry of Education.” See: 전북 학교 석면 제거, 올해 사실상 완료…6년간 2천억 투입 [Asbestos removal from Jeonbuk schools was virtually completed this year… 200 billion invested over 6 years].
Asbestos Cancer in Russia, Who Knew?
Feb 29, 2024
The article cited below, which appeared on a Russian news portal on February 27, 2024, featured comments by an oncologist from St Petersburg who explained that occupational exposures to asbestos can cause the signature asbestos cancer of mesothelioma. Russian asbestos stakeholders, both in and out of government, have long denied the existence of any health risk posed by exposure to chrysotile asbestos, the type produced in Russia. Russia is the world’s largest asbestos producer; in 2022, Russian mines accounted for 750,000 tonnes, or ~60% of global output. See: Врач назвал симптомы развития рака брюшины [Doctor describes symptoms of the development of peritoneal cancer].
Asbestos Convictions in Basilicata Region
Feb 29, 2024
The Court of Matera, Italy this week sentenced former managers – Silvano Benitti, Pietro Pini, Michele Cardinale, Michele Bonanni and Lorenzo Po – to a year in jail and ordered them to pay compensation for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages to asbestos victims who had worked at the Materit asbestos factory in Ferrandina. The defendants were charged with manslaughter, negligent injury and failure to comply with workplace safety regulations. Their negligence resulted in several workers contracting asbestos-related diseases; four workers died of these diseases as did a widow of a former Materit employee. See: Materit: cinque condanne per le morti da amianto [Materit: five convictions for asbestos-related deaths].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 29, 2024
On February 20, 2024, a spokesperson for the Education Office of Jinja City Haruna Mulopa admitted that the continued presence of asbestos roofing on four schools built in the 1950s in Jinja City, in the Eastern Region of Uganda, is a cause of concern for local people. Thousands of children attend these schools which are located in densely populated areas. According to Mulopa: “The existence of the asbestos roofing is due to financial constraints the schools are currently facing, but we are aware of the dangers of having asbestos on school buildings.” See: Jinja schools still stuck with hazardous asbestos roofing.
Asbestos in Parliament
Feb 29, 2024
The Palace of Westminster, the seat of the UK Government, is falling down. As politicians dither about how and when to repair the crumbling structure, “life-threatening incidents” such as exposure to asbestos are common, for employees, building users and members of the public who have occasion to visit Parliament. The substantial repairs needed will cost several billion pounds and take many years. Trade union spokespersons are supporting plans for a “full decant” so that work could be completed in the shortest possible time; the possibility of moving MPs out of Westminster has not found favor with key decision-makers. See: Delay to Parliament’s restoration risks ‘life-threatening incident’ with concerns over asbestos and legionella.
Asbestos Scandal Spreads to Queensland
Feb 29, 2024
The asbestos scandal which began in January 2024 in Sydney has now spread to Queensland, according to an article in The Guardian. The toxic mulch contaminating dozens of sites in New South Wales, has been found at 25 places in Queensland, including one school. Asbestos material discovered on February 20 at a waste facility operated by the company NuGrow was pronounced to be “friable and was detected following drying and sieving under a stereoscopic microscope,” according to Queensland’s Department of Environment. See: Queensland school among 25 entities supplied with mulch that could be contaminated with friable asbestos.
Eradication Subsidies in Jeongeup City
Feb 29, 2024
On February 27, 2024, the South Korea City of Jeongeup announced that it would subsidize the latest phase in the municipality’s asbestos eradication program with the allocation of 1.69 billion won (US$1.2m) to cover work on 465 buildings, including 424 houses, 10 non-domestic buildings (warehouses and barns) and the removal of 31 asbestos roofs. The maximum subsidy for eradication work on houses is 7 million won (US$5,200) per building; up to 5 million won (US$3,740) can be provided for the removal of asbestos-cement roofing. Concessions will be made for applications from socially vulnerable groups. See: 정읍시, 올해 석면 슬레이트 처리에 17억원 투입 [Jeongeup City to invest KRW 1.7 billion in asbestos slate treatment this year].
New Outreach Program in Bahia
Feb 26, 2024
Hundreds of people in the Brazilian cities of Bom Jesus da Serra, Poções, Planalto and Caetanos in the State of Bahia who were exposed to asbestos produced at the São Félix mine will be receiving free medical check-ups under a program to be rolled out over the coming weeks. This initiative is the result of a collaboration among members of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), medical experts in São Paulo and personnel from the Public Ministry of Labor. See: Parceria traz carreta-tomógrafo de última geração para atender vítimas do amianto [Partnership brings state-of-the-art tomograph truck to assist asbestos victims].
Prohibition of Toxic Landscaping Stones
Feb 26, 2024
Korea’s Ministry of Environment (MoE) banned sales of landscaping stones containing asbestos. Investigations established that out of 35 samples of landscaping stones from 10 companies, 17 contained asbestos. Commenting on this news, Hwang Kye-young, director of the MoE’s Environmental Health Bureau, said: “It is important to block landscaping stones at the initial sales (distribution) stage because they are difficult to remove after installation…We will make efforts to prevent damage to public health…by strengthening the management of asbestos-containing landscape stones through continuous fact-finding surveys.” See: 석면 함유 조경석 판매업체 관리 강화 [Strengthening the management of asbestos-containing landscape stone vendors].
Asbestos in the Water Delivery System
Feb 26, 2024
A media investigation into the consequences of decaying asbestos-cement (A/C) water pipes in the UK’s water delivery system revealed that A/C pipes “are more likely to burst than any material except for cast iron;” the burst rate of AC water pipes in Scotland was up by 49% between 2017 and 2021, from 860 to 1,280. In another area in the north-west of England, there was a 2,000% increase in burst A/C pipes between 2017 and 2021. Sixty per cent of the 31,000 miles of A/C pipes in the UK and Ireland were installed 50+ years ago. Replacing these aging pipes, could cost up to £8 billion. See: Health concerns raised over asbestos in tap water.
Asbestos in the South Pacific
Feb 26, 2024
From February 26, 2024, workmen employed by the Government of the Cook Islands will commence work to decontaminate the Old Post Office building in the island’s capital city of Avarua at the cost of $400,000. In October 2023, 50 members of staff were relocated when the building was shut because of the presence of asbestos and structural issues. In light of the remediation work being done at this site, people are asking questions about the legacy of aging asbestos-containing material in other buildings in Rarotonga, the largest island in the Cook Islands. See: Govt grapples with aging buildings.
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 26, 2024
Children at the Athénée Royal Charles Rogier (Liège 1), a secondary school serving the French population in Liège, Belgium began their half-term holiday two days early because of the discovery of asbestos-containing material in the school. They were notified on February 21, 2024 of the suspension of classes after work had been carried out by an external company to install paper dispensers. A member of staff reported suspicions about the possible disturbance of asbestos contained in the building’s walls to the asbestos watchdog at the labor inspectorate. An investigation is ongoing. See: Amiante dans une école liégeoise: la direction de l’Athénée Royal Charles Rogier s’exprime [Asbestos in a Liège school: the management of the Athénée Royal Charles Rogier speaks out].
Rimini: Coastal Asbestos Hotspot
Feb 26, 2024
Since 1996, 258 people have died from asbestos-related diseases in Rimini, an Italian holiday resort in the Emilia-Romagna region, according to a report by the Association of Asbestos Families and Victims which warned that: “Anyone who is aware of the presence of asbestos on roofs, sheds, buildings, should immediately report it to the Municipality or contact the association…” In 2023, work commissioned by the city council removed just eighteen tons of asbestos from the municipal infrastructure. See: Amianto killer a Rimini: più di 150 morti dal 1996 ad oggi [Killer asbestos in Rimini: more than 150 deaths since 1996].
Asbestos scandal: Update
Feb 23, 2024
In addition to asbestos-containing debris, other illegal “construction and demolition waste” has been found in contaminated mulch produced by Greenlife Resource Recovery according to news released by The Environment Protection Authority (EPA). Some of this contaminated material was used for the Prospect Highway upgrade in Blacktown, New South Wales. The EPA also said that along with asbestos, “foreign materials” were found in mulch used at the Rozelle parklands where Sydney’s asbestos scandal started in January. See: Mulch at centre of NSW asbestos crisis also contained ‘construction and demolition waste’.
Compensation for Shipyard Worker
Feb 23, 2024
A record sum of €190,000 (US$206,000) was awarded by a civil court in Torre Annunziata, in the Metropolitan area of Naples, to a worker from the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard who is now suffering from an asbestos-related disease as a result of toxic workplace exposures. Countless numbers of people worked at these shipyards, opened in the late 18th century and still producing vessels during the 21st. See: Indemnisation record de 190 000 euros pour un ancien travailleur exposé à l'amiante [Record €190,000 compensation for former worker exposed to asbestos].
Replacing Asbestos Roofing
Feb 23, 2024
Action is being taken by the Msunduzi city council over the presence of asbestos roofing in Msunduzi city in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province of South Africa. Authorization plans have been signed by city councillors for work to replace asbestos-containing roofing in Ward 34, which was damaged during storms which occurred between December 22 and 30, 2023. According to a city official: “The municipality has submitted the funding application to KZN Human Settlement to change all asbestos roof covers as there is now conclusive evidence that if asbestos and asbestos-containing materials like roofs and partitions deteriorate, they release harmful asbestos fibres into the environment.” See: Parents demand action on asbestos.
Busan’s New Asbestos Eradication Program
Feb 23, 2024
Previous attempts by the city council to take steps to address the widespread presence of asbestos roofing in Busan, South Korea’s second biggest city, failed to quantify the amount and location of toxic material on unregistered and illegal buildings. On February 19, it was announced that for the first time all of the city’s 16 districts and counties would be mounting full-scale audits of all properties. For the first time, it will also be mandatory for investigators to identify buildings where asbestos roofing has been covered over. See: 부산 석면 무허가 건물 등 전수조사 [Complete investigation of unlicensed asbestos [containing] buildings in Busan].
Asbestos Scandal Spreads from Sydney
Feb 23, 2024
The asbestos scandal which started in Sydney in January 2024 with incidents of asbestos found in mulch used on multiple sites has now spread to Australia’s capital city, according to an article in The Guardian newspaper. The source of this news was WorkSafe ACT which confirmed that mulch containing asbestos had been found at a residential complex in Canberra. WorkSafe had issued a prohibition order “to ensure the mulch is not disturbed, handled or disposed of until testing can be completed.” Inspections by WorkSafe ACT staff were continuing at 29 other sites and properties. See: Bonded asbestos found in mulch at new Canberra site, one of 29 WorkSafe ACT says could be affected.
Victim’s Appeal Court Verdict
Feb 23, 2024
The Court of Appeal of the Italian Province of L'Aquila issued a ruling ordering the Italian National Social Security Institute (INPS) to recognize the asbestos-related death of Luigi Vitullo, who died aged 54 of pleural mesothelioma. The deceased worked from 1976 to 1987 for various companies in the province of Chieti; during the course of his duties, he was routinely exposed to asbestos. Vitullo was diagnosed with mesothelioma in May 2015; he died in Ancona the following month. His widow Antonietta Cicchini will receive an increased pension as well as a lump sum payment of €80.000 (US$86,000). See: Amianto, muore di mesotelioma a 54 anni, condanna per Inps [Asbestos, death from mesothelioma at 54, INPS sentenced [ordered to pay compensation]].
Asbestos Hazard: Confirmation
Feb 21, 2024
An asbestos factsheet uploaded last week to the website of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) stated categorically that: “There is ongoing evidence that mismanagement of asbestos is resulting in elevated healthcare expenses that surpass any benefits. Over the lifetime of all patients with an asbestos-related disease, burden of disease costs has been estimated to be US$11 billion.” UN efforts to regulate the global trade in asbestos over the last 20 years have failed spectacularly due to the intransigence of commercial and governmental asbestos stakeholders. See: UNEP Asbestos Factsheet.
Mesothelioma Research: Good News
Feb 21, 2024
A medical breakthrough was announced for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. By cutting off the tumor’s food supply, the drug ADI-PEG20 (pegargiminase) – when used in combination with chemotherapy – “quadrupled three-year survival rates.” These were the results of the ATOMIC-meso clinical trial involving 249 pleural mesothelioma patients at 43 centers in the UK, US, Australia, Italy and Taiwan from 2017 until 2021; the research was led by Prof Peter Szlosarek at Queen Mary University, London. See: Drug offers ‘wonderful’ breakthrough in treatment of asbestos-linked cancer.
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 21, 2024
The asbestos-related death of a Japanese science teacher was recognized this month as an occupationally-caused disease. Hideo Sando, who died from mesothelioma age 69, had handled asbestos during scientific experiments in the school’s laboratory. He had worked at a municipal elementary school in Wakayama, a city in western Japan from 1977 to 2013. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2021 and died in 2022. This is the tenth case of an asbestos-related occupational disease to emerge among teachers in Japan. See: Death of Japan science teacher who handled asbestos recognized as on-job accident.
Analyzing Effectiveness of National Bans
Feb 21, 2024
The paper cited below which was published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health on February 7, 2024 discussed the advances in protecting workers from toxic exposures to asbestos. Although the implementation of restrictive practices and national bans have been effective in decreasing “the risk of malignancies due to occupational exposure” in some counties, more research is needed to quantify the “effect of the bans on adverse effects in the general population. Analysis of fibers in the lungs of persons born after the bans could,” wrote the coauthors “be an efficient method.” See: Asbestos and disease – a public health success story?
Great East Japan Earthquake 1995
Feb 21, 2024
Researchers studying the consequences of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake (1995) agree that with increasing latency – the time between asbestos exposure during the quake and now – the likelihood of at-risk people developing asbestos-related diseases continues to grow. As a result of damage done during the disaster, levels of airborne asbestos were 25 times the environmental standard. Between February and April 1995, buildings with 300 tons of sprayed asbestos were demolished. Five disaster clean-up workers have been certified with asbestos-related diseases. See:震災アスベスト、30年目の脅威を問う 長い潜伏期間、これからか顕在化か [Earthquake asbestos poses a threat after 30 years; will more cases emerge due to long incubation period?].
Asbestos Cancer Research Project
Feb 21, 2024
A$1.9 million (US$1.25m) was awarded by the Medical Research Future Fund to scientists from Australia’s Flinders University – under the leadership of Professor Sonja Klebe – for a project entitled: Improving clinical outcomes and predicting susceptibility in mesothelioma and lung cancer. According to Professor Klebe: “the introduction of immunotherapy could be a game changer for lung cancer and mesothelioma patients...Our research will help create personalised immunotherapy for lung cancer and mesothelioma, as well as new biomarkers to predict patient outcomes with the goal of improving lung cancer patient survival while reducing nasty side effects.” See: Improving survival rates for deadly lung diseases.
ECHR Condemns Swiss Government
Feb 15, 2024
On February 13, 2024, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a unanimous judgment condemning Switzerland’s failure to “ensure expeditious proceedings before the Federal Court” in a case involving the asbestos cancer death of Marcel Jann who had as a child lived in a house rented from Eternit (Schweiz) AG, the owner of a neighboring industrial complex where asbestos products were manufactured. In the unanimous ruling, the ECHR panel of judges declared that: “there is no scientifically recognized maximum latency period between exposure to asbestos and the onset of cancer…the Swiss judiciary has attached greater importance to the legal certainty of those responsible for the damage than to the right of victims to bring the case before a court of law.” See: European Court of Human Rights. Judgment concerning Switzerland.
Marines Sue MoD
Feb 15, 2024
On February 6, 2024, a group of 260 service personnel – most of whom are Royal Marines – issued proceedings against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) which allegedly breached the Human Rights Act by “knowingly” exposing them to asbestos during military exercises in Latvia in 2018 & 2019. Samples taken of dust found in a derelict building designated for use by the soldiers tested positive for chrysotile (white) asbestos. Lawyers for the soldiers claim the MoD was aware of the presence of asbestos at the sites used during the military exercises. Many of the service personnel affected are now experiencing “asbestos anxiety,” a condition recognized in France but not in the UK. See: Royal Marines to fight MoD in court in asbestos claim.
Asbestos Scandal & Mardi Gras
Feb 15, 2024
It was announced on February 14, 2024 that the Fair Day event, part of Sydney’s Mardi Gras celebrations, scheduled to take place in Victoria Park on February 18, was cancelled after municipal authorities rescinded permission for use of the public space due to the presence of asbestos. Although alternative venues were offered, the organizers said rearranging this massive event was not viable at such short notice. More than 70,000 people had been expected to attend. Mulch containing asbestos has been found at 21 locations throughout the Sydney area including parks, a school and a hospital. See: Mardi Gras rejects offer to relocate Fair Day after asbestos discovery.
Rising Cancer Incidence
Feb 15, 2024
The article cited below expressed concerns over the increasing incidence of cancer amongst younger people. The author listed several factors which could explain this trend including: poor lifestyle choices, sedentary lifestyles, and exposures to environmental and occupational toxins such as asbestos. India is the world’s largest asbestos user, consuming 311,000 tonnes(t) in 2020, 408,000t in 2021 and 424,000t in 2022. Considering the synergistic effect of asbestos exposure and tobacco use – 45% cent of males are smokers – in the causation of cancers, disease rates will almost certainly continue to increase in India in the years to come. See: Understanding why cancer rates are rising among younger generations.
New Resource for Tradies
Feb 15, 2024
Comprehensive new guidelines for tradespeople in New Zealand were uploaded to “provide critical information and resources for safely managing and removing asbestos, a known health hazard in buildings and construction materials.” The three new publications provide region-specific information and guidance for people in the areas of Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and New Plymouth on New Zealand’s North Island. Information in the texts include: the names and contact details for licensed and qualified asbestos removal professionals; safety procedures; and mandatory rules and requirements. See: Enhancing Safety: TradieGuide's New Asbestos Removal Resources For NZ Regions.
Asbestos in Bukchang Elementary School
Feb 15, 2024
Despite the high safety record achieved by Bukchang Elementary School in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam Province, South Korea, work on removing asbestos from the school continued during the 2023 winter school vacation. On February 8, 2024, a spokesperson for the school announced that it had obtained an award for having the highest safety certification for an educational facility. Commenting on the good news, Principal Park Chang-ok promised that the school authorities: “will continue to do our best to maintain a safe school environment for our students.” See: 충남 당진 북창초등학교, 교육시설안전인증 최우수 인증 획득 [Bukchang Elementary School in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam Province obtained the highest certification for educational facility safety certification].
Renault Guilty of Asbestos Exposures
Feb 12, 2024
The French trade union center – the Confédération Générale du Travail/CGT (General Confederation of Labour) – last week announced that after a 22-year fight, the asbestos hazard at the Renault Trucks site in Vénissieux, eastern France had finally been recognized. Commenting on this development, on February 6, 2024, CGT activist Gilles Cavalieri said: “It is a victory since the largest company in the construction of heavy goods vehicles, coaches and buses, has been found guilty of having exposed its employees to the deadly poison of asbestos.” See (subscription site): Amiante chez Renault Trucks: victoire de la CGT après 22 ans de procedures [Asbestos at Renault Trucks: victory for the CGT after 22 years of proceedings].
Asbestos in Parliament
Feb 12, 2024
According to a recent update on asbestos eradication and restoration work at the building in Ottawa which houses Canada’s Parliament, work should be completed on the main building (Centre Block) on Parliament Hill by 2031, with the building reopening in 2032. The total bill for the renewal work, which has been estimated at $5 billion, included the removal of ~12,000 tonnes (26 million pounds) of hazardous materials such as asbestos. During most of the 20th century, Canada was the world’s leading asbestos producer and the force behind global pro-asbestos propaganda. See: About 26M pounds of asbestos, hazardous materials removed from Centre Block.
Water from Toxic Pipes Unsafe
Feb 12, 2024
According to Engineer Mohammad Jamal Deeban, Deputy Director of the Public Corporation for Drinking Water in Idlib, Syria, almost all the water delivery networks in Idlib Province relied on asbestos pipes. These pipes were installed in 1980 and the authorities were concerned about the cancer risk posed by the contamination of water with asbestos fibers liberated from the aging network. While all the asbestos pipes in Idlib City had now been replaced with polyethylene pipes, work has not started on eradicating asbestos from main drinking water lines in other cities due to budgetary constraints. See: Asbestos water pipes pose cancer risk in Idlib.
Medical Clinic Support Program
Feb 12, 2024
The Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) Clinic continues to provide healthcare for people in the town of Libby, Montana who were poisoned by exposures to asbestos liberated during the mining of vermiculite by the company W.R. Grace. Clinic staff provide free screenings to 1,000+ people for asbestos-related diseases and lung cancers every year. The medical programs are supported by a federal grant and eligibility for these services is reliant on applicants having lived, worked, or spent at least 6 months in Lincoln County, Montana more than ten years ago. See: Center for Asbestos Related Disease Continues FREE Asbestos & Lung Cancer Screenings.
Supreme Court Upholds Victim’s Verdict
Feb 12, 2024
On February 1, 2024, France’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) dismissed an attempt by the Saint-Nazaire Atlantic Shipyards company to overturn a ruling which supported a claim by the family of a shipyard worker who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in 2015. The deceased had worked at the Saint-Nazaire shipyards from 1974 to 2010; the company argued that after it took over the site from Alsthom Shipworks in May 2006, the claimant had not been exposed to asbestos. Previously, the Nantes High Court and the Court of Appeal had also issued a victim’s verdict in this case. See: Amiante: rejet du recours des Chantiers de l’Atlantique de Saint-Nazaire [Asbestos: dismissal of the appeal by Chantiers de l'Atlantique de Saint-Nazaire].
Asbestos Prosecution in New Brunswick
Feb 12, 2024
On February 7, 2024, Judge Cameron Gunn reserved his decision in a case brought under the Occupational Health and Safety Act by Crown Prosecutor Derek Weaver over alleged infringements of asbestos regulations at the Dr Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital. In November, 2023, lawyers for the Horizon Health Network admitted two charges related to possible asbestos exposures of hospital employees over five years. Although the maximum fine could be $250,000, a deal has been reached for the company to pay $80,000 with the money going towards the purchase of a silica control tool. See: Proposed $80K fine against Horizon in asbestos case would go to effort to control toxic dust.
Post-disaster Contamination
Feb 8, 2024
On the first anniversary of devastating earthquakes which affected the Hatay region and surrounding areas in Turkey, it was announced that asbestos had been detected in 5 out of 7 samples of debris and soil collected in Hatay by analysts commissioned to conduct an environmental impact survey by the TEMA Foundation. Asbestos was also found in 2 of 3 samples from the Mileyha Bird Paradise Wetland in the Samandağ district. These findings, said experts, were proof that post-earthquake contamination remained a serious risk to human health. See: TEMA Vakfı: Hatay’daki enkaz atıkları zehir saçıyor, yedi örneğin beşinde asbest [TEMA Foundation: Debris waste in Hatay is poisonous, five of the seven samples contain asbestos].
Asbestos at the Museum
Feb 8, 2024
A prized possession of the American diplomat, scientist, inventor and founding father Benjamin Franklin now on show at the Natural History Museum in London is marked with a warning label saying: DO NOT OPEN. The dangerous artifact – carefully sealed in a clear plastic box – is a purse made of asbestos that Franklin brought to Britain from the US in 1725. The article cited below reviewed the tragic history of asbestos from Roman until present times and detailed some of the thousands of uses which had been found for the substance nicknamed the “magic mineral”. See: Asbestos: The strange past of the ‘magic mineral’.
Cutting Down Asbestos Dumping
Feb 8, 2024
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulations of Western Australia (WA) teamed up with Crime Stoppers WA to facilitate the reporting of flytipping of demolition material, much of which contains asbestos. Sally Heitman, Senior Manager of Waste Operations, recommended that “people ask their contracted demolition company about where their demolition waste is being disposed of as well as requesting the contractor to provide a receipt from the waste facility post disposal. Disposal fees are incorporated into the cost of demolition and a disposal receipt will ensure the correct procedure has been followed.” Suspicions or information about illegal practices can be reported quickly and anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers. See: We’ve teamed up with Crime Stoppers WA to battle illegal dumping.
Municipal Action on Asbestos
Feb 8, 2024
On February 5, 2024, it was announced that the Council of the South Korean city of Busan was consulting with stakeholders on plans for an asbestos survey program to address the widespread presence of asbestos roofing, much of which is found on unlicensed buildings, in the municipality. There are 22,000 asbestos-roofed structures in Busan and the Ministry of Environment has designated 346 areas of concern in the city including: Gamcheon Culture Village and White Yeoul Village, popular tourist destinations. See: 부산 석면건물 실태조사부터 하자” 시의회, 市에 제안 [“Let's start with the survey of asbestos buildings in Busan” City Council, proposal to the city].
New Jersey Asbestos Hotspot
Feb 8, 2024
The Mayor of Paterson, New Jersey was warned by federal officials of the “unacceptable risk” to members of the public posed by asbestos hidden in decaying industrial structures near Great Falls National Historical Park. According to the EPA’s Superfund and Emergency Management Division director Pat Evangelista: “As the buildings continue to deteriorate over time, the release and migration of the asbestos will also increase…A partial, or total collapse of the structure, should that occur, would cause a catastrophic release and an increased continual release of asbestos.” See: Feds warn of ‘unacceptable risk’ from contaminated buildings at Paterson’s Great Falls.
Subsidizing Asbestos Eradication
Feb 8, 2024
Subsidies of up to €3,000 (US$3,230) for the eradication and disposal of asbestos products such as roofs, canopies, slabs, insulation panels, pipes, tiles, pipes and tanks from buildings are being offered to domestic property owners – including individuals as well as housing associations – in the Italian commune of Misano, in Rimini Province. Applicants must employ the services of listed specialist companies for the asbestos removal work and disposal services. See: Fondi per togliere l’amianto [Funds to remove asbestos].
Mourning Another WA Asbestos Death
Feb 6, 2024
News was circulated last week of the death of tribal elder and mesothelioma victim Maitland Parker who dedicated his life to advancing the cause of Indigenous people. Parker was highly vocal in calls for the Government of Western Australia (WA) to decontaminate land surrounding the defunct Wittenoom Crocidolite (Blue Asbestos) Mine owned by the Banjima People. Working with other traditional land owners, in 2014 Mr. Parker was instrumental in obtaining recognition of the native title of the site in the Pilbara region for the Banjima people. See: Tributes flow after death of Indigenous pioneer of the Pilbara.
Cape Must Pay Campaign!
Feb 6, 2024
A press release issued by the Asbestos Victims Support Group Forum UK (AVSGF) on February 1, 2024, reported that Peter Gartside – a former executive of the asbestos company Cape plc – had endorsed calls by the AVSGF for Cape to make a £10 million donation for medical research in his book entitled Asbestos and Cape: A Tale of Three Stakeholders, published in January 2024: “The case put forward by the AVSGF for securing further funding for mesothelioma research has merit... To those employees of Cape Industrial Services who generated the profits to provide for future disease liability it would be a fitting application of £10 million of the residual provision fund.” See: Insider supports campaign for Cape/Altrad to pay for Mesothelioma Research.
Dumping Toxic Waste in Old Ships
Feb 6, 2024
New data from 2023, revealed that Bangladesh remained the world’s biggest dumping ground for end-of-life vessels. Workers on Chattogram beaches scrapped 170 out of the 446 ships dismantled last year. It is probable that most of the ships scrapped contained asbestos. There is little or no availability of protective clothing or equipment for people scrapping the toxic ships; none of the scrapyards in Chattogram is approved by the European Union. Ten percent of the steel for the country’s $6.5 billion steel re-rolling industry comes from the Bangladesh shipbreaking sector. See: Bangladesh Dumping ground for toxic ships.
Asbestos Scandal Grows
Feb 6, 2024
The article cited below reported growing criticism of the Government of Mauritius for failing to address the health hazard posed by the continued presence of asbestos-containing material in 43 ex-Central Housing Authority/European Development Community housing estates scattered around the island. Many of the toxic housing units were constructed in the 1960s in the aftermath of Cyclone Carol which had destroyed or seriously damaged about 100,000 houses, leaving over 15% of the island's population (100,000+ people) homeless. See: Santé publique: les «oubliés» de l’amiante [Public health: the “forgotten” of asbestos].
Shipbreaking Shortcuts and Lapses
Feb 6, 2024
A report, entitled Ship Recycling in Turkey, by a consortium of NGOs and experts was presented at a press conference at the Tepekule Congress and Exhibition Center in Izmir, Turkey last week. The expansion of the shipbreaking industry in Turkey since 1993 has not been accompanied by improved working conditions as shown by the failure at many workplaces for environmental impact assessments to be compiled. In addition, shipbreaking workers are not given sufficient training before starting work as mandated by government regulations. See: Denetimsiz söküm tehlike saçıyor [Uncontrolled dismantling poses danger].
Asbestos Eradication Program: Update
Feb 6, 2024
On February 5-9, 2024, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education – in South Korea’s North Gyeongsang Province – will mount a series of inspections at schools where asbestos eradication work is being carried out during the winter school holidays. The purpose of these inspections is to ensure that workers and members of the public are not exposed to asbestos during removal work on school buildings. Visits will be made to 8 out of 100 sites where removal work is ongoing. See: 경북교육, 꼼꼼한 석면 공사 현장 관리 실시 [Gyeongbuk Education, Meticulous Asbestos Construction Site Management].
New Asbestos Trade Data
Feb 2, 2024
Asbestos trade data was uploaded on January 31, 2024 to the website of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) which showed that global asbestos consumption for 2023 (1.3 million tonnes/mt) was slightly less than for 2022 (1.33 mt). “Global demand,” the two-page briefing sheet stated “demand for asbestos will likely continue for the foreseeable future, particularly for use in cement pipe, roofing sheets, and other construction materials in Asia.” It was estimated that 100 tonnes of asbestos were used in the US in 2023, most of which came from stockpiles. No asbestos was imported to the US between January and September 2023. See: Asbestos Fact Sheet on USGS website.
Transitioning to Asbestos-Free Technology
Feb 2, 2024
Last year, representatives of 14 member nations – Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) signed a historic document committing them to work together to “prevent asbestos-related diseases and to promote transition from the use of asbestos to safer alternative products.” According to the IPEF website, one of the key objectives of the framework’s worker-centered trade agenda is to increase “regional and global labor and environmental standards.” The new IPEF consensus on asbestos is pivotal as the vast majority of annual asbestos consumption takes place in Asian countries. See: Blow to asbestos in Asia Pacific countries.
Asbestos Dichotomy in Alatau
Feb 2, 2024
The article cited below highlighted the government’s failure to deliver on development plans for a town called Alatau in southeastern Kazakhstan. Work on construction of the municipality was due to begin in 2009 and be completed in 2013. There is little evidence of how billions of tenges of public money was spent. Included in the schedule of works were three asbestos-cement projects to create 284 permanent jobs. The author of the article, who pointed out that the ILO and many national governments support an end to asbestos use, questioned the wisdom of investing in an outdated technology. See: Как проекты в новом казахстанском городе могут захлебнуться даже не начавшись [How projects in a new Kazakh city can be bogged down before they even begin].
Pesticides & Asbestos: Time to Act
Feb 2, 2024
A letter printed in the French newspaper: Le Monde, which was signed by 40 experts, warned that history would repeat itself should the country continue to ignore the hazards posed by human exposures to pesticides as it had done with asbestos. There were many similarities with the two dossiers including: the failure of the judiciary to hold decision-makers, businessmen and officials to account for their actions; avoidable deaths of untold numbers of citizens; and the role played by powerful industrial lobbies. See (subscription site): Pesticides: «Tirons du drame de l’amiante des leçons pour l’avenir» [Pesticides: “Let us draw lessons from the asbestos tragedy for the future”].
Victim’s Verdict against Nichias
Feb 2, 2024
More than five years after a lawsuit had been filed by an 80-year-old retired worker from the Nichias Hashima Asbestos Plant, on January 31, 2024 Chief Judge Atsuko Matsuda at the Gifu District Court ruled that the claimant had “contracted pneumoconiosis as a result of work such as manufacturing [asbestos] insulation materials at the Hashima factory.” As the company had not taken steps to protect its workers, it was ordered to pay 14.3 million yen (US$97,500) compensation to the plaintiff. See: アスベスト製品の仕事に従事し“じん肺” 慰謝料を請求した訴訟 原告勝訴の判決 岐阜地裁 [Lawsuit for compensation for “pneumoconiosis” caused by working with asbestos products].
Asbestos at Power Station
Feb 2, 2024
The Court of Rome ordered the owners of the Gualdo Cattaneo power plant – the Italian multinational Enel S.p.A., a manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas – to pay compensation of €130,000 (US$141,000) to the family of Franco Galantin. Mr Galantin died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma after having been exposed to asbestos whilst employed as a maintenance technician at the plant for 33 years. See: Amianto nella centrale umbra, Enel condannata per la morte di un operaio [Asbestos in the Umbrian power plant, Enel condemned for the death of a worker].
Asbestos Alert Issued for EU Workers
Jan 30, 2024
A letter sent today (January 30, 2024) by the European Trade Union Confederation to the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that “failure to deliver on a promise to improve protection from cancer-causing asbestos will have serious consequences for the health of people and democracy…” Among the facts cited in the letter were the following: 90,000 people in the EU die from asbestos-related cancer every year; between 4 and 7 million EU citizens are exposed to asbestos at work; as a result of renovations under the EU Green Deal, that number is expected to grow by 4% over the next decade. See: ‘Failure would compromise safety and erode trust’: Commission has four months to deliver asbestos promise.
NSW Asbestos Scandal SCOOP
Jan 30, 2024
An article in an Australian issue of The Guardian newspaper on January 28, 2024 detailed damning evidence regarding the failure of the New South Wales (NSW) environmental watchdog to take action on the use of contaminated soil at childcare centers, schools and parks, even though the authorities had knowledge about the hazard ten years ago, according to internal documents sourced from the Environment Protection Authority. The toxic product – known as “recovered fines” – “is a soil or sand substitute made from the processing of construction and demolition waste” which can contain unbonded asbestos fibers. See: Watchdog failed to act on contamination risk despite ‘damning’ asbestos findings.
Asbestos at the University
Jan 30, 2024
Last week, the principal of Uganda’s National Teachers College in Kabale told journalists that college administrators had appealed to the government for the urgent remediation of deteriorating asbestos-containing roofing still in place on several halls of residence on the college campus. As a result of the known risk of asbestos to human health, some students have sought alternative accommodation. According to the college principal Ms Annet Komunda, the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Health and other agencies have been apprised of the situation. See: Students forced out of halls over asbestos roofs.
Mesothelioma Scheme Shutdown?
Jan 30, 2024
A press release issued on January 24, 2024 by the umbrella group (ANDEVA) representing asbestos victims’ groups throughout France strongly condemned a proposal by Public Health France (Santé Publique France) to shut down the national mesothelioma surveillance scheme due to budgetary constraints. For over 20 years, this scheme facilitated the gathering of data and knowledge about the occurrence of the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. There has been no consultation or public debate about this decision. ANDEVA urged the Minister of Health and Labor to provide the resources needed to ensure the survival of this scheme. See: ANDEVA Communiqués de presse [Press Release of ANDEVA, French Asbestos Victims Association]. (Received by email; no weblink at this time.)
Asbestos at Winnipeg Landfill
Jan 30, 2024
According to a new report – The Operational Planning Report – plans to locate the missing bodies of murdered First Nations women Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran could cost $90 million, twice the original estimate. In addition to the excessive price, recovery workers could face a “very high risk” of asbestos exposure as the Winnipeg-area landfill site accepts asbestos waste. It was estimated that since May 16, 2022, when the bodies were buried on the site, 12 tonnes of asbestos-containing debris were deposited. See: Autochtones tuées:nouveaux détails des coûts et des risques pour fouiller le dépotoir [Indigenous people killed: new details of costs and risks of excavating the dump].
Asbestos in Water Delivery Networks
Jan 26, 2024
The hazard posed by the continued delivery of water via decaying asbestos-cement pipe networks in European countries was highlighted in the article cited below. As the pipes deteriorated, there was a possibility that asbestos fibers could get into the water; the ingestion of these fibers could cause colon, stomach and oesophageal cancers. Across EU member states, data on asbestos-cement (AC) pipes is patchy at best. In Denmark, there are 1,119 km of AC pipes, and drinking water is not routinely tested. In the UK, there are 37,000 km of AC pipes; 4.4% of pipes in Slovenia are made of AC but in some cities 30% of the water pipes were made of AC. See: A hidden threat: Asbestos fibres in our drinking water.
Asbestos Company Diversification
Jan 26, 2024
A subsidiary of Russia’s 2nd biggest asbestos conglomerate (Uralasbest) has embarked on the production of agricultural products made by processing asbestos mining waste. Twenty tons of dehumidifiers for animal bedding needed for breeding livestock and poultry on agricultural complexes and private farms will be produced every month for sale in Russia and export to Kazakhstan and Belarus. The same company also produces bath salts, sports magnesia, and transformer steel components made from processed asbestos waste. See: "Дочка" Ураласбеста запустила производство продукции для сельхозпредприятий [A subsidiary of Uralasbest launched the production of products for agricultural enterprises].
Shortlist for Asbestos Campaign
Jan 26, 2024
A series of articles in the Sunday Times has made the shortlist for the annual press awards 2023. The series, entitled Act on Asbestos, tackled various aspects of the UK’s multifaceted asbestos scandal, including articles on asbestos in schools, hospitals and shops and the poisoning of people who worked in or used them. The articles were part of a national campaign which called for a phased removal of asbestos from the national infrastructure. Other nominees in the category Campaign of the Year were: Clean It Up Campaign; Prigozhin and Lawfare; the Bruno and Dom project; Ticket Office Campaign; and Time for Action on Danger Dogs. See: Act Now on Asbestos.
Latest asbestos scandal in NSW
Jan 26, 2024
The discovery of bonded asbestos in recycled mulch used near a playground in Rozelle Parklands, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) has caused a media storm which shows no evidence of ending any time soon. Since news of the initial toxic site was broadcast, other discoveries have been made at electrical substations and in landscaping at multiple sites bordering Sydney’s highways. The NSW Environmental Protection Agency is investigating. The authorities are trying to downplay the risk to the public posed by the presence of carcinogenic fibers illegally deposited in the city. See: How dangerous is the bonded asbestos found in mulch across Sydney?
Trade Union’s Asbestos Campaign
Jan 26, 2024
FETQUIM – Federação dos Trabalhadores do Ramo Químico da CUT do Estado de São Paulo [Federation of Chemical Workers of CUT of the State of São Paulo] – last week recommitted the union to the fight to ban asbestos in Brazil and protect workers and the public from hazardous exposures. FETQUIM Secretary of Health André H. Alves said: “This fight to ban asbestos belongs to all workers in Brazil. We cannot compromise and the health of workers comes first.” Alves cited the Supreme Court’s 2017 and 2023 decisions banning asbestos and highlighted the important work of the Brazilian Association of the asbestos-exposed in comments he made on January 24, 2024. See: FETQUIM permanece firme na luta contra o amianto [FETQUIM remains firm in the fight against asbestos].
Asbestos in Tap Water
Jan 26, 2024
The toxic legacy posed by the presence of deteriorating asbestos-cement (AC) pipes throughout the UK was the focus of the article cited below, the first of a two-part investigation to be continued in February with an article examining the global problem of asbestos waste. AC pipes installed before asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999 account for up to 27% of all pipes still used to deliver water; 23,000 miles of AC pipes were installed before 1988. Expressing concern about the continued use of these aging pipes, Professor Arthur Frank said: “The risk may not be great. But it is generally accepted that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.” See: Asbestos in drinking water: What does it mean for human health?
Asbestos and Cancer: Confirmation
Jan 24, 2024
A briefing on the International Agency for Research on Cancer website confirmed the consensus about the links between asbestos exposure and the occurrence of mesothelioma and lung cancer. The paper, on which this release was based [see: Cancer mortality in chrysotile miners and millers, Russian Federation: main results (Asbest Chrysotile Cohort-Study)], was funded by Russia’s Ministry of Health. The authors confirmed: “an increased risk of mesothelioma with high exposure to chrysotile fibers…[and] an increased mortality for lung cancer in men with increasing cumulative dust exposure. See: Cancer mortality in chrysotile miners and millers, Russian Federation: main results (Asbest Chrysotile Cohort Study).
No Justice for Asbestos Victims
Jan 24, 2024
Cancer lawsuits against the US company Georgia-Pacific (GP), owned by Koch Industries, remain in limbo thanks to a contentious legal stratagem – the “Texas two-step” – which allows solvent corporations to avoid paying claims by off-loading them to a bankrupt company. It has been estimated that there are 60,000 GP asbestos plaintiffs waiting for their day in court since all lawsuits were frozen in 2017 when GP underwent a financial reorganization which dumped the claims on a new company – Bestwall LLC – that was quickly put into bankruptcy. See: Families condemn Koch brothers over ploy to avoid asbestos compensation.
Shipyard Claims in Hokkaido
Jan 24, 2024
On January 17, 2024, two claimants filed a lawsuit at Sapporo District Court seeking a total of 28.6 million yen (US$193,175) in damages for asbestos exposures experienced at Japanese shipyards. The defendant was the government which, the plaintiffs argued, had failed to act in a timely fashion to protect workers who were involved in shipbuilding and ship maintenance from toxic exposures. Although there is a national asbestos injuries scheme, people who worked at the shipyards and family members are not eligible to lodge a claim. See: 船に関わる作業での石綿被害めぐり札幌で二次提訴 元作業員の男性ら [Secondary lawsuit filed by former workers in Sapporo over asbestos damage in work related to ships].
Abusing Asbestos Victims
Jan 24, 2024
On January 22, 2024, an amicus brief over the use by US corporations of the legal stratagem – nicknamed “the Texas two-step” – was submitted to the Supreme Court by Senators Dick Durbin (Illinois), Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island), Josh Hawley (Missouri) and attorney-generals from 24 States, calling on the Court to reverse a 2023 appeal court decision freezing 64,000 asbestos lawsuits against Georgia-Pacific, a company worth tens of billions of dollars. See: Senators, states ask US Supreme Court to curb ‘two-step’ bankruptcy abuse.
Supporting Victims in Gwangju City
Jan 24, 2024
The sum of 1.8 billion won (US$1,350,335) has been allocated this year for asbestos relief benefits – to cover services such as medical and nursing care and funeral expenses – by the South Korea City of Gwangju for patients and bereaved families who have not received compensation for industrial injuries. In accordance with the Asbestos Damage Relief Act, Gwangju City has paid 2.66 billion won in asbestos relief benefits to 114 people over the past three years. It is anticipated that the 2024 allocation will cover payments to 50 claimants. See: 광주시, “석면피해 구제급여 신청하세요” [Gwangju City, “Apply for Asbestos Relief Benefits”].
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 24, 2024
Trade unionists in the departments of Lozère and Gard in the south of France joined the national campaign calling for asbestos removal at schools last year. Following the failure of the authorities in the cities of Alès and Nîmes to respond to the trade unionists’ enquiry sent in November 2023, the matter has now been referred to the Commission for Access to Administrative Documents to obtain copies of the Asbestos Technical Documents of schools and sports facilities which are public documents. See: Amiante en milieu scolaire: face à la non-réponse des municipalités, le syndicat Sud Gard-Lozère hausse le ton [Asbestos in schools: faced with the non-response of municipalities, the Sud Gard-Lozère union raises its voice].
Contentious Proposal by Asbestos Company
Jan 22, 2024
A proposal to compensate asbestos victims with company shares of the defendant which caused their injuries is under consideration by a Brazilian court overseeing the emergence of Eternit S.A. from judicial recovery. Under the scheme, plaintiffs who are awarded in excess of Reais R$250,000 (US$50,750) will be faced with just one realistic option: to receive the R$250,000 in 90 days with the rest being paid in company shares negotiated by the São Paulo Stock Exchange within one year. Alternatively, claimants would have to wait 8½ years to receive the cash value of their court-awarded compensation. See: Eternit propõe indenizar vítima do amianto com… ações da Eternit na Bolsa [Eternit proposes to compensate asbestos victims with… Eternit shares on the stock exchange].
Shipyard Asbestos Death
Jan 22, 2024
Last week, a court in Livorno, Italy ordered Fincantieri S.p.A – an Italian shipbuilding company – to pay compensation for the 2009 asbestos death of a worker who had been exposed to asbestos at the company’s shipyard in Livorno where he had worked for 37 years. The widow and daughter of the deceased were each awarded €350,000 (US$381,000). In addition, the widow will receive a survivor’s pension plus additional benefits from the Asbestos Victims’ Fund. See: Morto per l’esposizione all’amianto, Fincantieri condannata al maxi-risarcimento [Death from asbestos exposure, Fincantieri sentenced to maxi-compensation].
Victoria’s Toxic Failures
Jan 22, 2024
A failure to implement plans to establish eight asbestos landfill sites in the Australian state of Victoria has led to widespread fly-tipping according to a report by the Victorian Auditor-General, Andrew Greaves. Currently, 18 landfill sites in the State “accept asbestos waste, a number projected to decline by 2030. This potential reduction could lead to an alarming increase in illegal dumping due to the inconvenience of legally disposing of asbestos.” Work by Sustainability Victoria, which promised to create eight pilot sites within the first 16 months, has only led to three sites being established in three years. See: Victoria’s Asbestos Disposal Plan Collapses Amid Funding Rejections and Delays.
Asbestos Scandal in Toronto
Jan 22, 2024
Parents in Toronto were outraged that news of a report which found that asbestos was present in the Queen Alexandra Middle School took nearly a month to be shared by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). On January 16, 2024, TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird told journalists that samples received on December 22, 2023, indicated “a limited amount of asbestos in a group of rooms and lead in one room.” According to the authorities, the presence of asbestos at the school attended by 400+ students was “low risk” and “within acceptable limits.” See: TDSB defends how it responded to discovery of asbestos at middle school as parents say they weren't notified sooner.
Asbestos at Recycling Shipyards
Jan 22, 2024
A new report, entitled Ship Recycling in Turkey: Problems and Forward-Looking Targets, by a European NGO highlighted the ever-present asbestos hazard in the ship recycling sector in Turkish shipyards such as Aliağa, Izmir Province as part of a wider discussion on occupational health and safety issues. The commentary cited below presented an overview of evidence documenting the asbestos fallout from unsafe working practices, mentioning the infamous case of the Sao Paulo, an asbestos-contaminated Brazilian ship sent to Turkey for dismantling which, after a huge outcry, was returned and later sunk in Brazil. See: Gemi söküm raporu yayında: Aliağa’da arsenik ve kurşun kirliliği hat safhada [Online shipbreaking report: Arsenic and lead pollution on the line in Aliağa].
Procedural Hiccup in Bulembu
Jan 22, 2024
The cancelation of a licence for mining and rehabilitation of the Bulembu Mine, Swaziland may cost the owners, Salamander Magnesium, 90 million+ Swazi Emalangeni (US$4.7m). According to Salamander Magnesium’s CEO Lloyd Birrell: “The Bulembu tailings dumps comprise 28 million tonnes of residues from the historical mining operations of Turner and Newell at the Havelock Asbestos Mine. These dumps are un-rehabilitated and shall contain approximately 13 million tons of fine and ultra-fine chrysotile asbestos, posing a serious environmental hazard and health risk.” Salamander Magnesium’s plans included extracting asbestos and other minerals from the waste before rehabilitating the mine. See: E90M Might Be Lost in Bulembu Mine Licence Revocation.
Mesothelioma Treatment in Zhejiang
Jan 17, 2024
The case of mesothelioma patient Ms Liu was discussed in the article cited below which was about the increase in the occurrence of rare cancers in China. As a child, the patient had often visited her grandmother’s workplace which was an asbestos factory. Now in her 50s, this breast cancer survivor is receiving “standardized treatment” for pleural mesothelioma. The link between her exposure to asbestos and her cancer is highlighted by the author of the text. See: 罕见的肿瘤，罕见的医生 为什么有这么多患者？ [Rare tumors, rare doctors Why are there so many patients?].
The Polluter Pays!
Jan 17, 2024
A press release issued on January 13, 2024 by the Flemish Environment Ministry announced that the construction company SVK – based in the city of Sint-Niklaas, in the Waasland region of Belgium – had been advised that it was being investigated over its liability for asbestos contamination in Flanders. According to Minister Zuhal Demir, SVK will have to undertake “specific remediation work” and cover the costs of the environmental damage caused. See: L'entreprise SVK à Saint-Nicolas mise en demeure pour sa propagation d'amiante [The SVK company in Sint-Niklaas has been given formal notice for its spread of asbestos].
Asbestosis: Causes and Symptoms
Jan 17, 2024
The causation of occupational pneumoconiosis was discussed in the Vietnamese article cited below which was uploaded on January 14. Among the cohorts of workers at high risk were: “people exposed to asbestos and toxic chemicals.” “Today,” wrote the author “the use of asbestos is increasing in many industries, so the number of people exposed to asbestos and the risk of disease are higher (production of tile, cement, refractory bricks, insulation, car brake pads, mining...).” Symptoms of the disease were: shortness of breath on exertion, later continuous shortness of breath, chest tightness, cough and expectoration. See: Làm nghề nào dễ mắc bệnh bụi phổi? [Which professions are prone to pneumoconiosis?].
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
Jan 17, 2024
Almost 30 years after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, staff from the Hyogo Occupational Safety and Health Center are holding telephone consultation sessions for people with concerns about asbestos exposures experienced during the disaster. Many asbestos diseases have long latency periods and it is possible that people exposed during the earthquake are now showing symptoms of disease. NGO workers answered the phone lines on January 15 & 16, 2024 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. See: 阪神淡路大震災でのアスベスト被害を調査 電話相談を開催「何でも相談して」 [Investigating asbestos damage caused by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake; in telephone consultation “Ask us anything”].
A Blot on the Landscape
Jan 17, 2024
Tenders are being processed from companies bidding to undertake the demolition of the Canari asbestos factory in Corsica which is intended to begin in October 2025 and be concluded by May 2026; a decision on the service provider is expected in January, 2024. The project is complicated not only by the geographical position of the plant on a steep hillside but also by the extensive asbestos contamination of the building and surrounding landscape. The factory closed in 1965 and is considered not only a health risk but also an eyesore by many Corsicans. One thousand and four hundred people worked at this building from the time it opened in 1926 until its closure. See: L'usine d'amiante de Canari sera démolie en 2025 [The Canari asbestos plant will be demolished in 2025].
Asbestos Awareness Outreach Program
Jan 17, 2024
On January 15, 2024, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – the public body tasked with ensuring workplace health, safety and welfare in the UK – announced a new campaign entitled Asbestos: Your Duty “to improve understanding of what the legal duty to manage asbestos involves.” Commenting on the initiative, the HSE’s chief executive Sarah Albon said: “To keep people safe from the harms of asbestos, a culture of safely managing asbestos is needed in our building industry and among those responsible for buildings.” See: Keep people safe from future dangers of asbestos, regulator warns.
Protests over New Decree
Jan 16, 2024
Last week, news was circulated about a December 5, 2023 Italian Ministerial decree which amended national regulations and in so doing allocated €20 million (US$22m) to reimburse companies ordered to pay compensation to victims of occupational asbestos exposures. There was a huge outpouring of anger from asbestos victims, NGOs and trade unionists over the generosity to solvent companies which had been found guilty of breaking the law. See: Amianto, beffa per le vittime: il fondo risarcirà anche i colpevoli [Asbestos, mockery of victims: fund will also compensate the guilty].
Updating Asbestos Regs
Jan 16, 2024
The commentary cited below reviewed current and amended European Union (EU) asbestos legislation in light of the adoption of a November 2023 directive, the purpose of which was to reduce workplace asbestos exposures. According to the new EU asbestos protocol: direct, indirect and secondary asbestos exposures must be prevented; allowances for low-intensity or sporadic workplace exposures were no longer acceptable; exposure limits were tightened and improved measurement methods were stipulated; additional obligations for employers to protect workers and members of the public were imposed. See: Occupational asbestos exposure: new rules from the EU.
Asbestos Hazard in the Military
Jan 16, 2024
Extracts of texts from documents obtained by Associated Press were quoted in the article cited below which highlighted asbestos exposures experienced by USA military personnel at three nuclear missile bases. The hazard of occupational exposures to chrysotile (white) asbestos was downplayed in official reports despite the ubiquity of the substance on the bases. A serviceman from the Malmstrom base wrote in a complaint he submitted to the Inspector General that missile workers “routinely removed, handled and replaced these (asbestos floor) tiles as part of required survival equipment inventories.” See: The Air Force said its nuclear missile capsules were safe. But toxic dangers lurked, documents show.
Victim’s Verdict in Rome
Jan 16, 2024
The widow of Gian Piero Defendini, who died of pleural mesothelioma due to asbestos exposures as an activity officer in telephone exchanges and radio networks in the capital city whilst employed by Telecom Italy, was awarded a survivor’s pension by a Court in Rome. The pension, which was backdated, will be paid by Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work which had rejected the claim. According to the verdict: “Workers involved in the installation and maintenance of telephone lines could be [toxically] exposed due to the presence of asbestos-containing materials inside the conduits for laying telephone cables…” See: Amianto killer sui fili del telefono: il tribunale di Roma condonna INAIL [Killer asbestos on telephone wires: Rome court condemns INAIL].
Deal Reached for Asbestos Victims: Finally!
Jan 16, 2024
On December 21, 2023, a long-standing legal battle ended when an agreement worth $150 million was reached at a Texas bankruptcy court to settle asbestos lawsuits initiated by workers and family victims arising over injuries caused by asbestos exposures at the St. Croix refinery owned by the Hess Corporation in the US Virgin Islands. Within 10 days, the company agreed to place $105 million into a trust for 910 claimants, with the balance of the money being put aside for future claims. The first 400 cases were filed in 1997/98; many of the plaintiffs have died while the case has been litigated. See: Hess Corp. Settles St. Croix Asbestos Lawsuit for $150 Million.
Asbestos Eradication in Schools
Jan 16, 2024
On January 11, 2024, the Provincial Office of Education in Gyeonggi, South Korea announced that it would set up an inspection team to oversee progress and compliance with regulations during asbestos dismantling and removal work at schools during the winter vacation. The inspectors will monitor work at 191 schools: 72 elementary and 50 middle schools, 2 special and 67 high schools. When this phase of the removal program is completed, nearly 70% of the schools in the area will be asbestos-free. See: 경기도교육청, 겨울방학 기간 학교 석면 현장 점검 [Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, on-site inspection of asbestos in schools during winter vacation].
Plea to Ban Asbestos at Schools
Jan 11, 2024
India’s National Green Tribunal (NGT) received a petition from the Environment Ministry warning of the potential hazard posed by the presence of deteriorating asbestos-containing material in schools; liberated fibers “can enter air, water, and soil from the weathering, renovation, or demolition of manufactured asbestos products. People are likely to be exposed to asbestos through inhalation of airborne fibres,” said the brief. The petitioner cited a Nature Scientific Report, a World Health Organization report and a 2009 order approved by the Kerala State Human Rights Commission to outlaw the use of asbestos sheets. See: Report to NGT highlights adverse effects of asbestos sheets on human health.
Johnson & Johnson: Update
Jan 11, 2024
On January 8, 2024, Forbes reported that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had signed a $700 million agreement with the Attorney Generals of 40 US States to resolve claims arising from J&J’s marketing of talc-based baby powder and its failure to warn customers about the cancer risk. The company faces more than 50,000 personal injury claims from cancer patients who allege their diseases were caused by exposure to asbestos fibers contained in the talc used to make J&J’s iconic baby powder. See: Johnson & Johnson Will Pay $700 Million To Resolve Baby Powder Marketing Probe, Report Says.
Europe’s Asbestos Catastrophe
Jan 11, 2024
According to Eurostat – a department of the European Commission tasked with providing statistical information to the EU institutions – between 2013 and 2021, 33,712 cases of occupational cancer were recognized of which there were 13,944 cases of lung cancer and 13,530 cases of mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Between them, these two categories accounted for 80% of the total number of occupational cancers reported. See: 33,712 cases of occupational cancer have been recognised in the EU between 2013 and 2021.
Asbestos Eradication Pilot Project
Jan 11, 2024
The Provincial Government of Quebec – formerly the heartland of Canadian asbestos production – announced this month that for the first time a program to decontaminate an asbestos mining site would be undertaken. The sum of $6 million has been allocated on the initial assessment phase of the project which will be undertaken by employees of the Sables Olimag company at the former Frontenac chrysotile (white) asbestos mine, East Broughton in Chaudière-Appalaches during 2024-25. See: 6 M$ pour amorcer la restauration de l’ancienne mine Frontenac [$6 million to begin the restoration of the old Frontenac mine].
Asbestos at the Playground
Jan 11, 2024
Samples of soil taken from Rozelle parklands – a new public space built in Sydney, Australia – revealed the presence of asbestos fibers. It was believed that the contamination had been caused by the use of asbestos-containing mulch. The park was closed by government order three weeks after it had been opened and decontamination experts were brought to the site to assess the situation. State officials are conducting an “urgent audit” to ascertain where else in New South Wales the toxic mulch was used. See: Mulch containing asbestos found at Rozelle parklands may have been used at other Sydney sites.
Asbestos at the Bank
Jan 11, 2024
A former employee of the Midland Bank, Nottingham, who was exposed to asbestos in her workplace during the 1970s, was awarded £900,000 (US$1.15m) when her ex-employer HSBC admitted liability. According to the claimant, she had “been responsible for carrying out the daily filing in the loft area, using cabinets that had been lined with asbestos fireproof boarding and which had been difficult to open…The pipes I would often sit on to carry out my work were also lagged with asbestos so when I was diagnosed [with mesothelioma] I knew straight away where I had been exposed. I just didn’t know at 17 years old what the consequences would be.” See: Former Nottingham bank worker wins £900,000 payout after cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.
New Hubs Expedite Asbestos Shipments
Jan 9, 2024
The article cited below confirmed the opening of new transport routes for shipping Chinese exports, including asbestos fiber, from northwest China to Indonesia. Eighty percent of China’s asbestos fiber production comes from Gansu Province, on the edge of the Gobi Desert. In the past, the long distances involved and the high shipping costs incurred hampered the development of the asbestos industry; the new logistics will allow foreign markets to be better served by Chinese asbestos suppliers. See: 首条“敦煌-青岛港”石棉海铁联运专列成功发运！ [The first "Dunhuang-Qingdao Port" asbestos sea–rail intermodal special train [cargo] was successfully shipped!].
Embracing a Post-Asbestos Future
Jan 10, 2024
Fundocentro – a public institution tasked with promoting occupational health which operates under the auspices of the Brazilian Ministry of Economy – issued a publication outlining the challenges posed to workers by asbestos-containing material incorporated within the national infrastructure. The text in the booklet included information about asbestos and the diseases which can be caused by asbestos exposures; measures for preventing workplace exposures were recommended based on decades of experience in Italy, which banned asbestos in 1992. See: Fundacentro lança cartilhas sobre desamiantagem [Fundacentro launches booklet on asbestos eradication].
Asbestos Hazard in Domestic Insulation
Jan 10, 2024
By edict or tradition, the Russian media has been slow to publish negative information about chrysotile (white) asbestos; Russia, is by far, the world’s biggest producer of chrysotile and the industry lobby has close connections to the government. However, the article cited below, which discussed the human health hazard posed by some types of domestic insulation products, warned homeowners about asbestos insulation saying: “asbestos is now known for its association with the development of cancers of the lungs, pleura, and other organs…” See: Ученые отмечают, что материалы для утепления домов могут вызывать рак [Scientists note that materials for insulation of houses can cause cancer].
Victim’s Verdict in Emilia-Romagna
Jan 10, 2024
A Court in Parma, Italy issued a victim’s verdict for the widow of a soldier from Rovigo Province who died in 2018 from pleural mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. The claimant was awarded a lump sum of €400,000 (US$438,000) along with a lifetime pension. The Ministries of Defence and Interior were held liable for failing to protect the deceased – who had maintained and repaired amphibious tanks –from toxic exposures during his service in the Army. See: Amianto, condannati i ministeri della Difesa e dell'Interno per la morte di un militare polesano [Asbestos, the Ministries of Defense and the Interior condemned for the death of a Polesine soldier].
Asbestos-Cement: Updated Research
Jan 10, 2024
Citing a research paper published in November, 2023, the author of the article cited below which was uploaded on January 5, 2024 reported the alarming finding that: “Airborne fibers released from asbestos cement exceed the permissible level by 50 times.” Considering that asbestos-cement products account for the majority of material still being manufactured with asbestos, this finding is of serious concern not only to people in the USA where the research was done, but to people in every country where asbestos material has been used. See: “Alarming” Findings: Current Uses of Asbestos Exceed Exposure Limits.
Opposition to New Landfill
Jan 10, 2024
Residents of the commune of Villafranca di Verona in northeastern Italy are mobilizing over plans to build a landfill for hazardous material. The anti-landfill committee issued an invitation calling for local people to attend a public meeting on January 11. According to the invitation, the landfill – with an estimated capacity of about 900,000 cubic meters for 280 types of special waste including asbestos – “is a threat that involves the entire area.” Opposition to this proposal has already been expressed by environmental authorities as well as nearly all the municipalities affected. See: Villafranca si mobilita contro la discarica di amianto a Ca’ Balestra [Villafranca mobilizes against the asbestos landfill at Ca’ Balestra].
Déjà Vu
Jan 5, 2024
The Raymond Croze – a ship belonging to the French State Telecom Company which was sent to Turkey for dismantling – has been a source of concern since its arrival in İzmir Province last year. Local people, politicians and campaigners, remember the international furore caused by plans to dispose of the Brazilian ship, the São Paulo, in Aliağa two years ago. One of the problems with both ships was the presence of asbestos-containing material onboard. After the Turkish authorities rescinded permission for the São Paulo to land, it was sent back to Brazil. After wandering aimlessly off the coast for many months, it was finally sunk by the Brazilian Navy. See: Aliağa'da bitmeyen sorun, 'Raymond Croze' asbestli mi? [The never-ending problem in Aliağa: Does 'Raymond Croze' contain asbestos?].
Legal Victory for Train Driver
Jan 5, 2024
A landmark decision by Rome’s Court of Appeal has increased access to compensation for asbestos-injured employees of ATAC S.p.A., a publicly owned Italian company which runs Rome’s public transport system. The Court ordered Italy’s National Institute for Social Security (INPS) to recognize the claim for early retirement brought by Giancarlo Musilli, a former ATAC train driver, who suffers from pleural plaques and pulmonary fibrosis caused by workplace asbestos exposures. See: Caso Musilli in ATAC, dipendente esposto all’amianto vince causa contro l’INPS per il prepensionamento [Musilli ATAC case, employee exposed to asbestos wins lawsuit against INPS for early retirement].
Asbestos Removal in Schools
Jan 5, 2024
On January 3, 2024, the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education announced that it was on track to eradicate the asbestos hazard in all its schools by the end of this year. This is two years ahead of the deadline set by the Korea’s Ministry of Education. The budget for asbestos removal and remediation work for the 2024 winter vacation set by the authorities in Daegu – a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea – is 26.3 million won (US$20,120); this is for work in 52 schools. See: 대구시교육청, 2025년까지 학교 석면 완전히 없앤다 [Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education to completely eliminate asbestos from schools by 2025].
J&J Update from New Jersey
Jan 5, 2024
On December 29, 2023, U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi in Trenton, New Jersey, allowed Johnson & Johnson (J&J) shareholders from Feb. 22, 2013, to Dec. 13, 2018, to pursue a class action accusing J&J “of fraudulently concealing how its talc products were contaminated by cancer-causing asbestos.” The company had presented arguments calling for the class period to be shortened by a year. Reacting to the verdict, corporate spokesman Erik Haas pledged that J&J would “continue to vigorously litigate cases that challenge the safety of our product or the accuracy of our public statements.” See: Judge certifies Johnson & Johnson shareholder class action over talc disclosures.
Ovarian Cancer & Asbestos
Jan 5, 2024
In a journal paper uploaded to PubMed – a free scientific and medical search engine – in December 2023, Italian researchers considered the association between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer and questioned the occurrence of misdiagnoses of peritoneal mesothelioma as ovarian cancer. The co-authors found that in geographic areas “where the prevalence of asbestos exposure was very high… the burden of ovarian cancer due to asbestos exposure can go unnoticed…” See: Occupational asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer: updated systematic review.
Monetizing Asbestos Waste
Jan 3, 2024
It was announced in December 2023, that a contract had been struck allowing a mining company to reprocess vast quantities of asbestos waste to reclaim high-purity silica, magnesium oxide and iron oxide. Asbestos mining in China produces 4-5 million tons of asbestos tailings (mining waste) every year. It is believed that, to date, 400 million tons of this waste has been produced as a result of the mining of chrysotile (white) asbestos over a 65-year period. See: 变“包袱”为“财富” 青海创安矿业科技有限公司启动500万吨/年石棉尾矿综合利用项目并签署一期EPCO合同 [Turning “burden” into “wealth” Qinghai Chuang'an Mining Technology Co., Ltd. launched a 5 million tons/year asbestos tailings comprehensive utilization project and signed a phase I EPCO contract].
Stricter Asbestos Removal Regs in BC
Jan 3, 2023
As of January 1, 2024, asbestos removal contractors in British Colombia (BC) will be subject to a new regulatory regime which mandates that companies be licensed and that operatives undertake safety training. The new rules, which are overseen by WorkSafe, are the first of their kind in Canada, formerly one of the world’s largest asbestos producers. Despite a concerted effort to raise asbestos awareness in the province, WorkSafe said that it “has continued to find unacceptable levels of non-compliance when it comes to asbestos.” See: B.C. regulations for asbestos handling — a first in Canada — come into effect Jan. 1.
Rise in Occupational Deaths
Jan 3, 2024
Using data from 181 countries, which was sourced from international organizations, institutions and public websites, researchers at Finland’s Tampere University concluded that occupational mortality increased by 26% globally over a recent six-year period. According to the study’s authors: 2.9 million workers died from occupational injuries (320,000) and illnesses (2.6 million) in 2019 compared to 2.3 million in 2014; 843,000 of the 2019 deaths were due to work-related cancers. According to a journal paper published in November, 2023: “Globally, work-related diseases with a long latency period are increasing, while the number of occupational injuries has decreased.” See: Work-related deaths on the rise, global study shows.
Post-Asbestos Regime
Jan 3, 2024
The paper cited below explored some of the ramifications of the asbestos ban promulgated by a 2017 Supreme Court ruling for policy positions adopted by public companies in Brazil. The well-written text focused on issues relating to steps needed to decontaminate the built and natural environment after decades of asbestos mining, processing and consuming. Based on the Portuguese experience, it was suggested that the eradication of the asbestos hazard from schools be prioritized. See: O Banamiento do Amianto no Brasil e os Desafios para as Politicas Publicas em Desemiantagem [Brazil's Asbestos Ban and the Asbestos Removal Policy Challenges for Public Companies].
Verdict for Mesothelioma Widow
Jan 3, 2024
After a nine-day trial, a jury in Cook County, Illinois last month awarded $30 million to the widow of a man whose asbestos cancer death had been caused by childhood exposures to asbestos brought home on his father’s work clothes. The defendant, Bridgestone Firestone, had operated a tire manufacturing facility in Decatur where asbestos-containing talc had been used. Thomas Jackson died five weeks after being diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma; he was 64 years old. See: Illinois Jury Awards $30 Million Verdict In Mesothelioma Case Against Bridgestone Firestone.
Hospital Worker’s Asbestos Death: Ruling
Jan 3, 2024
A Labor Judge in Ancona, Italy awarded the wife and children of a deceased 81-year old hospital laundry worker €820,000 (US$900,000), after his former employers were found negligent of failing to prevent workplace exposures to asbestos contained in ironing boards, pipes and machinery. The man had worked at the hospital from 1982 to 1986; he died of pleural mesothelioma in 2017. See: Altre quattro sentenze. Lavorò all’ex Umberto I, stroncato dall’amianto. Risarcita la famiglia [Four more sentences. Worker at former Umberto I [hospital] destroyed by asbestos. Family reimbursed].
Victory for Livorno Family
Dec 22, 2023
A Court in Livorno, Italy this week handed down a guilty verdict against the employer of a 76-year old maintenance worker who died from asbestos-related lung cancer. The deceased had been employed by the shipbuilding giant Fincantieri at its Livorno plant for 21 years; his family was awarded €500,000 (US$550,000). It was, said the family’s lawyer “the umpteenth conviction against Fincantieri which, in addition to violating all safety measures, failed to inform the workers that this mineral [asbestos] was a killer, capable of causing death…” See: Operaio morì di cancro ai polmoni per l’amianto, Fincantieri condannata a oltre 500mila euro di risarcimento [Worker died of lung cancer due to asbestos, Fincantieri sentenced to over 500 thousand euros in compensation].
Increased Asbestos Protections 2024
Dec 22, 2023
On December 19, 2923, South Korea’s Ministry of Environment (MoE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Social Welfare Joint Fund Association to collaborate on efforts “to improve the housing environment and protect the health of the vulnerable.” Under this project, work will proceed in 2024 on the eradication of asbestos from buildings used by children and vulnerable people. A MoE spokesperson also announced plans to revise the Enforcement Decree of the Asbestos Safety Management Act to “further strengthen asbestos safety management by designating local children's centers as statutory management facilities.” See: 취약계층 주거환경 개선사업 확대 [Expansion of Housing Environment Improvement Projects for the Vulnerable].
Victims Demand Justice
Dec 22, 2023
A demonstration took place by asbestos victims and campaigners in the Nord-Pas de Calais region of Northern France on December 15, 2023 demanding a criminal trial of the decision-makers and officials whose failures to act allowed the use of asbestos to poison generations of workers. Speaking in front of the Dunkirk Court, spokesperson Pierre Pluta said “We do not expect, do not want, do not demand that heads be cut off, that would not make sense. But we need a public debate.” According to data from Public Health France, asbestos-related diseases have killed between 120,000 and 180,000 people in France. See: "Nos empoisonneurs doivent être jugés": les victimes de l’amiante réclament toujours un procès pour obtenir justice [“Our poisoners must be judged”: asbestos victims are still demanding a trial to obtain justice].
Mesothelioma Research: Patients & Carers
Dec 22, 2023
The results of a project undertaken by researchers at the University of Sheffield and funded by Mesothelioma UK were published this month, The 20-page report shed a much-needed light on “how mesothelioma impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of patients and their informal Carers…” The authors delineated actionable tools and highlighted gaps “in the existing evidence where future research could benefit patients and their informal carers who are living with mesothelioma.” See: The Mental Health Implications of a Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Developing Resources to Optimise Wellbeing Study.
Ship Recycling: New Report
Dec 22, 2023
A report was published on December 20, 2023 by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform highlighting the hazardous conditions which persist at Turkish shipbreaking beaches such as the one in Aliağa where workers as well as members of the local community are exposed to asbestos and other toxic substances. Recommendations made by the authors of the report included suggestions to the Ministries of Environment, Labour and Transport which would bring needed change to the country’s ship recycling industry. Supporting the need for reform, campaigner Asli Odman said: “it is crucial to address both labour and environmental concerns in a comprehensive manner.” See: Ship recycling in Aliağa under the spotlight.
Asbestos Anxiety Judgment
Dec 22, 2023
On December 7, 2023, the Dunkirk Labor Court ruled that 140 former employees from a steel factory in Dunes, France owned by the Ascométal company should be compensated for anxiety caused by historic workplace exposures to asbestos. Each claimant will receive between €8,000 and €10,000 ($US11,000). The local asbestos victims group – the Association for the Defence of Asbestos Victims on the Dunkirk Coast – said this verdict was “unprecedented in its scale and ruling.” See: Au moins 140 salariés d'Ascométal vont être indemnisés pour préjudice d'anxiété lié à l'amiante [At least 140 Ascométal employees to be compensated for asbestos-related anxiety damage].
Asbestos in Kitui County
Dec 18, 2023
The threat posed by the presence of asbestos roofing on hospitals in the Kitui County, Kenya was highlighted on December 12, 2023 in a press statement released by Erastus Musyoka Mbuno, a member of the Kitui County Assembly. Mbuno called for the rapid removal of this asbestos material due to the fact that exposures to asbestos can cause cancer. “Ikanga Level 4 hospital,” he said “is roofed with asbestos sheets that are carcinogenic thus most likely having a bearing on the high cancer rate in the lower regions of Kitui South Subcounty.” See: MCA raises concern over carcinogenic asbestos roofing in Kitui hospitals.
Compensation for Railway Worker
Dec 18, 2023
INAIL – Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work – was ordered by the Court of Naples to pay former railway worker Segio Mattera compensation of €1,000 a month with a backdated lump sum payment of €100,000 (US$109,000). Mattera contracted colon cancer after experiencing workplace exposures to asbestos as a train driver for the Italian State Railways over a career lasting more than 35 years. See: Amianto, ferroviere napoletano risarcito con 100mila euro dall'Inail [Asbestos, Neapolitan railway worker compensated with 100 thousand euros by INAIL].
New Government Data
Dec 18, 2023
On December 13, 2023, a spokesperson for Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced that 1,140 people were certified in 2022 with asbestos-related occupational diseases. It was predicted that 1,000 such cases will be recognized annually for the foreseeable future. The total number of occupational asbestos-related claims recognized by this scheme is 20,643. Despite the availability of government benefits for some asbestos victims, litigation continues on behalf of others who are ineligible to bring claims under the current system. See: アスベスト労災認定、昨年度は1140人 今後も同水準続く見込み [1,140 people were certified for asbestos work-related injuries last year; the same level is expected to continue in the future].
Propaganda: Same Old, Same Old
Dec 18, 2023
The article cited below contrasted the dichotomy which exists in Russia and the rest of the world about asbestos. While asbestos is considered by Russians to be a precious natural resource – having been recognized in December 2023 as “Heritage of the Middle Urals” — just about everywhere else the word strikes fear over the litany of cancers and diseases which asbestos exposures cause. Disparaging international asbestos “hysteria,” the author boasted that Russia was a world leader in the mining and sale of asbestos, “exporting [asbestos] fiber and building materials to almost half of the globe.” See: Маркетинговые войны XXI века: один кейс из жизни глобального бизнеса [Marketing Wars of the 21st Century: One Case Study from the Life of Global Business].
Asbestos Hazard in Housing
Dec 18, 2023
The hazard posed by living with asbestos-containing material incorporated into Vietnamese homes was highlighted in the article cited below. The use of amphibole asbestos material was banned in Vietnam because of the risk to health; workplace and environmental exposures to amphibole asbestos can cause respiratory diseases and cancer. Products containing amphibole asbestos incorporated within buildings should be carefully removed. See: Nhận diện tác hại các hóa chất vượt chuẩn quy định Bộ Xây dựng [Identification of harmful effects of chemicals exceeding standards prescribed by the Ministry of Construction].
Prosecution over Asbestos Negligence
Dec 18, 2023
New Zealand Judge Tony Zohrab condemned Sealord – NZ’s largest seafood company – for failing to protect two crew members on its 1970s-built ship the Will Watch from exposures to asbestos during a 2021 fishing trip in the southern Indian Ocean. Four out of 22 samples taken from around the ship tested positive for asbestos. The company was fined $257,250 (US$160,000) in the Nelson District Court and ordered to pay $3,000 in “emotional harm reparation” to each of the claimants; Sealord was also found liable for legal costs of $30,000. See: Fishing company Sealord fined $257,000 after crew exposed to asbestos.
Asbestos Hazard During Wartime
Dec 12, 2023
According to the article cited below which was uploaded on December 12, 2023: “Russian shelling has triggered millions of tons of asbestos to be released, forming heaps of contaminated rubble – a cause for concern given that an estimated 70% of Ukrainian buildings contain asbestos.” With so much destruction caused by the bombing, it makes sense to recycle as much waste as possible. Decontamination recycling projects – such as one undertaken by, Neo-Eco in Hostomel, a city north of Kyiv – are ongoing. separating asbestos from other rubble as part of efforts to progress a “'green reconstruction” of Ukraine. See: Could recycling rubble contaminated with asbestos be dangerous for Ukrainians?
Asbestos Eradication in Ulsan
Dec 12, 2023
On December 8, 2023, the Department of Education of Ulsan City – the seventh-largest City in South Korea – announced it was spending 13 billion won (US$10m) during the upcoming winter school vacation to remove asbestos from 7 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 5 high schools; a total of 72,511m² of asbestos will be removed. On December 4, Ulsan officials conducted training sessions for 100 members of the asbestos monitoring group – including faculty, staff and parents from the 17 schools – who will be involved in oversight of the new phase of the decontamination work. See: 울산시교육청 겨울방학 중 17개교 석면제거…내년 완료 [Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education removes asbestos from 17 schools during winter vacation... completed next year].
Crime & Punishment
Dec 12, 2023
As a result of legal action taken by the Attorney General of Michigan Dana Nessel against contractors who had been accused of mishandling asbestos during demolition work, Metropolitan Environmental, LLC and its owner Lamar Grace, were found liable for “operating an illegal dump in Southfield and storing asbestos and other hazardous waste there.” Both defendants were ordered to pay $125,000. Commenting on this case, AG Nessel said: “Environmental laws protect Michiganders from exposure to dangerous air pollution and hazardous waste.” See: Attorney General Nessel takes action against contractors accused of mishandling asbestos.
Occupational Illness in UP
Dec 12, 2023
The legacy of dangerous working conditions has created a high incidence of disease amongst former and current asbestos factory workers in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India where the facility belonging to the U.P. Asbestos Ltd. Co. has been operational since 1973. Former employees, like 68 year old Shatrughan Singh (68 years old) who had worked in the factory from 1975 to 2009, are now suffering from ill health, and there is currently no trade union to represent them. See: Slow Death of Asbestos Factory Workers in UP – a Ground Report.
History of Grassroots Mobilization
Dec 12, 2023
The article cited below by Tom White marked the 40th anniversary of a historic meeting which took place in Nottingham at which community organizers were joined by trade unionists, social housing tenants and campaigners to discuss the environmental hazard posed by the continuing use of asbestos in the UK; the conference was entitled: Raising the Dust. At the culmination of the day’s discussions, a working party was formed which would become the People’s Asbestos Action Campaign. Summing up his discussion about the significance of this meeting, White noted: “Forty years on from the first national tenants’ and trades union conference, the asbestos disaster is far from over.” See: Asbestos, Killer Dust.
Asbestos in Gyeonggi’s Schools
Dec 12, 2023
During a December 6 meeting of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly's Budget Committee, Rep. Lee Oh-su warned that “the mismanagement of asbestos removal work by the Gyeonggi-do Office of Education” threatened the health of students and teachers. The deadline set by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education for the eradication of asbestos from all its schools is 2026. Rep. Lee Oh-su was worried that a lack of funding would result in failure by Gyeonggi to meet this target. See: 이오수 경기도의원, 학생 및 교원 안전 위협하는 경기도 교육청의 석면 제거 공사 관리부실 지적 [Gyeonggi Provincial Assemblyman Lee Oh-su points out the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education's poor management of asbestos removal work, which threatens the safety of students and teachers].
Asbestos in Schools
Dec 8, 2023
A health alert was raised by a citizens’ group about the presence of asbestos in some private nursery schools in Gwangju City in the southwest of South Korea. According to a new press release, asbestos material was present in 17 out of 136 kindergartens; 1,878 children attend the affected schools, all of which are under private ownership. Commenting on this situation, a spokesperson for the Gwangju City Office of Education said: “Private kindergartens are private property, so there is no legal basis to support them, but for the safety of children, we will find ways to support them…” See: “광주 사립유치원 17곳 원아 석면 노출…대책 마련 시급” [“exposure to asbestos in 17 private kindergartens in Gwangjus... It is urgent to take countermeasures”].
Calls to Protect Firefighters
Dec 8, 2023
On December 1, 2023, the French trade union labor confederation (CGT) filed a complaint against X with the Paris judicial court. The lawsuit noted that firefighters were routinely exposed to carcinogens such as asbestos; even after the International Agency for Research on Cancer highlighted the asbestos risk to firefighters some months ago, no steps were taken to provide medical care such as was given to former asbestos workers – e.g. regular monitoring and thoracoabdominopelvic scans. See: Fumées toxiques, cancers... Les pompiers portent plainte pour mise en danger de la vie d'autrui [Toxic smoke, cancers ... Firefighters file complaint for endangering the lives of others].
Asbestos at the Laboratory
Dec 8, 2023
The Court of Rome condemned Italy’s National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) for failing to protect laboratory worker Federico B. from workplace asbestos exposures. The technician – who worked for ENEA for 34 years – died in May, 2017, aged 78, from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. The Court awarded his family the sum of €49,319 (US$53,215). Additional lawsuits in this case are pending. See: Esposto all’amianto nei laboratori Enea, muore di mesotelioma: l’Agenzia condannata a risarcire i familiari Death from mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos in ENEA laboratories: Agency ordered to compensate family members].
Mesothelioma Incidence: Update
Dec 8, 2023
In November, 2023, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) published a 20-page paper entitled Mesothelioma in Australia 2022 which reported that: 637 mesothelioma cases were diagnosed in Australia in 2021; the median age of patients at diagnosis was 77; mesothelioma survival rates have increased since 1990–1994; 708 mesothelioma deaths were recorded in 2021; up to 90% of those diagnosed, reported having experienced “possible or probable exposure to asbestos.” According to the AIHW, in the financial year 2019–20, “the estimated health system expenditure for mesothelioma cases was A$32.1 million (total cancers A$12.1 billion).” See: Mesothelioma in Australia 2022.
Johnson & Johnson New Litigation Strategy
Dec 8, 2023
Bloomberg News reported this week that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has adopted a new strategy to avoid some of the upcoming trials resulting from an estimated 50,000 lawsuits over the presence of asbestos in J&J’s iconic talc-based baby powder. Three leading US law firms are reported to have settled cases with J&J under confidential agreements. The law firms named in the article cited below were: Kazan, McClain Satterley & Greenwood, Levy Konigsberg, and Motley Rice. J&J is expected to pursue a third bankruptcy filing to resolve the talc litigation in its entirety. See: J&J Is Pushing to Settle Baby Powder Cases Linked to Asbestos.
Asbestos on the Railway
Dec 8, 2023
The family of a deceased railway worker is requesting an investigation after their claim for his mesothelioma death in 2013 aged 87 was denied last month. He had worked for the Japan Railways and Transport Agency for 35 years and his death certificate acknowledged that his death had been caused by the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The deceased had inspected, dismantled and renovated rolling stock at the JNR Hatabu Factory and the Hakata General Rolling Stock Department, where he also removed asbestos-containing insulation materials. See: 死亡診断書に「中皮腫」、石綿作業35年 旧国鉄職員遺族に補償なし [‘Mesothelioma’ on death certificate, 35 years of asbestos work; no compensation for families of former JNR employees].
Asbestos Contamination in War Zone
Dec 5, 2023
During a press interview given by the Director General of the European Commission’s DG Environment Florika Fink-Hoojer – during the Ukraine Green Reconstruction Conference in Vilnius (November 28-December 1, 2023) – the EU official highlighted some of the problems posed by dealing with the vast amount of construction waste created by the Russian war on Ukraine. “This waste,” she said “cannot just be used in rebuilding again because of some legacy chemicals in destroyed buildings, like asbestos and others.” See: Asbestos in war debris waste poses long-term threat – head of DG Environment.
Victim’s Win in Historic Case
Dec 5, 2023
According to the Belgian Asbestos Victims Group, on November 27, 2023 a Brussels Court of first instance ruled that Eric Jonckheere had succeeded in his lawsuit to prove that the Belgian asbestos conglomerate Eternit had committed an “intentional fault.” The claimant, like his parents and two brothers, contracted the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma as a result of the company’s choosing “to continue without further ado its risk-generating – and of course very lucrative – behavior… The probability of various asbestos cancers appearing over time in the population in question was so high that it had to be qualified as an almost certain ‘risk’.” See: Cancer de l’amiante: un jugement qualifié d’historique [Asbestos cancer: a judgment described as historic].
Asbestos Safeguards' Directive Adopted
Dec 5, 2023
On November 22, 2023, the EU Directive cited below was adopted; EU Member States have until December 20, 2025 to fully implement the provisions of the new regulations. The primary objective of the 13-page Directive is to increase safeguards to protect workers from asbestos exposures. Under the new protocol, the workplace asbestos control limit will be ten times lower than it is now. After 3 years, the level will be further reduced. See: Directive (EU) 2023/2668 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 November 2023 amending Directive 2009/148/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work.
Naples Verdict for Shipbuilder
Dec 5, 2023
The family of a subcontractor from Castellammare di Stabia, Naples, who worked for Fincantieri S.p.A – an Italian shipbuilding company – for more than 30 years has been awarded €1.5 million (US$1.62m) for his 2016 death from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The Court of Appeal of Naples confirmed that Fincantieri S.p.A. and Sait S.p.A. had been negligent in failing to protect the deceased from experiencing workplace asbestos exposures. See: Operaio morto per un tumore a causa dell’amianto: risarcimento da 1,5 milioni di euro alla famiglia [Worker who died from cancer caused by asbestos: 1.5 million euro compensation to the family].
Asbestos in Nursery School
Dec 5, 2023
The presence of asbestos was reported in the ceiling of Nanaura Nursery School in Niigata City by an electrician working there on October 24. When the presence of asbestos was confirmed, the children were relocated. Subsequently, plans were made for all municipal facilities where it was suspected that sprayed asbestos might have been used to be reinspected. According to a spokesperson for Niigata’s Environment Department: “We will visually check to make sure that there are no omissions, and if any suspicious sprayed materials are found, we will inspect them for asbestos.” See: 保育園の天井からアスベスト検出 新潟市、全市有施設を再調査へ [Asbestos detected in the ceiling of a nursery school. Niigata City to re-investigate all city-owned facilities].
Asbestos in the Navy
Dec 5, 2023
A commentary uploaded on the Federal News Network on November 30, 2023 highlighted the long-tail legacy of asbestos exposures experienced by US naval personnel. Throughout much of the 20th century, the use of asbestos-containing products was routine for all branches of the military. Navy service personnel, unfortunately, experienced “exceptionally” high exposures because they lived and worked close to this toxic material. Veterans were advised to get periodic health check-ups to catch early symptoms of asbestos-related diseases; the earlier the diseases were detected, the better the chances for successful treatment. See: Protecting those who protected us: Raising awareness of Navy veterans’ asbestos exposure.
Beijing Fight for Asbestos Compensation
Dec 1, 2023
The article cited below detailed the struggle by a daughter to obtain compensation from an employer for the asbestos death of her mother who had been recognized as an occupational disease victim. According to the family’s lawyer: “in addition to work-related injury insurance, employees also have the right to claim civil compensation from the employer…If the expenses beyond the scope of the reimbursement by the social security fund are borne by the worker, it is contrary to the current laws and regulations, and is a serious infringement of the rights of vulnerable workers.” See: 女子退休17年后被诊断为职业性肿瘤，起诉原单位索赔期间病逝 [The woman was diagnosed with an occupational tumor 17 years after her retirement and died while suing her former employer for compensation].
Calling for Rapid Asbestos Removal
Dec 1, 2023
A new report by Mesothelioma UK called for a 10-year program to remove asbestos from schools and hospitals. This program “would save the UK economy almost £12 billion over 50 years in the reduced economic and social costs of asbestos-related diseases. The savings to the UK public finances would be around £3.6 billion.” In the foreword to this report, MP Stephen Timms, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, wrote: “The Government and HSE should develop a strategic plan… [which would] focus on removing the highest risk asbestos first, and on early removal from the highest risk settings, such as schools and hospitals. The plan should integrate with… plans to upgrade buildings to meet net zero targets…” See: Clearing the Air: The costs and benefits of removing asbestos from UK schools and hospitals report.
Asbestos at Theme Park
Dec 1, 2023
At a press conference which took place in the Gangwon Province of South Korea on November 28, 2023, spokespersons for a broad-based coalition of environmental groups, including the Environmental Health Citizen's Center, announced that tremolite asbestos had been identified in six out of eight samples taken from more than 30 landscape stones at the Karst Geology Theme Park in the Korean Peninsula Myeon, Yeongwol-gun. A complaint was filed at the Yeongwol-gun Police Station. Asbestos use has been banned in South Korea since 2009. See: 영월군 공원 조경석에서 석면 검출 [Asbestos detected in landscaping stones at Yeongwol-gun Park
Mesothelioma Government Payouts: Update
Dec 1, 2023
Published on November 28, 2023, the annual report of the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme – launched in the UK in 2014 to provide payments to people with diffuse mesothelioma (or their dependents) who were negligently exposed to asbestos at work but were unable to obtain compensation through the courts – revealed that between April 2022 and March 2023, 330 applications were received, 71% of which were successful. The total amount paid out during that period was £23.2 million. See: Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme annual statistics April 2014 to March 2023.
National Asbestos Observatory
Dec 1, 2023
Canada’s National Asbestos Observatory (NAO), set up in 2022 by the Quebec Government with an allocation of $2 million/yr, is based at a college in Thetford, a former asbestos mining town. It’s remit is “to inform and provide recommendations to decision-makers on the best actions to take with respect to asbestos and the management of asbestos mine tailings.” Marking the NAO’s 1st year, its Executive Director Annie Rochette said: “the asbestos tailings projects are going to take place here and we do not want to increase the risk, quite the contrary. We have a lot of work to do. The ultimate goal of this approach is the harmonious development of our territories.” See: Une première année fort occupée pour l’équipe de l’Observatoire national de l’amiante [A very busy first year for the National Asbestos Observatory team].
Early Retirement for Asbestos Workers
Dec 1, 2023
In Italy, people who worked with asbestos have a right to retire at an earlier age; under the government’s early-retirement scheme, eligible workers can receive pensions at 61 years and 7 months (62 years and 7 months if self-employed) if they have made at least 35 years of social security contributions and they were exposed to asbestos for at least 7 out of the last 10 years, 6 out of the last 7 years or for at least half of their working life. The size of the pension increases for those with a greater than ten-year duration of occupational asbestos exposures. Applications for early retirement must be submitted by May 1st of each year. See: Pensione per lavoratori esposti all’amianto, quale uscita anticipata spetta [Pensions for workers exposed to asbestos, what early exit is allowed].
Brasilia Asbestos Seminar
Nov 28, 2023.
On November 27, 2023, the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee of the Chamber of Deputies held a seminar in Brasilia to consider the risks still posed by asbestos to human health and the environment. In the audience addressed by campaigners and politicians as well as scientific and medical and experts were scores of asbestos victims, family members and supporters. The debate was proposed by Deputy Nilto Tatto, author of Bill 3684/23 which seeks to close “loopholes that still exist” in the mining, commercial exploitation and distribution of asbestos, all of which were banned by the Supreme Court in 2017. See: Comissão realiza seminário para discutir brechas na produção de amianto [Commission will hold seminar to discuss loopholes in asbestos production].
Asbestos Health Alert
Nov 28, 2023
During November, countries around the world mark Lung Cancer Month with initiatives to raise public awareness about lung cancer causation. The news article cited below warned that even Vietnamese citizens who did not smoke were at risk of contracting lung cancer. The text highlighted the dangers posed by working with asbestos, pointing out that occupational asbestos exposures could cause lung cancer as well as mesothelioma. The author also highlighted the risk to home renovators or DIY-ers who were exposed to asbestos during work in their homes. See: Những người này dù không hút thuốc cũng cực dễ bị ung thư phổi 'gõ cửa' [These people, even if they do not smoke, are extremely susceptible to lung cancer ‘knocking on the door’].
Asbestos Prosecutions on Track
Nov 28, 2023
During National Asbestos Awareness week, WorkSafeNZ confirmed that failures to comply with national asbestos regulations would result in court action being taken. Successful prosecutions this year included a conviction in October of Wilson Building Timaru Limited which had carried out the unlicensed removal of asbestos during building work without the proper authorization. Previously, Inspired Enterprises Limited had been fined for failing to have an asbestos management plan in place and for not warning the customer of the possibility of asbestos material on site. See: Asbestos prosecutions highlight room to improve – WorkSafe NZ.
Risk of Low-Level Exposures Recognized
Nov 28, 2023
A 37-page Command Paper (CP) presented to Parliament published by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) in November 2023 recognized the hazard posed by low-level occupational exposures to asbestos. According to section 49 of the CP 964: “All asbestos exposures of sufficient extent and whatever their source are now equally included in the generic term ‘any job involving exposure to asbestos’.” Between 2010 and 2019, 80% of the 12,245 Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit awards were for asbestosis. See: Review and update of the prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis).
Olive Oil Samples Asbestos-Free
Nov 28, 2023
Research undertaken this year by civil society organizations in earthquake hit regions of Turkey showed asbestos contamination in the soil, water and air. Consumer confidence has been affected by this news and as a result demand for produce grown in earthquake zones has fallen. Samples of olive oil produced in three asbestos hotspots were analyzed by an accredited laboratory; no asbestos was found. The author of the article cited below concluded that: “Claims that asbestos in the earthquake zone contaminates food and poses a health risk are unfounded or overly exaggerated.” See: Does olive oil produced in quake-affected regions contain asbestos?
Funding Asbestos Compensation
Nov 28, 2023
On November 22, 2023, a consultation began on the measures needed to ensure that the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (SUVA) – a public-sector insurer – had adequate resources to pay compensation to current and future claimants who had contracted asbestos-related injuries and diseases due to workplace exposures. The SUVA Council proposed that as of January 1, 2026 surplus revenues left over from insurance premiums collected for occupational accidents and illnesses be made available to pay the asbestos-injured. See: La Suva doit pouvoir soutenir les victimes de l'amiante [SUVA must be able to support asbestos victims].
Global Asbestos Mortality: Update
Nov 27, 2023
A peer-reviewed paper entitled “Global-, regional- and country-level estimates of the work-related burden of diseases and accidents in 2019”, by researchers from Finland and Italy, was published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health on November 12, 2023. After four years of research, the authors concluded that previous global estimates of asbestos mortality were too low: “a more realistic estimate of asbestos-related deaths could be of 289,621 in the workplace, and 304,841 when including environmental and semi-occupational causalities.” See: Global-, regional- and country-level estimates of the work-related burden of diseases and accidents in 2019.
Wittenoom’s Asbestos Legacy
Nov 27, 2023
A 13+ minute video uploaded to YouTube last week used imaginative graphics as well as archival footage to make manifest the deadly human consequences caused by operations at the Wittenoom Crocidolite (blue) Asbestos Mine. The video documented the stark reality of damage done not only to the people who lived and worked at the mine but also to the traditional owners of the land, the Banjima people. With 3 million tonnes of asbestos-contaminated mining waste dumped in local gorges and high airborne levels of asbestos fibers, the 46,000 hectares which make up the Wittenoom Asbestos Management Area “is the largest contaminated stretch of land in the southern hemisphere.” See: Australia's Secret Chernobyl.
Asbestos in Schools
Nov 27, 2023
The only Scottish council to have eradicated the asbestos hazard from its schools is South Lanarkshire. According to information collected by a Labor Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Mark Griffin – via Freedom of Information requests – 1,360 out of 5,067 schools in Scotland still contain asbestos. Last year, asbestos material was removed from 274 Scottish school buildings. Asbestos is a red button topic in Scotland; generations of shipyard and factory workers died from asbestos-related diseases. MSP Griffin is campaigning for the establishment of a Scottish Employment Injuries Advisory Council. See: Quarter of Scottish schools contain 'terrifying' asbestos, warns Labour MSP.
Asbestos at California Jail
Nov 27, 2023
A whistleblower’s complaint by a California member of the American Federation of Government Employees trade union (AFGE) was upheld by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel who ruled that the management at the Federal Correctional Institution Dublin, California violated OSHA standards by exposing staff and inmates to asbestos and mold found throughout the prison. The AFGE’s Assistant General Counsel Ward Morrow called on: “Congress and its oversight committees to further investigate the failure by the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons to provide full disclosure to the staff and inmates as to their exposure, as well as the need for proper medical surveillance.” See: Office of Special Counsel finds multiple OSHA violations at troubled federal prison.
Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma Patients
Nov 27, 2023
The report cited below provided an update on progress being made by Italian researchers and doctors in treating patients with mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposures. Two thousand Italians are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. The use of immunotherapy protocols has facilitated treatments that are able to prolong post-diagnoses survival as detailed in a paper published in The Lancet November 2023 which concluded that: “the addition of pembrolizumab to standard platinum–pemetrexed chemotherapy … resulted in a significant improvement in overall survival. This regimen is a new treatment option for previously untreated advanced pleural mesothelioma.” See: Tumors caused by asbestos, progress is finally being made with immunotherapy.
Protecting Workers from Toxic Exposures
Nov 27, 2023
On November 21, 2023, the Center for Disease Control of Ben Tre Province, in southern Vietnam organized a conference to improve the capacity to prevent occupational diseases. Asbestos was on the agenda as part of the discussion on the monitoring of workplaces using hazardous substances. Speakers explained mandatory requirements for occupational protections as well as the requirement to provide periodic health check-ups and medicals for at-risk workers. See: Hội Nghị Nâng Cao Năng Lực Phòng Chống Bệnh Nghề Nghiệp [Conference on capacity building for occupational disease prevention and control].
Rail Upgrade Speeds Asbestos Shipments
Nov 24, 2023
Streamlining and improvements on rail–sea links from China have increased the efficiency of transport links, thereby reducing the time taken for Chinese shipments of asbestos to reach markets in Thailand and Laos. On November 21, a train with 1,000+ tons of chrysotile asbestos in 44 containers left Dunhuang, Gansu Province; arriving by railway at the Chinese port of Tianjin Port, it was sent by ship to Bangkok. The scheduled delivery time for this cargo will be up to ten days less than previous modes of transport. As a result of this modernized system, asbestos exports from China are increasing. See: “敦煌-天津-曼谷”铁海联运石棉专列开行 [“Dunhuang-Tianjin-Bangkok” rail-sea intermodal asbestos special train launched].
Asbestos in Schools
Nov 24, 2023
In a 32-page report entitled “The condition of school buildings,” which was submitted on November 9, 2023 by the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, the 16 co-authors highlighted not only the problems posed by the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) throughout the UK’s educational infrastructure but also the dangers posed to school users by the presence of aging asbestos-containing products. In the section “Incomplete knowledge on asbestos” on pages 14 & 15, multiple failures of the Department for Education to deal with the asbestos legacy in the school estate were considered. See: The condition of school buildings.
Victims’ Victory over J&J
Nov 24, 2023
It was reported on November 16, 2023, that the first two mesothelioma cases against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to go to trial after a federal court had rejected the company’s latest bankruptcy plans had been settled. The claimants – Rosalino Reyes (deceased in 2020) and Marlin Eagles – alleged that their cancers had been caused by exposure to asbestos in J&J’s talc-based baby powder. J&J agreed to settle these as well as other claims being represented by the California law firm which had represented Reyes and Eagles: Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood. See: J&J settles first talc cases to go to trial after failed bankruptcies.
Grassroots Victims’ Support
Nov 24, 2023
On November 22 & 23, 2023, meetings organized by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) took place in Osasco and Capivari, cites in the Brazilian State of São Paulo. Asbestos victims and family members who attended these events were presented with copies of a new ABREA publication updating them on the legal and economic rights of people who had contracted asbestos-related diseases. The sessions were held at the local Chamber of Councillors and were attended by State Deputies as well as local politicians. Next week, ABREA members will travel to Brasilia to demonstrate in front of the Supreme Court over its failure to hand down a decision over an unconstitutional State law allowing asbestos mining to continue despite a Supreme Court asbestos ban.
Asbestos in the Shipbreaking Industry
Nov 24, 2023
Despite multinational treaties, regional agreements and national guidelines, the scrapping of ships undertaken in countries such as Bangladesh, India and Turkey is still being conducted without precautions being taken to prevent toxic asbestos exposures to workers and members of communities living in proximity to the shipbreaking yards. According to the author of the article cited below: “Activists are pushing the EU to increase oversight and ensure safer shipyard working conditions.” See: Stranded: Impact of asbestos in maritime industry.
Assessing the Hazard Posed by AC
Nov 24, 2023
A paper published by Perry Gottesfeld on November 9, 2023 in the Annals of Work Exposures and Health reviewed reports on asbestos levels created during the processing and use of asbestos-cement (AC) building products. The author highlighted the hazardous conditions created by the use of power saws when cutting AC products, finding that the vast majority of tasks undertaken with AC sheets and AC pipes exceeded US allowable limits. The author concluded that: “Intermittent high exposures from the ongoing use of AC products in countries around the world are associated with an increased lifetime risk of asbestos-related disease.” See: Exposure hazards from continuing use and removal of asbestos cement products.
Asbestos Alert in Halkidiki
Nov 20, 2023
Asbestos contamination remains a fact of life throughout Greece; the article cited below described the ubiquity of asbestos-containing material in the built environment in villages in Northern and Central Halkidiki in Northern Greece. The toxic presence of asbestos-cement roofing on homes, factories and public buildings was recently highlighted by the region’s MP Apostolos Panas in a speech in Parliament; Panas castigated the government for its long-standing failures to address the problem. “The problem is,” he said “intense and extensive throughout Halkidiki.” See: Χαλκιδική: Ζητούν να φύγει ο καρκινογόνος αμίαντος από σπίτια κι αποθήκες. Διαβάστε περισσότερα εδώ [Halkidiki: demand for the removal of carcinogenic asbestos from homes and warehouses].
Unions Mobilize over Asbestos Hazard
Nov 20, 2023
Following an October 2023 court verdict awarding €1,276,000 (US$1.4m) to the family of a firefighter from Calabria who died of mesothelioma contracted as a result of workplace exposures to asbestos, Italian trade union leaders called on the Government to undertake asbestos mapping of buildings as a matter of urgency to protect firefighters from future toxic exposures. In addition, the trade unionists asked that occupational disease claims by firefighters be fast-tracked in recognition of the high-risk nature of their work. See: Vigile del fuoco morto per l’amianto in tuta, i sindacati sollecitano interventi urgenti [Firefighter died from asbestos in overalls, unions urge urgent action].
Victim’s Verdict in Fukuoka
Nov 20, 2023
A lawsuit brought by bereaved relatives over an occupationally-caused death was settled last week at the Fukuoka District Court, Japan. From 1969, the deceased had worked for the Kyushu Electric Power Co. at four of its thermal power plants in the Fukuoka and Saga prefectures. He had been routinely exposed to asbestos at these workplaces and died aged 69 from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposures. Although the amount of the compensation payout was confidential, the family members had sought damages of ¥44.63 million (US$295,000). See: アスベスト訴訟、遺族と九州電力が和解 火力発電所で勤務 [Asbestos lawsuit, bereaved family of worker at thermal power plant settle with Kyushu Electric Power].
No Justice for Mario or Bianca
Nov 20, 2023
Naval engineer Mario Necci died aged 75 in 2020 from mesothelioma, having been exposed to asbestos from 1981 to 2013 whilst employed by the Transroll Navegação Company, based in the Brazilian City of Fortaleza. His widow Biana is yet to receive compensation. According to asbestos victims’ campaigner Fernanda Giannasi, although many cases have been settled for workers exposed to asbestos in the metallurgical or construction sectors, there have been few cases brought by workers from the maritime sector. “It is,” she said “difficult in Brazil to convince engineers or specialized workers to take legal action to obtain justice.” See: Vítima do cancerígeno amianto, o engenheiro naval Mario Necci ainda espera por justiça [Victim of the carcinogen asbestos, naval engineer Mario Necci still waits for justice].
Asbestos on the Agenda
Nov 20, 2023
A symposium entitled Deadly Dust: Silica and Asbestos is on the agenda of the 23rd World Congress on Safety and Health at Work – organized by the International Labor Organization, the International Social Security Association and their partners – which is being held in Sydney, Australia on November 27-30, 2023. The 90-minute symposium will feature international experts including: Gerd Albracht of the International Association of Labour Inspection and European Federation of Building and Woodworkers; Phillip Hazelton, Manager of the Eliminating Asbestos-Related Diseases Program of Australia’s Union Aid Abroad; and Simone Stevenson of the Victorian Asbestos Eradication Agency. See: Deadly Dust: Silica and Asbestos.
Public Hearing in Rio de Janeiro
Nov 20, 2023
A public hearing on asbestos was held on November 7, 2023 in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro; chairing the session was State Deputy Carlos Minc, author of the state’s asbestos ban. Representatives of stakeholders participating in this event included: Eliezer João de Souza, Maria Lúcia Nascimento Carmo and Fernanda Giannasi from the Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), doctors Hermano Castro (Fiocruz) and Jefferson Pires de Freitas (São Paulo Heart Institute), Dr Luiz Tenório (Ministry of Health), Labor Attorney Daniela Elbert and others. See: Fundacentro participa de audiência pública sobre desamiantagem no Rio de Janeiro [Fundacentro participates in public hearing on asbestos eradication in Rio de Janeiro].
Asbestos: New Study
Nov 17, 2023
A paper entitled Exposure hazards from continuing use and removal of asbestos-cement products, which was published on November 9, 2023 in the Annals of Work Exposures and Health, concluded that the installation and removal of asbestos-cement (AC) products caused levels of airborne asbestos fibers which “almost always exceed U.S. occupational limits.” Water is delivered via 600,000 miles of ageing AC pipes still in place in the USA. As AC building products account for 90% of asbestos used worldwide, these findings are of relevance not only to Americans but to people the world over. See: Asbestos Use Surpasses Safe Exposure Limits.
Naval Service: Asbestos Cancer Risk
Nov 17, 2023
A collaborative study published this week by researchers at the University of Adelaide and Oxford University revealed that the incidence of asbestos-related lung cancer was higher among Australian and British naval personnel than members of the army or the air force. This finding was based on data from ~31,000 Australian and UK personnel who served in the 1950s and 1960s. Believing that these cancers were caused by exposures to asbestos in naval vessels, the authors of the paper cited below urged that stricter protective measures be put in place to prevent toxic exposures. See: Asbestos-related cancer in naval personnel: findings from participants in the British nuclear tests 1952–1967.
Asbestos Health Alert!
Nov 17, 2023
The article cited below contained a lengthy exposition regarding the health hazards posed by the continued use of asbestos in Vietnam. Explaining that there was a global consensus about the carcinogenic nature of all types of asbestos and that there was “no safe threshold for [exposures to] carcinogens,” the author bizarrely suggested that people concerned about toxic exposures: “use more ventilation… vacuum regularly… and avoid staying at construction sites or places with asbestos products for long periods of time. If necessary, wear a mask and take protective measures.” See: Bi kịch của amiăng: Chất gây ung thư cấp độ một, vẫn có thể được nhìn thấy ở trong ngôi nhà của bạn [The tragedy of asbestos: A first-degree carcinogen that can still be seen in your home].
Asbestos Watchdog
Nov 17, 2023
On November 14, 2023, it was announced that the authorities in South Korea’s Gimhae City had created an Asbestos Safety Management Monitoring Group to act as an asbestos watchdog to protect citizens from deadly workplace exposures to asbestos during renovating, removal and demolition work. According to Lee Yong-kyu, head of the City’s Climate Response Division: “We will secure reliability and transparency at work by overseeing asbestos dismantling work through the activities of the Asbestos Safety Management Monitoring Group.” See: 김해시, 석면안전관리감시단 출범…그린리더 20명 구성 [Gimhae City Launches Asbestos Safety Management Monitoring Group... Comprising 20 Green Leaders].
Asbestos in Soweto School
Nov 17, 2023
Overcrowded classes at Noordgesig Secondary School in Soweto are the result of the closure in October 2023 of part of the building because of the presence of asbestos. Of the 13 mobile classrooms promised by the Gauteng Department of Education, only eight were delivered. In a comment made in a local newspaper Khume Ramulifho, a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, said: “[the] department must provide the same number of classrooms so teaching and learning must continue in a conducive environment. There should be no rotational learning as learners already lost contact lesson time.” See: Overcrowding, asbestos classes remain challenge. SGB vows to take steps to force state to comply.
Asbestos in the Built Environment
Nov 17, 2023
According to the Department of Territory, the vast majority of buildings constructed before 1991 – when the use of asbestos was banned in Switzerland – in Ticino, the country’s southernmost canton, contain asbestos. The legacy of widespread asbestos use during the last century created a continuing problem for workers as well as members of the public. The Canton estimated that in Ticino up to 80,000 residential buildings contain asbestos. There is no obligation for building owners or managers to remove asbestos-containing products. See: Amianto: Trovarlo e la regola, non l’eccezione [Asbestos: Finding it is the rule, not the exception].
Alert: Toxic Pipework in Water System
Nov 14, 2023
On Thursday, November 9, 2023, the leader of Canada’s Green Party Elizabeth May tabled a petition at the House of Commons calling on the federal government to prioritize action on Canada’s aging asbestos-cement pipes due to the potential dangers of drinking tap water containing the known carcinogen: “This is an understudied and unregulated problem…Believe it or not, many municipalities rely on old cement water pipe delivering water to millions of Canadians, and the pipes contain asbestos fibres.” The federal government must reply to this petition within 45 days. See: ‘Understudied and unregulated’: Greens table petition on Canada's failing asbestos-cement pipes.
Update on J&J Asbestos Lawsuits
Nov 14, 2023
Recently, it was reported that there are now 40,000+ lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) over the historic presence of asbestos fibers in its iconic talc-based baby powder. The article which is cited below reported that in addition to the personal injury cases, Los Angeles County had filed a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical multinational. The LA case alleged that despite knowing about the dangers posed by asbestos in its baby powder, J&J continued to market this product thereby causing untold misery to LA County residents. Lawyers for the County also claimed that J&J had a marketing policy which targeted minority women. See: Talcum Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Lawsuit.
Asbestos Eradication Program on Track
Nov 14, 2023
According to the Rwanda Housing Authority, progress is being made on the eradication of the asbestos hazard from the built environment to protect Rwandans from potentially deadly exposures to a class 1 carcinogen. As of October 31, 2023, government support had facilitated the removal of 82.4% of asbestos roofing from public and private buildings. The vast majority of public buildings (81.8%) and private residences and institutions (83%) have been remediated. A concerted effort has been made to increase the number of specialist asbestos removal companies; as of now, there are 900+ registered companies able to undertake the removal of asbestos roofing according to national regulations and guidelines. See: Hazardous asbestos roofing removed from over 80% Rwandan buildings.
Victim’s Verdict by Rome Court
Nov 14, 2023
Last week, the Court of Rome issued a judgment finding the Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) company liable for the mesothelioma death of worker Francesco Maria Cairo; the deceased had worked for RFI from 1969 to 2001 as a technical foreman in the company’s Turin and Mila plants. During his employment, he was routinely exposed to asbestos. He was diagnosed with asbestos cancer in 2019 and died in 2022. RFI was ordered to pay Cairo’s widow and family the sum of €238,814 (US$255,535). See: Amianto: RfI condannata a risarcire famiglia operaio morto [Asbestos: RFI ordered to compensate dead worker’s family].
Relatives Sue Government
Nov 14, 2023
On November 9, 2023, the family of a deceased employee of the Hitachi Research Institute announced the filing of a lawsuit against the Japanese Government at Mito District Court over its’ failure to prevent asbestos exposures – seeking 14.3 million yen (US$94,345) compensation. The case was filed months before the expiry of a 20-year deadline. The familiy's lawyers said their clients hadn’t known it was possible to hold the Government to account for the exposures which caused the cancer contracted by their father. See: アスベスト吸入 中皮腫死亡で国賠提訴 元日立社員遺族「今年、制度を知った」 [Government sued for compensation over asbestos inhalation mesothelioma death of former Hitachi employee. Bereaved family “learned about the system this year”].
Death From Covid-19 and Asbestosis
Nov 14, 2023
An inquest at Bootle Town Hall into the 2021 death of 90-year-old Thomas Littler heard that his death had been caused by Covid-19 and asbestosis. The Coroner was categorical about the causes of death, saying that the asbestosis “had contributed towards his death.” Littler had worked for British Rail between 1944 and 1983 as an apprentice, a wheelwright and a handyman; it is believed that he had routinely experienced asbestos exposures at his workplace. An investigation has been launched to establish the nature and duration of these toxic exposures. See: Family of ex-rail worker with asbestos-linked death appeals for help.
Asbestos Exposures in the Armed Forces
Nov 10, 2023
Experts in personal injury claims for asbestos claimants have estimated that more than 6,000 people have died from asbestos exposures experienced during service in the Italian military. According to official government statistics, there is an elevated incidence of the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma amongst former service personnel. Asbestos was used on almost all military bases in Italy as well as in armoured vehicles, engines, brakes, clothing, aircraft, firefighting devices and missile systems. See: Amianto, la strage silenziosa nelle Forze Armate: oltre 6mila morti [Asbestos, the silent massacre in the Armed Forces: over 6 thousand dead].
Asbestos Gas Mask Hazard
Nov 10, 2023
According to news released on November 6, 2023, illegal gas masks with filters containing asbestos had been found on board a bulk carrier during a regular Port State Control inspection by employees of Netherlands’ Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate. The masks, which were being used by crew members for checking phosphine levels in the cargo hold, had been made in Russia. This was not an isolated incident; in the last 18 months, shipping inspectors came across three other instances where asbestos-containing masks were being used on board international ships. See: Dutch Inspectorate warns shipping for asbestos in vintage gas masks.
Asbestos Removal on Gran Canaria
Nov 10, 2023
A second phase of work has been started by the authorities on the Spanish Island of the Gran Canaria to eradicate the asbestos hazard. The Ministry of Environment, Climate, Energy and Knowledge allocated €5.32 million (US$5.7m) to a private company to collect non-structural asbestos-containing material from homeowners on the island. During the first phase of the island’s asbestos removal program, 117,513 kg of asbestos waste was collected. Penalties for fly tipping asbestos waste range from €30,000 to €500,000. See: La seconda campagna di rimozione dell’amianto dalle abitazioni di Gran Canaria [The second campaign to remove asbestos from homes in Gran Canaria].
Asbestos-cement – What’s the Problem?
Nov 10, 2023
A commentary published earlier this month provided an overview about the historic use of asbestos-cement (AC) products in the UK and the problems posed by the continued presence of these toxic AC-containing materials. AC products could contain up to 50% asbestos fiber; although most AC was made from chrysotile (white) asbestos, crocidolite (blue) and amosite (brown) asbestos were also used. The aging, weathering and deterioration of AC products can liberate fibers into the air. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) duty holders, building owners, landlords or and occupants are obliged to manage/prevent asbestos exposures. See: Asbestos cement products – A low risk material?
Action to Prevent Toxic Renovations
Nov 10, 2023
The popularity of asbestos in the construction of Australian homes during the 20th century has left the country with a toxic legacy. Many Australians are home renovators or DIY-enthusiasts but the presence of asbestos – which is still found in 1 out of 3 Australian homes – means that care must be taken before work is begun to address the contamination in accordance with national legislation and guidelines. The majority of people being diagnosed with the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma reported that they had experienced “possible or probable” exposure to asbestos in their homes, often during renovation work. See: Asbestos 101: don't put your life, or others, at risk.
New Online Resource
Nov 10, 2023
On November 8, 2023, a new information report was uploaded by the Maritime Institute for Prevention (IMP) providing updated information regarding French protocols for dealing with the presence and removal of asbestos-containing material from ships. This resource would be of interest, said the publishers, to shipowners and business owners who were duty bound to manage the health risks posed by the presence of asbestos-containing products on their ships in order to prevent toxic exposures to seafarers, employees and external operatives working on board. See: L'IMP informe sur l'amiante à bord des navires [IMP provides information on asbestos on board ships].
Asbestos Judgment Delayed
Nov 8, 2023
On November 6, 2023, the Court of First Instance in Brussels announced that the verdict in a landmark case brought by Eric Jonckheere – one of five members of his family to contract the lethal asbestos cancer mesothelioma – would be handed down in December 2023. Jonckheere, who is the President of the Belgian Asbestos Victims’ Group (ABEVA), is suing the Belgian cement conglomerate Eternit, claiming that despite knowing that asbestos exposures could prove lethal, the company had continued to use this acknowledged carcinogen. This behaviour, according to the claimant’s lawyers, constituted “inexcusable fault.” See: Procès Eternit: le tribunal rendra son jugement le mois prochain [Eternit trial: court to deliver judgment next month].
Post-Earthquake Asbestos Hazard
Nov 8, 2023
The article cited below contained data accumulated by scientists working for civil society groups in Turkish areas devastated by the February 2023 earthquakes. According to the journalist, samples of earthquake debris collected from Karacasu Container City – now the temporary home of 6,000 earthquake survivors – contained three types of asbestos fibers: chrysotile, anthophyllite and actinolite. The proximity of the living area close to a dump site for building waste was suggested as one reason for the high level of asbestos contamination. See: Asbestos was detected in the area where 6 thousand earthquake victims lived.
Asbestos in Nursery Schools
Nov 8, 2023
Politician Cha Hyeon-ju from South Korea’s Gyeongsangbuk Province, in the east of the country, told the Provincial Assembly of his concerns regarding the slow progress being made in eradicating the asbestos hazard from private nursery schools: “Out of 208 private kindergartens in the province, 59 (28%) are in need of asbestos removal work... prompt action will be needed to protect the health of kindergarten students.” He urged the Office of Education to “take active measures” to safeguard all school children. See: 차주식 경북도의원 “사립유치원 석면해체공사 지원 대책 마련해야” [Gyeongsangbuk Provincial Assemblyman Cha Hyeon-ju “We need to prepare measures to support asbestos dismantling work in private kindergartens”].
Northern Asbestos Hotspot
Nov 8, 2023
Researchers have ascertained, via the use of a Freedom of Information request, that between 2019 and 2023, nearly 150 people in York and Scarborough were diagnosed with the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Generations of workers were exposed to asbestos whilst employed at the carriage works in the Holgate Road factory, York before its closure in the 1990s. According to local solicitor Richard Green, the number of asbestos claimants who experienced “low level” exposures working in schools and hospitals is increasing. See: 150 + people in York and Scarbrough with asbestos-related cancer.
Compensation for Power-Plant Exposures
Nov 8, 2023
The public health provider (ASL) of the IVREA commune in Italy agreed to pay the sum of €400,000 (US$427,000) to the family of former employee Fiorano Canavese, who died from asbestos cancer due to toxic workplace exposures. Canavese had worked for ASL at the thermal power plant serving Ivrea hospital. He died aged 54 in 2017. See: IVREA – Muore per l'amianto nella centrale termica dell'ospedale: l'Asl paga un risarcimento ai famigliari [IVREA – Death from asbestos exposures in hospital's thermal power plant: ASL pays compensation to family].
Lung Cancer Causation
Nov 8, 2023
A commentary on the causes of lung cancer uploaded on November 5, 2023 to a Greek website highlighted the human health hazard posed by exposure to asbestos, which can be found not only in thousands of products but also in soil, rocks and water. As well as lung cancer, exposures to asbestos can cause mesothelioma and cancers of the larynx and ovaries. It is not widely known that Greece was at one time an asbestos-producing nation. Mining operations at the Kozani asbestos mine, in Northern Greece began in 1982 and ended in 2000. See: Ποιες είναι οι αιτίες εμφάνισης καρκίνου του πνεύμονα [What are the causes of lung cancer?].
Disposing of Toxic Building Waste
Nov 6, 2023
China’s Ministry of Environment last week announced the approval of additional protocols for dealing with building waste containing asbestos, deemed to be a toxic substance. Previous government guidelines stipulated that this waste be buried according to strict procedures. Following the amendment to the disposal regulations, the use of chemical or heat treatments to detoxify the waste will now be allowed. See: 石绵瓦不只能固化掩埋 环境部增“热处理、化学处理法” [Asbestos tiles can not only be solidified and buried, the Ministry of Environment has added “heat treatment and chemical treatment methods”].
Regional Asbestos Removal Plan
Nov 6, 2023
The Regional Council of Emilia-Romagna, Italy has allocated the sum of €4 million (US$4.3m) for the removal and safe disposal of asbestos from factories throughout the region “in the name of environmental sustainability…” According to Irene Priolo, the Vice President of the Region with responsibility for the Environment, asbestos eradication work has been ongoing for more than 20 years. Subsidies for this work can be accessed by small, medium and large companies with properties in the Emilia-Romagna Region. See: Dalla Regione oltre 4 milioni per eliminare l'amianto dalle fabbriche [Over 4 million from the Region to eliminate asbestos from factories].
Asbestos Removal Program: Update
Nov 6, 2023
A decade after having committed to removing asbestos roofing from homes, the South African Government announced that the asbestos eradication program had begun, with work on properties in the Fezile Dabi region in the Free State. Minister of Human Settlements Mmamoloko Kubayi issued a public promise to ensure the completion of this three-year national project. This initiative has been beset by charges of corruption and misappropriation by provincial and national political figures. The trial of former ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule and others has been scheduled to begin in April, 2024 in the Free State High Court. See: Programme to remove all asbestos roofs begins.
Asbestos Audit in Sardinia
Nov 6, 2023
The Italian municipality of Porto Torres, in north-west Sardinia has begun work on an asbestos audit of buildings owned by the city. According to officials, this initiative was launched to protect the health of members of the public as well as that of workers. The new survey follows on from a 2015 Regional Council Resolution that laid the groundwork for a series of measures needed in order to safeguard citizens from asbestos exposures. See: Porto Torres, amianto negli edifici comunali: via al censimento [Porto Torres, asbestos in municipal buildings: census kicks off].
Remembering Bob Dickie
Nov 6, 2023
The October 17, 2023 death of trade unionist, shipyard worker and asbestos victims’ supporter Bob Dickie was announced last week in Glasgow. An influential trade unionist, Bob had acted as the Chairperson of the Glasgow-based Clydebank Asbestos Group for over 20 years. In this capacity, he had played a front-line role in campaigns to improve government benefits for and secure the rights of Scottish asbestos victims, many of whom had also worked at the shipyards. He worked collaboratively with asbestos groups throughout the UK and was, said John Flanagan from the Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group, pivotal in setting up the Liverpool group in 1993. See: MSP pays tribute to ‘key player’ in 1971 shipyard ‘work-in’.
Selling Orenburg Asbestos
Nov 6, 2023
Even in wartime, Russian asbestos stakeholders continue efforts to sell asbestos abroad. Since 2016, China’s annual expenditure on Russian asbestos grew by 93% from US$28 to ~54 million. In 2022, the import of ~174,000 tonnes of Russian asbestos accounted for nearly 2/3 of all the asbestos consumed in China. The Orenburg Region, home to Russia’s largest asbestos mining conglomerate, recently announced plans to take part in a bilateral Russia–China meeting in Nanchang, China to discuss ways to increase trade between the two countries. Orenburg’s biggest export to China is asbestos. See: Оренбуржье примет участие в X совете "Волга-Янцзы" [Orenburg Region will take part in the X Volga–Yangtze Council].
Asbestos Ban on Track!
Nov 3, 2023
An article uploaded on November 2, 2023, reported that the Cambodian Government had confirmed its intention to ban asbestos in 2025 during discussions at a workshop in Phnom Penh this week. The event – which was organized by the Cambodian Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, and Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) – was attended by representatives of 11 Ministries, employer organisations, trade unions and civil society groups. International as well as Cambodian experts addressed the meeting; the need for the implementation of mandatory protocols to protect workers and members of the public was considered. See: Workshop stresses need to ban asbestos by 2025.
Asbestos Legacy Lives On
Nov 3, 2023
An article which was published on October 30, 2023 in a major English-language Canadian newspaper considered the legacy of Quebec’s asbestos exports to India, the world’s largest asbestos-importing country. Although Canada no longer mines asbestos, “Canada has … had an outsized effect on Indian policy. Arguments Ottawa once made to defend the asbestos industry are still cited by Indian lawmakers.” In the face of India’s powerful asbestos lobby, the devastation caused by asbestos exposures is slowly emerging. According to Dr Raja Singh, the “continued asbestos use in India will cause health problems for decades.” See [subscription site]: Five years after Canada banned asbestos, industry clings on in India despite health concerns.
Progressing Asbestos Victims’ Rights
Nov 3, 2023
Amendments proposed to the French National Assembly by MP Didier Le Gac during discussions on the Social Security budget on October 30, 2023 were approved. These amendments included measures to: increase the uptake of compensation as provided by the Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund; reinstate the rights of some pensioners and seafarers to access supplemental benefits; protect victims’ right to obtain the full amount of compensation regardless of findings of “inexcusable fault” by employers. See: Victimes de l’amiante: le député Didier Le Gac obtient des avancées [Asbestos victims: MP Didier Le Gac achieves progress].
Asbestos Compensation in San Lazzaro
Nov 3, 2023
The municipality of San Lazzaro in the Northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna last week progressed budgetary discussions to pay compensation of €400,000 (US$422,600), as per an order of the Court of Reggio, to the family of a construction worker who had died from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma following toxic workplace exposures. See: Comune condannato per l’amianto. Morì di mesotelioma al San Lazzaro. Eredi risarciti con 400mila euro [Municipality condemned over asbestos. Death from mesothelioma in San Lazzaro. Heirs compensated with 400 thousand euros].
MAVSG’s 30th Anniversary!
Nov 3, 2023
On October 27, 2023, officials, volunteers and supporters of the Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group (MAVSG) gathered to celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of the UK’s oldest charities supporting asbestos victims and their families. Remembering many of the people who had helped establish MAVSG, Support Officer John Flanagan had the pleasant task of presenting a cheque for £2,540 to Professor Judy Coulson from Liverpool University to help fund research into improved treatments for mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. See: Asbestos disease victims mark 30 years of fighting for sufferers & their families.
Asbestos Alert
Nov 3, 2023
Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency – an independent watchdog tasked with improving asbestos protections at work as well as at home throughout the country – warned Australians to maintain a high level of caution over exposures to asbestos-containing products within the built and natural environment. In a recent communique, the Agency’s CEO Justine Ross said that even though 80% of Australians were aware of the deadly asbestos hazard “the danger from asbestos is far from over.” See: Asbestos disease danger ‘far from over,’ says watchdog.
Asbestos Ban Confirmed
Oct 30, 2023
In a recent paper by the Asia Development Bank (ADB), the use of asbestos-containing products was banned in all ADB-funded projects. The new restriction appeared on pages 23-24 of the Environmental and Social Framework: “financing production of, or trade in, or use of asbestos fibers is fully prohibited under the new policy. This is a change from the current SPS [Safeguard Policy Statement], which allows the use of bonded asbestos cement sheeting with asbestos content of less than 20%. This prohibition does not apply to projects involving disposal of existing asbestos, provided a suitable asbestos management plan is adopted for disposal…” See: Working Paper. Environmental and Social Framework. October 2023.
Eradicating Environmental Asbestos Hazard
Oct 30, 2023
According to information released this month by officials from Goheung County, in one of the areas in the southernmost part of the Korean peninsula, progress is being made in the safe disposal of asbestos-cement roofing waste as per terms stipulated in the Waste Management Act. “We have,” said a press release “secured 4,400 million won (US$3.2m) in the estimated budget to deal with the discarded waste tiles… we will do our best to protect the health of the people of the county from asbestos-containing roofing and create a comfortable living environment.” See: 고흥군, 1급 발암물질 석면 함유 폐슬레이트 추가 처리 [Goheung County further treats waste slate containing asbestos, a class 1 carcinogen].
Safeguarding Construction Workers
Oct 30, 2023
Between October 30 and November 3, 2023, officials from WorkSafe, New South Wales (NSW) plan to inspect construction sites in the state to insure that mandatory standards are being observed, including those which prevent workplace exposures to asbestos: “Asbestos could be present in many different forms on a construction site, including cement pipes, pits and insulation coatings on pipelines … Asbestos related diseases are preventable, and inspectors will be reminding tradies to exercise extreme caution when working on homes or buildings built before the late 1980s as they may contain asbestos.” See: Construction blitz to target falls from height and asbestos.
Calls for Asbestos Eradication
Oct 30, 2023
Kenyan MP Ibrahim Abdi last week petitioned the National Assembly on behalf of his constituents who are calling for government action on the hazard posed by the presence of asbestos roofing in their area. According to residents from Wajir North, a constituency in the northeast of the country, as exposure to asbestos can cause cancer, the toxic roofing should be replaced with asbestos-free roofing such as that made from galvanized iron sheets. In their request to the government, the petitioners wrote: “Despite the ban on the use of asbestos in Kenya in 2006, and the associated increase in cancer cases, the material is still in use in many parts of the country.” See: Remove all asbestos roofs, petitioners ask State.
Growing Support for Asbestos Ban
Oct 30, 2023
A week ago, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander – a trustee of the New York City Fire Pension Fund and the New York City Police Pension Fund – denounced the continued use of asbestos by the Occidental Chemical Corporation (OxyChem), the only US company to still import asbestos for use in the chlor-alkali industry. As of September 1, 2023, the pension companies mentioned above collectively owned $61 million worth of shares of Occidental Petroleum, OxyChem’s parent company. According to Lander, OxyChem is opposed to an asbestos phase-out even though other US chlor-alkali companies are engaged in the transition to asbestos-free technology. See: NYC Comptroller Urges OxyChem to Stop Importing Asbestos.
Asbestos Awareness for Pupils
Oct 30, 2023
Because of the ubiquity of asbestos-containing products throughout the educational infrastructure in South Korea, a program was developed to explain to children, in an age-appropriate manner, the hazards of asbestos exposure and how such hazards were being managed. Both online and paper resources were developed by a coalition of civil society groups, “to improve the understanding of asbestos among children and adolescents.” See: 전국지역아동센터협의회, 아동 '석면이란?' 교육 영상 배포 [ Distribution of Educational Videos. National Council of Regional Children's Centers Distributes Children's “What Is Asbestos?”].
Increased Occupational Asbestos Protection
Oct 26, 2023
An October 23, 2023 press release from the European Council announced that the Council had adopted stricter occupational asbestos exposure regulations, which updated existing rules in accordance with the latest scientific and technological developments. Under the new rules, current asbestos exposure limits at workplaces will be lowered and the use of improved monitoring methods will become mandatory. Considering the ubiquity of asbestos material within Europe’s built environment and the EU’s goal to renovate millions of buildings by 2030, these new measures will safeguard the lives of millions of workers. EU members have 2 years to incorporate provisions of the directive into their legislation. See: Protection from asbestos at work: Council votes to reduce exposure limits.
Asbestos Propagandists Show of Support
Oct 26, 2023
On October 25, 2023, a delegation of pro-asbestos dignitaries – including Governor Ronaldo Caiado and members of the “Goiás Chrysotile Caucus” – will arrive in Minaçu, in the asbestos mining State of Goiás, to show support for the asbestos industry and voice opposition to plans to interdict mining operations in Minaçu. A Supreme Court (STF) judgment scheduled to be handed down in November could end the state exemption – deemed to be unconstitutional – which allowed mining to continue despite a 2017 STF asbestos ban. See: Comitiva que chega a Minaçu nesta quarta-feira, 25, demonstra força política [Delegation that will arrive in Minaçu this Wednesday, 25th, demonstrates political strength].
Mesothelioma in Younger Cohort
Oct 26, 2023
The results of research by Italian scientists who analyzed the incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in young people were published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal about the health hazards of workplace exposures and practices. Among the conclusions of the paper were the following: “Paraoccupational and environmental exposures to asbestos have been found more frequent in young MM cases… Clusters of mesothelioma incident cases in young people are a significant signal of a potential non-occupational exposure to asbestos.” See [subscription site]: Incidence of mesothelioma in young people and causal exposure to asbestos in the Italian national mesothelioma registry (ReNaM).
Threat to Asbestos Victims Postponed?
Oct 26, 2023
Plans by the French Government which would have reduced compensation payouts to occupational disease victims whose injuries had been caused by the “inexcusable fault” of former employers have been scrapped after opposition by asbestos victims’ groups and trade unions. The Government U-turn was announced on October 18, 2023 by Minister of Labor Olivier Dussopt. The Government will, said the Minister, hold “new discussions” with employer and employee organizations to find an equitable way forward. See [subscription site]: Indemnisation des accidents du travail: le rétropédalage du gouvernement [Worker’s compensation: government backpedaling].
Reducing Lung Cancer Risk
Oct 26, 2023
In Vietnam, medical professionals are working to reduce the number of deaths from lung cancer. The article cited below from a Vietnam news portal, warned that exposures to environmental factors such as asbestos, as well as a history of smoking, could cause lung cancer. Citizens were advised that to minimize their risk of lung cancer they should: stop smoking, avoid passive smoking and take action to prevent exposures to asbestos, arsenic, chromium, nickel and soot. Asbestos use remains legal in Vietnam with consumption between 2020 and 2022 averaging ~31,000 tonnes. See: Giảm nguy cơ ung thư phổi với 5 thói quen đơn giản sau [Reduce your risk of lung cancer with these 5 simple habits].
No Improvement in UK Asbestos Policy
Oct 26, 2023
On October 20, 2023, the UK Government uploaded its response to an e-petition calling for a central asbestos register and the phased removal of asbestos from the built environment which had been signed by more than 10,000 people. Rejecting the demands made by the petitioners, the response of the UK petitions Committee was terse: “the Committee noted the response to this petition.” See: Decisions of the Petitions Committee, October 17, 2023.
Asbestos Ban NOW in Force
Oct 23, 2023
On October 1, 2023, two pieces of legislation came into effect in Ukraine which banned the use of asbestos throughout the country and mandated protections for workers exposed to asbestos products already in place.
See: ЗАКОН УКРАЇНИ: Про систему громадського здоров’я [The Law of Ukraine: About the public health system].
МІНІСТЕРСТВО ОХОРОНИ ЗДОРОВ'Я УКРАЇНИ: Про затвердження Державних санітарних норм і правил "Про безпеку і захист працівників від шкідливого впливу азбесту та матеріалів і виробів, що містять азбест" [Ukraine Ministry of Health: On the safety and protection of workers from the harmful effects of asbestos and materials and products containing asbestos].
Asbestos on the Agenda in Bologna
Oct 23, 2023
On October 22-25, 2023, a conference in Bologna, Italy, held under the auspices of the Collegium Ramazzini, will consider a wide range of topical subjects including asbestos. Amongst the eminent speakers who will make asbestos presentations during the conference are Fernanda Giannasi and Henrique CS Silveira (Brazil), Arthur Frank, Barry Castleman, Steven Markowitz (USA), Corrado Magnani and Alessandro Marinaccio (Italy) and Xaver Baur (Germany). From the Collegium’s website, it appears that the sessions can be accessed online. See: Environment, Work and Health in the 21st Century: Strategies and Solutions to a Global Crisis.
Asbestos Concerns Close Classrooms
Oct 23, 2023
Grade 5 children at a primary school in Soweto, South Africa are currently studying in vastly overcrowded conditions. Earlier this month, a health inspector locked multiple classrooms at the Lukholweni Primary School Orlando East which were found to contain asbestos. The students were distributed as necessary with 130 Grade 5 students in one classroom and 115 Grade 6 pupils in a container-classroom. Grade 1 students were taught in an outside tent. This school is just one of 29 in Gauteng Province which are known to contain asbestos. See: Mayhem at schools built with asbestos material.
Laryngeal and Ovarian Cancers
Oct 23, 2023
On October 14, 2023, a decree was published in the Official Journal of the French State which recognized that laryngeal and ovarian cancers caused by occupational asbestos inhalation had become compensable diseases. The decree “creates for the general Social Security system a table of occupational diseases, relating to larynx and ovarian cancers caused by the inhalation of asbestos dust.” Requests for compensation from eligible workers should be submitted to their primary health insurance fund. See: Les cancers du larynx et de l’ovaire provoqués par l’amiante reconnus en maladie professionnelle [Laryngeal and ovarian cancers caused by asbestos recognized as occupational diseases].
Remembering the Asbestos Dead
Oct 23, 2023
On October 16, 2023, a memorial paying tribute to personnel from the British Armed Forces who had died from diseases caused by exposures to asbestos during their military service was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The sculpture, which weighs three tonnes and is three meters tall, was commissioned by Mesothelioma UK and is made up of more than “60 carved stone blocks representing the building blocks of life and public service.” The artist who created the work was Graeme Mitcheson. See: Memorial sculpture honouring mesothelioma patients in the Armed Forces to be unveiled at National Memorial Arboretum.
Asbestos in Mont Blanc Tunnel
Oct 23, 2023
The Mont Blanc tunnel which connects France and Italy will be closed for nine weeks – until December 18, 2023 – to allow routine maintenance work as well as repairs to the ventilation system to be carried out. As workers must take samples from a part of the tunnel’s ceiling that contains asbestos, the whole tunnel must be closed throughout the sampling and removal work. Once those tasks have been completed, the tunnel’s ventilation turbines will be replaced. This is the tunnel’s longest period of closure since it was reopened in 2002 following the fire of March 24, 1999 which caused 39 deaths. See: Mont Blanc tunnel closes for maintenance works for two months.
Increasing Medical Asbestos Awareness
Oct 19, 2023
An International Conference on Asbestos-Related Diseases in Mongolia, organized by a Korean World Health Organization Collaborating Center, was held at a medical center in Seoul, Korea. Starting this year, staff at St. Mary’s Hospital have worked with members of the medical team of Professor Morimoto of the Japan University of Industrial Medicine to run capacity-building training sessions on occupational and environmental asbestos exposures and the incidence of related diseases for Mongolian medical staff. See: 서울성모병원 직업환경의학센터, 몽골서 석면 질환 국제컨퍼런스 진행 [Seoul St. Mary's Hospital Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center Conducts International Conference on Asbestos Disease in Mongolia].
Logistical Developments Boost Exports
Oct 19, 2023
The article cited below marked the 10th anniversary of the opening of new, improved transport links in China which connected Chinese hubs to 30+ countries including Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Thailand and Vietnam. The expedited delivery routes increased exports from China of multiple types of cargo, including raw asbestos fiber. In 2022, China was the world’s fourth largest asbestos-producing country – with an output of 130,000 tonnes (t) – and the 2nd largest consumer – with usage of 261,000t. In 2022, China imported ~174,000t of Russian asbestos. See: 「十年」兰州陆港国际货运班列通江达海 [“Ten Years” Lanzhou Dry Port International Freight Train Connects Rivers and Seas].
A Tragic Asbestos Legacy
Oct 19, 2023
Officials in the South Korean County of Hongseong called for an “expansion of the asbestos victims’ health care service project” in recognition of the fact that the county had the highest number of asbestos victims in South Korea. According to Jang Jae-seok, a member of the Hongseong County Council, 10 of Korea’s 38 asbestos mines were in Hongseong. Many of Hongseong’s asbestos victims are elderly and find it difficult to access medical resources outside their localities. See: "석면 피해자 최다 발생 홍성... 실질 지원방안 마련해야" [“The highest number of asbestos victims is in Hongseong... We need to come up with a real support plan”].
Legal Victory for Saint-Gobain Workers
Oct 19, 2023
At a public meeting held on October 19, 2023, workers who had been exposed to asbestos whilst employed at facilities in the Thourotte Commune in northern France were informed of a legal victory which secured compensation for 37 former Saint-Gobain employees who had developed a condition commonly referred to as asbestos anxiety. In 2019, 107 other cases had also been won. See: Thourotte. Amiante à Saint-Gobain: Nouvelle victoire pour 37 salariés… en attendant une nouvelle salve de dossiers [Thourotte. Asbestos at Saint-Gobain: Another victory for 37 employees... Waiting for a new round of files].
Mesothelioma from Shipyard Exposures
Oct 19, 2023
This week, a court in Trieste, Italy sentenced the company Fincantieri to pay damages of €869,000 (US$919,440) to the family of Alfio Derin, who died as a result of asbestos exposures experienced in the company’s Adriatic shipyards. Mr. Derin was diagnosed with mesothelioma in March 2017 by doctors at the Cattinara Hospital in Trieste. See: Amianto killer in Fincantieri: il Tribunale condanna l’industria navalmeccanica per la morte dell’operaio Alfio Derin [Killer asbestos in Fincantieri: the Court condemns the shipbuilding industry for the death of the worker Alfio Derin].
Alert Over Use of Baby Powder
Oct 19, 2023
An article in the French-language weekly women's magazine called Femme Actuelle considered the pros and cons of using baby powder on infants. Having explained the continuing scandal over the presence of asbestos fibers in such products, the author cited damning evidence from Pakistan, the US and Canada before agreeing with advice dispensed by the French health insurance agency warning against the use of talc for the care of babies. It was suggested that “diaper cream, or a paste containing zinc oxide” were safer options to prevent nappy rash. See: Talc pour la toilette de bébé: bonne ou mauvaise idée? [Talcum powder for baby grooming: good or bad idea?].
Asbestos Autumn Offensive
Oct 17, 2023
Although the number of asbestos propaganda pieces such as the one cited below seemed to have diminished since the latest phase of Russia’s war on Ukraine began, the latest such text rehashed old industry tropes including the fact that Russian chrysotile (white) asbestos was harmless to human health as fibers were “excreted from the human body in a short time.” Anti-asbestos rhetoric circulated by Western vested interests was unproven, said the author, who promoted Russian research and experience which “proved” that it was safe to use chrysotile asbestos in automotive, building and other products. See: АСБЕСТ: ПОЛЬЗА ИЛИ СМЕРТЕЛЬНЫЙ ВРЕД? [ASBESTOS: BENEFICIAL OR DEADLY HARM?].
Subsidizing Asbestos Removal Costs
Oct 17, 2023
On October 12, 2023, a contract was signed by the Busan Environmental Corporation with Rotary International District 3661, under which plans were agreed to provide subsidies for low-income families in Korea’s 2nd biggest city to help them bear the costs of the removal and replacement of toxic asbestos roofing. In 2018, the two organizations provided a total of 1,400 million won (US$1m) to 2,000 low-income households. This year, a subsidy of 3,661 million won (US$2.7m) will be made available to replace asbestos roofs for vulnerable groups. See: 부산환경공단·국제로타리 3661지구, 저소득층 가정 슬레이트 철거비용 지원 [Busan Environmental Corporation, Rotary International District 3661 to help low-income families with slate removal costs].
Court Victory for Firefighter’s Family
Oct 17, 2023
On October 12, 2023, a sentence handed down last month by the Court of Reggio Calabria awarding compensation of €1,276,000 (US$1.35m) to the family of a deceased firefighter became final. According to the family’s lawyer, the deceased started work in 1973 at the of Reggio Calabria fire brigade central command, where he “had used asbestos sheets and blankets in fires of cars, cylinders, country sheds … The killer fiber was in the gloves and overalls he used to defend himself from the flames.” The cause of death was mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. See: Amianto nella tuta, 1,2 milioni a famiglia vigile del fuoco [Asbestos lawsuit, 1.2 million for the firefighter’s family].
Protecting Workers from Dust Diseases
Oct 17, 2023
A press release issued on October 13, 2023 by the Minister for Industrial Relations and the Minister for Work Health and Safety of the Australian State of New South Wales (NSW) announced increased penalties and better protection for workers from occupational exposures to asbestos as well as silica and dust. Among the provisions and new powers included in the laws are amendments enabling the NSW work health and safety regulator – Empower SafeWork – to issue a “prohibited asbestos notice, to direct people and employers to take safety measures to remove and manage asbestos in the workplace.” See: New laws bring tougher penalties, longer imprisonment and better protections for dust diseases.
Asbestos-Free Green Technology
Oct 17, 2023
The article cited below was uploaded to a Vietnamese construction news portal on October 13, 2023. Although it didn’t say the text was contributed by the building products conglomerate Saint Gobain Vietnam, it certainly read as if it were. The author highlighted the increasing support by the Vietnam Government of green and sustainable technologies; the introduction of the asbestos-free product range – DURAflex fiber cement panels – by Saint Gobain, a manufacturer of asbestos-cement building material, promoted, it was claimed, Vietnam’s green building agenda. See: Vật liệu xanh – Giải pháp tối ưu cho sự phát triển bền vững [Green materials – The optimal solution for sustainable development].
Asbestos at the Park
Oct 17, 2023
An asbestos audit of the building site for the Incheon Wonsin Neighborhood Park, located in the Seo-gu district of the South Korean city of Incheon, found pieces of asbestos-cement (AC) debris and asbestos fibers in the grass and soil. The AC debris contained up to 10% asbestos fiber. The Western Youth Training Center was located next to the construction site. Construction began on the park project in May 2023; after excavation work began in September, asbestos was found in the soil. An official for the district confirmed that the results of a soil survey are awaited. See: 인천지역 청소년시설 코앞에 ‘석면 흙가루’ 풀풀 [‘Asbestos dust grass’ pool in front of Incheon youth facility].
Long Wait for Compensation
Oct 16, 2023
After a wait of 24 years the Italian widow of a railway repair yard worker, who died in 1999 from asbestos-related lung cancer, was awarded €300,000 (US$316,655) by Judge Alfonsina Manfredini from the Labor Section of the Court of Lucca. The Judge rejected the argument by the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work that the case had been barred because the statue of limitations had expired. Included in the compensation package was a lump sum for the funeral arrangements, a backdated annuity and monthly pension for the widow. See: Morì per un carcinoma, risarcimento dopo 24 anni [He died of carcinoma, compensation after 24 years].
Prison Sentence for Asbestos Crime
Oct 16, 2023
On October 10, 2023, a federal court in Las Vegas, Nevada ruled that contractors Rene Morales and Hector Vasquez were guilty of violating the Clean Air Act by failing to implement asbestos protections during renovation work to convert a warehouse into a marijuana facility. Under their supervision, asbestos-containing drywall material and ceiling coatings were removed without following mandatory abatement measures and guidelines. Both men pleaded guilty; they each received sentences of six months. Commenting on the verdict, US Attorney Jason Frierson said: “These crimes endanger the lives of workers, tenants, and the community at large.” See: Las Vegas contractors imprisoned for reckless asbestos release during warehouse renovation.
Belfast Court Issues Victim’s Verdict
Oct 16, 2023
On October 12, 2023, the Court of Appeal ruled that a 72-year-old Belfast man who contracted an asbestos-related condition after exposure to asbestos dust brought home on work clothes worn by his father – who had worked as a pipe lagger at the Harland & Wolff (H&W) shipyard – was entitled to compensation from H&W. Allowing the appeal, Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan instructed the parties to negotiate an appropriate payout, saying it should be “a relatively simple exercise to establish moderate provisional damages for the development of pleural plaques by this appellant.” See: Belfast man entitled to damages over asbestos-related condition linked to father’s work at Harland & Wolff.
Specialist Support for Schools
Oct 16, 2023
Authorities in Korea take the issue of asbestos very seriously and have strict regulations regarding the management of asbestos in schools. The Education Support Agency in Seongnam, a satellite city of the country’s capital, announced last week that it had signed a risk assessment and maintenance service contract with the Korea Asbestos Environment Research Institute, which will take over responsibility for supervising asbestos material in schools and provide professional management of affected premises. See: 성남교육지원청, 학교석면 위해성평가 및 유지보수 용역 실시 [Seongnam Education Support Agency, school asbestos risk assessment and maintenance service].
Remembering Casale Monferrato
Oct 16, 2023
The picturesque Piedmontese town of Casale Monferrato, which was at the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos catastrophe, was the subject of the article cited below. The deadly repercussions of almost 80 years of asbestos-cement manufacturing continue to blight this municipality. Workplace and environmental asbestos exposures produced a high incidence of asbestos cancers and diseases amongst Casale workers and residents. Trials to hold company owners, directors and managers to account for thousands of asbestos deaths continue to this day. See: Casale Monferrato, Eternit e produzione di amianto: tra i più grandi disastri ambientali in Italia [Casale Monferrato, Eternit and asbestos production: among the biggest environmental disasters in Italy].
Protecting Children in Safe Schools
Oct 16, 2023
On October 11, 2023, the Office of Education in the Korean Province of Gyeonggi announced a new program to created “safe schools, schools that prepare for the future.” Amongst the work which will be undertaken under this initiative, for which 1.5 trillion won (US$1.1bn) has been allocated every year, is the completion of work to remove asbestos from schools. Since 2016, the Province has been eradicating the asbestos hazard from schools; as a result of steady progress, the provincial education department plans to complete the project one year early. The modernizing of schools will create more than 20,000 jobs. See: 경기도교육청, 학교시설 개선에 매년 1조5천억원 투입 [Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education invests 1.5 trillion won annually to improve school facilities].
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 13, 2023
A deadline of 2027 has been set by the Office of Education supervising the western part of the Korean city of Daejeon for the eradication of the asbestos hazard from 57 schools, with spokesperson Chae Hong pledging that: “We will do our best to complete the asbestos dismantling and removal work safely during the summer vacation period so that we can provide a comfortable and safe educational environment for students.” To date, 8.3 billion won (US$6.2m) had been spent to decontaminate six schools in the district. A further 3.2 billion won (US$2.4m) has been allocated for work at 2 more schools during the winter vacation 2023/24. See: 대전서부교육지원청,'석면 없는 청정 학교 조성' [Daejeon West Education Support Agency, ‘Creation of Asbestos-Free and Clean Schools’].
Mesothelioma Drug Approval
Oct 13, 2023
The US Food and Drug Administration awarded the cancer vaccine Ultimovacs, designed “to induce an immune response against the cancer cell proliferation enzyme telomerase (hTERT) in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma,” an orphan drug designation. This decision was taken based on the initial results of a Phase II randomized, open-label clinical trial organized by Oslo University Hospital and conducted in Norway, Spain, Australia, Denmark, and Sweden. The orphan drug status qualifies sponsors for multiple incentives including tax credits, fee exemptions and market exclusivity. See: Ultimovacs bags orphan drug tag for mesothelioma vaccine.
Asbestos Issues in Calabria
Oct 13, 2023
The article cited below deplored the lack of progress being made in Italy in decontaminating the built and natural environment. Whilst this problem is a national disgrace, the situation in Calabria is particularly bad. The Regional Plan for Asbestos in Calabria (PRAC) – which provides a regional census and mapping of asbestos hotspots – should have been approved by May 2022; it wasn’t. The PRAC is a prerequisite for accessing reclamation funds from the Ministry of the Environment. Politicians in Calabria blame the lack of progress on the Covid-19 pandemic. See: Amianto: persi i fondi della bonifica [Asbestos: reclamation funds lost].
Post-fire Asbestos Hazard
Oct 13, 2023
The fallout from a fire which destroyed two disused buildings in the French town of Rouen on October 1, 2023, continues to make front page news. Pursuant to a ruling issued by Rouen city hall, facilities at the Pépinières School Group will be closed until further notice. Sampling at the school site, which is near to the destroyed buildings, detected the presence of chrysotile (white) asbestos fibers in 8 out of 20 samples taken indoors and outdoors. See: Incendie à Rouen : une école fermée « jusqu’à nouvel ordre », de l’amiante détectée [Fire in Rouen: a school closed “until further notice,” asbestos detected].
Asbestos Eradication Program Begins
Oct 13, 2023
Work has begun in the southwestern part of the Caribbean island of St Lucia to replace 60-year old asbestos roofing on government-owned housing on Palmist and Market Road, under the auspices of the Department of Housing and Local Government and the Ministry of Health. The asbestos roofing will be replaced with galvanized sheeting. The work will be undertaken by local contractor Matthew Nelson under strict supervision by government and local officials. See: Palmist & Market Road residents to get asbestos roofing replaced.
Asbestos Replacement in KZN
Oct 13, 2023
Officials in South Africa’s Msunduzi Municipality announced plans to replace storm-damaged asbestos roofing from houses in Ward 34; houses in other Wards were also affected. According to an official report: “The people of these wards have been waiting for almost a year for the repair of the storm damage and this (replacement) forms part of Msunduzi and the Department of Human Settlement’s response to storm damage. All asbestos waste would need to be disposed of on sites specifically designated for this purpose in terms of the Environmental Conservation Act, 19 1989 and the National Environmental Management Waste Act of 2008.” A funding application to cover this work was submitted to the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Human Settlements. See: City to tackle asbestos.
Asbestos in Shipbreaking Yards
Oct 12, 2023
Shipbreaking yards in Bangladesh are thriving, due to the cheap prices they charge for the scrapping of redundant ships. With no protective equipment and little attention paid to health and safety, barefoot workers are routinely exposed to dangerous conditions and substances such as asbestos. The results of medical tests undertaken on shipbreaking workers by personnel from the OSHE Foundation found that of 110 shipbreaking workers examined, 33 had “varying degrees of lung damage… [and] three have died, while the others live in misery.” See: Cost of cheap steel: European ships, Bangladeshi lives - tragic tale unveiled.
Unions Act on Asbestos Hazard
Oct 12, 2023
A press release issued on October 10, 2023 by a coalition of UK trade unions called for a 40-year deadline for the removal of all asbestos from public buildings. The unions, which collectively represent 4 million workers, called on the leaders of the Conservative, Green, Labour and the Liberal Democrat parties to include a phased asbestos eradication policy in their manifestos for the next general election. “Asbestos exposure is,” the unions wrote “still the biggest cause of work-related deaths in Britain. Around 5,000 people are dying each year from asbestos cancers linked to work exposure, including from mesothelioma.” See: Union leaders call for an end to deadly asbestos legacy.
Asbestos Exposures in Aliağa
Oct 12, 2023
Footage shot at a Turkish shipbreaking yard in January 2023 was shown to three asbestos experts who agreed that the working practices shown were not compliant with EU standards. None of the workers had proper protective clothing or equipment; there was no containment tent or decontamination procedures and no safety supervisor. Unsafe working practices not only exposed the operatives to asbestos but also sent fibers into the environment where they could contaminate people in communities in close proximity to the Kılıçlar shipbreaking yard in Aliağa. The evidence collected documented multiple failures of the EU Directorate-General Environment’s approval process for shipbreaking facilities. See: Shipbroken: EU inspectors ignore lethal practices at Turkish shipyards.
Asbestos at Nursery School
Oct 12, 2023
On October 10, 2023, Niigata City announced that work it had ordered to be undertaken at Urushiyama Higashi Nursery School may have liberated asbestos fibers. The renovations, which were carried out while the kindergarten was open, necessitated the removal of paint on an exterior wall of the premises. A report on this work concluded that asbestos fibers may have become airborne as a result of this work. Once this was known, the children were relocated to another venue as an investigation was carried out. See: 保育園の外壁工事でアスベストが園内廊下に飛散した可能性 新潟市発注工事《新潟》 [Asbestos may have been scattered into the hallway of nursery school due to construction work on exterior walls].
Promises and Propaganda at Meeting
Oct 12, 2023
At a national conference on occupational health and safety in Victoria Falls last week, ministers pledged that the Zimbabwe Government would prioritize improvements of workplace conditions as it implements the National Development Strategy 1 2021-2025. Addressing the conference, July Moyo, Public Service, Social and Welfare Minister, said: “I want to reaffirm Government’s commitment to addressing OSH issues as we strive to achieve the upper middle-income society as a nation by 2030. Moyo also said that while “asbestos has serious dangerous effects in many countries, Zimbabwe is on the safe side as the local asbestos is the non-dangerous long fibre.” See: Government wants a healthy environment for all workers.
Two-year Wait for FIVA Compensation
Oct 12, 2023
As a result of an intervention by the RMC program on news channel BFM, a cancer sufferer who had been exposed to asbestos at work received compensation from the French asbestos victims’ fund: FIVA. The wait for the payout had been stressful for the victim and his relatives. Expressing the family’s relief, the victim’s son said his father accepted: “a second offer of €72,000 (US$76,000) and €5,000 per quarter…Unfortunately, our father is at the end of his life. We know that our mom will be financially protected, that's what we wanted. It is a 100% recognition of an occupational disease.” See: "Un grand merci à votre émission": un ex-travailleur de l’amiante a enfin été indemnisé [“A big thank you for your support”: a former asbestos worker has finally been compensated].
Mesothelioma Epidemic: 2023 Update
Oct 9, 2023
The Japanese Government has admitted that the national epidemic of asbestos cancer is growing. According to the Ministry of the Environment, deaths will continue until 2051 at the earliest as the figures collected to date do not include deaths from workplace asbestos exposures experienced by asbestos removal or demolition workers. Data cited in articles such as the one below compared the national asbestos experiences of the UK and Japan and highlighted the repercussions of failures by the Japanese government to take timely action on the asbestos hazard. See: 「ほぼアスベストが原因」の中皮腫死、ついに3万人超過 「引き続き増加傾向」と国も認める [Mesothelioma deaths “always caused by asbestos” finally exceed 30,000. Goverment admits “trend is increasing”].
Asbestos at McGill
Oct 9, 2023
The asbestos scandal now unfolding at McGill University, an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, continues to grow. The release of The Internal Audit Final Report on September 18, 2023, showed that between 2021 and 2023 Quebec regulators intervened on three occasions over the use of unsafe asbestos protocols on the Macdonald campus. Interviews with students, researchers and members of staff documented a high level of concern over exposures to asbestos which took place as a consequence of the university’s failures to adequately manage asbestos material. See: ‘I’ll be thinking about this all my life’: Students react to asbestos exposure at McGill.
Workers Should Obtain Health Care Cards
Oct 9, 2023
Members of Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries trade union held an outreach rally on October 4, 2023, urging workers who had experienced workplace exposures to toxic substances like asbestos to obtain a health care card. The card is available to current, retired, contracted as well as permanent workers and entitles holders to free, annual medical examinations under the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Early examinations facilitate early diagnoses of occupational cancer; as well as speeding up the provision of government benefits; early diagnoses means that more medical options could be explored for treatment and care of the injured. See: "조선소 석면 취급 노동자 건강관리카드 발급 받으세요" [“Get a shipyard asbestos handling worker health care card”].
Using the Law to Defraud Victims
Oct 9, 2023
The use of a financial stratagem – nicknamed The Texas Two-Step” – by US asbestos defendants to escape liabilities for causing injuries and deaths to tens of thousands of people was the subject of the article cited below. The text contained an interview with Amy DeMaio, the daughter of a deceased mesothelioma victim, who had been exposed to asbestos during his career as a construction worker. Ms. DeMaio was scandalized by the behaviour of defendant corporations which are abusing the bankruptcy system to escape accountability for their actions. See: ‘They made a huge profit knowing they’d kill people’: US firms use tactics to avoid paying asbestos victims.
Life is Cheap in the Shipbreaking Yards
Oct 9, 2023
Although there are international protocols forbidding the dumping of hazardous ships in developing countries, ships deemed no longer to be of use in the West are sold to cash buyers who circumvent regulations and dispose of the vessels for the best price. With no health and safety regulations in place and no equipment to protect workers, the shipbreaking yards of India and Bangladesh are doing a brisk trade. Asbestos is regarded in the yards as just another material: “in some cases, workers even remove the fibers surrounding the pipes or metal plates of boats with their bare hands.” See: L’ultimo viaggio [The last voyage].
Eradicating Asbestos in Reggio Emilia
Oct 9, 2023
A conference on October 11, 2023 in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia will consider the ongoing efforts to eradicate the asbestos hazard from the municipality and surrounding areas. The event is being organized jointly by the Reggio Emilia chapter of the Italian General Confederation of Labor (CGIL) and the local Association of Asbestos Families and Victims (AFeVA). On the agenda will be a discussion of the asbestos repercussions in the aftermath of the tornado and flood which hit the Emilia-Romagna region on July 22, 2023. See: Reggio Emilia ad Amianto Zero [Reggio Emilia with Zero Asbestos].
Increasing Asbestos Protections
Oct 6, 2023
On October 3, 2023, the European Parliament approved a proposal to increase workplace protection from asbestos by significantly lowering the occupational exposure limit (OEL) and mandating the use of more modern and accurate technology to detect the presence of thin asbestos fibers. Within a period of six years, EU member states will have to decide “to either decrease the [OEL] level to 0.002 fibres of asbestos per cm³ excluding thin fibres, or to 0.01 fibres of asbestos per cm³ including thin fibres.” See: Exposure to asbestos: MEPs adopt law to protect workers more robustly.
Asbestos Crimes and Punishment
Oct 6, 2023
On September 29, 2023, a fine of $60,000 was imposed by the Timaru District Court on the New Zealand firm of Wilson Building for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act by failing to follow safety guidelines whilst removing asbestos contained in pieces of vinyl flooring from a building in April 2021. “The company’s duty was,” said Judge Campbell Savage “to ensure, so far as reasonably practical, the health and safety of those required to carry out the physical work, and it had admitted failing to comply.” As a result of unsafe working practices, workers were exposed “to the risk of inhaling or ingesting an unknown quantity of ‘highly friable’ Class A asbestos fibres over a number of days.” See: Builder fined $60,000 for asbestos removal errors.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Failings
Oct 6, 2023
Voicing the concerns of his constituents Nermin Yıldırım Kara, Deputy to Turkey’s National Assembly representing the Province of Hatay, told the press that the failure to prioritize the protection of public health in the aftermath of the February 2023 earthquakes posed a deadly threat to the citizens in badly affected areas of southern Turkey: “In Hatay, citizens think that they have survived the earthquake, but they will face new disasters in 20-30 years because of asbestos.” A report by the Istanbul Branch of the Chamber of Environmental Engineers found asbestos in samples taken from living quarters, plant leaves and fruit surfaces, soil surfaces, and dust and insulation materials on the surfaces of vehicles. See: “Depremden kurtulduk, asbest yüzünden öleceğiz” [“We survived the earthquake, we will die because of asbestos”].
Future for Asbestos Giant
Oct 6, 2023
Some while ago, Brazil’s former asbestos giant – Eternit SA– followed the well-trodden path of North American asbestos companies and sought protection from its creditors by going into judicial administration, claiming that Brazil’s asbestos ban had jeopardized the company’s financial prospects. It has remained in judicial reorganization even though it has paid off all its debts. According to one financial analyst: “Despite the obstacles caused by the asbestos ban, Eternit has managed to reinvent itself…[and] undergone a remarkable turnaround, demonstrating substantial improvements in its situation.” See: Turnaround da Eternit (ETER3): Vale a Pena? [Eternit Turnaround (ETER3): Is It Worth It?].
Asbestos Anxiety in Belfort
Oct 6, 2023
On September 28, 2023, the first hearing took place at an administrative court in Besançon in a case brought on behalf of 200 former employees of the Alstom company in the city of Belfort in Northeastern France. The claimants, whose cases at the criminal court and industrial tribunal had failed, are now suing the French Government for failing to mandate timely occupational asbestos protections. Although they have not yet contracted asbestos-related diseases, the plaintiffs have all developed psychological conditions caused by asbestos anxiety. See: Amiante: le dernier combat de 200 salariés d'Alstom Belfort pour faire reconnaître leurs droits [Asbestos: the last fight of 200 Alstom Belfort employees to have their rights recognized].
Post-Fire Asbestos Relief
Oct 6, 2023
Two years after a catastrophic fire in Northern Evia, Greece, an international tender for the eradication of asbestos debris from damaged buildings was announced by the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy. Companies have until October 23, 2023 to submit their bids; the total budget of the project is €682,000 (US$717,000). The successful contractor will have one year to collect asbestos material from homes and private buildings of the Municipality of Mantoudi – Limni – Agia Anna in central Greece. See: Εύβοια: Δύο χρόνια μετά τις φωτιές ζουν με τον καμένο αμίαντο [Evia: Living with burnt asbestos two years after the fires].
No Russian Asbestos!
Oct 5, 2023
In an article on Sunday, October 1, 2023, it was reported that Turnall Holdings, one of Zimbabwe’s biggest construction materials manufacturers, had made new arrangements to replace asbestos fiber formerly supplied by Russia. Russian shipments of this raw material had ceased due to sanctions imposed by Western countries over the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Alternative suppliers will begin making deliveries as of September 2023, after which production was expected to resume as normal. See: Turnall Derives Alternatives to Source Asbestos Fibre.
Consumers Rejecting Asbestos Roofing
Oct 5, 2023
Results of a new survey undertaken in Vietnam – one of the world’s biggest asbestos consumers – show that the popularity of asbestos roofing is falling. In 2015, 58,000 tonnes of asbestos was imported; this figure fell to ~20,000 tonnes in 2019 with production of asbestos roofing decreasing from 118+ million square metres in 2015 to 28 million in 2019. The responses from people questioned suggest that the availability of safer, reasonably priced roofing material and the growing awareness of the asbestos hazard were behind the decline in consumer demand for asbestos roofing. See: Asbestos imports and roof sheet production drop 66% in Vietnam.
Government Rejects Asbestos Petition
Oct 5, 2023
The UK government has rejected a petition with more than 10,000 supporters demanding that a deadline be set for the eradication of the asbestos hazard from the built environment and the implementation of measures to set up an asbestos register recording the presence and condition of asbestos-containing products in buildings. According to the petition: “the most high-risk settings are schools and hospitals.” Continuing its head-in-the-sand policy, a government spokesperson said action would only be taken “if there is compelling evidence that the increase in exposure for workers removing asbestos is justified in terms of reduced risk to building users.” See: UK government rejects asbestos removal petition.
Mesothelioma: from Carers’ Perspective
Oct 5, 2023
A paper uploaded last week in an international journal reported the experiences of the carers of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) from France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Several key results of the research were presented, with the authors of the paper concluding that: “caregiving for patients with MPM involves a range of burdensome tasks that impact caregivers' emotional health and work…. Innovations in the management of MPM must account for how caregivers may be impacted and can be supported to carry out this important role.” See: Caregivers of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: who provides care, what care do they provide and what burden do they experience?
Asbestos in UK Naval Ships
Oct 5, 2023
The article cited below appeared in the Russian media. It reported on news contained in an article in The Times newspaper. As the original English article is behind a pay wall, we are citing the Russian article. According to James Cartlidge, the UK’s Minister of Defense: “Royal Navy frigates, destroyers and nuclear-armed submarines may all contain asbestos.” Included amongst the affected naval vessels are Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates, Duke minesweepers and one Astute-class submarine; asbestos is also present in 28 Wildcat helicopters. See: В Великобритании заявили о наличии ядовитого асбеста в кораблях ВМС [The presence of toxic asbestos in Navy ships has been reported in the UK].
Asbestos-related Lung Cancer, Jury Victory
Oct 5, 2023
It was announced on September 12, 2023, that a $38 million judgment had been awarded to a man suffering from asbestos-related lung cancer. A New York jury ruled that his disease had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos at construction demolition sites. Over a period of 20 years, the 66-year old plaintiff had done a lot of work on boilers and the defendant in this case – Burnham LLC, a US boiler company – was found 85% responsible for the injuries sustained. Fifteen per cent of the damages were deducted as the worker had a history of smoking. See: $38 Million Verdict for Smoker with Lung Cancer from Asbestos.
Toxic Shipbreaking on the Beaches
Oct 2, 2023
The insightful article cited below was uploaded on September 28, 2023 by Human Rights Watch. The text documented the deadly price paid by workers in Bangladesh’s shipbreaking yards who are routinely exposed to dangerous substances and unsafe conditions without even the most basic of protective equipment. One of the occupational hazards is asbestos. According to a report issued by the Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment Foundation (2017) more than one third of shipbreaking workers reported experiencing health complications from asbestos exposures. See: Trading Lives for Profit: How the Shipping Industry Circumvents Regulations to Scrap Toxic Ships on Bangladesh’s Beaches.
Asbestos on the McGill Campus
Oct 2, 2023
The third story in an ongoing series of articles about asbestos in The Tribune – a student newspaper at Canada’s McGill University – was uploaded on September 26, 2023. The article documented the fear and outrage of McGill students and staff members who spoke out at an Asbestos Town Hall meeting on September 22. “Some of us,” said PhD student Hiba Kamel “are traumatized. Some of us have actually interacted with the dust... It’s nothing short of criminal to not even tell people that ‘hey, this building has asbestos.’” Deep Saini, the Principal of McGill, admitted that there had been a “broad-scale process failure.” See: “Some of us are traumatized”: McGill student pleas over asbestos exposure.
New Mesothelioma Assessment Protocol?
Oct 2, 2023
The article cited below by Professor of Lung Cancer & Mesothelioma Daniel Murphy from Glasgow University included information about the occurrence and causation of mesothelioma and an update on progress by UK researchers into learning about the disease and how to treat mesothelioma patients. Murphy was hopeful that the development of “genetically engineered mouse models of Mesothelioma that combine controlled introduction of the same mutations that commonly arise in human Mesothelioma with a single injection of Asbestos to incorporate chronic inflammation in our models,” would help researchers “distinguish high risk from low risk of Mesothelioma development, enabling earlier treatment of high-risk patients than is currently possible…” See: The risk of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Initiative to Raise Mesothelioma Awareness
Oct 2, 2023
To spread awareness of Japan’s mesothelioma epidemic, the Tokyo-based NGO Mesothelioma, Pneumoconiosis, and Asbestos Center has set up a competition which will begin receiving applications from October 1. Entrants can submit their work under one of four categories: photos, essays, literary arts and research promotion. The pieces will be judged by their effectiveness in raising public awareness of the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Monetary prizes will be given to the successful competitors. See: アスベスト問題を未来の世代にもわかりやすく 写真や文芸に賞を創設 [Establishment of awards for photography and literature to make asbestos issues easier to understand for future generations].
Successful Ruling in Mesothelioma Case
Oct 2, 2023
Last week, Palermo’s Court of Appeal overturned the decision of a court in Marsala, Italy which had denied compensation to a mesothelioma widow. The Appeal Court ordered INAIL – Italy’s Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work – to pay €45,000 (US$48,000) for the 2020 death of the shipyard worker from Trapani, Sicily. See: Trapani, Mori per L’Amianto: L’INAIL Condannara a Risarcire I Familiari di un Operaio [Trapani, Died from Asbestos: INAIL Condemned to Compensate the Family members of a Worker].
Award for Council Training Program
Oct 2, 2023
On September 15, 2023, it was announced that a one-day training program for council employees to increase their ability to identify and manage asbestos had won an award from the government of the Australian State of New South Wales. The instruction included information on a variety of matters such as legislative, regulatory requirements, site risk assessment, identification, types of asbestos, PPE requirements and notification requirements. One of the designers of the course said that it: “better equips local government officers across the state with the basics so that they can quickly determine the safest course of action when they’re called out to an inspection or identify asbestos in waste materials and landfill.” See: Asbestos course for council workers wins training award.
Post-earthquake Asbestos Hazard
Sep 29, 2023
A 7+ minute video uploaded on September 25, 2023 to the website of a German public service broadcaster detailed the environmental disaster now being endured by survivors of the February earthquakes which devastated Turkish towns earlier this year. Investigations carried out in Hatay Province showed the presence of airborne asbestos near temporary camps providing shelter to the homeless. Building rubble dumped in waste sites near containers used for housing and near a high school was also found to contain asbestos as did samples collected from the car of the investigators. See: Turkey: Asbestos contamination could lead to many more deaths after the earthquake.
British Tanks Sent to Ukraine Toxic
Sep 29, 2023
Scores of Russian articles like the one cited below were uploaded on September 22/23, 2023 reporting news published in the British tabloid, the Daily Express, that 2,000 pieces of military equipment sent to Ukraine by Britain could contain asbestos. Amongst the contaminated items were Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior infantry fighting vehicles and Bulldog armored personnel carriers. See: СМИ узнали, какой ядовитый "сюрприз" зашит в британской технике, отправленной для ВСУ [The media found out what a poisonous “surprise” was incorporated within British equipment sent to the Armed Forces of Ukraine].
The Recife Charter
Sep 29, 2023
At a meeting of asbestos victims and experts which took place in the Brazilian city of Recife, in the State of Pernambuca earlier this month, participants issued a document called the “Recife Charter” which demanded that workers who had been exposed to asbestos by their employer be provided with the free medical care mandated by Brazilian Law 9,055/1995. Asbestos-injured employees and their family members said that the Brasilit/Saint-Gobain company in Pernambuco was not fulfilling this legal obligation, as a result of which the injured were not able to access medical care. See: Associação Pernambucana dos Expostos ao amianto (APEA) Carta de Recife [Pernambuca Association of those Exposed to Asbestos (APEA) Recife Charter].
Protecting Workers from Asbestos
Sep 29, 2023
A September 22, 2023 briefing uploaded by the European Parliament explained recent developments intended to improve asbestos protections for European workers; historic exposures to asbestos are responsible for 70,000 deaths of Europeans every year. A proposal to lower the mandatory occupational exposure limit for asbestos was approved by the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs on September 7, 2023. In October, there will be a vote on the first reading of the revised Directive. See: Protection of workers from asbestos at work briefing.
Asbestos Anxiety Compensation
Sep 29, 2023
On September 21, 2023, an asbestos victims’ group in Toulon received news from Frédéric Boccaletti, a member of the National Assembly representing the constituency of Var – home to seafarers who’d been exposed to asbestos at the shipyards of La Seyne-sur-Mer and the military arsenal. Boccaletti said the Minister of the Armed Forces had agreed to streamline the process for seafarers to obtain compensation for asbestos anxiety. As the current levels of compensation were insufficient, Boccaletti said, he planned to lobby the Minister for an increase. See: Marins exposés à l’amiante: une procédure assouplie monter un dossier d'indemnisation pour le préjudice moral d’anxiété [Seafarers exposed to asbestos: a relaxed procedure for preparing a compensation case for anxiety moral damage].
RAAC and Asbestos in Schools
Sep 29, 2023
The commentary cited below examined the double whammy posed to school users by the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and asbestos throughout the UK. Both substances were widely used from the 1950s through the 1990s so it is not uncommon to find that schools contain both. If a building collapses due to the deterioration of RAAC, the damage could very well liberate asbestos fibers into the air. “I believe,” wrote the author that “we should now be moving the debate firmly away from managing asbestos in school buildings to a proactive management approach of systematic removal – and this latest issue clearly demonstrates why.” See: Concrete closure fiasco is yet another reason asbestos has no place in our schools.
Asbestos Alert to Homeowners!
Sep 25, 2023
An article uploaded to a Kenyan news portal last week warned members of the public of the dangers posed by using potentially toxic building products in order to decrease the construction price of a new home. The author of the article cited below said that despite the fact that Kenya had banned the use of asbestos in 2006 – this fact remains unsubstantiated – the use of asbestos-cement roofing continued. When this material is disturbed it can release “fibers into the air. Exposure to air containing the fibers increases the risk of inhaling the fibers and developing the associated diseases…” See: Asbestos Roofing: Banned & Cancerous Material Kenyans Are Still Using.
Asbestos Trade Data 2023
Sep 25, 2023
New global trade data for the asbestos industry was uploaded in August 2023 to the website of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This data is best viewed as an indication of trends; as the raw data are sourced from national governments, the figures are not always reliable. Various points of interests included: global production increased in 2022 from 1.28m tonnes (t) in 2021 to 1.33mt with Russia still the biggest producer; five countries accounted for 85% of all asbestos consumed: India, China, Russia, Uzbekistan and Indonesia; consumption in Russia jumped by nearly 60% from 2021 to 2022 – it is not known whether this asbestos was used or warehoused due to difficulties with export shipments as a result of Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. See: USGS Global Asbestos Trade Data.
José Alberto Siqueira Ate Asbestos
Sep 25, 2023
A rather curious article was uploaded on September 19, 2023 to a news portal in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais; it told the tale of a truck driver who had ingested asbestos fibers after a traffic accident in 1987. When his truck overturned, eight tons of asbestos were scattered on the highway. To reassure reporters on the scene concerned about the hazard posed by the scattered asbestos, driver José Alberto Siqueira ate a handful of it. Now 77 years old, Siqueira told a journalist that he wouldn’t eat asbestos now. See: Estado de Minas descobre vivo o homem que comeu amianto [State of Minas discovers man who ate asbestos alive].
Asbestos Roofing Toxicity Reminder
Sep 25, 2023
Asbestos roofing which is popular in Indonesia has been banned in many parts of the world because of the health hazard it poses to workers who handle it and people who live in buildings containing it. The article cited below reviewed the content of a short video about this subject uploaded to YouTube which explained that exposure to asbestos fibers liberated by toxic roofing could cause a number of cancers as well as respiratory diseases. See: Kenapa Atap Asbes Dilarang? Awas Bahaya Penyakit Paru-paru yang Tidak [Why is asbestos roofing banned? Beware of the Dangers of Incurable Lung Disease].
Asbestos in Municipal Water Delivery System
Sep 25, 2023
Danny Johnson, the Mayor of the US city of Marked Tree, announced last week that the authorities in Arkansas had secured a $500,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture for the removal of 50-year old asbestos water pipes from the urban infrastructure. Work on the upgrade of the town’s water delivery system will begin in January 2024. According to the National Cancer Institute, asbestos is a human carcinogen. This is why the town routinely monitors the quality of the water. See: City working to remove asbestos from water pipes.
Asbestos in Schools: Update
Sep 25, 2023
An electronic bulletin circulated on September 20, 2023 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced that the: “HSE will be carrying out a programme of inspections of primary and secondary schools in England, Scotland and Wales from October 2023 onwards.” The majority of UK schools contain asbestos material and the hazard this poses to children and staff has been front-page news in light of the discovery this summer of deteriorating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in more than 150 schools. HSE inspectors will be contacting schools before the asbestos audits are carried out to arrange a suitable date and time for the inspections.
Asbestos at the Bank
Sep 22, 2023
A decision last week by the Rome Court of Appeal ordered Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) to pay compensation of €200,000 (US$213,400) plus a life-time annuity to a 44-year old bank worker who contracted mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos at the San Paolo bank where he had been employed for 14 years. INAIL had challenged the ruling of a lower court which had also supported the victim’s claim. See: Amianto nella filiale in cui lavorava, mesotelioma a 44 anni. L’Inail dovrà risarcire il dipendente della banca [Asbestos in the branch where he worked, mesothelioma at 44 years old. Inail will have to compensate the bank employee].
Toxic Talc!
Sep 22, 2023
An exclusive feature by Steve Boggan in the Saturday September 16, 2023 issue of the Daily Mail detailed how the incurable cancer contracted by 48-year old Hannah Fletcher had been caused by her use of cosmetic products containing asbestos fibers. To avoid going to court, this summer, American manufacturers Avon and Estee Lauder, and its subsidiary Clinique, reached a confidential settlement with Hannah who, before her mesothelioma diagnosis in 2016, had held senior executive positions with NatWest, Visa and other well-known firms. See: Your makeup may be killing you like it's killing me: City high-flyer and mother of two Hannah was diagnosed with incurable cancer that she blames on the cosmetics she enjoyed since childhood.
Supporting Gwangju’s Asbestos Victims
Sep 22, 2023
On September 19, 2023 officials in Gwangju City, in the southwest of South Korea, announced an expansion of the city’s efforts to support citizens who contract asbestos-related diseases as a result of environmental exposures, including those who had lived near asbestos-using factories. The municipality is increasing its budgetary allocation for its asbestos relief program and streamlining the application process to ensure swift payment of benefits – within 60 days – to victims and/or bereaved family members. See: 광주시, 석면피해 구제급여 확대한다 [Gwangju City expands relief benefits for asbestos damage].
Mesothelioma Case to Proceed
Sep 22, 2023
A motion by the defendant Avondale for the dismissal of a personal injury mesothelioma case on the grounds that the action was pre-empted by federal law was dismissed on September 8, 2023, by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. As a result of the findings cited in the three-page verdict, litigation by surviving family members of the deceased shipyard worker Felton Robichaux will proceed. The late Mr Robichaux had been exposed to asbestos whilst employed at Avondale Shipyard from 1961 to 1979 as an insulator and carpenter. See: US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Verdict Robinchaux, et al. versus Huntington Ingalls Inc. September 8, 2023.
Asbestos Risks Highlighted in Video
Sep 22, 2023
A five-minute video uploaded to youtube on September 17, 2023 by the NGO Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network explained why the continued use of asbestos posed a deadly health risk to members of the public as well as to workers, especially in light of the numerous natural disasters which occur in the country. Dr Anna Suraya explained that exposure to asbestos can cause a variety of diseases including mesothelioma (cancer) and asbestosis. Seventy per cent of the asbestos used worldwide every year is consumed in Asian countries; most of the asbestos used in Indonesia is for the manufacture of building materials. See: Kenapa Rumah di Indonesia Masih Tetap Pakai Atap Asbes? Ini Jawabannya [Why Do Houses in Indonesia Still Use Asbestos Roofs? Here’s the Answer].
Asbestos Legacy in the Marche Region
Sep 22, 2023
The Italian city of Pesaro has announced plans to streamline efforts to eradicate the asbestos hazard by the inauguration of a bipartisan asbestos task force. An asbestos helpdesk will be run by the municipality to seek practical assistance as well as financial support from national and European sources for efforts to deal with the deadly contamination posed by decades of asbestos use. Local councillors will work closely with communities to ensure that all voices are heard in this potentially life-saving initiative. See: Una task force da schierare contro i rischi dell’amianto [Task force to be deployed against the risks of asbestos].
Asbestos Meeting in Qinghai
Sep 21, 2023
The annual meeting of China’s Asbestos Trade Association – the Chrysotile Asbestos Professional Committee (the Committee) – took place earlier this month. The remit of the Committee is to promote asbestos sales; expand the industry; and support the industry’s best interests. Presentations and recommendations made during the event considered measures to preserve the status quo so that the use of asbestos-based products in China could continue. Asbestos mines in China, the world’s third largest asbestos producer, are in Qinghai, Xinjiang, Shanxi, Gansu and Yunnan Provinces. See: 专家“会诊”为温石棉产业高质量发展献计 [Expert “consultation” provides suggestions for the high-quality development of the chrysotile asbestos industry].
Asbestos Debate in House of Commons
Sep 21, 2023
A debate on September 13, 2023 took place in the House of Commons pursuant to a 10-minute rule motion on a Bill to “to provide for a national register of asbestos present in non-domestic premises and of the condition of that asbestos; and for connected purposes.” According to Conservative MP Andrew Percy: “The Health and Safety Executive has said that between 210,000 and 400,000 buildings in the UK contain asbestos. Other estimates suggest 6 million tonnes of asbestos are spread across 1.5 million buildings in this country.” See: Hansard September 13, 2023: Asbestos (National Register).
Teachers Lawsuit over Asbestos Protest
Sep 21, 2023
Three teachers in Philadelphia – Ethan Tannen, Carolyn Gray and Karen Celli – who held outdoor lessons to manifest their concern over teaching in a school contaminated with asbestos issued a class action lawsuit against the School District of Philadelphia last month. The claimants alleged that the district had violated their First Amendment rights after the protest by docking their wages “for unauthorized absences” from the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School. See: Philadelphia teachers sue district for First Amendment rights violation over asbestos protests.
Asbestos Victims Fund
Sep 21, 2023
Belgium’s Asbestos Fund – set up in 2007 to streamline the payment of compensation to asbestos claimants without the need for legal action – paid out more than €20 million (US$21.3m) to 1,560 victims and relatives in 2022; 959 of the claims arose over cases of mesothelioma, 70% of the injured came from Flanders. In 2021, the fund paid out a total of €20.7m to 1,602 claimants. Victims of asbestos cancer receive €1,865/month and, since 2019, are eligible for a lump sum one-off payment of €10,200 (US$10,880). See: Le Fonds amiante a payé plus de 20 millions d'euros aux victimes et proches en 2022 [The Asbestos Fund paid more than €20 million to victims and relatives in 2022].
Protest over Asbestos Crimes
Sep 21, 2023
On September 12, 2023, a group of activists in Wonju City – in South Korea’s Gangwon Province – held a press conference in front of the Wonju Academy Theater, where they said that: “asbestos removal was carried out illegally…” in violation of provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Asbestos Safety Management Act. As a result of unsafe practices by contractors, workers as well as members of the public and local business people were exposed to asbestos fibers. Officials ordered demolition work to cease until a plan was approved to ensure the safety of all concerned. See: "아카데미극장 석면 불법 철거…주민·상인 1급 발암물질 노출" [“Illegal demolition of asbestos at the Academy Theatre... Exposure of residents and merchants to class 1 carcinogens”].
Medical Expert Sues J&J
Sep 21, 2023
Last week, lawyers for Dr Jacqueline Moline asked a federal court in Trenton, New Jersey to throw out a lawsuit by Johnson and Johnson (J&J) they said was intended to “intimidate” her as part of the company’s campaign to defend itself from tens of thousands of asbestos cancer claims. J&J filed the suit in May 2023 over research published by Dr Moline in 2019 that linked the use of cosmetic talc products and cancer. The doctor said that her research was sound and that she was entitled under the First Amendment to the right of free speech. See: Doctor asks court to toss J&J lawsuit against her over cancer research.
Nasopharyngeal cancer in Minas Gerais
Sep 18, 2023
In Minas Gerais, the family of a Brazilian worker who died from nasopharyngeal cancer was awarded R$600,000 (US$124,420) for moral and material damages, by Labor Judge Luciana Jacob Monteiro de Castro, who ruled that his death had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. Previous courts had rejected the case saying that the link between asbestos exposure and cancer had not been proved. See: Família de empregado vítima do amianto será indenizada em meio milhão [Family of employee victim of asbestos will be compensated half a million].
Asbestos Legacy of 9/11
Sep 18, 2023
On the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Italian article cited below highlighted the repercussions from the events on that day. Amongst the pollutants such as lead, mercury and benzene released by the attack were 400 hundred tons of asbestos, a known carcinogen. Based on estimates by health experts, up to 525,000 people inhaled asbestos liberated by the attack in NYC, the majority of whom were first responders or clean-up workers. The effects of these exposures won’t be known, in full, till at least 2041. See: 11 settembre, gli effetti dell’amianto sono problematiche ancora oggi [September 11th, the effects of asbestos [released] are still problematic today].
Asbestos Alert to Miners!
Sep 18, 2023
As a result of its asbestos mines, Zimbabwe is most definitely in the pro-asbestos camp. It was, therefore, somewhat of a curiosity to read the article cited below which highlighted the hazard posed by occupational asbestos exposures during mining. The relevant extract in an article about various health hazards in the mining industry said: “Asbestos exposure occurs among asbestos miners and in other mines where asbestos is found in the ore. Among miners throughout the world, exposure to asbestos has elevated the risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma. It has also elevated the risk of asbestosis (another pneumoconiosis) and of airways disease.” See: Health hazards of mining, quarrying.
Scotland’s Asbestos Legacy
Sep 18, 2023
A report published this month entitled Tackling Scotland’s Workplace Ill-Health Crisis by the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) highlighted the doubling of the incidence of work-related sickness in Scotland this decade; the cost to the Scottish economy exceeded a billion pounds/year. The authors pointed out that the rate of asbestos-related cancers was increasing among Scotland’s female workers. Recommendations made included some fairly basic measures to improve workplace conditions. See: Scottish workplace health crisis revealed in BOHS report.
Asbestos Sheds: A National Concern
Sep 18, 2023
At the start of Asbestos-Free Shed Week, the Association of Dutch Municipalities called on homeowners to remove asbestos, which it said was a “major problem.” The Association estimated that thousands of sheds in Holland built prior to 1994 could contain asbestos. A coalition made up of municipalities, nature groups and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is backing a campaign to eradicate this hazard, suggesting that in many cases people can remove the asbestos cheaply and safely by themselves following instructions given in an online video. Following the end, in December 2018, of a subsidy scheme, the rate at which asbestos roofing was removed fell dramatically. See: Homeowners urged to remove asbestos shed roofs.
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 18, 2023
A commentary by Adam Page, a lecturer from the University of Lincoln, contrasted the ongoing scandal over the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in public buildings with the furore in the 1980s over the presence of asbestos in schools. In the face of assurances from the authorities and officials about the safety of the schools, local communities were proactive in mounting high-profile actions demanding safe schools for children. The work of veteran asbestos campaigner Nancy Tait was referenced, citing her support for the actions of people in the Enfield Borough of London. See: Concrete crisis: officials thought asbestos in schools was safe too – the same mistakes have been made over Raac.
Asbestos Public Health Risk
Sep 14, 2023
A paper documenting the findings of Japanese researchers regarding the public health risk of living in proximity to a large-scale asbestos-cement production facility in Amagasaki, Japan was uploaded to the PubMed search engine in July 2023. The scientists observed “an increasing, dose-dependent risk of mesothelioma death associated with neighborhood exposure… A quantitative assessment for risk of mesothelioma deaths, adjusting for occupational and non-occupational exposures separately, showed a dose-dependent association with neighborhood exposure and no substantial gender differences in magnitude.” See: Association of mesothelioma deaths with neighborhood asbestos exposure due to a large-scale asbestos-cement plant.
Asbestos & RAAC in Schools
Sep 14, 2023
Research by the Observer newspaper published on September 10, 2023 revealed significant errors by the government, which had failed to ensure that buildings purchased to house new schools were safe for use. As a result of these omissions, structures were purchased, intended for development as community free schools, which contained asbestos as well as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Two such facilities were the Michaela Community School in London and the Parkfield free school in Bournemouth; no asbestos surveys were undertaken prior to their purchase. See: UK government did not carry out detailed surveys before it bought free schools sites.
New Mesothelioma Diagnostic Tool
Sep 14, 2023
According to material presented last week at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference 2023 in Singapore by Belgian researchers, a new non-invasive method for screening people for malignant pleural mesothelioma has been developed by researchers in Antwerp, in which exhaled breath is analyzed for the presence of predictive biomarkers. Although optimistic about the utility of the new tool, researcher Dr Kevin Lamote said that “larger population studies are required.” See: Exhaled breath analysis shows promise in detecting malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Increasing Asbestos Protections
Sep 14, 2023
In an attempt to reduce the number of deaths from asbestos exposures in British Columbia, the Provincial Government in 2022 introduced amendments to the Workers Compensation Act, mandating that asbestos abatement employers register with WorkSafeBC to obtain asbestos abatement licenses. All licensed companies will be listed on an online public registry which can be accessed by businesses, contractors, workers and property owners. BC is the first Canadian Province to introduce such a scheme. As of January 1, 2024, any operative performing asbestos abatement work must undertake training to obtain a certificate from WorkSafeBC. See: WorkSafeBC now accepting applications for asbestos abatement licenses.
Builders’ Policies Bar Asbestos Claims
Sep 14, 2023
Decree No. 67/2023/ND-CP dated September 6, 2023 of the Vietnam Government mandated that the insurance liability limit for workers on construction sites be set at 100 million Vietnamese dong, or US$4162.00. There are multiple exclusions on these policies including claims related to exposure to asbestos or materials containing it. Although asbestos exemptions are not unusual, the fact that Vietnam is one of Asia’s largest asbestos consumers and that most asbestos is used in building materials is of serious concern for people working in the construction sector. See: Giới hạn trách nhiệm bảo hiểm bắt buộc với người lao động trên công trường là 100 triệu đồng/người/vụ [The limit of compulsory insurance liability for workers on a construction site is 100 million VND/person/case].
Fly-tipped Waste at Country Park
Sep 14, 2023
Environment Canterbury issued a warning after materials containing asbestos were identified in New Zealand’s Waimakariri River Regional Park. The toxic debris was found on the banks of the Waimakariri River, one of the largest rivers in Canterbury, on the eastern coast of the South Island. According to a spokesperson for Environment Canterbury: “The parks team are planning to put concrete blocks around the area to stop people from accessing the contaminated area.” The park remained open, although the contaminated dump site was off-limits to the public. See: Asbestos found on Waimakariri river bank.
Asbestos on the Subway
Sep 11, 2023
The deadly consequences of asbestos contained in subway cars used in the public transit system of Buenos Aires – which transports 1.3 million people every day – were delineated through the eyes of 53-year old Martin Paredes, who contracted lung cancer after years of toxic workplace exposures. He is not alone among his workmates in suffering from an asbestos-related condition. Municipal representatives deny that the subway system is contaminated with asbestos although it is an established fact that Buenos Aires bought 36 subway cars from the Madrid Metro, which is known to be engaged in an asbestos eradication program of its system. See: City purchased asbestos-infected train cars, workers fell ill and died from the contamination.
The Tragic Legacy of “White Gold”
Sep 11, 2023
Canadians are paying a high price for their commercial exploitation of asbestos – nicknamed “white gold” due to its importance to the Quebec and Canadian economies. Historic asbestos exposures are responsible for thousands of cases of cancers and respiratory diseases not only amongst building workers and others in the construction industry who handled asbestos material, but also amongst teachers and nurses who worked in schools and hospitals where it was installed. According to provincial statistics, asbestos is still Canada’s biggest workplace killer. See: Asbestos in Canada: A forgotten killer remains at large.
Update: RAAC & Asbestos in Schools
Sep 11, 2023
As was to be expected, the furore over crumbling concrete material known as RAAC – reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete – has been exacerbated by the presence of asbestos in the majority of UK schools. One legal expert commented: “It is a serious concern that there is crumbling concrete within schools and hospital buildings but, as we have known for many years, asbestos materials are present in a significant number of UK schools and hospital premises and yet this doesn’t seem to be a priority to be dealt with.” See: Concerns over asbestos in schools amid RAAC concrete crisis.
Nephews of Asbestos Victim File Lawsuit
Sep 11, 2023
On September 6, 2023, the nephews of an electrician from Hyogo who died aged 78 from mesothelioma filed a lawsuit with the Kobe District Court, claiming damages of 14 million yen (US$95,000) from a government scheme which excluded anyone other than close family from eligibility to compensation. According to their lawyer, the deceased did not receive the money he was owed from the construction asbestos benefits scheme because of bureaucratic delays; he had no children and it was right for the money to go to his nephews who regarded him as a father. See: 叔父がアスベストで死亡『姪らが給付金受け取れないのは不当』と国に損害賠償求め提訴 [Uncle dies of asbestos, “It is unfair that nephews cannot receive benefits” so they sue the government for damages].
New Mesothelioma Data
Sep 11, 2023
Data from Italy’s Mesothelioma Registry made public on June 30, 2023, confirmed the deadly price still being paid by Italians for the country’s historic mining and consumption of asbestos. In the Emilia-Romagna region, the new figures show that the city of Reggio Emilia had the region’s worst incidence of mesothelioma with 12 cases diagnosed in the first six months of 2023. Bologna is the country’s worst asbestos hotspot with Reggio Emilia the second. See: Mesoteliomi da amianto: Reggio Emilia prima in regione per nuovi casi. VIDEO [Asbestos mesotheliomas: Reggio Emilia first in the region for new cases. VIDEO].
Asbestos Anxiety Proceedings in Rouen
Sep 11, 2023
On September 6, 2023, a trial started in the Labor Court in Rouen, France, where 131 former employees who had been exposed to asbestos at a paper mill owned by DS Smith were claiming compensation for injuries due to asbestos anxiety. Half of the company’s former employees have been recognized as suffering from asbestos-related conditions such as cancers of the lung, larynx and stomach and cases of “inexcusable fault” have been fought and won against this company. See: Procès de l’amiante à Rouen: “On va travailler pour gagner sa vie, pas pour la perdre” [Asbestos Trial in Rouen: “We will work to earn a living, not to lose it”].
RAAC & Asbestos in Schools
Sep 6, 2023
As the government mounted a public show of action to get to grips with the crisis posed by the identification of crumbling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) material throughout the school estate, technical and engineering experts warned that the presence of asbestos in most school buildings would almost certainly complicate the capacity to undertake the repair work needed to make the structures safe for use. Asbestos victims groups’ representatives, campaigners from the Asbestos in Schools Group and the Joint Union Asbestos Committee, technical experts and others have been warning about the asbestos hazard in schools for decades. See: How asbestos could slow efforts to fix crumbling concrete in English schools.
Calls for Asbestos Eradication Program
Sep 6, 2023
The editorial, which is cited below, appeared on September 4, 2023 on a Uganda news portal. The editor accused the government of “dragging its feet” on the threat to children posed by asbestos contamination of the country’s schools. Asbestos roofing is a fact of life in Uganda with military barracks, medical centers and other public buildings also contaminated with asbestos material. The author of this text, who quoted World Health Organization data showing the hazard posed by exposures to asbestos, called on the government to implement a nationwide plan to remediate the threat to Ugandans. See: Deliver us from asbestos, oh govt.
World Bank Calls for Action on Asbestos
Sep 6, 2023
During a September 4, 2023 session of the Second Berlin Forum on Chemicals and Sustainability “Just Transition Towards a Pollution-free Planet,” Richard Damania – a spokesperson for the World Bank – said that asbestos was one of five chemical pollutants that required immediate global action to protect humanity and the environment. Damania said that asbestos-related mortality in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) is likely to reach 500,000 by 2050; it was currently 168,000 in high income countries and 71,000 in LMICs. See: Second Berlin Forum on Chemicals and Sustainability: “Just Transition Towards a Pollution-free Planet”.
The Long Asbestos Legacy
Sep 6, 2023
Despite having banned the use of asbestos in 1989, asbestos-related mortality continues to rise in Switzerland; most buildings and much of the transport infrastructure remain contaminated. Progress in removing asbestos-containing material is very slow. As of 2020, the Swiss Institute for Accident Insurance (SUVA) recorded 2,700 deaths caused by workplace asbestos exposures, of which 2,300 were from mesothelioma. SUVA believes that 3,300 more mesothelioma deaths are expected to occur by 2040. See: L’amiante reste un problème en Suisse, plus de 30 ans après son interdiction [Asbestos remains a problem in Switzerland, more than 30 years after its ban].
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 6, 2023
In a reply to a question asked by Horatio Hendricks, a member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, Fundile Gade, the Eastern Cape’s Member of the Executive Council for Education said that of the 1075 schools assessed in the Province, 836 had been found to have some asbestos-containing material. According to Gade, it would cost R3.87 billion to eradicate the asbestos hazard which was “almost twice the allocation of the total Education Infrastructure Grant for three financial years.” In 2022, Gade revealed that his department did not have an asbestos policy and had no idea how much the remediation of the schools would cost. See: Over 800 EC schools still contain asbestos materials.
The Global Asbestos Panorama
Sep 6, 2023
A 9-minute upload to the online portal of DW, a German public broadcast service, on September 2, 2023 considered the impact of asbestos use in Germany and abroad. Massive asbestos usage in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in 1,300 deaths per year nowadays from asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) even though asbestos was banned decades ago. In many industrializing countries, asbestos consumption remains legal. India is the world’s biggest asbestos consumer and imported 408,000 tonnes of raw fiber in 2021. Experts believe that 50,000 people die every year in India from ARDs and that millions more Indians will contract ARDs in the decades to come. See: Why asbestos still remains a global hazard.
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 4, 2023
The front page of the September 3, 2023 issue of The Sunday Times raised the asbestos spectre amidst fears over the closure of many schools due to the hazard posed by deteriorating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete material (RAAC). According to Engineer Max Byatt: “There are two real risk-to-life elements to this: if RAAC collapses it puts life at risk in an instantaneous manner: and asbestos can be deadly if it is inhaled.” This article, which is part of the newspaper’s campaign Action on Asbestos, reports that “scores of public buildings caught up in the crumbing concrete crisis are also likely to be riddled with deadly asbestos.” See: Sunday Times front page 3rd September 2023.
Asbestos on the Railways
Sep 4, 2023
At the end of August 2023, the Court of Palermo ordered Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work to pay compensation of €200,000 (US$216,000) for the mesothelioma death of train driver Vincenzo Sabato to five children; his widow Giuseppa Consiglio died in 2022, having waited 15 years to see justice for her husband. The deceased had been exposed to asbestos for 30 years whilst employed by the State Railways. See: Amianto nelle Ferrovie: Il Tribunale di Palermo condanna l’INAIL a riconoscere rendita di 200mila euro ai familiari del palermitano Vincenzo Sabato [Asbestos in the Railways: The Court of Palermo orders INAIL to pay 200 thousand euros to the family members of Vincenzo Sabato from Palermo].
Researching Mesothelioma Treatments
Sep 4, 2023
A 12-minute podcast uploaded to the website of ABC Radio Perth on August 30, 2023, highlighted the importance of work being done by PhD student Faith Chang and others in Western Australia (WA) who are pursuing potentially life-saving research that could help mesothelioma patients like Ron McNally. Seventy-year year old Ron was diagnosed with the signature asbestos cancer a year ago, since when he has had various treatments, none of which slowed down the advance of the cancer. Faith is hoping to pioneer a landmark clinical trial in WA investigating the combined use of radiotherapy and immunotherapy to eradicate mesothelioma tumors; currently, few mesothelioma patients survive for more than 2 years. See: Ron is dying from mesothelioma, and Faith's research could help – but she needs funding for a trial.
Asbestos Removal In Limpopo
Sep 4, 2023
A nine-minute segment featuring a discussion with Basikopo Makamu, a Member of the Executive Council of South Africa’s Limpopo Province, was broadcast on the eNews Channel Africa on August 30, 2023. Although South Africa banned the production, manufacturing and use of all types of asbestos in 2008, asbestos products remain within many properties in Limpopo Province, particularly in roofing material. According to Makamu, the Province’s asbestos eradication program is now removing and replacing asbestos roofing on 1,500 homes, after which work will be undertaken on the remaining 9,000 contaminated properties. See: Use of asbestos is prohibited in SA since 2008.
Addressing the Asbestos Hazard or Not?
Sep 4, 2023
The excellent commentary by Alessandro Marinaccio of Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Inail) which is cited below contrasted efforts to protect citizens in Italy from carcinogenic exposures to asbestos with the laissez-faire attitude to asbestos prevalent in countries such as China, India and Russia, where asbestos is regarded as just another raw material. To suppress public knowledge of the irresponsible and dangerous behaviour of governments, a policy of denial is routinely pursued which the author summed up as: “No data, no problem; no problem, no action.” See: Amianto, killer fantasma. In Cina, India e Russia è ancora legale. Uccide, ma non viene detto quanto [Asbestos, ghost killer. In China, India and Russia it is still legal. Kills, but it is not said to what extent].
Raising Regional Asbestos Awareness
Sep 4, 2023
The Asbestos National Strategic Plan Progress Report 2021-2022 of Australia’s Asbestos Eradication Agency was published in June 2023. It contained updates of steps taken, progress made and initiatives planned both in Australia and neighboring countries. Chapter 7 – International collaboration and leadership (pp. 57,58) – is of particular interest as it details work by Australian agencies and bodies with partnering organizations in South-East Asia and the Pacific region to spread awareness of the asbestos hazard and build grassroots support for national bans. See: Asbestos National Strategic Plan Progress Report 2021-2022.
Asbestos Hazard After the Earthquakes
Aug 31, 2023
The article cited below from the August 29th issue of the New Arab newsletter detailed the observations of Mathilde Warda after her visit to Turkey’s Hatay Province, which was devastated by the February 2023 earthquakes. She described the environmental hazard left after the disaster, highlighting the risk posed by asbestos contained in the building debris: “the Turkish Chamber of Environmental Engineers analyzed eight samples [of building waste] from various locations in April and found asbestos in four of them, indicating a potential threat to public safety.” According to civil society activist Ümit Güç: “We are trying to educate people. We don't want children to die of asbestos in five years.” See: In earthquake-hit Turkey, toxic dust is the next big threat.
Asbestos Removal Program
Aug 31, 2023
In a press release issued on August 29, 2023 the Pingtung County government in southern Taiwan announced plans to implement a program to eradicate asbestos from 20,000 buildings in the locality. Even when building owners in Pintung removed asbestos in the past, they did not do so using experienced personnel or pursuant to rules to remove and dispose of the contaminated waste safely. The authorities in Pintung have applied to the Ministry of Environment for funding to carry out the program to remove asbestos from contaminated buildings. See: Pingtung funding removal of asbestos from buildings.
Asbestos Health Surveillance Project
Aug 31, 2023
Next month (September 2023), residents of eight wards of Jeju Island, South Korea's largest island, will be eligible to take part in an innovative health screening program run by the Ministry of Environment to identify members of the public adversely affected by historic asbestos exposures. Jeju Island is an asbestos hotspot because of the use and handling of asbestos-containing material at ship repair yards on the island. To be eligible, applicants must have lived in at-risk areas for 40 years. The tests will be carried out by personnel from the Asbestos Environmental Health Center of Cheonan Hospital of Sooncheonyang University. See: 제주도, 석면 노출 우려지역 무료 건강영향 조사 [Jeju Island, free health impact survey in areas of concern for asbestos exposure].
Sarnia’s Toxic Industrial Legacy
Aug 31, 2023
The commentary cited below was written by the daughter of Tom Schleihauf, a deceased Canadian electrician who had worked in a place known locally as Chemical Valley. Like many of his workmates in the small Ontario town of Sarnia, her father contracted the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma from toxic workplace exposures. When he was first diagnosed with this disease, the emergency room doctor said: “There is something wrong with this town. This is a very sick town.” The feelings of the author regarding her home town are a combination of love for where she grew up and her family, and hate for the poison that killed her much-loved father. See: Sunsets and smokestacks: finding beauty in the city that stole my father's health.
Asbestos Exposures after Bridge Collapse
Aug 31, 2023
Charges brought by a union representing five emergency responders who were exposed to asbestos during life-saving interventions on August 14, 2018, after the collapse of Italy’s Morandi bridge, were dismissed by magistrates who ruled that the priority in the aftermath of the disaster was saving lives and that due to the emergency some rules did not apply. According to the Genoa Prosecutor: “the [environmental] checks never revealed asbestos levels beyond the risk thresholds.” See: Per amianto sotto il Morandi nessun reato, priorità salvare vite [For asbestos under Morandi no crime, priority to save lives].
Guilty Verdict for Asbestos Crimes
Aug 31, 2023
On August 24, 2023, Esskay Construction Ltd. was found guilty of breaching regulations 5, 11 and 16 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and fined £90,000 in absentia by the Staffordshire Magistrates Court for exposing people to asbestos during renovation work at an address on Brunswick Street in the Hanley area of Stoke-on-Trent. Commenting on the case, HSE inspector Will Gretton said: “HSE will not hesitate to take action where contractors are found to be flouting the law and putting people at risk. This case should serve as a reminder to those engaged in this type of work that they have responsibilities when it comes to managing the risks associated with asbestos.” See: Warrington firm fined by court for public asbestos exposure.
Asbestos: Laryngeal/Ovarian Cancer Link
Aug 28, 2023
A Decree of the French Government published on August 13, 2023 in the Official Journal formally acknowledged that primary laryngeal cancers, high-grade primary dysplasia of the larynx and primary ovarian cancers located in the ovary, tubal serosa, and peritoneal serosa can be caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. Despite banning asbestos in France in 1997, exposures to asbestos are the cause of the majority of occupational deaths, excluding accidents at work. See: Amiante : les cancers du larynx et de l’ovaire reconnus comme maladies professionnelles [Asbestos: cancers of the larynx and ovary recognized as occupational diseases].
Oncologist Calls for Asbestos Ban
Aug 28, 2023
At the launch of a lung screening program in Jakarta, Indonesia on August 24, 2023, the Head of the Oncology Working Group of the Indonesian Lung Doctors Association Dr Sita Laksmi Andarini said: “Asbestos is a serious carcinogenic hazard as are cigarettes…Asbestos in homes, it is a high risk factor for lung cancer.” Dr Andarini told participants at the meeting that there was no asbestos ban in Indonesia but that he felt such a ban was needed to protect the population from toxic exposures. See: Asbes Bisa Picu Kanker Paru, Tidak Dianjurkan Dipakai untuk Material Rumah [Asbestos Can Trigger Lung Cancer, Not Recommended for Use in Homes].
Asbestos Exposures in Shipbreaking
Aug 28, 2023
In the face of denials by the lobby representing the Bangladesh shipbreaking industry, non-government organizations have identified 30+ workers whose exposures to asbestos on the shipbreaking beaches had decreased their lung capacity by up to 60%. According to Syeda Rizwana Hasan, President of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association: “The ships that are older than 20 years contain asbestos in the engine room, boiler, and many other places where it requires heat and fire resistance… in our country the guidelines are not followed and asbestos is removed by the general workers who do not take any precautions. Not only that, the asbestos is later sold in the open market and to the cement factories.” See: Ship-breaking workers suffer lifelong illness due to asbestos exposure.
Delay in Processing Asbestos Claims
Aug 28, 2023
The system whereby individuals formerly exposed to asbestos at workplaces in France can retire early is not functioning as intended according to the article cited below. Until claims have been processed, applicants must continue working, even though their health may have been compromised by historic asbestos exposures. The process should take no longer than two months but according to research, claims from 140 asbestos victims were still waiting to be processed after the two-month deadline had expired. See: Allocation des travailleurs de l’amiante: des délais de nouveau à la hausse pour être indemnisés [Asbestos workers' allowance: delays in obtaining compensation again].
Case Study: How Not to Ban Asbestos
Aug 28, 2023
An article published on August 2, 2023 in the Annals of Global Health about the curious situation regarding Mongolia’s 2010 asbestos ban shone a light on how a measure implemented to protect occupational and public health was sunk by improper preparations. As a result of this, the authors explained, “main asbestos users such as power plants were not prepared to replace thermal insulation materials and were not aware of potential future health and economic consequences. This situation caused a step backward on asbestos control and allowed the use of asbestos again in 2011.” See: Mongolia: Failure of Total Banning of Asbestos.
FDA Taking on the Cosmetics Industry
Aug 28, 2023
Until 2022, the sale of cosmetics in the US was virtually unregulated. Last year, Congress gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over the industry. New FDA regulations will mandate that companies that market makeup, shampoo, nail polish etc. register the sites where their products were made and disclose the ingredients of individual products. The FDA is developing a standard for analysing whether talcum powder, found in baby powder and some cosmetics, contains asbestos. The FDA is authorized to order a mandatory recall of a cosmetic product if it identifies a serious health issue. See: F.D.A. Oversees Cosmetic Safety.
State Supreme Court Ruling
Aug 25, 2023
On August 3, 2023, the Supreme Court of the US State of Washington issued its ruling in a mesothelioma case brought by the family of deceased insulation worker Warren Wright. The Supreme Court confirmed the lower court (2021) and appeal court’s rulings awarding the family $4 million compensation reduced to $2.2m when compensation settlement payments from other defendants were off-set. Warren Wright had been employed by a contractor for Exxon in 1979 to remove asbestos insulation from pipes and equipment in an oil refinery. See: WAYNE WRIGHT, individually and as personal representative for the estate of WARREN WRIGHT, deceased v. EXXONMOBIL OIL COMPANY. [Case] No. 100768-0.
Asbestos Awareness Training: Upgrade
Aug 25, 2023
On August 23, 2023, the opening ceremony of the new headquarters of South Korea’s Asbestos Damage Prevention Support Center was held in the Yeonsu District of Incheon City. The Center provides awareness training for asbestos investigators and occupational safety personnel. Greeting all the well wishers, the Chairman of the Center Choi Mi-kyung said: “As an educational institution of the Ministry of Employment and Labor with the goal of protecting the safety of workers and citizens, we will strive to provide asbestos safety and health education to create a safe environment through communication and cooperation.” See: 석면피해예방지원센터, 연수구로 확장 이전 [Asbestos Damage Prevention Support Center relocates to Yeonsu-gu].
Ecocide Created by Russian War
Aug 25, 2023
The destruction left in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has created an environmental as well as a humanitarian disaster. Environmental expert Alexander Ignatenko believes that “every missile hit and destruction can be considered a mini ecocide by the Russian army.” Ukraine regulations regarding the disposal of building waste before the invasion were unsatisfactory; since the war, because of the amount of contaminated debris created – estimated to exceed 12 million tonnes much of which contains asbestos – the situation has worsened. See: ОТХОДЫ ВОЙНЫ: ЧТО ЭТО И ЧТО С НИМИ ДЕЛАЮТ В КРИВОМ РОГЕ [WAR WASTE: WHAT IS IT AND WHAT IS BEING DONE WITH IT IN KRIVOY ROG].
Asbestos Remediation and Redevelopment
Aug 25, 2023
The widespread use of asbestos in building materials in Italy, before this practice was banned in 1992, has left the country with a deadly legacy of toxic buildings. According to technical expert Giuseppe Celeste (General Manager of Recikla): “The removal of asbestos is an opportunity to redevelop the entire property or building from a structural point of view, but also from an energy point of view. It means taking advantage of concessions, optimizing the opportunity that the State offers starting from the reclamation of asbestos.” See: Recikla, Bari: “la bonifica dell’amianto è un iter oculato e delicato ma anche l’occasione per la riqualificazione del nostro patrimonio edilizio” [Recikla, Bari: “asbestos remediation is a prudent and delicate process but also an opportunity for the redevelopment of our building heritage”].
Toxic Waste Confusion
Aug 25, 2023
The delegation by the Government of Estonia of the disposal of hazardous waste – including asbestos cement material – to local authorities has created uncertainty and environmental concerns. According to the article cited below: “The [central] government has no plan to introduce a common system of hazardous waste collection.” The high price for legally disposing of contaminated waste in some locales encourages illegal fly-tipping. According to Deputy Mayor Kaarel Tang of Saaremaa Municipality: “We do not accept asbestos cement for free... It costs €40 per cubic meter to surrender asbestos cement for Tallinners and €60 for everyone else.” See: Estonia has no plans to handle hazardous waste collection centrally.
Asbestos Management in Mansfield School
Aug 25, 2023
Consent given this month by the local council has ensured that vital work will proceed at Mansfield’s Intake Farm Primary and Nursery School to replace an unsafe roof and address extensive asbestos contamination of the buildings. Toxic material in the building includes: asbestos textiles, paper and insulating boards located in the school’s entrance lobby, toilets, dining room, staff room, office, library and several classrooms. According to a council spokeswoman, affected classrooms were cordoned off last autumn with “absolutely no staff or pupils in them.” See: Asbestos removal and unsafe roof repairs approved in £1.2m plan for Mansfield school.
Preventing Occupational Diseases
Aug 23, 2023
The Department of Health of Hai Duong province in the North of Vietnam has launched a seven-year plan to reduce the incidence of occupationally-caused diseases, such as those experienced by people working with asbestos. The new measures, which are being introduced as the number of injured workers is rising, will include protocols for monitoring and supporting workers at risk of contracting asbestos and other occupationally-caused diseases. One of the aims of this new program is that 100% of labor establishments using asbestos will be supervised and monitored to ensure that they are operating according to regulations by 2025. See: Chăm sóc, nâng cao sức khỏe người lao động [Caring for and improving workers' health].
Funding Asbestos Remediation
Aug 23, 2023
Italian campaigners have called on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Minister of Environment Gilberto Pichetto to ensure that funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan for Italy (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza per l'Italia /PNRR) are used to decontaminate brownfield sites and waste land contaminated with asbestos. The number of asbestos cancers and diseases is increasing in the city of Aprilia which is the location of many abandoned and toxic landfills, such as the Via Corta which was seized by officials in 2017; as of now, it has not been secured or remediated. See: PNRR: i Comuni devono utilizzare i fondi per la bonifica amianto dei siti dismessi [PNRR: municipalities must use funds for asbestos remediation of brownfield sites].
Asbestos Alert in Jakarta!
Aug 23, 2023
In a recent webinar, Dr Eddy, the Chairperson of the Indonesian Association of Occupational Health Doctors, warned Indonesians of the cancer risk posed by buying asbestos-containing roofing. The doctor recommended that the toxic material should be replaced, because of the proven health hazard posed by human exposures to asbestos. Indonesia is one of the world’s largest asbestos-consuming nations using, on average, ~107,000 tonnes per year between 2016 and 2020. See: Atap Rumah Pakai Asbes, Awas Bahaya Kanker Paru Mengitai [House Roof Using Asbestos, Beware of the Risk of Lung Cancer].
Criminal Fly-tipper Not Jailed
Aug 23, 2023
After pleading guilty to the offences of depositing controlled waste, operating a regulated facility without an environmental permit and disposing of waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health, Middlesbrough man Darren Mills received a suspended nine-month sentence, a £1,000 fine and an order to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work. Amongst the tonnes of waste that Mills dumped near Brambles Primary Academy and Minnow’s Children’s Day Nursery was asbestos debris. See: Middlesbrough man dumped 61 tonnes of rubbish and asbestos near primary school.
Asbestos in Philadelphia’s Schools
Aug 23, 2023
Asbestos contamination of schools in Pennsylvania’s capital has been widely covered by the media, with the closure of several schools necessitating the relocation of pupils and/or online learning in 2022/23. In the run-up to the school term that will begin in September, news has been released that: Building 21 High School and Mitchell Elementary will reopen; Frankford High School will partially reopen, with 9th grade students being sent to Clemente school; Universal Vare Charter Middle School will be closed for the year with students being sent to the McDaniel Annex Building. See: Ongoing asbestos issues in Philly schools forcing students to switch buildings.
Asbestos in Schools
Aug 23, 2023
With pupils in Sicily getting ready to return to school next month, the article cited below makes timely reading. Schools on the island have many problems, including failure to comply with national earthquake guidance as well as the continued presence of asbestos in 9% of its schools. According to local politicians, attempts are being made to access funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan for Italy (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza per l'Italia) to decontaminate and modernize the schools. See: Dalle norme antisismiche all’amianto: I punti deboli delle scuole Siciliane [From earthquake standards to asbestos: the weak points of Sicilian schools].
Lung Cancer from Asbestos Exposure
Aug 21, 2023
A case study of construction worker Wang Zhihua from Hunan, central China who contracted lung cancer after workplace exposures to asbestos was featured in the article cited below on a Chinese news portal. Zhihua received hazardous exposure on a daily basis, as his main job was the installation of asbestos-cement boards. The text reported that “workers who have been exposed to asbestos for a long time have more than 5 times the risk of lung cancer than the general population.” See: 致癌物“石棉”，潜伏期可达40年，日常的6种物品都有，请自查 [Carcinogen "asbestos", the incubation period can reach 40 years, daily 6 kinds of items, please check yourself].
Partnering in Earthquake Clean-up
Aug 21, 2023
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Japan will be collaborating with partners in Turkey to construct a recycling plant in the earthquake-struck zones of Hatay and Kahramanmaraş. According to Japan's Ambassador to Ankara, Katsumata Takahiko the: “‘Eco-Responsive Earthquake Debris Removal and Safe Disposal of Hazardous Waste Project’ will be carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and UNDP… and will contribute to the construction of a solid social infrastructure that will support the Turkish economy.” See: Japonya'dan Türkiye'ye dev destek! Milyonlarca ton geri dönüştürülecek [Huge support for Turkey from Japan! Millions of tons will be recycled].
Controversial Asbestos Data
Aug 21, 2023
An August 17, 2023 article on the website of the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health repeated contentious claims by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that the number of people with asbestos-related diseases in the UK is on the decline. The HSE’s complacency over the hazard posed by asbestos remaining in buildings was challenged by comments from the TUC which called for a prioritized and phased removal of asbestos from the built environment. Medical expert Liz Darlison agreed with the unionists: “It's paramount,” she said “that we work with government to address this [toxic situation] and avoid the time bomb of future generations with occupational cancers.” See: Asbestos-related cancer deaths fall but ‘time bomb’ threatens.
Increase in Asbestos Cancer
Aug 21, 2023
The article cited below, which discussed the types, uses and problems associated with the historic use of asbestos in Japan, explained that more cases of asbestos-related diseases were being seen in people in their 50s and 60s. People experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned, and especially those at high risk – such as people who worked in the asbestos industry, lived with a family member who did or lived near an asbestos processing factory – are advised to seek immediate medical attention. See: 50代から急増するアスベストの健康障害 [Asbestos health problems are rapidly increasing from people in their 50s].
Cannabis for Mesothelioma Patients
Aug 21, 2023
At an August 2, 2023 meeting in the Osborne Park offices of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA), guest speaker Dr Stephen Chalk talked about the use of medicinal cannabis for the treatment of mesothelioma symptoms in Western Australia. Dr. Chalk explained that he had “treated a wide variety of patients, helping some of the most in-need and unwell patients get relief via alternative treatment pathways.” The Australian Government requires patients try other recommended treatments before resorting to medicinal cannabis. Interested ADSA members can consult with the ADSA Nurse for help with referrals. See: Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia.
Another Obituary: Paul Brodeur
Aug 21, 2023
An obituary of legendary investigative reporter Paul Brodeur was published in the New York Times on August 17, 2023. The text highlighted the important role Brodeur’s articles played in attracting “national attention to subjects like the toxic hazards of asbestos and the destructive impact of chlorofluorocarbons on the ozone layer…” In his seminal 1968 article The Magic Mineral, Brodeur wrote: “There is not an automobile, airplane, train, ship, missile or engine of any sort that does not contain asbestos in some form or other, and it has found its way into literally every building, factory, home and farm across the land.” See: Paul Brodeur, Reporter Who Exposed the Hazards of Asbestos, Dies at 92.
Rotherham Asbestos Protest!
Aug 18, 2023
On August 16, 2023, members and supporters of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK mounted another in a series of protests outside offices belonging to the current owner of the UK’s former asbestos conglomerate Cape PLC. They gathered in front of the offices of Altrad, a multinational construction and industrial corporation worth $2.9 billion, to repeat their demands for a donation of £10 million for medical research into asbestos cancer as a way of making restitution for the deadly consequences which resulted from the production, processing and use of products containing asbestos by Cape and its subsidiaries. See: Report from Cape Must Pay! protest in Rotherham.
Post-Disaster Hazard in Hawaii
Aug 18, 2023
On August 11, 2023, Hawaii’s Department of Health issued an alert in the aftermath of the horrific fires which decimated the Lahaina area of the island of Maui warning local people and emergency responders of the danger posed by the inhalation of: “Ash and dust (particularly from burned buildings) [which] may contain toxic and cancer-causing chemicals including asbestos, arsenic, and lead.” As many of the buildings in the historic city were erected during the asbestos heyday, it is thought that they contained asbestos. See: What To Know About The Potential Health Risks Of The Maui Fires—From Birth Defects To Cancer.
Asbestos Hazard in Shipbreaking
Aug 18, 2023
A 25-page report uploaded on August 16, 2023 to the website of the Platform on Clean Shipbreaking which reviewed the situation on shipbreaking beaches in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Turkey and China in the quarter ending July 2023, highlighted the widespread prevalence of asbestos-related conditions and diseases in workers. Reduced lung function amongst shipbreaking workers was common, with many having reduced lung capacity of up to 60%. “Based on an asbestos survey done between 2011 and 2020, more than 55% of operating vessels and 50% of all new vessels were found to contain asbestos materials.” See: South Asia Quarterly Update.
Rehabilitation of Scarred Landscapes?
Aug 18, 2023
A project started in 2011 under Viridis Environment in the Quebec asbestos mining town of Thetford Mines has seen over 215 hectares revegetated with the use of artificial soils to allow trees and plants to flourish. To date, 10,000 trees were planted, 300,000 tonnes of residual fertilizing materials were reused and 100,000 tonnes of slightly contaminated soil was reclaimed. It is unknown what levels of asbestos exposures the workers on these sites were exposed to. See: La métamorphose verte de l’ancienne mine Lac d’amiante à Thetford Mines [The green metamorphosis of the former Lake Asbestos mine in Thetford Mines].
Mesothelioma Treatment: Update
Aug 18, 2023
Researchers from the US State of North Carolina published a paper in last month’s Nature journal which showed that the chemotherapy drug Cisplatin was a better choice for Hyperthermic (heated) Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) treatment of patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. For people with an interest in mesothelioma research, there are many other papers on mesothelioma developments on the Nature website
See: Cisplatin exhibits superiority over MMC as a perfusion agent in a peritoneal mesothelioma patient. specific organoid HIPEC platform.
New Portsmouth Mesothelioma Resource
Aug 18, 2023
A new clinical nurse specialist (CNS) has been appointed to support asbestos cancer patients at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth. Lucy Johnson, who has been a nurse for 11 years, will support patients throughout their mesothelioma journey from diagnosis and investigations to treatment and symptom control. Commenting on her new position, CNS Johnson said: “I’m aware of the devastating impact that mesothelioma has on people’s lives so am looking forward to working in Portsmouth and helping patients there, supporting them with life-changing situations and at vulnerable times.” See: Nurse appointed as mesothelioma and pleural CNS in first for hospital.
Calls for Asbestos Action!
Aug 17, 2023
Earlier this month, Dr Chen Tianhui and his team from the Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences in China called for “developing countries to ban asbestos altogether.” China is the world’s third largest asbestos-producing country and second biggest asbestos consumer. Points made in the article cited below included: “all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans”; “in China, although the use of amphibole asbestos has been completely banned, chrysotile asbestos is still widely used”; environmental as well as occupational exposures pose serious threats to the population. See: 致癌物“石棉”，潜伏期可达20年，你用过的这些物品可能都有 [The first-class carcinogen “asbestos,” has an incubation period of up to 20 years, and may have been in items you have used].
Supporting Asbestos Victims
Aug 17, 2023
Following research by a municipal study group, the Council of Korea’s Hongseong County introduced protocols to improve vital services for victims of asbestos-related diseases including: increased capacity for the provision of healthcare for asbestos victims, the expansion of staff and equipment needed to treat victims at Hongseong Medical Center, subsidies to cover transport and nursing expenses for victims, etc. The County Council has committed itself to maintaining a watching brief so that other measures to support the injured can be introduced as needed in collaboration with other local councils and government ministries. See: 홍성군의회, 석면피해자 구제지원 개선 방안 모색 [Hongseong County Council seeks ways to improve relief support for asbestos victims].
Asbestos in the Built Environment
Aug 17, 2023
Interviews with Polish workers on a construction site in in Berlin-Friedrichshain, highlighted a worrying lack of asbestos awareness among individuals at high risk of toxic occupational exposures. At a press conference held by a German construction industry trade union on August 10, 2023, union official Carsten Burkhardt said that 4.4 million tonnes of asbestos were used in Germany between 1950 and 1995; much of it remains within the national infrastructure, posing a serious health risk to people involved in the renovation or demolition industries. More than 1,500 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases in Germany. See: Occupational safety: Danger from asbestos: “The number of unreported cases is huge”.
Asbestos in Parliament
Aug 17, 2023
As Parliamentarians went on their summer vacation, the Sunday Times journalist Robert Covile reviewed the status of plans to address the dangerous deterioration of the physical structure of the Palace of Westminster. Five years after it had been agreed that serious work was needed, no conclusions have been reached about a plan of action. Although, there are many serious problems in this Unesco world heritage site, including asbestos contamination, the main worry is the “occurrence of a catastrophic event,” such as the one which destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019. See (1-month free subscription): MPs work in a verminous, asbestos-riddled fire trap. So why are they so keen to stay?
Mesothelioma in Females: Update
Aug 17, 2023
Following their failure to convince officials at the WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer to update mesothelioma guidelines, five US doctors published a paper in the August 11, 2023 issue of the Journal of Scientific Practice and Integrity. Dr Arthur Frank et al described the steps they took to correct inaccuracies, and expose dereliction of duty among responsible parties based, they believed, “at least in part,” on undisclosed conflicting interests. Resulting from failure to update key WHO and IARC texts, many cases of mesothelioma in women are either not diagnosed or not diagnosed at an early stage, thus preventing them from getting timely treatment, their exposure histories often not sought. See: Malignant mesothelioma in females: the institutional failure by WHO and IARC to protect public health.
Subsidies for Asbestos Eradication
Aug 17, 2023
The South Korean Province of Gyeongnam-do, in the southeast of the country, has allocated the sum of 240 billion won (US $180m) to subsidize the removal and disposal of asbestos roofing on houses, barns, warehouses, etc. to prevent toxic exposures to people who live or use the contaminated buildings. The full costs will be met for vulnerable households and others will receive a maximum of 352,700 million won (US$264,000) to carry out the work. See: 경남도, 석면 슬레이트 건출물 처리비용 지원 [Gyeongnam-do, asbestos slate construction disposal cost support].
Asbestos Mine on French Island
Aug 16, 2023
Nearly 60 years after asbestos operations were stopped at the Canari mine in Corsica, the toxic legacy lives on in the damaged lungs of the local people and the ravaged and polluted environment. The article cited below reviewed the history of the “white hell,” as preparations were being finalized for demolition next year of the factory on the site. The mine, the largest asbestos mine in all of France, was owned by the Eternit company; at peak production, 400 people were employed with their output supplying 25% of national asbestos demand. See: Canari: l'histoire tourmentée du plus grand site industriel de Corse [Canari: the tormented history of the largest industrial site in Corsica].
Sad news from Cape Cod
Aug 16, 2023
The news was reported last week of the death of legendary investigative reporter and author Paul Brodeur whose meticulous research first exposed the malfeasance of US asbestos companies whose ill treatment of workers caused countless numbers to suffer ill health and premature death. In his articles and books, he revealed the industrial–medical conspiracy developed and sustained by asbestos dollars to create a climate in which sales of “the Magic Mineral” would flourish. He had a long retirement on Cape Cod, the holiday island favored by many including President John Kennedy and his family. See: Paul Brodeur, journalist who exposed asbestos hazards, dies at 92.
Asbestos Alert!
Aug 16, 2023
As Typhoon Kanun approached Korea, warnings were issued by Wonju City officials about the likelihood of the town’s Academy Theater collapsing from the effects of the storm. A recent safety inspection had confirmed that as a result of cracks in the building’s thin asbestos roof, the capacity of the theater to survive typhoon conditions was uncertain. A spokesperson for the municipality said that emergency safety inspections would be carried out to protect the population “by promptly demolishing buildings that continue to threaten the safety and health of citizens as planned.” See: 원주시, ‘태풍 카눈’ 북상으로 ‘안전성 평가 D등급 건물 붕괴 위험’ 고조 [Wonju City Raises 'Risk of Collapse of Safety Assessment Class D Building' as ‘Typhoon Kanun’ Arises to the North].
Punishment for Illegal Asbestos Removal
Aug 16, 2023
On August 7, 2023, the Labor Ministry of Cyprus fined the construction company Pantelis G Charalambous Property Ltd €2,500 (US$2740) for violating asbestos health and safety regulations. The company had been charged with putting “the safety and well-being of employees and other individuals at risk” by failing to register a workplan before starting asbestos removal and demolition work. An unnamed person was sentenced to 45 days in jail for noncompliance with mandatory asbestos removal regulations. See: Construction company fined for breaking health and safety regs.
Medical Screening for Asbestos Diseases
Aug 16, 2023
On August 8, group members of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, ABEA & AVICAFE met in Bahia to learn about efforts to set up medical protocols using low dose computed tomography for screening workers who had received toxic exposures at Bahia’s asbestos mine in Bom Jesus da Serra (which closed in 1967), at the Eternit factory in Simões Filho, and at other workplaces where asbestos was used. Prior to this event, an interview on Progresso 103 FM was broadcast, alerting listeners to the health risk posed by the use of Johnson & Johnson baby powder in this very hot part of the country. See: Entrevista de Fernanda Giannasi e Marcos Zanin na Rádio Progresso de Sousa na Paraíba [Interview by Fernanda Giannasi and Marcos Zanin on Rádio Progresso de Sousa in Paraíba].
Supporting the Asbestos Injured
Aug 16, 2023
Having consulted with asbestos victims regarding their health and other concerns, the Prefecture of Kanagawa, Japan last week added additional resources and information to its website to facilitate access to relevant healthcare services. Details were provided for multiple local health and welfare offices as well as for medical services specializing in cancer and cardiovascular diseases. See: 神奈川県がホームページでアスベスト(石綿)に関する健康相談窓口を紹介 [Kanagawa Prefecture introduces a health consultation counter for asbestos on its website].
Post-disaster Asbestos Hazard
Aug 9, 2023
Six months after two devastating earthquakes hit Southern Turkey, survivors are living in toxic and unsafe conditions. According to the insightful article cited below, asbestos building rubble has been collected and dumped in mountains of toxic waste located near temporary shelters erected for local people. Campaigners, frustrated by the lack of response from local government officials, have launched lawsuits against the Hatay authorities demanding the removal of toxic waste from residential areas, wetlands and olive groves. See: ‘The illegality of this is enormous’: will Turkey’s earthquake cleanup cause even more death?.
Asbestos Eradication: Too Slow
Aug 9, 2023
Despite actions taken by the EU to increase asbestos protections for workers, citizens’ groups in Italy are complaining about the glacial speed of eradicating the hazard from the built environment. According to Italian researchers, 2,400 schools, 500,000 kilometers of pipes, 1,500 libraries, 500 hospitals and numerous cultural buildings are contaminated with asbestos. There are no laws mandating that asbestos be removed from public or private buildings. See: Bonifiche a rilento e scarsi controlli. Così l'amianto può uccidere ancora [Slow reclamation and poor controls. So asbestos can kill again].
Another UK Asbestos Tragedy!
Aug 9, 2023
As part of the Summer 2023 campaign by the Sunday Times: “Act Now on Asbestos,” journalist Steve Boggan highlighted the story of mesothelioma patient Barbara Morris who was exposed to asbestos in the 1970s when she worked for the East Midlands Electricity Board in Daventry, Northamptonshire. Mrs. Morris was shocked “to think that people could still be exposed the way I was… Especially children. At the very least, the government should be working to get asbestos out of schools. We owe it to the next generation.” Asbestos material remains in 1.5 million UK buildings, including schools and hospitals. See (1-month free subscription): I was exposed to asbestos — now I won’t see my grandchildren grow up.
Confronting the Nation’s Asbestos Legacy
Aug 9, 2023
Outdated laws and practices which allow asbestos stakeholders to exploit legal loopholes were the subject of an interview with Fernanda Giannasi, Co-Founder of ABREA (Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed). ABREA is backing calls by politicians to nullify laws left over from a time before asbestos was banned by the Supreme Court as well as exemptions allowed after the ban which allowed vested interests – represented by the Brazilian Association of the Alkali, Chlorine and Derivatives Industry – to continue to use asbestos in diaphragms for chlorine production ad infinitum. See: Fernanda Giannasi: “Falta pouco para fecharmos a tampa do caixão do amianto” [Fernanda Giannasi: “Not long before we close the lid of the asbestos coffin”].
New Asbestos Outreach Project
Aug 9, 2023
From September 2023, former asbestos workers from La Spezia, in Italy’s Liguria Region, will be eligible for free medical examinations after the regional council gave its approval to a new health surveillance protocol. Local politicians acknowledged the support for this project of the local asbestos victims’ association, medical experts from the Regional General Health Department and Liguria’s Councilor for Health Angelo Gratarola. See: Visite gratuite per chi lavorava con l'amianto a La Spezia: novità dalla Regione Liguria [Free visits for those who worked with asbestos in La Spezia: news from the Liguria Region].
Asbestos Developments: Update
Aug 9, 2023
The text cited below is a timely commentary on the asbestos stalemate which currently exists in Brazil. Despite a 2017 Supreme Court (STF) verdict outlawing asbestos, asbestos mining continues in Goiás State under cover of a disputed state law. Last week, Federal Deputy Nilto Tatto submitted proposal PL368/23 to the Chamber of Deputies to revoke remnants of Brazil’s outdated “safe use of asbestos” policy. As Brazilians wait for the definitive word on asbestos from the STF, the country remains contaminated and the lives of its citizens are at risk from toxic exposures at home as well as at work. See: Um reforco na luta contra o amianto [Strengthening the fight against asbestos].
Govt. Plans Stricter Asbestos Protections
Aug 7, 2023
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology banned the production of amphibole asbestos in 2002; it also set occupational exposure limits for chrysotile asbestos to protect workers. The Ministry, in collaboration with the National Health Commission, announced plans to “strengthen the standardized management of chrysotile asbestos production enterprises, increase the publicity of occupational disease prevention and control, increase awareness of the asbestos hazard…” and take other steps to protect the population from toxic asbestos exposures. See: 工业和信息化部答“长期接触石棉建材等制品会致癌？”问题 [The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology answered the question “Can long-term exposure to asbestos building materials and other products cause cancer?”
The Supreme Court & Asbestos
Aug 7, 2023
A timely commentary featuring an interview with Brazilian ban asbestos campaigner Fernanda Giannasi called on Supreme Court Justices to end the country’s six year and seven months asbestos stalemate and act decisively to uphold the Court’s 2017 verdict outlawing the asbestos industry. A long awaited judgment concerning the illegality of a Goiás state asbestos exemption scheduled to be issued in June 2023 has been delayed yet again until October, 2023. See: Fernanda Giannasi: “Com a devida vênia, ministro, mais um ano para a mineração do amianto equivale à licença para matar no exterior” [Fernanda Giannasi: “With due respect, Minister, one more year for asbestos mining is equivalent to a license to kill abroad”].
Scottish Court Allows Second Claim
Aug 7, 2023
Last week, Lord Stuart, in Scotland’s Outer House of the Court of Session, agreed that widow Elaine Crozier and the family of deceased asbestos victim Robert Crozier should be allowed to pursue a mesothelioma claim against his employer – Scottish Power – despite his having accepted in 2014 compensation on a full and final basis for the development of pleural plaques and asbestosis as a result of workplace asbestos exposures. Mr. Crozier died on October 15, 2018. See: Family of man who died from mesothelioma allowed to proceed with second claim against employer.
New Technology to Survey Asbestos Roofs
Aug 7, 2023
On August 3 & 4, 2023, ultralight and remote-controlled drones operated by a specialist company conducted aerial surveys of San Donato, a commune in the Italian City of Milan, to record the presence of asbestos roofing and explore the potential for the use of solar technology. The data accumulated as a result of the survey will allow the municipal authorities to optimize the implementation of environmental protective measures such as the eradication of asbestos building materials. See: Due droni su San Donato A caccia di aree inquinate [Two drones over San Donato Hunting for polluted areas].
Naturally Occurring Asbestos
Aug 7, 2023
People in the Avcıpınarı neighbourhood of the Turkish City of Saimbeyli are taking legal action over concerns over proposals for a mining development in their area. Last week, the Minister of Environment submitted a question to the Turkish Grand National Assembly asking for the government to comment on this issue. The proposed quarry would be near a village, a Grade 1 archeological site and a creek that supplies water for local people. It is believed that construction work would liberate asbestos fibers present in the soil. See: Sivas Avcıpınarı’nda yapılması istenen maden projesi TBMM gündemine taşındı [Proposal for mining project in Sivas Avcipinari reaches Turkish Grand National Assembly agenda].
Draft Law Proposes Asbestos U-Turn
Aug 7, 2023
On August 2, 2023, Federal Deputy Nilto Tatto tabled law 3684/2023 in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies which called for the repeal of national legislation that, until recently, had supported the fallacious pro-business policy regarding the “safe use of asbestos.” Although asbestos use is now banned in Brazil, asbestos products are ubiquitous throughout the country’s infrastructure. The eradication of the asbestos hazard constitutes a huge liability not only from industrial sites and public buildings but also from privately-owned properties and homes. See: Chamber of Deputies Law PL n. 3684/2023.
Another UA Mesothelioma Victim
Aug 4, 2023
The mesothelioma death was announced by Local 71 of the United Association (UA) of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the USA and Canada of UA member Ronald Maisonneuve. Commenting on this death, Ronald’s cousin Angus Maisonneuve recalled when his own father, another UA member, had died from mesothelioma 20 years ago. Angus and his father were both plumber/steamfitters and Ronald was a welder; all of them were routinely exposed to asbestos during their employment. Many Canadian buildings and domestic properties still contain asbestos despite a national ban on future use being imposed in 2018. See: Latest Ottawa-area asbestos death leaves trades reeling.
Asbestos Alerts!
Aug 4, 2023
On World Lung Cancer Day (August 1), two alerts were issued in the media about the cancer hazard posed by human exposures to asbestos in Russia – the world’s biggest producer of asbestos. For years, powerful industry stakeholders have suppressed knowledge about the links between cancer and asbestos, maintaining that the use of Russian asbestos was safe. Despite these reassurances, oncologist Alexei Sorokin said that avoiding asbestos exposures is a good way to prevent cancer (as did a text warning Voronezh residents to avoid such exposures).
See: Настороженность поможет Врач Алексей Сорокин — о профилактике рака легкого [Being alert will help. Doctor Alexei Sorokin – on the prevention of lung cancer].
Post-Tornado Asbestos Collection
Aug 4, 2023
The widespread destruction caused by a tornado in Ravenna, Italy in July created mountains of building debris, some of which contained asbestos. As of August 1, 2023, it is possible for affected property owners to arrange collections of the waste by Hera S.p.A. a utility company based in Bologna. Until the toxic debris has been collected, Ravenna’s Mayor de Pascale advised citizens to “secure the area … [and] keep the ground where the fragments are located wet or, if that’s not possible, provide cover for them…” See: Ravenna in Comune: L’amianto è un problema anche quando non è sbriciolato [Ravenna in Comune: Asbestos is a problem even when it has not crumbled].
Asbestos Guidelines: Update
Aug 4, 2023
The most recent revisions to asbestos regulations by the New Zealand Government took place seven years ago under New Zealand's Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016. The commentary cited below called on construction companies and other dutyholders to consider whether their current practices comply with the mandatory guidelines which cover “all aspects of asbestos handling and management in workplaces … [and] require any work involving the removal of asbestos to be carried out by licensed asbestos removalists…” See: Revisiting The Asbestos Regulations.
Asbestos in Schools
Aug 4, 2023
The revelation in a high-profile TV program that 70% of the French capital’s schools were contaminated with asbestos created outrage amongst members of the public as well as politicians. A spokesperson for Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said that the Mayor was committed to taking immediate and effective action to resolve this situation. By the end of this year, a steering committee made up of teaching staff and associations will be established; in a quest for “more transparency,” information on the situation in various buildings will be put online. See: Un plan pour éradiquer l'amiante des écoles parisiennes [A plan to eradicate asbestos from Parisian schools].
Another Asbestos Tragedy in Bari
Aug 4, 2023
Members of the Fibronit Citizen Committee are mourning the loss of another Bari resident who died from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma, having lived close to the Fibronit asbestos factory all her life. Honoring all the town’s asbestos dead, plans for a Park of Rebirth on the area of the former Fibronit factory are proceeding. The work on this 42,500+ meters square public green space will begin in 2024. Construction should take two years and the new facilities will include: a museum, exhibition space and recreational areas. See: Bari, la Fibronit uccide ancora: ennesima vittima dell’ex fabbrica di amianto [Bari, Fibronit kills again: yet another victim of the former asbestos factory].
The Long Tail of Asbestos Liabilities
Aug 3, 2023
Accounts released on June 26, 2023 for Italy’s Fincantieri S.p.A – the largest shipbuilder in Europe – showed in the half-year results that the company’s financial position was still being negatively impacted by asbestos claims, with the sum of €33 million (US$36.2m) deducted for asbestos litigation costs and compensation payments. Asbestos claims against the company have been brought by former employees for many years and continue, as shown by a verdict issued by the Court of Ancona on July 20 ordering the company to compensate the family of a worker who died as a result of toxic exposures at one of its shipyards. See: Fincantieri ancora in rosso per le cause legate all’amianto [Fincantieri still in the red over asbestos-related liabilities].
J&J Bankruptcy: Round 2
Aug 3, 2023
On July 28, 2023, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan in Trenton, New Jersey rejected plans by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to resolve tens of thousands of asbestos lawsuits with an $8.9 billion settlement that would stop new claims from being filed. This was the second court decision to reject these plans. Lawyers for plaintiffs who believe their cancers were caused by use of asbestos-contaminated talc in J&J baby powder called the company’s attempt to curtail cancer claims “an abuse of U.S. bankruptcy law.” See: J&J effort to resolve talc lawsuits in bankruptcy fails a second time.
Supreme Court Issues Victim’s Verdict
Aug 3, 2023
Italy’s Supreme Court upheld an appeal by the family of a worker who had been denied compensation because of his smoking history. The claimant contracted lung cancer having been exposed to asbestos at the Rome Centocelle roiling stock workshops operated by Cotral S.p.A.; he died aged 37 in 1994. The Supreme Court found that the lower court had ignored the synergistic interaction of smoking and asbestos exposures which increased the risk of contracting lung cancer. See: Amianto killer: la Cassazione accoglie il ricorso dei familiari di un lavoratore ‘fumatore’ di Cotral S.p.A. deceduto a 37 anni per un cancro al polmone [Killer asbestos: the Cassation upholds the appeal of the family members of a 'smoker' worker of Cotral S.p.A. who died aged 37 of lung cancer].
Asbestos in Hospitals
Aug 3, 2023
The Gauteng Department of Health in South Africa has admitted that 14 of the province’s health facilities are contaminated with asbestos including the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, the Tambo Memorial Hospital and the Yusuf Dadoo Hospital. The authorities claim that the risk of toxic exposures are low and that steps have been taken to minimize fibers becoming airborne. However, according to the Shadow Health Member of the Executive Council Jack Bloom, the presence of the asbestos is a “health danger to staff and patients…” See: GP Health Dept to Deal with Asbestos Hazard at 14 Health Facilities.
Another Asbestos Tragedy in Merseyside
Aug 3, 2023
In an announcement made this week, it was revealed that substantial compensation for a mesothelioma patient had been secured from her former employers Namepack Ltd. (formerly known as Ward Blenkinsop), where she worked from 1969 to 1971, and Dista Products Ltd., where she worked from 1971 until 1975. The defendants also agreed to pay for private medical treatments not available on the NHS and to donate £9,000+ to the hospice which had treated the cancer patient. Two weeks after the settlement had been reached, the claimant passed away. See: Former Liverpool factory worker awarded compensation after asbestos exposure.
Georgia-Pacific Controversy
Aug 3, 2023
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is now at loggerheads with 20 US states and the District of Columbia over the use by Georgia-Pacific of the contentious legal strategy referred to as the “Texas two-step.” The States called on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rethink a divided June 20, 2023 verdict that allowed the company to dump tens of thousands of asbestos lawsuits into Bestwell, a spin-off subsidiary seeking to use Chapter 11 bankruptcy to avoid mass tort litigation. See: Georgia-Pacific’s ‘Texas two-step’ pits state AGs against U.S. Chamber.
Asbestos Firm Betrays Victims
Aug 1, 2023
The current owners of one of the UK’s biggest asbestos companies – with a 2022 revenue of €3.8bn – has been accused by asbestos victims of ignoring its responsibilities to the injured. The Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum’s request for a £10 million donation for medical research was rejected by the Altrad company whilst a six-year deal worth £58m was agreed to sponsor the New Zealand rugby team. In 2022, Altrad’s President was convicted of corruption; he was fined and given an 18- month suspended sentence. See: UK asbestos firm owners ‘whitewashing reputation’ with All Blacks sponsorship.
Supreme Court Victims’ Verdict
Aug 1, 2023
Last week, Japan’s Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the Zen-Nippon Inspection Association (Tokyo) which had been found guilty by the Kobe District Court and the Osaka High Court of failing to prevent asbestos exposures to three dock workers – Masao Akagi, Megumi Tanaka and Hiroyuki Kurabuchi – all of whom contracted lung cancer. See: 神戸港で作業、石綿を吸引し肺がんに 男性3人、勤務先に賠償求め勝訴確定 最高裁、被告側の上告不受理 [Working at Kobe Port, breathing asbestos and suffering from lung cancer. Three men win a lawsuit seeking compensation from their employer as Supreme Court rejects defendant's appeal].
Concerns over Proposed Asbestos Site
Aug 1, 2023
Amina Dika, the Women Representative of Kenya’s Tana River County, spoke out last week over plans to construct an asbestos dump in her constituency: “[the] Minjila area is a fast-growing township in the county … such a critical area that supports livelihoods of my county cannot be used as a dump site for a hazardous waste of any magnitude.” Dika expressed her objections to this “scandalous” project in a July 24, 2023 letter to the Director General of the National Environment Management Authority. See: Tana River leaders oppose asbestos dump site in county.
Asbestos on the Subway
Aug 1, 2023
Members of the Subway and Premetro Workers Union Association in Buenos Aires went on strike on July 26, 2023 calling for the immediate removal from service of trains contaminated with asbestos and a reduction in working hours from 36 to 30 per week to minimize toxic exposures. According to the union, three subway workers have died from asbestos-related diseases, six others have developed cancers and 87 have experienced health issues as a result of workplace exposures to asbestos. 2150 workers are given annual medical check-ups because of historic asbestos exposures. See: Vivir con asbesto: el padecimiento de los trabajadores del subte en primera persona [Living with asbestos: first-person accounts of the suffering of subway workers].
Climate Changes & Asbestos
Aug 1, 2023
An alert issued by AfeVA Emilia Romagna, an asbestos victims’ group in Bologna, highlighted the hazard posed by asbestos debris in the aftermath of recent storms in the Romagna region. The Group’s press release urged “the Region and local administrations not to undermine the importance of the asbestos issue which continues to produce suffering and death even in our region. If anything, we must take a cue from the disasters that have occurred recently such as the earthquake and the flood and from the effects of climate change in general, in order not to waste any more time and go as quickly as possible towards mapping the asbestos in the area and a plan for its removal…” See: Cambiamenti climatici: intervenire sull’amianto presente è una priorità per la tutela della salute dei cittadini [Asbestos: Whirlwind in Romagna].
Asbestos at the BBC
Aug 1, 2023
The article cited below was just one of dozens which appeared last week about the news that Esther Rantzen, veteran British TV presenter and founder of Childline, had contracted lung cancer which she wondered might have been due to asbestos exposures at the studios of the BBC. In the last ten years, the BBC has paid £1.64 million in damages to 11 families which had lost loved ones to mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposures. See: Did asbestos-filled BBC studios cause Dame Esther Rantzen's stage-four lung cancer?
Mesothelioma Kills Husband and Wife
Jul 26, 2023
In 2009, the asbestos cancer mesothelioma killed David Pond, who had worked with asbestos between 1962 to 1970 whilst employed by the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Railways. In 2022 his wife, Dian Pond also died from mesothelioma, four months after having launched a legal action against the State of NSW for compensation. On Friday, July 21, 2023, Judge Strathdee at the NSW Dust Diseases Tribunal issued a victim’s verdict and awarded her family A$605,296 (US$407,243) against the State, with a future hearing to determine costs. See: Woman gets cancer from husband's asbestos-laden clothes.
Asbestos in Ministry’s Naval Base
Jul 26, 2023
In a Genoa Court, JudgeAlberto La Mantia awarded the family of civilian worker €700,000 (US$778,685) compensation – to be paid by the Ministry of Defense (MoD), which had failed to provide equipment to prevent asbestos exposures at the military arsenal of La Spezia naval base in the Liguria region of Italy. The deceased had worked for the MoD from 1958 until his retirement in 1994. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and died shortly afterwards. Amongst those compensated were the widow, two children and a nephew. At this point, it is not known whether the MoD will appeal the verdict. See: Morì a causa dell’amianto Risarcita di 700mila euro la famiglia di un operaio [Family of worker who died because of asbestos awarded 700 thousand euros compensation].
Rotterdam Convention Resource
Jul 26, 2023
A 9-page factsheet uploaded recently, entitled The Rotterdam Convention An Overview, is a useful online resource for people hoping to fathom the intricacies of the quagmire which is the UN Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedures for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade. The publication, which was issued by the Indian NGO Toxics Link, concluded that: “it is in interest of all countries, including India, to strengthen the Rotterdam Convention and support the inclusion of more hazardous chemicals under the ambit of Rotterdam Convention. To strengthen the Convention, Parties will need to come together to create a robust central monitoring mechanism to ensure that the PIC procedure is uniformly enforced.” See: The Rotterdam Convention An Overview.
Asbestos at the Shipyards
Jul 26, 2023
Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri S.p.A. was ordered by the Court of Ancona, Italy to pay a total of €639,000 (US$711,000) in compensation to the widow, two children and four grandchildren of a carpenter who died in 2017 from asbestosis as a result of workplace asbestos exposures over more than 30 years. The company had denied all the charges. The widow will also receive, in addition to a pension from the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work, a survivor's pension from the Asbestos Victims Fund. See: Amianto, condannata Fincantieri a risarcire i familiari del carpentiere morto [Asbestos, Fincantieri sentenced to compensate the family members of the dead carpenter].
Asbestos at RAAC Schools
Jul 26, 2023
A report by the Department for Education (DfE) entitled Condition of school buildings which was published at the end of June 2023 revealed serious issues over the safety of pupils at aging schools built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a lightweight material used widely between the 1950s and mid-1990s which is “prone to collapse.” The hazard is exacerbated by the presence of asbestos-containing building products. According to the DfE, there are 572 schools where RAAC might be present. In addition, asbestos contamination of 13,800 system-built schools was flagged up as a concern. See: Unsafe UK school buildings pose risk to pupils, report says.
EPA Action on Asbestos Dumping
Jul 26, 2023
Having pleaded guilty to two charges related to transporting waste and land pollution in the Land and Environment Court – in 2017, the accused had dumped 1,400 truckloads of asbestos-contaminated and other waste on land he owned in Arcadia, Sydney over a seven month period – Paul Mouawa was fined A$200,000 (US$135,000) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which warned other operators that they too could expect substantial penalties for illegal waste disposals. Mouawa was given until December 2023 to remediate the land. See: Big fine for mass dumping of asbestos contaminated soil.
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 25, 2023
A 21-page report released in July 2023 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) entitled Management of asbestos in school buildings 2022/23 investigated “how schools are meeting their legal duties to manage asbestos effectively.” The HSE did not waste the opportunity presented by the publication of this report to reiterate its mantra: “Where asbestos-containing materials are undamaged and properly maintained, with regular checks and effective monitoring to assess their condition, they can remain safely in place.” Although significant failings were found in 7% of schools, “this did not mean there was an actual risk of exposure to asbestos.” So, nothing to see here folks, move on. See: Management of asbestos in school buildings 2022/23.
Verdict for Mesothelioma Claimant
Jul 25, 2023
A jury in Oakland, California on July 18, 2023 issued a victim’s verdict in a case brought by a 24-year old mesothelioma victim who alleged that his cancer was caused by exposure to asbestos contained in Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) talc-based baby powder. In his closing argument to the jury Joe Satterley, the lawyer representing Emory Hernandez Valadez, said that J&J had been engaged in a “despicable” decades-long cover-up of asbestos contamination of its iconic baby powder. The jury agreed and awarded the plaintiff the sum of $18.8 million. See: J&J must pay $18.8 million to California cancer patient in baby powder suit.
Mr Fluffy Contamination in Victoria
Jul 25, 2023
The scandal posed by the presence of loose-fill asbestos insulation – nicknamed Mr Fluffy – in homes in the Australian capital a few years ago has now reached the Australian state of Victoria where Mr Fluffy asbestos has been found in homes along the border with New South Wales (NSW). Affected homeowners are calling for the state government to introduce a scheme similar to those in Canberra and NSW which provided funding to eradicate the contamination or demolish the contaminated properties. The Victorian government said it was currently investigating the issue. See: Home owners urge Victorian government to help as Mr Fluffy loose-filled asbestos found in houses.
Asbestos-free Industrial Insulation
Jul 25, 2023
New plans by the Izomat company for a manufacturing complex in the Moscow region to produce asbestos-free industrial insulation were announced in an article uploaded on July 19, 2023. This development is noteworthy, as Russia is the world’s biggest asbestos producer and a leading force in global efforts to defend asbestos markets. Financial backing for this new venture indicates the existence of domestic demand for asbestos-free alternative products. See: Подмосковный инвестор запустит производство промышленной теплоизоляции [An investor near Moscow will launch the production of industrial thermal insulation].
Female Asbestos Victims
Jul 25, 2023
An article by the Italian asbestos victims’ group Contramianto Associazione Esposti Amianto E Altri Rischi-Onlus (The Antiasbestos and Asbestos-Exposed Association) highlighted two cases of local women who contracted pleural mesothelioma from domestic exposures to asbestos. Both of the patients were from Taranto and both of them washed their husbands’ asbestos-contaminated work clothes. See: Così l’amianto colpisce anche figlie e mogli degli operai [So asbestos also affects the daughters and wives of workers].
Asbestos Incident at Scottish Hospital
Jul 25, 2023
During the installation of a new hydraulic press on July 7, 2023 at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, asbestos was disturbed in what has been described by officials as an “isolated asbestos incident.” According to NHS Grampian, a small number of staff and contractors were in the unit when a beam was knocked during the installation process. The affected room was isolated and the risk was monitored whilst staff put contingency plans in place to minimize disruption. It could be two weeks before the laundry would be fully operational said Chief Executive Caroline Hiscox. See: Laundry staff exposed to asbestos at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Asbestos-Free Schools by 2024
Jul 21, 2023
According to a statement on July 14th by the Jeonbuk Office of Education, eradication of asbestos from elementary, middle and high schools in Jeonbuk will be completed on schedule by 2024. During Summer vacations, work will be carried out at 40 Jeonbuk schools under the supervision of school asbestos monitoring groups, composed, at each facility, of the school principal or assistant principal, asbestos building safety manager, parents, civic groups, asbestos supervisor, on-site representative of asbestos dismantling / removal company and construction supervisor. See: 전북교육청 "내년까지 도내 초중고 학교에서 석면 깨끗이 퇴출" [Jeonbuk Office of Education “Elimination of asbestos from elementary, middle and high schools in the province by next year”].
Asbestos in Social Housing
Jul 21, 2023
A high-profile campaign was launched last week to force action by local authorities over asbestos contamination of social housing in Milan. In 2018 it was discovered that asbestos material was present “from the floors to the cellars and even in the drainage pipes of the toilets and in the air circulating underground.” The buildings, which are more than 40 years old, are in very bad repair. In the last five years, no work has been taken to quantify the problem or eradicate the hazard. See: Amianto negli stabili popolari Milano: nessuna bonifica in 5 anni / Cittadini abbandonati dal Comune [Asbestos in public buildings [housing] in Milan: no reclamation in 5 years / Citizens abandoned by the Municipality].
Asbestos Worries over Redevelopment
Jul 21, 2023
Glasgow campaigners are calling on developers to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment before demolishing the four Wyndford tower blocks in Glasgow which are believed to contain asbestos. Accusing their critics of “scaremongering,” Wheatley Homes Glasgow said an investigation will take place once the buildings have been emptied of tenants. Planning permission was granted for the demolition of the towers and the construction of 300 low-rise homes on the site. See: Call to halt tower blocks demolition after asbestos survey.
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 21, 2023
The Government of the South African Province of KwaZulu-Natal has confirmed that slow progress is being made in the eradication of asbestos roofing from 832 contaminated schools, in a reply made to a Parliamentary question. The Department of Education needs R6,734, 000,000 (US$377m) to eradicate the hazard; as of March 2023, since 2018 asbestos roofing had only been remediated in 76 schools. According to government critic Dr Imran Keeka: “Most of these roofs were installed 40 years ago. This enormous backlog means it will take another 30 years to clear. In the meantime, there will be a safety hazard for school learners.” See: More than 800 KZN schools still have asbestos roofs, placing pupils at risk.
Asbestos Curse Blocks Redevelopment
Jul 21, 2023
The industrial asbestos legacy of the Harts Lane Estate in Barking, London is a permanent block, said resident Anthony Taylor, on plans to regenerate the site, as it was constructed in 1970 on top of the Cape Asbestos factory, the biggest asbestos factory in London. Prior to its closure in 1968, generations of local people had worked for Cape. The two 17-storey tower blocks called Colne House and Mersea House on the estate dominate the local landscape and have had a chequered history. A spokesperson for Barking and Dagenham Council did not respond to Mr. Taylor’s comments. See: Barking estate ‘can never be bulldozed’ as it sits on top of old asbestos factory.
Halt of Baby Powder Production
Jul 18, 2023
On July 14, 2023, an article in The Times of India announced that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had “surrendered its licence to manufacture baby powder in its Mumbai plant” on June 22, 2023. The decision to stop manufacturing baby powder in India was, said the company “part of a global move to switch from talc-based to cornstarch-based baby powders.” The author of the article cited below pointed out that J&J had stopped producing its talc-based baby powder in the US and Canada three years ago. See: J&J stops manufacture of baby powder in country [India].
J&J Summer Offensive
Jul 18, 2023
In a July 12, 2023 Reuters article it was announced that LTL Management – a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary – had launched a lawsuit earlier this month in a New Jersey federal court against researchers who had published a paper about studies showing that the use of talc-based personal products could cause cancer; J&J denied these findings. The lawsuit targeted Drs Richard Kradin, Theresa Emory and John Maddox, all of whom were requested to “retract and/or issue a correction" of the study which stated that the use of asbestos-contaminated talc-based consumer products could cause mesothelioma. See: Johnson & Johnson sues researchers who linked talc to cancer.
Victims’ Verdicts at Appeal Court
Jul 18, 2023
On July 13, 2023 the Rome Appeal Court issued verdicts supporting claims by asbestos victims against Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) and ordered that compensation be paid to asbestos victims who, as a result of workplace exposures to asbestos, had contracted pleural plaques and asbestosis. On multiple occasions, INAIL had previously rejected their applications. See: INAIL condannata a riconoscere le malattie professionali causate dall’esposizione all’amianto di due ex lavoratori di Cotral S.p.A. e di Alitalia S.p.A. [INAIL ordered to recognize the occupational diseases caused by the exposure to asbestos of two former workers of Cotral S.p.A. and of Alitalia S.p.A.].
Asbestos on Toronto’s Subway System
Jul 18, 2023
Despite the deterioration of asbestos material contained within the infrastructure of Toronto’s subway network and alarms raised in the past about pollution levels in the subway which were 10 times worse than outside air, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has reduced asbestos removal work this year because of cutbacks to its budget allocation. In 2022, TTC earmarked $9,338,000 for asbestos eradication work but it is unknown how much of this work was completed. See: Vast cuts to TTC include scaling back removal of cancer-causing asbestos in stations.
Victims’ Attack J&J Legal Strategy
Jul 18, 2023
US cancer victims with claims against the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) remain incensed at the success J&J is having in avoiding its liabilities. Forty thousand claims have been made by users of J&J talc-based baby powder by people who believe that their cancers were caused by use of J&J’s iconic product. The article cited below includes an interview with mesothelioma sufferer Juliet Gray. “When you’re selling products to people for their health,” she said “that they used to take care of themselves and those products are tainted with something so toxic you get a terminal cancer from it, that is not OK…” See: Johnson and Johnson bankruptcy claim is a ruse to limit liability, cancer victims say.
Implementation of Asbestos Ban
Jul 14, 2023
On July 11, 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Masterplan 2023-2027 was announced in the Cambodian capital by the Minister of Labor; it included provisions to outlaw the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products on pages 16, 17, 22,23,38,40,44, 45, 73,74,79. Details regarding the planned actions and a timeline for the prohibitions are on pages 44/45 and 73/74. They are very comprehensive and reflect the determination of the government to protect citizens from further deadly exposures. In his opening speech on July 11, the Minister specifically mentioned the asbestos ban as one of the ministry’s top priorities. See: Cambodia Third Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan 2023-2027.
Asbestos Propaganda: Reboot
Jul 14, 2023
A curious mish-mash of misinformation served up with corporate spin reenforced the Russian asbestos lobby’s narrative that companies such as Russia’s Uralasbest Asbestos conglomerate were under attack by “Western competitors,” “Western lobbyists for artificial substitutes for chrysotile asbestos,” “global anti-chrysotile campaigners,” and “Western greens” who use a specious “eco-agenda” as ammunition in their economic war. The Russian asbestos industry is an innocent, says the author of the article cited below, unjustifiably under attack when there have been “no special medical anomalies” recorded amongst Uralasbest workers. See: Наши победили в Женеве [Our Side Won in Geneva].
Asbestos Case Reinstated
Jul 14, 2023
A mesothelioma case was resurrected on July 7, 2023 after a Kentucky appellate court reversed a lower court’s ruling that had dismissed a lawsuit against two companies. The personal injury case, which had been brought by Paul Williams widower of a mesothelioma victim, sought damages from Schneider Electric USA Inc. and Union Carbide Corp. for the 2017 death of Vickie Williams, aged 54, who was exposed to asbestos fibers brought home on her father’s work clothes. As a teenager in 1978, Ms Williams had also worked for Schneider Electric USA Inc. for three months. See: Estate of mesothelioma victim may pursue claims.
Living with Asbestos
Jul 14, 2023
Despite the existence of a national ban and regulations for managing asbestos-containing material, many people lack the financial resources to comply with guidelines. The article cited below described the hazardous conditions of people living in substandard houses containing asbestos products in the Mulmangol area of the South Korean city of Busan. Commenting on this situation Busan City Council member Kim Hyung-cheol said: “Due to the nature of unauthorized buildings, maintenance is not easy, but we cannot ignore residents whose lives are threatened by asbestos.” See: 빗물은 예사, 지붕 무너질까 걱정…석면 위험 알아도 돈 없어 못 고쳐 [Rainwater is normal, worried about the roof collapsing … I know the danger of asbestos, but I can't fix it because I don't have the money].
Asbestos Outreach Program in Sardinia
Jul 14, 2023
An asbestos outreach initiative in Cagliari has been launched to achieve early diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases in high-risk populations such as people who had worked with asbestos. Forty-eight people made up the initial cohort of those examined for early markers of disease by the medical team working with researcher Dr Roberto Cherchi at the Arnas Brotzu Hospital in Cagliari. The program will be replicated at the Tata Memorial Hospital in India in collaboration with researchers from the University of Cagliari. See: Test sanitari su ex esposti all'amianto per prevenire malattie [Health tests on former asbestos-exposed to prevent disease].
Legal Breakthrough in Sapporo
Jul 13, 2023
A spokesman for the Association of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Disease Patients and their Families announced on July 6, 2023 that for the first time a court had recognized as an industrial accident the mesothelioma death in 1989 of a 41-year old man who had worked for a construction company in Hokkaido based solely on a doctor’s certificate. This was, said the Association, “an extremely rare and groundbreaking accreditation that paves the way for people in similar situations.” See: 死亡診断書なしでもアスベスト労災を認定 [Recognition of asbestos work-related injuries without a death certificate].
Supreme Court’s Victim’s Verdcit
Jul 13, 2023
Italy’s Supreme Court confirmed a ruling by a Venice Court that the 2006 lung cancer death of sailor Giovanni Di Martino had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos, even though the deceased had been a smoker; Admiral Agostino Di Donna and the Ministry of Defence had appealed the Venice verdict. It is the first time that a high-ranking officer of the Navy has been convicted of manslaughter in relation to asbestos exposure in the Navy. See: Amianto, Marina bis: Cassazione conferma condanna Ammiraglio Di Donna e Marina Militare [Asbestos, Marina bis: Cassation confirms sentence of Admiral Di Donna and Navy].
Grassroots Asbestos Program
Jul 13, 2023
A short Portuguese language video uploaded to YouTube showed the pioneering work of medical specialists and victims’ campaigners in Brazil. The footage, which was taken in São Paulo on June 22, 2023 and in Rio de Janeiro on June 30 & July 1, 2023, documented the examination and tests conducted on a high-risk cohort of former workers from the asbestos factory once owned by Brasilit, part of the French multinational Saint Gobain. The former asbestos workers travelled to the Heart Institute (INCOR) of the University of São Paulo for medical examinations at the clinic under the supervision of Dr Ubiratan de Paula Santos. The test results were communicated in person during the follow-up meetings. See: Atividades no INCOR, Julho de 2023 [Activities at INCOR, July 2023].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 13, 2023
On Action Mesothelioma Day 2023, UK teachers’ unions called on the Government to prioritize the removal of asbestos from schools. General Secretary of the teachers’ union NASUWT Dr Patrick Roach was highly critical of the Government’s failure to act: “there is a lack of urgency from the DfE to address the problem. This is needlessly and avoidably passing on a potentially deadly legacy to the staff and children working and learning in our schools today.” General Secretary of the ASCL Geoff Barton agreed: “The government has shown no inclination… address the huge backlog of repairs needed across the school estate. This is further evidence of the government’s failure to prioritise education and the wellbeing of pupils, leaders and staff.” See: Teaching unions call for urgent action to remove deadly asbestos in schools.
Asbestos Action in the EU
Jul 13, 2023
The Greek commentary cited below discussed moves by the European Union to address the asbestos hazard; exposures to asbestos are responsible for the majority of work-related diseases diagnosed every year in Europe. An opinion recently approved by the European Committee of the Regions supported the establishment of a common EU framework “to facilitate the detection and safe removal of asbestos from buildings.” More than 220 million buildings in the EU were built before 2005 when asbestos use was banned and between 4.1 and 7.3 million workers are exposed to asbestos every day. See: EU confronts asbestos-related deaths.
Asbestos Fly-tipping in Melbourne
Jul 13, 2023
A short video clip showing three men dumping asbestos-cement sheeting and other waste in front of two health clinics in Melbourne was uploaded to the website of the Sydney Morning Herald on July 9, 2023. Sixty patients were turned away due to the closure of the clinics. The owners of the building, who denounced being targeted by the criminals, called in specialists to eradicate the hazard at a cost of thousands of dollars. Police are investigating the incident and called on the public for assistance in identifying the three men shown in the video committing the crime. See: Clinics closed after asbestos dumped in Melbourne.
New HSE Mesothelioma Data
Jul 11, 2023
Mesothelioma data for Great Britain produced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for 2021 was published on July 6, 2023. The figures showed a reduction in fatalities from 2,570 deaths in 2020 to 2,268 in 2021; an apparent fall of nearly 12%. Obviously, the HSE hopes that this fall will substantiate its long-predicted downturn in asbestos mortality; however, the statistics come with a caveat that: “figures for 2020 and 2021 may have been effected by the coronavirus pandemic.” The majority of the deceased were over 75 years; men who worked in the construction industry “continue to be the most at risk of mesothelioma.” See: HSE Mesothelioma Statistics for Great Britain, 2023.
Paris Appeal Court Verdict
Jul 11, 2023
On July 5, 2023, a long-awaited decision by the Paris Court of Appeal confirmed a February 2022 lower court’s ruling dismissing a case brought over asbestos poisoning at Jussieu University in the 5th arrondissement of Paris from 1960 to 1990. On two secondary points, the case was sent back to the investigating judges. Asbestos victims’ campaigners have pledged to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. See: Amiante: le non-lieu dans l’affaire du campus parisien de Jussieu confirmé en appel [Asbestos: the dismissal in the case of the Parisian campus of Jussieu confirmed on appeal].
Asbestos Crimes in BC
Jul 11, 2023
On June 29, 2023, WorkSafeBC – the statutory agency tasked with the prevention of occupational injury and occupational disease in British Columbia – fined restoration firm Canstar Restorations more than $157,000 for infringing asbestos regulations during work at Walnut Grove Secondary School in Langley, BC. According to WorkSafeBC the firm “failed to take the necessary precautions to protect workers.” This year BC became the first jurisdiction in Canada to require contractors removing asbestos to be licensed. See: B.C. company fined $157K for 'high-risk' school asbestos removal.
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 11, 2023
According to a report released in Seoul on July 3, 2023 by the Environmental Health Citizens’ Center and the Gyeonggi Environmental Movement Alliance, around 40% of the elementary, middle and high schools in the Gyeonggi area of Korea still contain asbestos. During the coming months, whilst the schools are shut due to summer vacations, the authorities will be removing asbestos from 35 schools including 13 elementary, 10 middle and 12 high schools. See: 경기지역 학교 969곳, 석면 무방비 노출 [969 schools in Gyeonggi area exposed to asbestos Unprotected].
Asbestos Strike in Buenos Aires
Jul 11, 2023
On July 5, 2023, the Subway and Metro Workers Union Association held a strike throughout the subway system in Buenos Aires calling for a cut in working hours to reduce occupational exposures to asbestos. Various lines of the system were affected at different time periods during the day. According to a union press release, more than 900.000 subway users were affected by the strike. In a statement, the union said that despite attempts to decrease asbestos exposures experienced by the workforce, the employers had declined to engage in negotiations with union representatives. See: Subway lines to hold a staggered strike throughout the day.
Calls for National Asbestos Program
Jul 11, 2023
Last week, Ugandan MP Jackson Lee called on the government to honor its 2020 promise to renovate the national educational infrastructure. At that time, the authorities had pledged to implement a phased approach to remove asbestos and modernize schools. According to Lee, no remediation work has been carried out in the schools in the West Nile and “they are still roofed with asbestos iron sheets that have been proved to be a health risk.” The use of asbestos-containing products remains legal in Uganda. See: MP wants Gov't to renovate traditional schools.
New Asbestos Action Plan for Paris
Jul 10, 2023
Following the broadcast of a TV program which exposed widespread asbestos contamination of schools in the French capital, on July 3 the administration of the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidaglo announced a coordinated program which would adopt a multi-pronged and transparent approach to tackle the problem. The eradication of asbestos from schools in Paris is, said experts “a huge project, 4 to 5 billion per year for ten years…It's a colossal budgetary effort… We will still have it for years or decades.” See: Paris: La mairie lance un plan d’action contre l’amiante et publie les données disponibles [Paris: The town hall launches an action plan against asbestos and publishes the available data].
Victim’s Victory in Minas Gerais
Jul 10, 2023
On July 3, 2023, a division of the Superior Labor Court reversed decisions by lower courts and recognized the liability of the owners of a steel plant in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais belonging to Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais SA (Usiminas) for the pharyngeal and throat cancer contracted by an employee who had routinely been exposed to asbestos at work. The complainant had worked for Usiminas for 32 years, beginning in 1979. See: Siderúrgica é responsabilizada por câncer de operador exposto a amianto [Steel company blamed for cancer of operator exposed to asbestos].
Asbestos on Lombok Island
Jul 10, 2023
A graphic report by the Australian Broadcasting Company which was uploaded on July 4, 2023 detailed widespread asbestos contamination on Lombak island, a popular tourist destination in Indonesia. Thirty-one samples taken at 100 locations were analyzed by three different laboratories; asbestos was found in two thirds of the samples. Prior to the 2018 earthquake, 25% of the homes on Lombak had asbestos-cement roofs. After the disaster, the damaged homes were bulldozed by the government, thereby spreading the asbestos even further. See: VIDEO: Asbestos posing a threat to tourists and locals in Lombok.
July is Mesothelioma Month
Jul 10, 2023
In July, asbestos victims, family members and campaigners from the Mesothelioma Support Caravan Team engage in a series of events to raise awareness of the hazard of asbestos exposures in Japan in collaboration with the Mesothelioma/Asbestos Disease/Patients and Families Group, the National Cancer Center, Rare Cancer Center and other stakeholders throughout the country. See: 7月は中皮腫啓発月間 Mesothelioma Awareness Month [July is Mesothelioma Awareness Month].
Asbestos on the Railways
Jul 10, 2023
A letter written by four former employees of Italy’s State Railways to the country’s President Sergio Mattarella urged him to intervene in their long running battle for asbestos justice. Even though a criminal trial five years ago found executives of the State Railways guilty of failing to protect workers from asbestos exposures, no compensation has been received by the injured. The authors of the letter told Mattarella that they were victims of 40-years of state crimes and had “been abandoned by the institutions to suffer a silent death and the loss of our dignity as workers and citizens.” See: Amianto, ex dipendenti di Isochimica chiedono aiuto a Mattarella [Asbestos, former Isochimica employees ask Mattarella for help].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 10, 2023
On July 2, 2023 the Sunday Times carried a front-page article exposing the national scandal of asbestos in schools and calling for the government to commit to eradicating this hazard. This was followed by the British Safety Council reiterating its committal to supporting recommendations made last year (2022) by a Parliamentary Select Committee, that included the need for a “national strategy for the planned removal of all asbestos over the next 40 years, including identifying properties most in need of urgent action and clear guidance on the safe disposal of asbestos.” See: Sunday Times backs call to remove asbestos in schools.
Claiming Mesothelioma Benefits
Jul 6, 2023
According to the Ministry of Labor in Taiwan, people who contract the asbestos cancer mesothelioma having worked with asbestos-containing material are entitled to bring a claim. Eligible applicants will be awarded the sum of 200,000 yuan (US$6,400) in disability benefits as per stipulations of the Disaster Insurance Act Article 78. According to government estimates, a maximum of 300 mesothelioma claimants in Taiwan would qualify for Disability Benefits from the Occupational Accident Insurance Scheme. See: 從事石綿工作罹間皮細胞瘤亡 遺屬可申請慰問金 [Engaged in asbestos work and suffering from mesothelioma, survivors can apply for support].
Eternit’s Sham “Reinvention”
Jul 6, 2023
Calls by the Brazilian Eternit company, which was the country’s leading asbestos conglomerate for decades and still mines asbestos in the State of Goiás, for government support for its latest business venture promoting the use of solar fiber cement tiles for low cost housing were greeted with outrage by the leaders of asbestos victims’ groups who demanded that before any support was forthcoming, the company must immediately stop all asbestos mining operations and make full restitution to all the workers, members of the public and others who have been injured by exposures to Eternit asbestos. See: Do amianto à energia solar: Eternit leva telha que gera eletricidade para a favela [From asbestos to solar energy: Eternit to make tiles that generate electricity for favela].
Asbestos and the Police
Jul 6, 2023
The Rome base for the first Trevi police group was evacuated last week after the discovery of asbestos-containing material underneath the vinyl flooring. After the three-floor building in Greca Street was sealed off by order of Commander Angeloni, staff were relocated to the former canteen of police Headquarters, in Consolazione Street. See: L’amianto sfratta i vigili dal comando in centro a Roma: “Alto rischio di tumori” [Asbestos evicts the police from command [base] in center of Rome: “High risk of tumors”].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 6, 2023
On June 28, 2023, the Office of Education of the Korean City of Daejeon announced plans to remove asbestos at four schools whilst they are empty during the summer vacation at a cost of 5.3 billion won (US$4m). Before work begins, briefings will be held for the asbestos monitor group and faculty members. According to a spokesperson for the municipality: “We will do our best to ensure that asbestos dismantling and removal work during the summer vacation can be carried out in a transparent and safe manner, with both parents and faculty members agreeing.” See: 대전서부교육청「여름방학 석면해체·제거 공사 추진」 [Daejeon Seobu Office of Education, promoting asbestos dismantling and removal work during summer vacation].
Asbestos Motion in Holyrood
Jul 6, 2023
A motion heard in the Scottish Parliament on June 29, 2023 tabled by Marie McNair, which was supported by 31 Members of the Scottish Parliament, recognized the importance of Action Mesothelioma Day (AMD) and the importance of work carried out by asbestos victims’ groups such as Clydebank Asbestos Group “which has provided information and support to people with asbestos-related conditions for over 30 years…” The motion noted “the need for continued research into mesothelioma…” AMD is scheduled for July 7, 2023. See: Parliamentary Motion S6M-09075 by Marie McNair.
Construction Workers’ Victory
Jul 4, 2023
In a June 30, 2023 ruling, the Osaka District Court ordered 12 manufacturers of asbestos construction products to pay compensation of 940 million yen (US$6.5m) to 73 plaintiffs injured as a result of asbestos exposures at construction sites. In his verdict Judge Maru said: “The victims suffered tremendous physical pain, their quality of daily life declined, and they were deprived of their enjoyment of life. The mental chagrin of not being able to live and contribute to society through work is immeasurable.” See: 建設アスベスト訴訟 メーカー12社に約9.4億円の賠償を命じる 大阪地裁 [Construction asbestos lawsuit Orders 12 manufacturers to pay compensation of about 940 million yen Osaka District Court].
Asbestos Eradication of Rio de Janeiro
Jul 4, 2023
In a public hearing on June 29, 2023 at the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, deputy Carlos Minc announced plans to eradicate the asbestos hazard from the State in the presence of asbestos victims, campaigners and their advisors. In due course, deputy Minc will table specific proposals to tackle multiple aspects of the State’s asbestos legacy, including measures that will protect occupational and environmental health, promote sustainable development and safely manage environmental contamination. See: Carlos Minc anuncia audiência pública pelo fim do cancerígeno amianto no Estado, propondo programa pioneiro no país [Carlos Minc announces public hearing for the end of the carcinogen asbestos in the State, proposing a pioneering program in the country].
Protecting Workers from Asbestos
Jul 4, 2023
On June 27, 2023, it was announced that an agreement had been reached by the European Parliament and the European Council which would protect EU workers from exposures to asbestos within national infrastructures. Revisions of the Asbestos at Work Directive will not only drastically reduce asbestos exposures, but will also ensure the use of more accurate ways to measure exposure levels in line with the latest technology; implement safety protocols to better control work by asbestos removal and demolition companies; and mandate the establishment of national registers of all those diagnosed with asbestos-related occupational diseases. See: EU agrees better protection of workers against asbestos.
Review of EPA Asbestos Paper
Jul 4, 2023
A call for 10 to 15 scientific and technical experts to review the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2023 White Paper on the Quantitative Human Health Approach to be Applied in the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos Part 2 was issued on June 22, 2023. According to the EPA, the white paper will be released for public review and comment in late July 2023. In this white paper, the conditions of use (COU) of asbestos, including other types of asbestos in addition to chrysotile, “that EPA had excluded from Part 1 as legacy uses and associated disposals, as well as any COU of asbestos-containing talc” will be evaluated. See: EPA Requests Nominations for Experts to Review White Paper to Be Used in the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos Part 2 under TSCA.
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 4, 2023
According to information obtained as a result of a Freedom of Information request by ITV News, 13 schools in Jersey and 16 in Guernsey still contain asbestos. According to a spokesperson for Jersey Property Holdings, the government company that owns States buildings: “The presence of asbestos in school buildings is something that is being managed and is not currently causing any safety issues…The buildings are regularly monitored and parents should be assured there is no cause for concern.” See: 29 Channel Island schools still have asbestos within buildings.
Who’s Setting the Asbestos Agenda in India?
Jul 4, 2023
The commentary cited below reviewed the inglorious role played by India during international negotiations to regulate the global trade in chrysotile (white) asbestos. Under the scope of the United Nations’ Rotterdam Convention. “For [too] long,” the author wrote “India’s position on chrysotile has remained hostage to the tremendous clout of the Russian asbestos industry and some 18 major manufacturers of asbestos based products in India. Government is yet reveal the names in environmental and occupational health which it consulted in this regard.” See: Indian corporates ‘guilty of using’ deadly asbestos mostly imported from Russia.
Asbestos Lung Cancer Alert!
Jun 29, 2023
According to data released at the end of May 2023 by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Republic Udmurt, 1,498 residents of Udmurt with lung cancer have been registered. In the article cited below by journalist Anastasia Vasilyeva, it was noted that most of those diagnosed with the disease were men, many of whom had been exposed to asbestos whilst at work. According to oncologist Nadezhda Bochkareva, “to reduce the risk of developing cancer, an employee in hazardous work needs to protect the respiratory tract from contact with asbestos dust and heavy metals.” See: Почти 1,5 тысячи жителей Удмуртии состоят на учете с раком легких [Almost 1,500 residents of Udmurt are registered with lung cancer].
Update from Trenton Court
Jun 29, 2023
On June 27, 2023, in Trenton, New Jersey US Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan began hearing evidence and arguments over Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) latest $8.9 billion plan to settle 38,000+ asbestos-related cancer lawsuits which alleged that the company sold baby powder contaminated with asbestos fibers. In April, 2023, J&J had tried unsuccessfully to convince a US appeals court that the bankruptcy of its subsidiary LTL Management, into which all the parent company’s asbestos lawsuits had been dumped, was legitimate. The company is hoping that its arguments will find favor with the NJ Judge. See: J&J's $8.9 billion talc settlement faces US bankruptcy test.
Prison Sentence for Asbestos Crimes
Jun 29, 2023
Robert Martin, 73, a former civil servant in Marseille, was sentenced to two years in jail for the lung cancer deaths of two employees – a maintenance worker and a theater administrator – of the Criée theater. Despite knowing about the presence of asbestos in the theater, the one-time head of the Marseille administrative center waited two years to take action to protect workers from toxic exposures. Martin will be allowed to serve his sentence at home under electronic surveillance. See: Amiante dans un théâtre marseillais: prison ferme pour un ex-fonctionnaire à la ville [Asbestos in a Marseille theater: prison term for a former civil servant in the city].
Asbestos in the Navy
Jun 29, 2023
The Court of Rome ordered the Ministry of Defense to pay compensation of €950,000 euros (US$ 1,041,000) to family members of electrician and diver Salvatore Carollo who died in 2019, aged 63, from pleural mesothelioma. The deceased had been exposed to high concentrations of asbestos dust during his service with the Italian Navy from 1972 to 1978. See: Amianto nelle navi della Marina Militare: la Difesa condannata a risarcire i familiari di un elettricista morto [Asbestos in the ships of the Navy: Defense ordered to compensate Carollo's family members].
Kuboto Shock
Jun 29, 2023
In the run-up to the 18th anniversary of the Kubota Shock – a seismic moment when Japanese society woke up to the existence of an ongoing epidemic injuring and killing thousands of people every year – a photographic exhibition is being held in Amagasaki City on June 23-25, 2023. On display will be pictures of asbestos patients, who were exposed to asbestos fibers liberated by the commercial operations at the Kubota Kanzaki Plant in Amagasaki City, and their families. See: アスベスト患者ら21人の思い伝える 尼崎で写真展、7月2日に集会 [Photo exhibition in Amagasaki, gathering on July 2].
Mesothelioma Compensation from DMPS
Jun 29, 2023
A plumber from St Albans who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in December 2022 after contracting a chest infection, was unable to bring a claim against his former employer as there had been no employer’s liability insurance in place during his employment. An application was submitted to the Government’s Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS) and the sum of £94,424 was obtained. The applicant had worked with asbestos in boiler houses removing and replacing lagging from pipework as an apprentice in the 1950s. See: DMPS settlement for plumber exposed to asbestos in the late 1950s.
Supreme Court Criticism
Jun 28, 2023
On a June 22, 2023 transmission of GloboNews – a Brazilian news-based pay TV channel – the journalist and former federal deputy Fernando Gabeira, author in the 1990s of a bill to ban asbestos, criticized Supreme Court Minister (Judge) Alexandre de Moraes who, in a recent judgment, advocated that the production of asbestos at the chrysotile (white asbestos) mine in Goiás State be allowed to continue for another year for export purposes. See: Comentário de Fernando Gabeira: Encontro marcado: Lula e Alexandre de Moraes se aproximam [Comment by Fernando Gabeira: scheduled meeting of Lula and Alexandre de Moraes draws closer].
Asbestos Diseases Symposium
Jun 28, 2023
From June 21 to 23, 2023, an International Symposium & Workshop on Asbestos-related Diseases was held for medical specialists at Binawan University in Jakarta, Indonesia. Amongst the areas explored by a range of experts were various aspects of: oncology, epidemiology, public health, radiology, specialist nursing and pathology. The events were organized and supported by the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network (Ina-Ban), Local Initiative for OSH Network (LIONS), Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) and other Australian partnering organizations. See: Dukungan Kolaboratif Tenaga Medis untuk Eliminasi Penyakit Akibat Asbes [Medical Personnel Collaborative Support for Eliminating Diseases Due to Asbestos].
Quebec’s Plans to Recycle Asbestos Waste
Jun 28, 2023
On June 22, 2023 at a Quebec press conference in the former asbestos mining town now called Val-des-Sources, the Provincial Government of Quebec announced that it would provide $3 million to fund research into recycling asbestos tailings. The money will be used to set up and fund a research chair at the Université de Sherbrooke to investigate how critical minerals, like magnesium and nickel, can be extracted from 800 million tonnes of toxic waste created by decades of asbestos mining. See: Province funds research into asbestos mineral extraction.
Asbestos Outreach Project
Jun 28, 2023
A new project has been started by the Department of Health of the Brazilian city of Capivari, São Paulo State to support the asbestos-injured. The aim is to screen 3,000 former workers or others who had toxic exposures for symptoms of asbestos-related diseases and/or cancers such as mesothelioma. Patients will be examined at the health unit at the IST Outpatient Clinic at a convenient time as set by the patient. For additional information about access to this and other related services, contact the Department of Health by phone (19) 3492-8200, from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. See: Campanha de assistência médica gratuita à quem teve contato com amianto tem início [Program of free medical assistance to those who had contact with asbestos begins].
Stopping Asbestos Fly-tipping
Jun 28, 2023
On June 22, 2023, Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency uploaded a handbook (guide) containing revised (2022) guidelines “for the local government sector, specifically council workers who have any role in preventing and addressing illegal asbestos disposal.” The objective of the guide was to reduce fly-tipping of asbestos waste not only by individuals but also by commercial companies not only because of the threat to public health presented by these illegal activities but also because of the cost to the community of remediating the deadly contamination. See: Action on Illegal Disposal of Asbestos – A Guide for Local Government.
Remediating Asbestos Site in Montana
Jun 28, 2023
Early in June, Environmental Protection Agency Community Involvement Coordinator Beth Archer told residents and local officials about the latest developments regarding the former vermiculite mine at the Libby Asbestos Superfund site in the run-up to the commencement of a new phase of the US Government’s cleanup of the toxic town. Dania Zinner, remedial project manager for the EPA said the proposed plan would be completed by by 2025 or 2026, adding: “We make sure that we put a lot of long-term management tools onto a property, just to make sure that the remedy stays protective of human health and the environment into perpetuity, so forever.” See: EPA recaps progress, looks at former mine site.
“Crushing Defeat” for Asbestos Industry
Jun 26, 2023
On June 16, 2023, Brazil’s Supreme Court unanimously rejected the arguments of asbestos stakeholders from the National Confederation of Workers in Industry who challenged the legitimacy of asbestos bans in the States of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and City of São Paulo. In a virtual plenary session, the Judges expressed disdain for the asbestos industry’s rhetoric that: chrysotile (white) asbestos could be used safely under controlled conditions; the inhalation of chrysotile fibers are not harmful to human health; banning chrysotile mining, processing and export would cause massive unemployment and financial ruin to communities reliant on the industry. See: Indústria do cancerígeno amianto sofre mais uma derrota no STF [Asbestos carcinogen industry suffers another defeat in the STF].
iMig Meeting 2023
Jun 26, 2023
In the run-up to the 2023 meeting of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (iMig) in Lille, France from June 26 to 28, iMig President Professor Scherpereel told an Italian journalist that even in countries like France where asbestos use was banned decades ago, people are still dying from asbestos-related diseases. In France, there are one thousand cases of mesothelioma – the signature cancer associate with asbestos exposure – diagnosed every year. In many industrializing countries, asbestos use remains legal. See: Amianto e cancro al polmone/ L’oncologo: “Politici di certi paesi negano la cancerosità per motivi economici” [Asbestos and lung cancer/ The oncologist: “Politicians in certain countries deny carcinogenicity for economic reasons”].
Asbestos Remediation Work: Update
Jun 26, 2023
According to the municipal authorities in the Turkish city of Adana, a pipe renewal project by the Adana Metropolitan Municipality Water and Sewerage Administration, which started in 2019, is still ongoing. The work is being carried out to upgrade the old asbestos water delivery network with healthier pipes to protect public health and “ensure that citizens in every part of Adana have access to healthy and high quality drinking water.” Four hundred and forty kilometers of asbestos pipes have been replaced in various parts of the city. See: Asbestli borulardan bir şehir daha kurtuldu [Another city saved from asbestos pipes].
Duty of Care Owed
Jun 26, 2023
On June 20, 2023, a 26-page ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reversed a district court summary judgment which found that a manufacturer had not owed a duty of care to its customers, such as Bruce Johnson who contracted cancer as a result of exposure to asbestos contained in vermiculite packaging material used by Orton Ceramic. Mr. Johnson was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma on March 3, 2017; he died on January 6, 2020. The case was remanded for further proceedings. See: Judgment in the appeal of the Deborah Johnson vs Edward Orton, Jr. Ceramic Foundation.
Toxic Gemstones
Jun 26, 2023
An urgent recall has been issued in Australia for gemstones purchased in 1 kilogram bags from new age gift shops on the East Coast. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the green and black stones, which contain asbestos, were supplied by Alliz Trading. The gemstones were sold online and by traders in the states of Victoria and New South Wales. Consumers should stop using the products and contact Alliz Trading Pty Ltd for information about the disposal of the stones and the process of getting a full refund. See: ‘May contain asbestos’: Gemstones sold in east coast new age gift stores recalled.
Health Surveillance of At-Risk Population
Jun 26, 2023
From June 16 to 29, 2023, an asbestos outreach program in the South Korean town of Hongseong-gun is screening residents from the area to identify those who may have a condition caused by asbestos exposures. Participants in this health project will receive a free medical checkup and be X-rayed. They will also be asked to complete a questionnaire. Anyone who shows symptoms of disease will receive a second detailed examination and undergo procedures such as a chest CT and lung function test. The medical care is being provided by the Asbestos Environmental Health Center of Soonchunhyang University. See: 홍성군, ‘석면 건강 영향조사’ 실시 [Hongseong-gun conducts ‘asbestos health impact survey’].
J&J Baby Powder Banned
Jun 22, 2023
In a statement made on June 17, 2023, Rwanda’s Food and Drug Authority (FDA) recalled all talcum-based baby powder products made by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in response to similar actions taken by authorities in other countries. All importers, distributors and retailers of cosmetics products were also ordered by the FDA to immediately end the import and sale of J&J’s baby powder. J&J is currently being sued by The African Center for Corrective and Preventive Action – a Nairobi-based NGO – over its toxic exports to Kenya. Other African countries which have banned J&J baby powder include Tanzania, Zimbabwe and the Republic of Congo. See: Rwanda FDA Recalls Johnson’s Baby Powder.
Father’s Day without Dad
Jun 22, 2023
A touching and timely article published on Father’s Day by Kate Hash described her family’s loss, five years after her father died from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. For years, the author said, she had struggled with the concept of receiving money for his death in the form of compensation from the employer which had negligently exposed him to asbestos at the steel mill where he worked. “This year,” she wrote “will be the first time I feel in touch with and comfortable in the power of the inheritance that my dad has left me.” See: My dad died from work-related mesothelioma. Receiving compensation was both empowering and painful.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard
Jun 22, 2023
The paper cited below was published online in the June 19, 2023 issue of the British Journal of Medicine. It included an extensive discussion of the management of waste created by the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Asbestos was just one of the aspects covered: “Risk of asbestos exposure is a public concern. Asbestos use was banned in the country in 2010, but it still exists in buildings in different forms, such as insulation or isolation materials. Asbestos containing materials are expected to be found in earthquake debris, especially as most of the collapsed buildings were built before 1999. Additionally, earthquake affected areas are among the places where environmental asbestos exposure was already a problem before the disaster.” See: Disaster waste management after earthquakes: lessons from Turkey and Syria.
Saying No to Asbestos Dump!
Jun 22, 2023
Earlier this week, the Regional Administrative Court for Piedmont (TAR) upheld an appeal by the Italian cities of Santhià and Carisio objecting to plans to build an asbestos landfill in the city of Salussola, about 6 miles away from the towns. The ruling was warmly received by local communities with Santhià’s Mayor Angela Ariotti telling reporters: “Needless to say how happy this news makes us. It is the result of much, much work carried out in recent years. We fought hard and with determination, but today I am happy to say that in the future there will be no asbestos dumps on our territory.” See: Il Tar blocca la discarica di amianto di Salussola [The TAR blocks the Salussola asbestos landfill].
Screening of At-Risk Firefighters
Jun 22, 2023
Data showing that the incidence of cancer amongst UK firefighters aged 35-39 was as much as 323% more than the general population was pivotal in plans to develop a health screening regime to detect early signs of disease. As part of the initiative – The National Firefighter Health Monitoring Research Project – commissioned by the Fire Brigades Union, hundreds of firefighters will be screened for cancer and other health issues. Participants will be required to provide blood and urine samples which will be tested for signs of cancer and other diseases. See: Hundreds of London firefighters to be tested for cancer with call for regular health monitoring.
Holding Asbestos Stakeholders to Account
Jun 22, 2023
The conviction of a Swiss billionaire by an Italian court earlier this month was a warning to Indian asbestos entrepreneurs that they too could be held to account for the harm they caused to workers, family members and the community. The defendant was Stephan Schmidheiny, of the Swiss Eternit asbestos group; Eternit also operated plants in India. “It is high time,” wrote the author that “the Government of India and State governments took steps to make the manufacturers of asbestos based products liable for knowingly exposing the present and future generation of Indians to killer fibers. There is a compelling logic for charging these manufacturers with the offence of manslaughter.” See: Lessons for India from Swiss asbestos tycoon found guilty for causing death of 392 people.
Supreme Court Asbestos Ruling
Jun 19, 2023
On June 16, 2023, President of the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) Rosa Weber issued her ruling in the long-running case regarding a law passed by Goiás State which countermanded a 2017 Supreme Court verdict outlawing the commercial exploitation of asbestos in Brazil. According to Weber, the Goiás law was unconstitutional; the most important thing, she noted, was the “preservation of the right to health, and to the ecologically balanced environment.” Earlier this month, Judge Alexander Moraes allowed the industry another year to mine asbestos fibers. The other STF judges are yet to issue their decisions. See: Presidente do STF, Rosa Weber, vota contra o cancerígeno amianto [President of the STF, Rosa Weber, votes against carcinogenic asbestos].
Asbestos Victim’s Ruling in Florence
Jun 19, 2023
Last week, the Florence Court of Appeal increased the amount of compensation awarded by a first instance court in Livorno to the relatives of a factory worker from €570,000 to €690,000 (US$755,000). The Appeal Court rejected the arguments of the defendant’s lawyers who denied that the Solvay company was responsible for the 2010 lung cancer death of Romano Posarelli, aged 67. Mr. Posarelli had worked as a boilermaker in Solvay’s factory in Rosignano from 1974 to 1993. See: Amianto, Solvay condannata per la morte di un operaio: 690mila euro il risarcimento alla famiglia di Posarelli [Asbestos, Solvay sentenced for the death of a worker: 690 thousand euros compensation to the Posarelli family].
Asbestos in Cosmetics
Jun 19, 2023
The feature length article in the US magazine cited below explored the background to the thousands of US lawsuits proceeding over the harmful consequences of consumers use of cosmetic and healthcare talc-based products contaminated with asbestos fibers. Scientific articles are referenced and lists of brands and products are included along with warnings about the consequences for human health of exposure to asbestos. Despite the known hazard, the Food and Drug Administration “does not regulate cosmetic-grade talc.” Readers are advised to use products which are not talc-based. See: Asbestos in Cosmetics: Should We Worry?
Mesothelioma Research: Update
Jun 19, 2023
On June 13, 2023, it was announced that the charity Mesothelioma UK had awarded the sum of £38,000 for an 18-month research project – ‘EXTRA-Meso feasibility study: EXercise TheRApy in Mesothelioma’ – to research whether exercise therapy could improve symptom control, fitness and the quality of life of patients with mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. People interested in taking part in this study, which will begin in summer 2023, can contact their Mesothelioma UK Clinical Nurse Specialist; email info@mesothelioma.uk.com or call freephone 0800 169 2409. See: Mesothelioma UK awards £38,000 grant for new research study into exercise therapy for asbestos-related cancer patients.
Asbestos Remediation of Schools
Jun 19, 2023
On June 16, 2023, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced that it would take punitive action in accordance with provisions of the Asbestos Safety Management Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act against companies convicted of falsifying reports regarding asbestos removal projects. This public declaration was made in response to footage taken by a whistleblower of unsafe working practices by asbestos removal contractors at an elementary school in Seoul. See: 서울시교육청 "학교 석면 해체 허위 보고서 업체, 제재" [Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education “Sanctions against companies reporting false reports on dismantling asbestos in schools].
Post-disaster Asbestos Hazard
Jun 19, 2023
In the aftermath of fires which devastated vast areas of the Greek Island of Evia in the summer of 2021, the presence of asbestos in the debris left from destroyed buildings continues to hamper recovery work. While the residents of North Evia continue to press for urgent government action, the Ministry of Energy has not yet begun work to remove the toxic waste. Campaigners say that two years after the fire took place, a tender has only just been opened to specialist asbestos contractors. See: «SOS» για τη Βόρεια Εύβοια: Κομμάτια καμμένου αμίαντου παραμένουν στην περιοχή [“SOS” for Northern Evia: Pieces of burnt asbestos remain in the area].
Strengthening IMO’s Asbestos Prohibitions
Jun 16, 2023
Revisions were adopted this month (June 2023) to International Maritime Organization (IMO) codes prohibiting the use of asbestos-containing materials. The new restrictions – which enter into force on January 1, 2024 – will forbid the new installation of asbestos-containing materials on all Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs): “Any repairs, replacements, maintenance, or additions to working parts of a MODU should be documented with a declaration of asbestos-free materials.” See: MSC 107: MODU Code Revised to Improve Asbestos Safety.
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 16, 2023
The reverberations of a TV broadcast last week on France 5 – a public television channel – detailing the widespread presence of asbestos material in schools continue, with scores of recent newspaper articles detailing the situation in local areas. The article cited below commented on the news that more than 5,000 schools are contaminated, explaining that the broadcast only reviewed the situation in 15,804 schools; there are 50,000 schools in the country. The Ministry of National Education said that it did not have up-to-date information on asbestos in schools and that this issue was the responsibility of local authorities. See: Amiante à l'école: au moins 5500 établissements encore touchés [Asbestos at school: at least 5,500 establishments still affected].
Analysis of Court Ruling
Jun 16, 2023
A week after a landmark judgment was handed down by the Court of Assizes in Novara, Italy, victims’ campaigner Bruno Pesce analyzed aspects of the verdict in the article cited below. It was, said Pesce, a “very important sentence: the arguments of the defense have essentially all been rejected,…if it were confirmed in the Supreme Court it would have enormous relevance in Italy and internationally.” See: Sentenza Eternit Bis: «La prima tappa è vinta, ma la strada è lunga» [Eternit Bis ruling: “The first stage is won, but the road is long”].
J&J Sued by Nairobi NGO
Jun 16, 2023
On June 12, 2023, a Nairobi-based non-governmental organization called the African Centre for Corrective & Preventive Action (ACCPA) filed a lawsuit at the High Court over sales of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) baby powder products in Kenya. The ACCPA petition alleged that the talc-based products, which have been withdrawn from sale in North American markets and banned from sale in Tanzania, Zimbabwe & the Congo etc., contain carcinogenic asbestos fibers and, as such, pose a health risk to consumers. See: Johnson &Johnson sued over sale of baby powder in Kenya.
Restitution from Convicted Felon?
Jun 16, 2023
Commenting on the guilty verdict handed down by a court in Novara, Italy on June 7, 2023, Italian Oncologist Frederic Grosso said: “the massacre caused by asbestos is not over. We will see it for many more decades given the latency times of the disease…Schmidheiny should invest part of his immense wealth in the search for a cure, for example by buying a pharmaceutical company and putting it to work on finding a cure for mesothelioma. Covid has taught us that if we commit everyone to the same goal, the cure is found.” See: L'oncologa Grosso: “La strage dell'amianto sarà lunghissima, il vero risarcimento per i malati è investire in cure” [Oncologist Grosso: “The asbestos massacre will be very long, the real compensation for the sick is to invest in treatment”].
Supporting the Asbestos Injured
Jun 16, 2023
In-person consultations for people suffering from asbestos-related diseases took place in Toyama City, Japan on June 11. The advice session was organized by an asbestos victims’ support group which provided specialized counselors to consult with asbestos victims who had queries about a range of issues. According to Hiroatsu Narita of the Hokuriku Branch Secretariat of Mesothelioma & Asbestos Diseases’ Patients & Families’ Association: “In Toyama Prefecture… there are fewer cases certified as workers’ accidents due to asbestos, and there are potential patients” who remain unidentified. See: アスベスト健康被害の無料相談会 ４年ぶりに富山市で開催 [Free consultation on asbestos health hazards held in Toyama City for the first time in four years].
Asbestos Ban in 2025!
Jun 14, 2023
On June 5, 2023, it was announced by the Ministry of Information that the Government of Cambodia would ban the use of asbestos in 2025 in order to “to improve workers’ welfare.” During comments made that day by Minister of Labor and Vocational Training (MOLVT) H.E. Dr. ITH Sam work by the Government to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard amongst ministries, institutions, partnering organizations, commercial ventures, and workers’ groups was detailed. The compilation by the MOLVT of National Asbestos Profiles in 2019 and 2022 were fundamental in laying the groundwork for the prohibitions to be adopted. See: ព័ត៌មានជាតិ កម្ពុជាបញ្ឈប់ការប្រើប្រាស់សារធាតុអាបេស្តូសនៅត្រឹមឆ្នាំ២០២៥ ខាងមុខ [Cambodia will stop using asbestos by 2025].
New Asbestos Removal Licensing Regime
Jun 14, 2023
New measures are to be introduced in British Columbia (BC) to ensure workers are better protected from the asbestos hazard. As of January 1, 2024, asbestos removal contractors in BC must possess licenses to carry out this work. BC is the first Canadian Province to introduce a licensing system for asbestos eradication companies. Beginning in September 2023, WorkSafeBC – a statutory agency tasked with preventing occupational injuries and diseases – will accept license applications from contractors; a registry of licensees will be published by the end of 2023. See: New requirements expected to protect asbestos workers.
Asbestos an Issue in Buenos Aires Strike
Jun 14, 2023
On June 8, 2023, the Subway and Premetro Workers Union Association held a strike of their members working on all subway lines in Buenos Aires. The union’s demands for better working conditions included measures to reduce asbestos exposures to workers, such as a guaranteed two-day break from workplace asbestos exposures. Strikers took industrial action for between 4 to 5 hours throughout the day. Union representatives said that the employers had refused to engage in discussions with union officials. The company said that work was ongoing to eradicate asbestos from the subway. See: Subway lines to hold a staggered strike throughout the day.
Supreme Court: Update
Jun 14, 2023
Years after Brazil’s Supreme Court issued its judgment banning the use of asbestos throughout the country, asbestos is still being produced and exported. Pending litigation before the Court could, once and for all, end the travesty whereby asbestos is deemed too dangerous to be used at home and yet is casually being sold overseas. On June 9, 2023, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued a ruling supporting the continued exploitation of chrysotile (white) asbestos at the country’s sole remaining mine. Decisions from the other Supreme Court justices should be handed down by the middle of the month. See: Ministro Alexandre de Moraes concede mais um ano de sobrevida à indústria do amianto [Minister Alexandre de Moraes grants one more year of survival to the asbestos industry].
Asbestos Hazard Alert
Jun 14, 2023
A recent online article warned the public of the dangers of asbestos exposures in China, one of the world’s leading asbestos-producing and using countries. The author of the article cited below said that even though China had banned the use of all amphiboles, the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos remained legal and regulations to protect the population from toxic exposures were not yet in place. Workers and members of the public were warned to take steps to minimize asbestos exposures at work and at home. See: 级致癌物石棉，潜伏期可达数十年，你用过的这些物品可能都有 [Asbestos, a first-class carcinogen, has an incubation period of up to several decades, and you may have been exposed by many items you have used].
Supporting Lung Cancer Sufferers
Jun 14, 2023
An Early Day Motion (EDM) – a device used by Parliamentarians to draw attention to a particular subject – was tabled on May 25, 2023 entitled: Asbestos-related lung cancer. Recognizing that “sufferers of asbestos-related lung cancer are denied full compensation if they are unable to trace all their former employers whose negligence contributed to the disease… urges the Government to introduce legislation similar to section three of the Compensation Act 2006 for sufferers of asbestos-related cancer.” See: EDM (Early Day Motion) 1223: tabled on May 25, 2023: Asbestos-related lung cancer.
Firefighters & the Asbestos Hazard
Jun 12, 2023
It was reported on June 5, 2023 that following asbestos discoveries at New Zealand fire stations, WorkSafe New Zealand – the country’s workplace safety regulator – ordered a review of asbestos management plans at hundreds of the country's fire stations. The decision was taken, said WorkSafe, after enquiries had shown that Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) had “failed to ensure the health and safety of the workers” at its main station in central Auckland; FENZ Auckland had, said WorkSafe, “failed to effectively implement and monitor controls to manage the risk posed from asbestos fibres known to cause serious harm.” See: WorkSafe orders review of asbestos management at fire stations.
Concerns over Asbestos in Parliament
Jun 12, 2023
Officials of the Trade Union Side (TUS) – a body representing UK trade unions – have spoken out about the complacency of MPs and Parliamentary officials over the known hazard presented by the presence of deteriorating asbestos-containing material throughout the Palace of Westminster. Ken Gall, TUS President, said that after more than a decade of procrastination, a “catastrophic and potentially life-threatening incident” is likely. “Trade unions will,” he said “not hesitate to take all appropriate steps to protect our members in parliament.” See: MPs Accused Of Treating Staff Safety Concerns As An ‘Afterthought.’
National Ban on J&J Baby Powder
Jun 12, 2023
At the beginning of June 2023, Zimbabwe’s Secretary for Health and Child Care Jasper Chimedza announced that the country was imposing an immediate ban on the import, distribution, and sale of Johnson & Johnson baby powder products containing talc, over concerns they could contain deadly asbestos fibers. Environmental Health Officers were advised to remove all the banned products from sale. Although the Tanzania Bureau of Standards banned the import and export of J&J baby powder on April 19, 2023, South Africa is yet to act on this hazard. Zimbabwe is an asbestos-producing country. See: Zimbabwe bans Johnson & Johnson baby powder over toxic ingredient.
Subsidizing Asbestos Removal
Jun 12, 2023
On June 5, 2023, the Korean city of Gapyeong-gun announced plans to invest a further 279 million won (US$ 215,000) in the eradication of asbestos from the municipality’s built environment. Owners of buildings with asbestos roofing can apply for subsidies worth up to 3.36 million won (US$2,600) each to pay for asbestos removal work. Specialist companies approved by the Minister of Environment must be employed for these projects. See: 가평군, 석면 슬레이트 처리 지원사업 추진키로 [Gapyeong-gun decides to increase support for asbestos slate treatment project].
Mesothelioma Research: Update
Jun 12, 2023
Scientists from Italy’s Pascale Cancer Institute of Naples were part of a multinational collaboration which presented the results of its IND.227 study at a Chicago meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology last week. The international phase 3 study explored the use of the immunotherapy drug, pembrolizumab, in combination with chemotherapy as a new first-line treatment for patients with inoperable advanced or metastatic pleural mesothelioma. See: Da Chicago a Napoli una nuova speranza per i tumori provocati dall'amianto [From Chicago to Naples, a new hope for cancer caused by asbestos].
Posthumous Honor for Asbestos Campaigner
Jun 12, 2023
“No matter how small you are, you can fight and no matter how big you are, you can lose,” said asbestos victim and campaigner June Hancock after she won a David & Goliath legal battle with the UK’s “Asbestos Giant” T&N PLC. On June 9, 2023, a commemorative blue plaque honoring her achievements was unveiled in Armley. The wording on the plaque was: “As a childhood resident of 30 Salisbury View she was one of countless Armley residents and workers who died of asbestos exposure from the former JW Roberts Factory. Her landmark legal case helped to bring justice for many other people who were environmentally exposed to asbestos.” See: Blue plaque will honour memory of Armley asbestos campaigner June Hancock.
Asbestos Scandal
Jun 6, 2023
A huge scandal is unfolding in Bari, Italy over the discovery that thousands of tonnes of asbestos-containing waste had been used to build roads by two companies. As a result of police investigations and at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s office, two businessmen in the construction sector were indicted for the crimes of environmental pollution, fraud in public supplies and illegal landfill practices. See: Cantiere nuova Poligonale Bari, l'amianto per costruire le strade: scoperta discarica abusiva, interdette due aziende [New Poligonale Bari construction site, asbestos used to build roads: illegal landfill discovered, two companies banned].
Asbestos at Another Fire Station
Jun 6, 2023
It was reported on May 31, 2023, that fire-fighters had been forced to vacate the main fire station in Invercargill, a city near the southern tip of New Zealand’s South Island. As a result of the asbestos discovery, fire-fighters were no longer staying at the station overnight but the truck bay was still in use. According to the Professional Firefighters' Union, FENZ – The New Zealand Fire Service – had reacted quickly to the latest discovery. Auckland's main fire station, the country's busiest, has been closed for a month as asbestos surveying and remediation was being carried out. See: Fire-fighters move out after asbestos discovery at station.
J&J Trial in California
Jun 6, 2023
It was reported on May 31, 2023, that a trial against the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had opened in Alameda County, California. Although almost all other legal actions against the company had been frozen due to bankruptcy proceedings, this trial was allowed to proceed by US Chief Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan due to the serious condition of the plaintiff, 24-year old Emory Hernandez who is dying from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Even if Hernandez wins, he won’t be able to collect on the judgment until the bankruptcy is resolved. Nevertheless, the trial’s outcome could influence whether other plaintiffs decide to join in a proposed settlement. See: J&J faces new trial over talc cancer claims, amid settlement push.
Province to Launch Safety Campaign
Jun 6, 2023
The Workers Compensation Board (WCB) of Prince Edward Island, one of eastern Canada's maritime provinces, is launching a safety campaign to remind workers and employers to always follow health and safety guidelines when working around asbestos. The campaign, which will run until July 31, 2023, will be rolled out via radio, posters, social media, public transit and the WCB website. Over the last three years there have been multiple fines under the Occupational Health and Safety Act for unsafe asbestos management, unsafe work practice while trenching, and working unsafely at heights of three meters or more. See: P.E.I. workplace asbestos safety campaign taking place this summer.
Building Support for Manx Asbestos Victims
Jun 6, 2023
On May 31, 2023 it was reported that the Treasury Minister of the Isle of Man Dr Alex Allison had met with John Flanagan – a representative of the Merseyside Asbestos Victim Support Group – and other campaigners to discuss how the Manx government could assist people diagnosed with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. This meeting was a follow up to a 2018 discussion about the differences between UK government procedures and those on the island. Dr Allinson said that the island authorities intended to improve support for Manx mesothelioma patients to a level equal with that available in the UK. See: Treasury Minister meets with Merseyside Asbestos Victim Support Group.
Early Retirement for At-risk Worker
Jun 6, 2023
The Labor Section of the Florence Court issued a victim’s ruling in the case of Fabio Pastorelli (56) – who has contracted bilateral pleural thickening and pleural plaques as well as asbestosis. The claimant had worked at power plant construction sites where he was routinely exposed to asbestos. The Italian National Institute of Social Security (INPS) had denied Pastorelli a pension; the Court condemned INPS and ordered that the worker be allowed to take early retirement with full benefits. See: Malato per l'amianto ma costretto a lavorare per anni: il tribunale obbliga l’Inps a mandarlo in pensione [Sick because of asbestos but forced to work for years: the court obliges INPS to allow retirement].
Low Dose and Early Asbestos Exposure
Jun 5, 2023
The verdict handed down on May 23, 2023 in the Royal Courts of Justice in the case of Ness v Carillion Capita Projects [2023] EWHC 1219 (KB) which considered the state of knowledge and foreseeability of risk of injury in a case involving both an early period of asbestos exposure from the 1960s and a very low dose of exposure found: “on the balance of probabilities, that the exposure suffered by Mr Harrison as a result of his working with asbestos cement was not so insignificant that it can be disregarded as de minimis.” See: Low dose asbestos exposure from the 1960s: when it is found to be enough.
Tokyo Landmark Verdict
Jun 5, 2023
On May 31, 2023, the Tokyo High Court ordered four building material manufacturers to pay 103.67 million yen (US$741,500) to 22 claimants with asbestos-related diseases. Since the Japanese Supreme Court decision of May 17, 2021 which had established the liability of the Japanese Government and building products’ manufacturers for diseases contracted as a result of asbestos exposures experienced by construction workers, manufacturers had been engaged in a full-scale battle to avoid paying compensation to the injured. See: 建設アスベスト、一部メーカーに賠償命令 東京高裁 [Construction asbestos, some manufacturers ordered to pay compensation by Tokyo High Court].
I’d rather be in Philadelphia?
Jun 5, 2023
US comedian W. C. Fields was rumored to have as his epitaph “I’d rather be in Philadelphia.” Considering the state of the city’s schools, he might have wanted to reconsider. The article cited below names Philadelphia schools known to contain asbestos. The contamination isn’t surprising considering that the average building in the municipal School District is over 70 years old. Six of the city’s schools were closed in 2022-23 because of asbestos. Since 2016, 2,400 asbestos remediation projects have been completed in school buildings. The asbestos inspection program is way behind schedule. See: Asbestos in Philadelphia schools: What we know.
Asbestos Production Data
Jun 5, 2023
According to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics, asbestos production (66,500 tonnes (t)) grew by 21.9% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same quarter in 2022 (54,600t). Following recent trends, the majority of the asbestos (43,500t) was exported with only 4,900t (7.5%) being used at home. Data on Russian asbestos production levels has been difficult to access during the war on Ukraine. Historically Russia had been the world’s largest supplier of raw asbestos fiber, annually accounting for nearly 65% of all global production, with Kazakhstan producing ~20% of the world’s asbestos. See: В Казахстане увеличилось производство асбеста [Asbestos production increased in Kazakhstan].
Supreme Court’s Victim’s Verdict
Jun 5, 2023
On May 24, 2023, the French Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) reversed a ruling of the Nancy Court of Appeal which had denied compensation to a litigant because of a bureaucratic loophole. The plaintiff had submitted a claim for asbestos anxiety compensation following employment at a company before its factories had been added to the government’s list (ACAATA) of facilities where asbestos use had led to hazardous exposures to the workforce. See: ACAATA: l’indemnisation du salarié est de droit, même s’il a introduit sa demande avant que la société ne soit inscrite sur la liste des établissements éligibles [ACAATA: compensation for the employee is by right, even if he has submitted his request before the company is registered on the list of eligible establishments].
Johnson & Johnson: Update
Jun 5, 2023
The Attorney Generals of the US states of New Mexico and Mississippi last month (May 2023) added their support to the growing list of opponents to the plans by Johnson and Johnson (J&J) to off-load its asbestos liabilities into a bankrupt company (LTL). Included amongst those opposing J&J’s legal stratagems are cancer victims, their defense teams, politicians and the US Department of Justice. J&J has floated a nearly $9 billion plan to settle all its asbestos claims, both current and future. See: State AGs Join Opposition to LTL Bankruptcy in Talcum Powder Lawsuits.
European Asbestos Controversy
Jun 2, 2023
The article cited below which was uploaded on May 30, 2023 drew attention to an internal European Parliament document dated May 26, 2023, which revealed a disconnect between positions adopted by the EU Commission, European Council and European Parliament on protecting workers from occupational asbestos exposures and the general view of member states. Many regard plans to lower exposure limits for asbestos fibers – initially from 0.1 to 0.01 fibres per cm3 with a further reduction to 0.001 per cm3 after four years – as not “realistic” or “feasible.” See: EU clashes over protection of workers exposed to asbestos.
EuroCham Backs Asbestos Prohibitions
Jun 2, 2023
A new report issued by the European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (EuroCham Cambodia) – a non-profit, non-political organization established to support European businesses operating in Cambodia – urged the Government of Cambodia to take urgent action on ending the use of asbestos, a carcinogen which is banned throughout Europe “in order to prevent future diseases and deaths in Cambodia, due to asbestos inhalation…” The survey undertaken by EuroCham was released on May 30, 2023; it highlighted the ongoing and widespread use of asbestos-containing building material by the construction sector. See: Call to ban asbestos import, use in Cambodia.
Asbestos Exposé
Jun 2, 2023
A front-page feature in the Sunday edition (May 28, 2023) of the Brussels Times – an English-language news website and magazine headquartered in Brussels – highlighted the epidemic caused by asbestos exposures in Belgium, formerly the heartland of Europe’s asbestos industrial sector. The text featured an interview with Marijke Van Buggenhout, a PhD researcher who grew up near Kapelle-op-den-Bos, the site of Eternit’s largest asbestos-cement manufacturing facility in Belgium: “Asbestos deaths within the family were announced left, right and centre: my father's Uncle Alex, his aunt Bertha, my father's aunt's daughter-in-law, the husband of my grandfather's youngest sister. They all died just months after their diagnosis.” See: Forgotten killer: Belgian asbestos victims seek real sense of justice.
Hess Corporation Asbestos Settlement
Jun 2, 2023
According to an article published on May 26, 2022, Hess Corporation – the US parent company of HONX, a joint owner of the Hovensa Oil Refinery on the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands – has agreed to pay $106 million into a trust for former refinery workers and their families who were injured by asbestos exposures in St. Croix. The deal, which was filed with a Texas bankruptcy court on May 24, set aside $90m for current claimants, $15m for future claimants and $1m to cover the trust’s administrative costs. “The settlement,” wrote journalist Mat Probasco “makes Hess immune from future asbestos-related legal action.” See: Hess Settles St. Croix Asbestos Claims For $106 Million.
Asbestos Exposures at Coal Mines
Jun 2, 2023
A 2 minute 36 second video clip uploaded last week highlighted the hazardous conditions experienced by coal miners at sites in the Isère department in the southeast of France. Toxic exposures to asbestos and other carcinogens were routine at the mines and thermal power plants; there was no protective equipment supplied and no warnings of the hazards given. The asbestos anxiety of 58 of these workers was recognized by the Court which ordered the French State to pay compensation of one million euros. Amongst the 58 claimants, 24 have contracted cancer or other diseases and two have already died. See: VIDÉO. "On vivait dans l'amiante à 100 %": 58 anciens mineurs de l'Isère ont fait condamner l'Etat [VIDEO. “We lived in 100% asbestos”: 58 former miners from Isère had the State condemned].
Police Action on Asbestos in Chieti
Jun 2, 2023
Officers of the Environmental Police (NIPAAF) in the city of Francavilla al Mar, Chieti – a commune in central Italy – seized a shed of 5,000 square meters because of the hazard posed by its deteriorating asbestos-cement roof and the 1,300 tonnes of toxic waste dumped inside. The shed is located near the town and the environmental hazard it posed was both illegal and unacceptable, said the authorities. The owner of the company that owned the shed was reported for several crimes, including illegal transport of waste, storage of hazardous material; a fine of €6,000 (US$6,430) was handed down. See: Francavilla, sequestrato un edificio a causa della presenza di coperture in cemento amianto [Francavilla, seized a building due to the presence of asbestos cement roofs].
Asbestos Phase-Out
May 31, 2023
OxyChem (also known as Occidental Chemical Corporation) – one of the biggest manufacturers of chlorine in the US – announced last week that it planned to phase out asbestos technology at its chlor-alkali plant. A company press release noted that: “OxyChem has picked membrane electrolysis technology from Thyssenkrupp Nucera to replace the diaphragm technology at its largest chlor-alkali facility, in LaPorte, Texas. The project is expected to take 3 years.” The other two big US chlorine manufacturers – Olin and Westlake – had previously announced plans to phase out asbestos diaphragms. See: OxyChem will adopt membrane technology at chlor-alkali plant.
Tokyo Settlement in Asbestos Litigation
May 31, 2023
For the first time in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and the second time in all of Japan, a settlement was reached with a former asbestos products’ manufacturer in a class action lawsuit brought by former construction workers against the government and a building material manufacturer. The party which admitted its guilt and paid compensation was the Nozawa company, headquartered in Kobe. On May 31, 2023, the Tokyo High Court will issue its verdict on the case brought by the 32 members of the class action against six defendants. See: 建設アスベスト訴訟 建材メーカーと一部原告で和解成立 [Construction Asbestos Litigation Resolved with Construction Materials Manufacturer and Some Plaintiffs].
Post-disaster Asbestos Assessment
May 31, 2023
New research by Istanbul’s Chamber of Environmental Engineers reported that one in every two of the samples of rubble they collected from the February 2023 earthquakes contained asbestos. Despite multiple protests by local communities living near the dump sites where the toxic debris had been taken in Hatay, Yeşilköy, Narlıca and Çamlı Plateau, no solution has been found for safely disposing of the massive mountains of waste created by the earthquakes. Criminal cases regarding this issue have been filed. See (subscription site): 2 moloz örneğinden 1’inde asbest var [1 in 2 debris samples contains asbestos].
Guglielmo Cavalli Competition 2022/23
May 31, 2023
On May 24 & 25, the winners of the 2023 competition run by AFeVA (the Association of Asbestos Victims and Family Members) and its partners from Casale Monferrato – the town at the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos epidemic – were announced online. The 135 participants were tasked with comparing the town’s toxic Eternit asbestos-cement factory with the public park which now stands on the remediated site. The purpose of the competition, now in its 30th year, is not only to honor asbestos victims but also to stimulate “civil and social commitment among local students who have paid a heavy price for pollution.” See: Amianto: Afeva Casale premia vincitori del 'Concorso Cavalli' [Asbestos: Afeva Casale awards winners of the ‘Cavalli Competition’].
New Option for Asbestos Shipments
May 31, 2023
A train carrying 40 containers of 1,000 tons of asbestos fiber departed from the railway west cargo station in Dunhuang, a city in Northwestern Gansu Province, Western China on May 5, 2023 as part of a new rail–sea intermodal international freight train link between China and Thailand. The cargo was off-loaded at the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan in Zhejiang province and sent by sea to Bangkok, Thailand. The journey took just 20 days. The possibility of express shipments of asbestos from China – one of the world’s biggest asbestos producers and users – to other Asian countries is a disturbing development. See: 酒泉(敦煌)铁海联运国际货运班列开行 [Jiuquan (Dunhuang) rail–sea combined transport international freight route opened].
Asbestos at Redundant Military Base
May 31, 2023
A site formerly used by the Greek military which was bought by the city of Chania has created an environmental storm for Cretans concerned about infringements of safety legislation during work to remove asbestos from buildings at the Markopoulou camp. Technical expert Professor Emeritus Evangelos Gidarakos said that from photographic evidence he had seen “the presence of hazardous materials and more specifically asbestos has been established. This makes it necessary to take and observe very strict safety rules to protect the health of both the workers involved in the removal work, as well as the residents of the area.” See:Έντονη ανησυχία για τον αμίαντο στο στρατόπεδο “Μαρκοπούλου” [Strong concern about asbestos in the “Markopoulou” camp].
Asbestos in Schools
May 30, 2023
On May 23, 2023, a motion proposed by Labour asking the Government to release a report completed in 2021 on the state of school buildings was debated for over two hours. Labour MPs who highlighted the on-going national scandal over asbestos in schools on Tuesday afternoon included Bridget Phillipson, Simon Lightwood and Liz Twist. It was left, however, to Ian Lavery MP, to make the most damning indictment of 13 years of Tory misrule during his impassioned intervention: “The idea that schools could collapse is terrifying; that they could collapse releasing clouds of asbestos is shudderingly worrying… A staggering 87% of schools are reported to have asbestos in at least one of their buildings.” The motion was defeated. See: Safety of School Buildings.
Appeal Upholds Victim’s Verdict
May 30, 2023
On May 24, 2023, the Florence Court of Appeal of confirmed a lower court’s guilty verdict against the Italian Ministries of the Interior and Defense which had been found to be responsible for asbestos workplace exposures which caused the death from pleural mesothelioma of Antonio Ballini (aged 69). The deceased had served in the Navy from 1965 till 1967, during which time he routinely handled and used products containing asbestos. See: Amianto, ex militare ucciso da mesotelioma: confermata la condanna per i Ministeri [Asbestos, ex soldier killed by mesothelioma: sentence confirmed for Ministries].
Asbestos in Schools
May 30, 2023
In 2022, the South Korean Province of Gyeonggi allocated 450 billion won (US$340m) for the removal of asbestos in 216 elementary, middle, high and special school buildings as a matter of public health. The results of the 2022 asbestos eradication program were discussed on May 25th at a meeting of the Provincial Office of Education in the capital city of Gyeonggi-do. See: 경기도, 초중고∙특수학교 건축물 석면 제거 등에 4500억원투입 [Gyeonggi-do invests 450 billion won in asbestos removal in elementary, middle, high and special school buildings].
Asbestos Epidemic in Western Australia
May 30, 2023
The latest newsletter from the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia is an interesting read. The Society is calling for the outdated narrative of “asbestos diseases as a diminishing industrial disease” to be recategorized as a “rapidly emerging Public Health Issue… [to ensure that] medical research funding and clinical resources provided by the WA Health Department, are available to meet the demand for patients with non-occupational exposure to asbestos. It is worth noting that two thirds of houses built in Australia between 1950-1980s will likely have some asbestos in them.” See: Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia. Newsletter #14. May 2023.
Mesothelioma Research Grant
May 30, 2023
On May 23, 2023 it was announced by HASAG Asbestos Disease Support that a grant had been awarded for research into the use of radiotherapy as palliative care for mesothelioma patients. A year long study will be funded by the ~£37,200 sum donated to a team working under the auspices of Professor Anthony Chalmers at the University of Glasgow. Commenting on this news Professor Chalmers said: “Mesothelioma is an extremely difficult cancer to treat, and we are very encouraged by the early results from SYSTEMS-2 which suggest that some patients might benefit from higher doses of radiotherapy than have previously been used…” See: HASAG Funds New Research Study.
Asbestos Protest in Western Cape
May 30, 2023
In April, 2023, 150 residents from the Khayelitsha township in South Africa’s Western Cape Province marched to Parliament to demand that the Province’s Department of Human Settlement remediate asbestos roofing on their homes. The houses were built in the 1990s and much of the roofing is now in poor condition. The provincial housing department said it would liaise with the National Department of Human Settlements to resume a repair program suspended in 2020 during the Covid pandemic. See: Khayelitsha families want asbestos roofing removed.
D-DAY: June 7, 2023
May 25, 2023
On June 7, 2023, the judgment will be handed down in the long-running criminal trial of Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny at the Novara Court of Assizes (Italy). During the trial, the defense had called for Schmidheiny to be acquitted of all charges; prosecutors had called for a sentence of life imprisonment. The defendant was charged with the voluntary homicide of 392 people from the town of Casale Monferrato, all of whom died from asbestos-related diseases, allegedly caused by exposure to asbestos fibers liberated by the Eternit asbestos-cement factory operated by Schmidheiny. See: Processo Eternit bis: sentenza attesa il 7 giugno [Eternit bis trial: sentence expected on June 7].
Asbestos at the Palace
May 25, 2023
Asbestos removal work was part of the €171 million (US$184.4m) renovation project undertaken on the 17th century Dutch royal palace of Het Loo, sometimes called the “Versailles of the North,” in the city of Apeldoorn in the heart of the Netherlands. During the five years the historic site was closed to visitors, 4,300 sq. meters of asbestos fireproofing, which was installed in the 1970s, was remediated and replaced. The Palace reopened to the public on Friday April 21, 2023. See: An invisible €171m renovation: Dutch royal palace reopens after five-year-long underground project.
Asbestos in Schools
May 25 2023
On May 18, 2023 concerned parents, school staff, and their supporters held a rally on the steps of the Philadelphia School District’s headquarters to demand increased clarity and coordination on tackling asbestos contamination of the city’s schools. After initially being rebuffed by security personnel, the petitions presented on Thursday by groups from Henry and Mitchell elementary schools, and Building 21 and Frankford High – four schools closed by asbestos problems this year – were accepted by Oz Hill, the district’s chief operating officer, and district spokesperson Monique Braxton. See: Philly teachers and parents from schools closed by asbestos petition the district for better information.
Grassroots Asbestos Mobilization
May 25, 2023
On May 20, 2023, former employees of the Brasilit company gathered at an asbestos meeting organized by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) in São Caetano do Sul in São Paulo state. The participants engaged in discussions and planning for a July 2023 ABREA workshop on workers’ rights, which will be open to asbestos victims, family members, and political and social leaders. The event, which is by invitation only, will take place at a venue provided by São Caetano do Sul City Council. See: Picture of ABREA event on May 20, 2023 in São Caetano do Sul, São Paulo State.
Post-Earthquake Dialogue
May 25, 2023
In the aftermath of the Kahramanmaraş February 6, 2023 earthquakes that devastated whole regions of Turkey and affected millions of people, questions are being asked about “what will be needed to rebuild the cities …while preserving social relations and urban identity.” Within the context of a wide-ranging discussion by experts from diverse fields, the subject of asbestos was mentioned as a critical factor in decisions regarding the reuse of disaster waste in reconstruction efforts. Without due care and attention, asbestos debris will not only endanger human life but also pollute the soil and the water. See: Depremzede kentler nasıl yeniden inşa edilecek? ‘Konuyu konuttan ibaret görürsek yanlış bir şey yaparız’ [How will earthquake-affected cities be rebuilt? ‘It will be a mistake to see the subject as provision of housing alone’].
Buyer Beware!
May 25, 2023
The extensive article cited below explained the challenges posed by the historic use of asbestos-containing products in Japan and the present-day problems asbestos contamination poses. Real estate buyers are strongly advised to commission asbestos surveys of all properties built before September 1, 2006: “an asbestos survey will help protect your assets when purchasing real estate.” Failing to follow this advice could leave a new property owner with huge bills to remediate toxic structures. See: “不動産売買のババ抜き”でジョーカーを引かないために必要な中古物件購入前のアスベスト調査 [Asbestos survey before buying a second-hand property necessary to avoid pulling the joker in “old real estate trading”].
Paris Appeals’ Verdict
May 24, 2023
On the afternoon of Friday May 19, 2023, the news broke that the Paris Court of Appeal had turned its back on thousands of French asbestos victims and their families and blocked efforts to hold to account fourteen decision makers, executives, doctors and lobbyists for the thousands of deaths caused by asbestos exposures in France. Nearly 2,000 complainants brought this legal action to the court demanding that a criminal trial of the accused take place. Their request was denied. There will be an appeal, said leaders of the asbestos victims’ group. See: Asbestos: The Paris Court Refuses To Hold A Criminal Trial Requested By Victims.
Parliament’s Asbestos Issues
May 24, 2023
On May 17, 2023, the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee published a report which was categorical about the dangerous and deteriorating state of the Palace of Westminster: “Parliament is spending up to £2 million a week patching up the Palace but there is still a growing list of health and safety incidents, including some involving asbestos…Timely transparency and compliance with health and safety protocols, particularly around asbestos, urgently needs to improve...” On page 8 of the report it was noted that: “compliance with health and safety protocols, in particular reporting asbestos incidents, remains unsatisfactory.” See: “Real and rising risk” that Palace of Westminster will be destroyed by catastrophic event before it is restored, says PAC.
Raising Asbestos Awareness in Laos
May 24, 2023
A billboard erected outside the Australian Embassy in the capital city of Laos, by Australia’s Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA and partnering organizations from Australia and Canada, this month highlighted the hazard posed by the country’s continuing use of asbestos. The main use of asbestos in Laos is for the manufacture of roofing in factories located in the Provinces of Luang Prabang, Champasak and Vientiane. According to APHEDA: “The standards for managing raw asbestos are often poor, including manual handling of the fibre and no safe storage or waste management, meaning workers and communities within a 2km radius of the factories are at risk of exposure.” See: Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA. May 16, 2023 upload to Facebook.
Quebec’s Dirty Asbestos Secrets
May 24, 2023
A series of high-profile articles in the Canadian media over recent months highlighted the prevalence of asbestos-cement pipes in the water delivery systems of provinces and cities throughout the country. It seems, however, that Quebec – the former heartland of asbestos production in Canada – has yet to undertake sampling for asbestos fibers in tap water despite a commitment by the Quebec Ministry of Environment to do so. Perhaps they are worried about what they might find? See (subscription site): Québec n'a jamais prévu échantillonner les tuyaux d'eau potable en amiante... et a tenté de le camoufler [Quebec never planned to sample asbestos drinking water pipes...and tried to cover it up].
Regional Asbestos Hazard
May 24, 2023
Work to raise asbestos awareness and progress a ban on asbestos use in the Pacific Region was the subject of a presentation at the May 2023 conference of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network. The speaker was Lance Richman, the PacWaste Plus Technical Waste Project Officer - Hazardous Waste of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program. Richman delineated measures to assist countries to “remediate legacy asbestos, and regulate the use, transport, and disposal of asbestos, to protect human health from the harmful effects caused by exposure,” and detailed initiatives to raise awareness, develop legislation and implement regulations to prevent toxic exposures. See: Pacific Island Countries Efforts Toward Asbestos Containing Material Ban Presented At 2023 ABAN Conference.
BC Asbestos Court Order
May 24, 2023
In a May 16, 2023 decision by the Supreme Court of British Columbia (BC) in the case of the Workers’ Compensation Board vs E H Z Pre-Demolition Ltd., AMK Environmental (2017) Ltd., Rajesh Joshi, and Gagandeep Joshi, Justice Nitya Iyer ordered that the Joshi brothers cease committing “contraventions of the following provisions of the Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, B.C. Reg. 296/97 [Regulation]” after breaches of asbestos health and safety regulations at ten asbestos abatement sites in BC had been proved. See: Workers’ Compensation Board vs E H Z Pre-Demolition Ltd., AMK Environmental (2017) Ltd., Rajesh Joshi, and Gagandeep Joshi.
UN Convention: Update
May 22, 2023
The link cited below contains a summary of what took place during negotiations at a meeting of the UN’s Rotterdam Convention at the beginning of this month; it is a frustrating read. Attempts to unblock a process intended to protect global populations from avoidable exposures to deadly chemicals and pesticides were, once again, forestalled by member countries with vested interests. It was no surprise to see that the refusniks were led by the Russian delegation; Russia is the world’s largest producer of chrysotile (white) asbestos. Negotiations and discussions were so fraught that UN security officers maintained a visible presence in the plenary chamber during votes. See: Earth Negotiation Bulletin Summary report May 1-12, 2023.
Johnson & Johnson Asbestos Scandal
May 22, 2023
A 24-minute video uploaded on May 11, 2023 detailed the controversy surrounding the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J) which stands accused by tens of thousands of people of causing their cancers. The claimants argue that use of J&J’s talc-based baby powder, which was contaminated with asbestos fibers had been the reason they contracted mesothelioma, and/or ovarian cancer. Internal documents exhibited during this video showed that the company had known about the risks and still continued selling its iconic baby powder throughout the world. See: Inside the Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Controversy.
Asbestos Hazard: Update
May 22, 2023
Warning bells have been sounded by Insurer Allianz about the threat posed to UK workers by the drive toward sustainability. The alert was raised during a meeting of the British Insurers Brokers’ Association in Manchester, by Andy Miller, Loss Control Technical Manager of Allianz Insurance. He highlighted how many younger workers in the construction industry refused to take the asbestos risk seriously: “Older buildings are being significantly renovated to increase their sustainability, but tiles, artex and flooring may well contain asbestos and as such there needs to be proper and adequate protections taken.” Miller’s call is backed by the HSE. See: Asbestos fears re-emerge with insurer warning.
Asbestos Eradication in Campania
May 22, 2023
The Vice President of the Campania Region Fulvio Bonavitacola announced at a May 13th conference in Naples that: “we will use the new cycle of European funds to give further impetus to progressing asbestos decontamination throughout the region.” Regional asbestos hotspots include: the former asbestos-cement factory operated by Eternit in Bagnoli, a metallurgical plant owned by Italsider in Fincantieri, engineering and railway stock construction and repair yards in Pozzuoli, Caserta, Castellammare di Stabia, and Santa Maria La Bruna. In 2022, there were 600 asbestos-related deaths in Campania – 100 due to the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma. See: Amianto: Bonavitacola, fondi Ue per decontaminare la Campania [Asbestos: Bonavitacola, EU funds to decontaminate Campania].
Recognition for Libby Clinic
May 22, 2023
A resolution introduced to the Montana House of Representatives by Representative Steve Gunderson, which recognized the “critical importance of the lessons learned during the asbestos-related Public Health Emergency declared in Lincoln County… as well as the ongoing contributions made by the Center for Asbestos Related Disease to both the Libby community and the field of asbestos related diseases,” was passed earlier this month. The well-deserved recognition of the work of the center will allow it to access additional funding to support ongoing operations and expand clinical and educational services to people nationwide exposed to Libby asbestos. See: Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) Designated as a Center of Excellence.
Spring Offensive by HSE
May 22, 2023
From Monday May 15th, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) – “a UK government agency responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare” – began a three-month crackdown on dust exposures at construction sites with a series of unannounced inspections to ascertain whether control measures in operation are in compliance with regulations to protect workers from hazardous inhalation of substances such as asbestos, silica and wood dust. See: HSE to inspect dust exposure risk at construction sites nationwide from Monday.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard
May 18, 2023
A report by Reuters about the fallout from the February 2023 earthquakes in Turkey contained staggering figures: “The United Nations estimated the disaster generated at least 10 times as much rubble as the last big Turkish earthquake in 1999…Some experts said a ‘secondary disaster’ of contamination could be even more severe than the quakes themselves” with one Turkish expert predicting that 3 million people could get sick due to post-earthquake toxic exposures to 85,000 toxic substances dumped at 15+ sites. The collapse of 300,000 buildings, many of which contained asbestos, created 100 million cubic meters (130 million cubic yards) of rubble. Due to the scale of the disaster, regulations to protect workers and the public from asbestos exposures were suspended. See: The Toxic Dust from Turkey's Earthquake!
Asbestos in the Museum
May 18, 2023
The iconic Pompidou Center will be closed to enable asbestos eradication and other remediation work to be carried out. The Paris museum of contemporary art will be under refurbishment from 2025 to 2030. According to France’s Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak, the work will cost worth 262 million euros and will include “a renovation operation, removal of asbestos from the façade, fireproofing, energy optimization and the improvement of access to the building for people with disabilities.” See: Parigi "perde" il museo Pompidou, amianto sulla facciata: chiuderà per 5 anni [Paris “loses” the Pompidou museum, asbestos on the façade: it will close for 5 years].
New Asbestos Eradication Program
May 18, 2023
Last week, South Africa’s Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi announced that the sum of 220 million rands had been allocated to implement 27 projects to remove asbestos roofs on government-built houses in the Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal. According to the Minister, asbestos roofing was an “apartheid relic” that must be eradicated “as a priority.” Former ANC official Ace Magashule, who is due to appear in court in April 2024, faces corruption charges related to a multimillion rand Free State asbestos eradication tender awarded when he was premier. See: R220m set aside to remove asbestos roofs in Eastern Cape, Free State and KZN.
Raising Asbestos Awareness
May 18, 2023
The first meeting of asbestos stakeholders took place in Martinique on May 11, 2023. “Asbestos is,” said co-organizer Sandrine Dorail “still present in certain materials in Martinique, not only in pieces of fiber cement, but also in cladding, false ceilings, pipes, road coatings, floor slabs, bituminous glue for floor slabs…” The objective of the meeting was to “alert the public authorities but also members of the public” about the hazard posed by asbestos material hidden within the country’s infrastructure. See: Un 1er salon amiante Antilles pour « alerter les pouvoirs publics et les citoyens » [A 1st Antilles asbestos forum to “alert public authorities and citizens”].
Stopping Asbestos Exposures in BC
May 18, 2023
In the aftermath of International Workers Memorial Day (April 28, 2023), the article cited below recapped the deadly repercussions that widespread use of asbestos had had in the Canadian Province of British Columbia (BC): “Since 2002, British Columbia has recorded nearly 1,200 work-related deaths linked to asbestos. In 2022, it was responsible for 61 of the 181 work-related deaths, the result of exposures that happened decades before.” From January 1, 2023, B.C. became the first Canadian Province to require asbestos removal firms to be licensed as a means to upgrade workplace practices and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations. See: B.C. to tackle the deadliest workplace killer.
Asbestos Hazard in the Built Environment
May 18, 2023
A May 11, 2023 article on a Japanese website by Manabu Shinbori, an architect from the Saitama Prefecture, reviewed the damage to human health caused by exposures to asbestos in light of revised Japanese laws. More than three times as many people died from mesothelioma – the signature asbestos cancer – in 2017 as in 1995; many of the deceased were construction or manufacturing workers. Duty holders must make every effort to ascertain the presence and condition of asbestos material in all buildings to comply with regulations. See: アスベストに関する法改正 ? 被害を出さないために解体、改修に関して意識をするべきこと 「建築知識の不動産投資 [Amendments to laws related to asbestos?].
Johnson & Johnson: Toxic Talc
May 15, 2023
On May 7, 2023, a 45-minute segment, entitled Shaken: Baby Powder on Trial, was broadcast on the CNN TV show The Whole Story, explaining the controversial attempts by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to off-load cancer lawsuits by consumers who allege that fatal diseases they contracted were due to use of asbestos-contaminated J&J talc-based baby powder. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, J&J continues to deny there was asbestos in its baby powder, with one spokesperson on the program saying: “We have always believed this is a safe product. And that's why we continue to sell it for over 125 years. It was a sad day in 2020 when we stopped selling this iconic product.” See: Transcript of The Whole Story TV Program - Shaken: Baby Powder on Trial.
Asbestos Scandal in Auckland Grows
May 15, 2023
On May 9, 2023, WorkSafe – New Zealand's primary workplace health and safety regulator – said that it regarded asbestos discovered at Auckland’s main fire station as high-risk, not medium risk. Last month, a survey commissioned by the firefighters’ union found six lots of high-risk, friable amosite (brown) asbestos in the roof as well as medium-risk chrysotile (white) asbestos in damaged pipe covers in two bathrooms. WorkSafe has issued a non-disturbance notice and three prohibition notices covering the spaces where asbestos was found. See: Asbestos at fire station was high risk – WorkSafe.
Mesothelioma Research: Update
May 15, 2023
According to preliminary results announced earlier this month at the annual conference of the British Thoracic Oncology Group, UK mesothelioma researchers have observed significant patient benefits during the SYSTEMS-2 clinical trial. Commenting on the results, Chief Investigator for the study Professor Anthony Chalmers, Chair of Clinical Oncology at the University of Glasgow said: “We are very excited to see some early evidence that patients receiving the higher radiotherapy dose might benefit in terms of an increase in their life expectancy. We are still in the process of following up these patients and analysing the results, however, so this observation should be treated with caution at this stage.” See: Promising results of clinical trial of radiotherapy for patients with mesothelioma announced.
Demolition of Asbestos Mining Town
May 15, 2023
A three-minute segment in an ABC news broadcast on May 8, 2023, announced that demolition of the notorious asbestos mining town of Wittenoom, Western Australia (WA) had begun. An interview with Melita Markey of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia put the story into context, with Ms. Markey explaining that no advice had been sought by WA officials from the Society about the planned works, despite the fact that the Society had been monitoring conditions in “the most contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere,” also known as “Australia's Chernobyl” for nearly 40 years. See: video: Demolition of abandoned WA asbestos town underway.
ABAN Conference 2023
May 15, 2023
On May 7, 2023 scores of members of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN) met at their 2023 conference in Bangkok; other ABAN members monitored the event online. The meeting was sponsored by the Solidarity Center (AFL-CIO), the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, ABAN, ANROEV, the Asia Monitor Resource Center, the Building and Wood Workers International, Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA), and Work and Environment Related Patients (WEPT), Thailand. More information on this conference will be provided in due course. See: ABAN Group Photo from 2023 Conference.
Asbestos in Schools
May 15, 2023
On May 6, 2023, the Dongducheon Yangju Office of Education in South Korea confirmed that elementary and middle school students in the Yangju area were still being taught in classrooms where asbestos material was present. The contaminated premises were: three kindergartens, including Kanap elementary school’s attached kindergarten, 12 elementary schools, including Eunbong and Kanap elementary schools, and three middle schools, including Joyang and Deokgye Middle Schools. The Provincial Office of Education has allocated 70.9 billion won (US$53.4m) for the removal of asbestos from 217 schools in the province in 2023. See: 양주지역 석면 학교 여전… 대책 마련 시급 [Yangju area asbestos school still … Urgent countermeasures].
Asbestos Health Alert
May 11, 2023
The article cited below highlighted the consequences of human exposures to asbestos. Although asbestos use was banned in many countries, the author pointed out: “there is still no specific standardized system in China to detect and remove asbestos. Asbestos is still readily available for use in building materials … before asbestos is strictly banned, we still have to learn to protect ourselves and minimize contact with asbestos in daily life to prevent asbestos exposure.” China is one of the world’s top asbestos-producing and consuming nations. See: 1级致癌物石棉，已被美、日等66国禁用，可能正潜伏在你身边 [Class 1 carcinogen asbestos , has been banned by 66 countries including the United States [restricted – not banned] and Japan, may be lurking around you].
Victim’s Verdict in Sicily
May 11, 2023
Earlier this month, the Catania Court of Appeal confirmed guilty verdicts handed down against the Italian Ministries of Defense and the Interior over the 2009 mesothelioma death of Salvatore Arcieri who had been exposed to asbestos on board ships and on land during his naval service. He enlisted aged 16 in 1957; according to his lawyers: he “was employed in the direct handling of asbestos materials, also in the form of sheets and cardboard, present in the protection of firebreaks, floors and motor rooms, with indirect and environmental exposure, in the absence of technical prevention and individual protection.” See: Amianto killer nelle navi della Marina militare. Motorista di Augusta riconosciuto «vittima a metà» [Killer asbestos in Navy ships. Augsburg driver recognized as “half-victim”].
Asbestos Stakeholders Mount UN Offensive
May 11, 2023
The article cited below detailed recent moves by Russian chrysotile (white) asbestos stakeholders – Russia is the world’s largest asbestos producer, accounting for ~60% of global production in 2021 – to control the asbestos agenda at the May 2023 meeting of the UN’s Rotterdam Convention. A delegation of ministry officials from Russia and Kazakhstan, medical professionals, scientists and asbestos industry employees will protect chrysotile from “the attacks of opponents” who are trying to progress efforts to protect humankind from toxic exposures. See: Представители "Ураласбеста" Отстаивают Интересы Хризотиловой Отрасли в Женеве [Representatives of “Uralasbest” defend the interests of the chrysotile industry in Geneva].
Asbestos in Parliament
May 11, 2023
During Prime Minister’s Question Time, a question was asked about the eradication of asbestos from the UK’s built environment by MP Jane Hunt, who on April 19, 2023 had secured a Westminster Hall debate on Asbestos in the Workplace. In response, Rishi Sunak said: “The law does require duty holders to assess whether asbestos is present, what condition it is in and whether it gives rise to a risk of exposure, and they must draw up a plan to manage that risk, which must include removal if it cannot be safely managed where it is located…” See: Hansard. House of Commons Engagements. May 3, 2023.
Vancouver Alarm over Ship Dismantling
May 11, 2023
Residents of Vancouver Island, British Columbia made public their concerns about the lack of federal and provincial regulations for dismantling ships that could result in contaminants like asbestos and heavy metals being released into the environment. Their fears were expressed at a public rally attended by 200 people on Sunday April 30, 2023 which was organized by The Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound. The lack of rules to prevent boat dismantling in Baynes Sound was denounced. A court case is ongoing. See: L’absence de réglementation pour le démantèlement de navires dénoncée sur la côte oust [Lack of regulations for ship dismantling denounced on the West Coast].
Prison Sentences for Asbestos Crimes
May 11, 2023
On May 2, 2023, the Turin Court of Appeal handed down guilty verdicts on charges of manslaughter to former executives of the Montefibre company Giorgio Mazzanti (one year in prison), Bruno Quaglieri (11 months) and Gianluigi Poletti (11 months); the case concerned asbestos exposures which had led to the death of five workers. The sentences were suspended. Damages of one and a half million euros (US$ 1.68m) were awarded to 40 civil parties in the case including bereaved families. See: Morti per amianto, 3 condanne e risarcimenti da 1,5 milioni di euro al processo Montefibre bis [Deaths from asbestos, 3 sentences and compensation of 1.5 million euros in the Montefibre bis trial].
Support for UN Action on Asbestos
May 9, 2023
Campaigners for labor and chemical safety rights in the Philippines on May 4, 2023 issued a press release calling for governments to support United Nations action to regulate the global trade in chrysotile (white) asbestos. The 11th Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention is meeting in Geneva this month; on the agenda is a motion to add chrysotile to a list of hazardous chemicals that can only be traded with the prior informed consent of an importing country. The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines and the EcoWaste Coalition urged the few countries which had blocked listing of chrysotile in the past to support listing in 2023. See: Press Release: TUCP, EcoWaste Coalition Demand Listing of Chrysotile Asbestos in Rotterdam Convention.
Asbestos Negotiations in Brussels
May 9, 2023
An asbestos controversy at the heart of the European Union pits lawmakers in the European Parliament – who are calling for increasingly strict workplace asbestos protections – against the EU executive and member states. Whilst the European Commission is proposing a reduction in the exposure limit of asbestos at work from 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cm³) to 0.01 f/cm,³ the European Parliament is calling for a reduction of the exposure limit of asbestos to 0.001 fibers/cm³, after a transitional period of 4 years. Difficult negotiations are expected to take place at the upcoming interinstitutional talks to overcome these differences. See: Clash of ambitions in the asbestos fight.
Asbestos Deaths in Marseille
May 9, 2023
On May 3, 2023, Robert Martin (73), former head of the Marseille department in charge of the maintenance of municipal buildings, was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of €30,000 (US$33,000) after he had been found guilty of manslaughter, causing involuntary injury, endangering the lives of others and using a false document. As a result of his negligence, maintenance worker Tony Moulon (2010) and theatre administrator Jean-Laurent Paolini (2014) contracted fatal cases of lung cancer after experiencing occupational asbestos exposures. See: Amiante au théâtre marseillais La Criée: prison ferme requise contre un ancien responsable des bâtiments municipaux [Asbestos at the Marseille theater La Criée: prison sentence for former head of municipal buildings].
Asbestos Cancer Alert!
May 9, 2023
Although the Ministry of Health agrees that exposure to all types of asbestos, including chrysotile (white) asbestos, can be harmful to human health, asbestos-containing products are still being used in Vietnam by workers and the public who are, on the whole, unaware of the carcinogenic properties of asbestos. The use of these toxic materials banned in Germany, Australia, Member States of the European Union and many other developed countries remains legal in Vietnam. See: Nhiều người vẫn vô tư sử dụng một chất gây ung thư hàng ngày dù từng bị cấm ở Nhật Bản và Mỹ [Many people still carelessly use a carcinogen daily despite being banned in Japan and [restricted in] the United States].
Quantifying Flanders’ Asbestos Problem
May 9, 2023
According to data sourced from a scheme begun in Flanders last year (2022) which mandated that all houses built before 2001 must have an asbestos certificate when put up for sale, it was calculated that up to 40% of homes could contain asbestos. This figure was based on 72,940 certificates which had been issued by 1,093 asbestos experts by the end of April 2023. Announcing these findings on Monday, May 1, 2023, Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir praised the actions being taken by Flemish citizens to remediate the built environment. See: En Flandre, 40% des habitations contiendraient de l’amiante [In Flanders, 40% of homes contain asbestos].
Asbestos Pipes Still Being Used in Ontario
May 9, 2023
Officials at the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in the Ontario town of Sault Ste. Marie confirmed last month that asbestos-containing water pipes remained part of the municipal water delivery system. Only 1.5% of the 468 kilometers of underground water mains are made with asbestos wrote PUC spokesperson Jairus Patterson in an email to a local journalist. Patterson reported that “PUC stopped installing asbestos-concrete pipes in its water mains in 1969 and, according to its records, never had more than 2 per cent of that pipe in its system.” See: PUC confirms asbestos pipes used for Sault drinking water.
Asbestos Inconsistencies and Injustice
May 4, 2023
The commentary by veteran judge Roberto Riverso cited below, explores discrepancies in asbestos verdicts in Italy where appellate judges allowed legal loopholes to deprive victims of compensation and benefits owed them under 1992 legislation. Deploring these injustices, Riverso wrote: “it's a scientific certainty that a person who remains exposed to asbestos fibers for a long time, regardless of their number, one or a hundred, and I emphasize regardless, has the ‘probability’ of falling ill with mesothelioma. Once the exposure has been proven, the benefit must be triggered.” See: I decessi per l’amianto “Sostenere la salubrità di un ambiente di lavoro con la statistica è errato” [Deaths from asbestos “Supporting the healthiness of a work environment with statistics is wrong”].
Attack on New J&J Corporate Entity
May 4, 2023
As a new Johnson & Johnson (J&J) consumer business (Kenvue) attempted to complete its Initial Public Offer roadshow, seven lawsuits from US cancer claimants who allege their diseases were caused by use of J&J’s asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder were filed which named Kenvue, including one lawsuit brought by husband and wife Justin and Kathryn Bergeron from Louisiana. The Bergerons case was filed in Middlesex County, New Jersey, the location of J&J’s home office. See: Talcum powder cancer claims target J&J’s new consumer carve-out.
Identifying Asbestos Victims
May 4, 2023
One in four of the asbestos victims in Busan, South Korea had lived in the South District in the 1960s to 1980s. Many of the 785 injured people never worked with asbestos but only breathed in toxic fibers liberated by asbestos processing operations carried out at factories in the city. Residents of the South District were the worst affected due to the operations of the Busan Steel Plant. Asbestos liberated by the Cheil Chemical asbestos textile factory created a cancer hotspot in the Yeonje District, another Busan neighborhood. See: 부산 석면 피해자, 넷 중 1명이 1960~80년대 옛 남구 거주 [Asbestos victims in Busan, 1 in 4 lived in the former South District in the 1960s to 1980s].
Asbestos Profits in 2022
May 4, 2023
At its Annual General Meeting on April 21, 2023, Uralasbest – Russia’s second biggest producer of chrysotile (white) asbestos and one of the world's largest producers – announced that despite a significant fall in profits in 2022, dividends would be paid to shareholders; in 2021 no dividends were paid.. A quarter of the net profits for 2022 would be paid out in dividends with the remaining 1,045 billion rubles (US$12.8bn) being “spent on the implementation of investment projects, production development and social needs.” See: "Ураласбест" направит четверть чистой прибыли за 2022г на дивиденды [Uralasbest will send a quarter of net profit for 2022 to dividends].
Asbestos in the Entertainment Industry
May 4, 2023
Until now, only nine cases of asbestos-related diseases have been recognized amongst former entertainment industry workers, who were exposed to asbestos used at theaters, concert halls and other entertainment venues. It was, said one expert, likely that many more cases from the entertainment industry have gone undiagnosed and uncompensated. Asbestos fireproofing was sprayed on the ceilings and asbestos safety curtains were often used in theaters. Asbestos material was also used where stage lights and screens were located. See: Asbestos poses risk to ex-entertainment industry workers in Japan.
Asbestos in Schools
May 4, 2023
On April 28, 2023, it was announced that yet another Philadelphia school – Universal Vare – had been closed after damaged asbestos was found in plaster above second-floor ceiling tiles during a routine inspection. It is unclear how much other asbestos is present within the school; pending further investigations, the school will remain closed. This is the sixth school in the city to be shuttered due to asbestos; the others are: Building 21, Frankford High, Mitchell Elementary and C.W. Henry and Simon Gratz Charter High School. See: A sixth Philadelphia school has closed because of damaged asbestos.
Moscow Toxic Talc Lawsuit
May 3, 2023
It was announced on April 27, 2023, that a Public Consumer Initiative had been filed against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in Moscow’s Kuntsevsky District Court over the company’s sale in Russia of asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder. The lawsuit asked the court to ban the sale of the product in Russia, withdraw from sale all contaminated items and allow Russian consumers to file personal injury lawsuits against J&J over asbestos cancers contracted from use of this product. See: "Известия": Роспотребнадзор проверит продукцию Johnson & Johnson [Izvestia: Rospotrebnadzor will check Johnson & Johnson products].
Asbestos at the Fire Station
May 3, 2023
Despite reassurances in 2021 by Fire and Emergency, New Zealand (FENZ), New Zealand's main firefighting and emergency services body, that none of its fire stations had high risk asbestos, six lots of high-risk friable asbestos were found in the Auckland City Station in pipe wrapping and insulation debris by independent surveyors commissioned by the firefighters’ union. Commenting on the findings of the 42-page asbestos audit, union national secretary Joanne Watson said: “We can't trust FENZ to look out for firefighters…We won't be allowing members back in until appropriate remedial work is done in loft.” See: Union does not trust FENZ's data after high-risk asbestos found at central Auckland fire station.
Asbestos Help in Lombardy
May 3, 2023
An asbestos outreach project became operational on April 28, 2023 – International Workers’ Memorial Day – in Brescia, Italy to provide a focal point for historic or current asbestos concerns. The new service, called the Asbestos Desk, is based at the Brescia Chamber of Labor and can be consulted every Wednesday by prior appointment. See: Alla sede della Cgil apre uno sportello per fare consulenza gratuita sull'amianto [At the CGIL headquarters, a counter opens to provide free advice on asbestos].
Johnson & Johnson
May 3, 2023
On April 24, 2023, lawyers representing cancer claimants urged that a US bankruptcy court in Trenton, New Jersey dismiss yet another bankruptcy filing, the second, by Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) subsidiary LTL Management. The plaintiffs argued that J&J – a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate worth more than $400 billion – was abusing the bankruptcy system and denying the legal rights of tens of thousands of consumers who had been injured by using baby powder contaminated with asbestos fibers. See: Cancer victims urge US judge to dismiss J&J talc unit second bankruptcy.
Cancer and Death in the Asbestos City
May 3, 2023
The long latency period for the occurrence of asbestos-related diseases has now been reached in Busan, Korea, as a result of which there has been a 128% increase in the numbers of people suffering from asbestosis and lung cancer. In the 1970s and 1980s, Busan was called the “Asbestos City” due to the presence of many asbestos factories. Unfortunately, as the numbers of the affected has grown, the budget for their medical care has been reduced. The number of cases of people with recognized asbestos-related diseases in 2022 was 6000% more than in 2018. See: ‘석면 잠복기(10~40년)’ 끝났다…부산 4년새 피해자 128% 폭증 [‘Asbestos incubation period (10 to 40 years)’ is over… 128% increase in victims in 4 years in Busan].
Progressing EU Asbestos Safeguards
May 3, 2023
On April 26, 2023, the EU’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs approved a draft report on a revision of the Asbestos at Work Directive by a vote of 40:0 with 7 abstentions. The proposals, which would come into force after a four-year transitional period should they be adopted in May 2023 by the European Parliament, called for workplace asbestos exposures to be reduced to the lowest possible level – below an occupational-exposure limit (OEL) of 0.001 fibers/cm³ on an eight-hour average. According to Rapporteur Véronique Trillet-Lenoir: “The renovation wave planned by the Green Deal requires a reinforcement of the protection of workers against asbestos, still present in many buildings.” See: Asbestos at work: boost detection, protection and prevention for EU workers.
Firefighters and Cancers
Apr 28, 2023
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, there is sufficient evidence to establish that occupational exposures experienced by firefighters led to an increased incidence of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma as well as bladder cancer. A nationwide health surveillance scheme was launched last month by the Fire Brigades Union in collaboration with the Greater Manchester Fire Service “to detect cancers [among firefighters] and other diseases in their early stages — and to identify links with exposure to toxic fire chemicals.” See: Health monitoring programme launched for firefighters due to high number of early cancer and heart disease deaths.
Fujikawa Demolition Stopped by Asbestos
Apr 28, 2023
An unwelcomed discovery of asbestos in an old government building in Fujikawa Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan last month brought a halt to demolition proceedings. It will take at least two months for the building to be remediated, after which work can be recommenced. Prior to the commencement of this project, asbestos material had been identified in 16 places in the building; it was the finding of asbestos products at 4 other sites which caused the delay. See: 富士川町の旧庁舎解体工事、新たにアスベスト発覚で2カ月延長 [Demolition work on old government building in Fujikawa-cho extended by 2 months due to newly discovered asbestos].
Asbestos: Ovarian and Laryngeal Cancers
Apr 28, 2023
A commentary on the hazardous health consequences of human exposures to asbestos, written by Epidemiologist Alexandra Papadopoulos from France’s National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, highlighted the lack of medical and public awareness about the links between asbestos exposures and occurrences of cancer of the larynx and ovary. As a result of the information vacuum, there is an under-reporting of both cancers as occupationally-caused. See: Cancers de l’ovaire et du larynx: les victimes oubliées de l’amiante [Ovarian and laryngeal cancers: the forgotten victims of asbestos].
Mesothelioma in Reggio Emilia
Apr 28, 2023
A report by scientists in the Italian region of Reggio Emilia analyzed data on 328 cases of mesothelioma from the Mesothelioma Registry for Emilia Romagna. One hundred and ninety-two cases were due to occupational asbestos exposures, twenty to family exposures, three to environmental exposures and two to non-occupational exposures. In the cases of 111 mesothelioma patients, the type of toxic exposure experienced had not been identified. The silent epidemic continued to claim lives in Reggio Emilia. Mesothelioma sufferers were urged to come forward to secure support and assistance available from the Government. See: Il killer silenzioso Amianto e tumori, in un anno 19 casi “Un problema taciuto” [The silent killer Asbestos and cancer, 19 cases in one year “A hidden problem”].
Commentary: Neglect, Complacency & Sorrow
Apr 28, 2023
A special feature in the April 23, 2023 issue of the Sunday Times contrasted the harsh reality faced by asbestos cancer sufferers with the apathy of a government long grown complacent about the scandal which gave the UK the world’s worst incidence of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. In the face of growing calls to take action – e.g. by setting up a national asbestos register and removing asbestos from the built environment – the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues to support the status quo, saying: “Building owners already have a legal duty to record where asbestos is present. This information must be shared with all relevant parties. Creating a central register would be expensive, complicated and unlikely to add to the current system.” See: Asbestos: the forgotten killer taking 5,000 lives a year.
RSP in Construction Workers
Apr 28, 2023
According to a new study by researchers from Duke University’s Occupational & Environmental Medicine Division in North Carolina, asbestos workers had the highest prevalence (35.3%) of restrictive spirometry pattern (RSP), followed by truck drivers (32.9%), boilermakers (31.2%), plumbers, steamfitters and pipefitters (29.0%), and electricians 28.4%. “Restriction,” explained the authors “happens when the lungs become stiff after inhaling dust over time, which causes scarring that reduces the person’s ability to breathe in… [there is a] need for more preventive measures for workers.” See: Construction Workers at Increased Risk for Life-Threatening Lung Disease, Study Finds.
Johnson & Johnson: Update from NJ
Apr 27, 2023
On April 20, 2023, US Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan issued a mixed verdict in a New Jersey court when he froze for 60 days the progress of tens of thousands of lawsuits brought by cancer victims over the presence of asbestos in talc-based baby powder made by Johnson and Johnson (J&J). According to the Judge, the stay in litigation is to allow LTL Management – a bankrupt J&J subsidiary – time to gain court approval of an $8.9 billion settlement. New lawsuits, however, can be filed over the next two months. See: J&J Wins Pause of Baby Powder Trials, Must Face New Suits.
Quebec Asbestos Scandal Unfolding!
Apr 27, 2023
A huge scandal is unfolding in Quebec, the former asbestos heartland of Canada, where the CNESST – the Quebec Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work – has been accused of retaining millions of dollars of asbestos compensation obtained from US bankruptcy trusts on behalf of Canadian asbestos victims. A class action has now been launched at the Superior Court of Quebec to force the CNESST to account for the monies it received and the sums it disbursed. See: Amiante : pourquoi la CNESST cache-t-elle des infos financières aux proches des victimes québécoises? [Asbestos: why does the CNESST hide financial information from relatives of Quebec victims?].
Asbestos Check-ups in Busan
Apr 27, 2023
Starting in November 2023, the authorities in Busan, Korea will conduct free health monitoring for residents who lived near former asbestos factories and shipyards, and areas with a high density of asbestos-cement roofing. Eligible individuals will be interviewed at length and then given a basic medical examination at the Asbestos Environmental Health Center of Yangsan Busan National University Hospital. If adverse findings are reported, follow-up tests will be conducted. See: 부산시, 석면 피해 의심 주민 대상 무료건강검진 Busan City, free health check-ups for residents suspected of being affected by asbestos].
Victim’s Victory in Venice
Apr 27, 2023
It was reported on April 20, 2023, that the Court in Venice had issued a verdict ordering the Ministry of Defense (MOD) to recognize the 2016 death of Federico Tisato from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma as being occupationally caused; during military service (1965-1971), the deceased was frequently exposed to asbestos contained on board naval ships. Compensation of €1,900/month ($US2,100) was awarded to his widow in addition to a lump sum of €400,000 (US$439,000) in back-dated payments. See: Amianto, la Difesa condannata: il motorista vicentino Federico Tisato è morto vittima del dovere [Asbestos, Defense condemned: Vicenza mechanic Federico Tisato died a victim of duty].
Asbestos Documentary
Apr 27, 2023
At 11:15 p.m. on April 22, 2023 a documentary entitled “The Stolen Breath” was broadcast on RTBF (Radio–Television for the Belgian French Community). Film-makers Daniel Lambo and Maarten Schmidt investigated the tragic legacy in Belgium and India of the asbestos operations of the Eternit multinational. The film detailed the asbestos epidemic in the Flemish town of Kapelle-op-den-Bos, for decades Eternit’s Belgian headquarters, with footage of former Kapelle resident Eric Jonckheere, now suffering from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Work in India to identify and compensate workers and local people injured by Eternit’s operations was also discussed. See: “Le souffle vole”: enquête sur l’industrie mortelle de l’amiante [“The stolen breath”: investigation into the deadly asbestos industry].
Asbestos Shuts Down Fire Station
Apr 27, 2023
On April 20, 2023, Auckland City Fire Station was shut down after asbestos had been found. People in hazmat suits with respirator equipment were observed decontaminating firefighters and fire trucks. According to Martin Campbell, the secretary of New Zealand Professional Firefighter’s Union Auckland, the incident was “a complete shitshow.” As decontamination teams worked to quantify the extent of the contamination, the situation was “still very much developing,” Campbell said. In the meantime, none of the day crew could go home, and the night crew couldn’t start their shift resulting in Auckland having “no heavy aerial appliances or hazardous material teams.” See: NZ's busiest fire station locked down as hazmat units deployed.
Johnson & Johnson: Update
Apr 24, 2023
On April 18, 2023, lawyers for the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiary LTL Management petitioned a court in Trenton, New Jersey to freeze personal injury lawsuits against it and its parent company J&J until bankruptcy proceedings were finalized. LTL, which was set up in October 2021 by J&J as a dumping ground for tens of thousands of cancer lawsuits regarding J&J’s asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder, filed for bankruptcy within days of being set up. The first bankruptcy petition was dismissed by the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in January 2023. LTL has now re-filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, hoping to re-freeze the cancer litigation. See: Johnson & Johnson talc unit again seeks to halt 38,000 cancer lawsuits.
TUC Calls for Action on Asbestos
Apr 24, 2023
On the eve of a parliamentary debate on Asbestos in the Workplace, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) issued a press release calling on the UK government “to set out a timetable” for asbestos eradication of the built environment. Explaining the TUC’s position, its General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “thousands of people die every year from industrial diseases caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos is still with us in workplaces and public buildings across the country… The only way to protect today’s workers and future generations is through the safe removal of asbestos from every workplace and public building. Ministers must commit to removing all asbestos to keep future generations safe.” See: Ministers must commit to asbestos removal from workplaces following death of former MP Alice Mahon.
Mesothelioma Alert
Apr 24, 2023
A medical commentary about the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma was uploaded to a Vietnamese news portal on April 16, 2023. The text covered basic issues such as the nature, types, symptoms, causation and treatment of this aggressive cancer. Asbestos-containing products are still widely used in Vietnam; as a result, members of the public as well as workers experience occupational and non-occupational exposures that could prove fatal in years to come. See: Bạn biết gì về ung thư trung biểu mô – căn bệnh ung thư nguy hiểm nhất? [What do you know about mesothelioma – the deadliest cancer?].
Protest in Earthquake Zone
Apr 24, 2023
On April 17, 2023, activists in Samandağ, Hatay – the epicentre of February’s devastating earthquakes – marched to the Governor’s office demanding an end to the dumping of waste containing asbestos and other toxins in the local area. The chants of the crowd made their views clear: “They couldn't kill us in the earthquake, but now they are killing us with asbestos;” and “Stop the dumping of debris, defend life.” After police attacked the demonstrators, a spokesperson was allowed to read out a statement listing their demands which included the right to be involved in the reconstruction process and the reinstatement of norms and regulations to protect the environment and public health. See: Local community protests hazardous debris removal in quake-hit Hatay.
Asbestos Found after Indiana Blaze
Apr 24, 2023
A series of air monitoring surveys conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after the April 11, 2023 fire at the 175,000-square feet My Way Trading Warehouse in Richmond, Indiana, detected the presence of asbestos as well as other toxic substances. Debris containing asbestos was found, the Agency said, in neighborhoods surrounding the warehouse. Local residents were advised to contact the EPA to access assistance from EPA asbestos removal professionals to eradicate the hazard. See: EPA finds asbestos, compound used in chemical weapons in Richmond fire air samples.
Asbestos in Schools Exposé
Apr 24, 2023
An excellent article about the length and breadth of the national scandal arising from the continued presence of asbestos in UK schools was published on the eve of a Parliamentary debate on asbestos on April 19, 2023. The text appeared on the website of The Conversation – “a network of not-for-profit media outlets” – as well as in the Spotlight/Healthcare section of The New Statesman. The co-authors highlighted the risk to children as well as staff and contrasted the negligence of the UK government with the progress being made in the EU on protecting citizens from asbestos exposures. See: The hidden danger of asbestos in UK schools: ‘I don’t think they realise how much risk it poses to students’.
Post-Disaster Asbestos Concerns
Apr 21, 2023
In the aftermath of February’s earthquakes in the Hatay region of Turkey, the dumping of asbestos-containing rubble in inhabited and agricultural areas is causing concern amongst survivors. According to Hatay resident Fatma Dilek Tecirli: “After a while, these toxic wastes will be processed under the ground with rainwater and irrigation of agricultural lands… This rubble is dumped on stream beds, farmland or vacant lots.” Before the earthquakes, the agricultural area in Kahramanmaras, the epicenter of the earthquake, was used to grow wheat, barley, corn, cotton, apricot, peanuts and red pepper. See: Yaşam alanlarına dökülen moloz tarımı bitirecek [Rubble poured into living spaces will end agriculture].
Asbestos Legacy under Tory Rule
Apr 21, 2023
A blog uploaded on April 17, 2023 considered the ongoing repercussions of asbestos material contained within 1.5 million buildings in the UK. The lack of leadership on eradicating the hazard along with legislative inconsistences, unclear areas of responsibility and budgetary constraints combine to prolong unsafe conditions for residents as well as workers. Efforts to improve the situation by Members of Parliament have, to date, failed. “We have,” wrote the authors of the blog “to value people’s health and make it safe for people to live in their homes above all else, and yet somehow, time and time again, we fail to do so.” See: As Safe as Houses? Still dealing with asbestos in social housing.
Asbestos Emergency!
Apr 21, 2023
The commentary cited below provided a graphic picture of the serious threat posed by 40 million tons of asbestos and asbestos-containing material remaining in Italy’s infrastructure, with toxic products not yet remediated from schools, hospitals, libraries, homes, industrial structures, aqueducts and elsewhere. Contamination of schools puts the lives of 320,000 pupils and 50,000 staff at risk every day whilst the use of 500,000 km of asbestos pipes for water delivery pollutes domestic water supplies. Plans to carry out asbestos removal projects often remain unimplemented to the detriment of all. See: Amianto: emergenza continua in Italia con 40 milioni di tonnellate ancora da bonificare [Asbestos: emergency continues in Italy with 40 million tons still to be reclaimed].
Asbestos Abandonment Lawsuit
Apr 21, 2023
The Attorney General (AG) of the Brazilian State of Pernambuco last week demanded compensation of R$322 million (US$65,582,795) from the former owners of the Brazilian navy’s flagship – the São Paulo – which was deliberately sunk by the Navy 350 kilometers off the coast of Pernambuco in February 2023 after it had been abandoned by its Turkish owners. According to the legal documents filed by the AG, the vessel: “contained toxic substances such as asbestos, [which] could have serious impact on the environment…” See: AGU pede R$322 milhões de indenização de empresas que abandonaram porta-aviões no litoral de Pernambuco [AGU asks for R$322 million in compensation from companies that abandoned aircraft carrier off the coast of Pernambuco].
Prison Sentence for Asbestos Crimes
Apr 21, 2023
An April 13, 2023 a press release issued by the Health and Safety Executive reported that Daniel Luke Cockcroft of Asbestos Boss Ltd., had been jailed in March 2023 for the commission of multiple asbestos crimes. In September 2021, the accused – who was a director/manager of an unlicensed asbestos removal company – had been responsible for the removal of an asbestos insulating board ceiling from a domestic garage “with little to no control measures in place.” The toxic waste was dumped on the resident’s property. The company was also ordered to pay a fine of £80,000 (US$99,100) and compensate the victims for the full cost of the work. See: Company fined £80,000 after director jailed for removing asbestos across Great Britain.
Asbestos and Laryngeal Cancer
Apr 21, 2023
In what has been dubbed a “landmark judgment,” Italy’s Supreme Court (the Court of Cassation) upheld the appeal by a deceased 68-year old worker that his laryngeal cancer had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. The Supreme Court, which condemned the former employers, found a causal link between workplace exposures and the cancer despite the fact that the claimant had been a smoker. As a result of the ruling, the defendants will be required to pay an occupational disease pension to surviving family members. See: Amianto: Codacons, Cassazione accoglie ricorso per tumore laringe [Asbestos: Codacons, Cassation upholds appeal for laryngeal cancer].
MP’s Asbestos Cancer Death
Apr 20, 2023
A timely and tragic reminder of the price paid by Britons for the Government’s asbestos apathy was the April 13, 2023 finding by assistant coroner Angela Brocklehurst that MP Alice Mahon had died from an industrial disease. Between 1987 and 2005, the Labour politician represented the Halifax constituency; she believed that she contracted malignant mesothelioma from asbestos exposures at Westminster. Prior to her time in Parliament, Mrs Mahon was an auxiliary nurse at Northowram Hospital where she worked inside the main building and in Nissen huts made from corrugated asbestos sheets. See: Alice Mahon died from industrial disease, inquest concludes.
Asbestos Aftermath of Cyclone Seroja
Apr 20, 2023
The CEO of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia Melita Markey last week called on the Government of Western Australia (WA) to effectively address the health and environmental hazards posed by the clean-up from the cyclone which hit Kalbarri WA in 2021. She criticized the clean-up efforts and tests taken to date as inadequate: “The challenge with air testing,” she said “is that the fibers that lodge in our lungs aren’t picked up because they’re too small… The other challenge is that it can be mixed up with the other dust particles in the area.” See: ‘More needs to be done’ to clean up potential asbestos contamination.
Asbestos Outreach Program
Apr 20, 2023
Authorities of South Korea’s Jeju Province announced that a program to assess the health impact on residents in asbestos hotspots would be carried out in four cities including Jeju, Jeju Province and Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province; these municipalities were chosen because of their shipyard repair facilities. Residents who lived within a 4 km radius of the shipyards for more than ten years are eligible to take part in the program run by the Asbestos Environmental Health Center. Anyone diagnosed with an asbestos disease can claim benefits from the relief system operated by the Environmental Industry and Technology Institute. See: 제주시 구도심 주민 대상 ‘석면’ 노출 여부 조사 [Investigation on ‘asbestos’ exposure to residents of Jeju City's old city center].
Indiana Fire: Asbestos Alert
Apr 20, 2023
In a statement issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 12, 2023, the Agency said it had “started collecting debris samples in the surrounding community to determine whether asbestos-containing materials may have left the site” of an ongoing plastics fire in a warehouse in the US state of Indiana. Up to 2,000 residents were displaced from their homes, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The EPA warned the community that “asbestos-containing materials may be present due to the age of the building.” Any debris from the fire should be considered toxic until the results of the EPA analyses were available. See: Some debris from Indiana plastics fire may contain asbestos, EPA warns as particulate matter enters the air.
Mining Asbestos Tailings
Apr 20, 2023
A project to reclaim valuable material from asbestos mining waste looks likely to proceed following an April 12 announcement that a Chinese company Tongdao Holdings planned to purchase Xinjiang Dede Xinyuan Environmental Protection Technology Co. Ltd. (XDXEPT), a specialist in the development of tailings treatment and related environmental protection services. XDXEPT has 200 million tons of asbestos tailings which it plans to process to reclaim high-grade silica and magnesium. The acquisition is expected to be completed on March 31, 2024. See: 铜道控股拟收购一家主要从事尾矿治理开发的环保科技公司 [Tongdao Holdings announced its intention to acquire an environmental technology company mainly engaged in tailings treatment and development].
Asbestos Liabilities Mount
Apr 20, 2023
The 2022 accounts filed last week for Altrad Services, the French company which now owns the former UK asbestos giant Cape plc, allocated the sum of £118 million (US$147m) for historic asbestos disease claims and litigation costs. Warning that there was “inherent uncertainty” over the number of claims, owing to changes in legal precedent, and the level of costs, Altrad said it would reassess its asbestos liabilities in August 2025. Altrad bought Cape Immediate Holdings for £332m in 2017. See: Altrad makes £118m provision for asbestos claims.
Johnson & Johnson: Litigation Update
Apr 17, 2023
On April 11, 2023, lawyers for the U.S. Trustee – the U.S. Department of Justice's bankruptcy watchdog – and tens of thousands of sufferers of cancers contracted, allegedly, as a result of using asbestos-containing talc-based baby powder produced by Johnson & Johnson urged U.S. District Judge Michael Kaplan in Trenton, New Jersey to to stop a second bankruptcy filing by the J&J subsidiary LTL Management. The lawyers challenged LTL’s assertions that two-thirds of the talc claimants would support the deal. See: J&J talc unit faces skepticism on bankruptcy settlement support.
Toxic Mining Legacy
Apr 17 2023
Although asbestos mining stopped in Mafefe, Zimbabwe nearly 50 years ago, people living near the contaminated mine site continue to die from toxic exposures. According to 57 year old Amon Sibiya, believed to be suffering from an undiagnosed asbestos-related illness: “Asbestos is everywhere around us. The house we grew up in was built from bricks made from asbestos. Every morning, when I sweep the floor, I find it all over the place.” Amon’s mother died from the signature cancer mesothelioma in November 2022, despite the fact that she had never worked at the mine. His 62-year old brother Siliza was diagnosed in 2014 with asbestosis. Many other local families have members with asbestos-related conditions. See: Death from the dumps: ‘We are dying every day’ – the ghost of Limpopo’s asbestos mining still stalks and kills the living.
Fight for Asbestos Justice
Apr 17, 2023
Prostate cancer sufferer Pietro Scialpi believes his cancer was caused by asbestos exposures experienced during his employment by the state-run Italian steel company: Ilva. According to Scialpi: “They monetized the asbestos dust we breathed inside the department, this after an agreement between the unions and the company. They didn't know they were buying our health.” INAIL – Italy’s Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work – refused to compensate Scialpi, saying that asbestos was not a recognized cause of prostate cancer; medical experts and his attorney disagreed. The claimant was diagnosed with pleural plaques in 2004 and prostate cancer in 2016. See: Monetizzavano le polveri che respiravamo, stavano comprando la nostra salute [They were monetizing the dust we breathed, they were buying our health].
Freeing Canada from Asbestos
Apr 17, 2023
Civil society groups in Canada are calling on provincial authorities and the federal government to adopt “a strategic approach” to eradicate asbestos from the built environment as a matter of public health. According to a spokesperson from the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers: “the federal ban on asbestos in 2018 should be seen as merely the starting point for mitigation efforts.” Citing Australia’s coordinated asbestos remediation program, a representative of Asbestos Free Canada said the removal of asbestos from thousands of Canadian buildings should be done “in a cost-effective way, ideally linked with other necessary work on our infrastructure, especially to strengthen our resiliency to the impact of climate change.” See: Insulators lead call for national asbestos strategy.
Another Asbestos Bankruptcy
Apr 17, 2023
Pursuant to a Texas bankruptcy court order, a Washington-based media group launched a media campaign in 19 languages this year (2023) with a 1.7 billion target audience in 169 countries, to advise potential claimants of their right to take legal action over occupational asbestos exposures at the St. Croix oil refinery in the US Virgin Islands. The deadline for the submission of claims against the owners of the facility – the Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corporation now called HONX – was March 17, 2023. According to court records submitted on April 7, 2023, 303 calls had been received by March 31, 2023. See: Thousands, Maybe 1.7 billion, Observe Hess Asbestos Suit Deadline.
Asbestos in Scottish Schools
Apr 14, 2023
The Sunday issue of The Scotsman – a daily Scottish newspaper and online news portal – blamed cuts by the Scottish National Party (SNP) for the dangerous state of schools in Scotland which remain contaminated with asbestos. According to responses to Freedom of Information requests, 1,745 primary, secondary and special schools in Scotland still contain asbestos materials. Commenting on the situation, Shadow education secretary Stephen Kerr said: “Asbestos is toxic and can have fatal consequences for those exposed to it. Parents will naturally be very concerned at the sheer number of schools known to have it within their estate.” See: SNP criticised for 'savage' cuts after Tories reveal 1,745 Scottish schools contain asbestos.
Asbestos in Schools: Philadelphia Update
Apr 14, 2022
Last week, students from two schools in Philadelphia – Mitchell Elementary School and Frankford High School – were switched to virtual learning when their schools were closed because of the discovery of asbestos. The situation was, said a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, “deeply concerning and upsetting.” On March 1, 2023 students were sent home when asbestos was discovered at another Philadelphia high school: Building 21. Although Building 21 will be closed long-term, it’s hoped that students from the other two schools may be able to return to their schools this month. See: Two Philadelphia Schools Close After Asbestos Found ‘DEEPLY CONCERNING’.
Good News in WA!
Apr 14, 2023
It was announced on April 7, 2023, that scientists at the University of Western Australia (WA) had been awarded $480,000 (to be paid over the next four years) by the Cancer Council WA for research into the treatment of patients with lung cancer and mesothelioma. Commenting on this news, Professor Jenette Creaney, Scientific Director of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD), said the funding would enable her to continue research via the use of clinical trials. “At present,” Professor Creaney said “I am testing the safety and practicality of a personalised vaccine approach by understanding and enhancing the ability of the body’s own immune system to recognise and attack tumour cells.” See: University of Western Australia Gets Major Funding for Lung Cancer And Mesothelioma Research.
Calls for Shift in National Asbestos Policy
Apr 14, 2023
The feature cited below, which was uploaded to an Indian news portal on April 9, 2023, detailed efforts by the Occupational & Environmental Health Network India (OEHNI) – a health rights network – to convince India’s Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers to heed a call made by a United Nations Agency to take action on asbestos; “it is not only a hazard for the workers exposed to it in [the] course of mining or manufacturing,” author of the letter Jagdish Patel wrote “but, a hazard to the non-workers, i.e. citizens also.” See: Despite UN move, Govt of India 'refusing to ban' manufacture of hazardous asbestos.
Mesothelioma Research: New Paper
Apr 14, 2023
The March 16, 2023 issue of the international scientific journal Nature Genetics included an article about the molecular study of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) entitled “Multiomic analysis of malignant pleural mesothelioma identifies molecular axes and specialized tumor,” co-written by Chilean researcher Dr. Alex Di Genova when he was doing his second postdoctoral fellowship in France. The researchers’ findings revealed: “the interplay between MPM functional biology and its genomic history, and provide insights into the variations observed in the clinical behavior of patients with MPM.” See: Publican destacada investigación de médico chileno sobre mesotelioma, un raro cáncer al pulmón [Outstanding research by a Chilean doctor on mesothelioma, a rare lung cancer, is published].
J&J’s Racist Marketing
Apr 14, 2023
A commentary focusing on the entrenched mistreatment of black female consumers in the US, took as the starting point for its discussion, news that the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was progressing a nearly $9 billion plan to offload cancer claims from people who allege that their illnesses had been caused by use of J&J’s iconic baby powder. According to the claimants, the powder was contaminated with asbestos fibers. Other dangerous products marketed to black women included hair relaxers, the use of which had been linked to uterine fibroids and cancer. See: OP-ED: Johnson & Johnson’s Lawsuit is a Cruel Reminder that Black Women are (Still) Unprotected.
Update: Quebec’s Asbestos Water Pipes
Apr 13, 2023
Plans by Quebec to conduct sampling of drinking water in municipalities where there are asbestos-cement pipes were postponed according to an announcement last week. Despite the fact that Quebec’s Ministry of the Environment provided conflicting replies to journalists’ enquiries about the timetable and logistics of the sampling program, Environment Minister Benoit Charette said that the program was on track. Quebec has more than 1,000 km of asbestos-cement water pipes. A citizens’ petition presented this month to the House of Commons in Ottawa called for the setting of a federal standard for the presence of asbestos fibers in drinking water. See: Environnement: Québec en retard pour tester l’eau des tuyaux en amianto [Environment: Quebec late to test water from asbestos pipes].
Union Calls for Asbestos Action
Apr 13, 2023
In an April 4, 2023 press release, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) called on the federal government to prioritise the “safe and coordinated removal of asbestos from buildings” as a matter of public safety. Citing data in a new report by the Australian Institute of Health, ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam O’Brien said: “Asbestos remains the biggest killer of workers in Australia and as long as we have materials in our buildings that contain asbestos, this terrible disease (mesothelioma) will stay with us for decades to come…The Australian data highlights that despite banning asbestos in all forms we continue to see rising cases of mesothelioma and asbestos- related disease.” See: Prioritising removal of asbestos still needed to tackle mesothelioma.
Major U-Turn by Chemical Company
Apr 13, 2023
In an unexpected change of policy on April 4, 2023, US chlorine producer Olin Corporation announced that it would no longer oppose legislation banning asbestos. In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Olin CEO Scott Sutton told regulators that the company would endorse proposed prohibitions as long as there was a seven year phase out for asbestos-containing materials already in use. “Additionally,” he wrote “no asbestos imports into the U.S. are required past today.” The EPA’s current public consultation on draft asbestos proposals will end on April 17; the EPA said it would consider the Olin submission along with other information. See: Major Chemical Company Changes Tune on Asbestos, No Longer Opposes EPA Ban.
Anger over Asbestos Dumping in Sardinia
Apr 13, 2023
The dumping of asbestos-containing construction rubble by companies from the north of Italy in the south of the country has caused outrage amongst Sardinians. In a top secret operation, ships loaded with the toxic rubble took the waste from Genoa to the Serra Scrieddus landfill near the town of Carbonia, in the south-west of Sardinia. Critics say that this is the largest transfer of asbestos waste ever made in Italy and that these shipments are illegal. The debris was created during construction of the largest infrastructure project in Italy: the Tortona–Genoa high-speed railway line, also known as the Third Pass, will link Genoa to Tortona. See: Navi cariche di amianto da Genova a Carbonia [Ships loaded with asbestos from Genoa to Carbonia].
Asbestos Liabilities Slash Company’s Value
Apr 13, 2023
The value of Velan, a Montreal industrial valve manufacturer, has been reduced by tens of millions of dollars as a result of asbestos-related litigation. Flowserve, the US company which is buying Velan, has assessed Velan’s value at $280 million. According to investment specialist Stephen Takacsy: “The litigation costs for [asbestos] seriously reduced the value of the transaction, from $5 to $6 per share;” these liabilities reduced the company’s worth by between $100 to $130 million. Two of Velan’s US subsidiaries have been named as defendants in asbestos lawsuits. See: Velan's value reduced by asbestos.
New Asbestos Campaign by HSE
Apr 13, 2023
A campaign entitled Asbestos & You was launched on April 6, 2023 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to warn British tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos hidden within the built environment. Commenting on the HSE’s initiative Tim Beaumont, HSE’s acting head of the construction policy sector, said: “All tradespeople should make sure they know the basics about identifying asbestos. Before carrying out any construction work, there’s a legal requirement to identify whether asbestos is present and could be disturbed. Younger tradespeople need to know the dangers behind asbestos as it could affect them in later life like it is affecting older tradespeople now.” See: Asbestos and You.
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 11, 2023
At the annual conference of the National Education Union (NEU) in Harrogate last week, a motion was passed calling on the Government to prioritise the removal of asbestos from all UK schools. Commenting on the adoption of Motion 39, Joint General Secretary of the NEU Dr Mary Bousted said: “For decades the NEU and its predecessor unions have been highlighting the risks to children and staff of working in buildings riddled with asbestos and calling for a programme of systematic phased removal of asbestos from all schools, starting with the most dangerous first. Since 1980 more than 400 school teaching professionals have died of mesothelioma in Britain, with 300 having died since 2001.” See: The dangers of asbestos.
Mesothelioma Incidence: New Data
Apr 11, 2023
A report published on April 4, 2023, by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian Mesothelioma Registry, confirmed that Australia continues to have “one of the highest measured incidence rates of mesothelioma in the world” with up to 800 people dying every year from this asbestos cancer. According to the report, in the 2019-20 financial year, $32.1 million was spent by the health system on care for mesothelioma patients. Whilst the majority of male mesothelioma patients reported occupational asbestos exposures, only 6.6% of women experienced such occupational exposures. See: Mesothelioma in Australia 2021.
Uplift in Asbestos Benefits
Apr 11, 2023
An April 4, 2023 circular issued by INAIL – Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work – confirmed a 2% increase in pension payments to the families of deceased asbestos victims, starting on April 1, 2023; in addition, mesothelioma patients with non-occupational asbestos exposures (e.g. familial or environmental exposures) or the heirs of people who died from such exposures will now receive a lump sum of €15,000 (US$16,360) instead of €10,000. See: INAIL, maggiorazioni economiche per le vittime da amianto [INAIL, economic increases for asbestos victims].
Asbestos Outreach Project in Montana
Apr 11, 2023
Pursuant to its remit to provide care for people who may have contracted an asbestos-related disease as a result of asbestos exposures in Libby, Montana, the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) has obtained funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish an asbestos outreach program. To qualify for medical screening, a person must have spent at least six months in Lincoln County, Montana over ten years ago. On April 27, CARD’s mobile screening clinic will visit Sanders County. The medical tests which will be undertaken include chest x-rays, autoimmune blood tests, spirometry breathing tests, compilations of health and exposure histories and interviews with trained providers. See: Mobile asbestos screening clinic coming to Sanders County.
Asbestos Regulations to be Scrapped?
Apr 11, 2023
On April 5, 2023, the British Occupational Hygiene Society and the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection raised the alarm over threats by the Tory Government to scrap vital health and safety asbestos regulations by the end of 2023 as part of a wholesale downgrading of workplace safety laws. According to asbestos safety specialist 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.” See: UK Asbestos Regulations to be Abolished?
Asbestos Crimes in Massachusetts
Apr 11, 2023
Last week, the Attorney General of Massachusetts Andrea Joy Campbell announced that she had lodged criminal charges against Franklin Analytical Services Inc. and its owners Thomas J. McCoog Sr. and Amy Franklin McCoog, arising from illegal asbestos operations carried out in the Massachusetts towns of New Bedford, Fall River, Dartmouth, North Andover, Stoughton, Bridgewater, West Bridgewater and Brockton. According to a press release, the accused were indicted by a grand jury on 32 counts of violating the Massachusetts Clean Air Act. See: Marion company charged with illegal asbestos work in New Bedford, Fall River, Dartmouth.
Johnson & Johnson: Update
Apr 7, 2023
On April 4, 2023, it was announced that the US pharmaceutical behemoth Johnson and Johnson (J&J) had reached a deal to advance plans for a nearly $9 billion settlement with ~40,000 US litigants who claim that their use of J&J’s asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder had given them cancer. Pending court approval, the settlement under discussion would be paid out over 25 years through the J&J subsidiary LTL Management, which is now in bankruptcy. The settlement plan was, said a J&J spokesman, “not an admission of wrongdoing.” See: Johnson & Johnson Reaches Deal for $8.9 Billion Talc Settlement.
Asbestos in the Navy
Apr 7, 2023
According to a report published on April 5, 2023, 82 sailors in the Spanish Navy have died from asbestos-related diseases in the last twenty years. According to sub-lieutenant Francisco Feal, the ships were full of rats, but “the worst part was the cloud of worn-out asbestos that circulated everywhere and that we breathed in for months, even years. Hundreds of us got sick, and many died of cancer. We are still paying for it today.” Although asbestos was banned in Spain in 2002, asbestos material remains on naval ships. See: Asbestos killed 82 members of Spanish navy in last 20 years: Report.
Uralasbest Puff Piece
Apr 7, 2023
The Russian article cited below was a love letter to Yuri Kozlov, the General Director of Russia’s second largest asbestos conglomerate: Uralasbest. Highlighting his rise from assistant excavator operator to mining foreman to chief engineer to the head of the industrial giant (1995), the article credited Yuri with playing a leading role in saving the asbestos company from bankruptcy. The author of the text neglected to mention the fact that exposure to chrysotile asbestos causes a variety of cancers as well as respiratory diseases. See: Генерал асбестовых карьеров [The General of Asbestos Quarries].
Asbestos Legacy in Ottawa
Apr 7, 2023
Throughout most of the 20th century, Canada was the world’s leading asbestos producer. The federal government supported asbestos vested interests in promoting domestic and international sales of Canadian asbestos. It is ironic to hear that the use of asbestos in the construction of the Prime Minister’s official residence – 24 Sussex Drive – has now come back to haunt the current administration. On April 4, news was released that the residence would be shut down due to a rodent infestation that could not be dealt with because of the presence of asbestos in the walls of the structure. See: Canadian PM’s residence shut down over dead mice in walls, documents say.
Asbestos Cancer Alert!
Apr 7, 2023
It is curious that the article cited below which warned about the cancer hazard posed by working with asbestos appeared on a Chinese news portal; China is one of the world’s biggest asbestos producing and using countries. In 2020, China produced 120,000 tonnes (t) of asbestos and consumed 243,000t. The text, which was about various factors likely to cause lung cancer, warned citizens of the serious health risks posed by occupational exposures to a variety of substances including asbestos, arsenic, chromium, formaldehyde, and vinyl chloride. See: 早期没有征兆！预防肺癌靠这些 [There were no early signs! Prevent lung cancer by these steps].
Asbestos Protest in Hatay
Apr 7, 2023
Victims of the February 2023 earthquakes in Turkey took part in a public protest in the Province of Hatay over the haphazard dumping of asbestos-containing building debris in the Deniz neighbourhood, an area near temporary housing erected for survivors. According to a spokesperson for the protestors: “People who have not died from the earthquake will die from asbestos...If this practice continues in this way, the people of Samandağ will face new health problems such as lung and pleural cancer.” Footage showing police attacking the protestors was uploaded to the twitter feed of: Hatay_Ekoloji See: Earthquake victims in Turkey's Hatay protest dumping rubble near tent city.
April Fools Joke???
Apr 5, 2023
An article in The McGill Tribune – the student newspaper at Canada’s McGill University – which was uploaded on April 1, 2023 announced the “recruitment of a new therapy animal, commonly known by its endearing name asbestos.” Whilst university officials could have addressed matters of concern to students, such as the deteriorating state of McGill’s buildings, the high price of food on campus or difficulties in accessing health and mental health services, they had instead opted to provide asbestos therapy pets. “Asbestos has,” the author concluded “been a part of our lives for so long that it’s practically a member of the community.” See: Asbestos, the best therapy animal – The McGill Tribune.
Presumptive Cancers for Firefighters
Apr 5, 2023
Last week, the Australian State of Tasmania expanded the number of cancers included under presumptive cancer legislation for professional firefighters from 12 to 20; included on this list were: cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, penile cancer, thyroid cancer, pancreatic cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. Welcoming Tasmania’s leadership role in supporting its firefighters, a spokesman for the United Firefighters Union of Australia said the legislation “sets an excellent example for the nation.” If a firefighter contracts one of the listed cancers, his/her compensation claim is approved without needing to prove the cancer was occupationally caused. See: Cancer win for firefighters as Tasmanian legislation leads the way for compensation claims.
Mesothelioma Nurse Award
Apr 5, 2023
On March 24, 2023, clinical nurse specialist for mesothelioma Sam Westbrook was declared the winner of the Oncology Nurse of the Year category of the British Journal of Nursing awards 2023. Nurse Westbrook works at the Peritoneal Malignancy Institute Basingstoke, part of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Since 2018, Sam’s post has been funded by Mesothelioma UK. Commenting on this news, Meso UK’s Leah Taylor said: “It is testament to her hard work and dedication to improving the lives of those affected by peritoneal mesothelioma. Sam has been pivotal in raising the profile of the disease among the healthcare professionals and ensuring patients get the best possible treatment and care.” See: Basingstoke nurse wins British Journal of Nursing award.
Challenging Georgia-Pacific’s Asbestos Dodge
Apr 5, 2023
A legal reversal handed down by a three-judge federal appeals court panel in Philadelphia in January 2023 in litigation over Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to off-load its asbestos liabilities could impact on the outcome of asbestos cases brought against Koch Industries’ subsidiary Georgia-Pacific (GP). Koch Industries was the first conglomerate to use the “Texas two-step” to dump asbestos claims into a subsidiary which was then put into bankruptcy whilst the parent company retained all the company’s assets and profits. On February 17, a mesothelioma victim filed a lawsuit with the North Carolina court challenging GP’s bankruptcy claim, noting that in 2022 GP had paid $2.5 billion in dividends to its parent company. See: Court Ruling Could Curtail Koch’s Legal Sleight of Hand on Asbestos Claims.
Criminal Asbestos Trial Ending
Apr 5, 2023
On March 29, 2023, as the long-running criminal trial of Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny at the Novara Court of Assizes (Italy) drew to its close, it was announced that the verdict would be handed down on June 7, 2023. During the March 29 hearing, the defense called for Schmidheiny to be acquitted of all charges; previously, prosecutors had called for a sentence of life imprisonment. The defendant was charged with the voluntary homicide of 392 people from the town of Casale Monferrato, all of whom died from asbestos-related diseases, allegedly caused by exposure to asbestos fibers liberated by the Eternit asbestos-cement factory operated by Schmidheiny. See: Processo Eternit bis: sentenza attesa il 7 giugno [Eternit bis trial: sentence expected on June 7].
National Asbestos Legacy
Apr 5, 2023
Decades of asbestos use in social housing has left a deadly legacy hidden in the walls, floors, ceilings and windows of council flats and houses. As the use of all types of asbestos was banned in the UK more than 23 years ago, the asbestos material still in place is aging; as this material deteriorates, the likelihood of it liberating cancer-causing asbestos fibers increases. In 2022, a spokesperson for the Unite trade union told a Parliamentary enquiry that: “it had a particular concern around social housing because of the very poor state of this housing stock.” See: The lingering asbestos threat in our social homes.
Asbestos Health Warning!
Apr 3, 2023
On March 29, 2023, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health issued an alert over the asbestos hazard, warning that public complacency about the dangers to human health posed by occupational and environment asbestos exposures would almost certainly result in an increased incidence of cancer. Asbestos use is legal in Vietnam and construction, insulation and automotive products containing toxic fibers remain popular, despite the fact that the Ministry of Health confirmed that “all types of asbestos, including chrysotile, are … harmful to health.” See: Một chất gây ung thư từng bị cấm ở Nhật Bản và Hoa Kỳ, nhiều người không biết vẫn vô tư tiếp xúc hàng ngày [Many people are still carelessly exposing themselves daily to a carcinogen banned in Japan and at one time in the United States].
Another Congressional Ban Asbestos Bill
Apr 3, 2023
A bill to ban asbestos was reintroduced to Congress on March 30, 2023 by Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Suzanne Bonamici. In a press release Merkley said: “Every day that goes by without an asbestos ban is another day that Americans’ health and lives are being put in grave danger...We’ve known for generations that asbestos is lethal, yet the U.S. has continued to allow some industries to value profits over people.” Echoing her colleague’s comments Congresswoman Bonamici added: “It is unacceptable that the United States continues to allow the importation, manufacture, and distribution of asbestos—a known carcinogen that has killed too many people in our country.” See: Merkley, Bonamici introduce legislation to ban asbestos – KTVZ.
Honor for Mesothelioma Researcher
Apr 3, 2023
At the European Lung Cancer Conference, in Copenhagen last week, Professor Paul Baas delivered the keynote lecture to mark his acceptance of the Heine H. Hansen Award 2023 “for his outstanding contribution to thoracic oncology research.” The title of his paper was Mesothelioma treatment: From hopeless to hopeful. While some progress had been made in understanding mesothelioma, the signature cancer caused by exposure to asbestos in recent years, “the oncology community cannot, “he said “rest on its laurels, as mesothelioma remains a heavy burden in countries with poor asbestos control.” See: ELCC 2023丨获奖者Paul Baas教授访谈：间皮瘤治疗的发展历程 [ELCC 2023 | Interview with Professor Paul Baas: The Development of Mesothelioma Treatment].
Posthumous Award for WA Hero!
Apr 3, 2023
At the AGM of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) on March 31, 2023, the recipient of the 31st Emeritus Professor Eric G. Saint Memorial Award was named as the late Ernie Bridge, Western Australia’s first Indigenous MP (see: ADSA Facebook Page). The date of the presentation was significant as it marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Mr. Bridge from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. According to ADSA CEO Melita Markey: “Ernie was a hero. He risked his life travelling to Wittenoom. He would have had more knowledge than most on the dangers of Wittenoom, and being a Minister he would’ve been aware of the reasons for the town’s necessary closure.” See: Wittenoom closure champion remembered with posthumous award.
Asbestos Whistleblowers: Update
Apr 3, 2023
Officers from Spain’s Civil Guard are investigating allegations of harassment by two whistleblowers stationed in the Balearic Islands who had denounced the presence of asbestos in military barracks where 60 personnel currently live. The Independent Professional Association of the Civil Guard expressed its “deepest concern about the fact that our representatives in that area are currently on medical leave, with what this entails and its both professional and personal significance, since the situation for them has become untenable under such pressure.” See: La Guardia Civil expedienta a dos agentes por denunciar la existencia de amianto cancerígeno en su casa cuartel [The Civil Guard investigates two agents for denouncing the existence of carcinogenic asbestos in their barracks].
Asbestos and Earthquakes
Apr 3, 2023
On March 29, 2023, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issued warnings about the health and environmental hazards posed by the presence of asbestos in buildings damaged and/or destroyed by major earthquakes which hit Turkish cities in early February 2023: “With more than 210 million tons of earthquake rubble, relief teams and victims are both exposing themselves to elevated health risks from asbestos,” said an IFRC spokesperson. Two million people live in Gaziantep City, the epicenter of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that shook the region on February 6, 2023. See: IFRC warns of presence of asbestos and its impacts in Turkey’s quake zone.
Addressing Asbestos Complacency
Mar 31, 2023
A dangerous complacency about asbestos continues to endanger the lives of New Zealanders despite the fact that asbestos use was banned and regulations were put in place to minimize toxic exposures. Negligent employers, cowboy builders and DIY home renovators have been accused of ignoring health and safety regulations, thereby exposing workers as well as members of the public to asbestos. At a recent asbestos industry conference in New Zealand, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood admitted that more “needed to be done because businesses were still turning a blind eye to the very real risks of asbestos, which is responsible for about 220 deaths annually.” See: Businesses accused of turning a blind eye to the risk of asbestos which kills about 220 New Zealanders a year.
Asbestos Facts: Stick to the Party Line
Mar 31, 2023
A weird article on the Russian website “Ridus” – “now largely seen as a propaganda outlet of the Russian state” – uploaded on March 28, 2023 featured a number of historical facts about the industrialization of asbestos, citing Greek, Roman and Arabic sources. At no point in the text was mention made of the fact that exposures to asbestos were hazardous. Considering the fact that the site which hosted this article was linked to the Russian state and that Russia is the world’s largest supplier of asbestos, the failure to mention the health hazard was intentional and not accidental. See: Удивительный асбест в арабском мире: «горное волокно» на Средневековом Ближнем Востоке [Amazing Asbestos in the Arab World: “Mountain Fiber” in the Medieval Middle East].
National Scandal Grows
Mar 31, 2023
A series of articles appeared this week about the presence of asbestos in the infrastructure of various Canadian cities. The article cited below detailed new findings, showing that one third of the water delivered in Saskatoon went via aging asbestos-cement pipes. On March 28, 2023, an article entitled Residents concerned after asbestos found in Vancouver Island water pipes reported that asbestos cement pipes were still being used to deliver water to residents on Vancouver Island. The pipes were installed decades ago and the ingestion of water delivered via these pipes could be linked to the occurrence of gastrointestinal cancers. See: Nearly a third of Saskatoon's water-main networks contain asbestos, CTV News investigation finds.
Soviet Legacy in Bohemia
Mar 31, 2023
A criminal investigation is ongoing over the suspected presence of asbestos at an abandoned barracks formerly owned by the Russian Army in Central Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. The offices of a company based in Prague were raided by members of the criminal investigation department on March 27, 2023. According to news report, the company had been paid 111 million kroons (US$5m) to decontaminate the area. Files were also seized by the police from the offices of the Central Bohemian Region. See: В Чехии на Территории Бывших Объектов Советской Армии Оставили Опасный Асбест [In the Czech Republic, Dangerous Asbestos was left on Sites of former Soviet Army Facilities].
Victim’s Verdict in Mesothelioma Case
Mar 31, 2023
On March 16, 2023, an Administrative Labor Tribunal in Quebec awarded the surviving family of a mesothelioma sufferer C$63,028 (US$46,111) with Administrative judge Valérie Lajoie declaring that the deceased – a licensed practical nurse who had worked at Bagotville Foyer Hospital from 1971 to 1997 – had died in 2017 aged 73 from an occupational lung disease having been exposed to asbestos at her workplace. The Judge also said that the family had won its case with respect to the death benefit as per stipulations of the Industrial Accidents and Occupational Diseases Act. See: La succession d’une infirmière exposée à l’amiante indemnisée [The estate of a nurse exposed to asbestos compensated].
Asbestos: Public Health Emergency
Mar 31, 2023
The commentary on a Spanish news portal which is referenced below highlighted the tragic consequences of a national scandal causing much human suffering and many deaths every year. A victims’ association in Navarra (ADAVAN) warned that as the asbestos-containing products installed within the Spanish infrastructure age, the danger of toxic exposures grows even greater. The situation has created a public health emergency that the authorities continue to downplay despite national legislation and EU deadlines. See: “No podemos permitir este reguero de dolor y Muerte”: las consecuencias del amianto alcanzan el momento más álgido [“We cannot allow this trail of pain and death”: the consequences of asbestos reach highest point].
Experts Urge Action on Toxic Imports
Mar 28, 2023
A press release issued on March 27, 2023 by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Parties to the United Nations’ Rotterdam Convention (RC) to strengthen protections from toxic chemicals by adopting a proposal to list chemicals on a new annex. In the past, RC Parties failed “to add hazardous chemicals [including chrysotile asbestos] to Annex III despite the recommendations for listing by the scientific body of the Convention.” Parties are better able to control the imports of listed chemicals as they are subject to the Convention’s Prior Informed Consent Procedure. See: UN experts urge Parties to Rotterdam Convention to adopt amendment listing hazardous chemicals.
Asbestos Scandal in Regina
Mar 28, 2023
An investigation broadcast last week in the Canadian city of Regina highlighted the public health threat posed by the continued use of a water delivery system supplied by 500 kilometers of fifty-year-old asbestos-cement pipes. The deteriorating pipes released cancer-causing fibers into the water; scientists believe that the ingestion of these fibers can cause gastrointestinal tract cancers. New research revealed that 99% out of the 100 Canadian communities contacted by the reporters still used asbestos pipes in municipal water delivery systems. See: 'We have to find a solution': W5 investigation explores risk of asbestos cement pipes in Regina.
Asbestos Puff Piece
Mar 28, 2023
It must be hard in Russia to find good news stories. The text of the article cited below served dual purposes: 1) to rejoice in the benefits to Russia of Western sanctions and 2) to promote the use of home-grown chrysotile (white) asbestos. The author claimed that dark forces had launched an “undeserved” attack on chrysotile in order to build markets for expensive synthetic alternative fibers. Citing discredited “evidence,” the author repeated asbestos industry propaganda that chrysotile can be used safely under “controlled conditions.” See: Хризотиловые тормозные колодки как кейс успешного импортозамещения [Chrysotile brake pads as a case of successful import substitution].
School Asbestos Exposure Compensation
Mar 28, 2023
The results of an arbitration process overseen by Kobe District Court over liability for asbestos exposures which occurred at Kogawa Municipal Beppu Junior High School in Hyogo Prefecture in 2020 were announced this week. The toxic exposures took place during demolition work on part of the school building; asbestos material was disturbed by the workers. As per the agreement awarding 22 million yen (US$167,222), 13m yen (US$98,815) will be paid by the designer, 7m (US$53,200) by the city, and 2m (US$15,200) by the contractor. See: 加古川・別府中石綿工事問題 市と業者が調停和解へ、損害額は総額2200万円 [Kakogawa/Beppuchu Asbestos Construction Issues: City and Contractors Reach Arbitration Settlement, Total Damages of 22 Million Yen].
Progress on Asbestos Removal in Salamanca
Mar 28, 2023
During 2022, 4,146,087 kilograms of asbestos were removed in the province of Salamanca according to data from the Territorial Environmental Service, the government agency responsible for supervising asbestos removal, management and disposal protocols. The most common use of asbestos in Spain was in the manufacture of building products such as roofing tiles and pipes. Despite the health hazard posed by exposures to asbestos-containing products, no records were made of where they were installed. Spanish municipalities must undertake asbestos audits of all public buildings before 2023. See: Salamanca retira 4.146 toneladas de amianto, el material que provoca fibrosis y cancer [Salamanca removes 4,146 tons of asbestos, the material that causes fibrosis and cancer].
HSE Evaluation of Fluorescence Microscopy
Mar 28, 2023
According to an evaluation just published by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a technique developed in Japan and commercially available in the UK for detecting airborne asbestos fibers did “not support the use of this method by duty holders or for HSE research” as “all fibres tested, displayed some level of fluorescence making it difficult to discriminate between asbestos fibres and non-asbestos fibres.” The Japanese protocol uses fluorescence microscopy to facilitate the identification and measurement of fibers present in air and lung samples. See: RR1191: Fluorescence Microscopy to measure asbestos in air and lung samples: evaluation of a commercially available method.
J&J Appeals to Supreme Court
Mar 27, 2023
On March 22, 2023, Johnson and Johnson (J&J) announced that it planned to ask the US Supreme Court to endorse the corporation’s use of the “Texas Two-Step” to dodge 38,000 cancer claims from consumers of J&J’s talc-based baby powder which, so the claimants say, was contaminated with asbestos fibers. J&J dumped these claims into a new subsidiary – LTL Management – which was shortly thereafter put into bankruptcy. On March 22, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based in Philadelphia unanimously rejected J&J’s appeal of the Court’s January 2023 decision which ruled that LTL's bankruptcy should be dismissed. See: J&J to seek U.S. Supreme Court review on unit's bankruptcy.
Asbestos Removal & Renewable Energy
Mar 27, 2023
In their 2023 budget the authorities in Catalonia, Spain allocated €40 million (U$43m) to subsidize up to 100% of the cost of work to replace toxic asbestos roofing with photovoltaic panels on buildings used for agricultural purposes such as those on livestock and agricultural farms. Invoices must be dated after January 1, 2023. An additional €10m (US$10.8m) was allocated for removing asbestos roofs from private homes. All work must be carried out by specialist contractors approved by the Waste Agency of Catalonia. See: Sustituir al amianto por placas solares [Replacing asbestos with solar panels].
Addressing Quebec’s Toxic Asbestos Past
Mar 27, 2023
On March 24, 2023, Quebec’s Minister of Natural Resources and Forests Maïté Blanchette Vézina and the MP for Lotbinière-Frontenac Isabelle Lecours announced plans by the Quebec Government to provide $6 million for projects exploring ways to remediate former asbestos mining sites, as part of the Province’s drive to develop expertise in the decontamination of former asbestos mining areas. This project is part of the 2022-2025 Action Plan – Asbestos and asbestos-containing mining residues in Quebec: towards the transformation of a liability into a sustainable asset. The deadline for submission of proposals is June 15, 2023. See: Appel de projets pour revaloriser les sites miniers d’amiante [Call for projects to rehabilitate asbestos mining sites].
Asbestos Anxiety Claims Upheld
Mar 27, 2023
On March 24, 2023, the Bourges Court of Appeal recognized asbestos anxiety claims of eleven former employees from the French commune of Issoudun, in the Centre-Val de Loire. The court awarded the plaintiffs compensation ranging from €6,000 ($6,500) to €9,000 (US$9,700). The claimants had worked at a warehouse operated by the La Halle company; the business is now closed. The Court found that the company had breached its safety obligations. The defence has two months to appeal. See: Amiante: onze ex-salariés de La Halle à Issoudun seront finalement indemnisés [Asbestos: eleven former employees of La Halle in Issoudun will finally be compensated].
Asbestos in Philadelphia’s Schools
Mar 27, 2023
According to Philadelphia School District Superintendent T. B. Watlington Sr., more asbestos material will be found in the city’s schools. The presence of asbestos had been known for years, but little had been done to reduce risk to school users. Watlington blamed underfunding and financial and staffing challenges, as well as the fact that the city’s school board is dependent on other entities for its ability to raise funds: “This is a moment that demands sustained investment in our schools and collaboration among district, civic, political and business leaders. It requires all of us to work toward our shared goal of creating and maintaining healthy, safe educational environments for all our students and staff.” See: Investigation underway over asbestos issues as Philly schools superintendent warns more discoveries are likely.
Asbestos Management Protocols
Mar 27, 2023
According to the commentary cited below, South Africa’s Department of Employment and Labour remained committed to the complete removal of asbestos in the built environment to safeguard the population from dangerous exposures. Until that has been achieved, the Asbestos Abatement regulations 2020 set out a mandatory protocol to limit asbestos exposures during repair and/or installation work. Building owners must have, readily to hand, asbestos assessments and inventories noting the location and condition of asbestos-containing products on their properties. See: Asbestos installations in South Africa.
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 riesgo antes de 2028: “A nadie le interesa reconocer el tema” [Municipalities will be compelled to eliminate the most high-risk asbestos before 2028: “(since) nobody appears interested in doing so (voluntarily)”].
Justice for Power Station Worker
Sep 21, 2021
On September 15, 2021, a victim’s judgment handed down last month by a district court in the Japanese city of Yokosuka was finalized when neither party lodged a motion to appeal. The plaintiff Haruo Koyama had been awarded ¥22 million (US$201,000) by the court for having been negligently exposed to asbestos over a period of 40 years by his employer at the Hitachi Power Station. As a result of that exposure, Koyama contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. See: アスベストで中皮腫発症 会社に２０００万円支払いの地裁判決が確定 [Mesothelioma caused by asbestos. A district court decision for company to pay 20 million yen is confirmed].
Asbestos Exposure at the Laundry
Sep 21, 2021
An Italian lawsuit on behalf of a woman who had contracted mesothelioma after decades of asbestos exposure at a dry-cleaning establishment has succeeded. After attempts to gain recognition of her disease as occupationally-caused had been unsuccessful in 2017, the action was launched. On September 8, 2021, the Court of Bologna officially recognized the professional nature of the claimant’s disease and ordered INAIL, a government agency, to backdate to 2017 her occupational pension. See: AFeVA Bologna – Riconoscimento Malattia Professionale per Mesotelioma in ex lavoratrice stiratrice in un lavasecco industrial dal 1953 al 1962 [AFeVA Bologna – Recognition of mesothelioma as occupational disease in worker employed from 1953 to 1962 at dry cleaning workshop].
Direct Action on Asbestos Trial
Sep 21, 2021
French asbestos victims have grown weary of waiting for a trial to hold to account people behind the country’s largest epidemic of occupational deaths. On October 23, 2021 papers will be presented to a rally in Dunkirk which will soon after be filed with a Paris Court. Along with evidence identifying ten defendants which will be submitted to the court is a petition calling for a public hearing and trial of the accused. Asbestos-related diseases kill up to 5,000 people every year in France. See: Amiante: les victimes déposeront une citation directe en octobre [Asbestos: victims will file direct citation in October].
Takeover of Asbestos Manufacturer
Sep 21, 2021
On September 15, 2021, Uralasbest – Russia’s second biggest asbestos producer – announced that it had made a “mandatory offer” to acquire minority shares in its new acquisition the Belgorod Asbestos Cement company that had remained in private hands after the Uralasbest takeover was formalized in August 2021. In 2020, Belgorod reduced the production of chrysotile asbestos cement pipes by 13.5% compared to the previous year. Observers believe that the takeover by Uralasbest is fuelled by the need to preserve Russian markets for chrysotile asbestos. See: «Ураласбест» намерен взять полный контроль над белгородским заводом «Белаци» [“Uralasbest” intends to take full control over the Belgorod plant “Belatsi”].
Government Asbestos Workshop
Sep 21, 2021
On September 16, 2021, a workshop was held to update stakeholders on the progress of the Gambian Government’s program to prepare a national asbestos inventory. In his opening remarks, Muhammed Jallom Jabang summarized the dangers associated with asbestos exposures and the toxic legacy of historical use throughout the country. The Government was, the speaker said, working closely with development partners and international agencies to ensure “the sustainable and sound management of chemicals and waste.” Highlighting the need to raise public awareness of the asbestos hazard, Jabang said that “asbestos is a threat to human & animal health.” See: Asbestos is threat to human & animal health.
Another BBC Asbestos Death
Sep 21, 2021
Another asbestos lawsuit has been launched against the BBC by the bereaved family of Richard Evans who contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma having been occupationally exposed to asbestos whilst building sets for high-profile TV programs such as Doctor Who. Mr. Evans, who died in 2019, had worked for the company for 23 years during which time he inhaled asbestos fibers from the plaster material Artex. According to his statement, Evans had “cut open bags of Artex, scooped it into a bucket and mixed it up into a thick paste, sometimes with his hands, creating a dust in the process.” He then spread the mixture on to scenery built by carpenters and painted the resulting pieces of the set. See: BBC sued for set builder’s death in claim over asbestos.
Asbestos-Free Gaskets from Siberia
Sep 20, 2021
At a ceremony on September 15 in the Siberian city of Barnaul, a range of asbestos-free gaskets was launched in the presence of local dignitaries, officials and workers from the ATI company. ATI’s Barnaul factory had previously used asbestos technology but due to growing demand for safer and more environmentally friendly products in Russia and abroad it had been decided to replace the old-fashioned production method with a state-of-the-art facility capable of manufacturing greener seals for use not only by the automobile and petrochemical industries but also by the food and medical industries. See: «Не одним днем живут»: барнаульский завод АТИ запустил новое современное производство [“Life moves on”: Barnaul's ATI plant has launched a new state-of-the-art production facility].
Rise in Asbestos Cancers Confirmed
Sep 20, 2021
Last week, data reported in a joint 92-page publication by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) substantiated a rise in global rates of workplace asbestos cancers between 2000 and 2016. Figures on pages 20 & 21 of the report showed increases in mortality: ~30% for tracheal and bronchial cancer; 17% for lung cancer; 21% for ovarian cancer; 13% for laryngeal cancer; 82% for mesothelioma. Epidemiological experts say that the WHO/ILO’s figures continue to underestimate the global asbestos death rate. Bear in mind, as well, that the number of deaths caused by environmental exposures which are non-occupational often exceed those from workplace exposures. See: WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury, 2000–2016.
Asbestos Trial: Update
Sep 20, 2021
Witnesses for the prosecution scheduled to testify at the Italian trial of Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny on September 17, 2021 included the President of the Piedmont Region Alberto Cirio, trade unionist and ban asbestos campaigner Bruno Pesce and Giuliana Busto, the President of Casale Monferrato’s asbestos victims’ group: AFeVA. On Monday, the Mayor of the town of Casale Monferrato Federico Riboldi, architect Piercarla Coggiola and Giovanna Patrucco are scheduled to testify. See: Eternit Bis: nelle testimonianze in aula rivivono i morti d'amianto [Eternit Bis: in the testimony in the courtroom the dead of asbestos come back to life].
Legacy of Asbestos Mining Community
Sep 20, 2021
On September 12, 2021, the Cyprus Minister of the Interior Nikos Nouris took part in an event to launch the publication of a book about the history of the asbestos mining community at the foot of the Troodos mountains of Cyprus. The book entitled “Asbestos The Diamond of Troodos,” written by Kyriakos Papadopoulos drew on historical records, newspaper archives and interviews with local people who described a life sustained by hard work at the asbestos mine by thousands of workers from the villages of Pano and Kato Asbestos. See: Χαιρετισμός του Υπουργού Εσωτερικών κ. Νίκου Νουρή στην παρουσίαση του βιβλίου «Αμίαντος: Το διαμάντι του Τροόδους» [Greeting of the Minister of Interior Mr. Nikos Nouris at the presentation of the book “Asbestos: The Diamond of Troodos”].
Fines for Sale of Asbestos Thermos Flasks
Sep 20, 2021
A survey on thermos flasks carried out by the Bahrain Ministry of Trade and Tourism found that 13% of the samples tested contained asbestos. The toxic products were withdrawn from sale. The samples were collected from different points of sale, produced in different countries and of different capacities and brands. The analyses of the contents were conducted as per Australian standard AS 4964 for the qualitative identification of Asbestos in bulk samples. Shop owners who sold the toxic products are being fined and warned not to sell asbestos-containing products. More surveys are planned. The import and use of asbestos and products containing it were banned by a Ministerial Order in 1996. See: Cancer-causing Asbestos Found in 13% Tea, Coffee Containers Tested in Bahrain.
Mesothelioma Research: Update from Spain
Sep 20, 2021
The development of new asbestos cancer treatment protocols including the use of immunotherapy are prolonging survival rates for some patients, according to recently published findings by Spanish researchers. The widespread use of asbestos throughout Spain has led to an epidemic of asbestos-related diseases with 300 patients being diagnosed each year with mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. Scientists hope that work on early detection techniques and personalized treatments will help turn this very aggressive cancer into a chronic disease. See: Nuevas estrategias contra el cáncer del amianto [New strategies against asbestos cancer].
Calls for Urgent Action on a Toxic Legacy
Sep 17, 2021
A high-profile feature in a popular newspaper on September 16 detailed the deadly consequences of Spain’s “invisible” asbestos legacy, calling it a “poisoned inheritance” for future generations. In recognition of this ongoing disaster, more than 40 civil society and medical organizations have called on the government to implement a comprehensive law to tackle all aspects of the country’s asbestos legacy and to provide funding to enable work to proceed on addressing the myriad challenges posed by the presence of asbestos in Spain today. See: El amianto, una pandemia "invisibilizada" que dejará una "herencia envenenada": dónde está y cómo afecta a la salud [Asbestos, an “invisible” pandemic that will leave a “poisoned inheritance”: where it is and how it affects health].
Allies under the Brussels Sunshine
Sep 17, 2021
Teams of runners from Belgian (ABEVA) and French (ANDEVA) Asbestos Victims’ Groups went head to head in a 20 kilometer race in Brussels on September 12, 2021. Amongst the French runners were ANDEVA’s President Jacques Faugeron, staff members Hélène Boulot and Patrice Raveneau and two volunteers. Although the larger and better trained Belgian team was the first to reach the finishing line under the iconic arch in Bicentennial Park, ANDEVA runners vowed to return for a rematch in 2022. See: L'ANDEVA aux côtés de l'ABEVA pour les 20km de Bruxelles [ANDEVA alongside ABEVA for the Brussels 20km].
Immunotherapy Treatment: Update
Sep 17, 2021
A commentary on a US mesothelioma charity website highlighted research findings by a pharmaceutical company due to be released at the 2021 European Society for Medical Oncology meeting today (September 17). According to Bristol Myers Squibb, the three-year overall survival data from its CheckMate-743 study of nivolumab/ipilimumab immunotherapy in mesothelioma showed that 23% of patients were alive at 35.5 months compared to 15% of those treated with chemotherapy. No new side effects had been identified. See: Released 3-year survival data for nivolumab/ipilimumab combination immunotherapy for mesothelioma.
Environmental and Urban Contamination
Sep 17, 2021
Asbestos technical specialists have, once again, denounced continued failures by government officials in Turkey to address problems caused by asbestos exposures especially during urban renewal projects. Another challenge in Turkey is the ubiquity of naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) which endangers the lives of people living in many rural communities. Plans announced in the “Turkey Cancer Control Program 2013-2018,” to address this dangerous situation have not been implemented. New research has identified even more settlements affected by NOA. Whereas the earlier plan listed 19 affected villages in Elazig, asbestos was found in the soil of 103 Elazig villages. See: Asbest Türkiye'nin yeni Çernobil'i olabilir..! [Asbestos could be Turkey's new Chernobyl..!].
NCARD Webinar
Sep 17, 2021
On September 16, 2021, the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD) held an in-person and online one-hour webinar entitled: Australia and Asbestos – from community to clinic. The presentations by Professors Richard Lake and Anna Nowak highlighted the lasting and deadly impact asbestos exposures have had in Australia and the cutting-edge research being done by NCARD scientists in developing new treatments and a cure for mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposures. Their presentations were accessible and informative and gave grounds for being cautiously optimistic that, in the short-term, protocols will be found to prolong survival, and that in the long-term, the terminal disease may become a treatable condition. See: NCARD Webinar.
Government U-Turn: FIVA Merge Off!
Sep 15, 2021
The French Government has cancelled plans to merge the Asbestos Compensation Scheme and the Medical Accident Compensation Scheme. As a result of a rebellion by asbestos victims’ groups, trade unionists, politicians and civil society stakeholders, the project was abandoned and will not be included in the next Social Security financing bill. Objections raised included the adverse impact that the merger could have on the speed with which claims brought by dying victims would be recognized and compensated. See (subscription site): Fonds d'indemnisation amiante: le projet de fusion avec l'Office d'indemnisation des accidents médicaux abandonné [Asbestos compensation fund: the proposed merger with the Medical Accident Compensation Office abandoned].
Mesothelioma and Covid-19
Sep 15, 2021
Almost one in five patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) at a Barcelona hospital contracted Covid-19 during the pandemic; the findings reported by a Spanish researcher are in line with results showing an elevated likelihood of patients with lung malignancies contracting coronavirus. According to Dr. Susana Cedres: “18% of patients with MPM were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection during the pandemic, and these patients suffered a very high mortality rate of 54%... I urge health care services to pay particular attention to patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma while managing COVID-19 infections.” See: Study: Nearly one in five patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma contracted COVID-19.
Inequitable Ruling by Rome Tribunal
Sep 15, 2021
According to the article cited below, the Regional Administrative Court of Rome recently issued a verdict agreeing with the family of a non-commissioned Army officer who died from cancer in 2013 that his illness had been caused by “prolonged exposure to asbestos.” The soldier had enlisted in the Italian army in 1988 and served in military campaigns in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Bosnia, where asbestos was used in armored vehicles, helicopters and elsewhere. He did not receive any warning about the hazard posed by asbestos exposure. Despite acknowledging the cause of his death, the Judges did not award the family compensation. See: <“Innumerevoli missioni in teatri bellici, maresciallo ucciso dall’amianto” [“Countless missions in war theaters, marshall killed by asbestos”].
Asbestos on the Metro
Sep 15, 2021
Trains bought by a regional Spanish government years after the country had banned asbestos (2002) contained asbestos material. This information came to light after a July 31, 2021 crash between two subway cars on line 5 of the Madrid Metro. The Community of Madrid admitted it was aware of the asbestos contamination in these and other carriages. Enquiries are ongoing over whether laws were broken by the purchase of the train carriages. Representatives of the Madrid Metro are now consulting the train manufacturer about the presence of asbestos in the trains when they were purchased. See: Madrid tiene amianto en trenes de 2007 y estudia si se vulneró la ley en sus compras [Madrid (authorities) are investigating whether the law was violated in the purchase of trains in 2007 now found to contain asbestos].
Widespread Flouting of Asbestos Regs
Sep 15, 2021
For the first time since the Air Pollution Control Act was revised in April 2021, the results of spot checks – in June 2021 at 227 demolition and renovation sites – by the authorities in Osaka Prefecture were announced. Forty percent of the premises inspected were not complying with regulations that mandated obligations to prepare and display asbestos site audits prior to the commencement of work and prevent the liberation of asbestos fibers into the air. See: アスベスト規制違反 法改正後も約4割 大阪府内のパトロールで発覚 [Violation of asbestos regulations Approximately 40% noncompliance was discovered by patrol in Osaka Prefecture after revision of law].
Asbestos Trial over Underground Deaths
Sep 15, 2021
On September 10, 2021, the trial over asbestos-related deaths of six workers from the company which operated the underground transport system in Milan began in the Milan Court of Appeal. The deceased, who had succumbed to their injuries between 2009 and 2015, had been occupationally exposed to asbestos in subway tunnels and in railway carriages. The former manager of the transport company Elio Gambini stands accused of manslaughter, having been acquitted in the first instance by Judge Maria Idra Gurgo di Castelmenandro. See: Amianto nella metropolitana milanese, processo verso l'epilogo [Asbestos in the Milanese underground, epilogue trial].
Post 9/11 Cancer Epidemic
Sep 14, 2021
An article on a Polish news portal highlighted the health issues being faced by first responders to the 9/11 attack. According to the text, 18,000 of the 50,000 people who were part of the rescue operations – including manual workers involved in the cleanup – have been diagnosed with serious diseases including 9,795 cases of cancer. The number of casualties continues to grow with many Poles amongst the injured. The lethal cocktail of toxins, including asbestos, in the dust clouds covering the site could, American scientists predict, affect up to 60,000 people. See: Ratowali ludzi po zamachu 11 wrzesnia. Teraz umieraja na raka [They saved people after the 9/11 attack. Now they are dying of cancer].
Anxiety Claims Causing “Great Concern”
Sep 14, 2021
The contents of an advisory note contained warnings to companies operating in France and other EU countries of the implications of French verdicts supporting the right of people with asbestos anxiety to receive compensation from negligent employers and a European Commission Committee asbestos opinion highlighting “the urgent need for an effective access to justice and redress for all health damage, including that relating to anxiety.” The author of the note, clearly intended for a corporate readership, warned that not only had French courts already extended the right to claim anxiety compensation for exposure to other toxins but also that the European Commission was being urged to do likewise. See: Anxiety Damage: on the Verge of becoming Companies’ new Stress.
Basque Victim’s Verdict
Sep 14, 2021
On September 7, 2021, it was reported that Social Court Number 2 of the Spanish city of Vitoria had condemned the ECN Cable Group of failing to protect its workers from asbestos exposures. The Basque company was ordered to pay compensation of €165,525 (US$200,000) to the family of a bricklayer who had undertaken maintenance work for the company between July 1966 and April 1997. As a result of exposure to asbestos in roofing material and kiln bricks, he contracted mesothelioma, the signature cancer related to asbestos exposure; he died in 2017. See: Condena en Vitoria por la muerte de un trabajador por amianto [Conviction in Vitoria for the death of an asbestos worker].
Asbestos Eradication in South Korea
Sep 14, 2021
An update on an eradication program of asbestos-cement roofing in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea confirmed that by September 10, toxic roofing had been removed from 3,970 houses and 600+ other structures. Work will be carried out on 2,328 additional properties by the end of the year. The annual budget for this work was increased by 18% in 2021 compared to 2020. The majority of the work is subsidized by the Province as a matter of public and environmental health. Asbestos monitoring and fact-finding by officials continue to be a priority matter for the Province. See: “석면슬레이트 제거로 도민 건강하고 보다나은 환경 조성!” [“Creating a healthier and better environment for residents by removing asbestos slate!”].
Pioneering Project by Swiss Group
Sep 14, 2021
Representatives of a Swiss Association of Asbestos Victims are launching an outreach program to contact former Italian workers who had been exposed to asbestos whilst employed in Switzerland. Lawyers David Husmann and Massimo Aliotta, current President of the Swiss association Verein für Asbestopfer und Angehörige (Association for Asbestos Victims and their Families) will be holding discussions and meetings in Puglia, Italy from September 16 to 19, 2021 to inform eligible claimants of government benefits available to them under Swiss schemes. See: Amianto, la tutela dei lavoratori italiani in Svizzera e il diritto di essere risarciti anche dopo 20 anni [Asbestos, the protection of Italian workers in Switzerland and the right to be compensated even after 20 years].
James Hardie: Asbestos Educator!
Sep 14, 2021
Last week an Australian High Court rejected an application for special leave to appeal in Werfel v. Amaca Pty Limited (formerly James Hardie & Coy Pty Limited). As a result of this ruling, James Hardie will be legally liable for undertaking an extensive public health campaign to raise awareness of the hazards posed by legacy asbestos material within the country’s infrastructure in order to prevent toxic exposures such as those experienced during home renovations. “This decision sets a precedent,” said lawyer Annie Hoffman “for any person who contracts mesothelioma due to drilling, sanding, cutting or handling James Hardie asbestos cement in their homes.” See: Australia will be a safer place as precedent setting South Australian asbestos victims court win upheld.
Another Brazilian Asbestos Ban
Sep 13, 2021
The Environment Commission of the Brazilian City of São Carlos, São Paulo State has proposed a law to ban asbestos which would set a deadline for the removal of asbestos-containing products from buildings. Under the draft municipal legislation, a two-year period to replace asbestos-cement water tanks would be specified; schools and health centers would have six months to remediate asbestos material. Elsewhere, asbestos products must be replaced with safer alternatives when they have are removed. See: Comissão de Meio Ambiente propõe lei para banir amianto de São Carlos [Environment Commission proposes law to ban asbestos in São Carlos].
Ankara Asbestos Initiative
Sep 13, 2021
An innovative educational meeting to inform municipal civil servants and officers of the asbestos hazard was held under the auspices of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. The content of the “Asbestos Awareness Training for Local Governments” program was provided by the Asbestos Dismantling Experts Association of Turkey whose President Mehmet Şeyhmus Ensari thanked the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality for setting an example for other provinces by recognizing the critical role that local and regional authorities had to play in protecting people from toxic exposures especially during urban renewal, renovation and demolition work. See: Farkındalık eğitimi [Awareness Training].
Toxic Asbestos Legacy
Sep 13, 2021
Three years after Canada banned asbestos, 30% of all work-related fatalities in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan are due to asbestos-related diseases. A recent report by WorkSafe Saskatchewan revealed the ongoing hazard posed by asbestos hidden within buildings. Director of Prevention at the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board Annette Goski appealed to “homeowners, contractors and workers, anyone in the construction field to be aware that asbestos is still a very present and silent killer in our province’s homes and workplaces.” See: WorkSafe Saskatchewan campaign focuses on where asbestos could be hiding.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Update
Sep 13, 2021
A new paper by Australian mesothelioma researchers outlined advances in the treatment of mesothelioma patients. Opportunities for increasing survival rates offered by treatment with first-line checkpoint blockade therapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab, especially for patients with nonepithelioid mesothelioma, and improvements in palliative care were examined. The scientists concluded that: “chemotherapy and immunotherapy should be considered for all patients during their disease course…[In addition] a proactive, multidisciplinary approach to symptom management and the principles of management of pleural effusions are critical to manage the symptom burden of mesothelioma and optimize patient well-being.” See: Management of Advanced Pleural Mesothelioma – At the Crossroads.
SNCF’s New Asbestos Diagnostic Tool
Sep 13, 2021
SNCF Voyageurs, a subsidiary of the French National Railway Company, has been pioneering a computer application to detect the presence of asbestos in freight wagons with specialist technicians working alongside SNCF personnel. The new tool, which is called e-asbestos, uses artificial intelligence and smartphones to alert operatives about the presence of contaminated parts. There would be multiple advantages to using such a system which would include preventing toxic exposures, eliminating costly laboratory tests and accelerating maintenance schedules for railway workshops. As soon as official approval has been granted, the new diagnostic tool will be put into use. See: SNCF Voyageurs détecte l’amiante grâce à la computer vision [SNCF Voyageurs detects asbestos using computer vision].
Sama Asbestos Mine Reopens
Sep 8, 2021
Operations at Brazil’s sole remaining chrysotile asbestos mine restarted on September 3, 2021 after the Superior Court of Justice suspended an August 19, 2021 order by the Court of the District of Uruaçu-GO which had shut down mining in pursuant of a 2017 Supreme Court verdict. The August order shutting down the mining had been a response to a public civil action which had argued that the Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling had banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos throughout Brazil and that an exemption issued by the State of Goiás was invalid. The latest court order suspends the August decision until “a final decision is given…” See: Produtora de amianto controlada da Eternit, Sama retoma atividades [Eternit controlled asbestos producer Sama resumes activities].
More Russian Asbestos Lies!
Sep 8, 2021
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week issued blanket reassurances to representatives of India, Vietnam and other Asian countries during trade negotiations, stating that the use of Russian chrysotile (white) asbestos is “safe.” To support his statement, he cited asbestos policies of the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization both of which, he said, espoused positions based on the “controlled use of asbestos.” This is a complete fabrication as both agencies have publicly and repeatedly stated that the only way to stop the global epidemic of asbestos-related diseases is to stop the use of all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile. See: Лавров успокоил иностранных партнеров в вопросе хризотилового асбеста [Lavrov reassures foreign partners on the issue of chrysotile asbestos].
N.Y. Asbestos Prosecutions
Sep 8, 2021
On September 2, 2021, the New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett announced the indictments of Certified Asbestos Investigators Valentino Buono, Jeff Ezulike, Russell Goss and Kostas Kamberis for filing multiple false asbestos inspection reports and thereby endangering the health of N.Y. workers and citizens. The accused were arraigned before Supreme Court Judge Toni Cimino in Queens County on a total of 19 counts. See: Attorney General James and DOI Commissioner Garnett Announce Indictment of Four Asbestos Investigators for Filing Fraudulent Inspection Reports.
Completion of Asbestos Removal Program
Sep 8, 2021
On September 3, 2021, the Council President Miguel Silva Gouveia of the Portuguese City of Funchal announced that the municipality’s program to replace asbestos-cement material in its water delivery system had been completed. According to President Miguel Silva Gouveia, the sum of €570,000 (US$680,000) had been spent to eradicate this public and occupational health hazard. Toxic pipes had been removed at the same time as other improvements were made such as the replacement of pressure regulating valves to improve pressure management in steeper areas. See: Câmara do Funchal erradicou amianto das redes de água potável do concelho [Funchal City Council has eradicated asbestos from the municipality's drinking water networks].
Bad News, Good News
Sep 8 2021
Despite findings by India’s Supreme and High Courts supporting the need to protect human beings from exposures to asbestos, neither the central nor state governments have taken action to enforce these pronouncements. The exception is the State of Bihar which is the first State to forbid the setting up of asbestos factories. As a result, the owner of 22 such factories – CK Birla Hyderabad Industries Ltd. – is transitioning its asbestos technology to a safer, eco-friendly production process using asbestos-free materials. India is one of the top asbestos-using countries in the world and the foremost importer of raw asbestos fiber. See: Why no ban on asbestos?
Opposition to Government Merger Plans
Sep 8, 2021
On August 31, 2021, at an extraordinary meeting of the directors of the French Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund (FIVA), there was “total opposition” to government plans to merge FIVA with the National Medical Accident Compensation Office (ONIAM). The rejection of this plan was supported by eight FIVA directors representing trade unions and employers, four from victim support groups and associations as well as four with professional expertise. The five directors representing the Government abstained from the vote. See: Amiante: le Fiva rejette le projet gouvernemental de fusion avec l'Oniam [Asbestos: Fiva rejects government plan to merge with Oniam].
Asbestos Hazard at Philadelphia School
Sep 6, 2021
The failure to address asbestos contamination at one of Philadelphia’s most high-profile schools, led to a drastic action last week by teachers, students and parents who refused to enter Masterman school, Philadelphia’s premier magnet school. Trade union officials confirmed that “more than 60 areas of damaged asbestos have been identified in the school, with imminent hazards identified in the art room and in a second-floor bathroom, as well as damaged material and dust above drop ceilings.” The asbestos problem at Masterman has been known about for over 25 years. See: School District Gets an F on Asbestos Issue.
Asbestos on the Metro
Sep 6, 2021
Judge Maria Isabel Garaizaban who is considering complaints over the failure by personnel from the Madrid Metro company to protect workers from asbestos exposures has agreed to include in her investigation the cases of five more Metro workers who have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. The Spanish trade union CCOO highlighted the under-recognition of asbestos diseases in Spain and called on the Metro Board of Directors to name the staff whose responsibility was workers’ safety. See: CCOO solicitará a la juez del amianto que declaren responsables de la dirección de Metro de entre 2003 y 2017 [CCOO will ask the judge to name those responsible for asbestos management at Metro between 2003 and 2017].
Sale of Asbestos-Free Trains to Portugal
Sep 6, 2021
On September 2, 2021 three electric railway carriages purchased from Spain began tests on Portugal’s Minho railway Line. The carriages were part of a consignment of 36 purchased from Renfe – the Spanish National Railway Network. Work to remove asbestos-containing material had been carried out by Renfe prior to the sale being finalized. After the line tests have been completed, the three carriages will undergo tests by the Institute of Mobility and Transport in order for them to gain the certification required for them to be put into service. See: Três carruagens elétricas sem amianto começam ensaios na Linha do Minho [Three asbestos-free electric carriages begin trials on the Minho Line].
Promise to Raise Asbestos Awareness
Sep 6, 2021
During a virtual meeting on August 31, 2021 of Cambodia’s Labour Minister Ith Sam Heng and technical specialist on occupational safety and health Yuka Ujita from the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Minister committed his Government to undertaking programs to raise raising awareness of the asbestos hazard throughout the country. The Minister confirmed plans to work in collaboration with the ILO as well as the Australian body: Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA on this initiative. See: Phnom Penh Post – Ministry launches review of asbestos status in Kingdom.
Asbestos Death of Naval Mechanic
Sep 6, 2021
The maritime company Naftomar was ordered by Bilbao’s Social Court No. 5 to pay €81,000 (US$96,000) for the asbestos cancer death of a naval mechanic who been negligently exposed to asbestos during his employment with multiple shipping companies. The deceased was often tasked with removing asbestos insulation prior to undertaking repair work. Commenting on the outcome of the case, the LAB trade union denounced the fact that victims were forced to go to court to obtain compensation for asbestos injuries, calling on the authorities to streamline procedures for the recognition, treatment and support of the asbestos-injured. See: Condenan a la marítima Naftomar al pago de 81.000 euros por la muerte de un trabajador por amianto [Naftomar ordered to pay 81,000 euros for asbestos death of worker].
Post-Disaster Asbestos Decontamination
Sep 6, 2021
As a part of action by the Israeli Government in the aftermath of mid-August wildfires in the Jerusalem hills, 5 million Israeli New Shekels (US$1.5m) were allocated by Ministers for asbestos cleanup operations. The funds will be provided to local authorities tasked with undertaking the asbestos decontamination of burnt-out buildings. Although Israel banned asbestos in 2011, asbestos contamination remains in homes, schools, and public buildings constructed prior to that time. See: Government approves Jerusalem wildfire aid and rehab plan.
Asbestos Victims’ Benefits Uplift
Sep 3, 2021
From January 1, 2022, South Korea’s Ministry of Environment (MoE) will increase benefits to asbestos victims by 5.6% in line with other Government benefit increases; it has been providing benefits such as long-term care allowances (monthly payments for treatment, care and living expenses), funeral expenses, and condolence money, for sufferers of asbestos-related diseases or family members since 2011. Park Yong-gyu, director of the Environment and Health Department of the MoE promised to diversify efforts to find asbestos victims and “continue to expand support for people who have suffered health damage from asbestos.” See: 내년부터 석면피해 구제급여 지급액 5.6% 인상 [Asbestos damage relief benefits will increase by 5.6% from next year].
Export of Toxic Greek Ship Condemned
Sep 3, 2021
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform – a European organization campaigning for the clean and safe recycling/dismantling of ships – has condemned the sale in May, 2021 to Bangladesh of a 47-year-old Greek ship: The Princess. The NGO has called on Greece to bring the passenger car ferry – which contains a myriad of toxins including asbestos – back to Europe, where it could be properly disposed of according to national regulations and international protocols. The Princess left Greece in July and landed in Bangladesh at the end of August. See: ΜΚΟ ζητά να επιστρέψει η «τοξική» φράση στην Ελλάδα για ανακύκλωση [NGO calls for the return of "toxic" vessel to Greece for recycling].
Compensation for Power Plant Worker
Sep 3, 2021
On August 30, 2021, the district court of Yokosuka, Japan issued a victim’s verdict when it ordered the owners of the Hitachi Taura Plant (now renamed Hitachi Power Solutions) to pay Haruo Koyama ¥ 22 million (US$199,000) for occupational exposures to asbestos which resulted in him contracting the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Mr. Koyama had worked as a welder at the plant from September 1961 until March 1999. Welcoming the resolution of the case, Mr. Koyama urged the company to institute a compensation scheme for asbestos victims without the need for legal proceedings. See: アスベスト訴訟、元従業員勝訴 会社に2200万円支払い命令 [Asbestos proceedings, company ordered to pay ex-employee 22 million yen].
Asbestos Anxiety Payments. Finally!
Sep 3, 2021
After more than four years, 474 former employees of the Renault Truck company in France were poised last week to receive compensation from Renault of between €200-10,000 (US$235-12,000) as ordered by an industrial tribunal in April 2021. The pay-outs are for asbestos anxiety suffered by workers who had been exposed to asbestos at the company’s Vénissieux factory. Asbestos anxiety claims by 665 other Renault workers were dismissed by the tribunal which ruled that they had not worked in high risk areas of the factory. See: Amiante: à Lyon, certains anciens salariés de Renault Trucks reçoivent leur indemnisation pour “préjudice d'anxiété” [Asbestos: in Lyon, some former Renault Trucks employees receive their compensation for “prejudice of anxiety”].
Asbestos Roof Removal Subsidies
Sep 3, 2021
The latest phase of a US$300,000 (344 million won) program being run by the authorities on the South Korean island of Jeju which subsidizes the removal of asbestos-cement roofing will close to applicants on November 30, 2021. Until then, homeowners can obtain grants of up to US$3,000 to remove asbestos roofing with larger subsidies available to low income households. Between 2011 and 2021, toxic roofing was removed from 7,878 buildings on Jeju Island. The next phase of this program will commence in February, 2022. See: 제주도 '발암물질 석면' 슬레이트 철거 지붕개량 추진 [Jeju Island’s ‘carcinogenic asbestos’ slate removal and roof improvement promotion].
Corsica’s Asbestos Legacy
Sep 3, 2021
After 60 years of lying dormant, work will finally begin later this year to remediate a derelict asbestos factory and decontaminate the landscape around a redundant asbestos mine outside the town of Nonza, Corsica. The work procedures and disposal of toxic waste will be strictly regulated to prevent further occupational and environmental exposures, with differing regimes for dealing with “free asbestos,” categorized as hazardous waste, and asbestos-containing material (i.e. pipes, sheets), classified as non-hazardous waste. See: Comment gérer les déchets de la mine d’amiante du Cap Corse? [How to manage waste from the Cap Corse asbestos mine?].
Environmental Contamination in Aliağa
Aug 30, 2021
According to a report issued last week, the presence of airborne chrysotile asbestos fibers had been found in the Turkish town of Aliağa, home to several yards which dismantle ships. The environmental contamination was confirmed following tests conducted on samples taken on July 27, 2021 by a specialist asbestos contractor. The ship dismantling and recycling works were not the only source of asbestos; urban transformation activities and industrial production also contributed to the environmental contamination, said the report’s author. Another more comprehensive study is being planned. See: Aliağa’da asbest tespit edildi [Asbestos detected in Aliağa].
Ban Asbestos Now!
Aug 30, 2021
A new paper by Mexican academic Francisco Antonio Mercado Calderón issued an urgent call for Mexico to ban the use of asbestos to protect public health from toxic exposures to asbestos-containing products; such products – e.g. asbestos-cement roofing, water tanks and pipes – are used to a greater extent in poorer communities. From 1979 to 2010, there were 2,663 deaths from pleural mesothelioma (PM) according to official figures. However, there was gross underreporting of PM deaths; a further 4,502 deaths should be added, making the revised total 7,165. As there are between 2 to 8 lung cancer deaths for each PM death, the total number of fatal asbestos cancers is well over 10,000. See: Manifest: Urgent call to ban the use of asbestos in Mexico [Manifiesto: Llamado urgente para prohibir el uso del asbesto en México].
J&J’s Killer Baby Powder
Aug 30 2021
Last week, a jury in the California Superior Court of Alameda County issued a plaintiff’s verdict in a case brought by mesothelioma sufferer 35-year-old Christina Prudencio who had contracted the fatal cancer from exposure to asbestos fibers contained in Johnson and Johnson’s talc-based baby powder. Ms. Prudencio was awarded $26.5 million in compensatory damages. The question of whether punitive damages will also be awarded remains to be resolved. Damning evidence was presented during the trial about a sustained corporate cover-up going back many decades. See: Baby Powder Mesothelioma Victim Awarded $26.5 Million by California Jury.
Consolidation of Russian Asbestos Industry
Aug 30, 2021
At an extraordinary meeting on August 20 of the shareholders of the Russian company Belgorodasbestotsement, management arrangements were formalized which confirmed the takeover of this Russian manufacturer and exporter of asbestos-containing building products by Uralasbest, a mining conglomerate that produces and processes chrysotile (white) asbestos. Fiber production by Uralasbest accounts for 21% of annual global asbestos output. The takeover is part of Uralasbest’s vertical integration strategy which ensures that manufacturers will not diversify into asbestos-free technologies. See: “Белгородасбестоцемент" сменил руководство после перехода под контроль "Ураласбеста” [“Belgorodasbestotsement" management changes after coming under the control of “Uralasbest”].
Asbestos in Schools
Aug 30, 2021
American children are being exposed to colossal levels of asbestos dust which remain in classrooms throughout the country. The current official policy of “wait and see” has been shown to be unfit for purpose as the educational infrastructure continues to deteriorate through a lack of resources. The scope and severity of the problem remains unknown as the last national survey of asbestos in schools was completed nearly 40 years ago; “there is no federal collection of data on the conditions of schools.” A recent attempt to quantify the problem revealed that the majority of local education agencies reported asbestos contamination of schools. See: The danger of America’s forgotten battle with asbestos. Students and school personnel remain at risk.
Merger will Disadvantage Victims
Aug 30, 2021
Asbestos victims’ groups in France have serious concerns about government plans to merge the Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund (Fiva) and the National Medical Accident Compensation Office by the end of 2022 and place the newly formed body under the supervision of the ministries of Health and the Economy. At a meeting on August 31, the board of directors of Fiva will examine the details of an action which is seen as serious threat to recent progress in accelerating and streamlining compensation payments to the asbestos-injured. Fiva registers 300+ new cases every month and has compensated 100,000+ since it was first launched in 2002. See: Amiante: ce projet de fusion qui inquiète [Asbestos: this merger project is disturbing].
Urals Tourist Attraction: Asbestos Mine
Aug 26, 2021
It seems that the word asbestos holds no fear for people in the South Urals where a new eco-friendly tourist destination is being promoted for Russian hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. The 99 hectare “cultural heritage” development is based around the Kholmisty chrysotile asbestos mine which was finally abandoned in 1912. Promotional photos for the “natural-industrial park” show happy visitors at the site picking fibers out of asbestos-bearing rocks. The forest scenery and points of interest are promoted without one word of the dangers posed by exposures to asbestos. See: На Южном Урале вскоре появится новый туристический эко-маршрут [A new tourist eco-route will soon appear in the South Urals].
Asbestos Removal Program
Aug 26, 2021
According to a press release from the Flemish Minister of Environment Zuhal Demir, the Flemish Government has allocated €3.85 million (US$4.5m) for asbestos removal in 200 schools across the region. In addition, a further 780 asbestos audits of school buildings will be carried out over the next four years. The Flemish Government has committed itself to eradicating the asbestos hazard by 2040. Demir, who highlighted the ubiquity of asbestos in Flemish buildings, said: “We are now allocating an unprecedentedly large budget for [removing] it, which will benefit the quality of life and health of many people.” See: Flanders pours €3.85 million into asbestos removal in 200 schools.
Mesothelioma Death on the Farm
Aug 26, 2021
Senior Somerset Coroner Tony Williams ruled that the July 2021 mesothelioma death of Frome man Andrew Bailey aged 64 was due to an industrial disease, after an inquest had heard of his occupational exposure to asbestos whilst dismantling old farmyard buildings in the Somerset area. During the course of his work, he would often be required to handle and break up asbestos-cement roofing material. He also used asbestos sheets to rebuild roofs using a circular saw to cut them to size. Such a process would have generated a massive amount of dust as well as clouds of toxic fibers. See: Frome man dies of asbestos-related cancer after working in farmyards.
Cessation of Asbestos Mining
Aug 26, 2021
On August 20, 2021, the parent company of the sole operational chrysotile asbestos mine in Brazil – Eternit, S.A. – notified shareholders and the stock market that its subsidiary Sama S.A. Minerações Associadas (Sama) had ceased asbestos mining activities as per an order issued on August 19, 2021 by the Court of the District of Uruaçu-Go. The Court’s ruling responded to a public civil action which had argued that a Supreme Court decision of 2017 had banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos throughout the country and that an exemption issued by the State of Goiás was invalid. See: Eternit S.A. Notification, August 20, 2021.
Asbestos Epidemic 20+ Years after Ban
Aug 26, 2021
Decades after asbestos use was banned in France, the incidence of asbestos-related diseases remains high, with 1,100 new cases of mesothelioma occurring every year: “the increase is more marked in women with a doubling of cases in 20 years to reach 310 cases per year.” The majority of women with mesothelioma were non-occupationally exposed whilst most men with the cancer contracted it from workplace exposures. According to the government data, occupational exposure to asbestos was found in 84% of cases amongst construction workers. The incidence of this cancer is highest in the North, North-West and South-East regions of the country. See: Amiante: toujours un enjeu de santé publique [Asbestos: still a public health issue].
Asbestos in Toxic Landfill
Aug 26, 2021
Last week, the Australian Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) reported that 50 tonnes of landfill contaminated with asbestos had been delivered to a building site at the Brisbane South State Secondary College. According to CFMEU’s assistant secretary Jade Ingham, the contractor was asked to conduct a site audit as the school was operational but refused to do so. Ingham said that the supplier of the toxic material, the BMI Group, had supplied “at least 200 tonnes of material…contaminated with asbestos, and [we] need to know exactly what other building jobs in SE Queensland this material has been delivered to by Martin Brothers and other subcontractors.” See: Qld union warns over asbestos in supplies.
Legal Victory for Bereaved Family
Aug 24, 2021
On August 12, 2021, Judge Juliana Campos Ferro Lage from the 2nd Labor Court of Pedro Leopoldo, a municipality in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, ordered the company DVG Industrial, formerly Precon, to pay compensation of R$1.8 million (US$332,000) to the bereaved family of one of its former workers who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, having been occupationally exposed to the carcinogen for nearly 20 years whilst employed by Precon at its asbestos-cement factory. See: Justiça manda empresa pagar R$ 1,8 mi à família de funcionário morto por amianto [Court orders company to pay R$1.8 million to the family of an employee killed by asbestos].
Opposition to São Paulo’s Arrival
Aug 24, 2021
The hot potato which is the São Paulo, a former Brazilian warship destined for dismantling in Turkey, continues to cause dissension. A report submitted by a Committee of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Assembly highlighted the fact that Turkey was one of the few countries in the world where ship dismantling was carried out “using wild [brute-force, unregulated] techniques.” The authors of the report concluded that Turkey should not import other people’s garbage. Commenting on the publication. Hakan Barçin, Chairman of the Committee, said that he was against bringing the São Paulo to Turkey. See: ‘Dünyanın çöplüğü olmaktan kurtaralım’ [‘Let's save it (Turkey) from being the garbage dump of the world’].
Memorial for Asbestos Victims
Aug 24, 2021
The Perth-based asbestos victims support group – The Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) – is calling on the Government of Western Australia to erect permanent memorials in Perth and the Pilbara to honor the thousands of people who died from asbestos-related diseases. ADSA chief operating officer Melita Markey suggested the memorials be incorporated into the Wittenoom Closure Bill which is due to be introduced into the State Parliament later this year. According to Ms. Markey, the monuments would be a fitting reminder of those lives that had been lost as well as a deterrent to tourists wanting to visit the toxic town of Wittenoom. See: Asbestos Diseases Society campaigns for memorials for asbestos victims.
Asbestos Cancer Data: Update
Aug 24, 2021
According to new data published in The Lancet by a coalition of researchers, in 2019 “occupational exposure to asbestos was the third-highest specific risk factor for deaths from tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer for both sexes… contributing to 9·7% of all deaths.” The authors recommended that policy makers use these findings to inform decisions to protect health, suggesting that a minimization of asbestos exposures could make a contribution to reducing “the incidence of and mortality attributable to tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer, if done using locally appropriate, evidence-based strategies.” See: Global, regional, and national burden of respiratory tract cancers and associated risk factors from 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.
Summer Asbestos Offensive
Aug 24, 2021
The latest diatribe by Russian asbestos vested interests denigrated members of the “inspirational anti-asbestos campaign” who were involved in a commercial crusade to undermine the Russian economy. The ban asbestos movement had not only impacted on sales of raw fiber but on the production of products – such as brake pads – within which it was used. Asbestos industry research which claimed to prove that “chrysotile [white asbestos] fiber is excreted from the human body in a short period of time, without harming health,” was quoted to support the unnamed author’s position. See: Асбестовый тормоз: история одной детали [Asbestos brakes: the story of one component].
Asbestos Agreement for Madrid Metro
Aug 24, 2021
Agreement has been reached between the management of the Madrid Metro and the trade unions over a series of issues including the eradication of the asbestos hazard from the transport system in the Spanish capital. Ongoing consultations will be held by the company with union reps over technical issues, working conditions, and arrangements for compensation claims and payouts for toxic workplace exposures. See: Publicado el nuevo convenio colectivo de Metro que añade una Comisión sobre amianto o la regularización del teletrabajo [The new Metro collective agreement that adds a Commission on asbestos and regularization of teleworking has been published].
New Asbestos-free Sealants
Aug 20, 2021
Researchers at Russia’s Perm Polytechnic Institute have announced a successful outcome from their work on the development of an expanded graphite sealing product suitable for use at nuclear power plants. The specifications and performance of the new product made it an excellent replacement for outdated and toxic asbestos products which were previously used. It is noteworthy that this research was undertaken in Russia, the world’s biggest producer of asbestos fiber, and that the laboratories at which the research was done were at an institute in the Urals, the location of the world’s biggest asbestos mine. See: Разработка Пермского Политеха поможет обезопасить работу атомных станций [Development by the Perm Polytechnic Institute will help secure the operation of nuclear power plants].
Suspension of Illegal Asbestos Mining
Aug 20, 2021
An August 6, 2021 decision by Judge Bruno Teixeira de Castro from the Federal Court in Uruaçu, Goiás ordered an immediate suspension of chrysotile asbestos mining at the Sama Asbestos Mine, Brazil’s sole remaining asbestos mine. The company had been operating under the umbrella of a Goiás State law which had been issued in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court ruling outlawing the commercial exploitation of asbestos throughout the country. It is not known whether the company will appeal this decision. See: Justiça Federal manda suspender exploração de amianto em Minaçu [Federal Court orders the suspension of asbestos mining in Minaçu].
Mining Asbestos Waste: A Very Bad Idea!
Aug 20, 2021
An Opinion piece in Canada’s National Observer, an online daily news publication, highlighted concerns over a new industry operating in the former asbestos heartland of Quebec which is extracting magnesium from asbestos mining waste. Government sources estimated that the mountains of waste – which are in close proximity to houses, schools, public buildings and playgrounds – contained up to 40% asbestos fiber. Although all 17 Quebec directors of public health had requested that the federal government include asbestos mining waste in regulations banning asbestos, this request was denied; succumbing to intensive industry lobbying, the Ottawa government invested $12 million in the new industry. See: The asbestos industry is fanning the flames of resentment. We must make them stop.
Grassroots Support for Victims
Aug 20, 2021
From 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on August 21 and 22, 2021, a national telephone hotline service will be operational at the toll-free number 0120/349/931 to provide information to people who were occupationally or environmentally exposed to asbestos in Japan. The service is being administered by the Asbestos Victim Relief Fund NGO from Kobe, the Pneumoconiosis and Asbestos Victims Relief Fund from Kanagawa Prefecture and partnering organizations. Information on workers' accident compensation, the intricacies of the benefit system, health measures and other relevant matters will be available. See: 石綿健康被害ホットライン開設 2１、２２日全国一斉実施 [Asbestos health damage hotline opened 21st and 22nd nationwide].
One Man’s Journey to Asbestos
Aug 20, 2021
Japanese traveller Yushi Koyanagi reported the observations he made and the conversations he had during a recent trip to the mono-town of Asbestos in the Urals region of Russia. He was surprised by the routine nature of daily life in the town poisoned by decades of asbestos mining: “Women baking bread at the store, children going to school.” Despite the pervasive nature of the contamination – “fibers flutter and stick to my pants” – residents remain silent because of their economic dependence on the mining company. Koyanagi was, he said, “sad to think that asbestos mining would continue in the city of Asbestos.” See: ロシア・アスベスト 公害に沈黙する街 [Russia. Asbestos: A City Silenced by Pollution].
A/C Water Delivery System Safe?
Aug 20, 2021
Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency has concluded that, based on findings made public last week in a report commissioned by the municipality of Regina regarding asbestos-cement (A/C) pipes in the town’s water delivery system, there was no cause for citizens to be concerned about the continued use of A/C pipes. More than half of the town’s 1,000 kilometres of water pipes are made of A/C; although the A/C pipes have been “slowly deteriorating” with age, they “have not deteriorated enough to release any asbestos fibres into the water,” the researchers said. Tests done in 2020 in eleven locations in Regina found “no detectable levels of asbestos fibres…” See: City inquiry into Regina's asbestos cement pipes says no cause for concern.
Healthy Profits for Asbestos Factory
Aug 17, 2021
A large increase in profits was reported by one of Russia’s leading asbestos-cement products’ manufacturers – OJSC Belgorodasbestocement (Belatsi) – in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. The 55.6% rise in profits was announced shortly after a corporate takeover had been finalized by PJSC Ural Asbestos Mining and Processing Plant (Uralasbest). The Belatsi factory began operations in 1953; during 2020 production of its cement pipes decreased by 13.5% because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. See: «Белгородасбестоцемент» с начала года нарастил прибыль на 55% ["Belgorodasbestocement" has increased its profit by 55% since the beginning of the year].
Environmental Survey in Asbestos Hotspot
Aug 17, 2021
This month (August, 2021), Korea’s Chungnam-do Health and Environment Research Institute announced plans to conduct an asbestos survey in Gobuk-myeon, Seosan-si. In the Chungnam region, 76% of the country is made up of rocks that are highly likely to contain asbestos, and abandoned asbestos mines account for 25 out of 38 (66%) of Korea’s derelict asbestos mines. The objective of this project is to prevent damage to the environment and protect the health of residents by controlling regional development activities that could liberate toxic fibers. See: 충남도 보건환경연구원, 서산 고북 일원서 석면 실태조사 [Chungnam-do Health and Environment Research Institute, asbestos survey in Gobuk, Seosan].
Mesothelioma Trends 1990 to 2017
Aug 17, 2021
A new study by a coalition of scientists, the majority of whom were based in China, examined the global incidence of mesothelioma – the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. The authors reported a substantial rise in the number of cases of mesothelioma and mortality rates worldwide, and concluded that a “complete and immediate ban on asbestos use may be warranted.” The nationality of 18 of the 20 authors is noteworthy as China has, for years, been one of the world’s biggest consumers and producers of chrysotile asbestos. See: Assessment of Global Trends in the Diagnosis of Mesothelioma From 1990 to 2017.
Asbestos Removal Program: Update
Aug 17, 2021
Asbestos eradication work is proceeding this summer on the infrastructure and rolling stock of the Madrid Metro. The commentary referenced below included a brief background to the history of asbestos use, the harmful repercussions caused by exposures, and regulations enacted to protect workers and members of the public. The Madrid Metro, which has a team specialized in asbestos removal, declared its intention to be asbestos-free by 2027 and is, a company spokesperson said, working with trade unions and partnering organizations to achieve this goal. See: Amianto en el Metro: ¿debemos preocuparnos? [Asbestos in the Metro: should we worry?].
Asbestos Cancer Findings: Brazil
Aug 17, 2021
An article by researchers about the effects on human health posed by working with asbestos was recently published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine; it is unfortunate that the full paper is behind a pay wall. The authors examined data from a cohort of 988 males who had worked in the asbestos-cement industry in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Increased standardized mortality ratios were observed for overall mortality and mortality due to pleural malignant neoplasms (MN), peritoneal MN, laryngeal MN and pulmonary MN. Based on their findings, the researchers confirmed the “causal association between exposure and increased mortality due to pleural MN, pulmonary MN, and asbestosis.” See: Causes of death in former asbestos-cement workers in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Maritime Legacy of Asbestos Use
Aug 17, 2021
The widespread use of asbestos-containing material (ACM) throughout the 20th century included uses in ships. The heat resistant properties of asbestos fibers made them ideal for inclusion in bulkhead cladding, glands or gaskets of valves and associated pipework, in friction material in winches for brake lining and thermal insulation on boilers or steam pipes. From January 1, 2011, the installation of ACM on board ships was prohibited by the International Maritime Organization. The services of asbestos removal specialists are required to eradicate the maritime asbestos hazard. See: Key points you need to know about managing asbestos on board your ship.
Going Asbestos Free in India!
Aug 16, 2021
HIL Ltd., formerly Hindustan Asbestos, has announced its intention to abandon toxic asbestos technology as it transitions to “an integrated green building materials company.” In a press interview, CEO Dhirup Roy Choudhary said that: “The Asbestos business, which was contributing 80 per cent of revenue has now come down to 30 per cent, with rest of the 70 per cent from non-asbestos business.” The company has 22 factories in India, and 2 in Germany and Austria; it plays a leading role in India’s building products’ sector and it can be certain that where HIL goes, others will follow. See: HIL eyes $1b revenues as it transforms to an integrated green building materials company.
Asbestos Lawsuit against Sheffield Council
Aug 16, 2021
Malcolm Dibnah, who worked for Sheffield Council as a painter and decorator from 1966 to 2004, has initiated a lawsuit at the London High Court against his former employer, alleging that it was occupational exposure to asbestos which caused him to contract the deadly asbestos cancer mesothelioma, diagnosed when he was 70. Mr. Dibnah’s work entailed scraping and sanding down asbestos fascias on council houses prior to painting them as a result of which he routinely inhaled large volumes of asbestos fibers. The plaintiff is claiming damages of £273,000 (US $378,000) for his impending death, 17 years prematurely because of this illness. See: Cancer victim sues Sheffield Council for £273,000 over asbestos poisoning.
A Dying and Deadly Industry
Aug 16, 2021
A commentary on the portal of Novethic – a European leader in sustainable practices – examined the dynamics which propelled the use of asbestos to dizzying heights and the lethal consequences of its widespread popularity. In France, the asbestos scandal came to the fore after protests by researchers, students and labor groups in the 1990s at Jussieu University in Paris. The use of asbestos was banned in France in 1997. However, only in March 2021 did the French Supreme Court issue a ruling that gave victims hope that a criminal investigation of toxic exposures would be carried out. See: Ces Scandales Qui Ont Changé le Monde: l’interdiction de l’Amiante, la Fin d’un produit miracle [Scandals that changed the world: the ban on asbestos].
Plans for Asbestos Waste Site Abandoned!
Aug 16, 2021
On August 10, 2021, the guardians of the Cava Vailata site, formerly intended to be developed as an asbestos landfill by the TEAM SpA company which is now in bankruptcy, relinquished the 80,000 square meters property – equivalent to eleven football fields – to the municipality which plans to use it as an urban nature park. Welcoming the news, Treviglio Mayor Juri Imeri said: “A nightmare ends, and forever: no landfill in Treviglio!” See: Addio per sempre alla discarica di amianto, la Cava Vailata diventerà un parco naturalistico [Farewell forever to the asbestos landfill, Cava Vailata will become a nature park].
Asbestos Removal in Schools
Aug 16, 2021
A recent update from the Council of the Portuguese City of Esposende showed work progressing to remove asbestos material from the municipality’s educational infrastructure. Since 2015, almost a million euros (US $1.2m) has been invested in replacing toxic roofing in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. A further €450,000 (US$530,000) from the Northern 2020 Regional Operational Programme will pay for Asbestos eradication at the António Correia de Oliveira, Apúlia and Forjães primary schools. See: Município finaliza processo de remoção do amianto nas escolas [Municipality finalizes asbestos removal process in schools].
Asbestos Warehouse on Fire
Aug 16, 2021
Fires raged out of control throughout Beirut last weekend, destroying homes, industrial and public buildings. At a derelict asbestos warehouse in Chekka, North Lebanon the fire reached a stockpile of asbestos-containing material and created even more toxic smoke as cancerous fibers became airborne. The bankrupt company which had owned the building had been unable to sell the goods; neither the government nor the United Nations were able to dispose of the unwanted stock. See: Des incendies continuent à sévir au Liban [Fires continue to rage in Lebanon].
Court Upholds Cancer Verdict against J&J
Aug 13, 2021
On August 5, 2021. the California Court of Appeal, First District threw out an appeal from Johnson and Johnson (J&J) over a jury verdict which had awarded $29 million for the ovarian cancer contracted by Teresa Elizabeth Leavitt who had used the company’s iconic baby powder throughout her life. The jury had found that substantial evidence supported the finding that it was more likely than not that “Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder was contaminated with asbestos when Leavitt used it…” There are believed to be more than 30,000 cancer cases pending against J&J over asbestos contamination of its baby powder. See: J&J Fails to Escape Jury’s $29 Million Award in Baby Powder Suit.
Asbestos Products’ Companies Denounced
Aug 13, 2021
Japanese construction workers and bereaved family members expressed growing frustration by the failures of building materials manufacturers, who were found guilty of using asbestos in their products, to negotiate and support a national compensation scheme as ordered by the Supreme Court in May 2021 following years of litigation in multiple jurisdictions. Speaking at a public rally in Tokyo on June 16, asbestos cancer widow Ryoko Akechi deplored the intransigence of the building material companies calling them the “the number one perpetrator” of the asbestos epidemic. See: 建設石綿の被害者ら、依然動かぬメーカーにいらだち募る [Construction Asbestos Victims Grow Frustrated with Manufacturers Who Fail to Act].
Spain’s Toxic Asbestos Legacy
Aug 13, 2021
The ubiquity of asbestos-containing roofing material in Spain and the strict regulations regarding its removal and disposal mean that eradication of the hazard must be accomplished by specialist companies only. In addition, asbestos-cement products, such as asbestos-cement water pipes, hidden within the country’s infrastructure are also a danger to workers and members of the public. In Madrid, these toxic pipes have already outlived their useful life and are deteriorating with the result that fibers could be liberated into the water supply system. These pipes must be removed and disposed of as per regulations at licensed waste sites. See: Eliminar amianto y uralita es obligatorio [Removing asbestos and uralite is mandatory].
Sicily’s Plan for Asbestos Eradication
Aug 13, 2021
Last week, a “Plan for the Protection of the Environment, Decontamination, Disposal and Reclamation for Protection against the Asbestos Hazard” was published in the Official Journal of the Sicilian Region. One of the main aims of the initiative was to stop the illegal disposal of asbestos throughout rural areas of Sicily. According to the President of Sicily Nello Musumeci this plan, which was thirty years in the making, will: “bring order to the complex work of total removal of the asbestos present in all public and private buildings on the island.” See: Sicilia, dopo quasi 30 anni esiste un Piano regionale per l’amianto. Musumeci: “Un importante strumento” [Sicily, after almost 30 years there is a regional plan for asbestos. Musumeci: “An important tool”].
Court of Appeal Mesothelioma Ruling
Aug 13, 2021
Litigation over the 2016 death from mesothelioma – the signature cancer caused by asbestos exposure – of businessman Martin Rix (aged 60) was finally brought to an end last week by a decision of the Court of Appeal which ruled, in a landmark decision, that his family was entitled to bring a financial dependency claim in spite of the business continuing to be profitable after his death. The Judges’ finding in Rix v Paramount was explained by Lady Justice Nicola Davies as follows: “The fact that the company has thrived since Mr Rix’s death is irrelevant for the purpose of the calculation of Mrs Rix’s dependency…” See: Dependency victory for relatives of deceased businessman.
Eradicating Navarra’s Asbestos Hazard
Aug 13, 2021
Arantza Biurrun, spokesperson for the Socialist Party of Navarra (PSN) in the Navarra Parliament, asked Minister José Aierdi about the Parliament’s strategy to detect and remove asbestos in residential buildings. Despite the pandemic, the PSN remained, said Biurrun, “firm in its commitment to end asbestos [exposures].” Navarra had, Ms. Biurrin said, pioneered work on a Master Plan for the Elimination of Asbestos in alignment with European Parliament and European Economic and Social Committee resolutions and commitments. See: El PSN pregunta a Aierdi sobre las medidas para la detección y retirada del amianto en construcciones residenciales [The PSN asks Aierdi about the measures for the detection and removal of asbestos in residential buildings].
Victory for Hokkaido Plaintiffs!
Aug 10, 2021
On August 5, 2021 a settlement was reached in a lawsuit brought by asbestos-injured construction workers and bereaved relatives from Hokkaido against the Japanese State and building material manufacturers. Litigation proceedings began in April 2011 at the Sapporo District Court; in 2017, the Government’s negligence was acknowledged but not that of the manufacturers. An appeal was lodged. This month a settlement was reached following the landmark Supreme Court ruling in May 2021 which had supported the rights of the asbestos-injured. See: 国と初の集団和解成立 北海道建設アスベスト訴訟 札幌高裁 [First Class Settlement Reached with the State in Hokkaido Construction Asbestos Lawsuit, Sapporo High Court].
Toxic Toys Recalled in Australia
Aug 10, 2021
A range of remote-controlled toy cars, which had been sold in Australia since 2016, was urgently recalled on August 4, 2021 because of the presence of asbestos. The ECX hobby cars, which had been on sale in 57 shops across the country, contained chrysotile (white) asbestos parts in three models – the ECX Desert Buggy, ECX Monster Truck, ECX Brutus – plus Slipper pad spare parts sold separately. Owners of these toys were warned not to open the vehicles and to return them to their place of purchase. See: Remote-controlled cars are urgently recalled as they contain deadly asbestos – and they've been on sale for five years.
AI Tool for Asbestos Identification
Aug 10, 2021
SNCF Voyageurs, a passenger rail transport company operating in France and Europe, has announced the use of an in-house Artificial Intelligence program to streamline efforts to identify asbestos in the company’s fleet of 17,000 vehicles. SNCF employees (trained in less than two hours) photograph railway cars and the images are fed to the AI algorithm. Several months of development and testing provided reliable diagnoses: “Today,” said Patrick Munsch “when the solution tells us that there is no asbestos on a wagon, we can trust it 100%! … And when it reports the presence of asbestos, the error rate is less than 1%.” See: SNCF Voyageurs améliore la détection d'amiante grâce à l'intelligence artificielle de Datategy [SNCF Voyageurs improves asbestos detection thanks to Datategy's artificial intelligence].
Interview with UK Asbestos Campaigners
Aug 10, 2021
The husband and wife team Mavis and Raymond Nye were the subjects of a recent blog by Martin Ditkof on the ramifications of asbestos exposures at British shipyards; Mavis developed the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos fibers brought home on her husband’s work clothes from the Chatham Dockyards. The blog, based on extensive interviews with the couple, covered the trauma suffered by Mavis in battling such an intractable disease, as well as the treatments she has undergone and the pioneering work she has undertaken to help other victims of asbestos-related diseases. The details provided about the occupational exposures experienced by Ray as a shipwright were very informative. See: Mavis Nye: Exposure from Shipbuilding.
Asbestos Hazard Posed by Power Plant
Aug 10, 2021
Often in the aftermath of natural and man-made disasters comes news of environmental asbestos contamination. The fires in the Muğla's Milas district of Turkey have led to statements from asbestos experts about the likelihood of asbestos contamination caused by damage to the Kemerköy Thermal Power Plant. The experts warned that in the event that the plant was affected, firefighters should use specialist equipment to prevent inhalation of carcinogenic fibers. See: Termik santraldeki görünmez tehlike. Uzmanı uyardı [Invisible danger in thermal power plant. Warning from expert].
Asbestos Support: Update
Aug 10, 2021
On August 6, 2021, it was reported that Akashi City had set up an advice center – the Asbestos General Counselling Service – for people who had contracted asbestos-related diseases in Japan. The center has seven members of staff and lawyers and provides “a one-stop consultation service” for the injured and their family members. It is open from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. every weekday and can be accessed by calling: 078-918-5002. See: 明石市がアスベストの健康被害の相談にあたる総合窓口開設 [Akashi City opens a general contact point for consultation on asbestos health hazards].
Post-Ban Update in Colombia
Aug 6, 2021
Despite the fact that Colombia banned asbestos in 2019, the country is full of asbestos products. Associate Professor Juan Pablo Ramos from the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Los Andes in Bogotá estimated usages of such products: “More than 300 million square meters of tiles throughout the country; likewise, there are forty thousand kilometers of pipe in Colombia, enough to go around the earth. And in mid-2015, it was said that there were 3.5 million vehicles in the country with brake products made with this material [asbestos].” Campaigners are calling for rigorous monitoring protocols to ensure compliance with the ban. See: Colombia está inundada de asbesto y se requiere sustituir este material cancerígeno [Colombia is flooded with asbestos and it is necessary to replace this carcinogenic material].
Update: Approval for Immunotherapy Drug
Aug 6 2021
An August 3, 2021 article reported that following approval on June 1, 2021 by the European Medicines Agency, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency – the agency tasked with regulating medicine, medical devices and blood components for transfusions – has also approved the use of a combination immunotherapy protocol for the first-line treatment of adults with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. The drugs for this therapy, the first treatment option approved in 15 years, are Bristol Myers Squibb’s nivolumab and ipilimumab; this treatment has now been sanctioned in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland. See: MHRA approves first immunotherapy treatment for mesothelioma.
Wittenoom: The End
Aug 6, 2021
This week the Wittenoom Closure Bill was reintroduced to the Western Australian Parliament to enable the government to compulsory purchase the final three remaining private properties in the former asbestos mining town of Wittenoom, with the intention of demolishing all remaining infrastructure to limit the site’s attraction for visitors. The town and surrounding area were classified as a contaminated site under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003. In 2007, Wittenoom was delisted as a town and since then, the State has acquired most of the private properties through voluntary sales. See: Final closure of Wittenoom nears as Bill returns to Parliament.
Asbestos Removal and Swift Retention
Aug 6, 2021
Madrid residents in tower blocks with toxic roofing have faced an unusual problem whilst considering plans to eradicate asbestos-cement roofs. The material on the top of buildings in the Orcasitas neighborhood has, for decades, provided an ideal nesting place for a large colony of swifts between May and June every year. Once the nesting habits of the swifts were known, residents consulted architects and removal specialists to find ways to accommodate the birds and remove the hazard. Public consultation was key according to María Antonia García-Heras of the residents’ association, who said that the solution found enabled them to “remove the asbestos and guarantee that the birds remain in the neighborhood.” See: El amianto deja paso a los vencejos [Asbestos makes way for swifts].
Asbestos Offensive
Aug 6, 2021
Whilst the Ukraine Parliament – the Verkhovna Rada – is in summer recess, asbestos industry propagandists continue their onslaught on plans by Ukraine to ban asbestos. A lengthy article on a Ukraine news website criticized what it termed an ill-informed and damaging step by the country, stating: “Unfortunately, Ukraine's intended choice [to ban asbestos] is not based on a scientific approach, data analysis, procedures and criteria. It is based on slogans and poor understanding of the issue.” See: А как там у них за бугром? Мировая практика регулирования использования асбеста [And what of them over the hill? World practice in regulating the use of asbestos].
Asbestos Action in Umbria: Update
Aug 6, 2021
Conflict in the Umbria Region over asbestos outreach and support work by the regional government continues to rage, with politicians from the Five Star Party making accusations of inaction. Regional Councillor for Health and Welfare Luca Coletto said that despite the pandemic, hundreds of at-risk workers had received medicals, and surveillance and awareness raising activities had been progressed. In addition, Coletto added, thousands of site inspections were carried out and plans advanced for a “new Regional Prevention Plan to be carried out… to update the monitoring of public and private sites in which the presence of asbestos-cement products is found.” See: Amianto, il punto di Coletto: “Non trascuriamo i lavoratori, ecco i dati” [Asbestos, Coletto says: “Let's not neglect the workers, here are the data”].
Scandal: False Document, Public Hazard
Aug 4, 2021
The President of the Turkish Association of Asbestos Removal Experts Mehmet Şeyhmus Ensari has exposed a scandal whereby experts have been falsifying documentation, saying no asbestos was present in order to facilitate the demolition of buildings in the country’s capital, Ankara and in the cities of Çankaya and Yenimahalle despite the known risks of asbestos exposures and Turkish regulations mandating that asbestos surveys and removal be carried out prior to any demolition work. See: Ankara'da asbest alarmı | ASUD Başkanı Ensari: Denetim yok, raporlar sahte [Asbestos alarm in Ankara | ASUD President Ensari: No inspection, reports are fake].
The Deafening Silence of Asbestos
Aug 4, 2021
The heading above is the title of a new book by Alberto Gaino which documented the appalling repercussions of corporate crimes in Italy, examining, amongst other scandals, the fallout from the country’s mining and consumption of asbestos. Gaino cited documents, explained social and legal developments and considered the multiple issues which led to the catastrophic loss of life due to asbestos exposures in Italian towns like Casale Monferrato, which prohibited the production and marketing of Eternit [asbestos] products on December 3, 1987, 5 years before the Italian government did so. See: Il silenzio “assordante” dell’amianto [The "deafening" silence of asbestos].
Award for Anna!
Aug 4, 2021
Professor Anna Nowak, an internationally respected oncologist and researcher from the University of Western Australia, has been named the recipient of the inaugural 2021 Professor M. Tattersall Heroes Award by the Medical Oncology Group of Australia, in recognition of her contribution to medical oncology in Australia. Professor Nowak is Director of the National Research Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, a practising medical oncologist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and a member of the Board of Directors of the Cancer Council WA. She will receive the award at a ceremony on August 5, 2021. See: National prize for world-leading asbestos diseases researcher.
Asbestos in Schools
Aug 4, 2021
According to a 2016 survey, many French schools built before 1997 still contained asbestos: 38% of schools; 80% of vocational high schools, 77% of general and technological high schools and 73% of secondary schools. Work is underway in the French town of Cahors to address the asbestos contamination of public buildings with a priority being given to premises used by children. Asbestos remediation is being carried out this summer at the Zacharie-Lafage nursery school to remove toxic tiles present in a common room. Asbestos audits by specialist companies are also being undertaken in others public buildings in Cahors. See: Cahors. Amiante, infiltrations : quand les écoles vieillissent [Cahors. Asbestos infiltration when schools get older].
Asbestos in Madrid
Aug 4, 2021
The asbestos saga in the transport network of Metro de Madrid continues. Line 6 of the subway has reopened after asbestos removal work was carried out over the last month; sections of line 9 – between the stations Colombia and Plaza de Castilla – will be closed throughout August for asbestos remediation with a free replacement bus service for passengers. These actions are part of the Suburban Modernization Plan, a €89 million (US$105+m) program to remediate the oldest sections of a transport network that first began operations in 1919. See: La parada de Plaza de Castilla, que suspenderá el servicio en la línea 9 hasta el 31 de Agosto [The Plaza de Castilla stop will suspend service on line 9 until August 31].
Political Dispute Cancels Asbestos Program
Aug 4, 2021
The commencement of asbestos remediation work at a daycare center in Busan was postponed indefinitely on July 26, 2021 due to a lack of funds. Although forty million won (US$35,000) had been earmarked for the work, a dispute in the Nam-gu Council prevented the funds from being released. Parents expressed anger over the cancellation because of the continued hazard the asbestos posed to children, saying both the Congress and Council had evaded their responsibilities. An official from Nam-gu said: “We cannot know whether the construction will be done until the parliament passes the supplementary budget bill.” See: 기초의회 다툼에 어린이집 석면 철거공사 무기 연기 [Asbestos demolition work at daycare center postponed due to dispute in local council].
Cancer Class Action for Black Women
Jul 29, 2021
At a press conference on July 27, 2021, the high-profile US civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced that a lawsuit had been launched against Johnson & Johnson on behalf of black women who contracted ovarian cancer after having used the company’s iconic talc-based baby which, it was alleged, contained asbestos fibers. The claimants were members of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). Commenting on the case, NCNW’s Executive Director Janice Mathis said: “This company, through its words and images, told Black women that we were offensive in our natural state and needed to use their products to stay fresh… Generations of Black women believed them…” See: Ben Crump files lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson on behalf of Black women.
Government Settles Asbestos Claim
Jul 29, 2021
The case brought by the wife and two sons of a plasterer from Shizuoka City, Japan who died in 2004 aged 56 of asbestos-related lung cancer was settled on July 26, 2021 in the Tokyo High Court. The Government agreed to pay compensation of more than 16.56 million yen (US$150,000) for having failed to protect construction workers from the asbestos hazard. This is the second settlement reached since the landmark Supreme Court verdict (May 2021) recognizing the responsibility of the Government and building material manufacturers for asbestos disease in construction workers. See: 静岡石綿訴訟で和解成立 肺がんで死亡・左官業男性の遺族が国訴えた裁判 [Settlement in Shizuoka asbestos trial for bereaved family of a plasterer who died of lung cancer].
No Asbestos Dump in Mont-Saint-Vincent!
Jul 29, 2021
A commercial proposal to expand landfill capacity at a quarry near the French town of Mont-Saint-Vincent, which had generated huge opposition amongst local people, has now been cancelled by the developers: the Rougeot company. On Monday, July 26, 2021 this news was disseminated by email to the town’s residents; Mayor Jean Girardon wrote “there will be no burying of asbestos in the Bourgueuil quarry.” Objections to the plans, which had included proposals for the site to receive asbestos waste, had been the source of many public protests and petitions over recent months. See: Le projet d’enfouissement d’amiante est annulé [The asbestos landfill project is cancelled].
Protecting Asbestos Markets
Jul 29, 2021
A July 2021 blog by Karuna Vikram drew on an internal corporate memo from 1982 to reveal how the asbestos company Eternit-Manila successfully circumvented a surprise ban on asbestos-cement (A/C) pipes announced by President Ferdinand Marcos in 1982. Although Eternit publicly welcomed the investigation the President called for, in reality the company was were furiously working to have the ban suspended until conclusive evidence was amassed proving the that A/C pipes were a health hazard. Under the section headed “Staff Analysis,” Eternit admitted it was aware of the occupational and public health dangers posed by its A/C pipes. See: What Corporations Know and What They Claim to Know: Eternit and Asbestos Cement Pipes.
Addressing Canada’s Toxic Legacy
Jul 29, 2021
Despite being banned in Canada in 2018, 152,000 Canadians are still being exposed to asbestos in the workplace according to information released by CAREX Canada, a group tasked with reducing the country’s incidence of cancer. An asbestos report recently published by the Canadian Standards Association identified gaps and inconsistencies in the management of the country’s toxic asbestos legacy and recommended that national standards on a range of issues were needed to close loopholes and ensure that all jurisdictions, Government agencies and employers were coordinating action to protect Canadians from future exposures. See: New CSA report urges national standard for managing asbestos.
Hiding Behind Covid-19?
Jul 29, 2021
At a public rally on July 26, 2021 in front of the headquarters of the National Institute of Social Security (INSS), the Asbestos Victims Association (Asviamie) – in the city of Donostia, also known as San Sebastián – accused the INSS of “taking advantage” of Covid-19 measures to create “an inaccessible bunker” which was hindering the processing of benefits and the recognition of occupational diseases, thereby disadvantaging claimants with asbestos and other workplace-related diseases. Waits of up to six months to get face-to-face or telephone appointments for terminal patients were, said Asviamie spokesperson Jesús Urzkudun, unacceptable. See: Asviamie acusa a la Seguridad Social de constituir un “bunker” [Asviamie accuses Social Security of constituting a “bunker”].
National Asbestos Database
Jul 27, 2021
The Australian Government has announced plans to develop a public asbestos database to prevent future exposures to asbestos-containing products within the country’s infrastructure. Details from state and territory sources will be collected and artificial intelligence technology will be used “to allow governments to better plan and manage Australia's harmful asbestos legacy.” The work on the “asbestos heatmap” will be undertaken by the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA); commenting on the initiative, ASEA’s CEO Justine Ross said: “In order to prevent exposure, we need to better understand the density and location of asbestos materials, particularly in the residential environment where information is not centralised.” See: National asbestos map being developed by federal government.
National Asbestos Remediation Program
Jul 27, 2021
Under regulations now being finalized by the Spanish Government, city councils will have until 2023 to design a plan for the removal of asbestos from their buildings. In order to satisfy the new regulations, the councils must undertake asbestos audits to identify toxic products and assess their condition prior to delineating measures for their removal and disposal. Asbestos-cement (ac) products were widely used throughout the country. The installation of solar panels on properties with ac water tanks is of particular concern and the employment of specialist asbestos removal contractors is essential to prevent toxic exposures. See: La retirada del amianto inicia su cuenta atrás [Asbestos removal countdown starts].
Asbestos Remediation in Capital City
Jul 27, 2021
To protect public health from toxic exposures, the General Directorate of Ankara Water and Sewerage Administration is progressing efforts to replace 40-year old asbestos-containing pipes in the water delivery system of the Turkish capital. Polyethylene pipes are being laid by the Water and Channel Construction Department of Ankara’s mains water line. The current phase of the program will deliver safe water to homes where more than 200,000 people live. The work to eradicate asbestos water pipes in all of Ankara is due to be completed by the end of 2021. See: Başkentte asbestli boruların değiştirilmesi çalışmaları devam ediyor [Work continues in the capital to replace asbestos pipes].
Under-reporting of ARDs in Brazil
Jul 27, 2021
A paper uploaded on July 22, 2021 to the website of the Journal of Occupational Medicine entitled “Underreporting of mesothelioma, asbestosis and pleural plaques in Brazil” examined factors impacting on the reporting of cases of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) in that country. The authors found that there were widespread and systemic failures which ensured that a significant numbers of ARDs were neither diagnosed nor reported over a number of years. Deploring this dysfunctionality they concluded that: “It is urgent to make victims visible, monitor the exposed and protect their labour rights.” See: Underreporting of mesothelioma, asbestosis and pleural plaques in Brazil.
Asbestos Surprise!
Jul 27, 2021
When Simon Fadden from the Asbestos Division of the Squibb Group uploaded in early July 2021 to Linked In a series of photographs taken at a site his team had recently remediated it set off a flurry of comments all of which expressed surprise that so long after asbestos had been banned in the UK (1999), such a discovery had been made. The photos were of 50 kilogram bales of shrink-wrapped chrysotile asbestos fiber from the Canadian LAB chrysotile (white) asbestos mine. From the pictures it was clear that the toxic fiber had been in situ for some while. Commenting on the surprise, Simon wrote: “It’s not every day you are faced with such vast amounts of asbestos, especially in the product forms it was found.” See: Photograph 1, Photograph 2, Photograph 3.
Pioneering São Paulo Outpatient Clinic
Jul 27, 2021
People who worked with asbestos in the city of Pedro Leopoldo in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais on July 22 travelled more than 10 hours by bus so they could be examined by Dr. Ubiritan de Paula Santos and his team at the Incor Pneumology outpatient clinic at the Heart Institute of the University of São Paulo. The medical program under which they were examined was established by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) in collaboration with medical specialists and has, to date, provided care for scores of asbestos-exposed workers from the States of São Paulo and Minas Gerais; medical training and support for professionals in several health centers was provided in cities including Piracicaba, Capivari and others in São Paulo State. See: Photograph.
Job Opportunities at Asbestos Mine
Jul 22, 2021
At a meeting for members of the youth movement “URA-2021,” in mid-July, in the Russian town of Asbestos, attendees were told of wonderful job opportunities at the local asbestos mine: “There are special programs that allow you to get new skills and knowledge on the job, which means both growth in seniority and the opportunity for increased wages. The plant supports its employees by offering them spa holidays, payments on the occasion of the birth of a child, professional development programs and much more.” No mention was made of the deadly effects of asbestos exposure on human health. See: Профсоюзный лидер «Ураласбеста» выступил на XI слете профсоюзной молодежи Урала «УРА-2021» [The trade union leader of "Uralasbest" spoke at the XI meeting of the Urals youth trade union "URA-2021"].
Update: Asbestos Trial
Jul 22, 2021
At the July 19, 2021 hearing in the asbestos trial of the Swiss billionaire owner of Eternit, the names of the 392 people who died from, allegedly, inhaling Eternit asbestos were read out. The defendant is charged by prosecutors with manslaughter over the deaths of 63 workers and 320 members of the public from the town of Casale Monferrato in the Piedmont region of Italy. Also read out was a list of proposed witnesses – from a 120-page document – included in which was PM Mario Draghi. During the day, discussions over limiting the number of witnesses to be called took place. See: Processo Eternit-Bis, la Corte d'Assise ammette il premier Draghi tra i testimoni [Eternit-Bis trial, the Court of Assizes admits Prime Minister Draghi among the witnesses].
OSHA Asbestos Citations
Jul 22, 2021
According to a July 19, 2021 press release issued by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), three companies – Eastern Coast Management Inc., SRZ Mgmt Holdings LLC and SRZ OP Bentonview LLC – were cited for failing to test for the presence of asbestos, erect protective barriers and provide respiratory and personal protective equipment to staff during refurbishment work in January 2021 to replace flooring at a health facility. As a result, residents of the Bentonview Park Health & Rehabilitation Center in Monett, Missouri as well as specialist technicians were exposed to asbestos. See: U.S. Department of Labor Cites Three Employers at Missouri Residential Care Facility.
Asbestos Remediation of Schools
Jul 22, 2021
During the 2021 summer holidays, asbestos safety surveys and remediation work are being carried out in 19 elementary, middle, and high schools in Seoul, under the supervision of personnel from the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment and representatives of the Department of Education. Samples taken after the asbestos removal work has been completed will be examined with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment to ensure the work has been carried out correctly and that the premises are fit for purpose. Any adverse findings will be the cause for follow-up cleaning measures and further tests. See: 서울시, 유·초·중·고 석면 안전성 조사 실시[Seoul conducts asbestos safety survey for elementary, middle, and high schools].
Spike in Asbestos Exports
July 22, 2021
Despite the fact that the Brazilian Supreme Court banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos in 2017, figures for June 2021 show that since June 2020 there has been a 246% increase in asbestos fiber exports from Brazil’s asbestos producing State of Goiás. Although, the mine’s owners maintain that they have an exemption to produce asbestos for export purposes only, asbestos victims’ groups and their lawyers believe that these actions are illegal under the Supreme Court ruling. Litigation over this matter is proceeding at the Supreme Court. See: Proibido no Brasil, amianto tem recorde de exportação em Goiás [Banned in Brazil, asbestos exports reach record levels in Goiás].
Asbestos Trial Proceeding
Jul 22, 2021
The death of a former municipal worker has resulted in a trial – which began last month (June 2021) – of the French City of Angoulême which had, allegedly, exposed the deceased to asbestos fibers at work. If the municipality is found guilty, it will be ordered to pay the sum of €180,000 (US$210,000+) to the French Compensation Fund for Asbestos Victims (FIVA) which has already paid compensation for this workplace-related death. See: La ville d’Angoulême face aux enjeux environnementaux et sanitaires relatifs à l’amiante [City of Angoulême facing environmental and health issues relating to asbestos].
Avoidance of Toxic Talc Claims?
Jul 19, 2021
The American pharmaceutical Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which is facing tens of thousands of cancer claims from people who used its asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder, is considering options for off-loading its liabilities in order to minimize compensation payouts. According to Reuters, the use of the Texas two-step – a stratagem which allows a company to create a new entity for housing liabilities which would then file for bankruptcy – is under discussion. Refusing to comment on the rumors, a company spokesperson told Reuters: “Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. has not decided on any particular course of action in this litigation other than to continue to defend the safety of talc and litigate these cases in the tort system, as the pending trials demonstrate.” See: J&J exploring putting talc liabilities into bankruptcy.
Asbestos and Gastric Cancer
July 19, 2021
A study undertaken by researchers in Taiwan investigated the gastric cancer risk of workers exposed to asbestos. Compared with the general population, the standardized incidence ratios of the asbestos occupational cohort for gastric cancer increased both in males and females. Individuals who had been employed at 123 worksites where cases of malignant mesothelioma had been identified were found to have an increased risk for gastric cancer. The authors of this paper concluded that: “This 35-year retrospective cohort study of asbestos-exposed workers in Taiwan may provide support for an association between occupational exposure to asbestos and gastric cancer.” See: Cancer in Asbestos-Exposed Workers: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on Taiwan Cancer Registry 1980–2015.
Asbestos and Liver Cancer!
Jul 19, 2021
Italian researchers will soon publish results of an investigation which confirmed findings in 2013 that linked exposure to asbestos to an increased risk of liver cancer. The original study was undertaken by a team in Bologna led by Professor Giovanni Brandi, who recently said that there was solid evidence: “of a correlation between exposure to asbestos and tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and in particular of the liver… We published a retrospective study that highlighted how the possibility of contracting cholangiocarcinoma is 5 times greater for people who have been exposed to asbestos. Furthermore, a prospective study is about to be published…where the risk has increased by even 7 times.” See: L'amianto colpisce anche il fegato [Asbestos also affects the liver].
Farewell Paco!
Jul 19, 2021
The death of the Spanish environmentalist and asbestos activist Francisco Puche – known to one and all as Paco – has been reported. The 82-year-old bookshop owner, who was a key figure amongst campaigners and intellectuals in his home town of Malaga, died on July 16. His death came barely two months after his iconic bookshop had been destroyed in a fire. Speaking about Paco’s legacy, journalist Héctor Márquez said he had been: “a pioneer in this city in introducing topics such as social welfare, the circular economy, the value of water, the dangers of asbestos, the society of common good, sustainability, green spaces.” See: Muere el librero y activista Francisco Puche, fundador de Proteo [The bookseller and activist Francisco Puche, founder of Proteo, dies].
Say No to Asbestos Gaskets!
Jul 19, 2021
A prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) resulted in a fine of £22,000 at Leeds Magistrates’ Court for Power Link Machines (UK) Ltd. which had been found guilty of breaching asbestos safety regulations. In 2018, the company was found to be using asbestos-containing gaskets in its generator sets despite having been served with a prohibition order six months earlier which required the company stop importing all asbestos items. The banned goods had been imported from China. After the hearing, HSE inspector Rachel Brittain said: “Had the company put robust checks in place to ensure that they were not importing asbestos containing materials, this incident would not have occurred.” See: £22k fine for asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Dumping on Madeira
Jul 19, 2021
On July 15, 2021, Miguel Iglésias – leader of the Legislative Assembly of the island of Madeira – told a plenary session of the Assembly that several tonnes of asbestos debris had been illegally dumped at a shipyard in the city of São Vicente. The toxic waste had been disposed of by a contractor employed by the Madeira Housing Association, a public authority, to remove asbestos from housing stock. The owners of the site and transport company are being investigated by the Republican National Guard; a prosecution is pending before the Judicial Court of Madeira. See: Amianto enterrado na Madeira inclui detritos provenientes de empreitadas públicas [Asbestos buried in Madeira includes debris from public works].
Addressing EU Asbestos Hazard
Jul 16, 2021
MEPs are calling for the European Commission to prioritize measures to eradicate the EU asbestos hazard. According to French MEP Véronique Trillet-Lenoir, efforts to renovate 35 million inefficient buildings in the EU by 2030 provide the opportunity to remove asbestos and eradicate the hazard: “A European strategy is needed to avoid inequalities in protection: every worker must be adequately protected, regardless of his or her place of work… Removing asbestos now means avoiding passing on this burden to future generations and making a major investment in public health: the benefits are considerable, not only in terms of lives saved and pain avoided but also in terms of savings for social protection systems.” See: MEPs are calling for complete elimination of cancer-causing asbestos.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Progress
Jul 16, 2021
Good news has been published by researchers from the University of Texas who found a “40% objective response rate in patients with advanced malignant peritoneal mesothelioma” in a phase II study that used a combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab to treat patients. In a July 14, 2021 article in Cancer Discovery, Associate Professor of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Dr. Kanwal Raghav, who led the study, said: “There is a grave unmet need for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma… This study establishes a much-needed treatment option and represents an effort to encourage research for this rare disease.” See: Drug combination shows meaningful responses for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma patient.
Catalonia to Eradicate Asbestos
Jul 16, 2021
The President of the Government of Catalonia Pere Aragonès on July 16, 2021 recommitted his government to the goal of eliminating asbestos from Catalonia, announcing that “a regulatory framework will be drawn up” as part of the National Plan to Eradicate Asbestos “so no one else has to suffer the consequences of the degradation of this material again.” All the town councils and Catalan administration will have a role to play in ensuring that the region has “healthy cities free of this component of fiber cement.” See: Aragonès se compromete a retirar el amianto de Catalunya [Aragonès is committed to removing asbestos from Catalonia].
Korean Asbestos Training: Update
Jul 16, 2021
On July 13, 2021, the Korean Association for Asbestos Safety and Health announced that it would support “Intensive Asbestos Safety Management Training'” for municipal workers in 17 local governments across the country who deal with asbestos issues; educating officials in city halls, provincial, county and ward offices. While the main focus of the case-oriented education is practical measures for minimizing hazards in asbestos remediation operations, and asbestos safety management inspections, also covered are updates on asbestos management laws and safety protocols. See: 석면연대, 17개 지자체 대상 석면안전관리 심화 예방교육 지원 [Asbestos Coalition supports in-depth prevention education on asbestos safety management for 17 local governments].
Asbestos Prosecution in NSW
Jul 16, 2021
A prosecution over asbestos dumping in Sydney in 2017 which was brought by the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) resulted in a guilty plea by the accused: Michael Anthony Laird. Laird had been contracted by property owners to bring in soil for the construction of building pads; the 1.351 tonnes of in-fill material he delivered was contaminated with asbestos. Magistrate L Robinson convicted Mr Laird on two charges and ordered him to pay over $220,000 (US$164,000) in financial penalties and costs. See: Asbestos waste delivery results in conviction and over $200,000 in penalties.
Another Mechanic Contracts Asbestos Cancer
Jul 16, 2021
A substantial settlement was achieved for 67-year old mesothelioma plaintiff Tim Reed who had been employed by Eastern Counties Omnibus Company at their Peterborough depot between 1968 and 1973. During his apprenticeship as a fitter, Reed had been exposed to asbestos contained in bus brakes and clutches. Mr. Reed was diagnosed with the asbestos cancer in 2018, 12 years after he had begun work as a rugby development coach with the Rugby Football Union. He has been forced to retire due to deteriorating health. See: Settlement for Former Rugby Development Coach with Asbestos Cancer.
Justice: Not Seen, Not Heard
Jul 14, 2021
As members of the asbestos victims’ group Afeva settled themselves in the Novara Court of Assizes to witness legal proceedings in the manslaughter trial of Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny on July 12, 2021, the President of the Court of Assizes Gianfranco Pezone ordered they be removed, citing Covid regulations. Arguing their case, stalwart Afeva member Bruno Pesce said: “We are few and the room is empty. While we are here, as always, let us stay.” They were ordered to leave the Court. The legal arguments recommenced after they left the chamber. See: I membri di Afeva allontanati dall'aula all'Eternit Bis [Afeva members removed from the Eternit Bis (hearing) courtroom].
A Visit to Russia’s Asbestos City
Jul 14, 2021
Shinjiro Minami, a Japanese academic, who went on a trip to the Russian city of Asbestos to visit the world’s largest asbestos mine, has reported his findings to a Japanese newspaper. In spite of WHO warnings over the deadly effects of exposure to asbestos, operations at the mine continue with colossal levels of airborne asbestos fiber produced daily. Minami’s guide told him: “Everyone knows that asbestos is harmful. My grandfather's colleagues who worked in the mine died thin and coughing repeatedly.” Mine workers are given one liter of milk every day to dampen down the fibers. Fear of reprisals from the mining company ensures that there is no public opposition to the mine. See: ロシア・「被害はデマ」 アスベスト採掘今も [Russia “damage is hoax,” asbestos mining continues].
Local Government’s New Victims’ Scheme
Jul 14, 2021
On July 12, 2021, Akashi City announced the launch of a consultation service for asbestos victims amid concerns about the repercussions of toxic exposures during the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the subsequent clean-up operations. The local government’s initiative will offer occupational and environmental victims a one-stop consultation service to facilitate their access to medical, social and legal services. See: 明石市がアスベスト相談窓口を開設 石綿の健康被害者を支援 [Akashi City Opens Asbestos Consultation Service Supporting Asbestos Victims].
Mesothelioma Verdict Upheld
Jul 14, 2021
On July 8, 2021, the Washington Supreme Court overturned an Appellate Court’s verdict which had rejected a jury’s decision in a wrongful death case brought by the family of Jerry “Doy” Coogan, an auto mechanic who had died in 2015 aged 67 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The Supreme Court Judges, who reinstated a $81.5 million verdict, unanimously held that the Court of Appeals had “overstepped its limited role and inappropriately substituted its own judgment for that of the trial court, and most importantly, the jury.” The two defendants which had sold or supplied the asbestos-containing brake pads and other parts which the deceased had used were held liable for the damages awarded. See: Court Upholds $81.5 Million Verdict in Mesothelioma Case.
Inquiry into HSE Asbestos Policy
Jul 14, 2021
Although the use of asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, the incidence of asbestos-related cancer is still the highest in the world. To better understand what might be done to reduce the high level of asbestos-related diseases, the Parliamentary Work and Pensions Committee has launched an inquiry into the Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) policy and practices for managing the continued presence of asbestos in buildings. Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said: “The HSE is rightly looking into how asbestos can be handled more safely and the Committee’s inquiry will help to make sure monitoring and regulations are as effective and safe as they can possibly be.” See: Health & Safety Executive approach to asbestos management examined.
Asbestosis in Motor Vehicle Mechanics
Jul 14, 2021
Occupational exposures to asbestos-containing automotive parts such as brakes, clutches and gaskets have resulted in an elevated incidence of asbestos-related disease amongst motor vehicle mechanics. Researchers in Denmark examined the long-term risk and mortality from mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other lung diseases amongst a nationwide cohort of all registered male motor vehicle mechanics since 1970. While there was no increase in risk of malignant mesothelioma/pleural cancers “the risk of asbestosis was increased among vehicle mechanics.” See: Risk of asbestosis, mesothelioma, other lung disease or death among motor vehicle mechanics: a 45-year Danish cohort study.
BBC’s Asbestos Deaths
Jul 12, 2021
On April 8, 2021 the day of the demise of musician Christopher Larkin, his former employer – the BBC – admitted liability for his death. An inquest into his death ruled that Mr. Larkin had contracted the cancer mesothelioma due to “exposure to asbestos when he worked for the BBC from 1966 to 1997.” For decades, this member of the BBC orchestra had rehearsed and played at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios in West London which were, according to corporate documents, riddled with asbestos. Mr. Larkin’s widow and the family of another member of the orchestra, violinist Edwin Dodd, are suing the corporation over the demise of their loved ones. See: Musician’s widow sues BBC over his exposure to asbestos in studio.
Sad Day for Italian Justice
Jul 12, 2021
Late in the evening of July 9, 2021, Criminal Section IV of the Italian Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) confirmed a 2019 verdict of the Milan Court of Appeal acquitting former executives of the manslaughter of 15 employees who had died from asbestos cancer caused by toxic exposures at an Alfa Romeo factory in the municipality of Arese in the Milan Metropolitan area. The defendants had been accused over their failures to adopt precautionary protocols between 1974 and 1996 which would have prevented toxic exposures of members of the workforce. See: Amianto all’Alfa di Arese Tutti assolti [Asbestos (exposures) at Arese Alfa (factory) – All acquitted].
Investigation of HSE’s Asbestos Policy
Jul 12, 2021
On July 9, 2021, the Parliamentary Work and Pensions Committee launched an investigation into how the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) manages the presence of asbestos in buildings; the deadline for submissions is September 18, 2021. The Committee will examine the risks posed by asbestos in the workplace, the actions taken by HSE to control them and how the HSE’s approach compares to that taken in other countries. Commenting on this initiative, Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said: “Despite being banned for more than 20 years, the impact of asbestos is still devastating lives. Thousands of people die from asbestos-related illness every year.” See: Health and Safety Executive’s approach to asbestos management.
Mission: Asbestos Bans in Asia
Jul 12, 2021
On its fortieth anniversary, Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) has recommitted itself to the campaign to ban asbestos in Asia: APHEDA’s campaign Asbestos. not here. not anywhere, its flagship concern for the next four years, “aims to ban Asbestos in Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos and Cambodia, while also aiding and abetting the global movement for a total ban on Asbestos.” Over recent years, APHEDA’s work has been crucial in raising awareness of the asbestos hazard in these countries and in building capacity for outreach work to empower workers and the public to demand protection from the deadly carcinogen which is still being used in their countries. See: Drive for social justice sparks almost 40 years of supporting workers’ rights globally.
Asbestos Management Training
Jul 12, 2021
On July 9, 2021, the The Jeollabuk-do Office of Education conducted training regarding protocols for the safe management of asbestos in schools. The program, entitled 2021 Summer Vacation Asbestos Dismantling and Removal School Team Training, began at 2 p.m. and was held at the Jeonbuk Education and Culture Center Assembly Hall. Amongst those eligible to attend this session were: staff from 48 schools in the province, officials from the Education Support Office, parents participating in the monitoring group and representatives of private companies engaged in asbestos removal work. See: 석면 모니터단 교육… 안전성·신뢰도 높인다 [Asbestos monitoring team training … Increase safety and reliability].
Manslaughter Charges over Asbestos Deaths?
Jul 12, 2021
The public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the asbestos cancer deaths of four workers who had been employed at production sites owned by the Iveco company in the city of Bolzano in Italy’s South Tyrol Province. Deputy prosecutor Andrea Sacchetti is in charge of the complex investigation which will involve accumulating data and evidence documenting conditions experienced by the workforce at multiple sites over up to forty years. See: Quattro decessi sospetti per amianto [Four suspected deaths from asbestos].
Legal Victory in Osaka
Jul 10, 2021
On July 8, 2021, the Osaka High Court issued a victim’s verdict in a case brought by the family of a 70-year old construction worker Mr. Iwao Kawahara who died from the cancer mesothelioma as a result of occupational asbestos exposures. The government agreed to pay his widow Chizuruko Kawahara the sum of ¥13.36 million (US$ 121,600). Commenting on the outcome of the case, Mrs. Kawahara said: “It was a long trial, but I am relieved that a settlement has been reached.” See: 建設石綿訴訟、作業員側と国が和解 最高裁判決後で初 [Construction asbestos proceedings, workers and country settled for the first time after Supreme Court decision].
Andalusia Asbestos Remediation
Jul 10, 2021
On July 8, 2021, a deputy from a coalition political party formed in Seville, Spain earlier this year – Unidas Podemos por Andalucía (United We Can for Andalusia) – lodged a parliamentary initiative calling for the removal of asbestos in all public buildings in the Province of Andalusia. Deputy Ismael Sanchez said that airborne asbestos fibers “represent a respiratory risk and it is scientifically proven that this material causes cancer.” See: UP reclama a la Junta la retirada del amianto en edificios públicos de la provincia de Sevilla [UP demands that the Board remove asbestos in public buildings in the province of Seville].
New Mesothelioma Data
Jul 10, 2021
Information published in July 2021 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) documented a slight decrease in the annual number of mesothelioma deaths in 2019 with total British mesothelioma deaths of 2,369 compared to 2,446 deaths in 2018. While recent years have seen a small decline in the number of male mesothelioma deaths, female deaths remained about the same (424 in 2019). According to the HSE: “Men who worked in the building industry when asbestos was used extensively in the past continue to be most at risk of mesothelioma.” See: Mesothelioma statistics for Great Britain, 2021.
Mesothelioma Causation
Jul 10, 2021
A very interesting paper by Turkish and Swedish scientists examined the rate of mesothelioma amongst a cohort of Turkish immigrants to Sweden, some of who had lived in Karain, a village in Turkey which has an extraordinarily high incidence of mesothelioma due to naturally occurring erionite. The cohort was divided into people who had lived in Karain (the erionite-exposed) and those who had not (the erionite-unexposed). The 44 patients in the cohort of 337 who had contracted mesothelioma had been exposed to erionite in Karain. The researchers concluded that: “Exposure to erionite is the leading cause of mesothelioma in Karain villagers, and genetic factors are probably of minor importance.” See: Mesothelioma in immigrants from Turkey: Genes have a minor role.
Asbestos Remediation in Tamil Nadu
Jul 10, 2021
Work to replace aging asbestos-cement water pipes in the Indian city of Coimbatore is to be resumed after a hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The replacement iron pipeline will make water delivery safer and more reliable to customers on the State Bank Road. This initiative is indicative of a change in custom and use in the country which is the world’s biggest importer of asbestos fiber. According to asbestos experts in India, States like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra “are setting examples” by replacing asbestos material with safer alternatives. See: Work to lay drinking water pipeline to resume soon.
Milan Court Sanctions MoD
Jul 10, 2021
A victim’s ruling by a Labor Judge in the Court of Milan ordered the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to pay compensation to the orphaned child of a mesothelioma patient who died in 2017, having been exposed to asbestos whilst on military service in Venice from March 1963 to April 1964. The MoD was ordered to pay a lump sum of €430,000+ (US$509,000) as well as two monthly life-time pensions equalling €1533 (US$1815). See: Amianto, ministero Difesa condannato a risarcire orfana di ex lagunare a Venezia morto per mesotelioma pleurico [Asbestos, Ministry of Defense ordered to compensate orphan of a Venice serviceman who died of pleural mesothelioma].
Replacement of Asbestos Housing
Jul 7, 2021
On July 5, 2021, the Acting Governor of Russia’s Khabarovsk Territory Mikhail Degtyarev announced that residents of Berlin village currently living in housing containing asbestos would be rehoused. The twelve toxic structures were prefabricated panel houses imported from East Germany in the 1980s as temporary housing for builders of the thermal power station. See: Аварийные дома в Комсомольске-на-Амуре расселят в 2021 году после жалоб жителей Дегтяреву [Occupants of emergency houses in Komsomolsk-on-Amur will be resettled in 2021 after complaints from residents to Degtyarev].
Inconvenient Asbestos Legacy
Jul 7, 2021
The presence of more than three million square meters of asbestos-cement roofing on houses in the Balearic Islands is creating problems for islanders wishing to install solar panels. Workers installing photovoltaic panels on the roofing are being exposed to carcinogenic asbestos as they manipulate the toxic tiles said Gonzalo Zufía, President of the Asbestos Removal Association. According to Zufia, this situation was “worsening a serious problem that affects the health of millions of people.” See: El amianto, un problema a resolver antes de instalar placas solares [Asbestos, a problem to solve before installing solar panels].
Action Mesothelioma Day 2021
Jul 7, 2021
At noon on July 2, the Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group charity held a small in-person ceremony at St. Nicholas’s Parish Church to remember those whose lives had been taken by asbestos. The solemnity of the day was marked with a dove release and brief comments by attendees who included the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, the Mayor of Wirral, Councillor George Davies and Mayoress-Mrs. Cath Davies, and children from New Brighton Primary School. In his remarks, Liverpool’s Mayor highlighted the UK’s ongoing asbestos epidemic and called for an “international ban on the import, export and general use of asbestos.” See: Asbestos Charity Remembers Victims on Action Mesothelioma Day.
Update on Asbestos Remediation Plans
Jul 7, 2021
Negotiations with the central government over the need to remediate 40-year old asbestos-cement sewage pipes in the Bahrain cities of Manama and Muharraq were ongoing Muharraq Municipal Council members were told by Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry under-secretary Ahmed Al Khayat. He reported that funding for this very expensive project could be forthcoming by the end of 2022, but that the government’s current priority was the installation of new sewage networks. See: Plan to replace sewage network in Bahrain.
National Asbestos Cancer Epidemic
Jul 7, 2021
A new paper by Italian researchers analyzed historical asbestos consumption figures in order to construct epidemiological models to forecast the incidence in Italy of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) mortality until 2039. The authors reported that as the economic cost of each case of MPM was as much as €250,000 (US$296,000), the total economic cost of MPM for Italian men during the period 2020–2039 could be as high as €3,875,000,000 (US$4.589bn). The researchers concluded that the Italian MPM epidemic will reach its peak in 2021 with a predicted number of 1122 cases among men. See: Effect of Asbestos Consumption on Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in Italy: Forecasts of Mortality up to 2040.
R.I.P. Marco!
Jul 5, 2021
On July 3, 2021, the asbestos victims’ group AFeVA ER in Emilia-Romagna, Italy announced the asbestos cancer death of 60-year-old Marco Valdisserra, a stalwart campaigner for the rights of asbestos victims, a trade unionist and a former worker at Bologna’s railway repair workshop. Like many of his colleagues, Marco had been occupationally exposed to asbestos by his employer for decades. On July 9, Marco would have celebrated his 61st birthday. In the announcement of his death, AFeVA ER expressed its sadness at the fact that Covid restrictions meant that group members were unable to spend time with Marco during his final months. See: Oggi ci ha lasciato Marco Valdisserra [Marco Valdisserra left us today].
Asbestos Legacy in Western Australia
Jul 5, 2021
The environmental catastrophe caused by the mining of crocidolite (blue) asbestos in Western Australia’s Wittenoom Gorge remains, decades after the mine closed. An article detailing the toxic effects on human health and the environment highlighted the impact on the Banjima, Guruma, Yindjibarndi, Ngarluma, Yinhawangka, Nyaparli and Palyku people who had lived and worked in the area. The former mine and surrounding areas have been classified as “the largest contaminated area in the southern hemisphere.” Banjima elders say the contamination must be eradicated and further delays in addressing the problems are unacceptable. See: Wittenoom's asbestos mining waste continues to lay unresolved after 55 years.
New York’s Toxic Asbestos Legacy
Jul 5, 2021
On July 2, 2021 at an on-site press conference, US Senator Chuck Schumer announced a plan to clean up the New York town of Ulster’s asbestos-contaminated Tech City site. Joining him at the event, which was held in front of mounds of asbestos waste, were Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, State Senator Michelle Hinchey and other officials. Schumer is calling on Congress to allocate an additional $5 billion to revive the EPA’s Superfund Program in order to remove toxic chemicals from sites like Tech City saying: “It’s high time that we fully clean up asbestos on this Tech City site, and it poses a threat to Ulster County residents.” See: Schumer seeking federal support to clean up Ulster's Tech City.
Asbestos Hazard in UK Schools: Update
Jul 5, 2021
To mark Action Mesothelioma Day on July 2, 2021, the Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) published a report – Continuing Government Failure Leads to Rise in School Mesothelioma Deaths – which highlighted the elevated risk in 2021 of asbestos exposure to staff and pupils working in CLASP-type schools, saying that the cancer risk is higher now than it was decades ago. Recommendations made included a call for a coordinated, phased removal of all asbestos from the educational infrastructure with a 2028 deadline for completion. Commenting on the report, JUAC Chair John McClean said: “this report must serve as a catalyst for immediate government action.” See: Asbestos in schools more likely to kill now than in the eighties.
Asbestos Hazard on the Subway
Jul 5, 2021
As of now, only 48% of the asbestos contamination of the Spanish capital’s Metro de Madrid transport network has been remediated. The company has set a deadline of 2027 for the eradication of the hazard; a budget of €170 million (US$202m) has been allocated to accomplish this goal. In addition, the company has enrolled on the Register of Companies with Asbestos Risk as per a demand by the trade unions in order to offer maximum security and protection to its workers. This action means that the company must only use specialist asbestos removal companies for the work and that no sub-contracting of tasks is permitted. See: Metro de Madrid tendrá un equipo de trabajo propio para quedar libre de amianto en 2027 [Metro de Madrid will have its own work team to be free of asbestos by 2027].
Hazard of Asbestos-Cement Roofing
Jul 5, 2021
A paper published by Korean researchers on June 28, 2021, which was part of a special issue on Asbestos and Cancer: Exposure from Neighboring Factories and Mines, Contaminated Soil, and Slate Roofs, examined the effects on human health of residential asbestos-cement slate-related exposure. Although the exposure was found to be of medium risk, as there was no threshold for carcinogenicity related to asbestos, this finding was something which needed further consideration, the authors concluded. See: Asbestos Exposure Level and the Carcinogenic Risk Due to Corrugated Asbestos-Cement Slate Roofs in Korea.
Asbestos Ban in Asia!
Jul 3, 2021
A new prohibition excluding the use of asbestos from projects funded by the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is being lauded as a huge victory by ban asbestos campaigners in Asia, the region which accounts for the majority of annual global asbestos consumption. Whereas some use of chrysotile (white) asbestos had been allowed previously, according to new AIIB regulations absolutely no use will be permitted as per revisions of the Environmental and Social Framework which forbids “Production of, trade in, or use of asbestos fibres, whether or not bonded.” See: Asbestos industry takes a big hit in Asia.
São Paulo Carrier: Asbestos Hot Potato
Jul 3, 2021
The controversy continues over the sale of the former Brazilian warship the São Paulo to the Turkish shipyard Sök Denizcilik Ticaret which plans to scrap the vessel at a dismantling yard in Izmir. The sale of the vessel has not yet been ratified and the São Paulo remains moored at a Brazilian naval base in Rio de Janeiro. The fact that no Inventory of Hazardous Materials for the vessel has been seen, has led campaigners in Brazil and Europe to question the legality of the sale. See: Antigo porta-aviões da Marinha será sucateado na Turquia [Former Navy aircraft carrier to be scrapped in Turkey].
Asbestos Action in Brest
Jul 3, 2021
Trade unions blocked the French port of Brest on June 30, 2021 to demonstrate disapproval of government plans to end the right to early retirement of asbestos-exposed dock workers. Almost as soon as the action began – at 6 a.m. – traffic jams started to build up. According to the unions, the Directorate General of Labor proposes to end this right in June 2022 because a new standard for the detection of asbestos on ships sailing under the French flag will be introduced on January 1, 2022. See: Amiante: blocage du port de Brest ce mercredi. [Asbestos: blockage of the port of Brest on Wednesday].
Concerns over Asbestos in Water
Jul 3, 2021
An investigation has been launched as a result of questions posed by Andrew Stevens, Shannon Zachidniak and Cheryl Stadnichuk – councillors of the Canadian town of Regina – regarding the extent and condition of asbestos-cement pipes in the municipal water delivery system. Mayor Sandra Masters said this issue had been discussed at meetings this year and that work to analyze water contents would be undertaken. It has been estimated that 60% of the city’s water network, equivalent to 600 kilometers of pipes, was built with asbestos-cement pipes. See: Inquiétudes sur la présence d’amiante dans les canalisations de Regina [Concerns about the presence of asbestos in Regina pipes].
Asbestos Action by Spanish Unions
Jul 3, 2021
In a letter dated June 24, 2021, members of the Works Council of the Madrid Metro – who represent several trade unions including the CCOO, UGT, the Union of the Metro Machinists' Collective, the Madrid Metro Technicians Union, the Free Union and the Workers' Solidarity Union – requested members of the Socialist Group in Spain’s Congress of Deputies to contest plans by the Government which would negatively affect the pension rights of asbestos-exposed railway workers. See: El comité de empresa de Metro de Madrid pide que se fije la prejubilación a los 60 años para los expuestos al amianto [The Madrid Metro works council calls for early retirement to be set at 60 years for those exposed to asbestos].
New Asbestos Management Ordinance
Jul 3, 2021
A new bill – “Ordinance on Asbestos Safety Management and Support of Busan Metropolitan City” – sponsored by Busan City councillor Jae-young Kim was adopted by Busan Metropolitan City Council on June 30. According to Representative Kim, after the promulgation of the ordinance, councillors will cooperate with the relevant departments of Busan City so that the current asbestos-cement dismantling and disposal project can be carried out without any setback and a fact-finding survey be set up that can comprehensively monitor both the condition of material and fiber levels in the surrounding environment. See: “김재영 시의원, 석면안전관리 및 지원에 관한 조례 추진” [“City councilor Jae-young Kim, promotion of ordinance on asbestos safety management and support”].
Government Asbestos Disease Data
Jun 28, 2021
Data released by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for 2020 revealed that the government had recognized as occupational injuries 1,059 cases of construction workers injured through asbestos exposures. In 2022, a government scheme to pay compensation to asbestos-injured construction workers and bereaved families will become operational. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has set up a telephone consultation service to provide information: the phone number is 0570-006031. See: アスベスト吸い込み肺がんなど 昨年度の労災認定1059人 厚労省 [Asbestos inhalation Lung cancer, etc. Last year's occupational accident certification for 1059 people].
Victim’s Verdict for Submariner’s Family
Jun 28, 2021
A verdict by the Civil Court in Rome ordered the Ministry of Defence to pay compensation of €1.5 million (US$1.8m) to the surviving family of a submariner who died from mesothelioma 60 years after he had been exposed to asbestos during military service. This decision was welcomed as a landmark judgment as it affirmed “the principle that conscripts exposed to asbestos on duty in the Navy, as in other Italian armed forces are entitled to compensation for injuries…” See: L’amianto affonda la Marina Militare: il Tribunale di Roma condanna il Ministero della Difesa a pagare 1 milione e mezzo di euro per la morte di un militare [Asbestos sinks the Navy: the Court of Rome orders the Ministry of Defense to pay 1.5 million euros for the death of a soldier].
NIMBY!
Jun 28, 2021
On Sunday morning, June 27, 2021, local people and environmental campaigners held a protest to highlight their objections to a proposal to create a landfill site for toxic waste at the former Zidani asbestos mine in the Greek city of Kozani. Ecologists and scientists told the participants of the dangerous consequences for human health and the environment of the proposal which had been rejected by multiple authorities and citizens’ groups in this earthquake prone region. See: αντιΧΥΤΑΜ: Συγκέντρωση διαμαρτυρίας στη γέφυρα Ρυμνίου την Κυριακή 27 Ιουνίου – “Λέμε όχι στο νεκροταφείο αμιάντου στα ΜΑΒΕ” [antiHYTAM: Protest rally at the Rymni bridge on Sunday, June 27 – “We say no to the asbestos cemetery in MAVE”].
Common Sense by Asbestos Master
Jun 28, 2021
A judgment handed down on June 25, 2021 by Master Davison in the case of Patricia Smith vs. W. Ford & Sons (Contractors) Ltd. rejected an attempt by insurers which would impose conditions that would delay the progress of claims by allowing cost budgeting in cases on the asbestos list. Stressing the importance of handling asbestos cases with dispatch and the need to treat all cases on the list equally, the Master dismissed arguments advanced by the defendant saying: “it seems to me that it is for that defendant to show, rather than merely assert, that costs in asbestos cases are disproportionate or not adequately controlled.” See: Judgement in the case of Patricia Smith vs. W. Ford & Sons (Contractors) Ltd.
Asbestos Remediation in Schools
Jun 28, 2021
An investment of almost €11.5 million (US$13.8m) is being made in Portugal by the Regional Operational Program Center to remove asbestos-cement material from school buildings, seven of which are in Bairrada, in the Province of Beira Litoral. The European Union has contributed the sum of €10m for the remediation work. In total, the 100 projects being financed by these resources will remove from public schools approximately 174,532 m² of asbestos roofs, equivalent to 17 football fields. See: Sete escolas da Bairrada vão ficar livres de amianto [Seven schools in Bairrada will be free of asbestos].
More Asbestos Propaganda
Jun 25, 2021
The purveyors of one of the world’s most despised substances continue to peddle lies about the unfair commercial attacks on chrysotile (white) asbestos in an attempt to buy a few more years of profits from unsuspecting governments and consumers. Their statements such as “Chrysotile fibers are silky soft threads that dissolve when exposed to acids ... chrysotile fiber ... is not harmful and therefore does not provoke disease” have been disproved and discredited by international agencies, scores of national governments and independent scientists who agree that the best way to end the pandemic of asbestos disease is to stop using asbestos. See: Игра в ассоциации: как полезный минерал превратился в ночную страшилку [Association game: how a useful mineral turned into a nightly horror story].
Saskatchewan’s Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Jun 25, 2021
The leading cause of occupational mortality in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan was exposures to asbestos, according to data released by WorkSafe Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board and the Ministry of Labor Relations and Workplace Safety on June 22, 2021. To raise awareness of the asbestos hazard, WorkSafe Saskatchewan launched an information campaign advising the public on when to check for the presence of asbestos, when to hire an asbestos removal professional, and how to check the asbestos registry for Saskatchewan. See: L’amiante, principale cause de décès en milieu de travail en Saskatchewan [Asbestos, Leading Cause of Workplace Deaths in Saskatchewan].
Asbestos Exposure at Steel Mill
Jun 25, 2021
The Brazilian steelmaker Usiminas was ordered by Judge Jedson Marcos dos Santos Miranda, in a Labor Court in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, to pay compensation of R$200,000 (US$40,000) to all members of its workforce who had been occupationally exposed to asbestos over the last 30 years. In addition, the company was instructed to pay for the medical treatment of all the workers who had been affected by asbestos-related conditions. The case had been brought by the Public Ministry of Labor which alleged that the workers in multiple departments of the company had been “directly and habitually” exposed to asbestos at the steel mill. See: Trabalhadores expostos a amianto serão indenizados pela Usiminas [Workers exposed to asbestos will be compensated by Usiminas].
Prosecution for Asbestos Dumping
Jun 25, 2021
An investigation by Spain’s Civil Guard concerns the dumping of asbestos waste on a rural farm near the town of Palencia. The accused are employees of a Toledo construction company which had neither the authorization to work with asbestos nor manage toxic waste. The material dumped was composed of asbestos-cement debris and weighed 1.5 tonnes. The crimes being investigated include the dumping of toxic waste, hazardous exposures of workers, pollution of the environment, fraud and document falsification. See: Dos investigados por verter más de una tonelada de restos de fibrocemento en una finca rústica de Palencia [Two investigated for dumping more than a ton of fiber cement remains on a rustic farm in Palencia].
Mesothelioma Research: Good News
Jun 25, 2021
The mesothelioma epidemic in Italy continues to claim thousands of lives every year with a further 2,000 cases diagnosed in 2020. Areas with elevated incidences of this cancer include Piedmont and especially the Casale Monferrato area, where Europe’s largest asbestos-cement factory was located. Until now, there have been few treatment options for mesothelioma patients but in recent days good news was announced by Italian and British researchers at the Congress of the American Society of Clinical Oncology about the use of immunotherapy and chemotherapy treatments to extend survival time and prevent the recurrence of disease. See: Mesotelioma, nuovi spiragli per il «big killer» provocato dall'amianto [Mesothelioma, new glimmers for (confronting) the “big killer” caused by asbestos].
Asbestos in Schools: Progress
Jun 24, 2021
Last week, Member of the Executive Council for Finance and eGovernment of South Africa’s Gauteng Province Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko set a deadline for the eradication of asbestos from schools during her budget speech. Nkomo-Ralehoko said the Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency: “is working closely with the Department of Education and Gauteng provincial Treasury to find an optimal solution to fund the construction of schools on greenfield (new) sites and brownfield sites, to replace old structures, asbestos structures and mobile schools.” See: Gauteng government sets deadline to eradicate asbestos schools.
Victim’s Verdict in Liverno
Jun 23, 2021
A Court in Livorno, Italy issued a victim’s verdict over the asbestos death in 2010 of Romano Posarelli, who had worked at the Rosignano plant belonging to the Solvay chemical company from 1974 till 1993. Solvay did not, Labor Judge Sara Maffei found, “even adopt the minimum measures envisaged to combat [toxic] inhalation” nor “informed the workers in relation to the risks and precautions to be taken.” The company was ordered to pay the family €558,000 (US$634,000). See: Amianto, Solvay dovrà risarcire 558mila euro al figlio di un operaio morto per carcinoma. “Danno biologico trasmissibile agli eredi” [Asbestos, Solvay will have to pay 558 thousand euros to the son of a worker who died of carcinoma. “Biological damage that can be transmitted to the heirs”].
Mesothelioma: Update
Jun 24, 2021
A press release issued on June 23, 2021 by the pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb has trumpeted the news that two of its drugs – Opdivo and Yervoy – will be listed on July 1, 2021 in Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme which facilitates the dispensing of medicines subsidized by the Australian government. These drugs are checkpoint inhibitors which “work together to help activate the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells.” Used in combination, they have proven to be effective for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. See: New treatment for Aussies living with asbestos-related cancer.
Asbestos Hazard for Shipbreakers
Jun 24, 2021
The prosperity of ship dismantling companies in Turkey is built on an acceptance of conditions which are hazardous both to workers and the environment. The impending arrival of the São Paulo – an asbestos-laden Brazilian ship – to Izmir for dismantling has highlighted the unacceptable disconnect between technical documentation and workplace reality even at the eight Aliağa yards which are on the European List of approved ship recycling facilities. In a recent parliamentary response, the government admitted that between 2016 and 2021, 714 ships were dismantled which contained 242 tons of asbestos. This figure was preposterously low; the destination of the asbestos waste from these ships remains unknown. See: BU GEMİ BİR KARA TABUT [This Ship is a Black Coffin].
Confronting Spain’s Asbestos Legacy
Jun 24, 2021
The widespread use of asbestos in Spain during the 20th century has left a toxic legacy throughout the country including contamination in the Congress of Deputies, the meeting place of the Spanish Government. The lengthy article cited below described the extent of the asbestos challenge facing Spain and the growing support for a comprehensive law to address the multi-faceted issues involved in eradicating the hazard and supporting citizens who had been injured by toxic exposures at work and at home. Deadlines set by the EU were considered within the discussion of the country’s failures to take timely and effective action on the asbestos hazard. See: Amianto en el Congreso [Asbestos in Congress].
Asbestos Crimes
Jun 21, 2021
The Nature Protection Service (Seprona) of the Spanish Civil Guard identified a Madrid-based renovation company as the culprits dumping asbestos waste in the countryside in Guadalajara. The unlicensed company in Alcalá de Henares was carrying out asbestos removal work and illegally flytipping the debris created. Amongst its crimes was the failure to provide operatives with mandatory protective clothing and equipment. Proceedings are underway and a large fine is to be expected. See: Building company reported for dumping asbestos in Guadalajara countryside.
Asbestos Found at Site of Building Collapse
Jun 21, 2021
On June 17, 2021, staff from the Gwangju Environmental Movement Association and the Environmental Health and Citizens Center in the South Korean city of Gwangju, the 6th largest city in South Korea, held a press conference at the site of the collapse of a five-story building to announce that asbestos-cement fragments mixed with debris such as concrete had been collected that morning from the site. A week earlier, the Center had warned that asbestos was present at the site of the redevelopment area where the collapse of the building had occurred. See: 환경단체 “광주 철거건물 붕괴 현장에 발암물질 석면 방치돼” [Environmental group: “Carcinogenic asbestos left at the site of the collapse of the demolished building in Gwangju”].
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 21, 2021
On June 18, 2021, the Parliament of the Azores – an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic which is an autonomous region of Portugal – unanimously approved a resolution designating the hazard posed by asbestos in schools as an “absolute priority” issue which must be addressed. According to Deputy Joaquim Machado “the process of removing asbestos from schools is a matter of utmost importance, so full priority must be given to solving a problem that the previous Regional Government did not solve.” See: Parlamento dos Açores aprova prioridade para retirar amianto das escolas [Azores Parliament approves as a priority the removal of asbestos from schools].
Palermo Court Condemns Railway Company
Jun 21, 2021
A Palermo Court issued a victim’s verdict when it ruled that the railway company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A. pay compensation to the family of an employee who died in 2008 at the age of 61 from mesothelioma caused by occupational exposures to asbestos. Commenting on the verdict, the family’s lawyers said: “We are satisfied with the ruling which confirmed what we have always argued in court, namely that during the 1990s, Ferrovie dello Stato S.p.A. (today Rete Ferroviaria Italiana SpA) not only did not protect its workers, but also put passengers and all those who lived in those areas in grave danger.” See: Morte da amianto. Ha lavorato alla stazione di Alcamo. Rfi dovrà risarcire la famiglia [Death from asbestos of worker employed at Alcamo station. RFI will have to compensate the family].
Asbestos Campaign in Northern Ireland
Jun 21, 2021
An asbestos awareness campaign has been launched by Northern Ireland’s Health and Safety Executive (HSENI) which will use social media messages, television and radio adverts, and outdoor advertisements throughout Northern Ireland to inform and educate tradespeople so that they: “Always Ask for the Asbestos Register,” particularly when working on buildings constructed before 2000. HSENI’s CEO Robert Kidd said: “Exposure to asbestos remains one of the biggest threats to construction employees in Northern Ireland. On average, one asbestos-related death occurs every two weeks in Northern Ireland.” See: HSENI launches new asbestos campaign.
US State Action on Asbestos
Jun 21, 2021
On June 15, 2021, the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee approved a bill to provide financial support to homeowners removing lead and asbestos from their homes; under the terms of the bill, homeowners can deduct up to $25,000 from gross income tax for lead paint removal, lead pipe removal and asbestos removal as long as they employ a state-licensed professional to undertake the work. According to Senator Christopher Bateman: “This bill will make it easier for homeowners to do the right thing and have trained professionals remediate toxins and carcinogens from their property ensuring a healthy environment for current and future residents of the property.” See: Asbestos and lead removal bill clears Senate Environment and Energy Committee.
Kazakh Asbestos Lobby: Business as Usual
Jun 18, 2021
On June 18, 2021, Kazakh asbestos vested interests from industry and government will upscale their efforts to stop a planned asbestos ban from being implemented by Ukraine during the 14th meeting of the Interstate Ukrainian-Kazakh Commission on Economic Cooperation. The asbestos lobby will be represented at the meeting by personnel from the Russian-Kazakh holding “Kusto group,” owners of the Ukraine monopoly on asbestos cement roofing production. See: Правительственная делегация Казахстана планирует пролоббировать интересы асбестового монополиста – СМИ [Kazakhstan Government delegation plans to lobby in the interest of asbestos monopolist – media].
Rally for Asbestos Victims
Jun 18, 2021
On June 16, 2021 at Tokyo’s Hibiya Open Air Theater, a rally was held by trade unionists and asbestos victims’ campaigners. Because of Covid restrictions, only 800 people were allowed to attend; these rallies generally attract thousands of attendees. Speakers at the event included representatives from all Japan’s political parties as well as from Zenkensoren – the National Federation of Construction Workers’ Unions) and Ban Asbestos Japan. Speakers addressed strategies for achieving justice for construction workers and ensuring that all asbestos-injured would benefit from a new government scheme. See: 建設アスベスト訴訟 全国総決起集会 日比谷野外音楽堂 National general rally at Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall on behalf of asbestos-injured construction workers].
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 18, 2021
On Clean Air Day 2021 (June 17), a new campaigning website was launched by the Joint Union Asbestos Committee (UK) to draw attention to the “disgraceful” hazard posed by asbestos contamination in most UK schools. Since 2001 at least 305 teaching and education professionals have died of mesothelioma, the signature cancer caused by asbestos exposure. There are no figures for the number of students affected by these exposures. Campaigners are calling for “urgent Government investment” to fund a phased removal of asbestos from all school buildings, starting with the most dangerous first. See: Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) launches new campaign website to remove asbestos in schools.
Victory for Petrochemical Workers
Jun 18, 2021
With the confirmation of the sentence handed down by the Bari Court of Appeal in case n.250/2021, 11 retired workers of an Italian petrochemical company – Petrochemical Enichem Agricoltura – received recognition of occupational asbestos exposures and, as a result, will be able to access social security benefits as per law Law no. 257 of 1992. To achieve this result has taken over 9 years of litigation. The claimants’ lawyer Angela Nobile said this was a “social and human victory.” See: Esposti all’amianto per decenni, 11 ex dipendenti dell'Enichem vedono riconosciuti i benefici contributivi: “Vittoria sociale e umana” [Exposed to asbestos for decades, 11 former employees of Enichem have their contribution benefits recognized: “Social and human victory”].
Madrid Metro’s Mounting Death Toll
Jun 18, 2021
The cancer death on June 12, 2021 of GJR, a 65-year old train driver from the Madrid Metro who retired from the company just three months ago after 42 years of service, brought to eight the number of workers from this company who have died from asbestos-related cancer. On June 11, 2021, his disease – he was diagnosed in November 2018 with laryngeal cancer – was recognized by the National Institute of Social Security as having been caused by occupational exposures to asbestos. Of the eight asbestos victims, four were maintenance workers and four were machinists. See: Un maquinista jubilado, el octavo muerto por amianto en el Metro [A retired machinist, the eighth killed by asbestos in the Metro].
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 18, 2021
The majority of UK schools (80+%) contain asbestos and asbestos-related deaths amongst teachers and support staff are all too common. The asbestos cancer death in 2016 of 68-year old Devon primary schoolteacher Sue Thomas spurred her daughter Lucie to raise awareness of this contamination and the hazard it posed not only to staff but also to students: “My dear mum’s diagnosis with mesothelioma was a big shock for everyone…We had no idea that teachers and pupils were so often at risk of asbestos in schools.” An online petition calling on the government to do more to eradicate the hazard, which has received more than 123,000 signatures, is being sent to the Department for Education. See: Campaign against asbestos exposure in schools.
Spain’s Asbestos Shame
Jun 16, 2021
A feature-length article published on June 13, 2021 detailed the painful legacy of Spain’s former asbestos industry. Adding insult to injury, Uralita – Spain’s one-time asbestos giant – has used every legal manoeuvre and financial machination to avoid paying court decreed compensation to its victims, people like Agustín Medina who died in 2015 of mesothelioma, having lived near the company’s factory in Cerdanyola del Vallès throughout his childhood. Letters written by now deceased claimants, reveal the huge scale of the losses endured – shaming indictments of the company and system which allowed such pain to go unpunished. See: Batalla judicial con Uralita: el clamor más allá de la muerte de las víctimas del amianto en Catalunya [Judicial battle with Uralita: outcry beyond death from asbestos victims in Catalonia].
Another Railway Death
Jun 16, 2021
This week an Italian court sentenced the Rete Ferroviaria Italiana Spa (Italian Railway Network/RFI) to pay damages exceeding €1 million to the family of a 57-year old railway maintenance mechanic who died of the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The deceased began work in 1984 at the large repair workshops in Vicenza and more latterly worked at the vehicle maintenance workshops in Padua; he was exposed to asbestos at both sites and the company was condemned for failing to adopt appropriate measures to safeguard the health of workers. See: Morti da amianto, maxi-risarcimento alla famiglia di un dipendente RFI [Deaths from asbestos, maxi-compensation to the family of an RFI employee].
Asbestos Hazard to Handymen
Jun 16, 2021
The risks to do-it-yourself repairmen and renovators posed by asbestos-containing products hidden within national infrastructures were flagged up in the lengthy article cited below. Since the Covid pandemic began, home improvement companies have reported record sales and a new generation of DIYers has embarked upon projects, with little or no knowledge of the invisible and potentially lethal dangers they might encounter. The first such danger discussed in this article is asbestos, which was said a leading US expert, used in up to 5,000 products such as building materials and roofing shingles. The predicted third wave of asbestos diseases has already started amongst DIYers. See: The hobby with hidden health risks.
Who’s Scared of Asbestos?
Jun 16, 2021
An alert published by the Canadian Government in a newspaper in a former asbestos mining town in Quebec warning of the health hazard posed by asbestos inhalation has been vehemently denounced as a scare tactic by Luc Berthold, the member of the Canadian Parliament representing the constituency of Mégantic-L'Érable who, in a letter to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Jonathan Wilkinson said that: “Considering that asbestos is naturally present everywhere in the MRC des Appalaches, the objective of the Liberal government is more than questionable. The government is frightening citizens…” See: Publicité sur l’amiante : Luc Berthold dénonce une campagne de peur [Asbestos advertising: Luc Berthold denounces fear campaign].
Municipal Asbestos Eradication
Jun 16, 2021
Gwangju Metropolitan City – the sixth largest city in South Korea – has embarked upon an ambitious and progressive program to eradicate the asbestos hazard including support for the: demolition of asbestos-containing buildings, removal of asbestos products, compilation and updating of asbestos surveys, asbestos management programs in public buildings, etc. Businesses as well as private homeowners were eligible to apply for funds to finance eligible projects under a number of municipal schemes. See: 광주시 석면 슬레이트 철거·처리 지원 [Gwangju City asbestos slate removal and treatment support].
Upholding Asbestos Ban
Jun 14, 2021
A guilty verdict was handed down on June 9, 2021 by a São Paulo (SP) Court which indicted the producers (SAMA), sellers (Eternit SA) and transporters (Transportes Scatuzzi Ltd.) of chrysotile asbestos fiber from the Goiás chrysotile mine for exporting asbestos via ports in SP state including Santos, Guaruja and Cubatão. The defendants were ordered to pay damages exceeding Reais 5 million US ($989,000+). In 2017, the commercial exploitation of asbestos was banned by the Brazilian Supreme Court. To supersede this verdict, a law was passed by Goiás State to allow asbestos mining for export purposes only. This law is unconstitutional and is the subject of pending legal proceedings. See: Uma vitória a comemorar na luta em defesa das vítimas do amianto [A victory to celebrate in the fight to defend asbestos victims].
Asian Bank Bans Asbestos Use in Projects
Jun 14, 2021
A document circulated last week solidified the indication previously given that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) would ban asbestos use in all its projects. On pages 77 & 78 of the AIIB’s Environmental and Social Framework under the heading: Environmental and Social Exclusion List, the text of point 9 excluded from eligibility projects involving: “Production of, trade in, or use of asbestos fibers, whether or not bonded.” In a footnote, it was explained that: “Projects involving disposal of asbestos are not prohibited, provided a suitable asbestos management plan is adopted for such disposal.” See: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Environmental and Social Framework.
Early Retirement for Exposed Workers
Jun 14, 2021
At a meeting held last week with members of the Catalan Association of Victims Affected by Asbestos, José Luis Escrivá – Spain’s Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations – promised to “immediately” promote measures which would facilitate access to early retirement for workers who had been occupationally exposed to asbestos, in line with regulations as laid out in Royal Decree 1698/2011 allowing early retirement for professional groups subjected to working conditions of an exceptionally painful, dangerous, toxic or unhealthy nature. See: Jubilación anticipada para trabajadores expuestos al amianto [Social Security undertakes to “immediately” promote early retirement for workers exposed to asbestos].
The Sao Paulo: Asbestos Hot Potato
Jun 14, 2021
A meeting of the Aliağa Municipal Council that took place last week continued discussions over the purchase by a Turkish company of an asbestos-contaminated warship formerly belonging to the Brazilian Navy. The vessel is scheduled to be scrapped at a dismantling yard in the Aliağa district of İzmir. The councillors considered a June 2021 proposal submitted to the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey to investigate the damage ship-breaking had done to the sea, air, water, soil and ecosystem in the region where operations are carried out. See: CHP'den önerge: 600 ton asbest taşıyan ölüm gemisi ve Aliağa araştırılsın [Proposal from CHP: The death ship carrying 600 tons of asbestos and Aliağa (ship-breaking) should be investigated].
Victim’s Verdict in Bilbao
Jun 14, 2021
Two companies – Fundiciones Amboto SA, now defunct, and Foseco Española SA – were found guilty of causing the asbestos-related death of Vicente DAP by Bilbao’s Social Court number 8 last week. According to the Court, the defendants had failed “to comply with Health and Safety legislation for years in relation to the risks of asbestos.” After suffering from ill health for some while, in April 2018 the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) declared him as totally disabled due to asbestosis; he died a few months later. The family of the deceased was awarded €129,645 (US£ 157,000) in compensation. See: Condenan a dos empresas a indemnizar a la familia de un trabajador fallecido por asbestosis [Two companies are ordered to compensate the family of a worker who died of asbestosis].
Asbestos Hazard to Military Personnel
Jun 14, 2021
The presence of asbestos products throughout structures used by the Greek military is being addressed by programs such as one conducted under the supervision of the Military Association of the Regional Unit of Chios, a Greek island in the northern Aegean. Following asbestos audits and a Parliamentary intervention by Chios MP Andreas Michailidis, the Minister of National Defense Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos allocated funds to address the contamination and eliminate the asbestos hazard to service personnel. See: Ικανοποίηση για τους στρατιωτικούς της Χίου η απόφαση του ΥΠΕΘΑ σχετικά με τον αμίαντο στις Μονάδες του νησιού [Chios military pleased by decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding asbestos (hazards) in unit (structures) on the island].
New Asbestos Criminal Trial
Jun 10, 2021
A historic criminal trial against a former asbestos billionaire began in Italy on June 9, 2021. The case is being heard by the Assize Court of the City of Novara in an auditorium at the University of Novara to accommodate the huge numbers of interested parties including relatives of the deceased. The defendant is facing charges of voluntary homicide with possible wilful misconduct over 392 deaths of workers and members of the public who died from their exposures to Eternit asbestos. See: Vittime dell’amianto, l’università di Novara diventa tribunale per il processo “Eternit bis” [Victims of asbestos, the University of Novara becomes a court for the "Eternit bis" trial].
Supreme Court Supports Asbestos Claims!
Jun 10, 2021
The French Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) on June 9, 2021 reversed a 2018 verdict by the Pau Court of Appeal and upheld claims for asbestos anxiety brought by former power station workers. The 89 successful claimants had been exposed to asbestos at the Arjuzanx power plant. Since the plant was closed in 1990, more than 120 cases brought by former workers who had contracted asbestos-related diseases have been recognized, 35 of the claimants have died. See: Amiante: la Cour de cassation reconnaît le droit à l’indemnisation d’ex-salariés d’EDF [Asbestos: the Court of Cassation recognizes the right to compensation for former EDF employees].
Asbestos Scheme for Construction Workers
Jun 10, 2021
The Japanese Government announced that a law had been passed at a plenary session of the upper house of the National Diet on June 9, 2021 under which a scheme to compensate asbestos-injured construction workers would be established without the need for victims or their families to take legal action. The government will pay between 5 and 13 million yen (~US$45,660-119,000) per victim and the scheme is due to become operational in 2022. Although self-employed workers are eligible for compensation under this scheme, construction workers who worked outdoors will not be able to bring a claim. See: 建設アスベスト給付金法が成立…１人あたり最大１３００万円補償 [Construction asbestos benefit law passed ... Up to 13 million yen compensation per person].
Naming Names!
Jun 10, 2021
Campaigners in Turkey have named government ministries and municipalities whose negligence has contributed to the country’s ongoing scandal over asbestos exposures due to demolition or refurbishment of asbestos-containing buildings, dismantling of asbestos-laden ships and continued sale and use of illegal asbestos-containing products. The guilty parties included: the Ministries of: Health; Environment and Urbanization; Industry and Technology; Commerce; Labor and Social Security: Workplaces; National Education; Interior; Transport and Infrastructure. See: Bakanlıklar katil toz asbestle mücadelede sorumluluktan kaçıyor [Ministries evade responsibility in tackling killer powder asbestos].
Progress on Asbestos Reporting
Jun 10, 2021
A press release issued on June 7, 2021 on behalf of the Attorney General of the State of Massachusetts Maura Healey broke the news of an agreement reached by a coalition of 11 states and civil society groups with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA agreed to implement procedures instructing chemical companies to report their use and import of asbestos, in order to better assess the country’s capacity to protect citizens from toxic exposures. The Trump administration had challenged a December 2020 court order in support of the coalition’s position; Biden’s EPA agreed to progress the required reporting. See: Coalition Co-led by AG Healey Secures Federal Court Order and Settlement Requiring Asbestos Reporting to Protect Public Health.
Chrysotile Sales during the Pandemic
Jun 10, 2021
An upbeat article about the financial outlook of the sole producer of chrysotile asbestos fiber in Kazakhstan, Kostanay Minerals JSC, reported that the company had increased production and exports by, respectively, nearly 20% and 40% in the first quarter of 2021. Growth in usage from Asian countries and increases in the price of metal tiles and sheets were expected to create increased and sustained demand for chrysotile fiber and products. The company’s innovation in production techniques and the adoption of ecological and environmentally-friendly policies were extolled by Erbol Nurkhozhaev, Kostanay’s Chairman of the Board. See: Спрос на хризотил-асбест будет устойчивым в период коронакризиса [Chrysotile Asbestos Demand Will Be Sustainable During The Corona Crisis].
Dying for Justice in Japan
Jun 7, 2021
A commentary in the June 5, 2021 issue of the Japan Times reflected on the implications of the May 2021 Supreme Court (SC) judgment which confirmed the negligence of the Japanese Government and building materials manufacturers for, respectively, failing to address the asbestos hazard in a timely fashion and for failing to put warning labels on asbestos-containing products. Due to the tortuous legal process required to obtain this decision, 70% of the plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit had died of their asbestos injuries before the SC had ruled. The author condemned the mindset of government officials which was one of continued denial and obfuscation. See: The damage done by a lengthy appeals process.
Eternit Italy: Update
Jun 7, 2021
On June 9, 2021, another civil trial will begin over the behaviour of the Eternit asbestos company which has been convicted in multiple Italian jurisdictions of causing the deaths of workers and members of the public as well as environmental damage. The proceedings will take place at the Court of Assizes in Novara. The commune of Balzola in the Province of Alessandra is one of the civil parties in the trial referred to as Eternit bis. Commenting on the upcoming trial, Balzola’s Mayor Marco Torriano said: “It is a duty and important to stand alongside the victims also in this second trial for the environmental disaster caused by asbestos.” See: Balzola si costituisce parte civile al processo Eternit Bis [Balzola is a civil party in the Eternit Bis trial].
Protesting Local Shipbreaking Plan
Jun 7, 2021
On June 5 – World Environment Day – a rally was held in Democracy Square in the Aliağa district of the Turkish City of İzmir by civil society groups and political parties objecting to the impending arrival of the asbestos-laden São Paulo, a Brazilian warship due to be scrapped at a local shipbreaking yard. Participants carried banners with slogans such as “Aliağa is not the world’s garbage dump” and “We do not want to breathe asbestos” and issued a statement condemning “ecological massacres” in Aliağa and the deadly consequences for human beings as well as the environment. See: Çevre örgütlerinden asbestli gemi sökümüne tepki: Aliağa dünyanın çöplüğü değildir [Reaction from environmental organizations to asbestos ship dismantling: Aliağa is not the world's garbage dump].
Solar Panels to Replace Asbestos
Jun 7, 2021
Throughout Israel there are, according to government figures, 85 million square meters of asbestos-cement products, mostly roofing which is on homes, agricultural, industrial, military and public buildings. The toxic material was installed up to 60 years ago and presents an ongoing hazard to health. To address the situation, the Ministry of Environment allocated NIS11 million (US$3.4m) to replace the roofing with solar panels for those without the means to do so themselves. According to the Minister of Environmental Protection Gila Gamliel this is a “Win-Win” program “in which we replace carcinogenic asbestos with renewable energy…” See: NIS11 million to remove asbestos roofs in Israel.
Asbestos Anxiety Recognized in Lille
Jun 7, 2021
A May 27, 2021 decision by a court in Lille, France awarded compensation for “asbestos anxiety” to 30 former employees of the Normed shipyards which ceased trading in 1989. The Court found that the State had failed to take the steps necessary to protect the workforce from toxic occupational exposures to asbestos. A month earlier, the same court had also supported claims by 32 former Normed employees. Other similar cases are pending. According to retired Normed mechanic Jean-Claude Ghelein, who had worked for the company from 1971 to 1981 and was one of the successful claimants: “Today, 80% of my colleagues are sick or dead.” See [subscription site]: Amiante: l'État de nouveau condamné, l'espoir d'un vrai procès pénal ressurgit [Asbestos: State condemned again, hope of a real criminal trial resurfaces].
Toxic Baby Powder
Jun 7, 2021
In the aftermath of a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last week which resulted in a $2.1 billion compensation award for ovarian cancer victims being upheld, questions were being asked in Turkey about whether the same toxic product implicated in the U.S. cancer case – Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based baby powder – was being used in Turkey. A study of baby powder conducted three years ago in Turkey found asbestos fibers in four products. According to this article, appropriate action was taken by the Government at that time. See: Bebek pudrasında ''asbest'' tehlikesi... Türkiye'de kullanılıyor mu? [The danger of “asbestos” in baby powder... Is it used in Turkey?].
Stopping Asbestos Imports
Jun 4, 2021
On June 4, 2021, the Australian Border Force (ABF) – a national agency tasked with protecting the country’s borders and trade – announced the launch of a new initiative to identify and stop the import of asbestos-containing building products into Australia. Despite the fact that the use of asbestos was banned in Australia more than a decade ago, some toxic products – including cement fibreboards and panels, pre-fabricated housing kits, parts, components and insulation goods – were, said the ABF, still getting into the country. The onus to ensure that imports were free of all types of asbestos was on importers who could incur substantial fines should they infringe customs regulations. See: ABF target asbestos in imported building products.
Government Acts on Asbestos Inequity!
Jun 4, 2021
On June 3, 2021, a bill to provide compensation to Japanese construction workers was passed in the House of Representatives. The legislation has been sent to the House of Councillors. It is expected that the new law will be enacted on June 11, 2021 and a national asbestos compensation scheme for construction workers will become operational on April 1, 2022. Under the terms of the draft bill, some asbestos-injured construction workers and bereaved relatives will be able to access up to ¥ 13 million (US$118,100) from the government-funded scheme. Workers who were employed in the open air at construction sites will not be eligible. See: 建設アスベスト集団訴訟 救済法案が衆院で可決 [Construction workers asbestos relief bill passed by House of Representatives].
Mesothelioma Treatment Approved in EU
Jun 4, 2021
A regulatory decision by the European Commission will allow the use of a new immunotherapy option combining nivolumab and ipilimumab for the treatment of adults with malignant pleural mesothelioma in the 27 EU member states, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The approval was informed by findings from the phase 3 CheckMate-743 trial which showed that treatment with the two drugs resulted in a 26% reduction in the risk of death compared with platinum-based, standard-of-care chemotherapy. See: Nivolumab/Ipilimumab Approved in Europe for Frontline Unresectable Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.
New Treatment Option for Asbestos Cancer
Jun 4, 2021
Health Canada – a governmental agency tasked with protecting the health of Canadians – this week approved the use of a dual immunotherapy treatment to attack targeted malignant pleural mesothelioma tumors by using the body’s immune system. This protocol which uses nivolumab and ipilimumab was the first new systemic treatment for mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, for more than 15 years. See: Health Canada approves OPDIVO® (nivolumab) plus YERVOY® (ipilimumab) as the first and only first-line immunotherapy treatment for unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Toxic Talc Victory!
Jun 2, 2021
On June 1, 2021, the US Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) of a $2.1 billion Missouri verdict for women who contracted ovarian cancer as a consequence of using J&J’s asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder. The size of the sum awarded was a reflection of the jury’s condemnation of the company’s “particularly reprehensible conduct” and the fact that although J&J had known of the potential harm of the toxic contamination it had “misrepresented the safety of these products for decades.” J&J is facing a further 21,800 toxic talc lawsuits. See: Supreme Court rejects Johnson & Johnson’s appeal of $2 billion penalty in baby powder cancer case.
Supreme Court Asbestos Ruling
Jun 2, 2021
Legal developments in Japan last month were reviewed in the article cited below. The author explained the background to a unified Supreme Court claimants’ verdict for asbestos-injured construction workers from Kanagawa, Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, 70% of whom had died during the 13 years that the litigation had been proceeding through the courts. The Japanese Government and manufacturers of asbestos-containing building products were held liable for failing to prevent toxic exposures. Claims brought by workers who had been employed out of doors were rejected. See: 建設アスベスト集団訴訟、最高裁で原告勝訴も屋外労働は救済対象外 [Construction asbestos class proceedings, plaintiffs win in Supreme Court, but outdoor labor is not covered by relief].
Managing Naturally Occurring Asbestos
Jun 2, 2021
Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (Inail) has published a book entitled “Natural asbestos and work environments” which details issues related to the presence of naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) in Italy and protocols to safely manage NOA in relation to specific work activities such as the extraction and processing of ornamental stones and crushed stone, excavations for road and railway tunnels, agricultural work, and the removal and disposal/remediation of ballast etc. See: Inail: ambienti di lavoro e rischi dell’amianto di origine naturale [Inail: work environments and risks from asbestos of natural origin].
Act Now, Defendants Told
Jun 2, 2021
An editorial in The Asahi Shimbun, one of the four largest newspapers in Japan, called for a fully-funded compensation scheme for those who had been injured by workplace asbestos exposures in the construction industry in the aftermath of a landmark Supreme Court ruling against the Government and private corporations on May 17, 2021. Highlighting the ongoing failures of manufacturers to agree the terms of their contribution to the scheme, the editorial urged the defendants to cooperate in the process of allocating financial responsibility for the injuries sustained by the plaintiffs. See: EDITORIAL: Government must act quickly to compensate all asbestos victims.
Asbestos Alert
Jun 1, 2021
Highlighting the asbestos hazard in Vietnam, the author of the article cited below stated: “Asbestos is a toxic and dangerous mineral. Asbestos in all natural forms, including chrysotile asbestos, is a substance with proven carcinogenic activity in animals and humans…” Explaining the uses and hazards of this class 1 carcinogen, the author warned about the need for toxic exposures to be prevented: “When asbestos-containing material is damaged, activities around it should be kept to a minimum. Take all precautions to avoid damage to the asbestos material.” See: Cách an toàn khi chung sống với vật liệu chứa amiăng [How to be safe when living with asbestos-containing materials].
Trade Union Rally
Jun 1, 2021
Trade unionists from the Zenkyotokenchiku Labor Union and other labor groups took to the streets in Kyoto, Japan to show support for all construction workers injured by occupational asbestos exposures, including “outside workers” excluded from recent landmark court rulings upholding the responsibility of the Government and building materials manufacturers for deadly asbestos exposures. Spokesperson Yukio Hirayama, called for the establishment of a fund, financed by the government and the manufacturers, to compensate all asbestos-injured construction workers. See: すべての被害者救済へ運動強める 建設アスベスト訴訟最高裁判決受け、京建労が街頭訴え [Kyoto protest against aspects of supreme court ruling in asbestos case].
Sao Paulo Hot Potato!
Jun 1, 2021
The controversy over the dismantling in Turkey of the Sao Paulo, a former Brazilian warship, shows no signs of abating. İzmir Deputy Murat Bakan sought updates from officials representing four ministries regarding the current situation. The response he received from Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoğlu was that “İzmir cannot be turned into a waste dump for the world.” According to the Ministry of Transport, the shipbreaker had not yet requested permission to bring the vessel to Turkey. See: CHP’li Bakan: Tehlikeli atıkları kentimizde istemiyoruz! [CHP Minister: We do not want hazardous waste in our city!]
Asbestos Deadline: 2023
Jun 1, 2021
According to The Waste and Contaminated Soil Bill, which is due to become national law shortly, all city councils in Spain will be required to conduct asbestos audits of buildings by 2023. In addition, it will be mandatory to also identify areas where soil has been contaminated with asbestos waste. Although asbestos use was banned in Spain in 2002, asbestos-containing products were widely used throughout the country and asbestos-cement building materials remains present in most municipalities. See: Todos contra el amianto [All against asbestos].
Bari’s Asbestos Legacy
Jun 1, 2021
The legacy of asbestos use in the Italian city of Bari included toxic workplace exposures: at Fibronit factories, at building sites and in shipyards, according to an interview with specialist lawyer Pierpaolo Petruzzelli. Petruzzelli explained that asbestos was used on ships in cables and circuits, for hot water pipes, on bulkheads and in oil tanks. In the 1970s and 1980s, many Italian seafarers worked for large American companies or companies flying the Liberian or Panamanian flag. Since 2008, Petruzzelli has obtained compensation for 400 asbestos injured maritime workers, mainly from Puglia. See: Amianto, la sfida di un avvocato barese: «Chiedo risarcimenti per chi si è ammalato sulle navi» [Asbestos, the challenge of a lawyer from Bari: “I seek compensation for those who got sick on ships”].
İzmir Mayor: Asbestos Alert
Jun 1, 2021
Responding to growing concerns, including high-profile warnings from leading medical authorities, over the impending arrival of a former Brazilian warship for dismantling in an Aliağa shipyard, the İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer confirmed that the authorities were aware of the hazards posed by the presence of asbestos and other toxic waste onboard and that his office would study the implications of bringing the ship to Turkey. As the ship’s departure from Brazil is due to take place this month, the Mayor will have to take a stance on this issue sooner rather than later. See: Soyer: Asbest iddiası incelenmeli [Soyer: Asbestos claim needs to be examined].
Legal Victory in Cancer Case
May 28, 2021
In 2016, Deanna Trevarthen died from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma aged 45. As a child, her electrician father had brought asbestos fibers into their home on his work clothes. Before her death, Ms Trevarthen’s compensation claim had been rejected by New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) as she had not been occupationally exposed to asbestos. Last week, in a unanimous decision, the Court of Appeal ruled that non work-related mesothelioma such as Trevarthen's was a personal injury for which ACC cover was available. See: ACC loses court battle with asbestos cancer victim.
Screening for Asbestos-Related Diseases
May 28, 2021
On May 29 and 30 from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m., asbestos-exposed individuals from the South Korean City of Busan will undergo medical screening by staff from the Asbestos Environmental Health Center based at the Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital, as part of a municipal program to achieve earlier diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases. Alternatively, patients can make appointments to be seen on June 26 and 27. If any symptoms are found, patients will be referred for a follow-up examination at the Busan National University Hospital in Yangsan. See: 부산시, 석면피해 주민 건강영향조사 주말 검진 실시 [Health impact survey, Busan City conducts weekend check-ups for asbestos-damaged residents].
North Dakota Restricts Victims’ Rights
May 28, 2021
At a May 26, 2021 press conference in Fargo – the capital of North Dakota – Landis Larson, President of the North Dakota AFL-CIO, warned union members that new state legislation will create restrictions for potential asbestos claimants injured through toxic exposures at work. Landis urged that individuals at-risk of contracting these diseases get medical screening prior to July 15, in order to begin the process of seeking legal relief before the restrictive law House Bill 1207 comes into effect on August 1. Landis’ electrician father-in-law and his mother-in-law both died from asbestos cancer. See: Labor groups urge asbestos exposure screenings before ND law takes effect.
Mesothelioma Care in Scotland
May 28, 2021
With the appointment by the charity Mesothelioma UK of clinical nurse Lynne Hunter, people in the South East of Scotland diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer will have the support of a medical practitioner specialised in the care of asbestos cancer patients. The priority of Nurse Hunter will be the provision of support and advice to mesothelioma patients, their families, healthcare professionals and local patient support groups. Ms. Hunter qualified as a registered nurse in 2012 and also completed a clinical decision-making course at Napier University. See: New nurse to support asbestos-related cancer patients in Scotland.
Beards & Respirators: Toxic Combo
May 28, 2021
A campaign by New Zealand's primary workplace health and safety regulator, WorkSafe highlighted problems caused to construction and other male workers who were not clean-shaven. Five o’clock shadow and facial hair interfere with the effectiveness of respiratory protective equipment in preventing the inhalation of deadly microscopic particles such as asbestos fibers. According to WorkSafe technical specialist Al Threlfall: “When you wear a respirator you need to have a continuous seal on the face… People don’t realise that when they are doing a job [like cutting materials], they won’t be able to see those smaller particles, but they are still around when you have finished doing the cut, so the exposure isn’t over.” See: A close shave could help save your life, tradies told.
Outrage over Local Asbestos Hazard
May 28, 2021
Thousands of local people have petitioned the municipality and Provincial authorities in Andalusia, Spain to remove asbestos waste dumped in the Cruz de Marchenilla area, on the grounds of public health and safety. According to the petitioners, the 15,000 square meters of toxic waste, including approximately 340 tonnes of asbestos, have been a dangerous eyesore for more than a decade. Environmentalists are concerned that the fibers could contaminate the subsoil and leak into the aquifers. See: Más de 7000 firmas para retirar el amianto de Cruz de Marchenilla [More than 7000 signatures to remove asbestos from Cruz de Marchenilla].
Asbestos Ban: Update
May 26, 2021
Progress on efforts to ban asbestos in Ukraine was updated in the article cited below which detailed Parliamentary work on the adoption of bill No. 4142 to prohibit the use of asbestos-containing building materials such as roofing tiles, pipes, insulation and cement sheets. Although the asbestos materials were cost effective they were “significantly inferior to modern and safer products.” The author raised the question of what effect the ban would have on the asbestos products already incorporated within the built environment, arguing that: “Millions of residents do not have the opportunity to exchange asbestos tiles for modern expensive tiles.” See: В Украине могут запретить шифер [Slate may be banned in Ukraine].
Brazilian Claimant’s Ruling
May 26, 2021
The family of a worker who died from an occupationally contracted asbestos-related disease was awarded the sum of R$1.2 million (US$225,000) by a court in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. The deceased had routinely been exposed to asbestos at work from 1973 to 1974. He died last year (2020) from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. The defendant contested the claim, saying that the toxic exposure had not taken place at their premises. Judge Juliana Campos Ferro Lage disagreed and found that “the defendant was negligent, acting in a guilty way for failure to prevent and eliminate risks to the worker's health.” See: Família de ex-trabalhador exposto a amianto receberá R$ 1,2 milhão [Family of ex-worker exposed to asbestos will receive R$1.2 million].
Insurance Fiasco in NSW
May 26, 2021
An error by staff at Icare – the State Insurer in New South Wales, Australia – has resulted in $15 million dollars in underpayments to 1,100 claimants suffering from asbestos and other dust-related diseases such as silicosis. It has been suggested that the miscalculations go back as far as 2015 and that individuals had been underpaid, on average, by $13,000. The administrative failures came to light as a result of an investigation by The Herald newspaper, a year after revelations emerged of financial mismanagement and widespread underpayment. See: Icare documents reveal dead and dying workers underpaid almost $15 million.
Asbestos Litigation: Update
May 26, 2021
Reviewing developments in Japan which saw the Supreme Court on May 17 recognize the rights of asbestos-injured construction workers to be compensated by the Government and the manufacturers of asbestos-containing building materials and the Prime Minister apologize to the claimants for the Government’s negligence, the author of the article cited below called for an immediate recognition of the rights of asbestos-injured construction workers excluded from the new scheme and for the manufacturers of the toxic products to be obligated to contribute to the national compensation fund. See: 建設石綿の被害 一人も取り残さぬ救済制度を.[Construction asbestos damages. A relief system that leaves no one behind].
Calls to Enforce Asbestos Ban
May 26, 2021
Although asbestos was banned in Turkey in 2010, the sale of asbestos-containing products such as gloves and wire mats continues in markets and via online portals. Last week, the President of the Association of Asbestos Removal Experts Mehmet Şeyhmus Ensari called on the government and trade unions to take urgent steps to protect public and occupational health and identify toxic imports and ensure they were withdrawn from sale. He called on the Turkish trade unions to prioritize work to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard amongst their members. See: ASUD'dan asbest uyarısı: Şirketler satıyor, bakanlıklar göz yumuyor [Asbestos warning from ASUD: Companies sell, ministries condone].
Asbestos at the Royal Court Theatre
May 26, 2021
Allan Olsen had worked at the Royal Court Theatre in London as a carpenter in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He died in 2020 from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. His wife Sonia Olsen is bringing a claim against the English Stage Company – the registered legal entity that occupies the Royal Court Theatre. The case is complicated by the lack of information on the Employers’ Liability insurance policies that were in existence at that time. Mrs. Olsen’s solicitor Andrew Morgan is appealing for help from members of the public who might have information about the insurance policies. See: Lawyer in the news: Andrew Morgan, Fieldfisher.
Brazilian State Votes to Ban Asbestos
May 25, 2021
On May 20, 2021, Ceará became the latest Brazilian state to ban asbestos when the Legislative Assembly adopted Law 00228/19 proposed by Deputy Elmano Freitas; the approved bill awaits the Governor’s signature before becoming law. Welcoming the outcome of the vote, Freitas said: “There is no safe use of asbestos. The WHO has already proven that it is a dangerous mineral, capable of causing a series of diseases, such as cancer and that can even kill.” Other states with asbestos bans include: Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais and Amazonas. See: Projeto do dep. Elmano leva Assembleia Legislativa a proibir uso de amianto em todo Ceará [Project Elmano leads Legislative Assembly to ban asbestos use throughout Ceará].
Hazard of Drinking Asbestos-Laced Water
May 25, 2021
A series of articles in the May 22, 2021 issue of the French language Montreal Journal, a daily tabloid newspaper published in Quebec, highlighted the repercussions of the continued use of asbestos-cement pipes in the Province’s water delivery system. Research undertaken by the authors found that there were 1,000 km of asbestos-cement pipes in 200 cities in Quebec and that despite, global awareness of the human health hazard this posed, the federal government’s policy did not accept that ingesting asbestos could be inimical to human health. Although Quebec’s asbestos pipes had not been a government priority, Quebec’s Minister of the Environment Benoit Charette said tests of drinking water will begin in 2022. See: Votre verre d’eau, avec ou sans amiante? [Your glass of water, with or without asbestos?].
Action on Asbestos in Quebec’s Water
May 25, 2021
The lack of a Canadian standard for the asbestos content of drinking water had been adopted unthinkingly by the Province of Quebec. In a U-turn announced last week, a spokesperson for the Quebec Government said that it would begin a program of sampling in 2022 to ascertain the levels of asbestos fibers transmitted in the drinking water to millions of Quebeckers by its flow through asbestos-cement pipes. The authors of this text cited examples of work undertaken in Pakistan, France, South Africa, Malaysia, New Zealand and elsewhere to remediate toxic pipes See: Québec traquera l’amiante dans l’eau [Quebec will monitor asbestos in water].
Asbestos Use in Water Delivery Systems
May 25, 2021
A series of articles about Quebec’s asbestos legacy which appeared in the May 22, 2021 issue of the French language Montreal Journal, a daily tabloid newspaper published in Quebec, examined the repercussions of the continued use of asbestos-cement pipes in the Province’s water delivery system. Information and examples from Norway, the US, Canada, New Zealand and France were considered and findings of high asbestos fiber counts in drinking water were linked to elevated incidences of asbestos-caused cancers. See: Des inquiétudes ailleurs dans le monde [Concerns elsewhere in the world].
Japan’s Asbestos Legacy
May 25, 2021
An article which considered the seismic legal developments in May 2021 that overturned years’ of neglect of Japan’s asbestos victims reviewed data regarding national asbestos consumption and the incidence of asbestos-related disease and mortality over recent decades. The author estimated that to date, 10,000 people had been injured by occupational exposures to asbestos at construction sites, and that the final number of those affected could be in the tens of thousands. See: アスベスト被害訴訟（1）最高裁が判決で国の責任認める、補償制度新設へ [Asbestos Victim Proceedings (1) Supreme Court Recognizes National Responsibility in Judgment, To Establish Compensation System].
Asbestos Cancer Reduction Program
May 25, 2021
A new medical initiative in the north-west of Italy entitled "Feasibility study for lung cancer screening in subjects exposed to asbestos and tobacco" will examine 13,000 smokers who were exposed to asbestos in the Giuliana Isontina Health Authority, because of their elevated risk of contracting asbestos cancer. The purpose of this program is to achieve a reduction in lung cancer mortality by detecting at an early stage lung lesions using low-dose radiation computed tomography. The budget for the program is €10,000 (US$12,180). See: Screening per esposti ad amianto e fumatori [Screening for asbestos-exposed and smokers].
Asbestos Appeal to Madrid Superior Court
May 24, 2021
Defendants in the high-profile case brought over the asbestos death of famous TV personality José María Íñigo announced last week that they would be appealing the judgment of Social Court No. 2 of Madrid to the Madrid Superior Court. The defendants – the INSS and RTVE – argue, amongst other things, that the deceased did not qualify for Social Security compensation due to his failure to pay contributions to the scheme and that as a presenter, and not a technician, he could not have been exposed to asbestos in the TV studio. See: RTVE recurre la sentencia que admite que José María Íñigo murió por el amianto [RTVE appeals the sentence that found that José María Íñigo died of asbestos].
Unions Mobilize over Toxic Legacy
May 24, 2021
Trade unions on Sicily have denounced continued failures by the authorities to address the industrial and environmental legacy posed by the historic use of asbestos and the dumping of asbestos waste on the island. More than 100 people are dying every year from asbestos-related diseases on Sicily. Reacting to data in the latest issue of the National Mesothelioma Register, the CGIL, CISL and UIL unions have launched a campaign with the slogan “Sicilia Asianto Free!” (Asbestos Free Sicily). The unions are calling for the implementation of a regional asbestos plan to address the multi-faceted challenges posed by the island’s asbestos legacy. See: Amianto, ancora cento morti l’anno in Sicilia. Le proposte di Cgil, Cisl e Uil [Asbestos, one hundred more deaths a year in Sicily. The proposals of CGIL, CISL and UIL].
Possible Exposure of Two Oil Workers
May 24, 2021
The Norwegian watchdog – the Petroleum Safety Authority – has served a “notice of an order” on the North Sea Operator Equinor after two of its employees were “probably exposed to carcinogenic asbestos fibres” while working on the Norwegian energy giant’s North Sea facilities in the Veslefrikk and Gullfaks fields. The first incident happened in May 2020 and resulted from the replacement of brake bands containing asbestos on anchor winches while the second occurred in January 2021 and involved the removal of exhaust channels for an emergency generator on the A platform. No respirators had been used by the operators involved. See: North Sea operator reprimanded after workers ‘probably’ exposed to asbestos.
Asbestos in Schools
May 24, 2021
In answer to a question from Belgian Deputy André Antoine to Minister Frédéric Daerden about asbestos contamination of schools, the Minister reassured teachers, staff, students and parents that: “The issue of asbestos in our schools is still being followed seriously. All ‘asbestos’ inventories were carried out between 2008 and 2009.” According to the Minister, the situation was under control and urgent work was being undertaken as a matter of priority. After the investigations were completed, the Government would be better placed to clarify the situation. See: Amiante dans nos écoles: la situation est sous contrôle, mais les moyens restent largement insuffisants, selon le ministre Daerden [Asbestos in our schools: the situation is under control, but the means remain largely insufficient, according to Minister Daerden].
Legal Support for AsbestosVictims
May 24, 2021
One of the legal teams – “the Osaka Defense Team” –which represented plaintiffs whose claims for asbestos exposures against the Japanese Government and building material manufacturers were recognized on May 17, 2021 by the Supreme Court, held telephone consultation sessions last week to provide information to potential litigants from Osaka and elsewhere concerned about historic occupational asbestos exposures. Information was provided by the lawyers on the subject of the asbestos health hazard and compensation procedures. See: アスベストによる健康被害 無料の電話相談 [Health damage caused by asbestos. Free telephone consultation].
Getafe City Asbestos Action Plan
May 24, 2021
The sum of €30,000 has been allocated by the Governing Board of the Getafe City Council for an expert report on the geographical location, the names of sites, and the cost of remediation, of buildings which contain asbestos. The analysts were instructed to focus on municipal buildings and structures in the oldest industrial areas of the city. According to Councillor for Sustainability Ángel Muñoz: “we want to know in depth what is the level of asbestos that exists in the municipality… Once we have the results of the study, we will be able to assess the actions to be carried out and the investment necessary for it.” See: (GETAFE) Aprobado un estudio para identificar amianto en edificios municipales y áreas industriales antiguas [(GETAFE) Approval of a study to identify asbestos in municipal buildings and old industrial areas].
Update: Progress on Asbestos Ban
May 21, 2021
The Deputy Director of the Department of Urban Development and Architecture of the Kiev City State Administration Yuriy Tatsiy announced on Facebook that the use of asbestos-containing building materials in Ukraine would be banned under measures currently being progressed in bill No. 4142 by the Verkhovna Rada [Ukraine Legislature]. In 2007, the use of all types of asbestos fibers and asbestos-containing products was outlawed by the Ministry of Health; that ban was over-turned after pressure was brought to bear by asbestos vested interests. See: Использование асбеста при строительстве в Украине будет запрещено [The use of asbestos in construction in Ukraine will be prohibited].
Asbestos in Schools
May 21, 2021
On May 19, 2021, Portugal’s Minister for Territorial Cohesion told a parliamentary committee on Economy, Innovation, Public Works and Housing that plans were on track to complete the national eradication of asbestos from schools before the beginning of the next school year. The Minister reported that 94% of the 487 applications for asbestos removal work from schools had been approved. Total investment in the Asbestos Removal Program in Schools was €62 million (US$75.6m). See: Escolas sem amianto antes do próximo ano letivo [Asbestos-free schools before the next school year].
Update: Asbestos Claims Settlement
May 21, 2021
Following the massive coverage of a May 17, 2021 Supreme Court ruling in Japan supporting claims by asbestos-injured construction workers against the Government and building materials manufacturers, more details are emerging. Although the judgment by Presiding Justice Takuya Miyama found that the state’s liability dated from 1975 and included damage sustained by freelance and self-employed workers, claims from construction industry workers who had worked outside – such as roofers – were rejected. A bill to establish a relief system for an estimated 10,000 victims nationwide will be submitted by the Government during the current Diet session. See: Asbestos victims win relief funds after decade-long court battle.
Asbestos Remediation of Paradise
May 21, 2021
The failure of the Government of the Canary Islands to undertake work to identify the location of asbestos contamination in Tenerife has recently been denounced by Carmen Falcón, Secretary of Occupational Health of the Workers' Commission as well as island coordinator of Nueva Canarias Valentín Correa who requested the Cabildo of Tenerife (the Island Council of Tenerife) to “get down to work” on the compilation of an asbestos audit and remediation plan to protect public and occupational health. The EU has set a deadline of 2032 for asbestos eradication of member states. See: Tenerife carece de un censo de inmuebles con amianto [Tenerife lacks a census of properties with asbestos].
New Guidance on Asbestos in Soil
May 21, 2021
On May 17, 2021, Western Australia’s Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety released an information sheet providing guidance on how to deal with soils at a workplace which were contaminated with asbestos-containing material (ACM). The guidance contained information about the following subjects: assessing the likelihood of exposure; mandatory inspection, reporting, removal, soil sampling, signage and compliance protocols; relevant legislation such as the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996. See: WA: guidance released on asbestos contaminated soil.
Lawsuit Targeting Asbestos Failures at EPA
May 21, 2021
On May 18, 2021, a coalition of US health and environmental groups filed a complaint against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its failure to adequately consider the legacy risks posed by asbestos incorporated within the American infrastructure as mandated by the Toxic Substances Control Act. The complainants were seeking an order from a San Francisco federal court instructing the EPA to take steps to protect public health from the asbestos hazard. Acting on behalf of the plaintiffs, lawyer Robert Sussman accepted that President Biden's administration had “inherited the incomplete asbestos evaluation” from the Trump administration but was “hopeful” of a more productive collaboration with Biden’s EPA. See: Health groups sue to make EPA evaluate ‘legacy’ asbestos risk.
Supreme Court Backs Asbestos Victims
May 18, 2021
On May 17, 2021, Japan’s Supreme Court issued a plaintiff’s verdict in its first unified asbestos judgment. The ruling found for the claimants in class action lawsuits brought by asbestos-injured construction workers or family members at district courts in in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Kyoto. The Supreme Court confirmed that the Government of Japan had been negligent in delaying action on the asbestos hazard and that manufacturers of building products were also liable for damage done by occupational exposure to their asbestos-containing products. On May 18, 2021, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga planned to meet the plaintiffs to issue an apology on behalf of the Government for their injuries. See: Japan's top court holds state liable for asbestos diseases in workers.
Factory Worker, Campaigner
May 18, 2021
An article about the work of retired asbestos factory worker Jean-François Borde detailed his growing knowledge that hazardous conditions at the factory where he and his colleagues were employed by the Eternit company in the city of Vitry-en-Charollais, Eastern France were the cause of so many premature deaths and ill health amongst the workforce. With colleagues, in 1997 Borde formed an association – CAPER – to fight for the rights of the victims; the same year, they secured a landmark victory at the Dijon Court of Appeal which condemned Eternit for inexcusable misconduct. See: Jean-François Borde, une vie de combat contre l’amiante [Jean-François Borde, a life of combat against asbestos].
Asbestos Hazard at Apartment Complex
May 18, 2021
On May 14, 2021, at a Seoul press conference, representatives of the Incheon Environmental Movement Association announced that ornamental stones used for landscaping an apartment complex in Songdo International City, Incheon contained tremolite asbestos. Environmental groups accused the construction company of the complex of violating the Asbestos Safety Management Act; a complaint has been filed with the police denouncing the company. See: 환경단체, '석면 검출' 인천 송도 아파트 건설사 대표 고발 [Environmental group accuses representative of construction company in Songdo, Incheon over ‘detection of asbestos’].
Toxic Urban Transformation
May 18, 2021
According to asbestos experts, the use of fake asbestos reports was rife amongst developers engaged in urban transformation projects in Turkey. These phony certificates were submitted prior to or even after the demolition of old buildings, most of which contained asbestos. Inspectors would sign off on the projects without ever seeing the building site or inspecting the structures earmarked for demolition. These dangerous practices were widespread and could be one explanation for the increase in the cancer incidence in every region in Turkey, said one technical expert. See: Kentsel dönüşüm kapsamında yıkılan binalar için sahte asbest raporları hazırlanıyor [Fake asbestos reports are prepared for buildings destroyed during urban transformation].
Guidance for Asbestos Analysts
May 18, 2021
This month (May 2021) the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published the revised Asbestos: The analysts’ guide HSG248 (2nd Edition) online. For the first time, the subject of soil sampling for asbestos was included. The guidance, which is the authoritative source of asbestos analytical procedures within Great Britain, was designed to enable analysts to comply with their legal obligations. Material in the publication has been updated in line with new analytical procedures and methodology and provides “clarification on technical and personal safety issues, especially in relation to sampling and 4-stage clearances.” See: Asbestos: The analysts’ guide.
James Hardie Class Action
May 18, 2021
One of the largest class action trials in New Zealand is due to start on May 17, 2021 at the Auckland High Court. The trial involves claims valued at around $220 million from 1000 homeowners; the defendant James Hardie (JH) sold Harditex cladding which was, say the plaintiffs, defective. Prior to 1988, a JH subsidiary manufactured asbestos building products in New Zealand. Although, the company has escaped the bulk of asbestos claims as most have been covered by the state-run Accident Compensation Corporation, it “may be subject to potential liability if any of these claims are found not to be covered by the legislation and are later brought against us, and consequently, our financial position…could be materially adversely affected.” See: James Hardie: The leaks, the asbestos, the court action.
Toxic Legacy of Asbestos Mining
May 17, 2021
A new paper by Korean researchers – part of a Special Issue on Asbestos and Cancers: Exposure from Neighboring Factories and Mines, Contaminated Soil and Slate Roofs of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health – reported that people living in close proximity to some abandoned asbestos mines had experienced health damage from toxic exposures to naturally occurring asbestos. The researchers recommended that the asbestos contamination be remediated. See: Activity-Based Exposure Levels and Cancer Risk Assessment Due to Naturally Occurring Asbestos for the Residents Near Abandoned Asbestos Mines in South Korea.
Supreme Court Asbestos Ruling
May 17, 2021
On May 17, 2021, the Japan Supreme Court will issue its ruling explaining the verdict handed down previously which had found the Japanese Government negligent for asbestos injuries sustained by construction workers. This is the first such ruling by the Supreme Court over the asbestos health hazard posed by the use of toxic construction material; the contents of the ruling could affect the level of compensation awards to plaintiffs. Since 2006, when asbestos use in building materials was banned in Japan, 1,200 workers and bereaved families have filed 33 lawsuits for asbestos damages. See: 建設石綿被害、賠償認める理由は? 最高裁が17日判決 [What is the reason for accepting compensation for construction asbestos damage? Supreme Court ruling on the 17th].
Review of Asbestos Victim Relief Schemes
May 17, 2021
A paper, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health last week, authored by by researchers from Korea, Japan and Belgium, examined asbestos victim relief schemes from six countries. An analysis of data from South Korea, France, Japan, Belgium, the UK and the Netherlands revealed that: the highest number of recognized claims and amounts awarded were made under the French system; there was a general failure by national schemes to recognize some asbestos-related diseases; the failure to guarantee payment of medical treatment expenses was problematic; the issue of non-occupational asbestos exposure assessment needed to be addressed. See: Comparison of Asbestos Victim Relief Available Outside of Conventional Occupational Compensation Schemes.
Nearly All Asbestos Exported!
May 17, 2021
Data released in an article on May 13, 2021, revealed that due to a collapse in the domestic chrysotile (white) asbestos market, nearly all the asbestos mined and processed in Kazakhstan by Kostanay Minerals JSC, the country’s sole asbestos fiber producer, is being exported; in other words, whilst 220,000 tonnes (t) of asbestos is exported annually, only 7,000-8,000t are used at home. In its efforts to diversify, the asbestos company is looking at the use of asbestos in fertilizers. See: Житикаринское градообразующее предприятие на волне ковидного кризиса показало рост по всем показателям [In the wake of the crisis, the Zhitikarinskoye city-forming enterprise showed growth in all respects].
Asbestos Disposal: Update
May 17, 2021
Disposing of asbestos and asbestos-containing debris is a complicated matter in the Italian Province of Tuscany. An helpful information sheet explains who householders should contact and how the disposal of asbestos waste can be legally accomplished. Answers to the following questions are provided: when is it legal for citizens to remove small amounts of asbestos-cement material; when should a specialist contractor be contacted; what agency is responsible for monitoring the presence of deteriorating ac material. While different areas in Tuscany have different contact points and procedures, the dumping of asbestos waste anywhere in the Province is a serious crime. See: Amianto: chi fa cosa in Toscana [Asbestos: who does what in Tuscany].
No to the Sao Paulo!
May 17, 2021
Opposition continues to grow in Turkey over plans to bring a former Brazilian warship to Izmir for dismantling. According to Turkish experts, the import of this asbestos-laden ship will have serious human, environmental and ecological repercussions. The ship was bought at auction by Cormack Marítima, operating in Rio de Janeiro, on behalf of SÖK Shipping; it will be sent to Aliağa for dismantling in June 2021. According to Izmir Medical Chamber President Dr. Lütfi Çamlı ship dismantling creates “a major source of environmental pollution for Aliağa and İzmir, and poses a great threat to the health of the people living and working in the vicinity of these facilities.” See: Asbestli gemi direnişi [Asbestos ship resistance].
Artificial Intelligence & Asbestos Removal
May 13, 2021
A spokesman for a new commercial enterprise in Barcelona announced the launch of Detecta software, which uses artificial intelligence to identify the presence of asbestos in roofing. Aerial images are scanned and processed by neural networks which create interactive maps to inform councils about which sites are affected in order to accelerate the removal of polluted roofs from the country’s infrastructure. EU guidelines set a 2028 deadline for the removal of asbestos from the built environment. See: Creen un sistema que identifica la presència d’amiant a les teulades a través d’intel·ligència artificial [Creation of system to identify the presence of asbestos on roofs using artificial intelligence].
Illegal Foundations for Luxury Complex
May 13, 2021
This week, police in the Southern Italian Province of Caserta announced that a building site for luxury apartments had been seized due to the presence of asbestos waste in the structure’s foundation. The discovery led the State Police to seize the property on the orders of the of the Public Prosecutor of Santa Maria Capua Vetere who had authorized sophisticated and technical investigations, including core drilling and analyses carried out through georadar which established the presence of asbestos and asbestos-cement waste in the foundations. See: Amianto interrato nelle fondamenta, sequestrato un complesso di appartamenti di lusso a Marcianise [Asbestos buried in the foundations, a luxury apartment complex in Marcianise seized].
Asbestos: Environmental Hazard
May 13, 2021
A paper entitled Environmental exposure to asbestos and the risk of lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis, published in the current issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, highlighted the deadly consequences of living near sites where asbestos was mined or processed. The systematic and meta-analysis conducted by the Korean researchers revealed that: “A significant increase in the risk of lung cancer was found for neighbourhood exposure ... our findings imply that living near the source of asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer.” The authors called for more epidemiological studies on environmental asbestos exposures and lung cancer to be carried out. See: Environmental exposure to asbestos and the risk of lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Asbestos at School
May 13, 2021
The teaching chapter of the Spanish trade union CGT has denounced to the local authorities asbestos contamination of the Las Salinas High School in San Fernando, Cádiz. The toxic material, which is in deteriorating condition, is in asbestos-cement guttering and downpipes and possibly other products. The union warned that the situation posed a danger not only for students and staff but also to people who live or visit the surrounding area. Asbestos was banned in Spain in 2002. See: Denuncian ante la Inspección de Trabajo y Educación la presencia de amianto en el IES Las Salinas [Presence of asbestos at IES Las Salinas denounced before the Labor and Education Inspectorate].
Furore Grows over Asbestos Import
May 13, 2021
CHP İzmir Deputy Kamil Okyay Sındır, from the Turkish opposition party, has been highly vocal about the toxic waste being dumped in his constituency. Sındır criticized plans to bring a former Brazilian warship to Aliağa for dismantling saying it will turn İzmir into a toxic waste center. In a recent speech, the Deputy said: “Our environment, our nature, and the future of the people of Izmir are being destroyed without care… Allowing the dismantling of this ship … [opens] the door to an ecological disaster. We will not let the ship Sao Paulo turn our Aliağa into the world’s garbage dump.” See: CHP'li Sındır: İzmir zehirleniyor ama iktidarın umurunda değil! [CHP Sındır: İzmir is poisoned, but the government does not care!]
Toxic Talc Litigation
May 13, 2021
The fallout from US litigation over exposures to toxic talc continues with ongoing disputes between the bankrupt company Cyprus Mines Corporation – owner of a former talc mining operation in Cyprus – and its insurers, who are currently facing 436 personal injury lawsuits from claimants who contracted asbestos-related diseases due to use of products containing the talc. In a Delaware Court, lawyers representing the insurers are challenging the appointment of Roger Frankel to represent the interests of future tort claimants. The insurers’ preferred candidate for this role is either Delaware state judge Peggy Ableman or retired California bankruptcy judge Randall Newsome. See: Bankrupt Cyprus Mines saga continues.
Victim Twice Over!
May 12, 2021
As if an asbestos cancer diagnosis was not enough to cope with, Nurse Leonie Metcalfe was told by the New Zealand authorities that it was her responsibility to supply information about where she might have been exposed to asbestos over the last 40 years before she would be awarded compensation. After a lot of searching and anxiety, she provided evidence about asbestos pipe lagging that had been on pipes at Wairoa Hospital and asbestos material disturbed during renovations at Waikato Hospital, institutions at which she had been employed. Ms. Metcalfe has condemned the policy mandating that dying patients provide evidence from decades past to become eligible for the financial support they need. See: The breath of death — asbestos cancer mesothelioma and the fight for compensation.
A Safer Water Delivery System
May 12, 2021
Half a million euros has been allocated to remove asbestos water pipes and replace them with a modern network in the city of Agios Nikolaos and the settlement of Krousta on the Greek island of Crete. Under the terms of the contract signed, the work will be accomplished within the next 18 months. The impetus for this project was the constant breaks in the aging pipes and the resulting water leaks and the public as well as occupational health risks posed by the presence of asbestos in the pipe network. See: Νέο σύγχρονο δίκτυο ύδρευσης στην πόλη του Αγίου Νικολάου-αντικαθίστανται οι παλιοί σωλήνες αμίαντου [New modern water supply network in the city of Agios Nikolaos - the old asbestos pipes are replaced].
International Award for Researcher
May 12, 2021
At the end of the 15th meeting of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group, which was held online this year due to the pandemic, the prestigious Wagner Award was presented to Professor Anna Nowak from the National Centre for Asbestos-Related Diseases in Perth, Australia. Commenting on this recognition, Professor Nowak said: “I’m incredibly grateful and humbled to have been awarded the Wagner Medal – so many people I respect and admire have been past winners of this prize…What I’m most excited about is seeing the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy move into completed clinical trials and international clinical trials. The hope is that this combination will offer a better treatment than chemotherapy on its own.” See: World-leading asbestos diseases researcher awarded international prize.
Asbestos Justice on Hold
May 10, 2021
On May 4, 2021, a lawyer in the U.S. Virgin Islands (V.I.) Russell Pate filed a petition seeking a writ of mandamus to compel the V.I. Superior Court to assign hundreds of cases orphaned – including asbestos cases – when the presiding judge, Superior Court Judge Robert Molloy, was promoted to a U.S. District Court. The suspended cases include those brought by 46 former oil refinery workers, 80% percent of whom have now died, who sought damages for alleged silica dust and asbestos exposures. About 1,000 asbestos-related lawsuits have been resolved in the V.I. courts, but 400 remain pending. See: Attorney Seeks Writ of Mandamus to Move Cases Forward.
Asbestos Eradication Program
May 12, 2021
Work commissioned by the Province of Ragua to collect and dispose of asbestos-containing waste which had been dumped in the countryside of twelve Italian towns was carried out between the end of April and the first week of May 2021 as per a memorandum of understanding that had been signed by the civic authorities. The operatives contracted for this project collected 8,000 kilograms of toxic waste which will be transferred to an authorized landfill. Some removal work will be continuing in the coming weeks. See: Raccolte Otto Tonnellate di Amianto [Collected Eight Tons of Asbestos].
Asbestos: An Unfinished Story
May 12, 2021
The prevalence of asbestos throughout the Spanish infrastructure, dumped in rural areas, contained in household appliances and on top of domestic and commercial properties in deteriorating roofing, remains a serious threat to the lives of Spanish citizens. Scientists predict that asbestos deaths in Spain may reach 130,000 by 2050. A third of the homes in the Province of Segovia (about 40,000) are believed to contain asbestos. To address the multifaceted challenges of the national asbestos legacy, campaigners are calling on the government to pass a National Asbestos Law. See: La epidemia silenciosa del amianto sigue activa en Segovia [The silent epidemic of asbestos is still active in Segovia].
Toxic Dust from Urban Development
May 10, 2021
Tests conducted in Istanbul by personnel from the Association of Asbestos Removal Specialists have revealed airborne asbestos fibers in the Gaziosmanpaşa, Esenyurt and Bakırköy areas. Asbestos expert Kenan Yıldı is calling on all the city’s districts to reveal findings from similar tests. Commenting on the findings Yıldı said: “Asbestos and harmful dusts are spread everywhere since adequate measures are not taken in urban transformation [developments]. It seems that these dusts are scattered throughout most of the city. The substances we detect can cause very serious breathing problems.” See: Uzmanlar isim isim saydı: İşte İstanbul'un zehir saçan ilçeleri [Naming and shaming: the poisoned districts of Istanbul].
Finally, a Government Asbestos Scheme
May 10, 2021
Within days of the Australian Government announcing that it would set up a fund for people who had contracted asbestos cancer as a result of living in a house insulated with “Mr Fluffy” asbestos insulation, James Wallner – the man who had been at the forefront of the campaign for such a scheme – died aged 54 from mesothelioma (see: Asbestos campaigner James Wallner dies in Canberra after winning government aid for Mr Fluffy victims). The Federal government has agreed to allocate $8 million for a support scheme for victims of the asbestos insulation used in Canberra homes up until the 1970s. See: Federal government announces $8m assistance scheme for Mr Fluffy asbestos victims, ACT government set to match it.
2023 Deadline for Asbestos Audits
May 10, 2021
The Spanish Minister for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge Teresa Ribera has committed her Government to implementing a 2023 deadline for municipalities to mandate compulsory asbestos audits of the built environment as well as a program to eliminate the asbestos contamination present in buildings. The Government’s intention is stated in the waste and contaminated soil bill that the Council of Ministers is due to approve in the coming weeks. See: Los ayuntamientos tendrán antes de 2023 un censo de edificios con amianto y un plan para eliminarlo [Municipalities will have a census of buildings with asbestos and a plan to eliminate it by 2023].
Protect Yourself from Asbestos!
May 10, 2021
Considering the failures of local, regional and central governments in Turkey to protect citizens from asbestos exposures caused by urban renewal, building demolitions, earthquakes and toxic shipbreaking, civil society leaders are warning that people must protect themselves and their families from the deadly fibers. Commenting on the gravity of the situation Mehmet Ensari, of the Association of Asbestos Removal Specialists said: “Regretfully, the ministries and municipalities are watching you breathe asbestos, and despite all our calls for cooperation, we have not received a positive response except from Mersin/Yenişehir municipality…” See: Bakanlıklar ve belediyeler asbest solumanızı seyrediyor [“Ministries and municipalities watching you breathe asbestos”].
Asbestos Eradication Program on Target
May 10, 2021
The Council of the Spanish city of Herrera in the Province of Seville is engaged in a program to eliminate asbestos contamination of its water delivery and sanitation networks. According to Mayor Jorge Muriel, in the last decade 15 kilometers of asbestos-cement pipes have been removed from the water network; the municipality is aiming to have completed 95% of the asbestos eradication of the network within the next two years. Following the precautionary principle and on the grounds of public health, plans are being made to also remove asbestos from the subsoil. See: Herrera elimina el amianto de su red de agua potable y saneamiento [Herrera removes asbestos from its drinking water and sanitation network].
Asbestos Eradication Program
May 10, 2021
On May 7, 2021, the Busan Environment Corporation in the South Korean City of Busan held a ceremony to herald the start of a project to eradicate asbestos roofing present in the municipality. The first action of the decontamination program was the removal of toxic roofing containing up to 15% asbestos from 12 buildings in Maji Village. Commenting on this initiative, Chairman of the Corporation Bae Kwang-hyo said: “Starting with Maji Village, the Corporation is planning to expand the asbestos roof improvement pilot village development project…. Removing and improving the old asbestos roofing is best for citizens to live in a safer and more comfortable environment.” See: 부산환경공단 "석면 슬레이트 없는 마을 만든다" [Busan Environment Corporation “Making a village free of asbestos roofing tiles”].
Baby Powder Litigation
May 6, 2021
The debate about harm caused by the use of Johnson and Johnson’s iconic talc-based baby powder does not seem to lessen as yet more plaintiffs instigate lawsuits against the US pharmaceutical company for failing to protect them from toxic exposures despite knowledge about the harm caused by impurities in its products. According to corporate documents, J&J knew that the talc it was using could contain asbestos fibers and chose not to warn consumers. Despite the existence of a safer alternative based on cornstarch, J&J continued to sell the toxic powder until 2020 when it was withdrawn from markets in North America but remained on sale elsewhere. See: The Talc Powder Controversy: Why It Could Matter to Women.
Asbestos Eradication Program
May 6, 2021
On May 5, 2021, the Basque Association of Asbestos Victims (ASVIAMIE) presented proposals to the General Council of Gipuzkoa for the establishment of a program to implement mandatory asbestos audits as a first stage in a municipal plan to eradicate the asbestos hazard and bring the City into compliance with Resolution 2012/2065 of the European Parliament. According to ASVIAMIE in 2020 there were 33 deaths from asbestos-related diseases in Gipuzkoa; so far in 2021, there have been 8. See: Asviamie se concentrará en Juntas para urgir un inventario y planificar la erradicación del amianto en Gipuzkoa [Asviamie will focus on Boards to urge an inventory and plan for the eradication of asbestos in Gipuzkoa].
Toxic Eyesore or Historical Relic?
May 6, 2021
Aragonese artist Miguel Ángel Arrudi has led protests over plans in Andorra to demolish a redundant power plant containing asbestos and other toxic material. The artist and his supporters believe that the chimney and 3 cooling towers of the Andorran Thermal Power Plant are assets of cultural interest and, as such, should not be demolished. The proposal to preserve the 1974 structures has been rejected by local authorities who began preliminary work on February 25, 2021 with the dismantling of storage areas and boiler mills. In May, work will be carried out in boiler and turbine areas. See: La DGA rechaza declarar BIC las torres de Andorra por tener amianto y superar su vida útil [The DGA refuses to declare Andorran (cooling) towers BIC (assets of cultural interest) because they have exceeded their useful life and contain asbestos].
Cancer Research Update: Hephestin
May 6, 2021
On the eve of the International Day for Asbestos Victims, Violetta Borelli – a researcher from the University of Trieste – provided a progress update to delegates attending a conference in Monfalcone, Italy. With sponsorship from the League Against Caner and the City of Monfalcone, scientists had made a step forward with the identification of a variant of hephestin, a protein responsible for the absorption of iron in the intestine, which was more expressed by people exposed to asbestos but who had not become ill. Borellia explained that the objective of the research was to identify a link between the occurrence of asbestos-related diseases and a genetic predisposition to contract these diseases. See: Amianto, procede la ricerca verso nuove cure [Asbestos, the search for new treatments continues].
Lawsuit Targeting Montana Medical Clinic
May 6, 2021
More details have emerged about the basis for the lawsuit being brought by asbestos defendants against a medical clinic in Libby – a Montana town where hundreds of people have died from asbestos-related diseases due to vermiculite mining operations by the company W. R. Grace. The litigants allege that personnel at the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) defrauded Medicare and federal agencies by running unnecessary tests – including X-rays and CT scans – and over-diagnosing cases of asbestos-related diseases. The legal team for CARD view the lawsuit as an attempt to damage the clinic’s credibility and undermine the legitimacy of its diagnoses. See: Lawsuit against Libby clinic centers on lung scans.
Asbestos Disposal Fiasco
May 6, 2021
Enquiries made by a local reporter have exposed failings in the disposal policy for asbestos-cement tiles in the Brazilian city of Guarulhos, São Paulo State. Municipal dumpsites and collection agencies will not accept asbestos-cement tiles or broken cement tiles suspected of containing asbestos, advising that arrangements must be made for the collection of these toxic products by a specialist commercial company. There is only one such specialist company: Cetes Ambiental. The result of the city’s policy is that people dispose of asbestos-cement material on public roads and vacant lots. See: Guarulhos não sabe o que fazer com telhas que contêm amianto [Guarulhos does not know what to do with tiles containing asbestos].
Ukraine’s Asbestos Battles: Update
May 5, 2021
An update to the war over the right of the Government of Ukraine to ban asbestos reported that one of the main companies involved in the attack on the democratic process was the Russian-Kazakh Kusto Group. The author of the article cited below noted that in 2017 this group had “managed to abolish the decree of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine #339 ‘On the safety and protection of workers from the harmful effects of asbestos and materials and asbestos-containing products’ with the help of the Administrative Court of Cassation of Ukraine.” Support for Parliament’s attempt to ban asbestos had been received from international organizations and Parliamentarians. See: Russian-Kazakh holding blocks the ban of hazardous asbestos-containing production and that threatens Ukraine's integration into the EU.
Victory for Dunkirk Shipyard Workers
May 5, 2021
On April 28, 2021, a French court recognized the right of 32 former employees from the Normed shipyards in Dunkirk to claim compensation of €2,000 for asbestos anxiety from the French State; judgments in 150 similar cases are pending according to lawyer Frédéric Quinquis who pointed that that the successful claimants had all been employed prior to 1977 when asbestos regulations had been enacted. See: Amiante: l’État condamné à indemniser 32 ex-salariés de chantiers navals de Dunkerque [Asbestos: the State ordered to compensate 32 former employees of Dunkirk shipyards].
New Health Assessment Program
May 5, 2021
On April 30, 2021, the South Korea City of Busan announced that a program would be launched to provide health assessments for former pupils, staff and local people who had attended Yeonsin Elementary school or lived near the school from 1985 to 1998. The school, which was opened in 1984, was 10 meters away from an asbestos textile factory owned by the Jeil Chemical company. The program – which would provide free assessments and check-ups – would be conducted by staff from the Asbestos Environmental Health Center at the Busan National University Hospital in Yangsan. See: 석면공장 옆 부산 연신초 졸업생·가족 건강영향 조사 [Health impact survey for graduates and families in Yeonsin-cho, Busan, next to the asbestos plant].
Asbestos in Schools
May 5, 2021
Critics of the Education Department of the South African Province of Gauteng have issued a strongly worded condemnation that years after asbestos had been banned in South Africa, 25 schools in Gauteng still contained asbestos material. Accepting that there had been delays, Steve Mabona, a spokesperson for the Department, said that plans to remediate these schools were well-advanced and that a budget for the work had been allocated. According to Mabona: “Our commitment to eradicate asbestos remains unshakeable. However, we must also forever condemn the apartheid government for using the lethal asbestos to build schools in our communities.” See: Years after eradication deadline, 25 Gauteng schools still contain asbestos.
Asbestos Myths and Disinformation
May 5, 2021
The mythology, history and legendary benefits of using chrysotile (white) asbestos were recounted in a Russian language article which contained multiple clues as to the pro-asbestos bias of the author, including phrases such as: “asbestos has become an indispensable companion of mass construction projects”; “Chrysotile asbestos is … [removed from our body] in a short time”; “Chrysotile asbestos is approved for industrial use under controlled use.” See: Удивительная промышленность: легенды о негорящем камне [Amazing Industry: Legends of the Non-Burning Stone].
Asbestos at the Opera
May 5, 2021
Last week, acquittals were handed down by the Milan Court in a case brought against former directors of La Scala Opera House – Carlo Fontana, Giovanni Traina, Francesco Malgrande and Maria Rosaria Samoggia – who had been charged with the manslaughter of 10 workers who had died from diseases caused by occupational asbestos exposures. Having heard the verdict, victims’ campaigners called out: “Shame, they were killed for the second time.” See: Amianto, assolti i quattro ex dirigenti del Teatro alla Scala imputati per omicidio colposo di dieci operai esposti all’amianto [Asbestos, the four former directors of the Teatro alla Scala accused of the manslaughter of ten workers exposed to asbestos acquitted].
Victim’s Judgment in Brazil
May 4, 2021
Judge Juliana Campos Ferro Lage of the 2nd Labor Court of Pedro Leopoldo in Belo Horizonte – the 6th largest Brazilian city – last week approved a verdict awarding R$ 571,472 (US$ 106,900) in moral and material damages to a worker who had contracted asbestosis and pleural plaques after having been employed for 25 years at an engineering company. The company, which had employed the plaintiff from 1973 to 1998, claimed that the disease contracted was unrelated to his employment as the provisions of health and safety laws had been implemented. See: Homem será indenizado por empresa, após adoecer por causa de amianto [Man will be compensated by company, after falling ill due to asbestos].
Buffet Company Sues Medical Clinic
May 4, 2021
The repercussions of mining in Libby, Montana continue with diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases, caused by exposure to fibers liberated by W.R. Grace’s vermiculite operations, being made every year. The Center for Asbestos Related Disease Clinic provides a vital role in supporting and treating the injured. One of the defendants in Libby asbestos cases is the BNSF Railway, owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway company. BNSF is suing the Clinic in federal court, alleging that it is defrauding Medicare and grant agencies by over-diagnosing asbestos-related diseases and running unnecessary tests. See: In Poisoned Montana Town, Warren Buffett-Owned Railroad Accuses Clinic of Medicare Fraud.
Campaigning during Covid!
May 4, 2021
Grassroots groups in Indonesia, which remain committed to banning asbestos despite the COVID-19 pandemic, include Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA (Australia), the Local Initiative for Occupational Safety and Health Network (LION), and Indonesia’s Ban Asbestos Network. Work continues on consolidating the ban introduced in Bandung City in 2020 as well as on campaigning for additional regional and national regulations to protect workers, consumers and post-disaster communities from toxic exposures. LION will continue outreach work to support asbestos victims and raise awareness of the need for a ban to protect the population from avoidable deaths caused by asbestos exposure. See: The fight to ban asbestos continues as Indonesia responds to COVID-19.
Asbestos: Key Election Issue in Scotland
May 4, 2021
In the run-up to the Scottish elections this week, asbestos victims’ and trade union campaigners urged all political parties to commit themselves to a plan to eradicate asbestos contamination throughout the Scottish infrastructure. Phyllis Craig, from the Glasgow-based group Action on Asbestos, was insistent, saying: “The question of asbestos in our schools, hospitals and public buildings must be addressed by the politicians before the May elections.” Gary Smith, GMB Scotland secretary, added: “Asbestos has cost so many lives and damaged so many more, it’s outrageous that there is not a planned programme of removal.” See: Scotland’s political parties must pledge to remove potentially deadly asbestos from all of the country’s public buildings, campaigners and trade unions have said.
Saying No to the Sao Paulo!
May 4, 2021
Opposition continues to grow in Turkey over plans to dismantle a former Brazilian warship – believed to contain up to 900 tonnes of asbestos – at an Izmir shipbreaking facility. According to the İzmir Medical Chamber the scrapping of the vessel in Turkey would cause pollution both in the sea and on the land. Lütfü Çamlı, the head of the Chamber, warned that Turkey was on the verge of becoming the world’s “toxic waste dump” adding that: “The increasing ship dismantling traffic creates a major source of environmental pollution for Aliağa and İzmir and poses a great threat for people living around these facilities and workers.” See: Medical chamber expresses concern over aircraft carrier dismantling in İzmir.
Asbestos Action by TV Technician
May 4, 2021
On April 27, 2021, a trial started in a Madrid Court to consider whether the RTVE television company violated mandatory safety measures which resulted in a worker receiving toxic exposures to asbestos. Commenting on the case, one of the lawyers for the claimant said: “today it will be proven how the health of workers was disregarded, without further ado, allowing exposure to asbestos to be part of their day-to-day life.” A positive judgment would mean that the pension received by the plaintiff would be increased by up to 40%. See: RTVE a juicio hoy para dirimir si incumplió las medidas de seguridad ante el amianto [RTVE on trial today to decide if it breached the security measures against asbestos].
Naming Names!
Apr 29, 2021
The article cited below from a Ukraine website named the Kazakhstan Kusto asbestos company as one of the main groups lobbying against efforts by Ukraine’s government to ban the use of asbestos, noting that: “Back in 2017, the Kusto Group lobby was able… to cancel the Ukraine’s Ministry of Health’s [ban asbestos] order No. 339…” To counter the pressure from asbestos interests, a campaign was launched to inform Ukrainians of the importance of ending the use of this known carcinogen to protect health and comply with EU regulations. See: Российско-казахский холдинг-монополист блокирует запрет изготовления опасного асбеста, что угрожает интеграции Украины в ЕС [Russian-Kazakh monopoly blocking ban on manufacture with hazardous asbestos, which threatens Ukraine's integration into EU].
Chungnam’s Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Apr 29, 2021
On April 28, 2021, the Yesan Hongseong Environmental Movement Association, the Korea Asbestos Removal Network and the Environmental Health Citizens’ Center held a community discussion in Hongseong, capital of Chungnam Province, to consider the achievements and limitations of the Asbestos Damage Relief Act, operational since 2011. Chungnam is an asbestos hotspot due to the presence of naturally occurring asbestos at multiple locations. According to speaker Yeyong Choi: “Only 5002 asbestos victims have been recognized and compensated for their illnesses in the last 10 years;” [of these] 1,900 (38%) had experienced asbestos exposures in Chungnam.” See: 석면 피해자가 충남에 가장 많은 이유는? [Why are the most asbestos victims in Chungnam?].
Asbestos: Heroism or Propaganda?
Apr 29, 2021
Asbestos propagandists, seemingly short of inspiration for their latest asbestos puff piece, have resorted to patriotism and reliving the glory of the post-World War II era when the efforts of the asbestos industry were pivotal in rebuilding the country: “Both during the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, chrysotile asbestos was regarded as a strategically important resource… In those heroic years, it became obvious that the asbestos industry in any form – from mobilization to peacetime – was a strategically important part of the national economy.” See: Продукция асбестовой индустрии активно применялась в годы Великой Отечественной войны [The products of the asbestos industry were actively used during the Great Patriotic War].
Support for Construction Workers Lawsuit
Apr 29, 2021
A rally was organized in Kasuya Town, Fukuoka Prefecture on April 25, 2021 by Japanese unions, to express solidarity with claimants in litigation brought by construction workers over occupational asbestos exposures. Speakers who addressed the gathering included politicians from the ruling and opposition parties as well as Toshimichi Ishimoto, General Manager of the Construction Workers Struggle Campaign, who was optimistic about the outcome in light of the recent Supreme Court verdict favoring asbestos-injured construction workers. See: 全ての被害者救済を 建設アスベスト 九州訴訟で総決起集会 [Rally to Save All Victims of Construction Asbestos in Kyushu].
Asian Asbestos Shipbreaking Hazard
Apr 29, 2021
Three of the 12 pages of the text in an update issued on April 28, 2021 about the health emergency at South Asian shipbreaking beaching facilities dealt with the hazard posed by asbestos contamination on ships being scrapped in Bangladesh and India. The publication by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform noted the ubiquity of asbestos-containing material on board ships, the hazards posed by asbestos exposures to workers and local communities, the lack of capacity to safely handle this material at the shipbreaking yards, the incidence of asbestos-related diseases amongst shipbreaking workers and how weak national systems allow scrappers to exploit regulatory loopholes. See: South Asia Quarterly Update Number 25.
Manifesto for National Program
Apr 29, 2021
Calls for national action to address a multitude of failings by the Spanish government in tackling the country’s epidemic of asbestos-related diseases are increasing; asbestos victims, medical associations and environmental campaigners have criticized the lack of: a census of former asbestos workers; asbestos audits of buildings; a program to remediate deteriorating asbestos in public buildings such as schools; and sufficient recognition of asbestos-related diseases. See: Amianto: así afecta a la salud el principal carcinógeno laboral [Asbestos: this is how the main occupational carcinogen affects health].
Attack on Asbestos Ban Proposal
Apr 27, 2021
An article examining the repercussions of Ukraine bill No. 4142, a voluminous piece of legislation revising the country’s public health system which was adopted by Parliament on its first reading, singled out just one article of the draft legislation: the one banning asbestos. The author of the text, no doubt informed by asbestos lobbyists, engaged in scaremongering by warning that citizens would face exorbitant bills for asbestos-free roofing. The prohibition was ill-advised, said the author, when chrysotile asbestos roofing tiles were “safe, time-tested and affordable.” See: «Крыша поехала»: депутаты объявили шифер вне закона [“roofing gone”: deputies to outlaw slate].
Growing Anger over Toxic Import
Apr 27, 2021
Political opposition continues to build in Turkey, with the latest condemnation over plans to import a toxic Brazilian warship to Turkey for scrapping coming from Izmir Deputy Kani Beko who highlighted the presence of an estimated 600 tonnes of asbestos onboard the vessel. Beko claimed that dismantling the Sao Paulo aircraft carrier in Aliağa could harm workers and members of local communities as well as do irreparable damage to the environment. See: CHP'li Beko'dan asbestli gemi uyarısı: Sadece Aliağa'yı değil tüm ülkeyi kirletir! [Asbestos ship warning from Beko of CHP: It pollutes not only Aliaga, but the whole country!].
Cadiz’s Tragic Legacy
Apr 27, 2021
A feature-length piece on a Spanish website last Sunday explored the country’s deadly asbestos legacy with a particular emphasis on the impact on the port of Cadiz, which was between 1965 and 1988 the entry point for 269,380 tons of asbestos. Some of the imported fiber was used locally in maritime as well as construction products as a result of which “hundreds or even thousands of workers… have died since the 1950s.” Shipyard workers and their families are amongst the worst affected, with former employees from the Bazan shipbuilding company at an elevated risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease. See: Amianto: El asesino silencioso [Asbestos: The Silent Killer].
Mesothelioma Case: Coroner vs. Court
Apr 27, 2021
A ruling by a Senior West London Coroner that the 2018 death of Linda Evans had been due to “exposure to asbestos whilst resident at 8 Eliot Court, causing malignant mesothelioma,” was overruled on March 31, 2021 (see: Wandsworth BC v HMC for Inner West London) by a verdict of the Chief Coroner of England and Wales Judge Teague, Lord Justice Popplewell and Mr. Justice Cavanagh which found: “That evidence was not sufficient to enable the coroner to conclude on the balance of probabilities that Linda Johns had contracted malignant mesothelioma as a result of exposure to asbestos fibres while she was living at 8 Eliot Court.” See: Testing the boundaries of causation in mesothelioma deaths.
Another Health Disaster in Sardinia
Apr 27, 2021
The legacy posed by asbestos use and dumping in Sardinia has caused thousands of deaths and continues to endanger the lives of the population, according to the Asbestos Exposed Association which has just released a report documenting the “unacceptable” underestimation made by the authorities of the seriousness of the contamination. The facts are startling: despite some remediation, there are still: 18 million square meters of asbestos-containing material, 9,000+ km of asbestos cement water pipes, 2,850 public buildings including schools, hospitals, sports facilities, courthouses, post offices containing asbestos, 1,750 industrial sites, to be reclaimed, etc. See: Sardegna libera dalla minaccia amianto? “Traguardo ancora lontano” [Sardinia free from the asbestos threat? “Milestone still far away”].
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 27, 2021
The cost for removing asbestos from 112 schools in the Australian state of Queensland over the last financial year exceeded $6.5 million according to information provided by Education Minister Grace to a Parliamentary Question. The most expensive remediation initiative, which cost $410,594, took place at Maryborough Special School. According to the Minister “the safety of students, staff and visitors was the department's highest priority.” See: Asbestos found at more than 100 Queensland schools and the search is still underway, Education Minister reveals.
Asbestos Crimes in Massachusetts
Apr 26, 2021
The Attorney General of Massachusetts Maura Healey is suing four companies for flouting laws intended to prevent toxic exposures to asbestos. “We allege,” said Healey “that the defendants’ reckless disregard of basic workplace procedures and failure to take proper precautions put the health and safety of workers, building occupants, and the surrounding community at risk.” The charges relate to work undertaken in March 2019 by: Ray Services Inc., an asbestos abatement company; O’Reilly, Talbot, & Okun Associates, Inc., an environmental consulting company; Allegrone Construction Co., a general contractor; and Service Transport Group, a transportation company. See: AG Healey Sues Four Companies for Illegal Asbestos Work at Former Springfield YMCA.
Asbestos on the Beach
Apr 26, 2021
Randwick City Council has announced the closure of Little Bay Beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for a fortnight, starting April 26, in order to conduct an assessment of the asbestos debris found on the beach and investigate the source of the contamination. Since August 2020, 1,000 pieces of asbestos material have been found. The Council believes that the debris is coming downstream from nearby gullies which might have been used as landfill sites prior to 1988. The mining, use and sale of asbestos is prohibited. See: Hundreds of asbestos pieces to shut down eastern suburbs beach.
Save the Planet and the Workers
Apr 26, 2021
An article about efforts by the European Union to increase protection for workers from asbestos exposures explained that the measures proposed would be implemented as part of the EU’s push for the adoption of green and digital technologies. Italian MEPs, including Elena Lizzi in the Employment and Social Affairs Commission, were supporting these plans in order to protect citizens. “There are,” said Lega “between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths per year in the European Union, and by 2025 there could be a peak in pathologies caused by contact with this material…The European Beating Cancer Plan includes prevention among its pillars, which is fundamental to prevent occupational cancers which cause 52% of deaths at work.” See: Green e digitale per affrontare il problema amianto [Green and digital to tackle the asbestos problem].
Shortage of Space for Asbestos Waste
Apr 26, 2021
Wallonia, the French-speaking community of Flanders, is running out of capacity for the legal dumping of asbestos waste. As a consequence of the closure last December (2020) of two asbestos landfill sites, only two remaining sites are operational in Wallonia: one in Habay-la-Neuve and the other in Hallembay. They are close to being full. Technical experts are calling on quick decisions to be made regarding the lack of capacity which could include extending provisions at current landfills to allow dumping of asbestos waste. The higher the price for disposing of asbestos waste, the more toxic waste will be illegally dumped said Étienne Offergeld. See: Amiante: les centres d’enfouissement wallons sont presque tous pleins [Asbestos: Walloon landfills are almost full up].
A Decade of the Asbestos Damage Relief Act
Apr 26, 2021
On April 28, 2021, the Korea Asbestos Removal Network will hold a community discussion in Hongseong, the capital city of South Korea’s Chungnam Province, to consider the achievements and limitations of the Asbestos Damage Relief Act, operational since 2011. Chungnam is an asbestos hotspot due to the presence of naturally occurring asbestos at multiple locations. Speakers at the meeting will include: Ye-Yong Choi, director of the Environmental Health Citizen Center, Akira Suzuki, executive chairman of the Korea Asbestos Removal Network, and activist and asbestos cancer sufferer Lee Seong-jin. See: 석면피해구제법 시행 10년 성과와 문제점은? [What are the achievements and problems in 10 years of the enforcement of the Asbestos Damage Relief Act].
Victims’ Verdict in Venice
Apr 26, 2021
Labor Judge Barbara Bortot of the Court of Venice awarded compensation of €853,000 (US$1,032,000) to the family of an Italian port worker who died from asbestos cancer in 2011. This sum is believed to be a record for an occupationally-caused asbestos death of a dockworker. The defendant was the Port System Authority for the Northern Adriatic Sea; the District Attorney of the State of Venice contested the applicants’ claim. See: Amianto, risarcimento record per un portuale morto nel 2011 [Asbestos, record compensation for a docker who died in 2011].
Support for Ukraine Asbestos Ban
Apr 23, 2021
The titanic effort Ukraine is exerting to improve the rights and conditions of its population by banning asbestos has been recognized by UK Parliamentarians who have issued their support for the Ukraine ban in a letter sent on April 20, 2021 to the Head of the Ukrainian Parliament Dmytro Razumkov. In the text of the correspondence MS Mick Antoniw (see: Ukraine Ban on Asbestos), MP Stephen Timms, MSP Anas Sarwar and MP Ian Lavery whole-heartedly endorsed “Ukraine’s determination to protect its citizens by ending asbestos use and beginning the onerous process of addressing the multitude of challenges created by the incorporation of this deadly carcinogen into the national infrastructure.” See: Stephen joins calls to ban asbestos in Ukraine.
Saying No to Toxic Imports!
Apr 23, 2021
Public opposition continues to build in Turkey over plans to bring a toxic Brazilian aircraft carrier – believed to contain asbestos as well as heavy metals – to Izmir for scrapping. A statement by the Aliağa Environment Platform was categorical: “Tons of materials that will directly affect the sea, air and naturally human life will be dismantled at the shipbreaking shipyard in Aliağa. The meaning of this is clear: We will breathe the poison.” See: Aliağa Çevre Platformu: Bu kent, bu hayat bizim, zehir solumak istemiyoruz [Aliağa Environment Platform: This city, this life is ours, we don't want to breathe poison].
Eternit Profits Post-Ban
Apr 23, 2021
The share price of Brazil’s former asbestos giant – Eternit S.A. – has reached its highest price since 2014 despite the dire warnings the company had given in years gone by about the disastrous impact banning asbestos would have on the company’s financial prospects. Last year (2020), Eternit recorded an adjusted net profit of R$85.7 million (US$15,4m), after having a loss of R$46.8m (US$8.4m) in 2019. Despite the existence of a national asbestos ban, Eternit’s mining subsidiary SAMA exported 75,000 tonnes of asbestos last year, under an unconstitutional Goiás State law which is being contested at the Supreme Court. See: Ação da Eternit chega ao maior valor desde 2014 [Eternit shares reach highest value since 2014].
Victim’s Verdict in Bilbao
Apr 23, 2021
Bilbao’s Social Court number 6 awarded compensation of €130,650 (US$157,400) to the family of a bricklayer who had died in 2019 from asbestos-related lung cancer; the Court dismissed the defence’s argument that the disease had been due to the deceased’s smoking history. Between 1976 and 1996, the deceased had handled asbestos whilst repairing furnaces for his employer the Altos Hornos company of Vizcaya. The Court found that the company had not been compliant with health and safety measures. Throughout the case, the family had been supported by the Asbestos Victims Association of Euskadi (Asviamie). See: Condenan a Cofivacasa a pagar a la familia de un trabajador de AHV muerto por amianto [Cofivacasa is sentenced to pay the family of an AHV worker killed by asbestos].
Asbestos at Montreal University
Apr 21, 2021
The University of Montreal (UoM) announced on April 19, 2021 that it will not appeal decisions taken which upheld the occupational cause of asbestos cancer deaths suffered by two of its employees. The claims were brought by the families of computer scientist Yves Charland, who had worked as a computer scientist for 20 years at UoM and died of the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma in 2019, and retired professor Jean Renaud, who died in March 2021 from the same cancer. See: Dossier de l’amiante L’Université de Montréal fait marche arrière [Asbestos case. The University of Montreal is backing down].
Increase in Chrysotile Sales
Apr 21, 2021
Kazakhstan’s only asbestos producer Kostanay Minerals reported increased chrysotile fiber sales in the first quarter of 2021 from 50,100 tonnes in 2020 to 67,400 tonnes. Exports increased by 38.6% with shipments going to China, India, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Turkmenistan. Chrysotile asbestos-containing products are also sold in Kazakhstan. According to the company, production output in 2021 was predicted to reach 230,000 tonnes, 97% of which was for export. See: В первом квартале на треть вырос объем отгрузки хризотила и составил 67,4 тыс тонн [Demand for Kazakh chrysotile in the first quarter has grown significantly].
Opposition Grows over Toxic Ship
Apr 21, 2021
The Turkish environmental activist nicknamed “Don Quixote Osman” has condemned the import of the Brazilian aircraft carrier the São Paulo, calling the vessel a “floating coffin.” The campaigner said that grassroots anger is growing over the dumping of yet another toxic ship in Turkey and he is demanding that the ship be returned to France. which is where it was built, for dismantling. Having considered the human health and ecological consequences of the ship’s scrapping in Turkey, Osman pledged: “We will not take this ship into our territorial waters.” See: Don Kişot Osman'dan 'asbest' gemisi yorumu: Yüzen tabut [Don Quixote Osman's interpretation of ‘asbestos’ ship: floating coffin].
Update: Mesothelioma Research
Apr 21, 2021
An anomaly uploaded to a Russia language website examined developments in treatment options for patients suffering from mesothelioma, the signature cancer caused by asbestos exposure. According to the Russian asbestos industry, there are no asbestos cancers in Russia because the only asbestos used there is Russian-produced chrysotile (white) asbestos which, they say, is not harmful to humans. The author of the article admitted that “According to statistics, in 80% of cases, mesothelioma develops due to asbestos [exposures]… asbestos is one of the most … potent carcinogens, and those who work with it without any protection are at extreme risk.” See: Тройное оружие против «асбестового рака» [Triple weapon against “asbestos cancer”].
Chrysotile Protection Day
Apr 20, 2021
“Chrysotile Protection Day” was marked by asbestos stakeholders on April 16, 2021 to promote the industry’s interests and to attack the “external forces” and “unfair competitors” who advocate for the banning of chrysotile asbestos. The author of the article cited below asserted that Chrysotile Protection Day was “celebrated all over the world;” this, as well as other statements he included – such as the denial of the health hazard posed by human exposures to chrysotile – were based on fiction and not fact. See: День защиты хризотила: более 40 лет хризотил-асбест находится под давлением внешних сил [Day of protection of chrysotile: chrysotile-asbestos has been under pressure from external forces for more than 40 years].
Asbestos Prohibitions and Eradication
Apr 20, 2021
Steps are being taken in Colombia to implement the 2019 law banning asbestos, by widening the restrictions to include asbestos applications previously exempted. Steps are being taken by the Ministries of Labor, Health and Social Protection, Environment and Sustainable Development and Commerce, Industry and Tourism, to establish a program to ensure compliance with mandatory asbestos regulations and progress attempts to eradicate contamination of the national infrastructure. See: Importación y exportación de asbesto, prohibida en Colombia [Import and export of asbestos, prohibited in Colombia].
São Paulo Disposal: Other Options?
Apr 20, 2021
An article in a Brazilian magazine reviewed the current plans to dispose of the decommissioned Brazilian warship the São Paulo at a Turkish scrapping yard, reporting that the reaction by citizens’ groups, environmentalists and technical experts in Turkey had been far from favorable. Looking for an alternative destination for the ship, the article reported that Rear Admiral Mustafa Cihat Yayci of the Turkish navy had suggested converting the vessel into a large military training center. See: Porta Aviões SÃO PAULO pode escapar do desmonte. Contaminantes nucleares, questões ecológicas e novo campo de treinamento para militares são questões levantadas na Turquia [Aircraft carrier São Paulo can escape scrapping. Nuclear contaminants, ecological issues and training camp for military personnel are issues raised in Turkey].
Say No to Toxic Ship!
Apr 20, 2021
İzmir Deputy and Environment Commission Member Murat Çepni issued a stinging denunciation of plans to allow a Brazilian Naval aircraft carrier to be dismantled in an Aliağa shipyard in Izmir. The contamination which would result from scrapping the ship would decimate the ecology and environment of Datça Kargı bay as well as expose workers and local people to carcinogenic substances. Çepni alleged that political and financial vested interests stood to gain from this catastrophic decision despite the obvious hazard posed to citizens and communities. See: Çepni: Zehir ve kanser saçacak olan gemi durdurulmalı! [Çepni: The ship that will spread poison and cancer must be stopped!].
Grassroots Action to Defeat Toxic Dump
Apr 20, 2021
Despite a decision by the municipal authorities in Mont-Saint-Vincent, France to postpone discussion of proposals to allow dumping of asbestos waste at a local quarry, campaigners continue to lobby the public and decision-makers to block the contentious venture by the Rougeot company. On April 16, members of local action groups met officials of the urban commune representing the cities of Creusot and Montceau. Support from environmentalists has been growing; the association to protect drinking water in Guye expressed concerns over water pollution created by the disposal of asbestos in the quarry. See: Amiante – Les opposants au projet d’enfouissement de déchets amiantés sonnent à toutes les portes [Asbestos – Opponents of the asbestos landfill project are ringing the bell].
Update: Promising Asbestos Cancer Treatment
Apr 20, 2021
A Scottish Sunday newspaper highlighted progress made in treating asbestos-related diseases, noting that Scotland had one of the world’s worst incidences of these illnesses due to it’s industrial history. According to researchers, mesothelioma patients in a clinical immunotherapy trial – called Checkmate 743 – had their lives extended and their quality of life improved in one of the “biggest breakthroughs in 16 years.” Commenting on the results, the Edinburgh consultant oncologist leading the Scottish part of the study Dr Melanie MacKean said: “Doctors see it as a real option for advanced mesothelioma patients for whom surgery is not the right treatment.” See: Doctors hail breakthrough drugs trial for cancer linked to asbestos.
Supporting Ukraine’s Asbestos Ban Bill
Apr 19, 2021
On April 16, 2021, the Collegium Ramazzini – an international association of independent scientists and medical professionals – issued its support for actions being taken by the Government of Ukraine to ban the use of all types of asbestos, including chrysotile. The letter was addressed to Dmytro Razumkov, Head of the Ukrainian Parliament, and Mykhailo Radutskyi, Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance. On behalf of the Collegium, the President and Secretary General urged “the Government of Ukraine to persist with its efforts to protect citizens from deadly exposures to all types of asbestos, including chrysotile.” See: Collegium Ramazzini letter on asbestos hazards in the Ukraine.
Asbestos Failings Widespread in Istanbul
Apr 19, 2021
A new report published by technical experts in Turkey has revealed that only 7 out of 39 districts in Istanbul were enforcing asbestos inspection laws and guidelines prior to the commencement of redevelopment or demolition work. Scientific, geological and asbestos removal specialists warned that given the speed and ubiquity of urban renewal work in Turkey’s biggest city, the lack of asbestos audits and the failure to take preventive measures continue to release asbestos fibers into the air putting members of the public as well as workers at risk of toxic exposures. See: İstanbul'da asbest tehdidi: Sadece 7 ilçede sağlıklı denetim var [Asbestos threat in Istanbul: only 7 districts have healthy control].
Update: National Compensation Fund
Apr 19, 2021
A proposal by Basque parliamentarians, which was approved almost unanimously last week by the Spanish Parliament, will establish a national asbestos compensation fund. The scheme will be modelled on similar ones in France, the Netherlands and Belgium and will award compensation for the State’s failure to take timely and appropriate action on the asbestos hazard. Had it banned the use of asbestos before 2002, tens of thousands of deaths from toxic exposures at work and at home could have been prevented. The official recognition of the diseases incurred by victims was welcomed by campaigners as an indication of the injustices that had been perpetrated on citizens. See: El triunfo de los olvidados del amianto [The triumph of the forgotten asbestos].
Belice Earthquake Asbestos Remediations
Apr 19, 2021
The sum of €9 million has been allocated by the regional government for eleven projects in the Sicilian cities of Agrigento, Trapani and Palermo to remediate asbestos contamination caused by the Belice earthquake. According to the Mayor of Montevago, Magherita La Rocca Ruvolo the funding will enable: “significant redevelopment and environmental remediation interventions for the disposal of asbestos deriving from dismantling of the slums built after the earthquake that destroyed many towns in the valley in 1968.” See: Amianto, bonifica Belìce, La Rocca Ruvolo, plauso a Musumeci [Asbestos, Belìce reclamation, La Rocca Ruvolo, applause for Musumeci].
Asbestos Removal at St. Paul’s Hospital
Apr 19, 2021
Last week, the Region of Central Macedonia, Greece ordered work to begin on a €132,000 project to remove asbestos from a hospital in the Northern Greek town of Pavlos following an asbestos survey conducted by the hospital’s Technical Services Department and approved by the Technical Works Directorate of the Region. As part of this project asbestos-containing material will be removed and affected roofing material will be replaced. See: Kαθαίρεση κτιρίου με στοιχεία από αμίαντο στο νοσοκομείο Άγιος Παύλος [Asbestos Removal at St. Paul’s Hospital].
Opposition Grows over Toxic Scrapping
Apr 19, 2021
An April 16, 2021 editorial by Uğur Dündar, one of the most famous news anchors in Turkey, has called on the Turkish Government to reject attempts to import an asbestos-contaminated warship from Brazil for scrapping at an Izmir recycling yard. Dündar, who warned that the ship was likely to contain “thousands of tons of jet fuel, diesel oil and petroleum hydrocarbons,” as well as asbestos, called on the Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum to block the transit of the ship – which would “cause a major environmental disaster” – to Turkey. See: Zehir yüklü bu gemiyi Türkiye'ye sokmayın! [Do not bring poison ship to Turkey!].
Toxic Talc!
Apr 16, 2021
A year after Johnson & Johnson announced plans to withdraw its iconic talc-based baby powder from sale in North America), British Parliamentarians condemned “the hypercritical and unjustifiable action by the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson which in 2020 withdrew from North American markets its talc-based baby powder, found to be contaminated with asbestos fibre by Government and independent laboratories, but continued to sell that product in countries all over the world including the UK.” See: EDM (Early Day Motion) 1718: Talcum powder, asbestos contaminants and cancer.
Spring Propaganda Offensive
Apr 16, 2021
A text purporting to be a news article was little more than a press release by asbestos vested interests. The “article,” which appeared on the website of Izvestia – a popular Russian newspaper – extolled the properties of chrysotile (white) asbestos roofing material, going as far as to call it “folk tiles.” Discounting all the safer alternative products as too costly for use, the author asserted that asbestos roofing “almost completely covers the needs of large groups of the population.” Exposure to chrysotile was not harmful as its fibers, the author incorrectly stated, can be dissolved by the body. See: Народный шифер: что нужно знать о самом доступном кровельном материале [Folk tiles: what you need to know about the most affordable roofing material].
Eternit Prosperity Post-Asbestos
Apr 16, 2021
An interview with the CEO of the former asbestos giant of Brazil – Eternit S.A. – focused on how the company, which had long bemoaned the adverse effect an asbestos ban would have on its financial prospects, has prospered in the years since it transitioned to an asbestos-free technology. By way of explanation, Eternit CEO Luis Augusto Barbosa talked about the the huge sums involved in the technology transfer, the debts incurred, the financial reorganization and divestments needed by the company to adapt to the new reality. See: Como a Eternit se reergueu ao deixar o amianto? Veja entrevista com o CEO [How did Eternit rise when it left asbestos? See interview with the CEO].
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 15, 2021
From April 16 until May 4, 2021, the Education Department of the South Korean Province of Gyeonggi-do will conduct an asbestos outreach project to educate teachers, school support staff, students, and parents about the nature of asbestos and the implications of asbestos material present in Gyeonggi-do’s schools. This training program has been operational since 2019. Asbestos eradication work, which began in Gyeonggi-do schools in 2016, has to date, remediated 1,614 schools. See: 발암물질 석면...경기도교육청 '석면 이해 교육'진행페이스북트위터공유하기추천댓글0원고료로 응원원고료로 응원 [Asbestos, a carcinogen...Proceed with Gyeonggi-do Office of Education ‘Asbestos Understanding Education’].
Post-Cyclone Asbestos Alert
Apr 16, 2021
West Australians in a town hit by Cyclone Seroja this week have been warned about the hazard posed by asbestos debris. People in Kalbarri have been told to follow guidelines to minimize toxic exposures during clean-up operations. According to media reports, 25% of the buildings damaged by the storm contained asbestos in roofs, walls or fencing. A spokesperson from the Perth-based Asbestos Diseases Society warned: “In Western Australia, we have the most deadly [asbestos] fibre… It needs to be promptly cleaned up while it’s still damp.” See: Cyclone Seroja: Asbestos the new concern facing Kalbarri residents trying to clean up.
Spanish Asbestos Fund
Apr 16, 2021
On April 13, 2021, Spain’s Congress approved draft legislation proposed by the Basque Parliament to create an autonomous administrative Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund to distribute financial support to victims of environmental as well as occupational asbestos exposures in Spain. Funding for this initiative will include contributions from: public and private employers and mutual insurance companies for accidents at work and occupational diseases. See: El Congreso da luz verde a la tramitación de la Proposición de Ley de creación de un fondo de compensación para las víctimas del amianto [Congress gives the green light to the processing of the Bill to create a compensation fund for asbestos victims].
New Asbestos Cancer Treatment Tool
Apr 14, 2021
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for assessing mesothelioma patients has been pioneered by researchers in Scotland who have developed a prototype AI system with the ability to recognize the tumours using an AI algorithm. This revolutionary healthcare breakthrough was achieved by the Scottish medical imaging software firm Canon Medical Research Europe in collaboration with researchers at the University of Glasgow. “Not only does it have the potential to revolutionise mesothelioma cancer care through more targeted treatment,” said one of its funders “but it may also be able to be applied to a number of other cancer types in the future.” See: AI technology used to track asbestos cancer tumours.
Asbestos Compensation Fund
Apr 14, 2021
On Monday April 12, 2021, it was announced by National Deputy Néstor Rego, at a meeting in Ferrol of the Galician Association of Asbestos Victims, that the Galician National Bloc (BNG) – an alliance of left-wing nationalist parties in the autonomous Spanish community of Galicia – would support an Asbestos Victims’ Compensation Fund bill in Congress with the purpose of establishing a fund to provide compensation for victims in Galicia. See: O BNG defenderá no Congreso a concesión “obxectiva” das indemnizacións ás vítimas do amianto [The BNG will defend in Congress plans to grant compensation to asbestos victims].
Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Apr 14, 2021
The 2.5 million tons of asbestos waste buried at Belgian dumpsites was described as a “gigantic time bomb” in an article uploaded on April 9, 2021. Every year, 150,000 tons of this toxic waste are deposited at a landfill site in Antwerp, according to Frank Bal, head of technical and commercial services at Indaver, the company that manages the site: “About half comes from our own facilities, these are residues from our waste treatment processes. The other half comes from external customers who deliver materials considered to be toxic to us.” See: Des millions de tonnes d’amiante dorment dans les décharges belges: “Les générations à venir seront les victimes” [Millions of tons of asbestos lie dormant in Belgian landfills: “The generations to come will be the victims”].
Asbestos Anxiety at Renault
Apr 14, 2021
On April 8, 2021, a labor tribunal in Lyon acknowledged the validity of only a third of the asbestos anxiety claims submitted in one of the biggest cases brought to an industrial tribunal in France. Whilst 474 claims from former workers at the Renault Trucks’ Vénissieux factory were accepted, 666 were rejected. These 1,200 cases were submitted to the industrial tribunal in March 2019; a verdict in another action against Renault for 200 more victims of asbestos anxiety is expected at the end of this month. See: 666 salariés déboutés au procès de l’amiante à Renault Trucks: «on n’arrive pas à comprendre» [666 employees rejected in the asbestos lawsuit at Renault Trucks: “we can't understand”].
Battle over Scrapping of the Sao Paulo
Apr 14, 2021
Public opposition is building over plans to dismantle a toxic Brazilian warship in a shipbreaking yard in Izmir. Environmentalists and scientists are speaking out about the hazard posed to workers and local people by plans to scrap the Sao Paulo aircraft carrier at the Aliaga yard. A petition has been submitted to the Aliaga Port Authority stating: “We do not want ships to enter our territorial waters to be recycled. Ship dismantling yards should be closed.” A new platform, bringing together groups opposed to the ship’s scrapping in Turkey, has announced it would start a legal battle to ban the vessel from entering the country. See: Bir zehir gemisi daha Türkiye yolunda [Turkey to accept another poison ship].
Appeal of Victim’s Verdict
Apr 14, 2021
On April 9, it was announced that a decision by the Osaka High Court – acknowledging the 2013 asbestos cancer (mesothelioma) death of Kazunori Shimatani had been caused by asbestos exposure during clean-up operations after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake – was being appealed by the Local Government Employees Accident Compensation Fund. Commenting on this development, a family member said: “I am angry that the agency for the relief of the victims did not take the court's decision seriously…” See: 震災がれき回収でアスベスト被害 基金が判決不服として控訴 [Asbestos damage fund appeals against judgment due to earthquake debris collection].
Post-Blast Asbestos Disaster
Apr 12, 2021
Months after blasts devastated the Port of Beirut, nothing has been done about the hazard posed by asbestos debris collected in the aftermath of the explosion. According to environment specialist Samar Khalil, asbestos-containing waste was dumped in the Achrafieh district of Beirut on a vacant lot “located a few meters from apartment buildings and a sports ground popular with the inhabitants of the district.” MP Imad Wakim deplored the informal asbestos dumpsites in the Karm Al-Zaitoun neighborhood of the city and castigated the municipal authorities, NGOs, UN agencies and the national government for failing to address the deadly situation. See (subscription site): Que faire des débris du port de Beyrouth contaminés par l’amiante? [What to do with the debris of the port of Beirut contaminated by asbestos?].
Legal Victory for Power Workers
Apr 12, 2021
On March 31, 2021, asbestos anxiety claims were recognized by the Paris Court of Appeal for two hundred workers from the French electricity generating company EDF, each of whom was awarded €10,000 (US$12,000); the plaintiffs had worked at EDF power stations in Loire-sur-Rhône, Saint-Ouen, Vitry, Champagne-sur-Oise, Creil, Strasbourg, Blénod and Porcheville. The previous month, the court had recognized asbestos anxiety claims from 21 operatives from the EDF Porcheville site. All the claimants are suffering from distress caused by knowledge of the toxic workplace exposures they had experienced. See: Amiante: environ 200 ex-salariés d’EDF indemnisés pour un préjudice d’anxiété [Asbestos: around 200 former EDF employees compensated for anxiety damage].
Update: Asbestos Ban Bill
Apr 12, 2021
The first reading of a bill (No. 4142) to ban asbestos was approved by the Ukraine Parliament. The draft legislation prohibited: “The production and use of asbestos, regardless of the type, as well as asbestos-containing products and materials, is prohibited in technological processes and in the implementation of construction and installation work at any facilities.” According to Mikhail Radutsky, Chair of Ukraine’s Parliamentary Committee for Health, Medical Care and Medical Insurance, the ban legislation is facing stiff opposition from the “asbestos lobby.” See: Законопроект о системе общественного здоровья ко второму чтению получил около 900 поправок – Радуцкий [Public health system bill receives about 900 amendments to the second reading – Radutsky].
Alert: Asbestos Water Pipes
Apr 12, 2021
The danger posed by the delivery of water through asbestos-cement water pipes in Sakarya – a Turkish Province on the Black Sea coast – was highlighted last week by Sakarya politician Ecevit Keleş who stated that the problem, which was a serious issue affecting public health, needed to be addressed urgently. He called for a collaborative effort by every level of government, from Mayor Ekrem Yüce to President Erdogan and including municipal, provincial and national health and administrative authorities, to prioritize the replacement of the toxic pipes with safer alternatives. See: Keleş, Sakarya'da asbestli borularının olduğunu ifade etti! [Keles stated that they have asbestos pipes in Sakarya!].
Free Asbestos Medical Care
Apr 12, 2021
A new healthcare program which will start treating patients at high risk of contracting diseases from toxic exposures in asbestos hotspots – near asbestos factories, mines, development sites, or areas with a high density of asbestos roofing – was announced this month by the Asbestos Environmental Health Center at Cheonan Hospital. As of November 8, 2021, members of the public from the South Korean areas of Anyang, Gyeonggi-do, Ulsan Ulju-gun, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do and Nowon-gu (Seoul) will be eligible for free medical check-ups and support. See: 순천향대천안병원, 석면피해우려 지역 실태 조사 [Sooncheonhyang University Cheonan Hospital surveys the actual condition of areas concerned with asbestos damage].
Interruption of Asbestos Remediation Work
Apr 12, 2021
The efforts of contractors employed to replace asbestos-cement water pipes at a site in Veria, Macedonia, Northern Greece were interrupted by the discovery of human remains on April 7, 2021. The on-duty archaeologist reported the presence of the human skeleton at the excavation to the authorities. Upon a superficial examination, it was believed that the remains belonged to a young person who had died 1,000 years ago. Work at the site was temporarily suspended. See: Βρέθηκε ανθρώπινος σκελετός σε “αρχαίο” τάφο κατά τη διάρκεια εργασιών στο κέντρο της Βέροιας [Human skeleton found in "ancient" tomb during work in the center of Veria].
Ukraine’s Asbestos War
Apr 9, 2021
As Ukraine Parliamentarians work to protect citizens from potentially deadly exposures to asbestos by adopting legislation banning its use, industry stakeholders have gone on the media offensive to incite support for asbestos-containing building products by alleging that the new law would force the removal of toxic roofing and that asbestos-free products would be prohibitively expensive. A one-sided pro-asbestos article, which categorized the situation as a war between medicine vs economics, warned that “Panic is already rising in the villages.” See: В Украине хотят запретить использовать шифер и еще ряд стройматериалов. Заставят ли людей менять крыши? [In Ukraine, they want to ban the use of slate and a number of other building materials. Will people be forced to change roofs?].
Beirut: Asbestos Update
Apr 9, 2021
According to expert Samar Khalil, the hazard posed by asbestos contamination after the 2020 explosions in Beirut remains unaddressed. “Asbestos was,” she said “present in a large part of the buildings in the Port of Beirut where it had been commonly used as roofing and wall covering materials in warehouses.” While most of the asbestos found in the debris was chrysotile, there were also some samples which contained crocidolite. Neither the national government nor local authorities have accepted responsibility for disposing of the toxic debris. See: Samar Khalil: « Aucune disposition n’a encore été prise pour régler le problème de l’amiante dans les débris de l’explosion du Port » [Samar Khalil: “No provision has yet been made to resolve the problem of asbestos in the debris of the Port explosion”].
Memorial to Asbestos & Other Victims
Apr 9, 2021
Since 2016, the Environmental Health Citizen Center in South Korea has marked Arbor Day with an activity to honor environmental victims with a tree-planting ceremony. The Center’s efforts on April 5, 2021 were reported on the front-page of two newspapers along with photographs of participants digging holes and planting saplings in Noeul Park, Seoul. The victims being remembered included people who had died of exposures to asbestos and radon as well as those who had been fatally injured through their use of humidifier disinfectants. See: 식목일, 환경피해자 ‘추모의 숲’ 나무심기 [Arbor Day, planting trees in the ‘memorial forest’ for environmental victims].
Asbestos Plan Unfair to Claimants
Apr 9, 2021
Attorneys representing US asbestos claimants have expressed serious concerns over a bankruptcy deal proposed by Cyprus Mines Corporation (CMC) which is facing hundreds of US asbestos lawsuits; if the deal were approved, CMC would pay $130 million into a personal injury claims trust in return for protection from future claims. During the 1990s, CMC had been taken over by Imerys Talc America, a supplier to Johnson & Johnson. Approval of the Chapter 11 filing is being delayed by Delaware Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein who is demanding supplemental information on how the settlement would affect the payment of asbestos injury claims in the future. See: Cyprus Mines insolvency deal under scrutiny in US.
Asbestos Cancer during A Pandemic
Apr 9, 2021
Surveys of mesothelioma patients and their carers, and of mesothelioma clinical nurse specialists, examined the impact of the pandemic on patients’ lives. The researchers found that mesothelioma patients and their carers were “disproportionately affected” in a variety of ways including: interruption of treatment and examinations, disruption of communication with healthcare teams, lack of clarity over shielding and additional emotional and psychological burdens. Recommendations for improvements included: prioritizing the reinstatement of all mesothelioma services, offering patients face-to-face appointments, providing support through regular “check-in” calls from healthcare providers, etc. See: Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with mesothelioma and their carers.
Alert 2021: Asbestos Hazard on Ships
Apr 9, 2021
Despite International Maritime Organization regulations banning the use of asbestos-containing products on board ships’ as of January 1 2011 (see: IMO Circular 1374), more than 65% of vessels still contain asbestos. The toxic products are found not only on older ships but also on newbuilds which are delivered with asbestos-free declarations. The composition of spare parts is also problematic as “a gasket that is classified asbestos-free in Singapore or the US may not be considered asbestos-free in, say Australia, New Zealand or France…” See: More Than 65% Of All Ships Are Operating With Systems Containing Asbestos.
Sad Announcement
Apr 8, 2021
On April 2, 2021, respected occupational medicine specialist and civil society activist Dr Angelo Mancini died aged 68 at Novara hospital in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato. Dr Mancini had been at the forefront of efforts to reclaim asbestos-contaminated sites in the town and was a key advisor to the Turin public prosecutor who brought the largest asbestos class action against international defendants for the damage their decisions had done to factory workers, family members and local residents in Italian cities. See: Addio ad Angelo Mancini, il trinese pioniere della lotta all'amianto [Farewell to Angelo Mancini, the Trino pioneer in the fight against asbestos].
Thousands More US Asbestos Tragedies
Apr 8, 2021
An April 3 expose detailed the tragedy caused by toxic exposures of up to 6,000 workers who had been employed at a Minnesota factory producing mineral board and ceiling tile products using asbestos. The plant belonged to the Conwed company – formerly known as the Wood Conversion Co. – and was located in the town of Cloquet; although it closed in 1985, members of its workforce continue to contract deadly diseases caused by workplace exposures to asbestos between 1958 and 1974, when the company ceased using asbestos. The article focuses on the case of Gene “Randy” Backe, who died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma last year. See: Minnesota factory workers feel aftermath of asbestos 36 years later.
Mobilization in Mont-Saint-Vincent
Apr 8, 2021
Members of the group “Preserve Mont Saint Vincent,” who are protesting plans to dump asbestos in their area, took their campaign to the Cluny outdoor market on April 3, 2021, having lobbied shoppers at the Montceau market the week before. This week their efforts yielded a further 315 signatures to a petition, which has, to date, attracted 1,152 signatures. The petitioners are urging the municipality of Mont-Saint-Vincent to reject the application of the Rougeot company to bury asbestos waste in the Bourgueuil quarry and to adopt a policy based on “a sustainable management of resources and the environment.” See: Non à l’amiante – Après le marché de Montceau, celui de Cluny [No to asbestos – After the Montceau market, the Cluny market].
Failure to Enforce Asbestos Regulations
Apr 8, 2021
Although asbestos use was banned in Turkey in 2010 given the widespread use of asbestos products before then, the speed of urban regeneration and the failure of municipalities to enforce regulations, toxic exposures to asbestos continue to occur on a routine basis during renovation and demolition work. The article cited below provides data highlighting the failure of Kartal Municipality to protect workers and local people from asbestos liberated by unsafe working practices; of the 567 buildings earmarked for development between 2018 and 2020, mandatory asbestos regulations were obeyed at only 73 sites. See: Kentsel dönüşümün yoğunca yaşandığı ülkemizde asbest sorunu büyüyor [Growing problem of asbestos in urban transformation in Turkey].
Milan Court: Victim’s Verdict
Apr 8, 2021
Last week, a court in Milan recognized the culpability of Sacfem – formerly one of the largest employers in Arezzo, eastern Tuscany – and awarded substantial damages (€600,000+/ US$705,000) to the family of a worker who had died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma contracted as a result of occupational exposures to asbestos. Sacfem, which closed 40 years ago, initially specialized in the production of railway carriages and then branched out into the production of building materials, at its height employing 1,000 people. See: Ucciso dall’amianto: maxi-risarcimento a ex operaio Sacfem [Killed by asbestos: maxi-compensation to a former Sacfem worker (subscription site)].
José María Íñigo Case Update
Apr 8, 2021
An interview with Andrea Peiró, a lawyer for José María Íñigo's family, explained the multiple stages of the legal case against the deceased broadcaster’s former employer and the repercussions of a recent judicial ruling in the family’s favor: “We have won the first battle… which is the sentence in the first instance. The opposing party has the possibility of appealing it before the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid, but we are very hopeful because the sentence has been very good, its content is very positive for us. It is very well founded.” See: José María Íñigo: hablamos con la abogada de su familia [José María Íñigo: we spoke with his family's lawyer].
Russian Asbestos-Free Building Materials
Apr 7, 2021
The economic, social and political clout that Russian asbestos vested interests have long exercised on the national asbestos dialogue seems to be crumbling day by day. The news just released of a range of asbestos-free building products which will be manufactured and sold in Russia marks a turning point in the world’s largest asbestos-producing country. The new material, which is based on Calcium Silcate, was developed by Russian technical experts via a pilot project in China. Manufacturing of the products will begin in Russia in 2025. See: ИзолМакс — огнезащита нового поколения [IzolMax – new generation fire protection].
Asbestos Alert in Seville
Apr 7, 2021
In reply to enquiries made by Esperanza Gómez, the coordinator of Más País (More Country – a political platform formed in 2019) Andalucía, the Technical Office of Municipal Buildings of Seville City Council, admitted that it did not have a list of buildings containing asbestos despite having agreed in 2016 to begin the process of eradicating asbestos from educational structures. Gomez raised concerns over the incredibly slow progress to decontaminate schools and protect children from asbestos exposures saying: “We cannot have our boys and girls in schools with materials that affect their health.” See: Sevilla in Andalucia Spain Admits There is ‘No List’ Of Buildings Containing Deadly Asbestos.
Asbestos Hazard in Chlorine Production
Apr 7, 2021
For seven years, trade unions and asbestos victims have been waiting for a legal case to be brought over asbestos exposures at the Chloralp company’s chemical plant in Pont-de-Claix, France. Asbestos fibers in a liquid solution were routinely used to seal crack in equipment used for the production of chlorine despite a national asbestos ban. In 2005, this practice was described by a labor inspector as “totally unacceptable.” The inspector also noted that the “liquid asbestos” was unsafely stored in poorly labelled and leaking containers. Between 2002 and 2005, more than 800 kg of asbestos were used at the plant. See: Amiante: Sept ans d'inertie judiciaire, des dizaines de morts [Asbestos: Seven years of judicial inertia, dozens of deaths].
Prison Sentence for Asbestos Crimes?
Apr 7, 2021
On March 26, 2021, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that Gunay Yakup – an asbestos abatement operative and supervisor – had admitted involvement in an illegal conspiracy to remove asbestos at a former IBM site in Kingston, New York in 2016. Due to time constraints imposed upon him by other conspirators, Yakup took the decision to violate mandatory practices for the stripping, bagging, removal and disposal of asbestos as stipulated under the Clean Air Act. Sentencing will take place on July 27; the maximum penalty for these crimes is five years in prison. See: Abatement Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Illegally Removing Asbestos.
Changes to Asbestos Regulation
Apr 7, 2021
As of May 1, 2021, WorkSafe Queensland is increasing the restrictions on work with asbestos-containing material. From then, low density asbestos fibre board (LDB), also known as asbestos insulating board, will be classified as a friable material in all circumstances. As a result, LDB can only legally be removed by a class A asbestos removal licence holder. These changes affect class B asbestos removal licence holders as well as business and tradespeople who carry out maintenance and service work involving LDB installed in buildings, plant or equipment. New regulations will be in force for: repairing damaged LDB, painting LDB, drilling a hole in LDB, moving LDB ceiling tiles, installing or removing fixtures or fittings. See: Changes to asbestos regulation.
Providing Support for Asbestos Victims
Apr 7, 2021
A loophole in Australian regulations means that whilst workers who were exposed to asbestos can claim compensation should they contract asbestos-related diseases, people who were non-occupationally exposed to asbestos cannot. One such case is that of 54-year-old James Wallner who has contracted the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma from having lived in a Canberra home with asbestos-containing “Mr. Fluffy” insulation. As a result of publicity generated by the case, the Australian government is, said Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, now exploring options to provide compensation for victims of non-occupational asbestos exposures. See: Commonwealth takes first steps towards new compensation fund for asbestos victims.
Financial Woes of Asbestos Company
Apr 6, 2021
Political lobbying at the highest level in Russia has pleaded for government action to bolster the finances of the country’s major asbestos producer Uralasbest, which a politician from the Sverdlovsk region said on March 30, was carrying an onerous tax burden by being classified as as a “mining and chemical raw materials” company rather than a producer of “non-metallic raw materials used mainly in the construction industry.” See: Мишустина попросили спасти свердловский завод от высоких налогов. Этого ждет весь город [Mishustin was asked to save the Sverdlovsk plant from high taxes. This is what the whole city is waiting for].
Asbestos Company: Truth or Lies?
Apr 6, 2021
Eternit S.A., a company which only just emerged from the Brazilian equivalent of Chapter 11, on March 29, 2021 announced its purchase of a major competitor Confibra at a cost of R $ 110 million (~US$20m). The actions of Eternit lead one to suspect that its finances might not have been in such dire straits after all; it had blamed the 2017 Brazilian asbestos ban as the source of its financial woes. Ban asbestos campaigners had, however, long suspected the company was been less than truthful about the adverse effects of the ban on its financial prospects. See: Eternit compra concorrente do setor de telhas Confibra por R$ 110 milhões [Eternit buys competitor in the Confibra roofing sector for R $ 110 million].
Asbestos Hazard in Shipbreaking Yard
Apr 6, 2021
Civil society campaigners in Turkey continue to raise the alarm over plans to scrap the redundant Brazilian aircraft carrier the São Paulo at the Aliağa shipbreaking yards in Izmir, Turkey. Spokesmen from the Asbestos Association Recycling Professionals and the Aegean Environment and Culture Platform (EGEÇEP) have made public statements about the threat to occupational and public health posed by the import of the asbestos-contaminated ship with EGEÇEP’s Eşsözcü Ali Osman Karababa pointing out that the right of citizens to live in a healthy environment is guaranteed by the country’s constitution. See: 600 ton asbest barındıran uçak gemisi Aliağa'da sökülecek [The aircraft carrier with 600 tons of asbestos will be dismantled in Aliağa].
Supporting Basque Asbestos Victims
Apr 6, 2021
On April 13, 2021, the Basque Congress of Deputies will vote on a bill to create an asbestos fund to award compensation to asbestos victims; it was estimated that there are 30,000 workers in Galicia alone who could be eligible to bring claims. Trade unions and asbestos victims’ groups have been lobbying for this scheme. This fund is, they say, “the only way to begin to pay off a debt that, as a society, we have contracted with those who continue to get sick and die from exposures that could and should have been avoided.” See: El Congreso vota este mes el fondo de compensación del amianto [Congress votes this month on asbestos compensation fund].
App to Access Asbestos Use Database
Apr 6, 2021
An application launched in November 2020 by the Arobiz company in France is being recommended to help protect do-it-yourself handymen from unexpected exposures to asbestos contained throughout the French infrastructure. The application sourced information from a public database of 4 million premises including apartment buildings, shops, offices, schools and even single-occupancy family homes. Commenting on the particular hazard to DIYers, Arobiz’s owner Jérôme Vergnolle said: "With Covid-19 and the repeated lockdowns, we are all becoming [DIY] tinkerers, but few people learn about the potential asbestos risk." See: Le bricolage, oui, mais quel est le risque amiante? Une appli vous le dit [DIY, yes, but what is the asbestos risk? An app tells you].
Recycling the Asbestos Hazard
Apr 6, 2021
Thousands of recycled asbestos-containing safes, cabinets and filing cabinets have found new homes in Ireland over recent years as EU companies sought to rid themselves of toxic products without incurring huge costs for asbestos removal and/or disposal. Despite asbestos also having been banned in Ireland, these goods were imported via the UK and sold on the second-hand market due to failures by regulators to prevent the trade, and lack of asbestos awareness by consumers. Once in Ireland, toxic safes, fire cabinets and vaults were refitted and re-sprayed and sold. See: Has Ireland become a Toxic Waste Dump for Asbestos Contaminated Safes & Cabinets?
Asbestos Too Toxic in Word and Deed!
Mar 31, 2021
Months after the former asbestos mining town of Asbestos changed its name to Val-des-Sources after a municipal referendum, it was announced that the street called rue de l’Amiante (Asbestos Street) would also be changing its name to rue des Bâtisseurs (Builders’ Street). The rebranding of the Quebec town and the street are symbolic of a municipal desire to embrace a safer future and distance itself from a toxic past as a producer of a carcinogenic mineral that sent death and destruction all over the planet. See: La rue de l’Amiante change également de nom [Asbestos Street is also changing its name].
Hazards for Shipbreaking Workers
Mar 31, 2021
President of Turkey’s Association of Asbestos Removal Professionals Mehmet Seyhmus Ansari publicized concerns over the occupational and public health fallout from the dismantling of an asbestos-contaminated Brazilian warship destined to be scrapped at the Aliaga shipyard. Questions asked included: will occupational health be protected under the Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Working with Asbestos; how many ships with asbestos were dismantled in Aliaga over the last 5 years; how many tons of asbestos were disposed of? See: Brezilya'nın başından attığı asbestli savaş gemisi Türkiye'de sökülecek [Brazilian warship containing asbestos will be dismantled in Turkey].
Addressing the UK’s Asbestos Legacy
Mar 31, 2021
An article in the Morning Star newspaper discussed a conference being organized by asbestos victims’ groups to raise awareness about the ongoing hazard posed by the continuing presence of asbestos-containing products throughout the country’s infrastructure. Campaigning groups from Yorkshire and the Midlands are organizing this event, for trade union colleagues to consider steps which could be taken to prevent toxic exposures, eradicate asbestos cancer and expose inconsistencies in government schemes and actions. Interested parties were advised to register their interest to participate in the April 16, 2021 conference via an online portal. See: Asbestos: campaign against all fears.
Asbestos Remediation and Compensation
Mar 31, 2021
Since 2013, Uijeongbu City, Gyeonggi Province has continued to progress efforts to protect the environmental rights of Korean citizens by adopting state-of-the-art management and demolition practices to minimize asbestos exposures. As a result of sustained and proactive efforts to identify asbestos victims, many injured people have received relief benefits and treatment for their injuries. Last year (2020), the asbestos illnesses of 13 people were recognized as a result of which 175 million won (US $155,000) compensation was paid. See: 의정부시, 안전한 석면관리로 쾌적한 생활환경 조성 [Uijeongbu City creates a pleasant living environment through safe asbestos management].
Calls for National Asbestos Law
Mar 31, 2021
Last week, draft proposals were presented to Spain’s Congress of Deputies calling for a comprehensive asbestos law to coordinate action to eradicate the asbestos hazard by 2030 – as per EU guidelines. The multi-faceted program would include the removal of asbestos within the country’s infrastructure as well as the remediation of contaminated soil and waste sites. Supporting this Parliamentary initiative, Deputy Inés Sabanés said: “It is especially important to pay attention to public buildings such as schools, hospitals, but also to homes. This requires not only a state strategy but regional and municipal plans that can articulate these measures.” See: Una ley integral del amianto [A comprehensive asbestos law].
Another Tragic Railway Death
Mar 31, 2021
On March 29, 2021, Coroner Peter Nieto ruled in Derby Coroners’ Court that Thomas Fitzpatrik, a Derby railway worker, had come into contact with asbestos during his employment at the Derby Carriage and Wagon Works as a result of which he contracted mesothelioma, an industrial disease. Mr. Fitzpatrick died, aged 62, on January 30, 2021, having been diagnosed in July, 2020. He had worked for British Rail as a forklift truck driver at a railway repair workshop off Litchurch Lane. It has long been acknowledged (see: UK Rail Trade Unions: Action on Asbestos) that people who worked on the railways or in workshops building or repairing rolling stock were at an elevated risk of being exposed to asbestos. See: Former Derby railway worker killed by asbestos exposure.
Legal Victory for Bereaved Family
Mar 30, 2021
On March 26, 2021, Judge Kaoru Izumi of the Kobe District Court recognized as occupationally-caused the 2013 death from mesothelioma – the signature asbestos cancer – of municipal worker Kazunori Shimatani, a resident of Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, who had been involved in the clean-up effort after the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake. As a result of this verdict, compensation will be paid to Shimatani’s family under the local government employee accident compensation fund. See: 死亡した市職員の労災認める 震災処理でアスベスト扱う [Recognition of occupational death of municipal employee caused by asbestos exposure during post-earthquake clean-up].
Asbestos Cancer in Russia
Mar 30, 2021
Russian and Kazakhstan asbestos stakeholders have long denied that the mining and processing of asbestos was a cause for concern for workers or people living near asbestos mines and factories. A March 26, 2021 article on the website of Tass – “Russia’s leading news agency” – which discussed research breakthroughs into the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma broke ranks with official policy stating: “residents of settlements near which fine-fiber asbestos silicate is mined are more likely to suffer from malignant tumors.” See: Нейросеть научили подбирать терапию от вызываемого асбестом рака [Neural network taught to select therapy for cancer caused by asbestos].
AI in Mesothelioma Research
Mar 30, 2021
Promising results announced on March 26, 2021 regarding genomics research conducted under the supervision of Professor Dean Fennell, Chair of Thoracic Medical Oncology at the University of Leicester and Director of the Leicester Mesothelioma Research Programme, using artificial intelligence (AI) to study mesothelioma could, it was suggested, improve patient outcomes. Explaining the nature of the study, Professor Fennell said: “this initial work shows us that mesotheliomas follow ordered paths of mutations during development, and that these so-called trajectories predict not only how long a patient may survive, but also how to better treat the cancer – something Leicester aims to lead on internationally through clinical trial initiatives.” See: AI used in battle against asbestos-linked cancer.
Grassroots Outreach Initiative
Mar 30, 2021
Members of an environmental group – “Preserving Mont Saint Vincent and its surroundings” – took to the streets of the French town of Mont-Saint-Vincent on March 27, 2021 to canvas support for efforts to block commercial plans for an asbestos waste landfill at a local quarry. The campaigners spent the morning at the town’s open-air Saturday market and gathered 609 signatures in support of the petition to block the toxic dump. According to a news report, discussions with members of the public proved, on the whole, fairly positive with a high degree of interest expressed. See: Contre l’amiante – Association en grand excès de vitesse avec 609 signatures [Against asbestos – Association in no time gathers 609 signatures].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 30, 2021
It was announced last week, that progress was being made on the eradication of asbestos from schools in the Porto District of Portugal. Sites being decontaminated under a program co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and costing €46,000 included: the Barroncal, Lordelo and Riadouro kindergartens in the towns of Valadares, Ancede and Baião, respectively. According to councillor José Pinho Silva, the asbestos removal program would: “provide students with better conditions of comfort, safety and health and contribute decisively to the quality of the lives of children and professionals who work in these educational spaces.” See: Mais um jardim de infância de Baião sem amianto [Another asbestos-free Baião kindergarten].
The Winds of Change
Mar 29, 2021
In a sign of the changing times, a Quebec community which had long defended the commercial exploitation of chrysotile (white) asbestos is now lobbying the Provincial Government for millions of dollars to help manage the toxic environmental legacy from decades of asbestos mining. The president of the Economic Development Corporation of the Thetford region and mayor of Thetford Mines, Marc-Alexandre Brousseau has requested that the Minister of Finance Eric Girard allocate $320 million over five years for the decontamination and reclamation of the Bell asbestos mine site in downtown Thetford Mines; $50m is needed to carry out phase 1 of this project. See: Expected budgets for the management of asbestos and mining residues.
Mesothelioma Checkpoint Inhibition
Mar 29, 2021
At the March 19, 2021 International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care held by the Society of Surgical Oncology, scientists from the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey presented the research findings into whether peritoneal mesothelioma cancer cells expressed high amounts of PD-L1, a protein that was abundantly present on some types of cancer cells. They found that this was the case and speculated that: “patients with peritoneal mesothelioma may be inhibiting the immune system from recognizing the cancer and attacking it… Our plan will be to test checkpoint inhibition in patients prospectively to determine whether or not it is associated with significant antitumor activity.” See: Exploring PD-L1 Expression in Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma.
Export of Toxic Ships to Asia
Mar 29, 2021
On March 26, 2021 the NGO Shipbreaking Platform issued a press release condemning the export of toxic cruise ships – the Marco Polo and the Magellan – from the UK to the notorious Alang shipbreaking beach in India. Under EU Waste Shipment Regulations, the Basel Convention and national laws, sending end-of-life ships from Europe to non-OECD countries was banned as they contained large amounts of carcinogenic material and hazardous products which contained asbestos. See: NGOs call upon authorities to sanction [prevent] illegal exports of cruise ships.
US Policy and Administrative Failures
Mar 29, 2021
A commentary about protecting citizens from deadly exposures to chemicals during the time of Covid-19, highlighted failures by the authorities to take effective action on the deadly legacy posed by asbestos consumption and problems caused by failing to ban asbestos in the US as a result of industry interference. The Environmental Protection Agency which was tasked with protecting Americans from hazardous products and taking steps to monitor historic and current use, neglected to do so under the Trump Administration despite 2016 revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act which had reinforced the EPA’s responsibility to undertake a comprehensive asbestos review. See: The Past, Present, and Future of Asbestos Regulations in America.
Basque Asbestos Compensation Fund?
Mar 29, 2021
On April 13, 2021, Parliamentarians Jon Aiartza, Eba Blanco and Gloria Sánchez will table draft legislation calling on the Basque Parliament to establish a state compensation fund for asbestos victims. At a March 25 plenary session of the Autonomous Parliament, these three regional deputies were designated to spearhead efforts to progress this plan. This will be the fourth attempt to achieve approval for a government scheme to “repair the damage” suffered by asbestos-exposed citizens. See: Parlamentarios vascos volverán a pedir el 13 de abril en el Congreso la creación de un fondo para víctimas del amianto [Basque parliamentarians will again ask Congress on April 13 for the creation of a fund for victims of asbestos].
Justice for Asbestos Victims
Mar 29, 2021
A press release issue on March 23, 2021 by ANDEVA – an umbrella group representing asbestos victims’ support groups in France – welcomed a March 2021 ruling by the Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) and called on judicial authorities to resume forthwith the investigation of a criminal case against the Everite company over the asbestos deaths of former employees. Other cases, including actions against Eternit, DCN (Direction des Constructions Navales) and Valéo-Ferrodo de Condé-sur- Noireau, should also proceed “without delay.” See: Nouvelle victoire pour les victimes [Another victory for the victims].
Asbestos Eradication Program
Mar 26, 2021
On March 24, 2021, the Council of Jeonnam Province, South Korea approved the asbestos safety management ordinance bill to facilitate the decontamination of daycare centers, child welfare facilities, and youth welfare facilities units. Funds allocated under this scheme will be made available to remove asbestos-containing roofing and building products and establish mandatory asbestos management programs to prevent children and young people from receiving toxic exposures. See: 전남도, 석면건축자재 사용 어린이집 등에 처리비용 지원한다 [Support for treatment costs in Jeonnam-do and daycare centers using asbestos construction materials.].
Supporting Injured Construction Workers
Mar 26, 2021
A symposium was held in Tokyo on March 23, 2021 to consider options for establishing a national compensation fund for construction workers injured by asbestos exposures, following a Supreme Court ruling which found the Government and building material manufacturers liable for having failed to take steps to protect workers from asbestos. The administrative scheme, funded by the government and manufacturers, would be intended to provide timely relief for the injured without recourse to protracted litigation. See: 建設アスベスト被害 政治責任で救済早く補償基金創設へシンポ [Construction asbestos damage political responsibility. Symposium to establish compensation fund].
São Paulo Asbestos Injunction
Mar 26, 2021
On March 23, 2021, a labor judge in São Paulo issued an injunction against Tranasportes Scatuzzi Ltda. (for background see: Confidence Tricksters and Asbestos Thugs from the Brazilian State of Goiás) at the request of the Public Ministry of Labor which had alleged that the company was engaged in illegal activities – i.e. the handling, processing and transport of asbestos fiber. These activities were illegal pursuant to a 2017 Supreme Court ruling and São Paulo State laws. In addition to the legal authorities cited, the Public Ministry of Labor said that according to the precautionary principle, all potentially toxic exposures should be avoided. See: Labor Court Injunction.
Resumption of Asbestos Litigation
Mar 26, 2021
A decision by France’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) on March 23, 2021 could, in the long-term, pave the way for the country’s first criminal trial of those accused over their negligence in protecting citizens from asbestos exposures. In the shorter term, this decision will restart investigations into a case against the Everite company – a subsidiary of the former asbestos group Saint-Gobain – which operated a manufacturing facility at Dammarie-les-Lys (Seine-et-Marne). The national asbestos victims’ support group ANDEVA welcomed this development. See: Amiante: les investigations sur un industriel vont reprendre [Asbestos: the investigations of an industrialist will resume].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 26, 2021
One in five Madrid schools are contaminated with asbestos according to data from 17 district councils; a map with the 56 affected schools – including two for Special Education and one Nursery School – pinpointed was produced. The situation in 42 other schools remained unconfirmed. From information gathered, the worst affected schools were in the poorest neighborhoods: in Puente de Vallecas and Ciudad Lineal, asbestos was present in half the schools. See: El mapa del amianto en los colegios de Madrid: uno de cada cinco centros públicos convive con material tóxico [The map of asbestos in schools in Madrid: one in five public centers lives with toxic material].
Asbestos in the Air Force
Mar 26, 2021
A court in Treviso, a city in northern Italy, has recognized as occupationally-caused the 2015 asbestos cancer death (from mesothelioma) of a non-commissioned officer who had served as an Air Force engineer for 40 years repairing military aircraft. As a result of this ruling, his widow will be eligible for compensation including a one-off payment plus a monthly pension of €1,600 (US$1,900) as well as other benefits. See: Amianto, sottufficiale morto di cancro riconosciuto “vittima del dovere:” risarcimento e pensione alla moglie [Asbestos, a non-commissioned officer who died of cancer recognized as a “victim of duty:” compensation and pension for his wife].
Government Apologies!
Mar 24, 2021
On March 21, 2021, representatives of the Japanese government – Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Norihisa Tamura and Deputy Minister Takaaki Kobayashi – apologized to construction workers in Kansai and Osaka for the government’s failures to control the asbestos hazard. As a result of the Government’s inertia, the workers were occupationally exposed to asbestos and contracted debilitating and deadly diseases. A recent ruling by the Supreme Court found the Government guilty of negligence and awarded compensation to thousands of construction workers for their asbestos injuries. See: 田村厚労相が原告に謝罪 [Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Tamura apologizes to plaintiffs].
Supreme Court Upholds Plaintiffs’ Ruling
Mar 24, 2021
A ruling by France’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) has paved the way for a criminal trial of company officials, civil servants and decision-makers responsible for the country’s epidemic of asbestos-related deaths. An appeal submitted in January 2021 (see: The Interminable Wait for Asbestos Justice in France) that could have derailed this process was rejected on March 23, 2021 by the President of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Chamber. See: Amiante: la Cour de cassation valide la reprise de l’enquête sur l’entreprise Everite [Asbestos: the Court of Cassation validates the resumption of the investigation into the Everite company]. (This link is to a subscription site.)
Calls for a National Asbestos Plan
Mar 24, 2021
Pressure is growing in Spain for a national plan to address the country’s toxic asbestos legacy with regulations being finalized by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge to mandate asbestos audits of all municipal buildings before December 2022. Last week, Senator Antonio Silván asked a series of questions in the upper house about the eradication program under the draft Waste and Contaminated Soil bill. See: Silván pide ayudas al Gobierno ante la inminente obligación de retirar el amianto de los edificios [Silván asks the Government for help before the imminent obligation to remove asbestos from buildings].
New Compensation Scheme in Guernsey
Mar 24, 2021
Under a new scheme operating on the island of Guernsey – under the auspices of the Employment & Social Security Committee – people who contract diffuse mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, in Guernsey or Alderney can apply to the state for a lump sum compensation payment of up to £100,000. Relatives of people who died from this disease since January 1, 2020 can also bring claims as long as the deceased was: exposed to asbestos on the island, “ordinarily” a resident on the island and had his/her disease confirmed by a specialist consultant. See: Mesothelioma Compensation Scheme Open for Applications.
Unsafe at any Price?
Mar 24, 2021
Detroit’s top demolition asbestos abatement contractor during 2016 and 2019 was a company called BBEK Environmental. During that time, the company had received at least a dozen citations for failing to comply with regulations stipulating safety protocols for the removal and disposal of asbestos-containing material. Although the company was suspended from Detroit’s demolition program, state authorities still allow it to operate in Detroit endangering workers and residents. This situation is discussed in the article cited below, where the views of Michigan authorities, city and state politicians, and legal and technical experts, were canvassed. See: This Asbestos Company Is Suspended From Detroit’s Demo Program. Why Is It Getting Big Jobs In The City?
Spring Asbestos Offensive
Mar 23, 2021
A Russian commentary which began with a few sentences criticizing environmental campaigners in general proceeded to attack a sub-section of that group: ban asbestos campaigners who, the author said, were engaged in spreading the “asbestos hysteria virus.” The discussion which followed was composed of dissociated issues such as the use of asbestos-cement water pipes in Ireland, Donald Trump’s support for asbestos use, the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, etc. The text cited data from Warsaw Pact countries, which used chrysotile asbestos from the USSR, to show that the incidence of asbestos cancer there was statistically insignificant. See: Экологическая афера века: медиа-пляски вокруг асбеста [The ecological scam of the century: media dances around asbestos].
Asbestos Anxiety Ruling
Mar 23, 2021
The Paris Court of Appeal ordered the Valeo equipment company to pay compensation and costs of €9,500 (US$11,310) to a former factory worker for the asbestos anxiety she suffered as a result of having been occupationally exposed to asbestos from 1976 till 2014 when she retired. During the claimant’s employment by the Motorola company at a site in Écouflant, western France, she had used Valeo equipment containing asbestos. The charges against Motorola were, the Court found, time-barred. See: Près d’Angers. La société Valeo condamnée pour préjudice d’anxiété [Near Angers. Valeo sentenced for prejudice of anxiety].
Mesothelioma Mortality Data 2021
Mar 23, 2021
The accuracy of data released by the Emilia-Romagna Mesothelioma Registry is being questioned by Italian asbestos victims’ campaigners who believe that the impact of Covid-19 may have negatively impacted on the results produced. During the epidemic, patients with the disease may not have been diagnosed and deaths caused by it may not have been recognized. A report on this matter to the Italian asbestos victims’ group AFeVA concluded: “It is therefore appropriate to wait for the conclusion of the COVID-19 affair and greater stabilization of the data to draw more reliable assessments…” See: Casi di Mesotelioma Report aggiornato al 31/12/2020 [Mesothelioma Cases Report updated to 31/12/2020].
Eternit Going Green?!
Mar 23, 2021
Since Eternit SA, formerly Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate, was forced to abandon the use of asbestos as a raw material – as a result of a Supreme Court ruling – it has profited from the research and marketing of sustainable products. With great fanfare, the company launched a range of asbestos-free solar roofing products in Brazil. To date, Eternit’s renewable photovoltaic energy projects have been installed in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and in the city of Cambé, in Paraná. See: Eternit começa produção em massa de telhas solares para vender no mercado renovável brasileiro [Eternit's new renewable project involves new solar roof tiles and their mass production].
Understanding Spain’s Asbestos Legacy
Mar 23, 2021
In the aftermath of the latest ruling in the asbestos litigation brought by the family of Spanish broadcaster José María Íñigo, an interview with pulmonologist Ann Souto cast light on the causation of the occupational cancer which ended his life: mesothelioma. Other topics covered during this discussion included: the properties of asbestos fiber, the historic use of asbestos-containing products in Spain, the existence of asbestos hotspots throughout the country and the long-term consequences of the country’s asbestos legacy. See: Ana Souto, neumóloga: «Desde la exposición al amianto hasta el desarrollo de un cáncer pueden pasar 50 años» [Ana Souto, pulmonologist: “From exposure to asbestos to the development of cancer, 50 years can pass”].
De Klerk has Mesothelioma
Mar 22, 2021
On his 85th birthday on March 18, 2021, the former President of South Africa Frederick De Klerk announced that he had contracted the signature asbestos cancer of mesothelioma. In a press release from the FW de Klerk Foundation, a spokesperson for the former President said that De Klerk was planning to start a course of immunotherapy this week. Prior to South Africa banning asbestos in 2008, it had had been the only country in the world to produce all three types of asbestos used commercially: chrysotile, crocidolite and amosite. See: El expresidente sudafricano De Klerk anuncia que sufre un cáncer maligno [Former South African President De Klerk announces he has malignant cancer].
Victory for Civil Society!
Mar 22, 2021
Campaigners in Brazil and abroad welcomed the news released last week that the former French aircraft carrier Le Foch, purchased by Brazil in 2000 and renamed the São Paulo, will not be sent to an Asian shipbreaking yard for scrapping. After months of intensive lobbying in Brazil as well as France (see: Letter to Brazilian Authorities Regarding Auction of Aircraft Carrier São Paulo), it was announced that the work would be done in Turkey under EU regulations, which will protect workers and local communities from exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos which are present on most ships of this age. See: Porta-aviões São Paulo será desmantelado na Turquia [Aircraft carrier São Paulo to be dismantled in Turkey].
Regional Asbestos Center
Mar 22, 2021
On March 16, 2021, an official ceremony marked the Ministry of Environment’s rededication of The Asbestos Environmental Health Center at Cheonan Hospital in South Chungcheong, South Korea. The Center has been operating for thirteen years during which time is has actively worked to improve the quality of life for people with asbestos-related lung diseases. Outreach work by the Center’s staff has examined 6,000 people at high risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) of whom 3,200 were found to have ARDs. See: 순천향대 천안병원, 환경부 지정 석면·권역환경보건센터 현판식 [Signing ceremony for Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, asbestos-regional environmental health center designated by the Ministry of Environment].
Reinvention of Asbestos Conglomerate
Mar 22, 2021
The financial success currently being enjoyed by the former Brazilian asbestos giant Eternit S.A. is presented in a recent article as a template from which other corporate managers might learn. For years, Eternit had opposed calls by health and safety campaigners to transition to asbestos-free technology. Since they were forced to do so by a 2017 Supreme Court decision banning asbestos, the company has reorganized under bankruptcy laws (2018), divested itself of non-profitable subsidiaries, invested in photovoltaic technology and become a favorite of the Brazilian stock market. See: ETER3: Aprenda a Ver Oportunidades Como a Eternit [ETER3: Learn to See Opportunities Like Eternit].
Asbestos Crimes in Galicia
Mar 22, 2021
Members of Spain’s Civil Guard are investigating two firms believed to have been involved in the illegal removal, handling and dumping of asbestos in the Spanish Province of Galicia in the northwest of the country. “Violating the regulations on waste and safety in work with risk of exposure to asbestos” is a criminal activity. The companies were charged with failing to comply with mandatory regulations for registering asbestos work and submitting asbestos work plans to the relevant authorities. These crimes could incur prison sentences of up to two years. See: Investigan en A Estrada y Pontevedra a dos empresas por irregularidades en la retirada y gestión del amianto [Two companies are being investigated in A Estrada and Pontevedra for irregularities in the removal and management of asbestos].
Landmark Legal Victory!
Mar 19, 2021
On March 15, 2021 Spain’s Supreme Court confirmed the right to financial compensation for asbestos injuries to people who had lived near Uralita’s asbestos factory in Cerdanyola del Vallés (Barcelona) and upheld compensation awards, having rejected an appeal by the company against a verdict handed down by the Provincial Court of Madrid that had recognized the legal rights of relatives of factory workers – who had received para-occupational or domestic asbestos exposures – as well as those of local residents to be compensated for illnesses caused by inhalation of Uralita asbestos. See: Uralita deberá indemnizar a los vecinos de la fábrica de amianto en Cerdanyola [Uralita must compensate the residents of the asbestos factory in Cerdanyola].
Mesothelioma Scheme Wins Top Award
Mar 19, 2021
On March 17, 2021, the UK charity Mesothelioma UK won first prize in the category Military and Civilian Health Partnership of the HSJ Awards 2020 for its “Mesothelioma UK Supporting our Armed Forces campaign.” The initiative was launched in 2017 in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Health and Social Care and was, said the judges “an all round package of care based on a well researched evidence base which has also influenced government policy in the sector.” See: WINNER: Mesothelioma UK – Mesothelioma UK Supporting our Armed Forces.
Deceleration of Asbestos Remediation
Mar 19, 2021
The former Mayor of the Italian town of Casale Monferrato – at the epicenter of the country’s asbestos scandal – has denounced the lack of progress being made in the remediation of the municipality’s infrastructure. Giorgio Demezzi, who remains a town councillor, said that despite the availability of funding, work had slowed to an unacceptable pace. Supporting Demezzi’s comments Bruno Pesce, from the local asbestos victims’ support group, bemoaned a decrease in public consultation and briefings by town officials over reclamation plans warning that the failure to eradicate asbestos created a public health hazard: “Everyone's health is at stake.” See: “Per Casale restano fermi 33 milioni per le bonifiche dell’amianto” [“For Casale, 33 million remain for asbestos remediation”].
Yet More Asbestos Propaganda!
Mar 18, 2021
A piece of propaganda masquerading as an article about the cost of motoring extolled the virtues of asbestos-containing brake pads which “last for a very long time, and are significantly cheaper than their counterparts on the market.” The abandonment of traditional asbestos car parts came about, said the author, as a result of “a massive campaign” against chrysotile (white) asbestos by Western politicians, environmentalists and campaigners spreading “mass hysteria” about the dangers of human exposures. Mouthing discredited propaganda, the text asserted that: “chrysotile asbestos is not harmful to humans when used in a controlled manner.” See: Новые правила ТО: почему нам не дают экономить [New maintenance rules: why we are not allowed to economise].
Mesothelioma Treatment Breakthrough?
Mar 18, 2021
Following exceptional results from the UK’s CheckMate-743 immunotherapy drug trial, the National Health Service (NHS) announced that it would make the new protocol available to NHS patients with the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The clinical trial treated patients with the drug Nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with Ipilimumab (Yervoy) which worked to boost the patient’s immune system and attack the cancer. In the case of mesothelioma patient Michael Conway, his tumors shrank from 21mm and 29mm to just 5mm and he has survived two years beyond his original prognosis date; he is continuing to do well. See: NHS to offer immunotherapy treatment, after builder with asbestos cancer sees tumour shrink to 5mm.
Regulatory Confusion over Asbestos Waste
Mar 18, 2021
In an attempt to increase protection from occupational asbestos exposures in Japan, a new law – the revised Air Pollution Control Act (Great Defense Act) – will come into effect on April 1, 2021. Critics say that far from strengthening the regulatory regime, the new law will lead to confusion and non-compliance with laws related to asbestos waste. Regulations concerning two types of asbestos waste – “waste asbestos, etc.” and “asbestos-containing waste” – vary in their specifications for management and disposal protocols. See: 大防法改正でアスベストの廃棄物規制「緩和」へ 国のずさん対応が現場の上乗せ安全対策つぶす可能性 [Asbestos waste regulation “relaxation” due to amendment of the Great Defense Law].
Asbestos Disability Pensions Deadline
Mar 18, 2021
A March 31, 2021 deadline is looming for applicants wishing to submit claims for special social security disability pension benefits due to asbestos-related diseases contracted through occupational exposures in Italy. People whose conditions have been recognized by INAIL [the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work] must file their claims electronically via the portal of the INPS [National Institute of Social Security]. See: Amianto, Domande entro il 31 Marzo per la pensione speciale di inabilità [Asbestos, Applications by March 31 for the special disability pension].
Bilateral Concerns over São Paulo Disposal
Mar 18, 2021
The disposal of a French aircraft carrier Le Foch, sold to Brazil in 2000 and renamed the São Paulo, is providing caused for concern in France as well as in Brazil over the possibility that it might be destined for a shipbreaking beach in Asia. Years ago, there was a huge furore when Le Foch’s sister ship Le Clemenceau was sent to India for scrapping. At great cost, it was eventually returned to Europe where it was scrapped according to EU laws. Both ships were constructed using materials now regarded as highly toxic, including asbestos. See: “C'était ma maison”: ils veulent sauver l’ancien porte-avions Foch d'un démantèlement [“It was my house”: desire to save the former aircraft carrier Foch from being dismantled (inappropriately)].
Monument to the Asbestos Dead
Mar 18, 2021
The wording and positioning of a monument to the asbestos fallen have been confirmed by the Association of Families Exposed to Asbestos (AFEA) with the municipality of La Spezia, on the north-western coast of Italy. The inscription on the commemorative plaque will be: “In memory of all the Victims, Workers and Citizens, whose lives ended prematurely because of asbestos.” The monument, which will be made of Carrara marble, will be sited in the Piazza Caduti per la libertà La Spezia [the Square of those who died for Freedom]. See: Vittime dell'amianto, ecco la lapide commemorative [Victims of asbestos, here is the commemorative plaque].
Posthumous Victory for José María Íñigo
Mar 17, 2021
The tortuous fight for justice by the family of Spanish TV legend José María Íñigo (see: José María Íñigo’s Last Battle) achieved a significant victory on March 16, 2021 when a Madrid Court handed down a judgment backing the family’s claim that the renowned broadcaster and journalist had died from an occupational disease contracted as a result of prolonged asbestos exposures at the Madrid studios operated by his employer: the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation (RTVE). The asbestos cancer mesothelioma which had caused his death had, the Court agreed, been caused by toxic acoustic insulation material in the studios. See: José María Íñigo murió por el amianto de RTVE: la justicia da la razón a la familia del presentador [José María Íñigo died of RTVE's asbestos: justice agrees with the presenter's family].
Beginning of Asbestos Phase-out
Mar 17, 2021
In 2018, an asbestos ban in Sri Lanka was overturned due to economic sanctions and political threats from Russia (see: Blackmail of Sri Lanka re Asbestos Ban). The Ministry of Environment has announced its intention to protect citizens by implementing a phase-out on asbestos use starting with a mandatory end to the use of asbestos-containing material on government buildings by the end of 2021. Asbestos material will also be banned for use in the construction of pre-school and school buildings. See: Ministry of Environment plan to set up another roofing tile industrial park associated with the huge clay deposit of Yan Oya reservoir.
Get Vaccinated Say Grassroots Campaigners
Mar 17, 2021
Leaders of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) are calling on their fellow citizens to follow the example of ABREA leaders Eliezer João de Souza, Doracy Maggion and Belmiro Silva dos Santos and get themselves vaccinated as a matter of urgency. Follow their example, urged the author of the blog [referenced below] and not the actions of the “moronic” Covid-19 denier President Jair Bolsonaro. See: Vítimas do assassino amianto dão exemplo: Tomam vacina contra covid e não viram jacaré [Victims of the asbestos killer set an example: They get covid vaccine and have not seen the beast].
Toxic Renovations Cause Concern
Mar 17, 2021
James Aylward, the Minister of Health and Wellness on Prince Edward Island (PEI), has reasserted the government’s intention to release details of a registry of students who were present while renovation work at the Three Oaks High School was carried out from 2016 until 2019 and during which “air quality did not always meet standards, and one day there were high asbestos levels.” A consultant commissioned by the government in June 2020 has been working on the compilation of a registry to track health concerns for students at the school during the renovations. More details about the registry will become known shortly. See: Details coming for Three Oaks renovation registry, minister promises.
Asbestos Anxiety Lawsuit against Renault
Mar 17, 2021
On March 12, 2021, 300 people met outside the Renault headquarters in the French town of Vénissieux to mark the second anniversary of the commencement of a class action brought by 1,400+ former employees against the company for asbestos anxiety. The first major verdict – which concerns 1,200 cases – is scheduled to be handed down on April 8, 2021. The second judgment – which concerns 200 cases – will be issued on April 24. All of the claimants have been supported by the local asbestos victims’ group: the Prevent and Repair Association, which was founded in 2001. See: Renault Trucks à Vénissieux: «On travaille pour vivre, pas pour mourir» [Renault Trucks: “We work to live, not to die”].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 17, 2021
The presence of asbestos throughout Spain’s educational infrastructure routinely endangered the lives of more than a million students, teachers and support staff according to a new commentary. The scope of the problem remained unquantified, said the author, due to a lack of updated and comprehensive data from autonomous communities. The situation was extremely grave said María del Carmen Morillas, spokesperson for an umbrella group of associations representing parents and students: “The health of the educational community and of our children, who spend more than forty hours a week for ten months of the year within these infrastructures, are at risk.” See: El amianto de los colegios expone a un millón de niños en España [Asbestos in schools expose a million children in Spain].
Environmental Asbestos Exposure Research
Mar 16, 2021
The first two chapters of a special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health entitled Asbestos and Cancers: Exposure from Neighboring Factories and Mines, Contaminated Soil, and Slate Roofs have now been uploaded. The peer-reviewed papers evaluated excess lifetime cancer risk due to historic asbestos exposures in Korea and the consequences for residents of having lived near Korean asbestos mines. Nine other papers by authors in Korea and Taiwan will be uploaded in due course. See: Asbestos_CancersAsbestos and Cancers: Exposure from Neighboring Factories and Mines, Contaminated Soil, and Slate Roofs.
Petition Calls for Asbestos Criminal Trial
Mar 16, 2021
An online petition by a French umbrella group representing regional asbestos victims’ associations has appealed directly to the Court of Cassation (the French Supreme Court) to intervene as a matter of urgency in order to expediate the instigation of a criminal trial of decision-makers and executives guilty of causing the country’s ongoing epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. So far, the petition has been signed by 15,000 people. Former asbestos factory worker and ANDEVA board member Jean-Claude Barbé has “high hopes” that the Court of Cassation will follow a 2021 precedent set by the Paris Court of Appeal and allow the criminal case to proceed. See: Une pétition de l'Andeva pour relancer le procès de l'amiante [A petition from Andeva to relaunch asbestos trial].
Compulsory Asbestos Audits & Remediation
Mar 16, 2021
A new Spanish law mandating that all city councils compile lists of buildings with asbestos-containing materials and a timetable for their removal by January 1, 2023 is being finalized by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and is expected to be approved between March and April, 2021 by the Council of Ministers. Funding for the asbestos audits remediation will be sourced from two new taxes on the deposit of wastes in landfill cites and on packaging made of non-reusable plastic. See: Todos los ayuntamientos deberán censar los edificios con amianto para su retirada [All city councils must register buildings with asbestos for their removal].
Asbestos Crime and Punishment
Mar 16, 2021
A one year prison sentence was handed down to Paul Mouawad, an employee of the company Aussie Earthmovers, by the NSW Land and Environment Court for having faked waste disposal dockets issued for the dumping of 1,400 tonnes of waste containing asbestos. Of the 134 truckloads of asbestos-contaminated soil collected from a building site in central Sydney in June and July 2016, only one truckload was lawfully disposed of at the Elizabeth Drive Landfill at Kemps Creek. Following a separate prosecution, Aussie Earthmovers was convicted and fined $450,000 on two charges of knowingly supplying false and misleading information about the disposal of the waste in November 2020. See: Jail Sentence over Asbestos Disposal Documents Fraud.
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 16, 2021
A commentary on the status of asbestos in UK schools highlighted some disturbing facts including: asbestos is in 80% of all schools; the Committee of Carcinogenicity acknowledged that younger lungs were more vulnerable to asbestos; the incidence of asbestos cancer mortality was elevated amongst teachers. Despite legislation mandating measures to address this toxic situation, school officials and staff had neither the expertise nor resources to implement them; the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) did not have the capacity “to get on top of the problem.” The author concluded that to protect children, a government-led, HSE-supported nationwide drive to provide appropriate training and resources was urgently needed. See: Asbestos in Schools – A View from the Inside.
Northern Territory Asbestos Debris
Mar 15, 2021
A report commissioned by the Government of Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) identified widespread asbestos contamination of the land belonging to an aboriginal community living on a remote NT island. Asbestos debris was found in the Galiwin'ku community – 550 kilometers north-east of Darwin – near a church, on clifftops and in the vicinity of an arts center. Despite the extensive nature of the problem, the authorities issued statements claiming there was no need for public concern. The independent Member for Mulka, Yingyia Mark Guyula called for an information campaign in the local language and health check-ups for members of the community. See: Hundreds of asbestos pieces found across remote NT community but health risk is low, study finds.
Grassroots Action on Asbestos
Mar 15, 2021
A collection of public health campaigners, environmentalists and workers’ activists have formed a coalition to advocate for the eradication of the asbestos hazard from Spain. The new platform will “seek solutions to the serious problem of occupational health and public health that is far from being a priority for the Administration, and that requires urgent action.” Amongst the first initiatives of the new coalition will be the drafting of an Asbestos Eradication Act and petitions calling for financing of regional asbestos audits and eradication programs. See: Nace una plataforma para impulsar la erradicación del amianto en la Comunidad de Madrid [A platform is born to promote the eradication of asbestos in the Community of Madrid].
Asbestos Remediation in Schools Program
Mar 15, 2021
A budget of €345,000 (US$410,000) was allocated to remove asbestos from the last five contaminated schools in the city of Marco de Canaveses, in northern Portugal. The work was financed by a government grant under the Economic and Social Stability Program. The schools which were scheduled for remediation included: Freita (Marco), Outeiro (Constance), Alpendorada, Casal (São Lourenço do Douro) and Cabo (Maureles). According to Mayor Cristina Vieira: “When, in July 2020, the Government launched the financing program for the removal of asbestos, Marco de Canaveses was prepared to seize the opportunity.” See: Escolas de Marco de Canaveses prestes a ficar sem amianto [Marco de Canaveses schools about to become asbestos free].
New Asbestos Awareness Resources
Mar 15, 2021
A collaborative effort in British Colombia (B.C.) by representatives from private enterprise, industry, trade unions and WorkSafeBC – “a provincial agency dedicated to promoting safe and healthy workplaces across B.C.” – has produced new asbestos awareness training courses which will be launched this Summer. The seven modules, claimed to be the first of their kind in Canada, are collectively referred to as the Asbestos Competency Training Program and represent an $825,000 investment. Commenting on the program, executive director Mike McKenna said: “The third wave is coming and we are doing everything we can to make people take it seriously.” See: BCCSA readies launch of ground-breaking asbestos awareness courses this summer.
KwaZulu-Natal Asbestos Eradication
Mar 15, 2021
As part of an R16.3-billion (US$1bn) upgrade of the infrastructure of the South African Province of KwaZulu-Natal R66-million (US$4.3m) has been allocated toward “the eradication of asbestos roofs in all provincial clinics and community health centres. A further amount of R52.3-million (US$3.5m) will be used to eradicate asbestos and to undertake waterproofing projects for Grey’s Hospital, Umgeni Hospital, RK Khan Hospital, Northdale Hospital, Vryheid Hospital, and the Mayor’s Walk Central Supply Depot.” See: KwaZulu-Natal allocates R16.3-bln to building and upgrading infrastructure.
Spain’s Toxic Asbestos Legacy
Mar 15, 2021
A recent commentary considered the repercussions of the “half-baked asbestos ban” which existed in Spain and left workers in danger of toxic exposures from asbestos-containing material still in place. The situation now is, said one expert: “much more dangerous because no one takes the slightest precaution in the handling [of asbestos].” The author of the text cited several instances of workers seeking compensation for the negligence of former employers, including the high-profile case of the Spanish TV broadcaster José María Iñigo who had worked in an asbestos-insulated TV studio for decades. See: Amianto, ¿hasta cuándo? [Asbestos, until when?].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 11, 2021
On March 9, 2021, results of asbestos air concentration tests in 14 classrooms in Seoul which are being remediated confirmed that work was being conducted safely as per specification of the Asbestos Safety Management Act of the Ministry of Environment. The Korean Government asbestos program has a 2027 deadline to remove asbestos from all schools in order to create a “safe educational environment.” To protect school users from possible exposures, all asbestos remediation work is carried out during school vacations. See: 전국 학교 '석면' 제거 공사 진행은 잘되가나? [Is the national school 'asbestos' removal work going well?].
Future for Iconic Aircraft Carrier
Mar 11, 2021
Brazil’s Ministry of Defense is again trying to sell the iconic aircraft carrier, the São Paulo after previous attempts to off-load the vessel had been unsuccessful. Disposal of the ship is not without controversy as it is contaminated with 700 tonnes of asbestos, which require careful handling to protect workers and local people from toxic exposures. A letter from the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) warned Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva that amongst the companies participating in the auction is one which represents “the interests of a shipyard located on the beaches of South Asia…where it is impossible to contain pollution...” See: Meio ambiente: Um porta-aviões brasileiro que pode poluir as praias do sul da Ásia [Environment: A Brazilian aircraft carrier that can pollute the beaches of South Asia].
Asbestos Exposé: Sardinia Scandal
Mar 11, 2021
An investigative exposé uploaded to the internet on Sunday March 7, 2021 detailed the clandestine journey of asbestos debris from Northern and Central Italy to Sardinia on the vessel Maria Grazia Onorato which docked on March 4 at the commercial port of Cagliari. The 20,000 tonnes of toxic waste were conveyed along public roads to the Carbonia landfill in open white sacks at the mercy of air currents and movement of the trucks, with no attempts made to protect drivers or bystanders from hazardous exposures. TV cameramen filming the disposal of the waste at the site were threatened. Despite Sardinian regulations banning the export of waste to the island, the dump remains open for business. See: Veleni: sottoterra l'amianto del Nord Italia [Poisons: asbestos underground from Northern Italy].
Johnson & Johnson: Collateral Damage
Mar 11, 2021
An article in Newsweek highlighted the knock-on effect of the reputational damage suffered by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) as a result of the thousands of lawsuits the company is facing over asbestos contamination of its talc-based baby powder on public concern over the safety of J&J’s one-shot vaccine, approved for use on February 27, 2021. The negative perception of the brand was, said the article, helping “drive vaccine alarmism and skepticism.” Social media was awash with postings pointing out that the new vaccine had been produced by the same company that had sold carcinogenic baby powder. See: Johnson & Johnson's Talc Lawsuits Are Fueling Skepticism of its COVID Vaccine.
Another Railway Death!
Mar 11, 2021
The Emilia-Romagna branch of the Italian asbestos victims’ support group AFeVA reported the asbestos cancer death of Mauro Roda on March 4, 2021, four years after his illness had been diagnosed. During his employment in the Electrical Systems Division of the State Railways in Bologna from 1970 to 1996, Mr. Roda had routinely been exposed to asbestos on the equipment and in the tunnels and structures along the railway tracks. As a result, he contracted mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. See: Continua la strage dell’amianto [The asbestos massacre continues].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 11, 2021
Details of asbestos exposures which took place at a Brisbane High School in 2020 have been made public; students and teachers had been on site when a contractor released asbestos fibers into the air when repairing the school’s ceiling and walls. It took seven weeks before officials at Sunnybank State High School closed off contaminated areas and notified parents of the incident. Teachers are calling on Education Minister Ignazia Graziella Grace to investigate claims that they had been intimidated and forced to cover-up the breach of health and safety regulations. See: Teachers, students exposed to asbestos at Sunnybank State High School amid ‘disturbing reports’ of teachers writing in dust.
Construction Workers Outreach Program
Mar 9, 2021
On March 6, 2021, there was a free phone consultation service for Japanese construction workers who had been occupationally exposed to asbestos. The service was offered by legal advisors in the aftermath of a recent Supreme Court decision denouncing the Japanese Government’s culpability for failing to act on the asbestos hazard in a timely manner. Commenting on this outreach initiative, lawyer Toshihiko Tsukuda explained that many construction workers who got sick did not understand that their condition might have been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos materials. See: 建設現場でのアスベスト健康被害 無料の電話相談 [Free telephone consultation for asbestos health hazards at construction sites].
Asbestos Disposal in Italy
Mar 9, 2021
Under cover of darkness, a ship loaded with hundreds of tonnes of asbestos waste from northern Italy arrived at the Sardinian port of Cagliari on March 4, 2021 with its illegal cargo destined for the Sulcis landfill. There were no inspections at the docks and no measures taken to protect those unloading or transporting the dangerous shipment. The export of the hazardous waste was carried out despite a total ban on importing such material to the island. Commenting on this situation, the author of the article cited below said: “…the Italian waste lobby considers Sardinia a real open-air dump for very dangerous poisons.” See: Amianto killer, nella notte lo sbarco nell'Isola [Asbestos killer, landed under the cover of darkness on island].
Legal Attack on Libby’s Medical Clinic
Mar 9, 2021
In February, 2021, the federal government decided it would not intervene in a lawsuit being brought by BNSF Railway Co. against the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) in Libby, Montana which alleged that the nonprofit clinic committed Medicare fraud by using federal grants to perform “unnecessary” check-ups and treatments on patients. Alas, CARD is no stranger to legal attacks: “Like W.R. Grace tried in the past, BNSF is using this lawsuit to try to prevent CARD from screening and treating individuals exposed in Libby for asbestos-related diseases.” The clinic must respond to the lawsuit by April 23. See: Feds steer clear of BNSF suit against CARD clinic.
Asbestos Precedent for Landmark Ruling
Mar 9, 2021
A commentary by Pascale Braun considered the importance of a 2021 court ruling in the case of 726 former coal miners from the Lorraine region of France who received €10,000 compensation from the Douai Court of Appeal for fear of contracting a fatal disease due to hazardous workplace exposures. This verdict was based on a precedent set by a 2019 Supreme Court verdict which had awarded compensation to workers suffering from anxiety but no actual physical symptoms due to workplace asbestos exposures. According to the judgment, all people exposed to carcinogens at work had the right to be compensated for such anxiety. See: Santé au travail: ce que change le préjudice d'anxiété [Occupational health: what changes the prejudice of anxiety].
Advisory on Human Rights and Pollution
Mar 9, 2021
A publication uploaded recently by the UN Environment Programme and the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner – Human Rights and Hazardous Substances – stated: “Pollution is the largest source of premature death in the developing world…” and that: “Those responsible for the harmful impacts of hazardous substances must be held legally accountable through the application of human rights laws, norms and standards.” Though not mentioned specifically, asbestos was there by implication: “States should take steps to permanently eliminate the use of hazardous substances wherever possible and to minimise their use, prevent exposure and risks, and safely dispose of them where necessary in conformity with their obligations under international law.” See: Human Rights and Hazardous Substances.
Politicians Attack Victims’ Rights
Mar 9, 2021
Three draft pieces of proposed legislation – House Bills 638, 639 and 687 – targeting asbestos- and silica-exposure lawsuits, which would shield defendants from third-party liabilities, are being considered by the Georgia State General Assembly. Collectively, the legislation would, as of May 1, 2021, impose onerous burdens on claimants that would require the disclosure of sensitive information, detailed historical data and legal strategies. Unsurprisingly, the three politicians co-sponsoring these bills are Republicans. See: Bartow legislators back slate of bills targeting asbestos lawsuits.
Asbestos Cargo Seized!
Mar 8, 2021
On Friday, March 5, 2021 a shipment of 459 tonnes of asbestos was seized by the Health Surveillance Authority at the port of Santos on the south coast of São Paulo. The action was taken following a letter from Brazil’s Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) which had cited State law No. 12,684 (2007) prohibiting asbestos use in the State of São Paulo. The MPT had been alerted to the illegal shipping operation by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed: ABREA. The cargo had originated at the Sama Minerações Associadas asbestos mine in Minaçu and was destined for export to Asian countries. See: Carga com mais de 400 t de amianto é apreendida no Porto de Santos; substância é proibida no Brasil [Cargo with more than 400 tons of asbestos is seized at the Port of Santos; substance is banned in Brazil].
Investigation of Talc Testing Methods
Mar 8, 2021
On March 4, 2021, India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued a summons to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) over the lack of uniformity and standardization in testing for the presence of asbestos and formaldehyde in Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder and baby shampoo respectively. The NCPCR, a statutory body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, ordered the DCGI to appear before it on March 12 to explain why the CDSCO has not regulated the standards and uniformity in the testing methods used by accredited laboratories in India. See: “No uniform test for cancer-causing substances in J&J baby products” – drug regulator summoned.
Asbestos at the Shipyards
Mar 8, 2021
Having recognized that toxic exposures at the Navantia Ferrol shipyard caused a worker’s asbestos-related illness, Social Court Number 7 in Bilboa ordered that his former employer IZAR Naval Construction pay him compensation of €216,459 (US$260,000). From age 24 to 61 J.R.S. had handled asbestos-containing products to connect pipes, and installed insulation on vessels constructed at the shipyard. He was diagnosed in 1988 with bilateral pleural thickening, calcified plaques, and lung adenocarcinoma. See: Condenan a Izar Construcciones Navales a indemnizar con 216.459 euros a un trabajador que enfermó por amianto [IZAR Naval Construction sentenced to pay compensation of 216,459 euros to a worker who fell ill from asbestos (exposure)].
Asbestos Medical Program
Mar 8, 2021
As of March, 2021, free medical check-ups for 650 individuals who had lived near the asbestos factory in Busan City will be available to ensure detection of abnormalities or diseases related to environmental asbestos exposures at a cost to the City of 136 million won ($US121,000). Its acting mayor Lee Byeong-jin says: “we plan to actively expand health impact investigations targeting local residents who are concerned about asbestos damage so that asbestos disease can be quickly discovered and treated.” Previously, the City had provided free medical screening for residents in other municipal asbestos hotspots. See: 산시, 석면피해 의심 주민 대상 ‘찾아가는 무료건강검진’ 실시 [Free health check-ups for residents suspected of asbestos exposures in Busan].
Happy Birthday to Asbestos Campaigner!
Mar 8, 2021
AFeVA, the Italian asbestos action group based in Casale Monferrato, marked the 92nd birthday of its honorary President Romana Blasotti Pavesi on March 3. As the President of AFeVA for 30 years, Romana spearheaded a three-pronged strategy calling for remediation, research and restitution, part of which included legal action against the Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny who has been convicted in multiple Italian jurisdictions over his role in Italy’s epidemic of asbestos mortality. (For more about the work of this formidable campaigner see: In Appreciation of Romana Blasotti Pavesia.)
See: Auguri Romana [Greetings Romana].
Addressing Spain’s Asbestos Legacy
Mar 8, 2021
Public advocacy groups in Spain are stepping up their campaign for a Comprehensive Asbestos Law with recent petitions to the country’s President Pedro Sánchez and the Government calling for urgent measures to be taken to address the toxic legacy caused by decades of asbestos use. As products containing asbestos deteriorate due to use and weathering, toxic fibers are being liberated in public buildings, including schools and hospitals, as well as in private houses. Unless a remediation strategy is implemented as part of a comprehensive national plan, many more Spaniards will die from avoidable asbestos-related diseases, say health experts. See: Expertos instan al Presidente Pedro Sánchez que aborde urgente una Ley Integral del Amianto [Experts press President Pedro Sánchez to address a Comprehensive Asbestos Law].
Illegal Asbestos Exports Condemned
Mar 5, 2021
On March 2, the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) denounced the illegal shipment of asbestos cargo from the SAMA asbestos mine in Minaçu to the São Paulo port of Santos saying that as per a 2007 State Law and a 2017 Supreme Court decision the production, transport and export of asbestos had been banned. On Tuesday, 10 trucks carrying 340 tonnes of asbestos left the mine. ABREA alerted the: Santos Port Guard Superintendence, São Paulo Sanitary Surveillance Center, Public Ministry of Labor and Highway Police of the State of São Paulo of these activities. See: ABREA denuncia: Sama afronta de novo o STF, tenta exportar 340 toneladas de amianto [ABREA denounces: Sama contravenes the STF again, tries to export 340 tons of asbestos].
Justice for Asbestos Victims
Mar 5, 2021
An article in the independent French online investigative journal Médiapart discussed a petition launched by French asbestos victims calling for a major criminal trial to hold decision-makers and executives to account for their role in the national asbestos disaster caused by their actions. The petitioners are asking the Attorney General at the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court/SC), François Molins, to prioritize a hearing of an appeal to the SC made by the prosecution to a January 20, 2021 SC annulment of a lower Court’s dismissal of charges against company officers. See: Les victimes de l'amiante appellent "en urgence absolue" à un grand procès pénal [Asbestos victims call “in absolute urgency” for a major criminal trial].
Protecting Minors from the Asbestos Hazard
Mar 5, 2021
On March 15, 2021, Vietnamese Circular 09/2020 / TT-BLDTBXH updating the Labor Code on young workers will come into effect. The new guidelines – which are designed to protect people under 18 from detrimental exposures that could affect their physical, mental and personality development – bans minors from employment in hazardous workplaces, including those at which asbestos is handled or processed. See: 6 nơi làm việc gây hại cho sự phát triển của người dưới 18 tuổi [6 workplaces that are detrimental to the development of people under the age of 18].
Parliament Debates Mesothelioma Scheme
Mar 5, 2021
On the afternoon of March 2, 2021, there was a one-hour debate in the House of Commons on the Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations 2021. The motion to approve the regulations was approved after an informative debate by MPs who raised pertinent issues. Amongst the Parliamentarians to take part were MPs: Vicky Foxcroft, Chris Stephens, Stephen Timms, Martin Docherty-Hughes, Wendy Chamberlain, Beth Winter, Kim Johnson, Christine Jardine and Jim Shannon. During the debate, tribute was paid to asbestos victims support groups in Scotland and England including Clydeside Action on Asbestos, Clydebank Asbestos Group and the Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group. See: Hansard. Parliamentary Debate. March 2, 2021.
Eternit Update: Post-Asbestos Profits
Mar 5, 2021
The financial results released on March 2, 2021 by Brazil’s former asbestos giant Eternit S.A. continued to show a healthy profit and high stockholder confidence since the company transitioned to asbestos-free technology. In 2020, the company’s shares rose 200%, making it the best performing stock on BOVESPA, the Brazilian stock market. Reflecting on Eternit’s good news, it’s President Luis Augusto Barbosa explained: “A combination of very positive factors favored us. The company's restructuring process, with the replacement of asbestos since 2017, is bearing fruit.” See: Sem amianto e com telha solar, Eternit retoma confiança do investidor [Asbestos-free and with solar tile, investor confidence in Eternit resumes].
Asbestos Remediation of Hospitals
Mar 5, 2021
Authorities in the Marche Region, on the east coast of Italy, have allocated €650,000 to remove asbestos from specific sections of designated hospitals in the cities of Petritoli, Montegranaro and Montegiorgio. This work is part of a coordinated program for 21 hospitals and health facilities in the region. Commissioner Baldelli explained that: “the financing of these interventions in the area have been subject to specific priorities and criteria that have taken into consideration health and hospital structures that consider the use of these structures throughout the whole day.” See: Amianto negli ospedali: piano per rimuoverlo [Asbestos in hospitals: plan to remove it].
Asbestos Justice
Mar 4, 2021
Asbestos victims’ groups, trade unions and civil society campaigners have issued a petition calling “for a criminal asbestos trial to finally take place in France” to hold negligent employers, civil servants and others to account for the slaughter that has resulted from their decisions. The petitioners appealed to the Attorney General at the Court of Cassation Mr. François Molins to act expeditiously to bring this appeal before the criminal chamber as a matter of utmost urgency, saying this was a “quest for justice and truth” for the asbestos injured and their families. See: Justice pour les victimes de l’amiante [Justice for asbestos victims].
Volcanoes and Asbestos
Mar 4, 2021
A curious article on a Russian language website extolled the virtues of asbestos materials – citing “the incredible characteristics of asbestos” – for those who may need to research active volcano sites in light of the March 1, 2021 lava breakthrough on the Klyuchevskoy volcano in northern Kamchatka, in Russia’s Far East. Asbestos shoes and cloth were used with some success in 1938 by scientists exploring that 20th century eruption. The author of this text made no mention that since that time, technology has evolved and asbestos-free products are available for use by the volcanologists. See: Вулканология, дрейф на лаве и спецснаряжение: асбестовые башмаки для рекорда [Volcanology, lava drift and special gear: asbestos shoes for the record].
Illegal Dumping of UK Ships
Mar 4, 2021
The BBC has reported the scrapping on Indian shipbreaking beaches of two UK cruise ships. At least 13 other UK ships had been similarly disposed of in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh since the start of last year, according to an investigation conducted by the TV program: File on 4. Despite protocols prohibiting the transnational dumping of toxic waste, ships acquired by cash buyers routinely wind up on the unregulated recycling beaches of south Asia. Workers have few, if any, rights and no protection from the toxins including asbestos which are on board the vessels. See: UK cruise ships scrapped in India's 'ship graveyard'.
Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Mar 4, 2021
It has been estimated that 40 million tonnes of asbestos-containing material remain incorporated within the Italian infrastructure – including 2,400 schools used by 350,000 pupils and 50,000 teachers – despite decades of work to address the contamination. In asbestos hotspots – like the Milan suburb of Sesto San Giovanni where two asbestos factories had been located – two members of the local asbestos defence committee were buried in one week. Gianfranco Rizzieri died from the asbestos cancer peritoneal mesothelioma; he had never worked with asbestos but lived near asbestos-processing factories. The other deceased was Franco Zanon, aged 61. See: Sesto, in una settimana due morti d'amianto [Sixth, two asbestos deaths in one week].
Asbestos at the Beach
Mar 4, 2021
Sydneysiders have been warned about the presence of asbestos fragments washed up on Little Bay Beach by Randwick Council. The authorities plan to close the beach for two weeks in April in order for an investigation to take place. According to news reports, 1,000 fragments of toxic debris have been washed up on this New South Wales tourist spot since August 2020. Although the Council warned that caution should be taken when handling rocks or shells at the beach, it said that the situation was, according to expert opinion, “not an unacceptable risk public safety.” See: Picturesque beach in Sydney's east will be closed for two weeks as 1000 pieces of material containing asbestos is collected on the sandy shores.
Toxic Talc
Mar 4, 2021
A damning review of the talc industry’s role in blocking US regulations on cosmetic talc from the 1970s until today presented evidence of how the industry was able to influence: government agencies’ regulatory proceedings; the adoption of testing methods and the disclosure of test results; the nature of press coverage and medical publications. As a result of this manipulation, the industry’s assertion since 1976 that talc was asbestos-free remained unchallenged for decades. The prioritization of corporate profits over public health had disastrous consequences. See: A Review of the Talc Industry’s Influence on Federal Regulation and Scientific Standards for Asbestos in Talc.
Supporting Brazilian Asbestos Ban
Mar 3, 2021
The Constitutional Law Commission of the Brazilian Lawyers Institute (IAB) issued a report on February 24, 2021 upholding claims that a law passed in 2019 by Goiás State allowing the commercial exploitation of asbestos, which was in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court ruling, was unconstitutional and therefore invalid. The IAB has requested that the Supreme Court allow the IAB to act as an amicus curiae in a legal action by the Association of Labor Attorneys disputing the constitutionality of Goiás Law 20,514 / 2019. See: Para o IAB, lei de Goiás que permite a extração de amianto é inconstitucional [For the IAB, the Goiás law that allows for the extraction of asbestos is unconstitutional].
No Asbestos Dumping Here!
Mar 3, 2021
Since February 20, 2021 local people have been ratcheting up efforts to defeat plans to construct a waste landfill dumpsite in Mont-Saint-Vincent, a commune in eastern France, that would accept asbestos debris at the Rougeot company’s Bourgueuil quarry. The objectors are pursuing multiples strategies including requests to the municipality to obtain a copy of the agreement between the town and the quarry company and research to examine the local urban plan for pertinent regulatory protocols that might be used to block this development. An afternoon rally is planned for March 13 at the Théâtre de Verdure. See: Mont-Saint-Vincent – L’amiante galvanise les opposants [Mont-Saint-Vincent – Asbestos galvanizes opponents].
Streamlining Social Security Claims Process
Mar 3, 2021
Circular Number 37/2021 dated February 24, 2021 of the Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (Italy’s National Institute of Social Security – INPS) concerning social security benefits for asbestos-exposed workers formerly employed in the industrial sector producing railway rolling stock, set out a specific timetable with mandatory deadlines for the processing of claims “to speed up the assessment times connected to the social security benefits.” See: Pensioni, Tempi certi per il riconoscimento dei benefici previdenziali per l'amianto [Pensions, Certain times for the recognition of social security benefits for asbestos].
Exposing Asbestos Defendants’ Lies
Mar 3, 2021
An article by US Professor Arthur Frank and German medical expert Professor Xaver Baur detailed how asbestos vested interests – including parties which mined asbestos fiber, industries which processed it, insurance companies and defendant corporations – promoted misinformation to create doubt so that profits could continue and compensation claims could be rejected despite the undeniable fact that exposure to all types of asbestos can be lethal to workers as well as to members of the public. The authors warned that the lobbying by vested interests necessitated that scientific bodies, decision makers and others should ensure that accurate information on the asbestos hazard was disseminated in a timely fashion. See: Ongoing downplaying of the carcinogenicity of chrysotile asbestos by vested interests.
National Asbestos Legacy
Mar 3, 2021
A February 25, 2021 commentary in the online version of Clarin – the largest newspaper in Argentina – described the properties of asbestos fibers and the multiple diseases caused by exposures such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis etc. The text highlighted the presence of products containing asbestos throughout national infrastructures, including within the: Buenos Aires subway system, Buenos Aires built environment and iconic Montparnasse Tower in Paris. See: Enemigo silencioso, Amianto: qué es y qué enfermedades suele provocar [Silent enemy. Asbestos: what is it and what diseases does it usually cause].
Asbestos Water Delivery Systems
Mar 3, 2021
At article by Julian Branch which was uploaded on February 17, 2021 to the website of the Safe Drinking Water Foundation addressed the issue of the ingestion of asbestos caused by the delivery of water via asbestos-cement pipes and concluded that: “All of the experts, and all of the studies, say that the older the asbestos cement pipes get, the worse the problem will get. It is time for Canada, and other countries, to take a hard look at the ‘evidence,’ and regulate asbestos in water.” See: Asbestos Cement Water Pipes and the Potential Risk of Ingested Asbestos.
European Asbestos Consultation
Feb 25, 2021
A submission by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) consultation on occupational exposure limits for asbestos highlighted the widespread discrepancies in protection against toxic workplace exposures in different EU countries, the high levels of asbestos-related diseases amongst construction, renovation and demolition workers, and the lack of asbestos awareness amongst younger workers. See: ETUC response to the first stage consultation with the social partners under Article 154 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to chemical agents at work and to asbestos. See: https://www.etuc.org/en/document/etuc-response-first-stage-consultation-social-partners-under-article-154-treaty.
Asbestos in Philadelphia’s Schools
Feb 25, 2021
Earlier this week, Pennsylvania (PA) State Representative Elizabeth Fiedler and PA State Senator Vincent Hughes tabled proposals to address the hazardous conditions of PA’s schools, including the presence of weathered and aging asbestos-containing products. Fiedler told reporters: “For generations, our educators, students and school staff have been sent into buildings where they could get brain damage because of chipped paint or cancer because of exposed asbestos… To call this appalling is an understatement.” Amongst the measures proposed were grants for emergency repairs to make schools safe by remediating asbestos and other sources of contamination. See: Fiedler unveils plan to repair hazardous public schools in PA.
Construction Workers’ Victory
Feb 25, 2021
On February 22, 2021, Judge Takuya Fukayama of the Japanese Supreme Court dismissed most of the appeals by the government and building material manufacturers against a 2018 Osaka High Court plaintiffs’ verdict which awarded compensation to construction workers from the Kansai region who had contracted asbestos-related diseases as a result of failures by the defendants to safeguard occupational health. On February 25, the Court held hearings on claims by Tokyo construction workers; in March and April hearings will be held for Kyoto and Osaka workers, respectively. See: 建設アスベスト大阪訴訟 国とメーカーの賠償責任確定 最高裁 [Construction Asbestos Proceedings, National and Manufacturer Liability Confirmation in Supreme Court].
Brazil’s Asbestos Legacy
Feb 25, 2021
In a February 22, 2021 interview on the popular radio program “Viva Maria” with broadcaster Mara Régia, Fernanda Giannasi – leader of the ban asbestos struggle in Latin America and founder of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed – explained that the iconic Hollywood star Steve McQueen had died, like many Brazilian workers, of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. An exhibition to mark McQueen’s 90th birthday is now being held at the Cultural Center of the Bank of Brazil. Ms. Giannasi criticized the Governor of Goiás State Ronaldo Caiado – a medical doctor as well as a politician – who passed a law allowing the commercial exploitation of asbestos in contravention of a Supreme Court ruling. See: Em cartaz no Viva Maria: “Amianto, a fibra assassina” [On air in Viva Maria: “Asbestos, the killer fiber”].
Justice Delayed, is Justice Denied!
Feb 25, 2021
Another delay has beset legal proceedings brought by asbestos victims from Cherbourg against their former employer the Naval Group – formerly known as Direction des Constructions Navales or DCNS. The plaintiffs had appealed a January 8, 2019 dismissal by an investigating judge of criminal charges against DCN. An appeal scheduled to be heard in November, 2020 was postponed. Appeal proceedings due to begin this week were delayed by the Paris Court of Appeal. According to a spokesperson for the victims, the criminal case against DCN-Cherbourg dates back to 2005. See: Dossier amiante à DCN Cherbourg: les victimes vont devoir (encore) attendre [Asbestos case at DCN Cherbourg: the victims will have to wait (again)].
Unions Urge Stringent Action on Asbestos
Feb 24, 2021
Input from trade unions to the EU consultation on the revision of the Asbestos at Work Directive 2009/148/EC and the Chemical Agents Directive 98/24/EC has called on the European Commission to lower the occupation exposure limit for asbestos in all EU Member States from 0.1 fibres/cm³ to 0.001 fibres/cm³ as part of a comprehensive plan to eradicate asbestos throughout the EU. In addition, the unions recommended, that an inventory of buildings containing asbestos be established for each European country. Every year, 47,000 people die in the EU from occupational cancer deaths. See: Unions call for updated limit values for asbestos and lead derivatives.
Processing Asbestos Waste after Ban
Feb 24, 2021
Under a new 30-year contract signed between the Ministry of Mining and owners of Colombia’s former asbestos mine (Antioquia), operations at the site will transition from mining asbestos to processing decades of asbestos mining waste to reclaim valuable minerals. According to Jorge Alberto Jaramillo, Secretary of Mines of the department of Antioquia: “It [Antioquia] is the first reconversion mine to be established in Colombia.” Initially, 200 jobs will be created at the mine, with more direct and indirect jobs to be created in the future. See: De amianto a talco, así transita la mina de Campamento, Antioquia, luego de la prohibición del asbesto en Colombia [From asbestos to talc, this is how the Campamento mine, Antioquia, transitions after the ban on asbestos in Colombia].
Toxic Talc
Feb 24, 2021
The US Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has set aside $3.9 billion for litigation expenses in 2020 “primarily associated with talc-related reserves and certain settlements.” The company is facing 25,000 US lawsuits over sales of its iconic baby powder which was alleged to be contaminated with carcinogenic asbestos fibers that caused cases of mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer. The reserves are almost double the previous $2.1bn estimate for talc litigation. The company was ordered by a NY State Judge to pay $120m compensation to a Brooklyn couple in November 2020. See: Johnson & Johnson sets aside almost $4 billion for talc verdict, filing shows.
Asbestos Legacy
Feb 24, 2021
The lack of action by the Spanish Government on the presence of asbestos throughout the country has been condemned by critics in an article which cited a 2032 EU deadline for the eradication of asbestos contamination. The human health hazard posed by asbestos exposures began long before Covid-19 was ever heard of and will endure for decades without a program to remediate Spain’s infrastructure. A recent report sent to Parliament by the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery warned that 130,000 asbestos deaths could occur by 2050 if the status quo persisted. The report endorsed recommendations for a Comprehensive Asbestos Law to meet the multiple challenges created by asbestos. See: Amianto, la pandemia silenciosa [Asbestos, the silent pandemic].
Progress: Ending Investment in Asbestos
Feb 24, 2021
The text of a Decree adopted earlier this month (February 2021) by the Government of Vietnam can be accessed at the online link noted below. While the bulk of the text related to improving the quality of materials and practices for the construction industry, key provisions will adversely impact on the functioning of the country’s asbestos sector. The Prime Minister stipulated plans to transition from asbestos-based to asbestos-free technology, and encouraged the limitation of investment in the expansion of the asbestos industry. In addition, the Decree lowered permissible levels of occupational asbestos exposures. See: Nghị định 09/2021/NĐ-CP về quản lý vật liệu xây dựng [Decree 09/2021 / ND-CP on management of building materials].
Decree Introduces Asbestos Restrictions
Feb 23, 2021
An article from a Vietnamese website detailed the release by the Government of Decree 09/2021/ND-CP on the management of building materials. Under provisions which regulated the use and quality of construction materials, the Decree introduced new mandatory provisions phasing-out the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos for roofing and tightening occupational asbestos exposure levels. In addition, new measures will be implemented that could affect the asbestos industrial sector, such as controls on the reuse and dumping of toxic waste. The Prime Minister stipulated that a roadmap to limit new investment and prevent expansion of asbestos roofing manufacturing be developed. See: Quy định về chất lượng vật liệu xây dựng [Regulations on quality of building materials].
Third Wave of Asbestos Deaths
Feb 23, 2021
Predictions that the incidence of asbestos-related mortality in the USA would decline after the introduction of regulations in the 1970s have proved to be “overly optimistic.” Based on the number of cases of asbestos cancer being diagnosed in people under 55 years old, experts concluded that “inhalation exposure to asbestos is still ongoing.” These cases, which are part of the “third wave” of asbestos-related diseases, are mostly contracted by construction and demolition workers, roofers, carpenters, plumbers, shipbuilders and industry workers. See: Third Wave of Asbestos Disease Impacts America’s Workers.
Asbestos in Schools: Update
Feb 23, 2021
On February 22, 2021, work was begun under a €350,000 scheme implemented by the Guimarães City Council to replace asbestos-cement roofing in 7 local schools. According to a statement from the authorities in Guimarães, with the completion of the final phase of the local schools’ program, asbestos roofing will have been removed from all nineteen of the schools in Braga City. At the end of 2020, the Portuguese Parliament was told that a budget of €78.7+ million had been allocated to remove asbestos from educational institutions throughout the country. See: Câmara de Guimarães substitui amianto em sete escolas básicas [Guimarães Chamber replaces asbestos in seven basic schools].
Relief for Construction Workers
Feb 23, 2021
In the aftermath of several court decisions, including two by the Supreme Court, the Japanese Government has announced plans to set up a compensation scheme for construction workers with asbestos-related illnesses to enable them to obtain vital support without recourse to protracted legal proceedings. The details of the fund were discussed at a meeting on February 18th which was organized by officials from The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Claimants are lobbying for the establishment of a system funded by contributions from the government and building material manufacturers. See: 建設アスベスト 被害者救済へ 厚労省が補償制度の創設検討着手 [Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to consider a compensation system for victims of construction asbestos].
Asbestos Anxiety: Another Victory!
Feb 23, 2021
Last week, the Paris Court of Appeal ordered that the cases of 21 power station workers for asbestos anxiety be recognized and that their former employer pay them €10,000 each. The plaintiffs had been employed by the state majority-owned company: Électricité de France (EDF) at its plant in Porcheville, north-central France. The litigants, whose case had been dismissed by a lower court, were supported by the CGT trade union and the National Association for the Defence of Asbestos Victims (ANDEVA). It is not yet known whether the company will appeal this verdict. See: Yvelines. Amiante: la justice reconnaît le préjudice d'anxiété des agents de la centrale EDF de Porcheville [Yvelines. Asbestos: justice recognizes the prejudice of anxiety of agents of the EDF power plant in Porcheville].
Asbestos Diseases and Covid-19
Feb 23, 2021
Two opposition politicians from north-eastern Italy are calling for people with asbestos-related diseases to be given priority under the Italian Covid-19 vaccination program due to the fact that the functioning of their lungs was likely to be compromised by the presence of asbestos fibers. In a public statement, Paolo Fogar and Diego Moretti asked Regional health officials to expedite the treatment of this cohort of individuals. See: Priorità a esposti amianto nelle vaccinazioni Covid È la richiesta del Pd [Priority to asbestos exposed in Covid vaccinations This is the request of the Democratic Party].
Progress: Asbestos Update
Feb 22, 2021
Decree No. 09/2021 / ND-CP On building materials management was issued on February 9, 2021 by the Government of Vietnam. The Decree encouraged “the use of fibers to replace asbestos in roofing production” and – by an order of the Prime Minister – stipulated that “a roadmap to limit new investment or expand asbestos roofing manufacturing facilities” be developed. As the vast majority of asbestos fiber imported to Vietnam is used for the manufacture of asbestos roofing, this decree is a clear indication of the Government’s intention to end asbestos use in the near future. See: Tăng cường quản lý chất lượng vật liệu xây dựng [Strengthen quality management of building materials].
Asbestos Health Warnings
Feb 22, 2021
At a February 18 conference in the capital city of Laos to discuss the National Strategy for the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases (2018-2030) and National Action Plan (2018-2022), Minister of Health Associate Prof. Dr Bounkong Syhavong, issued a warning regarding the public health danger posed by 16 asbestos factories currently operating in the country. Dr Bounkong said: “I think the best way to eliminate the risk of asbestos-related diseases is to stop the use of asbestos in these 16 factories. Other materials can be used instead, such as polyurethane foam, flour fillers, cellulose fibres, thermoset plastic flour and amorphous silica.” The objective of the meeting was to build capacity to implement a plan to eradicate asbestos-related diseases in Laos. See: Over 500 workers at risk of asbestos-related diseases.
Asbestos in Schools: Helpful Advice
Feb 22, 2021
An informative commentary highlighted the presence of asbestos contamination throughout UK schools and provided useful resources and links for concerned individuals, including advice for dealing with contractors and tradespeople. The author recommended that: “Staff, pupils, students and their parents or carers should be given relevant information to help them understand the risks and should be advised to consult their doctor.” In the event of an unexpected mishap or accident all work should cease; everyone should be evacuated; expert advice should be sought about remedial action including the need to report the incident to the Health & Safety Executive. See: How can you tackle the issue of asbestos in your school?
No toxic talc in Kazakhstan?
Feb 22, 2021
A commentary by toxicologist Dr. Lavrenty Aizvert from a Ministry of Health Department of the Government of Kazakhstan – one of the world’s biggest producers of chsyrotile (white) asbestos – about the safety of cosmetics decried the hazard posed by the use of talc-based baby powder saying there was no “serious research.” Citing research from the Dzhetygarinsky asbestos mining and processing plant and the Karaganda Institute of Occupational Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, he said that as “not a single case of lung cancer or mesothelium [sic] has been registered there for 50 years,” the harm posed by asbestos in baby powder was “not clear.” See: Правда и мифы о косметике [Truth and myths about cosmetics].
Commencement of Basque Asbestos Case
Feb 22, 2021
On February 22, 2021, a hearing will take place in Social Court 2 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital city of the Basque Country, in a case brought by the family of a Spanish bricklayer who died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in 2018. The plaintiffs are claiming damages of approximately €146,000 (US$177,000) from the deceased’s former employers: Ezcurra y Ozores SA, Fibesa, Fundaciones y Mantenimiento SA, Sidenor Industrial and Cofivacasa for their failures to protect him from deadly occupational exposures to asbestos. Last year, the Court awarded a widowhood benefit in recognition of the occupational nature of the disease. See: Los familiares de una víctima del amianto reclaman una indemnizacion de 145.00 euros [The relatives of an asbestos victim claim compensation of 145,000 euros].
Progress of Asbestos Phase-out
Feb 22, 2021
Whereas some countries in Latin America have issued comprehensive bans on asbestos, others have implemented restrictions on types and uses of asbestos fiber. The article cited below delineates steps taken in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay, Bolivia, Costa Rico, Merico and Panama. The author concluded as follows: “The damages and consequences of asbestos in Latin America are incalculable, however, more and more countries in this region are joining the global fight against this material and against those companies and corporations that have prioritized economic gains over the lives and health of thousands of persons.” See: La prohibición del amianto en Latinoamérica [The ban on asbestos in Latin America].
Asbestos Propaganda Offensive
Feb 18, 2021
An informercial, masquerading as reportage, extolled the virtues of chrysotile (white) asbestos roofing – calling it a “vital component of Sri Lanka’s construction industry” – and denying any links between exposure to chrysotile and the causation of deadly diseases: “there is no evidence to conclusively establish a significant correlation between health deterioration, particularly cancer, and exposure to chrysotile among the chrysotile cement roofing sheet users in Sri Lanka.” Bemoaning the attacks on the industry, the author noted: “regardless of the importance of chrysotile roofing sheets, the industry has faced constant backlash and baseless allegations claiming that these sheets pose a threat to the health of our society.” See: Chrysotile cement roofing sheets; a misunderstood yet vital component of Sri Lanka’s construction industry.
Outrage over Asbestos Dump!
Feb 18, 2021
People in Western Macedonia are incensed about the region’s plans to create an asbestos landfill facility for all of Greece at the site of a former asbestos mine (MAVE). The objectors, who cite evidence regarding the water permeability of the asbestos-containing rocks and the history of earthquake activity at the site, allege that the burial of asbestos at the MAVE mine would result in the irreversible pollution of Lake Polyphytos, the destruction of a natural environment rich in flora and fauna, the loss of hundreds of jobs and the disappearance of any possibility of an alternative development framework for future generations. See: αντιΧΥΤΑΜ: «Λέμε όχι στον ΧΥΤΑΜ για αμίαντο Δυτικής Μακεδονίας» [antiHYTAM: "We say no to HYTAM for asbestos in Western Macedonia"].
Judicial Black Hole
Feb 18, 2021
The existence of a “judicial black hole” has been exposed by a French documentary broadcast this week which told the story of the decades-long campaign to hold asbestos lobbyists, entrepreneurs and stakeholders to account for the deadly consequences of their commercial decisions. The program documented the fight by individuals and groups to expose the actions of the Standing Committee for Asbestos, a lobbying group, that controlled France’s asbestos agenda for decades and created a climate in which sales could flourish despite evidence about the human health hazards posed by asbestos exposures. See: « Amiante, un espoir de justice », les combattants [“Asbestos, a hope for justice,” the fighters].
Lack of Trust Delays Schools’ Reopening
Feb 18, 2021
As plans for reopening Philadelphia’s schools for in-person teaching are being considered, the distrust of officials from the Education Department – based on their failures to protect school users from toxic exposures – continues to fester. An extract from a letter by Adam Sanchez and Nina Willbach expressed their feelings as follows: “District leaders ask us to trust them to keep teachers, students, and our families safe. But these same leaders have kept us in poisoned schools for decades, with unsafe building conditions of lead, mold, and asbestos.” (The PFT trade union, which represents over 11,000 public school personnel, has called plans to reopen schools on February 22 “reckless”.)
See: Philadelphia Teachers and District Struggle over Terms of School Reopening.
Unions Call for Action on Asbestos
Feb 18, 2021
Trade unionists in British Colombia (BC) have decried failures by the Provincial Government to implement recommendations made in a December 2018 report on the asbestos industry regarding stricter regulations, such as the introduction of licensing for surveyors carrying out asbestos assessments in buildings, and for companies and consultants involved in abatement work. “This is not,” said Neil Munro – business manager for the BC Insulators Union 118 – “controversial. I can’t understand why we are not doing it.”The Insulators Union estimates it will take 50 years to safely remove asbestos from all BC’s buildings. See: Third wave of asbestos-related deaths looms as NDP at a standstill on taking action.
Toxic Talc!
Feb 16, 2021
On February 15, an environmental campaigning association in Tunisia – The Association for Environmental Education for Future Generations (AEEFG) – called on the Government to prohibit the import of asbestos-containing Johnson & Johnson baby powder. The AEEFG also called for the product to be withdrawn from sale in Tunisia as it has been throughout North America to protect consumers from toxic exposures. See: Santé: Une association environnementale appelle a retirer du marché tunisien des produits importés contenant du talc cancérigène [Health: An environmental association calls for the withdrawal from the Tunisian market of imported products containing carcinogenic talc].
Progress Update from Gauteng
Feb 16, 2021
On February 15, 2021, the refurbished Abram Hlophe Primary School in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni in South Africa’s Gauteng Province was opened in the presence of MPs, local politicians and school governors. The school offers state-of-the-art facilities for 1,900 children and a safe place to learn. The Gauteng Department of Education has issued a commitment to address legacy problems in its schools, including the presence of asbestos, by 2026. Speaking during the handover ceremony Gauteng Education’s Panyaza Lesufi said: “We have made a commitment to remove asbestos schools in Gauteng. There are 17, if I am not mistaken.” See: Gauteng ‘changing face of township education’ with R77m state-of-the-art school in Ekurhuleni.
Segovia’s Asbestos Legacy
Feb 16, 2021
Klein, S.A. was a Spanish company based in Segovia that was set up in 1922 and closed in 1991, only to be reopened in 1992 under new ownership. Amongst the products it manufactured were asbestos coatings and rubber hoses covered with asbestos cloth; thousands of employees were exposed to asbestos at the factory. There were no warnings of the asbestos hazards and no protective equipment supplied. The first case of mesothelioma was diagnosed and recognized in 2017, but other asbestos illnesses caused by toxic exposures at the factory have gone unrecognized. The UGT trade union has condemned Social Security officials for “systematic refusals” to acknowledge the injured. See: KLEIN y el amianto [KLEIN and asbestos].
Asbestos Prosecution by HSE
Feb 16, 2021
Last week, a Manchester Magistrates’ Court fined a construction company and a property management company for failing to manage asbestos safely during a refurbishment of a former office block in Stockport in August 2018, despite the existence of a May 2018 asbestos survey which had identified the presence of asbestos- containing materials. This case was the result of a prosecution by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). Commenting on the verdict, HSE Inspector Phil Redman said: “Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.” See: Construction firms fined due to unsafe removal of asbestos.
Redevelopment of Asbestos Site
Feb 16, 2021
Plans to redevelop the heavily contaminated former James Hardie asbestos factory site near Parramatta in New South Wales, Australia hit a snag when the Department of Planning refused a request for a change to planning rules and called for the development of a “place strategy” to address the remediation of the 6.7-hectare site. It is likely that the compilation of such a strategy would take at least 18 months. Developers had hoped to build 3,200 dwellings on the property. Local politicians and members of opposition parties criticized the Government’s intervention saying additional accommodation and infrastructure were desperately needed in the Parramatta area. See: Sydney developer’s plans for old James Hardie site suffer setback.
Cancer Anxiety: Another Trial
Feb 16, 2021
Next week (February 25, 2021), legal proceedings will begin before the Lyon Court of Appeal on behalf of 60 former glassworkers from Givors, in eastern France who are seeking compensation for cancer anxiety experienced as a result of workplace exposures to carcinogens, including asbestos. The claimants, who worked at the Givors glassworks which closed in 2003, are being represented by lawyers from Paris: Nadine Melin and François Lafforgue. Since 2003, occupational cancers have been recognized in 15 of the ex-employees. See: Les ex-verriers veulent faire reconnaître un « préjudice d'anxiété [The ex-glassmakers want recognition for “prejudice of anxiety”].
State Compensation Payouts Delayed
Feb. 15, 2021
Delays in the payment of claims by icare, the state-run insurer of New South Wales (NSW), have been deplored by Australian victims of asbestos exposures and their legal representatives. Mesothelioma sufferer Bill Lawler, who was exposed to asbestos whilst employed as security guard at Wollongong's Tallawarra Power Station, is one of those affected. According to his solicitor: “Whilst four weeks to icare might not seem like a long time, for people like Bill one month or four weeks is a very long time because he's dealing with a terminal illness.” Supporting asbestos claimants, NSW Opposition spokesman Daniel Mookhey said: “They shouldn't have to waste a single breath fighting a discredited bureaucracy.” See: NSW insurance provider icare apologises to asbestos victims for delay in compensation payments.
Update: Asbestos Data in Hyogo Prefecture
Feb 15, 2021
According to the latest data released by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, in 2020 Hyogo Prefecture had the fifth largest cohort of people in the country whose diseases were recognized as having been contracted as a result of workplace exposures to asbestos. Per the Ministry’s new figures, 1,145 cases of asbestos-related cancer were recognized in Japan last year; the number for Hyogo Prefecture was 73. Nationwide, 992 workplaces were named at which the injured had been employed, of which 58 were in Hyogo Prefecture. See: アスベスト昨年度７３人労災認定 [Asbestos: last year 73 workers certified].
Auction of MV Funchal
Feb 15, 2021
Conflicting news about the outcome of the London January 29, 2021 auction of the iconic Portuguese vessel the Funchal MV (see: Press release: Auction of MV Funchal) – which campaigners had been concerned might be sold for scrapping on an Asian shipbreaking beach – was circulated last week. The Funchal was bought by a group of US investors who plan to keep the vessel operational according to a February 12, 2021 online article. Confirmation of the sale of the vessel for operational purposes was also received from a representative of Eggar Forrester Shipbrokers. However, another source said the vessel would be scrapped
See: O FUNCHAL já foi vendido mas não vai ser desmantelado [FUNCHAL has already been sold but will not be dismantled].
Justice for Asbestos Victims
Feb 15, 2021
In the wake of yet another Supreme Court ruling supporting claims by asbestos-injured construction workers, a Japanese editorial has endorsed calls for “the government and manufacturers [to] set up a fund to create a system to compensate victims” which would be proportionately funded by the companies according to their market share of asbestos-containing building materials. Although Japan’s Health minister Norihisa Tamura recently indicated that the government was willing to embark upon discussions regarding this issue, “no concrete actions have been taken.” See: Editorial: Japan must secure financial help for asbestos victims without delay.
Indian Support for Asbestos Removal
Feb 15, 2021
On February 7, 2021 Indian Diplomat and High Commissioner (Designate) G V Srinivas visited the site of a National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) project to observe a work program to replace 260 kilometers of asbestos-containing pipes in the Greater Banjul area of Gambia; under this scheme, people in Mamuda, Yuna, Sukuta, Jambour, Yundum and Farato will receive safer water with improved delivery speeds. The water project is being supported with financing provided by the Government of India. India is the world’s leading asbestos importer; we are unaware of any government scheme in India to protect the population from the risk of ingesting asbestos-contaminated water. See: India diplomat visits NAWEC project replacing 260km water pipes in urban Gambia.
Eliminating Asbestos-Related Diseases
Feb 15, 2021
A paper published by scientists from countries in the Western Pacific region, Europe and Asia examined the uptake of a World Health Organization recommendation that a National Asbestos Profile (NAP) be developed in order to progress efforts to eliminate asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). Unfortunately, “most countries have not developed a NAP despite having the potential.” The co-authors of this text concluded that: “Country-level data on asbestos and ARDs in public databases can be better utilized to develop NAPs for globally eliminating ARDs.” See: Development of the “National Asbestos Profile” to Eliminate Asbestos-Related Diseases in 195 Countries.
Krosno’s Asbestos Removal Program
Feb 12, 2021
A service provided by the municipality of the Polish City of Krosno since 2002 will resume free collections of asbestos-containing debris and products from the homes of local residents. The most common type of waste is asbestos-cement building products, such as roofing, cladding and pipes. Over the last 18 years, 770 tons of asbestos waste have been collected and disposed of. Funding for this initiative has been sourced from the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Rzeszów and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, as well as from the Krosno city budget. See: Akcja usuwania azbestu w Krośnie. Miasto zapewnia darmowy odbiór [Asbestos removal campaign in Krosno. The city provides free pickup].
Portugal’s Asbestos Legacy
Feb 12, 2021
Technical experts this week warned a parliamentary commission for Environment, Energy and Planning Territory, of the multi-faceted nature of the challenges facing Portugal from the presence of asbestos-containing materials incorporated within the national infrastructure. While efforts are being made to remediate asbestos-cement products in schools, other toxic material – such as asbestos insulation – isn’t being removed. “Removing asbestos from a school,” one expert said “does not mean that the school is free from asbestos. It is necessary to make the diagnosis of all materials that may contain asbestos, in a school or other building.” See: Amianto não é só fibrocimento, alertam organizações ouvidas no parlamento [Asbestos is not just fiber cement, warn organizations heard in parliament].
New Appointee to Support Asbestos Victims
Feb 12, 2021
Patients with asbestos-related diseases in the East Midlands will now have access to a specialist clinical nurse, with the appointment of Louise Nelson, an experienced oncological nurse, to a University of Leicester-based post. Ms. Nelson, who had worked for the last 12 years as a research nurse at a cancer clinical trials facility, will provide nursing care and support for asbestos cancer patients treated at the University of Leicester Hospital and work with colleagues across the East Midlands to promote equitable access to mesothelioma specialist support and treatment. See: New asbestos-related cancer nurse specialist appointed for Leicester and Leicestershire.
Asbestos Death: Government Compensation
Feb 12, 2021
On February 10, 2021 Yoshiho Asano, the son of the late Miyoko Asano – a temporary worker in the 1960s at the Hashima building materials factory owned by the Nichias Corporation – has received a settlement of 14.3 million yen (US$136,600) from the Government of Japan as a result of a lawsuit begun in 2019 and progressed at the Gifu District Court. Miyoko Asana died from asbestosis, having been exposed to asbestos at the factory during the six months he worked there. See: 「ニチアス」羽島工場アスベスト 元従業員の遺族と国、和解成立 [“NICHIAS” Hashima Factory Asbestos Bereaved family and country of former employee, reconciliation concluded].
Parliamentary Asbestos Debate
Feb 9, 2021
A February 10, 2021 House of Lords debate on draft legislation – The Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 – could, if approved, increase amounts payable to sufferers of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma by 0.5 percent from 1 April 2021, in line with inflation, and also proportionately increase the level of other disability benefits. Although there is no statutory obligation to uprate government payments for mesothelioma, since 2004 they have been increased annually in line with inflation. The House of Commons debate on the legislation has not yet been scheduled. See: Mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis: Uprating compensation payment rates.
Asbestos on Trains
Feb 9, 2021
There is an epidemic of asbestos-related diseases and death amongst people who worked in the rolling stock industry in Italy, due to the widespread use of asbestos in the construction and repair of railway carriages and engines throughout the 20th century. Although Italy banned asbestos in 1992, toxic products remain in place to this day. Italian trade unions are working with civil society partners to highlight the plight of current as well as former workers who have contracted cancers as a result of occupational asbestos exposures at railway workshops and throughout the transport industry. See: Amianto corre sui binary [Asbestos runs on tracks].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 9, 2021
A city in Portugal is near to eradicating asbestos-cement roofing from its schools under an ongoing remediation program. Last week, the municipality of Braga announced it was proceeding with the removal of toxic roofing in six local school buildings at a cost of €1 million. Explaining the municipal decontamination work Braga’s Mayor Ricardo Rio said: “We have been carrying out various interventions in school buildings that give students better conditions of comfort and safety and contribute decisively to the quality of life of the children... it is very important that schools have good infrastructures that guarantee quality in teaching, but also the health of the entire school community.” See: Braga vai retirar placas com amianto de seis edifícios escolares do concelho [Braga will remove asbestos from six school buildings in the municipality].
Asbestos Data from the US: Update
Feb 8, 2020
A January 2021 release by the United States Geological Survey detailed annual US asbestos imports between 2016 and 2020 which averaged ~445 tons (t) a year. Imports for 2020 were 300t, a 75% increase on 2019. All the fiber imported was chrysotile (white) asbestos which originated in Brazil and was destined for use by the US chloralkali industry. It is noteworthy that the text reported a decrease in annual global asbestos consumption from around 2 million tons in 2010 to roughly 1 million tons in recent years, with the top asbestos producers in 2020 being Russia (790,000t), Kazakhstan (210,000t) and China (100,000t). See: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2021 - Asbestos.
Anger over Reorganization Plans
Feb 8, 2021
Plans announced by the French Government to merge the compensation fund for asbestos victims – known as FIVA – with ONIAM, an agency administering a medical accidents scheme, have been soundly criticized by asbestos victims’ campaigners. FIVA is run efficiently, paying out €300 million/year; processing time for claims is, on average, less than four months. Critics believe that the merger will reduce the visibility of asbestos victims and curtail the dialogue about the national asbestos scandal. See: Amiante: le fonds d'indemnisation des victimes en voie de disparition? [Asbestos: compensation fund for victims endangered?].
Asbestos Remediation Program
Feb 8, 2021
A €4.7 million (US$5.6m) program financed by the regional council to remediate asbestos contamination of 21 hospitals in Italy’s Marche region – in the central area of the country – has been launched, to safeguard the health of all citizens throughout the territory. Work which will be undertaken includes the removal and disposal of all asbestos-containing material from healthcare facilities. See: Amianto, parte la bonifica delle strutture ospedaliere: «Rispondiamo a un problema annoso» [Asbestos, the remediation of hospitals starts: “We respond to an age-old problem”].
Minister’s Apology
Feb 8, 2021
On February 2, 2021, Japan’s Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Norihisa Tamura apologized at a press conference after a January 28, 2021 Supreme Court verdict supported asbestos injury claims against the Government brought by lawyers working for former construction workers from Kyoto Prefecture. Although the Minister said that he felt “responsible” and deeply apologized, he did not mention any future measures that might be implemented to support victims of asbestos-related diseases. See: 建設アスベスト訴訟. 国の敗訴確定2例目で田村厚労大臣謝罪だけ [Construction asbestos proceedings: Only an apology from Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Tamura as second government defeat confirmed].
Judicial Bias in Italian Courts?
Feb 4, 2021
In January, the Milan Court of Appeal acquitted managers from the Breda-Ansaldo engineering company of charges related to workplace exposures which led to the asbestos deaths of 12 employees who had worked for the company between the 1970s and mid-1980s. Reasserting its determination to appeal the latest decision, the Committee for the Defense of Health in the Workplace – which had supported the claimants – said the Milan Court had an appalling track record in adjudicating asbestos cases, having acquitted managers from the Enel thermoelectric plant (2015), Pirelli factories in Milan (2017) and from Fiat’s Alfa Romeo factories in Arese, Milan (2019). See: Perché le morti sul lavoro per amianto restano senza giustizia [Asbestos deaths at work remain without justice].
Asbestos Remediation: Update
Feb 4, 2021
As of February 8, 2021, 705 applications for the removal of asbestos roofing have been approved under a program sponsored by Suncheon City, in the South Korean Province of South Jeolla. Subsidized work will be carried out at hundreds of properties at a total cost to the municipal budget of 2.3 billion won (US$2 million) in order to protect citizens from toxic exposures to asbestos roofing. The 2021 asbestos removal program – which is 43% bigger than the one in 2020 – will facilitate remediation of 435 houses, 235 non domestic properties such as warehouses and agricultural buildings, and 35 properties housing vulnerable people. See: 순천시, 1급 발암물질 ‘석면 슬레이트’ 철거에 박차 [Suncheon City accelerates the demolition of ‘Asbestos Slate,’ a first-class carcinogen].
Asbestos Anxiety Litigation
Feb 4, 2021
Proceedings before the industrial tribunal of Châteauroux began this week in an asbestos anxiety case; 240+ claimants are seeking compensation for exposures to asbestos they received at a factory in Issoudun, central France. Describing the conditions at her former workplace, one witness said they were “appalling”: “It was very unsanitary… There was dust everywhere, the floor tiles were ripped off, the ceiling insulation torn.” There will be another hearing on March 30; the Court has reserved a large auditorium to accommodate all the interested parties during the October 2021 phase of the trial. See: Exposés à l'amiante, ces anciens salariés des Halles à Issoudun racontent leurs conditions de travail [Exposed to asbestos, these former employees of Les Halles in Issoudun tell about their working conditions].
Toxic Talc: Commentary
Feb 4, 2021
A feature on an Isle of Wight news portal examined whether talcum powder and products containing talcum powder, such as cosmetics, were safe for use. Having discussed the properties, constituents and applications of talcum powder, the text considered findings by government agencies and laboratories linking use of talcum powder to various forms of cancer. The author concluded that: “Talcum powder has been used for generations for its ability to absorb moisture. However, asbestos-contaminated talcum powder can lead to cancer in human beings. Consumers should be careful in buying and [sic] cosmetic products.” See: Can Talcum Powder Really Cause Cancer?
Building Trust at Philadelphia’s Schools?
Feb 3, 2021
Philadelphia’s legacy of unsafe schools has led many to question the integrity of assurances issued by the Philadelphia School District that it is safe to reopen schools for in-person teaching despite the coronavirus pandemic. “District leaders ask us” wrote Adam Sanchez, a Philadelphia teacher of African American history, and Philadelphia teacher Nina Willbach “to trust them to keep teachers, students, and our families safe. But these same leaders have kept us in poisoned schools for decades, with unsafe building conditions of lead, mold, and asbestos. The district needs to build trust by engaging in a democratic process to ensure teachers and our union that our buildings are safe enough to reopen.” See: Philly leaders lied for decades about school safety. Why should teachers trust them during a pandemic?
More Asbestos Propaganda
Feb 3, 2021
An infomercial on a Russian language website extolled the virtues of asbestos saying: “Asbestos does not burn, does not melt, does not emit harmful vapors, is resistant to mechanical damage, and is more durable than many steel grades,” but neglected to mention that exposure to asbestos can cause a variety of deadly cancers and debilitating diseases. The text did, however, point out that: “Russia is the world leader in the extraction and production of materials based on chrysotile asbestos, supplying almost half of the world with reliable and durable products.” See: Асбестовые легенды: как минерал путешествует через историю [Asbestos Legends: How a Mineral Travels Through History].
Sale of Illegal Consumer Goods
Feb 3, 2021
The discovery of asbestos in bath mats and other household goods widely distributed in Japan was, according to a new article, just the tip of the iceberg. Consumers in Japan are concerned about the possibility of buying toxic products despite the fact that the country has prohibited all uses of asbestos. Over the last few years, Cainz – a popular hardware chain of stores – and furniture maker Nitori have both recalled products believed to have contained asbestos. Asbestos-contaminated goods were also distributed via dollar stores and other outlets around Japan. See: Asbestos-laced products continue to haunt consumers in Japan.
Asbestos Alert!
Feb 3, 2021
Experts, citing increasing mortality from asbestos-related diseases in Spain, have reinforced calls being made for a national asbestos law and scheme to compensate all asbestos victims to replace the time-consuming process now in place which requires victims to seek redress through legal means. Pulmonologists have warned that the presence of asbestos-containing material within the national infrastructure presents a hazard not just to workers but also to members of the public. See: El rastro del amianto se extiende más allá del Metro de Madrid y deja 23 muertes profesionales [The asbestos trail extends beyond the Madrid Metro and leaves 23 professional deaths in 2020 in Spain].
Quebec’s Post-Asbestos Era
Feb 3, 2020
Quebec’s mining of chrysotile (white) asbestos throughout the 20th century has left a toxic legacy with mountains of asbestos waste dominating the landscapes of former mining towns. Exposures to fibers liberated by the debris constitute an ongoing hazard to people living and working in the area. A survey, carried out by academics from a University in Western Quebec, of people from one such town – Thetford Mines – has found that “more than 80% of the residents … wish to transform the old mines and asbestos residues into new green spaces” at a cost of between $5-25/year for three years. See: Contribute financially to green the old asbestos mines.
Municipal Asbestos Initiative
Feb 2, 2021
The launch of a new municipal facility to support residents of a town at the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos scandal was announced this week by mayor Federico Riboldi and councillor Maria Teresa Lombardi. An asbestos help desk, staffed with medical, legal, environmental and technical personnel, will be operational every Thursday from 9 a.m. till 11:30 a.m. beginning on February 4, 2021 at the Casale Monferrato Town Hall, to provide “concrete information on the main problems related to asbestos.” See: Uno Sportello del Centro Regionale Amianto anche in Comune [A branch of the Regional Asbestos Center also in the Municipality].
Mesothelioma Treatment: Update
Feb 2, 2021
The immunotherapy drug nivolumab has been found to increase survival and stabilize disease in patients with relapsed mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. According to data presented on January 30, 2021 at an international lung cancer conference by researchers involved in the UK’s CONFIRM trial, patients treated with this drug lived an average for 9.2 months compared to 6.6 months for those who had received a placebo. This finding has been hailed as a “major breakthrough” and “game-changer” by clinicians and patients. See: Immunotherapy improves survival for people with aggressive, asbestos-linked lung cancer.
Victory for French Miners
Feb 2, 2021
The Douai Court of Appeal on January 29, 2021 recognized the emotional and psychological anxiety of 726 miners in Lorraine who had been exposed to multiple carcinogens at their workplace and awarded them €10,000 each; the French State will be footing the bill for the compensation payments and legal costs expected to total in excess of €7.3m (US$8.9m). The judgment of the Court of Appeal found that miners had routinely experienced workplace: “exposure to the emanation of wood dust, coal, rock, asbestos particles, diesel locomotive fumes, product fumes, and toxic liquids.” Commenting on the case Jean-Paul Teissonnière, a member of the miners' legal team, said the ruling could benefit all employees exposed to workplace toxins. See: Préjudice d’anxiété: carton plein pour les mineurs! [Anxiety damage: a box full of miners!].
Building Asbestos Awareness in BC
Feb 2, 2021
A 2018 report by the Government of British Colombia (BC), entitled Keeping Workers, the Public and the Environment Safe from Asbestos, recommended that BC adopt recognized standards and programs for the training of asbestos abatement workers. As a consequence of the Canadian Province’s failure to do so, trade unions, training institutes and private companies have devised and implemented asbestos awareness training programs to ensure that operatives in the asbestos abatement industry meet WorkSafeBC standards and qualifications. See: Private sector and unions filling B.C. void in asbestos training.
Ecuador Debate on Asbestos
Feb 2, 2021
An article in El Universo – one of the largest daily newspapers in Ecuador – highlighted the human health risks posed by exposure to asbestos, citing the policies of international agencies which call for the elimination of asbestos use on the grounds of public and occupational health. Explaining the ubiquity of asbestos-containing products throughout the country, the author stated: “there is no specific law or regulation on the prohibition and use of asbestos” in Ecuador. The specific danger of toxic exposures to construction workers was discussed. See: ¿Qué es el asbesto o amianto y qué peligros tiene para la salud? [What is asbestos and what dangers does it have for health?].
Auction of Former Portuguese Icon
Feb 1, 2021
A Portuguese article highlighted the London January 29, 2021 auction of the former Portuguese vessel MV Funchal and warned that a downturn in demand for such vessels combined with its asbestos contamination may result in the vessel being sold for scrap. The article quoted campaigner Carmen Lima who flagged up this issue: “The removal of asbestos and the decontamination of the vessel should take place in Portugal avoiding the transborder shipment of contaminants to another country, namely one where the criteria for asbestos removal may not be as demanding and may put at risk the health of shipbreaking workers and their communities.” See: Leilão do Paquete Funchal hoje em Londres preocupa associações [Auction of Funchal vessel in London today worries associations].
Supreme Court Upholds Workers’ Verdict
Feb 1, 2021
On January 28, 2021, Japan’s Supreme Court upheld a ruling by the Osaka High Court which had found the government and manufacturers of construction materials responsible for asbestos-related diseases contracted by former construction workers from the western prefecture of Kyoto. This is the first time that the Supreme Court has recognized the responsibility of construction materials manufacturers for asbestos-related injuries sustained by a a large group claimants. The defendants were ordered to pay compensation of 280 million yen (~US$ 2.7m) to 24 former workers. This ruling is widely regarded as a precedent which will benefit many injured workers. See: Court Holds Japan Govt, Firms Responsible for Asbestos Problems
Asbestos Monitoring and Safety
Feb 1, 2021
To protect inhabitants of Seoul from toxic exposures to asbestos, the Seoul Institute for Health and Environment – a specialized asbestos analysis organization certified by the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Employment and Labor – is tightening up on inspections at sites, such as underground stations, regional children's centers, and private academies, where there is a high risk of asbestos exposures in 2021. Results of tests to measure airborne asbestos fiber levels are uploaded to websites run by local as well as municipal authorities. See: 서울시, 지하역사와 학원 등 공기 중 석면 조사 확대 [Expanded investigation of asbestos in air such as that found Seoul, underground stations and academies].
Maritime Asbestos Contamination
Feb 1, 2021
A commentary by a legal expert warned of a tsunami of future asbestos litigation arising from toxic exposures on ships despite the International Maritime Organization’s 2011 ban on its use. According to author David Osler, asbestos “is widespread on ships built prior to 2002, when the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea introduced a ban with some limited exceptions.” Asbestos contamination can often be found in vessels’ “pipework flange gaskets, woven packing and gasket materials, hand pumps, isolation valves and stores.” As the cost of asbestos removal can be “prohibitive,” shipowners often delay taking action on identifying and addressing the issue. See: Hazmat study finds asbestos ‘on most ships’.
Asbestos at the Opera
Feb 1, 2021
At a demonstration held outside a Milan courtroom on January 29, workers from La Scala Opera House displayed asbestos-containing samples of products which had been found in the theatre. Inside the building, legal proceedings continued in a case brought against four former managers accused of manslaughter for the asbestos deaths of former workers. Yesterday lawyer Laura Mara told the Court: “the employer was required to know that exposure to asbestos would have exposed workers to diseases such as asbestosis…” Prosecutors are asking that the accused receive prison sentences of between two and a half and seven years. See: “Ecco l’amianto nascosto nel Teatro alla Scala” [“Here is the asbestos hidden in La Scala Theater”].
Asbestos Justice: Yet Another Delay
Jan 29, 2021
On January 20, 2021 French asbestos victims received news which indicated that a criminal trial over the national asbestos scandal might finally become a reality as a result of a decision by the investigative chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal. The Court reversed a July 2019 judgment that had dismissed charges against officials from a former asbestos company. On January 22, however, the prosecutor appealed this decision; as a consequence, it will be at least two more years before any criminal proceedings can be launched. A group representing French asbestos victims has appealed to François Molins, attorney general at the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court), to intervene. See: Procès pénal de l'amiante: la justice souffle le chaud et le froid [Asbestos criminal trial: justice blows hot and cold].
Pressure on EPA for Asbestos Rethink
Jan 29, 2021
Public advocacy groups and campaigners have put the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on notice of their intent to file a lawsuit over the EPA’s multiple failures under the Trump Administration to adequately evaluate public and occupational health risks posed by asbestos exposures. According to lawyer Robert Sussman, the petitioners “want to see a comprehensive and robust evaluation of asbestos that looks at all the risks, all the products and types of asbestos which are out there that people are exposed to and looks thoroughly at the science.” See: Ninth Circuit Asked to Undo Asbestos Review by Trump EPA.
Fire was Public Health Emergency
Jan 29, 2021
Poor communication, lack of coordination and an overwhelming failure of leadership has been blamed by local people whose properties were affected by asbestos fallout from the December 8, 2020 fire at the Ponsonby Intermediate School in Auckland. The involvement of multiple central and local government agencies including Auckland Council, Auckland Regional Public Health Service, Fire and Emergency NZ, Auckland Transport, and the Ministry of Education produced a chaotic response to the emergency as a result of which hazardous exposures of people living in properties downwind of the Auckland school were prolonged. See: A disaster no one is paying attention to.
Iniquitous Inland Revenue Policy
Jan 29, 2021
The Inland Revenue has recently changed its policy regarding the provision of work history information, starting in 1961, to the relatives or legal representatives of deceased applicants. This information is required by former employers or insurance companies when considering a claim brought for occupational asbestos exposure. Legal experts are calling for the Inland Revenue to reverse this policy, with one solicitor warning that: “No first hand evidence from the [deceased] victim and no proof of employment will lead more and more to families being uncompensated by negligent employers.” See: HM Revenue policy change causes serious barriers to mesothelioma justice and must be reversed.
Victory at Supreme Court!
Jan 29, 2021
The Supreme Court of Italy issued a claimant’s ruling against an appeal brought by a company which sought to reverse a verdict ordering it to pay compensation to the surviving family of a former employee who had died due to lung cancer contracted as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos. Arguments cited by the company’s lawyers, including allegations that the claim had been barred by the expiry of the statute of limitations and that the deceased had not direct workplace exposure to asbestos, were rejected by the Court. See: Esposizione ad amianto e termini per l’azione di ristoro iure hereditatis [Exposure to asbestos and refreshment of time limits for actions concerning the rights of heirs].
Another Spanish Tragedy
Jan 26, 2021
Santos González was the first suburban worker of the Madrid Metro diagnosed with a disease caused by occupational exposure to asbestos. He started work for the transport company in 1979. Last month, Mr. González was diagnosed with lung cancer with pulmonary fibrosis. Last week it was confirmed that he had contracted COVID-19; due to the severity of the pulmonary fibrosis, he could not be intubated. He died on January 23. Seven other Metro workers have also died from asbestos-related diseases and the occupational illnesses of 12 more have been recognized, and several other cases are pending. See: Muere el primer trabajador de Metro de Madrid al que se diagnosticó amiantosis [The first Metro de Madrid worker diagnosed with asbestosis dies].
Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Jan 26, 2021
Contamination caused by decades of manufacturing by the Carolina Asbestos Company at an old factory near Charlotte, North Carolina remains decades after operations had ceased. Redevelopment of the site and area has been hindered by the high cost of decontamination. Generations of workers and local residents paid with their lives for the profits of the company. Behind the mill, is a 25 foot high mountain of asbestos waste called Asbestos Hill. Despite attempts to cover the asbestos pile with vegetation, the site remains a toxic reminder of the area’s industrial past. Local people are concerned that redevelopment would release asbestos into the air. See: Davidson's Legacy of Asbestos Contamination and Distrust.
Toxic Talc
Jan 26, 2021
A Nigerian based non-governmental organization – the Foundation of the Conservation of the Earth (FOCONE) – has called for the immediate withdrawal of talc-based products from the Nigerian market. At a press conference in Port Harcourt, FOCONE consultant Kingsley Ozegbe warned of the health hazards posed by the use of asbestos-contaminated products such as baby powder; users could contract the fatal asbestos cancer mesothelioma, he said. As a result of the health hazard, Johnson & Johnson withdrew from sale in North America it’s talc-based baby powder. This product was still sold in Nigeria. FOCONE urged the National Agency for Food & Drug Administration and Control and the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission to take urgent action. See: Talc Products Contain Asbestos.
Spain’s Toxic Asbestos Legacy
Jan 26, 2021
The human health consequences of asbestos in the transport systems of Madrid and Barcelona have been high-profile news over recent years. A lawsuit brought by the family of asbestos cancer victim José María Íñigo over hazardous exposures experienced at the studios of Spain’s nationally owned broadcasting corporation highlighted the scope and severity of the country’s asbestos legacy. Throughout the country, workers and members of the public remain at risk of contracting multiple types of cancer from occupational and environmental exposures. See: Así es el mesotelioma, el cáncer que causó la muerte a José María Íñigo: “Solo lo produce la inhalación del Amianto” [This is mesothelioma, the cancer that caused José María Íñigo's death: “It is only caused by inhalation of asbestos”].
Toxic Talc
Jan 26, 2021
As a result of lobbying by civil society organizations in Nepal concerned about the marketing in Nepal of asbestos-contaminated baby powder withdrawn from North American markets, Nepal’s Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection has collected samples of Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based baby powder made in the USA, Canada and India and Himalayan baby powder and submitted them for testing. If the results show the J&J product to be contaminated, the Government will ban its sale and use in Nepal. The results are expected in February, 2021. See: Cancer-Causing Baby Powders Continue Circulating in The Nepali Market.
Mesothelioma: Improved Treatment
Jan 26, 2021
A paper published in The Lancet last week, co-authored by researchers from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North / Latin America, investigated whether survival rates for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) could be improved by treatment with nivolumab and ipilimumab. The scientists found that: “Nivolumab plus ipilimumab provided significant and clinically meaningful improvements in overall survival versus standard-of-care chemotherapy, supporting the use of this first-in-class regimen that has been approved in the USA as of October, 2020, for previously untreated unresectable MPM.” See: First-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab in unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (CheckMate 743): a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.
Asbestos Alert
Jan 25, 2021
An article by a medical specialist from Ukraine which highlighted the hazard of environmental exposures to carcinogenic substances warned of the dangers posed to construction workers by their use of asbestos-containing building products. The author, erroneously, said that Ukraine had banned the use of these products. Unfortunately, the ban had been overturned after pressure was exerted by industry stakeholders (see: Ukraine’s Asbestos Debacle). The “scientifically proven” finding of the International Agency for Research on Cancer that asbestos was a Group 1 carcinogen was accurately reported. See: Hе надеясь на удачу. Можно ли предотвратить рак [Not hoping for luck. Cancer can be prevented].
Asbestos Memorial in Canada
Jan 25, 2021
A seven-meter high kinetic sculpture called “Magic and Lethal” has been commissioned by the British Colombia (BC) Labour Heritage Center as a memorial to those whose lives have been lost to asbestos, a substance which continues to kill BC workers today despite a national ban. Asbestos-related lung disease is BC’s leading cause of occupational mortality. The piece of public art will be sited strategically at the Vancouver Convention Center West from where you can see the Burrard Inlet; asbestos fiber from the Cassiar Asbestos mine in northern BC was transported via the inlet to docks in North Vancouver from where it was exported around the world. See: First-of-its kind memorial to those lost to asbestos exposure coming to Vancouver.
Progress: Remediation of Asbestos Site
Jan 25, 2021
Former industrial facilities belonging to the Amiantit SA company in Drepano, a village near the Greek city of Patras, will be decontaminated and demolished under an agreement signed in Depano this week by Lambros Dimitrogiannis, Deputy Regional Governor of Western Greece. It has been estimated that 2,650 tonnes of asbestos waste will be produced by the remediation work of the 134,750 square meter site. One hundred and twenty days have been allocated for the completion of the work; a further 120 days will be allowed because of emergency conditions created by the pandemic. See: Απομακρύνεται το πρώην εργοστάσιο της «ΑΜΙΑΝΤΙΤ» στο Δρέπανο Αχαΐας [The former factory of "AMIANTIT" in Drepano, Achaia, is removed].
Court of Appeal Victory
Jan 25, 2021
On January 18, 2021, the Court of Appeal handed down a unanimous verdict in the case of Deborah Head vs The Culver Heating Co. Ltd. which overturned a “manifestly unjust” nil award for the mesothelioma death of Michael Head, a successful businessman. The April 2019 judgment by Judge Melissa Clarke did not provide compensation for the “lost years claim” considering that income to be investment and not earnings. The Court of Appeal disagreed, finding that all of Mr. Head’s income should be treated as earnings which were recoverable by his Estate. See: Appeal successful in Head v Culver Heating Co Ltd.
Prof. Jean Renaud vs. Montreal University
Jan 25, 2021
Public outrage has been generated in Quebec over the failure of the University of Montreal to recognize and compensate Emeritus Professor of Sociology Jean Renaud for contracting the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma as a result of toxic workplace exposures. The Professor, who is currently receiving palliative care, had worked in an office on the university campus which had asbestos ceiling and floor tiles. The University is currently challenging a decision by the Committee on Standards, Energy, Health and Safety at Work which had recognized the Professor’s disease as having been occupationally caused. See: L’Université de Montréal sommée d’indemniser un de ses anciens professeurs [The University of Montreal ordered to compensate one of its former professors].
Asbestos: Mixed Messages
Jan 19, 2021
An article uploaded on January 16, 2021 by the State TV and Radio Company of Nizhny Novgorod, a city in Central Russia, sent out mixed messages regarding the health hazard posed by asbestos exposures. On the one hand, the message confirmed that asbestos was “a carcinogen that has caused lung cancer in hundreds of thousands of people. It was widely used until the second half of the last century and undermined the health of builders…” However, on the other hand, the text alleged that “for residents of houses built with asbestos, it does not pose such a danger.” See: Доктор Мясников назвал главную причину рака [Doctor Myasnikov named the main cause of cancer].
Marriage of Art and Awareness, Italian-style!
Jan 19, 2021
A five-minute rap, featuring Stefania Crivellari, by the Sicilian artist Picciotto was uploaded to YouTube on January 9, 2021. This piece is a remix of a 2016 work which was, said Picciotto, necessary as the “reclamation of the territory has not been completed and no progress has been made regarding treatment therapies for those who fall ill” (see: Background to 2021 upload). Funds raised by this effort will be donated to a research charity for work on asbestos-related cancers. The narrative of the video accompanying the song included newspaper articles, X-rays, footage of medical personnel, snippets of the “Fuck Cancer Choir,” asbestos warning signs, and other images highlighting Italy’s ongoing asbestos cancer epidemic. See: Ancora Sotto Casa Mia Feat. Picciotto [Still under My House. Picciotto].
Asbestos Anxiety in the Navy
Jan 19, 2021
Building on a landmark 2019 verdict for 45 Breton officers of the French Navy whose asbestos anxiety was recognized and compensated, on January 7, 2021, a Rennes administrative court recognized 21 additional cases. Over the last four years, 170 cases have been filed with the administrative court. These cases are, said victims’ campaigner Jean-Paul Le Roux, complex, and the Ministry of Armed Forces remained uncooperative, refusing to provide crucial documentation to claimants and their legal advisors. See: Amiante: la faute du ministère des Armées reconnue pour 21 nouveaux dossiers de marins [Asbestos: the fault of the Ministry of the Armed Forces recognized for 21 new cases of sailors].
Asbestos Removal Ban
Jan 19, 2021
On December 17, 2020, by a unanimous decision, the three-member British Colombia (B.C.) Court of Appeal upheld a ruling prohibiting Mike Singh and Seattle Environmental Consulting from working in the asbestos removal industry. Singh had breached workplace safety laws more than 20 times at 11 different worksites – including homes in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and West Vancouver – between 2013 and 2017 and, as a result, had been banned from the asbestos removal industry in 2019 by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Francesca Marzari. See: B.C. Court of Appeal upholds decision barring Vancouver man from asbestos removal industry.
Compensation for Hospital Exposures
Jan 18, 2021
Last week (January 14, 2021), it was announced that a settlement had been reached between 48 workers exposed to asbestos during renovation work at the Besançon University Hospital in eastern France between 2009 and 2013 and the legal team representing the health authority. In a landmark decision on April 21, 2020, France’s Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) had ruled that a public authority – the Besançon University Hospital – could be found criminally liable for asbestos exposures experienced by workers. Each member of the class action will receive €10,000 (US$12,080) in damages. See: Amiante au CHU de Besançon: chaque agent exposé recevra 10.000 euros d'indemnisation [Asbestos at Besançon University Hospital: each exposed agent will receive 10,000 euros in compensation].
Mesothelioma: Update
Jan 18, 2021
An opinion piece in an online Italian newspaper examined the impact of asbestos exposures throughout Italy in interviews with key medical clinicians and researchers, including Drs. Federica Grosso and Stefania Crivellari, and PhD student Simona Martinotti. Dr. Grosso highlighted the ongoing importance of preventing asbestos exposures, stressing the need to remediate contaminated sites. The use of musical therapy for mesothelioma patients and their carers who are part of a specialist cancer choir founded in 2019 has, said Dr. Crivellai, had “positive effects.” See: Saperne di più sull’amianto e il mesotelioma fra ricerca scientifica e musica [Learn more about asbestos and mesothelioma, from scientific research to music].
Asbestos Victims’ Protest
Jan 18, 2021
A press release issued on January 14, 2021 by the French Association of Asbestos Victims Groups (ANDEVA) condemned moves by the government to amalgamate the National Asbestos Compensation Fund (FIVA), created under a law passed in 2000, with the National Office for Medical Accidents, as a cost-saving measure. Created to provide a streamlined procedure by which asbestos victims could obtain compensation for their injuries, FIVA has, to date, settled more than 100,000 claims. ANDEVA called on its members, civil society stakeholders and partnering organizations to raise objections with Parliamentarians over this amalgamation. See: Les victimes de l’amiante refusent de voir le FIVA disparaître [Asbestos victims refuse to see FIVA go away].
Shipbreaking Exposé
Jan 18, 2021
Two articles published in December 2020 highlighted the deadly consequences of unregulated and uncontrolled conditions at Bangladesh shipbreaking yards where exposures to toxic substances, including asbestos, on ships sent for scrapping have injured generations of workers. The vessels, many of which are registered under flags of convenience and owned by off-shore companies, flout laws and provide neither warnings nor protection to workers (see: Toxic ships sail in on false papers), with Ministerial officials admitting the complete lack of government supervision and capacity to test ships for the presence of toxic substances.
See: How offshore companies import deadly asbestos into Bangladesh.
Asbestos Trial: Update
Jan 14, 2021
On January 11, 12 & 13, 2021, Madrid Judge María Isabel Garaizaba was due to hear evidence in a criminal case against seven defendants responsible for the management of health and occupational risk at the company operating the Madrid Metro. The start of preliminary proceedings over the asbestos-related deaths of two workers had been delayed multiple times because of the coronavirus pandemic; this week it was delayed once again by snowstorm Filomena which forced the suspension of court proceedings. See: Suspendidas por tercera vez las declaraciones de los investigados del caso amianto por la nevada [Suspended for the third time the statements of those investigated in asbestos case due to snow].
Government Evasion on Veterans’ Rights
Jan 14, 2021
In a Written answer to a Parliamentary question by MP Stephen Morgan (Dec 30, 2020) to the Ministry of Defence, on Jan 11, 2021 Johnny Mercer MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State affirmed the government’s commitment “to helping forces heroes diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung caused by asbestos.” Although, said Mercer, the government would “support access to compensation for veterans affected by the cancer through either its war pensions scheme or armed forces compensation scheme,” he made no mention of veterans suffering from lung cancer who were exposed to asbestos pre-1987 and continue to be disadvantaged by government policies. See: British veterans left with cancer after military service to be supported, minister says.
Asbestos Removal Project
Jan 14, 2021
A scheme to provide financial support for homeowners to remove asbestos roofing from 225 properties has been announced by authorities in Yeonggwang-gun, a county in South Korea’s South Jeolla Province. The 2021 allocation for the project made by the county was 90 million won (US$82,000); all applications must be made to the Urban Environment Division between January 12 and February 26, 2021. Priority will be given to applications for remediation work on vacant and dilapidated houses. See: 영광군, 석면 슬레이트지붕 철거 지원사업 추진 [ Yeonggwang-gun, asbestos roof demolition support project].
Asbestos Remediation at Charity
Jan 14, 2021
A project to remove asbestos roofing from the headquarters of The Center for Occupational Activities of the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped Citizen (APPACDM) in Valença was announced this week. The €270,000 (US$330,000) budget for this work was approved last year under a Regional Operational Program. According to Luiz Costa, APPACDM’s President, the charity has “180 days to proceed with the work. We are working on the process so that we can open the public tender. It should still take between three to four months for the project to start.” See: Amianto vai ser removido do centro da APPACDM de Valença [Asbestos will be removed from APPACDM center in Valença].
Asbestos Health Hazard: Alert
Jan 12, 2021
An article on a Russian language website for the Omsk region acknowledged the link between exposure to asbestos – a valued resource mined in Russia – and lung cancer, stating: “Pulmonologists estimate that in about 20 years one in three lung cancers will be caused by exposure to asbestos dust…” The text of this article pointed out that asbestos roofing “constantly emits dust” and that fibers such as those released by weathered asbestos roofing are “responsible for lung and pleural cancers...” See: Рак легких — от чего еще, кроме курения он возникает? [Lung cancer – what else besides smoking causes it?].
National Award for Asbestos Mine?!
Jan 12, 2021
In what seems to be a rather bizarre pronouncement, on December 30, 2020 Chinese authorities recognized the Mangya chrysotile (white) asbestos mine as the first national industrial heritage project in Qinghai Province, in the northwest of China. The mine, which was founded in the 1950s, is operated by the country’s largest asbestos mining and processing enterprise and supplies asbestos fiber to 40% of the domestic asbestos market. In the article about this award, there is no mention of the occupational or environmental hazard posed by the commercial exploitation of asbestos. See: 青海茫崖石棉矿成青海首个国家级工业遗产项目 [Qinghai Mangya asbestos mine became the first national industrial heritage project in Qinghai].
Asbestos Cover-up
Jan 12, 2021
Two podcasts totalling 90 minutes examined the question of whether or not there was a cover-up in the US about the hazards posed by occupational and environmental exposures to asbestos. The content of the broadcasts traced the history of asbestos use and the evolution of medical and scientific knowledge regarding its dangers from the 19th century to the present. The presenters concluded that there was sufficient proof to establish that government stakeholders had supported vested interests to prioritize the needs of the asbestos industry over the welfare of US citizens in a conspiracy which condemned many of those affected to debilitating disease and premature death. See: The Asbestos Cover-Up Pt 1 and The Asbestos Cover-Up Pt 2.
Post-ban Asbestos Hazard
Jan 12, 2021
An interesting briefing on the uses and abuses of asbestos – by a scientific expert – highlighted the hazard asbestos exposures still posed to Brazilians despite a Supreme Court ruling in 2017 which banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos. Asbestos-containing products had been used for decades throughout the country and many toxic products remain hidden within the national infrastructure. The author of this text, Professor Victor Ricardo Ferreira, cited World Health Organization policy which stated that: “there are no safe methods of handling this product and that its risks outweigh the possible benefits.” See: Aminato [Asbestos].
Asbestos Ban: Update
Jan 11, 2021
Despite the fact that the Colombian asbestos ban came into effect on January 1, 2021, critics point out that there has not yet been any progress made on the adoption of a protocol for the replacement of asbestos-containing products in the country. In the Ana Cecilia Niño ban asbestos law, a deadline of five years was specified for formulating a public policy to eradicate the asbestos hazard in Colombia. According to politician Mauricio Toro, the Government had, so far, convened a couple of meetings to which neither academics nor representatives of civil society had been invited. See: Prohibición del asbesto entró en vigencia, pero no hay protocolo de sustitución [Asbestos ban went into effect, but there is no substitution protocol].
Resumption of Asbestos Proceedings
Jan 11, 2021
This week – on January 11, 12 and 13 – Madrid investigating Judge María Isabel Garaizaba will take statements in a criminal case against seven defendants responsible for health and occupational risk prevention who were employed by Madrid Metro. The charges they face of reckless homicide relate to the asbestos-related deaths of two former workers. The start of preliminary proceedings had been delayed multiple times by the pandemic. See: Las declaraciones del caso amianto se reanudan este lunes con las comparecencias de los investigados [The statements of the asbestos case resume this Monday with the appearances of those investigated].
Asbestos Recall of Toxic Items
Jan 11, 2021
Over three million items sold by the Japanese Nitori company have been recalled from sale due to asbestos contamination of between 0.2 and 1.5%. Amongst the toxic products sold by Nitori between December 4, 2016 and December 16, 2020 were bath mats, containing up to 15 times the allowable concentration of asbestos, and coasters manufactured by the Japanese company Horiki Kosakusho. On December 28, 2020 a spokesperson for the Chemical Substances Control Division of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, confirmed that asbestos had been detected in 18 types of Nitori products. See: ＜速報＞ニトリ販売のバスマットから基準15倍のアスベスト検出 [Breaking news: Asbestos detection of 15 times the standard from bath mats sold by Nitori].
Asbestos in Schools: Update
Jan 8, 2021
European Union (EU) funds of €78 million – provided under EU Regional Operational Programs – have been budgeted for an asbestos removal program in schools in Portugal. By the December 2020 deadline, applications had been received for funding for remediation work at 486 schools in 149 municipalities across the country, according to figures released on January 7, 2021 by the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion. According to a Ministry spokesperson, to date these funds have paid for the removal and replacement of asbestos roofs “in more than 200 public schools.” See: Há 486 escolas candidatas ao programa de remoção de Amianto [486 schools have applied for the asbestos removal program].
Mesothelioma in UK Military Cohort
Jan 8, 2021
The first paper examining the mesothelioma experience of UK military veterans has highlighted significant issues including the difficulty of navigating military, health and civil systems, and the influence of the military experience on sufferers’ coping strategies. The paper, which was based on research undertaken by co-authors for The Military Mesothelioma Experience Study, noted “specific challenges and care needs related to veterans with mesothelioma.” Following on from the project, a report with recommendations regarding care and support of veterans living with mesothelioma is being compiled. See: Living with mesothelioma: A qualitative study of the experiences of male military veterans in the UK.
Asbestos Legacy in Mining Town
Jan 7, 2021
Groups studying the environment announced this week that research undertaken in October 2020 in Quebec identified contamination of a river in the former asbestos mining town of Asbestos, now called Val-des-Sources. Sediment in 8 samples from the Nicolet Sud-Ouest River contained up to 5% asbestos with the most toxic samples taken from the foot of huge mountains of waste created by the Jeffrey chrysotile (white) asbestos mine. According to Daniel Green, of the Bureau of Investigations: “Clearly, the dumps provided asbestos fibers to the sediment.” Corroborating these findings, researcher Olivier Jacques said he had observed similar levels of asbestos in lakes fed by the Bécancour River in the Thetford Mines region. See: De l’amiante coule dans une rivière [Asbestos is flowing in a river].
EPA Asbestos Evaluation: Update
Jan 7, 2021
A commentary which was part of the January 4, 2021 online edition of the National Law Review reported on the publication on December 30, 2020 of the Final Risk Evaluation for Asbestos, Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stating that the EPA “found that there is unreasonable risk to workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and/or bystanders within each of the six chrysotile asbestos use categories.” The EPA could take various actions to address the risks posed by asbestos exposure including prohibiting its consumption, handling and sale throughout the US. See: EPA Publishes Final Risk Evaluation for Asbestos, Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos.
Union Victory for Railway Workers
Jan 7, 2021
Three hundred and ninety-five asbestos-exposed railway workers from the Italian city of Pistoia will finally be able to retire at the end of a 13-month long legal battle as an amendment to the 2016 budget law – which permitted early retirement by eligible workers who applied prior to December 31, 2020 – was passed by Parliament. The changes to the budget law consisted of six important articles, said trade unions leaders who had been instrumental in achieving this victory. See: Lavoratori esposti all’amianto Via libera alla pensione per 395 [395 workers exposed to asbestos get green light to retirement].
Asbestos Ban Takes Effect!
Jan 4, 2021
Legislation banning the mining, import, processing and sale of asbestos fiber and products containing it came into effect on January 1, 2021 in Colombia. The aim of law 1968 of July 11, 2019 was to protect workers and members of the public from the very serious health hazards posed by asbestos exposures. Colombia had been an asbestos producer and consumer with the majority of fiber being used in the production of asbestos-cement building products. As of January 1, 2021, the Government had a five year deadline to formulate a policy for the eradication of asbestos throughout the country. See: A partir de este 1º de enero se prohibe distribuir, comercializar y producir asbesto en Colombia [As of January 1st, it is prohibited to distribute, commercialize and produce asbestos in Colombia].
EPA’s Asbestos U-Turn?
Jan 4, 2021
A commentary in the weekly magazine entitled Chemical & Engineering News, published by the American Chemical Society, asked whether the end had finally come for chrysotile asbestos, stating: “the US Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] is set to address the cancer risks posed by all current uses of chrysotile asbestos” following the publication on December 30 of a final assessment which found “unreasonable risks” to workers and members of the public who handle chlor-alkali diaphragms, gaskets, aftermarket automobile brakes, and other asbestos-containing products. Following EPA procedures, the Agency has one year to propose measures to prevent toxic exposures as identified in the final assessment. See: Is the end near for chrysotile asbestos?
Guernsey Mesothelioma Scheme!
Jan 4, 2021
In a media release dated December 31, 2020, the government of the Bailiwick of Guernsey – including the islands of Guernsey and Alderney – announced the launch of a scheme on January 1, 2021 for residents who contract diffuse mesothelioma. Plans to implement this scheme were approved in June 2020 by the Committee for Employment & Social Security (the Committee). Welcoming the support for asbestos-injured islanders, Deputy Peter Roffey, President of the Committee, said: “Mesothelioma is a terrible disease, but I'm pleased that, at last, we can introduce this payment scheme for people who have contracted diffuse mesothelioma through exposure to asbestos in Guernsey or Alderney.” See: Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme Launched.
Asbestos Remediation of Schools
Jan 4, 2021
The Department of Education of the South Korean Province of Gyeongbuk has set a 2027 deadline for the removal of asbestos from all its schools; the annual budget allocated for this work is 18 billion won/year (~US$16.6m/yr). Under this program, asbestos remediation at 91 schools was accomplished in 2020, with work due to be undertaken in 2021 at 79 schools. Progress is monitored by a collation of groups including school officials, parents, experts and representatives of civil society groups. See: 경북교육청, 2027년까지 학교 건축물 석면 제거...매년 180억 이상 투자 [Gyeongbuk Office of Education to remove asbestos from school buildings by 2027, investing more than 18 billion won annually].
Asbestos Exposure During Childhood
Jan 4, 2021
A paper published in the October-December 2020 issue of the Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita [The Annals of the Higher Institute of Health], which drew on mesothelioma data collected in Italy between 2003 and 2016, showed that 2.5% of all mesothelioma deaths occurred in people aged =50; the authors speculated that these deaths were probably caused by non-occupational exposures to asbestos during childhood. The identification of geographical hotspots of disease was, the researchers said, informative for the implementation of public health and environmental remediation actions. See: Early mortality from malignant mesothelioma in Italy as a proxy of environmental exposure to asbestos in children.
Alert: Mining Asbestos Waste
Dec 30, 2020
Ban asbestos campaigners in Colombia have raised the alert over news that the commercial processing of mining waste at the Las Brisas asbestos mine – which was closed in 2019 when Colombia banned asbestos – has begun with the support of the national government. The facility in Campamento is now reclaiming material from the slag to be used in the production of magnesium silicate, fertilizers, talc and construction materials. Local politicians, who supported the asbestos mine, welcomed the new jobs this development would provide. See: Mina de Campamento pasó de producir asbesto a fertilizantes y materiales [Campamento mine goes from producing asbestos to fertilizers and construction materials].
Government Apology!
Dec 30, 2020
On December 23, 2020, Japan’s Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Norihisa Tamura met with plaintiffs in a landmark Supreme Court class action mounted by asbestos-injured construction workers to apologize to them on behalf of the Japanese Government. The Minister said: “We take the judgment seriously and will take appropriate measures.” He promised to facilitate a forum to consider how best to support victims who had been injured as a result of the Government’s failures; injured workers had called for a national fund so that victims would not have to endure protracted legal battles to obtain compensation. See: アスベスト裁判 原告らに謝罪 協議の場設ける考え示す 厚労相 [Asbestos Trial, Apology to plaintiffs by Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare].
Campaign against Asbestos Dump
Dec 30, 2020
Opposition and outrage has greeted plans by the regional government of Western Macedonia to create a landfill for the disposal of toxic waste in a former asbestos mining region of Kozani in Northern Greece. The site would receive asbestos waste from all of Greece and possibly even abroad, according to proposals currently being considered by the Regional Governor. Local people are incensed by the plans: “we unreservedly oppose any thought of creating this dangerous landfill in the Area.” See: Όχι σκουπιδότοπος αμιάντου στα πρώην ΜΑΒΕ’ [“No asbestos dump in the former MAVE”].
Asbestos Fly-tipping in Anatolia
Dec 30, 2020
Asbestos-containing debris has been discovered in garbage dumped illegally in a forest area in the Gaziemir district of Izmir, a city on the west of the Turkish peninsula of Anatolia. Local people are incensed about the health hazard posed by the environmental contamination and have urged the local authorities to take action not only to remediate the area but also to prevent further dumping. See: Kaçak moloz dökülen ormanlık alanda 'asbest' tehlikesi [The danger of ‘asbestos’ in the forest area with illegal dumping of waste].
Court Orders Asbestos Action by EPA
Dec 29, 2020
A 36-page ruling handed down on December 22, 2020 by Judge Edward Chen of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to upgrade asbestos reporting by implementing measures to collect data on the import and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products in the US. In a statement welcoming this verdict, the Attorney General of Massachusetts Maura Healey said “The Trump Administration’s failure to use its authority to protect all of us from dangerous exposures to asbestos is as unconscionable as it is inexplicable.” See: EPA Ordered to Close Asbestos Reporting Loopholes.
Asbestos Lobby Offensive
Dec 29, 2020
This month an editorial appeared on the website of the International Chrysotile Association (ICA) – a lobbying group dedicated to promoting global sales of chrysotile asbestos – condemning the efforts of European asbestos victims’ groups which, the ICA alleged, had “dubious motivations” and opted “for calumny and slander and call for the very disappearance of the ICA.” The ICA’s aggressive retort came in response to letters addressed to its President Emiliano Alonso, a Spanish citizen, who heads up a body marketing a substance banned in his home country to industrializing nations. See: Emiliano Alonso, President of the international asbestos lobby organisation, attacks European asbestos victims groups.
Victims Denounce Government Failures
Dec 29, 2020
A wide-ranging interview with Susana Tirado of the Association of People Affected by Asbestos in Aragon highlighted the widespread failure to comply with EU asbestos regulations in Spain which increased risks to people working in the asbestos removal sector as well as members of the public endangered through the illegal dumping of asbestos waste. The number of these criminal actions is growing because of the failure to prosecute offenders and the impotence of government agencies and authorities to take action. See: Entrevista a Susana Tirado Sancho de Asociación de Afectados por el Amianto en Aragón [Interview with Susana Tirado Sancho from the Association of People Affected by Asbestos in Aragon].
Asbestos Product Recall
Dec 29, 2020
On December 22, 2020, it was announced that Nitori, a Japanese home furnishing chain of stores, had recalled over 2 million items which could contain asbestos fibers. The nine affected products, which had been made in China, were bath mats and coasters. Asbestos use has been banned in Japan for a number of years and the sale of these products was illegal. It is not yet clear if the contamination was caused by intentional inclusion of fibers in the products. Customers who purchased the products were advised to return them to a Nitori store for a full refund, with or without the receipt. See: Japanese home furnishing chain issues massive recall for asbestos-heavy bath mats and coasters.
Asbestos Removal in Schools
Dec 29, 2020
On December 24, 2020, the Ulsan City Office of Education in Ulsan, South Korea announced that during the winter vacation replacement of asbestos ceilings would be undertaken in 11 schools. The schools where remediation work was scheduled included 3 elementary, 6 middle and 2 high schools. Briefing sessions for parents, students, and faculty had been held before the work was begun during which the state-of-the-art techniques which would be used were explained. See: 울산시교육청, 코로나19에도 차질없이 학교 석면천장 교체 [Ulsan City Office of Education replaces school's asbestos ceiling without disruption even with Covid-19].
Looming Deadline for Asbestos Updates
Dec 29, 2020
Although, the French government was late in taking action to protect workers and members of the public from asbestos, a February 2021 deadline was set in a French decree that came into force in 2012. Article 4 of the decree allowed nine years until additional asbestos identification and safety protocols would become mandatory. Asbestos audits of buildings which were undertaken before April 1, 2013 mut be updated by February 1, 2021 according to this article by French technical expert Caroline Theuil. See: Dans un mois vos dossiers technique amiante (DTA) doivent être en règle! [“In a month, your asbestos technical files (DTA) must be in order!”].
Asbestos Industry Propaganda
Dec 23, 2020
An article about asbestos which appeared on a Russian website discounted arguments about the harmful effects of exposures to chrysotile asbestos, saying that while exposures to other types of asbestos were hazardous, exposures to chrysotile were not dangerous as chrysotile fibers were dissolved in the lungs, thereby eliminating adverse effects. The text affirmed categorically that: “workers and consumers do not suffer from chrysotile,” and highlighted the ubiquity of chrysotile-containing products throughout Russia, stating that the use of chrysotile allowed “us to operate modern commercial, industrial and residential facilities.” See: Неизвестный асбест: мифы и правда вокруг “горного льна” [Unknown asbestos: myths and truth around “mountain flax”].
Mesothelioma Scheme: Update
Dec 23, 2020
The Government has announced plans to refinance Italy’s asbestos victims fund with a budget of €39 million for 2021 and, over time, increase the annual budget to €51m/year. As of January 1, 2021, payments to asbestos victims will be increased by 15%; mesothelioma claimants, including those who were exposed to asbestos occupationally, domestically or environmentally, will receive a lump sum payment of €10,000. All applications to this scheme must be submitted within three years of date of diagnosis. See: Fornaro: “15% in più di rendite alle vittime dell'amianto nella legge di bilancio” [Fornaro: “15% more annuities for asbestos victims in the budget law”].
Victim’s Verdict by Supreme Court
Dec 23, 2020
Adelaide man Mathew Werfel defeated an appeal at South Australia’s Supreme Court (SC) by James Hardie – Australia’s “Killer Company” – against a 2019 decision of the South Australian Employment Tribunal. The SC concurred that James Hardie had owed the claimant a duty of care as he had used their asbestos-containing products in house renovations between the late 1990s and early 2000s; the Court awarded him $2.23 million in compensation. The 44-year old claimant, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2017, said he hoped the SC’s decision would force JH to undertake a campaign to raise awareness of the hazards posed by asbestos exposure. See: Asbestos victim with mesothelioma from home renovations beats James Hardie liability appeal.
Mesothelioma Treatment Research: UK
Dec 23, 2020
A 2020 report by the National Mesothelioma Audit – based on data from 2016 to 2018 – revealed that the Northumbria Healthcare NHS (NHCT) Foundation Trust performed poorly in histopathological confirmation of tissue samples, treatment rates and survival rates 12 months post initial diagnoses. An analysis of NHCT’s malignant pleural mesothelioma cases over a 10-year period showed a variability in practices and failures to comply with best practice recommendations. The report recommended that a regional mesothelioma multi-disciplinary team be established and that comprehensive data be collected to monitor its effectiveness. See: A review of malignant pleural mesothelioma in a large North East UK pleural centre.
Asbestos in Schools
Dec 23, 2020
Despite promises made in 2015 by the authorities in Alicante Province to remediate schools and educational institutes, nearly 40% remain contaminated with asbestos. According to official sources, work on schools has been delayed until the Summer to provide enough time for the remediation to be accomplished during a time when the schools are not in use. According to José María Hernández, a spokesperson representing one local community: “There are no longer any ‘excuses’ because… [people] are slowly and silently being poisoned by asbestos dust that is being released by environmental aging from the roofing plates and fibre cement pipes installed outdoors. It is a National Disgrace.” See: National Disgrace as removal of asbestos in 28 schools delayed to next summer.
Asbestos Removal Program
Dec 23, 2020
The Regional Council of Lazio, Italy has announced plans to remove asbestos from more than 200 public buildings with a budget of almost €20 million. Work will be carried out throughout the territory and include the remediation of 170 school buildings and 26 hospitals in Rome, Alatri, Monte Romano, Morlupo, Roviano, Tivoli, Fiumiciono and elsewhere. The eradication program is a result of surveys undertaken by the Regional Health Department and the Infrastructure and Mobility Department supported by technical expertise provided by the Regional Asbestos Center. See: Amianto: dalla Regione 19 milioni per rimuoverlo da scuole ed ospedali [Asbestos: 19 million from the Region to remove it from schools and hospitals].
Asbestos Lobby Offensive
Dec 21, 2020
The International Chrysotile Association (ICA) – a trade association promoting sales of chrysotile (white) asbestos to industrializing countries – has hit back at European asbestos victims’ groups with a scathing editorial on the ICA website (dated December 14, 2020), in which groups from the UK, Belgium, France and Italy are accused of “aggressive attacks against the ICA” for daring to point out the hypocrisy of a citizen from an EU country – Emiliano Alonso, a Spanish lawyer who is also the ICA President – promoting sales of a substance banned at home to industrializing countries. See: Emiliano Alonso, President of the international asbestos lobby organisation, attacks European asbestos victims groups.
Activist Condemns Brazil Exports
Dec 21, 2020
As asbestos mining recommenced in Brazil in late 2020 – despite a 2017 Supreme Court banning all production and sale – a Brazilian article explored the repercussions of asbestos exports from Brazil to India. During an interview with Pooja Gupta, coordinator of the Indian Ban Asbestos Network, Ms. Gupta said: “Eternit has always known that the asbestos it sells is dangerous and yet it has chosen to do business regardless. They saw what happened in Belgium and how people are still dying from asbestos. They value profit more than people and that is the most inhumane thing that anyone can do.” See: Ativista condena exportação do amianto no Brasil: “A vida dos indianos vale menos” [Activist condemns export of asbestos in Brazil: “The life of the Indians is worth less”].
Union Action on Asbestos
Dec 21, 2020
A labor federation from the Philippines – the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) – publicly questioned whether a new $123 million project announced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the capital will, as per ADB guidelines, be constructed free from asbestos-containing material. In a press release issued last week, Gerard Seno, National Executive Vice President of the ALU-TUCP, reminded the ADB of its commitment to zero asbestos and asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) “in all its funded projects beginning with this EDSA Greenways Project.” See: ADB reminded on asbestos-free vow.
Government Apology for Asbestos Crimes
Dec 21, 2020
Norihisa Tamura, Japan’s Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, held a press conference after a Cabinet meeting on December 18th during which a recent decision by the Supreme Court was discussed. The Court had issued a ruling on behalf of asbestos-exposed construction workers which recognized the responsibility of the Government for neglecting to prevent toxic exposures at work. The Minister apologized, saying: “I feel responsible and deeply apologize to the plaintiffs.” This week he will meet representatives of the claimants to apologize to them in person. See: 建設石綿訴訟で厚労相謝罪 国責任の司法判断確定 [Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare apologizes for construction asbestos proceedings].
Toxic Ships, Deadly Practices
Dec 21, 2020
The health consequences of working in Bangladesh’s ship-breaking yards scrapping foreign ships full of contaminants like asbestos are discussed in an article which featured the case of a 45-year-old worker Mazidul Haque who had been diagnosed with asbestosis after working at the shipbreaking yards in Chattogram for most of his adult life. Having never received training to work at the yards, he had no knowledge of the risks he was taking. He had never been provided with equipment or clothing to prevent the inhalation of asbestos fibers and had never been warned about the hazard. A typical merchant vessel could contain around 10 tonnes of asbestos-containing material. See: Toxic ships sail in on false papers.
Supporting All Asbestos Victims
Dec 21, 2020
Calls have been made for the extension of an Italian fund – established in 2015 – which provided financial assistance of €5,600 (US$6,860) to mesothelioma sufferers whose toxic exposures to asbestos were non-occupational. The number of people needing this support is substantial: according to mesothelioma data from Emilia Romagna, over the last 10 years there were an average of 148 mesothelioma cases per year, of which 30% were due to non-occupational exposures. The scheme which awarded this benefit is due to close on December 31, 2020. See: Amianto, tutelare tutti i malati di mesotelioma [Asbestos, protect all mesothelioma patients].
Ditching “Asbestos” for a Safer Future
Dec 18, 2020
This week, Quebec’s Municipal Affairs Minister Andrée Laforest approved the rebranding of a former mining town; previously called “Asbestos” it will now be known as Val-des-Sources (Valley of the Springs), a name chosen by 51.5% of local voters in an election held in October. Although, the name change takes effect immediately, the process of changing signage on building and vehicles will begin in the new year. The Minister’s decision is final and a petition to rethink the election process was dismissed. Inhabitants of the town will be known as Valsourciens and Valsourciennes. See: Say goodbye Asbestos and hello to Val-des-Sources as Quebec okays name change.
Asbestos Anxiety: Breakthroughs
Dec 18, 2020
In separate court decisions handed down on December 17, 2020, 66 former employees from the Paris Mint and 246 workers from the Baccarat crystal factory in Meurthe-et-Moselle were awarded compensation of €10,000+ and €8,100 for asbestos anxiety by the Bordeaux Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court), respectively. The verdicts are the culmination of years of legal struggle by asbestos-exposed workers and their legal teams. See: Amiante: les salariés de la Monnaie de Paris obtiennent réparation auprès de la cour d’appel de Bordeaux [Asbestos: Paris Mint employees obtain compensation from the Bordeaux Court of Appeal].
Supreme Court Verdict!
Dec 18, 2020
On December 14, 2020, Japan’s Supreme Court issued a plaintiffs’ verdict – which dismissed an appeal brought by the Government; the Court ordered the Japanese Government to pay compensation of US$22 million to 350 asbestos-injured construction workers – or surviving family members – from Tokyo, Saitama and elsewhere, as per a 2018 order by the Tokyo High Court. The ruling, which acknowledged the Government’s responsibility for the illnesses of both employed and self-employed workers, was the first to hold the Government responsible for asbestos injuries to construction workers. The Court found that the Government had not acted in a timely manner to prevent toxic asbestos exposures. See: Court finalizes state payment to asbestos victims.
No Asbestos in Schools
Dec 18, 2020
The Seoul Institute of Health and Environment (SIHE) and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education have agreed to create a safe school environment free from asbestos contamination. During school vacations, SIHE operatives will conduct surveys to measure the concentration of asbestos in the indoor air of kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools where asbestos demolition and removal work had been completed to verify that the schools were fit for use. State-of-the-art equipment will be used for the analysis and testing, including transmission and scanning electron microscopes. See: 서울시보건환경연구원-시교육청 협력해 학교 석면 안전관리 강화 [Strengthening safety management of school asbestos in cooperation with SIHE and City Office of Education].
Cancer Causation and Asbestos
Dec 18, 2020
Research undertaken over the last five years by a team of scientists from Turkey, Japan and the US has established that people with the gene mutation named “BLM +/-” had a higher risk of developing mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. This discovery could, said the researchers, be fundamental in developing new protocols for early diagnoses and improved treatments for this pleural cancer. Individuals at high-risk of contracting the cancer once identified could be better protected and monitored. See: Asbest kaynaklı akciğer zarı kanserine neden olan gen bulundu [Gene that causes asbestos-induced lung cancer].
Punishing Asbestos Crime
Dec 15, 2020
Justice Nicola Pain of the Land and Environment Court found that a New South Wales (NSW) company called Earthmovers Pty Ltd. lied about the disposal in 2016 of 1,400 tonnes of asbestos-contaminated soil from a Sydney building site and supplied false and misleading documentation claiming that it had been lawfully disposed of. The prosecution had been brought by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA). Justice Pain fined the company $450,000 for the two offences and ordered it to pay the EPA’s legal costs. Commenting on the verdict, EPA director Greg Sheehy said: “crimes by rogue operators defraud honest companies, damage the environment and can harm human health.” See: Hefty fine in Aussie earthmovers asbestos documents case.
Asbestos: An Environmental Hazard
Dec 15, 2020
Local people throughout Spain are taking unilateral action to identify toxic sites where asbestos debris has been illegally dumped in light of failures by municipal authorities to address the situation. Scores of uncontrolled landfills and toxic sites were located in the Valencia region. As a result of the lobbying efforts of campaigners, on December 1 the city council in Picassent announced plans to remove 140 tons of toxic waste from multiple sites and to implement a surveillance scheme to prevent fly-tipping of asbestos and other dangerous waste. See: Convivir con escombros y restos de amianto: la revuelta ciudadana contra los vertederos ilegales [Living with rubble and asbestos waste: the citizen revolt against illegal landfills].
Lawsuit for Construction Workers
Dec 15, 2020
On December 3, 2020, the first arguments were held in the Sendai District Court in a legal action on behalf of ten former workers or their bereaved family members regarding asbestos-related deaths caused by occupational exposures at construction sites in Japan. The claimants are seeking total damages of 269.5 million yen ($US 2.6m) from the Japanese government and 12 manufacturers of building materials. See: 国、建材メーカー争う姿勢 東北アスベスト訴訟初弁論 [National government and building material manufacturers contest asbestos claims, first arguments].
Asbestos Mining Hazard
Dec 15, 2020
An expert in Perth, Western Australia (WA) has condemned the stupidity of holidaymakers who travel to one of the world’s most toxic towns to take photos for Instagram. Wittenoom, WA is a former crocidolite (blue) asbestos mining town; due to the residual toxicity of the area, the town has been “disappeared,” with most properties being taken out of private hands by the WA government. According to Melita Markey of the National Centre of Asbestos Related Diseases and the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia: “There’s a lot of asbestos in Wittenoom and it has very strong winds blowing around you… Also, it's blue asbestos and the research shows us that's the most deadly and most carcinogenic.” See: Ignorant influencers slammed for risking their lives to holiday in asbestos-riddled Wittenoom.
A Special Anniversary
Dec 15, 2020
The 20th anniversary of the founding of the ABEVA asbestos victims’ group in Belgium was marked by the uploading of a celebratory issue of the Group’s newsletter. Plans to hold a celebration of the event were put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Belgian Asbestos Victims’ Association – L’association Belge des Victimes de l’Amiante (ABEVA) – was founded in 2000 by the Vandenbroucke and Jonckheere families, both of which had lost loved ones to the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Belgium (see: Asbestos Profile), as the home country of the global asbestos giant Eternit, has one of the world’s highest incidences in the world of asbestos-related mortality For the newsletter see: ABEVA website.
Asbestos in Schools
Dec 14, 2020
Funds totalling €4.3 million (US$5.2m) from the European Union have been allocated to remove asbestos from 31 schools in the Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region, according to an announcement made by the Regional Development Commission. Local authorities have until December 31 to apply for asbestos removal grants. The first successful application for financial support under this scheme came from the City of São Brás de Alportel in the District of Faro. See: ‘Bye bye asbestos’: Funding finally on way to remove asbestos from Algarve schools.
Madrid Makes Asbestos a Priority
Dec 14, 2020
On December 3, 2020, Rafael Gómez Montoya – the spokesperson on Environment for the Socialist Parliamentary Group in the Madrid Assembly – presented an initiative to a plenary session of the Assembly calling for the mandatory eradication of asbestos from the region. “Although the use of asbestos was banned in 2002,” he said, “it is still present in cinemas, theatres, schools, hospitals…. Therefore, the plan must establish criteria to assess the useful life of this material and its dangers in each of the facilities.” A multi-step program was needed, Montoya said, the first step of which was to conduct an asbestos census to quantify the scope and severity of the problem. See: El PSOE a favor de la eliminación segura del Amianto [The PSOE in favor of the safe elimination of asbestos].
Asbestos Cancer Care: Update
Dec 14, 2020
News that specialist nurses have been appointed to treat asbestos cancer patients in two UK asbestos hotspots has been warmly welcomed. Angela Goldfinch and Simon Bolton will provide advice, care and support for mesothelioma patients at Broomfield Hospital under the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and multiple hospitals serving communities in North and West Yorkshire, respectively. The new roles are funded by Mesothelioma UK – a national specialist resource centre, specifically for the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma – in partnership with charity organizations and selected law firms. See: Asbestos-related cancer nurses appointed for opposite ends of country.
Good News, Bad News
Dec 14, 2020
Despite the dismissal of criminal proceedings against executives of the Italian company Officine Grandi Riparazioni (OGR) – Large [Railway] Repair Workshops – who had been charged with negligence which resulted in the asbestos-related deaths of workers at the Bologna OGR facility, civil compensation claims are still proceeding, according to legal experts working for asbestos claimants. See: OGR Bologna: Le cause per danni da amianto in sede civile sono possibili e rafforzate nonostante la sentenza di archiviazione del procedimento penale [OGR Bologna: Lawsuits for asbestos damage in civil courts are possible and reinforced despite the dismissal of the criminal proceedings].
Asbestos in Schools
Dec 14, 2020
Despite efforts to remediate schools in the South Korean city of Anyang, in Gyeonggi Province, asbestos contamination remains in the majority of elementary, middle and high schools. Removal work at the city’s schools has been ongoing since 2017 with funding from the Provincial Office of Education; budgets for this program were as follows: (~US$3.7 million) 4 billion won (bw) in 2017, 4.1 bw in 2018, 3 bw in 2019 and 1.2 bw in 2020. The deadline set by the Provincial Office of Education for the completion of the asbestos decontamination program is 2027. See: 안양지역 각급 학교 석면제거율 38%…“조속 처리”vs“점진 처리” [38% of asbestos removed at schools in Anyang area... “Rapid processing” vs. “Progressive processing”].
Corporate Reinvention or Flim-Flam
Dec 9, 2020
In an interview with Luís Augusto Barbosa, CEO of Brazil’s former asbestos giant Eternit SA, Barbosa explained that the turnaround in Eternit’s fortunes was due to its abandonment of “notorious asbestos” in favor of photovoltaic tile technology. “It was the decision to abolish asbestos in 2017,” said Barbosa “which led us to judicial recovery.” Confirming the hazard posed by asbestos exposures to workers on assembly lines, Barbosa maintained that use of asbestos products was harmless. He did not address the health hazard posed to employees at the company’s asbestos mine in Minaçu. See: Do amianto à energia solar, redenção da Eternit (ETER3) faz ação saltar mais de 300% em 2020 [From asbestos to solar energy, Eternit's redemption (ETER3) makes activity jump by more than 300% in 2020].
Calls for Asbestos Action
Dec 9, 2020
The mobilization of Spanish civil society groups backing calls for a national asbestos program to address the increasing asbestos mortality rate is growing. The National Federation of Associations of Respiratory Patients and members of other patient groups, scientific societies and trade unions are campaigning for the creation of a Comprehensive Asbestos Law to address the multifaceted challenges posed by the country’s legacy of widespread asbestos use throughout the 20th century. The campaign’s Manifesto highlights the need for early detection of asbestos-related diseases and investment in medical research. See: Ley para una erradicación segura del Amianto [Law for the safe eradication of asbestos].
University Asbestos Denials
Dec 9, 2020
The University of Montreal (UdeM) maintains that it is not responsible for the asbestos-related illnesses and deaths of members of staff, despite findings of culpability by The Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) – the body responsible for the application of labor laws in Quebec. Yves Charland, a UdeM computer scientist, died in November 2019 from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. UdeM condemned CNESST’s finding that his death was linked to workplace asbestos exposures, saying the decision was “ill-founded in fact and in law.” The University is appealing this and other adverse rulings against it. See: L’UdeM demande la révision de décisions de la CNESST [UdeM calls for review of CNESST decisions].
Asbestos in Schools
Dec 9, 2020
The health of secondary students attending college in the town of Ain Merane, in the West of Algeria, is at daily risk due to asbestos contamination of the prefabricated buildings in which they spend their days. Teachers and administrative staff are also at risk from the presence of deteriorating toxic building products in schools which were erected in the 1980s. Parents and teaching staff have lobbied local and regional officials about the dangerous conditions to no avail, despite multiple promises that schools would be rebuilt. See: Les collégiens sous la menace de l’amiante [College students under the threat of asbestos].
Confronting Spain’s Asbestos Legacy
Dec 9, 2020
A 7-minute video which can be viewed on Facebook via the link provided below is a recording of a presentation made by Spanish politician Jota Canadas to a Parliamentary Group of the Madrid Assembly. In his talk, Canadas addressed the widespread and unregulated use of asbestos throughout Spain prior to the ban introduced in 2002 and outlined the ongoing hazards posed by the presence of toxic material throughout the country’s infrastructure. He called on the government of Madrid to prioritize the removal of asbestos on the grounds of public and occupational safety. See: Video of speech by Jota Canadas to Madrid Assembly.
Asbestos Alert: Video
Dec 9, 2020
A short video in the Georgian language – with English captions – uploaded to YouTube at the end of last month (November 2020) highlighted the hazards posed to consumers and workers in Georgia by using products containing asbestos. Fifteen percent of building products and 60% of brake pads used in Georgia contain asbestos. This exercise in raising awareness of the asbestos hazard was a collaboration of civil society partners in Georgia, including Open Society Georgia, Partnership For Road Safety Georgia, the Eastern Alliance for Safety & Sustainable Transport, and others. See: ვიდეო რგოლი აზბესტის საფრთხეების შესახებ [Video clip about the dangers of asbestos].
Supporting the Asbestos-Exposed
Dec 7, 2020
An asbestos outreach phone clinic was held in the Japanese city of Nagoya on December 5, 2020 for people who had worked at asbestos factories or in the construction industry and members of their families. On hand to answer questions were legal and medical professionals. The Japanese Government was relatively slow in restricting and banning the use of asbestos compared to other industrialized countries, having prohibited the use of amosite (brown) and crocidolite (blue) asbestos as recently as 1995 and achieving a total ban on all asbestos by 2012. See: アスベスト被害の無料電話相談会 ５日、東海弁護団 [Free telephone counseling for asbestos damage, December 5, 2020].
Asbestos in Schools
Dec 8, 2020
A statement by a Ministry of the Portuguese Government has announced the extension of the deadline for submissions to be made for financial support for the removal of asbestos from the country’s schools. Applications made, to date, will incur the expenditure of more than €75 million for the asbestos remediation of 460 schools (~74% of all the schools) in 130 cities. The financing of the work is guaranteed by European funds for regional programs. The new deadline for submissions is December 30, 2030. See: Programa para retirada de amianto em escolas prolonga candidaturas [Asbestos removal program in schools extends deadline for applications].
Addressing Italy’s Asbestos Legacy
Dec 8, 2020
A feature length article examined options for decontaminating the Italian infrastructure and environment within a broader discussion of the country’s historic mining and usage of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. During much of the 20th century, Italy was Europe’s second largest asbestos supplier and consumer after the Soviet Union. On average 6,000 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases and toxic exposures continue even though asbestos was banned in 1992. The author of this text asserted that asbestos remediation tax credits were the only feasible solution to the country’s asbestos problem. See: Credito d’imposta, unica via per una reale bonifica dell’amianto [Tax credit, the only way for a real asbestos remediation].
Asbestos Dump: NIMBY
Dec 8, 2020
Plans announced in November by the Region of West Macedonia to create a solution to the region’s asbestos disposal problem over the next 25 years by setting up an asbestos landfill in Kozani – the site of Greece’s former asbestos mine – have been criticized on multiple grounds, including environmental repercussions and potential hazards posed by earthquakes. The author of the article cited below concluded his analysis as follows: “there are clearly more technically, economically and environmentally suitable solutions for the landfill at the level of the country and the region of Western Macedonia.” See: Περιβαλλοντική Υδρογεωλογία και ΧΥΤΑΜ στα ΜΑΒΕ ΑΕ στο Ζιδάνι Κοζάνης [Environmental Hydrogeology and landfill at MAVE SA in Zidani, Kozani].
UK Asbestos Resource: Update
Dec 8, 2020
Strathclyde University, a public research university in Glasgow, has become the repository of several unique asbestos archives including collections from: the world’s first asbestos victims’ campaigner Nancy Tait; the Cancer Prevention Society; environmental activist Alan Dalton; investigative journalist Laurie Flynn and corporate records from the UK’s asbestos giant Turner & Newall plc which were disclosed during litigation brought by the Chase Manhattan Bank. In a recently uploaded essay, Strathclyde Masters student Michael Canning highlighted “the presence of the voices of the victims of asbestos-related disease…” in the collection. See: Archives and Special Collections: Asbestos.
Another Asbestos Death
Dec 8, 2020
The mesothelioma death on November 29, 2020 of 77- year old Giacomo De Lazzari is being investigated by the public prosecutor in Venice who has opened a case for manslaughter against unknown persons. From 1982 until 2005 Mr. De Lazzari had worked as a foreman for a sub-contractor at the Porto Marghera Petrochemical plant. Many of his colleagues – who had also contracted the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma – predeceased him. See: Amianto, la procura apre un fascicolo sulla morte di un ex operaio del Petrolchimico [Asbestos, the prosecutor opens a file on the death of a former Petrochemical worker].
Asbestos Propaganda
Dec 3, 2020
Asbestos industry propaganda, masquerading as a news article, has been uploaded to a Ukrainian website. It is noteworthy to point out that the 2017 ban on asbestos mandated by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health was overturned in 2019 on a procedural technicality. The text of the article rehashed key low points of the asbestos lobby’s arguments saying that: chrysotile asbestos (the type mined in Russia), is harmless to human health; chrysotile fibers are safely dissolved in the lungs; the campaign to ban asbestos is a profit-driven exercise sponsored by the manufacturers of non-asbestos products. See: Опасность асбеста: влияние асбеста на здоровье человека [Dangers of Asbestos: Effects of Asbestos on Human Health].
Asbestos Safety Legislation
Dec 3, 2020
As of November 10, 2020, South Africa’s Asbestos Abatement Regulations – adopted under the auspices of the Department of Employment and Labour and launched on November 27 – mandated that employers were obliged to provide a safe and risk-free environment for workers. Although the use of asbestos is banned in South Africa, asbestos-containing material remains within the country’s infrastructure. The new rules mean that employers must identify and manage all asbestos-containing products in the workplace and take precautions to protect not only their employees but also others such as subcontractors and members of the public from toxic exposures created by the operations of the company. See: New regulations push South Africa towards an asbestos-free environment.
New Resource for Scottish Patients
Dec 3, 2020
A new online resource has been launched this week by the Scottish Mesothelioma Network (Network) for victims of asbestos-related cancers, an initiative that aims to improve outcomes and quality of life for Scottish mesothelioma patients. Due to its industrial legacy of widespread asbestos use in shipyards, factories and other workplaces, the rates of asbestos cancer in Scotland are amongst the highest in the world. The Network’s new website provides a range of information on disease, treatment options, specialist centers, patient pathways and reputable online sources of information. It also lists various routes to accessing compensation and provides details of asbestos victims’ support groups in Scotland. See: The Scottish Mesothelioma Network.
Precedent for Canberra Asbestos Victims
Dec 3, 2020
Fifty-four year old mesothelioma sufferer James Wallner was awarded more than $250,000 by the Government of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) to cover medical costs for treatment of cancer he contracted due to childhood exposure to asbestos insulation. This is the first payment by any Australian government for illness contracted through exposure to “Mr Fluffy” loose-fill asbestos insulation. According to ACT’s Chief Minister Andrew Barr an investigation into the feasibility of a scheme for future victims was underway but, in the meantime, this “act of grace” payment had been made. See: Canberra man who contracted mesothelioma after exposure to Mr Fluffy asbestos awarded $250k from ACT Government.
Asbestos Eradication in Catalonia
Dec 3, 2020
A public consultation on a bill to eradicate asbestos material to protect public and occupational health was launched by the Government of Catalonia on November 25, 2020; submissions must be received by January 25, 2021. The objective of this exercise is to gauge the views of a variety of civil society stakeholders on the aims, proposed measures and timescales for eliminating the asbestos hazard from the autonomous community of Catalonia in the northeast of Spain. Although asbestos use was banned in Spain in 2002, more than 2.5+ million tonnes of asbestos were used throughout the country, much of which remains in products still in place today. See: Anteproyecto de ley de erradicación del Amianto [Asbestos eradication bill].
Armley’s Deadly Legacy
Dec 3, 2020
Decades after the Armley asbestos factory ceased operations in Canal Street, environmental contamination remained in homes and buildings in the streets near the old J. W. Roberts factory. A report by an independent charity confirmed the extent of the problem in Armley, finding that 90% of homes tested were still contaminated with blue (crocidolite) asbestos. It is little wonder that Armley had been dubbed “the UK’s deadliest district.” “There is a decontamination procedure,” the report noted “but this costs £7,500 per house, which most residents cannot afford.” See: The asbestos disaster of Armley and the looming fear of death.
Toxic Talc
Nov 30, 2020
An analysis of 21 samples of cosmetics in powder, liquid and cream forms – including eye shadow, foundation, blush, face and body powders – which was commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) revealed that ~15% were contaminated with asbestos. Commenting on these disturbing findings, EWG Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Scott Farber said: “While consumers should be alarmed and outraged, it’s hardly a surprise, considering the federal law regulating the cosmetics industry has not been updated since 1938.” More than 2,000 personal care products sold in the US contain talc, 1,000 are loose or pressed powders which pose an elevated risk of inhalation. See: Analysis: Talc-Based Cosmetics Test Positive for Asbestos.
Mesothelioma Scheme: Update
Nov 30, 2020
The 24-page annual review of the UK Government’s Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS) for 2019 to 2020 was published last week by the Department of Work & Pensions. Since the scheme launched in 2014, 1,500 mesothelioma sufferers have received compensation of £205.2 million. This past year, the average payment to applicants was £144,000, a decrease of £4,000 on the previous year. The DMPS provides compensation to mesothelioma sufferers who were negligently exposed to asbestos at work but were unable to obtain compensation from their former employer or their former employer’s insurer. See: Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme: annual review 2019 to 2020.
Asbestos Trial in Milan
Nov 30, 2020
On November 27, 2020 Maurizio Ascione, the Public Prosecutor trying a case against executives alleged to have caused the deaths from asbestos-related diseases of La Scala Opera House staff, asked that the four defendants be given prison sentences ranging from 2½ to 7 years. The longest sentence, Ascione said, should be given to Giovanni Traina, who was the theater’s external health and safety consultant. During a preliminary hearing charges against four former Mayors of Milan had been dropped. See: Amianto alla Scala, condannate i manager [Asbestos at La Scala, condemn the managers].
Toxic Give-Aways by Local Council
Nov 30, 2020
On November 27, 2020, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced that gifts distributed by Kaizuka City, Osaka Prefecture to taxpayers was contaminated with asbestos. The bath mats and coasters were made from diatomaceous earth – a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. The products were marketed under the brand name “Caraco” and were made by the Horiki Kosakusho company in Kaizuka City; they were found to contain up to 0.61% asbestos. See: 返礼品にアスベスト含有、製造元が回収 大阪・貝塚市ふるさと納税 [Asbestos containing goods, distributed by Kaizuka City in return for local tax payment to be collected by the manufacturer].
Asbestos Removal Program: Update
Nov 26, 2020
An asbestos removal program sponsored by the government of Nakuru County – the fourth most populous county in Kenya – is progressing efforts to remove asbestos roofing materials from thousands of domestic properties to protect public health; scheduled works aim to complete the decontamination by the end of 2021.The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) classifies asbestos as a “poisonous” substance; NEMA ordered all the asbestos material on government facilities to be replaced. According to Nakura’s Governor Lee Kinyanjui: “Asbestos [roofs] have been proven to be dangerous and we are working round the clock to replace them by next year, from all the institutions and estates.” See: County replaces asbestos roofs with iron sheets.
Remediation of Toxic Trains
Nov 26, 2020
According to Comboios de Portugal (CP), the company which purchased 51 asbestos-contaminated railway carriages from the Spanish company Renfe for 1.65 million euros, decontamination work on 36 of the carriages has now been completed a few days ahead of schedule. Remodelling work is now underway on 3 of the carriages at the CP workshop in Guifões, Matosinhos. The plan is for the rolling stock to be in circulation on the Viana do Castelo-Valença railway line at the end of 2022. See: CP conclui remoção de amianto de carruagens compradas a Espanha [CP concludes asbestos removal from carriages purchased from Spain].
Research Center Opens in Sheffield
Nov 26, 2020
This week the Mesothelioma UK Research Center-Sheffield – for investigating new protocols and treatments for people suffering from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma – opened at Sheffield University (see: Launch of mesothelioma research centre). According to the Center’s co-director Professor Angela Mary Tod, the ultimate goal of the Center is to find a cure for the aggressive and deadly cancer which kills 2,500+ people in Britain every year. The Center, the first of its kind in the UK dedicated to patient experience-based and supportive care mesothelioma research, is sponsored by national charity Mesothelioma UK. According to its Head of Services Liz Darlison MBE, the opening of the Center was the culmination of years of work. See: Mesothelioma lung cancer centre set for Sheffield.
Milan Asbestos Trial
Nov 26, 2020
Legal proceedings brought on behalf of 10 workers from La Scala Opera House are coming to an end in a Milan courtroom. In the dock are four defendants accused of negligence in allowing asbestos exposures of the workers to occur. On November 20, 2020, the final two witnesses for the defence argued that the exposures which caused the workers to contract asbestos-related diseases had taken place outside the Opera House at other workplaces or via an environmental vector such as living in the town of Casale Monferrato, home to Italy’s largest asbestos-cement factory. See: Milano: alle battute finali il processo per i lavoratori morti di amianto alla Scala [Milan: the trial for dead asbestos workers at La Scala is in the final stages].
Asbestos Riddle in Mining State
Nov 26, 2020
Despite the existence of a national asbestos ban as per a 2017 verdict of the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF), it was announced on November 17, 2020 that production of chrysotile (white) asbestos would recommence at the SAMA asbestos mine in Minaçu City, Goiás State under state law No. 20,514 adopted by the Goiás Legislative Assembly. Objections to the law’s unconstitutionality have been lodged with the STF. The Attorney General for Goiás State said that all the asbestos mined would be exported. See: Amianto em Goiás: entenda a disputa jurídica [Asbestos in Goiás: understand the legal dispute].
Online Premiere of Asbestos Drama
Nov 26, 2020
A filmed version of an award-winning play by Francis Poet entitled Fibres, about the life of a former Scottish shipyard worker who is suffering from asbestosis, will be premiering online at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25. The play – a co-production of Stellar Quines Theatre Company and the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow – toured Scotland in 2019. The protagonist Jack had been occupationally exposed to asbestos at the Clyde shipyard; his wife Beanie had washed the contaminated clothing he brought home. Viewers are requested to book in advance for free tickets and, where possible, consider making a donation. See: Fibres.
Asbestos Memorial Service in Perth
Nov 24, 2020
Asbestos victims’ groups, charities, civil society organizations and government agencies mark Asbestos Awareness Month every November. The Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) – based in Perth, Western Australia – will be holding its annual Ecumenical Service on the morning of November 27 “in remembrance of those who have died from asbestos diseases.” This service provides an opportunity for members of the ADSA community and the medical, legal and healthcare professionals who support them to join together in reflection about the lives which have been lost due to Australia’s asbestos epidemic. If you cannot support them in person, a donation would be very welcome. See: Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia.
The Asbestos Hazard in Colombia
Nov 24, 2020
On November 18, 2020, a 20 minute upload to YouTube highlighted the ongoing hazard posed by asbestos-containing products in Colombia, a country which banned the use of asbestos in 2019. Footage illustrating the ubiquity of asbestos-cement (ac) products showed ac roofing, pipes and other building materials. Scenes of workmen breaking, manipulating and waterblasting this material highlighted the lack of any awareness of the toxicity of the products being handled. The resource was created by the Colombia Asbestos Free Foundation in collaboration with Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency and other partnering organizations. See: Asbesto Audiovisual [Audiovisual Asbestos].
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Nov 24, 2020
Efforts continue in Vietnam to address low levels of asbestos awareness via outreach projects and information sessions such as one held on November 20 in Bac Kan province, in the northeast of the country. The event was organized by the Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Community Development in coordination with the Committee for Ethnic Minorities of Bac Kan province; it was entitled: Include Chrysotile [Asbestos] on the List of Hazardous Waste Materials and Require Warning Labels on Asbestos-containing Products. Having delineated the ubiquity and toxicity of asbestos-containing material, speakers proposed that delegates be proactive in preventing toxic exposures and not use or reuse any asbestos material. See: Đưa Amiăng trắng vào danh sách chất độc hại [Put chrysotile on the list of toxic substances].
Medical Program for Asbestos Victims
Nov 24, 2020
On November 18, 2020, 17 asbestos-exposed workers constituted the first cohort in a new healthcare outreach program in the Brazilian city of Piracicaba. The workers underwent free clinical evaluations and imaging tests after being briefed by staff about the protocols to be followed. According to one of the organizers, the purpose of the initiative was “to ensure comprehensive health care, enable mutual knowledge between the parties and create bonds that facilitated the continuity of treatment and mutual cooperation between patients, families and the community.” See: Trabalhadores expostos ao amianto de 5 cidades da região de Piracicaba começam a receber atendimento de saúde [Workers exposed to asbestos in 5 cities in the Piracicaba region start receiving health care].
Asbestos and Urban Development
Nov 24, 2020
The need to safely dispose of asbestos waste produced during development work was highlighted last week in a press release by the workers' group Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) which urged the SM Development Corporation to take care in its handling of asbestos stripped from a multi-story iconic structure in Manila called the Philamlife building. The ALU-TUCP document was the basis of an article published on November 23, 2020. The toxic Philamlife asbestos waste – containing a large amount of ceiling boards and wall insulation – was produced during months of renovation work and is currently stored in the building. See: Dispose Philamlife cancerous asbestos now!
Johnson & Johnson $120 Million Payout
Nov 24, 2020
On November 18, 2020, New York State Supreme Court Judge Gerald Lebovits upheld a jury’s 2019 finding that Johnson & Johnson was liable for the asbestos cancer contracted by 67-year old mesothelioma sufferer Donna Olson who had routinely used the company’s talc-based baby powder as part of her daily hygiene routine. The Judge, however, lowered the damages awarded by the jury to the Brooklyn woman and her husband from $325 million to $120m which included $15m of compensatory and $105m of punitive damages. See: Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $120 million as damages in New York baby powder case.
Judicial Action on Stalled Case
Nov 23, 2020
Australian mesothelioma sufferer Dr Warwick Harper believes that his cancer was caused by exposure to asbestos in tunnels under the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney in 1972-74. In January, 2020 he initiated a compensation claim against Sydney Local Health District in the New South Wales Dust Diseases Tribunal. In a preliminary judgment on November 19, Judge David Russell, accepting that mediation had failed, ruled the case should be removed from the resolution process and be managed by a tribunal judge. Highlighting the urgency of the case, the Judge said: “It is of course essential that the plaintiff's claim be settled or completed in his lifetime, as he will lose his claim for future loss of earning capacity if he passes away before the proceedings are concluded.” See: Sydney doctor sues over ‘tunnel asbestos’.
Victims’ Victory in Missouri!
Nov 23, 2020
The Missouri Supreme Court has rejected legal efforts by Johnson & Johnson to overturn a state appellate court’s opinion and has upheld a $2.11 billion verdict against the company for punitive and compensatory damages to 20 plaintiffs with ovarian cancer caused by their use of the company’s talc-based baby powder. In June 2020 the Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Missouri had unanimously upheld a trial jury’s finding that J&J had engaged in “reprehensible conduct” by manufacturing and selling asbestos-containing talcum powder products over many decades. See: Missouri supreme court denies review of $2.11 billion talc-ovarian cancer ruling.
Asbestos Waste Dump
Nov 23, 2020
A regional plan, 28 years in the making, to dispose of asbestos waste by dumping it in redundant mines in Sicily has been condemned by local politicians with comments such as: “The Region remembers the Enna area only when it comes to making it become the garbage dump of Sicily.” According to the plan, the toxic debris would be deposited in already polluted quarries in Caltanissetta, Catania and other cities. Local opposition is building as civil society groups coalesce to fight the proposal. See: Sicilia, comuni in rivolta per lo smaltimento di amianto nelle miniere mai bonificate: “Non siamo la discarica della Regione” [Sicily, municipalities in revolt over the disposal of asbestos in mines never reclaimed: “We are not the landfill of the Region”].
Madrid Metro Liable for Asbestos Death
Nov 23, 2020
At the 11th hour, Madrid Metro – the company that operates the mass transit system of the Spanish capital – acknowledged liability for the 2018 death of a 57-year old worker who had contracted the cancer pleural mesothelioma from hazardous occupational exposures to asbestos. The company’s change of mind came as legal proceedings were scheduled to begin on November 18. The trade union representing the workforce hoped that the company would continue to accept its responsibility for other workers who had gotten ill or died from asbestos-related diseases caused by workplace exposures. See: Metro Madrid se ahorra el juicio reconociendo daños y perjuicios del primer fallecido por Amianto [Metro Madrid forestalls trial by accepting liability for asbestos death of former worker].
Gendered Experience of Mesothelioma
Nov 23, 2020
The results of a report just published entitled “Gendered Experience of Mesothelioma Study” by Mesothelioma UK and the University of Sheffield will inform policies and treatments adopted by healthcare professionals and policy makers. Amongst the key findings were: high risk occupations for men differed from those for women; women and younger men had lower levels of asbestos awareness; gender differences existed in the experiences and support provided at the time of diagnosis; patients’ capacity to cope with their diagnoses and subsequent treatment was affected by gender expectations. See: New report on gender differences in the experience of asbestos-related cancer.
Asbestos Program: Update
Nov 23, 2020
Work in Poland to eradicate asbestos within the national infrastructure by 2032 continues. A recent update from Nowosądecki County in Southern Poland reported that in 2020 asbestos roofing was remediated in a further 221 houses in the Sądecczyzna Region with financial support supplied under the government project “Liquidation of asbestos-containing products in the Nowosądecki County.” Under the Asbestos Waste Disposal Program, which was implemented in Nowosądecki County in 2001, between 2018 and 2020 more than 3,122 tons of asbestos-containing waste was removed and disposed of at a cost of PLN 993,000 (US$265,000). See: Azbest znika z kolejnych dachów [Asbestos disappears from roofs].
Embargo on Toxic Talc!
Nov 19, 2020
Congo’s Ministry of Commerce suspended the import and marketing of Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based baby powder over health concerns arising from the product’s contamination with asbestos. Confiscation of this product will be undertaken from all distribution establishments, depots and stores. The results of laboratory tests are pending but the Ministry has been proactive given the serious threat to health. The Government’s action is a response to lobbying by a civil society group – Action for the Environment and Development – which raised the matter at a meeting in Brazzaville on November 13. See: Cosmétique: le Congo suspend l’importation de la poudre pour bébé ‘‘Johnson baby powder’’ [Cosmetics: Congo suspends import of Johnson baby powder].
Remediating Philadelphia’s Schools
Nov 20, 2020
The University of Pennsylvania announced on November 17th that it would be making a $100 million donation to the Philadelphia School District to fund work to remediate asbestos and lead contamination in schools. The funding will be delivered over a decade with $10m being provided each year. Welcoming this news, School District officials said the gift will “not only help us to ensure these safe spaces for every student," but will allow the district to invest in “a new and compelling vision for school facilities.” See: Penn to donate $100 million to Philadelphia School District to help with asbestos, lead abatement.
UK Asbestos Prosecution
Nov 19, 2020
On November 16, 2020, the website of the Health & Safety Executive announced that the Bristol company Prestige EA Ltd. had been fined for failing to correctly conduct and complete an asbestos survey at a domestic construction project in 2017. Prestige EA Ltd. had been commissioned to advise and manage the development of a property into four flats above a retail unit but undertook the wrong type of asbestos survey. The company, which is now in liquidation, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £2,000 with costs of £3,000. See: Building contractor fined for asbestos failings at a domestic property construction project.
Catalan Asbestos Removal Initiative
Nov 19, 2020
On November 16, 2020, the Catalan Waste Agency announced a two million euro scheme to subsidize 100% of the costs of the removal of asbestos-containing insulation and construction materials; the objective of the scheme is to ensure that work is carried out under optimum conditions and by specialist operatives. Eligible applicants include local authorities, public administrations, social enterprises and non-profit companies. Funding will cover the costs of handling and removing asbestos, transport, management and treatment by certified companies. See: La Agencia de Residuos de Cataluña abre una nueva línea de ayudas de dos millones para la retirada de residuos de amianto [Catalan Waste Agency opens a new source of funding of two million euros for the removal of asbestos waste].
Asbestos Eradication Law in Catalonia
Nov 18, 2020
On November 17, 2020, the Executive Council of the Government of Catalonia approved draft legislation for the eradication of asbestos. In a press conference, the Regional Minister of the Presidency and spokesperson for the Government Meritxell Budó explained that the new law would protect the public as well as workers from toxic exposures. Key issues which need to be addressed Budó said were the ubiquity of asbestos material throughout the region – estimated at 4 million tonnes – an information vacuum and a lack of legislation mandating asbestos removal. A public consultation will be carried out and specialist advisors will be consulted. See: Catalunya empieza a elaborar una ley de retirada del Amianto [Catalonia begins to draw up an asbestos removal law].
Asbestos Medical Outreach Program
Nov 18, 2020
Following on from medical outreach efforts conducted on November 7, 2020 in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, on November 14 another group of former asbestos-exposed employees from the Precon company – the last asbestos-cement factory in Brazil to discontinue the use of asbestos – were examined by a medical team, part of a pioneering program to identify and care for asbestos victims (see: Brazilian Success: Pioneering Medical Program to Expand!). Doctors Ubiratan de Paula Santos, Jefferson Benedito Pires de Freitas and Rafael Futoshi Mizutani donated the services of their team to conduct this intervention for high risk individuals. See: Photo [Courtesy of Alexandro Cristino Guimarães, leader of the asbestos victims’ group representing Precon workers].
Lost Asbestos Compensation?
Nov 18, 2020
The destination of compensation payments for the bereaved daughters of Louise Fortin, a Canadian nursing assistant who died from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, seems to be in some doubt according to an article published in the Montreal Journal. Although compensation of $120,000 was paid to Isabel Anne-Marie Gélinas by the Committee on Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST), there has been no accounting by the CNESST for sums clawbacked from American defendants following the intervention of US attorneys. The sisters are considering plans to file a class action against the CNESST. See: Recours réclamé par les filles d’une soignante tuée par l’amiante [Compensation claimed by the daughters of a caregiver killed by asbestos].
Asbestos Litigation against EPA
Nov 18, 2020
On November 12, 2020, lawyers representing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defended the US government’s asbestos policy in a San Francisco federal court against a lawsuit brought by six U.S. public health organizations. According to Justice Department lawyer Brandon Adkins: “The EPA has offered its basis which is rooted in science, and the court should defer to the agency’s discretion.” The plaintiffs allege that the EPA violated the Administrative Procedure Act by denying their 2018 petition asking the Agency to amend the TSCA Chemical Data Reporting rule and require additional reporting on asbestos in order to protect citizens from toxic exposures. See: Trump’s EPA Defends Asbestos Reporting Loopholes in Court.
Greening Redundant Asbestos Sites
Nov 18, 2020
According to a survey carried out by the Canada Research Chair in Ecological Economics at the University of Quebec in Outaouais, which was published this month (November, 2020), the majority of residents in Quebec’s former asbestos mining heartland support the remediation of contaminated sites in the Chaudière-Appalaches and Estrie regions “to help improve the environment” by vegetating sites and turning them into green spaces. The asbestos waste dumps are owned by the Granilake company, which says it wants to: “to plant grasses, plants, trees to restore a vegetal cover.” See: Végétaliser les vieilles mines d’amiante: une idée Populaire [Greening old asbestos mines: a popular idea].
Asbestos Limbo
Nov 16, 2020
Although Kenya banned asbestos in 2006, the prohibition directive has not yet been put into force. As a result, dangerous products incorporated within the national infrastructure remain a potent hazard to members of the public as well as workers, John Chumo, secretary-general of the National Environmental Complaints Committee, told a Kenyan reporter on November 12, 2020. In his remarks, Chumo highlighted the need for a nationwide awareness campaign to educate the general public and employees of the hazards posed by asbestos exposures. The improper disposal of asbestos-containing materials is also problematic due to the lack of financial resources and capacity to deal safely with toxic debris. See: Implement asbestos ban to save lives, state told.
Asbestos Mine Dispute
Nov 16, 2020
Not for the first time, workers at Zimbabwe’s Shabanie chrysotile asbestos mine have been short-changed by management. Representatives of the disgruntled workforce – currently owed more than US$ 2.8 million –have requested that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) initiate an investigation over corporate corruption. According to Mr. J. Chinhema from the Zimbabwe Diamonds and Allied Workers Union, whilst withholding salaries from the workers, the administrator running the company has simultaneously been selling off company assets. See: Shabanie workers approach ZACC over assets.
Mesothelioma in Montreal!
Nov 16, 2020
The adverse health consequences of working in an iconic office building in Montreal which was contaminated with asbestos was recognized in August 2020 when the (Canadian) Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (Committee on standards, equity, health and safety at work) paid compensation to mesothelioma sufferer Jean-Pierre Archambault who spent 42 years in the building as an employee of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Lawyers for the bank, which was due to reimburse the Standards Commission challenged, the decision deeming it "unfounded in fact and in law.” See: Ex-employé de la Banque CIBC exposé à l’amiante dédommagé [Man who worked in a tower in Montreal suffers from incurable cancer].
Metro Asbestos Removal Program
Nov 16, 2020
More than 200 tonnes (t) of asbestos-containing cement products have been removed from the Barcelona metro; a further 82t of toxic material has been identified but a further 158t of asbestos material remains in place, according to information released by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (Barcelona City Transport), the company which operates the transport system. According to the planned schedule of works, the remediation program will be completed by the end of next year (2021). See: Retirados dos tercios del amianto identificado en el metro de Barcelona [Two thirds of the asbestos identified in the Barcelona metro has been removed].
Sub-Contracted Workers' Asbestos Anxiety
Nov 13, 2020
An update on the eligibility of sub-contracted workers to claim damages for asbestos anxiety in France confirmed that following a ruling on September 30, 2020 by the Court of Cassation – France’s Supreme Court – workers who were employed as subcontractors were able to make a claim for asbestos anxiety against a former employer for failures to take timely action to protect workers from hazardous exposures. Claimants must provide evidence of their asbestos exposures and demonstrate the adverse effects of this exposure on their health. See: Amiante: l'action pour préjudice d'anxiété ouverte aux sous-traitants [Asbestos: action for prejudice of anxiety open to subcontractors].
Basque Asbestos Claim
Nov 13, 2020
On November 12, 2020, there was a hearing in Social Court number 3 in San Sebastián, a city in the Basque Autonomous Community, on behalf of the family of a worker who died in 2018 from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The deceased had spent “all his working life” employed by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles [Construction and Railway Auxiliary] where he was routinely exposed to asbestos. The family was claiming damages of nearly €390,000 (US$~$460,000). See: La familia de un fallecido por exposición al amianto reclama 388.926 euros [The family of a deceased due to asbestos exposure claims 388,926 euros].
Update: Asbestos at Grenfell Tower
Nov 13, 2020
A briefing was published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on November 10, 2020 based on a meeting with local people that took place weeks earlier about asbestos removal in and around the site of Grenfell Tower. The panel of speakers informing the discussions included a site manager, civil servants and a health and safety specialist. Certified specialist operatives using state-of-the-art techniques were working to remove chrysotile and amosite asbestos from Grenfell and nearby buildings on the estate. A “robust regime of air monitoring” is ensuring that there “is no increased risk [to local people] as a result of the works…” See: Asbestos removal in and around Grenfell Tower: summary and Q&A from the 21 September event.
Asbestos at Home!
Nov 13, 2020
An article documenting the prevalence of asbestos in everyday items highlighted the hazard posed to people in Vietnam of domestic exposures to products as diverse as roofing sheets, water pipes, cement, flooring, insulation, water tanks and thermos flasks. The author reviewed findings by the World Health Organization regarding the carcinogenicity of asbestos and reiterated the advice that “the most effective way to prevent these diseases is to stop using all forms of asbestos to prevent exposure.” See: Chất độc mà WHO xếp đầu danh sách những chất gây ung thư nội tạng, hóa ra luôn hiện diện ở những vật dụng quen thuộc trong ngôi nhà bạn [The poison that WHO ranks at the top of the list of carcinogens turns out to be always present in familiar objects in your home].
Asbestos in Schools Remediation: Too Slow
Nov 13, 2020
South Korean politician Lee Kwang-il representing Yeosu City has criticized the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education for the slow pace with which it has progressed the decontamination of schools in Yeosu City. To date, only 36% of the affected buildings have been remediated and, he said, at this rate it will be impossible to comply with the 2027 deadline set for the completion of the schools’ asbestos removal program by the Ministry of Education. See: 이광일 전남도의원, 학교 석면제거 부진 해소방안 마련 촉구 [Jeonnam Provincial Clinic urges Lee Kwang-il to come up with measures to resolve the sluggish removal of asbestos in schools].
Swindon Mesothelioma Claim
Nov 13, 2020
A personal injury case over the 2018 mesothelioma death of Terry McLaughlin – a man who taught art in Swindon schools from 1979 till 1993 – has resulted in his widow receiving compensation from the insurers of Wiltshire County Council. Commenting on the outcome of the case, Mrs. McLaughlin’s solicitor Lorna Webster said: “The disregard given to Terry's health by the council is shocking. Sadly we are seeing more and more cases like Terry's, where the contact with asbestos happened in an occupation not immediately linked to asbestos exposure.” See: Swindon teacher's widow gets asbestos compensation.
Mobilization on Asbestos Hazard
Nov 10, 2020
Work to protect people in Vietnam from the asbestos hazard continued this month with a workshop on November 6 in Lang Son city entitled: Include Chrysotile (Asbestos) on the List of Hazardous Waste Materials and Require Warning Labels on Asbestos-containing Products. The event was organized by the Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Community Development in collaboration with the Committee for Ethnic Minorities of Lang Son province. Vietnam currently imports 60,000 tonnes of asbestos per year; the vast majority of asbestos roofing sheets made in Vietnam are used in mountainous areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. See: Vận động đưa Amiăng trắng vào danh sách chất thải độc hại [Advocacy to put chrysotile on the list of hazardous waste].
New Asbestos Outreach Project
Nov 10, 2020
On November 7, 2020 in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, 22 former asbestos-exposed employees from the Precon company – owners of the last asbestos-cement factory in Brazil to discontinue the use of asbestos – were examined by a medical team, part of a pioneering program to identify and care for asbestos victims. The patients received X-ray, tomography and spirometry tests. Although Minas Gerais is one of Brazil’s most economically developed states, the public health system does not, according to an expert “adequately fulfil its role of epidemiological surveillance and health care for its population, especially asbestos victims.” See: Photograph.
Asbestos Mortality: Documentation
Nov 10, 2020
A group representing Japanese patients with asbestos-related diseases has welcomed moves by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) to mandate the long-term retention of death certificates for asbestos-caused deaths; in Tokyo, Yokohama, Chiba, Mito, Maebashi, Nagano, Kanazawa, Hiroshima and Tokushima and elsewhere these documents are routinely destroyed five years after the deaths occurred. Acting upon the MHLW’s request, the Ministry of Justice required 50 Legal Affairs Bureaus to retain these death certificates for 27 years. See: アスベスト労災の死亡診断書、法務省が27年間保存要請 患者団体「大きな進展」 [Death certificate for asbestos work accidents, Ministry of Justice requests preservation for 27 years Patient group “Major progress”].
Victory in Asbestos Anxiety Case
Nov 10, 2020
On November 5, 2020 it was announced that an appeal against verdicts awarding compensation of €2,000 to €11,000 for asbestos anxiety to 150 former workers at a landmark building in Nantes had been abandoned by the defendants. Earlier this year, the administrative court of appeal and the administrative court of Nantes supported claims by people who had worked at the Tripod building between 1972 and 1993, finding the national and municipal authorities negligent for failing to prevent toxic exposures. See: Nantes. Préjudice d’anxiété liée à l’amiante au Tripode: l’État renonce à faire appel [Nantes. Asbestos-related anxiety damage in the Tripod: the State gives up appeal].
Asbestos Eradication Program
Nov 10, 2020
The governing body of the Spanish island of Gran Canaria has announced plans to remediate asbestos-containing material from 200 properties to protect public health. The work, which will cost €345,000 (~US$410,000), will be conducted by specialist operatives. Illegal dumping of asbestos waste has been widespread on the island, creating environmental problems in places such as Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Telde, Arucas, Moya, Teror, Agaete, Firgas, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Ingenio. See: El Cabildo retirará 160 toneladas de amianto en 200 inmuebles de Gran Canaria para evitar problemas de salud y vertidos incontrolados [Cabildo will remove 160 tons of asbestos in 200 properties in Gran Canaria to avoid health problems and uncontrolled spills].
Asbestos Hot Potato
Nov 10, 2020
The legacy of an abandoned village in Busan, South Korea has been an environmental nightmare for local people. Residents who deserted the locale left behind toxic waste including asbestos-cement building material which continues to litter the site, according to a recent newspaper exposé which identified asbestos fibers in the rubble. Municipal buildings such as a daycare facility, social welfare center, high school and residential housing are within close proximity of the site. Authorities contacted by the reporter refused to accept responsibility for the situation. See: [취재후] 어린이집 옆 야산의 비밀…10년째 발암물질 ‘석면’ 방치 [After coverage. The secret of the hillside next to the daycare center… Carcinogenic substance, asbestos neglected for 10 years].
Paris Court of Appeal Hearing
Nov 6, 2020
Fifteen years after a legal case was brought on behalf of asbestos victims from Cherbourg, proceedings will begin on November 6, 2020 at the Paris Court of Appeals. The ten claimants were pipe-fitters, insulators, carpenters and welders employed in the construction of submarines at the Normandy shipyard. As a result of their occupational asbestos exposures, they contracted asbestos-related diseases without ever having been warned of the asbestos hazard. Lawyers for the plaintiffs will urge the court to instigate a criminal trial of those whose negligence caused the illnesses and deaths of these workers. See: Victimes de l’amiante: un déni de justice qui dure depuis 15 ans [Asbestos victims: a denial of justice that has lasted for 15 years].
UK Asbestos Data: Update
Nov 6, 2020
Data released this month by the UK’s Health & Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed the status of the national asbestos epidemic as of 2018; the number of deaths that year from asbestos-related cancers and diseases was 5,000 with 2,446 deaths from malignant pleural mesothelioma and the same number estimated from asbestos-related lung cancers. Occupational lung diseases accounted for around 12,000 of the 13,000 total annual deaths estimated to be linked to hazardous exposures at work. See: Health and safety at work Summary statistics for Great Britain 2020.
Victims’ Ruling!
Nov 6, 2020
On November 3, 2020 the Missouri Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson (J&J) over a 2018 jury verdict awarding $2.12 billion to women who contracted ovarian cancer as a result of using the company’s baby powder which they alleged had contained asbestos fibers. On June 20, 2020, a state appeals court had upheld the original verdict but reduced J&J’s payout from $4.69 billion after dismissing claims by some of the 22 plaintiffs. Lawyers for J&J announced that the company would take this case to the Supreme Court. See: Johnson & Johnson fails to overturn $2.12 billion baby powder verdict, plans Supreme Court appeal.
Asbestos Hazard in Russia’s Far East
Nov 6, 2020
Acting Governor of Russia’s Khabarovsk Territory Mikhail Degtyarev announced plans to rehouse tenants living in “notorious” 70-year-old housing built with asbestos in the village of Berlin, Druzhba – a microdistrict of Komsomolsk-on-Amur city – on account of the hazard posed by living in close proximity to this acknowledged carcinogen. Degtyarev has ordered various Ministries – including the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services – to work together to resolve the issue. See: Михаил Дегтярёв призвал срочно расселить аварийные дома в посёлке Берлин [Mikhail Degtyarev urged to urgently resettle [occupants of] emergency housing in the village of Berlin].
Asbestos Propaganda
Nov 4, 2020
An online Russian article, informed by asbestos lobbyists, reviewed the ongoing battle to end the use of carcinogenic chrysotile asbestos which, the author alleged, was a commercially-motivated initiative rather than a campaign to protect public and occupational health. Asserting that the latest science – produced to order by asbestos industry-funded scientists – proved the use of chrysotile asbestos was safe, the author stated: “Among the employees of Orenburg Minerals [Russia’s biggest chrysotile asbestos producer], not a single case of an occupational disease was recorded due to contact with chrysotile asbestos.” See: Почему на западе ведут борьбу против хризотиловой промышленности в РФ [Why in the West they are fighting against the chrysotile industry in the Russian Federation].
New Asbestos Mortality Data
Nov 4, 2020
On October 5, 2020 “2019 ESSENTIALS Health and safety at work” was published in France; it highlighted the ongoing human costs of the country’s widespread use of asbestos. In 2019, asbestos-related occupational diseases ranked 2nd amongst recognized occupational illnesses with 2,881 cases being recognized; these included 1,800 cases of cancer most of which affected retired workers. During the year, the Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund (FIVA) made payments of € 260 million. See: L’ESSENTIEL 2019 Santé et sécurité au travail [2019 ESSENTIALS Health and Safety at work].
History: Yukon Mining Town
Nov 4, 2020
A photograph of two workers at an asbestos mine in the Yukon was the starting point for a short discussion about the history of British Colombia’s Clinton Creek asbestos mine – operated by Cassiar Asbestos Corporation from 1966 to 1978. Neither the environment nor the buildings on the site have been remediated; the contamination left behind continues to pose a hazard to populations living downstream from the site. One of the individuals in the photograph (see below), 22 year old Richard, recalled his days in the mine’s bagging department, handling 60-pound blocks of asbestos fiber; preferring dynamite to asbestos, he transferred to the blasting crew. See: An asbestos mine, a 50-year-old photo and a trip back in time.
National Asbestos Death Toll
Nov 4, 2020
A Japanese language article highlighted findings published by the Global Burden of Disease report which suggested that asbestos mortality in Japan (20,267), was the 3rd highest in the world, after the US (40,000) and China (26,000) in 2019. According to campaigner Sugio Furuya: “the actual scope of asbestos harm in Japan is unknown. This estimate reiterates that the current compensation and relief cannot save the victims.” Japan used asbestos long after other industrialized countries had banned it; prohibition of use started in 1995 with bans on amosite and crocidolite and was completed with a ban on all types in 2012. See: 日本の19年石綿関連死者数、推計2万人超 研究機関調査 [Japan's 19-year asbestos-related deaths, estimated to exceed 20,000 in Research institute survey].
Asbestos Fly-tipping
Nov 4, 2020
Illegal dumping of asbestos-containing waste has created an environmental problem in the city of Badajoz, in southwest Spain. Responding to the situation, the city council undertook a remediation program to remove 2,600 kilos of asbestos-cement from various hotspots in the city. Of the €16,500 budgeted for this work, almost €10,000 has been spent. Citizens are asked to monitor their areas and report the dumping of potentially toxic waste to the local authorities. See: El Consistorio pacense retira más de 2.600 kilos de amianto de vertidos ilegales [The City Council of Badajoz removes more than 2,600 kilos of asbestos from illegal dumping].
Asbestos Expose Wins Prize!
Nov 3, 2020
An expose entitled Doctors of Death by Natara Felizardo, which was uploaded in January 2020 by the Brazilian online publication The Intercept, has won this year’s National Association of Labor Judges (ANAMATRA) of Brazil Award for Human Rights in the electronic media category (internet). This feature article detailed a litany of wrongdoings by medical doctors and researchers linked to the Brazilian asbestos mining company SAMA. Illnesses contracted by SAMA workers were routinely found to be caused by smoking or drinking and not by exposures to asbestos; the results of medical tests provided by SAMA were retained by the company. See: Doutores de la Morte [Doctors of Death].
Mesothelioma Research: Update
Nov 3, 2020
Researchers at Flinders University, in Adelaide, South Australia are pioneering treatment protocols and techniques to achieve early diagnoses of malignant mesothelioma in order to achieve longer survival rates. A team under Associate Professor Klebe is exploring the feasibility and safety of using intrapleural liposomal curcumin to extend patient survival and improve quality of life. Next year (2021), a clinical test will begin to test the efficacy of a therapy using curcumin, a key component of the spice turmeric. Work is also being progressed to find a non-invasive way to test for malignant mesothelioma using lung fluid, to facilitate an early diagnosis. See: Trial targets deadly lung cancer.
Asbestos Removal in Schools
Nov 3, 2020
Portugal’s Ministry of Territorial Unity has extended the deadline for municipalities to apply for financial subsidies under the national asbestos removal program for schools until November 30. To date, 245 applications had been submitted from 51 municipalities many with projects relating to multiple schools; the total requested so far amounted to €34.3m, which equated to 66% of the total available (€52m). Under the terms of the grants, work on the contaminated buildings must be finished by August 31, 2021 “so that the academic year 2021/2022 can start asbestos-free in school buildings.” See: Alargado prazo para câmaras se candidatarem à recolha de Amianto [Deadline extended for bodies to apply for asbestos removal [subsidy]].
Union Action on Asbestos
Nov 3, 2020
On October 30, 2020, members of the Spanish trade union CCOO demanded that the Occupational Safety and Health Committee at Saint Gobain – a company which had used asbestos in its glass manufacturing processes prior to the Spanish ban – activate the asbestos prevention protocol due to asbestos exposures experienced by 12 workers, some of whom are now retired, at the company’s facility in La Maruca, Madrid. The Union requested that the management recognize the existence of asbestos in its facilities in order for it to be listed on the Register of Companies with Asbestos Risk. Management representatives agreed to investigate the situation. See: CCOO denuncia exposiciones al amianto en Saint-Gobain [CCOO denounces asbestos exposures in Saint-Gobain].
Provincial Asbestos Action Plan
Nov 3, 2020
A substantial allocation of funding for the removal of asbestos from schools throughout the Korea Province of Gyeonggi has been included in the 2021 budget of the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education which was published on October 28, 2020. Out of a total of 131.4 billion won (~US$116m), 24.9 billion won (~US$22m) was ring-fenced for asbestos removal and remediation of 40 Gyeonggi school buildings and 2,505 classrooms in 2021. See: "무상교복·석면제거 등"… 경기도·도교육청·시군, 내년 3천500억 투입한다 [“Free school uniform, asbestos removal, etc.”... Gyeonggi-do, Provincial Office of Education, Si-Gun, will invest 350 billion won next year].
Award for Health & Safety Activist
Oct 30, 2020
On October 27, 2020, it was announced that the work of Sanjiv Pandita, from the Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims (ANROEV), the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN) and the NGO Solidar Suisse, had been recognized by members of the American Public Health Association (APHA). In a virtual presentation made by Garrett Brown, Sanjiv was awarded the Leslie Nickels International Health & Safety Award 2020 in recognition of his “outstanding achievement in the field of occupational health and safety outside the U.S.” See: 2020 APHA OHS Awards [View from 1.01.20-1.12.00].
Brazil’s Asbestos Conundrum
Oct 30, 2020
On October 21, 2020, Brazil’s Inter-Union Department of Health and Work Environment Studies and Research [Departamento Intersindical de Estudos e Pesquisas de Saúde e dos Ambientes de Trabalho/ DIESAT] hosted an online discussion about Brazil’s asbestos conundrum: although the Supreme Court banned asbestos in 2017, the mining and export of asbestos fiber continues under a state-sanctioned dispensation. Speakers who took part included: pneumonologist Dr. Ubiritan, engineer and co-founder of the Brazilian asbestos victims’ group ABREA Fernanda Giannasi, Luciano Lima Leivas, Labor Attorney & Deputy Manager of the National Asbestos Banning Program of the Public Ministry of Labor and others. See: A luta pelo banimento do amianto no Brasil é tema de live [Struggle to ban asbestos in Brazil continues].
Guilty Verdict for French Businessmen
Oct 30, 2020
On October 26, 2020, managers of the Basaltine company – Philippe Mialanes and Yves Brugeaud – were found guilty of exposing nine employees to asbestos at their concrete factory near Marseille during the 2000s. The defendants received suspended sentences of three months in jail and fines of €10,000; the company was fined €40,000. The court ruled that the accused had endangered the workers’ lives by exposing them to deteriorating asbestos-containing panels located in an Ardèche workshop. See: Salariés exposés à l'amiante dans les années 2000: les réquisitions sont tombées [Employees exposed to asbestos in the 2000s: requisitions fell].
Spain’s Asbestos Legacy
Oct 30, 2020
An online commentary considered the background to the ongoing epidemic of asbestos-related diseases in Spain, a country which used 2.5 million tonnes of asbestos prior to 2002 when a national ban came into force. According to scientific experts, 30,000 people will die in Spain before 2030 because of asbestos exposures. The author deplored the illegal dumping of asbestos-containing debris which posed a serious public and environmental health hazard and issued serious warnings about the dangerous and illegal practice of using non-specialists for the removal of asbestos-containing material. See: Los canallas del Amianto [Asbestos scoundrels].
One Patient’s Journey
Oct 30, 2020
The story of 49-year old American physician’s assistant Deane Berg’s battle with bilateral ovarian cancer provided the focus for a half hour podcast. Her testimony was lucid, detailed and draining, in equal measure. Deane’s determination to identify the cause of her cancer sent her on a journey through the medical literature which led her to conclude that her long-term use of Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based baby powder, contaminated with asbestos, had been the cause of the cancer. After a thorough investigation, Deane hired Alan Smith from Mississippi to represent her; subsequently, Deane, filed the first lawsuit in the US against Johnson & Johnson over its sales of contaminated baby powder. See: Verified: Dust UP – Unlikely Partners.
Toxic Talc in Taiwan
Oct 30, 2020
Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder – called “Jiaosheng Baby Powder” in Taiwan – is the subject of a feature length Chinese article. The author explained that Jiaosheng Baby Powder was still being sold in Taiwan despite the fact that it had been withdrawn from North American markets; examining the reasons for the company’s change in marketing policy, the author postulated that the 20,000 lawsuits over cancers caused by exposures to asbestos contained in the powder could have been the reason. See: 嬌生百年經典危機（上）：訴訟戰20年...嬰兒爽身粉的致癌風暴 [Jiaosheng's 100-year classic crisis (part 1): 20 years of litigation... the carcinogenic storm of baby powder].
Asbestos-Free Madrid
Oct 28, 2020
The Governing Board of the Madrid City Council this week agreed to draw up a plan to eliminate asbestos from the Spanish capital by 2030, with Mayor Mercedes González highlighting the urgency of action needed to protect the population and prevent deadly exposures. According to the City Council, there are eleven districts in which 33 public schools contain asbestos. Mayor González is calling for remediation work at these schools to begin at the start of the school holidays. See: Aprobado un plan para que Madrid quede libre de amianto en 2030 [A plan approved for Madrid to be free of asbestos by 2030].
Asbestos Murder Trial in Novara
Oct 28, 2020
A criminal trial against Stephan Schmidheiny at the Novara Court of Assizes in north-west Italy, which had been postponed because of the pandemic, will commence on November 27, 2020. Schmidheiny has been charged with 392 cases of murder of former Eternit workers from the company’s asbestos-cement factory in Casale Monferrato and of local people who died of diseases caused by toxic exposures. The trial could be delayed because of the pandemic. Schmidheiny’s legal team is currently appealing a May 2019 verdict sentencing the defendant to 4 years in prison for the aggravated manslaughter of an Eternit worker from Cavagnolo. See: Stephan Schmidheiny «incurante dell’uomo e dell’ambiente» [Stephan Schmidheiny “heedless of man and the environment”].
Asbestos in Castle
Oct 28, 2020
On October 27, 2020 it was announced that sprayed asbestos material had been discovered in September on the indoor staircase of Okayama Castle, a 16th century structure in Okayama City on the west of Honshū Island. The city-owned building, which is now a museum, will remain open for the time being as no airborne fibers had been detected. Remediation work is scheduled to be undertaken in 2021, during which time the asbestos-containing paint identified in the castle’s tower will be removed. See: 岡山城にアスベスト 来年度の改修工事で撤去へ [Asbestos in Okayama Castle to be removed in next year's renovation work].
Mesothelioma Risk from Chrysotile
Oct 28, 2020
A paper published on October 21, 2020 examined occupational histories for 508 male workers, 176 of whom contracted mesothelioma – from a US case–control mesothelioma study in 1975-1980. While exposure to the complex mixture of extra-long amosite, short and long chrysotile, tremolite and anthophyllite fibers was associated with the highest risk of contracting mesothelioma, exposure to long and short chrysotile fibers alone was also associated with increased mesothelioma risk. The authors of the paper concluded: “that policies aimed at regulating asbestos should target both pure chrysotile and mixtures that include amphibole.” See: Mesothelioma risk among those exposed to chrysotile asbestos only and mixtures that include amphibole: a case-control study in the USA, 1975-1980.
Human Cost of Asbestos Use
Oct 28, 2020
Data released in British Colombia (BC) has revealed the price paid by workers in this Canadian Province for the use of asbestos. Occupational deaths in 2019 matched a record high set in 2013; the bill for the 2019 claims submitted by victims was $1.34 billion. Asbestos-related exposures remained the leading cause of work-related mortality in 2019 as it has been for the last decade, representing 32% of the deaths recognized; BC’s construction sector had the worst record in 2019 for deaths, many of which were caused by workplace asbestos exposures. See: B.C. 2019 workplace deaths match record high.
EU Asbestos Remediation Project: Update
Oct 26, 2020
Between 2005 and 2019, EU-funded efforts made substantial progress in remediating the site of one of Europe’s largest asbestos mines in Kozani, Northern Greece. The output of the mine, which covered 4,144 acres, was 100,000 tonnes of asbestos fiber per year. It was the largest environmental restoration project in the Balkans and was undertaken using a phased approach at a total cost of almost €50 million. See: Μεταλλεία Αμιάντου Β. Ελλάδας: Το μεγαλύτερο έργο περιβαλλοντικής αποκατάστασης στα Βαλκάνια, με τη συνδρομή της ΕΕ [Asbestos Mines in Northern Greece: The largest environmental rehabilitation project in the Balkans, with EU assistance].
Non-Occupational Mesothelioma Rates
Oct 26, 2020
Research into the incidence of the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma in Ontario and British Colombia, Canada revealed an increase in cases caused by non-occupational asbestos exposures. Scientists, led by Dr. Paul Demers, director of the Occupational Cancer Research Centre at Ontario Health, comparing data from 1993 to 2017 identified more than 4,000 cases in Ontario, the majority of which were due to occupational exposures to asbestos. There was, however, a significant increase in cases contracted from low-level non-occupational exposures to asbestos. See: What new Ontario-led research says about mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma: Update
Oct 26, 2020
A paper published in the October 13, 2020 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America by researchers in the US and Italy examined critical issues about how the inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The scientists, who found that doses of chloroquine or the antidepressant drug desmethylclomipramine increased asbestos-induced cell death, concluded that: “these Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs might be repurposed to protect high-risk asbestos-exposed individuals from developing mesothelioma.” See: Asbestos induces mesothelial cell transformation via HMGB1-driven autophagy.
Asbestos Appeal at Supreme Court
Oct 26, 2020
On the afternoon of October 22, 2020, the first hearing took place before Judge Takuya Fukayama at the Japanese Supreme Court in an appeal by 80 asbestos-injured construction workers and surviving family members from Kanagawa Prefecture. The plaintiffs, who are seeking damages from the Japanese government and manufacturers of building materials, argued that from at least 1975 there was knowledge of the harmful effects of asbestos exposures and measures should have been implemented to protect workers. See: 建設アスベスト訴訟、最高裁で弁論 同種上告審で初 [Construction asbestos proceedings, argument at the Supreme Court for the first time in a similar appeal!].
Algeria’s Asbestos Legacy
Oct 26, 2020
A recent article highlights the hazard to inhabitants of the Algerian city of El-Guemmas who live in homes with deteriorating asbestos roofing. The city was built in the 1980s following a natural disaster and is home to 31,500, with thousands living in 2,350 contaminated properties. A scheme by authorities encouraging residents to remediate properties was unfit for purpose. Expressing the views of many, Mohamed Hambli said: “We no longer want to live in this city, especially as many inhabitants have made changes to their homes, which has created anarchy, indescribable urban [chaos]…. Reconstruction is not within our reach for considerations of advanced age, financial means, the number of family members under the same roof and the urban configuration of the city.” See: Une vie sous un toit d’amiante [A life under an asbestos roof].
Asbestos: Political Hot Potato
Oct 23, 2020
A heated discussion on October 21, 2020 at the Madrid City Council heard calls for asbestos remediation, especially of the city’s schools, to be prioritized on the grounds of public safety. The Mayor of Madrid said he knew: “of schools where there are currently three teachers with cancer being treated.” “None of us,” he said “would want to have relatives” working or studying in such toxic conditions. Paloma Garcia, on behalf of the Department of Works and Equipment assured councillors that he shared their concerns and was progressing plans to address asbestos contamination throughout the capital. See: Más Madrid reclama un programa consensuado de retirada del Amianto [Political Party “More Madrid” calls for an agreed asbestos removal program].
Asbestos Proceedings in Paris
Oct 23, 2020
On October 12, 2020, there was a hearing at the Paris Court of Appeal on behalf of asbestos claimants from the Everite factory in Dammarie-les-Lys. In 2018 this case had been dismissed by magistrates who found it was not possible to determine the date when plaintiffs had inhaled the asbestos fibers which had caused their illnesses. It followed, therefore, that it was impossible to hold to account specific executives who may or may not have been in charge of the company at that time. According to one of the lawyers representing the victims “the guilt is cumulative.” For decades, French asbestos victims have been calling for a criminal trial of asbestos defendants. See: Scandale de l’amiante: “La chance de voir un procès pénal un jour se joue maintenant” [Asbestos scandal: “The chance to see a criminal trial one day is in play now].
Asbestos, No More!
Oct 23, 2020
The votes have been counted. The electorate of the former asbestos mining town of Asbestos has chosen the French name Val-des-Sources, meaning Valley of the Sources, as its new moniker bringing to a close more than a century of history, during which the town was named for a carcinogenic substance produced at the local Jeffrey white asbestos mine. Just over half the ballots supported the choice. Commenting on the outcome, Mayor Hugues Grimard said the name “represents our area, and especially, it’s inspiring for the future.” Former Mayor Louise Moisan-Coulombe agreed the change was necessary: “Once upon a time, we have been very proud of that name, but now it’s very difficult because asbestos means a fiber that people are afraid of.” See: New name for a Canadian town called Asbestos.
Asbestos and Cancer in China
Oct 20, 2020
According to the Beijing Municipal Health Commission (the Commission) lung cancer “is one of the most threatening malignant tumors to the health and life of the population.” In a new upload entitled "Scientific Fight against Cancer: Early Understanding and Early Prevention of Lung Cancer" on its website, the Commission lists occupational exposures to asbestos as a significant factor in increasing the incidence of lung cancer, and pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, explaining that there can be a latency of 20+ years between exposures and the manifestation of disease. See: 科学抗癌：早了解早预防肺癌 [Scientific Fight against Cancer: Early Understanding and Early Prevention of Lung Cancer].
Leaving Asbestos Behind!
Oct 20, 2020
Yet more coverage of the dilemma faced by voters in the small Quebec town of Asbestos who are in the process of rebranding their home town. The result of the poll to rename the municipality was due to be announced on October 19, 2020. A feature article from the Globe and Mail – one of Canada’s most popular English-language newspapers – examined the role the asbestos industry had played in the town’s history and the French-English ructions the name change had exposed. One interviewee was blunt: “The name harms economic development. You have to be realistic.” It will be interesting to see what the result of the vote will be. See: After years of debate, Asbestos, Que. is getting a new name in hope it will help the economy.
Asbestos Offensive
Oct 20, 2020
A Russian article on a Ukraine website purporting to be an examination of the reasons for the European Union’s asbestos ban was industry propaganda informed by the asbestos lobby; as evidenced by the inclusion of statements such as “there are quite a few areas in which chrysotile asbestos can be useful (and often even irreplaceable)”; “the environmental harm of chrysotile asbestos is also exaggerated”; and “the myth about the harmfulness of asbestos is proof of that”. It is noteworthy that the asbestos ban mandated by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health in 2017 was overturned after pressure had been exerted by vested interests. See: Асбест хризотил: опасность и вред хризотилового асбеста опровергнуты учеными [Chrysotile asbestos: dangers and harm of chrysotile asbestos refuted by scientists].
Asbestos Mystery
Oct 20, 2020
A blog (cited below) has examined facts reported in a recent feature article which had extolled the bright future for Brazil’s former asbestos giant Eternit SA, whilst ignoring the avalanche of personal injury claims still pending against the company. Since September 2020 and despite Eternit’s financial liabilities, the company’s share price and market value had almost doubled with a huge spike in shares trading on a particular day. The company, it said, was at a loss to explain this development. The volume of Eternit’s asbestos exports from its Goiás mine doubled between 2019 and 2020 even though the Supreme Court banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos in 2017. See: Quem não gosta de amianto? [Who doesn’t like asbestos?].
Import of Toxic Waste
Oct 20, 2020
In 2019, 1,684 tonnes of asbestos-containing waste was exported to Portugal from countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East for disposal in landfill sites. The amount exported in 2018 was 496 tonnes. The reason for the huge increase in volume was, said a Portuguese campaigner: “the cheap offers given in Portugal for those who want to deposit waste in landfills.” Ninety-nine percent of this waste had been sent to non-hazardous industrial waste landfills. As of December 2020, it will be illegal to ship asbestos waste to Portugal according to a new government regulation. See: Grécia, Malta, e até Nigéria e Oman enviaram "lixo" com amianto para Portugal [Greece, Malta, and even Nigeria and Oman sent asbestos “garbage” to Portugal].
Asbestos Propaganda
Oct 19, 2020
The benevolence of Kostanay Minerals JSC – one of the world’s largest producers of chrysotile asbestos fiber – is the focus of a piece by Evgeniya Ermakova, referenced below. The company’s mine and milling operations are centered in and around the town of Zhitikar in the Kostanay region of Kazakhstan. Of the 220,000+ tons of asbestos fiber mined every year in Kazakhstan, 95% is exported to India, Uzbekistan, China, Ukraine and other countries. The company has close ties to the government. See: Бизнес – это прежде всего люди [Business is primarily about people]. (P.S. In 2016, it was revealed that operatives employed by Kazakh asbestos interests had spied on ban asbestos campaigners.)
Growth in Global Asbestos Epidemic
Oct 19, 2020
Analyses – by Sugio Furuya, Coordinator of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN) – of data extracted from information published on October 17, 2020 in The Lancet in the paper: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, revealed that the global incidence of mortality from asbestos-related diseases (ARD) continued to grow during 2019. When deaths from mesothelioma, lung cancer, ovarian and larynx cancers and asbestosis were added together, there were a total of 241,764 ARD deaths in 2019; in 2016 and 2017 there were 224,918 and 234,904 deaths, respectively, from ARDs (see:GBD asbestos mortality estimates 2013-2019). See: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019: GBD Compare.
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Oct 19, 2020
An article uploaded to a Chinese language website on October 15, 2020 listed asbestos as the first of eight known causes of cancer and warned people to avoid exposure to products containing it. If occupational exposures cannot be avoided, then individuals should take precautionary measures such as changing work clothes before returning home. China is one of the world’s largest asbestos-producing and consuming countries. See: 原创 随处可见这种物质，却是可怕的1类致癌物！为了健康，请远离这8种 [This kind of substance can be seen everywhere, but it is a terrible Class 1 carcinogen! For health reasons, please stay away from these 8].
20th Century Legacy, 21st Century Hazard
Oct 19, 2020
Politicians in the Canadian city of Sarnia are supporting efforts by local people, including members of the groups Coalition for a Better St. Catharines and Sarnia’s Victims of Chemical Valley, to force federal and provincial governments to take ownership of the hazard posed by asbestos contamination of derelict industrial sites and force former owners to remediate premises and surrounding land. Of particular concern is the ~22 hectare property on Ontario Street that until 2010 was the location of the GM plant in St. Catharines, Ontario; the property was put up for sale in 2019 by Bayshore Groups. See: Sarnia mayor and others sound alarm over possible asbestos on former St. Catharines GM site.
2021 Virtual Mesothelioma Conference
Oct 19, 2020
The meeting of the International Mesothelioma Group (iMig) due to take place in Brisbane, Australia in 2020 has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. On October 15, 2020, iMig’s organizers announced that a virtual meeting of iMig will be held on May 7-9, 2021: “While we won’t get to meet in person,” they wrote “we look forward to providing a virtual experience that is accessible worldwide and to enable attendees to access the latest research in mesothelioma through a new format.” The last two iMig meetings took place in Ottawa, Canada (2018) and Birmingham UK (2015). See: Announcement: iMig 2021 is Going Virtual!
A Toxic Town
Oct 16, 2020
As the election proceeds in the former mining town of Asbestos for a new name, business leaders have been speaking about problems they experienced with the town’s original name. These include both professional and personal difficulties such as problems at border crossings for delivery vehicles, mistrust by potential business partners and reluctance to interact with “Asbestrians” by foreigners afraid of contamination. The new name, chosen by the electorate including anyone over 14 years old, is scheduled to be announced on October 19, 2020. See: Un nom lourd à porter pour des gens d’affaires [A heavy name to bear for business people].
Asbestos Anxiety at Renault
Oct 16, 2020
On October 13, 2020 a hearing took place – which had been postponed from Spring 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic – at the Lyon industrial tribunal, to consider cases brought by 200 former Renault workers from the company’s Vénissieux factory over asbestos anxiety, a psychological condition caused by the knowledge that the claimants had been occupationally exposed to asbestos. Another hearing is listed for November 2020 which will examine similar accusations from 1,200 other Renault workers. See: Amiante à Renault Trucks: les ex-salariés veulent la reconnaissance de leur "préjudice d'anxiété" [Asbestos at Renault Trucks: Ex-employees want recognition of their “Asbestos Anxiety”].
Asbestos Management in Schools
Oct 16, 2020
On October 14, 2020, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) issued new guidance about “Asbestos Management in Schools.” The HSE upload used case studies to illustrate actions that must be taken prior to the commencement of replacement, refurbishment or demolition work that could disturb asbestos at schools or colleges. Mandatory measures covered in the HSE document included the compilation of an asbestos survey, the use of certified asbestos removal operatives, updating of existing asbestos registers and asbestos management plans, and the safe and approved disposal of asbestos-containing waste generated by the work. See: Asbestos management in schools.
Japan’s Mesothelioma Epidemic
Oct 16, 2020
According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare there have been 26,608 deaths since 1995 from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma and the number of deaths “is expected to increase in the future,” due to the country’s widespread and heavy use of asbestos throughout the 20th century. A comparison between asbestos consumption data, asbestos regulations and incidences of disease from Japan and the UK supported the prediction that mesothelioma mortality in Japan will continue to increase for some years to come. See: アスベストの脅威続く 中皮腫死すでに2万6608人 被害予測は10万人超 [Asbestos threat continues, mesothelioma deaths already 26,608, damage forecast exceeds 100,000 people].
Mesothelioma Treatment: Update
Oct 16, 2020
Norwegian biopharmaceutical company Bergenbio announced that treatment had started in a clinical trial assessing the efficacy of bemcentinib for patients with relapsed malignant mesothelioma as part of a UK trial sponsored by the University of Leicester and supported by the British Lung Foundation. According to Director of the Leicester Clinical Trials Unit, Professor Anne Thomas, Professor Dean Fennell and Dr Matthew Krebs were leading the research team and the commencement of treatment represented “the culmination of three years' work. The ultimate output of this study will,” he said “be the potential to provide benefit to the MPM population.” See: Bergenbio: Announces First Patient Dosed with Bemcentinib in Relapsed Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Investigator Sponsored Phase IIA Study.
Another Mesothelioma Death in Japan
Oct 14, 2020
The mesothelioma death was reported on October 12, 2020 of 51-year old Eri Matsui, a Japanese mother of two who was exposed as a child to asbestos liberated by a water pipe factory near her home in Saitama City. Ms. Matsui endured a protracted battle for recognition and compensation against those she considered responsible for her disease and became a leading campaigner in the fight to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard. A documentary film entitled “Playing with the glowing sand as a child” about Japan’s toxic asbestos legacy in which she had a feature role was released a mere eight days before she died. See: アスベスト被害者 松井絵里さん逝去 [Asbestos victim Eri Matsui passes away].
Landmark Legal Proceedings Begin!
Oct 14, 2020
For decades, asbestos victims in France have been calling for a criminal trial of those behind the country’s fatal epidemic of asbestos cancers and diseases. On October 16, proceedings before the Paris Court of Appeal will seek to overturn decisions absolving executives and decision makers of negligence over their part in the catastrophe which continues to claim thousands of lives every year. Lawyers representing victims will argue that a report by expert witnesses relied upon by judges had been misinterpreted. “Investigating judges,” the claimants say “should therefore have concluded that it was possible… to determine the periods of exposure during which the victims were contaminated with asbestos…” See: Mettre fin au scandale judiciaire de l’amiante [Ending the asbestos legal scandal].
Another Avoidable Asbestos Death
Oct 14, 2020
The death of 61-year old Francesco Anzalone brings to 31 the number of former workers of Isochimica di Avellino who died from asbestos-related diseases. Despite his efforts to improve workplace conditions, in the 1980s Mr. Anazlone’s job brought him into daily contact with asbestos insulation on railway carriages being repaired at the Borgo Ferrovia workshops. He died three years after having been diagnosed with the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. See: Muore ex operaio dell'Isochimica di Avellino: 31esima vittima dell'amianto [A former worker of Isochimica di Avellino dies: 31st victim of asbestos].
Municipal Identity Crisis
Oct 14, 2020
A feature article reviewing identity issues of towns saddled with toxic, rude, or comical names examined the problems being faced by municipal authorities attempting to rebrand a former mining town in Quebec called “Asbestos.” Despite the cost of the renaming process, estimated at US$100,000 the town’s leaders are optimistic it will be beneficial in the long run. According to Asbestos town councillor Caroline Payer: “We are losing great business opportunities just because of our name… It’s very sad.” See: Why the Canadian town of Asbestos wants a new name.
Supporting Asbestos Victims in Cádiz
Oct 14, 2020
The Mayor of San Fernando, in the Spanish Province of Cádiz met last week with the directors of a local asbestos victims’ group to express support for people affected by occupational asbestos exposures in the Naval sector, which included workers from the three shipyards in the Bay of Cádiz. Asbestos exposures at these workplaces took place initially during the construction of boats and more latterly during repair work. In the Bay of Cádiz there are around 10,000 former shipyard employees and many more family members whose health could also have been affected via take-home exposures. See: Cavada muestra su apoyo a la Asociación de Afectados por el Amianto en el Sector Naval [Cavada shows its support for the Association of People Affected by Asbestos in the Naval Sector].
International Burden of Mesothelioma
Oct 14. 2020
A paper entitled “Burden of Mesothelioma Deaths by National Income Category: Current Status and Future Implications” was published last month (September 2020) by international researchers. The authors found that the majority of mesothelioma deaths which had been reported to the World Health Organization had been contracted in high income or middle income countries. Going forward, the scientists predicted that: “mesothelioma burdens will likely manifest soon in upper middle-income and eventually in low and lower middle-income countries.” Asbestos consuming countries were urged “to stop using all types of asbestos” as per WHO policy. See: Burden of Mesothelioma Deaths by National Income Category: Current Status and Future Implications.
Asbestos & COVID-19 in Montana
Oct 13 2020
The people of Libby, Montana know all about living with an invisible killer. The operations of the vermiculite mine dispersed asbestos fibers throughout the town for decades, as a result of which many people who never worked at the mine contracted asbestos-related diseases by just breathing the air. The contamination which scarred their lungs makes them particularly vulnerable to complications from COVID-19. According to Dr. Miles Miller from Libby’s Center for Asbestos Related Diseases, at least 1 in 10 people in Libby have an asbestos-related illness which would compromise their recovery from the virus. See: COVID-19 Stalks A Montana Town Already Grappling with Asbestos Disease.
From Asbestos City to Smart City?
Oct 13, 2020
Plans have been announced to build a smart city in the Zimbabwe town of Zvishavane, home to the country’s only chrysotile asbestos mine. Sharon Valley will be Zimbabwe’s first privately owned city and will have state of the art infrastructure and facilities. Zvishavane was first developed to house workers from the asbestos mine which began operations in 1916; it had been non-operational for years until the government started rehabilitation work on it some while ago. Tens of thousands of tonnes of asbestos mining waste are scattered throughout the Zvishavane area. See: Sharon Valley builds smart city.
Funding for Asbestos Research Center
Oct 13, 2020
It was announced last week, that the outstanding work being done in Western Australia’s National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD) to improve protocols for the diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma and lung cancer had been recognized by a federal grant of $2.5 million. Welcoming the award, NCARD’s Director Professor Anna Nowak explained that the funding was vital to keep researchers “at the forefront of discovering health and medical solutions for those with serious health conditions.” See: $5 million in federal funding to help improve health of Australians.
Asbestos Offensive in Russia
Oct 13, 2020
Industry propaganda masquerading as legitimate online content promoted sales of Russian chrysotile asbestos by listing multiple advantages of using chrysotile products such as their “affordability” and efficacy, all the while omitting to mention the fact that exposure to these products can cause a variety of cancers and respirable diseases. “Chrysotile asbestos products are,” the author wrote “time-tested and proven to be of high quality… The use of chrysotile cement products saves money for other projects.” See: Как продукция из хризотил-асбеста поможет сэкономить, не потеряв в качестве [How chrysotile asbestos products can help you save money without losing quality].
Call for Kenya to Ban Asbestos
Oct 12, 2020
A commentary by political economist Dr Ndonye examined the hidden danger posed to Kenyans from asbestos contamination of the country’s infrastructure. The author highlighted the country’s devastatingly high incidence of cancer mortality and the fact that asbestos had still not been banned in Kenya. A report in 2013 by the National Environmental Management Authority to safeguard human health by managing asbestos waste provided no follow-up plan or regulatory regime for enforcement. “Sadly,” Dr. Ndonye wrote: “Kenya is still dragging its feet. How many lives should be lost for the government to treat asbestos as the killers that they are?” See: Why NEMA must enforce Pulling down Killer Asbestos Roofing.
Asbestos Rally in Tokyo
Oct 12, 2020
On October 8, 2020 campaigners supporting the legal rights of construction workers to be compensated for asbestos-related diseases held an outdoor rally at the Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall in Tokyo, to highlight their demand in anticipation of an expected ruling by the Supreme Court. The demonstrators were calling for relief for all the victims and the establishment of a compensation fund. Mitsuo Yoshida, Chair of the trade union Zenken Soren, told the meeting that: “The responsibility of the government and building material manufacturers is clear. We should try to resolve them [these cases] during the lifetime of the plaintiffs.” See: 建設石綿訴訟全面解決を [Complete resolution of construction asbestos proceedings].
Justice for Montefibre workers?
Oct 12, 2020
On October 8, 2020 Italy’s Supreme Court overturned a ruling by the Turin Appeal Court which had acquitted former managers of the Montefibre company – that had closed in 1983 – of manslaughter, over asbestos deaths of employees. The case against the defendants: Luigi Ceriani, Giorgio Mazzanti, Gianluigi Poletti, Bruno Quaglieri and Carlo Vannini will return to the Turin Appeal Court. See: Amianto. “Sentenza storica Cassazione che ha annullato assoluzione dirigenti Montefibre di Verbania-Pallanza” [Asbestos. “Historical Supreme Court ruling cancels the acquittal of Montefibre executives of Verbania-Pallanza”].
Alert over Toxic Products for Children
Oct 12, 2020
In an article for Russian parents about the hazards of toxic products in consumer goods, the author highlighted the dangers of asbestos-riddled talcum powder in cosmetics used for children: “Laboratory tests have identified residues of carcinogenic asbestos in talcum-based cosmetics for children and adolescents. Geologically, asbestos is usually found in the same rock where talc is mined. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, which can settle deep in the lungs and cause mesothelioma or other fatal diseases decades after exposure.” See: МАМА ПРИУЧИЛА: 6 ИНГРЕДИЕНТОВ, КОТОРЫХ НЕ ДОЛЖНО БЫТЬ В КОСМЕТИКЕ [Mothers Warning: 6 Ingredients that Should Not be in Cosmetics].
Wales Update: New Mesothelioma Project
Oct 12, 2020
A two-year project has been launched by Mesothelioma UK to support patients suffering from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, in Wales. The initiative, which is being funded by a grant from the Burdette Trust for Nursing, will be led by Mesothelioma UK Clinical Nurse Specialist for Wales, Sarah Morgan who said: “Many cancer patients and cancer services have been badly affected by the recent pandemic and none more so than the mesothelioma patients and services. The need for an All Wales approach to specialist services for mesothelioma has never been more urgent.” See: New project to support asbestos cancer patients in Wales.
Asbestos Discovery in Cosmetics
Oct 12, 2020
An investigation by the Dutch current affairs program EénVandaag this week revealed the presence of asbestos fibers in cosmetic products sold in the Netherlands. After repeated testing by laboratories in in Holland and the US, the asbestos contamination of two products by the retail chain Hema and cosmetic company Douglas was confirmed. Responding to these findings, the companies which produced “B.A.E loose powder foundation 2nd skin” and “My Cheek Palette Blush” withdrew them from sale; they are now back on the shelves as the manufacturers say that results of tests they commissioned had shown the products were free of asbestos. See: Asbestos found in Hema, Douglas makeup.
Asbestos Cancer: Another Tragedy
Oct 9, 2020
A press release issued by the asbestos victims’ group (AFeVA) in Emilia Romagna, Italy on October 7, 2020 announced the mesothelioma death of Luciano Tonioni who, like so many AFeVA members, was exposed to asbestos at the Bologna railway repair workshop. Mr. Tonioni, who was diagnosed in January, 2020 aged 76, was a sheet metal worker at the Via Casarini [Casarini Street] workshop from 1972 to l978. His funeral is today (October 9, 2020). See: COMUNICATO STAMPA AFeVA Emilia Romagna [PRESS RELEASE AFeVA Emilia Romagna].
Launch of Asbestos-free Brake Pads
Oct 9, 2020
In the world’s biggest asbestos-producing nation and the spiritual home of the global asbestos lobby, news that an asbestos-free line of brake pads has been launched is of great import. One of the unique selling points of TMD Friction’s new epad series of Textar brake pads for the Russian and CIS markets is the fact that these products are free of asbestos. Despite their lack of asbestos, the new pads are, according to the company, “distinguished by improved characteristics: no noise during braking, the formation of a small amount of wear products, as well as a shorter braking distance in most road situations.” See: Textar представил новые тормозные колодки [Textar introduces new brake pads].
Asbestos Audit Protocol
Oct 9, 2020
The French Ministry of Labor published two texts on legal duties to identify asbestos before the commencement of programs of work. The first document explained the responsibilities of professional or private duty holders, pointing out that two million workers are still at-risk from workplace exposures. The second document examined the few exemptions from mandatory obligations to conduct asbestos audits prior to beginning work. See: Obligations de repérage amiante avant travaux: le rappel du Ministère du Travail [Asbestos identification obligations before work: a reminder from the Ministry of Labor].
Mesothelioma in Hong Kong
Oct 9, 2020
A lengthy and informative Chinese feature article marked International Mesothelioma Day with an interview with 72-year old Huang Bo, who was employed at Hong Kong’s Taikoo Dockyard for 50 years. In 2019, Mr. Bo was diagnosed with the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. At no time was he or his colleagues informed about the nature of the toxic product they worked with and they were never provided with protective equipment or clothing. There were 232 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in Hong Kong between 2006 and 2015. The import, transshipment, supply and use of all types of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials are now banned in Hong Kong. See: 國際間皮瘤關注日 [International Mesothelioma Awareness Day].
Johnson & Johnson $100 Million Settlement
Oct 8, 2020
On October 5, 2020, news was released that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had come to a $100 million agreement to settle over 1,000 cases concerning cancers caused by use of its talc-based baby powder, despite its continued reassurances that its iconic product was free from asbestos. According to a company statement: “In certain circumstances, we do choose to settle lawsuits, which is done without an admission of liability and in no way changes our position regarding the safety of our products…” Although J&J has withdrawn this product from sale in North America it continues to market it in markets around the world. See: J&J to pay more than US$100M to end over 1,000 talc suits.
Asbestos in the Water?
Oct 8, 2020
An investigation into the widespread presence of asbestos-cement pipes in water delivery systems in Western Canada reveals a disconnect between state-of-the-art knowledge about the hazards posed by the deterioration of these pipes and accepted practice in prairie cities, with only 1 in 13 contacted testing fiber levels in water every year. The limited testing protocol is in Regina which only tests samples from one place in the city every year. This practice is inadequate according to US and Canadian experts. See: Testing the waters: Do Regina's asbestos-cement water mains pose a risk?
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 8, 2020
Pursuant to a national project to make schools in Korea fit for purpose, asbestos contamination in half the country’s 10,000 elementary, middle and high schools has been remediated. According to Representative Kim Byung-wook of the National Assembly's Board of Education: "It is important to provide high-quality education to children, but it is also very important to create an environment in which children can live in a safe and comfortable environment. We need to secure it,” he said. See: 전국 초중고 석면 제거율 절반 [Half of asbestos removal in elementary, middle and high schools achieved nationwide].
Basque Victim’s Legal Victory
Oct 8, 2020
A Basque Court in Donostia, Northern Spain ordered the defendant – Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (Construction & Other Railway Services/CAF) – to pay compensation of €133,665 to the family of a worker who died from asbestosis as a result of workplace exposures to asbestos. The deceased had worked as a boilermaker from 1973 to 1999 at the Irun and Beasain CAF factories. Arguments by CAF’s legal team that the size of the compensation payment should be halved because of the worker’s smoking history were rejected. See: CAF tendrá que indemnizar a un muerto por amianto [CAF will have to pay compensation for asbestos death].
Removal of Asbestos-cement Pipes
Oct 8, 2020
On October 5, 2020, a document was uploaded which provided operating instructions for employers for the safe removal of asbestos-cement underground water pipes in accordance with Italian legislation as per Article 256 of Legislative Decree 81/2008, subsequent amendments and Ministerial Decrees. Italy banned asbestos use in 1992 and has been at the forefront of EU countries working to eradicate the asbestos hazard. See: Le istruzioni per la rimozione di tubazioni in cemento Amianto [Instructions for removing asbestos cement pipes].
New Mesothelioma Treatment
Oct 7, 2020
On October, 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab as first-line treatment for adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, after studying the results of a randomized, open-label trial in patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma and no prior anticancer therapy. The trial demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall survival for patients treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab compared with those who received chemotherapy. See: FDA approves nivolumab and ipilimumab for unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Renaming Asbestos!
Oct 7, 2020
Last week, the town council of Asbestos unveiled a new list of potential names for voters in the former Quebec mining town to consider. The first panel of names released by the was met with derision. The names on the list released on October 2, 2020 included: L'Azur-des-Cantons, Larochelle, Val-des-Sources, Phénix and Trois-Lacs. The vote on the new name is scheduled to take place later this month (October 2020). The purpose of the name change is to dissociate the town from its mining history. See: ‘Jeffrey’ rejected: Que. town of Asbestos releases second list of possible new names.
James Hardie Puts Victims Last Again
Oct 7, 2020
James Hardie (JH) – also known as Australia’s “Killer Company” from the deadly impact of its decades-long asbestos operations – has ceased making an annual contribution of $500,000 towards research efforts into asbestos-related diseases. Pursuant to an agreement with the Australian Government, JH had committed to a 10-year agreement worth $5 million to Australian research institutes. As soon as the ten years had elapsed (in 2018), so did JH’s donations. See: James Hardie stopped funding asbestos research the moment it could.
Asbestos Prosecutions
Oct 7, 2020
On October 1, 2020 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) released an article reminding duty holders of their obligations under The Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012. The HSE publication cited prosecutions which resulted in substantial financial penalties for companies breaching provisions of the CAR: Newnham College Cambridge pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 5 and 16 of the CAR 2012 and was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,450.28; Labform Ltd. was fined £22,400 plus £11,700 costs for four breaches of the CAR 2012. See: Two prosecutions by the HSE highlight what asbestos refurbishment and asbestos demolition surveys do and why they are needed.
Addressing Korea’s Asbestos Legacy
Oct 7, 2020
On September 28, 2020, it was announced that a business agreement had been signed by the Incheon Metropolitan City Corporation and the Asbestos Damage Prevention Center to reduce toxic asbestos exposures and raise asbestos awareness in Incheon via the introduction of new management supervision tools to prevent asbestos damage, training for operatives working in the field of asbestos and collaboration on projects to prevent asbestos damage. See: 인천도시공사, 석면피해예방 업무협약(MOU) 체결 [Incheon City Corporation, asbestos damage prevention business agreement (MOU) signed].
Asbestos Ban Bill: Update
Oct 5, 2020
Hopes were dashed on September 29, 2020 when the House of Representatives failed to pass a bill – H. R. 1603 – banning asbestos in the US. Commentators from the Democratic Party claimed that the bill’s progress had been stalled by Republicans over potential legal ramifications the legislation might have had on toxic talc lawsuits. Expressing his disappointment over this turn in events, Frank Pallone Jr., Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said: “Everyone should be able to support a ban on this known carcinogen, which has no place in our consumer products or processes. More than 40,000 Americans die every year from asbestos exposure, but Republicans are willing to look the other way.” See: Asbestos ban stalls in Congress amid partisan fight.
Claimant’s Victory
Oct 5, 2020
An asbestos trial due to commence in the Pamplona Palace of Justice last week was pre-empted when a defendant which inherited the claim from a company it had acquired agreed to settle the case. Teo Vila, who died in February 2016 from an asbestos-related cancer, had worked for Laminaciones de Lesaka (now Arcelor Mittal) for 30 years. Proceedings were brought by his family supported by the LAB trade union for toxic workplace exposures which, the plaintiffs alleged, had caused Mr. Vila’s death. The widow and her daughter received €133,000 and €27,000, respectively. See: Indemnizan a una familia por la muerte por amianto de un trabajador [A family is compensated for the asbestos death of a worker].
Mesothelioma Mortality: New Data
Oct 5, 2020
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare expects the annual number of mesothelioma deaths to increase although figures just released showed a slight decline. There were 1,466 mesothelioma deaths in 2019 compared to 1,512 in 2018, with the highest incidence of mortality in Osaka (148), Tokyo (123) and Hyogo (107). Since 1995, there has been a total of 26,608 mesothelioma deaths in Japan. The Japanese government recognizes that most people who contract mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos. See: 昨年の中皮腫死1466人 ワースト3は大阪・東京・兵庫 推定原因はほぼアスベスト [Mesothelioma deaths in 2019 were 1466; worst affected areas were: Osaka, Tokyo, Hyogo. Probable cause of these deaths was almost certainly exposure to asbestos].
Addressing Scotland’s Asbestos Legacy
Oct 5, 2020
Clinical Nurse Specialist Carolyn MacRae has been appointed the leader of a team of specialist asbestos cancer nurses for Scotland in a post funded by Mesothelioma UK and the Glasgow-based campaigning group: Action on Asbestos. Welcoming this news, Mesothelioma UK’s Head of Nursing Lorraine Creech said: “Our partnership working with the Macmillan Scottish Mesothelioma Network has been the springboard for this role and we now have five Mesothelioma UK Clinical Nurse Specialists and one Pleural Specialist Nurse in an affiliated role throughout Scotland. We also have a further post in the planning stage.” See: UK Team Leader appointed in Scotland for asbestos-related cancer patients.
Asbestos in Schools: Charges!
Oct 2, 2020
On September 30, 2020, three officials – including former superintendent Alexis Kirijan of the Scranton, Pennsylvania school district – were charged with felony child endangerment over allegations that they had known about asbestos and lead contamination in Scranton schools but failed to take remedial action. The other defendants charged were former Director of Operations Jeffrey Brazil and current maintenance supervisor Joseph Slack. Allegations regarding the knowledge that officials had had regarding unsafe conditions at the schools had previously been made by current and former Scranton employees in a federal lawsuit. See: School officials charged over lead, asbestos contamination.
Grenfell Tower: Asbestos Fallout
Oct 2, 2020
A document entitled Health Risk Assessment of asbestos air quality monitoring results: Grenfell Tower, which was published on September 17, 2020 by Public Health England, examined the potential health risks posed by airborne asbestos in the aftermath of the June 14, 2017 fire. According to the report “on the basis of the monitoring data provided, it is considered by Public Health England that any additional risks to public health from the storage and movement of the bags of material would be low. The monitoring indicated that the risks from asbestos fibres on-site are not distinguishable from expected levels in the environment.” See: Health Risk Assessment of asbestos air quality monitoring results: Grenfell Tower.
Asbestos Anxiety
Oct 2, 2020
On September 25, 2020, after a protracted legal battle, the Douai Court of Appeal rejected an appeal by the Bosch company and recognized the rights of 387 former employees from a factory closed in 2009 to be compensated for asbestos anxiety. The claimants will, according to their lawyer Mr. Vrillac, each receive the sum of €8,000 (US$~9,400) by the end of 2020. The day before this verdict was handed down the Court of Appeal in Nancy awarded former workers from the Baccarat glass factory €9,000 each for asbestos anxiety. See: Beauvais: les ex-Bosch obtiennent la reconnaissance de leur préjudice d’anxiété lié à l’amiante [Beauvais: ex-Bosch (workers) obtain recognition for their anxiety damage linked to asbestos].
Poor Remediation Efforts
Oct 2, 2020
In a recent speech made to the National Assembly of South Korea, Representative Ja Lim, from the North Gyeongsang constituency, condemned Korea’s failure to expeditiously deal with the health hazards posed by the continuing presence of asbestos-containing products within the national infrastructure. Rep. Lim said: “The victims and their families are still suffering a lot from asbestos… It is urgent to improve the slow speed of [asbestos] remediation through expansion of the capacity to remove goods containing asbestos, a first-class carcinogen.” See: 임이자 의원, 석면 슬레이트 건축물 5년간 8.8% 처리불과 [Rep. Lim Isa, 8.8% of asbestos slate buildings remediated].
Calls to Deport Asbestos Lobby
Oct 1, 2020
On September 21, 2020, a letter was sent to the Premier of Quebec François Legault written by eminent Canadian health and safety campaigners calling on him to take action on the status of the International Chrysotile Association (ICA) – the mouthpiece of the global asbestos lobby – which is registered in Quebec as a non-profit organization. According to Quebec regulations, such bodies must promote the public good; the ICA promotes sales of a known carcinogen. The Companies Act requires that an organization have a representative who is physically present in Quebec; the ICA’s contact is resident in Europe. For this and other reasons, the ICA should be deregistered. See: Quebec government asked to stop assisting asbestos lobby to harm populations overseas.
Tragic Legacy for Railway Workers
Oct 1, 2020
Hundreds of former workers exposed routinely to asbestos on the French railways (SNCF) continue to wait for their day in court. In an ongoing legal action, 200 employees from the Oullins railway center have lodged complaints, in collaboration with their trade union, at the court in Lyon relating to toxic workplace exposures which have led to the condition known as asbestos anxiety. Efforts by SNCF lawyers to have the case dismissed have failed but due to the court’s backlog, a trial date is at least 18 months away. See: Près de 200 plaintes déposées à Lyon par des cheminots exposés à l'amiante dans un centre de la SNCF [Nearly 200 complaints filed in Lyon by railway workers exposed to asbestos in a SNCF center].
Asbestos Alert by Trade Union
Oct 1, 2020
The Spanish trade union CCOO – since the 1970s, the Comisiones Obreras has been the largest trade union in Spain – has issued public warnings about the health hazards posed by the illegal and widespread dumping of asbestos-containing waste, with its Secretary of Occupational Health explaining that: “In the entire southern and industrial area of Madrid you can see illegal dumping of garbage because they are depopulated areas without constant surveillance, and that is where we have located asbestos.” See: Los vecinos del sur, en riesgo por los vertidos ilegales de Amianto [Residents to the south at risk from illegal asbestos dumping].
Schools’ Asbestos Eradication Program
Oct 1, 2020
Work was carried out – commissioned by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education – during the Summer holidays of 2020 to remediate asbestos at 18 schools in the Korean capital. Follow-up investigations and testing revealed that the indoor air at 112 locations in the schools was within acceptable standards. This program was the first of its kind in Korea. See: 서울시내 석면 해체·제거 공사 학교 모두 석면으로부터 안전 [Asbestos demolition and removal construction schools in Seoul are all safe from asbestos].
Asbestos TV Documentary: Malta
Sep 29, 2020
On September 25, 2020 a TV documentary by Liam Carter entitled “Mewta Siekta” [Silent Death] was broadcast in Malta. The film examined the plight of former drydock workers who were occupationally exposed to asbestos and, as a result, are now suffering from life-threatening conditions. Medical experts explained the health hazards posed by these exposures not only to the workers but also to the wives who washed contaminated work clothes. See: Silent death: The Drydock employees who died from asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Mining: A Constitutional Crisis
Sep 29, 2020
Although the Brazilian Supreme Court banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos in 2017, the Eternit-owned SAMA chrysotile asbestos mine is still operational under Goiás state law permitting mining to continue. The constitutional crisis revealed by this situation is explored in a blog by retired factory inspector Fernanda Giannasi who deplored the double standards of Eternit’s current policy promoting continued asbestos mining for export as “environmental racism.” See: Fernanda Giannasi (ABREA) comenta a entrevista do Presidente da Eternit, Luis Augusto Barbosa, à revista Exame, publicada em 23/9/2020 [Fernanda Giannasi (ABREA) comments on the interview of Eternit's President, Luis Augusto Barbosa, to Exame magazine, published on 9/23/2020].
Asbestos on the Balearic Islands
Sep 29, 2020
On September 24, 2020, an asbestos conference was held in Mallorca, Spain to examine the island’s legacy of widespread and uncontrolled use of toxic products. Experts who addressed the meeting highlighted the importance of a state-of-the-art professional approach to the serious issues of asbestos identification and management, warning that failure to take adequate precautions could result in hazardous exposures not only to workers but also to members of the public. See: El amianto genera problemas graves en la salud y requiere la gestión de profesionales acreditados [Asbestos generates serious health problems and requires the management of accredited professionals].
Asbestos Anxiety
Sep 28, 2020
On Thursday September 24, 2020, the Court of Appeal of Nancy, France recognized the condition of asbestos anxiety suffered by 264 former employees of the Baccarat crystal glassware factory in Baccarat, France. The claimants, part of the second asbestos class action against the company, were each awarded the sum of €9,000 (US$10,500). A third lawsuit on behalf of 153 more workers is pending. See: [Subscription] Amiante: le préjudice d’anxiété reconnu pour 264 ex-salariés de Baccarat [Asbestos: the prejudice of anxiety recognized for 264 former employees of Baccarat].
No “Social License” for Asbestos Use
Sep 28, 2020
In a press release by Eternit – Brazil’s former “Asbestos Giant” – the company finally admitted, three years after Brazil’s Supreme Court had banned asbestos, that it had no “social license” for the continued use of asbestos in Brazil. The company, which had been a stalwart defender of asbestos and even now continues to mine asbestos for export purposes only at its SAMA chrysotile mine, is publicly repositioning itself as a leader in green technology with its promotion of solar technology and photovoltaic roofing tiles. See: Após deixar o amianto e lançar telha de energia solar, a Eternit quer mais [After leaving asbestos and launching solar energy tiles, Eternit wants to expand].
Asbestos Diseases in Healthcare Sector
Sep 28, 2020
A new study by the University of Sheffield has highlighted the repercussions of the asbestos contamination of UK healthcare facilities and recommended that NHS staff and others employed in these premises be provided with training regarding the hazards of asbestos exposures. These actions would prevent avoidable exposures and reduce the incidence of asbestos cancers amongst healthcare workers. Welcoming this publication, Liz Darlison of Mesothelioma UK said: “Mesothelioma UK will ensure that this research raises awareness of the risk of exposure to healthcare staff and hopefully, improve the treatment and care given to them by medical teams and support agencies.” See: Include asbestos risk awareness in NHS staff training, study recommends.
Asbestos Waste: The Hazard
Sep 28, 2020
Last week Quercus, an environmental organization in Portugal, issued an alert over the improper dumping of asbestos in household waste, in the countryside and at abandoned quarries, reiterating warnings that a government ban on non-hazardous waste landfills receiving asbestos cement debris could lead to an increase in hazardous fly-tipping which could impact on both workers and members of the public. Should the situation continue, clean-up costs incurred by the government could be substantial. The lack of capacity for asbestos inspection and training of at-risk workers in Portugal, says Quercus, is a serious problem. See: Illegal asbestos dumping concerns.
Asbestos Crackdown
Sep 28, 2020
Investigators in Korea’s Gyeonggi Province who inspected 359 asbestos demolition sites between August 10 and 28, 2020 identified 27 incidents where amounts varying from 40 to 2,000 kilograms of asbestos-containing waste had been illegally collected, transported or dumped according to an announcement made on September 24, 2020 by the Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Corps. Cases are being brought against all those companies responsible. See: 발암물질 폐석면 불법 처리 업체들 무더기 적발 [Illegal asbestos fly tipping company found].
NGOs’ Asbestos Alert
Sep 25, 2020
At a press conference in Seoul, Korea on September 21, 2020, spokepersons for the non-governmental organizations the Gwangju Environmental Movement Association and the Environmental Health Citizens’ Center announced that as a result of a 3-month investigation they could confirm the presence of tremolite asbestos fibers in cement and mortar products being sold in Korea. The NGOs urged the government to act not only on banning sales of these deadly products but also on identifying and protecting at-risk workers. See: 환경단체 “시판중인 백시멘트·황토모르타르에서 석면 검출” [Environmental organization “Detection of asbestos in commercially available white cement and loose mortar”].
Another Asbestos Scandal!
Sep 25, 2020
Multiple whistleblowers, including a former waste inspector, truck drivers and plant operators, have alleged that asbestos-contaminated soil was used to make “turf underlay” at Oran Park site, a development of 25,000 new homes in Sydney, Australia. Commenting on the allegations emeritus associate professor at Murdoch University and lead investigator in the Australian Asbestos Network project Gail Phillips said: “Without wanting to alarm people, this is a very worrying thing if asbestos is ending up in housing estates, because just one fibre being breathed in can cause health problems down the track.” According to media reports, an investigation is ongoing. See: Revealed: asbestos-contaminated waste found in landscaping material at new Sydney housing estate site.
Justice Delayed
Sep 25, 2020
There has been a last-minute postponement to the handing down of a statement by Investigating Magistrate María Isabel Garaizaba regarding charges of reckless homicide brought against seven defendants responsible for occupational health and safety at the company operating the Madrid Metro. The announcement scheduled for September 23, 2020 will now not be made until October 6 or 7. Hearings in this case over the deaths of two Metro workers have been ongoing for more than a year. The delay has brought condemnation from the Spanish trade union: CCOO. See: La juez del caso amianto suspende las declaraciones de este jueves ¡ [The judge of the asbestos case suspends Thursday’s declarations!]
Huge Fine for Illegal Dump
Sep 25, 2020
On September 21, 2020, High Court of Ireland judge Mr Justice Humphreys ordered mother and son Eileen and Fred Hendy to pay Meath County Council compensation of €6.26 million for contempt of court orders requiring them to deal with two illegal dumps containing 100,000 tonnes of waste, including asbestos debris, on their 253 acre farm in Enfield, County Meath. The Hendys had been given three years to take steps to clean up the site but had failed to do so as a result of which the Council would be tasked with commissioning contractors to undertake the remediation work. See: Mother and son fined €6.2m over failure to clean up illegal farm dumps.
Supporting Asbestos Interests
Sep 24, 2020
At a recent meeting with Denis Pasler, Governor of the Orenburg Region – home to one of the world’s largest chrysotile (white) asbestos mines – the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov pledged the Federal Government’s support for the asbestos industry. Manturov said that the development of this industry is of importance to both regional and national economies. There was no mention in this article about the carcinogenicity of asbestos or the global campaign to ban asbestos use. See: Минпромторг РФ поддержит хризотиловую отрасль в Оренбуржье [The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation will support the chrysotile industry in the Orenburg region].
Is it a bird, a turtle or a carcinogen?
Sep 24, 2020
The process to rename the toxic Quebec mining town of “Asbestos” is not going very smoothly. Public consultations and deliberations were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and now the shortlist of four names selected by municipal officials has been soundly rejected. None of the names chosen – Apalone, Jeffrey, Phenix and Trois-Lacs – has found favor with the public and as a result the town council has delayed the prospective October 2020 vote to consider options which might include expanding the list of potential names. See: Quebec town Asbestos, hits pause on name change process after citizen complaints.
Grant for UK Mesothelioma Charity
Sep 24, 2020
Mesothelioma UK, a charity supporting victims of asbestos cancer, has been awarded a £10,000 grant by The Burdett Trust for Nursing to develop a Mesothelioma Multi-Disciplinary Team in Wales and support work of clinical nurse specialists in delivering care to mesothelioma patients. Welcoming this donation, Mesothelioma UK’s Head of Nursing Lorraine Creech said: “This funding will help us to establish a better provision of specialist support and expertise for patients in Wales where there is currently no multi-disciplinary team for mesothelioma. The project in Wales will help to us to achieve our aim of ensuring equitable access to first-class treatment and care for all patients in the UK.” See: The Burdett Trust for Nursing awards grant to Mesothelioma UK.
Appeal by Asbestos Defendants
Sep 24, 2020
A decision handed down by the Tokyo District Court on September 4, 2020, against the Japanese Government and asbestos manufacturers, awarding compensation of 1.3 bn yen (US$12.2m) to 121 former workers who had contracted asbestos-related diseases has been appealed by three companies including the Nichias Corporation, a defendant in many Japanese asbestos lawsuits. In the Tokyo verdict, Judge Maezawa had been categorical about the guilt of the defendants: “Since 1975 at the latest, when dealing with asbestos, it has been obligatory to use warning signs and dust masks.” See: ニチアスら２社が控訴 石綿被害訴訟、東京 [Nichias and two other companies appeal asbestos damage lawsuit, Tokyo].
Building Diagnostic Capacity
Sep 22, 2020
On September 19, 2020, the Korean Environmental Industry and Technology Institute in collaboration with the Korean Radiological Society conducted an online training workshop for radiologists on the subject of: Reading Asbestos Disease Imaging. The initiative was part of national efforts to increase capacity and develop expertise so that earlier diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases are made. Successful participants will be eligible to work for the “Computed Tomography Photo Reading Advisory Group” that supports the Asbestos Damage Judgment Committee. See: 환경산업기술원, 석면질병 영상판독 교육 [Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, asbestos disease image reading education].
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 22, 2020
The Education Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Yvette Berry last week confirmed that 69 schools in Canberra had hazardous materials including asbestos and lead on their premises. A sum of A$15 million allocated to clean up ACT schools will, she said, be rationed so that resources are used to prioritize remediation of the most hazardous situations first. Speaking on behalf of the ACT Green Party, Environmental spokeswoman Jo Clay said: “Children as well as teaching staff in schools and early-childhood centres have the right to work and play without damaging hazardous and toxic materials and chemicals in their immediate environments.” See: ACT Election: Almost 70 Canberra schools have lead or asbestos on site.
Asbestos in Paradise?
Sep 22, 2020
Work to remediate asbestos contamination on El Hierro, the smallest of the Canary Islands, was conducted last week by a specialist company at the behest of local councils. According to Councillor for the Environment, Waste and Recycling Montserrat Gutiérrez, work during the current phase removed, treated and disposed of 14 cubic meters of asbestos waste. The next phase of the program will focus on the removal of asbestos-containing products from residential properties. See: El Cabildo lleva a cabo una campaña de retirada de Amianto [Cabildo carries out an asbestos removal campaign].
Asbestos Waste Disposal Regime
Sep 22, 2020
The environmental Portuguese NGO Quercus and the asbestos victims support group SOS Amianto categorized the recent decision of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) to send asbestos waste to three landfill dumpsites in the Chamusca area as ill-considered. Representing these groups, Carmen Lima told journalists that the APA should delay making its final decision to allow other landfills time to implement protocols which would allow them to safely receive this waste. Additional criticism about the APA’s guidelines for the disposal of asbestos waste was discussed in this article. See: SOS Amianto e Quercus dizem que decisão de enviar todo o amianto para a Chamusca foi “precipitada” [SOS Asbestos and Quercus say the decision to send all asbestos to Chamusca was “hasty”].
Court of Shame!
Sep 21, 2020
The Brazilian Supreme Court has been soundly criticized over failing to convene a quorum of judges to hand down its decision on cases against the constitutionality of unilateral asbestos bans. On the court schedule for September 16, 2020 were cases against asbestos bans in the States of Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and Rio de Janeiro and the municipality of São Paulo. Eight of the 11 Justices were required to appear in order to provide a quorum but three declined to take part due to potential conflicts of interest, one was absent without leave and one was on sick leave, leaving the bench two Justices short. See: Fernanda Giannasi: Mais uma vez o STF foge da briga com a indústria da fibra assassina [Fernanda Giannasi: Once again the Supreme Court dodges confrontation with the killer fiber industry].
Mesothelioma during Covid-19 Pandemic
Sep 21. 2020
A second study on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on mesothelioma patients was published earlier this month by the UK charity Mesothelioma UK. Whereas the first study (May 2020) was based on feedback from patients and carers, this one was informed by the experiences of 20 Mesothelioma UK Nurses. This is an extremely interesting document which should be of interest not only to the mesothelioma community but also to a variety of experts studying the knock-on effects of the epidemic. Among the more chilling findings expressed was “Fear about contracting COVID, about not being considered eligible or worthy of COVID treatment and continual worry about their mesothelioma progressing whilst treatments were disrupted.” Download (PDF): COVID Impact Survey 2 - Sep 2020.
Victim’s Verdict in Fukuoka
Sep 21, 2020
On September 16, 2020, the Presiding Judge Atsushi Tokuchi of the Fukuoka District Court issued a ruling ordering the Kitakyushu Municipal Government and a building maintenance firm to pay compensation of ~26 million yen (US$246,000) to the family of a worker who died in 2013 aged 78 from asbestos-related lung cancer as a result of toxic workplace exposures at the Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium, a facility that was constructed using asbestos materials. This verdict is believed to be the first of its kind to recognize a municipal government's responsibility for asbestos management. See: Fukuoka court holds local gov't responsible for worker's asbestos exposure in Japan first.
Remediation of Imported Railway Cars
Sep 21, 2020
As a result of a project progressed by the environmental NGO Quercus and its partner SOS Asbestos, it was discovered that Portugal had purchased 51 railway units from the Spanish railway operator Renfe. All the vehicles were contaminated with asbestos. SOS Asbestos has been in contact with the Portuguese importer – Comboios de Portugal – to ascertain that asbestos removal specialists had been commissioned to remediate the trains prior to their being put into service in Portugal. See: SOS AMIANTO: Portugal usará comboios espanhóis, mas livres de Amianto [SOS Asbestos: Portugal will use Spanish trains, but with asbestos removed].
Mesothelioma and Smoking
Sep 21, 2020
Last week the Superior Court of Justice of the Basque Country (TSJPV) reversed an iniquitous ruling of Social Court No. 10 of Bilbao that had reduced by 20% compensation to the family of a subcontractor painter from the La Naval shipyard who died from asbestos cancer due to his smoking history. The Court, which found that there was no causal connection between tobacco consumption and the occurrence of mesothelioma, ordered the defendants to pay the full amount awarded. See: El TSJPV rechaza reducir la indemnización a un trabajador expuesto al amianto por ser fumador [The TSJPV refuses to reduce the compensation to a worker exposed to asbestos for being a smoker].
Town Seeks Non-Asbestos Option
Sep 18, 2020
In an attempt to distance itself from its toxic history, a former asbestos mining town in Quebec has constituted a short list from which residents can select a new name. The town’s original name of “Asbestos” was deemed unsuitable for the post-asbestos future now that Canada had banned the mining, sale and export of chrysotile (white) asbestos. At a meeting on September 14, 2020, the town council announced that the four names which had been chosen out of the 1,000 submitted were: Jeffrey (the mine’s original operator), Apalone (a turtle species), Phénix (a mythical bird) and Trois-Lacs (a neighborhood of the town). Residents 14 years and older will be eligible to vote during the October 2020 election. See: Asbestos in Quebec Shortlists Four New Names to Get Fresh Start.
Ending Asbestos Use in Asia
Sep 18, 2020
Campaigners are actively seeking reassurances from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that it will honor promises made in 2019 to ban the use of asbestos in all of the projects it funds. The 2020 Annual Meeting of the ADB is taking place virtually this week and constitutes an opportunity for action to be taken to put this promise into policy say officials from Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA). Current ADB Policy prohibits the use of raw asbestos in projects but allows the use of asbestos bonded cement sheets which are the most common asbestos-containing product used in Asia. See: Statement on Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting: ADB Must Clarify Asbestos Policy Now!
Asbestos at the Opera
Sep. 18, 2020
After an eight month suspension in proceedings, a trial has recommenced against defendants accused of negligence in failing to prevent asbestos-related deaths amongst artists and staff employed by La Scale Opera House. Five managers stand accused of manslaughter over the deaths of 12 former employees. According to a leading Italian expert Enzo Merler: “at La Scala, asbestos was widespread, present in the curtain… endangering not only those who worked in the theater but also the public [who were] unaware of the risks.” See: Morti d’amianto alla Scala, l’elenco si allunga [Deaths of asbestos at La Scala, the list gets longer].
Calls for Action on Illegal Dumping
Sep 18, 2020
The CCOO trade union is pressing Getafe City Council officials to take urgent action on the hazard posed by the illegal dumping of asbestos-contaminated waste with a CCOO spokesperson urging that proactive solutions be found and action coordinated with other localities be taken to prevent this toxic practice. Getafe was formerly the location of a factory which manufactured asbestos-cement products and which was owned by the Uralita company. See: CCOO exige una solución definitiva a los vertidos ilegales de Amianto [CCOO demands a definitive solution to illegal asbestos dumping].
Asbestos Science vs. Propaganda
Sep 17, 2020
The International Chrysotile Association (ICA), based in Quebec, is at the forefront of the lobby promoting the interests of asbestos stakeholders. ICA personnel disseminate fiction dressed up as fact to create a climate in which sales of chrysotile (white) asbestos can continue despite its acknowledged toxicity. Drawing on a war chest from industry supporters, asbestos lobbyists distort government findings, attack international agencies and disrupt proceedings to protect populations in their endless pursuit of profit. This article below provides details of the ways in which they do so and makes one wonder how such a body is allowed to continue to operate from Canada. See: Asbestos and fossil fuel industries continue to wage war on science.
Court Order Behind State Action?
Sep 17, 2020
Contamination at sites where tonnes of asbestos-contaminated mining waste remain constitute a potent threat to the health of people in 14 villages in the East Indian State of Jharkhand. When asbestos mining ceased in 1983, the sites were abandoned. Following surveying by the non-governmental organization Environics Trust, a lawsuit was brought in 2012 at the National Green Tribunal (NGT), on behalf of people who had contracted asbestos-related diseases. In January 2020, the NGT ordered the state government to protect the villagers; in August, Jharkhand State submitted plans for rehabilitation of the mines and community health surveillance. See: In Jharkhand’s Asbestos Clean-up, Victim Compensation Remains Elusive.
Asbestos Removal during a Pandemic
Sep 17, 2020
The harsh reality of life for asbestos abatement workers in New York City during Covid-19 was the focus of an insightful online article. Most of the workers who contributed to this piece were immigrants from Latin America or Eastern Europe who had few, if any, alternative sources of employment. New legislation has increased demands for asbestos removal but abatement workers are aware that their pay checks come with consequences: many of their colleagues have gotten sick or died from Covid-19 as well as asbestos-related diseases. A support group for NYC asbestos abatement workers has been founded to help them find safer employment. See: Asbestos Removal Is a Hard Job, but Covid-19 Makes It Harder.
Remediation of Toxic Trains
Sep 17, 2020
Fifty-one railways trains purchased, for €1.65 million by a Portuguese railway operator (CP) from the Spanish company Renfe, which were contaminated with asbestos have now been withdrawn from service. In order to increase the country’s transport capacity, the Portuguese Government had agreed to remove the asbestos and renovate the carriages so that they can be used on regional lines and for long-distance transport. See: Comboios comprados pela CP à Renfe foram retirados de serviço devido ao Amianto [Trains purchased by CP from Renfe were taken out of service due to asbestos].
Asbestos Remediation: Safe or Not?
Sep 16, 2020
Operations to remove asbestos from schools in the South Korean Province of Gyeongnam during the summer school holidays have been widely criticized by environmental groups, parents and concerned citizens who claim that operatives did not not minimize the release of asbestos fibers into the environment. On September 8, 2020, there was a demonstration in front of the Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education over the unsafe practices. At the heart of the protest was dissatisfaction over the use of the contentious “asbestos glove bag method” to prevent atmospheric contamination. See: [사설] 끝없이 되풀이되는 학교석면 부실 철거 [Editorial: Endlessly recurring school asbestos demolition].
Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Sep 16, 2020
A recent feature article considers the nature of asbestos, its properties, uses and the dangers it continues to pose to people in Vietnam, a country where the consumption of chrysotile (white) asbestos remains legal. While acknowledging the serious consequences of exposure to the “silent killer” and the widespread failure to enforce health and safety protection for at-risk workers, the author highlighted multiple issues relating to the disposal of asbestos-contaminated waste and criticized current legislation and guidelines as too lax and confused to prevent toxic exposures. See: Cần loại bỏ có hệ thống và xử lý an toàn các sản phẩm chứa amiang [Products containing asbestos should be systematically disposed of and safely disposed of].
Asbestos Media Offensive
Sep 16, 2020
A Russian-language infomercial about asbestos on a Ukrainian website extolled the virtues of chrysotile asbestos, discounted reports regarding toxic consequences of occupational or environmental exposures and reasserted asbestos industry propaganda “that the use of chrysotile is harmless to human health under controlled use, because it does not cause serious consequences, such as cancer of the respiratory system.” The author explained that concerns over the global epidemic of asbestos-related deaths were part of a capitalist ploy driven by commercial motives. See: Асбест: вредность и опасность асбеста, воздействие минерала на организм человека [Asbestos: the harmfulness and danger of asbestos, the effect of the mineral on the human body].
Export of Toxic Trains
Sep 15, 2020
An extensive feature article uploaded on September 9, 2020, considered aspects of the international long-tail asbestos legacy as revealed by developments in Spain and Argentina. The export of hazardous technology from Spain in the form of asbestos-contaminated trains for use on the Buenos Aires Metro system was detailed, with a litany of examples provided documenting the knowledge that Spanish exporters had to hand regarding the deadly effects of toxic workplace exposure. The import, use and sale of asbestos is banned in Spain and in Argentina. See: De Madrid a Buenos Aires: el amianto, una ubicua "pandemia" cancerígena que ha dejado un rastro largo [From Madrid to Buenos Aires: Asbestos, a ubiquitous carcinogenic "pandemic" that has left a long trail].
Court Rejects Defendants’ Motions
Sep 15, 2020
At the end of last month (August 2020), the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey rejected motions by asbestos defendants Foster Wheeler and Westinghouse in a case brought for the mesothelioma death of Arthur Hammell, a serving member of the US Naval Reserve in 1962-64. The deceased, who was assigned to the U.S.S. Charles H. Roan, worked in boiler maintenance with equipment manufactured by the defendants, both of which asked the Court for a summary judgment on the basis that the plaintiff could not establish that the manufacturers had a duty to warn for injuries caused by asbestos [products] manufactured and furnished by third parties. See: Various Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment Denied on Duty to Warn in Naval Action.
Toxic Second-hand Trains?
Sep 15, 2020
By the end of 2020, 51 asbestos-contaminated railway cars purchased by Comboios de Portugal – the company operating Portugal’s national railway – will be put into service on the Miño railway line between Oporto and Valença. The trains, which were sold by the Spanish company Renfe Operadora for €1.65 million, were withdrawn from use because of the asbestos contamination. According to the Portuguese Government, the asbestos will be removed from the trains and the units will be modernized before they are made operational. See: Portugal usará los vagones de tren retirados en Galicia por portar Amianto [Portugal will use train wagons withdrawn in Galicia because of presence of asbestos].
Victim’s Verdict
Sep 15, 2020
The Royal Courts of Justice (London) handed down a claimant’s verdict on September 7, 2020 in a case brought by the widow of Martin Rix, a one-time carpenter and shopfitter who died of mesothelioma aged 60 in 2016. The defendant’s legal team argued that because of the ongoing financial success of the business Mr. Rix had created, his widow was not entitled to bring a claim for financial dependency arising from her husband’s death; Mr. Justice Cavanagh disagreed. See: High Court Decision September 7, 2020 in the case of Unice Rix vs. Paramount Shopfitting Company Ltd.
EPA Sued Over Missing Asbestos Data
Sep 14, 2020
Attorney Generals from several US states and campaigning groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California over the EPA’s “arbitrary and capricious” decision to deny states’ previous petition that requested the EPA collect more data on imported asbestos under the authority granted in the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). All the asbestos fiber imported into the United States nowadays is chrysotile (white) asbestos from Russia. See: EPA’s Asbestos Problem: Pending Litigation and Draft Risk Evaluation.
Calls for Asbestos Ban
Sep 14, 2020
In a recent statement, Prof. Dr. Le Van Trinh – Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Occupational Safety and Hygiene – warned about the serious health hazard posed by the laxity of the current regime dealing with the disposal of asbestos-containing waste. As a result of inadequate government policies, the production, use, demolition and dumping of billions of square meters of asbestos-containing roofing sheets have caused widespread environmental contamination. Vietnam is one of the world’s largest asbestos users, importing 60,000 tons of asbestos fiber per year, according to government data. See: Cần loại bỏ các sản phẩm có chứa amiăng [Products containing asbestos should be eliminated].
Stricter Asbestos Regs for Quebec
Sep 14, 2020
A Quebec regulation to lower the admissible level of airborne asbestos concentration at workplaces to 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter for six types of asbestos has been drafted following the publication of a seminal report (see: L’état des lieux et la gestion de l’amiante et des résidus miniers amianté [The inventory and management of asbestos and asbestos mine tailings]) on the Province’s asbestos policies. The consultation period about the legislation will end on October 10, 2020. See: Québec abaisse les seuils d’exposition à l’amiante pour les travailleurs [Quebec lowers asbestos exposure thresholds for workers].
Victim’s Ruling in Bilbao
Sep 14, 2020
An appeal by the Spanish steel-making company Sidenor against a 2019 order of the National Institute of Social Security awarding compensation to the relatives of a worker who died in 2018 from occupationally-contracted mesothelioma – the signature asbestos cancer – has been rejected by a Court in Bilbao. The Judge, who dismissed the appeal, ruled that the company had been negligent in not implementing measures to protect workers from asbestos exposures at its worksites until 2000. See: Un juzgado ratifica elevar la indemnización a la familia de un afectado por Amianto [A court confirms raising the compensation to the family of a person affected by asbestos].
Toxic Talc
Sep 14, 2020
Experts in Bangladesh, who have criticized the double standards of the US multinational Johnson & Johnson for continuing sales of talc-based baby powder outside the US and Canada whilst withdrawing it from North American markets, have called on the Bangladeshi Government to commission laboratory tests of this suspect product as a matter of priority. This is unlikely to take place as facilities in Bangladesh, reportedly, do not have the expertise or capacity to perform the required analyses. See: Experts urge govt to test Johnson & Johnson baby powder.
Scotland’s Asbestos Legacy
Sep 10, 2020
A 7-minute extract entitled A Mug’s Game performed by Jonathan Watson tells the story of a Scottish electrician exposed to asbestos throughout his career at a Clydebank shipyard. The work was taken from the play “Fibres” by Frances Poet and can be accessed on YouTube. It is part of Scenes for Survival, a new season of 50+ digital artworks created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and is well worth watching. The performance is outstanding and the script tells a tale which needs to be heard. See: A Mug’s Game [an extract from the play Fibres by Frances Poet].
Mitsubishi’s Asbestos Crimes
Sep 10, 2020
On September 2, 2020, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan announced that between October 2006 and July 2015 it had illegally sold and shipped asbestos-containing products for repairing engines used on ships, in power generation and for construction work, despite a national asbestos ban. The illegal parts had been made at the company’s plant in Sagamihara City. The company is in the process of setting up a call center to replace the toxic parts free of charge and facilitate the disposal of returned goods contaminated with asbestos. See: 三菱重工、建機エンジン部品でアスベスト含む製品販売 [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries sells products including asbestos for construction machinery engine parts].
Asbestos Disposal – Where?
Sep 10, 2020
A Portuguese environmental NGO: SOS Amianto [SOS Asbestos] has warned that the implementation of a Portuguese standard in April 2020 forbidding disposal of asbestos-containing cement debris at eight regulated dumpsites could lead to an increase in illegal fly-tipping. As of now, there is just one site in Portugal licensed to accept such waste and that is in Chamusca, a municipality in central Portugal which is about 110 kilometers from Lisbon. SOS Amianto has condemned the government’s failure to address the lack of regulated facilities at the same time as progressing the removal of asbestos-cement roofing from public buildings. See: SOS Amianto alerta para abandono ilegal de resíduos [SOS warns over illegal dumping of asbestos waste].
Grassroots Fight for Asbestos Justice
Sep 10, 2020
A newly published book by Professor John Trimbur examines the struggle by grassroots activists in a former asbestos mining region of South Africa for justice and compensation for the personal tragedies and community catastrophe caused by decades of asbestos mining. The author focused on the efforts of the non-governmental organization: the Asbestos Interest Group (AIG) over a fifteen year period; despite its “position on the periphery,” the AIG had “been able to enter the voices and interests of villagers into formerly inaccessible forums of deliberation and decision-making.” See: Grassroots Literacy and the Written Record: A Textual History of Asbestos Activism in South Africa.
Maritime Mystery?
Sep 10, 2020
The ultimate fate of the redundant Brazilian flagship aircraft carrier São Paulo has once again given cause for concern. The bidding process to acquire the vessel – which contains up to 900 tonnes of asbestos and asbestos-containing material as well as hundreds of tons of heavy metals and PCBs – was recently suspended without explanation and responsibility of the vessel reverted to the Brazilian Navy which, campaigners fear, might disregard international regulations and the purchase agreement with the French Government and dispose of the ship by selling it to a scrapping company in India. See: Decommissioned Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier returns to Brazilian Navy after bid suspended.
Claimants’ Verdict in Tokyo
Sep 8, 2020
Another legal victory was achieved on September 4, 2020 when asbestos claimants won their case in the Tokyo District Court against the Japanese Government and five manufacturers of asbestos-containing building materials. The Court awarded compensation of 1.3 billion yen (US$12.2m) to 121 plaintiffs who had contracted asbestos-related illnesses as a result of toxic exposures at construction sites in the Tokyo area. In the verdict, Judge Tatsuro Maezawa said: “Since 1975 at the latest, when dealing with asbestos, it has been obligatory to use warning signs and dust masks.” See: アスベスト訴訟 国とメーカーに13億円余の賠償命じる 東京地裁 [Asbestos Litigation Tokyo District Court ordering state and manufacturer compensation of over 1.3 billion yen].
Asbestos at School
Sep 8, 2020
Students and staff at the El-Habib-Noura College in the Algerian municipality of Bouzghaia remain at daily risk of asbestos exposures at their overcrowded 1980 prefabricated school erected in the aftermath of the El-Asnam earthquake. Parents of the 1,200+ students as well as staff members have raised their concerns about this hazardous situation on multiple occasions, to no avail, and are now calling for the construction of a new asbestos-free facility to replace the obsolete and deteriorating school. See: Plus de 1 200 collégiens menacés par l’amiante [More than 1,200 secondary school students threatened by asbestos].
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 8, 2020
Tests conducted by a specialized asbestos company in the chemistry building of the University of Friborg, Switzerland indicated the presence of asbestos in certain building products. According to the University, further readings showed no airborne asbestos fibers. Asbestos remediation work has been scheduled to address the hazard posed to students and staff by the contamination. The building will remain operational, albeit with additional security measures put in place, while the work is being done. See: Le bâtiment de chimie de l'Université de Fribourg sous observation [The chemistry building of the University of Friborg under observation].
Asbestos in the Metro: Update
Sep 8, 2020
On September 3, 2020, the company operating the rapid transit system in the Spanish capital – Metro de Madrid – announced that, as a result of pressure from trade unions, its medical surveillance program for asbestos-exposed workers was being expanded to include additional train drivers, machinists and training instructors. Medical examinations will now be available to 3,500 at-risk employees. Under the company’s first surveillance program only 1,000 maintenance workers were eligible for medical tests. See: Metro pacta con los sindicatos someter a vigilancia sanitaria específica del amianto a 3.500 empleados [Metro agrees with the unions to subject 3,500 employees to health surveillance specifically related to asbestos].
Asbestos in Schools: Update
Sep 8, 2020
A presentation by the architectural firm designing a state-of-the-art educational center to replace one of Philadelphia’s asbestos-riddled schools took place last week. The plans for the modern campus for North Philadelphia’s T.M. Peirce Elementary School – which was shut in 2019 due to concerns over the presence of asbestos and lead – were approved on September 2, 2020 by the Philadelphia Art Commission. The new three-story building will have open spaces that include a new playground, trees and a mural. See: $30 million campus to replace asbestos-contaminated North Philadelphia school.
Mesothelioma: Progress!
Sep 5, 2020
A paper published in The Lancet Oncology this week announced good news from a trial in Australia of a new therapy for treating patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The researchers from the Charles Perkins Centre of the University of Western Australia used a combination of two cancer therapies - chemotherapy and immunotherapy – to treat 54 patients. The scientists concluded that: “The combination of durvalumab, cisplatin, and pemetrexed has promising activity and an acceptable safety profile that warrants further investigation in a randomised phase 3 trial.” See: Durvalumab with first-line chemotherapy in previously untreated malignant pleural mesothelioma (DREAM): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial with a safety run-in.
Ban Asbestos Mobilization
Sep 5, 2020
The Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) has announced a day of ban asbestos action by its affiliates in Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific region in December 2020 to strengthen efforts by global labor to end toxic occupational exposures. This initiative follows on from an online asbestos meeting during which medical and scientific experts from South Africa, Australia and Europe spoke about the ongoing epidemic of asbestos-related diseases affecting construction and other workers. According to BWI Africa and Middle East Vice President Oloka Mesilamu: “The asbestos threat is real for many workers. It is a terrifying and silent hazard that adds to the fear and anxiety caused by COVID-19. We should do everything we can to ban it.” See: Regional action against Asbestos set for December.
Toxic Talc
Sep 5, 2020
An August 27, 2020 news release by the US campaigning group Black Women for Wellness (BWW) condemned Johnson & Johnson for its policy of withdrawing toxic baby powder from North American markets whilst continuing to sell it abroad. This product, which has been linked to the causation of cancer due to the presence of asbestos fibers, has been condemned by government agencies and independent scientists. The position of BWW is supported by 200 groups in the US and abroad focused on women's’ health, safe cosmetics, environmental and other public health issues. See: Toxic Products Marketed to Black Women: J&J refuses to remove talc Baby Powder from global market even as it ends U.S. sales due to lawsuits.
Mixed news from Quebec
Sep 5, 2020
Following the release of a report in August 2020 by an independent Commission of Inquiry into the health risks of asbestos in Quebec, the Provincial Government announced it would tighten restrictions for occupational asbestos exposure – reducing allowable exposures from 1 f/cc to 0.1 f/cc – to provide workers significantly increased protection from toxic exposures. Unfortunately, the new law will not address exposures to asbestos fibers less than 5 micrometres in length even though the Commission had recommended doing so. Citing the current US policy, Quebec’s Occupational Health and Safety Commission opposed the Commission’s recommendation to include shorter asbestos fibers. See: Quebec announces limited action to protect workers from asbestos harm.
Daughter Wins Legal Battle
Sep 2, 2020
A legal battle which could benefit dozens of former workers has been won by Sylvie Provost, the daughter of Réjean Provost who died in 2017 of asbestosis after 42 years employment at the Kronos paint factory in Varennes, Quebec. During Spring, 2020 an Administrative Labor Court ordered the owners of the factory to pay compensation of $160,000 to Mr. Provost’s family. During her research, Ms. Provost discovered that the company had known for years that her father was ill; this information was withheld. See: Travailleurs empoisonnés par l’amiante en Montérégie [Workers poisoned by asbestos in Montérégie].
Legal Victory for Constructions Workers
Sep 2, 2020
On August 28, 2020, the Tokyo High Court ordered compensation of 1,679 million yen (~US$16m) to be paid by the Japanese Government and 43 building material manufacturers to 64 former construction workers (known as Kanagawa’s Second Wave of Asbestos Construction Litigation), or surviving family members, for asbestos-related diseases contracted as a result of hazardous workplace exposures. The court found that the defendants had neglected to implement measures to protect workers from the asbestos hazard. Trial Judge Murakami recognized the right of self-employed workers as well as employees to claim for their injuries. See: Tokyo High Court awards compensation for asbestos injuries sustained by construction workers against the Government and private companies.
Indictment of EPA Asbestos Proposals
Sep 2, 2020
The 112-page Draft Risk Evaluation for Chrysotile Asbestos (the Evaluation) was released on August 27, 2020 by the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). The Evaluation found that proposals by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the country’s asbestos legacy were not fit for purpose: “Overall, EPA’s environmental and human health risk evaluations for asbestos was not considered adequate…” Missing data, incomplete health risk estimates and “meager” exposure data undermined confidence in conclusions reached and recommendations made by the EPA. See: Peer Review of EPA Draft Risk Evaluation of Asbestos.
Urban Asbestos Removal Program
Sep 1, 2020
Gunsan City in South Korea’s North Jeolla Province is progressing plans to protect public health by the implementation of a program to subsidize the removal of asbestos-containing roofing tiles. This initiative – which has been financed since 2013 by the Ministry of Environment – has in 2020 supported remediation efforts by 290 households with an increased budget of 985 million won (US$~835,000). Interested homeowners submit applications for funding to remove and dispose of asbestos roofing to the municipality. The maximum allowable subsidy is 3.44 million won (~US$2900) per household. See: 군산시, 노후 슬레이트 처리 지원 사업 추진 [Gunsan City promotes support project for processing old slate ].
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 1, 2020
The town council of Portugal’s coastal city of Albufeira has allocated the sum of €1.2 million (US$1.43m) to remove all asbestos-containing material from the buildings of the Professor Diamantina Negrão School as part of a renewal and renovation program to update the premises. Commenting on the status of the building program, the Mayor of Albufeira José Carlos Rolo said: “Fortunately, there is no longer any asbestos anywhere in this school.” See: Albufeira: Escola Professora Diamantina Negrão já não tem Amianto [Albufeira: Professor Diamantina Negrão School no longer has asbestos].
Asbestos Litigation during Covid-19
Sep 1, 2020
An August 2020 study from a US corporate consultancy group provided data suggesting that the rate of asbestos litigation has declined during Covid-19; in the first half of 2020 there was a 17% fall in the number of asbestos lawsuits compared to the same period in 2019. The decrease included a downturn in mesothelioma as well as other types of asbestos-related lung cancer and non-cancer cases. Analyst Megan Shockley said that 2020’s drop in numbers had been due to the closure of courts. The author of this article, however, alleged that the pace of asbestos litigation had been falling for some while: from 5,500 lawsuits in 2014, to 4,600 in 2016 and 4,062 in 2019. See: Are asbestos filings another COVID-19 casualty?
Supreme Court Mesothelioma Award
Aug 28, 2020
On August 27, 2020, Supreme Court Justice Rene Le Miere of Western Australia ordered that a terminally-ill woman be paid $1 million compensation by James Hardie (JH), formerly Australia’s largest producer of asbestos-containing building material. Sixty-three year old Christine Parkin was exposed to toxic JH products used by her father in home renovation projects in the 1960s and 1970s as a result of which she contracted mesothelioma and now has a life expectancy of four months. Justice Le Miere awarded her compensation for past and future medical and treatment expenses, economic loss and general damages; the company accepted liability for the damage caused. See: $1m payout for WA asbestos cancer sufferer.
COVID-19 and Asbestos Lung Disease
Aug 28. 2020
The lungs of many of the residents in Libby, Montana have been compromised through environmental exposure to asbestos dust liberated during decades of vermiculite mining by W R Grace. Their condition makes them particularly vulnerable to complications from COVID-19. According to Miles Miller, a member of staff at Libby’s Center for Asbestos Related Disease: “Our patients having an underlying lung disease would make recovery from COVID-19 more difficult.” Fears of contracting coronavirus has led many people in Libby to take extraordinary measures to isolate themselves from possible sources of infection. See: Asbestos Devastated Libby, Montana. Now COVID-19 Hangs In The Air.
Mesothelioma Bibliography
Aug 28, 2020
A 12-page Spanish document on the latency of mesothelioma, the signature asbestos cancer, includes a useful list of relevant papers. Many of the documents cited are in English and online links are included which facilitate access. The latency period for mesothelioma in the papers varies from one to 75 years. Topics covered by the authors include: calculations regarding mesothelioma trends in various occupations, the hazard posed by the use of cosmetic talc and the affect of asbestos exposures on women, seafarers and asbestos workers. Information provided relates to developments in: Korea, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Australia, Lebanon, the US and the UK. See: Latencia del mesothelioma [Mesothelioma Latency].
Post-Disaster Hazard
Aug 27, 2020
In the aftermath of the explosion which ripped through the port and surrounding areas of Beirut on August 4, experts have warned that: “Asbestos in damaged buildings poses a significant health risk” not only to first responders and clean-up crews but to civilian populations. “The risk” said Charbel Afif, associate professor in air pollution at Université Saint Joseph (Beirut) “is that people will develop cancer.” Although many of the volunteers and responders wore masks to protect themselves from Covid-19, none wore the specialized masks used by asbestos removal operatives, Afif told reporters, because this equipment was scare in Lebanon. See: Cancer risk on the rise after Beirut blast, warn experts.
Japanese Construction Workers’ Lawsuit
Aug 27, 2020
On August 27, 2020, hearings began in the Sendai District Court in a case brought on behalf of ten Japanese construction workers injured by workplace asbestos exposures who are seeking damages from the Japanese Government as well as 12 manufacturers of asbestos-containing building materials. Only three of the former claimants are alive; the remaining seven died from asbestos diseases. The plaintiffs are seeking ¥38.5 million (~US$363,000) per worker on the grounds that the defendants had failed to provide protective equipment despite knowing that exposure to asbestos could be hazardous. See: Asbestos-exposed construction workers seek damages from government and firms.
Improvement in Mesothelioma Outcomes
Aug 27, 2020
New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare included in the publication Mesothelioma in Australia 2019 reported increased survival times for patients with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. According to data covering the period 2012-16, 55% of people with mesothelioma survived for at least one year post diagnosis, 17% for 3 years and 10% for 5 years. All of these survival rates were significant increases on previous figures. Whilst occupational exposure to asbestos was found to be responsible for the disease in 78% of men with mesothelioma, only 7% of female mesothelioma patients had been exposed to asbestos at work. See: Mesothelioma patients are living longer after diagnosis, despite rising death rate.
New Asbestos Remediation Program
Aug 27, 2020
An online article in Cambio16 – a Spanish current affairs magazine – discussed a new asbestos remediation program in a Madrid neighborhood in the context of Spain’s asbestos legacy which saw 3 million tons of asbestos incorporated into the national infrastructure. This month (August 2020), the first large-scale action in Spain to remove asbestos roofing from residential properties, industrial warehouses, sports and cultural centers and public buildings began in the Orcasitas area of Madrid. The removal of asbestos roofing on these 1980s structures owned by the Ministry of Housing will be carried out on 116 buildings, each housing up to 32 families. See: España debe retirar más de 3 millones de toneladas de amianto de su vida cotidiana [Spain must remove more than 3 million tons of asbestos from its daily life].
Asbestos Advice
Aug 25, 2020
On August 22 & 23, 2020, a telephone advice line was operational from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. in the Japanese city of Kobe to provide information and advice about asbestos hazards for people who may have been occupationally exposed to asbestos. The service was run by the Asbestos Victims Relief Fund – a non-government organization (NGO) – and took calls such as one from a construction worker who had been exposed to asbestos on a building site. Masayuki Kanda, President of the NGO, expressed concern that: “some people are refraining from going to the hospital or consulting [doctors] because of the new coronavirus, even if they are feeling unwell.” See: アスベスト被害の電話相談 [Telephone consultation regarding asbestos damage].
Mesothelioma Research: Update
Aug 25, 2020
Scottish scientists investigating the causation of the asbestos-linked cancer malignant pleural mesothelioma last week called for urgent support for re-establishing research protocols after work had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Dr Carsten Hansen from the Centre for Inflammation Research at the University of Edinburgh: “Although we took great care in safeguarding our experiments and newly generated cellular model systems, unfortunately the timing of the complete lockdown meant that we lost a few critical cell lines that we now need to re-establish.” 200 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in Scotland every year. See: Groundbreaking research into lung cancer caused by asbestos needs to recommence scientist says.
Interview: Dr. Domyung Paek
Aug 25, 2020
On August 22, 2020, a feature article was published in Korea about the work of Dr. Domyung Paek, a human rights campaigner, scientist and medical researcher who has fought for the rights of Korean victims of occupational diseases for over 30 years. Dr. Paek has been pivotal in mobilizing action on a variety of issues, including the hazards of asbestos exposures, injuries caused to semiconductor workers and the deadly risks posed by the use of humidifier disinfectants – taking part in public protests, speaking at press conferences and travelling internationally to collaborate with campaigners as well as medical colleagues. See: ‘연구활동가’ 백도명, ‘과학의 이름’으로 약자의 곁에 서다 [‘Research Activist' Domyung Paek, stands up for the weak under 'the name of science’].
Toxic Ships from Indonesia
Aug 25, 2020
On August 21, 2020, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) called an urgent meeting with the private company operating the Sydney Ferries – TransDev Sydney Ferries – to discuss the discovery of asbestos-containing material on board four new 24m River Vessels. According to a letter sent to MUA members, the company had known about the asbestos since Tuesday (Aug 18) but “hid this knowledge” from its employees and the union. The vessels were, wrote the MUA, made abroad; an article from October 2019 (see: Anger as Syd ferries to be built overseas) said the contract for the river vessels had been awarded to an Indonesian company. See: SYDNEY FERRIES – Asbestos Found on New Vessels.
Schools’ Asbestos Scandal
Aug 24. 2020
On August 19, 2020, the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia issued a Report on renovation work at the Benjamin Franklin High School which resulted in a forced closure of the premises in 2019 and the relocation of all the students and staff. The School District of Philadelphia was harshly criticized for failures including poor dust and asbestos containment. The use of an outdated Asbestos Inspection Report resulted in multiple asbestos incidents; on September 25, 2019, exposed asbestos was found around air ducts in the school’s boiler room. See: Philly School Board ‘Deeply Regrets' Asbestos Issues at High School.
Asbestos Compensation Scheme
Aug 24, 2020
Since it was set up in 2017, the Swiss Asbestos Victims’ Fund (the Fund) has recognized 89 applications and paid out compensation of around CHF 9.5 million (US$10.4m). Mesothelioma victims of non-occupational asbestos exposures – such as wives who washed their husbands’ workclothes – received, on average, CHF140,000 (US$154,000) whilst victims of occupational exposure received CHF50,000 (US$55,000). Official Swiss bodies have confirmed the rise in cases of asbestos-related deaths despite the fact that Switzerland banned asbestos use 30 years ago. The Fund predicts that its coffers could run dry should further donations not be forthcoming. See: Erogati 9,5 milioni per le vittime di amianto [9.5 million paid to asbestos victims].
Victims’ Call for Action on Asbestos
Aug 24, 2020
On August 16, 2020, a group representing Quebec Asbestos Victims (AVAQ) publicised a letter to the Quebec Premier which called on him to take action as a matter of priority on recommendations in the report on The State and Management of Asbestos and Asbestos Mining Residues. AVAQ technical experts drew the Premier’s attention to: the need to lower the Quebec workplace asbestos exposure standard; the recommendation to support victims of asbestos diseases; and the requirements needed to ensure public and occupational safety prior to commencing work to exploit mining residue. See: Translation of AVAQ letter to Quebec’s Premier François Legault; original AVAQ letter (in French).
Miyagi Construction Workers Lawsuit
Aug 24, 2020
Following 16 class action asbestos lawsuits mounted by Japanese construction workers against the State and building material manufacturers, on August 26, 2020 a new class action lawsuit will be filed in Sendai District Court on behalf of construction workers in the Tohoku region who contracted lung cancer from occupational asbestos exposures; in the cases where workers are deceased, the claims will be issued in the name of surviving family members. The lawsuit will seek damages from the State and 12 building material manufacturers. This is the first such legal action brought in Tohoku. See: アスベストで健康被害 宮城の建設労働者ら提訴へ [Miyagi construction workers file lawsuit over asbestos injuries].
Supreme Court Upholds Asbestos Law
Aug 20, 2020
On August 18, 2020, a ruling by Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) upheld a State law that held asbestos companies liable for paying compensation to injured workers exposed to asbestos at asbestos-cement factories. The legal challenge had been brought by the National Confederation of Industrial Workers which alleged that the issue at hand was outside the State’s jurisdiction. Law no. 4,341 / 2004, of the State of Rio de Janeiro was ruled constitutional by a majority of the STF Judges. See: STF mantém lei do RJ que responsabiliza empresas de fibrocimento por danos do amianto aos trabalhadores [STF upholds Rio de Janeiro law that holds asbestos companies liable for injuries to asbestos-cement workers].
National Asbestos Legacy
Aug 20, 2020
A new paper detailing the findings of researchers in Peru will be published in October 2020. The scientists correlated asbestos import data between 1965 and 2010 with the incidence of mesothelioma mortality between 2005 and 2014 and discovered that the highest rates of mesothelioma mortality were for the cities of Arequipa, Callao and Huancavelica and that both occupational and environmental asbestos exposures were causative. The authors of the paper concluded that the best way to end mesothelioma fatalities was for the government to institute a ban on the import of all types of asbestos, including chrysotile (white) asbestos. See: Geographic study of mortality due to mesothelioma in Peru and its evolution.
Asbestos at College
Aug 20, 2020
An expose which focused on the long-standing unaddressed hazard posed by the presence of asbestos-containing material in US college buildings cited multiple examples of inadequate practices at Penn State University; in the last ten years, Penn State spent “more money on landscaping than it did to abate asbestos.” Having investigated the asbestos situation on campus in the 1970s and 1980s, university officials realized the extent of the problem and the enormous cost of remediation; according to Pennsylvania Attorney Mike Robb, they made a conscious decision to remove “as little as possible.” See: Unwilling to pay to remove dangerous asbestos, universities across the U.S. claim it’s safe to ignore.
Asbestos Crime and Punishment
Aug 20, 2020
After the fire service put out a huge fire at a site in the Fuorigrotta district of Naples last week, agents of the Environmental Protection Department of the Naples Local Police began an investigation to identify the owners of the agricultural land on which the blaze took place and establish how and when banned asbestos-containing material had been dumped in the area. The site of the fire will remain locked down until the owners of the property have been identified and the polluters caught. Severe penalties for criminal incidents such as this can be issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office under the Environmental Code. See: Incendio a Fuorigrotta, a fuoco discarica abusiva di Amianto [Fire in Fuorigrotta, illegal asbestos landfill fire].
Asbestos and the Environment
Aug 20, 2020
The Spanish Association to Save the Guadiana River, a civil society group campaigning to protect that river, has denounced the dumping of asbestos-cement waste in it – bringing the matter to the attention of Badajoz City Council, the Guadiana Hydrographic Confederation and the Seprona: the Civil Guard department tasked with protecting the environment. The activists expressed concerns regarding the public health hazard posed by the toxic contamination and said that some of the debris had been on the riverbank for up to three years. See: Denuncian ante el Seprona el vertido de amianto en el río [complaint to the Civil Guard about the dumping of asbestos in river].
Asbestos Post-Disaster Hazard
Aug 17, 2020
Technical experts and environmental activists have issued warnings about ongoing efforts by volunteers to clean up debris in Beirut after the cataclysmic explosion in the Port district which occurred earlier this month (August 4) in light of the lack of available information about the possible contamination of the air and water by toxic substances such as asbestos which might have been present in some of the buildings destroyed during the blast. Urging the cessation of rubble removal, Greenpeace Program Director Julian Jreissati categorized this activity as “irresponsible.” See: Beirut Explosion: Rubble Collected Randomly Amid Warnings of Dangerous Materials.
Environmental Asbestos Pollution
Aug 17, 2020
Residents in the former Quebec chrysotile (white) asbestos mining town of Thetford Mines are worried about contamination of the Bécancour river caused by toxic residues from mountains of mining waste. Despite their concerns, there has been no action by the Ministry of Environment to address the problem. Drinking water is taken from the river and local people use it for recreational purposes. The situation was recently highlighted in an investigation which confirmed the "inertia" of the Department of the Environment and its failure to collect data or assess the impact of the asbestos pollution. See: Des résidus d’amiante menacent des lacs et rivières [Asbestos residues threaten lakes and rivers].
Asbestos Victim Twice-Over
Aug 17, 2020
An in-depth article (August 15) about 70-year old Tasmanian Robert Williams described his 16-month battle to obtain compensation for the cancer which is killing him, citing instances where his claim was denied despite medical evidence documenting multiple workplace asbestos exposures during his 50 years as a builder. Reasons for rejecting his claim included his smoking history and atypical symptoms. It was only after hiring a lawyer, at a cost of $80,000, were the authorities persuaded in March 2020 to accept the evidence of an oncologist and two respiratory specialists that his fatal condition had been caused by asbestos exposure. See: Tasmanian Robert Williams’ fight for asbestos compensation ‘worse than cancer’.
Asbestos Hazard at Sea
Aug 17, 2020
An improvement notice has been served by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on Diamond Offshore Drilling UK Ltd. giving the company until October 1, 2020 to rectify infringements of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 on the Ocean Valiant North Sea oil rig (see: HSE Notice served on Diamond Offshore Drilling). The offences which took place resulted from an incident on September 2, 2019 during which chrysotile asbestos fibers were dispersed following maintenance work. See: Diamond Offshore warned over spread of ‘asbestos debris’ on North Sea rig.
Asbestos Removal Subsidies
Aug 17, 2020
On August 13, 2020, the authorities in the South Korean county of Jangseong-gun announced that they would be continuing to support local efforts to remediate asbestos roofing on local properties. Since 2011, the county has supported the removal of asbestos tiles on 2,580 homes as well as on business premises, including warehouses, factories and barns. In 2020, applications for funding to remove asbestos on 316 properties have been approved; 255 of the subsidized projects have already been completed. See: 장성군, 노후 석면 슬레이트 처리 지원 [Jangseong-gun to support the removal of deteriorating asbestos roofing].
Irony: Clash of Asbestos Giants
Aug 17, 2020
A legal battle is raging between a former tenant – the state-owned Nexen Petroleum Company from China – of a 37 floor office building in Calgary, Canada and their landlord: a consortium of local investors and the Ontario government pension plan. Nexen moved out of the building more than a year ago because, they said, it was full of asbestos which the landlord refused to remove. The situation has a certain piquancy as Canada was the world’s largest producer of asbestos during the 20th century and China remains one of the world’s largest producers and users of asbestos and has been so for decades. See: 中海油指石棉超标 卡加利尼克森大厦成「鬼楼」 [CNOOC claims that asbestos exceeds the standard, Calgary Nixon Building becomes a “ghost building”].
Vietnam’s Asbestos Legacy
Aug 13, 2020
A Vietnamese article uploaded on August 11, 2020 which contained a warning about the hazard posed by exposure to asbestos-cement material featured the tragic story of 49 year-old Ms Quang Ninh now suffering from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. According to Dr. Nguyen Duc Hoanh – Head of Surgery in the Cardiology and Chest Intervention Department of Uong Bi Hospital – pleural mesothelioma is a fatal disease with a long latency period. The best way to avoid contracting mesothelioma is to avoid contact with asbestos-containing materials at work and at home. When contact is unavoidable protective equipment must be used. See: Hạn chế tiếp xúc với các vật liệu chứa amiăng [Limit contact with asbestos-containing materials].
Post-Disaster Alert
Aug 13, 2020
A Russian language article uploaded on August 5, 2020 warned of the post-disaster hazard posed by airborne asbestos in the aftermath of the devastating explosion in Beirut on August 4: “Any explosion releases toxic substances into the atmosphere. In the event of the Beirut emergency asbestos, which was previously used in the construction of buildings, could be in the air.” The author of the text speculated that amongst the buildings destroyed were ones built in the 1950s and 1960s when asbestos use was commonplace. See: Названо самое опасное вещество, оказавшееся в воздухе после взрыва в Бейруте [The most dangerous substance in the air after the explosion in Beirut is named].
Poison Pipes
Aug 13, 2020
An article uploaded on August 11, 2020, highlighted the deadly legacy posed by deteriorating asbestos-cement (AC) pipes – composed of 80% cement and 20% asbestos – in Canada’s water delivery system. According to the National Research Council of Canada close to 20% of the water main distribution system in North America contains AC pipes, most of which were installed decades ago; over time, the condition of the pipes deteriorates and, as a consequence, asbestos fibers are released “into the drinking water and could pose a hazard of malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and other organs in consumers.” There is no federal plan to address the continued threat posed by these pipes in Canada. See: Poison Pipes.
Gross Negligence Verdict
Aug 13, 2020
A precedent has been set by a ruling this month handed down by labor judge Giampiero Panico acknowledging the causal link between workplace asbestos exposure and pleural mesothelioma contracted by a maintenance electrician who died from another disease: intestinal perforation. The Judge, who found the Italian Railway Network [Rete Ferroviaria Italiana] which had employed the deceased along the Sestri Levante to La Spezia railway line from 1963 to 1990 had been guilty of gross negligence and awarded the family €40,000. See: Sassi con amianto, ferrovie condannate [Stones with asbestos, railway condemned].
Toxic Talc
Aug 10, 2020
On August 5, 2020, a three-judge panel of the New Jersey Superior Court overruled a decision by trial judge Nelson Johnson which had thrown out expert evidence by Graham Colditz and Daniel Cramer in a jury trial brought against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) by two plaintiffs with ovarian cancer. The claimants had used J&J’s talc-based baby powder which, they alleged, had caused their fatal cancers. The consequences of this ruling may include the reinstatement of 1,000 other cancer cases against J&J in New Jersey. The company is headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey and had hoped that transferring the talc litigation to the state might have given it a “home-court advantage.” It seems not to be the case. See: J&J Stung by New Jersey Court Ruling Reviving Talc Cancer Claims.
Addressing Quebec’s Asbestos Legacy
Aug 10, 2020
The long-awaited findings of Quebec’s Independent Office of Public Hearings on the Environment regarding public and environmental asbestos health hazards were uploaded on August 7 (L’état des lieux et la gestion de l’amiante et des résidus miniers amiantés). The 343-page report, which is only in French, highlighted a multiplicity of failings and made recommendations including: tightening Quebec’s occupational exposure standard to 0.1f/cc for all types of asbestos, including chrysotile; creating an agency to oversee the management and safe elimination of asbestos; and ensuring that any mining of asbestos mining waste not expose workers to “to additional risk of harm.” See: Quebec Commission of Inquiry releases landmark report on asbestos.
Cancer Spike in Asbestos Heartland
Aug 10, 2020
In the last decade, the incidence of cancer in Russia’s Orenburg region – home to one of the country’s largest chrysotile asbestos mines – has grown by 22%. The author of this article rehashed asbestos industry propaganda which purport that the use of chrysotile asbestos is harmless blaming the increasing cancer rate on the harshness of the sun – “The evil steppe sun” – and the increasing longevity of Russians. See: Оренбургская область и рак: Ясный оказался в числе благополучных регионов [Orenburg region and cancer: Yasny was among the prosperous regions].
Switzerland’s Asbestos Legacy
Aug 10, 2020
Despite a national asbestos ban (1990) and regulations mandating strict requirements to minimize hazardous exposures, citizens remain at risk from the hidden presence of asbestos in thousands of Swiss buildings; 90% of buildings constructed before 1990 contain asbestos. The Swiss trade union UNIA has been educating its members regarding the asbestos hazard for years and is frequently called upon to take action on workplace incidents. In July, 2020 the inadequacy of respiratory protection face masks being used in Switzerland was exposed as a result of which proceedings were initiated against the importers and distributors. See: L’amiante reste une menace en Suisse [Asbestos remains a threat in Switzerland].
Piedmont Asbestos Eradication Program
Aug10, 2020
On August 6, 2020, the Piedmont Regional Bulletin included news from the Councillor for the Environment of the Piedmont Region of a €1.1 million allocation for the remediation of asbestos-containing material in schools and hospitals. Successful applicants can claim the costs for 100% of reclamation work including removal, transport and disposal. The deadline for the submission of claims to the Regional Directorate for the Environment, Energy and Territory is October 30, 2020. See: Oltre un milione di euro per la bonifica di manufatti contenenti amianto in scuole e ospedali [Over one million euros for the remediation of artifacts containing asbestos in schools and hospitals].
Asbestos Crackdown
Aug 4, 2020
Authorities in the South Korean Province of Gyeonggi will be cracking down on infringements of demolition industry asbestos regulations and the illegal disposal of asbestos waste between August 10 and 28, 2020 according to an announcement on August 4 by the Gyeonggi-do Special Judicial Police Agency. Unlike previous investigations in cities such as Anseong and Siheung, this initiative will target illegal operations throughout the province. At least 4,000 structures in Gyeonggi contain asbestos according to government figures released in June 2020. See: 특사경, 폐석면 무단투기·매립 등 불법 처리행위 집중 수사 [Investigation of illegal handling activities such as special shipments, illegal dumping and recycling of asbestos waste].
Asbestos and Lung Cancer
Aug 4, 2020
In a press release issued by the Ministry of Health of Belarus to mark World Lung Cancer Day on August 1, the increase in the incidence of lung cancer in Russia was blamed on multiple factors including tobacco smoking, air pollution and exposure to asbestos. Russia had the 24th highest rate of lung cancer in men in 2018 with an age-standardised rate of 48.2 per 100,000. As the world’s biggest producer of chrysotile (white) asbestos, thousands of workers routinely experience occupational exposures to asbestos, an acknowledged cause of lung cancer. See: 1 августа - Всемирный день борьбы с раком легких [August 1 – World Lung Cancer Day].
Asbestos Waste: A Toxic Legacy
Aug 4, 2020
Last week, the Spanish trade union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) denounced the widespread dumping of asbestos waste and condemned local authorities for failing to address this public health problem. In the union’s press release, they highlighted illegal dumping of asbestos-cement debris in the southern part of Madrid, and especially in Pinto and Getafe. The CCOO called for the implementation of “strict protocols” to prevent the fly-tipping and urged that local government make this a priority issue. See: Comisiones Obreras alerta sobre el peligro de vertidos de amianto en Pinto [Workers' Commissions warns of the danger of asbestos spills in Pinto].
Mesothelioma: Translational Research
Aug 4, 2020
A paper in the July 2020 issue of the American Journal Clinical Cancer Research by researchers from the Medical University of Vienna (see: Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Promoter Mutations Identify a Genomically Defined and Highly Aggressive Human Pleural Mesothelioma Subgroup) provided new prognostic information and suggested targeted treatment strategies for patients with an aggressive and genetically distinct form of malignant pleural mesothelioma. The researchers discovered a mechanism responsible for reactivating the TERT gene – excess production of which activates the telomerase enzyme which promotes growth of cancer cells. See: Researchers identify targeted treatment strategy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Asbestos Alert
Jul 31, 2020
A feature article in a Vietnam news outlet last Sunday (July 26, 2020), highlighted the occupational and public health hazard posed by exposure to asbestos in Vietnam, stating that: “The cancer rate of workers exposed to asbestos was 1.8 times higher than that of non-exposed workers.” Citing copious medical evidence and scientific findings about the human health hazard posed by asbestos exposures, the author of this article pointed out the risk posed to people living near asbestos-processing factories. Unfortunately, misinformation is also included in the text which alleged that asbestos when incorporated into asbestos-cement was not “harmful.” See: Nguy cơ chết người từ bụi khí amiăng [Deadly risk from asbestos].
Asbestos Protest!
Jul 31, 2020
During a July 29, 2020 fact-finding trip of Mikhail Degtyarev – Acting Governor of Khabarovsk Krai (one of Russia’s largest territorial units) – residents of Komsomolsk City mounted a protest outside the town hall over the health hazard posed by their living in asbestos-riddled apartments in the “Berlin” neighborhood. The demonstrators asked for the Governor’s intervention in helping them secure alternative accommodation, free from asbestos, rats and fleas. The toxic properties were constructed as temporary housing for builders in the 1980s; much of the material used came from Germany. See: Жители Комсомольска-на-Амуре пожаловались Дегтяреву на крыс и асбест [Residents of Komsomolsk-on-Amur complained to Degtyarev about rats and asbestos].
Asbestos Mobilization
Jul 31, 2020
Former employees of the Matra firm, based in Romorantin, Central France, have formed an association in collaboration with the CGT trade union to support asbestos victims and campaign for the recognition and compensation of their occupational illnesses. In November, 2019, the Primary Health Insurance Fund recognized the asbestos-related disease of a former Matra employee as occupationally caused. During its heyday, the company had been involved in the manufacture of cars, bicycles, aeronautics and weaponry. See: Romorantin: l’amiante, nouveau combat pour les ex-Matra [Romorantin: asbestos, a new fight for the ex-Matra (workers)].
Asbestos at University
Jul 31, 2020
Another member of the staff of the University of Montreal (UoM) has succumbed to an occupationally-caused asbestos-related disease. Computer scientist Yves Charland died, aged 73, on November 10, 2019 from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. For 20 years, he had worked in the physics department in a building insulated with asbestos and where asbestos removal work took place from 2011 to 2014. Three other employees of the UoM also contracted mesothelioma from workplace exposures: former secretary Sandra Ohayon, emeritus professor of sociology Jean Renaud and a deceased janitor employed at UoM from 1966 to 1968. See: L’amiante derrière la mort d’un ex-employé de l’UdeM, selon la CNESST [Asbestos behind the death of a former UoM employee, according to the CNESST].
Victim’s Verdict
Jul 29, 2020
In a scathing verdict handed down in the High Court on July 27, 2020, which lambasted the behaviour of legal advisors working for the Ministry of Defence, Judge Allan Gore QC found for the widow of shipyard worker Bhanu Sivaji who died in 2015 from mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure at the Sembawang naval dockyard in Singapore between 1953 and 1968. Mr. Sivaji’s place of work had been operated by the Ministry of Defence. The Judge, who was highly critical of the delays in bringing the case to court and the elevated legal costs which ensued, granted the Claimant’s applications to amend the Particulars of Claim and the Claim Form. See: Shiji SIVAJI vs. Ministry of Defence.
Asbestos Protests in Croatia
Jul 29, 2020
On Saturday night (July 25, 2020) scores of local people took part in a public rally in the “most neglected district” of Zadar, Croatia to protest the depositing of 78 tonnes of asbestos in their town. The asbestos had been stripped from a training ship, the Glaleb – formerly the official yacht of the late President of Yugoslavia Marshall Tito – and dumped in the town between May 6 and June 18, 2020 from the port of Rijeka. Another demonstration is being planned for Saturday, August 1, at 9 a.m. during which participants will walk through the town demanding their right to live a life free from toxic exposures. See: AZBEST U DVORIŠTU Hocemo igralište, a ne otrov! [ASBESTOS IN THE YARD We want a playground, not poison!].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 29, 2020
A July 24, 2020 article reported that Portugal’s Education Minister Tiago Brandão Rodrigues reconfirmed a June 2020 promise that the government would pay 100% of all asbestos removal costs to decontaminate the country’s schools; a budget of €60 million had been allocated for this work. Municipal and regional authorities will not be expected, said the Minister, to contribute to the costs of the remediation effort. According to Rodrigues although 450,000 square meters of asbestos had been removed from school premises over the last four years "there is much more to be done.” See: Ministro da Educação diz que Governo pagará 100% da retirada do amianto das escolas [Education Minister says Government will pay 100% of cost for asbestos removal from schools].
August 2020: Truth or Lies?
Jul 29, 2020
On July 24, 2020, Quebec’s Office of Public Hearings on the Environment announced that its report on the investigation into “The inventory and management of asbestos and asbestos mining residues” had been submitted to the Minister of the Environment Benoit Charrette and would be uploaded to the internet within 15 days. The objective of the enquiry was to assess a multiplicity of asbestos-related issues in Quebec with a focus on their impact on public and occupational health. After so many years of denial and obfuscation, asbestos activists await the report with a good deal of trepidation. See: Amiante: le rapport du BAPE rendu public d’ici 15 jours [Asbestos: the BAPE report to be made public within 15 days].
Asbestos Tourist Town in the Urals
Jul 27, 2020
In an online article about unusual but rewarding tourist destinations in Russia, a visit to the Uralasbest asbestos mining town in the Urals comes highly recommended. Guided tours of the eight kilometer wide quarry, the factory and the museum are organized by the company. Reading like a corporate press release, the article reported that: “The Ural enterprise is one of the largest and oldest producers of chrysotile asbestos in the world,” accounting for 21% of annual global output and 41% of Russian output every year. Eighty per cent of Russian chrysotile production is exported. See: Туристам расскажут, кем работал на уральском заводе президент Тайваня [Tourists will be told about when the Taiwan President worked at the Ural plant].
More Toxic Talc!
Jul 27, 2020
Last week, BASF SE – the world’s biggest chemical maker – and the New York-based law firm of Cahill, Gordon & Reindel LLP agreed to jointly pay a combined $72.5 million to settle claims that they had hidden evidence that certain talc products, sourced from the company’s talc mine in Vermont, had contained asbestos, in an effort to defeat thousands of lawsuits, according to papers filed in a federal court in New Jersey. The total value of the agreement is almost $100 million when legal fees and others costs are added. See: BASF, Cahill Law Firm to Pay $72.5 Million in Talc-Scam Deal.
2032 Deadline in Catalonia!
Jul 27, 2020
The Commission for the Eradication of Asbestos in Catalonia, established in 2019 to address the region’s multiple asbestos challenges, met for the second time in July, 2020 to agree on a plan of action for 2020-21 as part of a coordinated program to make the territory asbestos-free by 2032. In the short-term, the Commission will develop an asbestos hazard training plan for public administration staff, work to raise public asbestos awareness via the development of online resources, and prioritize the removal of asbestos-containing products from schools. See: Aprovat el Pla nacional per a l’erradicació de l’amiant de Catalunya per al 2032 [Approval of the National Plan for the Eradication of Asbestos in Catalonia by 2032].
Mesothelioma Care in Kent
Jul 27, 3030
It was announced last week that Toni Fleming had been appointed to fill a new post for a specialist nurse in the asbestos cancer hotspot of East Kent. Nurse Fleming – who has a background in the treatment of lung cancer and mesothelioma patients – was named the Mesothelioma UK clinical nurse specialist for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. This post is being fully funded for a period of two years by the Mavis Nye Foundation, set up in 2017 by the UK’s longest surviving mesothelioma patient. See: New asbestos-related cancer nurse specialist for East Kent.
Conviction of Australian Politician
Jul 27, 2020
Following a protracted legal battle between Grafil Pty Ltd – owned by the former Mayor of Port Stephens Bruce MacKenzie – and the NSW Environment Protection Authority, Grafil was found guilty by the Land and Environment Court of running an illegal waste dump. The ruling could result in a penalty of up to $12 million in asbestos waste clean-up costs and fines, even though only 634.64 grams of asbestos were detected. “Whilst that might,” said Justice Preston “be ‘incredibly minor’ in comparison to the upper estimate of 44,000 tonnes of materials in the stockpiles, it nevertheless was sufficient to cause severe risk to human health…” See: Former Port Stephens mayor Bruce MacKenzie's family company, Grafil, and his son Robert found guilty in $12 million illegal waste dump case.
Asbestos Update 2020
Jul 23, 2020
On July 23, 2020, Australia’s Union Aid Abroad- APHEDA held a one hour webinar which addressed contemporary issues relating to continuing asbestos use in India and Indonesia during the Covid-19 pandemic. Using ZOOM technology, Pooja Gupta from the Indian Ban Asbestos Network and Muchamed Darisman from the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network gave presentations detailing current levels of asbestos use and strategies being pursued to raise asbestos awareness and counteract industry pressure on governments and regional bodies. Other speakers were APHEDA’s Kate Lee and Liam O’Brien from the Australian Council of Trade Unions. See: Asbestos Ban Update: Campaigning in a global crisis.
Metro Refurbishment: Asbestos Risks
Jul 23, 2020
Following a morning press conference held in Seoul, Korea by the Environmental Health Citizens’ Center (EHCC) – an NGO which brings together experts, activists and victims to address the pollution crisis in Asia – on July 20, 2020, journalists were invited on an accompanied tour to City Hall Station to observe first-hand the dangers posed by the liberation of tremolite asbestos during refurbishment work on Metro Line 2 in the Seoul Subway. EHCC spokesmen urged that all work at this site be stopped immediately and that an emergency safety investigation be undertaken as a matter of priority. See: 환경보건시민센터 활동 언론보도 [Press Release from Environmental Health Citizen Center].
Asbestos: No Thanks!
Jul 23, 2020
A public inquiry in the French town of Kerlaz in the northwest of the country which began on June 19 will end on July 29. The focus of the inquiry is whether the Guenneau Company should be allowed to increase its storage operation for the disposal of inert waste and bound asbestos at its site in the Merdy Quarry. Local people have been vocal in their opposition based on concerns over increases in environmental pollution and volume of traffic. The company is requesting authorization to operate the site for another 30 years. See: Des riverains inquiets par le stockage d’amiante à Kerlaz [Local residents worried about asbestos storage in Kerlaz].
Asbestos Cancer Cluster
Jul 21, 2020
A thirty-five year old building in Braga, Portugal (a town 360 kilometers from Lisbon) may be responsible for a cluster of asbestos cancer cases amongst police staff at the Braga Criminal Investigation Department. The building, which has never been refurbished, houses the headquarters of the Judiciary Police. There have been 12 cancer deaths over the last decade amongst Judicial Police inspectors from the Braga department; a 2016 report by the Union of Criminal Investigation Staff sent to the Ombudsman led to an inspection of the premises on July 20, 2020. See: Investigada ligação entre amianto e cancros na PJ Braga [Investigation of link between asbestos and cancers at PJ Braga].
Subsidizing Asbestos Waste Reclamation
Jul 21, 2020
Following an investment of $25.9m by the Quebec National Assembly in a project to reclaim magnesium –intended for use by the automotive and aeronautical industries – from decades of waste produced by the mining of asbestos, another government subsidy of ~$800,000 was announced last week by Quebec’s Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Solidarity Jean Boulet for the training of 92 workers by the Alliance Magnesium company. See: Le ministre Jean Boulet annonce près de 800 000 $ à Alliance Magnésium pour la création et le maintien d'emplois en Estrie [CPG Minister Jean Boulet announces nearly $800,000 to Alliance Magnesium for the creation and maintenance of jobs in Estrie].
Asbestos: One Family’s Story
Jul 21, 2020
An interview with author Alberto Prunetti about his book “Asbestos,” discussed the background to the work: the trauma experienced by his father Renato Prunetti – an Italian worker who died in 2004 aged 59 as a result of workplace exposure to asbestos – and members of his family. The author described the insensitivity of medical practitioners and the opacity of the legal system, how only though persistence of his family was permission finally obtained in 2010 – 6 years after he had died – for Renato to retire prematurely due to occupational asbestos exposure. Versions of Alberto's book in Spanish and Catalan are available titled Hoja de Lata and Tigre de Paper, respectively. See: El amianto es un asesino en serie que goza de la protección de los tribunals [Asbestos is a serial killer which enjoys the protection of the courts].
Quebec’s First Asbestos Strike
Jul 21, 2020
An exhibit in June 2020 to mark the centenary of the end of Canada’s first national internment and its effects on the Ukrainian-Canadian community included details of the first asbestos mining strike in Quebec which was led by immigrant workers from Ukraine, Nicolas Kachuk and Ivan Chaprun. Harsh conditions and reduced wages were the causes for the strike at the Black Lake chrysotile (white) asbestos mine which started on October 8, 1915. Due to the widespread backing of the stoppage – the strike was supported by 2,500 workers – the company gave in to the demands and reinstated the wages for the asbestos miners to the levels of August, 1914. See: Exhibit remembers internees sent to Black Lake asbestos mines.
“Invisible” Asbestos Taskmasters
Jul 16, 2020
A June 10, 2020 complaint to Google LLC by the Kusto Group, “a Kazakh multinational with extensive interests in the chrysotile [asbestos] industry” cited a total of 6 instances of copyright infringement by the Australian website: New Matilda and the website of the Colombian Asbestos Free Foundation. The subject of the complaints was the unapproved use on two occasions of a photograph of Daniel Kunin, Kusto’s Managing Director, and on four occasions of a photograph of Yerkin Tatishev, Kusto’s CEO. See: DMCA (Copyright) Complaint to Google.
Asbestos in Schools Scandal
Jul 16, 2020
This July 15, 2020 article by Robert Campion detailed damning documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request revealing an attempted cover-up of an asbestos scandal at the Newcastle East Public School, a heritage building in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. A purported remediation program for the school in 2019 was “a cover to deal with the far greater problem of secretly eliminating friable asbestos, already found in multiple locations throughout the school, over the Christmas period.” Attempts by NSW authorities to dismiss concerns of parents and staff have proved fruitless in light of evidence regarding the toxic state of the school. See: Australian authorities sought to cover-up asbestos removal at Newcastle school.
Toxic Asbestos Legacy
Jul 16, 2020
The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) has endorsed a widely-supported manifesto calling for the development of a comprehensive asbestos law to address the asbestos challenges facing the country. Although asbestos use was banned in Spain in 2002, there is no regulation of the hazard posed by installed asbestos-containing products, no registry of asbestos-related diseases and a national underreporting of these diseases. In his statement, the President of the SEOM Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure warned that asbestos incorporated within the Spanish infrastructure constitutes a hazard not only to workers but also to members of the public. See: La Sociedad de Oncología Médica pide una la ley del amianto para “evitar muertes” [The Society of Medical Oncology calls for an asbestos law to “prevent deaths”].
Action on Asbestos in Wales
Jul 15, 2020
On July 14, 2020 the Workforce Partnership Council – a tripartite social partnership structure of trade unions, employers and the Welsh Government – published a joint statement on managing asbestos in public buildings in Wales “in recognition of the serious health hazards associated with exposure to asbestos and the importance attributed to the safe identification and management of asbestos wherever it is found in public buildings.” Acknowledging the UK’s epidemic of asbestos-related mortality, the Welsh Government pledged to help raise awareness of the asbestos hazard which continues to endanger both members of the public and working people. See: Joint statement on managing asbestos in public buildings by the Welsh Government.
Asbestos in the Capital
Jul 15, 2020
On July 12, 2020, the Madrid City Council announced a program to inspect 63 of the city’s tunnels, after asbestos had been found in the Azca tunnel in the capital’s financial center. This tunnel, and 13 others, had previously been designated as in great need of renovation due to their age and dilapidated state. According to trade union officials: “of the 3,600 panels lining the Azca [tunnel], 85% contain asbestos.” See: Madrid pone en marcha una campaña para eliminar el amianto de los túneles de la capital [Madrid launches a campaign to eliminate asbestos from the capital's tunnels].
Asbestos Legacy
Jul 15, 2020
The illegal disposal of asbestos-containing debris continues to pose a serious problem to the citizens and authorities in Italy. The Guardia di Finanza – an Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance – recently announced that it had identified twelve sites where tonnes of hazardous waste – including asbestos debris – had been found. It was established that the toxic site where the waste was found was owned by the town of Scanzano in Southern Italy. The Guardia have tasked the town with the remediation of the area. See: Guardia di Finanza: sequestrati dodici siti con tonnellate di amianto abbandonato [Guardia di Finanza: twelve sites seized with tons of abandoned asbestos].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 15, 2020
On July 13, 2020, a response was issued by the French Ministry of National Education to a Senate question submitted on April 16, 2020 which asked: “What measures does the Minister of National Education intend to take to ensure the safety of children and school staff against the presence of asbestos?” The answer from the Ministry reaffirmed the high priority the Government placed on the remediation of schools and pledged that although this issue was one for local authorities, the Ministry had – in collaboration with other Ministries – created a new unit to address the challenges posed by asbestos contamination of the country’s schools. See: Présence d'amiante dans les établissements scolaires [Presence of asbestos in schools].
Occupational Asbestos Education
Jul 15 2020
The Asbestos Victims’ Prevention Center – a new center for the training of asbestos removal operatives, supervisors and others – has opened in the city of Incheon in north-western South Korea. The Center provides on-the-job training to update knowledge and skills of first-line technicians and managers of asbestos removal projects. Similar initiatives in other regional centers are also working to raise industry standards; they include: the Chungnam Asbestos Victims Prevention Center and the Daejeon Asbestos Victims Prevention Center. See: (사)석면피해예방지원센터, 전국 석면종사자 대상 직무교육 나서[Asbestos Victims Prevention Center, to provide job training for asbestos (removal) workers nationwide].
São Paulo Carrier Going to Turkey
Jul 13, 2020
On July 1, 2020 Emgepron – a state owned company linked to Brazil’s Ministry of Defence – announced the French Government’s decision regarding the disposal of the São Paulo aircraft carrier, bought in 2000 from France and formerly named FS Foch. The company awarded the contract for the disposal of the ship was: Mediterranean Ship Breaking; the contract for the dismantling of the vessel was awarded to a ship recycling specialist in Aliga/Izmir, Turkey. Other bidders, including companies based at the Alang ship-breaking yards in Gujarat, India, were unsuccessful in their bids. See: Ata da reunião para pré-credencimento licitação de alienação de bens alienação [Minutes of the meeting for pre-accreditation bidding for the sale of assets].
Asbestos Remediation Program
Jul 13, 2020
The authorities of Jeju Island – the largest island in South Korea – have reported a huge increase in the number of applications for financial support for the removal of asbestos roofing from business and domestic properties. A spokesman for the provincial government reported on July 12, 2020 that by the end of June, a total of 1,072 requests had been received since February 5, 2020; 648 had been approved. An average of 228 applications – which came from claimants in 40+ towns and villages – were made per month. Up to the end of 2019, aid had been given for the removal of asbestos roofing from 6,553 buildings; in 2020, funding had been allocated for 1,590 grants. See: 제주, 석면 슬레이트 지붕 철거 지원사업 신청자 급증 [Jeju, asbestos slate roof demolition support applications surge].
National Asbestos Audit: Update
Jul 13, 2020
On July 8, 2020, Portugal’s Minister for the Environment and Climate Action João Pedro Matos Fernandes released a list of 3,868 public buildings in need of asbestos remediation work to a Parliamentary Commission. The majority (84%) of the affected buildings belonged to the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Justice. Parliamentary Deputies expressed concerns over the disposal of contaminated construction and demolition waste in landfills and the degree of danger to the environment and members of the public from that source. See: Edifícios com necessidade de intervenção e remoção de amianto são 3.868 [Buildings requiring intervention and removal of asbestos number 3,868].
Calls to Ban Asbestos!
Jul 13, 2020
An online petition sponsored by Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) has called on international agencies and lenders – such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank which have offered “tens of billions of dollars in grants and additional ‘concessional’ credit to the world’s poorest countries” – to ensure that Covid-19 health and economic stimulus funding is not used to purchase asbestos-containing products for the construction of new infrastructure projects such as hospitals and other public buildings. See: To World Bank, IMF and AIIB: No asbestos in Covid 19 relief.
Producing Banned Asbestos in Brazil
Jul 13, 2020
Last week, Eternit, S.A., – formerly Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate – reported that, despite the national asbestos ban enshrined under a 2017 Supreme Court (SC) ruling, it planned to process thousands of tons of ore to produce asbestos fiber. The company said, it was allowed to do so under the terms of a contentious Goiás State law which countermanded the SC’s opinion. The work will be undertaken by the Eternit subsidiary SAMA, which operated the chrysotile (white) asbestos mine at Minaçu. It remains to be seen how the asbestos shipments will reach the ports as transport over public highways is forbidden. See: Eternit vai processar minério disponível para extração em instalações da SAMA [Eternit to process ore available for extraction at SAMA facilities].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 13, 2020
Quercus, a Portuguese environmental organization founded in 1985, has issued warnings about hazards posed by hasty asbestos removal work, stating that government plans to remediate asbestos in 578 schools during the Summer months were not feasible due to a shortage of specialized operatives and the large number of premises affected. The lack of protective equipment and clothing, without which contractors would be at risk from toxic exposures, also presented a challenge. See: Profissionais que removem amianto podem estar em risco por falta de materiais de proteção, avisa Quercus [Professionals who remove asbestos may be at risk for lack of protective materials, warns Quercus].
Johnson & Johnson Accused!
Jul 9, 2020
Reuters has reported action by international groups condemning Johnson & Johnson (J&J) for its policy which has withdrawn asbestos-tainted baby powder from North American markets but not from overseas markets. In a statement by the US non-profit organization and advocacy group Black Women for Wellness, which was supported by 170 groups from 50+ countries, the health advocates questioned J&J’s avowed commitment to “fighting racial inequality” when it continued to target “Black and Brown consumers” in marketing efforts for its iconic but potentially toxic baby powder. See: Nonprofits urge Johnson & Johnson to halt sales of Baby Powder globally.
Protests over Asbestos Disposal
Jul 9, 2020
Local authorities and campaigners in the District of Porto in Northern Portugal, who have been protesting since 2018 over the perpetration of an environmental crime, have demanded that the Minister for the Environment “immediately ban asbestos [deposits] at the Recivalongo landfill.” Last month (June, 2020), it was announced that the political assembly of Valongo would initiate court action to shut the landfill over concerns regarding public health and environmental damage arising from serious, non-compliance with mandatory measures of the licensing entity. See: Valongo pede ao Governo “imediata proibição” de amianto no aterro em Sobrado [Valongo asks the Government for an “immediate ban” on asbestos at the Sobrado landfill].
Asbestos Hunger Strike
Jul 9, 2020
A sit-in by workers mounting a hunger strike began on July 6, 2020 in front of the town hall of Priolo Gargallo, a city on the island of Syracuse, southern Italy. During their employment by the Belleli company, the protestors had all been exposed to asbestos. An adverse July 4, 2020 verdict by the Catania Court of Appeal nullified a decision which had recognized social security rights and benefits for ten people who had worked at the asbestos-contaminated site. A spokesman for the demonstrators called for a ministerial act to administratively recognize workers' rights. See: Priolo, sit in e sciopero della fame di 10 lavoratori esposti ad Amianto [Priolo, sit-in and hunger strike of 10 workers exposed to asbestos].
Asbestos Eradication: Update
Jul 9, 2020
On July 6, 2020, deputies from Portugal’s centre-right Social Democratic Party tabled a series of questions for the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action about the presence, removal and deposition of asbestos in public buildings. Amongst the requests made in the document submitted were: the publication of a list of all asbestos-containing public buildings; the provision of the timetable and details of the nation-wide asbestos removal program in schools; and assurances regarding the safe disposal of asbestos-containing waste and debris including clarification of relevant legislation. See: Remoção e deposição de amianto: O que vai ser feito? [Asbestos removal and deposition: What will be done?].
Pioneering Covid-19 Initiative
Jul 7, 2020
Thousands of asbestos-injured citizens in Rio de Janeiro will benefit from a new outreach program by Brazil’s National School of Public Health (ENSP/Fiocruz) which is being coordinated by ENSP director and pulmonologist Hermano Castro and financed by the Public Labor Ministry with funds obtained from judicial penalties against Petrobras, a Brazilian petroleum multinational. Members of the medical team will conduct telephone and on-site interviews to support and assist these patients who are at high-risk of contracting Covid-19. See: ENSP/Fiocruz prestará assistência aos trabalhadores expostos ao amianto no contexto da pandemia [ENSP / Fiocruz will provide assistance to workers exposed to asbestos in the context of the pandemic].
Pioneering Asbestos Program
Jul 7, 2020
On July 1, 2020, the authorities in the South Korean Province of South Chungcheong announced plans to conduct an asbestos health survey, in collaboration with personnel from the Cheonan Hospital of Soonchunnhyang University, of residents in neighborhoods near a former asbestos mine. Residents over the age of 40 in Hongseong, Boryeong and Cheongyang who lived for more than 10 years within a 2 km radius of the mine will be interviewed, screened and medically examined as appropriate with follow-up testing conducted of those with symptoms. See: 충남, 석면 노출 우려지역 건강영향조사 재개 [Chungnam resumes health impact survey on asbestos-exposed areas].
Calls for Asbestos Action
Jul 7, 2020
Más Madrid – a community campaigning group in the Madrid neighborhood of Getafe – on July 3, 2020 protested the municipal authority’s failure to follow-up on a 2019 commitment to implement an asbestos eradication plan. Getafe is, according to the group, an asbestos hotspot due, not only to the former operations of the Uralita asbestos factory, but also to the widespread incorporation of asbestos in the built environment and “the state of neglect in which the industrial estates are, where illegal fiber cement discharges accumulate.” See: GETAFE/ Insisten en la necesidad de elaborar un plan para la retirada del amianto en el municipio [GETAFE / Insistence on the need to develop a plan for the removal of asbestos in the municipality].
Wittenoom: The Legacy
Jul 7, 2020
A historical novel about the health catastrophe caused by the commercial exploitation of asbestos at Western Australia’s Wittenoom crocidolite (blue) asbestos mine has been published by New Zealander Kara Douglas, whose father died aged 53 from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The focus of The Air that we Breathe is the story of an Italian couple who move to the town of Wittenoom in 1961 to work at the asbestos mine. In an interview, the author said the objective of her book was mainly to: “increase awareness of asbestos for people reading it and hopefully save lives. They might read my book and think otherwise if they come across asbestos.” See: Driven to tell doomed WA town’s stories.
Ministry Officials Compensated
Jul 3, 2020
On June 30, 2020, an Administrative Court of Appeal in Nantes, France ruled that nine former employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were entitled to receive up to €11,000 for asbestos exposures experienced whilst working at the landmark Tripod building in Nantes between 1972 and 1993. Verdicts in dozens of similar lawsuits initiated by work colleagues of the claimants in this case and other plaintiffs who were similarly exposed to asbestos at work are expected in the coming days. See: Amiante au Tripode de Nantes: neuf fonctionnaires indemnisés [Asbestos at the Nantes Tripode: nine officials compensated].
Mesothelioma: Update
Jul 3, 2020
PhD student Synat Keam, who is researching immunotherapy and radiotherapy combination treatments for mesothelioma at Australia’s National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, is this year’s recipient of the Douglas Peter Swift Scholarship. Keam plans to use the scholarship to investigate “immune checkpoint blockade treatments, which is a type of immunotherapy that works by enabling T cells to kill cancer cells.” Douglas Swift, who was exposed to asbestos whilst living in the asbestos mining town of Wittenoom, Western Australia, died of mesothelioma aged 53. His family and friends set up this scholarship in his memory. See: Researcher aims to find better way to treat deadly asbestos disease.
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 3, 2020
The announcement by the Prime Minister that £1 billion would be invested in renovating and rebuilding the UK’s educational infrastructure led to calls for action on the asbestos contamination of most UK schools. “It's shameful,” said MP David Morris “that teachers and pupils are still at risk from asbestos-riddled schools that should have been torn down long ago.” In an article on the website of Tes – a publication for education professionals – Morris pointed out: “Teachers in the UK are five times more likely than average to develop mesothelioma, the fatal lung disease most closely linked to the material. Meanwhile, exposure to asbestos in the earliest decades of a child’s life doubles their risk of the same outcome.” See: £1bn school building fund must expel asbestos forever.
Mesothelioma Incidence: Update
Jul 2, 2020
Annual figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on July 1, 2020 reported that in 2018 there had been 2,446 deaths from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma in Great Britain; 90+% of mesothelioma claimants lodged claims for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits. Also published on July 1, 2020 by the HSE was a 12-page report entitled Mesothelioma statistics for Great Britain, 2020 which noted that: “In Great Britain mesothelioma death rates for both males and females follow an upward trend over time with a levelling-off over recent years.” See: HSE releases annual workplace fatality figures for 2019/20.
Processing Asbestos Waste
Jul 2, 2020
In an interview published in a French language Canadian newspaper, Joël Fournier, founder of Alliance Magnesium, described progress achieved by the company in its objective of reclaiming magnesium, iron, silica and nickel from the asbestos waste created by decades of chrysotile (white) asbestos mining in Quebec. Fournier revealed the company had raised $145 million to build a factory in Danville, near Asbestos, in the Eastern Townships; amongst the six Alliance investors were: the Quebec and Canadian governments and a Japanese conglomerate. Health experts have warned of the health hazard posed by processing the hazardous mining debris. See: Premier gros chantier industriel depuis le début de la pandémie [Future plant to produce magnesium for automakers and aluminum smelters].
Asbestos Exposure at VW Factory
Jul 2, 2020
A commentary on the negligence of car manufacturer VW Navarra cited the March 2020 court ruling which condemned the company for exposing a former employee to asbestos at a factory in Northern Spain as a result of which he died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Government documents cited in this text reported that the company had consistently failed to warn workers of the asbestos hazard and failed to take measures to protect employees from toxic exposures. The author concluded that: “all the workers who have passed through the factory at some time in history, at least until 2016, have been or may have been exposed to asbestos, with the possibility of developing a fatal disease.” See: Amianto en Volkswagen [Asbestos at Volkswagen].
Mesothelioma: Psychological Impact
Jul 2, 2020
A peer reviewed article uploaded on June 28, 2020 by British researchers reviewed evidence on the psychological effects of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma on patients and their carers and made recommendations regarding further research. The co-authors identified key findings including: the importance of carefully timed interventions, the need to address difficult feelings such as those arising from knowledge about the exposures which caused the disease and effective measures to improve information sharing and communication. There was, the paper concluded an “urgent need for more nuanced research.” See: What are the psychological effects of mesothelioma on patients and their carers? A scoping review.
Landmark Victory in Madrid
Jul 2, 2020
Madrid Metro – the company which runs the rapid transit system serving the Spanish capital – has for the first time paid out compensation to the family of a worker who died as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos. Julián Martín's family received €193,054 (~US$217,000) in an out of court settlement; Mr. Martin was the first of the company’s workers to have died from a recognized asbestos-related disease; six of his former colleagues have also died from asbestos diseases and 11 other workers have reported similar illnesses. See: Metro de Madrid indemniza por primera vez a los familiares de un fallecido por Amianto [Metro de Madrid compensates for the first time the relatives of a deceased by asbestos].
Asbestos Program for Military
Jun 29, 2020
On June 29, 2020, Korea’s defense ministry said it would eliminate asbestos from all military facilities to safeguard the health and safety of service personnel. A national asbestos audit in 2019 found that ~11,600 military structures were contaminated with asbestos, of which 5,450 buildings – such as barracks and restaurants inside bases – were in use every day. The target for removing asbestos from these structures is 2022, with the remediation of the others to be accomplished by 2025. Funding allocated for removal work in 2020 was US$58+ million with at least the same set aside per year for 2021-2025. See: Defense ministry to remove asbestos from all military structures by 2025.
Sad Anniversary
Jun 29, 2020
June 29, 2020 is the 15th anniversary of the “Kubota Shock (KS)”; the KS initiated a public awakening in Japan of the existence of a nation-wide epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. Since the KS, 600 people have died in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture – the location of a former Kubota company factory – from both occupational and environmental exposures to asbestos fibers liberated by the manufacturing at the Kanzaki site. According to asbestos victims’ campaigner Hiroshi Iida: “The damage is not over…It is a catastrophe that should not be forgotten.” See:「病魔今ごろ暴れだした」クボタ石綿被害、１５年で６００人に [“Disease now rampages” Kubota Asbestos damage, 600 people in 15 years].
Asbestos Remediation Program
Jun 29, 2020
Officials in Sardinia are calling on Gianni Lampis, the Regional Environmental Minister for Sardinia, to press the Italian government for the release of funds allocated for the removal and disposal of asbestos from public buildings such as schools and hospitals. The total amount earmarked for this work was €385 million, of which €35m was for asbestos remediation in Sardinia. As all the work funded under this program must be completed by December 31, 2025, Lampis has been asked to press the government to release these funds. See: Rimozione dell’amianto da scuole e ospedali: fondi ancora bloccati [Asbestos removal from schools and hospitals: funds still blocked].
Asbestos Legacy
Jun 29, 2020
The inhabitants of Kato Polemidia, Cyprus have been in limbo after demolition of an urban site. The price for the tender agreed with the town had been based on the reuse of rubble in municipal building works. When the debris was found to contain asbestos, this became impossible and the work to remove the waste was suspended. In the 18 months since then, discussions amongst city agencies and operatives regarding this problem proved fruitless. according to local politician Adamos Adamou, a solution to this problem is imminent. See: Επείγουσα επιστολή Επιτροπής Περιβάλλοντος για επίσπευση των διαδικασιών που αφορούν την κατεδάφιση του Βερεγγάρια [Letter from Environment Committee to expedite procedures for demolition of Berengaria].
Benefits Vacuum: Lung Cancer Cases
Jun 26, 2020
As of the end of 2018, more than US$735 million of Japanese government benefits allocated for the payment of compensation to asbestos victims remained unused due to a massive under-recording and under-recognition of cases of lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure. According to Professor Masahide Sakamoto, an expert on asbestos issues at Senshu University: “Surplus funds have amassed to nearly 80 billion yen because lung cancer patients could not be certified properly and there are holes in the system. The qualification criteria for lung cancer patients should be reviewed and consideration should be made for the benefits to be upgraded to a level that enables minimal living standards.” See: Japan gov't relief funds for asbestos going unused due to few lung cancer certifications.
Asbestos Action Plan
Jun 26, 2020
A manifesto calling for urgent action on asbestos was sent to government officials this week by a coalition of civil society groups in Spain. The campaigners urged that a Comprehensive Asbestos Law be adopted to make Spain “an international benchmark in the fight against the asbestos crisis in the world.” An online petition, which described the objectives of the law as protecting public, occupational and environmental health, had, to date, received 8,000 signatures; another petition calling for increased research into asbestos-related cancer had received 10,000 signatures. See: Una treintena de organizaciones y expertos insta al Gobierno a desarrollar una Ley Integral del Amianto [Thirty organizations and experts urge the Government to develop a Comprehensive Asbestos Law].
Failed by the State
Jun 26, 2020
An online commentary on a Japanese news portal considered the hypocrisy illustrated by Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J’s) decision to end sales of talc-based baby powder in North America whilst continuing to sell its toxic product in Japan. Questions asked to officials at Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency and Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare by the author of the commentary about the hazards posed by exposing Japanese babies and their mothers to J&J’s baby powder were fobbed off with civil service doublespeak. No response was received from J&J Japan. See: 北米では販売中止に アスベスト入りベビーパウダーを日本はなぜ野放しに [Discontinued in North America Why baby powder with asbestos left unchecked in Japan].
Ban Asbestos Action
Jun 26, 2020
The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) – a Global Trade Union Federation – has been at the forefront of the international campaign to protect workers from the asbestos hazard since the 1980s. Efforts to mobilize support for action to ban asbestos in the Middle East and Africa by BWI affiliates were considered during a June 15th webinar; 35 trade unionists compared notes about national asbestos panoramas and concluded that even where regulations and prohibitions existed, they were routinely flouted. According to BWI Regional Representative Crecentia Mofokeng, the participants of the meeting agreed that there was “a strong need to lobby different stakeholders to do more on this issue.” See: Workers intensify Asbestos ban campaign in Africa and Middle East.
Victims’ Verdict by Missouri Court
Jun 25, 2020
In a high-profile ruling on June 23, 2020 by an appellate court in Missouri, a verdict worth more than $2 billion in damages against Johnson & Johnson was upheld with scathing comments made about the company’s negligent behaviour: “A reasonable inference from all this evidence is that, motivated by profits, defendants disregarded the safety of consumers,” the court said. The plaintiffs alleged they had contracted ovarian cancer having been exposed to asbestos in the company’s talcum products, including its iconic baby powder. The court agreed that the plaintiffs had shown “clear and convincing evidence” of the defendants’ “outrageous” conduct. See: Women With Cancer Awarded Billions in Baby Powder Suit.
Alert over Abandoned Mine
Jun 25, 2020
The health hazard posed to people living downstream of the abandoned asbestos mine of Clinton Creek in the Yukon, remains decades after all mining operations were ceased according to the Canadian government. The former open-pit mine, which produced 940,000 tonnes of asbestos, was operational from 1967 to 1978 when it was decommissioned by its owner: Cassiar Asbestos Corporation. The federal government has said reclamation of the site will begin in 2026 but no plans have been published regarding the remediation. Neither Cassiar nor the company which bought Cassiar in 1991 have been held accountable for the environmental pollution created. See: Unremediated Yukon asbestos mine poses health hazards, flood risk 42 years after closing.
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 25, 2020
In a speech addressing Portugal’s post-Covid-19 challenges, Prime Minister António Costa enumerated projects that will be undertaken as part of the country’s Economic and Social Stabilization Program, amongst which was the issue of asbestos contamination of schools. The Prime Minister promised that: “We are going to simultaneously remove the [asbestos] fiber cement problem and attack the paralysis of the economy… this program mobilizes 60 million euros from community funds, which will be distributed to 578 schools,” he said. See: Covid-19: Programa de remoção do amianto das escolas envolve 60 milhões de euros [Covid-19: Asbestos removal program from schools involves 60 million euros].
Asbestos Tourist Attraction
Jun 23, 2020
At a June 23 press conference in Chelyabinsk – the 2nd largest city in Russia’s Ural Federal District – Presidential funding of 1.3 million rubles was announced for an industrial heritage project to memorialize the mining of chrysotile asbestos at the Kholisty mine in the Southern Urals. The developer of the tourist attraction was the South Ural Public Fund for the Promotion of the Preservation of Cultural Heritage; at the press conference, their spokesman explained the facilities on offer at the new facility including: a navigation system, information stands, recreation areas and viewing platforms. See: Под Миассом появится «Призрак горы Французской» [Near Miass will appear the “Phantom of the French Mountain” (heritage site)].
Ban Asbestos NOW!
Jun 23, 2020
A statement released by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley on June 22, 2020, the 4th anniversary of the passing of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, deplored the US Government’s failure to progress public safety under the Act, citing the stalemate on asbestos saying: “Today, not only has EPA failed to ban asbestos, they have failed even to complete the review required by law. This unconscionable delay will cost thousands more American lives. Roughly 40,000 Americans each year die from asbestos-related causes, and this number will not decline until we take decisive action to protect Americans from asbestos.” See: Merkley criticizes years of EPA delays, urges Congress to ban asbestos.
Alert: Toxic Talc
Jun 23, 2020
France’s Association for the Defense of Asbestos Victims (Andeva) has raised the alert over the public health hazard posed by ongoing sales of consumer products contaminated with asbestos fibers citing Johnson & Johnson talc-based baby powder and other cosmetic products including those marketed by the US companies Revlon and Avon and the French companies Chanel and Sanofi. After receiving the alert from Andeva, France’s Minister of Health Olivier Véran alerted the European Rapex system about the situation. See: De l’amiante encore détecté dans des produits cosmétiques, dont le talc pour bébé [Asbestos still detected in cosmetic products, including baby talc].
Another Asbestos Discovery
Jun 23, 2020
In a company circular dated June 19, 2020, Metro de Madrid – the rapid transit system in the Spanish capital – announced that asbestos had been found in a G32 valve gasket integrated in suspension panels in train cars 2000B, 6000, 7000, 8000 first and 9000 series. The company assured workers that it was committed to the removal of “all traces” of asbestos from the network and was analyzing “each and every part of the trains, as well as the Metro facilities to detect this material, and, where appropriate, remove it.” See: Metro de Madrid localiza una nueva pieza con amianto en trenes de diversos modelos [Metro de Madrid locates a new piece with asbestos in trains of various models].
Asbestos Remediation Program
Jun 23, 2020
On June 11, 2020 the council of the Italian town of Siena, in collaboration with a privately-owned company: SEI Toscana, launched a “stop asbestos” service to progress the eradication of asbestos in the municipality; asbestos remediation has been designated a high priority objective by the regional authorities in Tuscany. Individuals can access the service for the collection of asbestos-cement material from their homes in Siena for an initial payment of €57; additional charges may be imposed. This initiative was designed to prevent the illegal dumping of asbestos waste in rural areas. See: “Stop Amianto,” il Comune di Siena aderisce al servizio opzionale [“Stop asbestos,” the Municipality of Siena implements an optional service].
More Asbestos Lies?
Jun 19, 2020
Highly unlikely assertions are made in an article on a Russian website which alleged that young divers in the US Navy are required to wear asbestos fire suits and run through the compartments of nuclear submarines as part of qualifying procedures. The author of this text stated that: “Fireproof suits made of fireproof “mountain flax” [chrysotile asbestos] are included in the compulsory equipment of the US Navy submarine team.” Enquiries are being pursued with US authorities to ascertain whether this statement is true. See: Асбестовая рубашка для молодого подводника: традиции ВМФ США [Asbestos shirt for a young diver: traditions of the US Navy].
Asbestos Fact and Fiction
Jun 19, 2020
A paper uploaded to the website of the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology on June 15, 2020 reviewed key issues in the ongoing debate over banning asbestos, pinpointing fallacious arguments still being used by vested interests to forestall action by national or international authorities regarding the asbestos hazard. Whilst author Dr. Arthur Frank agreed that legitimate scientific questions remain such as “potential differential toxicity and carcinogenicity of different fiber types,” there were, he asserted, far more illegitimate issues being perpetuated by the industry lobby including: the myth of the “safe” use of asbestos and the chrysotile hypothesis. See: Global use of asbestos – legitimate and illegitimate issues.
MoD Guilty!
Jun 19, 2020
On June 11, the Civil Court in Rome ordered the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to pay €627,000 (US$705,414) to the family of a military worker who died from mesothelioma as a result of occupational asbestos exposure. The deceased had served for 17 years on naval ships as a motor engineer and was routinely exposed to asbestos-containing insulation in engine rooms and elsewhere. The verdict condemned the MoD with the Judge ruling that despite the “incontrovertible evidence about the harmfulness of asbestos” the MoD had not acted to protect employees from potentially fatal exposures. See: Morti d’amianto e navi militari: condannato il Ministero della Difesa [Asbestos deaths and military ships: Ministry of Defense sentenced].
Call for Action on Toxic Powder
Jun 18, 2020
A press release issued by the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK (the Forum) on June 17, 2020 highlighted the ongoing hazard posed to UK citizens by the continuing sale of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) talc-based baby powder, a product which has been withdrawn from US and Canadian markets. Condemning the double standards implicit in J&J’s actions, Forum Chair Joanne Gordon asked: “Would busy UK families be aware of the controversy over the continuing sale of J&J’s toxic talc-based baby powder or be in the position to make an informed choice about the risks posed by using a product that might contain asbestos fibres?” See: Health Alert: Asbestos in Baby Powder.
Claiming Asbestos Compensation
Jun 18, 2020
Research was conducted in Italy to establish the process by which mesothelioma sufferers filed claims for compensation and the key factors which determined whether claims were made. Data sourced from national registries and the Italian national insurance institute relating to 5,000+ people diagnosed with mesothelioma between 2010 and 2015 established that 66.2% of those eligible made claims. The co-authors of this paper concluded that there was “a need to enforce policies for improving awareness of the occupational origin for mesothelioma cases.” See: Predictors of filing claims and receiving compensation in malignant mesothelioma patients.
Victory in Mesothelioma Case
Jun 17, 2020
A settlement was reached in Hemms v the Trustees of the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion and Bath and North East Somerset Council despite an earlier verdict in Bannister v Freemans PLC in which the judge had advocated a statistical approach to whether asbestos exposure had increased the claimant’s risk of mesothelioma. Solicitor Patrick Walsh, who represented the deceased mesothelioma victim Gordon Hemms, said: “This case illustrates the fact that a substantial settlement in a low dose asbestos exposure case can be achieved if the claim is pursued vigorously and the right expert witnesses are instructed by the claimant.” See: Claimant asbestos lawyers advised to resist approach that succeeded in Bannister v Freemans PLC.
Concerns for Victims’ Fund
Jun 17, 2020
On June 16, 2020, officials of the Swiss Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund (EFA) expressed concerns about the financial viability of this government scheme for sufferers of mesothelioma which could run out of money by the end of 2021. In 2019 EFA received more claims (88) and paid out more compensation (4.77 million francs) than ever before. Since it was set up in 2017, EFA has received 24m francs in contributions out of a total budget of 100m francs; it is feared that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could adversely effect the amount of donations received. See: Amiante: le Fonds d’indemnisation des victimes craint pour son financement [Asbestos: the Victims' Compensation Fund fears for its funding].
Victim’s Verdict in NJ
Jun 17, 2020
On June 3, 2020 in a 5:2 decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that equipment manufacturers could be held strictly liable for failing to issues warnings regarding the hazard posed by asbestos-containing component parts, including replacement parts, made or supplied by third parties which had been used in their products. For 40 years, the plaintiff Arthur Whelan – who contracted mesothelioma – had worked as a plumber and auto mechanic. Subsequent to this verdict, the case Whelan v. Armstrong Intl was remanded to the trial court. See: Whether Asbestos-Containing Components Were Manufactured by Third Parties No Longer Matters in New Jersey.
Asbestos Eradication
Jun 17, 2020
The council of the Spanish island of La Gomera announced progress on the audit of its territory to identify the presence of asbestos-containing material; the efforts made, to date, constituted the initial phase of an asbestos eradication program which pioneered the use of a fieldwork application to collect data, generate maps and integrate facts into an information system. Investigations carried out in the areas of Alajerò, Hermigua, San Sebastián de La Gomera and Vallehermoso identified 100+ sites where asbestos-containing material was identified in roofs, pipes and water systems. See: La Gomera ha realizzato uno studio sulla presenza di amianto nel territorio insulare [La Gomera has carried out a study on the presence of asbestos in the island territory].
Asbestos Outreach Program
Jun 17, 2020
Earlier this month, Brazilian Pulmonologist Dr. Hermano Castro, director of the Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública (ENSP/ the National School of Public Health), announced that home visits to members of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) living in Rio de Janeiro would be carried out in light of their heightened vulnerability to the coronavirus. During these appointments, health check-ups would be undertaken and flu vaccinations offered by members of the Asbestos Covid-19 Action team. See: Photo of the Action team.
Asbestos Outrage in Philadelphia
Jun 12, 2020
Teachers, school staff and students demonstrated on June 10, 2020 in front of the headquarters of the school district over the widespread asbestos contamination found in schools in Philadelphia and denounced the unsafe conditions created by slipshod asbestos removal work, with one elementary school nurse categorizing the situation as a “public health crisis.” The protesters alleged that the health hazard created by the presence of asbestos in their schools was an example of systemic racism. See: Educators protest racism, health hazards in Philly schools.
Victim’s Verdict in Rome
Jun 12, 2020
Cotral SpA, the company which runs public transport services in the Lazio region of Italy, was ordered by a court in Rome to pay compensation of €294,000 to the surviving family of a worker who died in 2011 from asbestos cancer. The deceased, who had routinely experienced occupational exposure to asbestos, had worked as a laborer for Cotral SpA from 1981 to 1992 maintaining the escalators of Rome’s subway system and working in the bus depot or mechanical workshop. See: Amianto, Cotral condannata per la morte per tumore di un manovale [Asbestos, Cotral reponsible for the death of a laborer from cancer].
EPA Meeting on Asbestos
Jun 12, 2020
This week (June 8-11), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a virtual public meeting of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals [Docket Number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2019–0501] to consider the 310-page Draft Risk Evaluation for of Asbestos. Medical professionals, scientists, occupational health experts, public health campaigners and asbestos victims have been highly critical of the exemptions proposed in this report which would allow the continued use of asbestos. The original date for this meeting had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. See: Peer Review of the Draft Risk Evaluation of Asbestos.
Firefighters and Asbestos
Jun 12, 2020
In a landmark judgment by the Court of Trieste, the causation of the 2008 death of a firefighter was recognized as occupational and the Ministry of the Interior was condemned for negligence in failing to prevent toxic exposures to asbestos of personnel from the Fire Department. The Ministry initially denied that the firefighter had died from occupational asbestos exposure. Over a career of 34 years, the fireman had used asbestos gloves and overalls. The deceased’s family will receive a life-time monthly allowance of ~€1,500 and a lump sum of €228,000. See: Vigile del Fuoco morto per amianto, Tribunale di Trieste condanna il Ministero dell’Interno [Firefighter who died of asbestos, Court of Trieste condemns the Ministry of the Interior].
Asbestos Manufacturing & Public Health
Jun 10, 2020
A paper uploaded on June 9, 2020 to the American Journal of Industrial Medicine considered the health consequences for people who lived near Spain’s first asbestos-cement factory which was operational in the Barcelona area between 1907 and 1997 by studying data from patients diagnosed with malignant asbestos-related disease between 2007 and 2016. The authors concluded that: “More than 20 years after the closure of the fiber cement plant, the grave consequences of exposure to asbestos remain. The detection of cases of pleural mesothelioma in men seems to have plateaued whereas in women an ascending trend continues…” See: Malignant asbestos-related disease in a population exposed to asbestos.
Toxic Talc
Jun 10, 2020
In the wake of the scandal over the sale of asbestos-contaminated cosmetics, three of the biggest global cosmetic brands – Chanel, Revlon and L’Oreal – are taking steps to protect their reputations and bottom lines by eliminating talc-based products from their ranges according to a report just issued by Reuters. In light of the Johnson & Johnson baby powder fiasco and the ~20,000 lawsuits the company is facing, Chanel has been eliminating talc from face and body powders and Revlon has been transitioning to talc-free body products. See: Exclusive: Chanel, Revlon, L'Oreal pivoting away from talc in some products.
Double Standards: Toxic Talc
Jun 10, 2020
A press release issued on June 4, 2020 by Andeva – a national group representing French Asbestos Victims – denounced the double standards of the US multinational Johnson & Johnson in withdrawing from sale talc-based baby powder – alleged to contain asbestos fibers – only from US and Canadian markets. Deploring the double standards of the company, Andeva said: “This announcement is shameful. As if the life of an Asian, a Latin American or a European is worth less than that of a North American.” Andeva urged the French Government to act swiftly to protect its citizens from toxic exposures. See Andeva Press Release: L’Andeva alerte le minister de la Santé [Andeva alerts the Minister of Health].
The Human Cost of Asbestos Use
Jun 10, 2020
Switzerland’s accident insurance fund (Suva) has predicted that the annual incidence of asbestos-related mortality will continue to grow. There are currently 120 deaths from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma every year; this figure could reach 170 in the future. To date, Suva has recognized over 5,100 cases of occupationally-induced asbestos-related diseases and despite a national ban on asbestos, the number of claims is increasing. Although a fund set up to compensate asbestos victims in 2017 has raised 12m francs (~US$12.6m), by 2025 100 million francs could be needed to pay the claims which are expected to be made. It is, said a Suva representative “only a matter of time before the money runs out.” See: Amianto, le vittime di cancro aumenteranno [Asbestos, cancer victims will increase].
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 8, 2020
On a June 6, 2020 site visit to Kamenu Primary school in Thika – an industrial town northeast of Nairobi – Kenyan MP Patrick Wainaina announced that municipal authorities would soon begin a program to remove and properly dispose of asbestos in local public schools in order to protect the health of students, teachers and non-teaching staff. Wainaina said his office would engage with the National Environment Management Authority and other relevant agencies to ensure work was done according to the tightest regulations. The MP said: “We initiated a water harvesting programme in schools to address water shortage and ensure schools have sufficient clean water for hygiene purposes. But the programme is facing hurdles in some schools where there are asbestos roofs.” See: Thika to remove asbestos roofs from schools.
Asbestos Remediation Fund
Jun 8, 2020
A program has been set up by the Development and Cohesion Fund of Italy’s Ministry of the Environment with an allocation of €10 million to remediate asbestos in dozens of school buildings and hospitals throughout the Region of Tuscany. To date, detailed plans have been drawn up to undertake work on 18 hospitals at a cost of €7,440,000 and 54 schools at a cost of €2,630,000. Work has already begun on some of the contaminated structures under the supervision of the regional authorities. See: Amianto, 10 milioni per interventi di bonifica in scuole e ospedali [Asbestos, 10 million for remediation in schools and hospitals].
Asbestos Legacy
Jun 8, 2020
The Madrid City Council has found that 14% of the fiber cement linings in the Azca tunnel contained asbestos. They will be replaced as a matter of priority with steel panels; the work will be undertaken by specialist contractors following EU guidelines. The tunnel was, said the municipal corporation, built in the late 1960s and the asbestos panels were “near the end of their useful life.” Similar structures throughout Madrid will be inspected to ensure that there is no asbestos in other city tunnels built before 2003. See: Madrid halla amianto en el interior de los túneles de Azca y sustituirá los paneles contaminados [Madrid finds asbestos inside the Azca tunnels and will replace the contaminated panels].
Propaganda Offensive in Ukraine
Jun 5, 2020
A text on a Ukraine news portal with the headline “Is it possible to use asbestos?” repeated asbestos industry’s arguments stating that chrysotile asbestos was “the safest among industrial [asbestos] fibers” and that exposure to chrysotile “should not cause concern about the harmful effects on the body with controlled use.” This infomercial concluded as follows: “Due to the Euro-oriented course of Ukraine, in 2017 in our country they also tried to ban all asbestos-containing materials, including those with safe chrysotile. But, fortunately, the decision of the Ministry of Health was suspended by the court, and today the use of chrysotile asbestos is legal.” See: Влияние асбеста на организм человека – можно ли использовать асбест [The effect of asbestos on the human body – is it possible to use asbestos].
Support for US Asbestos Ban
Jun 5, 2020
On June 2, 2020, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and 12 other attorney generals submitted comments criticizing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) finding that some uses of asbestos present no unreasonable risk to human health. Reasserting that the “dangers of asbestos are indisputable,” the Attorney Generals urged “the EPA to stop this farce and actually consider science and evidence as it evaluates the risk of this known carcinogen.” See: California Attorney General Criticizes EPA for Failing to Protect Americans from Asbestos, a Long-Known Dangerous Carcinogen.
Guernsey Compensation Scheme
Jun 5, 2020
On June 4, 2020, the States of Guernsey – the parliament of one of the British Channel islands – approved an initiative to pay compensation to all sufferers of the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The scheme, which will be rolled out in 20201, will cost Guernsey £100,000 a year. Attempts by the Policy and Resources Committee to delay the implementation of the scheme were overcome with one opponent claiming that such a delay was “unnecessary, destructive and cruel.” Jersey, another Channel Island, agreed to pay mesothelioma sufferers compensation in 2018. See: Asbestos-related cancer compensation scheme approved in Guernsey.
Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Jun 3, 2020
The results of an annual health report by Japan's Environment Ministry confirmed that more than 30% of respondents to the ministry’s survey had developed symptoms of asbestos-related conditions by inhaling asbestos liberated by the operations of local asbestos-using factories. The authors of the report documenting the newly released data warned that the figure of “over 30%” was an underestimate of the likely impact of asbestos exposures on local populations. Despite this and other government initiatives, many people remain unaware of the environmental hazard posed by their exposure to asbestos say health and safety campaigners in Japan. See: Link between local residents' illnesses and asbestos use at factories: Japan study.
Asbestos in Classic Cars
Jun 3, 2020
A commentary by a car enthusiast on a US specialist website highlighted the health hazards posed to car restorers by the presence of asbestos in parts contained in classic and vintage cars such as: brake pads, brake linings, clutch discs, transmission parts, gaskets, valve rings and hood linings. Asbestos was also used in some fiberglass or plastic bodywork, insulation and under coatings. The author of this text reported that mechanics and body shop technicians were at a higher risk of exposure to asbestos whilst working on older vehicles; over time, friable asbestos fibers collected in brake drums and transmission housing and could easily be inhaled during operations such as changing a clutch disc or brake shoes. See: Restoring classic and vintage cars containing asbestos parts.
Price Gouging in Bengal
Jun 3, 2020
In the aftermath of Cyclone Amphan and with the Covid-19 pandemic still raging in the Indian state of West Bengal: “Bamboo that used to cost Rs150 is now Rs500. Each 8×3 asbestos sheet cost Rs530 earlier but is selling for Rs650.” Materials needed to repair damage caused by the storm are in short supply; with no help from local, regional or national authorities, families are trying to provide shelter using whatever supplies are available including old saris, plastic sheeting and hazardous asbestos-cement roofing. See: Covid, cyclone, lockdown: All lines blur in Sundarbans.
Update: Global Asbestosis Data
Jun 1, 2020
Data and conclusions in a study supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China reinforced opinions in a blog entitled China’s Rejection of Asbestos: Official regarding growing support of the Chinese government for a transition to asbestos-free technology. The authors of the paper stated: “Furthermore, the most pronounced increases in ASIR [age-standardised incidence rate] of asbestosis were detected in high-income North America and Australasia. These findings indicate that efforts to change the asbestos regulation policy are urgently needed.” See: Increasing incidence of asbestosis worldwide, 1990–2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease study 2017.
National Asbestos Action
Jun 1, 2020
Portugal’s Ministry of Finance announced that a list of all government buildings, including schools, which contain asbestos would be released by the end of June 2020. Although the Assembly of Portugal had endorsed plans for a phased nationwide asbestos remediation effort, work had been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Campaigners for the group SOS Amianto criticized the government’s plans – which are estimated to cost €422m – for their lack of mandatory “risk assessments” to identify the level of hazard posed by the presence of asbestos products at particular sites. See: Amianto: 9 anos depois, governo divulga lista das escolas [Asbestos: 9 years later, government releases list of schools].
Another type of asbestos-free brakes!
Jun 1, 2020
Environmentally friendly motorcycle brake pads using coffee grinds have been pioneered by an entrepreneur in Vietnam: Mr. Nguyen Thai Son – Director of Nam Khanh Brake Joint Stock Company. “Using this material not only recycles coffee grounds, but also helps create a unique aroma for each product,” he said. The Institute of Building Materials (Ministry of Construction) has certified this product asbestos-free. The company plans to promote sales in Vietnam and abroad targeting markets in Thailand and Cambodia. See: á phanh xe được làm từ ... bã cà phê [Brake pads made from ... coffee grounds].
Asbestos: New Restrictions
Jun 1, 2020
Last week, regulations were tightened in Japan in the Revised Air Pollution Control Act to prevent the liberation of asbestos during demolition work on contaminated buildings. The new provisions mandated the commissioning and submission of asbestos audits to local authorities before work on asbestos-containing structures was begun; these regulations, which will be implemented by 2022, could increase the number of dismantling projects supervised by the Ministry of Environment from 16,000 to 320,000 per year. See: アスベスト飛散防止徹底へ 改正大気汚染防止法が成立 [Thorough prevention of asbestos scattering as Revised Air Pollution Control Law enacted].
Asbestos Remediation in Mato Grosso
Jun 1, 2020
On May 29, 2020 work on replacing a 40-year old network of asbestos-containing water pipes was recommenced in a neighborhood in Cuiabá, the capital city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, as part of a program to improve the quality of water distributed by the public utility company; the work had been suspended because of the State’s Covid-19 quarantine. The deteriorating asbestos pipes are being removed with safer pipes installed for the transport of water to the localities affected. See: Rede de amianto será substituída na Rua Feliciano Galdino a partir de amanhã [Asbestos network will be replaced on Rua Feliciano Galdino from tomorrow].
Legal Victory for Asbestos Victim
May 30, 2020
The Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia awarded compensation of €222,765 – including moral damages – to the family of a doctor who had worked for 24 years for the Spanish asbestos giant Uralita; as a result of asbestos exposure at the company’s factory in Seville, the doctor contracted the fatal asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The company argued that as a medical professional, the doctor should have taken preventative measures to protect himself from the hazards posed by working at the Uralita facility. See: Indemnizan con 222.765€ a los herederos del médico de empresa de Uralita fallecido de mesothelioma [Compensation for heirs of the Uralita company doctor who died of mesothelioma with €222,765].
UK Mesothelioma Audit
May 30, 2020
On May 28, 2020, the fourth UK National Mesothelioma Audit was published by the Royal College of Physicians; the research and publication of this work was commissioned and funded by Mesothelioma UK. Based on data sourced from ~7,000 mesothelioma patients in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Guernsey, the authors noted: “improvements in survival, clinical nurse specialist assessment, pathologic subtyping and multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussion, with particular note of a doubling of referrals to the national peritoneal mesothelioma MDT since the last report published in 2018.” See: National Mesothelioma Audit report 2020.
Asbestos at the Power Station
May 30, 2020
On May 25, 2020, eight chimneys at the Hazelwood power station in Victoria, Australia were demolished; each one contained 50 kilograms of asbestos. The facility which was built in the 1960s was sited in the town of Morwell in the LaTrobe Valley; it was closed in March, 2017. According to a spokesman for Engie – the company which owned the power station: “There is absolutely no risk that asbestos will be anywhere other than on the ground, and ultimately remediated on site and stored in an approved cell.” See: Hazelwood power station's eight chimneys demolished in live stream viewed by thousands.
Victims’ Precedent in Malta
May 30, 2020
On March 27, 2020, Malta’s Constitutional Court delivered a judgement on a case brought by the family of a shipyard worker who had, as a result of occupational asbestos exposure over 28 years, died of cancer on April 20, 2018. Key segments of the ruling could have implications for future cases not least of which was the finding that cases in which moral damages were being sought for contractual breaches could be heard under ordinary civil law in ordinary courts and not exclusively in constitutional courts. See: The Constitutional Court and monetary compensation.
Asbestos Fly-Tipping in Korea
May 30, 2020
On May 27, 2020, a 25-ton dump truck was spotted by scores of residents in the forested outskirts of Jinju, a city in the South Gyeongsang Province of South Korea. Suspicions over the activities of the truck’s operators were reported to the police and as a result three men were arrested and charged under the Industrial Waste Management Act with the illegal disposal of 100 tonnes of asbestos-containing industrial waste. The truck had counterfeit markings on it identifying it as belonging to a government agency. The Jinju city cleaning department was commissioned to remove the toxic debris and remediate the area. See: 산업폐기물 1급 발암물질 '석면' 몰래 버리다 주민신고로 덜미 [Industrial waste, first-class carcinogen, ‘asbestos’].
Yet More Asbestos Misinformation!
May 25, 2020
Another Russian article about the decision to withdraw Johnson & Johnson’s iconic baby powder from sale in the US and Canada was used to reassert asbestos industry propaganda regarding the “harmless” nature of chrysotile (white) asbestos. The author pointed out that: “chrysotile asbestos poses the least danger to people… [and] has been successfully used for decades and continues to be used in Russia, the CIS countries, Latin America and Southeast Asia. There is no ban on the use of chrysotile asbestos even in the USA.” See: Культивируемый в США страх перед асбестом позволил развернуть кампанию против Johnson&Johnson [US-cultivated fear of asbestos boosts campaign against Johnson & Johnson].
Victory in Asbestos Case
May 26, 2020
On May 21, 2020, in a unanimous decision, the California Supreme Court overturned a 2018 Appeals Court ruling and reinstated the 2017 verdict of an Alameda County jury which had awarded Frank C. Hart $1.6 million for occupational asbestos exposure which resulted in his contracting the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. At the heart of the Supreme Court’s verdict was its acceptance of the validity of testimony relating to product identification: e.g. that evidence given by a foreman remembering the logo of Keenan Properties on paperwork was sufficient to establish the company’s culpability. See: State high court reinstates verdict against company for fatal cancer caused by asbestos.
Toxic Talc
May 26, 2020
On May 22, 2020, in the aftermath of news that Johnson & Johnson would no longer sell its iconic baby powder in the US and Canada, the Penang Consumers Association called on the Malaysian Ministry of Health to ban talcum powder and products based on talc powder. To avoid the hazard posed by exposure to talcum powder contaminated with asbestos, the association advised consumers to use products containing corn starch or white rice powder for personal hygiene and recommended that ointment not talcum powder be used to avoid nappy rashes in babies. See: 槟消协促政府禁含滑石粉产品 [Penang Consumer Association urges the government to ban products containing talc].
Asbestos Exposure at the Bakery
May 26, 2020
On May 20, 2020, a Coroner’s Court in Oxford ruled that the death in February 2020 of 61-year old Kevin Manley from epithelioid mesothelioma had been caused by exposure to asbestos whilst working for the Tip Top company in the 1970s. During his employment, the deceased had used heat-proof asbestos safety gloves whilst working with an industrial oven; Mr. Manley had been reassured by his manager that although the gloves were made from asbestos, they were not dangerous “because the substance was in cloth form.” The Coroner concluded that the cause of Mr Manley’s death was industrial disease. See: Banbury ‘Tip Top’ Bakery worker died after asbestos poisoning from gloves.
Asbestos SOS
May 26, 2020
This week, Portugal’s Parliament will be discussing plans to reinvigorate an economy decimated by Covid-19. António Costa, Secretary General of the Socialist Party, will call on the Government to address the country’s asbestos legacy as part of a coordinated program to reduce bureaucracy, create jobs and generate investment. “Now that schools are closed,” Costa told journalists, “it is also now or never that we have to eliminate asbestos from schools. We have to launch a major operation to eliminate asbestos from schools.” See: “Simplex SOS” põe fim ao amianto nas escolas [“Simplex SOS” put an end to asbestos in schools].
Toxic Talc Withdrawn
May 21, 2020
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced that its iconic but contentious baby powder will be withdrawn from sale in the US and Canada. Although a company statement asserted that this action was taken “as part of a portfolio assessment related to Covid-19,” it is more likely that the ~20,000 pending lawsuits over cancers caused by exposure to J&J’s asbestos-contaminated baby powder were paramount in the decision despite the company’s continuing assertions that: “Decades of scientific studies by medical experts around the world support the safety of our product.” See: Johnson & Johnson to stop selling baby powder in US and Canada.
Asbestos Industry Offensive
May 21, 2020
Using news that Johnson & Johnson is withdrawing its toxic baby powder from sale in the US and Canada as a hook, a Russian article refloated industry propaganda defending chrysotile (white) asbestos; Russia is the world’s largest supplier of chrysotile fiber and Russian asbestos lobbyists continue to mount an aggressive global campaign promoting sales even in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Propaganda in this article included statements such as: “According to available scientific studies, chrysotile asbestos is safe for controlled use” and “chrysotile is not dangerous to human health.” See: Американский онколог поставил под сомнение правомерность иска к Johnson&Johnson [American oncologist questioned the validity of the lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson].
Asbestos in Schools
May 21, 2020
A December 2019 resolution by the Parliament of Portugal, which recommended that the Portuguese Government “proceed with the urgent elaboration of a plan for the removal of all asbestos material from public schools,” was published on May 19, 2020 in the Diário da República, the official gazette of the Government of Portugal. The Parliamentary resolution urged that detailed plans and budgets be drawn up for removing asbestos from schools. See: Parlamento pede a Governo plano para retirada de amianto das escolas [Parliament asks Government for plan to remove asbestos from schools].
Legal Victory in Spain!
May 21, 2020
A Basque Country court has countermanded a ruling by the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) which had refused a pension to a worker disabled by the cancer mesothelioma which he contracted as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos at former employers: Aceros de Llodio and Sidenor de Basauri, Spanish steel-making companies. Social Court 2 of Vitoria-Gasteiz awarded the claimant the right to a full pension due to his permanent and total disability. Commenting on the outcome, a local asbestos victims’ group denounced the INSS’s refusal to recognize the rights of asbestos victims. See: Denuncian la “injusta” actitud del INSS de “ocultar” los cánceres del Amianto [Denouncement of “unfair” attitude of the INSS to “hide” asbestos cancers].
Asbestos and Lung Cancer
May 21, 2020
A feature article in the May 10 Sunday issue of a popular Vietnamese online newspaper highlighted the lung cancer risk posed by asbestos exposures stating that: “People working in the construction and repair industry of cars are at the highest risk of asbestos exposure because this material has been used in buildings and automobile manufacturing industry.” In recent years, intense pressure has been brought to bear by asbestos lobbyists on the government to forestall efforts to implement restrictions and prohibitions on asbestos use in Vietnam (Vietnam’s Asbestos Frontline 2019). See: 7 nguy cơ gây ung thư phổi [7 risks for lung cancer].
Asbestos Alert!
May 18, 2020
Tests undertaken in the US have identified asbestos in talc-containing eye shadow palettes being sold on Amazon, eBay and an online website. Almost 90% of the shades tested in the Jmkcoz Eyeshadow Palette kit, Beauty Glazed Gorgeous and Me Eye Shadow Tray Palette were found to contain “up to nearly 3.9 million asbestos fiber structures per gram.” In recent years, there have been multiple discoveries of asbestos contamination of cosmetic and make-up products. In May 2018, UK campaigners reported that scientists had found asbestos fibers in children’s make-up products being sold in a London retail outlet. See: Alert: Tests Find Asbestos in Talc-Based Eye Shadow Kits.
Asbestos Propaganda:2020
May 18, 2020
Poorly camouflaged propaganda extolled the use of chrysotile asbestos building products in Russia today. The author described the use of asbestos material in renovation work and new builds of schools, arenas and public housing and highlighted the work of Orenburg Minerals – Russia’s biggest producer of asbestos – before concluding: “Management companies, construction contractors and municipal authorities choose chrysotile, because it is suitable for any climate and weather conditions, easy to operate and will last for many years.” See: «Оренбургские минералы» и капитальный ремонт: Россия выбирает хризотилцементные материалы [Orenburg Minerals and Renovation: Russia Chooses Chrysotile Cement Materials].
Toxic Talc
May 18, 2020
Imerys – a company involved in US litigation over asbestos-contaminated talc – reached a settlement last week which will end personal injury lawsuits against the company’s three talc subsidiaries in North America: Imerys Talc America, Imerys Talc Vermont and Imerys Talc Canada; the assets of these subsidiaries will be sold to settle the cancer disputes in the US. The agreement, which was announced on May 15, 2020, provided for a restructuring plan as part of ongoing corporate restructuring efforts under Chapter 11. See: North American Talc Subsidiaries of Imerys File Plan of Reorganization and Disclosure Statement.
Asbestos in Schools
May 18, 2020
The Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna has prioritized asbestos decontamination of schools, having already spent €30 million on remediation work. A new allocation of ~€9m has been made to pay 100% of the costs for the removal and disposal of asbestos from any schools in the region which are still affected. Public bodies owning school buildings which contain asbestos-cement products are asked to apply for funding between May 19 and June 22, 2020 by sending an email to the regional authorities; further information can be obtained from the Emilia-Romagna Region webpage: Asbestos removal and disposal in schools. See also notification: Amianto, la Regione investe altri 9 milioni di euro per mettere in sicurezza le scuole [Asbestos, the Region invests another 9 million euros to secure schools].
Toledo’s Asbestos Conundrum
May 18, 2020
A long-standing saga and already confused situation over the asbestos contamination of wasteland in the Spanish city of Toledo remained as muddled as ever following the publication of a report by the Ombudsman. With so many overlapping jurisdictions involved – from local to municipal, regional and national – the decontamination of the land and Ramabujas stream which flows through it in the city’s Polygon neighborhood seems as far away as ever. See: La respuesta de la Junta al Defensor del Pueblo sobre el amianto en Toledo [The Board's response to the Ombudsman on asbestos in Toledo].
Another Asbestos Discovery
May 14, 2020
Metro de Madrid – the rapid transit system in the Spanish capital – has announced further findings of asbestos on some of its trains. Pneumatic valve seals in cars of the 2nd and 4th class 5000 train models as well as a valve in the 2000A series cars have been found to contain asbestos. The discoveries were made during work being carried out as part of the company’s asbestos audit program which was designed in consultation with trade unions representing the company’s workforce. Details regarding the location of the banned substance have been relayed to workers and all work on contaminated parts was suspended. See: Metro vuelve a localizar amianto en sus trenes [Metro finds more asbestos on its trains].
Asbestos Deliberations in June
May 14, 2020
On May 11, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) will meet from June 8 to 11, 2020 to peer review a draft risk evaluation for asbestos; the deliberations will be virtual, with participation by phone and webcast only. A previously announced virtual meeting for SACC to review the draft asbestos risk evaluation had been postponed by the EPA. Interested parties must submit requests to present evidence and/or monitor the sessions. See: SACC Will Peer Review Draft Risk Evaluation for Asbestos in June.
Longer Waits for Asbestos Justice
May 14, 2020
A Scottish campaigner has warned that the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the struggle for justice by those suffering from asbestos-related diseases. While the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) was, Phyllis Craig said, prioritising appeals, family law and commercial cases in the civil courts, delays were being experienced by asbestos claimants, many of whom were suffering from deadly diseases. Craig told journalists that, as a result, victims “may not get justice in their lifetime the way things are with the courts.” She urged the SCTS to rethink its procedures and prioritise “asbestos cases over appeals and commercial actions.” See: Asbestos campaigner fears victims may die before justice.
Asbestos Remediation Program
May 14, 2020
Sums of up to €15,000 can be obtained for the removal and disposal of roofing and materials containing asbestos by building owners under a scheme being run by the Italian Municipality of Capri. Applications must be submitted by July 31 and the remediation work carried out by October 31. Only companies registered as specialists on the National Register of Environmental Managers will be approved to undertake the work. Applications for projects close to sensitive sites such as kindergartens, schools, playgrounds, social and welfare reception centers, hospitals and sports facilities will be prioritized. See: Contributi fino a 15mila euro per la rimozione dell’amianto [Contributions of up to 15 thousand euros for the removal of asbestos].
Asbestos in Schools
May 14, 2020
The Municipal Council of Cartagena – a port city in southeast Spain – is progressing plans to remediate asbestos in local schools. In July, 2020 work will begin to remove asbestos roofing from the José María Lapuerta public school – a flashpoint in recent years for protests by parents and staff – and four other buildings in Barrio Peral. In total, twelve educational institutions are scheduled for decontamination by 2022. They include schools in the following Cartagena neighborhoods: La Palma, Cartegna, Los Dolores, Barrio de la Concepción, El Algar and Vista Alegre. See: Vía libre a las primeras obras para quitar el amianto en 12 centros escolares de Cartagena hasta 2021 [Program to remove asbestos in 2021 in 12 Cartagena schools].
Quebec’s Post-Asbestos Era?
May 11, 2020
A feature-length French language podcast by Emma Jacobs and Lydia Chain explored the background to and issues involved in plans by vested interests to commercially exploit the toxic legacy of asbestos mining in Thetford Mines, Quebec. The huge mountains of waste which loom over the town consist of discarded rock left-over from decades of asbestos mining. Throughout Quebec, there are 800 million tons of this waste. While entrepreneurs hope to extract valuable minerals such as magnesium from this resource, health officials worry about the hazards to workers and local people posed by toxic fibers liberated during processing of the mining residues. See: A Debate on the Dregs of Asbestos Mining.
Asbestos Clinic Reopens
May 11, 2020
After weeks of being closed “to protect the area's uniquely vulnerable population (many of whom have asbestos-related respiratory conditions and lung disease),” the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) in Libby, Montana announced plans to reopen on May 11. All possible healthcare measures will be taken within the clinic to protect staff and patients from exposure to Covid-19. During the closure, CARD staff operated a drive-through Covid-19 testing station in the CARD parking lot, which allowed early identification of disease and provided a mechanism to limit exposure at other health facilities. See: Center for Asbestos Related Disease Set to Reopen on May 11, 2020.
Asbestos in French Schools
May 11, 2020
The authorities in Brittany are working to clarify the threat posed by asbestos in schools after an unwelcome discovery was made at one site. Asbestos sampling was done at the following schools on May 7: Berthelot, Grand-Clos, La Ville-Hellio, Yves-Dollo and Jacques-Brel; the results will be announced on May 12. Testing will take place on May 11 at the following schools: Balzac, La Brêche aux Cornes and La Croix-Rouge; the results will be announced on May 14. Depending on the news, the timetable for reopening the schools could be altered to allow decontamination work to take place. See: Saint-Brieuc. Des risques d’exposition à l’amiante dans huit écoles, la reprise incertaine [Saint Brieuc. Risks of asbestos exposure in eight schools, reopening uncertain].
Sardinia’s Toxic Asbestos Legacy
May 11, 2020
Members of an association representing asbestos victims in Sardinia have urged regional leaders, politicians and councillors in the Oristano region of Sardinia to use the coronavirus emergency as an “opportunity to plan and urgently implement an extraordinary environmental remediation plan, which includes the remediation of buildings with the presence of asbestos and remediation of illegal landfills located…” to address the toxic legacy which persists in the aftermath of decades of asbestos manufacturing and use on Sardinia. The goal would be to remediate all asbestos on the island by 2030. See: C’è un’altra emergenza, l’amianto: Regione, è ora di farla sparire [There is another emergency, asbestos: Region, it's time to make it disappear].
Killer Company & Killer Virus
May 7, 2020
Reacting to adverse business conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, building materials manufacturer James Hardie (JH) – formerly Australia’s Asbestos Giant – has announced its intention to scrap dividends, shut down selected operations in the US, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, make hundreds of workers redundant, cut back on capital spending and make its regular payment to the Australian Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund quarterly instead of annually in July. The company’s disbursement to the Fund is to cover asbestos-related claims made by individuals injured by exposure to JH asbestos-containing products. See: James Hardie scraps dividends amid slump.
Fighting for Victims’ Rights in Galicia
May 7, 2020
Measures backed by the Galician Association of Asbestos Victims to improve conditions in the Ferrolan region for the injured were delayed by Covid-19. Representatives of the group, which has 500+ members, continued to provide support by phone and email even though much campaigning had ceased. Although, the Congress of Deputies had given permission to establish an asbestos compensation fund – which is of huge importance to ~8,000 people at high risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases in the region – work on this initiative had stalled, President Xoán Xosé Pita said in a recent interview. See: O fondo de compensación do amianto é fundamental, porque sen el moitas familias quedarían desprotexidas [The asbestos compensation fund is crucial, because without it many families would be unprotected].
Asbestos Remediation Program
May 7, 2020
Up to 80% of the asbestos contamination incorporated within the infrastructure on Sicily is located in residential properties. According to preliminary work undertaken by the island’s authorities, 1,500 sites have already been identified including homes, schools and workplaces. The sum of €385 million was allocated in 2016 for a remediation program which would be carried out by 2025; in the first instance, asbestos removal work was undertaken in public buildings, schools and hospitals. All work is strictly supervised and conducted to the highest of standards to protect occupational and public health. See: Amianto, quell’emergenza sanitaria da cui la Sicilia non è mai uscita [Asbestos, Sicily’s ongoing health emergency].
Call for Asbestos Ban in China!
May 6, 2020
In a new paper, scientists from medical and health institutions in Beijing and Guangdong, China are recommending that: “Enterprises should be encouraged to use safer substitutes and gradually ban asbestos materials in China” in order to eradicate an epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. As the text was included in the current issue of China CDC Weekly, an online platform for the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention – “a governmental and national-level technical organization” – it is probable that the authors’ findings will have been discussed at the highest levels of government. China is a major producer and consumer of asbestos. See: Distribution of Asbestos Enterprises and Asbestosis Cases — China, 1997-2019.
Asbestos Scandal in Marseilles
May 6, 2020
With schools due to reopen in Marseilles on May 11, parents of children at the Félix Pyat school in the 3rd arrondissement of Marseilles are up in arms over demolition work begun in April 2020 which released toxic clouds of dust and fibers throughout the neighborhood. The demolition of nine buildings, due to start in July 2019, began on April 27; the Soleam development company admitted the buildings contained asbestos. The Félix Pyat school is located fifteen meters from the worksite. See: Marseille: présence d'amiante près d'une école, l'autre scandale sanitaire pour les parents d'élèves [Marseilles: presence of asbestos near a school, the other health scandal for parents of students].
Remediation of Patras Pipes
May 6, 2020
Pipe renewal work in Patras, the capital city of Western Greece, will remediate asbestos-cement pipes as a matter of public health according to Lambros Dimitrogiannis, the Deputy Regional Minister for Energy and Environment, who has approved a workplan which will be rigorously scrutinized to ensure that vital health and safety procedures are followed in the handling and disposing of three tonnes of aging asbestos-cement water pipes under Souniou Street. This initiative is part of a program to remediate asbestos contamination throughout the region. See: Σχέδιο απομάκρυνσης παλαιού αγωγού ύδρευσης από αμίαντο στην Πάτρα [Plan to remove an old asbestos water pipeline in Patras].
Asbestos & Coronavirus Victims
May 6, 2020
On March 27, 2020 a new campaigning group was set up to fight for the rights of coronavirus victims in France; the association is demanding that the government set up a national compensation scheme for the injured based on one established for asbestos victims: the Asbestos Victim Compensation Fund (FIVA). The new body was founded by members of the Jussieu University Anti-Asbestos Committee which had, for decades, been at the forefront of the fight for asbestos justice. See: Coronavirus: une association demande un fonds d'indemnisation sur le modèle de l'amiante [Coronavirus: an association requests a compensation fund based on the asbestos model].
Inspiration for Climate Change Activism?
May 6, 2020
A recent blog describes meetings in Casale Monferrato – the town at the epicentre of Italy’s asbestos epidemic – addressing the issue of the global climate emergency. The town has suffered huge loss of life from asbestos cancer, but local people have fought back with great resolution to achieve declared objectives concerning “medical research, remediation and justice.” The resilience shown by these people and their willingness to interact with other groups and institutions to a common end could serve as inspiration for activists confronting the looming global climatic catastrophe. See: Amianto, nell’Aula di Casale Monferrato ci riuniamo per parlare di clima. E coltivare la resilienza che ha battuto Eternit [Asbestos, in a room in Casale Monferrato we meet to talk about the climate. And to cultivate the resilience that beat Eternit].
Aerial Mapping of Asbestos Roofing
May 4, 2020
During the first week of May, drone technology was used by the authorities of the Italian city of Cinisello Balsamo, 10 kilometres northeast of Milan city center, to create an aerial map for the monitoring and registration of asbestos cement surfaces. Flying at an altitude of 100 meters, the drone’s operators were able to capitalize on the clear skies resulting from the country’s lockdown to identify buildings most at-risk. According to one of the technicians: “The optical system of the drone, through spectrometric analysis, not only identifies the presence of asbestos-cement roofing, but also the level of degradation, divided into three categories.” See: Drone in volo a scovare l’amianto [Drone in flight to find asbestos].
Making the Political Personal
May 4, 2020
An article in The New Review discussed the political context in which the US marked Labor Day, May Day and Workers Memorial Day (IWMD). This year, IWMD had a special significance for the author as her 82-year old grandfather had just died from mesothelioma having been exposed to asbestos working at an iron powder factory. “Industrial workers like him were,” she wrote “four times more likely to contract the disease than members of the general population.” Speculating on whether his employers had known about the asbestos hazard, she wrote: “Yet even now, as the world grapples with an invisible plague, employers seem hell-bent on flouting safety regulations and cutting corners.” See: The Grim New Relevance of Workers Memorial Day.
Covid-19 Case Law: Asbestos Precedents?
May 4, 2020
In an interview with a French legal expert, liability for the Government’s failure to act in a timely and appropriate manner to protect citizens from Covid-19 could, it was suggested, be judged by precedents set by asbestos litigation. Legal actions have already been launched to hold the French State to account, naming Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, former Minister of Health Agnes Buzyn, and her successor Olivier Veran. As in asbestos lawsuits, the courts need to decide: was the risk known and serious; was there a way to deal with this risk; did the state fail to adopt preventive measures? The Council of State has set a high priority on the protection of health regardless of costs on multiple occasions. See: Coronavirus: les fautes qui pourraient être reprochées à l'État [Coronavirus: faults that could be blamed on the State].
Mesothelioma Survival: City vs Country
May 4, 2020
New research published online by eight Melbourne-based scientists document a variance of survival rates for a variety of cancers between sufferers in the Australian State of Victoria who live in country areas and cities. An analysis of data retrieved on 331,302 patients from Victoria with 30 different types of cancer between 2001 and 2015 found that although survival rates were “generally lower for rural compared with urban residents… findings have been inconsistent… No differences in survival were found for cancers of uterus, small intestine and mesothelioma.” See: Differences in cancer survival by remoteness of residence: an analysis of data from a population-based cancer registry.
Invisible Killers: Asbestos and Covid-19
May 4, 2020
A commentary on the concurrence of Spain’s asbestos and coronavirus epidemics references the 2017 mesothelioma death of Jesús Mosterín, a leading Spanish philosopher. The authors speculate that a conspiracy of silence resulted in preventing any mention of asbestos in the notices of Mosterin’s death. Epidemiological evidence suggests there are ~5,000 asbestos deaths in Spain every year. Hundreds of the deaths which will be blamed on Covid-19 will, in fact, be wholly or partially due to underlying asbestos-related conditions. The authors concluded: “Once again they [those killed by asbestos] will be ignored victims.” See: El coronavirus oculta la pandemia secreta del Amianto [Coronavirus conceals secret asbestos pandemic].
Asbestos Lobby Misinformation
Apr 30, 2020
A misleading article on a Russian website asserted that a recent ruling by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that the human health risk posed by exposure to asbestos was “exaggerated” and that “the controlled use of asbestos-containing materials did not pose a threat to the environment.” In fact, the EPA’s Draft Risk Evaluation for Asbestos published in March 2020 found that: “workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders could be adversely affected by asbestos under certain conditions of use.” See: Риск преувеличен. Агентство в США оценило использование асбеста [The risk is exaggerated. US Agency Appraises Use of Asbestos].
Toxic Talc: NJ Update
Apr 30, 2020
A ruling handed down by U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson on April 27, 2020 gave the green light for thousands of personal injury lawsuits to proceed in New Jersey against the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) company. J&J had tried to bar testimony by plaintiffs’ experts regarding the link between the use of its asbestos-contaminated talcum powder products and the occurrence of ovarian cancer. Wolfson’s decision will allow the introduction of epidemiological and anecdotal evidence as provided by the claimants explaining the link between personal hygiene practices and the occurrence of their cancers. See: U.S. judge rules talc lawsuits against J&J can proceed, testimony limited.
Asbestos in Schools
April 30, 2020
Supporters of Portugal’s Schools Without Asbestos Movement and the ZERO Environmental Association are calling on the Ministry of Education to prioritize asbestos remediation even before the Covid crisis is over. In a new article, author Íria Roriz Madeira pointed out: “When the children return to school they will have the same asbestos roofs to receive them and a degradation of materials that has not been suspended, but has worsened.” Pointing out multiple inconsistencies in the asbestos remediation policy and practices of the government, the author pointed out the unique opportunity posed by the lockdown to decontaminate the national infrastructure. See: Amianto em tempo de Covid [Asbestos in the time of Covid].
World Asbestos Victims Day
Apr 29, 2020
In Italy, a country where around 6,000 people die every year from asbestos diseases, April 28 is a day of mourning for the asbestos dead, as it is worldwide. In former times, people would gather at events held throughout the country. On April 28, 2020, Roberto Morassut, Undersecretary for the Environment for Rome’s municipal authority, remembered the victims and reviewed progress which had been made in addressing Italy’s asbestos legacy. He admitted that despite all the work that had been done and the money expended there was still an unacceptable 40 million tons of toxic material in Italy. See: 28 aprile, un giorno per ricordare le vittime dell’amianto [April 28, a day to remember asbestos victims].
National Asbestos Removal Program
Apr 29, 2020
An article published on April 27, 2020 reviewed progress by the Government of Rwanda under its 20-year program: Vision 2020 to transform Rwanda from an agrarian to a knowledge-based economy. Under the section Government asset management and public building construction, the author reported: “the asbestos removal project has successfully led to the removal and burial of 1,050,933 m2 out of 1,692,089 m2 of asbestos [sheet] materials existing in the country. This is equivalent to 62% (i.e. Asbestos removed from GoR buildings: 57% and Asbestos removed from private buildings: 66%) of the total amount of asbestos countrywide.” See: Taking stock of Rwanda’s 20-year infrastructure development journey.
Going Asbestos-Free in Zimbabwe
Apr 29, 2020
In its annual accounts for 2019, Zimbabwe building materials manufacturer Turnall Holdings reported an increase in export turnover. The company confirmed that in 2019 it had expanded production to include asbestos-free materials suitable for export to countries where asbestos had been banned. Citing asbestos industry propaganda about a crusade to “blacklist” asbestos, the company, nevertheless, announced that it had expanded its product range to cater for foreign markets that had transitioned to safer materials “to cushion the company against prevailing foreign currency shortages.” Zimbabwe was, at one time, a large producer of chrysotile asbestos fiber. See: Turnall export turnover increases.
EPA Asbestos Remediation in NY
Apr 29, 2020
An alert uploaded on April 21, 2020 announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had demolished an asbestos-contaminated building and removed approximately 200 tons of contaminated debris at an industrial park in the Town of Ulster, Ulster County, New York. This work – which was a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local governments – was undertaken under the auspices of an EPA Superfund program “to address the threat to public health from asbestos at this site and get this property on the path to productive reuse.” See: EPA Advances Superfund Cleanup Work at TechCity in Ulster County, New York.
Schirlei Azevedo, R.I.P.
Apr 29, 2020
The death has been announced of Schirlei Azevedo, one of the leaders of the campaign for asbestos justice in Santa Catarina State, Brazil and a strong advocate for a state-wide asbestos ban. Schirlei. who died of cancer on April 24, 2020 in the capital city of Florianópolis, was a long-standing member of the Workers’ Party, a founding member of the Santa Catarina (SC) Movement of Women Urban Workers and the SC representative of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). See: A guerreira e leitora do Viomundo Schirlei Azevedo encantou-se; leia notas dos companheiros do PT e Psol [Viomundo warrior and reader Schirlei Azevedo was special; read remembrances from PT and Psol comrades].
COVID-19 and Asbestos-Related Diseases
Apr 27, 2020
A commentary addressing the many questions being asked by UK victims of asbestos-related diseases during the ongoing coronavirus epidemic was uploaded by HASAG Asbestos Disease Support on April 25th. The posting covered key areas of interest, including keeping safe and in good spirits, obtaining food and medical supplies and accessing medical treatment and legal services; the inclusion of contact details for trustworthy associations and sources of information was both relevant and timely as was the assurance that: “Any paused treatment will not be down to hospital capacity issues. It will be based on a risk versus benefit analysis, with a pause in treatment being the best clinical option for you.” See: COVID-19 and Asbestos Related Diseases.
New Therapy Protocol for Mesothelioma?
Apr 27, 2020
A paper uploaded on April 20, 2020 by a team of 18 Japanese researchers explored the potential of using a recently developed cancer therapy – Near-Infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) – for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The results reported from in-vivo and in-vitro tests suggested that Podoplanin-targeted NIR-PIT could be a promising new treatment for MPM. See: Targeted Phototherapy for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Near-Infrared Photoimmunotherapy Targeting Podoplanin.
Asbestos Waste: Crime & Punishment
Apr 27, 2020
As authorities in South Australia progress a criminal case against a demolition company from Port Adelaide for the alleged illegal dumping of asbestos-containing waste in 2017 at two sites in Sedan, ~100 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, work has begun to remove thousands of tonnes of toxic debris. Contractors are in the process of remediating the site; the clean-up operation is expected to take a month with the waste being removed to a licensed depot in the nearby town of Cambrai. The Environment Protection Authority is seeking to recover the costs of the remediation from the polluter. See: Asbestos-tainted waste illegally dumped near South Australian town to be removed.
Supreme Court Landmark
Apr 27, 2020
On April 21, 2020, for the first time, France’s Supreme Court (the Court of Cassation) upheld a ruling condemning a public establishment – in this case a hospital in Besançon, a city in eastern France – for exposing employees to asbestos. In the first instance (2016) and on appeal (2018), the hospital was found guilty in a criminal prosecution of “deliberately endangering the lives of others” for failing to prevent asbestos exposures to dozens of workers between 2009 and 2013. See: Amiante au CHRU de Besançon: l'hôpital Jean Minjoz définitivement condamné [Asbestos at the Besançon CHRU: the Jean Minjoz hospital finally condemned].
Brazil’s Asbestos War
Apr 22, 2020
An interview with Fernanda Giannasi, a leading figure in Brazil’s fight for asbestos justice, published on April 20, 2020 detailed the retired factory inspectors’s 35-year involvement with a grassroots campaign which revolutionized the national dialogue on asbestos. Despite physical threats, verbal assaults, lawsuits and, in the face of intimidation and clashes with corporate, political and bureaucratic forces, Ms. Giannasi worked with asbestos victims to expose the human cost of the asbestos industry’s profits in Osasco, Rio de Janeiro and throughout the country. See: Fernanda Giannasi: “Não há uso seguro para o amianto” [Fernanda Giannasi: “There is no safe use for asbestos].
Regional Asbestos Remediation Subsidies
Apr 22, 2020
The council of the Marche Region of eastern Italy and the President of the Environment Commission Andrea Biancani this week endorsed a law to provide financial support for citizens to remove and dispose of asbestos-containing material from private homes. This measure was, the President noted: “further evidence of the attention that the Region pays to the environment, the countryside and public health issues.” The maximum amount of the grants is €2,000 each; the total allocation made by the region for the 2020 phase of this program is €200,000. See: Biancani: “approvata la legge che favorisce gli interventi di rimozione e smaltimento dell'amianto” [Biancani: “approved the law that favors asbestos removal and disposal”].
Covid-19 and Chrysotile Asbestos
Apr 22, 2020
An interesting commentary by Brazilian experts compared the positive action on the Covid-19 pandemic taken by the Governor of Brazil’s asbestos mining state – Ronaldo Ramos Caiado – with his failure to act on the chrysotile asbestos hazard and explored the significance of a Supreme Court ruling which supported the right of States to protect citizens from coronavirus in the face of the President’s continued denial of any serious threat. The co-authors of this text highlighted the Court’s position that, under the constitution the right to life and health are paramount and supersede all commercial and economic arguments. See: Banimento do amianto no Brasil e o enfrentamento à pandemia [Banning asbestos in Brazil and tackling the pandemic].
Supreme Court Victim’s Verdict
Apr 16, 2020
On April 15, 2020, the fourth criminal section of Italy’s Supreme Court filed a verdict in case 12151/20; the Court convicted the defendant, a former employer, of manslaughter over occupational asbestos exposure, albeit at “very low doses” which led to the demise from pleural mesothelioma of a worker who had been employed in dismantling railway carriages. The first judgment in this case had been handed down by the Court of Vercelli and was subsequently confirmed by the Turin Court of Appeal. See: Sentenza: l’amianto è cancerogeno anche a dosi minime; condannato datore di lavoro [Judgment: asbestos is carcinogenic even at minimal doses; convicted employer].
Dr. Maurice Allouch, RIP
Apr 16, 2020
The death on April 10, 2020 has been reported of retired general practitioner Dr. Maurice Allouch, who had headed an action committee set up to seek justice for those suffering lethal and disabling diseases after exposures to asbestos liberated by the operations of an asbestos-processing factory in Aulnay-sous-Bois, France between 1938 and 1975. As well as hundreds of deaths of former workers, 173 local people died from environmental exposures, including many children who had attended a school next to the factory. See: Aulnay pleure «le docteur Allouch», figure de la lutte contre l’amiante [Aulnay mourns "Doctor Allouch", a leading figure in the fight against asbestos].
Progress in Pennsylvania
Apr 16, 2020
Members of the Rockhill Environmental Preservation Alliance welcomed news that Hanson Aggregates Pennsylvania – the owners of Rockhill Quarry in Bucks County’s East Rockhill Township, Pa. – terminated the current lease. The environmental activists had been campaigning about the spread of naturally occurring asbestos which occurred as a result of mining operations at the site. It is not known whether the Rockhill Quarry will be permanently abandoned but local people welcomed the shutdown. State officials discovered asbestos at the quarry in December 2018. See: No mining, for now, at East Rockhill quarry where asbestos naturally occurs.
Upholding Oman’s Asbestos Ban
Apr 15, 2020
In a decision issued by Yahya bin Said Al Jabri, Chairman of the Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm, regarding standards and conditions for the construction of workers' accommodation in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm – a port on the Arabian Sea in central-eastern Oman – the use of asbestos was banned: “The new conditions strictly prohibited the use of asbestos, any other product in which asbestos is used or any other harmful substance [for the construction of workers' accommodation in Oman].” This stipulation is note-worthy as according to records, Oman banned the use of chrysotile asbestos in 2008, having previously banned the use of other types of asbestos. See: Standards for worker’s accommodation set at Duqm SEZ in Oman.
Victims’ Verdict in NY Appeal
Apr 15, 2020
On April 9, 2020, for the first time a verdict awarded by a New York jury in a case over toxic exposure to asbestos-contaminated talc was upheld by a panel of the First Department of New York’s Supreme Court, Appellate Division in a case brought on behalf of mesothelioma victim Florence Nemeth and her husband. Between 1960 and 1971, Mrs. Nemeth had been “exposed to billions or trillions of asbestos fibers” contained in Desert Flower Dusting Powder on a daily basis. She was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in November, 2012 and died in March, 2016. On August 22, 2017, the jury had awarded the Nemeths a total of $16.5 million, of which the defendant in that case was ordered to pay ~$3m; the panel increased this amount to $3.3m. See: Nemeth v Brenntag North America et al.
Sibaté’s Asbestos Legacy
Apr 15, 2020
A newly published paper details a study conducted in the Colombian town of Sibaté; the Colombian and Italian authors of this text identified a cluster of mesothelioma cases in Sibaté, the location of an asbestos-cement factory which had been operational since 1942. This study was, said the authors, the first to analyse the potential impact of asbestos at the population level and could inform discussions about the hazard posed by asbestos to other Colombian communities where asbestos plants had been sited. The dangerous use of industrial asbestos cement waste within urban areas was discussed. See: Commentary Epidemiological research as a driver of prevention: the Sibaté study.
Addressing the Asbestos Challenge
Apr 10, 2020
On April 7, 2020, the government of the Spanish island of Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, approved an initiative – a Hazardous Waste Sector Plan – to remediate asbestos contained throughout the island’s infrastructure by 2025. Work will begin on public buildings; simultaneously, asbestos audits will be carried out to quantify the problem posed by the contamination of private properties, in particular, the presence in these structures of asbestos-cement roofs – widely used in Mallorca. See: El Plan de Residuos del Govern quiere eliminar el amianto en edificios en 2025 [The Government's Waste Plan wants to eliminate asbestos in buildings by 2025].
New Asbestos Litigation
Apr 10, 2020
This commentary by Kris Maher on an article published on March 17, 2020 entitled Asbestos Warnings Grow With Penn State Lawsuit, National Push, analyzed the fall-out for defendants from a lawsuit brought against Penn State University. The case was important for two reasons: it was the first filed against a university on behalf of a former employee and it was made possible due to a Pennsylvania court verdict in 2013 allowing employees to sue employers for negligence. Professor Peter Labosky Jr. died from mesothelioma in August, 2014, five months after diagnosis; his family alleged that his death had resulted from occupational exposure to asbestos. See: A Never Ending Story: Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma.
Guernsey Mesothelioma Scheme
Apr 9, 2020
From January 1, 2021 a statutory scheme – modelled on one adopted in Jersey – will be operational on the island of Guernsey to pay compensation to sufferers of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Legislation to implement this scheme was approved by Guernsey deputies in 2019. According to a spokesman for the island’s Employment & Social Services, the annual cost of the lump sum compensation payments, which could be awarded to patients or surviving family members, is expected to be around £100,000. Asbestos exposures resulted in the deaths of 19 people and contributed to the deaths of four others on Guernsey between 2005 and 2015. See: Mesothelioma compensation could cost £100,000 a year, says ESS.
Victim’s Verdict in Naples
Apr 9, 2020
The Labor Court of Naples awarded the family of a deceased worker from Fincantieri S.p.A. – an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy – the sum of €1.5m after a 2½ year investigation found that Lorenzo Irace had died as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos. The former electrician had worked in ships’ engine rooms and, due to the company’s negligence, had been exposed to asbestos, which led to his contracting the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. It is not yet known whether Fincantieri will appeal the judgment. See: Fincantieri, risarcimento milionario agli eredi del dipendente morto: «Ucciso dall'amianto» [Fincantieri, over a million in compensation to the heirs of dead employee: “Killed by asbestos”].
Progress in Pennsylvania
Apr 9, 2020
On February 19, 2020, by a vote of 6-1, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a verdict in the case of Roverano v John Crane, Inc. which found that manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos-containing products must share liability equally (rather than allowing juries to allocate percentage of fault to each defendant as some courts had done). The plaintiff had contracted lung cancer as a result of exposure to asbestos material whilst employed as a carpenter by the PECO Energy Company; damages of $6.4 million were awarded by the jury to the plaintiff and his wife. See: The Roverano Effect: Pennsylvania Supreme Court clarifies apportionment of damages in multi-defendant asbestos cases.
Asbestos Trade Deal?
Apr 6, 2020
Last week, the Member of Parliament for Wirral West and the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Labor’s Margaret Green called on the government to reaffirm the UK ban on asbestos after the Brexit transition period ended on December 31, 2020. She expressed concerns over the possibility of lowered standards which might allow under a trade deal with the US – a country with no ban on asbestos – the import of products containing asbestos including clutches, brakes, building materials, heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets and coatings. See: Margaret Green fears return of asbestos in US Trade deal.
COVID-19 Threat to At-Risk Patients
Apr 6, 2020
A non-governmental organization in Portugal issued an alert over the elevated risk of coronavirus to patients with asbestos-related diseases. In a statement by the Group SOS Amianto [Asbestos], they said: “Patients with diseases caused by asbestos, whether neoplasms or chronic respiratory insufficiency, have an increased vulnerability to infection by the new coronavirus, so it is necessary to reinforce their protection.” The Group advised that should asbestos patients experience fever, a cough or shortness of breath, they should immediately contact the SNS Line 24 to 808 24 24 24. See: Covid-19: Quercus warns that asbestos victims are at risk.
Urgent Call to Ban Asbestos
Apr 6, 2020
Having reviewed multiple factors in the global asbestos panorama of 2019, the co-authors of a new paper concluded that “a world-wide asbestos ban is more urgent than ever.” Citing the under-reporting of cases of asbestos cancer and the ubiquity of asbestos industry propaganda, the co-authors highlighted the importance, especially in nations where asbestos use was continuing, of addressing the occupational, public and environmental hazards posed by the use of a known-carcinogen as a matter of utmost priority. See: Asbestos-related cancers: the ‘Hidden Killer’ remains a global threat.
EU Maritime Regs: Asbestos Audits
April 6, 2020
Under EU Ship Recycling Regulations, by December 31, 2020 the owners of ships over a certain size which call at any EU port must have compiled an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM); non-EU flagged ships calling at EU ports must compile a “statement of compliance.” The surveys required to produce these documents could reveal, says one expert, the presence of asbestos-containing material onboard the ships even though shipbuilders had been under order since January 2011 to refrain from the use of asbestos on new builds. See: Law firm warns shipowners of unforeseen problems in IHM surveys.
Funding for Asbestos Healthcare
Apr 2, 2020
On March 30, 2020, news was received of a long-awaited judicial verdict which confirmed that money the Public Ministry had earmarked for the treatment of asbestos victims would be donated, as intended, to FIOCRUZ (Fundação/Foundation Oswaldo Cruz) – the most prominent institution of science and technology in health in Latin America – in Rio de Janeiro. The R$5million (~US$1m) came from a fine levied by the Public Ministry on the Brazilian Petroleum company Petrobas which had caused an environmental disaster via a massive leak of oil from one of its offshore platforms. The money had been blocked for over two years and was finally released as a result of protests by Labor Prosecutors and the Association of the Asbestos-Exposed.
Asbestos Alert!
Apr 2, 2020
On March 30, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a draft risk evaluation that found that: “workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders could be adversely affected by asbestos under certain conditions of use.” The EPA identified unreasonable risks to those: working in the chlor-alkali industry, processing asbestos-containing gaskets in chemical production and handling and/or disposing of asbestos-containing brakes, friction material and automotive linings. The findings will be peer reviewed by independent scientific experts before action is taken to address these hazards. See: Draft Risk Evaluation for Asbestos.
Asbestos-Cement Pipes
Apr 2, 2020
There are 5,122 kilometres of asbestos-cement water mains throughout Ireland according to details released under the Freedom of Information Act. Twenty-two percent of the asbestos pipes are in Cork, ~10% in Dublin with the rest in Donegal, Tipperary and Kerry. Irish Water, the utility company that owns the water delivery system, was unable to provide data on the number of pipe bursts in recent years. The company is being urged to carry out a risk assessment of the structural integrity of the pipes, most of which are between 50 to 70 years old. Irish Water denies asbestos water mains are harmful to people’s health. See: Revealed: Over 5100 kilometres of asbestos water pipes in Ireland.
Renewal of Asbestos Mines?
Apr 2, 2020
A spokesperson for the Shabanie-Mashaba Mines company – which owns two currently nonoperational chrysotile (white) asbestos mines in Zimbabwe – has said that one of its mines, the King Mine in Mashava (formerly Mashaba), has now been dewatered. As a result of the successful completion of this work, mining at the site will begin by the end of 2020. In light of that, potential customers are being contacted in Belarus, India, China and throughout South East Asia and viable marketing strategies are under consideration. The rehabilitation of the company’s other mine – the Shabanie mine in Zvishavane – was proceeding. See: Shabanie Mashaba Mines to resume operations?
Healthy Company, Dying Workers
Mar 31, 2020
As payments to Brazilian asbestos victims remained frozen due to financial machinations by Eternit, S.A. – formerly the country’s biggest asbestos conglomerate – the group reported good results for 2019 due to its embrace of asbestos-free technology. During the year, sales of asbestos-free fiber cement tiles grew by 18% a quarter and 24% for the year. A statement released by the company said: “Eternit keeps its focus on optimizing its fiber cement roofing manufacturing process, maintaining margins that ensure the sustainability of the business.” See: Eternit lucra R$ 6,7 milhões no final de 2019 e avança em reviravolta sem Amianto [Eternit profits R$6.7 million at the end of 2019 and advances in an asbestos-free turnaround].
Asbestos Victims at High Risk
Mar 31, 2020
CONTRAMIANTO, an Italian association representing asbestos victims in the southern Italian town of Taranto, has issued an alert about the high level of risk posed by the Coronavirus to those suffering from asbestos-related cancers and diseases. In their press release, the association explained that the majority of the injured have respiratory problems or immune deficiencies which compromised their ability to fight the virus: “We believe it is essential that specific health recommendations are issued for the ex-asbestos-exposed patients who are certainly fragile and therefore more attackable by the Coronavirus…” See: Covid-19, malati ex esposti amianto più a rischio [Covid-19, asbestos patients at high risk].
Plaintiff’s Verdict in Montana
Mar 31, 2020
On March 25, the Montana Supreme Court held that a workers compensation insurer was liable for claims from people who had worked at the Grace vermiculite plant in Libby, Montana. The factory was at the center of an epidemic of asbestos-related disease and death caused by the presence of asbestos fiber in the vermiculite ore. In 2017, a Montana Asbestos Claims Court ruled that Maryland Casualty – which had provided Grace with workers compensation insurance from 1963 to 1973 – was liable for damages for workplace-related asbestos injury to Grace workers. The insurer appealed, and the Montana Supreme Court unanimously upheld that ruling. See: Mine Workers’ Asbestos Suit Against Insurer Advanced by Montana High Court.
Post- Brexit Asbestos Concerns
Mar 26,2020
On March 24, 2020 – the day before Parliament adjourned – a written answer to a question (HL2312) submitted on March 9, by Lord Alton of Liverpool regarding the UK prohibitions on the use, sale and imports of asbestos and asbestos-containing products was provided by Lord Goldsmith, Minister of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In his response (HL2312), Goldsmith wrote: “The Government has no plans to revise these restrictions [as per the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals Regulation] or alter the way asbestos is regulated in the UK.” See: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered on 24th March 2020.
Mesothelioma: Updated Information
Mar 26, 2020
A paper published in Journal of Translational Lung Cancer Research, Vol 9, Supplement 1 (February 2020) calling for national asbestos bans was one of 11 submissions in this special issue dedicated to the subject of mesothelioma. Other papers in the supplement covered topics such as disease causation, chemotherapy innovations, immunotherapy developments, surgical interventions, peritoneal mesothelioma and the implications of chromosomal rearrangements in the development of new treatment protocols. See: Epidemiology of mesothelioma in the 21st century in Europe and the United States, 40 years after restricted/banned asbestos use.
Quebec’s Asbestos Rebrand
Mar 26, 2020
In a somewhat whimsical article, and mindful of the impact of the deadly global pandemic, Greenpeace Canada discussed several suggestions for a new name for the toxic Quebec town where mining and milling operations had exposed generations of workers and residents to the asbestos hazard. The name search led by the Mayor of Asbestos is ongoing with the deadline for submissions March 20, after which a shortlist would be compiled. The suggestions made by Greenpeace were endangered species of the Eastern Townships region including: Bicknell, Lamproie, Listère, Blongios, Chevalier and Apalone. See: Greenpeace Wants to Help the City of Asbestos Change its Toxic Name.
Call for Urgent Action
Mar 26, 2020
In mid-March, several US environmental organizations launched a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its alleged violation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The litigants asserted that instead of using changes made in 2016 to TSCA to protect the public, the EPA was using them to streamline approval for the new use of potentially dangerous chemicals. It had been hoped that the changes to TSCA would have seen the EPA finally ban the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products to protect Americans from hazardous exposures which could cause deadly cancers and respiratory diseases. This did not happen. See: Trump’s EPA is being sued for hiding information about new chemicals.
Asbestos Concerns over Trade Deal
Mar 23, 3030
Global Justice Now, a UK NGO, has raised concerns about the potential health hazards posed by a UK–US trade deal highlighting the lower safety standards for cosmetic products in the US. Tests by the US Food and Drug (FDA) Administration in 2019 and 2020 revealed asbestos contamination of several cosmetic products, including makeup targeted at children. Most recently, on March 9, 2020, the FDA revealed findings of the presence of asbestos fibers in cosmetics (see FDA report on cosmetics tested for asbestos).
See: US trade deal ‘could flood Britain with toxic cosmetics.
Russia’s Future Asbestos-Free?
Mar 23, 2020
A Russian language article about modern architecture, green construction and ecological solutions to construction challenges stated that: “The concept of ‘green’ is not limited to a certain landscaping of local territories and building facades. It is also about quality and compliance with environmentally friendly building materials. A striking example is asbestos, which was used in mass construction, and is now completely banned in the construction of buildings.” See: Мегаполисам прописали сертификацию. Города скоро будут генерировать половину выбросов парниковых газов [Prescribed certification for megacities. Cities will soon generate half greenhouse gas emissions].
Causation of Lung Cancer
Mar 23, 2020
Up to 15% of all the cases of lung cancer in Spain are caused by exposure to asbestos contained in products incorporated within the country’s infrastructure, according to a recently issued report by the College of Surveyors, Technical Architects and Building Engineers of Barcelona (Collegi d'Aparelladors, Arquitectes Tècnics i Enginyers d'Edificació de Barcelona). During the 20th century, consumption of asbestos in Spain totalled 2.6 million tonnes. See: El amianto presente en materiales como el fibrocemento causa entre un 10 y un 15% de los cánceres de pulmón [Asbestos present in materials such as fiber cement causes between 10 and 15% of lung cancers].
Russian Attack on Biden Campaign
Mar 23, 2020
A scurrilous article on a Russian website attacked the presidential campaign of Joe Biden claiming his supporters included firms that made billions from lawsuits against defendants including Johnson & Johnson, the administration of New York City and others. The article, which named the firm of Weitz & Luxenberg that “boasts on its website that its lawyers have won about $8.5 billion in asbestos cases,” concluded that: “Biden is supported by people with a very dubious reputation… the Democrats always had connections with the anti-asbestos lobby in the United States, but now the evidence has surfaced ...” See: Джо Байдена в президентской гонке спонсируют юристы, связанные с антиасбестовой кампанией [Joe Biden sponsored by anti-asbestos campaign lawyers in presidential race].
Asbestos Exposé
Mar 20, 2020
In the 3rd episode of a BBC series entitled: Beauty Laid Bare, the harmful ingredients found in everyday items used by teenagers taking part in the program were revealed; the presence of asbestos fibers in goods sold by mainstream manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson, Claire’s Accessories and MUA came as a shock to the youngsters. US scientist and whistle blower Sean Fitzgerald explained the test results of products used by the teenagers, who were baffled about the failure of oversight by U.S. government agencies to prevent the marketing and sale of contaminated goods to members of the public. See: Beauty Laid Bare, Series 1: 3: The Ingredients.
Asbestos Conundrum from Malaysia
Mar 20, 2020
An article by Assoc. Prof. Dr Warren Thomas – who cites his membership of Ireland’s Royal College of Surgeons and is currently working at Malaysia’s Perdana University (see: Professor Warren Thomas’ profile) – downplays the health hazard posed by human exposures to chrysotile (white) asbestos stating: “there remains some uncertainty over the health risks associated with white (chrysotile) asbestos.” As the subjects taught by Thomas are: Cardiovascular Physiology, Endocrinology, Renal Physiology and Neurophysiology, one wonders what motivated him to offer himself as an expert on this subject? See: Asbestos exposure can cause lung cancer years later.
Victim’s Verdict in Spain
Mar 20, 2020
On March 17, Social Court 1 of Cáceres, in western central Spain ruled that long-term asbestos exposure had caused the pulmonary fibrosis of a retired worker. From 1969 until 1982, he had been employed in a factory owned by Productos Aislantes SA which manufactured bakelite products containing between 7 and 16% asbestos; as a result of workplace exposures, the claimant had contracted pulmonary interstitial fibrosis with fibrosing lung lesions that resulted in alterations in pulmonary diffusion and required portable oxygen therapy. See: Un juzgado falla que la exposición al amianto es la causa de la fibrosis pulmonar de una trabajadora [Court finds that exposure to asbestos is the cause of worker's pulmonary fibrosis].
Toxic Talc
Mar 18, 2020
A paper uploaded by the American Journal of Industrial Medicine on March 16, 2020 reviewed the cases of 75 people with mesothelioma whose only asbestos exposures were repeated exposures to cosmetic talcum powder. After extensive questioning, pathological testing, medical examinations and other procedures, the authors concluded that: “Mesotheliomas can develop following exposures to cosmetic talcum powders. These appear to be attributable to the presence of anthophyllite and tremolite contaminants in cosmetic talcum powder.” Due to the deadly nature of mesothelioma, it was suggested that: cosmetic talcs be withdrawn from the market as nontoxic alternatives are available. See: Malignant mesothelioma following repeated exposures to cosmetic talc: A case series of 75 patients.
Asbestos Industry Infomercial
Mar 18, 2020
A pro-asbestos Russian diatribe masquerading as a light-hearted romp through the history of chrysotile (white) asbestos cited uses of the substance in devices for tanks and machine guns, covers for books by Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, protective clothing for firefighters and building material. It refuted anti-asbestos rhetoric as unfounded and unscientific, asserting that: “The most enduring and widespread myth of asbestos is its harm to human health… [and that] chrysotile asbestos mined in Russia is a safe material when used under controlled conditions.” See: Легендарный асбест: мифы, курьезы и правда о «горном льне» [Legendary asbestos: myths, funny things and the truth about “mountain flax”].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 18, 2020
The authorities in Vila Franca de Xira, a district in Portugal’s capital city, have submitted evidence regarding the asbestos contamination of secondary schools to the Ministry of Education, according to Mayor Alberto Mesquita in conversation with local councillors. The work required to remediate the educational infrastructure has been costed at ~€27m. The removal of asbestos-containing roofs has been a priority for Mesquita’s administration; over the last two years, asbestos-containing material was removed from primary schools and kindergartens. See: Já há estudo sobre amianto nas escolas de VFX mas as obras continuam por fazer [There is already a study on asbestos in VFX schools, but the work remains to be done].
Revising the EU’s Asbestos OEL
Mar 18, 2020
On March 2, 2020 a call was made by the European Chemicals Agency, at the behest of the European Commission, for the submission of recommendations to its ongoing review of the current occupational exposure limit (OEL), which obliges employers to ensure that workers are not exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos in excess of 0.1 fibres per cm3 as an 8-hour time-weighted average as per stipulations of Article 8 Directive 2009/148/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work. All submissions must be received by June 2, 2020. See: Occupational exposure limits – Call for comments and evidence.
Quebec Rejects “Asbestos”
Mar 16, 2020
As work progresses to distance the Quebec town of Asbestos from its deadly legacy, leading figures admit they are tired of the negative attention that the name of their town had attracted. According to Mayor Hugues Grimard, the town is in a “post-asbestos era,” and is eager to “break away from the asbestos era.” According to Grimard, hundreds of responses had been received for a new name for the town. The submissions are being reviewed by the council and up to five will be put forward for the electorate to choose from with voters as young as 14 being able to participate. See: Asbestos s’apprête à changer de nom [Asbestos to change name].
Asbestos Carrot & Stick
Mar 16, 2020
Russian asbestos stakeholders have embarked on a marketing offensive informing construction company officials and professionals about the advantages of using chrysotile asbestos building products in a desperate attempt to counter the increasing popularity of asbestos-free material. Industry lobbyists are reminding potential customers that as of July 19, 2019 contract tenders are no longer allowed to stipulate the exclusion of asbestos products from building projects in Russia. See: Хризотиловая продукция повышает качество и уменьшает стоимость проведения капремонта [Chrysotile products improve quality and reduce the cost of overhaul].
Eternit Defies Supreme Court
Mar 16, 2020
A fortnight ago, the Eternit company announced the resumption of chrysotile asbestos production at its mine in Minaçu, Goiás State in direct contravention of a 2017 ruling by the Brazilian Supreme Court. The company said that the activity was legal under Goiás State Law 20,514, passed on July 17, 2019, which permitted the extraction and processing of chrysotile asbestos exclusively for export purposes. Critics said this action was unconstitutional as the Supreme Court ruling applied throughout the country and that the transport of the toxic cargo was banned throughout Brazil. See: Eternit retoma produção de amianto em Goiás [Eternit resumes asbestos production in Goiás].
Supreme Court Victims’ Verdict
Mar 16, 2020
On March 12, 2020, the Montana Supreme Court handed down a judgment upholding a 2019 court decision which found that the BNSF Railway Company was not immune to lawsuits brought by hundreds of plaintiffs injured by exposure to asbestos as a result of the company’s negligence. Lawyers for the claimants described the hazards posed by BNSF’s operations including the transport of asbestos-containing vermiculite, spillage of asbestos material along railway tracks and in the BNSF railyard and continued disturbance of the built-up spilled asbestos by the company’s trains and workers. See: Montana Supreme Court: BNSF Not Shielded from Liability in Libby Asbestos Cases.
Meeting the Asbestos Challenge
Mar 13, 2020
The New Zealand and Australian authors of a paper uploaded on March 5, 2020 to the website of the Journal of Public Health Policy, having reviewed the current global asbestos panorama, called for global action to outlaw future asbestos use and research funding for innovative solutions for the destruction and disposal of asbestos-containing waste. The authors concluded that: "Comprehensive [asbestos] bans are needed in all countries. Priority attention for implementation should focus on those properties where people live, work, and go to school." See: Call for a global ban policy on and scientific management of asbestos to eliminate asbestos-related diseases.
More Russian Asbestos Propaganda
Mar 13, 2020
An article on a Russian website exploited the lack of asbestos awareness in Quebec to promote sales of chrysotile asbestos, quoting the results of a survey which reported that 93% of those questioned were unconcerned about the hazard posed by contamination of the former asbestos mining region. The author repeated contentious asbestos propaganda which asserted that once inhaled, fibers were rapidly dissolved and therefore posed no risk to human health. “There are,” the author said “no epidemics of diseases in the Russian monotowns Yasnoy and Asbest, where chrysotile is still mined to this day.” See: Хризотил безопасен: результаты опроса в канадском Асбесте [Chrysotile safe: Canadian Asbestos survey results].
Closure of Mining Town: Update
Mar 13, 2020
The legislation to take ownership of the few properties in the former asbestos mining town of Wittenoom, Western Australia (WA) remaining in private hands passed the Lower House – the Legislative Assembly – of the WA Parliament and is due to be debated again in the Upper House soon. Once the State acquires ownership of these titles, the Department of Planning Lands and Heritage will demolish all remaining infrastructure and cut off roads. Essential services were discontinued years ago but the few remaining residents have generators. See: Wittenoom Closure Bill 2019.
Asbestos Removal Regs Updated
Mar 12, 2020
The Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) on Prince Edwards’ Island has updated the rules for asbestos removal contractors working on renovations or demolition projects. The changes made were intended to raise levels of occupational protection from the asbestos hazard and included new: definitions of asbestos-containing materials, requirements for ventilation, measures for medical surveillance of high-risk workers. According to the WCB, the changes would not significantly affect costs of asbestos removal work. See: Rules around removal of deadly asbestos tightened on P.E.I.
Asbestos on the Railways
Mar 12, 2020
Off-loading asbestos-containing rolling stock could prove problematic for Belgium’s national railway company, the SNCB, which has 1,000+ contaminated wagons, locomotives and motor vehicles it revealed on March 10, 2020. The intention was to dispose of these items by 2023. The affected goods, most of which were built in the 1980s, were itemized in a document for prospective buyers as follows: 720 wagons, 193 locomotives and 239 motor vehicles. See: De l'amiante “en grande quantité” dans des wagons, locomotives et autre matériel roulant de la SNCB [Asbestos “in large quantities” in SNCB wagons, locomotives and other rolling stock].
Free Asbestos Removal
Mar 12, 2020
Residents of Fairfield City, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia had until March 13 to apply to the council to arrange free collection by licensed contractors of up to 10-square metres of loose bonded asbestos material. The collections, which were scheduled to take place before the end of March, were part of the municipal Household Asbestos Removal Program. Asbestos-cement building products were widely used throughout Australia after the second World War and continue to pose a health hazard to homeowners and residents throughout the country. See: Asbestos needs to be disposed of safely.
Stricter Asbestos Disposal Regime
Mar 12, 2020
Responding to WorkSafe BC requirements meant to protect Canadian workers and the public from the risk of asbestos exposure at landfills and waste transfer sites, new construction waste disposal rules have been brought into effect in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the City of Kamloops in British Colombia. Adopting the precautionary principle, building waste from any pre-1990 building will now be assumed to contain asbestos if it has not been tested; the stricter protocols that will be applied are designed to minimize hazardous occupational exposures. See: New disposal rules for materials that might contain asbestos.
Global Asbestos Trade Data
Mar 11, 2020
New data from the United States Geological Survey is now available online which show a continued decrease in the global production of asbestos in recent years: 2016 (1,280,000 tonnes/t), 2017 (1,170,000t), 2018 (1,150,000t) and 2019 (1,100,000t). The only countries still mining asbestos in 2020 are: Russia, China and Kazakhstan. Considering that global output in 2000 and 2010 was 2,035,150t and 2,005,400t respectively, the figure for 2019 is an indication of a dramatic collapse in worldwide demand for a substance widely acknowledged to cause a variety of cancers and respiratory diseases. See: Asbestos Statistics and Information.
Catalonia’s Asbestos Legacy
Mar 11, 2020
On March 9, 2020, representatives of the Association of Builders, Technical Architects and Building Engineers of Barcelona issued a warning about the public health risk posed by asbestos contamination of the Spanish infrastructure and urged official to implement a comprehensive remediation program. The alert was raised during a debate which considered measures to eradicate the asbestos hazard; steps to raise public awareness of the nature and extent of the problem were discussed by medical and technical experts. See: CATALUNYA - Expertos alertan del riesgo de salud pública del amianto e instan a su retirada [Catalonia - Experts warn of the public health risk of asbestos and urge its removal].
UK Asbestos Ban: Status
Mar 11, 2020
On March 9, 2020 a series of Parliamentary questions was submitted by Lord Alton of Liverpool one of which asked the Department for Work and Pensions (HL 2312): “To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to (1) maintain the total prohibition on the use of asbestos, and (2) rule out any instance of permitting products containing up to one per cent of asbestos as per regulations in the United States, after December 2020.” See: Hansards. Written Questions and Answers, March 9, 2020 by Lord Alton of Liverpool.
Asbestos in Cosmetics
Mar 11, 2020
On March 9, 2020, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced results from a year-long sampling exercise of cosmetics containing talc undertaken by AMA Analytical Services, Inc. under commission from the FDA which revealed that while 43 samples were negative, nine contained asbestos. Throughout 2020, the FDA will continue its program for blind testing and will announce any positive results. Commenting on the FDA’s plans, a spokesperson said: “Our work in this area is ongoing and we’ll continue to communicate with the public as we have updates to share.” See: FDA Releases Final Report on Cosmetics Tested for Asbestos.
Asbestos in Healthcare
Mar 10, 2020
In response to a Parliamentary question posed by MSP Monica Lennon [see: Question S5W-27540 on 20/02/2020), the Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman admitted that the Government had no data about the asbestos contamination of the NHS estate in Scotland. In view of the lack of data, Health Facilities Scotland had been instructed to undertake a survey and report back by the end of April. Freeman admitted that: “The Scottish Government recognise the hazard of asbestos and the risks to health that it poses.” See: Health Secretary has no idea how many Scottish hospitals are riddled with asbestos.
Asbestos Propaganda
Mar 10, 2020
A recent online article discusses Russian legislation – implemented on July 1, 2019 – disallowing property owners and building professionals from specifying the use of asbestos-free products in contracts and tenders related to renovation and construction projects. However, the substance of the piece is little more than a rehash of asbestos industry propaganda extolling the virtues of home-grown chrysotile (white) asbestos: Russia is the world’s biggest supplier of chrysotile asbestos, a substance banned in dozens of countries. See: Капремонт в России: подводные камни обновления жилья [Overhaul in Russia: pitfalls of housing renovation].
Asbestos in Cosmetics
Mar 10, 2020
Last week, a petition organized by campaigning civil society groups in the US and supported by almost 25,000 people was submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); the signatories urged the FDA to mandate more sensitive methods for identifying asbestos fibers present in talc. As of now, it is not mandatory for cosmetic companies to test for asbestos. Recent discoveries of asbestos contamination of popular cosmetic products – including items marketed for children – have raised the level of public concern over this issue. See: Consumers Demand Mandatory Testing of Cosmetics for Asbestos.
Asbestos Protest
Mar 10, 2020
On March 10, the Association of Asbestos Victims of Euskadi will hold a protest in Gasteiz, the capital city of the Basque Country in Northern Spain. The demonstration will highlight the failures of the National Institute of Social Security and multiple employers to address the problems experienced by people with asbestos-related injuries including three women who became ill after domestic exposure to their husbands’ contaminated work clothes. The men had worked for CAF Beasain, a Spanish manufacturer of railway vehicles and buses. See: El comité de CAF Beasain pide que se reconozca a víctimas indirectas del amianto [The CAF Beasain committee asks that indirect asbestos victims be recognized].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 9, 2020
A Portuguese campaigning group – the Bloco de Esquerda (the Bloc) – is taking action to assess the extent of asbestos contamination of the country’s schools in light of the failure of the national government to take action. As a result of the Ministry of Education’s failure to respond to enquiries made on this subject in November, 2019, the Bloc is sending questionnaires to the country’s 800+ schools in order to compile an accurate record of the extent and nature of the problem. See: Governo não respondeu sobre amianto nas escolas, Bloco questiona todas as escolas do país [Government did not respond about asbestos in schools, Bloco questions all schools in the country].
Basque Legal Victory
Mar 9, 2020
The first court verdict in the Basque country to award compensation for the death of a person exposed to asbestos via the washing of contaminated clothing was handed down by a court in Tolosa, a town in northern Spain. The CAF company was found negligent for failing to protect the wife of a former employee and was ordered to pay her widower the sum of ~€176,000. The claimant’s wife died in March 2017 from pleural mesothelioma. According to legal experts, this ruling sets a precedent which could benefit future claimants. See: Dictan la primera sentencia favorable a una víctima del amianto por haber lavado ropa (First favorable verdict for an asbestos victim where washing [contaminated] clothes had been the cause [of disease]).
Italian Police Raid
Mar 9, 2020
On March 4, 2020, members of a police task force raided a landfill and quarry operated by Bianchi Srl, a company specializing in excavation, earthmoving, recycling of special waste and remediation of contaminated sites in Trentino, northern Italy. Large quantities of asbestos-contaminated waste, which had been intended for resale as raw material for various construction purposes such as roadworks and landfill, were recovered. See: Rifiuti contaminati da amianto miscelati e rivenduti per fare fondi stradali e opere edilizie: maxi sequestro alla Bianchi di Isera [Asbestos contaminated waste mixed and resold for road surfaces and building work: large seizure at Bianchi di Isera].
Asbestos Prosecution
Mar 9, 2020
A complaint by the Swiss trade union Unia has resulted in a criminal case being brought by the Public Prosecutor against several defendants over unsafe and illegal asbestos removal work undertaken at a school in Geneva, Switzerland at various intervals between 2017 and 2020. Almost all the air samples taken by the authorities were found to contain asbestos fibers. It is believed that more than 100 workers from 17 companies could have experienced hazardous exposures at this worksite. A new asbestos removal protocol has been implemented so that remediation work at the school can be progressed. See: Amiante: «Jamais eu de cas aussi grave à Genève» [Asbestos: “Never had such a serious case in Geneva”].
Recommended: Asbestos Textiles
Mar 4, 2020
An article on a Russian regional news agency website urged citizens to prepare emergency kits to combat domestic fires; an essential component of this kit was an “asbestos cloth” for extinguishing fires or protecting people from flames. The article claimed the fabric was made of a substance which “does not burn, does not melt, and does not emit harmful fumes when heated.” What the author omitted to say was that the textile contained up to 100% asbestos fiber and was amongst the most highly friable of all asbestos products. This friability makes the liberation of respirable asbestos fibers highly likely. See: Полотно из асбеста – эффективный инструмент для тушения пожара [Asbestos cloth – an effective fire extinguishing tool].
Mesothelioma Debate
Mar 4, 2020
A debate in the House of Lords on March 3, 2020 examined the ongoing epidemic of asbestos cancer in the UK and delineated measures which had improved the situation for mesothelioma victims including an increase in research funding from public and private sources. Praising the work of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK and the Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group, Lord Alton highlighted the injustice of the situation whereby mesothelioma claimants receive more from a government scheme then do bereaved relatives: a victim aged 77 making a claim based on a 100% IIDB award receives £14,334 whereas a surviving partner receives £7,949. See: Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.
Asbestos Offensive
Mar 4, 2020
In a letter dated February 20, 2020, asbestos victims, bereaved family members, health organizations and concerned citizens urgently requested that the leadership of the Canadian Conservative Party – currently in opposition – repudiate statements by Luc Berthold, the Conservative Member of Parliament representing the former asbestos mining constituency of Mégantic-L'Érable, alleging the existence of a powerful anti-asbestos lobby operating in Quebec and Canada that was spreading disinformation designed to denigrate asbestos; Berthold provided no evidence to support his accusations. See: Conservative Party of Canada asked to repudiate statements creating doubt about asbestos harm.
Asbestos in the Sewers
Mar 4, 2020
Since February 25, 2020, workers at the company Eau de Paris (Paris Water) have been on strike over the issue of occupational asbestos exposures. Despite acknowledging as long ago as 2014 that 30% of the 1,700 km of underground pipes in the capital’s water delivery system were made of asbestos and that all the company’s workers had probably been exposed to asbestos fibers, to date discussions with the company had proved futile with no improvements to the working conditions of sewer workers and no compensation for the workplace hazards experienced. See: Amiante dans les égouts: grève illimitée à Eau de Paris [Asbestos in the sewers: unlimited strike at Eau de Paris].
Mesothelioma Data
Mar 4, 2020
An analysis of mesothelioma data produced by the Health and Safety Executive in 2017 revealed that while male deaths were decreasing the number of deaths in women had risen, with multiple cases being identified from toxic occupational exposures experienced in public buildings. Commenting on the new data, one legal expert expressed sadness at the emerging trend in: “certain female-dominated professions, like teaching, social care and nursing” and warned of “a new wave of asbestos-related deaths – this time among women…” See: Rise in female mesothelioma deaths sheds new light on asbestos risk.
Confronting Brazil’s Asbestos Legacy
Mar 3, 2020
In a high-profile interview with retired labor inspector and co-founder of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed Fernanda Giannasi (published on February 29, 2020), the former civil servant denounced moves by the Governor of Goiás State and asbestos industry stakeholders to circumvent Brazil’s 2017 asbestos ban. Recapping the evolution of knowledge regarding the hazard posed by exposures to asbestos and the history of asbestos mining and use in Brazil, Ms. Giannasi said: “Our struggle is to permanently protect society from the asbestos hazard…. What was once called the ‘magic mineral’ is now condemned as the “killer fiber.” See: Liberação do amianto em Goiás: “a ‘Lei Caiado’ é um acinte” [Asbestos release in Goiás: “the ‘Caiado Law’ is a provocation].
Mesothelioma Research Award
Mar 3, 2020
UK campaigners have welcomed the announcement by European cancer organizations of a multi-million pound grant for mesothelioma research led by Professor Kevin Blyth, a scientist at the University of Glasgow. The research team will search for alternative treatments for the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Commenting on this news, Professor Blyth said: “In the future it’s likely that the global incidence of mesothelioma will continue to increase, as there are many countries that still don’t regulate the use of asbestos. So, it’s important to build a research community now and improve our understanding to help those affected by this cancer.” See: European partnerships invest £27.4m to accelerate cancer research.
Asbestos Removal in Madrid
Mar 3, 2020
At a meeting on February 28, 2020, residents of the Orcasitas area of Madrid – one of the capital’s poorest neighborhoods – were informed of plans to support the removal of asbestos contamination via government grants of up to 90% for decontamination work. The program to replace toxic roofing on homes in Orcasitas will begin in April 2020; funds for the work will be made available to applicants at the start of the projects. A sum of €4.5m has been allocated. See: Almeida calma a Orcasitas con un nuevo plan de rehabilitación para retirar el amianto [Almeida calms Orcasitas with a new rehabilitation plan to remove asbestos].
Asbestos Legacy at Sea and on Land
Mar 3, 2020
Last week it was announced that asbestos had been found behind insulated bulkheads on Israeli warships during equipment checks. Commenting on the situation, a spokesperson for the Navy said that asbestos audits of the ships would be completed by July 2020. This announcement came weeks after it was revealed that as a result of the discovery of asbestos contamination at the Reading Power Station in Tel Aviv, the Ministry of Environmental Protection had ordered the facility to close down temporarily. See: На израильских военных кораблях обнаружен асбест [Asbestos discovered on Israeli warships].
Asbestos Eradication
Mar 3, 2020
To progress efforts to rid Poland of asbestos contamination by 2032, Torun City in north-central Poland is providing support – in collaboration with the Provincial and National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management – to homeowners who make applications under the Asbestos Removal Program for the City of Torun. To date, ~765 tonnes of contaminated material has been removed and safely disposed of under strict regulations set by the Polish government. See: Niebezpieczny azbest musi zniknac z Torunia! [Dangerous asbestos must disappear from Torun!].
Asbestos Alert
Feb 28, 2020
On February 25, 2020 it was announced that the Naval Group had temporarily closed a workshop in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, north-western France which employed 200 people, due to concerns over asbestos, after trade unions had denounced the hazardous conditions at the worksite where nuclear submarines are manufactured for the French Navy. This action was taken days after a Court fined the French automotive group PSA €118,000 for occupational asbestos exposures experienced by a former worker at the Peugeot site in Sochaux. See: Naval Group ferme un atelier à Cherbourg-en-Cotentin à cause d'une suspection d'amiante [Naval Group closes workshop in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin due to asbestos suspicion].
Toxic Talc
Feb 28, 2020
A paper published in the current issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine described thirty-three cases of malignant mesothelioma among individuals with no known asbestos exposure other than cosmetic talcum. The authors of this study reported that: “Asbestos of the type found in talcum powder was found in all six cases.” In light of the finding that asbestos-contaminated talcum powders could cause mesothelioma, the researchers recommended that clinicians detail mesothelioma patients’ history of talcum powder use. See: Mesothelioma Associated with the Use of Cosmetic Talc.
Asbestos in Marble and Stone
Feb 28, 2020
New guidelines issued by the Health and Safety Executive highlight the hazard posed by the presence of asbestos fibers in marble and basalt products and provide advice for people supplying, working or using these types of material. The 10-page document cites various pieces of legislation relevant to this subject including: the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. See: Asbestos in some types of marble and other stone: assessing the risk.
Asbestos at Power Plants
Feb 27, 2020
Today (February 27), an information session is being held by the Center for Environmental Studies Ithaca of Andorra to raise awareness of the historical as well as current occupational and environmental health hazards, including exposures to asbestos, generated by the operations of the Andorra Thermal Power Plant. Amongst the speakers will be representatives of the Catalan Association of Victims Affected by Asbestos and specialist Jaume Cortés, from a legal cooperative specializing in industrial injuries. See: ¿Qué supone la exposición continuada al sílice y al amianto? [What does continuous exposure to silica and asbestos mean?]
Asbestos Ban Resolution
Feb 27, 2020
A resolution submitted to the 12th National Health Assembly of Thailand in December 2019 called for a complete ban on the use of all types of asbestos. The proposal requested that government agencies and ministries take steps to: prohibit asbestos use by 2025 at the latest, support the use of safer alternatives, raise awareness of the health hazard, issue guidelines for the safe disposal of asbestos waste and develop systems for diagnosing asbestos-related diseases and compensating the injured. In order to implement the provisions of the proposal, approval from the National Health Commission and the Thai cabinet is required. See: Revision of National Health Assembly Resolution: Thailand ban asbestos measure.
Asbestos and Construction Workers
Feb 27, 2020
Calls are being made for the European Union to update workplace regulations in line with new research which detailed the hazardous effects that legal exposures were having on construction workers. The research showed that instead of 100,000 asbestos fibers per cubic meter, the limit value should be 100 per cubic meter. Danish Member of the European Parliament Nikolaj Villumsen has been pressing for action by the European Employment Committee to address the hazard posed by asbestos still contained within the European infrastructure. See: Villumsen: Lønmodtagere skal ikke betale for grøn omstilling med kortere levetid [Villumsen: Employees should not pay for a green conversion with a shorter life span].
Asbestos Claimant’s Verdict
Feb 26, 2020
This week a court in the French city of Belfort, 16 miles from the French-Swiss border, ordered the PSA automotive group to pay compensation of €110,000 to a former worker from the Peugeot factory in Sochaux who has contracted asbestos-related cancer as a result of hazardous occupational exposures during his 40 years of employment. PSA was found guilty of “faute inexcusable” (inexcusable fault). Up to forty thousand people had worked at the Sochaux plant. The company has one month to appeal the verdict. See: Culpabilité du groupe PSA pour exposition à l'amiante [PSA group guilty for asbestos exposure].
Asbestos at the Opera
Feb 26, 2020
As the manslaughter trial of five theatre managers was due to recommence in Milan, unions and workers’ groups presented a dossier of material to reporters detailing the presence of asbestos in La Scala and the actions they had taken to try and prevent toxic exposures. The defendants have been charged over the asbestos-related deaths of nine workers – including technicians, singers, musicians, choristers and conductors – which, allegedly, resulted from hazardous exposures experienced at the world famous Opera House. See: Milano, morti per amianto alla Scala: “Bonifica fatta grazie ai lavoratori” [Milan, asbestos deaths at La Scala: “Reclamation done thanks to workers”].
Asbestos Mine Remediation
Feb 26, 2020
An abandoned asbestos mine, one of 37 derelict mining facilities on the island of Cyprus, has absorbed most of the funding allocated by the government for the reclamation of such contaminated sites over recent years. The first trees were planted at the site of the Amiantos mine in 1995 and the project is still ongoing with hopes it may be finished in 3 years. According to a recent report: “the site was given priority because it was considered the most urgent case of all the abandoned mines.” Once this project has been completed, work will begin on other sites. Lessons learned from the restoration work at Amiantos suggest that planting trees may be less effective than benign neglect in restoring the area’s flora and fauna. See: Disused mines both heritage and health hazard.
Asbestos Propaganda in India and Russia
Feb 24, 2020
The findings of a disputed 2019 “study,” categorized by Indian campaigners as yet another “scam” by asbestos industry stakeholders has been reported in Russia as evidence supporting the “safe use of asbestos” propaganda disseminated by industry. The article asserted that: at the Russian Uralasbest asbestos mining plants “not a single case of an occupational disease was recorded” in 2018 and that “products created from chrysotile asbestos are not just a safe, but natural, environmentally friendly, durable and affordable solution to many problems.” See: Новое исследование подтвердило безопасность хризотила при контролируемом использовании [New study confirms chrysotile safety in controlled use].
Toxic Legacy of Asbestos Industry
Feb 24, 2020
New research, revealing the disastrous impact asbestos mining had on workers and resident populations in Quebec, has confirmed the high risk to Canadians posed by occupational and environmental exposures. The “shocking findings” have included: high levels of asbestos-related deaths, lack of compensation, inadequate levels of protection and lower penalties for hazardous practices in Quebec compared to other Canadian provinces. Between 2005 and 2015, 85% of all workplace-related diseases in Quebec were caused by asbestos exposure. See: Inquiry into Quebec’s asbestos mining legacy reveals shocking findings.
Police Operation: Asbestos
Feb 24, 2020
On February 20, 2020, police officers from the city of Vlora – in the south-west of Albania – working with border patrol guards seized a large amount of asbestos-contaminated waste being transported in a van in an operation called: “Asbestos”. Six Albanian citizens were arrested after the illegal shipment was discovered in a ferry anchored in Albania which had come from the Italian town of Brindisi. Clarification is being sought of the statement in this article which asserted that asbestos had been banned in Albania. See: Huge Amount of Asbestos Seized Inside Brindisi-Albania Ferry.
Court Upholds Compensation Award
Feb 21, 2020
On February 13, 2020, the Florence Court of Appeal upheld a December 2019 ruling by a court in Grosseto, Italy which had recognized the occupational nature of the asbestos-related illness contracted by a soldier, and awarded him benefits including a life-time pension and a one-off lump sum compensation payment. The lower court’s verdict had been appealed by Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance. The claimant, who had served in the military for 33 years as a motor engineer and chief mechanic, contracted asbestosis as a result of workplace asbestos exposure. See: Amianto: militare GdF malato, giudici ‘Mef paghi vitalizio’ [Asbestos: sick GdF soldier, ‘Mef pay annuity’ judges rule].
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Feb 21, 2020
A conference held in Lisbon on January 31, 2020 brought together national and European experts from the asbestos removal industry and relevant government agencies to assess measures which might be taken to raise the level of asbestos awareness in Portugal, in particular the hazard posed by asbestos contamination of the built environment. The event, which was organized by a campaigning NGO, took place at the Lisbon headquarters of the Order of Engineers on January 31. Measures to protect occupational and public health were examined and topics such as the following were addressed by speakers: asbestos audits, environmental monitoring, asbestos removal and waste disposal practices. See: Portugal sem Amianto [Asbestos-free Portugal].
Asbestos on the Metro
Feb 21, 2020
The decontamination of trains by the company operating the Madrid Metro system has been suspended following a complaint received by the Prosecutor’s Office which had been made by a trade union representing Machinists alleging that the company planned to destroy evidence of asbestos contamination in order to undermine personal injury claims by injured workers. On February 17, 2020 the company circulated to the workforce news of yet more asbestos contamination in new train parts, specifically in joints in units 2000A and 2000B. See: Denuncian a Metro por “destrucción de pruebas” en el caso del amianto [Metro denounced for “destruction of evidence” regarding asbestos].
Asbestos in Makeup
Feb 21, 2020
A BBC 3 documentary entitled: Beauty Laid Bare revealed that an eye shadow product marketed by the cosmetics company MUA had tested positive for asbestos. US analyst Sean Fitzgerald tested samples from a MUA product called “Silent Disco” three times to confirm the findings. The company asserted that “all their products rigorously comply with all EU safety standards on contaminants and that they keep a full record of test results. They said they have carried out more recent tests on this exact batch of products which show no trace of any contamination.” Nevertheless, the sale of “Silent Disco palette” was discontinued over a year ago. See: Investigation finds asbestos in makeup palette made by popular brand MUA.
Asbestos Survey
Feb 19, 2020
Responding to a recent survey nearly all the people living in the former asbestos mining town of Thetford, Quebec expressed no concern about living near the derelict asbestos mine or the mountains of 850 million tonnes of mining waste surrounding the town. According to the researchers: “93% of respondents to the study believe that living in the region is no more dangerous than [living] elsewhere in Quebec.” Only 5% of the people surveyed believed that it was more dangerous to live in the region than elsewhere in Quebec because of the area’s asbestos legacy. See: Les résidus d'amiante ne font pas peur dans la région de Thetford [Asbestos residues are not scary in the Thetford region].
Mesothelioma Compensation
Feb 19, 2020
The Italian Parliament has initially approved moves to increase payouts for mesothelioma victims with non-occupational asbestos exposures who were diagnosed since 2015 (or their heirs) from €5,600 to €10,000 by way of a one-off compensation payment. A draft amendment to implement this measure is progressing through legislative channels. After the Second World War, Italy was Europe largest consumer of asbestos; millions of tonnes of asbestos-containing material remains in Italian public buildings, factories and homes. See; Amianto, vittoria delle vittime: 4 milioni di euro per i malati di mesothelioma [Asbestos, victims' victory: 4 million euros for mesothelioma patients].
Asbestos Construction Hazard
Feb 19, 2020
An article on the Russian language Delfi website in Latvia about the hazards posed by some construction materials had a rather muddled section about asbestos, alleging that white asbestos (chrysotile) building products – which are “actively used in Russia – can be used safely under controlled conditions. Despite this assertion, the author suggested that the use of asbestos-free products is the safest option and that trained operatives with specialist equipment should be contracted for asbestos removal work. See: Правда и выдумки: Об опасных материалах для стройки и ремонта [Truth and fiction: About the hazards of construction and repair material].
Asbestos Eradication: Update
Feb 18, 2020
Programs supporting the eradication of asbestos are underway in many Polish cities and villages as part of efforts to make the country asbestos-free by 2032. In Poznan, refunds are available to meet the full costs of removal and disposal of asbestos-containing products from the municipal authorities. This year, Poznan City has allocated a budget for asbestos removal of 330,000 PLN (~US$76,300); applications for grants must be submitted by October 15, 2020. The maximum funding available per applicant is 33,000 PLN (US$ 8,400). See: Doplacaja do usuwania rakotwórczego azbestu [They pay extra for removing carcinogenic asbestos].
Asbestos Hazard in Barcelona
Feb 18, 2020
Information released by the Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB) showed that of the 141 TMB employees who had been medically examined – most of whom were retired and all of whom had ceased working for the company 15 years ago – 15 had asbestos-related lung conditions as follows: 7 had pleural alterations, 6 bronchopulmonary tumors and 2 asbestosis. The total number of TMB employees whose medical conditions have been reviewed under the company’s health surveillance program stands at 1,056. See: Hallan afecciones pulmonares por amianto en 15 jubilados del metro de Barcelona [Asbestos lung conditions found in 15 retirees of the Barcelona metro].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 18, 2020
According to Schoolgroep Brussel (SGB), a group representing the education system of the Flemish Community, 80% of the 100 Flemish schools in Brussels still contain asbestos. Last year (2019), asbestos remediation work was carried out in just six of the Flemish schools. A statement by SGB was highly critical of the discrepancy between the more generous funding provided by the public waste agency in Flanders for work on school in Flanders and that provided by the Brussels environment agency [Leefmilieu Brussel] for Dutch-speaking community schools in Brussels. See: Asbestos still present in 80% of Flemish schools in Brussels.
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 18, 2020
During Parliamentary question time last week, Italy’s Minister of the Environment acknowledged that “asbestos is an extremely significant problem for our country.” He announced that €385 million had been allocated for the remediation of schools and hospitals; at this time, asbestos contamination is present in 2,400 schools. Overseeing this project will be a working group whose chair is retired Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello who led efforts in Turin to bring to justice former asbestos company director Stephan Schmidheiny. See: Amianto, 32 milioni di tonnellate di materiale cancerogeno ancora da smaltire [Asbestos, 32 million tons of carcinogenic material still to be disposed of].
Calls to Raise Asbestos Awareness
Feb 18, 2020
According to a new online commentary, a basic lack of awareness about the hazard posed by asbestos exposures in Portugal is leading to unsafe and dangerous working practices amongst people trying to remove contaminated material. To improve public health, the author of this text calls for a phased asbestos remediation programme carried out by trained operatives which prioritizes more hazardous situations such as occur when highly friable products are in poor repair and in easily accessible positions such as in schools. See: É urgente regular o tema do Amianto em Portugal [There is an urgent need to regulate the use of asbestos in Portugal].
Decrease in Asbestos Demand
Feb 17, 2020
Data released by the United States Geological Survey this month (February 2020) showed that global demand for asbestos fiber fell from 2 million tonnes (t) in 2010 to 1,100,000t in 2019. Russia remained the world’s biggest supplier of asbestos fiber producing 750,000t in 2019 with Kazakhstan 2nd at 200,000t and China 3rd at 125,000t. The main use of asbestos continues to be in the production of asbestos-cement building products such as corrugated roofing tiles, pipes and wall panels. See: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2020 [pages 26 & 27].
Quebec’s Toxic Mining Legacy
Feb 17, 2020
After decades of denial, an independent inquiry is exposing the true cost of the commercial exploitation of asbestos to mining communities in Canada’s asbestos heartland. In the Quebec town of Thetford-Mines, mountains of mining waste – which can contain up to 20% asbestos fiber – dominate the landscape. Entrepreneurs are planning to process this waste to reclaim raw materials including magnesium, silica and manganese, claiming that this can be done safely by destroying the asbestos fibers. Quebec’s Office of Public Hearings on the Environment is currently investigating these claims. See: Pandora’s box opens on Quebec's deadly asbestos legacy.
Asbestos Earthquake Hazard
Feb 17, 2020
A documentary on Japan TV marking the 25th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, explored the asbestos hazard resulting from that disaster; filmmakers detailed the case of Kazunori Shimatani, a former employee of Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture who died from mesothelioma in 2013 at the age of 49. Mr. Shimatani had been exposed to asbestos during the post-earthquake clean-up. The death of Mr. Shimatani has not been officially recognized or compensated. To date, a total of five Hyogo Prefecture workers – including clean-up crews and first responders – have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. See: 阪神大震災から25年…“静かな時限爆弾”アスベストの脅威 [25 years since the Great Hanshin Earthquake ... “Silent time bomb! asbestos threat].
Disappearing Funds?
Feb 17, 2020
Officials in Piedmont, north-western Italy have denounced the disappearance of €14 million of Italian government funding which had, supposedly, been allocated to continue remediation work in the area surrounding the site of Europe’s largest asbestos mine: Balangero. According to Matteo Marnati, regional councillor for the environment, reclamation work at Balangero has stopped due to the shortage of money. Piedmont has the highest number of deaths caused by the asbestos cancer mesothelioma of all the Italian regions. See: Amianto, non ci sono i soldi per le bonifiche: mai arrivati 14 milioni [Asbestos, there is no money for reclamation: 14 million never arrived].
Asbestos-Cement Roofing: Alert
Feb 13, 2020
At a ceremony in Jakarta on February 11, 2020 to mark the founding of the Indonesian National Movement for Lung Cancer Care, lung specialist Dr. Elisna Syahruddin issued a warning about the health hazard posed by living in close proximity to asbestos-cement roofing due to the link between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. Syahruddin advised that asbestos products should not be used. The number of lung cancer cases in Indonesia is now more than 10 times what it was 15 years ago with male patients accounting for almost 90% of those affected. See: Atap Asbes Disebut Bisa Tingkatkan Risiko Kanker Paru-paru [Asbestos roofing said to increase the risk of lung cancer].
Asbestos Outrage
Feb 13, 2020
Under cover of a controversial law enacted in 2019 by the Brazilian State of Goiás, Eternit SA – formerly the country’s largest asbestos conglomerate – has announced it will resume processing chrysotile asbestos at a mine owned by its subsidiary Sama in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court ruling which outlawed the commercial exploitation of asbestos. The company said that all the asbestos, estimated to be ~24,000 tonnes, will be exported. Operations at the mine had been paralyzed since February 2019 due to litigation pending at the Supreme Court regarding the unconstitutionality of the Goiás law. See: Eternit vai retomar produção de amianto para exportar, apesar de proibição do STF [Eternit to resume asbestos production for export, despite STF ban].
Toxic Talc
Feb 13, 2020
An online article by a Vietnamese medical consultant discussed the controversy over the use of talcum powder in cosmetic products due to findings that the talc could contain asbestos fibers. Exposure to asbestos can cause various cancers including lung cancer and ovarian cancer. Having considered information from different sources and explained research findings, the author concluded that: “you should still be cautious about using products containing this ingredient. Ideally, you should avoid products containing talc containing asbestos.” See: Bạn có nên hạn chế dùng bột talc để phòng ngừa ung thư? [Should you limit the use of talcum powder to prevent cancer?].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 13, 2020
The American Federation of Teachers has joined the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) in calling for extra funding to remediate asbestos contamination of many of the city’s public schools, some of which have been forced to close due to hazardous conditions. The two groups are urging the School District of Philadelphia to hire up to 100 trained operatives as part of a rapid response team to identify and eliminate asbestos pollution in the city’s schools. The PFT is suing the school district over mishandling of the asbestos issue and endangering the lives of ~140,000 students and school employees. See: National teachers’ union calls for additional resources to address asbestos issue in schools.
Ban Asbestos Award
Feb 11, 2020
On February 6, 2020, the Indonesian city of Bandung received an award for its commitment to eradicating the asbestos hazard. A certificate from the (Australian) Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency was presented to the Deputy Mayor Yana Mulyana at City Hall by Campaigner Phillip Hazleton from the Australian group: Union Aid Abroad. This month, Bandung City Assembly announced it was expanding its 2018 asbestos ban for commercial buildings to include all new private houses; Bandung is the only city in Indonesia that prohibits asbestos use in buildings. See: Konsisten Larang Penggunaan Asbes, Kota Bandung Raih Penghargaan [For its Commitment to Banning the Use of Asbestos, Bandung City Wins Award].
Asbestos Exposure and Leukaemia
Feb 11, 2020
Using a cohort of 12,111 seventh grade pupils from four Danish schools located near a factory which produced asbestos-cement and a reference cohort of 108,987 participants, scientists investigated whether environmental and occupational asbestos exposure increased the risk of haematological malignancies. They concluded that: “long-term occupational asbestos exposure may be a risk factor for leukaemia” and recommended that “countries still using asbestos should acknowledge this additional cancer risk in their asbestos management.” See: Asbestos exposure and haematological malignancies: a Danish cohort study.
Asbestos in Healthcare Facilities
Feb 11, 2020
Kate Richmond, a 44-year old doctor with cancer caused by exposure to asbestos in UK hospitals, has condemned the failure of the National Health Service (NHS) to protect staff, warning of a “hidden epidemic of asbestos cancers among NHS staff and patients because hospitals have failed to properly handle toxic material.” Richmond won her legal case against the NHS which had, her lawyers argued, negligently exposed her to asbestos whilst she was a medical student and a junior doctor in Coventry. According to HSE data, between 2011 and 2017, 128 people working in health and social care died from mesothelioma, the same cancer Richmond contracted. See: Dying doctor warns of asbestos ‘hidden epidemic’ caused by NHS failures.
Asbestos Exposures in Ship-breaking
Feb 11, 2020
New figures released by a Belgian-based NGO show that Bangladesh dismantled 47.2% of all vessels scrapped in 2018. There are an estimated 3,000 permanent and up to 7,000 temporary workers in the country’s ship-breaking yards. In most cases, harmful substances are not identified and toxic exposures to carcinogens like asbestos occur daily. As well as endangering the health of workers and local communities, the pollution produced by ship-breaking destroys coastal ecosystems. See: Bangladesh retains top spot in global ship breaking trade.
Asbestos Hazard in Shipyards
Feb 11, 2020
Research undertaken at shipyards in India confirmed the high level of risk of contracting asbestos cancer which exists and highlighted the lack of political will to take preventative action. The findings of the scientists were disturbing: airborne asbestos fiber concentrations in the ship recycling yards could exceed 100 fibres/ml; by 2027, ~4,500 people could die from mesothelioma as a result of improper handling of asbestos at these workplaces with more deaths amongst bystanders than those directly exposed; most of these fatalities will go unreported. See: Assessment of the future mesothelioma disease burden from past exposure to asbestos in ship recycling yards in India.
Post-Bushfire Asbestos Hazard
Feb 10, 2020
As with other man-made and natural disasters, the hazard posed during clean-up operations by asbestos contamination has been highlighted in the aftermath of the bushfires that raged through Australia in recent weeks. It has been estimated by the NSW Rural Fire Service that 40% of homes and buildings destroyed by the fires contained asbestos. Methods for dealing with the asbestos debris include spraying a PVC binder on the contamination to prevent the liberation of fibers. The disposal of corrugated sheeting and boards, however, is posing a problem for affected communities. NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has promised that “contaminated properties will be prioritised.” See: Asbestos risk in 40 per cent of bushfire-hit homes.
Madrid’s Asbestos Scandal
Feb 10, 2020
The results of a 2003 survey which identified the presence of asbestos in Madrid’s transport system were not communicated to employees of the company which commissioned it – Metro de Madrid – a court was told on February 6, 2020. Proceedings before Judge María Isabel Garaizaba, head of the Court of Instruction number 23 of Madrid, are seeking to establish whether charges, including reckless manslaughter, made against seven company executives can be substantiated. As of now, five Metro workers have died from asbestos-related diseases as a result of occupational exposures; tests are ongoing on other current and former members of the workforce. See: Metro dijo a sus empleados que el amianto no les afectaba [Metro told its employees that asbestos did not affect them].
Toxic Talc
Feb 10, 2020
On February 6, 2020, a jury in New Jersey ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $750 million in punitive damages in a case brought by four mesothelioma victims whose fatal cancers were caused by exposure to the company’s asbestos-contaminated baby powder. It is believed that the amount awarded will be reduced to ~$185 million because of a state cap on damages. At a previous trial, another jury awarded the claimants $37.2 million in compensation. J&J said the company would appeal the verdict. In January, J&J’s CEO Alex Gorsky testified for the first time at a jury trial regarding the alleged contamination of the baby powder. See: Jury orders Johnson & Johnson to pay $750 million in New Jersey talc case.
Attack on Asbestos Victims
Feb 10, 2020
A commentary by Emidio de Souza, a former Mayor of the Brazilian town of Osasco and currently a state deputy, has revealed plans by the São Paulo Governor João Doria to close down in May 2020 a facility at the Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (São Paulo Cancer Institute) which provides radiotherapy for patients in Osasco, the former center of Brazil’s asbestos-cement industry. Souza says that given the size of the population, many of whom are at high-risk of contracting asbestos-related cancers, the facility should be expanded not disbanded. According to figures cited by Souza, the cancer incidence in Brazil is predicted to rise substantially over the next two decades. See: Doria, com saúde não se brinca [Doria, you can't play with health].
Brazil Supreme Court: Delay
Feb 6, 2020
On February 5, 2020, it was learned that a verdict due to be handed down virtually by the Brazilian Supreme Court on February 7, 2020 was being postponed, with no explanation or future date being given. The litigation due to be judged concerned the status of the 2019 law passed by the State of Goiás which allowed the mining and export of chrysotile (white) asbestos to recommence in contravention of a 2017 Brazil Supreme Court decision banning asbestos. At this time, no more information is available regarding this postponement.
Asbestos Conviction
Feb 6, 2020
A January 31, 2020 press release issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) detailed the conviction of Barry Patchett, trading as BSN Demolition, for contravening Regulations 7(2), 11(1) and 12 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Patchett was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment, suspended for one year, and ordered to pay costs of £1,000. Commenting on the case, HSE inspector Stuart Whitesmith said: “Asbestos is not just a problem of the past; it can be present today in any building or industrial process plant built or refurbished before the year 2000. In this case, Mr Patchett failed to follow basic safe working practices required by the Regulations.” See: Employer sentenced for failing to implement safe working practices for the removal of asbestos.
Asbestos Denial and Delay
Feb 6, 2020
Just a handful of countries in Latin America have acted on the asbestos hazard; Mexico is not one of them. The latest figures provided by the Mexican Senate regarding asbestos cancer deaths date from 2005 and represent a gross underestimation of the damage done by the asbestos industry to Mexican workers, consumers and members of the public. According to this source, between 1979 and 2005 there were 1,346 deaths from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. See: Amianto, enemigo silencioso y mortal [Asbestos, silent and deadly enemy].
Asbestos Legacy
Feb 6, 2020
Exposures experienced 20 years ago due to asbestos remediation work at Camp Walker – a U.S. army base in South Korea – have been blamed by veterans for causing serious diseases. Army inspections carried out in 1996 of bases in Korea found asbestos in 200 buildings. According to a report in Stars and Stripes – a U.S. military newspaper – in May 2000: “Experts say dozens of buildings on bases across South Korea might be contaminated with broken pieces of asbestos resulting in crushed, airborne fragments that can be deadly if inhaled.” From 1994 to 2000, cancer sufferer David Sewell worked at the base and was there during the removal operations. See: Army veterans blame health problems on asbestos removal at South Korean base.
Testing Toxic Talc
Feb 5, 2020
On February 4, 2020, a hearing was held by the U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to examine procedures used for the testing of talc powders and cosmetics for asbestos contamination. The FDA took this action in response to multiple findings of asbestos in Johnson & Johnson baby powder and cosmetic products; this was the first time in 50 years the FDA had investigated asbestos testing standards for these products. Significant recommendations made by members of the expert panel were disputed by industry spokesmen who said they would “would not improve product safety. See: U.S. government experts, industry spar over asbestos testing in talc.
Brazilian Asbestos Ban: Update
Feb 5, 2020
On February 7, 2020 the Brazilian Supreme Court will announce its decision regarding the status of the 2019 law passed by the State of Goiás which allowed the mining and export of asbestos to recommence in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court decision banning asbestos. The decision of the individual judges will only be known once the verdict is handed down “virtually,” with no court appearances scheduled. See: Supremo julgará constitucionalidade da lei que autoriza a extração e exportação de amianto em Goiás [Supreme Court will judge the constitutionality of the law authorizing the extraction and export of asbestos in Goiás].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 5, 2020
An exposé published on February 3, 2020 in Liberation – a daily newspaper in France – revealed that more than 70% of public buildings in Paris contained asbestos. According to information supplied by City Hall, 564 public schools and colleges still contained asbestos; the municipal budget to remediate the educational infrastructure is €1.5 million per year. A spokesperson for a federation representing parents and students confirmed their concern about the asbestos contamination and announced plans to work with local councillors to raise awareness of the issue. See: Amiante: à Paris, deux tiers des écoles et collèges concernés [Asbestos: in Paris, two thirds of the schools and colleges concerned].
Protecting Public Health
Feb 5, 2020
A paper published in the current issue of the BOHS journal Annals of Work Exposures and Health examined the public health hazard posed by workers inadvertently taking home toxic substances such as asbestos from their workplaces. Lessons learned from community health initiatives could, the authors, suggested empower workers and advocacy groups to help prevent contamination through participatory involvement when enacting and enforcing legislation; and also when constructing and implementing community-based screening and healthcare programs in order to improve health equity. See: Eliminating Take-Home Exposures: Recognizing the Role of Occupational Health and Safety in Broader Community Health.
Asbestos Exposure and Cancer
Feb 4, 2020
An article on the website of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing to mark World Cancer Day highlighted the health hazard posed by asbestos. The text considered lifestyle changes that could reduce the likelihood of cancer and explained the risk posed by genetic factors and environmental hazards. “Among the external factors that provoke the development of tumors,” the authors stated “are ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, chemical carcinogens such as asbestos and components of tobacco smoke, and some infections.” Russia is the world’s largest producer and exporter of chrysotile asbestos. See: Больше спорта, меньше пиццы: как защититься от рака [More sports, less pizza: how to defend yourself against cancer].
Bushfire Clean-Up
Feb 4, 2020
As bushfires continue to blaze in some parts of New South Wales (NSW), it was announced that the NSW Government and the Commonwealth would cover the clean-up costs of properties, both domestic and commercial, destroyed by the disaster. Uninsured as well as insured properties would be covered, and local contractors and suppliers would undertake the work needed. As a result of this program, property owners will not have to pay for the removal and disposal of debris, including potentially hazardous materials such as asbestos-containing cement building products which have been widely used throughout the country. See: NSW Government to cover clean-up cost of properties destroyed by bushfires.
Replacement of Asbestos-Cement Pipes
Feb 4, 2020
According to Malaysia’s National Water Services Commission, in 2018 there were about 41,560 km of asbestos cement (AC) pipes in the country. The AC pipes, which were installed 60 years ago, pose health risks and have been banned in many countries. Government funds for upgrades to the country’s water delivery system are insufficient to pay for a nationwide pipe replacement program. To address this situation there is a proposal to solicit individual and corporate contributions for this work. If successful, this government-corporation-community collaboration would ensure the replacement of all AC pipes in a more timely and cost-effective manner. See: The Malaysian leaky pipe story.
Victim’s Legal Victory
Feb 4, 2020
Factory owners in the Province of Biscay in the north of Spain were ordered by a Bilboa Court to pay compensation of €145,000 to the family of a deceased worker who had been exposed to asbestos whilst employed at the plant between 1984-2010. The former employee, who died in 2017 from pleural mesothelioma, had initially worked at the Bridgestone factory on the repair of steam pipes and later rose to be head of the asbestos remediation department. See: Condenan a Bridgestone por la muerte del encargado de la retirada de amianto [Bridgestone condemned for death of asbestos removal officer].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 4, 2020
On Monday, February 3, 2020, 200 parents and local people attended a briefing on the handling of the asbestos situation at the Newcastle East Public School in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Parents were outraged that the distribution of incorrect information regarding the hazard posed by the school’s contamination could have endangered the health of their children. Replying to their concerns, NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell apologized for her department's handling of the school's asbestos crisis, saying: “I'm not happy with the way this has been handled.” See: Newcastle East Public School parents demand answers about potential asbestos risks to their children.
MoD Condemned
Feb 3, 2020
A Labor Court in the southern Italian city of Taranto condemned the Ministry of Defense (MoD) for failing to protect a worker from hazardous exposure to asbestos contained in the insulation of electrical equipment as a result of which he died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The deceased was a civilian electrician who had worked for the Italian Navy from the 1970s to the mid-2000s. The family of the electrician was awarded €500,000 in compensation. See: Taranto, operaio morì di mesotelioma per colpa dell'amianto: 500mila euro agli eredi [Taranto, worker died of mesothelioma due to asbestos: 500 thousand euros to the heirs].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 3, 2020
In the run-up to publishing the state budget for 2020-21, on January 29, 2020 the Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Wolf announced plans to allocate $1 billion for remediation work on schools contaminated with asbestos and lead, saying: “Decades ago, well-intentioned Pennsylvanians constructed our homes, our schools, our water systems, and other structures out of asbestos and lead because we thought they were harmless… Now we know the serious harm both cause.” Schools would be able to access grants through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. See: Gov. Wolf calls for $1 billion to tackle lead and asbestos in schools across Pennsylvania.
Toxic Dumpsite
Feb 3, 2020
Contaminated EU garbage dumped at a landfill in Portugal is endangering the health of people in Valongo, a city 175 miles north of Lisbon. The dumping at this site of asbestos-containing building materials is an issue of high concern to people in the parish of Sobrado who live less than 500 meters from the supposedly non-hazardous waste landfill. The low cost of using this facility attracts customers from the Netherlands and the UK; 400 different types of garbage are dumped here on a daily basis. See: Viver no “caixote do lixo” da Europa [Living in Europe's “dustbin”].
Asbestos Remediation
Feb 3, 2020
The Government of Jamaica has invested millions of dollars to remediate, upgrade and improve the water supply system in Portland, a parish on the northeastern coast of the island. Multiple projects are being implemented by Rural Water Supply Limited and the National Water Commission which include the installation and repair of water tanks and the replacement of fixtures and pipes, some of which contain asbestos. The old asbestos cement pipes are being replaced with ductile iron pipes. See: Gov’t Upgrading Water Supply Systems in Portland.
Corporate Crimes
Feb 3, 2020
The article referenced below, from Anuário Antropológico, a journal of the University of Brasília, discusses experiences of workers and residents in the Brazilian town of Minaçu who were exposed to chrysotile asbestos by the operations of the mining company SA Minerações Associadas (SAMA). The author details social suffering, marginalization and deaths which had ensued and highlights the role played by doctors and other medical professionals linked to SAMA in preventing the injured from accessing compensation or appropriate medical care. See: Sofrimento social entre trabalhadores do amianto e o ocultamento da ocorrência de doenças asbesto-relacionadas na cidade de Minaçu (GO) [Social suffering among asbestos workers and concealing the occurrence of asbestos-related diseases in the city of Minaçu (GO)].
Asbestos Exposures in Quebec
Feb 3, 2020
Despite multiple complaints regarding unsafe conditions during renovations in 2018 at the Château Montebello – a historic hotel and resort complex in Montebello, Quebec – timely action was not taken by the authorities to remedy the situation. Instances of asbestos removal carried out by workers wearing t-shirts, were reported by plumbers to their union representative. As a result, contractors and workers as well as hotel residents and staff may have been exposed to asbestos, according to an expose on a Canadian French-language television news program. It took 10 days before complaints made by workers to The Standards, Equity, Health and Safety Commission were addressed. See: Amiante: travailleurs à risque au Château Montebello [Asbestos: workers at risk at Château Montebello].
Asbestos and Lung Cancer: Update
Feb 3, 2020
A paper recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reviewed scientific literature about asbestos and lung cancer and re-evaluated peer-reviewed epidemiologic studies. According to the authors, their research yielded new knowledge which provided: “evidence for synergism between asbestos exposure and tobacco smoke in lung cancer causation at a biological level. The evaluated statistical data conform best to a multiplicative model for the interaction effects of asbestos and smoking on the lung cancer risk, with no requirement for asbestosis. Any asbestos exposure, even in a heavy smoker, contributes to causation.” See: Asbestos, Smoking and Lung Cancer: An Update.
Uralita: Another Betrayal
Jan 31, 2020
Coemac, the company which took over Uralita – formerly Spain’s biggest asbestos conglomerate – has requested voluntary bankruptcy claiming that the corporation is likely to be overwhelmed by its asbestos liabilities. Although, Coemac has been keen to point out that the bankruptcy request affects only the parent company and not the subsidiary it is trying to sell, it has not spelled out what the process will mean to the thousands of asbestos victims in Spain who were injured by exposure to Uralita products. See: Coemac, la antigua Uralita, solicita el concurso de acreedores [Coemac, the former Uralita, requests bankruptcy].
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 31, 2020
A demonstration on Wednesday, January 29, 2020 by parents and students over the continuing hazard posed by asbestos at the Pousa school in Barcelos – a city in the north of Portugal – resulted in a temporary closure of the school. The asbestos saga at this school which has 120 students has been ongoing for 15 years. There are additional problems including leaky roofs, unsanitary conditions and dilapidated structures which have failed to be addressed by the authorities despite multiple promises of action. See: Pais e alunos fecham escola em Barcelos contra o amianto [Parents and students close school in Barcelos due to asbestos].
Mesothelioma Treatment: Update
Jan 31, 2020
The National Mesothelioma Audit organisational audit report 2019, which was released on January 21, 2020 by Mesothelioma UK and the Royal College of Physicians “is the first organisational report produced by the National Mesothelioma Audit (NMA).” The report, which examined the current situation in the UK regarding mesothelioma multidisciplinary team (MDT) services, concluded that patients referred to a specialist mesothelioma MDT “were significantly more likely to benefit from access to a mesothelioma-specific clinical nurse specialist and on-site access to mesothelioma clinical trials.” See: National Mesothelioma Audit organisational audit report 2019.
Toxic Talc
Jan 28, 2020
On January 27, the CEO of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Alex Gorsky told a New Jersey jury he had not read all the corporate documents regarding potential asbestos contamination of J&J baby powder. Gorsky was subpoenaed by lawyers representing three men and one woman with mesothelioma who claim that the cause of their illnesses was exposure to asbestos in J&J baby powder. A jury found for the plaintiffs in a liability trial and awarding them $37.2 million. This trial before a new jury is seeking punitive damages to punish J&J’s reckless behaviour. See: Johnson & Johnson CEO testifies he ‘did not read all the documents’ related to potential asbestos in baby powder.
Victim’s Verdict Upheld
Jan 29, 2020
The Superior Court of Justice of Navarra upheld the ruling of the lower court – Pamplona’s Social Court No. 3 – which awarded compensation of €347,587.36 to the widow and two children of a 57-year old worker who died in 2017 from lung cancer which had been caused by occupational exposure to asbestos whilst he was employed by the AGNI company of Estella between 1972 and 1979. The BSH company in Estella, which acquired AGNI, was ordered to compensate the family. See: La Justicia estima indemnización de 350.000 euros para la familia de un trabajador fallecido por exposición al amianto [The Justice estimates compensation of 350,000 euros for the family of a deceased worker for exposure to asbestos].
Saint Gobain’s Asbestos Legacy
Jan 27, 2020
On January 23, a US affiliate of the French construction group Saint Gobain – formerly an international asbestos conglomerate – filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in an effort to constrain its asbestos liabilities; it was estimated that the North Carolina company of DBMP LLC was facing 60,000 asbestos claims related to products made or sold by CertainTeed Corp., which last manufactured asbestos containing products in 1992. According to reports: “For Saint-Gobain, the stay of litigation (which results once Chapter 11 is filed) means that all legal costs and indemnity payments related to DBMP’s asbestos claims will be suspended.” See: Saint-Gobain: U.S. affiliate files for Chapter 11 to resolve asbestos liabilities.
Asbestos Cancer Mortality
Jan 27, 2020
Researchers in Italy analyzed data on the incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) between 1970 and 2014 (28,907 deaths were observed) and estimated the future MPM burden to “help to rationally program interventions devoted to the care of MPM patients, remediation of asbestos-contaminated sites, and compensation for occupational MPMs.” During this period, the number of deaths increased constantly but the researchers expect mortality to peak at ~7000 per annum: “The MPM epidemic in Italy is far from being concluded despite the national ban implemented in 1992, and the peak is expected in 2020–2024, in both sexes.” See: Predictions of Mortality from Pleural Mesothelioma in Italy After the Ban of Asbestos Use.
US Mesothelioma Treatment
Jan 24, 2020
There are more cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) diagnosed in the US every year than in any other country. The authors of this paper examined the experience of seven patients and revealed areas where the medical treatment and support they had received had failed to address their physical and psychological needs. Concerns reported by multiple interviewees included: uncertainty about the future, the high symptom burden and the ability to adapt to their changing situation. The authors concluded that: “Timely, coordinated, and personalized care as well as skilled communication should be the cornerstone of care for persons with MPM.” See: The Lived Experience of Persons With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in the United States.
Asbestos Industrial Legacy
Jan 24, 2020
On January 18, there was a manifestation of community solidarity when students, teachers, parents and citizens joined representatives of asbestos victims’ groups, trade unions and other associations, to unveil a mural aimed at raising awareness of the legacy of asbestos exposures at the Bologna railway repair shops operated by the Officine Grandi Riparazioni Bologna (OGR). The artwork – which consisted of four colorful panels – was created by students from the De Andrè school and was sited in via Casarini, opposite the former OGR plant. To date, 300 deaths from asbestos-related diseases have been recorded amongst workers from the OGR plant. See: GLI Studenti e l’Amianto in OGR [Students and Asbestos in OGR].
Asbestos Film Online
Jan 24, 2020
A 42-minute segment of the 70-minute 2018 documentary entitled “Breathless,” which was made by Belgian film-makers, is now available to watch on a youtube site hosted by DW, the German state-owned public international broadcaster. The film shows the devastating consequences for individuals and communities who worked for or were the located near Eternit asbestos factories. The film, which premiered at the International Film Festival in Brussels on the June 24, has also been shown in London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kymore and other locations. See: Breathless.
Environmental Asbestos Exposure
Jan 24, 2020
Research by scientists investigating the risks posed by environmental asbestos contamination at sites in the Italian town of Bari substantiated the public health hazard posed by the deterioration of asbestos in situ and the uncontrolled removal of asbestos, both of which were found to raise the concentration of asbestos fibers in urban air. The authors concluded that asbestos roofing at a derelict asbestos-cement factory and on military barracks in Bari had contributed to an increased risk of malignant mesothelioma for the resident population. See: Health impact of exposure to asbestos in polluted area of Southern Italy.
Victim’s Verdict in Spain
Jan 24, 2020
A Court in Bilboa has ordered two Spanish companies to pay compensation of ~€325,000 (US$ 360,000) to a subcontractor who was exposed to asbestos whilst in their employ and subsequently contracted the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The claimant had been a pipefitter who had worked with asbestos insulation products on the construction of the Lemoniz nuclear power plant (1979-81) and at sites owned by Petronor, a Spanish oil and gas company based in the Basque Country. He did not receive protective clothing nor was he warned about the health hazards posed by occupational exposures to asbestos. See: Nueva condena por enfermedad tras uso de amianto [New conviction for illness after use of asbestos].
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 24, 2020
On January 22, 2020, the President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Jerry Jordan announced that the union was suing the school district over mismanagement of the asbestos, lead and other problems at the city’s schools. The lawsuit asked a judge to allow the union to hire environmental experts to assess the situation alongside district officials and to ensure that periodic testing was undertaken to monitor environmental safety. So far this year, six schools have been closed in Philadelphia due to the discovery of asbestos. Commenting on the failure of the authorities to adequately address the situation, a union lawyer said that: “The school district of Philadelphia is violating the law.” See: ‘We are not crying wolf’: Philly teachers union to sue district over asbestos, other hazards.
Asbestos Trial Begins
Jan 24, 2020
The preliminary hearing for Eternit Bis [the name used to refer to litigation against Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny in the long-running legal battle to get justice for Italian asbestos victims] has begun in the Northern Italian city of Vercelli. Schmidheiny is charged with the voluntary murder of 392 people from the town of Casale Monferrato. During early sessions of the proceedings, Schmidheiny’s defense reasserted their argument that the trial was illegitimate on the “ne bis in idem principle” which restricts the possibility of a defendant being prosecuted repeatedly for the same crime. See: Eternit bis: la difesa chiede l’assoluzione [Eternit bis: the defense asks for absolution].
Asbestos: Post-Disaster Hazard
Jan 22, 2020
The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency of Australia has uploaded a series of information sheets from various States, government agencies and departments aimed at informing people in communities affected by the bushfire crisis how to deal with asbestos in building debris and damaged premises. The problem is both serious and widespread given the deadly consequences to human health of asbestos exposures and the widespread use of asbestos building products throughout Australia. Although asbestos use was banned in 2003, huge numbers of homes, public buildings and business premises still contain asbestos materials. See: Asbestos safety after bushfires.
Asbestos: Post-Conflagration Hazard
Jan 22, 2020
A newspaper report on testimony given on January 21, 2020 to the French Senate’s hearings about the 2019 fire at the Lubrizol chemical factory – owned by American billionaire Warren Buffett – featured evidence by scientist André Picot supporting public fears that the fire in Rouen had contaminated local neighborhoods, thereby putting at risk the health of local people as well as firefighters. Picot said: “A rain of asbestos dust fell.” Picot’s views contradicted those of the local authorities who had said that there were no asbestos fibers in the air. See: Incendie de Lubrizol: « Il est retombé une pluie de poussière d’amiante » [Lubrizol fire: “A rain of asbestos dust fell”].
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 22, 2020
On Tuesday, January 21, 2020, parents, students and teachers of the Mário de Sá Carneiro School in the Portuguese city of Loures held a public demonstration to highlight the failure of the educational and local authorities to remediate the dangerous and degrading asbestos-containing material which remained in the school. “It is necessary,” said André Julião, of the Schools Without Asbestos Movement, “once and for all, to create a strategic plan for the removal of asbestos from schools and [also necessary to] start investing seriously in updating the premises….” See: Protesto contra amianto em escola de Camarate [Asbestos protest at Camarate school].
Eternit Embraces Asbestos-Free Future
Jan 22, 2020
Eternit S.A., formerly Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate, is positioning itself as a frontrunner in the campaign for a clean and sustainable environment with its announcement of new photovoltaic roofing tile material – which is asbestos-free. According to the company, this product range is an example of a new corporate orientation to use cutting edge technology to find 21st century solutions to meet the needs of Brazilian citizens. See: Eternit Solar | Programa Cidades e Soluções da GloboNews [Eternit Solar | Globo News Cities and Solutions Program].
Occupational Asbestos Exposure Risks
Jan 20, 2020
Data on asbestos-related diseases is extremely limited in Indonesia, a country where asbestos-containing products remain a popular choice for consumers. A collaborative study by Indonesian and international researchers investigated the risk of contracting lung cancer from occupational exposure to asbestos and found a “significant association between the duration of asbestos exposure... and the risk of lung cancer.” The co-authors of this paper also found a “positive additive and multiplicative interaction between smoking and asbestos [exposure]...[and] that the chance of getting lung cancer more than doubled among exposed subjects compared with unexposed subjects.” See: Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study in Indonesia.
Our Hometown: Asbest
Jan 20, 2020
A Russian website has translated and uploaded a Danish article analysing the attraction of living in the Russian town of Asbest (Asbestos). Despite the fact that asbestos is a carcinogen responsible for thousands of deaths every year, local people still have strong ties to the city and a desire to follow family members into the asbestos industry. The reporter quoted spokesmen who said the city was a “victim of the hysterical anti-asbestos lobby… In Asbest, it is widely believed that the asbestos ban is part of an international conspiracy invented in Europe to give an advantage to the production of other materials competing with asbestos.” See: Jyllands-Posten (Дания): здесь люди живут благодаря асбесту [Jyllands-Posten (Denmark): people live here thanks to asbestos].
Toxic Talc
Jan 20, 2020
Advice from an expert panel convened by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have, according to one legal expert: “shot several of J&J’s (Johnson & Johnson’s) defenses out of the water.” The panel endorsed asbestos testing standards for cosmetics that recommended that small mineral particles found in talc should be counted as potentially harmful, even if they were not asbestos, on the grounds that both were suspected of causing similar pathological reactions. The new recommendations will be discussed in February at the first FDA hearing on analytical methods for testing asbestos in cosmetics and talc since 1971. See: Government experts urge new talc testing standards amid asbestos worries.
Asbestos Compensation Scheme
Jan 20, 2020
With 40,000 asbestos deaths in Spain to date, people living with these diseases have routinely been denied compensation via a hostile legal climate. Calls by a number of groups representing the victims have highlighted the vacuum which exists and demanded that a national compensation scheme be established to expedite compensation for the injured, many of whom were routinely exposed to asbestos at work by companies such as Uralita, formerly Spain’s largest asbestos-cement manufacturer. It has been estimated that 1,900 people die from asbestos-related diseases in Spain every year. See: Las víctimas del amianto luchan contra la burocracia que frena sus compensaciones [Asbestos victims fight the bureaucracy that stops their compensation].
Russian Cancer Epidemic
Jan 17, 2020
An article uploaded to the website of the Moscow Post on January 14, 2020, highlighted the deplorable living and working conditions for the population of the Russian asbestos mining town “Asbestos,” saying: “there are no healthy children in the city… [and], there are a lot of cancer patients.” In 2012, the cancer incidence in the city at 493 cases per 100,000 people was the highest in the Sverdlovsk Region; in 2015, this figure had risen to 572 and there was a mortality rate of 292 cases per 100,000 – the average regional rate was 218. See: “Дорожная карта” Шмотьева в “обход” закона? [“Shmotiev's Roadmap” to “circumvent” the law?].
Asbestos in Children’s Products
Jan 17, 2020
A laboratory analysis of eye shadow contained in a children’s make-up kit sold under the brand name Princess Girl’s All-in-One Deluxe Makeup Palette found more than 4 million asbestos fiber structures per gram. The tests were commissioned by the Washington D.C. based non-profit organization: Environmental Working Group (EWG). Commenting on these findings, an EWG spokesperson called on all US retailers including online outlets to recall these products and said: “Taking steps to safeguard children from exposure to one of the deadliest carcinogens in the world should always come before profits.” See: Alert: Tests Find High Levels of Asbestos in Children’s Makeup Kits.
Asbestos Workplace Hazard
Jan 17, 2020
Tests conducted on 148 workers, former and retired workers from a factory in Bogotá, Colombia which used chrysotile asbestos in the manufacture of friction products, revealed that 19 had changes in their X-rays consistent with exposure to asbestos; in most of those examined, pulmonary function had not altered. Most of the workers who developed disease did so within 20 years of their first exposure. The researchers concluded that asbestos disease was “clearly present among Colombian factory workers…” See: Radiographic Changes in Colombian Asbestos Factory Workers.
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 17, 2020
A citizens’ lobbying group – Movimento Escolas Sem Amianto (MESA) [Schools Without Asbestos] – set up in Portugal at the end of 2019 has identified 102 schools contaminated with asbestos. The group is calling for action to protect the health of both students and staff as part of a phased program which (1) prioritizes work on friable or degrading asbestos-containing products and (2) is accomplished through the use of state-of-the-art equipment and according to the highest safety protocols. Complaints made by MESA to the General Directorate of School Establishments have, to date, received no response. See: 102 schools with asbestos structures documented.
Bushfire Crisis & Asbestos
Jan 16, 2020
This week Australia’s Master Builders Association (MBA) raised concerns about the threat posed by asbestos liberated by bushfires in New South Wales and Victoria with Prime Minister Scott Morrison during round-table discussions. MBA’s main preoccupation was ensuring that people were provided with appropriate safety information in order to minimize hazardous exposures during clean-up operations. MBA chief executive Denita Wawn said: “Our concern is making sure that if people are doing their own clearing, they are taking appropriate asbestos safety precautions [and]… that people in those locations are made aware of those risks when they start to do their site clearance.” See: Bushfires: communities face asbestos threat as clean-up begins.
Nakuru City to Remove Asbestos Roofs
Jan 16, 2020
Local authorities in Nakuru – a major city in Kenya, northwest of Nairobi – have begun a remediation program to remove asbestos roofing due to concerns over the hazard it posed to public health. At a recent press conference, County Public Health Officer Samuel King’ori reaffirmed the risk of asbestos exposures and announced that work would be undertaken first on public buildings such as hospitals and afterwards on residential buildings. King’ori confirmed that material removed would be treated as hazardous and be dealt with according to guidelines set by the National Environmental Management Authority. See: Nakuru County Set To Get Rid Of Asbestos Roofs.
Asbestos Charity Faces Funding Crisis
Jan 13, 2020
Glasgow City Council has turned down an application from the renowned charity Action on Asbestos – formerly called Clydeside Action on Asbestos – due to an administrative error. Once this mistake was spotted, the charity sent the appropriate document to the Council and resubmitted the application but by then the decision had been made. The £50,000 grant which had been awarded in previous years had been the only source of public funding for this organization which had supported asbestos victims not only in Glasgow but throughout Scotland for over thirty years. See: Glasgow asbestos charity fears for future after council refuses to consider its funding application.
Behind Closed Doors
Jan 10, 2020
The Supreme Court of Brazil (STF) has announced that it will issue a decision regarding the constitutionality of a law adopted by the State of Goiás which, contrary to a STF 2017 ruling banning asbestos, allowed asbestos to be mined, processed, sold and exported from the SAMA chrysotile asbestos mine in Goiás. Despite the life and death issues involved, the STF’s Minister Alexandre de Moraes has scheduled proceedings to be virtual with no oral submissions. The decision of the court will not be announced in public but will be available only once the decision is published. See: vai julgar virtualmente lei goiana para proteger indústria [STF will judge Goiás law virtually to protect asbestos industry].
Asbestos Outreach Workshop
Jan 10, 2020
On January 8, 2020 a workshop entitled “The Environment and Health: Toxicity of Chrysotile (Asbestos) in Fibro Cement Roofing” was held at the Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Community Development in Hanoi. The objective of this event was to provide updated and independent information regarding the hazard posed by the use of asbestos – a substance not yet banned in Vietnam – to inform the national asbestos dialogue and help progress ongoing efforts to implement a national asbestos ban. Although Vietnam has developed a roadmap to cease asbestos use by 2023, lobbyists are trying to derail efforts to protect the population from avoidable toxic exposures. See: Bàn giải pháp ngừng sử dụng Amiăng trắng ở Việt Nam [Table of solutions to stop using chrysotile in Vietnam].
Asbestos Odyssey in India
Jan 10, 2020
An online article describes the decades-long campaign by activist Raghunath Manwar to support workers in India, in particular those injured by occupational exposures to asbestos. Through his work establishing the NGO Occupational Health and Safety Association, the septuagenarian raised awareness regarding exposure to workplace toxins and assisted those affected to claim compensation and access medical care. In this quest for justice, Manwar confronted government bodies, powerful corporations and vested interests pursuing restitution via the courts as well as media outlets. See: Asbestos Poisoning: Raghunath Manwar’s Fight for Safer Work Conditions.
Searching for an Asbestos-free future
Jan 10, 2020
On January 9, 2020, a public meeting organized by a municipal council took place to consider proposals to change the name of an infamous mining town which has, for decades, been known by the name of the substance it produced: “Asbestos.” According to an article published this week, even Bernard Coulombe – who had worked at the Jeffrey Asbestos Mine for 40+ years and was extremely vocal in the pro-asbestos lobby – has accepted the need to change the town’s name to build a more positive future for residents. See: Asbestos: assemblée publique jeudi soir sur le changement de nom de la ville [Asbestos: public meeting Thursday evening on the name change of the city].
Corporate Betrayal of Workers
Jan 10, 2020
The text referenced below is a commentary on recent revelations regarding the corruption of medical ethics by people employed by or with links to the Brazilian asbestos mining company SAMA, a subsidiary of the Eternit Group. The author highlights how SAMA doctors discredited reports from independent doctors who had diagnosed SAMA workers with asbestos-related diseases. Controversial practices of SAMA medical board members – physicians Mario Terra Filho, Luiz Eduardo Nery and Ericson Bagatin – were also discussed including the board’s nearly universal failure to accept asbestos exposure as the cause of any occupational illness. See: O que a indústria do amianto tenta esconder [What the asbestos industry tries to hide].
Calls for National Compensation Scheme
Jan 10, 2020
On January 6, 2020, members of asbestos victims’ associations from Bilbao, Valencia and Catalonia held a public rally in Bilbao calling for the establishment of a Spanish asbestos compensation scheme. Current procedures, which involved protracted legal battles for dying victims, were shameful said spokesperson José Luis Gómez Gomez, Vice President of the Association of Asbestos Victims of Catalonia. The campaigners cited the national compensation funds in France, Belgium and the Netherlands as examples which Spain could follow. See: Las víctimas del amianto reclaman una ley contra el ‘genocidio laboral’ [Asbestos victims call for a law against ‘labor genocide’].
Company Doctors Accused
Jan 7, 2019
An exposé of medical doctors and researchers linked to the Brazilian asbestos mining company SAMA, a subsidiary of the Eternit Group, detailed a litany of wrongdoings including: incorrect diagnoses, malpractice and biased research. According to the article, the accused’s objectives were to bolster the official position of SAMA which denied that occupational or environmental exposure to asbestos could cause disease. Illnesses contracted by SAMA workers were routinely found to be caused by smoking or drinking and not be exposure to asbestos; the results of medical tests provided by SAMA were retained by the company. See: Doutores da Morte [Doctors of Death].
Asbestos in Public Buildings
Jan 7, 2020
The commitment of the Portuguese government to remediate asbestos from 134 priority 1 public buildings was disputed by Congressman Nelson Peralta in his questioning of Minister Mário Centeno, Portugal’s Minister of Finance, whose ministry is now responsible for ensuring that schools, hospitals and other public buildings were decontaminated. This brief had previously been the responsibility of the Ministry of the Environment and Peralta questioned the reasons for the change: “There is concern that the priority and urgency of the resolution will be budgetary criteria and not public health criteria,” the Congressman asserted. See: BE questiona Ministro das Finanças sobre remoção de amianto em edifícios públicos [BE questions Finance Minister about asbestos removal in public buildings].
National Asbestos Compensation Fund
Jan 7, 2020
Data substantiating an asbestos epidemic in Spain have led to calls for the Spanish Government to progress legislation – approved in 2017 – to create a national fund to compensate victims of asbestos-related diseases. A study by the Basque Institute of Occupational Health and Safety predicted that there would be a thousand individuals annually contracting illnesses, including debilitating as well as fatal diseases, as a result of asbestos exposures in the coming years. Currently, access to compensation for these diseases can only be obtained as a result of protracted litigation. See: El amianto se cobra la vida de 30 trabajadores en 2019 [Asbestos takes the lives of 30 workers in 2019].
New Year, Old Lies
Jan 6, 2020
One of the top features on a Russian website on January 5, rehashed propaganda supporting the continued use of chrysotile (white) asbestos, asserting that despite being banned in 63 countries, asbestos could be safely used under controlled conditions. Asbestos was, the author asserted, Donald Trump's “favorite stone” and “the current US President… actively advocates for its defense.” Citing multiple examples of historical asbestos use, the author noted that “mass hysteria” in America over asbestos had been a gold mine for lawyers and asbestos removal firms even though “Russian scientists unanimously reiterate that, subject to safety measures, asbestos is an extremely useful mineral.” See: ЛЮБИМЫЙ КАМЕНЬ ДОНАЛЬДА ТРАМПА [Donald Trump's favorite stone].
Asbestos Outlawed in Schools
Jan 6, 2020
According to the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights no building in which children study including madrasas, religious schools, private and state schools should have asbestos roofs. Should they have this type of roofing, local self-government departments had been told not to refuse to issue licences or building numbers and to take action against them under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act and the Kerala Municipalities Act. The Commission’s recommendations were made in response to a case regarding an asbestos roof at a madrasa. The school authorities had been given 45 days to complete the removal and replacement of the toxic roofing. See: No asbestos roof for places where children study: panel.
Toxic Talc
Jan 6, 2020
On January 2, 2020, a lawsuit was announced by Hector Balderas, the attorney general of New Mexico, against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) which alleged that J&J targeted minority women and children despite being aware of the risks posed by asbestos contamination of its baby powder and other talc-based products. According to Balderas, J&J: “concealed and failed to warn consumers about the dangers associated with their talc products.” In a J&J statement, the company said it was reviewing the lawsuit and would “continue to defend the safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder, which is supported by decades of scientific evidence showing our talc is safe and free of asbestos.” See: Johnson & Johnson Sued Over Baby Powder by New Mexico.
Asbestos at the Olympics
Jan 6, 2020
News that asbestos contamination had been found at the Tatsumi Water Polo Center – a venue which will be used for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – was widely reported throughout the last week of 2019. Although the asbestos problem had been identified in 2017, the building’s owners, the Tokyo Metropolitan government, had failed to take remedial action, claiming that “there was a low degree of danger.” On December 25, however, it was announced that the situation would be addressed in order to prevent environmental contamination that might endanger spectators. See: Tokyo officials finally tackle asbestos hazard at Olympic venue.
Asbestos Alert!
Jan 6, 2020
An article on a website in Kazakhstan – the world’s second largest exporter of chrysotile (white) asbestos – which was uploaded on December 30, 2019 highlighted the human health risks posed by exposure to asbestos-containing products such as roofing material popular throughout the country; a picture of asbestos roofing illustrated the feature. The article quoted a leading Russian oncologist who had recently spoken out about the proven link between lung cancer and asbestos exposure. See: Вещь, которая есть в каждом доме и вызывает рак [The thing that is in every home and causes cancer].
Asbestos Hazard
Jan 6, 2020
According to Turkey’s Chamber of Geological Engineers, exposure to asbestos poses a serious risk to public health despite the introduction of the 2010 asbestos ban. The hazard comes not only from asbestos products within the infrastructure but also from the new use of contaminated material in the construction, textile, aviation and automotive sectors. The uncontrolled demolition of asbestos-containing buildings has exacerbated the problem with one expert warning: “Many residential areas are built on asbestos soil, tens of thousands of people are still in contact with asbestos and we will see more cancer cases in years to come for as long as this continues.” See: Asbestos continues to threaten public health in Turkey.
Asian Development Bank
Dec 19, 2019
One of the most important financial providers in the Pacific region – the Asian Development Bank (ADB) – has been criticized by trade union campaigners for endangering public and occupational health by its failure to ban the use of asbestos-containing products for the projects it finances. The ADB’s Prohibited Investment Activities Policy allows ADB project contractors to use materials that contain asbestos – such as asbestos sheeting – even though the policy has a clause stating: “the production, trade and use of raw asbestos is prohibited.” See: Asian Development Bank called out for asbestos use in Pacific projects.
Asbestos in Schools
Dec 19, 2019
On December 19, the European Commission will receive a complaint from the Federação Nacional dos Professores (the Teachers Federation of Portugal) which is supported by groups including environmental associations and the Asbestos-Free Schools Movement regarding the “inaction,” “the lack of rigor and interest of the Portuguese State in this public health problem” and “errors in the transposition of the Community norms (2009 directive) in relation to the hazard posed by asbestos contamination of Portuguese schools and other public building. See: Amianto nas escolas: Comissão Europeia recebe queixa da Fenprof esta quinta-feira [Asbestos in schools: European Commission receives complaint from Fenprof this Thursday].
Asbestos Update: São Paulo
Dec 19, 2019
The Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), which collaborated with healthcare and medical partners on a remarkable initiative in Minas Gerais (see: Landmark Asbestos Initiative in Brazil) in September 2019, this week visited the Barretos Cancer Hospital in São Paulo State to learn about diagnostic protocols and treatment options for asbestos cancer patients and to talk to staff about the results of medical tests performed on former asbestos workers from the Precon company in Minas Gerais. See: Abrea visita Hospital do Câncer de Barretos [ABREA visits the Barretos Cancer Hospital].
Asbestos Cancer in Argentina
Dec 19, 2019
Researchers undertook a study of 40 individuals in Argentina who had been diagnosed with the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma in 2013 and 2014 to identify the sources and types of asbestos exposures they had experienced. Their findings included the following: the average age of the patients was 66 years; 55% of the cohort was male; toxic exposures were: 57.5% environmental, 60% domestic and 37% occupational; 7.5% of the cohort denied all asbestos exposure; more than half the male patients had experienced workplace exposures. See: Exposición al asbesto en casos de mesotelioma pleural en la República Argentina [Asbestos exposure in cases of pleural mesothelioma in the Argentine Republic].
J’Accuse!
Dec 17, 2019
In a December 13 ruling, the Marseille administrative Court of Appeal recognized the negligence of the State for failing to mandate adequate controls, as a result of which a shipyard employee had developed anxiety over workplace asbestos exposure. The plaintiff, who received damages of €4,000, had worked at the Ciotat shipyard from 1964 to 1987. In the verdict, the court noted: “The employees of the Normed company remained exposed for the period 1969-1980 to asbestos dust without benefiting from suitable protections or receiving information concerning the dangers of this material.” See: Amiante: l'Etat reconnu coupable pour absence de contrôle d'un chantier naval [Asbestos: the French State found guilty for lack of control of a shipyard].
University’s Asbestos Legacy
Dec 17, 2019
The failure of the University of Montreal (UoM) to protect employees from occupational exposures to asbestos has been blamed by Joël Corbin-Charland, the son of a deceased UoM programmer, for the death of his parent from mesothelioma, aged 73. According to him, the University has delivered a skewed version of the facts in its public statements, claiming it had taken the issue of asbestos “very seriously for several years.” In fact, the UoM’s policy on asbestos was adopted in 1998. Two other former UoM employees have also developed mesothelioma. See: Possible exposition à l'amiante: d’ex-employés de l'UdeM s'inquiètent pour leur santé [Possible exposure to asbestos: former UdeM employees worry about their health].
Bahia Asbestos Training Initiative
Dec 17, 2019
The latest initiative by experts from Southwest Bahia State University (UESB) to address the hazards posed by the asbestos legacy in the Brazilian cities of Bom Jesus da Serra and Poções was a collaborative effort with AVICAFE (the Association of Asbestos-Contaminated Victims and Exposed Families) and partnering organizations. The program included training in São Paulo for Bahia doctors in spirometry, pulmonary function and other clinical tests for individuals at high risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases. Spirometry equipment was donated to the UESB to facilitate testing of asbestos-exposed people in Bahia. See: A UESB inicia pesquisa em Bom Jesus da Serra [UESB begins research in Bom Jesus da Serra.].
Eradicating the Asbestos Hazard
Dec 17, 2019
The Government of Portugal has made provision in its draft budget for 2020 for measures to progress the eradication of asbestos from the national infrastructure, by providing up to 100% of the costs for asbestos removal work in the 134 public buildings classified as Priority 1; many schools are included in this category. Remediation of Priority 2 buildings could be 80% funded while decontamination work of Priority 3 structures could qualify for up to 70% of financing. See: Remoção de amianto pode ser financiada até 100 por cento [Asbestos Removal Can Be Funded Up To 100 Percent].
Asbestos in Metro: Workers Rally
Dec 17, 2019
On December 16, the committee representing workers from the Madrid Metro company convened a public rally in Plaza de Castilla – in front of the Madrid Court – to demand solutions to the “serious problem” of asbestos in the Madrid subway system. As of now, four cases of asbestos-related diseases have been registered by workers from this company which were allegedly caused by workplace exposures to asbestos; two of the claimants have died. See: Comité de Metro Madrid convoca concentración para pedir solución al Amianto [Metro Madrid Committee summons concentration to request asbestos solution].
Asbestos Documentary: Top Prize
Dec 16, 2019
Last weekend, a documentary entitled: “Chrysotile causes cancer in humans” by VTV 1 – the first channel launched by Vietnam Television in 1970 – won the top award at the government backed 39th National Film and TV Awards for best TV/Film documentary. The film featured interviews with ban asbestos campaigners including leaders of the Vietnam Ban Asbestos Network as well as as with asbestos industry representatives. Following the broadcast, film-maker Mr Pham Xuan Hung had been attacked by the industry lobby which is pressurizing the government to forestall planned action on the asbestos hazard. See: Phim tài liệu khoa học: Amiang trắng và sự lựa chọn [Scientific documentary: White asbestos and the choice].
Building Medical Capacity
Dec 16, 2019
International partners working with local institutions in Fiji held a medical workshop on asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) on December 2 & 3, 2019 at Fiji National University. The training sessions were delivered by the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) in association with the World Health Organization (WHO), Country Office of Fiji. The objective of this event was to improve the diagnosis and management of ARDs and to promote the implementation of a Fiji roadmap for the elimination of asbestos and ARD. See: Training Workshop on the Diagnosis of Asbestos-related Diseases (ARD’s) – Suva, Fiji 2-3 December 2019 and In-depth training session on pathological diagnosis of Mesothelioma.
MoD Asbestos Scandal
Dec 16, 2019
The British trade union “Unite” issued a strong condemnation of negligence by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) which resulted in thousands of civilian staff and members of the military being exposed to asbestos contained in parts used in Sea King helicopters and elsewhere throughout the MoD. In correspondence to Unite, the defence minister Annabel Goldie wrote: “Regrettably, this work exposed failings beyond Sea King, and it is now clear that ACM (asbestos-containing materials) have not been properly identified and tracked across a range of equipment platforms.” See: MoD faces criticism as it admits widespread asbestos failings.
Toxic Legacy: Asbestos Roadways
Dec 16, 2019
On December 20, a Quebec public hearing on asbestos was told that the Quebec Department of Transport had, between 1988 and 2011, laid more than 1.3 million tonnes of roadway containing asbestos. Because of mandatory environmental and health measures for dealing with this product, the removal of the affected bitumen would cost up to 60 times more than conventional bitumen. More than 1,000 km of national roads and highways still contain asbestos, especially in Chaudière-Appalaches and in the Eastern Townships. See: BAPE: le coût faramineux des routes d'amiante [BAPE: the staggering cost of asbestos roads].
Chrysotile Asbestos: Killer Fiber
Dec 16, 2019
A feature article commenting on a report by Reuters into the toxic talc scandal over asbestos found in Johnson & Johnson baby powder included statements from Vietnamese experts indicting all asbestos, including chrysotile (white) asbestos, as carcinogenic. The experts interviewed were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Hong Con from Hanoi University of Natural Sciences and Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Duc, former Director of K Hospital, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Cancer Society, who highlighted the hazard posed by the continuing use of asbestos-containing roofing sheets in Vietnam. See: Amiăng thuộc nhóm một các chất gây ung thư cho người [Asbestos belongs to a group of carcinogens for humans].
Addressing Brazil’s Mining Legacy
Dec 12, 2019
A fact-finding mission to Bom Jesus da Serra in the Brazilian State of Bahia was undertaken by personnel from the UESB medical school as part of an initiative to address the consequences of living in a former asbestos mining area. According to co-organizer UESB Professor Thaís Brito, the effectiveness of the program is reliant on efforts with partnering institutions including: the Heart Institute, the University of São Paulo School of Medicine Hospital das Clínicas and groups such as: the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed (ABREA) and the Association of Asbestos-Contaminated Victims and Exposed Families. See: Uesb traça estratégias de enfrentamento à exposição ao Amianto [UESB outlines strategies for coping with asbestos exposure].
Asbestos in the Subway
Dec 12, 2019
Spain’s National Institute of Social Security (INSS) has for the first time recognized a case of occupational disease due to exposure to asbestos of a retired worker now suffering from lung cancer who had been employed for 32 years by the Barcelona Metro company. The claimant had worked in the subway tunnels without any protection whilst he drilled asbestos-containing sheeting; this is one of 8 pending INSS cases for occupational asbestos exposures against this company. It was only in 2018, that the Barcelona Metro admitted that asbestos had been present in the subway system. See: Primer caso reconocido de enfermedad por el amianto en el metro de Barcelona [First recognized case of asbestos disease in the Barcelona metro].
Brazil’s Illegal Asbestos Shipments
Dec 11, 2019
Despite a national ban on asbestos, trucks carrying asbestos fiber have been leaving a Brazilian mine in Minaçu, North Goiás since December 6, 2019 destined for the port of Belém do Pará, 1645 kilometers away. According Fernanda Giannasi, co-founder of the Brazilian Association of Asbestos Exposed, the mining and transport companies are flouting Brazilian law. “The resumption of the asbestos trade,” she said, “is an affront to the country's Supreme Court and a threat to the health and life of the Brazilian population.” See: Fernanda Giannasi: Mineradora Sama e transportadoras insistem em afrontar o STF que baniu o amianto no Brasil [Fernanda Giannasi: Mining company and transporters insist on flouting STF asbestos ban].
Mesothelioma Hotspots
Dec 11, 2019
Researchers have confirmed the deadly health consequences for people in Lombardy Province of exposure to asbestos liberated during the manufacturing operations of an Italian factory producing asbestos-cement building materials. The plant in question was located in Pavia and was owned by the Fibronit company; it was operational between 1932 and 1993. Research has established that the incidence of malignant mesothelioma was elevated in Broni and Stradella in former workers, their families, and members of the public. See: Impact of an asbestos cement factory on mesothelioma incidence in a community in Italy.
Asbestos Hot Potato
Dec 11, 2019
A response was received on November 20, 2019 from Deputy Admiral Chief of Staff Eduardo Machado Vazquez to a letter sent on September 26, 2019 by an international consortium of NGOs which raised concerns regarding the proposed public auction of the aircraft carrier São Paulo. Nothing written in the two-page response from Vazquez precluded the sale of the São Paulo to a ship-breaking company which would scrap the vessel at a South Asian beaching yard where health and safety regulations were non-existent and exposures to toxic chemicals, including asbestos, routine. See: Letter from Deputy Admiral Chief of Staff Eduardo Machado Vazquez (in Portuguese).
Criminal Case Launched
Dec 11, 2019
On November 15, 2019, the first criminal complaint in the Netherlands against the asbestos company Eternit was begun. The action, which was brought by the Asbestos Victims Committee (CAS) and six surviving relatives of asbestos victims, alleged that the company had been guilty of manslaughter as it had been aware since 1960 of the health risks posed by asbestos exposures and yet had done nothing to protect employees from the hazards. Despite this knowledge, the company continued to produce asbestos products and lobbied to prevent an asbestos ban being implemented in the Netherlands. See: Comité Asbestslachtoffers doet aangifte tegen Eternit [Asbestos Victims Committee reports Eternit].
Outreach Asbestos Initiative
Dec 10, 2019
On December 2 and 3, 2019, a workshop on asbestos-related diseases was held in Suva, the capital of Fiji, by the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Fiji National University in collaboration with Australia’s Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) and the Fiji office of the World Health Organization. The objective of this event was to share medical expertise in order to build local capacity to detect, diagnose and treat cases of asbestos-related disease in Fiji. On the agenda were presentations on: clinical treatment, victim support, epidemiology, pathological diagnosis, radiology, medicine, molecular biology, public health and nursing. See: Training Workshop on the Diagnosis of Asbestos-related Diseases (ARD’s) – Suva, Fiji 2-3 December 2019.
Asbestos Raid
Dec 10, 2019
The authorities in the United Arab Emirate of Ras Al Khaumah (RAK) launched a campaign on December 8, 2019 to outlaw and confiscate all tea and coffee flasks in retail outlets and markets that contained asbestos following similar action taken in Dubai by the Department of Economic Development. Commenting on this initiative Dr Abdulrahman Alshayeb Alnaqbi, director-general of the RAK department of economic development, said: “These flasks pose a grave risk to people's health.” Similar steps were taken in RAK in July 2019 when: “Large amounts of such flasks were seized and later destroyed.” See: RAK to seize tea, coffee flasks made of asbestos.
Asbestos Concerns in Quebec
Dec 10, 2019
During the week ending December 6, 2019, two of the eight hearings scheduled by the BAPE Asbestos Inquiry Commission in Quebec were attended by hundreds of local people, politicians and experts from the former asbestos mining towns of Asbestos and Thetford Mines, Quebec. The main issue on the agenda was whether the 800 million tonnes of asbestos waste from decades of mining operations could be commercially exploited without endangering the health of workers and local people. The final report on the consultations is due out in July 2020. See: Despite health and safety risks, many in Asbestos and Thetford Mines want asbestos waste repurposed.
Legal Victory for Victims
Dec 10, 2019
On November 11, 2019, the Fukuoka High Court ordered the government and 4 construction material manufacturers to pay compensation of ¥350 million (~US$3.22m) to former construction workers and bereaved relatives from the Kyushu region for health problems caused by occupational exposures to asbestos. Judge Noriyuki Yamanouchi ruled that the government and the four companies had negligently failed to implement measures to protect workers’ safety. In addition, the judge upheld actions brought by self-employed contractors and ordered the government to compensate 27 of the 28 claimants and the companies to compensate 26. See: Fukuoka court orders Japan and firms to pay ¥350 million for health problems due to asbestos.
Asbestos Legal Landmark
Dec 10, 2019
At the beginning of November, 2019 a landmark ruling was handed down by the Provincial Court of Madrid which recognized the right to receive compensation for injuries caused by exposure to asbestos brought home on the work clothes of family members. The 14 plaintiffs, who were from Cerdanyola del Vallès and Ripollet, Catalonia, or surviving family members were awarded €3.5 million (~US$3.9m) for contracting asbestos diseases due to the negligence of Uralita. This is the largest sum awarded against Uralita by any Spanish court. See: Uralita deberá indemnizar con 3,5 millones a 14 vecinos de Cerdanyola y Ripollet [Uralita must compensate with 3.5 million 14 residents of Cerdanyola and Ripollet].
Toxic Talc
Dec 9, 2019
A Reuter’s exposé detailed the ties between US officials and executives from talc-using companies. The article focused on an invitation-only 2018 meeting organized by the Federal Drugs Administration (FDA), entitled: “Asbestos in Talc Symposium”, which was addressed by industry experts and attended by industry personnel; requests to attend from non-industry personnel such as medical expert Dr. David Egilman, were rejected. For decades, the FDA – advised by the industry – had refused to test talc-containing products for asbestos. Finally, the FDA acted in 2019 as a result of which 33,000 containers of Johnson & Johnson baby powder were recalled. See: FDA bowed to industry for decades as alarms were sounded over talc.
Asbestos Hearing
Dec 9, 2019
On December 4, 2019, a public hearing on asbestos was held by the Health and Environment Commission of the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul to consider the toxic legacy of asbestos mining and use in Brazil. Experts who gave evidence to the meeting convened by Deputy Valdeci Oliveira included: Dr. Carlos Nunes, Adair da Rocha, President of the Rio Grande do Sul section of the Brazilian Association of Asbestos-exposed (ABREA), Eliezer João de Souza, ABREA President, Fernanda Giannasi, ABREA co-founder and technical advisor, and Aline Brasil from the Public Prosecutor's Office. See: Audiência pública discute danos à saúde ainda causados pelo Amianto [Public hearing discusses asbestos-related health damage].
Asbestos Hazard in Russia
Dec 9, 2019
An article in an online Russian language newspaper based in Riga, Latvia discussed the causes of lung cancer which was, the author pointed out, the most common malignancy amongst Russian males. According to the text, exposure to asbestos experienced either at work or environmentally could elevate the risk to smokers and warned that protective measures should be taken such as using respirators and wearing specialist clothing and that state-of-the-art protections should be adopted to ensure proper disposal of asbestos-containing waste. See: Важные вопросы о раке легкого [Important questions about lung cancer].
Congressional Ban Asbestos Bill
Dec 8, 2019
Draft legislation to ban the use of asbestos in most construction applications was tabled in the Philippines House of Representatives by Rep. Raymond C. Mendoza. The purpose of House Bill No. 2636, which would – if it succeeded – become the Ban Asbestos Act of 2019, was to protect shipbuilders, construction workers, plumbers, electricians, auto workers and others from deadly workplace exposures to asbestos. The bill would authorize the Department of Health and members of an inter-agency council to propose regulations prohibiting asbestos imports, manufacturing, processing, use, or distribution for commercial purposes. See: Party-list legislator proposes asbestos ban in construction.
Asbestos Rebrand!
Dec 8, 2019
Authorities in the former asbestos mining town of Asbestos, Quebec have belatedly accepted that the economic prospects of the town would be brighter once the burden of its name had been lifted. Mayor Hugues Grimard admitted that the town had “lost businesses that don’t want to establish themselves here because of the name.” Exchanges on facebook showed both support for the name change and anger at the idea of abandoning the name due to its adverse connotation to English-speaking Canadians. Public meetings to explore the options and vote on a new course will take place in January 2020. See: Identity crisis: Canadian town of Asbestos pins hopes on name change.
Asbestos in School
Dec 8, 2019
Lea DiRusso, a Philadelphia teacher, announced plans to initiate a lawsuit over occupational exposure to asbestos which, she alleged, caused her mesothelioma. The 51 year-old was diagnosed with the fatal asbestos cancer in August, 2019; she had worked in the same school district for 30 years. Commenting on the lack of transparency regarding the asbestos contamination of her school, Ms. DiRusso said: “I was completely unaware, as are my colleagues and staff and students, that there even was asbestos present in the school building. I did not know the steam pipes behind me were wrapped in asbestos and I touched them.” See: Asbestos in Schools: Philadelphia teacher plans to sue district after cancer diagnosis….
Incubating an Asbestos Epidemic
Dec 8, 2019
A detailed exposé regarding widespread asbestos contamination in Indonesia, which was published by an Australian network in November 2019, pointed out that Indonesia was the world’s second biggest asbestos importer and that up to 10% of the country’s buildings contained asbestos. Citing data from international agencies including the World Health Organization, the piece concluded that the ubiquity and continuing use of asbestos in the country boded ill for future generations who could see deadly epidemics of cancer and respiratory diseases develop due to toxic workplace and environmental exposures. See: White asbestos lines many Indonesian buildings and health experts fear a coming cancer ‘explosion’.
Asbestos Fund Raiser!
Dec 8, 2019
The Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) 2019 Walk for (asbestos) Research and Awareness took place during November 10-15; dozens of sponsored participants covered the 300+ kilometres from Augusta to Perth during the week with all the monies raised going to fund Dr. Melvin Wee Loong Chin’s ADSA PhD scholarship in mesothelioma. An interim cheque for $60,000 was presented to Dr. Chin at the December 1 ADSA picnic at Whiteman Park, Perth, Western Australia. This was the eighth annual ADSA walk, with treks previously undertaken starting out in Kalgoorlie, Dunsborough, Pemberton, Albany, Geraldton, Merredin and Wave Rock. See: Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia Walk for Research and Awareness.
Asbestos Hazard in Russia
Oct 23, 2019
For decades, a stranglehold has existed regarding the dangers posed by asbestos exposures in Russia, the world’s largest producer of white asbestos. A Russian article just published quoted a leading Russian health and safety expert as follows: “Three substances from the list of the World Health Organization (WHO), such as asbestos, lead and mercury, should be considered the most dangerous for Russians… According to the WHO, all types of asbestos cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, laryngeal cancer, ovarian cancer and pulmonary fibrosis. However, asbestos can be found everywhere in Russia.” See: Эксперт назвала самые опасные химические загрязнители для россиян [The expert named the most dangerous chemical pollutants for the Russians].
Toxic Ship
Oct 23, 2019
It has been reported that the Portuguese cruise ship MV Funchal bought at auction in December 2018 by a UK company called Signature Living (see: Asbestos Vessel Cruising to london?) is now being towed to Liverpool. At the time of the sale, it was believed that the ship contained about 100 tons of asbestos, including products containing chrysotile, amosite and tremolite fibers, in friable condition. It is unknown whether the asbestos has been removed. According to a facebook upload, the company plans to refurbish the ship for use as a hotel in the UK. See: MV Funchal.
India’s Asbestos Curse
Oct 23, 2019
A paper published by Indian medical practitioners highlighted the ongoing epidemic of asbestos-related diseases in India and predicted that in decades to come – because of the current use of 350,000 tonnes of asbestos per year in India – there could be thousands of deaths per year from just one asbestos cancer – mesothelioma – with tens of thousands of additional fatalities from other asbestos-related illnesses. The authors stated: “In the near future, there will be at least 12.5 million ARD [asbestos-related disease] patients and 1.25 million asbestos-related cancer patients worldwide, and half of these will be in India.” See: Current Asbestos Exposure and Future Need for Palliative Care in India.
Toxic Talc Withdrawn
Oct 21, 2019
It was announced last week that Johnson & Johnson, a company facing thousands of US lawsuits over asbestos contamination of their iconic baby powder, had withdrawn 33,000 bottles of the product from sale in the US due to a finding by the Food and Drug Administration of sub-trace levels of chrysotile (white) asbestos in a bottle purchased from an online retailer. This is the first time that the company has recalled its baby powder. Reports of these developments were published in Russian, Chinese, French, Italian and other languages. See: Johnson & Johnson recalls baby powder after asbestos found.
The Scrapping of the São Paulo?
Oct 21, 2019
The fate of Brazil’s only aircraft carrier and the largest ship in the fleet is up for grabs, according to an article about the disposal of the São Paulo, purchased from the French Government in 2000. The ship, which contains up to 1,000 tonnes of asbestos material, is being auctioned with a December 9 bidding deadline. While it is widely believed the ship will be scrapped, the tender agreement states it must be done so safely and in accordance with procedures to protect the environment. During its years in the Brazilian Navy, the São Paulo was beset with difficulties and was only operational for 206 days. See: Museu ou sucata? O que será do porta-aviões brasileiro que custou R$ 22 milhões [Museum or scrap? What will be the [fate of the] Brazilian aircraft carrier that cost $22 million?].
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 21, 2019
A teachers’ union is threatening to take a provincial South African education department to court over the continued presence of asbestos in hundreds of schools. Following a ruling of the Eastern Cape High Court which ascertained the department’s responsibility for maintaining the educational infrastructure up to expected standards, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union has announced that legal action is being considered over the widespread hazard posed by asbestos in schools and the imminent threat to 25,000 children and 7,000 members of staff. A deadline of 2016 to eradicate the asbestos hazard which was set by the Education Department in 2013 has been extended until 2024. See: Teachers’ union levels threat over Gauteng’s killer asbestos schools.
Asbestos Industry Attack
Oct 18, 2019
Asbestos vested interests, suffering from a fall in demand for their products, have embarked on a media offensive condemning the Vietnam Government’s plans to ban the use of asbestos-cement roofing. It is alleged that the government’s position was based on lies told to various agencies including the National Assembly's Committee for Science, Technology and Environment. Quotes from people working in asbestos-cement factories and consumers are cited in support of the calls by the industry for a U-turn on the asbestos ban. See: Không để thông tin thái quá về tấm lợp fibro xi măng gây hoang mang dư luận [Do not let outrageous information about fibro cement roofing sheets confuse public opinion].
Toxic Talc
Oct 18, 2019
A study just published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine substantiated the link between the use of asbestos-containing talcum powder, such as Johnson & Johnson’s iconic baby powder, and the occurrence of mesothelioma. The authors of the paper examined the cases of 33 people with mesothelioma whose only significant exposure to asbestos was through their use of talcum powder and concluded that the causation of their cancer had been that exposure. Commenting on their findings, co-author Jacqueline Moline said: “Everything points to cosmetic talc being the cause.” See: A New Study Suggests Tainted Talcum Powder Can Cause a Rare Cancer. Here's How That Could Play Out in the Courtroom.
Causation of Colorectal Cancer.
Oct 18, 2019
Research by Korean scientists confirmed the link between occupational asbestos exposure and colorectal cancer mortality. “There was,” they wrote “a significantly increased risk of colorectal cancer mortality among workers exposed to asbestos occupationally…This implies that the risk of colorectal cancer mortality increases as the level of asbestos exposure rises.” Concluding their article, the authors reaffirmed that their findings indicated that occupational exposure to asbestos was a risk factor for colorectal cancer. See: Exposure to asbestos and the risk of colorectal cancer mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Asbestos at the Opera
Oct 18, 2019
Legal proceedings are ongoing in Milan against five executives from La Scala Opera House on behalf of children whose parents were occupationally exposed to asbestos at the theater and subsequently died from asbestos-related diseases. The 12 deceased named in this lawsuit included Italian conductor and pianist maestro Edoardo Muller (1938-2016), toolmaker and machinist Demetrio Asta and singer Luciana Patelli, who died in 2013 of pleural mesothelioma. Asbestos-containing products were widespread throughout the structure with asbestos gloves being used until 1994, one witness testified. See: Milano, morti per amianto alla Scala: in aula i figli delle vittime [Milan, asbestos deaths at La Scala: children of victims in court].
Calls to Ban Asbestos NOW!
Oct 16, 2019
An opinion piece in the N.Y. Times by former administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency – Gina Wheeler and William Reilly – called for an urgent and immediate ban on asbestos, a substance killing ~40,000 Americans every year. The authors call on Congress to pass current legislation which bans all asbestos importation and use, without loopholes or exemptions, on the grounds of public safety. The draft prohibitions are progressing in the House of Representatives and the Energy and Commerce Committee will shortly have an opportunity to send it to the House for passage with bipartisan support. See: Asbestos Kills Nearly 40,000 Americans a Year. Ban It.
Asbestos Banned at Schools!
Oct 16, 2019
The Government of Kerala has set a two year deadline for asbestos roofing to be removed from 1,000 state, private and independent schools on the grounds of the “harmful impact on students’ health.” The mandatory order follows a ruling by the Kerala High Court in a case brought by a school manager from Thrissur. The Director of Education (DGE) has been instructed to compile an audit of schools with the toxic roofing and ensure that removal work is accomplished in a timely fashion; the DGE must submit monthly update reports on progress to the authorities. See: Govt. bans asbestos roofs in schools.
Challenging Draft Legislation
Oct 16, 2019
Australian trade unions are warning about the threat posed by the Ensuring Integrity Bill to the legal and human rights of victims of toxic industrial exposures, citing the long-standing campaign by unions to secure justice for victims of asbestos-related diseases. Commenting on the proposed legislation ACTU President Michele O’Neil said: “History tells us that threats to workers and the public’s health like asbestos only get tackled when workers stand together in their unions and demand change. If this Bill had been law during the fight to ban asbestos and hold James Hardie to account we would have seen unions shut down for actions to ensure public and worker safety.” See: Link between union-bashing bill and public health campaigns.
Asbestos Identification and Analysis
Oct 16, 2019
The acquisition of new microscope technology will enable Cambodian customs officers to identify asbestos-containing materials for the first time. The new equipment and training were gifted by Australian donors: Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA and the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency. At the presentation event, Deputy Director General Ministry of Commerce H.E. Phan Oun, said: “This is something new for us … We know asbestos is a big problem. We need a long-term action plan to ban asbestos.” The new microscope and the training provided will enable Cambodian personnel to test products for asbestos for the first time. See: Spotting the Dangers of Asbestos in Cambodia.
Removal of Asbestos Roofs
Oct 16, 2019
A Fund is being set up by the Dutch Government to encourage homeowners to remove asbestos roofs by making loans available for remediation work until 2028. Announcing this initiative, State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven of Infrastructure said the Government hoped that the availability of these funds would prompt property owners to act expeditiously. Van Veldhoven said: “The older a roof is, the more asbestos fibers it releases. So they can get into the garden and that makes the roofs a bit more dangerous every year.” Although the country’s asbestos ban remains in place, a deadline for the removal of asbestos roofs has been overturned. See: New Fund to Help Dutch Homeowners Clear Away Asbestos Roofs.
Asbestos Alert!
Oct 14, 2019
This article on a Russian website highlighted everyday exposures to ordinary things which could prove fatal, including asbestos – stating categorically that: “Asbestos is dangerous to health.” This statement is unusual in that the image of asbestos is carefully preserved in Russia as it is the world’s largest asbestos producer and the leading force behind asbestos marketing efforts around the world. The text pointed out that exposure to asbestos, which is found in many building materials, could cause various cancers including mesothelioma and that for this reason the EU had banned its use. See: 5 повседневных вещей, которые на самом деле опасны [5 everyday things that are really dangerous].
New Scottish Asbestos Play
Oct 14, 2019
As the number of cases of asbestos-related disease continues to rise in Scotland, a play – “Fibres” – has been premiered that explores the repercussions for a shipyard worker and his wife of occupational asbestos exposures. The work by Glasgow-based playwright Frances Poet was staged by the Glasgow Citizens Theatre and Stellar Quines, a women’s theatre company, and directed by Jemima Levick. Although asbestos is banned in the UK, millions of tonnes of asbestos-containing products remain in hospitals, schools, social housing, private homes, public and commercial buildings. For details of upcoming performances of Fibres see: citz.co.uk.
Ban Asbestos Dialogue: Update
Oct 12, 2019
The introduction of a roadmap to phase-out asbestos use in Vietnam has led to an increase in lobbying to maintain the status quo, even though a drop in asbestos usage indicated a fall in consumer demand. The article referenced below rehashes complaints that alternative products were expensive and there was no data substantiating the existence of a national asbestos epidemic. Nevertheless, the author reported that the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) had directed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to accelerate research into asbestos-free materials. The MST also planned to collaborate closely with other Ministries to find affordable and safer solutions. See: Thiếu thị trường cho sản phẩm vật liệu không amiăng [Lack of (current) market for non-asbestos products].
Environmental Crimes in Turkey
Oct 14, 2019
A Turkish expose regarding environmental contamination in the town of Dilovasi in the Kocaeli region described the effects of living near or visiting an area dominated by a hill made up of industrial waste containing material discarded by a factory operated by the Turkish company Izocam Trade and Industry, Inc. According to the results of scientific tests, the waste included glass-type mineral wool and “significant amounts of three types of very dangerous asbestos…” An asbestos expert who visited the site expressed “pure shock” at the scale of the dump saying he had “never seen anything like this before.” Under Turkish regulations, the creation and existence of the dump could constitute an environmental crime. See: Asbestos Hill: a cover-up.
Legal Victory for Victims
Oct 14, 2019
At a press conference after a meeting of the Japanese Cabinet this week, Minister of Justice Kawai announced the Government would not appeal a September 2019 ruling by the Fukuoka High Court which upheld a claim, by a former worker who contracted lung cancer, that the compensation he should receive from the government for occupational asbestos exposures should be higher than the standard rate previously set. He was awarded 12.65 million yen (US$117,000). The positive verdict for the Kitakyushu City man followed similar outcomes for litigants in Kobe and Hiroshima. See: スベストの健康被害めぐる福岡高裁判決 政府 受け入れ方針 [Fukuoka High Court Decision on Asbestos Health Damage, Government Accepts Ruling].
Asbestos Brakes: A “Safe Option”
Oct 10, 2019
Propaganda masquerading as an article appeared on a Russian website extolling the virtues of chrysotile asbestos brakes. According to the author, the physical and chemical characteristics of asbestos makes it an ideal component for brake pads for cars, trains, trucks, all-terrain vehicles and many other types of specialized equipment. “Scientific papers,” commissioned by the asbestos industry, are cited to substantiate the assertion that the use of chrysotile asbestos is not harmful under “controlled conditions.” See: Полезные и спорные: тормозные колодки из асбеста [Useful and controversial: asbestos brake pads].
Asbestos School Strike
Oct 10, 2019
From October 9 to 18, 2019 a strike is being held by teachers, school staff, students and parents regarding asbestos in the Ruy Belo School in Queluz, Portugal. Slogans such as “no asbestos” or “school is for learning and not for getting sick” are being shouted out by demonstrators who are protesting that the all the roofs of the 35 year-old school are covered with asbestos material, much of which is degrading from the effects of weather and nearby trees. This is the second such strike; the first one was over asbestos in the Dom Domingos Jardo School in Lisbon – that school was closed as a result of the action. See: Greve contra o amianto: “A escola é para aprender e não adoecer” [Strike against asbestos: “School is for learning not for gettting sick”].
Asbestos Anxiety
Oct 10, 2019
Twelve claimants are taking their cases for “asbestos anxiety,” as a result of toxic occupational exposures at the Alstom site in Belfort, to the European Court of Human Rights after having had their actions dismissed by the French Court of Cassation (Supreme Court), the Court of Appeal and the lower court. The litigants will have to wait at least a year before the Court’s ruling is issued. See: Amiante à Alstom: douze salariés saisissent la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme [Asbestos at Alstom: twelve employees apply to the European Court of Human Rights].
Implementation of Asbestos Ban
Oct 9, 2019
National asbestos prohibitions announced by the Canadian government in 2018 will come into effect on December 30, 2019 according to statements made by Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna in Ottawa last week. Unfortunately, she confirmed, that contentious exemptions will continue which include: the commercial exploitation of asbestos mining waste to extract magnesium – about 800 million tonnes of tailings made up of ~40% asbestos remain in former mining regions – the use of asbestos in the military, in nuclear power plants facilities and in chlor-alkali production. See: L'amiante presque complètement banni au Canada dès le 30 décembre [Asbestos almost completely banned in Canada as of December 30].
Beyond the Asbestos Ban
Oct 9, 2019
In the aftermath of the long-awaited 2018 ban on asbestos in Canada, campaigners are calling for action to install measures to eradicate the asbestos hazard in order to protect Canadians from toxic exposures. Asbestos-related cancers remain the leading cause of workplace deaths in Canada. Speaking at an event organized by WorkSafe Saskatchewan in Regina on October 7, 2019, Dr. Paul Demers, epidemiologist and director of the Occupational Cancer Research Centre in Ontario, called for asbestos audits for all buildings, both commercial and private, so that occupants could take precautions to prevent exposures. See: Beyond the ban: experts say more needed to tackle ongoing asbestos problem.
Ban Asbestos, Now!
Oct 9, 2019
A chapter in a book just released entitled Status of Corporate Responsibility in India, 2019 - Is Human Rights in Business Limited to Rhetoric? sheds light on the current asbestos scenario in the world’s largest asbestos importing country. Concluding the eight page text which constitutes Chapter 11 – written by National Coordinator of the India Ban Asbestos Network Pooja Gupta and human rights lawyer Lara Jesani – the authors called for “a total and unconditional ban of asbestos in the country, and systematic work towards eliminating asbestos from the environment and human ecosystem.” See: Deplorable Cost of Corporate Greed: A Study of the Asbestos Industry.
Polluted Russia!
Oct 8, 2019
Scientists in the US and Russia reported the effects of toxic environmental exposures in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region. Breathing in air contaminated with asbestos, arsenic, cadmium, manganese, copper, lead, fluorine, hexavalent chromium, zinc, benzene, formaldehyde, sulphur dioxide, chloroform and other toxins has reduced life expectancy by six months and led to increased rates of disability as well as fatal and debilitating diseases. See: Дышите глубже: ученые рассказали, почему на Урале женщины не могут рожать, мужчины – болеют раком и преждевременно умирают, а дети отстают в психическом развитии [Breathe deeper: scientists told why in the Urals women cannot give birth, men get cancer and die prematurely, and children lag behind in mental development].
Asbestos Mine Revival?
Oct 8, 2019
Zimbabwe’s Shabanie chrysotile asbestos mine, which ceased operations in 2009, is slowly coming back to life claim government officials. According to Polite Kambamura, Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister: “De-watering has been completed at Shabanie Mashaba Mine and very soon, the mine will be working at full throttle.” While some may remain sceptical, having heard similar assertions before, the authorities predict that once fully back on stream the mine could produce 18,000 tonnes of asbestos fiber per year. During it’s heyday, the mine employed 2,000 workers. See: Shabanie Mine awakens from slumber.
Asbestos Murder Prosecution
Oct 8, 2019
Legal proceedings are due to start in the long-running attempt by Italian Prosecutors to hold former asbestos magnate Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny to account for the thousands of deaths caused by the operations of his asbestos-cement factories in Italy. The latest case is being heard in Vercelli, a city in Piedmont, northern Italy. The legal action – regarding the asbestos deaths of 392 citizens of the town of Casale Monferrato – involves 400 civil parties. Schmidheiny stands accused of “voluntary homicide.” The request for a trial was lodged by public prosecutors Francesco Alvino and Roberta Brera and the Turin prosecutor Gianfranco Colace. See: Amianto Killer/ Processo Eternit Bis a Vercelli [Killer asbestos/ Eternit Bis Trial in Vercelli].
“Persecution” of Asbestos Industry
Oct 7, 2019
On October 2, 2019, a Russian language article alleged that both red meat and chrysotile asbestos had been falsely damned by the use of unsafe science. Discounting conclusions reached by scientists regarding the adverse health effects of red meat consumption as incorrect, exaggerated and hasty, the unnamed author of the Russian text headlined Proof of Guilt: How to Fan Hysteria from a Piece of Beef alleged that scientific skullduggery and corrupt journalism were the principal weapons used to “persecute” both the meat industry and the chrysotile asbestos industry. See: Доказательство вины: как раздуть истерию из куска говядины [Proof of Guilt: How to Fan Hysteria from a Piece of Beef].
Vietnam’s “Cancer Village”
Oct 7 2019
An investigation by government authorities failed to establish the reason for the elevated incidence of cancer in Tho Vi village, Thanh Hoa province. The small hamlet of 1,700 people has now joined the list of top ten villages in the country with the most cancer patients. In some households, multiple family members have died. Having monitored the situation for a number of years local man Mr Tran Minh Han was firmly convinced that the cause of the cancer spike was asbestos-contaminated water; asbestos fibers from a nearby derelict quarry were believed to have gotten into the water and debris from the mine was often used in building projects by villagers. See: Nỗi ám ảnh amiăng của người dân “làng ung thư” (Kỳ 1) [Asbestos obsession of "cancer village" people (Part 1)].
Appeal to French President
Oct 7, 2019
On October 1, 2019, the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) appealed to the French President to intervene in the upcoming auction in Rio de Janeiro of the former French ship, renamed the São Paulo by the Brazilian Ministry of Defence, which contained large amounts of asbestos. According to the tender notice, it seemed clear that the São Paulo would be sold for demolition and most likely end up on a South Asian beach for dismantling. As per paragraph 8.3 of the tender notice, the French government must authorize the sale of the São Paulo; as the transport of this toxic vessel contravened the Basel Convention and other international protocols, ABREA urged the French President to take urgent action. See: Letters to French President Emmanuel Macron [Portuguese] [French].
Toxic Fallout from Factory Fire
Oct 7, 2019
One week after a conflagration decimated a factory in the French town of Lubrizol, residents of Rouen described finding asbestos-cement debris on their properties up to 3 kilometers from the site. A French TV company reported on October 2, 2019 that the analysis it commissioned of a sample found 2 kilometers away identified the presence of chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite asbestos fibers. The director of the laboratory which produced the report confirmed high levels of fiber had been found in the sample. As is often the case after such an incident, on October 1 the authorities said “that there was "no risk related to asbestos.” See: Rouen: cinq questions sur les débris d'amiante retrouvés à proximité de l'usine [Rouen: five questions about asbestos debris found near the Lubrizol plant].
Asbestos in Transit Depot
Oct 7, 2019
A report published in early 2019 revealed that workers at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) East New York bus depot in Brooklyn had been exposed to asbestos over decades; in addition, 20+ high school students may have been exposed. Originally, the findings were shared with MTA officials only; workers became aware of the presence of asbestos in the depot’s air vents recently. In 2017, asbestos had been identified in the building’s boiler room; it was removed in August 2018. Although the MTA said that the asbestos in the depot is not dangerous, it has posted signs saying: “DO NOT DISTURB…THE VIBRATION CLOTH MATERIALS ON THIS UNIT CONTAINS ASBESTOS.” See: New York City transit workers exposed to toxic asbestos for decades.
Propaganda Onslaught
Oct 4, 2019
Four very similar articles appeared on October 1 and 2, 2019 on Russian websites about attacks on Russia’s asbestos industry. The article noted below purported to examine the arguments for and against using asbestos. Citing industry-commissioned research and outdated reports, it concluded that the safe use of chrysotile asbestos was possible under controlled conditions. Another article (see: http://izvestia64.ru/news/215064-prodolzhaetsya-protivostoyanie-rossii-i-zapadnyh-stran-v-borbe-za-asbest.html] was more explicit – referring to a “hidden trade war” and saying: “Russia continues to wage a long struggle with Western countries for the industrial use of asbestos.” See: Безвреден для здоровья? Кто и почему пытается запретить асбест [Harmless to health? Who is trying to ban asbestos and why?].
Progressing the Rights of Asbestos Victims
Oct 4, 2019
Spain’s first legal cases for asbestos anxiety are ongoing at the Social Court of Barcelona for workers exposed to asbestos at the Federal Mogul brake pad factory in the Spanish town of El Prat de Llobregat. According to the claimants’ lawyer, toxic exposures were rife at the plant, previously owned by Honeywell; the plaintiffs developed depression and severe anxiety because of knowledge that they could contract incurable and fatal diseases such as the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. See: Primer judici a l’Estat pels trastorns d’angoixa derivats de l’exposició a l’amiant [First judgment in the State for anxiety disorders arising from exposure to asbestos].
Tools for Analyzing Toxic Exposures
Oct 4, 2019
A newly published study used retrospective exposure profile methods and a risk-based approach to assess toxic exposures experienced by tens of thousands of workers at a General Electric factory in Peterborough (Ont.), Canada between 1945 and 2000. As a result of the data in this paper, the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board overturned decisions refusing compensation to more than 115 people who had brought claims over exposures at the factory to deadly chemicals and substances, including asbestos. See: Workers’ Fight for Justice: A Retrospective Exposure Profile Study of the GE Factory in Peterborough, Ontario.
Asbestos Waste Regime
Oct 4, 2019
On October 2, 2019 a spokesperson for Portugal’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Transition asserted that the country’s asbestos waste disposal regime was operating as per guidelines, in a response to a claim that illegal asbestos disposals were being made into landfills which might endanger health and the environment. According to the Government, asbestos-containing construction and demolition waste was deposited in non-hazardous landfills “properly prepared and licensed to receive it and was handled and disposed of in accordance with the best techniques and in accordance with current legislation.” See: Ministério do Ambiente garante segurança e legalidade nas descargas de amianto [Ministry of Environment ensures safety and legality in asbestos discharges].
Asbestos in Rolling Stock
Oct 4, 2019
Forty years after the closure of the Sacfem company –which operated facilities in Arezzo, Italy that produced railway cars – its successor-in-interest (the Bastogi company) was condemned by a court for negligence which allowed workplace asbestos exposures to take place. These exposures caused the death of a worker whose family was awarded €750,000 (~$824,500). Because of the long latency period of asbestos diseases, deaths due to exposures at the Sacfem facility have only started occurring in recent years. See: Sacfem: ucciso dall'amianto, alla famiglia assegnati 750 mila euro [Sacfem: killed by asbestos, the family assigned 750 thousand euros].
Asbestos Propaganda
Oct 2, 2019
A heavily pro-asbestos article on a Russian website described the global battle to ban asbestos by health and safety campaigners as a trade war, citing Ivan the Terrible’s aggressive and deadly trade policy as a plausible option for dealing with foreign commercial rivals. The author cited industry-commissioned “scientific research” and out-dated policies of the World Health Organization to substantiate claims that Russian chrysotile (white) asbestos “cannot harm the human body” and “is completely safe.” It alleged that the motivation for the campaign to ban asbestos was financial and that asbestos remained essential for the lives of populations in 2/3 of the world’s countries. See: Битва за волокно [The battle for [asbestos] fiber].
Schools Closed for Asbestos Abatement
Oct 2, 2019
On October 1, 2019, Danielle Floyd, the Philadelphia School District’s chief operating officer, announced that two Philadelphia schools were to be shut down for two days due to the presence of damaged asbestos-containing products; monitoring tests detected airborne asbestos in both premises. The discovery of the damaged asbestos occurred during a walk-through with School District and teachers’ union officials. Abatement work is being undertaken during the closure, with work beginning in the areas most accessed by school users. One thousand students attend both schools. See: Asbestos shuts down Ben Franklin/SLA school building.
New Mesothelioma Scheme on Jersey
Oct 1 2019
People on the island of Jersey with diffuse mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, and relatives of those who died from mesothelioma will now be eligible for one-off lump sum payments from the Jersey Government. The new scheme, which was first mooted in a well-supported e-petition to the government, was approved by the States Assembly. The size of the compensation award is dependent on an applicant’s age at the time of diagnosis and ranges from £92,259 for an individual aged 37 and younger to £14,334 for someone 77 and over. See: Islanders diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer to get government compensation.
State Condemned!
Oct 1, 2019
The Turin Court of Appeal ruled that as the pleural mesothelioma death of former sailor Salvatore Carminisi in 2009 had been caused by workplace exposure to asbestos in the engine room of the Amerigo Vespucci ship (1971-73), the Italian State was liable to pay damages for his death for having failed to implement measures to protect his health. The Court ordered the State to pay a one-off lump sum of €200,000 to Mr. Carminisi's wife and daughter as well as a lifetime pension of €1000 to the wife and €500 to the daughter. See: Amianto sulla Vespucci, lo Stato deve risarcire i familiari di un marinaio [Asbestos on the Vespucci, the State must compensate the relatives of a sailor].
Government’s Asbestos Liability
Oct 1, 2019
Under a settlement registered on September 27, 2019 with the Osaka District Court, the Government of Japan agreed to pay 57.2 million yen (US$530,000) to the families of 4 workers who died from asbestos-related diseases due to exposures experienced whilst recycling asbestos-contaminated hemp bags. The agreement followed a case brought by relatives of people who worked in 3 factories in Sakai City between 1944 and 1976. According to the defense team, this is the first settlement in Japan for asbestos disease contracted as a result of employment at a bag recycling plant. See: 麻袋リサイクル作業で石綿被害、国と元労働者が初の和解 大阪地裁 [Asbestos damage due to recycling of hemp bags, first settlement between the country and former workers Osaka District Court].
Toxic Thermos Flasks: Made in China
Sep 30, 2019
Last week, new tests results were released in Vietnam documenting asbestos contamination of thermos flasks made in China. According to the Research and Quality Accreditation Institute in Jiangsu Province, China, the thermoses tested contained asbestos. Commenting on these results, Vietnamese asbestos expert Dr. Tran Tuan said: “Asbestos-related diseases are preventable, and the most effective way to prevent them is to stop using all forms of asbestos to prevent exposure.” The Chinese government issued a warning to consumers about the toxic products. See: Amiăng trong bình giữ nhiệt xuất xứ từ Trung Quốc có thể gây ung thư và phá hủy nội tạng [Asbestos in Chinese-made thermos can cause cancer and organ damage].
Asbestos Alert
Sep 30, 2019
Ructions continue over pollution caused by the production of paronite – asbestos rubber sheeting made of chrysotile (white) asbestos for gaskets – in the town of Pershino, located in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia. Protests by local people over the deleterious effects of exposures to the toxins liberated by manufacturing processes at the factory have been lodged with administrative and judicial authorities – yet not one inspection of the factory has taken place. The responses to the complaints about the factory indicate the existence of a Kafkaesque situation in which each department and authority contacted denied any responsibility for the situation. See: Паронитовый заводик в Першино вредит под чиновничьей “крышей” [Paronite factory in Pershino harms under bureaucratic “protection”].
Proposed Sale of Aircraft Carrier
Sep 30, 2019
The auction by the Brazilian Ministry of Defence of the Sao Paulo aircraft carrier, operational from 2000 to 2017, was announced for September 27, 2019. A reserve price of $1.25 million was set; $12 million had been paid to the Government of France for the ship. The ultimate fate of Sao Paulo, which was the sister ship of the infamous French carrier Le Clemenceau, was of concern to civil society groups who warned the Brazilians that cash buyers would probably send it for scrapping to Asian beaches (see: Letter Sep 26). After the publication of the letter, news was circulated that the auction was being postponed until December 2019. See: Brazilian aircraft carrier goes on sale for $ 1.275 million.
Action on Asbestos: Too Little, too Late?
Sep 30, 2019
The frustration of people who have been living within meters of asbestos-contaminated debris dumped by the defunct Ibertubo (asbestos) cement company has boiled over. After more than a decade of high-profile campaigning by residents, authorities in Toledo, Spain agreed in 2016 to remediate the public site on which 60,000 tons of toxic waste had been disposed. Unfortunately, the situation remains unresolved and piles of asbestos debris remain in place. Campaigners had hoped the opening of the new Toledo Hospital sited nearby might have proved an incentive for the land to be completely cleared; this has not been their experience. See: El barrio construido en medio del Amianto [The neighborhood built in the middle of asbestos].
Screening for High-Risk Workers
Sep 30, 2019
A meeting on the morning of September 27, 2019 attended by former workers from the railway workshops in Bellinzona, Switzerland who had been invited by the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund to undergo medical check-ups due to past occupational asbestos exposures and trade union representatives provided the opportunity for questions to be asked about the proposed medical interventions, the costs, and the eligibility of workers. Between 1980 and 1990 four workers from the workshops and a driver had died from asbestos-related diseases. Investigations are being progressed by the Public Ministry regarding historic conditions at the workshops. See: Amianto alle Officine: «Ora vogliamo chiarezza» [Asbestos at the Workshops: “Now we want clarity”].
Human Rights: Asbestos Follow-Up
Sep 28, 2019
During the September 23-25, 2019 meeting of the Department for the Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, it was decided to end supervision of the judgment in Howald Moor and Others. This case considered the non-access to courts of asbestos victims due to a 10-year limitation period which started regardless of whether claimants were aware of the health consequences of historic exposures to asbestos. Further supervision was deemed unnecessary due to the creation by the Swiss authorities of the “Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund” which provided financial support and psychosocial care to individuals who, since 2006, had contracted a malignant tumour related to asbestos. See: Switzerland adopts measures to compensate asbestos victims.
Pre-Olympics Asbestos Hazard
Sep 28, 2019
An editorial in The Japan Times highlighted the dangers posed by the demolition of buildings containing asbestos to make way for new constructions for the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The author called for urgent implementation of tighter regulations for dealing with asbestos – a substance widely used in building products throughout Japan for several decades – in order to protect occupational and public safety. Two million eight hundred thousand buildings in Japan are believed to contain asbestos; between 2000 and 2040, it has been estimated that up to 100,000 people could die from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. See: Halt further health damage from asbestos.
Toxic Army Housing
Sep 28, 2019
A 37-page report published on September 5, 2019 detailing an investigation into the standard of housing for US Army personnel documented dismal conditions in which soldiers and their families lived, which included domestic exposures to asbestos-containing products, mold and lead-based paint. Asbestos products were widely used in all branches of the military. According to former US Army captain Aaron Munz: “Veterans and their families living in post housing built before the 1980s face potential health risks from their homes.” In response to one of the findings, the Army set up a registry to track health complaints related to military housing and held town hall meetings across the service. See: Department of the Army Inspector General Report - Assessment of Residential Communities Initiative.
Asbestos Arrests in Kenya!
Sep 28, 2019
On September 24, 2019 officials from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) stopped asbestos removal contractors working at the Kimathi Estate, Nakuru who had been engaged by Nakura county to replace toxic roofing with corrugated iron sheets. NEMA alleged that the workers were not following official guidelines for the removal and disposal of asbestos roofing. On September 20, NEMA had issued an order stopping further activities until the county undertook an Environmental Impact Assessment. The county failed to do so and ordered work to begin. As a consequence, arrest warrants were issued for the contractor and Judyleah Waihenya, Nakuru County lands and chief housing chief officer. See: Nema, county clash on how to handle asbestos.
Asbestos Removal in Moscow
Sep 24, 2019
By the end of 2019, all asbestos-cement roofing on apartment buildings in “Old Moscow” will be replaced with roofing made from galvanized steel sheets; these renovations were approved by the authorities. Work to remove the asbestos products has been ongoing for some while and only 40 properties remain unremediated. According to Viktor Logvinov, the First Vice-President of the Russian Union of Architects: “Slate [asbestos-cement tile] is very fragile, dangerous and short-lived… Now there is a wide selection of roofing materials that are long-lasting and safe for humans. Galvanized steel is one of them.” See: Сталь вместо асбеста [Steel instead of asbestos].
Asbestos on the Farm
Sep 24, 2019
An inquest into the death of a 75-year-old Dorset farmer was opened in Bournemouth on September 20, 2019. Mary Elcock had received multiple exposures to asbestos throughout her childhood and later life. She was diagnosed with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma on July 26, 2019 and died on September 11. According to a coroner's officer Ken McEwan, the deceased grew up on a farm which had asbestos roofs and in later life lived at a farm in Wimborne which had demolished its asbestos buildings in 1975. According to one UK expert, there remains: “[a] massive job to do to effectively manage asbestos, particularly on farms.” See: Asbestos danger highlighted as farmer dies from exposure.
A Deadly Legacy
Sep 24, 2019
A new report issued by the OCRC highlights the dire consequences of Canada’s deadly love affair with asbestos. In the 7-page chapter on asbestos, the authors note that: “Just over 150,000 workers are exposed [to asbestos] but it is estimated to cause 1,900 lung cancers, 430 mesotheliomas, 45 laryngeal cancers and 15 ovarian cancers annually.” According to the data: “Most occupational [asbestos] exposure (89%) occurs in construction, primarily due to the maintenance, renovation and modification of existing public, residential and commercials buildings.” See release notes: Report Release: Burden of Occupational Cancer in Canada.
Asbestos Dispute in Riga
Sep 24, 2019
The discovery of asbestos in the soil at the site of a newly modernized combined heat and power plant (TEC-2) outside Riga, Latvia has led to a heated dispute over which of the many sub-contractors and contractors should be held liable for the huge costs of remediation work not only at the site itself but also at the dump where the contaminated soil was taken. According to an investigation by the State Environmental Service all the enterprises involved in the construction work knew about the asbestos. See: На территории ТЕС-2 нашли опасный асбест. Виновной хотят сделать фирму, которая это обнаружила [Dangerous asbestos found on site of TEC-2. The company which discovered it is being held liable for decontamination costs].
High Cost of Past Asbestos Use
Sep 24, 2019
In a letter to the editor uploaded to the website of Italy’s Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (National Associated Press Agency), Alessandro Miani, the President of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine, highlighted the fallout from the country’s ongoing asbestos epidemic which is killing 6,000 people every year. Miani explained that: “Exposure to asbestos, in fact, causes lung cancer (pleural mesothelioma), laryngeal and ovarian cancer, as well as conditions of pulmonary fibrosis.” Furthermore, Miani pointed out: “In Italy… there are 96,000 sites contaminated with asbestos.” See: Amianto, in Italia fa 6mila morti l'anno [Asbestos, in Italy it causes 6 thousand deaths a year].
Mesothelioma UK Publication
Sep 24, 2019
The 24-page Autumn 2019 issue of Mesothelioma Matters Magazine published by Mesothelioma UK contains feature articles which detailed developments pertinent to members of the UK mesothelioma community including information about: the recruitment of new specialist mesothelioma nurses; activities held on the UK’s Annual Action Mesothelioma Day; outreach work to support asbestos-injured veterans; fund-raising initiatives; upcoming events; and work by civil society partners to raise awareness of the hazard posed by occupational exposures to asbestos remaining within the country’s infrastructure. See: Mesothelioma Matters Magazine, Autumn 2019.
Asbestos Healthcare: New Initiative
Sep 23, 2019
From September 23 to 27, 2019, hundreds of asbestos-exposed workers from the Precon company’s factory in Pedro Leopoldo will take part in a new medical monitoring scheme in São José da Lapa, a city in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. They will be examined in the CT truck belonging to the Barretos Cancer Hospital. Municipal officials with close ties to the former asbestos-processing company have continually refused to provide healthcare for the at-risk workforce. This initiative is being supported by Brazil’s Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). See: Photo (courtesy of ABREA).
Asbestos Industry Offensive
Sep 23, 2019
An article which bemoaned the current commercial plight of the asbestos industry in Vietnam claimed that decreasing sales were due to unsubstantiated fears about the effects of human exposures to chrysotile (white) asbestos-containing cement roofing. According to the author of this biased text, no cases of mesothelioma have been recorded from occupational or environmental exposure to chrysotile fibers in cement roofing. Information provided by and demands for government action made by the Vietnam Roofing Association – a trade association representing asbestos vested interests – were detailed. See: Doanh nghiệp "thoi thóp" chờ quyết sách về Fibro ximăng [Business community waiting for a decision about Fibro cement].
Cancer Prevention Program
Sep 23, 2019
Since 2012, the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (SUVA), has been monitoring the health of workers at high risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases via a voluntary health program for those aged 55 to 75, who are offered free CAT scans in order to achieve early diagnoses of disease. News of a current initiative documented the invitation to 40 workers from railway workshops in Bellinzona, Switzerland who could have received toxic exposures whilst working on rolling stock built before 1990. An assertion by SUVA that there have been, to date, no asbestos cancer deaths amongst this cohort of workers was challenged by Gianni Frizzo, from a group representing the Bellinzona workers. See: Amianto alle Officine, SUVA indaga [Asbestos in Workshops, SUVA investigates].
Asbestos Health Camp
Sep 23, 2019
Efforts to support South Korea’s asbestos victims continued at a healing camp held on September 20, 2019 in Chungnam Province which was attended by the regional governor Yang Seung-jo. The objectives of the camp, which was hosted by the Province and the Asbestos Environmental Health Center, included awareness monitoring amongst the asbestos victims and improving psychological stability via measures such as health classes and cultural visits. The Governor pledged to “promptly dismantle and remove existing risk factors,” to prevent further exposures to asbestos. See: 양승조 지사 “석면 피해 예방·구제 투트랙 정책 펼 것” [Gov. Yang Seung-jo says, "asbestos damage relief measures will be expanded"].
Asbestos Remediation Initiative
Sep 23, 2019
A service became operation on September 20, 2019 in the Figline and Incisa areas of metropolitan Florence following new guidelines adopted by the Region of Tuscany to facilitate the removal and disposal of modest quantities of asbestos-containing material from domestic users. For a fee of €48, an asbestos removal kit can be purchased containing everything needed for householders to safely carry out the removal of small amounts of asbestos products from their premises. Once removed and packaged as per specifications, the material will be collected by the contractor. See: Kit per la rimozione dell'amianto per le utenze domestiche: la consegna ora anche al depositoalla Massa [Kit for asbestos removal for domestic users: delivery now also to the warehouse at Massa].
Increasing Medical Capacity
Sep 18, 2019
On Thursday, September 12, 2019 a public hearing took place in the Brazilian town of Bom Jesus da Serra during which a new spirometer and other equipment were presented to staff from the medical clinic at the Federal University of Bahia to facilitate early diagnoses of asbestos-related respiratory problems in high risk individuals such as those exposed to asbestos whilst employed at the SAMA asbestos mine and members of their families. Attending the event were representatives of local and national asbestos victims’ groups, legal associations, government officials, medical personnel and municipal officers. See: A AVICAFE e ABREA entregam espirômetro à UFBA [AVICAFE and ABREA deliver spirometer to UFBA].
GE Off-loaded Toxic Waste
Sep 18, 2019
Although, General Electric (GE) denied selling asbestos waste to its workers decades ago, people in Peterborough, Ontario recall many incidences of this taking place. The fluffy white asbestos scrap from the GE plant was used to insulate attics from the 1940s until the mid-1970s according to a September 17, 2019 CBC News/Toronto Star expose. With thousands of workers eligible for the cut-price but toxic bargains, no one knows how many of Peterborough’s homes remain contaminated. To date, the company has paid to clean up 24 Peterborough homes. See: Hidden asbestos: Hundreds of homes in Peterborough, Ont., suspected of containing toxic material from GE plant.
Asbestos Compensation
Sep 18, 2019
A spokesperson for Tata Steel in the Netherlands, part of the Indian multinational Tata Group, recently announced that the company would take a “more human approach” to the resolution of asbestos cases brought by former employees after criticism in May 2019 that the steel manufacturer was stalling the claims process and that the average case took 308 working days to resolve. The company said it had recently paid €60,000 compensation to the families of two deceased Dutch asbestos victims. It is believed that since 1995, 120 asbestos claims have been brought by former employees against Tata Steel. Enquiries are ongoing regarding how the compensation regime for Dutch asbestos victims compares to that for Indian victims. See: Tata Steel is going to implement ‘a more humane approach’ to asbestos cases.
Ministry of Defence
Sep 18, 2019
New rules published last week by the Ministry of Defence could significantly impact on the rights of service and civilian personnel to bring claims for occupational asbestos exposures. The previous regime which mandated that incidents of asbestos exposure be documented has been updated to eliminate this requirement. According to trade union official Rob Miguel: “There is little difference between the old and new guidance apart from the very worrying change that if a worker is exposed to asbestos, copies of the form detailing that exposure will no longer be supplied, preventing the worker retaining a copy or passing one onto his GP.” See: New Ministry of Defence asbestos guidance described as ‘very worrying’.
Sicily’s Asbestos Legacy
Sep 18, 2019
A recent regional asbestos hearing was told that progress to manage asbestos contamination in Sicily was almost non-existent and that at least one million cubic meters of asbestos [sic] remained in the environment and 330+ schools were still contaminated with asbestos material. Only 2% of asbestos illegally dumped in Sicily every year was removed and only 5% of Sicilian municipalities had prepared mandatory municipal asbestos audits. There are still no authorized landfills for asbestos disposal in Sicily. The hearing was warned of the dire consequences of the overwhelming failure to implement Sicily’s asbestos plan. See: In Sicilia 330 scuole a rischio amianto, 1 milione di metri cubi da smaltire [In Sicily 330 schools at risk of asbestos, 1 million cubic meters [sic] to be disposed of].
Pro-Victim Ruling: Eternit Condemned
Sep 18, 2019
Brazil’s Superior Labor Court increased the amount awarded against Eternit, formerly Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate, to Reais 600,000 (~US$147,000 ) for moral and material damages for the mesothelioma death of a former employee following workplace asbestos exposures which took place decades ago. He died in 2012, more than 37 years after he had left Eternit; he had been employed for almost one year at the company’s Osasco factory in the manufacture of asbestos-cement pipes. See: Deferida indenização a espólio de ajudante que descobriu câncer 35 anos após dispensa, diz TST [Compensation granted to employee who contracted cancer 35 years after dismissal, says TST].
Increasing Asbestos Restrictions: Update
Sep 16, 2019
Law 10,849/2019 adopted by the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo prohibited the industrialization, trade and use of products, materials or artefacts containing any type of asbestos. A new proposal currently going through the state legislature will further restrict the use of asbestos products such as water tanks and tiles; Bill 699/2019 will prohibit the transportation, import, export, storage and delivery to third parties, even free of charge, of materials or items containing any type of asbestos. These prohibitions are being adopted in recognition of the global consensus regarding the human health risks posed by exposures to asbestos. See: AMIANTO: Projeto fecha cerco contra amianto no ES [ASBESTOS: Project closes siege against asbestos in ES].
Building Technical Capacity
Sep 16, 2019
Last week, asbestos training was provided by Australian technical experts to Cambodian laboratory staff for the first time at sessions which took place in Phnom Penh. State-of-the-art scientific equipment and microscopes for the testing of asbestos-containing material were provided by the Australian Safety and Eradication Agency in the presence of representatives of the Australian Embassy in Cambodia, Australia’s Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA, the Building and Woodworkers’ Union, the Ministry of Commerce and the Cambodian Ban Asbestos Network (CAMBAN). See: Photo from training session (sourced from the Facebook page of Australia’s Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA).
Environmental Asbestos Hazard
Sep 16, 2019
Local people and activists concerned about the hazard posed by the presence of asbestos-containing building material in the Glòries area of Barcelona have filed a complaint with the Environmental Prosecutor requesting that it mandate remediation work by the owners of the toxic properties which are in close proximity to: the Gaia School, the Encants School and the Leonor Serrano municipal nursery. The Barcelona City Council has also been petitioned by the campaigners who are also calling on City Hall to make decontamination work a high priority. See: Ecologistas en Acción denunciará el amianto del entorno de las Glòries [Ecologists in Action will denounce the asbestos around the Glòries].
Asbestos Update
Sep 16, 2019
Although asbestos was banned in Turkey in 2010, the failure of local and regional authorities to deal effectively with asbestos in the built and natural environment meant that toxic exposures continued to pose a risk to human health according to Kenan Yildiz, a spokesperson for (Turkey’s) Asbestos and Hazardous Waste Association. In an online commentary, Yildiz also alleged that many provinces and district municipalities had failed to acknowledge the asbestos hazard and did not comply with official and mandatory asbestos guidelines. Illegal asbestos products can, he said, still be purchased in Turkey via the internet. See: “Takdir-i idari” bir risk: Asbest [An on-going hazard: Asbestos].
Brazil’s Asbestos War
Sep 12, 2019
The almost daily vicissitudes regarding the fate of Brazil’s asbestos ban were detailed in an article published by BBC News Brasil on September 11, 2019. The text summed up the dynamics and processes which led to the 2017 Supreme Court ban on asbestos and highlighted efforts by vested interests to curtail the ban so that asbestos mining and export could continue. The roles played by important stakeholders including ABREA – the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed – Campaigner Fernanda Giannasi, Attorneys Marcia Kamei Lopez and Leonardo Amarante, researchers Drs. Hermano Casto and Arthur Pires Amaral and others were discussed. See: Saúde ou emprego? O dilema do amianto, que fez Goiás desafiar STF [Health or employment? The asbestos dilemma that made Goiás challenge STF].
Asbestos Alert: Toxic Waste
Sep 12, 2019
Multiple complaints over a prolonged period have been raised regarding the environmental hazard posed by the dumping of asbestos-containing waste on the outskirts of the Las Vaguardas neighborhood in the town of Badajoz in the southwest of Spain and in and around the Sancha Brava Gorge. Amongst the waste which is present in areas used for hiking and sports are piles of broken asbestos-cement roofing tiles manufactured by Uralite. Speaking about the dumping of the asbestos Guillermo Villasan, President of the Las Vaguadas neighborhood association, said: “it is unsustainable that such an amount of toxic material is piled up on public roads, outdoors and within the reach of anyone." See: Los escombros y el amianto rodean Las Vaguadas [Rubble and asbestos surround Las Vaguadas].
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 12, 2019
On September 11, 2019, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) held a press conference at which it announced the union’s call for a $100 million program to remove asbestos from the city’s schools in the aftermath of the mesothelioma cancer death of a teacher exposed to asbestos at Meredith elementary and another local school. The money would pay for a city-wide program to address not only asbestos contamination but also the hazard posed by lead remaining in the buildings. According to the PFT, asbestos-containing material has been found in about 150 school buildings in the Philadelphia School District. See: Union Wants $100M for Asbestos Removal from Philly Schools after Teacher’s Cancer Diagnosis.
Asbestos Remediation: Update
Sep 12, 2019
Local politician Brian Kisila is pressing the County Government of Machakos to implement plans to remove asbestos roofing at Mwala Level Four Hospital in Mwala, Kenya pursuant to the government’s plans to implement a national asbestos remediation program. Commenting on the situation Kisila said: “The hospital is being given a makeover and I would like to urge Governor Mutua to consider replacing the harmful asbestos roofing in the hospital, just like other government buildings.” See: MCA wants Mwala hospital's asbestos roof replaced.
A Decade of Toxic Exposure
Sep 12, 2019
A front-page newspaper feature in The Times of Malta is being credited with ending a 10-year impasse on the remediation of hazardous asbestos waste dumped on a privately owned 1,000 square meter site in Naxxar, a town in the Northern Region of Malta. The clean-up came 10 years after an enforcement notice had been issued and within days of The Times article. Naxxar Mayor Anne Marie Muscat Fenech Adami expressed the concern of local people over the health hazard posed by the toxic material on the open site, which included broken asbestos-cement building products. The owner, who had been given a deadline to clear the material, had previously failed to do so. See: Asbestos removed from Naxxar field after Times of Malta pressure.
Asbestos in Merchant Marine Vessels
Sep 10, 2019
On September 6, 2019, 450 employees at a facility in Brest, France which specializes in the maintenance of merchant marine vessels mounted a protest over ongoing exposures to asbestos products fitted on ships whilst at foreign ports despite the fact that France banned asbestos in 1996. Even ships which have “asbestos-free” certificates have been found to be contaminated; in China, anything containing less than 15% asbestos is considered to be asbestos-free. See: Brest. L’amiante provoque la colère des pros du port de commerce [Brest. Asbestos provokes anger of commercial port personnel].
New Mandatory Asbestos Audits
Sep 10, 2019
A September 5, 2019 editorial on the website of The Asahi Shimbun, a highly respected daily newspaper in Japan, urged the Government to follow international precedents and tighten up laws to prevent exposures to asbestos-containing products incorporated within the national infrastructure. Recommendations proposed by a subcommittee of the Central Environment Council to the Ministry of the Environment will form the basis of an amendment to the Air Pollution Control Act and will mandate the introduction of asbestos audits prior to the commencement of building renovation or remediation work. All audits must be submitted to local authorities in order for permission to proceed to be granted. Japan banned asbestos in 2004. See: (社説）石綿規制強化 [(Editorial) Strengthening asbestos regulations].
Toxic Cosmetics: Another Recall
Sep 10, 2019
Another scandal over asbestos contamination of cosmetics has been revealed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which last week advised consumers to stop using certain cosmetic products because of their toxic content. Beauty Plus Global, the company selling these products, issued a voluntary withdrawal of the of the following contaminated products: City Color Collection Matte Blush (Fuchsia), City Color Cosmetics Timeless Beauty Palette, City Color Bronzer (Sunset) and City Color Shimmer Bronzer (Caramel). In May 2019, the company recalled other asbestos-containing cosmetics after FDA tests. See: FDA Advises Consumers to Stop Using Certain Cosmetic Products.
Eternit Abandons Asbestos!
Sep 9, 2019
In a press release issued by Eternit, S.A. – formerly Brazil’s biggest asbestos conglomerate – company President Luís Augusto Barbosa confirmed that Eternit had “abandoned 100%" asbestos and would now play a leading role in the green revolution by introducing a new asbestos-free photovoltaic tile, capable of transforming solar power into electricity. Product testing is ongoing and Eternit expected the tiles to be on the Brazilian market within 18 months. The USP of the new Eternit product is that the photovoltaic cells are applied onto the tile itself without the need for an additional panel. See: Eternit lança telha de energia solar e diz que superou Amianto [Eternit launches solar power tile and says it has overcome asbestos].
Asbestos U-Turn
Sep 9, 2019
France’s Council of State on August 27, 2019 suspended provisions of an interministerial decree of July 16, 2019 stipulating that as of July 19 identification of asbestos prior to the commencement of work must be undertaken by certified operators. According to the ruling which accomplished this reversal: “While it is undeniable that the prevention of asbestos-related risks constitutes a public health imperative, it is not established, in the circumstances of the case, that the continued operation of these provisions is required.” See: Amiante: le Conseil d'Etat suspend l'obligation de certification avec mention pour le repérage avant travaux [Asbestos: Council of State suspends obligation of certification requiring identification before works].
Asbestos Epidemic: At Home and Abroad
Sep 9, 2019
An article detailing manmade disasters highlighted the toll paid by humanity for the profits of the asbestos industry. According to one Spanish expert, by 2018 there had been nearly 4 million deaths worldwide from exposures to asbestos with a further ~3.5m expected between 2018 and 2040. In Spain, a total of 100,000 asbestos-related deaths were expected by 2040. The recognition of asbestos-related diseases in many EU countries is either non-existent or exceedingly low. According to a recent publication by the European Economic and Social Committee: “Asbestos remains the main source of occupational cancer in the EU… [and] claims approximately 88,000 lives in Europe each year...” See: El amianto mata [Asbestos Kills].
Unsafe Choice: Asbestos Pipes
Sep 9, 2019
An online article on a website from Ukraine analyzed alternative products available for usage in sewage systems including those made from: ceramics, cast iron, plastic and asbestos cement (AC), pointing out that the hazards posed by the use of AC pipes meant that they should only be used “if other materials are not suitable due to low throughput or the inability to work in difficult conditions.” “Asbestos is,” the author noted “quite fragile, and also dangerous for the environment and people. Cement is heavy, difficult to install.” See: Трубы для канализации: есть ли лучший материал? [Sewer pipes: is there any better material?].
Supreme Court Appeal
Sep 5, 2019
An appeal by Asian Asbestos Victims’ Groups to the Brazilian Supreme Court which is due to announce its decision on the totality of the country’s asbestos ban – in light of appeals by vested interests for exemptions to allow a further 10 years of asbestos mining for export purposes – any day now has been detailed in a feature article on the Brazilian website of Viomundo. The author summarized the background to the current case and quoted from an appeal sent by the asbestos victims to the Court. See: Amianto: organizações fazem apelo aos ministros do STF para que mantenham proibição total [Asbestos: Organizations Appeal to STF Ministers to Maintain Total Ban].
Asbestos Causes Cancer!
Sep 5, 2019
Russia, for decades the world’s largest supplier of asbestos, has long denied that exposure to asbestos caused any ill health effects despite the global consensus that such exposure could cause fatal cancers as well as debilitating diseases. In a piece published online on September 4, the chief oncologist of the Ministry of Health was quoted as saying that a main cause of cancer was exposure to “classified chemicals, such as asbestos…” As Russian asbestos industry representatives and government officials continue to deny the existence of asbestos-related diseases, this statement is significant. See: Главный онколог минздрава назвал три основных фактора развития рака [The chief oncologist of the Ministry of Health names three main factors for the development of cancer].
20 Years after the UK Ban
Sep 5, 2019
Recent articles in the Morning Star newspaper highlighted the human and societal costs of the United Kingdom’s 100+ years love affair with asbestos, citing Health and Safety Executive data which revealed an ongoing deadly epidemic currently killing 5,000 people every year. In light of this devastation, the author deplored the fact that UK-based companies were continuing to profit from global asbestos sales. The David and Goliath legal battle mounted by June Hancock, an asbestos cancer victim, against a subsidiary of the British multinational Turner & Newall Ltd. was remembered in a second article (see: The Woman Who Took on the Armley Asbestos Tragedy). See: Asbestos – a Bloody Anniversary!
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 5, 2019
Deteriorating friable asbestos material has been identified in 100 schools in New South Wales (NSW); asbestos-containing products have been found in more than 2,000 other state schools according to surveys commissioned by the Education Department. Even where the material is not friable, “damaged asbestos” in 1,000+ schools is a cause for concern. At a hearing on September 4, 2019 Education Minister Sarah Mitchell faced a barrage of questions about this situation. Dismissing Mitchell’s reassurances, a Labor Party spokeswoman said: “The government can't tell us what they're going to do to get rid of it and parents are rightfully gonna be pretty scared hearing this.” See: More than 100 NSW schools have the 'worst kind' of asbestos - is your child's among them?
UK Mesothelioma Compensation
Sep 2, 2019
A scheme set up by the UK government in 2014, and paid for by a levy on the insurance industry, to provide compensation for people who contracted diffuse mesothelioma from occupational exposures and whose former employers could not be traced has, to date, paid out £172.6m. Official statistics published on August 29, 2019 reported that: in the financial year 01 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, 370 applications were received; excluding pending applications, 79% of applications received were successful; 92% of applicants were male – 68% of successful applicants (68 per cent) were aged between 65 and 79. See: Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme Official Statistics.
Asbestos & Cocaine: Brazil's Toxic Exports
Sep 2, 2019
A shipment of chrysotile (white) asbestos from the Brazilian Port of Santos, intercepted after Interpol alerted the authorities in South Africa, was found to contain 700 kilograms of cocaine valued at $216 million. It took customs officers 12 days to locate the container with the drugs amongst the 3,000 containers on-board the vessel MSC Spain. It’s alleged that the drugs were being shipped by a Brazilian drugs’ gang headed by Karine de Oliveira Campos and her husband, Marcelo Mendes Ferreira, neither of whom has been apprehended by the police. See: Carga de minério cancerígeno escondeu mais de 700 kg de cocaína, diz PF [Carcinogenic ore load concealed more than 700 kg of cocaine, says PF].
Asbestos Remediation Initiative
Sep 2, 2019
From September 2 to December 2, 2019, residents of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano in Northern Italy could be entitled to reimbursements of up to 70% of the cost of asbestos removal and disposal work incurred during remediation work on residential properties up to a maximum of €10,000. Alternatively, eligible residents could claim 50% of the costs incurred as a tax deduction. Information about this scheme can be obtained online or via a telephone hotline. See: Incentivi Provincia per bonifica da amianto: dal 2 settembre nuove richieste di contributo [Province incentives for asbestos removal: from 2 September new requests for contributions].
Asbestos: A Regional Concern
Aug 30, 2019
The first of three case studies examined in a new paper about cancer prevention in the Americas focused on the issue of asbestos exposures in Brazil, formerly an asbestos producing and using country. The authors noted that while the long-awaited 2017 Brazilian ban on asbestos was welcomed, it was of serious concern “given the poor visibility of workers’ health compared to other public health priorities of the country,” whether the necessary measures would be implemented by the government to prevent future exposures to asbestos-containing material already within the national infrastructure and environment. See: Pollution in the Americas: a leading cause of disease burden and an opportunity for cancer prevention.
Asbestos Exposure in the Navy
Aug 28, 2019
It has been announced that as the French State had decided not to appeal a decision of the Administrative Court of Rennes – awarding 45 maritime officers from Nord-Finistère between €3,000 and €10,000 for occupational exposure to asbestos during the period 1950-2000 – the verdict was now final. The compensation is being paid to retired naval personnel for “asbestos anxiety.” Jean-Paul Le Roux, representing a group which had campaigned for the injured, predicted that thousands of officers may eventually benefit from this landmark ruling giving veterans the same benefits as civilians. See: L’Etat définitivement condamné à indemniser des militaires de la marine exposés à l’amiante [State finally obliged to compensate naval personnel exposed to asbestos].
Asbestos Cancer in Australia
Aug 28, 2019
Figures just released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) in a report entitled Mesothelioma in Australia 2018 documented that 699 Australians died last year from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. According to AIHW spokesperson Justin Harvey: “The number of recorded mesothelioma diagnoses and deaths that occurred in 2018 are expected to increase as more notifications continue to be received by the registry.” While incidence rates varied across states, between 2015 and 2018, Western Australia had the highest age-standardized rate of mesothelioma: 4.4 cases per 100,000 people. See: Almost 700 Australians died from Mesothelioma in 2018.
Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Aug 28, 2019
For a decade, the leading cause of occupational deaths in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan has been exposure to asbestos. Between 2009 and 2018, mesothelioma and other asbestos-related lung diseases accounted for ~23% of the 388 fatalities recognized by the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board. Even though Canada has banned the use of asbestos, asbestos-containing material remains in many Saskatchewan homes and workplaces. To prevent future toxic exposures, WorkSafe Saskatchewan has launched a provincial awareness campaign to educate home owners and tradespeople about the hazards posed by asbestos. See: Asbestos exposure leading cause of work-related deaths in Saskatchewan.
Asbestos in Schools
Aug 28, 2019
Initiatives to remove asbestos roofing from schools in the town of Câmara de Gaia on Portugal’s north-west coast have resulted in work commencing on some premises with remediation at other schools being considered by the municipal council this week. The city has allocated €5.4 million for a phased three-year program which will not only remove the asbestos but also implement measures to reduce energy and heating costs in 33 schools. Mayor Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues highlighted the potential hazard posed to staff and schoolchildren by the degradation over time of asbestos-cement roofs. See: Câmara de Gaia aproveita obras em 33 escolas para remover amianto das coberturas [Câmara de Gaia takes advantage of works in 33 schools to remove asbestos from roofs].
Honeywell’s Asbestos Liabilities
Aug 28, 2019
The former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti has initiated an investigation of Honeywell International Inc. which on August 23, 2018 disclosed a $1,083 million underestimate of its asbestos-related liabilities. On October 19, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it was investigating Honeywell’s accounting practices for its asbestos-related liabilities as a result of which the company and some of its executives were sued in a securities class action lawsuit for allegedly failing to disclose material information. See: Honeywell Investigation Initiated by Former Louisiana Attorney General.
Asbestos Production in Zimbabwe
Aug 27, 2019
The company – Shabanie Mashaba Mines (SMM) – that operates Zimbabwe’s Mashaba chrysotile asbestos mine has announced plans to export raw asbestos fiber for the first time in a decade. According to media reports, the fiber had not been produced by mining but by processing of the mine’s tailings; between 1907 and 2007, asbestos mining at this site had produced 143 million tonnes of asbestos-containing waste. The first asbestos shipment which will be transported in a fortnight is destined for India. Meanwhile, work on revitalizing the asbestos mine is ongoing. The company said that within 3 years, production at the mine will be 75,000 tonnes/year. See: SMM to resume asbestos exports.
Medical Care for Asbestos Victims
Aug 27, 2019
On August 22, a hearing took place in Capivari regarding arrangements for the dispensation of funds to look after asbestos victims as per a court agreement with the former asbestos company Brasilit. Under discussion were the purchase of equipment and the operation of the diagnostic imaging center to be built next to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Capivari Hospital. Amongst those in attendance were representatives of the Capivari Asbestos Exposed Association, the Brazilian Asbestos Exposed Association and Rodrigo Proença, the Mayor of Capivari. See: Prefeito Rodrigo vai ao Ministério Público do Trabalho para tratar da criação do centro de diagnóstico por imagens [Mayor Rodrigo goes to the Labor Prosecutors’ Office to discuss the creation of the diagnostic imaging center].
Asbestos at the Supreme Court
Aug. 27, 2019
Mandatory monitoring of the Grand Court of Japan’s Supreme Court in October 2018 revealed illegal levels of airborne asbestos as a result of which use of the Court was suspended in February, 2019. During the construction of the Court, sprayed asbestos had been applied to large aluminium panels in this part of the building; an inspection of the premises a decade ago had confirmed the presence of the hazardous material. Japanese law stipulates measures to protect workers from toxic exposures including asbestos removal and disposal. With asbestos removal completed in July, the Grand Court will reopen in October, 2019. See: 最高裁大法廷にアスベスト、使用中止 実は１０年前発覚 [Asbestos in the Supreme Court, discovered 10 years ago, results in court closure].
Asbestos on the Subway
Aug 27, 2019
A trade union official in Argentina has confirmed that five workers employed by Metrovías, the company which operates the Buenos Aires Metro, have been diagnosed with pleural plaques, a condition which indicated that they had been exposed to asbestos. All of the injured had worked at the Rancagua and Villa Urquiza workshops which were part of the underground line B subway operations; in total 200 people are employed at these premises. See: Al menos 5 trabajadores del subterráneo de Buenos Aires contaminados con asbestos [At least 5 subway workers in Buenos Aires contaminated with asbestos].
Asbestos Pollution in Russia
Aug 23, 2019
This article referenced below contrasts the high-profile electioneering activities in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk of Governor Alexei Texler with his negligence over complaints regarding pollution created by a factory producing paronite – asbestos rubber sheeting for gaskets made with chrysotile asbestos – located in close proximity to a residential area. An action group led by Alexander Shmal had some success when production was suspended in January 2018 by the Sovetsky District Court of Chelyabinsk due to non-compliance with environmental standards. Within a month, production restarted under the aegis of a “new company” and behind a higher fence. See: Предвыборный пиар от Алексея Текслера [Election PR from Alexei Texler].
Asbestos Ban Upheld
Aug 23, 2019
On August 23, 2019 Federal Supreme Court Minister Ricardo Lewandowski denied a motion by the Sama Minerações (SAMA) asbestos mining company and upheld Brazil’s asbestos ban. As a result, the actions of the São Paulo State Dock Company that prevented SAMA from exporting asbestos through the port of Santos were deemed legitimate. According to Minister Lewandowski, the Supreme Court declared the unconstitutionality of Federal Law 9,055/1995, which allowed the exploitation of chrysotile asbestos. Consequently, the transport and export of chrysotile asbestos was also incompatible with Brazil’s constitution. See: Lewandowski nega liminar e mantém proibição de exportação de Amianto [Lewandowski denies injunction and upholds asbestos export ban].
Asbestos in Schools
Aug 23, 2019
Teachers remain disturbed by the presence of asbestos and the hazard it posed to students and staff in Clearwater Middle School, an East End school in Bermuda, according to Shannon James, head of the Bermuda Union of Teachers. Despite an announcement that the government had undertaken work to remove asbestos during the summer holidays, James said parents and staff remained concerned. According to Department of Education sources, an independent inspection had been ordered “to ensure the school is safe to occupy.” This issue had been ongoing since August 2017 when an inspection revealed the contamination. See: Teachers have ‘grave concerns’ about asbestos.
Mesothelioma Mortality in Brazil
Aug 23, 2019
A newly published academic paper considered measures for reducing the regional cancer incidence in the Americas and highlighted the role played by environmental and occupational exposures to toxins. One of the three case studies focused on the repercussions of exposures to asbestos in Brazil and examined steps taken to identify, monitor and address the problems caused, such as the establishment of a national collaborative research network and a national interdisciplinary epidemiological investigation. Data cited showed that mesothelioma mortality had tripled between the periods 1980-2000 (0.77 per million) and 2000-2012 (2.1 per million). See: Pollution in the Americas: a leading cause of disease burden and an opportunity for cancer prevention.
Asbestos at the White House
Aug. 22, 2019
It was announced on August 21, 2019 that asbestos removal operations at the White House have necessitated the relocation of the offices of several members of staff including Presidential daughter Ivanka Trump. Considering Donald Trump’s long-term love affair with the deadly dust and the refusal of his administration to prohibit its use – as has been done by all other G7 countries – this work would appear to be something of a waste of money. If asbestos removal is required at the White House, what about the thousands of US schools, hospitals and public buildings which contain it? See: Ivanka Trump, Kellyanne Conway, and other top Trump aides have had their White House offices relocated to remove potential asbestos.
An Unequal Trade
Aug 22, 2019
Just over 1% of the value of exports from Kazakhstan – the world’s third largest producer of chrysotile asbestos – to India in the first half of 2019 was for chrysotile asbestos. The bilateral trade is heavily weighted in Kazakhstan’s favour with its sales to India amounting to ~$623 million (twice as high as in 2018) and India’s exports worth just ~$136 million, 8.5% up on 2018. The imbalance in the trade and the fact that an acknowledged carcinogen such as asbestos is exchanged for tea and cell phones, warrants further scrutiny by civil society groups in India concerned about public and occupational health. See: Казахстан продает Индии нефть, а покупает чай и See: сотовые телефоны [Kazakhstan sells oil to India, and buys tea and cell phones].
Asbestos in the Built Environment
Aug 22, 2019
A Spanish Ombudsman has ordered regional authorities to prioritize work on remediating asbestos-containing material in public buildings following resolutions passed in June 2019 regarding toxic schools in Alicante and Valencia. The Ombudsman mandated that work plans be submitted in a timely fashion in order to confirm that the potential health hazards were being addressed expeditiously and stipulated that: risk assessments for each affected center be undertaken and “a rational and realistic plan of action for the [speedy] removal of asbestos, with a work schedule” be submitted. See: El Síndic exige a Educación que acelere la retirada del amianto de los colegios [The Síndic [Ombudsman] requires Education to accelerate the removal of asbestos from schools].
Chrysotile Asbestos and Laryngeal Cancer
Aug 22, 2019
The findings of US researchers contained in the paper referenced below, which was uploaded to the website of Modern Pathology on August 5, 2019 confirmed the link between exposure to chrysotile (white) asbestos and the occurrence of laryngeal cancer. The authors of the text concluded that: “The presence of asbestos fibers in the epithelial tissue surrounding laryngeal SCC [squamous cell carcinoma] in cases with a history of occupational asbestos exposure adds a key line of physical evidence implicating asbestos as an etiologic factor.” See: Chrysotile fibers in tissue adjacent to laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in cases with a history of occupational asbestos exposure.
Asbestos: “A Wonderful Life”
Aug 20, 2019
The “puff piece” referenced below highlights the history of asbestos mining in the Urals, extolled the importance of the Uralasbest company which employs 7,000 of the 63,000 people living in the monotown of Asbest and described the operations needed to extract asbestos fiber from rock. The section which described the “anti-asbestos campaign” noted that the “fight for chrysotile” is “successfully” being waged around the world by half a million people – including representatives of asbestos processing and producing sectors, trade unions and scientific institutions. See: «Ураласбест»: путь хризотил-асбеста от руды до множества продуктов [Uralasbest: the path of chrysotile asbestos from ore to many products].
Asbestos on the Subway
Aug 20, 2019
A corporate asbestos legacy has made 2019 an “annus horribilis” for the company in charge of the Spanish capital’s underground system Metro de Madrid with: adverse court sentences in asbestos death cases and closures of stations due to asbestos discoveries. At what should have been a time of celebration – marking the company’s 100th anniversary – the Metro’s reputation is continuing to suffer constant blows from new asbestos discoveries and withdrawals of toxic rolling stock. See: El peor año de Metro de Madrid: amianto, estaciones cerradas y descontento de los viajeros [The worst year for Metro de Madrid: asbestos, closed stations and travellers discontent].
Asbestos Removal Regime: Update
Aug. 20, 2019
On July 24, 2019, France’s Council of State – a government body which advises the executive branch and the supreme court on legal, administrative matters and public policy, one of France’s “principal guarantees of the rule of law” – cancelled a decree stipulating skill certification criteria for asbestos removal specialists and the introduction of mandatory asbestos audits prior to the commencement of work which came into force on July 19, 2019. This policy reversal has caused uncertainty and concern throughout the asbestos removal industry. See: Amiante: le Conseil d'Etat perturbe l'entrée en vigueur de l'obligation de repérage avant travaux [Asbestos: the Council of State disrupts the enforcement of the obligation of identification before works].
Mandatory Promotion of Chrysotile
Aug 19, 2019
Rules introduced in Russia on July 1, 2019 outlawed the submission of construction work tenders which forbid the use of chrysotile and chrysotile-containing products. Extolling the multiplicity of advantages of modern chrysotile products – low cost, high degree of strength and safety, extremely resistant to mechanical stress, etc. – the article referenced below alleged that an international campaign to discredit chrysotile had convinced Russian consumers of the asbestos hazard and depressed national consumption. See: Борьба с суевериями: как скажется изменение правил аукционов на хризотиле? [Fighting superstitions: how will changing the rules of tendering affect chrysotile use?].
Asbestos in Schools
Aug 19, 2019
Politicians in Lorca, a city in southeastern Spain, have called on the Murcia Region’s Ministry of Education to take urgent action on the hazard posed by the widespread asbestos contamination of schools. According to Councillor Antonia Pérez there are 6,000 square meters of asbestos roofing and other toxic products such as pipes still present in schools built in or before the 1980s. Lorca’s Mayor is supporting these demands saying all educational centers should be asbestos-free by 2028, at the latest. See: Exigen “celeridad” para retirar el amianto de los centros educativos de Lorca [Demand for “speed” to remove asbestos from schools in Lorca].
Wittenoom: The End?
Aug 16, 2019
Legislation to deal with the hazard posed by the widespread asbestos contamination of the almost derelict asbestos mining town of Wittenoom, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (WA), has had its 3rd reading in the WA Legislative Assembly. Bill 120 will allow the State to compulsory purchase the 17 tracts of land belonging to five people in preparation for a final shutdown of the town which remains a bizarre and deadly tourist attraction. According to supporting text of the legislation: “The State may only demolish the remaining buildings, close the townsite and commence managing the risks posed by the area once all of the freehold land in Wittenoom has been revested in the State.” See: Wittenoom Closure Bill 2019.
Unsafe Asbestos Removal
Aug 16, 2019
The Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT), a major Spanish trade union, has condemned exposures to asbestos experienced by members working at the Port of Malaga. Work to remediate asbestos-containing material from the port is ongoing and while asbestos operatives on site have protective clothing, UGT members and other workers have received neither protection nor notification regarding the specifics of the work being conducted in defiance of government regulations. The Labour Inspectorate has been informed of the “serious and imminent safety risk to workers' health.” See: UGT denuncia la exposición al amianto de funcionarios en el puerto de Málaga [UGT denounces the exposure to asbestos of officials in the port of Malaga].
Asbestos in the Built Environment
Aug 16, 2019
The answer to a Parliamentary question submitted to the Belgian Minister responsible for the government’s buildings agency revealed that in the last five years, 10% of government buildings had been subject to measures to deal with asbestos-containing material. In some of the 104 buildings affected, asbestos was removed; in others, airborne levels were monitored with no further action taken. Buildings on which asbestos remediation work was carried out included: police stations in Uccle and Etterbeek, the Monnaie theatre, the former justice palace in Antwerp, Ghent prison and a centre for asylum-seekers in Kapellen in Antwerp province. See: Federal government buildings still contain asbestos, says report.
Mesothelioma in South Africa
Aug 14, 2019
Liz Darlison MBE from Mesothelioma UK and Tracey Wood from the Glynnis Gale Foundation are on a fact-finding trip this week to South Africa to learn about mesothelioma treatment and care in the Northern Cape Province, the former location of several asbestos mines. In its heyday, the South African asbestos mining sector employed 20,000 miners, many of whom died from hazardous occupational exposures. During the trip, Ms. Darlison and Ms. Wood will meet with clinicians, patients and stakeholders in the Northern Cape to learn first-hand about the treatment available to patients with asbestos cancer. See: UK Cancer Nursing and Charity Team Visit South Africa to See Impact of Asbestos-related Cancer.
Asbestos Mining: Expose
Aug 14, 2019
Despite decades of denial, the deadly price paid by workers for the profits of the Brazilian asbestos mining industry is beginning to emerge. A PhD dissertation by Arthur Pires Amaral, which was featured in the article below, revealed the repercussions of occupational exposures to asbestos mine workers and their families at the now closed SAMA chrysotile asbestos mine in the city of Minaçu: “These former SAMA employees died without any medical assistance and financial compensation from the mining company, often being held responsible for the worsening of their poor health conditions,” wrote Amaral. See: Negação do adoecimento pelo Amianto [Denial of Asbestos Disease].
Asbestos Propaganda
Aug 14, 2019
Russian asbestos propaganda promoting the advantages of using chrysotile (white) asbestos in brake pads cited research findings by asbestos industry-commissioned scientists such as David Bernstein, Rick Rogers and Paul Smith, which discount the human health hazard posed by exposures to chrysotile asbestos; publications by Denis Paustenbach, an expert often used by defendants in US asbestos lawsuits, Craig Poland and Roger Duffin are cited to counter claims regarding the health hazard to mechanics of working with chrysotile brake pads. See: Борьба за хризотил: тормозные колодки на прицеле у ученых [The fight for chrysotile: brake pads - scientific update].
Asbestos Scheme in Jersey
Aug 14, 2019
A scheme – the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme – which will be operational from October, 2019, has been announced by the Government of Jersey to compensate Jersey residents who contract mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. Eligible claimants could receive a one-off payment of up to £92,000 but amounts are dependent on the age of the applicant, with older people receiving less; a person aged 70 would be entitled to £17,961, claimants aged 77 or over would receive £14,334. This scheme is a result of campaigning by asbestos victims; a 2018 e-petition attracted over 1,300 signatures. See: Up to £92K for sufferers of asbestos disease in Jersey.
Asbestos in Schools
Aug 13, 2019
Between July 2018 and 2019, more than 1,000 schools in Flanders have applied to the Public Waste Agency of Flanders for funding to remove asbestos; to date, all of the applications received have been approved. According to data released, remediation work is being planned or has already been started at 250 educational premises. The Government of Flanders has designated the removal of asbestos from schools a high priority. See: Al meer dan duizend Vlaamse scholen deden aanvraag voor subsidies voor asbestverwijdering [More than a thousand Flemish schools have already applied for asbestos removal subsidies].
Environmental and Public Health Initiative
Aug 13, 2019
An outreach project entitled Diferentes Formas de Dizer Não – Experiências de proibição; resistência e restrição a mineração [Different Ways to Say No – Prohibition experiences; mining resistance and restrictions] promoted by the Brazilian Environmental Justice Network in the City of Muriaé in the southeast of the State of Minas Gerais – east of Brazil’s former asbestos mining State (Goiás) – is being carried out between August 13 and 15, 2019 to consider the health, economic and environmental impact of mining operations and examine topical issues, such as demands by vested interests to recommence asbestos mining banned by a 2017 ruling by the Supreme Court. See: Poster for the Workshops.
Remediation of Asbestos Roofing
Aug 13, 2019
For over ten years, the Government of Rwanda has been committed to securing the removal of asbestos roofing from public and private buildings due to the known health hazard. Last week, Claver Gatete – the Minister for Infrastructure – announced that within a year the asbestos roofing on all public buildings would be removed. An asbestos expert predicted that this scheme would cost the government at least US $5,000,000. Because of the government’s positive attitude to the remediation, more asbestos removalists have been trained and more asbestos disposal sets designated. See: Govt. sets fresh deadline for asbestos removal.
New Asbestos Documentary
Aug 13, 2019
After decades of government denial, the price paid by Canadians for occupational asbestos exposures is emerging: thousands of deaths every year at a cost of billions of dollars for healthcare and lost productivity. The documentary “Town of Widows” was screened on the Canadian Broadcasting Channel on August 8, 2019 and focused on the consequences of asbestos exposures at the General Electric plant in Peterborough, Ontario where 225+ kilograms of asbestos were used every day. Former workers recounted the “snowstorm” of asbestos and the prolonged and complex fight for compensation faced by the injured and their families. See: The Facts about Asbestos Cancer and Compensation in Canada.
Asbestos Exports to Asia
Aug 12, 2019
An article on a Russian language website boasted of increasing sales of Russian chrysotile asbestos to countries in Asia, including Laos, China, India, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam, due to its unparalleled chemical, physical and cost advantages. The short infomercial concluded that: “In the region where most of the world's population lives, there is always a high need for cheap, durable and reliable housing. That is why chrysotile is chosen for the construction of affordable and premium housing by both state-owned companies and private construction corporations.” See: Хризотил-асбест: импорт минерала в страны Юго-Восточной Азии неуклонно растет [Chrysotile asbestos: mineral imports by Southeast Asia growing steadily].
Health Advocates Support Asbestos Ban
Aug 12, 2019
During the 16th National Health Conference this month, a motion circulated by The Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) repudiating efforts by asbestos vested interests to force the Supreme Court to allow asbestos mining for export was strongly supported. The petition condemned Goiás State law 20.512/2019 which permitted chrysotile asbestos mining, processing and transport for export purposes in contravention of the Court’s 2017 ruling outlawing the asbestos industry. See: 16ªCNS: Abrea encaminha menção de repúdio sobre liberação da exportação do amianto ao STF [16th National Health Conference supported ABREA motion rejecting asbestos miners’ appeal to Supreme Court (for export exemption to national ban)].
Spain’s Asbestos Legacy
Aug 12, 2019
With 1,900 people dying every year from asbestos-related diseases in Spain, the hazard posed by toxic products within the national infrastructure is a threat to both occupational and public health. According to government figures, few cases of asbestos disease are recognized and even fewer compensated. The asbestos problem on the Madrid Metro was highlighted; in an industry where asbestos products were widely used, the company operating the capital’s subway denied the existence of this problem until 2018 and even now fails to address the problems caused by asbestos exposures to workers and commuters. See: Amianto en Metro Madrid: ¿cuánto tardará la muerte en ser una rutina? [Asbestos in Metro Madrid: how long will it take to address?].
MoD Asbestos Contamination
Aug 12, 2019
Although personnel from an MoD (Ministry of Defence) site in Ashchurch, Gloucestershire where asbestos had been found have been put on “indefinite leave”, 20+ guards are still patrolling the military site. According to trade union official Caren Evans: “Requiring MoD guards to continue to patrol a site which is otherwise shut down owing to asbestos contamination is alarming. Workers have to change their boots, clearly indicating a risk of further contamination. No worker should be placed in harm’s way. Changing boots does not protect workers from breathing in asbestos, which can have fatal consequences.” See: No response from MoD on worker asbestos exposure.
Record Mesothelioma Award
Aug 7, 2019
On August 6, a South Australia Employment Tribunal found Australia’s former asbestos giant James Hardie negligent for failing to take reasonable steps to warn of the hazards of exposures to their products in a case brought by home renovator and mesothelioma sufferer 42-year-old Mathew Werfel who was awarded $3 million in compensation. “The potential future liability for James Hardie is extraordinary,” said Werfel’s lawyer who affirmed that “James Hardie ought to be held liable in circumstances where persons have come into contact with their product in the years after they've been installed.” See: DIY handyman wins landmark $3 million asbestos compensation claim against James Hardie.
New Asbestos Regulations
Aug 7, 2019
Regulations which become enforceable from July 19, 2019 in France mandate that asbestos audits be carried out even before minor work such as replacing pipework or removing insulation could begin; failure to do so could incur financial penalties of up to a €18,000. The new law was passed to protect workers and the public from exposures which are responsible for the country’s second biggest epidemic of occupational diseases. It could, one expert predicted, take another 30 years to remove all asbestos from France. See: Le diagnostic amiante devient obligatoire même pour de menus travaux [Asbestos audit becomes mandatory even before smaller jobs].
The Lancet’s Asbestos Editorial
Aug 5, 2019
Citing the latest mesothelioma mortality data from the UK’s Health and Safety Executive, an editorial in the latest issue of The Lancet (August 2019, Vol. 20) – the world’s oldest and most prestigious medical journal – condemned national governments which had failed to protect human health by banning asbestos and warned that in nations such as the US, Russia, China and others which are still using or producing asbestos “we can only expect the incidence of asbestos-related mesothelioma and diseases… to continue to rise unless governments act to address this highly preventable cause of premature death.” See: Asbestos exposure: the dust cloud lingers.
Asbestos and Cancer
Aug 5, 2019
An August 1, 2019 article on the causation of cancer on the website of a regional newspaper in Belarus listed asbestos as the first of six potentially toxic hazards which should be avoided, and highlighted the everyday risk posed by breathing in asbestos fibers at home or at work. Such exposures could, over a period of time the article said, cause lung cancer. Asbestos remediation work should be undertaken by specialists to avoid the risk of inhalation. The other dangers listed were: X-rays, smog, alcohol, the sun and red meat. See: Названы повседневные вещи, которые могут вызвать онкологию [Everyday things that can cause cancer].
Asbestos Cancer Rate Increasing
Aug 5, 2019
A recently published analysis of statistics for malignant mesothelioma (MM) mortality in Greece during the period 2005-2015 has shown a significant increase compared to previous decades, with higher rates in individuals, both male and female, between 70 and 80 years old throughout most of the country. The authors speculate that “this increase is possibly due to the fact that the peak in asbestos production and use in Greece was in the mid 1990s… Based on these findings the MM epidemic in Greece has not yet peaked, therefore it is important to implement screening strategies for early MM detection.” See: Mesothelioma Mortality Rates in Greece for the Period 2005-2015 Is Increased Compared to Previous Decades.
Asbestos on the Railways
Aug 2, 2019
According to officials from the state-owned railway company in France – the SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français) – since 1997 there has been no asbestos in the company’s rolling stock. Nevertheless, for six months this year (2019) workers engaged in the maintenance of freight cars at an SNCF workshop in Ambérieu-en-Bugey (Ain) received toxic occupational exposures. As a result of the contamination, work on suspect carriages was suspended; on July 29, workers were told that if full production was not resumed at the workshop, the facility would be closed. See: Vers une « affaire amiante » à la SNCF [The “asbestos affair” at SNCF].
Asbestos at Nissan Plant
Aug 2, 2019
A Barcelona Court has issued the first verdict against Nissan for the asbestos death of a former employee, a maintenance technician, from one of its plants in Barcelona who had been occupationally exposed to asbestos in brake pads/discs and printing presses, as a result of which he died of mesothelioma in 2014. The Court found the company to be negligent for failing to prevent toxic occupational exposures to occur. The case was brought by the widow of the deceased. See: Primera sentencia que señala al amianto como causa de muerte de un extrabajador de Nissan [First sentence that points to asbestos as the cause of death of a Nissan former worker].
On the Road to an Asbestos Ban
Aug 2, 2019
A new article on the website of Australia’s Union Aid Abroad highlighted the importance of the June 28, 2019 launch of the Cambodian National Asbestos Profile, a useful resource for decision-makers, workers and consumers working to safeguard health and safety by identifying the dangers posed by asbestos exposures in workplaces and communities in preparation for the implementation of national prohibitions. Speaking at the launch, Mr. Leng Tong, Advisor to the Ministry of Labor and Employment Training, said: “Cambodia is still allowing asbestos use because we do not have tools for checking this substance, but in the future, Cambodia will prepare to erase asbestos, to implement an asbestos ban.” See: Fight to Ban Asbestos Boosted in Cambodia.
Supreme Court Victory
Jul 30, 2019
On July 29, 2019, the Supreme Court issued a verdict granting public access to court documents in a case involving a British subsidiary of a former asbestos multinational. The judgment in the case of Cape Intermediate Holdings Ltd v Dring (for and on behalf of Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK) can be accessed at Cape Intermediate Holdings v Dring Judgment and a press summary at Press Summary. In lead judgment, Lady Hale wrote: “The default position should be to grant access to documents placed before a judge and referred to by a party at trial unless there was a good reason not to do so.” See: Supreme Court ruling grants public access to court documents.
Turkey’s Asbestos Disaster
Jul 30, 2019
Plans announced by Gürkan Akgün, Head of the Department of Reconstruction and Urbanism in Istanbul, have been attacked by environmentalists on multiple grounds including the hazard posed by demolition of asbestos-containing buildings. According to researcher, Asli Odman urban transformation schemes which started in 2011 in Turkey spread asbestos throughout the country due to failures to remediate buildings prior to demolition or renovation. “Asbestos is the Chernobyl of the future,” she said. See: Gürkan Akgün: Taksim için yakın zamanda açıklama yapılacak [Gurkan Akgun: [plans for?] Taksim will be announced soon].
Toxic Cosmetics Recalled
Jul 30, 2019
On July 27, 2019, Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered recalls of two types of cosmetic products containing asbestos which had been manufactured by the Tainan-based TJ Group. Following alarms raised over the toxic products by the authorities in the US and Canada, the FDA inspected the company’s factory in Tainan and tested nine samples collected from the plant. The products which were found to contain asbestos were: City Color Contour Palette and Contour Palette 2 Bronze Highlight. See: Cosmetic products ordered off shelves over asbestos.
Asbestos-free Brakes Recommended
Jul 29, 2019
An article on a Russian news portal recommended the use of asbestos-free brake pads as replacement parts for motor vehicles, saying that the alternative products containing asbestos were harmful to human health as well as the environment. Asbestos-free brake pads made with polymers, mineral or organic fibers were, the author reported, widely sold in EU countries which have banned asbestos and were becoming more popular in Russia. Russia is the world’s leading supplier of asbestos fiber and Russian vested interests lead a multi-lingual and well-financed campaign to promote asbestos sales around the world. See: Почему лучше отказаться от асбестовых тормозных колодок [Why it is better to refuse asbestos brake pads].
Lung Cancer Verdict
Jul 29, 2019
A court in Pamplona handed down a judgment ordering the former employer of MA, who died of lung cancer in 2017, to compensate the deceased’s family, finding that “his death was due to cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.” MA had started work for the Super Ser company in 1964 and continued to work there for 22 years during which time the company changed name on multiple occasions; it is now: BSH Electrodomésticos España SA). Throughout his employ, he had worked with asbestos with no knowledge of the hazards. See: Condenan a una empresa a indemnizar a las hijas de una trabajadora navarra fallecida por el Amianto [Company has to compensate the daughters of a worker from Navarra who died because of asbestos].
Colombia Bans Asbestos
Jul 29 2019
An article on the website of the European Trade Union Institute reviewed the tortuous road to the asbestos ban achieved this summer in Colombia, highlighting the role played by trade unionists, asbestos victims and environmental campaigners in the face of fierce opposition from asbestos vested interests, employers and right-wing politicians. The author Laurent Vogel reviewed the involvement in this saga of the Swiss-Belgian asbestos multinational: Eternit which had, since 1942, played a pivotal role in developing Colombia’s asbestos manufacturing sector with asbestos-cement factories in Sibaté, Calí and Barranquilla. See: Colombia bans asbestos.
Asbestos: Then and Now
Jul 29, 2019
South Africa has been categorized as the “Mesothelioma Capital of the World” due to the fact that it has the world’s highest rate of mesothelioma, from decades of asbestos mining and use. Thirty per cent of all the patients diagnosed were exposed to asbestos environmentally in the Northern Cape Province. The presence of asbestos-containing products in the region’s schools remains troubling and work to decontaminate the buildings is proceeding slowly. At Delta Primary School as six out of 14 classrooms were contaminated a “partial replacement” remediation program has been scheduled for 2024/25. See: Damaging Effects Of Asbestos Schools In Kimberley.
Banning Asbestos!
Jul 26, 2019
At a ceremony in Bogotá, Colombia on July 24, 2019 President Iván Duque formalized the law banning asbestos production, marketing, export, import and distribution by 2021 in the presence of the Minister of Health Juan Pablo Uribe, Senator Nadia Blel, sponsor of the bill, and several Colombians affected by asbestos exposures. The President announced the creation of a commission responsible for phasing out asbestos and ensuring that a just transition took place so that affected workers and their communities would not lose out. See: Presidente Duque sancionó ley que prohíbe el uso del asbesto en Colombia [President Duque passes a law that prohibits the use of asbestos in Colombia].
Toxic Talc
Jul 26, 2019
An online article on a Vietnam news portal highlighted the hazard posed by using Johnson & Johnson’s asbestos-contaminated baby powder and included details of research conducted in the United States regarding the risk to consumers as well as the increase in litigation by users whose cancers were alleged to have been caused by daily use of the powder. The author questioned how such a trusted company could have failed to address the situation and warned consumers that it was their responsibility to carefully choose which brands to use. See: Trong sản phẩm Johnson Baby có chứa Amiăng – kẻ giết người thầm lặng [Johnson Baby product contains asbestos - silent killer].
Asbestos and the Army
Jul 26, 2019
Up to 1,000 of the 2,600 people diagnosed in the UK with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma every year are Armed Forces personnel; asbestos was commonly used in military vehicles, ships and buildings. To provide those affected with support, Helen Wilkes has been designated as the country’s first clinical nurse specialist to assist serving personnel and veterans affected by asbestos-related diseases. Information she will be providing under the nationwide programme will include material on benefits available, treatment options and the latest clinical trials. This Government-funded initiative is also supported by funding from two mesothelioma charities. See: UK's First Asbestos-Related Cancer Nurse To Focus On Military Patients.
Occupational Asbestos Exposure
Jul 26, 2019
An academic paper found that in a cohort of 230 at-risk workers in asbestos manufacturing, construction, building demolition, tsunami clean-up and other trades examined, 16 (7%) had contracted lung fibrosis. Of the injured, 1 was a construction worker, 6 were tsunami workers, 6 came from the demolition industry and 3 from other industries. Sri Lanka has one of the highest consumptions of chrysotile asbestos per capita. The authors expressed a: “significant concern… [for] the safety of asbestos demolition workers and cleanup workers exposed to asbestos debris from major natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, typhoons, and tsunamis.” See: Prevalence of Asbestos-Related Disease Among Workers in Sri Lanka.
Asbestos Propaganda
Jul 26, 2019
A commentary in the Colombian newspaper “El Spectador” on July 24, 2019 critiqued comments made in an interview with Jorge Enrique Gómez – representative of the company owning Colombia’s only asbestos mine – who alleged that chrysotile (white) asbestos could be used safely due to its “low biopersistance.” This argument – developed by a toxicologist commissioned by asbestos interests – has been discredited by independent scientists and reputable associations and agencies. Gómez’s statement that no mine workers had contracted asbestos-related diseases since the 1980s is erroneous as shown by filmed interviews with two mine workers with asbestosis. See: Aclaraciones sobre la peligrosidad del asbestos [Clarifications on the danger of asbestos].
Federal Funding for Asbestos Clinic
Jul 26, 2019
Federal funding of $2.5m for the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) Clinic in Libby, Montana has been announced, to sustain a pioneering medical screening program for local people who were exposed to asbestos liberated during the operations of the W.R. Grace & Co. vermiculite mine. The money, which is being provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, will be used to pay for chest x-rays, breathing tests and the Clinic’s operational costs as it provides support and security for the population of Libby; hundreds of townspeople have died from asbestos-related diseases and many more have been diagnosed with these diseases. See: Clinic gets $2.5M for asbestos screening.
Supreme Court Asbestos Litigation
Jul 24, 2019
On July 19, 2019, the National Association of Labor Attorneys submitted a motion to the Supreme Court (STF) requesting the suspension of a law adopted on July 16, 2019 by the Brazilian asbestos mining State of Goiás – contrary to the 2017 STF ruling prohibiting the commercial exploitation of asbestos – to allow the recommencement of chrysotile asbestos mining. According to lawyer Mauro Menezes: “the law published by … Goiás should be invalidated, because it is a deliberate repetition of content already declared to be unconstitutional (by the Court).” See: ANPT pede no STF suspensão imediata de lei que libera amianto em Goiás [ANPT asks STF for immediate suspension of law that releases asbestos in Goiás].
Oesophagus Cancer and Asbestos
Jul 24, 2019
Uralita, formerly one of Spain’s largest manufacturers of asbestos building products, was ordered by the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia to pay €330,000 to the family of a worker who died from cancer of the oesophagus as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos. According to the Court, the fatal disease was caused by the deceased’s “continuous exposure to asbestos in his workplace.” The case was brought in 2018. See: Uralita pagará más de 330.000 euros a la familia de un trabajador que murió por el Amianto [Uralita will pay more than 330,000 euros to the family of a worker who died from asbestos].
Asbestos: The Human Cost
Jul 24, 2019
Data obtained from New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation in response to an enquiry made under the Official Information Act reported that the number of mesothelioma and asbestos-related claims lodged between July 2014 and June 2019 was 1,076, of which 310 applications had been for people who had died of these illnesses. The number of claims lodged for individuals diagnosed with these diseases over the five year period was fairly consistent and averaged 215 per year. Data for accredited employer claims were excluded. See: Accident Compensation Corporation Reply to Freedom of Information Request [Reference: GOV-000716].
Toxic Talc at Sumitomo
Jul 24, 2019
On July 19, 2019, an appeals court in Osaka, Japan issued a claimants’ verdict in a case brought over occupational exposure to asbestos-contaminated talc used at a tire factory in Kobe City belonging to Sumitomo Rubber Industries. Damages of 100 million yen (~US$925,000) were awarded to seven former workers or their surviving families; all of the claimants, six of whom have died, had contracted the asbestos-related diseases mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer. See: 住友ゴムのアスベスト訴訟、控訴審は全員勝訴 1億円の支払い命じる [Sumitomo Rubber's asbestos lawsuit, appeals court orders victory payment of 100 million yen].
Korea’s Asbestos Legacy
Jul 24, 2019
A commentary on the website of Korea’s Science Times considered the price ordinary citizens had paid for the use of asbestos in Korea and highlighted the disturbing fact that the vast majority (93%) of those who contracted asbestos-related diseases had been exposed non-occupationally. Half of the injured had received toxic exposures living near the asbestos mines in Chungcheongnam-do or living in an area in which naturally occurring asbestos was found. Considering the long latency period of asbestos-related diseases, the author of this text predicted that Korea’s asbestos epidemic would continue for decades to come. See: 불에 타지 않는 ‘석면’과 ‘살라만드라’ [Fireproof ‘Asbestos’ and ‘the Salamandra’ (a Greek mythical animal)].
Asbestos in Barcelona
Jul 24, 2019
Work to remove asbestos from seven public buildings in Barcelona, including the headquarters of the Barcelona City Council, will begin this year; the program is scheduled to be completed in 2020 at a cost of €195,000. The contractors have guaranteed that safe conditions for workers and users of municipal buildings will be provided. Asbestos on the Barcelona subway has led to strikes and much negative newspaper coverage this year; medical checks are ongoing for at-risk workers and three retired employees have been diagnosed with lung cancer. See: Barcelona eliminará elementos con amianto de siete edificios municipales [Barcelona will eliminate asbestos elements from seven municipal buildings].
Asbestos at Gas Plant
Jul 22, 2019
The discovery of chrysotile asbestos on July 1, 2019 at the Woodside Energy gas plant in Western Australia, the country’s largest gas plant, was blamed on industrial sabotage by the company, which called for a police investigation. The asbestos was contained in 12 gaskets at the Karratha facility. Tests conducted on July 9, confirmed the suspect fiber as chrysotile asbestos. Police were unable to find evidence of criminal activity and no further contamination was discovered. See: Australia’s largest gas and oil plant claims it has been sabotaged in a horrifying act of industrial espionage endangering thousands of workers.
Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Jul 22, 2019
A commentary on the website of an online French magazine reflected on the country’s asbestos legacy in light of new findings by Public Health France, which confirmed that 1,100+ people are dying from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma every year. The June 2019 report analysed data over the 20 years since France banned asbestos and confirmed that “exposure to asbestos remains and will remain for several decades to come a major public health issue.” Author Jean-Yves Nau concluded that more needs to be done to inform health professionals of the mesothelioma epidemic and the resources available to support patients diagnosed with this disease. See: Le scandale de l'amiante est une bombe à retardement [The asbestos scandal is a time bomb].
Asbestos and Car Mechanics
Jul 22, 2019
A new report by the US newspaper Seattle Post revealed that 1 in 10 auto mechanics are at risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease (ARD) from workplace exposures to asbestos in brakes, heat seals and clutches: “dust found in repair shops and garages contained 2.26%-63.8% asbestos… high amounts of asbestos fibers were found in 75% of shops that performed clutch and brake repairs regularly.” According to recent research undertaken by Dr. Murray Finkelstein, who disputed findings of previous studies that “proved” brake dust did not cause asbestos cancer, auto mechanics have an elevated risk of contracting an ARD. See: Car Mechanics Still Face Asbestos Exposure Risks.
Asbestos Workshop
Jul 22, 2019
On June 10-12, 2019, an asbestos workshop was held in Manila by Australian medical and scientific experts on asbestos and asbestos-related diseases and representatives of international bodies including the World Health Agency and the International Labor Organization. The participation of the Australian delegation, which included Professor Ken Takahashi, Dr Yuen Yee Cheng, Dr Kenneth Lee, Dr Anthony Linton, Dr Matthew Soeberg, Dr Ben Johnson, Mrs Jocelyn McLean and Ms Ari Yuen, was facilitated by the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute. See: Asbestos Training Workshop For The Philippines, 10-12 July 2019.
Goiás vs. the Supreme Court
Jul 22, 2019
On July 16, 2019, the Governor of the Brazilian asbestos mining state of Goiás Ronaldo Ramos Caiado sanctioned law number 20.514/19 which authorized the recommencement of chrysotile (white) asbestos mining in the State contrary to the 2017 Brazilian Supreme Court ruling banning the production, use, sale and export of asbestos in Brazil. Considering that the parent company of the SAMA asbestos mine, Eternit, SA, had fired all 400 mine workers some weeks ago in light of the national ban, it remains to be seen whether this law has any practical import. See: Mesmo com decisão do STF, Caiado sanciona lei que autoriza amianto em Goiás [Even with STF decision, Caiado sanctioned law that authorizes asbestos in Goiás].
Court Vacates Asbestos Case
Jul 19, 2019
On July 18, 2019, investigating judges in Paris dismissed charges against former officials of the automotive supplier Valeo-Ferodo who had been indicted for “homicide and unintentional injuries” over asbestos exposures to 22 employees between 1952 and 2007 in Condé-sur-Noireau (Calvados), France. On July 10, the same Court had dismissed charges over asbestos exposures in a factory owned by Eternit which had employed up to 1,200 workers at sites in Vitry-en-Charolais and Saone-et-Loire. Both decisions are to be appealed by the National Association for the Defense of Asbestos Victims. See: Amiante: les juges ordonnent un non-lieu dans le dossier Valeo-Ferodo [Asbestos: judges order a dismissal in the Valeo-Ferodo case].
Ovarian Cancer and Mesothelioma Incidence
Jul 19, 2019
US researchers studied the occurrence of mesothelioma and ovarian cancer in various states using data sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Program for Cancer Registries and the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. They found that the incidence of ovarian cancer tended to be higher in states with high mesothelioma incidence and concluded that: “ovarian cancer incidence was positively correlated with mesothelioma incidence, suggesting asbestos may be a common exposure.” The authors of the paper urged that steps be taken to protect people from asbestos exposures at work, at home, at school and in the community. See: Geographic Co-Occurrence of Mesothelioma and Ovarian Cancer Incidence.
Phasing Out Asbestos Roofs
Jul 19, 2019
Since the beginning of 2019, efforts to change roofing consumption preferences in rural and mountainous areas of Vietnam, such as Mai Chau, Hang Kia and Pa Co, from asbestos to alternative products have been ongoing, spear-headed by the Farmers’ Association, the Provincial Committee for Ethnic Minorities in Hang Kia and Pa Co areas and (Australia’s) Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA via seminars and outreach initiatives to raise awareness of the health risks posed by asbestos. The Vietnamese Government pledged to stop using chrysotile asbestos roofing sheets from 2023. See: Vào cuộc thay đổi hành vi ngừng sử dụng Amiăng trắng [Changing consumers’ preferences for chrysotile asbestos].
Switzerland’s Asbestos Legacy
Jul 19, 2019
A commentary on a Swiss website detailed the costs in human as well as in financial terms of exposures to asbestos in Switzerland; between 2012 and 2016 an average of 120 people per year died from asbestos-related diseases at an annual cost to the Swiss accident insurance scheme of US$100m+. With the long latency periods of these diseases, the death toll will continue to mount. In light of these facts, the author considered why asbestos was still being used in industrializing countries such as India and highlighted the serious flaws in The United Nation’s Rotterdam Convention, a multilateral treaty designed to regulate the trade in pesticides and chemicals. See: L’amiante, un crime mondial [Asbestos, a global crime].
Asbestos Stops Work!
Jul 19, 2019
Soil samples from a short stretch of road on the embankments of the Bratislava ring road construction project tested positive for asbestos, a substance banned in Slovakia. The construction company, which was given five days to remove the toxic waste by the authorities, asked for an extension as the laboratory report was 180 pages. The contamination resulted from the use of asbestos-containing waste according to Juan José Bregel: “We (the construction company) bought recycled building material from the only supplier, believing it meets all the legal requirements.” The police twice raided the building site over the asbestos contamination. See: Carcinogenic asbestos found under the Bratislava ring road construction site.
Non-Occupational Asbestos Exposure
Jul 19, 2019
A study of lung cancer data from Osasco, a Brazilian city where asbestos had been processed in building products factories, revealed elevated rates of lung cancer mortality in men and women. There was also evidence of increased mortality from tracheal and bronchial cancer in males. The authors found that the study pointed: “to the possibility of increased mortality due to lung cancer in cities exposed to asbestos, especially chrysotile. The surveillance of lung cancer cases and deaths in these areas is strongly recommended.” See: Lung Cancer Mortality Trends in a Brazilian City with a Long History of Asbestos Consumption.
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 18, 2019
Following the publication by the Department of Education of data on the “management” of asbestos in schools, teaching unions – the Association of School and College Leaders and the NASUWT – called for a phased asbestos removal program in schools. According to the asbestos survey, to which ~85% of schools responded (19,522), almost one in five schools are failing to comply with UK guidelines for managing asbestos. Speaking on behalf of the NASUWT Chris Keates expressed concern: “that in a significant number of schools, asbestos is still not being managed safely.”...“The Government is,” she said “simply not doing enough to protect staff and pupils.” See: ‘Stopgap’ attitude to asbestos in schools must end.
Government U-Turn Welcomed
Jul 18, 2019
A press release by an Italian association representing asbestos victims (AFeVA) on July 15, 2019 welcomed the repeal of provisions in law 145/2018 which had penalized workers in receipt of compensation for accidents or industrial disease; the contentious rules had recouped monies previously paid by INAIL from sums received in an annuity, lump sum payment or reimbursement of expenses. See: Danno Differenziale: con la legge 58/2019 abrogate le norme penalizzanti per il lavoratore previste dalla legge 145/2018 [Differential Damage: with law 58/2019, the penalizing rules for workers laid down by law 145/2018 are repealed].
License to Kill
Jul 18, 2019
In an order issued on July 10, 2019, Parisian investigating judges issued a non-suit order for Eternit, formerly the biggest asbestos-cement manufacturer in France with up to 1,200 employees at sites in Vitry-en-Charolais and Saone-et-Loire, ruling that due to the difficulty in establishing the time when claimants were exposed to asbestos, it seemed “impossible to determine who was responsible in the company...and what regulations were required at this unknown date.” Spokespersons for French asbestos victims’ groups said this decision was tantamount to a “license to kill” and would be appealed. See: Scandale de l’amiante: les juges ordonnent un non-lieu dans le dossier Eternit [Asbestos scandal: judges order a dismissal in Eternit case].
Toxic Trade
Jul 18, 2019
An online commentary on an Indian news platform reported on two July 14, 2019 Sunday Times (Scotland) articles identifying UK-registered companies associated with the global asbestos trade and cited data regarding shipments of Russian asbestos to Indian ports, pointing out the hypocrisy that, despite the British asbestos ban, companies based there are still profiting from asbestos sales: “Import data reveals that in February, 2,128 tons of ‘chrysotile raw asbestos,’ worth $1.21m were shipped from Russia by or on behalf of CJ Petrow & Co (Pty) Ltd to the Indian ports of Nhava Sheva, near Mumbai, and Mundra.” See: British companies export ‘deadly’ asbestos to India, other countries from offshore offices.
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 18, 2019
On July 16, 2019 the Department for Education uploaded information about asbestos in schools including: The Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP) Report, a list of participating schools and responsible bodies (up to 19 June 2019) and 2017 asbestos data collection. The conclusion of the AMAP Report, predictably, downplayed the hazard posed by asbestos remaining in the majority of UK schools concluding: “The analysis has revealed good practice in the majority of schools, but some gaps in the management of asbestos in some schools. We will be verifying responses and addressing points of concern with schools and their responsible bodies, and where appropriate share information with the HSE.” See: Asbestos data collections.
Uplift in Asbestos Compensation
Jul 16, 2019
A Brazilian Court has increased the amount of compensation awarded to the estate of an employee of Eternit S.A. to R$600,000 (~US$160,520). The deceased was diagnosed with asbestos cancer 35 years after he left the company. Whilst previous courts had acknowledged Eternit’s liability, the lump sum plus monthly pension awarded had been thought insufficient by the family. In the new verdict, the judge wrote: “The main purpose of compensation for moral damages is not only to compensate for the victim's suffering, but also to punish the offender in a pedagogical way, discouraging the repetition of practices considered abusive.” See: Empresa indenizará por morte de ex-funcionário exposto a Amianto [Company to pay for death of former employee exposed to asbestos].
Ban Asbestos, Say 18 States
Jul 16, 2019
A letter sent on July 12, 2019 by Attorney Generals from 18 US States to high-ranking members of the House of Representatives called on them to support moves for a national ban on asbestos. H.R. Bill 1603 would prohibit the manufacture, processing, and distribution of asbestos in the US, effectively reinstating the ban the Environmental Protection Agency adopted in 1989 and later vacated as a result of industry-backed litigation. The letter was addressed to members of the H.R. Committee on Energy and Commerce and Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change. See: 18 States Call on Congress to Ban Asbestos!.
Kent’s Asbestos Legacy
Jul 16, 2019
Campaigners highlighted the incidence of asbestos-related disease in Kent due to occupational exposures at the Chatham dockyards and the presence of asbestos in local schools at a conference this month (July 2019) in Chatham. Seventy percent of Medway’s schools still have asbestos-containing products in the walls, ceilings, floors and window frames. According to former physics teacher and campaigner John Reeves: “Just slamming a door or putting a drawing pin into a wall can send deadly particles spinning through the air in classrooms.” The HSE advice to leave these products undisturbed is, he said, “rubbish”. See: Thousands of Medway's children and teachers at risk from asbestos in schools.
Protecting At-Risk Populations
Jul 16, 2019
On July 15, 2019, work began on an “asbestos health impact survey” in the Gangjeong-ri area in South Korea’s Gyeonggi-do Province. One hundred and fifty local residents over 50 years old who had lived within a 2 km radius of an a abandoned asbestos mine for 10 years or more were interviewed by staff from the Asan Medical Center, Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University. This initiative was part of a program to minimize the effects of historical asbestos exposures under the country’s Asbestos Damage Relief Act. See: 청양군, 석면 피해주민 보호 [Cheongyang, asbestos damage protection].
Peritoneal mesothelioma in Lombardy
Jul 16, 2019
In a newly published paper, Italian scientists have reported on their study of data from peritoneal mesothelioma (PeM) patients in the Lombardy region of Italy in the British Medical Journal. PeM cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2015 were identified using data sourced from the regional mesothelioma registry. The authors concluded: “Using two different methods of exposure assessment we provided evidence of a clear association between asbestos exposure and PeM risk in the general population.” See: Peritoneal mesothelioma and asbestos exposure: a population-based case–control study in Lombardy, Italy.
Toxic Talc
Jul 16, 2019
According to news reported by Bloomberg online, the U.S. Justice Department and a grand jury in Washington are investigating whether Johnson & Johnson (J&J) officials knew about the cancer risk of the asbestos contamination of their products. The criminal investigation had not been reported previously and the news of this action has impacted on the company’s share price. There are estimated to be 14,000 lawsuits ongoing alleging that the use of J&J’s baby powder caused cases of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. See: J&J Denials of Asbestos in Baby Powder Spur Criminal Probe.
Supporting the Asbestos-Injured
Jul 15, 2019
The asbestos ban bill just signed into law by Colombia’s President included provisions to create: a National Commission for the Substitution of Asbestos – made up of representatives from the Ministries of Environment and Sustainable Development, Health and Social Protection, Trade, Industry and Tourism, Mines and Energy, and Work, as well as individuals from civil society organizations – and a Comprehensive Care Protocol for Persons Exposed to Asbestos intended to provide information and guidance on available resources, appropriate treatments and the legal rights of the injured. See: Presidente sanciona Ley que prohíbe el uso del asbesto en Colombia [President sanctions Law that prohibits the use of asbestos in Colombia].
Paying for Mesothelioma Treatment?
Jul 15, 2019
Former Montreal University employee 66-year old Sandra Ohayon was diagnosed with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma 10 years ago, having been exposed to asbestos whilst at work. The disease had been in remission but returned in 2018. Ms. Ohayon is calling on the State to pay for experimental immunotherapy treatment based on the use of pembrolizumab, a product manufactured by the Merck company, at a cost exceeding $100,000. The University of Montreal denies responsibility for Ms. Ohayon’s health problems and will not pay for her healthcare costs. See: Exposition à l'amiante: “Je me bats pour ma survie” [Exposure to asbestos: “I am fighting to live”].
Toxic Tourism
Jul 15, 2019
Despite warnings regarding the deadly risks posed by visiting the “most contaminated place on the planet” – the former asbestos mining town of Wittenoom, in Western Australia’s Pilbara – tourists continue to make ill-advised trips to the town. Despite its remoteness, inaccessibility and delisting, Wittenoom remains a tourist attraction. According to former Pilbara MP Larry Graham: “The truth is there is not one good reason why anyone should do anything other than put a bulldozer through the joint. It cannot be cleaned up, it is extraordinarily dangerous, and it is the most contaminated place on the planet.” See: Tourists won’t stop visiting Australian ghost town where 2,000 people died – even though the toxic air can kill.
Environmental Asbestos Hazard
Jul 15, 2019
At a hearing in Rome last week convened by Minister of Health Dr. Giulia Grillo, campaigners from Casale Monferrato documented the human cost of asbestos exposures, noting that 4,000 Italians died every year from asbestos-related diseases; 1,200 of these deaths were caused by mesothelioma. With 30 million tonnes of asbestos still in the country’s infrastructure and environment, more deaths – many of which from non-occupational exposures – will occur. In other words, it is as if an entire municipality is being killed off every year. See: Milioni di tonnellate nell'ambiente… l'Italia sepolta dall'amianto. I numeri da brivido [Millions of tons in the environment… Italy buried by asbestos. The shocking numbers].
Hazardous Removal Practices?
Jul 15, 2019
Neighbors living near a derelict cinema in Barcelona which is undergoing asbestos remediation with the removal of toxic roofing, have called upon the municipal authorities for the implementation of more effective measures to prevent the liberation of asbestos fibers during the work, saying that security measures in place to protect local people are “absolutely insufficient” to guarantee the non-dispersion of asbestos fibers. The health of up to 1,000 local people could be endangered by failures to control toxic emissions at this work site. See: Vecinos del antiguo cine Urgell de Barcelona piden más medidas para protegerles del Amianto [Neighbors of the old Urgell cinema in Barcelona ask for more measures to protect them from asbestos].
Asbestos Use in Trumpworld
Jul 11, 2019
A commentary in the July 10, 2019 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine has detailed the threat posed by the Trump administration’s liberalization of regulations on the use of asbestos-containing products and warned of the hazards posed by “the continued use of asbestos in chemical manufacturing as well as in gaskets and brakes,” the renewal of asbestos mining, and continued import of asbestos. “We fear,” the authors conclude “that another generation of American workers will be exposed to asbestos and that a new wave of unnecessary, preventable diseases and deaths will follow.” See: A Most Reckless Proposal — A Plan to Continue Asbestos Use in the United States.
Legal Victory in Asbestos Case
Jul 11, 2019
A personal injury asbestos case, complicated by toxic exposures at multiple worksites, was won in a Madrid court on behalf of mesothelioma sufferer C. Guillen who had, since 1975, been exposed to chrysotile asbestos whilst employed as an electrician. The 61-year old was diagnosed in 2017 and is now receiving medical treatment for the cancer. The court ruled that his “exposure to asbestos was continuous and prolonged over time.” See: Nueva sentencia que declara el mesotelioma de un afectado por amianto como enfermedad professional [New ruling declaring mesothelioma of one affected by asbestos as occupational disease].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 11, 2019
In a new article by Professor Andrew Watterson – who has studied the global costs of asbestos use for a number of years on behalf of the World Health Organization – the hazards posed by the asbestos contamination of UK schools is reaffirmed and readers are reminded that there is no safe levels of exposure to asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen. The author concludes that: “Managing and maintaining asbestos in schools looks likely to continue being a problem, so the commitment to high-quality asbestos removal as the best solution to such a serious health hazard seems the best precautionary approach.” See: Asbestos in schools: what you need to know.
Specialist Care for Mesothelioma Patients
Jul 10, 2019
In a bid to speed up diagnosis and treatment of patients in Scotland with mesothelioma, a new plan has been implemented for all patients referred to the Scottish Mesothelioma Network. Under the scheme, patients will be provided with access to a dedicated mesothelioma clinical nurse specialist, who will deliver enhanced support locally for patients and carers. Network staff, based in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen, will communicate at weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings to discuss patients’ progress and consider treatment options. See: All Scottish mesothelioma patients to get dedicated nurse specialist.
Source of Toxic Cosmetics
Jul 10, 2019
Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on July 9, 2019 that five cosmetic products – including eyeshadows, compact powder and contour palettes and a Jo Jo Siwa’s Makeup set sold by Claire’s Stores Inc. – identified in the US and Canada as containing tremolite and chrysotile asbestos fibers had been made in Taiwan. An FDA spokesperson Huang Wei-sheng named the Taiwan company, saying that most of its products were exported. Nevertheless, the firm was told by the FDA to recall all the toxic items from sale in Taiwan. See: Cosmetics containing carcinogenic asbestos made by Taiwanese firm.
State Asbestos Ban in India?
Jul 10, 2019
According to an online news report, on July 1, 2019 the Chief Minister for the Indian State of Bihar, Nitish Kumar told the state assembly that strong action was needed over the hazard posed by the construction of plants manufacturing asbestos products in the State and said that Bihar was considering a ban on the use of all kinds of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. Two asbestos factories are located in Bihiya, Bhojpur and are operated by Ramco Industries Ltd., a company headquartered in Tamil Nadu. See: Campaign ‘victory’: Bihar considers ban on asbestos, carcinogenic to humans.
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 10, 2019
Following the publication by Public Health France of data documenting the country’s asbestos epidemic, schoolteacher Cyril Verlingue spoke out about the toxic conditions in the Georges Brassens high school where deteriorating asbestos-containing products put the lives of children and staff at risk. Concerned parents and staff throughout the country have founded a campaigning group, Asbestos Schools Emergency (see: Urgence Amiante Ecoles); they say asbestos is present in 85% of the schools in France. See: Amiante dans les écoles: “On n'imaginait pas qu'on ouvrait une boîte de Pandore” [Asbestos in schools: “We could not imagine opening a Pandora's box”].
Posthumous Legal Victory
Jul 9, 2019
When Deanna Trevarthen died in 2016 from mesothelioma, aged only 45, her family carried on the legal battle that Deanna had started. Deanna had been exposed to asbestos brought home on her father’s work clothes and had sought compensation from the Accident Compensation Corporation New Zealand (ACC) for medical bills, lump sum plus weekly compensation payments and funeral costs. On July 8, 2019 a High Court judge ruled that Ms. Trevarthen was eligible for ACC cover. According to the family’s lawyer, this was a significant decision as it extended ACC cover to mesothelioma victims with secondary rather than occupational exposure to asbestos. See: ‘Hug of death’ asbestos case ACC win fulfils a promise to victim.
UK’s Asbestos Crisis
Jul 9, 2019
An article in The Guardian Online’s edition of July 7, 2019 reported that: “The death toll from asbestos exposure has reached crisis levels in Britain … as people pay the price for ‘criminal failings by industry and government’ made decades ago.” The article quoted the latest HSE mortality statistics: 2,523 Britons died from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, in 2017; mesothelioma rates doubled between 1995 and 2017. Interviews with mesothelioma sufferers Mavis Nye and John Chapman personalized the human tragedies behind these statistics. See: Britain’s death toll from asbestos at crisis level, figures reveal.
Writing History!
Jul 9, 2019
A book published in April 2019 in São Paulo entitled Eternidade – A Construção Social do Banimento do Amianto no Brasil [Eternit – The Social Construction of the Brazilian Asbestos Ban] is now available on the website of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed. The book details the struggle by victims to achieve justice for the injured, promote research and campaign to ban asbestos. Individual chapters focus on mobilization in the cities of Osasco, Sao Caetano do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Londrina, Goias, Recife, Pedro Leopoldo, and Simoes Filho e Bom Jesus da Serra. See: Eternidade – A Construção Social do Banimento do Amianto no Brasil [Eternit – The Social Construction of the Brazilian Asbestos Ban].
Uganda’s Asbestos Challenges
Jul 9, 2019
A commentary on July 7, 2019 in The Daily Monitor, an independent daily newspaper in Uganda, called on government officials and private citizens to address the hazards posed by the presence of asbestos-containing material throughout the country’s infrastructure. Asbestos contamination is rife in schools, private homes, police stations and street markets; the Central Market in Entebbe is roofed with asbestos-cement products. The author quoted information from the Health and Safety Executive (UK) and the World Health Organization to substantiate the carcinogenic hazard of human exposures to asbestos. See: It’s time to act on asbestos.
Asbestos Dumping in Sicily
Jul 9, 2019
According to an online article, the illegal dumping of toxic waste is common throughout Sicily. In March, 2018, lawyer Aldo Ganci reported the illegal dumping of asbestos waste in the Sorciaro district of Priolo Gargallo, a commune in Syracuse, to Francesco Paolo Giordano, the Public Prosecutor of Syracuse. Despite Ganci’s report, the evidence he provided and the photographs of the debris he submitted, to date nothing has been done to remediate the site. See: Priolo. Discariche abusive amianto e rifiuti pericolosi, Aldo Ganci: “Purtroppo, le denunce finiscono nel nulla [Priolo. Asbestos illegal dumping and hazardous waste, Aldo Ganci: “Unfortunately, the complaints end up in nothing”].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 9, 2019
An article which discussed the hazard posed by the presence of asbestos-containing products in UK schools detailed the campaign by trade unionists and health and safety activists for a phased removal of asbestos from schools. The article reported comments from “leading cancer expert” Professor Julian Peto that “the campaign to get asbestos removed from all schools in the UK is unnecessary and could cause more deaths.” Disputing Peto’s position, Chairperson of the Asbestos in Schools Group said: “There’s no central database of where asbestos is and what condition it’s in, so he’s making a presumption based on what?” See: Leading cancer expert says campaign to remove asbestos from schools could cause more deaths.
Asbestos Trade Deal
Jul 8, 2019
On July 5, 2019, representatives of the Russian asbestos producer Uralasbest and Cuban businessman Erich Rodriguez signed a trade deal in the Russian asbestos mining town of Asbest agreeing that 6,000 tons of asbestos would be exported to Cuba by the end of the year, with the first consignment of 1,000 tons being shipped in July 2019. During his visit, Rodriguez was given a guided tour of the open-pit mine, the processing plant and the company’s museum. According to Yury Kozlov, General Director of Uralasbest, the agreement signalled the end to concerns regarding global efforts to ban asbestos. See: Ураласбест» поставит на Кубу более 6 тысяч тонн хризотила [Uralasbest “will deliver to Cuba more than 6 thousand tons of chrysotile”].
Asbestos Substitutes
Jul 8, 2019
An article highlighting the popularity of asbestos roofing in Vietnam’s rural areas examines efforts to spread awareness of the hazards posed by human exposures to asbestos – quoting WHO data and Vietnamese technical experts – and the increasing availability and price differential of safer alternatives such as non-toxic polymer plastic fiber materials. The serious health hazard posed by the ingestion of rainwater collected from asbestos-cement roofs is discussed. See: Vật liệu thay thế amiăng [Asbestos replacement materials].
Asbestos Removal Initiative
Jul 8, 2019
An Environmental Protection and Water Management Fund for Lower Silesea, in southwestern Poland, has announced a competition for local municipalities for ~US$1.5 million of funding for the removal and disposal of asbestos-containing waste; over the last 8 years, the fund has financed the removal of 26,000 tons of asbestos waste. To be eligible for the grants, cities must have asbestos audits and a removal program approved by the local council. Poland has set a deadline of 2032 for the removal and disposal of all asbestos-containing products. See: Miliony na usuwanie odpadów zawierających azbest [Millions for the disposal of asbestos-containing waste].
Post-Asbestos Colombia
Jul 8, 2019
An interview with Camilo Araque, one of the leaders of the ban asbestos movement in Colombia, considered how, after multiple attempts to outlaw asbestos in Colombia, asbestos prohibitions were finally approved in June 2019. Araque discussed the nationwide efforts made to raise asbestos awareness and the importance of key campaigning groups such as Greenpeace Colombia and the Foundation set up in the name of Ana Cecilia Niño, a Colombian journalist who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in 2017. See: El desmonte: la nueva batalla que se debe librar contra el asbestos [Remediation: the new battle that must be fought against asbestos].
Asbestos Removal
Jul 8, 2019
Rita Andrade, the Secretary of Social Inclusion and Social Affairs of the Government of Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, last week told the Legislative Assembly of Madeira that 34,000 square meters of asbestos-containing material had been removed from the region’s social housing; this remediation was undertaken in compliance with a plan to remove asbestos from properties in Madeira. See: Amianto totalmente retirado dos bairros sociais da Madeira [Asbestos totally removed from the social districts of Madeira].
Strong Demand for Chrysotile Asbestos
Jul 5, 2019
An analysis by the Eurasian Economic Commission – an association based in Russia and representing the interests of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia – of current trends in the global chrysotile asbestos market reported that for the first quarter of 2019, 237,500 tonnes (t) of chrysotile asbestos were produced by member states with 186,300t (worth $52m) exported to India, China, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Ukraine, Bangladesh and others. See: Производимый предприятиями ЕАЭС хризотиловый асбест является высоко конкурентоспособным на мировом рынке [Chrysotile asbestos produced by enterprises of the EAEU is highly competitive in the global market].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 5, 2019
In a somewhat bizarre coincidence, a front page article about the UK’s asbestos in schools scandal appeared in The Guardian newspaper on Action Mesothelioma Day (July 5), a day when asbestos victims’ groups and charities throughout England, Scotland and Wales will be holding information sessions, public rallies, ecumenical services and other activities to remember those whose lives have been lost due to asbestos exposures. The article reported that 700 schools, attended by thousands of students, had been reported to the Health and Safety Executive over concerns that they were failing to manage asbestos safely. See: Revealed: the asbestos risk at hundreds of schools.
Asbestos Hearing in Korea
Jul 5, 2019
On July 3, 2019, an asbestos hearing was held at the Congressional office building in Seoul; the event was organized by the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea. In attendance were officials from 4 relevant ministries. Asbestos victims from all over the country, including a 29 year old male mesothelioma victim, gave testimony about the impact of asbestos exposures on their lives. To date, 4,000 cases of asbestos-related disease have been recognized by the Government. Asbestos was mined in Korea at 17 mines, including the largest asbestos mine in Asia. More than 10,000 schools still contain asbestos. See: '석면 질환' 잠복기 최소 10년 이상…피해자 증가 우려 [‘Asbestos disease’ incubation period at least 10 years ... Concerns about increased victims].
Colombia’s Asbestos Ban
Jul 5, 2019
An article uploaded on July 4, 2019 confirmed that Colombia’s President Iván Duque Márquez will “very soon” sign into law ban asbestos legislation finalized and approved by Congress in mid-June 2019. Once this has been done, asbestos users will have until January 1, 2021 to make the transition to asbestos-free technologies. The law is named after Ana Cecilia Niño, a Colombian journalist and ban asbestos activist who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in 2017. See: El presidente Duque sancionará la ley que prohíbe el uso de asbestos en Colombia [President Duque will sanction asbestos ban law in Colombia].
British Asbestos Mortality
Jul 5, 2019
Data released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on July 3, 2019, reported a provisional estimate for the number of British deaths from mesothelioma in 2017 as 2,523 [Annex I, page 13]. In 2016, there were 2,595 mesothelioma deaths; the 2017 figures show a fall in mortality of 72 or ~3%. It is premature to conclude that this decrease is symbolic of a long-term trend. Based on previous HSE guidelines, this figure suggests that when combined with other asbestos-related deaths, more than 5,000 people per year are dying from these avoidable diseases. See: Workplace fatal injuries in Great Britain, 2019.
Asbestos Fight-back by Industry
Jul 4, 2019
As support for a ban on the use of chrysotile asbestos for roofing grows in Vietnam, with a deadline set of 2023 to phase-out all use, multiple efforts are being made by vested interests to effect a U-turn in government policy, including a junket from Vietnam led by a Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Xin to visit the chrysotile mine in the Urals and a propaganda offensive in the Vietnamese press (see: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/amiang-trang-hai-hay-khong-124034.html). According to press reports, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Xin said that the purpose of the visit was to learn about the “controlled use of asbestos” as practised in Russia. See: Замминистра Вьетнама прибыл на Урал за горным льном [Chrysotile asbestos brings Vietnamese Deputy Minister to the Urals].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 4, 2019
An article in the Mirror newspaper on July 1, 2019 reported that a recent investigation had revealed that pupils and staff at more than 5,200 primary schools in England remained at risk of asbestos exposures. In addition to the 13 local authorities which reported that they did not have asbestos audits of schools under their control, academies and free schools were exempted from the survey as they were not required to report to their local education authority on asbestos. Since 1980, 319+ teachers have died from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma; 65% of these deaths occurred since 2001. See: Asbestos danger at 5,000 primary schools puts children and teachers at risk.
Asbestos Hearing in Brasilia
Jul 4, 2019
On July 2, 2019, a hearing in the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia took place, hosted by federal deputy Nilto Tatto, to discuss the struggle for Brazil’s asbestos ban and the recognition and treatment of the injured, with presentations from: ban asbestos activist Fernanda Giannasi, President of the Association of the Asbestos-Exposed Eliezer João de Souza, medical experts Ubiratan de Paula Santos and Rene Mendes, Dr. Marcia Lopez Aliaga (Labor Prosecutor and Head of Asbestos Ban Program), Marcos Lopes Martins, former state deputy and author of Law No. 12,684 which prohibited asbestos in São Paulo State. See: Nesta terça, Câmara faz audiência sobre o processo de banimento do amianto no Brasil [This Tuesday, the Chamber is hearing about the process of banning asbestos in Brazil].
City Asbestos Removal
Jul 4, 2019
On July 1, 2019, the Italian Municipality of Cascina activated a free service to enable citizens to dispose of small amounts of asbestos-containing material from panels, slabs, tanks and chimneys at the Navacchio landfill without the use of specialized removal or disposal companies, provided that strict procedures are followed; this service can be accessed three times a year. Disposal of friable asbestos products such as pipe and boiler insulation, gaskets, ceiling insulation, asbestos dust, and asbestos-cardboard panels is not permitted under the scheme. See: Amianto: via libera allo smaltimento fai-da-te [Asbestos: green light for DIY disposal].
Asbestos Challenge to EPA
Jul 3, 2019
On July 1, 2019 the California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and 9 other State Attorney Generals filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) failure to initiate rulemaking to regulate asbestos. The litigants had previously petitioned the EPA to implement new protocols for data collection on asbestos import and use (Full 63-page complaint). See: Attorney General Becerra Files Lawsuit to Force EPA to Issue Rule on Toxic Asbestos.
Asbestos Demonstration in Russia
Jul 3, 2019
A demonstration took place in the village of Severny, in the Urals district of Russia, on June 29, 2019 over asbestos emissions from a factory owned by oligarch Sergey Shmotiev. According to campaigner Andrey Gostev the company’s use of asbestos, a class 1 carcinogen, and dumping of contaminated waste was of great concern to local residents. The protesters accused the company’s owners of sacrificing the lives of workers and members of the public: “While the officials are getting fat, we are choking and dying.” See: Они жируют, а мы умираем». На Урале прошёл митинг против власти и олигарха Об этом сообщает [“They are getting fat and we are dying.” (Asbestos) rally in the Urals against the government and the oligarch].
Court Victory!
July 3, 2019
A ruling by a Toulouse administrative court on June 28, 2019 was widely welcomed by local groups and campaigners in Couflens in the French Pyrenees who have for years been raising objections to the recommencement of operations at the Salau tungsten mine, which is known to be contaminated with actinolite and tremolite asbestos. The verdict brought to an end four years of litigation over the mine; the case for the company Varsican Mines had been supported by Emmanuel Macron, then Minister of the Economy. Between 1972 and 1986, workers at the mine were exposed to asbestos as a result of which some contracted diseases such as asbestosis and cancers. See: France: Tungsten mine contaminated with asbestos will not re-open.
Asbestos on the Metro
Jul 3, 2019
Asbestos contamination of the Barcelona Metro has been the subject of several media reports this year. It was announced last week that on July 5 & 6, 2019 contractors working for the Public Health Agency of Barcelona will undertake sampling at four stations – Catalonia, Passeig de Gràcia, Liceu and Torrassa – lasting between four and eight hours to ascertain whether the asbestos in vehicles and stations has resulted in airborne contamination endangering passengers as well as Metro personnel. See: Catalunya, Passeig de Gràcia, Liceu i Torrassa: les primeres estacions on s'analitzarà la presència d'amiant [Catalunya, Passeig de Gràcia, Liceu and Torrassa: the first stations where the presence of asbestos will be analysed].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 3, 2019
A commentary on a new report by Public Health France, part of the Ministry of Health, which documented the mesothelioma incidence since the country banned asbestos, highlighted the consequences of exposure to asbestos in schools, noting that there were 20 deaths per year from mesothelioma due to occupational school exposures. Asbestos contamination is widespread throughout the educational infrastructure; products installed in the 1970s are now deteriorating. Calls were made for transparency and proactive measures to be taken about the contamination by the Ministry of Education. See: Amiante dans les écoles: des premiers chiffres inquiétants [Asbestos in schools: disturbing preliminary figures].
Rise in Asbestos-Free Technology
Jul 2, 2019
At a meeting in the capital building of Bashkiria, a Russian Republic, Director of the Sterlitamak Slate LLC Ivan Dubrovin announced last week that his company was investing in technology to manufacture “environmentally friendly” asbestos-free cement building products – facades, roofing and materials for interior decoration –suitable for export; work on the transfer of all production to asbestos-free products had begun and one production line was already making the safer products. See: В Стерлитамаке запустят производство фиброцемента и экологически чистого шифера [Production of fiber cement and environmentally friendly slate will be launched in Sterlitamak].
Industry Propaganda Offensive
Jul 2, 2019
The Vietnam Roofing Association, an asbestos lobbying association, has engaged in a media blitz, bombarding news outlets with “proof” that: chrysotile asbestos can be used safely in Vietnam since once incorporated into a cement matrix asbestos fibers cannot be liberated and no one in the country has died from exposures to chrysotile (white) asbestos. The purpose of this initiative was to delay government plans to outlaw the production and use of chrysotile-containing roofing sheets by 2023 as per the country’s asbestos roadmap. Interviews with Vietnamese experts supporting the asbestos ban are featured in the following article. See: Amiăng trắng - hại hay không? [Is chrysotile harmful or not?].
20th Anniversary of Britain’s Asbestos Ban
Jul 2, 2019
A special issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter was published for Action Mesothelioma Day 2019 which examined data, developments and grassroots initiatives in the twenty years since Britain banned asbestos. The eight-page essay included an original timeline listing landmark events from 1898 till 2019, such as the first factory inspector’s report about the “evil effects” of occupational asbestos exposures, the publication of key research papers and the formation of asbestos victims groups and asbestos charities in England, Scotland and Wales. See: British Asbestos Newsletter. Spring/Summer 2019, Issue 109.
Book Launch in Rio de Janeiro
Jul 2, 2019
An iconic book entitled Eternidade: the Social construction of Brazil’s asbestos ban was launched at a public hearing in the Chamber of Deputies in Rio de Janeiro June 28, 2019. The event, hosted by Carlos Minc – formerly Minister of the Environment and a Deputy and Secretary of the Environment of Rio de Janeiro State – featured presentations by author Marina Moura, President of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) Eliezer João de Souza and ABREA Co-founder Fernanda Giannasi. ABREA members were in attendance. See: Livro sobre a luta pelo banimento do amianto no Brasil será lançado na Alerj, sexta-feira (28/6) [Book on the fight for banning asbestos in Brazil will be launched at Rio’s Legislative Assembly on Friday (28/6)].
Asbestos Removal in Toledo
Jul 2, 2019
After years of campaigning by local people from groups such as the Association of Neighbors El Tajo and the Platform My Neighborhood Without Asbestos, officials from the Ministry of Environment of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha have agreed to remediate up to 15,000 cubic meters of asbestos debris dumped in the Polígono neighborhood of Toledo, Spain meters from several apartment buildings. After further inspection and planning, work will begin in the autumn 2019 and is expected to take five months. See: La Junta retirará todo el amianto de Laguna de Arcas (Polígono) tras encontrar 10.000 m3 más de restos [The Board will remove all asbestos from Laguna de Arcas (Polygon) after finding 10,000 m3 more waste].
Asbestos Mining: The Legacy
Jul 1, 2019
An article published on June 27, 2019 documented the tragic reality – long denied by the asbestos mining company and the trade union it controlled – that exposures to asbestos at Brazil’s chrysotile (white) asbestos mine in Minaçu had killed generations of workers, family members and local people. Albertino de Oliveira, who had worked at the mine from 1973 till 1988 bagging asbestos fibers, has lost 7 family members to asbestos-related diseases; the deceased – his wife, father, brother, three uncles and a cousin – had all worked at the mine. Although some information in the article has been rendered redundant – mining operations having ceased earlier this year (2019) – the description of the human tragedy caused by the commercial exploitation of asbestos in Minaçu is accurate. See: The Mine that Kills.
Indonesia’s Asbestos Landscape
Jul 1, 2019
Grassroots groups, including the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network (INA-BAN) and the Local Initiative for OHS Network (LION), campaigning to prevent asbestos deaths in Indonesia have reported that asbestos usage is increasing and that the country now consumes 17% of global annual asbestos production, making it the world’s second largest importing nation. Efforts to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard and prevent exposures are ongoing and include asbestos outreach programs and collaboration with government ministries and relief organizations as well as participation in global asbestos eradication activities. See: Campaign to end asbestos in Indonesia intensifies as imports increase.
Mesothelioma in France
Jul 1, 2019
Epidemiological data on mesothelioma was published on June 27, 2019 by Public Health France covering the period since asbestos was banned (1998-2017). Certain geographical areas and occupational groups were at higher risks, such as people in the North, North-West and South-East of the country and construction workers. In the last 20 years, there was a doubling of cases in women, with 310 female mesothelioma deaths recorded in 1997. “Exposure to asbestos is and will remain for several decades a major public health issue,” the report concluded. See: Exposition à l’amiante et mésothéliome pleural. Retour sur 20 ans de surveillance [Asbestos exposure and pleural mesothelioma. Reflecting on 20 years of surveillance].
UK Mesothelioma News
Jul 1, 2019
The Summer 2019 issue of Mesothelioma Matters was uploaded on June 28, 2019 by Mesothelioma UK in time for the week-long activities marking Action Mesothelioma Day to be held between June 28 and July 7, 2019. The 28-page publication covers a wide range of subjects, including the very latest news about UK mesothelioma clinical trials, the use of new therapies such as cannabis oil to treat symptoms, the events being planned to mark Action Mesothelioma Day 2019 and topical features authored by legal as well as medical and nutritional experts. Information on the work of asbestos victims’ groups is included as is news of awards given for mesothelioma research projects. See: Mesothelioma Matters.
Healthcare for Asbestos Workers
Jul 1, 2019
A medical surveillance program for workers exposed to asbestos whilst employed by the Brazilian asbestos manufacturer Brasilit has been set up pursuant to a court agreement whereby the company agreed to provide healthcare for the asbestos-exposed. Brasilit employees and former employees from the cities of Belém, Capivari, Contagem, Esteio, Recife, São Caetano do Sul and Rio de Janeiro can use the new website to apply for free periodic medical examinations. The website will be active until 2032. See: Após acordo de R$ 25 milhões, Brasilit cria site para cadastrar ex-funcionários expostos a Amianto [After agreement of R$ 25 million, Brasilit creates site to register former employees exposed to asbestos].
Progressing an Asbestos Ban!
Jun 28, 2019
On June 27, 2019, Cambodia’s National Asbestos Profile was launched in Phnom Penh by the Minister of Labour and Vocational Training (MOLVT) Ith Samheng in the presence of 200+ people from key ministries, trade unions employers and members of the Cambodia Ban Asbestos Network. The document, which was two years in the making, was the result of collaboration by 13 Ministries, trade unions, international experts and others; it highlighted categories of workers at high risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases and cited international evidence regarding the deadly hazard posed by asbestos exposures. See: Media Release. Launch of Cambodian National Asbestos Profile.
Mesothelioma Case Report
Jun 28, 2019
What is believed to be the first case of malignant mesothelioma from the Central African region was reported in the June 2019 issue of Environmental Research, a peer-reviewed environmental science and environmental health journal. The patient was a 39-year-old man who died from mesothelioma of the peritoneum in Lubumbashi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Postmortem research revealed that his childhood home on a housing estate belonging to a copper mining company where his father worked in Kambove had been covered with asbestos-cement roofing. Samples of roofing obtained contained chrysotile and crocidolite fibers. See: Malignant mesothelioma in Sub-Saharan Africa: A case report from Lubumbashi, DR Congo.
Asbestos-free Board Production Increase
Jun 28, 2019
Visaka Industries Ltd., India’s second biggest manufacturer of asbestos-cement roofing, announced on June 25, 2019 that it was increasing investment and expanding production in Tamil Nadu of asbestos-free boards under the brand name Vnext; Vnext products are used for wall panelling, dry walls, partitions, false ceilings and other building applications. The new plant, which will be completed in 15 months, will increase production of Vnext boards by almost 30% from 170,000 to 220,000 tonnes. Other Vnext plants are in Telangana, Maharashtra and Haryana. Vnext is marketed as “eco-friendly” and is exported to countries in the Middle East and Africa. See: Visaka Industries to commission ₹100 crore plant for Vnext products in Tamil Nadu.
Asbestos at the Naval Yard
Jun 28, 2019
On June 20, 2019, a lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the District of Guam by mesothelioma victim Eusebio Jacob and his wife Marta against Rockwell Automation, Inc. and Plastics Engineering Company which, he alleged, supplied products containing asbestos that he used between 1962 and 1985 when he worked as a journeyman electrician at the Navy Ship Repair Facility in Guam. According to the plaintiff’s attorney, during his employment Mr. Jacob “was repeatedly exposed to great quantities of asbestos, asbestos dust and asbestos fibers” in products purchased by the US Navy and the Guam Navy Ship Repair Facility from these companies. See: Former electrician sues companies alleging asbestos exposure while working on Navy ships.
Asbestos: Public Health Threat
Jun 28, 2019
A paper published in May 2019 by European researchers considered why the public health threat posed by exposure to asbestos has failed to mobilize governments in so many countries to implement prohibitions on asbestos use and adopt measures to expedite the remediation of contaminated buildings and sites. The authors conclude that: “Policymakers should also raise public awareness of asbestos using measures of the sort that have been adopted for smoking, sun exposure, and unsafe sex. Finally, policymakers should promote the safe and swift removal of asbestos from society by subsidizing asbestos testing and abatement services.” See: Asbestos neglect: Why asbestos exposure deserves greater policy attention.
Another Asbestos Murder Trial!
Jun 26, 2019
On June 25, 2019, an appeal made on May 31, 2019 on behalf of defendant Stephan Schmidheiny was rejected by the Second Court of Assizes of Naples. Schmidheiny was accused of the voluntary murder of 8 people who died from exposure to his company’s asbestos; 6 of them were employees of the Eternit plant in Bagnoli and 2 were family members. The legal proceedings in Naples have now officially begun before Judge Alfonso Barbarano. The next hearing will be on September 27, 2019 and will feature the testimony of two prosecution engineers. See: Amianto, la Corte di Assise respinge la richiesta di proscioglimento per l'ex Ad Eternit [Asbestos, the Court of Auditors rejects the request for acquittal for the former Eternit CEO].
Forest Retreat for Asbestos Victims
Jun 26, 2019
A “healing camp” was held on June 25 & 26, 2019 in South Chungcheong Province in the west of South Korea for 70 Korean victims of asbestos-related diseases and family members. The event, which was run by the Asian Environmental Health Center of Soonchunhyang University, took place in a forest resort. Participants were able to relax in a soothing environment, visit local tourist attractions and develop new techniques for managing their illnesses. Another camp will be held later in the year for asbestos victims from other parts of South Korea. See: 순천향대 천안병원, 충남도 석면피해자 힐링캠프 개최 [Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Chungnam Asbestos victims’ healing camp held].
Asbestos and Lung Cancer
Jun 26, 2019
A medical commentary on a Vietnam website stated that a third of all cancer deaths in the country were due to lung cancer; while the incidence of male lung cancer mortality was decreasing, the incidence for females was increasing. The symptoms, types and available treatments for different forms of lung cancer were discussed and the role of smoking and passive smoking in the causation of the disease were examined. The author wrote that: “Exposure to asbestos also increases the risk of lung cancer, especially among smokers (3 times higher risk than just smoking).” See: Ung thư phổi-Nguy cơ mắc bệnh cao [Lung cancer - High risk of disease].
Costs Rise as Supplier Numbers Shrink
Jun 25, 2019
A circular dated June 15, 2019 from Eastwell Industries Ltd. in Maharashtra, India to its customers informed them there would be a 10% increase in prices of Asbestos Textile and Friction products because of the shutdown of asbestos mining in Canada, Brazil and Zimbabwe and the total reliance on Russian asbestos exports which, as a result of the shrinking number of asbestos producers and escalation of dollar exchange rates, have risen in price by 10-35%. Under the company’s name at the top of the circular it notes that it produces both asbestos and asbestos-free insulation and mechanical packings. Perhaps the price increase of the asbestos products will prove a financial incentive to phase out asbestos use in India? See: Letter from Eastwell Industries (P) Ltd.
Enforcing City’s Asbestos Ban
Jun 25, 2019
Pursuant to Municipal Law No. 8,806 / 2017 prohibiting asbestos and asbestos-containing products in the Brazilian city of Campos dos Goytacaza, Rio de Janeiro State, officers have been carrying out spot inspections at retail outlets to ensure that outlawed building products were not being sold. To date, only one shop out of the 20 inspected was found to be contravening the asbestos prohibitions. The supplier was informed that the asbestos tiles on sale were illegal and they were promptly discarded. See: Procon fiscaliza depósitos de construção para coibir venda de amianto em Campos [Procon supervises construction depots to curb the sale of asbestos in Campos].
National Asbestos Initiative
Jun 25, 2019
A working group has been coalesced by the Italian Government to bring the country’s asbestos laws under the supervision of a single entity, working under the Ministry of Environment. The members of the asbestos commission include: retired Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello, Ezio Bonanni, Giampiero Cardillo and Franco Maroni of the Casale Monferrato asbestos victims’ group (AFeVA); the members of a technical committee which was also created include Professor of Epidemiology Pietro Comba, industrial hygienist Stefano Silvestri and Giordano Bruno, Supreme Court Justice. See: Decreto Ministeriale [Ministerial Decree].
Confronting the Asbestos Hazard
Jun 25, 2019
A discussion on Spain’s asbestos legacy by Professor Rubio from Barcelona University recapped the chemical properties, fiber types and multiple uses. Explaining the downsides to asbestos, which remains throughout the national infrastructure, he cited the policies of international agencies favoring banning asbestos due to the health hazards posed by exposures and noted that the main tool to protect populations from asbestos-related diseases is the “total prohibition of use, the strict control of exposures (in maintenance and remediation work) and the medical control of at-risk people.” See: Debemos luchar contra la epidemia mortal del Amianto [We must fight against deadly asbestos epidemic].
Asbestos in the Navy
Jun 24, 2019
The Administrative Court of Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine) handed down a verdict on June 21, 2019 awarding damages against the French State of between €3,000-10,000 to 50 former sailors based in the north of the country for “asbestos anxiety” caused by exposures to asbestos experienced during military service between 1950 and 2000. The Court found that the Ministry of the Armed Forces had failed to fulfil its obligations as an employer to take adequate measures to protect the health and safety of these workers. See: Exposition à l'amiante: des militaires de la Marine obtiennent gain de cause face à l'Etat [Exposure to asbestos: Sailors win case against the state].
Asbestos in the Environment
Jun 24, 2019
The UN Environment Agency issued an alert on June 21, 2019 warning of the human health hazard posed by asbestos in the natural environment, citing the US example of Swift Creek in Washington State; research by the Environmental Protection Agency has documented levels of asbestos in some dried samples from the Creek containing up to 43% asbestos. The alert also highlighted the potential threat posed by airborne and waterborne asbestos fibers and urged that measures to minimize toxic exposures be implemented. See: Asbestos in the natural environment: how safe are we?
Asbestos Scandal
Jun 24, 2019
A column by medical expert Dr. Liang Xiansun was published this week in Hong Kong's first free health newspaper; the text highlighted the hazard posed by human exposures to asbestos citing statistics and advice from the World Health Organization about the ubiquity and consequences of the unregulated and widespread use of asbestos both in the past and currently. The author pointed out that experts are concerned about future epidemics of asbestos-related diseases in countries which are still producing or using asbestos such as Russia, China and India. See: 石棉危機 [Asbestos Crisis].
Australia’s Asbestos Legacy: Update
Jun 24, 2019
An article published on June 20 in an online Australian manufacturing and industrial equipment magazine reviewed the progress in the 15 years since a national asbestos ban was implemented and highlighted concerns expressed by the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA) regarding the hazards posed by exposures to all types of asbestos. Considering the widespread and unregulated use of asbestos-containing products over decades, homes as well workplaces remained potential sources of exposure. The article restated the ASEA’s opinion that “the only way to properly manage the risk of asbestos is to remove it from the environment (a task that can only be carried out by licensed asbestos removalists).” See: Asbestos Alarm.
Legal Victory: Asbestos & Lung Cancer
Jun 24, 2019
On June 10, 2019, a court in Pamplona, Spain issued a victim’s verdict for the wife and children of a deceased worker (AGP) who had been occupationally exposed to asbestos by Industrias del Hogar SA (which became Orbaiceta SA and is now BSH Electrodomésticos España, SA). From 1972, AGP had handled asbestos, used in the manufacture of stoves, on a daily basis as a result of which he contracted lung cancer and became permanently disabled. Despite his smoking history, the Court awarded the full amount of compensation against the company for its negligence. See: Primera condena a una empresa navarra por el ‘mal del amianto’ [First conviction of a Navarre company for the ‘asbestos disease’].
Asbestos at Court
Jun 24, 2019
According to a new article, French Guiana’s Department of Justice is still in turmoil months after asbestos contamination was discovered to have been widespread throughout the judicial infrastructure. The capital’s High Court has now been closed for two months and officials have had to make arrangements so that hearings could be held and judgments handed down by the High Court as well as the Court of Appeal and the District Court. The situation is unlikely to be resolved any time soon. See: Amiante: ministère de la Justice recherche nouveaux locaux désespérément! [Asbestos: Department of Justice search for new premises desperately!]
Raising Awareness
Jun 19, 2019
At a workshop in Vientiane, Laos on June 18, 2019, training sessions and discussions took place at The Awareness Raising Workshop on the Impact of Asbestos and Asbestos-Related Diseases. The event was an initiative of Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) – in particular the Lao APHEDA team – and the World Health Organization, the Lao Federation of Trade Unions, the Lao Ban Asbestos Network (LAOBAN), and the Lao Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour (see: picture from event). On June 19, asbestos awareness sessions were held in the city for student nurses and dentists.
Award for Mesothelioma Researcher
Jun 19, 2019
On June 14, 2019, Professor Gary Lee was named Cancer Council Western Australia (WA) 2019 Cancer Researcher of the Year for his research into pleural effusion, a build-up of fluid in the chest which affects 8,000+ cancer patients a year in Australia including many with mesothelioma, a fatal cancer of the lining of the lung caused by asbestos exposure. Ashley Reid, Cancer Council WA CEO, said Professor Lee’s trials “have brought major advancements in pleural medicine and are contributing to greatly improved outcomes for patients.” See: Pleural medicine leader named WA Cancer Researcher of the Year.
Asbestos Public Health Risk
Jun 19, 2019
An article uploaded to the web on May 31, 2019 documented evidence accumulated by researchers in Thailand who identified chrysotile asbestos bodies (AB) in autopsy lung tissue from the general population. The levels found were, the scientists said, consistent with non-occupational asbestos exposures: “AB was detected in 48.5% of individuals sampled from the Thai population with a concentration of 0.19-14.4 AB/g wet lung tissue. AB was identified in the lung of a 1.5 year-old infant showing the potential for exposure at an early age. No significant correlation between age, gender or occupation and the asbestos burden was obtained from this study.” See: Asbestos Bodies Burden in the Autopsy Lung Tissue from General Thai Population.
Toxic Talc Verdict
Jun 14, 2019
On June 12, 2019 a jury in Oakland, California awarded mesothelioma sufferer Patricia Schmitz $12 million against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Colgate-Palmolive for their negligence in causing the disease which she contracted through a lifetime’s use of Johnson & Johnson’s iconic baby powder and Colgate-Palmolive’s Cashmere Bouquet both of which contained asbestos fibers. J&J spokeswoman Kimberly Montagnino has said the company will appeal the verdict due to “serious procedural and evidentiary errors in the proceeding that required us to move for mistrial on multiple occasions…”; Colgate-Palmolive also plans to appeal. See: California Jury Awards $12M in Talcum Powder Case Against J&J, Colgate-Palmolive.
Asbestos Compensation Fund
Jun 14, 2019
The current session of the Basque Parliament is once again considering plans to create a compensation fund for asbestos victims; individuals who were exposed to asbestos at work or others who have contracted diseases due to asbestos exposures in Spain would be eligible to bring a claim. Compensation payments, which would be assessed within 6 months of application, would be funded by contributions from public and private sources, including asbestos-using businesses, mutual insurance companies and others as allocated in the State Budget. See: Vuelve al Congreso la ley que exige compensar a las víctimas del Amianto [Congress returns to the law that requires compensating the victims of asbestos].
Portugal’s Asbestos Legacy
Jun 14, 2019
According to official figures, 3,700 public buildings in Portugal are still contaminated with asbestos; a spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment said that remediation work will be carried out on 416 of these premises during 2019. A budget of €370m has been allocated for decontamination work on 1,600 buildings over the next four years. The situation in schools is far worse than officially recognized, according to an NGO, which said that the asbestos audits undertaken only identified asbestos-cement roofing and not asbestos in materials such as floors, panels or ceilings. See: Ainda há 3.700 edifícios com amianto em Portugal. Mas pode haver mais [There are still 3,700 asbestos buildings in Portugal. But there may be more].
Asbestos Hazard: Urban Renewal
Jun 14, 2019
The failure to remove asbestos from buildings due to be demolished in Turkey is, unfortunately, a common problem. A recent report about the construction of the Pendik National Garden in Istanbul on a derelict 250+ acre industrial site provided a good example of warnings unheeded. On January 17, 2019, Cafer Fidan, President of the Association of Asbestos and Hazardous Wastes, reported that the factory had been demolished without an asbestos inventory having been compiled and without the asbestos being removed. As a result, asbestos fibers were dispersed throughout the area destined to be the national garden and will remain in the soil as well as the environment. See: İstanbul'daki millet bahçesinde kanser tehlikesi! [The danger of cancer in the garden of the nation in Istanbul!].
Uplift of Victims’ Rights
Jun 14, 2019
In April 2019, as a result of an unanimous vote by the Belgian Parliament: lung and larynx cancers were added to the list of compensable asbestos-related diseases; the National Asbestos Fund increased compensation for mesothelioma victims by €10,000; and the families of environmental asbestos victims were to be paid funeral expenses of €1000. Welcoming this news, asbestos victims’ campaigners pointed out that the scandal of asbestos in the country’s schools remained ongoing and that it was unjust that the right to sue employers or polluters was relinquished as a result of accepting compensation from the Asbestos Fund. See: Une meilleure reconnaissance des victimes de l'amiante [Better recognition of asbestos victims].
Asbestos Ban in Colombia
Jun 12, 2019
After 12 years and numerous attempts, a bill that banned asbestos mining, processing, use and export by January 1, 2021 was unanimously approved by Colombia’s House of Representatives on June 11, 2019. This is the first time that a Congress of an asbestos-producing country has adopted prohibitions outlawing asbestos. By the end of this session of the Congress (June 20, 2019), the language of the House bill must be reconciled with that of the Senate legislation; both chambers then vote again to confirm the final law which is then sent to the President for signature. These steps are regarded as formalities. See: Congreso prohíbe el uso del asbesto en Colombia [Prohibition of Asbestos in Colombia].
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Jun 12, 2019
Efforts to protect Vietnamese citizens from toxic exposure to asbestos remain ongoing. Researchers have concluded that as 95% of asbestos-containing roofing sheets are currently being used by ethnic minority groups in mountainous areas, steps must be taken in these areas to raise awareness of the human health hazard posed by asbestos exposures and the existence of safer alternative products. Such an initiative has been launched by the IRECO Institute in collaboration with community groups in Hoa Binh and Son La Provinces in Northern Vietnam. See: Ngăn ngừa amiăng trắng vì sức khỏe cộng đồng [Preventing (exposure to) chrysotile for public health].
Asbestos on the Metro
Jun 12, 2019
As a result of complaints from trade unions in Argentina, several underground trains on the Buenos Aires (BA) Metro line B have now been withdrawn from service due to the presence of asbestos. Reacting to news of asbestos-related diseases amongst staff working for Madrid Metro, from where the contaminated BA trains were purchased in 2011 at a cost of €4 million, 160 BA Metro workers from line B – mainly mechanics from the Rancagua and Villa Urquiza workshops – are now undergoing health checks. See: Retiran formaciones de la línea B del subte porque se sospecha que tienen Amianto [Trains withdrawn from B line of subway because they are suspected of containing asbestos].
Asbestos Appeal
Jun 12, 2019
Saint Gobain, the French multinational which was ordered on June 3, 2019 to pay compensation of €20,000 each to 130 workers from its Thourotte factory who have “asbestos anxiety,” has announced it will appeal the decision of the Compiegne labor court. The company’s Secretary General Antoine Vignial claimed that the decision was “not consistent with the most recent jurisprudence of the Court of Cassation which clearly describes the need to verify the individual exposure of employees.” See: Salariés exposés à l'amiante: Saint-Gobain va faire appel de la condemnation [Employees exposed to asbestos: Saint-Gobain will appeal the conviction].
Supreme Court Asbestos Verdict
Jun 10, 2019
Last week it was announced that the Labor Section of Italy’s Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) had confirmed a 2014 Court of Appeal sentence condemning Rete Ferroviaria Italian SPA (RFI) – a state-owned holding company of the Italian railway – for exposures which caused the mesothelioma death of a mechanic who had repaired asbestos-insulated railway carriages. It has been estimated that 3,000 people have died from asbestos-related diseases due to exposures working for the State Railways or living near to RFI premises. See: Amianto, la Cassazione conferma la condanna a Rete Ferroviaria Italiana [Asbestos, the Supreme Court confirms the sentencing of Italian Railway Network].
Final Countdown
Jun 10, 2019
Unless the Colombian House of Representatives approves ban asbestos legislation in its fourth and final plenary debate this week, all the efforts made during this session to protect citizens from deadly asbestos exposures will count for nothing as the draft bill will expire at the end of this Congressional session (June 20). Unfortunately, politicians are divided, with some supporters urging a total ban on production, use and exports while others want an exemption which would allow asbestos mining to continue for export purposes only. See: Eliminación de asbesto: debate definitivo será esta semana [Asbestos removal: final debate will be this week].
Nantes Legal Victory
Jun 10, 2019
On June 6, 2019, the Administrative Court of Appeal of Nantes ordered the State to pay €9,000 in damages for “asbestos anxiety” suffered by an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who had worked in the asbestos-contaminated Tripode building for 21 years. In all, 1,800 civil servants had worked in this building before it was demolished in 2005. In 2016, an epidemiological study was published which revealed that there was an excess of asbestos mortality amongst former Tripode workers. This decisions means that a further 170+ cases will proceed. See: Nantes. Amiante: la Justice valide le préjudice d’anxiété pour une fonctionnaire du Tripode [Nantes. Asbestos: Justice Validates Anxiety Damage for a Tripode Official].
Recall of Asbestos Cosmetics
Jun 10, 2019
On June 6, 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – the federal agency responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety of food, drugs, cosmetics etc. – reported that two US companies had agreed to withdraw from sale cosmetic products which had tested positive for the presence of asbestos. The recalled products, which had been sold by the companies: Beauty Plus Global and Claire’s Stores, Inc., included Contour Effects Palate 2 from the former and JoJo Siwa Makeup Set from the latter. See: FDA Advises Consumers to Stop Using Certain Cosmetic Products.
Asbestos Fines to Fund Clinic
Jun 7, 2019
On June 5, 2019 it was announced that the former Brazilian asbestos-processing company Brasilit had agreed to pay a fine set by the Public Labor Ministry at R$ 25m (~US$ 6.4m) in order to settle lawsuits in the 8th Labor Court of Campinas over illegal occupational asbestos exposures. The money will be used to build a healthcare clinic in Santa Casa de Capivari (São Paolo), where Brasilit workers can be treated for asbestos-related diseases for the next 30 years. The clinic will also provide medical care for community members. See: Empresa que usava amianto fecha acordo de R$ 25 milhões com MPT [Company that used asbestos closes agreement of R$ 25 million with MPT].
Occupational Asbestos Hazard
Jun 7, 2019
A Vietnamese e-magazine website featured an article on June 3, 2019 which highlighted the elevated risk of contracting asbestos-related cancers experienced by construction industry and automotive sector workers such as mechanics who were often exposed to asbestos at work. The battle to ban asbestos in Vietnam continues with civil society groups calling for the cessation of imports and use and pro-asbestos lobbyists from Vietnam and abroad opposing any and all changes to the status quo. See: 10 nghề nghiệp có nguy cơ bị ung thư cao [10 careers have a high risk of cancer].
Asbestos Anxiety Awards
Jun 7, 2019
On June 3, 2019, the Labour Court in Compiegne made history when it awarded compensation for “asbestos anxiety” to 130 workers from the Thourotte factory belonging to the French asbestos multinational Saint-Gobain in the first such case to be decided after an April 2019 Supreme Court ruling widened the category of those eligible to bring such claims to employees at high risk of contracting asbestos diseases due to workplace exposures and not just those from officially recognized worksites. The company was ordered to pay the former and current employees the full amount claimed: €20,000 each. See: Oise:“la grande victoire” des 130 amiantés de Saint-Gobain [Oise: “the great victory” of the 130 Saint-Gobain asbestos claimants].
Government U-Turn
Jun 6, 2019
In a major reversal of policy, the Dutch Senate overturned plans to outlaw asbestos-containing roofing by 2024 by a small majority on economic grounds. Proposals to delay the deadline until 2028 or 2030 and to provide more funding for remediation of asbestos corrugated sheet roofs, roof slates or boarding were rejected. Stientje van Veldhoven, State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, regretted the results of the Senate’s vote. It has been estimated that there are around 80 million square meters of asbestos roofing in the Netherlands. See: Eerste Kamer dwarsboomt voorgenomen verbod op asbestdaken [First Chamber thwarts proposed prohibition of asbestos roofs].
Preventing Asbestos Exposure
Jun 6, 2019
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has demanded a review of the European Union’s energy performance of buildings directive in order to improve the level of protection for workers at-risk of asbestos exposures. The EESC is recommending that buildings have publicly accessible registers of harmful substances which could be consulted prior to the commencement of maintenance or renovation activities, and that the removal of harmful substances should be designated a “priority” in legislative proposals. See: EESC urges buildings directive review to prevent asbestos exposure.
Victory in Mesothelioma Case
Jun 6, 2019
A verdict handed down by the 25th Social Court of Barcelona ruled that Roca Sanitarios – a Spanish manufacturer of sanitary products – must pay €556,200+ to the family of a former worker who died from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Although the company denied that the man, who had worked at its Gavà (Barcelona) factory during the 1970s and 1980s, had been occupationally exposed to asbestos, the Court confirmed that asbestos had been used by the company at least until 2004. See: Condenan a Roca Sanitarios a indemnizar con más de 550.000 euros a un extrabajador por el Amianto [Roca Sanitarios ordered to compensate asbestos-exposed worker more than 550,000 euros].
Clarity for Reinsurers
Jun 6, 2019
A unanimous verdict handed down by the Court of Appeal on April 17, 2019 in the case of Equitas Insurance Limited v Municipal Mutual Insurance Limited [2019] was the first to provide the reinsurance industry with guidance on the allocation of mesothelioma liabilities. The Court ruled that claims for losses must be allocated on a pro rata basis by reference to time on risk to avoid the practice of “spiking”: choosing to bring a claim against the reinsurance policy which would yield the maximum payout. See: UK: Reinsurers entitled to reject “spiking” of mesothelioma losses.
Asbestos Mass Sackings
Jun 5, 2019
On May 31, 2019, Brazil’s Eternit Group fired all 400 workers at SAMA, its asbestos mining subsidiary, in the State of Goiás at a cost of R$12 million (~US$3m). The company blamed a 2017 Supreme Court decision banning the commercial exploitation of asbestos for this measure, saying that the mine was being mothballed so it could be reopened should permission to recommence operations be granted by the Court. The mine had been non-operational since February 2019; during that time the workers had been suspended. See: Eternit demite 400 funcionários e hiberna mineradora de Amianto [Eternit dismisses 400 employees and mothballs asbestos mine].
Toxic Talc: Another Mesothelioma Case
Jun 3, 2019
A Manhattan jury last week awarded the sum of $325 million, which included $300 in punitive damages, to claimant Donna Olson – who is dying from mesothelioma, a cancer contracted from exposure to Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) baby powder – and her husband Robert. For decades, Mrs. Olson used the iconic product as part of her hygiene routine. Commenting on the first New York City verdict in a case involving asbestos exposure to J&J’s baby powder, Mrs. Olson’s lawyer said: “With this verdict, yet another jury has rejected J&J’s misleading claims that its talc was free of asbestos.” The company will appeal. See: Ex-Brooklyn resident wins $325M in Johnson & Johnson tainted baby powder suit.
Chrysotile Asbestos Offensive
Jun 3, 2019
A Russian language article on a Kazakhstan website detailed the triumph of asbestos forces at the May 2019 United Nations meeting of the Rotterdam Convention, boasting that the efforts of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Pakistan, Cuba, India and Iran had defeated UN plans to curtail the free global trade in chrysotile asbestos; Kazakhstan is one of the world’s leading chrysotile producers. The text asserted that the EU’s support for action on chrysotile was “dictated by economic interests…” See: Казахстанский хризотил вновь победил и выдержал испытание Роттердамской конвенцией [Kazakhstan chrysotile again won and stood the test of the Rotterdam Convention].
Conviction for Import of Asbestos
Jun 3, 2019
An unnamed Energy Corporation was ordered by a District Court of Western Australia to pay a fine of A$175,000 for illegally importing gaskets containing chrysotile asbestos to Australia in 2012 and 2013. The details provided in a press release issued by the Australian Border Force (ABF) about the conviction were sketchy although ABF Superintendent for Enforcement Operations WA Clinton Sims, said “the fact that the company was unaware the imported gaskets contained asbestos at the time of import did not excuse it from liability.” When asked to provide the name and location of the company and the exporter, the ABF declined to do so. See: Energy Corporation Fined for Importing Asbestos into Australia.
Asbestos Ban Terminology
Jun 3, 2019
A commentary by Colombian academic Juan Pablo Ramos-Bonilla examines the ongoing debate in the Colombian Congress over banning asbestos, with a particular focus on the question of elimination vs. prohibition. The author documented the active lobbying by commercial interests eager to protect the status quo or at least the legality of asbestos mining for export purposes and condemned the actions of private interests who are, he said, dictating the national asbestos policy. “The only public policy option that guarantees future non-exposure of the population to asbestos,” he concluded “is to stop using it, that is, to prohibit it.” See: Asbestos: Prohibir o eliminar? [Asbestos: Prohibit or eliminate?].
Claimant’s Verdict Against James Hardie
May 31, 2019
Eighty-four year old Ron Phillips, who is dying from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, has won a landmark case against the Australian asbestos giant James Hardie with a verdict handed down by Sydney Judge Wendy Strathdee. The ruling ordered the company to pay $664,000 to cover nursing and other costs to ensure that the claimant – a retired architectural designer – who now needs 24 hour care can remain in the beachside apartment in Cronulla that he loves rather than be moved into a nursing home which is a cheaper option. Judge Strathdee said “as a consequence of the defendant's negligence,” Mr. Phillips’ life had been forfeit. See: Big legal win for asbestos cancer sufferer.
National Asbestos Action Plan
May 31, 2019
Rwanda has had a proactive stance on asbestos eradication since 2011 when the Government established a National Action Plan designed to “protect the Rwandan citizens from asbestos diseases caused by long time exposure and inhalation of the asbestos fibers.” A recently published report entitled The Asbestos Removal Project in Rwanda stated that as of February 28, 2019, 57% of asbestos-containing materials from buildings had safely been removed and disposed of. Under the current work plan, a variety of measures are being implemented to protect citizens, raise awareness and eradicate the asbestos hazard from the country. See: Asbestos Removal Progress and Status as of April 30, 2019.
Mesothelioma Clusters in Asbestos Town
May 31, 2019
Scientific research begun in 2015 and published in 2019 confirmed suspicions regarding an elevated incidence of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in the Colombian city of Sibaté, formerly the home to the country’s first asbestos-cement factory. The authors of the paper reported that the mesothelioma rates were “high in comparison to those reported in other cities, regions, and countries of the world… The analysis of four soil samples collected in landfilled zones, confirmed the existence of an underground layer of friable and non-friable asbestos.” See: An asbestos contaminated town in the vicinity of an asbestos-cement facility: The case study of Sibaté, Colombia.
Asbestos-Cement Hazard
May 31, 2019
An assessment of the hazard posed by the widespread and long-term use in Lebanon of asbestos-cement roofing within residential areas such as the coastal city of Chekka – the location of an asbestos-cement factory which closed in 2002 – has confirmed the continuing ubiquity and deteriorating state of this material due to weathering and natural processes. Citing the World Health Organization’s warning that there are “no safe levels for the exposure” to asbestos, the authors highlighted the risk posed by non-professional removal activities. Despite some government asbestos prohibitions, the use of chrysotile in Lebanon remains legal for certain products. See: Risk assessment of asbestos-cement roof sheets in Chekka, North Lebanon.
Tata Steel Facing Asbestos Lawsuits
May 30, 2019
The Dutch Asbestos Victims Committee (the Committee) has reported Tata Steel to the Public Prosecution Service for the company’s continued failure to take appropriate actions to protect workers from hazardous asbestos exposures. According to lawyer and Senator Bob Ruers, a criminal complaint has been filed on behalf of the Committee; these developments will be discussed during a plenary session in the Dutch Senate. The Committee alleges that for decades Tata Steel prioritized “profitability” over occupational health, as a result of which fatal asbestos exposures occurred. See: Organisatie asbestslachtoffers doet aangifte tegen Tata Steel [Organization of asbestos victims reports Tata Steel].
Asbestos Crime but No Punishment
May 30, 2019
Legal loopholes that prevent social movements and prosecutors from achieving convictions of corporate executives for industrial health and safety crimes are considered in this paper within a framework examining multiple Italian trials of asbestos businessman Stephan Schmidheiny. They include: the practice of collective corporate decision-making; the difficulty in establishing links between industrial hazard and responsibility or intention; the need to prove causation for each victim on an individual rather than a statistical basis. See: How to Judge Safety Crime: Lessons From the Eternit Asbestos Maxi-Trials.
Asbestos Health Warnings
May 30, 2019
A commentary published in Catalonia warned of the public health dangers posed by the deterioration of asbestos-containing products, noting that the heyday for asbestos use in the region was during the 1970s. Widespread media attention generated by protests over occupational asbestos exposures of Barcelona’s Metro workers has raised the profile of the asbestos hazard and caused concern amongst at-risk communities in areas such as Turó de la Rovira, and Vilanova i la Geltrú. See: Creix la preocupació per l’amiant 40 anys després del seu ús massiu [Asbestos concerns rise 40 years after its massive use].
Asbestos Anxiety: Good News, Bad News
May 30, 2019
An analysis of the implications of an April 2019 Supreme Court ruling for French victims of “asbestos anxiety” contained both good and bad news: the former included the fact that all employees at high risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases could claim compensation for anxiety while the latter was that under the Court’s restrictive criteria, claimants must provide evidence that they had been exposed to asbestos decades ago. In 2014, a French health institute estimated that there could be up to 100,000 asbestos deaths in France by 2050. See: Amiante: les critères de l'élargissement du préjudice d’anxiété sont très restrictifs [Asbestos: the criteria for widening anxiety harm are very restrictive].
Connecticut Working to Ban Asbestos
May 28, 2019
On May 24, 2019, a bill to ban the sale and use of asbestos in building materials was proposed by Connecticut State Senator Matt Lesser who said that in the light of moves by the Trump Administration's EPA, legislation to protect the public health of Connecticut’s citizens and the environment from toxic exposures to asbestos were of utmost importance. The State Senate unanimously adopted Senate Bill No. 47 and the proposal now goes to the state House of Representatives for consideration. Once approved, it will require the signature of Governor Ned Lamont. See: Sen. Lesser Asbestos Bill Passes Senate.
Sad News
May 28, 2019
The death has been reported in New Zealand of veteran ban asbestos activist Deidre van Gerven who, having lost her husband and three other family members to asbestos-related diseases, campaigned assiduously to raise asbestos awareness, implement measures to protect workers and members of the public from toxic exposures and achieve a national asbestos ban. Through her website (see: http://www.fibreaware.org.nz/), her prolific correspondence with government officials and others, and her social media posts, Deidre was well-known both at home and abroad. In February 2019, Deidre was dumbfounded when told that she was to receive the Masterton Civic Award for health and well-being for her battle to raise asbestos awareness. See: Anti-asbestos lobbyist honoured.
Asbestos Anxiety Litigation
May 28, 2019
The issue of “asbestos anxiety” in France remains hotly debated in the media and in the Courts with varying results for claimants. On May 23, 2019, the French Supreme Court handed down a ruling awarding 30 employees from the Baccarat crystal company €13,000 each for the mental anguish caused by occupational asbestos exposures. See: Amiante: 13.000 € pour chacun des 30 salariés de la cristallerie [Asbestos: €13,000 for each of the 30 employees of the crystal factory]. (On the same day, proceedings commenced at the administrative court of Rennes in a case brought for asbestos anxiety experienced by 50 naval personnel. See: Amiante: des militaires de la Marine nationale réclament le préjudice d'anxiété [Asbestos: French Navy personnel demand compensation for asbestos anxiety].)
Campaign by Yale Alumni
May 28, 2019
Alumni of Yale University continue to press the college to rescind an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters awarded in 1996 to Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny after the latest guilty verdict against him over asbestos-related deaths in Italy was handed down by a Turin Court. Although Yale says it has never revoked an honorary degree and is not inclined to change this policy, University Vice President Kim Goff-Crews has agreed to meet with Daniel Berman, one of the leaders of this campaign, when he is at Yale for his 50th reunion on June 7, 2019 “out of respect for your many years of engagement on behalf of workers’ health and your membership in the Yale community.” See: Alumni ask Yale to revoke honorary degree.
Calls for Global Asbestos Ban
May 28, 2019
Chinese researchers working with colleagues from the UK and Canada on May 23, 2019 published a paper on the website of JAMA Oncology, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association, which called for a complete ban on global asbestos use and warned that: “rapidly developing nations such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China ‘face an impending public health crisis of an unprecedented scale’ because they continue to produce and use asbestos.” According to data from 2016, the four countries mentioned accounted for 80% of asbestos used worldwide. See: High Time for Complete Ban on Asbestos Use in Developing Countries.
More Asbestos Propaganda
May 24, 2019
In a press release disseminated by the International Alliance of Trade Union Organisations “Chrysotile”, erroneous claims are made that “chrysotile asbestos is the safest commercial fibre”; that “banning chrysotile asbestos could have potentially disastrous consequences”; and that “those who oppose chrysotile have no convincing arguments to support banning the mineral.” These falsehoods are being reiterated by asbestos industry stakeholders to justify their veto of United Nations action to protect vulnerable populations from potentially deadly exposures to chrysotile asbestos during the 2019 meeting of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention. See: Rotterdam Convention Meeting Concludes in Favour of Chrysotile Asbestos.
Exposing Brazil’s Asbestos Conspiracy
May 24, 2019
A commentary detailing a plot by commercial and political asbestos industry stakeholders to end Brazil’s prohibition on the commercial exploitation of chrysotile asbestos exposes the means being used by right-wing interests to deconstruct the medical and scientific evidence regarding the human health risk posed by asbestos exposures. The text includes interviews with asbestos victims and medical experts who reiterate the proven consequences of workplace and environmental exposures to asbestos: chronic ill health and premature and avoidable deaths. See: A conspiração infame pela volta do Amianto [The infamous conspiracy about the asbestos revolution].
Asbestos Ban Bill Approved
May 22, 2019
A draft bill to prohibit the production, commercialization and distribution of asbestos in Colombia by 2021 was adopted by the 7th Commission of the Colombian House of Representatives on May 21, 2019; it attracted cross-party support. The bill is named in honor of asbestos cancer victim “Ana Cecilia Nino”; in the last fifty years, 1,700 people have died from asbestos-related diseases in Colombia. The draft legislation, which will go to the Senate in June for the final debate, allows asbestos mining for export purposes only. See: Prohibición del asbesto en Colombia, a un paso de ser realidad [Prohibition of asbestos in Colombia, one step away from being a reality].
Chrysotile and Mesothelioma Causation
May 22, 2019
Three American researchers published findings in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine on May 13, 2019 confirming that “statistically significant associations were observed between mortality from all pleural cancer (including mesothelioma) and time since first exposure … to asbestos…” The co-authors concluded that their observations “support with quantitative data the conclusion that chrysotile causes mesothelioma and encourage exposure-response analyses of mesothelioma in other cohorts exposed to chrysotile.” See: Quantitative relationships of exposure to chrysotile asbestos and mesothelioma mortality.
Asbestos Fight-back
May 20, 2019
Asbestos mining in Brazil ceased on February 1, 2019. Current attempts by right-wing Senators to force a U-turn of the national prohibitions are examined in the article referenced below. In April 2019, a “caravan” of Senators, including Senate President David Samuel Alcolumbre, accompanied the Governor Ronaldo Caiado of Goiás State, to the mining city of Minaçu to support demands for the renewal of asbestos mining. Data from Brazilian medical experts and interviews with asbestos victims explain the deadly consequences of such an action. See: De mineral mágico a poeira assassina: volta do amianto pode causar epidemia de cancer [From magic mineral to killer dust: asbestos revival could cause cancer epidemic].
Liverpool: Action on Asbestos
May 20, 2019
For years, Liverpool has been an asbestos hotspot with a high incidence of asbestos-related disease amongst dockyard workers and people employed in the construction and ship repair sectors. On May 16, 2019, the Liverpool Trade Union Council unanimously approved a motion proposed by the Merseyside Pensioners Association deploring the action of vested interests at the Rotterdam Convention in May 2019 which blocked the listing of chrysotile asbestos; demanding that the Chemical Review Committee’s recommendations be adopted; urging all Parties to support reforms to the Convention; and issuing calls for a demonstration outside the Russian Embassy on or near the 24th November (the 20th anniversary of the 1999 UK asbestos ban).
Asbestos on the Metro
May 20, 2019
Trade unionists have reacted negatively to findings issued by labor inspectors that airborne asbestos in the Madrid Metro were below permissible levels and to assertions that the presence of asbestos-containing materials in the Metro did not pose a health risk to commuters or workers. The union spokesperson pointed out that the measurements reported were invalid as the tests carried out were analyzed with an optical and not an electron microscope. Metro workers will hold a strike on May 20 and May 24 over the company’s management of asbestos in the transportation system. See: Inspecció de Treball considera vàlida la gestió de TMB en la retirada de l’amiant [Labor Inspection approves management of TMB asbestos removal].
Raising Asbestos Awareness
May 20, 2019
Speakers at a conference about “Asbestos and Community Health” which was held in Hanoi, Vietnam on May 16, 2019 highlighted the public health hazard posed by the country’s widespread and largely unregulated use of asbestos-containing products – especially roofing tiles and sheeting. The risk to ethnic minority populations living in remote mountainous areas was discussed. In 2018, the Prime Minister committed his Government to stop using asbestos roofing by 2023 and replace it with safer alternatives, some of which were discussed. See: Sớm loại bỏ amiăng trắng gây hại cho sức khỏe cộng đồng [Unregulated removal of chrysotile is harmful to public health].
Asbestos and Occupational Health
May 20, 2019
Decrying the news that asbestos stakeholders are trying to reverse the Supreme Court policy on banning the commercialization of asbestos in Brazil, Fundocentro – a Brazilian institution at the forefront of the campaign to improve occupational health and safety – issued a statement highlighting the wealth of epidemiological evidence and medical information which has been amassed on the adverse health effects of asbestos exposures on Brazilian workers and the work which has been done to train physicians in diagnosing asbestos-related conditions. See: Nota da Fundacentro sobre os impactos do amianto [Fundacentro's note on the impacts of asbestos].
Asbestos and Workers
May 16, 2019
An opinion piece which appeared in the Canadian newspaper “The Examiner” on May 9, 2019, by Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, a medical officer for Peterborough Public Health, took as its subject the ongoing hazard posed by occupational asbestos exposures around the world. On the occasion of International Workers Memorial Day 2019, she recalled the role played in Peterborough in raising awareness of the “silent killer” by individuals who prompted Local 524 of the Canadian Auto Workers to screen retired and current workers for asbestos-related diseases at trade union clinics. See: Confronting the harmful legacy of asbestos in Peterborough and area.
Raising Asbestos Awareness
May 16, 2019
A workshop “Raising awareness of the harmful effects of chrysotile asbestos and asbestos-related diseases” was recently held in Cao Bang, a mountainous province in northeast Vietnam, home to many ethnic hill tribes; 95% of asbestos-containing roofing sheets are used in regions of Vietnam which are home to ethnic minorities. This event was a joint initiative of the Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Community Development, the Action for Justice, Environment and Health Group and the Committee for Ethnic Minorities. On January 1, 2018, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc indicated that Vietnam would ban the use of this roofing by 2023. See: Cùng lên tiếng để bảo vệ sức khỏe cộng đồng [Together speak up to protect public health].
Fourth Town to Ban Asbestos
May 16, 2019
Councillors of a popular tourist town in Colombia “Villa de Leyva” plan to ban the use of asbestos in public works to protect public health; it will be the fourth city in the region to do so, joining Chivatá, Tibasosa and Samacá all of which adopted unilateral asbestos bans. Supporting the new ban, President of the Town Council Juan Camilo Castellanos said: “asbestos is a carcinogenic mineral that has claimed more than 1,700 lives in the last 5 years in the country… our plan is to eliminate this material in future municipal infrastructure projects…” See: Quieren prohibir el asbesto en Villa de Leyva, Boyacá [They want to ban asbestos in Villa de Leyva, Boyacá].
Honoring Hong Kong Activist
May 16, 2019
It has been announced in Seoul, Korea that activist Chan Kam Hong, who died in Hong Kong on May 5, 2019, will be posthumously awarded the Rachel Lee Jung-Lim Award 2019 – in memory of a dedicated campaigner and Korean mesothelioma victim – for services to working people and his active engagement as the Executive Director of The Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims and as a founding member of the Asia Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims and the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN). Hong played a vital role in the campaign to ban asbestos in Hong Kong.
Calls for Asbestos Exemption
May 14, 2019
A 10 minute segment shown on prime time TV (May 12) focused on lobbying by asbestos stakeholders to pressurize the Supreme Court into allowing 10 more years of asbestos mining. Accepting that a 2017 ruling by the Court outlawed asbestos sales in Brazil, the industry is pressing for an exemption to allow exports. Medical doctors, victims and prosecutors explained the hazards posed by exposures while a company doctor and engineer described the “safe use process”, described as a fallacy by retired Factory Inspector Fernanda Giannasi. See: Comissão do Senado vai pedir reabertura de mina de amianto, minério que pode provocar cancer [Senate Commission to request reopening of asbestos mine, ore that can cause cancer].
Asbestos Strike!
May 14, 2019
Trade unionists from various organizations and chapters will be joining forces on May 24 to make manifest their outrage over the shabby treatment they have received from the Madrid Metro Company over exposure to asbestos on the capital’s underground network. Asbestos-related diseases of 5 Madrid Metro employees, two of whom have died, have been recognized, and the Prosecutor’s Office is investigating workplace exposures. The asbestos political hot potato is being passed back and forth from public companies and employers to regional authorities and central government; the unions allege there is enough negligence for them all. See: Los trabajadores de Metro van a la huelga por la crisis del Amianto [Metro workers go on strike due to the asbestos crisis].
Toxic Talc
May 14, 2019
In her editorial in Chatelaine, a Canadian women's magazine, Editor-in-Chief Johanne Lauzon detailed damning developments regarding Johnson & Johnson’s asbestos-contaminated baby powder, including plaintiffs’ verdicts, the position taken by Health Canada that talc could be harmful and features in the New York Times and Reuters. Lauzon was angry that the medico pharmaceutical industry continued to put profits before health and asserted that consumers “have the right to know the risks we run by using everyday products.” “Our health,” she said “must take priority over the profits of big companies.” See: Poudre pour bébé: les profits des multinationales avant la santé des femmes? [Baby powder: multinational profits before women's health?].
Asbestos in Beer!
May 14, 2019
The reasons for the increase in UK incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma over the last 50 years and a male to female ratio of > 4:1 were explored in a paper uploaded on May 9 to the website of The British Journal of Cancer. The authors explored the hypothesis that asbestos ingested in beer brewed using asbestos filtration, an unregulated and popular commercial practice during the 1970s, might be the explanation and concluded that: “Asbestos ingestion, either from beer consumed before around 1980, or from occupational exposure, seems a plausible causative factor…” See: Ingested asbestos in filtered beer, in addition to occupational exposure, as a causative factor in oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
Toxicity of Chrysotile Asbestos
May 14, 2019
Research published by Chinese scientists in the May 2019 Journal of Environmental Science and Pollution Research evaluated the oxidative stress in chronic lung toxicity caused by the exposure of Wistar rats to Chinese chrysotile asbestos. The results “indicated that chrysotile exposure led to an obvious increase in lung mass and slowed the growth of body mass…[the] results suggested that chronic chrysotile pulmonary injury in Wistar rats is triggered by oxidative damage.” The authors of the paper expressed the hope that their data would lead to further research on the toxicity of chrysotile. See: Oxidative effects of lungs in Wistar rats caused by long-term exposure to four kinds of China representative chrysotile.
Offensive by Asbestos Sector
May 14, 2019
On May 7, 2019, draft legislation by the Brazilian asbestos mining State of Goiás was adopted by a vote of 1336:83 (94.2% in favour) for asbestos mining to be permitted for the sole purpose of export. As far as can be ascertained, this is a political show of force and is not binding, as the Supreme Court in 2017 outlawed the commercial exploitation of asbestos throughout the country. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing litigation brought by asbestos industry stakeholders. See: Proposta 2019002488: Autoriza, para fins exclusivos de exportação, a extração e o beneficiamento do amianto da variedade crisotila no Estado de Goiás [Proposition 2019002488: Authorizes for exclusive purpose of export, the extraction of chrysotile asbestos in the State of Goiás].
Russia’s Pressure Kills Asbestos Ban
May 13, 2019
An article in The Island – an English-language newspaper in Sri Lanka – on May 7, 2019 explained that the reason the Sri Lankan government failed to implement a national asbestos ban as promised was because of pressure from Russia, which supplied most of the asbestos used in the country. According to Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ): “Even if the government changes, asbestos will not be banned here due to Russia’s threat to ban Sri Lanka tea in retaliation.” The economic blackmail by Russia which forced the ban U-turn in 2017 was widely decried with Sharan Burrow of the International Trade Union Confederation calling it “culpable homicide” (Media Release, January 3, 2018). See (The Island article): Asbestos not banned due to pressure – CEJ.
Ban Asbestos Bill: Update
May 13, 2019
With the clock running down on the current legislative session in the Colombian Congress, the 3rd debate of the “Ana Cecilia Niño” Ban Asbestos Bill has been scheduled in the 7th Committee of the House of Representatives due to the persistance of legislators including Mauricio Toro, Jairo Humberto Cristo and Nadia Blel. If it is adopted, it will go to the Senate for urgent consideration. Author of the bill Senator Nadia Blel said: “Once again, we are calling on the House of Representatives to prioritize the health and life of Colombians and [hope] the Ana Cecilia Niño bill is debated quickly.” See: Debate sobre prohibición del asbesto logró salvarse a última hora [Debate on prohibition of asbestos saved at the last minute].
Mesothelioma Mortality: New Data
May 13, 2019
According to data released on May 9, 2019 by the Office of National Statistics, there was a 1% reduction in the number of mesothelioma deaths in England and Wales in 2017 compared with 2016 (2,279 from 2,313). There were, however, significant increases in mortality in: Merseyside (+16%), Greater Manchester (+12%), the East Riding of Yorkshire (+56%), North Yorkshire (+16%), South Yorkshire (+8%), Kent (+13%), Essex (+12%) and Wales (+17%). See: Mesothelioma deaths by local authority, England and Wales, registered between 2015 and 2017.
A Doctor vs. Asbestos Industry
May 13, 2019
An article by Antonio Carlos Lopez, President of the Brazilian Medical Clinic Society, expressed surprise that commercial interests were lobbying for the mining of asbestos to be permitted in Brazil despite a 2017 ban by the Supreme Court. The author was critical of the asbestos lobby and in particular one of its leading campaigners: the Governor of the asbestos mining State of Goiás – Ronaldo Caiado, who was also a doctor. Dr. Lopez wrote: “it is the duty of every physician to hold the life of the human being in the first place, always. If the end of production eliminates jobs, it is up to the political class of Goiás and Brazil to create alternative…” employment for workers. See: A saúde em tempos de predadores [Health in time of predators].
Ill-Founded Asbestos Policy
May 13, 2019
In a high-profile expose published on May 8, 2019, the New York Times (NYT) reported that senior officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ignored advice of in-house scientific experts when it issued a ruling restricting but not banning asbestos in April 2019. In memos dated August 10, which were reproduced by the NYT, EPA advisors urged the Agency to ban asbestos as most other industrialized countries have done “because the extreme harm from this chemical substance outweighs any benefit – and because there are adequate alternatives to asbestos.” Commenting on the EPA’s actions, a former Agency official said that disregarding the advice of career scientists on an issue as complex as asbestos was unusual. See: E.P.A. Leaders Disregarded Agency’s Experts in Issuing Asbestos Rule, Memos Show.
Chan Kam-Hong
May 7, 2019
For more than 30 years, “relentless campaigner” Chan Kam-Hong worked on the frontline for workers’ rights in Hong Kong. As the Chief Executive of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, he mobilized grassroots support not only for occupational rights but also for human rights, and highlighted the threat posed by asbestos-containing material in public housing and waste dumped throughout the countryside. He died aged 60 on May 5, 2019; emails received about his passing, emphasized his compassion and dedication. He was a gentle man whose loss will be felt by many. See: Chan Kam-hong, a workers’ champion and driving force behind improvements in Hong Kong’s industrial safety for more than 30 years, dies at 60.
Asbestos Truth and Consequences
May 7, 2019
An article uploaded on May 1, 2019 discussed evidence given by Vietnamese medical experts about the deadly health hazards posed to workers and members of the public who are exposed to asbestos-containing products which remain widely used and popular especially amongst poorer citizens. The World Health Organization’s Chief Representative in Vietnam Kidong Park recently reaffirmed that asbestos is one of the most serious causes of occupational cancer and that Vietnam is still one of the world’s largest users. See: Amiăng: Bụi siêu nhỏ, sắc như thuỷ tinh hít vào sẽ “cắt” vào phổi gây tổn thương, ung thư [Asbestos: Super small dust, sharp as inhaled glass will “cut” into the lungs, causing damage and cancer].
Asbestos in Schools
May 7, 2019
Valencia’s Ministry of Education confirmed that to avoid risks to students and teaching staff, asbestos eradication has been completed in 143 educational centers; contamination remains in 68 schools. Asbestos removal work at these premises will be completed by specialist operatives by the end of 2019, according to the Ministry, which says work will be undertaken during school holidays. See: Cerca de 70 colegios aún tienen amianto pese a la promesa de su eliminación [Nearly 70 schools still have asbestos despite the promise of its elimination].
MoD’s Asbestos Scandal
May 7, 2019
The Unite union has criticised the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for failing to provide details about 1,000 workers who may have been exposed to asbestos whilst working on Sea King helicopters and for failing to detail steps taken to identify at-risk personnel. According to the MoD, many of those who worked on the fleet since 1969 were external contractors; there is no central record of their names. Commenting on this situation, Unite national officer Jim Kennedy said: “The MoD is more interested in covering up its failings then ensuring that workers who may have been exposed to asbestos are notified about their contamination.” See: MoD criticised for failing to reveal workers potentially exposed to asbestos.
Chrysotile Asbestos: The Facts
May 6, 2019
A six-page fact sheet released in April 2019 by Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency is a useful resource for campaigners attending the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention in Geneva this week. Key facts highlighted in the text include: the links between exposure to chrysotile and a wide variety of human cancers and diseases; the fallacy of the “controlled use of asbestos” policy; the existence of safer asbestos-free alternative products; the asbestos policies of international agencies; and the need for “A total global ban…” See: Chrysotile: Key Facts.
Asbestos Legacy
May 6, 2019
The use of asbestos was banned in Reunion, a French department in the Indian Ocean, in 1997. The widespread prevalence of asbestos-containing products and the high cost of asbestos eradication is creating problems for authorities tasked with the oversight of public buildings and social housing. Although regulations in public and occupational health codes to prevent toxic exposures exist, compliance is not guaranteed, due to the high costs of asbestos audits and use of accredited asbestos removal contractors. State authorities have been criticized for the small fines incurred for infringements of the regulations. See: Risque amiante dans les logements sociaux: ni angoisse ni laisser-aller [Asbestos risk in social housing: no anxiety or let-up].
Asbestos Attack on Supreme Court
May 6, 2019
Senators are pressurizing Supreme Court Justices on behalf of chrysotile asbestos mining interests from Goiás State regarding the Court’s ruling declaring the exploitation of asbestos unconstitutional, alleging that the 2017 verdict was given “without scientific basis.” Warning of dire economic consequences for Goiás, the politicians argued that mining for export should be allowed. A spokeswoman for the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed said the Association “is strictly against the export of asbestos, because what we don’t want for ourselves, can’t be allowed to happen to others.” See: Senadores querem que STF autorize exportação do Amianto [Senators want STF to authorize asbestos exports].
Asbestos Homicide Trial
May 3, 2019
On April 30, 2019, the investigative phase was concluded in the Turin trial of a Swiss billionaire charged with the deaths of 392 people – some former Eternit workers, some who never worked for the company – from the town of Casale Monferrato and its surrounding regions. In the 1970s-80s, Stephan Schmidheiny was in charge of the Casale factory which produced asbestos-cement building material. The preliminary hearing magistrate has not yet been appointed and the hearing is not expected to commence until September 2019. See: Eternit Bis, Schmidheiny a processo per la morte di 400 persone a Casale e dintorni [Eternit Bis, Schmidheiny on trial for the deaths of 400 people in Casale and surroundings].
Asbestos Legacy
May 3, 2019
A blog by Leonardo Sakamoto, a journalist from São Paulo, Brazil highlighted the ongoing risks to workers and members of the public posed by asbestos-containing products already incorporated within the country’s infrastructure. Sakamoto condemned Federal Senators who visited Brazil’s remaining asbestos mine on April 27, 2019 and supported demands for asbestos mining operations to recommence in order to protect jobs. The author called on politicians and entrepreneurs to provide healthy workplaces and adopt safe technologies. See: Primeiro de Maio: Para celebrar a data, muito amianto para os trabalhadores [May Day: Celebrating the date, too much asbestos for workers].
Mesothelioma Registry
May 3, 2019
On April 8, 2019, The (US) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH), within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opened a consultation period on the feasibility of establishing a national registry to track mesothelioma cases, with a deadline of July 8, 2019 for the receipt of submissions. NIOSH is soliciting recommendations on procedures and protocols for the collection of data, the maintenance of the registry and the provision of security. The objective of this initiative is to “develop and improve standards of care and to identify gaps in mesothelioma prevention and treatment.” See: Mesothelioma Registry Feasibility; Request for Information.
Recognition for British Campaigners
May 3, 2019
On April 15, 2019 it was announced that honorary doctorates would be bestowed by Kent University on Mavis Nye, a mesothelioma sufferer, and her husband Ray who have been campaigning actively to raise asbestos awareness ever since she was diagnosed with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The presentation will take place on July 9, 2019 at Rochester Cathedral. Commenting on this news, Mavis wrote: “It is an honour – a huge honour but I don’t do all this work for honours. I just want asbestos awareness and a cure for Mesothelioma so if I’m playing a small part alongside so many activists then I am fulfilling my part in a larger world.” See: A Diary Of A Mesowarrior Living With Mesothelioma.
Asbestos-free Roofing from Zimbabwe
May 3, 2019
One of Zimbabwe’s largest asbestos-consuming manufacturers has announced plans to phase out production of some asbestos-roofing products destined for export to countries which have banned asbestos. According to a news report, Managing Director Roselyn Chisveto of Turnall Holdings told journalists in Harare recently that the firm decided to expand its asbestos-free product range. She confirmed that some asbestos is being obtained by the company sourced from the formerly redundant Shabani Mashava Asbestos Mine. See: Turnall explores export markets.
Asbestos Offensive
May 1, 2019
On April 29, 2019, the International Alliance of Trade Union Organizations “Chrysotile” (the Alliance) issued a press release congratulating workers from Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries involved in the chrysotile industry who celebrated Chrysotile Asbestos Protection Day on April 16, 2019. The Alliance communique alleged that the “controlled use of chrysotile is indispensable” and cited research which “proved” that “when used under controlled conditions, chrysotile is safe both for workers employed in asbestos production facilities and for end-consumers.” See: Workers of the Chrysotile Industry Celebrate Chrysotile Asbestos Protection Day.
Support for Asbestos Industry
May 1, 2019
Calls by vested interests in Brazil for Supreme Court action to permit the mining of asbestos were supported by Senators D. Alcolumbre, V. Cardoso, Luiz do Carmo and C. Rodrigues who made a video of a recent trip to Minaçu, the asbestos mining city. Accompanied on their trip by Goiás State Governor Ronaldo Caiado, the Senators endorsed calls by the mining company, workers and local people for the Supreme Court to approve the continued operation of the SAMA asbestos mine. Acknowledging the hazard posed by asbestos exposures, medical experts called on the company and the State to support workers following Brazil’s ban on asbestos. See: Senadores defendem retomada da mineração de Amianto [Senators Defend Resumption of Asbestos Mining].
Belarus: Asbestos Alert
May 1, 2019
An online article on a news portal in Belarus detailed the dangers posed by exposure to asbestos, in particular fiber contained in asbestos roofing, quoting a local expert Dr. Leonid Meleshko who said “Asbestos is a toxic material…” He explained that exposure to asbestos can cause incurable diseases including lung cancer as well as mesothelioma; the doctor issued warnings about the dangers of using asbestos in new construction. The article cited research by Westerns scientists which proved that asbestos is a carcinogenic substance. See: Грозно шифером шурша [Menacing slates “rustling”].
Urgent: List Chrysotile on Annex III
Apr 16, 2019
A letter sent on April 16, 2019 by the Bangladesh Ban Asbestos Network to the Minister of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change, other Ministers, Department Heads and diplomats has called on the Bangladesh Government to support the listing of chrysotile (white) asbestos on Annex III of the United Nations’ Rotterdam Convention at the upcoming 9th Conference of the Parries in Geneva; the discussions on chrysotile are expected to take place on May 7-10, 2019. Bangladesh imports of chrysotile have risen in recent years from 14,620 tonnes in 2015 to 22,180t in 2018. The Government is urged “to take action against this killing fibre at national and international levels…” See: Letter from Bangladesh Ban Asbestos Network.
Asbestos: Act Now
Apr 16, 2019
Greenpeace Colombia has issued a press release calling on the Government of Colombia to act urgently on banning asbestos and enact the “Ana Cecilia Niño” asbestos prohibitions before June 2019 when the draft legislation expires. Speaking on behalf of Greenpeace Colombia Silvia Gómez said: “the positive experiences of almost a hundred countries around the world show that the prohibition and replacement of asbestos is possible. The economic and labor consequences do not justify the use of a toxic substance that harms the health of Colombians. The social and scientific evidence is on the side of the prohibition of asbestos.” See: Greenpeace insiste en que Congreso prohíba el asbestos [Greenpeace insists that Congress prohibit asbestos].
Shipyard’s Asbestos Legacy
Apr 16, 2019
According to a report from the Regional Epidemiology Service, the incidence of mesothelioma in the port city of Cartagena is 7.5 times higher than that in Murcia. In the last 20 years, 193 people in Cartagena have died from mesothelioma, the signature cancer linked to asbestos exposure. It is believed that much of the hazardous exposure took place at the shipyards where thousands of workers were routinely exposed to asbestos. The report stated that most workers were exposed to chrysotile (white) asbestos and that “up to 90% of pleural mesotheliomas and 50% of peritoneal tumors…” were caused by such exposures. See: Un cáncer vinculado con el amianto se ha cobrado 193 vidas en dos décadas [A cancer linked to asbestos has claimed 193 lives in two decades].
Asbestos Trial in Naples
Apr 15, 2019
On April 12, 2019, Public Prosecutors Giuliana Giuliano and Anna Frasca began a trial at the Court of Assizes of Naples in which a Swiss billionaire – Stephan Schmidheiny – faced murder charges over eight asbestos cancer deaths which occurred between 2000 and 2009 due to workplace exposures at Eternit factories in southern Italy. A similar trial in Turin against the same defendant charged with two asbestos deaths is about to conclude; a verdict is expected soon. See: Eternit, l’amianto killer a Bagnoli: comincerà domani il processo al magnate svizzero, accusato di 8 decessi [Eternit, the asbestos killer in Bagnoli: the trial of the Swiss magnate will start tomorrow, accused of 8 deaths].
Victims Twice Over
Apr 15, 2019
As if the struggle for asbestos compensation in Switzerland is not hard enough, victims have now been informed that CAOVA – an organization which has battled for decades to support the injured – is scheduled for closure due to lack of funds. Unlike in France, where some progress has been made in streamlining compensation procedures, in Switzerland the burden of proof for those, other than mesothelioma claimants, can be virtually insurmountable, as demands are made for documentation and details relating to exposures which took place decades ago. See: Le rude combat pour l'indemnisation des malades de l'amiante [The tough fight for the compensation of asbestos patients].
Asbestos: Cancer Alert
Apr 15, 2019
Medical experts have warned that there is substantial under-diagnosis in Spain of asbestos-related cancers and that those which are identified are just “the tip of the iceberg.” According to Dr. Josep Tarrés: “There are studies that say that between 8% and 12% of lung carcinomas are due to exposure to asbestos without the intervention of tobacco.” Occupationally contracted asbestos-related diseases recognized in Spain include: mesothelioma, tumors of the larynx, ovary, testes and oesophagus. See: Los neumólogos alertan de los pocos diagnósticos de cáncer por Amianto [Pneumologists warn of the few diagnoses of cancer by asbestos].
Propagation of Discredited Science
Apr 15, 2019
A peer-reviewed commentary in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Scientific Practice and Integrity examined measures adopted by asbestos stakeholders to delay action on a known carcinogen and cited the work of the Asbestos Institute (Canada) and the International Chrysotile Association, the research of David Bernstein and the failure of publications such as the European Respiratory Journal to refuse submissions from authors with ties to asbestos interests. Extracts from Bernstein’s emails and examples of payments made by asbestos defendants contained in Appendix A are informative. See: Asbestos and insurance interests continue to use discredited scientific argument to sell asbestos and to deny justice to asbestos victims.
Asbestos at Steel Plant
Apr 15, 2019
Representatives of the Fiom CGIL trade union submitted a complaint to Italy’s Ministry of Environment about the presence of 3,750 tons of asbestos – 95% of which is friable – at the Taranto steel plant, Europe’s largest producer of steel. Fiom is calling on the authorities to speed up plans for remediation which, according to a schedule of works, is not expected to be achieved until 2023. The Union claims not to have received any plans for an asbestos removal program for the plant from the company which owns the site in southern Italy. See: “Nell'ex Ilva di Taranto 3.750 tonnellate di Amianto”: denuncia Fiom al ministero dell'Ambiente [“In the former Taranto Ilva 3,750 tons of asbestos”: Fiom complaint to the Ministry of Environment].
“Non-Hazardous” Asbestos?
Apr 12, 2019
The Russian Government, which banned tea imports after Sri Lanka announced plans to prohibit the import of asbestos roofing materials from Russia as of January 1, 2018, has now signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health in Colombo which explains that future Russian asbestos exports to the country will be “non-hazardous.” Sri Lanka is the world’s largest importer of Russian asbestos sheets. See: Россия будет производить неопасный асбест для Шри-Ланки [Russia will produce non-hazardous asbestos for Sri Lanka].
Victory in Asbestos Case
Apr 12, 2019
A judgment was handed down in the High Court in London on April 10 (see: Dr Robin Rudd v (1) John Bridle and (2) J&S Bridle Limited) in a case brought by Dr Robin Rudd – one of the UK’s leading medical experts on asbestos-related diseases – against John Bridle, pro-asbestos advocate and former asbestos businessman, who the judge said was “dishonest and obstructive throughout the proceedings.” In 2014, Bridle had lodged a complaint – later dismissed – against Dr Rudd with the General Medical Council “alleging that Dr Rudd had falsified the risks to health associated with chrysotile asbestos in expert reports.” Bridle has been ordered to provide all personal data relating to Dr Rudd and disclose the names of the recipients of the data. See: Landmark Judgment on Data Protection Act 1998.
Book Review: Victims vs The System
Apr 12, 2019
A commentary on a book entitled Eternity – A Social Construction of Banning Asbestos in Brazil highlighted the importance of the work of asbestos victims in achieving a landmark 2017 decision by the Supreme Court which declared the commercialization of asbestos unconstitutional in Brazil. The book’s author pointed out that ample evidence about the hazards posed by exposures to asbestos had been amassed years before the Brazilian asbestos sector became established. The Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, founded in 1995, represented the voice of the victims and condemned the industry and demanded recognition, medical treatment and compensation. See: The Strength of Social Movement in Banning of Asbestos in Brazil.
Asbestos: Public Health Challenges
Apr 12, 2019
An article and video on the ILO website by Annie Thebaud-Mony, Honorary Research Director of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), calls for global remedies for the asbestos epidemic which is killing thousands of people around the world every year. Eighty percent of all asbestos produced was mined after 1960 when the hazards associated with asbestos exposures were known. The author calls for trade prohibitions to be implemented and for medical programs to be established not only for asbestos-exposed workers but for family members who may have been exposed to toxic dust brought home on work clothes. See: Asbestos: limitless, endless contamination – with complete impunity.
Academic Asbestos Papers
Apr 12, 2019
The five academic papers written in English which are contained in a 31-page monographic section of the current issue of the Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità [Annals of the Higher Institute of Health] – an Italian peer-reviewed scientific journal about public health – cover a range of asbestos-related topics including: the integration of epidemiological and social sciences research in the study of communities affected by asbestos exposure, communication and health education in at-risk communities in Italy, and narrating and remembering the experiences of affected communities in Italy. See: Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vol 55, No 1 (2019).
Asbestos on the Metro
Apr 9, 2019
On April 8, 2019 – the day of a partial strike by workers on the Barcelona Metro – the CCOO (Spain’s largest trade union) announced at a Barcelona press conference that ~37% of the 802 Barcelona Metro workers who had been medically examined had been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases or conditions, including 22 with diseases of the larynx, 22 with pleural cancers and 249 with other pathologies. In Madrid, three Madrid Metro workers have died of asbestos-related cancers and two more have been diagnosed. See: Un 37% de trabajadores del metro de Barcelona examinados tienen afectaciones por Amianto [37% of Barcelona metro workers examined have asbestos damage].
Asbestos Victims’ Solidarity
Apr 9, 2019
The plight of asbestos-injured workers in Italy and Canada were examined at a meeting on April 8, 2019 in the Canadian town of Peterborough where generations of workers from the plant run by General Electric had routinely been exposed to asbestos. The six Italian delegates were veteran trade union and medical campaigners and an 18 year old student activist from the town of Casale Monferrato, the location of Italy’s largest asbestos-cement factory; they presented information about asbestos medical innovations, community projects, and educational and environmental programs which had been pioneered in their town. See: City hosts delegation from Italian city rocked by asbestos.
Ramifications of Asbestos Verdict
Apr 9, 2019
A commentary on the landmark decision handed down by the Supreme Court in France last week explains how the ruling might open the door to compensation claims from people exposed to carcinogens other than asbestos. The April 5 judgment widened access to compensation for “anxiety injury” to individuals negligently exposed to asbestos at all companies, not just those on a government list. In a similar way, people who have been occupationally exposed to heavy metals, ionizing radiation, diesel, used oils and greases may consider bringing claims. See: Après l'amiante, des salariés exposés à d'autres substances cancérogènes pourraient être indemnisés [After asbestos employees exposed to other carcinogenic substances could be compensated].
Wittenoom Update 2019
Apr 9, 2019
Politicians in Western Australia (WA) are calling on the former owners and operators of the Wittenoom crocidolite (blue) asbestos mine to contribute to the asbestos remediation of the lethal WA ghost town. According to WA’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt, while it is virtually impossible to make the entire area safe for human habitation it might be possible to decontaminate certain areas which are of significance to the Banjima people, the traditional owners of this site and others in the Hamersley Ranges. See: Miners urged to help WA asbestos clean-up.
Asbestos Comeback?
Apr 8, 2019
An article in the New York Times on April 7, 2019 examined moves being made to rehabilitate Russian asbestos – including changing the name to chrysotile – by industry stakeholders, politicians, union officials and even doctors from the Russian asbestos monotown of Asbest. Dr. Igor Bragin, from Asbest City Hospital, dismissed 2016 findings that “mortality rates for cancers of the lung, stomach and colon were statistically significantly higher in Asbest city” than in the surrounding region as “not corresponding to reality.” Asbestos executive V. Kochelayev said: “I cannot say it is totally safe… but it can be used in controlled situations without danger.” See: In Asbest, Russia, Making Asbestos Great Again.
Supreme Court Decides!
Apr 8, 2019
France’s Supreme Court – the Court of Cassation – handed down a long-awaited verdict on April 5, 2019 which ruled that all workers exposed to asbestos could receive compensation for asbestos anxiety, under certain conditions; the damages are for people worried about past asbestos exposure and not for a specific condition or illness. New categories of eligible claimants would include workers from power stations and the construction and demolition sectors. Previously, only employees from specified companies were eligible to bring such a claim. See: Amiante: la Cour de cassation se prononce sur l'élargissement du préjudice d'anxiété à tous les travailleurs exposés [Asbestos: the Court of Cassation decides on the widening of anxiety harm to all exposed workers].
Asbestos Protest in Brasilia
Apr 8, 2019
On Monday, April 1, 2019 a group of around 150 workers from the Cana Brava chrysotile asbestos mine in Minaçu, a city in the Brazilian state of Goiás, demonstrated in front of the Federal Supreme Court in Brasilia to bring pressure on Ministers (Supreme Court Justices) to reinterpret their 2017 decision banning asbestos, in order to allow the mining and export of asbestos to continue. In January 2019 Eternit SA, whose subsidiary SAMA Minerações Associadas owns the mine, announced that it planned to continue exporting asbestos fiber to “the United States, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and other Asian countries.” See: Trabalhadores da Sama cobram da PGR parecer ao STF [SAMA employees charge PFR opinion to STF].
Asbestos Removal Master Plan
Apr 8, 2019
On March 27, 2019, the Government of the region of Navarra in Northern Spain adopted a master plan to rid the area of asbestos-containing material; the only other EU asbestos eradication program similar in scale to this one is in Poland where the Government has set a deadline of 2032 to remove asbestos products. A budget of €245 million has been allocated and the work is to be undertaken between 2020 and 2032. See: Navarra elabora el primer Plan director de eliminación del amianto, mineral cancerígeno especialmente por exposición laboral [Navarra prepares the first Master Plan for the elimination of asbestos, a carcinogenic mineral, especially for occupational exposure].
“Realising an Asbestos-free World”
Apr 5, 2019
A meeting in the capital of Nepal on April 2 & 3, 2019 provided the opportunity for trade unionists and civil society campaigners from ten countries across Asia to consider measures to eliminate asbestos use regionally and globally. Commenting on the meeting, ITUC-AP General Secretary Mr Shoya Yoshida said: “The day of an Asbestos-Free World should come and it is up to us to decide when that day would come. Let’s campaign for an Asbestos-Free World to our members, workers, society and governments. This meeting has been a new step toward our goal of an Asbestos-free world.” See: Media Release.
WA Asbestos Medic
Apr 5, 2019
An article in the current month’s issue of the Medical Forum magazine, a West Australian (WA) publication, highlights the work of Australian doctor, Dr. Gregory Deleuil, who has been the medical advisor to the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) for more than thirty years. In this profile, Dr. Deleuil discusses the ground-breaking work done by the ADSA in providing care and counselling across a broad spectrum of society – all the way from the “worried well” to people who have been diagnosed with asbestos cancers including mesothelioma, the signature disease associated with asbestos exposure. See: A Life Devoted To Asbestos Victims.
Banning Asbestos in Vietnam
Apr 5, 2019
A feature uploaded to the online Australian publication Mirage News highlighted the work of Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA – in raising the profile of asbestos issues throughout Asia and working with grassroots groups to counter pro-asbestos disinformation, spread knowledge about safer alternatives and share independent, state-of-the-art information about scientific and medical research. The article discussed specific measures implemented in Vietnam to build support for government plans to ban the use of asbestos-cement roofing by 2023; 90% of asbestos consumed in Vietnam goes into the making of roofing sheets. See: Eradicating Asbestos in Vietnam.
House of Lords’ Asbestos Statement
Apr 5, 2019
In a written answer issued on April 4, 2019 to a question asked on April 1 by Lord Alton regarding the country’s ongoing epidemic of asbestos disease – which is claiming 5,000 lives every year – Baroness Buscombe, on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions, wrote: “employers and employees [need] to remain vigilant when undertaking work which may disturb asbestos. The Health and Safety Executive and Local Authority inspectors will continue to take action in cases of non-compliance with the law…” See: Asbestos: Industrial Diseases: Written Answer – HL14926.
Asbestos Stalemate in US
Apr 5, 2019
In testimony given before a Senate appropriations committee on April 3, 2019, Andrew Wheeler – head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – refused to support national prohibitions on asbestos. Asked by Senator Tester how long would it take after the EPA’s current risk assessment on asbestos was completed for the EPA to pull asbestos off the market, Wheeler would not “commit to a timetable.” Given the public support for asbestos provided by President Trump on numerous occasions, it is unlikely that the EPA will take any action no matter what the risk assessment concludes. See: In Senate Hearing, EPA’s Wheeler Rejects Call to ban Asbestos, Dodges Risks from PFAS Chemicals.
Asbestos Offensive
Apr 5, 2019
A pro-asbestos discourse, masquerading as an impartial news article, was uploaded to a Sri Lankan business portal this week. The text refers to public concerns over the health hazards posed by exposures to chrysotile (white) asbestos as “phobias” and calls the campaigners which express them “devils and goblins.” The author recycles pro-asbestos rhetoric asserting that “to date there are no records of any consumers suffering from health issues caused by these [asbestos] roofing sheets” and states “there is an underhanded ploy to mask the truth about Chrysotile roofing sheets, spread a baseless fear and try to distance the product from the society.” See: The hidden truth about Chrysotile.
Asbestos Trade Data
Apr 3, 2019
Aggregated preliminary estimates for the global asbestos trade in 2017 and 2018 have been uploaded to the website of the United States Geological Survey and show a slight decline in annual asbestos production from 1,170,000 tonnes (t) in 2017 to 1,100,000t in 2018. According to the data reported, much of which is based on estimates, in 2018 four asbestos producing countries mined the following tonnages: Russia 650,000t, Kazakhstan 220,000, Brazil 100,000 and China 100,000. Additional data for 2018 – including national consumption figures – should be available later in the year. See: 2019 Asbestos Trade Data by the United States Geological Survey.
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 3, 2019
On April 2, 2019, the Lombardy Councillor for Education Melania Rizzoli informed the Regional Council that asbestos was present in 1,127 schools in the region. Although €5 million had been allocated in the region’s 2019 budget for remediation work, the problem of asbestos in schools is a national one and should be attracting funding from the Italian Government, she told the Council. Forty-five buildings were designated as high priority due to the amount and friability of asbestos products on those sites. See: Amianto: in Lombardia presente in oltre mille istituti [Asbestos: in Lombardy present in over a thousand institutions].
Mesothelioma in India
Apr 2, 2019
The first case of death from pleural malignant mesothelioma thought to have been caused by domestic / environmental exposure has been reported in India, the world’s largest consumer of asbestos. It is believed that the deceased was exposed to asbestos brought home on the work clothes of his father and brother; likewise, the mother of the deceased has asbestosis from secondary asbestos exposure. Environmental asbestos contamination was also documented in the area surrounding the family home. The authors predict that an epidemic of mesothelioma will reach “alarming proportions” in the coming decades. See: A case from India of pleural malignant mesothelioma probably due to domestic and environmental asbestos exposure: a posthumous report.
Toxic Talc in Asia
Apr 2, 2019
A commentary on a recently published academic paper discussed the findings that “large quantities of body talc products are likely to pose a public health risk for asbestos-related diseases, especially for the cancers related to asbestos exposure.” Highlighting the lack of data regarding the impact of asbestos contaminants in personal care products, the authors call for “rigorous” testing of talc used in consumer products in India to ensure it is free of asbestos. See: Indian talc products contain “contaminated” asbestos structures, can cause cancer: Study.
Mesothelioma Research: Breakthrough?
Apr 2, 2019
On March 31, 2019, a new protocol for treating mesothelioma tumors was discussed at an American Association for Cancer Research conference in Atlanta, Georgia. CAR T-cell therapy uses a patient’s genetically modified cells to attack blood cancers and solid tumors. A year ago, it was used to treat a Florida mesothelioma sufferer with promising results. In him and other mesothelioma patients on the phase 1 clinical trial, there were no severe side effects. Grants from the US government and foundations paid for the work and a larger study is planned. See: Immune system therapy shows promise fighting cancer.
Asbestos Trial in Madrid
Apr 2, 2019
On April 1, 2019, proceedings began in the Labor Court in the first trial concerning an asbestos cancer death of a worker from the Madrid Metro. The family of the deceased (Julian M.R.), who died aged 60 in October 2018, accuse his employer of negligence and claim compensation of €400,000 (US$450,000). Only two deaths of Madrid Metro employees have been officially recognized as occupationally-related; however, the illnesses of two other Madrid Metro employees with asbestos cancer have also been recognized. The company has allocated €140 million for asbestos removal work from the Metro by 2025. See: Madrid metro on trial over asbestos-linked worker death.
Asbestos and Public Health
Apr 1, 2019
The lack of local epidemiological evidence demonstrating the adverse health effects of asbestos exposures and the invisibility of the victims of asbestos-related diseases in Latin American countries have been used by vested interests to forestall the implementation of preventative measures and prevent the adoption of national asbestos bans. The authors of the paper below call for “continuous efforts… to stimulate the growth of competent and ethical researchers to convey adequate information to the scientific community and the general public” about the dangers of asbestos technology. See: Prevention of Asbestos Exposure in Latin America within a Global Public Health Perspective.
NJ to BAN Asbestos
Apr 1, 2019
On March 25, 2019, the Assembly of the US State of New Jersey (NJ) unanimously passed bill A 4416 which prohibits the sale or distribution of products containing asbestos within the State; a few weeks earlier (February 21) an identical bill had unanimously been passed by the NJ Senate. When signed by Governor Phil Murphy, the legislation will empower NJ’s Department of Environmental Projection to enforce the prohibitions; failure to comply, will result in a financial penalty of $2,500 per offence to negligent companies. See: New Jersey legislature passes asbestos in products ban.
Asbestos in Water Delivery System
Apr 1, 2019
Residents of the picturesque village of Cranleigh, 40 miles south of London, are taking action over the presence of asbestos in 30% of the pipes in the water delivery system; up to 20% of the water provided to consumers in England and Wales flows through 37,000 km of aging asbestos cement pipes. The fact that these pipes have reached the end of their 50-70 year lifespan has raised concern in Cranleigh over the potential for contamination of the water delivered through them; according to a US expert: “the ingestion of asbestos causes gastrointestinal tract and kidney cancers.” Campaigners are urging Thames Water, the regional supplier, to replace the toxic pipes. See: Testing the water: asbestos in old pipes raises a call for action.
Jail Time for Asbestos Imports
Mar 29, 2019
As of March 27, 2019, anyone who “who knowingly or recklessly” imports asbestos-containing goods to Australia could face up to five years in jail or increased penalties. These steps were announced by the Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton who said the Australian Government was determined to do everything possible to protect citizens from deadly asbestos exposures. According to Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations Kelly O'Dwyer: “In boosting the regulations we are sending a strong, unequivocal message to importers — we will not tolerate the importation of asbestos.” See: Joint Media Release with the Hon. Kelly O'Dwyer, Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations - Regulation Changes to Strengthen the Asbestos Border Control.
Critique of Asbestos Review
Mar 29, 2019
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has expressed serious concerns about the contents of the report just released by the Panel to Review the Asbestos Management Program of the University of Toronto. According to a CUPE Communiqué of March 28, 2019: “The University's current abatement procedures ignore best practices worldwide and instead focus on legislative minimum.” In addition, CUPE says, the University’s policy fails to address health concerns of workers and students regarding asbestos abatement on the University’s campuses. See: Asbestos abatement at University of Toronto still an issue, say campus unions.
More Asbestos Propaganda?
Mar 29 2019
A notably unbalanced feature article appearing on the “Znak” Information Agency website (a Russian online portal) on March 27, 2019 made reference to Donald Trump’s support for the continued use of chrysotile in the US, reiterated the conspiracy theories about anti-asbestos activists so favoured by pro-industry lobbyists and was uncritical of ongoing efforts by the International Chrysotile Association and others to again prevent the listing of chrysotile as a hazardous substance at the upcoming Rotterdam Convention meeting. More might have been expected of author Dmitry Kolezev: while pointing out that a global ban could affect 250,000 Russians he failed to acknowledge the millions still threatened by asbestos-related diseases. See: Znak марта тематическая статья [Znak March 27 feature artcle].
Toxic Personal Care Products
Mar 28, 2019
A paper published in the current issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine documented the presence of tremolite asbestos in multiple samples of commercial talc products sourced from India and widely sold throughout Southeast Asia. The authors of this paper asserted that the use of these products was “likely to pose a public health risk for asbestos-related diseases, especially for the cancers related to asbestos exposure” and called for “further investigation to measure public health risks.” (These findings were contrary to those of the Indian Government which recently declared that tests it had commissioned found no asbestos in Johnson & Johnson baby powder.) See (paper): Asbestos in commercial Indian talc.
Victims’ Verdict in NSW
Mar 27, 2019
The state government of New South Wales (NSW), Australia has been held to account by Judge W Strathdee of the Dust Diseases tribunal who ruled that it’s negligence led to the mesothelioma death at age 37 of Daniel Ingram in 2013. The landmark case was brought on behalf of his three children: Thomas Smith, Aaliyah Ingram and Daniel Smith. Their lawyer argued that negligence by Housing Commission contractors resulted in Mr Ingram being exposed to asbestos as a child growing up in a Cowra public housing estate in the late 1970s and early 1980s. See: “Huge victory”: three children win David and Goliath case over asbestos death.
Pro-Asbestos Propaganda
Mar 27, 2019
As litigation continues in Ukraine to reinstate the national ban on asbestos, propaganda is being circulated asserting that the ban would be a social and economic disaster, as the usage is essential “because the properties of asbestos cement pipes are unique, their advantages over other materials are obvious” and “most of Ukraine’s buildings, both residential and administrative, are covered with slate, which contains chrysotile [asbestos].” “It is obvious,” the article states “that products containing chrysotile asbestos have no analogues in the world, because they are safe, durable and affordable.” See: Запрет асбестоцементных труб: можно ли заменить асбестовые трубы? [Prohibition of asbestos-cement pipes: is it possible to replace asbestos pipes?].
Laboratory Asbestos Exposure
Mar 27, 2019
The family of Elizabeth Griggs, who died in April, 2017 from the signature asbestos cancer mesothelioma, has launched a legal action claiming that exposure to asbestos materials associated with bunsen Burner use – primarily asbestos mats and impregnated gauzes – which she handled whilst employed at the Wells Cathedral School in Somerset as a lab technician between 1969 and 2001 caused her illness. According to the Health and Safety Executive, up to 2018 asbestos-containing wire gauze [for use with Bunsen burners] had been on sale for a number of years, despite the asbestos ban adopted in 1999. See: Science lab technician's family launch legal action to find out if she was killed at 79 by asbestos from school Bunsen burners.
Commentary: Asbestos Mining
Mar 27, 2019
For 50 years, the operations of the Las Brisas mine, Colombia’s only asbestos mine, has provided employment for people in the Antioquia region in northwest Colombia; currently 250 people work at the mine which produces about 1,000 tons of asbestos per month all of which is shipped overseas primarily to Indonesia and Si Lanka. The mine is to be closed as a ban on asbestos production, use and sale is to be implemented pursuant to a court ruling. Officials claim that no one has been injured by occupational asbestos exposures and that the shutdown will negatively impact on the lives of local people. See: Campamento, el pueblo que se niega a renunciar al asbestos [Campamento, the town that refuses to give up asbestos].
Justice Delayed till April 5
Mar 25, 2019
An eagerly awaited ruling by the Court of Cassation regarding the extension of eligibility to compensation (currently valued at between €4,000 and €15,000; US$~4500-$17,000) for anxiety caused by asbestos exposures to all asbestos-exposed workers in France which was scheduled to be handed down on March 22 has been postponed until April 5. Currently, only someone who had been employed in specific companies listed on an official decree has the right to bring such a claim. See: «Travailleurs de l'amiante»: la décision de la Cour de cassation reportée au 5 avril [“Asbestos workers”: the decision of the Court of Cassation postponed to April 5].
Court Victory!
Mar 25, 2019
A Labor Court in Bahia, Brazil issued a claimant’s verdict to the family of a worker who had been negligently exposed to asbestos at a thermal insulation factory belonging to the Calorisol company. The deceased had been employed from 1974 to 1976, during which time she handled asbestos-containing products on a daily basis. She was diagnosed in 2014 with mesothelioma and died in 2015, aged 58. The total sum awarded to her surviving family exceeded one million reais (~US$256,175). See: Justiça do Trabalho da Bahia condena a CALORISOL pela morte de trabalhadora por mesotelioma - o câncer do Amianto [Labor Court of Bahia condemns CALORISOL for the asbestos cancer (mesothelioma) death of a worker].
Asbestos Manslaughter Convictions
Mar 25, 2019
The Milan Court of Appeals confirmed the guilt of two former managers of the Fibronit di Broni company in a case first heard by a court in Pavia. Michele Cardinale and Lorenzo Mo had been convicted of the manslaughter of 27 Fibronit workers and residents who lived near the site of the company’s factory. The Court of Appeals reduced their prison sentences from 4 years to 3 years and eight months for Cardinale (74) and from 3 years and 4 months to three years for 70-year old Mo. See: Voghera, pene ridotte ai manager Fibronit [Voghera, penalties reduced for Fibronit managers].
Ban Asbestos Loopholes
Mar 25, 2019
Even though asbestos was banned in Egypt in 2005, cases of asbestos-related diseases are still being diagnosed and the presence of asbestos within the national infrastructure remains an ongoing risk to citizens. In the absence of mandatory asbestos inventories, the deterioration of older buildings creates hazardous conditions for residents as well as workers and building users. In addition, loopholes to the asbestos ban regulations mean that the import of some asbestos-containing products can continue. See: Asbestos Use in Egypt: a Growing Threat to Public Health?.
Industry Attack on UN
Mar 22, 2019
In the run-up to the 2019 meeting of the United Nations’ Rotterdam Convention, the International Chrysotile Association (ICA) – the mouthpiece for global asbestos vested interests – has ratcheted up efforts to block UN action on asbestos. A 28-page document produced by the ICA for just this purpose – Rotterdam Convention COP-9 MEETING – 2019 – rehashes threadbare arguments, carefully crafted by scientists with links to the asbestos industry, and relaunches attacks on international agencies such as the World Health Organizational and the International Labor Organization, which believe that to protect human life asbestos should be banned. See: International asbestos lobby campaigns to undermine UN Convention and deny asbestos harm.
Mandatory Asbestos Audits
Mar 22, 2019
On March 20, 2019, the Flemish Parliament mandated that prior to the sale of buildings constructed before 2001, an asbestos inventory must be presented. It has been estimated that buildings and infrastructure in the Flemish Region still contain two million tonnes of asbestos, including many schools built in the 1970s and 1980s. The Flemish government has allocated 7.5 million euros for asbestos removal in schools. See: La Flandre instaure une obligation d’inventaire amiante pour les édifices d’avant 2001 [Flanders introduces an asbestos inventory requirement for pre-2001 buildings].
Catalonia’s Asbestos Battle
Mar 22, 2019
According to an interview just published, lawyers at the Ronda Collective, Barcelona have worked to obtain recognition and compensation for citizens injured by occupational, domestic and environmental exposures to asbestos for over 30 years. In collaboration with activists from the Association of the Handicapped and those affected by Asbestos (Region of Murcia), they progress efforts to raise awareness and educate the public about the asbestos hazard. As 2.6m tonnes of asbestos were used in Spain and water delivery systems in all municipalities employ asbestos pipes, there is considerable work to be done. See: Cartagena es una de las zonas con más trabajadores expuestos al amianto de España [Cartagena is one of the areas with the most workers exposed to asbestos in Spain].
Asbestos Art Competition
Mar 21, 2019
Three hundred and fourteen students from schools in Kościelisko, Dzianisz and Witów took part in an art competition, the principal theme of which was “the impact of asbestos on health and the environment,” organized by the Kościelisko commune. The aim of the event was to raise asbestos awareness not only amongst children but also amongst their parents and grandparents. Awards were presented to 27 students. The Polish government has set 2032 as the deadline for asbestos decontamination of the national infrastructure. See: Dzieci pokazały jak niebezpieczny jest azbest [Children showed how dangerous asbestos is].
Supreme Court Victory
Mar 21, 2019
In a ruling handed down by the US Supreme Court on March 19, 2019, by a 6:3 majority the Court ruled that under maritime law manufacturers had a duty to warn about the dangers posed by asbestos subsequently added onto their products by third parties. The case was brought on behalf of Kenneth McAfee and John DeVries, two Navy veterans, who were exposed to asbestos on ships and developed cancer. As the decision, unfortunately, is limited to maritime law, to be covered an injured party must have been a sailor or employee of a maritime shipping company. See: US Supreme Court ruling: Air & Liquid Systems Corp. et al. v. Devries, individually and as administratrix of the estate of Devries, deceased, et al.
Wittenoom: The End
Mar 21, 2019
The infamous West Australian town of Wittenoom, formerly home to thousands of people working at the blue asbestos mine and mill situated there, will be shut down permanently under provisions of the Wittenoom Closure Bill 2019 which will enable compulsory acquisition of the remaining 17 privately owned lots by the government. Politicians have expressed the hope that a settlement can be reached to forestall evictions but one way or the other the time has finally come for Wittenoom. It has been estimated that three million tonnes of asbestos tailings remain in Wittenoom Gorge and throughout the surrounding area. See: State Government to close down Wittenoom.
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 21, 2019
Although all educational establishments in France are required to have asbestos technical files detailing where asbestos products are and what state they are in, 30% of primary and kindergarten schools have still not compiled the mandatory audits. Campaigners working to address the widespread contamination of French schools have highlighted the urgent need for these audits to prevent future endangerment of students and staff. In light of the continued failure of the authorities to take this matter seriously, activists have launched a citizens’ survey on asbestos in schools in collaboration with NGOs and asbestos victims’ groups. See: Amiante dans les écoles: lançons une enquête citoyenne! [Asbestos in schools: citizens’ survey!].
Asbestos in Bridge’s Rubble
Mar 20, 2019
After traces of asbestos were found on samples taken of debris from the Morandi Bridge – which collapsed in Genoa in August 2018 killing 43 people – plans to use explosives to demolish the remaining structure have been abandoned. A request from trade unionists has asked the public prosecutor to investigate the presence of asbestos on the site. Concern has been raised by the fire brigade about the hazard posed by the asbestos to first responders in the aftermath of the bridge’s collapse last year. See: Ponte Morandi, anche dai vigili del fuoco un esposto sulla presenza di Amianto [Ponte Morandi, also from the fire brigade a statement on the presence of asbestos].
Asbestos Use by Chlorine Industry
Mar 20, 2019
The second issue in a two part series about the global chlorine industry has been published that focuses on the situation in Asian countries. Only 5 of the 60 plants in the Phase 2 study used asbestos diaphragm technology along with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) membrane cells to produce chlorine. One of them was in Saudi Arabia and the other four were in China, where asbestos diaphragms were the most common in chlor-alkali technology until the 2000s. An estimated 18% of the world’s chlor-alkali capacity is based on asbestos diaphragms with 67% of the world’s chlor-alkali production using asbestos diaphragms taking place in the US. See: Chlorine and Building Materials A Global Inventory of Production Technologies and Markets Phase 2: Asia • Including Worldwide Findings.
Refugees’ Asbestos Exposure
Mar 20, 2019
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has reported that dozens of refugees to Australia now living in the Fly Camp settlement on the island of Nauru are being exposed to large quantities of asbestos stored in open shipping containers. The ABC reported that refugees had been “using the asbestos to build sheds.” According to Iranian refugee Ellie Shakiba: “We haven't seen any trucks or anyone who is going to move it. [The Australian Government] knows about it, [a Brisbane construction firm] Canstruct knows about it, but nobody cares.” See: Nauru refugees exposed to asbestos after shipping containers dumped just metres away.
Improving Oversight on Cosmetics
Mar 20, 2019
Last week, US Representative Debbie Dingell introduced a bill that would mandate makers of cosmetics marketed to children to provide evidence to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that they are asbestos free or include a written warning to parents about the potential risk. Representative Jan Schakowsky, a co-sponsor of the bill, said that Americans are unaware that personal care products are among the least-regulated items on the market and that the FDA lacks the authority to force the recall of toxic products. See: Kids cosmetics would carry toxin warning label under Dingell bill.
Wittenoom Warning
Mar 19, 2019
On March 15, 2019, it was reported that a craze for unusual photos has driven users of various social media platforms to visit the toxic Western Australian town of Wittenoom, the location of the defunct crocidolite (blue) asbestos mine which has been responsible for thousands of deaths amongst former townspeople as well as mine and mill workers. Photos of visitors posing in the town and nearby gorges show them walking on asbestos waste piles and breaking into mine shafts. Commenting on these activities, local politician Rob Paull “strongly” encouraged people not to go to Wittenoom. See: Fears Insta fame driving tourists to WA’s deadly cancer town.
Asbestos-Cement Pipes Banned
Mar 19, 2019
After the 2017 asbestos ban adopted by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine was overturned by the Ministry of Justice, action on the human health hazard posed by asbestos has been temporarily forestalled by legal proceedings. In February 2019, the use of asbestos-cement containing pipes for water delivery and sewage was prohibited as per restrictions to state building codes introduced by the Ministry of Regional Development. See: В Украине запретили использование асбестоцементных труб во внешних сетях и канализации [Ukraine has banned the use of asbestos-cement pipes in external networks and sewage].
Asbestos Alert to Congress
Mar 19, 2019
In testimony by medical experts and health campaigners given on March 12, 2019 to the US House Oversight and Reform Committee, politicians were warned of the human health hazard posed by asbestos fibers in talc-based cosmetics and personal care products. In light of recent findings of asbestos in cosmetics and make-up sold by the US chain of Claire’s by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), urgent calls were made for increased FDA oversight of talc-based goods “to ensure that products are safe and free from dangerous substances like asbestos before putting them on the market.” See: More Oversight needed for Cosmetics with Talc .
Pro-Asbestos Lobby Onslaught
Mar 18, 2019
In a press release by the International Alliance of Trade Union Organizations “Chrysotile” – a Russian-led mouthpiece for the asbestos industry – the decision by the Eurasian Economic Commission to develop a unified position on the international trade of chrysotile asbestos which could be used to block UN efforts to regulate asbestos exports was warmly welcomed. In 2017, a spokesman for the International Alliance for Trade Union Organizations “Chrysotile” supported the objections of representatives from the Russian Federation, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Kazakhstan to the inclusion of chrysotile asbestos on a UN list of hazardous products. See: Eurasian Economic Commission Supports Chrysotile Asbestos.
Madrid’s Asbestos Shame
Mar 18, 2019
On March 14, the Plenary Assembly of Madrid confirmed that the Metro of Madrid had taken decades to address the issue of asbestos contamination. Due to the company’s inaction, hazardous exposures to workers led to two deaths and two ongoing asbestos-related illnesses. The report concluded: “It has taken 27 years to respond to a problem, 27 years in which more than a hundred workers and users have been in contact with asbestos materials at different levels of exposure.” See: El Pleno de este jueves aprueba el dictamen de comisión de amianto que concluye que Metro tardó 27 años en dar solución [Thursday's plenary session approves opinion of asbestos commission that concludes Metro took 27 years to provide a solution].
Asbestos Trends 2019
Mar 18, 2019
Provisional data released in February 2019 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) showed an almost 6% fall in global asbestos production from 1,170,000 tonnes in 2017 to 1,100,000t in 2018 with decreases in China, Russia and Brazil and a ~14% rise in production in Kazakhstan from 193,000t (2017) to 220,000t in 2018. Unfortunately, as “available information is insufficient to make accurate estimates for many countries” figures for national usage have not been made available. See: USGS Asbestos Data.
Quebec’s Asbestos Psychosis
Mar 18, 2019
Asbestos, a carcinogen feared throughout the world, remains a key resource in former Canadian mining towns where entrepreneurs plan to reclaim minerals from mountains of asbestos waste. Warnings by health experts regarding the public and occupational health hazard posed by disturbing 800 million tonnes of toxic waste have been dismissed by businessmen and politicians such as Marc-Alexandre Brousseau, the Mayor of Thetford Mines; asbestos, he says: “is everywhere … but we won’t die of it … My sandbox was filled with it when I was a kid. We went and played in the mountains of [asbestos] sand. We were always in it and there were never any problems.” See: The asbestos legacy: Can mining residues be repurposed safely?.
Brazil’s Asbestos Landscape
Mar 18, 2019
An online interview uploaded to mark International Women’s Day highlighted the leadership role played by pioneering engineer and factory inspector Fernanda Giannasi in the battle to ban asbestos in Brazil. Ms. Giannasi explained the paradox whereby even though the Supreme Court declared the asbestos trade unconstitutional, one of its judges took action to allow the mining of asbestos for export to continue. Despite the Court’s ruling, asbestos production continues at the Cana Brava Mine in Minaçu, a city in the Brazilian state of Goiás. See: Fernanda Giannasi e sua luta para banir o Amianto [Fernanda Giannasi and her fight to ban asbestos].
One More Claimant’s Verdict!
Mar 15, 2019
After a nine-week trial which began on January 7, a California jury awarded $29 million to Terry Leavitt, a mesothelioma plaintiff who claimed that exposure to asbestos-tainted Johnson & Johnson (J&J) baby powder in the 1960s and 1970s caused her deadly cancer. The company plans to appeal the March 13 verdict, alleging that “serious procedural and evidentiary errors” took place during the proceedings in the superior court in Oakland. J&J is facing more than 13,000 talc-related lawsuits from US claimants. See: Woman awarded $29m in damages in Johnson & Johnson cancer case.
Asbestos Ban by 2024!
Mar 15, 2019
On March 4, 2019, a judge in Bogotá ordered that an “action plan” be adopted by the Colombian authorities to phase out asbestos use within five years. The Judge ruled that the Ministry of Labor carry out an “inventory of [all] companies that use asbestos in their production processes.” The decision of the Administrative Court was in response to an action lodged in 2006 by Juan José Lalinde who argued that as the safe use of asbestos was not possible, it’s use should be ended. See: Juez ordena a Minsalud y Mintrabajo diseñar plan para eliminar uso de asbesto en Colombia [Judge orders Minsalud and Mintrabajo to design plan to eliminate asbestos use in Colombia].
Court Orders Compensation to Family
Mar 14, 2019
As a result of rulings by the First Labor Court of Pedro Leopoldo in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, three surviving heirs of a former worker from a tile factory will each be awarded the sum of (Reals) R$50,000 (US$13,100) for his death from mesothelioma caused by occupational exposure to asbestos. A second lawsuit regarding this death resulted in a verdict awarding the family a further R$100,000 (US$26,215) in moral damages. See: Empresa indenizará família de ex-trabalhador vítima de câncer por exposição ao Amianto [Company will indemnify former worker's family for cancer from asbestos exposure].
Asbestos: Who is in Danger?
Mar 13, 2019
Even more than a decade after asbestos was banned in Spain, individuals in communities throughout the country are still being exposed to high levels of asbestos contamination from industrial processing, waste disposal and the widespread use of toxic products. People from Toledo, Murcia, Seville and Madrid interviewed for the feature referenced below spoke of lives lost, health endangered and areas blighted by continued asbestos exposures at home, in schools and at work. See: Las zonas de España más contaminadas por la presencia de Amianto [The areas of Spain most contaminated by the presence of asbestos].
Alert: Asbestos in Cosmetics
Mar 12, 2019
Following a statement issued on March 5, 2019 by the US Food and Drug Administration that the presence of asbestos fibers had been confirmed by independent testing in products sold by Claire’s Accessories – Claire’s Eye Shadows (batch/lot No: 08/17), Claire’s Compact Powder (batch/lot No: 07/15) and Claire’s Contour Palette (batch/lot No: 04/17) – the company withdrew nine talc-based cosmetic products from the market out of “an abundance of caution.” The company’s voluntary withdrawal from sale of these goods was followed by a voluntary product recall on March 13. See: Statement from FDA… on tests confirming a 2017 finding of asbestos contamination in certain cosmetic products….
Alert: Quebec’s Asbestos Mine Tailings
Mar 11, 2019
In a letter addressed to Quebec’s Minister of Health Danielle McCann published in Le Soleil – the French language newspaper circulated in Quebec City – members of The Asbestos Victims Association of Quebec (AVAQ) expressed “concern about projects to develop tailings in Thetford Mines and Asbestos” and affirmed support for the 2018 warnings given by 18 regional public health directors regarding the potential occupational and public health hazards posed by the uncontrolled processing of asbestos mining waste. See: Il faut protéger la santé de la population [We must protect the health of the population].
Asbestos Pollution
Mar 10, 2019
On March 10, it was reported from Karachi that, as a result of charges laid in 2010, the Environmental Protection Tribunal had indicted the top executive of an asbestos-cement pipe factory in Manghopir for causing environmental pollution, and the director general of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) for failing to act. After a complaint had been made regarding pollution arising from the manufacturing operations and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency had ordered enquiries to be made, no action was taken by the SEPA official. The proceedings were adjourned after the accused pleaded not guilty; the case will go to trial. See: Pipe factory chief, Sepa DG indicted for causing health hazard.
Asbestos Attack on UN
Mar 7, 2019
During February and March discussions were progressed by the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – a political, military and economic union of countries in central and northern Asia and Eastern Europe, including leading asbestos stakeholders Russia and Kazakhstan – regarding the development of a coordinated policy to combat measures by member states of the UN’s Rotterdam Convention to implement restrictions on the global trade of chrysotile asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogenic substance. See: Строительный «горный лен» попал в осаду Евросоюза [Construction “mountain flax” [asbestos] under siege of the European Union].
Scotland’s Asbestos Legacy
Feb 20, 2019
The (online) Guardian article referenced below (in the context of health inequalities in Scotland) points to the deadly effects of the widespread and uncontrolled use of asbestos in the construction industry and shipbuilding on generations of workers and their families – “the families of (asbestos) victims are still fighting against the avarice and inhumanity of the corporate insurance industry” – and the ongoing hazard posed by the presence of asbestos-containing products in 1,600 schools and educational institutions. The author draws particular attention to the decades of campaigning and victim-support work undertaken by the Glasgow-based victims’ group Clydeside Action on Asbestos. See: Asbestos has haunted Scotland for decades – our children are still at risk.
Victory for Asbestos Claimants
Feb 8, 2019
The families of three workers (2 from the dockyards and 1 from a hospital) who died from mesothelioma due to workplace asbestos exposures have won lawsuits in the Malta Court. Judge Joseph R. Micallef awarded €10,000, €15,000 and €20,000 respectively to the families for the breach of their rights due to the employers’ negligence in protecting the deceased from toxic exposures and their failure to take “effective precautionary measures” despite the knowledge about the health hazards posed by asbestos use. See: Relatives of workers who died from asbestos-induced illness awarded €45,000. Court rules right of applicants to protection of life had been breached.
Asbestos Attack on UN
Feb 8, 2019
Under the umbrella of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) – representing Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia – steps are being progressed to defeat United Nations efforts to regulate the global trade in asbestos under the Rotterdam Convention (RC) which will next meet in Geneva in April-May 2019. Following a meeting in Moscow on February 5, 2019, the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission announced that EEU members will work together to defeat UN attempts to list chrysotile asbestos on Annex III of the RC. See: Страны ЕАЭС намерены выработать общую позицию по хризотиловому асбесту [EAEU countries intend to develop a common position on chrysotile asbestos].
Two Deadly Powders
Feb 8, 2019
An operation at the Port of Santos in Brazil’s São Paulo State uncovered 266 kilograms of cocaine hidden within a shipment of raw asbestos fiber. The joint Federal Police and Customs of the Federal Revenue of Brazil taskforce found the drugs on Friday, February 1. The cargo was destined for Chennai, India – the world’s largest asbestos-importing country – with a stop en route in Antwerp, Belgium. A sniffer dog alerted the officials to the presence of the drug. See: Receita Federal apreende 266 kg de cocaína no Porto de Santos [Federal Revenue seizes 266 kg of cocaine in the Port of Santos].
Parliamentary Mesothelioma Debate
Feb 6, 2019
On February 6, 2019, Sarah Newton, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, moved that the draft Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations 2019, laid before the House of Commons on January 15, be approved – they were. The 2019 regs increase the rates of payments set out in the Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) Regulations 2008 by 2.4%; the last uprating for the rates of payment had been on April 1, 2018. MPs – including Dennis Skinner, John Woodcock, Mike Amesbury, Ann Clwyd, Tracy Crouch, Peter Grant and Paul Scully – debated the motion. See: Hansard: House of Commons debate – Social Security.
From Mining Town to Ghost Town
Feb 6, 2019
Almost all of the aboriginal men who transported shipments of blue asbestos from the mine at Wittenoom Gorge have died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, as have thousands of other people who worked at the now infamous mine in Western Australia or lived in the mine town. Small-scale mining began in the late 1930s in the gorges near Mulga Downs and from 1944 production under the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR) continued for a further 22 years. None of the workers at the mine or people in the community were informed of the human hazards of exposures to asbestos. See: How mesothelioma devastated this Indigenous community in the Pilbara.
Update: Madrid Metro
Feb 6, 2019
The Collective Trade Union of Machinists of Madrid Subway (SCMM) has criticized the Chief Executive Officer of the Madrid Metro Borja Carabante who has, over the last two years, failed to deliver the quality and level of services deserved by the company’s passengers and staff. The SCMM highlights the decrease in the workforce and rolling stock including 50 trains which are out of service due to asbestos contamination. The lack of rolling stock has led to “chaos and crowds in suburban stations, causing serious situations of lack of security.” See: El SCMM denuncia “la mala gestión” de Borja Carabante: 50 trenes paralizados por el Amianto [SCMM denounces “the bad management” of Borja Carabante: 50 trains paralyzed by asbestos].
Honoring the Asbestos Dead
Feb 6, 2019
A proposal to erect a monument commemorating those whose lives had been sacrificed to asbestos is working its way through the municipal legislature of Osasco, formerly the center of Brazil’s asbestos-cement sector, under the sponsorship of Mayor Rogério Lins. Thousands of workers and members of the public had died in Osasco from asbestos-related diseases and it was in Osasco in 1995 that the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed was formed. See: Projeto prevê monumento às vítimas do amianto em Osasco [Project proposes monument to asbestos victims in Osasco].
Toxic Talc
Feb 5, 2019
Government and industry specialists have admitted that Bangladesh lacks the capacity to test samples of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) baby powder for the presence of asbestos. Until such time as the authorities in India report on the tests they are currently undertaking, no action will be taken in Bangladesh to forestall or curtail imports. Sri Lanka has banned imports of J&J baby powder. India's drugs regulator ordered J&J to stop manufacturing baby powder in two of its factories until test results show it is free of asbestos. See: Bangladesh fails to test Johnson and Johnson Baby Powder for asbestos.
Asbestos Remediation: Schools
Feb 5, 2019
The potential risk posed by the continued presence of asbestos-containing products in hundreds of schools in Algeria was the subject of a question asked in Parliament. Answering the question, Minister of National Education Nouria Benghabrit-Remaoun Benghabrit reassured colleagues that the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance would be taking “preventive measures” to address the situation. See: Amiante dans les ecoles: La ministre de l’Éducation Nationale réagit [Asbestos in schools: Algerian Minister of Education reacts].
Asbestos at Dry Dock
Feb 5, 2019
Judge Alberto La Mantia from the second civil section of the Court of Genoa, Italy has awarded the sum of €670,000 in a civil case against the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to the wife and two children of a worker from the naval military arsenal at La Spezia who died in 2012 (aged 62) from mesothelioma contracted from occupational exposure to asbestos. The deceased had worked as a carpenter at the MoD’s dry dock in La Spezia from 1967 to 1994. The Judge ruled that the MoD had been negligent in failing to prevent toxic workplace exposures. See: Amianto, ministero condannato [Asbestos, ministry condemned].
Free Asbestos Removal
Feb 5, 2019
Residents from the Polish commune of Jerzmanowice-Przeginia, a rural area in southern Poland, are being encouraged by the Mayor to submit requests for the free collection of asbestos-containing products under a municipal contract financed by the Regional Operational Program of the Małopolska Voivodship; as per the program, collections are available throughout the year (2019). See: Akcja usuwania azbestu w Jerzmanowicach-Przegini [Asbestos removal campaign in Jerzmanowice-Przegini].
Asbestos Propaganda
Feb 4, 2019
In an article published online on January 31, 2019 by Andrei Golm, Co-President of the Russian non-profit organization Chrysotile [Asbestos] Association, Golm reassured consumers and workers that: “Scientists and doctors from Russia and other countries agree: chrysotile asbestos is safe for controlled use” and that “chrysotile (white) asbestos with controlled use does not pose a threat to health.” In addition, Golm noted: “Products made of chrysotile cement are approved for use in construction in the Russian Federation in accordance with the hygienic standards GN 2.1.2 / 2.2.1.1009-00 approved by the chief sanitary doctor of Russia.” See: 6 самых важных фактов об асбесте [6 most important facts about asbestos].
Italy’s Asbestos Legacy
Feb 4, 2019
In Casale Monferrato, the town at the center of Italy’s asbestos scandal, one person is diagnosed every week with the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The hospice which provides caring for the injured is at the heart of the community and undertakes outreach work with schools and the public to ensure that the history of industrial abuse caused by the operations of the Eternit asbestos-cement factory remains part of the daily discourse. This article highlights the work of healthcare and other professionals who provide the care and outlines plans to increase the services on offer and the compensation to the victims. See: Reportage. A Casale Monferrato, tra gli “angeli” dell'amianto [Reportage. In Casale Monferrato, among the "angels" of asbestos].
Asbestos Alert: Quebec
Feb 4, 2019
A 23-page submission by AVAQ – Association des victimes de l'amiante du Québec [the Association of Quebec Asbestos Victims] – to the Quebec government recaps the history of occupational asbestos exposure in Quebec and concludes with facts detailing the current situation in which Quebec’s allowable occupational exposure limits to asbestos– despite vocal protests from provincial experts and civil society groups – remain far higher than those elsewhere. AVAQ calls for an immediate lowering of the exposure limit to 0.1 f/cc with a further decrease to 0.01 f/cc as soon as possible. See: Mémoire de l’AVAQ au comité de révision de la RSST.1 – Amiante [AVAQ submission to the RSST.1 review committee – Asbestos].
Asbestos Mortality in Italy
Feb 4, 2019
A paper published in December 2018 was based on a retrospective study of 188 subjects who died from asbestos-related diseases in Italy in 2000-2017; most of the deceased had worked and/or lived in Broni, Italy, where the Fibronit company operated a large asbestos-cement factory from 1932 until 1993. Amongst the asbestos-exposed factory workers, most of whom were men, the majority died from mesothelioma although some died from asbestosis; however, each of the 73 women, whose exposures were either environmental or via household contact, died from mesothelioma. See: Impact of asbestos on public health: a retrospective study on a series of subjects with occupational and non-occupational exposure to asbestos during the activity of Fibronit plant (Broni, Italy).
Scandal: US Asbestos Exemptions
Feb 1, 2019
The Attorneys General (AGs) from 15 US states are petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to introduce a mandatory reporting rule that will require US asbestos importers to furnish the EPA with more data on its use; currently, asbestos importers are exempt from having to provide the EPA with information about imports of raw asbestos or products containing it. The AG from Massachusetts Maura Healey said: “Each year, tens of thousands die from exposure to asbestos. We urge Acting Administrator Wheeler to issue a rule that will protect the lives of thousands of workers, families and children in Massachusetts and across the country.” See: 15 AGs petition Trump administration to draft asbestos rule.
Ban on Baby Powder Imports
Feb 1, 2019
The Reuters news agency has reported that Sri Lanka has embargoed the imports of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Baby Powder until J&J India, which exports the popular product to Sri Lanka, provides evidence that the baby powder is free from asbestos. The import license held by the distributor of J&J baby powder in Sri Lanka – A.Baur & Co – expired in December 2018 and will not be renewed until “quality reports from an accredited laboratory to ensure there is no asbestos in their products” are provided, said Kamal Jayasinghe, chief executive of Sri Lanka’s National Medicine Regulatory Authority. See: Exclusive: Sri Lanka halts imports of Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder pending asbestos tests.
Mesothelioma: Personalized Treatment
Feb 1, 2019
The Mesothelioma Stratified Therapy (MiST) trial, into the use of personalized treatment for mesothelioma, has opened in Leicester Hospital under the aegis of Professor Dean Fennell, Chair of the Mesothelioma Research Programme at the University of Leicester and scientific lead for the MiST trial. Explaining the rationale for the new protocols, Professor Fennel said: “By matching new drugs to the individual’s type of mesothelioma, for the first time, we have an unparalleled opportunity to rationally choose drugs most likely to control a patient’s mesothelioma. We hope that MiST will accelerate advances in extending survival and quality of life for patients with this aggressive cancer.” See: Treat mesothelioma: Medical trial opens to treat asbestos-related cancer.
Toxic Talc: Update
Feb 1, 2019
On January 29, 2019, U.S. Senator Patty Murray – the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions – sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson (J&J) asking for information related to allegations that for decades the company had known about the presence of asbestos in its talc-based baby powder but had nevertheless continued to sell this product. A spokesman for the company acknowledged receipt of Murray’s letter which requested documents and information related to testing of J&J talc products for the presence of carcinogens and “how it presented that information to regulators and consumers.” See: US senator asks J&J for documents on talc, baby powder safety.
Canada’s Asbestos Ban
Jan 29, 2019
The process by which Canada banned asbestos and the multiple exceptions which the regulations allow are the subject of a blog by Canadian activist Fe De Leon who highlighted exemptions for the: processing of asbestos mining waste in Quebec; nuclear industry till 2023; chlor-alkali industry for 11 years. Fe de Leon is “convinced that Canada needs a national asbestos strategy that includes the creation of a registry for exposed workers and buildings containing asbestos, alongside the establishment of an expert review panel to deliberate on issues related to legacy asbestos.” See: Moving Forward on Asbestos in Canada.
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 29, 2019
One hundred and thirty-four schools in the Murcia Region of Spain have asbestos-cement roofing. Despite assurances from the Ministry of Education that “there is no danger to the health of citizens if the material containing asbestos has not suffered any kind of damage”, parents and trade unionists are demanding that urgent action be taken to remove the toxic substance. Thirty-four of the affected schools are located in the town of Cartagena with 32 in Murcia, 11 in Molina de Segura, 5 in San Javier, 5 in Eagles, 4 in Mula and 4 in Alhama de Murcia. See: Miles de niños murcianos bajo el Amianto [Thousands of children in Murcia under asbestos [roofs]].
Asbestos Alert at Schools
Jan 29, 2019
An alert has been issued over the potential hazard posed by deteriorating asbestos products in 120 schools in Western Australia (WA). While WA’s Department of Education (DoE) has provided $6m for 2018-2020 for the removal of higher-risk asbestos-containing materials from public schools, Victoria has invested $200 million to remove asbestos from schools by 2020; Queensland has spent $18 million and South Australia $15m. Although WA’s DoE admits that “where an asbestos-containing material becomes damaged… or has deteriorated to the extent that it presents a potential risk to human health, it is replaced under controlled conditions with a non-asbestos product”, it seems in no hurry to do so. See: High risk asbestos in WA schools.
Asbestos Manslaughter Trial
Jan 29, 2019
On April 12, 2019, the latest of several Italian trials against international asbestos businessmen is due to commence in a court in Naples. Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny is facing charges of manslaughter over cancer deaths of six former workers from the Eternit factory in Bagnoli, Naples and two relatives who were exposed to the company’s asbestos. He will be tried in the Naples Court of Assizes which consists of two professional judges and six lay judges. The Court has jurisdiction to judge crimes with a maximum penalty of at least 24 years imprisonment such as terrorism and murder. See: Eternit ex-CEO indicted in asbestos-linked deaths.
Shipyard Victory
Jan 28, 2019
Following legal action by asbestos-injured workers taken in 2015 against Malta’s Director General of Public Health, the CEO of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority and the Attorney General, a Maltese civil court has awarded compensation of €3,000 (each) to 17 former shipyard workers or their families for occupational asbestos exposures. The court ruled that: “the Maltese Government knew or ought to have known of the dangers arising from exposure to asbestos at least as from the early 1970s.” The defendants had argued that the applicants could not prove that shipyard exposures to asbestos had caused their health problems. See: Ex-shipyard workers awarded compensation for asbestos exposure.
Asbestos and Public Health
Jan 28, 2019
On January 22, 2019, delegates from communes in Mai Chau – a rural district of Hòa Bình Province in Northwest Vietnam – took part in activities to raise awareness about the public health asbestos hazard pursuant to plans for banning imports of chrysotile asbestos by 2023. The workshop was organized by the Provincial Farmers’ Association and Australia’s Union Aid Abroad; addressing the meeting were members of the local community as well as scientists from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science and Technology and the Center for Communication Development. See: Truyền thông nâng cao nhận thức về amiăng trắng tới sức khỏe cộng đồng [Communication to raise the awareness of chrysotile (asbestos risk) to public health].
Toxic Flasks
Jan 28, 2019
Five brands of thermos flasks containing asbestos, a substance banned in Kuwait, were being sold in Kuwait according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI); following an alert issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the MOCI took a variety of actions which included summoning the representatives of the importing companies to Ministry headquarters; initiating legal action to punish the contravention of import prohibitions and prevent the imports of additional contaminated goods. A list of the five products is being circulated to appropriate stakeholders so that all the toxic flasks are withdrawn from sale as a matter of priority. See: Asbestos material used in 5 types of thermos – MOCI halts sales and import.
Commentary: Brazil’s Asbestos Legacy
Jan 28, 2019
The invisibility of Brazilian asbestos victims – exacerbated by confidential settlements and the lack of epidemiological data – and the failure to enforce the Supreme Court’s landmark 2017 judgment declaring the asbestos trade unconstitutional are just two of the many factors preventing the national asbestos dialogue from achieving the priority status it warrants as the “ industrial catastrophe of the twentieth century.” It is believed that one million Brazilians have been occupationally and environmentally exposed to asbestos. See: Até Quando o Amianto Occupara as Pautas Sócio-político-ambientais no Brasil? [When will asbestos conform to the socio-political-environmental guidelines in Brazil?].
Professor at Large
Jan 25, 2019
An article about the work of Professor David Egilman highlights the impact of his work to document corporate crimes – including those which exposed workers and member of the public to asbestos – over a 35 year career. “He is,” said one colleague “outspoken, unorthodox, brilliant – and driven to right wrongs.” Also discussed is the fate of a renowned publication – the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health – that had been edited by Egilman for many years before it was acquired by a publisher who terminated Egilman's contract and withdrew a peer-reviewed paper by him that the journal had already published. An action that resulted in the resignation of the entire editorial board. See: Expert witness David Egilman wins billions—and makes enemies—as he fights companies over public health.
Mesothelioma Compensation
Jan 25, 2019
In a written statement to Parliament on January 23, 2019, Sarah Newton, Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, announced that active UK insurers will be required to pay a levy of £39.8 million for the year 2018-19 by the end of March 2019 to finance the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS) – a scheme of last resort for sufferers unable to trace their employer or their employer’s insurer – under which 1,000 mesothelioma sufferers have been awarded compensation totalling £133.8m since April 2014. See: Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (Levy) 2018-19 . Department for Work and Pensions written statement –23rd January 2019.
Mesothelioma Discovery
Jan 25, 2019
According to a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, researchers at the University of Turin working in collaboration with other scientists have identified new molecules that inhibit the growth of malignant pleural mesothelioma tumor cells. In addition to blocking the progression of the tumor, these molecules can enhance the anti-tumor action of chemotherapy drugs such as pemetrexed in the treatment of this asbestos-related cancer. See: Amianto, scoperte molecole contro il mesotelioma pleurico [Asbestos, discovery of molecules that inhibit pleural mesothelioma].
Non-occupational asbestos exposure
Jan 25, 2019
Research conducted to evaluate the association between mesothelioma and non-occupational asbestos exposure found that there was a “a positive and strong association between non-occupational asbestos exposure and the risk of mesothelioma. The summarized relative risk estimates vary by types of exposure (neighborhood exposure, domestic exposure, and household exposure) but for all there is an elevated risk of mesothelioma.” The researchers concluded that: “Non-occupational asbestos exposure is significantly associated with an elevated risk of mesothelioma.” See: Association between mesothelioma and non-occupational asbestos exposure: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Alert: Asbestos in Schools
Jan 23, 2019
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is “seriously concerned” about an information vacuum regarding asbestos in schools after 23% of schools in England failed to comply with a 2018 request from the Department of Education (DfE) to report how much asbestos remained in their buildings and what measures were in place to manage it. The PAC told MPs that schools which had not reported back should be “named and shamed”. Commenting on this situation on behalf of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney said: “Failure to provide the DfE with information about management of asbestos in schools is putting lives at risk.” See: Schools failing to report asbestos details.
Asbestos Documentary
Jan 23, 2019
On January 19, 2019, a documentary film entitled “The revenge of Casale Monferrato” was shown in the city of Lamezia Terme in southern Italy. Present at the screening was director Rosy Battaglia, who said: “With this documentary we want to trigger a discussion in order to mobilize public awareness and consider what needs to be done to change things.” “Asbestos”, she said “is a problem that concerns the whole of Italy, as well as Calabria.” See: Lamezia, Docu-inchiesta "La rivincita di Casale Monferrato": città liberata dall'amianto. Dati ancora allarmanti in Calabria [Lamezia, Docu-investigation "The revenge of Casale Monferrato": city liberated from asbestos. Still alarming data in Calabria].
Europe’s Asbestos Catastrophe
Jan 23, 2019
A publication released in December 2018, by Eurogip – a French organization which investigates issues related to insurance, prevention of accidents at work and occupational diseases at the European and International level – highlighted the terrible price paid for asbestos use in Europe: “In every country except Germany, cancers due to asbestos dust accounted for the overwhelming majority of cancers recognized as an occupational disease in 2016. For example, mesotheliomas represented more than 30% of occupational cancers in Denmark, 50% in Austria and Italy, 65% in Belgium and around 90% in Sweden.” See: Incidence and detection of occupational cancers in nine European countries.
Toxic Talc in Turkey
Jan 21, 2019
Turkish specialists in asbestos analysis concerned about the possible contamination of talcum powder sold in their country in the aftermath of the Johnson & Johnson scandal over asbestos found in baby powder sold in the US have tested four brands of talcum powder and found that each one of them was contaminated with asbestos. The Istanbul association which undertook this research said this was a preliminary investigation and a comprehensive report will be produced following further testing. See: Türkiye’de 4 pudra markasından asbest çıktı! [Asbestos in 4 powder brands in Turkey!].
Remembering the Asbestos Fallen
Jan 21, 2019
At a high profile ceremony attended by many local and regional dignitaries, Giovanni Bellistri, the mayor of the town of Terruggia in the Italian Piedmont region, inaugurated Memory Park (“Parco della Memoria”) in Casale Monferrato, the iconic town at the center of Italy’s asbestos scandal. Unveiled during the ceremony was a stele commemorating the people whose lives had been lost to asbestos-related diseases. During his remarks, Mayor Bellistri pointed out that more people in the region had died from asbestos than had been killed [from the region] during the first and second world wars. See: Terruggia Monf. Inaugurato “Parco della Memoria” [Terruggia Monf. Inaugurated “Memory Park”].
Asbestos Remediation Program
Jan 21, 2019
According to the Netherlands’ State Secretary of Infrastructure and Public Works Stientje van Veldhoven anyone without the financial means to remove an asbestos roof will soon be able to claim state funds to do so. This, and other measures, were implemented so that the national target of removing all asbestos roofs by 2024 could be met; asbestos was banned in the Netherlands in 1993. To date, 12+ million square meters of asbestos roofs have been remediated; 80 million square meters of asbestos roofs remain. See: Opruimen van asbestdaken verdubbeld, nieuw fonds in 2019 [Clearing asbestos roofs doubled, new funds in 2019].
Asbestos Mine Reinvention
Jan 18, 2019
The Canadian Government has awarded $3.6 million for the development of tourist facilities related to the former asbestos mine in Thetford Mines, Quebec, including the upgrading of an existing asbestos museum, the addition of new outdoor spaces and the installation of new lighting systems. The funding, being provided as a grant by Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, was announced on January 17, 2019 by Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism and Member of Parliament for Honoré-Mercier. Critics have questioned the wisdom of encouraging tourists to visit a region with elevated levels of airborne asbestos. See: Historic Center of the King [asbestos] mine will be able to finalize the development of its facilities.
Asbestos Alert in Brazil
Jan 18, 2019
Asbestos is a hot button topic in Brazil. In an extended interview (see: The fiber of the devil) published this week, ban asbestos campaigner Brazilian Engineer Fernanda Giannasi highlighted the public health emergency caused by decades of asbestos exploitation in Brazil and condemned the impasse caused by the Supreme Court’s failure to take action to shut down the asbestos trade despite its November 2017 ruling. Meanwhile, an article recently uploaded to the health surveillance website of Rio Grande do Sul state contains information about a system being set up to monitor the health of former workers from an asbestos cement plant. See: Vigilância fará estudo sobre exposição ao amianto em ex-trabalhadores de indústria [Surveillance to conduct study on asbestos exposure in former industrial workers].
Asbestos Deaths: Homicide Charges
Jan 18, 2019
Turin public prosecutor Gianfranco Colace is calling for Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny to be jailed for seven years for the aggravated culpable homicide of a former worker and a member of the public, both of whom were poisoned by asbestos dust from the Eternit factory in Cavagnolo (Turin), Italy. The maximum sentence is being sought, explained lawyer Laura D’Amico, because, it is alleged, Schmidheiny violated occupational health and safety rules and because he knew that by doing so there could be grave consequences for people exposed to the company’s asbestos. See: Stephan Schmidheiny merita la pena massima [Stephan Schmidheiny deserves the maximum penalty].
Asbestos Critique
Jan 16, 2019
In a notification issued to shareholders on January 10, 2019, Eternit SA announced that it had stopped using asbestos in the production of tiles, thereby bringing an end to asbestos manufacturing in Brazil. Commenting on Eternit’s plans to continue mining asbestos for export, Veteran ban asbestos campaigner Fernanda Giannasi condemned the failure of the Supreme Court to implement its November 2017 ruling outlawing Brazil’s asbestos trade; through its inertia, the mining and export of asbestos was continuing. See: Eternit interrompe produção nacional de amianto, mas continuará exportando; vitória de Pirro graças ao STF, critica Fernanda Giannasi [Eternit halts domestic asbestos production, but will continue to export; a pyrrhic victory thanks to STF, criticizes Fernanda Giannasi].
National Removal Strategy
Jan 16, 2019
To date, Rwanda’s asbestos remediation program begun in October 2009 to remove toxic roofing from both public and private buildings has succeeded in clearing 56% of the country, with only financial restraints impeding further progress. According to Eric Kananga, Acting Coordinator of Asbestos Removal Project at Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA), if the required budget – nearly Rwf4.9 billion – was allocated, the program could be completed up by the end of 2021. The steps taken to mobilize and train asbestos removal contractors, develop protocols for safe removal, establish dumpsites and reach out to stakeholders is discussed. See: Financial constraints slow asbestos removal.
Asbestos in the Navy
Jan 16, 2019
In Italy, a tidal wave of outrage has greeted the acquittal, after more than ten years of legal proceedings, of eight retired admirals – former heads of the naval squad, maritime health care, naval arms management – charged with manslaughter over hundreds of asbestos deaths of sailors and civilian personnel. The ruling by Judge Chiara Bitoz of the Padua court found that as the causal link between exposure and pathology had not been scientifically proven, the criminal charges of manslaughter were vacated. See: Navi della Marina imbottite di amianto, centinaia di militari morti: “Siamo carne da macello” [Navy ships filled with asbestos, hundreds of dead soldiers: “We were meat for slaughter”].
Ban Asbestos Dynamics
Jan 16, 2019
An essay about the ongoing battle to ban asbestos in Colombia considers the current status of asbestos ban legislation, local plans to ban asbestos and national asbestos mortality data. A draft bill calling for the implementation of national prohibitions by 2023 was passed in the Senate in 2018 and is due to be debated by the House of Representatives in 2019. According to the President of Ascolfibras, the Colombian Association of Fibers: “Nowadays, none of the construction materials industries in Colombia use asbestos fibers to manufacture their products, and the friction products industries (brakes) are able to suspend their use at any time.” See: Prohibición del asbesto no afectaría a industria nacional [Prohibition of asbestos would not affect national industry].
Asbestos Awareness
Jan 14, 2019
From January 12 to 14, 2019 there have been a series of activities in Yangon, Myanmar to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard to workers as well as members of the public. Amongst the organizations backing these events were: the Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM), the Building and Woodworkers’ International, the Solidarity Center, the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN) and the Italy-Burma Foundation (Italia-Birmania Insieme). Officials from the Myanmar Government and World Health Organization participated, as did academics, trade unionists, technical and other experts from Myanmar, Italy and Japan. More soon. See: Group photo.
Double Standards
Jan 14, 2019
Responding to consumer demand and market forces, Brazil’s one-time asbestos giant Eternit S.A. has announced that it will no longer manufacture asbestos-containing building products for sale in the domestic market. It will, however, continue to mine chrysotile asbestos fiber at Brazil’s sole remaining mine in the city of Minaçu, Goiás State for export to “dozens of countries” including “the United States, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and other Asian countries”. See: Eternit deixa de usar amianto em seus produtos e mina produzirá só para exportação [Eternit stops using asbestos in its products and mine will produce only for export].
Asbestos in the Metro
Jan 14, 2019
Asbestos remediation work begun in February 2018 by Metro de Madrid – on the stations of Suanzes, Canillejas, Torre Arias, Príncipe de Vergara, Gran Vía, Pavones, Portazgo, Avenida de la Paz, Pyramids, Camp, Las Muses and Vinateros – has resulted in the decontamination of 12 of the company’s 55 stations. Expenditure on the asbestos removal has, to date, been €26 million; a further €114m has been allocated to complete the program which has a deadline of 2025. Trade unionists have condemned the progress as too “slow”; the Public Prosecutor of the Community of Madrid is investigating crimes against Metro workers. See: 12 de las 55 estaciones de Metro afectadas, ya están libres de Amianto [12 of the 55 affected Metro stations are already free of asbestos].
Asbestos in City Hall
Jan 14, 2019
Asbestos contamination of the city hall in Laval, Quebec – formerly the province in which most of Canada’s asbestos was produced – has prevented much needed renovation work being done to improve accessibility, modernize facilities and upgrade the 1964 building. Asbestos-containing products were used for decorative finishes, plastering, floor tiles and pipe insulation and building users have been warned that although “it is advisable not to drill walls and ceilings containing asbestos … there is no immediate risk to the health of people working there”. The relocation of staff to alternative premises for up to 2 years for renovations and asbestos removal to be done has been discussed. No decisions have been made. See: L’amiante freine les rénos de l’hôtel de ville [Asbestos slows down renovations at City Hall].
Asbestos and Oesophageal Cancer
Jan 11, 2019
Spain’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the country’s former asbestos giant Uralita of a ruling by the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia which concluded that a man who died from cancer of the esophagus had contracted this disease as a result of continued occupational asbestos exposure. Although the link between asbestos exposure and cancer of the esophagus is not officially recognized in Spain, the Supreme Court agreed that there was “sufficient scientific evidence” that exposure to asbestos could cause several cancers including oesophageal for the Court to uphold this verdict. See: El Tribunal Supremo avala que el amianto también causa cáncer de esófago [The Supreme Court endorses that asbestos also causes esophageal cancer].
Asbestos Cancer in Mongolia
Jan 11, 2019
A new scanner for creating slide images of histology tissue specimens has been acquired by Mongolia’s National Pathology Center (NPC) under the 2018-2020 project entitled “Improving Capacity of Diagnosing Lung Diseases Associated with Asbestos Dust at an Early Stage” which is run jointly by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the NPC. According to a press report: “The scanner can detect asbestos-related lung disease, which is increasing in Mongolia according to recent studies, at an early stage using a microscope.” Although the Government of Mongolia banned asbestos on July 14, 2010, this prohibition was cancelled on June 8, 2011. See: Device for detecting asbestos-related lung disease at early stage presented.
Asbestos Remediation of Schools
Jan 11, 2019
At a meeting in Johannesburg on January 8, 2019 to outline this year’s plans for Gauteng’s schools, Provincial Education MEC (Member of the Executive Council) Panyaza Lesufi announced that his department plans to borrow almost R8.5 billion to eliminate 17 mobile classrooms and asbestos contamination of the province’s schools within 5 years. Hopolang Selebalo, from the NGO Equal Education, criticized Gauteng’s failure to meet a 2016 mandatory deadline for eradicating asbestos contamination of schools; as a result, Selebalo said pupils are attending “unsafe schools, made of a substance known to have severe health consequences. It’s crucial that these schools be replaced as soon as possible”, Selebalo added. See: Gauteng plans to borrow billions for new schools.
Asbestos in the Mail
Jan 9, 2019
Emergency services in Australia have attended more than 10 incidents at consulates in Melbourne and Canberra where “suspicious packages” were found, some of which – like the one sent to the New Zealand consulate – had the word asbestos written on them. The US, Greek, French, Italian, Indian, New Zealand, Pakistani, Spanish, South Korean and Swiss consulates in Melbourne were amongst those targeted. Two days ago, the Argentinian consulate in Sydney received 3 bags containing asbestos and fibreglass. Investigations are ongoing. See: Police investigating after consulates and embassies in Melbourne and Canberra receive suspicious packages.
Toxic Talc
Jan 9, 2019
On January 7, 2019, opening statements were made in an Oakland, California court in the latest case brought over asbestos contamination of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) baby powder. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of mesothelioma sufferer Terry Leavitt; she was born in the Philippines and believes that she was exposed to J&J cosmetic talc from South Korea mines as a baby. Her lawyer Joe Satterley told the jury: “testing of Asian talc samples from the 1960s and 1970s by his own expert would show Korean-mined talc tested positive for asbestos fibers, as has talc from U.S. Sources”. See: Latest trial in J&J talc litigations gets under way in California.
Asbestos on the Metro
Jan 9, 2019
As a result of an extensive medical screening program conducted on 600 employees of the Barcelona Metro system, five workers were diagnosed with the asbestos-related condition of pleural plaques; although the plaques are asymptomatic, the health of the individuals diagnosed will be monitored by staff at the Vall d'Hebron Hospital Pneumology Service. The company admits that as medical tests are yet to be carried out on 200 more asbestos-exposed employees, there may be more cases of affected workers. See: Cinco trabajadores del metro de Barcelona, afectados por Amianto [Five workers of the Barcelona metro, affected by asbestos].
Asbestos Remediation
Jan 9, 2019
Action is being taken pursuant to an order by Kenya’s National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to replace the asbestos roof of the Nanyuki Boys High School in Laikipia County due to “the serious risks of cancer posed by asbestos”. Fanuel Mosago, Laikipia county NEMA director, warned that water collected from the roof can cause cancer and advised “anyone else with asbestos roofing to remove it and seek guidance so that they don’t cause harm to other people when disposing” the toxic waste. According to this article, Kenya banned asbestos in 2006. See: Nanyuki School to Replace Asbestos Roof.
Asbestos and Urban Transformation
Jan 9, 2019
Asbestos liberated by demolition and remediation contractors engaged in Turkey’s urban transformation is continuing to endanger occupational and public health on a daily basis. Inspectors tasked with ensuring asbestos removal work is conducted according to health and safety protocols, reported multiple incidents of illegal dumping in forests and elsewhere of asbestos waste from demolition sites. Only 14 of Istanbul’s 39 districts require “asbestos free certificates” prior to the demolition of buildings;it is believed that two thirds of Istanbul’s old buildings contain asbestos. Prior to banning asbestos, 500,000 tonnes of asbestos were used in Turkey. See: Asbest hilesi [Asbestos fraud].
Victims’ Supreme Court Ruling
Jan 7, 2019
Spain’s Supreme Court has upheld a 2016 ruling awarding €260,000 to the families of four women who died from asbestos diseases contracted from exposure to their husbands’ work clothes; the men had been occupationally exposed to asbestos working at the Uralita asbestos factory in Getafe, Spain. According to the verdict, between 1962 and 1992 the company had failed to adopt measures to protect not only workers, but also those who they knew could have come into contact with the asbestos fibers. See: GETAFE/ Confirman una indemnización a familiares de cuatro mujeres ?fallecidas por Amianto [GETAFE / Confirm compensation to family members of four women killed by asbestos].
Bizarre Decision
Jan 7, 2019
In March 2019, a new exemption to the 30-year old asbestos ban in Switzerland will allow for the use of serpentinite stone – which can contain asbestos – for “aesthetic reasons” during “repair or restoration work on existing structures or monuments”. The new derogation is, said David Vernez, Director of the Swiss Institute of Occupational Health, “unacceptable”; asbestos victims and campaigners agreed with him. Since 1939, Switzerland’s National Accident Insurance Fund has paid more than 870 million francs in insurance benefits to more than 3,800 individuals suffering from asbestos-related occupational diseases. See: La loi interdisant l'utilisation de l'amiante en Suisse s'assouplit [The law prohibiting the use of asbestos in Switzerland is becoming more flexible].
Government’s Asbestos Liability
Jan 7, 2019
The president of the Sardinian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed Giampaolo Lilliu has condemned the Italian Government for its failure to allocate funds in the 2019 national budget for asbestos remediation of public buildings. The situation is, said Lilliu, particularly grave in Sardinia where many sports facilities, schools, hospitals and public offices are contaminated with asbestos-containing products; furthermore, he pointed out, 9,000 kilometers of asbestos-containing water pipes are still in use. See: Amianto, ex esposti sardi contro governo: “Reato ambientale” [Asbestos, exposed Sardinians against the government: “Environmental crime”].
Asbestos Remediation of Schools
Jan 7, 2019
Officials for the South Korean City of Chungbuk have announced plans to commence asbestos remediation of 43 kindergartens, 25 elementary schools, 11 middle schools and 6 high schools during the school winter vacation, as part of a multi-billion won program. An asbestos monitoring unit – composed of parents, schools, environmental groups, supervisors, and technical experts – will be set up to oversee the dismantling, remediation and disposal operations. The use of asbestos has been banned in Korea since 2009. See: 충북도교육청, 방학 기간 43개 학교 석면 해체·제거 [Chungbuk Provincial Office of Education, 43 schools in vacation period Asbestos dismantling / removal].
Regional Asbestos Legacy
Jan 7, 2019
According to the Association of Asbestos Victims (Asviamie), last year (2018) 34 people died from asbestos-related diseases in the Basque Country; in reality, the death toll was probably higher due to the widespread failure to diagnose these diseases. During the year, Asviamie staff assisted more than 1,000 people affected by asbestos exposures. In the Navarra region, the register of 3,402 asbestos-exposed workers notes that since 1998, 87% of those affected were men and 13% were women. See: 2018, el año en el que el amianto mató a más trabajadores en Euskadi: 34 [ 2018, the year in which asbestos killed more workers in Euskadi: 34].
EPA Rejects Petition
Jan 4, 2019
On December 21, 2018, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rejected a September 2018 petition requesting increased reporting on asbestos uses and the elimination of certain exemptions which allow some uses to go unreported. The EPA was confident it was “ aware of all ongoing uses of asbestos” and “did not think that lifting or modifying any existing reporting exemptions… would result in the agency receiving new information that would change its understanding of asbestos’s use.” The EPA notification said the petitioners had not demonstrated a sufficient case to compel the disclosure of “confidential business information protection.” See: EPA denies petition for expanded TSCA asbestos reporting.
Asbestos Compensation Fund
Jan 4, 2019
On December 18, 2018, a press release from the Swiss Asbestos Compensation Foundation (EFA) announced that since March, 2017, 33 individuals (or their relatives) with non-occupationally caused malignant mesothelioma had been compensated; the total amount paid by the EFA was 4.4 million francs. Fifteen applications are currently under evaluation. At the final 2018 meeting of the EFA Trustees, it was agreed to increase the number of eligible applicants by accepting claims from people with mesothelioma (or their relatives) whose illness had been recognized by the Federal Act on Accident Insurance as an occupational disease. See: Communique de Pressé: La Fondation EFA Verse 1,4 million de francs (Press Release: EFA Foundation pays 1.4 million frances).
Reviewing Asbestos Safety
Jan 4, 2019
The Government of British Colombia (BC) is leading the way in protecting Canadians from the asbestos hazard. Two documents highlight measures to protect not only workers from hazardous exposures but also members of the public. A 47-page draft report (the Report) published in December 2018 (see: Keeping Workers, the Public and the Environment Safe from Asbestos: Working Group Draft Final Rep) makes 16 suggestions to minimize the risks posed by asbestos contamination of the BC infrastructure. Public consultation is ongoing about the effectiveness of measures delineated in the Report. See: Asbestos Practices Phase Two.
Asbestos Alert
Jan 3, 2019
Public health experts have issued warnings about work to reclaim magnesium from asbestos waste deposits which dominate the landscape in former Quebec mining towns such as Thetford Mines and Asbestos. It has been estimated that there are 800 million tonnes of residue created by 130 years of asbestos mining operations. Recommendations by the experts included regulations to: make it illegal to increase ambient asbestos levels, restrict public access to the tailings and set up a board of review to oversee the potential risks of processing the mining residues. Neither the federal nor the provincial government have taken heed of these warnings. See: Too good to be true? Transforming asbestos mining residue into money.
Deaths in Shipyards
Jan 3, 2019
Italian researchers who studied data from a cohort of 3,984 Genoa shipyard workers employed between 1960 and 1981 recorded an excess cancer mortality including deaths caused by pleural mesothelioma and cancers of the larynx and of the lung, all of which can be caused by exposure to asbestos (90 out of the 399 lung cancer deaths were attributed to asbestos exposure). The scientists, who concluded that the “long follow-up period of our study allowed the detection of a substantial disease burden following asbestos exposure,” called for the implementation of a worldwide asbestos ban. See: Mortality among workers exposed to asbestos at the shipyard of Genoa, Italy: a 55 years follow-up.
Asbestos Offensive
Dec 31, 2018
An article attempting to neutralize the widespread Russian media coverage of the asbestos scandal which has caused a collapse in share prices of the US multinational Johnson & Johnson (J&J), asserts that international studies do not confirm that exposure to asbestos causes cancer: a study is cited which analysed data from 2,000,000 women and concluded that “asbestos does not have a connection with the occurrence of the illness [mesothelioma].” According to the author of this text, the “unpleasant situation,” in which J & J currently finds itself is a result of the corruption of statistics and the unscrupulous actions of US lawyers and judges. See: Спорный случай. Как асбест превратился в «минерал раздора»? [Controversial case. How did asbestos become a “mineral of discord”?].
Banning Asbestos in Colombia
Dec 31, 2018
On December 22, 2018, the Colombian city of Mesitas del Colegio, in the Cundinamarca region in central Colombia, announced its decision to prohibit the use of asbestos-containing products in all future public works, to protect public health. While legislation to ban asbestos remains stalled in the Colombian Congress, other local administrations such as those in the towns of Lorica and Chivata are considering taking unilateral action to protect citizens from deadly asbestos exposures. See: El primer municipio colombiano en prohibir el asbestos [The first Colombian municipality to ban asbestos].
Asbestos Espionage
Dec 31, 2018
A covert operation mounted by an international corporate surveillance agency to infiltrate the ban asbestos network has resulted in substantial damages being paid by K2 Intelligence. Two years into a legal case brought by five of the campaigners targeted, the company agreed to settle the case but only after the court had heard details of the undercover methods used to gather information about the methods, funding and plans of the activists and the roles played by the spy Rob Moore, who introduced himself as a maker of documentary films, and his K2 handler Matteo Bigazzi. See: I Spy.
Healthcare for Victims
Dec 31, 2018
Fines levied by a Brazilian court on the country’s largest asbestos manufacturer, Eternit SA – worth US$440,000 – were used in 2018 to fund medical treatment of asbestos victims, in a program jointly run by the São Paulo Heart Institute, the Association of the Asbestos-Exposed and the Labor Public Ministry. The money was spent on the acquisition of new equipment for pulmonary function tests and the wages of an additional doctor and two medical technicians. In 2018, 94 patients were treated; in 2019, doctors hope to treat 200. See: Parceria Incor, Abrea e MPT completa um ano e avança no atendimento às vítimas do Amianto [Incor, Abrea and MPT partnership completes one year of advances in the care of asbestos victims].
High Level of Compensation Claims
Dec 21, 2018
On December 19, 2018, Japan’s Ministry of Health announced that in 2017 it had approved 1,054 claims from people who had worked at 879 companies who were victims of occupational diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. For the first time, one workplace – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.'s Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works in southern Japan– had been responsible for more than 200 compensation claims in one year. Seventy of the claimants had already died when their claims were recognized. Amongst the eligible claimants, 126 had lung cancer and 72 mesothelioma; the rest were suffering from other asbestos-related diseases. See: 1,054 people from 879 firms linked to work-related diseases due to asbestos.
Export of Toxic Ship
Dec 21, 2018
The export to England of a Portuguese cruise ship contaminated with 100 tonnes of asbestos-containing products has been the subject of an article which quotes Carmen Lima, coordinator of a new asbestos victims association (SOS Amianto), as follows: “When being towed we must have assurances that the English maritime authorities will receive this ship and that removal of asbestos will be possible in England. If the English maritime authorities do not authorize the receipt of this ship with the presence of asbestos, then asbestos removal must be ensured here in Portugal.” See: As 100 toneladas de amianto que tornam o paquete Funchal perigoso [The 100 tons of asbestos that make the Funchal package dangerous].
Asbestos Legacy
Dec 21, 2018
Decades of asbestos manufacturing left a deadly legacy in Spodden Valley, where the 72-acre contaminated site of the world’s largest asbestos factory continues to pose an imminent health hazard to local people. Although production ceased long ago, the waste dumped on the site and the pollution it caused remain, as shown by results from air and soil tests conducted in 2013. Since 2011, the land has been owned by “a mysterious offshore company based in a tax haven.” Information from a survey they commissioned in 2016 has yet to be released to the Council or the public even though it has already been received by the land owner. See: The Secret of Spodden Valley.
Demolition Work and Asbestos
Dec 21, 2018
In a December 21st media release, WorkSafe – New Zealand's primary workplace health and safety regulator – said asbestos exposure remains an ongoing hazard due to inadequate management by people in the demolition sector, citing a recent ruling by Blenheim District Court which convicted Crafar Crouch Construction Limited for endangering workers and members of the public by exposing them to asbestos during demolition work in the city of Blenheim, a town on New Zealand’s South Island, in 2016 and 2017. WorkSafe’s Head of Specialist Interventions Simon Humphries said that: “The utter negligence displayed by Crafar Crouch and their disregard for worker health is appalling.” See: Seriousness of asbestos still not being observed.
Asbestos Removal Program
Dec 19, 2018
On Tuesday, December 18, 2018, the Macau Water supply Company Ltd. announced that all remaining asbestos-containing plumbing in the city of Macau – an autonomous region on the south coast of China – would be replaced in 2019. This announcement had global import as China is both one of the world’s largest asbestos-consuming and asbestos-producing countries. Asbestos has been used to deliver water in Macau since the 1980s but is being removed because of the human health hazard. See: All plumbing containing asbestos to be replaced in 2019 - Macau Water.
Victims’ Triumph
Dec 19, 2018
One of Brazil’s few remaining asbestos-using companies – Eternit S.A. – was ordered last week to pay for life-time medical care for former employees suffering from asbestos-related diseases who had worked at its Rio de Janeiro asbestos-cement factory – by Judge Raquel de Oliveira Maciel in a public civil action brought by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) and endorsed by the Public Prosecutor's Office. Although the company refused to comment on this judgment, it is believed it will appeal as it has done in previous cases. See: Empresa é condenada a pagar tratamento vitalício para expostos ao Amianto [Company is ordered to pay for lifetime treatment for asbestos exposure].
Calls for Asbestos Fund
Dec 19, 2018
The Federation of Services, Mobility and Consumption of UGT-Madrid – a branch of one of Spain’s largest trade union confederations – is demanding that an asbestos fund be established for workers injured by toxic exposures in the Madrid Metro, to streamline the compensation process and avoid the “judicial pilgrimage” experienced by those suffering from these injuries. The purpose of the fund includes providing economic and social support to asbestos-injured employees of Metro de Madrid. See: UGT reclama la creación de un fondo para indemnizar a afectados por Amianto [UGT claims the creation of a fund to compensate those affected by asbestos].
Cancer Risk for Asbestos Cohorts
Dec 19, 2018
Researchers from Taiwan who established a nationwide retrospective cohort of asbestos-exposed factory workers during the years 1950–1989 and calculated the occurrence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) between 1980 and 2009 found those who worked in asbestos manufacturing processes, including the production of asbestos cement and thermal insulation, and those in the shipbuilding sector were at “significantly increased risks of MPM.” It was recommended that a screening programme be created to enable the early diagnosis of MPM and other asbestos-related diseases. See: Clustering of malignant pleural mesothelioma in asbestos factories: a subgroup analysis in a 29-year follow-up study to identify high-risk industries in Taiwan.
Toxic Talc
Dec 17, 2018
Massive global media coverage has been generated by news of research by Reuters which showed that the US multinational Johnson & Johnson (J&J) had hidden knowledge about the asbestos content of its iconic baby powder for decades. Government memos, corporate documents, laboratory results, interviews and other sources are discussed showing a long-term conspiracy to neutralize adverse criticism, deny non-favorable scientific findings and avoid liabilities for asbestos-related deaths such as those from mesothelioma or ovarian cancer amongst users of J&J baby powder. See: Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder.
Asbestos Propaganda
Dec 17, 2018
As litigation progresses in Ukraine to reinstate a national ban on asbestos use, asbestos stakeholders continue their propaganda offensive with the latest pro-asbestos article published on December 13, 2018. The author concludes that chrysotile asbestos, imported from Kazakhstan, is “indispensable” for “owners of private houses and professional builders” because of its “technical characteristics,” and its low cost, stating Russian research had proved that “no one had any health consequences” from its use contrary to opinions of major international agencies including the ILO, WHO and IARC. See: Хризотил-асбест: вред, применение, характеристики асбеста [Chrysotile asbestos: harm, use, characteristics of asbestos].
Canada Bans Asbestos
Dec 13, 2018
Canadian prohibitions on the mining, manufacture, import, export, sale and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products come into force on December 30, 2018. The distribution of asbestos products after this time such as those in inventories or stock will be prohibited and suppliers have been warned that compliance with the regulations is mandatory: “It is expected that automotive stakeholders would comply with the regulations by switching from imports of friction materials containing asbestos to asbestos-free friction materials, such as ceramic brakes pads or materials with synthetic fibers.” See: Canada's ban on asbestos products takes effect December 30.
Supreme Court: No One Guilty!
Dec 13, 2018
On December 11, the French Supreme Court upheld the cancellation of indictments for asbestos “homicides and involuntary injuries,” against 8 officials charged for their parts in asbestos scandals at Jussieu University, Paris and the Normed shipyards, Dunkirk. Appeals against the dismissal of the indictments had been made by the Anti-asbestos Committee of Jussieu University and the Association of Asbestos Victims of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The Court dismissed the appeals bringing to an end 20+ years of litigation to hold those in power responsible. See: Amiante: la Cour de cassation annule les mises en examen pour homicides et blessures involontaires [Asbestos: Court of Cassation overturns indictments for homicides and involuntary injuries].
Asbestos in the Boilers
Dec 13, 2018
In the Russian occupied Ukrainian city of Kerch in the east of Crimea, workers have protested over a week of toxic exposures experienced during the replacement of a boiler containing asbestos under hazardous conditions. Their complaints to the company went unanswered. After contacts were made with the authorities and trade union, nine respirators were provided for 27 at-risk workers. According to those affected: no measurements of airborne asbestos levels have been taken. See: РАБОТНИКИ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЙ КЕРЧЕНСКОЙ КОТЕЛЬНОЙ ДЫШАТ АСБЕСТОВОЙ ПЫЛЬЮ (ФОТО И ВИДЕО) [Workers of the central Kersch boiler room breathe asbestos dust (photo and video)].
Asbestos in Hospitals
Dec 13, 2018
Information received pursuant to Freedom of Information requests made to all 243 NHS trusts in Britain by the BBC confirmed that “about” 9 out of 10 NHS trusts have hospitals containing asbestos.” The BBC identified 352 legal claims against health trusts made between January 2013 and December 2017 by people who had developed asbestos-related diseases from exposures in NHS buildings. The trusts say those claims resulted in payouts of ~£6.8m; three law firms told the BBC they had secured compensation of more than £16.4m in the same period for asbestos exposures in healthcare settings. MP Jo Stevens, chair of the Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group, is urging action to prevent more toxic exposures in hospitals. See: Nine out of 10 NHS trusts have asbestos in hospitals.
Alert: Toxic Talc
Dec 6, 2018
On December 5, 2018 Health Canada, the government agency responsible “for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health,” issued a national warning regarding the dangers of using products containing talc, and announced plans to: “prohibit or restrict the use of talc in a limited number of product types, such as certain cosmetics, natural health products and non-prescription drugs.” Draft proposals – Risk management scope for talc – will be published and a public consultation ending on February 6, 2019 will take place. In the US, multiple court cases have established the link between the use of asbestos-contaminated talc and the occurrence of ovarian cancer. See: Ottawa évalue les risques des produits contenant du talc [Ottawa assesses risks of products containing talc].
Sea King Asbestos Scandal
Dec 6, 2018
On December 5, 2018, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a media release updating the extent of asbestos-containing products present on Sea King helicopters and now admits that they are still contaminated: “the risk remained that asbestos-containing components could still be fitted to Sea King aircraft. Action has been taken to remove these components from the supply chain.” Veterans, former and current civilian employees and serving members of the armed forces are advised of what action they can take if they have concerns about asbestos exposures on these aircraft. See: Sea king helicopters, asbestos.
Victim’s Verdict
Dec 6, 2018
On December 4, 2018, it was reported that a Santiago court ordered Pizarreño Industries to pay compensation to the surviving family of Mrs. Julieta Bernal Trigo, a woman who contracted and died (in 2016) from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, having lived near the company’s asbestos cement plant in Maipú City, and washed her father’s contaminated work clothes; her father had worked for the company. See: Condenan a Pizarreño en insólito caso de mujer que murió de cáncer por asbestos [Pizarreño condemned in unusual case of woman who died of cancer due to asbestos].
Mesothelioma Amongst Veterans
Dec 6, 2018
A paper uploaded on December 4, 2018 to the website of the International Journal of Radiation Biology examined the incidence of mesothelioma amongst former military personnel who were present during above-ground nuclear weapons testing held between 1945 and 1962. The researchers reported that: “Although jobs with high potential for exposure to asbestos products were held by only 20% of the enlisted naval population, sailors with these jobs (machinist's mate, pipe fitter, boiler technician, water tender and fireman) experienced 55% of mesothelioma deaths.” See: Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma Mortality among Atomic Veterans.
Ban Asbestos Colombia!
Dec 5, 2018
The “Ana Cecilia Niño law,” which will ban asbestos nationwide, has been approved by the Colombian Senate; companies will have five years to make the transition to asbestos-free technologies. According to Senator Nadia Blel, the sponsor of this legislation: “Over the past five years, 1,744 people died of lung cancer as a result of their exposure to asbestos and more than 250 died of mesothelioma thanks to that silent enemy that is still being marketed in our country.” The bill now goes to the House of Representatives. See: Senado aprobó ley que elimina el uso de asbesto en Colombia [Senate passes law that eliminates the use of asbestos in Colombia].
Christmas in Perth
Dec 5, 2018
A check for $80,000 was presented to mesothelioma researchers from the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases at the December 2, 2018 Christmas barbecue held by the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) at Whiteman’s Park in Perth, Western Australia. The money was raised by donations to the ADSA 2018 walk for medical research and asbestos awareness which took place in September and saw participants cover the 300 kilometers between Hyden and Perth. The funds will support the research of Dr ‘Melvin’ Wee Loong Chin, the recipient of the ADSA PhD Scholarship in Mesothelioma Research. See: Group Photo.
Asbestos-Free Water System
Dec 5, 2018
Work to remediate the water delivery system of the Italian municipality of Terranuova has been completed after two years and €200,000 expenditure. All the asbestos-cement (ac) pipes formerly used to deliver water have been replaced by cast iron alternatives. According to Mayor Sergio Chienni, the ac pipes had constituted only 1.5% of the total network and with the completion of replacement work in the commune of Ciuffenna, the water system in Terranuova is now asbestos free. See: Rinnovata la rete idrica: via le tubazioni in cemento amianto. Sostituite con quelle in ghisa [Water network renewed: asbestos cement pipes replaced with cast iron ones].
Asbestos: The Public Health Hazard
Dec 5, 2018
Three cases of South African women aged between 58 and 70 with malignant mesothelioma were analysed in this new paper which highlighted the ongoing hazard posed by secondary, domestic and environmental exposures to asbestos, a substance banned in 2008 in South Africa. The authors predicted that: “a significant number of cases of non-occupational mesothelioma will be seen in many countries for several decades given the extent of asbestos containing materials.” See: The significance of non-occupational asbestos exposure in women with mesothelioma.
Asbestos Profits!
Dec 4, 2018
This article about the rising level of Russian non-commodity exports, states that “Asbestos products… [are] the leaders of growth.” According to government data, from January to November, 2018, Russia exported 400,000 tonnes of raw asbestos fiber to more than 20 countries including: India, China, Indonesia, Uzbekistan and Thailand. Diversification of the industrial asbestos sector has improved economic prospects with the production of asbestos-containing building materials such as asbestos roofing and asbestos-cement pipes proving lucrative. See: Несырьевой экспорт продолжает рост [Non-commodity exports continue to grow].
Ban Asbestos Action Plan
Dec 4, 2018
A series of meetings, formal events and discussions in Laos during the week beginning November 26, 2018 progressed actions by government and civil society stakeholders to protect citizens from asbestos cancer following the signing on November 23, 2018 of an order by the Minister of Health to ban the import and use of chrysotile asbestos in Laos by 2020. Recent consumption of chrysotile asbestos in Laos has been very high at 1.2 kg/person, most of which went into the production of roofing materials. See: Strong support as Lao Government demonstrates action on preventing future cancers in Laos with launch of National Action Plan to Eliminate Asbestos-Related Diseases including a planned ban on chrysotile asbestos 2020.
Addressing Asbestos Challenges
Dec 4, 2018
An Australian Ministerial Media Release on November 30, 2018 announced new government measures to ensure public access to information about the asbestos hazard and prevent the import of banned asbestos-containing products into Australia. Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Linda Reynolds said: “The Government intends to bring forward amendments to strengthen offences and penalties for the illegal importation of products containing asbestos.” In addition, Australia will continue to play a leading role in regional moves to ban the mining, production and use of asbestos. See: Coalition continues to take action to mark National Asbestos Awareness Week.
Asbestos On Board
Dec 4, 2018
A study entitled Medical Asbestos Cohort by personnel from the Army Training Hospital will begin in 2019 to assess occupational asbestos exposures experienced by hundreds of serving or retired French naval personnel. Speaking at a conference on November 29, 2018, the program’s supervisors Drs. Pégorié and Rivière said: “We want to propose a job-exposure matrix. Depending on the time of boarding, the type of ship and the job, we will be able to evaluate the degree of exposure to asbestos risk and then adapt the medical follow-up.” See: Amiante. L’exposition des marins à l’étude [Asbestos. An investigation into the exposure of sailors].
Asbestos Vacuum
Dec 3, 2018
The failure of the Brazilian Supreme Court to publish its full ruling a year after it declared the commercial exploitation of asbestos in Brazil unconstitutional has been soundly criticized by civil society activists who condemn the current situation in which states that do not have current laws banning asbestos can continue to mine, produce and export asbestos despite the Supreme Court’s verdict. Ban asbestos activist Fernanda Giannasi says: “We're still in limbo. The decision continues to be violated by Sama, by Precon from Minas Gerais, and by Precon Anápolis /Goiás from the Eternit group.” See: Um ano após banir o amianto no Brasil, STF ainda não publicou sentença [One year after banning asbestos in Brazil, STF has not yet issued a ruling].
Rising Asbestos Losses
Dec 3, 2018
A US report issued on November 28, 2018 which reported that asbestos and environmental claims continued to grow, estimated total losses from these categories at $146 billion. There was an average of additional asbestos losses per year between 2013 and 2017 of $1.9 bn: “‘Quantifying the industry’s ultimate loss exposure is difficult, given the significant advancements in medical effectiveness, as well as developing litigation strategies,’ said the report, which states its net ultimate asbestos loss estimate of $100 billion remains the same.” See: Asbestos, environmental losses continue to grow: A.M. Best.
Occupational Asbestos Exposures in Turkey
Dec 3, 2018
A newly published paper explores the reasons why there have been no recognized mesothelioma compensation cases in Turkey, a country where it is the usual practice to explain asbestos-related diseases as having been caused by environmental exposures to asbestos. The researchers concluded that: “Low awareness of occupational asbestos exposure risk, especially among physicians, discourages seeking compensation for occupational exposure.” They recommended that surveillance and prevention programs be implemented to prevent hazardous occupational as well as environmental exposures. See: Asbestos-Related Diseases in Turkey: Not Only Caused by Naturally Occurring Fibers, but Also by Industrial Exposures.
Asbestos in Schools
Dec 3, 2018
On November 21, 2018 MP Jim Cunningham (Coventry South) tabled a Parliamentary question to the Secretary of State for Education asking “what steps his Department is taking to assist with the removal of asbestos from schools in England.” The response received on November 26 reinforced public concern regarding the health emergency posed by widespread asbestos contamination of schools: “While asbestos will be removed over time from the school estate as part of any rebuilding or refurbishment programme, the Department has not committed to the phased removal of all asbestos by a specific date.” See: Schools: Asbestos:Written question – 194035.
Asbestos Ban by 2020!
Nov 29, 2018
At an asbestos workshop on November 28, 2018 in Vientiane, the capitol of Laos, strong support was expressed by stakeholders for plans to end the use of asbestos by December 2020, as per an order approved by the Ministry of Health (MoH) on November 23, 2018 to ban asbestos imports and use by December 2020. The event was organized by the Laos MoH and supported by: the World Health Organization: Western Pacific Region; the International Labor Organization; and the Australian Embassy in Laos. See: Strong support as Lao Government demonstrates action on preventing future cancers in Laos with launch of National Action Plan to Eliminate Asbestos-Related Diseases including a planned ban on chrysotile asbestos.
G20 Told: Ban Asbestos
Nov 29, 2018
As leaders of G20 countries prepare to meet in Buenos Aires on November 30, a call for global action on the asbestos menace was issued by campaigners who wrote: “In the context of the many problems you will be addressing in Buenos Aires, asbestos stands out as an exceptionally well documented, focused issue where much progress has been made in the world; and where those countries which have banned asbestos stand ready to support others who wish to take the same path.” The English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese versions of the text of this letter are available at the link below. See: Em carta aos líderes do G20, ativistas antiamianto mundiais apelam por ação global para proibir a fibra assassina [In a letter to G20 leaders, global anti-asbestos activists call for global action to ban killer fiber].
New Asbestos Victims Group
Nov 29, 2018
In just a fortnight, a new group called “SOS Amianto,” which was created by the environmental organization Quercus to support asbestos victims in Portugal, has received 20 enquiries from people concerned about occupational asbestos exposures, asbestos contamination of schools and other issues. Commenting on the high level of public interest, an SOS spokesperson said: “the growing concern about this issue and the lack of means to clarify” the multitude of asbestos challenges being faced in Portugal validates the need for an independent body to assist those affected by asbestos exposures. See: SOS Amianto recebeu 20 denúncias em menos de duas semanas, diz Quercus [SOS Asbestos received 20 complaints in less than two weeks, says Quercus].
Asbestos Disposal in São Paulo?
Nov 29, 2018
The lack of regulated and supervised locations for the authorized disposal of asbestos waste in São Paulo was exposed in a television broadcast on November 27, 2018 in a primetime news bulletin. According to the report, asbestos-containing building and other material is routinely being dumped on roads and embankments as a result of the failure by the public authorities to act on the environmental hazard posed by the widespread incorporation of toxic products within the country’s infrastructure. See: Falta de locais adequados impede descarte correto de amianto em SP [Lack of adequate locations prevents correct asbestos disposal in SP].
Court’s Asbestos Hazard
Nov 27, 2018
The September 2018 mesothelioma death of 62 year old magistrate Hélène Bienvenu, who had worked at the Créteil court for 10 years, has once again focused public attention on the long struggle of trade unions to force the Ministry of Justice to address the multiplicity of problems posed by asbestos contamination of the court building. An asbestos survey in 2006 found asbestos in floor slabs, and wall and office partitions. The archives room was closed because of high levels of contamination: 38 fibers per liter (the legal threshold is 5 fibers). In Spring 2019, a €5.2 million asbestos removal programme will begin. See: Au tribunal de Créteil, l'amiante sur le banc des accuses [At the Créteil Court, asbestos is in the dock].
Progressing Cancer Research
Nov 27, 2018
News of a ground-breaking Australian research program which could genetically reprogram immune cells has been reported. The experimental immunotherapy trial, which is taking place at the University of Sydney’s newly established Li Ka Shing Cell and Gene Therapy Initiative, has received a $4.5million donation from Hong-Kong’s richest man Li Ka-shing “to expand the trial beyond pancreatic cancer to include patients with other cancers that have the mesothelin marker, predominantly mesothelioma.” Three thousand Australians die from pancreatic cancer every year; in 2016, 672 Australians died of mesothelioma. See: ‘One word for it – hope’: Hong Kong’s richest man donates $4.5m to Sydney cancer trial.
Asbestos Propaganda
Nov 22, 2018
In an interview with Erbol Nurhozhaev, chairman of the board of JSC “Kostanay minerals” – the only producer of chrysotile asbestos in Kazakhstan – Nurhozhaev is buoyant about the future and optimistic about plans to forestall UN action on imposing regulations on the global trade of chrysotile asbestos: “Next year they will again discuss the Rotterdam Convention [listing of] asbestos. Now we are working with the ministries on this issue. Karaganda scientists completed the research and concluded that with controlled use there is no harm from chrysotile asbestos. In this regard, we see the absolute support of the state.” See: «Мы будем расширять присутствие в Казахстане» [“We will expand our presence in Kazakhstan”].
Mesothelioma Hotspots
Nov 22, 2018
A paper by four Belgian researchers reviewed multiple studies published between 2000 and 2015 regarding spatial clustering of cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in Western Europe and found elevated incidences disease around shipyards and asbestos-cement factories in Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Denmark. The authors pointed out that the “absence of hotspots does not necessarily mean that there were no other clusters of mesothelioma.” Because of the failure to remediate environmental asbestos contamination, there is a need for “continuous vigilance” regarding the incidence of MPM. See: Hotspots of malignant pleural mesothelioma in Western Europe.
Changing Brazil’s Asbestos Agenda
Nov 22, 2018
Individuals and groups which progressed calls to ban asbestos in Brazil and the means used to achieve this goal are discussed in the paper referenced below; in particular, the authors detail the evidence needed to persuade decision-makers and civil society leaders of the harmful effects posed by asbestos exposures to workers and members of the public. The authors consider the paradox in which the Supreme Court 2017 decision declaring asbestos use unconstitutional is legally flouted by vested interests who continue to mine and sell asbestos in some states. See: La lotta per il bando dell’amianto in Brasile e il 2 Convegno internazionale “Brasile senza amianto” [The fight for the asbestos ban in Brazil and the 2nd International seminar “Brazil without Asbestos”].
Compensation in Jersey
Nov 22, 2018
Politicians in Jersey’s States Assembly have unanimously approved a plan to pay statutory compensation to people who contract mesothelioma, after a campaign begun by mesothelioma sufferer Brian Coutanche, who died in July 2018. Mr Coutanche experienced multiple incidents of asbestos exposure during his career in the construction industry for the States of Jersey. Mesothelioma widow June Summers Shaw, who launched a petition calling for a mandatory mesothelioma compensation scheme on Jersey, welcomed the news, telling a reporter: “Mesothelioma has no viable treatment and no cure. Life expectancy is 12-18 months.” See: Jersey to introduce mesothelioma compensation scheme.
Asbestos Alert!
Nov 19, 2018
On November 19, 2018 ban asbestos billboards went up in Vientiane, Laos warning of the dangers posed by the continuing use of asbestos-containing products. This initiative is backed by the Australian Embassy, the Office of the Embassy of Canada – formerly the world’s biggest asbestos producer – and Union Aid Abroad – APEHDA, an Australian NGO. According to an upload on the APEHDA facebook page, the objective of the new campaign is to “raise awareness for the public to the cancer risks of exposure to chrysotile asbestos and urge Laos to consider alternative, safer substances and products to prevent future lung and other cancers.” See: Cancer Prevention message for Laos a new feature on Australian Embassy Billboards from today.
Dangerous Source of Income
Nov 19, 2018
Because of poor harvests in North Korea, farmers are seeking alternative sources of income with some – including whole families in the northern part of the country – resorting to producing asbestos paper, a task formerly undertaken by Chinese prisoners but nowadays even spurned by them. The asbestos paper is produced by “affixing asbestos to a 30-by-15 cm rectangular sheet of greased paper with a rolling stick. This paper is widely known in China for its use in ‘floating lantern boats’ during major holidays and festivals.” See: North Koreans farmers turn to asbestos paper manufacturing.
Revoke Honor for Asbestos Billionaire!
Nov 19, 2018
The Mayor of an Italian town has once again called for Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny to be stripped of an honorary degree bestowed upon him by Yale University for his “alleged” role in the asbestos deaths of thousands of Italians. Although the Court of Cassation overturned an 18 year prison sentence handed down by a Turin court for Schmidheiny’s responsibility for crimes committed by asbestos factories in Italy, the fact of the matter is that thousands have died and continue to die as a result of the operations of the Eternit asbestos group in Italy and around the world wrote Mayor Titti Palazzetti. See: Il sindaco di Casale riscrive a Yale: “Laurea a Schmidheiny è indegna, va revocata” [The mayor of Casale rewrites to Yale: “Degree to Schmidheiny is unworthy, it should be revoked”].
Asbestos in Schools
Nov 13, 2018
On November 12, 2018, schools minister Nick Gibbs admitted that the failure of schools to submit information about asbestos management at their premises has pushed back publication of the school asbestos survey until Spring 2019, too late for this information to influence the comprehensive spending review which will allocate funds for schools in 2020. He said: “Seventy-seven per cent of schools have responded so far, but we expect all state-funded schools and academies to participate, so we have re-opened the assurance process from today until February 2019, to give them a further opportunity to do so.” See: DfE re-opens asbestos survey after thousands of schools fail to respond.
Asbestos Legacy
Nov 13, 2018
As the implementation of Canadian ban asbestos regulations looms, the country begins the struggle of addressing widespread contamination of the national infrastructure, with a recent example being the discovery of asbestos “on various surfaces” in a hanger in Newfoundland used by military search and rescue helicopter crews. According to the Department of National Defence, the crews’ operations have been relocated to other premises at St. John’s airport while asbestos remediation work is carried out. See: Asbestos in Newfoundland hangar forces move of RCAF search and rescue crews.
Asbestos Fight-Back
Nov 13, 2018
Efforts continue to derail plans to ban chrysotile asbestos roofing products in Vietnam by 2023, as shown by industry and government submissions to a November 3, 2018 asbestos hearing of the National Assembly Committee on Science, Technology and Environment. Standard industry rhetoric calling for more data to prove occupational asbestos exposures caused disease and death was wielded by vested interests. A spokeswoman for Vietnam Red Cross seemed to support objections to the ban asking why Vietnam was banning chrysotile asbestos when lead and mercury remained in use. See: Roadmap to cease the use of chrysotile – Many unresolved issues.
Asbestos Espionage!
Nov 9, 2018
Legal proceedings brought by ban asbestos campaigners in London have ended with the campaigners receiving substantial damages and costs from K2 Intelligence Ltd. (K2) whose Executive Managing Director Matteo Bigazzi hired an operative Robert Moore to spy on them for clients representing asbestos interests in Kazakhstan. For over a year, K2 refused to reveal the identities of their clients but in March 2017, they were named as: Wetherby Select Ltd., a holding company registered in the British Virgin Islands, and Kazakh national Nurlan Omarov and US citizen Daniel Kunin, both of whom were “directly involved in Kazakhstan’s asbestos industry.” See: Corporate intelligence agency pays substantial damages over claim for spying [English original] or [version Française].
Stopping Banned Asbestos Imports
Nov 9, 2018
A commentary describing the repercussions of the import of asbestos products to Australia – despite the country’s ban – condemns the government’s failure to fully implement the 26 recommendations made in November 2017 by the Senate Inquiry into Non-Conforming Building Products, designed to curb the inflow of asbestos products. Existing levels of financial penalties were far too low to act as a deterrent to large building companies and the failure to impose a mandatory certification scheme ensuring asbestos-free imports was a serious mistake. See: Federal Government Falls Short on Stopping Asbestos Imports.
Asbestos Industry Offensive
Nov 5, 2018
Last week, scientists from Kazakhstan presented evidence defending the safe use of chrysotile (asbestos) at an international conference in Karaganda, the country’s 4th biggest city. A resolution adopted at the meeting is being sent to six government ministries. Five thousand people are employed by the asbestos sector in Kazakhstan and the benefits of the industry are shared, speakers at this event alleged, by the 40,000 residents of Zhitikary City, where the mine is located, in the Kostanay region. It was claimed that no cases of asbestos-related diseases have been diagnosed in the country. See: Казахстанские ученые встали на защиту месторождения хризотил-асбеста [Kazakhstani scientists defend chrysotile asbestos].
National Asbestos Epidemic
Nov 5, 2018
An 18-page document published on October 31, 2018 by the Health and Safety Executive entitled “Asbestos-related diseases in Great Britain, 2018” provided updated data for mesothelioma and asbestosis Industrial Injuries Disablement (IIDB) cases (2017), and asbestosis deaths (2016). The mesothelioma mortality figures for 2016 reported in this publication were the ones first released in July 2018 and confirmed that the national epidemic shows no sign of abating: in 2016, 2,595 people died from mesothelioma, a 2% increase on the figure (2,542) for 2015. See: Asbestos-related diseases in Great Britain, 2018.
US Inc. vs Asbestos Victims
Nov 5, 2018
The June 2018 article referenced below is a scathing and incisive commentary on the multiplicity of ways US vested interests are progressing corporate profits at the expense of asbestos victims. Highlighted in this piece was the work of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Draft ALEC legislation to restrict the legal rights of dying asbestos victims found favour amongst Republican politicians including Missouri state Rep. Bruce DeGroot and others of his ilk in Ohio, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Arizona, Texas, Utah, Tennessee, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Mississippi, Michigan, Kansas, and North Carolina. See: ALEC’s Deadly Asbestos Agenda Benefits Koch Industries, Nationwide.
Alert: Toxic Flasks
Nov 5, 2018
A warning has been given by officials from the Kenyan Government over tremolite asbestos in thermos flasks being sold in the country. Samples of the products, which had been imported from Asia, were submitted for testing on September 21. A government spokesman reported that asbestos fibers were present between the flasks’ glass walls. Although no brand names were provided in this article, similar products had been recalled in Europe due to asbestos contamination; in almost all cases, the recalled goods had been manufactured in China. See: Beware: Cancer-Causing Elements Found in Thermos Flasks.
Trump vs. Asbestos Victims
Oct 31, 2018
Asbestos bankruptcy trusts, which since the 1980s paid out more than $17 billion to millions of US victims suffering from asbestos-related diseases, are being attacked by the Trump administration which is alleging that they lack sufficient safeguards and allow fraudulent claims to succeed. In the last two months, the Justice Department launched a civil investigation pursuant to which it demanded the submission of trust documents and opposed the creation of another trust, citing insufficient information about “how asbestos claims will be evaluated, paid and reported" and how fraud would be prevented. See: US steps up scrutiny of funds for asbestos exposure victims.
Asbestos Mining Revival
Oct 31, 2018
Amongst the industrial sectors which will revive the economy of Zimbabwe is the asbestos industry, according to recent pronouncements by Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando. The Minister said that the country’s premier asbestos manufacturer – Turnall Holdings Ltd. – is now obtaining raw asbestos from the Shabanie-Mashava Mines where work is ongoing to reclaim asbestos fiber by processing mining waste. According to Chitando: “De-watering of Mashava Mine will be done by December (and) the mine will start producing in the first quarter next year. Shabani Mine will start producing by 2020.” See: Mining sector girds loins for 2030…US$12bn revenues targeted.
Asbestos: a Silent Threat
Oct 29, 2018
The Ukrainian language commentary referenced below was uploaded on October 22, 2018; it examines economic factors and political dynamics which have prevented Ukraine from enacting ban asbestos regulations in accordance with EU legislation and as was mandated in 2017 by the Ministry of Health (MoH). As litigation by the MoH proceeds through the Ukraine courts to reinstate the asbestos ban, the author of this article asks: “How long will Ukrainians remain hostage to the business interests of representatives of the asbestos lobby?” See: Заручники азбесту: мовчазна загроза здоров’ю нації [Asbestos: a silent threat to the health of the nation].
Book Launch!
Oct 29, 2018
The launch of the book by Marci Grasso and Marcello Zinola entitled “The Silent Massacre,” will take place on October 29 in the San Salvatore Hall of the University of Genoa; the book is about the ten year battle to obtain justice for workers injured by asbestos in Genoa. The authors detail their investigation of documents and interviews with victims, family members, trade unionists and labor leaders. See: “La strage silenziosa,” lunedì la presentazione del libro sull'amianto [“The silent massacre,” a book on asbestos to be launched on Monday].
Mesothelioma Engagement
Oct 29, 2018
A paper published this month (October 2018) detailed efforts by a UK mesothelioma charity to break down barriers to communication between mesothelioma patients, their carers and researchers. The authors described arrangements for activities on Action Mesothelioma Day in 2016-2018 and the feedback from participants which suggested that this fusion “of speed-dating… and the Dragon’s Den” created an environment more conducive to disseminating information through discourse and questions than a traditional format, where experts made Powerpoint presentations. See: Meet the researchers: an alternative method of engaging patients with research in mesothelioma.
Remediation of Aqueduct
Oct 29, 2018
Monitoring carried out by the Tuscan Water Authority of water delivered via the 2,000 kilometer of pipes in the aqueduct system has revealed high levels of asbestos fibers in the water; up to 59 samples taken from 33 municipalities were contaminated. Local councillors are calling for the replacement of asbestos pipework and a regional study on the effects on human health of asbestos carried in water. See: Trovate fibre di amianto nell'acqua che passa nei tubi dell'acquedotto [Asbestos fibers found in the water that passes into the aqueduct pipes].
Asbestos on Barcelona Metro
Oct 26, 2018
The presence of asbestos in paint has been confirmed in 38 metro cars operated by the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB); 100+ cars have yet to be tested. The decision by the company to keep the affected cars in service until the end of their useful life was criticized on October 24, 2018 by a specialist in risk prevention who pointed out that the company’s reassurances that the contamination posed “no risk,” was unfounded. See: El Colectivo Ronda carga contra TMB por mantener convoyes con amianto: “Es una grave irresponsabilidad” [The Ronda Collective charges TMB for keeping convoys with asbestos: “It is a serious irresponsibility”].
Asbestos on the Agenda
Oct 26, 2018
Presentations on asbestos issues were included on the agenda of a seminar organized by the Mauro Menezes & Advogados law firm which took place on October 22 at the University of São Paulo Law School. Topics such as future challenges after the Supreme Court 2017 decision declaring asbestos use unconstitutional were discussed. Looking ahead, lawyer Gustavo Teixeira Ramos commented: “There is still a lot to do, especially in the sense of reparation for victims, criminal liability of companies and total ban on asbestos in the world.” See: Banimento do amianto e impactos da Reforma Trabalhista foram temas de evento na USP [Asbestos ban and impacts of the Labor Reform were themes of the event at USP].
Vietnam Asbestos Ban
Oct 26, 2018
A report on the website of the World Health Organization (WHO) details discussions on asbestos which took place during a technical consultation meeting in Hanoi to progress work on a roadmap to end asbestos use. Participants at the October 12 event included personnel from Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction and Ministry of Health and the WHO. “Vietnam as a growing middle-income country, should,” Dr. Kidong Park, the WHO Representative to Vietnam, said “be able to afford providing its people, including the most vulnerable, with safe asbestos-free roofing for houses. It’s now a critical time to take actions in realizing this important decision to protect the health of the people.” See: Viet Nam takes big leap in fight vs asbestos.
Polluted public policy
Oct 25, 2018
The commentary cited below decries Canada’s “polluted public policy” which endorses “a double standard within Canada itself and is supporting a project that allows workers to be exposed to 10 times higher levels of asbestos than are permitted elsewhere in Canada.” Even as Ottawa issued legislation banning asbestos last week, the federal government provided funding for an enterprise in Quebec planning to process mining waste containing up to 40% asbestos, despite warnings from leading health authorities, including all 17 of the Quebec government’s directors of public health. See: Canadian government bans asbestos – but not all Canadians will be protected equally.
Asbestos in Space?
Oct 25, 2018
A press release uploaded on October 24, 2018 by the International Trade Union Movement for Chrysotile, an association representing asbestos industry stakeholders, rejoiced in news that the Russian space industry decided to use products containing chrysotile in the construction of in-orbit objects, citing a Russian information portal as the source of the news that “ an asbestos-cement laminate was used in the vehicle skin.” We have not been able to ascertain the veracity of the claims made above. See: Trade Unions’ International Alliance “Chrysotile” Welcomes the Use of Chrysotile in the Space Industry.
Firefighters and Asbestos
Oct 25, 2018
Today (October 25) a complaint is being filed in Lille, France by firefighters against X for endangering life by failing to protect them from hazardous exposures to asbestos. This step marks a new front in the fight for information about workplace exposures to fire service personnel who have grown weary from numerous fruitless attempts to obtain information about asbestos exposures during conflagrations. A Paris-based law firm which routinely represents asbestos victims with legal cases against large corporations is representing the plaintiffs. See: Les pompiers ouvrent un nouveau front contre l’amiante [Firefighters open new front against asbestos].
Asbestos Offensive in Ukraine
Oct 24, 2018
An article in Ukraine’s biggest selling Russian language tabloid “Fakty I Kommentarii,” on October 22, 2018 warned Ukrainians of the dangers posed by impending asbestos prohibitions sought by the Ministry of Health (MoH) which has been involved in litigation against the Ministry of Justice which forestalled MoH plans to ban asbestos. The article cited “research” which proved that asbestos use was not hazardous and data which showed that the incidence of cancer amongst Ukrainians in the asbestos industry was not elevated. See: Минздрав может оставить украинцев без крыши над головой [Ministry of Health may leave Ukrainians without a roof over their heads].
Jersey Mesothelioma Scheme?
Oct 24, 2018
Following a campaign for government support for asbestos victims resident on Jersey, Deputy Carina Alves lodged a proposition calling on Social Security Minister Judy Martin to provide compensation to sufferers of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in line with existing schemes in the UK and France; Guernsey has recently stated its intention to implement similar arrangements. Commenting on her proposition – which will be debated on November 20, 2018 – Deputy Alves said: “…the States [Jersey] knew of the risks involved, but did little to alert the public to it or ban the substance.” See: ‘Shameful’ if States vote against asbestos compensation.
Asbestos on the Metro
Oct 24, 2018
Following a series of revelations about asbestos contamination of the Madrid Metro, 45 trains are currently out of service due to asbestos contamination. Health examinations of the 1,000 Metro members of staff are ongoing and expected to be completed by the end of the year (2018). According to the company, no members of the public are at risk from asbestos exposures and plans are proceeding for decontamination of premises and rolling stock. Trade union officials claim that the sums allocated for decontamination work are inadequate. See: Metro de Madrid tiene paralizados 45 trenes por la presencia de Amianto [Metro de Madrid has 45 trains paralyzed due to the presence of asbestos].
Asbestos Maritime Hazard
Oct 24, 2018
In agreement with Vincenzo Iaccarino, the Mayor of Piano di Sorrento, Naples, a special service is being set up to offer advice to seamen exposed to asbestos due to the maritime risks they faced. Sixteen hundred Italian sailors are believed to have died from asbestos-related diseases. A conference on this subject was held on October 20, 2018 in Villa Fondi at which it was announced that an asbestos counter will be opened by a law firm specializing in these types of cases to offer advice to high-risk individuals in Piano di Sorrento. See: E’ strage di marittimi: sono 1600 le vittime dell’amianto [The slaughter of seamen: there are 1600 victims of asbestos].
Asbestos Claims Up by $1.1bn
Oct 22, 2018
News was released last week that the US Securities and Exchange Commission had on September 13, 2018 launched an investigation into the accounting procedures of the US multinational Honeywell International Inc. after the company admitted that its asbestos-related liabilities had been underestimated by US$1.1bn. The revised figure for Honeywell’s asbestos liabilities is $2.61bn after amending the cost for asbestos claims against its subsidiary Bendix Corporation, a manufacturer of automotive brake shoes and systems. See: SEC Opens Investigation Into Honeywell’s Asbestos Accounting.
Victory for Hospital Workers
Oct 22, 2018
On October 18, 2018, the French Court of Appeal condemned local health authorities for the “deliberate endangerment of life” of 40 hospital employees exposed to asbestos between 2009 and 2013 at the Jean-Minjoz Hospital in Besançon, eastern France. This is the first time a French public institution has been sentenced as a legal person. While the defendants have announced their intention to appeal to the Supreme Court, the 40 claimants have started proceedings before the Besançon Administrative Court to have their damages recognized. See: Amiante: le CHU de Besançon condamné en appel [Asbestos: CHU Besançon condemned on appeal].
Mesothelioma Research
Oct 22 2018
A paper by Turkish researchers investigated methods for differentiating malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) from lung cancer (LC) and non-malignant pleural effusion (NMPE) from pleural fluids. The technique – Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics – succeeded in differentiating MPM from LC with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity and from NMPE with 100% sensitivity and 88% specificity. The scientists concluded that: “This approach can provide a rapid and inexpensive methodology for the efficient differentiation of MPM from other pleural effusions.” See: Diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma from pleural fluid by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics.
Banning Asbestos in Thailand
Oct 22, 2018
This paper examines the twists and turns on the road to banning asbestos in Thailand, highlighting the apparent inability of the National Health Assembly “to enforce implementation, especially when power and authority lie with state actors…” The authors conclude that to protect the health of citizens “participatory policy-making and effective governance of multisectoral action throughout implementation” is required to confront counterpressure from domestic and foreign vested interests such as that exerted by international asbestos lobbyists. See: Multisectoral governance for health: challenges in implementing a total ban on chrysotile asbestos in Thailand.
Monetizing Asbestos Waste
Oct 19, 2018
In what could be seen as a classic example of political tit-for-tat, in the same week as Canadian federal regulations banning asbestos were announced, the Ottawa government will make public at a press conference in Danville, Quebec plans to provide funding for operations by Allied Magnesium Inc. to process mining waste containing up to 40% asbestos to reclaim magnesium. The company has already received $30.9 million from the Quebec government for its $100 million project despite well-publicized objections to this scheme from Quebec medical and health specialists. See: Federal government rejects health experts and funds project to exploit asbestos mining wastes.
Mesothelioma Research in Mexico
Oct 19, 2018
A paper published this summer documented a case-control study undertaken in Mexico to evaluate the usefulness of mesothelioma tumor markers found in plasma samples in diagnosing malignant pleural mesothelioma. Good results were achieved with mesothelin and calretinin, with scientists developing prediction models based on plasma concentrations of both markers. It was concluded that these markers could be cost-effective tools for expediting the diagnosis of mesothelioma. Poor results were achieved with thrombomodulin. See: Biomarkers for Predicting Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in a Mexican Population.
Canada Bans Asbestos!
Oct 18, 2018
News was released yesterday (October 17, 2018) confirming that the Government of Canada had on September 28, 2018 adopted legislation that would ban asbestos in 90 days – i.e. by the end of 2018 (see: Prohibition of Asbestos and Products Containing Asbestos Regulations). Unfortunately, the Canadian ban on the import, sale and use of asbestos will not prevent companies in Quebec from processing asbestos mining waste, containing up to 40% asbestos, to reclaim magnesium. See: Canada ban on asbestos takes effect but mining residues are exempt.
Ban Asbestos Protest
Oct 18, 2018
On October 16, 2018, there was a ban asbestos demonstration by members of the Indonesia Ban Asbestos Network (INA-BAN) in Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia with a rally in front of the Bandung Parliament to support draft legislation being considered this week by special committee 6 which would include asbestos as a dangerous raw material in Bandung building regulations. Six of Indonesia’s largest asbestos processing plants employing 4,000 people are located in West Java. See: Ina-Ban Tuntut Larangan Penggunaan Asbestos Masuk Dalam Perda Bangunan Gedung [INA-BAN Calls for Prohibition of the Use of Asbestos in the Building Regulations].
Relief Scheme for Construction Workers?
Oct 18, 2018
Within the context of a commentary highlighting multiple legal victories for construction workers in asbestos claims against the Japanese government and manufacturers of asbestos-containing building products, calls are made for construction workers to be provided relief within an existing national scheme that awards compensation to other sufferers of asbestos-related injuries. “It is time,” the author writes “for the government to work with other parties in the lawsuits to explore out-of-court ways of providing relief to the plaintiffs.” See: Provide relief for asbestos-linked health damage.
Medical Training on Asbestos
Oct 16, 2018
On Saturday, October 13, 2018, an asbestos medical seminar entitled Update Diagnosis of Asbestos Related Disease was held at Binawan University in Jakarta by the Indonesia Ban Asbestos Network (INA-BAN), the Local Initiative for OSH Network Indonesia (LION) and partnering organizations. During her presentation, Professor Jeung Sook Kim, from Korea, highlighted the importance of cooperation between NGOs and scientists in the ban asbestos movement. See: Picture of Session on October 13, 2018 at Binawan University.
Demo: Asbestos in Schools
Oct 16, 2018
On October 12, 2018, 1,000 people from all over France gathered together to march through the streets of Paris demanding that action be taken on the asbestos hazard in French schools. This was the 14th annual protest organized by the National Association for the Defense of Asbestos Victims (Andeva) to highlight the national asbestos epidemic which continues to kill thousands of citizens every year. See: Amiante dans les écoles: “protégez nos enfants” demandent des manifestants [Asbestos in schools: “protect our children” demand protesters].
Legal Victory
Oct 16, 2018
The Supreme Court of Catalonia has overturned a 2014 High Court decision to issue a landmark ruling allowing the heirs of a deceased widow to obtain damages from the Uralita company not claimed by her husband who died of mesothelioma in 1974 as a result of occupational asbestos exposures. Legal experts believe this judgment could open the way for many more claims. See: El Suprem admet que els hereus d’una vídua d’un afectat per l’amiant puguin percebre els danys i perjudicis que el finat no va reclamar [Supreme Court allows heirs of an asbestos widow to receive damages not claimed by the deceased’s husband].
Asbestos Removal Training
Oct 16, 2018
Under a program to produce more asbestos removal operatives in Turkey, 474 successful trainees have received certification as specialists in this field of work. Upon completion of the latest course, organized by the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services, Dr. Orhan Koç – General Director of Occupational Health and Safety Operations – highlighted the need for the safe removal of asbestos before buildings are demolished. Asbestos removal training will continue in 2019. See: Asbest Söküm Uzmanlığı Eğitimi Yeni Mezunlarını Verdi [Asbestos Removal Expertise Training Provides New Graduates].
Asbestos Industry Offensive
Oct 15, 2018
A Moscow online portal has uploaded news of a meeting that took place last month in Kazakhstan entitled: International Trade Union Conference on Chrysotile Asbestos and Safety. Representatives of the chrysotile industry from Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, and other stakeholder countries were regaled with industry propaganda and “commissioned science” about the “safe use” of asbestos, despite advice from international agencies that the only “safe use” of asbestos is no use at all. See: Kazakhstan Hosted International Trade Union Conference on Chrysotile Asbestos.
The Asbestos Hazard
Oct 15, 2018
An asbestos awareness training session in Nepal was held on October 6, 2018 by the Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED). The fact that the meeting took place in Janakpur was significant as this area is one where asbestos use is very high. More than 60 participants were addressed by Deputy Mayor Mrs. Rita Kumari Mishra, Chief Custom Officer Mr. Hem Chandra Sharma, Janakpurdham SMC Senior Official Mr. Pradeep Sah, DYN Dhanusha President Mr. Dhiraj Sah, and Mr. Ram Charitra Sah, Executive Director of CEPHED. An asbestos factsheet, posters and booklets on asbestos were distributed to participants. See: Photo of Mr. Ram Charitra Sah, Executive Director of CEPHED addressing October 6 meeting.
Ban Asbestos Bill
Oct 15, 2018
On October 10, 2018, 20 environmental campaigners displayed a banner in central Bogota saying “Congressmen: we all pay for your cowardice,” to draw attention to the Senate’s continued failure to debate ban asbestos legislation which has been pending since October 2017. Congressman Nadia Blel has said the delay was “unacceptable,” asserting that the draft law “aims to save lives.” She has called on the Senate President to make consideration of this bill a priority. See: A paso lento camina en el Congreso la prohibición del asbesto en Colombia [At a slow pace the Colombian asbestos ban moves in Congress].
Nonoccupational Exposure
Oct 15, 2018
On October 11, 2018, the Supreme Court of Virginia issued a 4:3 ruling in the case of Quisenberry v. Huntington Ingalls which confirmed the responsibility of an employer for asbestos injuries sustained by an employee’s family member, declaring that the company also had a duty of care to nonemployees. The case was referred to the Court by U.S. District Judge Arenda Allen of the Eastern District of Virginia who asked for clarification regarding the employers’ liability for asbestos exposure to the nonemployee. The case has now been referred back to Judge Allen. See: Split Virginia Supreme Court Finds Duty of Care for Asbestos Exposure to Nonemployees.
Asbestos Victim’s Victory!
Oct 12, 2018
A Court of Appeal decision handed down in Sydney, Australia on October 10, 2018 is being heralded as a victory for asbestos victims. The case was brought by Marion Talifero, the widow of John Talifero, a painter and decorator who died from mesothelioma having been occupationally exposed to James Hardie (JH) asbestos. JH argued that as British-born Mr Talifero had also been exposed to asbestos when he had served as a stoker in the Royal Navy, JH should only pay 52% of the compensation awarded. While the Supreme Court had agreed with them the Court of Appeal did not and ruled that JH pay 100% of the compensation awarded. See: Widow's court win halts company bid to slash asbestos payouts.
Asbestos Lobby: Update
Oct 12, 2018
The Canadian domiciled International Chrysotile Association (ICA), formerly known as the Asbestos International Association, has led global marketing efforts to promote sales of chrysotile asbestos for decades. In 2013, the ICA had 23 directors from 16 asbestos stakeholding countries; now it has just six directors, having recently lost Brazilian director Rubens Rela Filho, who had represented the Cana Brava mine. (The Brazilian Supreme Court in November 2017 ruled that the use and sale of asbestos was unconstitutional.) Concerns about the validity of the ICA’s status as a Canadian non-profit organization are discussed in the article: International asbestos lobby loses another member.
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Oct 12, 2018
Organizers of an asbestos educational event entitled: Strengthening knowledge and skills to diagnose asbestos-related diseases which is being held in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 13, 2018 have confirmed that all the seats to the event at Binawan University have now been booked. Delegates will hear presentations by leading asbestos medical specialists including: Dr. Anna Suraya (Germany), Professor Jeung Sook Kim (Korea), and Dr. Aziz Ghani Ikhsan and Dr. Agus Dwi Susanto from Indonesia. Attending the sessions will be a range of medical and health practitioners. See: Asbestos Seminar: Update.
Ban Asbestos Mobilization
Oct 11, 2018
The Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network (INA-BAN) and The Local Initiative OSH Network (LION), in collaboration with Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA), organized a two-day asbestos awareness workshop and strategy meeting in Jakarta this week. Representatives of three trade union confederations, eleven federations and non-governmental organizations learned about conflicting legislation in Indonesia regarding the use of asbestos products, the hazards posed to workers and members of the public by asbestos exposures and the ban asbestos policies of international organizations. See: Photo.
Asbestos at School
Oct 11, 2018
As the new school year began in Belgium, municipal authorities have refused to publish asbestos audits showing contamination of schools, citing their belief that parents will react unreasonably to the presence of asbestos at their children’s schools. So far, only two of Brussels’s 19 communes have published asbestos inventories of their schools online. Emir Kir, Mayor of Saint-Josse commune, has refused to upload this information saying: “There is a legal obligation to have asbestos inventories, but we do have them, but I want to be very cautious with the communication of this information, which can create unnecessary fear within the population.” See: L’amiante, encore un sujet tabou à Bruxelles [Asbestos, another taboo subject in Brussels].
Scrapping of Toxic Trains
Oct 11, 2018
It was announced on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 that Argentinian trains purchased in 2011 for €4 million by the former mayor of Buenos Aires from the Spanish company Metro de Madrid will be scrapped because of asbestos contamination. After news was released about asbestos in the Spanish trains, an investigation was carried out in Argentina which confirmed the presence of asbestos on trains (model CAF500) on Line B of the Buenos Aires Metro. See: Argentina hará chatarra los trenes que le vendió Metro en 2011 al hallar Amianto [Argentina will scrap the trains that Metro sold in 2011 when it found asbestos].
Asbestos at Grenfell Tower
Oct 10, 2018
NHS England announced this week that it would provide £50 million over the next five years to fund a new health screening programme for survivors of, and first responders to, the Grenfell Tower fire – which took place on June 14, 2017 – to monitor their physical and psychological health. Asbestos-containing products were used in the construction of the North Kensington, London high rise which was built in 1974. As the latency period of asbestos-related diseases can be from 10 to 50 years, the short-term nature of this initiative will be of limited value. See: Grenfell Tower fire: NHS announces £50m health-screening programme in wake of asbestos fears.
Asbestos Protest!
Oct 10, 2018
On October 6, 2018, a demonstration took place involving asbestos victims’ groups from Spain, the UK, France, Belgium and Italy at the Plaça de Sant Jaume in Barcelona to make manifest the demands for recognition and support by those whose lives had been damaged by state-sanctioned exposures to asbestos during the 20th century. The protest was organized by the Associació de Víctimes Affectades per l'Amiant de Catalunya (AVAAC) and the Ronda Collective and took place after an asbestos conference and other asbestos activities on October 4 & 5, 2018. See: Las víctimas del amianto reclaman justicia en Barcelona [Asbestos victims claim justice in Barcelona].
More Toxic Imports from China
Oct 10, 2018
It has been announced that the Australian company – Fortescue Metals Group, a Perth-based mining giant – which imported 3,5000 asbestos-contaminated rail carriages from China will not be prosecuted for infringing the country’s strict prohibitions on asbestos. The toxic carriages were imported between 2007 and 2014; when the contamination was discovered in 2017, the company notified the authorities at Worksafe and took action to prevent further exposures to asbestos contained in the wheel chassis of ore cars. Licensed removal operatives are replacing the asbestos components. See: Asbestos found in 3,500 Chinese-made imported rail carriages.
Asbestos Alert by MoD
Oct 10, 2018
Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials are trying to trace former employees, including civilian technical staff, who worked on Sea King helicopters since they entered service in the late 1960s, after asbestos contamination, was found. Commenting on the current situation a MoD spokesperson confirmed that an asbestos removal program was being implemented and that the MoD “are contacting those who may have been exposed in the past, detailing the actions they should take.” See: Asbestos fears over Sea King helicopter ground crews.
Madrid’s Asbestos Metro
Oct 10, 2018
Yet more asbestos has been found on Madrid Metro trains with the company recently announcing that insulating paint for “insulation and interior coating of the cabin and enclosure panels, as well as metal plates under the frame” on thirteen trains (model 2000A) on line 1 were found to contain asbestos. The company reassured train personnel and passengers that the contaminated paint did not pose “any risk.” See: Metro de Madrid detecta también amianto en pintura aislante en trenes de la línea 1 [Madrid Metro also detects asbestos in insulating paint on trains on line 1].
Please Buy Our Asbestos!
Oct 1, 2018
Despite the Vietnam Government’s declaration that it plans to ban asbestos use in construction materials, Russian asbestos producers continue efforts to sell asbestos to Vietnam via various channels including diplomatic meetings such as one which took place in September 2018 between Evgeny Kuyvashev, the governor of the Sverdlovsk region – the source of Russian asbestos – and Ngo Phuong Ngi, the consul general of Vietnam. During the meeting Kuyvashev reminded Ngo Phuong Ngi that Vietnam “is a traditional consumer of the Urals chrysotile-asbestos.” See: Губернатор встретился с генконсулом республики [Kuyvashev offered Vietnam asbestos and participation in the construction of the Metro.]
Solidarity in Ban Asbestos Campaign
Oct 1, 2018
In recent days, Australian trade unionists – working with organizers from Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) – have been meeting with leading campaigners in Indonesia’s ban asbestos movement to see first-hand grassroots initiatives being rolled out to raise public awareness of the asbestos hazard – including a visit to the city of Bandung to observe ban asbestos activities of the Local Initiative for OHS Network (LION) on Bandung Car Free Day and meeting members of the Serbuk Union and the Center for Indonesia Medical Students to learn about their asbestos outreach activities. See: APHEDA (Facebook) Photo.
Asbestos Hazard at Port
Oct 1, 2018
On September 26, 2018, a court in Cádiz, Spain awarded compensation to the family of a deceased stevedore who died of mesothelioma, having been exposed to asbestos brought into the port as cargo. The defendants – the Port Authority of the Bay of Cádiz and State Warehouse and Unloading Company of the Port of the Bay of Cádiz – were ordered to pay compensation of €150,000 to the family of the deceased. Large amounts of asbestos were shipped through the Cádiz port until the 1980s; this is the second such asbestos verdict issued by a Cádiz court. See: La APBC deberá indemnizar a los herederos de un estibador [The APBC must compensate the heirs of a stevedore].
Asbestos Industry Offensive
Oct 1, 2018
In response to growing ban asbestos mobilization in Sri Lanka (see: South Asia Asbestos Strategy Meeting), an industry lobbyist from the Fibre Cement Products Manufacturer’s Association wrote a letter to Sri Lanka’s Daily News which reiterated discredited asbestos industry propaganda alleging that: the use of white (chrysotile) asbestos is safe under modern, controlled conditions; once asbestos fibers are enclosed within a cement matrix fibers cannot be liberated; people living or working in premises with asbestos roofing were safe from toxic airborne exposures. See: ‘Chrysotile Conundrum’ Clarified.
Quebec’s Asbestos Refusniks
Oct 1, 2018
According to an article uploaded by Canadian health and safety activist Kathleen Ruff, leaders of the Quebec Liberal Party, the Quebec Party, and the Coalition avenir Québec – three out of 4 of Quebec’s top political leaders – “reject the scientific community’s recommendations regarding the dangers of asbestos…[and] continue in 2018 to collaborate with the position of the asbestos industry, which allows Quebec workers to be exposed to ten times higher amounts of asbestos fibres than is permitted in the rest of Canada, the United States, Europe or the Western world.” See: Three of Quebec’s four political leaders do not support the scientific evidence on asbestos.
Post-Fire Asbestos Hazard
Oct 1, 2018
Media reports and warnings on facebook were published last Thursday documenting a public safety alert issued to people in the small New Zealand town of Waipu, in the Northland Region, after a major fire in the town’s center had created an asbestos hazard. Advice from the authorities was for people to remain indoors until remediation work had been undertaken to clear up toxic debris created by the blaze which began at 1:20 a.m. on September 30 at the Waipu Cafe and Deli on Cove Rd. Ten fire crews were called to the site. See: Waipu residents warned to stay indoors after major fire brings asbestos risk.
Progressing Asbestos Bans in Asia
Sep 28, 2018
A media release issued today (September 28) by the Electrical Trades Union of Australia on behalf of an Australian delegation recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Asia commended the decision by the Vietnam Prime Minister to stop asbestos roof sheet production by 2023 at the latest and applauded the determination of Vietnam trade unions and grassroots groups for efforts to warn workers and consumers about the asbestos hazard and campaign for the adoption of a comprehensive national asbestos ban. See: Australian Delegation Commends Vietnam PM and Trade Unions’ Commitment to Achieving a Complete Asbestos Ban.
Urban Renewal and Asbestos
Sep 28, 2018
A 9-minute clip uploaded to YouTube highlights the environmental hazards posed by the widespread demolition in Turkey of asbestos-containing buildings where no work had been done to decontaminate properties prior to buildings being knocked down. For decades, asbestos was extensively used in Turkey and developers continue to ignore the hazards posed to workers and members of the public by the asbestos liberated during urban renewal projects which are ubiquitous in Turkey nowadays. See: Asbest: Yıkımla Saçılan Ölüm [Asbestos: Death from Demolition].
Reducing Lung Cancer
Sep 28, 2018
An upload to the website of Cancer Research UK cited new European research that found that the number of lung cancer deaths amongst men at high risk of contracting lung cancer was 26% lower in those who had had a CT scan. These results were reported by Dr Harry De Koning from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam who presented a paper on this subject at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Toronto, Canada this week. Currently, there is no national lung screening program in the UK; the implementation of such a protocol is down to the National Screening Committee. See: Screening scans ‘could cut lung cancer deaths’.
Mesothelioma in Quebec
Sep 27, 2018
Responding to an enquiry from the Montreal Gazette, the Quebec Health Ministry released figures on September 24, 2018 which revealed that the number of cases of mesothelioma in Quebec had almost doubled since 2010 – from 45 in 2010 to 88 in 2017. Civil servants working for Quebec’s Institute of Public Health as well as health and safety activists (see: More Canadians than ever dying from asbestos) believe that these figures under-report the true incidence of the disease as many doctors do not report cases of this asbestos cancer. See: Number of Quebec cases of mesothelioma nearly double since 2010: report.
Prevention is the Cure
Sep 27, 2018
A budget of €300,000 has been allocated by the Ministry of Public Health and Constructiv – an organization offering services to the construction sector – to finance a campaign to raise asbestos awareness amongst workers and apprentices in the construction industry including employees, the self-employed and do-it-yourself practitioners. Means of preventing toxic exposures will be highlighted – such as the use of protective clothing and specialized equipment and the need for operatives to decontaminate themselves after finishing work. The campaign was launched on September 25, 2018 and will end in August 2019. See: 250 nouvelles victimes de l’amiante par an [250 new asbestos victims per year].
Asbestos at Court
Sep 27, 2018
In the aftermath of the death of Françoise Bienvenu, a 62-year old judge who had worked at the court in Créteil between 1992 and 2002, from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, her family, friends and work colleagues are trying to understand why asbestos remains present in the court building. Plans to remove asbestos from the Créteil court were postponed. The judge’s family has written to France’s Minister of Justice about the occupational asbestos exposure which caused the death of Françoise Bienvenu. See: Evry - Créteil: la garde des Sceaux saisie après le décès d’une juge d’un cancer de l’amiante [Evry - Créteil: the custody of the seals seized after the death of an asbestos cancer judge].
One Nation’s Asbestos Legacy
Sep 26, 2018
A thirty minute documentary uploaded to YouTube on September 25, 2018 considers the ongoing challenges posed by the Netherlands’ asbestos legacy on the 25th anniversary of the country’s asbestos ban. Subjects considered in this film include: the hazards posed by exposures to asbestos, the reality of living with asbestos diseases, the pervasive nature of asbestos contamination and the measures mandated to ensure that asbestos removal operations are carried out according to strict regulations. See: Documentaire ‘25 jaar asbestverbod in Nederland – toen, nu en morgen’ [Documentary ‘25 years since the asbestos ban in the Netherlands - then, now and tomorrow’].
Asbestos in the Underground
Sep 26, 2018
The discovery of asbestos in “bituminous paint applied as surface coating and insulation of the interior sheet metal panels and metal plates under the frame” of VAI and 2000 A underground vehicles has led to the withdrawal from service of six trains of the Metro de Madrid line 5. On September 24, 2018 the head of the maintenance service of Central Workshops of Metro de Madrid, Carlos Sancho, advised workers of the temporary suspension of maintenance on these two types of cars. See: Metro detecta más amianto en la línea 5 y en coches utilizados por empleados [Metro detects more asbestos on line 5 and in cars used by employees].
Asbestos in Scottish Schools
Sep 26, 2018
According to information received pursuant to a Freedom of Information request, 167 primary, secondary, nursery and assisted support schools in Glasgow contain asbestos. Commenting on this revelation, Hope Robertson, secretary of the Clydebank Asbestos Group, said: “Parents should be aware of the fact that they can request a look at the asbestos register. Schools must be able to produce that… Folk say we're scaremongering, but schools, especially the Consortium of Local Authority Special Programme (CLASP) facilities, have the old pipe insulation systems in them. They are covered in asbestos.” See: 150 Glasgow schools and nurseries contain deadly asbestos.
Asbestos Public Hearing
Sep 26, 2018
A public hearing was held on Tuesday, September 25, 2018 in the São Paulo city of Capivari to warn about the human health risks posed by exposures to asbestos. The Public Labor Prosecutor's Office (MPT) of Campinas, which convened the meeting, confirmed the occurrence of occupational exposures to asbestos at a tile and water tank factory in Capivari which was operated by the Brasilit company for 30 years; a thousand workers’ compensation lawsuits are pending. See: MPT apura contaminação por amianto em operários de fábrica em Capivari: ‘Cancerígeno,’ diz médico [MPT Seeks Asbestos Contamination in Factory Workers in Capivari: ‘Carcinogenic’ says doctor].
Municipal Asbestos Hotspots
Sep 26, 2018
At a meeting held in Getafe, Madrid on September 23, 2018, experts confirmed that people living in the southern part of Madrid were 10% more affected by asbestos than the rest of the city, with several asbestos-using manufacturers located in the area. Legal measures to obtain redress for asbestos injuries were explained during the meeting, with an Information Guide on Asbestos –edited by the Association of Victims Affected by Asbestos of Catalonia – being made available. See: El Sur de Madrid ha sufrido una exposición al amianto 10 veces superior al resto de la Comunidad Autónoma [The South of Madrid has suffered an exposure to asbestos 10 times higher than the rest of the Autonomous Community].
Ban Asbestos Hearings
Sep 25, 2018
A 13-minute segment shown on TV highlighted the adverse effects of human exposures to asbestos in preparation for a government hearing today (September 25, 2018) to examine calls to ban asbestos-containing brake pads in Georgia, a former Soviet republic (see: Call for asbestos free brake pads to improve air quality and public health in Georgia). It has been estimated that 5,000 workers die every year in Georgia from asbestos-related injuries. See: რომელი ნაწარმი შეიცავს მავნე მინერალს და რა რაოდენობის აზბესტის შემცველი პროდუქტი შემოდის საქართველოში [Which products in Georgia contain deadly asbestos and how much do they contain].
Asbestos in Hospitals
Sep 25, 2018
A BBC Freedom of Information request revealed that 92% of NHS trust buildings in Britain still contain asbestos. United Lincolnshire Hospital’s Trust – which runs Lincoln County Hospital, Pilgrim Hospital in Boston and Grantham Hospital – has confirmed that asbestos is present at all of these sites but maintains that the risk to patients and staff is “very low.” MP Jo Stevens, who chairs the Parliamentary All Party Asbestos Sub-Group has concerns: “We need to be very sure that proper procedures are in place to either have it removed or, if they are saying it is safe, there is evidence to show that it is safe. We can’t just take things at face value.” See: NHS issues statement after BBC investigation reveals every hospital site in Lincolnshire has asbestos.
Replacement of Asbestos Roofs
Sep 25, 2018
A five-year project which began in April 2018 undertakes to replace asbestos roofing on 823 houses originally intended for workers at the Rio Tinto Rössing Uranium mine in Namibia; after independence the ownership of the houses was transferred to the government. A budget of N$28 million has been allocated by the Rössing Foundation for this work. Asbestos remediation has already been accomplished on 20 properties. Commenting on her new zinc aluminium roof, local resident Linda Hei-Gauses said: “The asbestos roofs were dangerous, and over the years they were damaged… It was also nerve-wracking when the children would jump on the roofs, either causing more damage, or injuring themselves.” See: Arandis' first asbestos-free houses completed.
Asbestos and Workers’ health
Sep 24, 2018
An asbestos public hearing – organized by the Public Labor Ministry – is taking place tomorrow (September 25, 2018) afternoon in Capivari, a city in São Paulo State. The theme of the session which is being chaired by labor attorney Alvamari Cassillo Tebet is “Exposure of workers to asbestos and its consequences to health.” Amongst those attending will be representatives of the Public Ministry of Labor and the Public Prosecutor's Office, labor attorneys and members of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed. See: Audiência Pública discutirá impacto do amianto na saúde do trabalhador [Public Hearing to Discuss Asbestos Impact on Worker’s Health].
Mesothelioma Research: Update
Sep 24, 2018
A mesothelioma workshop featured on the first day of the agenda of the 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC 2018) of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) which began in Toronto, Canada on Sunday, September 23, 2018. The prominent speakers who addressed participants in the crowded meeting room during the three-hour session included: Dr. Valerie Rusch, Dr. Harvey Pass, Dr. Marc de Perrot, Francoise Galateau-Salle, Dr. Aaron Mansfield and Dr. Marjorie Zauderer. A synopsis of the presentations concluded that: “The message for patients and their families is that experts are working hard on solving mesothelioma.” See: Reporting from IASLC’s World Conference on Lung Cancer 2018 – Mesothelioma Workshop.
Uralita’s Asbestos Legacy
Sep 24, 2018
A Sunday commentary considered the ongoing legacy of Spain’s asbestos use focusing on court verdicts, the most recent of which condemned the Uralita asbestos company for the health repercussions to members of the public who lived near a Uralita factory in Barcelona. On multiple occasions the company has been condemned for failing to ensure safe working and environmental practices with one lawyer putting it as follows: “the company did not act with due diligence regarding the known high risk of using asbestos…” See: Uralita: más de 20 años de condenas por atentar contra la salud [Uralita: more than 20 years of convictions for attacking health].
Another Court Victory!
Sep 21, 2018
On September 20, 2018, Presiding Judge Eguchi Toshiko of the Osaka High Court issued judgment in an appeal brought regarding a decision by the Osaka District Court which had held the Japanese government liable for asbestos injuries sustained by 33 construction workers. Toshiko found that the manufactures of asbestos-containing building products were also responsible for the damages sustained by the plaintiffs and awarded the claimants – including self-employed workers as well as employees – a total of 339 million yen (~US$3m). There are 15 similar lawsuits currently progressing through the Japanese judiciary; this is the 4th high court ruling to be issued. See: 大阪アスベスト訴訟 [Osaka Asbestos Lawsuit].
Banning Asbestos in Asia
Sep 21, 2018
The East Asia Asbestos Meeting was held in Hong Kong on September 20, 2018 and included delegates from China, Korea and Japan who discussed issues related to the continuing use of asbestos in the region. This event took place within days of the Southeast Asia Ban Asbestos Conference 2018 (Vietnam, September 13 & 14, 2018) and not long after the South Asia Asbestos Strategy Meeting (Sri Lanka, July 10 & 11, 2018). Sponsors of the September 20 meeting included the Asian Ban Asbestos Network, the Asia Monitor Resource Centre and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. See: Group photo.
Eternit Condemned!
Sep 21, 2018
A Brazilian Court has awarded compensation of R$1 million (US$240,000+) for moral and material damages to a former Eternit employee who contracted asbestos cancer as a result of occupational exposure. The Court held the company liable and condemned Eternit’s failure to protect workers from the human health risks of asbestos exposures; despite knowing that the use of asbestos could cause debilitating and fatal diseases to workers, the company’s use of this substance continued. See: Empresa Eternit é condenada a pagar indenização de 1 milhão para ex-funcionário [Eternit company is ordered to pay compensation of 1 million to former employee].
Compensation for Asbestos Anxiety
Sep 21, 2018
The Amiens Court of Appeal upheld a ruling that awarded 38 former employees from a plant in Northern France compensation for anxiety caused by the knowledge that they had been exposed to asbestos. Commenting on the conditions at the Hazemayer factory, a former employee said: “We cut and processed asbestos to make the necessary parts for the manufacture of fuses and circuit breakers. Every day we were handling carcinogens.” The Appeal Court increased the amount of damages from €4,000 set by the labor court to €8,000. See: Amiante: la cour d’appel d’Amiens donne raison aux anciens salariés d'Hazemayer à Saint-Quentin [The Court of Appeal of Amiens upholds claims by former employees of Hazemayer in Saint-Quentin].
Verdict for Non-Occupational Exposure
Sep 21, 2018
A court in Madrid has ruled that the Spanish asbestos multinational Uralita was negligent in allowing non-occupational asbestos exposures which resulted in 14 people in Barcelona’s Cerdanyola and Ripollet areas contracting asbestos-related diseases. The plaintiffs – who were awarded a total of €1.7m (~US$2m) – either lived with Uralita workers or within 2 kilometers of the company’s factory. Previous rulings held the company liable for asbestos diseases contracted by former workers. See: Uralita deberá indemnizar con 1,7 millones a afectados por el amianto de Cerdanyola y Ripollet [Uralita must compensate with 1.7 million the asbestos affected of Cerdanyola and Ripollet].
Mandatory Asbestos Removal
Sep 21, 2018
A decision by Judge Patrícia Erica Luna da Silva from the São Paulo district of Rosana has been handed down in response to a public civil action brought in May 2018 by the São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office; the Judge has given the São Paulo Sewage Company (SABESP) 18 months to replace asbestos-containing water pipes in the Rosana district. The basis for this verdict is Law 12,684/ 2007 prohibiting asbestos use in São Paulo State; the constitutionality of this law was upheld by the Supreme Court in November 2017. See: Juíza manda Sabesp substituir tubulação de amianto no interior de SP [Judge orders SABESP to replace asbestos pipe in the interior of SP].
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 19, 2018
On September 17, 2018, a report by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documented a significant failure to protect schoolchildren and teachers from hazardous exposures to asbestos (see also: one-page summation of ongoing failures by the EPA to perform “sufficient compliance inspections of schools to reduce asbestos exposure”). See full 26-page EPA report: EPA Needs to Re-Evaluate Its Compliance Monitoring Priorities for Minimizing Asbestos Risks in Schools.
Post-Earthquake Asbestos Hazard
Sep 19, 2018
Three months after the June 18, 2018 earthquake hit the Osaka area of Japan, some libraries, community centers, classrooms, and other facilities remain closed due to collapsed ceilings and materials containing asbestos. A multipurpose center – home to the central library, the municipal welfare department and the central community center – remains shut without any plans for reopening due to the threat posed by damaged asbestos-containing products in the building’s ceiling. The situation is replicated in buildings throughout the prefecture. See: Public facilities still closed since June Osaka quake for fear of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Claimants’ Victories
Sep 19, 2018
Decisions this month have proved beneficial to asbestos-injured workers in Brazil. As a result of revisions to the National Classification System, people with injuries caused by occupational exposures to carcinogens who were insured by the National Social Security Institute can apply for early retirement. The 34th Labor Court of São Paulo awarded R$1million to a former Eternit worker who lost a lung to asbestos cancer following toxic exposures between 1976 and 1991. See: Trabalhador exposto a agente cancerígeno tem direito à contagem de tempo especial para aposentadoria [Worker exposed to carcinogenic agent is entitled to special time count for retirement].
SNCF Betrays Railway Workers
Sep 19, 2018
On September 5, 2018, the Reims Court of Appeal overturned a 2017 court ruling which awarded 72 railway workers the sum of €60,000 each (€30,000 compensation for anxiety and €30,000 for the company’s breach of obligations) for asbestos exposures experienced over a period of 12 years at the railway yards in Romilly-sur-Seine. The defendant in that case, the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) – France’s state-owned railway company – appealed. The Reims Court’s ruling, which deemed the complaints “inadmissible,” has been soundly criticized by victims’ groups and unions. See: Amiante à la SNCF :la justice se fout de la santé des cheminots [Asbestos at the SNCF: justice does not care about the health of railway workers].
Asbestos Use and Misuse in the UAE
Sep 20, 2018
Although asbestos was banned in 2006 by a United Arab Emirates (UAE) statute and local building regulations stipulate that asbestos use on new construction projects is illegal, the UAE consumed more than 26,000 tonnes of asbestos in 2009. UAE legislation does not prohibit the import, production or use of asbestos-cement water pipes. Other practices which continue to endanger occupational and public health safety include the demolition of buildings containing asbestos, the reuse of discarded asbestos products and the unregulated dumping of asbestos-contaminated waste. See: Asbestos: There’s no time to lose.
UK’s Asbestos Failings
Sep 20, 2018
A new report entitled: “Why the UK Needs Tighter Asbestos Controls” concludes that UK asbestos safety regulations and preventative measures are weaker than those in other European countries which have less of a problem and calls for the implementation of stricter controls to prevent toxic exposures. Of particular interest is the discussion of impact of the cumulative effects of low-level asbestos exposures to contaminated products within the national infrastructure on the life expectancy of children. See: UK must bring its asbestos safety rules into line with rest of Europe.
Incentives for Replacing Asbestos Roofs
Sep 18, 2018
New legislation is being drafted in Italy which will provide financial incentives for replacing asbestos roofing with photovoltaic systems. According to the draft bill, which awaits approval by the Ministry of the Environment, eligibility will be dependent on installing solar panels after asbestos roofing has been removed. A budget of €250,000,000 has been approved for this initiative. Priority will be given to applications for work on schools, hospitals, other public buildings and other buildings open to the public. See: In arrivo il “bonus Amianto” [The “asbestos bonus” is coming].
Asbestos in the Air
Sep 17, 2018
Last week (September 12, 2018), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that an investigation was proceeding to establish whether there was asbestos contamination of Sea King helicopters two years after a report by the Australian Defence Force had concluded that occupational asbestos exposure experienced on a Sea King helicopter by Petty Officer Greg Lukes had contributed to his cancer death (see: Petty Officer Greg Lukes' death linked to Sea King service). Considering the huge media coverage of this story – not least because Prince William had flown this type of helicopter – the MoD announcement was pretty uninformative. See: Sea king helicopters: asbestos.
Asian Campaign to Ban Asbestos
Sep 17, 2018
In September 12-14, 2018, trade unionists, asbestos victims’ campaigners and doctors from eleven countries in Southeast Asia met in Hanoi, Vietnam to build momentum for a regional ban on asbestos. Also taking part in the sessions were experts from Australia, the World Health Organization and Vietnam ministries. During the conference, it was announced that Vietnam would ban the use of asbestos roofing sheet in 2023. Sponsors of the conference included; Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA), the Asian Ban Asbestos Network, the Asia Monitor Resource Centre, the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat and Solidar Suisse. See: Photo from South East Asia Ban Asbestos Meeting and also Facebook Video .
Asbestos Alert in Nigeria
Sep 17, 2018
An alert has been raised in Nigeria by Prince Gbolahan Lawal, the Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, who warned the public about the hazard posed by the use of asbestos in domestic premises: “asbestos ceilings are carcinogenic, it causes cancer and if you have it in your house you should try and change it’’ he told the News Agency of Nigeria. Lawal is calling for a nationwide program to raise awareness about the risk of asbestos in public and private buildings. See: LASG warns against use of asbestos in homes, says it is carcinogenic.
Asbestos Seminar in Bahia
Sep 17, 2018
On September 27, 2018 an asbestos seminar is being held in Vitória da Conquista, a city in the Brazilian State of Bahia, which will be addressed by Brazilian as well as international experts including: Dr. Marcia Kamei Lopez Aliaga, Engineer Fernanda Giannasi, asbestos victims’ leader Mr. Eliezer João de Souza, Professor Annie Thebaud-Mony (France) and Dr. Agata Mazzeo (Italy). The focus of the meeting will be on the public health problems and environmental impact caused by the commercial exploitation of asbestos in the Bahia mining town of Bom Jesus da Serra between 1939 and1967. See: Seminário do Sudoeste Baiano sobre o Amianto [South West Bahia Seminar on Asbestos].
Another Court Victory
Sep 15, 2018
For the third time, on August 31, 2018 a Japanese court ruled in favour of construction workers injured by occupational exposure to asbestos when the Osaka High Court held the government and 10 construction material manufacturers liable to pay ¥302 million (US$2.7m) in damages to 27 former construction workers or their surviving families. In its ruling, the Osaka High Court recognized the government’s responsibility for health problems suffered by self-employed operatives; presiding judge Naoyuki Tagawa said: “If the state’s measures to regulate asbestos were substantially unreasonable, they should inevitably be considered to be illegal.” See: Osaka High Court orders government, 10 firms to pay ¥302 million in damages over asbestos exposure.
The Human Cost of Asbestos Use
Sep 15, 2018
A paper, which has recently been published, estimated that the occupational burden of disease (OBD) of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) in Korea between 1998 and 2013 was: 4,492 deaths due to all ARDs and 71,763.7 potential years of life lost (PHYLL). The study showed that although asbestos use in Korea has been banned, the incidence of ARDs is increasing. The authors recommended that to reduce OBDs of ARDs in Korea, measures should be taken to achieve the early detection and proper management of ARDs. See: Occupational Burden of Asbestos-Related Diseases in Korea, 1998–2013: Asbestosis, Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer, Laryngeal Cancer, and Ovarian Cancer.
Asbestos: The Battles Continue
Sep 15, 2018
In the aftermath of the Brazilian Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling which declared the use of asbestos unconstitutional, more details have been emerging about the ongoing struggle for official recognition and compensation by workers and their families injured by asbestos exposures. Asbestos defendants – including nationally known companies such as Eternit and Saint Gobain – which had used diverse measures, some illegal, to avoid their asbestos liabilities are now facing an uphill battle as courts recognize the defendants’ responsibilities for causing asbestos injuries to employees and award substantial damages to claimants. See: Mortes silenciosas [Silent deaths].
Asbestos Workers Unionize
Sep 15, 2018
In an election held on August 31, 2018 at the Everest Industries Ltd. asbestos factory in Kolkata, West Bengal, workers turned their backs on the pro-management trade union and voted to be represented by the Everest Industries Ltd Permanent Employees Union (Registered No 28210) which is supporting calls for the transition by Everest to an asbestos-free technology. There was strong opposition to the new union from management as well as local and federal politicians, some of whom were present during voting in an alleged attempt to sway the vote. At its first executive meeting after the vote, the union called for joint action by all India’s asbestos workers. See: Asbestos Workers of Kolkata have won the first battle.
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 15, 2018
On August 30, 2018, members of the group “Equal Education” picketed the Gauteng education department in Johannesburg to highlight failures to address the asbestos contamination of schools. The demonstrators condemned the plans to remediate asbestos at 29 schools by 2020 as “wholly insufficient” and called for action on the asbestos hazard at all schools: “The dangers of asbestos are so severe that any school infrastructure made out of asbestos, even partially, should be a priority... it is inhumane to continue to risk the health of [pupils], teachers, school administrative staff and the school's community through continued exposure to asbestos.” See: Equal Education demands that asbestos schools be replaced.
Calls for Ban on Asbestos Brakes
Sep 12, 2018
A recent report submitted to the Parliamentary Committee Inquiry into the atmospheric air conditions in Tbilisi, the capital of the Eurasian country of Georgia, highlighted the need for greater public awareness and political action on the threat to public health posed by the ongoing use of asbestos brake pads. The author, Gela Kvashilava of the NGO Partnership for Road Safety, recommended: legislation to ban asbestos brake pads, increased monitoring of imported products, the introduction of initiatives to encourage the use of asbestos-free alternatives and further research regarding the hazard posed by asbestos exposure of construction workers. See: Call for asbestos free brake pads to improve air quality and public health in Georgia.
Union Calls for Asbestos Action
Sep 12, 2018
Last month (August 2018), the Australian Council of Trade Unions strongly condemned the failure of the Turnbull Government to adopt measures recommended by a Senate investigation to eliminate illegal and toxic asbestos imports. ACTU Assistant Secretary Michael Borowick was critical of the multiple loopholes that continued to endanger lives: “When importers bring asbestos or contaminated products to Australia they put working people and the public at risk. We have seen contaminated products end up in the Perth Children’s Hospital, in crayons and in quad bikes.” See: ACTU media release: Government’s weak response to asbestos recommendations.
Asbestos Remediation Ordered!
Sep 12, 2018
In a Judgment on August 14, 2018 India's National Green Tribunal mandated that Hyderabad Industries Ltd. undertake environmental decontamination of former asbestos mining areas in the Indian state of Jharkhand and pay compensation to individuals injured by toxic exposures. This landmark judgment ordered that a committee of government officials submit a plan by September 2018 stipulating measures which will be implemented to protect the health of nearby tribal communities. See: Tribal Communities Score Asbestos Clean Up [Victory].
Metrics of ARD Research Areas
Sep 12, 2018
A paper published by scientists from Asia, Australia and North America details a “declining emphasis” on research into the impact on public health of asbestos exposures based on a study of relevant articles published between 1991-2016. Recognizing the sizable burden of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) – “most of the world’s population live in countries where asbestos use continues” – the authors highlighted the continuing need for primary prevention. See: Bibliometric analysis of gaps in research on asbestos-related diseases: declining emphasis on public health over 26 years.
Asbestos Alert by the MoD
Sep 12, 2018
It is feared that thousands of members of the Royal Air Force may have been exposed to asbestos-containing products installed on Sea King helicopters. In August 2018 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that the removal of suspected parts from aircraft which have been in use since 1969 has been made a priority after evidence was given about the hazard in an Australian Defence Force report into the 2014 death of Australian serviceman Petty Officer Greg Lukes, an avionics technician who maintained Sea Kings in New South Wales. Warnings have also been given to foreign governments and civilian organisations which bought former UK military Sea Kings. See: Asbestos warning for Sea King helicopter staff.
EPA’s Asbestos Scandal
Aug 9, 2018
A flurry of articles appeared this week highlighting the effects of the change in direction by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the use of asbestos, a carcinogenic substance which President Trump has defended on multiple occasions. In his book: The Art of the Comeback (1997), Trump wrote that asbestos was “100 percent safe, once applied.” A Rolling Stone feature entitled “More Asbestos! More Asbestos! More Asbestos!” highlighted an episode of The Simpsons in which those words were the rallying cry for a school election campaign. See: More Asbestos! More Asbestos! More Asbestos!.
Asbestos-free Classrooms!
Aug 9, 2018
On August 10, 2018, South Africa’s Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr. Edna Molewa will officially present five “asbestos-free” classrooms in Sealane Primary School to the local community in Mafefe village, Limpopo Province under a project run by the Department of Environmental Affairs to eliminate asbestos exposure of communities and raise public awareness about the health and environmental hazards posed by asbestos contamination. See: South Africa: Minister of Environmental Affairs to Officially Launch and Handover 5 “Asbestos - Free” Classrooms at Sealane Primary School and a Road at Mafefe.
British Asbestos Newsletter
Aug 9, 2018
The Summer 2018 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The lead article entitled “Britain’s Asbestos Landscape 2018” provides a timely update on mobilization for asbestos justice, the availability of new asbestos cancer data and the importance of specialized nursing for mesothelioma patients. The second article reviewed presentations made and discussions that ensued at the June 26, 2018 Parliamentary Asbestos Seminar of the House of Commons. The keynote presentation was made by one of the world’s leading ban asbestos campaigners, Brazilian engineer and asbestos activist Fernanda Giannasi. See: Issue 107, British Asbestos Newsletter.
Grassroots Asbestos Initiative
Aug 9, 2018
The most recent issue (April-June, 2018) of the quarterly newsletter published by the Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) included a feature about asbestosis diagnosis camps for shipbreaking workers – known to be at high risk of occupational asbestos exposures – which were held in Chattogram, Bangladesh on March 30, April 13 and 27, and May 4, 2018. The ten person medical team, which was headed by Dr. Faizul Ahsan Shubro, examined seventy-five patients; tests results are pending. See: OSHE Newsletter (April-June 2018).
Asbestos Propaganda
Aug 8, 2018
On August 6, 2018, the day before Ukraine’s Ministry of Health returned to court to progress litigation seeking to reinstate the national ban on asbestos, an online article in Russian was uploaded to a Ukraine news platform which downplayed the human health hazard posed by asbestos exposures with misinformation and lies including the following: chrysotile asbestos does not deteriorate, numerous studies have shown that exposure to chrysotile is not harmful, chrysotile asbestos dissolves “easily even in a weakly acidic medium (such as is found in human lungs),” and exposure to asbestos poses “minimal risk.” See: Асбест и его влияние на человека. Стоит ли опасаться асбеста? [Asbestos and its effect on man. Should I be afraid of asbestos?].
Asbestos Comeback?
Aug 8, 2018
Under a rule which came into force on June 1, 2018 enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Significant New Rule (SNUR) – the use of new asbestos-containing products has become a real possibility. SNUR, which gives the upper hand to chemical manufacturers, allows producers to apply on a case-by-case basis for permission to incorporate asbestos, a substance banned in most other industrialized nations, into products. As shocking as this is, it just another one of the outrageous actions being taken to roll back health and safety protections under the Trump Administration. See: EPA is now allowing asbestos back into manufacturing.
Economic Burden of Asbestos Diseases
Aug 8, 2018
In June 2018, Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency published a report, entitled The economic burden of asbestos-related disease, which assessed the nation’s economic and social costs in 2015 due to asbestos-related diseases at A$192 million for hospital and primary care costs and A$321million for indirect costs due to lost production resulting from premature deaths. The figure estimated for the monetary value of lost quality of life in 2015 was A$10.8 billion. It is of interest to note that this report estimated that there were 5.2 cases of asbestos-related lung cancer for each case of mesothelioma. See: The economic burden of asbestos-related disease.
Vietnam’s Asbestos Phase-Out
Aug 6, 2018
Pursuant to the order by the Prime Minister of Vietnam that the use of asbestos in manufactured construction materials be ended by 2023 at the latest, grassroots initiatives are being implemented by groups such as the “Center for Consulting, Transfer of Science and Technology, Environmental Protection for Ethnic Minorities in Mountainous Areas” of the Vietnam Academy of Ethnic Minorities to raise public awareness of the asbestos health hazard in more remote locales. Simultaneously, government support is being considered for the construction of asbestos-free homes for ethnic minorities. See: Cần sớm ngừng sử dụng amiăng [Asbestos use to stop soon].
Green Remediation Initiative
Aug 6, 2018
On August 2, 2018, Gianna Girotto, the President of the Italian Senate’s Industry Commission confirmed the government’s plans to restore tax incentives for the replacement of asbestos-cement roofing by the installation of photovoltaic panels to produce renewable energy. This announcement was made as a delegation of campaigners presented Minister of the Environment Sergio Costa with the #BastaAmianto petition signed by 55,000 Italians. In Italy there are between 1 and 2.5 billion square meters of asbestos-cement roofing on sheds, public and private buildings and other structures. See: Decreto rinnovabili, ci sarà un bonus amianto per il fotovoltaico [Renewable Decree, there will be an asbestos bonus for photovoltaics].
Transition from Asbestos Use
Aug 6, 2018
A commentary based on a session held at the 12th Brazilian Congress of Collective Health which took place recently in Rio de Janeiro drew on testimony by leading campaigners for the rights of asbestos victims to secure healthcare, social justice, environmental remediation and compensation. Despite the legal victory achieved by the 2017 Supreme Court ruling which declared the use of asbestos unconstitutional, much work remains to be done in the face of intransigent companies such as Dow Chemical which is refusing to transition from outlawed asbestos technology. See: Banimento do amianto: as conquistas de uma luta que precisa perdurar [Asbestos ban: the achievements of a struggle that must endure].
Asbestos Remediation in Schools
Aug 3, 2018
The Ministry of Education for Gyeongbuk Province, Korea has embarked upon asbestos removal work at 50 small schools during the summer vacation; the premises chosen each have relatively small amounts of contamination which can be remediated over a short period of time. Once the work has been completed, a monitoring team – composed of school officials, parents, external experts and representatives of private organizations – will inspect the premises. If there are findings of contamination, the removal process will be repeated until confirmation is received that the remediation work has succeeded. See: 여름방학 기간 학교 석면제거 [Eliminating asbestos at schools during the summer].
Fighting for Asbestos Justice
Aug 3, 2018
The 10,000 residents of the former asbestos mining town of Bom Jesus da Serra, in Brazil’s Bahia State, are engaged in a battle for social and environmental justice as they fight for the damage done to their town to be recognized and remediated by the guilty parties including the company which profited from the operations of the now derelict chrysotile (white) asbestos mine. From being passive supplicants townspeople have become activists campaigning for justice for the lives lost and damage done to those employed in the mine, their relatives and local people who were exposed to environmental contamination. See: A cidade onde nevava Amianto [The city where Asbestos was snowing].
Legal Milestone
Aug 1, 2018
A 43-page decision handed down on July 31, 2018 by the Court of Appeal in the case brought by Graham Dring on behalf of the Asbestos Victims Support Group (the Forum) against Cape Intermediate Holdings Ltd. (Cape) – as successor to Cape PLC, formerly one of the UK’s largest asbestos conglomerates – upheld the right of the Forum to access key documents which detail Cape’s “true knowledge of the dangers of asbestos products.” These documents may prove vital for people seeking to obtain recompense for injuries by throwing “light on the way early knowledge of the dangers of asbestos was hidden from the public.” See: Landmark Court of Appeal success for asbestos victim.
Thinking the Unthinkable!
Aug 1, 2018
A commentary published on July 31, 2018 asserted that under the pro-asbestos Trump administration, the use of carcinogenic asbestos products might increase; the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Significant New Use Rule” enacted on June 1, 2018, allows companies to petition the federal government for permission to use new asbestos-containing products on a case-by-case basis, even though a 2016 amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act mandated that the EPA prioritize a risk evaluation of the use of asbestos and 9 other substances. See: Under Trump’s EPA, asbestos might be making a comeback.
Sicily’s Asbestos Epidemic
Aug 1, 2018
Former Eternit worker Maria Imbesi has become the 150th person from the same factory to die from an asbestos disease; at the age of 82 years old, she succumbed to asbestosis as did her husband some years previously. She had worked on the production line at the Sacelit asbestos-cement plant in Sicily – known locally as the “factory of death” – for nearly three years; the factory manufactured asbestos pipes, flues, tank lids and other building products. She had been diagnosed with asbestosis in 2001. See: Amianto: 150esimo morto alla ex Sacelit [Asbestos: 150th death at the former Sacelit].
Asbestos Dumping: A Legacy Issue
Aug 1, 2018
Council workers in Newcastle City in New South Wales, Australia combed Stockton beach in hazmat suits last month collecting pieces of asbestos-containing debris washed ashore even as local people continued to use the beach as normal. The toxic flotsam is believed to have been produced by the worsening erosion of Stockton landfill sites. A Newcastle Council spokeswoman said: “The potential asbestos containing pieces pose a very low public health risk and council is removing them on a daily basis to reduce the risk even further, allowing Stockton beach to remain open to the community.” See: Newcastle City Council workers in Hazmat suits patrol Stockton beach daily for asbestos as new tip site uncovered.
NY Explosion: Assigning Fault
Jul 30, 2018
The asbestos fallout from the July 19, 2018 explosion of an asbestos-lined steam pipe in Manhattan was just one of a series of such events to have occurred since 1989. Despite knowledge that the asbestos-lined fifty-year old pipes which make up the 100 miles of steam lines under Manhattan were deteriorating, no action had been taken by the New York City administration or the Con Edison utility company. In a July 27th article, author G, Dunkel calls for the immediate replacement of all the asbestos pipes. See: Crumbling infrastructure spewed deadly asbestos.
Replacing Asbestos-Cement Pipes
Jul 30, 2018
On July 24, 2018 the local authorities in Pretoria handed over a construction site to contractors who will replace deteriorating 50-year old asbestos cement pipes in three areas east of Pretoria city over the coming months under the Ashlea Gardens Water Pipe Project. According to Darryl Moss, a spokesman for the utility company: “The existing water reticulation system … has reached the end of its design lifespan.” The avoidance of pipe breakages was vital to “cut down on water wastage and leakage.” According to the timetable for the project, 4400m of water network pipes will be replaced by June 2019. See: Ageing asbestos pipes being replaced.
The Safe Removal of Asbestos
Jul 27, 2018
During a Congress on Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health on July 25 & 26, 2018 in the City of Praia on Cape Verde, José Delgado, President of the southern region of the Order of Technical Engineers (OTS) of Portugal, said that the removal of asbestos contamination can be accomplished with “near zero risk” using state-of-the-art technologies and protocols. According to Delgado, “asbestos kills when there is no prevention…the employer has to make prevention and protection of occupational health” a priority. See: Remoção do amianto “em boas condições” tem risco de “quase zero” [Removal of asbestos “in good condition” risks “almost zero”].
Decline in Asbestos Research
Jul 27, 2018
A paper has been published which concludes that “the proportion of the overall scientific literature that is ARD related has declined substantially over the last quarter century, and that this decline was enhanced by a decrease in emphasis on public health…” In recognition of the ongoing use of asbestos in countries throughout the industrializing world, this trend is problematic; the authors recommend “setting research priorities with improved emphasis on public health” to bridge this gap. See: Bibliometric analysis of gaps in research on asbestos-related diseases: declining emphasis on public health over 26 years.
Legal Precedent in Scotland!
Jul 27, 2018
For the first time, a Scottish court has held an employer liable for a mesothelioma death caused by second-hand exposure to asbestos; the deceased, Adrienne Sweeney, had washed the contaminated work clothes of her husband William, an employee at the Babcock and Wilcox boiler-making factory in Renfrew in the 1960s. Damages of almost £250,000 were awarded to the family after a hard won legal battle further exacerbated by the death in 2008 of Mr. Sweeney. Fortunately, a former work colleague was able to provide vital testimony. See: Family's damages award over mother's 'second-hand asbestos' death.
Asbestos Risk in Manhattan
Jul 27, 2018
An article in the New York Times about the public health risk posed by asbestos liberated during the explosion – on July 19, 2018 – of a steam pipe in the Flatiron district of Manhattan quotes several experts who downplay the adverse health consequences of these exposures to people living or working in the area. Those at greater risk are, according to occupational physician Dr. Philip Landrigan, people “like Con Edison employees who have worked in the tunnels for years and now may be called in to help clean up the mess.” See: How Dangerous Is Asbestos From the Steam Pipe Explosion in New York?
Asbestos-Free: 2040 Deadline
Jul 24, 2018
This week the Flemish Government agreed to accelerate the phase-out program to eliminate the asbestos hazard in Flanders by 2040 via a staged action plan that prioritizes the removal of products containing non-bonded asbestos. The health risk posed by exposure to deteriorating asbestos-cement products, such as aging and weathered corrugated sheets, has also been recognized. Key dates are: by 2022, an asbestos inventory must be drawn up when a building is sold; by 2032 asbestos inventories will be required for all buildings built before 2001; by 2034, the most hazardous products must be remediated. See: Asbestveilig Vlaanderen tegen 2040 [Abestos-safe Flanders by 2040].
Hazard posed by Asbestos Mine?
Jul 24, 2018
This week, the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Planning and Environment released a report regarding the public health risk of the derelict Woodsreef asbestos mine, 15 km east of Barraba in the Northern NSW Tablelands, Australia which concluded that “the long term public health risk is likely to be negligible to low, for potential asbestos exposure arising from the abandoned mine site for adjacent communities and to members of the public that may have intermittent access to the mine site.” Public consultations about the findings will take place in the coming weeks with community members starting on August 8 at the Playhouse Hotel in Barraba. See: Woodsreef asbestos mine deemed to have low public health risk.
Corporate Asbestos Liability
Jul 24, 2018
On July 12, 2018, Latty International de Brou – a subsidiary of the French multinational Latty Industries – lost its appeal over the decision by the Administrative Court of Appeal of Nantes which had ruled that the company was responsible for all the liabilities arising from the asbestos death in 2008 of Pierre Funel, one of its workers. The arguments by Latty’s legal team that the State must bear some of the burden due to poor regulation of the asbestos hazard was dismissed by the appeal court. See: Procès de l’amiante : la société Latty International de Brou espérait la participation de l’État pour l’indemnisation des victims [Asbestos Trial: Latty International de Brou Expected State Contribution to Asbestos Liability].
Asbestos Documentary
Jul 23, 2018
On July 21, 2018, a new documentary called Inextinguible [Inextinguishable] was shown on Colombian TV. The film documents the campaign started by Ana Cecilia Niño, a mesothelioma sufferer who died in 2017 having been environmentally exposed to asbestos as a child, to outlaw the mining, processing, marketing and export of asbestos fiber and asbestos-containing products. Footage of Ana shows her testifying to the Congress which is in the process of considering a ban asbestos bill named after her. The work of other activists is featured in the film including that of her husband, Senator Nadia Blel and Greenpeace Colombia. See: Trailer for documentary film: Inextinguible [Inextinguishable].
Toxic Talc: In Brazil
Jul 23, 2018
An 8 minute segment on a Brazilian radio program focusing on the struggle for women’s civil, political and social rights was broadcast last week (July 18); it included an interview with Fernanda Giannasi, renowned ban asbestos campaigner and co-founder of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Injured. Ms. Giannasi discussed a recent US court verdict awarding $4+ billion to claimants who contracted ovarian cancer after using asbestos-contaminated talc products and considered the relevance of this verdict for Brazilian women. See: Viva Maria: Após condenação sobre talco com amianto, associação quer análise do cosmético no Brasil [Viva Maria: After talc asbestos conviction asbestos, association urges analysis of cosmetic in Brazil].
Asbestos Removal in Schools
Jul 23, 2018
During the Summer holidays, Korea’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Employment and Labor have ordered that asbestos be removed from classrooms in 641 schools nationwide. As traces of asbestos have been found even after removal operations had been completed, the government has mandated that the steel frames that held the asbestos in place be dismantled. Strict measures to prevent the liberation of asbestos during this remediation work will be enforced. The process will be monitored by technical experts and parents to ensure compliance with safety protocols. See: Steel Asbestos Frames to be Removed from Classrooms.
Mesothelioma in Women
Jul 23, 2018
Researchers studying the causation of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in women diagnosed between 1974 and 2015 at the Institute of Pathology, Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark, undertook an observational study to clarify asbestos exposure patterns amongst females in the North Jutland region. It was concluded that “non-occupational asbestos exposure is the main cause of MM and may account for up to 66% of MM cases among women in North Jutland, Denmark.” See: Non-occupational exposure to asbestos is the main cause of malignant mesothelioma in women in North Jutland, Denmark.
Post-blast Asbestos Concerns
Jul 20, 2018
In the early morning yesterday (July 19, 2018) a blast in the Flatiron district of lower Manhattan released asbestos into the environment; reports confirmed that asbestos had lined the steam pipes which exploded. The Mayor of NY Mr. de Blasio told New Yorkers: “We’re going to work from an abundance of caution… Now that we know there’s asbestos present, we’re not going to cut any corners. We’re going to be very thorough.” It is expected that asbestos remediation will continue until the weekend in the “hot zones,” near the blast site. See: Asbestos from Manhattan steam pipe blast forces evacuations.
Asbestos: An Imminent Hazard
Jul 20, 2018
Despite Spain’s 2002 ban on asbestos, 2.5 million tonnes remain within the national infrastructure, in buildings and installations of all kinds, including schools and water delivery systems. A video featuring Spanish experts – technical consultant to the CCOO trade union Óscar Bayona, pulmonologist Francisco Javier García Pérez and architect Pilar Pereda – has been uploaded in which they explain the current situation and give guidance about how workers and members of the public can be protected from hazardous exposures. See: Vivir rodeados de Amianto [Living surrounded by asbestos].
Asbestos on the Agenda
Jul 20, 2018
An asbestos fringe event at the annual Congress of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) took place on July 17, 2018 in Melbourne, organized by the non-governmental organization Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA. Speakers on the program included: Judith Kiejda, of the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association, Terry Mason, of the National Tertiary Education Union, Michael Wright, Electrical Trades Union and Kate Lee, from Union Aid Abroad. Presentations during this session discussed progress in the campaign to ban asbestos in Asia. See: Global Solidarity to end Asbestos Use at ACTU Congress.
Conspiracy of Silence
Jul 20, 2018
Representatives of the asbestos victims’ campaigning group Asociación de Perjudicados y Afectados por Enfermedades (APENA) have denounced the existence of a “conspiracy of silence,” which prevents the collection of accurate data on the annual asbestos death toll and whitewashes death certificates by avoiding the mention of asbestos diseases as cause of death. APENA’s President Ricardo Torregrosa condemned multiple failures by the authorities to accept the widespread nature of the asbestos catastrophe which by 2015 had caused the mesothelioma deaths of 44 women who had washed their husband’s asbestos-contaminated work clothes. See: Los afectados por amianto alertan de que cada año fallecen 24 trabajadores [Those affected by asbestos warn that 24 workers die each year].
Asbestos Liabilities Increasing
Jul 20, 2018
The estimate for US asbestos-related losses due to claims and litigation has risen to an all-time high of $100 billion according to Fitch Ratings Inc., one of the world’s biggest credit rating agencies, according to news circulated on July 16, 2018. With US asbestos imports increasing and asbestophile Donald Trump in the White House, it is likely that asbestos-related claims will continue for the foreseeable future. See: Fitch raises asbestos claims estimate to $100bn.
Award for Omana!
Jul 17, 2018
Omana George has been honoured this month by being named the recipient of the Leslie Nickels International Health & Safety Award by the Occupational Health and Safety Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Ms. George has been a key force in progressing grassroots efforts throughout Asia to protect workers and members of the public from dangerous processes and substances – e.g. asbestos – during her years at the Asia Monitor Resource Center. The award will be presented at APHA’s 146th Annual Meeting & Expo from November 10 to14, 2018 in San Diego, California. See: News release of the Occupational Health and Safety Section of the American Public Health Association. Annual Awards 2018. July 13, 2018.
Screening At-Risk Individuals
Jul 17, 2018
Under Korean legislation, the authorities are obliged to carry out periodic medical screenings of people over 40 years old who lived within one kilometre of asbestos mining or processing operations as well as people who lived near shipyards. On July 16-19, 2018, clinics will be held in various districts of Changwon City in South Korea’s Gyeongnam Province at which basic health check-ups will be conducted. If required, follow-up examinations including chest CTs and pulmonary function tests will be performed. See: 창원시, 석면피해 의심지역 주민 건강영향조사 실시[Changwon City conducts a survey on the health of residents suspected of asbestos damage].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 17, 2018
Valencia’s campaigning group “Fiber Cement, No Thanks” – supported by members of the Association of Asbestos Victims, Spain’s largest trade union: the Comisiones Obreras, the Federation of Mothers and Fathers-Valencia and other civil society groups – is demanding that the Department of Education remove asbestos from 38 educational premises in the Province. Although some remediation had been undertaken, serious concerns remain over the situation in dozens of buildings. See: “Fibrocemento, No Gracias” pide a Educación retirar el amianto de 38 centros [The movement “Fibrocemento, No Gracias” asks Education to remove asbestos from 38 centers].
Toxic Subway Cars
Jul 17, 2018
The latest debate regarding the suspected asbestos contamination of rolling stock purchased from the operators of the Madrid subway for use in Buenos Aires has resulted in the formation of a commission of enquiry which will be composed of members of political parties, the municipality, and trade union officials representing the subway workers; technical experts will be appointed to inform the process which is being undertaken by the Buenos Aires City Legislature to evaluate the risks for workers and users of the subway. See: Buenos Aires. Amianto en los subtes: Recalde impulsa una comisión investigadora [Buenos Aires. Asbestos in the subways: Recalde promotes a research commission].
Verbal Attack on Ukraine
Jul 16, 2018
A vituperative Russian language online article condemns Ukraine’s Ministry of Health saying: “most of the acute problems of today’s life of Ukrainians are somehow connected with the Ministry of Health (MoH)...” In 2017, the MoH announced that asbestos would be banned in Ukraine; the prohibitions were overturned by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) as a result of which the MoH launched a lawsuit against the MoJ (see: Ukraine’s Fight to Ban Asbestos: Update). This one-sided diatribe asserts that there are much more important issues for the MoH to address than its obsession with banning asbestos, a substance which covers 75% of Ukrainian houses. See: МОЗ против асбеста: кто виноват и что делать? [MOH against asbestos: who is to blame and what to do?]
Toxic Talc: US Victory
Jul 16, 2018
Last week, after 6 weeks of testimony a jury in St. Louis, Missouri awarded $4.69 billion to 22 women and their families who claimed that decades of daily use of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) asbestos-contaminated talcum powder caused their ovarian cancer; this is the first US case to be decided regarding the causation of ovarian cancer by toxic talc. The six man and six woman jury deliberated for eight hours and decided that the plaintiffs should receive $550 million in compensatory damages and $4.14 billion in punitive damages from the company. The news of this huge victory has been reported all over the world including Russia, Brazil, China and throughout Europe. See: St. Louis jury returns $4.69 billion verdict in first trial linking baby powder, asbestos and ovarian cancer.
Lack of Asbestos Disposal Sites
Jul 16, 2018
Personnel from Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) are worried about the removal of asbestos roofing materials in Machakos County; there are no laws regulating asbestos removal and disposal in the country and no dumpsites certified to receive asbestos waste, according to the head of NEMA Titus Simiyu. In recognition of the current situation, Simiyu has issued warnings to concerned householders about the hazard and recommended they suspend asbestos removal work until the government has taken action to address the situation. See: “We Have Nowhere To Dispose Asbestos Wastes,” Warns NEMA Boss.
PR Snafu
Jul 16, 2018
As staff at customer services for Singapore SMRT Corporation – responsible for public transport in Singapore – told a commuter that all train brakes contained asbestos in an email sent on June 20, 2018, the company categorically refuted the allegation stating that: “asbestos (banned in Singapore in the 1980s) is not used in any part of our MRT network.” The confusion was due to “human error caused by one of our customer relations staff putting his own words and sending the e-mail reply to a commuter too quickly.” See: SMRT refutes its own customer service email claiming that train brakes are lined with asbestos.
Creation of an Asbestos Fund
Jul 16, 2018
The election of Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón as Spanish Prime Minister has given new impetus for calls from asbestos victims’ groups for the establishment of a national asbestos compensation fund, says Jon García from the Basque victims’ association Asviamie. In October 2017, a proposal by the Basque Parliament was accepted by the Spanish Congress; since then, however, progress has stalled and the current Congressional session ended without any further action. See: El Congreso saca del cajón el fondo del amianto tras un año de bloqueo [Congress takes the asbestos fund out of the drawer after one year of blocking].
Asbestos Imports
Jul 13, 2018
President Trump’s administration has imposed US tariffs on $200bn of Chinese exports including commonplace items such as luggage, shampoo, fish, fruit and wood. On page 43 of the 205 page document listing the new restrictions are Crocidolite (blue) asbestos (HTSUS code 2524.10.00) and Asbestos other than crocidolite (HTSUS code 2524.90.00). According to the most recent asbestos data from the US Geological Survey, the sole type of asbestos imported into the country is chrysotile (white). Clarification is now being sought. See: Request for Comments Concerning Proposed Modification of Action Pursuant to Section 301: China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation.
State Liable for Asbestos Damages
Jul 13, 2018
On July 9, 2018 the Administrative Court of Rennes, made public a decision which ordered the French State to pay a total of €340,000 in damages to 34 former workers who were exposed to asbestos at military shipyards; the claimants, all of whom worked for the Directorate of Shipbuilding (DoS) in Lorient and Brest and are all suffering from health problems, will receive sums ranging from €3,800 to €12,800. The Court ruled that the DoS had failed to provide “effective protection.” See: Amiante. L’État condamné à payer 340 000 euros aux ex-DCN de Lorient et Brest [Asbestos. State condemned to pay 340,000 euros to former DCNs of Lorient and Brest].
Our Asbestos is Safe!
Jul 11, 2018
In an interview published in July 2018, the technical director of Kostanai minerals, the largest chrysotile (white) asbestos producer in Kazakhstan, has asserted that the company has rebounded from the crisis of 2015-16 and that production levels are growing as international asbestos consumption increases. The director was optimistic about export sales to China, India, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and domestic usage in a country in which 50% of all homes are roofed with asbestos-containing products. See: КАЗАХСТАНСКИЙ РЫНОК ХРИЗОТИЛА СТАБИЛЬНО РАЗВИВАЕТСЯ [Kazakhstan Chrysotile market is stable and developing].
Russian–US Asbestos Ties
Jul 11, 2018
A commentary detailing the asbestos connections between Russia and the US in the run-up to the upcoming Putin–Trump summit in Helsinki points out that Russia is poised to become the biggest asbestos exporter to the US now that Brazil has banned asbestos. On June 25, a Russian asbestos producer Uralasbest went as far as publicly thanking Donald Trump for his support of their industry in a Facebook post. The same day, Kostanai Minerals, the largest chrysotile asbestos producer in Kazakhstan, shared the Uralasbest post on its Facebook page. See: Russian Asbestos Giant Praises Trump Administration Actions to Keep Deadly Carcinogen Legal.
Calls for Asbestos Action
Jul 11, 2018
Despite massive public support for Colombia to ban asbestos and the adoption in October 2017 by the Senate of draft prohibitions, the current congressional session has ended with no action being taken. A recent commentary deplored the current stalemate, pointing out that Colombia’s current asbestos policy ignores warnings by international agencies regarding the dangers to human health posed by exposures to asbestos at work and at home. Ivan Duque, who was elected President last month (June 2018), is urged to fulfil his promise to save Colombian lives by adopting a ban asbestos decree. See: Presidente Duque proteja la vida, destierre el asbestos [President Duque protect life, banish asbestos].
WHO Asbestos Policy
Jul 9, 2018
An article entitled “71st World Health Assembly concludes, shedding no light upon asbestos or related diseases” which appeared on a Sri Lanka website (see: http://epaper.dailymirror.lk/epaper/viewer.aspx) on July 5, 2018 alleged that the World Health Organization (WHO) “seems to be changing its policy direction towards asbestos…. in future WHO will likely regard asbestos as an ‘environmental risk’ and asbestos-related diseases as ‘environmental diseases’ …” Responding to a press enquiry, a spokesperson for the WHO on July 6, 2018 stated categorically: “WHO confirms there is no change in its position [on asbestos].”
Asbestos in Island’s School
Jul 9, 2018
The Chief Minister of the Island of Jersey has been urged to take action on the hazard posed by asbestos in Jersey’s schools by Chris Keates, the general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union and Women Teachers (NASUWT). In an open letter to Senator John Le Fondré, she wrote: “More than 300 UK teachers have died of mesothelioma since 1980 in the UK, with the rate still increasing. These deaths are normally due to asbestos exposure in schools, which again is entirely preventable. NASUWT members in Jersey have also died of this disease.” See: Call to support Islanders suffering from asbestos-related condition.
No More Asbestos Houses!
Jul 9, 2018
On July 6, 2018 scores of protesters took to the streets of Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, to demand decent housing, free of asbestos contamination. The demonstrators came from towns around the country including Henrietta, Case-Noyale, Grand-Gaube and Piton. According to a spokesman for the organizers of the event, although the government is aware of the health hazards posed by the thousands of asbestos houses on 59 sites no action has been taken to protect residents or remediate the contamination. See: Maisons en amiante: “Le relogement des habitants est une urgence nationale” [Asbestos houses: “Relocation of residents is a national emergency”].
Asbestos Textile Production
Jul 9, 2018
A paper published by Korean researchers documents the high levels of occupational and environmental asbestos contamination generated by an asbestos textile factory in Indonesia. Previously, the textile plant for this company had been sited in Korea. The asbestos concentrations inside and outside of the factory in Indonesia were about the same as those measured in Korea in the 1980s and 1990s. It is recommended that a larger-scale study of various asbestos exposure sources, including asbestos cement factories, shipyards, and mines, be undertaken. See: Monitoring and Simulating Environmental Asbestos Dispersion from a Textile Factory.
Banning Asbestos in Russia?
Jul 6, 2018
An online Russian article considers the inconceivable – what would happen if Russia banned asbestos. Detailing the economic importance of Uralasbest – the asbestos mining company which employs 5,000 of the 66,000+ inhabitants in the monotown of Asbestos – the author highlights steps taken by vested interests to prevent prohibitions including the mobilization of popular support, the implementation of political stratagems at home and abroad and the war of words between Russian asbestos lobbyists and global ban asbestos campaigners. See: Полмира считает асбест смертельно опасным веществом. Что будет, если его запретят в России? [Half the world considers asbestos a deadly substance. What will happen if it is banned in Russia?].
Say it with Flowers!
Jul 6, 2018
At the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show this week there are many ornamental gardens designed to raise awareness for special causes amongst which is one inspired by the work of Mesothelioma UK, a charity which provides support for UK asbestos victims, and designed by David Domoney. In Domoney’s blog, he explains the the garden layout; on one side “a single border brimming with lush planting represents life before disease. On the other side, a propeller water feature resembles the fluidity of life and the sea. A sweeping porcelain Pavestone path in stark white invites the onlooker to take a journey between the two sides.” See: HS Hampton Garden Displays.
Asbestos Documentary
Jul 6, 2018
A film review in the current issue of The Lancet considers a 2018 US documentary entitled Dirty Laundry about the quest of two cousins to understand their grandmother’s death from mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Although the piece by Caroline Lucas is somewhat critical of the filmmakers failure to get to grips with the extent of the corporate greed responsible for the deadly contamination of Libby, Montana, it concludes on a more positive note saying: “Dirty Laundry represents a new generation of awareness raising in the grassroots anti-asbestos movement in the USA, which is much needed as the delayed effects of exposure come home to roost.” See: Miracle mineral of mesothelioma: cancer and asbestos in the USA.
Shipbreaking and Asbestos
Jul 6, 2018
The legacy of Taiwan’s shipbuilding history includes illnesses contracted by former workers caused by occupational exposures to asbestos. The case of one 74-year old worker from Kaohsiung City who had worked in shipbuilding for 20 years was recently reported; the patient was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. His treating physician recommended that other at-risk workers have regular chest X-rays and seek medical attention if they have symptoms such as a persistent cough, chest pain or asthma. See: 醫病》長期暴露於石棉工作環境罹癌7旬翁獲百萬職災理賠[“Medical disease” after long-term occupational exposure to asbestos].
UK Mesothelioma Mortality
Jul 5, 2018
The latest mesothelioma statistics have been published by the Health and Safety Executive and show that the number of deaths in 2016 from this asbestos cancer was 2,595. Since 2010 (2,360), the number of annual mesothelioma fatalities has risen by 10%, despite predictions that the national epidemic would peak at 2,040 per year by 2016. The reality of the situation is much graver than had been acknowledged by the authorities as the 2016 figures are 27% worse than had been forecast. With much of the 7 million tonnes incorporated within the national infrastructure still in place, there seems little chance that this epidemic will end any time soon. See: Mesothelioma in Great Britain.
NCARD News
Jul 5, 2018
Issue 12 of the Australian National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD) newsletter has just been published. Prominent among the items covered was the change of leadership at the Center, Australia’s leading asbestos cancer research facility, with Professor Bruce Robinson handing over to Professor Anna Nowak, both of whom having pioneered scientific studies into the causation and treatment of mesothelioma – a killer cancer widely feared in Australia, which has a mesothelioma mortality incidence amongst the highest in the world. Other developments covered in this issue include news of presentations and scientific advances accomplished by NCARD personnel. See: Newsletter of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, Australia.
Ban Asbestos Demos
Jul 4, 2018
Korean, Indonesian and Japanese asbestos activists held protests outside the Russian, Chinese and Kazakhstan embassies in Seoul, Korea on July 3, 2018, urging these countries to end the mining of deadly asbestos. At a press conference, the demonstrators explained that the majority of asbestos exported from these producing nations is sent to Asian countries which have few, if any, regulations for preventing deadly exposures to workers or members of the public. See: 환경단체 “러시아·중국·카자흐스탄, 죽음의 광물, 석면 채광 중단해야 [Environmental groups “Russia, China, Kazakhstan, should stop deadly asbestos mining”].
Progress: Asbestos Training
Jul 4, 2018
On June 25-29, 2018, the 15th program for asbestos removal specialists was run successfully, under the supervision of Mr. Furkan Yildiz, Assistant General Manager of Occupational Health and Safety, in compliance with legislation aimed to raise asbestos awareness amongst operatives working in the asbestos removal industry. To date, up to 40 training sessions have been run and 405 work safety experts have been awarded Asbestos Dismantling Specialist certificates. Last week’s course resulted in 24 candidates qualifying as Asbestos Removal Specialists. See: Asbest Söküm Uzmanlığı Eğitimleri Gerçekleştirilmiştir [Mandatory Asbestos Training Program].
Asian Victims’ Mobilization
Jul 2, 2018
This week a series of events is taking place in Seoul organized by the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Participating in this program are representatives from victims’ groups, campaigners and technical experts from Korea, Japan and Indonesia. Starting off the week, will be a symposium held at Seoul National University on July 2. From July 4 to 8, Japanese and Korean asbestos cancer patients and their supporters will have the opportunity for discussions in Seoul, Kwangchun and Pusan. See: Korean Poster.
DfE: Failing Britain’s Children
Jul 2, 2018
In the annual report published by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), multiple failings of the Department of Education (DfE) were cited. The headline “The DfE does not know how to deal with asbestos,” says it all. Commenting on the new report, PAC Chair MP Meg Hillier said she was “appalled” to learn about the “prevalence of asbestos in schools” and the DfE inability to address the threat to school users. “Asbestos is,” she said “a ticking time-bomb which will need central government support to tackle. The risk of asbestos poisoning of pupils and staff should not be a reality in 2018.” See: The DfE is ‘unrealistic’ about school cuts and 6 other morsels from the PAC’s annual report.
Toxic Talc Condemned!
Jul 2, 2018
On June 29, 2018, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Ana C. Viscomi upheld a plaintiff’s verdict totalling $117 million in damages against Johnson & Johnson and its talc supplier in a landmark mesothelioma case brought by Stephen Lanzo III and his wife. Commenting on this development, the Lanzos’ lawyer Moshe Maimon said: “both Johnson & Johnson and Imerys knew of the asbestos in the talc and designed and implemented testing programs intended not to detect it. Both defendants were warned of the dangers of asbestos — but chose not to warn the innocent users of their products. All the while a perfectly safe alternative — corn starch — was available.” See: J&J, Talc Supplier Can't Escape $117M Verdicts In NJ.
Asbestos Regime: New Regulations
Jul 2, 2018
On July 1, 2018, a decree enacted by the Council of Ministers in French Polynesia will come into force which stipulates that: “no company or institution working in the fields of hydraulic works and building works can intervene in a place likely to contain asbestos without having established an adequate procedure.” Furthermore, employees engaged on the site must have received asbestos training from an approved organization paid for by the employer. Unfortunately, few employers have undertaken the measures required to comply with the new requirements. See: Du retard dans les formations sur l’amiante [Delays in asbestos training].
Mesothelioma Nursing Grant
Jul 2, 2018
On June 20, 2018, Mesothelioma UK announced that a £25,000 grant had been awarded to Dr. Catherine Henshall, Senior Nursing Research Fellow at Oxford Brookes University, for a project to improve follow-up care for mesothelioma patients to enable them to “live well” with their condition. Dr. Henshall will interview mesothelioma patients from three NHS Trusts to better understand patients’ experiences of follow-up care. Her findings will be used to improve future treatment protocols and ensure that new policies are evidence-based and patient-focused. See: Mesothelioma UK awards funding for research into improving follow-up care for patients.
Our Asbestos is Safe!
Jun 29, 2018
A Russian language article highly critical of the Russian asbestos industry published on June 20, 2018 has been attacked by Uralasbest, a Russian company which is the world’s largest asbestos producer. The company accuses the author of bias and ignorance using well-worn and discredited industry propaganda: chrysotile (white) asbestos is safe, chrysotile fibers incorporated in cement products are safe as they are “locked” into a cement matrix, inhaled chrysotile fibers are decomposed by acid in the lungs, etc. See: Спор об асбесте: уральское предприятие вступило в дискуссию с изданием «Медуза» [Asbestos dispute: Ural enterprise enters into discussion with publication on Medusa website].
Laos Calls for Asbestos Ban
Jun 29, 2018
On June 20, 2018, the Laos Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Dr Khampheng Saysompheng announced that Laos intends to eliminate occupational asbestos-related diseases by banning asbestos. The Minister called for universal action to end asbestos consumption, highlighting the need for member states of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to immediately prohibit the use of asbestos-containing construction materials. He said: “Urgent action is required to prevent the extended use of asbestos as a construction material and banning all forms of asbestos to protect lives, support safer economic growth and ensure social stability in the country under the National Action Plan.” See: Plans to end asbestos-use, related disease nationwide.
Protecting Workers from Asbestos
Jun 29, 2018
Spain’s CCOO trade union has demanded urgent action on asbestos contamination of Madrid’s Registry Office, operated by the Ministry of Justice. Specific actions stipulated should include: an asbestos audit of the premises and medical examinations for at-risk workers. Despite awareness of the asbestos hazard, to date the Community of Madrid has failed to address these matters giving bland reassurances such as: “necessary measures will be taken to solve this serious problem.” See: CCOO exige medidas urgentes a la Comunidad de Madrid por el amianto del Registro Civil de Pradillo [CCOO demands urgent measures by the Community of Madrid on asbestos at the Pradillo Civil Registry].
Donald Trump: Asbestophile
Jun 26, 2018
The pro-asbestos position maintained by Donald Trump over many years has been recognized and appreciated by workers at the Uralasbest factory who have produced a batch of chrysotile asbestos which has been stamped with a sticker saying: “Approved by Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States.” The writing and an image of Trump, both of which are in red, are placed within a red circle as a gesture of gratitude for the President’s support of their industry in the face of growing global support for the ban asbestos movement. See: Уральское предприятие выпустило партию хризотил-асбеста с наклейкой «Одобрено Трампом» [Ural company produced a batch of chrysotile-asbestos with a sticker “Approved by Trump”].
Russian Asbestos-free Brakes
Jun 25, 2018
On June 21, 2018, a 50 million ruble facility was opened in the Altai Territory in western Siberia to produce asbestos-free brake pads worth 200 million rubles a year. Speaking at the formal ceremony to commission the plant, Viktor Tomenko, Acting Governor of the Altai Territory, recognized the global trend to ban asbestos and the need to produce safer substitute materials. Director of the enterprise Artem Shamkov said: “Initially, the finished products will be destined for the secondary market of asbestos-free brake pads for global manufacturers of trucks and buses, like Mercedes, Volvo and others.” See: Барнаульский завод АТИ будет выпускать продукцию для Mercedes и Volvo [Barnaul plant ATI will produce products for Mercedes and Volvo].
National Asbestos Profile
Jun 25, 2018
Last week, discussions were held in Phnom Penh to progress work on a draft of the National Asbestos Profile of Cambodia. Taking part were representatives from 13 ministries, trade unions, employers, the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization and the Australian Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA. Research findings were reported from samples of building and friction materials that were collected in Cambodia and shipped to Australia for analysis. Over 50% of the items sampled contained asbestos. See: Photograph from meeting.
Trump EPA: Not Fit for Purpose
Jun 25, 2018
Legislation passed two years ago under President Obama. intended to streamline measures for the regulation of toxic chemicals by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has been under sustained attack by the Trump EPA which has announced that “legacy uses, associated disposals, and legacy disposals will be excluded,” from risk evaluations as will “asbestos-containing materials that remain in older buildings.” It looks like the use of the “magic mineral,” which is causing nearly 40,000 deaths per year in the US, will continue as will the imminent hazard posed by asbestos-containing products incorporated in the national infrastructure and asbestos waste dumped throughout the country. See: As Asbestos Toll Mounts, Trump’s EPA Ignores It.
Fighting for Asbestos Justice
Jun 25, 2018
As the decision of the Court of Cassation (France’s Supreme Court) is awaited, with the decision on whether nine industrialists would be held liable for asbestos crimes postponed until September 2018, the Dunkirk branch of the National Association of Asbestos Victims (ANDEVA) continues its efforts to raise awareness of the effects of occupational asbestos exposures. At a recent commemoration ceremony Pierre Pluta, who was exposed to asbestos for 25 years whilst working at the Dunkirk shipyards and now heads the local ANDEVA branch, said: “We worked to make a living, not to lose it.” See: Scandale de l’amiante: à Dunkerque, une association de victimes mobilisée dans l’attente d’un procès [Asbestos scandal: in Dunkirk, victims’ association mobilized pending trial].
Legacy of Asbestos Mining
Jun 22, 2018
Brazilian photographer Inácio Teixeira was born in Bom Jesus da Serra, Bahia State, Brazil, home to the São Felix Asbestos Mine which for decades poisoned its workers, polluted the environment and exposed consumers and family members to a deadly carcinogen. A photographic exhibit he has produced is now on the website of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed; the stark black and white images “leave no doubt about the trail of destruction caused by this predatory industry…” See: Uma Tragédia Socioambiental de Proporções Ainda Ignoradas [A Socio-Environmental Tragedy of Unkown Proportions So Far].
Expose of Russian Dirty Tricks
Jun 21, 2018
A Russian language article on a Latvian news website documents the desperation of asbestos vested interests in Russia and resultant drastic measures being taken by them, including the publication of a comic book with a hero called “Chrysotile,” competitions for students to encourage the use of asbestos in building products, conflicts of interest of Russian scientists with proven links to the chrysotile industry working with the IARC to “research” the occupational impact of asbestos exposures, etc. See: Асбест вызывает рак. В России его все равно добывают и используют в строительстве [Asbestos causes cancer. In Russia, it is still mined and used in construction].
Telling the Truth in the Urals
Jun 21, 2018
An article about the health hazard posed by human exposures to asbestos has been published on a website in the Urals, the asbestos mining region of Russia. The headline and the contents refute industry propaganda that Russian asbestos is not hazardous. Although the contents of this piece have been sourced from an article on the Meduza website, it is noteworthy that the Meduza website is based in Latvia and this article appeared on a website based in the Urals, Russia. See: Расследование: В Ясном производят асбест, он вызывает рак [Investigation: Asbestos, it causes Cancer].
Learning the Asbestos Lesson
Jun 21, 2018
A review of the epidemiology substantiating the outbreak of the deadly mesothelioma epidemic in the area of Casale Monferrato, in the Piedmont Region of Italy, the location of the Eternit asbestos-cement factory, has been undertaken by Italian researchers. The authors conclude that: “The experience of Casale Monferrato represents a lesson in several terms, from the epidemiological surveillance to the health care of the victims and the relationship between epidemiologists, victims, their relatives and residents in contaminated areas.” See: Mesothelioma in Italy: the Casale Monferrato model to a national epidemiological surveillance system.
Asbestos in Make-up
Jun 21, 2018
It has been reported that authorities in the Czech Republic found asbestos contamination in make-up sold for children by the US company Claire’s. This development was reported to the European Rapid Alert System which should automatically result in the product being withdrawn from the European market. On June 19, the Spanish Organization of Consumers and Users issued warnings about the make-up kit; it has been withdrawn from sale in Spain. The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products is being urged to carry out an inspection of all Claire's products. See: Detectado amianto en un kit de maquillaje infantil que ya se ha retirado de las tiendas [Asbestos detected in a children's makeup kit already withdrawn from sale].
National Asbestos Legacy
Jun 21, 2018
Despite adopting a ban on the use of asbestos in 1992, Italy continues to pay dearly for its industrial asbestos past. In 2017, there were 6,000 asbestos-related deaths – of which 1,800 were caused by the cancer mesothelioma – with the peak in the national epidemic not expected until 2030. The presence of 40 million tonnes of asbestos incorporated within the national infrastructure remains a clear and present danger to the health of both workers and members of the public. It is believed that a million private and public buildings, including 2,400 schools, 250 hospitals and 1,000 libraries and cultural sites, are contaminated. See: Amianto: 6.000 morti e 40 milioni di tonnellate da bonificare [Asbestos: 6,000 dead and 40 million tons to be reclaimed].
Asbestos Mining in Western Australia
Jun 21, 2018
The consequences of the mining and processing of crocidolite (blue) asbestos fiber at the Wittenoom mine in Western Australia are the focus of a four-minute video entitled Wittenoom: An Australian Tragedy. The clip begins with Bronwen Duke who lost her parents, both her grandparents, her brother, three uncles and four cousins to asbestos-related diseases; the whole extended family had lived in the asbestos company town of town Wittenoom. Although the mine ceased operations in the 1960s, people continue to die from the long latency diseases caused by exposures to asbestos. See: Wittenoom: An Australian Tragedy.
RIP Ben Hills
Jun 19, 2018
Ben Hills, one of Australia’s foremost investigative journalists, died on June 10, 2018 after several battles with cancer. In his first book – Blue Murder (1986) – Hills told the “shocking truth about Wittenoom’ s deadly dust.” In the 200+ pages of this exposé, Hills detailed the horrendous conditions and deadly repercussions for those who worked and lived in the former crocidolite asbestos mining town in Western Australia. The book, long out of print, remains a testament to the men and women who worked to reveal this scandal and support all those whose lives had been sacrificed for the profits of the corporate giant operating the mine. See: A ‘slap-up party’ to send off journalist Ben Hills.
Mesothelioma at the Opera
Jun 19, 2018
Second only to Maria Callas, legendary Italian opera singer Edith Martelli has died from mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure at La Scala and other opera houses; she sang in Madrid, New York, Berlin, Salzburg and Tokyo. When she was diagnosed 14 years ago, she was given a prognosis of just 12 months. Commenting on the toxic exposures she received, her son Antonio said that his mother “had unknowingly and systematically” inhaled the invisible asbestos fibers contained in stage equipment, curtains, etc. which were found in the 1980s in theaters, including La Scala. See: Legnano, Edith Martelli è morta per l’amianto respirato alla Scala [Legnano, Edith Martelli died of asbestos breathed at La Scala].
Bronchial Asthma from Asbestos
Jun 19, 2018
A quality inspector who worked for seven years for TMD Friction do Brasil SA, a company which manufactured auto parts, succeeded in increasing his compensation for workplace asbestos exposure which resulted in him contracting bronchial asthma from R$15,000 (US$4,020) to R$80,000 (US$21,500) in a unanimous decision by the Superior Labor Tribunal. The plaintiff had claimed R$317,000 (US$85,000) in moral damages. See: Turma aumenta indenização a inspetor que desenvolveu asma brônquica por exposição ao Amianto [Compensation increased for inspector who developed bronchial asthma due to exposure to asbestos].
Revival of Asbestos Mine
Jun 18, 2018
Last week, Zimbabwe’s President Mnangagwa toured the Mashava Asbestos Mine in Masvingo Province and said that a government investment of $20 million will enable mining operations to recommence by the end of the year. It has been estimated that production of chrysotile (white) asbestos will begin at 40,000 tonnes/year and rise to full capacity of 75,000 tonnes. Four hundred workers are now employed at the facility with a further 1,000 jobs being created in the coming years. Production at the mine had ceased nearly ten years ago. See: Govt comes to Shabanie Mine’s rescue.
Court Win in Rio de Janeiro
Jun 18, 2018
Rio de Janeiro Labor Judge Mariane Bastos Scorsato issued a plaintiff’s verdict ordering a company to pay R$450,000 (~US$120,000) compensation to the wife of a worker who had died from an asbestos-related occupational disease. The deceased had worked for the company from 1964 until 1991. Despite his smoking history, the Judge concluded that the link between the workplace exposure and the disease, and the failures of the company to take adequate safety measures and inform the workers of the asbestos hazard made it liable to pay the moral damages awarded. See: Morte ocorrida por exposição a amianto gera indenização de R$ 450 mil [Death caused by exposure to asbestos generates indemnity of R$450 thousand].
Asbestos Hazard at Hospital
Jun 18, 2018
On June 14, 2018, an appeal court in France upheld a €40,000 suspended fine for a hospital in Besançon, a city in eastern France, which negligently exposed workers to asbestos over a four-year period. The court ruled that the management of the Jean Minjoz University Regional Hospital Center had endangered “others by overt and deliberate violation of a regulatory safety obligation.” See: Besançon: Les salariés exposés pendant quatre ans à l'amiante, 40.000 euros d'amende avec sursis requis contre l'hôpital [Besançon: Employees exposed for four years to asbestos, 40,000 euros in suspended fine against the hospital].
Asbestos Cancer Incidence Study
Jun 18, 2018
The cancer incidence of a cohort of ~2,500 asbestos-exposed men from Northeast Italy was compared to that of the general population from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Amongst the former group, there was an “excess in the incidence of both mesothelioma and lung cancer, showing increasing incidence rates at higher level of asbestos exposure.” The relative incidence of lung cancer was highest among members of the cohort who had worked in shipbuilding between 1974 and 1984. The authors concluded: “Our results confirm that asbestos-related diseases are still a major problem worldwide.” See: Cancer incidence in a cohort of asbestos-exposed workers undergoing health surveillance.
Asbestos at School
Jun 15, 2018
The bad news regarding the horrendous asbestos exposures experienced by students and teachers in Philadelphia schools continues. A new feature in The Inquirer documented astronomical levels of asbestos on damaged surfaces in classroom 106 at the A.S. Jenks Elementary School: “an alarming 1.15 million asbestos fibers per square centimeter. That’s far higher than the 100,000 measure that experts say requires immediate action.” Teacher Maria Greco, who had been informed classroom 106 had been remediated, found dust and disrepair; as a result of her persistent enquiries, it was revealed that no work had been done and her classroom was still a toxic nightmare. See: Solving the mystery of Room 106.
Call for Action!
Jun 15, 2018
After a meeting at the Congress of Deputies last week, the Izquierda Unida (IU) – Spain’s United Left political coalition – called on the Spanish Government and the Board of Communities to implement an action plan for the complete removal of asbestos from the Santa María de Benquerencia neighborhood in Toledo, whose residents have for many years been forced to endure the threat posed by environmental exposure to illegally dumped asbestos-containing debris. Members of the Platform “My neighborhood without asbestos” also took part in the meeting. See: IU exige un Plan conjunto de la Junta y la CHT para la retirada total del Amianto [IU requires a Joint Plan of the Board and the CHT for the total withdrawal of asbestos].
Union Calls for Asbestos Action
Jun 14, 2018
A media release issued by a trade union calls on Australia’s Foreign and Trade Ministers to open discussions with their American counterparts about the proven hazard posed by human exposures to asbestos in order to counter President Trump’s assertions that asbestos is “100 per cent safe, once applied.” “The Australian Government,” they urge “must come out strongly and condemn the United States for trying to wind back bans on asbestos because there will be knock-on effects for workers there and globally.” See: ETU calls on Ministers Bishop and Ciobo to tell the US asbestos dangers no ‘mafia conspiracy’.
Asbestos and Cancer
Jun 14, 2018
A Russian language article on a news website in the Republic of Karelia, formerly an autonomous region and now part of Russia, which discussed six common causes of cancer, began with a discussion of the health hazard posed by exposures to asbestos. Explaining the history of asbestos use and the proven links between asbestos exposures and cancer, the text warns of the hazards posed by asbestos in the soil, air, and water; although considerably downplaying the risks, the author highlights the threat posed by contaminated buildings. See: 6 обычных вещей, которые могут вызвать рак. С некоторыми из них вы сталкиваетесь ежедневно [6 common things that can cause cancer, some of them you come across daily].
Asbestos Ban: Stalled in Congress
Jun 14, 2018
Senator Nadia Blel, rapporteur for the Columbian Senate’s bill to ban asbestos, has condemned stalling tactics and negative lobbying by asbestos vested interests which resulted in a postponement on June 5 of a congressional vote on draft legislation to end the commercial exploitation of asbestos. Denouncing calls for further hearings and consultations, Senator Blel said: “We have more than enough scientific evidence that shows that this fiber is affecting and ending the lives of many Colombians.” See: “Con cifras obsoletas se está desinformando sobre el peligro del asbesto”, defensores de Proyecto [“With obsolete figures we are being misinformed about the asbestos hazard,” say advocates of asbestos ban].
Jock McCulloch: A Tribute
Jun 14, 2018
Jock McCulloch was “one of the foremost historians of occupational health of his generation.” His work took him deep into the heart of asbestos mining regions and it was exposure to asbestos which occurred whilst writing his book Asbestos Blues that resulted in the mesothelioma which ended his life in January 2018. The co-authors of this tribute conclude the piece as follows: “Like heroic firefighters who risk their lives while attempting to rescue others, Jock had sacrificed his own life when he visited the dusty mining townships in search of the truth about asbestos. It was a bitter and cruel irony that he died trying to save others from being exposed to the same lethal asbestos fibers that tragically claimed his own life.” See: Jock McCulloch (1945–2018): A Tribute.
Mesothelioma Biomarkers
Jun 14, 2018
A delay in diagnosing pleural mesothelioma can prevent early treatment and adversely affect the patient’s prognosis. In an attempt to develop mesothelioma biomarkers which could be used for early diagnosis, researchers in Italy have studied serum samples from 30 pleural mesothelioma patients and 30 healthy participants. The scientists found two significant differences; “miRNA-126 was downregulated (the serum contained less of this RNA than normal) and miRNA-197 was upregulated (found in larger than expected amounts) in patients with pleural mesothelioma.” Based on these results, more research will be undertaken. See: Mesothelioma Biomarkers Could Make Early Diagnosis Routine.
Vilification of Ban Asbestos Campaign
Jun 12, 2018
Taking aim at ban asbestos campaigners, alleged to belong to “the power elite of the United States,” a Russian article voices support for President Trump’s “rational” views on asbestos, reiterating his long-standing belief that asbestos is “100 percent safe when it is applied” and that those who oppose its use are part of a “movement against asbestos … headed by the mafia.” The author says that the actions taken by the Environmental Protection Agency under Trump’s protégé Scott Pruitt could prevent the US from banning asbestos, an objective which is the President’s “solemn will.” See: Трамп обрушился на антиасбестовое лобби [Trump struck at the anti-asbestos lobby].
Lung Cancer Breakthrough?
Jun 12, 2018
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has decided that the lung cancer immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, also known as Keytruda, will be made available on the NHS in England. After the final NICE guidance is published this month, the drug will be made “available for people with untreated non-small cell lung cancer which tests positive for a molecule called PD-L1.” A 2017 study found that survival rates for mesothelioma patients with “highly positive PD-L1 expression was associated with statistically significantly lower median survival time.” It is unknown at this time whether pembrolizumab will be made available for the treatment of mesothelioma. See: Life-extending lung cancer drug will be more widely available on the NHS after NICE review.
Asbestos Mining Legacy
Jun 11, 2018
On Thursday, June 7, 2018, local dignitaries and officials attended a public hearing on the deadly asbestos legacy which continues to plague the former asbestos mining town of Bom Jesus da Serra in the Brazilian state of Bahia. Although the mine ceased operations in 1967 after almost 30 years, toxic exposures to local people and the environmental contamination it created pose an on-going threat to the health of residents. During the meeting, a minute’s silence was observed to remember all those whose lives had been sacrificed to the mine including José Nildo Vieira, a former mine employee, who died last week and was buried in the cemetery named “Snow White,” after the white dust created by the chrysotile (white asbestos) mine. See: Poster advertising the June 7, 2018 asbestos hearing.
Asbestos: Strike This Week
Jun 11, 2018
In circulars issued to maintenance workers during May and June, Metro de Madrid – the company which operates the Spanish capital’s subway system – confirmed the discovery of additional asbestos parts in the system’s rolling stock, models 2000 and 5000. Frustrated by multiple failures of the company to effectively address the occupational hazards posed by the contamination, the CCOO Union and Union of Machinists of Madrid Metro have called a four day strike starting June 12. See: Metro localiza una nueva tanda de piezas con Amianto [Metro locates a new batch of parts containing asbestos].
Good News in Cheshire!
Jun 11, 2018
It was announced last week that the Cheshire Asbestos Victims Support Group (CAVSG) has received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2018; the receipt of this accolade is recognition of the excellence of the contribution made by this group, all of whom are volunteers. CAVSG, a member of the UK Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum, was started in 1992 and is run by local people who have been affected by asbestos-related disease. More about the services provided by CAVSG can be found on the group’s website at: http://cavsg.co.uk/ See: Cheshire Asbestos Victims Support Group receive Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
EPA Whitewash
June 8, 2018
Proposals announced on June 1, 2018 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are being disparaged by campaigners who condemn the EPA’s failure to consider the health risks and imminent hazard posed by asbestos incorporated within the national infrastructure. The EPA plans stipulate that only new uses of asbestos must be evaluated and approved. According to one Congressman, the: “EPA’s refusal to address longstanding concerns around the use and disposal of asbestos is further proof that Administrator Pruitt will bend over backwards to help industry, but won’t lift a finger to protect public health.” See: EPA Takes Three Important Steps to Ensure Chemical Safety Under the Lautenberg Act, Proposes Action on Asbestos.
Mobilization of Asbestos Victims
Jun 8, 2018
Asbestos-injured retired workers from the Macosa-Alstom company – a heavy-engineering manufacturer which produced goods for the railway industry – are calling on the Government of Catalonia to: establish a medical surveillance program for all those exposed to asbestos at work; undertake asbestos audits of public buildings and design and implement plans for their remediation; provide funding for research into the treatment of asbestos-related diseases. See: Jubilados de Macosa piden revisiones médicas para los expuestos al Amianto [Macosa retirees ask for medical examinations for those exposed to asbestos].
Calls to Ban Asbestos – Now!
Jun 8, 2018
Civil society groups and political representatives are calling on the Colombian Congress to end the delay on prohibiting future use of asbestos – a substance which kills 300 Colombians every year – and progress a bill to ban asbestos which was approved in October 2017 by the Seventh Committee of the Senate. Lobbying by the asbestos trade association Ascolfibras is believed to be behind the stalemate. In a video uploaded on June 7, 2018, Senator Nadia Blel expressed her support for the “Ana Cecilia Niño” ban asbestos bill. See: Congresistas: el asbesto mata y no discrimina según partido politico [Congressmen: Asbestos kills and does not discriminate according to political party].
Two Countries: Same Battle
Jun 7, 2018
As Australia – a country which banned asbestos in 2003 – struggles with its own deadly asbestos legacy, trade unionists are backing efforts by grassroots activists to end the use of asbestos in Indonesia, where it is widely regarded as just another raw material. During a recent fact-finding trip to several Australian cities Subono, former asbestos worker now General Secretary of the Indonesian union Serbuk and committed ban asbestos activist, described the repercussions of ongoing asbestos use, noting that several former colleagues died from cancer while others were still suffering. See: The battle to ban the devil’s dust in our neighbours’ backyards.
Schools: Asbestos Blackspots
Jun 7, 2018
An investigation by a newspaper group in Philadelphia which monitored levels of asbestos at 19 rundown schools has found that the situation has worsened in Olney Elementary School where tests revealed 10.7 million asbestos fibers per square centimeter, up from 8.5 million four months ago. The measurements are more than 100 times higher than the level that health experts believe are cause for alarm and were obtained after some “remediation work” had been done by operatives employed by the School District and personnel from Vertex, an environmental firm, who found the air safe for students and staffers to return. See: New test: 10.7 million asbestos fibers on floor at Philadelphia elementary school.
Asbestos in Madrid Schools
Jun 7, 2018
Isabel Galvin, the General Secretary of the CCOO’s Madrid Federation of Education, has told journalists that most public schools in the southern region – including Leganés, Móstoles and Getafe – are contaminated with asbestos. The CCOO, which has launched a campaign entitled: “Ten questions about asbestos” to inform the educational community about the asbestos hazard, is seeking collaboration from stakeholders with a program to map the presence of asbestos in educational centers. In addition, the CCOO is calling on the authorities for asbestos to be removed from schools. See: El 80% de los centros educativos madrileños tiene amianto [80% of schools in Madrid have asbestos].
Toxic Talc and Cancer
Jun 6, 2018
Imerys SA, the minerals company that supplied talc to Johnson & Johnson (J&J) which 22 ovarian cancer claimants believe was contaminated with asbestos, has agreed to a confidential settlement – believed to be worth US$5 million. This agreement has extricated the company from a high-profile trial that started on June 6, 2018 in St Louis, Missouri, leaving J&J and its consumer-products unit as the sole defendants. Nine thousand cases are proceeding against Imerys on behalf of other claimants who have contracted ovarian cancer or mesothelioma. See: Imerys Unit Settles Talc Claims for at Least $5 Million.
Capital’s Asbestos Hotspot
Jun 5, 2018
For the first time, a cluster of environmentally-caused asbestos-related cancers has been found in the Japanese capital, according to data documenting four deaths between 2007and 2017 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma within a 500-meter radius of an asbestos cement factory which operated from 1937 until 1980. The four deceased – 3 men and 1 woman – had never worked with asbestos but had lived near the factory for between 7 and 76 years. According to a local resident of the affected Ota Ward area, the atmosphere around the Tokyo factory was “always whitish and the dust was everywhere when the wind blew.” See: 4 Tokyo residents near former asbestos factory die of mesothelioma.
Asbestos in Schools Scandal
Jun 5, 2018
In its critical response to the Education Select Committee School and College Funding Enquiry, the Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) noted that the funding crisis is not only devastating the provision of education in the UK but also endangering the lives of pupils being taught in buildings most of which are contaminated with asbestos. The Government’s current policy of “managing asbestos in situ,” has been exposed as seriously flawed with multiple examples cited of serious incidents. JUAC believes that: “If funding was available for phased [asbestos] removal, these all too regular incidents would gradually become less frequent.” See: School funding pressures leave pupils and staff at risk from exposure to asbestos in schools.
Victims at the Diet
Jun 5, 2018
On June 1, 2018, an inaugural event took place in Tokyo organized by the Japanese Network of Asbestos Victims and their Families which provided the opportunity for 50 victims (35 with mesothelioma) and 150 family members to meet with Members of the Japanese Diet – the country’s bicameral legislature – for an hour and with government officials for three hours at the National Diet. Ten victims too ill to attend prepared video messages which were screened at the conference. Key recommendations made included the need for improved medical treatment and more equitable compensation. See: 中皮腫アスベスト疾患患者と家族の会 [Mesothelioma Asbestos disease patient and family association].
Banning asbestos roofing!
Jun 4, 2018
On Wednesday, May 30, 2018, a workshop was held in Hanoi to consider the implementation of a roadmap to phase out the use of asbestos roof sheeting in Vietnam by 2023, as agreed last week by the Ministry of Construction. The session was conducted under the auspices of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations. Taking part in the event were representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the General Confederation of Labor of Vietnam, international organizations and the Vietnam Ban Asbestos Network, as well as experts in occupational health and safety. See: Phải dừng sử dụng amiang trắng tại Việt Nam [White asbestos should be discontinued in Vietnam].
Paying the Price
Jun 4, 2018
A leading global reinsurer, Zurich-based Swiss Re, has categorized asbestos as one of the top five risks for insurers, estimating that as a result of ongoing asbestos use around the world “losses of about 100 billion dollars are expected;” the final liability to insurers could be even more due to ongoing toxic exposures: “The UN estimates that one third of the people living in Europe are potentially exposed to asbestos at work or in the environment.” The objective of the annual Swiss Re Sonar report just issued is to provide the insurance industry with the information and data needed to adapt to the changing risk landscape. See: Five high impact risks in Swiss Re report.
Another State Asbestos Ban
Jun 4, 2018
On Wednesday, May 16, 2018 Law #11,121/2018 was promulgated in the Official Gazette of the Brazilian State of Paraíba which prohibited the marketing and installation of materials containing asbestos and stipulated that during refurbishment, repair and demolition work asbestos-containing products must be are identified and handled by operatives supplied with Personal Protective Equipment. Infractions of this new legislation are punishable by fines ranging from R$1,000.00 to R $ 1,0000.000,00 (US$250,000+). See: Paraíba proíbe uso de amianto, produto que causa 100 mil mortes por ano [Paraíba prohibits use of asbestos, a product that causes 100,000 deaths per year].
Mesothelioma Compensation
Jun 4, 2018
An April 24, 2018 decree of Italy’s Ministry of Labor and Social Policy entitled “Asbestos victims fund – patients with non-professional mesothelioma” provides for a €5,600 payment of compensation to patients or surviving relatives of victims of non-occupational mesothelioma according to a May press release by the asbestos victims group: AFeVA. The provisional three year budget for this program is 5.5 million euro per year for years 2018-2020. See: Decreto Ministero del Lavoro 24 aprile 2018: Fondo vittime amianto – malati di mesotelioma non professionale [Decree of the Ministry of Labor April 24, 2018: Asbestos victims fund – patients with non-professional mesothelioma].
Progressing Global Asbestos Ban
Jun 1, 2018
The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) has approved a proposal promoting legislation to prohibit the use of asbestos in Latin America, according to a briefing issued by The Spanish Society of Public Health and Health Administration (SESPAS). The WFPHA called for collaboration with the WHO and the ILO to progress efforts to achieve a global ban on the extraction, transformation and export of asbestos, as well as the use of materials that contain it. See: Aprobada una propuesta apoyada por SESPAS para prohibir el uso del asbesto en Latinoamérica [The World Federation of Public Health approves a proposal supported by SESPAS to prohibit the use of asbestos in Latin America].
Ban Asbestos Campaign
Jun 1, 2018
A video trailer for a new documentary by the Local Initiative for OSH Network – Indonesia (LION) about the ban asbestos campaign in Bandung City, West Java which highlights the work to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard, not just for workers but for members of the Indonesian public, can be viewed online (See Video trailer: Asbestos Free Generation [Generasi Tanpa Asbes]). Other information on Indonesia’s ban asbestos mobilization can be found on the websites: http://inaban.org and http://apheda.org.au/lion-asbestos-indonesia; and in a recent facebook upload by LION.
Jail for Asbestos Dumper
Jun 1, 2018
On May 31, 2018 the first jail sentence was handed down by the NSW (New South Wales) Land and Environment Court in Sydney, Australia to Dib Hanna for illegally transporting and dumping of waste containing asbestos. Hanna became the first person to be jailed in NSW under tougher new under anti-dumping legislation when he was given a three year sentence, with a non-parole period of two years and three months after he pleaded guilty to the charge of illegally disposing of 461 tonnes of toxic waste. See: Serial asbestos dumper Dib Hanna jailed, the first in NSW under tough legislation.
The Politics of Asbestos
May 30, 2018
The results of scientific studies led by Swiss researchers highlight the vacuousness of proposals considered this week by the Swiss Parliament to double the 10-year time limit for bringing asbestos cases; the 10 year limit from time of occupational exposure to initiating a law suit had been condemned as too short by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. In a TV interview, the Swiss director of this research Dr Emanuela Felley-Bosco stated that from the time of first exposure to the onset of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma could be forty years. See: Amianto: discussioni politiche, battaglie scientifiche [Asbestos: political discussions, scientific battles].
After Asbestos!
May 30, 2018
The diversification of the economy of a former Quebec mining town, aptly named Asbestos, is discussed in the article referenced below, highlighting successes such as the establishment of a micro-brewery and the development of the winter tourist industry; comments about the reprocessing of asbestos waste to reclaim magnesium are made without reference to the health hazards posed by such an activity. In addition, the article fails to mention the environmental hazard posed by the presence of mountains of asbestos-containing waste which dominate the landscape. See: The town fighting its killer reputation.
Asbestos in More Vehicles
May 30, 2018
Metro de Madrid, the transport company that has been at the center of an asbestos storm for several weeks, has announced that the presence of additional asbestos-contaminated parts in scores of vehicles operating on different lines of the Spanish capital’s subway system has been discovered. The company, which admits finding “a dozen ‘small components’ with asbestos” maintains that as the asbestos was encapsulated, there was no danger to workers or members of the public; environmental measurements taken on the trains in question have not found airborne asbestos fibers. See: Metro encuentra más componentes con amianto en sus trenes [Metro finds more components with asbestos in its trains].
Lung Cancer: Asbestos and Smoking
May 30, 2018
A study undertaken by French researchers investigated the effects of the historic intensity of smoking and occupational asbestos exposure amongst patients diagnosed with lung cancer. It was discovered that the timing of exposures was of significance with a stronger association with lung cancer of a high smoking history in the decade preceding diagnosis and a higher impact of asbestos exposure which had taken place more than 40 years before diagnosis. See: Time-dependent effect of intensity of smoking and of occupational exposure to asbestos on the risk of lung cancer: results from the ICARE case–control study.
Asbestos Hazard at Sea
May 30, 2018
Data sourced from the Danish Seafarer Registry for the period 1986–1999 and information from the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish Cancer Registry allowed the incidences of specific types of cancers to be calculated. It was concluded that amongst asbestos-exposed male seafarers there was an elevated occurrence of mesothelioma: “Our finding of an evident increase in mesothelioma specifically among male seafarers working in areas with potential asbestos exposure, such as engine rooms, points to a connection with previous work-related exposure on board Danish ships.” See: Cancer incidence among merchant seafarers: an extended follow-up of a Danish cohort.
Call for Asbestos Action
May 29, 2018
An online feature published on May 26, 2018, contrasts the widespread ignorance in India about the asbestos hazard with global mobilization to eradicate the use of this acknowledged carcinogen. “The purpose of this article,” the author says “is to draw the public’s attention to this very serious health hazard that pervades our cities adding further risks to the already polluted air we breathe.” Despite some positive steps taken in India, the continuing use of asbestos in roofing sheets, insulation and brake linings constitutes an ongoing risk to members of the public as well as to workers. See: Asbestos: Still around, still deadly.
Mesothelioma Breakthrough?
May 29, 2018
In a paper published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers in Israel and the US reported success in stopping mesothelioma growth in model animals by inhibiting the heparanase enzyme. This joint study by scientists in Haifa and New York concluded that: “heparanase is clinically relevant in mesothelioma development. Given these preclinical and clinical data, heparanase appears to be an important mediator of mesothelioma, and heparanase inhibitors are worthy of investigation as a new therapeutic modality in mesothelioma clinical trials.” See: Israeli and American researchers have successfully curbed mesothelioma in model animals.
Asbestos Alert
May 29, 2018
Leading medical practitioners have warned the federal authorities in Ottawa about the serious health hazards posed by plans to reprocess thousands of tonnes of asbestos mining waste in the Thetford Mines and Asbestos areas in order to reclaim magnesium. According to the National Institute of Public Health, the waste contains “chrysotile asbestos at concentrations ranging from 1 to 40%.” Provisional ban asbestos legislation allows the use of contaminated residues. See: Des médecins s’inquiètent du retour de l’amiante au Québec See: Des médecins s’inquiètent du retour de l’amiante au Québec [Doctors worry about the return of asbestos in Quebec].
Asbestos Mining in Brazil
May 29, 2018
An academic paper discussing the experiences of workers and community members living in a Brazilian asbestos mining town – São Felix (Bom Jesus da Serra, Bahia, north-eastern Brazil) – highlights the role played by grassroots activism in creating a narrative and fuelling the struggle for social justice which in 2017 saw a federal judge award 500 million reais (~US$156,000) for “moral collective damages” caused by operations at the São Felix mine; the money was earmarked to provide health care for the asbestos-injured. See: The temporalities of asbestos mining and community activism.
Asia: Asbestos Update
May 25, 2018
The current issue of the Occupational Safety and Health Rights Newsletter produced by the ANROEV Network [The Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims] contains features documenting the regional grassroots mobilization on asbestos including: demands for a national asbestos ban from trade union activists in Pakistan and condemnation of Russian pressure on Sri Lanka to postpone planned asbestos prohibitions. Other asbestos-related items detailed were the launch of a campaign for urgent action on the global asbestos scandal and the publication of an academic paper which did “not find any significant effect on GDP following an asbestos ban.” See: Occupational Safety and Health Rights Newsletter.
Toxic Talc Verdict
May 25, 2018
On May 23, 2018, a Los Angeles jury awarded 68-year old mesothelioma claimant Joanne Anderson $21.7 million for the toxic asbestos exposure she suffered from products sold by Johnson & Johnson and its talc providers. Jury members are still considering how much they will award against the defendants in punitive damages. This is the second J&J trial loss in a mesothelioma case, the first was in New Jersey in April, 2018 (see: Toxic Talc and Mesothelioma); that jury awarded $80m in punitive damages. Thousands of ovarian cancer cases are proceeding against J&J. See: J&J hit with $21.7 million verdict in another talc asbestos cancer case.
Court Setback
May 25, 2018
Last week the Bordeaux Court of Appeal dismissed claims by 77 employees and pensioners of the Monnaie de Paris company, the government-owned institution which produces France's euro coins, for €100,000 compensation for “injury anxiety” linked to sustained occupational exposure to asbestos at a factory in Pessac, southwestern France. Condemning the verdict, Alain Bernon, President of the SOS Monnaie Association, said: “We are simply told that we do not have the right to be anxious.” An appeal to the Supreme Court is being considered. See: Amiante: la Cour d'appel de Bordeaux déboute les salariés de la Monnaie de Paris à Pessac [Asbestos: the Bordeaux Court of Appeal dismissed case brought by employees of the Monnaie de Paris in Pessac].
Community Victory over Asbestos Dump
May 23, 2018
In what has been described as a “historic judgment,” the Council of State has accepted an appeal by a local environmental action group which will forestall the construction of an asbestos dumpsite in Lombardy, northern Italy. After previous setbacks, campaigners were celebrating this decision which, they said, confirmed that exhaustive and participatory measures must be followed to safeguard human health and the environment; their appeal had categorized the environmental impact assessment produced by the company behind the scheme as “incomplete, badly deficient.” See: Treviglio, discarica di amianto: stop dal Consiglio di Stato [Treviglio, asbestos dump: stopped by the Council of State].
Increasing Asbestos Claims
May 23, 2018
The latest annual financial results for James Hardie, Australia’s former asbestos giant, has included an extra US$200m above original estimates for asbestos related claims; the year’s profits were $194m, down by almost 50% despite a small increase in sales. Former assumptions based on a fall in the number of mesothelioma claims have proved erroneous and a new reality has been accepted: “As claim numbers continue to be elevated, KPMG Australia has formed the view that the increases in mesothelioma claims reporting seen in recent years was a permanent effect, and therefore increased the projected number of future mesothelioma cases…” See: James Hardie profit tumbles on mounting asbestos claims.
White Asbestos Kills
May 23, 2018
An article by Hans-Joachim Woitowitz and Xaver Baur reviewing the strategy used by asbestos industry lobbyists and asbestos defendants to misrepresent the toxic nature of chrysotile asbestos focuses on a recent “publication on asbestos fibre burden in human lungs […which] exhibits serious inconsistencies and obvious mismeasurements and significant methodological problems. The conclusion of the authors that fibre analysis of workers' lungs ‘is of high significance for differential diagnosis, risk assessment and occupational compensation’ is,” the Woitowitz and Baur article states “unfounded and reprehensible.” See: Misleading “New Insights into the Chrysotile Debate”.
Asbestos Ban in Colombia?
May 23, 2018
Seven attempts since 2007 at banning asbestos in Colombia have failed because of aggressive lobbying by the industry lobby says Greenpeace Colombia. A new ban asbestos bill, named in honor of mesothelioma victim Ana Cecilia Niño, is now proceeding through the Senate. Greenpeace spokesperson for Colombia Silvia Gómez is urging politicians to support the “project of national interest that seeks to save lives,” saying: “The president of the Senate last week received a letter from Ascolfibras, saying that they were very concerned about the project and that it should have regional public hearings.” See: Colombia, el país con 500 víctimas de asbesto al año y que se niega a prohibirlo [Colombia, the country with 500 asbestos victims a year refuses to ban it].
Asbestos Podcast
May 23, 2018
A 25-minute podcast by The Guardian’s Science Weekly considers the UK’s asbestos legacy against a backdrop of ongoing asbestos consumption in the industrializing world. The blame for the global asbestos epidemic is laid firmly at the door of the asbestos industry which has used “horrific deceit” to skew national discussions on asbestos despite epidemiological and scientific data documenting a huge number of deaths caused by occupational and environmental asbestos exposures. The program makes the argument that in 2018 there can be no justification for the use of asbestos, a substance which cannot be controlled or used safely. See: Why is asbestos still killing people?.
Another State Asbestos Ban
May 23, 2018
On May 11, 2018, the legislature of another Brazilian state decreed that “The use of products, materials or devices intended for the consumer, containing asbestos fibers in their composition, is prohibited within the State of Paraíba.” Furthermore, the new law also prohibited the selling and installing of any form of asbestos-containing material and stipulated the use of protective measures for workers required to have contact with previously installed asbestos products. Although the Brazilian Supreme Court banned asbestos throughout the country by a decision handed down in November 2017, state prohibitions are still required. See: Lei Nº 11121 DE 11/05/2018 [Law Nº 11121 OF 05/11/2018].
Funding Mining Renewal
May 17, 2018
Shabanie Mashava Mine (SMM) – the company that owns the Zvishavane and Gaths chrysotile (white) asbestos mines in Mashava – has announced plans to sell off thousands of housing units and 1500 hectares of land to raise funds for the redevelopment of the mothballed mines which, they allege, have ore reserves worth $1 billion. According to SMM Chief Executive Officer Chirandu Dhlembeu the company is hoping to raise $250 million from the sale of its property. See: SMM to dispose of its houses, vast tracts of land to revive asbestos mine.
Asbestos Complaints
May 17, 2018
Portugal’s Environmental Inspectorate and the Environment Agency received a total of 41 complaints in 2017 regarding asbestos in derelict buildings which provide a threat to public health, irregular and non-compliant asbestos removal and disposal, including the dumping of toxic waste on public roads, and illegal asbestos operations by commercial waste management operators. See: Autoridades receberam 41 denúncias relacionadas com amianto em 2017 [Authorities received 41 asbestos complaints in 2017].
Asbestos Victims’ Mobilization
May 13, 2018
In Japan, asbestos victims have established a movement to provide support by asbestos-affected individuals for others in the same position. The “Mesothelioma Peer Support Caravan (MPSC)” was founded in mid-2017; since then, more than 100 mesothelioma sufferers have been contacted at home or hospital or via group meetings. Thirty mesothelioma sufferers with scores of other asbestos victims are to meet with government officials on June 1, 2018 to explain the reality of living and dying with asbestos diseases. In addition, 3 Japanese mesothelioma sufferers have just returned from Korea where they met with colleagues from the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea (BANKO) to prepare for BANKO’s 10th anniversary event on July 3-4, 2018.
Victory for Lung Cancer Victim
May 13, 2018
Ten years after his death, the widow of a worker from Central Italy was awarded compensation for his death from pulmonary adenocarcinoma due to occupational asbestos exposure. As part of his duties the deceased, who worked from 1970 to 1992 for a company manufacturing ovens, checked “the quality of the products, breathing asbestos present in the insulation of screws, bolts, seals and panels, which had led him to contract the lung cancer.” Asbestos sheets were cut on-site and placed in the ovens and under cooking plates. See: Rieti, operaio morì per l'amianto Tribunale decide risarcimento alla vedova [Rieti, a worker died of asbestos, Court awards compensation to the widow].
ICOH Ban Asbestos Pledge
May 13, 2018
On May 4, 2018 a commitment was given by participants at the 32nd meeting of the International Congress on Occupational Health, held by the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), “to take action for prevention of occupational cancer and Asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) in collaboration with other relevant international actors” in a document entitled “the Dublin Statement.” Action points listed included: drawing up a covenant for the global ban on asbestos, providing support for countries willing to ban asbestos and implement Programmes for Elimination of Asbestos-related Diseases and making public investment, loans and development aid conditional on asbestos bans. See: ICOH Dublin Statement on Occupational Health.
Asbestos Hearings Begin
May 10, 2018
On Friday, May 11, 2018 hearings instituted by the Asbestos Metro Commission will begin with evidence submitted by one of the company’s employees affected by hazardous workplace exposures. According to trade union sources, the witness is a maintenance worker who started his employment with Metro Madrid in the 1980s. So far, the company has recognized asbestos illnesses of three former workers as occupationally caused. See: Arranca este viernes la comisión sobre el amianto en Metro con la comparecencia de uno de los empleados Afectados [Friday the commission on asbestos in the Metro begins with the appearance of one of the affected employees].
Landmark Verdict for Firefighter
May 10, 2018
The 13th Social Court of Barcelona, Spain has issued the first verdict condemning the “Generalitat” (Catalonia's government) for failing to protect a firefighter from asbestos exposure as a result of which he has contracted asbestosis. During the 1980s firemen in Barcelona City were provided with personal protective equipment made of asbestos and until the 1990s, contrary to health and safety regulations, the firemen were responsible for cleaning their work clothes and equipment. See: Primera sentencia que condena a una Administración Pública por la exposición al amianto de un bomber [First sentence condemning a Public Administration for the exposure to asbestos of a firefighter].
Subsidies for Asbestos Removal
May 10, 2018
A new program providing financial subsidies for the dismantling, transporting and disposing of asbestos-containing material has been announced by the Sztum municipality in northern Poland. Residents of the town can apply to the “Removal of asbestos-containing products from the Pomeranian Voivodeship” Program of the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (Gdansk) for up to 70% of the costs incurred up to a specified maximum amount. See: Gmina Sztum wnioskuje o dofinansowanie usuwania azbestu. Złóż wniosek! [Sztum applies for co-financing for the removal of asbestos. Submit an application!].
Remembering Jock McCulloch
May 10, 2018
The current issue of the Journal of Occupational Health for Southern Africa features a tribute to historian Jock McCulloch, who died from mesothelioma contracted as a result of research undertaken in Africa’s asbestos regions. The article, compiled by the editor-in-chief of the journal, calls Jock: “One of the Greats of occupational health.” Comments included from leading academics and campaigners, reinforced the collaborative nature and pioneering role that Jock played in the struggle to address the injustices endured by those employed in southern Africa’s mining industry. See: Jock McCulloch (1945-2018) Professor, International Development Program, School of Social Science and Planning, RMIT University, Australia.
Victim’s Precedent!
May 9, 2018
One day after trial proceedings began in Brisbane’s Supreme Court, a landmark asbestos case was settled when an out-of-court settlement was reached by former asbestos giant James Hardie and mesothelioma claimant Syd Lacey, who was suing the construction company for $5.9 million to provide funds for the care of his disabled wife after his impending demise. In a statement issued by Mr Lacey's lawyers, they said the settlement would provide financial assistance for the care of their client’s wife Marion - who has epilepsy, anxiety and is profoundly deaf. See: James Hardie settles Qld asbestos claim.
Criminal Charges for Asbestos Lobbyists?
May 9, 2018
On May 7, 2018, asbestos victims and campaigners attended proceedings in the Court of Cassation, France’s Supreme Court, which is hearing appeals over the dismissal of charges against asbestos lobbyists and government officials whose actions prolonged the use of asbestos in France. At the heart of these appeals are two iconic cases: the asbestos contamination of the campus of Jussieu University in Paris and the use of asbestos at the Normed shipyards in Dunkirk. A decision is expected on June 19, 2018. See: Drame de l’amiante: l’audience de la dernière chance [Asbestos Drama: The Last Chance Hearing].
Asbestos Conspiracy
May 9, 2018
The conspiracy of silence required for the use of asbestos to persist in Spain for several decades is discussed in this commentary by reference to ongoing scandals – the discovery of asbestos in the Madrid Metro system and the failure of the authorities to act on the hazard posed by asbestos incorporated within the national infrastructure. Citing the availability of financial assistance “from the European Structural and Investment Funds for the handling and removal of asbestos,” the author questions the country’s reluctance to undertake the requisite remedial work. See: Amianto: bajo el manto de la conspiración del silencio [Asbestos: under the cloak of the conspiracy of silence].
European Commission: Asbestos Response
May 9, 2018
Responding to a parliamentary question to the European Commission, Ms. Thyssen – the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility – said that: “The Commission shares the view that exposure to asbestos is a matter of serious concern which should be adequately tackled both at EU and national level… Member States can allocate the European Structural and Investment Funds for handling and removal of asbestos in line with the objectives of the respective national or regional programmes.” See: European Commission. Parliamentary Answers. April 10, 2018.
British Asbestos Newsletter
May 7, 2018
The Winter-Spring 2017-18 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The lead article entitled “Asbestos Life and Death in Brexit Britain: Part II” considers the country’s mounting death toll caused by asbestos-related diseases, the implications of ill-considered trade agreements under negotiation by a desperate Tory Government and evidence regarding the continuing sale of asbestos-containing products despite strict UK prohibitions. The feature headlined: “Achieving Justice for Mesothelioma Sufferers,” reviews recent progress made to improve benefits and support for the injured via bureaucratic and judicial means. See: Issue 106, The British Asbestos Newsletter.
Ontario: Ban Asbestos Bill
May 7, 2018
Bob Bailey, a member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament, has reintroduced a private member’s bill that would end the use of asbestos in Ontario. Not only would the legislation immediately prohibit asbestos consumption and ban asbestos imports, it would also mandate the creation of an asbestos registry for all provincially owned or leased buildings. Bailey who is critical of the Ottawa Government’s three year delay in implementing a national ban, said: “There is no justifiable reason to continue to use asbestos-containing products.” See: MPP reintroduces private member’s bill to ban asbestos in Ontario.
Asbestos Decontamination Program
May 7, 2018
The asbestos legacy of some South African towns remains a human health hazard. South Africa’s Environmental Affairs Department has developed a national asbestos program to prioritize remediation in the worst affected areas under which work is being carried out in Mafefe, Limpopo Province and Gamopedi, Northern Cape. Work is progressing in Mafefe to replace an 8 km stretch of an asbestos-containing road which runs through the town. Welcoming the project, anti-asbestos campaigner Zakes Matime commented: “The people who are using the road will be walking for the first time in many years on asbestos-free road.” See: Hope for Mafefe residents as asbestos road is replaced.
Kazakhstan Urged to Ban Asbestos
May 3, 2018
UN News reported that the United Nations has called for all countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Russia, to ban asbestos on health grounds because of the highly hazardous threats posed by human exposures. A new study by the World Health Organization estimated that annual global health care costs associated with asbestos exposure are between $2.4-3.9 billion excluding additional costs for compensation, court-awarded damages and social security costs. See: Эксперты ООН обратились к Казахстану с призывом прекратить добычу асбеста [UN experts appeal to Kazakhstan to stop asbestos mining].
Zimbabwe’s Asbestos Revival
May 3, 2018
Zimbabwe’s Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando has said that the government’s strategy for Shabanie Mashava Mines will see the chrysotile asbestos mine operating at full capacity and creating 2,000 jobs by mid-2019. The Minister said some of the output from the mine would be exported and that production would generate millions of dollars for the country’s economy. According to Chitando, the Government is “amicably” resolving the ownership impasse of Shabanie Mashava Mining holdings: “The ownership issues are very clear in that Shabanie Mashava Mining Holdings is part of the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.” See: Shabanie Mine to create 2000 jobs.
Open Justice: Asbestos
May 3, 2018
The fate of a treasure trove of formerly confidential corporate documents detailing knowledge held by Cape Asbestos plc, formerly one of Britain’s leading asbestos companies, of the human health hazard posed by asbestos exposures has been decided by Master McCloud who ruled that non-parties with legitimate interests can access documents “filed” on the court record which are read in court even if a case settles before judgment. See: The Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum (UK) v Cape Distribution Limited & Ors [2017] EWHC 2103 (QB).
Asbestos Convictions
May 3, 2018
On April 30, 2018, an engineering company that demolished a structure which contained asbestos-cement sheeting was convicted at Hong Kong’s Eastern Magistrates Court for contravention of the Air Pollution Control Ordinance. A week previously (April 23), another contractor was also convicted by the same court for the illegal demolition of an asbestos canopy at a building located in Wan Chai. The two contractors were fined a total of $24,000. See: Non-registered works contractors convicted for demolition of asbestos building structures in Central and Wan Chai.
Asbestos Issues in Mexico
May 1, 2018
A recent commentary about the widespread use of asbestos in Mexico highlighted the hazard posed to members of the public as well as workers – such as firemen – from toxic exposures. According to Martha Patricia Pérez, Assistant Coordinator of Occupational Health at the Mexican Institute of Social Security, 90% of the asbestos exposures occur at work and the remaining 10% take place environmentally from the liberation of fibers from asbestos processing factories or areas. Despite, a vast under-diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases, 2,000 cases are identified annually. See: Asbesto más que un enemigo mortal un asesino silencioso [Asbestos more than a mortal enemy a silent killer].
Italy’s Asbestos Challenges
May 1, 2018
On April 28, 2018 Legambiente – Italy’s League for the Environment – highlighted the imminent hazard posed by the asbestos contamination of the country’s infrastructure. A recent investigation has revealed that there are 370,000 structures contaminated with asbestos. According to data from the Institute of Insurance against Work Accidents, between 1998 and 2012 more than 21,460 cases of malignant mesothelioma were reported with an average of more than 6,000 deaths per year; the areas worst affected were Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria, Emilia Romagna, Veneto, Tuscany, Sicily, Campania and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. See: Abogan en Italia por la eliminación del uso del asbestos [Campaigning for asbestos eradication in Italy].
Plaintiff’s Verdict in Bahia
May 1, 2018
The Regional Labor Court of the 5th Region (TRT-5) in Bahia, Brazil has unanimously overturned previous verdicts which time-barred a personal injury claim from a plaintiff with asbestosis who had worked for Brazil’s asbestos giant Eternit from 1974 until 1984. When in 2006 he sought compensation for the disease diagnosed in 2004, the Labor Court and the TRT-5 dismissed his claim for damages. The finding of TRT-5 upheld the legality of action based not on the time since exposure but on the time since knowledge of the disease was definitive. See: TST afasta prescrição para doença de trabalhador exposto ao Amianto [TST removes prescription for worker’s asbestos disease].
Progressing Asbestos Ban!
Apr 29, 2018
In the run-up to International Workers Memorial Day a “brain storming session” took place in Vientiane to progress efforts towards achieving an asbestos ban in Laos – “ranked highest among Asia-Pacific countries in terms of asbestos consumption per person.” The event, which was attended by personnel from the World Health Organization, the Laos Ministry of Health, other government stakeholders, representatives of non-government organisations and development partners, considered strategies for implementing the National Asbestos Action Plan in order to end asbestos diseases. See: Anti asbestos workshop marks International Labour Day.
Ombudsman Supports Ban
April 29, 2018
The Colombian Ombudsman's Office has reiterated its concerns over the country’s policy on asbestos, a carcinogenic substance responsible for 100,000+ deaths per year. Ombudsman Carlos Alfonso Negret Mosquera urged Congress to approve the Ana Cecilia Niño ban asbestos bill now pending stating: “The State is obliged to adopt measures to prevent the death of Colombians due to asbestos. In more than 56 countries, they have banned the use [of asbestos] due to its deadly impact and the violation of human rights. How long will we continue producing it?” See: Defensoría del Pueblo pide que se prohíba el uso del asbestos [Ombudsman calls for asbestos ban].
New Asbestos Documentary
April 29, 2018
An online interview with Belgian film director Daniel Lambo describes the background and focus of a new documentary entitled “Breathless” which was premiered in Belgium earlier this month. In the interview, Mr. Lambo describes the “love-hate” relationship his trade unionist father had with the asbestos multinational Eternit, his employer and the company accused of spreading death and destruction not only in Belgium but also in India and other countries where its subsidiaries operated. See: Hoe Eternit wereldwijd asbest-slachtoffers blijft maken. 'Slachtoffers van asbest beginnen geen proces' [How Eternit continues to make asbestos victims worldwide].
Asbestos Homicide Trials
Apr 29, 2018
The Criminal Court of Naples has ordered Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny to answer charges of voluntary homicide over the asbestos deaths of 258 workers from factories throughout Italy including those in Naples, Turin, Reggio Emilia and Vercelli. Schmidheiny was the sole owner and CEO of these plants; it is alleged his failure to take protective measures led to the exposures and subsequent asbestos cancers the deceased contracted. Another manslaughter trial against Schmidheiny started on April 26, 2018 in Turin, four years after public prosecutors filed murder charges against him. See: Stephan Schmidheiny sotto accusa di omicidio volontario [Stephan Schmidheiny on charges of voluntary homicide].
Asbestos in Schools Alert
Apr 25, 2018
New research by the Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) has confirmed the continuing scandal posed by asbestos in schools and colleges: almost 90% of schools are affected and 17 members of the teaching staff are dying every year from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. According to JUAC chair John McClean: “This information confirms that the Government’s policy of managing asbestos in schools has failed. There is absolutely no uniformity in how multi-academy trusts are managing their asbestos, and no standardised procedures followed when schools transfer to academy trusts.” See: Teachers and students at risk of asbestos exposure in schools.
Report: Asbestos Alert
Apr 25, 2018
A report issued on April 12, 2018 by the Labor Inspectorate not only detailed historic occupational asbestos exposures but also revealed ongoing failures to protect workers from toxic exposures by the Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Madrid [EMT/Madrid Municipal Transport Company]. One example given of a “very serious” infraction took place over ten months last year (2017) during which 322 EMT employees and contractors were endangered by the liberation of asbestos fibers through illegal working practices. See: 322 trabajadores afectados por amianto durante las obras de una cochera de la EMT [322 workers affected by asbestos during work at an EMT garage].
Asbestos Prosecution in Milan
Apr 25, 2018
The Milan Public Prosecutor has brought charges against Elio Gambino, former director of the Azienda Trasporti Milanesi – a transport company in Milan, Italy – over the asbestos-related deaths from mesothelioma of six employees [a bus driver, 2 electricians, an underground railway signalman, a mechanic in charge of bus repairs and a carpenter] and injuries sustained by two others which took place between 2009 and 2015. The accused is charged with the crimes of “inadequate security management” and creating “an environmental emergency” that could affect travellers as well as workers. See: Amianto, pm chiede 6 anni per ex manager Atm: “No misure adeguate” [Asbestos, pm asks for 6 years for former Atm manager: “No adequate measures”].
India’s Asbestos Debate
Apr 22, 2018
Most of India’s 8,000 railway stations are built with asbestos-containing products which are used as roofing, partitions and insulation. An asbestos decontamination program begun in 2008 is ongoing and all new railway stations are being constructed with metal sheet roofs and not asbestos-cement roofing. Asbestos manufacturers are alarmed by the phase-out and claim it is unnecessary; a spokesman for the asbestos lobby commented: “as far as we are concerned, health-wise there no problem in the manufacture, sale and distribution of what you call asbestos in India.” See: Railways are phasing out asbestos, a suspected health hazard.
Banning Asbestos in Asia
Apr 22, 2018
Australia’s Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA – has been active in the Asian region in progressing ban asbestos initiatives in collaboration with local groups and stakeholders over recent years. Next month (May 2018), APHEDA will be bringing Indonesian activists from the Local Initiative for OHS Network (LION) Indonesia and the SERBUK Union (an Indonesian union representing asbestos factory workers) to Australia to discuss the challenges being faced. Meetings, some of which will be streamed online, will be held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. See: Indonesian ban asbestos campaigners 2018 Australian tour.
Justice in Bahia!
Apr 22, 2018
A federal court has ruled that the asbestos mining company Sama and the multinational Saint Gobain must pay R$62 million (~US$18m) for collective moral damages due to damage caused by their commercial exploitation of asbestos in the Brazilian State of Bahia. The companies were ordered to identify and demolish buildings made with asbestos tailings, monitor environmental contamination and support cultural, social and environmental projects in Bom Jesus da Serra, a city 464 kilometers from Salvador, the state capital. See: Justiça condena mineradoras a pagar R$ 62 milhões por exploração de Amianto [Justice condemns mining companies to pay R $ 62 million for asbestos exploration].
Asbestos: Its Human Cost
Apr 22, 2018
Canadian architect Ken Hutchinson has died from an asbestos-related disease at the age of 74. Mr. Hutchinson designed some of the most iconic buildings in Western Canada including the Fish Creek Library in Calgary, the Hobbema Healing Lodge in Mâskwâcîs, the Saamis Teepee in Medicine Hat, the Engineered Air Theatre in Calgary, the Calgary Real Estate Board, the Museum of the Regiments and Fort Saskatchewan's DOW Centennial Center as well as many other recreation centers, libraries, fire halls, theatres and schools in Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan. See: Architect who designed some of Alberta's most striking buildings dies of asbestos exposure.
Toxic Trains: More Asbestos Found
Apr 20, 2018
On April 19, 2018, Metro de Madrid informed trade unions that more asbestos had been found in the driver's cabin of two old models of trains. The unwelcome discovery was made in the insulating plate behind a cabinet; the company said this presented no risk to drivers but could pose a hazard to workshop mechanics. To prevent this happening, work has been suspended on these units. Metro de Madrid has embarked on a €5million asbestos decontamination program and has said that suburban trains will be asbestos-free by the end of 2019. See: Metro de Madrid detecta más amianto en la cabina del conductor de dos modelos de trenes antiguos [Madrid Metro detects more asbestos in driver's cab of two old train models].
Disposal of Asbestos Waste
Apr 20, 2018
Between 2016 and 2016, 98% of Portugal’s asbestos-contaminated construction and demolition debris was dumped in landfill for non-hazardous waste. The reason for this is to be found in the ambiguity of Portuguese law: while Administrative Rule No. 40/2014 does not mandate the disposal of demolition and construction waste in landfills for hazardous waste, Decree-Law No. 183/2009 establishes a legal regime for the disposal of hazardous waste in landfill. Although asbestos is classed as hazardous as per the European Waste List, it can therefore go to landfills for hazardous and non-hazardous materials. See: Mais de 66 mil toneladas de amianto enterradas em aterros para resíduos não perigosos [More than 66,000 tons of asbestos buried in landfills for non-hazardous waste].
Mesothelioma: Progress?
Apr 20, 2018
An article in The Lancet this month reviewed the global mesothelioma landscape and highlighted the inability of standard protocols to significantly improve outcomes for patients. The authors discussed pioneering therapies including immune checkpoint inhibitors, other immunotherapies, targeted therapies and combinations of novel drugs. They concluded: “New therapeutic strategies, combined with ways to identify those patients most likely to benefit from each therapy, will hopefully allow the prognosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma to be classified as a chronic disease rather than a rapidly fatal cancer, which will hopefully lead to a cure in the future.” See: Novel therapies for malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Ban Asbestos Action
Apr 19, 2018
Yesterday (April 18) afternoon, 20 Greenpeace protesters hung a 35 meter long sign on the pedestrian bridge over Rojas Avenue with an urgent message addressed to Colombian politicians, “Congresistas: su cobardía la pagamos todos” [Congressmen: we all pay for your cowardice], urging them to approve the “Ana Cecilia Niño” law to ban asbestos in Colombia. The last of the seven times the bill, named after one of Colombia’s most famous asbestos victims, failed to become law was in October, 2016. See: La protesta de Greenpeace en Bogotá contra el asbesto [The protest by Greenpeace in Bogotá against asbestos].
Tragic Asbestos Decision
Apr 19, 2018
On April 18, 2018, a Turin appeals court dismissed charges against defendants convicted by a lower court over 12 asbestos deaths amongst Olivetti workers employed between the 1960s and 1990s at the company’s factory in Ivrea, northern Italy. Convictions were reversed for Olivetti executives Carlo De Benedetti and his brother Franco De Benedetti, who had been sentenced to prison for manslaughter and personal injury by the first instance court. There is widespread outrage in the town of Ivrea, with the Mayor saying: “This story is an open wound for the city and the territory…” See: Amianto all'Olivetti di Ivrea, assolti tutti i manager [Asbestos at Olivetti, Ivrea, all managers absolved].
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 19, 2018
A national program broadcast this week highlighted the pervasive and deadly scandal of asbestos contamination of UK schools, with interviews with a bereaved daughter, trade union leader and a legal expert, all of whom called for action to address the toxic exposures experienced by teachers, support staff and children on a daily basis. There was, said one interviewee, a “reluctant conspiracy of silence among those who are in a position to point out the dangers.” Failures of the Health and Safety Executive and Department of Education to address the serious issues posed by the presence of asbestos in schools were highlighted. See: Pressure on authorities to do more to remove asbestos from schools.
Asbestos Hazard in Demolition
Apr 19, 2018
The family of construction worker Pietro Macaluso was awarded $60 million in damages by a Manhattan jury for his premature death at the age of 56 in July 2016 from mesothelioma. In the 1970s and 1980s he was occupationally exposed to asbestos when he was employed in demolition work which required the removal of asbestos-covered boilers from family homes in Brooklyn. During a 9-week trial, the family’s attorney told the jury that the defendants had known about the asbestos health risks and taken action to protect employees at their factories but did nothing to warn the public or people like Mr. Macaluso. See: Critics say tort reform necessary after $60M asbestos settlement.
Toxic Brake Linings
Apr 19, 2018
A paper examining how multiple agencies and authorities collaborated to deal with a 2016 discovery by the Public Health Department of the Government of Aragon that asbestos-containing brake linings imported from China were being sold in Zaragoza and elsewhere in Spain considers the interactions between EU laws and regulations and public administrations throughout Spain, and concludes that the operation of the current system is impacted by the fragmented nature of political authority and the autonomy of the different public administrations. See: Occupational health administrative coordination a propos of a case: brake linings with asbestos in a company.
A Toxic Legacy
Apr 17, 2018
A commentary calling for the immediate ban on the import, processing and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products in Uganda urges the authorities to adopt a “guided national decommissioning plan purposed to protect the public and the environment” from asbestos exposures, and highlights the health risk to citizens of exposure to asbestos products contained in deteriorating older buildings, stating that: “maintenance workers of old asbestos structures have considerable risks comparable to that of industrial workers due to asbestos dust.” See: Asbestos: What Uganda needs to do about the risky exposure.
Asbestos Phase-Out!
Apr 17, 2018
Railway authorities in Mumbai, India are undertaking replacement of asbestos-cement roofing at major suburban stations with metal ones that are environmentally safer, lighter and sturdier. New station buildings and platforms are constructed with non-asbestos materials and older premises are in the process of being decontaminated as part of a phased program of works. According to Manager S K Jain of the Central Railway, Mumbai, asbestos is discarded according to safety regulations: “We have directed the stores department to dispose of the sheets in a safe manner, so that there are no harmful repercussions.” See: Mumbai: Railway Stations To Have Environment-Friendly Metal Roofs.
Victim’s Verdict
Apr 17, 2018
A Labor Court in Rome, has awarded the estate of a deceased mechanic the sum €236,000 for his occupationally-caused death in 2011 from pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The judge condemned Cotral, the regional public transport company of Lazio and Vincenzo Cecchini’s employer, for failing to provide safe working conditions, including protection from asbestos exposures, between December 1981 and December 1992, the period during which the deceased was employed. See: Amianto, Tribunale del lavoro di Roma condanna la Cotral per morte di un meccanico a causa del cancro [Asbestos, Rome Labor Court condemns Cotral for mechanic’s cancer death].
Asbestos at College
Apr 17, 2018
Staff at the University of Toronto (U of T) have condemned the multiple failures to take timely and appropriate actions to protect workers and students from toxic asbestos exposures following the U of T’s “worst asbestos breach in more than a decade early last year at its medical-sciences building.” Other incidents have taken place since then. According to Terezia Zoric, vice-president of grievances for U of T’s faculty association, the level of anxiety regarding asbestos on campus remains high; a spokesperson for the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students said that urgent clarification regarding the asbestos situation was needed. See: University of Toronto criticized for poor handling of asbestos issues on campus.
Toxic Trains
Apr 17, 2018
Asbestos in Metro de Madrid rolling stock on lines 1, 6 and 9, will be investigated by a commission of enquiry with deliberations beginning on May 11 and taking place on Fridays once a month until December. Submissions will be heard from Metro executives, affected workers, occupational health experts and others. Findings will be shared with the authorities in Argentina who are investigating the purchase by Subterraneos de Buenos Aires of toxic second-hand Spanish rolling stock. See: Podemos presidirá la comisión de investigación del amianto en el Metro pese a la oposición del PSOE [Podemos will preside over the committee investigating asbestos in the Metro despite opposition from the PSOE].
Fall in Asbestos Demand!
Apr 13, 2018
According to a report issued by the Vietnam Roof Sheeting Association, the consumption of asbestos roofing in Vietnam fell by up to 35% in 2017 as consumers sought safer alternatives. The Association acknowledged the growth in ban asbestos advocacy and increasing consumer support for alternative products. The cost advantage posed by asbestos sheeting has been neutralized by the availability of cheaper steel materials also suitable for poorer people. Total asbestos roofing production in 2017 was 55.8 million square meters, equal to 66% of that in 2016. See: Roofing for the poor: shifting consumption patterns (Eng. translation of: Tấm lợp cho người nghèo: Chuyển dịch xu hướng mới).
Award for Professor Anna Nowak
Apr 13, 2018
The Cancer Council of Western Australia has named Professor Anna Nowak the Cancer Researcher of the Year 2018 at a ceremony in Perth. Presenting her award, the Council spokesperson highlighted her “outstanding contribution to cancer research over the previous 12-24 months.” Prof. Nowak is, the citation stated: “a world-leading clinical researcher in mesothelioma. She combines detailed laboratory knowledge with outstanding clinical trials experience, collaborative spirit and multidisciplinary drive, to improve both cancer research and patient outcomes.” See: 2018 Research Excellence Awards celebrate 3 of WA's brightest researchers.
Asbestos in Make-Up Scandal
Apr 12, 2018
A TV broadcast has revealed this week that more children’s make-up sets sold by Claire's Accessories in its 32 Dutch outlets were contaminated with asbestos than was previously known. The extent of the contamination was discovered as a result of research commissioned by EenVandaag – a current affairs program on public TV. Toxic fibers have been found in the cosmetics sold under the names: Bedazzled rainbow heart make-up, Rainbow Bedazzled Star Makeup Set, Claire's Compact Powder and Claire's expert shadow and highlight finishing kit. Concerns have been raised as to whether the company’s products “can still be trusted” after these discoveries. See: Claire’s kindermake-up schandaal breidt zich verder uit [Claire's children’s makeup scandal expands further].
Victory in Bahia!
Apr 12, 2018
João Batista de Castro Júnior, federal judge of the 1st Court of the Judicial Branch of Vitória da Conquista, has issued a decisive judgment regarding the negligence of SAMA – a subsidiary of Eternit – and Saint-Gobain in spreading contamination throughout the environment of the Bom Jesus da Serra region, southwest of Bahia, Brazil. The Judge ordered the demolition of houses and roads built with asbestos tailings, the removal of the toxic debris and payment of $31 million for collective moral damages. See: Justiça Federal manda derrubar casas construídas com Amianto [Federal court orders to demolish houses built with asbestos].
Asbestos Hazard in Construction Sector
Apr 12, 2018
According to a new survey by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), nearly a 25% of British building workers believe they have been occupationally exposed to asbestos. The release of the survey coincided with the launch of the IOSH’s latest “No Time To Lose” occupational cancer campaign. Some of the statistics reported were startling: 15% of workers said they had never been informed of the asbestos hazard, 33% never checked the asbestos register before starting work on a new site and 18% said if they found asbestos they would be unsure or have no idea of what to do. See: Asbestos: 23% of construction workers exposed.
Toxic Trains
Apr 12, 2018
An investigation into the contentious sale of 73 asbestos-contaminated trains by Metro de Madrid in 2011 to Argentina has been announced by the Community of Madrid with the Minister of Transport, Housing and Infrastructure Rosalía Gonzalo telling the Assembly’s plenary session that those who failed to comply with Spanish laws will be held to account. Opposition spokesmen queried the lack of action regarding asbestos in older Metro de Madrid vehicles. See: La Comunidad de Madrid abrirá una investigación sobre la venta de trenes de Metro con amianto a Buenos Aires [The Community of Madrid will open an investigation on the sale of Metro trains containing asbestos to Buenos Aires].
Fatal Legacy
Apr 11, 2018
An 18-minute video uploaded to youtube by NTV Panorama, documents the ubiquity of deteriorating asbestos-cement roofs throughout Uganda especially in public buildings such as schools and police barracks and housing for police officers. Interviews with Ugandan health experts Dr Jackson Orem and Tom Okururt inform the discussion of the hazard posed by exposure to deteriorating asbestos roofs. A spokesman confirmed a program to replace toxic roofs on police buildings located in several cities. The asbestos hazard has been raised in Parliament 21 times in 16 years; no action has been taken. See: NTV PANORAMA: Exploring the dangers of continued asbestos use.
Asbestos Mortality Increase
Apr 11, 2018
A 5% increase in annual deaths from mesothelioma was reported in the US between 1999 and 2015 from 2,479 to 2,597 fatalities. The increase in deaths was observed across all ethnicities, in males and females and in people over 85 years old. “Continuing occurrence,” the authors of this report noted “of malignant mesothelioma deaths in persons aged <55 years suggests ongoing inhalation exposure to asbestos fibers and possibly other causative EMPs [elongate mineral particles].” The paper concludes that in light of these figures, there is an urgent need to prevent future hazardous exposures and monitor temporal trends. See: Malignant Mesothelioma Mortality — United States, 1999–2015.
Asbestos in Paradise?
Apr 11, 2018
Australian experts have issued warnings regarding the risk to tourists of holidays in backpacker heavens throughout Asia due to the continuing use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products in the region. China, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are amongst the top 10 global consumers with Laos having the world’s highest per capita consumption of asbestos. Professor Ken Takahashi, director of Australia’s Asbestos Diseases Research Institute recommends that travellers “avoid going near places where asbestos may be obviously present, the most typical of which is asbestos factories or mines.” See: Asbestos exposure, a hidden risk for budget tourists in Asia.
Asbestos: Cosmetics Recall
Apr 10, 2018
Claire’s Accessories – a US company with international outlets – which had been ordered to recall asbestos-tainted children’s cosmetics by US, Canadian and EU authorities has now been instructed by Trading Standards officials to withdraw two of its most popular eye shadow and face blusher kits from sale at its 500 UK outlets. This action follows an alert issued on March 30 to EU member states after experts in Brussels had confirmed the presence of deadly asbestos in Claire’s products. See: Claire's Accessories is ordered to destroy make-up worn by thousands of British teenagers after tests revealed it is contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos.
Asbestos Phase-Out in India
Apr 10, 2018
Maharashtra State has inserted clauses in development plans of 12 regions, including some on the outskirts of the capital Mumbai, stipulating that asbestos must not be used in manufacturing units on health grounds. The relevant clause is contained in regulations implemented for 2011-2031 under the Urban Development Department for the development of tourism and hospitality services. For now the clause only applies in “zones around sanctuaries but will be extended to other areas to make Maharashtra an asbestos-free State. Many factories are located near forest and sanctuaries in Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur, Kalyan, Nashik, Thane and Aurangabad.” See: New rules to make State free of asbestos.
Asbestos Health Hazard
Apr 7, 2018
A short video accompanying an online article highlighted the dire hazard posed to Indonesians by focusing on the plight of Jakarta resident Sriyono, who as a result of working at an asbestos processing factory for over 20 years is now seriously ill. Sriyono, who was never warned about the asbestos danger, is the first Indonesian to obtain compensation from the government for his disease. In 2017, he received $4200 for his injuries. Interviews with a ban asbestos campaigner and a government minister contrast the huge discrepancy in approach, with the former urging immediate action to protect citizens and the later using government double-speak to uphold the status quo. See: Asbestos a time bomb in Indonesia.
Asbestos Scandal in Schools
Apr 7, 2018
Yesterday (April 6, 2018) the National Education Union issued a release highlighting the danger posed by asbestos in UK schools, calling the situation a “national scandal.” The 3-page text cited figures compiled by the Joint Union Asbestos Committee which revealed “the shocking disparity in asbestos management across Multi Academy Trusts (MATs).” Strong criticism was expressed by politicians and trade union leaders with MP Rachel Reeves saying: “The Government’s failure to get a grip on this issue is putting children and teaching staff at needless risk.” See: Freedom of information requests to Multi Academy Trusts reveal shocking disparity in asbestos management.
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Apr 7, 2018
On April 11, 2018, an asbestos resource entitled “Information Guide on the Risks of Asbestos” will be launched by Catalonia’s Association of Victims Affected by Asbestos (AVAAC) at a seminar to be held at the University of Barcelona. Amongst the speakers will be officials representing AVAAC and legal and academic experts. The presentations and discussion will focus on ways to raise public and professional awareness of the hazards posed by asbestos-containing products within the national infrastructure. See: Presentación oficial de la «Guía informativa sobre los riesgos del amianto» [Official presentation of the “Informative guide on asbestos risks”].
Asbestos Health Warning
Apr 7, 2018
As litigants in Ukraine challenging the suppression of the country’s ban on asbestos prepare for their next day in court on April 18, 2018 (see: Ukraine Asbestos Ban: Round 2), an online article detailing the top ten causes of the global cancer epidemic highlighted the toxic nature of human exposures to asbestos: “Asbestos was used as an insulating material for many years until it became clear that [exposure to] the dust from it is directly related to the development of lung cancer.” See: Медики назвали главные причины появления рака [Physicians name the main causes of cancer].
Victory Against J&J!
Apr 6, 2018
On April 5, 2018, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) suffered a stunning legal defeat when a New Jersey jury awarded $37 million in damages against J&J and one other company to Stephen Lanzo who claimed he had developed mesothelioma after inhaling dust generated by regular use of asbestos-contaminated J&J baby powder. This, the company’s first trial loss in an asbestos-related case involving talc, will give hope to thousands of ovarian cancer claimants whose cases are proceeding in various US jurisdictions. See: J&J loses trial over claims linking cancer to asbestos in talc.
Asbestos Alert
Apr 6, 2018
A commentary by Luis Eduardo Forero Medina contrasts the global consensus regarding the human health hazards posed by exposures to asbestos and the measures implemented to protect populations by scores of national governments with the failure of Colombia to take action. Concluding this timely feature, the author includes a quote by ban asbestos campaigner Silvia Gómez, coordinator of Greenpeace Colombia: “In Colombia, asbestos is consumed so much that ‘it's as if each citizen had a pound of poison assigned to them.’” See: Sector asbesto, conviviendo con todo el mundo [Asbestos sector, coexisting with the whole world].
Under-reporting of Asbestos Cancer
Apr 6, 2018
Scientists in Brazil have devised and implemented an effective protocol for tracking cases of mesothelioma and cancer of the pleura (MCP), the national incidence of which, they say, has been “under-reported.” Using a computer linkage, MCP cases from hospital records not recorded on death certificates in Brazil were recovered. The authors conclude that: “In Brazil, where only recently was the ban on asbestos legally indicated, high standards of surveillance and data record quality of mesothelioma are more than a need; they should be a priority.” See: Recovering missing mesothelioma deaths in death certificates using hospital records.
Making a Difference!
Mar 30, 2018
Yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, retired Labor Inspector Fernanda Giannasi was awarded the prestigious “Prize for Making a Difference to the Brazilian Economy in 2017” for her leadership in the national battle to ban asbestos, at a gala ceremony hosted by the Globo media corporation. Accepting the trophy, she appealed to the Federal Supreme Court not to back down on its historic 2017 decision to outlaw asbestos mining, processing, use and export in the face of huge corporate pressure. See: Prêmio Faz Diferença: pioneira na luta contra o amianto, Fernanda Giannasi Giannasi faz apelo ao STF [Prize for Making a Difference: Pioneer in the fight against asbestos, Fernanda Giannasi appeals to the Supreme Court].
Contamination in the Capital
Mar 29, 2018
Although asbestos-containing products are ubiquitous in domestic housing throughout Spain, several areas in Madrid are amongst the most contaminated in the capital: they include the districts of Fuencarral, Ciudad Lineal and Usera. According to Óscar Bayona, spokesperson for the Campaign for the Suppression of Asbestos: “It is estimated that in Spain there are more than two million tons of this material in our buildings and equipment, and this is a public health problem of the first order.” See: “Expediente Amianto”: los vecinos exigen la retirada de este material de miles de viviendas de Madrid [“Asbestos file:” neighbors demand withdrawal of this material from thousands of homes in Madrid].
Toxic Children’s Products
Mar 28, 2018
Tests undertaken by a Dutch Inspectorate has confirmed the presence of tremolite asbestos in products being sold in Holland by Claire’s Accessories, a US company; these products were promptly removed from sale as asbestos is banned in the EU. The tests were carried out after reports that tests of these two products in the US proved positive for asbestos. The Dutch authorities plan an investigation into the presence of asbestos in other talc-containing products. See: ILT en NVWA starten onderzoek naar asbest in make-up [ILT and NVWA start research into asbestos in make-up].
Asbestos in Belgian Schools
Mar 28, 2018
Although it is believed that 70% of Belgian schools contain asbestos, there is no centralized asbestos register and no data available on the situation in specific schools publicly available, according to a new article which focuses on the hazard posed by asbestos contamination to children in Brussels and Wallonia. Grace-Hollogne college, in the Liège province has been closed since March 12 due to tests which showed the presence of airborne asbestos fibers. See: Combien d'écoles contiennent de l'amiante à Bruxelles et en Wallonie? Y a-il des risques pour les enfants? [How many schools contain asbestos in Brussels and Wallonia? Are there any risks for children?].
Mesothelioma and Women
Mar 28, 2018
Using mesothelioma data from Italy’s epidemiological surveillance system for 1993 to 2012, scientists studied the occurrence of mesothelioma amongst female cohorts. Their findings highlighted the role of non-occupational exposures, caused by living near asbestos-using factories or washing relatives’ contaminated work clothes, and employment of females in high-risk sectors, including the chemical and plastic industry. The researchers conclude: “Enhancing the awareness of mesothelioma aetiology in women could support the effectiveness of welfare system and prevention policies.” See: The epidemiology of malignant mesothelioma in women: gender differences and modalities of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos: Quebec’s Future
Mar 27, 2018
In an open letter uploaded to the internet on March 26, medical specialist and mesothelioma widower Yv Bonnier Viger calls on the Mayor of a Quebec mining town to reconsider his attack on Philippe Lessard, Regional Director of Public Health of Chaudière-Appalaches, who has spoken out against ill-conceived plans to reprocess Quebec asbestos waste to extract magnesium. Mr. Viger urges the Mayor to join with him and others to “roll up our sleeves and devise winning solutions [to the asbestos legacy] to [safeguard] all our fellow citizens in Quebec and Canada.” See: Lettre ouverte à Marc-Alexandre Brousseau, maire de Thetford Mines [Open Letter to Marc-Alexandre Brousseau, Mayor of Thetford Mines].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 27, 2018
The role of occupational health practitioners in helping protect staff from asbestos contamination of schools – “the National Union of Teachers estimates that as many as 86% of schools contain asbestos” – is discussed in a new article which cites relevant government reports and resources including HSE asbestos mortality statistics and reports by the Department for Education’s Education Funding Agency and the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee on capital funding in schools. Recommendations made by the Joint Union Asbestos Committee are considered. See: The occupational health role in tackling asbestos in schools.
Australia’s Asbestos Legacy
Mar 27, 2018
A wide-ranging debate on asbestos took place in the Australian Senate last Thursday (March 22) afternoon. While the prime focus of the discussion was the need for a nationwide asbestos management and disposal plan, one which does “not result in landfill contamination, which in itself becomes an environmental hazard,” other issues were covered, including: the role of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, the diverse responses of Australian states to various asbestos issues such as compensation for disease sufferers, previous research and legislative initiatives, the need for a public asbestos register etc. See: Hansard Australia. Asbestos Debate. March 22, 2018.
Capitalizing on Asbestos Waste?
Mar 26, 2018
Despite the imminent banning of asbestos in Canada, politicians in the country’s former asbestos heartland remain in denial, with the Mayor of former mining town accusing a Quebec public health official of “having a crazy, biased attitude towards asbestos and towards the 500 million tons of asbestos mining wastes in the region.” At the center of this dispute are plans to extract magnesium from millions of tonnes of asbestos waste. The Ottawa government has been informed that Quebec’s 17 Regional Directors of Public Health oppose the exemption of asbestos mining wastes from the federal government’s proposed asbestos regulations. See: Quebec Public Health Director threatened with dismissal for raising asbestos concerns.
In-place Asbestos Hazard
Mar 24, 2018
On March 23, 2018, Cevahir Efe Akçelik, environmental engineer and executive at the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects revealed that pre-demolition asbestos audits are mandatory in only seven Istanbul districts; data from checks undertaken in Beşiktaş, Şişli, Maltepe, Tuzla, Bağcılar, Kadıköy and Ataşehir found that 25% of the buildings to be demolished contained asbestos. Cafer Fidan, head of the Asbestos Removal Experts Association, urged property owners to act responsibly: “Since asbestos is seriously hazardous for human health, a relevant inventory report should be prepared before the demolition of any building, factory maintenance or home renovation.” See: Asbestos in Istanbul buildings puts lives at risk.
Asbestos Ban Impact
Mar 24, 2018
A paper published as part of a special issue (Global Panorama of National Experiences in Public Health Actions to Ban Asbestos) of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health revealed that banning asbestos did not result in “any significant effect on GDP…” Researchers also concluded that: “Countries that are still producing and using asbestos today may experience other costs in addition to substantial health costs, such as remediation and removal costs, as well as compensation costs, which may include significant litigation costs for some countries.” See: Trends and the Economic Effect of Asbestos Bans and Decline in Asbestos Consumption and Production Worldwide.
Asbestos on the Railways
Mar 24, 2018
After recent discoveries of asbestos in the Madrid and Buenos Aires train systems, the Belgian railway company (SNCB) announced on March 23, 2018 that asbestos had been found in paint on “freight wagons it maintains for third parties.” Tests undertaken confirmed that several vehicles under repair in its workshops had caused concern. Measures were being taken, the company said, to minimize exposures – including the termination of some work – and protect affected workers; health checks of exposed personnel were underway. See: La SNCB a retrouvé de l’amiante dans la peinture de plusieurs wagons [SNCB found asbestos in the paint of several vehicles].
Asbestos Blindness: Corporate Disaster
Mar 24, 2018
Instead of investing in innovation, Eternit S.A., formerly Brazil’s biggest asbestos conglomerate, continued to pay generous dividends despite growing national concern over the company’s reliance on asbestos; with liabilities greater than assets, the company has sought court protection as it strives for solvency. Blinkered leadership has been cited as pivotal in Eternit’s downfall: “Eternit is an example of how a company can be negatively affected – its executives and shareholders ignored the fact that the world was changing, and that it needed to change as well.” See: A cegueira que levou a Eternit à recuperação judicial [The blindness that led Eternit to judicial protection].
Asbestos Inferno
Mar 23, 2018
The asbestos fall-out from yesterday’s blaze in Glasgow city center is the subject of an article in a Scottish newspaper. The fire, which started in a nightclub, spread extensively to nearby premises many of which were older tenement-style buildings. Local people were warned of the hazard posed by asbestos liberated by the fire and were warned to keep their windows shut. As has been seen in previous instances, the purpose of article appears to be reassurance rather than information: “Experts generally say that as long as proper clean-up procedures are used there should be no significant public health risk from asbestos exposures from large-scale fires.” See: what are the dangers of asbestos in blazes such as the Glasgow fire and how can it harm your health?.
Asbestos in Makeup
Mar 23, 2018
Tests conducted on makeup products marketed in the US by Claire’s Accessories which have proved positive for the presence of tremolite asbestos in three products has spurred America’s Food and Drug Administration into an investigation according to online publisher Chemical Watch. The suspect products are Claire’s contour palette, shadow and highlight finishing kit and compact powder. Claire's has denied the contamination saying that the testing was “inaccurate” and calling the results “obsolete and unreliable.” It also said that the products were “safe and asbestos-free.” See: US FDA investigating reports of tremolite asbestos in makeup.
Asbestos Industry Offensive
Mar 22, 2018
A media onslaught has been launched by a UK public relations company, Muller & Green PR, against Canada’s upcoming plans to ban asbestos. In media releases sent to Canadian journalists and in a media release uploaded to the internet, the hazard posed by asbestos to Canadians is discounted and the prohibitions are called a “waste of public money.” As is usual, the PR company did not disclose the name of its clients who are suspected to be vested interests representing the asbestos industry. See: Foreign and anonymous interests seek to defeat Canadian asbestos ban.
Asbestos at the Opera
Mar 22, 2018
The relatives of deceased performers and tradespeople exposed to asbestos at La Scala opera house demonstrated on March 19 in front of the Milan court building where proceedings continue into the untimely deaths of 10 La Scala workers. The family members were joined at the protest by trade union representatives and members of civil society organizations such as the Committee for the Defence of Health in the Workplace and in the Territory that are civil parties in this case. See: Amianto alla Scala, presidio davanti al Tribunale: “Strage silenziosa continua” [See: Asbestos at La Scala, demonstration in front of the Court: “Silent slaughter continues”].
Ban Asbestos Mobilization
Mar 22, 2018
In a commentary published in the latest issue of The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s magazine Jukka Takala, President of the International Commission on Occupational Health, references the ICOH statement on Global Asbestos Ban and the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases, which urges “every country to implement a total ban on production and use of asbestos” and “complementary efforts aimed at primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of asbestos-related diseases through country-specific national programmes, in line with International Labour Organization and World Health Organization guidelines.” See: Building support to eliminate asbestos-related diseases.
Update: Eternit S.A.
Mar 20, 2018
In the aftermath of the November 2017 judgment by Brazil’s Supreme Court banning asbestos, Eternit S.A., the country’s biggest asbestos producer and manufacturer, has taken steps to restructure the company as a step to assuring its viability in light of the impact the prohibitions have had on its finances. According to a statement made this week, the construction company and its subsidiaries have filed for judicial recovery in São Paulo, citing an adverse financial climate and ongoing legal discussions about the asbestos prohibitions. See: Grupo Eternit pede recuperação judicial e cita impacto de proibição do uso de Amianto [Eternit Group seeks judicial recovery and cites impact of ban on the use of asbestos].
Global Asbestos Production
Mar 20, 2018
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has uploaded figures for worldwide asbestos production for 2016 – and drastically revised downwards previously released figures for 2012-2015 – which reveal a huge drop in output; a fall in annual production of 720,000 tonnes (36%) between 2010 and 2016 (as yet, the USGS has not provided detailed reasons for the revisions). The 2016 data show significant asbestos production in only four countries: Russia (692,000 t (tonnes)), China (200,000t), Brazil (200,000t), and Kazakhstan (193,000t). See Asbestos Production by Country (Table 8 in the file). In addition, a narrative in Asbestos: a 2-page USGS document extract draws attention to asbestos bans in Brazil and Ukraine and US legislative efforts to ban asbestos.
At-Risk: Motor Mechanics
Mar 20, 2018
Legal experts in Victoria, Australia have reported a substantial rise in the number of asbestos-related claims being brought by motor mechanics in recent years. Commenting on this trend, asbestos specialist solicitor Tracy Madden said there had been a staggering 200% increase in mechanics seeking legal support over the last two years. The asbestos hazard is not restricted to professional mechanics but also put “people who work in their cars at home who are pulling these parts out of the car” at risk. See: Rise in mechanics making claims for asbestos-related illnesses.
UK Ownership of Asbestos Mine?
Mar 19, 2018
An article published on Saturday, March 17, 2018 in Zimbabwe disclosed that outside the controlling shareholder (the government), the Shabanie asbestos mine was also owned through Shabanie Mashaba Mines (SMM) United Kingdom. This fact was revealed after questioning of the mine’s managing director Steven Nyagura by members of the Parliamentary Committee of Energy and Mines during a site visit by the politicians to the mine. The Committee’s chairperson Temba Mliswa has said he will summon the shareholders of the company to Parliament to answer questions before the portfolio committee. See: Parly to probe Shabanie asbestos mine ownership.
Asbestos Waste: Health Warnings!
Mar 19, 2018
News that 400 million tonnes of asbestos waste in Thetford Mines, Quebec could be processed to extract magnesium has raised concerns amongst health advocates with the Director of Public Health of Chaudière-Appalaches Dr. Philippe Lessard asking for all activities relating to the tailings to cease until assessments can be made of the public health hazard: “such activity could resuspend asbestos fibers in the air and unnecessarily environmentally expose the population to a carcinogenic contaminant.” See: La réutilisation des résidus miniers menacée par la santé publique [The reuse of mining waste threatens public health].
Asbestos in Spain’s Infrastructure
Mar 19, 2018
A commentary in El Confidencial, a Spanish digital newspaper, discusses the background to trade union work stoppages on the Madrid Metro on March 9, 13 & 15, 2018 and explains the multi-faceted challenges posed by the presence of asbestos not only in subway cars but in hospitals, schools, home and elsewhere in the Spanish infrastructure: “Currently, it is believed that there are still 2.9 [million?] tons in all of Spain, and according to experts, asbestos will continue to kill until 2040.” See: Amianto: qué es y qué riesgos tiene este cancerígeno hallado en el Metro de Madrid [Asbestos: what is it and what are the risks of this carcinogen found in the Madrid Metro].
Asbestos Jail Sentence
Mar 19, 2018
Italy’s Supreme Court (the Court of Cassation) – in what is believed to be the first criminal conviction of its kind, at this level – has upheld the guilty verdict handed down to the owner of an asbestos workshop (operated by his company Effe Erre) for failing to comply with health and safety regulations as a result of which an employee died from an asbestos-related disease; the Court confirmed a one-year jail sentence for the offence. The deceased was a carpenter in the small workshop in Navigli; he died in 2012 of pleural mesothelioma. See: Amianto, prima condanna definitiva a Milano [Asbestos, first final conviction in Milan].
The Poison Factory
Mar 19, 2018
Virginie Dupeyroux’s beloved father Paul died of mesothelioma in 2015 as a result of environmental asbestos exposures experienced as a child. The toxic source of the deadly fibers which he inhaled was an asbestos crushing plant in his home town of Aulnay-sous-Bois. In 2014, Paul was diagnosed with mesothelioma and so the fight for life by Paul and his daughter began. To “give voice to her father,” Virginie has published a 576-page book documenting the scandal which has taken his life and that of so many other Aulnay residents. See: Aulnay: un livre pour raconter l’enfance de son père, victime de « l’usine-poison » [Aulnay: a book to tell the story of her father's childhood, victim of the “poison factory”].
Victims Win!
Mar 15, 2018
On March 14, 2018, the Tokyo High Court ordered the Japanese Government to pay compensation of 2.28bn yen ($21m) for 327 cases of asbestos-related diseases contracted by construction workers from the Tokyo metropolitan area; they had been seeking 11.8bn yen in damages from the state and 42 manufacturers. Judge Toru Odan did not find the manufacturers of asbestos-containing construction materials liable for damages even though they had failed to give proper warning of the asbestos hazard. See: High court orders gov't to compensate asbestos victims - The Mainichi.
Asbestos Subway Strike
Mar 15, 2018
On March 20, 2018, subway workers in Buenos Aires are due to strike for a period of four hours over asbestos contamination of 36 second-hand vehicles purchased by Subterraneos de Buenos Aires from the Madrid Metro in 2011 at the cost of $6 million. Claudio Dellacarbonara, spokesman for the metro workers’ union, said “his union had managed to get CAF 5000-model cars taken out of service, but it had now emerged that asbestos had been found in at least one CAF 6000 car in Spain, similar to a model that is used on Line B of Buenos Aires’ metro.” See: Buenos Aires subway workers go on strike over asbestos claims.
Toxic Makeup: New Findings
Mar 15, 2018
Weeks after several makeup products had been withdrawn from sale by Claire’s, tests undertaken by a consumer watchdog group revealed that three products still being marketed to children contained “high levels of asbestos.” The US Public Interest Research Group (PRIG) commissioned tests of 15 makeup products containing talc including four from Claire’s. The company “categorically” denied the contamination and characterized the laboratory's methods as “obsolete and unreliable.” See: Study finds asbestos in Claire's makeup products marketed to teens. (For more detail on the toxic products read the PRIG report.)
Plans to Reprocess Mining Wastes
Mar 15, 2018
Investors from the asbestos industries in Russia and Kazakhstan are backing the International Chrysotile Association and the PROChrysotile Movement, a Quebec front group, which are promoting initiatives in Quebec to extract magnesium from asbestos mining residues. “There is,” say critics “a complete absence of transparency and accountability. The issue of the health impact on the workers and the nearby population has been silenced. No-one has been designated as responsible for protecting health.” Permissible occupational asbestos exposure levels in Quebec are 100 times higher than in France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. See: Will the Canadian and Quebec governments continue to betray the people of Quebec on asbestos?
Mesothelioma Settlement
Mar 15, 2018
Mesothelioma patient James Casey has secured a legal settlement which includes compensation for future medical costs he incurs including for treatments which are currently not available on the NHS or have not yet been developed. Sixty-three year old Mr. Casey had been exposed to asbestos between 1969 and 1980 when he had worked as a gas engineer for the former North Eastern Gas Board. Commenting on the settlement he said: “While nothing will now change what the future holds... this settlement will ensure I will always be able to access the care and treatment that I need.” See: Landmark legal settlement after former engineer diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer.
Asbestos Mine Revival?
Mar 13, 2018
With the support of the new Zimbabwe government, investment has been secured to begin work on extracting asbestos fiber from waste at the formerly defunct Shabanie chrysotile (white) asbestos mine. While $74 million of investment is needed to restore mining operations to full capacity – much of which will be absorbed by dewatering the two mining shafts – a capital injection of $1.2m has enable work to begin on exploiting “the already-on-surface dump which cuts the production cost by close to 87.5 percent compared to the costs incurred if the fibre was to be retrieved from underground.” See: Shabanie comes back to life.
Priority: Asbestos Removal Program
Mar 13, 2018
After protests by labor groups including the CCOO, UGT, Solidaridad Obrera, Union of Drivers, USO, Free Suburban Subway Syndicate, Union of Stations and Technical Union and widespread media coverage, the operators of the Madrid Metro, having confirmed the presence of asbestos throughout the network, pledged on March 9, 2018 to make the decontamination of the system a top priority. The first step is, said the company’s CEO, to hire a specialist contractor to undertake the removal of asbestos from up to 96 vehicles currently being used. See: Los sindicatos del Metro de Madrid sabían desde 2006 que había amianto en el suburban [Madrid Metro Unions knew since 2006 that there was asbestos in the subway].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 13, 2018
A 2018 update by Flemish Ministers of the number of schools affected by asbestos contamination has shown a deterioration, with 69 out of 300 schools having an urgent asbestos problem as opposed to a figure of 20 at-risk premises in 2017. Flemish MP Caroline Gennez has described this situation as “unacceptable” and called on “all mayors to request the data for the schools on their territory.” “Asbestos is,” she said “an insidious poison and therefore has no place in our schools. When school boards themselves do not intervene, it is up to the mayors to do so.” See: Asbestos problem in 23 percent of schools studied – Belgium.
Warnings: US asbestos exports to UK!
Mar 13, 2018
Ministerial concern has been expressed over ramifications of a US:UK trade deal which could result in contaminated goods being exported from the US, a country which has not banned asbestos. In her desperation to achieve a deal with President Trump, critics believe that Theresa May could lower stringent UK standards, which ban all asbestos, to allow the import of products containing up to 1% asbestos such as roofing materials and brake linings. In a speech last month, Brexit Secretary David Davis admitted the UK may reduce “levels of occupational safety and health” after Brexit. See: Brexit: US trade deal could raise prospect of bringing asbestos products to UK, MP claims.
Update: Mesothelioma Mortality
Mar 12, 2018
On March 5, 2018, the Office of National Statistics released a file detailing the number of mesothelioma deaths for each separate local authority in England and Wales registered in 2015 and 2016. Annual deaths increased slightly from 2,308 in 2015 to 2,313 in 2016, with the most deaths recorded in 2016 in the South East (434), the East (306), the North West (288), the South West (277), Yorkshire and the Humber (217). The largest increases noted between 2015 and 2016 were recorded in Cornwall (21), Brighton and Hove (13) South Tyneside (12) and Swale (10). See: Mesothelioma deaths by local authority, England and Wales, registered between 2015 and 2016.
Quebec: Asbestos Update
Mar 12, 2018
A 56-page review published on March 7, 2018 by (Quebec’s) National Institute of Public Health provides background information and proposals regarding draft legislation to prevent hazardous environmental asbestos exposures in Quebec, formerly Canada’s asbestos heartland; asbestos is specifically excluded from Quebec’s Hazardous Materials Regulations. Protocols in force in various US. states and Canadian jurisdictions are examined as are EU measures to forestall toxic exposures. See: Survol de la législation concernant l’exposition environnementale à l’amiante au Québec et ailleurs [Overview of legislation concerning environmental exposure to asbestos in Quebec and elsewhere].
Spain’s Asbestos Legacy
Mar 12, 2018
Widespread publicity regarding the recent diagnosis of a Madrid Metro system worker with asbestosis has led to a articles about Spain’s asbestos legacy. It has been estimated that 2.6 millions of tonnes of asbestos-containing products remaining within the national infrastructure will continue to kill until 2040. Groups at the highest risk of exposures include workers employed in construction, shipbuilding, insulation and demolition sectors, and tradespeople such as electricians, plumbers and mechanics – and family members of people so employed. See: Amianto, un cancerígeno muy extendido que seguirá matando hasta 2040 [Asbestos, a widespread carcinogen that will continue to kill until 2040].
Asbestos Verdict: Italy
Mar 12, 2018
An Italian judge from the Court of Salerno recognized the occupational nature of asbestos exposure experienced by a member of the Italian navy who died from mesothelioma and ruled that he was a “victim of duty.” The judge awarded the late serviceman’s heirs an extra monthly payment from the Ministry of Defense of €500. One legal commentator said that the Court’s judgment was evidence of what a parliamentary commission of inquiry had dubbed “the asbestos massacre of naval personnel.” See: Amianto assassino, ex militare salernitano riconosciuto “vittima del dovere” [Asbestos killer, former Salerno military recognized as “victim of duty”].
Asbestos and Cancer
Mar 12, 2018
European and Canadian researchers, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, have published findings in the current issue of the Journal Oncogene regarding the process by which asbestos fibers cause cancer. “Chronic exposure to asbestos triggers an injurious process… which disrupts the immune system, which then no longer effectively fights tumors” said Emanuela Felley-Bosco, director of the study. It is hoped that these discoveries will enable the development of protocols to: detect inflammation signals at an early stage and eradicate mesothelial cancer. See: Pourquoi l’amiante est si dangereux [Why asbestos is so dangerous].
Ban Asbestos Mobilization
Mar 9, 2018
On March 6 & 7, 2018, union representatives from across the Asian region called on governments to ban all forms of asbestos and condemned propaganda being disseminated by the asbestos lobby to forestall action combating the use of asbestos in Asia, where it was still widely used. In a joint communique issued by the ITUC-AP Regional Conference on Asbestos which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, participants “confirmed that the elimination of the future use of asbestos is the most effective means to protect workers from asbestos exposure and … prevent future asbestos-related diseases and deaths…” See: Joint Communique on Asbestos: Realising an Asbestos-free World.
Montana Asbestos Verdict
Mar 9, 2018
Last week, Montana State District Judge Holly Brown ruled that the National Indemnity Company, a Nebraska-based insurer, is liable for $43 million in compensation paid by the State in settlement of 100 asbestos claims from Libby, Montana. The Judge concluded that the insurance company, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway firm, had “improperly tried to deny coverage from an insurance policy held by the state 45 years ago.” National Indemnity can appeal the decision to the Montana Supreme Court. See: Judge says private insurer, not state, on hook for $43M in Libby asbestos claims.
Into the frying pan?
Mar 9, 2018
For over a century the town of Asbestos lived and died from the commercial exploitation of white asbestos. Mining operations have ceased as the federal government finalizes legislation prohibiting future asbestos mining, processing, sale and use on the grounds of public health. Despite the knowledge that exposure to asbestos can be deadly, entrepreneurs in the town are planning to extract magnesium from tailings (waste) which contain up to 40% asbestos fiber. Health and safety advocates have expressed serious concerns about the injurious consequences of these plans (Urgent Appeal to Political Leaders To Take Action). See: Magnesium May Save the Town of Asbestos.
Progress: Asbestos Ban in Laos
Mar 6, 2018
Work on a Laos Asbestos Action Plan was progressed at a workshop in Vientiane on March 1, 2018 held by the Ministry of Health, supported by the World Health Organization and Australia’s Union Aid Abroad –APHEDA. The purpose of the meeting was to consider means to end the use of chrysotile asbestos, a substance widely used in Laos, in order to protect public and occupational health. In 2013, more than 8,000 tonnes of asbestos were imported by Laos making it “the highest among Asia-Pacific countries, in terms of asbestos consumption per person.” National usage of asbestos apparently increased by 240% between 2010 and 2013. See: Media Release: Laos takes steps to end asbestos.
International Asbestos Scandal
Mar 6, 2018
Transport authorities in Buenos Aires have removed from service railway vehicles suspected of being contaminated with asbestos after reports in the Spanish press that there had been illegal sales of toxic trains by a Madrid company in 2011 and 2012 to the Argentinian train companies of Subterráneos de Buenos Aires S.E. and Metrovías. A fortnight ago, it was widely reported that an employee of Metro de Madrid had contracted asbestosis after long-term occupational exposure. See: Metro Madrid vendió en contra de la ley y a sabiendas trenes con amianto a Argentina [Metro Madrid illegally and knowingly sold trains with asbestos to Argentina].
First Prize: Fernanda Giannasi!
Mar 6, 2018
On February 11, 2018, it was announced that ban asbestos campaigner Fernanda Giannasi had won the prestigious Globo Award for Making a Difference to the Brazilian Economy in 2017 for decades of work which, finally in November 2017, resulted in the production, trade and use of asbestos being banned in Brazil, formerly the world’s 3rd largest supplier of asbestos fiber. The award presentation will take place at a gala ceremony on March 28 in Rio de Janeiro. See: Prêmio Faz Diferença. Vencedores – Economia: Fernanda Giannasi (Prize for Making a Difference. Winner – Economy: Fernanda Giannasi).
Victory for Asbestos Claimant
Mar 6, 2018
On February 22, 2018, the Court of Appeal handed down a claimant’s verdict in the case of Bussey v Anglia Heating Ltd. which has implications for future asbestos cases, as the law lords agreed that despite previous judgments the employer of David Edwin Anthony Bussey had been negligent for allowing relatively low level workplace asbestos exposures which had led to Mr. Bussey’s death from mesothelioma. The Court of Appeal decision concluded that there was “strong support for the conclusion that the relevant risk of injury would have been reasonably foreseeable to Anglia.” See: Bussey Judgment Final.
Union Backs Asbestos Ban!
Mar 5, 2018
At a Karachi press conference, trade union leaders highlighted the human cost of deadly exposures to Pakistani workers with Nasir Mansoor, deputy secretary of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), condemning the government’s failure to act on the hazard posed by the use of asbestos in construction, pipes, boilers, fireproofing, textiles, cement products, automobiles and shipbuilding. Mr. Mansoor and NTUF President Rafiq Baloch demanded an immediate ban on asbestos use and urged that action be taken to destroy toxic stockpiles and minimize exposure to contaminated products within the country’s infrastructure. See: Union leaders call to improve safety conditions for workers: report.
Quebec: Asbestos Action?
Mar 5, 2018
In a letter to Quebec’s political leaders from the Quebec Public Health Association, the Quebec Association of Specialists in Preventive Medicine, the Quebec Asbestos Victims Association, the Quebec Council of Construction Trades – International, the Quebec Federation of Labour – Construction and the Quebec Association of Young Physicians sent on February 16, leading health and safety advocates urged all provincial political parties to take action to protect workers and the public from to exposures to asbestos. See: Urgent appeal to all Quebec political leaders: Take immediate action to better protect Quebec workers from asbestos.
Toxic Trains and Facilities
Mar 5, 2018
Spain’s largest trade union CCOO has condemned the presence of asbestos products on Renfe railway carriages in Málaga, Valencia, Cercedilla and Cotos. In a media release the CCOO reported that “although asbestos has been banned since 2002, a few days ago this carcinogenic material was detected in Renfe trains” which were part of the 442 and 470 series. In addition, CCOO representatives from the railway sector reported the “presence of asbestos in their facilities” and requested, to no avail, that the decontamination of affected workplaces be undertaken. See: Detectan amianto en trenes de Renfe [Asbestos detected in Renfe trains].
EU Asbestos Hazard
Mar 5, 2018
The results of tests undertaken in 2016 on 5,625 products by 29 European countries revealed that 18% failed to comply with EU restrictions on hazardous chemicals and substances. Almost 14% of the products tested for asbestos were non-compliant. Amongst this category of toxic products were catalytic heaters, thermos flasks, and brake pads, most of which were second-hand. According to EU regulations, it is prohibited to manufacture, place on the market and use asbestos fibers and articles and mixtures containing asbestos fibers. See: Inspectors find phthalates in toys and asbestos in second-hand products.
Australia’s Asbestos Legacy
Mar 5, 2018
A paper published as part of the Special Issue “Global Panorama of National Experiences in Public Health Actions to Ban Asbestos” explores the causes of Australia’s asbestos-related disease epidemic – continuing, despite the use of all types of asbestos having been banned more than a decade ago. The text highlights actions by organizations including unions and non-governmental organizations to press for national action to eliminate asbestos-related diseases through trade embargoes and collaborations to minimize toxic exposures to in-place products. See: Australia’s Ongoing Legacy of Asbestos: Significant Challenges Remain Even after the Complete Banning of Asbestos Almost Fifteen Years Ago.
Asbestos Limbo?
Jan 29, 2018
Anton Edema of the Fibre Cement Products Manufacturers Association of Sri Lanka has challenged the government to clarify the legality of asbestos use in light of proposals to ban asbestos as of January 1, 2018; according to reports, the prohibition has been “temporarily lifted” after commercial threats from Russia. Edema says the lack of clarity is preventing needed investment in the asbestos industrial sector which employs tens of thousands of people and provides 60% of the country’s roofing. Edema claims there have been no cases of asbestos disease amongst those employed by the industry. See: Give clear picture on Asbestos ban.
Mesothelioma Legal Precedent?
Jan 29, 2018
In what is being hailed as the “first of its kind,” 74-year old mesothelioma victim Pamela Stubberfield is receiving private medical treatment funded by her former employer as a result of a “unique” settlement in which an insurer agreed to pay directly for appropriate treatment with no time limits specified. Mrs. Stubberfield is receiving the immunotherapy drug Pembrolizumab that is not available on the NHS for mesothelioma. Consultant Peter Szlosarek said that without the drug, Mrs. Stubberfield would have been died within six months of her September 2016 diagnosis. See: BOC pays woman’s asbestos-caused cancer treatment costs.
Banning Asbestos in Korea
Jan 26, 2018
A paper has been published as part of the Special Issue “Global Panorama of National Experiences in Public Health Actions to Ban Asbestos” detailing the five stages and many actions that were required before Korea succeeded in banning asbestos. An analysis of the role played by multiple stakeholders is undertaken. As in the UK and elsewhere “after the asbestos ban, those who had imported raw asbestos turned to asbestos removal and protection services as they had hands-on experience about where asbestos was installed.” See: The Asbestos Ban in Korea from a Grassroots Perspective: Why Did It Occur?
Costly Construction Error
Jan 26, 2018
A track laid down by Christchurch City Council for $8,420 is costing $285,000 to be removed; the council had used asbestos-contaminated soil in the construction of the path near Waimairi Beach which ran behind beach-side properties. The asbestos contamination of the 375 cubic meters of soil, which was donated by a local resident, was discovered by a Northshore resident who presented council staff with test results showing the presence of asbestos. Council head of parks Brent Smith said testing of the soil had “appeared unnecessary given the circumstances around the supply of the soil.” See: Christchurch City Council lays path with soil contaminated with asbestos.
Post-asbestos Economy
Jan 26, 3028
Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions announced on Wednesday (January 24, 2018) that it will invest $3.5+ million in several projects in the former asbestos producing region of Thetford Mines and other Quebec communities in the Appalaches Regional County Municipality “to grow the economy and create wealth for Canadians.” Fourteen jobs will be created by the ten projects which will attract a total investment of $6,176,856 including $3,529,892 from the federal government. See: Support for 10 projects in the Appalaches RCM through the Canadian Initiative for the Economic Diversification of Communities Reliant on Chrysotile.
Calls for Asbestos Funds
Jan 24, 2018
Lack of financial resources has prevented Rwandan property owners from decontaminating premises as ordered by the federal government in 2009. A spokesman for the Catholic Church has requested the government subsidize the removal and replacement of asbestos roofs on church buildings including hospital and health centers which are co-owned with the State. It has been estimated that the total cost of asbestos decontamination would be around Rwf16 billion ($23,277,956), comprising approximately Rwf11 billion ($15,848,089) for publicly owned buildings and Rwf5 billion ($7,429,867) for private buildings. See: Catholic Church Tells Gov’t To Replace Asbestos On Structures.
Asbestos Ban: 2019!
Jan 24, 2018
According to draft Canadian asbestos regulations released on January 5, 2018, the long-awaited national asbestos ban is likely to take effect in 2019. The federal government’s proposals which were published in the latest issue of the Canada Gazette will not only outlaw the use, sale, import and export of asbestos and products but will also prohibit the manufacture of asbestos-containing products. There are exemptions which are raising concern, including a 2025 extension for the use of asbestos in the chlor-alkali industry and the processing of asbestos debris in former mining areas. See: Canada’s asbestos ban to take effect in 2019.
Uralita Condemned
Jan 24, 2018
The Spanish asbestos multinational Uralita has been ordered by a court in Donostia – a city in the Basque Autonomous Community – to pay compensation of more than €300,000 to a worker who, as a result of his employment by the company between June 1961 and June 1965 as a warehouse operator in Lasarte, has contracted asbestosis. A spokesman for the local asbestos victims’ group predicts that more asbestos claims will be forthcoming from other Uralita workers including those who worked for Uralita in Getafe, Madrid. See: Condenan a Uralita a indemnizar a un trabajador enfermo por Amianto [Uralita condemned to compensate a sick worker for asbestos exposure].
Asbestos: Causation and Compensation
Jan 24, 2018
The newly relaunched Asbestos Victims Association of Quebec is calling on the Québec Minister of Labor to follow an Ontario precedent which acknowledges specific trades and occupations, such as plumbers and construction workers, which carried high risk of exposure to asbestos; claims brought by individuals with asbestos disease in those employment categories are automatically presumed to have been occupationally caused. Such a system avoids time-consuming and expensive medico-legal battles. See: Amiante: une association veut que Québec reconnaisse les professions les plus exposées [Asbestos: an association wants Quebec to recognize the most exposed occupations].
Judicial U-Turn?
Jan 23, 2018
On January 19, 2018, France’s Supreme Court – the Court of Cassation – agreed to consider appeals in asbestos cases after recent adverse verdicts had been censured by asbestos victims’ groups and campaigners. The appeals have been brought by the Anti-asbestos Committee of Jussieu University and ARDEVA Nord-Pas-de-Calais, a regional body representing asbestos victims from the Dunkirk shipyards and surrounding area. Welcoming these developments, campaigners said: “We continue to think that there will be a criminal asbestos trial, we will do everything for it to take place.” See: Affaire de l'amiante: enfin un signe positif pour les victimes? [Asbestos affair: finally a positive sign for the victims?]
Asbestos Warning
Jan 23, 2018
Warnings have been given by the Colombian Comptroller General – an independent government institution that oversees fiscal matters – of the urgent need to ensure that the country’s 7th attempt to ban asbestos succeeds in order protect the population from deadly exposures. Draft legislation approved in October by the Senate requires follow-up by the legislature in order to become law. The government’s failure to address the asbestos health hazard has not only affected workers but also endangered the health of people living near asbestos processing or mining sites. See: La Contraloría pide prohibir todo tipo de asbesto en el país [The Comptroller's Office asks to prohibit all types of asbestos in the country].
Decontamination of Army Base
Jan 23, 2018
Nicos Anastasiou, mayor of the Limassol suburb of Polemidia where asbestos-riddled former British army housing has been a long-standing public health hazard, has welcomed the commencement of work on January 22, 2018 to decontaminate the site and demolish the buildings. The work is expected to take up to a year due to the complexity of the task and the number of premises involved. Once removed, the asbestos waste will be wrapped, packed and sealed before being deposited at the former asbestos mine at Amiantos where it will be stored. See: Demolition of asbestos-riddled estate underway.
Online Asbestos Archive
Jan 22, 2018
ToxicDocs, a free, searchable and updated online US database, is making publicly available “millions of pages of previously secret documents about toxic substances ... [including] secret internal memoranda, emails, slides, board minutes, unpublished scientific studies, and expert witness reports – among other kinds of documents – that emerged in recent toxic tort litigation.” Subjects covered include silica, PCBs and lead, as well as asbestos and other dangerous substances. See: Free online access to millions of documents on chemical toxicity made possible through ToxicDocs.
Analysis: Supreme Court Verdict
Jan 22, 2018
A new commentary explores whether the Brazilian Supreme Court’s reliance on international human rights law and international environmental law in its decision to outlaw asbestos use throughout the country has created a new pattern of integration between international and constitutional law for future cases focused on collective fundamental rights. One of the main arguments of the November 29, 2017 plenary decision handed down by the Court in litigation regarding the constitutionality of state asbestos bans was ILO Convention No. 162. See: The Judicial Ban on Asbestos in Brazil: A Turning Point in the Relationship between International Law and Collective Fundamental Rights?
HSE U-Turn
Jan 22, 2018
After feedback from unions and other stakeholders during consultations on changes to the Control of Asbestos Regulations, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has abandoned plans to reduce the period between medical examinations for asbestos workers. Commenting on the HSE u-turn, Garry Graham, deputy general secretary of Prospect Union, said: “Asbestos is a silent killer of thousands of workers every year. Frequent medical checks for those engaged in the dangerous removal of asbestos from old buildings is vital to pick up any symptoms as early as possible. We welcome the HSE seeing sense on this issue.” See: Plans to water down medical checks on asbestos workers abandoned - Prospect Union.
Asbestos: Mixed Messages
Jan 22, 2018
On January 18, 2018, a commentary on the health hazards of asbestos exposure appeared on an online Ukraine news portal. Ukraine’s Ministry of Health banned asbestos in June 2017; this decision was reversed by the Ministry of Justice in October 2017 (see: Ukraine’s Asbestos Debacle). Having detailed the tradespeople most at-risk of exposures, the author reasserts the asbestos industry mantra: “it is quite safe to be surrounded by asbestos materials as long as they are isolated and do not spread their particles into the air.” See: Асбестоз: причины и симптомы, лечение и профилактика асбестоза [Asbestosis: Causes and Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention of Asbestosis].
Asbestos Ban 2023
Jan 19, 2018
At the January 16, 2018 meeting of the Ministry of Construction, the Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc announced – in a speech broadcast on national TV – that the use of asbestos construction materials would be banned by 2023 at the latest. He said: “The Construction Ministry needs a roadmap to stop using white asbestos. I remember that at National Assembly meetings, scientist Ms Bui Thi An raised this matter several times and the Ministry of Construction always obstructed it. I discussed this with Minister Mr. Hong Ha and he said that banning white asbestos needs a roadmap developed by the Ministry of Construction. The use of white asbestos must be stopped by 2023 at the latest in the construction industry.”
Victims’ Mobilize in Quebec
Jan 19, 2018
This month, it has been reported that the Quebec Asbestos Victims’ Association (AVAQ) has been re-launched with Giles Mercier, a former Quebec Government safety inspector, as President. Before he retired, Mr. Mercier had worked for the Provincial Occupational Health and Safety Commission. Speaking of his motivation for accepting this role, Mr. Mercier said: “if I had not been directly involved in occupational health and safety, my father would NEVER have been diagnosed as a victim of asbestos in April 2013.” AVAQ had lain dormant for some years after its personnel had received threats because of their work to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard. See: Quebec Asbestos Victims Association re-launched.
Asbestos Issues in Germany
Jan 19, 2018
A paper has been published as part of the Special Issue Global Panorama of National Experiences in Public Health Actions to Ban Asbestos, detailing the effects of German asbestos use throughout the 20th century and highlighting the role played by asbestos vested interests in preventing action to restrict consumption and forestalling compensation being awarded to victims. The author warns asbestos consuming countries of the huge national cost of treatment and compensation to the injured and decontamination of the infrastructure. See: Asbestos-Related Disorders in Germany: Background, Politics, Incidence, Diagnostics and Compensation.
Illegal Gas Mask Hazard
Jan 19, 2018
Finnish authorities have reported illegal online sales of old Russian gas masks containing asbestos filters; other European authorities have been notified. The Norwegian Environment Directorate found the masks were also on sale in Norway. One company was asked to remove the advertising for these items but it reappeared this month, the directorate said. An alert has been raised, with warnings given that these toxic masks should not be sold or used because of the health hazard. Advice given is that they should be disposed securely packaged at municipal waste centers. See: Finland finds Russian gas masks containing asbestos sold online.
Asbestos Baby Powder
Jan 18, 2018
Proceedings will start next week (January 22) in a US case brought by mesothelioma victim Stephen Lanzo III against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) which, he alleges, is responsible for exposing him to asbestos contained in its talcum powder. Lanzo’s lawyers will rely on internal company memos, reports and legal transcripts that detail the company’s long-standing knowledge regarding the presence of asbestos in their products. Over decades, J & J actively lobbied federal agencies to forestall measures that could impact on sales despite knowing that “occasionally sub-trace quantities” of minerals were found in its baby powder that “might be classified as asbestos fiber.” See: Baby powder battles: Johnson & Johnson documents reflect internal asbestos concerns.
Asbestos in School
Jan 18, 2018
A temporary structure built of asbestos and plywood in 1970 is still being used by students at the Schornville Primary School in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Use of this deteriorating and toxic building poses multiple hazards to children and staff despite years of lobbying local authorities and government officials. A commentary just published describes a Kafkaesque situation where the buck is passed back and forth between government departments and implementing agencies such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa. Despite many promises of action, including the construction of a new school, nothing has changed, except that the school has become even more dilapidated. See: Meet the Eastern Cape schools the province desperately tries to forget.
Asbestos in Schools
Jan 17, 2018
Today (January 17), a Welsh Cross Party Group on Asbestos meeting will take place to consider the issue of asbestos in Welsh schools and public buildings. A fortnight ago, members of the Welsh Petitions Committee agreed to progress a petition (see: Asbestos in Schools Petition) calling for investigations by the National Assembly regarding the hazard posed by asbestos in Welsh schools and the right of parents to “easily access information about the presence and management of asbestos in all school buildings.” See: Welsh Petitions Committee meeting, January 9, 2018 (paragraphs 21-27).
National Asbestos Failings
Jan 17, 2018
Following an audit by the Colombian authorities, a report has been published condemning the lack of controls on the use of asbestos and mercury. After a visit to the country’s sole legal asbestos mine, which produces 2,400 tons of asbestos per year, the Comptroller for the Environment reported criminal failures to comply with national mining and environmental standards: there was “evident inadequate profiling and maintenance of slopes in waste dumps and tails, non-existent ditches, no runoff water management, no sedimentation or sand traps…” See: Colombia no tiene control sobre uso de mercurio y asbesto, según Contraloría [Colombia has no control over the use of mercury and asbestos, according to the Comptroller].
Asbestos in Western Australia
Jan 16, 2018
WorkSafe WA, a state agency responsible for occupational health and safety in Western Australia (WA), has launched a phased asbestos inspection program targeting factories and imports to identify toxic products, after asbestos was recently found in the friction plates of rail carriages imported from China. As a result of this discovery, the initial focus of the program will be on asbestos in the WA rail network. According to WorkSafe: “These proactive inspection programs aim to provide employers with information on how to comply with workplace safety laws and help them to identify risks to the safety and health of workers.” See: WorkSafe inspection program looks at asbestos in plant.
Asbestos Propaganda!
Jan 15, 2018
The headline of an article uploaded to the Sri Lanka Sunday Times website on January 14 says it all: “Asbestos isn’t always harmful to health,” it asserts; what follows is tiresomely predictable. Comments by the author – Prof. Ravindra Fernando (see: Chrysotile Asbestos Should Not be Banned) – have previously been used to substantiate industry’s attacks on the Sri Lankan Government’s plans to phase-out asbestos use. Citing outdated and discredited sources, Fernando asserts that: “chrysotile asbestos in its modern day high-density applications does not present risks of any significance to public or workers’ health.” See: Asbestos isn’t always harmful to health.
Calls for Victims’ Fund
Jan 15, 2018
In a statement issued on January 14, 2018, the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT), a major Spanish trade union, demanded that a Compensation Fund for Asbestos Victims be created as promised by Spain’s Congress of Deputies in October 2017. Between 2000 and 2016, 5,830 people died from asbestos-related diseases in Spain. According to the UGT, only 34 occupational diseases caused by asbestos have been recognized of the 21,188 registered during 2017. See: Ugt exige crear un fondo de compensación para las víctimas del Amianto [Ugt demands creation of a compensation fund for asbestos victims].
Victory for Victims!
Jan 15, 2018
France’s Supreme Court – The Court of Cassation – has overturned a December 2016 decision by the Amiens Court of Appeal that denied compensation for asbestos anxiety experienced by 400 former workers from the Bosch brake pads plant in Beauvais. The Supreme Court’s December 20, 2017 judgment referred the case back to the Douai Court of Appeal which was instructed to award compensation to the claimants; it is expected each one will receive around €8,000. See: Amiante: la Cour de cassation donne raison aux ex-salariés de Bosch à Beauvais [Asbestos: the Court of Cassation supports former employees of Bosch in Beauvais].
Still Looking for Asbestos Investor
Jan 12, 2018
Zimbabwe’s Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando told Parliament during a Question and Answer session on January 10, 2018 that contrary to reports circulating in the media, the government has not yet secured an investor willing to finance work to rejuvenate the derelict Shabanie chrysotile (white) asbestos mine. “The mine,” he explained “falls under the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) so government is working together with the administrator and ZMDC on plans to ensure that some of the operations get back to generating employment and revenue for the country.” See: 50 workers to re-process Shabanie-Mashava dumps.
Action on Asbestos
Jan 12, 2018
On January 11, 2018, French students joined their teachers in taking action to prevent further hazardous exposures and called for independent tests to be conducted to assess the hazard posed by the presence of asbestos products in their school. On November 25, 2017 asbestos contamination was discovered in one of the school’s computer rooms “after an incident.” The regional authorities had previously denied the presence of asbestos in this 1970s building and later admitted it was there but said it posed no hazard to school users. See: Amiante: des lycéens du Val-de-Marne veulent exercer leur droit de retrait [Asbestos: high school students in Val-de-Marne want to exercise their right of withdrawal].
Asbestos Mine to Reopen?
Jan 11, 2018
It is being reported that the post-Mugabe government in Zimbabwe has found an investor willing to revitalize the mothballed Shabanie chrysotile asbestos mine in the Midlands province. Member of Parliament John Holder confirmed this week that the new investor is seeking to revive asbestos operations saying that: “The mine has started renewing contracts for employees and electricity was switched on recently.” Former reports had intimated that the truly enormous sums needed to bring the mine back into operation after more than a decade of closure would almost certainly prevent its reopening. See: Shabanie Mine set to reopen.
Lung Cancer and Asbestos
Jan 11, 2018
A lump sum of €700,000 and a monthly pension of €1,600 has been awarded by a court in Taranto, Italy to the heirs of a non-commissioned naval officer who died in 2008 from lung cancer due to maritime exposure to asbestos on board military vessels. Recognizing the causal link between the lung cancer and the deceased’s occupational asbestos exposure, the court declared that the officer had been a “victim of duty.” See: Taranto: Sottufficiale di Marina morto per amianto, 700mila euro di risarcimento agli eredi [Taranto: non-commissioned officer from Marina died of asbestos, 700 thousand euros compensation to heirs].
Asbestos Denials
Jan 10, 2018
As the fall-out from the Russian embargo on imports of Sri Lanka tea intensifies (see: ITUC Media Release), Russia’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka continues to deny that exposure to Russian chrysotile (white) asbestos constitutes a hazard to human health, telling journalists that “Russian Chrysotile… is not harmful. Russian workers working in the industry for the last thirty years are fine, no one reported to have had cancer…There are many workers who handle chrysotile in the mines with bare hands, and they are fine.” See: Russian Federation wants bigger trade with Sri Lanka; talks on Tea, asbestos.
Asbestos Decontamination Program
Jan 10, 2018
In order to achieve the goal of making Poland free of asbestos by the end of 2032, proactive efforts are being made to encourage property owners to remove toxic products from buildings. Since 2013, the Rypin Town Hall has been providing financial support to local residents for asbestos decontamination; as a result 13,355 tonnes of asbestos have been disposed of. Applications are now being processed under the 2018 budget stream; 100% of costs incurred for this work will be covered by the Voivodship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management and the municipality. See: Pozbądź się azbestu [Getting rid of asbestos].
Ban Asbestos, Say Trade Unionists
Jan 9, 2018
Representatives of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and other organizations are calling for a ban on asbestos to protect the public as well as workers from deadly exposures to a substance found in a wide range of products commonly used in Pakistan. These demands were voiced at a seminar entitled “Asbestos a dangerous mineral,” held on January 7, 2018 at the NTUF’s Karachi headquarters. Speakers informed delegates that evidence proved that toxic exposures took place outside as well as inside asbestos-using workplaces; there were, they said, no government measures to protect citizens from asbestos and no schemes to pay compensation to the injured. See: Traders demand ban on asbestos.
Banning Asbestos 2018!
Jan 9, 2018
Public consultation is ongoing regarding draft regulations to prohibit the Canadian use, sale, import and export of asbestos and asbestos-containing products, as well as the manufacture of products containing asbestos, with legislation enacting the prohibitions expected later this year. Queries over specifics of the proposals have been voiced in a media release issued on January 8 by legal experts and trade unions representatives (see: Canada’s proposed asbestos ban – an important momentum builder for public health protection). In 2011, there were more than 2,300 cases of mesothelioma and asbestos-related of lung cancer in Canada. See: Canada moves forward with asbestos ban.
Failing Asbestos Protocols
Jan 9, 2018
The Turkish Chamber for Engineers and Architects released a report on asbestos yesterday (January 8, 2018), highlighting the toxic exposures caused by decades of irresponsible demolition and construction activity in the absence of legislation and government negligence. Despite a national asbestos ban, measures to deal with in-place asbestos and the removal and disposal of toxic products are lacking in most jurisdictions. See: Asbest Raporu yayınlandı: İstanbul kanser tehlikesi ile karşı karşıya, önlem alan yok [Asbestos Report published: Istanbul faces cancer risk, no preventive measures].
Ban Asbestos Consultation
Jan 8, 2017
In a news release issued on January 5, 2018, the Canadian Government announced the publication of the Prohibition of Asbestos and Asbestos Products Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, as well as related amendments to the Export of Substances on the Export Control List Regulations; these legislative measures are intended “to ensure there is no longer a market for asbestos and related products in Canada.” A deadline of March 22, 2018 for the submission of comments has been set. See: The Government of Canada proposes new regulations to protect Canadians from exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos Alert: Thermos Shock
Jan 8, 2018
Yet more products imported from China to the EU have been found to be contaminated with asbestos according to information supplied by the Italian Ministry of Health which has notified EU authorities. “Termos Porta Pranzo” thermos flasks with a capacity of 0.35 LT, model number 2170297 and bar code 8-029121702978 were found to have asbestos within the double glass casing of the thermos flasks. Diverse reports claim that the toxic fibers were tremolite or chrysotile asbestos. See: Thermos con amianto shock: immediato il ritiro. L’allerta lanciata dal Ministero della salute [Thermos with asbestos shock: immediate withdrawal. Alert launched by the Ministry of Health].
Latin America Update
Jan 8, 2018
The article referenced below details the existence of asbestos bans and regulations to minimize hazardous exposures in Latin America. Work is progressing on legislation to prohibit asbestos use in Colombia and Ecuador. National restrictions to prevent asbestos contamination are in place in Paraguay, Venezuela, Mexico and Bolivia and Panama. The Pan American Health Organization is creating an Asbestos Atlas to collect information on regional asbestos use and regulation. See: Latinoamérica rezagada en la lucha contra el asbesto con solo seis países que lo vetan [Latin America lags behind in the fight against asbestos with only six national asbestos bans].
Basque Claimants’ Ruling
Jan 8, 2018
Osakidetza, the institution in charge of the public healthcare system in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, has recognized two cases of mesothelioma as occupationally-caused by asbestos exposures, thereby increasing benefit payments to and paving the way for compensation claims by a 68-year old former boilermaker and a 57-year old former shipyard worker. According to a union spokesman, Osakidetza had failed to conduct occupational health surveillance as required by legislation when notified of the workers’ conditions. See: La Seguridad Social reconoce que el amianto causó el cáncer de dos trabajadores [Social Security recognizes that asbestos caused the cancer of two workers].
Asbestos Diplomacy?
Jan 2, 2018
A commentary by columnist Ravi Perera published on January 1, 2018 by Sri Lanka’s Daily News castigates the Russian authorities for “humiliating” Sri Lanka in the ongoing trade war which has seen a tea embargo implemented in retaliation for a Sri Lankan ban on asbestos imports. Admitting that “Russia is the land of towering figures like Lenin, Tolstoy and Solzhenitsyn; men who needed no lessons on social justice,” and that Russia had been “a friend” to Sri Lanka, the author decries the ultimatum issued by Putin’s Russia “to buy their asbestos, or else!” See: Tea vs. Asbestos.
Asbestos Alert: Product Recall?
Jan 2, 2018
Despite reports that a laboratory had found tremolite asbestos in multiple products sold by Claire’s Accessories for use by children in the US and action taken by Canadian authorities over the contamination, the company selling these products in the UK – Claire’s Accessories Europe – has not confirmed that a product recall has been issued. Messages on twitter and facebook are uninformative: “The initial results of testing by an independent certified laboratory show that the cosmetics tested to date are asbestos free…We will continue to honor returns for any customers remaining uncomfortable.” See: Claire’s Europe Facebook Page.
Mesothelioma Causation
Jan 2, 2018
A letter by Dr. Murray Finkelstein published on December 29, 2017 in Occupational and Environmental Medicine commented on research by Marsh et al confirming that non-occupational exposures to asbestos fibres were associated with a large increased risk of pleural mesothelioma. At dispute was the original authors’ finding that there was “a fibre-type potency difference for non-occupational exposures.” Having re-analyzed the data, Finkelstein found “no evidence of potency differences between chrysotile and the amphiboles for the causation of pleural mesothelioma.” See: Reanalysis of non-occupational exposure to asbestos and the risk of pleural mesothelioma.
Bahia Bans Asbestos!
Dec 29, 2017
An amendment which would have permitted the use of asbestos in the Brazilian State of Bahia for up to ten years despite a 2017 Supreme Court declaration that asbestos use was unconstitutional was vetoed on December 28, 2017 by Governor Governor Rui Costa, making Bahia the 12th State to outlaw asbestos. Although the Bahia legislature had succumbed to pressure from Dow Chemical Brazil to allow asbestos use in the electrolysis process, the Governor acted in accordance with the law and advice received from public agencies. See: Emenda que permitia uso do amianto até 2016 na Bahia é vetada por governador [Amendment permitting the use of asbestos from 2016 in Bahia is vetoed by governor].
India Going Green?
Dec 29, 2017
Last week HIL Ltd., a subsidiary of one of India’s leading building material conglomerates, announced that production of non-asbestos roofing sheets had commenced at the Kondapalli Plant in Andhra Pradesh on December 21, 2017. The “Green Roofing Solution,” is being marketed under the brand “Charminar Fortune”. Although it’s too early to say whether the use of asbestos-free technology will become the norm, data quoted in a Times of India business article may indicate a fall of asbestos consumption in India – from 396,470 tonnes in 2014 to 355,660 and 310,570 tonnes in 2015 and 2016, respectively. See: HIL commences commercial production of Non Asbestos Roofing Sheets.
Asbestos–Beef War
Dec 29, 2017
A Russian journalist has speculated that the motivation for an ongoing Russian embargo on Brazilian meat imports was the Brazilian Supreme Court’s decision declaring asbestos use unconstitutional and not the presence of a banned substance in a Brazilian pork shipment. As in the Sri Lanka tea embargo (see Asbestos Endgame: 2017?) where the presence of Khapra beetle in a consignment of tea was used as the excuse for the trade ban, in this case the discovery of ractopamine – a feed additive prohibited under Russia–Brazil import agreements – was given as the reason for the Russian decision. See: Россия ввела эмбарго на поставки мяса из Бразилии [Russia imposes embargo on meat from Brazil].
Award for Ban Asbestos Campaigner
Dec 23, 2017
At a Seoul meeting attended by representatives of 20+ environmental NGOs and academia on December 21, the winner of the prestigious Rachel Lee Jung-Lim Award was announced as Brazilian engineer and ban asbestos campaigner Fernanda Giannasi. The event was hosted by the Environmental Health Citizens Center and sponsored by the Environmental Foundation and the Korean Federation for the Environmental Movement. The citation on the plaque for Ms. Giannasi noted her sustained efforts on behalf of asbestos victims in the face of threats and intimidation. Rachel Lee Jung-Lim was a ban asbestos campaigner who died of mesothelioma in 2011. See: 환경보건시민센터 보도자료 [Environmental Health Citizen Center Press Release].
Asbestos in Makeup
Dec 23, 2017
Investigations commissioned by a concerned parent verified the presence of asbestos in samples taken from 17 makeup products distributed in nine US states by Claire’s Stores Inc. “one of the world’s leading specialty retailers of fashionable jewelry and accessories for young women, teens, tweens and kids.” The analyst who conducted the testing was “shocked,” by finding tremolite asbestos in each product tested. On Friday, December 22, the company announced that as a “precautionary measure,” the items will be pulled off the shelves and an “immediate investigation into the alleged issues” will be conducted. See: Consumer Advocate: Claire's pulls children's makeup after family finds asbestos.
Post-Ban Asbestos Mobilization
Dec 22, 2017
Yesterday (December 21, 2017) the Center for Public Health and Environmental Department highlighted the importance of efforts to enforce Nepal’s asbestos ban at a meeting in Kathmandu held in conjunction with the Department of Environment and the Department of Customs which was supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. Presentations addressed a variety of issues including Nepal’s asbestos profile, asbestos sampling and testing, asbestos-related diseases and treatments and WHO initiatives. Recommendations addressed the need for: coordinated market surveillance, measures to minimize hazardous exposures and asbestos awareness capacity building.
Russian Asbestos Initiative
Dec 22, 2017
The winners of a competition by Russia’s Chrysotile [Asbestos] Association to encourage engagement by architectural students with asbestos were announced at the Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg. While the first such contest of its kind was restricted to entries from Russia, plans are being made to allow the participation of students from asbestos using countries such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Turkmenistan and Ukraine “to demonstrate clearly the possibility of using the unique qualities of chrysotile asbestos in construction.” See: Россия выбрала лучший архитектурный проект из хризотила [Russia chose the best chrysotile [asbestos] architectural project].
Update: Sri Lanka Asbestos Ban
Dec 22, 2017
After last week’s declaration by Russia of an embargo on Sri Lanka tea, the country has deferred asbestos restrictions until further notice (see: IBAS Blog – Asbestos Endgame: 2017!) On December 21, the headline of a Sri Lanka newspaper reinforced the vital importance of this issue to the national economy: “SL awaiting Russian Govt. response;” 11% of all the country’s tea exports go to Russia. Commenting on the current situation Minister Dissanayaka said: “I am confident that we could convince the Russians [of] the correct position of this controversy and restore tea exports to Russia as early as mid January.” See: SL awaiting Russian Govt. response.
Bahia vs. Supreme Court
Dec 19, 2017
In an astonishing defiance of a definitive November 2017 ruling by Brazil’s Supreme Court, the legislative assembly of Bahia State on December 5, 2017 approved an amendment allowing the chlor-alkali industry in Bahia, in particular Dow Química Brasil, to continue using asbestos in diaphragms for the electrolysis of brine and the production of chlorine until 2026. The Court had ruled that the use of asbestos was illegal throughout all jurisdictions in Brazil. This amendment has already been named the “Dow Amendment,” as Dow is the only Brazilian company still using asbestos diaphragms. See: Nota Oficial: A Bahia na contramão do banimento do Amianto [Official Note: Bahia against asbestos ban].
Claimants’ Verdict!
Dec 19, 2017
The Court of Madrid has ruled that the Uralita company, formerly one of Spain’s biggest asbestos-cement manufacturers, must pay €2+ million compensation to 39 local people who became ill due to inhalation of asbestos fibers emitted by the company’s Cedanyola factory. This decision sets a new Spanish precedent by accepting that an asbestos company was negligent in not preventing environmental exposures to non-employees. See: Primera condena a Uralita por la exposición al amianto de vecinos de su fábrica de Cerdanyola [First condemnation of Uralita for asbestos exposures to members of the public living near its Cerdanyola factory].
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Dec 18, 2017
On December 18, 2017, Fiji’s first asbestos symposium took place; reinforcing the high-profile nature of this event was the attendance of Jone Usamate, Fiji's Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Dr Luisa Cikamatana, from Fiji’s Ministry of Health, and Agni Deo Singh, the General Secretary of the Fiji Teachers’ Union. Professor Ken Takahashi, Director of Australia’s Asbestos Disease Research Institute, told participants that it was crucial to establish how much asbestos was being imported into the country and where asbestos-containing products had been installed to protect the population from deadly exposures. See: Symposium discusses asbestos handling.
Asbestos Trade War?
Dec 17, 2017
In what is being described by unnamed ministerial sources as a “tit-for-tat” diplomatic offensive against the impending phase-out of the use of chrysotile asbestos in Sri Lanka, most of which is imported from Russia, an embargo on Russian imports of Sri Lankan tea has been declared; the announcement of the December 18 blockade on Ceylon tea has shocked diplomats and exporters alike. Hoping to end the trade dispute, three Sri Lankan Ministers will visit Russia this week to discuss the asbestos issue. See: Russia suspends tea imports from Lanka; three ministers to fly to Moscow for urgent talks.
Ban Asbestos Mobilization
Dec 17, 2017
On December 15, 2017, the Asian Ban Asbestos Network in collaboration with Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) launched an initiative to gather support for an open letter warning Asian governments and policy makers about the deadly effects of asbestos exposure in the face of a ruthless marketing campaign by asbestos lobbyists spreading disinformation and commercial propaganda to counter the continuing growth in ban asbestos support. Leading international experts are calling on scientists, researchers, doctors, asbestos victims and campaigners to sign this letter. See: Asbestos: Open letter to Governments and other policy makers in Asia.
The Price of Asbestos Use
Dec 17, 2017
An article in the Jakarta Post which appeared on December 14, 2017 documented the first case of an individual with an asbestos-related disease to be compensated in Indonesia. Forty-four year old father of three Sriyono, who contracted asbestosis after decades of workplace exposures, received $4,200 from the government; 15 similar cases are pending. A video uploaded to YouTube in conjunction with the newspaper article shows Sriyono speaking about his symptoms and the distress of his diagnosis. Indonesia is one of the world’s top consumers of asbestos. See: Indonesia's asbestos ‘time bomb’.
Asbestos Litigation: Update
Dec 17, 2017
A ruling handed down on December 14, 2017 by Italy’s Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) reduced charges faced by Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny from murder to manslaughter. Four legal processes are ongoing against Schmidheiny over 240+ asbestos-related deaths of employees and members of the public. On December 19, 2017 a preliminary hearing will take place in Turin; on February 13, 2018 proceedings will begin in Naples; the dates for trials to commence in Vercelli and Reggio Emilia are not yet known. See: Eternit, in Tribunale i 243 casi di Casale [Eternit, in the Court 243 cases from Casale].
Victim’s Verdict
Dec 17, 2017
A lawsuit begun in 2013 was recently decided in favour of a former worker from the company Aperam South America – Brazil’s biggest manufacturer of speciality steel – who developed asbestosis in 2012 after having been occupationally exposed to asbestos during more than a quarter of a century employment as a metal turner. The claimant was awarded R$80,000 (US$24,300+) compensation plus a monthly pension despite the company’s repeated denials of negligent behaviour. See: Justiça condena Aperam a pagar indenização e pensão a ex-funcionário contaminado por Amianto [Justice condemns Aperam to pay compensation and pension to former employee contaminated by asbestos].
Precedent: Asbestos Anxiety
Dec 10, 2017
The first lawsuit has been filed in Spain over anxiety caused by toxic exposures of five claimants who were exposed to asbestos at their Barcelona workplace. They are calling for the classification from the State of their anxiety and depression as an occupational disease and asking for compensation for hazardous conditions which would not have occurred “if the defendant company had fulfilled its obligations in relation to prevention and safety at work.” See: Primera demanda presentada en España para considerar la ansiedad enfermedad professional [First lawsuit filed in Spain to consider occupational disease anxiety (caused by asbestos)].
Assessing the Asbestos Cancer Risk
Dec 10, 2017
A paper appearing in the January issue of the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health highlights the importance of early diagnoses of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, which enables patients to access trials of novel treatment therapies. The authors described a method of calculating past asbestos exposures in order to assess individuals’ levels of risk of contracting mesothelioma. A strong correlation between measured and estimated asbestos exposure has been shown. See: Estimating past inhalation exposure to asbestos: A tool for risk attribution and disease screening.
Ban Asbestos in Colombia!
Dec 9, 2017
On December 7, 2017, a one-minute video was uploaded to YouTube by Greenpeace Colombia, one of the organizations calling on politicians to support legislative efforts to ban asbestos in the country. The footage shows Greenpeace volunteers in the Plaza de Bolivar – the main square in the Colombian capital Bogotá – with a clock demanding that Senators vote for the “Ana Cecilia Niño ban asbestos bill” in the second legislative debate before the end of the year. Colombian journalist and ban asbestos campaigner Ana Cecilia Niño died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in 2014. See: Senadores: ¡Ya es hora! [Senators: It's time!].
Asbestos Alert
Dec 9, 2017
On December 7, 2017, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued an alert (Reference EFA/2017/006) over the continuing use of asbestos-containing pipe gaskets (CNA 2000) put into circulation by a British engineering company between 2006 and 2010. The contaminated products were manufactured by G&H Engineering Services with material imported from China that had been sold as asbestos-free. According to a letter by the HSE dated October 30, 2017 efforts in 2011 to alert customers “may not have been fully circulated further down the supply chain.” See: Supply of CAN 2000 pipeline gaskets: presence of asbestos.
Another Legal Victory
Dec 9, 2017
This week the Superior Court of Justice of Murcia dismissed an appeal by public companies Navantia and Izar Construcciones Navales against the judgment of a Cartagena court that imposed a 30% uplift on the benefits of a widow whose husband died from asbestos workplace exposures in the shipbuilding sector. The deceased – who had worked for the public naval shipyards Empresa Nacional Bazán from 1967 until 1992 – suffered from a lung adenocarcinoma, respiratory failure and pulmonary asbestosis. See: Confirman una condena por permitir el uso de Amianto [Confirming conviction for allowing the use of asbestos].
The Demise of the Asbestos Lobby
Dec 8, 2017
The International Chrysotile Association (ICA), founded in 1976 by asbestos vested interests, is a shadow of its former self. Although the ICA is still registered in Quebec as a non-profit organisation and is still funded by asbestos mining and manufacturing corporations “it is increasingly isolated and discredited…” Nowadays, the ICA has directors from just seven countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Mexico, India and USA; since asbestos was banned in Brazil on November 29, 2017, it is likely that number will be reduced to six. See: International asbestos lobby organisation shrinking and doomed.
Oesophageal Cancer and Asbestos
Dec 8, 2017
The Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) has recognized that the death of a former Uralita worker from oesophageal cancer was caused by asbestos exposures experienced during 20 years of employment at the company’s Rocalla de Castelldefels asbestos-cement factory in Barcelona. Despite the fact that oesophageal cancer was not included on the list of diseases caused by asbestos, the Court decided that the evidence regarding the causation of this disease was categorical. See: El TSJC avala que trabajar con amianto puede provocar cáncer de esófago [The TSJC recognizes that working with asbestos can cause esophageal cancer].
Asbestos Scandal: Latest
Dec 8, 2017
The scandal over the sale of asbestos-contaminated shot-blasting material by the Eurogrit subsidiary of Sibelco landed them in a Dutch court which ruled on December 6, 2017 they were liable for damages; the lawsuit was initiated by the Muehlan Company which was awarded interim damages of €49,000 (they had asked for €2.4m). When Muehlan was informed by Eurogrit of the asbestos contamination on October 5, work immediately stopped at 9 locations including an oil rig, bunker vessels and silos. Muehlan says it has incurred a loss of millions of euros. See: Eurogrit aansprakelijk voor schade in asbestschandaal [Eurogrit liable for damages in asbestos scandal].
The Polluter Pays
Dec 8, 2017
Brazil’s Public Prosecutor's Office (MPT) is pioneering programs to monitor workers’ health and diagnose asbestos-related diseases using funds from judicial awards to pay for medical examinations, diagnostic equipment and follow-up programs; asbestos lawsuits have been filed by the MPT in Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, São Paulo and Paraná. There are, in addition, four main public civil actions against Eternit, formerly Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate. See: MPT quer reparação dos danos causados pelo amianto no país [MPT wants to repair the damage caused by asbestos in the country].
Environmental Asbestos Hazard
Dec 7, 2017
Academic researchers have announced findings of tests undertaken using samples of amphibole asbestos fibers collected in Arizona and Montana which document the toxic effects on mice of low level environmental exposures to asbestos. During a presentation last month made at Boulder City Library, Jean Pfau of Montana State University said: “Low exposure caused health effects in mice, suggesting that we cannot dismiss low environmental exposures…We can no longer say there is no health risk.” While the fibers from Arizona seemed to be more toxic, exposures to all the samples led to increased frequency of autoantibodies and inflammation. See: Scientists warn of asbestos risks.
Making a Difference!
Dec 7, 2017
At the annual Christmas picnic of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) on December 3, 2017, a check for $85,000 was presented to Professor Anna Nowak from the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD). The donation was the result of fund-raising efforts during the ADSA’s five-day walk in September 2017 from Merredin to Perth via Bruce Rock, Quairading, Beverley, York and Northam to raise asbestos awareness and support for life-saving research. The money will be used by NCARD for the ADSA PhD Scholarship in Mesothelioma. See: Press release of Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia.
Victim’s Verdict
Dec 6, 2017
The Court of Appeals of Santiago, Chile has confirmed a verdict which ordered the asbestos company Pizarreño S.A. to pay compensation of $80 million (pesos) (US$122,550+) to the children of Manuela del Carmen Marín Cabello, who died on July 18, 2012 as a result of environmental and domestic exposure to asbestos dust brought home on her husband’s work clothes. The court heard evidence documenting the company’s extensive knowledge regarding the deadly hazard of asbestos exposure. See: Pizarreño deberá pagar $80 millones a hijos de mujer que murió de asbestosis [Pizarreño must pay $80 million to children of a woman who died of asbestosis].
The End!
Dec 6, 2017
In a press release issued by Eternit S.A., Brazil’s biggest asbestos conglomerate, on December 5, 2017 the company informed its shareholders and the financial markets that it had suspended mining at Brazil’s only chrysotile asbestos mine, which was operated by the Eternit subsidiary SAMA, following the Supreme Court verdict of November 29 declaring the mining, processing, use, sale and export of asbestos and asbestos-containing products unconstitutional throughout the country. Also suspended were the activities of the Eternit subsidiary Precon Goiás, which was a manufacturer of asbestos cement tiles. See: Eternit S.A. Press release.
Asbestos in Schools
Dec 4, 2017
The Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) has issued new guidance reminding schools of the precautions needed to prevent hazardous exposures caused by pinning up Christmas decorations and exhibits in the majority of schools which still contain asbestos products. According to the Department for Education, pressing staples or pins into asbestos-containing walls or ceilings can release harmful fibers into the air. JUAC has recommended that this alert be incorporated as part of schools’ mandatory asbestos management plans in order to give staff “timely reminders.” See: Schools told not to pin up Christmas decorations in union asbestos guidance.
Port Authority Negligent
Dec 4, 2017
Announcements have been made regarding substantial compensation payments awarded by courts to family members of two men who died of mesothelioma due to occupational asbestos exposures experienced whilst employed by the Trieste Port Authority; the Simoni family was awarded €700,000 for the 2013 death of 64-year old Luigi Simioni who had worked at the port loading and unloading asbestos cargo from 1973 onwards; the relatives of port worker Gina Grube received €645,000. See: Amianto:700 mila euro alla famiglia dell'ex dipendente dall'Autorità portuale [Asbestos: 700 thousand euros to the family of a former employee of the Port Authority].
National Asbestos Profile
Dec 4, 2017
A National Asbestos Profile for Australia has been published in accordance with WHO/ILO guidelines to “provide information and define the baseline situation with regard to the elimination of asbestos-related diseases.” The 49-page document highlights the need for further research into the extent of asbestos contamination of housing stock and the cost and social implications of caring for Australians with asbestos-related diseases. The collection of additional information on these subjects will inform government decisions and enable the implementation of effective measures to prevent future exposures to asbestos. See: National Asbestos Profile for Australia.
Asbestos Ban in 2019!
Dec 1, 2017
At a press conference on Monday, November 27, 2017, Svetlana Bolokan – head of Moldova’s Department for Management of Waste and Chemicals – announced that the country intends to ban the sale and import of chrysotile asbestos-containing materials and chrysotile asbestos fiber by 2019. According to the Moldova news agency Infotag, the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and the Environment has already issued legislation stipulating the provisions and timing of the asbestos prohibitions. See: Шифер вреден для здоровья: в чем кроется опасность? [Asbestos-cement roofing is bad for health: what is the danger?].
Eternit Surrenders!
Nov 30, 2017
On November 27, Eternit – Brazil’s Asbestos Giant – announced that due to falling demand the company would phase-out chrysotile asbestos use from December 2018. Last week, a court in Rio de Janeiro gave the company 120 days to shut down production of asbestos tiles in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Currently, Eternit factories in the cities of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Colombo (PR),Simões Filho (BA), Goiânia and Anápolis (GO) use 60% synthetic polypropylene fiber and 40% chrysotile asbestos in the manufacture of tiles. See: Eternit deixará de usar amianto em fabricação de telhas até 2018 [Eternit to stop using asbestos in tile production in 2018].
Asbestos Ban Still on Track
Nov 30, 2017
The fact that Canada and Ukraine had signed a free trade agreement in August 2017 which stipulated that asbestos imports from Ukraine would be allowed despite a pledge to ban asbestos use in Canada in 2018 had raised serious concerns amongst health advocates. Clarification has been obtained from the Environment & Climate Change Ministry (Canada), which is overseeing the implementation of the ban: “When the new Regulations are in place, the Government of Canada will prohibit the import of asbestos into Canada, and the export of asbestos from Canada to any country including the Ukraine.” See: Canada will prohibit the import of asbestos products from Ukraine.
Asbestos Documentary Award
Nov 29, 2017
On November 26, 2017, the Japanese documentary Sennan Asbestos Disaster won the FILMeX audience award at the Singapore International Film Festival. The director Kazuo Hara accepted the award in person as he was present in his capacity as the FILMeX jury chairman. In October 2017, the film had won the Citizen’s Prize at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in Japan and the Mercenat Award at the Busan International Film Festival in Korea. The documentary is 215 minutes long and took 10 years of research, filming and post-production to bring to the cinema. See: Indonesia’s ‘The Seen and Unseen,’ ‘Marlina’ Share Tokyo FILMeX Grand Prize.
Dynamics behind a National Ban
Nov 29, 2017
An academic paper published in a special issue (Global Panorama of National Experiences in Public Health Actions to Ban Asbestos) of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health considers the failings of multiple stakeholders responsible for the long delay in banning asbestos in New Zealand and delineates strategies which finally resulted in prohibitions being enacted. The authors highlight the importance of maintaining pressure on Governments, public access to information about the asbestos hazard and inter-country dialogue amongst victims, researchers and officials. See: Banning Asbestos in New Zealand, 1936–2016, an 80-Year Long Saga.
Asbestos Site Concerns
Nov 25, 2017
On November 22, 2017, the All Party Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group was informed of concerns about environmental asbestos exposures in the Spodden Valley in the area where the former Turner Brothers Asbestos factory had been sited. The sub-group was asked to look into actions of public and private stakeholders with responsibilities for planning, remediation and public safety relating to asbestos contaminated land. Graham Dring, Chairman of the UK Asbestos Victim Support Group Forum, told the meeting: “Standard testing and remediation techniques for complex asbestos sites may not be safe enough.” See: Spodden Valley ‘Greyfield’ asbestos discussed at Westminster.
Asbestos: Mixed Messages
Nov 25, 2017
An online interview on a Belarus news portal, highlights the asbestos cancer risk to people who worked with asbestos or lived in close proximity to those workers and asserts, wrongly, that the asbestos hazard to construction workers is now “almost completely eliminated” due to the known health effects of asbestos exposures. According to data from the United States Geological Survey in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016, Belarus consumed 6,212, 7,183, and 5,525 tonnes of asbestos, respectively. See: Онколог объясняет, как находят рак, что есть, чтобы не заболеть, и какие анализы сдавать 30-летним [An oncologist explains how to detect cancer, what to eat to avoid it and what tests to take to identify it to a 30-year-old].
Asbestos at Nuclear Processing Plant
Nov 25, 2017
Asbestos contamination was discovered in thermal insulating material for pipes at the Areva nuclear waste reprocessing plant in La Hague, northern France during routine maintenance operations in September 2017. While comments from management sources were reassuring – none of the airborne samples taken have “revealed asbestos particles in suspension” – the labor inspectorate was more cautious, warning of the risk not only to those directly exposed to the asbestos but also to others who may have inhaled fibers present throughout the plant. Processing operations have ceased for the time being. See: La Hague: de l'amiante dans l'usine Areva [The Hague: asbestos in the Areva plant].
Asbestos Scandal Grows!
Nov 24, 2017
The scandal over the use of asbestos-containing shot-blasting material in EU countries has mushroomed as the true scale of the problem has begun to emerge. It had been thought that the number of Dutch companies using the product was 140; as of now, it’s believed that the true figure is 594 companies working at 842 locations in Holland. Two lawsuits have been initiated over the contamination, with the second one filed on November 23, 2017 by the Muehlhan Group, which is claiming €2.4 million for damages and asbestos testing and remediation work. See: Straalmiddel met asbest op veel meer bedrijfslocaties [Blasting agent with asbestos at many more business locations].
Spanish Victims: Protest
Nov 24, 2017
The Association of The Asbestos Injured (APENA) in Murcia, Spain is denouncing a new legal requirement imposed by the Regional Assembly which condemns surviving family members of an asbestos victim “to administrative limbo in the pursuit of their rights.” Unlike procedures in other parts of Spain and most of Europe, autopsies by a forensic doctor have been made mandatory for those who died from occupational exposures to asbestos. This complicated and time-consuming process is, APENA says, unnecessary and invasive. See: Las víctimas del amianto consideran una “humillación” el convenio aprobado en Murcia [Asbestos victims consider the agreement approved in Murcia a “humiliation”].
Demand Grows for Safer Roofing
Nov 24, 2017
HIL Ltd, formerly Hyderabad Industries Ltd, has commissioned a new manufacturing facility in Timmapur, Karnataka, India. According to Managing Director Prashant Vatkar, given the potential for the growth in eco-friendly products, the company is looking to reduce the current 75:25 production ratio of asbestos-containing roofing material to asbestos-free roofing to 60:40 in the next three years. India is currently the world’s biggest market for asbestos imports with the majority of fiber being used in the production of building materials like asbestos roofing. See: HIL commissions Timmapur Plant.
Mesothelioma Data from Turkey
Nov 24, 2017
A high national incidence of mesothelioma in Turkey has been confirmed by a new study reporting data collected by The Turkish Mesothelioma Working Group and the Turkish Public Health Institute for the Turkey National Mesothelioma Surveillance and Environmental Asbestos Exposure Control Program. Based on the statistics gathered, scientists predict that between 2013 and 2033 there could be 2,511 mesothelioma deaths in rural areas; ongoing asbestos exposure in 379 rural villages inhabited by 158,068 people in high-risk areas is a serious cause for concern. See: Turkey National Mesothelioma Surveillance and Environmental Asbestos Exposure Control Program.
Freeing Society from the Asbestos Curse
Nov 24, 2017
An academic paper published in a special issue (Global Panorama of National Experiences in Public Health Actions to Ban Asbestos) of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, details the various measures taken and reversals experienced on the way to eliminating the industrial use of asbestos in Sweden and eradicating the hazards posed by human exposures. Crucial to the prohibitions was a tripartite collaboration of government agencies, employers and trade unions to delineate the challenges faced and to design and implement effective strategies. See: The Tale of Asbestos in Sweden 1972–1986—The Pathway to a Near-Total Ban.
Calls for Tighter Import Controls
Nov 23, 2017
A report issued by the Australian Senate into illegal asbestos imports has confirmed that, despite an asbestos ban implemented in 2003, flouting of the prohibitions are common. Of 4,600 consignments identified as high-risk between July 2016 and January 2017, 290 were tested; 9 were found to contain asbestos. The authors called for tougher penalties and the setting up of a border force unit to tackle the inflow of dangerous asbestos goods. Senators, “deeply concerned’’ about the lack of asbestos awareness amongst building workers, called for mandatory training. See: Senate inquiry recommends crackdown on illegal asbestos imports.
Asbestos Update: Rio de Janeiro
Nov 23, 2017
Today (November 23, 2017) at 13:30 a public lecture will be given by Brazilian engineer Fernanda Giannasi, former labor inspector and leader of the Latin American ban asbestos campaign, on the status of Brazil’s on-going struggle to ban asbestos. Masters students from the occupational health surveillance department and others are invited to attend. The session, which will take place at the National School of Public Health in the Manguinhos area of Rio de Janeiro, will be moderated by Researcher Luis Carlos Fadel. See: Aula aberta Banimento do amianto: uma luta coletiva e continua [Open class on the banning of asbestos: a collective and continuous struggle].
Asbestos on UN Agenda
Nov 23, 2017
On November 27, 2017, schoolteacher Nirmala Gurung from Kymore, Madhya Pradesh, India will inform a UN meeting in Geneva, Switzerland about the deadly repercussions of European asbestos manufacturing operations in her town which even now remains contaminated with asbestos waste. She, like many others, has contracted asbestosis from environmental exposures. The companies which operated these factories were asbestos conglomerates from Britain (Turner and Newall) and Belgium (ETEX/Eternit). See: Madhya Pradesh village sees “slow death” of hundreds of asbestos victims caused by now closed British, Belgian subsidiary.
Spain’s Asbestos Legacy
Nov 23, 2017
As a result of negligent corporations and collusion of the government, 2,000 people die every year from asbestos- diseases in Spain. The online feature article referenced below details the deadly industrial legacy of decades of asbestos manufacturing operations by the Uralita company at its facilities in Cerdanyola del Vallès, near Barcelona. Former workers detail their struggles with asbestos diseases and their efforts to obtain justice through legal and civil actions including the formation in 2009 of the Association of Victims Affected by Asbestos in Catalonia. See: La negra història de l’amiant, un genocidi laboral que no s’acaba [The black history of asbestos, an occupational genocide that is not over].
Nirmala Goes to Geneva!
Nov 21, 2017
On November 27, 2017 Nirmala Gurung will address a United Nations forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland to highlight the ongoing hazard posed to communities living near asbestos factories. Mrs. Gurung, a former headmistress of a secondary school in Kymore, Madhya Pradesh, India is suffering from asbestosis due to environmental asbestos exposures caused by the operations of the British asbestos multinational Turner and Newall PLC and the Belgian ETEX company, both of which dumped asbestos waste on 600,000 square meters of land on which 3,000 people live. See: Environmental Exposure to Asbestos Kills Indian People. Kymore – A Slow-Motion Bhopal.
Government U-Turn?
Nov 21, 2017
In what is seen as an indication that asbestos lobbyists have succeeded in forcing Sri Lanka to reconsider plans to ban asbestos by 2024, last week Science, Technology and Research Minister Susil Premajayantha announced that a team of Sri Lankan experts from various ministries and institutions is being sent to Russia, the world’s biggest asbestos producing nation (and the biggest asbestos supplier to Sri Lanka), to learn more about chrysotile asbestos and its effects on human health. According to the Russians, asbestos can be used safely; independent experts say otherwise. See: Govt. will send experts to Russia to study chrysotile fiber: minister.
The British Asbestos Newsletter
Nov 21, 2017
The Autumn 2017 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The lead article entitled “Asbestos Life and Death in Brexit Britain” considers the country’s mounting death toll caused by asbestos-related diseases and statements by some government officials suggesting that occupational asbestos safeguards will be watered down post-Brexit. The feature headlined: “Another Asbestos Debacle?” compares measures instigated in Europe to protect workers from asbestos-contaminated shot-blasting material with the failure to take action in Britain. See: Issue 105, The British Asbestos Newsletter.
Asbestos Victims’ Mobilization
Nov 20, 2017
On Saturday, November 18, 2017, a capacity crowd gathered in the town of Bom Jesus da Serra in the Brazilian state of Bahia to consider the way ahead for asbestos victims in light of a court verdict which condemned the former asbestos mining company that owned the Sao Felix do Amianto mine and awarded a total of 500 million Reias (US$153.4m) to workers and families whose lives had been decimated by asbestos exposures. See: Audiência Pública hoje em Bom Jesus da Serra/Bahia com familiares e ex-empregados, vitimados pelo amianto [Public hearing today in Bom Jesus da Serra / Bahia with relatives and former employees, victims of asbestos].
Asbestos Alert: China
Nov 20, 2017
A Chinese commentary timed to coincide with November’s global action on lung cancer discussed several myths about the disease and its treatment, and listed five causative factors including exposure to asbestos. “Occupational exposure to asbestos, such as [in] construction, asbestos mining, insulation processing, and vehicle brake repair can cause damage to lung tissue if inhaled. Numerous studies have shown that asbestos exposure significantly increases the risk of lung cancer.” See: 11月"全球肺癌关注月" 警惕肺癌的五大高危因素 [November “Global Lung Cancer Concern Month” alert five risk factors for lung cancer].
More Illegal Asbestos Imports
Nov 20, 2017
Another unwelcome discovery of asbestos in Chinese exports to Australia was reported last week by Worksafe, an Australian Government agency responsible for occupational safety and health, which warned that rail carriage friction wear plates manufactured in China purchased between 2007 and 2014 had tested positive for chrysotile asbestos, a banned substance. Responding to yet another asbestos scare Steve McCartney, WA state secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, said mining companies choosing to “save a buck” by importing rail carriages and parts from overseas were putting workers at risk. See: Asbestos found in WA's rail carriages.
Asbestos Trade Anomaly
Nov 20, 2017
Although the Canadian Government has pledged to ban asbestos by the end of 2018, the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement which came into effect on August 1, 2017 includes on a list of products which will receive preferential treatment: asbestos brake linings, asbestos friction materials, asbestos-cement tiles and asbestos joints. Commenting on this incongruity, a spokesperson for Canada’s Ministry of Environment & Climate Change said “In all free trade agreements, the Canadian government retains the ability to regulate in the public interest, including the area of public health and the environment.” See: Ukraine, Canada, Free Trade and asbestos.
Asbestos Fly-tipping
Nov 20, 2017
Illegal dumping of asbestos debris in Wales has hit a 10 year high with 270 cases of asbestos fly-tipping reported in 2016-17, a 57% increase from the previous year with Merthyr Tydfil the worst affected area; the majority of the waste was discarded along highways or on footpaths and usually consisted of amounts that would fill a car boot or a small van. Commenting on the news, Rebecca Favager from Natural Resources Wales said: “Understanding and complying with the duty of care is key to stopping waste getting into the hands of illegal waste operators and can result in public money being saved…” See: Fly-tipping: Asbestos rubbish dumping hits 10-year high.
Uralita in Cerdanyola
Nov 20, 2017
A one hour film entitled: El amianto asesino [Killer asbestos] which was uploaded to YouTube last week details the deadly human and environmental repercussions of asbestos manufacturing operations over many decades at the Uralita factory in Cerdanyola del Vallès a city in Catalonia, Spain. Using archival photos and personal testimonies, the damaging results of occupational, domestic and environmental exposures to Uralita asbestos are investigated. The factory, which at its inception was seen as a harbinger of modernity, is now viewed as a mass murderer. See: El amianto asesino [Killer asbestos].
Paying the Price for Asbestos Use
Nov 20, 2017
An article in the Autumn 2017 newsletter of the Institute for Work & Health, Toronto updates previous estimates regarding the economic burden of diseases caused by asbestos in Canada in a single year (using the example of 2011) from CA$1.9 billion to CA$2.35 billion – for newly-diagnosed cases of mesothelioma and lung cancer due to occupational and para-occupational (second-hand) exposures in the examined year. The new figures are higher because they include the value of activities in the home. The average costs for mesothelioma and lung cancer cases were estimated as CA$1,130,398 and CA$981,576, respectively. See: Study update: New cases of mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer from one year cost $2.35B.
Infringements of EU Ban!
Nov 17, 2017
A report issued in Helsinki on November 16, 2017 by the European Chemicals Agency documented a high incidence of trade of products contravening EU regulations, including those banning asbestos. Of the 5,625 chemical products checked by inspectors, 13.6% of those which were non-compliant contained asbestos; most of the illegal asbestos was in second-hand goods produced before restrictions came into force. According to EU Directive 1999/77/EC, as of January 1, 2005 the import, production, sale, use and export of all types of asbestos was prohibited. See: Forum for enforcement reviews results of its restriction project and agrees on new actions.
New Mesothelioma Specialist Nurse
Nov 17, 2017
Expert lung cancer nurse Maria Guerin has been appointed as a mesothelioma clinical nurse specialist to support patients in the asbestos hotspot of Merseyside and Cheshire. “Throughout my career,” she said “I’ve witnessed the devastating impact a mesothelioma diagnosis has on people. There is significant ongoing burden of the disease in this area, partially due to employment in the Docklands and the potential access to hazardous asbestos.” Ms. Guerin will be based at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool; her position is being funded by the national charity Mesothelioma UK. See: Specialist nurse appointed to cover high incidence of mesothelioma in North West.
Asbestos Disease and GPs
Nov 17, 2017
A paper uploaded on November 3, 2017 documenting research in the Molise Region highlighted the importance of asbestos awareness amongst Italy’s general practitioners and their role in the surveillance and management of occupational and non-occupational asbestos diseases. The authors concluded that there was a “need to impart… appropriate and standardized information to GPs on environmental and workplace asbestos risks, in order to determine the most suitable support for prevention, early diagnosis and therapy.” See: Asbestos exposures, mesothelioma incidence and mortality, and awareness by general practitioners in the Molise Region, Central Italy.
Asbestos Regulation or Ban?
Nov16, 2017
Today (November 16) from 8 a.m. till noon, a seminar will take place at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia entitled: Asbesto: ¿Regulación o prohibición? [Asbestos: Regulation or prohibition?]. The event is being hosted by the university’s Environment and Public Health Department and features the participation of Senator Nadia Blel, who on October 11, 2017 submitted the “Ana Cecilia Nino” Ban Asbestos Bill to the Colombian Senate. The legislation, which was approved by the 7th Commission of the Senate, called for an end to asbestos mining, processing, consumption, sale and export. See: Asbesto: ¿Regulación o prohibición? [Asbestos: Regulation or prohibition?].
Outrage over Asbestos School
Nov 16, 2017
On November 13, 2017, a demonstration was held by parents of children at the Woodlands Primary School in Pietermaritzburg, the capital of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province, over the Department of Education’s broken promise to build a new school by 2016/2017 to replace the current one that has asbestos roofing. Voicing the concerns of many parents, one spokesperson said: “This school is actually a hazard to our children because it is made from asbestos, and we want the department to build a new school or our children will get sick.” Ward councillor Shawn Adkins, who was at the protest, said: “The untold harmful effects of asbestos on pupils, teachers and the community is yet to be uncovered.” See: Parents protest, demand new school.
Maritime Asbestos Scandal
Nov 16, 2017
Asbestos contamination of ships owned by CMA CGM, a French container transportation and shipping company, was exposed in an October 2017 feature in Le Marin, a weekly publication about the maritime economy. CMA CGM owns 180 vessels; of the 22 registered in the French International Register, 9 contain asbestos in parts such as “seals or brake linings of winches.” The company has announced an internal investigation into this matter and aims to have all boats inspected by asbestos specialists by the end of the year prior to removing all toxic material. See: Monde maritime: “le scandale de l'amiante continue” assure la CGT [Maritime world: “asbestos scandal continues” asserts the CGT].
GE Asbestos Deaths, Ontario
Nov 16, 2017
Hundreds of injured General Electric workers from the company’s Peterborough factory – which in its heyday employed 6,000 people – in Ontario, Canada are still fighting for compensation. A claim submitted by Sandy LeBeau over her husband Ron’s asbestos cancer death was rejected: “The denial came back, that Ron did not work with asbestos. Excuse me, he worked in a crane, with brake pads of asbestos that filtered over his head every time the crane brakes were applied. He had asbestos mitts, he worked in the ovens, they had asbestos blankets in the ’70s that covered these ovens which were the size of a car garage,” she said. See: Lights Out: The Rise and Fall of CGE Peterborough.
Banning Asbestos in Italy
Nov 14, 2017
This paper which details the road to Italy’s asbestos ban is part of the 2017 Special Issue: Global Panorama of National Experiences in Public Health Actions to Ban Asbestos of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The text explains how a major asbestos mining and processing country in the early 20th century transitioned to a leading advocate for national and international prohibitions on asbestos use. The authors highlight the role played by various stakeholders and the importance of integrated environmental health policies and capacity building. See: Asbestos Ban in Italy: A Major Milestone, Not the Final Cut.
Asbestos in Brakes
Nov 14, 2017
Rejecting an appeal by a company from the Gipuzkoa Province of Spain, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Basque Country upheld a ruling by the Social Court of San Sebastian and confirmed that compensation of €154,000 was owed to the family of a worker who died in 2015 due to occupational asbestos exposures experienced from handling and installing brake pads. Welcoming this victory, asbestos victims’ campaigners called for the establishment of a national asbestos compensation fund. See: El TSJPV desestima el recurso de una empresa guipuzcoana por una muerte por Amianto [Court dismisses the appeal of a Gipuzkoan company over asbestos death].
More Data Needed!
Nov14, 2017
Papers just published by Australian researchers concluded that a lack of data about occupational lung diseases is impacting on the identification of hazardous materials. “There is a pressing need to gather systematic data on the causes, prevalence, incidence and impact of occupational lung diseases, such as through a national occupational disease registry.” Australia’s asbestos epidemic will continue for decades to come and the hazards posed by exposures during renovation work must be addressed due to the widespread prevalence of asbestos in homes. See: Concern about asbestos exposure during renovations as mesothelioma expected to remain in Australia for decades.
Asbestos Victims’ Mobilization
Nov 13, 2017
On Saturday November 11, 2017, asbestos-exposed ex-employees and relatives of deceased workers who had worked at the Infibra plant in Londrina held discussions regarding the filing of a public civil action against the company, which shut in 2003. Commenting on the lawsuit, Márcia Rodrigues Gamba, whose father died from asbestosis in 2013 and had worked for Infibra from 1985 to 2003, said: “The collective action is related to the health damage of those exposed to asbestos and aims also to provide compensation to relatives of people who died due to [asbestos] diseases.” See: Ex-trabalhadores de Londrina vão cobrar indenizações por Amianto [Former workers in Londrina to collect asbestos indemnities].
Asbestos in Talcum Powder
Nov 13, 2017
It was announced last week that on October 30, 2017 the US company Colgate-Palmolive Co. had settled a lawsuit brought by Carol Schoeniger, a Pennsylvania woman who claimed she contracted mesothelioma as a result of using the company’s talcum powder products; the terms of the agreement were not made public. In filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Colgate-Palmolive admitted that it faces more than 170 similar cases, having resolved 43 cases so far this year. Johnson & Johnson is facing 5,500+ ovarian cancer claims resulting from the use of its iconic Baby Powder. See: Colgate-Palmolive Settles Claims Over Asbestos in Talc.
CGT Union vs GM Spain
Nov 13, 2017
After several years and complaints by the CGT union, the Labor Inspectorate of Zaragoza ordered the Opel manufacturing company (GM Spain) to recognize individuals at-risk from occupational asbestos exposures between the years 1982 and 1986; not only those who worked directly with asbestos but those exposed carrying out “auxiliary and complementary tasks.” A spokesperson for the union said the CGT was satisfied that all asbestos-exposed workers will be eligible for medical examinations and benefits under the Opel asbestos protocol. See: Inspección de Trabajo requiere a Opel ampliar el listado de afectado por el Amianto [Work Inspectorate requires Opel to expand list of asbestos at-risk workers].
Victory: For Asbestos Claimants
Nov 13, 2017
The claims of two families whose loved ones died from asbestos-related diseases as a result of occupational exposures at the Bombardier factory in Crespin, northern France have succeeded, as the company abandoned its appeal over a verdict condemning it for “inexcusable fault” in failing to protect employees from hazardous substances. Commenting on the victory, Nacim Bardi, the daughter of one of the deceased, said that the ruling set a precedent and paved the way for others to bring similar claims against Bombardier. See: Amiante: l'entreprise Bombardier renonce à faire appel [Asbestos: Bombardier Relinquishes Appeal].
Asbestos Removal: Parents’ Objections
Nov 12, 2017
Protests from parents of children attending the Puig Adam Institute, in Getafe, Madrid succeeded in stopping demolition work at a derelict municipal sports center 50 meters from the school. The objections related to promises by the City Council that all asbestos removal work would be undertaken during non-school hours; due to inclement weather, plans to remove and dispose of the center’s asbestos-cement roof were delayed resulting in work being rescheduled for Monday November 6. See: Alarma en un instituto de Getafe por la retirada de amianto en un polideportivo municipal [Alarm in Getafe institute as asbestos removed from municipal sports center].
Asbestos: Crime and Punishment
Nov 12, 2017
An editorial in Libération, a daily newspaper in France, condemned successive administrations for consistently failing to protect public health from exposures to harmful substances such as asbestos and pesticides, and for their inability to hold to account negligent individuals and corporations: “Some victims manage, by dint of obstinacy, to be compensated. But industrial and political leaders are never condemned.” Author Alexandra Schwartzbrod calls for complete independence of prosecutors and the strict application of the precautionary principle. See: Produits toxiques:inaction [Toxic products: inaction].
Victory for Naval Workers
Nov 10, 2017
Finally, on November 7, 2017 after three years of legal manoeuvres, 151 workers received compensation of between €5,000 and €12,000 from the Ministry of the Armed Forces, for asbestos exposures experienced during their employment at the Lorient arsenal, a series of naval installations along the coast of Brittany. The compensation payments were presented during a hearing at which the public rapporteur admitted “the negligent failure of the state, public employer, especially in the implementation of measures to prevent asbestos exposures.” See: Amiante: 151 ouvriers de l’arsenal indemnisés [Asbestos: 151 compensated arsenal workers].
Asbestos Tests and Imports
Nov 8, 2017
Oman’s Public Authority for Consumer Protection has ordered that tea and coffee pots and thermos flasks sold under the brand names Regal, Legend, Royal and Monarch be withdrawn from sale after laboratory tests undertaken revealed the presence of asbestos. The Authority’s Director of Quality Control said there are “continuous efforts to follow up defective goods that are harmful to the health and safety of the consumer.” Oman banned asbestos imports, use and sale in 2008. Suppliers have been told that products must have certificates proving they are asbestos-free as of December 1, 2017. See: Toxic asbestos find leads to recall of tea and coffee pots in Oman.
France’s Asbestos Shame
Nov 8, 2017
In an interview today with a major French newspaper asbestos campaigner and former worker Josette Roudaire, who is one of the activists whose work is featured in a documentary film being premiered on November 8 in France, denounces the country’s continued failures to support asbestos-injured workers and punish negligent asbestos defendants for their criminal actions. Amongst her former surviving colleagues from the Amisol asbestos factory, all 270 are sick; she herself has pleural plaques. See: Amiante: «C’est un crime d’indifférence. Qu’est-ce qu’on en a à foutre que des ouvriers meurent ?» [Asbestos: “It's a crime of indifference. What do we care about workers dying?”].
HSE Investigation
Nov 7, 2017
Today (November 7, 2017), a spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed that the: “HSE is investigating following reports of a small number of UK users who may have been supplied with [asbestos] contaminated shot-blasting material. We are also meeting with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on this issue. As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further at this time.” The discovery last month that toxic sandblasting products were being sold in several European countries has caused a furore amongst trade unions and health authorities and led to product recalls by the Dutch Eurogrit Company which had supplied the contaminated product since 2015.
Asbestos Documentary!
Nov 7, 2017
On November 8, 2017, a new documentary will be premiered depicting the battle for justice by victims of asbestos and pesticides in France. The director Pierre Pezerat is the son of one of France’s foremost scientist-activists Henri Pezerat. The Sentinels of the title are the men and women who fought to protect the environment and the population from these hazardous substances. The contributions of leading figures like Henri Pezerat, Annie Thebaud-Mony and farmer Paul François are highlighted. See: Les Sentinelles: hommage aux victimes de l'amiante et des pesticides [The Sentinels: tribute to the victims of asbestos and pesticides].
Travesty of Justice
Nov 7, 2017
On November 6, 2017, the Bologna Criminal Court absolved two executives of the OGR railway company – Franco Cataoli and Eduardo Cardini – of negligence over four asbestos deaths of workers who had been employed at the company’s railway repair workshops in Bologna during the 1970s and 1980s. A spokesperson for AFeVA, the local asbestos victims association, called the ruling “incomprehensible” and said the association would carefully consider the verdict before deciding whether to appeal. See: Morti per amianto a Bologna, assolti due dirigenti delle Ogr [Two OGR executives absolved in asbestos deaths in Bologna].
Anomaly: Bilateral Trade Pact
Nov 7, 2017
A trade agreement between Ukraine and Canada, a country on the verge of banning asbestos, came into effect on August 1, 2017; ironically, the agreement endorses the export of asbestos products. The Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) was signed under the previous Prime Minister. Requests to current Ministers about how this anomaly will be addressed have gone unanswered. According to the author: “under CUFTA, any refusal by Canada to accept asbestos products from Ukraine could be challenged by companies in Ukraine wishing to export asbestos-containing products to Canada and seeking compensation for ‘lost profits’.” See: Why does the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement include asbestos?
Asbestos Disease at the Shipyards
Nov 6, 2017
The first report has been published documenting the occurrence of asbestosis amongst workers from the Sitakunda, Bangladesh ship-breaking yards. Ninety-four workers were examined at asbestos diagnosis camps in July 2016 and January 2017 by the Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation. Thirty-three (35%) were diagnosed with asbestosis. The authors recommend that an occupational health service be set up for ship-breakers and their families. See: Parenchymal asbestosis due to primary asbestos exposure among ship-breaking workers: report of the first cases from Bangladesh.
Asbestos: Natural Disasters
Nov 6, 2017
A study was undertaken in Sri Lanka to assess the incidence of asbestos disease in a cohort of 230 workers occupationally exposed to asbestos: 17.4% had radiographic abnormalities and another 7% had fibrosis. One of the most interesting findings was the prevalence amongst affected patients of demolition workers and post-tsunami clean-up operatives. The author concluded that: “there are significant implications for cleanup workers worldwide when dealing with asbestos debris after hurricanes, tornados, typhoons and tsunamis.” A poster on this research was presented at the October 2017 meeting of the Collegium Ramazzini in Capri, Italy. See: Prevalence of Asbestos-Related Disease Among Workers in Sri Lanka.
Asbestos Hazards: New Technology
Nov 6, 2017
New computer software created by two New Zealand asbestos experts will allow tradespeople such as plumbers and electricians to use smartphones or tablets to identify potential asbestos sources present at a worksites. The software enables the identification of products with the use of barcode technology which indicates where asbestos-containing products may be located. The developers of this scan-based management system are hopeful it will help prevent hazardous exposures and ensure compliance with stricter asbestos regulations coming into force in New Zealand. See: Asbestos expert creates warning system as new rules bite.
US Asbestos Ban Bill
Nov 5, 2017
On November 2, 2017 Senator Jon Tester introduced a bill to ban asbestos in the US; this is the 6th such Congressional bill to be considered over the last 20 years. Commenting on his sponsorship of the proposal, the Montana Senator said: “Asbestos has already taken the lives of too many Montanans, and banning this harmful substance will prevent the future loss of life. Just ask the families in Libby and Troy; there’s no place for asbestos in our communities. This bill will protect families, our environment, and our communities.” See: Tester Introduces Bill to Ban Asbestos, Protect Public Health.
Victory at High Court!
Nov 5, 2017
A statement on behalf of victorious parties on October 27, 2017 in “construction asbestos litigation” before the Tokyo High Court said the ruling solidly established the government’s liability to compensate asbestos-injured construction workers, assigned asbestos manufacturers’ responsibility to compensate construction workers with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer and diffuse pleural thickening and ordered manufacturers to compensate self-employed workers. The text calls on the Government to create a compensation fund for construction workers and take immediate steps to resolve ongoing litigation. See: Statement of plaintiffs, their attorneys and supporters on the Tokyo High Court ruling on October 27, 2017.
Evidence Supports Asbestos Ban
Nov 5, 2017
A paper based on research undertaken by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and the European Centre for Environment and Health concludes that: “The substantial and increasing costs associated with the continued production and use of asbestos far outweigh the short-term and often only local economic benefits… [and notes] that, banning the production and use of all forms of asbestos, as recommended by the International Labour Organization and WHO, continues to be the most efficient and proven evidence-based strategy to eliminate ARD’s.” See: Barriers and Facilitators to the Elimination of Asbestos Related Diseases—Stakeholders’ Perspectives.
Calls for Asbestos Relief Scheme
Nov 3, 2017
An editorial published on November 2, 2017 called on the Japanese Government to “craft a new program to provide relief to the victims, many of whom are aging and ailing” in the wake of the country’s first high court ruling on asbestos damages to construction workers, thousands of whom have died from occupational diseases. The landmark verdict handed down on October 27, 2017 in Tokyo ordered the Government and four building material makers to pay compensation to 62 plaintiffs; this decision reversed a district court ruling that had absolved the government and firms of liability. See: Addressing workers’ health damage from asbestos.
Asbestos Insulation Hazard
Nov 3, 2017
A study to quantify health risks associated with living in houses insulated with asbestos was undertaken which compared the incidence of mesothelioma and other cancers in 1 million+ residents of the Australian Capital Territory who did and did not live in houses insulated with loose-fill asbestos (known to one and all in Australia as Mr. Fluffy). The researchers found that “the adjusted incidence of mesothelioma in males who had lived at an affected property was 2·5 times that of unexposed males… there was an elevated incidence of colorectal cancer in women … prostate cancer in men … [male] colorectal cancer was increased…” See: Risk of cancer associated with residential exposure to asbestos insulation: a whole-population cohort study.
Asbestos Industry Onslaught
Nov 3, 2017
Students in Belgorod, Russia were targeted by an asbestos salesman in a lecture last month to encourage the use of asbestos cement by architects. From online reports, it seems the event followed the same pattern as propaganda exercises in the cities of Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod where students were also informed of the virtues of asbestos and shown product samples before being told of cash prizes for winners of a competition to design projects using asbestos for updating the urban environment. See: Белгородские студенты-архитекторы обновят городскую среду с помощью изделий из хризотилцемента [Belgorod architects will update the urban environment with products from chrysotile cement].
Grassroots Activism on Asbestos!
Nov 3, 30217
A week of mobilization by grassroots campaigners in Indonesia has raised awareness of the twin hazards posed by exposures of children to leaded paints and asbestos. Activities undertaken in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Bekasi, Yogyakarta and Denpasar were scheduled to take place during International Week of Lead Hazard Prevention 2017 (October 22-28 2017). Despite the existence of some asbestos regulations and standards and the classification of asbestos as a Hazardous (B3) substance, the use of asbestos is still permitted in Indonesia for multiple purposes such as roofing for primary schools. See: Stop the Use of Lead Paint and Asbestos Roofs to Protect the Future of Indonesian Children.
Kenya’s Asbestos Challenges
Nov 2, 2017
Despite a 2006 Kenyan law banning the use of new asbestos and regulations by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on asbestos disposal, asbestos-containing products remain in place, are widely recycled by residents, shop owners and others and are illegally dumped when no longer fit for purpose. According to a NEMA spokesman the process of removing toxic asbestos roofing of residential properties could take another 10 years and cost Sh500 million (~US$5m). The cost advantage of asbestos products and a lack of awareness of the toxicity of asbestos are issues which need to be addressed. See: State banned asbestos in 2006 for link to cancer.
Asbestos in Schools
Nov 2, 2017
An online commentary alleges that in 20 years nothing has changed regarding the hazard posed by asbestos-containing products in French schools. Eighty per cent of the schools built before 1997 in the city of Lyon contain asbestos. There is no mapping of the asbestos in the buildings and no information provided to pupils, parents or the staff about the situation, despite awareness of the health risks by municipalities, departmental and regional councils. Data cited shows that teachers and former pupils have died from asbestos diseases. See: La France n’arrive toujours pas à se débarrasser de l’amiante dans ses écoles [France still can not get rid of asbestos in its schools].
Hong Kong’s Asbestos Ban
Nov 2, 2017
The large amounts of asbestos used in Hong Kong’s residential buildings, the increase in diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases and the work of social actors are considered in a new paper about the means used to achieve a ban on asbestos in Hong Kong. Highlighting the importance of civil society mobilization, the authors conclude that “efforts from different stakeholders including patients’ self-help organizations, NGOs, legislative councillors, and media power are absolutely essential to the success of progression and development in today’s asbestos banning in HK.” See: History of Asbestos Ban in Hong Kong.
Mixed Outcome: Asbestos Appeal
Oct 31, 2017
Although the Supreme Court of South Australia has reduced a record compensation payout of more than a million dollars awarded by the Adelaide District Court to mesothelioma victim Anthony Latz by $195,826, in the same October 30, 2017 ruling the Court increased the amount of exemplary damages awarded against Mr. Latz’s former employer James Hardie from $30,000 to $250,000 setting a South Australia record. Legal experts believe the exemplary damages award could benefit many Australians bringing claims for hazardous asbestos exposures experienced at home or at work. See: James Hardie asbestos victim gets record compensation payout cut.
Remediation of Public Buildings
Oct 31, 2017
Portugal’s Parliament has recommended that asbestos be removed from public buildings according to a resolution approved on October 4 and published on October 30 in the Diário da República, the official gazette of Portugal. The resolution instructs the Government to “make effective the updating of the list of asbestos-containing materials in buildings, facilities and equipment where public services are provided and carry out the consequent removal, packaging and disposal of their waste.” See: Parlamento recomenda ao Governo que retire amianto de edifícios com serviços públicos [Parliament recommends the Government remove asbestos from public buildings].
Asbestos Ban: Progress
Oct 30, 2017
The Canadian Government’s announcement in December 2016 that a national prohibition on mining, use, sale and imports of asbestos would be enacted has engendered a flurry of discussions and consultations some of which are detailed in the document entitled: Consultation on the Proposed Regulatory Approach to Prohibit Asbestos and Products Containing Asbestos. Submissions received from trade unions, asbestos victims’ groups and other stakeholders are being considered in finalizing the detailed legislation required to implement the ban in Autumn 2018. See: Consultation on the Proposed Regulatory Approach to Prohibit Asbestos and Products Containing Asbestos.
Asbestos and French Fries
Oct 30, 2017
A Colombian commentary compares asbestos and French fries, both of which are widely consumed and injurious to health. The WHO, a long-standing advocate for ending asbestos use, is calling for action to reduce consumption of over processed food. The same industry strategy that sank a proposed soda tax is being wielded to deter or delay efforts in Colombia to end asbestos use. Amongst the lobbyists are “hired experts” employed to manufacture doubt. “In Colombia,” the author writes “we are in the process of documenting the lobbying of industries… A good start is to keep track of lobbyists and merchants of doubt about asbestos and over-processed foods.” See: Asbesto y papas fritas [Asbestos and French Fries].
EU Support: No to Toxic Dump
Oct 30, 2017
A petition by an Italian community opposed to the development of an asbestos waste dumpsite in Roaschia, Piedmont has been accepted by the European Parliament which is forwarding it to the EU Commission for consideration in 2018. The petition was submitted by Alberto Cirio, an Italian Member of the European Parliament. Commenting on the Parliament’s support, Cirio said: “The fact that it is welcomed makes us optimistic because it is evidence of the import of our concerns.” See: Roaschia, Bruxelles sostiene il “no” alla discarica di Amianto [Roaschia, Brussels supports “no” at the asbestos dump].
Banning Asbestos in the US
Oct 30, 2017
A chapter of the special issue “Global Panorama of National Experiences in Public Health Actions to Ban Asbestos” of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health – which has just been uploaded – considers the reversals, missed opportunities and victories in the campaign to ban asbestos in the United States. Co-authors Drs Landrigan and Lemen affirm that the “The failure to ban asbestos in the United States is a national scandal and an affront to morality and human decency” and express some optimism that “asbestos will finally be banned in the United States under the Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical safety for the 21st Century Act.” See: Toward an Asbestos Ban in the United States.
Asbestos Documentary
Oct 30, 2017
The documentary “Do not Breathe – Contains Asbestos” was shown in the city of Florianópolis last week, after which a discussion took place that provided the opportunity for the director André Campos, Fernanda Giannasi, retired labor inspector and co-founder of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, Márcia Kamei López Aliaga, manager of the Labor Public Ministry’s National Program to Ban Asbestos and others to consider recent developments regarding the prohibition of asbestos production and use in Brazil. See: Lançado em Florianópolis o Documentário “Não Respire – Contém Amianto” [Released in Florianópolis the Documentary “Do not Breathe – Contains Asbestos”].
Legal Precedent!
Oct 27, 2017
A major victory was achieved today for construction workers in a verdict handed down by the Tokyo High Court which recognized the negligence of the government and asbestos manufacturers for injuries caused by asbestos exposures at construction sites. The decision of the Presiding Judge Atsuo Nagano overturned the ruling of the Yokohama District Court, which had dismissed the plaintiffs’ claim. While several asbestos cases have been won against the government, this is only the 3rd against manufacturers and the first such High Court decision. See: 石綿訴訟、国とメーカー４社に賠償命令…控訴審 [Asbestos lawsuit, orders for compensation to 4 companies and manufacturers ... appeal trial].
Russian Asbestos to Paraguay?
Oct 26, 2017
Evgeny Kuyvashev, the Governor of the Sverdlovsk region – Russia’s asbestos heartland – took part in trade negotiations between Russian officials, including the Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, and Paraguay’s Minister of State for Construction and Communications Ramon Jimenez Gaona and his team, during a trip to Latin America. Russian news reports claim that Kuyvashev offered to sell “cheap asbestos” to Paraguay, a country which in 2013 supported a UN motion to regulate global sales of chrysotile asbestos (see: Rotterdam Convention 2013 Dossier of Daily Reports). See: Свердловская область готова сотрудничать с Парагваем в сфере строительства [Sverdlovsk region cooperating with Paraguay in the field of construction].
Mesothelioma Causation
Oct 26, 2017
A feature linking asbestos exposure and the occurrence of incurable malignant mesothelioma has been uploaded to an online news source in Ukraine, a country whose asbestos ban had been prevented by industry stakeholders earlier this year (see update to: Ukraine Bans Asbestos!). The article highlights many commercial uses of asbestos as well as the hazards from occupational and environmental exposures and the take-home risk posed to family members of asbestos fibers on workclothes. See: Злокачественная мезотелиома: причины и лечение [Malignant mesothelioma: causes and treatment].
Progress Towards a Ban!
Oct 26, 2017
At a meeting of trade union personnel, medical professionals, media specialists and campaigners held on October 23, 2017 in the capital of Laos, Vientiane, it was decided to form an information and advocacy network that would implement initiatives to raise occupational and public awareness of the asbestos hazard and work towards achieving a national asbestos ban. The name of the new group is LaoBan and it will collaborate with similar organizations in the region including: Ina-Ban (Indonesia), BANJAN (Japan), BANKO (Korea), T-BAN (Thailand), VN-BAN (Vietnam), etc. See: picture of Vientiane meeting.
Asbestos: Ignoring the Obvious
Oct 26, 2017
Fire-fighters are one of a number of at-risk and campaigning groups condemning plans by the Trump administration to downgrade a review of dangerous chemicals including asbestos. As originally proposed, the initiative was intended to improve regulations to protect public and occupational safety. Under Trump’s EPA only products being manufactured and sold, and not toxins already in public use, will be investigated. For asbestos, this means ignoring the hazards posed by 8+million tons of asbestos-containing products already in the US and only considering the few hundred tons of annual imports. See: EPA chemical review would exclude millions of tons of toxins.
Asbestos Fly-tipping: Arrest
Oct 26, 2017
Investigations by the New South Wales (NSW) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the NSW Police Force into alleged illegal dumping of toxic debris resulted in the arrest of a 46-year old Sydney man who was charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, after having illegally disposed of 1,400 tonnes of asbestos-contaminated waste from a building site in Darlington. According to a spokesman for the NSW Environmental Protection Agency: “Illegal dumping is a serious crime that can have severe impacts on the environment and can endanger the community.” See: Man arrested following investigation into alleged illegal dumping of asbestos.
Landmark Ruling in Yokohama
Oct 25, 2017
On October 24, 2017, the Yokohama District Court awarded 61 asbestos-injured construction workers or surviving family members a total of ¥306 million (US$2.7m) compensation, from the Japanese government and two asbestos manufacturers of construction materials, for occupational exposures to asbestos. Judge Yuko Otake’s verdict found that the Japanese government had failed to enact adequate asbestos regulations and that Nozawa Corporation and Nichias Corporation had neglected to warn their workers of the asbestos hazard. See: 61 plaintiffs seek ¥1.7 billion from state and materials makers for asbestos ills, some to share ¥306 million.
Asbestos Action
Oct 25, 2017
During the World Health Organization’s “International lead poisoning prevention week of action” from October 22 to 28, 2017, campaigners in Indonesia are highlighting the double risks to children of the presence of lead-containing paint and asbestos-containing products in their schools. Members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have issued an appeal for government action after a study by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and NGOs highlighted the human health threats of these toxic products. See: Bahan Berbahaya Beracun - Hentikan Pakai Cat Bertimbal dan Asbes [Hazardous Materials – Stop Using Leaded Paint and Asbestos].
Mesothelioma Medical Costs
Oct 25, 2017
A Leeds asbestos claimant has come to an agreement with defendant insurers that they will cover future costs for his treatment for the cancer mesothelioma, a disease he was diagnosed with in 2015. The setting up of a Periodical Payments Order eradicates: “some of the uncertainty that comes with settling this type of claim... none of the treatment available to this Claimant can be obtained on the NHS free of charge.” In what is being hailed as “the first of its kind for mesothelioma cases,” the claimant will be assured that whenever “treatment is needed, it is covered.” See: ‘Landmark Agreement’ To Provide For Cancer Treatment In Mesothelioma Legal Case.
Construction Workers Victory!
Oct 24, 2017
On October 24, a verdict by the Yokohoma District Court awarded damages against the Japanese Government and 2 major asbestos product manufacturers to construction workers injured by occupational asbestos exposures. In previous cases, 6 other courts ordered the Government to compensate construction workers; two district courts awarded damages against manufacturers. On October 27, the Tokyo High Court will hand down its verdict in another asbestos action by construction workers that was originally rejected by the Yokohama District Court. See: 国とメーカーに賠償命令 建設アスベスト神奈川訴訟 企業責任、認定２例目 [Kanagawa court holds companies responsible for asbestos exposures to construction workers].
Ban Asbestos Action
Oct 24, 2017
A workshop entitled “Risk of Asbestos in Engineering” was held at the Engineering and Technology Training Center in Phonm Penh, Cambodia on October 18, 2017 by the Board of Engineering of Cambodia, Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and Australia's Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA). The event was facilitated by Phillip Hazelton, APHEDA’s regional campaigner and was supported by trade unions, non-government organizations and government agencies; the tagline of the event was: Fighting together to eliminate asbestos from Cambodia. See: Footage of Cambodian TV coverage of this meeting.
Public Health Surveillance
Oct 24, 2017
Coordination amongst medical experts and healthcare institutions in Tuscany has resulted in a pioneering programme operational since April 3, 2017 benefiting more than 5,000 asbestos-exposed workers eligible for free medical healthcare and follow-ups. An explanatory note about this scheme notes that: “The involvement of specific public health services and the cooperation of social stakeholders (unions and asbestos workers associations namely)… are expected to help in enhancing the participation to the programme of all the past asbestos workers.” See: Health surveillance for workers with previous exposure to asbestos: a specific programme developed in Tuscany Region (central Italy).
Asbestos Civil Action
Oct 23, 2017
The Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) has filed a public civil action against asbestos manufacturer Brasilit, claiming material – medical, hospital, physiotherapeutic and psychological healthcare costs for workers and family members – and moral damages for 2,000 workers exposed to asbestos at the company’s São Caetano do Sul factory. ABREA seeks to annul extrajudicial agreements preventing former employees from filing lawsuits in return for healthcare funded by their former employer. See: ACP contra Brasilit pede indenização a 2 mil ex-empregados contaminados por Amianto [ACP v Brasilit seeks compensation for former 2,000 asbestos-exposed employees].
Alert: Brake Shop Mechanics
Oct 23, 2017
The results of research undertaken by environmental engineer Maria Fernanda Cely-García in 18 brake workshops in Bogotá over 99 days has shown that workers in this cohort are exposed to levels of asbestos up to five times higher than legal limits as a result of which 26% of the 50 workers examined exhibited lung abnormalities related to asbestos. Common national and international standards set permissible levels of asbestos exposure at 0.1 f/cc (0.1 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter); levels found in the Bogotá workshops reached 0.6 f/cc. See: Asbesto, un peligro para los mecánicos [Asbestos, a danger to mechanics].
Film: Sennan Asbestos Disaster
Oct 23, 2017
A Japanese documentary film entitled Sennan Asbestos Disaster by director Kazuo Hara won the Citizen’s Prize at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival earlier this month (October 2017) and on October 22 won the Mercenat Award at the Busan International Film Festival in Korea. The film will be screened at other festivals in the coming months. It is 215 minutes long and took 10 years of research, filming and post-production to bring to the cinema. See press release: Sennan Asbestos Disaster.
Achieving Total Asbestos Ban
Oct 21, 2017
The steps needed to achieve a total ban on asbestos in Japan and conclusions drawn from the process are described in a paper just published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The authors described missed opportunities and delays and highlighted the impact of the asbestos scandal – known as “the Kubota Shock” – which propelled asbestos onto the national agenda. Also mentioned are the Global Asbestos Congress 2000 (Brazil) and the Global Asbestos Congress 2004 (Japan) which signified the growth of concern regarding the asbestos hazard around the world. See: Experience of Japan in Achieving a Total Ban on Asbestos.
Asbestos Propaganda Machine
Oct 21, 2017
On October 12, 2017 architectural students at Kazan Construction College in Tatarstan, Russia became the latest targets of asbestos industry propaganda when they were addressed by Vladimir Petrovich Uglev, technical director of the “Chrysotile Association,” a body dedicated to promoting sales of asbestos. One week earlier (see: Asbestos Lobby Targets Students), students at Nizhny Novgorod State University of Civil Engineering had been lectured by Vladimir Galitsyn, a director of the same association. Students were urged to participate in a competition by submitting designs for asbestos projects. See: Студенты-архитекторы из Казани заново открыли для себя хризотил [Architectural Students from Kazan rediscover chrysotile].
VICTORY in Case for Naval Personnel
Oct 21, 2017
Having acknowledged negligence in failing to protect a navy captain and lieutenant from asbestos exposure as a result of which both men died from asbestos-related diseases, Spain’s Ministry of Defense agreed, after court proceedings, to pay compensation to surviving family members of €135,000 and €130,000, respectively. Both men served in the navy for decades beginning in the 1950s; the captain died in 1998 and the lieutenant in 2015. Asbestos was widely used throughout Spanish naval ships and facilities. See: Ministerio de Defensa indemniza a los herederos de dos víctimas del amianto en la Armada [Ministry of Defense compensates heirs of two Naval asbestos victims].
Asbestos Scandal!
Oct 20, 2017
A furore has engulfed hundreds of firms and employers in the Netherlands and Belgium where the use of an asbestos-contaminated industrial cleaning agent for the removal of rust and dirt from steel surfaces was discovered at a site in Rotterdam earlier this month. The contaminated substance was sold by Eurogrit, a company based in the western Netherlands; Eurogrit is being investigated by government agencies and criticized by trade unions which have condemned the failure to prevent the import of toxic goods into the country. The company which says it has never checked for asbestos has recalled all delivered products. See: FNV krijgt inzage in lijst Eurogrit [FNV gets access to Eurogrit list].
Schools: Asbestos Epidemic
Oct 20, 2017
Data released on October 19, 2017 by the UNISON trade union documented an appalling epidemic of occupational mortality caused by exposures to asbestos in schools. Between 1980 and 2015, 335 primary and secondary school teachers, eight school secretaries, eight nursery nurses, 18 school midday assistants and 24 teaching assistants died of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Commenting on these statistics, UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “The cuts in schools budgets and the fragmentation of the school system have undermined how health and safety risks such as asbestos are managed.” See: Figures reveal toll of asbestos in schools.
Mesothelioma in Australia
Oct 20, 2017
The 30-page document entitled “Mesothelioma in Australia 2016: 6th Annual Report,” reported that as of May 31, 2017 the Australian Mesothelioma Registry (AMR) had received 700 notifications of mesothelioma diagnoses made between January 1 and December 21, 2016; the vast majority of new cases were males aged 65 years or over. Data gathered from interviews with hundreds of those affected was informative: 60% reported occupational asbestos exposure, 82% cited non-occupational exposure, 7% had no information on occupational or non-occupational asbestos exposure. See: Mesothelioma in Australia2016: 6th Annual Report.
Asbestos Company Charged
Oct 19, 2017
The first hearing was held on October 17, 2017 in the 2nd Labor Court of Simões Filho, Bahia, Brazil of charges brought by the Public Labor Ministry of Bahia against Eternit S.A. which is alleged to have illegally exposed workers in its Simões Filho headquarters to high levels of toxic asbestos. If convicted the company could face penalties of R$225 million (US$71m). Eternit has 15 days to submit an agreement to phase out asbestos use in its factory. See: Eternit na BA pode ser condenada a indenizar sociedade em R$ 225 mi por uso de amianto [Eternit in BA may be ordered to indemnify society for R $225 million for use of asbestos].
Banning Asbestos: the Process
Oct 19, 2017
A new academic paper details the dynamics and social, economic, and scientific forces which achieved Taiwan’s ban asbestos legislation; as of January, 2018 a total ban will be in place. Amongst the driving forces discussed is the work of “visionary scholars and healthcare professionals,” growing environmental awareness, transnational networking by health activists and the decline of the asbestos industrial sector. To effectively protect Taiwan citizens from the asbestos hazard, the ban must be accompanied, the authors write, by a “thorough long-term healthcare plan for the neglected victims of asbestos-related diseases…” See: Transnational Dynamics Amid Poor Regulations: Taiwan’s Asbestos Ban Actions and Experiences.
Surge in Asbestos-Free Development
Oct 19, 2017
The development of Sri Lanka’s red clay sector is surging with domestic and foreign demand exceeding supply. According to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathludeen: “Our clay is high quality and is in demand for roof tile making due to the asbestos import ban starting next year (2018)… We sent 30 Sri Lankan red clay industrialists for technological training to Belgium and China.” Some of Sri Lankan asbestos-free red tile production is now being exported to the UK; the Sri Lankan government is supporting initiatives to help cut production costs and improve the quality of output. See: New support for Sri Lanka porcelain, red clay and glass.
Support grows for Asbestos Ban
Oct 18, 2017
The publication of a commentary regarding the mobilization of ban asbestos support in Colombia highlighted a successful vote by the Congress, after six previous attempts, to prohibit the production, sale and use of asbestos. The “Ana Cecilia Niño” bill was sponsored by Senator Nadia Blel and supported by the executive branch, specifically the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministries of Health and Social Protection, Labor, Environment and Territorial Development. The bill will now be debated in a plenary session of the House of Representatives and committee and plenary sessions of the Senate. See: ¿Será que ahora sí? (Could it be now?)
Naturally Occurring Asbestos
Oct 18, 2017
A publication entitled “Naturally Occurring Asbestos – Asbestos Management Plan Guide” has been produced by the Heads of Asbestos Coordination Authorities (HACA) to help people living and working in rural areas of New South Wales (NSW), Australia prevent exposures to naturally occurring asbestos found in the State’s rocks, sediments and soils. According to Peter Dunphy, Executive Director of SafeWork NSW and Chair of HACA: “Under work health and safety laws, property owners, managers, and workers must take appropriate precautions to ensure naturally occurring asbestos is identified and managed safely.” See: New asbestos guide launched.
Asbestos Navy
Oct 18, 2017
A book has just been published in Italian by Lino Lava and Giuseppe Pietrobelli, entitled “Navi d’amianto” (Asbestos navy), detailing the fight against the asbestos enemy present in so many naval machine rooms, vessels and premises. Investigations by the Padua magistrate are soon to commence into 600 asbestos deaths amongst service personnel. Despite the fact that asbestos use has been banned in Italy since 1992, asbestos-contaminated naval ships are still operational and Italian sailors and officers continue to succumb to asbestos-related cancers and illnesses due to on-board exposures. See: Navi d’amianto [Asbestos navy].
Asbestos and the Railways
Oct 18, 2017
Livingston, Montana is a town founded in the 19th century by the Northern Pacific Railway midway between its hubs in Minneapolis and Seattle. Despite the railway’s importance to the local economy, asbestosis sufferer Bill Phillips sums up his former employer’s attitude towards the area as: “Rip, rape and run.” Asbestos debris from the railway was just one of a number of toxic materials cavalierly discarded; an enormous quantity – possibly more than a million gallons – of diesel waste polluted soil and groundwater, chemical degreasers, lead, chlorinated solvents, and a cocktail of other pollutants went down drains directly into groundwater. See: The Railroad Put This Montana Town On The Map. But It Left Behind A Toxic Legacy.
Asbestos at Home
Oct 17, 2017
After several setbacks, a judge has given the approval for the Public Prosecutor of Milan to proceed with investigations regarding the 2015 mesothelioma death of Mrs. Paola Corda, a tenant in the Via Rimini Milan apartment complex which was riddled with asbestos. One avenue of enquiry will be asbestos removal work in 2001 which may have liberated fibers into the atmosphere; during the work, tenants were not evacuated. Defendants could face charges of unintentional homicide for failing to protect the residents from asbestos exposures. See: Ona, case popolari di Milano: inquilina muore per mesothelioma [Popular homes in Milan: tenant dies from mesothelioma].
Mesothelioma Palliative Care
Oct 17, 2017
At an October 16, 2017 press conference of the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Yokohama, Japan, Australian research was unveiled which questioned the effectiveness of early and regular palliative care on quality of life for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. According to Professor Fraser Brims of Perth’s Curtin University: “While the results were surprising, as intuitively many of us felt that the intervention was likely to help, they highlight why we need high quality studies like this.” See: Early Palliative Care Provides No Additional Quality of Life Benefits for Recently Diagnosed Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) Patients.
Asbestos Alert to Renovators
Oct 17, 2017
According to the Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia, a statutory agency tasked with protecting occupational injury and disease, asbestos is currently the biggest occupational killer in the province. Between 2007 and 2016, 605 workers died in BC from asbestos-related exposure. Despite the widespread prevalence of asbestos-containing products in BC homes – in vinyl tiles, linoleum sheet flooring, roofing felts and shingles etc. – just 36% of homeowners who renovated pre-1990 homes in the last five years tested for asbestos before commencing renovations. See: BC home owners warned about asbestos danger: WorkSafe BC.
“Big” Asbestos Attacks Canada
Oct 16, 2017
The treachery of a former ally abandoning the chrysotile (asbestos) camp to embrace an asbestos-free future has incensed the International Chrysotile Association (ICA), a lobbying group representing asbestos vested interests, which has launched a last-ditch attempt to force the Canadian government to reconsider its “unjustified hurry” to ban asbestos. A poorly translated, 30-page ICA text entitled: ASBESTOS Amphiboles MUST BE BANNED, Chrysotile MUST BE CONTROLLED is now being circulated to support the industry’s position. See: Asbestos lobby attacks Canada’s decision to ban asbestos.
Quarries’ Asbestos Contamination
Oct 16, 2017
WorkSafe New Zealand, the country’s occupational health and safety regulator, has suspended serpentine mining operations at three quarries over fears that serpentine rock containing asbestos is being used at scores of farms in Southland and central North Island as an ingredient in farm fertiliser to get magnesium into the soil. WorkSafe’s Jo Pugh said that regular testing had revealed the presence of low levels of asbestos in the rock being crushed. To ensure workers’ safety, prohibition notices on the quarries had been issued. Before mining can be re-started stringent requirements will have to be met. See: Quarries closed over fertiliser asbestos scare. Serpentine mining halted by WorkSafe over asbestos fears.
Asbestos Hazard: Bus Drivers
Oct 16, 2017
The mesothelioma death in December 2010 of a bus driver employed by the Nishitetsu company has been certified as occupationally caused due to workplace exposures to asbestos present in the charcoal gas generating furnaces used in buses during and after World War II. As of May 1948, there were 5,000 "charcoal buses"; they were phased out in the early 1950s. The deceased, who started work at Nishitetsu in 1947 in Omuta City, Japan inspected his vehicle every morning before starting work. Prior to this case, the asbestos hazard to bus drivers had not been recognized by the authorities. See: 石綿 西鉄バス元車掌も労災認定 木炭バスで吸引 [Asbestos: Nishitetsu bus conductor died from occupational exposure].
Asbestos Lobby Targets Students
Oct 14, 2017
Russian asbestos stakeholders are ratcheting up efforts to spread industry propaganda, last week targeting architectural students at the Nizhny Novgorod State University of Civil Engineering. During a lecture by Vladimir Galitsyn, director of the Chrysotile Association, the virtues of chrysotile (white) asbestos were extolled and students were encouraged to use chrysotile construction material. This is one of a series of lectures scheduled for higher and secondary special institutions in Russia. A competition to encourage chrysotile cement use in Russia supplements the current industry offensive. See: Шифер возвращается и остается [Slate comes back and stays].
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 14, 2017
Yesterday (October 13, 2017), Korean lawmakers grilled Environment Minister Kim Eun-kyung about the government’s failure to address widespread asbestos contamination of small – under 1,000 square meters in size – educational premises and after-school institutions, 53% of which contain asbestos building products. Defending the Government, the Minister said that efforts were being made to retrofit buildings used by children to ensure that they were free of asbestos. A study conducted in July found that 47 out of the 53 schools buildings inspected contained asbestos. See: Gov't asbestos management draws fire from lawmaker.
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 13, 2017
A report by the Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) issued on October 11, 2017 calls on the government to prioritize the removal of asbestos from UK schools in a phased program; a failure to do so could result in deadly products remaining in schools until 2050. The report cites a recommendation made by the Public Accounts Committee that a plan be submitted by December 2017 which details the “prevalence, condition and management of asbestos” within school estate areas. A remediation program should remove “all asbestos from schools commencing with the most dangerous first.” See: Why unsafe asbestos may still be in our schools in 2050.
Hazard: Asbestos Waste
Oct 13, 2017
On October 11, 2017 Charity Ngilu, the Governor of Kitui County, Kenya oversaw work by a team of operatives tasked with removing illegally dumped asbestos tiles. Commenting on the incident the Governor said: “People in this area were unhappy because the asbestos [tiles] were disposed here without any safety mechanism. This has led to degradation of environment as well as health problems to the locals around.” The National Environment Management Authority has advised the government to implement initiatives supporting the replacement of asbestos roofing with safer alternatives. See: Governor Ngilu leads team in disposing cancerous asbestos tiles.
Raising Occupational Awareness
Oct 13, 2017
A campaign by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about the hazards posed by occupational exposures to asbestos and other dusts is targeting construction workers, many of whom entered the labor force after asbestos was banned. A lack of asbestos awareness in public and residential structures needs to be addressed. One example was Artex, a widely used decorative asbestos-containing coating. The presence of Artex is a danger for DIYers as well as contractors. “Asbestos is,” the HSE admitted “also worryingly common in school buildings, many of which were built or rebuilt in the 70s and 80s.” See: HSE Warning Shows Importance of Dealing With Dust.
Progress: Ban Asbestos Bill
Oct 13, 2017
On October 11, 2017 the ‘Ana Cecilia Niño’ Ban Asbestos Bill, sponsored by Senator Nadia Blel, was approved by the Seventh Commission of the Colombian Senate. After the draft legislation is approved by the plenary of the Senate, there must be two further debates in the House of Representatives regarding the legislation to end asbestos mining, processing, consumption, sale and export. The bill allows for a five-year phase-out period during which industry stakeholders must make the transition to an alternative and safer technology. See: En primer debate, Congreso aprobó la ley que prohibe uso del asbestos [In the first debate, Congress passed law prohibiting asbestos use].
Distortion of Science
Oct 11, 2017
In a misleading press release issued today (October 11, 2017) by the pro-asbestos “International Trade Unions Movement for Chrysotile,” research by Spanish scientists is twisted to confirm “the safety of chrysotile (white asbestos).” In fact, the authors despite having only found amphibole fibers in Spanish lung samples, concluded that “Spain and other southern European countries… [are] at a high risk to develop asbestos-related diseases in the years to come.” The relative speed with which chrysotile can be cleared from the lungs is a red herring; even 48 hours of chrysotile exposure can initiate disease formation. See: “Groundbreaking Scientific Study Proves Chrysotile asbestos is not a Cause of Disease”.
Senate Considers Asbestos Ban
Oct 11, 2017
This week social media has been flooded with support for a ban asbestos bill named in honor of mesothelioma victim Ana Cecilia Niño. The draft legislation is sponsored by Senator Nadia Blel and will be debated in the Colombian Congress today (October 11). This is the 8th time the Senate has considered taking action on the asbestos hazard in a country which mines, manufactures, consumes and sells asbestos fiber and asbestos-consuming products. A recent demonstration by Greenpeace in the center of the capital called on Senators to make Colombia asbestos-free! See: TV coverage of Colombia’s campaign to ban asbestos.
New Compensation Fund
Oct 11, 2017
The Spanish Congress of Deputies by a vote of 193 to 127 yesterday (October 10, 2017) approved plans to establish a national compensation fund for asbestos victims following the submission of a proposal by the Basque Parliament. During the debate, Deputy Rocío de Frutos said that asbestos exposures had created a “labor genocide” and that the government’s failure to act made it complicit in this catastrophe. The Congress will now consider the details of setting up such a body in consultation with political groups and stakeholders. See: El Gobierno creará un fondo para ayudar a las cuatro mil víctimas del Amianto [The Government will create a fund to help 4,000 asbestos victims].
Old Hazard, New Technology
Oct 10, 2017
In a clash of the old and the new, asbestos contamination of a building destined to be the new Apple headquarters in Milan has delayed the opening of the store from December 2017 until the summer of 2018. Asbestos-containing pipes and construction material were found in the building which used to house the Apollo cinema. The new Apple Store, will, its proponents hope “become an open place to meet friends, take a walk and participate in cultural events.” See: Amianto nell’ex cinema Apollo, slitta l’apertura dell’Apple Store di Piazza Liberty a Milano [Asbestos in the former Apollo cinema, delays opening of the Apple Store in Milan’s Liberty Square].
Asbestos-Free Schools
Oct 10, 2017
As of November 2016, minimum norms and standards adopted for schools in KwaZulu-Natal were adopted by the Department of Basic Education which stipulated that educational premises must have water, electricity and toilets, and that the constructions must not be built of wood, mud, asbestos, or zinc. Over the past three weeks, strong winds and rain have affected more than 300 schools around the province; pupils at the Enkangala Secondary School in Weenen, which was destroyed in heavy rains last week, will be having lessons outdoors until other arrangements can be made. See: School down to one wobbly classroom.
Asbestos: Fake News!
Oct 9, 2017
The participation of David Bernstein in a Hanoi conference on October 6, 2017 was reported by a Vietnamese newspaper, along with his comments that “white asbestos is not cancerous like the blue and brown varieties.” Activists in Vietnam have exposed this report as false saying that Bernstein came to Vietnam some years ago and that the Hanoi asbestos meeting on October 6 affirmed “the harm of white Asbestos to human health…” See: Xem xét thận trọng, khách quan, khoa học, toàn diện về vấn đề Amiang trắng [An objective and scientific consideration of white Asbestos].
Another Asbestos Tragedy!
Oct 9, 2017
In March 2015, renowned Spanish philosopher Jesús Mosterín reported that he had contracted the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. He recalled exposures to asbestos from a small factory near where he played as a young child in Bilbao and from asbestos products present in university premises where he studied in MIT’s Department of Linguistics and Philosophy in the US. He had never worked with asbestos. Jesús Mosterín died from mesothelioma on October 4, 2017. See: Un mesotelioma eminente (En memoria de Jesús Mosterín, otra víctima del amianto) [An eminent mesothelioma (In memory of Jesús Mosterín, another victim of asbestos)].
Asbestos and Public Health
Oct 9, 2017
A study to quantify mesothelioma incidence in Italian “national priority” contaminated sites has concluded that: “asbestos pollution is a risk for people living in polluted areas, due to not only occupational exposure in industrial settings with direct use of asbestos but also the presence of asbestos in the environment.” In the study period, an excess of mesothelioma incidence was found in sites with known past history of direct use of asbestos such as Balangero, Casale Monferrato and Broni, in sites with shipyards and harbors (eg, Trieste, La Spezia, Venice, and Leghorn), but also in areas without documented direct use. See: Mesothelioma incidence and asbestos exposure in Italian national priority contaminated sites.
New Asbestos Maritime Protocol
Oct 9, 2017
A French decree published on October 5, 2017, reinforces 1998 regulations pertaining to the prevention of asbestos exposures aboard ships; its provisions will become mandatory on July 1, 2018 for most French ships – exceptions being fishing vessels less than 12 meters in length and personal boats, which have a deferred deadline of January 1, 2019. Shipowners are required to contract accredited specialists to conduct asbestos audits and ensure that airborne asbestos levels do not exceed stipulated thresholds; after the initial tests, inspections will be required every three years. See: Amiante dans les navires : un décret renforce l'obligation de repérage [Asbestos in ships: a decree strengthens duty to audit].
Scandal at the Opera House
Oct 6, 2017
Two months after members of the Electrical Trades Union renovating the Sydney Opera House discovered they were being exposed to asbestos, another discovery was made by workers installing cabling. A spokesperson for building company Laing O'Rourke confirmed that “unexpected” finds of asbestos has been made this week despite the existence of a “comprehensive” Asbestos Management Plan. After the August incident, SafeWork NSW issued improvement notices which gave the company seven days to remove the asbestos or eliminate the threat. The at-risk electricians have now walked off the job. See: Sydney Opera House electricians walk off the job due to confirmed asbestos.
Asbestos: Occupational Hazard
Oct 6, 2017
A Russian language online article recapping the contents of a feature published on October 4, 2017 in Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper states that asbestos is one of the top causes of occupational cancer in the Canadian Province of Ontario. “Asbestos is a threat to life and health… and remains the most dangerous carcinogen” causing 770 occupational cancers in Ontario every year as well as 15 cases of larynx and ovarian cancers. See: Ученые выявили главные факторы возникновения рака на работе [Scientists have identified the main factors of cancer at work].
Bahia Victims’ Victory
Oct 6, 2017
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) in Vitória da Conquista in Brazil’s Bahia state has ordered the asbestos mining company Sama Minera Associadas to comply with a court order awarding 11 claimants, injured by exposure to asbestos liberated by the company’s operations, the medical costs for their illnesses, including payment for all clinical treatments plus medications and equipment required, and a life-time monthly stipend equal to one and a half times the minimum wage. See: MPF de Vitória da Conquista pede pagamento de indenização a vítimas de amianto da Sama [MPF of Vitoria da Conquista orders compensation payments to Sama’s asbestos victims].
Asbestos Compensation Fund
Oct 6, 2017
A debate on the establishment of a compensation fund for Basque asbestos victims is scheduled to take place in the Basque Parliament next week. The draft legislation details the nature and organization of the fund, economic resourcing and organizational structure; it also stipulates that claimants should receive compensation payments in under six months. Between 1994 and 2008 3,943 people died in Spain from asbestos-related diseases. See: La ley vasca para compensar a víctimas del amianto llega la próxima semana al Pleno del Congreso [A Basque law to create an asbestos compensation fund will be debated next week].
Asbestos Hotlines!
Oct 4, 2017
Today and tomorrow (October 4 & 5), Japan’s Association of Asbestos Victims and their Families in cooperation with legal professionals are holding a free telephone consultation service to provide support and advice to asbestos victims. This service, which is always over-subscribed, will be even more so in light of advice issued on October 2, 2017 by the Ministry of Labor urging asbestos victims to sue the Government for compensation!
See Photo: Abestos hotline service.
Ontario’s Asbestos Epidemic
Oct 4, 2017
An article in the Globe and Mail, a nationally distributed newspaper, has named asbestos as one of the top carcinogens causing an epidemic of occupational cancer in Ontario. According to a paper released today (October 4) by the Occupational Research Centre and Cancer Care Ontario (OCRC), exposure to asbestos causes 630 cases of occupational lung cancer and 140 of mesothelioma in the Province every year. "Asbestos is,” said OCRC Director Dr. Paul Demers, “still our worst carcinogen, or nightmare, depending upon your choice of words.” See: Workplace carcinogens lead to thousands of cancer cases in Ontario each year: study.
Parliament Asbestos Debate
Oct 4, 2017
On October 3, 2017, Members of the Portuguese Parliament discussed a draft bill proposed by Heloísa Apolónia of the Green Party (see: YouTube clip) to make asbestos audits mandatory for all commercial buildings; such surveys are already required for state-owned buildings such as schools and hospitals. A deadline of 2020 has been set for the removal of asbestos from all 4,200 government buildings across the country. The proposal requires companies to collaborate with workers’ and employers’ associations to design and implement an asbestos surveying program. See: Survey of companies containing asbestos debated in parliament.
Mesothelioma Court Victory
Oct 4, 2017
A shipyard worker’s family was awarded £340,000 compensation by Lord Clarke sitting in the Edinburgh Court of Session yesterday (October 3, 2017) for his death from mesothelioma caused by occupational asbestos exposures whilst employed by the firm of Henry Robb Ltd. George Manson died aged 81 in February 2016; he had worked at the Leith shipyard in the 1960s. The company admitted that it had not done enough to protect Mr. Mason from toxic exposures. See: October 3, 2017 verdict in the case of George Manson & Others v. Henry Robb Ltd.
Canada’s New Asbestos Ban
Oct 4, 2017
The dramatic transition made by Canada under the Trudeau Government from an asbestos-producing to an asbestos ban country is examined in this article, based on a recent journal publication by Kathleen Ruff, which pointed out that “Less than ten years ago, the asbestos industry enjoyed the support of every Quebec and Canadian political party…” The role of academics, health professionals and scientists from Quebec was crucial in discounting skewed industry propaganda and promoting independent scientific evidence of the harmful nature of asbestos exposures. See: “Scientists cannot be silenced” The story behind how Canada finally banned asbestos.
Ministry Encourages Victims’ Lawsuits
Oct 2, 2017
Today (October 2, 2017), a spokesperson for Japan’s Labor Ministry said it is encouraging former asbestos plant workers with occupational diseases and the families of deceased workers to file lawsuits against the government so that compensation payouts can be made to thousands of asbestos claimants eligible to receive them after a 2014 Supreme Court decision found the government responsible for asbestos exposures affecting plant workers in Osaka Prefecture. By the end of last month ¥2.1 billion (US$18 million+) had been paid out to 236 plaintiffs; another 197 claims are being processed. See: Former workers exposed to asbestos urged to sue Japanese government to claim damages.
Demands for Asbestos Ban
Oct 2, 2017
A press release issued at the end of last week by the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI) called for an investigation of an Indian company which has contracted to annually import 50,000 tonnes of asbestos from Zimbabwe. “The government of India has,” the release says “responsibility to protect its citizens through unilateral action to ban mining, import, production, sale and consumption of all materials based on asbestos with immediate effect.” OEHNI “severely criticises the unknown Indian company for their malicious intentions” and appealed to Zimbabwe to close all asbestos mines. See: Press Release – An Indian company to buy 50,000 tonnes of ‘Cancer’.
Asbestos: Regional Action
Oct 2, 2017
At the 7th Regional Asbestos Conference organized by the Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG), Italy last week, the President of the region recapped the scope of the council’s program for environmental reclamation and research into the treatment of and support for asbestos victims, highlighting the importance of collaboration amongst administrative and institutional stakeholders. Of the 32 million tonnes of asbestos incorporated within the Italian infrastructure, 1 million tonnes is located in FVG, making it the country’s most contaminated region. See: Amianto: 1,3 milioni di euro stanziati per il 2017 dalla Regione per le bonifiche [Asbestos:1.3 million euros allocated by the Region for 2017 reclamation].
Preparing for an Asbestos Ban
Oct 2, 2017
In the run-up to the implementation of a national asbestos ban which is due to come into force within a few months, Canadian agencies are undertaking measures to prevent exposures to asbestos-containing materials already in situ. One example of such actions was the National Asbestos Inventory, uploaded on September 28, 2017 of buildings owned by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which lists details of their premises and indicates if asbestos is present in them. See: Inventaire national de l'amiante dans les immeubles de l'Agence canadienne d'inspection des aliments [National Inventory of Asbestos in Canadian Food Inspection Agency Buildings].
Victim’s Victory
Oct 2, 2017
On September 15, 2017 Justice Alberto Luiz Bresciani de Fontan Pereira of the Superior Labor Court confirmed a victim’s verdict in a case brought by the asbestos widow of an Eternit employee. The company had been ordered to pay R$300,000 for damages caused to the former employee by occupational asbestos exposures, as a result of which he died from the disease asbestosis, and for failing to comply with occupational health and safety standards. An appeal by the company was unanimously rejected by the Court. See: Viúva de trabalhador contaminado com amianto receberá indenização de R$ 300 mil [Asbestos widow will receive R$ 300,000 (US$94,000) compensation].
Asbestos Eradication: Schools
Sep 29, 2017
The removal of asbestos from 20 Australian schools in North East Victoria will take place under a state program which has a $155 million budget to improve school infrastructure. Four hundred and ninety-seven schools which were found to contain “high-risk asbestos” were remediated last year; all remaining asbestos in other schools will be removed by 2020. According to a Northern Victoria MLC: “We’re giving parents, teachers and students in Victoria’s North East peace of mind by removing asbestos that could pose a risk in the future, because there’s nothing more important than the health and safety of our kids.” See: Asbestos to be removed from North East schools.
Labour: Asbestos Pledge
Sep 29, 2017
In a speech to the Labour Party conference in Brighton this week, Angela Rayner MP shadow education secretary reiterated a pledge made in the Labour Party manifesto of 2017 to eradicate the asbestos hazard from thousands of UK schools. “Instead of wasting millions of pounds on an inefficient free schools programme, we will,” Rayner said “provide funding to ensure our schools are safe – that flammable cladding can be removed, sprinklers installed and asbestos cleared.” See: Labour will pay teachers ‘properly’, says Angela Rayner.
Asbestos-free “Game Changer”
Sep 29, 2017
Indian building materials firm HIL Ltd, formerly Hyderabad Industries Ltd, is a leading producer of asbestos cement sheets for roofing, deriving 70% of its revenue from this product line. Looking towards a likely change in consumer demand, the company has stepped up research and development efforts for asbestos-free roofing. “We are,” said Dhirup Roy Choudhary, HIL’s MD and CEO, “at an advanced stage of developing a new product which will be a game-changer in non-asbestos roofing.” A successful prototype has been achieved and a product is likely by April 2018. See: HIL to launch ₹130-cr pipes, fittings plant in April.
Asbestos on Campus
Sep 29, 2017
Judge Nancy Shaffer ended a whistle-blower trial over asbestos mishandling at Sonoma State University in California by awarding almost $3 million in penalties for violations of occupational health and safety laws against the California State University Board of Trustees and Sonoma employee Craig Dawson. The whistle-blower was Thomas Sargent who had worked at the college for 24 years and was forced from his job after expressing concerns about asbestos on campus. He was awarded $387,000 by the judge who ordered that he be reinstated as campus environmental health and safety specialist and receive two years’ back pay. See: Sonoma State University to pay $2.9 million in asbestos case.
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Sep 29, 2017
An asbestos awareness conference entitled: “Riscos de Exposição dos Trabalhadores ao Amianto” [Occupational Asbestos Risks] was held on September 22, 2017 by the General Union of Workers, a national trade union center in Portugal. Three asbestos information guides were presented at the event: Guia de Boas Práticas – Remoção de Amianto [Good Practice Guide – Asbestos Removal], Amianto nas Escolas e Edifícios Públicos [Asbestos in Schools and Public Buildings] and Amianto: Riscos, Efeitos na Saúde e Prevenção [Asbestos: Risks, Health Effects and Prevention]. All can be downloaded from the link below. See: Segurança e Saúde no Trabalho: Guias [Safety and Health at Work: Guides].
Eternit’s Asbestos Clinic
Sep 29, 2017
This Summer it was announced that workers from the Osasco region of São Paulo and family members who had been exposed to Eternit asbestos will be eligible for free treatment at a new outpatient clinic at the Incor (Heart Institute), of the São Paulo Clinical Hospital. Funding for this specialist outpatient clinic comes from a R$1.6m (US$500,000+) fine paid by the Eternit asbestos company which was penalized by the Public Prosecutor's Office for failure to comply with mandatory occupational health and safety protocols. See: Vítimas do amianto terão tratamento especializado no Incor [Asbestos victims will have specialized treatment in the Incor (Hospital)].
Asbestos on the Agenda!
Sep 28, 2017
Asbestos was on the agenda of the 29th Annual Scientific Conference of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology which was held in Sydney, Australia on September 24-28, 2017. During his presentation entitled “The Global Burden of and Public Health Action for Asbestos-related Diseases” Professor Ken Takahashi highlighted the failure of public health agencies to address the asbestos hazard; reported that most countries either lack mesothelioma mortality data or have poor data; estimated the global annual mesothelioma death rate at 38,000; documented the link between national mesothelioma incidence and historical asbestos use. See: photo of Professor Takahashi speaking at the ISEE Conference.
Canada’s Path to an Asbestos Ban
Sep 28, 2017
A paper just published as part of a series in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health entitled Special Issue “Global Panorama of National Experiences in Public Health Actions to Ban Asbestos” shines a light on how in less than a decade Canada made the transition from an asbestos-producing to an asbestos ban country, highlighting the importance of public opinion in changing the positions of officials in provincial and federal governments and the role played by asbestos victims, scientists and activists from around the world. See: How Canada Changed from Exporting Asbestos to Banning Asbestos: The Challenges That Had to Be Overcome.
Unreliable Asbestos Statistics
Sep 28, 2017
Campaigners responding to the recent publication of air monitoring results for the former Turner Brothers Asbestos site in Spodden Valley, Rochdale have challenged the way the tests were conducted and how the results were communicated to local people. Representatives of Save Spodden Valley suggested that from what Rochdale Council, which paid for the tests, has said the public could be forgiven for thinking that the “former site of the world's largest textile factory may have the cleanest air on the planet.” See: Save Spodden Valley and Greater Manchester Hazards Centre respond to Turner Brothers Asbestos survey results.
Asbestos Cancer Epidemic
Sep 28, 2017
Papers recently published by US authors in peer-reviewed journals document the global epidemic of asbestos cancer, highlight the repercussions of ongoing consumption of asbestos and consider the issue of whether exposure to white asbestos can cause diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma; it can. The paper cited at the end of this news item, by Professor Phil Landrigan, appeared in the British Medical Journal while the paper entitled Diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma: A case series of 62 patients including paraoccupational exposures to chrysotile asbestos was in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. See: Data on mesothelioma mortality: a powerful tool for preventing asbestos-related disease.
Fake Asbestos News
Sep 27, 2017
Government boasts that asbestos mining operations are to be recommenced at two of Zimbabwe’s defunct white asbestos mines have been dismissed by a former mine worker who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimization: “We are sceptical about this development. We think it is a ploy to win votes in 2018. A similar story was floated again by Government just before the 2013 General Elections.” A government Minister had said that half of the mine’s annual output of 100,000 tonnes of asbestos will be sold to one Indian customer. See: Gov preps to reopen SMM at advanced stage – Moyo.
Asbestos Crimes
Sep 27, 2017
Seventeen defendants, including the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute, the National Confederation of Workers in the Construction and Furniture Industry, the National Confederation of Workers in Industry, the National Commission of Asbestos Workers and others, were condemned by Judge Rafael Marques de Setta of the 6th Labor Court in Campinas, São Paulo for noncompliance with asbestos regulations and violations of international conventions as a result of a 2015 civil action by the Public Prosecutor's Office to protect at-risk workers. See: Entidades ligadas ao amianto são condenadas por violações em acordos coletivos [Entities linked to asbestos are condemned for violations in collective agreements].
URGENT: Asbestos Action
Sep 27, 2017
The Quebec Public Health Association (ASPQ) and medical associations are calling on Quebec to lower by ten times permissible asbestos exposure limits. In a September 25 press release, the ASPQ said: “Quebec must lower its standard for asbestos immediately, without waiting for the long process resulting from a consultation led by the Quebec Commission on Standards, Equity, Health and Safety.” Although Ottawa has announced that it will tighten standards of exposure, the Government of Quebec has not yet acted on this hazard. See: Amiante: des médecins demandent un resserrement de l’exposition [Asbestos: doctors demanding lower exposure limits].
Progress: Asbestos Ban
Sep 27, 2017
The State Government of Bangalore, India has approved new plans for resorts around wildlife sanctuaries as part of a drive to develop tourism and hospitality services centered around six tiger reserves in Bangalore. The new plans are quite precise about the type of materials that can be used and the different restrictions on private land and nature reserves – including a blanket ban on the usage of asbestos in all the resorts. Perhaps now that Bangalore has taken this step to protect tigers and tourists it might also enact a wider asbestos ban to protect Bangalore’s own population – some 8.5 million citizens – from deadly asbestos exposures. See: State Approves Plan for Resorts Around Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Asbestos Industry Offensive
Sep 26, 2017
Yet another pro-asbestos feature by the Ukraine Chrysotile Association (the Association) has appeared online extolling the benefits that chrysotile asbestos brings to the country and disparaging calls by the Ministry of Health for its use to be banned. Accepting that perfectly suitable asbestos-free substitutes exist, Yuri Torosyan of the Association says that people in Ukraine are not willing to pay the price for healthier products which are, he states, inferior in performance to those containing chrysotile asbestos. See: Как производят шифер из хризотил-асбеста и есть ли ему альтернатива [How to produce slate from chrysotile-asbestos and is there an alternative to it].
Progress: Ban Asbestos
Sep 26, 2017
Representatives of 21 Pacific Islands and 5 associated members of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme who met last week in Apia, Samoa, approved plans to progress an asbestos ban throughout the region. Commenting on this positive step, Tonga’s representative Paula Ma'u said: “Tonga is very pleased to have been able to co-sponsor the proposal from Cook Islands for a Pacific regional ban on asbestos. Planning the details of the ban will be important as it will need to allow for the importation of asbestos waste for disposal, as some Pacific islands have limited capacity to safely dispose of legacy asbestos stockpiles.” See: Pacific island countries vote to ban asbestos.
Asbestos and Electricity
Sep 26, 2017
A useful resource produced this month by the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, the National Electrical and Communications Association, the Electrical Trades Union and Master Electricians Australia, entitled Asbestos awareness information for electricians, is now available. The two-page leaflet can be downloaded and printed and includes information about uses of asbestos for the provision of electricity in domestic settings with photographs of electrical boxes, insulation, fuses and waste. Sections on safety tips and the nature of the asbestos hazard provide tradesmen with basic but potentially life-saving information. See: Electricians’ Asbestos Safety Leaflet.
Asbestos Alert
Sep 26, 2017
Brazil’s Confederation of Workers in the Construction and Furniture Industry (CONTRICOM) has issued an alert to relevant stakeholders regarding the repercussions of a decision by Campinas Labor Judge Rafael Marques de Setta which imposes penalties and fines on those guilty of non-compliance with mandatory asbestos obligations for the protection of occupational health especially for at-risk groups of workers in the asbestos and cement industrial sectors. See: Contricom Alerta Entidades Sobre Decisao Judicial Relativa a Utilizacao do Aminato Crisotila [Contricom Alerts Relevant Entities of Judicial Decision on the Use of Chrysotile Asbestos].
Toxic Waste: Update
Sep 24, 2017
After years of protests by local people and environmental groups, an announcement that work will begin on October 15 to cover over 90,000 tonnes of asbestos waste dumped on a site in Toledo, Spain – which will be then be fenced – off has been welcomed as a stop-gap measure by members of the “My Neighborhood Without Asbestos Platform”. A sum of €2.5 million has been allocated by the authorities to undertake this work; €14m would be needed to completely decontaminate the site which is the ultimate goal of the campaigners concerned about public health. See: El 15 de octubre comenzarán los trabajos para "tapar" los restos de amianto en Toledo [October 15 work will begin to “cover” the asbestos waste in Toledo].
Asbestos: Update
Sep 24, 2017
A Nepalese newspaper article reported a meeting last week in Kathmandu during which regional experts, including representatives of the World Health Organization and the Asian Ban Asbestos Network, and local campaigners emphasized the need to enforce Nepal’s prohibitions banning asbestos use, with Ram Charitra Sah, director of the Center for Public Health and Environmental Development, revealing that despite these prohibitions the import, sale and use of asbestos products continues. Measures for ensuring safe disposal of asbestos waste were called for to prevent further toxic exposures. See: फाइबरयुक्त धातु प्रयोग रोक्न जोड [Emphasizing the need to prevent [asbestos] fiber use.
Earthquake: Asbestos Hazard
Sep 24, 2017
The environmental impact of the earthquake that hit Mexico City and nearby areas on September 19, 2017 is being assessed, with media reports detailing the multiple hazards from asbestos, heavy metals and other toxins faced by first responders and local people: “Experts warn the lingering dust triggered by the quake poses life-long health risks for the survivors.” In Mexico, the use of asbestos-cement building products is routine; average asbestos fiber consumption for 2010-2016 was around 10,800 tonnes per annum, with figures of 12,077 and 4,529 tonnes being recorded for 2015 and 2016, respectively. See: Mexico's earthquake survivors face the same crippling health issues as 9/11 first responders due to toxic cloud of concrete, asbestos, fungus and more.
Asbestos in Talc
Sep 24, 2017
The multinational Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is facing 5,000 US lawsuits from women alleging that the use of J&J baby powder products contaminated with asbestos has caused them to develop ovarian cancer. Lawyers representing 50 women plaintiffs in Kansas City, Missouri allege that the company knew that its talc products included asbestos fibers and that exposure to those fibers could cause ovarian cancer: J&J’s talc, they claim “is not now, nor has it ever been, free from asbestos and asbestiform fibers.’’ See: J&J Was Alerted to Risk of Asbestos in Talc in ’70s, Files Show.
Mesothelioma Clinical Trial
Sep 22, 2017
Bristol-Myers Squibb is progressing trials in 19 countries for mesothelioma patients ineligible for surgery, including those at specialist centers in Brazil: Barretos Cancer Hospital, São Paulo and the Institute of Cancer of São Paulo. The phase 3 randomized study is looking at the efficacy of immunotherapy protocols in combination with: Nivolumab, Ipilimumab, Pemetrexed, Cisplatin and Carboplatin. Trials are underway in: Australia, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and the US. See: Estudo clínico sobre mesotelioma pleural recruta pacientes no Brasil [Clinical trial on pleural mesothelioma recruits patients in Brazil].
Priority: Asbestos in Schools
Sep 22, 2017
At a press conference on September 21, 2017, Korea’s Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon called for immediate measures to ensure that Korea’s schools were asbestos-free after reports that contamination had been found in many classrooms even after remediation work had been carried out. During a weekly government policy coordination meeting, the PM announced that: “The education, labor and environment ministries are jointly carrying out an inspection into whether asbestos still remains at 1,226 schools that have carried out asbestos-removal projects, and asbestos was found in many of them.” See: PM calls for measures to ensure school classrooms free of asbestos.
Updated: Asbestos Regulations
Sep 22, 2017
A stricter regime for preventing asbestos exposures in Western Australia came into effect on September 20, 2017 with the revision of the Health (Asbestos) Regulations 1992. The 22-page document addresses the ubiquity of asbestos-cement building products throughout the state and mandates strict measures to prevent the use, purchase or resale of these products and stipulates protocols for handling, removal and disposal of toxic debris. Substantial fines can be levied by authorized officers who are, along with Chief Health Officers, given wide-ranging discretionary powers to enforce the regs. See: Health (Asbestos) Regulations 1992; Updated September 20, 2017.
Asbestos Mobilization
Sep 21, 2017
Work by ban asbestos campaigners in Nepal was reinforced on September 18 and 19 with the holding of asbestos activities in the capital, Kathmandu. The events, which were supported by Nepal’s Center for Public Health and Environment Development, the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN), the Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims (ANROEV) and other partnering groups, were attended by leading campaigners from throughout the region, including delegates from Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, India, Indonesia and Australia. See: Picture of delegates.
Asbestos Protest
Sep 21, 2017
On September 20, 2017, one hundred local people and environmental campaigners – belonging to the association “Stop the Salau mine” – who are opposed to the restarting of tungsten mining at the Salau mine in Couflens, a commune in the Ariège department in south-western France, protested asbestos testing at the mine as a precursor to the commencement of tungsten mining operations. A license had been granted to the Apollo Minerals company by the prefect of Ariège for the asbestos sampling to be carried out. See: Ariège: les opposants à la mine du Salau manifestent contre les recherches d'amiante [Ariège: Opponents of the Salau mine protest against asbestos research].
Asbestos-free Roofing
Sep 21, 2017
According to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishard Bathiudeen, domestically produced red clay roofing tiles are now in high demand due to national asbestos prohibitions set to come into effect in 2018 which will ban all asbestos imports. This restriction has led to an increase in the production of clay roofing tiles, some of which are exported to the UK. Sri Lanka’s ceramic and glass industries employ 55,000 workers. In 2015 and 2016, Sri Lanka imported 34,505 and 47,379 tonnes of asbestos fiber, respectively. See: Red clay roof tiles in high demand as asbestos ban looms.
Collapse of Asbestos Lobby
Sep 20, 2017
The “National Agreement on the Controlled Use of Asbestos” between Brazil’s National Committee of Asbestos Workers and the National Confederation of [Asbestos] Workers in Industry and the country’s asbestos trade association the Chrysotile Institute (Instituto Brasileiro do Crisotila), which allowed for the contravention of mandatory health and safety measures, has been annulled by a court ruling. See: A farsa do lobby do amianto:Sentença – Acordo nacional do uso seguro do amianto celebrado entre CNTA/CNTI e IBC é extinto [The asbestos lobby farce: Judgment – National agreement on the safe use of asbestos signed between CNTA/CNTI and IBC is extinct].
Fact: All Asbestos Banned
Sep 19, 2017
A September 16 commentary on a Brazilian legal website clarified the content and ramifications of Supreme Court (STF) decisions handed down in August regarding the constitutionality of state asbestos bans and the unconstitutionality of the federal government’s asbestos law. The explanation is clear – the STF is competent to declare unconstitutional rules adopted as the basis for decisions even if those rules were not disputed by those bringing the litigation, in this case the National Confederation of [Asbestos] Industrial Workers. See: É proibida a utilização de qualquer forma de amianto no Brasil [The use of any form of asbestos in Brazil is prohibited].
Asbestos: Cosmetics Recall
Sep 19, 2017
On September 8, 2017 a Consumer Product Recall was issued by Health Canada, the department of the Canadian government responsible for protecting public health, for a series of make-up products marketed under the Justice Just Shine brand, including pressed powder, eye shadow, bronzer, shimmer powder etc. Trace amounts of asbestos were found in Just Shine Shimmer Powder imported from China; other products from the same manufacturer were recalled as a “cautionary measure.” Thousands of units were sold in Canada between February and August 2017. Tests done in the US also found asbestos in the “Just Shine Shimmer Powder” make-up sold by Justice. See: Justice (Tween Brands Inc.) recalls various cosmetics.
Guidance: Asbestos Removal
Sep 19, 2017
Guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in September 2017 entitled “a14 asbestos essentials,” explains good practice for the removal of asbestos cement products from small structures which can be undertaken by non-specialists as non-licensed tasks. Topics considered in the 3-page factsheet include preparing the work area, equipment, procedure, overlaying AC sheets, removal, cleaning, disposal, personal decontamination, clearance and checking off. The list of essential HSE reading material included in this leaflet is informative. See: Removing asbestos cement (AC) sheets, gutters etc and dismantling a small AC structure.
Challenge to Asbestos Ban
Sep 18, 2017
At a September 14 press conference in Zaporizhia, a city in south-eastern Ukraine, a representative of the Ukrainian Chrysotile Association – responding to an announcement some weeks ago that Ukraine planned to ban asbestos – said that the country’s “economy is not ready to completely abandon the use of asbestos.” Asbestos industry lobbyist Yury Torosyan told journalists that: “For cars, especially heavy trucks, as well as railway carriages, there is virtually no alternative to asbestos-containing [brake] pads.” See: Экономика Украины не готова к отказу от асбеста – профильное объединение [The economy of Ukraine is not ready to abandon asbestos - a profile association].
Asbestos: Adieu!
Sep 18, 2017
A September 17 feature on the website of the Canadian Broadcasting Company marked the 25th anniversary of the demise of Cassiar, British Colombia – a Canadian company town that was centered around an asbestos mine. For 40 years this town was home to 1,500 people; in 1992 the mine shut down unexpectedly when the owners went into receivership. Residents were told to vacate their properties and the town was razed to the ground. A summer reunion this year provided the opportunity for many former locals to return to Cassiar to say a final farewell. See: ‘It was like one big family’: 25 years later, a B.C. ghost town's former residents still miss their home.
Asbestos Denied!
Sep 18, 2017
A scathing editorial in the French newspaper Le Monde on September 16, 2017 condemned the Paris Appeal Court for allowing asbestos defendants a “license to kill” tens of thousands of citizens by its cancellation of indictments for homicides and unintentional injuries against nine decision-makers, industrialists, scientists and senior civil servants suspected of promoting policies supportive of the asbestos industry between 1982 and 1995. The charges, which were dismissed on September 15, arose from test cases regarding toxic exposures at Jussieu University and the Normed shipyards in Dunkirk. See: Amiante: la dérobade de la justice [Asbestos: the evasion of justice].
Asbestos Memorial Day?
Sep 18, 2017
The community of Monfalcone, a city at the heart of Italy’s asbestos epidemic, has called on regional authorities to establish a mesothelioma day to raise awareness of asbestos cancer, in proposals submitted to officials of Friuli Venezia Giulia, an autonomous region in north-east Italy. In a bill proposed by the Mayor of Cantieri, April 28 is suggested as a memorial day for asbestos victims to acknowledge the “sacrifice of many Italian workers and their families who unknowingly went to their deaths [because of] breathing asbestos fibers.” See: Si istituisca la giornata nazionale per le vittime dell'amianto [Establishing a National Day for Asbestos Victims].
Mesothelioma Causation
Sep 18, 2017
Incidence data from the population-based Cancer Registry of the Republic of Slovenia for the period 1961-2014 were studied alongside data for national asbestos imports in order to delineate temporal and spatial variations in Slovenian mesothelioma incidence for the last 50 years. The authors of a newly published paper based on this research found that: “the maximum value of the asbestos import curve corresponds to the peak of mesothelioma curve exactly 30 years later. Both increases before the peak are comparable in time interval and steepness. The highest mesothelioma risk was detected for the cohort born between 1940 and 1944.” See: Time trends and spatial patterns in the mesothelioma incidence in Slovenia, 1961-2014.
Mission Accomplished!
Sep 18, 2017
On September 15, 2017, the intrepid walkers of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) completed their 2017 walk to raise mesothelioma awareness and research funds in Perth with a rally in Solidarity Park, across the street from Parliament House. ADSA officials, supporters and clinicians made the final stage of the walk together finishing up at midday at Harvest Terrace in West Perth. Throughout the week, the walkers have met local people, liaised with the media and proceeded along their way through the Central Wheat belt towns of Merredin, Quairading and Northam. Well done to all! See: Website of Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia.
Justice Denied!
Sep 16, 2017
The Paris Court of Appeal handed down a verdict yesterday (September 15) annulling criminal indictments lodged in 2011 and 2012 against nine defendants, charged over asbestos-related deaths, who had been accused of homicide and unintentional injuries as a result of their membership and/or employment by the Permanent Asbestos Committee, an association representing the interests of the French asbestos industry. Victims’ campaigners condemned the verdict saying it gave French manufacturers a “license to kill.” See: Amiante: les mises en examen annulées dans les dossiers Jussieu et Normed [Asbestos: cancelled indictments in Jussieu and Normed files].
Gold Mining: Asbestos
Sep 16, 2017
On September 22, 2017, an ultimatum by the Canadian mining conglomerate Eldorado Gold to the Greek government will expire. The company has threatened to pull the plug on plans for gold mining which could result in the loss of 2,000 jobs. Opposition to the mine has been vociferous from people concerned about the environmental impact, destruction of the forest and extinction of wildlife. The use of explosives could release asbestos and heavy metals into the atmosphere. See: Ναι ή όχι στην εξόρυξη του χρυσού; Μια ψύχραιμη απάντηση από έναν καθηγητή Εδαφολογίας [Yes or No to Gold Mining? A Considered Response by a Professor of Soil Science].
The British Asbestos Newsletter
Sep 15, 2017
The Summer 2017 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is available online. The lead article entitled Action Mesothelioma Day 2017 details a multitude of events which took place in July and concludes that this national day of mesothelioma awareness and remembrance has “now come of age.” Contributions from asbestos surveyor Ian Pass and Liz Darlison from Mesothelioma UK are informative updates on mandatory asbestos requirements for dutyholders and the availability and success of UK clinical trials for mesothelioma patients. See: Issue 104, British Asbestos Newsletter.
International Solidarity
Sep 13, 2017
A letter signed by global leaders in the fight for asbestos justice was submitted to the Yokohama District Court on September 7, 2017 and the Tokyo High Court on September 13 urging them “to support the rights of Japanese asbestos victims and issue a judgment which is fair to them and their families.” The letter relates to lawsuits brought by claimants and families regarding toxic exposures to asbestos during employment in the construction sector. The main defendants in these cases are the government and former manufacturers of asbestos-containing construction materials. See: International Joint Letter to Tokyo and Yokohama Courts.
Asbestos Legacy
Sep 12, 2017
Despite having banned asbestos, many people in Liberia live under asbestos-cement roofs; there is widespread ignorance about the dangers of asbestos in the country. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a program to remove toxic roofing which involves individuals or institutions notifying the EPA is ongoing. “The EPA will than recommend certified hazardous service providers that will help in the development of a removal and disposal plan that has to be approved by the EPA.” The EPA monitors removal work and toxic debris must be sent to a designated disposal site. See: Many Liberians Exposed to Cancer Living in Asbestos Roofed Buildings.
Flood Reconstruction
Sep 12, 2017
The Occupational & Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI) has highlighted the error of using asbestos-cement building products in flood reconstruction in a letter to the Chief Minister of Gujarat saying: “Generally it is seen that while rehabilitating the villages asbestos cement sheets are being used as roofing which can bring negative results for the society in the long run.” Urging the Minister to carry out rehabilitation necessitated by widespread damage from the flooding in July, OEHNI National Coordinator Jagdish Patel points out that Gujarat can set a precedent for other states by banning asbestos use in the reconstruction. See: OEHNI Letter to Gujarat Chief Minister.
Ban Asbestos: Precedent
Sep 12, 2017
An article regarding the Supreme Court (STF) decision of August 24, 2017 about the unconstitutionality of asbestos use in Brazil highlights the impact of a verdict which cast “doubt about the continuity of the production chain of the substance in Brazil…” By upholding the São Paulo state ban, judges “incidentally declared the unconstitutionality of the federal mechanism that allowed the production chain of chrysotile asbestos in the country.” The precedent of this case will be used by the STF when the legality of the asbestos ban in Rio de Janeiro State is debated in the Court in the coming months. See: Amianto: não se permite nem se proíbe [Asbestos: neither permitted nor prohibited].
Asbestos Mining to Resume
Sep 11, 2017
It has been reported that Zimbabwe expects mining operations at two asbestos mines to recommence before the end of this year, a decade after production had ceased. According to Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa, Shabanie and Mashava in southern Zimbabwe – formerly the sixth largest asbestos mines in the world – are set to be re-opened following a capital injection as part of a $100 million loan from the Chinese company XCMG. Despite growing support for banning asbestos, Zimbabwean authorities claim that domestic and Asian markets for asbestos have been secured. See: Zim to resume asbestos production.
Asbestos at the Opera
Sep 11, 2017
A hearing took place in the 9th Criminal Court in Milan on September 8, 2017 over asbestos deaths due to exposure at the world famous La Scala opera house. The five defendants included Carlo Fontana, superintendent of La Scala from October 1, 1990 to February 24, 2005. In 2016, former mayors of Milan Carlo Tognoli, Paolo Pillitteri, Giampiero Borghini and Marco Formentini were fined for accidental murder and causing serious injuries by failures to act on the asbestos hazard. The trial will resume on September 26 with hearings set for October 11, November 9 and December 21. See: Amianto alla Scala, un caso di morte prescritto [Asbestos at la Scala, a death prescribed].
Ban Asbestos: India
Sep 8, 2017
Following discussion of a Supreme Court ruling which upheld the constitutionality of state asbestos bans in Brazil, the author of this commentary Dr Gopal Krishna called for action by governments in India, Russia and China to protect citizens from the asbestos hazard by banning asbestos production and use. According to data retrieved from a 2011 census, up to 20% of people in India’s urban areas live and work under asbestos roofs; exposures to these toxic products has led to an increased cancer incidence. Even yoga centers, like the one at Jawaharlal Nehru University, are located in asbestos buildings. See: India must ban asbestos urgently.
Asbestos in Buildings
Sep 8, 2017
A dissertation by José Janela on the compliance with laws to minimize hazardous asbestos exposures concludes that Law2/2011 “aimed at the removal of asbestos in public buildings, public facilities and public equipment in Portugal… has only been partially fulfilled…” The author pinpoints failings and lack of resources which initially delayed action and subsequently resulted in poorly carried out surveys. A rational and comprehensive approach is needed to implement all the provisions of Law2/2011. See: O amianto em Portugal: o cumprimento da Lei 2/2011, sobre amianto em edifícios públicos [Asbestos in Portugal: compliance with Law 2/2011 on asbestos in public buildings].
Asbestos: Storm Relief
Sep 8, 2017
The Polish Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management has allocated a further PL20 million (US$5.6m) to support removal, collection and disposal of asbestos-containing waste created by August hurricane winds. Eligible applicants must submit their requests between September 11 and October 31; subsidies of up to 100% are available. In addition, subsidies will be made available by some regional councils including Szczecin. See: Są pieniądze na usunięcie azbestu w gminach poszkodowanych przez żywioł [There is money to remove asbestos from communities affected by the storm].
Rehabilitation & Remediation
Sep 8, 2017
Contamination caused by decades of asbestos mining in South Africa remains a potent threat to populations living in affected areas. Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane has recently confirmed a budget of nearly R2 billion (US$78.35m) for the rehabilitation by 2029 of asbestos mines in several provinces, including the Northern Cape. Zwane says that R150 million+ has already been spent and that 11 out of the 21 rehabilitated asbestos mines are in the Northern Cape; the rest of the 234 mines awaiting remediation are in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. See: Almost R2 billion to be used at old asbestos mines.
Renewing Asbestos Mine?
Sep 8, 2017
A report just issued by the management of the Shabanie Mashava Chrysotile Mines has detailed the requirements and resources needed to recommence asbestos mining at the Gaths Mine which was shut down in 2004 after the government seized the property from owner Mutumwa Mawere. Efforts to attract investment from China and South Africa have, to date, not succeeded. The study suggested that a cash injection of $20 million is needed to recommence operations although previous estimates have been higher. It is noteworthy that the article about the mine quotes health warnings from Health Canada. See: Report on SMM requirement now complete.
Propaganda Offensive
Sep 6, 2017
A feature disseminated by Pravda – formerly the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union – detailed discussions on August 25 at a pro-asbestos roundtable entitled “Chrysotile Asbestos” in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The event was hosted by the Chrysotile Association, an organization dedicated to “promoting and protecting chrysotile products.” The speakers included representatives of vested interests who denounced the global ban asbestos campaign as uninformed and ill-intentioned. “There is no epidemic of [asbestos] cancer” in former Soviet countries, said multiple speakers. See: Страшилки про асбест. Мифы и правда [Horror stories about asbestos. Myths and truths].
Asbestos Victims’ Battle
Sep 6, 2017
A feature in the periodical El Diario Vasco highlights the 5-7 year battle faced by Spanish asbestos victims to receive recognition of their diseases and discusses the importance of victims’ groups like ASVIAMIE which fights for the rights of the asbestos-injured in Euskadi (the Basque Region). Between 2009 and 2013, 149 people died from pleural mesothelioma in this region; the death rate is expected to rise between 2019 and 2023 to 387. Two victims’ verdicts overturned by Social Court 4 were themselves voided by the Basque Court of Justice as a result of which the claimants’ compensation was restored. See: El TSJPV revoca dos sentencias sobre víctimas del Amianto [The TSJPV revokes two asbestos judgments].
Occupational Asbestos Hazard
Sep 6, 2017
AN analysis of 6,916 Japanese workers diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) between 2008 and 2013 was undertaken to identify groups at risk of asbestos exposures, to facilitate the development of effective health surveillance strategies. Unsurprisingly, workers from the construction industry were found to have a high risk of ARDs; these workers “are still being exposed to asbestos during maintenance, renovation, and asbestos removal from buildings with asbestos containing products.” See: Compensation for Asbestos-Related Diseases in Japan: Utilization of Standard Classifications of Industry and Occupations.
Asbestos Panorama: 2017
Sep 5, 2017
Despite the continued use of asbestos in countries around the world, recent developments in Brazil suggest there may soon be a fall in global consumption. A verdict last month by the Supreme Court upheld the rights of states to ban asbestos to protect the health of inhabitants. Contrasting the strict measures in France to prevent hazardous exposures with the policies of denial and delay in major producing countries like Russia, China and Kazakhstan, this feature quotes trade union officials, victims’ spokesmen and ban asbestos campaigners. See: Terrible poison, l’amiante reste largement utilisé dans le monde [Terrible poison, asbestos still used around the world].
Asbestos Waste Disposal
Sep 5, 2017
The generation and disposal of hazardous wastes were the subject of a report, commissioned by the Oran environment agency, that was issued this week. Amongst the toxic waste identified were 953 tonnes of asbestos waste produced per year in Oran. Although the use of asbestos was banned in Algeria in 2009, the material was widely used prior to that time and is found in waste from asbestos-cement materials, building debris and personal protective equipment. As there is no installation for the disposal of such hazardous waste in Algeria, disposal must be accomplished at designated secure storage units. See: Algeria: About 1000 tonnes of asbestos annually generated in Oran.
Parents’ Asbestos Protest
Sep 5, 2017
Hundreds of parents protested the asbestos hazard posed to children studying at Gwacheon Gumun Elementary School by a massive reconstruction project at an apartment complex in Gwacheon city in the Seoul National Capital Area. On August 28, the Environment and Citizens’ Center (the Center) held a press conference to quantify the potential asbestos fallout from the rebuilding project. The contents of survey reports and videos of the contentious project were presented to the parents by health and safety experts from the Center. See: 과천 엄마들 "재건축에 초등학교로 석면 들어와" 기자회견 [Gwacheon mothers “Asbestos enters elementary school in reconstruction” press conference].
Global Mesothelioma Data
Sep 4, 2017
Quality mortality data on mesothelioma between 1994 and 2014 from 59 countries was amassed and analysed and used to calculate the global burden of mesothelioma deaths. Over the 3 most recent years, the 59 countries experienced 15,011 mesothelioma deaths per year; researchers extrapolated the number of global mesothelioma deaths from this incidence rate and calculated annual mesothelioma deaths as 38,400 based on asbestos use. Citing various qualifications, the authors of this paper concluded that these “estimates are within the range of previously reported values but higher than the most recently reported values.” See: Estimation of the global burden of mesothelioma deaths from incomplete national mortality data.
Another State Ban!
Sep 4, 2017
In what is being termed the “Supreme Court effects,” the Brazilian State of Rondônia has become the 11th state to approve prohibitions against the storage, commercialization and marketing of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. A vote taken on Rondônia Bill 645/17, sponsored by Deputy Aélcio, during a plenary session (August 30) approved the legislation. During the debate, Deputy Aélcio highlighted the health risks posed by asbestos exposures citing WHO and EU policies. See: Aprovado projeto do deputado Aélcio da TV que proíbe comercialização do amianto em Rondônia [Approved project of Deputy Aélcio of TV that prohibits commercialization of asbestos in Rondônia].
Agreement Disallowed
Sep 4, 2017
In a majority decision of August 29, 2017 by the New York Appellate Division of the first department of the Supreme Court, a plaintiff’s verdict was issued in a case brought by a mesothelioma widow over the death of merchant marine Mason South who had been exposed to asbestos during employment by Texaco. In 1997, Mr. Mason had signed an agreement absolving the company of asbestos claims in return for $1500. The Court, which noted that the consideration paid was “extremely low, given South’s alleged extensive asbestos exposure,” found that as Mr. South was not aware of the specific risk of mesothelioma in 1997, the waiver was moot. See: Matter of New York City Asbestos Litig.
Mesothelioma: Research
Sep 4, 2017
Findings of mesothelioma researchers in Australia, published in the latest issue of Lancet Oncology, suggest that a new treatment therapy could stop the growth of mesothelioma cancer cells and reduce tumour size by replacing missing microRNA nucleotides. Over the last four years, scientists working in Sydney found that injecting sufferers with missing genetic information was even able to reverse tumour growth. According to the study's principal investigator, Professor Nico van Zandwijk, it could take another six years of clinical trials before the replacement treatment could be registered. See: Research gives mesothelioma sufferers hope.
Pipeline Upgrade
Sep 4, 2017
A multi-million Rand program to upgrade an old asbestos water line between Empangeni to Ngwelezana in the port city of uMhlathuze, South Africa with new asbestos-free plastic pipes, expected to last seventy years, has been beset by delays due to labor stoppages. The tender was awarded in June 2017, since when there have been wage disputes between disgruntled workers and the KSS Group which was awarded the contract. Municipal officials aware of the problem are bringing pressure on the contractors to resolve the issues See: Strike delays R40-million water project in Empangeni.
The Wrong Diagnoses
Sep 2, 2017
Research published by South African scientists document a reality all too familiar to grassroots asbestos victims’ campaigners. Due to the difficulty in diagnosing asbestos-related diseases, “58% [of diseases] diagnosed at autopsy had been missed clinically.” An analysis of data based on the experiences of 149 former mineworkers revealed that the majority of cases of asbestos-related diseases had been missed by clinicians with autopsies identifying “77 versus 52 for asbestosis, 27 versus 14 for mesothelioma and 22 versus 3 for lung cancer.” See: Asbestos-related diseases in mineworkers: a clinicopathological study.
Precedent for Firefighter
Sep 2, 2017
A court in Barcelona has condemned the authorities in Catalonia for failing to provide adequate protection from asbestos to a firefighter now suffering from asbestosis. During the 1980s, firefighters from the Barcelona City Council's Prevention, Fire and Rescue Service were supplied with personal protective equipment containing asbestos; the firefighters were responsible for cleaning and maintaining their equipment and work clothes, requirements which breached health and safety regulations. See: Primera sentencia que condena a la Administración por la exposición al amianto de un bomber [First sentence that condemns Administration for asbestos exposure by a fireman].
Victim’s Victory!
Sep 2, 2017
On August 30, 2017, a Salerno Court concluded that the Ministry of Defense was responsible for the 2013 mesothelioma death of a former sailor who during the 1980s had served on-board two former US submarines purchased by the Italian navy; both of these ships were full of asbestos. The Ministry of Defense and the Navy had both contested claims brought by the deceased’s daughter who was awarded lump sum compensation of €200,000 plus a monthly income of €1,500. This could be the first of many similar claims, said the victorious claimant. See: Morì di amianto, ora lo Stato paga [He died of asbestos, now the state pays].
Asbestos Action Plan
Sep 2, 2017
Comments made by the Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau at a press conference in New Brunswick confirmed the Canadian Government’s intention to reduce asbestos exposures in federal buildings, agencies, banks and post offices by amending the Federal Labor Code in the run-up to the country’s asbestos ban – expected by 2018. Pointing out that Ottawa’s regulations are limited to federal buildings, the PM urged Quebec and provincial authorities to reduce occupational asbestos exposure thresholds. See: Amiante: « Nous attendons que le Québec fasse son travail aussi », dit Trudeau [Asbestos: “We are waiting for Quebec to do its job too,” says Trudeau].
Rio’s Asbestos Alert
Aug 31, 2017
Pursuant to Rio de Janeiro State Law No. 3,579 of June 7, 2001 mandating the transition to asbestos-free technologies, inspection teams have this month been undertaking audits of workplaces. On August 30, 55,000 pieces of asbestos and 184 tonnes of asbestos fiber were found at the Eternit asbestos-cement factory in Guadalupe, Rio. The factory has been shut and orders given for all the toxic material to be disposed of as per regulations. Rio de Janeiro’s inspectors have also been alerting businesses about provisions of the state asbestos ban. See: Vigilância Sanitária interdita fábrica de amianto no Rio de Janeiro [Health surveillance interdicts asbestos factory in Rio de Janeiro].
Annual Fund-Raising Walk
Aug 31, 2017
The Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) has published news of its 2017 ADSA Walk for Research and Awareness. The walk from Merriden to Perth, Western Australia to raise funds for asbestos research and public awareness of the State’s deadly epidemic of asbestos-related diseases will take place over five days – September 11-15. All of the money donated will go to the ADSA PhD Scholarship in Mesothelioma supervised by Professor Anna Nowak and the team at the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases. Towns which will be visited by the stalwart ADSA walkers include Merriden, Yoting, Beverley, Quairding and Northam. See: ADSA flyer for 2017 walk.
Deadly Environmental Cocktail
Aug 30, 2017
A new report entitled “Waiting to Inhale” documents a toxic nightmare in which residents of communities near Johannesburg’s infamous mine dumps live their lives. The affected areas include Riverlea, Dieokloof, Meadowlands and Doornkop where asbestos-cement roofing is just one of many environmental hazards local people endure. Research undertaken by the Bench Marks Foundation over three years established that 56.1% of residents had respiratory ailments as a result of exposures to dust from mine operations and tailings, asbestos roofing and/or smoking. See: Joburg's mine dumps a huge health risk, study finds.
Asbestos Under Fire
Aug 29, 2017
Criticism of asbestos use has arisen during debates over highway construction in Kazan, capital of the Tatarstan Republic, Russia with Tatarstan’s President Rustam Minnikhanov criticizing the Ministry of Transport and challenging reassurances given by Andrey Golem, the head of Orenburg Minerals JSC – one of the world’s leading producers of chrysotile asbestos – regarding the use of asbestos in road construction. Minnikhanov asked Golem if asbestos was a “poison.” Artem Chukin, from the Transport Ministry, said that past experience showed that chrysotile was not suitable for road building. See: Минниханов — минтрансу: «Г..…е дороги делаете!» [Minnikhanov vs Ministry of Transport].
Victims’ Victory!
Aug 29, 2017
The Galician Association of Asbestos Victims (AGAVIDA) has welcomed a Madrid court ruling which recognized the asbestos injuries of women who washed their husbands’ asbestos-contaminated work clothes; the men had been employed at a Getafe factory operated by the Uralita company. AGAVIDA is campaigning for Spain to establish an asbestos compensation fund like those that operate in France and the Netherlands; such a fund could be of benefit to thousands of people. See: Nuevas sentencias reconocen la asbestosis en mujeres por lavar ropa de trabajo de sus maridos [New judgments recognize asbestosis in women who washed husbands' work clothes].
Asbestos-free Bengal?
Aug 29, 2017
A ruling handed down in the Calcutta High Court could set a precedent which would result in orders to remove asbestos throughout West Bengal says ban asbestos campaigner Dr Gopal Krishna. The order mandated the removal of asbestos-containing roofing material from Court buildings. “Given the fact that health is a state subject,” writes Krishna, the “Government of West Bengal faces a logical compulsion to stop manufacturing, procurement and use of all forms of asbestos including white asbestos to protect the residents of West Bengal…” See: Calcutta High Court’s Order Paves Way For Asbestos Free West Bengal & India.
Towards a Ban
Aug 27, 2017
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s August 24th decision against the national policy allowing asbestos use, the Attorney General Brazil’s Public Labor Ministry (MPT) Dr. Ronaldo Fleury has announced that the MPT will increase inspections and lawsuits against companies to ensure a nationwide and comprehensive ban on asbestos is achieved in Brazil. In 2012 the MPT created the National Asbestos Banishment Program and has already filed several lawsuits against companies using chrysotile asbestos throughout the country. See: MPT intensificará ações contra o Amianto [MPT will intensify fight against asbestos].
Asbestos Hazard in Construction
Aug 27, 2017
A campaign by WorkSafeBC in the Canadian Province of British Colombia (BC) is being launched to address the high risks of occupational asbestos exposures especially to workers in the construction sector. Thousands of contractors will be reminded of the mandatory provisions in the regulations and the costs of breaching them, which include reputational damage as well as financial penalties. In 2017 WorkSafeBC has issued asbestos-related penalties totalling more than C$20.8 million (US$16.6 million) and has 15 officers based in Vancouver focusing on asbestos and renovation work. Between 1996 and 2016, 342 construction workers died of asbestos diseases in BC. See: British Columbia Raises Stakes on Asbestos Safety.
Asbestos Hazards
Aug 26, 2017
Colombian and US medical experts have taken part in events in Bogota this week to highlight the under-reporting of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in Colombia and to educate medical professionals about the routine hazards which can cause this and other asbestos-related diseases, such as working in a building undergoing refurbishment or living in the same house as a person exposed to asbestos at work. Highlighting the huge death toll from asbestos-related diseases in the US and Europe, Dr. Kindler told Colombian delegates that banning asbestos should be a priority for the government. See: Asbesto: Un asesino a largo plazo [Asbestos: A Long-Term Killer].
Criminal Asbestos Trials?
Aug 25, 2017
MP Jean-Paul Lecoq, representing a constituency in Normandy, has issued a statement announcing a bill to facilitate criminal trials of those responsible for France’s deadly epidemic of asbestos cancer and disease. This bill is intended to bring justice to thousands of citizens whose lives have been destroyed by avoidable asbestos exposures and who have yet to see anyone brought to trial for the decisions taken by public and private decision-makers which resulted in the national epidemic. See: Amiante: le député Jean-Paul Lecoq l’impunité de supprimer s responsables d’entreprise [Asbestos: MP Jean-Paul Lecoq to remove the impunity of business leaders].
Post-Asbestos Era
Aug 24, 2017
On Friday, August 25, 2017, during a visit to the MRC des Appalaches, a region in south-eastern Quebec, local politician Paul Vachon and Marc Alexandre Brousseau, President of the Regional Economic Development Corporation, will call on the Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau and federal politicians to explain their plans for the economic redevelopment and environmental remediation of former asbestos mining areas in the run-up to Canada’s new “post-asbestos” era. See: Bannissement de l'amiante: le plan du fédéral est attend [Banning asbestos: the federal plan is expected].
Deadly Legacy
Aug 24, 2017
A recent report reveals that a number of people between the ages of 50 and 65 have being diagnosed with asbestos diseases following childhood exposures to their parents’ asbestos contaminated work clothes. Research into cases presented at San Polo Hospital, Monfalcone, identified two of mesothelioma and two of pleural plaques in people under 61 years old. In addition, according to Dr. Paolo Barbina, four more cases of mesothelioma have been reported in women who washed their husbands' work clothes. See: L’amianto ora colpisce i figli degli operai [Asbestos now strikes the workers' children].
Setback: Asbestos Program
Aug 22, 2017
The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management has withdrawn funding for the asbestos removal program for Poland’s northern state of Warmia and Mazury. Subsidies available for carrying out remediation work have been reduced as a result of which applications for state assistance have decreased. Under a mandatory national scheme, all regions have until 2032 to eliminate asbestos contamination; failure to comply will incur heavy penalties. Experts believe there are still more than 200,000 tonnes of contaminated material in the state. See: Azbest zostanie z nami na dłużej. Narodowy fundusz wycofuje się z programu [Asbestos will stay with us longer. National fund withdraws from the program].
Toxic Asbestos Legacy
Aug 20, 2017
Even if asbestos is banned in Brazil, as many experts believe will happen as a result of a landmark Supreme Court decision expected on August 23, many people will die from toxic workplace or environmental exposures. Welcoming the end of asbestos use, former asbestos worker and President of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) Eliezer João de Souza told journalists that there is a lot of work to do in supporting the injured and eradicating the asbestos hazard from the Brazilian infrastructure. See: O amianto no Brasil está com os dias contados, diz ex-funcionário [The days are numbered for asbestos use in Brazil says former employee].
Another Brazilian Ban!
Aug 18, 2017
A bill to end the use of asbestos in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil was presented on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 to the state legislature by Representative Eduardo Rocha, who claimed such action was needed to protect public and occupational health. The proposed law would prohibit the installation or purchase of asbestos-containing products, materials or artifacts. Several other Brazilian states have already banned asbestos. They include: Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Amazonas See: Projeto de lei busca vedar a utilização do amianto no MS [Bill Bans Prohibition of Asbestos Use in MS].
Asbestos: At Home
Aug 18, 2017
In a public demonstration by Greenpeace in the National Park of Bogotá on August 15, 2017, demands were made that Eternit, one of Colombia’s biggest asbestos companies, ban asbestos from its products. Greenpeace members mounted a performance set within a typical living room illustrating the hazards to family members of living with asbestos and products containing it. A bill to ban the commercial exploitation of asbestos, still mined and used in Colombia, is being considered by the Senate. See: Greenpeace pide a Eternit dejar de producir productos con asbestos [Greenpeace calls on Eternit to stop producing asbestos products].
Asbestos in the Outback
Aug 18, 2017
Asbestos widely used in Australia after the Second World War to develop urban areas is also prevalent in remote rural communities. An innovative program by the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, the result of consultation with communities in rural areas, is being run in collaboration with the Government of the Northern Territory, employing asbestos specialists to train local people to remove asbestos from their communities and other areas. One particular challenge is the distance from licensed asbestos disposal sites. New community waste facilities are being developed to accept asbestos debris. See: Fighting the scourge of asbestos in remote communities.
Victory For Victims!
Aug 18, 2017
Spain’s Supreme Court has this summer upheld a ruling condemning the Uralita asbestos company for the mesothelioma deaths of two women who were exposed to asbestos whilst washing their husbands’ contaminated work clothes; both men had worked for decades at the company’s Getafe factory – from the 1960s. The Court awarded compensation of €180,000 to each family. See: El Supremo confirma una indemnización de 360.000 euros a los familiares de dos mujeres fallecidas por Amianto [Supreme Court confirms compensation of 360,000 euros for relatives of women killed by asbestos].
Court Removes Asbestos
Aug 16, 2017
Acting Chief Justice Nishiata Mhatre and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty have this week directed that asbestos-containing sheeting on the roofs of at least 10 courtrooms, the portico, 5 bar association rooms, the Bar Library, the study of the Bar Association and the department of the first assistant registrar in Kolkata’s High Court be removed. The toxic building material will be replaced with safer alternatives according to the orders handed down by the justices. This action has been taken after litigation was brought in 2016 by local resident Ashis Mitra. See: No more asbestos in HC: Acting Chief Justice.
Asbestos: The Human Cost
Aug 16, 2017
To quantify the economic costs of lung cancer and mesothelioma cases associated with occupational and para-occupational asbestos exposure diagnosed in 2011, researchers studied data relating to 2,331 cases. Direct and indirect total costs were estimated at $C381m and $C1.5 billion in quality of life costs. The contents of this paper are, the authors say, of importance to policymakers, and support the conclusion that the “economic burden of lung cancer and mesothelioma associated with occupational and para-occupational asbestos exposure is substantial.” See: The economic burden of lung cancer and mesothelioma due to occupational and para-occupational asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma Research
Aug 15, 2017
Through its outstanding fund-raising efforts and in collaboration with the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD), the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) has made a generous scholarship available to provide $60,000 per year (and payment of other costs) to a suitable candidate “to grow the knowledge and expertise in mesothelioma and asbestos related diseases… (and to) directly contribute to ongoing NCARD research combating asbestos diseases…” Every year, the ADSA walk raises substantial sums for NCARD (see details of the 2017 walk, scheduled to commence on September 10). See: Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia Phd Scholarship in Mesothelioma.
Asbestos Liabilities
Aug 5, 2017
Amec Foster Wheeler, one of Britain’s biggest engineering groups, has announced potential future liabilities of £310m for thousands of asbestos cases most of which are expected from US claimants and all of which relate to exposures to equipment manufactured during or before the 1970s. In figures released a few weeks ago, the company reported 3,800 US claims in 2016, up from 3,420 claims in 2015, many of which were for mesothelioma or lung cancer. Amec Foster Wheeler has quantified the projected figures saying that the predictions are “subject to a number of uncertainties.” See: Amec Foster Wheeler faces £310m bill to settle asbestos-related claims.
General Electric: Restitution
Aug 14, 2017
Advocates for former General Electric (GE) workers exposed to occupational toxins, including asbestos, are campaigning for automatic compensation from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Lobbying for injured Canadian workers and family members, the Occupational and Environmental Health Coalition –Peterborough is calling for “presumptive entitlement” to compensation for illnesses contracted as a result of exposure to carcinogens used at GE’s Peterborough plant. See: More for Automatic compensation for General Electric Peterborough retirees exposed to toxins remains goal of Occupational and Environmental Health Coalition.
Another delay!
Aug 14, 2017
The long-awaited Supreme Court decision regarding the constitutionality of asbestos use in Brazil, the world’s third largest asbestos producer, scheduled to be handed down on August 10, 2017, brought many people to Brasilia including veteran ban asbestos campaigners Fernanda Giannasi and Eliezer João de Souza from the Brazilian Group of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). After the vote of Justice Dias Toffoli, however, the proceedings were suspended until August 17. See: ‘Atenção, contém amianto’: STF julga futuro da polêmica fibra, comum em telhados no Brasil [‘Attention, contains asbestos’: STF judges future of controversial fiber, common on roofs in Brazil].
Ban Asbestos Bill
Aug 14, 2017
Senator Nadia Blel presented a proposal to ban asbestos, entitled the Ana Cecilia Niño bill in honor of a deceased mesothelioma sufferer, to the Colombian Congress on August 2, 2017, highlighting the toxicity of the substance and the scores of countries which had already banned its use. (see August 8, 2017 TV interview with Senator Blel). The motivation of the ban asbestos project was, said the Senator, to protect “the health of Colombians.” A 5-year phase-out period is proposed to allow industries to make the transition to safer technologies. See: Nadia Blel radica proyecto de Ley “Ana Cecilia Niño” en contra del Asbesto [Nadia Blel’s bill “Ana Cecilia Niño” against Asbestos].
School Decontamination
Aug 14, 2017
A collaborative project between private enterprise and school officials has succeeded in remediating asbestos contamination at Laerskool Hoeveld, a primary school in the South African City of Mpumalanga. During the Summer vacation, commercial asbestos specialists and staff from local businesses removed asbestos-containing products and refurbished the school premises. Commenting on this project, school principal Danie Heese said: “It was such a wonderful surprise for the children when they returned to school. They were buzzing with excitement about the upgraded facilities.” See: Hazardous asbestos cleared from Mpumalanga school.
Asbestos at the Opera
Aug 11, 2017
One week after the discovery (July 24) of asbestos in service ducts at the Sydney Opera House where 25 electricians had been working, the Electrical Trades Union issued an order stopping work by its members on the $200 million renovation program. The exposed tradesmen had not been issued with protective clothing to work with the toxic material, nor had they received mandatory training for such work. The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union is considering the possibility of further bans on the site. SafeWork NSW is investigating the asbestos discovery. See: Union bans workers from Sydney Opera House renovation after asbestos found.
Mesothelioma: Victory!
Aug 11, 2017
The long-dreaded Review of Civil Litigation Costs: Supplemental Report Fixed Recoverable Costs – known more succinctly as the Jackson Report – which was published at the end of last month (July, 2017), made an exception for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related lung disease claims as specified on pages 101 and 102; on page 65, the report also highlighted the value of input received from the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum (AVSGF) on March 10, 2017: “The general view of the AVSGF was that such cases were not suited to FRC [Fixed Recoverable Costs].” See: Review of Civil Litigation Costs: Supplemental Report Fixed Recoverable Costs.
Asbestos Acknowledgement
Aug 1, 2017
A fact sheet in the Canadian Environmental Health Atlas issued by the Research Council of Canada has highlighted the repercussions of asbestos production and use at home and the impact of exposures to Canadian asbestos abroad. In Canada, asbestos is “one of the leading causes of occupationally-related cancer deaths… most asbestos-related diseases are first detected long after exposure to the mineral.” The international sale of Canadian asbestos over many decades and the long latency period of asbestos-related diseases mean that “in developing countries using Canadian asbestos today, an increase in mesothelioma deaths can be expected in future.” See: Asbestos Production in Canada.
Asbestos Phase-Out
Jul 30, 2017
As the Brazilian Supreme Court prepares to recommence hearings on the unconstitutionality of asbestos use, an article has revealed that most asbestos-using companies in Brazil have either transitioned to safer technologies or have signed agreements with the Public Labor Ministry to end use by 2018. Only Eternit, the owner of Brazil’s sole asbestos mine, and Precon remain committed to asbestos use. While Precon has been ordered to phase out the use of asbestos in its manufacturing of tiles by September 2018, Eternit refuses to discuss the subject. See: Amianto: de 9 empresas, 7 já deixaram de usar a fibra ou vão abandoná-la até 2018 [Asbestos: of 9 companies, 7 have already stopped using the fiber or will abandon it by 2018].
Asbestos Alert
Jul 28, 2017
In the Newcastle Advertiser, a newspaper serving South Africa’s third largest city in KwaZulu-Natal Province, Occupational Hygienist Paul Muchemi details the legacy of decades of asbestos consumption in the only country where all three types of asbestos – crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile – were produced. Although asbestos was banned in 2001, the imminent hazards posed by its presence continue. Muchemi recommended that asbestos audits be carried out and that hazardous material be disposed of via trained and regulated asbestos removal contractors. Action should be prioritized when asbestos-containing material is damaged or deteriorating, he said. See: Asbestos, the hidden killer.
Basque Asbestos Ruling
Jul 28, 2017
In October 2016, aged 61, José Luis R.S. died from, mesothelioma, a year after his occupational disease was recognized. The Basque High Court has this week rejected an appeal by his employer Garay Recubrimientos (Garay Coatings) of a claimant’s ruling from the Social Court; the company has been ordered to pay compensation of ~€450,000 to the wife and children of the deceased. From 1986 to 1999, José Luis R.S. had been employed by the company to repair steam pipes which necessitated the handling of asbestos insulation; at no time was he provided with respiratory protection. See: Una empresa deberá pagar 450.000 € a la familia de un fallecido poramianto [A company must pay €450,000 to the family of a deceased asbestos victim].
Dangers of Asbestos Exposure
Jul 28, 2017
A new Brazilian website and outreach campaign have been launched to raise awareness of the ubiquity of asbestos and hazards relating to its continuing production and use in Brazil. Information available from these sources highlights high risk occupations, such as working in the construction industry, and the public health risk to family members and members of the public living near asbestos processing facilities. The opposition to Brazil’s banning asbestos comes from vested economic interests determined to preserve the status quo. See: Amianto causa cancer [Asbestos causes cancer].
£1.27m Asbestos Fine
Jul 27, 2017
Southwark Crown Court imposed a £1.27 million fine on Balfour Beatty and two subcontractors who were, it found, been responsible for asbestos exposures which occurred on July 24, 2012 during refurbishment work at a school in Waltham Forest. Commenting on the verdict, HSE inspector Sarah Robinson said: “The principal contractor and contractors on site did not review the survey report in detail, and did not take into consideration the multitude of caveats. Therefore the work undertaken did not adopt the high standards of control expected for working where there was the potential to expose workers to asbestos.” See: Balfour and subcontractors hit with £1.27m in asbestos fines.
Ban Asbestos Dialogue
Jul 26, 2017
Three days of asbestos awareness events began today in Jakarta organized by local campaigning groups in partnership with Australia’s Union Aid Abroad, the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, the Asian Ban Asbestos Network and others. The speakers at today’s trade union workshop at the Legal Aid Institute include Associate Prof. Dr Yv Viger (Canada) and campaigners M. Darisman (Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network) and Bernawan Sinaga, from the Ministry of Manpower. In the coming days, events focusing on the medical management of asbestos-related diseases and the development of a national ban asbestos road map will also take place. See: Photograph of Jakarta seminar July 26, 2017.
Court Action against Regulators
Jul 26, 2017
The Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) has withdrawn a certificate which had allowed asbestos factory units belonging to companies from Tamil Nadu to operate in Bhojpur, Bihar. Despite the BSPCB’s actions, the factories are still manufacturing asbestos products. Legal actions regarding the companies’ actions are ongoing before the Patna High Court. A case against the BSPCB, Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) and the State of Bihar has also been filed by one of the asbestos companies. The next court hearing will be on August 7. See: Nibhi asbestos company in Patna High Court after cancellation of its permission by Pollution Control Board.
Asbestos Contamination
Jul 25. 2017
The legacy of asbestos use throughout the built environment is a serious concern of Jeffrey Headley who, before he retired in 2013, was the head of the Barbados Environmental Protection Department. In an interview with the Sunday Sun newspaper, Headley said that although he had hoped that the removal of asbestos roofing material would be prioritized by the government, he has in the last few years seen little evidence of this happening. Headley confirmed that many buildings – such as the Queen Elizabeth Hospital – and state housing units still had the original asbestos sheeting first installed on roofs when the premises were constructed. See: Health hazard.
Asbestos Hazard: Thailand
Jul 25, 2017
On July 24, Canadian and Thai colleagues took part in an International Asbestos Seminar entitled Canadian Ban Asbestos Policy 2018, at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. Featured speakers included Associate Prof. Dr Yv Bonnier Viger (Canada), Prof. Dr Pornchai Sithisarankul, Associate Prof. Dr Wantanee Phanprasit and representatives of the National Health Commission, the Department of Disease Control, the Council of Work and Environment Related Patient Network and government units. The prime focus of the day was to understand national strategies for minimising the occurrence of asbestos-related diseases through banning asbestos use. See photo: Invitation to Thailand Asbestos Seminar.
Progress: Asbestos Ban
Jul 24, 2017
Following meetings and discussions held last week in Hanoi about the deadly asbestos hazard, media reports have been published documenting increased government support for a national asbestos ban by 2020 to eliminate asbestos-related diseases. Simultaneously, industry-informed articles (see: Business anxiety before the proposed ban on white asbestos) have appeared, denying that any occupationally-linked cases of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma had been diagnosed, that smoking caused mesothelioma and that white asbestos was an essential resource for Vietnam. See: Tiến tới dừng sử dụng amiăng trắng tại Việt Nam [Towards stopping the use of white asbestos in Vietnam].
Good Omen?
Jul 24, 2017
A former asbestos factory in Chongqing, a major manufacturing city in southwest China, has been transformed into a space for artistic exhibitions and installations. Commenting on this news, the author of an online Chinese article asserts that this development heralds a new era for the Chinese economy in which “heavy industry businesses trapped in overcapacity and environmental problems are being shut down across the country and removed from urban areas to make way for services and consumer industries.” See: 中国昔日工厂正变身艺术园区 外媒:用创意产业擦亮“锈带” [Former asbestos factory in China transformed into art gallery].
Asbestos Oil Rig Hazard
Jul 23, 2017
On July 21, 2017, Cork City coroner Philip Comyn backed a jury’s recommendation that the historic risks of toxic asbestos exposures to oil rig workers be brought to the attention of the Department of Jobs, after deciding that the death of a 64-year-old Limerick man James O’Brien on June 6, 2016, months after he had been diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, was due to occupational exposures. Mr. O’Brien had worked as a general labourer on oil rigs off Ireland in the 1980s. The family’s solicitor Raymond Bradley asked the jury to recommend that a review be undertaken of Irish workers from the oil rig industry to assess their exposures to asbestos. See: Call for screenings of oil rig workers.
Asbestos: Parliamentary Dossier
Jul 23, 2017
In the aftermath of a recent pronouncement by the public prosecutor’s office that criminal investigations relating to France’s asbestos scandal would be dropped against civil servants, politicians and businessmen, the Minister of Health Agnes Buzyn and the Minister of Labor Muriel Pénicaud faced hostile questioning last week by members of the National Assembly and the Senate demanding justice for the thousands of French people condemned to early deaths by the government’s collusion with the asbestos industry. Defending the government’s position, Ministers cited the existence of FIVA, a national compensation fund, and a 3-year inter-ministerial plan. See: Deux ministres interpellés sur l'affaire de l'amiante [Two ministers challenged over asbestos case].
Asbestos in Schools
Jul 23, 2017
The results of a survey conducted by the National Union of Teachers informs a new commentary in the Health and Safety Bulletin which concludes that the eradication of asbestos-containing materials from all schools must be a priority: “Schools are unlike the majority of other workplaces in that majority of their occupants are children, who engage in normal, but boisterous, behaviours that are likely to disturb asbestos.” Despite the widespread nature of the problem, the HSE has no plans to investigate the 100+ English schools which gave authorities “significant cause for concern.” See: Managing asbestos in schools is no longer a sensible option.
Ending Asbestos Use!
Jul 21, 2017
The Public Labor Ministry in Rio Grande do Sul reached an agreement in May 2017 with Isdralit, the last manufacturing company using chrysotile asbestos in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, to transition to an asbestos-free technology by November 10, 2017 and dispose of all toxic waste and contaminated products according to strict protocols. In addition, the company must establish a medical plan for all employees which provides periodic examinations for a period of 30 years. See: Com TAC, uso de amianto é banido na última indústria utilizadora da fibra no Estado [With TAC (the term of conduct adjustment), asbestos use is banned in the last fiber-using industry in the state].
Tackling Asbestos Disease
Jul 21, 2017
Meetings in Hanoi took place on July 19 and 20, 2017 between international and local asbestos experts and government officials, representatives of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, civil society campaigners from the Vietnam Ban Asbestos Network and other groups to consider the multifaceted nature of the asbestos challenges facing the country including the impact of hazardous exposures on human health, the availability of safer materials, and the problems regarding demolition and disposal of asbestos-containing materials. Technical and medical information presented by Canadian, Australian and Japanese speakers was warmly received. See: Photograph of discussion panel.
Supreme Court Ruling?
Jul 21, 2017
Litigation regarding the unconstitutionality of Brazil’s policy allowing the use of asbestos will once more be before the Supreme Court on August 10, 2017. At that time, the Court in Brasilia will hear submissions related to actions regarding the: legality of asbestos bans in São Paulo, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul and the national policy supporting “the controlled use” of a carcinogenic substance which, so the litigants contend, constitutes a violation of the human rights of Brazilians. A 2012 hearing was adjourned with no decision taken. See: Saúde em jogo: Supremo retoma julgamento sobre o uso do Amianto [Health at stake: Supreme resumes judgment on the use of asbestos].
Asbestos Hazard
Jul 21, 2017
A July article in the Vietnamese media detailed the death of a British woman from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Susan MacGregor died in 2014, 14 months after she had been diagnosed, aged 58. As a child, she had hugged her father when he returned home wearing asbestos-covered work clothes. The article cites evidence from the World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency confirming the deadly nature of human exposure to asbestos. See: Niềm vui đón bố đi làm về không ngờ là lý do khiến người phụ nữ bị ung thư mà chết 50 năm sau đó [The joy of going to work resulted in cancer death of a woman 50 years later].
Towards an Asbestos Ban!
Jul 20, 2017
To minimize the risk of occupational asbestos exposures, the Government of Canada announced on July 12 an immediate reduction in workplace exposure limits for chrysotile asbestos. This policy change is part and parcel of the federal government’s plans for banning the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products by 2018. Welcoming the more stringent regulations, Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff said the lower threshold sent “a clear message” that asbestos should not be used and brought Canada “one step closer to the… complete ban of both import and export of asbestos.” See: Federal government lowers limit of exposure to airborne chrysotile asbestos.
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Jul 20, 2017
On July 19, 2017, academics from Taiwan University launched a publication entitled “Deadly Dust” detailing the hazards posed to workers and the public from exposures to asbestos-containing materials and called on the government to implement measures to increase workplace and environmental protection. Professor Zheng Yawen informed journalists that people suffering from cancer caused by asbestos exposure have been diagnosed in Taiwan and that due to the presence of asbestos throughout Taiwan, more cases are anticipated especially amongst construction workers. See: 石綿致癌工人受害 學者憂政府漠視害命 [Academics concern over occupational asbestos hazard].
Surveillance Aid
Jul 19, 2017
The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has awarded a bursary to the Paraná branch of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), to purchase a set of ILO Classification Radiographs including ILO Standard Images of Pneumoconiosis, for the diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases by doctors from the State University in Londrina who are implementing a surveillance program for former workers from an ex-asbestos-cement plant belonging to the Infibra company. Thanking IBAS for this award, ABREA President Eliezer João De Souza said: “We are optimistic that the treatment of ABREA members will be improved by access to this new program.”
Update: Asbestos Emergency
Jul 19, 2017
New data published in Italy documents a growth in the volume of asbestos waste generated and a fall in the availability of regulated waste sites resulting in the export of 145,000 tonnes of waste to Germany. At the current rate of remediation, it is estimated that decontamination of the country won’t be achieved until the next century with asbestos-related deaths continuing for a further 130 years. In 2015, 369,000 tonnes of asbestos-containing waste were produced in Italy. See: Amianto, cresce la produzione di rifiuti in Italia ma gli impianti per gestirla sono sempre meno [Asbestos, waste generation in Italy is growing, but the facilities for managing it are getting less and less].
NHS Asbestos Threat
Jul 18, 2017
An investigation by BBC London has established that 94% of the capitals’ hospitals contain asbestos products. Of the 1,000 London people who have died from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma since 2011, seven were doctors or nurses. While the Health and Safety Executive and government agencies such as NHS Improvement, part of the Department of Health, attempt to downplay the dangers posed by this contamination, others have claimed that the situation is tantamount to a “ticking time bomb.” An interview with the widow of a surgeon who died from mesothelioma details widespread use and uncontrolled exposures experienced by NHS staff. See: Hospital asbestos ‘a ticking time bomb’.
Quantifying the Asbestos Hazard
Jul 18, 2017
Members of Parliament representing areas on the Peloponnese peninsular in Western Greece have demanded answers from the government regarding the environmental asbestos hazard and plans, reported by the Greek Ecological Research Center, to build a landfill dumpsite for asbestos and radioactive industrial waste in the region. The government’s proposals, which have never been submitted to the Region of Western Greece for consultation, are being challenged by communities in and around the Peloponnese provinces of Achaia and Arcadia. See: Παρέμβαση βουλευτών για τον καρκινογόνο αμίαντο στην παραλία Δρεπάνου Αχαΐας [Members' intervention on carcinogenic asbestos at Drepanos Achaia beach].
Asbestos Industry Offensive
Jul 18, 2017
The Ukrainian Center for Steel Development has warned of the escalation of building costs following the recent announcement by the Ukraine Ministry of Health (MoH) that asbestos use and imports would be banned in six months. Two thirds of Ukraine’s asbestos imports come from Russia with the remainder coming from Kazakhstan. An asbestos industry trade association – the Ukrainian Chrysotile Association – is calling on the government to reverse the decision taken by the MoH. In 2015, Ukraine consumed 12,070 tonnes of asbestos. See: Запрет асбеста в Украине затронет ещё один стройматериал [Prohibition of asbestos in Ukraine will affect another building material].
Growing Pressure for Eradication
Jul 17, 2017
Following the announcement that the Portuguese Government had set a 2020 deadline for the removal of asbestos from all of the country’s 4,200 public buildings, politicians from the Green Ecological Party (ENP) have increased their calls for a government policy which mandates the same deadline for buildings in private ownership. The ENP has presented a bill in Parliament which proposes that a program for the identification of all companies which own buildings and/or installations containing asbestos materials be set up. See: Verdes querem remoção de amianto também em edifícios de empresas privadas [Greens want asbestos removal also in private business buildings].
Asbestos Waste Scandal
Jul 17, 2017
News of a public health scam has been reported by the Kenyan media which details corporate and government collusion to off-load toxic asbestos waste at a dump site in the town of Kitui, 180 kilometers from Nairobi. Villagers, who had been told that designated farmland was to be the site of a new hotel, were amazed when they saw huge earth moving machines dig four large holes into which tons of asbestos waste were illegally dumped under orders from representatives of Sonata Kenya Ltd. and Earth Care Company – overseen by officials from the National Environment Management Authority. Local people are demanding the removal of the toxic material. See: Deadly fibre: Kitui residents live in mortal fear of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos: Water Networks
Jul 17, 2017
A Spanish language online article highlights the health hazards posed by asbestos-containing water pipes to maintenance workers as well as members of the public and points out that these toxic water networks have, after several decades, finally come to the end of their usefulness. Increased awareness of the asbestos hazard, partially due to political lobbying, has led to public pressure for replacement by asbestos-free pipes to be made a priority issue in several Spanish cities including: Calviá, Tavernes, Los Corrales, Cieza, Castro, Boadilla, Murcia, etc. See: Amianto por un tubo [Asbestos Through a Tube].
Asbestos Scandal: Schools
Jul 12, 2017
Following its second survey of asbestos in schools undertaken in 2016, Japan’s Education Ministry announced last week that 227 institutions in 14 of the country’s 47 prefectures had chimneys using asbestos as heat insulation. Local governments responsible for the 227 public kindergartens, elementary, junior high and high schools with old chimneys that may scatter asbestos were instructed to address this matter. Amongst the public schools with risky chimneys, Hokkaido had 116 schools, the largest number, followed by Ishikawa Prefecture, with 34, and Tokyo, with 22. See: Japan study finds chimneys at 227 public schools at risk for scattering asbestos.
Asbestos Strike
Jul 11, 2017
Asbestos found in the drivers’ carriages of the T5 train line in Sydney on July 6, 2017 led to a suspension of services after a strike was called by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW Locomotive Division. In a statement, the RTBU said that “asbestos dust or particles had been found between March and June 2017 within the Flemington and Hornsby Maintenance Centres.” Commenting on the “wholly inadequate” response by Sydney Trains, a union spokesperson said action will continue “until such time as Sydney Trains can provide satisfactory information to allay concerns of members.” See: Chaos for commuters as Sydney's T5 train line suddenly closes until further notice and drivers announce a snap strike over deadly asbestos.
National Remediation Program
Jul 10, 2017
On July 7, 2017, the Portuguese government announced plans to remove asbestos from public buildings by 2020. The €422 million remediation program will decontaminate 4,200 buildings to protect public health from hazardous exposures. Part of the budget will come from EU and Portuguese funds; the rest will be provided by the European Investment Bank of the Council of Europe. Welcoming the plans, critics point out that asbestos audits should be undertaken as a priority before the start of a phased program with removal work commencing in the most polluted buildings. See: Despesa para remoção de amianto publicada em Diário da República [Budget for asbestos removal published in Diário da República].
Asbestos Victims Betrayed
Jul 10, 2017
The French newspaper Le Monde published a commentary denouncing the announcement on June 27 that the judiciary would not be carrying on with criminal cases against named government officers, civil servants and businessmen for the asbestos deaths of thousands of citizens. Reviewing the deadly industrial legacy created by asbestos companies such as Eternit and employers’ legal duty to provide a healthy environment at the workplace, sociologist and historian Pascal Marichalar condemned the failure to provide justice for those injured in the country’s largest occupational health epidemic. See: Amiante: un « renoncement à rendre justice » [Asbestos: a “renunciation of justice”].
Rise in Mesothelioma Deaths
Jul 7, 2017
Figures released on July 5, 2017 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) document a rise in mesothelioma mortality. In Great Britain the number of mesothelioma deaths in 2015 was 2,542, an increase on the 2014 figure of 2,519 deaths. According to the HSE press release: “The increase in mesothelioma deaths in recent years has been driven mainly by deaths among those aged 75 and above… The latest projections suggest there will continue to be around 2500 deaths per year for the rest of this current decade before annual numbers begin to decline. The current figures relating to asbestos-related cancer reflect widespread exposures before 1980.” See: HSE releases annual workplace fatality figures.
Brazil-Italian Coalition
Jul 3, 2017
An interview with Fernanda Giannasi, leader of the ban asbestos struggle in Brazil, was published on Sunday, detailing her June mission to Italy during which she strengthened the ties between victims and discussed strategies with comrades from Casale Monferrato, Milan, Bologna, Bari and elsewhere. Ms. Giannasi highlighted the pioneering work undertaken in Brazil by Agata Mazzeo, now known as the “Italian granddaughter of ABREA,” the group representing Brazil’s asbestos victims. See: Fernanda Giannasi: Trabalho conjunto com ONGs italianas foi vital para nossas lutas e vitórias contra o cancerígeno Amianto [Fernanda Giannasi: Working together with Italian NGOs was vital to our struggles and victories against the carcinogenic asbestos].
More Lies!
Jul 3, 2017
A Russian article took to extreme depths the depravity of asbestos lobbyists who blamed the fire at the Grenfell Towers, London on the fact that asbestos-containing products were not present. Their offensive diatribe contained many errors, as revealed by an alert issued by Public Health England about the health hazards of the asbestos fallout from the conflagration. Ignoring, as the industry propagandists always do, the fact that safe asbestos-free products exist, the author insinuated that environmental activists were to blame for the loss of life due to the international campaign to ban asbestos. See: Асбестовая изоляция могла защитить Гренфелл Тауэр от пожара [Asbestos insulation could have prevented Grenfell Tower fire].
Industry Offensive
Jul 2, 2017
A “study” published last week asserted that a proposed asbestos ban in Sri Lanka would disastrously impact on the country’s finances. It is of relevance to note that this report was launched at a seminar entitled: “Socio Economic Impact of the Potential Prohibition of Chrysotile in Sri Lanka” held by the Chrysotile Information Centre of Sri Lanka, an asbestos industry trade association which continues to assert that the “safe use” of carcinogenic asbestos products can be achieved. This industry-tailored document is clearly an attempt to dissuade key decision makers from following through on their pledge to ban asbestos in Sri Lanka by 2024. See: Proposed asbestos ban a costly affair, says report.
Chrysotile Update
Jul 2, 2017
A study undertaken by six scientists from the Institute for Pathology of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany using data from the German Mesothelioma Register presents “longitudinal intra-individual data about the asbestos fibre burden in living human lungs.” Regarding the hazardous nature of chrysotile (white) asbestos, the researchers demonstrated: “high biopersistence of not only amphibole but also chrysotile asbestos in the human lung and thus gives mechanistic explanations for the toxicity of the fibre and the long latency period of asbestos related diseases.” See: The asbestos fibre burden in human lungs: new insights into the chrysotile debate.
Asbestos Treachery
Jun 28, 2017
After waiting decades for justice, asbestos victims in France have been informed that public prosecutors in Paris are recommending that pending criminal cases over deadly asbestos exposures which have been progressing through the judicial system against asbestos companies such as Eternit, the leading French producer of asbestos-cement, shipyard and building owners should be dropped, due to uncertainty regarding the dates of toxic exposures experienced by victims. The first criminal complaints were filed in 1997; to date, no trials have taken place. See: Scandale de l’amiante. La justice s’oriente vers une serie de non-lieux [Asbestos scandal. Justice is going nowhere].
Asbestos Ban!
Jun 28, 2017
The announcement on June 26, 2017 that Ukraine was banning asbestos was welcomed by global asbestos activists. The press conference at which the Ministry of Health spokeswoman declared the new policy can be watched on youtube in the original Ukrainian and with English translation. Press briefings regarding this development are available online in Ukrainian and in Russian. There are currently seven companies in Ukraine employing 4,000 people who process asbestos fiber from Russia and Kazakhstan. See: The Ministry of health has banned the use of all forms of asbestos.
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 28, 2017
A commentary published in The Guardian on June 27, 2017 highlights the downgrading of fire safety at schools which has taken place under Conservative governments. It documents failures to include asbestos as part of 2014 infrastructure audits and condemns the lack of data on the schools’ asbestos hazard. Outraged author Lola Okolosie writes: “Our collective attitude to asbestos in schools mirrors the same sleepwalking into disaster that comes from viewing rigorous safety standards as more rigmarole than necessity. In the wake of the fire at Grenfell Tower, we have a simple choice: we choose to be safe.” See: We cannot compromise safety in schools. Asbestos must be removed.
Remediation at Schools
Jun 28, 2017
After a series of articles detailing the existence and consequences of widespread asbestos contamination in schools in South Africa’s Gauteng Province, Panyaza Lesufi, Member of the Executive Council for Education in Gauteng announced in a budget speech made at the Provincial Legislature on June 27, 2017, that: “We intend to use the R40 billion budget that has been allocated to us to kick-start the eradication of both the asbestos [in] schools and [in] the mobile schools within the schooling environment.” See: Gauteng education wants to eradicate asbestos at schools.
Grenfell Tower: Asbestos
Jun 23, 2017
On June 21, 2017, Public Health England published health advice regarding toxic exposures caused by the Grenfell Tower conflagration which included a warning about the asbestos fall-out from the disaster. Attempting to minimize public concerns over the asbestos danger, the statement admitted that while asbestos-containing material had been present in the building, the asbestos fibers were “bound” within construction products and so only “very small amounts of asbestos fibres will have been dispersed … any asbestos would present a minimal additional risk to health.” See: Public health advice following the Grenfell Tower fire.
Mesothelioma: Temporal Patterns
Jun 23, 2017
A study on asbestos latency periods by scientists from Poland’s Nofer Institute compared data from 131 patients with pleural mesothelioma with data from a control group of 655 people in an asbestos health surveillance program. Findings were: the mesothelioma risk increased 40 years after last exposure; dose-response relationships in at-risk occupational cohorts were critical to understanding the hazard of environmental exposures; the “mesothelioma risk increases along with the increasing time since exposure termination.” See: Mesothelioma continues to increase even 40 years after exposure - Evidence from long-term epidemiological observation.
Protest: Ban Asbestos
Jun 23, 2017
A video uploaded to youtube on June 16, 2017 documents a dramatic ban asbestos demonstration mounted in Bogota, Colombia by Greenpeace that featured “patients” lying in hospital beds struggling to breathe, attached to oxygen cylinders with the name of the country’s biggest asbestos company “Eternit” written on them. Surrounding the scene taken from a hospital ward were banners with the equation Eternit = asbestos = cancer on them. See: Eternit enferma a Colombia! [Eternit makes Colombia sick!]. (For more on Eternit’s role in the national asbestos debate see: Asbestos in Colombia.)
Asbestos Shipbreaking Death
Jun 22, 2017
On June 21, 2017, the Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) reported the death of asbestosis sufferer Mohammad. Ridwan, aged 55. The former shipbreaking worker had worked for 20 years as a cutterman at the KSRM Steel Yard in Shitalpur, Shitakunda, Chittagong. During that time, he had routinely been exposed to asbestos; he was diagnosed with 80% disability at an asbestos outreach diagnosis camp set up by the OSHE in Chittagong and had been receiving treatment from the OSHE Workers Health Clinic at Shitakunda, Chittagong. He died on June 11, 2017. See: Photo of Mr. Ridwan in 2016.
ACT Asbestos Hazard
Jun 22, 2017
Research released by scientists from the Australian National University, based on death registrations and cancer databases over a 30-year period up to 2013, has found a two and a half increased risk of mesothelioma in men who lived in Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos houses in Canberra. Chief health officer Paul Kelly said the findings showed that while mesothelioma remained very rare in the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) “there is a higher risk for males living in the houses.” The study also found higher rates of colorectal cancers including bowel cancer among Mr Fluffy residents. See: Mr Fluffy asbestos: Male residents at increased risk of contracting mesothelioma.
Eternit Defeated!
Jun 21, 2017
On June 20, 2017, Eternit announced it would accept a March 2017 verdict which said the company had caused the death of Françoise Jonckheere by failing to control hazardous asbestos exposures despite knowing that such exposures could harm human health. Speaking outside the court on the day that ruling was announced her son Eric said: “Ils savaient!” [They knew!] On Tuesday, an Eternit spokesperson said: “Eternit is also of the opinion that the principle of fair compensation as defined in the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Brussels is in conformity to its own policy. For this reason Eternit decided not to appeal.” See: Procès de l’amiante: Eternit n’ira pas en cassation [Asbestos trial: Eternit will not go to Supreme Court].
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 21, 2017
Part one of a three-part series investigating the asbestos hazard in schools in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, which was published yesterday, reported that while 29 Gauteng schools are built entirely or predominately of asbestos materials and have been listed for replacement, another 214 partially built with asbestos materials have not. Part two examines the health risks posed to children and staff of the asbestos contamination and part three highlights the inconsistencies in advice provided by the Gauteng education department about the asbestos hazard. See: More than 200 Gauteng schools contain asbestos. Here’s where they are.
WHO: Asbestos Report
Jun 20, 2017
A 48-page report, in English and Russian, published this month by the World Health Organization provides yet more evidence for policy makers looking to ban asbestos use in their countries. The authors conclude: “Overall, the trends show that the global asbestos industry is shrinking… its continued use carries substantial costs, including those related to health, remediation and litigation. Countries that continue to produce and consume asbestos will sustain substantial health costs, and… perhaps even greater remediation and litigation costs.” See: Asbestos: Economic Assessment of Ban and Declining Production and Consumption (for Russian version click here).
Asbestos Imports: No Prosecutions
Jun 19, 2017
Testimony to a hearing of the Australian Senate confirmed that the Australian Border Force (ABF) had made 40 detections of illegal asbestos imports this year; since it was established 2 years ago, the ABF has imposed only 3 financial penalties for illegal asbestos imports. Commenting on this hazardous situation, Dave Noonan, General National Secretary for the CFMEU, said: “If this soft touch approach to prosecutions continues we’ll have no choice but to consider banning certain building products from certain countries on health & safety grounds until Minister Dutton is willing to take decisive action.” See: Detection of illegal asbestos imports triple, but still no prosecutions.
Asbestos and Human Rights
Jun 19, 2017
A one-day hearing is being held in Brussels on June 23, 2017 by the United Nations Special Rapporteur Michel Forst on the safety of human rights defenders working in the field of business and human rights. Information received at this hearing as well as input from a public consultation will be part of a report presented to the UN General Assembly in October 2017. Fernanda Giannasi, a retired Brazilian Labor Inspector, will testify on Thursday about the death threats, attacks and intimidation she has faced in Brazil during her campaign for asbestos justice and a national asbestos ban. See: Report on the Situation of human rights defenders working in the field of business and human rights.
Mesothelioma Research
Jun 19, 2017
The June 2017 newsletter of the National Centre for Research on Asbestos Diseases (NCARD) has been published; included is news regarding NCARD personnel and progress achieved by Australian victims’ groups. The lead article details awards recently bestowed upon NCARD senior researcher Joost Lesterhuis for his work in identifying new treatments for mesothelioma. On page two is a feature about the stunning fund-raising efforts of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia which has just announced that it will fund a three and a half year PhD scholarship, to be supervised by NCARD’s Professor Nowak, into translational mesothelioma research. See: PDF version of NCARD newsletter, June 2017
Where is the Justice?
Jun 17, 2017
On June 15, 2017, a Milan court cleared 8 former managers of the Breda Termomeccanica-Ansaldo engineering company of charges related to asbestos deaths of 12 workers at its plant in Milan between the 1970s and 1985. Prosecutors, who accused the defendants of being “gravely culpable,” had asked for sentences of up to 4 years and 11 months. Friends and relatives of the Breda dead voiced their disappointment and held up a banner saying: “Remember all the workers killed in the name of profit.” In February and May, Milan courts acquitted ENEL (National Board of Electricity) and Fiat managers of charges related to 18 occupational asbestos deaths. See: Breda-Ansaldo ex-execs cleared in asbestos trial.
Asbestos in Prison
Jun 17, 2017
Canadian contractor Don Garrett must certainly rue the day when he won a contract to undertake plumbing work at Kent Institution, a maximum security federal prison in Agazziz, British Columbia. The businessman had no idea that routine work at the facility would expose him and his employees to asbestos nor that the stand he was forced to take over the failure of the authorities to inform him of the known hazard would cast him in the role of whistleblower. Despite nine years of enquiries and discussions with local and federal officials, the situation remains unresolved. See: B.C. contractor exposed to asbestos blows whistle, says government made his life a ‘nightmare’.
Support for Ban
Jun 17, 2017
Leading medical experts from Brazil’s National Cancer Institute have condemned the country’s continuing use of asbestos in a commentary published on June 15. Comparing the Brazilian with the United States asbestos legacy, authors Drs. Ubirani Otero and Ana Cristina Pinho suggest that: consumers do not buy asbestos-containing products; unions maintain active surveillance of workers in at-risk trades; and legislators implement national regulations to abolish the use of all forms of asbestos in Brazil. Brazil is currently the world’s third largest producer of chrysotile (white) asbestos. See: Brasil sem Amianto [Brazil without asbestos].
Asbestos-free Water
Jun 17, 2017
A program has been announced by the municipalities of Chania and Kissamos, on the northern coast of the Greek island of Crete, to replace asbestos water pipes as part of planned improvements to the water supply network which will reduce leakages and save energy. Announcing the plans last week, the Mayor of Kissamos Thodoris Stathakis said that the new network will be the same length as the old one necessitating the replacement of 4,500 meters of contaminated pipes and that “the aim of the municipal authority is the continuous improvement of the quality of life of our citizens and visitors.” See: Χανιά: Νέο δίκτυο ύδρευσης θα κατασκευαστεί στο δήμο Κισσάμου [Chania: A new water supply network will be built in the municipality of Kissamos].
Calls for India Ban
Jun 16, 2017
A commentary by activist Jagdish Patel, national coordinator of the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India, uploaded on June 15 has called into question continuing government support for the country’s asbestos sector by highlighting statistics which document the high toll being taken by dangerous exposures to asbestos, citing a report by the Ministry of Labour and Employment which said: “It is also high time that the government take initiative in formulating a national plan for prevention and control of silicosis and asbestosis in India…” See: Need for urgent action to protect workers from exposure to Chrysotile form of Asbestos fibers.
Asbestos: New Technology
Jun 16, 2017
On June 15, 2017, PhD student Matthew Govorko from Western Australia’s Curtin University released a free app for Android and Apple devices to help D-I-Y renovators evaluate the level of asbestos risk in their homes. According to Mr Govorko: “The app guides users through a series of questions, aided by photographs, to identify the potential level of risk in and around their homes before they start to renovate… Once they have completed the questionnaire through the app, they are offered a series of recommendations about what action to take based on the level of risk identified for each product.” See: New app maps the prevalence of asbestos in WA homes.
New Mesothelioma Trial
Jun 15, 2017
An article uploaded to the Mesothelioma Circle website on June 14, 2017 discussed a new collaboration by two pharmaceutical companies, which are commercial competitors, to progress the search for an effective immunotherapy treatment for mesothelioma. Thirty-five mesothelioma patients who have unsuccessfully tried one or two other types of treatment will be administered Keytruda (Merck), and CRS-207 (Aduro Biotech) in 3-week cycles. If there are no safety issues and there is evidence of clinical benefit for the participants, treatment cycles could continue for up to two years. See: New Mesothelioma Clinical Trial Combines Keytruda, CRS-207.
Update: Asbestos Dialogue
Jun 15, 2017
The June 2017 issue of the Bulletin of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) includes a feature by ban asbestos campaigner Jagdish Patel entitled Government Policy & Action on Highly Hazardous Substance ASBESTOS which discusses the engagement of civil society representatives with government officials in charge of the national asbestos policy. It details rude and intimidatory behaviour by Indian bureaucrat Biswanath Sinha at a UN meeting in Geneva; in 2017 Sinha accosted asbestosis victim Rajendra Pevekar; two years previously he had done the same to Mr. Sharad Vittnal Sawant, an asbestos victim from, Mumbai. See: PUCL Bulletin, June 2017.
Public Asbestos Anxiety
Jun 15, 2017
The free telephone hotline operated on June 13 and 14, 2017 by the Japan Association of Mesothelioma and Asbestos-related Disease Victims and their Families received more than 1,000 calls from all over Japan on five telephone lines with long queues of calls building up from concerned citizens. The majority of questions related to the presence of asbestos-containing products in Japanese homes but there were also calls from people concerned about having contracted asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos litigation in Japan is a fairly new concept but lobbying by campaigners to access new public and private sources of support for the injured is ongoing.
Asbestos Workshop
Jun 15, 2017
The Asbestos Interest Group, based in the former asbestos mining area of Kuruman in the Northern Cape, is holding an asbestos workshop on June 16, South Africa’s annual Youth Day, for 120 children from the John Taolo Gaetsewe District who attend schools in asbestos contaminated areas. Subjects which will be covered in an age appropriate manner will include: the dangers of asbestos exposure, the types of asbestos-related diseases and measures for protecting residents from harmful exposures. Last year’s event was a great success as can be seen by the picture below. See: Photo from asbestos activities in Kuruman area on June 16, 2016.
Shipyard Victory
Jun 15, 2017
John Fenech, who died of asbestosis in 2011, had worked at the state-owned Malta Drydocks from age 14 until 57. A claim brought by his widow and children that his fundamental human right to protection of life and health had been violated has been recognized by Mr Justice Mark Chetcuti whose ruling condemned the Chief Government Medical Officer and the Attorney General for failing to act on the asbestos hazard. Concluding that Mr. Fenech’s death resulted from a serious omission by the defendants, the Judge awarded the family €9,000; the claimants are appealing the low level of the judgment. See: Compensation for heirs of worker who died after asbestos exposure.
Russian Asbestos Immunity
Jun 14, 2017
As the injured wait to see whether a criminal trial will proceed against French asbestos businessmen and their conspirators, an article on the website “franceinfo” considers Russia’s thriving asbestos industry. Asbestos mining began in the Urals in 1885 and is now a mega-industry with enormous political and economic influence; so much so that Russian data on the incidence of asbestos disease is unavailable. Disparaging ban asbestos campaigners as part of a Western conspiracy, Russia continues to market asbestos primarily to low-income countries like India or countries in Southeast Asia. See: C'est comment ailleurs? L'amiante en Russie [How is it elsewhere? Asbestos in Russia].
Asbestos Removal Subsidy
Jun 14, 2017
A new scheme has been put in place by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in Italy to assist private individuals to remove and dispose of asbestos in residential buildings. A €1,500 grant can be obtained by the owner, co-owner or tenant to enable them to employ a specialist contractor to carry out the work. It is hoped that this scheme will serve as a template for other local governments eager to expurgate asbestos contamination from their infrastructures. See: Friuli Venezia Giulia: aiuti economici ai privati per rimuovere e smaltire l’amianto [Friuli Venezia Giulia: economic aid for private individuals to remove and dispose of asbestos].
Asbestos: Public Housing
Jun 13, 2017
A new survey has revealed that asbestos was used in the construction of 22,000 public housing apartments in Japan. Professor Takehiko Murayama from the Tokyo Institute of Technology has estimated that this contamination could have damaged the health of more than 230,000 people. One former resident, 53-year-old Kazuko Saito, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2015; she had lived in contaminated public housing from 1963 until 1984. On June 13 and 14, The Japan Association of Mesothelioma and Asbestos-related Disease Victims and their Families will operate a free hotline for enquiries related to asbestos exposures. See: Former resident develops mesothelioma.
Will the US ban asbestos?
Jun 13, 2017
A commentary just published in The Millbank Quarterly by David Rosen considers the likelihood of the United States following through on plans to ban asbestos under a Trump Presidency. With the evisceration of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the appointment of Scott Pruitt as the new EPA administrator and statements made by Donald Trump that asbestos was “100 percent safe,” and that the “movement against asbestos was led by the mob,” Rosen predicts “that the movement to end the use of this deadly material is itself doomed.” See: Deregulating Safety: The Case of the Effort to Ban Asbestos.
Great New Union Resource
Jun 13, 2017
On June 8, 2017, the Building and Woodworkers’ International (BWI) launched a new website in English, French, Spanish and German – Russian and Arabic versions are also planned – to provide useful information for workers in the construction and other sectors including its 12 million members in 334 trade unions from 130 countries. Since the mid-1980s, the BWI has lobbied for the banning of asbestos, working closely with ban asbestos groups and occupational health and safety campaigners around the world. See: New website of the Building and Woodworkers’ International.
Scandal: Killer Sites!
Jun 13, 2017
A devastating indictment of neglect by local authorities in New South Wales (NSW), Australia has revealed that people in nearly 200 homes in the Sydney area could have unknowingly been living on or near former disposal sites belonging to the James Hardie asbestos company. Furthermore, a new media expose revealed that the government had known about this situation for at least a decade. Reacting to this news John McMillan, acting NSW Ombudsman, said “This situation is unacceptable and must be dealt with as an urgent priority.” See: Asbestos risk: Sydney residents living on James Hardie disposal sites.
Asbestos in Schools
Jun 12, 2017
An investigation by the Sunday Mail newspaper has reported the presence of asbestos in nearly half of Scotland’s schools (1,638 premises) including state nurseries, primaries and secondaries: “Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, Aberdeenshire and the Highlands each contained more than 100 affected schools.” Victims, family members and campaigners such as Phyllis Craig, of Clydeside Action on Asbestos, are calling for urgent action. “Councils say the risk is minimal and they put every precautionary measure in place,” says Ms. Craig “but if there’s no asbestos, there’s no risk.” See: Asbestos timebomb for 1600 schools as campaigners claim pupils face classroom cancer risk.
Asbestos Scandal
Jun 12, 2017
A June 9, 2017 exposé in the Mainichi Shimbun, one of Japan’s major newspapers, revealed that between September 2012 and April 2016 customs bureaus in Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe allowed the import of asbestos-containing products despite prohibitions under the Industrial Safety and Health Act. According to the article, dealers in eight cases were asked to subsequently sanitize import declarations. Details of this scandal were obtained following the submission by staff from the Mainichi of an information disclosure request and an official complaint to the Minister of Finance. See: 3 customs bureaus suspected of asking dealers to cover up asbestos imports.
Calls for Remediation of Asbestos Waste
Jun 12, 2017
On June 9, 2017 the legislature of Castilla-La Mancha (C-LM), an autonomous community of Spain, approved a resolution submitted by the Podemos campaign and the People’s Political Party urging the regional executive to conduct a “comprehensive” environmental asbestos audit with particular attention to the city of Toledo and its environs where local people are calling for the immediate remediation of 90,000 tonnes of asbestos-contaminated waste in and around their neighborhoods. See: Podemos y PP instan a Junta a realizar un plan para retirar residuos de amianto y estudiar su presencia en C-LM [Podemos and PP urge the legislature to make a plan to identify and remove asbestos contamination in C-LM].
Court Victory!
Jun 12, 2017
In a very strongly worded judgment, a São Paulo court awarded a former Eternit worker who has contracted asbestosis, R$1 million (US$303,220) in “moral damages”; he had been employed in an administrative capacity at one of the company’s asbestos-cement factories. During the course of his employment, he had cause to enter areas where asbestos was being processed. See: Sentença de 2ª instância contra Eternit e SAMA em São Paulo condena empresas a pagar 1 milhão de reais por danos morais a ex-empregado com asbestose [Sentence of the 2nd instance against Eternit and SAMA in São Paulo condemns companies to pay 1 million reais for moral damages to ex-employee with asbestosis].
Pro-Asbestos Rally
Jun 12, 2017
Last week, a public rally in Jitikara, a village in the northwest of Kazakhstan, denounced the global campaign to ban asbestos. Kostani Minerals, one of the world’s largest asbestos mining companies, is a major employer in this area. Speakers at this event castigated the efforts of health and safety campaigners, international trade unionists and others who support an end to the slaughter caused by human exposures to asbestos, with threadbare and discredited rhetoric claiming that asbestos is a “natural and cheap material” which is safe to use. See: Работники хризотиловой отрасли в Казахстане встали на защиту асбеста [Chrysotile workers in Kazakhstan support asbestos protection].
Asbestos: Killer Fiber
Jun 12, 2017
The mesothelioma death of Isbelia Buitrago, a 41-year old architect from Colombia diagnosed in November 2015 with cancer, has been reported. In a touching TV interview broadcast on February 2, 2017, she detailed the presence of a variety of asbestos-containing products on construction sites including: tiles, tanks and pipes. Also speaking in that program was a government minister who promised Colombia would ban asbestos within 5 years. Every year, 320 people die in Colombia from asbestos exposures. See: Murió Isbelia Buitrago, la arquitecta a la que el asbesto le asfixió sus sueños [Architect Isbelia Buitrago, killed by asbestos].
Asbestos Mortality Report
Jun 5, 2017
According to a report by the Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health (ACCEH), in the last decade 2,467 cases of asbestos-related diseases were recognized by Korea’s Environment Ministry; 1,006 (~40%), of victims died. Asbestos was widely used in construction materials. Despite a ban, there are still a large number of contaminated buildings which pose an imminent health threat, especially considering the frequency of reconstruction and renovation work. The ACCEH is calling for “an independent investigative body” to consider these matters and take action. See: Almost 10,000 Koreans suffered environmental diseases in 10 yrs: report.
Waste Site Controversy
Jun 5, 2017
Last week, a delegation including political and community representatives met with Professor Alberto Montanari to consider options for closing Poiatica, an inactive site where tonnes of earthquake debris, demolition and asbestos waste have been deposited. A campaign called “Stop the Landfill” is engaged in high-profile efforts to address the hazardous source of toxic exposures from the site. A study is due to be completed by the end of June. See: Comitato furibondo «L’amianto è morte»;«La chiusura è finta, vogliono mandarci 800.000 metri cubi» [Furious Committee says:“Asbestos is Death”; “The closure is false, they want to send us 800,000 cubic meters”].
Suva Center Remediation
Jun 5, 2017
As some businesses stayed shut due to last week’s asbestos alert in the center of Suva, the capital of the South Pacific island country of Fiji, a technical expert was predicting that remediation work could take up to two months. A report on the airborne asbestos levels in the vicinity of the affected building is expected on June 7. The city council has hired a specialist contractor to remove the toxic material. On June 2, a statement from the Ministry of Employment said that the asbestos discovery did “not present any threat to the general public” and that there was no need for the closure of schools, businesses or public buildings. See: Two Months To Clear Asbestos, Says Expert.
Asbestos Legacy of 9/11
Jun 4, 2017
In the aftermath of the 2011 attack on the World Trade Center (WTC), blankets of toxic dust contaminated parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn exposing millions to a multitude of toxins including asbestos. Dr Raja Flores, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Hospital, NY, has warned that: “People are already getting sick from the asbestos and they have died from it… in 15-20 years we are going to see a serious health issue here…. We haven't even seen the tip of this iceberg yet.” Almost half a million kilograms of asbestos-containing insulation was sprayed on the first 40 storeys of the WTC. See: September 11: Death toll could rise by millions from ‘toxic’ asbestos dust.
Disposal of Waste
Jun 2, 2017
The presence of shipping containers containing 2,500 tonnes of asbestos waste at the docks in Jersey has been a sticking point for many years. Finally, the authorities have confirmed that at a cost of £1 million, the contents of 290 containers of asbestos have been buried in a specially lined cell at La Collette, a household reuse and recycling centre which opened on January 16, 2017. The empty containers have, so the report cited below says, been broken down for recycling. A spokesperson for Jersey’s Department for Infrastructure said that a full-time asbestos consultant was on site to oversee the work, which began in January 2017. See: 290 containers of asbestos buried at La Collette.
Unwelcome Discovery
Jun 2, 2017
Fijians were warned to steer clear of the Suva Civic Center area on June 1 by the Department of Information and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program after demolition work exposed asbestos at the Suva City Centre. According to Jone Usamate, Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, staff from the National Occupational Health and Safety Service are now overseeing the safe removal of the toxic material. Reminding citizens to keep their distance from the affected site, the Minister said specialists were “sealing off all the building openings and have cordoned off the surrounding areas with immediate effect.” See: Asbestos in Suva; Public urged to stay 500m away.
Mesothelioma mortality in Argentina
Jun 2, 2017
Using data sourced from death certificates obtained from the Vital Statistics System of Argentina’s National Ministry of Health, a new scientific paper revealed that there were 3,259 mesothelioma deaths between 1980 and 2013 and that the average increase in mesothelioma mortality over this period was 84.1%. The incidence rate was higher in men than in women and the authors believe this was due to higher rates of occupational asbestos exposures amongst the former. Argentina banned asbestos in 2001. Recommendations are made regarding suitable actions to reinforce the ban and improve occupational health surveillance for at-risk workers and the public. See: Mesothelioma mortality in Argentina, 1980-2013.
Trump Attack on EPA
Jun 1, 2017
Mesothelioma survivor Heather Von St James has published a scathing indictment of plans by President Trump to slash the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) – the federal body tasked with protecting human health and the environment in the US–by 31%. In a commentary on The Guardian website, she writes: “Our own president has been quoted extolling the virtues of asbestos and even claiming that abatement is a mob conspiracy. The man who was chosen to head the EPA has said he remains unconvinced of the dangers of asbestos.” See: I lost my lung to asbestos. I fear what Trump will do to America’s health.
Asbestos Anxiety
Jun 1, 2017
On May 30, 2017, former employees from the Renault Trucks factory in Vénissieux, Lyon held a rally in front of the Lyons Labor Court to mark the filing of the first 50 of 900 cases regarding asbestos “anxiety prejudice” against Renault Trucks. The litigation is being progressed by APER, the local asbestos victims’ group, which says that many more cases are expected. According to APER official Jean-Paul Carret from 1964 till 1996 “tens of thousands of people worked on the site …” Renault Trucks has refused to negotiate with the claimants. See: Premières plaintes « amiante » à Renault Trucks aux Prud’hommes [First asbestos complaints against Renault Trucks heard by Labor Court].
Asbestos Hazard
Jun 1, 2017
According to a report from the Kadıköy Municipality, since asbestos regulations were introduced in 2016 to prevent the demolition of asbestos-containing buildings in the area – a densely populated district of Istanbul – 498.5 tons of asbestos waste collected from 1,517 building sites have been disposed of. Inspections at the 1,517 Kadıköy sites revealed that 446 (~30%) of them were contaminated with asbestos. Urban regeneration work by commercial firms outside of this one area are, as far as can be ascertained, carried out without public supervision or mandatory requirements regarding the asbestos hazard. See: Kadıköy'de ciddi tehlike: 498 buçuk ton asbest! [Serious danger in Kadıköy: 498 tons of asbestos!].
Setting a Precedent?
May 31, 2017
Deanna Trevarthen died aged 45 from mesothelioma in 2016. As a child, she had inhaled asbestos fibers brought home on her electrician father’s work clothes. Her claim for compensation was refused as she herself had not been occupationally exposed to asbestos; her lawyers are now pursuing the claim as an accident related to the inhalation of a foreign object and not a work-related accident. Proceedings in this case will begin in the Wellington District Court in September. If it succeeds, it should make it possible for other people suffering from second-hand asbestos exposures to obtain justice. See:‘Hug of death’ asbestos case could open up compensation for many cancer sufferers.
Crete’s Asbestos Legacy
May 31, 2017
Deteriorating buildings first owned by Greek Ministries and then passed to the Crete authorities are contaminated with asbestos. One of them, formerly run by the Ministry of Rural Development, now lies abandoned; its asbestos roof constitutes a dangerous source of pollution to people using a nearby school and living in the most densely populated area of the city of Heraklion, the capital of the island. There are plans to house a registration center for Asylum Services in this area as well as to build temporary accommodation for refugees here. See: Στη βουλή το κτίριο του δημοσίου με τον αμίαντο [State building contaminated with asbestos].
Asbestos Lies!
May 31, 2017
An online article in Russian boasts that the Russian Government, in collusion with others, prevented the UN from taking action on regulating the global trade in chrysotile (white) asbestos at a recent meeting in Geneva. Relying on industry misinformation, this article states that “inclusion in Annex III … means the actual prohibition of the use of the substance.” This is completely untrue; listing on Annex III requires that information by exporting countries about potential hazards be provided to potential importers so that they might make informed decisions. See: Правительство РФ заблокировало попытки запретить асбест [The Russian government blocked attempts to ban asbestos].
Asbestos Criminal Trial?
May 30, 2017
On June 7, 2017, authorities in the Paris Court of Appeal will hand down a long-awaited decision regarding a possible criminal trial against individuals charged with causing a national epidemic killing 3,000 people a year. Amongst the accused are senior officials from various Ministries – including Jean-François Girard, former Director-General for Health, and Jean-Luc Pasquier, a senior official of the Ministry of Labor – as well as medical specialists, industrialists and public relations personnel, all of whom promoted the use of asbestos by downplaying the deadly health hazards of human exposures. See: Amiante: une étape décisive pour un éventuel procès [Asbestos: a decisive step for a possible trial].
Mesothelioma “Massacre”
May 30, 2017
An Italian Parliamentary body convened to determine the asbestos hazard to service personnel has received a confidential report by Raffaele Guariniello – the retired public prosecutor who became famous during the Turin trial of foreign asbestos entrepreneurs – which documented a vast underestimate of officially recognized mesothelioma deaths amongst the military. The existence of the “hidden massacre” was due to the practice whereby only deaths of serving personnel are included in mortality statistics and not those of retired personnel. See: Amianto killer, la ‘strage nascosta’ tra i militari [Asbestos killer, the ‘hidden massacre’ among the military].
Ban Asbestos Dialogue
May 30, 2017
On May 8, 2017 an asbestos hearing was held by the Commission of Human Rights at the Federal Senate in Brasília. Amongst those participating were representatives of ABREA (the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed) and the International Federation of Asbestos Workers, a body which alleges that white asbestos – the only asbestos mined in Brazil – can be produced and used safely. Other speakers presented the positions of trade unions, the Public Prosecutor's Office, municipal authorities from Minaçu Goiás and expert witnesses. See: Uso do amianto será debatido na Comissão de Direitos Humanos [Use of asbestos will be discussed at the Commission on Human Rights].
British Asbestos Newsletter
May 29, 2017
The Spring 2017 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is available online. The lead article entitled Asbestos Politics 2017 is both informative and timely as it highlights policies of political parties regarding the asbestos contamination of schools. While the Labour Party promises to resolve this health hazard, cuts by the Conservative Government to council budgets in September 2017 will ensure that dangerous conditions prevail for years to come. Documents issued by relevant authorities including the Health and Safety Executive, the National Audit Office, the Education Funding Agency and the Local Government Association are discussed. See: Issue 103, British Asbestos Newsletter.
Exposé: New South Wales
May 29, 2017
The illegal dumping of toxic waste in New South Wales has become endemic; when criminals are punished for repeatedly flouting environmental laws, fines handed out are minimal – they are described by the removalists’ association as “a joke” – and orders for remediation work unenforceable according to a two-part exposé published on May 28 and 29. The example is cited of the 33,000 tonnes of asbestos-riddled waste dumped on Sydney’s “Misty Mountain” 16 years ago; the toxic site continues to endanger the health of local people. The names and photographs of removalists whose criminal practices are long-standing and well-known are included in the article. See: Toxic State – The Asbestos Game.
Asbestos Alert
May 25, 2017
A new visual resource has been developed by BaliFokus, a member of the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network (INABAN), to raise awareness of the hazard posed to children by the use of asbestos-cement roofing and lead paint at schools. BaliFokus staff in Bali and in Jakarta work closely with partnering organizations in the government and in civil society to educate professionals on the hazardous nature of these products, reach out to at-risk workers and progress the national dialogue on toxic substances. See: Video Stop Penggunaan Cat Bertimbal dan Atap Asbes di Sekolah [Video: Stop the use of asbestos and lead at schools].
Asbestos Documentary
May 25, 2017
A 70-minute documentary, entitled Do Not Breath – Contains Asbestos, exposing Brazil’s asbestos disaster will be screened at the Ecofalante Environmental Film Festival on June 2, 2017 in São Paulo. The film features conclusive proof revealing dangerous occupational practices involving asbestos-containing materials and filmed segments showing industry leaders asserting that the use of asbestos in Brazil is safe. The damage to workers is substantiated through first person interviews with asbestos disease sufferers, family members, scientists and medical experts. See: Não Respire – Contém Amianto (Trailer em português) [Do Not Breath – Contains Asbestos (Trailer in Portuguese)]. For Facebook users see also: Trailer in English.
Mesothelioma: Personalized Care
May 24, 2017
Researchers from the University of Ljubljana and the Institute of Oncology have published findings of a Slovenian study examining the differing responses of individual malignant mesothelioma patients to chemotherapy treatment with gemcitabine/cisplatin or pemetrexed/cisplatin. An algorithm was developed for recommending individual treatment protocols based on genotyping of 189 patients which could, by enabling the choice of the most effective chemotherapy for 85.5% of mesothelioma patients, lead to improved treatment outcome. See: Clinical-pharmacogenetic models for personalized cancer treatment: application to malignant mesothelioma.
Asbestos Protest!
May 23, 2017
A public rally is being held today (Tuesday May 23, 2017), outside the Palace of Fuensalida, the headquarters of the Government of Castile-La Mancha. Members of a local campaign – “My neighborhood without asbestos” – are demanding regional action to resolve long-standing and extensive asbestos contamination of the Polygon area of Toledo. The group has estimated that there is more than 90,000 tons of asbestos throughout the community, most of which came from the former Ibertubo asbestos factory. See: El llamamiento de los vecinos para la retirada “inmediata” del Amianto del barrio del Polígono [Local people demand the “immediate” removal of asbestos in the Polygon neighborhood of Toledo].
Threat to Asbestos Ban
May 23, 2017
The Regulatory Accountability Act, dubbed the “License to Kill Bill” which passed in the House of Representatives is now being considered by the US. Senate. Environmental and scientific experts are worried that the legislation could make regulation of polluting industries more difficult and have dire consequences for the health and safety of American citizens. If the act became law, the implementation of an EPA asbestos ban would face enormous obstacles and additional requirements. Of course, that would suit President Trump who said in his book The Art of the Comeback that asbestos had “got a bad rap.” See: The "License to Kill" Bill Is As Terrifying As It Sounds.
Asbestos Class Action
May 23, 2017
Fifteen claimants have brought an asbestos lawsuit in the Yamaguchi district court for hazardous occupational exposures experienced between 1954 and 2011 at factories belonging to the Ube Board Company (now in liquidation) in Ube City, Osaka City and Fuji City, Japan. Some of the plaintiffs are suffering from asbestos-related diseases including lung cancer and mesothelioma; others have already died from their asbestos injuries. The lawsuit is claiming millions of yen in damages from the Japanese State and the company, which was a building materials manufacturer. See: アスベスト被害で国を提訴 [Suing the State for Asbestos Injuries].
Importing Death
May 22, 2017
Laos now ranks amongst the world’s major importers of asbestos; it has 16 asbestos processing factories, 3 of which are in the province of Luang Prabang, a world heritage city of golden temples. According to Phillip Hazleton, from Australia’s Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA: “In 2013 Laos imported 8000 tonnes of chrysotile but the figure may be closer to 12,000 tonnes. In 2010 it was only 3000 tonnes of raw asbestos. Laos is not known for its scrupulous import records. But what is clear is that while India and China may be greater net importers, Laos imports more per capita than anywhere else.” See: Asbestos: Out of sight but not out of mind in Asia.
Asbestos Class Action
May 22, 2017
On May 20, 2017, asbestos victims’ groups represented by ABREA and Brazil’s main national trade union center CUT (the Central Única dos Trabalhadores/ Unified Workers' Central Federation), agreed to instigate a public civil action lawsuit in Brazil on behalf of former employees of Brasilit/Saint-Gobain for their occupational asbestos exposures in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Similar actions are already ongoing against Brazil’s asbestos giant Eternit S.A. in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Paraná. The use of asbestos remains legal in Brazil under federal legislation; however, several states and cities have taken unilateral action and banned asbestos.
Mass Rally in Tokyo
May 20, 2017
On Friday, May 19, 2017 three thousand construction workers held a mass outdoor meeting in Tokyo to mark the ninth anniversary of the first asbestos class action by construction workers in Japan. To date, there have been six judgments by district courts, five of which held the government responsible and one of which acknowledged the responsibility of the manufacturers of construction materials. The first high court judgment will be handed down in Autumn 2017. In the photograph below, the items held up – traditional paper fans called “uchiwa” – have the Japanese words for “apologize, compensate and eliminate” emblazoned across them. See: Picture of May 19, 2017 Tokyo demonstration.
Ban Asbestos Meeting
May19, 2017
Ban asbestos campaigners from 48 cities and towns took part in a conference in São Paulo this week. Even though the 2007 São Paulo state law 12,684 prohibits asbestos use, contaminated products from other states are still available. The objective of the meeting was to raise awareness of the public health hazard posed by asbestos and consider means by which workers and communities might be better protected from toxic exposures. Officials representing the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, President Eliezer João de Souza and advisor Fernanda Giannasi, addressed the meeting. See: Encontro regional combate o Amianto [Regional meeting against asbestos].
Death of Environment Minister
May 18, 2017
India’s Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave died in Delhi today (May 18) from lung cancer. In 2016, the Minister had expressed support for the phasing out of asbestos use in India, telling a journalist from the Times of India that: “Since the use of asbestos is affecting human health, its use should gradually be minimised and eventually end. As far as I know, its use is declining. But it must end” (see: Will look for alternatives to carcinogenic asbestos: Environment Minister). India remains the world’s biggest asbestos importer and toxic exposures are routine occurrences for millions of workers and members of the public. See: Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave dies of lung cancer.
Asbestos: An Imminent Hazard
May 18, 2017
Investigations by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism have revealed that the presence of asbestos-containing products in small scale premises remains a potent health hazard to workers and members of the public. A report issued on May 17, 2017 found that up to 80,000 small private buildings out of a total of 1.3 million were contaminated, with up to 30,000 having failed to take appropriate measures to neutralize the hazard as a result of which highly hazardous products such as sprayed asbestos remain in place. See: Up to 82,000 small buildings estimated to still use asbestos: gov't survey.
Who is at risk?
May 18, 2017
A commentary about asbestos in Colombia is framed within a global context that highlights efforts made to prevent toxic exposures through banning and/or regulating its use. Three hundred and twenty cases of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma have been diagnosed by Julio César Granada, a chest surgeon at the Santa Fe Foundation; amongst them were: a 50-year old sportsman who had helped lay asbestos on a playing field when he was a child, Ana Cecilia Niño, who had lived near an Eternit asbestos tile factory, and Rafael Alfonso Mayorga Donoso, who worked in the tile factory. See: Asbesto: una sustancia mortal mas cercana de lo que se cree [Asbestos: a deadly substance closer than thought].
No Asbestos Dumps Here!
May 18, 2017
A judgment handed down by Italy’s Council of State upheld local and environmental objections to the construction by the Mosole Group of asbestos landfills in northern Italy, citing EU regulations. The proposal under consideration included the transfer of 460,000 cubic meters of asbestos between two landfills, to be transported by about 45,000 trucks over a period of ten years beginning in 2018. The dumping of over 80,000 cubic meters of asbestos-containing waste in the region between 2005 and 2006, has been deemed an illegal action by the Council of State. See: Paese, stop alla discarica di Amianto [Region stops asbestos dumping].
Asbestos Exposé
May 18, 2017
A TV program shown last week highlighted the repercussions of asbestos exposures in the Catalan municipality of Cerdanyola, considered to be Spain’s asbestos ground zero. For decades, this city was home to a building materials factory operated by Uralita; as a result of exposures at the plant and in the local community, there is a high incidence of asbestos cancers and disease in this area. The ubiquity of asbestos contamination was also discussed with examples shown of toxic products in homes, schools, industrial premises and landfills. See: Falsificaciones y toneladas de amianto repartidas por España, ‘En el punto de mira’ [Falsifications and tons of asbestos distributed in Spain ‘In the Spotlight’].
Asbestos: No thanks!
May 17, 2017
The increasing unpopularity of asbestos products in Brazil has seen the domestic market for asbestos goods shrink. This fall in demand has impacted negatively on the economy of Minaçu, home to Brazil’s only operational asbestos mine. According to new data, Minaçu lost Reais$10m (US$3.3m) in revenue in two years because of the downturn in the asbestos market. Even though the federal policy allows the use of asbestos, consumers are turning away from these products and many companies have introduced asbestos-free alternatives. See: Amianto: Arrecadação diminui R$ 10 milhões e causa apreensão em Minaçu [Fall of R$10m in revenue devastates Minaçu budget].
Asbestos: Election Pledge
May 17, 2017
The Labour Party manifesto published today (May 17, 2017) calls for the “phased removal of asbestos from existing schools” as part of plans to reinvigorate the educational infrastructure and to invest in new school buildings and improve older ones, thereby reversing the “crippling” underfunding which has prevailed under years of Conservative Government rule. The phased removal of asbestos from schools was designated a priority action by the All Party Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group, the Trades Union Congress and campaigning groups, trade unions and other stakeholders. See: Labour Party Manifesto 2017.
Update: Asbestos in Schools
May 16, 2017
On May 16, 2017 it was revealed during a Parliamentary meeting that a pledge by the Australian State of Victoria to remove asbestos from all schools was “farcical.” Minister James Merlino, Deputy Premier of Victoria, told the enquiry that removal efforts would be prioritised with work being undertaken on situations where asbestos contamination “posed a medium and high risk to students and staff.” “We are,” he said “not going to be removing [toxic material from] 30,000 buildings to address asbestos that may be in the foundations, or that may be in the roof cavity.” See: Government abandons ambitious pledge to make schools ‘asbestos free’.
Joining Forces: Spain and Italy
May 16, 2017
Last week, a delegation from Cerdanyola del Valles (Barcelona), where the operations of the Uralita asbestos-cement factory exposed generations of workers and local people to deadly asbestos, were warmly received by Mayor Titti Palazzetti of Casale Monferrato and other dignitaries. Mayor Palazzetti told the visitors: “Casale and its story are unique … We have succeeded, thanks to the cohesion between associations, local and national institutions and citizens, to transform our pain into engagement and struggle.” See: Amianto: a Casale Monferrato dalla Spagna per confronto esperienze [Asbestos: the experiences in Casale Monferrato and Spain].
Award for Naval Workers
May 16, 2017
On May 11, 2017, the French Ministry of Defence was condemned by an administrative court in Caen and ordered to pay a total of €976,000 to 122 former workers of the Shipbuilding Directorate (DCN), since 2007 known as DCNS. Each of the claimants, all of whom were exposed to asbestos at the Cherbourg site where work was done on French nuclear submarines, is to receive €8,000 for “the prejudice of anxiety … [and] fear of discovering suddenly that they are suffering from a serious pathology.” A criminal procedure is under way in this case. See: Amiante: l'Etat doit payer 976.000 euros à 122 ex-salariés de DCN [Asbestos: the State must pay 976,000 euros to 122 former employees of DCN].
Pakistan: Asbestos Ban
May 15, 2017
The processes and drawbacks relating to the commercial exploitation of asbestos in Pakistan are discussed in this commentary which concludes with a reminder that the Pakistan National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Resource Development has recommended a complete ban on the import and use of asbestos in 22 industries due to the adverse effects of human exposures to asbestos. The author notes that: “unsafe mining methods and handling of asbestos products poses serious threat to human health and environment.” See: Asbestos-caused diseases spreading.
Mesothelioma Protocol
May 15, 2017
Key government departments and agencies in Brazil have opened a public consultation regarding the draft of “Diagnostic Guidelines for Pleura Malignant Mesothelioma” to gather valuable feedback from stakeholders including patients. A survey is being conducted with structured clinical questions and other measures for collecting informed views and input. It is hoped that the publication of the final document will raise medical awareness of mesothelioma and thereby help more accurate diagnoses be made. There is currently a significant under-diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma in Brazil. See: Proposta de elaboracao das diretrizes diagnosticas de mesothelioma de maligno de pleura [Proposal for Diagnostic Guidelines for Pleura Malignant Mesothelioma].
Update: Asbestos Mine
May 15, 2017
Zimbabwe’s Minister for Mines and Mining Development, Walter Chidakwa, has announced that a government injection of $15 million will be made to the Shabanie Mashaba (Chrysotile Asbestos) Mines (SMM) to allow work to commence on rehabilitating the mine so that production of raw chrysotile asbestos fiber, which ceased in 2008, can recommence. Previous attempts to breathe life into this moribund mine have floundered over lack of interest from foreign investors. It is unlikely this attempt will succeed as the sums mentioned seem quite small in comparison to the work which will be needed. See: Govt looks to inject $15m to revive SMM.
Remembering Lou Williams
May 12, 2017
On May 9, 2017 Australian Parliamentarian Lisa Singh paid tribute to mesothelioma sufferer Lou Williams who died in April 2017 from her disease. In her comments, Senator Singh said that Ms. Williams’: “father was killed by mesothelioma at the age of 54. It took eight months. Lou fought her battle against mesothelioma for 14 years.” Recalling Lou’s compassion and commitment, the Senator listed the awards she received and the positions she held in her ongoing struggle to achieve better medical treatment and support for asbestos victims in Australia and abroad. See (on YouTube): Senator Singh’s tribute in the Senate to the late Lou Williams.
Courage and Tenacity
May 11, 2017
Exposing the hazards of asbestos exposure in a country where industry forces prevail is an uphill battle. Last week asbestosis sufferer Siti Kristina from Jakarta took her case to the United Nations when she told a meeting in Geneva of the tragic consequences of her workplace asbestos exposures. Interviews with Siti Kristina, Wira Ginting from Indonesia’s Local Initiative for Occupational Health and Safety Network, Dr Anna Suraya and others inform a new feature which highlighted the multiple injustices faced by those suffering from preventable asbestos-related diseases in Indonesia and the small glimmers of hope that these diseases will be officially recognized. See: Battling asbestos, one step at a time.
Saving lives in Perth
May 11, 2017
The Perth-based Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) has taken delivery of a $10,000 spirometer (for measuring lung capacity and breathing efficiency); the new instrument, a great improvement on the Society’s previous model, will contribute to early diagnoses of disease amongst its members. In an interview published this week, ADSA president Robert Vojakovic said: “Early detection is really important, a lot of people are dying needlessly.” More than 300 society members died in 2016 from asbestos-related diseases and the number of people affected is increasing due to toxic exposures which took place decades ago. The funding for this top-of-the-range equipment came from donations by ADSA members. See: Asbestos Disease Society Australia says new breathing machine a boon for patients.
Protests over UN Debacle
May 11, 2017
A three-minute video uploaded on May 10, 2017 by the IndustriALL Global Union highlighted the demands by trade unions and asbestos victims’ groups for the United Nations’ Rotterdam Convention to regulate the global trade in asbestos in order to protect vulnerable populations from deadly cancers and diseases. In their comments, Australian union officials stress the need for immediate action to prevent future tragedies. The footage includes interviews with Indian asbestosis victim Rajendra Pevekar and Indonesian asbestosis sufferer Siti Kristina which make manifest the deadly impact that asbestos exposure has on workers as well as on family members. See: Asbestos Kills!.
Act Now on Asbestos!
May 11, 2017
The Government of Canada’s plan to phase out the use of asbestos by 2018 has been criticized by Canadian Professor Jim Brophy who has said: “The latency here is enormous. Every day we allow these products to come into the country just extends the time frame in which this disease will arrive and be experienced by people in our population.” Highlighting the ongoing hazard posed by the use of asbestos-containing automotive parts, especially to DIY mechanics, Brophy added: “The full extent of the harm that has been caused is so under-reported and so under-recognized that even when you say it’s the leading cause of occupational disease and death in this country, you’re actually underestimating the full extent of it.” See: Expert urges immediate asbestos ban in Canada.
Unionists Call for Asbestos Action
May 11, 2017
At a press conference in Karachi on April 28, 2017, Pakistani trade unionist Nasir Mansoor, Deputy General Secretary of the National Trade Union Federation, urged “the Pakistan Government not to turn a blind eye towards the long-term hazards related to Asbestos usage and exposure" he cautioned.” During this event, which took place on International Workers Memorial Day, Mansoor and other speakers highlighted the importance of the upcoming debate in Geneva of the United Nations’ Rotterdam Convention on regulating the global trade in chrysotile (white) asbestos. See: Union workers demand ban on all forms of asbestos at upcoming UN meeting.
Asbestos Disconnect!
May 9, 2017
A text published today (May 9) on the website of a Kazakhstan news source delineated the discrepancy between the pro-asbestos policies of East European vested interests and the stance of the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the UN’s Rotterdam Convention, all of whom call for regulations to be imposed on the global trade of chrysotile asbestos. See: Пока ВОЗ предупреждает о риске рака от хризотилового асбеста, Кыргызстан и Казахстан отстаивают право на его использование [While WHO warns of the risk of cancer from chrysotile asbestos, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan defend the right to use it].
Asbestos at College
May 9, 2017
Removal and remediation costs for asbestos contamination found at the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), situated in the province’s capital city of St. John’s, have been costed at $626,000. Work is now ongoing on a large section of the underground tunnel which connects six buildings serving the education, science and physical education departments. During the renovation work, due to be completed by the Autumn, most of the tunnel has been shut down with just small sections under the education and science buildings remaining open. See: University ‘munnel’ system shut down for asbestos removal.
Asbestos Disease in Shipbreakers
May 9, 2017
The latest issue of the Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health & Environment Foundation (OSHE) newsletter carries a feature documenting the findings of an asbestos outreach project conducted amongst shipbreaking workers in Chittagong which revealed high levels of asbestos-related disease. Thirty-three out of the 101 workers examined were diagnosed with asbestosis. Eight of those diagnosed were 60% disabled. The OSHE has recommended the government: establish a facility to diagnose and treat individuals with asbestosis and provide specialist training for medical professionals and support for shipbreaking workers. See: The slow poison killing shipbreaking workers. OSHE Newsletter January – March 2017.
Calls for New Prohibitions
May 8, 2017
After a debacle at the Rotterdam Convention meeting in Geneva last week, which saw industry stakeholders block UN implementation of minimal safeguards in the global asbestos trade, calls are being made for unilateral action to protect Pacific countries in a region where no national bans have been put in place. An information vacuum exists in this area according to Project Manager Stewart Williams of an EU funded project called PacWaste; Williams says that, in addition to legacy issues in old buildings, asbestos-containing building products are still being used. See: Push for Pacific-wide ban on asbestos.
Mesothelioma in Doll Production
May 8, 2017
Italian scientists have published findings based on data from the Province of Brescia Mesothelioma Registry related to 757 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed between 1993 to 2016 that establish that the pleural epithelial mesotheliomas contracted by three women employed by two companies in the doll production industry were caused by occupational exposures to asbestos. Analysis of asbestos lung fiber burden enabled the causation of these patients’ diseases to be altered from “unknown” to workplace asbestos exposures. See: Pleural mesothelioma in doll manufacture: possible asbestos exposure.
HSE: Asbestos Failures
May 7, 2017
The Trades Union Congress has accused the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of “complacency” and being “irresponsible” over plans to downgrade protection for at-risk workers. A new HSE audit of the effectiveness of the 2012 Control of Asbestos Regulations failed to consider the health benefits to workers of an asbestos removal policy which would eliminate toxic workplace exposures. Unsurprisingly, the HSE maintains, “that it is better to keep the regulations” than eliminate the problem in the “estimated half a million [contaminated] workplaces (and around a million homes)…” See: Asbestos – Remove this killer Dust.
Failing Government; Dying Workers
May 6, 2017
Two articles published last week contrasted the Indian government’s pro-asbestos policy with the country’s deadly asbestos reality, where toxic exposures experienced by millions of citizens are routine occurrences. The article India’s contentious stand on Chrysotile asbestos is a cause for concern for environmentalists, and the one cited below signpost the importance of the government’s participation in a UN meeting in Geneva which aims to protect populations from exposure to toxic chemicals and pesticides. See: Asbestos harms the health of millions of Indian workers. Will the government finally move to ban it?.
Student Asbestos Protests
May 6, 2017
South African high school students picketed the offices of the Department of Education in Johannesburg on Thursday, May 4, 2017 calling for the fulfilment of overdue promises to remove asbestos from 29 schools in the northern province of Gauteng. According to spokesperson Naadira Munshi “in these schools the walls and roofs made of asbestos are broken, which is resulting in the asbestos being exposed. This means learners, teachers, school staff and the community are inhaling the dangerous fibres ... in the long term this exposure can have negative life consequences for learners.” See: Gauteng learners demand replacement of asbestos buildings.
Asbestos Health Scandal
May 5, 2017
A commentary which appeared on May 5, 2017 on The Equal Times website documented continuing injustices meted out to Brazilian asbestos victims in a country where the use of asbestos remains legal under legislation designed to protect the country’s asbestos mining and processing industry. Between 2000 and 2011, 2,400 asbestos-related deaths were registered by the Health Ministry; there were many other deaths which remain unacknowledged. Even for those whose diseases are recognized, the process of obtaining recognition and compensation is fraught with administrative and legal obstacles. See: Asbestos ban still under debate in Brazil.
Asbestos Dangers in the Outback
May 5, 2017
The asbestos threat to health in remote communities in the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, NSW and Western Australia was highlighted in a study by the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency which reported that: “Indigenous corporations and land councils inherited ageing infrastructure that was full of asbestos – structures such as housing, churches and public buildings…” Unfortunately, asbestos remediation in these areas is three times as expensive as elsewhere and limited resources are available for removal and management costs. Strategies to meet the ongoing challenge are delineated in this study. See: New report highlights the impact of Australia’s asbestos legacy on remote Indigenous communities.
Asbestos Lies!
Apr 2, 2017
On March 30, 2017, Zimbabwe’s Deputy labour minister Tapiwa Matangaidze lied about the asbestos hazard at a Harare meeting claiming that use of asbestos produced at the Shabanie and Mashava mines was safe. IndustriALL Global Union’s Atle Hoie, also at the meeting, told journalists that the claims were “lies” saying: “the world called for the ban on asbestos after realizing it is the worst killer in the planet. If a country produces asbestos, it is responsible for the people dying.” The meeting was held in the run up to a pivotal meeting of the UN’s Rotterdam Convention where asbestos remains a hot issue topic. See: Minister lied about asbestos, says IndustriALL Global Union.
Asbestos Ploy
Apr 1, 2017
On the same day this week that a landmark asbestos victory was achieved by a victim’s family in Belgium, the government announced controversial changes to the operation of the national Asbestos Fund. Since it was established a decade ago, the Fund, co-financed by the state and employers, has built up a surplus. Instead of using this to compensate ineligible claimants – such as people suffering from asbestos-related lung cancer – or finance medical research, future contributions will be frozen until there is a zero surplus. See: Fonds amiante: un financement au rabais (OPINION) [Asbestos Fund: Discount Financing (OPINION)].
Asbestos Yes; Antimony No
Mar 27, 2017
Residents of the Russian town of Asbestos – home to a chrysotile (white) asbestos mine “nearly half the size of Manhattan” – are up in arms about plans by the National Antimony Company to build a factory processing antimony in the town. Politicians addressing a rally last week expressed concerns about the “very harmful” impact possible emissions from the plant could have on the health of local people. A petition circulated at the rally collected hundreds of signatures. Plans to build the plant in Degtyarsk were abandoned after protests. See: Тысячи граждан протестовали против нового завода Ротенберга — Асбест [Thousands of citizens protested against the new Rothenberg plant – Asbestos].
Mixed Fortunes of Asbestos Towns
Mar 27, 2017
At a conference last week in Quebec’s former asbestos heartland, Thetford Mines (TM) officials said they felt abandoned by the Quebec government in the aftermath of its withdrawal of support for the asbestos industry. As a result of its decision, the province’s asbestos industry became unsustainable. Despite promises of millions of dollars to help affected communities diversify their economies, according to Mayor Marc-Alexandre Brousseau: “Asbestos (town) has received 50 million to face the same impacts as us. We did not have anything.” See: Amiante: les élus de Thetford Mines se sentent abandonnés [Asbestos: The elected representatives of Thetford Mines feel abandoned].
Northern Territory: Update
Mar 27, 2017
Referencing outrage voiced at last week’s meeting of the Australian Labour Party, the Health Minister of the Northern Territories (NT) Natasha Fyles commented: “The Northern Territory Government takes the asbestos issues seriously and will consider all of the concerns raised at this weekend's Labor conference.” Months after media reports exposed the scandal relating to asbestos contamination of housing in Tennant Creek, the lives of residents and young children were still “being put at risk” according to trade unionist Andrew Ramsay, Vice President of an asbestos victims’ support group. See: Asbestos in NT to become responsibility of Territory Government after ALP pass motion.
The Great Asbestos Trial
Mar 24, 2017
A Spanish translation of an Italian book entitled: “Il grande processo” [The Great Trial] by Rosalba Altopiedi and Sara Panelli has been updated and published online this week. The authors report and analyse legal actions in Italy against Swiss asbestos magnate Stephan Schmidheiny which included criminal as well as civil proceedings for alleged crimes relating to asbestos deaths of thousands of workers and residents in Eternit towns. See: El Gran Proceso de Turín (2009-2014) contra el magnate Stephan Schmidheiny, propietario de Eternit Italia, el negocio del Amianto [The Great Trial of Turin (2009-2014) against the magnate Stephan Schmidheiny, owner of Eternit Italia, the asbestos giant].
Asbestos Victims Abandoned
Mar 24, 2017
Quebec’s Commission on Occupational Standards, Equity, Health and Safety is refusing compensation to many workers dying from asbestos-related diseases according to a documentary broadcast on March 23 entitled: Malades de l’amiante… et laissés pour compte [Workers with asbestos diseases .. abandoned], by Radio-Canada’s award-winning TV program, Enquête. The program detailed numerous examples of legitimate claims being obstructed by negligent employers, including public authorities, intent on minimizing future liabilities. See: Quebec: Asbestos injustice against workers continues.
Supporting DWP Service
Mar 24, 2017
On Tuesday, March 21, 2017, Bob Pointer, Chair of the Cumbria Asbestos Related Disease Support Group, urged Barrow Borough Council to show its support for services provided to asbestos victims in Barrow and throughout England by staff at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) base in Phoenix House (PH), Barrow – scheduled to be shut down as a result of government cutbacks – during a speech he made to a council meeting. Pointer asked that the council write to the Secretary of State to reinforce the importance of the work done by those at PH. The leader of the council and a number of councillors are supportive of calls to safeguard the expertise of PH staff. See: Asbestos campaigner makes plea for Barrow service.
Kymore: Asbestos Hotspot
Mar 23, 2017
This online article highlights the deadly legacy of asbestos use and processing in the Madhya Pradesh industrial town of Kymore, in central India. Citing details from a new report by international experts, the authors state that: “Kymore seems to be built of asbestos. It is incorporated in school, playgrounds, the corrugated iron roofs of the houses of the factory workers. Many of these buildings are in bad shape and crumble. Moreover, the asbestos waste was dumped for years on meadows around the [asbestos] factory and unsafe landfill… during the period of the Belgian Etex, which was later turned into Eternit Everest.” See: Belgian report alleges MNC Etex responsible for asbestos pollution in Madhya Pradesh town Kymore.
Ovarian Cancer: Developments
Mar 23, 2017
On March 16, 2017, Germany’s Ministry for Labor and Social Affairs published recommendations under the accident insurance scheme to recognize asbestos-related ovarian cancer as an occupational disease under certain circumstances: the ovarian carcinoma must be associated with asbestosis or a disease of the pleura caused by asbestos and the claimant must be able to demonstrate an occupational asbestos fiber dose of at least 25 fiber years. See: Eierstockkrebs durch Asbest - Anerkennung “wie eine Berufskrankheit” möglich [Ovarian cancer from asbestos exposure recognized as an occupational disease].
Asbestos Seminar
Mar 23, 2017
On the agenda of a seminar in Hong Kong on March 20, 2017 were issues relating to environmental exposures of people living in asbestos-contaminated housing as well as occupational exposures to at-risk workers such as people in the construction sector. Of particular interest to many of the delegates was information presented by the Secretary General of the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board which administers the Pneumoconiosis and Mesothelioma (Compensation) Ordinance of Hong Kong. The Fund has, he said, compensated thousands of individuals including both employees and non-employees. The import, transhipment, supply and use of asbestos was banned in Hong Kong as of April 4, 2014.
Victory over Asbestos!
Mar 22, 2017
In a decisive verdict handed down yesterday by a court in Rio de Janeiro, the Eternit company – Brazil’s biggest asbestos manufacturer – was ordered to eliminate asbestos use within the next 18 months. The decision is a result of proceedings by the Public Ministry of Labor which had filed a civil action over hazardous workplace exposures to asbestos at Eternit’s Guadalupe, Rio de Janerio plant. Not only did the court order Eternit to transition to asbestos-free technology, but it also specified that exposure levels be kept to the legal limit and that current and former employees be provided with free medical examinations. See: Eternit do Rio de Janeiro condenada a substituir o Amianto em 18 meses [Eternit in Rio de Janeiro condemned to replace asbestos in 18 months].
Call for Action
Mar 22, 2017
A letter by Jagdish Patel, National Coordinator of the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India, addressed to Anil Madhav Dave, India’s Minister of Environment and Forests, has been uploaded to the internet. In this document Mr. Patel reiterates requests that “the Government, as a party to the Rotterdam Convention, … support the amendment to the Rotterdam Convention that a group of twelve African countries have submitted to the Secretariat and that will be discussed at the COP 8.” This letter is signed by groups representing Indian workers, health activists and campaigners. See: Support amendment to Rotterdam Convention for listing of chrysotile asbestos at COP 8.
Increased Compensation Payments
Mar 22, 2017
On March 20, 2017 a new formula came into effect as a result of amendments to current legislation which lowered the discount rate from 2.5% to minus 0.75%. One of the results of the change made by the Ministry of Justice will be the increase of compensation payments to personal injury claimants including asbestos victims. There is no certainty that this change will be secure from attack by the insurance industry and negligent employers; the Government is consulting on this issue with vested interests such as insurers who are, no doubt, hoping the discount rate will be increased. See: New discount rate for personal injury claims announced.
Asbestos Progress Update
Mar 21, 2017
A Conduct Adjustment Agreement has been signed by the Public Labor Ministry in Rio de Janeiro with the construction materials company Casalite, based in the city of Duque de Caxias in the state of Rio de Janeiro, to cease using asbestos for the production of roofing tiles and gutters. This agreement is part of a Brazilian program – National Asbestos Banishment Program of the Public Labor Ministry – aimed at eliminating the use of asbestos in Brazil. See: MPT-RJ firma acordo com empresa para substituir o amianto de seus processos de produção [MPT-RJ signs agreement with company to replace asbestos from its production processes].
Asbestos Remediation: Update
Mar 20, 2017
According to Giorgio Demezzi, a former Mayor of Casale Monferrato, to date more than €80m has been allocated by the Italian government for asbestos remediation of the town over the last 20 years. Unfortunately, disputes are ongoing over the administrative processing and bureaucratic dispensation of remediation funds by city hall personnel. The municipality aims to make Casale Monferrato asbestos free by 2020. To that end, work is proceeding, says the current Mayor, at new construction sites. See: I conti dell’amianto in 20 anni: ecco le bonifiche. Finora trasferiti dallo Stato 80 milioni [20 years of asbestos land reclamation has, till now, cost the state 80 million].
Local Asbestos Initiative
Mar 17, 2017
In April 2017, a council in the western suburbs of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia is offering a number of free visual inspections to householders to alert them to the presence of asbestos in homes built in the Cumberland local government area before 1990. A scheme operated by the council for the free collection and disposal of up to 10 square meters of bonded asbestos sheeting from homes has proved popular with local people such as Grahame Duerden who had pieces of asbestos fiberboard to dispose of; this material is no longer accepted at the tip and the minimum charge for collection by a specialist company is A$140. See: Free asbestos pick ups.
Overseas Asbestos Crimes
Mar 16, 2017
A photo-essay depicting the industrial legacy of asbestos processing in India by a company that was part of the Belgian asbestos Eternit-Etex conglomerate has been published in Flemish. The text focuses on the situation in Kymore, a town in central India, which is littered with toxic asbestos waste and built with asbestos cement materials. Personal testimony and evidence has been amassed which document corporate responsibility for widespread environmental contamination. See: Van Kapelle tot Kymore: Etex ook verantwoordelijk voor asbestslachtoffers in India? [From Kapelle to Kymore: Is Etex also responsible for asbestos victims in India?].
Condemnation of South Africa
Mar 15, 2017
Despite the fact that South Africa banned asbestos in 2008, the government is refusing to back a move by Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia to unblock a logjam at the Rotterdam Convention which is preventing this UN agency from including white asbestos on a list of toxins subject to requirements ensuring prior informed consent of importing countries. The health experts who wrote this blog conclude that: “South Africa's foreign policy is apparently not governed by any substantive health or environmental considerations.” See: South Africa Refuses To Support Initiative To Restrict Deadly Asbestos Trade
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 15, 2017
The scandal over the UK government’s failure to protect schoolchildren and staff from dangerous asbestos exposures continues to reverberate. On March 13, 2017, the government gave a pathetic response to a question about this issue in the House of Lords, absolving itself of responsibility for the situation, the deadly reality of which was detailed in an article in the newspaper and website of Schools Week on March 11 in which MP Rachel Reeves was quoted calling the government’s failure to act on asbestos in schools “grossly negligent.” See: Dodgy asbestos surveys costing schools ‘millions’.
Systemic Failures: France
Mar 14, 2017
This article details the failure of the French authorities to address the asbestos contamination of the national infrastructure and warns of more asbestos-related deaths in the future because of the uneven protection of workers from building and other products containing asbestos which have not been removed. Several quotes from campaigners highlight the flaws in a regulatory system which fails to adequately police the asbestos removal industry, ensure accurate laboratory analyses of suspect material and diagnose patients with asbestos diseases. See: En France, il reste 20 millions de tonnes d’amiante disséminées dans les bâtiments [In France, there are 20 million tons of asbestos still in buildings].
Galicia: Asbestos Justice
Mar 14, 2017
An interview – published this month – with Ramón Tojeiro the head of AGAVIDA, a group representing asbestos victims in Galicia, north western Spain, highlighted the impact of occupational asbestos exposures amongst workers in the shipbuilding yards in Ferrol. The campaigner cited the important roles played by Galician unionist Rafael Pillado and Dr. Carlos Piñeiro in the fight to obtain recognition of the invisible epidemic and medical treatment for the injured; Tojeiro also warned of the hazard posed by asbestos within the infrastructure. See: La realidad del amianto se mantuvo oculta porque era un gran negocio [The reality of asbestos kept hidden because it was a big business].
Push to Ban Asbestos
Mar 10, 2017
Brazilian Senator Paulo Paim has submitted a draft bill (PLS 30/2017) to a committee of the Brazilian Congress delineating a road map to make the transition from a national asbestos policy based on the controlled use of asbestos to one banning mining, manufacture, import, storage and transport of asbestos fiber and products containing asbestos within a strict phased timescale. Citing the global consensus regarding the proven risks posed by asbestos exposures, the proposal will, if approved, prohibit all asbestos use, sales, marketing, storage, import and export within four years. See: Manejo do amianto pode se tornar proibido no país [Transition from asbestos management to asbestos ban].
Workplace Exposure in Australia
Mar 10, 2017
Trade union officials confirmed on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 that work at an Australian factory had been stopped for a week due to the discovery of asbestos contamination at the facility owned by the Orica company in the Kooragang Island area of New South Wales. It is alleged that prior to the shutdown, dozens of workers had been hazardously exposed to asbestos fibers. While not denying the incident took place, the company is disputing details released by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union. The exposures allegedly occurred during a $67-million overhaul of the ammonia plant. See: Unions and ORCA in dispute over asbestos.
New Precedent in France
Mar 10, 2017
On March 3, 2017 France’s Council of State – the highest administrative court in the country – handed down a ground-breaking decision when it accepted that employees of the state, in this case a shipbuilding worker for the Ministry of Defence, had a right to compensation for asbestos “anxiety prejudice” after negligent workplace exposures. According to the verdict, “the decision to recognize the right to this compensation amounts to recognition of the link established between exposure to asbestos dust and reduction in life expectancy…” See: Amiante: le préjudice d’anxiété reconnu pour les ouvriers d’Etat par la redaction [Asbestos: anxiety prejudice recognized for state workers].
Asbestos in Schools
Mar 9, 2017
Regional authorities have approved proposals to remove asbestos from 38 schools in Catalonia during 2017-2018. Asbestos was banned in Spain in 2002 but remains widely present throughout the educational infrastructure. The commitment to remediation and replacement of toxic products with asbestos-free materials was brought about after pressure from the socialist party. Under the new rules, asbestos surveys will be carried out to identify contamination, a timetable will be set for removal and an implementation plan will be adopted. See: El Parlament aprueba retirar el amianto de 38 escuelas e institutos [Parliament approves proposal to remove asbestos from 38 schools].
Asbestos Cancer Mortality
Mar 6, 2017
A paper published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has highlighted an epidemic of asbestos cancer in the US Between 1999 and 2015, there were 45,221 deaths reported from mesothelioma, the signature cancer related to asbestos exposure. The annual incidence rate increased from 2,479 (1999) to 2,597 (2015). The researchers’ conclusions confirm what asbestos activists have been saying for years: “Contrary to past projections, the number of malignant mesothelioma deaths has been increasing…” despite the introduction of regulatory actions and decreasing consumption. See: Malignant Mesothelioma Mortality – United States, 1999-2015.
Asbestos Leak in Wicklow
Mar 3, 2017
A former municipal landfill is leaking hazardous waste, including fragments of asbestos, into the Irish Sea in Bray, Co. Wicklow. Amongst the waste dumped on this site are broken asbestos tiles and there are “excessive levels of ammoniacal nitrogen, potassium and manganese in the groundwater.” Local people and politicians have been calling for the municipality, the government and European authorities to make remediation of the site a priority issue. An Environmental Risk Assessment is now being considered by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Wicklow County Council and the Environmental Protection Agency. See: Asbestos and other toxic waste leaking into Irish Sea off Bray and Dublin coast.
Asbestos Lobby Machinations
Mar 3, 2017
A new article on the RightonCanada website details efforts by the International Chrysotile Association (ICA), a propaganda instrument financed by global asbestos producers, to manipulate the global consensus regarding the toxicity of all types of asbestos. The paper – Health Risk of Chrysotile Revisited – which cost the ICA $235,000, failed to disclose “the extensive, long-lasting financial ties of [the authors] Bernstein and Dunnigan to the asbestos lobby; and advanced arguments that have been “dismissed as dangerous misinformation by the world scientific community.” See: Asbestos lobby hopes to block asbestos bans with its bought science.
Asbestos Use in Dentistry
Mar 3, 2017
It has been widely acknowledged that asbestos was used in 3,000 products, ranging from building materials to consumer products. A report just uploaded to the website of the American Journal of Industrial medicine documents the occurrence of mesothelioma amongst dental technicians and professionals who used asbestos-containing dental lining tape for making crowns, bridges and other dental prosthetic devices. The paper examines six mesothelioma cases linked to exposures to this material in four dentists, one dental technician and one silversmith. See: Malignant Mesothelioma Due to Asbestos Exposure in Dental Tape.
Environmental Asbestos Threat
Mar 2, 2017
A row has broken out between Ankara city officials and professional organizations over the health hazard of demolition work at a factory believed to contain 350 tonnes of asbestos. Air monitoring conducted close to the factory in the Maltepe neighborhood of Ankara by the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects found dangerously high levels of amphibole asbestos. Calls have been made for schools in the area to be closed as a preventative action. Ankara’s Mayor alleges that safety measures were implemented during the dismantling work. See: Debate over asbestos diffusion heats up in Turkish capital Ankara.
Support for Patients
Mar 2, 2017
As of April 1, 2017, Mesothelioma UK– a national resource center providing specialist information, support and care services for mesothelioma patients – will be supporting travel expenses for mesothelioma patients to obtain specialist diagnoses or treatments from medical centers outside of their local areas. Standard class travel and accommodation will be covered for up to two nights for the patient and carer as well as the cost of car parking. To apply for this assistance, claimants can contact a helpline: 0800 169 2409. See: Patient Travel Expenses Policy (2017).
Victory for Spanish Worker
Mar 2, 2017
An appeal by the Spanish asbestos company Uralita has been dismissed by the High Court of Catalonia which upheld a 2015 award to an asbestos victim of €342,142 for injuries sustained as a result of negligent workplace asbestos exposures. Uralita’s lawyers alleged that at the time of the exposures – between 1969 and 1992 – there had been no asbestos regulations in place regarding occupational exposures. The Judge rejected this argument affirming that the company was legally obliged to protect workers from all dangerous activities and substances. See: Uralita pagará a un empleado con cáncer por exposición al Amianto [Uralita to pay a worker with cancer for asbestos exposure].
Capital’s Asbestos Challenge
Feb 28, 2017
Members of Nairobi’s County Assembly (MCA) are pressing for action from City Hall to remove asbestos roofing from all residential properties. Particular mention has been made of toxic roofing on houses built in the 1950s and 1960s in the Eastlands, an area southeast of Nairobi. MCA Caroline Muga has asked questions in the assembly regarding delays in disposing of toxic roofing removed from houses in Ofafa Jericho, Bahati and Kimathi, old estates in the capital. MCA Muga said that asbestos was banned in 2006 by the government but the order was never implemented. See: Cancer Risk: City MCAs push for removal of asbestos in houses.
Calls for Asbestos Action
Feb 26, 2017
In a letter to India’s Minister of Environment Anil Madhav, who in August 2016 publicly spoke of the need to protect citizens from the risk of contracting asbestos diseases, grassroots activist Jagdish Patel from the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India urged the Minister to work with government colleagues to end toxic exposures and support efforts by the United Nations Rotterdam Convention to include chrysotile (white) asbestos on a list of substances subject to regulatory controls. The next meeting of the Rotterdam Convention will take place from April 24 to May 5, 2017. See: In 2017 at COP 8, India has another opportunity to support the listing of chrysotile asbestos in PIC.
Basque Asbestos Verdict
Feb 26, 2017
For the first time, a Basque city has been condemned for toxic asbestos exposures to a municipal worker. The claimant’s verdict was handed down by a court in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital city of the Basque Autonomous Community, against the City of Llodio. The family of municipal employee Kepa Galdos, who died in 2012 from mesothelioma, was awarded €133,806 (US$141,320) for the municipality’s failure to prevent toxic workplace exposures to asbestos. Welcoming the verdict, the Association of Asbestos Victims of Euskadi condemned the Mayor’s “total contempt and lack of sensitivity to the victims of asbestos.” See: Press Release by Association of Asbestos Victims of Euskadi.
Scandal: Asbestos in Schools
Feb 25, 2017
A report published on February 23, 2017 by the UK government’s Education Funding Agency (EFA) revealed that 20% of schools attended by 1 million children were “not fully compliant” with asbestos procedures “in that they did not have fully documented plans, processes and procedures in place at the time of the data collection, or did not know if asbestos was present.” Chris Keates, general secretary of the teaching union NASUWT said that: “These results seriously call into question the DfE’s fundamental assumption that asbestos can be managed safely left in situ, as clearly this is not happening in too many cases.” See: Asbestos in schools is a ‘serious’ problem, Government report finds.
Ban Asbestos Bill
Feb 24, 2017
A press release issued yesterday (February 23) by Bob Bailey, a Member of Ontario’s Provincial Parliament (MPP) announced that the second reading of the Asbestos Use Prohibition Act was to take place in Ontario’s Legislative Assembly yesterday afternoon. The bill calls for a ban on the use, reuse, import, transport or sale of asbestos in Ontario and requires the province to set up a public registry of buildings which are owned or leased by the province that contain asbestos. An online petition in support of this bill has also been launched by MPP Bailey. See: press release announcing second reading of Bill 88.
Asbestos Lawsuit by Ministry
Feb 24, 2017
Paraná’s Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) has filed a multimillion reals public civil action against Brazil’s Eternit asbestos company for occupational asbestos exposures at its factory in the city of Colombo. The evidence submitted by the MPT includes data collected since 2008 during inspections carried out at the Eternit facility that substantiated the avoidable risks to the workers in light of the availability of safer fibers and technologies for the production of products such as roofing tiles and water tanks. See: Ministério Público pede indenização de R$ 85 milhões contra a empresa Eternit [Attorney General seeks compensation of R$ 85 million against Eternit company].
Carcinogen OK, Poison Not
Feb 23, 2017
People and politicians in the Russian town of Asbest – who defend the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos, a human carcinogen – are calling for a public consultation over whether the construction of a factory processing antimony should be permitted, citing public health concerns regarding the poisonous effects on human beings of antimony exposures. The National Antimony Company’s plans to build in Degtyarsk were abandoned after mass protests by activists and environmentalists. See: «Мы не хотим жертвовать здоровьем»: в Асбесте депутаты готовят протест против нового завода [“We do not want to sacrifice health”: Asbest MPs prepare protest against new plant].
Asbestos Road Map
Feb 23, 2017
Today, the launch of a working group to develop a National Asbestos Profile of Cambodia took place at a meeting convened in Phnom Penh. The event was sponsored by the Cambodian Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training in partnership with Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA and Australian Aid. The action plans resulting from these collaborations are intended to protect public and occupational health from the deadly asbestos hazard. The efforts of the working group – which will be conducted under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training – will be informed by medical experts, representatives of international agencies, civil servants and others. See: Picture.
Andalusia’s Toxic Pipes
Feb 22, 2017
A committee of the Parliament of the autonomous community of Andalusia has approved a ministerial proposal to undertake an audit of pipes used to deliver regional water supplies with a view to the elimination of the asbestos hazard from the network. The committee has called on stakeholders, including council and municipal authorities, to collaborate on the planning and removal of the cancer threat to citizens and has set a deadline for the prohibition of asbestos in water delivery systems. See: El Parliament andaluz aprueba una propuesta de IU para la eliminación de amianto en tuberías de agua [The Andalusian Parliament approves a UI proposal for the elimination of asbestos in water pipes].
Tightening Asbestos Controls
Feb 22, 2017
On February 21, 2017, the Government of South Korea announced tighter regulations for asbestos management to safeguard individuals attending or working at private after-school academies from hazardous exposures; the new regulations will be introduced this week. To improve monitoring efforts, the introduction of a biannual air quality test has been mandated on smaller facilities which, until now, had been exempt from these requirements. Non-compliance with the asbestos regulations can be punished with a fine of up to ten million won (US$8750). See: Gov't tightens asbestos management rules.
Award for British Doctor
Feb 20, 2017
Yesterday (February 19), at the annual general meeting of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia in Perth, Western Australia, Dr Helen Clayson was announced as the recipient of the Society’s Eric Saint Memorial Award 2017. This highly prestigious award is made in recognition of assistance provided to asbestos victims by a medical professional, technical expert, support worker or campaigner. In her introduction to the award ceremony, Rose Marie Vojakovic said that the worthy recipient was a former general practitioner and hospice medical director from the North of England; for a number of years, she had served as chair of the Barrow-in-Furness asbestos victims group and had written a UK Mesothelioma Handbook which had been adapted for use by Australian sufferers.
Asbestos Propaganda War
Feb 20, 2017
SINTICOMEX, a Brazilian union affiliated to the asbestos industry, has denounced the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed and a legal firm from São Paulo for supporting the family of a worker who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, casting aspersions on the truth of allegations made that the deceased had been occupationally exposed to asbestos as a result of which he contracted cancer and died. The union says that since the 1990s, there have been no cases of asbestos-related disease in their region; the death of this and another worker are clear proof that they are incorrect. See: Movimento contra Amianto invade Pedro Leopoldo [Anti-asbestos movement invades Pedro Leopoldo].
Paying for Asbestos Healthcare
Feb 20, 2017
A paper published online this month (February 2017), entitled Medical costs of asbestos-related diseases in Spain between 2004 and 2011, estimated that the costs to the National Health System (NHS) between 2004 and 2011 of treating 37,557 patients suffering from asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) was €464 million, with specialist care accounting for 51% of total costs, primary healthcare 10%, and drug prescription 39%. The ARD bill for the NHS was 27.8-fold higher for male patients than for female patients with a €281m bill for treating patients with bronchopulmonary cancers. See: Medical costs of asbestos-related diseases in Spain between 2004 and 2011.
Ambler Deadline Extended
Feb 17, 2017
The date for submitting comments on proposals by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the remediation of two Superfund sites – BoRit Asbestos Superfund Site and Ambler Asbestos Piles Superfund Site in Ambler, Pennsylvania – has been extended until March 3, 2017. For decades this town was the location of the Keasbey & Mattison asbestos factory. Widespread contamination is a fact of life for local people; the multimillion dollar EPA program is designed to tackle asbestos pollution in the soil, reservoir, waterways, dumpsites and environment. See: Environmental Concerns of Communities around Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Chrysotile Risk to Mechanics
Feb 16, 2017
A paper uploaded earlier this year exposed the ubiquity and hazardous nature of workplace exposures to chrysotile asbestos at small workshops in India. The awareness about the danger of asbestos in one small-scale clutch-plate manufacturing unit was abysmal with 14 workers acknowledging they had no “detailed information about asbestos and its ill effects.” Eleven members of this cohort had contracted small airway disease and one of their colleagues had previously died of asbestosis. The authors of this paper conclude: “The usage of chrysotile should be strictly regulated as morbidity and mortality is high.” See: Asbestos-induced lung disease in small-scale clutch manufacturing workers.
Construction Workers Victory
Feb 15, 2017
On February 14, 2017, Judge Toshio Uchino of the Sapporo District Court ordered the government to pay a total of ¥176 million (~US$1.54m) in damages to former construction workers from Hokkaido with asbestos-related diseases and family members of those who have already died from these diseases, saying: “The state should have informed the workers’ employers by 1980 of the need to use dust-proof masks.” This is the fifth district court ruling which has found the government fully or partially responsible for asbestos-related damages at construction sites in Japan. See: Court orders government to pay ¥176 million to asbestos victims.
Executives Face Trial
Feb 15, 2017
Charges are being formalized by the Public Ministry over environmental contamination and asbestos-related deaths from the Bocamina power station in Coronel, Chile now belonging to Enel Generación Chile. Former executives of the predecessor company Empresa Nacional De Electricidad [Endesa] are accused of permitting polluting discharges into the bay of Coronel and negligently allowing hazardous workplace exposures to take place which led to two asbestos deaths and many cases of illness. See: Formalizarán ejecutivos Endesa por contaminación en Bocamina: trabajadores acusan muertes [Endesa executives to be charged over pollution deaths of Bocamina workers].
Keep Asbestos out of Australia!
Feb 15, 2017
Last week Unions NSW (New South Wales) released their program to end the almost continuous flouting of Australia’s asbestos ban by negligent importers and companies. The organization called on federal and state governments to implement a four-prong plan which would: reverse the onus of proof onto the importer, attract an automatic ban from future government contracts, introduce an exhaustive due diligence test and provide specialist training for border staff to ensure they have the skills and tools needed to stop asbestos imports from entering Australia. See: New case shows urgent need to stop asbestos importation.
Veteran Asbestos Litigant on Radio
Feb 14, 2017
Eric Jonckheere, whose family is on the brink of a landmark legal decision by the Brussels Court of Appeal, gave a radio interview on a telephone call-in show detailing the case and underlining the importance of the decision to be handed down on March 28. After the death of his mother, Eric and his brothers began a 17 year campaign to obtain legal recognition and judicial compensation form the Eternit company which operated the deadly asbestos factory near the family’s home. Eric has, he told the interviewer, lost his father, mother and two brothers to the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. See: Radio Rivierenland praat over asbest: “Ik verloor vier mensen aan asbest” [Riverland radio talking about asbestos: “I lost four people to asbestos”].
Government Mesothelioma Payouts
Feb 14, 2017
According to statistics released on January 31, 2017, more than £84 million in compensation has been awarded under the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS) to sufferers, or the families of those who died from mesothelioma, a cancer which killed 2,515 British people in 2014. Claimants have 3 years from diagnosis to apply for compensation. The DMPS is a scheme of last resort for mesothelioma victims who were negligently exposed to asbestos at work and are unable to trace their employer or their employer's insurer to seek compensation. See: New figures show more than £84 million awarded in compensation through Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme.
Asbestos: Imminent Hazard
Feb 14, 2017
Families living in government housing in the city of Chelghoum Laïd in, Mila Province, Algeria have repeatedly warned the authorities of the threat posed by the deterioration of asbestos-containing products in the thirty-year-old housing units they have occupied. The premises, built in 1987, are full of asbestos insulation, a material which is highly friable. According to local inhabitants, “10 to 12 [local] people died of cancer and asthma in 20 years.” Asbestos was banned in Algeria by Executive Decree No. 09-321 published on October 14, 2009. See: Sous la menace permanente de l’amiante [Living under the permanent asbestos threat].
Asbestos in the Capital’s Schools
Feb 13, 2017
Information obtained by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has been used to produce a map showing the location of 200 asbestos-contaminated schools in Ottawa. Considering that Canada was for decades the world’s biggest asbestos supplier, the ubiquity of toxic construction material in the floors, ceilings, walls and pipes of the capital’s schools comes as no surprise. Local school boards face a daunting task keeping children and staff safe from hazardous exposures in buildings which need constant repairs and renewal. Policies used include updated asbestos audits to prevent workmen disturbing contaminated products hidden within the school. See: Ottawa schools rife with asbestos.
Update: Ban Asbestos Campaign
Feb 13, 2017
A 45-page bumper issue of the quarterly Occupational Safety and Health Newsletter of the Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Health Victims has now been uploaded which shows the amazing mobilization of ban asbestos support throughout Asia. Articles of special interest detail asbestos events and initiatives mounted by grassroots campaigners in India, Indonesia, Japan Kenya, Korea, Nepal, Taiwan and Sri Lanka. What is clear from the texts in Issue 39 is not only the progress being made by activists but the importance of cross-border and cross discipline collaborations amongst victims, workers, unionists, NGOs and others. See: Occupational Safety and Health Newsletter.
Concern over Barrow Cuts
Feb 12, 2017
The existence of a group working to assist victims of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in the town with the worst incidence of this killer disease in England and Wales is under threat from proposals by the Department for Work and Pensions to relocate an expert industrial injury team now based in Phoenix House, Barrow due to the planned closure of the building. Bob Pointer, a spokesperson for the group Cumbria Asbestos Related Disease Support, told a local journalist that civil servants at Phoenix House provide vital guidance on claimants’ rights including how people can access disability benefits. See: Fears raised over future of Barrow-based support group amid plan to close health assessment centre.
Jail for Asbestos Managers
Feb 11, 2017
Two managers of the Italian asbestos-cement company Fibronit which operated a factory in Broni were found guilty of manslaughter by a court in Pavia for asbestos deaths which occurred after 2002 of 20 factory workers and local people. A four-year sentence was handed down to Cardinal Michele, 74, former chief executive with Lorenzo Mo, 70, former factory director, receiving 3 years and 4 months. Fibronit adviser Alvaro Galvani 68 was acquitted. It has been estimated that 4,000 people worked at the plant before the company went bankrupt in 2011. See: Amianto, condannati due ex manager della Fibronit di Broni per omicidio colposo [Two former managers of Broni, Fibronit convicted of manslaughter].
Eternit’s Toxic Town
Feb 10, 2017
Twenty-seven kilometres from the capital of Colombia, is Sibaté, a town that lives under an asbestos cloud. It was here that the Eternit asbestos company built an enclave for managers of its nearby factory; the residents were exposed to environmental asbestos, many of them have died. Three members of the Bravo family have died from asbestos diseases. Throughout the town, Eternit’s asbestos waste was spread on public spaces and private areas: on the soccer pitch, the skating rink, the school, the bullring. Thirty per cent of the subsoil of Sibaté is asbestos. See: Sibaté: el drama de una comunidad que ha vivido bajo el peligro del asbestos [Sibaté: the drama of a community that has lived with the danger of asbestos].
Asbestos Removal Controversy
Feb 10, 2017
Residents in a Northern Cape South African town are engaged in a case at the Kimberley High Court brought by a mining company seeking to remediate crocidolite asbestos waste from the site of a railway line prior to redevelopment work for the expansion of an iron ore mine. It is alleged that local people prevented removal work being undertaken by operatives wearing “space suits” and using specialist equipment when no attempts had been made to protect the community from airborne asbestos generated by the work. The company is claiming R1.6 million (US$120,000) for costs incurred during the delays. See: Mining company fights Northern Cape community over asbestos.
Supreme Court Travesty
Feb 9, 2017
The Spanish Supreme Court has invalidated all asbestos judgments won by workers, forcing them to repay damages awarded by civil courts and seek redress through the labor courts. Juan Carlos Paúl, President of the Association of Victims (AVIDA), called the ruling: “disappointing and unjust, because the sentence does not address the responsibility of the company, but is based on a procedural flaw.” This verdict will have a seismic effect on the injured who, the Judge admitted, had suffered due to the negligence of their employer. Calls for a national asbestos fund to compensate victims have been made. See: El amianto no es un problema del pasado [Asbestos is not a problem of the past].
Legal Victory for UK Victim
Feb 9, 2017
A January 13, 2017 decision in the High Court has been welcomed by the claimant’s solicitor who says this decision could pave the way for others to bring posthumous claims for the value of services lost due to the death of a loved one. The claimant, former plumber Stelios Andreou, is dying from mesothelioma contracted after occupational asbestos exposure. A claim for his illness had already been compensated but last month’s verdict by Judge Walden-Smith means that his widow will, in due course, be entitled to bring another claim for lost years of services; the defendant argued for the dismissal of this issue. See: High Court rules on ‘lost years’ compensation in mesothelioma cases.
Tribute to Jim McNulty
Feb 8, 2017
Belfast-born public health doctor Jim McNulty has died aged 91 in his adopted home of Perth, Western Australia after decades of service to Australian workers. In 1956, McNulty and his new wife journeyed to the rough and tumble gold mining town of Kalgoorlie where occupational “dust disease” was an accepted fact of life. In 1959 he became involved in the notorious Wittenoom asbestos mining story. Appalled by the conditions at the mine and the use of toxic tailings for public and private spaces, he referred to Wittenoom as “a horrible place.” Subsequently, he fought to implement occupational controls and raise awareness of environmental contamination. See: Led Ban on Asbestos.
Industry Offensive in Vietnam
Feb 8, 2017
A biased pro-asbestos feature was published in the Vietnamese press on January 30, 2017 that revealed the interference of foreign vested interests in the Vietnamese asbestos debate. Using examples provided by the Russian and Brazilian industry, the “infomercial” repeated propaganda claiming that the industrial processing of asbestos could be conducted under “safe and controlled conditions.” As part of an ongoing industry offensive targeting asbestos markets in Asia, Vietnamese national politicians were invited to Brazil by a “yellow union” (one linked to the asbestos industry) on a fact-finding trip. See: Nhà máy sản xuất tấm lợp fibro xi măng [Factory production of fibro cement roofing].
Sicily Fails to Act on Hazard
Feb 8, 2017
A 2014 law passed in Sicily mandated that each of 390 municipal authorities establish an asbestos plan delineating the location of asbestos hotspots. To date, only 16% of municipalities have undertaken work to locate asbestos through information from local people. The law required the identification of buildings containing asbestos products and provided guidelines for preventing hazardous exposures and remediating environmental contamination. A public fund to support asbestos removal work was planned but as few Sicilian authorities complied with the program, these funds have been reallocated. See: Amianto, piano comunale fermo da un anno [Asbestos, a year without a municipal plan].
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 6, 2017
Amongst the problems affecting schools in Kenya is the use of asbestos-containing roofing products. However, it has been announced that the toxic asbestos-containing roofing material on 23 schools in Nakuru East will be replaced with modern iron sheets with funds to be allocated by the government by the end of February 2017. Commenting on this development, MP David Gikaria representing this constituency said: “There is no cause for alarm as all the schools that are affected will each receive Sh500,000 (~US$5000) before the end of this month to upgrade the roofing to eliminate the exposure of asbestos material to our learners.” See: Kenya: Asbestos Roofing on 23 Nakuru Schools to Be Replaced With Iron Sheets.
Asbestosis at the Shipyards
Feb 6, 2017
A study released this week by the Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) confirmed the toxic effect of occupational asbestos exposures upon ship-breaking workers in Bangladesh. The results of tests carried out by OSHE medical personnel at diagnosis camps in Chittagong confirmed that 33 workers out of the 101 examined had contracted asbestosis from breathing asbestos during the dismantling of ships. Eight of those diagnosed were 60% disabled. The OSHE study is ongoing with a further 400 workers due to be examined by July 2017. See: Asbestos: The slow poison killing ship-breaking workers.
Spain’s Asbestos Legacy
Feb 6, 2017
Spain imported 2.6 million tons of asbestos between 1970 and 2000, much of which remains hidden within the national infrastructure. In the Getafe community of Madrid during this period up to 15,000 people were non-occupationally exposed to asbestos; epidemiologists predict that by 2030, 5,000 of them could die from asbestos-related diseases. While the heaviest exposures tended to take place at work, the CCOO, Spain’s largest trade union, is also concerned about the public health hazard and has called on central, regional and local administrations to implement specific protocols to minimize harmful exposures. See: Peligroso foco de amianto en Getafe [Dangerous asbestos legacy in Getafe].
Court Victory in Malta
Feb 3, 2017
Twenty-eight years after pipe worker Andrew Psaila died from asbestos cancer, four of his children have been awarded €30,000 for moral damages. The Chief Medical Officer, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority and the Attorney General were ordered to pay compensation for the claimants’ loss of their father whose right to life had been violated by the authorities’ failure to act on the occupational asbestos hazard. Mr Psaila worked at the Drydocks from 1959 up to his death in 1988. During his employment, asbestos was a “staple material” abundantly used with no “effective controls” to minimize exposures. See: Heirs awarded €30,000 in compensation for asbestos related death.
Tribute to Kevin Lynch
Feb 3, 2017
The death has been reported of Kevin Lynch, a former dock worker and founding member of the Greater Manchester Asbestos Victims’ Support Group (GMAVSG). In 1994, Kevin took part in a public meeting about asbestos held at the Greater Manchester Hazards Centre. As a result of that meeting, the GMAVSG was set up; for many years, Kevin staffed a helpline, often single-handedly, which provided advice on benefits and compensation; he also gave evidence as an expert witness on the hazardous conditions and working practices on the Manchester Docks where asbestos cargo was unloaded. See: Remembering Kevin Lynch - Dock Worker and Founding Member of GMAVSG.
Asbestos Ban at Risk?
Feb 3, 3017
When President Barack Obama signed an update to the federal Toxic Substances Control Act into law in 2016, he gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to ban asbestos use and importation. The agency designated asbestos as a priority substance and began the process to end asbestos use; so far, so good. Unfortunately, Donald Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt as the new head of the EPA. In a January 18, 2017 response to questions from senators on the Environment and Public Works Committee, Pruitt refused to affirm that he would push through a comprehensive asbestos ban. See: EPA Nominee Pruitt Refused to Promise Asbestos Ban.
British Asbestos Newsletter
Feb 2, 2017
The Autumn-Winter 2016-17 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The lead article considers the December 2016 announcement that Canada would ban asbestos by 2018 from a British perspective, while a four-page feature entitled “Victims 4, UK PLC 0” details how despite an increasingly hostile political and economic climate, substantial progress has been made over recent months by asbestos victims’ groups and campaigners in improving conditions for the injured, securing £10 million in research funds and securing an official investigation into potential asbestos imports from China. See: Issue 102, British Asbestos Newsletter.
Canada Needs Asbestos!
Feb 2, 2017
The President of the International Chrysotile Association (ICA) Jean-Marc Leblond has called on the Ottawa Government to reverse its decision to ban asbestos. In a desperate 9-page letter sent on January 23, 2017, Leblond points out that: successive national and provincial governments have invested C$55 million in promoting the “safe use of white asbestos,” the ICA is a “reputable, well known organization” and Canadian anti-asbestos lobbyists – working with foreign pressure groups – have engaged in a crusade to ban asbestos using national outlets such as The Globe and Mail to spread their message. See: President of International Chrysotile Association asks Canadian government not to ban asbestos.
Japan Asbestos Mobilization
Feb 1, 2017
An asbestos conference at the Tokyo Institute of Technology on January 28 and 29, 2017 provided the opportunity for asbestos experts from the UK and Japan to provide updated information on technical and regulatory developments pertaining to the analysis, removal, remediation and disposing of asbestos-containing materials. A presentation given by ban asbestos campaigner Laurie Kazan-Allen see: The Global Campaign to Ban Asbestos 2017!) considered the progress being made around the world by those fighting to outlaw asbestos use and provide support for the injured. See: Image from conference discussion session..
Another Asbestos Fatality
Feb 1, 2017
The asbestos legacy of one Australian community continues to haunt townspeople, with the mesothelioma death of Ffloyd Laurie, who was exposed to asbestos as a child playing on mounds of asbestos tailings in the town of Baryulgil, New South Wales. The Australian company James Hardie – nicknamed the “Killer Company” – operated the mine until 1976. Asbestos tailings were used as landfill by local people at homes, farms and in the school playground. Fifty-five year old Mr. Laurie is the first person known to have died from childhood exposure to asbestos contamination from the mine. See: Mesothelioma kills man who played on asbestos tailings left in school yard when he was a child.
Poland’s Toxic Legacy
Jan 24, 2017
With the banning of asbestos in Poland and the lack of registries documenting the presence of toxic roofing, an attempt has been made to estimate the amount of asbestos-cement roofing in the country using aerial imagery and selected statistical features. The authors of a new paper estimate that the total amount of asbestos roofing in Poland is 738,068,000 m2 (8.2m t). This figure will inform government policy on removal objectives as well as “the landfill development programme, financial resources distribution, and application of monitoring policies.” See: Estimation of the amount of asbestos-cement roofing in Poland.
Justice Delayed!
Jan 23, 2017
Twelve years after the demolition of the 18 storey Tripode building in Nantes, hundreds of civil servants who had been employed there still await official recognition that they had received asbestos exposures during their government service. Such recognition would allow them various government benefits including the right to early retirement. Before the building was demolished in 1993, 350 tonnes of asbestos were removed. On November 30, 2016, the Ministry of Civil Service committed to addressing this situation in “early 2017.” See: Amiante: les anciens du Tripode de Nantes ne veulent pas être “les oubliés” [Asbestos: the elders of the Tripode building in Nantes do not want to be “forgotten”].
Asbestos at Car Factory
Jan 23, 2017
Last week a Milan court heard accusations against executives from the Alfa Romeo factory in Arese (Milan) who face charges over asbestos deaths of former employees. Amongst those accused are: Corrado Innocenti, managing director of Alfa Romeo from 1978 to 1985 and Vincent Moro, CEO of Alfa Romeo from 1974 to 1978. The prosecutor told the court that asbestos was “present in the environment and in the machining process” and there had been an “utter lack of caution in the production line even though there was knowledge that asbestos was a dangerous substance…” The case continues. See: Amianto: Alfa, pm “3 anni a ex vertici” [Asbestos: Alfa Romeo, 3 years is the verdict].
Settlement of Montana Claims
Jan 23, 2017
A $25 million agreement was reached on January 20, 2017 between the State of Montana and 100+ claimants from Libby, Montana over asbestos exposures which occurred in Lincoln County during the 20th century due to the operations of the town’s vermiculite mine. In 2012, the State agreed to pay 1,000 other plaintiffs $43 million due to its failure to warn the mine’s employees, local people and communities of the risk of exposures to high levels of asbestos contamination created by the mining. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) began clean-up work in Libby in 1999; EPA personnel are still there. See: Montana asbestos victims to get $25 million from state.
Leadership in Asbestos Research
Jan 19, 2017
Japanese public health expert Professor Ken Takahashi will take the reins as the director of the Sydney-based Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) in February 2017. He will be taking over from Professor Nico van Zandwijk who has led ADRI since 2007. Published papers by Professor Takahashi have shown the correlation between national asbestos consumption and the incidence of mesothelioma deaths. Commenting on his new appointment, Professor Takahashi said: “Asbestos-related diseases are preventable. I want to protect workers around the world.” See: In the News / Ken Takahashi / Expert continues battle against asbestos-related diseases.
Asbestos Scandal and the Third Crossing
Jan 19, 2017
The construction of the high speed railway known simply as the Third Crossing, which is due for completion in 2021 and will link the area around Genoa with the main railway lines in northern Italy and the rest of Europe, has been beset by delays and multiple scandals. The recent publication of wiretaps recording conversations with key supervisory personnel on this project reveals a complete disdain for workers’ health and a dismal failure to acknowledge the asbestos hazard. One of the contract managers has been arrested over his negligence in preventing occupational asbestos exposures. See: Terzo Valico, l’intercettazione: “L’amianto? Tanto la malattia arriva fra 30 anni.” [Third passage, the interception: “Asbestos? Both the disease and train arrive in 30 years”].
Towards an Asbestos Free Canada!
Jan 18, 2017
A letter to Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister of Health (January 17), sent by the Canadian Environmental Law Association and the Canadian Association of University Teachers and supported by scores of organizations and individuals, has highlighted the need for a multi-faceted approach to achieve the goal of freeing Canada from the asbestos hazard in the wake of last month’s announcement that the asbestos would be banned by 2018. Welcoming the government’s policy U-turn, the letter calls for a coordinated and considered approach which provides political, economic and social solutions to complex challenges. See: Letter to Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister of Health.
A Trump World?
Jan 17, 2017
A few of so many serious concerns about life under President Trump are expressed in a new article on the website of Right on Canada. Author Kathleen Ruff cites text from an email by Dr. Sergey V. Kashanski, a Russian scientist, with known links to the asbestos industry. In the message dated January 14, Kashanski writes: “Maybe Trump restores order in asbestos. Let’s wait…” In previous statements Trump dismissed the scientific evidence against asbestos claiming that it was “100 percent safe, once applied” and that “the movement against asbestos was led by the mob.” Thousands of people die every year from asbestos diseases in the US. See: Russian scientist hopes that US President-elect Trump will “restore order in asbestos.”
Supporting Supreme Court Appeal
Jan 16, 2017
AFeVA, the Italian group representing many asbestos victims from Casale Monferrato and surrounding areas, has welcomed the decision announced this month by the Turin prosecutor to appeal the Supreme Court’s decision which downgraded murder charges against asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny to manslaughter. Acknowledging that no results will be available in the short-term, due to the protracted proceedings ahead, AFeVA has pledged to “use this time period to study, together with its legal advisors, new forms of protection for victims and family members” so that justice can be obtained in a “reasonable time.” See: Comunicato AFeVA [AFeVA Press Release].
Asbestos at President’s House
Jan 16, 2017
The Office of the President (OTP) was advised on January 12, 2017 of the presence of asbestos in the President’s House in Trinidad and Tobago. Thirty employees who work there were will receive medical evaluations this week. In a January 14 press release, the OTP stated: “What is of grave and critical concern is that it appears that the authorities responsible for renovation of President’s House have been aware of this asbestos contamination for some time but failed to inform and alert the Office of the President of this hazard.” Due to renovations the President does not reside at this building. See: Amid allowance probe, asbestos discovered in President’s House.
Another State Asbestos Ban!
Jan 14, 2017
A law banning the use of asbestos-containing materials was published in the Gazette of the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina (SC) on January 13; this act means that the ban adopted by the state legislature has now become official and that no use of asbestos is allowed from now on. SC is the 8th state in Brazil to adopt a unilateral asbestos ban; the others are: Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais and Amazonas. The federal government’s asbestos policy supports the continued use of asbestos in Brazil, an asbestos producing country. See: SC proíbe uso de materiais que contenham Amianto [SC prohibits use of materials containing asbestos].
Appeal of Schmidheiny Verdict
Jan 13, 2017
On January 12, 2017, public prosecutor Gianfranco Colace and Assistant Attorney General Charles Pellicano appealed to the Supreme Court to reverse the November 29 sentence handed down by Judge Federica Bompieri which allocated the Eternit bis proceedings to four different courts and reduced the charges faced by Stephan Schmidheiny from voluntary murder to manslaughter for more than 200 asbestos deaths. The appellants allege that although Schmidheiny was aware of the asbestos hazard, he did not warn Eternit’s workers. See: Il caso Eternit bis finisce in Cassazione, ricorso contro il manager Schmidheiny [Eternit bis back in the Supreme Court with appeal against Schmidheiny].
Calls to Ban Asbestos!
Jan 13, 2017
A commentary published in Colombia in the aftermath of the death of ban asbestos campaigner Ana Cecilia Niño has highlighted the failure of the Congress to ban asbestos on three occasions. Ana Cecilia Niño was exposed to asbestos when she was a child; her family lived near a factory manufacturing asbestos-cement tiles. During her campaign, she collected more than 50,000 signatures for her referendum calling for an asbestos ban; campaigners also submitted a ban asbestos petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. See: Salud vs. negocio: el asbesto sigue cobrando vidas, pero su uso no se prohíbe [Health vs. business: asbestos still takes lives, but its use is not prohibited].
Asbestos Protest at Brazilian Embassy
Jan 12, 2017
On January 11, 2017, the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea (BANKO) held its fourth ban asbestos protest outside the Seoul embassy of an asbestos-producing country. In previous weeks, demonstrations were held at the embassies of Russia (December 21), China (December 28) and Kazakhstan (January 4). This week it was at the Brazilian embassy. Asbestos victims, environmentalists, medical experts, and occupational health activists displayed colourful banners calling for Brazil to stop mining deadly asbestos, held an outdoor press conference and delivered a letter calling for an end to the mining, consumption and export of asbestos. See: Photo of January 11, 2017 protest.
Asbestos Poetry
Jan 12, 2017
This week a newspaper in New Zealand has published an article about the work of asbestos widow Deidre VanGerven who has just published a 280 page book of poems – Asbestos through the Years – about the devastating impact of asbestos-related illness on sufferers and their families. Deidre's husband Thom died in 1997 aged 60 from asbestos cancer as did her father and two siblings. The article by Piers Fuller in the Wairarapa News praises Deidre’s poems as “oddly compelling” and reports the welcome response the book has received from family members of those who have died from asbestos diseases. See: What rhymes with mesothelioma?
Death of Asbestos Activist
Jan 9, 2017
The death has been reported of Ana Cecilia Niño, a mesothelioma sufferer, who led efforts to ban asbestos in Colombia. It is believed that she contracted this cancer after exposure to asbestos liberated from outdoor waste storage facilities at an Eternit asbestos factory in the city of Sibaté. In 2016, Ana Cecilia and her husband sued the Colombian State at the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights over its failure to secure fundamental human rights by allowing the use of deadly asbestos. Her husband Daniel José Pineda González relayed news of her death on Sunday January 8 via social media outlets. See: Murió la mujer que buscó una Colombia libre de asbestos [Death of Colombian ban asbestos campaigner].
Asbestos Reinsurance Deal
Jan 8, 2017
A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway (BH), a company owned by Warren Buffet, will receive $650m to assume $1.5bn of asbestos risk from Hartford Financial Services, a US insurer. In 2006, BH agreed a deal with Equitas, a vehicle set up by Lloyd’s of London, to provide up to £3.7bn ($7bn) in reinsurance cover for asbestos claims. It has done similar deals with US insurers AIG, Liberty Mutual and CNA Financial. Last year an insurance credit rating agency warned that insurers faced $15bn of losses from future asbestos claims. See: Buffett to Get $650 Million From Hartford in Asbestos Deal.
Asbestos Fraud Case
Jan 7, 2017
Two men appeared in a Harare court on January 5, 2017 to face charges related to an alleged asbestos swindle involving Turnall Holdings (Turnall), Zimbabwe’s leading asbestos manufacturer. The court was told that the accused – former Turnall director Kenias Horonga and Sydney Chimberengwa – had convinced Turnall’s Chairperson R. Likukuma of the existence of $116,000 in offshore funds that could be used to buy 90 tonnes of Russian asbestos fiber. To cover up the money transfer, fake applications to purchase foreign currency were submitted by the accused. Last year, three Turnall directors were also prosecuted over allegations of stealing $2 million from the company. See: Ex-Turnall boss Horonga in court over fraud.
Asbestos in Cuba: A Fact of Life
Jan 6, 2017
The use of asbestos roofing is commonplace in Cuba, according to a commentary published this week which highlighted the extensive and long-standing knowledge about the dangers of asbestos exposures to human beings and referenced a 2016 Cuban article in The Havana Times. The author details the popularity of asbestos-cement tiles and water tanks, focusing on the situation in his home town of Guantánamo, and asks why the authorities in Cuba have never taken action on the asbestos hazard. Between 2012 and 2014, Cuba used, on average, ~6000 tonnes per year. See: ¿El régimen no lo sabe? [The regime does not know?].
Demonstration at Kazakhstan Embassy
Jan 5, 2017
Members of the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea (BANKO), having held protests outside the embassies of Russia and China – the biggest global asbestos producers – in December 2016, yesterday mounted a demonstration outside the Kazakhstan embassy in Seoul. The BANKO press conference and protest were filmed by TV crews from Korea and Kazakhstan. The national TV station of Kazakhstan - KHABAR24 – interviewed two Korean asbestos victims. In 2009, Korea banned the use of asbestos. Experts predict that thousands of people will die from asbestos diseases over the next two decades. See: Photos (2) of January 4, 2017 demonstration.
Asbestos Legacy in Taiwan
Jan 5, 2017
A 40-minute documentary subtitled in English details the deadly impact of asbestos on people in Taiwan, and contrasts the lack of social activism on this issue with the dynamic role played by victims in the fight for recognition, compensation and prevention in Japan. Although the sale of asbestos tiles was banned in 2013, the use of some toxic products remains legal and environmental contamination is a part of life in Taiwan. The evidence presented by medical, technical and academic experts compliments the personal stories of individuals whose lives have been shattered by asbestos disease. This is an important film and should be watched. See: Asbestos: the InvisibleThreat.
Rise in Asbestos Cancer Mortality
Jan 5, 2017
Experts predict that asbestos cancer deaths will continue to rise in Ireland from 20 cases in 2005 to 68 in 2020, a leap of 340%. While these deaths relate to exposures which took place decades ago, hazardous exposures continue and are predicted to increase as Ireland’s economy recovers and as refurbishment projects get underway on sites where asbestos was used during construction. Mandatory notifications to the Health and Safety Authority of the presence of asbestos prior to the commencement of demolition or renovation works increased from 164 in 2010 to 290 up to mid-December 2016. See: Asbestos deaths set to hit record levels.
70 More Days!
Jan 4, 2017
The family of Françoise Jonckheere, who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in 2000, will have to wait until March 14 for the judgment of the Brussels Appeal Court to be handed down in this ground-breaking case, the first of its kind in Belgium, which seeks to hold the Eternit multinational liable for her death. While the company’s defence team seeks to have the case dismissed as time-barred, lawyers for the Jonckheeres argue that the company allowed toxic exposures to take place despite knowing of the health consequences. See: Procès de l'amiante: la cour d'appel rendra son arrêt le 14 mars [Asbestos trial: the Court of Appeal will deliver its judgment on 14 March].
Omens for US Asbestos Revival?
Jan 4, 2017
An article on a Russian website is predicting that measures under a Trump Presidency will include the downgrading of regulations preventing asbestos use. Referencing statements made both before and during the election, the journalist concludes that the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency will be greatly watered down and asbestos materials will enjoy a new popularity: “The most obvious way to reduce costs in the construction industry is to end the restrictions on the use of chrysotile asbestos.” Trump is quoted as blaming the 2001 collapse of the twin towers on their lack of asbestos fireproofing. See: Асбест возвращает доброе имя [The good name of asbestos returns].
Defeating the Asbestos Industry
Jan 4, 2017
In the face of powerful political, economic and social forces which had for many decades supported the Canadian asbestos industry, a campaign by ban asbestos activists at home and abroad succeeded in ending “Canada’s destructive role as global propagandist for the asbestos industry” and securing a Canadian ban on asbestos. A new paper by Canadian human rights campaigner Kathleen Ruff details the background to these developments and highlights the importance of key events including the 2010 Asia-Quebec Solidarity Delegation to Quebec. See: How Canada’s Asbestos Industry Was Defeated in Quebec.
Asbestos Prosecutions and Persecutions
Jan 4, 2107
A recently published paper provides a background to the evolution of knowledge regarding the harmful effects of asbestos exposure and considers criminal prosecutions undertaken against those responsible for hazardously exposing workers including the legal proceedings in Italy against the Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny who was initially sentenced to 16 years for his crimes before the Supreme Court vacated the verdict on a technicality. The author concludes that: “the use of the criminal code to hold people personally responsible for business decisions that gravely endanger public health on such a scale, for profits made by avoiding the costs of prevention and compensation” is essential. See: Criminality and Asbestos in Industry.
Appeal Begins in Landmark Case
Jan 3, 2016
Proceedings begin at 9 a.m. on January 3, 2017 at the Brussels Court of Appeal, Civil Division in the ground-breaking case over the asbestos cancer death in 2000 of Françoise Jonckheere (see: Eternit and the Great Asbestos Trial, Chapter 16). In 2011 – in the first asbestos case ever to be heard in a Belgian court – the Belgian multinational Eternit was found liable for Mrs Jonckheere’s death in a verdict which dismissed all the company’s arguments and found it had deliberately downplayed or hid the asbestos danger for years. Eternit was ordered to pay €250,000 in compensation, but the company subsequently lodged an appeal. See: L’amiante se réinvite au tribunal [Asbestos re-invites itself to court].
The Final Insult
Jan 3, 2017
You couldn’t make it up. After 14 years of legal battles, an Italian court has ordered the wife and children of an asbestos victim to return the bulk of the money previously awarded for his death. The verdict supported arguments submitted by The National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work and Occupational Diseases (INAIL) that Mario Barbieri, who had worked from 1966 to 1992 as a crane operator and warehouseman in Carrara at a site where 22 others had died of asbestos cancer, had not been exposed to asbestos at work. The Court had been told that the brakes of the crane were lined with asbestos. See: Morì per amianto, ma l’Inail rivuole i soldi [He died from asbestos, but INAIL wants the money back].
Asbestos Conundrum
Jan 3, 2017
Despite a 2015 statement by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena declaring his intention to ban imports of asbestos roofing by 2018, this material remains the product of choice for poor people. Whilst the government acknowledges asbestos is a carcinogen, asbestos industry propagandists continue to proclaim that “there is no medical evidence to support the claim that white asbestos causes cancer.” An article published by World Is One News (WION) – an international news platform – on January 2 says that “Sri Lanka needs to make a choice, a choice between life and death.” See: Breath of death: Asbestos may be cheap roofing material but it causes cancer.
Ban Asbestos Protests
Jan 2, 2017
On Wednesday, December 21, 2016, the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea (BANKO) embarked on the first of a series of demonstrations outside the embassies of asbestos-producing countries with a well-attended event in front of the Russian Embassy in central Seoul. Signs with slogans such as “Stop RUSSIA! Asbestos Mining!,” “STOP, DEATH Export,” “Asbestos Free Asia” and “Asbestos Free World” were held aloft during the event which was covered by TV crews. A similar protest was mounted in front of the Chinese Embassy on December 28 with two more such actions planned for January. See: Photo from December 21, 2016 demonstration at the Russian Embassy in Seoul.
Plaintiffs’ Verdict by Top Court
Jan 2, 2017
Last month (December 1, 2016), the California Supreme Court issued a 39-page unanimous verdict (see: Johnny Blaine Kesner v. Superior Court of California) upholding the right of Johnny Kesner who had contracted cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers on the work clothes of a family member to sue his uncle’s employer for failing to implement provisions of the California Civil Code which would have prevented the toxic exposure. This ruling also upheld the right of a wife to take action against the owners of the premises where her former husband had worked. See: Kazan Law’s Asbestos Litigation Landmark Decision.
Asbestos Lobby on the Run!
Dec 21, 2016
The International Chrysotile Association (ICA) – the global cheerleader for the asbestos industry – has announced it will leave Canada now that the government has announced a national ban on asbestos, according to its President Jean-Marc Leblond. The ICA, a non-profit organisation, is entirely funded by foreign interests with the bulk of the $1 million annual budget coming, it is believed, from Russia and Kazakhstan, the largest producers of chrysotile asbestos. There is speculation about the new location of the ICA; to save removal and associated costs, why not just shut it down all together? See: International asbestos lobby organisation will leave Quebec.
Asbestos Compensation in Japan
Dec 21, 2016
A press release issued on December 20, 2016 by Japan’s Ministry of Labor disclosed that over a thousand people exposed to asbestos at 918 workplaces throughout Japan were compensated for various asbestos related conditions in 2015 under workers compensation schemes, with cases of mesothelioma (551) and lung cancer (381) accounting for 88% of the claims. As of March 2016 more than 15,000 individuals with asbestos-related diseases had been compensated under workers compensation schemes with a further 9,000 compensated by relief schemes administered by the Ministry of the Environment’ Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency.
Asbestos Fund to be Set Up
Dec 20, 2016
On December 20, 2016 Swiss government ministers announced the creation of a CHF100 million ($97 million) fund for asbestos victims currently unable to gain compensation from accident insurance schemes. Those who would be eligible to make claims against the fund include self-employed workers or people exposed to asbestos non-occupationally, such as housewives who washed contaminated clothing or people who lived near asbestos processing facilities. Payouts will only be made to people not taking court action. The scheme will be funded by voluntary contributions from the construction industry and insurers and will run until 2025. See: Asbestos fund set up to support victims.
National Asbestos Scandal
Dec 20, 2016
A devastating series of stark black and white images by photographer Cinzia Canneri depicting Italy’s ongoing asbestos epidemic illustrates a new article on the website of the New York Times. The work for this photographic essay took two years, during which Ms. Canneri closely observed the daily reality of the victims and their families. Even as these tragedies continue the courts fail to provide justice. On December 19, 2016, to the shouts of “shame,” a Milan court overturned manslaughter convictions against 9 former Pirelli managers who had been found guilty for asbestos deaths of former Pirelli workers. [see: Milan court acquits 9 ex-Pirelli managers in asbestos case]. See: Deadly Remnants of Asbestos in Italy.
Trial Date for Iconic Case
Dec 20, 2016
On January 3, 2017, proceedings will commence at the Brussels Court of Appeal, Civil Division, in an appeals hearing brought by the Belgian asbestos multinational Eternit against a 2011 verdict which found the company culpable for the asbestos deaths of several members of the Jonckheere family and ordered that it pay compensation of €250,000 to the family. The Court ruled that Eternit had minimized or hidden facts about the asbestos hazard despite knowing the potential health effects of asbestos exposures. This set a precedent in Belgium as it was the first court verdict for an asbestos death. See: Le début du procès de l'amiante fixé le 3 janvier prochain [The start of the asbestos trial set for January 3].
Another State Bans Asbestos!
Dec 15, 2016
By a unanimous vote on December 14, 2016, the legislative assembly of Santa Catarina approved bill 179/2008 prohibiting the asbestos chain of production. This step has been the result of 8 years of negotiation and lobbying by asbestos victims, public health advocates and political activists. Santa Catarina is now the 8th Brazilian state to ban asbestos; while the federal government allows the “controlled use of asbestos,” many municipalities, and towns have also banned its use. See: Alesc aprova projeto de lei que proíbe comercialização de amianto em Santa Catarina [Alesc approves bill prohibiting commercialization of asbestos in Santa Catarina].
Ban by End of Year?
Dec 9, 2016
A spokesperson for federal Science Minister Kirsty Duncan has confirmed the Canadian government’s commitment towards outlawing future use of asbestos, saying that an announcement regarding the ban will be made by December 20, 2016. The reversal in government policy is rooted in “science and evidence-based decision making.” In recent months, support by civil society groups – including unions, labor federations and politicians – for an asbestos ban has grown in leaps and bounds. Representatives of the asbestos lobby and MPs from Canada’s former asbestos region have criticized “ill-thought activism” behind the prohibitions. See: Canadian government will announce ban on asbestos before December 20, 2016.
Mesothelioma Audit: Good and Bad News
Dec 8, 2016
The National Lung Cancer Audit: pleural mesothelioma report 2016 (for the audit period 2014) was published this week by the Royal College of Physicians, the National Lung Cancer Audit and Mesothelioma UK. The audit reported on data from 2,179 mesothelioma patients diagnosed in England in 2014. The 38-page report details a small increase in one year survival rates with a disparity in rates across different regions. The authors highlighted the “importance of equitable access for all patients to hospitals providing the full range of mesothelioma diagnostic and treatment services…” See: New mesothelioma lung cancer data shows increase in one year survival despite regional variation in treatment.
Mounting Calls for Asbestos Ban
Dec 7, 2016
In light of new data released by the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada confirming that asbestos remains Canada’s number 1 workplace killer, prominent Canadian organizations and individuals have ratcheted up the pressure on Prime Minister Trudeau’s government to implement a ban on asbestos use. In an open letter submitted today (December 7, 2016), 68 groups including the Canadian Teachers' Federation, the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario and many unions, urged Ottawa to “take the necessary steps to achieve a comprehensive ban on asbestos.” See: Ottawa urged to ban asbestos immediately amid new data.
Markets to Ban Asbestos in Brazil?
Dec 7, 2016
After more than a decade of consideration, Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) is still unable to decide on whether a federal policy allowing the continued use of asbestos is constitutional. According to industry leaders, however, pressure from environmentalists, the community, public agencies, state and municipal laws, has encouraged companies to adopt asbestos-free technologies: “The trend is that more and more companies will leave the mineral.” See: STF analisa proibir amianto há 12 anos, mas é indústria que vai eliminá-lo? [STF began ban asbestos enquiry 12 years ago, but will industry eliminate its use?].
Thousands for Mesothelioma Research
Dec 6, 2016
On Sunday, December 4, 2016, members of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) presented a check for $120,000 to Joost Lesterhuis, a representative of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, at the Society’s annual Christmas picnic (see Photo). This money had been raised by the Society’s 2016 Steve Aiberti memorial walk. Steve had been a long-standing and active member of the ADSA and died this year after contracting mesothelioma from occupational exposure sustained during his service in the Australian navy. See: ADSA Update.
Landmark Ban Asbestos Event
Dec 6, 2016
On November 28, 2016 a workshop entitled The National Campaign to Promote Dangers of the Use of Asbestos Products was held in Colombo by the National Trade Union Federation and the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI). This, the first grassroots ban asbestos initiative in Sri Lanka, was attended by representatives of trade unions, civil society organizations, government agencies and the asbestos industry. Amongst the speakers were: the General Secretaries of the National Building Workers Union and the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union, Dr. Alistair Graham Smith from the ILO, Sugio Furuya, from the Asian Ban Asbestos Network, and the BWI’s Anup Srivastva.
Dark Day for Italian Justice
Dec 6, 2016
On November 29, 2016, the hopes of thousands of Italians were crushed when a Turin Court reduced charges against asbestos defendant Stephan Schmidheiny from murder to manslaughter in legal proceedings referred to as Eternit-bis. Commenting on this verdict, AFeVA, a group representing many victims and family members, expressed deep dissatisfaction saying thousands of claims will now be time barred and the handful of cases that go ahead will be relegated to courts around the country. See: Eternit Bis: è omicidio colposo e di nuovo prescrizione per Stephan Schmidheiny [Eternit Bis: Stephan Schmidheiny to face manslaughter not homicide charges].
Post-disaster Contamination
Dec 6, 2016
Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry issued health warnings about the dangers of exposure to asbestos liberated as a result of fires which destroyed several buildings in Haifa and Beit Meir, an agricultural community near Jerusalem, last month (November 2016). According to a Ministry spokesman: “During the fire… boards made of asbestos began to come apart, and asbestos fibers were released into the air. Asbestos fibers change their shape only when the temperature reaches above 700 degrees Celsius. It is therefore imperative to work as quickly as possible in order to remove the asbestos from all affected sites." See: Ministry warns: Don't go near asbestos in Beit Meir.
Investigation Results Announced
Oct 31, 2016
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced that an investigation sparked off by concerns of UK asbestos action groups (see: Toxic Asbestos Imports from China?) has been completed. Under the enforcement of chemical legislation including the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), samples of imports for use on a project at 1 Blackfriars, London by Yuanda (UK) Co. Ltd. were analyzed. The results “indicated that there was no asbestos present in any sample…. Given that no evidence has been found … it has been decided to close the investigation and take no further action.” See: HSE October 21, 2016 communication.
Parliamentary Debate on Mesothelioma
Oct 28, 2016
A one-hour debate on mesothelioma took place in the House of Lords on October 27, 2016 led by Labour peer Lord Wills. The debate was about mesothelioma and featured contributions from Lord Wills, Lord Alton, Lord Giddens, Lord McKenzie and Baroness Couttie, Baroness Finlay and Baroness Warwick, with a response from Lord Prior, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health. The debate covered subjects including research funding for mesothelioma research, the issue of asbestos contamination of schools, NHS drug rationing, clinical trials and improved surgical interventions. See: Mesothelioma debate in House of Lords October 27, 2016.
Asbestos Trade Data 2015
Oct 28, 2016
A new report calculates that the international asbestos trade in 2015 was worth $344 m with Russian exports valued at $191m, 56% of global exports. Between 2007 and 2015, Russia’s percentage of global asbestos markets rose from 41% to 56%. In 2015, the other asbestos producing countries were Brazil, Kazakhstan, China and India; in that year, the leading asbestos markets were in India, Indonesia, China, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Between 2007 and 2015, asbestos imports to Indonesia rose by 14.1% per year. See: Russia Strengthened Its Dominance in The Global Asbestos Exports.
Eradication of Asbestos Pipes
Oct 28, 2016
Provincial authorities have asked the Malaysian Government to finance the replacement of hundreds of thousands of deteriorating asbestos-cement pipes around Kuching, capital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The upgrading programme has been budgeted at over $165m and is motivated by the need to deal with water interruptions caused by underground leaks and burst pipes. The worn out asbestos-cement pipes are unable to deal with high pressure water flows and will be replaced under a phased eradication program with either metal or high density polyethylene pipes. See: Asbestos-based cement water pipes to be replaced.
Increasing Rate of Asbestos Disease
Oct 28, 2016
At a press conference in Taipei on October 24, 2016, ban asbestos campaigners from the Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Link and the Asian Ban Asbestos Network told journalists that the incidence of asbestos mortality is rising in Taiwan amongst people exposed to asbestos at work such as shipyard workers. Interviews undertaken of asbestos disease sufferers by the Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Link established that most of those affected had been occupationally exposed to asbestos and that few of them had any awareness of the asbestos hazard or had received any warnings from their employers. See: Press Release: Towards an asbestos-free environment.
Swedish Asbestos Expose
Oct 27, 2016
The epidemic of asbestos-related deaths in the Russian town of Asbestos has been revealed by an investigation for a Swedish daily newspaper. While asbestos industry profits remain strong, workers’ pay is low, one fifth of what it would be in Sweden, and cancer rates are high with four cases in one family interviewed by the journalist. Attempting to discredit the content of this expose, a Russian commentator reported that the “cancer incidence in Asbestos is not above average in the Sverdlovsk region” and that quotes from former municipal and regional officials were unreliable. See: Четыре раковых больных в семье — вот это шок! [Four patients with cancer in the family - that's a shock!]
Priority: Asbestos Removal from Schools!
Oct 27, 2016
A draft law has been tabled in Seville’s Congress of Deputies for the complete removal of all asbestos and asbestos-containing products from schools within ten years, to safeguard children from the harmful effects of asbestos exposures. Politicians who progressed the bill’s passage through the Committee on Health and Social Services have called for support from central government for the identification and removal of asbestos in public schools. See: Ciudadanos lleva una iniciativa al Congreso para retirar el amianto de todos los colegios [Citizens Congress takes an initiative to remove asbestos from all schools].
Mexico’s Asbestos Epidemic
Oct 27, 2016
As reports are circulating of increasing mortality from asbestos cancer in Mexico, the Government announced that asbestos products will be used in the “Housing for All” program which provides low income families with bricks and asbestos sheets to construct dwellings. Last month, it was reported that ~1,730 people had died of pleural mesothelioma in Mexico; this number was, said the scientists, a gross underestimate. They believed more than twice that number of people were dying from this asbestos cancer every year (500 deaths/year) with 1,000 more deaths from asbestos lung cancer. See: Aumenta la mesotelioma por asbesto en México [Mesothelioma due to asbestos exposures increasing in Mexico].
Launch of National Asbestos Profile
Oct 21, 2016
At a meeting in Kathmandu today (October 21, 2016), the Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED) launched a new publication – The National Asbestos Profile of Nepal – which is intended to progress work on ensuring safer working and living conditions in a country which has banned the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products (with one exemption). Attending the session were guests and delegations from the government and private sector, including personnel from the Ministry of Population and Environment, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Ministry of Finance. See: CEPHED Press Release.
Russian Propaganda Onslaught
Oct 21, 2016
Russia’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alexander Karchava publicly challenged plans to outlaw white asbestos at a meeting earlier this month, during which he called on stakeholders including members of the Sri Lanka-Russia Business Council to exert pressure on politicians to safeguard the interests of Russia’s asbestos industry by preserving the status quo. The Ambassador said he had discussed this issue with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in meetings which “bore positive results.” Karchava offered to bring experts to Sri Lanka “to educate the people on the safe use of chrysotile asbestos.” See: Russian experts ready to educate Lankans on safe use of chrysotile asbestos: envoy.
Banned Asbestos Enters UK
Oct 20, 2016
An alert has been raised this week over the import to the UK of thermos flasks manufactured in China. Some batches of model number 0-57024 of the “thermate,” brand of 1.3 litre stainless steel vacuum jug flasks contain asbestos fibers. The importer has recalled these products which contravene EU REACH regulations. Other imports from China are also being investigated by the HSE due to questions regarding their contamination by asbestos; the suspect goods are asbestos-containing building materials for construction projects in London which have been imported by Yuanda (UK) Co. Ltd. (See HSE letter). See: Thermate Thermos Flask Recalled as they contain ASBESTOS fibres (which are Carcinogenic).
Asbestos Trade Data
Oct 19, 2016
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), which collects data on global asbestos consumption and production, has uploaded provisional figures detailing production in 2015 (which appear very similar to the figures from 2014): Russia 1,100,000t (tonnes), China 400,000t, Brazil 311,000t and Kazakhstan 215,000t. Provisional total global production for 2015 was 2,030,000t. The final 2015 consumption figures should be available from the USGS in early 2017. See: Asbestos Statistics and Information.
Assessing Post-earthquake Asbestos Hazard
Oct 19, 2016
In the aftermath of the earthquake which hit central Italy in August, 2016, investigations have been progressing regarding the public health hazard posed by the liberation of asbestos fibers during the disaster. “The earthquake, at worst, produced a pulverization of asbestos cement, contaminating the environment and water. Fibers may also be dispersed from the debris.” Under orders issued by chief prosecutor Michele Renzo, police in the investigative unit were designated to accumulate evidence about the current situation including the risks to emergency personnel as well as to local people. See: Sotto il terremoto, l’amianto [Under the earthquake, asbestos].
Environmental Asbestos Exposures
Oct 17, 2016
As the number of cases of mesothelioma in Korea continues to rise, research has been undertaken to identify geographical locations with high levels of contamination caused either by naturally occurring materials or the processing and/or the manufacture of asbestos-containing products. Asbestos hotspots were identified in Chungnam, Gyeonggi, Busan, Gyeongnam, Gyeonggi and Daejeon. The information on environmental asbestos exposures will, say the authors of this paper, be useful for establishing individual causal relationships as well as medical treatment plans. See: Environmental asbestos exposure sources in Korea.
Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Oct 17, 2016
In the Netherlands, a country of 17 million people, since 2005 five hundred people have been diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. The number of those affected doubled between the early 1980s and 2005. The majority of patients are males over 65 years old, most of whom die within a year. These and other statistics have been reported in a publication by the Netherlands Institute for Asbestos Victims (Instituut Asbestslachtoffers-IAS). See: Pays-Bas: environ 500 cas de mésothéliome chaque année [Netherlands: 500 cases of mesothelioma each year]. (On this same page see also the referenced link to: L’amiante n’est pas un problème du passé [Asbestos is not a problem of the past].)
Who Pays for Asbestos Contamination?
Oct 17, 2016
A report commissioned by the City Council of Toledo has estimated that the eradication of toxic asbestos waste created by the operations of Ibertubo – a former manufacturer of asbestos building products – in and around the residential area of Santa Maria de Benquerencia could cost nearly €11 million. It has been estimated that the volume of waste to be removed constitutes at least 3,000 truckloads of hazardous material. Any actions taken will need to be approved by principal stakeholders including the authorities at City Hall. See: Tratar las 90.000 toneladas de amianto de Toledo costará más de 10 millones de euros [Remediating 90,000 tons of asbestos in Toledo will cost more than 10 million euros].
Asbestos Alert in Zimbabwe
Oct 13, 2016
Zimbabwe's newly formed Labour Party (ZsLP) has committed itself to taking a proactive approach to the asbestos hazard, according to comments reported in an article uploaded on October 11, 2016. Zimbabwe, previously a major global asbestos producer, has played a crucial role in promoting industry’s “controlled use” argument to international agencies and organizations. Citing evidence which showed the Zimbabwe government knew of the risk asbestos posed to workers and the public, the ZsLP spokesman said a ZsLP government would ban asbestos and provide asbestos medical check-ups. See: Why There Is Need To Rebuild Housing For The African Zimbabwean.
Delays to Asbestos Removal Program
Oct 13, 2016
The fulfilment of a government pledge to remove all asbestos roofing in Rwanda by 2016 has run into delays due to the wide prevalence of toxic roofing and the high cost of removal work. Gisele Ihozo, coordinator of the asbestos eradication project at Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA), told reporters that it is likely the deadline will have to be extended to allow the removal of asbestos roofing on public and private buildings. The RHA is proposing the adoption of a centralized multimillion dollar remediation program to accomplish the eradication of this toxic substance. See: Govt mulls extension of deadline to rid country of asbestos roofing.
Ban Asbestos Now!
Oct 13, 2016
The Globe and Mail, Canada’s most widely read newspaper, published an editorial yesterday condemning the Prime Minister’s failure to make good on a pledge to ban asbestos, claiming that: “no sensible person can argue against making decisions based on the best available scientific evidence…” A plethora of data on the impact of asbestos use was cited in an article published on October 11, 2016 headlined: Liberals under fire for delay on asbestos ban. Calculations show high levels of asbestos cancer, huge healthcare costs and widespread contamination in Canada. See: What happened to Justin Trudeau’s promise to ban asbestos?.
Asbestos Banned in New Zealand!
Oct 1, 2016
Today, October 1, 2016, the New Zealand ban on the import of asbestos-containing materials has come into effect. One hundred and seventy asbestos deaths occur in New Zealand every year and that number is predicted to keeping rising until 2040. New Zealand and Australia are the only two countries in the Pacific region to have banned asbestos; the total number of countries worldwide which have done so now stands at 58. Concerns are high over the toxic effects of asbestos use in other Pacific countries which say they are unable to protect their populations from harmful exposures. See: Concerns over flow of asbestos into Pacific as New Zealand's import ban comes into effect.
Disposal of Jersey’s Asbestos Waste
Sep 30, 2016
Asbestos waste stockpiled in deteriorating containers at a site at La Collette, Jersey has been a problem for several years. A consultation has now been launched on proposals which may finally pave the way for a permanent resolution of this issue by making provisions for the long-term disposal of this toxic material. Submissions regarding proposals should be emailed by October 25, 2016 to Dr T du Feu, Director of Environmental Protection, Department of the Environment (envprotection@gov.je). More information can be found on the Jersey Government website. For report see: La Collette may store asbestos permanently.
Asbestos Protest at School
Sep 30, 2016
On September 29, 2016, dozens of schoolchildren and their parents took part in a protest over asbestos roofing at the Vasco Nunez de Balboa primary school in Benidorm. The dilapidated and leaking asbestos-cement corrugated roof was installed 41 years ago and, say the parents, constitutes a health risk to the schoolchildren and staff. Parents say calls for urgent remediation and repair work to the school have repeatedly been ignored by the authorities including the Ministry of Education and the City Council. See: Clamor contra el amianto en el Vasco [Outcry against asbestos at Vasco school].
Clarification of Import Protocols
Sep 30, 2016
Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection issued a notice on September 16, 2016 clarifying the assurances required from importers and licensed customs brokers by the Australian Border Force (ABF) which prove that imported goods do not contain asbestos. Sampling and testing of goods by an accredited Australian laboratory is preferred as certification of samples tested outside of Australia will only be accepted if the lab is accredited by international accreditation authorities (that are National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) recognised equivalents). See: Assurances that imported goods do not contain asbestos.
Asbestos Contamination of Hospital
Sep 29, 2016
Radio reports regarding the presence of asbestos-containing roofing products at the Prince Wellington Ngu hospital in Tonga have been broadcast. John Lee Taione, the Chief Medical Superintendent, has said there is evidence that children are being affected by exposure to asbestos from the leaking roof after heavy rain. Specialist contractors will remove the roof and other asbestos products in the hospital next month (October 2016). Unless provisions can be made to safeguard patients from toxic exposures during the work, doctors may need to treat patients at their homes. See: Children in Tongan hospital inhaling asbestos.
India’s Asbestos Policy
Sep 29, 2016
An online commentary documents the growth of activism amongst local people and campaigners in India to address hazards posed by exposures to asbestos despite the existence of powerful political and commercial vested interests. The author cites dangerous conditions in shipyards where end-of-life vessels are dismantled: “The condition of the workforce is worse than the worst industrial sector - the mining industry.” There is hope that the draft National Health Policy 2015 may introduce measures to “to prevent preventable but incurable diseases that are more prevalent in certain occupational groups.” See: Asbestos: more than 50 nations have banned it. Why is India refusing?
Asbestos Mobilization in Brazil
Sep 28, 2016
Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and the Inter-Union Department of Studies and Research of Health and Work Environments are hosting a two-day meeting on asbestos in Campinas in October 2016 to explore social and judicial factors related to asbestos use. Shortly after those sessions end, the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed will hold an event to examine global strategies for: ending asbestos use, obtaining justice for the injured and ensuring decontamination of contaminated areas. See: Proibição do amianto no Brasil é foco de Congresso Internacional e Encontro de Vítimas em Campinas [Brazilian asbestos ban is the focus of international congress and victims’ meeting in Campinas].
Calls for Canada to Ban Asbestos
Sep 28, 2016
Citing data detailing the value of Canadian imports of asbestos brake materials, a feature on the website: Automotive News Canada has called for asbestos imports to be banned. The text states that: over the last twenty years, $100m has been spent importing asbestos brake pads and brakes to Canada; this material can contain up to 80% asbestos fiber; US dust measurement in garages found huge levels of asbestos contamination. For all these reasons, the author states, the import and use of all types of asbestos-containing products should be banned in Canada. See: Asbestos kills, but it's still allowed in Canadian brake parts.
Hefty Removal Bill for Landowners
Sep 28, 2016
Twenty property owners who bought land in an area in the Manly suburb of Sydney are facing huge bills for decontamination of bushland plots which are contaminated with asbestos. Fines of up to $250,000 plus $60,000 for each day the land is left contaminated could be imposed by the Environment Protection Authority. According to reports “No one is claiming responsibility for the asbestos dump” found on the property originally owned by the Metropolitan Aboriginal Local Land Council. See: Twenty landowners discover asbestos dumped on their land.
New Delhi Asbestos Workshop
Sep 25, 2016
On September 24-25, 2106 a workshop was held within the framework of the 3rd International Conference on Occupational and Environmental Health (ICOEH 2016) in New Delhi. The title of this workshop was: The Elimination of Asbestos Related Diseases in India. This session was organized by grassroots groups from India and Asia in partnership with the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. Key speakers who addressed the event included: Sugio Furuya (Japan), Sanjiv Pandita (Hong Kong) and Yeyong Choi (Korea) from the Asian Ban Asbestos Network and Mohit Gupta from the Occupational and Environmental Network of India. See: Workshop Banner.
Asbestos Cancer Epidemic
Sep 25, 2016
In Mexico, hundreds of people die every year from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Despite this, no asbestos ban has been implemented and the country remains Latin America’s leading manufacturer of asbestos products. Data reported show that the country is paying a high cost for the medical care of mesothelioma patients; in 2005, treatment of 500 mesothelioma patients cost the health sector 45 million pesos. Healthcare experts have repeatedly warned that without a national policy banning the production and use of asbestos, the asbestos cancer epidemic will persevere for decades to come. See: Aumenta Mesotelioma por Asbesto en México [Asbestos Cancer Increases in Mexico].
Rise in Asbestos Mortality despite Ban
Sep 25, 2016
An update on the incidence of mesothelioma in Sweden using data from 1961-2009 and information from a job exposure matrix found “a significantly increased risk of mesothelioma in 24 occupations, as well as a clear sex difference. Among men, increased risks of mesothelioma of the pleura were observed in male-dominated occupations, with the greatest increase among plumbers … Among women, an increased risk was observed in sewing workers, canning workers, packers, cleaners, and postmen.” In all cases, mesothelioma was associated with exposure to asbestos. See: Occupation and mesothelioma in Sweden. Updated incidence for men and women up to 27 years after asbestos ban.
Public Outrage over Asbestos Dumpsite
Sep 23, 2016
On the evening of September 21, 2016, hundreds of local people, provincial representatives and campaigners took part in a vigil to manifest widespread opposition to the construction of a new landfill for asbestos-cement waste in Ferrera, a town in the Italian commune of Sannazzaro de Burgondi, 45 km south-west of Milan. The site will be up and running in June 2017. Having created a large “no” out of candles on the piazza, the silent procession took to the streets after which speeches were given outlining legal, political and judicial strategies for forcing closure of the contentious site. See: Settecento fiaccole contro la discarica di amianto [700 torches against plans for asbestos landfill site].
Pro-asbestos Commentary
Sep 23, 2016
An online commentary in the Azerbaijan media has extolled the virtues of chrysotile (white) asbestos-containing products and announced that demand for them remains strong. Recapping facts about the history of the commercial exploitation of asbestos, the commentary cites misleading information as assurances that products containing it are safe to use. The name of the author of this text is not given nor is any data about the country’s levels of asbestos consumption. In 2014 and 2015 usage was reportedly 319 and 410 tonnes, respectively. See: Так ли опасен асбест? Стройматериал возвращается на рынки [Is asbestos dangerous? Building material returns to the markets].
Criminal Charges against Hospital
Sep 21, 2016
On September 28, 2016, a criminal trial will begin against the management of the University Hospital of Besançon which is accused of endangering the lives of others by failing to prevent toxic occupational exposures to asbestos from 2010 to 2013. Four trade unions have denounced multiple failures by the management since 2010 to ensure that adequate workplace safeguards to avoid asbestos exposures are in place. This is the first time that such charges have been brought against a health facility in France. See: Procès amiante à l'hôpital Minjoz : les syndicats accusent [Asbestos trial against Minjoz hospital: unions’ accusations].
Improving Diagnosis of Mesothelioma
Sep 21, 2016
A paper published this month in the British Medical Journal examined the efficacy of multidisciplinary teams in providing care for UK mesothelioma patients. The researchers examined evidence relating to the work in 2014 and 2015 of one UK specialist mesothelioma multidisciplinary team and found that more cases were diagnosed more accurately and faster through this collaborative process. The team’s deliberations were also effective in “providing recommendations for further investigations of treatments.” See: What is the role of a specialist regional mesothelioma multidisciplinary team meeting? A service evaluation of one tertiary referral centre in the UK.
Retraction of Asbestos-Paper
Sep 21, 2016
A paper entitled “Airborne asbestos exposures associated with the installation and removal of roofing products” which alleged that asbestos-containing roofing products could be safely used is being retracted by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (see: Journal will retract article denying harm from asbestos roofing). Some of the paper’s authors and the funder Cardno ChemRisk have known ties to the asbestos industry as did the journal’s approving editor. Criticisms of the content included accusations of misinformation and miscategorizations, as well as scientific and ethical improprieties. See: Journal to retract study declaring safety of asbestos roofs: Report.
Calls for Regional Asbestos Ban
Sep 20, 2016
Calls for a Pacific-wide ban on asbestos-containing products have been made following a fire at a hospital in Gizo, capital of the the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. The premises had been remediated by the Pacific Community's environmental programme (SPREP) prior to the July fire. Unfortunately, tests undertaken by local inspectors after the conflagration established that the debris was contaminated with asbestos. The topic of a Pacific-wide ban on the import of asbestos products will be raised at a SPREP meeting in Niue, an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, later this month (September 2016). See: Solomon's hospital fire sparks call for Pacific-wide ban on asbestos.
Asbestos Crayons Scandal
Sep 20, 2016
In 2015, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported that tests on imported crayons had proved positive for asbestos and requested that suppliers stop selling them. The tests on which these actions were based had been undertaken by an asbestos victims’ group in Victoria and a private company. Since the ACCC confirmed the contamination in 2015, no tests have been conducted, a failure which outraged activist Vicki Hamilton who castigated the authorities for relying on victims and unions to do their work: “They are government agencies. They should be able to do their own investigation.” See: ACCC hasn't tested for asbestos in crayons since traces found last year.
No More Asbestos Trains!
Sep 19, 2016
The minority populist political party “New Zealand First” has condemned a decision by KiwiRail to replace its North Island electric-powered trains with 15 Chinese diesel locomotives which are unreliable, of poor quality and contain asbestos products, and has called on Transport Minister Simon Bridges to intervene. The removal of asbestos in 48 similar locomotives imported from China by KiwiRail cost $12 million and more asbestos has been found since the first decontamination efforts were completed. See: Loco decision crippling.
British Asbestos Newsletter
Sep 19, 2016
The Summer 2016 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The lead article details recent developments in the UK’s asbestos landscape including the latest data on mesothelioma mortality, recent asbestos publications, an update on the government’s plans for a national mesothelioma center and news of an investigation by the HSE into the possibility of illegal asbestos imports to the UK by Yuanda UK, part of a Chinese-owned conglomerate. The implications for asbestos claimants of long waits for information on employment records held by the HMRC is explored in another feature article. See: British Asbestos Newsletter Issue 101.
Asbestos Lawsuit against Government
Sep 19, 2016
The Japanese Government is being sued by former employees and family members of deceased workers from Nichias, a Japanese building materials manufacturer, in a multimillion yen action in the Gifu district court in central Japan. The case relates to injuries sustained as a result of asbestos exposures at the company’s Hashima factory in Gifu Prefecture. According to the complaint, toxic exposures took place from 1954 as a result of which the claimants contracted lung cancer and asbestosis. See: ニチアス元従業員の遺族、石綿被害で国賠提訴 計４２９０万円求め [Former Nichias employees and bereaved relatives issue asbestos lawsuit for a total of 42.9 million yen in damages].
Asbestos at British Military Base
Sep 17, 2016
On September 16, 2016, Communications and Works Minister Marios Demetriades (Cyprus) said that the removal of asbestos roofing at the abandoned British military estate of Berengaria in the western suburbs of Limassol is going to start this year; completion is expected in 2019. The work will be undertaken by the government at a cost exceeding €9m. The British government has agreed to transfer the asbestos waste to a landfill abroad. Commenting on the plans, Minister Demetriades said the work “must and should be done.” Local people hope that the remediated 260-acre site will be developed as a university campus and national park. See: Berengaria asbestos to be removed by 2019.
City leads Brazil’s Asbestos Struggle
Sep 16, 2016
An update on the website of the Social News Agency (Brazil) provides information about a series of upcoming asbestos initiatives next month and pays tribute to the ground-breaking Global Asbestos Congress which took place in the industrial town of Osasco, in São Paulo State in 2000. The events mentioned include an International Seminar on Asbestos: A Socio-Legal Approach on October 6-7 and a National Meeting of Family and Asbestos Victims on October 8. They will be held in the Brazilian city of Campinas. See: Campinas será “capital nacional” da luta contra o amianto e seus impactos [Campinas will be “national capital” of the fight against asbestos and its impacts].
Scotland: Action on Asbestos Disease
Sep 16, 2016
At a meeting this week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke with staff from Clydeside Action on Asbestos (CAA) about new resources to help GPs spot signs of asbestos-related diseases more quickly. The First Minister said: “This [asbestos] is an important issue for the people of Scotland, and I entirely agree that we have to make sure that there is information and support available for not only those who are living with an asbestos related disease, but also for our GPs.” NHS medical professionals have endorsed this educational resource and have agreed to signpost it on the website: http://www.cpdconnect.nhs.scot See: Doctors to be given more training to spot the signs of asbestos-related conditions faster.
2018: Deadline for Asbestos Ban
Sep 14, 2016
Last week (September 7, 2016), Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry Secretary Udaya Senevirathne told delegates at a climate change conference in Colombo that the Sri Lanka government is committed to banning asbestos in 2018 and eradicating asbestos contamination by 2024. A special committee has been tasked to investigate the health hazards posed by asbestos roofing sheets which are very popular in Sri Lanka. According to a government spokesman: “We have already asked the Moratuwa University to work out a report and hope to discuss the issue shortly.” See: Wiping Out Asbestos By 2024?
São Paulo Action on Asbestos
Sep 14, 2016
An action plan is being coordinated by bodies in the State of São Paulo to develop activities to raise public awareness of the trade in deadly products containing asbestos and to increase surveillance on companies which might be selling these products. Although São Paulo law (2007) “prohibits the use… of products, materials or devices containing any type of asbestos or, or other minerals that accidentally have asbestos fibers in its composition,” asbestos use is legal in the neighboring states of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul. See: Vigilância alerta sobre comércio ilegal de produtos com Amianto [Surveillance warning about illegal trade of products containing asbestos].
Strasbourg Acquittal of Defendants
Sep 14, 2016
On September 8, 2016, the Criminal Court of Strasbourg acquitted all the defendants at the asbestos trial relating to toxic exposures at the Strasbourg premises of the European Parliament during work carried out in 2013 over a two week period despite the suspected presence of asbestos. It is believed that during that time, 300+ people could have inhaled asbestos fibers. Charges were dropped against the defendants who included: a master builder, a plastering company and the site safety officer. See: Strasbourg: Tous les prévenus relaxés au terme du procès de l'amiante au Parlement européen [Strasbourg: All defendants acquitted at European Parliament asbestos trial].
Asbestos Removal Program
Sep 14, 2016
On September 8, 2016 children went back to school in the Portuguese city of Viseu. Previously the head of the municipality Almeida Henriques had promised that asbestos roofing material would be remediated at all the city’s schools. Work has been carried out so far on three schools: S. João de Lourosa, Abraveses de Varzim and Pinheiro (Evos Santos); safety measures have been implemented at two other schools – Tondelinha and Povolide – to protect children and staff prior to the removal of the toxic roofing material. See: Escolas de Viseu livres de amianto no arranque deste ano letivo [Free Viseu schools of asbestos by the start of this school year].
Asbestos: Action and Reaction
Sep 13, 2016
Australia’s shadow assistant workplace relations minister Lisa Chesters has announced that she will be tabling a private member’s motion condemning multiple failures by the government to prevent imports of illegal asbestos products from China (see: Failing to act on imported asbestos crisis). It seems that almost every day news of another toxic discovery is being reported from construction sites around the country. Against this backdrop, new data has been released which confirms that Australia has one of the world’s highest incidences of the deadly asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. See: Mesothelioma in Australia 2015.
Asbestos in Schools
Sep 13, 2016
Dr. Dodic Fikfak, head of Slovenia’s Clinical Institute of Occupational, Traffic and Sports Medicine in Ljubljana, has highlighted the persistent hazard posed by asbestos in schools, many of which are covered with asbestos-cement roofing. The last analysis of asbestos in schools, undertaken in 1999, showed contamination was present in floors, walls, chimneys, ventilation pipes, fire curtains, kitchens and boiler rooms. Dr. Fikfak said that the disinterest of school officials and a lack of Slovenian expertise in asbestos removal continue to endanger the health of building users. See: Pristojni za azbest mnogokrat sploh ne vedo [Those responsible for asbestos often do not know the hazards].
Asbestos Remediation and Replanting
Sep 13, 2016
The completion of work to remove polluted soil and subsoil at a site near domestic properties and a primary school in Pavlos Melas, a Greek city in central Macedonia has been announced. A park will be constructed on this site. Students had lobbied the authorities to remediate the toxic eyesore. Praising their actions, the town’s Mayor D. Demourtzidis said: “The synergy of civil and local government can become a catalyst for the discovery of local problems and solutions.” See: Καθαρίστηκε το υπέδαφος και μεταφέρθηκε στο χώρο νέο χώμα, ενώ το επόμενο χρονικό διάστημα θα γίνουν και οι σχετικές φυτεύσεις [Decontamination and removal of asbestos soil makes way for new park].
Grassroots Support for India Ban
Sep 12, 2016
A letter transmitted today (September 12, 2016) by leading grassroots campaigning groups has been sent to India’s Minister of the Environment Anil Madhav Dave who called for a ban on asbestos in India on the grounds of public health in an interview he gave last month (August, 2016) to the Times of India. The letter, written by the Asian Ban Asbestos Network, the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat commends the Minister’s statement and offers support for and assistance in “developing a road map to free India from the asbestos scourge.” See: Letter to Minister Anil Madhav Dave.
Lost Cases Violate Human Rights
Sep 12, 2016
India’s National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad has been sanctioned by the Rajasthan Human Rights Commission for its failure to follow up on cases of suspected asbestosis. Potential cases of asbestosis diagnosed after tests taken in 2007 and 2011 were never followed up. According to a complaint submitted in 2014 by the Mine Labour Protection Campaign (MLPC), of 164 patients examined by the NIOH in 2007, 93 were suspected to have asbestosis; 22 of them had died by the time the MLPC took the matter to the Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission. See: Rajasthan rights panel raps NIOH, Ahmedabad.
INSS Recognition of Laryngeal Cancer
Sep 9, 2016
As a result of a decision published in the Official Gazette of December 19, 2015, Spain’s National Institute of Social Security (INSS) has recognized former shipyard worker Jose Manuel Mera’s laryngeal cancer as occupationally-caused by asbestos exposure. According to his lawyer Jose Manuel Garcia, the new protocol favors former workers and will expedite their claims for damages. Considering the shipyard history in northwest Spain, there were, he said, likely to be many more such claims in the future. See: El INSS abre una vía de reclamación por cáncer de laringe derivado del Amianto [INSS recognizes laryngeal cancer claim due to occupational asbestos exposure].
Killer Company’s Toxic Legacy
Sep 9, 2016
Fifty-five year old Ffloyd Laurie, a resident from the former asbestos mining town of Baryulgil in New South Wales Australia, has been diagnosed with deadly mesothelioma even though he never worked with asbestos. Like other children in his town, Ffloyd played with toxic tailings from the James Hardie (JH) chrysotile asbestos mine; mine waste was used to construct roads, schools, public areas and racetracks. Due to an agreement reached in 2005 between the NSW government and JH, it is unlikely that Mr. Laurie will be able to sue the company for damages unless it is found to be the “defendant of last resort.” See: James Hardie unlikely to pay compensation for Aboriginal kids exposed to asbestos in NSW town of Baryulgil.
Asbestos on Conference Agenda
Sep 8, 2016
The Public Services International (PSI), a global trade union federation representing 20 million workers in 154 countries many of whom work for local government, is holding its 13th Asia Pacific Regional Conference (APRECON) in Fukuoka, Japan on October 9-12, 2016. Sugio Furuya, Chair of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network, will be making the first panel presentation. His talk is entitled: Regional campaign on asbestos use, recognition in our industries and community. The next speaker, Ben Thompson from Australia, will speak about: Asbestos in our community, a trade union issue. See: Announcement by Public Services International.
Expansion of Ban Asbestos Dialogue
Sep 8, 2016
A detailed analysis of the asbestos status quo in Indonesia has been published which contrasts the country’s “controlled use” policy with the global consensus that all use should be prohibited on the grounds of public health. Citing policies held by IARC, the WHO, the EPA (US) and the Collegium Ramazzini, the text documents increasing calls by civil society groups in Indonesia such as WALHI, Balifocus, Indonesia LION (Local Initiative for OSH Network Indonesia), Indonesia Ban Asbestos Network (Ina-BAN) and others for action to be taken. See: Bisnis Debu Perenggut Nyawa [Asbestos Trade: Dangerous Business say academics].
Import of Toxic Products Continues
Sep 7, 2016
Construction material imported by Yuanda Australia from China for use on the Queensland Government's new executive building in Brisbane have tested positive for asbestos. According to a company spokesperson: “This material was already at sea when the issue came to light (in July 2016), and this result was expected due to the fact that the material formed part of the same product order that had already tested positive.” Yuanda has hired a contractor to test around 40 of its construction sites around the country for asbestos. See: Asbestos found in second batch of building materials for Queensland Government tower.
Asbestos Ban Approved!
Sep 7, 2016
A proposal to ban asbestos initially proposed by President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, has been approved today (September 7, 2016) by Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers. As a result, the use and import of asbestos will be controlled from January 1, 2018 and the production of asbestos-containing materials will be banned as of January 1, 2024 when the use of asbestos-free products will become mandatory. In Sri Lanka asbestos is mostly used in the manufacture of asbestos-containing roofing sheets (in 2013, Sri Lanka imported 22,953 tonnes of asbestos). See: Controls on asbestos: use, import, manufacture.
Asbestos Issues on Conference Agenda
Sep 3, 2016
On September 3, 2016, presentations on asbestos-related issues were made during the 28th Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology which is taking place from September 1 to 4, 2016 in Rome. Amongst the presentations made today were: Asbestos-related diseases in Parana: The Brazil-Italy project; Malignant mesothelioma in Lazio railroad company workers; A pooled cohort analysis on cancer risk among former asbestos-exposed workers: role of asbestos clearance in explaining long-term mortality trend for pleural cancer; Asbestos – from underrecognized hazards to never-ending controversies on health effects. See: 28th Annual Conference of International Society for Environmental Epidemiology.
Mesothelioma Death of Civic Leader
Sep 3, 2016
Fifty-six year old Tashigi Yukio Maxima who had served on the Satte city council died suddenly on August 17, 2016 of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Before being elected to local government, he had been President of the Parent and Teachers Association, a member of the Board of Education, coach of youth softball and soccer teams. Due to his status as a self-employed person, it has not yet ascertained where and when he was exposed to the asbestos which caused his disease. He is survived by his widow and three sons. See: 幸手市議・巻島幸男さん [Satte’s Tashigi Yukio Maxima].
Walk for Research and Awareness
Sep 1, 2016
From September 10 to 16, 2016, supporters of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) will embark on their annual walk to raise lifesaving research funds and spread awareness of the asbestos hazard. The 2016 walk has been named after ADSA Committee Member Steve Aiberti, who died of mesothelioma earlier this year. The walkers will cover 400+ kilometres from Geraldton to Perth, the capital of Western Australia (WA), stopping along the way to meet local supporters and reach out to the media. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the closure of WA’s infamous blue asbestos mine at Wittenoom, the town where Steve grew up. See: ADSA Steve Aiberti Memorial Walk 2016.
Penalty for Illegal Asbestos Exposures
Sep 1, 2016
A regional labor court has upheld a complaint on appeal against Calegari Materials Construction Ltda., a company headquartered in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, a state which allows asbestos manufacture to continue under strict protocols. The Court found that the company did not provide mandatory safeguards for people working with asbestos and demanded the implementation of strict medical, administrative and other procedures to ensure occupational protections. See: Loja de materiais de construção da Grande Florianópolis sofre ação por vender produtos que contem Amianto [Penalty for store selling asbestos-construction materials in Florianópolis].
Murcia’s Asbestos in Schools Scandal
Aug 31, 2016
As children prepare to return for the new school term, politicians from Spain’s Podemos party castigated regional officials for failing to remove asbestos from schools in Murcia, a region in south-eastern Spain, despite a 2015 pledge by the Regional Assembly that decontamination work would be carried out before the Autumn 2016 term began. While asbestos removal from schools in Andalusia and Valencia has been carried out as a priority measure, this has not taken place in the Murcia Region. See: Podemos acusa al Gobierno regional de «mantener el amianto en los centros educativos» [Podemos accuses regional government of “leaving asbestos in schools”].
Post-Disaster Measures, Italy
Aug 29, 2016
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake which hit central Italy last week, news has been circulating of environmental asbestos contamination. One expert said: “Unfortunately, there is, as in all seismic events, a risk [from asbestos] … in homes and industrial buildings built in the second half of the twentieth century.” To protect emergency responders, dust suppression methods must be used and appropriate breathing equipment provided to avoid inhalation of asbestos fibers. See: Terremoto, dopo la morte e il dolore, l'incubo dell'amianto [Earthquake, after the death and pain, the asbestos nightmare].
Ban Asbestos: NOW!
Aug 29, 2016
In a letter sent last week to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Senator Barbara Boxer urged that action on asbestos be taken as a priority under the tighter chemical regulations enacted this Summer. In her correspondence to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, Boxer wrote: “Now that the impediments in the original TSCA [Toxic Substances Control Act] law are gone, completing the job started by EPA in 1989 would send a strong signal that the new law can be effective in addressing the most dangerous chemicals in commerce.” Asbestos consumption in the US remains around 400 tons a year. See: Dem senator pushes EPA on asbestos regulations.
Challenges for Thailand’s Asbestos Policy
Aug 29, 2016
On August 25, 2016 a session entitled: Future Challenges for Asbestos Policy in Thailand took place in Bangkok. This event was organized by The Health Consumer Protection Program from Chulalongkorn University and was attended by academics, government officials and representatives of civil society. The purpose of the meeting was to share information about the asbestos situation in Japan and Thailand with a particular focus on issues relating to the construction and demolition industries and natural disasters. Japanese Professor Kasuhiko Ishihara – co-author of the book “Asbestos Disaster” – made the keynote presentation. See: Conference Agenda and photograph of participants.
Life after Asbestos Mining
Aug 26, 2016
Five years after asbestos mining operations ceased at the infamous Jeffrey Mine in Asbestos, Quebec, the town is looking to diversify its economy with government funding. In an interview, Mayor H. Grimard was optimistic, saying that: “There are several projects on the table… and others are coming.” From the comments in the article referenced below, it seems that at least some of the town’s 7,000 residents remain in denial about the hazards from environmental contamination caused by the mining with talk of tourist projects and magnesium mining of the deadly asbestos tailings. See: Five years after mine closure, Asbestos, Que., seeking new identity.
Planned Removal of Asbestos from Schools
Aug 26, 2016
On August 25, 2016 officials from the Andalusian educational authority met with parents of children attending the asbestos-containing CEIP José Calderón Campanillas primary school in Malaga to explain an asbestos management and remediation plan under which asbestos will be removed from the premises with minimal risk and disruption to children and staff. An asbestos audit of the school is currently under preparation. A total of €60 million has been allocated to remove asbestos from schools in Andalusia by 2022; in Malaga alone there are 26 schools which contain asbestos. See: La retirada del amianto en el CEIP [Asbestos removal in the CEIP].
Global Asbestos Seminar in São Paulo State
Aug 25, 2016
On October 6 and 7, 2016, Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and the Inter-Union Department of Studies and Research of Health and Work Environments will promote an international seminar entitled “Asbestos: A Socio-Legal Approach.” The event, which is being paid for by penalties levied on São Paulo companies, will highlight the global consensus that asbestos exposures to human beings can cause fatal diseases, in a country which is now the world’s 3rd biggest asbestos supplier. See: Campinas terá seminário internacional sobre amianto, produto banido em 66 países [Campinas will hold international seminar on asbestos, a substance banned in 66 countries].
More Illegal Imports from China?
Aug 24, 2016
Workers have once again been on Australia’s asbestos frontline. SafeWork SA is now investigating their discovery of asbestos in equipment imported from China over the past year. According to the Australian Workers Union (AWU), 8 contaminated heat exchanger tubes, each about the size of a bus, were found at South Australia’s Port Pirie's Nyrstar smelter redevelopment. Commenting on the situation, AMU’s Peter Lamps said: “We really need to understand how and why a contractor is able to land this contaminated product into the state… and it's always workers that seem to identify the contamination.” See; Asbestos found in Chinese-made equipment for SA's Port Pirie smelter redevelopment.
Remediation Program in Trouble
Aug 24, 2016
A new commentary estimates that it could take 200 years for Poland to make good on the government’s pledge to make the country asbestos free, despite a deadline set at 2032. The removal of 6.6% of the country’s asbestos products has taken 43% of the funds allocated for the entire project according to an audit just released. Either this project has been totally mismanaged, says one critic, or the budget allocation was woefully inadequate. Accurate data on the location of and amounts of asbestos-containing material is lacking and confusion exists over who is responsible for asbestos remediation, with disputes between property owners and government authorities. See: Azbest wiecznie żywy [Asbestos eternally alive].
Asbestos and Autoimmune Disorders
Aug 24, 2016
On August 15, 2016, a spokesperson for the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, Montana announced preliminary data from the six-year-long Libby Epidemiology Research Program on the effects of asbestos exposure on the immune system, which provided substantial evidence of a link between exposures to amphibole asbestos in Libby and an elevated risk of autoimmune diseases and disorders such as lupus, scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis. “There may be,” Dusti Thompson said “as much as a 10-fold increase in risk…” See: CARD Clinic study: asbestos exposure linked to autoimmune diseases.
Asbestos in Island’s Schools
Aug 23, 2016
The issue of asbestos in schools is being confronted by municipalities on Tahiti. Although asbestos was banned in France in 1999, its use was only outlawed in French Polynesia in 2011. As a result, there are still many buildings which contain asbestos, including many schools. Some remediation has been undertaken; however, contamination in schools and in the soil on which they are built remain an issue. The school in Papara has been closed for 3 years; specialists have now been hired to remove the asbestos. During the closure, children have been studying at other premises. See: Amiante dans les écoles: des mairies prennent le problème à bras-le-corps [Asbestos in schools: town hall confronts the problem].
Monument to Asbestos Tragedy
Aug 23, 2016
On September 10, 2016, the people of Casale Monferrato will inaugurate a green space on the former site of the notorious Eternit asbestos factory. The park, the name of which is Eternot, symbolizes the battle for justice, reclamation and research for a community which has been devastated by asbestos injuries and deaths for several decades. The ceremony will be attended by Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, and Italian Ministers Gian Luca Galletti and Andrea Orlando. Artwork donated by the local victims’ group which pays tribute to activist Romana Pavesi will also be unveiled. See: Amianto, Casale il 10/9 inaugura Eternot [Asbestos, Casale on 10/9 inaugurates Eternot Park].
Paying the Price for Asbestos Profits
Aug 22, 2016
Canada’s first analysis of the economic burden caused by asbestos exposures revealed that the financial impact of 427 mesothelioma cases and 1,904 lung cancer cases diagnosed in 2011 was C$1.9 billion. This figure was quoted in a recent study by the Institute for Work & Health which examined the costs of occupational asbestos diseases and illnesses caused by secondary exposures to family members: “80% of the costs are attributed to health-related quality-of-life losses. Health care and other direct costs account for 11%; loss of productivity and other indirect costs account for the remaining 9%.” See: New cases of mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer in one year cost $1.9B.
Asbestos Ban Soon?
Aug 21, 2016
Veteran asbestos watcher Kathleen Ruff from RightonCanada reports that Canada’s Minister of Health Jane Philpott is working with cabinet colleagues to implement a new national asbestos policy. Following a conversation this summer with the Minister, Ruff said “an upcoming announcement regarding the asbestos policy of the new Trudeau government” is expected during the next session of Parliament which commences on September 19. Throughout the 20th century, Canada supplied the majority of asbestos consumed around the world and asbestos vested interests in Quebec and elsewhere had powerful support from national agencies and stakeholder groups. See: Encouraging news on Canada and asbestos.
Palliative Care for Mesothelioma Patients
Aug 21, 2016
The need for palliative care for mesothelioma sufferers was highlighted by an analysis of data from patients admitted to a home palliative care program in Italy. Three quarters of the mesothelioma patients had painful symptoms, with 20 reporting moderate and severe pain despite treatment with medium-high doses of opioids. The most frequent symptoms reported were pain, weakness, poor appetite, poor well-being and dyspnea; the principal site of pain was the chest. The study concludes that palliative care should be integrated at an early stage into the care of all these patients. See: Symptom Burden in mesothelioma patients admitted to home palliative care.
Asbestos Hazard in Soil
Aug 21, 2016
Research by US scientists has raised concerns about hazards from asbestos disposed at capped landfill sites. According to lead researcher Associate Professor Jane Willenbring: “Asbestos gets coated with a very common substance that makes it easier to move…If you have water with organic matter next to the asbestos waste piles, such as a stream, you then have a pathway from the waste pile and possibly to human inhalation.” It is the current practice in the US and other countries for asbestos waste piles to be capped with soil to avoid hazardous human exposures; this practice may need rethinking. See: New study challenges assumption of asbestos’ ability to move in soil.
Environmental Asbestos Hazards
Aug 21, 2016
Earlier this month (August 2016), campaigners in Indonesia held a two-day meeting in Denpasar, Bali to discuss efforts by local government to improve the conditions for people living in the island’s slums. On the agenda was the issue of asbestos which is used as roofing material in Indonesia; according to data cited, Indonesia is the world’s 5th largest importer of asbestos. This meeting was organized by BaliFokus, a non-governmental organization, which has been instrumental in a campaign to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard in Indonesia, a country whose constitution guarantees citizens the right to live in a healthy environment. See: Asbestos-free Neighborhoods.
Disposal of NY Subway Cars
Aug 19, 2016
When the authorities in NY were faced with the problem of disposing of thousands of asbestos-contaminated subways cars built between 1959 and 1963 they devised an ingenious plan to dump them in the Atlantic Ocean at spots off the coast of NY, NJ, Georgia and three other states. By burying 2,400 subway carriages at sea, NY’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) saved $12 million. The last batch of 51-foot long Redbird subway cars was dumped by the MTA in 2010. No asbestos removal had been carried out on any of the carriages. See: VIDEO: The MTA Tells All About Dumping Its Subway Cars in the Atlantic Ocean.
Illegal Fly-tipping of Toxic Waste
Aug 19, 2016
An unwelcome discovery was made near the central Adriatic coastal town of Numana, in Ancona Province, by agents of the State Forestry Corps who found 20 tonnes of asbestos sheeting dumped in a drainage ditch in a rural part of the countryside. The officials were making a routine inspection when they found this toxic deposit tangled in amongst some vegetation. Ancona’s public prosecutor has opened an investigation against persons unknown; the penalty for illegally disposing of this toxic waste is up to two years in prison. See: Amianto, 20 tonnellate rifiuti a Numana [Asbestos, 20 tons of waste in Numana].
Death of Giuseppe Manfredi
Aug 17, 2016
The death was announced of Giuseppe Manfredi, the President of the Asbestos Victims Family Association (AFEVA), in Casale Monferrato, Italy. He had become President in November, 2015 upon the retirement of Romana Blasotti Pavesi. Known to all as Beppe, he died aged 66 of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma on August 16, 2016. In the short time he was President, he initiated several projects to progress AFEVA’s fight for asbestos justice, medical research and remediation of the widespread contamination caused by decades of asbestos production, use and disposal in Italy. See: Addio a Giuseppe Manfredi, presidente di Afeva [Goodbye to Giuseppe Manfredi, AFEVA President].
Victim’s Ruling in Quebec
Aug 17, 2016
A verdict for Quebec asbestos victim Maurice Lefrancois, who had worked for the American Biltrite company for 35 years as an inspector and plumber, has upheld the presumption that a worker with lung cancer and asbestosis exposed to asbestos at work has a compensable claim against his employer. Mr. Lefrancois died in December 2013, aged 78, two months after being diagnosed. The family was awarded compensation of $107,000. It is believed that this ruling will facilitate legal action by other workers. See: Jugement favorable pour les travailleurs exposés à l'amiante [Favorable judgment for workers exposed to asbestos].
Mesothelioma Radiotherapy Trial
Aug 16, 2016
A new clinical program for mesothelioma patients is due to commence in Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Medical oncologist Professor Anna Nowak and her team at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital will look at how radiotherapy can improve the quality of life and reduce painful symptoms. Patients will, Professor Nowak explained have “a special type of PET scan, which measures oxygen levels in tumours. What we also hope to get out of this is a better understanding of how oxygen levels in tumours will determine how they respond to treatment.” See: Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital hosting mesothelioma trial.
Minister Commits to End Asbestos Use
Aug 15, 2016
In an interview with the Times of India, Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said: “Since the use of asbestos is affecting human health, its use should gradually be minimised and eventually end. As far as I know, its use is declining. But it must end.” The Minister was both right and wrong simultaneously. Yes, the use of asbestos should end but no, consumption in India is not declining. According to preliminary data for 2015, usage last year was estimated at 380,000 tonnes; asbestos exposures are routine occurrences for millions of workers in India. See: Will look for alternatives to carcinogenic asbestos: Environment Minister.
Officials Struggle with Import Tide
Aug 15, 2016
An investigation by La Stampa newspaper documents the struggle of Italy’s customs officials to prevent dangerous materials such as asbestos fiber from illegally entering the country. Stiff competition between European ports means that any delays will encourage shipping companies to use alternative ports with virtually no controls at all. With insufficient staff and resources, only 1.5% of the ten million containers that arrive in Italy every year are inspected. Despite this low figure, the monitoring rate at Italian ports is higher than in the rest of Europe. See: Armi, amianto e droga: la rete colabrodo dei porti italiani [Weapons, asbestos and drugs: the sieve network of Italian ports].
India’s Struggle against Asbestos
Aug 14, 2016
In an interview with Bihar resident and Indian ban asbestos activist Gopal Krisnha, details are provided of how local people confronted and bested powerful industrial interests to prevent the construction of seven asbestos plants in the State. Five years after this struggle began, the Bihar Pollution Control Board has cancelled the requisite permission for all the plants. According to Krishna: “Villagers outwitted the corporate media which has been reluctant to publish anti-asbestos stories by wall writing in the villages adjoining the plant demanding halting of the construction of the plant.” See: Activist Gopal Krishna exposes India’s double speak in environment protection.
Screening for Asbestos Cancer
Aug 13, 2016
Asbestos-related diseases of the lungs and pleura are the leading cause of occupational mortality in Germany despite the fact that asbestos consumption has been banned since 1993. Although no suitable screening methods for early detection of malignant mesothelioma are currently available, a German lung screening trial has shown that the use of low-dose computed tomography for patients who were heavy smokers can significantly reduce lung cancer mortality amongst the at-risk cohort of workers previously exposed to asbestos. See: Early recognition of lung cancer in workers occupationally exposed to asbestos.
Colorectal Cancer and Asbestos Exposure
Aug 13, 2016
An analysis of data from a voluntary screening program conducted in France between 2003 and 2005 and supplementary data on risk factors for colorectal cancer collected in 2011 were the basis for an article published in August 2016 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The researchers conclude that their “findings provide support for an association between occupational exposure to asbestos and colon cancer incidence in men.” There was also some evidence of a relationship between asbestos exposure and elevated levels of rectal cancer. See: Occupational Asbestos Exposure and Incidence of Colon and Rectal Cancers in French Men: The Asbestos-Related Diseases Cohort.
Unachievable Government Target?
Aug 11, 2016
New Zealand’s ban on asbestos, which takes effect as of October 2016, is one of the measures which WorkSafe New Zealand claims will halve the number of asbestos deaths within a decade despite the lack of any new investment in enforcement of health and safety legislation, the existence of a building boom and doubts about the ability of Customs’ officials to stop asbestos imports. At an annual average of 170 deaths, asbestos accounts for the largest number of the estimated 600-900 workplace-related deaths every year. According to WorkSafe chairperson Gregor Coster, Customs will be able to enforce the ban without any extra inspectors. See: Worksafe targets poor asbestos record.
Asbestos Removal Subsidies
Aug 11, 2016
Around US$1 million has been allocated by regional and federal authorities to remove asbestos-cement roofing in 81 towns in Warmia and Mazury, a province in northeast Poland. This year over 5,000 tonnes of toxic material will be remediated. Applications for grants can be submitted by local governments, individuals, farmers, churches, religious communities, associations, housing associations, housing communities as well as civil and commercial companies. Poland has a 2032 deadline for the eradication of asbestos from the national infrastructure. See: Azbest zniknie z dachów 81 gmin z Warmii i Mazur [Asbestos to be removed from the roofs of 81 municipalities in Warmia and Mazury].
Decontamination of School Site
Aug 11, 2016
Experts have estimated that to properly decontaminate the ground under the Villa Corridi in the Italian Province of Livorno, the removal of up to one million tonnes of soil could be required. Thirty years ago 1,000 tonnes of asbestos waste were used as landfill. A school built on this site will be closed for a month for the work to be carried out. At a technical meeting held this month, parents of some of the 900 schoolchildren who attend classes here were informed about the situation. See: Villa Corridi, mille tonnellate di amianto e terra da rimuovere. La scuola rischia un mese di stop [Villa Corridi, a thousand tons of asbestos and earth to be removed; school faces a month of closure].
EPA Consultation over Reform Priorities
Aug 9, 2016
Public meetings in Washington, D.C. on August 9 and 10, 2016 are being held to discuss the way ahead for chemical regulation in light of a major reform to the Toxic Substances Control Act. The discussion of how to determine “whether a chemical substance presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment” takes place on Tuesday (August 9). To register to attend the proceedings or watch them online go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/us-epa-tsca-stakeholder-meetings-registration-26604194863#tickets See also: EPA Press Release.
OSHA Fines for Asbestos Exposures
Aug 9, 2016
On two occasions in February and March 2016, seven workers at U.S. Steel Corporation’s Pittsburgh coke production facility were instructed to carry out work as a result of which they were exposed to asbestos according to a ruling of the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The ruling was issued on June 29, 2016 and ordered the company to pay a $170,000 fine. This is the second time in five years that the company has been cited by OSHA for asbestos exposures. See: OSHA finds US Steel again exposed workers to asbestos hazards at Pittsburgh coke production facility, fines company $170K.
Controversial Project to Go Ahead
Aug 9, 2016
Last week a regional authority gave permission for the Sotravest company to increase capacity for asbestos disposal at a site in Niederbronn-les-Bains, northeastern France. Permission was granted for the storage of material such as roofing, slabs or pipes which lock fibers within an asbestos-cement matrix; disposal of friable material, such as insulation products, was prohibited. The town councils of Reichshoffen and Oberbronn opposed this project as did local communities and the anti-asbestos group. See: Sotravest va pouvoir étendre son stockage d'amiante lié à Niederbronn-lès-Bains [Sotravest will be able to extend its asbestos storage operations at site in Niederbronn-les-Bains].
Lawsuit over Zimbabwe Asbestos Debt
Aug 9, 2016
Swiss-based company Ramatex SA is suing Zimbabwe building material manufacturer Turnall Holdings in the High Court over a $1 million debt for the supply of raw chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber shipments. According to Ramatex, cash payments for the shipments which started in June 2009 were agreed at $200,000/week. Payments were tardy and shipments were soon being supplied on credit. A declaration Ramatex submitted to the Court characterizes the behavior of Turnall as “unethical and uncouth.” Until a few years ago, Zimbabwe was a leading producer and supplier of chrysotile asbestos fiber. See: Swiss firm takes Turnall to court over debt.
Hazards in the Built Environment
Aug 9, 2016
A commentary by an asbestos expert contrasts the current regime in Slovakia with that in other EU countries where property owners must disclose the presence of asbestos in buildings to buyers or renters. Asbestos was widely used in the construction of buildings in Slovakia most commonly in roofing material, interior partitions, sewage pipes, insulation, cladding products and ceiling panels. Renovation work and or demolition can create dangerous releases of asbestos dust unless proper procedures are followed as per laws adopted in 2002. See: Riziko azbestu v starších budovách by sa nemalo podceňova [The asbestos risk in older buildings should not be underestimated].
Minister Blames Union for Imports
Aug 8, 2016
After an independent review was published last week confirming the inability of the Australian Border Force to forestall the inflow of illegal asbestos imports from China, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton hit back at the CFMEU union saying its actions had forced builders to “cut corners” and import cheap Chinese materials. In his response to these allegations, Dave Noonon, head of the CFMEU’s construction division, said Dutton was trying to “cover up his embarrassment” over the Border Force’s incompetence. See: Dutton blames CFMEU for companies importing asbestos products.
Asbestos at Kolkata’s High Court
Aug 8, 2016
On August 5, 2016 Chief Justice Manjula Chellur, responding to a petition from local resident Ashis Mitra demanding the removal of the asbestos roof of the high court’s buildings, commented that she had previously instructed the authorities to remediate the contamination. Whilst pursuing enquiries regarding this matter, she adjourned proceedings for a fortnight. There is asbestos-containing material on the roofs of at least 10 courtrooms, the outside portico, five bar association rooms, the bar association library, the bar association’s study room and the department of the first Assistant Registrar. See: CJ orders removal of asbestos from high court roof.
Outreach Support for Asbestos Victims
Aug 8, 2016
On August 5, 2016 a free telephone hotline was operational in Gunma Prefecture, one of Japan’s asbestos hotspots. From 10 am to 4 pm callers were able to consult with healthcare, benefits and legal advisers at the Gunma Occupational Safety and Health Center about a variety of issues related to the treatment of and support for people with asbestos-related diseases. It is believed that 1,400 people every year are diagnosed in Japan with mesothelioma, one type of deadly asbestos cancer. See: アスベス. 被害の相談会 専門スタッフ対応、電話も無料 あす高崎で ／群馬 [Asbestos: free phone line tomorrow in Gunma Prefecture].
Dismal Report on Border Force
Aug 4, 2016
Auditors from Sweden who exposed loopholes in the operations of the Australian Border Force which allowed illegal imports of asbestos goods from China, including building materials, children’s crayons, motor vehicle gaskets and spare parts, highlighted the facts that since 2008 only 3 companies have been prosecuted for breaking Australia’s ban on asbestos imports and that the $180,000 maximum fine for doing so has never been imposed. The review of the Border Force was released on August 4; it was sent to the Immigration Minister in March 2016. The Government maintains (see: Press Release) that this report shows that “overall management of asbestos border control is effective.” See: ‘No time’ to stop imports of asbestos: border guards.
Australian Mining in France?
Aug 4, 2016
Authorities have just a few weeks to decide whether or not to reopen the Salau mine, in the Ariege area, southwestern France; the mine had been operational from 1983 until 1986. There is huge local opposition to the recommencement of tungsten mining due to the hazard posed by the presence of actinolite asbestos in dust produced by mining operations. Several former mine workers have died of asbestos-related diseases. The company applying for the mining license is Variscan Mines Limited, an Australian resource company. See: Près de Toulouse, un village ariégeois s'oppose au projet de réouverture de la mine de Salau [Near Toulouse, a town opposes the reopening of the Salau mine].
Asbestos Disease at an Italian Shipyard
Aug 4, 2016
Researchers have examined data on asbestos-related diseases between 1996 and 2015 amongst workers at an important shipyard in Northern Italy. Tissue samples from lungs were collected during autopsies and fiber levels were quantified using scanning electron and optical microscopy. The authors of this paper concluded that: “The lung burden analysis of asbestos bodies and asbestos fibres, the largest ever performed among ship-building workers, confirms the spread and relevance of asbestos exposure. The best estimate of past exposure intensity was provided by both biological indices.” See: Asbestos-related diseases and biological index of cumulative dose in shipyard workers (1996-2015).
Compensation for Asbestos Death
Aug 3, 2016
Uralita, a Spanish construction materials multinational, has been ordered to pay compensation of €135,612 to the family of a worker who died in 2010 aged 79 of mesothelioma after occupational asbestos exposures at the company’s asbestos-cement factory in Valladolid, north-western Spain. The deceased had worked at the factory from February 1974 to May 7, 1992. He had unloaded trucks carrying shipments of asbestos without any protective measures or equipment. See: Uralita indemniza con casi 140.000 euros a una familia tras la condena por cáncer de Amianto [Uralita indemnifies ~140,000 euros to family following asbestos cancer case].
Asbestos Cancer Epidemic Predicted
Aug 1, 2016
Medical experts have warned of an impending regional surge of cancer due to the escalation of asbestos consumption in industrializing countries in Asia. Citing examples of the wide scale and uncontrolled use of asbestos in Mongolia, Dr. Takumi Kishimoto, said he was speechless at conditions he observed at a power plant in the capital Ulaanbaatar: toxic debris was scattered on the floor with asbestos bags piled up all over the factory. None of the workers in the dusty areas were, he reported, wearing masks. Calls for measures to create a system to provide timely diagnoses and treatment are being made. See: Surging asbestos use in Asia creating slowly ticking health time bomb.
Use of Asbestos-Containing Rock
Aug 1, 2016
An article just published documents months of delays and inaction over the use of asbestos-contaminated rock on construction sites in the Irish Republic. Three thousand tonnes of the toxic material, which originated at the Ballinclare Quarry in south Co Wicklow, were sent to sites in Wicklow and Dublin. Soil tests undertaken at the quarry have proved positive for asbestos. The quarry remains closed and its owners, the Kilsaran Group, have been issued with a notice requiring it to deal with the health and environmental risk resulting from the supply of hazardous material within 40 days. See: Authorities left in dark after toxic mineral exposed at quarry.
Call for Action on Asbestos in Schools
Aug 1, 2016
While Andalusia and Valencia have already begun to remove asbestos from schools, the situation in neighboring Murcia remains as much of a hazard as always, said regional deputy Andres Pedroza at a public meeting this weekend in San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia. Calling for regional authorities to set a 2020 deadline for the total eradication of asbestos from schools, Pendroza said that asbestos was a major risk for the future health of all school users including pupils, teachers, support staff and custodial workers. See: Podemos describe a Murcia como “una isla” en la erradicación del amianto de colegios [Murcia, “an island” in the eradication of asbestos from schools].
Traditional Huts 1: Asbestos Huts 0
Aug 1, 2016
For generations, villagers in a remote area of the Kerala Province in India lived in eco-friendly traditional structures which were capable not only of withstanding elephant attacks but were also suitable for harsh weather conditions. The replacement of these buildings with concrete and asbestos shelters provided by a non-governmental organization in the Marayur forests has been a dismal failure with complaints regarding the cold and the noisy asbestos tiled roofs. Several of the Muthuvan tribespeople rehoused in the new buildings have returned to their traditional dwellings. See: Warmth Walks out of Muthuvan Huts.
British Toxic Waste for Cyprus Mine
Jul 31, 2016
MP Charalambous Theopemptou is raising concerns over plans to dispose of huge amounts of toxic waste abandoned at former living quarters for British military personnel at the village of Berengaria which in 2010 became the property of the Cyrpus government. The abandoned buildings, which were roofed and insulated with asbestos, constitute a public health threat to local people. Although the burial of this asbestos debris in the defunct Amiantos asbestos mine was authorized in 2009 and permits the disposal of waste generated during 2009-2019, Theopemptou say the site is “unlicensed” and there are no terms and conditions in place for safe disposal. See: Concerns over asbestos removal.
Breakthrough for French Workers?
Jul 31, 2016
On July 11, 2016, the Administrative Court of Grenoble overturned a decision of the former labor minister François Rebsamen not to classify Roussillon petrochemical site as an asbestos site. Such a classification would have allowed former employees to take early retirement. The final decision on this case is expected in Autumn, 2016. According to the CAPER Asbestos Victims’ Association, since 2001, 103 former employees have died from asbestos diseases. See: Amiante: les employés “empoisonnés” de la plate-forme chimique de Roussillon pourraient être indemnisés [Asbestos: the “poisoned” employees of the chemical platform Roussillon could be compensated].
Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Jul 30, 2016
Asbestos-related deaths of 72 workers and members of the public have been linked to the operations of the Ellenit asbestos factory in New Lampsacus near Halkida, Greece. From 1961 until 1990, hundreds of workers produced roofing, panels, pipes, insulation and fireproofing material at this 100-acre industrial site. Since 1985, victims and their relatives have been fighting for recognition and compensation for injuries caused by exposures to the company’s asbestos both inside and outside of the factory. See: Ελλενίτ. Το εργοστάσιο που σκότωσε από καρκίνο 72 εργάτες και αναρίθμητους κατοίκους [Ellenit. The plant that killed with cancer 72 workers and residents].
Unacceptable Delays by HMRC
Jul 30, 2016
Andrew Tyrie, chair of the Treasury select committee, has told the chief executive of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to communicate his strategy to reduce delays in responding to enquiries for work histories from people suffering from deadly diseases such as asbestos cancers. Currently, delays of 14 months are being experienced due to outdated and faulty microfiche machines which are needed to access HMRC records. The inability to find spare parts for these machines and the difficulty in repairing them have, said the HMRC, been responsible for these delays. Claimants such as construction workers were employed by multiple employers. See: HMRC told to get on top of work history delays.
High Asbestos Usage, High Cancer Rates
Jul 30, 2016
Mortality and import data were studied to quantify the incidence of asbestos-related cancer in Iceland, a country which banned asbestos in 1983. While asbestos imports peaked in 1980, the incidence of mesothelioma increased steadily from 1965 to 2014 when it was 22.2 per million amongst men and 4.8 amongst women. The vast majority of those affected were males who contracted pleural mesothelioma. Asbestos-containing products within the national infrastructure remain a potent threat to health. Over the last decade, Iceland’s mesothelioma incidence was higher than those in neighbouring countries. See: Malignant mesothelioma incidence by nation-wide cancer registry: a population-based study.
Ban Asbestos Legislation Tabled
Jul 29, 2016
On Wednesday July 27, 2016, draft ban asbestos legislation was submitted to Colombia’s House of Representatives by Senator Nadia Blel; a previous asbestos ban bill was defeated in the Senate earlier this year. Official sources estimated that there could be 500+ people with asbestos-related diseases in Colombia at the current time. Following discussion in the House of Representatives, the new ban bill will be considered and voted on by the Seventh Plenary Commission, the Senate body which deals with health issues. See: Nuevamente radicado Proyecto [Another draft ban asbestos bill].
Asbestos Remediation Funding
Jul 29, 2016
Over €11 million has been budgeted for work during 2016-2018 on the remediation of asbestos-containing buildings by Italy’s Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti. Priority will be given to work on contaminated properties near kindergartens, schools, playgrounds, shelters, hospitals and sports facilities. Other funds have been allocated for decontamination of schools; a pilot project will be undertaken in Alessandria, Pisa and Salerno to map asbestos in school buildings. See: Edilizia scolastica. Bonifica dall'amianto: stanziati oltre 11 milioni di euro, si parte da Alessandria, Pisa e Salerno [School construction. Asbestos rehabilitation: 11 million Euros allocated for Alexandria, Pisa and Salerno].
China’s Asbestos Boom
Jul 27, 2016
Despite the scientific and medical consensus regarding the deadly effects of asbestos exposures, the asbestos industry continues to flourish in China, according to a spokesman for the China Chrysotile (white asbestos) Association: “our production … can’t keep pace with demand from the construction industry so we have to import (asbestos fiber) from Russia.” According to this association, over the past decade, record quantities of asbestos have been used in China; chrysotile is, they allege, safer than any available substitutes. According to sources in China, in 2015 the country produced 227,000 tonnes of chrysotile, and imported 105,000 tonnes. See: China ignores WHO warnings in asbestos boom.
Asbestos Pension Claims
Jul 26, 2016
In a verdict handed down by Judge Silvia Carpanini, the Ansaldo Energia company was ordered to pay compensation to Italy’s National Institute of Social Security for facilitating false claims that 12 workers had been exposed to asbestos as a result of which they received increased pension payments and privileges collectively totalling one million euros. While some company officers were acquitted of charges related to this fraud, one department head was sentenced to one year and one month in prison. There was no evidence that the employees had been aware of the falsifications submitted. See: Falsi bonus amianto, Ansaldo risarcisca INPS [False asbestos bonus, Ansaldo compensate INPS].
Remembering Steven Kotloane
Jul 26, 2016
Steven Kotloane went to Kuruman, a former South African asbestos mining town in 1973 for work. Once he arrived, he found that many local people were dying of asbestos-related diseases. Working with local people and partnering organizations, a community group was set up to understand the challenges posed and assist people to deal with the environmental hazards posed by widespread contamination. This 26-minute film showcases some of the work of the Asbestos Interest Group and reminds us of how a small group of people can have a big impact. Steven died in 2015. The work continues. See: The Golden Years 2 - Episode 9: Steven Kotloane.
Asbestos Information Vacuum
July 24, 2016
An Economic Times of India commentary contrasts the global consensus over the human health risk posed by asbestos with India’s use of asbestos in friction materials. When asked about India’s asbestos policy, Bishwanath Sinha, joint secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, said: “The ministry… has no information on use of asbestos in auto components such as brakes, clutches and heat seals… There are no peer reviewed study reports on the subject … in the government of India, based on which a tangible course of action may be taken on merit.” See: World rings asbestos alarm, India ignorant about cancer-causing agent.
Environmental Dangers of Gold Mining
Jul 24, 2016
A commentary by a Greek mineralogist has highlighted the public health and environmental threats posed by Canadian plans for gold mining operations in the Skouries mine, in the Haldiki Peninsula of northern Greece. Deposits of tremolite-actinolite aggregates and high levels of tremolite are known to be in the rocks along with the gold. Explosions to access the gold will release toxic plumes of asbestos which could endanger not only the workers but also people in large areas near the mines, including the inhabitants of Haldiki, Thessaloniki and other local municipalities. See: Αμίαντος στις Σκουριές, κίνδυνος για τη δημόσια υγεία [Asbestos in Skouries, a risk to public health].
Dangers of Recycling Building Waste
Jul 24, 2016
In light of the extensive presence of asbestos in Australia’s built environment, concerns have been raised in Western Australia over a push by the State to increase the reuse of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in civil projects such as roads, car parks and drains. Commenting on this contamination, identified as “a “critical issue” in managing C&D waste in an official 2011 report, expert Peter Tighe said: “If there is a question over the demolition material from a site and we know it’s a site where there was asbestos, my view is that you wouldn’t even consider beneficial reuse.” See: Asbestos scandal: WA Government scheme to recycle construction waste raised as asbestos risk.
Top Priority: Asbestos Ban
Jul 23, 2016
Yesterday, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a US environmental organization specializing in research and advocacy regarding toxic chemicals, published a list of chemicals that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should take action on following the enactment last month of the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) that mandated revisions to the country’s 40-year old chemical safety regime. Under TSCA, which as a compromise bill has significant drawbacks, the EPA was given greater authority to regulate hazardous chemicals in consumer products. Top of the EWG’s hit list is a US ban on asbestos. See: EWG Lists the Top 10 Toxic Chemicals EPA Should Review Now.
Controversy over British Asbestos Waste
July 23, 2016
A very public debate has been started by a feature in Phileleftheros, the largest newspaper in Cyprus, which questions the disposal of asbestos waste produced by British bases on Cyprus. According to the July 21 article, permission had been given for the disposal of up to 50 containers of asbestos debris at the Amiantos asbestos mine at a cost of €16 per cubic metre. A spokesman for the British forces said that notwithstanding these enquiries, it had been decided to continue shipping all the asbestos waste to the UK. On May 5, 2016, however, the bases informed the Geological Survey Department that there were 40 containers of toxic waste for disposal. See: Bases deny disposing of asbestos in Cyprus.
Asbestos in Schools Fact Sheet
Jul 23, 2016
The Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) has produced a handy 5-page advice sheet pinpointing the asbestos hazards in UK schools and providing guidance for union health and safety representatives. The issues covered in this document include: what asbestos is, where asbestos products are likely to be in schools, legal requirements regarding the management of asbestos-containing products, the hazards posed by refurbishment and repair work, risk communication strategies for keeping parents informed and specific risks such as asbestos in gas marks, helmets and cabinet heaters. Action points are suggested. See: JUAC Health & Safety Rep Advice Sheet.
Constitutional Court Okays Asbestos Trial!
Jul 22, 2016
On July 21, 2016, a long-awaited decision by Italy’s Constitutional Court was handed down which gave the green light for criminal proceedings against Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny to continue despite his legal teams’ assertions that he was protected by the legal principal of double jeopardy from being tried twice for the same crime. In 2014 the Supreme Court had overturned on technical grounds a 2012 conviction which had sentenced him to serve 18 years in jail. Prosecutors will relaunch the legal proceedings against Schmidheiny over the asbestos deaths of 258 individuals; the charges related to some of these deaths were not included in the initial prosecution. See: Constitutional Court OKs fresh trial (2).
Mesothelioma Widow Confronts PM
Jul 22, 2016
Michaela Keyserlingk, whose husband died from asbestos cancer, has issued a formal challenge to Prime Minister Trudeau expressing her “disappointment” with his “lack of action regarding the ban of asbestos in Canada.” (the newly elected PM had committed his party to a national ban). Demanding a prompt response, in her letter to the PM she says: “You and your family rightfully refused to live in asbestos ridden 24 Sussex St, but saving your own skin and ignoring the dangers to others is not the Canadian way.” Trudeau’s failure to act on the deadly hazard makes him “personally responsible for future [asbestos] deaths of Canadians…” See: Letter from M. Keyserlingk to the Prime Minister.
Widespread Usage of Toxic Imports
Jul 21, 2016
Western Australia (WA) has been at the epicentre of a storm over the import of illegal asbestos building materials from China. The scandal over use of these toxic materials at a new WA children’s hospital has led to enquiries which documented similar situations in 170 construction projects around Australia. On July 19, 2016, personnel from the Australian Border Force raided the headquarters of Yuanda, the company which imported this material; new measures have been put in place to hold all Yuanda imports in quarantine until they have been cleared. Up to 10 people a week are diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases in WA. See: Asbestos diseases hit home.
Who Foots the Bill for Asbestos Disease?
Jul 21, 2016
A July 2016 commentary for casualty underwriters reflects on the wide-ranging implications of a decision handed down on January 29, 2016 by the District Court of Kyoto which ordered nine manufacturers of asbestos-containing construction materials to pay a total of JPY 112 million (~US$1 million) to 23 workers and their families who died from or are suffering from asbestosis and/or lung cancer. A significant difference of opinion exists amongst courts in Japan over whether manufacturers can be held liable with district courts in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Osaka and Yokohama issuing verdicts which favoured manufacturers. See: Asbestos Court Decision and Implications in Japan.
Conviction for Asbestos Contamination
Jul 20, 2016
A verdict handed down on July 15, 2016 marked the end of a battle over asbestos contamination caused during the reconstruction of primary schools in Budejovice, the provincial capital of southern Bohemia, Czech Republic. A District Court’s ruling held that the company OHL ZS, which was renovating the schools during the summer of 2011, was responsible for the problems caused and remediation required after damaging asbestos-containing panels in the schools’ boiler rooms despite having been alerted to the presence of asbestos. See: Budejovice vítezí v boji o azbest ve školách na Máji. Chtejí miliony [Budejovice wins million euro battle over asbestos in schools].
Prison Sentences for Asbestos Crimes
Jul 19, 2016
A plaintiffs’ verdict in a high-profile manslaughter trial over the asbestos deaths of 14 workers was handed down on July 18, 2016 by Judge Elena Stoppini at a court in Ivrea, Italy. Fifteen ex-managers of the Olivetti electronics firm were found guilty of failing to protect employees from hazardous exposures to asbestos with ex-Olivetti President Franco De Benedetti and his brother Carlo receiving prison sentences of more than five years for corporate manslaughter. Judge Stoppini ruled that the De Benedetti brothers were responsible for 10 of the 14 deaths. Olivetti continued to use asbestos until the middle of the 1990s. See: Ex-Olivetti bosses sentenced over asbestos deaths.
Funds to Fight Fires at Grace Mine
Jul 19, 2016
Federal funding of $2.1 million has been secured by the Environmental Protection Agency to enable firefighters to safely deal with conflagrations in the asbestos-contaminated area of Libby, Montana where mining operations by W.R. Grace & Co created an environmental catastrophe. Tests undertaken on asbestos-infested trees confirm the health hazard posed by this and other toxic deposits in the 47,000-acre area designated Operable Unit 3, or OU3 near the old mine. Should a fire start inside the area, state, local and federal officials would deploy air-monitoring stations to ensure that the air is safe to breathe. See: EPA, USFS Allocate $2.1 Million to Support Firefighting Efforts at Asbestos Mine.
Compensation for Asbestos Worker
Jul 18, 2016
A worker from the Russian town of Asbest has succeeded in a court claim for occupational injury due to hazardous exposures to asbestos at a factory owned by Uralasbest, the world’s largest producer of chrysotile asbestos. Sverdlovsk prosecutors collected evidence from other employees which substantiated allegations of unsafe working conditions. The company was ordered to pay compensation of 30,000 roubles (US$473) for negligence as a result of which the worker became 30% disabled. See: В Асбесте сотрудник завода на треть утратил трудоспособность из-за [Asbestos factory worker one third incapacitated due to hazardous conditions].
Resource for Ban Asbestos Campaign
Jul 18, 2016
The Chrysotile Asbestos Fact Sheet uploaded to the IBAS website earlier this year has now been translated into Bahasa for use by ban asbestos campaigners in Indonesia. This work has been undertaken by the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network – Ina-Ban. Commenting on the initiative Ina-Ban’s Coordinator M. Darisman said: “Indonesia is on the frontline of the propaganda campaign by global asbestos lobbyists who spread disinformation and lies regarding the deadly hazards of asbestos use. This new resource will be invaluable in our efforts to achieve an asbestos ban in Indonesia.” See: Chrysotile Asbestos Fact Sheet 2016 – Bahasa Translation.
Asbestos Hazard in Tanks
Jul 16, 2016
On July 7, 2016, a labor court in the Spanish city of Valladolid ruled that the company Iveco Spain must pay €60,000 to a former worker who has been diagnosed with asbestosis. The claimant had been employed as an electrician from 1973 to 2006; during this time, he worked on the assembly of BMR armored vehicles at the Iveco factory and off-site on repairs. He was neither warned about possible asbestos exposure nor was he provided with protective clothing or equipment. This is the first asbestos ruling against the company. See: Condenan a Iveco a pagar 60.000 euros a un trabajador que enfermó por el Amianto [Convicted Iveco to pay 60,000 euros to asbestos injured worker].
Asbestos Protest in Trinidad
Jul 16, 2016
Casual workers employed by Trinidad and Tobago’s Agriculture Ministry’s Research Division in Centeno downed tools last week over asbestos scares according to a July 11, 2016 newspaper report. Work to replace asbestos rooves on buildings at the Ministry compound caused alarm amongst workers who feared the effects of toxic exposures. Since July 4, they have been reporting to work but standing 100 metres across the road. Despite representation by the National Union of Government and Federated Workers, they will not be paid as management says they have not fulfilled their duties. See: Centeno workers protest health risks from asbestos roof removal.
Asbestos Safety Management Act Revisions
Jul 15, 2016
Concerns over the large amounts of asbestos within the national infrastructure has led the Government to announce measures to strengthen mandatory asbestos management protocols during the dismantling and reconstruction of buildings in Korea. The new safeguards are incorporated within revisions to the Asbestos Safety Management Act and will take effect on August 15, 2016. According to the Incheon Metropolitan City office of Education, up to 130 billion won is needed to remove asbestos from schools in Incheon. The price for the eradication from the Korean built environment is unknown. See: Korea to tighten asbestos controls.
State Assisted Environmental Remediation
Jul 15, 2016
The legacy of the Eitanit asbestos plant which closed in 1997 continues to impact on life in Western Galilee where vast quantities of asbestos waste were used to build roads, gardens and paved areas. For five years, a clean-up of contaminated sites has been progressing, supported by taxpayers’ money and funds sourced from Eitanit under the supervision of the Environmental Protect Ministry. To date, 266 million shekels (US$69m) have been spent on almost 300 sites; completion of the remediation is expected in 2017. After Eitanit remediates its compound, Nahariya will be able to build a boardwalk on the beach. See: Cleaning Up Asbestos in Nahariya Is No Walk on the Beach.
Deadly Asbestos Exposures Routine
Jul 15, 2016
A 14-minute video uploaded to YouTube last month (June 2016) entitled Dangerous Dust: Asbestos Story in Indonesia, produced by the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network working in conjunction with the Local Initiative for OSH Network, Developing World Outreach Initiative and the Korea Green Foundation, is an eye-opening expose of the hazard posed by the use of asbestos in a country where up to 8,000 people work in 26 factories using asbestos every day. The risks to workers, consumers and members of the public are highlighted as is the high degree of government complacency regarding the hazard. See: Dangerous Dust: Asbestos Story in Indonesia [Debu Mematikan: Kisah Asbes di Indonesia].
Banned Asbestos in New Hospital
Jul 14, 2016
After an alert by the Australian CFMEU trade union, Western Australia’s Health Minister John Day admitted that tests undertaken showed that chrysotile asbestos was present in four out of seven samples taken from a roof panel which had been supplied by Chinese subcontractor Yuanda to lead contractor John Holland for a new children’s hospital in Perth. This discovery is another example of the flouting of the national ban on asbestos by imports of toxic Chinese products. The CFMEU believes hundreds of workers at the site of the $1.2bn project could have been exposed. See: Asbestos found in $1.2b Perth Children's Hospital, says WA Health Minister.
Delays in Asbestos Remediation
Jul 13, 2016
Despite the stated intention of removing asbestos rooves from municipal buildings in the Portuguese capital by 2017, work has so far only been completed on 5 out of 42 contaminated buildings. Of the 14 schools included on this list, work has been completed in two and is underway in a further six, with two more contracts in preparation. This matter was tabled for discussion at the Municipal Assembly of Lisbon by Fabio Sousa. Councillors concerned at the lack of progress were informed of the reasons for the delays. See: Lisboa só concluiu remoção de amianto em cinco de 42 edifícios municipais [Asbestos removal only completed in Lisbon on five of 42 municipal buildings].
Remediation of Schools in Andalusia
Jul 13, 2016
Schools throughout Andalusia are contaminated with asbestos-containing products. The health hazard posed to children and school staff by toxic exposures has been a political hot potato for several months with increasing pressure being brought by parents’ and community groups. On July 12, 2016 it was announced that a 60 million euro plan to eradicate contamination in community colleges is being authorized by the Andalusian authorities. A removal program prioritizing older material is under consideration. See: El amianto de los colegios llega este martes al Parlamento andaluz [The issue of asbestos at colleges arrives at the Andalusian Parliament on Tuesday].
Replacement of Asbestos-Cement Pipes
Jul 13, 2016
Water delivery was disrupted last week with service restored on July 11, 2016 after employees of the Central Water Authority replaced a 30 meters long, 30 year old defective asbestos-cement water pipe in the north of Mauritius. The repairs took four days and were, said a company spokesman, not easy: “employees had to perform the work of excavation and installation by hand, hence the delay with this direct effect on water supply.” Some 300 families in several neighborhoods were affected. See: Remplacement d’un Tuyau en amiante: 300 Familles sans Eau pendant Quatre Jours [Replacement of Asbestos Pipes: 300 Families without Water for Four Days].
Victims’ Group Calls for Action
Jul 13, 2016
AFeVA, the Italian Association of Asbestos Victims and their Families, is calling on Mayors throughout the Italian province of Ravenna to quantify the health hazard posed by asbestos pollution. Citing as an example of good practice, work undertaken in Rubiera, an AFeVA spokesman said: “with a minimal expenditure, employing a company that uses drones, the city monitored the area in a short time and revealed the magnitude of the problem… [it then moved] on to the next phase of remediation and disposal.” See: AFeVA: “Amianto, si piangono le morti per il lavoro, ma non si fa nulla per prevenirle” [AFeVA: “they mourn those dead from asbestos exposures at work, but nothing is done to prevent further deaths”].
Union Alert over Chinese Gaskets
Jul 12, 2016
An alert has been issued by the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) over potential asbestos contamination after reports that asbestos-containing building material, installed by workers for the Chinese company Yuanda, had been discovered on a site in Brisbane’s central business district. CFMEU spokesman Aaron Cartledge said the union was “highly suspicious” that toxic gaskets exported from China could have been used by Yuanda workers during the construction of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. See: Asbestos discovery linked to Brisbane company that worked on new RAH and SAHMRI sites.
Call for Cape Verde Asbestos Ban
Jul 12, 2016
At an event on June 28, 2016 to promote asbestos awareness in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, the head of a Portuguese environmental non-governmental organization (Quercas) called for action to prevent hazardous asbestos exposures. Highlighting the need for asbestos audits of the built environment, John White called for legislation to ban future use throughout the country’s ten islands. Measures for quantifying the scale of the asbestos problem in the country were urgently needed said environmental campaigner Paulo Ferreira. See: Quercus quer inventário sobre edifícios com amianto em Cabo Verde [Quercus want inventory of buildings containing asbestos in Cape Verde].
Asbestos Ban, the Cheaper Option
Jul 11, 2016
Reports presented at a World Health Organization meeting by 13 asbestos using countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan and Ukraine – highlighted the health, legal, removal, replacement and legal costs of the continued use of asbestos. Failure to end asbestos use will, a WHO statement said, “lead to disease development and substantial medical costs.” See: WHO environment and health meeting on the economic costs of asbestos.
Quarry Shut over Asbestos Find
Jul 10, 2016
A prosecutor on Sardinia is investigating evidence that shows tremolite asbestos contamination of feldspar produced by a quarry in the Orani commune operated by Maffei Sarda Silicati SpA. In the meantime, on July 7, 2016 production and work at this site was officially shut down due to the potential health hazard posed by toxic exposures. Even when the presence of tremolite asbestos in feldspar exported to the US from this quarry was reported, no action had been taken by the company. This issue had never been reported to local or regional authorities. See: Amianto ad Orani, sigilli sulla cava della Maffei Sarda [Asbestos in Orani; Maffei Sarda quarry closed].
On the Move: European Commission
Jul 10, 2016
Although the majority of staff from the European Commission’s asbestos-riddled headquarters in Luxembourg’s Jean Monnet building had already relocated to new premises, 540 people – including personnel from the Commission’s Office for Infrastructure and Logistics – continued to work there. From September, their offices will be in a new temporary structure on Konrad Adenauer boulevard. The original Jean Monnet building will be demolished in 2017; the replacement building is scheduled to open in 2020. See: Le nouveau Jean-Monnet garanti sans amiante [The new Jean-Monnet guaranteed asbestos-free].
Asbestos News from Switzerland
Jul 9, 2016
The latest eight-page French language newsletter (June 2016) of Comité d'aide et d'orientation des victimes de l'amiante (CAOVA), an asbestos victims’ group based in Lausanne, features articles considering the lasting effects of occupational exposures to naturally-occurring asbestos in Switzerland, the story of one family’s asbestos battle, graphs and data detailing asbestos production over the last one hundred years and pictures illustrating the role that women have played in asbestos manufacturing in various countries. See: Comité d'aide et d'orientation des victimes de l'amiante bulletin N° 3 juin2016 [Swiss Asbestos Victims Group Newsletter June 2016].
Purchase of Toxic Locos from China
Jul 9, 2016
Even after asbestos-containing parts had been discovered in numerous locations on “supposedly” asbestos free locomotives built in China and imported to New Zealand two years ago, KiwiRail has announced it has ordered another 15 DL class locomotives from the same supplier. Of the original 24 trains purchased, at least half still contain asbestos. Asbestos has been found in the locomotives on the metal sheeting of the driver’s compartment, under paint, inside door panels, in roof cavities and in the locomotives’ gaskets. See: More Chinese trains to be bought despite asbestos headache.
Claimant’s Verdict in NJ Supreme Court
Jul 9, 2016
A verdict handed down on July 6, 2016 by the NJ Supreme Court in Schwartz v. Accuratus cited a 2006 precedent – Olivo v. Owens-Illinois – which had found that spouses who became ill after handling their partners’ asbestos-tainted clothing could be awarded damages. NJ Supreme Court Justice Jaynee LaVecchia explained: “Our reasoning in Olivo was not so much that Eleanor was married to a worker at Exxon who brought asbestos-contaminated clothing home from work but that it was foreseeable that she would be handling… asbestos-exposed clothes, which Exxon failed to protect at work and allowed to be taken home by workers.” See: Contaminated-Clothing Doctrine in Asbestos Cases Extended.
Uralita’s Deadly Legacy
Jul 9, 2016
A series of essays on the Spanish website of Rebelión painstakingly details issues related to the operations at and remediation of the Uralita asbestos factory in Bellavista, a neighbourhood of Seville. As a result of 60 years of asbestos processing, workers, relatives and local people have developed debilitating and deadly asbestos diseases. Although the industrial facilities were dismantled between 1998 and 2000, the pollution remains. Uralita waste was dumped locally and was used as hardcore beneath road surfaces. Toxic fibers were disseminated through the area from delivery lorries and processing operations. The contamination remains a potent health hazard. See: Bellavista, tierra preñada de amianto (I) [Ground in Bellavista is impregnated with asbestos (I).
Court Doubles Compensation
Jul 8, 2016
According to a ruling of the Sardinian Court of Cagliari, people dying from asbestos-related diseases after hazardous exposures in the military deserve the same level of compensation as those killed by terrorist incidents. The deceased in this case was a naval captain who died in 2009 from pleural mesothelioma having served his country for 32 years on asbestos-riddled ships. The Ministry of Defence was ordered to pay surviving family members 500 euro/month, the same as is paid to victims of terrorism. This is almost twice what the Ministry had been paying. See: Morire di amianto è come il terrorismo [To die from asbestos is like terrorism].
Asbestos Site now Dumping Ground
Jul 8, 2016
The site of a former asbestos manufacturing unit belonging to the Turner & Newall conglomerate is now being used as a dumping site according to local people who report constant arrivals of tipper lorries filled with waste. There has been no consultation for the rezoning of the area and no consultation about a change of use. Enquires to the council have elicited the response: “The council was unaware of activities on the site. The Environment Agency has been notified and site visits have been made. The Environment Agency enviro crime unit is now undertaking an investigation into the situation.” See: Outrage as former asbestos site becomes unauthorised waste dumping ground.
Australia’s Asbestos Legacy
Jul 7, 2016
A new analysis of Australian asbestos cancer data concludes that while current populations are receiving lower doses of hazardous exposures, the effect of low levels of exposures on large numbers of people will lead to substantial numbers of future mesotheliomas. To minimize the impact of third wave asbestos exposures – and bearing in mind the ubiquity of asbestos in Australian housing – it is recommended that: “Governments, employers, trade unions, regulators, tradesmen, asbestos removalists and households should take reasonable precautions when dealing with asbestos in future to reduce this risk.” See: The third wave.
Asbestos Incident in Tourist Town
Jul 7, 2016
The tranquillity of the picturesque town of Zadar was disturbed on July 1 by the discovery of asbestos contamination in Borak, an exclusive part of this popular Croatian destination. The presence of masked men in white overalls investigating a site twenty meters from the beach caused concern amongst visitors and local people who later learned that asbestos-cement roofing from the building had been illegally handled and disposed. Remediation workers were observed collecting the toxic debris for disposal at a licensed landfill. See: Scene kao iz filmova katastrofe: lovci na azbest šokirali turiste [Scenes from disaster movie, shocks tourists as asbestos is found].
Justice for Mesothelioma Victim
Jul 7, 2016
Yesterday (July 6, 2016), a one year suspended prison sentence was handed down to businessman Fernando Cioffi and compensation of over one million euros was awarded by Judge Enrico Borrelli to the sons of Paolino Tonidandel, a construction worker who died of mesothelioma in 2009, aged 67, just one year after he had been diagnosed with asbestos cancer. Throughout his career, the deceased had been hazardously exposed to asbestos roofing and other toxic materials. Charges against the defendant had been dropped in earlier court proceedings. The family’s victory has taken seven years. See: Amianto: condanna per morte operaio [Asbestos: conviction for worker's death].
Asbestos Legacy of Aboriginal People
Jul 6, 2016
A paper uploaded on July 3, 2016 discussed the incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in Aboriginal people in Western Australia (WA) and considered the main routes of asbestos exposure in this population using data from the WA Mesothelioma Register. Of the 39 cases (77% male) of MM among WA Aboriginal people, 26 (67%) were from exposure during crocidolite mining at Wittenoom and/or environmental contamination. The researchers stated that: “Aboriginals had consistently higher 10-year incidence rates than non-Aboriginals and, when compared to world populations, the highest mortality rate internationally.” See: Incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Aboriginal people in Western Australia.
Canadian Lies, Delays, Treachery
Jul 5, 2016
Despite a high-profile pledge by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ban asbestos in Canada, his government refused to support plans by the UN to regulate the global trade in chrysotile (white) asbestos according to papers submitted to a special workshop of the Rotterdam Convention held in Riga, Latvia on July 3-5, 2016. Asbestos lobbyists from Russia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Mexico, Quebec and Zimbabwe attended the meeting to forestall the designation of chrysotile as an Annex III hazardous substance. See: Asbestos industry fighting to destroy UN Convention that protects populations from asbestos harm.
Dangers Posed by Asbestos Ignorance
Jul 5, 2016
Data from the State Labour Inspectorate shows that public awareness of the asbestos hazard is low in Latvia. As an EU member, Latvia banned asbestos but surveillance of renovations and demolition projects is inadequate and workplace exposures are not infrequent. The disposal of asbestos-containing construction debris is also problematic. In the first nine months of 2015, there were only 14 applications for permits to undertake projects where the presence of asbestos was known. See: В ЕС ежегодно регистрируется до 30 000 случаев заболеваний, вызванных [In the EU, each year there are up to 30,000 cases of diseases caused by asbestos].
Replacing Pipework in the Cyclades
Jul 5, 2016
Tackling issues related to the provision of water to island municipalities in the South Aegean is the objective of a regional initiative. Proposals for water management projects which would improve the collection, distribution, processing and management of drinking water have been received, including a plan to replace deteriorating asbestos pipework on Antiparos, a small island in the heart of the Cyclades. Toxic asbestos water pipes are still being used; they are, says the Mayor, in a serious state of dilapidation. It is proposed to replace the asbestos pipes with a high density polyethylene delivery system. See: Πολύτιμη συμβολή στα ζητήματα ύδρευσης [Improving Water Infrastructure].
Europe’s Asbestos Epidemic
Jul 4, 2016
Dr. Jukka Takala has predicted that the number of asbestos cancer deaths in the EU 28 member states this year (2016) will be just under 60,000. The scale of the asbestos tragedy is confirmed in a new report by Dutch researchers which highlights the impact of workplace asbestos exposures: “asbestos is an important work-related carcinogen. Mesothelioma alone already accounts for approximately 15% of all work-related cancer deaths and some 10% of the new work-related cancer cases... the burden of asbestos-related cancer caused by past work-related exposure is continuing to increase.” See: The significance of work-related cancers in the EU.
National Asbestos Ban under Discussion
Jun 29, 2016
Brazil’s Commission of Environment and Sustainable Development is expected to vote this week on a report by Congressman Edson Duarte regarding the need for national legislation to prohibit asbestos. Currently, federal law supports the “controlled use” policy for chrysotile (white) asbestos, the only type of asbestos being sold. The National Association of Labour Court Judges, the National Association of Labour Attorneys and many civil society groups question the constitutionality of this policy which is responsible for ongoing toxic exposures to workers as well as members of the public. See: A proibição do amianto e a cara de nojinho [The prohibition of asbestos and the face of revulsion].
Trial begins over Asbestos Death
Jun 29, 2016
Manslaughter charges have been brought in the Massa Court against Pignone company engineer Vincenzo Pizzini who was, it is alleged, negligent during the 1960s of failing to protect workers from occupational asbestos exposures at a factory in the Italian Province of Tuscany. Scores of employees have already died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma; this case is over the death in 2013 of welder Cesare Ricci who was exposed to asbestos on a daily basis and was given no warning of the hazard and no protective equipment or clothing. See: Morte da amianto, ex dirigente del Pignone a processo [Asbestos death; former factory manager charged].
No More Asbestos in Europe!
June 28, 2016
An EU regulation signed on June 22, 2016 finally outlawed the use of all asbestos products in Member States by setting a 1 July 2025 deadline for a ban on the sole existing exemption: chrysotile-containing diaphragms for electrolysis operations in two chlor-alkali factories; one in Sweden and one in Germany. Although EU agencies had hoped to end the derogation by 2017, economic arguments were persuasive. Nevertheless, one of the companies has already stopped importing chrysotile and strict regulations exist to ensure workplace safety. See: EU Regulation 22 June 2016 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals as regards chrysotile asbestos fibres.
Support for all Mesothelioma Victims
Jun 28, 2016
According to the Federal Office of Public Health, consultation is progressing in Switzerland over new measures to provide financial benefits and psychological support for Swiss citizens who suffer from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, including those whose exposure occurred outside the workplace. Currently, 75% of the 120 victims diagnosed every year receive compulsory accident insurance benefits; a new fund is being created to dispense financial support to those whose exposures were non-occupational. Between 2016 and 2025, the cost of the new scheme is estimated at $102 million. See: Un soutien rapide pour les victimes de l'amiante [Rapid support for asbestos victims].
Concerns over Asbestos Legacy
Jun 28, 2016
Against fears regarding potential contamination caused by the removal of asbestos waste dumped by the Ibertubo company in Toledo, questions are being asked about the danger posed by the presence of toxic products in Spain’s schools. In Spain as in the UK the authorities rely on false reassurances that asbestos in buildings is safe as long as it remains undisturbed. This is untrue in every case but even more so in buildings which are more than 40 years old and in which deteriorating asbestos-containing material is releasing deadly fibers into the air. See: Operación de retirada de amianto en Toledo: el fiasco de Ibertubo [Asbestos removal operations in Toledo: the Ibertubo fiasco].
The Price of Asbestos Exports
Jun 27, 2016
As Canada awaits moves by Prime Minister Trudeau to make good on his promise to ban asbestos, the first ever estimate of the financial impact of Canadian asbestos-related cancers suggests that the annual cost could exceed $1.7-billion with each case costing an average of $818,000 according to calculations by the Institute for Work & Health. Asbestos is the biggest cause of occupational deaths in Canada with workers’ compensation boards having recognized more than 5,700 claims since 1996. Asbestos imports and exports remain legal in Canada, formerly the world’s largest asbestos producer. See: Asbestos-related cancer costs Canadians billions.
Asbestos-free Pre-School for Sri Lanka
Jun 27, 2016
Last Wednesday, June 22, 2016, a revolutionary new “green” pre-school was officially opened at a ceremony attended by government and business officials during which the Ceylon Institute of Builders issued the building with a Green Label certification. The new building, which is located in the small town of Ahangama in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province, was constructed of locally sourced soil stabilized brick blocks; the roof is composed of zinc aluminium sheets which are “100% asbestos free.” Other environmentally sustainable measures used in the pre-school include solar power and rainwater harvesting. See: First green pre-school in Sri Lanka constructed by Holcim Lanka.
Stricter Asbestos Regulations Agreed
Jun 27, 2016
It was announced last week that an agreement had been reached by Multilit and Isdralit, asbestos-using companies in the Brazilian State of Paraná, with the Labor Court stipulating that until asbestos use is ended the companies’ premises will be subject to environmental assessments to ensure that concentrations of asbestos fibers are below 0.1 f/cm3. In addition, compulsory medical examinations will be provided for current and former asbestos-exposed employees. Failure to comply with these regulations, will incur substantial fines. See: Até banir amianto, empresas precisam passar por avaliação periódica [Until asbestos is banned, companies must undergo periodic evaluations].
Mobilization of Victims Continues
Jun 27, 2016
Japanese asbestos victims, campaigners and supporters continue to press for asbestos justice with meetings this past weekend (June 25 & 26, 2016). On Saturday, June 25, scores of delegates took part in an event in Amagasaki City to mark the 11th anniversary of the Kubota Shock, a term signifying the moment when Japan’s epidemic of asbestos disease burst into the public consciousness with news that workers and community members had contracted diseases as a result of the operations of major Japanese corporations (see: Asbestos Profile: Japan). On June 26, the annual meeting of the national network of asbestos victims and their families was held. See: Photo of meeting marking the 11th anniversary of Japan’s Kubota Shock.
French Workers Win Court Victory
Jun 25, 2016
On June 24, 2016, the Court of Appeal in Paris issued a claimants’ ruling in a case brought by 80 employees and former employees from the Bosch factory in Drancy, Seine-Saint-Denis who were seeking compensation for hazardous exposures which occurred during the manufacture of asbestos-containing brake pads. Each claimant will receive €8,000 for “prejudice of anxiety” and a further €300 under Article 700 of the code of civil procedure (for legal fees). The damages will be paid by the current owner of the company, Honeywell. See: Amiante: victoire en appel pour les Bosch de Drancy [Asbestos: Victory on appeal for Bosch workers from Drancy].
Calls for Asbestos Ban
Jun 24, 2016
An article circulated by “News-Georgia,” documented the increasing pressure from civil society campaigners in Georgia for a ban on all asbestos-containing products in order to protect public and occupational health. Despite the fact that the International Agency for Research on Cancer acknowledges that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer, popular products – such as asbestos-containing roof tiles and pipes, fireproofing, insulation and brake pads – remain on sale; moreover, the delivery of drinking water is accomplished via asbestos pipes. See: В Грузии требуют запретить ввоз асбеста, вызывающего рак [Demand for ban on carcinogenic asbestos increasing in Georgia].
Taiwan Advancing Asbestos Ban
Jun 24, 2016
This recent (Chinese) commentary discussed calls by Taiwan legislators to advance plans for a total asbestos ban. Although there had been agreement to ban asbestos by 2018, politicians believe the Environmental Protection Agency must act sooner; a timetable to achieve this goal will be announced by the end of 2016 “to safeguard people’s health.” Concern was expressed about hazardous exposures to those in the construction sector who were working with waste materials containing asbestos. See: 立委疑2018年禁用致癌物「石棉」太晚 環保署承諾提前實施 [Legislators concerned about the use of carcinogenic asbestos have called on the EPA to speed up prohibitions].
Asbestos and the Brighton Bombing
Jun 23, 2016
Following the asbestos death last year (December 2015) of a police officer who had worked at the scene of the 1984 Brighton bombing, the Sussex police issued a warning on June 22, 2016 to other emergency service personnel who may have also been present at the scene. Alerts have also been sent to Conservative party members who were at the hotel for the Conservative party conference, Brighton and Hove city council, and Sussex University hospital NHS trust, warning that staff and others present at the scene could be affected. See: Brighton 1984 bomb may have exposed rescuers to asbestos.
Huge Judicial Win for Victims
Jun 23, 2016
Ban Asbestos France and the Henri Pezerat Association have distributed a joint press release welcoming a truly outstanding judicial development in France. A ruling by the Criminal Chamber of France’s Supreme Court of Appeal earlier this month (June 7, 2016) will allow charges for workplace asbestos deaths to proceed against former asbestos manager Claude Chopin. The family of those who have died from the hazardous exposures at the Amisol asbestos textile factory in Clermont-Ferrand have been waiting for justice for over 20 years! See Press release by Ban Asbestos France and Henri Pezerat Association: French, English, Spanish.
Asbestos at Ministry of Education
Jun 23, 2016
A survey undertaken in 2014 indicated that the Lisbon headquarters of the Education Ministry was free of asbestos. Last year another audit found that there were asbestos building materials, insulation products and fiber cement panels within the premises. Although “the concentration of respirable fibers in the air of the locations analyzed were below the legal limits,” medical screenings will be provided for all employees who worked in affected areas. See: Sede do Ministério da Educação afinal tem amianto [Asbestos at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Education in Lisbon].
Quantifying the Total Compensation Bill
Jun 21, 2016
On Monday, June 20, 2016, the Court trying the asbestos case against Olivetti executives heard that compensation being sought against former Olivetti officials by individual claimants and civil parties, including the City of Ivrea and AFEVA, a victims’ group from Casale Monferrato, exceeded €6 million. During the day, legal representatives of defendant Camilla Olivetti, CEO from March 1963 to May 1964, argued that charges against their client should be dropped. See: Sei milioni di risarcimento per le vittime dell’amianto all’Olivetti [Six million compensation for asbestos victims Olivetti].
Toxic Clouds Invade Residential Areas
Jun 21, 2016
As asbestos waste removal operations begin in the Toledo neighbourhood of Ibertubo, concern over multiple failures in implementing best practice protocols for protecting occupational and public health has been expressed in a press release issued by the group: Ecologists in Action. According to Spanish regulations “working procedures must be designed so as not to produce asbestos fibers or, if that proves impossible, to avoid the release of asbestos fibers in the air.” The clouds of dust being generated indicate that this is not being accomplished on this site. See: Amianto en Toledo, apoyo a los vecinos ante el fiasco en la retirada de residuos [Asbestos in Toledo, supporting neighbors living near the waste removal fiasco].
Support for Ban Asbestos Campaign
Jun 21, 2016
On June 18, 2016, a video was uploaded to YouTube exposing the devastation being caused in Colombia by the ongoing mining and use of asbestos. The seven-minute clip highlighted the collusion between government official Germán Vargas Lleras and his brother asbestos businessmen Enrique Vargas Lleras over the State’s construction of 100,000 houses roofed with asbestos-cement building material. For years, government bodies have embraced pro-asbestos propaganda disseminated by the industry’s lobbying group Ascolfibras which states that asbestos can be used safely. See: El asesino silencioso en Colombia y el mundo [The silent murderer in Colombia and the world].
Delays Increase Victims’ Despair
Jun 20, 2016
Blaming law firms for increasing the volume of compensation claims and outdated, microfiche machinery for breaking down, H M Revenue and Customs has reacted defensively to claims that victims dying of asbestos diseases are being deprived of their human rights by delays in providing information on tax records. While information is provided to some living mesothelioma victims in 10 days, other enquiries are taking an average of 383 days to be answered. Asbestos widow Marlene Hutchinson has been told it will take 18 months to receive information regarding her late husband’s work history. See: HMRC under fire over 'crazy' compensation cases backlog.
Factions and Forces in Asbestos War
Jun 18, 2016
Brazil’s asbestos policy is on the verge of a complete reversal after commercial organizations, under pressure from actions by the Ministry of Labor, decisions by the Courts and changes in consumer demands, have “voluntarily” agreed to phase out asbestos use and implement safer technologies. The stalwart pro-asbestos faction which continues to utilize asbestos and market toxic products consists of four business groups operating eight factories; amongst these stakeholders, the Eternit Group is the largest. See: Fim do Uso do Amianto no Sector de Fibrocimento esta Proximo [End of the Use of Asbestos Cement Near].
Transition to Non-Asbestos Technology
Jun 18, 2016
On June 16, 2016, one of Brazil’s major asbestos cement conglomerates entered into an agreement with the Labor Court to eliminate asbestos-based production by the end of 2018. The company – Multilit Fiber Cement SA, which has its headquarters in the city of São José dos Pinhais in the State of Paraná – pledged to retain 70% of current jobs using the new technology. The company also agreed to pay US$ ~176,000 (Reals 600,000) compensation to the Parananese Association of Asbestos Victims in twenty instalments. See: Em acordo na Justiça do Trabalho, Multilit se compromete a banir amianto até 2018 [In agreement with the Labor Court, Multilit commits to asbestos ban by 2018].
More Asbestos Deaths to Come
Jun 18, 2016
In the aftermath of the announcement by the New Zealand Government that asbestos imports will be banned by October 1, 2016, questions are being asked about the tragic impact of the country’s complacency on asbestos. It has been estimated that between 1954 and 2011, there were more than 5,000 asbestos-related deaths. It has been predicted that the peak of the country’s asbestos epidemic would be reached between 2030 and 2040. New Zealand did not regulate asbestos use until 1978 and did not ban imports of raw asbestos until 1984, long after other developed countries did so. See: Asbestos toll will climb for decades.
Government Fails to Revive Mines
Jun 17, 2016
The Government of Zimbabwe has been trying for several years to resurrect asbestos mining operations at the derelict Shabanie and Mashaba Mines by securing US$1 billion in foreign investment from Russia or China. Today a report has been published announcing that these efforts have failed “due to unfriendly economic policies… [and] low global demand for asbestos.” The two chrysotile (white) asbestos mines closed in 2008, four years after President Mugabe’s Government seized control of them from Mutumwa Mawere. Prior to that, Zimbabwe had been an asbestos producing country for several decades. See: Zimbabwe: No Suitor for Shabanie and Mashaba Mines.
Asbestos Public Hearing in São Paulo
Jun 17, 2016
On June 9, 2016 at an asbestos hearing in São Paulo (SP) held by the Ministry of Labor, State Representative Marcos Martins, author of the 12.684 / 2007 law banning asbestos in SP, reminded delegates: “There is no safe level for the use of asbestos. Exposure to the fiber can cause cancer, pleural mesothelioma and asbestosis, among many other problems, and even lead to death. We need to increase the supervision of traders, warn of damage to health and the extent of the prohibition law regarding the marketing of the [asbestos] products.” See: Comércio de amianto em SP é alvo do Ministério Público do Trabalho [Labour Prosecutor Targets Asbestos Trade in São Paulo].
Quebec Honors Ban Asbestos Activist
Jun 16, 2016
Details of an astonishing reversal of over a century of support for the deadly asbestos industry by the Canadian Province of Quebec are included in a report just uploaded by Kathleen Ruff, a ban asbestos activist who on June 9, 2016 received a Quebec National Assembly (QNA) medal as well as a standing ovation for her work to protect occupational and public health in Quebec. The unanimous motion passed by the QNA thanked Ms. Ruff: “for her perseverance in the fight to stop the mining of asbestos in Quebec and Canada, and to prohibit its use.” See: In historic turn-around, Quebec National Assembly applauds efforts to ban asbestos.
Protests over Asbestos Schools
Jun 16, 2016
Parents’ concerns over the presence of asbestos in hundreds of schools in Andalusia have been discussed in the Andalusian Parliament this week with little effect. While parents called for comprehensive asbestos audits to be undertaken of all school buildings as a matter of top priority, politicians rejected relevant proposals according to media reports. Francisco Puche, the representative of Platform Zero Asbestos (Málaga), says that a preliminary survey undertaken indicated that 30% of schools in Málaga could contain asbestos. See: Los padres de colegios con amianto recurren a la Fiscalía de Menores [Parents of children at asbestos schools turn to the Office of Children].
Lack of Asbestos Awareness
Jun 16, 2016
A survey undertaken in 14 different Pacific island countries and territories by the Pacific Hazardous Waste Management Project (PacWaste) – a €7.85 million euro project funded by the European Union to improve regional hazardous waste management across the Pacific – revealed that 60% of people, aged under 30 years, had little or no knowledge about the asbestos health hazard. Asbestos contamination is widespread on these islands and the import of asbestos-containing building materials remains legal. To tackle these issues, PacWaste will launch an asbestos education and awareness campaign later this year. See: Survey highlights importance of asbestos awareness.
New Zealand Bans Asbestos!
Jun 15, 2016
Against the backdrop of the unfolding scandal over the presence of asbestos in trains manufactured in China, the New Zealand government has announced plans to outlaw the import of asbestos-containing material as of October 1, 2016. According to Minister Nick Smith, the ban is being implemented to protect public health: “Exposure to asbestos,” he said “poses a risk of respiratory disease and is the single biggest cause of work-related fatalities, at 170 per year.” Import permits can be obtained for a few specialized items – such as old machinery or vintage aircraft – but only in “very select circumstances.” See: Hansards: Health and Safety – Asbestos.
Construction of Asbestos-free Housing
Jun 15, 2016
Estate agents for a “green” building complex due for completion in 2020-2021 in New Zelenograd, 40 miles from central Moscow, are marketing residential units with information about energy efficiency due to specialized window glass, drinkable tap water sourced from a doubly filtered water intake and the use of asbestos-free products. Promotional material acknowledges that asbestos is a carcinogen that has been banned in Europe; in Russia, however, asbestos remains widely used “for facade panels, insulation, bricks, sealants and so on.” This new development will only use asbestos-free materials. See: «Зеленые» технологии в массовом сегменте [“Green” technology for the mass market].
Strike over School Contamination
Jun 15, 2016
Parents citing the precautionary principle have withdrawn their children from a second day of classes at the Reggio de Puerto Real school in the Spanish city of Cadiz, Andalusia. A spokesperson for the parents said that in the absence of assurances that children are safe at this school, steps must be taken to remediate the building before children are allowed to return to classes. Attempts by government and municipal officials to resolve the situation at meetings with the parents were unsuccessful. The parents have threatened legal action and the matter is due to be discussed in Parliament. See: El conflicto del amianto en el Reggio se enquista en el segundo día de huelga [Asbestos conflict in Reggio enters second day of strike].
Youth Day in Asbestos Hotspot
Jun 14, 2016
June 16 is South Africa’s annual day to commemorate the role of the country’s youth in the liberation struggle from apartheid. On this day a community asbestos outreach program, organized by a local campaigning body – the Asbestos Interest Group – and supported by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, will be held for 120 students in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District of the Northern Cape province, a former asbestos mining region. Subjects to be discussed on the day include: the dangers of asbestos and the nature of and treatment for asbestos-related diseases. This initiative has been endorsed by the Department of Education. A report on the activities will be featured on this site in due course.
Asbestos Cancer Victim Calls for Ban
Jun 14, 2016
In the aftermath of a decision by the Colombian Senate not to prohibit asbestos use, one victim told her story to a journalist from Semana, a popular weekly magazine. Ana Cecilia Niño was diagnosed with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in September 2014. During her childhood, her family had lived close to an Eternit asbestos-cement factory in the city of Sibaté, south of Bogotá. To protect public health it was absolutely essential for politicians to take urgent action to prevent hazardous exposures; the best way to do so was to ban asbestos. See: La mujer que demandó a la Nación por no prohibir el asbestos [The woman who sued the nation for not banning asbestos].
Calls to Jail Olivetti Executives
Jun 14, 2016
During court proceedings in Italy this week, prosecutors Laura Longo and Francesca Traverso asked the judge to hand down prison sentences of up 6 years 7 months for company executives facing charges over the asbestos deaths of Olivetti workers. It is alleged that during the 1980s and 1990s the managers of the Ivrea factory did not take action to prevent hazardous occupational asbestos exposures as a result of which many employees got sick and died. The verdict is expected in mid-July 2016. See: Amianto all'Olivetti, l'accusa chiede la condanna degli ex vertici [Asbestos Olivetti, prosecution seeks prison sentences for former leaders].
Asbestos Finds Delay Building Works
Jun 13, 2016
A major infrastructure project in Paris has been stalled because of the discovery of actinolite asbestos in road surfaces. The delays caused to work on the new tramway is proving expensive and is one example of the problems being caused by such discoveries at a number of sites in Brittany and Bordeaux. Naturally occurring actinolite is present in some aggregates from quarries which, when mixed with bitumen, are used on road surfaces. Building owners, municipal authorities and private contractors are looking to the government for assistance. See: Amiante naturel dans le bitume: la nouvelle menace qui paralyse les travaux publics [Natural asbestos in bitumen: the new threat that paralyzes public works].
Distribution of Contaminated Material
Jun 13, 2016
Twenty building sites (including a new build school) in Co Wicklow and Dublin were supplied with asbestos-contaminated material from the Ballinclare quarry in south Wicklow. The quarry has been closed since the Health and Safety Authority confirmed the presence of naturally occurring asbestos in the stone it produces. Steps are being taken to remediate the situation at the building sites and to return 25,000 tons of material to the quarry where it will be disposed of according to mandatory protocols. See: Twenty building sites sent material containing asbestos.
Catalonia’s Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Jun 11, 2016
The Catalan Government’s Minister of Health Toni Comín told Parliament this week that the number of asbestosis patients admitted to Catalan hospitals has doubled since 2006. Last year (2015), there were 361 hospitalizations of 245 patients with this type of pulmonary fibrosis. An increasing number of deaths from asbestos cancers amongst workers and members of the public has also been recorded in the Catalan region with rising mortality in cities such as Cerdanyola del Vallès, formerly home to one of Uralita’s biggest asbestos factories. See: Els ingressos hospitalaris per l’amiant creixen un 83% en 10 anys [Hospital asbestos admissions rise 83% in 10 years].
Activist Honored in Asbestos Province
Jun 10, 2016
On June 9, 2016, ban asbestos activist Kathleen Ruff was honoured by the National Assembly of Quebec, until 2012 the heartland of Canada’s asbestos mining operations, for her efforts to shut down an industry which caused fatal illnesses and premature death to workers as well as members of the pubic. Member of the National Assembly Dr Amir Khadir presented Ms. Ruff with a National Assembly medal and highlighted her role in preventing the expansion of Quebec’s Jeffrey Asbestos Mine. See: Médaille de l'Assemblée nationale - Amir Khadir souligne le travail d'une militante anti-amiante [Medal of the National Assembly - Amir Khadir highlights the work of anti-asbestos activist].
Hearing Highlights Asbestos Crimes
Jun 10, 2016
Yesterday (June 9, 2016) afternoon, a public hearing on asbestos was held in São Paulo, Brazil convened by the São Paulo’s Ministry of Labor to discuss the illegal trade in asbestos products, which are prohibited in the State, and to remind all stakeholders – including owners of building materials outlets, employers, construction unions and others – of their obligations under São Paulo Law 12.684 of June 26, 2007. State inspectors have identified several commercial premises where asbestos-containing products, especially asbestos-cement roofing tiles, are still being sold. See: Audiência pública discutirá amianto [Asbestos Public Hearing].
The Fight Goes On!
Jun 10, 2016
Determined ban asbestos activists in Colombia have denounced the actions this week of seven Senators who blocked a bill to ban asbestos. The campaigners have named and shamed the following politicians: Carlos Enrique Soto, Sofía Gaviria, Antonio José Correa, Edison Delgado, Mauricio Delgado, Honorio Henríquez and Álvaro Uribe, and have urged supporters to take to social media, email, facebook and other outlets to make their views known about the urgent need to protect citizens from deadly exposures to asbestos. See: Lobby de industria de asbesto hunde proyecto de ley [Asbestos industry lobby sinks bill].
Remediation of Asbestos Contamination
Jun 10, 2016
On June 8, 2016, work began to remove asbestos cement debris from the Toledo Ramabujas stream, in the district of Santa Maria de Benquerencia, Spain. Specialist contractors cordoned off the area and installed a decontamination booth for remediation workers who have been provided with specialist equipment to undertake the task according to safety protocols. The work is expected to take a week during which 41 tons of waste will be removed at a cost of €16,639. The final bill for the work will be passed on to the owners of the land. See: La CHT inicia la retirada de los restos de amianto en Toledo [The CHT begins removing dumped asbestos waste in Toledo].
Improved Compensation Regime
Jun 10, 1016
Changes made this week to the Workers Compensation Act 1951 will ensure that workers in Australia’s capital city with fatal asbestos-related diseases will be able to secure compensation during their lifetimes. The new amendments will allow eligible workers to make a claim with the Default Insurance Fund without first having to exhaust all other avenues of compensation. Eligible workers will also receive a lump sum statutory payment of $140,505 as well as earlier access to essential services such as medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses. See: Quicker, fairer compensation system for Canberra workers affected by asbestos.
Schools: Priority for Asbestos Removal
Jun 9, 2016
At a press conference on Wednesday June 8, 2016 in Arrábida, Portugal’s Minister of Environment John Matos Fernandes confirmed that amongst new legislation on environmental and urban regeneration, the government will address the problem of the asbestos contamination of 2,000 public buildings with resources from a €200 million budget. The Ministry of Education will oversee the removal of asbestos from public schools which is considered a top priority. See: Governo dá prioridade à retirada de amianto das escolas [Government prioritizes asbestos removal from schools].
Killer Company Back in Town
Jun 9, 2016
Australia’s notorious James Hardie Company (JH), which has off-loaded much of its asbestos liabilities on Australian taxpayers, has announced that after “going dark” for a decade amid the asbestos scandal, it will restart marketing its products once again in Australia with a campaign that targets younger customers who would “not so readily associate the company with its asbestos-tainted history.” The company’s Asia Pacific marketing head, George O’Neil said: “We were surprised when we started doing focus groups, there is actually a huge amount of love out there for the [JH] brand and for the products we make.” See: James Hardie markets itself to Australia after a decade in the dark.
Court Reinstates Asbestos Case
Jun 8, 2016
A ruling on June 7, 2016 by France’s Supreme Court revoked the dismissal of charges against former asbestos factory director Claude Chopin. Asbestos victims and lawyers plan to restart proceedings relating to Chopin’s management of the “coffin factory” in Clermont-Ferrand. Chopin had been indicted in 1999; in 2013 and 2015 the Court of Appeal dismissed charges against him. On June 7, the Court said that Chopin “had a duty, in his capacity as chief of establishment and employer… to personally ensure constant compliance with regulations on hygiene and safety of workers.” See: Amiante: non-lieu annulé, le procès Amisol relancé? [Asbestos: no case cancelled, Amisol trial to be revived?].
Defeat for Asbestos Ban
Jun 8, 2016
News has been received that a draft bill to ban asbestos in Colombia has been defeated by a vote of 7 to 4 by the Senate body which deals with health issues. The Senate’s debate on draft bill 97/2015 which prohibited the production, marketing, export, import and distribution of any variety of asbestos in Colombia began in early April 2016. There has been intensive lobbying by commercial vested interests including Eternit Colombiana S.A., Eternit Pacifico S.A., and Eternit Atlántico S.A. The Senate’s debate continued at a hearing on May 24 and the vote was taken on June 7. Despite this setback, asbestos victims and ban asbestos activists remain determined to end the production and use of asbestos in Colombia.
Illegal Imports of Asbestos
Jun 8, 2016
According to an announcement made on June 8, 2016 by Attorney-General John Rau of the State of Southern Australia, an Adelaide company has been caught using banned building products in the production of portable structures and facilities at a local work site. The materials were imported from China and contained asbestos. The discovery was made as a result of investigations conducted by SafeWork SA. “There is,” said Rau, “no current immediate risk of exposure from the asbestos-containing sheeting in portable buildings manufactured by the company.” This is just the latest discovery of asbestos-containing products imported to Australia from China. See: Asbestos found at SA work site.
Ministry Supports Asbestos Deadline
Jun 7, 2016
Attempts by vested interests in the Brazilian municipality of São José dos Pinhais to secure a postponement of a deadline to end asbestos use have been denounced by the Ministry of Labor in Paraná (MPT) which has issued a statement deploring a legislative amendment that seeks to allow a further six year phase-out period during which asbestos production could continue. The MPT, which called this extension a “really absurd postulation,” has advised local councillors not to approve the amendment. See: MPT recomenda que vereadores não aprovem uso do Amianto [MPT recommends that councillors do not approve use of asbestos].
Asbestos Industry: A Criminal Conspiracy
Jun 7, 2016
A blog uploaded today (June 7, 2016) highlights the decades-old work by asbestos vested interests to minimize their asbestos liabilities through fair means and foul. It details steps taken by Bendix (Honeywell), Union Carbide, Ford and George Pacific, among others, to prevent claimants from securing compensation and to manipulate the scientific debate about the causation of asbestos-related diseases. Although the focus of this text is on the damage done to workers in the US, the same companies have caused misery to workers at factories and facilities around the world. See: Asbestos Industry Covered Up Danger for Decades, and Evades Responsibility Today.
Removal of Asbestos Awnings
Jun 7, 2016
On June 6, 2016, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) announced it would replace corrugated roof awnings of most of the 349 terraced houses it manages in Chip Bee Gardens as a safety precaution as it is believed that most of them could contain asbestos. The SLA said that this work would be done even though the health risks posed to occupants remains low. In order to ensure that no asbestos is released into the environment, the removal work will be carried out by an approved contractor under supervision according to guidance issued by the Manpower Ministry which regulates the replacement and removal of asbestos. See: Roof awnings at Chip Bee Gardens to be replaced due to asbestos.
Community Action on Asbestos Hazard
Jun 6, 2016
Under the banner of “My community without asbestos” [Mi barrio sin Amianto], members of the El Tajo Neighborhood Association held an outreach project in Alcáceres, in the heart of the Santa Maria de Benquerencia neighbourhood, to call for zero tolerance of asbestos contamination in their area. According to media reports: “It was a festive day of protest, with workshops and children's games, lectures, a photographic exhibition, bar and paella and musical performances with bands like Humo Sapiens, Lujamen Brothers, Alvaro Gomez, Trifolka and Nifelite.” See: Fiesta contra el amianto en el Polígono [Party against asbestos in the Polygon].
Preventing Asbestos Fly-tipping
Jun 6, 2016
On Saturday, June 4, 2016 two landfills in Auxois, in the Burgundian region of France, accepted deposits of asbestos debris at no charge under a community scheme to stop people from illegally dumping asbestos waste on roadsides, in country areas and in nature reserves. During the day, members of the public were able to bring asbestos-containing roofing material, pipes and other such waste to collection points in Maconge and Mont-Saint-Jean. See: Deux déchetteries de l’Auxois sud ont collecté de l’amiante [Two landfills south of Auxois accept asbestos debris].
Award for Ban Asbestos Campaigner
Jun 4, 2016
Veteran asbestos activist Kathleen Ruff is to receive a medal of honour on Thursday, June 9, 2016 from Quebec’s National Assembly for her work to shut down Canada’s asbestos trade. Having long been regarded by the Quebec industry and political establishment as public enemy number 1, this development marks a sea change in the perception of a substance formerly nicknamed “white gold.” The announcement of this award follows just a few weeks after Canada’s new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government would “move to ban asbestos.” See: Kathleen Ruff: How one single-minded activist helped turn the tide on asbestos.
Victory for Workers in Normandy
Jun 4, 2016
The French State was ordered on Wednesday by an administrative court in Caen, northern France to pay more than a million euros to 127 former asbestos-exposed employees of DCN (Direction des Constructions Navales), a company in which the State was a majority shareholder. Each worker will receive compensation of up to €8,000 for the anxiety of knowing they could, like their fellow workmates, succumb to a “a serious pathology, which could cause death.” See: Amiante: l'Etat doit payer un million d'euros à 127 ex-salariés de DCN [Asbestos: the state must pay one million euros to 127 former employees of DCN].
Alert on Asbestos and other Hazards
Jun 3, 2016
A commentary written in the run up to China’s implementation of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships has contrasted the “passive acceptance” of the on-board presence of asbestos-containing material of Chinese shipowners with the strict regulation and prohibitions demanded by foreign owners. Material inspections, third party audits, strict management controls are just some of the many expensive stipulations required to deal with the asbestos maritime hazard. See: 林洪山：遏制有害物质需要全面动员 [Containment of hazardous substances requires a comprehensive mobilization].
Uralita Charges over more Asbestos Deaths
Jun 2, 2016
On June 1, 2016, the families of 10 deceased workers from Spain’s Uralita asbestos-cement company progressed legal proceedings in a Madrid court over the company’s negligence regarding high levels of occupational workplace exposures to asbestos. The Judge has announced that each case will be tried separately; damages of €300,000 are being sought. A class action over these charges had been suspended 4 years ago; since then 8 of the 10 workers had died from asbestos-related diseases. See: Los trabajadores de Uralita no pudieron ver en vida cómo se hacía justicia [Uralita workers could not see justice done in their lifetime].
Government Asbestos Alert
Jun 1, 2016
On May 31, 2016, Cambodia’s Labour Minister Ith Sam Heng called on employers to take action on the asbestos hazard, a substance which is commonly used in the country. “What is important,” he told delegates to an asbestos conference in Siem Reap “is the health of the employee. So the ministry wants employers and enterprise owners to be aware of the disadvantages of asbestos, which could affect employees’ health.” Reacting to these comments, one observer pointed out that the government has a responsibility to act on the human health risks posed by deadly exposures to asbestos. In August 2015, the Cambodian Government issued a proposal to ban asbestos; no follow up action has been taken. See: Employers warned on asbestos.
Apportioning Blame: Who Pays the Bill
Jun 1, 2016
On May 20, 2016, Judge William Kearns strongly denounced Australia’s “asbestos giant” – James Hardie – for “decades of silence” that left thousands of Newcastle Dockyard workers “dealing with asbestos products needed for ship building.” The Judge found that James Hardie, Newcastle Dockyard and its owner, the State of New South Wales, knew the dangers of asbestos in 1962 and did nothing to protect those at risk of occupational exposures prior to 1977. Judge Kearns held the State responsible for the majority of compensation paid to eight workers with Hardie responsible for up to 40% of compensation in the case of one worker. See|: Eight former Newcastle Dockyard workers are at the centre of a legal case over asbestos liabilities.
Living with a Deadly Legacy
May 31, 2016
Every breath is a struggle for German asbestosis sufferer Ludwig Jovanovic. The seventy-seven year old former fitter and welder was one of thousands who built the country’s infrastructure with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of asbestos. Receiving support and compensation for asbestos-related diseases can be complex and time consuming in Germany and victims have to prove that they were exposed to asbestos to access benefits. According to occupational physician Thomas Kraus from University Hospital, Aachen a global ban on asbestos is needed to prevent other countries from experiencing the same catastrophe as Germany. See: Wie Asbest die Lunge zerstört [How asbestos destroys the lungs].
Constitutional Court’s Landmark Verdict
May 30, 2016
After criminal convictions of Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny for the asbestos deaths of thousands of Italians were voided on a technicality by Italy’s Supreme Court in 2014, charges for 240 other asbestos deaths were brought by the Turin Public Prosecutor. Schmidheiny’s defense team alleged these charges were invalid following the concept of double jeopardy whereby a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime. This argument has been considered by Italy’s constitutional court which will issue its ruling over whether the case can proceed on May 31. See: Eternit bis, Casale torna a mobilitarsi per tutti i morti di Amianto [Eternit encore, Casale returns to mobilize over asbestos deaths].
Japan Asbestos Victims Meeting
May 29, 2016
On Saturday, May 28, 2016, Ban Asbestos Japan (BANJAN) held its 28th annual meeting in Tokyo. The session was attended by 150+ victims, relatives and supporters. BANJAN’s discussions were preceded by an outreach initiative outside Sinjuku station during which BANJAN members distributed asbestos awareness material. Coming shortly after a recent mass demonstration in Tokyo by construction workers who demanded justice and support for the asbestos injured, there can be no doubt about the continuing resilience and commitment of Japan’s asbestos victims. See: Picture of BANJAN Mobilization in Tokyo.
Struggle to Ban Asbestos in Colombia
May 29, 2016
On May 24, 2016, debate continued on the 2015 bill to ban asbestos by Colombian politicians. One of the main arguments advanced by those supporting the continued use of asbestos is the “fact” that there have been no cases of asbestos disease in Colombia. This “fact” has been revealed as incorrect by footage including interviews with several patients with asbestos disease (see: Colombia’s Asbestos Victims). On June 2, a public forum is being held for students to learn about the reality of life with asbestos cancer in Colombia. See: Petition update: Si hay víctimas del asbesto en Colombia [Petition update: Colombia’s asbestos victims].
Asbestos on the Water
May 28, 2016
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority has given permission for Anbis Development Ltd., a Bangladesh-based company, to transport via waterways 1000 metric tons of asbestos sheets from West Bengal (India) to Agartala, the capital of the Indian state of Tripura. The consignment will leave from the West Bengal port of Haldia and proceed to the Ashuganj river port of Bangladesh and then go by road to Argartala. The transport has been costed at Rs192 per metric ton. This initiative is being undertaken in response to a shortage of construction materials in Tripura due to bad road conditions. See: Tripura to get asbestos via waterways of Bangladesh.
Italy’s Asbestos Debacle
May 28, 2016
Despite a well-publicized commitment by the central government to make the Italian town of Casale Monferrato asbestos-free by 2020, funds to carry out this work remain frozen as bureaucratic wrangles continue over remediation protocols. Calls for urgent action on the serious health risk to citizens are being made by politicians, community leaders, regional authorities and others. See: Amianto: da Casale Monferrato alle scuole contaminate, perchè la battaglia continua [Asbestos: from Casale Monferrato to contaminated schools, the battle continues].
Asbestos Exposures at EU Parliament
May 27, 2016
After hearing evidence regarding asbestos exposures at the European Parliament’s Strasbourg headquarters in 2013, today (May 27, 2016), a guilty verdict was handed down on the behaviour of two of the three defendants. The guilty parties received suspended prison sentences of three months and fines of €20,000. A criminal case pending in this matter is yet to be decided as are claims brought by some of the 330 asbestos-exposed individuals and the European Parliament which has begun proceedings to recover sums spent on the remediation of the building. See: Amiante au Parlement européen: prison et amende avec sursis requis [Asbestos in the European Parliament: suspended prison sentence and fine].
Consequences of Asbestos in Italian Schools
May 27, 2016
Asbestos contamination is present at more than 2,400 schools throughout Italy. Data from 2015, recorded 63 mesothelioma deaths amongst school staff; those worst affected included: primary school teachers (10), high school teachers (6), intermediate teachers (6), janitors, etc. (6), chemical engineers (5), researchers, technical graduates and similar (3) and middle school teachers (3). A trial starting on June 29, 2016 in Florence will be the first Italian case for the death of a school teacher from asbestos disease. See: Stop amianto nelle scuole, scoppia la polemica a sinistra [Eliminate asbestos in schools, controversy amongst left-wing parties].
Fallout from Bush Fires
May 27, 2016
As clean-up operations have been proceeding in the town of Yarloop after bush fires in January destroyed 72,000 hectares of land and 181 properties and businesses, discoveries have been made of asbestos and lead debris much of which was found up to half a metre below ground. It’s believed that these deposits were attempts to dispose of unwanted toxic products created by demolition work in the 1950s and 1960s. State recovery coordinator Bob Hay has reassured local people that everything will be done to ensure that affected areas are remediated so that people can “rebuild their homes without concerns that they're being constructed in an unsafe environment.” See: Yarloop fire: clean-up uncovers asbestos and lead underground.
European Parliament Asbestos Exposures
May 26, 2016
On May 25, 2016, court proceedings began in the trial over asbestos exposures at the Strasbourg headquarters of the European Parliament in 2013 which endangered the health of more than 300 people many of whom have brought legal actions. The European Parliament has also brought a lawsuit against multiple defendants including an architect, project manager and contractor who were engaged in work at the Winston Churchill building; constructed in the 1970s, it is the oldest part of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. See: Amiante au Parlement européen: première journée du procès à Strasbourg [Asbestos in the European Parliament: first day of trial in Strasbourg].
Environmental Asbestos Hazard
May 26, 2016
Twenty-eight bags containing construction debris marked asbestos were found dumped in a rural area near Mission City in British Columbia, Canada last weekend (May 21-22, 2016). Commenting on the implications of hazardous fly-tipping, policeman Sergeant. Shaun Wright said: “Those materials can also present a significant health risk to the thousands of people who utilize the area for recreation as well as the wildlife which live in the area.” The District of Mission Public Works Department has engaged a specialist disposal company to remove the asbestos. See: Bags of asbestos found dumped in Stave West.
Action on Chemical Hazard – Finally?
May 25, 2016
On May 24, 2016, the Toxic Substances Control Act, a contentious bipartisan bill to overhaul federal regulation of asbestos and other dangerous chemicals in the US, was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives. On May 23, the White House said it would support the much-needed legislation in order to allow the federal government to evaluate and act on the use of hazardous chemicals. While critics, including Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, said the bill was too weak, others like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi felt it would “protect families and communities from toxic substances.” See: White House backs bill to overhaul asbestos regulation.
Implications of Italian Court Ruling
May 24, 2016
A Brazilian blog underlines the significance for asbestos victims in Brazil of a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court expected on May 31, 2016 in Rome. Swiss entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny, whose Eternit asbestos group operated in Italy, Brazil and scores of other countries, faces charges related to the asbestos deaths of 258 people between 1989 and 2014; 66 were former Eternit workers, the rest were members of the public. See: Corte Constitucional Italiana Julga em 31/5 mais um processo crime contra o Billardário Suíça do Amianto, Stephen Schmidheiny [Italian Constitutional Court Judgment May 31 on another Criminal Case against Swiss Billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny].
Gold Mining and the Asbestos Hazard
May 24, 2016
Plans by a Canadian gold mining company to commence operations in the town of Ierissos in northern Greece have raised serious objections from local people who calculate that the mine could produce eight million tonnes of asbestos-laden dust every year. Earlier this month (May 2016), the Greek Environment Ministry approved a technical study that allowed development of the mine to resume after work had been suspended in January. According to Reuters: “An official with the Greek energy ministry said in an interview [on May 6] that it had approved an amended technical study for Skouries to ensure that workers are safe from asbestos.” See: Skouries mine an asbestos hazard.
Ruling by Social Security Directorate
May 24, 2016
The Directorate of the National Institute of Social Security in Gipuzkoa, Spain, has acknowledged that the cancer death of an electrician employed by the steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal was due to asbestos exposure. This ruling paves the way for future asbestos lawsuits. The deceased received no warnings about the asbestos hazard; no protective measures were taken by the company. This case was progressed by the Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras, the Workers' Commission. See: La viuda de un trabajador de Arcelor Olaberria que falleció por enfermedad derivada de amianto verá incrementada su pension [Pension of asbestos widow to be increased].
California Court Reinstates Plaintiff’s Verdict
May 24, 2016
On May 23, 2016, the California Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s ruling to reinstate a multimillion-dollar jury verdict for the family of a worker who died from mesothelioma after asbestos exposure experienced whilst employed as a warehouseman and truck driver from 1969 to 1979 for a company that sold cement piping containing crocidolite asbestos. Damages of $5 million were awarded against the Special Electric Co., which supplied the asbestos without a warning label, and the pipe manufacturer Johns-Manville Corp. See: State Supreme Court rules for worker who was exposed to asbestos.
Civil Servants Win New Rights
May 24, 2016
Public servants who contract asbestos-related diseases from workplace exposures will be entitled to early retirement, aged 60, when new legislation is adopted according to a statement made on May 23, 2016 by the Minister of Public Service during a plenary session of the Joint Council of Public Service. Through a revision of Article 146 of the Finance Act 2016, the same rights will be given to public sector workers with asbestos-related diseases as are already provided to private sector workers. See: Bientôt de nouveaux droits pour les fonctionnaires victimes de l'amiante [Soon new rights for civil servants with asbestos diseases].
Unions Call for Asbestos Eradication Program
May 23, 2016
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has just released a guidance document entitled: “Asbestos – time to get rid of it” which highlights the existence in Britain of an asbestos epidemic – 5,000 Britons die every year from asbestos-related diseases – and categorically states that “so long as this asbestos is in place, workers will continue to be exposed and thousands more will die as a result of exposure.” Casting aspersions on the advice that asbestos-containing products can be “managed,” safely the TUC guidance document calls for “an agreed plan to safely remove and dispose of all asbestos once and for all.” See: Asbestos – time to get rid of it.
Critique of Causation Criteria
May 23, 2016
The Collegium Ramazzini, an international scientific organization which monitors developments in occupational and environmental medicine, has this month (May 2016) published a critique of 2014 criteria for the pathological diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases agreed by a committee convened by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) in Helsinki. Reliance on recommendations made in the FIOH report will, the authors predict, lead to under-diagnosis of legitimate cases, failure to compensate asbestos claims and lost opportunities to identify at-risk groups. See: Collegium Ramazzini: Comments on the 2014 Helsinki Consensus Report on Asbestos.
Rally by Injured Construction Workers
May 25, 2016
Three thousand protesters attended a rally at Tokyo’s Hibiya amphitheater on May 20, 2016 demanding the Japanese government and manufacturers of asbestos-containing building materials compensate them for injuries contracted through workplace exposures. The demonstrators called for the establishment of an asbestos victims’ compensation fund financed by the government and negligent corporations. Union leaders, politicians and victims’ advocates addressed the rally. See: アスベスト被害 ３０００人決起元労働者や遺族「早期解決を」 [Asbestos protest: 3000 former workers and bereaved families demand “early resolution”].
Italy’s Silent Massacre
May 25, 2016
The presence of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of asbestos-containing material in schools, hospitals, army barracks, homes and industrial sites on Sicily constitutes an ongoing threat to health. There are asbestos hotspots on the island where high incidences of asbestos cancer have been identified in areas with large petrochemical complexes. "Sicily was,” this article explains the “colony of the most dangerous industries that the North did not want.” By 2011, a total of 1,084 cases of asbestos cases had been recorded in Sicily. See: Amianto, in Sicilia un centinaio di morti nel 2015 [Asbestos, in Sicily a hundred deaths in 2015].
Protest by Construction Workers
May 21, 2016
On May 20, 2016, 3,000 construction workers held a public rally in Tokyo in support of the rights of construction workers injured by asbestos exposures. The event was a physical manifestation of the frustration of those marginalized by workplace diseases which defendants refuse to acknowledge despite legal precedents recognizing the negligence of government agencies and commercial organizations which failed to protect workers from the asbestos hazard. After the rally, protesters demonstrated outside the headquarters of the Taiheiyo Cement Corporation, a manufacturer of construction materials. See: Photo of event.
Calls for Asbestos Compensation Fund
May 21, 2016
On Thursday, May 19, cross-party support was expressed by the Basque Parliament for the establishment of a National Asbestos Compensation Fund by the Congress of Deputies in Madrid in recognition of the thousands of asbestos victims poisoned by exposure to the 2.6 million tonnes of asbestos used in Spain during the 20th century. Draft legislation proposed by the Basque politicians deplored the fact that thousands of asbestos victims were forced to fight protracted lawsuits to “claim their rights”; a national no-fault scheme would resolve this situation. See: El Parlamento Vasco pide a Madrid un fondo para víctimas del Amianto [Basque Parliament calls on Madrid to set up asbestos victims’ fund].
Risk from Naturally Occurring Asbestos
May 21, 2016
Questions are being raised about the capacity and desire of government agencies to monitor the liberation of asbestos fibers generated by infrastructure work ongoing near Boulder City, Nevada. There are no state laws or protective standards for naturally occurring asbestos; the only Nevada asbestos laws relate to exposures in buildings or during demolition work. As the construction of the highway bypass is federally-funded, OSHA standards must be provided for workers; these safeguards do not apply to members of the public who live or work in areas where asbestos fibers have been liberated by the construction. See: I-Team: Who's monitoring asbestos levels?
Chrysotile and Lung Cancer Mortality
May 20, 2016
Research undertaken over a number of years regarding the incidence of lung cancer mortality amongst a cohort of workers from a factory in Chongqing, China which used only white (chrysotile) asbestos for 40 years found that “chrysotile workers had a threefold-increased risk of lung cancer death… the high exposure group had a sixfold-increased risk of lung cancer death.” A paper just published confirms that “chrysotile exposure is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer mortality and development of asbestosis …” See: Exposure-Response Estimate for Lung Cancer and Asbestosis in a Predominantly Chrysotile-Exposed Chinese Factory Cohort.
Justice Under Asbestos Roof?
May 19, 2016
A petition was admitted by the Calcutta high court on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 against the presence of asbestos on the roof of the Court. The complainant seeks the removal of this material as it is “carcinogenic to humans.” After this week’s hearing, Justice Datta acknowledged the serious nature of the problem and scheduled a further hearing for June 7. If the situation has not been remedied by then, the Judge promised to follow up as he is a “member of the building committee of the court.” See: Portions of high court roof made of carcinogenic asbestos.
Schedule for Turin Asbestos Litigation
May 17, 2016
During court hearings on May 16 in a case against eighteen Olivetti defendants, including high-profile businessmen and politicians, who are facing charges of manslaughter and negligence over twelve asbestos deaths amongst workers, 100+ documents were submitted to the Judge by the prosecutor regarding Olivetti’s corporate structure and purchasing policies. At the end of the day, the Judge announced the schedule of hearings for this case which will continue until July 18. See: Morti da amianto alla Olivetti: la difesa chiede di analizzare nuovi documenti [Olivetti asbestos deaths: the defense asked to analyze new documents].
Mesothelioma: Links to other Cancers
May 17, 2016
Using data from several Swedish registers, researchers studied the familial risk of mesothelioma in offspring. Based on their findings, the scientists concluded that the: “Risk of mesothelioma was significantly increased when parents or siblings were diagnosed with mesothelioma… Mesothelioma was associated with kidney … and bladder cancers… in siblings.” While shared genetic factors and environmental history may have contributed to familial clusterings of mesothelioma, the association with kidney and bladder cancers requires further investigation. See: Incidence and familial risk of pleural mesothelioma in Sweden: a national cohort study.
Asbestos Victims’ Group Elects Board
May 17, 2016
Voting has taken place for board positions for the German umbrella group: Asbestose Selbsthilfergruppe which represents seven regional asbestos victims’ groups. Speaking after the election, the new Chairperson Harald Niemann, from the Hamburg group, said “ we have a lot of work in front of us… the recognition of cases of occupational disease is far too low especially for [people with] asbestos-related lung cancer.” Other successful candidates included: Bernhard Heise, Heinz-Peter Sattler, Peter Sperber and Dr. Evelyn Glensk. See: Pressemitteilung. Bundesverband der Asbestose Selbsthilfegruppen e.V. [News release. Federation of asbestosis support groups e.V.].
Asbestos Legacy at Air Base
May 16, 2016
Thousands of documents covering over twenty years which have been released under the US Freedom of Information Act reveal extensive pollution at Okinawa Island’s Kadena Air Base, the largest US Air Force installation in Asia. Years of neglect and accidents have polluted the infrastructure, land and water with toxins including asbestos, arsenic, lead, polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxin. Twenty thousand US service personnel and 3,000 Japanese workers are employed on this 46 square kilometre site. One hundred and eighty-four thousand civilians living in neighboring communities are also at risk from the pollution. See: Contamination: Kadena Air Base’s dirty secret.
Introduction of Stricter Asbestos Regime
May 16, 2016
A new French labor law which came into force on May 12, 2016 mandated the obligation for asbestos audits to be conducted prior to the commencement of any building work to protect workers from hazardous exposures and prevent environmental contamination. The responsibility for the asbestos surveys resides with the owners of buildings or vessels, works’ managers and others overseeing projects which might release or disturb asbestos. See: Amiante: la loi travail crée une obligation de repérage avant travaux [Asbestos: new labor law creates obligation before starting work].
New Tools for Ban Asbestos Struggle
May 16, 2016
Having considered the current global asbestos landscape, the authors of a new paper suggest the implementation of an international collaboration to raise awareness of the public health hazard posed by asbestos consumption. Measures which would be taken include: “new epidemiological studies for assessing the health impact of asbestos in specific contexts; socio-cultural and economic analyses for… identifying stakeholders… [and protocols to increase] public awareness on the health and socio-economic impact of asbestos use and banning.” See: Prevention of Asbestos-Related Disease in Countries Currently Using Asbestos.
Union Alert over Asbestos Hazard
May 16, 2016
The Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) has raised an alert over the failure to train workers about the hazard posed by Tasmania’s 1,700 kilometres of asbestos-cement water pipes. Commenting on the situation, CEPU’s Trevor Gauld reported: “We're seeing situations where asbestos is not handled properly, it's not baggaged properly, it's not disposed of properly … I'm still talking to guys in some of those remote or outlying depots where there are no comprehensive asbestos registers in their workplace. Workers have not been trained in the safe identification.” See: Union concerned TasWater workers handling asbestos without proper training.
Minister’s Asbestos Ignorance
May 16, 2016
In a response this week to a question posed by an MP from Rethymno (Crete), Interior Minister Nicholas Tosca admitted that while the condition of the police station in Rethymno was probably the worst in Greece, the deterioration of asbestos-cement building products did not pose a health risk to members of the police or the public. The construction of a new station would be possible only if local authorities could find donors to finance the work. The Minister also denied any risk from the asbestos on the grounds it was incorporated within a cement product. See: ΤΟΣΚΑΣ: Θέλετε Αστυνομικό Μέγαρο; Βρείτε χορηγούς [Tosca: Want Police Department want to find sponsors].
Claimant 1: Asbestos Defendants 0
May 14, 2016
This week, Brazilian Judge Monica Batista Vieira Puglia ruled on behalf of the family of an asbestos worker who died from asbestosis despite a report by the court’s expert witness who said that the disease was not caused by workplace exposures. The Judge accepted evidence provided by doctors from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation about causation and awarded a monthly pension plus moral damages of Reais100,000 (US$28,520). See: JT garante indenização por amianto mesmo após laudo não apontar relação entre doença e atividade [JT awards compensation for asbestos disease even after report rejected the relationship between the disease and occupational asbestos exposure].
The Future: Asbestos-free Roofing
May 13, 2016
After six years of research and development, the Sri Lanka Engineering Research and Development Centre in Jaela has introduced asbestos-free roofing material in a bid to replace the use of toxic products in the country due to the “grave threat to health” of asbestos exposures. The environment friendly sheeting is made of sand, cement and a type of polythene net and can be produced by members of the public as a do-it-yourself project. The sheet is both heat resistant and strong and costs less than the asbestos alternative. The Sri Lanka government has issued a commitment to ban the new use of asbestos roofing by 2018. See: NERD produces environmental-friendly roofing sheets.
Post-Fire Asbestos Pollution
May 13, 2016
A fire which started on the afternoon of May 12, 2016 destroyed three industrial units, three sheds, a nursery, a furniture store and car dealership in the Dutch town of Amersfoort. No one was injured. The authorities are investigating the possibility of environmental asbestos contamination following the blaze, the cause of which remains unknown. It was unclear when the operators of local businesses and residents will be allowed back into the fire zone. See: Asbest vrijgekomen bij grote brand Amersfoort [Asbestos released by major fire in Amersfoort].
Environmental Asbestos Hazard
May 12, 2016
The Environmental and Occupational Lung Diseases Working Group of the Turkish Thoracic Society has issued warnings about the fallout from the demolition of asbestos-containing buildings during the country’s urban transformation program. Although the use of asbestos is now banned, the presence of asbestos within the Turkish infrastructure continues to pose a hazard, especially to people in the shipbuilding or construction sectors such as refurbishment and demolition workers. Recommendations made include the need for asbestos audits prior to the commencement of building work or demolition. See: Yıkımlarda ortaya çıkan asbest kanser yapıyor> [Asbestos cancer hazard of uncontrolled demolition].
Asbestos Scandal in UK Schools
May 12, 2016
A study by the Royal Institute of British Architects referenced yesterday (May 11, 2016) in The Guardian newspaper described hazardous conditions in UK schools: “The prevalence of damp, leaky classrooms and asbestos-ridden buildings in British schools means too many pupils and teachers are struggling to learn and teach in conditions damaging to their health and education.” Since a Parliamentary body published the policy paper: Asbestos in Schools – the Need for Action in 2012 nothing has been done to address a situation deemed to be a “national disgrace.” See: Poorly designed schools affecting pupils' performance, says RIBA.
FBI Investigation of Occupational Physician
May 12, 2016
A dossier disclosed during asbestos litigation in the United States contained a file from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Dr. Alice Hamilton, an occupational physician who, amongst other achievements, reported numerous safety and health hazards at facilities belonging to the General Electric (GE) Company. Asbestos was used by GE in power plants and ships to insulate steam turbines. There have been and continue to be many personal injury lawsuits brought over GE’s failure to provide warnings and protection to workers regarding asbestos health hazards. See: Alice Hamilton and the FBI.
Fine for Brazilian Asbestos Manufacturer
May 11, 2016
An agreement has been signed by the Ministry of Labor in Santa Catarina and Imbralit, the company operating the only factory in the state that used chrysotile asbestos. The firm must: monitor the health of former employees for 30 years, abide by a 2015 asbestos ban, dispose of contaminated stock as per regulations and pay a punitive fine of R$1m (US$300,000) – this money will be used for research into the asbestos hazard at work and at home. See: IMBRALIT fecha acordo de R$ 1 milhão com MPT e se compromete no acompanhamento à saúde dos empregados expostos ao amianto por 30 anos [Imbralit agrees R$1 million deal and commits to monitor health of asbestos-exposed employees for 30 years].
PM Backing Asbestos Ban
May 11, 2016
On May 10, 2016, the Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau told a construction trade union meeting that his party has “made the commitment that we are moving forward on a ban [on asbestos] in Canada.” After the Ottawa conference, officials from the Prime Minister's Office confirmed that the country’s asbestos policy which allows the import of asbestos-containing goods to continue is under review. Ban asbestos campaigner Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, is optimistic about the announcement of the ban before Parliament adjourns for the summer. See: Canada ‘moving forward’ on asbestos ban, Justin Trudeau says.
Addressing Paraná’s Asbestos Challenges
May 11, 2016
The launch of a collaborative project by the Ministry of Labor in Paraná and the Paraná Association of the Asbestos Exposed is taking place today in the State capital of Curitiba. As part of this initiative, a center is being established to: undertake the collection and processing of data on workers at high risk of contracting asbestos diseases; monitor the health of selected cohorts; carry out environmental risk assessments; raise both occupational and public health awareness of the asbestos hazard; work towards achieving an asbestos ban. See: Acordo de cooperação técnica monitora uso e doenças causadas pelo Amianto [Technical cooperation monitors use and diseases caused by asbestos].
Multimillion Euro Asbestos Plan
May 9, 2016
On May 3 and 4, 2016, a national asbestos conference was held in Rome to announce the results of a consultation regarding an asbestos road map for Italy. A plan produced by the Ministry of Health to identify at-risk workers, develop more effective treatments and improve the regulatory framework has been approved and will receive funds of €4.2m over the next three years. A further €2m is to be ring-fenced for research into new treatments and data collection. See: Prevenzione rischio Amianto: oltre 6 milioni per la ricerca [Asbestos Risk Prevention: over 6 million for research].
Environmental Asbestos Legacy
May 9, 2016
Asbestos debris may be buried but it is not gone as local people are finding out in the town of Mytholmroyd. A landslide caused by floods late last year (2015) has uncovered asbestos waste dumped decades ago by the Cape Asbestos Co. Ltd., one of the area’s biggest employers. Cape’s Acre Mill factory employed thousands of local people over the years. Amongst the products it manufactured were asbestos-containing gas masks for use during World War II. Alice Jefferson, who worked at this plant, contracted the asbestos cancer: mesothelioma. The film about her life “Alice – A Fight for Life” caused an uproar in Parliament and led to stricter regulations. See: More asbestos discovered in Mytholmroyd.
Asbestos Victims’ Audience with the Pope
May 9, 2016
Pope Francis received a delegation composed of 100 asbestos victims and family members at a ceremony in the Vatican held in the run-up to International Workers Memorial Day (April 28). Prior to this meeting, documents had been sent to the Pope detailing the suffering of thousands of Italians with asbestos-related diseases and the effects of these illnesses on their families and communities. Between 1993 and 2012, 21,463 cases of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma were registered; 70% of the injured had experienced workplace exposures, 20% had been unable to trace the source of their exposures. See: Amianto, il Papa riceve i malati e le famiglie [Asbestos, the Pope receives patients and families].
The Asbestos Information Association/NA
Apr 30, 2016
The Asbestos Information Association/North America (AIA/NA) played a major role in the global propaganda campaign mounted by asbestos vested interests to expand asbestos markets. It was connected to a slew of other bodies which fronted multilingual and glossy propaganda campaigns such as the Asbestos Information Association and the Asbestos Institute (Canada) etc. (see: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 48). An article just published discusses how this industry trade group worked to neutralize adverse findings and forestall government action. See: “Unleashed on an Unsuspecting World”: The Asbestos Information Association and Its Role in Perpetuating a National Epidemic.
Support for Asbestos Sector
Apr 29, 2016
Even though asbestos usage is low in Azerbaijan (319 tonnes in 2014), support for the industrial asbestos sector of its neighbors Russia and Kazakhstan is strong, as evinced by an online article which bemoans the “asbestos phobia” which has led to criticism over the continued use of asbestos-cement roofing material which is, says the text, unwarranted. The “anti-asbestos hysteria” has been initiated, so the author claims, by the United States even though “almost all” asbestos substitutes can cause cancer [wrong] and asbestos-cement is very economical. See: От асбеста крыша едет [Asbestos roofing under attack].
IBAS Travel Bursary 2016
Apr 26, 2016
Colombian ban asbestos campaigner artist Guillermo Villamizar has been awarded a travel grant by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat to participate at the International Mesothelioma Interest Group conference in Birmingham (May 1-5, 2016). Mr. Villamizar will be making a poster presentation on May 3, 2016 entitled: Art & Science: Relationship with Human Anatomy from Aesthetic and Scientific Perspectives. A stunning piece produced by the artist in 2013 entitled “The Female Face of Britain’s Asbestos Catastrophe” featured victims of occupational and environmental asbestos exposures. See: Photo of Guillermo Villamizer and his 2013 artwork.
Toxic Debris Endangers Public Health
Apr 26, 2016
An essay published online on April 23, 2016 by Chemical Engineer Eva Jimenez examines the response, or lack thereof, by municipal and federal authorities to the dumping of asbestos waste in the Ramabujas River and surrounding areas. Since 2004, the paltry levels of fines and the lack of political will to engage with this pressing environmental problem have created a dangerous stalemate which leaves the public at risk of contracting deadly diseases through the inhalation of chrysotile (white) and amosite (brown) asbestos fibers liberated by mounds of toxic waste which are sited in close proximity to residential areas. See: El amianto en el Polígono: la historia interminable [Asbestos in the industrial area: The Neverending Story].
Asbestos at the Palace of the Republic
Apr 25, 2016
On the 40th anniversary of the opening of the East German Parliament, the 15,300 square metre Palace of the Republic, a news report speculated that the final cost of Erich Honecker’s imposing seat of government with its gold tinted-windows, two large auditoria, art galleries, a theatre, 13 restaurants, bowling alley, post office, and discothèque could have exceeded a billion Marks. In October 1990 the building was shut down due to asbestos contamination. Investigations revealed that in 1974, 5,000 tonnes of sprayed asbestos fireproofing had been applied to the steelwork. The building was demolished in 2008. See: Gone, but not forgotten. Berlin remembers the Palace of the Republic.
Third Wave of Asbestos Deaths
Apr 20, 2016
A report commissioned by Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency predicts there will be 19,000 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed between 2015 and the end of the century. It is estimated that 8,000 of these will result from non-occupational exposures; the members of this cohort are part of the third wave of disease. Due to the extensive use of asbestos in the construction of Australia’s housing, many of those affected will have been exposed to asbestos directly or indirectly during DIY renovations. The report recognizes the risk to human health of low dose exposures. See: The Third Wave – Australian Mesothelioma Analysis & Projection.
Industry Offensive in Asbestos Homeland
Apr 19, 2016
Russian online media reported on April 18 that two asbestos companies in the Sverdlovsk region could be facing bankruptcy because of actions by the European Union which, say the article, are based on faulty information. Chrysotile asbestos is perfectly safe as company representatives show in footage accompanying this article – local children are filmed building with asbestos products and wearing company tee shirts. The most notable detail about the pro-asbestos rally shown in the video is the small number of people in attendance. See: Камень преткновения: уральцы вышли на митинг в защиту хризотила [The stumbling block: the Urals rally in defense of chrysotile].
Asbestos Whistleblowers: A Documentary
Apr 19, 2016
On April 17, a film about the work of French whistleblowers who denounced asbestos and pesticide scandals was premièred in two cities in the department of Tarn, southern France. The film followed the work of an asbestos factory worker, a farmer and scientists: Henri Pézerat and Dr. Annie Thebaud-Mony. The director of the film Peter Pézerat quotes his father Henri’s belief that workers were “the sentinels of the toxicological risk, occupational or environmental.” See: “Les Sentinelles,” un film-hommage aux lanceurs d'alerte sur les grands scandales sanitaires [“The Sentinels,” a film tribute to whistleblowers on major health scandals].
Payout for Australian Exposure
Apr 17, 2016
Des Sayegh, an 81-year old New Zealand carpenter, was diagnosed with mesothelioma last year. His exposure to asbestos in New Zealand was acknowledged with a $100,000 government payout plus other support such as the provision of home help, specialist equipment and taxi chits. Another case he brought in Australia over toxic exposure received during an 11 month period in the late 1970s when he worked in Nyabing, Western Australia has also succeeded; he has received an out-of-court settlement from Australia’s asbestos giant: James Hardie, also known as the killer company. See: Dying Kiwis Win Payouts in Australia for Asbestos Exposure.
Gold Mining and Asbestos Pollution
Apr 17, 2016
The results of inspections carried out by government agencies in December 2015 at the proposed site of the Skouries gold mine were reported in a letter circulated earlier this month to various ministries; highly toxic varieties of amphibole asbestos were found in deposits on this site in Haldiki, Northern Greece. In multiple submissions and applications, developers had neglected to mention the presence of asbestos and the occupational and public health hazard which would be created by blasting and other extraction methods to access the ore. There has been serious opposition to this project from local people and environmentalists. See: Βρέθηκε αμίαντος στις Σκουριές [Asbestos Found in Slag].
New Tools for Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Apr 17, 2016
A study of three Turkish cohorts assessed the efficacy of biomarkers in predicting the presence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). More than half of the 48 subjects in the asbestos-exposed group had pleural plaques; this group also had higher levels of the mesothelin antigen than the control group. The MPM group of 42 patients had “significantly higher mean EGFR, TRX, SMRP, and fibulin-3 levels... SMRP and TRX levels increased in a graded fashion among the control, asbestos exposure, and MPM groups, respectively.” See: Evaluation of New Biomarkers in the Prediction of Malignant Mesothelioma in Subjects with Environmental Asbestos Exposure.
Contaminated Schools Scandal
Apr 16, 2016
Protests on April 14, 2016 by parents whose children attend Woodland Primary School in Pietermaritzburg, the capital of the South African Province of KwaZulu-Natal, highlighted the threat posed by asbestos exposures to pupils and teachers who work in 43-year old “temporary” classrooms made entirely of asbestos. According to a local contractor, the school is “uninhabitable,” and should be condemned due to the serious danger to human health. After inspecting the school last month, he reported: “broken asbestos boards in the bathroom and … black mould growing in the asbestos in the ceilings.” See: Poisonous classrooms.
Ban Asbestos Mobilization in Brazil
Apr 15, 2016
State Deputy for São Paulo Marcos Martins, in collaboration with the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, will host a ceremony in the legislative assembly today (April 15, 2016) to mark the beginning of Ban Asbestos Week. Fernanda Giannasi, one of the country’s leading ban asbestos campaigners, will address the meeting. Activities in Osasco – an industrial area formerly the heart of Brazil’s asbestos cement industry – will take place from April 18 to 24 to raise public awareness of the asbestos hazard, with an ecumenical service on April 24. See: Ato solene marca abertura da Semana de Combate ao Amianto [Solemn Ceremony Marks Opening Ban Asbestos Week].
Illegal Imports Endanger Workers
Apr 15, 2016
Nine hundred and sixty-eight asbestos-contaminated gear switch panels made in Malaysia are present at 51 sites belonging to Ausgrid – a state owned electricity infrastructure company. The Australian electricity provider confirms that the items contain both white and brown asbestos and were imported illegally sometime between 2007 and 2014. TAMCO, the Malaysian manufacturer of the panels, also lists as clients Energy Australia, Integral Energy and Optus, other well-known and large Australian utilities. See: ‘This is a death sentence for those workers’: Hundreds of Ausgrid employees exposed to asbestos in substations across Sydney.
Asbestos Company Seeks Restitution
Apr 14, 2016
A press release issued on April 12, 2016 by ANDEVA, the French organization representing regional asbestos victims groups, is scathing about an attempt by the asbestos defendant corporation Eternit to pursue legal options to recover court-awarded compensation payouts from government coffers. This case is currently being adjudicated by the Versailles Appeal Court; a decision will be announced in a few weeks. A judgment favouring Eternit’s arguments had been handed down in 2014 by the Administrative Court. See: Amiante: Eternit au Coeur d’un triple scandale judiciare [Asbestos: Eternit at the heart of a triple judicial scandal].
Support for Canadian Asbestos Ban
Apr 14, 2016
The Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC) – representing 400+ Canadian vehicle recyclers and dismantlers – today endorsed calls for the import and use of asbestos-containing products to be banned in Canada to stop hazardous exposures being experienced by people engaged in the recycling of end-of-life vehicles. Between 2005 and 2015, Canadian imports of asbestos-containing brake pads and linings were valued at $100 million. According to the ARC, “imports of asbestos containing brake pads into Canada continue to increase unabated.” See: Automotive recyclers call for federal action to eliminate import and use of asbestos brake pads in Canada.
Warnings over Toxic Chinese Flasks
Apr 14, 2016
Italy’s Ministry of Health has issued alerts over the sale of 0.75 and 0.35 liter thermos flasks with plastic exteriors imported from China by the Galileo company found to be contaminated with asbestos after government agencies undertook scientific analyses of sample goods. The Public Prosecutor in Venice is considering legal action over these illegal sales. This discovery that imported flasks from China contained asbestos is one of many; recently consumers in Pescara were warned of similar products being sold in local supermarkets. See: Allerta: amianto nei thermos cinesi. Il Ministero della Salute li ritira dal mercato [Alert: Asbestos in Chinese thermos. Ministry withdraws them from market].
Urban Ruin of Asbestos Capital
Apr 12, 2016
The Russian City of Asbestos (Asbest), a formerly prosperous one-industry town, is beset my multiple problems and has, so an online feature suggests descended into urban chaos. Having lived in the town for a few days, the investigating reporter documents a collapse in employment opportunities and multiple failures in the provision of basic amenities, housing and communal services. While the town relies on meagre government subsidies, the asbestos company which dominates municipal life pays its shareholders 900+ million roubles. See: Асбест. Город олимпийских чемпионов и коммунального ада [Asbestos. City of Olympic champions and utilities hell].
Asbestos: Police Raid in Naples
Apr 12, 2016
As a result of a police raid on a derelict site in “Colli Aminei” – a hilly area of Naples – illegal asbestos-containing debris was identified and seized; the confiscated material included asbestos-cement pipes and roofing sheets, some of which were partially buried in the ground. By law, the owners of the overgrown and contaminated site are required to undertake the work required to make the area safe. Other buildings and several homes are located in close proximity to the contamination. See: Manufatto ricoperto da amianto: blitz della polizia a Napoli [Artifact covered with asbestos: Police blitz in Naples].
Málaga Asbestos Zero Campaign
Apr 12, 2016
Activists in southern Spain are collaborating on a campaign to achieve the total eradication of asbestos from schools in the shortest possible time under the banner of Málaga Amianto Cero [Málaga Asbestos Zero]. Pointing out the acknowledged hazards posed by exposure to asbestos, campaigners highlight the failure to quantify the situation regarding the presence of asbestos-containing products within the country’s educational infrastructure. In the information vacuum which persists, the precautionary principle should be followed to protect school children and staff from deadly exposures. See: Manifiesto por la liberación del amianto en las aulas [Manifesto for asbestos removal from classrooms].
Raising Asbestos Awareness in Vietnam
Apr 11, 2016
Asbestos issues were part of a packed agenda for delegates attending activities in Hanoi last week (April 6-10, 2016), including a workshop on the subject of Ethics in Research, Policy Advocacy and Health-Related Policy Development organized by a consortium of Vietnamese civil society groups and non-governmental organizations. Canadian Professor emeritus Dr. Colin Soskolne presented epidemiological data documenting the asbestos hazard as well as information about the human health effects of exposures. Also featured on the agenda were presentations by Vietnamese medical and occupational health experts. See: Group Photo.
Asbestos Wasteland or Tropical Paradise?
Apr 10, 2016
A feature article in the National Geographic details widespread asbestos contamination on Banaba island, a coral island, in the island nation of Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean. Asbestos is found in crumbling colonial houses, schools, old factories and in the fields where staple crops are being grown. Abandoned factory buildings formerly owned by British Phosphate Commission are now home to island residents who have been aware of the asbestos hazard for a few years. When the company left Banaba, they also left the crumbling asbestos housing behind. See: Living on a Tropical Island – and an Asbestos Wasteland.
Canadian Agency Bans Asbestos
Apr 10, 2016
Public Services and Procurement Canada, the department of the federal government responsible for internal servicing and administration, banned the use of asbestos in all new construction and renovation projects as of April 1, 2016. By the end of April 2016, a complete asbestos inventory of all Crown-owned buildings will also be on a government database. Recently, Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour MaryAnn Mihychuk, announced that the Ottawa government was considering an asbestos ban in all construction projects. See: PSAC applauds asbestos ban at Public Services and Procurement Canada.
Criminal Investigation of Asbestos Deaths
Apr 9, 2016
Stefano Puppo, a public prosecutor from Genoa, is investigating complaints by trade unions regarding the asbestos deaths of hundreds of individuals employed by the Sanac company. The actions of five former corporate officials are under scrutiny. Until its demise at the end of the 1990s, Sanac had been the dominant player in Italy’s refractory industry for over 50 years. Potential charges that could be brought include manslaughter and negligent injury. See: Amianto killer: indagati cinque ex dirigenti della Sanac [Killer Asbestos: five former Sanac executives under investigation].
Mesothelioma: A Journalist’s Story
Apr 6, 2016
An April 5, 2016 opinion piece by Australian journalist Trevor Grant documents his fight with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma – from receiving his diagnosis in 2015 aged 63 to his current treatment with the new and expensive drug Keytruda. His reaction to hearing the name of his illness was shock; mesothelioma, he thought, was contracted by people exposed to asbestos at mines or construction sites not in newspaper rooms. Enquiries revealed, however, that there was plenty of asbestos all around him as he progressed his career in journalism. A legal case against James Hardie resulted in a “a significant pay-out… (but) not an admission of guilt.” See: I was blindsided by cancer, and the asbestos that caused it.
Pressure Builds for Asbestos Ban
Apr 6, 2016
Ban asbestos campaigners from the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) are urging members of the public and politicians to support the passing of Senate Bill No. 89 to ban asbestos. The TUCP has sponsored an online petition calling for national action on this known carcinogen to increase pressure on the government which has been deliberating on this issue for a number of years. In 2013 and 2014 the Philippines imported 2,651 and 2,805 tonnes of asbestos, respectively, for use in asbestos building products in homes, public buildings and workplaces. See: Urge the Philippine Senate to pass the bill banning asbestos.
Screening for At-Risk Workers
Apr 5, 2016
This week, 150 active and retired sheet metal workers are being screened for symptoms of asbestos-related and other occupational diseases by a branch of the Sheet Metal Workers International Union at a pop-up clinic in Pittsburgh. Due to toxic exposures experienced by workers fabricating and installing ducting in heating and air conditioning systems, the union has been holding such sessions every five years since the 1980s. According to Dr. David Hinkamp, overseeing the screening project, every single worker examined has recounted examples of historic and current asbestos exposures. See: Sheet Metal Workers Screened For Asbestos-Related Diseases.
Damning Testimony of Olivetti Exposures
Apr 5, 2016
In the absence of the accused, witnesses continue to testify about the failure by Olivetti to protect workers from hazardous asbestos exposures, citing their past use during wartime of an asbestos-free alternative: martinite. Expert Stefano Silvestri testified that the Ivrea Olivetti plant was awash with asbestos; it was in the roofing, insulation and talc products to prevent typewriter rollers from rubbing. No protective clothing or equipment was provided as a result of which many have died and others are dying from avoidable asbestos-related diseases. See: Olivetti, quelle morti inutili: “Amianto, c'era l'alternativa” [Olivetti, those unnecessary deaths, “Asbestos, there was a safer alternative”].
Pacific Region Awash with Asbestos
Apr 5, 2016
A report issued this week entitled “The State of Asbestos in the Pacific” was compiled by the regional environment programme SPREP and the World Health Organisation, with funding from the European Union. It confirms that the ongoing use of asbestos-containing products imported from Asia is “exacerbating an already serious problem.” The survey undertaken of 13 island countries located more than 180,000 square meters of asbestos [sic] in non-residential buildings; not one Pacific island nation has banned asbestos. Stewart Williams, the project’s manager, expressed serious concerns about the aftermath of natural disasters in areas with asbestos-riddled buildings. See: New asbestos exacerbating Pacific problems.
Legacy of Asbestos Cement Production
Apr 4, 2016
Since January 2008, members of the Neighborhood Association of El Tajo have been campaigning for action to address the hazard posed by tonnes of asbestos waste at a farm near a populated area by the Tagus River. Along with others, the Association submitted a complaint to the Attorney General in June 2014. Studies have been undertaken which speculated that the asbestos-cement company Ibertudo – shut in 2002 – was responsible for the contamination on the farm and at other redeveloped sites. New owners of the tainted land are being held responsible for costly asbestos removal work. See: Ibertubo acumulaba 50.000 m2 de fibrocemento [Ibertubo accumulated 50,000 m2 of fiber cement].
São Paulo State vs. Asbestos
Apr 4, 2016
Politicians in São Paulo State, which like the States of Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco has banned asbestos, will increase pressure on the federal government to ban asbestos use during a week of lobbying this month. A session in the São Paulo Legislative Assembly on April 15 will provide the opportunity for State Deputy Marcos Martins, asbestos victims’ campaigners and trade unionists to call for urgent action. Brazil is both an asbestos user and producer; the level of output from the chrysotile asbestos mine in Goiás State makes Brazil the world’s 3rd largest producing nation. See: Poster.
Outreach Project in Asbestos Hotspot
Apr 4, 2016
On Wednesday this week (April 6) a community campaigning body – the Asbestos Interest Group – will hold an information sharing session for local people in the former South African mining town of Kuruman. Amongst the expert speakers will be specialists in the fields of occupational health and oncology who will focus on issues of particular relevance to this at-risk community, including the effects of environmental asbestos exposure on health, the monitoring of and treatment for asbestos cancer and the importance of family and community support for the injured. The session will conclude with a candle-lighting ceremony to remember those whose lives have been affected by asbestos-related diseases.
Ban Asbestos Law Debate in Senate
Apr 3, 2016
This week on April 5, the Senate of Colombia will debate draft law 97/ 2015 submitted by Senator Nadia Blel Scaff which “prohibits the production, marketing, export, import and distribution of any variety of asbestos in Colombia.” As with other legislative attempts to outlaw asbestos use, there has been intensive lobbying by commercial vested interests such as Eternit Colombiana S.A., Eternit Pacifico S.A., and Eternit Atlántico S.A. In 2013 & 2014 Colombia imported 15,961 and 7,063 tonnes of asbestos, respectively. See: Ley 97 para prohibir el asbesto PRIMER DEBATE!! Danos tu empujón! [Law 97 to ban asbestos FIRST DEBATE!! Give us your support!].
Government Asbestos Propaganda
Apr 2, 2016
A Russian language article published in Azerbaijan concludes that asbestos critics are part of an economic conspiracy orchestrated by vested interests, including US lawyers, asbestos removal companies and manufacturers of asbestos-free alternatives. Denouncing the “anti-asbestos hysteria,” the article maintains that the use of chrysotile asbestos under “controlled conditions” is safe and is a concept approved under ILO Convention 162 and the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Chrysotile fibers are, the author recounts, “rapidly cleared from the body and are not dangerous.” See: Азербайджан затягивают в асбестную войну [Azerbaijan to tighten asbestos war].
Payouts for Pleural Plaques in Scotland
Apr 1, 2016
On March 31, 2016, Scotland’s Court of Sessions awarded Roger Harris £15,000 compensation in full and final settlement of his claim for contracting pleural plaques. Experts predict that an uplift in the value of these claims is likely. Mr. Harris contracted this condition after he experienced high levels of asbestos exposure whilst employed by the Ministry of Defence between 1961 and 1977. Commenting on the verdict, a legal expert said the decision “shows the progress made in Scottish Courts in recognising the distress caused by the presence of pleural plaques.” See: Significant" judgement for asbestos-related cancer sufferers.
Asbestos at the Opera House
Mar 31, 2016
Complaints to the Labor Inspectorate have been submitted by the Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), Spain’s largest trade union, over the failure to carry out planned asbestos removal work at the Maestranza Opera House, Seville over the Easter break. On previous occasions, the use of faulty asbestos removal procedures at the theater exposed actors, musicians and other union members to asbestos liberated during removal work. See: CCOO denuncia ante la Inspección sus primeras investigaciones de las obras con amianto del Maestranza [CCOO complaint over asbestos works at the Maestranza Theater].
Asbestos Audits Mandated
Mar 31, 2016
Asbestos health and safety regulations which come into force from April 4, 2016 under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 mandate the introduction of measures to prevent asbestos contamination during renovations and demolitions. A two-tier licensing system for the removal of more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos or any amount of friable asbestos is being introduced. Industry insiders report a “big jump” in building owners needing asbestos surveys and a shortage of qualified staff to ensure compliance with the new regulations. See: New asbestos regulations hit building owners.
Asbestos Exposures of Military Personnel
Mar 31, 2016
Data collated by Italy’s Parliamentary Commission of Asbestos Inquiry have revealed the devastation wrought by asbestos exposures on service personnel. Amongst the details documented was the occurrence of 621 cases of asbestos-related diseases amongst military personnel between 1993 and 2012. As of now, asbestos has been fully removed from only 20% and partially removed from 44% of Italian naval vessels, despite laws dating from 1992 which mandate measures to protect citizens from hazardous exposures. See: Arsenale, emergena Amianto: ecco I numeri dell’esposizione [Arsenal asbestos emergency: here are the exposure numbers].
Removal of Asbestos-cement Water Pipes
Mar 30, 2016
Around 40,000 kilometers of asbestos-cement pipelines deliver water to consumers throughout Australia. The pipes are nearing the end of their useful life and will need to be replaced. Officials have estimated that the cost for this work could be up to $8 billion. Many of these toxic materials were made by Australia’s “asbestos giant:” James Hardie. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA), an independent body set up in 2013, to tackle problems arising from widespread asbestos contamination is now under threat from cuts in government funding. See: Asbestos-laden water piping ‘needs upgrading at cost of $8 billion.’
Expanding National Asbestos Dialogue
Mar 29, 2016
On March 17, 2016, events took place at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia in Jakarta during which expert speakers shared their knowledge about the asbestos hazard with up to 100 delegates from civil society organizations, campaigning groups, academic disciplines, medical schools and government agencies during a workshop and focus group discussions on asbestos and mercury. Amongst the lecturers were Prof. Dr. dr. Med. Dennis Nowak, Director of Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, Munich, and Dr. Anna Suraya, an occupational medicine specialist. See: From environmental exposure to familial health. Lessons learned from asbestos.
Report Slams Asbestos in Schools Scandal
Mar 29, 2016
A report issued this weekend by the Joint Union Asbestos Committee at the National Union of Teachers conference in Brighton, documented government knowledge about the presence of asbestos in 75% of schools, calling the failure to act on this national scandal “disgraceful.” Successive governments had, said the report, shown a “scandalous disregard for life” by failing to mandate rigorous measures to prevent future cases of asbestos cancer. According to asbestos campaigner Hank Roberts, this report proved that “absolutely everything you can think of has been going wrong - negligence, deceit, lying.” See: Asbestos scandal ‘threatens school pupils’ health’ investigation warns.
Mobilization for Canadian Asbestos Ban
Mar 29, 2016
Canadian labor federations, victims’ groups, nurses’ associations, municipal councils, charities and individuals are pressing the new Prime Minister to honor a campaign pledge to ban asbestos in Canada. Federal funding for new capital projects underlines the necessity to ban asbestos to avoid incorporating more of this toxic substance into the country’s infrastructure in the form of pipes, cement or other building materials. According to trade data from Statistics Canada asbestos-related imports rose to a six-year high in 2015 with an inflow of goods valued $8.3 million; the figure for 2016 was $6m. See: Pressure mounts on Ottawa to join wide ban on asbestos.
Video Evidence of Asbestos Hazards
Mar 27, 2016
Three videos have been uploaded to youtube which reveal the dangers of widespread asbestos use in Indonesia. The subjects covered are:
1) environmental asbestos exposures;
2) occupational exposures;
3) the unregulated and unsafe dumping of toxic debris in the community.
In 2014, Indonesia used 54,000 tonnes of asbestos (see: consumption data for 2014), a decline on previous years but nevertheless a significant amount.
Environmental Exposures in Toledo
Mar 26, 2016
Dumping of asbestos-containing material poses a serious threat to people living in the environs of Toledo, Spain. Complaints by members of a local community group have been dismissed by government officials who state categorically that there “is no environmental problem” despite the presence of tonnes of toxic debris on waste land close to the Santa Maria Benquerencia neighborhood, home to 22,000 people. Much of the contamination was produced during manufacturing operations at a local asbestos factory. See: Los habitantes del barrio del Polígono están expuestos al asbestos [The people of the Polygon neighborhood exposed to asbestos].
Mesothelioma Breakthrough by UK Scientists?
Mar 25, 2016
Researchers from universities in Bradford and Surrey have published findings which show that a drug called HRX9 stops the growth of human mesothelioma tumors implanted in mice. After three weeks of treatment with this drug the mesothelioma tumors stopped growing due to a total loss of tumor blood vessels and the widespread death of cancer cells. According to the researchers, HRX9 knocks out a key defense mechanism for the mesothelioma cells; this is the first drug that has been found to trigger the apoptosis of unhealthy cells – cancer cell suicide – in mesothelioma. See: Mesothelioma gene-targeting drug looks hopeful.
Asbestos Hazard Recognized
Mar 23, 2016
On March 2, 2016, Gambia’s National Environment Agency reaffirmed its commitment before a Parliamentary body to work with stake-holding partners to address the hazards posed by asbestos-containing building materials. The Public Accounts and Public Enterprise Committees unanimously adopted the Agency’s report as a matter of public safety with lawmakers such as Lamin Jammeh, representing the Illiasa constituency, and Mam Cherno Jallow, from Upper Nuimi, highlighting the threat posed by the use of asbestos-containing water pipes. See: Lawmakers Want Change of Asbestos Water Pipes.
Routine Flouting of Prohibitions
Mar 21, 2016
Despite the introduction in 2015 of a ban on asbestos consumption, imports and sales in Nepal, research undertaken by local activists has revealed that demand for asbestos-containing products remains strong, prompted by a targeted and well resourced national marketing campaign by the asbestos lobby. The popularity of asbestos-containing roofing products in the Tarai Region constitutes a “growing cancer risk.” With a total lack of bureaucratic oversight, and a failure by the government to record data on toxic imports, the situation can only get worse. See: Overhead hazard: Asbestos used as roofing in houses and schools has become a growing cancer risk.
Campaigning to Ban Asbestos in Asia
Mar 21, 2016
An initiative by Australia’s Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA in collaboration with ban asbestos activists was launched in South East Asia during February 2016 under the banner: “ASBESTOS. Not here. Not anywhere.” The focus of this campaign is the human and environmental threats posed by increasing consumption of white asbestos throughout the region. A video highlighting the problems caused by asbestos usage in Indonesia documents the total lack of public and occupational awareness of the asbestos hazard and daily exposures to 7,000 workers at 26 factories. See: ASBESTOS. Not here. Not anywhere.
Shipbuilder Fined for Asbestos Death
Mar 21, 2016
The Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. – was fined €1.1m (US$1.24m) by a Labor Court on February 26, 2016 for the death in 2006 of a 55-year-old electrical welder who had been hazardously exposed to asbestos on a daily basis whilst employed from the 1970s to 1990 by the company. The damages were awarded to the three children of the deceased worker. The company, which is based in the town of Trieste, was formed in 1959 and is owned by the Italian State. It is the largest shipbuilder in Europe. See: Fincantieri to pay 1.1 million.
Ford’s Multi-million Dollar Defense
Mar 21, 2016
A recent exposé by U.S. journalists documents payments of millions of dollars by the Ford Motor Company for research that “proves” that auto mechanics did not contract mesothelioma from asbestos in Ford brake products. Documents cited include: a 1968 report which said that brake linings contained up to 60% asbestos and a 1971 memo which estimated the cost of replacing asbestos front end brakes at $1.25/car; as this cost was deemed “severe,” no action was taken. At Ford’s bidding, consultants produced material supporting the company’s position that “employment as a motor vehicle mechanic does not increase the risk of developing mesothelioma.” See: Ford spent $40 million to reshape asbestos science.
Scandal over Toxic Imports from China
Feb 15, 2016
Peter Tighe, the CEO of Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, has expressed concern that asbestos-containing cement sheeting imported from China has been identified at 64 construction sites in Australia stating: “Our young tradespeople haven't been trained to deal with these products. They think they're asbestos free.” Other asbestos-containing imports from China have included children’s crayons, automobiles and railway vehicles. Citing Australia's declining manufacturing base and lack of oversight on imports, trade union leaders have warned that more deadly imports could be on their way. See: Dozens of Australian building sites contaminated by illegal Chinese asbestos imports, authorities say.
Court Condemns Asbestos “Unions”
Feb 15, 2016
On February 11, 2016, the Regional Labor Court of Campinas confirmed the verdict of a lower court in a civil case brought by the Ministry of Labor against the actions of industry-backed “trade unions.” These bodies – nicknamed “yellow unions” – have made agreements with asbestos companies and associations supporting the controlled use of asbestos. The courts found that these arrangements were highly damaging to the interests of workers. Although several states and municipalities in Brazil have banned asbestos, the federal government supports the industry mythology that asbestos can be used safely under controlled conditions.
Asbestos Hearing in Bogota Adjourned
Feb 11, 2016
On February 9, 2016, the judge overseeing a pivotal case in Bogota convened the latest proceedings in a class action initiated by Juan Jose Lalinde 10 years ago about the use of asbestos in Colombia. The defendants in this lawsuit are asbestos companies. In 2015, lawyer Ramiro Bejarano, who represents Eternit – the company which dominates the country’s asbestos sector – submitted a “Compliance Agreement” in an attempt to seek a judicially-sanctioned compromise that would allow asbestos use to continue. An observer reported that litigant Lalinde was not in court and that the proceedings were adjourned after one hour. If the Judge finds for the plaintiff, the verdict could end asbestos use in Colombia.
Environmental Asbestos Contamination
Feb 11, 2016
A report entitled “Transport and Deposition of Asbestos-Rich Sediment in the Sumas River, Whatcom County, Washington” just released by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documents high levels of asbestos fiber in water and sediment from the Sumas River in the wake of a large active landslide on the western flank of Sumas Mountain. In 2012 and 2013, 24,000 and 54,000 tons of suspended sediment, respectively were transported by the river; up to 37% of the mass of river sediment samples tested was asbestos. See: New Study Examines Naturally Occurring Asbestos Carried in Sumas River Sediment.
Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer Figures
Feb 11, 2016
Even in countries where most mesothelioma cases are accurately diagnosed, the recognition of asbestos-related lung cancers remains problematic. Researchers in the Netherlands using three different modelling methods predicted that the number of Dutch cases that would occur between 2011 and 2030 would be between 6,800 and 17,500. Given the discrepancy in these figures, the authors of this paper concluded that the “accurate estimation of the impact of asbestos exposure on the lung cancer burden remains a challenge.” See: Expected number of asbestos-related lung cancers in the Netherlands in the next two decades: a comparison of methods.
Asbestos Pride in Kazakhstan
Feb 10, 2016
In a newspaper report issued on February 8, 2016, a city in the Kostanay area in northern Kazakhstan boasted that it was on course to become a global “asbestos” champion with exported chrysotile (white asbestos) fiber being shipped to India, Thailand and elsewhere. While extolling the virtues of asbestos and calling for enterprises to expand their consumption, the company spokesman also bemoaned a drop in output and the economic necessity of reducing production costs. Steps are, he said, being taken to streamline mining and processing operations. See: В Костанайской области асбестовое производство метит в мировые чемпионы [Kostanay region aims to be asbestos production world champions].
British Asbestos Newsletter
Feb 10, 2016
The Autumn-Winter 2015-2016 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The lead article in issue 99 details the implementation of changes in the government regime for compensating former service personnel who have contracted the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. The feature article entitled “Eradicating the Asbestos Hazard” is a detailed analysis of new data, political initiatives and literature that quantify the impact of asbestos-related disease on British citizens and call for measures to protect public and occupational health from hazardous exposures. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, issue 99.
Landmark Decision by Supreme Court
Feb 10, 2016
In a remarkable reversal of policy, Spain’s Supreme Court recognized the responsibility of Uralita, a successor company, to compensate workers exposed to asbestos by their previous employer, a company which Uralita had owned shares in. This decision was affected by a ruling handed down on March 5, 2015 by the European Court of Justice and acknowledged the “absolute connection” between the commercial enterprises. See: El Supremo cambia de opinión: la responsabilidad por la falta de medidas de seguridad se traspasa en la sucesión empresarial [Supreme Court U-turn: responsibility for lack of safety measures was transferred in business succession].
Toxic Legacy of Asbestos Cement Factory
Feb 9, 2016
Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry is recommending that no new building permits be issued for northern Nahariya until asbestos remediation work has been completed. Asbestos pollution is a legacy of the Eitanit asbestos-cement factory which closed in 1997. Friable asbestos material sold cheaply to local people was used in gardens, orchards, greenhouses, chicken coops, schools, homes and on dirt path. Although a 5-year, $60 million clean-up program led by the Ministry is nearing completion, a recent tour of hotspots confirmed that pollution remains a public health risk. See: Ministry Says Nahariya Should Not Grow Until Asbestos Is Removed.
MoD Fudge on Mesothelioma Payouts
Feb 9, 2016
A letter dated February 8, 2016 from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) provides no solace to those left out of a new compensation regime for veterans with mesothelioma (see: Change in Mesothelioma Regime to Benefit Veterans). Service personnel diagnosed before December 16, 2015 remain ineligible for the one-off £140,000 payment. It is unlikely that the “policy of no retrospection” will change although the MoD “continues to review the options to support these claimants in a similar manner and we hope to be in a position to provide an update soon.” See: Letter from Ministry of Defence, February 8, 2016.
The Corruption of Science
Feb 8, 2016
A collection of email correspondence between US. lawyers and researchers they hired to develop, publish and advance tailor-made “science” confirms that when millions of dollars are at risk anything can be bought. Lawyer Evan Nelson, at that time with the law firm Tucker Ellis & West and now unemployed, paid “rented white coats” working for the Gradient Corporation to produce work that would provide validity to his “revolutionary scientific theory” that mesothelioma was caused by exposure to radiation from tobacco smoke. See: Meet the ‘Rented White Coats’ Who Defend Toxic Chemicals.
Decreasing Brazil’s Asbestos Production
Feb 8, 2016
For several years, Brazil has been the world’s third largest supplier of chrysotile (white) asbestos – from a single mine in Minaçu run by the Sama company. In a recent report, Sama has confirmed that a fall in national and global demand led to the cancellation of production on three days in 2015 and the sacking of 119 workers. According to Sama officials, as well as the general economic crisis, the increasing unpopularity and fear of asbestos has impacted negatively on sales. See: Sama fechou turnos e demitiu 119 trabalhadores em 2015. A crise deve se aguçar em 2016 [Sama cancelled shifts and dismissed 119 workers in 2015. The crisis could sharpen in 2016].
Editorial on Asbestos Compensation
Feb 5, 2016
As recent verdicts deemed the Japan Government negligent for failing to act on the asbestos hazard and as manufacturers of building materials have also now been held liable, this editorial urges that guilty parties act urgently to make restitution to all the injured many of whom are suffering from asbestos diseases which can cause death in a very short time. The editorial calls on the government and others to collaborate on establishing an asbestos fund which would compensate various categories of injured people including asbestos mill workers, construction workers and the self-employed. See: Widening asbestos compensation.
Hearing Considers Safe Use Policy
Feb 5, 2016
On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 a court hearing will take place in Bogotá, Colombia during which asbestos vested interests will seek to normalize the use of asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen, contesting growing support in the country for asbestos to be banned on the grounds of protecting public and occupational health. Representing asbestos stakeholders, lawyer Ramiro Bejarano will, it is believed, argue that no one in Colombia has been injured by their exposure to asbestos and that asbestos can be used safely. See: El amor es más fuerte que el cancer [Love is stronger than cancer].
New Publications about Mesothelioma
Feb 5, 2016
Six papers (from 20) in the latest issue of an Italian medical journal look at issues relating to malignant mesothelioma, including: causation, treatment, links to asbestos use and national incidences of diseases. Of particular interest were the following: The global health dimensions of asbestos and asbestos-related diseases; Malignant mesotheliomas with unknown exposure to asbestos: a re-examination; Asbestos at the time of the First World War. The last paper reports that from 1912-17, the writer Franz Kafka was co-owner of a small asbestos factory in Prague. I bet you didn’t know that! See: La Medicina del Lavoro [Journal of Labor Medicine].
New Publications about Mesothelioma
Feb 5, 2016
Six papers in the latest issue of an Italian medical journal look at issues relating to malignant mesothelioma, including: causation, treatment, links to asbestos use and national incidences of diseases. Of particular interest were the following: Malignant mesotheliomas with unknown exposure to asbestos: a re-examination; Asbestos at the time of the First World War; The global health dimensions of asbestos and asbestos-related diseases. The 2nd paper reports that from 1912-17, the writer Franz Kafka was co-owner of a small asbestos factory in Prague. I bet you didn’t know that! See: La Medicina del Lavoro [Journal of Labor Medicine].
New Regime for Asbestos Removal
Feb 4, 2016
From April 4, 2016, the Health and Safety at Work Asbestos Regulations will incorporate new rules for New Zealand asbestos removal companies, Certificate of Competence holders, builders and other tradespeople who work with asbestos. Tighter regulations will mandate that licenses be obtained by all those who undertake asbestos removal work including builders, roofers and other non-specialist contractors. Only draft guidelines are currently available; a finalized guidance note will be released in due course. Further restrictions for this work are expected to be implemented in 2018. See: The Regulations around working with asbestos will change from 4 April 2016.
Under-recognition of Asbestos Victims
Feb 4, 2016
Of the 150,000 workers “officially” exposed to asbestos in Spain, only 40,000 are registered with the national occupational health surveillance program which is, say the Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras – Spain’s largest trade union – woefully inadequate. There were 2,474 companies that processed asbestos with up to 38,642 employees at any one time in the 15 regions which have so far submitted data. Many thousands more will have been at risk elsewhere before the use of asbestos was banned in 2002. See: Sólo el 2% de los afectados por amianto es reconocido por la Seguridad Social [Only 2% of those affected by asbestos are recognized by Social Security].
Victims Defeat Asbestos Company
Feb 3, 2016
At the end of January, 2016, a Regional Labor Court in Rio de Janeiro handed down an important decision in a civil action which recognized the right of ABREA, the national association of the asbestos-exposed, to represent victims in a civil lawsuit against Eternit S.A. for hazardous asbestos exposures to workers at its Rio de Janeiro Guadalupe plant; toxic exposures to family members will also be considered. The injured are seeking financial restitution as well as moral damages and comprehensive healthcare costs. See: Mauro Menezes faz defesa que restaura processo da Abrea-RJ contra a Eternit [Defense by Mauro Menezes restores ABREA-Rio de Janeiro lawsuit against Eternit].
Paper Survey of English Schools
Feb 3, 2016
On January 28, 2016, the Education Funding Agency sent a 7-page questionnaire for gathering data on asbestos in schools to headteachers throughout England. The deadline for submissions is February 29, 2016. The ten brief questions in the survey focus on the presence, condition and location of asbestos-containing products, the personnel, protocol and measures used for managing the asbestos, the level of asbestos awareness of staff and measures for informing at-risk personnel such as building contractors about the risk. The contentious HSE advice to leave asbestos in place is cited as standard guidance. See: Asbestos in schools data collection.
Canada’s Asbestos Schizophrenia
Feb 3, 2016
For decades, the Canadian government denied that the use of asbestos could be harmful. The fact that the country was the world’s biggest supplier of chrysotile (white asbestos) fiber was a powerful incentive for the government to adopt this position. Even though the last asbestos mine is shut, Canada’s asbestos policy lags well behind that of other developed nations. News released today that the use of asbestos materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings continues has been called “appalling” by union officials who are demanding a national ban be adopted immediately. See: Federal government still using asbestos in new construction.
Protests over Asbestos Injuries
Feb 2, 2016
On February 2, 2016, 1,000 protestors including asbestos-injured construction workers and family members demonstrated outside the Tokyo premises of Nichias Corporation, following a landmark ruling last week in the Kyoto District Court which found that product manufacturers could be held responsible for asbestos-related injuries amongst construction workers. Nichias executives, as well as those from other manufacturing companies where rallies also took place, refused to meet the protestors. Altogether, protests were held outside the premises of ten former asbestos manufacturing companies. See: Picture from February 2, 2016 demonstration outside premises of Nichias Corporation.
Asbestos Outreach in Nepal
Feb 2, 2016
An article detailing work on quantifying and engaging with the massive asbestos challenges in Nepal is included in the latest newsletter issued by the Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims. The text details a legal challenge mounted by an asbestos manufacturer against the national asbestos ban which took effect on June 20, 2015. It also outlines plans for an ambitious program for 2016 which includes steps to: monitor sales, identify victims, conduct environmental and soil sampling and implement measures to raise public awareness of the asbestos hazard. See: January 2016 Newsletter. Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims.
Third Wave of Asbestos Disease
Feb 1, 2016
A paper just published in the Medical Journal of Australia by respiratory physician Bill Musk and other clinicians advises doctors to consult patients regarding their likely exposure to asbestos as many will have been exposed directly or as bystanders to fibers liberated during work to repair, renovate or demolish contaminated buildings. Asbestos-containing construction materials, such as Fibro (asbestos-cement), were used in many Australian homes built in the 20th century. Exposures such as these are responsible for many of the cases being diagnosed as part of the 3rd wave of asbestos-related diseases. See: Doctors alert over asbestos.
Asbestos Roofing Removal Subsidies
Feb 1, 2016
From January 1, 2016 subsidies have become available to private individuals and agricultural businesses for the removal of asbestos roofing in the Netherlands; subsidized removal work must be completed by December 31, 2019. Owners of buildings that have asbestos roofing must remove this roofing prior to 2024 which is when government prohibitions come into force. There are strict guidelines for the removal of asbestos, with set protocols for situations in which operatives might be exposed to asbestos during refurbishment, renovation or demolition work. See: Asbestos Roofing Prohibited as of 2024.
Court Victory for Construction Workers
Jan 30, 2016
During a month of legal victories by Japanese asbestos plaintiffs, yesterday (Jan. 29, 2016) the Kyoto District Court ordered the Government and building material manufacturers to pay compensation of 216 million yen (US$1.78m) to 27 construction workers and their families for illnesses contracted after occupational asbestos exposures. This was the first Japanese court ruling to recognize the responsibility of building material manufacturers for asbestos injuries; nine companies were told to pay a total of 110 million yen (US$908,000) to 23 plaintiffs. See: State, building supply makers ordered to pay asbestos compensation.
Reuse of Asbestos Waste
Jan 30, 2016
On January 27, 2016, people living on Bushrod island, near Liberia’s capital of Monrovia, reported that “huge quantities” of second-hand asbestos-containing material from a derelict factory belonging to Cemenco – Liberia’s only cement manufacturer – had been sold off cheaply for use as landfill and soil protection to community members. Pleased with her purchase, one local said: “the Asbestos has been very useful for us… We do not experience flood or mud in the front of our homes any longer when it rains.” Cemenco has been at the center of other environmental controversies over the release of high levels of dust into areas by its processing operations. See: Cemenco’s Asbestos Dumped in Communities.
US Asbestos Trade Data
Jan 29, 2016
Statistics just released by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in its Minerals Commodity Survey 2016 show US asbestos consumption in 2015 of 360 tons, a 12% decrease on the previous year. This decline continues the downward trend in usage observed since 2011. Imported asbestos fiber is nowadays almost exclusively used for the production of diaphragms for the chloralkali industry. Virtually all the chrysotile (white) asbestos imported by the US in 2015 came from Brazil. No asbestos has been sourced from Canada since 2011; for decades, Canada had supplied the vast majority of asbestos used in the US. See: Minerals Commodity Survey 2016.
Asbestos Risk to Government Workers
Jan 29, 2016
Civil servants working at the Canada Revenue Agency's (CRA) Ottawa Taxation Center are up in arms about multiple and persistent failures of their employer to provide accurate and timely information about the occupational asbestos hazard. Denying these accusations, a CRA spokesman said that over the last 18 years the workforce had been informed about the presence of asbestos materials “on multiple occasions.” Earlier this month, staff were notified that “minor remediation” of hazardous materials would be carried out between November 1, 2015 [and] January 31, 2016. See: Ottawa Taxation Centre workers astonished after asbestos found in ceiling.
Action on Asbestos Imports from China
Jan 29, 2016
Three types of illegal asbestos imports from China have been found on sale in Pescara, Italy by officials from the Ministry of Health. Tests undertaken by regional authorities identified the presence of compressed white asbestos fibers as insulation for the contraband thermos flasks. The Ministry of Health ordered they be withdrawn from sale and issued an alert to warn the public of the hazard posed by these products. Asbestos was banned in Italy in 1992. See: Thermos con amianto: nuovi ritiri a Pescara. L’allerta lanciata dal Ministero della salute per due prodotti cinesi [Thermos with asbestos: new withdrawals in Pescara. Warning by Ministry of Health over products from China].
Concerns over Bank Demolition
Jan 28, 2016
Manila’s Mayor Joseph Estrada has been warned about the likely presence of asbestos in the old Philippine National Bank building in Escolta, Manila which is scheduled for demolition. Highlighting the known health hazards posed by exposures to asbestos, Alan Tanjusay, of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), recalled that “contractors who built such iconic buildings in Manila during the 1960s generally used asbestos materials to bolster the structure.” See: Group urges Estrada to ensure PNB building’s safe demolition.
Confronting a Deadly Mining Legacy
Jan 28, 2016
South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources is coordinating work on a program to rehabilitate and close 600+ asbestos mines and shafts scattered throughout the countryside. Commenting about his company’s involvement with nine abandoned asbestos mine sites in the Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, Quantity Surveyor Gordon Bulmer reported that three of the sites are now closed and work is ongoing on six others. See: South African asbestos mines rehabilitation project makes good progress. For more on this situation, also see: South Africa's Asbestos Crisis.
Asbestos: The Imminent Hazard
Jan 28, 2016
Eighteen asbestos-lined aluminium containers in a squalid “asbestos-lined ghetto” just outside Naples are home to 300 people rehoused by the Italian government after the 1980 earthquake in Irpinia, southern Italy. The story of Mario, one of the residents, is told in a pictorial feature uploaded on January 27, 2016 which describes him and the others as “forgotten” and “invisible.” The asbestos in these metal boxes is old and weathered; as it deteriorates, fibers are released into the air which are inhaled by residents as well as others living and working in the area. Cancer is the most common cause of death in the ghetto but there are no official statistics. See: In Pictures: Inside Naples' Asbestos-Lined Ghetto.
Breakdown of Asbestos Management
Jan 27, 2016
Although asbestos management plans had been in place at 12 schools in New Brunswick, Canada since 2004, no annual inspections had been carried out. On January 25, 2016, parents and staff at the schools in the Anglophone North School District were informed of a “breach of the inspection protocol for asbestos.” District Superintendent Beth Stymiest explained that inspections ordered after the breach of regulations had been discovered were completed on January 20. Remediation work is to be undertaken at: Tide Head School, Lord Beaverbrook School, Jacquet River School, Bathurst High School, and Dalhousie Regional High School. See: Anglophone North reveals failure to test for asbestos in 12 schools.
Surprises in Asbestos Surveys
Jan 27, 2016
Commenting on unusual finds during asbestos surveys, a colleague this week sent the photo below of a Chubb Safe Cabinet incorporating asbestos insulation board (AIB), commonly used in the UK from the 1930s until the 1980s. As can be seen, the board has suffered damage in use. AIB contained up to 40% amosite (brown) asbestos; sometimes the asbestos used was a mixture of amosite and chrysotile (white) asbestos but crocidolite (blue) asbestos was also used on occasion. AIB was popular for its insulation and fireproofing properties. Some types of safes and filing cabinets contained asbestos. See: Photo of open safe.
Mesothelioma Trends in Australia
Jan 27, 2016
An analysis of data from more than 11,000 Australians with mesothelioma during the period 1982 to 2009 was used to predict trends up until 2030; according to the researchers: “Australia's malignant mesothelioma incidence rates appear to have reached maximum levels but with differences over time by age, gender and tumour location. Improvements over time in survival provide a glimpse of hope for this almost invariably fatal disease.” A 16% reduction in excess mortality rate up to five years after diagnosis was observed in 2009 compared with 1999. See: Incidence and survival trends for malignant pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, Australia, 1982–2009.
Progress in Olivetti Asbestos Proceedings
Jan 26, 2016
Yesterday (January 25, 2016) has been called the “Day of Survivors” by those attending court proceedings in Ivrea where Olivetti executives stand accused over asbestos workplace deaths. The only living Olivetti employees with mesothelioma – Pierangelo Ferassa Bovio, 74 and Luigia Perello, 69 – gave their testimonies during the second day of the trial as rumors began circulating of a settlement reached by Telecom Italy of lawsuits brought by the families of four dead Olivetti workers against the company. It was said that compensation of ~ €150 000 per person, for a total of nearly €2m, was agreed. See: Telecom risarcisce le vittime dell’amianto all’Olivetti [Telecom compensate Olivetti asbestos victims].
More Illegal Imports from China
Jan 25, 2016
Asbestos contamination has been found in the railway line that serves Australia’s south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Seaford. The contamination was in fiber cement sheeting imported from China by a contractor even though the purchase agreement had specified that the building material was to be asbestos-free. According to Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan an investigation was underway. “We're taking this incredibly seriously. We're having the facilities independently assessed and inspected. It's been determined so far, these facilities are safe for workers to access, so long as there's no disturbance to the materials in question.” See: Seaford railway line embroiled in asbestos controversy.
Asbestos Remediation at Oil Refinery
Jan 23, 2016
Last month, the Prime Minister of Curaçao, Dr. Ben Whiteman expressed concerns over work to remediate asbestos at the Curaçao Oil Refinery premises. He told the Supervisory Board of the public company that the shortage of qualified supervisory staff was compromising the effectiveness of the operations; there have been no financial controller or internal auditors for some while. Questions were also asked about the system of procurement. Immediate action was required to rectify these shortcomings, the Prime Minister said. See: There are many things not right at the public company Refineria di Kòrsou (Curaçao Oil Refinery).
Eternit Raid Led to Asbestos Disease
Jan 23, 2016
A 45-year old policeman has been awarded compensation for pleural thickening having been exposed to asbestos during a raid on business premises in Vernouillet in north-central France belonging to the global asbestos multinational: Eternit. According to another officer who also took part in the 2006 raid “We were sent to the Eternit headquarters… We searched the archives which were full of dust. Only after several hours did we realize that the shelves were actually built of asbestos.” This is the first such case in French history. See: Un gendarme qui enquêtait sur l’amiante obtient une indemnisation après être tombé malade [A policeman investigating asbestos gets compensation after falling ill].
Huge Victory for Construction Workers
Jan 22, 2016
On January 21, 2016, construction workers and their families won a huge victory in the Osaka District Court with a verdict that held the Japanese Government liable for its failure to take measures to protect workers from hazardous asbestos exposures. This is the third such victory with previous favorable rulings from district courts in Tokyo and Fukuoka. Among other findings, the Osaka Court said the government should have prohibited the use of all types of asbestos, including chrysotile (white) asbestos, by 1995 at the latest. See: 国に３度目の賠償命令 建設アスベスト大阪訴訟 [Third victory for asbestos-injured construction workers in Osaka legal verdict].
Industry Propaganda Feature
Jan 21, 2016
A pro-asbestos feature appeared today (January 21, 2016) on a Sri Lanka website; the text was based on a paper from the discredited and redundant Chrysotile Institute (Canada). The anonymous author reheats industry rhetoric which discounts the deadly hazard posed by human exposures to chrysotile (white) asbestos, asserting that there is “not an excess of risk to health when it [white asbestos] is responsibly used.” “Low exposures,” he writes “to pure Chrysotile do not present a detectable risk to health… [even after short duration high exposures] the risk of an adverse outcome may be low...” See: Asbestos saga: Why so much emotion?
Asbestos Remediation Health Hazard
Jan 21, 2016
Chairperson of Concerned People Against Asbestos Obed Matlho is disturbed by claims made over the failure of a decontamination company in the former asbestos mining town of Prieska, South Africa to provide essential protection for workers remediating environmental contamination since June 2015 at a local dump site. Although Tumelo Modipane, the Projects Manager for the company carrying out the work, denies the allegations Mr Matlho intends to bring the issue to the attention of officials at the Department of Environmental Affairs. See: Northern Cape company fails to provide asbestos protective gear.
Escalation of Mesothelioma Incidence
Jan 21, 2016
Statistics released by Statistics Canada, Canada’s national statistical agency, show an unabated rise in the incidence of mesothelioma, a deadly asbestos cancer. Mesothelioma mortality rose by 60% – from 292 to 467 – between 2000 and 2012, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Canadian experts say that these figures underestimate the scale of the epidemic; according to a computer model produced at the Occupational Cancer Research Centre of Cancer Care Ontario “asbestos may be responsible for at least 2,000 new cancers each year in Canada, mostly fatal.” See: Cases of mesothelioma, deadly cancer caused by asbestos exposure, on rise: StatsCan.
Municipal Remediation Program
Jan 21, 2016
The town of Katowice in southwestern Poland is now accepting funding applications from local government departments for work to locate, remediate and dispose of asbestos-containing material; the program is being financed by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. May 31, 2016 is the deadline for submission of applications; all the work for which funding has been approved must be completed by October 31, 2016. See: Usun azbest [Remove asbestos!]. Further information about the application process can be found at: http://www.wfosigw.katowice.pl
Toxic Thermoses Withdrawn from Sale
Jan 20, 2016
The Ministry of Health has ordered the immediate seizure of illegal thermos flasks from China which were on sale in a market in the town of Belluno, northern Italy. The contraband items were marked with the brand “DayDays” and barcode number: 8301182614705. Analyses of the contents of the 1.4L vessels revealed the presence of chrysotile (white) asbestos between layers of glass insulation around the flask. Other asbestos-contaminated thermos flasks imported to Italy from China were seized by officials in 2014 and 2015. See: Thermos con amianto ritirato dal mercato. Ennesimo caso segnalato dal Ministero della salute [Thermoses with asbestos removed from the market].
Clinic for High Risk Workers Reopens
Jan 20, 2016
A medical clinic which treats asbestos-exposed workers will reopen in February 2016 in Terni, a city in central Italy, to provide health monitoring for those at high risk of contracting occupationally-induced asbestos-related diseases, as part of a national project. The aim of the free healthcare is to provide early diagnoses of asbestos diseases in order to maximize the efficacy of medical interventions and to counsel workers on lifestyle choices to reduce the risk of disease – e.g. the cessation of smoking. See: Terni, riapre l’ambulatorio per lavoratori esposti ad amianto: ecco come funziona [Terni, reopens clinic for asbestos-exposed workers: this is how it works].
Guilty Pleas over Asbestos Infringements
Jan 20, 2016
On January 13, 2016, guilty pleas were entered regarding failures to comply with federal environmental regulations during asbestos removal work on board a Mississippi River steamship constructed in 1976. Director Elaine Chiu and her California-based company admitted failing to inform state regulators about the contamination prior to the commencement of demolition work. Sentencing will be in May 2016 with Ms. Chiu facing up to two years in jail and substantial fines, and her company up to five years’ probation as well as hefty financial penalties. See: Mississippi Queen steamboat asbestos case ends with two guilty pleas – owner, company failed to disclose the deadly material to regulators.
Commentary Calls for Global Asbestos Ban
Jan 20, 2016
A text just published online in the Environmental Health Journal calls on national governments to stop building with asbestos and on international agencies to apply the same strict procedures for interaction with representatives of the asbestos industry as they do for tobacco lobbyists. Author Dr. Barry Castleman provides an extensive list of how asbestos vested interests have forestalled government regulation of their industry which includes: the suppression of medical and experimental findings, the manipulation of the media, the use of spurious industry-backed trade associations, the withholding of factual evidence and the targeting of industry critics. See: The export of hazardous industries in 2015.
“No Asbestos” Action Group in Tuscany
Jan 19, 2016
The legacy of asbestos use continues to impact on life in Sovigliana, a neighbourhood of the town of Vinci, Tuscany. Dozens of residents have joined a “No Asbestos” protest group to highlight the imminent risk to human health of old asbestos-covered industrial buildings within close proximity to residential areas. Demands are being made for the municipality to intervene and assess the danger posed by the decrepit asbestos-cement roofing on the properties. The factory owners claim that tests show there is no dispersion of asbestos from this source. See: “Basta amianto tra le case,” comitato guida la rivolta a Sovigliana [Fed up with asbestos, Sovigliana action group is formed].
Asbestos in Road Surfaces
Jan 19, 2016
In France, between 1977 and 1995, some companies incorporated asbestos into asphalt surfaces for use on busy roads such as those near airports to make them more durable and impervious to temperature changes. As part of the tightening of government regulations regarding asbestos exposures, it has become mandatory for owners/managers to report the presence of asbestos in road networks. New measures to identify, quantify and deal with asbestos contamination of these surfaces is being explored by technical experts. See: La recherche d'amiante dans les enrobés routiers en pleine evolution [New methodologies for finding asbestos in road asphalt].
Trouble in Asbestos Paradise?
Jan 18, 2016
The JSC Scientific Research and Design Institute of the Asbestos Industry is the Russian asbestos industry’s technical institute; the company and its premises have been put up for sale with a deadline of March 15, 2016 for the submission of tenders. The institute also undertakes non-asbestos work including technological research and development for the chemical, construction, agricultural and mining sectors. It is not yet clear what the sale will mean for the 102 people who work at JSC. The possibility of the institute being closed down cannot be discounted. See: Город Асбест потихоньку продают с молотка [Quick Sale of Asbestos Industry Institute].
Asbestos Hazard after Bush Fire
Jan 18, 2016
In the aftermath of the Waroona-Harvey bushfire which killed two men and destroyed 162 homes in the small south west town of Yarloop, a spokesperson for the Government of Western Australia (WA), said that asbestos levels were “the highest ever seen by WA Health Department.” Residents were told the town was now a no-go area. On Friday, January 15th deputy chief health officer Andrew Robertson downgraded the asbestos risk saying that he expected testing would show low levels in public outdoor areas with higher levels in properties containing asbestos material. See: WA fires: government moves to calm fears of Yarloop asbestos danger.
Victim’s Verdict in Zaragoza
Jan 18, 2016
Last week, the Superior Court of Aragon (TSJA) dismissed an appeal by GM Spain of a judgment requiring it to pay compensation of €100,000 plus legal costs and interest to the widow of Luis Tirado, who was negligently exposed to asbestos when he worked for the company between 1983 and 1987. Upholding the lower court’s indictment of the company’s dangerous practices, the TSJA ruled that the deadly consequences of asbestos exposures for unprotected workers were “foreseeable.” See: Desestimado el recurso de GM contra el fallo que le obligaba a indemnizar a la viuda del empleado fallecido por Amianto [Rejection of GM appeal against asbestos compensation order for worker’s wife].
Raising Awareness of Asbestos Hazards
Jan 17, 2016
A blog on January 16, 2016 which expressed concerns about the health of Colombia’s Vice President Germán Vargas Lleras highlighted his connections to national asbestos stakeholders. When Lleras was Housing Minister he approved plans for asbestos to be used in the construction of 100,000 new homes; his brother Henry was on the board of Eternit, an asbestos building materials producer that occupies a dominant position in the asbestos sector. While the industry lobby denies that human exposures to asbestos are hazardous, more cases of asbestosis are being diagnosed. See: Germán “Asbestos” Lleras.
Prospective Asbestos Waste Site in Alsace
Jan 17, 2016
People living in Niederbronn-les-Bains, in north-eastern France turned out in their hundreds yesterday (January 16, 2016) to support a protest over plans by a private company to build an asbestos landfill in their town. A petition circulated on the day has now collected more than 1,300 signatures. Voicing their outrage, people from this spa town have decried the clandestine manner with which the planning application has been progressed, and expressed their fears over the health risks posed by bringing 150,000 tonnes of asbestos waste into the town. See: Dépôt d’amiante à Niederbronn : 350 personnes dans les rues [Asbestos waste site in Niederbronn: 350 people on the streets].
Outdated Asbestos Policy in Malta
Jan 16, 2016
At a press conference in Valletta, Mark Gauci of Malta’s Occupational Health and Safety Authority reported that the use of asbestos sheeting was still a mandatory fire precaution in his report into national safety legislation which, he said, “needs reviewing”. A classic example of the confused regime was the lack of a Fire Safety Act; in the vacuum which persists, it is unclear which government agency is responsible for fire safety at public events: “Many think it is the Civil Protection Department which is responsible for fire safety but they do not have the legal basis to take many executive action(s),” he said. See: Health, safety legislation in Malta ‘conflicting and outdated’.
Jail for Asbestos Crimes
Jan 16, 2016
Canadian contractor Daniel Lane of the “HomeSeal” company has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $45,000 for contravening asbestos health and safety regulations during removal work undertaken in the Greater Toronto Area. Lane was convicted on nine counts under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Passing sentence, the Justice of the Peace said the accused had lied to homeowners and shown a total disregard for their health and that of his workers. Lane also illegally dumped asbestos waste on private property. See: Contractor sentenced to 30 days for shoddy asbestos removal work.
Action on Asbestos in Schools
Jan 16, 2016
On January 15, 2016, Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa gave assurances that by the end of 2017 the most serious threats posed by asbestos in schools would be resolved. According to the PM’s statement, given in response to a question by Deputy Heloísa Apolónia, the Government is producing an action plan which will prioritize remediation of the most hazardous situations. More information on how this issue will be tackled in all public buildings has been requested. See: Governo promete resolver situações mais graves de amianto até final do ano letivo 2016/2017 [Government promises to deal with most serious asbestos problems in schools by the end of 2016/2017].
The One Billion Dollar Asbestos Mine
Jan 15, 2016
It is looking increasingly unlikely that the Zimbabwe Government will be able to find backers with sufficient capital and interest to facilitate the resuscitation of the country’s chrysotile (white) asbestos mining industry. Interest has been reported from potential investors from the asbestos-producing countries of Russia and China but the revival of the mines, once owned by the UK asbestos giant Turner & Newall Ltd., is a herculean task which could cost in excess of US$1billion. Controversy and litigation over the government’s seizure of the troubled Shabanie and Gaths asbestos mines from SMM Holdings continue to act as a disincentive for investors. See: US$1billion needed to rescue SMM’s mines.
Controversy over Asbestos Clean-up
Jan 14, 2016
The after-effects of a fire in the Dutch town of Wateringen in January, 2015 continue to plague local people. Concerns center principally on the issue of the asbestos contamination caused by the conflagration. Accusations made in a “confidential report” made public on January 13, 2016 suggest that the municipality was guilty of a serious and dangerous neglect of duty. These allegations are rejected by Mayor Mayor Sjaak van der Tak who says that the townsfolk are suffering from an “asbestos psychosis.” A meeting of local officials is taking place today (Jan. 14, 2016), to consider plans for further asbestos remediation. See: Residents unwittingly exposed to asbestos.
More Delays in Italian Proceedings
Jan 14, 2016
The manslaughter trial of 17 former executives from Italcantieri, an Italian shipbuilding company, was adjourned yesterday (Jan. 13) at the Court of Gorizia after just 10 minutes, due to a shortage of judges; participants were informed that proceedings have been rescheduled for May 2016. The criminal charges being investigated relate to 44 mesothelioma deaths amongst Italcantieri workers. With the expiration of the time bar for bringing these cases looming, there are serious concerns that the victims will ever have their day in court. See: Slitta a maggio l’amianto-3 e incombe la prescrizione [Postponed until May; proscription deadline looming].
Government Betrays Victims, Again!
Jan 13, 2016
On January 12, 2016 the Minister for Disabled People told Parliament of the latest multi-million pound windfall for British insurers when he announced that the insurance levy to fund the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme would be reduced this year (see: Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme Levy 2015/16:Written statement - HCWS460). Reacting to this news, the TUC General Secretary said: “The government should maintain the levy at last year’s level and use any surplus to extend the compensation scheme to all victims of asbestos or for research into treatment.” See: TUC Press Release. Government must maintain mesothelioma levy.
Grassroots Outrage over Asbestos Dump
Jan 13, 2016
A demonstration is being organized by local groups outraged over plans by a private company to build an asbestos landfill site in the Alsace village of Niederbronn-les-Bains. It is believed that the new dump will receive 150,000 tonnes of toxic waste. On January 16, 2016 protesters will assemble in front of the Niederbronn-les-Bains train station and march through the streets, finishing up in front of the town hall where a public rally will take place. Members of the public are being invited to take part in this day of action. See: Manifestation contre l’enfouissement d’Amiante au Sandholz [Demonstration against asbestos landfill in Sandholz].
Protocols for Toxic Waste in São Paulo
Jan 13, 2016
Documentation uploaded today to the website of the São Paulo State Legislature confirmed changes approved last month (December 2015) which mandated that as of December 1, 2016, asbestos-containing goods must be dumped according to approved practices at authorized waste sites only. Transgressions of the new regulations will attract substantial financial penalties. Should guilty parties reoffend, the authorities have the right to revoke business licenses either temporarily or permanently. See: Alteração na lei que proíbe o uso de amianto prevê descarte responsável do material [Change in law that prohibits the use of asbestos also mandates responsible disposal of toxic material].
PM’s House Now Asbestos-Free?
Jan 13, 2016
The Georgian revival-style 1927 mansion which is traditionally the Canberra home of Australia’s Prime Minister has been closed for major renovations for nearly two and a half years. Work required included the replacement of the roof, rewiring, replumbing and the removal of asbestos. The original $3 million budget has escalated to $9m and the sighting of removal vans at the property this week has led journalists to speculate that PM Turnbull may move into the property in time for the new parliamentary session beginning next month (February 2016). See: Malcolm Turnbull prepares to move to The Lodge as removalist vans are spotted outside the residence.
Mesothelioma Research: Call for Funding
Jan 12, 2016
On January 5, 2016, MP Andy McDonald tabled Early day motion 913: Mesothelioma Research which called on the Government to “facilitate the establishment of a long-term sustainable mesothelioma research scheme funded by the insurance [industry]. Commenting yesterday on his support for the motion, MP Mark Durkan said: “We desperately need more investment in research into the causes and potential cures for mesothelioma, better treatments to give sufferers more hope, and more awareness amongst tradespeople of the continuing dangers of contact with asbestos.” See: Asbestos research scheme needed: MP.
Discrimination in Cancer Treatment?
Jan 11, 2016
Mesothelioma sufferer Deanna Trevarthen is now receiving her third round of Government-funded chemotherapy. Under current guidelines, she is allowed three more rounds of chemo before she will have to pay upwards of $200,000 for further life-extending treatments. The charges would be incurred if, as expected, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) declines to cover all the costs of her medical care as her exposure to asbestos was a result of visiting her electrician father’s work sites and not due to her own employment. The current system under which the ACC functions is, her partner claims, unfair and discriminatory. See: Cancer victim urges ACC overhaul.
Asbestos Deaths of Railway Workers
Jan 11, 2016
The trial is proceeding of 10 managers from the Italian railway engineering company of Breda-Ansaldo who are facing manslaughter charges over the asbestos cancer deaths of 12 workers. Today (January. 11), 7 witnesses are due to give evidence regarding the failure to protect workers from the hazardous conditions at the workshops where asbestos was used for decades by pipe fitters, welders and grinders in insulation products such as blankets, pillows and mattresses. Further hearings are scheduled with three in February and three in March. See: Sesto, amianto killer alla Breda-Ansaldo: polveri nocive rilevate già nel 1979 [Sixth, the killer asbestos Ansaldo-Breda: harmful dust detected in 1979].
Normandy’s Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Jan 10, 2016
In derelict asbestos factories, on industrial sites, in public buildings and in people’s houses, the presence of asbestos continues to pose a high risk to people in Normandy say representatives of the Defence Association of Asbestos Victims of Seine-Maritime (Adeva 76), located in one of France’s asbestos hotspots. Workplace exposures at asbestos mills which operated for decades in this area continue to kill workers and family members. A multimillion euro decontamination project of a former asbestos manufacturing site near Le Havre is due to begin shortly. See: En Normandie, l’amiante continue de tuer [In Normandy, asbestos continues to kill].
Asbestos Trial over Olivetti Deaths Begins
Jan 9, 2016
On Monday, January 11 2016, 17 defendants will face criminal charges ranging from murder to culpable injury over 12 asbestos-related deaths amongst the Olivetti workforce and 2 cases of serious illness. The trial will be held in Ivrea, a town in Turin Province in north-west Italy. Because of the great public interest and the number of those involved, the proceedings will be held in a high school auditorium as available court rooms are too small to accommodate all interested parties. Former Ministers and high-profile executives are amongst the accused. See: Ivrea, l'11 gennaio comincerà il processo per le morti di amianto alla Olivetti [Ivrea, on January 11, the trial over the asbestos deaths at Olivetti begins].
Congress Attacks Victims’ Rights
Jan 9, 2016
Yesterday (January 9, 2016), the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed legislation which would, say its critics, deny asbestos victims basic human rights. The White House stated it would veto this legislation should it be adopted by the Senate. Supporters of The Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015 claim new requirements for asbestos victims seeking compensation through the courts would prevent them from “gaming the system.” Advocates for victims and veterans argue that the legislation would allow identity thieves to access confidential data to victimize the injured. See: H.R.1927 - Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015.
Increase in Asbestos Mortality in BC
Jan 8, 2016
In 2015, asbestos-related deaths contributed to a 40% increase in occupational deaths amongst construction workers in British Columbia (BC). Predictions that asbestos deaths amongst this cohort of workers would peak by 2020 have been dismissed by WorkSafeBC – the Workers' Compensation Board of British Colombia – which says that “there have been more [asbestos] exposures and more workers working with asbestos than originally had been anticipated...” In 2015, 26 of the 44 deaths of BC construction workers were due to asbestos exposure. See: Asbestos exposure leads rise in deaths of B.C. construction workers.
Measuring Environmental Asbestos Hazard
Jan 8, 2016
Research undertaken to provide measurement tools for government decision makers has been published; the study “quantified the amount of asbestos discharged naturally from [asbestos-cement] slates and visualized the amount of asbestos discharged naturally from slates in administrative districts in Korea.” Maps produced by plotting levels of contamination showed that the pollution in the Ulsan region was higher than elsewhere. Ulsan is in the south-east of the Republic of Korea and is regarded as the country’s industrial powerhouse. See: Visualizing distribution of naturally discharged asbestos fibers in Korea through analysis of thickness changes in asbestos cement slates.
Hot Topic: Asbestos in Schools
Jan 7, 2016
Concern is growing in Portugal over the presence of asbestos-containing materials in educational buildings. At a meeting on January 6, 2016, members of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) highlighted the hazard posed by asbestos cement roofs at the Oliveira Hospital Group of Schools and pressed the authorities for action as specified under law 2/2011 which sets limit values for levels of airborne asbestos. Failure to act on this “serious problem” could result in sit-ins and demonstrations in Coimbra City said PCP activists. See: PCP questiona Governo sobre amianto em escolas [PCP questions government about asbestos in schools].
Parliamentary Mesothelioma Bill
Jan 6, 2016
In the first reading of the Mesothelioma Bill in the House of Commons (January 5, 2016), MP Mike Kane called for the introduction of statutory funding for mesothelioma research. The unreliability of “ad hoc contributions from insurers, charitable donations and modest funding from the Government” jeopardized the quality of research and compromised our capacity to deliver “life-saving breakthroughs.” With so many lives at stake and such high costs for medical care of those affected, a reliable revenue stream is, he said, required to enable scientists to progress their efforts. See: Mesothelioma (Amendment) (No. 2) ( House of Commons: January 5, 2016).
Government Backing for Mining
Jan 6, 2015
In early January 2016, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Mike Bimha confirmed his government’s intention to recommence the country’s production of chrysotile (white) asbestos at the Shabanie and Mashava mines, stating that “the white chrysotile type [of asbestos] which is produced in Zimbabwe has not been scientifically condemned outright as a harmful substance if used in a controlled manner.” Zimbabwe has, he said, the capacity to produce 180,000 tonnes of asbestos fiber per year, the vast majority of which would be exported. For several years there has been no asbestos production in Zimbabwe as the mines have fallen into disrepair. See: Zim’s white chrysotile not condemned.
National Diagnostic Standards Reviewed
Jan 6, 2016
Korea lagged behind other countries in setting standards for the recognition of occupational asbestos cancers. Initially, outdated regulations from Japan were followed; standards adopted in 2013 were more inclusive, but some requirements were left “unspecific and vague.” An academic paper just published by Korean researchers suggests the implementation of specific measures and criteria including CT scans and high levels of medical expertise in making diagnoses of these cancers. See: Review of carcinogenicity of asbestos and proposal of approval standards of an occupational cancer caused by asbestos in Korea.
Reappraisal of Chrysotile Data
Jan 6, 2016
A review of U.S. data from a New Jersey factory which used short fiber chrysotile has found evidence that demonstrates “a risk at lower levels of exposure to chrysotile than those which have been previously reported.” The authors suggest that if this cohort of workers – amongst whom 10 cases of pleural mesothelioma and 4 of asbestosis have been identified – were included in meta-analyses on chrysotile potency “a downward revision of the ‘no-effect’ level for chrysotile carcinogenicity” might be required. See: Short Fiber Tremolite Free Chrysotile Mesothelioma Cohort Revealed. Am J Ind Med. 2016; Jan 4 [Epub ahead of print].
Trial over European Parliament Exposures
Jan 5, 2016
Court proceedings begin on Thursday, January 7, 2016 over asbestos exposures which took place during refurbishment work at the Winston Churchill building of the European Parliament, Strasbourg in February 2013. The trial was originally scheduled for October 2015 but the large number of those affected forced the authorities to relocate to larger premises. There are 300 civil parties to the lawsuit with up to 1,600 potential witnesses. The litigants include workmen as well as office workers who breathed in contaminated dust. See: Amiante au Parlement : des centaines de victimes attendues au procès jeudi [Asbestos in Parliament: hundreds of victims to attend trial on Thursday].
Basque Verdict for Victim’s Family
Jan 4, 2016
The Provincial Directorate of the National Institute of Social Security in the Basque Province of Biscay has ordered that the family of asbestos victim Eusebio Pabola receive an extra 50% in benefits from Kaefer Insulation, the company which employed the deceased maintenance worker from 1971 to 1998, due to its failure to prevent workplace exposures to asbestos. Eusebio Pabola was a prominent Basque militant and trade union activist. See: El INSS impone a Kaefer Aislamientos el pago de un recargo de prestaciones tras el fallecimiento de Eusebio Pabola por amianto [National Institute of Social Security imposes asbestos surcharge on Kaefer Insulation after death of Eusebio Pabola].
Court Victory for Victim’s Family
Jan 4, 2016
After years of judicial proceedings and legal reversals a criminal court in Vercelli, northern Italy, this week ruled that the sisters of deceased mesothelioma victim 54-year old Maria Casulli were entitled to compensation from her employer, a Piedmontese company that operated a factory maintaining and repairing railway carriages. As well as handing down suspended prison sentences for her manslaughter to company executives, the Court ordered compensation be paid for her asbestos-related death. Other claims against the company are now likely to proceed. See: Amianto nei vagoni ferroviari Condanna dopo sei assoluzioni [Asbestos in railway carriages, sentencing after six acquittals].
Mesothelioma Trends in NSW
Jan 4, 2016
A study undertaken by researchers at the University of Sydney and the Cancer Institute of New South Wales of mesothelioma data collected over more than three decades concluded that the NSW incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has stabilized and the peak of the MPM epidemic has been reached in the state. Survival rates for one MPM subtype was higher than others and female patients with MPM lived longer than male patients. See: Patterns in the incidence, mortality and survival of malignant pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, New South Wales, 1972-2009.
Call to Ban Asbestos
Jan 3, 2015
A petition entitled “Concerns about Canada’s continued use and imports of asbestos” was sent last month to the Office of the Auditor General of Canada by groups representing legal and educational professionals. The petition posed a series of questions about the policy which allows the “controlled use” of asbestos. Citing global as well as national evidence, highlighting the high incidence of asbestos cancer and noting discrepancies between federal and state regulatory practises, the authors requested responses from Ministers about the continued failure to protect Canadians from the asbestos hazard. See: Petition to the Office of the Auditor General regarding Canada's continued use and imports of asbestos.
Asbestos Site: New Plans?
Jan 2, 2016
Local people who have been campaigning over the toxic legacy of the Turners’ asbestos factory in Rochdale, are backing a greener future for the derelict industrial site; suggesting that, in light of the recent flooding, it could “provide part of (a) flood reduction strategy as a ‘back wash’ to retain significant amounts of flood water from the (River) Spodden.” With the eradication of the contamination, the creation of a green amenity and a wetland catchment area to help alleviate future flooding of built up areas, this perennial eyesore could, finally, make a useful contribution to life in Rochdale. See: Spodden Valley ‘plan B’ to help save further flooding?
Local Protest over Factory Demolition
Dec 30, 2015
People living in communities near an industrial site operated by the Liberia Cement Company (LCC) are threatening a lawsuit to ensure that environmental safety is protected during the demolition of a redundant cement factory. It is claimed that the factory contains asbestos materials and toxic chemicals While the LCC denied that dismantling work had began, residents reported that work is ongoing. At a protest this week, the critics called on the LCC to hire a specialist licensed firm which will comply with all health and safety requirements. See: Liberia: Residents Want Cemenco to Observe Safety Procedures.
Awards for Domestic Asbestos Exposure
Dec 30, 2015
In a landmark decision by Spain’s Supreme Court, awards by the Provincial Court of Madrid of between €22,000 to €99,000 to women injured following exposure to asbestos brought home on their husbands’ work clothes were upheld. The men had worked at Uralita asbestos-cement factories in Getafe and Valdemoro. Acknowledging the widespread knowledge about the asbestos hazard as long ago as the 1940s, the Supreme Court ruled that companies were not only responsible for the safety of workers but also for that of third parties. See: Uralita resarcirá a tres mujeres afectadas de amianto por lavar la ropa [Uralita compensates women injured by exposure to asbestos on their husbands’ work clothes].
Workshop Highlights Asbestos Danger
Dec 22, 2015
An article reporting on information delivered at a workshop held on December 21 in Oran, Algeria highlighted the public health risk of asbestos in public buildings such as schools and stressed the danger to the country’s schoolchildren posed by asbestos-containing products present throughout the educational infrastructure. Between 1998 and 2001, more than 44 asbestos-related disease cases were recognized by the National Social Insurance Fund. See: Santé/ L’amiante menace l’intégrité physique de milliers d’Algériens [Asbestos threatens the physical integrity of thousands of Algerians].
New Asbestos Trade Data
Dec 22, 2015
Data on the global asbestos trade, which was uploaded this week to the website of the United States Geological Survey, shows that while US fiber imports decreased by 47% to 406 tonnes (t) in 2014, imports of asbestos-containing products rose in value by 14% to $5.63m. World production fell from 2.05 million tonnes (mt) in 2013 to 2.02 mt in 2014 with production levels remaining fairly consistent in the main producing countries: Russia (1.1 mt), China (400,000 t), Brazil (284,000 t) and Kazakhstan (240,000 t). Final 2013 figures showed biggest users as: China (570,000 t), Russia (432,000 t), India (303,000 t), and Brazil (181,000 t). See: New USGS Minerals Yearbook - Asbestos (2014).
Campaigners Lobbying for Ban
Dec 22, 2015
Labor advocacy groups are calling for a complete ban on the use of asbestos in Taiwan as well as the implementation of measures to audit the incidence of asbestos-related diseases in high-risk groups and treat the injured. Although the use of asbestos is banned in construction and piping materials, it can still be used in brake pads pending the introduction of stricter prohibitions in 2018. Unfortunately, even then the import of products containing asbestos would still be allowed under a Ministry of Economic Affairs’ certification scheme. See: Labor advocacy groups call for ban on asbestos.
Award for Japanese Asbestos Activists
Dec 21, 2015
Every year, to mark the anniversary of the death of ban asbestos activist and mesothelioma victim Rachel Lee Jung-Lim, campaigners in Korea bestow an award in her name to campaigners whose work has made an impact on the global struggle for asbestos justice. Today (December 21, 2015) the work of Furukawa Kazuko, Kataoka Akihiko and Iida Hiroshi has been recognized at a ceremony in Seoul. Their collective efforts have improved conditions for Japan’s asbestos victims and helped raise awareness of the asbestos epidemic throughout Asia. Mrs. Kazuko was present to accept the award at the ceremony on behalf of all the recipients. See: Photo of Plaque.
EU Supports Vietnam Asbestos Phase-Out
Dec 21, 2015
Since 2014, EU personnel have been working with officials and stakeholders to facilitate the transition in Vietnam to an asbestos-free technology. Outcomes of this collaboration were a report and a policy paper on the hazards of chrysotile asbestos; a national asbestos action plan has set a 2020 deadline for a total ban. Although research into developing asbestos-free alternatives has been ongoing since 2001 in Vietnam, strong resistance from an industry lobby has prevented a ban from being implemented. As part of the EU-Vietnam project, plans are progressing for three pilot operations for the production of asbestos substitutes. See: EU helps Vietnam phase out asbestos.
Asbestos Lost and Found
Dec 21, 2015
It was announced last week by a spokesperson for the High Court that 58 of the 168 rooms in the Tokyo building which houses the Tokyo district and high courts will be closed for an unspecified length of time due to the possible contamination by asbestos which resulted from asbestos removal work done on the premises. A few days later (December 18), Japan’s Ministry of Labor announced that prefectural labor bureaus and labor inspection offices had disposed of asbestos-related documents in contradiction to orders issued in 2005 by the Ministry to retain all asbestos-related documents for future use. See: One-third of Tokyo courtrooms to be closed.
Government U-Turn on Veterans’ Rights
Dec 18, 2015
The British Legion is claiming victory after the government announced a change in UK compensation for service personnel suffering from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Eligible claimants diagnosed after December 16, 2015 will be entitled to a lump sum payment of £140,000 instead of the regular smaller payments made under the War Pension, to bring the amount paid closer to that received by civilian sufferers. Payment of these lump sums will begin on April 11, 2016 but will be backdated to December 16, 2015. See: Legion Helps Secure Pay Outs for Thousands of Veterans with Asbestos-related Cancer.
US Asbestos Epidemic as 3rd Wave Hits
Dec 18, 2015
A devastating investigative feature and a heart-wrenching video have just been released by the Center for Public Integrity. Between them, they tell the tragic story of one Florida family whose lives have been irrevocably changed by asbestos. Thirty-nine year old Kris Penny is dying from a cancer only contracted after exposure to asbestos. He believes, as does his lawyer, that the fatal exposure he experienced took place while installing fiber-optic cable underground. He had no idea that asbestos was in the underground pipes that housed the cable. This article and this video are must read and must see items! See: Upended by America’s “third wave” of asbestos disease.
Opposition to Tungsten Mine Revival
Dec 18, 2015
Environmental campaigners, council officials and local people are objecting to plans by an Australian company to explore restarting tungsten mining in the Ariège region of the Central French Pyrenees. The critics cite multiple reasons for their opposition, including the prevalence of naturally-occurring asbestos in the area. According to a letter dated December 14, 2015 by Professor Annie Thebaud-Mony, studies undertaken in the 1980s substantiated the presence of actinolite asbestos in soil samples. Cases of asbestosis amongst miners from the former tungsten mine have been documented. See: Amiante: une mine pyrénéenne fait polémique [Asbestos: a controversial mine in the Pyrennes].
Court to Inspect Power Stations
Dec 17, 2015
On December 16, 2015, Acting Chief Justice Jayant Patel of the Gujarat High Court ordered that a committee of government officials be set up to inspect 11 power plants after allegations of occupational health problems; a preliminary report revealed that 15 workers from two power plants had contracted the work-related diseases of asbestosis and silicosis. Committee members will include the principal secretary of the health department, an occupational health doctor, a registrar of the district court, a member of the National Institute of Occupational Health and others. See: HC panel to inspect power plants for workers' health.
Ban Asbestos Breakthrough in São Paulo
Dec 16, 2015
Brazil’s asbestos lobby has suffered its biggest blow when companies in São Paulo pledged to end asbestos use by January 1, 2017, provide comprehensive health care and $R1.6m (US$400,000+) to fund activities to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard. Although asbestos use is already prohibited in São Paulo State, as it is in the states of Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco, asbestos production is currently permitted under court injunctions. See: Em acordo de R$ 1,6 milhão, empresas de SP se comprometem a banir o amianto até 2017 [In R$1.6m agreement SP companies undertake to ban asbestos by 2017].
Conviction for Demolition Company
Dec 16, 2015
A demolition company from Christchurch has today (December 16, 2015) been convicted of two charges under sections 6 and 50(1)(a) and sections 16 and 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act for non-compliance with regulations. A District Court ordered Blakely Construction Limited to pay $45,000 for failing to properly identify and manage asbestos at a demolition site in March 2014. Commenting on the verdict, a WorkSafeNZ spokesperson said: “…once the company became aware of asbestos contamination it should have stopped work on site immediately and ensured that it was fully decontaminated before resuming work.” See: No excuse for not knowing rules around asbestos.
Police Issue Asbestos Alert after Storms
Dec 16, 2015
New South Wales Police issued an asbestos alert following recent storms to warn people returning to their homes about the hazard posed by damaged asbestos-cement (fibro) building materials which could liberate deadly fibers into the air. Miranda Local Area Commander, Superintendent Michael O’Toole, said: “Residents should be aware asbestos may be present in homes built prior to 1987…it is recommended that should you returning to your home and it has been damaged, do not disturb the debris. If you intend on entering, I would recommend wearing a P2 mask and protective clothing as a precaution.” See: Asbestos information following storms.
Asbestos: Legacy Issues, Current Hazards
Dec 16, 2015
An academic paper published online this week detailed the historic use of an artificial clay with the brand name DAS which was used in schools between 1963 and 1975 in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK and Norway. Analytical tests confirmed that up to 30% of the weight of this clay was chrysotile asbestos. The authors recommend that “mesothelioma patients should be asked about their past use of DAS, in particular individuals not reporting a clear past asbestos exposure. Additionally, this discovery shows the incompleteness of records on asbestos uses and suggests to test items, including toys, imported from countries where asbestos is not forbidden.” See: Asbestos in toys: an exemplary case.
Senate’s Asbestos Dialogue
Dec 14, 2015
Tomorrow afternoon (December 15), a detailed study on the country’s asbestos epidemic will be presented to the Italian Senate which will report 6,000 annual deaths from asbestos-related cancers, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The rapporteur will highlight categories of at-risk workers, including teachers, soldiers and farmers, and present innovative technology for tracking the occurrence of these diseases around the country. An update will be provided on the national asbestos project launched in May 2014 to map asbestos-contaminated sites. See: Amianto, Ona presenta Primo rapporto mesoteliomi [Asbestos, ONA presents first mesothelioma report].
Engineer’s Case for Pleural Lesions
Dec 14, 2015
A former sailor with pleural calcified lesions is suing his former employer Total for having negligently exposed him to asbestos on board ships over a period of 23 years. His case is being heard before the Social Security Appeal Tribunal of Saint-Brieuc; the Court’s decision will be announced on February 25, 2016. If the company is found guilty of gross negligence, the claimant’s pension would be doubled. A very similar case before the Quimper Tribunal ended last week with a decision in favour of another injured sailor who had worked for Total. See: Amiante: l'ancien marin attaque Total [Asbestos: retired sailor attacks Total (Oil Company)].
Mapping Asbestos Disease
Dec 14, 2015
Campaigners in Japan have succeeding in forcing the Ministry of Labor to disclose information on all businesses which recognized cases of asbestos-related diseases since 2005. By the end of 2013, there were a total of 9,035 cases, of which 4,668 came from exposures in the construction industry and 3,367 from all other sectors. The Ministry will be announcing updated figures soon after which asbestos victim support groups will operate a free telephone hotline to answer queries from those who think they might have been affected. See: Poster advertising free phone consultation service for victims and families.
Data: Lost Asbestos Decades
Dec 13, 2015
The explosive results of research undertaken by Belgian demographers from The Association for the Development of Applied Research in Social Sciences in the asbestos company towns of Harrmignies and Kappelle-op-den-Bos were released yesterday (December 12) and show that workers dying from asbestos-related diseases lost on average 20 years of life. The genesis of this study was the work of former asbestos worker/campaigner Michel Verniers who was the first to take cognizance of the premature loss of life amongst his fellow workers. See: Les travailleurs décédés de l’amiante ontperdu en moyenne vingt années de vie! [Workers who died from asbestos lost on average 20 years of life!]
Tighter Asbestos Protocols in São Paulo
Dec 13, 2015
On December 10, 2015, an amendment to the São Paulo Law 12.684/2007 which banned asbestos was adopted; new Law 16.048 mandates that as of December 1, 2016 asbestos-containing goods must be dumped by companies or owners according to environmentally sound practises at authorized waste sites according to measures stipulated by the state environmental agency. Infringements of the new regulations will attract substantial financial penalties. See: Estado dispõe sobre o uso de produtos, materiais ou artefatos que contenham Amianto [State regulates the use of products, materials or artifacts containing asbestos].
Another City Bans Asbestos
Dec 13, 2015
Three years after the City of Curitiba, the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná, issued legislation (Law 14,172/ 12) banning the sale and use of products containing asbestos, the prohibition came into force on December 7, 2015. The city now joins 30 municipalities and six states that have banned asbestos in their territories in opposition to the federal government which allows asbestos use to continue. The Curitiba law also mandates strict protocols for the disposal of contaminated waste at landfill sites and the replacement of asbestos-containing goods with safer alternatives. See: Entra em vigor lei que proíbe o amianto em Curitiba [Curitiba law banning asbestos comes into force].
Wittenoom: The End?
Dec 12, 2015
Fifty years after asbestos mining operations ceased in the toxic town of Wittenoom, the Government of Western Australia (WA) is considering legislation to allow the compulsory purchase of land from the few people who live in the derelict town or own property there to “basically resolve this issue once and for all.” The name of Wittenoom is synonymous with Australia’s worst industrial disaster and the WA government believes that the purchase of the land would enable it to prevent visits to an area which is still heavily contaminated. See: West Australian Government to draft legislation to forcibly evict last Wittenoom residents.
Asbestos Find Stalls Redevelopment
Dec 11, 2015
The discovery two years ago of thousands of tonnes of asbestos-contaminated debris at the site of Christchurch’s Queen Elizabeth II Park has delayed plans to build a recreation and sports centre and two high schools. The local council is currently considering a $3.8m proposal to encapsulate or bury the material on the site in a contained and bounded area and cover it with mesh, geotextile, and clean layers of soil topped with grass. Transporting and disposing of up to 22,000 tonnes of toxic waste at a landfill site would cost $9m. See: QE2 Park's asbestos pile could become grass seating area.
Bleak Outlook for Asbestos Mine
Dec 11, 2015
Media reports in Zimbabwe this week highlighted the need for $20 million of investment to recapitalize asbestos operations at GATHS Mine, a subsidiary of a former British company mining company. It was estimated that the mine has deposits of chrysotile (white) asbestos worth more than US$1 billion. The uncertain financial and political situation in the country and disputes over corporate ownership and control continue to deter potential investors. At its peak, the mine employed 7,000 people most of whom were retrenched more than a decade ago. See: Zimbabwe: Gaths Mine Sits On Huge Asbestos Deposits.
Asbestos: A Clear and Present Danger
Dec 10, 2015
No progress has been made on a 2014 Parliamentary proposal to undertake an asbestos audit of Spain’s built environment according to an article published on December 9, 2015. Unlike other European countries, such as France, Germany and England, no effort had been made to quantify or map the presence of asbestos-containing products which were widely used in homes and businesses until 2002 when Spain banned asbestos. As a result of this failure to act, asbestos continues to pose a serious risk to public as well as occupational health. See: Amianto: un peligro real y sin cuantificar en casas, escuelas y oficinas [Asbestos: a real danger, unquantified in homes, schools and offices].
Lawsuits Proceeding for Asbestos Deaths
Dec 10, 2015
Amongst trade union claims that 8% of workers from Renfe, Malaga’s railway carriage workshop, could contract asbestos diseases, the first cases are now proceeding to trial. For decades, asbestos-containing insulation products were handled by workers at the Renfe workshop on a daily basis. Direct occupational exposures to asbestos were experienced by carpenters, electricians and maintenance workers. See: Llegan a los juzgados los primeros casos de muerte por amianto de trabajadores del taller de Renfe en Málaga [Cases for premature deaths after asbestos exposure at Renfe workshop, Malaga going to trial].
Contamination of Geneva Trams
Dec 10, 2015
On December 7, 2015 TPG (responsible for public tram and bus services in Geneva) admitted that even though trams on their network contain asbestos parts, tests undertaken showed no airborne fibers present in the carriages. The toxic products will be removed from the 46 Düwag-Vevey brand vehicles by the end of March 2016. These trams were made in the 1980s and were put into service before Switzerland banned asbestos (1991). The asbestos is contained in parts used in the trams’ heating systems. According to the tram operators, there is no danger to tram drivers or passengers. See: Des trams contiennent un joint en amiante [Trams contain asbestos gaskets].
University Holds Asbestos Study Day
Dec 10, 2015
On December 21, 2015, the social and health sciences unit of the University of Oran in western Algeria will hold an asbestos study day to consider the impact of Algeria’s toxic legacy, six years after the use of asbestos was banned by government decree. Eminent speakers on the day will include national experts on the public, occupational and environmental health risks of asbestos exposures; they will present data on the toxicological, sociological and medical impact of these exposures and consider measures for minimizing health repercussions in the future. See: La santé au travail, le cas de l’amiante en Algérie [Occupational health, the case of asbestos in Algeria].
Senate Report Condemns Asbestos Failings
Dec 8, 2015
This month (December 2015), U.S. Senators have issued a report detailing the widespread failure to manage or monitor the asbestos contamination of schools where 53 million children and 6 million adults study and work. As a result of these failings, hazardous exposures remain a common occurrence according to responses from 20 states to a questionnaire circulated by Senator Edward Markey and Senator Barbara Boxer who conclude that the scope of the hazard remains unquantified, procedures for dealing with the problem are lacking, actions by state authorities are inadequate and oversight of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act is insufficient. See: Failing the Grade: Asbestos in America’s Schools.
Honor for Asbestos Victims’ Advocate
Dec 7, 2015
Brazilian jurist and pioneering advocate for asbestos victims’ Roberto Caldas has been elected to the Presidency of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for the period 2016-2017; his term will begin on January 1, 2016. Dr. Caldas is well-respected in Brazil for his work on behalf of the asbestos injured and has, along with members of his law firm, worked to progress the Brazilian campaign to ban asbestos. See: O juiz brasileiro Roberto Caldas foi eleito para presidência da Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos [Brazilian judge Roberto Caldas elected to the presidency of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights].
Great Review of Italian Asbestos Film
Dec 7, 2015
A review just uploaded of an Italian film premièred last week about Italy’s asbestos crisis has said this film is “pure oxygen for the new [wave of] Italian political cinema.” “A Safe Place,” is a love story set in the asbestos era which focuses on a plot involving a former asbestos worker, played by actor Giorgio Colangeli, and his son (actor Mark D'Amore),who live in an iconic Italian town which has been the epicentre of the country’s fight for asbestos justice. The filmmakers combined many real-life stories from local people to create this film. See: “Un posto sicuro”, una storia d’amore ai tempi dell’amianto [“A safe place,” a story of love in the time of asbestos].
Asbestos Conviction at Town Hall
Dec 7, 2015
The former chief clerk of Reims, Jean-Antoine Dressayre, was found guilty of “deception” and “endangering the lives of others” for renovations his construction company carried out on a property which created asbestos contamination. He received a 6 month suspended prison sentence, a hefty fine and has been “permanently prohibited from practising a profession, trade or managing, directing or controlling a company.” Because he had moved house, Dressayre was tried in absentia and only found out about the conviction from a newspaper article. See: L'ex-greffier en chef des prud'hommes de Reims condamné pour pollution à l'amiante [Former chief clerk of Reims convicted of asbestos contamination].
Threats by Billionaire Block Publication
Dec 5, 2015
After threats by lawyers representing former asbestos defendant Stephen Schmidheiny, “The Big Trial” – the English translation of an Italian book – co-written by Public Prosecutor Sara Panelli (involved for many years in legal proceedings in Italy against the Swiss asbestos entrepreneur) and academic Rosalba Altopiedi, has been taken off the Amazon website. The publication would, the lawyers alleged “harm the dignity and reputation of their client.” Two guilty verdicts against Schmidheiny were overturned by Italy’s Supreme Court in 2014. See: Il magnate dell’amianto blocca su Amazon il libro sul processo Eternit [Asbestos tycoon blocks Amazon sales of book on Eternit legal case].
New Workplace Regulations Ineffective
Dec 5, 2015
A new survey in France has revealed that despite the enacting of new guidelines setting stricter workplace protections for public employees earlier this year (July 2015), hazardous exposures remain the norm, with fewer than half of all those questioned receiving personal protective equipment as legally required. Public employers have duties as both the owners of asbestos-containing buildings and the employers of at-risk personnel which include full compliance with legislation and guidelines to safeguard the workforce from toxic exposures. See: Exposition à l'amiante: les agents de l'Etat sont également concernés [Asbestos exposure: State officials are also concerned].
Mapping Italy’s Asbestos Scandal
Dec 4, 2015
An updated graphic has been published by Wired.it, a monthly magazine, which clearly indicates the ubiquity of asbestos contamination in Italy. The new map has been compiled not by government or regional authorities but by journalists who bemoan the state’s failure to monitor nationwide levels of pollution and make available updated statistics. According to the new data, the limitations of which are acknowledged, the existence of 11,000 asbestos contaminated sites has been confirmed. See: Amianto, ecco la nuova mappatura dei siti contaminate [Asbestos, here is the new map of contaminated sites].
Quantifying Asbestos Hazard in Ambler
Dec 4, 2015
Next Monday (December 7), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will use a drone-mounted camera to photograph parts of the toxic town of Ambler, Pennsylvania where decades of asbestos production has left a contaminated landscape and a substantial public health risk. The purpose of this exercise is to provide evidence to allow the EPA to assess the condition of 25 acres of isolated land within the Ambler Asbestos Piles Superfund Site. This will be the first time the EPA has used drone technology in Ambler. See: EPA uses drone to inspect Pennsylvania’s Ambler Asbestos Piles Superfund Site.
Asbestos: The Never-Ending Story
Dec 3, 2015
Six drywall collection sites in Vancouver, Canada used by homeowners and residential contractors have been closed by Metro Vancouver over fears of hazardous asbestos exposures to workers. The temporary closure of these sites has caused delays at alternative disposal facilities such as the New Westminster facility which has enacted a protocol to safeguard workers that stipulates that wallboard being dumped has been tested and found to be free of asbestos contamination. Paperwork documenting these findings must be submitted prior to goods being accepted for disposal. See: Metro Vancouver drywall collection sites closed due to safety concerns.
Industry Fiasco in Colombo?
Dec 3, 2015
Yesterday (December 2), a seminar entitled “Facts about the use of asbestos – Chrysotile Cement Roofing” took place in the capital of Sri Lanka. According to a delegate who attended this event, organized by asbestos vested interests, Dr. Vivek Chandra Rao (India) and toxicologist David Bernstein (Switzerland) voiced industry reassurances that chrysotile (white) asbestos could be used safely. Industry speakers alleged that no research existed which showed that chrysotile asbestos caused the fatal asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. From what can be ascertained, there seems to have been very little media coverage of this meeting.
Economic Woes in Asbestos Heartland
Dec 3, 2015
Russian asbestos production accounts for 56% of all the asbestos used worldwide every year. With billions of dollars at stake, the Russian asbestos lobby exploits every opportunity to promote sales and counter actions by those working to promote public safety by banning asbestos. Despite aggressive commercial and national pro-asbestos policies, there have been “massive redundancies” at Uralasbest, Russia’s largest asbestos mining company, which has further exacerbated the economic difficulties for people living in the town of Asbestos in recent months. See: Асбест — новая «горячая точка» Куйвашева [Asbestos - a new “hot spot” Kuyvasheva].
Asbestos Victims at EU building
Dec 3, 2015
It will be another five months before all 1,600 EU staff from the Jean Monnet building in Luxembourg will have been moved to asbestos-free offices according to news released yesterday (December 2). The cost of this relocation, which is being paid for by the Luxembourg government and European Commission, is estimated at €194 million. A report issued in January 2015 reported that asbestos fibers had been found during tests. Four people who worked at the Jean Monnet building have contracted asbestos-related diseases. See: Jean Monnet Bâtiment - Staff from asbestos office relocated by May 2016
Asbestos Assembly Calls for Action
Dec 3, 2015
Twenty-three years after Italy banned asbestos, thousands of people die every year, delegates to the National Assembly on Asbestos were told last week. Critics who called for urgent action blamed the slow progress being made on a lack of coordination amongst Ministries, government departments, regional authorities and municipalities and a legal framework which was disjointed and confusing. Predictions that it would take 85 years to remediate the country were met with derision. See: Amianto, Inail conferma la strage di mille morti l’anno [Inail confirmed asbestos massacre with thousands of deaths per year].
Legal Stalemate for French Claimants
Dec 2, 2015
Scores of claimants expecting to hear the decision of a labor court in the north-eastern French town of Belfort on December 1, 2015 were informed that the case had been transferred to the Belfort district court. The plaintiffs are claiming compensation of up to €30,000 each for asbestos exposure experienced whilst employed by Alstom between January 1, 1960 and December 31, 1985. It is alleged that as a result of the company’s negligence, they now experience mental anguish over the possibility of contracting deadly asbestos-related cancers or diseases. See: Amiante chez Alstom: les ex-salariés face à un marathon juridique [Asbestos at Alstom: former employees face a legal marathon].
Brazil’s Asbestos Schizophrenia
Dec 2, 2015
Last week (November 27), lawyer Luciano Leivas, representing the Ministry of Labor and the National Ban Asbestos Program, addressed a meeting of the Technical Working Group on Environment of the National Confederation of Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism in Rio de Janeiro, to consider how companies can comply with Brazil’s complicated asbestos regime – while some states have banned asbestos comprehensively, others allow use to continue. Leivas told the meeting that a ban is the only way to protect public health. See: Comércio deve estar atento à legislação sobre a venda do amianto pelo setor [Commercial enterprises must be aware of asbestos legislation].
Cities Ban Asbestos as Epidemic Grows
Dec 1, 2015
Asbestos prohibitions adopted by the Brazilian city of Curitiba in 2012 will come into force this week (on December 7, 2015). Next year, an asbestos ban in São José dos Pinhais, approved in 2013, will also become municipal law. These cities, which are home to large asbestos processing companies, are in the State of Paraná. According to incomplete data from Brazil’s Ministry of Health, of the 2,286 cases of pneumoconiosis recognized between 2007 and 2013, 1,119 were due to asbestos exposure. See: Mortes por câncer do amianto dobram em 13 anos [Asbestos cancer deaths double in 13 years].
Asbestos Industry Offensive
Dec 1, 2015
Today, an afternoon seminar entitled “Facts about the use of asbestos – Chrysotile Cement Roofing” is being hosted by Sri Lanka’s trade association representing construction industry stakeholders. Amongst the supporters of this event is the Chrysotile Information Centre, a pro-asbestos lobbying organization. The panel of speakers include industry-linked “experts”: Dr. Vivek Chandra Rao (India), toxicologist David Bernstein (Switzerland) and lobbyist Emiliano Alonso (Belgium). This session is part of the fightback by vested interests against government plans to ban asbestos in 2018. See: CCI to engage global, local asbestos experts to educate industry stakeholders.
Talcum Powder Caused Cancer Verdict
Dec 1, 2015
On November 30, 2015, after a trial which began on October 14, a New York State court ruled that the mesothelioma death of deceased claimant Joan Robusto was caused by her use of asbestos-tainted cosmetic talcum powder manufactured under the brand name of Desert Flower. The charges were lodged against the company Whitaker Clark and Daniels, a multinational talc, minerals and chemical distributor that sold the talcum powder used in this and similar consumer products. A jury handed down a $7 million verdict for the death of Mrs. Robusto. See: Press Release - $7million mesothelioma verdict in NY’s first ever Asbestos contaminated consumer talcum powder trial.
Prime Minister Calls for Asbestos Justice
Nov 30, 2015
A message sent by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to the chair of this week’s meeting of the National Assembly on Asbestos confirms his “personal support” and “shared commitment to implement policies and actions that allow for the closure, once and for all, of this open wound caused by asbestos.” In his message of solidarity, the PM writes of the progress achieved in dealing with Italy’s asbestos legacy but acknowledges that much remains to be done. See: Amianto: Renzi,ferita aperta va chiusa una volta per tutte [Asbestos: Renzi, open wound should be closed once and for all].
New Asbestos Awareness Resources
Nov 30, 2015
On Friday, November 27, 2015, near the end of Australia’s asbestos awareness month, one of the country’s leading asbestos awareness websites launched two new modules to help homeowners identify asbestos-containing materials in and around their homes. These resources consist of a video (Asbestos in Your Home) and a database listing common products (Online Asbestos Product Database) This material is a result of collaborative efforts led by the Asbestos Education Committee.
Prosecution over Toxic Helicopters
Nov 30, 2015
Investigations by the Turin Public Prosecutor into allegations made by military personnel exposed to asbestos in twenty helicopters are proceeding. According to lawyer Carla Delle Fave who is representing claimants, the situation is clear: as a result of criminal exposures which took place because of the negligence of managers, individuals inhaled carcinogenic fibers. The malignant diseases which have been contracted are a consequence of these exposures. See: Roma, amianto sugli elicotteri della Finanza: piloti ammalati [Rome, investigations proceeding over pilots’ asbestos illnesses due to the contamination of helicopters].
Unsafe Asbestos Removal Program
Nov 30, 2015
Refugees on the island of Nauru have told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that they had been hired to remove asbestos from the island’s houses without protective equipment or clothing and that the debris was being carelessly disposed of as part of a multimillion dollar housing renovation program being funded by the government. The authorities have told the ABC that: “This program is safe… (and) No refugees are involved in this project.” According to the ABC, photographs of unsafe working conditions and lack of basic protection substantiated the allegations. See: Safety concerns for refugees and workers as Nauru asbestos removal program kicks off.
Decisive Victory for Asbestos Victims
Nov 27, 2015
After a 2014 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights which condemned the Swiss time bar that prevented most asbestos victims from bringing personal injury lawsuits, yesterday (November 26) a federal tribunal gave leave for the case brought by the daughters of a Swiss asbestos victim who died in 2005 to be referred to the Baden Labour Court for a rehearing. In 2009, the Labour Court dismissed this claim because of a ten year limitation period; two other courts upheld that decision. See: Pour le TF, la prescription dans les affaires d'amiante n'est plus absolue [A decision by the Federal Tribunal ruled that the time bar regarding asbestos claims is not absolute].
Bystander Verdict for Bartender’s Family
Nov 27, 2015
The family of a bartender who died aged 74 on December 25, 2014 from asbestos diseases was awarded compensation of €740,000 by a Labour Court on November 25, 2015. The bar where he worked for twenty years was across the street from Bologna’s railway yard where thousands of workers had been exposed to asbestos on a daily basis. It is possible that further claims for damages will be brought in this case. See: Bologna, barista morì per l’amianto: risarcita con 740mila euro [Bologna: barista dies from asbestos; compensation paid €740,000].
Mesothelioma Surgery: New Research
Nov 26, 2015
In a paper published online by Swiss medical researchers, the influence of second-line treatment after the recurrence of malignant pleural mesothelioma in patients who had previously undergone multimodality treatment between September 1999 and October 2014 is considered. The findings from the cohort studied suggest that although repeated surgical intervention can produce a “good long-term outcome in selected patients,” more research is needed to confirm these results. See: Relapse pattern and second-line treatment following multimodality treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Ban Asbestos Initiative in Asia
Nov 26, 2015
Leading Australian asbestos campaigners told reporters in Canberra yesterday that Australia had an obligation to help eradicate the asbestos hazard in Asia. Peter Tighe, the CEO of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, said: “We don't want that [asbestos] legacy to increase because manufactured goods in Asia still contain this deadly carcinogen,” after he, Senator Lisa Singh and Senator Nick Xenophon met a delegation of ban asbestos campaigners from Laos and Vietnam at Parliament House; the activists had spoken at a meeting of the Parliamentary Group on Asbestos earlier in the day. See: Australia should help Asia ban asbestos.
Mental Anxiety from Asbestos Exposure
Nov 26, 2015
On November 17, 2015, a Parliamentary response was promulgated which responded to a question put on February 3, 2015 by Josette Pons, MP for the district of Var to the Minister of Social Affairs regarding the status of compensation for asbestos anxiety for people exposed to asbestos at work. The Ministerial Statement reviewed the agencies and parties upon whom workers can make claims for this condition and acknowledged the “specific anxiety [of] harm” and the “psychological disorders engendered by the knowledge of this risk by employees.” See: Compensation for “Asbestos Anxiety” in France; Government Response to Written Question.
Top Prize for Asbestos Expose
Nov 25, 2015
At a ceremony in New Delhi on Monday, November 23, 2015, New Delhi-based correspondent Katy Daigle received the foreign correspondent Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award for her 2014 series exposing the damage done to public health and the environment by India’s asbestos industry. The award, considered to be India’s most prestigious journalism prize, was presented by India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for Daigle’s features which highlighted how sales were flourishing in India of a substance widely regarded by the developed world as a deadly poison. See: AP Staffers Win Prestigious Indian Journalism Awards.
Environmental Asbestos Hazard
Nov 25, 2015
Italy’s Asbestos Observatory (ONA) is holding a conference on Saturday, November 28, 2015 in Modena to examine the hazards posed by asbestos contamination of drinking water, public buildings, domestic properties and workplaces. According to epidemiological data collected by ONA there is a “higher incidence of gastrointestinal and biliary tract (cancer) among workers exposed to asbestos and citizens who ingested asbestos dissolved in the water.” These findings substantiate conclusions reached by the International Agency for Research on Cancer regarding the asbestos cancer risk. See: Amianto, Ona: rischi anche nell'acqua potabile [Asbestos, ONA: risks in drinking water].
Council Off-loads Asbestos Waste
Nov 24, 2015
Contracts worth millions of dollars have been signed, whereby Dunedin City Council will allow contractors from Christchurch to dispose of thousands of tonnes of asbestos-contaminated soil at the Green Island landfill dumpsite. The transport of the waste, which began last month, should be finished by Christmas according to Nic McEwan, Managing Director of McEwan Haulage. McEwan admitted that the decision to move the waste, which resulted from excavations carried out by the New Zealand Transport Agency during road building, was made on financial grounds. See: Christchurch asbestos fill headed for Dunedin.
Olivetti Trial Proceeding in January 2016
Nov 24, 2015
Due to the scale of the legal proceedings against former Olivetti executives and the number of parties involved, the trial which will begin on January 11, 2016 has been moved from the assigned courtroom to a music school auditorium in the town of Ivrea. Amongst those who have been indicted for manslaughter and failing to protect former employees from asbestos exposures are Olivetti executives, directors and managers from the 1970s to 1990s. See: Processo Olivetti, respinte le richieste delle difese sulle parti civili [Defense requests rejected in Olivetti case].
Labor Federation Call for Asbestos Action
Nov 24, 2015
On November 20, 2015, the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) reaffirmed its call on the European Commission to take urgent action on the EU’s asbestos crisis by seeking innovative solutions to multi-faceted challenges such as remediating asbestos contamination in conjunction with renewing building stock and improving energy efficiency. “The EFBWW sees in this both an opportunity for growth and innovation in the construction sector, and the opportunity to join a range of related, but in our view insufficiently connected, policy areas in a holistic way.” See: Letter by the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers, November 20, 2015.
Mesothelioma Alert in Chile
Nov 23, 2015
Speaking on CNN Chile yesterday (November 22, 2015), oncologist Dr. Francisco Javier Orlandi issued a stark warning that the incidence of the deadly asbestos cancer mesothelioma is due to rise in Chile amongst at-risk cohorts, such as construction workers, in the decades to come. The medical expert called for preventative action to be taken by the government to eradicate the hazard and protect human health. See: Francisco Javier Orlandi profundizó en el mesotelioma o cáncer de asbesto [Francisco Javier Orlandi deepened in mesothelioma or asbestos cancer].
Donation to Medical Research
Nov 23, 2015
The volunteers of the Asbestos Disease Society of Australia (ADSA) who took part in a fund-raising walk from Albany to Perth, Western Australia in September 2015 were motivated by their desire to fund life-saving research being progressed in Perth. The walkers’ efforts raised $85,000 which was presented today – the first day of Australia’s Asbestos Awareness week (November 23) – at an informal ceremony to Professor Anna Nowak, a medical oncologist and researcher who specializes in mesothelioma. For 35 years, the ADSA has supported Australia’s asbestos victims and collaborated with researchers to find a cure for deadly asbestos diseases. See: ADSA Press Release.
Agency Claims Success for Libby Clean-Up
Nov 23, 2015
Last week (November 20, 2015), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the final human health risk assessment for the Libby, Montana Asbestos Superfund site. The EPA concluded that as a result of the work carried out to remediate indoor and outdoor asbestos contamination, it was now “possible to live and work in Libby and Troy without excessive exposure to asbestos.” While 7,000+ properties had been investigated, access to 700 other properties had been denied by property owners. Concerns therefore remain over asbestos levels at those sites. See: EPA finalizes Human Health Risk Assessment for Libby Asbestos Superfund site.
Council Guilty of Asbestos Pollution?
Nov 23, 2015
A municipal authority in New South Wales (NSW), Australia has been accused by a whistleblower of flouting asbestos regulations and endangering the public by failing to tackle environmental pollution caused by using asbestos-contaminated soil from the council’s storage facility on multiple sites. The whistleblower alleged that the toxic material had knowingly been distributed by Council-employed contractors over several years. According to The United Services Union, 22 sites could be affected. The NSW Environment Protection Authority has mounted an investigation. See: Liverpool Council accused of ‘turning blind eye’ to asbestos contamination.
Spain’s Invisible Victims
Nov 23, 2015
A delegation of asbestos victims, public health advocates and politicians last week went to Brussels to call on the European Parliament to act over the asbestos scandal in Spain, where cases of asbestos cancer remain unacknowledged and unsupported by medical, governmental and compensatory bodies. Epidemiologists predict a thousand people will die from asbestos diseases in Spain between 2016 and 2020. See: Lola Sánchez lleva al Parlamento Europeo las denuncias de trabajadores afectados por el amianto en Cartagena [Lola Sánchez leads delegation of Cartagena asbestos victims to denounce Spanish inaction to European Parliament].
Mesothelioma Research Findings
Nov 23, 2015
Reporting the findings of a multi-institutional study of trimodality therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma which consisted of induction chemotherapy followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy and radiation therapy, Japanese researchers have concluded that while “this phase II study met the predefined primary endpoints… its risk/benefit ratio was not satisfactory.” See: Trimodality strategy for treating malignant pleural mesothelioma: results of a feasibility study of induction pemetrexed plus cisplatin followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy and postoperative hemithoracic radiation.
Asbestos Legacy Lives On
Nov 20, 2015
There is a reason why Ambler, Pa. has one of the highest rates of death from asbestos-related diseases in the US. The debris from decades of asbestos manufacturing continues to expose the town’s residents to hazardous levels of pollution long after production ceased. Many of those now dying were also exposed to asbestos brought home on contaminated work clothes from the factory. A new Huffington Post feature detailing the town’s deadly legacy has highlighted the ramifications of Congressional proposals which could adversely affect the rights of victims in Ambler and elsewhere in the country to access compensation. See: Pennsylvania's Asbestos Problem.
Slash in Victims’ Fund
Nov 19, 2015
Australia’s asbestos giant of yesteryear, James Hardie, has slashed its annual contribution to the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund (ACIF) for Australian victims from $119.9 million for 2013-14 to $81.1 million for 2014-15, a decrease of ~30% after a reported fall in “free cash flow.” Since 2007, the company has paid $799.2 million to the fund. According to figures released today, 296 asbestos claims were received during the first half of 2015-16; the average claim settlement was $223,000. Last year the ACIF received 665 claims, a record number. See: James Hardie cuts asbestos compensation payment by $39m.
Towards an Asbestos Ban
Nov 19, 2015
Progressing along the road to an asbestos ban in 2018, steps are being taken in Sri Lanka to improve the quality and performance of safer roofing material and lower unit costs through increased levels of production, according to news released by Mahendra Jayasekara, President of Lanka Ceramic Council, at a press briefing held in Colombo. Jayasekara said the aim is to lower the price of ceramic roofing to that of asbestos tiles and thereby eliminate the cost advantage which encourages use. In recent days, asbestos lobbyists have aggressively attacked the government’s ban asbestos policy as premature. See: Sri Lanka to set standards for red clay roofing tiles upon asbestos ban.
Guilty Verdict for Negligent Employer
Nov 19, 2015
In a ruling issued this week by Judge Zelaide de Souza Philippi of the 1st Labor Court of San José, the Junkes construction company from Biguaçu City, Santa Catarina State, Brazil was convicted of exposing workers to asbestos; the company must adopt precautionary measures to prevent future exposures as mandated by the State. The civil proceeding was brought in 2014 by the Labor Prosecutor in Santa Catarina. The decision can be appealed. See: Empresa é condenada por expor empregados ao Amianto [Company convicted of exposing employees to asbestos].
Asbestos Car Parts Recalled
Nov 19, 2015
In an unprecedented move last week (November 12), Australia’s top consumer watchdog – the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission – recalled counterfeit brake pads produced in China and available from eBay Australia from June 1, 2013 to October 19, 2015. The bogus parts, which contained chrysotile asbestos, a banned substance in Australia, were suitable for use on Toyota Hilux and Toyota Hiace vehicles, of which there are more than 500,000 on Australian roads. The supplier, Westend Spares, has been ordered to contact customers and refund all purchases made of these illegal goods. See: ACCC recalls counterfeit Toyota brake pads, containing asbestos, imported from China.
Mesothelioma Treatment Update
Nov 18. 2015
Sessions at the annual conference of the National Lung Cancer Forum For Nurses on November 19 & 20, 2015 in Windsor, Berkshire will focus on issues related to mesothelioma in the UK including treatment protocols and clinical trials. Expert speakers include Liz Darlison of Mesothelioma UK, Dr. Melissa Phillips, Nurse Gerry Slade and mesothelioma warrior Mavis Nye and her husband and carer Ray Nye. Mhairi Donald will address the subject of improving nutrition in lung cancer and mesothelioma. See: Lung Cancer Conference Program.
Thank you, Romana!
Nov 18, 2015
On November 16, 2015 in Casale Monferrato the inestimable Romana Blasotti Pavesi (see: In Appreciation of Romana Blasotti Pavesi) chaired her last meeting as the President of AFEVA, a victims’ group which has led the fight for asbestos justice in Italy. The new President Beppe Manfredi and Vice President Giovanni Cappa, who are both suffering from mesothelioma, paid tribute to Romana and Dr. Federica Grosso, the doctor supervising their medical treatment. See: Familiari e vittime amianto, la Romana passa il testimone a due coraggiosi malati di mesothelioma [Relatives and victims of asbestos, Romana passes the baton to two brave mesothelioma sufferers].
Asbestos Workshop in Vietnam
Nov 17, 2015
On Wednesday, November 18, 2015, a workshop entitled “Using Chrysotile Safely and Under Control” will be held at the Central Institute for Economic Management in Hanoi. The program features John Hoskins who is listed as “an independent consultant, Royal Society of Chemistry,” as well as speakers from Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction, the Vietnam Academy of Social Science and the Institute for Economic Management. The subject of Hoskins’ presentation is “Research on affect [sic] of chrysotile on human health.” In 2014, Vietnam used just under 10,000 tonnes of asbestos. See: Workshop Agenda.
Campaigners Meet Supreme Court Minister
Nov 17, 2015
Leading campaigners from the legal and victims’ community met last week (November 12) with a Minister from Brazil’s Supreme Court to discuss a challenge by asbestos vested interests – the National Confederation of Workers in [the Asbestos] Industry – to the asbestos ban in the State of Pernambuco. During the discussions which ensued, the global scientific consensus on asbestos was explained; a consensus which supports phasing out asbestos use to protect human health, in line with the position espoused by the WHO, the ILO and other international agencies. See: Reunião com ministro do STF debate Amianto [Meeting with Minister of the Supreme Court: asbestos debate].
Gender Differences in Mesothelioma Survival
Nov 17, 2015
An article examining the ramifications of gender differences in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) confirms that survival rates seem to favour female patients. The authors of the American study detailed in this new paper believe that: “Insight into the survival advantage of female patients may advance the molecular understanding of MPM and identify therapeutic interventions that will improve the prognosis for all MPM patients.” The researchers “identified molecular differences associated with gender and histology.” See: Gender-Specific Molecular and Clinical Features underlie Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.
Asbestos Mortality in Korea
Nov 17, 2015
On Monday, November 9, 2015 members of the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea (BANKO), joined by a Japanese asbestos activist, mounted a public awareness outreach event in the country’s capital to highlight the Korean incidence of asbestos-related mortality; one person is dying every week from these diseases. More than one hundred and thirty victims from five regions took part in a mock funeral ceremony which attracted considerable media attention. On April 1, 2015, Korea achieved a total asbestos ban by removing the final derogations allowing its use for asbestos-containing gaskets and insulation for submarines and missiles. See: Photos of mock funeral ceremony.
Asbestos Propaganda Campaign
Nov 16, 2015
Sri Lanka’s English language Sunday Leader newspaper published a feature article this week (November 15) detailing new measures being taken by asbestos manufacturers and their trade association (the Fibre Cement Products Manufacturers Association), to force the government to retract plans to ban asbestos by 2018. In literature just released, the industry repeats discredited propaganda “proving” that the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos presents no human health risk, and is distributing leaflets around the country promoting “safe use” of asbestos-cement products and questioning the President’s motivation for banning asbestos. See: Manufacturers Defend Use Of Asbestos Sheets.
Human and Environmental Asbestos Legacy
Nov 15, 2015
The Parliament of Sardinia last week discussed the problems of asbestos victims and pollution in the Ottana region of Sardinia where occupational and environmental asbestos exposures were commonplace at sites operated by the state-owned petrochemical company L'EniChem Anic S.p.A. For years, victims have been denied compensation and unremediated industrial sites have continued to expose the public to the asbestos hazard. Politicians from Sardinia are pressing the central government to add the company’s Ottana factory site to the national asbestos register. See: Scandalo amianto a Ottana, il caso in Parlamento [Asbestos scandal in Ottana, the case in Parliament].
Swiss-Spanish Solidarity for Victims
Nov 15, 2015
On November 10, 2015 representatives of asbestos victims’ groups in Switzerland (CAOVA) and Spain came together at the University of Malaga to examine national asbestos legacies and consider future strategies for obtaining justice and support for the injured. Asbestos activists François and Pierrette Iselin read out CAOVA’s declaration of solidarity which pointed out that hundreds of Spanish immigrants, who had been employed at Eternit factories in Switzerland, had never been compensated. See: Solidaridad con las víctimas del amianto, con sus familiares y los que luchan en España contra la injusticia [Solidarity with asbestos victims, with their families and those struggling against injustice in Spain].
Asbestos Fly-tipping in Brazil
Nov 14, 2015
The Department of the Environment of Nova Odessa, a city in the state of São Paulo, has reported illegal dumping of asbestos debris. According to Deputy Under Secretary for the Environment José Carlos de Castro around 20 toxic tiles were found; the level of risk is heightened by the fact they were broken and deposited near an entrance to a dam. Investigations are proceeding to identify the polluter who is liable for fines of up to R$5000 (US$1300) for infringing municipal legislation which prohibits the inappropriate disposal of waste. See: Meio Ambiente localizou descarte irregular de telhas de amianto próximo a represa [Environmental contamination after illegal asbestos dumping].
Asbestos Debris in Migrant Camp
Nov 13, 2015
Asbestos-containing debris has been identified at the “Jungle 2” camp in Calais. Previously, the site was used for the disposal of landfill. According to occupational health and safety expert Dr Surindar Dhesi: “The asbestos that’s been found in the Calais camp has been broken into fragments. Now asbestos that’s been encapsulated in a material and if that material is in good condition, the risk is very low and it’s not something to worry about, but once that material is broken, there’s a potential for the fibres to escape and then they can be inhaled and that's where the risk is.” See: Calais Jungle Camp littered with asbestos.
Act Now, New Canadian PM Told
Nov 13, 2015
Congratulating Pierre Trudeau on becoming the Prime Minister of Canada , scores of global health and medical experts have urged him to seize the moment and ban the use and import of asbestos-containing materials (see Letter from health experts). For decades Canada, the world’s most prolific supplier of asbestos throughout most of the 20th century, had taken a leadership role in the global marketing of asbestos. It was, the experts said, now time for Canada to declare its intention to end the asbestos slaughter at home and abroad. See: Health experts call on Trudeau government to protect health & ban asbestos.
Municipal Decontamination Program
Nov 13, 2015
At a meeting this week of the Lisbon municipal assembly, the Councillor for Urban Affairs Manuel Salgado announced plans to remediate 42 municipal buildings containing asbestos, including schools, sports facilities, fire and police stations, by 2017. Portugal was amongst the last European Member States to ban asbestos and only did so when the EU deadline of 2005 had arrived. Until then, it had been a prolific asbestos consumer; it is likely many more buildings in and outside of the capital are contaminated. Between 1995 and 2005, annual asbestos consumption was ~5,200 tonnes. See: Scores of Lisbon buildings cleared of asbestos by 2017.
Pioneering Mesothelioma Research
Nov 13, 2015
An immunotherapy strategy designed to shrink cancerous tumors has just received $2.5m of additional funding from Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council. According to Professor Bruce Robinson, Director of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, the new vaccine is intended to “wake up” the body’s immune system so it would attack and shrink tumors. The focus of the Australian scientists’ work is the asbestos cancer mesothelioma and lung cancer. Building on the findings from animal trials, the new grant will facilitate work on the optimum methods of vaccine design and delivery as a basis for human trials. See: Funding for promising vaccine to shrink tumours.
Asbestos Industry on Offensive
Nov 12, 2015
Sri Lanka’s Fibre Cement Products Manufacturers Association has hit back at government plans to ban chrysotile (white) asbestos, the only type of asbestos imported, saying that “it has been accepted that white asbestos has no adverse impact on human health.” Advancing discredited asbestos industry propaganda as evidence, the lobbyists claim the decision to ban asbestos by 2018 was “made without conducting a proper scientific study to prove health hazards linked to asbestos.” A national marketing campaign has been designed to counter the government’s “false” claims about the asbestos hazard. See: Asbestos industry cries foul over 2018 ban.
Asbestos Emergency: Public Health Hazard
Nov 11, 2015
A commentary published on November 9, 2015 by Professor Leslie Stayner in a peer-reviewed journal highlighted new scientific findings which showed the “exposure-response relationship between higher cumulative exposure to asbestos from all sources and increased risk of pleural mesothelioma.” Stayner discussed the relevance of this conclusion to countries where the mining and processing of asbestos remain legal concluding that “Ultimately, it is the communities that most likely will bear the costs in terms of health and for the cleanup of their homes and environments.” See Para-occupational exposures to asbestos: lessons learned from Casale Monferrato, Italy [free access to full commentary until May 27, 2016] or Commentary Extract.
Investment Sought for Revival of Mine
Nov 11, 2015
A total of $58 million is needed to restore asbestos production levels at Zimbabwe’s Mashava asbestos mine to pre-2004 levels, when the Government seized control of operations. According to an article released yesterday (November 10), Mashava’s King Mine “has been operating at below 50 percent capacity for the past 11 years.” Other sources report that no asbestos has been produced at this facility for many years due to lack of investment, structural deterioration and failure to pay mine workers. Chief Executive Chirandu Ndhlembeu claims that his firm’s mines are operating at 40% capacity with a skeletal staff. See: Mashava asbestos mine requires $38m, says CEO.
Government Liable for Asbestos Claims
Nov 10, 2015
French asbestos victims have been outraged (see: ANDEVA Press Release) by a decision announced on November 9, 2015 by the Council of State, the highest administrative court, which allowed a claim by the owners of a Normandy shipbuilding company for the State to be held liable for some of the costs of workplace asbestos claims due to its failure to act on the occupational hazard before 1977. The Council found that the French State’s failure to implement “measures to prevent or at least limit the dangers related” to asbestos constituted “misconduct.” See: Amiante: l'Etat condamné à verser 350 000 euros aux CMN [Asbestos: the State ordered to pay 350,000 euros to CMN].
Exploitation of Chinese Workers
Nov 10, 2015
New Zealand’s Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) has accused KiwiRail of bad faith for allowing 40 Chinese engineers to carry out work on locomotives bought from the Chinese state-owned CNR Corporation Limited that were contaminated with asbestos. CNR employees were sent to New Zealand to remove the asbestos and repair the vehicles; it was alleged the foreign workers were paid less than the minimum wage. The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has rejected a RMTU request (see ERA Ruling, October 30, 2015) to have their claim adjudicated by the Employment Court; the ERA will continue with its own investigation. See: Chinese workers exploited in NZ: claim.
Demolition Contractors Flout Best Practice
Nov 9, 2015
A building boom in Vancouver, Canada and the lack of asbestos aware demolition contractors are proving a deadly mix according to Al Johnson, of WorkSafeBC prevention services. Many older properties contain asbestos in linoleum and vinyl tiles, drywall and insulation products. State regulations stipulate that properties be tested for hazardous materials before work begins. In 2014, WorkSafe found that 43% of hazardous material surveys done by demolition or renovation contractors were inadequate. Proper remediation and disposal of asbestos can add $25,000+ to contracts. See: Vancouver workers face asbestos danger with quick demolition jobs.
Premiere of Asbestos Film
Nov 9, 2015
The premiere of a film entitled “A Safe Place,” set in the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos scandal, will take place on December 3, 2015. Many people from Casale Monferrato involved in the filming have had first-hand experience of the toxic exposures caused by the operations of the town’s Eternit asbestos-cement factory. At the heart of the film is a story about a young father suffering from asbestos cancer; through his eyes, we observe the mobilization and rebirth of the devastated community as it fights for justice. See: Un posto sicuro: amore e amianto, da Casale Monferrato al cinema [A safe place: love and asbestos, from Casale Monferrato to the movies].
Condemnation of Asbestos Use
Nov 9, 2015
On November 6, 2015, Brazil’s Cancer Institute (INCA) joined other medical and health institutions to condemn an ordinance issued on September 30, 2015 by the Ministry of Labour which aims to prolong the country’s commercial exploitation of asbestos. In its statement, INCA referenced the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s categorization of all types of asbestos as carcinogenic and its findings that exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma as well as cancers of the lung, larynx, ovary and is associated with the development of cancers of the pharynx, stomach and colon. See: Uso do amianto é criticado [Asbestos use is criticized].
Compensation for Asbestos Anxiety
Nov 9, 2015
Last Friday (November 6, 2015), an appeal court in the City of Bourges, central France, confirmed a Labor Court judgement which ordered the Aubois Company to compensate 44 former employees a total of €396,000 for the anxiety of contracting asbestos-related cancers and diseases from hazardous workplace exposures. Each of the injured will receive €9,000 (~US$9,700). The Court of Appeal acknowledged that even though the former employees were not sick, knowledge of their exposures was cause for concern over their well-being. See: Amiante: une entreprise devra payer 396.000 euros de préjudice d'anxiété [Asbestos: company must pay €396,000 injury anxiety].
EPA Failing the Public
Nov 9, 2015
Last week, Brimbank Council in western Melbourne submitted evidence to an enquiry over the role of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which highlighted the agency’s failure to address major public grievances including the legacy of asbestos pollution in Sunshine North. The EPA’s failure to fulfil its responsibilities for environmental protection has had financial ramifications for local authorities such as Brimbank council which spent $1 million last year to clean up fly tipped waste, including asbestos debris. See: Council says EPA too slow to respond.
Making the Polluter Pay
Nov 8, 2015
On November 4, 2015 the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo passed a bill, proposed by Marcos Martin, which increases the penalties for the illegal storage and disposal of asbestos. Under the new provisions, strict compliance with deadlines for the proper environmental disposal of contaminated products to landfill will be required. Failure to safely dispose of the toxic material according to the schedule set will result in financial penalties; repeated offenses could result in the mandatory closure of business operations. See: Projeto de lei de deputado garante descarte ambientalmente correto do amianto [Deputy bill ensures environmentally correct disposal of asbestos].
Asbestos Whitewash by University
Nov 7, 2015
In its cultivation of corporate funding, Canada’s Concordia University stands accused of “irresponsibility and a lack of ethics” (see November 3, 2015 letter) after it refused to retract a contentious and deceitful university-published report by a former consultant to a Canadian asbestos stakeholder. After a low key, in-house investigation, the university has not withdrawn the publication and continues to employ its author. See: Publication d'une étude partiale sur l'amiante: la réaction de Concordia jugée “irresponsible” [Publication of a study biased on asbestos: the reaction of Concordia deemed “irresponsible”].
Call for New Treatment Options
Nov 7, 2015
An observational retrospective study of the files of 406 French patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) between January 2005 and December 2008 was undertaken by French researchers who reported that although “the management of MPM in France is in line with European recommendations… treatment outcomes remain disappointing, usually lower in routine practice than in clinical trials. New treatment options are urgently needed to improve the prognosis of MPM.” See: Management of malignant pleural mesothelioma: a French multicenter retrospective study (GFPC 0802 study).
Asbestos at the Opera House
Nov 7, 2015
Asbestos-related deaths of seven former workers from the famous La Scala Opera House are currently under investigation with the possibility of charges for manslaughter and grievous bodily harm being brought against four former Mayors who were in office between 1976 and 1997. Also under investigation is Carlo Fontana, the superintendent of La Scala from 1990 to 2015. In July 2015, eleven former managers of the Pirelli tyre company were convicted of manslaughter over the asbestos-related deaths of 24 former workers, occupationally exposed to asbestos during the 1970s and 1980s. See: Ex-mayors probed over La Scala asbestos deaths.
Spotlight on Asbestos Hazard
Nov 6, 2015
Written question number 18676,which was submitted to the French Senate on November 5, 2015, highlighted the failure of some authorities and/or property owners to provide copies of mandatory asbestos audits to tenants and/ or occupants as specified in Decree No. 2011-629 of June 3, 2011 on the protection of the population against health risks posed by exposure to asbestos in buildings. The Minister of Housing was asked whether a modification to the decree was required to ensure compliance. A response is pending. See: Information des locataires sur la présence d'amiante dans les logements sociaux [Information about the presence of asbestos in public housing].
Acquittal of Asbestos Executives
Nov 6, 2015
Karel Vinck, a Belgian businessman who is now a high-profile official of the European Commission, was one of four Eternit executives acquitted by a Turin Court of charges related to injuries sustained by workers from an Eternit asbestos factory in the town of Cavagnolo. The businessmen had been accused by prosecutor Dr La Rosa of causing injuries and manslaughter for the deaths of three former employees and the asbestos disease of another. See: Torino: morti per amianto, assolti quattro dirigenti della Eternit-Saca di Cavagnolo [Turin: four executives of Eternit-Saca, Cavagnolo acquitted over deaths from asbestos].
Review of Asbestos Claims of Veterans?
Nov 5, 2015
On November 4, 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron told the House of Commons that a review would be launched into the Ministry of Defence’s compensation regime for veterans dying of asbestos cancer. Under the current system, cases for illnesses caused in the services prior to 1987 are barred; as a result, says the Royal British Legion, thousands of Royal Navy veterans dying of cancer are deprived of thousands of pounds of compensation. The £31,000 war pension they receive is a fraction of the amount paid out by government compensation schemes for civilians. See: David Cameron pledges to review how veterans exposed to asbestos are compensated.
Asbestos Demonstration in Rome
Nov 4, 2015
Representatives of the asbestos victims’ group AFeVA will be joined by trade unionists and other supporters at a demonstration on November 11, 2015 in front of the Via Veneto headquarters of the Ministry of Labor in the Italian capital over the Government’s failure to implement measures for the support of asbestos cancer victims. The organizers of the protest are requesting a meeting with the Minister as a matter of urgency. See: Vittime Amianto: mercoledì 11 sit-in di sindacati, ANMIL e AFeVA a Roma [Asbestos victims, trade unionists & others to hold sit-in next Wednesday, November 11, in Rome].
Thousands of Asbestos Deaths Unrecognized
Nov 4, 2015
A paper published last week in the Journal of Occupational Medicine estimated that approximately 5,000 UK deaths occur annually from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a condition which could be caused by exposure to asbestos. The scientists established the existence of a “significant linear relationship” between the incidence of mesothelioma and IPF mortality and historic UK asbestos imports. There was, they concluded, “a clear need to develop an asbestos exposure JEM [job-exposure matrix], using British industry data, to facilitate accurate diagnosis and future case-control studies.” See: UK asbestos imports and mortality due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Asbestos Action in the Hague
Nov 2, 2015
Hearings began today (November 2, 2015) in the Hague in the case of Klaas Jasperse vs the Government of the Netherlands. At issue is the continued failure of the Dutch Government to protect workers from the asbestos hazard. Mr. Jasperse contracted the asbestos cancer mesothelioma as a result of occupational asbestos exposure over a sustained period; legal action against his negligent employer was not possible because of its insolvency. According to legal expert Bob Ruers, “the Dutch State had already been fully aware of the cancer-related risks posed by asbestos by 1977.” Had action been taken earlier, it is argued, Mr. Jasperse would not have become ill. Watch this space!
Court Orders Environmental Audits
Nov 2, 2015
Last week (October 29, 2015), India’s Green Tribunal ordered the states of Rajasthan, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh to prepare lists of derelict asbestos mines, submit these lists to the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), and formulate and implement joint plans for environmental asbestos audits of each site with scientific experts. It further ordered that the joint inspection reports of each state with detailed recommendations for the remediation of contaminated sites be published on the IBM website prior to being submitted to the Green Tribunal on December 20, 2015. See: National Green Tribunal Decision October 29, 2015.
Call by Labor for Asbestos Eradication
Nov 2, 2015
The European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) has issued its submission to the public consultation on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive which highlighted the “complementarity between the European Commission’s policy on energy performance in buildings and the safe removal of remaining asbestos…” In its position paper, the EFBWW pointed out that the Commission had already indicated that “EU funding and Member State incentives targeting better energy performance in buildings could be linked to the safe removal of asbestos...” See: EFBWW Submission to Public Consultation on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
Asbestos Death Charges Mounting!
Nov 1, 2015
Additional charges for asbestos-related deaths of Eternit workers in Switzerland and Brazil are being added to ongoing criminal proceedings mounted by Turin Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello against Stephen and Thomas Schmidheiny, formerly the owners and directors of the Eternit asbestos group, who stand accused of the manslaughter of workers from their asbestos-cement factories. Investigations are continuing. despite the case being delayed while Italy’s Constitutional Court considers objections from the legal representatives of the accused. See: Eternit, ai proprietari contestati altri 116 decessi [Eternit owners face charges over a further 116 deaths].
New PM Spurns Asbestos Home
Nov 1, 2015
Newly-elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has refused to move his family into 24 Sussex, the 147-year-old building which has served as home to successive Canadian Prime Ministers. In addition to a myriad of problems posed by the property’s dilapidated state, the building is “riddled with asbestos.” This fact should be a wake-up call for the new PM – if the asbestos makes the building unsafe for his family, what about other Canadians whose towns and homes are also contaminated? It is well past time that Canada outlawed the use of asbestos and took steps to remove it from all properties. See: Justin Trudeau postpones move into ‘asbestos-riddled’ official residence for renovations.
Council Sold Contaminated Soil?
Nov 1, 2015
At a meeting on October 28, 2015 of Liverpool City Council in south-west Sydney, New South Wales, allegations were made by Councillor Peter Ristevski concerning the sale by the Council of asbestos-contaminated soil and fill for use at 22 local sites including a school, parks, reserves and waterways. According to Ristevski the asbestos, which had been stored at a Council recycling facility, was mixed with soil and other materials for use as fill. “There could be a massive liability in terms of the health to the public,” Ristevski said after the meeting. See: Liverpool council investigated over asbestos-contaminated soil allegations.
Asbestos Waste Bound for Portugal
Nov 1, 2015
The removal of asbestos-cement debris from Hal Far, a derelict Royal Air Force base on Malta now owned by the Maltese Government, is being paid for with €1.5 million of European Union funds. The toxic waste consists of 1,500 tonnes of asbestos pipes which were dumped on this site thirty years ago. In August 2015, waste handling contractors began work to remove and package the pipes, previously used for shelter by migrants, prior to shipping the waste to Portugal to be buried at a landfill site. See: €1.5 million in EU funds used to remove asbestos pipes from Hal-Far.
Epidemiologists Quantify Epidemic
Nov 1, 2015
A research project has developed the first model for predicting mortality from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma and asbestosis in Korea. Having quantified the amount of asbestos used, the scientists calculated that between 2014 to 2036, up to 3,476 people could die; by 2031, it was predicted that a maximum of 555 deaths would occur from exposures to asbestos-containing slate buildings. These figures exclude deaths from other asbestos-related cancers and respiratory conditions. See: Predicting the mortality from asbestos-related diseases based on the amount of asbestos used and the effects of slate buildings in Korea.
Attempt to Silence Asbestos Victims
Oct 29, 2015
Official investigations are being pursued over attempts to intimidate Geraldo Mariano da Silva, the President of the Rio de Janeiro (RJ) branch of Brazil’s Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), who was threatened by two alleged asbestos bullies earlier this month. ABREA-RJ and the Ministry of Labor have filed a billion-Reais lawsuit against Eternit, Brazil’s only producer of asbestos fiber and the dominant force in the country’s industrial asbestos sector. See: Presidente da Associação das vítimas do amianto no RJ é intimidado por defensores da fibra cancerígena [President of the RJ Association of Asbestos Victims intimidated by pro-asbestos supporters].
Asbestos Scandal in Dubai
Oct 28, 2015
Commenting on new revelations that asbestos-containing building products were still being used in Dubai despite a national ban, an editorial in The National – a major Abu Dhabi news outlet – said that this news was “alarming on several levels.” Charles Kavanagh, head of a health and safety consultancy group, detailed his personal knowledge of twenty projects, including the construction of a school, which had involved the use of asbestos-containing material. The editorial calls for raised public and professional awareness of the asbestos hazard. See: Saving future generations from asbestos.
Safety of Asbestos Waste Disposal
Oct 28, 2015
An October 28 editorial called for extreme caution over proposed changes by the Guam Environmental Protection Agency which would allow the disposal of asbestos-containing waste at a landfill without consulting at-risk communities and local authorities. On October 26, 2015, the Chief Judge of the Guam District Court said that the Guam EPA had “failed to answer” questions about the EPA’s ability to protect public health if the ban on disposing of asbestos material on the island were to be reversed. See: Guam EPA needs to justify asbestos disposal at Layon.
Asbestos Cancer in China
Oct 20, 2015
A paper just published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, which investigated the effects of exposures to chrysotile asbestos on people in Southeast China, confirmed the existence of a “cluster of peritoneal and pleural mesothelioma in women… (all of whom) had been exposed to asbestos through work in asbestos textile workshops or living in a house where asbestos hand-spinning was practiced.” The authors recommend that the mining and use of asbestos be terminated to prevent the occurrence of a mesothelioma epidemic in China. See: Asbestos Textile Production Linked to Malignant Peritoneal and Pleural Mesothelioma in Women: Analysis of 28 Cases in Southeast China.
Asbestos Campaigner Wins Nomination
Oct 20, 2015
Today (Oct. 20, 2015) asbestos campaigner Rose Marie Vojakovic was named as one of four finalists for the title of Western Australia’s Senior Australian of the Year (2016). Rose Marie has worked for more than 30 years to support Australian asbestos victims and their families during their darkest hours. Her efforts have been pivotal in helping the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia become one of these world’s leading advocacy groups for asbestos victims. The winning finalist, who will go through to the national competition, will be announced in November. Good luck, Rose Marie! See: State Finalist Senior Australian of the Year 2016.
Unions Call for Eradication Program
Oct 19, 2015
The Labor Council of New South Wales (Unions NSW), representing 800,000 Australian workers belonging to 67 unions and 8 labor councils, has proposed that a scheme be set up funded by the construction industry to remove asbestos from buildings to prevent illegal fly tipping of contaminated debris which has become a common problem throughout the state. The funds required could come from the imposition of a small levy on new construction materials; asbestos removal costs should, Unions NSW said, be tax deductible. See: Solve asbestos dumping problem and lift safety with construction levy, says Unions NSW.
Routine Flouting of São Paulo Ban!
Oct 18, 2015
Despite bans on the use, sale and transport of asbestos and asbestos-containing material by the City and State of São Paulo, toxic products are currently available for purchase via the internet. Journalists from Globo – a major Brazilian media network – have reported illegal sales of asbestos-cement water tanks and roofing products. Although several states have, like São Paulo, taken unilateral action and banned asbestos, the federal government has not. A Supreme Court decision is pending regarding the constitutionality of asbestos use. See: Mesmo com proibição, caixas d'água e telhas com amianto são vendidas [Despite ban, water tanks and tiles with asbestos are sold].
MPs Call for Asbestos Eradication
Oct 16, 2015
A new publication issued by MPs calls on the Government to set a timetable for the eradication of asbestos contamination from the national infrastructure. In the report published today by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, MP Ian Lavery, Chair of the Group, said: “We believe that the Government needs to start now on developing a programme to ensure that asbestos is safely removed from every workplace and public place so that we can end… this dreadful legacy which has killed so many people, and will continue to kill until asbestos is eradicated.” See: The asbestos crisis. Why Britain needs an eradication law.
Examining the Legacy of Dr. I Selikoff
Oct 16, 2015
An event in New York City will be held today (October 16, 2015), commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Irving J. Selikoff (January 15, 1915 – May 20, 1992). See IBAS Blog, October 16, 2015.
Condemnation of “Safe Use Policy”
Oct 16, 2015
Brazil’s Center of Occupational Hygiene and Medicine – Fundocentro – has issued a damning indictment of the ordinance on the safe use of asbestos issued on September 30, 2015 by the Ministry of Labor. Calling for the annulment of this measure, Fundocentro’s statement cited statistics which showed that asbestos exposures were responsible for 30% of the occupational cancers diagnosed by Fundocentro doctors and said that there is no such thing as the “safe use of asbestos.” See: Servidores da Fundacentro se posicionam contra portaria sobre uso seguro do amianto [Fundacentro is against ordinance based on the safe use of asbestos].
Russian Backing for Mine Revival?
Oct 16, 2015
A Zimbabwe newspaper article has reported the presence of potential Russian investors in the country who are investigating the possibilities of reviving the derelict Shabanie-Mashava chrysotile (white) asbestos mines which ceased operations more than a decade ago. The interest of these investors was confirmed by the Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development and MP Zvishavane-Ngezi, Member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy. Russia produces nearly half of all the asbestos consumed worldwide every year. See: Russian Investors to Revive Shabanie Mine.
Pathway to Asbestos Ban
Oct 15, 2015
Following up on a public pledge made on August 12, 2015 to ban asbestos in 2018, the President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena hosted discussions this week involving senior civil servants and civil society stakeholders which were focused on the implementation of a program to create: public awareness of the asbestos hazard, awareness of the availability of asbestos-free products and demand for these materials. A key point of discussion was on the use of asbestos-free roofing products and construction materials for schools, hospitals and other public buildings. See: The President focuses special attention on regulating the use of alternatives for asbestos.
Asbestos Discovery in Cancer Clinic
Oct 14, 2015
Maintenance work on the ceilings at Helsinki’s Meilahti Hospital, the largest hospital in Finland, revealed the presence of asbestos in a cancer clinic on floors seven and eight of the hospital. The Department of Oncology, which was built in 1962, is used by 240 staff members to treat 500 patients every day. Due to this discovery, patients will be seen at an alternative location while remediation work is carried out. It is not yet known how long the closure will last but the authorities have issued reassurances that monitoring has shown no airborne asbestos fibers. See: Asbest på cancerkliniken i Mejlans [Asbestos cancer center in Meilahti].
Asbestos Contamination on Farms
Oct 14, 2015
Despite subsidies provided by the authorities to remove asbestos-cement building materials from Dutch farms, the high cost of remediation has meant that many farmers have not decontaminated their properties. It has been estimated that there are 120 million square meters of asbestos-cement material covering Dutch farms, much of which is weathered and able to release asbestos fibers into the environment. Failure to decontaminate these buildings can result in hefty fines under environmental legislation. See: Asbest ‘sluipend probleem’ voor noodlijdende boeren [Asbestos ‘insidious problem’ for distressed farmers].
British Asbestos Newsletter
Oct 13, 2015
The summer 2015 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The leading article in issue 98, Asbestos Heroes and Villains, considered political, environmental, legal and epidemiological news which informed the on-going debate about the UK’s asbestos crisis. This feature cited damning new evidence from the HSE and the Office of National Statistics confirming the high incidence of asbestos mortality and highlighted victories achieved by members of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK. Other pieces in this issue reviewed the pleural plaques controversy and provided updates on legal, social and scientific developments. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 98.
Calls for EU Asbestos Action
Oct 13, 2015
Written declaration 0037/2015 (September 7, 2015) calling on the European Parliament to take decisive steps to eradicate the asbestos hazard has another two months to attract the signatures of 376 Members of the European Parliament) required for it to be submitted to the European Commission for consideration. The text of this motion, which highlights Europe’s elevated incidence of asbestos-related mortality, calls on the Commission to implement a coordinated asbestos strategy and create a Europe-wide program for the eradication of asbestos from public and private buildings. See: Written Declaration submitted under Rule 136 of the Rules of Procedure on asbestos.
Government Calls for Asbestos Ban
Oct 12, 2015
At a Congressional hearing in Bogota last week, Ministers recognized the public health hazard posed by asbestos use and declared the Colombian Government’s willingness to implement a national ban within five years. Minister of Labor Luis Eduardo Garzon proposed creating a technical committee, led by the Ministry of Health, to allow stakeholders input to the formulation of a just transition policy which would provide employment for 6,000+ asbestos sector workers. See: Asbesto no es problema de salud ocupacional, sino de salud pública: Gobierno [Government: Asbestos is a public health problem not just an occupational health issue].
Rising Mortality from Mesothelioma
Oct 12, 2015
A graph produced by historian Dr. Geoffrey Tweedale provides visual evidence of the inexorable rise in the number of UK mesothelioma deaths between 1968 and 2013. According to data released this summer by the Health and Safety Executive and the Office of National Statistics, there were 2,538 deaths from mesothelioma in Great Britain in 2013; between 2010 and 2014, 11,011 people died from this disease with rates increasing by 13% over this period; the areas with the highest age-standardized mortality rates were: Barrow-in-Furness, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Fareham. See: UK mesothelioma mortality graph.
Firm Guilty over Take Home Exposure
Oct 11, 2015
A legal commentary published last week entitled “Judgment Day,” examined the landmark decision issued in June 2015 by the Superior Court of Catalonia which found Uralita, formerly one of Spain’s major asbestos-cement manufacturers, guilty of the asbestos-related death of a worker’s wife who was exposed to asbestos brought home on her husband’s work clothes. See: Condenada URALITA a indemnizar al marido por la muerte de su esposa, quien lavaba y planchaba durante años su ropa de trabajo impregnada de amianto [Uralita condemned to compensate husband for the death of his wife, who for years washed and ironed his asbestos-covered work clothes].
Huge Turnout at Paris Asbestos Protest
Oct 9, 2015
Up to 2,000 people took part in a demonstration through the streets of Paris today (October 9) calling for justice for asbestos victims. Not one asbestos director, civil servant or lobbyist has been convicted for their part in a criminal conspiracy which has led to an epidemic of asbestos-related deaths say ANDEVA, the French association of asbestos victims’ groups. The march was dedicated to the memory of Jean Dalla Torre, who died of mesothelioma last month. He was the first person to file a French complaint against Monsieur X twenty years ago. See: Amiante: “toujours ni responsable ni coupable” déplore l'Andeva [Asbestos: “to date no one has been found responsible or guilty” deplores Andeva].
Asbestos Exposure at European Parliament
Oct 9, 2015
It is estimated that 1,300 people could have been exposed to asbestos at the European Parliament’s Winston Churchill building in Strasbourg during development work carried out in 2013. Yesterday (October 8, 2015), one hundred of those at risk attended the opening day of criminal proceedings. The accused include an architect, a works manager, a sub-contracting company and others accused of negligence over the release of asbestos into the environment. See: Amiante au Parlement européen: des employés devant la justice [Asbestos in the European Parliament: employees before justice].
National Recognition of Asbestos Threat
Oct 9, 2015
A press release issued on October 7, 2015 by India’s Ministry of Labour and Employment announced that a permanent and unique asbestos and silica resource had been set up at the Regional Labour Institute (RLI) in the Northern state of Haryana to “generate awareness among the stakeholders of silica and asbestos handling units on different aspects of health & safety.” The new center in the city of Faridabad was inaugurated during the 54th Conference of Chief Inspectors of Factories held recently at RLI to promote the “safety and health of the workers at national level.” See: First Safety & Health Exhibition Center on Asbestos & Silica at RLI Faridabad.
Critique of US Asbestos Bill
Oct 9, 2015
In May, 2015, a bill was approved by the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives which would adversely affect the rights and status of U.S. asbestos claimants. The so-called FACT ACT, H.R. 526 will be considered by the House of Representatives during the current Congressional session. If passed, it would increase bureaucratic obstacles faced by asbestos litigants and claimants and could violate their right to privacy by releasing personal data that could be used by identify thieves and scammers. See: Congress Should Protect, Not Expose Asbestos Victims to Further Harm | Commentary.
Mesothelioma – More Awareness Needed!
Oct 9, 2015
Days after the 10th Mesothelioma Patients and Carer Day, news was released that despite the ongoing UK epidemic of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, only 17% of responders to a survey could name one symptom of this disease. Since the 2,000 people approached were over 45 years old – the majority of those who contract this cancer are older – this is a serious cause for concern. Commenting on these “disappointing findings,” Mesothelioma UK – the leading charity working in this field – highlighted the need for greater awareness “particularly amongst those who have had contact with asbestos.” See: Survey shows huge gaps in mesothelioma awareness among public.
Removal of Asbestos from Schools
Oct 8, 2015
OVAM, the Public Waste Agency of Flanders, has announced the launching of an investigation into the asbestos contamination of 300 schools. Sampling of suspect material, which will be undertaken out of school hours, will begin by the end of this year as part of an asbestos reduction plan which aims to eradicate asbestos from Flanders by 2040. It has been estimated that 3.7 million tonnes of asbestos was used in a variety of products throughout the region until it was banned in 1998. See: OVAM start onderzoek naar asbest in 300 Vlaamse scholen [OVAM start research on asbestos in 300 Flemish schools].
Asbestos Alert at London Hospital
Oct 8, 2015
The discovery of debris contaminated with crocidolite and amosite asbestos has led to urgent action by the management of St. Pancras Hospital. A network of underground tunnels has been welded shut with warning signs placed around manholes and a decontamination unit installed on the site; medical tests have been ordered for at-risk staff. Commenting on the situation an unidentified source said: “There are loads of people who have been sent to work down in those tunnels every day for years. Where were the checks? Now they are going down there dressed up in protective suits and with face masks on.” See: Staff sent for tests after asbestos find in tunnels beneath St Pancras Hospital.
Asbestosis Diagnosis in India
Oct 8, 2015
Dr. Jayshree Chander, a specialist in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, was awarded an IBAS travel bursary to facilitate her participation at an asbestosis diagnosis camp in Kolkata in September 2015. Commenting on this experience, Dr. Chander said: “most of the occupational health issues of Indian workers, including asbestos related diseases, are being addressed essentially on a volunteer basis by a handful of qualified and altruistic professionals. The problems are preventable, the causes multifactorial, the needs immense, and a meaningful, sustainable interdisciplinary strategy has yet to be developed.”
National Asbestos Victims’ Protest
Oc 7, 2015
Asbestos victims, family members, campaigners and concerned citizens will mark the 20th anniversary of a landmark asbestos case in the streets of Paris on Friday, October 9, 2015 when they assemble for a mass demonstration to denounce the failure of the judicial or legislative systems to hold anyone to account for the French asbestos catastrophe (see ANDEVA Press Release). In September 2015, the first person in France to file a criminal asbestos complaint against Mr. X died from mesothelioma; his legal action was begun in 1996. The slogan of the protesters is 100,000 dead, zero charged! See: Manifestation Nationale des Victimes de l’Amiante [National Protest by Asbestos Victims].
Experts Support Asbestos Ban
Oct 6, 2015
Brazil’s School of Public Health and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, the most prominent science and technology health institution in Latin America, have jointly criticized Decree no. 1287 of the Ministry of Labor and Employment (September 30, 2015) which constitutes a commission to discuss “the safe use of asbestos.” These revered bodies call for “the immediate repeal” of the Decree because of the deadly hazard posed to Brazilians by the continued production and use of asbestos. See: Escola é contrária à portaria que institui Comissão Especial para Debater o Uso do Amianto no Brasil [School Criticizes Brazilian Decree Establishing Special Asbestos Committee].
European Asbestos Cancer Data
Oct 5, 2015
Scientists have updated lung and pleural cancer survival patterns and time trends in 28 European countries. Relative survival for lung cancer was 39% and 13% at one and five years, respectively. Four per cent of the cases recorded were pleural cancers, of which most (83%) were mesotheliomas. The authors found that survival times decreased with advancing age at time of diagnosis. Recommendations made included banning asbestos, improving treatment access and implementing measures to allow early diagnosis. See: Survival patterns in lung and pleural cancer in Europe 1999-2007: Results from the EUROCARE-5 study.
Asbestos Charges Upheld
Oct 6, 2015
A preliminary hearings judge has confirmed charges related to the asbestos deaths of 14 workers from Olivetti’s Turin factory against 17 former executives, including Italy’s former transport minister Corrado Passera, former Alitalia President Roberto Colaninno, businessmen Carlo De Benedetti. The deceased were employed at the Ivrea factory from the 1960s until the 1990s in assembly or maintenance jobs; they died between 2003 and 2013. The first hearing in the trial will take place on November 23 with the second scheduled for January 11, 2016. See: Passera among 17 indicted for Olivetti asbestos deaths.
Turkey’s Asbestos Cancer Epidemic
Oct 5, 2015
A poster presented at the 25th International Congress of the European Respiratory Society in Amsterdam last week entitled: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Current Status and Future Projections in Turkey, by Dr. Salih Emri at al, highlighted the epidemic of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma in several Turkish villages which is largely due to environmental exposures to tremolite asbestos and erionite. The authors expressed concern about a future wave of asbestos-related diseases caused by exposures at workplaces and in urban areas where redevelopment work is being carried out. See: Poster – Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Current Status and Future Projections in Turkey.
Illegal Work and Dumping in Sydney
Oct 5, 2015
A feature article published last week investigated allegations that asbestos waste removed by workers for WestConnex, one of the biggest infrastructure projects in New South Wales, was being illegally dumped at a landfill site in Western Sydney. Members of the WestConnex Action Group, concerned about the environmental hazards being created by the failure of WestConnex employees to comply with asbestos regulations, mounted another protest over the weekend. Previously they reported multiple breaches of the asbestos regulations to state and local authorities which are jointly responsible for the site. See: WestConnex's Asbestos Problem.
Asbestos in Military Helicopters
Oct 5, 2015
Charges of culpable disaster are to be brought by Turin prosecutors against former directors of the helicopter multinational AgustaWestland and the Italian company Piaggio Aerospace. This week questioning will begin of fifty witnesses subpoenaed to explain why no warnings were given to the authorities about the illegal presence of asbestos in helicopters supplied to the armed forces and police. Those to be questioned include senior executives. See: “Amianto sugli elicotteri delle forze armate”: inchiesta a Torino, emessi 55 avvisi garanzia [“Armed forces’ asbestos helicopters”: investigation in Turin, 55 alert warrants issued].
Doctors Condemn Ministry Actions
Oct 3, 2015
The Associação Nacional de Medicina do Trabalho (ANAMT) [National Association of Occupational Medicine], representing 10,000+ doctors, has condemned Decree no. 1287 issued on September 30, 2015 by the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) which aims to prolong the continued use of asbestos in Brazil by setting up an asbestos commission to discuss “the safe use of asbestos.” Highlighting the ethical duty doctors have to protect human health, the ANAMT could not, stay silent in the face of this “political and bureaucratic aberration.” See: Portaria absurda do MTE é favorável ao uso seguro do Amianto [Absurd order of the MTE is favorable to the safe use of asbestos].
Italy’s Asbestos Cancer Epidemic
Oct 2, 2015
Italy’s Observatory on Asbestos (Ona) has released statistics which record 4,500 cases of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma over the three year period 2009 to 2011; the number of cases rose from 1,480 in 2009 to 1,524 in 2011. A total of 20,600+ cases occurred between 1993 and 2011. Commenting on the new data, an Ona spokesman said: “The trend of mesothelioma is increasing and it is only the tip of the iceberg considering that cases of lung cancer are at least twice [as many] and that asbestos also causes other cancers (larynx, ovary, gastrointestinal tract, etc.) and asbestosis…” See: Amianto, Ona: 4.500 casi di mesotelioma in 3 anni [Asbestos, Ona: 4,500 cases of mesothelioma in 3 years].
Asbestos Diagnosis Camp
Sep 30, 2015
On September 24, 2015, a diagnosis camp was set up by the Occupational Health and Safety Center at the Kolkata premises of the Kamal Tiwari trade union. This site was across the street from the Everest Industries asbestos factory. The manufacture of asbestos-cement construction products started there in 1938 under the ownership of the British company T&N Ltd. Fifteen workers and/or former workers were screened by Dr. V. Murlidhar and his medical team; four were diagnosed with asbestosis. Claims for these injuries will be made against the T&N Trust; claims for two other similarly affected workers from this factory have succeeded. See: Photo of workers being interviewed by medical team.
Court Supports At-Risk Workers
Sep 30, 2015
An injunction upheld on Sunday, September 27, 2015 by the 6th Labour Court of Campinas, a Brazilian municipality in São Paulo State, outlawed the practice whereby trade unions accepted financial support from asbestos industry employers on the grounds that by doing so the unions compromised their ability to represent members. The civil action by the Ministry of Labor argued that this funding and other practices could adversely affect the health of asbestos-exposed workers. See: MPT consegue liminar em ação contra entidades ligadas à cadeia do Amianto [Ministry of Labor injunction stopping asbestos industry funding of trade union upheld by Court].
Mesothelioma Legal Action Extension
Sep 29, 2015
On September 28, 2015, the Government of Gibraltar published a Bill to amend the Limitation Act as a result of which people with mesothelioma caused by occupational exposure to asbestos whilst employed by the Crown will be allowed to bring legal proceedings even if the prescribed deadline has elapsed. Although global asbestos trade data shows zero asbestos consumption in Gibraltar over recent years, it is not known whether the use of asbestos has been banned. Enquiries are in progress to ascertain whether asbestos is banned. See: Govt open to challenge on cases of child abuse and mesothelioma.
Eternit’s Global Asbestos Tentacles
Sep 28, 2015
An analysis of the business interests of former asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny, uploaded to the Italian webzine Carmilla last week, framed a discussion of the fallout from current asbestos-consuming operations by the Eternit Group, at one time owned by the Schmidheiny family, within a global context. The feature contrasted the strict prohibitions on hazardous exposures in countries which have banned asbestos with the daily exposures experienced in non-ban countries such as Mexico and Brazil. See: Il filo rosso dell’amianto e di Stephen Schmidheiny tra Italia e America Latina [Stephen Schmidheiny’s red thread of asbestos between Italy and Latin America].
Mesothelioma in Italy: A Consensus
Sep 25, 2015
A report just published details the consensus reached by scientists who convened during a session on mesothelioma which took place at a conference in Italy in January 2015. Of the 3.64 cases of mesothelioma in Italy per 100,000 people (in 2011), 10% were due to non-occupational exposures. Recommendations included: increased cooperation on mesothelioma data collection by cancer registries, regional centers and pathologists; the provision of information on risks and smoking cessation to at-risk individuals. See: III Italian Consensus Conference on Malignant Mesothelioma of the Pleura. Epidemiology, Public Health and Occupational Medicine related issues.
Roadmap to Phase-out Asbestos Use
Sep 25, 2015
An asbestos workshop was held in Hanoi on September 22, 2015 by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, the Health Ministry’s Environment Health Management Department and the Vietnam Ban Asbestos Network during which speakers discussed various facets of the national asbestos policy and highlighted hazards posed by the continuation of consumption. The Government is now developing a roadmap for the phasing out of asbestos in roofing products by 2020. There are currently more than 40 factories throughout the country manufacturing asbestos roofing material. See: Asbestos in roof sheets still a threat to workers.
Global Asbestos Pandemic
Sep 24, 2015
An editorial by Jukka Takala entitled: Eliminating occupational cancer has just been published in the Journal of Industrial Health. Takala’s text is categorical about the damage done by asbestos exposure, dismissing previous estimates of the number of annual global deaths issued by the WHO, the ILO and others and stating that: “In the European Union the combined number of deaths will amount to 47,000 lung cancer and mesothelioma deaths caused by asbestos (every year). This still misses other work-related cancers, caused by asbestos, such as larynx and ovary, and possibly stomach, colorectal and pharynx cancers.” See: Eliminating occupational cancer.
Workers Win Asbestos Case
Sep 24, 2015
New Zealand’s Employment Relations Authority has ruled that two tradesmen had been unjustifiably constructively dismissed by their employer, building company Goleman Limited, which knew that asbestos contamination had been found at the site where the men had been working – Christchurch Hospital – eight days before informing them. Neil Silcock and Liam Milner resigned from jobs repairing the hospital roof after learning of their hazardous exposures. The company is considering an appeal. According to the men’s lawyer, the failure to provide a safe workplace constituted “a serious breach” of the company’s obligations. See: Employer exposed tradies to asbestos.
Ban Asbestos Debate in Congress?
Sep 23, 2015
A Congressional debate on Colombia’s use of asbestos which was secured by Senator Nadia Blel was postponed yesterday after the failure to attend by the Ministers of Health, Labor, Environment and Industry and Trade. At the hearing were asbestos victims, ban asbestos campaigners, trade unionists and asbestos industry lobbyists. Senator Blel used the occasion to introduce draft legislation calling for a national asbestos ban. The Congressional debate has been rescheduled for October 6. See: Picture taken during asbestos non-debate on September 22, 2015.
Brazilian Firm Outlaws Asbestos
Sep 23, 2015
Cassol Materiais de Construção [Cassol Construction Materials], a major Brazilian building supplies chain has formalized plans for ending the sale of asbestos-containing tiles. In a submission on September 21, 2015 to the Ministry of Labor in Santa Catarina State, the company said protecting workers’ health from the asbestos hazard was its motivation in taking this step. See: Cassol Materiais de Construção, ciente da nocividade do amianto, formaliza a cessação da comercialização de produtos com a substância cancerígena, perante MPT [Cassol Building Materials, aware of the asbestos hazard, formalizes the termination of the marketing of asbestos products with the MPT].
Crimes against Environment and Health
Sep 20, 2015
Remedies to counter the inequality of national legal systems which allows asbestos entrepreneurs to profit from hazardous commercial operations were explored at the meeting of the Positive Economy Forum in Le Havre, France from September 16 to 19, 2015. Delegates heard calls for a change to the Treaty of Rome so that charges could be brought before an international court for crimes against the environment and health. The Italian criminal proceedings against asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny were discussed. See: Pour un tribunal international des crimes contre l’environnement et la santé [For an international tribunal for crimes against the environment and health].
Asbestos Causes Laryngeal Cancer
Sep 18, 2015
Spain’s Ministry of Employment and Social Security has agreed with social partners to update the list of occupational diseases to include laryngeal cancer caused by inhalation of asbestos dust. This change, which will result in a future Royal Decree, is the result of collaborative efforts by a working group set up to consider the appropriateness of adapting the list in light of new research findings. See: La Seguridad Social incorpora el cáncer de laringe por inhalación de amianto al listado de enfermedades profesionales [Social Security includes laryngeal cancer on list of occupational diseases caused by asbestos].
Action on Asbestos Prevention
Sep 18, 2015
The Secretary of Health of Mogi das Cruzes, a city in São Paulo State, has announced plans to implement a program of health inspections during the week of September 21-25, 2015 to ensure that workers are receiving the protections from hazardous asbestos exposures which are mandatory under São Paulo State Law No. 12.684/2007, which prohibits the use of products, materials or artifacts that contain any type of asbestos, raw asbestos or other minerals containing asbestos fibers in its composition. See: Vigilância Sanitária promove Semana de Combate ao Uso do Amianto [Health Surveillance Program on Asbestos].
Confirmation of Illegal Asbestos Imports
Sep 17, 2015
Despite its asbestos ban, Italy has been importing asbestos-containing products from Asia. Enquiries by customs officials to ascertain the names of Italian recipients of toxic Indian goods have been unproductive and no assistance has been received from officials in India despite requests made by Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello. The discovery of asbestos in 9,000 imported Chinese cars necessitated remedial work, swamping personnel at local health authorities. A National Labor Inspectorate has been tasked with responding to this crisis. See: Amianto, Guariniello: l'India ne ha esportato in Italia [Asbestos, Guariniello: India has exported [asbestos] to Italy].
Parliament to Debate Asbestos Ban Bill
Sep 17, 2015
Four Ministers of State have been summoned to Parliament to explain on September 22, 2015 why asbestos is still used in Colombia when scores of nations have prohibited its use. Medical practitioners, cancer specialists and asbestos victims have criticized the current regime which allows the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos under legislation adopted in 2011. Senator Nadia Blel has sponsored a bill to ban asbestos and urges “action immediately, because asbestos is highly carcinogenic… creating a deadly threat to anyone who comes in contact with the mineral.” See: Ministros, a control político por polémica del asbesto [Ministers to respond to political asbestos controversy].
Tests Confirm Asbestos in Crayons
Sep 17, 2015
After news of asbestos contamination in crayons imported from China to the U.S. and Australia, the Government of New Zealand has now announced that government testing found similar contamination. An audit, conducted by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Business, Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Protection Authority, of 21 random crayon products found asbestos in three products: Disney – Planes, Fire & Rescue (double ended crayons); Avengers Age of Ultron – 8 chunky crayons; Art Series – Jumbo Colours (12 non-toxic bright colours). As asbestos is not banned in New Zealand, the sale of these products is legal. See: Tests reveal asbestos in New Zealand crayons.
Asbestos Producer Bans Asbestos
Sep 16, 2015
In a remarkable development, the asbestos company Imbralit de Criciúma in the State of Santa Catarina has accepted the inevitability of Brazilian action to ban asbestos and announced today that it will cease using asbestos in its production of cement building materials as of November 1, 2015. Although there is no federal ban on asbestos, seven states have taken unilateral action to prohibit the use, manufacture, transport and sale of asbestos-containing products. They are: Mato Grosso, Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco and Amazonas. See: Uma Bomba para o Lobby do Amianto [A Bomb for Asbestos Lobby].
Asbestos Cancer Diagnoses in Rajasthan
Sep 16, 2015
The Mine Labour Protection Campaign Trust, a non-governmental organization based in the State of Rajasthan, has reported the diagnoses of 15 cases of the rare asbestos cancer, mesothelioma with a further 62 cases suspected. News of this disease cluster was widely reported in the State as well as via media outlets throughout India. India is the world’s largest importer of asbestos having in 2014 imported ~380,000 tonnes. The majority of asbestos used in India is for the production of building materials such as roofing slates and pipes; most at-risk workers are employed in the unorganized sector with no union protection. See: 15 cases of rare cancer detected a first in Rajasthan.
Call for Independent Tests at Rochdale Site
Sep 16, 2015
In a radio interview this morning, Rochdale Council officer Andy Glover and campaigner Jason Addy from Save Spodden Valley commented on plans for airborne testing of a 72 acre privately owned site in the center of Rochdale, formerly home to the world’s largest asbestos factory. The Council said it was working in partnership with the property owner to reassure local people that there was no airborne risk. Disparaging the Council’s scheme as a public relations exercise, Mr. Addy said the land was a “toxic blight” which required an “unbiased arbiter” to protect Rochdale citizens from hazardous exposures. Listen to: Interview with Andy Glover and Jason Addy.
Penalties for Asbestos Law Contraventions
Sep 15, 2015
The Superior Labor Court reinstated guilty verdicts and fines for moral damages amounting respectively to R$500,000 (US$129,300) and R$100,000 (US$26,000) against Eternit SA, Brazil’s largest asbestos manufacturer, and Distribuidora Meridional Ltda., a distributor in Pernambuco, for failing to comply with the state law banning the manufacture, trade and use of asbestos especially in civil public and private construction. See: Distribuidora e Eternit são condenadas por violar lei que proíbe amianto em Pernambuco [Distributor and Eternit are convicted of violating the law banning asbestos in Pernambuco].
Ban Asbestos Progress in Asia
Sep 14, 2015
Delegates at the 2015 meeting of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network in Hanoi last week considered regional developments with a particular focus on recent asbestos bans introduced in Hong Kong and Nepal and the announcement by the President of Sri Lanka that the country would prohibit asbestos by 2018. There was a great deal of interest in the roadmap presented by a representative of the Vietnam Ministry of Health which aimed to end asbestos use in Vietnam by 2020. Work has been ongoing in Vietnam for over a decade into the development of asbestos-free technology. See: Vietnam: A-BAN takes stock of the asbestos campaign in the region.
Call for Asbestos Ban
Sep 14, 2015
A press release issued on September 12, 2015 by the (Thai) National Health Commission (NHC) called for the “global blacklisting” of chrysotile (white) asbestos and urged stakeholders including the NHC, the Ministry of Public Health, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and consumer protection organizations to share information to protect at-risk construction and other Thai workers. The NHC statement detailed several initiatives it had taken to progress the categorization of chrysotile as a type 4 hazardous substance for which production, import, export and possession are banned. See: NHCO demands asbestos to be blacklisted and Thailand insists on its dangers in global forums.
Asbestos Pandemic
Sep 14, 2015
In 2013, asbestos exposure was responsible for 194,000 deaths worldwide, according to data just released detailing the global burden of disease. “Asbestos exposure accounted for nearly two-thirds of the burden of all occupational carcinogens. In total, occupational risks accounted for 55.4 million DALYs [disability-adjusted life-years].” See: Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.
Another Asbestos Ban
Sep 13, 2015
Against considerable lobbying by asbestos specialist interests, the Council of Poços de Caldas, a city in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, has succeeded in approving a bill to ban the use of asbestos in public buildings. This legislation, which has been under discussion since 2009, was sponsored by Mayor Dr . Regina Cioffi, a highly respected doctor who informed fellow Councilors of scores of national asbestos bans and policies of international agencies supporting asbestos prohibitions to protect public and occupational health. See: Câmara de Poços aprova projeto que proibe amianto em obras públicas [Poços City Council Bans Asbestos].
Italy’s Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Sep 13, 2015
European research into the occurrence of peritoneal mesothelioma amongst a cohort from Italy, formerly Europe’s largest asbestos producer, has found higher mortality rates in several northern regions which were heavy consumers of asbestos. These findings were reported in a study just published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Using multiple data sources, the eight authors discovered that amongst people who lived or worked in areas where asbestos was produced, there was an elevated incidence of peritoneal mesothelioma. See: Peritoneal mesothelioma in Italy: Trends and geography of mortality and incidence.
Asbestos: The Medical Threat
Sep 12, 2015
A conference held in Bogota on September 10 for medical students and members of the public heard presentations by experts from Colombia, Italy and Australia that described and quantified the public and occupational health risk posed by the continuing use of asbestos around the world, with a focus on repercussions in Colombia. The backdrop to the event – an art installation which highlighted the country’s asbestos legacy – reinforced the need for a proactive stance to assist the injured and raise awareness of the ongoing threat. During the meeting, calls were made for asbestos use and production to be banned in Colombia. See: Picture of September 10 Conference.
Making Vietnam Asbestos-Free
Sep 11, 2015
Scores of international delegates, local activists and interested parties took part in a meeting in Hanoi this week which considered Vietnam’s progress towards an asbestos ban. In attendance were representatives from more than 20 countries including: China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Australia, USA and the UK. The sponsorship and organization for this event came from the Asian Ban Asbestos Network, the Asia Monitor Resource Center, the Vietnam Ban Asbestos Network and other civil society partners. See: Group picture of ABAN 2015 delegates.
Life Saving Walk in Western Australia
Sep 10, 2015
On September 13, 2015, the first steps will be taken by members of the Perth-based Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) in their annual walk to raise research funds and promote awareness of asbestos risks in the community. This year, the walkers will cover the 260+ miles from Albany to the state capital of Perth in five days, visiting towns and villages along the way to generate local support and spread information. For those of us unable to join them, donations can be made online by clicking here.
For more information see: Media Release Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia.
Federal Prosecution of Asbestos Bodies
Sep 9, 2015
Brazil’s Ministry of Labor has filed a civil suit against 17 entities funded by the asbestos lobby, including trade associations and “yellow unions,” industry-funded bodies purportedly representing asbestos and/or construction workers, whose work, allegedly, is against the national interest as they lobby for measures which are inimical to health and safety and against the rights of Brazilian workers. The case is being heard in the 6th Labour Court of Campinas; judicial damages of Reais$50 million (US$13m) are being sought. See: MPT processa entidades ligadas à cadeia do amianto em R$50 milhões [MPT prosecutes entities linked to asbestos industry for R$50 million].
Province to Sue U.S. Asbestos Companies
Sep 9, 2015
WorkSafeNewBrunswick, an employer-funded Crown corporation of the Canadian Province of New Brunswick, has retained South Carolina asbestos law firm Motely Rice to pursue personal injury claims against U.S. defendants which exported asbestos products to Canada, thereby causing occupational diseases. The law firm will attempt to recover the costs of a number of claims paid to workers who contracted asbestos-related diseases. The injured have already received compensation for their injuries from WorkSafeNB. See: Le N.B. poursuit des fabricants d'amiante [N.B. Pursues Asbestos Manufacturers].
Robert Nolan and the Asbestos Lobby
Sep 8, 2015
Lawyers for U.S. asbestos defendants this week tried to exclude evidence documenting ties to the asbestos industry of their expert witness Robert Nolan; stating that reviewing the information substantiating Nolan’s links to the International Chrysotile Association (ICA) would: “(1) necessitate undue consumption of time, (2) cause undue prejudice, (3) confuse the issues and (4) mislead the jury.” The ICA paid Nolan for work during trips to Malaysia in 2015 to convince the government that a national asbestos ban was unwarranted. See: Lawyers launch court action to hide scientist’s work for asbestos lobby organisation.
Hazards of Asbestos Contamination of Talc
Sep 8, 2015
Asbestos-containing talcum powder continues to pose a threat to U.S. workers and members of the public, according to a new article by Myron Levin. Citing lawsuits brought over exposures to tainted industrial-grade talc and consumer products, the author said that results of surveys conducted in 2009 and 2010 of 34 talc products by federal authorities were compromised by the failure of suppliers to submit samples for testing. As a result the Food and Drug Administration concluded that: “the results do not prove that most or all talc or talc-containing cosmetic products currently marketed in the United States are likely to be free of asbestos contamination.’’ See: The Hard Truth About the Softest Mineral.
Protection for At-risk Brazilian Workers
Sep 4, 2015
Earlier this week, a Brazilian federal agency rejected calls to water down vital asbestos safeguards for at-risk workers as mandated in technical note 141/2014. This decision marks a huge defeat for the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute, a trade association representing asbestos mining and commercial organizations, which had claimed that these safeguards represented an unnecessary and burdensome business tax. Asbestos victims groups and labor organizations lobbied hard to retain the guidelines during tense hearings in Brasilia. See: Sem ser discutida, norma técnica do amianto segue inalterada [Without being discussed asbestos technical standard remains unchanged].
Asbestos at the Venice Film Festival
Sep 4, 2015
A short film based on interviews with asbestos removal workers in Italy is being screened twice (September 3 and 12) at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival. E.T.E.R.N.I.T. by director Giovanni Aloi mixes reality and drama to tell the story of a Tunisian immigrant facing a life and death decision. Ali Salhi, the lead actor, is one of those interviewed during research for the screenplay; the set used for the film was an industrial asbestos removal site in an area where Eternit asbestos-cement roofs were ubiquitous. See: L'amianto al Festival Internazionale di Venezia [Asbestos at the Venice International Festival].
Corsica’s Deadly Mining Legacy
Sep 4, 2015
Operations at Corsica’s Canari Mine by the Eternit asbestos group were ongoing from 1920 until 1965. The mine’s output made France the world’s 7th biggest asbestos producer. However, mineworkers were not told of changes in their lung x-rays showing development of asbestos diseases. The commune of Canari bought the site from Eternit in 1973 for one franc with no knowledge of the environmental catastrophe and financial nightmare they were taking on; just keeping the toxic risks at bay costs millions of euros of public money. See: 50 ans après sa fermeture, l’usine d’amiante de Corse reste un problème insoluble [50 years after closure, the asbestos plant of Corsica remains an insoluble problem].
Italian Asbestos Epidemic
Sep 3, 2015
Italian mortality figures show that of the 749 asbestos deaths occurring in Bologna between 1989 and 2014, 54% of the deceased had worked for the state railways. In Bologna’s carriage works and vehicle repair shops, at least 100 tonnes of asbestos were used every year; thousands of workers experienced high levels of asbestos exposures on a routine basis despite laws and decrees dating as far back as 1906 which mandated occupational safeguards from dust. While some compensation has been paid to the injured, until last year only one executive had been found guilty for deadly exposures in the 1970s. See: Amianto, ecco l’altra strage di Bologna [Asbestos, here is another massacre in Bologna].
Provincial Remediation Program
Sep 2, 2015
On August 31, 2015, the provincial government of North Gyeongsang in eastern South Korea announced that it would undertake a multimillion dollar program (90 billion Korean won) to remove asbestos-cement roofing from 30,000 houses by 2021. According to the government’s timetable, the asbestos-cement roofing on 3,000-4,000 houses will be replaced each year. This will leave a shortfall of around 6,000 properties by 2021. Korea has a strict ban on asbestos and financial subsidies have been offered to remove contaminated material. See: North Gyeongsang Province to Remove Slate Roofs Full of Asbestos.
Latin America Launders Asbestos Profits
Sep 2, 2015
A feature on the Spanish Rebelión news site, begins with a discussion of the human tragedies caused by asbestos and proceeds to consider the fortunes of those who reaped the asbestos profits. In many parts of Europe, the name of Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny is synonymous with the worst type of capitalism, but in Latin America his asbestos profits bought influence and friends at universities and institutions which benefited from his largesse, including the Avina Foundation and INCAE, Latin America’s top international business school. See: Asbesto, un asesino en casa [Asbestos: a killer at home].
Epidemic of Asbestos Deaths
Sep 2, 2015
Data on the incidence of asbestos cancer in Brazil, as in other industrializing countries, is patchy. A paper just published by experts from São Paulo and Minas Gerais analyzed information on mortality for the asbestos cancer mesothelioma from 2000 and 2010. The researchers conclude that despite underreporting, “there is evidence of an increase in mesothelioma mortality, particularly in the State of São Paulo, where almost half of the asbestos industries settled… Our results strongly suggest that a special attention should be given to localized areas of asbestos handling and/or disease clustering.” See: The next mesothelioma wave: Mortality trends and forecast to 2030 in Brazil.
Pleural Plaques: A Medical Condition
Sep 2, 2015
Adding to the ongoing debate over symptoms experienced by sufferers of pleural plaques, a response by the authors of the (2014) paper entitled “A systematic review of the association between pleural plaques and changes in lung function,” has appeared online in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine which reaffirms their conclusions that “The presence of pleural plaques is associated with [a] small, but statistically significant … decline in lung function.” See: Authors’ response – A systematic review of the association between pleural plaques and changes in lung function.
National Epidemic of Asbestos Mortality
Sep 1, 2015
Data published on August 31, 2015, by the Australian Mesothelioma Registry reports the rates of new cases and deaths from mesothelioma and analyses regional incidences and exposure patterns. Between January 1 and December 31, 2014, there were: 641 new mesothelioma diagnoses (518 males, 123 females); 85% were 65+ years old at diagnosis. Interviews with patients revealed that while ~60% could have been occupationally exposed to asbestos, 84% had experienced non-occupational exposures. The rate of deaths in 2014 showed an 11% increase on the figures reported for the previous year. See: Mesothelioma in Australia 2014.
Scientists Dismiss Paper as “Nonsense”
Sep 1, 2015
A paper entitled Critical reappraisal of Balangero chrysotile and mesothelioma risk by authors, three of whose links to asbestos vested interests were grudgingly acknowledged in an errata issued in August 2015 by the Italian Journal of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health (JEBPH), has been trashed in a letter to the editor from eminent Italian scientists. In their critique, the eight co-authors detail a litany of factual and theoretical errors in the work of Ilgren et al: “the paper is full of statements that have no substance and lack support of evidence.” They conclude that a scientific journal should never have published this “poor quality paper, with no scientific content…” See: Letter to the Editor of JEBPH.
Coordinated Action on Asbestos
Aug 31, 2015
On August 28, 2015, Australia’s Minister for Employment Senator Eric Abetz launched the National Plan on Asbestos Safety and Eradication following a meeting of State and Territory Ministers. “This plan,” he said, “will result in coordinated effort across the country to reduce the deadly effects of asbestos on Australians, as well as help put Australia at the forefront of global efforts to deal with the deadly substance.” The main strategy for eliminating asbestos diseases will be preventing hazardous exposures by raising awareness, developing best practice for removal and management and stopping toxic imports. See: National plan to reduce the risk of asbestos.
Uncertainty in Asbestos Mining Region
Aug 30, 2015
An exposé aired today by Radio Canada details attempts to downgrade occupational asbestos safeguards in the name of greater productivity in Thetford Mines, a former asbestos mining region in Quebec, despite recommendations made in a $140,000 study that concludes guidelines should remain in place to protect at-risk workers from exposure to hazardous fibers in the soil, air and infrastructure. Citing the precautionary principle, experts continue to urge caution in an area where high levels of contamination have been found. See: Les règles de sécurité sur l'amiante critiquées, malgré une étude [Safety regulations on asbestos criticized, despite study].
Asbestos Ban in 2018
Aug 30, 2015
Following up on a public pledge made on August 12, 2015 to ban asbestos in 2018, the President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, yesterday reiterated his commitment to the ban during a ceremony held at President’s House. He recalled that previous plans to enact asbestos prohibitions had been scuppered but “today everybody is supporting that programme. Those decisions will be put into action without bowing down to any private company or institution… for the betterment of the country and the people.” See: Sri Lanka president to ban production of asbestos in 2018.
Growth in Asbestos-Free Manufacture
Aug 30, 2015
To satisfy growing consumer demand in Brazil for asbestos-free goods, Brasilit – part of the French Saint Gobain Group – has announced the opening of a new R$ 55 million (US$15+ million) manufacturing facility in Seropédica, in greater Rio de Janeiro, to produce asbestos-free fiber cement products. Brasilit’s five factories producing asbestos-free goods are located in Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul; Belém, Pará; Recife, Pernambuco; and Capivari and Jacarei, in the State of São Paulo. The new 100,000 m² facility will provide 250 jobs. See: Brasilit inaugura unidade em Seropédica [Brasilit opens unit in Seropédica].
Asia’s Asbestos Danger
Aug 29, 2015
An essay about the dangers of asbestos has won first prize in a competition of the Asian Scientist Magazine. It details problems faced by one householder in Malaysia who discovered her dream home contained asbestos roofing materials. Despite reassurances from one Malaysian expert, another warned of the deadly health effects of asbestos inhalation. Although few countries in Asia publish data on asbestos exposure or deaths, using patterns observed in industrialized countries, one epidemiologist estimated that between 1994-2008 there were almost 8,000 unreported mesothelioma deaths in China, India and Thailand. See: Once An Industry Wonder, Now A Silent Killer.
Mesothelioma Deaths Still Increasing!
Aug 29, 2015
Data released this month (August 2015) by the Office of National Statistics show a steady increase in the number of deaths from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in England and Wales over recent years. Between 2010 and 2014, 11,011 people died from this disease with rates increasing by 13% over this period. The areas with the highest number of mesothelioma deaths in 2014 were: Birmingham (40), Sheffield (30), Leeds (32), Chester East (25) and Cornwall (24) with the highest age-standardised mortality rates recorded in: Barrow-in-Furness (14.3), South Tyneside (11.1), North Tyneside (10.9) and Fareham (10). See: ONS Mesothelioma Data.
Asbestos, Canada: A Lost Town?
Aug 28, 2015
A piece of photojournalism by Matthias Walendy about the former Quebec asbestos mining town called “Asbestos” includes images of the former mine, local businesses, streetscapes and townspeople. Walendy reports that while many of the residents still yearn for the old days, there is a sense of realism that pervades the population. It is incredible that the failure of the town to accept the reality of the asbestos hazard continues – the mine area remains open for quad bike riders to explore despite the fact that the contents of the tailings could be up to 12% raw asbestos fiber. See: A Town Called Asbestos.
Labor Supporting Asbestos Ban
Aug 28, 2015
The Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT / the Unified Workers' Central), Brazil’s national trade union center, is fighting attempts by commercial interests to repeal government guidance – Technical Note 141/2014 – protecting workers and their families from hazardous asbestos exposures. In a resolution issued on August 27, 2015 in São Paulo, CUT reiterated its support for a national asbestos ban and reasserted the need for the maximum protection to be provided for at-risk workers. See: CUT repudia a revogação da Nota sobre uso do Amianto [CUT repudiates repeal of technical guidance note on asbestos].
Protection from Asbestos Hazards
Aug 28, 2015
A commentary published on August 27, 2015 recaps new provisions in a government asbestos circular which mandated heightened workplace protection from asbestos hazards for public workers. The measures included: establishing and updating publicly accessible asbestos audits of public buildings, labelling hazardous products, maintaining tight dust controls, keeping asbestos exposure records for individual workers and providing medical surveillance. See: Amiante: une nouvelle circulaire traite de la prévention du risque d’exposition à l’amiante dans la fonction publique [Asbestos: a new circular deals with preventing the risk of exposure to asbestos in the public service].
Tense Ban Asbestos Hearing in Bahia!
Aug 27, 2015
Like the showdown at the OK Corral, pro- and anti- asbestos forces were out in force during hearings held in the Bahia State Legislative Assembly on August 20, 2015. Bill 20,985/2014 authored by State Representative Rosemberg Pinto aims to protect occupational health by prohibiting the use of this acknowledged carcinogen. Supporting the bill were campaigner Fernanda Giannasi and asbestos victims; opposing the prohibitions were Brazilian asbestos lobbyists and trade unionists aligned with the industry who alleged that chrysotile asbestos posed no risk to human beings. See: Audiência pública debate a proibição do Amianto [Public hearing debates asbestos ban].
Asbestos Exposure and Cancer
Aug 27, 2015
French scientists have published an analysis of data from a cohort of 2,000+ asbestos workers over three decades. An elevated incidence of peritoneal mesothelioma was found in women; in men, there were higher levels of peritoneal mesothelioma, oesophageal and liver cancer. The researchers noted: “Concerning colorectal cancer, a significant excess of risk was observed for men with exposure duration above 25 years…” An association was suggested between occupational asbestos exposure and cancers of the small intestine and liver. See: Digestive cancers and occupational asbestos exposure: incidence study in a cohort of asbestos plant workers.
Government to Ban Asbestos Imports
Aug 26, 2015
Opening the 2015 Conference of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Australasia in Nelson, New Zealand yesterday, Environment Minister Nick Smith said “targeted consultation” on a ban on the imports of asbestos-containing products was due to begin. The Minister projected a positive message about protecting occupational health and alleged that asbestos-containing products were only used in the marine, aviation and electricity generation and supply industries. “An inventory released by the ministry last year indicated that in most of these cases, alternative products were available.” See: Government to halt asbestos and HCFC imports, says Environment Minister.
Award for Pleural Plaques Sufferer
Aug 24, 2015
On August 14, 2015, a Labor Court in Brazil ordered Saint Gobain Industrial Products and Construction Ltd., owner of Brasilit one of the country’s asbestos giants, to pay the sum of $Reais100,000 (US$28,500) in moral damages plus costs for medical examinations to Antonio Martins Santos who has contracted pleural plaques from negligent occupational asbestos exposure. The court dismissed the company’s argument that an extrajudicial agreement reached with the claimant upon the termination of his employment relieved it of any and all liabilities. See: Brasilit Condenada em Processo de Placas Pleurais por Amianto [Brasilit condemned for Asbestos Exposure in Pleural Plaques Case].
Municipality Addresses Asbestos Hazard
Aug 24, 2015
The northern Italian town of Vigevano regards the removal of asbestos-cement roofs from private residences as a public health priority. On August 11, 2015, Mayor Andrea Sala ordered the removal of toxic roofing from a property near Santa Maria Street whose owners had not abided by a 2014 municipal edict to report and/or remediate contamination; failure to do so can result in large financial penalties. A dozen similar cases are being been dealt with by the town’s Department of Environmental Protection. Steps are also being taken by the town to deal with illegally dumped asbestos debris. See: I privati tolgano l’amianto dai tetti [Individuals remediate asbestos roofs].
Working Towards an Asbestos Ban?
Aug 24, 2015
At a seminar held last week in Phnom Penh, hundreds of delegates joined government officials and Cambodian and international experts to consider the occupational and public health hazards posed by the continuing use of asbestos. The event, which was organized by the Cambodian Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and Union Aid Abroad (APEHDA), an overseas humanitarian aid agency of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, provided the opportunity to progress discussions on the formation of a national asbestos profile as recommended by the World Health Organization. See: Picture of Symposium Delegates.
Asbestos on Agenda
Aug 24, 2015
An academic conference entitled: “Cultural philanthro-capitalism and political art: the paradoxes of contemporary symbolic thinking” took place at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Cali, Colombia on Thursday, August 20, 2015. The event was streamed live on the university’s website and featured a presentation by artist Guillermo Villamizar which discussed issues related to philanthropic capitalism and considered the case of asbestos entrepreneur, billionaire, art collector and “philanthropist” Stephen Schmidheiny, formerly head of the Swiss Eternit Group, one of the largest global asbestos conglomerates. See: Picture of Guillermo Villamizar speaking at the conference.
Loch Ness Monster: Asbestos in Schools
Aug 21, 2015
With two weeks until children return to school, results of a survey conducted in Belgium confirm widespread asbestos contamination of the educational infrastructure, with 70% of schools in Namur, a Walloon city in southern Belgium, containing a variety of asbestos materials. Although officials at the Albert Jacquard High School have confirmed the presence of asbestos and warned “there is no immediate danger,” a former teacher admitted that he would not send children to the asbestos contaminated schools. See: Notre enquête exclusive: de l'amiante dans 7 écoles sur 10 [Exclusive survey: asbestos in 7 our of 10 schools].
Cancer Legacy of Asbestos Processing
Aug 21, 2015
Research undertaken in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato substantiates the continuing hazard of living in a town decades after hazardous industrial operations ceased. The authors found that “having a garden or courtyard paved with AC tailings, an AC roof or AC buildings near home were associated with a significant increase in the OR (odds ratio for mesothelioma)” and confirmed the quantitative relationship between mesothelioma incidence and cumulative asbestos exposure, even at low levels of exposure. See: Pleural mesothelioma and occupational and non-occupational asbestos exposure: a case-control study with quantitative risk assessment.
Minister Commits to Asbestos Ban
Aug 20, 2015
At an asbestos symposium in Phnom Penh on August 19, Cambodia’s Minister of Labour Sam Heng confirmed the country’s continuing use of asbestos. Since 2009, the value of asbestos imports has grown from $1.3 to $4 million/year. Government speakers joined experts from Australia, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos and the World Health Organization to consider the implications for public and occupational health of asbestos consumption, with Minister Heng telling delegates: “We are in the process of conducting a study, after which we will ask the government to stop the import and use of asbestos in order to ensure health security in the work place.” See: Gov’t eyes ban on asbestos.
Community Action Stops Toxic Waste Site
Aug 20, 2015
Community action has scuppered plans to open an asbestos waste disposal site near two schools in a residential area of Sulgrave, Washington. After scores of complaints, the Hebburn-based company behind the proposal withdrew its planning application to Sunderland council and recommenced efforts to find land on which to build a facility. Welcoming this result, one local activist said: “Washington people have been left with a grim legacy from a history of working and living with asbestos, costing many people their lives or health.” See: ‘Ridiculous’ asbestos site plans by school scrapped after outcry.
Confronting Salerno’s Asbestos Legacy
Aug 20, 2015
The city of Salerno, capital of the Italian Province of Salerno, has the dubious distinction of being one of Italy’s most asbestos-polluted regions, with large areas contaminated by Eternit asbestos-cement roofing material. Due to the legacy of local asbestos manufacturing and the residual environmental pollution, ten cases of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma are diagnosed every year. Municipal representatives and local activists are calling on officials from the Campania Region to provide funding to decontaminate derelict industrial sites. See: Tumori da amianto: in un anno dieci casi finiscono al Ruggi [Ten cases of asbestos cancer a year in Ruggi].
Asbestos Exposures Continue in the US
Aug 19, 2015
An article in the Huffington Post reviews recent reports of asbestos exposures in the states of Illinois and Colorado. Untrained and unequipped workers employed by Illinois companies were told to remove asbestos at a school and threatened with dismissal if they spoke to government inspectors. Classes at another Illinois school were transferred to a local church after mold was found on asbestos-containing insulation. In Colorado, asbestos was found in a stairwell and overhead spaces at the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Federal action to tackle the national asbestos legacy was called for. See: New Asbestos Threats Affect Vets, Workers, Children and Drinking Water.
Community Protest Asbestos Risk
Aug 19, 2015
WestConnex, one of the biggest infrastructure projects in New South Wales, Australia is facing fierce opposition from people in an inner Sydney suburb concerned about the removal of the equivalent of 70 Olympic-size pools of asbestos waste from the Alexandra landfill site adjacent to Sydney Park. On Friday, August 14 demonstrators blocked the road for three hours when they learned that asbestos would be removed from the designated site of a WestConnex interchange, despite the fact that no Environmental Impact Statement had been released or approval granted for the work. See: New battle front against WestCONnex.
Bahia to Ban Asbestos?
Aug 18, 2015
On August 20, the legislative assembly of the Brazilian State of Bahia will discuss a bill to ban the mining, sale and use of asbestos. Of Brazil’s 26 states, seven have already adopted asbestos prohibitions: Mato Grosso, Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco and Amazonas. During the hearing, a presentation supporting this legislation will be made by a representative of the Bahia Association of the Asbestos-Exposed. See: AL-BA discutirá projeto que proíbe extração de amianto na Bahia [AL-BA project will discuss banning asbestos mining in Bahia].
Illegal Dumping of Asbestos Waste
Aug 17, 2015
Last week, asbestos-cement debris from Nairobi was transported and illegally dumped near residential areas in Kiambu County, according to media reports issued today (August 17). Kiambu County official Esther Njuguna condemned the illegal disposal near the Makongeni, Kiganjo and Kisii estates as “criminal and unscrupulous.” “Dumping in the open exposes thousands of residents to grave health risks,” she said. Coincidentally, Kenya’s sole registered site for the disposal of asbestos waste is in Gatuanyaga, a short distance from the Kang’oki dumpsite. See: Thika residents exposed to health risks as asbestos waste is dumped in the open.
Call for African Asbestos Bans
Aug 17, 2015
A document released on August 15 by the World Health Organization highlighted the data gaps regarding the incidence of asbestos-related diseases caused by occupational exposures in Africa, and the lack of progress on eliminating hazardous exposures which this information vacuum has caused. Reconfirming the WHO’s call for national action on asbestos, Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti said: “The most efficient way to prevent direct and secondary exposures to asbestos is to stop the production and use of all forms, including chrysotile.” See: Asbestos use continues in Africa despite severe health warnings.
Ban Asbestos Mobilization
Aug 17, 2015
A memorandum issued last week by APHEDA, an Australian Agency tasked with overseas humanitarian work, documents the mobilization of support for the ban asbestos campaign in Vietnam amongst government ministers, trade unions and civil society groups over the last five years, and highlights the importance of the Vietnam Ban Asbestos Network (VN Ban). Currently, a proposal by the Deputy Prime Minister for a 2020 national asbestos ban is being considered. During a time when the environmental rights movement is growing in Vietnam, the campaign to ban asbestos is gaining vital grassroots support. See: Stopping the Asbestos Death Trade in Vietnam.
Canada’s Asbestos “Genocide”
Aug 14, 2015
A veteran political analyst in Canada is calling for a new approach by all political parties in the run-up to federal elections in October 2015. In a commentary published in The Hill Times on August 10, Ken Rubin appealed for an end to the “economic genocide” caused by Canada’s “promotion of the deadly use of asbestos here in Canada and abroad.” Not only must a national ban be implemented as a matter of urgency but steps must be taken to identify and manage hazardous material, educate the public, support victims and apologize to those who have been injured by exposure to Canadian asbestos. See: Wanted: a transformative election, a new Canada.
Partial Asbestos Ban in 3 Years?
Aug 14, 2015
On August 12, 2015, during his keynote address to a Colombo symposium on the subject of “Powering Growth through Collaboration,” Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena told delegates that his government intends to address the public health hazard posed by asbestos. Consultations at cabinet level are underway to implement a ban on the import of asbestos roofing material by 2018. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, Sri Lanka consumed 54,704, 22,953 and 52,214 tonnes of raw asbestos fiber, respectively. See: Sri Lanka President assures to take steps to ban import of asbestos roofing sheets by 2018.
Legal Victory against Eternit S.A
Aug 14, 2015
At a meeting on August 10, 2015 of a special body of the Superior Labor Court, an appeal by Brazil’s asbestos giant Eternit S.A. of a Supreme Court judgment was dismissed. As a result of this decision, the sum of US$285,000 will be awarded to the widow of an Eternit engineer who died in 2005 aged 72 from mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, contracted during his employment during the 1960s at the company’s asbestos-cement factory in Osasco. See: TST nega último recurso da Eternit contra indenização de R$ 1 milhão a viúva de vítima do amianto [TST deny last resort to Eternit against compensation of R$ 1 million to asbestos victim's widow].
Ministry Warns of Asbestos Hazard
Aug 14, 2015
An internal seven-page document uploaded by the Ministry of Culture on August 8, 2015 warns people working in French archives of the asbestos hazard. Referencing a recent case of an archivist who contracted an occupational disease from workplace asbestos exposure, the circular mandates extra protections for people at risk of similar exposures. See: Circulaire du 05 Aout 2015 relative aux préconisations pour la prise en compte du risque d'exposition à l'amiante dans les services d'archives [Circular of 5 August 2015 on recommendations for the consideration of the risk of exposure to asbestos in the archives].
Asbestos Issues at Construction Site
Aug 13, 2015
Work at a construction site in Genoa has led to complaints by local politicians and members of the public, police investigations, and official sanctions over failures to follow safety regulations when dealing with asbestos debris. After the presence of asbestos was verified on July 22, work was shut down until the end of August for further investigation. Nevertheless, on August 6 citizens took photographs showing the handling of asbestos by workers with no protective equipment and other hazardous practices. See: Terzo Valico, per l’amianto nel cantiere di Cravasco due esposti contro Cociv [Third asbestos incident, second complaint against company].
Victims Call for Asbestos Ban
Aug 13, 2015
Asbestos cancer sufferer Ana Cecila Nilño Robles and asbestos widow Flor Riano are calling on the government to ban the production, import, use and sale of asbestos-containing products in Colombia. They have appealed to the Ministries of Environment and Health and launched an online petititon calling for action on asbestos. Ms. Robles was exposed to asbestos having lived near an asbestos-cement factory; Mrs. Riano’s husband inhaled asbestos fibers brought home on his father’s work clothes. See: Un grupo de víctimas del asbesto busca que Colombia sea el país número 57 en prohibirlo [Asbestos victims’ group pressing for Colombia to become 57th country to ban asbestos].
Asbestos-free Technology for Brazil
Aug 13, 2015
A leading Brazilian specialist in the sale of industrial goods and tools has sent personnel to Italy for training in the use of asbestos-free technology. The small team from the Armo Company received training on the use of safer alternative products for industrial sealing of fluid and vapour leaks from experts at the Carrara S.p.A company, a leading producer of asbestos-free seal systems for valves and flanges. See: Indústria: Armo vai à Itália para treinamento exclusivo sobre vedação livre de amianto [Industry: Armo going to Italy for exclusive training on asbestos-free sealing].
Industry Whitewash Withdrawn!
Aug 12, 2015
In an extremely embarrassing U-turn, a controversial report “Lessons from the Quebec Asbestos Industry: Can there be meaningful dialogue and consensus when facts come up against feelings,” published and promoted by Concordia University’s Luc Beauregard Centre of Excellence in Communications Research, has been removed from Concordia’s website after accusations of bias, inaccuracies and irresponsibility. According to Concordia’s President Alan Shepard, an investigation into the author’s alleged conflict of interests is being undertaken. See: L’Université Concordia dans l’embarras [Concordia University embarrassed].
Victory for Dying Mesothelioma Victim
Aug 12, 2015
An important precedent has been set which will allow workers in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) to launch common law claims for pre-1987 injuries following a decision by Australia’s High Court in a mesothelioma case brought by a former employee of Alcan Gove, the owners of an alumina refinery now belonging to the global mining giant Rio Tinto. The verdict just issued upheld a March 2015 ruling by the NT Court of Appeal which awarded compensation of $425,000 to claimant Zorko Zabic. See: Rio Tinto loses court appeal against asbestosis compensation ruling to dying worker Zorko Zabic!
Federal Sanctions for Asbestos Removal
Aug 12, 2015
On Monday, August 10, the federal agency tasked with ensuring occupational safety (OSHA), issued fines of nearly $1.8m for “outrageous behaviour” by an Illinois businessman who hired eight Mexican workers to remove asbestos at a former primary school in conditions which violated federal health regulations. The workers removed asbestos-containing floor tiles, insulation and other materials unaware they were being exposed to asbestos. They were threatened with loss of employment if they spoke to investigators, OSHA reported. See: Feds: Albers firm deserves $1.8M fine for hiring Mexicans to remove asbestos.
Darwin’s Asbestos Legacy
Aug 10, 2015
Millions of tonnes of asbestos-containing debris created in 1974 by Cyclone Tracy remain hidden in and around the Australian city of Darwin. Contractors working at a site at Palmerston Regional Hospital have removed quantities of illegally dumped asbestos-contaminated soil. No one knows how long the toxic waste has been there. Tracy survivors say that in the aftermath of the storm, waste was dumped outside the city limits. As Darwin expanded, these dump sites are now prime building land. See: Asbestos illegally dumped at Palmerston Regional Hospital site as expert says millions of tonnes could be buried.
Are Children Safe in Italian Schools?
Aug 8, 2015
More than half of Italy’s school buildings are more than 40 years old, built during a time when asbestos use was in its heyday. From Monday, August 10, parents can go online to ascertain the condition of Italian schools via a Ministry of Education website which has details (though reportedly not of asbestos hazards) relating to 33,825 school buildings. According to Education Minister Stefania Giannini, the census which has been “awaited for nearly two decades…[is] a huge step forward in terms of knowledge of school buildings, awareness and planning of a series of interventions.” See: In che stato è la scuola di tuo figlio? Da lunedì lo puoi sapere online [What state is your child's school in? Monday, you can find out online].
Major Victory for Victims
Aug 8, 2015
On August 7, Électricité de France S.A (EDF) was convicted by the Labour Court in Mont-de-Marsan in the cases of 95 former employees which it negligently exposed to asbestos at its Arjuzanx power station. Damages between €1000 and €14,000 were awarded for anxiety over the hazardous exposures sustained. The charges were not proven in four cases; appeals will be launched for these plaintiffs by the CGT trade union. Given the size, scale and significance of this defeat, it is likely EDF will also appeal. See: Landes EDF condamné 95 fois pour "exposition fautive" à l’amiante [Landes EDF convicted 95 times for “negligent exposure” to asbestos].
Mesothelioma Victim Calls for Ban
Aug 7, 2015
A victim of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma has called on the Government of Colombia to end the use of asbestos. When she was growing up, she was exposed to asbestos liberated by the operations of an Eternit asbestos-cement factory near Sibaté, Cundinamarca. In an interview published on August 6, she points out the widespread ignorance about the asbestos hazard in Colombia, a country which mined, imports and uses asbestos, a substance now banned in 55 countries. She has uploaded a ban asbestos petition. See: Me enfermé de cáncer por culpa de Eternit [I have cancer because of Eternit].
Lung Cancer in Asbestos Cohort
Aug 7, 2015
Researchers studied data from a cohort of 7,000+ former asbestos workers from 2000 to 2013 which was collected under Poland’s “Amiantus” program. The scientists found “strong evidence that the lung cancer risk is associated with asbestos exposure and it increases along with the increasing exposure.” Efforts to encourage formerly exposed individuals to cease smoking were recommended as was the need to provide follow-up medical schemes for the early detection of lung cancer amongst this high risk group. See: Predictors of lung cancer among former asbestos-exposed workers.
Ban Reduces Asbestos-Related Diseases
Aug 7, 2015
A paper just published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health by European authors provides evidence that steps taken in Sweden to address the asbestos hazard succeeded. Men and women born between 1955–79, who started their working lives after the 1982 ban, had a decreased risk of malignant pleural mesothelioma compared to men and women born between 1940–49. The authors concluded that: “the ban and other initiatives to decrease the occupational exposure to asbestos have had a measureable effect on health.” See: Emerging evidence that the ban on asbestos use is reducing the occurrence of pleural mesothelioma in Sweden.
Asbestos Hazard in US Schools
Aug 7, 2015
Two US senators have undertaken research to ascertain how many states are complying with federal legislation regarding the asbestos hazard in schools. All 50 governors responded; their replies indicated that US regulations were not being followed uniformly as a result of which school children and teaching staff were receiving hazardous exposures at school. Critics have blamed the lack of compliance on the federal government’s failure to ensure compliance by state authorities with federal law. For over thirty years asbestos was widely used in the construction of schools throughout the country. See: Authorities worry that many U.S. schools could have dangerous asbestos.
Post-Tornado Asbestos Damage
Aug 5, 2015
Public warnings have been given to the citizens of Florence in the aftermath of a storm on August 1 which wreaked widespread damage including the destruction of asbestos roofs. Wild weather, including a thunderstorm, hail and fierce winds, felled trees and ripped roofs off buildings as streets flooded and power pylons were brought down. Citizens have been told to report the location of toxic asbestos debris to the City Council and the municipal police. See: Gli Effetti del Tornado. Firenze, nubifragio: è allarme amianto sui tetti scoperchiati [The effects of the tornado. Warning about storm-damaged asbestos roofs].
Victims Rights’ under Attack in NSW
Aug 4, 2015
In a shocking move, state officials have today terminated the employment of officials at the New South Wales (NSW) Dust Diseases Tribunal (DDT) – a body which has administered NSW asbestos claims for decades – due to a government reorganization which will replace the DDT with a “user friendly” advisory body that will, so the authorities say, maintain victims’ entitlements. Campaigners and trade unionists are suspicious of the shutdown with one spokesman accusing the government of turning its “back on the dying victims of asbestos exposure.” See: Dust Diseases Board to be abolished by NSW government.
Asbestos Debris at Historic Site
Aug 2, 2015
Details have just emerged that Stonehenge, one of Europe’s best known prehistoric monuments, was contaminated with asbestos when toxic topsoil was used in landscaping work. When the accidental contamination was discovered last summer, contractors wearing protective clothing and using specialist equipment were brought in to remediate the site at a cost of £100,000. One source speculated that the week-long operations were done under cover of darkness to avoid publicity; English Heritage, the site owners, deny this. See: Stonehenge contaminated with deadly asbestos after contractors accidentally dump soil.
Toxic Swiss Trams
Aug 1, 2015
On Friday (July 30) it was announced by a spokesman for Zurich Public Transport (ZPT) that during a general inspection to enhance security, asbestos had been found in the “tram 2000 series” used in the city’s transport network. The 160 contaminated vehicles, which were manufactured between 1976 and 1990, constitute 23% of ZPT’s 700 cars. Having given assurances that workers and passengers were safe, ZPT said that decontamination of the vehicles will begin by the end of the Summer; until then, the affected units will remain in service. See: Zurich: de l'amiante dans des vieux trams [Zurich: asbestos in old trams].
Industrial Asbestos Exposure 2015
Aug 1, 2015
During a routine maintenance inspection on an industrial blast furnace in the town of Florange in north-eastern France, Laurent Longuez discovered asbestos contamination. Upon identifying the presence of the hazardous material on July 20, he asked for protective equipment; his request was denied and work continued for a further two days. Finally at noon on July 22, the company – Arcelor Mittal, “the world’s leading integrated steel and mining company,” – evacuated the site and began decontamination work. See: Découverte d’amiante sur le site des hauts-fourneaux de Florange [Discovery of asbestos in the blast furnace site Florange].
National Asbestos Eradication Plan
Jul 31, 2015
As a press conference on July 30, the (Mauritius) Minister of Housing Showkutally Soodhun committed his government to a program for the removal of asbestos from the country’s housing infrastructure. Information the Minister presented quantified the hazard: of 3,113 houses in 59 locations built with asbestos, only 665 (21%) had been remediated. The Government has allocated the sum of $12.5 million for this program. Welcoming the news, opposition politicians called for a schedule for the completion of the works. See: Soodhun: Rs 443 millions pour la réhabilitation des maisons de la NHDC [Soodhun: Rs 443 million for rehabilitation of houses NHDC].
Consumers Shun China’s Exports
Jul 31, 2015
After the 2012 asbestos scandal involving Chinese cars, Australian consumers are opting for vehicles from other countries according to an article released today. Before asbestos engine components were discovered in Chinese cars exported to Australia by Great Wall Motors, more than 12,000 Chinese cars had been purchased that year. Of the 1.1 million new vehicles bought by Australians in 2014, only 4,200 were made in China. Asbestos and asbestos containing-products have been banned in Australia since 2003. See: Haval stalls as Chinese car sales evaporate in Australia.
Federal Bill Calls for Mesothelioma Register
Jul 30, 2015
On July 29, a bipartisan bill was introduced to the U.S. Congress called the “Mary Jo Lawyer-Spano Mesothelioma Patient Registry Act of 2015” which would establish the country’s first mesothelioma registry; the data collected would be of use to mesothelioma researchers and clinicians. This draft legislation is the result of lobbying efforts spearheaded by members of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation who met with their Congressional representatives in Washington, D.C. in March 2015. See: ACTION ALERT: Mesothelioma Bill in Congress for Patient Registry.
Asbestos Scandal in Welsh Schools
Jul 30, 2015
As governments in Cardiff and London argue over who is responsible for the deadly asbestos contamination of Welsh schools, children and their teachers continue to experience daily exposures to a known carcinogen. The BBC has today published an article reporting on the repercussions of these exposures and the efforts by campaigners to lobby the Welsh authorities to “take responsibility” for a hazardous situation which appears lost in a devolutionary morass. According to research by the BBC, 1,514 Welsh schools (85%) contain asbestos products. See: Take lead on asbestos in schools, Welsh government told.
Asbestos Find in Metro Cars
Jul 29, 2015
The U.S. capital’s transport agency (Metro) is tackling the fallout from the discovery of asbestos-contamination of 280 passenger cars. The hazard is cited in a Metro tender document dated July 23, 2015 which calls for quotes for the removal of “asbestos from 1000 series railcars.” The asbestos is at the front of each of the cars in “the heater box behind the evaporator.” Railway personnel, union officials and passengers in Washington D.C. are anxious about potential exposures to the asbestos in these 40-year old vehicles. See: Hundreds of Metro Cars Contain Asbestos, Documents Show.
Victims’ Verdict on Asbestos Anxiety!
Jul 29, 2015
On July 28, a French industrial tribunal ordered the Alstom company to pay 54 former factory workers the sum of €5,000 each plus €500 in litigation costs for negligently exposing them to asbestos as a result of which they are suffering from a fear of developing serious diseases. In 2000, a former manager of the plant was also fined by a criminal court for exposing employees to asbestos. It is believed that from the 1970s until it closed in 2006, thousands of people had been employed at the factory. See: Amiante: Alstom condamné à verser 5 000 euros à 54 ex-salariés [Asbestos: Alstom ordered to pay 5,000 euros to 54 former employees].
Scottish Court Upholds Victim’s Rights
Jul 29, 2015
On July 24, Lord Uist of the Court of Sessions issued judgment in a case brought by David Boyd against three defendants over personal injuries sustained as a result of occupational asbestos exposure. After reaching an extra judicial settlement which allowed Mr. Boyd to return to court should he contract diffuse pleural thickening, lung cancer or mesothelioma, one of the defendants sought the right to demand proof of liability should that occur. The judge ruled that an offer by a defendant to settle a case by way of a payment of provisional damages carried with it an admission of liability. See: Judgment in David Boyd v Gates Ltd., Scottish Agricultural Industries Ltd, National Grid Gas PLC.
Contamination at EC Headquarters
Jul 28, 2015
Since July 27, entry to another part of the European Commission’s (EC) Jean Monet Building in Luxembourg has been barred due to an alert issued after a July 16 report confirmed the presence of asbestos in the data center. High levels of fibre were found in two of the 25 samples taken from the center. Plans were already underway to relocate the 1,600 workers from this building to alternative premises due to the asbestos hazard. The Jean Monet Building 2, the new EC headquarters in Luxembourg, is scheduled for completion in 2020. See: Le datacenter du JMO est aussi infesté d’amiante [The JMO data center is also infested with asbestos].
Monument to Osasco’s Asbestos Victims!
Jul 27, 2015
Eliezer John de Souza and Amauri Lima representing the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) met with Osasco Councilman Aluisio Pinheiro to lobby the municipal authorities for support in constructing a memorial to the town’s asbestos victims, many of whom were employed in Osasco by the Lonaflex company to produce brake pads and by Eternit S.A. to manufacture asbestos-cement building products at the largest such plant in Latin Ameria. Speaking to the press, Councilman Pinheiro welcomed the proposal, saying he felt that Mayor Jorge Lapas would embrace this idea. See: Vitímas do Amianto pedem ajuda a vereador [Asbestos Victims Asking for Political Support].
University Accused of Whitewash
Jul 25, 2015
The publication in Montreal of a contentious report entitled “Lessons from the Quebec Asbestos Industry: Can there be meaningful dialogue and consensus when facts come up against feelings?” by Concordia University has led to calls from eleven doctors and scientists (see: letter to Concordia President Alan Shephard) for the document’s retraction because of “gross inaccuracies and bias and because it promotes the global asbestos trade, which the medical and scientific community have condemned as morally indefensible.” See: Concordia défend l’amiante [Concordia defends asbestos].
Victims Slam Court Decision!
Jul 25, 2015
Asbestos victims reacted angrily after a Turin Court deferred judgment in a case against billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny (see: Italian Asbestos Verdict Due on Friday!) A bereaved husband from Casale Monferrato criticized this “farce” as a delaying tactic while Bruno Pesce, from an asbestos victims’ group, said “If the Constitutional Court were to agree with the defense, it would be incomprehensible that one can cancel a murder trial because there has already been a trial for [environmental] disaster.” See: Le dossier de Schmidheiny renvoyé à la Cour constitutionnelle [Schmidheiny Case Sent Back to Constitutional Court].
Asbestos Imports Still Banned
Jul 25, 2015
At a press conference on July 24, the Minister of Health of Mauritius Anil Gayan gave assurances that there were no plans to allow the import of asbestos products into the country despite a recent decision by the Ministry of Commerce to allow the import of asbestos goods to recommence. That decision had led to a protest in front of the Ministry of Commerce headquarters in Port Louis, the capital of the country, last month by members of a labor confederation. According to news reports, the import of asbestos-containing products had been banned since 1999. See: Anil Gayan – “Aucune possibilité d’importer de l’amiante” [Anil Gayan: “No option to import asbestos”].
Supreme Court Win for Victims!
Jul 24, 2015
UK asbestos victims have welcomed the majority decision of July 22, 2015 of the Supreme Court in the case of Coventry and Others v Lawrence and Another regarding the recovery of litigation costs such as success fees and after-the-event insurance premiums. The Court agreed that provisions of the Access of Justice Act 1999 did not constitute a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights and highlighted the flaws in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) which curtailed access to justice.” See: Supreme Court finds conditional fee agreements in line with human rights treaty.
Cancer Elevated in Shipbreaking Workers
Jul 21, 2015
Research amongst a cohort of 4,427 asbestos-exposed former shipbreaking workers from Taiwan has documented an elevated incidence of overall cancer, oesophagus cancer, liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer, trachea, bronchus, and lung cancer. The researchers stated that “overall cancer, esophagus cancer, and trachea, bronchus, and lung cancer were seen in a dose-dependent relationship with asbestos exposure” and urged that a surveillance program be set up to monitor the health of asbestos-exposed workers to enable early detection and treatment to take place. See: Cancer Attributable to Asbestos Exposure in Shipbreaking Workers: A Matched-Cohort Study.
Municipal Asbestos Program
Jul 21, 2015
An update provided by the Mayor of the Italian town of Casale Monferrato, who is also the chair of the town’s Asbestos Strategy Committee, confirmed that progress was made at discussions on July 17 with local and regional stakeholders. Hearings regarding the draft asbestos remediation program, approved in June 2015 by the regional council, will take place in September. There are three main focus areas of the program: asbestos monitoring and mapping; disposal of contaminated material; and health surveillance and treatment. See: Comitato Strategico Amianto: ecco come è andata [Update from Asbestos Strategy Committee].
British Asbestos Newsletter
Jul 20, 2015
The spring 2015 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The leading article in issue 97, “Parliament’s Asbestos Strategy: Small Carrots, Big Sticks,” considers recent government actions on asbestos which supported and attacked the rights of people suffering from asbestos diseases. The second article “Zurich Insurance Plc UK Branch v International Energy Group Limited” is an analysis by specialist barrister David Allan of a May 2015 Supreme Court decision with implications for mesothelioma claimants. Included in the news round-up is information about legal, legislative, bureaucratic and epidemiological developments. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 97.
Unions Call for Justice
Jul 20, 2015
At a meeting in the Northern French commune of Isbergues, the CFDT union (Confédération française démocratique du travail [French Democratic Confederation of Work]) highlighted the desperate struggle by local asbestos victims to obtain recognition and compensation for occupational illnesses in a region which has a high asbestos mortality rate due to its industrial legacy. The union spokesman described the “grotesque” iniquity whereby two different courts can come to opposing decisions on similar asbestos cases. See: Amiante à Isbergues: Vivre de son travail, pas en mourir! [Absestos in Isbergues: Work to Live, Not to Die].
Jail for Asbestos Crimes!
Jul 16, 2015
On July 15, 2015, eleven former Pirelli executives were given prison sentence of up to seven years and eight months for asbestos cancer deaths of twenty workers who had been employed at the company’s plants in the 1970s and 1980s. The defendants were convicted of manslaughter for failing to protect the workers from the asbestos hazard. The court ordered that a provisional settlement of €520,000 be paid prior to a separate civil trial taking place to decide on the amount of damages due to the bereaved. See: Eleven ex-Pirelli managers convicted over asbestos deaths.
Review of “Asbestos Pilgrims”
Jul 15, 2015
Amongst the legacies left by the shipbuilding history of Ferrol, a town in the Spanish Province of Galicia, is a high incidence of asbestos mortality. A new book entitled “Peregrinos del amianto” contrasts the impact of asbestos on the community via interviews with the injured with the callous behaviour of employers and government agencies. The pioneering work by the Asociación Galega de Víctimas do Amianto [the Galega Association of Asbestos Victims), trade unions and the media in uncovering what is described as Spain’s biggest occupational health scandal is highlighted. See: Sobre "Peregrinos del amianto" de Rober Amado [Book Review: Asbestos Pilgrims by Rober Amado].
Federal Support for Decontamination
Jul 15, 2015
Casale Monferrato, formerly at the center of the Italy’s asbestos-cement industry, has welcomed the transfer to provincial authorities of €25 million for an asbestos decontamination program. On July 20, a new stage in the reclamation processs begins when applications will be accepted for assistance with asbestos removal costs. In addition to these grants, low interest loans have been been negotioated with credit institutions and banks to enable citizens to remediate properties and businesses. See: Bonifica amianto: i primi 25 milioni di euro sono stati trasferiti alla Regione Piemonte [Asbestos decontamination: first 25 million euros transferred to the Region of Piemonte].
New Mesothelioma Treatment?
Jul 14, 2015
A July 12 news broadcast on Australian TV reported on a new protocol for mesothelioma patients which has had remarkable results. In an interview on the breakfast program, medical oncologist Dr. Steven Kao from New South Wales described the system for delivering genetic material to mesothelioma patients used during phase 1 clinical trials. Footage was shown of Bradley Selmon, a patient who had taken part in this trial, whose condition has improved dramatically as a result of this treatment. After eight treatments in eight weeks X-rays revealed that Mr Selmon's tumours were now almost invisible. See: July 12, 2015, Today Show, Channel 9, Australia.
Calls to Compensate Canadian Victims
Jul 13, 2015
In the aftermath of a momentous revision of Canada’s asbestos policy, calls are being made for the governments in Ottawa and Quebec to set up a fund to compensate those who have been injured in the production and processing of Canadian chrysotile (white) asbestos. At the moment, injured workers can face a gruelling battle to obtain recognition and compensation for their diseases and others affected by environmental exposures receive neither. Should such a fund not materialize, activists and lawyers may follow through on plans to launch an asbestos class action. See: Volte-face [About turn].
Support for Brazilian Asbestos Ban!
Jul 13, 2015
According to an item dated July 10 on Santa Catarina’s Public Ministry of Work website, federal as well as state officials and agencies maintain support for the adoption of a Brazilian asbestos ban in order to protect citizens from harmful exposures. Recently, Attorney-General of Labor Luis Camargo, Santa Catarina’s Public Prosecutor Marcia Kamei López Aliaga and others took part in discussions with Manoel Dias, Minister of Labour and Employment, to progress measures to protect workers from the asbestos hazard. The Ministry of Labor favors an asbestos ban. See: PGT reforça importância do combate ao Amianto [PGT reinforces the importance of the fight against asbestos].
States Ordered to Conduct Surveys
Jul 12, 2015
India’s National Green Tribunal (NGT), a specialist body set up in 2010 to “handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues,” has ordered the governments of Odisha, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Jharkhand to produce scientific reports on the state of asbestos mining, the environmental impact of the mining legacy and the incidence of asbestos-related diseases in their States. Despite assurances of the Indian Bureau of Mines that all asbestos mining has ceased in India, doubts remain said NGT judicial member U D Salvi. See: NGT asks 5 mineral-rich states to survey all asbestos mines.
Genetic Susceptibility and Asbestos Cancer?
Jul 11, 2015
Scientists looking to understand why less than 10% of people exposed to asbestos contract malignant pleural mesothelioma have published findings in the current issue of the journal Carcinogenesis from research conducted in Italy which “suggested that gene-asbestos interaction may play an additional role in malignant pleural mesothelioma susceptibility.” The researchers found a possible synergistic effect between asbestos exposure and three Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs): rs1508805, rs2501618, and rs5756444. See: Gene-asbestos interaction in malignant pleural mesothelioma susceptibility.
Asbestos Waste Management Failings
Jul 11, 2015
A 2015 briefing issued by the Environment Agency regarding the management of asbestos waste facilities has investigated allegations of poor practices in the handling of waste at transfer sites. In 2014, the movement of 280,000 tonnes of asbestos waste was documented. A national audit campaign was undertaken in 2014/15 by the Health and Safety Executive and Natural Resources Wales during which 99 authorized asbestos transfer sites were inspected along with unpermitted sites: “50% of the sites audited had gaps in their procedures and some had no procedures at all.” Multiple examples of hazardous practices were identified. See: Asbestos audit final briefing – May 2015.
Bremen’s Industrial Asbestos Legacy
July 10, 2015
The shipbuilding industry in Bremen, Germany has produced a high incidence of deadly asbestos cancer amongst workers say local authority officials who cite new data from Lower Saxony’s upgraded Cancer Registry. In Bremen, 31 new cases of mesothelioma were reported for the period 2010 to 2012. Bremen politician Silvia Schön has criticized Germany’s unfair compensation regime which places the burden of proof on the victims; it should, she said, be the responsibility of companies to show they provided safe working conditions. See: Spätfolgen von Asbest in Bremen und umzu [Long-term consequences of asbestos in and around Bremen].
Asbestos Banned, but Threat Remains!
Jul 10, 2015
The failure of the authorities in Chile to implement plans for the safe eradication of the asbestos hazard is highlighted in an article which focuses on the fallout from asbestos contamination of two power plants in the City of Coronel which are operated by Endesa, a Chilean subsidiary of an Italian multinational. A decontamination program at these sites was truncated to save money as a result of which shortcuts were taken which endangered not only the removal workers but the community at large. See: Toneladas de asbesto de Bocamina I amenazan la vida en Coronel [Tons of asbestos in Bocamina I [power plant], threatens life in Coronel City].
EPA Recommends Asbestos Update
Jul 9, 2015
An outdated and dangerous standard which allowed the demolition of buildings containing asbestos to take place without prior removal of the asbestos will be replaced after recommendations made by the Office of Inspector General in a report issued in June 2015 (see: EPA Should Update Guidance to Address the Release of Potentially Harmful Quantities of Asbestos That Can Occur Under EPA’s Asbestos Demolition Standard). Experiments showed that under the previous protocol, the amount of asbestos released as a result of the demolition often exceeded maximum permissible levels. See: US EPA to update its asbestos standard.
Pioneering Decontamination Program
Jul 9, 2015
Today (July 9, 2015), specialist technicians working under a government program and in collaboration with civil society stakeholders will began work on the remediation of asbestos waste used as landfill on properties in Anadalusia. Under a budget allocation of €155,000, this month they will remove the contaminated soil, transport it to a waste treatment center, retest decontaminated sites and restore them to their original state. See: Se inicia este jueves la retirada de los terrenos contaminados por amianto en el Cortijo del Cuarto [Starting this Thursday the withdrawal of the land contaminated with asbestos in the Cortijo del Cuarto].
Asbestos in Toy Imports from China
Jul 8, 2015
Tests conducted on 49 samples of Chinese imports by two US laboratories revealed that four brands of crayons and two crime scene fingerprint kits are contaminated with asbestos. The toxic crayons are marketed under the brands of: Amscan, Disney Mickey Mouse Club, Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Saban’s Power Rangers Super Megaforce and contain tremolite, anthophyllite and chrysotile. The hazardous kits were found to be tainted with tremolite, chrysotile, anthophyllite and actinolite. The packaging of the kits has safety warnings over choking but no mention is made of the asbestos. See: Tests Find Asbestos in Kids’ Crayons, Crime Scene Kits.
Country’s Richest Woman Snubs Victims
Jul 8, 2015
The fortune of Gina Rinehart, Australia’s richest woman, was founded on asbestos mining. The first program in a two-part series on the Hancock dynasty was aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation this week. A piece in yesterday’s Financial Review reminds viewers that the first commercial success of Ms. Rinehart’s father Lang Hancock was his discovery, commercial exploitation, sale and management of the Wittenoom crocidolite asbestos mine. Thousands of people who worked or lived in the mining town have died from asbestos-related diseases. Ms. Rinehart has refused all requests for donations to assist the injured or fund life-saving research. See: The family legacy Gina Rinehart would like to forget.
Asbestos in Football Championships!
Jul 7, 2015
Eternit, Brazil’s biggest asbestos company, is an official sponsor of Brazil’s Football Cup (Copa do Brasil) which involves 86 teams representing all Brazil’s 26 states; this annual event is organized by the Brazilian Football Confederation and is a very high profile event in a country where football is more like a religion than a sport. The final matches in this competition will be played later this month. Eternit is also sponsoring four football state championships. According to the company, this sponsorship is designed to create a positive association between the Eternit brand and Brazil’s favorite pasttime. See: Eternit marca presença em campeonatos de futebol [Eternit brand presence in football championships].
Delays Prolong Asbestos Hazard
Jul 7, 2015
The deadline came but the improvements promised by July 1, 2015 did not. A three year moratorium had been set in 2012 at the end of which the occupational exposure limit value (OEL) for thousands of French asbestos removal workers was to be reduced from 100 to 10 asbestos fibers/liter of air. A decree issued on June 29, 2015, applicable from July 2, 2015, maintained the status quo. This action was blamed on a delay in work being undertaken to quantify risks from various work-related activities involving asbestos-containing materials. See: Pas de protection supplémentaire pour les travailleurs de l’amiante [No additional protection for asbestos workers].
Mesothelioma in Asbestos Textile Workers
Jul 7, 2015
As a result of re-evaluations of forty-three patients diagnosed with peritoneal or pleural mesothelioma between 2003 and 2010 at a hospital in Southeast China, scientists have reported this month that all the members of this cohort were females, and all of them had had occupational and/or occupational exposure to chrysotile (white) asbestos. The majority of the patients were from two towns which had many small asbestos textile workshops. See: Asbestos textile production linked to malignant peritoneal and pleural mesothelioma in women: Analysis of 28 cases in Southeast China.
Municipal Asbestos Removal Program
Jul 7, 2015
The commune of Limbiate, about 15 kilometers north of Milan, has embarked upon a public-private project to rid the area of asbestos contamination. At a civic reception on July 6, 2015, an “asbestos-free” protocol was signed to highlight the work underway to encourage private owners of properties containing asbestos-cement to take action by offering them reduced prices for asbestos removal and disposal in collaboration with specialist firms. There are 480 contaminated sites with 170 thousand square meters of asbestos roofing in Limbiate. See: Limbiate prova a diventare “amianto free” col team che propone tariffe agevolate [Limbiate tries to become "asbestos free" with the team that offers discounted rates].
Legal Victory for Mesothelioma Victims!
Jul 6, 2015
On Action Mesothelioma Day (July 3, 2015), an administrative court published an order reclassifying government compensation payments to mesothelioma claimants; these awards will not be considered as “disposable capital,” when decisions are taken on whether a claimant must pay £10,000 in court costs to pursue a legal claim for their injuries. This marks another defeat for Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove and a landmark victory for victims. This action was brought by the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK and mesothelioma victims Ian Doughty and Carole Sloper. See: Court levy U-turn for asbestos victims.
Eradication of “Mr. Fluffy”
Jul 6, 2015
Days after the Canberra government made public a list of a 1,000+ homes contaminated with “Mr. Fluffy” asbestos insulation (see: Canberra Government Publishes List of 1,022 Asbestos-Risk Houses for Takeover, Demolition), on the morning of July 6 demolition began on the first “Mr. Fluffy” home in Canberra under the capital’s buyback program to purchase, decontaminate and demolish contaminated properties. According to officials, there was far more asbestos removed on this site than had been expected as the property had been remediated in the 1980s. See: Mr Fluffy house demolished in first stage of Asbestos Taskforce pilot program.
Ottawa Admits Asbestos Kills!
Jul 6, 2015
For over a hundred years, the Canadian Government promoted global sales of chrysotile (white) asbestos under the banner of safe use. Long after Canadians refused to use asbestos and domestic consumption was virtually nil, the Prime Minister and civil servants espoused the industry line that the use of white asbestos carried “zero risk.” Last week, changes to the website of Health Canada suggested a “historic shift” had taken place in Ottawa’s attitude toward asbestos with the acknowledgment that exposure to asbestos can and does damage human health. See: Ottawa reverses stand on health risks of asbestos in “landmark shift.”
Action on Asbestos Stalemate?
Jul 6, 2015
The Thai Government agreed to ban asbestos in 2010, yet no ban has been adopted. This failure to act was highlighted in a recent statement by the National Health Commission (NHC); steps are now being taken by the NHC to coordinate action on this and other policy decisions. Confirming the continuation of pressure by asbestos stakeholders at a July 3 NHC meeting, Thailand’s Vice Prime Minister said that according to the Canadian Ambassador chrysotile asbestos from Canada was still being sold to Thailand. See: NHC has the health minister to push for the implementation of resolutions from the National Health Assembly.
Asbestos, Still a Killer!
Jul 1, 2015
Data released today by the Health and Safety Executive reported that there were 2,538 deaths from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in Great Britain in 2013, a slight decrease on the mortality incidence in 2012 (2,548); the figure for 2011 was 2,312. The male:female proportion of deaths in 2013 was 2,123:415; in 2012 the ratio was 2,137:411. It is of interest to note that these figures come just days before asbestos victims groups, cancer charities and campaigning bodies hold events around the country to mark Action Mesothelioma Day. See: HSE releases annual workplace fatalities.
Environmental Asbestos Hazard
Jul 1, 2015
Broken asbestos-cement roofing products are one of a number of toxic substances illegally dumped on municipal land in the middle of a densely populated area in Mpumuza, in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Experts have warned of the danger posed by the asbestos which is being blown into the environment as a result of fires at the dump and the action of wind currents. According to the local authorities: “The illegal dumping issue will be investigated by both our environmental health and security departments. The waste department has also been asked to attend to the cleaning.” See: Illegal dump a health hazard.
Europe’s Asbestos Crisis
Jul 1, 2015
A press release issued by European Committees which hosted an asbestos conference last week, reported that more than 47,000 Europeans per year die from asbestos-related diseases. According to Enrico Gibellieri: “Member States and the European Institutions need to take action…We are talking about a lot more than traditionally exposed factory workers, now extending our concern to the children in our schools, the people working in our hospitals and public buildings and anyone living in a house, which affects just about everybody.” See: European Committees raise alarm on Europe's silent epidemic. Asbestos related deaths are predicted to double those of road deaths.
Delegation Visits Amagaski City
Jun 29, 2015
Delegates from Belgium and Italy joined Japanese asbestos activists on June 26, 2015 at a meeting with the Mayor of Amagasaki City, a town which has been devastated by asbestos pollution created by the industrial operations of the Kubota company. The international visitors included Bruno Pesce and Alessandro Pugno from AFEVA, one of Italy’s most high-profile and active asbestos victims’ groups, and Eric Jonckheere, President of the Belgian Asbestos Victims Group. The delegation also took part in events to mark the 10th anniversary of the foundation of the Amagasaki Association of Victims and Families of Asbestos Victims. See: Photo of Meeting.
Guilty Verdict for Asbestos Transporter
Jun 28, 2015
An appeal by an asbestos cargo transporter over a one million Real (US$320,000) fine for the illegal shipment of asbestos through São Paulo, a state which banned asbestos, has been rejected by a unanimous court decision. The case was brought in 2009 by the Ministry of Labor which discovered that a truck belonging to the company was hauling 24 tonnes of asbestos in damaged packaging. Some while after that incident, a traffic accident took place which required clean-up crews to remove asbestos disbursed onto the Anhanguera highway by the company. See: Rápido 900: Finalmente Justiça Feita FEITA [Fast 900: Justice Delivered].
Delays Created Environmental Epidemic
Jun 28, 2015
Failure by the Kubota company, one of Japan’s major asbestos manufacturers, to prevent hazardous environmental asbestos contamination near its former Kanzaki plant has produced an epidemic of asbestos-related cancer amongst people in the city of Amagasaki. In 1988, a doctor wrote on the notes of a mesothelioma patient “no history of working with asbestos… If a connection with asbestos were to be made, it would be the fact that this patient's home is located near the Kanzaki plant.” See: Silence over asbestos-related cancer deaths in 1980s draws renewed condemnation.
International Scientists Call for Ban
Jun 26, 2015
On June 24, 2015, the Collegium Ramazzini, a global consortium of 180 scientists, reiterated its call for a worldwide asbestos ban. Commenting on the new position paper, the Collegium’s President Philip Landrigan said: “Given that ARDs [asbestos-related diseases] are 100% preventable, zero new cases of ARDs should be the ultimate goal for both industrializing and industrialized countries. The pandemic of ARDs is an urgent international priority for action by public health workers.” See: The Collegium Ramazzini Releases Official Position on The Global Health Dimensions of Asbestos and Asbestos-related Diseases.
Increased Cancer Risk for Asbestos Workers
Jun 26, 2015
Papers published this week about the impact of asbestos exposures on workers from Belgium and Poland confirm the excess of cancer mortality on people occupationally exposed to asbestos. The first paper highlighted the increase in mesothelioma and oral cancer in a Belgian cohort while the second reported “strong evidence that the lung cancer risk is associated with asbestos exposure and it increases along with the increasing exposure.” See: Enduring health effects of asbestos use in Belgian industries: a record-linked cohort study of cause-specific mortality (2001–2009) and Predictors of Lung Cancer Among Former Asbestos-Exposed Workers.
The Fight for Asbestos Justice
Jun 22, 2015
Asbestos victims are gearing up to play their part this week in crucial EU activities to raise the profile of asbestos issues throughout the continent. On June 23 a landmark event will take place when international activists join local people in the small town of Kapelle-op-den-Bos, formerly the headquarters of Belgium’s largest asbestos multinational. This will be the first international mobilization on asbestos to be held in this iconic town. After a vigil outside the site of the factory, the delegation will place a floral tribute at the cemetery and then visit Kapelle’s Mayor Mr. Edward DeWitt. See ABEVA Press Release.
Landmark Legal Victory!
Jun 19, 2015
Willem van Soest died of mesothelioma in 2013, a year after winning a $358,000 compensation claim against his former employer. The deceased was exposed to asbestos whilst employed as a painter and docker by BHP Billiton at its Whyalla shipyards in the 1960s. The company accepted that it had exposed him to asbestos but argued the exposure was below acceptable standards and it was not responsible for providing the workforce with protective equipment. The High Court today (June 19) rejected BHP’s petition to appeal; BHP announced that “it does not anticipate any further action on this matter.” See: Asbestos victim's family claims major win against BHP Billiton.
EU Asbestos Conference
Jun 19, 2015
Two European Committees are holding a conference on “Freeing Europe safely from asbestos” in Brussels on June 24, 2015 to quantify Europe’s asbestos epidemic and provide stakeholders the opportunity to discuss actions for tackling the multiple challenges faced. The sessions have been welcomed by asbestos victims groups, trade unions and campaigners. Issues being considered include: the implementation of a safe strategy for asbestos removal, demands for recognition and compensation of victims and measures to protect the public health of EU citizens. See: Freeing Europe safely from Asbestos. More than 300,000 asbestos deaths expected in Europe by 2030.
Union Calls for Asbestos Removal
Jun 19, 2015
The GMB trade union gave its support for plans by the Trades Union Congress to lobby for legislation mandating the removal of asbestos from public buildings at the annual conference of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health which took place in London this week. Speaking on behalf of the GMB, John McClean said that such a law would result in “better control of asbestos, better registry of it and eventually removal of it.” Many of the workers in Parliament are GMB members and are part of a cohort routinely exposed to asbestos contained in deteriorating Parliamentary buildings. See: TUC backs campaign for asbestos removal bill.
Scandal of Asbestos in Schools
Jun 17, 2015
Today, newspaper articles and a TV program highlighted the terrible toll paid by former teachers and pupils for their exposure to asbestos in schools. An 18-minute segment on the Victoria Derbyshire morning show featured the story of Paul Cowley who was diagnosed with asbestos cancer when he was in his mid-30s. Calling for urgent action, the National Union of Teachers says this “scandal” has been caused by the Government’s failure “to address the legacy of asbestos in schools,” 86 % of which contain asbestos. See: Government must ‘tackle the scourge of asbestos in schools’ to prevent ‘unnecessary deaths’ of teachers and pupils, says teachers’ union.
Baryulgil Remembered
Jun 17, 2015
The devastation caused by asbestos mining in Baryulgil, a remote community in New South Wales, was the subject of a short film premièred at the Sydney Film Festival this month. The film “Under Skin, In Blood” was made by Professor Larissa Behrendt, a prominent activist and Professor of Law who was determined to expose the effects not only on the people who worked at the mine but on an entire community in which people continue to die from asbestos-related diseases. See: Asbestos mine's impact on Baryulgil depicted in new short film.
Basque Report on Asbestos
Jun 16, 2015
The Commission of Employment, Social Policy and Housing of the Basque Parliament issued a paper on June 12, 2015 which considered the feasibility of creating a compensation fund for asbestos victims. Recognizing, the profound health effects of asbestos exposures and the difficulties victims face in obtaining compensation caused by the long time lag between exposure and the manifestation of disease, the Parliament recommended that a state-wide compensation fund be set up. Based on French asbestos mortality, it was estimated that there are 659 mesotheliomas and 357 cases of asbestosis per year in Spain. See: Parliamentary Report on Asbestos.
First Asbestos Verdict Against GM Spain
Jun 15, 2015
For the first time, a Spanish court has held General Motors (GM) Spain guilty of negligence in exposing a worker to asbestos. As a result of GM's failure to protect him, former GM employee Luis Tirado, died in December 2011, three months after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. The Court in Zaragoza awarded his widow €99,911.38 (US$112,000), plus interest. GM is appealing this decision on the grounds that there had “been no breach of the legal regulations in relation to the use of asbestos.” See: Una sentencia condena a GM a pagar 99.911,38 € a la viuda del trabajador fallecido por Amianto [A judgment condemns GM to pay €99,911.38 to widow of worker killed by asbestos].
Progress of Municipal Asbestos Audit
Jun 15, 2015
Work is progressing in the municipality of Raciborz, in line with Poland’s plan to remove all asbestos-containing products from the national infrastructure by 2032. An update of the town’s asbestos inventory, produced in 2005-10, will be conducted between June 15 and July 30, 2015 by technicians tasked with completing questionnaires and conducting interviews with residents. The auditors will carry identification and authorization permits and work between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Their findings will inform the town’s asbestos removal program. See: Inwentaryzacja wyrobów azbestowych na terenie Raciborza [Inventory of asbestos products in Raciborz].
“The White Hell”
Jun 14, 2015
In the presence of former workers and local dignitaries, a commemoration was held on June 12, of the 50th anniversary of the closure of the largest chrysotile (white) asbestos mine in France. From the mid-1920s, operations at the Canari mine in Corsica hazardously exposed 1,400 mine workers and their families to asbestos. Survivors who attended the ceremony were: Armand Guerra (82), François Gassmann (84), Dominique Santini (74) and Raymond Roe (83). Rehabilitation work is currently ongoing to decontaminate the site and local area. See: Drame de l'amiante, il y a 50 ans la mine de Canari fermait ses portes [Asbestos drama, 50 years since Canari mine closed).
Asbestos Hazard for U.S. Workers
Jun 11 2015
The continuing asbestos risk to American workers was confirmed by scientists who analysed government air sampling data collected between 1984 and 2011 in the construction, automotive repair, manufacturing, and chemical/petroleum/rubber industries and reported asbestos fiber levels in excess of 10f/cc. Commenting on these findings, Alex Formuzis, Vice President for Strategic Campaigns at EWG Action Fund, said: “Through no fault of their own, millions of Americans went to work each day in order to provide for families — but at the cost of having to inhale dangerous levels of asbestos.” See: Federal Data Show Millions of American Workers Inhaling Asbestos.
Asbestos Victims Initiative
Jun 10, 2015
On June 9, asbestos victims and activists from Spain, Italy and France gathered at the offices of the Barcelona Ronda Collective, an organization that provides legal assistance to Catalonia’s asbestos victims, for preliminary discussions in preparation for a high-profile meeting in Cerdanyola del Valles, the town at the epicenter of Spain’s asbestos crisis. Over three days, a wide range of issues will be considered including the national situation and strategies for joint European actions. See: Barcelona y Cerdanyola acogen encuentro internacional de víctimas del Amianto [Barcelona and Cerdanyola host international meeting of asbestos victims].
The Belgian Asbestos Fund
Jun 10, 2015
Since it was established in 2007, The (Belgian) Asbestos Fund has facilitated compensation payments for 2,161 asbestos victims of whom 1,453 had mesothelioma and 735 had asbestosis (some of the claimants had more than one disease). Just over 50% of the mesothelioma victims were exposed to asbestos at work, 94% of the cases of asbestosis were work-related. In some cases, a lump sum was awarded while in others a monthly pension was paid. Since April 1, 2014, victims of environmental asbestos exposure have been allowed to make claims to the Fund. See: BELGIQUE: 2161 cas indemnisés dans le cadre du fonds amiante depuis 2007 [Belgium: 2161 cases compensated by Asbestos Fund since 2007].
Asbestos Alert at Palaces of Westminster
Jun 9, 2015
On June 7, 2015, The Sunday Times reported that crisis talks had been held after an asbestos incident in May 2015 contaminated the House of Commons chamber with asbestos. A question asked about this situation on June 3 by MP Nic Dakin was answered on June 9. In the reply on behalf of the Government, Sir Paul Beresford downplayed the risk and reassured Commons’ users “that there is no reason to stop using the Chamber, or the adjacent offices and spaces.” There are plans “ to eradicate the asbestos in the trunking by the end of 2015…” See: Asbestos scare may force out Mps.
Union Uncovers Worksite Hazard
Jun 9, 2015
A periodic construction site inspection in Christchurch by officers of the EPMU Construction trade union led to an asbestos alert being issued and the cessation of work. Commenting on the incident, EPMU organizer Hami Martin said: “They were using a jackhammer removing concrete around … an asbestos pipe. The pipe had a few holes in it but it also had a bit that looked like it had been sawn off.” Not only the workers but passers-by were put at risk by the actions of the workers on this site, Martin warned. See: Asbestos risk closes central Christchurch work site.
Risk Assessment of Asbestos Ships
Jun 9, 2015
Dennis Outram of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has said his union opposes the export of two Chinese-built tugboats contaminated with asbestos over fears that foreign seafarers will be exposed to the dangers of asbestos. It was believed that plans had been made to send the Warrunda and Warrego to Singapore. The MUA is demanding a full risk assessment be conducted prior to further action being taken. As of now, none of the MUA members “have been involved in a risk assessment," Outram reported. “If they [the boats] were unsafe some months ago, I'm guessing they're still unsafe.” See: Newcastle tug boat stand off as maritime union insists on asbestos risk assessment.
Latest Asbestos Trade Data
Jun 8, 2015
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has today released estimates for the global asbestos trade in 2014 based on trade data reported to the United Nations (UN) Commodity Trade Statistics Database. While a detailed analysis will take some time, a preliminary look at the figures indicate that in 2014 the top five producing and using countries have remained about the same as in 2013 and that global production and consumption has remained around 2 million tonnes/year. It is important to note that the figures for Russia, which has not yet reported its 2014 data to the UN, are USGS estimates. See: File USGS Asbestos Trade Data 2014.
Healthy Profits, Sick Workers
Jun 8, 2015
A feature article published today in India, highlights the plight of workers such as 64-year old Chinnapan Chinnakannu, who has been suffering from asbestosis since 2007, having received hazardous exposures whilst employed at the Gujarat Composites factory. The deterioration of Mr. Chinnakannu’s condition is contrasted with the healthy profits made by India’s growing asbestos industry which is currently worth $1.4 billion. Asbestos commercial and government vested interests deny the asbestos hazard, alleging that “health concerns are simply overblown.” See: India asbestos industry thrives despite health warnings.
Asia’s Asbestos Challenge
Jun 8, 2015
The International Commission on Occupational Health held the 31st International Congress on Occupational Health in Seoul from May 31 to June 5, 2015. On, June 4, there a workshop entitled: Asbestos Problems in Asia was addressed by key regional asbestos experts including: Professor Domyung Paek, Dr. Yeyong Choi and Dr. Yeonsil Kang (Korea), Mohit Gupta (India), Sanjiv Pandita (Hong Kong), and Sugio Furuya (Japan). The subjects they covered included the diagnosis of asbestos diseases, asbestos campaigns by civil society groups, and the suitability of science and technology studies for understanding the asbestos risk. See: Asbestos Problems in Asia.
Government Asbestos Enquiry
Jun 7, 2015
In comments he made to Parliament on June 5, 2015, Tanzania’s Deputy Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Stephen Kebwe confirmed the ongoing risk posed by asbestos-containing products in the country’s built environment: “This type of [asbestos] cancer will not affect you immediately; it often takes time to develop, but once diagnosed, it becomes difficult to treat…” In replying to a question from MP Amina Clement, Kebwe announced plans by the Government to conduct an audit to assess the asbestos hazard and consult with international experts about options for removing contaminated products. See: Beware of building materials coated with asbestos.
Jail Sentence for Contractor
Jun 7, 2015
On June 2, 2015, 59-year old Daniel Couet, the former head of an asbestos removal company, was sentenced to a year in prison for illegally dumping asbestos waste in north-west France. A Rennes court ordered him to pay damages of €3,000 each to seven former employees and €2,000 to other people whose health he endangered by his illegal operations. The prosecution had asked for a jail sentence of two years in recognition of the fact that Couet was a “serial polluter.” Couet’s company went into liquidation in 2008 with the loss of 25 jobs. See: Amiante: 1 an de prison pour un entrepreneur [Asbestos: 1 year in prison for a businessman].
Territory Guilty of Asbestos Charge
Jun 6, 2015
Having pleaded guilty to an asbestos infringement under the Safety Act, the Government of the Northwest Territories (NWT) was fined $115,000 on June 5, 2015 over hazardous exposures at the Yellowknife Museum in the NWT capital. The authorities failed to provide protective clothing or safety equipment for workers contracted to undertake repairs at the museum despite suspicions regarding the possible presence of asbestos contamination. Following queries by the contractors, it was confirmed that the chimney contained insulating mud which consisted of 75% chrysotile (white) asbestos. See: N.W.T. government fined $115K for workers' asbestos exposure.
National Asbestos Legacy
Jun 3, 2015
Official data just released by Safe Work Australia confirms that the number of cases of mesothelioma being diagnosed in Australia has continued to rise with a peak of 690 diagnoses in 2011; preliminary data for 2013 shows 575 cases diagnosed in that year. Mortality increased between 1997 and 2012 with a peak of 638 deaths in 2012. Australia mined, imported and used crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile asbestos. Annual consumption peaked around 1975 at approximately 70,000 tonnes. During the 1950s, Australia had the world’s highest per capita consumption of asbestos. See: Mesothelioma in Australia: Incidence (1982 to 2013) and Mortality (1997 to 2012).
Asbestos Mobilization in Japan
Jun 1, 2015
High-profile activities involving thousands of asbestos victims, campaigners, trade unionists and government officials took place in Tokyo between May 22 and 30, 2015. The 7th anniversary of landmark litigation on behalf of construction workers against the government and former asbestos manufactures was marked on May 22 with a huge public rally in the capital. One week later, members of the Japan Association of Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Disease and their Families met with officials from Ministries of Labor, Health and Environment. The following day was the annual meeting of the Ban Asbestos Network of Japan (BANJAN). See: Photo May 22, 2015 rally.
Changing Russia’s Asbestos Dialogue
May 29, 2015
Campaigners are increasingly challenging pro-asbestos propaganda distributed in Russia’s asbestos heartland. An online article published this week quotes statements by environmentalist Elena Vasilieva, head of the NGO Volgograd-Ecopress, detailing the human health hazard posed by asbestos exposure not only to factory workers but to members of the public who live or work in properties containing asbestos materials. See: Елена Васильева: «Экологи единодушны: производство асбеста опасно для здоровья» [Elena Vasilieva, “Environmentalists are unanimous: the production of asbestos is hazardous to health”].
The International Asbestos Memorial
May 29, 2015
After more than a decade of planning and fund-raising, a stainless steel memorial will be unveiled tomorrow (May 30, 2015) in memory of 500 hundred Scottish asbestos victims. The artwork entitled “The International Asbestos Memorial – The Known and Unknown” was designed by Glasgow artist Jephson Robb and funded by donations collected by the Clydebank Asbestos Group. Many of the group have lost loved ones to asbestos-related diseases from exposures at the shipyards and factories that provided employment on the Clyde. Clydebank was, at one time, known as Europe’s asbestos capital. See: Town’s tribute to the victims of asbestos.
Asbestos Removal Target in Sight
May 28, 2015
An official at the Rwanda Housing Authority has reported that plans to safely remove 800,000 square meters of asbestos roofing, 60% of the 1,308,259 sq. meters of contaminated material, by 2016 are proceeding according to schedule. The pace of the work has increased by training extra technicians and increasing the number of disposal sites to 15. In 2009 the Cabinet gave instructions for the eradication of asbestos roofs. With limited funds and little expertise progress was slow. In 2013, it was estimated that there was still 1 million square meters of asbestos roofing to be cleared at a cost of Rwf23 billion. See: Asbestos deadline will be met - housing authority.
London Police on Asbestos Alert
May 27, 2015
It has been reported that facilities used by the Metropolitan Police to train armed officers between 1980 and 2007 were contaminated with asbestos. As a precaution, all former and current firearms officers have been contacted. Chief Superintendent Mike Gallagher, from the Specialist Firearms Command, announced that the Met is “offering a full support package which provides detailed information, advice, guidance, links and contacts.” There are, said Scotland Yard, “robust protocols” for training sites and new guidance has been drafted highlighting the risk of hazardous materials. See: Every armed police officer in London may have been exposed to asbestos.
Case Proceeds against Olivetti
May 26, 2015
As a result of preliminary hearings in an asbestos case over the deaths of factory workers, a calendar for the trial of managers from Olivetti (and its successor Telecom) who stand accused of failing to protect workers’ health from the asbestos hazard has been set. The trial will commence on September 23 and finish on October 5, 2015. The standing of parties civiles [civil parties] has been validated; these include the city of Ivrea, the metropolitan area, the victims’ association (AFeVA) and trade unions. See: Amianto all’Olivetti, anche il Comune di Ivrea parte civile contro l’azienda [Olivettit asbestos case, even the city of Ivrea is a civil partie to this action].
Good News for Asbestos Claimants!
May 23, 2015
The judge who is overseeing preliminary hearings in a new case (Eternit bis) against asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny has this week rejected requests from the defendant’s lawyers to transfer the trial from Turin to Ivrea and to exclude partie civiles (civil parties), including the government, region and province, from the proceedings. These decisions are good news for the 258 asbestos victims and their families (see: picture) on behalf of whom this case has been brought. It is hoped that by the end of June a ruling will be made by Judge Bompieri which will allow the case to proceed. See: Eternit bis, lo Stato Italiano è parte civile [Eternit bis, Italian State is a civil party].
Asbestos Issues in Asia
May 22, 2015
The latest issue of the Occupational Safety and Health Rights Newsletter (Number 34), a quarterly publication on occupational Health and safety issues in Asia, has just been published. The bumper edition contains many stories about asbestos developments in Asia, including news of grassroots mobilization in India in the run-up to the May 2015 meeting of the Rotterdam Convention, an update on asbestos public outreach programs from Indonesia and a report of a memorial service for asbestos victims in Japan. Also featured are brief reports from key organizations collaborating in the campaign to halt the use of asbestos in Asia. See: Occupational Safety and Health Rights Newsletter.
James Hardie Cuts Fund Contribution
May 21, 2015
The Australian building materials multinational James Hardie (JH) is significantly reducing contributions to an asbestos victims’ fund despite a 12% rise in profits. In 2014, the former asbestos giant paid Aus$119.9 million to the (Australian) Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund (AICF); this year's payment will be worth US$ 62.8 million which, at current exchange rates, would be around Aus$80 million. In 2014, the AICF paid out Aus$154.3 million to victims. Actuarial predictions show a large rise in the total bill for asbestos-related claims; a record number of 412 mesothelioma claims were received in 2013-14, an 11% increase in one year. See: James Hardie's payment to asbestos fund set to fall even as claims keep rising.
Supreme Court Protects Victims
May 20, 2015
In a judgment handed down today (May 20, 2015) by the UK Supreme Court in the case between Zurich Insurance PLC UK Branch and others, by a decision of 4 to 3, the Court favoured a solution which ensured the full recovery of compensation for mesothelioma victims. Lords Mance, Clarke, Carnwath and Hodge agreed that each insurer on risk for any period of tortious exposure must meet the liability in full. The Association of British Insurers and the Asbestos Victim Support Groups’ Forum UK were both interveners in this case. Their responses to this decision are expected in press releases on May 21. The Supreme Court’s ruling is contained in a 94-page judgment.
Action on Asbestos
May 20, 2105
“Asbestos: the lungs of capitalism,” is the title of an art installation by the Colombian artist Guillermo Villamizar which is being exhibited in the town of Bucaramanga, as part of a series of actions taking place this month to highlight the country’s asbestos scandal. On May 19, a seminar on malignant mesothelioma was held, during which the artist and other speakers made presentations. In 2012 and 2013 Colombia imported 25,164 and 15,961 tons of asbestos, respectively. Available figures for 2014 show a decline in asbestos import levels; this could partially be explained by the restarting of asbestos mining operations in Yarumal (Antioquia), Colombia.
New State Asbestos Ban in Brazil!
May 20, 2015
On April 30, 2015, the Legislative Assembly of the State of Amazonas enacted law 258/15 prohibiting the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. Asbestos use in Brazil is permitted under federal law although the states of São Paulo, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso and Minas Gerais have taken unilateral action to ban asbestos. In 2013, Brazil produced 307,000 tonnes of chrysotile (white) asbestos and consumed 181,168 tonnes. At last week’s meeting of the UN’s Rotterdam Convention, the delegation from Brazil acknowledged the asbestos hazard. See: Uso do amianto é banido por lei no Estado do Amazonas [Asbestos use banned by law in Amazon State].
Asbestos in Schools
May 19, 2015
Nearly all the 14,000 UK schools built between 1945 and 1975 contain asbestos as do schools refurbished during that period. Decontamination work is being delayed, says the Local Government Association, because of conflicts over who is responsible for removal costs. As many of the schools are coming to the end of their useful life, the issue of asbestos can no longer be avoided – it is illegal to demolish a building without first removing the asbestos it contains. The Department for Education’s latest audit of the condition of school buildings excluded asbestos, an “oversight” which is indicative of the government’s failure to engage with the “asbestos timbebomb.” See: Schools are facing an asbestos timebomb
The Asbestos Paradox
May 18, 2015
A recent issue of the World Health Organization Bulletin asks “What will it take to eradicate this [mesothelioma] highly preventable cancer?” The commentary contrasts health risks with assertions that asbestos can “improve quality of life.” The 2-page text details major gaps in the impact of scientific evidence on global disease prevention policy including: using doubt science to justify lack of action, casting aspersions on the safety of asbestos-free products and prioritizing economic development over public health. In some countries, “scientific knowledge of asbestos toxicity seems to have been lost in translation.” See: The asbestos paradox: global gaps in the translational science of disease prevention.
Industry Vetoes Listing of Chrysotile!
May 14, 2015
At the end of the today’s meetings of the Rotterdam Convention, the motion to include chrysotile asbestos on the Prior Informed Consent list was blocked by Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe. Activists present during the discussion spoke of open frustration by delegates and disappointment in the leadership of the Secretariat in failing yet again to make progress on this issue. The background to this decision is discussed in an article on this website. More information will be forthcoming on today’s events. See: Report from the Asbestos Frontline: Update from Geneva!
Activists Condemn Government Position
May 14, 2015
A press release issued today by the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI) exposes the duplicitous position taken by the government of India during this week’s discussions at the Rotterdam Convention. India was one of a handful of parties to the Convention to block the listing of chrysotile (white) asbestos on the prior informed consent list using “bogus science” and advocating “controlled use.” The OEHNI spokesman urges the Prime Minister to reverse this position and support action needed to protect occupational and public health. See: OEHNI Press Release.
New Phase in Asbestos Struggle
May 14, 2015
Articles in the Italian media this week covered the new legal proceedings against asbestos entrepreneur Stephen Schmidheiny. Turin public prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello is asking that charges for the murder or manslaughter of 258 Italian citizens be brought. The defense allege that as the accused already stood trial on similar charges, this case should be dismissed on the grounds of double jeopardy. Preliminary objections were heard today (May 14). There will be two hearings a week; the preliminary hearings should be completed by mid-July 2015. See: Eternit, “stavolta speriamo nella giustizia” [Eternit, “this time we hope for justice”].
NASA: Asbestos-free Breakthrough!
May 14, 2015
Research to replace chrysotile asbestos-filled rubber as an insulator in Shuttle booster technology has succeeded in producing safer parts using “new processes, new repair techniques, and new inspection techniques that help ensure this is the safest booster ever built.” An additional thin sheet of rubber insulation – the “wallpaper butt-joint lay-up process” – was installed on top of an adhesive layer to add strength to the barrier. This asbestos-free component is “the most defect-free segment ever produced, showing not only a solution to the void issue, but also an improvement to the quality of the segments.” See: QM-1 examinations boost as QM-2 prepares for casting.
Victims Deplore Industry Veto
May 13, 2015
A press release issued by an umbrella organization representing French asbestos victims group – ANDEVA – has called “for the voice of reason and true consensus” to prevail in the face of an aggressive campaign by cynical “merchants of asbestos and death” to stop UN progress being made in the regulation of the global trade in chrysotile asbestos, the only type of asbestos still being sold. The text of the ANDEVA press release explains that the purpose of the UN’s Rotterdam Convention, now meeting in Geneva, is to “regulate information on hazards of exported products… to ensure ‘prior informed consent…’” See: ANDEVA Press Release.
UN Convention Undermined
May 12, 2015
In Geneva, deliberations began today on the inclusion of chrysotile asbestos in a list of dangerous substances subject to regulation under the terms of the Rotterdam Convention. More than twenty industry lobbyists opposing inclusion have turned up, hoping to adversely influence delegates and impede progress on this important issue. Their booth in the exhibition area is distributing glossy multilingual disinformation extolling the virtues of “chrysotile.” It is of interest to note that the word “asbestos” is missing from their posters (see poster 1 and poster 2) as is any indication that this substance is carcinogenic (see: industry booth and propaganda).
Asbestos Trial Begins May 12
May 9, 2015
The first preliminary hearing in the proceedings against Stephen Schmidheiny, charged with the murder of 258 former Eternit workers and members of the public, will take place on May 12. The preliminary hearing judge may decide to indict the defendants and accept all or some of the cases or deny the prosecution’s request. If the action is allowed to proceed to trial, the court must decide whether the charge is murder or manslaughter. AFeVA, the Association of Families and Victims of Asbestos, trade unions and municipal authorities will petition the court for permission to be accepted as parties to the case. See: AFeVA Press Release (Italiano); also available in English and Français.
Risk from Environmental Pollution
May 9, 2015
Almost all of Cyprus is supplied with water from the Kouris reservoir, located in the foothills of the Troodos Mountain. The area’s geological composition includes a low percentage of asbestos. According to the authorities, tests carried out on drinking water were negative for the presence of asbestos. Irrigation water, however, was not tested and there are concerns about the effects of contaminated water in cultivated areas. Government services are carrying out studies to determine whether there is high concentration of asbestos fibers in the water. They will also measure environmental levels around the reservoir and the wider Limassol area. See: Call for asbestos study for Kouris water.
Asbestos Cancer Rate Increasing
May 9, 2015
Data collected by trade unions documents an increasing mortality rate from asbestos cancer three decades after Denmark banned the use of asbestos. Currently up to 130 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma, an aggressive type of asbestos cancer, every year; a decade ago that figure was 100. Four thousand Danish citizens have died from mesothelioma since 1943. Currently, 300+ Danes die from asbestos diseases every year; asbestos causes more deaths per year than road traffic accidents and workplace disasters. See: More Danes dying from asbestos exposure despite 1980s ban.
Commentary Calls for Asbestos Action
May 9, 2015
An article appeared on May 8, 2015 which questioned the Indian government’s policy regarding the inclusion of white asbestos on a list of hazardous substances under a UN protocol. This issue will be debated in Geneva in the week beginning May 12. India has changed its position on listing chrysotile in the past but there is no indication that the Indian delegate will support listing this time around. Data quoted in this article substantiates the risk to Indian workers and the deadly health consequences of asbestos usage for the general population. See: Millions of lives at stake as India makes up its mind whether white asbestos is deadly.
Industry Indicted by UN Rapporteur
May 6, 2015
Addressing UN delegates today (May 6, 2015), Mr. Baskut Tuncak, Special Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council to the Conference of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, said that he was “deeply troubled” by the behaviour of vested interests who “continue to obstruct the listing of asbestos and paraquat under the Rotterdam Convention…” The right to access information is,” he said, “a right in and of itself and one of the rights upon which free and democratic societies depend.” See: Statement by Mr. Baskut Tuncak, UN Special Rapporteur to the Conference of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.
Improving Occupational Safety
May 6, 2015
Canada’s first online asbestos registry was launched on Monday, May 5, 2015 by the Province of Saskatchewan. Commenting on the initiative Don Morgan, the labor relations and workplace safety minister, said: “This new database is another step toward ensuring the health and safety of workers across our province.” Registry users will not only be able to search for information detailing the presence of asbestos and types of products on sites but will also be able to update registry information. The site, which has geo-locating capabilities, is mobile friendly. See: Saskatchewan launches online asbestos registry.
Civil Society Calls for Asbestos Ban
May 5, 2015
In the run-up to next week’s UN discussion at the meeting of the Rotterdam Convention about designating chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous substance subject to minimal trade regulations, the Occupational Health and Safety Association (OHSA), an NGO based in Gujarat, India, has called on the Indian government to take immediate steps to ban the use of all asbestos. According to OHSA activists, cases of asbestos cancer have been diagnosed by the Gujarat Cancer and Research Center, but state and national bodies continue to frustrate compensation claims brought by the injured. See: NGO calls for blanket ban on import of asbestos by Centre, state govt.
Canadians Call for National Ban
May 5, 2015
A commentary published on May 5, 2015 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal called for an immediate ban on asbestos and action by the federal government to support UN attempts to regulate the global trade in chrysotile asbestos under provisions of the Rotterdam Convention (RC). Adding chrysotile to Annex III of the RC, which lists toxic chemicals and pesticides, will be discussed at next week’s meeting in Geneva. In 2014, the value of Canadian imports of asbestos products rose nearly 20% from the previous year. See: Canada urged to lobby to have asbestos added to UN hazardous list.
Call for Asbestos Ban in India
May 1, 2015
Asbestos victims graphically described the devastating impacts their diseases have had on their lives at a public meeting in New Delhi on April 30, 2015: “My life is in ruins because of asbestos. My chest feels like burning,” asbestosis sufferer Naran Mehra said. At the conclusion of the meeting (see photo of speakers), trade union leaders joined activists and the injured in issuing a series of demands which included an immediate national asbestos ban, support for UN action on asbestos under the Rotterdam Convention, measures to encourage safe asbestos removal and the use of safer products, and steps to increase medical capacity for the injured. See: Media Release April 30, 2015.
Confirmation of Regional Cancer Hotspots
May 1, 2015
Data from the Italian mesothelioma registry have been analyzed to identify territorial clusters of malignant mesothelioma (MM). 15,322 cases were recorded between 1993 and 2008; asbestos exposure information was obtained relating to 11,852 cases. Thirty-two MM clusters were found, many of which were in areas near asbestos-cement factories and/or shipbuilding yards. The conclusion of the study that “shared exposure patterns in territorial clusters of malignant mesothelioma [are] due to single or multiple industrial sources” has major implications for public health policy. See: Epidemiological patterns of asbestos exposure and spatial clusters of incident cases of malignant mesothelioma from the Italian national registry.
Continental Asbestos Hazard
Apr 30, 2015
At the closure today (April 30) of a meeting on environment and health in Israel, calls were made to eliminate asbestos-related diseases by ending asbestos use and eliminating contamination from European infrastructures. It was estimated that 300 million people in the WHO European Region live in countries which have not banned asbestos. Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said that: “We cannot afford losing almost 15,000 lives a year in Europe, especially workers, from diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. Every death from asbestos-related diseases is avoidable.” See: At least one in three Europeans can be exposed to asbestos at work and in the environment.
Asbestos: An Election Issue
Apr 30, 2015
A media release issued today by the National Union of Teachers highlighted the Coalition Government’s failure to tackle the hazard posed by asbestos contained in the UK educational infrastructure. In his comments, NUT deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney pointed out that while action had been taken to reduce deaths caused by fires and cycle accidents, the Health and Safety Executive had stopped proactive asbestos inspections of schools despite data which showed that the same number of people die from asbestos exposure at schools as from domestic fires; twice as many former pupils die from asbestos as from bicycle accidents. See: Asbestos: a double standard.
Landmark Decision in Mesothelioma Trial
Apr 30, 2015
On April 28, 2015, after a 2-hour deliberation, a Los Angeles jury issued a plaintiff’s verdict in a controversial case over the asbestos content of Cashmere Bouquet, a widely sold talcum powder produced by the Colgate-Palmolive Company. The sum of $13 million was awarded to 73-year old Judith Winkel who contracted mesothelioma from her exposure to asbestos present in this product. The company was negligent, said the jury, and had failed to warn consumers about potential hazards. This is the first asbestos verdict against the company arising from talcum powder. See: Jury awards woman $13M for exposure to asbestos in talcum.
Calls for Asbestos Action
Apr 29, 2015
In the run-up to the upcoming meeting in Geneva of the Rotterdam Convention, Indian grassroots activists are organizing a series of public meetings to call for UN action to impose regulation on the global trade of chrysotile asbestos. On April 30, asbestos victims from Ahmedabad and Mumbai will be speaking publicly about the human toll of the widespread use of asbestos in India, the world’s biggest asbestos importer. The event, which is organized by the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI), will take place at the Press Club of India in New Delhi. See: OEHNI Media Release.
Union Calls for Asbestos Ban
Apr 15, 2015
At the beginning of April 2015, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) called on the government to impose an immediate and comprehensive ban on the import of all asbestos-containing products, in order to curtail the country’s asbestos epidemic. Concerned over hazardous exposures in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake, CTU Secretary Sam Huggard said: “New Zealand is out of step with other developed countries.” The CTU proposals also included a 12-point asbestos action plan which highlighted the need for an integrated and multifaceted program to eradicate the asbestos hazard. See: Asbestos needs a ban and a plan – petition presented.
Calls for Ban on Asbestos Use
Mar 28, 2015
Canadian imports of asbestos-containing products, including brake linings and pads, raw asbestos, friction materials and items containing crocidolite (blue) asbestos, continue to rise despite the known health risks of exposure to all forms of asbestos. Between 2004 and 2014, more than $250-million worth of asbestos and asbestos-containing products entered the country. Asbestos is Canada’s top occupational killer, accounting for 5,000 deaths since 1996. Producers of asbestos-free alternatives are complaining about the unfair cost advantage of these products even as calls are being made for a total ban. See: Asbestos imports rising in Canada despite health warnings.
Unions call for Asbestos Action!
Mar 26, 2015
In the run-up to the seventh meeting of the Rotterdam Convention, due to take place in May 2015, the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) has issued a call to arms to all its affiliates urging them “to contact their government representatives to encourage them to vote for the inclusion of chrysotile asbestos in the Convention.” BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson said: “Chrysotile meets all the criteria for inclusion so it is quite outrageous that this is being blatantly and persistently blocked by other exporting countries. We need all governments to push the exporting nations to behave responsibly.” See: Chrysotile and the Rotterdam Convention - ACT NOW!
Audit of Asbestos Mines Mandated
Mar 26, 2015
The Indian Bureau of Mines and the Environment Ministry (MoEF) have been ordered to produce a complete updated list of India’s asbestos mines by Justice U D Salvi of the National Green Tribunal. He wrote: “Asbestos mining not only gives rise to asbestos related cancer but also to the asbestosis. Even if the asbestos mining activity has been closed, scientific closure of such mines remains in question. Odisha is directed to answer whether the asbestos mines in the state have been scientifically closed or not, and further answer whether there have been cases of asbestosis.” See: National Green Tribunal asks MoEF to submit list of asbestos mines across country.
Compensation for Power Station Worker
Mar 25, 2015
A compensation claim for asbestosis brought by Cassiem Mohammed, employed at the Athlone Power Station in Cape Town for 40 years, has succeeded. For decades, no personal protection was provided and there was little attempt to minimize hazardous exposures. As a result of action taken by the South African Municipal Workers' Union, a medical examination program for insulation workers was implemented; Mr. Mohammed was diagnosed with asbestosis in the mid-1990s. He has now received a payment of R665,000 (US$57,000) from his former employers. See: South Africa: Athlone Asbestos Victim Gets His Money.
Chinese Imports Contained Asbestos
Mar 23, 2015
In the last five months, the Italian authorities have seized ten thermos flasks imported from China which contained asbestos insulation; asbestos was banned in Italy in 1992. The most recent confiscations were made during the second week of March 2015. All the contraband articles were marketed under the “Theo” brand and were sold in shops and supermarkets. A sticker on the bottom of the flask says “Made in RPC” which stands for China. See: Thermos cinesi con pasticche di amianto: dieci sequestri dal mese di ottobre 2014 [Chinese thermos with asbestos insulation; ten seizures since October 2014].
Asbestos Hazard in Storm Damage
Mar 20, 2105
Tropical Cyclone Pam left areas of the Vanuatu archipelago contaminated with asbestos. Australian responders have removed 100+ kilograms of asbestos-contaminated debris from the Port Vila Central Hospital; most of the asbestos had been contained in sheeting and roofing products. The hazardous waste was sprayed with glue and wrapped in plastic for disposal. According to Gary Bailey, members of Australia's Urban Search and Rescue have “been going into various parts of the hospital and some primary schools today and rendering as much asbestos as safe as we can.” See: Tropical Cyclone Pam: Rescue teams remove over 100kg of asbestos from Port Vila's central hospital.
Under-recognition of Asbestos Disease
Mar 20, 2015
Data from the Spanish Employment Ministry has been analysed to calculate the number of cases of asbestos-related cancer recognized as occupational in Spain between 1978 and 2011. One hundred and sixty-four cases were recognized between 1978 and 2011. An estimated 93.6% of male and 99.7% of female claimants were unsuccessful in getting official recognition of their cancer. The authors conclude that their “findings provide evidence of gross under-recognition of asbestos-related occupational cancers in Spain.” See: Asbestos-related occupational cancers compensated under the Spanish National Insurance System, 1978–2011.
Asbestos Nightmare for Home Owners
Mar 20, 2015
The owners of apartments in Rotterdam are in limbo after workmen installing new windows in February disturbed asbestos-containing building materials. Once the contamination was discovered, the residents fled their homes with only the clothes on their backs, to take up residence in alternative accommodation. Last weekend, they returned home after remediation work had been carried out. Unfortunately, it seems that asbestos was still present in the flats. There is no insurance to cover relocation costs and the housing association has exhausted its funds. See: Wie helpt eigenaren van asbest-flat uit de ellende? [Who helps the owners of asbestos-contaminated flats?].
Asbestos Murder Trial
Mar 20, 2015
The preliminary hearing in a murder trial is due to start in May 2015; it concerns the asbestos deaths of 258 Italians. The Turin Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello has announced that the Swiss billionaire Stephen Schmidheiny stands accused of intentional homicide. Charges against Schmidheiny for causing a permanent environmental disaster as a result of which Italians died from asbestos disease were deemed to be statute barred by the Supreme Court in November 2014. See: Eternit Bis, a maggio processo per omicidio all’imprenditore svizzero Stephan Schmidheiny [Eternit Bis, May murder trial of Swiss entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny].
Court Curtails Compensation Eligibility
Mar 18, 2015
Two weeks ago on March 3, 2015, the French Supreme Court handed down a decision which restricted the ability of claimants who were exposed to asbestos at work to obtain compensation for anxiety caused by exposure to asbestos. Several previous court rulings had supported the right of those with psychological distress to receive awards for the impact hazardous exposures to asbestos had on their mental health. This decision restricts eligibility only to those whose workplace exposures occurred at companies required to provide early retirement for asbestos workers. See: Amiante: la Cour de cassation limite la réparation du préjudice d'anxiété [Asbestos: Supreme Court limits compensation for anxiety].
Asbestos: Symbolism and Fact
Mar 18, 2015
A paper published earlier this year in Medicina del Lavoro (Industrial Medicine) provides a fascinating look at the historical uses of asbestos and the almost mythical symbolism it enjoyed in ancient and classical times. The Italian authors of this text feature five fascinating images and cite a multitude of interesting and formerly unknown facts, such as the use of asbestos in the armour of a samurai warrior! They speculate that one reason why asbestos has not been banned worldwide could be because “the fascination with the magic stone is not exhausted.” See: Asbestos between science and myth. A 6,000-year story!
Contamination after Cyclone
Mar 18, 2015
Asbestos liberated in the wake of natural disasters is a common occurrence. Parts of Western Australia (WA) hit by Severe Tropical Cyclone Olwyn last week have been declared a natural disaster zone. On March 16, the Minister for Water and the Minister for Agriculture described widespread damage throughout the shires of Ashburton, Carnarvon, Exmouth and Shark Bay in northern WA to the Cabinet. WA Premier Colin Barnett has said the presence of asbestos in the area was a major concern and has pledged state funds to facilitate the clean-up. See: Natural disaster zone declared for cyclone-ravaged parts of northern Western Australia.
Lobbyists: Personae non Gratae?
March 17, 2015
A policy adopted earlier this year by the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for an end to WHO dialogue with the tobacco and arms industries. Now, North American experts have requested that the WHO add the asbestos industry to the list of entities with which the WHO will not engage. The March 9, 2015 letter to Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the WHO, highlighted the similarities between the asbestos and tobacco industries both of which put profits before health, thereby endangering the health of millions of people and undermining the efforts of the WHO. See: World Health Organization should not engage with the asbestos industry.
Criminal Prosecution for Asbestos Deaths
Mar 17, 2015
On March 16, 2015, Milan prosecutors asked for a jail sentence of six years for the asbestos-related deaths of 30 former employees of the Italcementi Group. Giampiero Pesenti, now the group’s President, was an executive at the company’s Tosi turbine factory from 1973 to 1980. He is accused of culpable homicide due to his alleged failure to install adequate safety measures in the 1970s to prevent hazardous exposures despite the fact that the cancer risk of human exposure to asbestos was known and technology was available to minimize the risks. See: Prosecutors want 6 yrs in asbestos deaths.
British Asbestos Newsletter
Mar 17, 2015
The autumn/winter 2015 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The leading article in issue 96, “Update from the Asbestos Battleground,” considers the UK’s elevated mesothelioma incidence and multiple attacks on victims’ rights in light of the May 2015 general election. Other articles cover the substance and ramifications of the McDonald Supreme Court Judgment 2014 and C. Heneghan vs. Manchester Dry Docks Ltd., et al. Trade unionist Richard Morgan reflects on the current state of the UK asbestos removal industry and steps which might be taken to protect operatives. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, issue 96.
Asbestos Outrage in Brussels
Mar 16, 2015
In December 2014, the Steenacker Company received authorization to store the highest classification of hazardous waste, including asbestos, on their premises. This development is problematic for multiple reasons, including the fact that in 2013 the Belgian company was held responsible for soil pollution and that the location of the company’s premises is near nursery schools and a residential area. The news of this situation has created outrage amongst citizens in the area – a Flemish commune in the Belgian capital – and led to calls for Mayor Frédéric Petit to resign. See: Le stockage d’amiante inquiète écoles et riverains [Asbestos storage concerns schools and residents].
Gold Medal for Ban Asbestos Crusader
Mar 16, 2015
Officials, guests and 45 honorees gathered on March 12 at the headquarters of the São Paulo 15th region Labor Court for a high-profile ceremony during which retired Labor Inspector Fernanda Giannasi received one of 15 gold medals for her services to the country. Fernanda dedicated the award to “to victims of asbestos, mercury, POPs, nuclear, Shell-Basf, benzene and their families.” (see: photo of Fernanda and colleagues – pictured (from the left) are Labor Prosectuor Maria Stela Guimaraes de Martin, Judge Eleonora Bordinii Coca and Fernanda Giannasi). See: 45 personalidades e instituições com a Ordem do Mérito da JT [ 45 people and institutions are awarded the Order of Judicial Merit].
Asbestos in Tahiti Schools
Mar 16, 2015
The results of samples taken last year from schools in Tahiti have established that asbestos is present in: Hitimahana elementary and Fareroi infants. The buildings at both premises were constructed 30+ years ago, before France banned the use of asbestos. On March 11, the Mayor of Mahina, the local commune, along with representatives of the education department and technical experts met with teachers and school staff to explain the situation. Steps are being taken to minimize hazardous exposures although the complete removal of all the contamination is not possible due to cost constraints. See: Découverte d’amiante dans deux écoles [Asbestos discovered in two schools].
Asbestos Sales Down by 10%
Mar 13, 2015
Eternit S.A., Brazil’s asbestos giant, has reported a 10.8% decrease in sales of chrysotile asbestos in the 4th quarter of 2014 compared to the same time of year in 2013. The decreased sales of 66,700 tons in 2014 were partially offset by an increase in exports according to a company press statement released on March 12. According to Eternit, the 4.1% rise in consolidated net revenue in 4Q14 was due to increased fiber-cement and chrysotile fiber exports. Although the Brazilian government has not banned asbestos, several states have acted unilaterally and done so. See: Eternit: Operating income grows 9.0% and adjusted EBITDA reaches R$ 54.7 million in 4Q14.
Proposals to Update Chemical Safety
Mar 13, 2015
This week two bills have been introduced to the U.S. Senate which are intended to improve the country’s chemical safety regime. The Boxer-Markey Toxic Chemical Protection Act, introduced on March 12, mandates a “rapid review of asbestos and toxic chemicals that are known to be persistent and build up in the human body.” The Udall-Vitter proposal, which is industry-backed, would introduce weaker standards and provide a 7-year phase-in period in some cases and unspecified time limits in others. These bills would reform the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. See: Chemical Safety Bills Face off in Senate.
Supreme Court Asbestos Ruling
Mar 13, 2015
Today, Chief Justice Riley of Australia’s Supreme Court overturned a decision which had barred compensation for a mesothelioma victim who had been negligently exposed to asbestos at the Gove alumina refinery in the 1970s. Seventy-four year old Zorko Zabic was diagnosed in 2014 with asbestos cancer; the company which he had worked for, Alcan Gove, is now owned by the global mining conglomerate Rio Tinto. Commenting on this decision, Mr. Zabic’s lawyer said: “The ruling will bring laws in the Northern Territory in line with other Australian states and will enable victims to right the wrongs of the past.” See: Compensation win for former Gove refinery worker dying of asbestos-related illness the ‘tip of the iceberg’.
Asbestos Contamination in Paradise?
Mar 13, 2015
Many tourists find the peace and quiet they seek on the Spanish island of La Gomera. Now community activists have filed a lawsuit to force the authorities to instigate an environmental asbestos audit and clean-up program. According to the campaigners, there is widespread dumping of asbestos-contaminated debris on the island which is both unsightly and hazardous to health. Asbestos was banned in Spain in 2002. See: Sí se puede presenta moción para la realización de inventario de amianto en Valle Gran Rey [Yes, you can present motion for conducting inventory of asbestos in Valle Gran Rey].
From China, with Asbestos
Mar 11, 2015
Australia’s customs authority has admitted it is unable to prevent asbestos-contaminated goods from China from entering the country. Of 2 million containers arriving in the country by sea every year, only 100,000 are inspected. Cases have been brought (two since 2008) concerning the import of asbestos-contaminated gaskets and machinery from China. But though asbestos-contamination has been found in trains and cars of Chinese origin there have been no prosecutions arising from their importation. The Chief Executive of the customs service told a Senate hearing in February 2015 that the onus was on importers of Chinese cars and not on customs officials. See: 5pc of imports get asbestos check, estimates hearing.
Congress Considers New Asbestos Bill
Mar 10, 2015
Today (March 10, 2015), The Reducing Exposure to Asbestos Database Act was introduced to the Senate. The purpose of this legislation is to mandate measures to prevent hazardous asbestos exposures by providing prior warning of the location of asbestos-containing products (ACPs). Stakeholders would be required to report information about ACPs to the EPA annually; this would be fed into a publicly accessible database to “increase the transparency and accessibility of data informing the public about where asbestos is known to be present. This information will increase awareness, reduce exposure, and help save lives.” See: Durbin bill creates asbestos reporting requirements.
Asbestos in Westminster
Mar 10, 2015
It seems that the Palaces of Westminster are falling down. Politicians were reminded of the need for much-needed and long-delayed building work by the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow when he addressed a meeting of the Hansard society on March 9, 2015. Refurbishment of the 19th century building is long overdue and the building work could cost around £3bn. As well as crumbling stonework, dodgy electrics, flooding issues, rodent infestation and a leaking cast iron roof, the walls are “packed with asbestos.” See: Parliament is falling down. So what can be done about it?
Hazardous Exposure to Public Servant
Mar 10, 2015
As a result of research he conducted, Canadian electrician Denis Lapointe has discovered that he was exposed to asbestos throughout the 16 years he worked at the Canada Revenue Agency building in Ottawa. Prior to his departure in 2008, he had never been told about the presence of asbestos in the building. Mr. Lapointe’s job involved drilling and pulling wires through walls, floors and ceilings. He had no idea about the asbestos he was disturbing or the risks he was creating for himself or the thousands of other people who worked at the Heron Road premises. See: Asbestos at federal building was a surprise to electrician.
Criteria for Asbestos Diseases Revised
Mar 10, 2015
As of March 1, 2015, revisions made to criteria for the recognition of occupational diseases, including asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma, came into effect in China. These included: for lung cancer – reduction in length of cumulative occupational exposure to 1+ year, increase in latency period to 15 years+; for mesothelioma – decrease in latency period from 15 to 10 years. From 2006 to 2014, there were 1,824 cases of asbestosis recognized and 118 cases of asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma [18% of all occupational cancer cases (650)]. See: Amendments to Diagnostic Criteria for Occupational Diseases (in force from March 1, 2015).
Removal of Asbestos Water Pipes
Mar 8, 2015
The authorities overseeing water delivery and sewage for a rural area in Turkey have announced a program to remove 250 kilometers of asbestos-containing pipes this year. In a Turkish language article, the General Manager of Water and Sewerage Administration for the Adana municipal region Rahmi Pekar confirmed that the work would be carried and that all the contaminated pipes were scheduled for replacement with safer alternatives. The EU banned asbestos in 2005 and Turkey followed suit in 2010. See: Asbest boru kalmayacak! [No More Asbestos Pipes!].
Asbestos Industry Junk Science
Mar 7, 2015
Authors of 2015 academic papers detail manipulation of the scientific process by industry researchers. The articles are: How conflicted authors undermine the World Health Organization (WHO) campaign to stop all use of asbestos (spotlight on studies showing that chrysotile is carcinogenic and facilitates other non-cancer asbestos-related diseases) and Ethics, morality, and conflicting interests (how questionable professional integrity in some scientists supports global corporate influence in public health). Also see: Industry influence over science and public health policy challenged.
“Ecological Time Bomb” on City Site
Mar 7, 2015
Buried asbestos waste has been found on two acres of land scheduled to be redeveloped in the Italian town of Bari. Tests undertaken on this site uncovered an “ecological time bomb,” which included asbestos, a substance banned in Italy in 1992. It is unknown who dumped this toxic material and therefore who is responsible for the decontamination work needed. The authorities are investigating charges related to the illegal disposal of hazardous waste on the site. In the meantime, all building work has ceased. See: Cimitero amianto scoperto a Bari “Bomba ecologica” [Asbestos cemetery discovered in Bari “Ecological Bomb”].
Decade to Remove Asbestos Roofs
Mar 3, 2015
Proposals by the Netherland’s Minister of Infrastructure and Environment Wilma Mansveld that mandate a ten-year period for the removal of asbestos-cement roofs have been approved by the Cabinet. Commenting on this issue, the Minister said: “We have to take this risk seriously and tackle it. I want to prevent people from being exposed to asbestos fibers... Recent fires in which asbestos particles ended up in residential areas, underline the need for a ban.” Subsidies for undertaking the work required to comply with the 2024 deadline will be available from January 1, 2016. See: Asbestos must be stripped from Dutch homes by 2024.
Asbestos Case to go to Supreme Court
Mar 3, 2015
Leave to appeal a verdict in an asbestos case has been granted by the Supreme Court to a mesothelioma widower. The legal team representing Ian Knauer, whose wife Sally died in 2009 after occupational exposure at Guy's Marsh Prison, Dorset, is questioning the way the personal injury compensation of £650,000 was calculated and paid. It is alleged that a 5-year gap between the death of Mrs. Knauer and the award settlement order being made cost the family £50,000. If this appeal succeeds, it could radically alter the way in which all British personal injury claims are dealt with. See: Supreme Court Gives Right of Appeal to Swindon Solicitor.
Protest against Asbestos Factory
Mar 2, 2015
On February 28, 2015, residents and environmentalists stopped traffic when they took to the public highway to protest plans to construct an asbestos factory in the Anawilundawa region, located about 50 kilometers from the Sri Lanka capital of Colombo. Building the factory in this area could, the demonstrators claimed, adversely affect the health of the local community as well as impact on the biodiversity of the world-famous Anawilundawa bird sanctuary. The demonstration was called off when the factory owners agreed to halt construction. See: Protesters block Colombo-Puttalam road at Anawilundawa.
Sheet Metal Workers at High Risk
Mar 2, 2015
A study of 17,345 U.S. sheet metal workers documents a “significant excess mortality” for mesothelioma and asbestosis. Although this industry did not traditionally use asbestos material, members of this cohort had indirect exposure to asbestos products handled by others on construction sites. Hazardous workplace exposures also occurred as a result of drilling, hammering, punching or riveting sheet metal to asbestos products. This paper concludes: “This study demonstrates asbestos-related diseases among workers with largely indirect exposures and an increased lung cancer risk with low ILO scores.” See: Mortality among sheet metal workers participating in a respiratory screening program.
No One Guilty!
Mar 1, 2015
Charges against six former executives of the Enel company over asbestos cancer deaths of former power plant workers which occurred between 2004 and 2012 were dismissed by a criminal court in Milan last week. The relatives of the eight deceased victims, who had been employed at the Turbigo facility in the Lombardy region, were outraged when the verdict was read out. The prosecutor had asked for jail sentences of up to eight years. See: Milano, il processo sulle morti da amianto a Turbigo: tutti assolti gli ex manager Enel [Milan, case of fatal asbestos deaths in Turbigo: former manager acquitted].
Taxpayers’ Support for Asbestos Fund
Feb 27, 2015
The Government of New South Wales (NSW) has announced that extra funding will be provided if needed to cover a projected cash shortfall for James Hardie’s Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund Limited (AICF). An amendment to the terms of a loan facility will make a further $106 million available to the fund so that claims can be paid in one lump sum rather than in instalments. The AICF was set up in 2006 under a deal struck between James Hardie (JH) and the NSW government to compensate individuals injured by exposure to JH asbestos-containing products. See: Taxpayers to cover James Hardie asbestos shortfall.
Costly Chinese Exports
Feb 26, 2015
KiwiRail has put a multimillion dollar price tag on the remedial efforts imposed upon them by the supply of asbestos-containing trains from China (see: KiwiRail's $12 million asbestos bill). The discovery of sprayed asbestos on metal sheeting in the engine rooms of the freight locomotives necessitated their removal from service and decontamination work. The suppliers of the toxic trains have made a confidential and unspecified settlement with KiwiRail. Unlike other developed countries, New Zealand has no legislation banning the use of asbestos although it is understood that the contract for these vehicles stipulated they be asbestos-free (see: Trains pulled in asbestos shock).
Help for Asbestos Cancer Victims?
Feb 26, 2015
One quarter of the 120 Swiss citizens who develop mesothelioma every year were exposed to asbestos non-occupationally. These victims include the self-employed and people who lived near asbestos-processing factories; they are not entitled to compensation from Swiss accident insurers. The long latency period of asbestos diseases means that most asbestos personal injury claims are statute-barred. Following a decision by the European Court of Human Rights, an initiative is being progressed to improve support for the injured. See: A round table is to be set up with the aim of stopping victims of asbestos falling into financial hardship when they are ineligible for insurance paid for by an employer.
Supreme Court Reveals “Motivation”
Feb 24, 2015
Although the Italian Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) issued its contentious ruling in the infamous Italian trial against asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny on November 19, 2014, it was only on February 23, 2015 that the full “motivation,” the legal discourse behind the decision, was released. Schmidheiny had denied failing to provide adequate safety measures at four Italian Eternit plants. The Supreme Court overturned guilty verdicts regarding the deaths of 263 Eternit workers and their relatives on the grounds that even before the trials had started, the statute of limitations on these crimes had expired. See: Prosecution urges new trial for former Eternit owner- update.
Asbestos Imports from China
Feb 23, 2015
The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) has admitted that it is unable to “guarantee that all imported goods will be free from asbestos,” despite the fact that this substance and products containing it are illegal in Australia. The focus of an article published today in The Australian was the tidal wave of imports entering Australia from China, some of which were contaminated. Asbestos has been found in Australian purchases of Chinese plasterboard, gaskets, trains, mining equipment and cars. The ACBPS has said that it is the responsibility of importers to ensure that only asbestos-free goods enter the country. See: Made in China (with asbestos) [subscription website].
Telegraph’s Pro-Asbestos Policy
Feb 21, 2015
This week saw the highly publicized resignation of Peter Oborne, formerly the Daily Telegraph's chief political commentator, over the newspaper’s failure to report on HSBC, a bank exposed in the Guardian and other newspapers for efforts to help clients evade taxes. Author Richard Wilson documents 42 Telegraph articles by columnist Christopher Booker downplaying the risks of asbestos and asks readers to vote in a poll asking: “Is it right for the Sunday Telegraph to mislead the British public about the health risks of asbestos?” See: Booker’s false claims (42 articles and counting) downplaying the risks of white asbestos.
Asbestos Criminals: Then and Now
Feb 21, 2015
During the 20th century, global asbestos markets were controlled and serviced by a handful of companies, many of which were family-owned. Amongst the asbestos dynasties were the Swiss Schmidheinys, the Belgian Cartiers, the Belgian Emsens and the British Turners. While efforts to hold individuals to account for the worldwide asbestos slaughter have been, on the whole unsuccessful, creative public relations initiatives have reinvented at least one asbestos entrepreneur as a high-profile philanthropist and environmentalist. The role of the Avina foundation in the rehabilitation of Stephen Schmidheiny is considered. See: Amianto rojo [Red Asbestos].
Court Recognizes Domestic Exposure
Feb 20, 2015
A Madrid Court has found asbestos producer Uralita negligent for causing the deaths of women who contracted asbestos cancer after hazardous exposure while washing their husbands’ or fathers’ contaminated clothing. The company was ordered to pay the families €700,000. Uralita disregarded legislation intended to prevent such exposure. Lawyers predict a wave of future claims for victims who did not have a working relationship with the company. See: Uralita deberá pagar 700.000 euros por la muerte de cuatro mujeres contaminadas con amianto [Uralita must pay €700,000 for the deaths of four women contaminated with asbestos].
Warnings over Asbestos Contamination
Feb 20, 2015
This week, the Portuguese environmental body Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza [National Association for Nature Conservation] highlighted the government’s failure to implement measures to identify asbestos contamination in the built environment and called for a national asbestos action plan. These calls were made as a three year deadline set by 2011 legislation which mandated the removal of asbestos-containing materials in public buildings, such as hospitals, schools and libraries, expired. See: Faltam medidas importantes no levantamento dos edifícios com Amianto [Important steps missed out in asbestos audits of buildings].
Mesothelioma in Miners
Feb 19, 2015
Twenty-one new cases of the deadly asbestos cancer mesothelioma have been diagnosed in a cohort of 69,000 mine workers which has been monitored since the late 1990s. A total of 101 individuals from the state’s iron mining industry have contracted this cancer. According to Dr. Ed Ehlinger, Minnesota Commissioner of Health: “The interval between exposure to the agent that causes the cancer and the time when the cancer appears can be as long as 40 or 50 years, possibly even longer. We have always expected to see additional cases as time went by, in people who were exposed many years ago. We expect to see still more cases going forward.” See: 21 new cases of mesothelioma in Iron Range miners
Supreme Court Asbestos Ruling
Feb 18, 2015
For the first time, on Feb 17, 2015 Japan’s Supreme Court upheld a judgment recognizing the negligence and liability of an asbestos-using company for a non-occupational asbestos-related death – that of Kojiro Yamauchi who for 20 years worked 200 meters from the Kuboto Corporation asbestos factory in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture. By a unanimous decision, the five-panel Court, ordered Kubota to pay ¥31.9 million ($267,000) in damages to Mr. Yamauchi’s relatives. Both the Kobe District Court and Osaka High Court had ordered Kubota to pay damages to the Yamauchi family. See: Top court upholds Kubota’s liability in asbestos death case.
Mesothelioma Research Funding
Feb 18, 2015
A question (QWA HL4789) asked by Lord Alton on Feb. 9, 2015 about the level of mesothelioma grant funding by the Medical Research Council was answered on Feb 17, 2015 by Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Minister for Intellectual Property. Between 2010 and 2014, there were four successful applications which received a total of £1.727 million with the largest grant of £992,471 going to Prof P. Elliot of Imperial College. Between 2004 and 2014, there were ten unsuccessful applications. See: Parliamentary Written questions and answers.
Spain’s Asbestos Killing Fields
Feb 18, 2015
Lack of visibility, support and assistance for Spain’s asbestos victims are highlighted in an article which describes an ongoing epidemic of asbestos cancer in Málaga. Cases are described amongst people who were occupationally exposed to asbestos in workshops, factories and in the state railway company. To counter the difficulties in obtaining compensation from negligent corporations, calls are being made for a national asbestos victims’ fund to be set up such as the those in France and Belgium. To minimize hazardous exposures from the removal of asbestos incorporated within the European infrastructure, an EU protocol should be introduced. See: Deadly Asbestos Still Costing Lives.
Cancers of the Larynx and Ovary
Feb 17, 2015
A report published by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) and Department for Work and Pensions on Feb 17, 2015 has considered findings regarding the relation between asbestos exposures and the occurrence of cancers of the larynx and ovary. Unfortunately, the IIAC concluded that “evidence of a doubling of risk of laryngeal cancer associated with asbestos exposure remains inconsistent… [and did not recommend] prescription for cancer of the ovary in relation to asbestos exposure.” See: Cancers of the Larynx or Ovary and Work with Asbestos.
Mismanagement by Defence Department
Feb 14, 2015
A report by the Australian National Audit Office into The Management of the Disposal of Specialist Military Equipment has revealed significant failings to manage health risks associated with asbestos in the public sale or donation of aircraft, tanks and trucks. In December 2014 the Minister for Defence was advised of a proposal to “undertake a review of a number of past disposal activities to identify those items that contain hazardous substances, in particular asbestos containing material, that may give rise to potential future liabilities.” See: Management of the Disposal of Specialist Military Equipment.
Mesothelioma Kills Renowned Scientist
Feb 14, 2015
The Globe and Mail has published an appreciation of the life of Dr. Patricia Martens which highlighted her “passion for understanding and spreading knowledge about health research…” Dr Martens died on January 10, 2015, aged 62, from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Having received her diagnosis in 2013, she went public and joined the campaign for Canada to ban asbestos. A letter she sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper was acknowledged but not acted upon. Commenting on the death of his friend and colleague, David Henry said: “It is surely a tragic irony that someone who was such a proponent for public health would die from this illness.” See: Obituary of Researcher Patricia Martens
Forum Intervenes at Supreme Court
Feb 14, 2015
The Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK (the Forum) was granted permission to intervene in Coventry and Others v Lawrence and Another [2014], a case proceeding in the Supreme Court which could impact on mesothelioma cases. Commenting on the implications of this case, the Chair of the Forum said “If Claimants in mesothelioma cases are made liable for additional legal costs, such as success fees and the premiums for After The Event insurance policies, the numbers who do pursue claims for personal injury will decline dramatically.” See: Coventry and Others v Lawrence and Another [2014] UKSC 46.
Asbestos in Belgian Schools
Feb 12, 2015
Even before the Belgian TV channel RTBF had the opportunity to broadcast a film exposing the dangerous asbestos contamination of Belgian schools on Feb. 11, 2015, the Belgian Minister of Education at 6:43 a.m. contacted the Belgian asbestos victims’ group ABEVA to request a meeting. This was the first such action by the Minister despite repeated attempts by ABEVA to initiate a dialogue. ABEVA has long been attempting to highlight the asbestos risk to schoolchildren and has urged that the decontamination of schools be regarded as a priority; action should be taken in consultation with all stakeholders (see: ABEVA Press release).
National Asbestos Profile for Germany
Feb 12, 2015
The 70-page National Asbestos Profile for Germany (in English) which has just been released by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a German governmental research institution which operates under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, explores the socio-economic consequences of asbestos use in Germany. The report estimates that between 1990 and 2012, 393,895 years of life have been lost due to asbestos-related diseases. Over the period from 1998 to 2011, there was an inexorable increase in the annual number of mesothelioma deaths from 556 (women) and 818 (men) in 1998 to 1,147 and 1,434, respectively, in 2011. See: National Asbestos Profile for Germany.
Parliamentary Debate on Mesothelioma
Feb 12, 2015
An adjournment debate was secured in Westminster Hall of the House of Commons yesterday by MP Steve Rotheram on the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme. A number of MPs, including Kate Green, Ian Lavery, Tracey Crouch, Jim Shannon, Gregory Campbell and Andy McDonald, discussed diverse topics including whether excess sums raised by a 3% levy on insurers could be used for funding research into asbestos-related diseases. Addressing this issue, the Minister for Disabled People Mark Harper floundered in his attempt to distinguish between a “cap” and a “levy,” but agreed to look again at the available funding for research. See: Hansard Feb. 12, 2015 Debate.
Environmental Asbestos Hazard in US
Feb 11, 2015
Data in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, documents an elevated incidence of mesothelioma amongst women and individuals under 55-years old in Southern Nevada. The authors conclude “the presence of asbestos and other fibers in the environment of Clark and Nye Counties… suggests that some of these malignant mesotheliomas are caused by environmental exposure which can happen when human activities and natural processes… release fibers in the air.” See: Mesothelioma in Young People and Women in Southern Nevada likely the Result of Asbestos in the Environment.
Export of Jersey Asbestos to UK Mainland?
Feb 10 2015
Authorities on Jersey are in discussions with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the export of Jersey’s asbestos waste to the UK; a decision is expected by the end of March 2015. In the meantime, the toxic debris is stockpiled in rusting shipping containers in a site at La Collette. According to Ellen Littlechild, director of operations at Jersey’s Transport and Technical Services, plans are progressing regarding the construction of a “contained cell” reception facility for asbestos waste removed from Jersey buildings. See: Asbestos in Jersey – a are you concerned?
Asbestos Hit to European Cancer Journal
Feb 10, 2015
A furore caused by the publication in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention of an article entitled “Role of stopping exposure and recent exposure to asbestos in the risk of mesothelioma,” by Drs. Carlo La Vecchia and Paolo Boffetta, has led to the termination of the Journal’s association with the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR) according to a February 5, 2015 letter by IACR President Dr. Roberto Zanetti. Complaints about the non-disclosure of conflicting interests by the authors were expressed by more than 140 scientists. See: The International Association of Cancer Registries has terminated its relationship with the European Journal of Cancer Prevention.
India and Asbestos: The Long View
Feb 9, 2015
The Dollar Business, a foreign trade magazine about India's trade policy, has just published a headline article examining the consequences of India’s position as the world’s largest market for asbestos imports. The 3-page feature includes interviews with the Executive Director of the Asbestos Cement Products Manufacturers’ Association, the Convener of the Ban Asbestos Network of India and the Coordinator of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. Highlighting the controversial nature of continuing use of an acknowledged carcinogen, the author contrasts the profitability of the asbestos sector with the health risks of exposures to Indian citizens. See: Is the Whole World Wrong?.
Defeat for Welsh Asbestos Bill
Feb 9, 2015
This morning, the UK Supreme Court upheld a challenge by The Association of British Insurers to the Welsh Assembly’s plans to recover from negligent employers as much as £1m/ year in medical costs for the treatment of asbestos victims. According to the Court’s press summary, “The Welsh Assembly lacks legislative competence to enact the Recovery of Medical Costs for Asbestos Diseases (Wales) Bill in its present form.” The Bill had been proposed by Labour AM Mick Antoniw and was passed by the National Assembly in 2013. See: Wales' bid to force employers to pay for asbestos-related healthcare is blocked by the Supreme Court.
Charges Dropped Against Factory Boss
Feb 7, 2015
On Thursday, February 6, 2015, the Paris Court of Appeal dismissed the case against Claude Chopin, former head of the Amisol asbestos factory, for the manslaughter of thirty individuals who had been employed at, what the French asbestos victims’ group nicknamed, “the coffin factory.” For six months in 1974, Chopin had been in charge of operations at Amisol prior to the plant’s closure the same year. An appeal is being considered by the legal representatives of the claimants. See: Amiante: non-lieu pour l’ancien patron de l’usine Amisol [Asbestos: charges dropped against former boss of Amisol asbestos factory].
Asbestos Mortality in Basque Country
Feb 7 2915
Seventy-two year old Eusobio Pabola became the sixth asbestos victim to die in the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa in Northern Spain this year. Like the other deceased, Mr. Pabola was exposed to asbestos at work; he had worked for 28 years for the Montero Kaefer de Arrigorriaga company. He was a shop steward for the CCOO, Spain’s biggest trade union organization and played an important role in the formation of the Basque asbestos victims’ movement. See: Muere la sexta víctima del amianto en 2015 en Euskadi [The sixth asbestos victim of 2015 dies in the Basque Country].
TV Report on National Scandal
Feb 6, 2015
A report on Aljazeera news today documented the explosion of the national asbestos scandal onto the public consciousness in Colombia, a country where asbestos use and mining remains legal. The segment highlighted the consequences for workers and members of the public of the commercial operations of Eternit Colombia which produces asbestos pipes, tiles and water tanks. Footage of the funeral of an asbestos cancer victim and interviews with a mesothelioma patient, an oncologist, and a representative of the Ministry of Labor, who said that a joint ministerial meeting will be held this year to discuss asbestos issues, were shown. See: Colombians take legal action against asbestos mining.
Court Ruling on Welsh Asbestos Bill
Feb 6, 2015
The Supreme Court will issue its judgment on Monday, February 9, 2015 in a case regarding The Recovery of Medical Costs for Asbestos Diseases (Wales) Bill 2013 [Case ID: UKSC 2014/0043]. At issue is whether the Welsh National Assembly has the power to enact legislation to recoup from defendants medical costs for treating victims of asbestos-related diseases in Wales. The case (Supreme Court Listing) was heard on May 14-15, 2014 by Lord Neuberger, Lady Hale, Lord Mance, Lord Hodge, Lord Thomas. See: Supreme Court to decide on asbestos NHS treatment cost recovery bill
Asbestos Issue in Post-Ban Denmark
Feb 6, 2015
Few victims of asbestos-related lung cancer in Denmark have their illnesses recognized or receive compensation. At a meeting in Copenhagen in December 2014, Dr. Poul Frost from Aarhus University Hospital reported that the Appeals Board of the National Board of Industrial Injuries was ignoring medical evidence and taking a case to the Supreme Court in order to deny compensation to workers who smoked. On January 20, 2015, the Appeals Board received permission to try a test case in the Supreme Court. See: Supreme Court of Denmark will hear critical case on compensation for asbestos victims.
Government Asbestos Removal Program
Feb 5, 2015
Gauteng, South Africa’s smallest province, has signalled its intention to remove all asbestos roofing under a program which will prioritize the decontamination of properties in poor communities. Under the apartheid regime, asbestos-cement roofing was widely used for houses in the townships. The Gauteng initiative has been warmly greeted by Dr Jim TeWaterNaude, a public health specialist, who warned that appropriate precautions must be taken to protect asbestos removal workers. South Africa banned the use of asbestos in 2008; before that, it was a big asbestos producing and consuming country. See: Plan to remove Asbestos from Gauteng roofs will require big bucks.
Quantifying and Diagnosing ARDs
Feb 5, 2015
The current issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health contains two articles of great interest; they are: Epidemics of asbestos-related diseases – something old, something new and Asbestos, asbestosis and cancer, the Helsinki criteria for the diagnosis and attribution 2014: recommendations. The latter paper details discussions which took place and conclusions which were reached in Espoo, Finland in February 2014 regarding plans to update the Helsinki criteria for the diagnosis and attribution of asbestosis and asbestos-related cancers. See: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, vol 41, no 1, 2015.
“Asbestos: The Lungs of Capitalism”
Feb 5, 2015
In his essay Imaginando el Sistema [Imagining the system], Colombian artist Guillermo Villamizar explores the concept of art as social commentary, beginning with a discussion about a seminal piece by British artist Conrad Atkinson entitled “Asbestos: The Lungs of Capitalism,” which was created in the late 1970s. Villamizar considers the role of artists as “cultural producers,” and the interaction of their images with invisible and complex control systems which dominate public discourse. See also: Asbestos Issues in Colombia 2014 by the same author.
The Fight for Asbestos Justice Continues
Feb 4, 2015
Despite the Supreme Court’s overturning of the historic judgment against asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny in November 2014, the campaigners for asbestos justice in Casale Monferrato, Italy continue the fight. As another case against the same defendant, who has been charged with murder, proceeds through the Italian judicial system, a meeting will be held on February 16, 2015 in Casale Monferrato (see: Conference Poster) to update citizens on recent developments. Keynote speakers include the Turin Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello and oncologist Professor Luciana Mutti. See: Eternit: Ona, c'è ancora speranza di giustizia [Eternit: there is still hope for justice].
Calls for Asbestos Ban
Feb 1, 2015
Scientists are calling for an immediate ban on the use of asbestos-containing construction products in Sri Lanka; in 2013, national asbestos consumption was ~23,000t. In today’s issue of the Sunday Observer Dr. Waruna Gunathilake, head of the National Toxicology Information Unit, reported that: “It is now medically proven that long-term exposure to asbestos can cause respiratory problems and cancer. Research in recent years has proved this.” He called for consumers to use asbestos-free products in the run-up to national prohibitions and highlighted the lack of a “proper disposal system for asbestos waste in Sri Lanka.” See: Call to ban asbestos use and imports.
Global Asbestos Trade
Jan 31, 2015
Data on the global asbestos trade is very hard to come by. For this reason, statistics collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) are generally accepted as definitive, within certain limits. The asbestos section (pages 22 and 23) in The Mineral Commodity Summaries 2015 which was published yesterday includes interesting facts: U.S. asbestos consumption in 2014 was 400t (tonnes), the lowest since the 1800s; in 2014, global asbestos production remained around 2 million tonnes with Brazil (291,000t), China (400,000t), Kazakhstan (240,000t) and Russia (1,050,000t), the biggest producers. See: The Mineral Commodity Summaries 2015.
Call for Action on Asbestos Hazard
Jan 30, 2015
An online editorial queried the continued failure by the Government of Vietnam to act on the human health hazard posed by the country’s continuing use of asbestos. In Vietnam, there are 70 factories in 23 areas which manufacture asbestos-cement products, mostly for domestic use. Over the last decade, Vietnam has been one of the world’s top ten consumers of asbestos, using 79,000 tonnes in 2012 to produce 80 million square meters of asbestos-cement sheeting. At a conference in Hanoi last week, delegates were told of the World Health Organization’s position supporting an end to asbestos use. See: Vietnam hesitates to ban white asbestos use.
Decades Until Italy is Asbestos-Free
Jan 29, 2015
Although Italy has pioneered efforts in Europe to identify asbestos-containing products, locate polluted sites and establish protocols for dealing with asbestos, Italian experts have predicted that it will take until the end of the century to free Italy of the asbestos hazard. Every year, around 3,000 Italians die from asbestos-related diseases; half of all these deaths is caused by the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. It has been estimated that there are 32 million tonnes of asbestos-containing materials in Italy and as only 380,000 tonnes are disposed of each year, it could take 85 years to eradicate the problem. See: Amianto, 85 anni per smaltire asbesto in Italia [Asbestos, 85 years to dispose of asbestos in Italy].
Children at Risk from Asbestos
Jan 29, 2015
The health of children in the Wellington metropolitan area of New Zealand was put at risk by demolition of an asbestos-containing property next door to the Marlborough Street Childcare Centre. On January 23, the Centre manager Natalie Comerford contacted the local council about demolition restrictions. Finally on January 28, Worksafe NZ sent an operative to conduct tests which proved positive for the presence of asbestos. The demolition site and the Centre were closed. Comerford reported that after Worksafe had stopped the work, workmen continued to load rubble onto trucks creating “clouds of dust.” See: Upper Hutt childcare centre closed by asbestos.
HSE Guidance to Asbestos on Farms
Jan 28, 2015
Guidance on how to handle asbestos found on farms was issued today by the Health and Safety Executive, the UK agency tasked with protecting occupational health. Topics covered included: how to recognize white asbestos, where it can be found on farms, work that could create exposure, the safe management of asbestos-containing products, removing and disposing of asbestos waste. Farmers are advised that “asbestos waste must be treated as hazardous waste [and that]… if you dump asbestos illegally, you can be taken to court, prosecuted, and fined or jailed.” See: White asbestos: how farmers should handle and dispose of it.
Buy-Back Proceeding in Canberra
Jan 28 2015
Owners of 230 properties contaminated by “Mr Fluffy” asbestos insulation have agreed for the Canberra government to buy their homes under the multimillion dollar Loose Fill Asbestos Eradication Scheme announced in 2014. This constitutes 25% of those eligible. As of today, 371 formal valuation offers have been made with replies awaited from a further 140 owners. According to Chris Reynolds of the Asbestos Response Taskforce “We are almost a quarter of the way there in terms of those that have had the valuations and have indicated to the taskforce, yes please proceed with a sale.” See: Mr Fluffy: Almost a quarter of asbestos affected households in Canberra agree to buyback figure.
No More Secrets!
Jan 28, 2015
An initiative by U.S. academic and media groups was launched last month with the upload of 20,000 pages of secret documents obtained during the course of benzene litigation. The aim of this project is to make public materials revealed during toxic tort litigation that have been “locked away” in filing cabinets and on hard drives. According to the organizers: “In coming months, we’ll be posting hundreds of thousands of pages of discovery material from lawsuits involving lead, asbestos, silica, hexavalent chromium and PCBs, among other dangerous substances.” See: Internal documents reveal industry 'pattern of behavior' on toxic chemicals.
Pupils Suffer after Asbestos Shut-down
Jan 27, 2015
The new school year started in South Africa on January 21, 2015, the date by which 5 mobile classrooms were due to be in place for 200 students from the Khiba Middle School in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District in Kuruman, Northern Cape Province. On October 8, 2014, the Department of Labour had closed the school due to asbestos contamination after the threat of a lawsuit. A temporary fix was to be sited in a less polluted nearby area pending decontamination and reconstruction of the school. The partial and broken-down units delivered to the site are unfit for purpose according to local people. See: Section 27: N Cape Department of Education fails to deliver on its plan for learners of asbestos-polluted school.
Thousands Die in Asbestos Epidemic
Jan 20, 2015
France’s Institute of Health Surveillance has today released details highlighting the national epidemic of asbestos cancer. With 1,700 asbestos fatalities and 2,200 cases of asbestos cancer diagnosed per annum, the banned substance remains a potent hazard to life. The Institute reported a significant rise in the incidence of mesothelioma in the late 1990s and the late 2000s among women, 28% of whom had no known exposure to asbestos. The figures suggest that the French asbestos epidemic has not peaked. See: Amiante: Plus de 2.200 nouveaux cancers et 1.700 décès chaque année [Asbestos: More than 2,200 new cancers and 1,700 deaths each year].
Toronto’s Asbestos Policy
Jan 20, 2104
Asbestos remediation has cost the City of Toronto more than $5 million since 2010, as it has removed or encased asbestos in 185 of its buildings, according to information released under a freedom-of-information request. In 2014, the city spent $1million on asbestos decontamination of 23 buildings. The proactive municipal asbestos policy includes regular asbestos inspections, management protocols and measures to minimize hazardous occupational exposures during renovation, construction, demolition or maintenance work. See: City has dealt with nearly 200 asbestos concerns in public buildings since 2010.
Union Asbestos Campaign
Jan 19 2015
The UK’s Unite union has uploaded a range of resources on the asbestos hazard to raise awareness and prevent dangerous exposures to materials within the UK’s built environment. Union members who have been exposed to asbestos are asked to register with the union to protect their rights should they at some point develop an asbestos-related disease. In a union press release, Unite said: “Raising awareness about how to safely handle this killer substance is equally important. That is why our campaign is also about prevention… to help ensure that employers protect their employees from exposure to asbestos at work.” See: Unite Campaign on Asbestos Awareness.
Asbestos Victims Demand Justice
Jan 19, 2015
Shortly after news was released of the first personal injury asbestos lawsuit, reports are circulating of multiple cases of asbestos-related diseases in people who worked in or lived near asbestos processing factories in Colombia. Asbestos waste was given away for free by the owners of asbestos factories to community members for use in domestic properties. Asbestos has been used in Colombia for over 70 years and is still being used to produce roofing material, brake pads and textiles by various companies including Eternit Colombiana. Asbestos stakeholders deny there is any human risk from exposure to their products. See: Me declaro víctima de Eternit [I declare I am an Eternit victim].
First Case of Mesothelioma in Mongolia
Jan. 19, 2015
A case report has just been published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health that documents the first case of malignant mesothelioma in Mongolia. The forty-seven-year old female patient had worked at a thermal power plant in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for twenty-eight years. Due to the industrial history of asbestos use in Mongolia, the authors “expect additional cases of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos related diseases, will be identified in the future.” To identify affected patients, the authors are calling for the establishment of an asbestos-related disease registry. See: Mesothelioma in Mongolia: case report.
Malta’s Epidemic of Asbestos Cancer
Jan 19, 2015
The elevated incidence of asbestos cancer which has been documented in a recent publication by the Centre for the Study of Environmental Cancer - Italian League Against Cancer has made headline news in Malta. The media has reported that the age-specific incidence rate of malignant mesothelioma in Maltese men was amongst the highest in the world. According to interviews with asbestos specialists in Malta, a low rate of public awareness about the asbestos hazard continues, as a result of which hazardous exposures continue even though Malta has banned new use of asbestos. See: Malta with one of the world’s highest rates of asbestos-related cancer.
Remediation of Asbestos Town?
Jan 16, 2015
Geotechnical works undertaken by the Government of Western Australia (WA) will begin in a few months in Wittenoom, formerly the center of asbestos mining in WA, to provide vital information “for effective management and securing of the [asbestos] tailings.” The Pilbara ghost town has been designated as “not suitable for any form of human occupation” due to deadly levels of asbestos contamination generated by the operations of the blue asbestos mine from 1943 to 1966. Mine tailings were used in the construction of the town’s sports fields, playgrounds, roads and car parks. See: Wittenoom test pits bring town's fate closer.
Meeting the UK Asbestos Challenge
Jan 16, 2015
As a result of consultations with civil society stakeholders, Stephen Timms, the Shadow Minister of State for Employment, has announced a raft of proposals to address the UK asbestos legacy. In an interview published this week, Timms says a Labour Government will impose a standing levy on insurers to fund life-saving mesothelioma research and will devise a long-term strategy to remove asbestos from the national infrastructure. Highlighting the role played by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), he pledged that Labour would provide more funding to enable the HSE to effectively carry out its duties. See: Banging the health and safety drum.
Europe’s Asbestos Derogation
Jan 16, 2015
Responding to a Parliamentary Question by MEP Glenis Willmott, representing the East Midlands, European Commissioner of Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elzbieta Bienkowska has confirmed that a report by the European Chemicals Agency regarding the asbestos derogation for the use of chrysotile in diaphragms is being considered by two committees which are expected to deliver their opinions in 2015. Their opinions will inform the Commission’s decision about the continuation of the exemption. Votes on future action will be taken by the REACH Committee, the European Parliament and the European Council. See: Answer by Commissioner Bienkowska.
Wishful Thinking by James Hardie?
Jan 15 2015
Eagle-eyed journalists have reported an “oversight” on the New Zealand website of James Hardie (JH), formerly Australia’s biggest producer of asbestos building materials. The website has been sanitized, with mention of JH’s asbestos history and liabilities prominent by their absence from the online company history. When questioned over this omission, a JH spokesperson said: “The updated version of the site is inadvertently missing a link to the above content on our Investor Relations websites, which will be shortly restored.” JM started importing asbestos-cement to New Zealand in 1906 and in 1936 set up a factory in Auckland. See: James Hardie asbestos omission ‘inadvertent.’
Colombian Victims Demand Justice!
Jan 15 2015
Next month, Flor Cecilia Riaño will file a civil lawsuit in Bogotá against the former employer of her husband Luis Alfonso Mayorga, alleging that Eternit Colombiana S.A. was responsible for his death and that of his father from asbestos cancer. Rafael Mayorga worked at the Eternit asbestos factory in Soacha, a city south-west of the capital, between 1971 and 1980. He received no protection from the asbestos hazard and took dust home on his work clothes; he died in 2000. His son Luis Alfonso died in 2013. This is the first such lawsuit against Eternit in Colombia; many more are expected. See: Víctimas de asbesto exigen reparación [Asbestos Victims Demand Compensation].
No Justice for Dying Asbestos Miner
Jan 14, 2015
A technical loophole has prevented a former asbestos miner who is dying of malignant mesothelioma from obtaining compensation of $425,000 from mining giant Rio Tinto, even though a judge was “satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the plaintiff’s mesothelioma was caused by the negligence of the defendant.” (see: Verdict of Justice Peter Barr in the Supreme Court of NT). Claimant Zorko Zabic removed asbestos pipes when he worked for Rio Tinto at the Nhulunbuy aluminia refinery from 1974 until 1977. Mr. Zabic’s life expectancy is six months. See: Miner dying from asbestos poisoning denied compo.
Asbestos Scare after Fire
Jan 14, 2015
After a fire which destroyed a warehouse in the Dutch town of Wateringen on January 12, local people were told to stay indoors. Civic authorities advised residents of the two hundred houses in the area near the affected site not to go to school or work on January 13 because of the threat posed by asbestos released during the fire. An asbestos removal company was tasked with remediating the area bordering the warehouse, including gardens and streets. The official advice was for people to only use the cleaned areas and to avoid playgrounds until further notice. See: Asbestos fears shut Dutch town after fire.
The Asbestos in Schools Scandal
Jan 12, 2015
Frustrations over a 7-month delay in the release of a government report on asbestos in schools are detailed in a new commentary. In 2013, the Government announced it would review the management of asbestos in schools. A public consultation was held from January to March 2014; a report scheduled to be released in June 2014 has still not seen the light of day. Unanswered calls by trade unions and civil society campaigners for the immediate publication of this report are fuelling speculation about the government’s lack of commitment to remedy the scandal of asbestos in UK schools. See: How the coalition is failing to act on ‘time-bomb’ of asbestos in schools.
Asbestos Removal Bill for Navy
Jan 12, 2015
It has been estimated that the cost for decontaminating submarines belonging to the Royal Dutch fleet will cost many millions of euros. Today, news has been released that the Defence Department has costed the clean-up of the Zeeleeuw submarine at a million euros. According to the media, crew members have been exposed to hazardous asbestos fibers as a result of poorly handled maintenance and removal work. A TV program reported an incident of “incompetent removal” of a heating element which spread asbestos fibers via an air ventilation system. Remediation of three other submarines will be required in the coming years according to the Defence Department. See: Submarine asbestos cleanup could get pricey.
The Ties that Kill
Jan 10 2015
The Bangkok Post today reported the support of Thailand's industry minister Chakramon Phasukavanich for increased financial links with Russia, the country which supplies 80% of all asbestos imports to Thailand. From January to November 2014, Thailand purchased 525 million baht (US$16m) of Russian asbestos. Commenting on this trade, the Minister said: “If the use of asbestos is banned… the burden to replace all products that contain asbestos would fall on the government. This would require a lot of money.” In none of the countries that banned asbestos has this happened. See: Russia keen on closer ties.
Quebec’s Post-Asbestos Era
Jan 10, 2015
On Thursday, January 8, 2015, Laurent Lessard, a Member of Quebec’s National Assembly and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Regions, was presented by the Appalachian Economic Coordination Committee with a plan for the economic diversification of the Thetford area, one of Quebec’s former asbestos mining regions. The document calls for an investment of $120 million in a range of target areas, including education, infrastructure, promotion, food, research, manpower recruitment and health. See: Ère post-amiante dans la région de Thetford: des projets espérés de 120 M$ [Post-asbestos era in Thetford region: $120 million project].
Death of Mesothelioma Victim
Jan 9 2015
The South African Mail & Guardian has reported the death of mesothelioma victim Charlie Bruwer on Jan. 5, 2015, two weeks after the Occupational Compensation Fund approved his claim. This government fund is notorious for delays in processing claims and its bureaucratic processes; it has been investigated for fiscal irregularities. Although Mr. Bruwer’s claim was submitted in Oct. 2013, it took the involvement of lawyers and a high court judgment for him to obtain recognition of his legal entitlement. Because of the delay in receiving compensation, the victim was unable to access medical care which might have eased his symptoms. See: Asbestos payout came too late.
Proposal to Recoup Asbestos Costs
Jan 9, 2015
On January 7, 2015 a bill was presented by Stuart McMillan MSP to the Scottish Parliament which aims to recoup the costs of diagnosing and treating people with asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) from their former employers. McMillan informed Parliament that currently £20+ million is being spent on treating people with ARDs in Scotland. Commenting on this bill, a spokeswoman for the Glasgow-based campaigning group Clydeside Action on Asbestos predicted the consultation on this proposal, which is open till March 30, will receive negative input from insurers who could face a multi-million pound bill for these charges. See: Plans for NHS to recoup asbestos costs.
Court Voids Extrajudicial Agreement
Jan 9, 2015
A São Paulo court has issued a claimant’s verdict on behalf of the surviving family of a man who had worked for the Brazilian asbestos manufacturer Brasilit. The worker died in 2013 of mesothelioma after exposure at work during the 1970s. An extrajudicial agreement the family had signed with the company which paid them US$57,325 was “illegal,” according to Judge Luiz Felipe Sampaio Briseli who highlighted the company’s failure to provide a safe workplace environment and awarded $R900,000 (US$340,000) to the family. See: Família de ex-empregado vítima do amianto receberá R$ 900 mil de indenização [Family of former employee victim of asbestos will receive £900,000 compensation].
Environmental Contamination in Turkey
Jan 8 2015
The Health Ministry has announced that asbestos contamination is widespread in Turkey’s rural areas. Samples from 379 villages, some of which have populations of 150,000, showed high airborne levels of asbestos. The official response has been one of caution – evacuations are not required but measures should be implemented to minimize hazardous exposures to prevent thousands of future cancer cases. In Istanbul last month reports were circulating about the risk posed by unregulated demolition of asbestos-containing buildings See: Evacuation ruled out after asbestos alert.
Spain’s Asbestos Epidemic
Jan 8, 2015
A piece in today’s issue of the Catalan newspaper “El Punt Avui” (The Point Today) highlights the ongoing regional epidemic of asbestos-related disease. Experts who have litigated thousands of personal injury claims against Spanish asbestos producers report that the cases seen so far are the tip of the iceberg and that the incidence of disease is likely to increase until 2024. Those affected by deadly exposures include workers, relatives and members of the public who inhaled asbestos fibers via environmental exposures. Even though asbestos is banned in Spain, the health risk remains from asbestos-containing products within the national infrastructure. See: Sentenciats per l'amiant [Sentenced by asbestos].
Carcinogens Do Indeed Cause Cancer
Jan 8, 2015
Professor Annie Thebaud-Mony responded on January 7 to an article, published in the journal “Science,” on January 2, which said that, predominantly, bad luck caused cancer. Having analyzed the erroneous logic of authors Christian Tomasetti and Bert Vogelstein, Thebaud-Mony pointed out that eliminating exposure to carcinogens in the workplace, environment and homes can prevent the occurrence of cancer. The contentious study was partially funded by the Virginia & DK Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research, a fund set up by American billionaire and shipping magnate Daniel Ludwig. See: Non, le cancer n’est pas le fruit du hasard! [No, cancer is not a coincidence!].
Damage from Low Level Exposures
Jan 7, 2015
A paper in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine confirms the health risk posed by exposure to low levels of asbestos. Researchers followed up a cohort of 513 individuals who had been exposed to asbestos whilst working at a vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana: “Of 191 workers with available CT scans, 53 percent had asbestos-related changes of the tissue lining the lungs (pleura), while 13 percent had changes of the lung substance (parenchyma).” Abnormalities were present even in subjects whose exposures had been three to ten times less than today’s permitted standards. See: Low Levels of Libby Asbestos Exposure Linked to Lung Abnormalities.
Court Ordered Asbestos Phase-Out
Jan 6, 2014
On January 5, 2015, a ruling was published in the Brazilian state of Paraná which ordered that Multilit Cement, a company based in the state capital, phase out the use of asbestos in its manufacturing of tiles and water tanks within the next three years. Failure to comply with this directive will be punished by daily fines of R$ 50,000 (US$18,500+); the penalties will be paid to the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). New checks were mandated until the company is asbestos-free. See: Empresa é condenada a substituir amianto na fabricação de telhas e caixas d’água [Company is ordered to replace asbestos in the manufacture of tiles and water tanks].
Editorial Calling for Asbestos Ban
Jan 5, 2015
On January 4, 2015, the Bangkok Post issued a stinging rebuke to the Thai government for its failure in December 2014 to adopt a proposal by the Public Health Ministry to ban the use of asbestos. Having acknowledged the pro-ban stance of leading international agencies and the health risks posed by continued use, the article highlights the efforts of Professor Vithaya Kulsomboon, a leading anti-asbestos campaigner and member of the National Legislative Assembly. The fight by national vested interests to maintain the status quo is strengthened by international forces; it is suggested that trade links with Russia might be jeopardized by unilateral action. See: Asbestos inertia will cost lives.
Files Reveal Asbestos Skulduggery
Jan 3, 2015
A file just released by the Public Records Office in Belfast details pressure exerted by Turner and Newall, nicknamed the UK “Asbestos Giant,” on civil servants and officials to increase the use of asbestos-containing building materials in government projects. The provision of meals and trips by the company in 1969 seemed to effect a U-turn in government policy which benefited the company, according to memos and documents made public this week. Much of the communication disclosed relates to the operations of factories belonging to Turners Asbestos Cement Co. Ltd. in Ballyclare and Manchester. See: Government U-turn on killer asbestos after firm took officials out for lunch.
Illegal Asbestos Imports by Croatia
Jan 2, 2015
Although, under EU law, Croatia banned the use of asbestos, official data confirm that in the last three years thousands of tonnes of products containing white and blue asbestos were imported. Even when the toxic component of the products was declared, entry was permitted. According to a Croatian journalist, the duty of preventing the import of toxic material falls in a grey area between the Customs Administration (Ministry of Finance) and the Health Inspectorate (Ministry of Health), neither of which has acted to protect the population from the hazard. See: Santé publique: la Croatie, le cheval de Troie de l’amiante au sein de l’UE [Public health: Croatia, the EU’s Trojan asbestos horse].
Maritime Asbestos Legacy
Dec 31, 2014
In 2011, a 12,000-tonne vessel – the MV Miner – became stranded off the Nova Scotia coast en route from Turkey to Montreal. Last month, it was announced that the derelict ship contained 30 tonnes of asbestos, five times what the federal authorities had estimated. Other unwelcome discoveries, including the presence of 30,000 litres of diesel, have pushed the expected clean-up costs way over the original budget of $11.9m. Provincial authorities are calling on the federal government for logistical and financial assistance. See: Province seeks help from feds in clean-up of MV Miner off Scatarie Island.
Asbestos in Tsunami Reconstruction
Dec 29, 2014
An exposé published on Christmas Eve revealed that Australian funds used in post-tsunami reconstruction in Indonesia purchased asbestos-containing materials despite contractual stipulations that all acquisitions were to be asbestos-free. During 2005 to 2007, the toxic products were used in the ceilings, partition walls and eaves in new build schools, a warehouse and 90+ village halls in Aceh. Removal work was undertaken to decontaminate the affected premises and the toxic waste was dumped at designated sites; concerns, however, remain over the presence of asbestos in other constructions. See: Boxing Day tsunami: asbestos used in rebuilding effort funded by AusAid.
New Era in Fight for Asbestos Justice
Dec 27, 2014
Raffaele Guariniello, the Italian Prosecutor at the heart of criminal proceedings against former executives of the Eternit Asbestos Group, is progressing investigations related to the asbestos deaths of Italians employed by Eternit in Brazil. Research undertaken in conjunction with the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed has identified 40 Italian families which lost a member to asbestos disease as a result of toxic exposure in Brazil. Documents showing links between Eternit’s asbestos operations in Brazil and Italy could be crucial in establishing the judicial forum for future proceedings. See: Luta das vítimas do amianto ganha novo capítulo [The fight for asbestos victims starts a new chapter].
India’s Invisible Asbestos Victims
Dec 22, 2014
The legacy of asbestos mining operations in the Indian State of Jharkhand, in the northeast of the country, persists in the lungs of local people and in the environment. Recent tests showed that up to 14.3% of the soil content in the vicinity of mines was asbestos. Despite the high level of hazard this poses, government officials and industry representatives continue to deny responsibility for the high incidence of disease in the communities near the mine sites. A case is now being brought in the environment court to force the polluters to undertake decontamination work, compensate the injured and establish a fund for future victims. See: Forgotten asbestos mine sickens Indian villagers.
Asbestos Scandal Unfolds
Dec 22, 2014
On December 21, an article in the liberal newspaper Taraf detailed the unregulated demolition of asbestos-containing buildings throughout Istanbul as part of a huge urban regeneration program. According to the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning, it was not possible to obtain information about the presence of asbestos from the relevant municipalities; in the absence of this knowledge, preventive actions could not be taken. Politician Haluk Eyidogan, representing the Turkish opposition, is confronting the government over this issue; he pointed out that there is no facility in Turkey for the safe disposal or storage of asbestos waste. See: Urban demolitions spread asbestos as precautions forsaken.
Asbestos Conference: Proceedings
Dec 20, 2014
The annals of the International Day for Asbestos Victims has been published by ANDEVA, the French association which organized a series of events in 2012 including this symposium. Chapters of the English and French language texts can be downloaded separately or as one file from the ANDEVA website. The contents cover a wide range of subjects and geographical areas; the authors include grassroots campaigners, politicians, academics, medical professionals and epidemiologists from five continents. See: International Day for Asbestos Victims [Journée international des victims d’amiante].
Asbestos Prosecutions of Executives
Dec 22, 2014
On December 19, 2014, prosecutors in Northern Italy asked that thirty-three people be indicted over asbestos deaths at an Olivetti factory. Amongst those being charged of culpable homicide were high-profile businessmen and government ministers including Corrado Passera, Italy’s Minister of Transport and Industry from 2011 to 2013. The case concerns the suspicious deaths of 14 workers who had been employed from the 1960s to the 1990s at the company’s factory in Ivrea, near Turin. In 2012, Turin’s Court of Appeal had convicted executive Ottorino Beltrami of manslaughter under similar circumstances. See: Trial requested for 33 in Olivetti asbestos case.
Asbestos: Chapter 2
Dec 20, 2014
In an article in Le Monde this week, journalist Stephane Foucart referenced a “remarkable” new book by Professor Annie Thebaud-Mony entitled “Science Enslaved” (see: La Science asservie) which exposes links between science and industry. Thebaud-Mony highlighted the 2013 controversy over Paolo Boffetta, an Italian scientist who at that time was being considered for one of France’s highest scientific positions. Amongst the issues highlighted was the publication by Boffetta and his co-author of an article which declared “no conflicts of interest” when both authors were consultants to asbestos industrialists. See: Amiante, chapitre II [Asbestos, chapter 2].
Update on Victims’ Mobilization
Dec 20, 2014
As a result of continuing pressure exerted by Japanese asbestos victims’ groups, the Ministry of Labor disclosed the names of companies where asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) have been recognized as occupationally-caused. This information has been recorded by the victims’ groups on a database which can be consulted by the public. On December 18 and 19, the Japanese network of asbestos victims and their supporters operated a nationwide telephone consultation service for victims and their families. They received 200 calls. Japan has a high incidence of ARDs due to heavy use of asbestos. Asbestos was banned in phases, a full ban was reached in 2012. See: Japan Asbestos Profile.
Victory in New South Wales
Dec 19, 2014
Today (December 19), the New South Wales (NSW) Government has announced a crisis program similar to the one set up in Canberra for dealing with the issue of homes contaminated with loose fill “Mr Fluffy” asbestos insulation. A NSW taskforce is being established to implement a buy-back program which will draw on government funds to purchase and demolish contaminated properties. Immediate financial support is being made available to affected households through the “Make Safe” assistance package. It has been estimated that more than 5,000 homes could be affected. See: NSW government endorses asbestos inquiry and announces crisis package.
Asbestos Use Continues in Vietnam!
Dec 19, 2014
Media reports from Hanoi indicate that the status quo regarding the use of chrysotile (asbestos) will remain unchanged for the foreseeable future after a meeting in the capital on December 17 which was addressed by pro-asbestos lobbyists from Latin America and the U.S. Urging the adoption of a national ban, health experts from the Vietnam Government cited data from international agencies substantiating the proven risks of exposure to all types of asbestos. Despite the known hazard, the Vice Minister of Construction Nguyen Tran Nam said there remained a lack of “convincing evidence.” See: Vietnam to stick to white asbestos, despite cancer concern.
Contamination in New South Wales
Dec 17, 2014
A parliamentary inquiry today recommended that the Government of New South Wales (NSW) follow the example of the ACT government and buy back homes contaminated by “Mr. Fluffy” asbestos insulation. The joint parliamentary committee advised that a mandatory testing program be set up for at-risk homes to establish the number of properties affected. Having quantified the problem, a taskforce would develop and implement the buyback program with funding from both the NSW and federal governments. Committee Chair Reverend Fred Nile highlighted the urgency of the situation. See: Mr Fluffy asbestos: Parliamentary inquiry recommends NSW buyback, demolition scheme.
Asbestos in the Asia-Pacific Region
Dec 17, 2014
The latest issue of the Asian-Pacific Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety, published by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, is devoted to the subject of asbestos. The articles contained include detailed examinations of national asbestos legacies and discussions of the actions being taken by international agencies to tackle the ensuing public and occupational health crisis that asbestos use has created. Of particular interest is the article: The ticking time-bomb of asbestos consumption in the Asian region by Australian authors Matthew Soeberg and Nico van Zandwijk. See: Asbestos issue of the Asian-Pacific Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety.
Levels of Non-occupational Disease
Dec 16, 2014
A study on the incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in an Italian region where an asbestos factory was operational from 1932 to 1993, reports an elevated MM incidence for workers, family members and neighbors. Using data from the Lombardy Mesothelioma Registry, the scientists found 147 MM deaths, but only 38 of the victims had worked at the factory. The largest excess occurred in the towns of Broni and Stradella. The paper concludes that “half of the MM cases were attributable to environmental exposure, a quarter to occupational exposure, and a quarter to familial exposure.” See: Impact of asbestos cement factory on mesothelioma incidence.
Canada’s Asbestos Killer
Dec 15, 2014
Annual occupational asbestos deaths in Canada outstrip combined fatalities from highway accidents, fires and chemical exposures, according to figures produced by the federal government. Since 1996, asbestos has claimed 5,000 lives, making it Canada’s biggest occupational killer. Despite the death toll, the use and import of asbestos products remain legal in Canada, and the website of Health Canada plays down the asbestos hazard claiming that chrysotile (white) asbestos is “less potent” than other types and that there “is no significant health risk” if fibers are not inhaled. See: Data reveals asbestos is Canada’s top source of workplace death.
Government Acts over Judicial Fiasco
Dec 15, 2014
In the aftermath of the disastrous Supreme Court decision in a historic asbestos case, the Italian Government has announced that funding of €75m has been allocated to rehabilitate contaminated areas and provide support for asbestos victims whose exposure was environmental or para-occupational (from the asbestos on clothes brought home by family members). See: Il Governo assegna 75 milioni di euro per le bonifiche d’amianto a Casale Monferrato e Bagnoli [The Government allocates €75 million for the reclamation of asbestos in Casale Monferrato and Bagnoli].
Lung Cancer Test Case Appeal
Dec 14, 2014
On December 11, 2014, a High Court handed down the decision in an asbestos-related lung cancer test case. Under consideration was whether damages awarded for this type of injury were divisible under the rules laid down in the House of Lords’ decision in the Barker case. The deceased was employed by six defendants, all of whom admitted liability. Mr. Justice Jay found that “apportionment is the appropriate outcome in the present case…” An appeal is being pursued. According to one legal expert: “there is a strong possibility that whatever happens in the Court of Appeal the case will end up in the Supreme Court.” See: Heneghan v Manchester Dry Docks and others.
Asbestos in European Headquarters
Dec 13, 2014
Malta’s former Prime Minister Alfred Sant has led calls for an evacuation of the European Commission’s (EC) Luxembourg headquarters due to extensive asbestos contamination. Sant, now a Member of the European Parliament, has highlighted the risk posed by exposures to the 1,700 people who work at the EC’s Kirchberg offices in Luxembourg. The Jean Monnet building is owned by the “Fonds d'Urbanisme et d'Aménagement du Plateau du Kirchberg,” a public institution; the EC’s lease on this building runs out in 2014. See: Large amount of asbestos discovered in European Commission’s Luxembourg building.
National Asbestos Legacy
Dec 13, 2014
Scientists calculate that between 1975 and 2010, 6,037 people died from asbestos-related diseases in Spain. It has been predicted that between 2016 and 2020, 1,000+ Spaniards will die from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma; it is not known how many more deaths will take place due to asbestos-related lung cancer and cancers of the larynx and ovary. Unfortunately, few of the asbestos-injured succeed in getting their diseases recognized; between 2007 and 2011, 6.4% of male and 4.4% of female mesothelioma fatalities were recognized as occupational diseases by the authorities. See: Las víctimas dobles del amianto [Victims twice over].
Debate on Mesothelioma Research Funding
Dec 11, 2014
In another display of ignorance, Lord Faulks this week told the House of Lords: “It is absolutely not the case that there is insufficient funding for [mesothelioma] research. As I have said more than once, the case is that, at the moment, there is not a suitable number of applications for research. The funding is very much there.” The UK is now at the cutting edge of mesothelioma research with a number of clinical trials under way and others being planned. A UK bid to host the world’s premier meeting of mesothelioma researchers was won in October – the 2016 meeting of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group is to take place in Birmingham. See: House of Lords Debate December 9, 2014.
Asbestos Cancer Data Unrealistic
Dec 11, 2014
An ecologic study conducted of Brazilian mortality data established that between 1980 and 2010, there were 3,718 deaths from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Annual standardized mortality rate by age reached a maximum of 1.18 per million population in 2002, with the majority of deaths occurring in the Southeast. Considering that Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers and users of asbestos, there can be little doubt that these figures “do not reflect the true magnitude of the problem.” Specific actions are called for by the authors including improvements in medical training, capacity and diagnostic protocols and better surveillance measures. See: Mesothelioma Mortality Rate in Brazil, 1980 to 2010.
Fight to Ban Asbestos Continues
Dec 9, 2014
On December 10, 2014, government officials and civil servants will hear presentations by asbestos apologists sent to Vietnam to reassure decision makers that chrysotile asbestos can be used safely under “controlled conditions.” The industry propaganda they will be parroting was soundly condemned at a workshop (see: workshop photo) held last month in Hanoi the purpose of which was to develop a roadmap to ban asbestos in Vietnam. At the November meeting a spokesman for the Ministry of Health confirmed that asbestos was a health hazard and that cases of asbestos cancer had been diagnosed in Vietnam. See: Ban on asbestos use in Vietnam is urgent.
Ministerial Announcement on Mesothelioma
Dec 8, 2014
Following the defeat of draconian moves by the coalition government to marginalize mesothelioma victims earlier this year, Minister Shailesh Vara today confirmed to Parliament (see: Minister's statement) that the status quo will be maintained for mesothelioma claimants; this means that the no-win, no-fee regime will continue pending further review. Vara also told MPs that changes are being introduced to speed up compensation claims which include streamlining the processes for obtaining hospital medical records and information from HM Revenue and Customs needed for legal cases. See: New support for industrial disease victims.
Landmark Asbestos Conference
Dec 8, 2014
On November 5-7, 2014, as part of a series of events to raise awareness of asbestos hazards in Colombia, an Asbestos Conference was convened in Bogotá. On the second day of the conference, international speakers addressed a wide range of subjects; amongst them was Dr. Barry Castleman from the United States who spoke about Criminality and the Asbestos Industry. In his remarks, he highlighted the corrupting influence of asbestos industry representatives on the judicial, political and legislative processes in countries all over the world. This talk has been uploaded to YouTube with Spanish subtitles. It is well worth a look! See: Presentation by Dr Barry Castleman.
Earthquake Asbestos Hazard Report
Dec 8, 2014
A report just released by WorkSafe New Zealand into the management of the asbestos hazard by the Earthquake Commission (EQC) found significant flaws in the oversight process. An analysis of the work of contractors engaged to undertake home repairs following the 2011 Canterbury earthquake established that there had been: a widespread lack of asbestos awareness, failure to properly assess sites and inappropriate and dangerous working practices. Although the EQC’s safety system and management of the asbestos risk were inadequate, experts are quoted as saying that the risk to workers and the public remained low. See: Asbestos risk 'very low' in quake repairs: Worksafe.
Battle to Ban Asbestos
Dec 7, 2014
A feature in the Bangkok Post on November 30, 2014 detailed the country’s ongoing battle over the future of the country’s asbestos industry. Despite a 2011 pledge given by the Cabinet to ban asbestos, no steps have been taken to implement prohibitions. The stakes are high and the opposition of vested interests to a ban remains fierce. Last month’s international asbestos conference in Bangkok was gatecrashed by the managing director of one of Thailand’s biggest asbestos manufacturers. Despite the aggressive stance of the Thai asbestos lobby, the Industry Ministry has introduced a new bill to ban asbestos in order to protect public and occupational health. See: The battle to ban asbestos.
On-board Asbestos Hazard
Dec 7, 2014
Despite the fact that the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea declared in 2002 that all new ships should be asbestos-free, maritime experts report that the vast majority of vessels are still being constructed with asbestos. As a result of confusion over documentation required to verify that a ship is free from the asbestos risk, decisions often taken by national authorities and shipowners continue to put maritime workers at risk. Experts recommend that build contracts should include a clause stating that ‘asbestos-free’ means 0% and that an asbestos absence certificate be issued by an independent ISO 17020 accredited asbestos specialist. See: 85% of new ships still contain asbestos.
Government Mesothelioma Scheme
Dec 6, 2014
A press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that in the first seven months of operations the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme Levy 2014 paid out £15 million. Urging victims to come forward, the DWP predicted that a further £32 million could be disbursed by this insurance industry-funded scheme by March 2015. The average sum of compensation being paid is £125,000. Eligible claimants include sufferers of diffuse mesothelioma diagnosed after July 25, 2012 and surviving families who can’t trace a liable employer or an employers’ insurer. See: £32 million of compensation available for victims of asbestos related cancer.
Test Case Lodged in Canberra
Dec 6, 2014
Lawyers representing mesothelioma victim Chris Georgiou are suing the Federal Government in the New South Wales Dust Diseases Tribunal in a landmark legal case. Mr. Georgiou’s team has alleged that the Government was negligent in failing to prevent the installation of highly toxic asbestos insulation in homes and failed to warn residents of the health dangers. Previously to his purchasing the Canberra house in 1978, it had been insulated with loose fill amosite asbestos sold under the trade name of “Mr Fluffy.” See: Mr Fluffy: Homeowner with mesothelioma brings landmark case against Commonwealth over asbestos in his roof.
Campaign to Outlaw Killer Fiber
Dec 5
Following the death of her husband Thom, Deidre vanGerven has devoted herself to the campaign to rid New Zealand of asbestos. Thom’s exposure to the deadly fiber took place during his employment as a refractory bricklayer. Seventeen years after his passing, New Zealand has still not banned asbestos imports. This is something that Deidre cannot understand and cannot tolerate. She has reached out to civil society stakeholders at home and abroad to demand that action be taken. Despite an entrenched national policy of denial, Deidre persists in her attempts to have asbestos banned and achieve justice for the injured. See: Gran versus the killer asbestos.
National Tribunal Condemns Mining
Dec 5, 2014
Last month, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) castigated India’s Environment Ministry (MoEF) for failing to adequately respond to charges related to the continued mining of asbestos in India. An affidavit filed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) did not address the NGT’s questions about “what steps have been taken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests or any other authority of the State… (regarding whether) any asbestos mining was being carried on in any part of the State or not.” On December 23, further consideration will be given to this matter. See: Asbestos mining: NGT raps MoEF for vague response.
Court Upholds Jail Sentences
Dec 1, 2014
On November 21, 2014, Italy’s Supreme Court upheld the manslaughter convictions of Luciano Lemetti, Giuseppe Cortesi and Antonio Cipponeri for the asbestos-related deaths of 37 shipyard workers from Fincantieri. When the former executives were convicted in 2012, they were given prison sentences ranging from thirty-two months to four years. The prison sentences were slightly reduced by the Court of Cassation which upheld compensation payments awarded by the Court to relatives, the metalworkers’ union, the INAIL workmen’s compensation fund and an environmental group. See: Fincantieri asbestos convictions upheld – update.
Call for Ban in Latin America
Dec 1, 2014
Italian researchers have estimated the level of asbestos-related occupational cancer in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, the Latin American countries that are or have been the highest asbestos consumers in the region, using World Health Organization mortality data. They calculated that the 5 year incidence of deaths for “mesothelioma and for lung, larynx, and ovary cancers attributable to occupational asbestos exposures, were respectively 735, 233, 29, and 14 for Argentina; 340, 611, 68, and 43 for Brazil; 255, 97, 14, and 9 for Colombia, and 1075, 219, 18, and 22 for Mexico.” See: Occupational Burden of Asbestos-related Cancer in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.
International Mesothelioma Congress 2016
Nov 5, 2014
At the November 5, 2014 meeting of the Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group, Laurie Kazan-Allen informed MPs and delegates that the UK had won the bid to host the 2016 meeting of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG), a premier organization for researchers, clinicians and scientists working on mesothelioma issues. The official announcement said that the “meeting will address the entire patient pathway and look beyond the scientific topics alone.” The feedback received after the House of Commons meeting was positive; there was a great deal of enthusiasm about how stakeholders could take part in the proceedings and encourage participation. See: IMIG 2016 announcement.
NGO Discloses Hospital Scandal
Nov 5, 2014
Asbestos contamination in hospitals in the UK, France and Australia has caused asbestos-related disease amongst nurses, doctors and hospital workers. New research by the Seoul-based Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health has confirmed that samples of ceiling tiles taken in October 2014 from 16 general hospitals in Korean provincial towns including Busan, Daegu, Gwangju tested positive for contamination with white (chrysotile) and brown (amosite) asbestos. The researchers found that the tiles exceeded permissible levels by up to 70 times. See: Asbestos found in 16 provincial hospitals.
New Asbestos Debate in Colombia
Nov 4, 2014
For decades the asbestos lobby has maintained a stranglehold on Colombia’s debate on asbestos. This week, a series of presentations and discussions will allow new opinions to be voiced detailing the national legacy of asbestos mining, processing and consumption. Experts from Latin America, North America and Europe will present research findings and update delegates on state-of-the-art technologies which are both cost effective and safer. The ethics of using asbestos profits to fund art collections will be considered. This initiative has been organized by ban asbestos campaigners in collaboration with academic institutions, scientific, medical and technical experts. See: Asbestos: Art, Science and Policy.
Mesothelioma Incidence in Vietnam
Nov 4, 2014
The absence of data on asbestos cancers is often used as proof that this carcinogen can be used safely under controlled conditions. Vietnam is a major consuming country which, despite the development of alternative technologies, has not banned asbestos. Research reported at an asbestos cancer conference in October 2014, documented 148 cases of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in Vietnam. The authors believe this figure is “likely to underestimate the true number of incident cases…” See: Estimating the incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Vietnam: a pilot descriptive population-based cancer registry study.
New Occupational Cancer Campaign
Nov 3, 2014
At a Parliamentary event on November 3 a campaign by the Institute of Occupational Health (IOSH) was launched to reduce the incidence of occupational cancers. In the UK, workplace exposures account for 8,000 deaths a year of which half are due to the “biggest work cancer killer, asbestos.” The Health and Safety Executive estimates that 1.8 million Britons remain at risk of occupational exposure to asbestos; although, the majority of those at high risk are construction or maintenance workers or tradespeople, people working in older buildings such as department stores, schools and hospitals are also at risk. See: No Time to Lose.
Another Asbestos Scandal Unfolding
Nov 3, 2014
It seems that not a day goes by without another asbestos scandal hitting the press in Australia. A program broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation revealed warnings by trade unionists and lawyers about the presence of deteriorating and friable asbestos-containing products in hospitals throughout the country. Commenting on the situation, one expert said: “Wherever there was heat, wherever there was steam, there was asbestos.” Contamination has been identified in two major Sydney hospitals: Westmead and Royal North Shore. See: Hospitals in Australia riddled with asbestos and pose serious health risk, union officials say.
Asbestos in Talcum Powder Warning
Nov 2, 2014
Following extensive research undertaken in three U.S. laboratories, public health experts have issued warnings about the hazards of using talcum powder products contaminated with asbestos. A year of testing has established that the deadly contaminant can find its way into lung tissue and thereby create a risk of asbestos cancer. The study, which was published online in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health in October, 2014, substantiates the theory that some ovarian cancers are due to exposure to asbestos in talcum-based products. See: Study: Cosmetic talc products carry asbestos peril.
Cancer Spike near Brisbane Factory?
Nov 1, 2014
Another asbestos scandal has made its way into the Australian media. After several secret settlements of asbestos cancer cases, news is emerging of a high incidence of disease amongst people who lived near a former asbestos-cement factory in the Brisbane suburb of Gaythorne. The Wunderlich plant, which operated from 1936 to 1983, spewed contaminated air and dumped asbestos waste in the neighborhood. Queensland’s Minister of Health has announced that investigators will review medical records of asbestos cancer patients linked to local addresses. See: Investigation into links between asbestos-related cancers and Brisbane suburbs near factories.
Scientists Call for Global Ban
Nov 1, 2014
In a recently published paper, scientists analyse national asbestos data and conclude that the majority of the global asbestos-related disease burdens is carried by Europe as a result of heavy asbestos consumption during the 20th century. The authors raise concerns about future asbestos mortality in countries still using asbestos and warn that “attempts to reduce exposure without a concurrent reduction in overall use are insufficient to control risk; asbestos bans should be in place in all countries to eliminate asbestos-related disease.” Summaries of this paper are available in five languages. See: Asbestos: use, bans and disease burden in Europe.
Asbestos Event in Colombia
Oct 31, 2014
A seven-minute promotional video to raise public awareness of a landmark series of meetings due to take place next week in Bogota is now available for viewing online. The footage includes information about the asbestos hazard as well as interviews with experts from the U.S., Chile and Colombia who are scheduled to take part. Also in this feature are segments from an interview with Dr. Maria Neira of the World Health Organization (WHO) who reasserts the WHO’s position on asbestos. She clearly states that the best way to reduce asbestos-related diseases is to end the consumption of all types of asbestos. See: Promocional Asbesto [Asbestos Promotion].
No Swiss Fund for Asbestos Victims!
Oct 30, 2014
Today (October 30, 2014), an announcement has been made that the Swiss Government does not intend to establish a fund to compensate asbestos victims. Despite campaigns by trade unionists and victims, the Government maintains that the responsibility for compensating the injured remains with negligent corporations and the Swiss insurance system. Following a European Court ruling, the government will, however, increase the statute of limitations for personal injury cases to allow for the long latency periods of asbestos diseases. See: Pas de fonds public pour les victimes de l'amiante [No public funding for asbestos victims].
New UK Asbestos Cancer Data
Oct 29, 2014
An HSE publication released today entitled Health and Safety Statistics Annual Report for Great Britain 2013/2014 highlights the devastating impact of asbestos exposures on the health of British citizens. Amongst key statistics cited are: 2,535 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures occurred in 2012; more than half of all occupational lung cancer deaths are caused by mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer; 2,145 new cases of mesothelioma were assessed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit in 2013 compared with 2125 in 2012. See: HSE Statistics eBulletin – October 2014.
Revisions to Asbestos Guidelines
Oct 29, 2014
On October 24, 2014, the Hong Kong Government issued a revised Code of Practice (CoP) for Safety and Health at Work with Asbestos which was required following the implementation in April 2014 of the Hong Kong asbestos ban. According to an official spokesperson: “The amended Regulation bans (a) asbestos spraying; (b) the use of asbestos-containing insulations; and (c) works with amphibole and chrysotile asbestos, except asbestos removal or disposal works.” The revised CoP can be downloaded from the a government website See: Revised Code of Practice for Safety and Health at Work with Asbestos issued today.
Government Acts on Asbestos Scandal
Oct 28, 2014
The Australian Federal Cabinet has announced today that a $1 billion loan is being given to the Canberra government to demolish 1,021 asbestos-contaminated homes in the capital. This news will come as a huge relief to people whose homes are now viewed as death traps due to the presence of “Mr. Fluffy” insulation which was sprayed in these properties 50 years ago. In the 1980s and 1990s the Commonwealth spent $100m on remediation and declared the homes safe; unfortunately, despite their efforts, the hazard persisted. See: Over a thousand homes to be demolished to end “Mr Fluffy” asbestos crisis.
Claimant Wins at Supreme Court
Oct 27, 2014
On October 22, the UK’s Supreme Court ruled that lorry driver Percy McDonald was entitled to compensation from the occupiers of Battersea Power Station even though they were not his employer. Whilst Mr. McDonald was collecting loads from Battersea, he would visit the turbine halls; the defendants labelled his exposure as that of “a mere spectator” or “sightseer.” The landmark judgment will allow people exposed to asbestos while working for another employer to claim compensation from the owners of the factory where their exposure took place. See: Supreme Court victory for mesothelioma sufferers: Asbestos cancer victims can apply for compensation.
Failure to Recognize Asbestos Cancers
Oct 25, 2014
A paper published last week detailed a gross under-recognition of asbestos cancers in Spain. When mortality rates of mesothelioma and lung cancer were compared in Spain and the EU, it was discovered that over 93% of cases had not been acknowledged. “In Europe for the year 2000, asbestos-related occupational cancer rates ranged from 0.04 per 105 employees in Spain to 7.32 per 105 employees in Norway.” The authors called on the authorities to take action to investigate cases of these diseases being treated by the Spanish Healthcare System. See: Asbestos-related occupational cancers compensated under the Spanish National Insurance System, 1978-2011.
Government to Settle Asbestos Claims
Oct 23, 2014
A Japanese Minister apologized on October 21, 2014 for deaths caused by asbestos exposure and announced that following the Supreme Court ruling of October 9, 2014, the government is anxious to settle claims brought by the injured and surviving family members. Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki told a press conference that offers will be made to settle the lawsuit pending in the Osaka High Court related to exposures at asbestos factories in the Sennan area between 1958 and 1971. See: Gov't to promptly settle Osaka High Court asbestos suit.
Tests Reveal High Contamination Levels
Oct 19, 2014
The Montparnasse Tower is an iconic 1970s skyscraper which is a Paris landmark. It has been much in the news over allegations of widespread asbestos contamination. Although asbestos removal work has been ongoing in the building since 2005, the tower is still in use. Le Figaro newspaper commissioned tests on October 7 & 8 which showed a concentration of 15.3 fibers per liter air; in France, the permissible limit is 5 fibers per liter. The buildings’ owners have responded to this revelation by issuing a complaint over the newspaper’s “malicious act.” See: Amiante dans la Tour Montparnasse [Asbestos in the Montparnasse Tower].
Mesothelioma Funding Call by NIHR
Oct 17, 2014
The UK’s National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) has issued a funding call for UK clinical and applied health research into mesothelioma. Eligible proposals would include work on “any aspect of mesothelioma, its prevention, earlier diagnosis, treatment or care (including palliative care) – where there are likely to be benefits for patients or their families, within 5 years of the end of the research.” An emphasis on patient input will be a crucial part of all proposals. See: NIHR Themed Calls: Mesothelioma.
Earthquakes and Asbestos: Bad Mix!
Oct 17, 2014
New Zealand’s asbestos policy is, by all accounts, not fit for purpose. Various ministers have repeatedly refused to act on the fact that there is no national ban on asbestos imports and use. As a result of government inaction, awareness of the asbestos hazard is low. This ignorance has exacerbated the problems caused by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake which has left many buildings in disrepair. A campaign targeting small contractors and the DIY community is being launched by the Combined Health and Environment Risks Programme Control Group to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard. See: Campaign highlights asbestos risk in Christchurch rebuild.
Failure to Diagnose Asbestos Disease
Oct 17, 2014
Research presented by UK scientists at a German conference reported that a proportion of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) cases may be linked with asbestos exposure. An analysis of mortality rates for IPF, asbestosis and mesothelioma across England and Wales for the period 1974 to 2012 showed geographical correlations between the three diseases. This, suggested the scientists, supported the theory that a proportion of IPF cases are due to unknown exposure to asbestos. If this connection had been known it is likely that those affected would have received treatment for an asbestos disease. See: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) cases linked with asbestos exposure.
Court Victory for Asbestos Victim
Oct 15, 2014
Brasilit, a subsidiary of Saint Gobain Construction Products Industrial Brazil Ltda., has been found guilty by a regional labor court of an asbestos injury sustained by a deceased engineer and ordered to pay “moral damages” to his family. An extrajudicial agreement previously signed by the claimant, and by many other Brasilit asbestos victims, in which they gave up the right to sue the company in return for a paltry settlement was disregarded by the Court. See: Empregado contaminado com Amianto recebe indenizacao por danos morais [Employee with asbestos disease receives compensation for moral damages].
Diagnosing Asbestos-related Diseases
Oct 14, 2014
Asbestos, asbestosis, and cancer, the Helsinki criteria for diagnosis and attribution 2014: recommendations, which has appeared online, details the discussions and conclusions of a meeting of experts which took place in February 2014. The text summarizes current information on the methods for managing and eliminating asbestos-related diseases and delineates a criteria – the Helsinki Criteria – “for use in programs and practices for the detection, diagnosis and attribution of asbestos-related diseases.” See: Asbestos, asbestosis, and cancer, the Helsinki criteria for diagnosis and attribution 2014: recommendations.
Victoria Asbestos Scandal Unfolds
Oct 13, 2014
On Sunday (October 12), the results of a five-month investigation were published in an Australian newspaper. “White Death in a Melbourne Suburb” documented a cancer epidemic amongst people who lived within one kilometre of the Sunshine North Wunderlich asbestos factory. The factory was originally owned by the German Wunderlich brothers but was run from 1969 to 1977 by CSR, the owners of the Wittenoom crocidolite asbestos mine. CSR is responsible for the liabilities of the factory during both the Wunderlich and CSR periods of management. See: Wunderlich asbestos scare prompts calls to Slater and Gordon.
Calls for Asbestos Ban
Oct 11, 2014
A report in the Thai media today details the support of the Federation of Occupational Health, Safety and Environment at Work, a member of the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network, for an immediate and comprehensive ban on the use of asbestos in Thailand. The consortium of groups calling for a ban reacted positively to a 2011 statement by the Thai cabinet supporting this action but nothing productive has been achieved due to political roadblocks since then. Industry’s dire predictions regarding the economic impact of a ban are groundless say critics as the cost of asbestos and non-asbestos roofing are the same. See: Work group promotes asbestos ban.
National Asbestos Awareness Campaign
Oct 10, 2014
After a wait of nearly four years, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard amongst at-risk tradesman. On October 9, the HSE reported that “Tradespeople, including construction workers, carpenters and painters and decorators, could come into contact with deadly asbestos on average more than 100 times a year…” There is a widespread lack of awareness amongst tradespeople who, on average, are dying at the rate of 20 per week from asbestos-related diseases. See: 1.3 million tradespeople at risk from dangers of asbestos.
All Asbestos is Carcinogenic!
Oct 9, 2014
On October 7, 2014, as a result of collaborations by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, all types of asbestos, including chrysotile (white) asbestos, were added to Brazil’s List of Human Carcinogens. This major advance underlines the fallacious industry argument that chrysotile is a non-toxic substance essential for developing economies. It constitutes an acknowledgement by Brazil of the asbestos threat and as such will drive forward the momentum for a national ban. See: Portaria Interministerial confirma amianto como cancerígeno [Interministerial ordinance confirms asbestos as a carcinogen].
Failed Attack by Asbestos Lobby
Oct 7, 2014
Union leaders derailed an attack by the Association of Chrysotile Industries (CIC) on plans to lower asbestos threshold limit exposure levels in the Philippines. A CIC representative attended a working group meeting tasked with finalizing the National Programme for the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases this month. Citing industry propaganda, he asserted that chrysotile (asbestos) was not toxic. His arguments were countered by medical and union experts. In a trade union press release, it was noted that in August 2014 CIC representatives enjoyed a visit to Brazil’s asbestos mine at the expense of the Eternit asbestos company. See: Trade Union press release.
Dialogue on Asbestos Risk
Oct 6, 2014
On October 4, two films were shown in Bangkok which highlighted the asbestos hazard. One was a documentary, entitled Dust: The Great Asbestos Trial, about Italy’s epidemic of asbestos disease and death; the other was a 10 minute film detailing the health risk posed by the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos in Thailand. The films were also viewable via an internet link. After the showing, there was a seminar held by the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (see photo: T-BAN supporters) during which experts substantiated the hazard asbestos poses and called for an immediate ban. An asbestos lobbyist said that chrysotile asbestos did not present a health hazard. The event was covered by Thai TV.
10 Year Anniversary Marked in Tokyo
Oct 4, 2014
The tenth anniversary of the Japan Association of Mesothelioma and Asbestos-related Disease Victims and Their Families is being marked today at an international gathering in Tokyo attended by Japanese, Korean and Indonesian campaigners. A new video has been produced for this occasion. The first 1.43 minutes is a message (in Japanese) from an asbestos victim hospitalized in Hokkaido who is unable to join the activities. The rest of the 32 minute video is a touching tribute to the thousands of Japanese victims and supporters who have revolutionized their country’s asbestos dialogue. This film is highly recommended. See: Anniversary Video.
Mesothelioma Treatment Report
Oct 3, 2014
Data drawn from 8,700 patients diagnosed with mesothelioma in the UK between 2008 and 2012 has been published in a report issued in September 2014 entitled: National Lung Cancer Audit Report Mesothelioma. The text highlights the level of variation in diagnosis, treatment and survival for mesothelioma by geographical area in England and Wales and across cancer networks. While the majority of patients are having their diagnoses confirmed by biopsy and are being treated by multi-disciplinary teams, there are still a significant number who are not receiving the support needed. There is much of interest in this report. See: National Lung Cancer Audit Report Mesothelioma.
Ban Asbestos Campaign
Oct 2, 2014
Campaigners from the Mexican association of Ayuda Mesotelioma, A.C. have uploaded an online petition calling on the Government to ban the use of all types of asbestos including chrysotile. The petition states that: “To allow the manufacture of asbestos in our country is a violation of human rights,[and] a threat to the health of workers and the environment.” There are more than 1,800 asbestos-processing factories in Mexico where workers are hazardously exposed to asbestos on a routine basis. As a result, there is an established rise in the incidence of asbestos-related disease and mortality. Consequently, government healthcare costs are also increasing. See: Ban Asbestos in Mexico Petition.
Judgment in Landmark Case
Oct 1, 2014
On October 2, 2014, Honourable Mr Justice William Davis will hand down his verdict in a case of pivotal importance to UK mesothelioma victims. At stake, is the legality of the Government’s collusion with British insurers to impose legal reforms which would disadvantage mesothelioma claimants in order to minimize corporate liabilities. During legal proceedings on July 29 and 30, 2014, a Secret Heads of Agreement between the Government and the Association of British Insurers was submitted in evidence which showed, so critics alleged, that a “secret deal” had been done. See: Press Release by Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK.
Mobilization in Asbestos Heartland
Sep 30, 2014
For decades a code of silence prevented people in the asbestos company town of Kapelle-op-den-Bos from speaking out about the epidemic killing employees and local people. A manifestation of how much has changed in recent years was the public rally on Sunday, September 28 in the center of the town which was attended by over 500 people. Participating in the activities were friends and family of Willy Vanderstappen, a politician and activist who died in 2007 of asbestos cancer. During the event, a check for €1000 was presented to Eric Jonckheere, President of ABEVA (the Belgian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed), who grew up in Kapelle-op-den-Bos.
Asbestos Tax Scandal
Sep 30, 2014
It has been reported that James Hardie (JH), formerly Australia’s asbestos giant, has “over the last decade paid an average of $0 in corporate tax in Australia… on average annual profits of $204 million…” Even as JH continues to pay generous dividends to shareholders, its compensation scheme for asbestos victims is in danger of defaulting on payments due to underfunding; there is talk of a government bailout. Commenting on the situation, Senator Nick Xenophon said: “When it comes to contributing their fair share, it seems James Hardie are leaners not lifters.” See: James Hardie 'paid an average of $0' in corporate tax over past decade.
Mesothelioma Research Findings
Sep 29, 2014
Research findings presented at the conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Madrid have questioned the efficacy of treating patients with high-dose radiotherapy after chemotherapy and surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Prof Rolf A. Stahel, President of the European Society for Medical Oncology, reported the findings of a Swiss study which failed “to find any differences in relapse-free survival between patients treated with the additional radiotherapy, and those who were not.” Another paper discussed the possibilities of targeting a protein produced by mesothelioma cells. See: ESMO 2014 Press Release: Studies Report New Findings on Treatment Options for Mesothelioma.
New Technology Tracks Asbestos Waste
Sep 26, 2014
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) of New South Wales, Australia has announced the development of technology which will allow smartphones or tablet applications to track the origins of dumped asbestos waste. The app works by scanning a barcode attached to plastic-wrapped asbestos waste. The barcode contains information such as the size or weight of the material, who it has been given to, and when and where it is going to be dumped. It is expected to be made available early next year to local councils which are fighting a war against asbestos dumpers. See: Electronic tracking traces illegally dumped tyres, asbestos.
Multimillion Dollar Screw Up by EPA
Sep 26, 2014
Yesterday (September 25) a report was published which seriously criticized the (US) Environment Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to uphold standards in its experimentation with alternative methods for dealing with asbestos contained in buildings due for demolition. Not only was the public put at risk but the data produced by the mismanaged tests was useless said the Office of the Inspector General. The controversial research program cost $3.5 million and was carried out between 1999 and 2011. A multiplicity of failings were identified in the report which concluded that the new techniques had not worked as well as traditional methods. See: Watchdog faults EPA on failed asbestos tests.
Contamination After Road Crash
Sep 25, 2014
On the morning of September 24, 2014, two trucks collided in the state of São Paulo causing traffic delays and toxic contamination after asbestos fiber had been liberated in the accident. The Fire Department cordoned off the area and took charge of overseeing decontamination work. Although asbestos is banned in the State of São Paulo (SP) the company that owns the cargo, SAMA mining (part of the Eternit group), routinely transports its asbestos on the public highways en route to SP ports. See: Carga de amianto cai em vicinal após choque entre caminhões em Olímpia [Asbestos cargo on road after truck collision].
Asbestos Prosecutions of Olivetti Execs
Sep 25, 2014
The public prosecutor has confirmed that criminal charges are being brought for the asbestos-related deaths of 20 former Olivetti employees against five former company executives who are alleged to have failed in their duty to protect the Italian workforce from the asbestos hazard. The deaths from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma occurred between 2008 and 2014 and relate to people who worked for the company in the 1970s and 1990s. See: Chiusa l'inchiesta sull'amianto all'Olivetti, tra gli indagati De Benedetti e Passera [The asbestos investigation at Olivetti, among the suspects De Benedetti and Passera].
War on Asbestos
Sep 24, 2014
The French Government has declared war on asbestos, a carcinogen pervasive throughout the built environment contaminating 3 millions homes as well as civic buildings, factories, stores, schools and hospitals. On September 23, 2014, at a Congress held by the French Association of Low Income Housing, Housing Minister Sylvia Pinel announced the allocation of €400 million (US$514m) per year for the removal of asbestos from public housing. Low interest loans of up to €10,000 per unit will be made available to organizations owning public housing for remediation work. See: Amiante et HLM: le plan a minima du gouvernement [Asbestos and Social Housing: Government Plan].
Priority Asbestos Remediation
Sep 24, 2014
The Israeli Government has allocated a sum of US$4 million (NIS15m) for the replacement of asbestos-containing roofing as part of an unprecedented five-year US$545m (NIS2 billion) socioeconomic package for the south of the country. Accepting that asbestos roofs damaged by rocket fire are a human health hazard, the Government has prioritized their removal within this plan. According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, the asbestos producer will be required to pay for half of the asbestos remediation in Galilee. See: NIS45m. allocated for asbestos treatment, waste rehabilitation in the South.
Treatments for Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Sep 24, 2014
An academic paper published this month by researchers in the United States considers the efficacy of traditional and novel treatments for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Although effective, some of the newer treatments have complication rates ranging from 30% to 46%. Consequently, there is growing interest in identifying molecular targets such as sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) which regulates the production of sphingosine-1-phosphate, a biologically active lipid implicated in various cancers including malignant mesothelioma” and developing targeted therapies. See: Advances in the management of peritoneal mesothelioma.
Vigil for Asbestos Sufferers
Sep 23, 2014
A vigil for justice for mesothelioma sufferers was held on the second day of the 2014 Labour Party conference (September 22). Monday lunchtime, victims, relatives and members of asbestos victims’ support groups were joined in front of the conference center by MPs including: Jim Sheridan, Kate Green, Simon Danczuk, Jonathan Reynolds, Debbie Abrahams, Graham Stringer, Jimmy Hood, Hugh Bayley, Andy Slaughter, Stephen Twigg, Russell Brown, Steve Rotheram and Bill Esterson. (see: group photo). Jim Sheridan, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group, and Kate Green, Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions, supported calls for a fairer regime for victims.
Awareness Campaign Wins Award
Sep 23, 2014
At a gala evening in Madrid last night (September 22), a national Australian asbestos awareness campaign won the prestigious Public Service Campaign Award of Distinction in the 2014 Global Alliance COMM PRIX Public Relations and Communication Management Awards For Excellence against stiff competition from world public relations and communication management campaigns conducted in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The creators of “Don’t Play Renovation Roulette – Asbestos Awareness Week 2012” are Clare and Alice Collins (see: photo), a mother and daughter public relations team based in Sydney, Australia. See: Media Release.
Calls for Asbestos Ban in Pakistan
Sep 20, 2014
A one-day national stakeholders conference was held in Lahore, Pakistan by the Building and Wood Workers’ Trade Union and its affiliates on September 3, 2014 to progress efforts to ban asbestos. The keynote speaker was Zahoor Awan, Secretary General of the Pakistan Workers Federation. Other eminent speakers included national labor leaders, international experts and representatives of asbestos victims. BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson told delegates: “Asbestos kills, it is a danger to the workers, their families and the communities…” The delegates unanimously agreed a declaration calling for an asbestos ban in Pakistan. See: BWI supports Ban Asbestos Campaign in Pakistan.
Contamination of Irish Fleet
Sep 20, 2014
After toxic asbestos materials had been found aboard Irish naval vessels the LÉ Ciara, LÉ Orla, LÉ Aoife, LÉ Eithne and LÉ Aisling, a fleet-wide survey was ordered. Investigations began on September 1, 2014 and are expected to take some weeks. In addition, the Naval Service has trained personnel in asbestos awareness and advised on low risk remediation of asbestos-containing materials. Defence Minister Simon Coveney has pledged that “medical concerns were and will continue to be addressed and a contracted civilian medical advisor on asbestos-related illness has provided briefs to all staff.” See: Fleet-wide check under way after asbestos found on Naval ships.
Asbestos and Education: A Bad Mix!
Sep 20, 2014
The Free University of Brussels is riddled with asbestos. Last week journalists were allowed to accompany labor inspectors surveying one of its campuses, along with trade unionists and asbestos experts. Within the university as a whole, it has been estimated that there are 7,000 places where asbestos-containing products are present. The university’s budget would need to be trebled for this public health crisis to be adequately managed. Results of the survey are due out shortly. See: Amiante: l'inspection du travail en visite à l'ULB à la demande des syndicats [Asbestos: labor inspection visits ULB at the request of the unions].
Asbestos Challenges: Debate Continues
Sep 18, 2014
A September 15, 2014 article in La República, the Colombian equivalent of the Wall Street Journal, examines moves to develop asbestos markets in emerging economies; the author discusses industry techniques including the use of “mercenary” scientists to produce junk research that “proves” that white (chrysotile) asbestos is safe. In 2012 and 2013 Colombia imported 25,164 and 15,961 tons of asbestos respectively. Available figures for 2014 show a decline in asbestos import levels; this is partially explained by the restarting of asbestos mining operations in Yarumal (Antioquia), Colombia. See: Historias del asbesto, de lo económico a lo legal [Asbestos Stories, from the economic to the legal].
Asbestos in Talc Causes Mesothelioma
Sep 17, 2014
A scientific paper published in the October 2014 issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health concluded that “a specific brand of talcum powder [Cashmere Bouquet] contained identifiable asbestos fibers [anthophyllite and tremolite asbestos] with the potential to be released into the air and inhaled during normal personal talcum powder application.” Asbestos fibers consistent with those found in the talcum powder were identified in the lungs and lymph node tissues of a woman who used this product and died from mesothelioma. See: Asbestos in commercial cosmetic talcum powder as a cause of mesothelioma in women.
Industry Pressure Delays Ban?
Sep 16, 2014
Despite a government pledge to ban asbestos made more than three years ago, no action has been taken. News is now circulating that the Ministry of Industry has issued a proposal to Minister Chakkamon Pasukwanit to implement a phased ban on asbestos products with the use of the first group – for wall linings, ceilings, doors and floor tiles – to be prohibited in two years while the second group – roof tiles, cement pipes, brake and clutch parts – will be banned in five years. Thai ban asbestos activists have expressed serious criticisms of this plan saying asbestos is a known killer and should be banned immediately. See: Delay in Asbestos Ban.
Calls to End EU Asbestos Derogation
Sep 16, 2014
A consultation over proposals to extend a derogation allowing the use of asbestos-containing diaphragms is attracting criticism from the European Trade Union Confederation, the Trade Union Congress, the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) and others. In its submission, IBAS pointed out: “In July 2014 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that asbestos exposures which took place in Malta contravened the rights of Maltese workers; in 2014, there can be no excuse to allow asbestos use to persist in Europe. Failure to end this derogation will not only lead to more avoidable disease and deaths but may well result in legal action by groups representing European stakeholders.”
Ready, Steady, Go!
Sep 15, 2014
The annual fund-raising walk of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) begins today in Pemberton, Western Australia (WA). Over the next 5 days, participants will cover the 327 kilometres to the state capital making stops along the way to raise awareness of the WA epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. On September 17 the ADSA “Rod Triplett Tribute Breakfast” will take place in Australind to spotlight the price paid by building workers, like Rod, for their exposures to asbestos. Rod died of mesothelioma in March. PLEASE SUPPORT THE ADSA – see ADSA Press Release.
Firm Guilty of Asbestos Cancer Deaths
Sep 10, 2014
An Italian steel manufacturer has been condemned in a verdict released this week in a case which found 27 former company executives guilty of failing to protect workers at a Taranto plant from the asbestos hazard. The lives of those who had died from mesothelioma could have been saved had action been taken to prevent hazardous asbestos exposures wrote Judge Simone Orazio in his 268 page judgment. Medical check-ups would have enabled earlier diagnoses of asbestos-related conditions to have been made thus allowing more effective treatment for the injured. The company’s policy of prioritizing profits had led to many deaths. See: Ilva Taranto, condanna per l’amianto [Ilva Taranto, condemned over asbestos].
Taxpayers to Fund Hardie Shortfall?
Sep 9 2014
International building conglomerate James Hardie (JH), a company which began life as an Australian asbestos manufacturer, paid a total of $500+ million in dividends in 2013 and 2014; at the same time its asbestos-related liabilities had risen by 10.4% to $1.9 billion. As a result, the JH asbestos compensation body may need to draw on a taxpayer-backed loan arrangement to pay victims’ claims. Commenting on this news, Australian Senator Nick Xenophon said: “The bottom line is if James Hardie can afford $500 million to give to shareholders it can find the money to give to dying victims of their product.” See: James Hardie asbestos compensation scheme millions short after big dividends.
Fraud by U.S. Asbestos Defendant
Sep 5, 2014
On September 3, 2014, a three-judge panel of the Philadelphia appeals court ruled that the world’s biggest chemical maker BASF had engaged in “systematic fraud” to defeat thousands of personal injury lawsuits over asbestos contamination of its talc. In its decision, the Court stated that the state of New Jersey did not accept the right of litigants to engage in “fraud calculated to thwart the judicial process.” The lawsuit was brought on behalf of the families of six workers who had died from asbestos-related diseases allegedly caused by exposure to talc mined by a BASF-owned company in Vermont. See: BASF Must Face Asbestos Coverup Fraud Claims, Court Says.
Huge Victory for Asbestos Victims
Sep 3, 2014
On September 1, 2014, Minister Celso de Mello of the Federal Supreme Court rejected an injunction by Eternit, Brazil’s leading manufacturer of asbestos-cement products, which barred a $1 billion lawsuit filed by the Public Attorney’s Office of the São Paulo Labor Court on behalf of former employees at the Eternit factory in Osasco, Sao Paulo. As a result, the public prosecutor can now proceed with the compensation claims for 1,000 injured employees and the surviving families of those who have died. See: STF mantém ação de R$ 1 bi contra Eternit por expor trabalhadores a amianto [STF holds share of R$ 1 billion against Eternit for exposing workers to asbestos ].
Quebec Rejection of Asbestos
Sep 2, 2014
After more than a century of asbestos profits, Quebec politicians have finally rejected asbestos, a natural resource once called “white gold.” The political climate in Quebec has undergone a complete reversal from one in which the asbestos industry was regarded as sacrosanct to one in which the cessation of asbestos mining and the remediation of contaminated sites are regarded as a priority. Bernard Coulombe, the President of Canada’s last asbestos mine (which closed in 2012), and an aggressive asbestos proponent now admits that asbestos contamination is “dangerous.” He and other owners of the mine are demanding compensation for lost profits. See: The end of the Jeffrey asbestos mine in Quebec.
A Deadly Ongoing Epidemic
Sep 1, 2014
Twice as many Britons die of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma as die in road traffic accidents. The mesothelioma epidemic is claiming the lives not only of people who worked directly with asbestos but of others exposed to contaminated products incorporated into the national infrastructure. Victims like consultant anesthetist Dr. Andrew Lawson, M&S employee Janice Allen, GP Graham Abbott have contracted the cancer having being exposed to asbestos at their workplaces. “Britain is today,” reports journalist Harry de Quetteville “at the peak of a mesothelioma epidemic.” See: Asbestos: the killer that still surrounds us.
Contamination from Derelict Mine
Aug 31, 2014
Pollution from a derelict Korean asbestos mine in Gangjeong Village, South Chunycheong Province has increased since a construction waste disposal company began operations on this site. Even though an epidemic of respiratory diseases and cancers has been reported, local and regional authorities have refused to take action. At a public meeting on August 25, Yeyong Choi from the Asian Citizens’ Center for Environmental Health explained the asbestos health hazard. Residents and civic groups are now demanding the immediate closure of the plant, remediation and closure of the mine and full healthcare provisions for the villagers. See: Village being choked off by reckless asbestos mining.
Pessimism in Asbestos State
Aug 31, 2014
A commentary published on August 29, 2014 in The Journal of Goiás, the Brazilian State which is home to the country’s main asbestos mine, reports a gloomy outlook for the asbestos industry. Multiple factors likely to impact on sales of Goiás asbestos are: bans by several Brazilian states and national governments, opposition to asbestos by Brazilian agencies, including the Ministry of Labor, and non-governmental organizations, public prosecutions of asbestos companies, civil lawsuits, a case being adjudicated by the Supreme Court over the unconstitutionality of asbestos use, market forces and the increasingly popularity of asbestos-free products. See: Tesouro em declínio [Profitability in Decline].
Delayed Asbestos Removal Proceeding
Aug 29, 2014
Four months after tests confirmed the presence of asbestos at the headquarters of the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) at the South Quay in Port-of-Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, decontamination work has begun. Reporters at a press conference on August 28, reported that the two affected buildings were sealed off in decontamination zones and that workers were observed in protective suits and masks. Trade union official Marcus Grannum supported the PTSC’s efforts but said the delay in remediation was to be regretted. See: After protests by workers: PTSC spends $m to remove asbestos.
Progress on Asbestos Ban
Aug 27 2014
The Philippines imports $76.32 million worth of asbestos every year, even though this substance is a known carcinogen which is banned in the industrialized world. Parliamentarians in the Philippines are calling for a national ban of the import, manufacture, processing, use and distribution of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. In 2008, the 11th National Occupational Safety and Health Congress adopted a resolution supporting a total ban but no progress has been made on implementation. House Bill 4437 (The Asbestos Ban Act of 2014) has now been filed by Representatives Walden Bello and Ibarro Gutierrez III. See: Congressional Press Release.
Asbestos Threshold Limit Slashed
Aug 26, 2014
After protracted negotiations, the Associated Labor Unions and the Building and Woodworkers International have succeeded today in lowering the country’s threshold limit value for asbestos toxic dust from 0.5 to 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter of air in an 8-hour work period. This change has been implemented in a revision of government guidelines for minimizing hazardous occupational asbestos exposures. Representatives from the Chrysotile Industry Association of the Philippines and the Chrysotile Information Center, Philippines vehemently opposed the revision saying it would adversely impact on the profitability of their businesses.
Lobbyists at Global Congress
Aug 26, 2014
Delegates attending the XX World Congress for Safety and Health at Work in Frankfurt have reported the presence of Russian asbestos lobbyists and Brazilian hired gun scientists at the event. During a session on August 25, a well-known pro-asbestos fanatic accused Fiona Murie, Occupational Health and Safety Director of the BWI (Building and Woodworkers International), of corruptly receiving kickbacks from anti-asbestos stakeholders. Today, Anabella Rosemberg, from the International Trade Union Confederation, reported that pro-asbestos propaganda was being distributed at the Congress.
Ministry of Labor Backs State Ban
Aug 25, 2014
In the run-up to a September 2, 2014 vote in the Santa Catarina Legislative Assembly on the adoption of a state-wide ban on asbestos, the Ministry of Labor has mounted a public awareness initiative about the deadly effects of asbestos exposures and the urgent need for a ban. The Ministry is promoting television coverage which began broadcasting 30 second segments on August 24, 2014. Complimenting this campaign are other social media outreach projects, including a petition calling for asbestos to be banned in Santa Catarina. See: Asbestos Awareness Video.
Asbestos: Heritage Product in Favelas
Aug 23, 2014
Interviews with people in poor neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, the favelas, reveal the ubiquity and constancy of asbestos use in the do-it-yourself construction of family dwellings. The most popular covering for these properties is roofing made of asbestos-cement tiles. While some people hire professionals for difficult tasks, such as roof installation, many do these tasks with the help of a few friends on a weekend. As a result of the recycling and trading of materials, asbestos tiles are present throughout the favelas. See: Estudo de caso: As regras tácitas da construção nas favelas [Case Study: The unspoken rules of construction in the slums].
Asbestos Cigarettes on Sale in UK
Aug 23, 2014
Bootleg cigarettes imported into the UK by black marketeers contain asbestos as well as other toxic ingredients, according to news released by the Local Government Association. Hundreds of thousands of illegal cigarettes have been seized in recent months by officials in Wolverhampton, Bristol and Nottingham during raids on premises throughout these cities. The contents of the confiscated cigarettes included human excrement, dead flies, rat droppings, mould and asbestos. It has been estimated that 114m illicit cigarettes are sold in six London boroughs every year. See: New effort to stop fake cigarettes filled with excrement, mould and asbestos.
Canada’s Deadly Asbestos Legacy
Aug 22, 2014
From March to December 2014, prevention officers for WorkSafeBC, a statutory agency in British Columbia, are conducting planned inspections of demolition worksites at private homes to ascertain that duty holders are acting in compliance with asbestos provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. The summer 2014 issue of Work Safe magazine highlights the consequences of hazardous exposures in the Province: between 2002 and 2011, asbestos was responsible for 512 occupational deaths; 500 claims for asbestos exposure are filed each year; since 2000, more workers have died from asbestos-related diseases than any other workplace illness. See: Asbestos Initiative Aims to Eradicate Exposures.
Documentation of Asbestos Scourge
Aug 21, 2014
The High Council of Public Health has issued a report documenting the deadly impact asbestos exposure continues to have on French citizens. In the document which went online last week, the Council estimated that up to 118,400 deaths could have been due to occupational exposures to asbestos between 1955 and 2009; the vast majority of the deaths were due to lung cancer. The report predicts that between 2009 and 2050, up to 100,000 more people could die from asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma and cancer of the lungs, larynx, and ovary. See: FRANCE. Amiante: près de 100.000 décès d'ici à 2050 [FRANCE. Asbestos: nearly 100,000 deaths by 2050].
Prison Sentence for Asbestos Crimes
Aug 21, 2014
On August 20, Stafford Crown Court was told about illegal works carried out in 2012 at a former print works in Stoke-on-Trent by two brothers which hazardously exposed seven workmen to asbestos. The HSE prosecution of Akram and Inam Hussain, neither one of whom was licensed to remove asbestos, resulted in jail sentences of 22 months for the former and 14 months for the latter for breaching section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. After the trial, an HSE inspector said: “The Hussains failed in their duty by choosing to ignore the dangers of this hidden killer.” See: Brothers given custodial sentence for exposing workers to asbestos.
Fernanda Giannasi Honored in Brasilia
Aug 15, 2014
On Monday, August 11, 2014, ban asbestos activist Fernanda Giannasi was awarded Brazil’s highest honor – the Order of Judicial Merit for Labor – at a gala ceremony in Brasilia (see: Picture of ceremony). Having received the commendation, Ms. Giannasi explained that it was: “recognition of a struggle that is not only mine, but all asbestos victims and their families. This shows the concern of the Brazilian judiciary with the exploitation of this deadly fiber which caused a health catastrophe of the century.” See: Top Brazilian Award for Fernenda Giannasi and also Fernanda Giannasi é condecorada com a ordem do mérito [Fernanda Giannasi is awarded the Order of Merit].
India’s Asbestos Time Bomb
Aug 14, 2014
As India’s asbestos sector grows rich, vested interests continue to promote the sale of a discredited technology with glitzy pseudo-scientific conferences, imported hired gun scientists and public statements proclaiming the innocuous nature of their product. Despite asbestos bans in industrialized countries and recommendations from international agencies that use should be stopped on health grounds, Indian sales of asbestos-cement construction materials are booming. Public opposition is on the rise with protesters destroying construction on a site earmarked for an asbestos factory in Bihar State. See: Asbestos still pushed in India and business is booming.
Lobbying for Asbestos Ban
Aug 13, 2014
On August 8, 2014, representatives of the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (T-BAN) petitioned the Ministry of Industry (MOI) for an immediate ban on the use of asbestos, support for the use of safer materials, a national fund for victims and implementation of preventative measures and medical protocols. (see: T-BAN Statement). Commenting on the meeting, T-BAN representative Mrs. Somboon Seekamdokkae said “We asked the MOI to think about Thai people’s health and after 70 years, not to give the industry more time to kill citizens from asbestos-related diseases.” Sakda Pankla, the deputy director-general of the Department of Industrial Works, received the T-BAN delegation (see: photo of the meeting).
Petition For Asbestos Ban
Aug 12, 2014
On August 5, 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) sent a letter to Vietnam authorities urging that action be taken to prohibit the use of asbestos in construction materials. WHO and ILO representatives highlighted the community health, economic and social security benefits of banning asbestos and urged Vietnam to develop a program to eliminate the use of asbestos. WHO and ILO offered to provide technical support for Vietnam to end asbestos-related diseases. See: WHO sends proposal to stop the use of asbestos to the Prime Minister.
Asia’s Asbestos Time Bomb
Aug 12, 2104
An article published today explores the disconnect between asbestos vested interests and civil society campaigners over whether or not India’s expanding asbestos sector is a good or bad thing for the country. While spokesmen for India's Asbestos Cement Products Manufacturers Association say they are providing a vital public service to the nation, activists say that the commercial exploitation of asbestos endangers not only workers but also members of the public. The opposition by local people to the construction of an asbestos-cement factory in Bihar State and the high-profile media campaign mounted by asbestos lobbyists are discussed. See: Asbestos pushed in Asia as product for the poor.
Capital’s Asbestos Pandemic
Aug 10, 2014
The use of asbestos-containing insulation in Canberra has left the capital with a deadly and costly legacy. An exposé which appeared on August 6th detailed the background to this catastrophe and highlighted the missed opportunities which could have prevented the tragedy. At the heart of this story was the commercial exploitation by Australian entrepreneur Dirk Jansen of an insulation product called Asbestosfluf which was made from amphibole asbestos. In the late 1960s, an expert warned the government that installers of this product were being “unnecessarily exposed to a harmful substance” when alternatives existed. See: Revealed: How the scandalous Mr Fluffly legacy lives on.
Delay in Vote on Ban
Aug 9, 2014
On August 5, 2014, a draft bill to ban asbestos was scheduled for debate at the Santa Catarina Legislative Assembly; four previous attempts had been defeated after pressure from asbestos lobbyists. The deputy-reporter, who is responsible for ascertaining the constitutionality of the bill, postponed the vote until September 2 alleging that more time was needed. Supporters of the ban, who were present at the meeting of the Committee of Justice and Constitutionality, said the delay was politically motivated; the deputy-reporter is known to be opposed to the ban. According to the ban supporters, there is overwhelming public support for unilateral action to protect citizens of the State from the asbestos hazard.
Environmental Asbestos Hazard
Aug 8, 2014
The scandal of asbestos contamination in the Italian Province of Lecce, in the southeast of the country, has led local associations and campaigners to take direct action to protect public health. According to an environmental survey, the situation in the towns of Lecce and Salento is particularly severe “with whole areas of the city affected by the phenomenon and never reclaimed.” Requests for a detailed urban plan to raise asbestos awareness, remediate land and decontaminate affected properties have been made. See: Amianto, petizione di Adoc e Ilse al sindaco Perrone [Asbestos, ADOC and Ilse petition to Mayor Perrone].
Asbestos Hazard for Shipbreakers
Aug 7, 2014
Shipbreaking workers, who spend their days dismantling ships on the beaches of Chittagong, work in extremely dangerous conditions and are exposed to a multitude of dangerous substances, including asbestos. The reality as described by the workers is far from that asserted by the yard owners who maintain that the workforce has all the protection required. An article informed by the experience of the Brussels-based NGO Shipbreaking Platform describes a cut-throat industry where both ships and workers are scrapped on a daily basis. See: Visiting the Deadly Shipbreaking Yards of Bangladesh.
Asbestos Hazard in War Zone
Aug 6, 2014
Highlighting the latent health threat of asbestos contamination in war zones, Israel’s Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz has announced plans to replace asbestos roofs in hundreds of houses on “the front line of the Gaza perimeter communities.” In one farm at Ein Hashlosha, 80 buildings have 7,000 square meters of asbestos-cement roofing; 60 sq.m. per house. While the financing of removal and replacements costs has yet to be finalized, the Minister remained “confident that the program will receive swift government support and financing from partner organizations.” See: State and local council to replace asbestos roofs in the line of fire from Gaza.
Asbestos Risk to Police
Aug 4, 2014
Asbestos contamination at the Valmontorio shooting range in Rome where police personnel have trained has been revealed. More than 3,500 members of staff have used this facility for up to a week at a time, not to mention individuals who worked at the site. Training and use of this building have now been suspended as officials work on plans to monitor the health of those who have been exposed. According to official documents, the presence of asbestos was discovered here two years ago. See: Roma – Poligono di tiro all’amianto 3.500 vigili urbani a rischio [Rome – Asbestos at shooting range; 3,500 policemen at risk].
Risk to Construction Workers
Aug 4, 2014
Despite the existence of asbestos bans in the Middle East, construction expert Charles Faulkner has concerns about the use of asbestos-containing building products in power stations, office blocks, residential accommodation and schools. He says that prohibitions are “not an effective guarantee that Asbestos won’t make its way into a new construction project” due to lack of enforcement, effective penalties and awareness. Hazardous exposures resulting from unsafe demolition are putting the lives of workers and members of the public at risk. Faulkner calls for a comprehensive and evolved asbestos policy to reduce the incidence of asbestos-related disease. See: Silent killer.
Opportunities Following Ban?
Aug 4, 2014
Anticipating that Malaysia will ban asbestos in 2015, a major manufacturer of asbestos-free cement has established a trading office in the capital. SHERA, a leading non-asbestos fiber-cement maker in Asia, produces a range of lightweight fiber cement roofs that were previously unavailable in Malaysia. The company says they are “not only easy to install, but are also durable and free from asbestos.” SHERA is a subsidiary of the Mahaphant Group, a Thailand-based manufacturer of fiber cement boards, siding and roofing. The multinational has commercial operations throughout Asia, Oceania, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. See: Asbestos-free roofs now available in Malaysia.
Legal Challenge to Attack on Victims
Jul 31, 2014
On July 29, 2014, UK lawyers acting on behalf of the Asbestos Victims’ Support Groups Forum (Forum) began a High Court challenge of the decision to make mesothelioma claimants liable for legal and insurance costs incurred by lawsuits. Although a review of the effect that proposed changes would have on mesothelioma claimants had been ordered, no credible review has been undertaken. Forum Chair Tony Whitston said “sufferers and their families will accept a decision if it is based on a ‘fair and credible’ review. The government’s decision to proceed on the basis of such a flawed review will not be accepted by sufferers…” See: Lawyers take mesothelioma fight to High Court.
State Move to Ban Asbestos
Jul 31, 2014
The Santa Catarina Legislative Assembly will, for the fifth time, consider draft proposals to prohibit the use, handling and sale of asbestos and asbestos-containing products on August 5, 2014. Previous attempts have been defeated after pressure was exerted on politicians by asbestos lobbyists. The use of asbestos is permitted under federal law although the states of São Paulo, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Gerais have taken unilateral action to ban asbestos. See: Deputados estaduais vão votar projeto que define pelo lucro das empresas ou a vida do trabalhador [State legislators’ vote will either support corporate profits or the workers’ lives].
Landmark decision by NSW Court
Jul 31, 2014
A decision on July 31, 2014 by the New South Wales’ Dust Diseases Tribunal (DDT) is the largest pay-out awarded to an asbestos victim in the DDT’s 25-year history. In 2010, Steven Dunning was diagnosed with the fatal cancer mesothelioma, having been exposed as a laborer to asbestos at the Newcastle steelworks in New South Wales operated by BHP Bilton. The judgment which awarded the 54-year old claimant $2.2m was for the first asbestos claim from this facility. Reacting to the development, the company said the verdict could be appealed. See: BHP ordered to make record $2.2m asbestos compensation payment.
NI Award for Pleural Plaques
Jul 30, 2014
In June 2014, the Belfast High Court awarded compensation for pleural plaques (pp) to a widow whose husband was exposed to asbestos as an employee at Harland and Wolff and Royal Mail Group. This was the first NI pp claim following the passage of the Damages (Asbestos Related Conditions) Act (NI) 2011. The deceased, who died in 2013 aged 74, did not die of an asbestos-related disease. As a result of NI legislation, the NI courts – unlike those in England or Wales – regard pp as a “statutory personal injury for which damages can and should be awarded if the plaintiff proves fault against the defendant.” See: June 27, 2014 McCauley Judgment.
Criticism of Vietnam Asbestos Policy
Jul 28, 2014
Opposition to Vietnam’s continued use of asbestos, a known carcinogen, is increasing daily. An article appeared today in the online English language VietNamNet.Bridge news outlet which highlighted the fact that the asbestos policy of Vietnam, a member of the World Health Organization (WHO), contradicts WHO advice and international trends. The article cited the opinion of Dr Le Van Trinh, Deputy Chair of the Vietnam Labor Safety Association who believes that “it is necessary to stop using asbestos in production and daily life as soon as possible.” See: Vietnam ignores scientists’ warnings about asbestos use.
WHO Acts over Zimbabwe Lies
Jul 28, 2014
Misinformation quoted by chrysotile asbestos stakeholders from Zimbabwe alleging that the World Health Organization (WHO) supports the “controlled use of asbestos,” included in a position paper published two months ago have led the WHO to take action, according to a letter authorized last week by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. “WHO’s policy on asbestos, all forms, is unequivocal,” it stated. See: World Health Organization asks Zimbabwe to correct its misrepresentation of the WHO position on asbestos.
Verdict for Asbestos Cancer Death
Jul 25, 2014
High Court judge Mr Justice Bean has ordered the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to pay the family of Sally Knauer the sum of £650,000 for her death from mesothelioma contracted from exposure to asbestos at her workplace – Guy's Marsh Prison – between 1997 and 2007. The administrator died aged 46 in August 2009, just five months after being diagnosed with the asbestos cancer. The MoJ was sued for failing to protect Mrs. Knauer from hazardous exposure to asbestos; it admitted liability in 2013 but contested the compensation award. See: Husband of Gillingham woman killed by cancer after asbestos exposure at Guy's Marsh Prison receives £650,000.
Fiat Managers Charged over Deaths
Jul 25, 2014
The Milan Public Prosecutor has accused Paolo Cantarella and Giorgio Garuzzo, respectively, former CEO and former chairman of Fiat Auto, and four other former Alfa Romeo managers of manslaughter for the asbestos-related deaths of 15 workers caused by hazardous conditions at the Alfa Romeo factory in Arese, on the outskirts of Milan. Court proceedings will begin on November 5, 2014.See: Amianto, Cantarella e altri ex manager Alfa a processo per i 15 operai morti ad Arese [Asbestos, Cantarella and other former managers at the Alfa Romeo factory charged with the asbestos deaths of 15 workers in Arese].
Ban Asbestos Momentum Increasing
Jul 25, 2014
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is backing plans to add asbestos to the country’s list of prohibited toxic chemicals. Asbestos is mostly used to produce asbestos-cement (AC) construction materials in Vietnam. Thirty-six AC manufacturers produce 100Mm2 of roofing sheets per year. Vietnam is one of Asia’s biggest asbestos users and the country’s asbestos industrial sector backed by foreign stakeholders is aggressively lobbying the government to allow consumption to continue even though a national program to devise asbestos-free technologies has been successful. See: Vietnam considers ban on asbestos in fibre cement boards.
Victory for Malta’s Asbestos Victims
Jul 24, 2014
In a 48-page verdict, the European Court of Human Rights has today (July 24, 2014) unanimously ruled that the Government of Malta had, between 1968 and 2003, failed to protect ship repair yard workers from exposure to asbestos in the case of Brincat and Others v. Malta. The infringements for which the government was condemned were: violating Article 2 (right to life) of the European Convention on Human Rights, and violating Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the Convention. The Maltese Government was ordered to pay compensation to the claimants. See: Brincat and Others v. Malta.
Bad Times for Asbestos Billionaire
Jul 24, 2014
This has been a bad summer for asbestos magnate Stephan Schmidheiny. A court announced he had been charged with the “voluntary [asbestos] manslaughter” of 213 Italians. Swiss companies, successors to Schmidheiney’s Eternit Asbestos Group, have lost a multimillion dollar asbestos case in the U.S. Nowadays, much of the Schmidheiny fortune is tied up with AVINA, a “philanthropic” institution engaged in whitewashing his reputation in Spain and elsewhere. See: Stephan Schmidheiny, el magnate del amianto y financiador de AVINA, ha tenido un verano aciago [The fateful summer of asbestos magnate and AVINA backer Stephan Schmidheiny].
Debunking Asbestos Defense Strategies
Jul 24, 2014
Asbestos defendants employ standard legal arguments to defeat personal injury asbestos claims. The most favoured stratagems are discussed in a two-part paper by attorney Christopher Meisenkocthen published in the journal New Solutions. The author looks at: “the supposed harmlessness of chrysotile asbestos… so-called idiopathic mesothelioma… the pernicious notions of safe exposure thresholds for asbestos and the unreliability of Tyndall lighting.” See: The Four Most Pernicious Myths in Asbestos Litigation: Part I. Safe Chrysotile and Idiopathic Mesothelioma and Part II. Safe Thresholds for Exposure and Tyndall Lighting as Junk Science.
Calls for Thai Government Action
Jul 22, 2014
A letter faxed on July 21, 2014 to the Thai authorities by representatives of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat is today (July 22) featured in an online article on a Thai website. In the run-up to a crucial meeting in August 2014, the letter, which was translated into Thai (see: English version of letter), urges the Head of the National Council for Peace and Order General Prayut Chanocha to support the April 2011 decision by the Thai Government to ban the import of asbestos on the grounds of public health – to avoid a tsunami of avoidable and deadly disease. See: International Calls for Thai asbestos ban.
Asbestosis in Maharashtra
Jul 22, 2014
A scandal is unfolding in the Indian State of Maharashtra involving personnel from an asbestos company, private doctors, factory inspectors and state authorities. For 15 years, 34-year old Yogesh Sawant had worked with asbestos in the Ashadeep Frictions Ltd. factory. When he fell ill, he was examined by company doctors who assured him that he was fine. At the end of 2013, he was seen by experts from the Union Ministry of Labour. He and co-worker Manoj Saroj were confirmed to be suffering from asbestosis; they are the first individuals with this condition to be recognized in the State. See: They lied to me for 15 years of my life, says asbestosis-afflicted labourer.
Asbestos Legacy in Basque Region
Jul 22, 2014
Basque courts are issuing increasing numbers of victims’ judgments in asbestos cases; more than 208 cases of asbestos death have been recognized in the Basque region. The highest court fine awarded was €410,150 (US$550,000) for the family of a construction worker who died in 2012 from mesothelioma contracted from occupational asbestos exposure. Having highlighted the role higher awards have on improving occupational health and safety, asbestos victims’ groups are calling for the establishment of a compensation fund to speed-up payments to the injured. See: Las sanciones por amianto se disparan en el País Vasco [Penalties for asbestos soar in the Basque Country].
National Disaster, Personal Tragedy
Jul 21, 2014
The core of this July 20th feature in a major Canadian newspaper is the tragic case of mesothelioma victim Dr. Patricia Martens, a senior research scientist at the Manitoba Faculty of Medicine, who was routinely exposed to asbestos as a student. According to Canadian experts, the hazards of accidental exposures to asbestos remain in a national infrastructure riddled with asbestos. While government agencies say that the dangers can be safely managed, trade unionists disagree: “All you have to do is knock a chair into the wall if it’s got asbestos, even though it’s intact [and] it’s never been disturbed … now it’s been disturbed. That’s all it takes.” See: The case against asbestos.
Asbestos Stops New Road
Jul 21, 2014
The discovery by university geologists of naturally occurring asbestos at a site earmarked for development has postponed work on a $490m highway bypass in Boulder City, Colorado. Construction scheduled to begin in Spring 2014 was delayed to allow for asbestos testing and analysis; results are expected in August 2014. In the absence of federal regulations for dealing with naturally occurring asbestos, states are expected to devise rules based on Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. Nevada does not have any such regulations. See: Asbestos proves to be a microscopic road block near Boulder City.
Asbestos Health Warnings!
Jul 21, 2014
A seminar entitled “How Asbestos Affects Health” took place in Hanoi on July 17, 2014; the event was organized by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the World Health Organization (WHO). Having detailed the health consequences of human asbestos exposures, the Vietnamese guidelines to protect occupational health were explained by Ministry of Health officials. Despite WHO advice that the best way to prevent asbestos-related diseases was a total ban on its use, since 2000 Vietnam has imported, on average, 6,000 tons of asbestos per year, most of which is incorporated into asbestos-cement products. See: Asbestos may cause harmful health: WHO.
Companies Dispute U.S. Verdict
Jul 18, 2014
Two Swiss companies, which have inherited the asbestos liabilities of Stephan Schmidheiny’s Eternit Asbestos Group, are disputing a $90.5m judgment handed down by a U.S. Court. Anova Holding AG and Becon AG have told journalists that the Swiss legal system will not uphold this judgment as neither company has traded in the U.S. and as such did not mount a defense against the charges brought in the New Jersey Court on behalf of 11 bereaved families. See: Schmidheiny, 90 milioni alle vittime [Schmidheiny, $90 million to victims].
Government Mesothelioma Report
Jul 18, 2014
The Justice Committee will publish its report on Mesothelioma Claims (HC 308) on Friday August 1, 2014. On May 13, 2014 evidence was taken at a Parliamentary hearing, during which three victims’ and three insurers’ representatives spoke (see: British Asbestos Newsletter Issue 94). Following that session, a letter from the Association of British Insurers surfaced which seemed to substantiate claims made by asbestos victims of secret negotiations between Ministers and insurers to cap asbestos liabilities. See: The Justice Committee publishes its report Mesothelioma claims on Friday 1 August 2014.
Tories Savage Victims to Protect Donors
Jul 15, 2014
A cartoon featured in an article published on July 13th depicts fat cat Tory donors side-by-side with David Cameron as a wizened mesothelioma victim fights for breath. This image is an accurate representation of the unholy alliance substantiated by a private document sent in error to the the Commons Justice Committee by the Association of British Insurers. It revealed the existence of an understanding reached by Ministers with insurers – some of whom bankroll the Tory Party – to shortchange mesothelioma victims in what MP Andy McDonald categorized as a “dodgy deal”. See: David Cameron has insured one final insult for workers dying because of their job.
Support for Asbestos Agency
Jul 13, 2014
Australia’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, established on July 1, 2013, could be shut down as a result of budget cuts imposed by the Abbott Government. On July 14, Australia’s Parliamentary Group on Asbestos-Related Diseases (PGARD) hosted a Parliamentary event in support of the Agency. Peter Tighe the Agency’s Chief Executive Officer and mesothelioma sufferer Lou Williams spoke at the session hosted by MP Russell Broadbent and Senator Lisa Singh MP, co-chairs of PGARD, a body set up “to enable Parliamentarians to come together to raise awareness of, and to stop the burden of, asbestos related disease.”
Death of Courageous Union Leader
Jul 10, 2014
Fernando Soto, a Spanish political and trade union leader who was imprisoned under the Franco dictatorship for his union activities, died on July 9, 2014 from mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer. Mr. Soto was a metallurgist who had worked with asbestos in the aircraft manufacturing industry. He also worked for a short time at the notorious asbestos-cement factory in Seville belonging to the Uralita Company. Mr. Soto was a Member of Parliament and Senator and was awarded the Medal of Andalusia in 1998 for his union career. See: Fallece el sindicalista Fernando Soto Martín a los 75 años [Unionist Fernando Soto Martin Dies at 75].
Another Victory for Brazilian Victims
Jul 10, 2014
For the second time in less than a month, a lawsuit brought by a Brazilian asbestos victim has succeeded against a major asbestos conglomerate: Brasilit. Last week, a former worker from a Brasilit asbestos-cement factory in Sao Caetano do Sul was awarded the sum of US$200,000 which included punitive damages for pleural plaques contracted after occupational exposure to chrysotile asbestos. See: VITÓRIA A&R: Brasilit é condenada a pagar indenização de R$ 200 mil a vítima de amianto crisotila [Victory A&R: Brasilit condemned to compensate asbestos victim].
Asbestos Dumping in French Forest
Jul 10, 2014
In the Mormal forest in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, asbestos-cement debris is being dumped on a regular basis. Although landfills exist which can safely accept the hazardous material, the high cost of legal disposal deters compliance with regulations which specify strict procedures for disposal of toxic waste. Specialized companies authorized to deal with the removal and disposal of asbestos debris exist, but they are expensive and far from this area. See: Locquignol: les dépôts sauvages d’amiante en forêt, une fatalité? [Locquignol: deadly asbestos deposits in forest].
Asbestos-free Products Sold in Russia
Jul 9, 2014
Russia has for some years been the world’s largest supplier of asbestos fiber with an annual production figure of around 1m tonnes. The Russian asbestos industry is powerful and well-connected so it is reassuring to know that despite the industry’s best efforts asbestos-free products are being made in Russia. The link below is to an article which cites the landmark Italian case against asbestos criminal Stephan Schmidheiny and the fact that the WHO and IARC declare asbestos to be a human carcinogen. The text highlights the dangers of asbestos and supports the use of safer asbestos-free alternatives. See: Осторожно асбест! [Caution – Asbestos!].
European Commission Quits HQ
Jul 9, 2014
At a meeting in Brussels on July 8, 2014 work progressed on plans to relocate European Commission personnel currently working in the asbestos-contaminated Jean-Monet building in Luxembourg. Officials pledged to follow the precautionary principle to prevent health repercussions to building users: “even though asbestos does not pose an immediate danger, this is an untenable situation,” said a Commission spokesman. A working group was constituted and as from today (July 9) will be exploring all options to relocate all staff from the Jean Monet building by the end of the year. See: Luxembourg: amiante dans le bâtiment Jean-Monnet [Luxembourg: asbestos in the Jean Monnet Building].
British Asbestos Newsletter
Jul 8, 2014
The spring issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The leading article in Issue 94, The Westminster Parliament and the Asbestos Tragedy, is an insightful analysis of the troubled asbestos history of the British Parliament. This feature presents a detailed report of the first evidence session held by the Justice Committee on mesothelioma claims on May 13, 2014. Other articles in this issue of the newsletter looked at: the issue of Asbestos in Schools, the establishment of the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Tissue Bank and recent developments such as the resurrection of the HSE Hidden Killer Campaign. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 94.
Environmental Compensation Tops $100m
Jul 7, 2014
According to an article in the Japanese press on July 6, 2014, the Kubota Corporation has now paid out a total of $100+ million to 265 claimants with asbestos-related diseases who were environmentally exposed to asbestos liberated by processing operations at the company’s Kanzaki plant. These payments were made following a 2006 agreement negotiated by the company and local victims and relatives from the community. Japan, a major and long-standing asbestos consumer, did not implement a comprehensive ban on the use of all asbestos-containing products until 2012.
Toxic Building to be Evacuated
Jul 6, 2014
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel has ordered the evacuation of the Jean Monnet building in Kirchberg, southern Luxembourg after asbestos contamination was discovered. Asbestos was identified in false ceilings, fire doors and floor tiles. Sixteen hundred people work at these premises, which are leased to the European Commission. Three cases of asbestos-related disease have been diagnosed amongst people who worked there. A European Commission spokesman responsible for these cases says: “We are doing our best to make sure that these people are receiving good medical care.” See: Asbestos scare - Jean Monnet building should be evacuated, says Bettel.
Asbestos Cancer in Colombia
Jul 6, 2014
Asbestos cancer is one of the many types of occupational diseases that are on the rise in Colombia. Victor Manuel worked as an operator in an asbestos factory for five years in the mid-1980s. The fibers he inhaled during that time resulted in him contracting malignant mesothelioma. He was diagnosed in 2010 at the age of 52; he was dead within a year. This was one of the first cases of occupational cancer to be recognized by the Ministry of Health. See: Las enfermedades laborales, un dolor de cabeza para los trabajadores [Occupational disease, a headache for workers].
Judgment against Eternit Companies
Jul 4, 2014
On July 2, 2014 a Superior Court Judge in New Jersey issued a claimants’ verdict ordering two Swiss companies, which did not contest the court proceedings, to pay $90.5m for the pain and suffering of 11 families who lost loved ones to asbestos cancer. The deceased had worked at the Johns Manville (JM) asbestos factory in Manville, NJ. The payouts, relating to the supply of asbestos to JM from the 1950s to the 1980s, are to be made by Anova Holding AG and Becon AG; these companies are successor companies to the Eternit group which was, for decades, a leading player in the mining and processing of asbestos. See: $90.5 million awarded to 11 Manville families who lost members to asbestos-related cancer.
Experts Call for Asbestos Ban
Jul 4, 2014
At a meeting organized by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations in Hanoi last week, experts called for asbestos to be banned due to the human health hazard posed by asbestos-containing products. Research by the Ministry of Health documented the deadly risk not only to workers but also to people living near asbestos processing facilities or under asbestos roofs. Replacing asbestos with safer products is possible as well as advisable said Dr Le Van Trinh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Labour Safety Science and Technology Association. See: Asbestos use in construction a labour hazard: experts.
Landmark Asbestos Ruling in Brazil
Jul 4, 2014
Imbralit, a company which manufactures asbestos-cement tiles in Criciúma, a city in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, has been ordered by Judge Zelaide de Souza Philippi of the Labor Court to pay US$1,000,000 for negligently exposing hundreds of workers to asbestos. Inspections by factory inspectors documented multiple infringements of workplace regulations as a result of which the health of workers was endangered. This verdict is, says labor lawyer Luciano Lima Leiva, a ground-breaking precedent which can be used to punish other law breakers in the construction and manufacturing sectors. See: IMBRALIT é condenada [Imbralit is convicted].
CEO Accused of Wilful Murder
Jul 2, 2014
Public Prosecutors in Turin have charged Stephan Schmidheiny, the former owner-CEO of the Swiss Eternit Asbestos Group, with the wilful murder of 213 people who worked for Eternit or lived in Casale Monferrato, the town where the company’s asbestos-cement factory was located. The cases in this action – known as Eternit bis – relate to exposures after 1976; the deaths took place between 1989 and 2013. Schmidheiny had previously been convicted of wilful environmental disaster for other asbestos-related deaths. See: L’ex ad di Eternit accusato di “omicidio volontario” [Former CEO at Eternit accused of “intentional homicide”].
Mesothelioma Deaths Increasing
Jul 2, 2014
Data released today (July 2) by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirms what asbestos victims’ advocates know very well: the number of people dying from mesothelioma in the UK is rising. In 2012, 2,535 people died from mesothelioma, an 11% increase in one year. Reacting to this news, HSE Chair Judith Hackett said: “The high numbers of deaths relating to mesothelioma are a reminder of historically poor standards of workplace health and safety, which decades later are causing thousands of painful, untimely deaths each year.” See: New figures show all time low in fatal injuries to workers.
Charges Dropped in Asbestos Case
Jun 30, 2014
On June 27, 2014, the asbestos indictment against Martine Aubry, former French government Minister and now Mayor of Lille, was annulled in Paris by the Court of Appeal. The indictments of seven other government officials, scientists and industrialists involved in the Permanent Committee on Asbestos were also dropped. The accused had been charged with homicide and unintentional injuries for their role in the country’s asbestos epidemic. An appeal to the Supreme Court is being launched by the French victims’ group, ANDEVA. See: Amiante: la mise en examen de Martine Aubry a été annulée [Asbestos: the indictment of Martine Aubry has been cancelled].
Asbestos Alert in Glasgow
Jun 30, 2014
Suspected asbestos waste has been found near the athletes’ village for the Commonwealth Games which are due to commence on July 23. According to Scottish asbestos expert Robin Howie: “It is asbestos cement which looks as though it has been flytipped there.” Warning of the human health risk posed by exposure to this material, Howie called for the site to be sealed off and a thorough search to be made. The discovery was made in Dalmarnock by cyclist John Paul Clark who had some asbestos training at work. “I am not an expert,” he said “but it made me aware enough to know when I see asbestos. I could see the telltale signs from a mile away.” See: Commonwealth Games asbestos alert.
Bernstein’s Conflict of Interest
Jun 27, 2014
David Bernstein is a toxicologist often commissioned to promote asbestos industry disinformation that chrysotile (white) asbestos can be used safely. He has been paid to produce literature for scientific journals, speak at numerous pro-asbestos events and take part in discussions with national authorities and international agencies. Despite this, Bernstein stated in his 2014 article Health Risks of Chrysotile Asbestos that he had “no conflicts of interest.” A complaint has been sent to the journal in which this paper appeared demanding full disclosure of Bernstein’s ties with asbestos stakeholders. See: Scientist, financed by the asbestos industry, falsely states that he has no conflict of interest.
Lancet Publishes Mesothelioma Study
Jun 27, 2014
A randomized controlled trial in the UK compared the effectiveness of treatments for preventing the recurrence of pleural effusions and consequent breathlessness in mesothelioma patients. One hundred and ninety-six patients received pleurodesis, a procedure which drained off fluid and inserted sterile talc into the pleural space, or video assisted thoracoscopic surgery to remove fluid. While there was no difference in survival rates, the results suggest that the surgical procedure was better able to prevent further pleural effusions, thereby improving the patient’s quality of life. See: Effect of partial pleurectomy on survival in mesothelioma.
Landmark Case Condemns M&S
Jun 26, 2014
Janice Allen has mesothelioma contracted from exposure to asbestos whilst she was employed by Marks and Spencer (M&S) at its Marble Arch store in the 1970s and 1980s. Having consistently denied the allegations, the company finally admitted in April 2014 that it had breached its duty of care to Mrs. Allen (see: video in which Janice and her husband give an informative and moving account of the tragedy that has engulfed them). Solicitor Harminder Bains has expressed her concerns about other M&S employees and members of the public who may also have been exposed to asbestos due to inadequate safety procedures at M&S premises. See: Marks & Spencer asbestos case: 'I feel so angry and betrayed'.
Asbestos Response Taskforce
Jun 26, 2014
The Canberra Government has announced that a central body is being set up to coordinate action over the contamination of the capital’s homes by “Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos insulation.” The Asbestos Response Taskforce would, said Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, provide assistance, information and advice. Opposition politicians and campaigners are calling for real action backed by a funding commitment, and have categorized the government’s response as “manifestly inadequate.” On June 24, regulations were adopted which mandate asbestos training courses for all at-risk workers. See: Mr Fluffy asbestos taskforce set up to help homeowners.
Tighter Controls on Asbestos Removal
Jun 25, 2014
There has, over recent years, been a tightening up of regulations pertaining to asbestos abatement work in France. In 2008, it became mandatory for asbestos removal companies to obtain a license. In 2012, allowable exposure limits were decreased; on July 1, 2015, these limits will be further reduced. As from next Tuesday (July 1), certification will be required for workers who remove asbestos roofing. As a result of these changes, the price for removing asbestos-containing material prior to demolition has increased by up to 50%; it now represents at least half the total cost of deconstruction projects. See: Amiante: l'ajout de règles fait monter la facture [Asbestos: tightened controls increase bills].
“Old” Claim Allowed by Court
Jun 25, 2014
Earlier this month, an Australian Court of Appeal allowed an asbestos case to proceed despite the fact that the death which forms the basis of the claim occurred 19 years ago. Greg Hall was 44 years old when he died of mesothelioma; he had worked in automotive spare parts since he was 15. The case, which has been brought against WorkCover Queensland, could have ramifications for other claimants. It was lodged in 2011; in December 2013 the Supreme Court decided it was time-barred. The new decision is a result of court proceedings that began on May 28, 2014 in the Appeal Court. See: Woman to claim asbestos compensation 19 years after husband's death.
Check-ups for At-Risk Personnel
Jun 25, 2014
As clean-up operations proceed on asbestos-contaminated Irish ships, Parliament has been told that medical screenings are also being carried out on civilian employees who worked on the affected ships. Minister of State at the Departments of An Taoiseach and Defence Paul Kehoe has confirmed that at-risk naval personnel have had check-ups and that “medical screening of civilian employees by an occupational health practitioner has commenced and will be completed in the coming weeks.” See: Medical exams underway on staff of navy ships where asbestos detected.
T&N Ltd. Loses Mesothelioma Case
Jun 24, 2014
After a two-week trial in a Massachusetts federal court, a jury found T&N Ltd., a subsidiary of the U.S. autoparts company Federal-Mogul (FM), liable for the 2010 mesothelioma death of a pipefitter who had been exposed to asbestos whilst using T&N’s Limpet spray insulation during the construction of the Prudential Tower in Boston in the early 1960s. The lawsuit was brought by FM’s asbestos trust against the former British insulation manufacturer. A report on the $9.3 million wrongful death verdict says it brings the “trust closer to tapping a wealth of prebankruptcy insurance.” See: Federal-Mogul Bankruptcy Trust Wins $9.3M Asbestos Verdict.
Update on Schools’ Asbestos Regime
Jun 24, 2014
A report published yesterday (June 23) by the Health and Safety Executive revealed that a substantial number of schools outside of local authority control – including foundation, voluntary aided, independent, academy and free schools – in England, Scotland and Wales were not following protocols for the safe management of asbestos as specified under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Forty-four schools (29%) received written advice, with enforcement action taken in 20 of these schools (13%) – an Improvement Notice was served on each of these 20 schools. See: Asbestos management in schools outside of local authority control 2013/14.
Landmark Italian Asbestos Judgment
Jun 23, 2014
The Civil Court of Venice has upheld the rights not only of the wife and children of a shipyard worker killed by occupational asbestos exposure in 2001 after years of suffering but has also awarded compensation to three of his grandchildren. Judge Paul Talamo ruled that the illness and death of this worker would have been preventable had adequate precautions been taken by his employers in the 1970s and 1980s. The deceased’s wife was awarded €190,000; each of the three children was awarded €130,000; and the grandchildren are to receive €22,000 each. See: Ucciso dall’amianto, maxi risarcimento [Killed by asbestos, maxi compensation].
Capital’s Asbestos Crisis
Jun 23, 2014
The Australian capital’s asbestos crisis shows no signs of letting up. The presence of “Mr Fluffy” asbestos in 1,000+ homes has been a disaster for residents as well as property owners. Calls were made at a public meeting in Canberra on June 21 for the government to take the financial responsibility for this problem and to cover the relocation costs and other expenses being incurred by those affected. In the meantime, The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly has agreed to waive fees for the disposal of asbestos debris from contaminated properties. See: Mr Fluffy victims call for crisis support and rebuilding costs.
Landmark Asbestos Project
Jun 23, 2014
Contractors employed to remove 860 square meters of Uralita asbestos-cement roofing tiles from the Andalucia Cinema in Malaga completed the decontamination on June 21, 2014. The work was undertaken by the only company specialized in asbestos removal in the area. Explaining the delay in beginning the asbestos removal, which was commissioned after a fire on March 15, José Antonio Méndez said that the plan of action developed by the company needed to obtain certification from the Ministries of Environment, Labour and Health. See: Cine Andalucía: Mucho mejor sin Amianto [Andalucia Cinema: Much better without Asbestos].
Asbestos Motion Passed by Parliament
Jun 19, 2014
On June 18, 2014, a motion was passed by the Italian Parliament which committed the Government to a series of measures to address the national asbestos tragedy, including the increasing number of injured (victims of both occupational and environmental exposures), the contamination of infrastructure and widespread environmental pollution. Approval was given to the National Asbestos Plan which included funding “consistent with the current constraints on public finances” required to implement recommendations. See: Italian Parliamentary Asbestos Motion, June 18, 2014.
Europe’s Asbestos Crisis
Jun 19, 2014
At a meeting held by the World Health Organization on June 10 and 11 at its headquarters in Bonn, representatives and experts from 16 European countries took part in discussions about how to end Europe’s epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. Participants highlighted the need for occupational disease registers to: better understand national situations, take effective action and raise awareness on the challenges amongst policy makers and the public. A discussion about asbestos removal led Member States to call for support to develop waste management strategies and identify asbestos substitutes. See: Making the European Region free of asbestos-related diseases.
Court Challenge over Asbestos
Jun 19, 2014
Tenants from the French island of Réunion are in dispute with the Housing Agency (SIDR) over the failure to progress redevelopment work and remove asbestos contamination in housing stock on the Réunion island of Camélias. In 2012, the presence of asbestos was reported in units built in the 1960s, but no further information has been made available. The SIDR has, however, said that there is “no friable asbestos in Réunion.” The tenants’ frustration over the lack of action has led them to commence legal proceedings. The case will be heard on July 3. See: Amiante: Nouvel épisode du bras de fer entre locataires et la SIDR [New incident between tenants and Housing Authority].
Asbestos Disease in Rag Sorters
Jun 19, 2014
Data presented last month by the Italian Institute for the Study and Prevention of Cancer documented an elevated incidence of asbestos cancer amongst former rag sorters employed to recycle hessian bags used for the transport of asbestos fiber. Epidemiological research covering the years from 1988 to 2012 showed that the rag sorters had a mesothelioma incidence ranging from 74 to 166 cases per 100,000. The incidence in the rest of the textile industry was 3.5 cases per 100,000. See: Amianto killer degli stracciaioli, a Prato malati come nella fabbrica dell’Eternit [Asbestos Deaths of Rag Sorters ...].
Asbestos Fraud in Mining Sector
Jun 17, 2014
A multimillion dollar fine and jail sentences exceeding five years were handed down by federal judge Mara Elisa Andrade to former business executives who colluded in the operation of a fraud which deprived the state of Goiás and the municipality of Minaçu of financial compensation for exploiting mineral resources – i.e. chrysotile asbestos. The criminal operation ran from 1991 to 1997 and was related to the production of asbestos at the Sama mine; it cost the State more than US$16 million. See: MPF/GO consegue a condenação de envolvidos em estelionato contra o DNPM [Federal prosecutor convicts asbestos mining businessmen].
Miners Compensation Campaign
Jun 17, 2014
A news segment broadcast on June 16, 2014 on Canadian TV documented the fight for compensation by Newfoundland’s former asbestos miners, many of whom have contracted asbestos-related diseases. The Baie Verte mine closed 20 years ago but the majority of the mine workers suffering from asbestos-related diseases have been denied compensation. A report released this week has documented the impact of the hazardous occupational exposures experienced. Calls are being made for the State to introduce legislation to ensure that the injured are compensated. See: Former Newfoundland asbestos mine workers fight government.
Asbestos Demonstration in Bordeaux
Jun 16, 2014
Hundreds of asbestos victims took to the Bordeaux streets this morning. Local sufferers were joined by compatriots from other asbestos hotspots in south-west France. They gathered in front of the headquarters of the Regional Health Authority with banners which had mottos such as “lethal profession” and “asbestos kills.” This afternoon, a demonstration was held outside the Court of Appeal where 48 asbestos cases are being heard; the claims being reviewed relate to anxiety over occupational asbestos exposures. See: A Bordeaux, les victimes de l'amiante se rebiffent [Asbestos protest in Bordeaux].
Asbestos Maritime Legacy
Jun 16, 2014
Three percent of the ships tested in a survey carried out by the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji contained asbestos. The results of the dust and air tests indicated that the levels of asbestos present were below 0.01 f/ml. At this level, the authorities said, the threat posed was “deemed to be negligible.” Nevertheless, to comply with the asbestos guidelines of the International Maritime Organization, the ships’ owners must ensure that control measures are in place “to eliminate or minimize exposure and prevent further release of asbestos." See: Asbestos on ships.
Football’s World Cup and Asbestos
Jun 16, 2014
Journalist Stephen Bertolino has published a report detailing asbestos contamination caused by clearance of low-income neighborhoods (favelas) undertaken prior to the construction of venues for the 2014 World Cup. In Brazil, the world’s 4th biggest producer of asbestos, asbestos is widely used in construction materials and water tanks; there is no doubt the demolished premises contained asbestos. Bertolino says that the asbestos contamination which has occurred will lead to an epidemic of fatal diseases and cancers. See: Favelas demolite per i mondiali di calcio: in Brasile scoppia l'emergenza Amianto [Favelas demolished for the World Cup: asbestos emergency in Brazil].
Asbestos Crimes in Castelló, Spain
Jun 16, 2014
Thirty-nine people have been indicted by the Spanish authorities for the illegal dismantling of an asbestos-riddled derelict tile factory in the City of Villarreal. They are alleged to have committed crimes against the environment as well as other crimes. The company owning the industrial site is now bankrupt and it is believed that the individuals charged were involved in operations to salvage metal, roofing materials and other parts of the building’s infrastructure without implementing mandatory measures to minimize hazardous exposures to asbestos. See: 39 acusados por manipular amianto en Villarreal [39 charged with handling asbestos in Villarreal].
Award for Asbestos Campaigner
Jun 14, 2014
The incredible work of Michael Lees, the Founder of the Asbestos in Schools Group, was recognized today when he was named in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. He received an MBE, an order of chivalry, for services to the Wellbeing of Children and Teachers. Since his school teacher wife died in 2000 at the age of 51 from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, Michael has been campaigning to raise awareness of the dangers posed by asbestos contamination in UK schools. He was worked collaboratively with asbestos victims, trade unionists, politicians, civil servants and others to address the threats posed to teachers, staff and children. See: Queen's birthday honours list 2014: MBE.
No Safe Use
Jun 14, 2014
A hard-hitting series has today been published in the Globe and Mail which explores the tragedy caused by Canadian asbestos mining at home and abroad. The articles are illustrated with stunning black and white photographs which highlight the human tragedy caused by Canada’s exploitation of the “magic mineral.” The topics covered include: The Invisible Epidemic, Exposure is still Widespread, Boom Years, Six Months to Live, Officially Safe in Canada and What is to be Done. Quotes from international experts reinforce the need for the authorities to act urgently to address the issues caused by asbestos contamination of the infrastructure and environment. See: No Safe Use.
Government Colludes with Insurers
Jun 13, 2014
A letter written by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has this week been made public. The letter confirms what asbestos victims have long suspected: the existence of a behind-closed-doors-deal between insurers and the Government which would, according to Ian McFall from Thompsons’ Solicitors (see: Government ‘behind closed doors’ deal with insurers comes to light) “benefit the insurance industry and [be] to the detriment of mesothelioma claimants.” Asbestos victims agree: “this appalling deal offends against the very principles of transparency and fairness.” See: Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK Press Release.
Award for Awareness Campaign
Jun 13, 2014
On June 12, 2014 at a ceremony in Amsterdam held during a meeting of the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, a high-profile and prize-winning Australian campaign by a specialist media company from Sydney beat international competitors to secure an industry award for “Best Use of Communication Management: Not-for-Profit (Bronze).” Central to the winning entry was the innovative marketing and community outreach tool: “Betty – The ADRI House.” Attending the ceremony to accept the honor were Directors Clare and Alice Collins, the mother and daughter team who run the Insight Agency. See: Media Release.
Aftermath of Asbestos Fire
Jun 12, 2014
Public concern is high after a fire destroyed an asbestos-cement roofed storage building in the outskirts of Tel Aviv. A strong wind spread the smoke and toxins from the fire throughout one of the country’s largest industrial zones, where thousands of people work in high rise buildings. The Ministry of Environmental Protection is advising people to stay away from the area until decontamination work has been completed. Local residents were told to: stay indoors, keep windows shut and air conditioners off to avoid inhaling asbestos fibers. This incident is the latest of many which have released asbestos into the environment. See: Asbestos fire survival guide.
Mining Legacy in Corsica
Jun 12, 2014
Corsica’s Canari asbestos mine was one of the biggest in Europe; it operated from 1930 until 1965. The mine and the surrounding area were designated a polluted site by the Ministry of Environment in 1994. Although preventative work begun earlier in the year has stopped, monitoring of the contaminated site continues according to a local news source. From June 10 to June 27, 2014 surveyors will examine erosion and water flow. The work is scheduled to take place at night so as not to affect traffic. See: Corse, Environnement: “derniers travaux sur l’usine d’amiante de Canari” [Corsica, Environment: “latest work on the Canari asbestos factory”].
Ministerial Asbestos Briefing
Jun 11, 2014
Civil society activists today briefed India’s Minister of Mines, Steel and Labor on the urgent need to ban asbestos to end the human suffering caused by exposure to a substance designated by international authorities as a human carcinogen. Details were provided of the high incidence of asbestos-related diseases amongst people working in various sectors including shipbreaking and asbestos processing. A copy of a 2011 document issued by the Indian government was shown to the Minister which clearly stated that the government was “considering the ban on use of chrysotile asbestos in India to protect the workers and the general population.” See: Press Release and Photo of Gopal Krishna briefing Minster.
Asbestos Issues on Parliament's Agenda
Jun 11, 2014
In a debate in the Italian Parliament yesterday (June 10), politicians expressed concerns about the slow pace of asbestos eradication. Even though Italy banned the use of asbestos in 1992, millions of tonnes of asbestos-contaminated products and debris continue to pose a health risk to citizens. The consequences to Italy’s schoolchildren from hazardous exposures at school were highlighted during the debate. A National Asbestos Initiative announced by the government in March 2013 remains under consideration but has not yet been implemented. See: L’amianto torna in Parlamento [Asbestos on Parliamentary Agenda, Again].
Authorities Arrest Toxic Japanese Ship
Jun 11, 2014
The Flemish Environment Ministry has seized a Japanese owned end-of-life ship called Global Spirit which was en route to India. Until the owners provide the authorities with evidence that the toxic ship, believed to contain asbestos as well as other hazardous materials, will be dismantled in accordance with European laws, the vessel will remain in Belgium. The NGO Platform on Shipbreaking, which had highlighted its concerns over the Global Spirit, has issued a press release which calls on the ship’s owners “to find a sustainable solution for their entire fleet – a not only the Global Spirit.” See: Press Release: Japanese End-of-Life Ship Arrested in the Port of Antwerp.
Multimillion Asbestos Research Grant
Jun 10, 2014
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have been awarded a $10 million grant from the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences over the next four years “to study asbestos exposure pathways that lead to mesothelioma, the bioremediation of this hazardous material, and mechanisms that lead to asbestos-related diseases.” Issues to be investigated include: the remediation of asbestos disposal sites, the threat posed by environmental asbestos contamination, the existence of a genetic predisposition to develop mesothelioma and measures to prevent disease in exposed subjects. See: Penn receives $10 million award to study asbestos adverse health effects, remediation.
Awareness Campaign Nomination
Jun 9, 2014
On June 12, 2014 at a ceremony in Amsterdam held during a meeting of the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC), winning projects will be announced. A finalist in the category of “Best Use of Communication Management: Not-for-Profit” is a campaign developed by Insight Communications for the Asbestos Education Committee in Partnership with the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute – Don’t Play Renovation Roulette Asbestos Awareness Week 2012. We wish them luck! See: Asbestos Awareness website.
Proposed Policy not fit for Purpose
Jun 9, 2014
A Discussion Document released by New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment outlining proposals for new health and safety regulations describes the country’s asbestos policy as being out of step with other countries, including Australia and Europe. The text criticised aspects of The Health and Safety at Work Act; weaknesses highlighted included a lack of rigor in asbestos sampling protocols, lack of training for at-risk workers and confusion over responsibilities of various stakeholders. Calls are made for New Zealand to urgently ban asbestos imports. See: NZ out of step on asbestos – ministry.
Nicaraguan Asbestos Epidemic
Jun 8, 2014
The dominant force in Nicaragua’s asbestos sector was the Swiss Eternit asbestos group, owned by the Schmidheiny family. From 1967 until 1996 the Eternit company operated the Nicalit asbestos-cement factory in San Rafael del Sur, 45 miles from the capital. Testimonies by some of the 1,800 former workers at this plant detail the lack of workplace precautions to minimize hazardous exposures to asbestos. The Association of Former Nicalit workers has documented many cases of asbestos-related deaths. See: Nicalit: el monopolio del amianto en Nicaragua del magnate suizo Schmidheiny [Nicalit: the Nicaragua monopoly of Swiss asbestos magnate].
State Ordered to Pay Compensation
Jun 8, 2014
The Orléans Administrative Court has condemned the French State for failing to implement measures to protect factory workers from asbestos exposures. This ruling is the result of an appeal by Latty International which had been found guilty of the asbestos-related death of a former worker. Latty claimed that as the State’s inaction on asbestos had been negligent, it should pay the compensation awarded by the Versailles Court of Appeal. The Orléans Court ordered the State to pay €127,330 to the company. See: Scandale de l'amiante : l'État condamné [Asbestos scandal: the State is condemned].
Environmental Asbestos Legacy
Jun 7, 2014
On World Environment Day 2014 (June 5), a coalition of community activists, environmentalists and local politicians filed a complaint with the State Attorney General’s office in Madrid about the public health hazard posed by environmental asbestos contamination in Toledo. Included in the dossier submitted to the authorities, were current photographs of discarded toxic waste produced by a local asbestos manufacturer which closed down its operations in 2004. See: Cuatro colectivos llevan al Fiscal del Estado el amianto del Polígono [Civil Society Groups Issue Asbestos Complaint].
Mobilization by Asbestos Victims
Jun 7, 2014
On June 3, 2014, a German TV program was broadcast which focused on the plight of German asbestos victims, most of whom are refused compensation for their injuries. Calls are being made for restrictive laws and protocols to be changed. These and other issues will be discussed at the June 23, 2014 annual meeting of the German Asbestos Victims’ Organization which will, for the first time, be held in Cologne. Taking part in this event will be asbestos victims, family members, trade unionists, campaigners and experts. See: Kölner Asbest-Workshop [Cologne Asbestos Workshop].
Drug Company Loses Appeal
Jun 6, 2014
In a judgment handed down in Paris on June 5, 2014 by the Court of Appeal, the Sanofi pharmaceutical company was found guilty of “gross negligence” for the asbestos death in 2010 of a former employee. The deceased, who had worked for 37 years at the company’s plant in Vitry-sur-Seine, died from lung cancer at the age of 63. Compensation of €200,000 was awarded to the victim’s family. See: Amiante: Sanofi condamné en appel pour "faute inexcusable" après la mort d'un salarié [Asbestos: Sanofi sentenced on appeal for “gross negligence” after the death of an employee].
Asbestos Trial of Pirelli Executives
Jun 6, 2014
Piero Sierra is on trial in Milan with other former Pirelli executives accused of involuntary manslaughter for the asbestos-related deaths of former factory workers. In what many would regard as a conflict of interest, Sierra was, for a period of nine years, also the head of the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC). According to witnesses, no measures were implemented by Pirelli to protect workers from the asbestos hazard at the factories. See: Amianto, tra gli imputati del processo Pirelli anche l’ex presidente dell’Airc [Asbestos, among defendants in Pirelli trial is former president of AIRC].
Asbestos Giant Hits Out at Critics
Jun 6, 2014
As the Brazilian Supreme Court continues deliberations regarding the constitutionality of asbestos use in Brazil, the trade association representing the country’s asbestos sector has gone on the offensive. In a press release issued last week, Marina Julia Aquino, President of the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute, regurgitated industry propaganda and excuses about why the use of asbestos cannot be prohibited – Brazil’s asbestos is safe, poor people cannot afford alternative products, the deadly effects of asbestos are related to past practices – to counter growing support for a national ban. See: A guerra suja contra o amianto [The dirty war against asbestos].
Major Victory for Asbestos Victims
Jun 5, 2014
The Swiss authorities have announced that they will not challenge a decision handed down in March 2014 by the European Court of Human Rights which supported claims by an asbestos widow and her family for the death of an asbestos-exposed worker, even though the statute of limitations had, according to Swiss law, expired. In addition, the authorities have announced that the limitation period for personal injury claims in Switzerland will be extended from ten to thirty years. See: Bund akzeptiert Asbest-Urteil des Strassburger Gerichts [Confederation accepts asbestos judgment of the Strasbourg Court].
Death Caused by Asbestos Crime
Jun 5, 2014
An HSE investigation resulted in a jail sentence of one year being handed down on June 4, 2014 by Worcester Crown Court to Robert Marsh who had supplied used asbestos-containing sheets for the construction of a new barn in Frankley, Worcestershire. The illegal sale of the banned material came to light after Tony Podmore, a 56-year-old construction worker, fell through the fragile roof in June 2011 and later died. Judge Michael Cullum called Mr Marsh’s actions “wholly reprehensible;” he acted, said the Judge, out of “selfish self-interest” to maximise profit at the expense of health and safety. See: Shropshire director jailed for illegal supply of asbestos sheeting after worker fell to his death.
Japanese Asbestos Victims Meet
Jun 3, 2014
On Saturday May 31, Ban Asbestos Japan (BANJAN) held its 26th annual meeting in Tokyo. The discussions were preceded by an outdoor rally and outreach activities with members of the public. The subject addressed during the discussions was “Ten years after the Global Asbestos Congress 2004.” The keynote presentation was given by Professor Ken Takahashi. Other speakers included asbestos victims, family members, Dr. Yuji Natori and trade unionist Satoru Takyu. Several BANJAN members who took part are due to take part in discussions with Korean and Indonesian activists in Seoul this week. See: Picture of BANJAN meeting.
ETUC Rejects EU Asbestos Proposal
Jun 3, 2014
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling for an end to the EU derogation which allows chrysotile asbestos diaphragms to be used in the production of chlorine and for rejection of proposals to allow chrysotile asbestos imports into the EU. In comments submitted to the European Chemicals Agency in May 2014, the ETUC said the European Commission and Member States must, in light of the availability of safer asbestos-free substitutes, honor the EU’s commitment to a global asbestos ban. See: ETUC comments on the amendment of entry 6 (asbestos fibres) of REACH ANNEX XVII.
Asbestos Removal in Hungary
Jun 3, 2014
An association representing asbestos removal firms in Hungary has warned that decontaminating the country’s buildings could cost tens of billions of dollars. Sprayed asbestos fireproofing was widely used in the past and experts believe that many residential buildings could still contain 150,000 - 200,000 square meters of this highly toxic material. The association is lobbying government to prioritize the removal of asbestos and to educate the public and workers about the asbestos hazard in order to minimize dangerous exposures. Asbestos use is banned in Hungary. See: Asbestos decontamination in Hungary to cost HUF20bn-25bn.
Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases
Jun 2, 2014
The headline article in the June 2014 newsletter of the National [Australian] Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD) pays tribute to Australian mesothelioma sufferer Rod Triplett who died on March 10, 2014. Rod was an expert builder who had been exposed to asbestos-containing construction materials throughout his career. Other articles in the newsletter cover awards received by NCARD Director Bruce Robinson and NCARD Professor Anna Novak as well as a visit to NCARD by Laurie Kazan-Allen, the Coordinator of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. See: NCARD Newsletter, June 2014.
Saskatchewan Sets Asbestos Agenda
Jun 2, 2014
As of June 1, 2014, compliance became mandatory with regulations intended to protect workers in Saskatchewan from the asbestos hazard; infringements could result in fines of up to $20,000. Howard’s Law – named after asbestos victim, campaigner and public building inspector Howard Willems – stipulates that owners of public buildings compile and register asbestos audits of their properties to prevent workplace exposures due to building repairs and maintenance work. Saskatchewan’s web-based asbestos registry is the first and only one of its kind in Canada. See: Asbestos registry expanded for Saskatchewan public buildings.
Asbestos Risk to Schoolchildren
Jun 1, 2014
A study of the condition of the Italian educational infrastructure has highlighted the risk of asbestos exposure in 2,000+ schools. This hazard is a threat to the health of 342,000 children as well as thousands of teachers, support staff and maintenance workers. Serious problems were also identified with electrical and plumbing systems as well as structural integrity of buildings. Responding to this report, the government has earmarked billions of euros to update and secure school buildings. See: Intonaci che crollano e amianto Il Censis lancia l’allarme scuole [Italian study highlights asbestos risk at schools].
Asbestos in Quebec Schools
Jun 1, 2014
To comply with stricter regulations adopted by Quebec’s Ministry of Education, asbestos audits are being progressed in Sherbrooke, a region at the center of Quebec’s former asbestos-producing heartland. A detailed survey is planned for each primary and secondary establishment so that workers and building users will be protected from hazardous exposures; asbestos was widely used in Quebec’s schools. Budget allocations for this work are being integrated into municipal investment plans. See: Amiante dans les écoles: les CS dresseront un inventaire [Asbestos in Schools: CS develop an inventory].
Exposure in Tasmanian Capital
May 31, 2014
Results of an investigation undertaken by WorkSafe Tasmania have confirmed that occupational asbestos exposures did occur at the $100 million Parliament Square development site in Hobart, the state capital. The project, one of Tasmania’s biggest, will include an office building and a public square with an amphitheater. Three workers were exposed to asbestos during the early stages of the demolition work. Invitations from the construction union to meet with the developers – the Citta Property Group – have been declined. See: Unions Tasmania Media Release: Asbestos Exposure Confirmed.
Asbestos Activists Call for Action
May 30, 2014
Members of the Italian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed were joined by representatives of trade unions CGIL, CISL and UIL at an asbestos demonstration in Rome on Friday, May 30. Activists distributed asbestos awareness information in several piazzas in the city to coincide with the launch of a new asbestos online initiative by the authorities in Rome. The slogan “liberate Rome from asbestos” was seen on placards and leaflets. See: “Liberiamo la città dall’amianto”; Il I Municipio apre le info online [“We free the city from asbestos”; the Town Hall opens online information service.].
Victory for Asbestos Victims!
May 30, 2014
On May 30, 2014 the labor court in Chaumont recognized for the first time the right of asbestos-exposed workers to be compensated for anxiety over the repercussions of hazardous workplace exposures. The claimants, each of whom was awarded €10,000, were former McCormack employees. Welcoming the historic decision, Pascal Vaglio, President of the association of asbestos victims in Haute-Marne, told a journalist that the compensation was for the very real anxiety suffered by at-risk workers who are fully aware of the painful asbestos deaths of their colleagues. See: Amiante: le préjudice d'anxiété reconnu à Chaumont [Asbestos injury anxiety recognized in Chaumont].
Calls to Restart Asbestos Mining
May 30, 2014
Calls were made in Harare yesterday for the recommencement of asbestos mining in Zimbabwe. At the official launch of the Zimbabwe chrysotile asbestos position paper, businessman John Jere estimated that over $180 million could be generated through the resuscitation of the asbestos mines in Shabanie and Mashaba. Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha said: “Zimbabwe still has the potential to be one of the world’s largest producers of high quality chrysotile asbestos fibre and contribute immensely to employment generation and the downstream industries.” See: Resuscitate Shabanie, Mashaba asbestos mines.
Asian Asbestos Conference
May 30, 2014
The third international workshop for Asian asbestos victims will take place in Seoul on June 12-13, 2014. Participants will include asbestos victims, campaigners and experts from Korea, Japan and Indonesia who will consider measures to improve the care of and support for asbestos patients in their countries. The sessions have been organized by the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea, the Japan Association of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Related Disease Victims and their Families and the Indonesia Ban Asbestos Network. Sponsorship has been obtained from a consortium of groups including the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. See: Workshop Poster.
Family Crushed by Asbestos Verdict
May 30, 2014
On May 29, 2014, a Labor Court in Spain issued a verdict which could result in the family of an asbestos cancer victim losing their home. Legal proceedings initiated by Ana Saavedra, the daughter of a former shipyard worker who died at 58 years old, were concluded yesterday with a verdict against the family. Unfortunately, the doctor who was scheduled to testify did not attend the court. The Judge ordered that the family pay €98,600 (US$80,243). See: Denuncia que le condenan a pagar 98.600 euros por un juicio de un caso de amianto [Verdict of €98,600 goes against family of asbestos victim].
Asbestos: Environmental Dimension
May 30, 2014
While the media has covered Italy’s epidemic of asbestos-related disease due to occupational exposure, cohorts of people have also been suffering from these diseases due to environmental exposure from unremediated sites. One such cluster in the “forgotten massacre” is to be found in Campania where air monitoring has found 27 asbestos fibers per liter of air. Local authorities have been asked to evacuate the area and school children have already been screened for symptoms. A few months ago, the prosecutor began an investigation into asbestos deaths. See: Amianto, la strage dimenticata [Asbestos, a forgotten massacre].
Mesothelioma: Research Findings
May 30, 2014
Doctors at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul undertook a study of 66 pleural malignant mesothelioma patients over an 18-year period beginning in 1995. The age range of the patients was from 28 to 80 years old with an average age of 56.84 years; average overall survival was 15.39 months. One third of the patients underwent a pneumonectomy. Asbestos-exposure data was missing in 65 out of the 66 cases. The researchers concluded that: “The combination of calretinin, Wilms tumor 1, HMBE-1, and thyroid transcription factor-1 may provide high diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing mesothelioma.” See: Pleural mesothelioma: an institutional experience of 66 cases.
Death of Worker under Investigation
May 29, 2014
On May 28, 2014, the Bihar Human Rights Commission (BHRC) directed the District Magistrate to appear before the Commission on July 9, 2014 to report on the operations of the Ramco asbestos-cement factory in Bihiya; specifically the Magistrate was instructed to address the issue of the lung cancer fatality of former Ramco asbestos worker Virendra Jumar Singh. The BHRC had been petitioned about this matter by the ToxicsWatch Alliance which was seeking its intervention to protect workers and communities from the hazardous repercussions of Ramco’s asbestos processing operations. See: Bihar Human Rights Commission Order May 28, 2014.
Bologna: Asbestos Hotspot.
May 29, 2014
In Bologna, an industrial town in the north of Italy, the local epidemic of asbestos-related diseases shows no sign of abating. Five former workers from a local employer have died in the last five months from the asbestos cancer: mesothelioma. They had all worked for decades at the Officine railways works on the maintenance, renovation and repair of locomotives or cars. See: Amianto, la strage infinita degli operai: quinto morto in cinque mesi a Bologna [Asbestos, the endless massacre of workers: five dead in five months in Bologna].
Asbestos Criminal Trial 2015
May 29, 2014
French asbestos victims are confident that next year a criminal trial will begin along the lines of the one that took place in Italy, in which former asbestos businessmen and directors were held to account for the crimes committed during manufacturing operations at Eternit asbestos-cement factories. It is believed that French Eternit director Joseph Cuvelier, who was indicted in November 2009 by Judge Bertella-Geffroy, could be amongst those on trial. It is predicted that 100,000 asbestos-related deaths could occur by 2025. See: Eternit : le profil d'un procès de l'amiante au pénal se dessine à l'horizon 2015.
Calls to Curb Toxic Trade
May 28, 2014
On May 27, 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a call for countries to increase taxes on tobacco on May 31, World No Tobacco Day. People who smoke die prematurely from several diseases. People who smoke and are exposed to asbestos are at a highly elevated risk of contracting lung cancer. For this reason, global ban asbestos campaigners have urged the WHO and the International Labor Organization to adopt a World No Asbestos Day! See: WHO calls for higher tobacco taxes to save more lives.
Analysis of Mesothelioma Risk
May 28, 2014
Researchers from Australia and Italy have published findings based on data from six cohort studies of asbestos-exposed workers and two cohorts of individuals with residential exposure. The scientists concluded that: “the rate and risk of pleural MM [malignant mesothelioma] increased until 45 years following first exposure and then appeared to increase at a slower power of time since first exposure. The rate of increase in peritoneal MM over the 10-50 years since first exposure continued to increase.” See: Mesothelioma risk after 40 years since first exposure to asbestos: a pooled analysis.
New Workplace Regulations
May 27, 2014
From May 30, 2014 tighter restrictions will be enforced to protect workers from the hazards of asbestos exposures in Singapore. The new Workplace Safety and Health (Asbestos) Regulations, which replace the Factories (Asbestos) Regulations, mandate that asbestos audits be carried out before any refurbishment or demolition work is undertaken. The surveys must be conducted by someone trained to a standard recognized by the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications framework. Although Singapore banned the import of raw asbestos in 1989, there is no ban on the use of asbestos-containing products. See: New asbestos safety rules take effect from Friday.
Asbestos Disaster in New Zealand
May 27, 2014
It has long been known that New Zealand’s policy on asbestos is failing. In recent days, evidence about the deadly repercussions of this situation has been revealed. In the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes, the number of complaints of asbestos exposure to workers has risen by 350% (see: Asbestos complaints rocketing). Although this rise is extremely disturbing it is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are no requirements in New Zealand which stipulate that companies report incidents of asbestos exposure. Trade unions are calling for immediate action to protect at-risk trades and householders from the hazard.
Executives Guilty of Manslaughter
May 27, 2014
On May 23, 2014, a criminal judge in Southern Italy sentenced 27 directors of a steel producing company to a total of 189 years in jail for environmental disaster and manslaughter caused by occupational exposures to asbestos and other carcinogens. The charges relate to asbestos deaths of 15 workers who died between 2004 and 2010. The sentences handed down ranged from 4 to 9½ years. The court proceedings lasted two years; during this time workers, doctors, engineers and others described hazardous conditions prevalent at the factory. See: Ilva, condannati 27 ex dirigenti per le morti da amianto [Ilva, sentences 27 former executives for asbestos deaths].
Mesothelioma in Gujarat
May 23, 2014
In a letter written on May 7, 2014, the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute in Ahmedabad confirmed that between 2008 and 2014 sixty-six patients with mesothelioma had been treated. This information was released after a determined effort by grass-roots activist Manwar Raghunath who in 2009 and 2014 submitted requests under the Right to Information Act 2005. Eighty-nine percent (59) of the patients had pleural mesothelioma and 11% (7) had peritoneal mesothelioma. There were no cases of pericardial mesothelioma. India remains the biggest importer of asbestos fiber; in 2012, the latest year for which data are available, national usage was 493,086 tonnes.
Judicial Victory for Trade Union
May 23, 2014
The Unite trade union has today announced that it has won a judicial review against HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) which had failed to comply with a request by the Liverpool coroner to produce a work history for trade union member Mr. Carmichael who died from asbestosis. HMRC demanded that the coroner obtain a High Court order before action would be taken. The Administrative Court stated that “There were some 2,576 conclusions of industrial disease from inquests in 2012.” The HMRC was, it said required “to produce a work history for the coroner’s inquest…” See: Unite Press release.
Asbestos Initiative in Santa Catarina
May 23, 2014
On May 22, 2014, a new public awareness campaign was launched in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina by the Public Ministry which featured a hard-hitting poster warning of the deadly dangers of asbestos exposure. The capital letter headline “ELIMATE ASBESTOS; IT’S A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH” is accompanied by the photograph of Aldo Vincentin, a former asbestos-cement factory worker who died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Santa Catarina has not banned asbestos; the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso and 31 municipalities have.
James Hardie: Profits and Liabilities
May 22, 2014
Business is good for James Hardie (JH) the multinational building products manufacturer responsible for much of the asbestos-related disease in Australia. Accounts just published show that net profits have doubled since last year; for the year to March 31, they were $US99.5 million. JH is obligated to put up to 35 per cent of its operating cash flow into the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund to provide payments to Australian victims of asbestos-related diseases. Actuaries estimate that due to a surge in claims, JH’s total asbestos liabilities have risen by $177 million since last year. See: Rising asbestos liabilities hang over James Hardie profit surge.
Proceedings against Asbestos Giant
May 22, 2014
On May 22, hearings began in a Madrid court of cases brought by the families of women who died from asbestos-related diseases contracted from exposure to their husbands work clothes. It is alleged that the deceased became ill because of the negligence of the Uralita company, Spain’s leading manufacturer of asbestos-cement products. A spokesman for the Spanish Association of Asbestos Victims says that the proceedings are “highly significant” and could open the way for others with asbestos claims. See: Familiares de mujeres víctimas del amianto acuden a los juzgados [Families of Female Asbestos Victims Go to Court].
U-Turn Expedites Legal Process
May 21, 2014
A change in government policy which compromised litigation by families of deceased asbestos victims will be overturned according to a notice of amendment tabled in the House of Commons on May 7, 2014. Last year, HM Revenue and Customs adopted a policy which stipulated that requests for the employment history of a deceased claimant would only be released if a High Court order had been obtained. This requirement caused serious difficulties in cases involving long-tail disease claims such as mesothelioma. See: House of Commons Notices of Amendments. May 7, 2014. [Section NC6].
New Guide for Construction Workers
May 21, 2014
The French Federation of Construction Workers (Fédération française du bâtiment / FFB) has published a new asbestos guide for construction workers which details measures to prevent workplace exposures especially during removal or demolition work. The text also explains provisions contained in regulations introduced in May 2012 and the responsibilities of clients, subcontractors and self-employed workers as well as the penalties for infringements of the asbestos law. Issues such as the management of asbestos waste and the use of mandatory equipment are also covered. See: Prévention – La FFB édite son guide amiante [Prevention – FBB edits asbestos guide].
Corruption in Colombian Politics
May 19, 2014
In the run-up to Presidential elections, calls have been made for politicians to prioritize the issue of asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen the use of which remains legal in Colombia. Questions are being asked about one of President Santos’ major re-election projects: the construction by the Ministry of Housing of 100,000 low income homes containing asbestos. It seems that a director of a company which produces the contaminated roofing tiles has the same surname as one-time Housing Minister Germán Vargas Lleras. See: Parece un chiste de mal gusto, pero no; es un “negocio” [Looks like a bad joke, but no it is "business"].
Widows Meet French President
May 19, 2014
On May 16, 2014, a delegation of asbestos widows from the port town of Dunkirk had a meeting with the French President at the Elysee Palace. Marjorie Veziel, Colette Ozouf, Chantal Pakosz and Yvelines Ardhuin urged the President to progress judicial efforts to hold all those responsible for the country’s asbestos catastrophe to account. A criminal trial of implicated politicians, businessmen and others should, they said, be regarded as a priority. See: François Hollande a reçu des veuves de l’amiante de Dunkerque à l’Élysée ce vendredi [François Hollande meets Dunkirk asbestos widows at the Elysee Palace].
Asbestos Waste in City Streets
May 19, 2014
For decades, Kapelle-op-den-Bos, a municipality in the heart of Belgium, was at the center of the manufacturing operations of the asbestos-cement giant Eternit S.A. Years after the factory’s closure, asbestos-contaminated waste remains a health risk to local residents. Despite assurances that land being prepared for building work in the area near where the factory once stood was safe for development, a 25 cm piece of asbestos-cement pipe was found on this site last week (May 16). This evidence leads one to question the assurances which had been given and the safety of those who are working on the site and who will live in the houses now under construction. See: Photograph by Eric Jonckheere.
Gas Masks Warnings to Schools
May 14, 2014
Government advice given to schools this week warns of the asbestos hazard in gas masks and tin helmets popularly used as wartime artefacts during lessons in the run-up to the centenary of World War I. Analyses by the Health and Safety Executive found asbestos, often crocidolite, in the majority of masks sampled. The Imperial War Museum has confirmed that World War One British Army helmets should be assumed to contain asbestos and other toxic materials. Schools should remove these items from use and either dispose of them safely or have the asbestos removed. See: Wartime helmets and gas masks 'dangerous', schools told and Asbestos Warning to Schools.
Senate Bill Threatens Victims’ Rights
May 14, 2014
Six months after the House of Representatives passed the Furthering Asbestos Claims Transparency Act, the Senate’s version of the bill has been tabled. Bill S. 2319 requires asbestos bankruptcy settlement trusts to release information on asbestos claimants including “detailed information regarding the receipt and disposition of claims for injuries on exposure to asbestos, and for other purposes.” Critics have said the “mean-spirited” Bill threatens victims’ privacy; in addition, they say, there is no evidence of “systematic fraud” in the asbestos trust system. See: Jeff Flake introduces Senate version of bill seeking transparency in asbestos bankruptcy trusts.
Eternit’s Asbestos Killing Fields
May 14, 2014
The mesothelioma deaths of Salvina Ballarò and Adele Meneguz were reported in The Monferrato newspaper yesterday (May 13). The two local woman local died from their exposures to Eternit’s asbestos on the same day. Sixty-eight year old Salvina Ballaro was a former textile worker and an active trade unionist who fought for the rights of asbestos victims; she was diagnosed with mesothelioma in July 2013. Fifty-six year Adele Meneguz worked for more than thirty years in a laboratory at a local hospital. See: Amianto: altre due vittime [Asbestos: one more victim].
Asbestos-related Lung Cancer
May 13, 2014
Yesterday (May 12), a claimant’s verdict was issued by Judge Ryoji Kudo of the Kobe District Court who dismissed an earlier ruling which found that lung cancer contracted by a 60-year old construction worker was not caused by occupational asbestos exposure due to the relatively low level of asbestos fibers in his body. The judge ruled that the government’s criteria for the recognition of asbestos-related disease based on the number of asbestos fibers was unreasonable. The verdict recognized the cause of death as occupational asbestos exposure. See: Kobe court rules criteria for recognizing asbestos-related lung cancer unreasonable.
Swiss Appeal Victims’ Verdict?
May 13, 2014
A landmark ruling handed down in March 2014 by the European Court of Human Rights which supported claims by an asbestos widow and her family may be appealed by federal authorities who allege that the judgment was based on an inaccurate assessment of the Swiss judicial system. The Federal Office of Justice has three months to appeal the decision of the Strasbourg Court; judging by statements made, it looks likely that such an appeal will be lodged. See: Amianto: la SUVA vuole il ricorso contro la Corte europea dei diritti dell'uomo [Asbestos: SUVA wants to appeal against the European Court of Human Rights].
Asbestos in Quebec Schools
May 13, 2014
To comply with mandatory regulations, regional school boards have embarked upon a program to identify asbestos-containing products within the education infrastructure. The asbestos audits being compiled for primary and secondary schools will prevent accidental hazardous exposures to workmen. The education board of one Quebec community has provided a budget of $100,000 for surveys in 73 premises, the majority of which contain asbestos. See: Les grands moyens pour détecter l'amiante dans les écoles [Major initiative to detect asbestos in schools].
Justice Committee Mesothelioma Hearing
May 12, 2014
The first hearing of the Justice Committee on mesothelioma claims will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 in Committee Room 16 of the Palace of Westminster. The first 45-minute panel will feature four speakers representing the interests of asbestos claimants, including an asbestos victims’ group representative, a trade unionist and two legal professionals; the second panel will present the views of asbestos defendants and insurers. The sessions will be broadcast live on Parliament TV. See: The Justice Committee holds its first evidence session on Mesothelioma claims on Tuesday 13 May.
Workers Fear Asbestos Fallout
May 12, 2014
Drivers for a transportation company in Boulogne have serious concerns about the hazard posed by the demolition of asbestos-containing buildings near their company’s depot. Plans have been announced for the site to be relocated in July but the drivers remain troubled about the potential health effects of environmental exposure. Speaking to a journalist, one of the workforce highlighted the contrast between the white-suited asbestos removal workers and the transport staff who have no protection from the hazardous dust. See: Boulogne: les chauffeurs de Keolis Caron Voyages ont peur de l’amiante à Résurgat [Boulogne drivers for transport firm afraid of asbestos].
Parent Raises School Alarm
May 12, 2014
On May 2, 2014, the parent of a pupil from an Auckland school alerted officials of the possible threat of asbestos contamination during demolition work at Bayfield School. On May 7, tests results were received which verified the presence of asbestos. On May 8, Ministry of Education Head of Education Infrastructure Service Kim Shannon told reporters that asbestos had been found within the immediate work site area; further testing has been scheduled. Until the all clear is given, Bayfield students will be taught at space made available in a neighbouring school. See: Asbestos risk: Pupils to study at neighbouring school.
London Showing of Iconic Documentary
May 12, 2014
To this day, a film made 32 years ago remains the touchstone by which all films about asbestos are judged. Alice – A Fight for Life told the story of Alice Jefferson, a former asbestos worker who was dying of asbestos cancer. The film was watched by millions of people and impacted on the national consciousness; it was mentioned in Parliament and brought about changes in legislation. It also decreased the share prices of British asbestos companies (see: Appreciating “Alice”). On May 20, 2014 “Alice” will be screened in central London. Don’t miss it! See: Alice – A Fight for Life.
Town Covers Asbestos Disposal Costs
May 12, 2014
Druskininku, a spa town in southern Lithuania, is pioneering a solution for the environmental challenge posed by the widespread presence of asbestos-contaminated products. Residents will be allowed to dump these products free of charge at the local landfill site at Alytus with the municipality paying the disposal charges. Druskininku residents wishing to use this new scheme must present a certificate of residency and ensure that the waste is properly packaged. See: Druskininku savivaldybe padengs atvežtu asbesto gaminiu atlieku šalinimo išlaidas [Druskininkai municipality to pay for disposal of asbestos-contaminated waste].
Abolition of Asbestos Agency?
May 9, 2014
Last week, Australia’s Commission of Audit recommended that funding be withdrawn for the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Council, a 2013 government initiative to address the issue of asbestos exposure at work, at home and in the Australian environment. On May 9, asbestos victims’ groups from across Australia issued a Joint Media Statement urging a rethink: “the ongoing existence of a strong independent body focused on coordinating asbestos issues nationally is essential to turn the tide on this scourge.” Support for this call has been expressed by Senator Lisa Singh (see: Media Release) and the CFMEU trade union (see: CFMEU rejects the abolition of the Asbestos Safety Council: too many lives at risk).
Moral Damages for Asbestos Death
May 9, 2014
The Supreme Labor Court has ordered the Eternit asbestos company to pay Reais$1 million (US$451,304) to the family of an engineer who died of an asbestos-related disease in 2005, aged 72. The damages include sums for pain and suffering as well as moral damages. The Court increased the amount of compensation awarded by a lower court by over 60% to punish Eternit’s misconduct and incentivize improvements in health and safety protocols. The deceased had worked at Eternit’s Osasco asbestos factory from 1964 to 1967. See: Eternit pagará R$ 1 milhão por morte de trabalhador em contato com amianto [Eternit to pay 1 million Reais for the asbestos death of worker].
Court Judgment in Landmark Case
May 9, 2014
It has been announced that the Italian Supreme Court will issue its verdict in a landmark asbestos case in Rome on November 19, 2014. The lower courts have upheld guilty rulings, huge fines and prison sentences for Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny whose company failed to protect workers and the community from the effects of asbestos processing in several Italian towns. As a result of corporate negligence, thousands of people have died from asbestos-related diseases. See: Processo Eternit: il 19 novembre l'udienza alla Corte di Cassazione [Eternit Trial: November 19 hearing before the Court of Cassation].
Damages for Shipyard Death
May 4, 2014
The family of an Italian welder from Monfalcone who died of mesothelioma and asbestosis has been awarded more than US$1 million plus interest for his wrongful death. Experts told the court that his death was avoidable had his employers taken measures to protect the workforce from hazardous asbestos exposures. Shipbuilding company Fincantieri was ordered to pay the court-awarded damages to the widow and five children of the deceased who had been employed by the company from 1942 to 1978. See: Morto d’amianto, 920mila euro ai familiari [Asbestos death, €920 thousand to the family].
Asbestos Stops Urban Renewal
May 4, 2014
Work on the construction of new homes in Bloemendaal, in the province of North Holland, has been stopped as a result of asbestos contamination in the vicinity of old tramways. Asbestos-containing debris, often supplied free of charge by the Eternit asbestos-cement company, had commonly been used as foundations for roads, farmyards and buildings. The clean-up costs will be paid for by the municipality. Asbestos which had been identified elsewhere on the site in old barns and greenhouses has been dealt with by a company specializing in asbestos removal. See: Weer asbest gevonden op Haringbuysterrein [Asbestos found in Haringbuysterrein].
Mobilization on Asbestos in Schools
May 2, 2014
A delegation from the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) has met with representatives of Quercus (Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza [National Association for Nature Conservation]) in Portugal today to discuss the ongoing threat posed by asbestos contamination of schools. In 2013, a remediation program was begun by the authorities which removed asbestos roofs from 147 schools; this summer a further 150 premises will be decontaminated. Fenprof is lobbying for public access to asbestos audits of all public buildings. See: Fenprof reúne-se com Quercus por causa de amianto [Fenprof meets with Quercus because of asbestos].
Quebec Union Calls for Asbestos Ban
May 2, 2014
According to a statement made on the occasion of International Labor Day (May 1, 2014) by union official Jean Lacharité, following the election of a new Quebec government trade unionists from the Confederation of National Trade Unions are pressing for asbestos to be banned to protect workers from the dreadful consequences of hazardous exposures. This issue is now regarded as a priority by the union which is highlighting the high level of asbestos disease amongst construction workers. See: Rencontre CSN-Sam Hamad: bannir l'amiante pour protéger les ouvriers [Union meets Minister to discuss asbestos ban].
Asbestos Hazards Conference
Apr 30, 2014
A conference on changing responses to asbestos usage (no longer the province of occupational health practitioners alone but increasingly seen as a public health issue) will take place at the Institute Elinyae in Athens on May 5 under the auspices of The Hellenic Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (see: Poster). Expert speakers will address a range of topics including: occupational and public health risks, asbestos-related diseases and their treatments, the history of asbestos use in Greece and possibilities for safely managing asbestos contamination in built and natural environments. See: The Hellenic Institute for Occupational Health and Safety website.
Contamination caused by Hailstorm
Apr 29, 2014
A hailstorm on April 27 has wreaked havoc in Mexican towns in the state of Veracruz. It has been reported that 17 people were injured, cars were damaged and asbestos-cement roofs on a thousand homes were broken. Asbestos sheeting was perforated by hailstones the size of baseballs as a result of which people were injured and household contents were damaged. In 2012, 17,000 tonnes of asbestos were used in Mexico, most of it was for asbestos-cement building products. See: Daños en mil casas y 2400 automóviles [Damage to a thousand houses and 2400 cars].
Essay: Spain’s Asbestos Legacy
Apr 29, 2014
In an extended essay, a well-known Spanish asbestos expert has highlighted the ramifications of the fire which took place earlier this month at an abandoned movie theater in Malaga. Paco Puche details the scale of the conflagration, highlighting the explosion which scattered the asbestos-cement Uralita roofing throughout the densely populated surrounding area. Politicians and members of the city council are denying responsibility for the resulting environmental contamination which continues to endanger the lives of local people. See: Amianto - Cine Victoria de Málaga, crónica de un desastre anunciado [Asbestos – Malaga movie theatre, chronicle of a future disaster].
Lung Cancer Monitoring at Hotspots
Apr 28, 2014
Government funding has been allocated for the 2015 launch of a pilot lung cancer screening program of at-risk residents in Japanese municipalities where asbestos factories had been located. In 2006, the Environment Ministry undertook health surveys of residents in collaboration with local governments of seven regions where asbestos plants had been sited, including Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture. Asbestos consumption continued in Japan long after other developed countries had banned its use. Japanese prohibitions were phased in over a period of years with the final use of asbestos being made illegal in 2012. See: Asbestos lung project in Japan set for 2015.
Contamination at South Carolina Resort
Apr 28, 2014
Land Services, a U.S. demolition firm which has received multiple citations for asbestos removal violations, is once again in the news. This time it is for work undertaken earlier this year at the Golden Sands Motel, a beach-front property in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In February, 2014 tests carried out by state regulators after demolition found asbestos in building debris; eleven citations were issued to the contractors. Last week a fence was erected around the piles of contaminated waste and the firm has said it will remove the material within two weeks. See: Illegal asbestos dumping creates headaches for environmental regulators.Apr 28, 2014
Victims Mark Workers’ Memorial Day
Apr 28, 2014
On April 28 and 29, 2014, AFEVA, a victims’ association representing Italian citizens injured by the operations of the Eternit asbestos multinational, will mark International Workers’ Memorial Day with a church memorial service followed by a procession to the site of the notorious Eternit factory in Casale Monferrato; in the afternoon, an exhibition of artwork by local schoolchildren on the subject of asbestos will be opened. The following day, a dramatic piece entitled: The Dust Empire will be premiered in Casale’s municipal theatre. See: Amianto: le vittime, la memoira [Asbestos: the victim, the memory], Il Monferrato, April 25, 2014.
At-risk Workers Claim Compensation
Apr 28, 2014
Last week, ten asbestos-exposed employees of the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi S.A. asked an industrial tribunal in Créteil for compensation of €30,000 each for the anxiety cause by their occupational exposures. A spokesperson for the company said: “"Sanofi does not dispute the fact that there was asbestos in the plant, as in all societies at the time. The fact remains that some people here were exposed in 1975. As latency is twenty to forty years, it is estimated that there is no more risk today." The tribunal’s ruling is expected on July 11, 2014. See: Sur les six du labo, un est mort de l'amiante, un autre est malade [Of the six in the lab, one died of asbestos, another is sick].
Victims Spurned by Cancer Society
Apr 28, 2014
Fewer than one out of four Germans with occupational asbestos-related disease are compensated for their injuries. To raise awareness of the inequitable treatment they receive, German asbestos victims held a session at the 2014 German Cancer Congress (see: Support for Asbestos Victims in Germany). The Berlin Declaration, which was issued at the Congress [LINK: Berlin Declaration], and endorsed by international organizations and trade unions, has now been rejected by the German Cancer Society. See: Wer Hilfe will, muss durch die Bürokratie-Hölle [If you want help, the red tape is murder].
Continuing Asbestos Use in EU?
Apr 25, 2014
The European Union (EU) banned the use of asbestos in 2005 with an exemption which permitted the import of diaphragms containing chrysotile asbestos fibers for existing electrolysis cells. Under industry pressure, the European Commission is considering extending this concession indefinitely. In fact, the exemption may be broadened not only to allow the import of diaphragms containing asbestos fibres, but also permit the asbestos fibers needed to maintain them to be brought into Europe. See: Asbestos fibre imports – coming legally to Europe soon? Strong objections are already being raised by victims' groups.(see: ANDEVA letter).
Workplace Register for Exposures
Apr 25, 2014
On the eve of International Workers Memorial Day, the FNV, the largest trade union confederation in the Netherlands, has issued calls for the government to implement plans for an asbestos register to streamline claims by injured workers. In the Netherlands, 900 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases; while one mllion tonnes of asbestos remain in situ. To address the asbestos workplace hazard, the FNV is also calling for asbestos audits of buildings to be made mandatory in order to identify where the toxic material remains. See: FNV asbestregister tegen misstanden asbestbranche [FNV calls for asbestos register].
Urban Renewal: The Asbestos Hazard
Apr 24, 2014
Following the introduction of stricter national asbestos regulations, surveyors working for the company Knight Diagnostics have been conducting tests on street and pavement surfaces in the town of Rennes, looking for asbestos-contaminated asphalt which was used by some French companies before the asbestos ban was introduced. As the results of the tests will not be available until the end of June, the city is following the precautionary principle says François Belot, Head of Risk Management for the City of Rennes. See: Chasse à l'amiante sous nos pieds [Hunting asbestos beneath our feet].
Spain’s Asbestos Genocide
Apr 23, 2014
A new book entitled “Amianto: Un Genocidio Impune” documents the existence of a “conspiracy of silence” which prioritized asbestos profits over occupational and public health in Spain. The book’s author Francisco Baez Baquet, a former asbestos industry worker, presented the book at an event held on April 22, 2014 at the Málaga headquarters of the CGT union. A further session is planned for Seville; it will be sponsored by the School of Labor Studies and the Union Comisiones Obreras of Andalusia. The author hopes to visit other asbestos hotspots to highlight the epidemic of asbestos diseases. See: Amianto: Un Genocidio Impune [An Unpunished Genocide].
Maritime Asbestos Controversy
Apr 22, 2014
It has been announced that thirty workers who could have been exposed to asbestos on board the Irish ship LÉ Ciara will receive health check-ups every two years to screen for asbestos-related diseases. The civilian workers were employed by the Department of Defence to carry out a refit on the ship in March; prior to the commencement of work, no risk assessment had been carried out. The Naval Service was informed on March 28, 2014 that tests showed that chrysotile asbestos was present on this ship. The ship and her sister ship LÉ Orla are locked down at the naval dockyard at Haulbowline. See: Regular Tests for Workers over Asbestos.
Eternit Asbestos Criminal Speaks!
Apr 22, 2014
Breaking his long-standing silence, Stephan Schmidheiny has given an interview to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, a Swiss daily newspaper known for its coverage of international and business affairs. The Swiss billionaire, who was sentenced in absentia to 18 years in jail by an Italian Appeal Court for asbestos crimes (see: Postscript to Great Asbestos Trial), regards the criminal proceedings as absurd. The Italian Supreme Court is expected to issue a final ruling later this year. Schmidheiny defended his actions claiming that in the 1970s nothing was known about the occupational risk of asbestos exposure. See: Schmidheiny attend le verdict du procès de l'amiante avec sérénit [Schmidheiny calmly awaits asbestos verdict].
Action to Reduce Asbestos Hazard
Apr 22, 2014
Asbestos is the single largest occupational killer in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Mortality from asbestos-related lung diseases is particularly high amongst BC construction workers. WorkSafeBC – BC’s Workers' Compensation Board, the agency tasked with promoting workplace health and safety – has launched an enforcement initiative to reduce occupational asbestos disease caused by exposure at residential demolition sites. Prevention officers will inspect single-family demolition work sites from March through December 2014 to ensure that all duty holders are complying with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. See: WorkSafeBC conducting asbestos enforcement blitz.
India’s Asbestos Trade
Apr 22, 2014
A recent snapshot of Indian asbestos shipments obtained from a commercial website is informative about some aspects of the country’s huge trade in this acknowledged carcinogen. Incomplete data for imports over two days this month showed imports of raw chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber from Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Brazil; the majority was from Russia. Asbestos exports shipped on April 10-12 were of fabricated asbestos fibers, concrete asbestos [stet] and compressed asbestos fiber jointing sheets, sent to Sudan, Yemen and Brazil. For samples of Indian asbestos-trade data, see Cybex Import Data and Cybex Export Data.
National Asbestos Legacy
Apr 16, 2014
The Japan Association of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Related Disease Victims and their Families has reported the deaths of people who had worked at recycling sites where asbestos-contaminated hemp bags were processed; family members of these workers and local residents have also died from exposure to the asbestos generated at this site. Ten deaths have been recorded in the city of Sakai from asbestos-related cancers. The situation at similar recycling plants in Tokyo, Fukuoka Prefecture and Saitama Prefecture remains to be clarified. See: 10 people in hemp sack recycling centers reportedly dead from asbestos-related sickness.
Victory for Mesothelioma Victim
Apr 15, 2014
In a landmark decision handed down on April 9 by Santiago’s 2nd District Labor Court, a plaintiff’s verdict was issued to mesothelioma victim Raul Olivares who had previously been employed by the Pizarreño company. Until then Pizarreño had never had damages awarded against it for failure to protect its workforce from the hazards of asbestos exposure. Compensation of US$100,126 was awarded; it is believed that thousands of additional asbestos cases could be brought by workers and/or members of the public. See: Pizarreño deberá indemnizar a trabajador que sufre cáncer por asbesto [Pizarreño must compensate workers suffering asbestos cancer].
Trouble at Eternit Asbestos Group
Apr 15, 2014
Following the untimely death of Eternit S.A.’s long-term President Elio Martins, dissension in the boardroom continues for Brazil’s biggest asbestos-cement company. Luiz Barsi, one of Eternit’s biggest shareholders, was put in charge of the company by the administration board. Since he has been in charge he has been highly critical of the former President’s policies. Barsi heads a group of investors who want to change everything including all the top managers and executives. A board meeting scheduled for April 23 could be as explosive as it is decisive. See: Racha no clube do bilhão [Cracks in the billionaire’s club].
Victims Call for Equal Rights!
Apr 14, 2014
Despite the widespread incidence of asbestos-related diseases in their State, West Australians have fewer rights to compensation than fellow citizens. A private members’ bill – The Asbestos Diseases Compensation Bill 2013 – tabled by Kate Doust is intended to close loopholes which prevent victims from claiming compensation for injuries. The proposed legislation would allow West Australians diagnosed with additional asbestos-related diseases the right to claim further damages as is permitted in other states; despite the fact that there are no financial ramifications for the WA government, Attorney General Michael Mischin continues to block its passage. See: Push to close WA's asbestos compensation loophole.
Urban Renewal: Asbestos Hazard
Apr 14, 2014
A serious public health hazard has been highlighted in an article published on April 12, 2014 which focused on the ramifications of the urban renewal project launched by the Turkish Government in 2013. Under this program, which aims to demolish more than 6 million properties by 2020, no consideration is being given to the risk to workers or members of the public of exposure to asbestos-containing building and insulation products contained within the structures earmarked for demolition. See: Kentsel dönüsümde asbestli malzeme alarmi çaliyor [The Hazard of Asbestos-containing Material during Urban Renewal].
Court Upholds Anxiety Claims
Apr 14, 2014
Claims for anxiety caused by occupational exposures to asbestos were validated by a ruling handed down by the Court of Cassation, France’s Supreme Court on April 2, 2014. Reversing a previous verdict which required proof of medical check-ups, the Court said that for people who had worked in high-risk establishments, as recognized by ministerial decree, psychological disorders caused by fear of asbestos illness were sufficient to warrant compensation even in the absence of any disease or symptoms. See: Amiante: reconnaissance du préjudice d’anxiété [Asbestos: Recognition of Anxiety].
Calls for Demolition of Homes
Apr 11, 2014
Peter Tighe, the head of of Australia's Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency is calling for radical action on asbestos contaminated homes in the nation’s capital. Despite a massive effort in the 1980s to decontaminate properties in Canberra, over the past two months tests conducted have shown that asbestos contamination persists. The lack of legislation to prevent domestic asbestos exposures, as opposed to safety laws controlling workplace hazards, is another cause for concern says Tighe. See: Homes with Mr Fluffy asbestos insulation should be demolished, says safety chief.
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 11, 2014
Highlighting the recent publication of Asbestos in Schools: The Need for Action by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, Lord Alton asked on April 9 when the government will “publish their response to the evidence submitted to their review of policy on asbestos management in schools.” Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, replied that the outcome of the Department for Education’s review is due out by the end of June. See: Lords written answer: Schools Asbestos, April 9, 2014.
Asbestos Risk to Archaeologists
Apr 11, 2014
A letter published in the current issue of the Italian journal Medicina del Lavoro confirms the asbestos risk at historical sites such as the Enkleistra of St. Neophytos monastery on Cyprus where white asbestos was incorporated into religious murals to provide an attractive shine to the surface. Considering that asbestos items have been found at Neolithic and Bronze Ages sites, researchers are recommending that “a precautionary approach should be taken in all archaeological investigations regarding prehistoric and historic sites.” See: Byzantine Monks Built Walls With Asbestos, Too.
Massive Victory for Swiss Victims!
Apr 11, 2014
Last month, the European Court of Human Rights issued a plaintiff’s verdict in the case of Swiss asbestos victim Howald Moor, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2004; he died the following year. Swiss courts had dismissed claims for damages brought by his family on the grounds they were time-barred. The Strasbourg Court found that given the long latency period of this disease, the Swiss ten-year limitation period deprived claimants of the “chance to assert their rights before the courts.” Switzerland was ordered to pay compensation for non-pecuniary damage, costs and expenses. See: Press Release European Court of Human Rights March 11, 2014.
Mesothelioma Payout Increased
Mar 6, 2014
During the protracted consultation process over the UK’s Mesothelioma Bill, the original concept was shrunk from one which would establishes a fund of last resort for all sufferers of asbestos-related diseases to one which would pay a proportion of compensation to mesothelioma claimants diagnosed after a 2012 deadline. The proportion had been set at 75% of average civil damages. Today, a letter released by Tracey Crouch MP from Minister Mike Penning MP confirms that this figure has been increased to 80%. This means that successful applicants will receive an average of £123,000 before benefit recovery. See: Letter from Minister of State Mike Penning.
Hong Kong Asbestos Protest
Mar 6, 2014
The discovery this week that the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) had purchased the same type of trains from a Chinese manufacturer that have been found to be contaminated with asbestos in New Zealand has led to calls for immediate action. On March 5, the “No More Asbestos in Hong Kong Alliance” held a silent protest in train stations and in train carriages to raise awareness of the potential health hazard for MTR staff as well as members of the public. A letter listing the protesters’ requests was submitted at the MTR headquarters. See: No More Asbestos in Hong Kong Alliance Press Release.
No Asbestos-Cement Cartel?
Mar 6, 2014
On February 11, 2014, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) dismissed charges related to the existence of an asbestos-cement cartel operated by the Asbestos Cement Products Manufacturers Association(ACPMA) (see: CCI ruling). The watchdog said that “there is no evidence on record to suggest cartelisation by ACS manufacturers.” The CCI had been tasked with this investigation in late 2012 by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office. According to the 15-page ruling, the “the role of ACPMA is to … to promote the use of ACS and fight against anti-asbestos lobbies...” See: CCI finds no cartelisation in asbestos cement products mkt.
Asbestos Consumption Continues
Mar 5, 2014
A 199-page document published by the United States Geological Survey has revealed that although U.S. consumption of chrysotile asbestos dropped by 46% in 2013, it is likely that annual usage will continue at around 1,000 tonnes for the foreseeable future. The majority of the asbestos used (67%) was for the production of chloralkali; 30% was for the production of roofing materials with 3% going into unknown applications. In 2012 and 2013 worldwide mining of asbestos produced 1.97 and 1.94 million tonnes, respectively, with Russian annual output amounting to around 1 million tonnes. See: U.S. Mineral Commodity Summaries 2014.
Hong Kong’s New Asbestos Trains?
Mar 5, 2014
From 2008 to 2012, the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) bought 22 trains from the Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd, part of the China North Locomotive and Rolling Stock Industry Corporation. Although the MTR stipulated that no asbestos be used, the same series of China-made vehicles imported to New Zealand was recently found to be contaminated with asbestos. The Hong Kong Workers’ Health Centre is urging that a thorough examination of the suspected trains is undertaken in order to protect the health of staff and the public. See: Asbestos scare prompts checks on China-made trains.
Asbestos Found in Trains
Feb 28, 2014
KiwiRail has pulled 40 freight trains off-line after asbestos was discovered in resin from one of the locomotives. The resin was present in a soundproofing compound used on the DL locomotives manufactured in China. Half of them were imported to New Zealand four years ago and the other half in 2013. In the purchase contract, KiwiRail had stipulated that the trains be produced without asbestos or other toxic materials. Following the asbestos scandal over Chinese-manufactured locomotives in Australia last year, KiwiRail company sought and was given assurances that the locomotives were asbestos-free. See: Trains pulled in asbestos shock.
Litigation over Asbestos in Helicopters
Feb 28, 2014
Managers at Agusta Westland, a company that manufactured helicopters from the 1990s to 2013, are being investigated by the public prosecutor’s office in Turin over charges of negligent disaster for failing to issue warnings regarding the presence of asbestos in their helicopters. Asbestos had been used in gaskets, brake pads, wheels and conduits. Although Agusta had informed government officials in 1996 about this issue, the information provided was incomplete; a comprehensive list of the contaminated material was only made available in September 2013. See: “Amianto negli elicotteri” Indagati i vertici di Agusta [“Asbestos in helicopters” Suspects at Agusta Westland].
British Asbestos Newsletter
Feb 25, 2014
The winter 2014 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The leading article in Issue 93, Asbestos in the UK: Then and Now quantifies the amount of asbestos used in the UK and the repercussions that consumption of this carcinogenic substance has had. The feature highlights the epidemic of asbestos-related diseases now occurring: “Annually, nearly three times as many Britons die from asbestos-related diseases as from road traffic accidents.” Other articles discuss the Mesothelioma Bill and the campaign to address the asbestos-contamination of UK schools. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 93.
Plans to Remove Asbestos Roofing
Feb 25, 2014
Gauteng, the smallest of South Africa’s nine provinces, announced plans on February 25 to get rid of all asbestos-containing roofing materials. The authorities will finance the removal and replacement work for poor people under a new multi-million rand program to eliminate the health hazard posed by exposure to asbestos. Public health activists are encouraging the government to also remove asbestos-containing gutters and downpipes, to ensure that once removed the contaminated material is properly disposed of and not resold and to mandate precautions for workers removing the contaminated material. See: Gauteng to be rid of all asbestos roofing.
Asbestos Ban April 4, 2014
Feb 24, 2014
It’s official! According to a letter received from the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department, an asbestos ban – which is being implemented under the Air Pollution Control (Amendment) Ordinance 2014 – will take effect on April 4, 2014. The letter states that the “import, transshipment, supply and use of all forms of asbestos and asbestos containing materials will be banned except goods in transit and registered proprietary Chinese medicine.” This action has resulted from a concerted campaign by grassroots ban asbestos activists in Hong Kong – congratulations to them all! See: EPD Guidelines & References – Banning Asbestos.
Pioneering Treatment for Mesothelioma
Feb 24, 2014
A technique has been developed by Toronto-based physicians to extend survival time for mesothelioma patients. According to an article published today in a Canadian newspaper, 74-year old mesothelioma patient Man Hong Chan has been “cured” of this aggressive and fatal cancer. Under the new protocol, patients are given radiation before surgery instead of after it to ensure that any cancer cells left are not viable; 3-year survival rates have more than doubled. Quick treatment appears to be the key to success; Chan underwent radiation therapy and surgery within a month of his diagnosis. See: Revolutionary Toronto cancer treatment gives asbestos victims new life.
Bid to Recoup Asbestos Costs
Feb 24, 2014
A bill lodged by the Holyrood Government on February 21 – The Recovery of Medical Costs for Asbestos Diseases (Scotland) Bill – could recover £20 million for the medical treatment of Scottish patients with asbestos-related diseases from employers and insurers. The bill was launched at a press conference by Clydeside Action on Asbestos and Scottish Nationalist MSP Stuart McMillan. Similar Welsh legislation passed last year is facing robust legal challenges from the insurance industry. Experts believe that due to Scotland’s greater devolved powers, similar challenges would not be mounted. See: CAA Press Release: New Asbestos Law will Recover Millions for the NHS in Scotland.
Gujarat Court Acts on Workers’ Health
Feb 19, 2014
Concerns over lung function abnormalities amongst workers at power stations led to a case heard last month by the Supreme Court (SC). The SC directed high courts to ascertain levels of healthcare provided to individuals at coal-fired thermal power plants in India. Pursuant to these instructions, the Gujarat high court has demanded that authorities supervising the State’s 11 power units submit documentation detailing their health and safety regimes. High levels of asbestosis and other asbestos-related conditions have been found amongst power station workers. See: Workers' health: Gujarat high court notice to 11 power units.
International Trade Union Conference
Feb 19, 2014
The Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), a global union federation representing 12 million members in the Building, Building Materials, Wood, Forestry and Allied sectors announced its plans this week to hold an International Conference on Asbestos in Vienna, Austria on May 6 and 7, 2014 in collaboration with the Industriall Global Union, the Austrian trade Union GBH and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. The event will progress trade union efforts to ban the future use of asbestos, a potent threat to all those working in the construction sector. See: International Conference on Asbestos.
Asbestos Threat to Residents
Feb 19, 2014
Inhabitants of asbestos-contaminated housing units in an Algerian district called Hamma Bouziane report high levels of ill health which, they believe, comes from living in properties constructed in 1982 with asbestos building products. Despite medical advice warning of the dangers to residents, no action has been taken by the health authorities to remedy the situation according to an article written by journalist Yousra Salem. Asbestos exposures to local people, who have asked to be rehoused to safer properties, remain a daily occurrence. See: Des familles dans des bâtisses en amiante depuis 1982 [Families in asbestos buildings since 1982].
Calls for Global Asbestos Ban
Feb 13, 2014
At the end of the International Conference on Monitoring and Surveillance of Asbestos-Related Diseases in Espoo, Finland, a press release was issued calling for a global asbestos ban. Speaking on behalf of the conference organizers, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Dr. Panu Oksa said: “There is no safe use of asbestos.” Dr. Ken Takahashi was categorical that “Asbestos-related deaths are preventable by banning the use of asbestos, as WHO recommends.” An increase in asbestos-related mortality is being observed in developing countries where knowledge is lacking about the hazards of exposure. See: Only a total ban of asbestos will end asbestos related deaths.
Investigation of Chinese Imports
Feb 13, 2014
Italian officials have begun an investigation into the illegal import from China of cars believed to be contaminated with asbestos. The Turin prosecutor’s office is focusing on models produced by Great Wall Motors, the largest car manufacturer in China. It is thought that asbestos may be contained in exhaust gaskets. Evidence will be presented to a judge who will decide if the import of these vehicles breaks a 1992 Italian law banning the use of asbestos. In 2012, Great Wall Motors was forced to recall thousands of cars which had been sold to Australia because of the presence of asbestos. See: Turin investigating asbestos found in cars from China.
Commission Upholds Asbestos Complaint
Feb 13, 2014
A commission appointed by the Pakistan authorities to investigate a criminal complaint over the occupational and environmental hazard created by Dadex Eternit Ltd., an asbestos manufacturer in Karachi has found that the company’s occupational health and safety precautions were inadequate (see: Two million Karachiites face cancer threat). The 25-page ruling verified the threat posed by the presence of chrysotile asbestos to workers, family members and the public in Gandap Town and found that air samples collected up to 15 km from the factory also contained chrysotile asbestos. See: Commission Report.
Dithering as Toxic Waste Grows
Feb 13, 2014
As rumors circulate about government proposals to minimize costs for dumping earthquake-generated asbestos waste by disposing of rubble at a substandard landfill (see: Questions asked over dumping of asbestos), the Minister for the Environment Amy Adams continues to prevaricate over the possibility of New Zealand banning the import, sale and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products, blaming delays encountered in the preparation of an asbestos inventory which is not due for completion until the middle of 2014. See: Letter from Minister Amy Adams.
Unregulated Asbestos “Specialists”
Feb 10, 2014
The regulation of the industry for removing and disposing of asbestos-containing waste in Malta is a shambles according to an exposé by the Sunday Times of Malta. The result of this is hazardous conditions created not only by small outfits but by larger companies which operate without mandated public health insurance for government contracts. In his article of February 9, journalist Mark Micallef reported a black hole in government oversight of the situation with one agency saying another authority is responsible and the health authorities failing to respond when asked which body is tasked with preventing public and environmental health risks from asbestos? See: Most asbestos removers not insured for accidents.
Millions at risk!
Feb 10, 2014
The nearly 3 million residents of Quezon City (QC), the country’s most populated municipality and part of Metropolitan Manila, have once again been warned about the health hazard posed by asbestos-contaminated materials incorporated within residential properties. The population in QC, however, is not only at risk from asbestos building products, such as the many remaining asbestos-cement roofs in QC, but also from asbestos-containing products sold in the open market. The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines and environmental groups are calling for a ban on the import, processing, sale and use of all asbestos products. See: Residents warned vs. exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos Experts Speak Out!
Feb 8, 2014
Public Health and Medical Experts from Italy and Colombia will join forces at a conference in Bogotá on February 19 to 21 to discuss issues related to occupational and environmental health. A primary focus of this event will be the health threat posed by asbestos exposures. Named speakers include Daniela Marsili and Pietro Comba, both of whom are involved in an Italian–Latin American consortium to develop asbestos awareness training protocols as detailed in a recently published commentary in an Italian health journal. See: International Conference on Occupational and Environmental Health.
Asbestos Cancer at Turin University
Feb 8, 2014
La Stampa has reported the third workplace-related death due to asbestos cancer at the University of Turin. The victim in this case was a 54-year employee who had worked on the campus since 1982; she died earlier this week. It is believed that all of the asbestos victims had been environmentally exposed to asbestos in the library which was built in 1970 and where there was known contamination by crocidolite and chrysotile asbestos as recently as 2003. Turin’s Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello is investigating these deaths. See: Palazzo Nuovo, un morto per la presenza di amianto [New Palace, another asbestos death].
Ovarian Cancer an Occupational Disease
Feb 5, 2014
For the first time, a French compensation scheme has accepted that workplace asbestos exposure was linked to death from ovarian cancer. A February 3 Press Release from ANDEVA (the National Asbestos Victims Association) announced that a regional committee for the recognition of occupational diseases had acknowledged the death of Liliane Claude Huet, who had worked with asbestos for 20 years at a boiler factory. See: Un cancer des ovaires lié à l'amiante bientôt reconnu comme maladie professionnelle [Ovarian cancer is finally recognized as an occupational disease].
International Agencies Call for Prevention
Feb 3, 2014
At a press conference in London today, representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) launched a new book detailing the “alarming” growth in the global incidence of cancer: “developing countries are disproportionately affected by the increasing numbers of cancers.” The international agencies urged governments to adopt “efficient prevention strategies to curb the disease.” One example cited of a successful strategy was the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which helped reduce tobacco consumption. See: IARC/WHO Press Release: Global battle against cancer won’t be won with treatment alone.
Ban Asbestos Conference in Pakistan
Feb 3, 2014
On Saturday, February 1, the first ban asbestos conference in Pakistan was held in Karachi. Victims, medical experts, academics, lawyers and politicians addressed the meeting; they confirmed that exposure to all types of asbestos can be lethal. Despite this known hazard, “nothing has been done to ban it by the Pakistani government,” organizer Haroon Ahmed said. In his talk Muhammed Yaseen Azad, a former president of Supreme Court Bar Council, pledged to investigate asbestos cases pending before the Supreme Court and to lobby for judicial action. See: Banned across the world, asbestos continues to plague Pakistan.
Algeria’s Asbestos Hazard
Feb 3, 2014
Despite having banned asbestos, widespread asbestos contamination of public buildings and homes remains a potent threat to public and occupational health in Algeria. According to data cited, hundreds of people die every year from asbestos-related diseases. Calls are being made for the government to introduce stricter regulations to prevent hazardous exposures and to undertake campaigns to raise public awareness. A new company has recently been launched in Algeria which is specializing in the safe removal of asbestos based on protocols and practices devised in France. See: Les dangers de l’amiante sur la santé publique [The dangers of asbestos for public health].
Waste Disposal in New Zealand
Feb 1, 2014
New Zealand is a country which has continually denied its asbestos problem (see: New Zealand’s Failing Asbestos Policy!). It comes as no surprise, therefore, to hear that 32,000 tonnes of asbestos-contaminated waste has been buried at a North Canterbury site; the majority of this rubble comes from the Canterbury earthquake. Although the public is assured that safety precautions are followed in the disposal, the fact of the matter is that had asbestos not been used in the first place – and it is still being used – there wouldn’t have been the need for expensive precautions to be taken whilst dumping it. See: Asbestos mountain fills Kate Valley.
Disposal of Asbestos Waste in Serbia
Feb 1, 2014
The disposal of hazardous construction and demolition waste in Serbia remains problematic. To address the issue of managing asbestos waste, a workshop was held in Belgrade on January 27 & 28, 2014 (see: Workshop Agenda). The event was sponsored by a consortium of national organizations with the assistance of European partners. Croatian, Serbian and German experts made presentations to dozens of participants who included high-level government officials, civil servants, ministerial and municipal consultants and technical analysts. Two presentations from the Workshop – one concerning treatment of asbestos in Serbia the other an overview of EU legislation – are informative.
Boffetta Withdraws from Top Job
Jan 31, 2014
A 15-line tidbit in today’s Le Monde draws the line under the controversial candidacy of Paolo Boffetta as head of one of France's leading health institutions: the Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health (CESP). The news item states that the industry-linked scientist withdrew his candidacy in a letter sent to the heads of CESP on January 28. Boffetta’s links to industry had been exposed in Le Monde and his candidacy had been denounced by asbestos victims and international scientists. See Le Monde: Epidémiologie: retrait d’une candidature contestée (Epidemiology: retraction of contested candidature).
Victims Meet Ministerial Official
Jan 31, 2014
Yesterday (January 30, 2014), a delegation of Belgian campaigners from the asbestos victims’ group ABEVA had a 40-minute private meeting with the Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister on the occasion of a Parliamentary vote on whether the national asbestos fund should be extended. The official received a detailed letter presented to him by ABEVA for the Prime Minister which demanded that a real discussion on the country’s asbestos legacy be initiated. Although some improvements were made yesterday by Parliament to the compensation regime, many victims, such as those with asbestos-related lung cancer, remain unacknowledged.
Source: ABEVA Correspondence.
Fire at old Turner & Newall Asbestos Mill
Jan 31, 2014
Residents were warned to keep windows closed as fire took hold Thursday night at the old Turner & Newall premises on Rooley Moor Road. Local activists who have long campaigned for the asbestos pollution at the site to be remediated are seriously concerned that the authorities are providing false reassurances to the public about the potential health and safety issues posed by this incident. A spokesman for the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service had said the threat of asbestos being airborne was "limited". See: Huge fire at former asbestos factory.
Summons Issued for Asbestos Pollution
Jan 30, 2014
On January 20, 2014, the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi issued a ruling which allowed a case regarding hazardous contamination posed by abandoned chrysotile asbestos mines in Roro, Chaibasa, Jharkhand to proceed. Indian activists have established the prevalence of asbestos-related diseases amongst local people and former mine workers. The miners as well as the mines were abandoned in 1983 when Hyderabad Asbestos Cement Products Ltd. (now known as Hyderabad Industries Limited) ceased operations. Asbestos-containing debris dumped in this region adds to the hazardous situation faced by 14 nearby communities. See: Ruling of National Green Tribunal.
Baryulgil’s Asbestos Legacy
Jan 30, 2014
Even though the asbestos mine at Baryulgil closed more than 30 years ago, new cases of asbestos-related disease are still occurring. While most of the miners have now died, new cases are being diagnosed from environmental exposures. According to local GP Dr Ray Jones: "For the next 10 years at least, the number of cases of asbestos-related illnesses across Australia will still increase.. We're still seeing many cases of disease as a result of the asbestos that was breathed in 40 years ago in Baryulgil, when the mine was operational. See: Asbestos related illnesses continue to take a toll on the Aboriginal community of Baryulgil.
Asbestos Case in India’s Supreme Court
Jan 29, 2014
Arguments began on Monday, January 27, 2014 at the Indian Supreme Court over whether Google was guilty of defaming Visaka, a producer of asbestos-cement building products, for hosting an article by ban asbestos campaigner Gopal Krishna which “contained allegations Visaka was being protected because it was backed by leaders of the ruling Congress party.” Google India challenged Visaka’s charges at the Andhra Pradesh High Court. It lost that case in 2011, after which it appealed to the Supreme Court, claiming it shouldn't be held responsible for everything on its sites as it cannot control what users post. See: Google Takes Defamation Case to India's Supreme Court.
Swiss Eternit Guilty of Manslaughter
Jan 29, 2014
In a landmark case, the highest Swiss Court found the Swiss Eternit asbestos company guilty of manslaughter for the death of a worker from its Niederurnen factory. As a teenager, the deceased had been exposed to asbestos at the plant. He died in 2007 from mesothelioma aged 49. The verdict noted that by the 1970s the hazards of exposure to asbestos were known; the family of the deceased were awarded the right to support from the Law on Assistance to Victims of Crimes. Although Swiss law currently prevents a criminal case being brought, appeals to a European Court could change this. See: All’Eternit di Niederurner negli anni ‘70s vonsumo un “amicidio colposo” Il Monferrato January 28, 2014.
Routine Flouting of Asbestos Ban
Jan 28, 2014
An investigation by a Croatian reporter which exposed the widespread import of illegal asbestos-containing products into Croatia has been awarded prestigious journalistic prizes. The 6-page 2012 article entitled We import banned asbestos from the EU won reporter Sergej Župancic awards for environmental and investigative journalism. Documents from the Customs Authority he cited revealed that since the country had banned asbestos (January 1, 2006), 11,677 tons of asbestos material had been brought into Croatia; the majority of the illegal imports came from EU countries (which also have bans). See: EU countries sell banned asbestos to Croatia.
Victims’ Groups Launch Initiatives
Jan 24, 2014
The Italian asbestos victims group from Casale Monferrato – AfeVA – is holding hold a press conference on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at which two projects will be launched. The first is a World Asbestos E-library to help catalogue the huge flow of information on legal, political, medical and research developments related to asbestos. The second is a joint research initiative with French colleagues (ANDEVA) to document the role of European victims’ groups in the struggle for asbestos justice and the campaign to ban its use. AfeVA’s Alessandro Pugno, who is involved with both projects, will be available to answer questions. See: Press release: AfeVA Launches New Projects.
Asbestos Exposure and Digestive Cancers
Jan 24, 2014
A new paper in Occupational and Environmental Medicine detailed research using data collected from a cohort of Chinese chrysotile asbestos miners and mill workers over 26 years that found “a clear exposure-response relationship between asbestos dust exposure and mortality from stomach cancers …” The paper concluded that there was “additional evidence for the association between exposure to chrysotile mining dust and excess mortality from digestive cancers, particularly stomach cancer.” Excess mortality was also observed from oesophageal and liver cancers. See: Exposure to chrysotile mining dust and digestive cancer mortality in a Chinese miner/miller cohort.
Industry Lobby Blocks Asbestos Ban
Jan 24, 2014
In a paper commissioned by the International Labor Organization, the destructive role played by the asbestos lobby is highlighted. Author Somkiat Siriruttanapruk states: “In spite of policy commitments by the previous Government, the deadline for banning asbestos in the country has been postponed on a number of occasions… the continuous interruption of the process by pro-asbestos agencies (both international and local) is a major obstacle. Consequently, despite considerable support from several alliances and the public, making the national asbestos ban a reality is still a long way off.” See: Strategy and implementation of the programme for the prevention and control of pneumoconiosis in Thailand.
Asbestos Ban in Hong Kong!
Jan 23, 2014
On January 22, the Air Pollution Control (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2013 (APCO) was adopted by Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. The APCO bans the import, transshipment, supply and use of all forms of asbestos to protect public health. It will come into force on April 4, 2014. Welcoming this Ordinance, Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing explained that it also requires asbestos abatement work and related activities to be conducted by registered asbestos professionals in accordance with the APCO requirements and codes of practice. See: Government welcomes passage of Air Pollution Control (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2013.
Stricter Asbestos Regulations
Jan 23, 2014
Singapore’s Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council and the Ministry of Manpower have announced stricter regulations for work involving asbestos, which is often found in pre-1990 constructions in materials such as corrugated roofs, ceiling boards and partition walls. The new WSH (Asbestos) Regulations, which will take effect from May 1, mandate that an expert be appointed to ascertain if asbestos-containing materials are present before demolition or renovation works on buildings constructed before 1 January 1991 can take place. See: Enhanced regulations for work involving asbestos to be introduced.
Sanction for Asbestos Criminal Trial
Jan 22, 2014
A verdict handed down by the French Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) last month could, according to a press release issued this week by French civil society groups, open the way for a criminal trial of French executives, employees and civil servants involved in the national asbestos scandal. The Court’s decision reversed a 2011 ruling that dismissed the case against nine asbestos defendants; the charges against the accused will now be considered by the Paris Court of Appeal. It is expected that individuals associated with the French asbestos multinational Eternit and the Permanent Committee on Asbestos could face charges this year.
Asbestos Scares Hospital Staff
Jan 21, 2014
The demolition of the old nurses’ quarters at the Port of Spain General Hospital has set off alarm bells amongst staff who fear that construction debris being generated might contain asbestos which was commonly used in the production of roofing materials for public buildings. Visiting the site last week, a reporter confirmed that demolition work was proceeding and reported the concerns of nursing staff that people in facilities nearby, which include a primary and secondary school, the School of Nursing, nurses’ accommodation and a maternity ward, could also be at risk. There was little evidence of health and safety precautions being used. See: Hospital workers, nurses stay away.
State of Minas Gerais Bans Asbestos
Jan 21, 2014
Minas Gerais has become the sixth Brazilian state to ban the use of asbestos. Law 21.114 signed by Governor Antonio Anastasia prohibits the importation, transportation, storage, processing, marketing and use of products containing asbestos or asbestos fiber. The state joins São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso and 31 municipalities that have prohibited asbestos. During the asbestos phase-out period, strict measures will be introduced to minimize hazardous asbestos exposures. See: Minas Gerais edita lei que bane uso do amianto no estado [Minas Gerais passes a law banning the use of asbestos in the state].
Asbestos Epidemic Escalates
Jan 20, 2014
Figures released by the Belgian Asbestos Fund confirm a continuing rise in the number asbestos-related deaths over recent years. Commenting on January 19, 2014, a spokesman for the Belgian Asbestos Victims’ Group (ABEVA) warned that the country’s asbestos health catastrophe is far from over. The ABEVA President added that the official figures vastly underestimate the tragic toll asbestos diseases are taking and that most victims are unaware of the financial support available. See: Augmentation du nombre de décès dus à l'amiante: “La catastrophe sanitaire est encore à venir.” [Increase in the number of asbestos deaths: “The health disaster is yet to come.”].
Naturally Occurring Asbestos Hazard
Jan 17 2014
The hazard posed by naturally occurring asbestos in the Southern Nevada dessert was the focus of an academic paper published late last year. The authors warned that the asbestos fibers “could be transported by wind, water, cars or on clothing after outdoor recreational activities.” These findings present a serious problem for communities in the region, including Las Vegas. Research has identified similar problems elsewhere in the US; areas where naturally occurring asbestos has been found include the Sierras in California and Staten Island in N.Y. In El Dorado County California neighborhoods have been built on land with asbestos deposits. See: Landscapes Tainted by Asbestos.
Asbestos Hazard in Fire Cleanup
Jan 17, 2014
Officials have warned of the hazard posed by asbestos fibers in debris at the site of a Christmas Eve fire and explosion at the Co-op Refinery in Regina. The investigation into the causes of the fire was delayed until January 13 when officials were finally able to access the heavily damaged site. Although some asbestos had been removed by private contractors, the site remains contaminated. According to fire marshal Randy Ryba of the Regina Fire Department, investigators are looking into the area surrounding the explosion but have not yet reached the center of the blast. See: Asbestos cleanup delays explosion probe at Regina refinery.
Ban Asbestos Mobilization in Asia
Jan 16, 2014
A bumper issue of the Occupational and Safety Health Rights Newsletter released today documents the incredible growth in ban asbestos activism throughout Asia in 2013. The 32-page online resource contains features on ban asbestos meetings in Bangladesh and Indonesia, grassroots asbestos activities in India and Korea and crucial news about the work of asbestos industry scientists, landmark judicial decisions and the first government payouts to asbestosis victims in India. The formation of the Bangladesh Ban Asbestos Network was announced. See: January 2014 issue of the Occupational and Safety Health Rights Newsletter.
New Sites Accept Asbestos Waste
Jan 16, 2014
From yesterday (January 15, 2014), individuals were permitted to dump small amounts of asbestos-containing waste free of charge at four landfill sites in communes in Central France under carefully regulated conditions. Deposits were restricted to a maximum of one cubic meter each and must be packaged according to prescribed conditions which include the use of insulating wrap and reinforced bags. Failure to take sufficient care with the wrapping could incur a fine. See: Quatre déchetteries acceptent le dépôt d'amiante liée [Four landfills accept asbestos waste].
Italian Victims Call for French Justice
Jan 16, 2014
A victims’ group from Casale Monferrato (AFeVA) has welcomed efforts of their French counterpart (ANDEVA) to press for charges of manslaughter to be issued against owners/managers of asbestos companies and executives employed by the Permanent Committee on Asbestos. Italian criminal proceedings against asbestos defendants Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne are cited as a template which could be followed. “AFeVA and ANDEVA… believe this will contribute to the fight for a world ban on asbestos, to justice for victims, to decontamination and to research so that we may find a cure and eliminate mesothelioma.” See: AfeVA Press Release.
Investigation by Government Agency
Jan 15, 2014
Responding to a complaint from the Toxics Watch Alliance that 50,000+ people die from asbestos-related diseases annually in India, it was reported today that the National Human Rights Commission, a body set up in 1993 under the Protection of the Human Rights Act, has asked all state governments to investigate this issue. The report by the Government of Delhi noted that there are three asbestos-processing factories in the capital and that the Government keeps health records of all workers at these factories. See: NHRC wants report on asbestos’ health effects.
Multinational Awareness Project
Jan 15, 2014
Information related to an ongoing project by an Italian– Latin American consortium to develop asbestos awareness training protocols was detailed in a recently published commentary in an Italian health journal. Using a cross-disciplinary approach, public health policies and measures to prevent asbestos-related diseases have been developed as part of the Italian National Asbestos Project. This text recognized the urgent need for asbestos use to be banned globally and urged stakeholders in ban and non-ban countries to mount joint initiatives towards this goal. See: Asbestos case and its current implications for global health.
McGill Asbestos Controversy
Jan 15, 2014
An editorial in the current issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health is a damning indictment of the continued failure by McGill University to address the controversial research program and findings of Professor J. C. McDonald from the McGill Department of Epidemiology. Industry-funded studies undertaken by McDonald continually yielded results which were beneficial to the asbestos industry such as the fact that “exposure to chrysotile asbestos gave protection against cancer” and that “chrysotile asbestos was essentially ‘innocuous’.” See: Asbestos: a continuing failure of ethics by McGill University.
Asbestos Alert by Cancer Council
Jan 15, 2014
The Cancer Council of Australia has today confirmed the increasing incidence of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) in Australia. Experts predict that more and more Australians will be diagnosed with ARDs for years to come, largely due to hazardous exposures experienced by construction workers and home renovators. A new eLearning course has been developed to raise awareness amongst DIY-ers of the asbestos hazard found throughout Australia’s infrastructure. Over 3000 asbestos-containing building products were manufactured or used in Australia between the 1940s and 1980s. See: Drill into that wall at your peril!
Bakers’ Exposure to Asbestos
Jan 14, 2014
According to an episode of the program Zembla, shown today on Dutch TV, 38 cases of asbestos-related cancer have been recognized in the last 14 years amongst bakers exposed to asbestos insulation in ovens. This week’s program follows up on accusations made last week that a well-known bakery group had experienced problems at three of its factories related to asbestos contamination of bread. Eugene Scholten, a company spokesman, refuted charges that there had been direct contact between bread and the asbestos used as insulation in the company's ovens. See: Bakers contract cancer from asbestos in old ovens.
Time has come for Asbestos Justice
Jan 14, 2014
Yesterday ( January 13), the Journal of the Environment highlighted the national asbestos scandal and urged judicial authorities in France to follow the example of the Turin Court of Appeal which in 2013 sentenced an asbestos executive to 18 years in jail. Despite efforts to hold negligent individuals to account for their asbestos crimes, no legal actions have been instigated against officials from Eternit or other asbestos companies or industry groups such as the Permanent Committee on Asbestos. Legal proceedings may, however, begin in early 2015. See: Amiante: 2014, enfin l’heure de la justice en France? [Asbestos: 2014 finally the time for justice in France?].
Environmental Asbestos Fallout
Jan 13, 2014
The BBC today reported on the case of a mesothelioma victim from County Durham who brought legal proceedings against Cape Intermediate Holdings, part of the group which in 1967 took over Universal Asbestos Manufacturing, the owner of an asbestos factory in Bowburn. Although Cape has denied liability for Caroline Wilcock's claim, they have offered her a "substantial" out-of-court settlement. Caroline, who lived across the street from the Bowburn plant, and other local children played with asbestos liberated from the factory between 1967 and 1983. See: The Children who Played with Asbestos.
Progress on Mesothelioma Research
Jan 13, 2014
A research collaboration by scientists in Italy and the U.S. is reporting significant progress on new molecular therapies for the treatment of mesothelioma, a signature disease caused by exposure to asbestos. Recent studies published in academic journals detail work led by Italian scientist Professor Antonio Giordano on the treatment of mesothelioma with the new anticancer agent (MK-1775) given in combination with cisplatin. Clinical trials in the U.S. are already using MK-1775 for the treatment of other types of tumors. See: Siena, nuove prospettive per la cura del ''tumore dell'amianto'' [Siena, new perspectives for the treatment of asbestos cancer].
More Asbestos Imports from China
Jan 10, 2014
News has been released detailing the sale by the Chinese manufacturer CSR of contaminated train cars and equipment to Bradken Ltd., an Australian mining products group. As asbestos has been banned in Australia since 2003, these shipments constitute contraband goods and as such have been impounded by Australian customs which is carrying out further investigations into the matter. A Bradken spokesman said this was the first time the company had purchased CSR products. Breaking the ban restrictions could cost the company in excess of AU$850,000. See: CSR Train Cars, Parts Shipped to Australia Tainted with Asbestos.
Rise in Mesothelioma Incidence
Jan 10, 2014
Data published last week in a Cancer Journal documented a 45% rise in the rate of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in Ireland over a 15-year period. "Over the study…the age-standardized malignant pleural mesothelioma incidence in the Republic of Ireland rose from 4.98 cases per million to 7.24 cases per million." An analysis of the National Cancer Registry of Ireland statistics shows similar trends to those in other countries: excess mortality was associated with age at diagnosis and the 1-year survival rate for all MPM cases was 29.6%. See: Jennings, CJ, et al. Malignant pleural mesothelioma incidence and survival in the Republic of Ireland 1994-2009.
Hong Kong Asbestos Scare
Jan 9, 2014
The Haking Wong Building at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) will be reopened today (Jan. 9) after an asbestos scare. The building had been closed on Tuesday after asbestos-containing debris had been identified in maintenance rooms on six floors. A task force agreed to commission air quality tests to establish the risk of contamination being spread through the air-conditioning services. A spokeswoman for the University said yesterday said that the "The test results of airborne asbestos fiber level from air samples taken from the building suggested that the building is safe for normal occupation." See: HKU building cleared after asbestos scare.
Government Acts on Roofing
Jan 9, 2014
Measures being progressed by the Rwandan Government aim to remove and dispose of more than a million square meters of asbestos roofing from public buildings by 2016, according to a pronouncement this week by Xinhua Frédéric Bizimana, acting coordinator of the Asbestos Clearance Project of the Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA). Bizimana urged the public to follow RHA instructions when dealing with asbestos-contaminated roofing in order to protect public health. See: Le Rwanda lance une campagne visant à résoudre le dilemme de toits mortels [Rwanda launches campaign to solve the dilemma of fatal roofs].
The Mesothelioma Bill
Jan 8, 2014
The third reading of the Mesothelioma Bill took place yesterday in the House of Commons; dozens of MPs took part in the debate. Unfortunately, attempts to obtain a modest increase in the value of payments to victims was defeated by 39 votes. An amendment to provide funding for mesothelioma research was lost by 40 votes. Despite these setbacks, the efforts of UK asbestos victims groups to force the insurance industry to award compensation for mesothelioma victims unable to trace their employer's insurance policies is a marked victory which will provide much-needed funds to some of those who have contracted this fatal disease. See: Hansards Text of Mesothelioma Bill Debate.
Asbestos Epidemic
Jan 8, 2014
On January 7, 2014, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that 28 Japanese workers had been officially recognised as having contracted asbestos-related diseases after toxic exposures at US military bases in Okinawa Prefecture; 21 of them have died. The workers from the base carried out demolition of asbestos-containing buildings, spraying of asbestos, waste disposal and collection, and repair and manufacturing of machines. Asbestos has been found at former US military sites returned to Japan; Japanese workers renovated bases without prior notification of the asbestos hazard. See: Japan Workers Sick from Asbestos.
The Curse of Asbestos
Jan 6, 2014
Today, award-winning Brazilian journalist Eliane Brum reported in El Pais, the highest-circulation Spanish language newspaper, efforts by Brazilian asbestos victims from ABREA to have an honor bestowed upon asbestos magnate Stephan Schmidheiny by the Brazilian Government rescinded. ABREA's action was inspired by a petition submitted to Yale University by Italian victims for the revocation of an honorary degree awarded in 1996 to a man convicted 16 years later for his role in the asbestos deaths of thousands of citizens. In Venezuela and Costa Rica civil society groups are considering similar actions. See: A maldição do Amianto [The Curse of Asbestos].
Another Death from Pirelli Factory
Jan 6, 2014
Pensioner Aldo Settembre died last week from long-term occupational exposure to asbestos at the Pirelli factory in Milan. Although Settembre had never worked with asbestos, he had been exposed to asbestos contamination at the industrial site. The public prosecutor has ordered that an autopsy be performed. Settembre was part of a class action against eleven Pirelli executives who are facing manslaughter charges related to dozens of cases of asbestos-related diseases and deaths arising from the factory. See: Un vogherese tra i morti per l'amianto alla Pirelli [A Vogherese among Pirelli's asbestos dead].
Court Ruling: Exposures Unacceptable
Jan 6, 2014
Two years of litigation have ended with a verdict by the Court of Cassation endorsing actions in 2011 by a labor inspector who ordered that a Draka Paricable Company workshop be evacuated due to the asbestos hazard. The company, which manufactures electrical cables, filed a lawsuit and reopened the facility three days later. A judge then ordered that the workshop be vacated. The claims, counterclaims and appeals were resolved with a judgment supporting the inspector's actions. See: Amiante: après 2 ans de procédures, la Justice donne raison à un inspecteur du travail [Asbestos: after 2 years of litigation, Justice supports labor inspector's actions].
Yalegate Scandal Unfolds
Jan 4, 2014
On January 3, 2014, the National Public Radio station in New Haven, home of Yale University, ran a 16-minute segment (25 sec into Where We Live broadcast) on the unfolding controversy over Yale's refusal to rescind the 1996 award of an honorary doctorate to Stephan Schmidheiny, in response to requests from Italian citizens who contracted asbestos-related diseases due to the operations of Schmidheiny's family business. The final question by the interviewer asked whether a man's philanthropic acts could compensate for past misdeeds. The answer by Dr. Barry Castleman, who testified in the landmark Italian trial which sentenced Schmidheiny to 16 years in prison, was an emphatic No!
Asbestos Inaction is a Killer
Jan 3, 2014
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) marked the 10th anniversary of the national asbestos ban by calling for greater action to prevent the import of asbestos-containing products. In a New Year's press release the ACTU noted that "The goal of an asbestos free Australia by 2030 cannot be reached if an ineffectual Ban allows more asbestos containing material into the country." The 2013 scandals over imports from China of asbestos-contaminated freight trains and motor vehicles led to calls for increased funding for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service to prevent future breaches of the country's asbestos prohibitions. See: ACTU Press Release.
Executives to Face Criminal Charges?
Jan 3, 2014
An article was published on January 2, 2014 in the Journal of the Environment which explored the likelihood of French courts seeking criminal prosecutions of high-level corporate officers for negligence over workplace asbestos exposures. A top secret memo leaked by Le Figaro stated that an investigation into the actions of executives from the French asbestos giant Eternit will be completed soon; a criminal trial could begin in early 2015. In another case, 5 asbestos executives will face criminal charges as per a decision last month by the Court of Cassation. See: 2014, l'année de l'amiante en France [2014, the asbestos year in France].
Warnings of Post-cyclone Hazard
Jan 2, 2014
Earlier this week ex-cyclone Christine battered the Pilbara and Kimberley mining regions of Western Australia with rain and winds of up to 170km/h. In the aftermath of the storm, warnings were given of the risk of asbestos exposure during clean-up operations. Asbestos-containing building products were commonly used in Australia throughout the 20th century. Commenting on the hazard, one legal specialist said: "Asbestos products damaged by severe storms like cyclone Christine can release a very dangerous dust which, once breathed in, can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and other serious illnesses." See: Pilbara asbestos fears follow in the wake of cyclone Christine.
Initiation of Remediation Program
Jan 2, 2014
Officials from Udine, a city in the northeast of Italy, today confirmed the commencement of a two-year effort to identify asbestos-contaminated sites. "The first thing we will do in 2014 – announced Commissioner Sara Vito – will be to take up the subject of asbestos." Work will, Vito said, begin this month to update the 2006-2007 regional asbestos audit and a precise mapping of the situation will be carried out to prioritize areas where urgent action is needed. See: Amianto, la Regione avvia il censimento dei siti da bonificare [Asbestos, the region starts the census of sites requiring remediation].
Landmark Court Ruling
Dec 30, 2013
A 49-year-old man, exposed to asbestos as a teenage worker at an Eternit factory in Switzerland, died in 2007. The compensation case filed for his death from mesothelioma, which had been rejected by the authorities in Glarus and the District Administrative Court, has received the green light from the Federal Court in Lausanne which ruled today that his widow and three children are entitled to compensation and that Eternit officials were guilty of negligent homicide for breaching their duty of care to the teenager when the carcinogenic risk posed by asbestos exposure was known. See: Décès dû à l'amiante: aide aux victimes pour les proches [Asbestos deaths: help for victims soon.].
Government Liable for Exposures
Dec 25, 2013
On December 25, 2013, in a landmark ruling by the Osaka High Court, the Japanese Government was held liable for asbestos-related diseases due to its failure to protect workers from harmful exposures. This is the first time such a judgment has been handed down. The 58 claimants in this case, who include former asbestos mill workers from the Osaka South Prefecture, were seeking 700 million yen (U.S. $6.7 million) in damages; today's ruling awarded them 340m, nearly double that awarded by a lower court. See: High court holds gov't liable for asbestos exposure for 1st time; also see: Asbestos Health Hazard in Seenan.
Demonstration at Ministry of Health
Dec 24, 2013
Scores of members of the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (T-BAN), today mounted a protest outside the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Bangkok to condemn the continued use of asbestos more than two years after a cabinet resolution was adopted supporting a ban. The demonstrators read out a statement which criticised the status quo and the position of an interim MoH's official who supported it (see: T-BAN Statement). It is understood that the controversial report supporting the use of chrysotile will not be submitted to the cabinet. T-BAN is calling for full disclosure relating to the actions of this official.
Paris Subways Stopped by Asbestos
Dec 23, 2103
On December 20, 2013, four lines of the Paris Metro were shut-down for three hours in the late afternoon due to an asbestos alert issued by transport union supervisors. Thirty thousand people were evacuated from the trains. A technical fault in a containment system used by asbestos removal workers in the command center of these lines had resulted in unacceptable readings of airborne fibers. As a consequence, an order was given by the union for the workers who manage these subway lines to evacuate. See: Interruption du métro parisien: "Le seuil d'amiante avait été atteint", dit le vice-président du STIF [Interruption of the Paris Metro: "The asbestos threshold had been reached," said STIF vice president].
Risk of Low Level Asbestos Exposure
Dec 22, 2013
A paper in the Journal of Occupation and Environmental Medicine last week highlighted the association between low level occupational asbestos exposures and asbestos cancers. Data from a Dutch cohort of nearly 60,000 men aged 55 to 69 years, documented the following number of asbestos-related cancers: 132 pleural mesotheliomas, 2,324 lung cancers and 166 laryngeal cancers. The authors conclude that low level asbestos exposures "may be associated with an increased risk of pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer, and laryngeal cancer." See: Occupational Asbestos Exposure and Risk of Pleural Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer, and Laryngeal Cancer in the Prospective Netherlands Cohort Study.
Landmark Compensation for Asbestosis
Dec 21, 2013
On December 20, 14 tribal workers with asbestosis who had been employed at Udaipur asbestos mines received compensation of around U.S. $1,600 from the Rajasthan State Government (see: Picture of recipients). This comes as the conclusion to a 6 year-fight by the Mine Labor Protection Campaign with medical institutions and government departments. Future victims will also receive this amount; widows of deceased claimants will receive $4,800. These payouts mark a landmark victory for injured workers as it is the first time Indian asbestosis victims have received monetary relief from the State. See: In a first, 14 asbestosis victims get 1L cheques.
Environmental Asbestos Risk
Dec 21, 2013
A journal article just published details the ongoing threat posed by exposure to asbestos-containing materials and environmental contamination in South Africa, a country which banned asbestos in 2008. The paper highlights the hazards of unrehabilitated mine dumps and unregulated dumping of asbestos waste as well as elevated levels of asbestos contamination found throughout the country's educational infrastructure. The authors urge that measures to identify and monitor contamination be adopted in order to "assist in the safe removal of asbestos and in reducing its adverse health effects." See: A South African database of samples analysed for the presence of asbestos.
WHO Issues Asbestos Alert
Dec 19, 2013
On Monday (December 16, 2013), the World Health Organization issued a warning on the health risk of exposure to asbestos and other environmental toxins. This was in response to conclusions reached by delegates who took part in the third meeting of the Environment and Health Task Force in Brussels (December 10-11, 2013). At the meeting, representatives from thirty countries expressed support for action "to free Europe from asbestos-related diseases and exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke and toxic chemicals." See: Countries urged to sink health risks from asbestos, second-hand smoke and toxic chemicals by 2015.
Widespread Asbestos Contamination
Dec 19, 2013
Reacting to research conducted by the Socialist Trade Union, which found non-compliance with asbestos regulations in up to 1,000 public buildings in Brussels, the Belgian asbestos victims' group ABEVA issued a press release calling for effective but non-precipitous action. Previous calls by ABEVA for a joined-up government policy on asbestos had been ignored with dire consequences. Highlighting the potential for contamination of schools, ABEVA recommended the urgent prioritization of remedial work in the educational infrastructure. See: Asbestos in many of Brussels' public buildings.
Agreement to Ban Asbestos in Laos
Dec 17, 2013
News was published yesterday of an agreement signed in Vientiane on December 13, 2013 by Somphong Soukivanh, the Deputy Director General of the Industry and Handicrafts Department, and Philip Hazelton, regional representative of the Australian organization Union Aid Abroad to develop a National Asbestos Profile. Work will begin in January 2014. Upon completion in June, 2014 the profile will constitute a fundamental part of the National Strategy on the Elimination of Asbestos. Laos uses asbestos to produce industrial products including cement roofing tiles. In 2002, the country began importing significant amounts of the deadly material. See: Laos plans to eliminate the importation of asbestos.
Anger at Expansion of Asbestos Sector
Dec 17, 2013
Yesterday (December 16, 2013), a delegation of activists and local people met with state officials to submit a Memorandum criticising the plans by Utkal Asbestos Limited, a company based in West Bengal, to construct an asbestos factory in their village. This was the latest manifestation of anger by civilians over the seemingly unchecked expansion of the hazardous asbestos sector in Bihar State. During demonstrations, protestors have been injured by the police and company security guards and workers have been sacked. See: Some 10, 000 Vaishali Villagers Submit Petition Against proposed Hazardous Asbestos Factory of Bengal's Utkal Asbestos Limited (UAL).
Iconic Paris Landmark Contaminated
Dec 16, 2013
A preliminary report leaked last week to Le Monde and Agence France Presse confirms that cable ducts in the Tour Montparnasse, a landmark building in which 5,000+ people work, are lined with asbestos. Ventilation systems also contain asbestos liberated during seven years of decontamination work at a cost of €250 million. As a result of these findings the authorities have suspended remedial work until further notice. The final version of the report is expected to be published in the New Year. The 207 meter tower complex was built in 1973 at a cost of $140m by N.Y. property developer Wylie Tuttle. See: Tour Montparnasse contaminated with asbestos.
Threat from Asbestos Deposits
Dec 16, 2013
Last week, Spain's award-winning Observer Magazine, published an article which focused on the country's asbestos history including attempts to mine chrysotile and tremolite in Andalusia. Three million tonnes of asbestos were used in Spain with consumption peaking in the 1970s; only a small amount was produced locally. The threat posed by the geographical presence of asbestos in areas including the Costa del Sol and Serrania de Ronda is yet to be acknowledged by the authorities. See: "Fiebre del oro blanco" en la Costa del Sol y en la serranía de Ronda [White Gold Fever on the Costa del Sol and in the Serrania de Ronda].
Schmidheiny's Donations to Yale
Dec 14, 2013
Further information has been forthcoming regarding the decision by Yale University not to revoke an honorary doctorate awarded to convicted criminal Stephan Schmidheiny. In an article which appeared yesterday in the local newspaper of Casale Monferrato, an Italian town decimated by the operations of Schmidheiny's asbestos company, it was revealed that the reclusive billionaire and/or an organization he founded, made substantial donations to the University in 1996 and 1997. The article's headline says it all: Schmidheiny pagò la laurea ad honorem [Schmidheiny paid for honorary degree].
End of the Road for Quebec Mine
Dec 14, 2013
At this point in time, the Jeffrey Mine exists in name only. Attempts by asbestos stakeholders to resurrect the mine were finally defeated when the new Marois government cancelled $58 million of government support (2012). An article just released suggests that although secret negotiations have been ongoing, as of December 31 the company will be liquidated and the contaminated mine will become an orphan site with potentially disastrous consequences for the population as well as local, regional and federal governments. It has been estimated that keeping the site safe could cost $2 million/year. See: Négociations secrètes chez Mine Jeffrey [Secret Negotiations at the Jeffrey Mine].
Workplace Health and Safety
Dec 12, 2013
WorkSafe NZ will begin work on Monday, December 16, 2013. Its focus will be on issues related to workplace health and safety; these issues were previously handled by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The new agency will make recommendations on legislative change and play a major role in the development of a health and safety strategy. An asbestos advisory panel is being set up under WorkSafe NZ. It is hoped that having examined the failure of the national asbestos policy, the panel will progress efforts to ban asbestos in New Zealand. See: WorkSafe New Zealand is being established.
Victory for Asbestos Victims
Dec 11, 2013
French asbestos victims yesterday welcomed a landmark decision by the Court of Cassation which ruled that executives of the multinational asbestos company Eternit and asbestos stakeholders who, for decades, progressed the industry's agenda must face criminal proceedings. This decision reversed a 2011 ruling that dismissed the case against nine asbestos defendants; the charges against the accused will now be considered by the investigating chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal. See: Martine Aubry reste mise en examen dans le dossier de l'aimante [Martine Aubry remains under examination in the asbestos case]; see also: ANDEVA Press Release.
Cancer Working Group Memorandum
Dec 11, 2013
A 109-page Memorandum from the Finnish Occupational Cancer Working Group uploaded on December 10, 2013, categorically states that there is an "indisputable" relationship between exposure to asbestos and cases of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and laryngeal cancer. Highlighting the deadly effects of asbestos exposures, the authors note that: "Today, lung cancer and mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos are definitely the most important types of diagnosed occupational cancers." See: Memorandum from the Finnish Occupational Cancer Working Group.
Progress on Asbestos Research Initiative
Dec 11, 2013
The National Centre for Asbestos-Related Diseases (NCARD), a collaborative effort nominally based in Perth, Western Australia, has issued a bumper newsletter which includes details of the iMig-NCARD October 26, 2013 Mesothelioma Symposium in Sydney, the second Australian Asbestos Forum in Sydney on November 25 during National Asbestos Awareness Week as well as progress on mesothelioma research projects and fund-raising initiatives. Articles on the work of eminent mesothelioma researchers Professors Bruce Robinson and Bill Musk are featured. See: NCARD Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 3 (December 2013).
British Asbestos Newsletter
Dec 11, 2013
The autumn 2013 issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The feature article in Issue 92, The Mesothelioma Bill - A Gift to Insures, forensically examines the genesis and contents of a controversial bill currently being debated in the House of Commons. Author Tony Whitston reiterates the call by UK asbestos victims for 100% justice for the injured and for compensation to be provided for all asbestos victims. Other articles discuss pleural thickening litigation and a UK mesothelioma research initiative being spearheaded by the James Lind Alliance. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 92.
Urgent Asbestos Warning
Dec 6, 2013
On Thursday, December 5, 2013, experts from New Zealand and Australia addressed a conference in Christchurch and issued grave warnings about the post-earthquake consequences of asbestos exposure. Australian authorities on the asbestos hazard Craig Simmons and Professor Bill Musk used language which left the hundreds of delegates in no doubt as to the seriousness of the situation. Professor Musk said he was shocked by the huge potential for exposures in the city and warned that the country needs to immediately ban imports of asbestos. See: Asbestos risk in rebuild unprecedented – experts; also see: New Zealand's Failing Asbestos Policy!.
Injured Mine Workers Petition Rejected
Dec 6, 2013
The Baie Verte asbestos mine in Newfoundland closed in 1995. Former mine workers who have contracted asbestos-related diseases have collaborated with union leaders and academics to set up a miners' registry in order to facilitate claims for compensation. Although the authorities welcomed this initiative, the Newfoundland and Labrador government has turned down a request for legislative changes to help the Baie Verte asbestos claimants. Dan Crummell, the Minister of Service for Newfoundland and Labrador rejected the miners' petition. See: Government says no to changes to help sick mine workers.
Asbestos Lobby Hits Delhi
Dec 6, 2013
At a two-day conference in the Indian capital this week, the asbestos roadshow laid out its wares of industry-commissioned research and arguments to bolster the sales pitch of asbestos profiteers in a country which has embraced asbestos technology. David Bernstein, the industry's preferred "scientist," led the pack with a presentation used to enforce the propaganda that chrysotile asbestos can be used safely under controlled conditions; the vast majority of the delegates represented Indian asbestos industry stakeholders. As of 2012, India had used over 7 million tonnes of asbestos; India is the world's biggest importer of asbestos. See: Picture of Speakers at Asbestos Industry Event.
Controversial Bill Goes to Commons
Dec 2, 2013
Today, The Mesothelioma Bill is being debated in the House of Commons having completed its passage through the House of Lords before the Summer recess. Asbestos victims, who have given a qualified welcome to the legislation, are urging MPs to make improvements which will recognize the suffering of all asbestos victims, increase payments to the injured and withdraw taxpayers' support for the insurance industry which, after extensive back room lobbying, is due to receive "Government largesse on an unprecedented scale." See: Press Release by Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK; also see: The Mesothelioma Bill - A Gift to Insurers.
Asbestos in Imported Rolling Stock
Nov 30, 2013
Veteran journalist Matt Peacock knows a thing or two about asbestos. He has spent the last 3 decades investigating asbestos stories in Australia and abroad. A Peacock exposé on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's primetime TV news show "7:30" on Tuesday (Nov. 26) is amongst the best he has done. Peacock revealed that ten locomotives imported from China which had asbestos-free certificates were not in fact free of asbestos. The trains were, according to specialists, contaminated with chrysotile asbestos. An eight-minute segment can be viewed online along with relevant documents including the analyst's report. See: Asbestos scare strikes Chinese imports to Australia.
Hazards of Increasing Asbestos Use
Nov 28, 2013
The occupational risks for people in the growing asbestos industry in Laos were highlighted in an article uploaded yesterday which predicted that national consumption could reach 9,000 tonnes/year. Ignorance about the human health hazards posed by asbestos exposures has enabled sales to increase without government or civil society opposition. This is changing. In July 2013 a 2-day conference entitled Working towards a National Strategy on Asbestos in Laos attracted widespread participation including the attendance of government officials from eight ministries, trade unionists, academics and experts. See: Fight Against Asbestos Goes Global.
Asbestos Alert in Kathmandu
Nov 27, 2013
The Executive Director of the [Nepal] Centre for Public Health and Environmental Development Ram Charitra Sah has warned the authorities of the hazards posed by the lack of care taken regarding the use and storage of asbestos-containing products. "Asbestos is," he told a reporter for the Himalayan Times "piled up in different parts of Kathmandu, including Maitighar, for use in road construction work…" In an article citing the official positions of the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organizations, Mr. Sah called on the Government to ban the use, import and export of asbestos products. See: Handle asbestos carefully: NGO.
Asbestos Exposure in Indian Workplaces
Nov 27, 2013
Media reports published today highlight the deplorable situation of Indian migrant laborers who have contracted fatal asbestos-related diseases from workplace exposures. Raghunath Manwar, President of the Occupational Health Association, confirmed the situation citing the case of S.R. Gaunder's widow who has, since his death 3 years ago, received no support or compensation as her husband was a migrant from Tamil Nadu. Gaunder, who had been employed as a laborer at a notorious asbestos-cement factory, died in 2010 from asbestos cancer. Similar examples are documented along with comments from activists helping the injured. See: Vapi hellhole gets worse for migrant workers.
Queries over Journal's Ethical Failings
Nov 26, 2013
In a letter to the editor of the journal Critical Reviews in Toxicology, serious questions are asked about the lack of disclosure by the authors of a 2013 article entitled: Health Risks of Chrysotile Revisited. The authors of the letter, who believe that the "article violates ethical standards of disclosure that all scientists and scientific publications are expected to uphold," cite incorrect information provided by David Bernstein and Jacques Dunnigan about the funding of the paper and their ties to asbestos industry stakeholders. Links between the Editor in Chief Roger McClellan and an asbestos firm are also mentioned. See: Complaint submitted to Editor of scientific publication regarding hidden asbestos industry ties.
Online Resource: London Health Reports
Nov 26, 2013
The Wellcome Library has digitized 124 years of reports by Health Officers for London boroughs; this archive is an invaluable resource for researchers investigating the history of asbestos knowledge. Items written in the 1930s by Dr Williams, the Medical Officer of Health for Barking - the borough in which a notorious factory belonging to Cape Asbestos was located - are informative. Williams' was described by Dr. Merewether - co-author of the seminal 1930 Merewether and Price asbestos report - as being "obsessed with the subject [asbestos]." See: London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972.
Launch of Ban Asbestos Network
Nov 25, 2013
On November 23, 2013, at the culmination of a 2-day meeting of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network in Dhaka, a new organization was launched: the Bangladesh Ban Asbestos Network (B-BAN). Calling for urgent action, occupational health and safety campaigner and co-host of the meeting Repon Chowdhury said "Bangladesh cannot close its eyes to the asbestos issue." Asbestos activists, victims and trade unionist delegates at the meeting endorsed the new organization and pledged to continue international collaboration to achieve an Asian ban on the use of asbestos. See: Press Release.
Illegal Asbestos Imports
Nov 25, 2013
In 2012, the import of asbestos-contaminated cars from China caused a huge uproar in the Australian media. Today, news has been released that the import of hazardous materials is continuing due to a systemic failure by the Customs authorities. Asbestos contamination has been recently found in imported train engines. This news has led to an outcry from asbestos victims' groups and trade unions over the potential for deadly exposures from unidentified imports. In June, tests revealed that imported motorcycles contained asbestos; they were destroyed. See: Imported asbestos products getting past Australian customs.
Medical Workshop on Asbestos
Nov 20, 2103
Ban asbestos activists from Indonesia and Korea are today holding a medical workshop on asbestos in Jakarta (see: workshop poster) to highlight the ongoing risk posed by occupational and environmental exposure to a substance widely used in Indonesia (see: Growth of Asian Asbestos Markets). Speakers invited by the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea (BANKO) and the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network (Ina-ban) will reveal details of the incidence of asbestos-related disease identified amongst workers from an asbestos textile factory in Cibinong, Indonesia; the company which owns this factory moved its operations from Korea to Indonesia in the 1990s.
Asbestos Alert for Investors
Nov 20, 2013
A 27-page Australian report by financial analysts at Citi Research has today been issued to alert potential investors to the asbestos trading of stock market-listed companies. Amongst the names mentioned are mining companies in Russia (Uralasbest), Brazil (Eternit), Kazakhstan (variously described as DAGOK Kustanaiasbest, or Kustanai Minerals); information on mining companies in China was not available. Also listed were companies involved in the manufacture of asbestos-containing construction and automotive products; eight Indian producers of asbestos-cement construction material were named. See: Asbestos: Assessing Exposure of Certain MSCI World Index Sectors.
Fear and Loathing in Asbest, Russia
Nov 19, 2013
Journalists working on a project on the future of Russian monotowns reported a high level of anxiety and fear in the Russian town of Asbest, home to Ural Asbest's open-pit asbestos mine. There is, they found, widespread concern about the future of the company which employs 10% of the population, in light of perceived threats from the "mysterious forces of the international anti-asbestos campaign." Security service personnel maintained a watchful and threatening eye on the journalists' activities and a person interviewed was summarily fired for speaking to them. According to the article: "Every second person [at Ural Asbest] has asbestosis." See: The People of the Pit.
Eternit Asbestos Continues to Kill
Nov 18, 2013
More than 700 cases of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma have been diagnosed in a district in North Lebanon which was formerly the location of an Eternit asbestos-cement factory. Former employees, family members and residents are amongst the dead. Local people bought Eternit waste to make concrete which was used in and around homes. As a result, there is widespread environmental contamination. The company's owner, Stephan Schmidheiny, sold the asbestos operations in Chekka (Koura district) to Lebanese businessmen who continued production until 1991. See: North Lebanon: Closed Asbestos Factory Still Kills.
Asbestos Contamination in Tenerife
Nov 18, 2013
Seventeen homeless people sheltering in a theater named after a famous Spanish literary figure face eviction should the Canaries' Government decide to act on the recent discovery of asbestos-cement pipes in the dilapidated structure. A technical expert who inspected the premises in Tenerife this weekend concluded that urgent action was needed including the removal of the remaining 40 meters of contaminated pipes. A decision by the municipal authorities is expected this week. See: El Pérez Minik será desalojado tras detectarse tubos de Amianto (Evictions from Pérez Minik [theater] after discovery of asbestos pipes).
ABREA's Role Acknowledged
Nov 15, 2013
A 24-page segment in a magazine [see: magazine cover] published today by the Brazilian Federal Public Ministry of Labor focuses on the pivotal role played by ABREA, the national asbestos victims' group, in the struggle against the country's notorious asbestos group: Eternit. The text exposes the company's attempts to deceive and co-opt workers into signing extra-judicial agreements absolving their former employer of its liabilities for the negligent and hazarous occupational exposures to asbestos which took place at the Eternit asbestos-cement factories. See: A morte lenta e silenciosa dos empregados da Eternit [The slow and silent death of employees of Eternit].
Thousands in Asbestos-riddled Homes
Nov 14, 2013
In 1985, Sonatrach, an Algerian-government owned oil and gas consortium which is the largest company in Africa, built accommodation for its employees in Sicel city. The asbestos-cement construction products used on the blocks of flats, now abandoned by the company, are in an advanced state of decay exposing 2,000 occupants to cancerous fibers; media reports say that 20 residents have died of asbestos diseases. Despite negotiations between Sonatrach, local authorities and federal officials, no efforts have been made to address this and other hazards posed by the deterioration of the infrastructure. See: Plus de 600 familles exposées à l'amiante [More than 600 families exposed to asbestos].
Allegations that Eternit Bribed Victims
Nov 13, 2013
Eternit, S.A., Brazil's foremost asbestos company, has been charged over attempts to entice asbestos-exposed ex-employees to sign agreements absolving the company of liability through an outreach social program for the "Eternit family" workforce. Letters on this issue have been submitted as part of a legal action by ABREA, the national group representing the asbestos-exposed, many of whom worked for Eternit. Activities offered included barbecues and TV screenings of World Cup games. See: Eternit 'cortejou' ex-funcionários contaminados com amianto para evitar ação na Justiça, diz MPT [Eternit "courted" asbestos-exposed ex-employees to prevent legal action].
Prosecution of Olivetti Executives
Nov 12, 2013
The former President, Vice President, Managing Director and CEO of Olivetti are amongst twenty people being investigated for overseeing a regime which failed to prevent hazardous exposures to asbestos at industrial premises in northwest Italy. It is alleged that their negligence resulted in twenty former workers dying from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma between 2003 and 2013. From the late 1970s until the early 1990s, the deceased had worked in Olivetti departments contaminated with asbestos. See: All'Olivetti operai uccisi dall'amianto [Olivetti workers killed by asbestos].
Dismantling of US "Ghost Ships"
Nov 11, 2013
The arrival in Hartlepool in 2003 of the Caloosahatchee, a rusting US warship, set off ten years of protest by local campaigners. Friends of Hartlepool objected to their town becoming "the dumping ground of the world"; during the struggle, legal and environmental objections were raised to the dismantling in Hartlepool of toxic US "Ghost Ships" which contained nearly 2,000 tonnes of asbestos as well as mercury, cadmium, chromium and other toxins. As a result, only four US ships were processed at the Able UK yard and work was stopped in January 2011. The dumping of the yard's hazardous waste in local landfills remains a contentious issue. See: The Legacy of Hartlepool's US Navy 'ghost ships'.
Deadline for Asbestos Judgment
Nov 8, 2013
The French Supreme Court has announced it will hand down its decision on landmark asbestos cases on December 10. Charges in this litigation relate to the responsibility of government officials, scientists and industrialists for hazardous asbestos exposures experienced by French citizens which resulted in their contracting asbestos-related diseases. ANDEVA, a national asbestos victims' group, has challenged the lower courts' decisions and the Advocate General's recommendation to acquit the defendants. See: Amiante: décision en cassation le 10 décembre sur deux dossiers emblématiques [Court decision on two landmark asbestos cases on December 10].
Saskatchewan's Asbestos Registry
Nov 8, 2013
With the enactment on November 7 of The Public Health (Howard's Law) Amendment Act, Saskatchewan has become the first Canadian Province to establish a mandatory web-based asbestos registry for crown corporations, school districts, health regions and facilities and provincial government buildings. "This registry will," said Health Minister Dustin Duncan "improve the health, safety and well being of our workers and their families… In addition to the registry, publications that address the safe removal and handling of asbestos are available." See: Province Makes Asbestos Registry Mandatory. See also: Saskatchewan First Province to Require Mandatory Asbestos Reporting.
Award for Asbestos Diseases Society
Nov 8, 2013
The Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) was honoured last month at the 15th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Sydney when it received the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's Patient Advocacy Award. A travel bursary providing funds to cover the costs of attending the conference was provided to the ADSA President Robert Vojakovic. The ADSA has been Australia's leading patient advocacy group for asbestos victims for more than thirty years. See: IASLC Gives 5 People Advocacy Travel Award. Also see: Confronting Australia's Asbestos Catastrophe.
Upheaval at Eternit S.A.
Nov 7, 2013
The President of Eternit, S.A., Brazil's leading asbestos producer, died unexpectedly last month. President Elio Martins was a known quantity who had given 38 years of service to the company, the last 13 as President. In the aftermath of his death, investors were reassessing the company's financial performance and asking pointed questions about operating costs, executive salaries, and dividend policy. The change in leadership is particularly problematic in light of a pending Supreme Court ruling on the legality of asbestos use. See: O futuro da Eternit após a morte do presidente Élio Martins [The Future of Eternit after the Death of President Elio Martins].
Trade Union Asbestos Conference
Nov 7, 2013
The World Federation of Trade Unions' (WFTU) Asbestos Conference took place last Wednesday (October 30) in Athens. In his opening speech, the WFTU's General Secretary George Mavrikos highlighted the occupational as well as public health risk posed by the presence of asbestos in post-ban countries and condemned the continuing use of asbestos in developing countries. The privatization and degradation of health systems around the world has, he said, commodified health and deprived "large masses of workers and poor people from the right to fight against health problems, which were caused by the same voracious activity of capitalism." See: Speech by George Mavrikos.
Asbestos Whistleblower Wins Claim
Nov 6, 2013
Trade unionist Darren Hayes, who alleged he was sidelined by his former employer after raising safety concerns about asbestos exposure during work on the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout, has today won a claim for constructive dismissal. After Hayes informed the Communication Workers Union (CWU) about the hazardous conditions, he was, according to a CWU spokeswoman, "marginalized and abused." A confidential settlement has now been reached between Visionstream and Mr. Hayes after mediation by the Fair Work Commission. See: NBN asbestos whistleblower gets payout in Fair Work Commission case.
Denial Strategy Targets Victims
Nov 5, 2013
Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BH) is denying that it was company policy to "wrongfully delay or deny compensation to cancer victims ..." Over a number of years, BH has assumed billions of dollars of asbestos liabilities for global insurers including Lloyd's of London. According to a company spokesman, BH has "the largest single exposure to asbestos and pollution claims of any insurer today." U.S. corporations have taken legal action charging BH associates of bad-faith for committing "willful or knowing" acts that were "unfair or deceptive." See: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Press Statement. Also see: Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries deny, delay asbestos, hazard claims, suits, insiders allege.
New Online Resource
Nov 4, 2013
An information video detailing how asbestos fibers attack the human body, translated by members of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN) into 17 languages, is now available online with Spanish subtitles, thanks to the efforts of ban asbestos activists in Colombia. The graphics and language of this short clip make it an ideal educational resource for campaigners, educators and concerned citizens. Versions of this film are also available in: Bengali, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, English, Filipino, Hindi, Indonesian, Laotian, Mongolian, Portuguese, Russian, Tamil, Thai, Urdu and Vietnamese. See: ABAN Asbestos Information Video.
Asbestos Diseases: Government Data
Nov 4, 2013
A report released by the German Government reveals the price the country is paying for its asbestos legacy. Data collected by the German Social Occupational Accident Insurance (Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung: DGUV) covering the period 1994-2010 state that over a billion euros in compensation were paid to sufferers of asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung and throat cancer. Of these three categories of disease, the lowest success rate was experienced by people with lung or throat cancer, the majority of whom failed to qualify for DGUV insurance coverage. See: Lage der Asbesterkrankten in Deutschland [Location of Asbestos Sufferers in Germany].
Another State to Ban Asbestos?
Nov 1, 2013
In Brazil, the world's third biggest supplier of raw chrysotile asbestos fiber, federal law allows the production and use of asbestos. Nevertheless, the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco and Mato Grosso - which account for 90% of the Brazilian population - have adopted state-wide prohibitions. On October 20, law 1.259/11, which banned asbestos, in Minas Gerais State was approved by 48 votes. The bill has one more legislative hurdle to overcome before it is sent to the Governor. See: Plenário aprova projeto que proíbe uso de amianto [Plenary Passes Bill banning use of asbestos].
Another National Asbestos Tragedy
Nov 1, 2013
Last week a new book was launched in Chile which documents the terrible devastation caused by the country's use of asbestos. The 146-page Spanish text, which is available online, was written by Constanza San Juan Standen and Tania Muñoz Cuevas and published by the group "Unidos Contra el Asbesto," (United Against Asbestos). The authors examine the national repercussions of widespread asbestos consumption within a global framework highlighting the toll paid by workers and their families for industry's asbestos profits. See: Fibras grises de muerte, el silencio del mayor genocidio industrial en Chile [Deadly grey fibers, the silence of the largest industrial genocide in Chile].
2013 Asbestos Industry Offensive
Oct 31, 2013
Following up on a recent pro-asbestos event in the Philippines, industry apologists will take part in a sham conference in New Delhi on December 3 & 4, 2013. Once again, the chrysotile lobby's favourite spokesman David Bernstein is heading the agenda; his back-up consists of speakers from Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Canada and Vietnam [see: Agenda]. Asbestos manufacturing is a growing industrial sector in India. In 2012, the use of chrysotile asbestos was just under 500,000 tonnes; this was a 53% increase in one year. See: Global asbestos lobby organizes events in the Philippines and India to promote continued use of asbestos in Asia.
Indictment of Corporate "Scientists"
Oct 30, 2013
An article just published in The Scientist, "the magazine for life science professionals," references the ongoing scandal under investigation by the New York Supreme Appellate Court whereby hired gun scientists disguise their financial links to corporate paymasters, in this case U.S. asbestos defendant Georgia-Pacific, in journal articles. Author Philippe Grandjean points out that "when the billing records were reviewed, it became clear that the company's authors had completed more than five drafts of one particular manuscript before any external co-authors were approached." See: Opinion: Problems with Hidden COI.
Chrysotile Lobby Meeting
Oct 30, 2013
It comes as no surprise to learn that as independent Asian scientists were preparing for the 6th Asian Asbestos Initiative International Seminar (November 13-15, 2013) in Manila, on October 25 the asbestos industry held a spoiler conference (see: Agenda) to reinforce corporate propaganda that the use of chrysotile asbestos is safe. This is a well-known industry strategy; in 2008, chrysotile lobbyists organised a pro-asbestos conference at the same time and in the same venue as the Building and Woodworkers' International Trade Union Asbestos Conference. Speakers at Friday's event included David Bernstein, an industry-linked scientist at the center of an alleged judicial scandal being investigated in New York.
Court Sanctions Construction of Plant
Oct 29, 2013
Plans to build a highly controversial asbestos factory in the Vaishali district of Bihar State were advanced by a decision handed down on October 28 by the Patna High Court. Justice Jayant Singh ordered the Bihar State Pollution Control Board to green light construction of Utkal Asbestos Limited's new plant despite widespread opposition by local people who are concerned about the proximity of the site to a village and school. Vaishali opponents of this scheme plan to appeal this week's decision. See: High court orders renewal of permit to Utkal asbestos plant in Bihar
Geneva Declares War on Asbestos
Oct 29, 2013
The State of Geneva has today launched a high-profile campaign to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard among professionals in the construction sector with a particular focus on smaller companies. The authorities have found asbestos – banned in Switzerland since 1991 – in 80% of Geneva real estate. The multilingual initiative, with material in French, Italian, Spanish, Albanian, Portuguese, and Polish will continue for three years and features brochures, online resources and a mobile information unit. See: L'Etat de Genève déclare la guerre à l'amiante [The State of Geneva declares war on asbestos].
Death of Revered Judge
Oct 29, 2013
The death was reported on October 25 of Giuseppe Casalbore, the President of the Turin Court which in 2012 found Eternit directors guilty for the parts they played in the asbestos-related deaths of thousands of Italians. Throughout his career, Judge Casalbore dealt with complex and high-profile cases. In a statement issued this week by AfeVA, the asbestos victims' group at the center of the landmark Eternit trial, Judge Casalbore's dedication and leadership were highlighted. Throughout the seemingly interminable judicial hearings, the Judge's courtesy and humanity encouraged victims that justice would be achieved. See: E' morto il giudice Casalbore oscurò le tv Fininvest.
Managing Asbestos in the Retail Sector
Oct 29, 2013
A guidance document entitled Managing Asbestos in the Retail Sector has today been published by the Retail Working Group to inform UK retailers of best practices regarding the management of asbestos during trading, maintenance and refurbishment operations. The 54-page text, which is available online, outlines duties of stakeholders as mandated by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and itemizes compliance stategies and mandatory measures with a focus on the retail sector. See: The Management of Asbestos Containing Materials in the Retail Sector.
Conflict of Interest Controversy
Sep 23, 2013
As participants gathered for an "Inhaled Particles" conference in Nottingham this week, an online article was published which discussed the high-level participation of Professor Ken Donaldson, co-author of articles at the heart of a "potential crime-fraud allegation." This article, which forensically examines the Donaldson's participation in the writing of "scientific papers" commissioned by U.S. asbestos defendant Georgia Pacific, reveals how vested interests are working behind the scenes to create doubt amongst scientists and juries about the risk posed by exposures to chrysotile asbestos. See: Potential crime-fraud and the asbestos industry - the UK connection.
Anger over Mesothelioma Stitch-Up
Sep 23, 2013
A press release issued today by UK charities representing the interests of asbestos cancer victims lambasts the government for proposals which victimize people dying from mesothelioma. Representatives from Mesothelioma UK, The Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum, The June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund and the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund will, with other stakeholders, be meeting Justice Minister Helen Grant in London to present their objections to a "partisan consultation which disadvantages mesothelioma sufferers." See: Charities furious at one-sided MoJ Mesothelioma reform consultation.
Victims Petition Yale University
Sep 23, 2013
AfeVA, a group representing asbestos victims from Italy's Piedmont region, has written to Yale University asking for the University to "consider stripping convicted criminal Schmidheiny of the great honor you bestowed on him." In 1996, an asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny had been recognized for his creation of "create an attainable vision of a global economy based on sustainable, ecologically sound development." Since then, he has been convicted by Italian criminal courts of "environmental disaster." See: AfeVA Petition - Revoke asbestos magnate's honorary doctorate and A Toxic Legacy
Asbestos remediation in Milan schools
Sept 18, 2013
The authorities in Milan have begun the rollout of a program to tackle the legacy of asbestos use in the city's schools. The multimillion euro program will see asbestos removed in one hundred elementary and middle schools. Phase 1, which is due to be completed by December 2013, will address contamination in 16 schools where there is need for urgent action. In the next phase, 18 more schools will be remediated with plans for work at a further 70 institutions in 2014. The authorities have pledged to make all Milan school "asbestos-free." See: Amianto, a Milano 41 milioni di euro per la bonifica delle scuole [Asbestos, Milan €41 million for the remediation of schools].
DIY Risk to Home Renovators
Sep 17, 2013
On September 16, 2013, the risk posed by asbestos to do-it-yourself (DIY) builders in New South Wales was highlighted in a segment on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Presenter Emma Alberici reported the findings of a new survey which revealed that 60% of DIY renovators in the State have come into contact with asbestos. An interview conducted by reporter John Stewart with asbestos victim Carol Klintfalt explored the consequences of such exposures. In the 1970s and 1980s Mrs. Klintfalt and her husband had used asbestos sheets (fibro) for refurbishing their house. In 2006, she was diagnosed with mesothelioma. See: Home renovators risk deadly disease.
Rajasthan to Compensate Victims
Sep 17, 2013
It has been announced that the Government of Rajasthan will set up a Pneumoconiosis Board (the Board) which will pay compensation of U.S. $35,000 to people suffering from asbestosis. This is the first such scheme in India and is the result of years of mobilization by a local non-governmental organization: the Mine Labor Protection Campaign (MLPC). The Board will examine mine workers and those who are diagnosed with occupational diseases will have their claims submitted to local administrators of the Monetary Relief department. The MLPC has also gained government agreement for the issuing of health cards for mine workers. See: Support for Mine Workers in Rajasthan.
Recognition of Miners' Claims?
Sep 17, 2013
Asbestos is "a huge historic problem" for former employees from the Baie Verte Asbestos Mine; from 1955 to 1992 mining operations at this Newfoundland site exposed the workforce to high levels of toxic fiber. Of 145 former workers who have filed claims with Newfoundland and Labrador's Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission, less than one-third have had their claims approved. On September 9, representatives of the United Steelworkers union (USW) met with government officials to consider the plight of the former miners, many of whom now have asbestos-related diseases. See: Union, government meet to discuss asbestos concerns.
Trade Union Victory in Philippines
Sep 16, 2013
A letter received by Michael Mendoza, the President of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress (ALU-TUCP) of the Philippines, from the Department of Education signalled a small but significant victory for the labor federation. The letter stated that due to pressure brought by the ALU-TUCP the use of asbestos wire gauze mats in secondary schools had been reviewed. As a result, a DepEd Memorandum is being issued ordering the disposal of these contaminated items which will now be replaced by ceramic products in order to "safeguard the well-being of the learners, teachers and other school personnel." See: Letter from Department of Education, the Philippines.
Rwanda Plans to Remove Asbestos
Sep14, 2013
National plans to eradicate the threat posed by asbestos roofing in Rwanda are being implemented throughout the country according to a September 11th report on the authoritative allAfrica website. Experts estimate that although 2,309,905m² of contaminated material has been removed, 1,068,190m² remains. Plans are proceeding to deal with this material within the next three years; hospitals, schools, and military and police camps have been identified as priority remediation sites. One high-profile institution named in the article is the Kigali university teaching hospital. Once removed, asbestos-contaminated building products are buried. See: Rwanda: Hazardous Asbestos Still on Many Houses.
New Phase for Asbestos Remediation
Sept 13, 2013
On September 11, 2013, the Italian region of Tuscany unanimously approved a law to deal with the imminent hazard posed by the presence of asbestos-containing material and waste. The law stipulates measures for the mapping of the asbestos contamination, the remediation of environmental pollution and the safe disposal of hazardous waste throughout Tuscany. The area is an asbestos hotspot; 664 deaths from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma were recorded for the period 1993-2004. See: La prima regione che si dota di una piano di bonifica e smaltimento dell'amianto [The first region adopts comprehensive asbestos remediation program.].
Calls to Strip Schmidheiny of Yale Degree
Sep 13, 2013
A newspaper published by Yale University students this week reported calls for an honorary degree awarded to asbestos defendant Stephan Schmidheiny to be withdrawn. Sixteen years before Schmidheiny was sentenced to 16 years in jail by a Turin Court (2012), he had been feted at Yale. The University's President Richard Levin cited his creation of "an attainable vision of a global economy based on sustainable, ecologically sound development." In 2013, calls have been made by the Italian asbestos victims' group AfeVA for this honor to be withdrawn. So far, the university is standing by its decision according to Yale spokesman Tom Conroy. See: A Toxic Legacy.
British Asbestos Newsletter
Sep 5, 2013
The summer issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The feature article in Issue 91 -Annual Parliamentary Asbestos Seminar - describes an activity on July 3, 2013 which took place in the House of Commons under the auspices of the All Party Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group. Speakers from the U.S., UK and Germany addressed medical issues, trade union mobilization, asbestos victims' needs and the global campaign to ban asbestos. Other articles in this issue look at an ongoing environmental asbestos claim against Cape, the asbestos debacle at Cwmcarn High School and the funding of UK mesothelioma research projects. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 91.
New Direction for Asbestos Policy?
Sep 5, 2013
After years of persistence and frustration, yesterday ban asbestos campaigner New Zealander Deidre van Gerven received the first positive reply from her Government. In a letter from the Minister for the Environment, MP Amy Adams wrote: "I agree that managing the potential effects of asbestos is important… I have also directed my officials to investigate whether asbestos containing materials are being imported and, if so, their volume and type. Further measures to manage the risks posed by asbestos remain a possibility following this investigation." See: Letter from New Zealand Minister for the Environment MP Amy Adams.
Demand that Schmidheiny Pay €90m
Sep 4, 2013
Following the publication on September 2, 2013 of the Turin Appeal Court's "Motivation" for the verdict issued in June 2013, in the action against Stephan Schmidheiny, calls are increasing for action by the authorities to implement the Court's ruling that the defendant pay €90 million in compensation to victims, local authorities, organizations and others as he was ordered to do, by both the lower Court and the Court of Appeal. See: Eternit, parti civili: "Ora Schmidheiny paghi i 90 milioni di euro per i risarcimenti già esecutivi" [Eternit, civil parties: "Schmidheiny must now pay 90 million euro compensation"].
Trade Union Action to Ban Asbestos
Sep 4, 2013
The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) has retabled a bill in the House of Representatives to ban the import, manufacture, processing, use and distribution of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. The bill, which had been filed in two previous Congresses, is known as House Bill 2638. In 2011 and 2012, asbestos use in the Philippines was 3,245 and 1,970 tonnes, respectively. Speaking on behalf of the ALU-TUCP, Gerard Seno said: "Banning asbestos is the way to go if we want to protect our workers and the general population from first-hand and secondary [asbestos] exposure." See: ALU-TUCP Press Release.
Cancer Mortality in Chinese Miners
Sep 4, 2013
To assess the relationship of lung cancer mortality and other causes of death to asbestos exposure levels, a cohort of male workers from a chrysotile mine in China was examined in a study covering the period 1981-2006. The authors of the resulting paper conclude that: "There were clear exposure-response relationships in this cohort, which imply a causal link between chrysotile asbestos exposure and lung cancer and nonmalignant respiratory diseases, and possibly to gastrointestinal cancer, at least for smokers." The authors admit that in China there is a failure to diagnose cases of malignant mesothelioma. See: Cancer Mortality in Chinese Asbestos Miners: Exposure-Response Relationships.
Turin Court Ruling "Motivation"
Sep 3, 2013
An 800-page "motivation" document substantiating the Turin Court of Appeal's June 2013 ruling in the trial of former asbestos magnate Stephan Schmidheiny was released on September 2. The Court concluded that despite extensive knowledge about the asbestos hazard, work continued in Eternit's asbestos-cement plants without precautions being taken. An asbestos public relations campaign mounted under Schmidheiny's leadership allowed a further decade of production as a result of which a deadly epidemic has emerged. See: Eternit, motivazioni sentenza: "L'Ad disinformò sui pericoli".
Eternit, Brazil Launch PR Fight-back
Sep 2, 2013
Efforts are being made by Eternit, S.A., a company named in a landmark Brazilian court judgment last week, to counter adverse publicity and restore public confidence. An Eternit press release issued on August 30 downplays the effect the ruling will have on the company and pledges that a "vigorous defense" will be mounted. The company blames ban asbestos pressure groups for creating the climate in which this case was pursued by the Public Labor Ministry. See: Eternit estima que 110 ex-funcionários atingidos por amianto estão sem assistência médica [Eternit estimates that 110 former employees affected by asbestos are without medical assistance].
New Mesothelioma Guidelines
Sep 1, 2013
New guidelines produced in Australia for the diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma have been welcomed by medical practitioners. Commenting on the text, one UK physician said: "they look very good and a significant update compared to the 2007 British Thoracic Society guidelines. They highlight the many gaps in knowledge and very limited effect of any active treatments as well as emphasising the need for early specialist palliative care and psychological support." The 116-page document makes 27 recommendations of which ten relate to diagnosis, eleven to assessment and six to treatment. See: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.
Exposure at Honeywell Plant
Sep 1, 2013
A Prime Ministerial ruling, which recognized the occurrence of occupational exposure to asbestos at a Honeywell brake factory in Condé-sur-Noireau between 1997 and 1999, will allow a further 500 workers to take early retirement. A declaration implementing this decision is due to be signed in a fortnight. There is criticism over the limited time frame of the recognition considering that the site in Calvados was contaminated with asbestos and did not close down until June 2013. Calls are being made to allow all workers to qualify for early retirement. See: L'Etat reconnaît l'exposition à l'amiante de l'usine Honeywell [The State recognizes asbestos exposure at Honeywell factory].
Contamination Threatens Students
Aug 27, 2013
As British university students prepare for the Autumn 2013 term, an article in today's Guardian newspaper is a salient reminder of the continuing threat they could encounter from asbestos-containing products in student halls. Thirty-eight universities have admitted that they do not tell students asbestos is present in dormitory rooms. With 2,313 bedrooms, the University of Warwick had the highest number of rooms. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers is "deeply concerned" about the extent of asbestos in universities and is calling on the Government to take action. See: Students are sleeping in bedrooms that contain asbestos.
Mesothelioma Deaths Rising
Aug 27, 2013
A paper published this year (2013) in the Danish Medical Journal by three Danish researchers revealed that twenty-seven years after a full ban on asbestos was introduced in Denmark, male rates of malignant mesothelioma continue to increase. Having studied data from the Danish Cancer Registry which covered the period 1943 to 2009, the authors state that: A clear long-term effect of the Danish asbestos ban has not yet occurred." In 2008-2009, the median survival rate for men with mesothelioma was 12.5 months and for women was 13.3 months. See: Regional differences in incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Denmark.
Asbestos Cancer Epidemic in Canada
Aug 27, 2013
A Canadian Medical Association paper leaves no doubt about the repercussions of Canadian asbestos mining and use. An analysis of data from 1997 to 2010 revealed that "deaths from lung cancer and mesothelioma comprise most of the compensated claims for deaths from occupational cancer in Ontario and Canada… In the final 5 years of the study period, about 93.0% of all claims for asbestos-related deaths in Canada that resulted in compensation were attributed to mesothelioma or lung cancer…" The authors accept that the figures underestimate Canada's burden of occupational cancer. See: Trends in compensation for deaths from occupational cancer in Canada: a descriptive study.
Asbestos Debate Reignites
Aug 25, 2013
Congressman J. Delgado Zegarra urged representatives of Peru's Multispectral Technical Committee to progress the implementation of regulations protecting citizens from cancer-causing exposures to asbestos. The politician expressed his frustration with the government's impasse on asbestos which was, he said, caused by a handful of asbestos vested interests. In the meantime, some companies have ended their use of asbestos and replaced the toxic fiber with safer substitutes as recommended by the WHO and the ILO. See: Empresas prohíben uso de asbesto por ser cancerígeno [Companies prohibit the use of asbestos due to its carcinogenicity].
Emergency at Puerto Rico University
Aug 25, 2013
The discovery of asbestos contamination at the University of Puerto Rico may result in half a million dollars' worth of remediation work at the General Studies Center on the Rio Piedras campus according to media reports being circulated. The University commissioned 200 samples to be taken in offices, public areas and outside spaces by an independent inspector; the results were expected last week. Costs incurred to date, which include the hiring of temporary classrooms, air testing, clean-up work and disposal of waste, have been paid for by the University. See: Asbesto le costará a la UPR más de $500,000 [Asbestos UPR will cost over $ 500,000].
Eternit Must Pay for Workers' Healthcare
Aug 24, 2013
Judge Raquel de Oliveira of the 9th Labor Court in São Paulo has ruled this week that Eternit, S.A. must pay the healthcare costs for thousands of former workers from its Osasco asbestos-cement factory; the factory closed in 1993. This civil action, the largest lawsuit for punitive damages ever mounted by Brazil's Labor Public Ministry, could cost the company over US$400 million. The company can appeal. See: Eternit terá de custear saúde de ex-operários devido exposição ao amianto [Eternit will have to pay for healthcare for former asbestos-exposed workers] and TV news journal coverage.
Iconic Landmark under Threat
Aug 23, 2013
Municipal authorities are threatening to evacuate the 5,000 people who work in the Montparnasse Tower if asbestos levels continue to exceed permissible levels. The Paris Prefecture issued an order last week citing significant occupational and public exposures to asbestos in the tower on at least 72 occasions since 2009. The owners of the building have admitted that high levels of asbestos led to the evacuation by two companies in June 2013. Asbestos removal work, which began in 2005, is not expected to be completed until 2017. See: Amiante. La tour Montparnasse sous la menace d'une évacuation [Asbestos. The Montparnasse Tower under threat of evacuation].
Asbestos, Deadly Fiber
Aug 23, 2013
On August 21 and 23, 2013, Caracol TV, one of the biggest television networks in Colombia, broadcast a segment highlighting the deadly threat posed by asbestos exposures. The reporter spoke to mesothelioma victim Luis Alfonso Mayorga who was lying in his hospital bed. His wife Cecilia Riana and his mother were also interviewed as was his physician Dr. Dario Isaza. Luis never worked with asbestos but his father, who died of mesothelioma, brought asbestos dust home on his work clothes. See: Asbesto: el mortal mineral que debería permanecer bajo tierra [See: Asbestos: the deadly mineral that should stay underground].
Judicial Win for Victims in Louisiana
Aug 22, 2013
A jury found the Dow Chemical Company guilty of exposing former worker Sidney Mabile to asbestos as a result of which he has contracted the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Documents presented to the court "suggested that Dow had performed a 'cost per cancer' analysis and determined that it would cost Dow over $1.2 billion to switch all of its plants to non-asbestos processing methods." Dow has continued to use asbestos at its factories in the U.S. and abroad in order to keep production costs down; the jury was told that the use of this deadly substance reduces processing costs by approximately 10%. See: Dow Chemical Company Hit With $5.95 Million Asbestos Cancer Verdict.
Tyre Factory Asbestos Exposure
Aug 22, 2013
The Social Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of Castile and León has recognized as valid a claim brought on behalf of a mesothelioma victim, who died aged 55 in 2011, that he had contracted an occupational disease. The claimant had been employed at Michelin's tyre factory in Valladolid from 1979 until 2010; asbestos was present in the factory in insulation and fireproofing products. This judgment awards the victim's widow an increase of 52% in pension payments. See: Reconocen la prestación de una muerte por amianto en la factoría de Michelin en Valladolid [Recognition of asbestos death at Michelin factory in Valladolid.].
Victory in Australian Asbestos Case
Aug 21, 2013
Five years after the mesothelioma death of shipyard worker Raymond Hamilton, the South Australian Supreme Court confirmed (on August 15, 2013) a 2012 verdict in favor of his widow. Former employer BHP Billiton Ltd. had been ordered by a district court to pay $115,000 for pain and suffering; the higher court upped this sum by $75,000. Calling this verdict "a watershed decision'' for South Australian mesothelioma sufferers, Lawyer Peter Moloney said it gave South Australian asbestos victims parity with victims in the eastern states. See: South Australia asbestos victims' handed 'watershed' decision.
Asbestos Hazard During Demolition
Aug 21, 2013
Demolition of asbestos-cement roofing by contractors flouting laws on the removal and disposal of asbestos waste has endangered occupational and public health on a site in Dubai's Al Satwa neighbourhood this Summer. A witness observed asbestos waste being scooped up by an excavator with no protection for the operator or dust suppression control measures in place. Commenting on this, an asbestos removal specialist said: "When asbestos materials are damaged or disturbed they release asbestos fibres into the air… there is a risk of asbestos exposure to local residents, members of the public and the workers involved in the demolition." See: Dubai residents fear asbestos exposure.
Exposé: Asbestos Death in Colombia
Aug 20, 2013
Last week, a detailed article was published which revealed a sea change in Colombia's dialogue on asbestos. Having included blanket reassurances about the possibility of the "safe use of asbestos" in Colombia from asbestos profiteer Jorge Hernán Estrada and Eternit trade unionist Libardo Sandoval, the journalist detailed the harsh reality of Luis Alfonso Mayorga, who is dying from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Luis never worked with asbestos but his father was employed by Eternit and brought asbestos dust home on his clothes. He died from the same asbestos disease which is now killing his son. See: Asbesto no seguro: los rostros de una tragedia [Unsafe Asbestos: The Faces of a Tragedy].
Thetford: Call for Government Action
Aug 19, 2013
Last week, Luc Berthold, Mayor of the City of Thetford Mines and Chair of the Economic Development Corporation of Thetford, published a letter to Premier Pauline Marois calling on her Government to honor its pledge to assist former asbestos producing communities with the many challenges they face. The promised interministerial initiative to help the region diversify its economy, improve living conditions and develop a sustainable way of life has failed to produce any positive results and has, he said, been a focus for "anti-asbestos policies that exist within the Government of Quebec." See: Mine d'amiante chrysotile dans la région de Thetford - Demande d'interventions à la Première ...
Public Ministry Sues Brazilian Eternit
Aug 18, 2013
Brazil's Labor Public Ministry has filed a R$1 billion (€313 million) civil action against Eternit in the 9th Labor Court in São Paulo. This, the largest lawsuit for punitive damages ever filed by the Ministry, accuses the company of having been responsible for hazardous workplace exposures to asbestos which occurred at its asbestos-cement factory in Osasco. Over fifty years, hundreds of people were employed at this plant; many of them have contracted asbestos-related diseases, including fatal cancers. See: Eternit é processada em R$1 bilhão por contaminação com amianto [Eternit Brazil being sued for R$1 billion for asbestos contamination].
The Philanthropy of S. Schmidheiny
Aug 18, 2013
A 3,000+ word article on a Spanish language website examines the philanthropic activities of Stephan Schmidheiny (SS) in light of his criminal convictions. SS's donations have, the author alleges, been generated by commercial operations which cost a massive loss of life in Switzerland, Italy and wherever Eternit asbestos factories were run. Author Paco Puche highlights the public relations campaign to protect SS including the April 2013 launch of the "Stephan Schmidheiny Award for innovation for sustainability." See: Stephan Schmidheiny, magnate del amianto y fundador de AVINA, desmontado [Stephan Schmidheiny, asbestos magnate and founder of Avina, revealed].
Asbestos in Phone Booths
Aug 16, 2013
It was announced this week, that a thousand telephone booths in the Belgacom network are contaminated with asbestos. It has not been revealed which of the 3,834 units throughout Belgium are affected by the presence of asbestos in the floors of the booths. Belgacom has said that all the booths will be scrapped by 2015. In the meantime, the company says, there is no risk to the public or repairmen as there is no "asbestos dust escaping." See: De l'amiante dans le plancher d'un millier de cabines téléphoniques [Asbestos in the floor of a thousand telephone booths].
Asbestos, a Labor History
Aug 14, 2013
A book by Italian author Alberto Prunetti has been published entitled "Asbestos, a labor history," which reveals the depth of the occupational health disaster caused by the use of asbestos in Italy through the stories of individual workers. Renato Prunetti was one casualty. He was a man who "who breathed zinc, lead and a good part of the Mendeleev table of elements" during his employment as a welder. It was asbestos which caused his death. See: Amianto, dietro il dramma le vite spezzate degli operai [Asbestos, the drama behind the broken lives of the workers].
Medical Breakthrough in Mesothelioma?
Aug 14, 2013
Researchers at the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute in Sydney have announced plans for a clinical trial for an experimental therapy, TargomiRs, which they hope will be effective in treating the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. A significant inhibition of tumor growth has been seen using this approach in mice with human mesothelioma-derived tumors. A new drug delivery system has been developed to transport the drug to the tumor area. It is anticipated that clinical trials in human patients with mesothelioma could begin soon. This new treatment may even be effective in inhibiting the growth of other types of tumor. See: World Fist Clinical Trial of New Cancer Drug.
HSE Update on Asbestos Activities
Aug 13, 2013
In advance of a meeting of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Board on August 14, 2013, a paper was published detailing activities undertaken by the HSE on asbestos. Subjects covered included licensing and enforcement, communications, awareness raising, training and guidance, asbestos in schools, prohibitions on the use, importation and supply of asbestos, EU activity, current research and other issues. Considering the HSE's controversial advice relating to the asbestos scandal at Cwmcarn school, some might argue that the sanitized language in that section of the paper did not accurately reflect the complexity of the situation. See: Update on HSE Activities on Asbestos.
Remediating Asbestos Superfund Site
Aug 12, 2013
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has outlined its future strategy for resolving the asbestos pollution of Libby, Montana. Work is ongoing on a toxicology assessment, risk assessment and feasibility study, all of which are due for completion by the end of 2014. The reports will be peer-reviewed by federal agencies including the White House prior to the commencement of the final phase in the Libby clean-up. As of now, it is believed that 400 deaths have occurred in Libby caused by exposure to asbestos generated by W. R. Grace & Co.'s mining of vermiculite. See: Libby asbestos: EPA promises assessment of risk by late next year.
Storm Damage to Asbestos Roofing
Aug 11, 2013
In the wake of a ferocious storm in southwest France last week, warnings have been issued of the hazard posed by broken asbestos-cement roofing on old barns or houses in the Dordogne area. Representatives of a local asbestos victims' support group have warned members of the public to call in professional workmen to remove and dispose of the contaminated material. With only six members of staff, the one licensed asbestos removal company in the area is working to full capacity. See: Après les orages en Dordogne: attention à l'amiante des toits! [After the storms in Dordogne: emphasis on asbestos roofs!].
Asbestos death of railway worker
Aug 11, 2013
On August 6, 2013, the mesothelioma death occurred of a Spanish trade union member who had worked as a plumber for the International Sleeping Car Company (Compagnie Internationale des Wagon Lits). Although this was the first known death from asbestos amongst this workforce, it was the seventh recorded asbestos death in the region according to the CC.OO, a Spanish trade union. The union is calling for the establishment of an asbestos compensation fund in order to save dying asbestos victims from the second "hell" of fighting for the recognition of and compensation for their diseases. See: El amianto mata a un trabajador de Irún de Wagon Lits [Asbestos kills a Wagon Lits worker from Irun].
Asbestos Hazard in Helicopters?
Aug 10, 2013
Correspondence regarding the presence of asbestos in helicopters used by Italy's armed forces has been cited in an article in the Huffington Post as evidence of an ongoing hazard to service personnel. The helicopters involved - which have been categorized as flying boxes of asbestos - include several different models. As Italy banned the use of asbestos in 1992, this situation could be grounds for legal proceedings; prosecutors are investigating. Asbestos-containing parts used on board include: gaskets, ducts, pipes, brake pads, wheels rotors, friction material and seals. See: Elicotteri delle forze armate pieni di amianto [Armed forces helicopters full of asbestos].
Asbestos-related Lung Cancer Burden
Aug 8, 2013
A letter to the editor of the British Journal of Cancer was published online this Summer which critiqued a 2012 paper by Dr. Valerie McCormack et al. The U.S. authors of the letter assert that as the paper in question ignored various sources of data, the conclusions and recommendations it made were seriously undermined. The reply by Dr. McCormack and her co-authors is a defense of their methodology and conclusions. See: Comment on 'Estimating the asbestos-related lung cancer burden from mesothelioma mortality' - IARC and Chrysotile Risks and also Reply: Comment on 'Estimating the asbestos-related lung cancer burden from mesothelioma mortality'.
Asbestos Removal Program for Schools
Aug 7, 2013
A public inspection took place on Tuesday morning, August 6, 2013, to showcase ongoing work to remove asbestos-cement roofing from school buildings. The decontamination is part of a €2m project which will refurbish and modernize the educational infrastructure in Milan by the installation of products which are both safe and energy efficient. At the site being examined, the complete reconstruction of the school roof, measuring more than 2900 square meters, was in progress at a cost of €360,000; work is due to be finished on this school before the start of the new school year. See: Consegneremo alla città una struttura senza Amianto [We will deliver to the city a structure without asbestos].
Factory Classified as Asbestos Site
Aug 3, 2013
On Thursday (August 1), a top-level French advisory body, the "Counseil d'Etat," classified a factory in central France as an asbestos site. This designation was given to industrial premises belonging to the Aubert & Duval company for the period from 1917 to 1992. The failure to extend this until 2005 has been criticised by asbestos victims' groups and trade unionists who suggested that the decision not to do so was taken on economic grounds. According to a spokeswoman for the Asbestos Victims: "Aubert & Duval holds the French record for the number of asbestos victims." See: Une usine Aubert & Duval partiellement classée en site amiante [Aubert & Duval factory partially classified as asbestos site].
Increased Government Funding
Jul 31, 2013
Minister Bill Shorten today announced an extra $6.4 million in government funding for the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency which began work on July 1, 2013. The Agency's remit is the implementation of the National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Awareness and Management which aims to forestall hazardous exposures in order to reduce asbestos-related deaths in Australia. Shorten, who has continuously highlighted "the persistent [asbestos] threat to Australians," has said that "the Government views the identification and safe removal of asbestos as an absolute priority." See: Media Release, Ministry of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
Government Committee Whitewash
Jul 30, 2013
On July 29, a Committee of the Public Health Ministry said that it could find no evidence about the risk of asbestos use to Thai citizens. The study undertaken under the leadership of Dr. Charnwit Tharathep has been soundly ridiculed in the pages of the Bangkok Post by all the posts which have been uploaded. One critic wrote: "K. Chanwit. Could you publish your research methodology. Thailand is the only country that I know who could not link asbestos to cancer. Back in the USA, asbestos producing cos have gone out of business. There have been lots of compensation paid to the inflicted." See: Asbestos variant safe, govt claims.
Earthquake Reconstruction
Jul 30, 2013
A deal with a Chinese construction conglomerate to rebuild earthquake damaged areas in Christchurch has been flagged up as problematic by New Zealander Deidre vanGerven, who lost her husband, father and sister to asbestos disease. In a letter to the authorities in Christchurch and Auckland, vanGerven pointed out that China is the world's biggest asbestos user and second biggest producer. As there is no asbestos ban in New Zealand, a country where the import of asbestos products remains legal, and as the contract includes sourcing cheaper products in China there are, she says, serious grounds for concern. See: An Open Letter to Christchurch and New Zealand Authorities.
Asbestos: Imminent and Persistent Hazard
Jul 29, 2013
It should come as no surprise to any responsible person that asbestos could be found in UK buildings or homes. Unfortunately, some people continue to carry out their professional duties with little regard for this known hazard. Today an article was published which documented one such case in north Cumbria where the social landlord Riverside admitted that many of its 6,000 homes may contain asbestos. According to a Riverside spokeswoman: "Asbestos was used extensively as a building material in Great Britain from the 1930s… This could mean approximately 50 per cent of our stock has some asbestos." See: Asbestos fears for thousands of Carlisle homes.
Raising Funds for Research
Jul 29, 2013
On July 26, 2013, a cheque for $50,000 was presented to Australian mesothelioma researcher Prof. Anna Nowak by the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA). The funds were raised by the ADSA's 2013 Walk for Research and Awareness. In a photograph taken at the handover are (from left) mesothelioma widows Jan Truman and Sharon Butler, Dr. Cleo Robinson, Roxanne Otadoy and Tracy Hayward from the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, Dr. Scott Fisher, Rose Marie Vojakovic and Prof. Anna Nowak. At the ceremony, ADSA'S President Robert Vojakovic thanked the walkers and donors but highlighted the urgent need for more research. See: Media Release.
National Mobilization on Asbestos
Jul 28, 2013
A two-day meeting in Vientiane, Lao entitled "Towards a National Strategy on Asbestos in the Lao P.D.R." provided the opportunity for Lao citizens and experts from Japan, Thailand and Australia, to engage in a frank discussion about the hazards posed by the continued use of asbestos (See: photo of four delegates) The event was reported by The Vientiane Times, an English language daily newspaper published by Lao Press, an agency of the Ministry of Information and Culture. According to the newspaper, the objective of the discussions which took place was to initiate action that would "protect the health of factory workers and consumers in [Lao] society." See: Laos working towards national strategy on asbestos.
Prison Sentence for Asbestos Directors
Jul 28, 2013
The Voghera Court, in the Lombardy region of Italy, has issued a first instance ruling in a case brought by hundreds of asbestos victims against Fibronit, an asbestos-cement company which collaborated with Italy's asbestos giant Eternit. After more than a year of court proceedings, the verdict has been warmly received by asbestos victims and their representatives. A total exceeding a million euros has been awarded by the Court to 132 individuals and eleven public bodies and associations. Two former Fibronit directors have been sentenced to four years in prison for manslaughter and negligent environmental disaster. See: Fibronit, un milione alle vittime dell'amianto.
IJOEH Asbestos Papers
Jul 27, 2013
The contents of the September 2013 issue of the International Journal Occupational and Environmental Health (IJOEH) include three texts on asbestos-related subjects. These are: UN Scientific Agency collaborating with scientists involved in sabotaging UN Rotterdam Convention; Use of asbestos building materials in Malaysia: legislative measures, the management, and recommendations for a ban on use; and A Commentary on 'Evaluation of take home (para-occupational) exposure to asbestos and disease: a review of the literature,' Donovan et al. The first of these articles can be downloaded free of charge. See: IJOEH Table of Contents 2013, Vol. 19 No. 3.
Draft Asbestos Bill
Jul 26, 2013
On July 25, 2013, the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament discussed proposed legislation entitled: "Rules to protect workers, citizens and the environment from asbestos." The text, which had been amended during its passage through the Senate, focuses on three key areas: land remediation, healthcare and the national asbestos victims' fund. During their debate, the politicians recognized the crucial role played by asbestos victims' groups, trade unions and other partners in highlighting the country's tragic asbestos legacy. See: Presentazione a Roma del Ddl sull'amianto [Presentation of draft asbestos bill in Rome].
Long Walk for Research
Jul 25, 2013
Earlier this month, President of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) Robert Vojakovic announced that efforts of the intrepid volunteers who walked from Dunsborough, on the southwest coast of Western Australia, to the state capital of Perth in May 2013 raised $50,000 for research into the diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma. Funds from the ADSA golfing day, scheduled for September 2013, will be added to this total. It is hoped that the funding generated by the 2013 activities will top the $100,000 collected in 2012. See: Asbestos Disease Society of Australia Facebook Page and also Also: Ready, Steady, Go.
Mexican Asbestos Scandal Exposed
Jul 24, 2013
As pictures of the dumping of asbestos waste in Mexico were published, details emerged of an ongoing occupational and public health scandal. Over the last fifty years, more than 500,000 tons of asbestos were imported to Mexico; as a consequence of hazardous exposure, the government admits that 2,154 Mexicans have died. The reported mortality is known to constitute but a small percentage of the actual number of asbestos deaths. Mexican authorities, including government officials, refuse to acknowledge the danger posed by asbestos and have consistently taken no action to protect citizens. See: Mexican Government Fails to Protect its Workers from Asbestos Harm.
Asbestos Trial of Pirelli Directors
Jul 22, 2013
At a preliminary hearing on July 22, Milan Judge Luigi Varanelli indicted eleven former company directors for their alleged role in the asbestos-related deaths of nineteen Pirelli factory employees. This is the second such action in this jurisdiction; hearings in another lawsuit relating to twenty-four asbestos cancer deaths will resume on September 24. A further action is expected to begin on September 30 on behalf of five more asbestos claimants, two of whom have died. See: Amianto, omicidio colposo su operai: the trial of 11 former a processo 11 ex manager Pirelli [Asbestos, manslaughter of workers: the trial of 11 former Pirelli Directors].
Attack by Asbestos Defendant Begins
Jul 22, 2013
Bankruptcy hearings of U.S. asbestos defendant Garlock Sealing Technologies begin today in North Carolina federal court. In 2010, Garlock sought protection under Chapter 11 from asbestos claims it estimated to be $125m; representatives of claimants believe this figure grossly underestimates the situation saying that total liabilities could be around $1.3bn. The company's problems relate to its production of asbestos gaskets and packing material. The controversial Garlock defense strategy is partially based on allegations of misdeeds by claimants and administrators of other asbestos bankruptcy trusts. See: To Fight Asbestos Cases, Garlock Uses Other Claims as Defense.
Mesothelioma Voyage
Jul 19, 2013
Japanese mesothelioma patient Mituse Yamashita set sail on July 18th from the Japanese port of Yokohama on an 85-day voyage which will take her around the world [see: photo (2012) with Mituse on the left]. The three-month journey will take her to 19 countries including Vietnam, Egypt, Greece, Jamaica and Mexico. Mrs. Yamashita was diagnosed with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma 9 years ago and her enthusiasm for this challenge has inspired all her colleagues in the Ban Asbestos Japan network. She is sailing on the 80th Peace Boat, a Japanese institution dedicated to the promotion of world peace, human rights and respect for the environment. See: Peace Boat website.
Mesothelioma Bill: Lords Vote Defeated
Jul 18, 2013
By just seven votes, a proposal made by Lord Alton for a levy on the insurance industry to fund medical research into the asbestos cancer mesothelioma was defeated on July 17. This vote took place during a protracted and heated debate in the House of Lords on the Mesothelioma Bill. It is relevant to note that mention was made during the session of the work of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum, the umbrella group representing UK asbestos victims. The Bill will now go to the House of Commons when MPs return from the Summer recess. See: House of Lords debate, July 17, 2013 (report) or watch recording of the debate.
Public Health Threat Posed by Asbestos
Jul 15, 2013
An editorial in the July 15th issue of The News International, Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, has commented on the environmental study published last week which highlighted the health risks posed by the operations of the asbestos-cement producer Dadex Eternit Ltd. Calling this a "health problem of almost unimaginable proportions," it asks "who will be held responsible or accountable" for the "wholly preventable" epidemic of asbestos-related disease and death which is to come. Mentioned in the text are threats made by vested interests to researchers; their work was temporarily suspended due to safety fears. See: Editorial: Asbestos and Cancer.
Gerit Schepers' Final Journey
Jul 15, 2013
Honoring the last wishes of Dr. Gerit Schepers, Mimi Logothetis and Kori Mosley arrived in South Africa on July 9, bringing their grandfather home; his final wish was to be buried in his homeland. Dr. Schepers was a towering figure in the discovery of the human health hazard posed by exposure to asbestos. He was a man of independent thought, a fearless researcher and a thorn in the side of asbestos vested interests in South Africa, the US and around the world. His 1949 report confirming cases of asbestosis amongst South African miners was a landmark publication. See: Fearless researcher finally comes home and also The Passing of a Great Man.
Russian Asbestos Dumped in Mexico
Jul 15, 2013
A front page newspaper report this weekend disclosed the dumping of 800 tons of Russian asbestos in the port town of Veracruz on the Mexican Gulf. The Mexalit Company, a manufacturer of construction material, had imported this shipment of chrysotile asbestos and stored it off-site in Veracruz since 2012. The storage facility, which was owned by a transport company, alleges that payment for this service was not received as a result of which the shipment was dumped on the Veracruz-Xalapa highway in a populated area. No attempts have been made to protect the public from hazardous exposures. See: Health risk alert due to 800 tons of asbestos dumped in Mexico.
Asbestos threatens millions in Karachi
Jul 12, 2013
An environmental study commissioned by the Pakistan Supreme Court is now under consideration. The research documents hazardous asbestos exposures inside Karachi asbestos factories and in adjacent areas as well as in properties built on former asbestos dump sites such as new units at Naya Nazimabad. The threat to public health was brought to light by Syed Haroon, the brother of Syed Farid Ahmed; Haroon blamed his brother's death from cancer in 2006 on asbestos exposures experienced at the Dadex Eternit Ltd. factory, a plant where chrysotile asbestos was used to manufacture building materials. See: Two million Karachiites face cancer threat.
Plans to Reopen Asbestos Mine
Jul 12, 2013
Permission has been granted for mining of asbestos to recommence in a mountain town, three hours from Medelin. Local people support the plan due to the need for employment; prior to the bankruptcy of the mine's owners, the mine had provided jobs for 200 people. In 2012, a new company (Bricolsa) purchased the mine; it obtained permission to mine 1,500 tonnes of asbestos a month from 5,500 hectares. At a medical conference in Medellin last April, a Colombian expert highlighted the global consensus regarding the health risk posed by asbestos exposures. See: La polémica mina que revivió en Antioquia.
Bilateral Action on Asbestos
Jul 12, 2013
Korean and Japanese campaigners on asbestos issues and victims' rights will join medical experts, occupational health researchers, environmentalists and trade unionists at a full day asbestos symposium being held on Sunday, July 14, 2013 at Seoul National University. Subjects which will be considered during the day include strategies for identifying asbestos victims, criteria for the recognition of asbestos-related diseases, the high incidence of asbestos-related disease amongst construction workers and ongoing initiatives in Korea and Japan to tackle a wide range of challenges posed by hazardous exposures to asbestos. See: Poster advertising Asbestos Symposium.
Ban Asbestos Mobilization
Jul 11, 2013
INA BAN, the Indonesian Ban Asbestos Network, continues to mobilize asbestos awareness amongst members of the public, workers, the medical profession and civil servants. A recent infographic it has produced has proved a useful and popular resource for the campaign. To view these images click on: Bahasa infographic and English infographic. In 2011 and 2012, Indonesia used 124,049 and 161,824 tonnes of asbestos, respectively (an annual increase of 30%), making it one of Asia's biggest consumers of asbestos. See also: Indonesia Mobilization on Asbestos
Hundreds Died at Italian Asbestos Mine
Jul 11, 2013
Epidemiological research commissioned by Italian Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello into mortality at the Balangero chrysotile asbestos mine has found that of 1,600 former workers, 226 have died from asbestos-related diseases - 11 died from the asbestos cancer: mesothelioma. For decades, Europe's largest asbestos mine was linked to the Eternit asbestos group, an industrial conglomerate named as a defendant in the landmark lawsuit mounted by Prosecutor Guariniello in Turin. The mine closed in 1990. It is understood that legal action may be taken related to the mesothelioma deaths. See: Amianto a Balangero si indaga su 226 morti.
Asbestos Company Offensive
Jul 11, 2013
A decision issued by the Bihar State Pollution Control Board which blocked the building of an asbestos-cement production facility in the town of Vaishali has today been challenged by Utkal Asbestos Ltd. at hearings before the Patna High Court. Vaishali citizens have protested the siting of this factory in their town due to the occupational and public health hazard posed by the processing of asbestos fiber, a substance banned in 50+ countries. See: Killer asbestos company challenges Pollution Control Board's cancellation of its hazardous plants, questions 'battery limit'.
Bangkok Asbestos Protest
Jul 10, 2013
On July 8, 2013, 120 members of the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (TBAN) demonstrated outside the Prime Minister's office in Bangkok about government proposals to delay the ban on the use of asbestos-cement products for five years. TBAN is pressing for government action to prohibit the import of chrysotile asbestos by the end of this year, to stop asbestos-cement production in 2014 and to ban all imports of asbestos-cement material in 2015. Professor Surasak informed the demonstrators that a case of mesothelioma has been diagnosed at Thailand's Thmmasart Hospital. See: Picture of TBAN July 8 protest.
Academic papers call for asbestos ban
Jul 8, 2013
The current issue of the journal Safety and Health at Work includes papers which highlight the escalation of asbestos use and mining in Asia and call for the phasing out of asbestos use. The papers Awareness of Asbestos and Action Plans for Its Exposure can Help Lives Exposed to Asbestos and Asbestos and Asbestos-related Diseases in Vietnam: In reference to the International Labor Organization/World Health Organization National Asbestos Profile agree that the future holds no place for the asbestos industry. See: Safety and Health at Work, June 2013, Vol. 4, No. 2
Appeal Court Win for Asbestos Victims
Jul 8, 2013
On June 27, 2013, the Tokyo High Court upheld a decision by the Tokyo District Court which had found that a 61 year-old lung cancer victim exposed to asbestos at work had a legitimate work-related injury; the government's criteria which barred such a claim were, the Court said, "unreasonable." The claimant had worked as an engineer at a steelmaking plant from 1973-1984. Officials refused to recognize his claim on the basis of a "low" lung fiber burden. It is thought this ruling will benefit four other claimants with similar lawsuits in Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe. See: High court rules criteria for recognizing lung cancer caused by asbestos unreasonable.
Bigger Asbestos Bill for James Hardie
Jun 30, 2013
Australia's "asbestos giant," James Hardie (JH) is looking at an increase of more than $115 million in its asbestos liabilities according to figures contained in the company's 2013 financial report. JH's asbestos liabilities are now estimated at $1.7 billion, up from $1.58 billion a year ago. A statement in the annual report about this increase said: ''During fiscal year 2013, mesothelioma claims reporting activity has been above actuarial expectations for the first time since fiscal year 2009.'' The number of claims, an increasing number of which were for mesothelioma, and the average size of the claims have risen over the last year. See: Hardie slugged with more asbestos claims.
An Asbestos Victim's Battle
Jun 30, 2013
A French language book, entitled My War Against Asbestos, was launched on June 29 in Brussels by Belgian author Eric Jonckheere. Both of Eric's parents and two of his brothers died from cancer caused by exposure to asbestos liberated by the operations of the Eternit factory in Kapelle-op-den-Bos. In a tale which pits David against Goliath, Eric and his family mounted the first lawsuit against Eternit in Belgium for the asbestos death of his mother. This book recounts the obstacles they encountered and the steps taken in their fight for justice. See: Ma Guerre Contre l'Amiante (My War Against Asbestos).
Sale of Contaminated Rolling Stock?
Jun 28, 2013
According to reports received, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will consult early next month on proposals to give the Office of Rail Regulation the power to, contrary to European Regulation, allow UK parties to sell asbestos-contaminated articles, including rolling stock. It is unclear how wide an exemption is being sought but it may also include other similarly polluted items from the railway industry. The use and sale of asbestos in the European Community was banned as of June 1, 2005 by Commission Directive 1999/77/EC.
Ship Recycling Exemption Criticized
Jun 27, 2013
Civil society campaigners have criticized today's approval by the European Council of a new EU regulation on ship recycling, which will allow the continued externalization by European shipping interests of the environmental and human health costs created by shipbreaking on the beaches of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The regulation approved today by European lawmakers exempts ships from the European Waste Shipment Regulation, which aims at protecting developing countries from the dumping of hazardous wastes and incorporates the Basel Convention and its Ban Amendment. See: Press Release - NGOs Do Not Support Newly Approved EU Ship Recycling Regulation.
Deadly Global Impact of ARDs
Jun 26, 2013
An analysis by nine Asian researchers of World Health Organization mesothelioma and asbestosis mortality data from around the world over the period from 1994 to 2010 confirmed the tragic impact these diseases have had. The scientists calculated that during this period, more than 2.3 million years of life have been lost; on average, mesothelioma and asbestosis sufferers have been deprived of 17 and 13 years of life respectively. The authors conclude that: "The future burden of ARDs can be eliminated by stopping the use of asbestos." See: Potential years of life lost (PYLL) caused by asbestos-related diseases in the world.
Foreign Victims Bring US Lawsuit
Jun 25, 2013
On July 17, 2013, a hearing will take place in a case brought by asbestos victims from Argentina against the American-based DuPont company for compensation for injuries sustained as a result of workplace exposures that took place in a DuPont factory in the town of Mercedes, Argentina. The President of the Argentina Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, lawyer Dr. Mariano Acevedo, will attend this hearing. Dr. Acevedo is "convinced that US justice should intervene in these cases to bring solutions to the people who have suffered." See: Press Release: Asociación Argentina de Expuestos al Amianto.
Asbestos Debate in Sri Lanka
Jun 25, 2013
The Consumer Affairs Authority in Sri Lanka, a country which over recent years annually used around 55,000 tonnes of asbestos, is considering recommending the use of asbestos-free products to protect the population from hazardous exposures. The Central Environmental Authority admits that workplace monitoring at asbestos processing facilities is inadequate and public as well as occupational awareness of the asbestos hazard remains low. National vested interests are working with international asbestos lobbyists to promote the continuing use of asbestos in Sri Lanka. See: Asbestos an untamed and silent killer thriving on ignorance.
Death of Schmidheiny's Cousin
Jun 24, 2013
The Schmidheiny family's asbestos heritage has claimed the life of Anton Schrafl, an 81 year-old cousin of Stephan Schmidheiny, convicted for his role in the asbestos deaths of thousands of Italians by a Turin court and appeal court in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Schrafl, who trained as a mechanical engineer, worked with asbestos in South Africa during the 1960s; he died last week of mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. See: Familie Schmidheiny leidet an den asbestfolgen [Schmidheiny family suffers the consequences of asbestos]
British Asbestos News
Jun 24, 2013
The spring issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The feature article in Issue 90, entitled Mesothelioma: The British Disease, estimates that by the end of 2013 more than 60,000 Britons will have died from asbestos-related diseases in the 21st century. Other articles in this issue look at the report by the Committee on Carcinogenicity on the relative vulnerability of children to asbestos exposure and the work of the Queen's Bench Asbestos List. The news round-up includes details related to developments, publications and upcoming UK events. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 90.
Historic Bill Enacted
Jun 21, 2013
On June 20, 2013, the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency Bill was passed by the Australian Parliament. The new Agency will start work on implementing the National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Awareness and Management on July 1. This news was announced in a press release issued by MP Bill Shorten, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations who highlighted Australia's massive use of asbestos: "1 in 3 homes built in Australia between the end of the Second World War and 1987 contain asbestos." The birth of this Agency is, said Shorten, the culmination of three years' work by the Labor Government. See: Media release: Minister Bill Shorten MP.
Asbestos in Schools Scandal
Jun 20, 2013
A high level of concern has resulted from the publication earlier this week of research findings by labor groups in the Philippines. The Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) revealed that asbestos-containing products were being used by high school students conducting experiments in school laboratories despite the fact that the use of such material had been banned by the Department of Education. Visits to eight schools in the metropolitan area of Manila confirmed that asbestos-wire gauzes were being handled by students. The hazardous products are being purchased from laboratory supply stores in Manila. See: ALU - TUCP press releases.
The Long and Winding Road
Jun 20, 2013
On June 19, the launch took place in Brussels of a sourcebook entitled: The long and winding road to an asbestos-free workplace. The 160-page text contains contributions from ten leading experts. The chapters and interviews in the book reveal how pressure from a range of civil society actors increased occupational safeguards for European citizens. An analysis of the legislative changes required to reach this situation is informative. Chapters dealing with national situations reveal the continuing disparity amongst EU member states regarding protection from asbestos. See picture: Seven of the authors attend the book launch and The long and winding road to an asbestos-free workplace.
New York Times Editorial
June 20, 2013
The headline of an editorial in one of America's foremost newspapers said it all: "One-Sided Bill on Asbestos Injuries." The text was highly critical of a bill which had been "rammed" through a Congressional Committee to make it harder for asbestos claimants to get fair compensation. The Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2013 is, needless to say, being progressed by Republicans. While the burden it would place on the claimants is substantial, that put on asbestos companies is minimal. The editorial calls on Congress to undertake "an objective study of whether there is even a problem that needs fixing." See: One-Sided Bill on Asbestos Injuries.
Launch of Asbestos Book
Jun 17, 2013
At a meeting in Brussels on June 18, Jan Cremers and Rolf Gehring will launch The long and winding road to an asbestos free workplace, a 160-page text that examines the EU's transition from asbestos-consuming to non-asbestos using. Contributions from noted authors reflect on the residual problems Europe is facing due to massive asbestos contamination of its infrastructure and the mounting death toll amongst its population. Contributing author Laurie Kazan-Allen says: "Even after asbestos is banned, a coordinated and prolonged program is required to eradicate hazardous exposures and support the injured." See: The long and winding road to an asbestos free workplace.
Federal Funding for Asbestos Region
Jun 17, 2013
Last week, Canadian Minister Denis Lebel visited Thetford Mines, a former asbestos mining town, to discuss details relating to the release of government subsidies for the economic diversification of the region. The sum of $50m will be provided over seven years to help the community create new jobs and businesses to compensate for the loss of income and profits generated by the now defunct asbestos industry. Christian Paradis, a former asbestos cheerleader, was present at the press conference; Paradis encouraged SMEs and others to "seize the opportunity" and submit project proposals to the Canada Economic Development Agency. See: 50 M$ enfin débloqués! [$50 million unblocked!].
Initiative to End Toxic Shipbreaking
Jun 13, 2013
A website that went live today is the result of years of work by the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking, a broad-based coalition of civil society groups, which aims to improve global shipbreaking practices. The online database - Off the Beach - records the names of 2,600 ships sent for breaking on the beaches of South Asia since 2009 as well as the names of 1,000+ shipping companies that sent toxic ships, most of which contained asbestos, to India, Bangladesh and Pakistan for dismantling at workplaces where labor rights violations and serious environmental contamination are routine. See: Off the Beach website.
IBAS Bursary Success
Jun 12, 2013
Dr. Abhijeet Jadhav, the recipient of a 2012 IBAS bursary, successfully completed his training for an ILO 2000 International Certification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses. Dr. Jadhav is the author of a paper published in May 2013 entitled: Asbestosis: Past voices from the Mumbai Factory Floor which highlighted the terrible price being paid for India's rapid industrial development by workers, many of whom are suffering from asbestos-related conditions. Concluding the paper, he calls for an asbestos ban and a rehabilitation and palliative care program for the asbestos-injured. See: Asbestosis: Past voices from the Mumbai factory Floor.
Curitiba Conference Asbestos Agenda
Jun 11, 2013
On June 11 and 12, asbestos sessions at a conference in Curitiba will provide the opportunity for an in-depth examination of the relevance to Brazilians of the landmark appeal court judgment in the Italian case against Eternit asbestos defendants Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne. Italian prosecutors Sara Panelli and Gianfranco Colace and activists Bruno Pesce and Nicola Pondrano will update delegates on the June 3, 2013 Italian verdict and other developments in Turin. Brazilian asbestos experts who will be addressing the meeting include Fernanda Giannasi, Eliezer João de Souza and Urbitan de Paula Santos.
Class Action against Spanish Eternit
Jun 9, 2013
On June 10, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. legal proceedings will begin in Seville against a former Eternit subsidiary, Uralita, which is being sued by asbestos victims for over €2 million of compensation. This is the first time collective action has been taken despite the large number of those injured over the six decades during which the company produced asbestos-cement material in the Bellavista section of the city. To mark the significance of this event, asbestos victims and groups from Spain and abroad will engage in a demonstration in front of the court building in Buhaira Avenue. See: Press Release: First Collective Asbestos Trial against Uralita.
Eternit Appeal Verdict
Jun 8, 2013
A video recording of Appeal Court Judges reading a June 3, 2013 decision in a landmark Italian asbestos case has been translated into English and uploaded to YouTube. The Turin Court increased the prison sentence handed down in 2012 from 16 to 18 years for defendant Stephan Schmidheiny and ordered that as he and the other defendant were jointly and severally liable and as the other defendant died in May, that Schmidheiny pay all the costs. Damages for environmental pollution in localities excluded from the first instance judgment were raised as was compensation to some organizations and municipalities. See: Video of Eternit appeal verdict June 3, 2013.
Call for Review of Asbestos "Research"
Jun 7, 2013
On June 6, 2013, a New York Appeal Court upheld a decision which ordered an "in camera" (private) review of documentation between asbestos defendant Georgia Pacific (GP) and its in-house counsel Stewart Holm related to litigation-driven "research" intended to cast doubt on the health risk of exposures to chrysotile asbestos. GP's argument that this correspondence was covered by attorney-client privilege was dismissed by the panel of judges. See: Scientific articles, intended to cast doubt on harm caused by chrysotile asbestos, were potentially part of a crime–fraud and NYC Supreme Court, Appellate Division ruling.
Eternit, Brazil says "It was not us."
Jun 6, 2013
After the landmark verdict by an Italian appeal court on June 3, Brazil's Eternit S.A. issued a news release to "make clear that it has no relationship with Eternit companies in other countries, including Italy." The company also asserted categorically that "there have been no cases of any diseases related to the use of chrysotile asbestos recorded among employees joining the Group from the 80s." There is no mention of the fact that five Brazilian states have banned the use of asbestos or that the Supreme Court is currently considering whether the use of asbestos in Brazil is constitutional. See: Eternit clarifies the asbestos issue.
Safety and Eradication Agency
Jun 4, 2013
On June 3, 2013, the Australian Federal Parliament passed legislation required to formalize the setting up of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency on July 1, 2013. The remit of the Agency is to "administer the National Strategic Plan which aims to prevent exposure to asbestos fibres in order to eliminate asbestos-related diseases in Australia." Ongoing revelations regarding asbestos contamination generated by work to roll out Australia's $37.4 billion national broadband network underscores the importance of coordinated and nation action on the asbestos hazard. See: Asbestos Safety and Eradication Bill.
Appeal to Supreme Court
Jun 4, 2013
Reacting to yesterday's decision by the Appeal Court in Turin which confirmed a 2012 guilty verdict and increased by two years the prison sentence for Stephan Schmidheiny, his lawyer Astolfo Di Amato said he was outraged by this decision and confirmed his client's intention to appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court. Welcoming the decision, Public Prosecutor R. Guariniello called it a "hymn to life"; asbestos victims claimed it as a victory for all those who have been injured by asbestos. See: Eternit, condanna di 18 anni per l'imprenditore Schmidheiny [Eternit sentence of 18 years for the entrepreneur Schmidheiny].
The Great Asbestos Appeal
Jun 3, 2013
The proceedings in the Turin Court began just after 9 a.m. Expert witness Pietro Clerici was asked by the Court to authenticate the death certificate of one of the defendants, Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne. When this had been done, lawyers for the deceased and for Etex, the company of which he had been a director, asked for the cases against their clients to be struck off. Public Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello agreed that the crimes against de Cartier no longer stood. The Court adjourned until 3 p.m. for the verdict against Stephan Schmidheiny to be read.
Award for Asbestos Researcher
Jun 3, 2013
Professor Bruce Robinson was named West Australian of the Year, the State's top honor, at a ceremony in Perth on June 1. He was cited not only for his personal contribution to research into the treatment of people suffering from asbestos-related diseases but for the leadership role he has played in collaborative efforts to tackle the Australian asbestos epidemic. Bruce is a founding member and active participant in the International Mesothelioma Interest Group, the most proactive and global attempt to find a cure for the deadly asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. See: Asbestos researcher named West Australian of the Year and the NCARD Special Newsletter devoted to Bruce's award.
Italian Victims Ask Pope's Blessing
May 29, 2013
On May 30, at a public ceremony in the town of Casale Monferrato, a message from Pope Francis will be read out which responds to a request from Italians harmed by exposure to asbestos. In a letter to the Pope the victims condemned the criminal activities of the asbestos multinational Eternit and highlighted the global nature of the asbestos scandal. Around the world, they said, poor people are continually being exposed to deadly asbestos so that maximum profits can be achieved by industry. The victims' letter to Pope Francis ended with the words: "This slaughter must stop." See: Amianto, le parole di Papa Francesco [Asbestos, the words of Pope Francis], Il Monferrato, May 28, 2013.
Asbestos Death: Port Authority Guilty
May 29, 2013
Having concluded that Giancarlo Vianello died of mesothelioma caused by negligent exposure to asbestos which occurred whilst he was employed at the Port Authority in Venice, the Court of Venice ruled that his wife and four children were entitled to a payment of €670,000 ($863,480). Vianello routinely unloaded shipments of asbestos from 1960 to 1988. Evidence has shown that at least until 1979, asbestos arrived in Venice in jute bags which often broke during the transhipment process. See: Morto di amianto, condannata l'Autorità portuale: 670 mila euro alla famiglia [Port Authority Guilty of Asbestos Death: 670,000 euros to family].
Uralita Found Guilty of Negligence
May 28, 2013
More than two years after his mesothelioma death, the family of an asbestos worker from the Uralita factory has been awarded a 50% increase in monthly pension payments by a Court which found that his employer of 18 years had failed to enforce mandatory measures to minimize hazardous workplace exposures to asbestos. The Judge recognized a direct link between the tasks carried out by the defendant, which included unloading trucks delivering asbestos fiber to the factory from 1974 to 1992, and his disease. See: La autopsia confirma la muerte por amianto de un operario de Uralita [Autopsy confirms death by asbestos of a Uralita operative].
Contamination at Piedmont School
May 26, 2013
Warning signs, dated May 24, were erected in the hallways and lobby of a Piedmont school advising of the presence of asbestos in floor tiles. Children at the Silvio Canevari elementary school in Via Carlo Cattaneo were asked by the Principal not to damage the floor due to the hazard created by the liberation of asbestos fibers. A few days after these signs were posted, citizens were due to cast their votes in an election on the school's premises. They will see the signs on their way to the ballot box; will this, the reporter asked, affect their choices? See: Pericolo amianto all'elementare Canevari [Asbestos danger to Canevari elementary school].
Goa to Replace Asbestos-cement Pipes
May 25, 2013
By 2015, a massive new infrastructure project to provide water to residents in the capital city of the Indian state of Goa, Panaji, will replace 90 km of asbestos-cement water pipes with high density polyethylene pipes according to a report in The Times of India. The current pipeline network is more than 40 years old and is often subject to breakdowns, contamination and under capacity. This decision has been taken despite aggressive ongoing lobbying by the Indian asbestos-cement industry It is expected that work will begin in Panaji shortly after a choice of contractor has been made. See: 24x7 water for Panaji by 2015.
Legislative Moves will Impact on Victims
May 24, 2013
A media statement by the American Association for Justice has highlighted the negative impact that the so-called "Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2013" (FACT) would have on the dispensation of compensation to asbestos claimants. The proposed legislation, backed by asbestos defendants, would impose new requirements on private asbestos bankruptcy trusts which would inevitably slow down the processing and payment of claims. Under the new FACT regime, the trusts would also be forced to divulge extensive information about asbestos victims. See: AAJ: Controversial Asbestos Bill Offensive, Unnecessary and Must be Stopped.
Raising funds for Asbestos Research
May 22, 2013
Setting off on May 13, dozens of supporters of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) walked hundreds of kilometres through country towns and bush in Western Australia to raise awareness of a silent killer. "Would you invite a killer into your homes," was the question they asked at meetings in small communities along their route. Their arrival in Perth was marked with music and applause by local politicians and family members who joined them for the final steps of the 2013 ADSA walk. Once sore feet have healed, work will begin on planning the 2014 walk! See: Raising Awareness of a Silent Killer.
Publication of Articles on Asbestos
May 22, 2013
The current issue of The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health features three papers relating to the asbestos hazard which focus on the diverse approaches taken by national governments to asbestos. One of the publications - Why some, but not all, countries have banned asbestos - is authored by Korean researchers as is a commentary; another commentary on this subject is by Dr. Arthur Frank who criticizes the lack of political will which allows the dangerous trade in asbestos to persist in developed as well as developing countries. See: The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health 2013 Vol. 19, No. 2.
Death of Asbestos Defendant
May 21, 2013
It has been reported today that Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, one of two former asbestos executives found guilty by a Turin court for the asbestos deaths of thousands of Italians, has died. Stephan Schmidheiny (Swiss) and Cartier de Marchienne (Belgian) were convicted of causing wilful permanent environmental disaster and failing to comply with safety rules in the 2012 landmark ruling. As a result of this development, claimants can no longer bring legal action against the Belgian or the company (Etex) he represented. An appeal court verdict, which was expected on June 3, 2013, may be delayed by a few days. See: Eternit and the Great Asbestos Trial: Appeal Proceedings.
Asbestos Giant Liable for Cleanup Costs
May 20, 2013
In April 2013, Israel's Supreme Court turned down an appeal by Eitanit Construction Products over its liability to pay 50% of the bill for asbestos decontamination work being carried out by the Environmental Protection Ministry in Northern Israel. The company had claimed that it was not the actual polluter and that Israeli law had violated its property rights and its right to equal treatment before the law by retroactively imposing a legal obligation on the company without proof of guilt and exempting other parties. The polluter pays principle was upheld. See: High Court upholds Israeli law placing onus of asbestos clean-up on company.
Tenth Anniversary of Relief Trust
May 17, 2013
In July, 2003, the Asbestos Relief Trust (ART) began distributing compensation for people suffering from asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). The Trust was established following an out-of-court settlement with former asbestos mining companies. The total compensation for 3,639 claimants who have suffered from occupational or environmental exposure exceeds US$26.6m. Tina da Cruz, who manages the ART, has said that the 10th anniversary will be marked by lectures and discussion groups in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Kuruman, the asbestos hotspots where most ART claimants live. See: Asbestos Relief Trust pays out R250m to 3 600 claimants in ten years.
Case against Former Minister Dismissed
May 17, 2013
A Paris Court today dismissed a case brought last year against Ministerial official Martine Aubrey for her failure to protect workers against the asbestos hazard in the 1980s. The "involuntary homicide and injuries" charges lodged against the former leader of the Socialist Party and a future contender for the office of Prime Minister were today dropped by a ruling of the Court of Appeal. Aubry told journalists: "The courts have recognized today that there can be no fault nor negligence attributed to me in the asbestos affair." See: Martine Aubry cleared of asbestos manslaughter charges.
Death at Asbestos Factory
May 13, 2013
Ban asbestos activist Gopal Krishna has reported the death of a 35-year-old employee at the Utkal Asbestos Limited factory in the Bhojpur District of Bihar State. Dharmendra Kumar Rawani died as a result of a workplace accident in the early hours of May 10. After a demonstration by the All India Central Council of Trade Unions, the factory was closed; calls are being made for a permanent shutdown of the facility. Elsewhere in Bihar, activists continue efforts to block construction of new asbestos factories by Utkal Asbestos and Ramco Industries, two of India's largest manufacturers of asbestos-cement building products.
Challenge to Ottawa over Asbestos Funds
May 13, 2013
Federal aid of $50 million promised for the economic diversification of Quebec's former asbestos-producing communities has not materialized. MP Jean Rousseau has openly challenged Minister Christian Paradis, who also represents a former asbestos mining constituency, over the delay, stating that benefits for the former mine workers have now run out. Despite Ottawa's reassurances, the conservatives have, Rousseau said, turned their backs on these communities. See: Fonds de 50 M$: Jean Rousseau interpelle Christian Paradis [Jean Rousseau challenges Christian Paradis over $50m].
Asbestos Contamination in Sunderland
May 13, 2013
It has been revealed that some of Wearside's most popular tourist attractions are amongst 37 properties listed on the Council's Asbestos Risk Register. These include: three museums, a market, art center, ski slope, library and tennis center. The majority of schools in Sunderland also contain asbestos. A spokesperson for the local authority told journalists that the Council's asbestos management policy complies with current legislation and that an ongoing inspection programme ensures that the asbestos risk is being carefully controlled. See: Tourist attractions, sports centres and Jacky White Market among dozens of Sunderland buildings on asbestos risk list.
Public Responsibility of Health Professionals
May 13, 2013
An editorial in the May 5, 2013 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives called on public health professionals to "make the effort to make policy content and information of public interest both accessible and usable by the general public." Author Wael K. Al-Delaimy discussed the 2012 Position Statement on Asbestos issued by the Joint Policy Committee of the Societies of Epidemiology and highlighted the Russian-led "ethically controversial research collaboration" underway to block UN progress on designating chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous substance under the rules of the Rotterdam Convention. See: Editorial, Environmental Health Perspectives.
Judge Bertella-Geffroy barred from case
May 3, 2013
Today, the Council of State ruled that Judge Bertella-Geffroy, who pioneered the ground-breaking case against French asbestos criminals, will not be allowed to recommence her work in the healthcare division of the High Court due to the expiration of the allocated ten-year tenure period. Under a decree issued on March 27, 2013, her position as a specialist judge in charge of investigating this case had been terminated. Despite highly vocal protests by asbestos victims groups, the Court has today upheld the original ruling. See: Amiante : la juge Bertella-Geffroy ne peut pas réintégrer ses fonctions.
Asbestosis Death of Former Mine Worker
May 3, 2013
The Mine Labour Protection Campaign has reported the death on May 1, 2013 of Homa Khoma, a former asbestos mine worker from Rajasthan. Homa was examined by the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) in 2007. The NIOH denied that he had asbestosis. When U.S. asbestos expert Dr. Arthur Frank reviewed this case, he confirmed on June 1, 2009 that Homa and two other workers had asbestosis. This was the first time that cases of asbestosis had been diagnosed in Rajasthan. The NIOH was forced to review its diagnosis and confirmed Homa had asbestosis in 2012. In February 2013, a compensation case was lodged.
Asbestos-Related Diseases Toolkit
May 3, 2013
On May 2, 2013, a "Toolkit for the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases" was uploaded to the website of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health. This resource, which was developed with the support of the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Office, is intended to act as a reference point for people working to eliminate asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). The authors point out that the "most effective means to prevent ARDs is to stop using asbestos." The document references a vast array of useful papers and links. See: Toolkit for the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases.
Asbestos Production = Cancer
May 3, 2013
An article in the Canadian Environmental Health Atlas confirms that as asbestos production in Canada has decreased, the numbers of asbestos-related deaths have escalated due to the long latency period between exposure and disease onset. Thirty years after Canadian asbestos production peaked, a huge increase was seen in the number of fatalities from mesothelioma, a type of asbestos cancer. An interactive map on this website reveals areas with high incidences of asbestos-related deaths between 1970 and 2005; they include: Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. See: Canadian Environmental Health Atlas.
Brazil will Abstain in UN Chrysotile Vote
Apr 30, 2013
News has been released that Brazil will not support UN action to list chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous substance at next week's meeting of the Rotterdam Convention (RC). This decision was taken even though there was Ministerial support for including chrysotile on Annex III of the RC. The Ministries of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade and Mines and Energy voted to preserve the status quo so that markets for chrysotile asbestos remain unaffected. Civil society campaigners are bitterly disappointed that Brazil has, once again, acted to advance its interests despite the deadly risks posed by exposure to asbestos. See: País vai se abster em decisão sobre restrição ao amianto.
Russian Threat to Thai Ban
Apr 29, 2013
Russian strategists are using threats of unofficial economic sanctions against Thailand to press the government to backtrack on a commitment to ban asbestos made more than two years ago. An article in today's Bangkok Post documents the use of discredited asbestos industry propaganda and the slurs being made against ban asbestos campaigners who are accused of fronting for international companies interested in selling asbestos-free products. Russian official Vladimir Romano's comments promoting the continued use of Russian chrysotile state that chrysotile is cheap and ecological. The Russians are calling for bilateral talks on chrysotile. See: Russia presents case for chrysotile.
Government Agency Bans Asbestos
Apr 27, 2013
On April 26, 2013, Luis Camargo, Brazil's Attorney General of Labor Affairs, signed Ordinance 281which bans the use of asbestos by the Ministry of Labor. The timing of this action was intended to underline the significance of International Workers Memorial Day which is celebrated on April 28 in countries around the world. Other recent positive developments on asbestos in Brazil include a decision in March by the Superior Labor Court which condemned Brasilit, a major asbestos manufacturer, for its failure to provide mandated medical services to workers. See: Banido uso de amianto no Ministério Público do Trabalho.
Thai Editorial Supports Asbestos Ban
Apr 26, 2013
An editorial in yesterday's Bangkok Post condemned the Public Health Ministry's refusal "to recognise that asbestos, a known human carcinogen used in construction materials, is dangerous to health." Earlier this month, a Ministry official said that the evidence regarding the human health hazard of asbestos remains inconclusive despite the fact that the Thai Cabinet had accepted this fact more than two years ago. Increasing pressure by asbestos lobbyists is responsible for the Thai Government's continued inaction. The editorial says that the Ministry must accept "asbestos as a health hazard, which has long been acknowledged worldwide." See: Asbestos kills, that's for sure.
Asbestos Cabal Attack UN Protocol
Apr 26, 2013
The meeting of the Rotterdam Convention in May 2013 will be attended by 18 delegates representing asbestos interests from Russia (5), India (4), Ukraine (2), Vietnam (2), Kazakhstan (1), Brazil (1), Mexico (1) and Canada (2). According to an article from RightonCanada the sole purpose of their participation is to defeat "the recommendation of the Convention's expert scientific body that chrysotile asbestos… be placed on the Convention's list of hazardous substances…" The Russian delegation, which will be leading the attack, is protecting earnings from an industry responsible for 75% of all global asbestos exports. See: Asbestos lobbyists determined to sabotage UN Rotterdam Convention.
Anti-asbestos Activists Vindicated
Apr 26, 2013
Results of a fact-finding trip by government officials to a site for an asbestos-cement factory confirm that a government license to build had been obtained based on several misstatements. The main factual error was the overestimate of the distance of the industrial development from human settlement, including a school and a community hall which are within a 150 meter radius of the plant. As a result of this new information, the Bihar State Pollution Control Board has cancelled the no-objection certificate for the construction of an asbestos factory in Hajipur, Bihar by Utkal Asbestos Limited. See: Utkal asbestos plant's no-objection certificate cancelled.
Court orders asbestos remediation
Apr 24, 2013
The consequences of asbestos mining operations in the Brazilian town of Bom Jesus da Serra include unquantified amounts of environmental contamination. Although the SAMA mine is now derelict, no attempt has been made to tackle the hazardous situation which remains. A federal court has now ordered SAMA to address the serious health consequences of the contamination and take measures to minimize the health threat, such as fencing off the mining area and erecting signs to warn the public of the danger. This is a huge victory for local activists who have been lobbying for the decontamination of the site for more than a decade. See: SAMA obligated to clean-up asbestos pollution.
Victory for Asbestos Victims!
Apr 23, 2013
A French Social Security Court handed down a decision yesterday in a case brought by three asbestos-injured workers which alleged that their former employer, the airplane parts manufacturer Turbomeca, was guilty of "inexcusable fault" for exposing them to asbestos between 1952 and 1997. The families of the two claimants who have died of asbestos cancer have been awarded around $460,000; the surviving plaintiff, who has been diagnosed with pleural plaques, has been awarded $39,000. The facts of the case were presented in court on March 18; the company has a month to appeal the decision. See: Asbestos: Turbomeca must pay.
Plan to Minimize Asbestos Exposure
Apr 22, 2013
A strategic plan launched by the National Public Health Institution of Turkey will be rolled out in 437 villages and 30 cities to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard and reduce human exposures. Official sources estimate that a million people in rural areas are exposed to asbestos. The "Asbestos Control Action Plan" will include research in rural towns and at polluted industrial sites; soil samples will be collected and measured to ascertain the levels of asbestos. As well as saving life and decontaminating the environment, the Government hopes to save $200m in healthcare costs for asbestos-injured patients. See: TSHK launches plan to prevent asbestos exposure.
Scholarship for Asbestos Project
Apr 22, 2013
Professor Brett Walker was one of 175 scholars named as a winner of a 2013 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship. His project, "The Slow Dying: Asbestos and the Unmaking of the Modern World," will study the toxic asbestos aftermath of terrorism, war or natural disasters in the US, Turkey, S. Africa, Russia, Canada and Japan. His investigations will cover incidents such as the attack on the World Trade Center and the Great East Japan Earthquake 2011 as well as the results of industrial decay. The transfer of hazardous asbestos technology across national borders will also be considered. See: MSU Historian wins Guggenheim Fellowship to conduct global study on asbestos poisoning.
Run-up to Charity Walk
Apr 22, 2013
The 2012 walk by the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) raised $75,000 for medical research into asbestos-related diseases. This year's walk, which will take place from May 12 to 17, aims to raise even more. The ADSA team will walk 255 km from Dunsborough to Perth, Western Australia, finishing up at midday on Friday, May 17 at Solidarity Park opposite Parliament House. See: Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia Walk for Research and Awareness. Donations can be made online, by cheque or by credit card:
http://asbestosdiseases.org.au/donations.html.
Government Ban Asbestos Proposal
Apr 19, 2013
Senator Lorena Cuellar Cisneros yesterday tabled a proposal which called on the Mexican Government to sign ILO Convention 162 and to ban the use of all types of asbestos, including chrysotile. In the text of this draft legislation, the Senator referred to Mexican data documenting the harmful effects of asbestos exposure and the worldwide consensus regarding the deadly consequences of asbestos use. Safer alternatives to asbestos, she said, are available and should be used. The annual cost to the Mexican Government of treating people who contract asbestos-related cancer has been estimated at over $4 million. See: Mexican Senate Ban Asbestos Proposal.
Landmark developments in Saskatchewan
Apr 19, 2013
The province of Saskatchewan passed a law yesterday mandating the reporting of asbestos in premises owned by the province, including hospitals, schools and other buildings. This is the first time any Canadian province has required that information about asbestos must be disclosed in a public registry. The legislation is known as Howard's law in honor of the building inspector Howard Willems, whose fatal asbestos cancer was contracted from occupational exposure. Willems died in November 2012, aged 59; he spent the last two years of his life fighting for the introduction of mandatory asbestos audits. See: Reporting asbestos in public buildings now mandatory.
Asbestos Training on Tahiti
Apr 19, 2013
Asbestos training sessions run by government agencies will take place from April 22 to 25 in Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, an island in French Polynesia. Asbestos building materials were widely used in the 1960s and 1970s on the islands and officials are warning of the hazards of exposure during remediation and demolition work. Only one local company is licensed to undertake asbestos removal work. The cases of two people with asbestos-related diseases have been recognized and compensated; one of the injured was a mechanic. See: Amiante: la CPS a ouvert des formations pour la prévention de ce risqué [Asbestos training begun to prevent risk].
Court Orders Replacement of Water Tanks
Apr 17, 2013
Today, Judge Josimar de Miranda Andrade, of the 20th Civil Court of Rio de Janeiro, issued an official sanction against the owners of the "Solarium" building in Silva Street, Ipanema regarding the presence of six asbestos-cement water tanks on the premises. The judge ordered these outlawed products to be replaced within thirty days. The State of Rio de Janeiro, like the States of São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco and Mato Grosso, has adopted legislation banning asbestos. A decision by the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the state asbestos ban remains pending. See: Daily Court News Digest of Globo newspaper.
Asbestos meeting in Bangkok
Apr 17, 2013
Civil society representatives met with ministerial officials in Bangkok today to press the Thai Cabinet to honor its commitment to ban asbestos. Academics presented news of research findings which highlighted the increased lung cancer risk to asbestos-exposed populations with high levels of tobacco use. The failure to follow-up on the Cabinet ban asbestos resolution, which was adopted more than two years ago, is believed to have been caused by pressure exerted by Russian government and commercial representatives. See: Scientific Research Integrity and Thailand Asbestos Status Quo: 2013.
Asbestos in all Local Schools
Apr 17, 2013
Research findings were published on April 16 which confirmed the presence of asbestos in all primary and secondary schools and vocational training centers in Sorel-Tracy, a Quebec city east of Montreal. The contamination of the educational infrastructure was established by a 2012 study conducted jointly by the school board and the Commission of Health and Safety; it cost $43,000. The authorities maintain that the low levels of asbestos identified do not pose a threat to schoolchildren or faculty. No decontamination work is planned by the Sorel-Tracy school board. See: De l'amiante dans toutes les écoles [Asbestos in all schools].
Mesothelioma Cluster near Factory
Apr 16, 2013
A Mexican newspaper has detailed the situation in San Pedro Barrientos where cases of asbestos cancer have occurred amongst former workers, their families and local people. The source of the hazardous exposure is believed to be the asbestos pollution generated by a factory belonging to the Asbestos Company of Mexico, which was operational from 1942-1998. The article features the tragic story of Fragoso Monica Guerrero who died of mesothelioma, aged 43. Researcher Guadalupe Aguilar Madrid, who has presented her data on the incidence of disease to the authorities, is calling for Mexico to ban asbestos. See: Deja paraestatal legado de muerte [Deadly asbestos legacy in Mexico].
New Scientist Asbestos Feature
Apr 16, 2013
Researchers investigating mesothelioma clusters in three remote rural villages in Cappadocia, Turkey found that mortality from this "rare cancer" accounted for up to 50% of all deaths. It has been postulated that exposure to erionite, a mineral which is found throughout this region, has caused the high incidence of asbestos cancer deaths. A gene called BAP1 is also being explored as a causal factor. As erionite is present in various geographical locations, work is ongoing to assess the level of risk to local people. Efforts are being made to relocate the at-risk populations in Turkey. See: Villages of the Damned.
Battle over Asbestos Intensifies
Apr 16, 2013
Russian asbestos interests are conducting a scorched earth battle over asbestos which involves co-opting and jeopardising the reputation of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). An ongoing IARC-Russian asbestos collaboration will be used by Russia to forestall progress on categorizing chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous chemical subject to global trade protocols at the May meeting of the UN Rotterdam Convention. Scores of medical and scientific experts have written to IARC and the WHO about IARC's "sad betrayal of scientific integrity …" See: UN Scientific Agency collaborating with scientists working to sabotage UN Rotterdam Convention.
The Asbestos Massacre at Hebden Bridge
Apr 16, 2013
On Saturday, April 13, people from Hebden Bridge gathered to remember those whose lives had been forfeit by exposure to asbestos from the Acre Mill factory owned by the Cape Asbestos Company. Veteran campaigners present for the dedication of a memorial plaque included Renata Taylor, original Chair of the Asbestosis Action Group and retired solicitor John Pickering; other participants included David Bell, Chair of Wadsworth Parish Council, and Julie Cockburn and Reverend John Muir, who conducted a short service. The well-attended ceremony took place in Pecket Well, a hilltop village close to Hebden Bridge. See: Commemorative Memorial to those harmed by exposure to Asbestos.
Reclassification of Asbestos Hazard
Apr 15, 2013
News has been received that on December 27, 2012, a new "List of recommended substitutes for toxic and hazardous raw materials" was officially published by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Asbestos was included in category 3, the most advanced class for which substitutes have been developed and are being used. In the document, asbestos was categorized as a toxic and hazardous substance which could be replaced by safer alternatives. Chinese experts on the asbestos industry suggest that this reclassification along with existing restrictions and increasing prices could increase the popularity in China of asbestos-free products.
Asbestos Exposure and Smoking Revisited
Apr 12, 2013
A paper published online by the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine advises people exposed to asbestos to stop smoking. Lead author Dr. Steven Markowitz says: "quitting smoking greatly reduces the increased lung cancer risk seen in this population." This conclusion was based on a study of a 2,377 North American asbestos-exposed insulators amongst whom a huge increased risk of lung cancer was found in smokers. Lung cancer mortality reduced significantly for those who stopped smoking a decade earlier; among those who had quit 30 years earlier, the incidence was the same as for non-smokers. See: Asbestos exposure, asbestosis, and smoking combined greatly increase lung cancer risk.
Newfoundland Action on Asbestos
Apr 11, 2013
Work on the Baie Verte Miners' Registry has been completed by researchers from Memorial University. Over a five year period, information from 1,003 registrants has been collected – 40% of former miners and contractual workers. The Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission says the registry will help injured workers obtain compensation. From 1955 to1992, the Advocate Asbestos Mine at Baie Verte was an important and controversial employer. In 1977, striking miners demanded the implementation of measures to reduce high levels of asbestos exposure. See: Baie Verte miner registry finally completed and Baie Verte Miners' Registry.
Recognition of Occupational Diseases
Apr 11, 2013
The Korean Ministry of Labor has proposed amending regulations which recognize occupationally-caused asbestos diseases. Patients with larynx and ovarian cancer will now be able to claim compensation for an occupational illness; currently, only sufferers from malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer are eligible. In each case, an occupational history of asbestos exposure or symptoms of asbestosis, pleural thickening or pleural plaques or the presence of asbestos bodies in the sputum will be required for a claim to succeed. In 2011, 450 cases of asbestos-related disease were recognized: 279 mesothelioma, 22 lung cancer, 158 asbestosis.
Asbestos in Schools
Apr 9, 2013
The April 7 issue of The Sunday Express highlighted the discrepancy on government action regarding asbestos contamination of schools amongst UK authorities. Whereas steps are ongoing in England and Wales to address the problem, the Holyrood Parliament is yet to prioritize the issue despite widespread contamination of the Scottish education infrastructure. It has been estimated that 1,200 Scottish schools still contain asbestos. A hearing held in Westminster by the House of Commons Education Select Committee (on March 17, 2013) heard that hazardous exposures at schools could lead to thousands of deaths. See: Silent killer in the classroom.
Company Spy Barred!
Apr 9, 2013
Journalist Cristina Bruno who infiltrated an Italian asbestos victims' group to spy for Eternit, a multinational asbestos conglomerate, was recently struck off the national register of journalists for unethical behaviour, according to a report on the Asbestos in the Dock website. Over a period of years, Bruno attended meetings in Casale Monferrato reporting back to her bosses at the public relations company hired by Eternit on a range of developments. For details of her activities see the chapter Eternit vs. The Victims in the IBAS publication: Eternit & the Great Asbestos Trial.
TV Program Highlights Asbestos Hazard
Apr 8, 2013
On March 26, Russian State TV broadcast an episode of "Life is Good," a health program anchored by a doctor from a leading medical institute. One of the issues covered was the human hazard posed by exposure to asbestos. The program explained that exposure to asbestos in domestic properties built more than 15 years ago could cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. The use and location of asbestos-containing materials were discussed and warnings were given about the risk of exposure during repair or refurbishment work. The public admission of the danger posed marks a breakthrough in Russia's dialogue on asbestos. See: Life is Good; March 26 broadcast.
EU Adopts Asbestos Resolution!
Apr 7, 2013
On March 14, 2013, by a majority of 558 to 51, a resolution was passed by the European Parliament which calls for the implementation of a coordinated European strategy to remove all asbestos from member states by 2028. As well as addressing the problems caused by asbestos contamination in Europe, the text prioritizes the needs of asbestos victims and calls for EU support for the global ban asbestos campaign. See: European Parliament Summary of Resolution; and also European Parliament demands the eradication of asbestos contamination.
Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency
Apr 7, 2013
On March 20, 2013, legislation was tabled in the Australian Parliament by Bill Shorten, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, which announced the formation of a statutory agency to tackle the wide range of deadly challenges posed by decades of asbestos use. "There are," Shorten told journalists, "children not yet born who will die of asbestos related diseases." The new agency will work with state authorities and civil society stakeholders towards the adoption of a national program for asbestos eradication, handling and awareness which will address environmental and public health issues. See: Parliament of Australia 20 March 2013.
Jail for Turin Managers
Apr 6, 2013
Occupational asbestos exposures over thirty years ago that led to the mesothelioma deaths of fifteen workers resulted in prison sentences being handed down by a judge in Northern Italy on March 15, 2013. The ruling, which sentenced six factory managers to terms of one to five years in jail, found the defendants guilty of negligence in their failure to prevent hazardous asbestos exposures from occurring in Teksid's Turin factory during the period 1978-1989. See: Turin judge convicts 6 ex-Teksid managers in asbestos case.
Asbestos Industry: Dead and Buried
Apr 6, 2013
One of the first steps taken by Pauline Marois when she became Quebec Premier (2012) was to withdraw funding for the revival of the Jeffrey Chrysotile mine. Now it seems that her government is considering banning the use of asbestos. The implications of this would be enormous in a country which until very recently was one of the world's biggest suppliers of asbestos. Two weeks ago the Harper Government, which had actively supported and aggressively defended the asbestos industry, allocated the sum of $50 million for asbestos communities to diversify their economies. It seems that even Ottawa has fallen out of love with chrysotile. See: Quebec government about to ban asbestos?
Progress of Bill to Recover Medical Costs
Mar 8, 2013
A Committee Report was published yesterday (March 7, 2013) on Stage 1 of the Recovery of Medical Costs for Asbestos Diseases (Wales) Bill. The main principle underlying the Bill is that, in relation to asbestos-related diseases, those responsible for causing harm should also be responsible for meeting the costs of healthcare treatment. The 53-page document outlines the findings of the Health and Social Care committee which are, on the whole, favourable as the committee recommends that the Bill should proceed to Stage 2. The threat of legal appeals by the Association of British Insurers and others is highlighted. See: Committee Report.
Asbestos Fire: Public Hazard
Mar 7, 2013
Newly obtained information documents asbestos contamination on a site where a former asbestos factory burned down three weeks ago. A Rochdale online news outlet reports that asbestos was found in most of the test holes dug between Shawclough Road and Hollows Lane. In light of these findings, local people and politicians are increasingly concerned about the fallout from the fire at the TBA factory on February 15, 2013 as can be seen by a statement submitted by Rochdale's MP Simon Danczuk to the Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group on March 6. Calls are being made for a public enquiry.See: Asbestos Test Shock for TBA site.
Good news from Turin!
Mar 7 2013
Attempts by lawyers appealing the 2012 guilty verdicts handed down to former asbestos executives Stephan Schmidheiny and Louis de Cartier de Marchienne suffered a serious setback on March 4, 2013. The President of the Turin Court not only validated the first instance guilty ruling but also rejected the defendants' ploy to halt the current proceedings. The 10th hearing of the appeal proceedings will begin on March 10. It is anticipated that the appeal will take two months. For updates on the trial see: Asbestos in the Dock. For background to this case see: Eternit & The Great Asbestos Trial.
Killed by Asbestos
Mar 5, 2013
The family of Didier Cornu, who died in 2009 of lung cancer aged 52, won the case against his former employer for the negligent asbestos exposure experienced by the factory worker. From 1974, Mr. Cornu had worked at the tile factory owned by Carré Céramique in the southwest of France; much of his time was spent in close proximity to the asbestos-containing furnaces. The judge ruled that the defendant had been guilty of "faute inexcusable" (inexcusable fault) for allowing hazardous conditions at the worksite to persist; the judgment awarded compensation of €96,000 to the family. See: Tué par l'amiante, sa famille gagne en justice [Killed by asbestos, his family wins justice].
Asbestos Closure of European Parliament
Mar 5, 2013
Conversion work by a sub-contractor in the Winston Churchill Building of the European Parliament, Strasbourg has resulted in the building being closed until asbestos decontamination work can be carried out. Despite having been notified that asbestos might be present in the 1980s building, workers disturbed asbestos insulation on two pillars. Tests recorded an illegal level of airborne asbestos as a result of which the premises were evacuated. It is expected that the clean-up should be finished by March 7 in time for the planned plenary session beginning on March 11 to take place. See: Asbestos removal in Strasbourg.
Report on Chemical Safety
Mar 1, 2013
Last week Women in Europe for a Common Future published an analysis of Georgia's chemical legislation and the current use of hazardous chemicals. Three pages of the 29-page report were devoted to asbestos. The information they contained is extremely pertinent. Although asbestos was banned in 2001, it is frequently used in Georgia and continues to be traded and imported without any government hindrance. On the whole "safety measures are neglected while working with asbestos." The report calls for an urgent ban on the import of asbestos-containing construction products. See: Georgia Inventory Report.
Deadly fallout from TBA Fire
March 1, 2013
A Press Release issued yesterday by Save Spodden Valley (SSV), a campaigning group in Rochdale, highlighted high levels of airborne asbestos prior to the fire which broke out on Friday, February 15 at the former TBA asbestos factory. In light of this situation, SSV questions why no air monitoring was done "whilst the fire raged and on the days immediately after the inferno?" Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk raised this question in Parliament on February 28. The reply by the government indicated that enquiries will be made regarding the actions taken or not taken by the HSE and the Environment Agency. See: Hansard transcript.
Russian Pressure Defeats Thailand's Ban?
March 1, 2013
An article on the RightonCanada website reports that interference by Russian asbestos lobbyists has blocked plans to implement national asbestos prohibitions in Thailand, a major importing country. An English translation of a Russian document states that following a meeting of the Subcommittee on Russian-Thai trade and Economic Cooperation, a Russian spokesman announced that: "Russia and Thailand have agreed to [the] deferment of measures to prohibit the import of chrysotile asbestos..." See: Russia crushes a plan by the government of Thailand to ban asbestos.
Meeting with Environment Agency
Feb 28, 2013
This week (Feb 25) a meeting was held by the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, a Hong Kong-based NGO which campaigns on asbestos issues, with the Panel on Environmental Affairs to discuss the issue of fly tipping of asbestos debris from construction and demolition sites. The Panel was petitioned to take steps to ensure that: pre-action asbestos audits are carried out, asbestos audits of all buildings is made mandatory, legislation banning asbestos is adopted without delay and public programs to raise asbestos awareness are implemented.See: Demonstration at government office.
Parliament Enquiry into Asbestos in Schools
Feb 27, 2013
It has been announced that on March 13, 2013 a Parliamentary Education Select Committee will hold hearings "on the issues relating to asbestos in English schools" in the House of Commons. Amongst the experts who will be providing oral evidence are: Michael Lees, from the Asbestos in Schools Group, Julie Winn, from the Joint Union Asbestos Committee, and epidemiologist Julian Peto. Evidence will also be submitted by the Schools Minister and the Health and Safety Executive. See: Press Announcement PN58.
Health Screening for Asbestos Workers
Feb 27, 2013
In Autumn 2013 the German authorities will begin a High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) screening program for former asbestos workers at high risk of contracting lung cancer. Edmund Mannes of the Berufsgenossenschaften, the German statutory accident insurance scheme for companies, will be in charge of this project. Initially, a cohort comprised of 1,000 workers will be examined. This initiative is an expansion of German programs designed to provide early diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases which have been ongoing since the 1970s; previously, medical tests and physical examinations have been offered but not HRCTs.
Public smoking ban: June 1
Feb 27, 2013
Plans have been announced to curb smoking in Russia via the introduction of restrictions on cigarette sales and bans on smoking in public places. Four hundred thousand Russians die from tobacco-related diseases per year. China and Russia are the first and second largest cigarette markets; they are also the first and third largest users of asbestos. High levels of lung cancer in both countries are not coincidental: tobacco and asbestos interact synergistically to multiply an individual's chances of contracting lung cancer. Public health advocates urge all asbestos-exposed people to stop smoking. A ban on asbestos in both countries is advised. See: Putin signs law to curb smoking.
WHO Renews Call for Action
Feb 26 2013
A revised draft of the WHO's Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDS) 2013-2020 highlights exposure to asbestos as an important risk factor for NCDS. Sixty-three per cent of the 57 million deaths that occurred globally in 2008 were due to NCDS; 29 million of the 2008 NCDS deaths occurred in low-income and middle-income countries. A deadline of March 10 is set for the receipt of comments about the draft plan which aims to put in place measures to reduce the global death toll caused by NCDS. See: Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013-2020.
Asbestos Workplace Violations
Feb 26, 2013
The authorities in British Colombia are reporting repeated violations of asbestos safety laws by construction companies whose illegal operations have been caught by a team of worksite inspectors. Yesterday, WorkSafeBC published its annual list of offenders. Skylite Building Maintenance, a Vancouver-based offender, was fined $105,000 in two separate cases for endangering the health of workers at risk from possible exposure to asbestos. Since 2007, Skylite has been cited 237 times for violations of the Workers' Compensation Act of British Columbia and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. See: Asbestos safety often ignored in B.C.
Memorial to Scottish shipbuilders
Feb 25, 2013
The Framebenders, a sculpture commissioned by the Clydebank Asbestos Group, will be positioned at the head of the old John Brown dock in Clydebank later this year. Scottish artist Tom McKendrick, a former shipbuilder, says that the 36 foot-high piece is his tribute to former colleagues, many of whom have died from asbestos diseases contracted through hazardous exposures at the shipyards. "The whole idea behind the memorial is," he says "a simple one. You have all these graceful frames reaching towards heaven to create the hull of the ships." See: Memorial to shipbuilders who paid with their health.
Asbestos Organization Condemned
Feb 22, 2013
Worldwide outrage has been expressed by groups and individuals regarding the interference by the International Chrysotile Association (ICA), a Canadian-based asbestos lobbying group, in the legislative process to ban asbestos in Pakistan. A statement released today castigates the ICA for providing "dangerous misinformation" on the hazards of chrysotile asbestos and the possibility of using asbestos safely. The statement headlined "Chrysotile asbestos use is not safe and must be banned" urged Pakistan to "protect the health of its citizens by banning the import and use of asbestos…" See: International Statement condemns asbestos industry interference to prevent a proposed ban on asbestos in Pakistan.
Asbestos in the Shipyards
Feb 22, 2013
In April 2013, the long awaited verdict in a case brought by 89 former workers exposed to asbestos whilst employed by Fincantieri, an Italian ship-building company based in Trieste, will be handed down by the criminal court of Gorizia, a town in the north of Italy. Until recently, justice had eluded asbestos victims from the towns of Monfalcone, San Canzian d'Isonzo, Ronchi, Staranzano and Trieste in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region. The turning point was in 2008 when Magistrate Beniamino Deidda began an investigation of their claims. See: Eternit, quelle impalpabili fibre che rubano il respire [Eternit, those intangible fibers that steal your breath].
Asbestos on ILO Agenda
Feb 22, 2013
An policy document of the International Labour Office (ILO) prepared for next month's meeting of the Governing Body highlights the "enormous threat (posed by asbestos) to the health of workers, and the public," as well as the huge cost of asbestos-related diseases (ARD) to national governments. The document states that in the United States $53.6 billion was paid in the year 2000 for asbestos-related claims and that these costs are expected to increase to $200+ billion. "Special efforts have been made to implement the 2006 ILO resolution concerning asbestos and enhance national capacities in recognizing and preventing ARD." See: ILO Prevention of occupational diseases.
Eternit: Asbestos-free Technology?
Feb 21, 2013
As Brazil continues to wait for the Supreme Court to decide on whether state bans on asbestos are constitutional, the country's largest asbestos conglomerate, Eternit, is exploring non-asbestos technology at its plant in Parana. Elio A. Martins, Eternit's President, told a Brazilian journalist: "The demand for products without asbestos may increase in coming year…" Eternit owns the only asbestos mine in Latin America and has been at the center of many court cases brought by formers workers injured by exposure to Eternit asbestos. See: Eternit já se prepara para competir sem usar amianto [Eternit preparing to work without using asbestos].
High exposure levels for retired craftsman
Feb 21, 2013
Results of a study by French epidemiologists undertaken between 2005 and 2009 in seven regions of the country were today reported; they revealed that former self-employed tradesmen had much higher levels of occupational exposure to asbestos than had been expected. As a result of the findings, the authors are recommending medical check-ups and epidemiological monitoring of this at-risk population. The authors also highlighted the need for preventive measures to be taken amongst this group of workers. See: What health impact on pensioners exposed to asbestos?.
Government Investigate Asbestos Cartel
Feb 21, 2013
The Competition Commission has launched an investigation into the dominance of the asbestos-cement (AC) market by six companies which account for 87% of the market share. Key indicators have been identified which have led to charges of anti-competitive practices by the industry, including the role and actions of the Asbestos Cement Products Manufacturers Association, an industry lobbying group accused of "facilitating the cartel and controlling production volumes and sale prices." AC sheets are primarily used for roofing for low cost houses in rural areas. See: CCI probes cartelisation in asbestos cement sheets market.
WHO/IARC Call for Asbestos Ban
Feb 20, 2013
A controversial IARC research collaboration with Russian asbestos industry-linked scientists which was reported in the January 2013 issue of The Lancet has resulted in a reconfirmation by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a WHO agency, of their support for a global asbestos ban. A joint statement issued yesterday said: "All forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans … and stopping the use of all forms of asbestos is the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases …" See: Joint WHO/IARC Statement in response to the recent Lancet report.
Exposé of Asbestos Trojan Horse
Feb 19, 2013
A forensic examination has exposed the dynamics and strategy behind the International Chrysotile Association (ICA), a Quebec-based body. Under the leadership of Canadian President Jean-Marc Leblond, the ICA enlists individuals from asbestos stakeholding countries such as India, Russia, Brazil, and Vietnam as directors. The ICA purports to be an association for promoting "environmental, occupational health, safe and responsible use" of asbestos; it is, in fact, a trade body designed specifically to implement measures to secure lucrative asbestos markets and defeat measures to curtail asbestos sales. See: Exposé of The International Chrysotile Association.
Government Asbestos Denial
Feb 17, 2013
Despite widespread coverage about asbestos contamination after the Christchurch earthquake, the New Zealand (NZ) Government continues to deny the hazard posed by asbestos. In a letter received by ban asbestos campaigner Deidre vanGerven last week, NZ's Minister for the Environment stated: "asbestos products can still be imported… New Zealand does not monitor the importation of asbestos products." This policy is the same as that expressed by the Government in a letter dated March 23, 2011, one month after the Christchurch disaster. As we come up to the 2nd anniversary of the earthquake, don't the people of NZ deserve better?
Fire at Asbestos Factory
Feb 15, 2013
A three-storey redundant mill, which had for decades been the base of the UK's largest asbestos manufacturing operations, has been engulfed in flames since 3 a.m. this morning. Fifty fire-fighters have been at the Turner and Newall Rochdale site battling the fire which they now say is under control. Campaigners opposed to redevelopment plans for the 72-acre site in Spodden Valley because of asbestos contamination, which had not been properly quantified or remediated, are urging local authorities to conduct air monitoring tests to assess levels of airborne asbestos contamination in the aftermath of the fire. See: Fire at Turner and Newall Asbestos Factory in Rochdale.
The Great Asbestos Trial: Appeal
Feb 15, 2013
Appeal proceedings were opened yesterday (February 14, 2013) by Judge Alberto Oggé in the trial of former asbestos executives found guilty in 2012 for the deaths of thousands of Italians. The proceedings, which lasted an hour, were attended by hundreds of people from Italy, France and Belgium. Seven buses brought 500 people from Casale Monferrato, the town at the center of this case, to the Turin Court. The appeal hearings will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; the proceedings must be completed by the end of June, 2013 when the Chief Magistrate will retire. See: Asbestos in the Dock and Statement by Asbestos Victims Groups.
Asbestos Free Australia by 2030
Feb 14, 2013
This week an initiative has been launched in Australia by the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and others to rid the country of asbestos by 2030. The legacy of asbestos permeates the entire country; as many as 2 out of 3 Australian houses were built with asbestos between WWII and 1983. As a result, the Australian asbestos death rate is amongst the highest in the world. The campaigners are calling for a National Asbestos Authority to oversee a coordinated strategy to raise asbestos awareness and oversee the safe management and disposal of asbestos. See: Make Australia Asbestos Free by 2030.
New Calls to Ban Asbestos
Feb 13, 2013
On Monday, February 11, 2013 a public meeting took place in Bangkok at which the Thai translation of the IBAS monograph Eternit & The Great Asbestos Trial was launched. The timing of this event is quite remarkable as it came just three days before appeal proceedings were due to begin of the Italian case which is at the center of this book. In Bangkok, Dr Vichai Chokewiwat, one of the editors of the Thai text, commented on the relevance of this book to the Thai experience; highlighting the deadly consequences which resulted from the production and use of asbestos-cement products in Italy. Speakers and delegates at the session called on the Thai government to immediately ban asbestos. See: online Thai Report.
Uproar over action by Paris Court
Feb 13, 2103
Former asbestos textile workers have been outraged by the decision last week dismissing criminal charges for asbestos-related exposures which took place at the Amisol factory in Clermont-Ferrand in the 1970s. In a statement issued by the workers [English and French versions] they condemn the travesty of justice which has taken place and call for international solidarity for their cause; they ask supporters to sign an online Petition. For background to this case see: French Travesty of Justice.
Asbestos Fines for Army
Feb 12, 2013
In an unprecedented move, the Israeli Government has fined the Israel Defense Forces over $1 million for its asbestos mismanagement at the Natan-Shalid army base in Beersheba. This is the first time a government agency has imposed a financial penalty on the army and reflects the serious nature of the hazardous situation which was allowed to persist for seven months after a botched removal of asbestos-contaminated material which contravened government guidelines. See: Gov't fines IDF for exposing troops to asbestos.
Mesothelioma in Teachers
Feb 7, 2013
Hansards reported the submission of a letter from the Director General of ONS to Lord Wigley in the report of House of Lords proceedings on February 6. This letter was in reply to a question asked about the incidence of mesothelioma amongst school teachers in England. According to data received, 129 school teachers in England died from mesothelioma during the ten years between 2002 and 2011. See: Health: Mesothelioma.
Toxic Ships Dumped in South Asia
Feb 5, 2013
News released today by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, a Brussels-based organization, documented a "record-breaking number of 365 toxics-laden ships" dumped by European ship owners in South Asia last year. This is a 75% increase from 2011. Calls are being made for the EU to adopt mechanisms to force countries to decontaminate and recycle their own ships. Many of the end-of-life ships that find their way onto beaches in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are contaminated with asbestos. See: Press Release - NGO Shipbreaking Platform.
"Systemic" Failings in M&S Asbestos Policy
Feb 5, 2013
Marks &Spencer (M&S), a household name in Britain, was fined £1 million plus costs yesterday by Judge Christopher Harvey Clark who said that management had "turned a blind eye" to the hazard posed by unsafe asbestos removal work at its Reading store. As a result of the company's failings, the Judge said, contractors, staff and shoppers may have breathed in asbestos fibers. The BBC has reported the names of four M&S employees who have died of asbestos-related conditions since 2007. See: Marks & Spencer warned over asbestos risk.
Calls for Asbestos Compensation Fund
Feb 4, 2013
After years of support for asbestos industrialists, calls are now being made in Quebec for support for victims. Considering the difficulties encountered by the injured and using the French Asbestos Compensation Fund as a model, Quebec activists are lobbying for the establishment of a streamlined administrative scheme which will deliver prompt and significant amounts of compensation for people who contract asbestos-related diseases regardless of the source of their exposure. An association of asbestos victims is currently being formed; this group will take the lead on future discussions with provincial authorities. See: Towards collective action for asbestos victims.
Accolade for IJOEH Asbestos Issues
Feb 1, 2013
Today the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (IJOEH) has announced that asbestos issues coordinated by IBAS and published in 2003 and 2004 have been designated "Journals of the Month." Speaking about this, IBAS Coordinator Laurie Kazan-Allen said: "The 32 papers in these two issues addressed a question posed by industry in the 1970s: "Where would we be without asbestos? The ban asbestos campaign, which began as a grassroots activity on society's outer fringes, has now entered mainstream national debates on social justice, environmental racism and sustainability. The IJOEH issues helped us achieve this transformation." See: IJOEH Announcement.
Asbestos Justice Now!
Jan 31, 2013
Next week, a rally is being held in Casale Monferrato, the Italian town at the center of the landmark trial of former asbestos executives. The February 7 demonstration is being mounted by a coalition of groups which have backed the 30-year fight for justice for the asbestos victims in Casale and neighboring towns. In the run-up to appeal proceedings which are due to begin in mid-February, the activists will reaffirm their demands for "Justice, Research and Decontamination." See: Poster for Rally and also Eternit & The Great Asbestos Trial.
Calls for Action on Asbestos
Jan 31, 2013
The Hong Kong Workers' Health Centre (HKWHC) this week reported that the Environment Protection Department has been unable to trace the source of a large amount of asbestos debris dumped in Tsuen Wan District. This situation proved, says the HKWHC, that the government's management of the asbestos hazard is "ineffective and insufficient." Urging tighter controls on and engagement by construction companies, the HKWHC also called for new measures to raise public awareness of the dangers of exposure to asbestos. See: HKWHC Press Statement and the HKWHC Newsletter.
Asbestos Workshop
Jan 30, 2013
A well-attended workshop on asbestos took place at the Academy of Sciences in Tirana on Tuesday (January 29). During the session the first Albanian language textbook on asbestos was launched. Speakers during the meeting, including some of the authors of the new book, highlighted the low level of public awareness of the asbestos hazard and the high level of contamination which exists throughout the country due to widespread and uncontrolled use of asbestos. The publication of the monograph was supported by the World Health Organization. There was a 3-minute segment about these activities broadcast on the top Albanian TV channel as well as media coverage by a national news agency.
Asbestos in Brakes
Jan 29, 2013
"An Amici Curiae Brief of Interested Physicians and Scientific Researchers" was submitted to the Maryland Court of Appeals on January 25, 2013 supporting the position that the inhalation of asbestos fibers brought into the home following the handling of asbestos-containing brakes can result in mesothelioma. The authors of this document detail extensive biomedical literature which proves that exposure to asbestos brakes can and does cause mesothelioma. They conclude: "There is ample scientific evidence to support the opinion that take home exposures to asbestos from a family member's work with asbestos containing brakes can cause or contribute to causing mesothelioma." See: Amici Curiae Brief.
Tsunami Asbestos Pollution
Jan 28, 2013
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation program Lateline today broadcast a segment focusing on the high levels of asbestos contamination found in tsunami-affected communities in Japan. Research has confirmed 14 cases where levels exceeded the WHO's safety limit. Asbestos-containing products and debris remain in the wreckage of buildings destroyed during the disaster. In the coming months, the authorities in Ishinomaki City plan to demolish 4,000 damaged buildings; due to the project's scale, workers with no knowledge of the asbestos hazard are likely to be employed. See: Tsunami leaves Japan with toxic asbestos legacy.
Journal Calls for Asbestos Ban
Jan 28, 2013
This month the British Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) published an editorial entitled: "A worldwide ban on asbestos production and use: some recent progress, but more still to be done" which added the OEM's voice to the chorus of agencies, academic bodies and independent scientists calling for the prohibition of all commercial exploitation of asbestos. Acknowledging the consensus that exists regarding the human hazard of all forms of asbestos, author Malcolm Sims highlights the "poorly developed regulatory approach to asbestos and other workplace hazards in many newly industrialising countries." See: Editorial of the Journal Occupational Environmental Medicine.
European Parliament Acts on Asbestos
Jan 26, 2013
A draft report approved on January 23, 2013 by the EU Committee on Employment and Social Affairs calls for a coordinated and comprehensive response to Europe's asbestos epidemic. The proposals tabled include the establishment of asbestos screening and registration programs for affected individuals and national asbestos actions plans for the removal of asbestos from all public buildings by 2028. The Committee urged the EU to act with international partners to outlaw the global trade in asbestos and take steps to eliminate the dumping of asbestos products and technologies on developing countries. See: European Parliament backs asbestos crackdown.
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Jan 25, 2013
Mahaphant, a Thai company which now makes non-asbestos building products, has uploaded to YouTube a commercial that was first broadcast on primetime Thai TV in December 2012. The purpose of the ad was, the company has said, to educate Thai society about the asbestos cancer risk. In the film, thugs threaten a homeowner over an unpaid debt. They tie him up and start wrecking his house saying he is going to die. The victim, now wearing a gas mask, tells the gang leader he is going to die because of all the asbestos dust released in the attack. See: Thai TV advertisement and also new (2013) commercial.
Judicial Upheaval in Paris
Jan 23, 2013
News is circulating that Judge Marie-Odile Bertella-Geffroy, who has been investigating the responsibility of individuals and organizations for the French asbestos epidemic, has been informed that the asbestos hearings will be suspended as of February 28, 2013. The decision, which was made by the chief of the instruction chamber of the Paris tribunal, is extremely controversial and has been widely criticized. ANDEVA, the French umbrella group representing many asbestos victims' groups, has condemned this step in a press release entitled: "Asbestos: Enough is Enough!" Calls are being made on the French President to support the continuation of the asbestos investigation. See: ANDEVA Press release.
Survival after mesothelioma surgery
Jan 22, 2013
An online article entitled What is the survival after surgery for localized malignant pleural mesothelioma? that appeared on the website of Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery on January 17, 2013 draws on an extensive review of published literature regarding the management of localized mesothelioma of the pleura (LMM). The British authors' findings suggest that "survival in LMM is longer than that generally quoted for the more common diffuse form of malignant mesothelioma." This fact could influence treatment choices made by patients and their doctors which might include pleurectomy/decorticiation and adjuvant chemotherapy.
Australian Mesothelioma Data
Jan 18, 2013
The first annual report of the Australian Mesothelioma Registry, released on September 13, 2012, confirms an elevated incidence of mesothelioma amongst construction workers. Thirty-one per cent of Australians diagnosed with mesothelioma in the year commencing July 2, 2010 whose exposures took place at work, listed occupations in the construction or building trades; if plumbers and electricians are included this figure rises to 50%. There was also a significant number of cases of mesothelioma caused by non-occupational exposures with home renovation highlighted as a high-risk activity. See: Australian Mesothelioma Registry.
Banning Asbestos in Brazil
Jan 17, 2013
An online interview with Engineer Fernanda Giannasi, leader of the Latin American Ban Asbestos Movement, sums up the current state of the ban asbestos campaign in Brazil. Senior Labor Inspector Giannasi, who last month received the "Professional Personality Award 2012," explains the forces which support the status quo, the human costs of asbestos use in Brazil and the ongoing attempts to shut down an industry generating almost $2 billion/year. See: Banning Asbestos: a long struggle to save life. Also see: Brazil: Asbestos Producer, User, Exporter.
Repayment of NHS Asbestos Costs
Jan 16, 2013
Attempts to reclaim £2 million pounds of annual costs for the treatment of Welsh asbestos patients are being opposed by insurance companies which claim that the financial burden of the reforms proposed by The Recovery of Medical Costs for Asbestos Diseases Bill would impact on current policyholders. According to the Association of British Insurers, the Welsh Assembly does not have the "competency" to modify the terms of insurance policies. The evidence of the Association of British Insurers was submitted during hearings held on January 15, 2013 in Wales on a private member's bill sponsored by Mick Antoniw. See: NHS asbestos refund law opposed by insurance companies.
New Asbestos Regulations in Quebec
Jan 16, 2013
Draft regulations have been proposed by Quebec's Commission on Health and Safety which will impose new duties on employers to prevent hazardous workplace exposures to asbestos. The provisions of the bill, expected to become law this spring, will mandate the compilation of asbestos registers and periodic monitoring of asbestos-containing products; these reforms are being welcomed by workers' organizations. The new Quebec standards will apply to public, semi-public and private establishments. Unlike similar regulations in Ontario, the Quebec proposals only relate to the identification and monitoring of asbestos-containing fireproofing and insulation materials. See: Towards an Asbestos Register.
Mesothelioma Meeting
Jan 16, 2013
On January 23, 2013, a public meeting entitled "Research and Care of Mesothelioma" will take place in Casale Monferrato, the Italian town which was for many decades the center of the Italian asbestos-cement industry. As a consequence of its industrial heritage, many local people have been affected by asbestos-related cancers and diseases. Speakers at the sessions include Professor Giorgio Scagliotti, Director of Oncology from the University of Turin. AFeVA, the local asbestos victims' group which has spearheaded the campaign for asbestos justice, is supporting this event. See: Conference Announcement: Research and Care of Mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Report
Jan 15, 2013
A mesothelioma briefing by the National Cancer Registry Ireland covers a range of topics including: case numbers and cancer sites, age profile and geographic distribution of patients, stage at diagnosis and treatment choices, survival and mortality rates. The authors highlight the variation in mesothelioma treatment of different age groups, comparatively poorer survival rates of patients in England, Wales, Scotland and the Netherlands and the importance of early diagnosis. The incidence of mesothelioma in males has "increased overall by almost 100%, from an average of 13 cases per year in 1994-96, to 36 cases in 2009." See: National Cancer Registry Ireland: Cancer Trends - Mesothelioma.
Asbestos Regulations Infringements
Jan 15, 2012
On January 10, 2013 at Neath Magistrates' Court, in a prosecution case against Wall Colmonoy Ltd., a Swansea-based engineering firm, a catalogue of errors and regulatory infringements were described relating to renovation work undertaken in 2010. Amongst other failings, the HSE alleged that the company "failed to prevent the exposures of its employees to asbestos and failed to control its spread once it had been damaged." The company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,287; its contractor, Oaktree Construction (Wales) Ltd. was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,000. See: Swansea engineering firm and building contractor fined for asbestos exposure.
Asbestos on 2014 Agenda
Jan 12, 2013
Fundacentro, an agency of the Brazilian Ministry of Labour, has confirmed that it will partner the Pan-American Health Organization in organizing a symposium on "Asbestos in the Americas" during the XX World Congress on Safety and Health at Work. The Congress takes place between August 24 and 27, 2014, in Frankfurt, Germany. At the last two such events, representatives from the Russian asbestos industry and scientists linked to the industry took part in asbestos debates and exhibited corporate propaganda dismissing the health hazard of exposure to asbestos, Will 2014 be any different? See: Fundocentro Announcement.
Worldwide Asbestos Pandemic
Jan 11, 2013
A paper entitled "The Worldwide Pandemic of Asbestos-Related Diseases" was posted online one week ago by the Annual Review of Public Health, a University of California journal. Highlighting the consequences of asbestos use in the developed world, the authors comment on trends in early adopter countries and predict that the increased use of asbestos in developing countries "will result in an increase in asbestos-related diseases in the future." The authors conclude that: "societies need to do everything possible, including a ban on usage, to reduce exposures and to offer care to the unfortunate victims of asbestos-related diseases." See: The Worldwide Pandemic of Asbestos-Related Diseases.
Growth of Asbestos-Cement Sector
Jan 11, 2013
The most recent annual report by Visaka Industries Limited, a major asbestos-cement (AC) manufacturer in India (with 2012 net income of $135m+), confirmed an increase in sales of asbestos-cement products of up to 7.5% in 2012. "While this may not be a patch on the good old days when the industry would consistently grow 12-15% a year, this rebound is reassuring." Visaka is buoyant about the future of AC in India, predicting a growth of 10% in production in 2012-13; this translates into the manufacture of 725,000 tonnes of AC sheets. See: Visaka Industries Limited Annual Report 2011-2012.
Bushfire Cleanup Precautions
Jan 10, 2013
As bushfires continue in Tasmania, the Director of Public Health Dr. Roscoe Taylor today issued public guidelines entitled: Asbestos Risk after Bushfires Can Be Safely Managed. Personal Protective Equipment kits are being distributed and information sessions are being held to raise awareness of precautions required to minimize the hazards from asbestos contamination of damaged properties, many of which were constructed with asbestos-cement products. "If possible, dust should be gently wetted down as well, to reduce the risk of fibres becoming airborne and protective equipment should be worn during clean-up." See: Asbestos Risk after Bushfires Can Be Safely Managed.
Asbestos Denial Continues
Jan 9, 2013
There is no ban on asbestos use in New Zealand. Following the 2011 earthquake that hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch, fears were expressed about the hazard posed by asbestos debris. Yet still the government did not act. In 2013, the asbestos contamination of 4,000 earthquake-damaged homes due for repairs has been dubbed a "landmine" by Canterbury District Medical Officer Alistair Humphrey who has condemned the decision by the Earthquake Commission not to remove the asbestos. See: Christchurch homes asbestos a 'landmine'. Also see: New Zealand's Failing Asbestos Policy.
Asbestos contamination in Tasmania
Jan 9, 2013
In the wake of uncontrolled bush fires which have ravaged the Australian State of Tasmania over five days, residents are being warned not to return to their homes because of the "continuing danger of fires, asbestos and contaminated water." A Tasmanian colleague has told IBAS that property owners have been advised of the asbestos hazard; many of the burned-out sites "contain broken and aged asbestos sheeting." Asbestos was widely used in the construction of Australian domestic properties over many decades. Newspaper reports say that 40 fires are still raging and 150 homes have been lost. See: Health fears delay return.
Government Research Funding
Jan 9, 2013
Despite last month's agreement to cut €1.6bn in funding for healthcare in 2013 and 2014, the sum of €10 million was allocated by the Italian Government for research into asbestos-related diseases. Other national priorities which escaped the cuts were: a human biobank programme and research on rare diseases which received €20m and €15m respectively. The Italian Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to asbestos-related disease research at a high-profile conference that took place in Venice in November 2012. See: Riparto fondi salute: Ministro Balduzzi sottolinea importanza obbiettivo piano. Also see: Agenda of Asbestos Conference, Venice, November 2012.
Supreme Court Ruling
Jan 8, 2013
"La Stampa" reports a decision handed down by the Italian Supreme Court upholding the right of workers to withdraw their labor under occupational conditions which endanger health. The case arose from incidents in 1989 during which asbestos removal work was carried out on railway cars by contractors engaged by the Italian Railway Network. On-site operatives refused to carry out assigned duties from February 14 to March 31. The lower and appeal court upheld the workers' actions as did the Supreme Court which found that the conduct of workers was "fully justified." See: Workers exposed to asbestos may be absent from work if the employer does not protect them.
Contamination of Welsh Schools
Jan 7, 2013
Confirmation of asbestos hazards in Welsh schools has been obtained following a Freedom of Information request submitted to Carmarthenshire County Council. The cost of removing asbestos from the local authority's 124 contaminated schools and reinstating the buildings could exceed £5.58 million. On January 15, the first meeting of an all-party group on asbestos will take place at the Welsh Assembly. A website launched in October 2012 provides useful information on the Asbestos in Schools campaign in Wales: Right to Know, Asbestos in Schools, Wales. See also: Asbestos present in majority of schools in Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea.
Appeal of 2012 Verdict
Jan 7, 2013
On February 14, 2013, in Courtroom 1 of the Turin Tribunal, appeal proceedings challenging the verdict in what has become known as the Great Asbestos Trial will begin. One year ago, three judges at this Court ruled that asbestos defendants Stephan Schmidheiny and Jean-Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, executives of corporations belonging to the Eternit Group of companies, were guilty of causing wilful permanent environmental disaster and failing to comply with safety rules as a result of which thousands of people died from asbestos-related diseases. For more information see: Asbestos in the Dock. Also see: Eternit & The Great Asbestos Trial.
Asbestos Conference in Bihar
Jan 3, 2013
A conference on environmental and occupational health was held in Patna, the capital of Bihar State on December 24 during which the threats posed by plans to build factories to manufacture asbestos-cement products in Vaishali and Bhojpur (Bihar) were highlighted. U.S. expert Dr. Barry Castleman told delegates that asbestos companies in India were guilty of "corporate crimes" and retired Judge Rekha Kumari called for the prosecution of asbestos criminals. Prof. Qamar Rahman was in no doubt that that the "safe use of asbestos" was impossible and that asbestos use should be banned. The Patna Declaration was adopted by the meeting (see also: photograph of conference).
Asbestos Ban
Jan 1, 2013
Government recommendations have been made to ban asbestos in Pakistan, a country which used an annual average of 11,770 tonnes of asbestos over recent years. At a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Human Resource Development on December 31, Parliamentarians voted to end asbestos use to safeguard workers' health. In addition, committee members decided upon a raft of actions to alert federal and regional authorities of the asbestos hazard. Citing national bans in 55 countries, experts had warned the politicians of the cancer and respiratory risk from exposure to all types of asbestos. See: NA body decides to recommend ban on asbestos.
Asbestos Ban Delayed
Dec 30, 2012
Industry stakeholders from Thailand and Russia have continued the pressure on the Thai authorities to delay introducing the implementation of measures to phase out the use of asbestos, according to members of the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (T-BAN). During the last week of December, T-BAN representatives participated in a ministerial meeting at which Ministry of Industry spokesmen supported the arguments of asbestos vested interests opposed to the ban. Another meeting will be held in January on this subject. T-BAN remains committed to the goal of ending the use of asbestos throughout the country by the end of 2013.
Mesothelioma risk from Joint Compound
Dec 30, 2012
A paper in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health documents links between U.S. exposure to drywall joint compound containing asbestos and mesothelioma – for a home remodeler, a maintenance worker and a family member, diagnosed in 2005, 2001 and 2000, respectively. The family member was the son of a man who used the compound at work as well as at home over an extensive period. The son contracted mesothelioma aged 32. The authors of this paper advise physicians treating mesothelioma patients to "obtain a history of exposure to these products during work or home remodeling." See: Mesothelioma associated with use of drywall joint compound.
Asbestos charges to be dropped?
Dec 19, 2012
Reports have appeared that, following a seven hour grilling last month by Investigating Judge Marie-Odile Bertella-Geffroy, the charges against Martine Aubry, a former leader of the French Socialist Party, are likely to be dropped. The case being progressed relates to the delays in government action on asbestos as a result of which thousands of French citizens were exposed to asbestos at work. Aubry, now the Mayor of Lille, has maintained that she is innocent of the allegations made against her of "involuntary manslaughter and causing bodily harm by negligence." See: Amiante: la mise en examen de Martine Aubry annulée?
British Asbestos News
Dec 18, 2012
The autumn issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The feature article in Issue 88, entitled Britain's Mesothelioma Epidemic, reports that mesothelioma fatalities have risen for the 20th year in a row. There were 2,347 deaths from mesothelioma in 2011. Other articles detail loopholes in the proposed mesothelioma protocol being floated by the Coalition Government and the high profile closure of a Welsh high school due to asbestos contamination. The news round-up includes details related to developments, publications and upcoming UK events. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 88.
Billion Dollar Asbestos Deficit
Dec 18, 2012
The findings of a new study reported in the Wall Street Journal (December 17) contain discouraging news for insurers about long tail asbestos liabilities. Actuaries warn that previous predictions had underestimated total asbestos-related costs by up to $11 billion. The asbestos shortfall could adversely impact on the financial prospects of major U.S. insurers amongst which is Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which has assumed billions of dollars of asbestos liabilities including those of various insurance syndicates from Lloyd's of London. See: U.S. insurers face $11 billion more in asbestos-related costs.
Asbestos Controversy in Northern India
Dec 17, 2012
The construction of an asbestos factory in Vaishala, a town in Bihar State, India is being met with stiff resistance from local people who allege that the required clearances obtained by Utkal Asbestos Limited have been secured through the provision of false information and without due process. Frustration regarding the imposition of this industrial site on the town boiled over yesterday (December 16) when villagers blocked the main road to the site and demolished a boundary wall as a result of which all building work has been suspended pending further discussions. See: Asbestos Factory Demolished in Vaishali.
Editorial: End of an Era
Dec 16, 2012
The current issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (2012 Vol. 18, No. 4) features an editorial by Canadian activist Kathleen Ruff commenting on recent developments leading to the cessation of 130 years of Canadian asbestos production. The author explores the ramifications – for Canadian taxpayers, former mining communities and international protocols – of the U-turns by the Governments in Quebec and Ottawa regarding asbestos, and pays particular attention to the likely impact on the 2013 meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention. See: Quebec and Canadian governments end their historic support of the asbestos industry.
IARC Controversy
Dec 13, 2012
A 12-page letter has today been sent to Dr. Christopher Wild, the Director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a WHO organization, raising the concerns of international medical and scientific experts and civil society representatives regarding IARC's "collaboration with the Russian promoters of asbestos or with institutes that have been cut off by WHO as collaborating centers." See: Letter to Dr. C. Wild, Director International Agency for Research on Cancer. The background to the controversial research projects has been discussed in two IBAS articles: What's Going on at IARC? and Chrysotile Industry Counteroffensive 2012.
Taking Asbestos Seriously!
Dec 12, 2012
Canadians are taking the threat posed by asbestos seriously. In Nunavut, the largest and northernmost territory, asbestos removal work is being done at Nakasuk Elementary School. Contractors have spent six weeks working through the evenings and weekends to decontaminate the premises to avoid interruptions to the school's timetable. As the project progressed, unforeseen discoveries entailed extra work as more asbestos-containing materials were found. As Barry Cornthwaite, from the Department of Education, explained: "Instead of having one sealift container of debris from the school, we're actually at five or six sealift containers full of debris." See: Asbestos cleanup almost complete at Iqaluit school.
Asbestos Removal at Christmas!
Dec 11, 2012
Work to remove asbestos from ten electricity substations in Sydney will proceed during the Christmas holidays according to the chief operating officer of Ausgrid, Trevor Armstrong; the clean-up is, he said, part of a rolling program for Ausgrid facilities. In November 2012, the electrical industry agreed to conduct an asbestos audit throughout New South Wales of all sub-stations following disclosures made by the Electrical Trades Union about the high incidence of asbestos-related disease amongst Ausgrid employees. The federal government has stated its intention to remove all asbestos from government and commercial buildings by 2030. See: Asbestos to be cleared from Sydney's Power stations.
Asbestos mining in Rajasthan
Dec 8, 2012
In a statement made on November 23, 2012 to the Indian Parliament, Minister of Mines Dinsha Patel said that plans were being progressed to recommence asbestos mining operations in Rajasthan. The Minister confirmed that draft guidelines for "appropriate safeguards" were being finalized, after which the granting of new asbestos mining licenses might be considered. This development is of immense concern to civil society stakeholders throughout India. A letter sent by IBAS to the Minister outlined the international consensus that the only way to protect human beings from dangerous exposures is to ban the mining, use and export of all forms of asbestos.
Asbestos Exposure of Brake Mechanics
Dec 8, 2012
Colombia is a country where the ban asbestos debate has yet to begin. In 2011, asbestos fiber imports to Colombia increased by 63% to 20,048 tonnes. Asbestos-containing brake linings and brake pads are "readily available" in Colombia. Sampling of airborne asbestos levels which was undertaken at brake repair shops in Bogota found "extremely high" concentrations of chrysotile asbestos according to a 2012 paper published in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene. The researchers suggest that these results indicate that brake mechanics "could be at an excess risk of asbestos-related diseases." See: Personal Exposures to Asbestos Fibers During Brake Maintenance of Passenger Vehicles.
Landmark Victory for Workers
Dec 6, 2012
On December 5, 2012 the Tokyo District Court held the Japanese Government liable for asbestos-related injuries sustained by construction workers exposed to asbestos as a result of the Government's failure to deal with the asbestos hazard. Judge Masamitsu Shiseki awarded the sum of ¥1 billion compensation to 308 Tokyo workers. A similar class-action lawsuit, the first of its kind to be filed, was lost at the Yokohoma District Court in May 2012. At least four similar actions are pending in regional courts. Japan did not begin to phase out the use of chrysotile asbestos until 2004. See: Tokyo court orders state to pay ¥1 billion to compensate asbestos victims.
Asbestos Dollars Fund Art Collection?
Dec 4, 2012
Exposing the links between the Daros Latin American Art Collection of Stephan Schmidheiny and the profits his family reaped from their asbestos stakeholdings, Colombian artist Guillermo Villamizar delves into the very heart of the 21st century world of art collecting. The author's curiosity about the origins of the Daros Collection was piqued by an exhibition held at the Art Museum of the National University in Bogota. Stephan Schmidheiny's philanthropy has, since his criminal conviction earlier this year by an Italian court, been the subject of much speculation and comment. See: Daros Latinamerica: Memorias De Un Legado Peligroso [Daros Latin America: Memoirs of A Dangerous Legacy].
Stephan Schmidheiny's Billions
Dec 3, 2012
According to the economic magazine "Bilanz," Stephan Schmidheiney's current assets are worth 3-4 bn Swiss Francs; his older, richer brother Thomas is believed to be worth up to 5 bn. The piece accompanying the picture of Stephan Schmidheiny is sympathetic to the heir of the poisoned chalice which was Eternit. Briefly alluding to his criminal conviction, it says that Schmidheiny is hoping to be acquitted. His art collection and work for the Avina Foundation are mentioned as is his pride in the accomplishments of his children one of whom is a successful businessman in Latin America while the other is a music producer. See: Extract from Bilanz magazine.
Jeffrey Asbestos Mine Closure
Dec 2, 2012
Jeffrey Mine President Bernard Coulombe has recently confirmed the mine shutdown, stating that underground operations have been abandoned and all mining equipment has been removed with only minimal maintenance services being provided. Press reports indicate that some interest has been expressed by scientists in using the now derelict site for research activities related to space exploration. According to Professor Ed Cloutis, a Canadian expert on planetary geology, there are areas of Mars that strongly resemble the terrain at the Jeffrey Mine. See: Mine Jeffrey en mode fermeture [Jeffrey Mine in closure mode] and La mine Jeffrey pourrait devenir un lieu de simulation martienne.
Asbestos Action in Wales
Nov 30, 2012
A statement released this week by Leighton Andrews, the Education Minister for the Welsh Government, endorses calls for asbestos audits of all schools. On Tuesday, Andrews stated: "I do not feel sufficiently assured at this stage that local authorities are discharging their statutory duties to manage asbestos and have sufficient plans in place. I intend to ask local authorities that they ensure that Head Teachers and Governing Bodies know and understand their obligations and duties in relation to legal requirements and that they are following guidance where provided…" See: Written Statement by Welsh Government.
Strategy to Derail UN Convention
Nov 28, 2012
News that an asbestos conference was being held in the Ukraine on November 21-22, 2012 led to widespread speculation regarding the ultimate purpose of that event. Any doubts about the nature of what took place in Kiev last week have been dispelled by the resolution adopted by the meeting. The text reveals that this "scientific conference" was a propaganda exercise mounted by asbestos lobbyists intent on forestalling United Nations action in 2013 to list chrysotile asbestos on Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention. Please read the attached text to verify that statement: (Draft) Resolution of the Kiev Conference. See also: Chrysotile Industry Counteroffensive 2012.
French Campaigner Honored
Nov 27, 2012
Ban asbestos activist Annie Thébaud-Mony was honored on Saturday for her "services to working people," when she received the prestigious Robert Tressell Award from the Construction Safety Campaign, a group representing British workers. The presentation was made by André Letouzé, a retired worker from the chemical industry and a long-time ban asbestos campaigner, at the Annual General Meeting of the Henri Pezerat Association. Annie, who was delighted to accept this award, had previously turned down the Legion of Honor, France's highest accolade, in protest at the government's "indifference" to industrial crimes and lack of funding for vital research.
IARC Undermining Public Confidence
Nov 26, 2012
A letter signed by scores of civil society representatives has been sent to Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization expressing disquiet over the participation by an IARC representative in a conference held in Kiev last week. "We believe that the purpose of this conference is to promote the continued use of chrysotile asbestos," the letter said. The authors of the letter voice concern over the fact that "IARC is collaborating with scientists who are the Russian asbestos industry's strongest defenders…" See: Letter to Margaret Chan and article: What's Going on at IARC?.
Ban Asbestos Demonstration
Nov 14, 2012
Today (November 14, 2012), the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (TBAN) campaign stepped up a gear with a well-supported demonstration in Bangkok by victims of occupational disease, members of consumer and worker groups and their supporters, outside the offices of the Ministry of Industry. It was an energetic display with banners and flowers which culminated in the presentation of a petition for an immediate asbestos ban to a civil servant representing Mr Prasert Boonchaisook, the new Thai Minister of Industry.
Asbestos Register of Public Buildings
Nov 14, 2012
The Saskatchewan Government has begun the process of uploading asbestos registers of public buildings. Currently, asbestos audits of 38 Regina health care facilities are available. Looking at last year's (2011) annual asbestos assessment for the Indian Head Hospital reveals the ubiquity of asbestos use. There are nearly 100 listings for asbestos-containing materials on this site. They range from asbestos sheet flooring, pipeline fittings and lineal pipeline insulation in the west crawlspace to asbestos wall board lining of the entire elevator shaft. Less detailed information is available on scores of other provincial public buildings. See: Saskatchewan Asbestos Register of Public Buildings.
Victims vs James Hardie Executives
Nov 13, 2012
As Australians watched a mini-series (Devil's Dust) on November 11 & 12, 2012 depicting the asbestos tragedies of generations of James Hardie workers, a decision was handed down which rubbed salt into the wounds of the victims and their family members. On November 12, a decision of the New South Wales Court of Appeal reduced penalties for former non-executive James Hardie directors who had been found guilty of breaching their corporate duties when they endorsed a press release alleging that a compensation scheme for asbestos victims had been fully funded; in fact, the scheme was about $1.3 billion short. See: Devil's Dust and The Australian report: Hardie directors' ban slashed.
Houston Workers Exposed to Asbestos
Nov 13, 2012
Sub-contracted workers employed to repair breakages in Houston's water supply system were exposed to asbestos contained in some 1,000 miles of underground asbestos-cement pipes while they carried out 200 emergency repairs last summer. Repair workers Luis Matute and Abraham Rodriguez told a journalist that they had neither been informed of the asbestos hazard nor been provided with protective clothing or respirators. When questioned about this situation, Houston's Public Works Director said that it was the responsibility of the contractor to ensure compliance with occupational safety laws. See: City contract workers exposed to asbestos while on the job.
Italian Prosecutor Calls for Ban
Nov 10, 2012
In an interview published in this week's edition of CartaCapital, a popular Brazilian weekly magazine, Raffaele Guariniello, the prosecutor in the Turin trial of former asbestos executives, said: "The history of asbestos is the history of human stupidity." Discussing the research on the health hazard of asbestos exposure which was conducted for the trial of Eternit officials Stephen Schmidheiny and Baron Louis Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, Guariniello said there was "overwhelming evidence" that asbestos causes cancer. "Nothing," he said "is more important than human health." Guariniello hoped that Brazil would be the next country to ban asbestos.
Action on Asbestos Hazard
Nov 9, 2012
An asbestos workshop is being held in Quezon City on November 12 by the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines. The aim of the day will be to "shape [a] new approach to responsibly phase out and ban asbestos and asbestos-containing materials in the Philippines." Building on the work already done on the ban campaign, including a Parliamentary ban asbestos bill, trade unionist and ban asbestos campaigner Gerard Seno said he hopes to seize this opportunity to revitalize and reorient efforts to end the use of asbestos in the Philippines. See: ALU-TUCP Grabs Unanticipated Opportunity for its Ban Asbestos Campaign in the Philippines.
Asbestos Arrest of Leading Politician
Nov 7, 2012
Martine Aubry, the former leader of the French Socialist Party, has been arrested over asbestos allegations. Investigating judge Marie-Odile Bertella-Geffroy, whose caseload focuses on health-related issues, has charged Aubry with "involuntary manslaughter and causing bodily harm by negligence" due to the government's passivity on asbestos in the 1980s. Yesterday Aubry appeared before Bertella-Geffroy during a seven hour hearing in Paris. Two other officials are being investigated as are asbestos industry personnel. French officials predict that asbestos could cause 100,000 deaths by 2025. See: French Socialist Party ex-chief probed.
Another City Moves to Ban Asbestos
Nov 6, 2012
This week by a vote of 26:7, the councilors of the City of Curitiba, capital of the Brazilian State of Paraná, voted in favour of a bill that would prohibit the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. Should this litigation become law, the greatest impact would be felt in the construction sector. The law must be approved by a second vote on November 7 and then receive the endorsement of the Mayor. In the absence of a federal ban, five states – São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco and Mato Grosso – have taken unilateral action and banned asbestos.
Update on Eternit Verdict
Nov 5, 2012
In a letter received from the Ministry of Labor, and copied to the Ministry of Justice, asbestos victims’ representatives and trade union campaigners involved in the Italian case against former asbestos executives have been informed of efforts being made to enforce the Turin Court’s judgment of February 2012 which found Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne guilty. The Italian authorities, having been in contact with legal staff at the Swiss and Belgian embassies, are actively progressing efforts to obtain legal translation into French, German and Flemish of the verdict as a prerequisite for further enforcement action. See: English translation of Italian Minister’s letter.
IBAS 2012 Educational Bursary
Nov 5, 2012
Dr. Abhijeet Jadhav (photo), recipient of the IBAS 2012 Educational Bursary, attended a national workshop on “Detection of Pneumoconiosis and use of ILO Classification 2000” on October 30-November 2, 2012 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. After two days of training, preliminary tests eliminated 20 of the 50 participants. Dr. Jadhav survived the cut and was privileged to take the final exam which consisted of reporting on 60 X-rays in three hours. The results of his efforts will be known in three months.
BBC Report on Asbestos in Schools
Oct 31, 2012
A half-hour program broadcast on BBC 1 in Wales last night (October 30, 2012) highlighted the serious issues revealed by the discovery of asbestos at Cwmcarn High School. Interviews with teachers, victims, parents, children, scientists, politicians, trade unionists and campaigners produced a damning indictment of government inaction in the face of a known problem: the extensive asbestos contamination of the Welsh educational infrastructure. The Welsh Local Government Association, the Health and Safety Executive, Public Health Wales and the Welsh Government Education Minister Leighton Andrews declined to take part in the filming. See: Week In, Week Out.
Italian Asbestos Conference
Oct 29, 2012
The agenda for an Italian asbestos conference on November 22-24, 2012 reflects key concerns of asbestos victims' representatives who have been working for over 30 years to expose the Italian epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. The participation of Italian Ministers of Health, the Environment and the Economy, and the presence of representatives of national institutions reflects the importance the Italian government has assigned to this issue. Areas of interest to be examined at the meeting in Venice include: epidemiology, pathology and clinical treatment of asbestos-related diseases, public health risk, asbestos removal and decontamination. See: Conference Agenda (in Italian).
Welsh School Closure
Oct 25, 2012
On October 15, a Welsh school was closed after asbestos was discovered in the main block. The 937 pupils from Cwmcam High School have now been told that from November 5 they will be taught at Coleg Gwent's campus in Ebbw Vale. The move of pupils and staff will cost the Caerphilly Council £1.4 million. If remediation is deemed possible, it will be many months before the Cwmcam students can return to their home base. Last week, Welsh education minister Leighton Andrews called for every local authority to provide information on asbestos in schools. See: Cwmcam school asbestos: Pupils to move to Ebbw Vale.
Update on Mesothelioma Research
Oct 23, 2012
The current newsletter of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD) includes an article entitled "20th Anniversary of Mesothelioma Cell Lines," which explores the efforts made by scientists in Western Australia to come to grips with the cancer "tsunami" amongst workers from the Wittenoom asbestos mine. In the vacuum which existed when they began - no cell lines, no antibodies, no tissue banks - the researchers had to start from scratch. Dr. Joost Lesterhuis, from the Netherlands, described their approach as follows: "I think the Australians have been very good at doing provocative research that goes against common scientific dogmas." See: NCARD Newsletter Vol 2, October 2012.
Defamation Suit Dropped
Oct 22, 2012
The defamation lawsuit brought in France by former asbestos multinational Eternit against lawyer Jean-Paul Teissonnière, a staunch defender of asbestos victims, has been dropped. Eternit took offense at comments Teissonnière made after an Italian Court sentenced former Eternit executives to 16 years in prison. After Eternit withdrew from the defamation case (October 12), his lawyer Slyvie Topaloff thanked supporters and said that before long it could be Eternit officials themselves who will be facing charges in France. Judge Marie-Odile Bertella-Geffroy is currently investigating the role of individuals in the country's asbestos epidemic. See: Ban Asbestos France Press release October 12, 2012.
Translation of Eternit Verdict
Oct 19, 2012
The asbestos victims' group from Casale Monferrato (AFEVA) has translated the substance of the (February 13, 2012) verdict in the criminal trial of former Eternit executives Marchienne Jean Louis de Cartier and Stephan Schmidheiny, in Turin. The defendants were convicted of causing wilful permanent environmental disaster and failing to comply with safety rules as a result of which thousands of Italians died from asbestos-related diseases. Schmidheiny and Marchienne were sentenced to 16 years in prison and ordered to pay 6,392 injured parties compensation estimated at more than €5million. See: abridged English translation and/or the original Italian version of the trial verdict.
New WHO Asbestos Resource
Oct 19, 2012
A publication was launched this week by the World Health Organization entitled: National Programmes for Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases:Review and Assessment. This document is based on a 2011 meeting convened by the WHO Centre in Bonn. Material in this 45-page monograph includes input from the meeting as well as information collected by the WHO about national asbestos situations. The report recognizes the "pivotal role" played by asbestos victims' support groups in "raising awareness and urging political commitments." Footnote 11 on page 17 illustrates the dissension of Russian delegates to the consensus that all types of asbestos should be banned.
Overturn of U.S. Asbestos Ban
Oct 18, 2012
Twenty-one years ago today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated the Asbestos Ban and Phase-out Rule (ABPR) drafted by the Environmental Protection Agency to "reduce the unreasonable risks presented to human health by exposure to asbestos." In the vacuum left by the demise of the ABPR, a further 300,000+ tonnes of asbestos fiber was used and vast amounts of asbestos-containing construction products, friction materials and assorted other asbestos-containing items were incorporated into the U.S. infrastructure. The political, commercial and public relations attack on the U.S. law was spearheaded by Canadian asbestos stakeholders. See: October 18, 2011: A Bloody Anniversary.
Activists Lobby Prime Minister
Oct 17, 2012
On Monday (October 15), representatives of the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (TBAN) urged officials from the Prime Minister's office to immediately ban the import, use and sale of asbestos. Although the Thai Government had announced plans to prohibit asbestos use in a government resolution issued on April 12, 2011, no steps have been taken to implement that decision. Since then, the Thai asbestos lobby has been exerting pressure on the government to allow a 5-year phase-out period. TBAN is calling on the government to honor its pledge to end all asbestos use within the coming months. See: Thailand: Update on Ban Asbestos Campaign and also picture of October 15 meeting.
Quebec ends Asbestos Support
Oct 11, 2012
News has been circulating in the French and English Canadian press that Quebec's new Premier has made good on her election promise to revoke the $58 million loan for development work on a new asbestos underground facility. The Quebec mine, in the Eastern Townships of Asbestos, was the last Canadian asbestos mine. No official announcement has been made regarding the precise details of the cancellation but yesterday a spokesperson for the Industrial Policy Minister of Quebec said the government will honor its pledge to cancel the loan. Jeffrey Mine President Bernard Coulombe has confirmed the mine will close. See: Quebec asbestos mine won't reopen, president says.
French Asbestos Scandal
Oct 10, 2012
The First Secretary of the French Socialist Party, Martine Aubry, may be indicted for her Government's failure to act on the asbestos hazard. Aubry was head of the Health and Safety Office of the Ministry of Employment during the 1980s when France's asbestos lobby dictated government policy. During her tenure as Minister of Labor, France used more asbestos per year than any other West European country. Aubry has been summoned to appear before Judge Marie-Odile Bertella-Geffroy who is investigating the role of individuals in the asbestos epidemic, including members of the asbestos lobbying group, the Permanent Committee on Asbestos. See: French Asbestos Scandal.
Post-Earthquake Hazard
Oct 10, 2012
Sampling done after the 2011 Japanese earthquake have revealed hazardous levels of asbestos contamination. The study, which was undertaken by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the Environment Ministry, at sites in Miyagi, Iwate, Fukushima, Tochigi, Ibaraki and other prefectures found 10.6 and 783.5 asbestos fibers per liter of air at 14 sites. The World Health Organization's safety limit is 10. The highest level, 783.5, was found at a hotel being demolished in Aoba Ward, Sendai where no attempt had been made to deal with the asbestos present in the building's exterior prior to demolition work commencing. See: Asbestos high in quake zone.
First Prize for Documentary
Oct 9, 2012
Film directors Niccolò Bruna and Andrea Prandstraller won first prize for their feature documentary "Dust: The Great Asbestos Trial" at the Baghdad International Film Festival this week. The film focuses on the 30-year fight for justice mounted by grassroots campaigners and trade unionists against the asbestos multinational: Eternit. Last month, this documentary won the prize for best film at the International Environmental Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro. See: Film Trailer and also the online book: Eternit and the Great Asbestos Trial.
European Parliament Asbestos Report
Oct 8, 2012
A "Draft Report on asbestos related occupational health threats and prospects for abolishing all existing asbestos" [2012/2605(INI)] has been presented by Member of the European Parliament Stephen Hughes to the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs in Brussels today. The Report is the product of months of research into European asbestos issues as well as an asbestos hearing before the Committee on September 18, 2012. Recommendations include support for the work of asbestos victims' support groups and EU lobbying "to label the asbestos market as a toxic trade." See: Draft Report on asbestos related occupational health threats and prospects for abolishing all existing asbestos.
Winner of 2012 IBAS Educational Bursary
Oct 8, 2012
It has been announced today that Dr. Abhijeet Jadhav, from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, has been awarded an IBAS Educational Bursary which will enable him to take part in the October 30-November 2, 2012 training workshop in New Delhi entitled: "Detection of Pneumoconiosis and Use of ILO Classification 2000." Making this announcement, IBAS Coordinator Laurie Kazan-Allen said: "Although I only met Dr. Jadhav last year, I have been impressed by his commitment to working with grassroots groups in Mumbai, Roro and Ahmedabad to support people affected by asbestos-related diseases. IBAS is proud to have the opportunity to assist Dr. Jadhav."
Recall for Chinese Cars
Oct 2, 2012
It was confirmed today that 12,000+ asbestos-contaminated Chery cars manufactured in China and sold in Brazil are being recalled by dealerships around the country. According to a company spokesman, Chery cars have also been recalled in Australia, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina and Singapore due to the presence of asbestos. The cars being recalled in Brazil include Tiggo and Cielo models, both hatchbacks and sedans. As Chery Automobile Co., China's biggest car exporter, shipped 160,200 vehicles overseas in 2011, there is no knowing where the next recall will be. See: Montadora chinesa faz recall de veículos que têm peças com amianto.
Death of TV Star Hebe Camargo
Oct 1, 2012
Hebe Camargo, called the “Queen of Brazilian Television,” died at home on Saturday, September 29, two years after having been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. As one of the pioneers of Brazilian TV, Hebe had received many awards and accolades for her work as a TV host and singer; she was featured in the prestigious Women of the Year Album, 2012 along with President Dilma Rousseff, Michele Obama and Labor Inspector Fernanda Giannasi. Following her chemotherapy, Hebe told fans “I hunger to live.” She was 83 years old. See: Brazilian Actress Hebe Camargo is Dead and Wikipedia: Hebe Camargo.
Call for Global Ban on Asbestos
Oct 1, 2012
The urgent need to implement a global ban on the mining, processing and use of asbestos is the focus of two editorials in the current issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (IJOEH). The articles (both free to view online) are entitled: "Call to action: epidemiologists assert themselves with scientific data" and "China and the US: asbestos in common." In the second editorial, Dr. Arthur Frank highlights the failure of the US to ban asbestos and the part played by Canadian vested interests in the propaganda war mounted by the asbestos lobby. See: IJOEH, September 3, 2012 Contents page.
The Killer Fiber
Sep 29, 2012
This month, the French translation of the Italian book "The Killer Fiber" was published. The author Giampiero Rossi, who also wrote the Wool of the Salamandar, again focuses on developments in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato, for decades home to the asbestos-cement operations of the multinational Eternit. The text of this book includes an update on the outcome of the 2012 trial brought by Casale's asbestos victims against Eternit directors as well as interviews with individuals intimately involved with the trial. Interviews with key campaigners in France are also included. See: The Killer Fiber [La Fibre tueuse].
Asbestos Focus at Scottish Parliament
Sep 29, 2012
A fortnight ago, Jackie Ballie, Member for Dumbarton of the Scottish Parliament, submitted a series of written questions [S4W-09682-685] regarding asbestos for Government consideration. The subjects raised included: the clinical treatment of pleural plaques, legislation to clarify deadlines for personal injury claims, the measurement of and proposals for dealing with asbestos contamination in schools and hospitals. Since devolution, asbestos has remained a priority subject for the Scottish Parliament; campaigning groups such as Clydeside Action on Asbestos and the Clydebank Asbestos Group continue to press for action. See: Scottish Parliament written questions lodged on 17 September 2012.
Parliamentary Debate on Asbestos Ban?
Sep 28, 2012
The first Private Member's bill on banning asbestos is due for consideration by the Canadian Parliament shortly. The motion presented by MP Francois Lapointe, a member of the New Democratic Party, calls for the ending of federal support for the asbestos industry as well as the cessation of the Canadian veto on listing chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous substance under the Rotterdam Convention protocol. The bill advocates "an industrial restructuring plan" affected communities, asbestos audits of all public buildings and an end to government support for the asbestos industry. See: Parliament of Canada Committee Report.
Quebec trip for European Activists
Sep 27, 2012
An article published on September 26 in La Tribune, a French language newspaper in Sherbrooke, Quebec, recorded news of the fact-finding trip of European ban asbestos campaigners Eric Jonckheere (Belgium) and Alain Bobbio (France) to Quebec. The activists are spending the week meeting activists and asbestos victims involved in the ban asbestos campaign in Canada. This weekend they will visit the mine which shipped asbestos fiber to the asbestos-cement factory where Eric's Father worked in Belgium. Their trip will culminate with participation in A Walk to Remember Victims of Asbestos in Sarnia, Ontario.
Media Blackout on Asbestos
Sep 27, 2012
A recent issue of CartaCapital, a popular and widely read Brazilian magazine, featured a cover story entitled: The Truth Under Your Roof. The striking skull and crossbones image on the magazine cover with the headline O amianta mata (mas o Brasil ignora) [in English: Asbestos Kills (but Brazil ignores it)], left the reader in no doubt as to author Rodrigo Martins' concern. His 3,000 word essay, which has been translated into English by the Brazilian trade organization Abifibro, highlights the deafening silence throughout the media regarding the asbestos hearings which took place at the Supreme Court in August 2012. See: A Perfect Day.
Government Cuts Affect Safety
Sep 26, 2012
A report published on the impact of Scottish cutbacks on occupational and environmental health is a damming indictment of the short-termism and skewed thinking at the heart of government decision-making. Deregulation will almost certainly add to the cost of looking after Scottish citizens injured through workplace accidents and exposures to toxic substances: work-related ill-health and injuries account for a quarter of Scotland’s health care costs. Lack of oversight and failure to prosecute guilty executives, such as has been done in Italy (see: Eternit and the Great Asbestos Trial) create a climate in which hazardous conditions will flourish. For the full report or executive summary See: Regulating Scotland website.
Unions call for just transition
Sep 26, 2012
Unionists in the Philippines today urged the authorities in Canada to recognize the plight of miners, rendered jobless by the withdrawal of regional and federal support for the asbestos industry, and implement measures to assure a just transition for the workers at the Jeffrey Mine. The call made by the Associated Labour Unions-Trade Union Congress highlighted the committed activism of civil society campaigners in Canada and abroad who worked so hard to expose the duplicity and immorality of Canada's asbestos industry. See: Labor group expresses concern over miners. Similar sentiments were expressed in the September 24th blog by the IBAS Coordinator.
Australian Mesothelioma Epidemic
Sep 23, 2012
The Australian Mesothelioma Registry Report (published: September 20, 2012) documents an ongoing asbestos cancer epidemic. Disease rates are predicted to increase at least until 2030. According to the Executive Summary the "job type with the highest exposure likelihood was construction and building trades, followed by electrical and related trades. The most common circumstance of non-occupational exposure was home renovation-related activities followed by car maintenance." One month ago, the Australian Government endorsed an asbestos management plan which delineated the measures needed to protect Australians from the asbestos hazard. See: Australia Asbestos-Free by 2030?.
International Day of Asbestos Victims
Sep 21, 2012
On October 12, 2012 an International Day of Asbestos Victims is being held by ANDEVA, the French Association of Asbestos Victims, in Paris. The location of this meeting, the Palais du Luxembourg, underscores the high level of political attention the asbestos issue has garnered in France. The Palais du Luxembourg is the seat of the French Senate, the body which in 2005 issued a damning indictment of the asbestos industry in a report: The Asbestos Drama in France. The agenda of the ANDEVA meeting includes speakers from Europe, North and Latin America, Asia and Australia. Other events taking place include a public rally and demonstration.
Recognition for Asbestos Workers
Sep 8, 2012
The National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), the only official Indian body authorized to diagnose and certify occupational diseases, has for the first time recognized cases of asbestosis in former asbestos miners from Rajasthan. Explaining the tortuous process undertaken to achieve this victory, Rana Sengupta of the Mine Labour Protection Campaign (MLPC) said: "It was a tough struggle to get the asbestos workers medically re-examined by NIOH and very difficult to get the reports from the NIOH." The MLPC is continuing to campaign on behalf of the injured and is pressing the government to undertake decontamination of affected areas. See: Report confirms asbestosis.
UK Asbestos News
Sep 8, 2012
The summer issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. The feature article in Issue 87 is a comprehensive report of the annual Parliamentary asbestos seminar which took place on June 27. Amongst the panel of speakers taking part in the three-hour session were Barrister Krishnendu Mukherjee (India), Epidemiologist Alex Burdorf (the Netherlands) and Ban Asbestos Campaigner Kathleen Ruff (Canada). Also included in this issue of the newsletter is an article by Michael Lees which exposes the uninsurability of asbestos exposure risks in British schools as well as news of developments, publications and future events. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 87.
Eternit Attacks Victims' Lawyer
Sep 6, 2012
Lawyer Jean-Paul Teissonniere is appearing in a Paris court today to face charges of defamation brought by an infamous asbestos company: Eternit-France. This renowned defender of asbestos victims is being sued for comments he made comparing the behaviour of Eternit-France to Eternit in Casale, Italy. In February 2012, two former Eternit directors responsible for the operations of the Casale asbestos-cement factory were sentenced to 16 years in prison for their role in the asbestos-related deaths of thousands of Italian citizens. Trade unionists, asbestos victims and ban asbestos campaigners are rallying to support the beleaguered legal champion. See: Teissonniere Supporters' Sep 6, 2012 Press Release.
"Medical asbestos" caused mesothelioma
Sep 5, 2012
Labor authorities in Yamaguchi, Japan have recognized the first case of mesothelioma caused by occupational exposure to asbestos-contaminated talc used on surgical gloves. Nurse Mitsue Kawamura, 52 years old, was exposed from 1981 to 1985 when working at a medical clinic. While this is the first such case arising from occupational exposure to toxic gloves of a medical professional, 15 cases have been recognized by the Japanese authorities for people exposed to the asbestos-contaminated talc in the production of rubber goods. In 2006, Japan banned the use of talc with a content of over 0.1% asbestos. See: Labor office recognizes ex-nurse suffered tumor after inhaling asbestos.
Cancer Organization Calls for Ban
Sep 4, 2012
The Union for International Control of Cancer (UICC) issued a call for a global ban on the mining, use and export of asbestos at the end of the (August 27-30) 2012 World Cancer Congress. It was ironic that the opportunity for affirmative action was a meeting in Canada, formerly the world's most prolific producer of asbestos. During the August 28th Asbestos session, speakers Kathleen Ruff and Yeyong Choi pressed the UICC to act on the asbestos hazard. Terry Slevin, who chaired the session, told journalists that the link between exposure to asbestos and cancer was indisputable. See: The Union for the International Control of Cancer calls for a global ban on asbestos.
Poll Supports Asbestos-free Target
Sep 4, 2012
A poll commissioned by the Australian Council of Trade Unions reveals huge public support for federal government action to make Australia asbestos-free by 2030. Two thirds of respondents agreed that asbestos is an Australian public health problem and 90% said that they would reconsider buying a house should asbestos products be present. Almost a decade after Australia banned asbestos, the country's past consumption of asbestos continues to cause many deaths from non-occupational as well as workplace exposures. See: Australians overwhelmingly want government action to remove asbestos from homes and schools: poll.
PQ Promises to Revoke $58 m Loan
Aug 29, 2012
Quebec's official opposition party, the Parti Québécois (PQ), yesterday announced that it will annul the $58 million government loan given by the Charest Government to the Jeffrey Asbestos mine if it wins the upcoming provincial election. The PQ which had until recently been a staunch supporter of Quebec's asbestos industry believes that this money should be used for the diversification of the economy of the asbestos mining region. It is expected that the PQ will win the September 4 election and form the next Quebec government. See: The Government of the Parti Québécois will annul $58 million loan to the Jeffrey Mine (in French) and Important Victory in Quebec.
Trade Union Supports Ban
Aug 26, 2012
A statement released this weekend by CUT, Brazil's biggest trade union, supports a Brazilian asbestos ban as a "matter of public health and human rights." Referencing the landmark 2012 Italian verdict which convicted Eternit executives of the asbestos deaths of workers and members of the public, CUT highlighted the role played by trade unions in exposing the impact of asbestos on workers' health and called on the Supreme Court to take action. At CUT's Annual General Meeting (July, 2012), a motion was approved supporting state asbestos bans and asserting that the use of asbestos in Brazil was unconstitutional. See: Banning Asbestos: A Matter of Public Health and Human Rights.
Mesothelioma Incidence Rising
Aug 26, 2012
Figures from Israel's Ministry of Health reveal that the incidence of lung cancer and mesothelioma in Nahariya, a town home to an asbestos-cement factory from the 1950s until 1997, is 10 times the national average. The usage of asbestos in Israel peaked between 1976 and 1978, with a national ban being imposed on March 28, 2011; before then a de facto ban had existed for several years. Between 1980 and 2007 the rate of mesothelioma in Israel increased from 1.3 to 8.8 cases per million people; according to a report published in 2011, Israel has the second highest mesothelioma death rate in Asia (here including Eastern Mediterranean countries). See: The Definite Link between Asbestos and Lung Cancer.
Supreme Court Asbestos Hearings
Aug 25, 2012
On August 24, 2012, the first of two days' of public hearings on asbestos took place in the Supreme Court. The subject has divided government opinion with the Ministries of Heath, Environment and Social Welfare advocating a ban and the Ministries of Development, Industry, Foreign Trade and Mines supporting the status quo. Guilherme Franco Netto from the Ministry of Health said: "It is scientifically proven that the product is carcinogenic and that Brazil has technology and raw materials to replace it." Cláudio Scliar from the Ministry of Mines and Energy disagreed, saying: "the controlled and safe use of chrysotile asbestos type is viable." See: Tomorrow in Brasilia.
Hypocrisy in Parliament
Aug 25, 2012
Even as asbestos removal work continues in the Houses of Parliament this Summer, government advice remains that asbestos-containing products contaminating the majority of the country's schools should be left in place; damaged asbestos materials should be removed, an expensive task for financially hard-pressed educational institutions. The funding of the work in Parliament, however, does not seem to be a problem with substantial sums having been earmarked to make the Palaces of Westminster safe for Ministers and politicians. See: Presentation to the Commons & Lords Management Boards 2008 and House of Lords Administration and Works Committee Document July 2012.
"Shocking" Report from India
Aug 20, 2012
In a Parliamentary Adjournment Speech made on August 16, 2012, MP Lisa Singh informed colleagues in Canberra of the "potentially massive public health problem," caused by ongoing asbestos consumption in India. During recent meetings with ban asbestos campaigners in New Delhi including representatives of the Mine Labour Protection Campaign and the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India, MP Singh was informed of the "indisputable" threat to future generations posed by the import, processing and use of raw asbestos and asbestos products and the environmental devastation caused by asbestos mining in India. See also: online video of MP Singh's speech.
Support Provided by Local Groups
Aug 15, 2012
The August/September 2012 newsletter of the Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team (DAST) provides evidence of the incredible work done by UK asbestos victims' support groups. Not only do these groups keep victims updated on developments in the benefits system, medical treatment and legislative regimes but they also play an active role in trying to ensure that schemes adopted in the UK are tailored to meet the needs of those affected by asbestos-related diseases. Fund-raising initiatives are incredibly important; they raise public awareness, provide a purpose for social interaction and generate much-needed money for research. See: Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team Newsletter.
Asbestos in Chinese Cars
Aug 14, 2012
A scandal involving the import to Australia of 25,000 budget cars from China that contain asbestos-containing material in engines and exhaust gaskets has been exposed today. Tainted Chery and Great Wall cars have been on sale in Australia since 2009. The importer of these cars, Ateco Automotive, is expected to announce a recall within days. Ateco says it had "written assurances" that the vehicles purchased complied with the Australian ban on asbestos. This is not the first time that China has shipped asbestos-contaminated products to countries which have banned asbestos; questions are now being asked about the Chinese supply chain. See: Exclusive: Chinese car asbestos scare.
Noose Tightens on Asbestos Use
Aug 13, 2012
As Thailand continues on the road to a national asbestos ban, the Consumer Protection Board (CPB) today announced that stricter requirements are being implemented on the labelling of asbestos-containing products. In 2009 the CPB ordered that items containing asbestos must be labelled; one year later, CPB rules were tightened when it mandated cancer warnings on these products. A legal complaint filed by manufacturers over this requirement was dismissed by the court last week. There is mounting support from the public, academics and trade unions in Thailand for a national asbestos ban. See: Consumer board requires stricter asbestos labelling.
Asbestos on Military Ships
Aug 10, 2012
The Public Prosecutor's office in Turin which pioneered the landmark case against executives from the Eternit Group for Italian asbestos deaths is now investigating 318+ cases of mesothelioma amongst naval personnel who were exposed to asbestos present in armored vehicles and ships. It is alleged that knowing the danger of asbestos exposure to human health, action should have been taken to protect service personnel by chiefs of staff, military health officers and health inspectors. The injured were exposed to asbestos from 1981 onwards on 100 naval ships or in vehicles, many of which have still not been decontaminated. See: Amianto nelle navi military.
Landmark case: partial success
Aug 9, 2012
A precedent was set on August 7 by the Kobe Court which recognized that a mesothelioma death had been caused by environmental exposure. Asbestos from the Kubota Corporation's Amagasaki plant was responsible for the death of Kojiro Yamauchi who, for 20 years, had worked at a factory 200 meters away. His family was awarded 32 million yen (US$406,744) from Kubota but a case brought against the Government failed. The Kobe Court denied compensation to the family of mesothelioma victim Ayako Yasui who had lived within 1.5 km of the same Kubota factory for 35 years. See: Kubota ruled liable for asbestos death.
Court Censures Asbestos Lobbyists
Aug 7, 2012
Court orders issued this week have upheld complaints by Senior Labor Inspector Fernanda Giannasi, the leader of the Latin American campaign to ban asbestos, against Brazilian asbestos stakeholders who have consistently disseminated outrageous and untrue statements about her work and professional competence. The defendants, the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute (IBC), the asbestos mine workers' trade union and freelance journalist Luiz Carlos Bordoni, in the civil case brought by Ms. Giannasi have been ordered to remove offensive remarks about her from websites and blogs within 15 days. Failure to do so will attract daily fines of $2500.
Ban Asbestos Campaigner Says "Non!"
Aug 6, 2012
The news was released on August 5th that veteran ban asbestos campaigner and one of France's leading researchers on occupational health, Dr. Annie Thebaud-Mony, has refused her country's highest honor, the "Legion d'Honneur," in protest at government inaction over occupational health. Explaining this decision, Dr. Thebaud-Mony wrote that she wanted to "challenge the impunity that until now has protected those who carry out industrial crimes." In a letter she sent to a government minister, she commented "My act is intended as a call for citizens, but also for parliament to act, for the respect of basic rights to life, health and dignity…" See: Top researcher snubs French honour over "industrial crimes".
Compensation Changes in Tasmania
Aug 6, 2012
The Attorney-General of the Australian state of Tasmania is working to increase access to compensation for asbestos victims by extending the period during which a legal action can be brought: from 3 to 6 years from the date of diagnosis. According to Susan Wallace, Chief Executive of Asbestos-Free Tasmania, the implementation of other amendments to the Civil Liability Act, 2002 would also be of benefit to sufferers of asbestos-related diseases. There are serious concerns in Tasmania about the risks posed by asbestos to home renovators and backyard builders as well as the dangers from the unregulated and unsafe disposal of asbestos debris. See: Push for asbestos justice.
Town Hall Asbestos Contamination
Aug 3, 2012
UK authorities have launched an investigation into asbestos exposure at a London town hall. Despite decades of knowledge about the presence of asbestos in the basement of the Waltham Forest Town Hall, officials continued to store thousands of documents and archives in cellar storerooms. It is believed that three types of asbestos have been found in the basement, including crocidolite. The alleged "breach of health and safety regulations" by the Waltham Forest Council is part of an investigation by officials from the Health and Safety Executive who are considering whether there has been a "failure to manage the control of asbestos." See: Waltham Forest: HSE to investigate town hall asbestos 'risks.'
Scientists Call for Asbestos Ban
Aug 2, 2012
A paper entitled "Elimination of asbestos use and asbestos-related diseases: An unfinished story," has just become available on the website of Cancer Science, the official journal of the Japanese Cancer Association. The authors call for a "stop to the use of all asbestos," as the most effective way of reducing the burden of asbestos-related diseases, and urge the international community to "promote worldwide cooperation involving countries with a wide range of experiences in asbestos… (to bring) together complementing technologies and experiences to match the varied needs of the beneficiaries." See: Elimination of asbestos use and asbestos-related diseases: An unfinished story.
International Court for Industrial Crimes
Aug 1, 2012
The 2nd meeting of an NGO called "Interforum," an association of lawyers from Europe, Asia and the Americas concerned with exposing global corporate crime, will be held in Turin on September 28 & 29 in collaboration with the International Academy for Environmental Sciences. Interforum is working to establish an international criminal court for industrial crimes. Cases under consideration include actions related to the operations of the Eternit Asbestos Group in India and Peru. At the Interforum meeting in February 25, 2012, Italian Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello, involved in the trial of Eternit executives, made a presentation. See: Processo amianto docet! Contro i crimini industriali.
Interview with Professor Colin Soskolne
Aug 1, 2012
In a blistering five minute interview, Professor Colin Soskolne exposes the "utter deception" practiced by the Canadian asbestos industry and its supporters in Quebec and Ottawa. There is "no controversy" amongst epidemiologists he says: asbestos is a killer and should be banned. The double standards operated by Canada which is simultaneously removing asbestos from its own buildings and exporting chrysotile asbestos to developing countries is a national scandal. The fact that the Canadian Government has blocked international efforts to tackle the global asbestos epidemic is deplorable. Listen: Interview with Colin Soskolne. See also: Warrior Scientists.
European Court to Hear Asbestos Cases
Jul 30, 2012
It was announced today that a case brought by 20 shipyard workers from Malta will be heard by the European Court of Human Rights. The claimants, all of whom have asbestos-related conditions, are seeking compensation from the Maltese Government which owned the Malta Shipyards from 1968 to 2003. It is alleged that the Government did not implement measures to protect the workers and did not warn them of the dangers of asbestos exposure. Lawyer Juliette Galea argues that the men were "constantly, heavily exposed" to asbestos at work even though the government had a "positive obligation" to protect them. See: Human rights court to hear asbestos case.
Asbestos Lobbyists Exposed!
Jul 27, 2012
In the Position Statement on Asbestos by the Joint Policy Committee of the Societies of Epidemiology bodies exposed as asbestos industry fronts include: the Canadian, Russian and Brazilian Chrysotile Institutes. Other asbestos lobbying groups named are: the Asbestos Cement Products Manufacturers Association of India, the Mexican Institute of Fibro Industries, the Vietnam National Roof Sheet Association, the Thai Chrysotile Information Center, the Ukrainian Chrysotile Corporation, the Chrysotile Asbestos Cement Products of Sri Lanka, the Fibre Association of Colombia, the Asbestos Information Centre of India and the Asbestos Association of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. See: Position Statement.
Canadian High Commission Protest
Jul 26, 2012
Labor health activists and trade unionists held a protest today at the Canadian High Commission, Delhi to express outrage at the use of public money to revive the Canadian asbestos industry. Trade unionist Anup Srivastava said: "At a time when countries in the west are counting dead bodies and grappling with the increased number of asbestos-caused cancers, it is indeed a scandal that Premier Charest has decided to be so generous to the industry." Indian businessmen and politicians collude with global asbestos stakeholders to profit from the exploitation of a known carcinogen, endangering countless Indian citizens. See: Petition to Quebec Premier and Canadian Prime Minister.
New Support for Mesothelioma Sufferers
Jul 25 2012
The UK Government announced that from today people diagnosed with mesothelioma will be able to make a claim on a new support scheme which will supplement compensation provided by employers' liability insurance policies and existing government benefits. The insurance industry funded scheme will provide a total of £300m over the coming decade for claimants unable to trace a negligent employer or their insurer. Due to the need to enact primary legislation, no payments are expected until July 2014. The scheme has had a mixed reception from asbestos victims' groups. See: 25 July 2012 - £300m support for future mesothelioma victims and Comments by the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum.
Latest Asbestos Trade Data
Jul 24, 2012
The United States Geological Survey is widely regarded as the authoritiave source for data on the global asbestos trade. On July 23, 2012, information became available which revealed that while overall the levels of asbestos consumption and production worldwide remained stable at around 2 million tonnes, there were some surprising developments: a 12% increase in Brazilian asbestos production was dwarfed by a 33% rise in domestic consumption; annual asbestos usage fell by 24% in India; consumption increased by 11% and 4% respectively in Indonesia and China. In 2011 Asian asbestos markets accounted for 64% of global use, a fall from 69% in 2010.
Canadian Staff Block Indonesia Protest
Jul 23, 2012
On July 18, 2012, Indonesians concerned about the implications of Quebec's new asbestos mine planned to express their disapproval by submitting a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Harper and Quebec Premier Charest to the Canadian Embassy in Jakarta. They had also intended to make a visual manifestation of their outrage at this development by displaying posters and banners in front of the Embassy. They were prevented from doing so by police and Canadian Embassy security guards who chased them away and deleted photos which had been taken in front of the Embassy. See: letter to Quebec Premier Jean Charest and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Good, News, Bad News
July 23, 2012
New Zealand's "no-fault" government compensation scheme for asbestos-related diseases, frequently praised by asbestos defendants around the world, had in fact for years deprived claimants of reasonable compensation until a High Court verdict in 2006 enabled lump-sum payments of $100,000 or more to be made. Since then, a total of $100 million has been paid out to hundreds of claimants. In the face of the extent of New Zealand's asbestos tragedy it is surprising that the country has not yet banned asbestos products. As recently as 2011 a letter from the Environment Minister dismissed such a move as unnecessary at that time. See also: Asbestos ruling a relief for widows.
Update from Iran
Jul 23, 2012
As a result of efforts by medical practitioners in Iran, awareness of the asbestos hazard is increasing amongst government officials, civil servants and members of the medical profession. Earlier this year an asbestos-cement factory in Tehran ceased production of asbestos-cement building materials. In recent weeks a medical-legal committee met to consider the case of a worker from this factory who died of lung cancer in 2010. This fatality has now been recognized as an occupationally-related cancer; it is hope that the deceased's family will be able to claim compensation. From 2008-2010, Iran used an average of 31,826 tonnes of asbestos per year. See: Iran Campaign to Ban Asbestos.
Asbestos Risk to Children
Jul 20, 2012
Last week (July 12) the UK Committee on Carcinogenicity met to consider the Relative Vulnerability of Children to Asbestos. The agenda of the meeting and the papers submitted for its consideration, which discuss asbestos levels in buildings, the comparative differences of immunity in children and adults, available literature on the comparative differences between juvenile and adult asbestos exposure and the effect of children's age and life expectation on mesothelioma risk, can be accessed online. See: July 12 Agenda and July 12 Papers.
Asbestos Trade Condemned by Senator
Jul 19, 2012
Criticism of Quebec's new asbestos mine was today voiced on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The feature highlighted double standards which allow Canada to profit from exporting a substance too deadly to be used at home. Calling for leadership from her government, Australian Senator Lisa Singh said "Australia and other developed nations like the EU nations… need to put that pressure onto Canada and make sure that they stop this absolutely appalling trade." Ms. Singh has just returned from a trip to India where she met ban asbestos campaigners like Mohit Gupta who accuse Quebec of "a total disregard for human life." See: Calls for Canada to ban asbestos exports to India.
Indian Victims Go To Delhi
Jul 18, 2012
On July 16, 2012, a delegation of 10 mineworkers travelled 400+ miles to meet government occupational health officials in Delhi. This act of desperation by people from a remote tribal hamlet in Rajasthan was necessary because "so-called medical treatment" in Udaipur had been inadequate and untimely. Medical tests begun a year ago on 88 patients suspected of having asbestos-related diseases have not been completed. The Delhi authorities promised that the additional tests required by these patients will be carried out between July 23 and August 23. This initiative was a result of the work of the Mine Labor Protection Campaign. See: It's a long wait for ailing miners.
Quebec Mine a Global Concern
Jul 18, 2012
During last week's Prime Minister's question time (July 11), David Cameron confirmed UK opposition to asbestos use anywhere in the world and promised to raise the issue of Quebec's new asbestos mine with the World Health Organization (WHO) during a meeting scheduled that afternoon. That this was done has been confirmed by a reliable source who said that Cameron spoke about this matter with Dr. Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the WHO; as a result of that conversation, Dr. Chan pursued further discussions related to asbestos with high-level WHO officials. See: Hansards July 11, 2012.
Asbestos Prohibition for Korean Ships
Jul 16, 2012
A technical information sheet issued by the Republic of Korea on June 25, 2012 confirmed the prohibition of the new use of all asbestos-containing products on South Korean ships. The 15-page guideline (No. 2012-IMO-07), signed by Kim Kyu-seob, Executive Vice President of the Statutory Survey Division of the Korean Register of Shipping, contains compliance advice for surveyors, regulatory administrators, ship owners/managers and ship builders for the construction of all types of new ships as well as repairs on existing ships.
Medics Call for Global Ban
Jul 15, 2012
The International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) has called for a comprehensive and global ban on all asbestos operations, including the mining, export, processing and sale of all types of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. "To accomplish the elimination of asbestos-related diseases, we urge each and every individual country to implement a total ban on production and use of asbestos." The statement, which was developed through extensive consultation, has been approved by the ICOH Board and NGO representatives and signed by the ICOH President Dr. Kazutaka Kogi. See: ICOH Statement: Global Asbestos Ban and the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases.
Victory for villagers!
Jul 15, 2012
On July 12, local people in Odisha won their campaign to shut down the operations of a new asbestos-cement factory when the district administrator ruled that permission for the construction of the plant had been obtained illegally in 2010 by Visaka Asbestos Industries. Following investigations by local authorities, the "no objection certificate," which had been previously been granted to Visaka was cancelled due to the threat to public health presented by the use of asbestos at the factory and the opposition from local residents to the factory which was cited 500 metres from the village. See: Odisha village wins case against Visaka Industries' asbestos plant.
Opposition to Quebec's New Mine
Jul 15, 2012
A letter to Canada's Ambassador to the Philippines from the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress expressed "deep dismay" at the use of public money in Quebec to generate production of asbestos exports to Asia. Ban asbestos activist Gerard Seno said that the $58 million of taxpayers' money for a new asbestos mine will allow "the unimpeded flow of cancer-causing raw and asbestos-containing materials into the unwitting Philippine general population." This will undermine a long-standing campaign to protect workers and the public from hazardous exposures; every day, three million workers are exposed to asbestos in the Philippines. See: Labor group chides Canada for funding asbestos mine.
Parliament Reacts to Quebec's New Mine
Jul 15, 2012
On July 11, 2012, MP Jim Dobbin, addressing the House of Commons, referenced the news that the Quebec Government had handed over $58 million of government finance to develop new underground asbestos mining facilities in Quebec. Pointing out that the asbestos from the mine was destined for markets in developing countries, he asked whether the Prime Minster will "oppose this quite outrageous decision." In his response, David Cameron cited the asbestos ban in the UK and EU and said: "We are totally opposed to its [asbestos] use anywhere and would deplore its supply to developing countries." See: Hansards text of this interchange. See also: New Asbestos Mine in Quebec.
Phased Asbestos Ban in Taiwan
Jul 15, 2012
A new schedule has been announced by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency for the phased elimination of all asbestos use to reduce the risk of occupational and public exposure to asbestos. The only four remaining legal uses of asbestos in Taiwan are the manufacture of: cement composite hollow panels and construction sealants (to be banned as of August 1, 2012), roofing tiles (to be banned as of February 1, 2013) and brake linings (to be banned as of July 1, 2018). According to the EPA, these prohibitions are being adopted to reduce the risk of occupational and environmental exposure to asbestos. See: EPA Announces Schedule for Full Ban on Asbestos.
Mesothelioma from 1995 Earthquake
Jul 9, 2012
On Friday (July 6), the Akashi Municipal Government announced that an employee who had assisted with the clean-up after the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake has been diagnosed with mesothelioma. The earthquake affected Kobe, Awaji, Ashiya and Nishinomiya and their surrounding areas. The 40-year-old man, a member of the Akashi environment division, handled waste for up to four months after the disaster. It is anticipated that he will file a claim for public workers' compensation, which is likely to be the first mesothelioma claim by a civil servant exposed to asbestos as a result of this disaster. See: Kobe earthquake rubble handler develops cancer and IBAS publication Killing the Future (p 24).
Experts Confirm Asbestos Risk
Jul 7, 2012
Australian experts commissioned to assess the situation in the Ile Perseverance Housing Project on Mahé, the largest island of the Seychelles, have confirmed the presence of chrysotile asbestos in "certain portions of the site, houses and the soil." The Australians have identified the areas affected and made suggestions regarding decontamination in "areas where there is a potential of fibres to become airborne…" The principal secretary of housing Yves Choppy, speaking at a press conference with experts Ross Nefodov and Thomas Lobsey, said that work at the Ile Perseverance site had stopped until the clean-up had been completed. See: Experts complete tests on asbestos-tainted houses and Seychelles Asbestos Scandal.
Thailand's Asbestos Parasites
Jul 5, 2012
Calls for a further 5-year delay in implementing an asbestos ban, already approved by the Government, have been reported in a Bangkok Post article. Using a standard industry ploy, commercial stakeholders are demanding "more detailed studies," to create confusion and forestall restrictions on asbestos sales. In light of the rearguard action to derail the ban, it is no surprise to learn that Ulan Global Marketing Co. Ltd. is the major investor in a new Quebec asbestos mine, owning 50% of the shares. Thai asbestos investors must have more than a little inkling that asbestos use will continue in Thailand for the foreseeable future. See: Thailand's Asbestos Liars.
Protest at Canadian Embassy
Jul 3, 2012
Members of the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea took part in a colourful protest today outside the Canadian Embassy in Seoul. Wearing vests made out of sacks from the Quebec LAB chrysotile mine and holding signs calling for the banning of asbestos, asbestos victims and family members expressed their outrage at the $58 million government assistance being given to develop a new asbestos mine in Quebec. The age range of the demonstrators, from 19 to 70, reveals the wide range of support that this issue has in Korea. See: Stop Canada, Death Export.
Asbestos Orphan Condemns New Mine
Jul 2, 2012
As fireworks erupted over Parliament Hill, Ottawa on July 1 to mark 145 years of history on Canada Day, at home and abroad members of civil society have been reacting to the news that Quebec will hand over $58 million to fund a new asbestos facility at the Jeffrey Chrysotile Mine. Commenting on the celebrations in Asbestos, Quebec over the green light for the mine, Heidi von Palleske, who lost both parents to asbestos cancer, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: "They are partying on the blood of my parents and on the grief of asbestos victims." See: End the Export of Canadian Cancer.
Asbestos, Political Hot Potato
Jul 1, 2012
There is a high level of public concern regarding the risk posed to Australians from the presence of asbestos-containing products within the national infrastructure. Last week, a citizens' group went to Canberra to press senior politicians on a plan to, amongst other objectives, decontaminate all public buildings by 2030. The fact that more than 30% of all Australian homes contain asbestos poses a demonstrable risk to construction workers and DIY renovators; a new awareness initiative was launched on June 29 by Bill Shorten, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. See: Calls for national asbestos plan to halt spread of disease and DIY renovators warned of asbestos risk.
Legal victories for asbestos victims
Jun 30 2012
On June 28, a lawsuit on behalf of the families of 5 former workers who died of lung cancer or mesothelioma succeeded when the Kobe District Court ordered Nippon Express Co. to pay a total of 137 million yen (US $1.7M) for neglecting to protect workers from the asbestos hazard. Four of the families had previously sued another defendant (Kubota); that case was settled in March with the company paying 10 million yen (US $125,290) for each death. The other victory was in an administrative case relating to an asbestos-related lung cancer fatality brought against the government in Tokyo District Court.
Launch of Mesothelioma Tissue Bank
Jun 28, 2012
The Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Tissue Bank - Mesobank - was launched in the House of Commons today by the British Lung Foundation (BLF) and the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund (MKMRF). Mesobank is Europe's first mesothelioma tissue bank. The short-term aim of the project is to "establish a tissue collection of mesothelioma tumours supported by a detailed clinical information database"; the long-term aim is to "unlock the secrets of mesothelioma," and find new treatments. After today's launch, representatives from 14 medical facilities met for the first time to delineate the way forward for the researchers. See photo: Dame Helena Shovelton (BLF) and Chris Knighton (MKMRF).
Proceedings against Eternit Executives
Jun 26, 2012
Today, a court in Paris relaunched a criminal investigation of 6 former Eternit executives, including Joseph Cuvelier, Director of the French asbestos-cement giant (1972-1994). Judge Bertella-Geffroy reversed a lower court's decision that had stayed proceedings against the executives; as a result it is likely that action for the asbestos-related deaths of 23 employees and involuntary injuries to 10 employees will commence next year. Like the previous Italian trial of Eternit executives which handed down guilty verdicts in February 2012, this case has been brought not by the injured parties but by the Public Prosecutor. See: La cour de cassation relance le dossier pénal de l'amiante.
Surgical Progress on Mesothelioma?
Jun 24, 2012
Details of radical surgical procedures conducted by thoracic surgeon Joseph S. Friedberg and his team at the University of Pennsylvania on pleural mesothelioma patients were published last month in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. More than 70% of the 25 patients treated were alive two years after surgery, including four who had survived post-op for five years. The surgery, which takes fourteen hours, involves stripping out the cancer while protecting the lung; laser light therapy is used to kill off residual malignant cells. See: Radical Pleurectomy and Intraoperative Photodynamic Therapy for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma and Penn surgeon makes headway against a rare lung cancer.
Supreme Court Upholds Award
Jun 22, 2012
South Australia's Supreme Court upheld a lower court judgment earlier this week and awarded exemplary damages of $20,000 to an asbestosis claimant who was negligently exposed to asbestos whilst employed by BHP Billiton Ltd. at its Whyalla shipbuilding yard in the early 1970s. According to the decision of Chief Justice John Doyle and Justice Richard White, BHP knew or should have known of the risk to William Parker; that the company did not take steps to protect him from hazardous exposures warrants an award of exemplary damages. See: BHP BILLITON LIMITED v PARKER [2012] SASCFC 73 (18 June 2012).
Asbestos Toxic Tour 2012
Jun 21, 2012
"The Future We Want is Asbestos-Free" was the title of a workshop held during the Rio+20 People's Summit on June 15. Representatives of civil society groups from Brazil led discussions amongst American, European and Asian delegates regarding the challenge represented by on-going global asbestos consumption. In the run-up to this event, a demonstration had taken place outside the Eternit asbestos-cement factory in the Guadalupe area of Rio de Janeiro where hundreds of workers are still processing asbestos on a daily basis. A full report on the Asbestos Toxic Tour 2012 is underway.
Award for British Mesothelioma Widow
Jun 21, 2012
The work of Chris Knighton, whose husband Mick died of mesothelioma in 2001, was recognized on June 16 when she was named in the Queen's Honours List. Chris will be presented with an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by the Queen for services to mesothelioma research. The £1 million raised by the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund has supported four major mesothelioma studies. At a reception in the House of Commons next week, a new facility for mesothelioma researchers will be launched; Mesobank is the first centralized bank of mesothelioma tissue and blood samples in Europe. See: Chris Knighton Honoured with an MBE.
Calls for Italy to Enforce Eternit Judgment
Jun 13, 2012
A letter has been sent by AFeVA, the Asbestos Victims Association of Casale Monferrato, and other civil society groups, to Italian Minister of Health Renato Balduzzi, urging him to enforce a judgment handed down in February 2012 by a Turin Court ordering asbestos defendants Stephan Schmidheiny and Louis De Cartier de Marchienne to immediately compensate 423 injured parties. Action by the Italian Ministries of Justice and Labor to commence sequestration of property belonging to the defendants and the companies convicted alongside them is being urged. See: Letter to Minister of Health (in Italian) and Landmark Verdict for Italian Victims!.
Death of Renowned Scientist
Jun 12, 2012
The death was announced today of Professor Masazumi Harada, the physician whose study of Japanese mercury poisoning led to the identification of Minamata disease. As a student at Kumamoto University, Harada began his medical examinations of the victims of mercury poisoning in 1961. He went on to become the world's leading expert on this disease. He was also interested in other environmental and occupational catastrophes. In the preface to the IBAS publication: Killing the Future - Asbestos Use in Asia, Professor Harada called asbestos "a silent assassin," and "the most lethal of all occupational killers." See: Minamata disease authority Masazumi Harada dies at 77.
Mine Labour Protection Campaign
Jun 11, 2012
A six-day training program on mines safety organized by the Mine Labour Protection Campaign (MLPC), an NGO based in Rajasthan, in collaboration with the Directorate of Mines Safety and the Department of Mines and Geology, starts today in Udaipur. Fifty people are participating including former asbestos mine workers who are being retrained to enable them to obtain jobs as skilled workmen in other mines. A Safety Help Line is also being launched by the MLPC. Photos from the MLPC's 2011 innovative art project to raise awareness of the human health risk of asbestos exposure can be seen online; see: MLPC Portraits of Asbestos Workers.
Asbestos Flats Demolished
Jun 11, 2012
A controlled explosion on June 10 demolished part of the notorious Red Road flats complex in Glasgow. When the eight 32-story apartment blocks were built in the 1960s, they were Europe's tallest residential structures. Asbestos-containing material was used extensively in the blocks. During construction, 1000 men worked on the site, many of whom returned home covered with asbestos according to historian Arthur McIvor. A 1967 report on worksite conditions by Professor Alex Mair established that "levels of asbestos dust were on average four-times above the recognised safety limit… In one process… the dust level was 18 time higher." See: Glasgow skyline changes as blast blows down Red Road flats.
UK Asbestos News
June 8, 2012
The spring issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. Articles in Issue 86 document legal victories achieved for asbestos victims in recent months including the Supreme Court's claimants' verdict in the infamous "Trigger Litigation," the decision by the Court of Appeal in Chandler vs. Cape Building Products which successfully pierced the corporate veil between Cape and a subsidiary, and a judgment upholding the value of an asbestos claim brought by a 92-year old mesothelioma sufferer. Other newsletter items highlight the publication of relevant information and other developments such as upcoming conferences. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 86.
Appeal for Mesothelioma Funding
Jun 6, 2012
Nurse Practitioner Mary Hesdorffer from the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) today appeared before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations - Subcommittee on Defense (Fiscal Year 2013 Appropriations Outside Witness Testimony Hearing). Highlighting the high incidence of mesothelioma amongst former navy personnel and shipyard workers, Ms. Hesdorffer referred to the case of a navy veteran with mesothelioma, who had undergone extreme surgery to prolong his life. Ms. Hesdorffer categorized mesothelioma as a "critical national priority," and appealed for $5 million research funding. See: Mary Hesdorffer's testimony (minutes 97-101 of the webcast).
Law Students Support Asbestos Victims
Jun 6, 2012
A new university project in the State of Paraná is providing support by 5th year law students for asbestos victims as part of an academic outreach campaign dedicated to increasing the human rights of the injured. The project will provide assistance for asbestos claimants who are applying for social security invalidity benefits, retirement rights or other state-awarded assistance to which they may be entitled. The ceremony to launch the project took place on May 25. Legislation to ban asbestos in Paraná has temporarily been derailed by fierce asbestos industry opposition.
Asbestos Criminal Invited to Rio+20
June 4, 2012
La Stampa newspaper today announced that Stephen Schmidheiny, convicted by an Italian court earlier this year for his part in the slaughter of thousands of asbestos victims, has been invited to a high-profile conference on sustainable development being held in Rio de Janeiro this month. Representatives of the Casale Monferrato organization AFeVA have expressed outrage and indignation at the insult to Eternit's asbestos dead which this invitation signifies. See: Ambiente, appello contro Mr. Eternit Non deve partecipare al vertice [An appeal to Mr. Eternit: He must not take part] and La rabbia di Casale: insultati i nostri morti [Anger in Casale: he is insulting our dead].
Award for Campaigning Group
June 4, 2012
In the June 2 supplement to the London Gazette it was announced that the Glasgow-based Clydebank Asbestos Group (CAB) was one of only eight groups in Scotland to receive The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2012, the highest award given to UK groups in recognition of outstanding work in their communities. Since 1992, the CAB has been providing practical support for the asbestos injured and their families; it has worked effectively with representatives in Westminster and Holyrood to affect change to regulations and legislation. The CAB slogan says it all: "Fighting for truth and justice for asbestos victims." See: Clydebank Asbestos Group website.
Transition of Asbestos Lobby Leadership
June 1, 2012
An asbestos conference due to be held in Moscow this month marks the transition of the leadership of the global asbestos campaign from Canada to Russia. Even as desperate efforts are being made to breathe life back into the moribund Canadian asbestos mining industry, Russian stakeholders stand ready and able to assume command of the commercial attack on markets in developing countries such as is being seen in Thailand. Research undertaken on a UN database shows that sales of asbestos from Russia and Kazakhstan ($229.5 m in 2009) accounted for 57% of global asbestos consumption. See: UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database and Thailand's Asbestos Liars.
Victory for Yoshizaki Family!
May 29, 2012
Today the family of Tadashi Yoshizaki won justice, when the Osaka High Court upheld a 2011 lower court ruling that acknowledged his death from mesothelioma had been caused by the negligent actions of his employer, Nippon Express. While the earlier verdict of the Osaka District Court had ordered Nippon Express and Nichias, the owner of the asbestos factory in Nara where Mr. Yoshizaki worked in the warehouse, to pay the sum of 26 million JPY (US $327,000) between them, the 2012 decision exempted Nichias, allocating the fine solely to Nippon Express.
Calls to End Asbestos Exposure
May 29, 2012
The English translation of the Thai declaration adopted by a conference organized to mark National Safety Day in Bangkok on May 10, 2012 has now been issued. The May 10 event and declaration are initiatives of the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network; a range of government actions which recognize the serious and urgent nature of the country's asbestos challenge, including a ban on the import of chrysotile and chrysotile-containing products and the establishment of "The Institute Promoting Occupational Health and Safety in the Work Environment," is called for. See: English version of T_BAN Declaration.
Asbestos Scandal
May 28, 2012
As in Belgium (see: Eternit ordered to pay for Belgian Clean-up), the asbestos manufacturing operations of the Eternit company, Lebanon's biggest importer of asbestos, has contributed to the incidence of asbestos-related deaths. After Eternit production was shut down in 2000 "amid outcry and Lebanese government pressure… asbestos waste was dumped on the [Shekka] football field. Pipes the factory made are still scattered around the area." In Lebanon, there is no expertise for dealing with asbestos pollution. Even though the 1998 ban on asbestos imports did not include chrysotile, official sources say no asbestos has been imported since 2006. See: Import ban fails to curb asbestos danger.
Asbestos Lobby's Hired Guns
May 27, 2012
On May 21, 2012, the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute (BCI) notified the Supreme Court of a list of witnesses it plans to call to provide testimony during hearings in August 2012 regarding the implementation of regulations banning asbestos. Amongst the names on this list are well-known industry-linked "experts," including Ericson Bagatin, David Bernstein, and John Bridle. The BCI is participating in the judicial process as an amicus curiae, friend of the court as is the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). The Supreme Court's decision is expected in November, 2012. See: BCI Court Document.
WHO Press Conference
May 26, 2012
A press conference held by the World Health Organization (WHO) at the Grand China Princess Hotel in Bangkok on May 24, 2012 reaffirmed the international agency's concern about the human health hazard posed by the use of all asbestos fiber types including chrysotile. WHO, along with the International Labor Organization and other intergovernmental organizations, have publicly declared that "the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop the use of all types of asbestos." See: WHO position on asbestos and Thailand's Asbestos Liars.
Polluter Must Pay
May 22, 2012
The Flemish authorities have ordered the former asbestos industrial giant Eternit to pay to decontaminate the site where its asbestos-cement operations spread pollution over decades in the Belgian town of Kapelle op den Bos, according to a press release distributed today by the Belgian Asbestos Victims' Group, ABEVA. Since it was established, ABEVA has been calling on the government to force the polluter to clean up and remediate the site, which remained a threat to people in the area due to the presence of asbestos-containing debris which included broken pipes made of crocidolite asbestos.
Media Call for Asbestos Ban
May 21, 2012
In the run-up to Rio+ 20, Brazil's biggest media conglomerate called for a national ban on the mining, use and sale of asbestos in a series of articles, videos, blogs and interviews disseminated throughout its media empire this weekend. The subjects covered include the medical, legal, political and occupational consequences of asbestos use and the growing calls by Brazilian civil society for a ban. The unprecedented amount of attention given to these subjects by the journal O Globo is due to the urgent need to raise awareness of the deadly risk to public health posed by the asbestos industry. See: Brazil without Asbestos.
Eternit Defeated in European Court
May 21, 2012
Last month, the European Court of Human Rights (see April 19 Press Release) upheld the decision of the Rennes Court of Appeal (2009) in the case of Eternit v. France (no. 20041/10). The legal action brought by Eternit, the former asbestos giant, disputed proceedings between the company and a Health Insurance Office in France over the occupational nature of a disease contracted by a former Eternit pipe fitter. The North Finistere Health Office had failed to provide Eternit with access to the former employee's medical records. The company's appeal was dismissed by a 7-judge panel.
Dangerous products sold in EU
May 14, 2012
Despite the fact that the European Union (EU) banned asbestos in 2005, items containing asbestos continue to find their way into European markets. Some of these dangerous products have been identified by inspections in EU Member States as a result of which the authorities have ordered that they be withdrawn from sale. While a number of asbestos-contaminated products such as brake linings, brake pads, fireworks and garden torches have been found, the vast majority of this category of illegal items have been thermal flasks or vacuum jugs, many of which were produced in China. See: The Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Products.
Asbestos Ban?
May 10, 2012
It was reported today that "asbestos slate" will be banned in Azerbaijan by the State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patents (SCSMP). After enquiries with informed sources, it seems that this statement is incorrect. The Chair of this Azerbaijan Commission today told journalists about an Interministerial Commission, jointly to be formed by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the SCSMP, which will develop new environmental standards which harmonise with EU standards. Although asbestos is not yet on the agenda it will probably be considered very soon as the asbestos threat has been under consideration in Azerbaijan for several years.
Ban Asbestos Conference
May 10, 2 012
A conference attended by 250 people took place today in Bangkok, organized by the Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (T-Ban). In a declaration issued by delegates, immediate action to implement government proposals to ban asbestos was demanded to protect workers and citizens from the hazards of exposure to asbestos. The policies of international agencies such as the ILO and the WHO, both of which acknowledge the links between asbestos exposure and various cancers and respiratory diseases, were referenced by T-Ban to substantiate the global consensus supporting the worldwide banning of asbestos. See: T-Ban Declaration May 10, 2012.
Asbestos Debate in Parliament
May 10, 2012
An adjournment speech in the Australian Parliament on May 9, 2012 by Senator Lisa Singh (Tasmania) detailed current efforts to combat Australia's asbestos scandal, including the work of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia, its support for thousands of asbestos sufferers and the successful completion of its 600 km fund-raising Walk for Wittenoom Children. Senator Singh highlighted the global scale of the asbestos crisis and noted Australia's determination to lead diplomatic efforts to ban asbestos by holding a "Global Alliance against Asbestos Conference" in Australia; pertinent to this event, she noted her meeting with ban asbestos campaigner Laurie Kazan-Allen. See: May 9 Speech of Senator Lisa Singh.
Partial Victory for Busan Victims
May 10, 2012
The Coordinator of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network, Sugio Furuya, reports a legal victory in the Busan District Court, where the families of two mesothelioma victims who had lived near a Busan asbestos textile factory and three asbestosis victims who had worked at that plant succeeded in their civil case for damages against the company Jeil E&S. Jeil was ordered to pay 60% of the damages for the mesothelioma claimants and 90% of the damages for the asbestosis victims. Cases brought by the victims against the Korean Government and the Japanese asbestos company Nichias did not succeed.
Praeger Handbook - Asbestos
May 10, 2012
The Praeger Handbook of Environmental Health published at the end of April 2012 includes a chapter on asbestos written by Dr. Joch McCulloch, an Australian historian. Dr. McCulloch details the history of asbestos use, the emergence of an occupational health crisis, the controversy over the status of chrysotile (white) asbestos as well as the suppression of emerging knowledge regarding the hazards of asbestos by industry stakeholders and vested interests. He highlights the role of social movements in combatting the asbestos scourge amongst which the work of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat is singled out. See: Asbestos Chapter, Praeger Handbook.
Lobbyists under Police Investigation
May 9, 2012
Links between Brazil's asbestos lobby and criminal operations have been discovered during a major police investigation into corruption. The ongoing operation, titled "Monte Carlo," has been a huge story with coverage throughout the traditional media as well as online. Three political defenders of the asbestos industry caught up in the scandal are Senator Demóstenes Torres, Federal Deputy Carlos Alberto Leréia and Governor Marconi Perillo, all of whom represent the asbestos-mining state of Goiás. Links to personnel from asbestos companies are detailed as is the closure of the Canadain Chrysotile Institute. See: Operation Monte Carlo Reaches the Parliamentary Asbestos Lobby.
EPA Scientist Reinstated
May 9, 2012
Environmental scientist and veteran EPA employee Dr Cate Jenkins was fired from her job in 2010 for publicizing concerns over the environmental contamination caused by the events on 9/11. Even as the head of the EPA, Christine Todd Whitman, reassured New Yorkers that the air in downtown Manhattan was safe to breathe, high levels of airborne toxins were being recorded. After repeating these accusations to Congress Dr Jenkins was harassed and then sacked. Earlier this week Ms. Jenkins was reinstated when a federal court ruled in her favour. See: Asbestos Spectre Haunts Manhattan September 2002 and EPA scientist who warned of caustic dust from Ground Zero wins job back.
Asbestos Contamination in Soil
May 9, 2012
An investigation begun last year by the Ministry of Environment (MoE) has established that 42% of the soil around three derelict mines in Bibong, Yangsa and Sindoek contained asbestos fibers. Of the 2,512 hectares surveyed, 1,058 hectares were found to be contaminated. Acknowledging that this situation endangered the health of people in the surrounding areas, the MoE has promised to initiate health screening this year for 2,500 at-risk people. In 2013, health check-ups will be extended to include others who live in areas where asbestos contamination may also pose a risk to human health. See: Asbestos Contamination in Soil.
Asbestos and Compensation
May 8, 2012
A half-day workshop entitled Asbestos and Compensation will take place in Barcelona on May 18, 2012 and will provide the opportunity for experts from the civil service, academia, trade unions and legal profession to explore the evolution and scale of compensation for asbestos-related diseases in Spain. On the program are eminent speakers including Pilar Collantes Ibanez, Director General of the Basque Institute of Social Security and Health, Pedro Mondelo, Director of the Catalan Polytechnic, Labor Inspector Lucia Pancho and trade unionist Ramon Ruiz Diaz. Issues including occupational and environmental exposures will be discussed. See: Asbestos and Compensation in Spain.
Opera against Mesothelioma
May 8, 2012
Tonight is the premiere of the "Comic" Opera against Mesothelioma, a new work based on the Puccini opera Gianni Schicchi. The Casale Monferrato Municipal Theater will be the site of performances tonight and tomorrow, organized by AfeVA, the Asbestos Victims Families of Casale Monferrato. The singers, musicians and staff are all donating their services to help raise money for mesothelioma research. Casale Monferrato is the town which spearheaded public outrage over the Italian epidemic caused by the operations of the Eternit asbestos factory. For music and clips from the new opera see: http://www.ilmonferrato.it/ Also see the Asbestos in the dock webpage for Opera Gianni Schicchi.
Court Condemns James Hardie 7
May 7, 2012
On May 3, 2012, Australia's highest court issued its judgment in the case brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) against seven former James Hardie directors who had, the Court decided, broken the law by releasing misleading information to the Australian Stock Exchange. The decision is regarded as a major victory for the ASIC as well as for Australia's asbestos victims, many of whom contracted deadly diseases as a result of exposure to James Hardie asbestos. This case began in the New South Wales (NSW) Supreme Court and was later heard by the NSW Court of Appeal. See: High Court of Australia Judgment.
Trade Union Action to Ban Asbestos
May 7, 2012
Unionists called on the Chief Minister of Kerala to ban asbestos in the state at a rally to mark International Workers Memorial Day 2012. In a memorandum to Chief Minister Chandy, the unionists highlighted the global consensus backing the growing movement to ban asbestos. The keynote speech on April 27 was given by Sudharshan Rao Sarde, Director of the International Metalworkers Federation for South Asia who added his support for a state ban, recalling the 2009 decision of the Kerala Human Rights Commission that recognized asbestos health hazard and said asbestos should not be used in the construction of schools. See: Indian trade unionists urge Government of Kerala to ban asbestos.
Denunciation of Schmidheiny and AVINA
May 3, 2012
On April 28, 2012, Latin American and Spanish NGOs exposed "supposedly philanthropic organizations," including Schmidheiney's AVINA for ill-founded support of dangerous practices such as the use of asbestos and the spread of genetic farming. The text which highlighted Schmidheiny's 2012 conviction by an Italian Court, pointed out that his family's fortune had been built on the commercial exploitation of deadly asbestos. Some of Schmidheiny's vast fortune has gone into the AVINA foundation, which is, along with similar groups, accused of promoting destructive neoliberal policies. See: Declaration by Latin American and Spanish Groups.
Support for ADSA Walkers
May 2, 2012
As coverage of the ground-breaking initiative being rolled out in Western Australia increases and donations flow in, Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard has joined the throng of those wishing the walkers well in their trek through the outback. Acknowledging the vital work undertaken by the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia to ease the suffering of the injured and to help improve their lives, the Prime Minster commends those participating in the ADSA fund-raising walk and thanks the Society for its "valuable contribution to the lives of those affected by asbestos-related disease." See: Message from Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Scandal Engulfs Asbestos Defender
May 2, 2012
Brazilian Federal Deputy Carlos Alberto Leréia Da Silva, defender of the asbestos mining industry, is under investigation in a high-profile corruption scandal - Monte Carlo - which is attracting massive press coverage. Leréia is from the city of Minaçu, home to the infamous chrysotile asbestos mine operated by SAMA/Eternit. He has publicly acknowledged receiving campaign contributions from asbestos vested interests and has defended the asbestos industry on TV and in the legislature. See: Brazilian Ministry of Justice Court Documentation.
Asbestos News from Victoria
May 2, 2012
The April 2012 newsletter of the Gippsland Asbestos Related Diseases Support Inc. (GARDS) is now available online. The 12-page issue details outreach work by GARDS members including the project to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard amongst home renovators and building apprentices through lectures, home visits and written material. In 2011 and 2012, GARDS personnel lectured students in the painting and decorating section of the local technical college regarding asbestos awareness so that they could take effective precautions when they were working in the community. See: GARDS Newsletter.
Australian Walk for Asbestos Victims
May 1, 2012
The charity fund-raising walk for asbestos-related disease research began this morning at 8:30 a.m. in Western Australia when two dozen walkers set off from the center of the gold-mining town of Kalgoorlie. The event, organized by the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia, is fuelled by anger over cut-backs in government research funds for the asbestos diseases which are killing thousands of Australians every year. Perth, home to most of the walkers, is one of the world's worst affected asbestos hotspots due to the legacy of the Wittenoom Asbestos Mine. See: Anger over asbestos mine's deadly legacy.
WHO Support for Asbestos Ban
May 1, 2012
A video uploaded yesterday by the WHO makes clear its support for a global ban on asbestos stating that: "All forms of asbestos are harmful to human health including all forms of chrysotile asbestos… Eliminating all forms of asbestos will eliminate all forms of asbestos-related diseases." Text accompanying the video clip points out the continued risk to the community from the deterioration of asbestos products. The WHO is "actively working towards the elimination of asbestos related diseases. The most effective way to eliminate asbestos related diseases is to stop the use of asbestos." See: Asbestos Hazardous for Human Health.
Chrysotile Institute Shuts!
Apr 30, 2012
After more than two decades of orchestrating the global pro-asbestos lobby, Canada's Chrysotile Institute has announced its closure by notifying the Government of its intention to surrender its charter. Reports circulating over the weekend predict that this move signals the demise of the Canadian asbestos industry. As yet, Prime Minister Harper refuses to withdraw his public and political support for the asbestos mining industry; nevertheless, his withdrawal of federal funding for the Chrysotile Institute in April 2011 most definitely created the financial crisis which precipitated the Institute's closure. See: Canada Gazette (6th notice).
Asbestos Work during UN Renovations
Apr 30, 2012
The April 27th daily briefing given on behalf of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon highlighted awareness of the asbestos hazard with the Deputy Spokesperson saying that "the handling and abatement of asbestos is among the mostly strictly regulated areas of any industry in the United States." He confirmed that the UN is complying with all the asbestos abatement regulations both state and federal during ongoing renovation work. As required by law, the abatement work is under continuous monitoring by a certified independent environmental consultant. See: U.N. applies all regulations regarding asbestos abatement.
Government U-Turn, For Now!
Apr 25, 2012
Yesterday, the Justice Minister speaking in the House of Commons announced a climbdown by the government which will now exempt mesothelioma sufferers from draconian changes to the legal process being introduced in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. This Bill has made a lengthy progress from the House of Commons to the House of Lords, then back to the Commons. Although this exemption is a temporary measure, it is a tangible result of all the incredible campaigning work done by UK asbestos victims and their allies in both houses of Parliament. See: Reforms delayed amid disease doubts.
Asbestos Audits in Public Buildings
Apr 24, 2012
The Korean Government, which banned asbestos in 2009, has been under pressure from asbestos victims' groups to improve conditions for the injured and take steps to protect the population from hazardous exposures. Today (April 24), regulations were adopted at a weekly Cabinet meeting led by the Prime Minister which introduced a requirement mandating asbestos audits of larger state and public buildings; in some cases, control measures will now be required. Levels of airborne asbestos near sites being decontaminated will be limited to 0.01 part per cubic centimetre. See: Regulations on asbestos levels strengthened.
Asbestos Hazard in Ex-Mining Town
Apr 23, 2012
An Australian radio program today broadcast news about an orphanage in the near-derelict asbestos mining town of Bulembu, Swaziland. Despite the presence of mountains of contaminated waste produced by decades of mining, the staff at the home seem unaware of the risks posed to the children by the hazardous conditions. The childcare manager for Bulembu Ministries, the religious order running the orphanage, said that the "green asbestos" mined in Bulembu was "actually not the dangerous kind (of asbestos)." Although ministry personnel claim to have conducted air testing, no proof of asbestos surveys has been forthcoming. See: Asbestos threatens Swaziland orphanage.
Defendants Kill U.S. Victim?
Apr 22, 2012
Sixty-nine year old John Johnson died hours after finishing the last session in a 25-hour series of depositions regarding the legal claim he and his wife had launched against dozens of defendants who had, they alleged, exposed the former marine to asbestos. It was mesothelioma which killed him but it was, his family, his doctor and his lawyers believe, the trauma and exhaustion brought on by the endless questioning by defence attorneys that hastened his demise. As a result of his January 24 death, the value of his claim could be reduced by up to 70%. See: Mesothelioma victims deserve better than wasteful legal maneuvers.
Inferiority of Asbestos-cement Pipes
Apr 21, 2012
Research by American academics has shown that the asbestos industry's claims regarding the superior functionality of asbestos-cement pipes are unfounded. The findings by Utah State University laboratory concluded that "PVC pipe has the lowest overall failure rate when compared to cast iron, ductile iron, and concrete, steel and asbestos cement pipes." The most common failure (49.9%) for asbestos cement pipes was a circumferential crack. The causes of other failures of asbestos cement pipes were: 28.6% due to unknown causes, 11.2% to longitudinal cracks and 11% to pits or holes (corrosion). See: Water Main Break Rates in the USA and Canada: A Comprehensive Study.
Medical Research
Apr 20, 2012
A collaborative Australian research effort is making progress on work related to a new blood test for the early diagnosis of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma; the new protocol measures miRNA, a short ribonucleic acid molecule found in eukaryotic cells, in blood samples. A paper on this work is scheduled for publication in a peer-reviewed cancer journal. Information on the pioneering research of the Australian National Centre for Asbestos-Related Disease Research (NCARD) can be obtained from the NCARD website. See also the International Mesothelioma Interest Group website.
Update on Asbestos Developments
Apr 20, 2012
The Spring 2012 issue of the online journal Occupational Safety and Rights issued by the ANROEV Secretariat includes details of the 2011 meeting of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network in Jaipur, Rajasthan (see: Jaipur Declaration towards a worldwide ban on asbestos) as well as a round-up of other recent asbestos events such as the landmark verdicts achieved in Belgium and Italy by asbestos victims, the establishment in Thailand of a new ban asbestos group – Thai-BAN – and a tribute to ban asbestos campaigner Rachel Lee who died of mesothelioma in December 2011. See: Occupational Safety and Rights Issue Number 24.
Parliamentary Asbestos News
Apr 18, 2012
This week, Co-chairs Senator Lisa Singh and Russell Broadbent MP of Australia's new Parliamentary Group on Asbestos Related Disease (PGARD) have disseminated a newsletter highlighting recent asbestos developments including the convictions of asbestos entrepreneurs Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Cartier de Marchienne in Italy, the Australian visit of ban asbestos campaigner Laurie Kazan-Allen, fund-raising for asbestos disease research in Western Australia and other news. PGARD was set up in 2011 to coordinate efforts to raise awareness of asbestos related diseases and prevent further deadly exposures; the next PGARD meeting will be on June 20 in Canberra. See: PGARD Newsletter.
President Chavez has Mesothelioma
Apr 14, 2012
According to media reports, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has peritoneal mesothelioma. The news of the disease was released as final arrangements were being made for the two-day Summit of the Americas due to begin in the Colombian town of Cartagena today (April 14). A brief statement explaining that Chavez's participation was being delayed named the illness which had led to the trip's postponement. Venezuela was one of South America's earliest adopters of asbestos. In 1960, it was the region's 2nd biggest asbestos importer; between 1960 and 1975, national consumption grew six-fold. See: Mesothelioma postpones Chavez's trip to Cartagena (in Spanish).
Venice Call for Asbestos Justice
Apr 10, 2012
In the aftermath of the February 2012 verdict convicting foreign asbestos defendants of crimes committed in Italy, Italian and French legal practitioners issued calls for coordinated action to be taken against individuals who commit environmental and occupational crimes. Turin Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello was joined by French Judge Marie-Odile Bertella-Geffroy, French lawyer Jean-Paul Teissioniere and others at a meeting in Venice last week. Guariniello called on medical and scientific experts to cooperate in the search for a cure for asbestos cancer. To this end, a national conference will be held in the Autumn to delineate a coordinated research strategy.
Increased Payments for Mesothelioma
Apr 8, 2012
As of April 1, 2012, there has been a substantial increase in the size of payments made by a statutory government compensation scheme for mesothelioma sufferers. One-off lump sum payments of £52,772 to claimants 37 years old or younger under 2008 Regulations have been increased to £81,536 (+55%) while payments to their dependents have risen from £23,953 to £42,432 (+77%). Although amounts to older claimants are significantly less, they have also risen. Under the 2008 regulations, the amount awarded to a 77-year old applicant was £8,197; this has been raised to £12,666 (+55%). See: Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.
New Asbestos Regulations
Apr 6, 2012
Today, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 will come into force. Changes made in the UK regulations were necessitated by a complaint issued by the European Commission on February 11, 2011 regarding UK contravention of Article 3 of European Directive 2003/18/EC. The European legislation was designed to improve protection for maintenance workers at risk of occupational exposure to asbestos. The new law will close UK loopholes which had exempted work which resulted in "sporadic and low intensity exposure to asbestos"such as supposedly occurred during work on asbestos-containing decorative coatings. See: The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Research Integrity Questioned
Apr 5, 2012
The internal review conducted by McGill University authorities into charges of alleged misconduct by McGill Emeritus Professor Corbett McDonald was stymied by lack of requisite data according to a statement made yesterday by Dean of Medicine and Vice-Principal David Eidelman. The Dean will, it is believed, now put the matter into the hands of McGill's Research Integrity Officer. McDonald's critics are calling for an external review of McDonald's research and links to the asbestos industry saying that "around the world McGill and Professor McDonald's work has been an obstacle to making progress on protecting people from asbestos." See: Asbestos review lacks "required records".
Asbestos Victims' Workshop
Apr 5, 2012
On March 20-22, 2012, an asbestos workshop was held in Seoul which brought together asbestos victims from Ban Asbestos Japan and Ban Asbestos Korea to identify common problems and delineate options to improve the plight of asbestos victims. Issues under discussion included the hazard posed by asbestos contamination at sites such as asbestos mines and apartment complexes built near former asbestos processing facilities. This meeting was the latest collaboration in a process that has been ongoing since 2007. A protest was held by workshop participants and local people at an apartment complex sited near an identified source of asbestos pollution.
Asbestos Victims Protest
Apr 4, 2012
A sit-in (Dharna) which began on March 31, is now in its 5th day in front of the Ahmedabad offices of the National Institute of Occupational Health. The protest by former asbestos mineworkers frustrated by the continued refusal to release medical reports on their injuries has been organized by the Rajasthan State Mine Labour Union. The results of medical tests carried out on the workers from Udaipur, Rajasthan in June 2011 were promised by February 2012; a second deadline of March 29 was also not met. Without the results, the affected individuals remain unable to get free medical treatment or compensation. See: Asbestos hazard: NIOH indifference forces mining workers from South Rajasthan to protest.
The Asbestos Controversy
Mar 10, 2012
A statement issued this week by civil society institutions and leading professionals calls for a Brazilian ban on asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen with no safe level of exposure. Highlighting insidious lobbying and political pressure by asbestos vested interests, the text calls on the government to comply with the Constitution and protect citizen's lives by outlawing asbestos use. It condemns legal threats by the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute, representing the country's asbestos industry, against Dr. Hermano Castro, who works for the Health Ministry in Rio de Janeiro and has reported the rising Brazilian death toll from asbestos-related diseases. See: The Asbestos Controversy (in Portuguese).
Recognition of Asbestos Disease
Mar 7 2012
Last month (February 2012), the Ministry of Health of Argentina adopted the Mercosur Glossary of Occupational Health which highlights the human hazards of asbestos, including its links to asbestosis, pulmonary cancer, mesothelioma and other diseases. The Mercosur document states that asbestos use has been banned in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and some Brazilian States. Mercusor, the Southern Common Market, is a collaborative initiative backed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay to progress regional trade and political agreement. See: Ministry of Health Resolution 269/2012 and Mercosur Glossary of Occupational Health.
Asbestos Comic and Toy House
March 7, 2012
Innovative resources in Thai and English have been uploaded to the Thai “No Asbestos” website which include a “Say No to Asbestos Comic” and a colourful toy house showing the location of common asbestos-containing products. This website is operated by the Health Consumer Protection Project, an independent and collaborative project between Chulalongkorn University, Thailand’s first institution of higher learning, and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. These groups are leading the campaign to raise public and professional awareness of the health hazard posed by Thailand’s consumption of asbestos. See: Asbestos Comic and Asbestos Toy House.
Italian Leaders Welcomed in France
Mar 6, 2012
Spokesmen for the civil society movement which progressed the battle for Italian asbestos victims against the Eternit asbestos multinational took part in a press conference and general assembly in Dunkirk on Saturday, March 3. Bruno Pesce and Nicola Pondrano received a hero's welcome from members of the French asbestos victims group, CAPER. Commenting on the landmark decision handed down by the Turin Court on February 13, the Italians pledged to continue the fight for those whose cases are yet to be heard and to press for the decontamination of polluted areas and for medical research into asbestos diseases. See: The Turin Verdict is a Victory for all Asbestos Victims.
Judicial Victory for Asbestos Victims
Mar 6, 2012
Last week, a Spanish court condemned Uralita, a former manufacturer of asbestos products, for negligence regarding the hazardous exposure of 23 former workers at its Getafe (Madrid) factory. The company was ordered to pay the claimants a total of €1.7 million for not adhering to health and safety measures needed to prevent dangerous exposures. This case had the backing of the Spanish Asbestos Victims' Support Group (la Asociación de Víctimas del Amianto) which expressed satisfaction with the court's findings. In 2010, Uralita was ordered to pay €4 million to 45 victims of environmental asbestos exposure in Barcelona. See: Uralita must pay nearly 2 million Euros to asbestos victims.
Call for Global Asbestos Ban
Mar 2, 2012
Italian activists whose 30 year old campaign led to the recent conviction of asbestos criminals by the Turin court are calling for a global ban on asbestos. "Asbestos," their appeal states "is a harmful mineral which causes cancer: this is why it is both necessary and urgent to ban its use in the human environment." Calling for a worldwide ban of asbestos use, the appeal also urges the immediate decontamination of affected areas and compensation for all those who have been injured by asbestos regardless of the nature of their exposure. To sign the appeal go to: http://www.afeva.it.
Japan Achieves Total Asbestos Ban
March 1, 2012
Since the use of crocidolite and amosite were banned in Japan in 1995, a series of prohibitions has been implemented on the use of chrysotile asbestos in specific processes and products such as joint sheets, gaskets and gland packing. The new use of chrysotile was prohibited in building and friction materials as of October 1, 2004; this accounted for over 90% of Japanese chrysotile consumption. In 2005, Japan Minister Hidehisa Otsuji announced plans to implement a total asbestos ban within 3 years. Today, March 1, 2012, that ban has been achieved, with the remaining derogations for asbestos having expired.
UK Asbestos News
March 1, 2012
The winter issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter is now available online. Articles included in Issue 85 deal with legal developments affecting the prospects for asbestos claimants and the impact of Government cutbacks on victims' rights and occupational protection from hazardous exposures. The coalition government's decision to omit asbestos from a 2012 audit of England's schools, the majority of which contain asbestos, is highlighted along with the content of a new publication by The All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Health and Safety which calls for urgent action to be taken on the national asbestos scandal. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Issue 85.
Canada's Ban Asbestos Debate
Feb 29, 2012
A recent news item on Global News (New calls for feds to stop supporting asbestos industry) highlighted the growth in the Canadian movement to ban asbestos production and use. A postcard campaign spearheaded by asbestos widow Margaret Buist is adding to the demands that politicians withdraw financial support for the asbestos industry which is currently looking for funds to develop a new mining facility in Quebec. An article (Asbestos: a state secret for a public danger) published in La Presse, Quebec's most popular newspaper, exposed the existence of a secret government list of 1,500 asbestos-contaminated buildings. Campaigners are calling for a public registry of hazardous buildings to be set up.
Remembering the Asbestos Dead
Feb 29, 2012
Marking Rare Disease Day, asbestos victims will take part in a vigil to highlight an epidemic which has killed 100 local people. At 7 p.m. Derby Cathedral will be illuminated with the names of those whose lives have been lost to mesothelioma, as the beginning of a week-long "Reflection and Celebration of Life" event mounted by the Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team. Participants will adjourn to the Cathedral to hear speakers address the continuing need to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard; prayers will be said to remember the asbestos dead. For more information see: article on the Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team website.
Pledge to Ban Asbestos Worldwide
Feb 22, 2012
Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs reaffirmed his country's determination to "be at the forefront of global efforts to eliminate the use of asbestos" in a letter dated February 19. Australia will, he pledged, "work with other countries, international organizations and other partners" to raise international awareness of the asbestos hazard. To that end, Australia has pressed for chrysotile asbestos to be listed as a hazardous material under the Rotterdam Convention. The Minister recognized the work of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat and highlighted its efforts to educate citizens in asbestos-importing countries about the "long-term human and financial costs of its [asbestos] use." See: Letter from Australian Minister.
Asbestos Ban in Paraná State?
Feb 21, 2012
This month the deputies of Paraná State will vote on a bill to ban the use of asbestos; Paraná State is Brazil's biggest producer of asbestos-cement. The right of states to ban asbestos when federal authorities permit its use is under attack from vested interests that have brought a lawsuit against the Rio Grande do Sol ban. In total, five Brazilian states - São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco and Mato Grosso - have prohibited asbestos use; the constitutional right of states to take such action in order to protect public health was upheld by a 2008 Supreme Court ruling. See: History in the Making!
Pictures from Turin
Feb 21 2012
A series of images taken by P. Raveneau truly reflects the spirit of February 13th, the day of the landmark verdict against asbestos producers. The photos, taken on behalf of the umbrella group representing French asbestos victims, is now on the web. Pictures from the courtrooms show expectant victims and family members waiting in crowded conditions next to trade unionists, civic leaders, lawyers and TV reporters with captioned photos of some of the key movers behind this landmark case. There are terrific pictures of Romana Blasotti Pavesi, Bruno Pesce, Nicola Pondrano and Raffaele Guariniello without whom this victory would never have been achieved. See: ANDEVA photo file from Turin.
Call for Asbestos Ban
Feb 19, 2012
The Indian Prime Minister has been petitioned to ban the use of asbestos by the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI), a campaigning group based in New Delhi. An OEHNI communiqué dated February 13, 2012, which was endorsed by hundreds of individuals from around the world, appealed to the Government to “set a three year time frame for the complete phase out of all manufacture and use of asbestos.” During the intervening period, immediate steps should be taken to quantify the asbestos hazard and implement precautionary measures to minimize hazardous exposures. See: OEHNI Petition: Ban Use of Asbestos Products in India.
Non-occupational Asbestos Exposure
Feb 17, 2012
A recently published paper entitled Asbestos Fibre Burden in the Lungs of Patients with Mesothelioma who Lived Near Asbestos-Cement Factories documents "epidemiological evidence of an increased mesothelioma risk for the general population of Casale Monferrato and Bari," towns contaminated by factories producing asbestos-cement building materials under the Eternit brand. "The mesothelioma risk," the authors write "increased with proximity of residence to both plants." This paper is particularly timely in light of the finding of the Turin Court on February 13 which condemned two Eternit executives to 16 year prison sentences for their negligence. See: Annals of Occupational Hygiene.
Senate Hearing on Asbestos
Feb 16, 2012
The day after Eternit executives were convicted in Turin for their part in the deaths of thousands of Italians, Belgian asbestos victims presented evidence to the Social Commission of the Belgian Senate documenting the continuing injustices faced by the injured. Comparing the situation in Italy and Belgium, Eric Jonckheere, Co-President of the asbestos victims’ group, said that whereas the polluters had been held to account in Italy, in Belgium negligent corporations continued to evade liability for their asbestos crimes. The existence and operation of the Belgian Asbestos Fund allowed a “law of silence” to continue in Belgium. See: Belgian TV News Program.
Guilty!
Feb 13, 2012
Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, found guilty for their part in the asbestos deaths of thousands of Italians, were today sentenced to 16 years in prison. Multimillion euro fines were awarded against the defendants by the three judges in the Turin Court. Asbestos victims from Italy, France and Belgium listened attentively to the Court's ruling in what is commonly referred to as The Great Asbestos Trial.
Casale 1: Schmidheiny: 0
Feb 3, 2012
Today (February 3, 2012), the town of Casale Monferrato announced its decision to terminate negotiations with asbestos defendant Schmidheiny and reject proposals to accept 18 million euros in full and final settlement of the town’s asbestos claim. Referring to the civil emergency caused by the asbestos pollution liberated by Eternit’s operations, Mayor Giorgio Demezzi reaffirmed Casale’s commitment to the injured and willingness to work with national authorities to find a way forward. A coordinated program is being pursued to find a cure for asbestos diseases and make plans for remediation work. See: A New Year in Casale Monferrato.
Canadian Asbestos Documentaries
Feb 3, 2012
On February 2, 2012, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) transmitted a 20 minute piece entitled: Canadian Asbestos: Deadly Export, Questionable Science which exposed the dishonesty, duplicity and murderous behaviour of the Canadian asbestos industry. Documents obtained by the CBC revealed the theft of asbestos victims’ lungs, the falsification of data and the industry’s malevolent influence on the country’s political and academic institutions. A trailer for another documentary “Canary in the Mine” which explores the ramifications of Canadian asbestos mining activities can be viewed online (see: YouTube trailer for Canary in the Mine).
Parliamentary Debates
Jan 31, 2012
Members of the House of Lords yesterday weighed into the debate over proposals in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill which could impact on the rights of asbestos sufferers and threaten the viability of victims’ groups throughout the country. Support for exempting claims for occupational respiratory diseases from the legislation was voiced by, among others, Lord Newton of Braintree, Baroness Butler-Sloss, Lord Alton of Liverpool and Lord Avebury who highlighted the pioneering efforts of Nancy Tait, the work of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum and Mesothelioma UK in his plea on behalf of “these forgotten victims.” See Hansard Jan 30 2012.
Court Calls for Asbestos Ban
Jan 28, 2012
On January 25, 2012, the Kerala High Court called on the Indian Government to ban asbestos in order to protect human health. Justices C N Ramachandran Nair and Babu Mathew P Joseph also asked the central government and customs commissioner for reports on current asbestos policies which permit the import of raw asbestos and asbestos-containing products into India when so many other nations have banned this trade on health grounds. The case has been remanded into the jurisdiction of the Acting Chief Justice whose remit is to hear cases involving public interest litigation. See: Why not ban asbestos, HC asks.
No Asbestos Regulations
Jan 27, 2012
According to APHEDA, an Australian aid agency, there are no asbestos regulations in Lao People's Democratic Republic, formerly known as Laos. Into this unregulated regime, APHEDA says, thousands of tonnes of asbestos and asbestos-containing products are being imported annually putting unknown numbers of workers and members of the public at risk. A coalition of groups has identified factories producing asbestos-cement roofing material where hazardous occupational conditions are of serious concern; "asbestos is stored in the open, with bags frequently torn open accidentally allowing asbestos fibre to escape into the air." See: Asbestos in Asia: Breaking Through the Silence in Lao PDR.
EU Asbestos Exports to Asia
Jan 25, 2012
Each year up to three thousand tonnes of asbestos are being sent from European Union countries to South Asia contained within end-of-life vessels according to a report released by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. The European Commission has promised action on this illegal dumping of toxic waste in March 2012 when it plans to publish new proposals to control the export of EU ships for dismantling in non-EU countries. The "dangerous and polluting practice of breaking ships on tidal beaches" has been highlighted by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Toxics as well as scores of NGOs. See: Media release: NGO releases list of "EU toxic ships" sent to South Asia in 2011.
Asbestos Trader Resigns
Jan 16, 2012
After pressure from asbestos victims and health campaigners, Mrs. Roshi Chadha, a board member of the Canadian Red Cross has resigned her position. Her husband, with whom she works closely, is seeking to revive Quebec’s moribund Jeffrey asbestos mine. The Red Cross (RC) had said objections to Chadha’s links with the organization would be considered at a board meeting. However, the RC then issued a statement praising the contentious official. This generated a slew of criticism and bad publicity for the organization. An alteration made today on the RC website reveals that Chadha and another board member have resigned. See: Asbestos-linked board member resigns from Red Cross.
Asbestos Lobby Investigated
Jan 10, 2012
From 1982 to 1995, the French Government's asbestos policy was led by the le Comite Permanent Amiante (CPA: the Permanent Committee on Asbestos), an asbestos industry- backed public relations tool which masqueraded as an independent organization. Yesterday, it was announced that key CPA personnel, including CPA executive Jean-Pierre Hulot, civil servant Dominique Moyen, asbestos lobbyist Daniel Bouige and Arnaud Peirani, from the Ministry of Industry, are being investigated by Judge Marie-Odile Bertella-Geffroy on charges of homicide and involuntary wounding for their role in the campaign to forestall ban asbestos legislation. See: Asbestos lobbyists under investigation.
Massive Support for Italian Victims
Jan 9, 2012
Last weekend's day of action (January 7) in Casale Monferrato was supported by 2,000+ people who braved the winter weather to take part. A report by journalist Silvano Mossano documented the silent torchlight procession through the town and the musical tributes paid to the victims as well as the all-night vigil on the steps of the Palazzo San Giorgio, the Mayor's office. Outside the church of San Paulo, actress Caterina Deregibus read a poem based on the grief of Assunta Prato and Giuliana Busto, women who lost a husband and a brother to asbestos-related disease. See: A New Year in Casale Monferrato.
Canadian Asbestos Mine Bankrupt
Jan 5, 2012
LAB Chrysotile Inc., one of Quebec's last two asbestos mines, filed for bankruptcy on December 30. The company, which has assets of $3.36 million and liabilities of $50.1 million, has not produced asbestos since October 2011. Public statements made by CEO Simon Dupere regarding LAB's future seem lacklustre at best. His plan to "restart operations under a new structure at the former production rate of 125,000 tonnes a year," seems desperately unrealistic. The Jeffrey open-pit mine, the only other extant asbestos mine, is also non-operational; a decision regarding government support for the Jeffrey mine remains long overdue. See: LAB Chrysotile seeks bankruptcy protection.
No Deal!
Dec 31, 2011
Italy’s Minister of Health will meet the Mayor of Casale Monferrato, the victims’ association AFeVA and trade unions on Sunday, January 1 to discuss the town’s position regarding a deal with Stephan Schmidheiny. Due to political and public pressure, the Mayor has not signed an agreement due to expire on December 31. The €18.3 million offer by Schmidheiny to settle the municipality's claim mobilized worldwide opinion, which saw it as a blatant attempt to destabilize the coalition which has progressed the asbestos victims’ quest for justice, and fell far short of the cost of decontaminating the town. Experts believe the municipal clean-up could cost €160+ million. See: Update from Casale Monferrato.
Mayor Delays Deal (for now)
Dec 23, 2011
Immense pressure is being exerted on the officials of the Italian town of Casale Monferrato after their December 16th vote to make a multimillion euro deal with asbestos defendant Stephan Schmidheiny. Demonstrations, media coverage and a high-profile television program have focused public attention on the proposed sell-out of the asbestos victims. It is understood that Italy's Minister of Health phoned the Mayor to ask him to reconsider. Mayor Giorgio Demezzi has agreed, for the time being, to delay signing the deal. It is expected, however, that he will sign the agreement before the December 31 deadline. See also: Update from Casale.
Grassroots Action in Victoria
Dec 22, 2011
Activities of GARDS, the Gippsland Asbestos Related Diseases Society Inc., are detailed in the current issue of the newsletter issued by this Victoria-based organization. The commemoration of the 10th annual Asbestos Awareness Day was just one of many activities that took place during Asbestos Awareness Week (November 21-25). As well as an asbestos seminar, there was an ecumenical service, a social gathering with musical entertainment and a well-supported neighbourhood tea and coffee morning. During the week, GARDS personnel took part in the launch of a new government initiative in Canberra: the Parliament Group on Asbestos Related Diseases. See: GARDS December 2011 Newsletter.
Honors for Ban Asbestos Activists
Dec 20, 2011
At an inaugural event today in Seoul, awards will be presented to activists in the global fight to ban asbestos. The ceremony is being organized by environmental groups including the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea, the Asian Citizen's Center for Environmental Health and others to recognize outstanding achievements in 2011. Mesothelioma sufferer Rachel Lee, who has campaigned vigorously since her diagnosis, is receiving the top award. In November, Rachel journeyed to India to plead with the government to end asbestos use. Canadian Ban Asbestos Campaigner Kathleen Ruff is also being honored for her "tireless effort and dedication," to exposing her country's asbestos scandal.
Support for Brazilian Ban
Dec 13, 2011
Last week, Brazil's Attorney General tabled a petition calling for a national ban on asbestos in which he confirmed that federal and state laws which permit the continued mining, industrial and commercial use of asbestos violated the constitutional rights of Brazilian citizens such as the right to health and the right to work and live in a clean environment. Newspaper reports suggest that this document will provide the impetus for the Supreme Court of Brazil, under the leadership of President Carlos Ayres Britto, to consider action in support of a comprehensive and national ban on asbestos in 2012. See: Petition by Brazil's Attorney General (in Portuguese).
Casale Mayor Sells out Victims
Dec 12, 2011
News has just been received that a deal dubbed the "devil's offer" by one Italian journalist has been accepted by the Mayor of Casale Monferrato. In return for a sum believed to be up to 20 million euros from one of the defendants in a landmark asbestos trial, the municipality will withdraw "from this and any future trials (against Eternit) that it might be involved in." Only a few months ago the Mayor of Casale Monferrato, commenting on a similar deal, said: "It is clear that a proposal such as that could never be even considered by a city like Casale." See: Surprise Move by Schmidheiny's Lawyers.
Asbestos Campaign Reinstated
Dec 8, 2011
The Hidden Killer Campaign, an award-winning initiative to raise occupational awareness of the asbestos hazard amongst at-risk trades people which had been shelved due to government cut-backs, will be relaunched next year according to an announcement made on December 7, 2011 at the board meeting of the Health and Safety Executive. While it is not yet known what form the 2012 campaign will take, the requisite Ministerial approval has been obtained. This news has been welcomed by asbestos victims’ campaigners, health and safety activists and trade unionists who had previously voiced opposition to the cancellation of this much-needed campaign.
Pleural Plaque Legislation
Dec 6, 2011
Following an infamous 2007 House of Lords ruling which barred pleural plaque sufferers from bringing legal actions for their injuries, this right has been reinstated in Scotland. In October 2011, the Supreme Court upheld the Scottish Government’s right to enact this legislation even though it contradicts national policy. Yesterday, the Finance Minister of Northern Ireland (NI), Sammy Wilson, announced that as of December 14, pleural plaques will once again be a compensable condition for NI sufferers. The NI legislation: Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 is now law, having passed through the NI Assembly and received Royal Assent. See: NI Executive Press Release.
An Evening with Michaela
Dec 4, 2011
Tomorrow evening, members of the public will have the opportunity to hear why Michaela Keyserlingk thinks that the production and use of asbestos should be banned in Canada. Michaela's husband Robert died 2 years ago from asbestos cancer; since then, Michaela has been campaigning to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard. The event is being organized by the Reverend Michel Dubord and will take place at St. John's Anglican Church, 65 Fowler St. Richmond, Ottawa at 7 p.m. Six weeks ago, the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa passed a motion denouncing the Canadian Government's policy of exporting asbestos. See: Taking a Stand: Asbestos Widow vs. Canadian Government.
Award for Asbestos Exposé
Dec 1, 2011
Yesterday, an exposé of the global asbestos industry received official recognition when it was awarded a prize for Best Enterprise Feature on a Website from the Editor & Publisher, a leading North American commentary specializing on issues relating to all facets of the newspaper industry. The series, produced by the Center for Public Integrity and the BBC in 2010, included an astonishing number of newspaper and website articles, podcasts, documentaries, radio programs, commentaries and blogs under the banner: Dangers in the Dust - Inside the Global Asbestos Trade. The investigation was termed a "public-relations tsunami" for the asbestos industry. See: Dangers in the Dust.
Trigger Test Case at Supreme Court
Nov 30, 2011
On Monday, December 5, 2011, Supreme Court hearings begin on, what is commonly referred to as, the trigger issue test case. The litigation revolves around the interpretation of employer's liability insurance coverage for mesothelioma cases; specifically, the question of whether the policy in force at the time of exposure or the time of diagnosis is responsive to an injured worker's claim. The Court of Appeal's 166-page judgment issued on October 8, 2010 by a three-judge panel was complex and confusing. The Supreme Court proceedings can be watched live at the following link: Sky News Supreme Court Live. See also Justice for Mesothelioma Claimants.
Eternit Appeals Belgian Verdict
Nov 29, 2011
News has just been received that Eternit, the company at the heart of Belgium's asbestos epidemic, will appeal the decision handed down yesterday by a civil tribunal in Brussels. There was never any doubt that the company would explore every legal option – and then some – to win the lawsuit brought by the family of Francois Jonckheere, so this decision is not unexpected; nevertheless, it is long past time that the asbestos producing companies around the world which were part of the Eternit network were brought to account for the damage they have done to workers, members of the public and the environment. See: Justice for Francoise?
Landmark Victory for Asbestos Victims!
Nov 28, 2011
A court in Brussels has today ruled that Eternit, the former asbestos-cement conglomerate, must pay the family of mesothelioma victim Francoise Jonckheere €250,000 for the fatal environmental exposure to Eternit asbestos she received whilst living near the company's factory in Kapelle-op-den-Bos. The judgment highlighted Eternit's violation of Mrs. Jonckheere's fundamental human rights, including the right to life and the right to family life.
Eternit has a month to appeal the court's decision. It is hoped that this legal breakthrough will open the way for other Belgian victims to sue Eternit for compensation for their asbestos-related diseases. See: Justice for Francoise?
Broadcast of Asbestos Documentary
Nov 27, 2011
On Tuesday, November 29, 2011, the film: Dust - The Great Asbestos Trial will be broadcast in France on the Arte TV station (see: Program trailer). The documentary puts into context the landmark trial in Turin which has been ongoing for more than 2 years. While detailing the effects of contamination generated by asbestos-cement operations in Italy, it also explores current asbestos issues in Brazil, a producing country, and India, the world's biggest asbestos importer. To read the text of an interview with French asbestos expert Professor Annie Thebaud-Mony about the Turin trial, which is also on the Arte website, see: Annie Thebaud-Mony Interview.
Pressure Mounts on Industry
Nov 25, 2011
A press conference held in Ottawa yesterday ratcheted up pressure on Canadian asbestos stakeholders when Heidi von Palleske, whose parents died from asbestos-related diseases, and her daughter condemned the support for the asbestos industry provided by Prime Minister Harper and Premier Charest. For the first time in 130 years, asbestos production in Canada is now at a standstill with the recent suspension of mining at the Thetford Asbestos Mines. However, a decision by the Quebec Government, expected by Christmas, could breathe new life into the mothballed Jeffrey Mine in the town of Asbestos. See: News Clip on Canadian Broadcasting Corp. website.
Canada Condemned
Nov 24, 2011
In a statement released today, members of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (A-BAN) condemned the immoral behaviour of Canadian asbestos stakeholders for their aggressive promotion of Canadian chrysotile asbestos exports to Asian markets. The Jaipur Declaration, issued at the 2011 ABAN meeting in Jaipur last week, called "upon the Quebec Government to reject calls from (Canadian) asbestos industry profiteers, in particular the international consortium led by Baljit Chadha, for a $58 million loan guarantee to finance the development of new underground asbestos mining facilities in Quebec." See: A-BAN Press Release.
Italy's Trial of Asbestos Executives
Nov 22, 2011
An interview with Dr. Barry Castleman, a U.S. expert on asbestos issues and a star witness at the trial in Turin of former asbestos executives, was uploaded on November 22, 2011. The article explains the background to a case which has taken twelve years to reach this stage, the restrictions under which the Court in Turin operates and the likely verdict of the three-judge panel. The judgment in this case is expected to be issued in mid-February 2012, after which it is likely that appeals will be made. See: Italian Prosecution of Asbestos Boss Heads to a Verdict.
Update on National Asbestos Dialogue
Nov 20, 2011
The UK is still trying to tackle its asbestos legacy despite having banned asbestos in 1999. The most recent edition of the British Asbestos Newsletter discusses a range of issues including judicial developments which have impacted on the outcome of mesothelioma cases, the threat posed by asbestos products contained within schools, the funding of research into the treatment and care of asbestos-related diseases and the sad death of Frank Maguire, a solicitor advocate and Glasgow lawyer who campaigned in Westminster and Holyrood for legal and judicial changes that benefit asbestos victims. See: British Asbestos Newsletter, Autumn Issue.
Government Considers Ban
Nov 7, 2011
Comments circulated by the Indian Government in the run up to the 5th India-EU Seminar on Employment and Social Policy held in Delhi on September 19-20, 2011 have now been uploaded; they document the fact that: "The Government of India is considering the ban [on] the mining and use of chrysotile asbestos in India to protect the workers and the general population against primary and secondary exposure to Chrysotile form of Asbestos." See Seminar Notes. For all the presentations made at the seminar see: Overview and presentations.
India: The Toxic Trade
Nov 4, 2011
A program by Australian reporter Matt Peacock which will be screened on ABC TV on November 8, exposes India's "shocking trade" in asbestos and includes footage showing key industry propagandists defending the country's growing consumption of carcinogenic chrysotile asbestos. As a result of growing public awareness of the asbestos hazard, asbestos is now a dirty word in Australia. Clearly this is not the case in India. Peacock's report follows the trail of asbestos dust from India back to Canada, a country which readily supports the deadly asbestos it is not prepared to use at home. The documentary can be viewed online; see: ABC TV: Toxic Trade.
Rejecting Asbestos Propaganda
Nov 3, 2011
There seems to be no respite for beleaguered Canadian asbestos stakeholders. Although, the Parliamentary motion to ban asbestos in Canada put forward by NDP MP Claude Gravelle was not carried on November 1(See: Sarah Schmidt's Blog), the fact that it was presented at all and did in fact garner much support was highly significant. As was the Editorial which appeared subsequently in the Asian Journal, a Canadian publication. Editor Rattan Mall roundly condemned the arguments and excuses of Baljit Chadha, the Canadian businessman who is the front man for the mysterious consortium of foreign investors backing plans to develop new asbestos mining resources in Quebec.
Parliamentary Debate on Asbestos Ban
Oct 31, 2011
The Canadian House of Commons will today debate a motion by MP Claude Gravalle, a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP), calling for a ban on the use and export of asbestos. Gravalle's proposals also include support for: the inclusion of chrysotile asbestos on a global list of regulated hazardous substances, a just transition policy for affected workers and communities and financial investment to help diversify regional economies currently reliant on the asbestos industry. See: The return of the asbestos debate. (Two weeks ago, the NDP held a press conference in Ottawa to decry Canada's role in overturning the U.S. asbestos ban; see:October 18, 2011: A Bloody Anniversary.)
Focus on Asbestos in Carpi
Oct 29, 2011
The agenda of this year's meeting of the Collegium Ramazzini, a prestigious international academy based in Italy, featured presentations on asbestos issues by Canadian and Italian speakers which discussed the following subjects: Canada's status as a "Rogue Nation," the epidemic of asbestos-related diseases in Casale Monferrato (Italy) and the impact of asbestos disease on one Italian family; by Drs. Colin L. Soskolne, Benedetto Terracini and Piergiorgio Natali, respectively. Dr. Morris Greenberg, a prominent medical professional who has documented the history of the UK asbestos epidemic, received the 2011 Ramazzini Award. See: Collegium Ramazzini website.
Federal Support for Asbestos Ban
Oct 27 2011
On October 27, 2011, Brazil's Attorney General sent a message to the Supreme Court affirming the constitutionality of the São Paulo State ban on asbestos which is currently being contested by asbestos stakeholders trying to overturn it by judicial means. São Paulo is one of five Brazilian states in which the manufacture, use and sale of asbestos is prohibited; the others are: Mato Grosso, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Pernambuco. In July, 2011 Senator Eduardo Suplicy from São Paulo State presented a federal bill to ban asbestos to the Brazilian Parliament. See: Brazilian Supreme Court website.
The Politics of Asbestos
Oct 27, 2011
A WHO-backed initiative to broadcast presentations on the theme of "the Politics of Asbestos" will be available on-line on November 2, 2011. Dr Linda Waldman of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex will explore how asbestos issues have been dealt with by governments in South Africa, India and the UK and the opportunities, if any, for activists to shape national asbestos dialogues. Co-speaker Dr Ivan Ivanov of the Department of Public Health and Environment at the World Health Organization will give a global overview of asbestos-related health issues. To take part in this event, Register online.
Claimant's Verdict in Perth
Oct 26, 2011
As the Australian asbestos giant James Hardie would not acknowledge its negligence for dumping asbestos waste on the site of a Perth orphanage, it fell to the Western Australian Supreme Court to adjudicate the case brought by mesothelioma sufferer Simon Lowes. Today, the sum of $2.07 million was awarded to the 42-year-old claimant who, as a child, had played on the grounds of the Christian Brothers orphanage when he visited the Castledare Miniature Railway in the 1970s. By the time Hardie started dumping asbestos debris at Castledare it was, the Court found, aware of the potential hazard of this practice. See: Compensation for Perth man who played in Hardies asbestos waste.
Landmark Case Begins
Oct 23, 2011
Court proceedings begin on Monday, October 24, 2011 in the first Belgian case for death caused by environmental asbestos exposure. The lawsuit, which has taken 11 years to reach court, was initiated by Xavier, Benoit and Eric Jonckheere, the surviving sons of Françoise Jonckheere, who died from mesothelioma as did her husband and two of her sons. The family lived close to an asbestos-cement factory owned by Eternit, a global asbestos conglomerate, where Mrs. Jonckheere's husband had worked as an engineer. This case against Eternit will be heard at the Palais de Justice, Brussels. For more information email: jonckair@gmail.com.
Asbestos Rat in Princeton!
Oct 21, 2011
An inflatable rat is standing guard over the Firestone Library at Princeton University where asbestos removal work has begun. The 20-foot rodent is there to highlight the use of nonunionized workers by contractors carrying out pre-demolition decontamination work. The rodent has been put into position on Nassau Street by the Asbestos, Lead & Hazardous Waste Laborers' Local 78. The student newspaper - the Princeton Patch - has identified the contractor as NCM Demo & Remediation. According to a university spokesperson, strict procedures are in place to protect the workers. "Safety," he said "is the most important consideration in this project." See: Daily Princtonian report.
Canadian Conspiracy Uncovered
Oct 18, 2011
A press conference was held in Ottawa to reveal evidence of Canada's role in overturning the U.S. asbestos ban in 1991. MPs Pat Martin and François Lapointe hosted the event at which author Laurie Kazan-Allen detailed the Canadian plot, that had involved the Prime Minister, the Premier of Quebec, Ambassadors, Ministers, politicans and a formidable team of Canadian civil servants, to attack the U.S. ban. Criticizing Canada's pro-asbestos policy, Michaela Keyserlingk, whose husband died of asbestos cancer in 2009, said that civil servants as well as elected officials had a moral obligation to do the right thing. See: October 18, 2011: A Bloody Anniversary and Press Conference photo.
Supreme Court Upholds Scottish Asbestos Law
Oct 12, 2011
Today (Oct 12, 2011), the UK Supreme Court signalled the end to the attack on Scottish asbestos legislation by dismissing the appeal by insurance companies against legislation enabling pleural plaques victims in Scotland to obtain compensation from negligent employers. It could not be said that the "judgment of the Scottish Parliament was without reasonable foundation, " the Supreme Court wrote. Reacting to the news, Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill urged insurers to "settle those claims that have been stalled for so long." See: Press Summary and the UK Supreme Court Judgment in the case of AXA General Insurance Limited and others v The Lord Advocate and others.
Insurers Attack Mesothelioma Victims
Oct 9, 2011
Just when you think you had seen it all, along comes a new wrinkle in the asbestos story which reveals that there is absolutely no depth to which negligent companies and their insurers will not go to avoid paying their asbestos liabilities. A case due to be heard in the Supreme Court in December, commonly referred to as the "Trigger Litigation," is being spearheaded by insurance industry experts who stand to receive substantial bonuses for depriving aggrieved family members of the compensation which should be theirs after the avoidable asbestos-related deaths of their loved ones. See: It's pay day for insurance executives if they cut asbestos claims.
Treatment of Mesothelioma in Turkey
Oct 7, 2011
The paper Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in 132 patients with malignant mesothelioma, was today published online in the official journal of the Indian Chest Society. Results reported by Turkish researchers showed that patients in the cohort had mean survival times of: 7.7 months for best supportive care, 10.4 months for chemotherapy and 12.6 months for multimodal treatment. The treatment response rate for patients receiving Cisplatin/Carboplatin and Gemcitabine was found to be 47.1%; for patients receiving Cisplatin/Carboplatin and Pemetrexed it was 50.0%.
Call for Asia to Ban Asbestos
Oct 5, 2011
An article published today by a Professor of Health Economics at the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health, highlights the repercussions of asbestos consumption in Asia and warns that "asbestos is likely to continue to take its toll on public health in Asia for years to come." Asian countries should, he urged "ban asbestos as soon as possible… No matter what is done, however, a surge of ARD [Asbestos-Related Diseases] in Asia should be anticipated in the coming decades. Asian countries, therefore, should not only cease asbestos use but also prepare for an impending epidemic." See: Asia's emerging asbestos epidemic.
Another Postponement!
Oct 4, 2011
When it comes to asbestos, the Quebec Government has a very flexible mindset. After two deadlines had not been met by asbestos entrepreneurs, an October 1 deadline also came and went without a final decision. Official sources are not saying whether or not the business consortium had stomped up the $25 million necessary to qualify for financial support from Quebec taxpayers. Instead, Quebec authorities are proposing to resolve this issue by Christmas. This is entirely appropriate as a $58 million government loan guarantee would be a very good present by anyone's standards. See: Uncertainty continues in fate of Quebec asbestos mine and Baljit Chadha: Asbestos Straw Man?
Escalation of Asbestos Mortality
Oct 3, 2011
A government report issued on Sunday, October 2, 2011 predicted that deaths from asbestos cancer in Korea will continue rising for another 34 years. According to official sources, between 1996 and 2007, the number of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma more than doubled. Experts claim that the national mesothelioma epidemic will peak in 2045. According to the National Institute of Environment Research, a law which will become effective from April 2012 should prevent up to 20,000 asbestos-related deaths over the next 50 years. See: Asbestos cancer cases to peak in 2045.
Online Petition to Quebec
Sep 30, 2011
The latest deadline set by the Quebec Government for the completion of plans to award a $58 million loan guarantee to asbestos investors is approaching. A petition headlined "Canada Causes Cancer" has been launched by Avaaz, a powerful online presence for mobilizing global action, calling on Charest's Quebec Government to "back off the loan guarantee and close the asbestos mine for good." The petition highlights salient facts about the proposed development of new underground asbestos mining facilities in Canada including the fact that without Government backing, the project is dead in the water. To sign the petition, click on this link: Avaaz.org Website
Wasted Opportunity in Australia
Sep 27, 2011
Presidents and Prime Ministers from Commonwealth countries will meet in Perth in October to discuss issues "such as international peace and security, health, the environment and democracy." Despite attempts to focus attention on the controversial dumping by Canada of its asbestos exports on developing Commonwealth countries, a veil is being drawn over this toxic trade. No doubt, Canada has exercised the diplomatic persuasion at its disposal to ensure that its Prime Minister is not embarrassed at this meeting of his peers. It seems that this particular item of the Commonwealth family's dirty linen will neither be washed nor discussed at this high-profile affair. See: Website of Perth meeting.
Asbestos at Baseball Stadiums
Sep 26, 2011
The Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health today announced test results which confirm the risk posed not only to baseball players and coaches of eight Korean baseball teams but also umpires, stadium staff and spectators who visited the Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul and four other venues throughout the country. In 2010, six million fans attended Korean baseball games. Samples taken at the baseball parks earlier this month found tremolite, actinolite and chrysotile asbestos fibers in concentrations which far exceed the permissible level. The soil used at the parks was sourced from two former asbestos mines in North Gyeongsang Province. See: Korea Times report and Baseball demo picture.
Mesothelioma Awareness Day
Sep 26, 2011
Since 2004, September 26 has been marked as Mesothelioma Awareness Day by volunteers and supporters of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) who have taken part in activities to raise awareness and collect funds for medical research into the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. MARF not only provides one on one support to U.S. mesothelioma victims and their families but also provides financial resources to scientists pioneering peer-reviewed, mesothelioma research into this deadly cancer. See: MARF Announcement.
Eternit Trial Resumes
Sep 23, 2011
After the Summer recess, court proceedings in Turin will resume on September 26 in the case against former Eternit business tycoons Stephen Schmidheiny and Louis de Cartier de Marchienne. The prosecutors closing remarks were made at the pre-recess sessions in July; in the coming days, the defendants' representatives will make their closing speeches, at the end of which the judges will deliberate the verdict. The Public Prosecutors are asking for sentences of 20 years for the alleged criminal actions of the defendants in causing the deaths of thousands of Italians. The judgment is expected by the end of the year.
Canada's Asbestos Policy Ridiculed
Sep 21, 2011
Canadian comedian Rick Mercer yesterday berated his government's support for the asbestos industry on a nationwide TV broadcast. Mercer ranted: "We all know it's hazardous… that is why, if it's used in Canada ... you are required to have a hazmat suit, a respirator and a string of rosary beads." Ottawa protects Canadians and endangers everyone else stupid enough to believe its asbestos propaganda: "We mine it (asbestos) and we ship it to the third world and because of us, because of Canada, it is not labeled as hazardous." The much-loved "Maple Leaf" brand is being devalued by the criminal behavior of Canada's political leaders. See: YouTube video clip.
Focus on Eternit Trial
Sept 17, 2011
A special edition of the newsletter by a French asbestos victims group (ANDEVA) has been published online which contains a 20-page feature about the ongoing trial in Turin of two former asbestos senior executives. The document is available in French and English; translations into Portuguese and Italian are being undertaken. The text contains an editorial about the trial as well as interviews with Italian community activists Bruno Pesce, Nicola Pondrano and Romana Blasotti Pavesi,who have been campaigning for justice for Italian Eternit asbestos victims for thirty years. Comments about the trial by Italian and international legal representatives are included.
Asbestos Ban in West Java
Sep 12, 2011
It was announced last week that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of a West Java district was banning future asbestos industrialization; permits needed for the construction and operation of asbestos manufacturing facilities would no longer be granted in Purwakarta Regency. Authorities are concerned about the "dangers of the use of asbestos in everyday life" and the hazard presented by the disposal of asbestos waste. EPA officials said that as regional implementation of the asbestos ban was required to ensure adequate protection, steps would be taken to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos throughout the Province of West Java. See: Indonesian news report.
Asbestos on Union Agenda
Sep 12, 2011
The annual meeting of the Trades Union Congress is being held in London on September 12-14, 2011. While the packed Agenda will focus on a variety of issues which directly impact on union members, including controversial government proposals regarding pension benefits and cuts to the National Health Service, other issues will also be considered. Posters exhibited by the Asbestos Victims' Forum and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat will raise awareness of the global impact of continuing asbestos use throughout the developing world as well as the threat posed by asbestos products incorporated in the UK infrastructure. See: UK Poster and International Poster.
World Congress Considers Asbestos
Sep 11, 2011
The XIX World Congress on Safety and Health at Work will provide the opportunity for asbestos issues to be considered at a designated seminar, during oral sessions and in posters, at the meeting being held in Istanbul on September 11-15, 2011. Unfortunately, it is likely that representatives of the asbestos industry will be present at this event en masse. At the last such meeting, which took place in Korea in 2008, industry bully boys attempted to intimidate ban asbestos campaigners, disrupted meetings and made baseless accusations against leading trade union and civil society campaigners. See: Defending the Indefensible.
2010 Asbestos Data
Aug 31, 2011
New data uploaded by the United States Geological Survey reveals that although global consumption of asbestos remains at just over 2 million tonnes a year, usage in the U.S. "although increasing from that of 2009, remained lower than consumption for the prior 100 years." Although the collapse in Canadian output, from 200,000 tonnes in 2006 to 100,000 in 2010 stands out, decreases in production were noted in most major producers including China, Brazil and Kazakhstan; Russian output remained at one million tonnes for the second consecutive year. See: U.S.G.S. Asbestos Data.
Surgery for Mesothelioma?
Aug 28, 2011
Whether extra pleural pneumonectomy (EPP), a radical surgical procedure, for pleural mesothelioma extends lifespan or improves quality of life has been hotly debated. A paper in the Lancet details the results of a small randomised UK trial. Having highlighted the problems encountered in running the study, the authors conclude that "radical surgery in the form of EPP within trimodal therapy offers no benefit and possibly harms patients." In a letter commenting on these findings, Dr. Hedy Kindler commends the work of the investigators but queries whether concluding that EPP is not beneficial at this stage might be premature.
Eternit Accused!
Aug 26, 2011
Proceedings took place this week before a local judge in a São Paulo court regarding the decontamination of a redundant asbestos mine site in Bahia, a state in the northeast of Brazil. Bahia's federal and state authorities have accused the former mine owner, Eternit, of environmental crime and are demanding that the company clean-up the pollution on the 700 hectare site. Chrysotile asbestos was extracted from the Poções mine from 1937 until 1967; no effort has been made to decontaminate the site and people living nearby continue to be exposed to asbestos on a daily basis.
Increasing Asbestos Awareness, Tasmania
Aug 25, 2011
Tasmania's Minister for Workplace Relations David O'Byrne launched a website to help raise awareness of the asbestos hazard in the island state off the southeast coast of the Australian mainland. Tasmania was home to a large asbestos-cement factory, owned by Goliath Portland Cement Ltd, from 1947 to 1986. The new online resource provides information on asbestos health and safety regulations, asbestos-related diseases, and compensation schemes, as well as practical advice on the identification, removal and disposal of asbestos-containing waste. A useful schematic showing the location of asbestos in domestic properties and photos of asbestos products are also available.
Lawsuit for Para-occupational Exposure
Aug 25, 2011
A double tragedy in Fuji, Japan reached the Shizuoka District Court when the relatives of a 42-year old mesothelioma victim brought a case against the asbestos-cement pipe manufacturer Fuji Kako. The young woman, who in 2010 was diagnosed with the terminal asbestos cancer whilst caring for her Mother, who was also dying of mesothelioma, had attended the employer's onsite nursery from age 3 to 6. An offer by the company of 23 million yen ($300,000) has been rejected as insulting by the family. In Japan, lawsuits for exposure to a worker's asbestos-contaminated clothing are relatively rare. See: Family sues over woman's death from secondhand contact with asbestos.
Pressure Builds on Canadian MP
Aug 24, 2011
Allegations of racism and professional misconduct are made in an open letter sent on August 24, 2011 by a leading human rights campaigner to newly elected MP Dr. Kellie Leitch. The politician's role in supporting Ottawa's misleading campaign regarding the hazards of asbestos and exposing individuals to deadly harm is highlighted by Ms. Kathleen Ruff who asks the representative of the Simcoe-Grey constituency to "break your silence." As a doctor the MP has, Ms. Ruff writes, a duty "to put politics ahead of human life" under the medical Code of Ethics. See: Open Letter to Dr. Leitch.
Interview with Ban Asbestos Activist
Aug 22, 2011
An extended radio interview with asbestos widow Michaela Keyserlingk was broadcast on August 21, 2011 on the flagship program "The Sunday Edition." The interview by Kevin Sylvester allowed for a thorough discussion of topical asbestos issues in Canada amongst which were the lack of transparency in Canada's asbestos policy, the epidemic of asbestos-related deaths in Canada and abroad, the Government's continued denial of scientifically validated evidence regarding the dangers of chrysotile asbestos, Canada's blocking of international action on asbestos and the implacable asbestos mindset of the Conservative Party. This interview can be heard on: The Sunday Edition website.
UK Asbestos Developments
Aug 22, 2011
The Summer issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter covers recent activities such as the annual Parliamentary asbestos seminar and events to mark Action Mesothelioma Day; relevant legal, judicial and legislative developments are also discussed. Of particular interest to ban asbestos campaigners is the article "The UK's Asbestos Dilemma" which highlights a failed attempt by pro-chrysotile forces to push for a UK reassessment of the government's position on chrysotile asbestos and asbestos-cement. The Government's Chief Scientific Adviser concluded that "It is not possible to determine a threshold level below which exposure to 'pure' chrysotile could be deemed 'safe' for human health…"
Victims Helpline in Corsica
Aug 21, 2011
The French island of Corsica was the site of a chrysotile asbestos mine and factory at which 1,500 people worked for the global asbestos superpower Eternit. Former employees and surviving family members find it difficult to obtain compensation for the asbestos-related diseases which were caused by hazardous exposures experienced at these sites. A new service will be available to victims from next month. The helpline being launched by Marcel Spampani in the village of Barrettali on September 13 will operate during the week at 9-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m; telephone: 06.28.28.54.09. See: Helpline for asbestos victims in Corsica (in French).
Canadian Politican Called to Account
Aug 19, 2011
Scores of media outlets throughout Canada are reporting the pressure being exerted on newly elected Conservative Member of Parliament Dr Kellie Leitch, a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon. An open letter sent to Dr. Leitch by medical doctors and health professionals from around the world calls on her to prioritize medical ethics over political expediency and oppose Ottawa's ongoing support for the asbestos industry. "As a medical doctor, you have a profound professional and ethical duty to be guided by reputable science and not by the deadly misinformation of the asbestos lobby…." See also: Choose ethics over asbestos exports, MDs tell physician-turned-Tory MP.
Street Art versus Asbestos
Aug 12, 2011
A ban asbestos Competition dubbed "Street Art versus the Deadly Dust" was concluded in July 2011 when the AFK team beat 43 others to win the coveted Peoples Choice Award. This contest was launched four months ago to highlight the asbestos hazard, especially to young people, by using a medium - graffiti - with which they were familiar. The competition organizer explained the mutual benefits of this project as follows: "Anti-asbestos activists got to learn the power of visual communication while artists were exposed to the anti-asbestos advocacy. It was mutual learning." In the Philippines, public space is allocated for graffiti art. See: Winning Entries.
India's Asbestos Tsunami
Aug 10, 2011
India's annual consumption of asbestos has nearly trebled from 150,161 tonnes in 2001 to 426,363 tonnes in 2010. India is the world's biggest asbestos importer and the second biggest user, after China. Since 1960, a staggering 8,110,528 tonnes of asbestos has been used in India. During the UK's asbestos century, total national consumption was 6 million tonnes, resulting in, currently, 4,000+ asbestos-related deaths per annum. Considering the expanding and uncontrolled use of asbestos in India, there can be no doubt about the huge toll the country will pay for the deadly use of asbestos. See: India's Asbestos Time Bomb.
Asbestos Time Bomb in Bangladesh
Aug 8 2011
A "National Consultation Meeting on Asbestos" was held in Dhaka on August 6, 2011 to launch Asbestos Time Bomb In Bangladesh, a report by the Bangladesh Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Foundation describing the dangerous and widespread expansion of asbestos use in Bangladesh. From small-scale back street operations to ship-breaking yards and industrial premises, asbestos fiber and asbestos-containing products are being processed in conditions which seriously endanger occupational and public health. A wide variety of unlabelled asbestos products are on sale to consumers, who have no knowledge about the asbestos hazard.
Canada's Asbestos Shame
Aug 5, 2011
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has made available on YouTube (August 3) a video clip from a broadcast entitled "Restricting Asbestos," which details the Canadian Government's long-standing efforts to keep chrysotile asbestos off the Prior Informed Consent list of the Rotterdam Convention even though its own health advisors had recommended that chrysotile be listed. The clip features Prime Minister's Stephen Harper's spirited defense of the industry and comments from the Chrysotile Institute's Guy Versailles defending Canada's Rotterdam Convention veto. Criticism of the government's position comes from Dr. Kapil Khatter who says that Ottawa is prioritizing business over health.
Asbestos Risk to Children
Aug 4, 2011
The UK Government has commissioned the Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (CoC) to advise on the "Relative Vulnerability of Children to Asbestos compared to Adults." At the July 21 meeting of the CoC this project was discussed; the next CoC meeting in November will progress the Committee's efforts. Asbestos in Schools Campaigner Michael Lees is hopeful that the CoC's findings will encourage the authorities to address the multiple problems caused by the continued presence of asbestos in the educational infrastructure. A paper on this subject is available on the Asbestos in Schools website; see: Increased Vulnerability of Children to Asbestos.
Asbestos Memorial Tree
Aug 3, 2011
Local asbestos victims were remembered at a ceremony held in Armley, the town which was home to the infamous J. W. Roberts (JWR) asbestos factory. For generations, the lives of Armley workers and local people were cut short by exposures to JWR asbestos. June Hancock, who played on the factory's loading bays, died from mesothelioma as did her Mother, who experienced environmental exposure to the pollution created by the manufacturing operations. June's son Russell assisted local MP Rachel Reeves to plant the Asbestos Memorial Tree in the grounds of the local museum. See: Yorkshire Post Article.
Johnson ASTM Conference
Aug 1, 2011
The Johnson ASTM Conference which took place in Vermont last week attracted technical experts on a range of asbestos issues from 10 countries. Four interviews with selected speakers which were conducted by a local public access TV station can be watched online. The 30 minutes segments, hosted by Vince Brennan, can be accessed from the webpage: Center for Media & Democracy. During one of the interviews, the panel discussed a trip taken to Thetford Mines, an asbestos mining town just across the Canadian border. After lunch, many of the experts collected samples of asbestos fibers scattered throughout the car park much to the amusement of the waitresses.
Brazilian Ban Asbestos Bill
Jul 31, 2011
This week Senator Eduardo Suplicy from São Paulo State presented a bill to ban asbestos to the Brazilian Parliament. Suplicy, a member of the Workers' Party of Brazil, is a long-time advocate of prohibiting the use of asbestos throughout Brazil. Currently, five Brazilian States ban asbestos but the adoption of a national regulation has been prevented by a powerful industry lobby which has distributed huge sums of money to politicans at all levels of government including Parliamentarians in Brasilia. Suplicy's former wife, Marta Suplicy, was the Mayor of São Paulo when a municipal bill was passed to ban asbestos.
Asbestos News from Victoria
Jul 31, 2011
The Summer 2011 issue of the Gippsland Asbestos Related Diseases Support Group (GARDS) Newsletter details progress on current developments such as the purchase of a new GARDS van, the receipt of charitable contributions, outreach work with medical students as well as other topical news from Australia and abroad. GARDS is an active and well-supported local group, based in the La Trobe Valley, which provides support and information for asbestos sufferers, many of whom worked in the power generating industry, and their relatives. For more information, see: http://www.gards.org
Demonstration in Seoul
Jul 29, 2011
Campaigners from the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea (BANKO) demonstrated today in downtown Seoul in front of the offices of the Hyundai Motor Group to highlight the use by the automotive and steel industries of raw materials contaminated with asbestos. Despite the ban introduced in Korea in 2009 on the import, use and sale of asbestos, there appears to be no attention paid to the hazards posed by exposure to asbestos-contaminated raw materials. Rocks containing asbestos are used for landscaping and building cycle tracks or public parks. BANKO protestors called on the Government to take action to outlaw these dangerous practices.
Jail for Factory Managers
Jul 29, 2011
On July 26, 2011, Judge Fabriza Pirotti handed down prison sentences to former executives of a Philips light bulb factory in Alpignano, near Turin. Luigi Sandrucci and Francesco Spesso managed the plant from 1972 to1984; for their negligence in exposing workers to hazards, including asbestos, they are being sent to prison for 3½ years and 2½ years, respectively - half the terms requested by the claimants' lawyers. Substantial compensation was awarded to the surviving families of five asbestos victims including relatives of Giuseppe Milazzno who died from mesothelioma and Michele Albino who died of lung cancer. See: La Stampa article.
Another Asbestos Victory!
Jul 23, 2011
In 2010, Ministry of Labor officials accompanied by armed policemen arrested a shipment of asbestos fiber being transported on the Sao Paulo highways; Sao Paulo is one of five Brazilian states which has banned asbestos.
This action, which was upheld by the lower court last year, has now been vindicated at the Labor Court in Campinas which this week upheld the original Judge's decision supporting the behavior and actions of Labor Inspector Fernanda Giannasi. The inspection of the asbestos-laden articulated lorry carried out by the Labor Inspector and her colleagues can be viewed on YouTube.
National Asbestos Strategy
Jul 22, 2011
A consultation has begun in Australia on the development of a national plan for tackling widespread asbestos contamination. Public input is now being solicited in response to The Asbestos Management Review published last week. The Review, which aims to "ensure robust, practical recommendations for a National Strategic Plan to improve asbestos management and awareness in Australia," examines a range of issues including asbestos awareness, management, removal and handling, disposal of waste, as well as measures to quanitify the medical and epidemiological impact asbestos consumption has had on the Australian population.
Cancer Prevention and Asbestos
July 18, 2011
An editorial entitled Global Prevention of Environmental and Occupational Cancer appears in the current issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, the most widely read peer-reviewed journal on the impact of the environment on human health. The editorial highlights the burden of cancer caused by toxic exposures at home and at work, naming asbestos first in a list of "the most common environmental carcinogens." Recommendations made at a WHO meeting held in Spain in March 2011 are detailed. The implementation of these recommendations "will also prevent recurrence of such tragedies as the global asbestos epidemic, which now claims > 100,000 lives each year."
Asbestos Epidemiology Research
Jul 14, 2011
The paper Applying Quality Criteria to Exposure in Asbestos Epidemiology Increases the Estimated Risk details research undertaken at the behest of the Dutch Parliament into the environmental risk posed by asbestos with a view to tightening exposure guidelines to protect public health. The findings of the (Dutch) Health Council Committee are discussed in this paper and include the conclusions that when only cohort studies with good quality exposure information were considered in epidemiological studies, risk estimates for lung cancer and mesothelioma increased 3-6 fold and fiber potency differences for the causation of these diseases were reduced.
Compensation for Victims
Jul 7, 2011
Legislation introduced today in the Tasmanian State Parliament by Labour Minister David O'Byrne provides statutory compensation for workers suffering from asbestos-related diseases. "This compensation scheme will," he said, "ensure workers have some comfort, and access to good medical care during a difficult time." The scheme, funded by a 4% levy on employers, will provide a 64-year old worker with $500,000 plus medical costs; an 83-year old worker will receive $250,000 plus medical costs. Welcoming the legislation, trade unionist Kevin Harkins called for preventative measures such as the implementation of a "prioritised asbestos removal program." See: Tasmanian Government Press Release.
Criminal Trial of Asbestos Executives
Jul 4, 2011
In his closing speech, Italian Prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello today asked for jail sentences of twenty years for Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny and Belgian businessman Baron Jean Louis Marie Ghislain de Cartier de Marchienne who are on trial for their involvement in the asbestos operations of the Eternit factory headquartered in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato. The former executives are accused of wilful and malicious disaster and negligence. The criminal proceedings are expected to conclude with presentations in September 2011 by the defense, with the verdict expected by the end of the year.
Seminar at European Parliament
Jun 29, 2011
A seminar entitled Asbestos – Still A Killer will be held at the European Parliament on June 30 to focus MEPs attention on the European asbestos epidemic and detail measures to protect citizens from the deadly threat posed by asbestos products incorporated into national infrastructures. This meeting will consider a diverse range of issues such as the ongoing threat posed by asbestos to public and occupational health, measures to raise asbestos awareness, political, legal and legislative developments on both regional and global levels. See: Seminar Press Release.
Outrage into Action
Jun 28, 2011
In the aftermath of the Rotterdam Convention debacle, regional bodies, national governments and civil society groups are determined not only to hold Canada to account but to progress a global ban on asbestos. In a summary of last week's meeting, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin noted: "The African Group concluded that the inability of three meetings of the COP to agree on including chrysotile asbestos in Annex III left them no choice but to contemplate establishing trade restrictions on the substance at the regional level." Ban asbestos campaigners stand ready to assist the Africa Group realise this goal.
Canadian National Hero
June 24, 2011
Even as Canada stands condemned by those who attended this week's Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention, courageous ban asbestos activists, public health campaigners, trade unionists and ordinary Canadians have been mobilizing to expose their country's hypocritical and injurious asbestos policy. At the forefront of this community of individuals is Kathleen Ruff, a human rights and ban asbestos activist. Ms. Ruff has worked tirelessly with groups at home and abroad to generate awareness of the covert roles of the Quebec and Ottawa governments in the global asbestos lobby. This week she was named the Canadian Public Health Association's National Public Health Hero!
Canada Achieves Pariah Status
Jun 23, 2011
A statement circulated today by the Rotterdam Convention Alliance (ROCA), has condemned Canada's betrayal of the Rotterdam Convention and its prioritization of "commercial profit over public health." ROCA's comments indict Canada's allegiance with the global asbestos mafia. Asbestos lobbyists from Canada and Russia have been particularly active in Geneva. Earth Bulletin for COP5 documents statements by representatives of the Russian asbestos industry, including the International (Chrysotile) Alliance of Trade Union Organizations, and the Canadian Chrysotile Institute. Observers at COP5 also report the presence of Brazilian asbestos lobbyists.
Rotterdam Convention Breakthrough
Jun 22 2011
Yesterday, India joined other asbestos stakeholders to block the inclusion of chrysotile on Annex III of the Convention; today, an astounding U-turn has taken place with the announcement by the Indian delegate that India had changed its mind. The news of this reversal was greeted with a standing ovation in the plenary session. Aneil Jaswal, director of cancerculprits.org, remarked on the irony of the situation; on June 21 India had been declared a cancer culprit for its veto, today, it is being greeted as a Convention Champion! India is now engaged in negotiations with former allies to resolve the situation.
Subversion of Rotterdam Convention
Jun 22, 2011
Yesterday, a few asbestos bullies blocked the listing of chrysotile asbestos in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention. Despite recommendations by the Convention Secretariat that chrysotile be listed and the support of this course of action by 139 parties to the Convention (97%), objections by Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Vietnam ensured it did not proceed; significantly, asbestos industry representatives from Canada and Russia participated in the plenary debate. At an evening session on chrysotile mounted by the Rotterdam Convention Alliance, aggressive and hectoring tactics were used by asbestos stakeholders to harangue and insult civil society representatives.
Canadians Reject Ottawa's Policy
Jun 18, 2011
Questions asked in the Canadian Parliament this week reveal the growing antipathy felt by politicans towards the government's entrenched pro-asbestos policy. In a series of increasingly pointed challenges, Romeo Saganash, a new Member of Parliament from Quebec, confronted asbestos blowhard Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and State. Replying to questions (see: Hansards June 14 and June 16) posed by the New Democratic Party MP Saganash, Paradis lapsed into the standard asbestos stakeholders' mantra of: "chrysotile can be used safely in a controlled environment." The cheers and standing ovation given to Saganash were later criticized as "appalling" by the Minister.
New Asbestos Ban in Brazil
Jun 16, 2011
Yesterday, Mato Grosso became the 5th Brazilian state to ban asbestos when state deputies overturned a veto issued earlier this year by Governor Silval Barbosa. Cumulatively, Brazilian state bans, including those in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Pernambuco, affect 80 million people, 40+ % of the population. The "asbestos ban states" account for over 60% of Brazil's gross domestic product. On June 7, 2011, Brazilian lawyer Mauro Menezes said: "While a Brazilian asbestos ban continues to ellude us, there are clear signs it will happen." A national ban may come sooner rather than later.
Call for UN Action on Asbestos
Jun 16, 2011
Next week, the 5th Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention (RC) will meet in Geneva. This multilateral UN agreement has been brought to its knees by chrysotile asbestos. Despite recommendations that chrysotile be added to the schedule of substances subject to minimum trade restrictions, all previous attempts to do so have been blocked by asbestos stakeholders. Recognizing the threat the chrysotile issue poses to the existence of the RC, a consortium of civil society groups has coalesced to highlight the backroom machinations mounted by Canada, Russia, India, Kyrgyzstan, etc; the position paper of the Rotterdam Convention Alliance is informative.
Protest against Asbestos Factory
Jun 14, 2011
Plans to build a new asbestos plant in Vaishali, Bihar led to a dharna (sit-in demonstration) by local people outside the office of the District Magistrate on June 13. Addressing the dharna, Rajkumar Chaudhary of the Citizens' Forum against Asbestos, said the state government's approval of plans to build an asbestos-processing factory in a populated urban area was unacceptable; due to its hazardous nature, asbestos has been banned in 55 countries. Chaudhary urged citizens to take action to protect public health and support the campaign to shut down construction of the controversial factory. See: Mass Movement in Bihar Blog.
Honour for Glasgow Activist
Jun 13, 2011
The work of Phyllis Craig, a senior welfare rights adviser at Clydeside Action on Asbestos (CAA), was recognized on June 11, 2011 when she was awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honour's list for her services to sufferers of asbestos-related diseases. Phyllis has assisted individual victims and campaigned for changes to Scottish and UK legislation which impacted on their rights for over 15 years. Commenting on the honour, she paid tribute to the asbestos-injured and their relatives who, she said "should be recognized." See: Clydeside Action on Asbestos Tribute.
Parliamentary Asbestos Seminar
Jun 8 2011
The annual Parliamentary Asbestos Seminar held in Westminster yesterday provided the opportunity for high-profile speakers to address a range of topical issues. Members of Parliament, judges, asbestos victims and their representatives joined trade unionists and campaigners from around the UK to discuss developments in tackling the nation's asbestos legacy. In the keynote presentation "Asbestos Issues in Brazil," Brazilian attorney Mauro de Menezes highlighted the work of the Brazilian Asbestos Victims' Group (ABREA) in the fight to achieve justice for the victims and a Brazilian ban on asbestos. See Meeting Agenda and Photo (full report to follow).
Court Win for Asbestos Victim!
Jun 8 2011
A case brought by Labour Prosecutors against Multilit Fibrocimento Ltda, a Brazilian company which manufactures asbestos-cement roofing tiles, resulted in a victory for a former employee who was exposed to asbestos during his 10 years of employment. The Court awarded the claimant $700,000 for injuries sustained, which had resulted in the his retirement in 2007 due to pulmonary asbestos disease. The Court said that in the 20th century asbestos had been recognized as one of the world's worst industrial carcinogens and that recent studies confirmed that there is no safe level of exposure to the "murderous dust." See: Fernanda Giannasi's blog.
National Asbestos Heritage
Jun 6, 2011
Even though Italy banned the use of asbestos nearly 20 years ago, the long-term consequences of asbestos use remain a potent health risk to its citizens. A paper published recently entitled Problems due to the prolonged permanence of asbestos-containing materials investigates the background and scope of contamination and steps which have been taken to address problems involved in the removal of a range of asbestos products. Author Stefano Silvestri calls on the Italian Government to oversee a coordinated program of asbestos eradication throughout the country with the resources needed to tackle the formidable challenges defined in this paper.
French Victims say "No!"
Jun 3, 2011
A letter sent on June 2, 2011 by the President of the French Asbestos Victims' Group (ANDEVA) and the Secretary-General of FNATH, an association representing French victims of accidents, highlights the serious implications of proposals to reconstitute the administration of the National Indemnization Fund for Asbestos Victims (FIVA) in such a way as to place decisions in the hands of the employers whose negligence was responsible for the asbestos epidemic now occurring in France. Opponents to the government's plans include asbestos victims and trade unionists as well as politicians and representatives from various sectors of civil society.
International Asbestos Conference
Jun 3, 2011
Last month, representatives from civil society, international agencies, government and industry attended the conference: Asbestos - Policies and Practices in Kyrgyzstan and International Chemicals Policy, in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan,. Despite disruptions caused by members of the asbestos lobbying group, the International Alliance of Chrysotile Trade Unions, informative presentations describing the disastrous consequences of asbestos exposure were given by eminent experts. The event was organised by the European-based NGO Women in Europe for a Common Future and their Kyrgyz partner organization. See: Final Resolution in English or in Russian.
Government Confirms Chrysotile Risk
May 26, 2011
An attempt to lobby the UK government to reverse its position on chrysotile asbestos has been soundly defeated. After consultation with UK experts, Sir John Beddington, Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government and Head of Government Office for Science, reported in a letter to Ian Duncan Smith that: "... it is not possible to determine a threshold level below which exposure to 'pure' chrysotile could be deemed 'safe' for human health. The same applies for exposure to chrysotile from cement ... on the evidence available there is no justification for an imminent change to the international scientific consensus on the classification of chrysotile as a Class 1 carcinogen." See: Background Information.
Thailand Bans Asbestos
May 4, 2011
In the aftermath of recent discussions amongst members of the Thai Government (See: Progress on Thailand Asbestos Ban), confirmation has been obtained that the Thai Cabinet has approved a resolution proposed by the National Health Commission to ban the use of asbestos. Imports of asbestos will be illegal from 2011 and the sale of all asbestos products will be banned from 2012! Although documentation on these developments is not yet available in English, this news been relayed by an observer in Thailand.
A World Without Asbestos
May 3 2011
The Press Release issued by delegates attending the "World Without Asbestos" events in Casale Monferrato, Italy last week called for a global ban on asbestos, highlighted the human catastrophe caused in Europe by the use of asbestos, categorized as a moral imperative the need for scientific and medical research into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of asbestos-related diseases and exposed the industry's policy of "controlled use" as commercial propaganda. The text states that the global asbestos trade is a criminal industry that exposes huge numbers of people to mortal risk in the pursuit of profit and calls for justice for all asbestos victims.
British Asbestos Newsletter
May 3, 2011
The Spring issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter contains news of judicial, legal, epidemiological, political and scientific developments which could be of interest to asbestos victims, health campaigners and others working to progress the interests of the asbestos-injured. Solicitor Ruth Davies, who represented the family of Dianne Willmore in a ground-breaking legal case, contributes the lead article: Two Families Caught up in Supreme Court Litigation which provides a personal insight to the decision handed down last month by the Supreme Court regarding mesothelioma causation by low level asbestos exposures.
Israeli Asbestos Ban Official!
Apr 26, 2011
On March 28, 2011, the Israeli Parliament approved the Prevention of Asbestos Hazards Law; regularizing the de facto ban already in existence by prohibiting new uses of asbestos and mandating the phasing-out of friable asbestos in public buildings and industrial facilities within 10 years, and in Israeli Defense Forces equipment within 7 years. A protocol is being established to ensure that asbestos-cement products contained in public buildings are identified, marked and managed. New licensing will regulate the asebstos removal industry. These steps are being taken "to prevent the health hazards associated with exposure to this carcinogen." See Ministry of Environmental Protection News Release.
News from Victims' Group in Victoria
Apr 20, 2011
The latest newsletter from Gippsland Asbestos Related Diseases Support Inc (GARDS) is now available online. The publication documents recent successes in fund-raising from local groups and national bodies which have enabled the charity to acquire equipment that is made available free of charge to asbestos sufferers. Recent acquisitions include four oxygen concentrators one of which is now on loan to GARDS member Ian Moore who has debilitating asbestosis. Another donation went towards the purchase of an electronic conserving device. Activities such as the participation of GARDS staff and members at community events such as Annual Farm World are described.
Victory for British Asbestos Claimant
Apr 18, 2011
An employee of the Uxbridge Flint Brick Company who contracted asbestosis in 2007 has won his case against Cape plc, the parent company of his employer. The claimant was unable to bring a case against his employer due to an "asbestosis exclusion clause" in its insurance policy but his lawyers persuaded the High Court that "Cape's involvement in matters concerning asbestos safety" was such that it could be held liable for the negligence of its subsidiary. Damages were awarded of £120,000+. Cape was one of the UK's biggest asbestos groups and had considerable mining and manufacturing operations overseas. See: Press Release and the Cape Chandler Judgment.
No Asbestos, No Mesothelioma
Apr 15, 2011
A report published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine concludes that "Malignant mesothelioma was rare prior to the widespread commercial introduction of asbestos." A review of 2,025 autopsies carried out at a New York hospital between 1883 and 1910 identified 281 cases of malignant neoplasms amongst which were no "definite cases of malignant mesothelioma" or endothelioma of the pleura as they were previously referred to. See: Rarity of Malignant Mesothelioma Prior to the Widespread Commercial Introduction of Asbestos: The Mount Sinai Autopsy Expereience 1883-1910.
Landmark win for Plaque Victims
Apr 12, 2011
The Supreme Court of Scotland, the Court of Session, has today handed down a ruling enshrining the rights of Scottish sufferers of asbestos-related pleural plaques to receive compensation. This right had been withdrawn in 2007 after the House of Lords judgment in the case of Rothwell v. Chemical & Insulating Co. Ltd. (See: British Asbestos Newsletter) which reversed 20 years of legal precedent. Despite objections from insurers, the Scottish Government passed The Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009 (See: legislation.gov.uk item) under which claims could be brought for pleural plaques, pleural thickening and asbestosis. See also: STV online article.
Thailand Considers Asbestos Ban
Apr 12, 2011
Thailand's Cabinet is today in discussion about implementing a national ban on asbestos, having studied submissions by the National Health Commission (NHC). If the prohibitions are adopted, the import and use of all types of asbestos will be forbidden in all products including textiles, friction, insulation and construction material. The NHC's Secretary-General Dr Amphon Jindawattana has said that "Thailand must move to a non-asbestos organic society by the year 2012 [and] all asbestos must be totally banned in Thailand." According to NHC estimates, asbestos consumption in Thailand will lead to an explosion in asbestos-related lung cancer. See: The Nation online report.
Exposé of Canada's Asbestos Debacle
Apr 5, 2011
Articles which focus on the unravelling of the Canadian asbestos industry are now on the website of ANDEVA, an organization representing asbestos victim support groups in France. The texts detail negative press coverage of the industry, statements by pro-asbestos lobbyists, the stalemate in finalizing plans for a new mine, increasing ban asbestos mobilization of civil society including support by doctors and health professionals in Quebec for a Canadian ban and a shutdown of mining operations. As previous publications on this website prompted legal action by the Canadian asbestos industry, it is likely that every word will be carefully studied. See: ANDEVA website article.
Launch of Asbestos Awareness Campaign
Apr 4, 2011
A survey to assess levels of UK awareness of asbestos in buildings and workplace regulations designed to minimize hazardous exposures has been launched. The Great British Asbestos in Buildings Survey 2011 is being promoted by trade associations, unions, membership organizations and industry institutions which are encouraging tradespeople, building occupiers, duty holders and property managers to take part. It is hoped the results will pinpoint gaps so action can be taken to protect building users and workers from the asbestos hazard. This initiative, by the UK Accreditation Service, is supported by British asbestos campaigners including members of the Asbestos in Schools Group.
Canada's Asbestos Hazard
Apr 3, 2011
CAREX Canada ranks asbestos as a Group A (immediate high priority) hazard. Highlighting the risks of exposure to people mining and processing asbestos fiber, serious concern is also expressed for workers in the construction sector and people who live near asbestos mines, waste sites or processing facilities. Other high exposures were "due to manufacture of paper products, chemicals, transport, equipment the generation of electricity, gas and steam and sanitary services." A paint primer containing anthophyllite asbestos was identified as 1 of 6 asbestos-containing products on sale in Canada for household use. See: CAREX Carcinogen Profile: Asbestos.
Asbestos Threat to Public Health
Apr 1, 2011
An important academic paper has been published in the International Journal of Health Services entitled: The Global Reorganization and Revitalization of the Asbestos Industry, 1970-2007. Author Dr. Jim Rice methodically details the long-term strategy vested interests have pursued to manipulate the asbestos agenda. The global revitalization of the asbestos industry during this period has the potential "to prefigure a significant expansion of asbestos-related disease into the 21st century, absent a global ban on asbestos use." Dr. Rice concludes: "The production and consumption of asbestos in the developing countries is a 'needless and expanding' threat to public health." See: Baywood Publishing website.
Asbestos danger in Hong Kong
Mar 29, 2011
At a Hong Kong press conference on March 29, 2011 warnings were issued about the threat posed by asbestos liberated during refurbishment and demolition work. A preliminary evaluation by the Hong Kong Workers' Health Centre (HKWHC) found that almost 80% of buildings earmarked for renovation by local authorities contain asbestos. Additionally, HKWHC's project manager Trevor Sun reported disturbing findings from Choi Yuen Village and Lower Ngau Tau Kok (II) Estate where contaminated building debris was observed throughout demolition sites. Sun called on the Environmental Protection Department and the Labor Department to step up government supervision. See: China Daily news report.
Post-Catastrophe Contamination
Mar 28, 2011
Occupational health and safety specialists traveled to areas affected by the tsunami and earthquake last week to investigate levels of asbestos contamination. They inspected damaged buildings and located asbestos debris amidst the devastation in Miyagi prefecture and Wakabayashi ward. Fuyushi Nagakura from the Asbestos Center and Toyoki Nakao from Occupational Safety and Health Center took air samples in the city center and distributed masks. Their findings will be reported in due course. Before Japan banned the use of asbestos (2004), it was one of the world's leading asbestos consumers; although consumption decreased from the 1980s, in 2000 Japan still used 85,440 tonnes.
Replacement of Asbestos Pipes
Mar 28, 2011
The National Water Commission, a utility company in Jamaica, is replacing asbestos-cement (AC) pipes with asbestos-free ductile iron pipes as part of a major government project "to improve the reliability and quality of water supply." According to Basil Fernandez, Managing Director of the Water Resources Authority, the decision was "taken to reduce leaks which was high with the AC pipes due to the crystallization of the rubber seal, the frequent wash out by the river of the pipes and the shallow burial due to the rocky sub stratum which led to more leaks as heavily laden trucks use the gorge."
Restart of Asbestos Mining?
Mar 24, 2011
News has been received of a meeting in New Delhi last month convened by the Ministry of Mines to progress discussions on "lifting of ban on grant and renewal of mining leases for chrysotile asbestos." According to a 6-page government memo circulated to Ministry officials, it is the responsibility of Indian employers to provide "legal, moral, social" protective measures for "workmen and to the public or all those who are exposed to harmful consequences of their products." The document points out that India's Supreme Court "has never ordered for ban on asbestos mining except to take preventive measures as stated above."
Attack on UN Protocol to Escalate
Mar 20, 2011
Producing a million tonnes of chrysotile asbestos a year, Russia has long sought to frustrate attempts by the UN's Rotterdam Convention (RC) to include chrysotile on a list of toxic substances. Working with other vested interests, it was able to do this while a non-member of the Convention. Now that the Russian President has signed the law on accession to the RC (March 10, 2011), it is to be expected that the asbestos veto will remain in place. According to a Moscw-based observer, the (Russian) Chrysotile Association was "key in lobbying the Russian Government to accede to the Convention."
Judicial Reverses for Defendants
Mar 20, 2011
Last week, decisions handed down in Brazilian regional and federal courts went against major asbestos defendants. On March 13, 2011 a former Eternit S.A. worker Antonio Carlos Dos Santos Gomes was awarded Reias 100,000 (US $60,000) for developing pleural plaques as a result of occupational asbestos exposure. This decision by a Labor Court in the 5th Region has been called "unprecedented." On March 15, a federal court handed down a decision against the defendant Sama S.A. Mineracoes Associadas, a company belonging to the Eternit Group, regarding the company's asbestos operations.See: Fernanda Giannasi's Blog.
Progress of Ban Asbestos Bill
Mar 16, 2011
Legislation to ban asbestos is proceeding in the Philippines with the approval of a bill by the House of Representatives Committee on Ecology on March 16, 2011. The proposed legislation would phase-out asbestos use over three years and establish a central registry for exposed workers as well as a medical surveillance system for the early detection and treatment of asbestos-related diseases. This is the beginning of the legislative process and there are a slew of other Congressional hurdles to overcome before the bill becomes law. With increasing ban asbestos mobilization in the Philippines there is, however, reason to be optimistic. See: TUCP/ALU/BWI Report.
Parliamentary Action on Asbestos
Mar 15, 2011
On March 14, 2011, a Committee in the Israeli Knesset approved the Prevention of Asbestos Hazards law which will formalize the de facto asbestos ban by prohibiting new uses of asbestos and ordering the decontamination of infrastructure over the coming 7-10 years. According to Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdam, the law enforces the polluter pays principle as it mandates that Eitanit, the company whose Nahariya factory was responsible for widespread contamination in the Western Galilee from 1952-1997, pay half of the $84 million clean-up costs. The law will come into force by the end of 2011. See: Ministry of Environmental Protection statement.
Multimillion Dollar Asbestos Disposal
Mar 14, 2011
It has been estimated that it will cost nearly $5 million to "get rid" of Bermuda's asbestos problem. While $1.2m has already been spent, the disbursement of the balance will be decided after a public consultation process considers the options for the island's disposal of asbestos. A government spokesperson says that "The preferred disposal option is burial of the asbestos containing material in a marine fill as part of a required airport improvement project." It is ironic that the technical experts advising the Government are from Canada, the world's biggest producer and exporter of asbestos throughout most of the 20th century. See: Royal Gazette article.
Asbestos Lobby Haemorrhaging Support
Mar 10, 2011
Yet more bad news is on the horizon for the beleaguered Chrysotile Institute, the body which represents Canada's asbestos lobby, with the announcement that a strong ally is planning to jump ship. The Confederation of National Trade Unions (CNTU) is due to vote on March 11, 2011 on a resolution to end the country's mining of asbestos. The CNTU is against plans currently under discussion to expand the Quebec asbestos industry and is calling on other unions to work together on the development of a just transition strategy for workers affected by the shut-down of the asbestos industry. See: CTV Montreal report.
Mesothelioma in France
Mar 9, 2011
The current issue of Prevention published by the French National Institute of Cancer features an 8-page discussion entitled: Asbestos and Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (Amiante et mesotheliome pleural malin). This paper predicts that by 2030, there could be as many as 100,000 mesothelioma deaths with the epidemic peaking between 2020 and 2025. Currently, the median age at diagnosis for men is 70 and for women 67. For patients diagnosed between 1989 and 1997 the 5-year survival rate is 7%. The paper highlights the continuing risk posed by the presence of asbestos-containing products in buildings especially to workers engaged in refurbishment and removal work.
Asbestos Legacy for German Workers
Mar 8, 2011
A paper published in Germany today reports that 49.1% of the 2,803 occupational fatalities which occurred in 2009 were due to asbestos-releated diseases. Prior to Germany banning the use of asbestos (1993), vast quantities had been used. The United States Geological Survey lists Germany amongst the top 3 asbestos-consuming countries with a cumulative annual consumption in East and West Germany of 378,143 (1975) and 440,045 (1980) tonnes. It has been estimated that the cost of occupationally-caused asbestos-related disease in Germany could reach U.S.$ 20,000,000,000. German workers and taxpayers are paying a heavy toll for the country's use of asbestos. See: OH&S report.
The End of the Chrysotile Institute?
Mar 6, 2011
Veteran ban asbestos campaigner MP Pat Martin reacted to the withdrawal of federal funding for the Chrysotile Institute with the statement: "For over a hundred years, the Canadian asbestos industry has been exporting death around the world. Since the mid-1980s, the federal government has supported the Chrysotile Institute with funding, support and diplomatic assistance. The fact that the annual subsidy is being withdrawn comes as good news to those of us campaigning to end our country's hypocritical asbestos policy. It is too early to predict the Chrysotile Institute's demise but this eventuality has certainly been brought closer ..." See: No More Tax Dollars for Chrysotile Institute?.
Open Letter to Brazilian President
Mar 3, 2011
Despite multiple attempts to obtain information on the construction protocols for the 2014 World Cup from Brazilian and other sources, no one seems eager to engage with the controversial subject of whether chrysotile asbestos is being used. As a last resort, on March 3, 2011 a letter was written to Brazilian President Dilma Vana Roussoff asking that she intervene in this enquiry and provide definitive infromation on whether asbestos, which is already banned in 4 Brazilian states, will be banned in the stadiums and venues being built throughout the country.
Opening of Asbestos-Free Plant
Mar 3, 2011
Operations are due to begin this month at a $5 million state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bulawayo where non-asbestos building and roofing materials will be made by Turnall Holdings Ltd., a Zimbabwean company. The replacement of asbestos with PVA and cellulose fibers means that the corrugated sheeting, ceiling, fascia and barge boards made at this plant will be suitable for export to South Africa, one of the 55 countries which has banned asbestos. The fact that Turnall continues to import asbestos from Russia and Brazil, to replace output from the defunct Shabanie and Mashava Mines, suggests that the company still produces asbestos-based materials.
Government Urges Asbestos Bans
Mar 1, 2011
A letter written by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is categorical about the Government's support for countries to outlaw the use of asbestos: "the UK Government is opposed to the use of asbestos anywhere and would deplore its supply to developing countries… the UK Government encourages all countries which have not yet banned the use and supply of asbestos to do so…." This document is a reply to a letter delivered on December 9 to the Prime Minister. The Government reply concludes: "The UK will take every measure necessary to ensure that it does not indirectly (or directly) encourage the use or supply of asbestos globally."
Call for Asbestos "Truth Commission"
Feb 27, 2011
A letter in the current issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health from Dr. Morris Greenberg, an eminent British expert on the global history of asbestos, calls on Canada "to end its contribution to an epidemic that it initiated and has promoted for over a hundred years." He suggests that Canada establish a "Truth Commission serviced by a prestigious 'panel of experts'… to review all the factors that allowed the continued production of asbestos for over one hundred years … (to) determine the lessons to be learned from the asbestos epidemic and provide guidance on how not to repeat history."
Sonom, Hare and their Classmates
Feb 26, 2011
Interesting details regarding the protests in the Indian town of Muzaffarpur over plans to build an asbestos-cement factory have emerged in a BBC News Online Report. Mobilization against the developers' plans has been generated by teenagers Hare Krishna and Sonam Singh who learned about the hazards of asbestos at school. Armed with this knowledge, they and their classmates launched protests which have, for the time being, forced a cessation in construction work. "If the government allows the factory they should first burn our schools books in which they teach us about the deadly effects of asbestos," says Sonam. See also: Violent Attack on Asbestos Critics.
Government Slashes Support for Victims
Feb 25, 2011
An article by Tony Whitston which appears in the current issue of the British Asbestos Newsletter details the reduction in benefits and compensation due to be implemented in the coming months. Payments under the Disability Living Allowance and local housing allowance schemes will be reduced; the withdrawal of some welfare components could imprison victims in their homes, while the slashing of others could make them homeless. The package of cuts being brought in will reduce the financial "burden" on defendant companies and the Government at the expense of some of the the most vulnerable people in the country. See: Cuts - We're all in this Together, including the Terminally Ill.
Violation of Quebec Code
Feb 25, 2011
A letter by health campaigners to Norman Paulin, Quebec's Director of Occupational Safety, asks him to withdraw as "lead consultant" of a Quebec asbestos mining scheme. Just as the construction of an unsafe bridge violates the Quebec Code of Ethics of Engineers so too does participation in "a project claiming that 'safe use' of asbestos is possible when Quebec's specialized medical experts, as well as national and international experts and the World Health Organization have all warned that 'safe use' of any form of asbestos is not possible and will cause loss of life." See: Letter to Norman Paulin.
Contamination of Old Buildings
Feb 23, 2011
Data just released by the Hong Kong Government supports allegations made by the Hong Kong Workers' Health Centre, a non-governmental organization that campaigns on asbestos issues, of widespread asbestos contamination of Hong Kong buildings. An alert issued today by the Centre reported that "At the end of 2010, the Environmental Protection Department conducted the initial assessment. The result is that out of 1,400 target old buildings (structures more than 30 years old) for maintenance, 1,100 (76%) buildings contain asbestos containing material."
Award to Korean Asbestos Victims
Feb 23, 2011
February 17, 2011 marked a landmark in the campaign for justice for Korean asbestos victims. On that day, the Korea Environmental Corporation announced its decision to award 22 mesothelioma victims damages for hazardous exposures received from living in close proximity to an asbestos mine or factory or working with asbestos. Thirteen of those compensated were from South Chungcheong Province, an area of many asbestos mines and factories. The law under which the compensation was awarded came into force last month; this is the first time that the government has awarded compensation for pollution caused disease. See: Asbestos victims receive landmark restitution.
Clarification
Feb 22, 2011
An article uploaded on February 19, entitled Misinterpretation of Indian Court Decision has been revised to take into account information subsequently received. On its own, the decision handed down by the Indian Supreme Court (SC) in the Kalyaneshwari case is open to misinterpretation due to a lack of clarity and punctuation. Although section 15 clearly states "there is an urgent need for a total ban on the import and use of white asbestos," when the decision is read in conjunction with a parliamentary bill (2009) it becomes clear that the SC is quoting the text from that bill and not voicing its own opinion. See: Misinterpretation of Indian Court Decision (Revised).
Asbestos in Schools
Feb 22, 2010
A 12-minute segment on Asbestos in Schools was broadcast on the BBC South East Inside Out program yesterday evening. This program followed up on one from 2009 which pinpointed failings regarding the asbestos situation in schools in Kent, Sussex and Medway. Despite, reassurances from the Health and Safety Executive that progress had been made, technical surveys by the Asbestos Testing and Consultancy Association of 20 schools revealed that not one had a proper asbestos management plan. Trade union representatives are concerned about the situation and the impact of government cuts in maintenance and building budgets. See Program online (until Feb 28).
Ban Asbestos Project
Feb 18, 2011
In collaboration with the European Union, civil society stakeholders from the West Balkans have been pioneering efforts to raise regional awareness of the asbestos hazard in preparation for implementing national bans on asbestos use. An innovation the "Noforasbestos.net" campaign has mounted can be viewed online. The charming clip shows a colorful EU train traveling through a grey background; as the ban asbestos train passes by, the formerly bleak countryside blossoms and rainbows fill the sky. The cheerful music accompanying the visual images underlines the positive message being conveyed. See: Video clip and the article Ban Asbestos Dialogue in the Balkans.
Justice for Asbestos Claimants in Spain
Feb 18, 2011
The recent publication of an academic paper by Professor Albert Azagra Malo from Barcelona's University Pompeu Fabra quantifies the strides being made to obtain justice for asbestos victims in Spain. The paper: Towards Litigation without Horizons: Aggregation of claims, Non-occupational Exposure and Pleural Plaques explores the ramifications of a 2010 decision handed down by a Madrid Court in a case brought against asbestos-cement manufacturer Uralita, S.A. Although the paper is written in Spanish, there is an English language abstract which lists six reasons why this judgment marks a "turning point in Spanish asbestos litigation.
Infringement of EU Asbestos Regs
Feb 16, 2011
On February 16, 2011 the European Commission ordered the UK to end legislative exemptions for some maintenance and repair work with asbestos which undermine EU laws protecting at-risk workers. The Commission's reasoned opinion is in response to a complaint that parts of the EU asbestos Directive 2009/148/EC had not been properly transposed in UK legislation. The concept of "sporadic and low intensity exposure to asbestos" used to justify UK exemptions is not accepted by the EU authorities. Failure to comply within two months to the EU request could result in legal action against the UK at the EU's Court of Justice. See: Europa Press Release.
Asbestos Use Falls to New Low in U.S.
Feb 16 2011
A central plank of pro-asbestos propaganda is the lack of an asbestos ban in the U.S. While the U.S. ban was overturned due to legal technicalities, a de facto ban does indeed exist. The latest data from the United States Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) reveals that between 2006 and 2010 U.S. asbestos imports fell by 63% from 2230 to 829 tonnes. Historically, the vast majority of asbestos imported to the U.S. has come from Canada. The data just obtained show that this remains true - 90% of asbestos imported to the U.S. is from Canada. See: U.S.G.S. Asbestos Consumption Data.
Government Action on Asbestos Ban
Feb 13, 2011
Following discussions at the 3rd National Health Assembly (NHA) in December 2010, talks are progressing about the implementation of an asbestos ban in Thailand. The proposals under consideration are in line with the NHA pro-ban consensus: "Scientific evidence has revealed that all types of asbestos are health hazards, not only for workers in the manufacturing plants but also for users of the material ... The assembly proposes that the Industry Ministry outlaws the material by 2011, whether in import and export, possession or manufacturing… The government should set an example by prohibiting asbestos in future construction of government buildings." See: NHA Resolutions
Prosecution against Asbestos Producer
Feb 11, 2011
On February 10, 2011, a public prosecution brought against Imbralit, Brazil's 4th biggest asbestos-cement company and the only such business in the State of Santa Catarina, ruled that the company had a period of 90 days to end its use of asbestos, a known carcinogen. The company was also ordered to pay nearly US$3,000,000 for the collective pain and suffering it caused due to the unsafe conditions which persisted at its manufacturing facilities. Although Imbralit had experimented with asbestos-free technology for the production of roofing tiles, it had chosen not to implement it for economic reasons. See: Online article (in Portuguese).
Outrage at Asbestos Industry Plans
Feb 11, 2011
The debate over the commercialization of asbestos in India is pouring out onto the streets and newspapers in India. Yesterday, a public rally was held in Patna, the capital of Bihar State, against plans to set up an asbestos-cement factory in the town at Marwan. The police attacked the demonstrators. On February 9, members of the Citizens Forum Against Asbestos met with Bihar Ministers to discuss the controversial proposal to impose the factory on the town. See the Telegraph (of India) article. On February 11, falsehoods contained in a letter from an asbestos lobbyist published in The Hindu newspaper (Feb 10) were exposed by the IBAS Coordinator; see The Hindu: Letters to the Editor.
Asbestos Exposure, Smoking, Lung Cancer
Feb 11, 2011
An HSE Report entitled: RR833 - The joint effect of asbestos exposure and smoking on the risk of lung cancer mortality for asbestos workers (1971-2005) confirms that "the interaction between asbestos exposure and smoking for asbestos workers was greater than additive…nearly 30% of lung cancer deaths among all male asbestos workers and 7% among the male national population were estimated to be attributable to asbestos exposure." The 45+ page report, which is part of the long-term health monitoring of British asbestos workers, has a wealth of information and data explaining the processes used in this statistical analysis. See: HSE Report.
Ban on Asbestos-Cement Pipes
Feb 7, 2011
A new excise policy has been announced by Mrs. Kiran Choudhary, newly appointed Minister to the Haryana State Cabinet. Speaking in the North Indian capital of Chandigarh, the Minister of Excise and Taxation said: "Now, asbestos cement pipes would not be used in any work to ensure durable work of drinking water and sewerage lines." This decision complies with guidelines adopted by the World Bank in May 2009 which urged the "avoidance of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in new construction and new materials for renovation…" See: World Bank Good Practice Note (Asbestos).
Court Stops Asbestos Exports!
Feb 3, 2011
News is being circulated of a huge judicial victory for the ban asbestos movement in Brazil. A judgment handed down by a federal court has blocked asbestos shipments from a port in Sao Paulo on the grounds that not only is the use of asbestos banned in the State but that the ban extends to all stages of the asbestos production cycle including export. This ruling countermands an injunction obtained last year by the "Cortes" group, a company which specializes in exporting Brazilian chrysotile asbestos to Asian destinations. The decision will force asbestos exporters to use much less convenient ports. See: Fernanda Giannasi's Blog.
People Power in Bihar
Feb 1, 2011
As people power seems on the verge of a massive victory in Egypt, local people in Muzaffarpur, Bihar continued to resist the imposition of an unwanted asbestos-cement factory by Balmukund Cement & Roofing Ltd., a Kolkata-headquartered company specializing in the production of building materials for roofing, ceiling, walls, and cladding. On February 1, a massive protest took place at the proposed construction site of the new plant. The peaceful crowd was addressed by political leaders from some of the nine left-wing parties supporting their action. See: picture of the "dharna" (demonstration) and the article Violent Attack on Asbestos Critics.
Decision on Asbestos Mine Postponed
Jan 25, 2011
A decision regarding the future of Canada's asbestos industry has again been postponed. Media reports suggest that the announcement expected this month from the Quebec Government over a proposal to underwrite a $58 million loan guarantee to develop new underground asbestos resources has been delayed till next month. In the meantime, Quebec Minister of Economic Development Clement Gignac will be embarking on a trade mission to India, Canada's best customer for asbestos, in the company of Harshal Owaleskar, a representative of Balcorp Limited., the Montreal-based company backing this bid on behalf of a shadowy consortium with its sights on Asian markets.
Call on Quebec Health Minister
Jan 22, 2011
Scores of medics and scientists today called on Dr. Yves Bolduc, Quebec's Minister of Health, to fulfill his medical duties and reject plans for a new asbestos mine. The text in the full page advertisement in the French language newspaper "Le Devoir" pointed out the Minister's ethical responsibility as a doctor to protect public health not only in Canda but in developing countries which "do not have the means to adequately protect themselves against chrysotile asbestos, including that which is sent to them by Quebec." Bolduc was urged to tell Quebec's Premier that financial support for the mine is "unacceptable and immoral." See: http://fmsd-quebec.org/
Chrysotile Asbestos Biopersistence Debate
Jan 21, 2011
Letters in the current issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health discuss the biopersistence of chrysotile fibers in the lungs. The first letter by Drs. Donaldson and Oberdorster is a critical analysis of comments by Dr. Pezerat on the work of Dr. Bernstein, a researcher funded by the asbestos industry. The second letter, by Dr. Egilman, upholds Pezerat's characterization of Bernstein's research as "lacking scientific rigor and credibility." Egilman calls Donaldson's claim to be a disinterested party "disingenuous at best" due to his reliance on "asbestos biopersistence arguments" in his consultancy work for DuPont defending Kevlar fibers. See: IJOEH 2011;17,1.
Pleural Plaques
Jan 19, 2011
An informative booklet has been published by the British Thoracic Society, in collaboration with the Department of Health, entitled Pleural Plaques Information for Health Care Professionals. Subjects covered include: pathology, causation, association with other asbestos-related diseases, referral criteria, legal aspects and compensation. Also discussed are the possible psychological effects of a diagnosis of pleural plaques which "may increase anxiety about the risk of other asbestos-related diseases. Patients may also misunderstand the term pleural plaques and may assume they have asbestosis." The information in this publication could be of use to pleural plaques sufferers.
Asbestos News from France
Jan 18, 2011
The current issue of the bulletin produced by ANDEVA, a national umbrella group representing French asbestos victims, is now available online. The 40-page January 2011 issue contains several articles detailing global asbestos issues including the controversy regarding Canadian plans to open a new asbestos mine in Quebec. See: January Issue in full or text only sections of individual papers: Towards a planet without asbestos; Will the Quebec asbestos mines die or continue to kill? Will there be an asbestos ban in all Brazilian states?
Interview with Rochdale Campaigner
Jan 17, 2011
Following the announcement on January 13, 2011 that Rochdale Borough Council had rejected development plans for the site of a former asbestos factory, local campaigner Jason Addy was interviewed on BBC television. Speaking with reporter Colin Sykes from North West Tonight, Addy confirmed that thousands of tonnes of contaminated waste, generated by asbestos manufacturing operations over 130 years, had been dumped on this land. Welcoming the Council's decision he said "finally some common sense has prevailed." Addy is calling for a Community Plan B for this site which would turn it into a "safe green lung for Rochdale." See: TV Interview with Jason Addy and Victory in Rochdale.
Asbestos Miners in Crisis
Jan 16, 2011
The situation of 2,000 workers at the Shabanie Mine has reached a critical point. The chrysotile mine, seized by the Government in 2004, has been run into the ground. Although the unemployed workers had been promised that they could keep their homes, they were recently ordered to vacate them. In an act of retaliation against failure to comply with the vacation order, the Zvishavane Town Council has now ordered the public toilets to be closed and water supplies to be cut. Wellington Chibebe of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has called for the mine to be officially declared closed, its assets sold and the proceeds distributed to creditors and workers.
Government Opposes All Asbestos Use
Jan 14, 2011
The Minister of State for International Development, Alan Duncan, yesterday told the House of Commons that his department (DFID) does "not provide funding to projects encouraging developing countries to import asbestos from any country or for any purpose. The UK Government are opposed to the use of asbestos anywhere and would deplore its supply to developing countries." Were information to become available that DFID funds were spent on asbestos development products, urgent action would be taken, he added. This Parliamentary answer is in response to a question asked last year by MP Simon Danczuk from Rochdale. See: TheyWorkForYou result.
Report by Asian Solidarity Delegation
Jan 13, 2011
A report prepared and published by the Asian Ban Asbestos Network provides a wealth of information about the mission carried out last month by the Asian Solidarity Delegation to Quebec. The document includes details of the activities which took place, background material pertinent to this mission - such as export statistics, production data and graphs - weblinks to reports about the delegation's visit, documents and photographs showing the global repercussions of this initiative. A statement at the beginning of this dossier asks: "How many dead Asians are enough for the Quebec Government to accept that this indefensible trade has to end?"
Eternit Loses Test Case
Jan 12, 2011
Eternit SA incurred a major defeat in a Brazilian labor court when it was ordered to pay a former employee moral damages of Reais 100,000 (U.S.$59,400) for pleural plaques contracted due to occupational asbestos exposure. The Dec 2010 decision reversed the finding of a lower court that the case was barred for exceeding the statute of limitations, believed to be 10 years. Due to the long latency periods for asbestos-related diseases, the presiding court found that the action should be allowed to proceed. Eternit is appealing this decision which has been called "unprecedented" by a Brazilian legal expert. See: Fernanda Giannasi's Blog (Jan 7, 2011).
Decision on Quebec Asbestos Mine
Jan 8, 2011
As the crunch time grows ever closer and Quebec Ministers finalize the spin they will put on their decision regarding new asbestos investment, Canadian activists continue to put pressure on the Government of Premier Jean Charest. An article today published in the Montreal Gazette called the continued sale of Quebec asbestos "indefensible," while a letter sent on January 6, 2011, signed by more than 50 Quebec medical doctors, appealed to the Quebec College of Physicians to add its voice to those campaigning to "Stop the Mine." See also Québec. Les médecins veulent fermer la dernière mine d'amiante, which references the above and other relevant documents, and English article: Stop the Mine!
Fall in U.S. Asbestos Consumption
Jan 5, 2011
Figures released in 2011 by the USGS confirm the downward trend in U.S. asbestos consumption noted in the 2009 Minerals Yearbook; the Asbestos chapter reported 2009 usage of 869 tonnes, a 41% decrease on the 2008 figure. The latest data show a collapse in demand for imported asbestos-containing products, the value of which fell by 71% for corresponding periods January-October 2009 ($11,351,389) and 2010 ($3,211,459). Of the 17 categories of products listed, 12 showed decreases by value while 5 showed increases. Currently, the most valuable imported asbestos product category - brake linings and pads - is worth $1,663,312. See file: U.S. Asbestos Imports.
Asbestos Risk in Queensland
Jan 5, 2011
In Australia, an area the size of France and Germany has been devastated by flooding of biblical proportions. Cameron Dick, Queensland's attorney-general, has cautioned the public about the asbestos hazard: "Any sheds or buildings built before 1990 are likely to have some asbestos materials in them, so if they've been damaged then be very cautious when cleaning up ... "You can't tell if materials contain asbestos by looking at them ... It's best to err on the side of caution, assume that asbestos is present ... (handle) it with care as fibres can be released into the air through sawing, drilling or breaking it up. ..." See: HeraldSun report.
Contraction of Chrysotile Markets
Dec 30, 2010
The announcement on December 30 that Turkey had banned asbestos (see: Asbestos Ban in Turkey) was another blow for Canadian asbestos producers currently reeling under worldwide condemnation of their country's hypocritical stance on asbestos exports to developing countries (In recent years, up to 32% of Turkey's asbestos imports came from Canada). The day before this announcement, an article in the Quebec press criticized trade union support for the asbestos industry: "What perverted conception of working-class solidarity could explain this complicity with the policy of our governments and the asbestos industry," asked author David Mandel. See: Working-Class Solidarity or Colonial Complicity?
Landmark Payout in India
Dec 28, 2010
On December 23, 2010, a press conference was held in Mumbai at which asbestosis victims of British company T&N Ltd. received compensation payments for their illnesses. The Ghatkopar plant, run by T&N subsidiary Hindustan Composites, processed raw asbestos in extremely hazardous conditions. The receipt of this money is the culmination of years of work and marks a landmark in workers' rights in India. Warning negligent companies which operate in India, Union President Sanjay Singhvi said: "foreign companies (must) stop treating Indian workers like objects for experiment." See: Huge Victory for Indian Workers and Mumbai Mirror Report.
Controversy over Quebec's New Mine
Dec 20, 2010
As the global debate over Quebec proposals for a new asbestos mine continues to rage, yet another prestigious organization has called on the Quebec Premier to reject the mining project. On December 16, 2010 an appeal from the International Mesothelioma Interest Group, a society composed of the "leading world experts in scientific and clinical research into mesothelioma," was sent to Premier Jean Charest urging his Government "not to finance the proposed new Jeffrey asbestos mine." Meanwhile, asbestos issues continue to feature in the Quebec media. See: Lettre - Les dangers de l'amiante, Amiante - Un devoir moral, L'avenir de l'amiante au Québec - Un débat s'impose and Dumping toxique.
Protest over New Asbestos Factory
Dec 19, 2010
Local people in the Indian state of Bihar are attracting support for their campaign against the construction of an asbestos sheet manufacturing unit on agricultural land in the Kanti locality, in Muzaffarpur district. Their campaign "Khet Bhachao Jeevan Bachao" (Save fields, save life) popular with local people is attracting media attention as well as the interest of local politicans. In a letter written to a government officer, social activist Medha Patkar, who is supporting this campaign, wrote that the "asbestos producing unit is an industry which spreads cancer in the vicinity where it is located." See: Times of India report.
Quebec's White Lies
Dec 16, 2010
The vacuous arguments used by Quebec's Minister of Economic Development, Clement Gignac, to defend asbestos exports to low-income countries were exposed in a letter written to him by members of the Asian Solidarity Delegation to Quebec who had a meeting with him on December 9. Their six-page letter itemizes the flaws and omissions in Gignac's logic, calling the meeting "a show hearing, where only the motions of listening were observed." On December 15, the Delegation issued a Press Release criticizing the Minister and calling on the Quebec Government to "put human life ahead of political interests… (and) not finance the Jeffrey mine."
Contentious Asbestos Debate in Brasilia
Dec 14, 2010
President of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) Eliezer Joao de Souza along with ABREA member Fernanda Giannasi and Lawyer Mauro Menezes are taking part in meetings this week regrading the national policy on asbestos use. Asbestos stakeholders are aggressively lobbying the government to rescind restrictions on the use of chrysotile asbestos. The meetings in the capital are taking place in the aftermath of the publication of "research" by industry-linked scientists which "proves" that asbestos-cement products can be used safely. The industry road show is expected to include its usual compliment of lobbyists, legal advisors, paid scientists and pr personnel.
Lancet Article on Canadian Asbestos
Dec 9, 2010
As protestors gather in London for a day of action against Canadian plans to expand production of asbestos, an article in the Lancet, an authoritative, independent voice in global medicine, has been published which condemns "Hypocritical Canada and Quebec Governments for Exporting Deadly Asbestos to Vulnerable Developing Countries." Lancet editor Dr. Richard Horton says: "The Lancet adds its voice to those of the many anti-asbestos campaigners worldwide, the Canadian Medical Association, and others, who are calling for an end to this immoral export of asbestos-related death and disease to some of the most vulnerable people in the world." See: Lancet Press Release.
Asbestos Victims' Hunger Strike (update)
Dec 7, 2010
On December 4, 2010, a group of former asbestos workers began a hunger strike in front of the offices of a judicial authority to protest at the year-long delay in receiving results of medical tests conducted by National Institute of Occupational Health personnel. As no diagnoses have been received, the petitioners, who believe they are suffering from asbestosis, are unable to file compensation claims for their injuries. Community activist Rana Sengupta says that the protestors are determined to see this action through to a conclusion, one way or the other. See: The Times of India article.
Update Dec 7: Picture of the petitioners.
Asbestos Menace in UK Schools
Dec 7, 2010
An article in today's Guardian documents widespread contamination of UK schools, 75% of which contain asbestos. Detailing examples of government inaction and HSE ineffectiveness, it cites calls by independent technical and medical experts for priority action on a national scale. An independent assessment of volunteer schools undertaken in November 2010 found "widespread failings." Some of the schools visited had no asbestos management policies and were not in compliance with legal requirements. Dr. Jeremy Steele says: "I can't see any reason not to have a national survey and a risk assessment… The problem is there is no safe level of (exposure to) asbestos." See: Guardian article.
Call for Asbestos Ban
Dec 6, 2010
The cover of the latest issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health (CJPH) features a photo from Indonesia of a child scavenging amongst asbestos debris; prominent in the photo are pictures of empty sacks of Canadian asbestos. The editorial entitled Ban All Production and Export of Chrysotile Asbestos urges Canadians to support calls on their government to stop dumping asbestos on developing countries: "There is an ethical imperative for Public Health Organizations and professionals, and in particular for Quebec's public health leaders… to unite behind a common goal of banning production and export of all asbestos," writes Gilles Paradis, the CJPH's Scientific Editor.
Canada - Stop Slow Motion Bhopals!
Dec 4, 2010
In a press release issued on the 26th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster, civil society groups in India called on international exporters to stop the global trade in asbestos. They highlighted the role played by Baljit Chadha, a Canadian businessman of Indian origin, in the development of plans to build a new chrysotile asbestos mine in Quebec. Drawing a parallel between the Bhopal tragedy and the asbestos trade, the statement concluded: "Bhopal was an example of what goes wrong when corporations and complicit governments rule the world. The continued export of asbestos is a crime against humanity." See: OEHNI Article.
Honda Loses Asbestos Test Case
Dec 2, 2010
On December 1, 2010 the Tokyo District Court found in favor of mesothelioma claimant Hidenari Hane who had been exposed to asbestos whilst employed by a Honda subsidiary in Nagoya, Japan. From 1968 to 1969, Hane had worked as a mechanic replacing asbestos-containing brake parts. Awarding him a sum equivalent to $640,765, Judge Koichiro Matsumoto said that by the time these exposures took place "a major company like Honda should have been fully aware of the [asbestos] risks and the damages at the factory…'' Cases for asbestos damages due to exposures in the automotive sector are rare in Japan. Honda will appeal. See: Japan Today discussion.
EU Asbestos Risk
Dec 1, 2010
In a statement responding to questions asked in October 2010 by five Members of the European Parliament, on November 24 the European Commission highlighted the need to increase protection from hazardous asbestos exposures for at-risk workers especially people in the construction sector. New initiatives are under consideration to quantify the incidence of asbestos-related disease in Member States and recommend improvements to EU procedures for preventing further injured and supporting the injured. Recommendations will be made based on a report expected in 2012. See: Relevant EU Parliamentary Questions.
U.S. Expert Testifies in Turin Trial
Nov 29, 2010
Today will present the second opportunity for Dr. Barry Castleman, the renowned expert on asbestos and author of Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspects, to participate in the iconic trial in Turin against former Eternit executives. It is hoped that his vast knowledge of the history and operations of multinational asbestos companies will help the court understand the part Eternit played in global and national asbestos scandals. There are huge constraints regarding Dr. Castleman's participation in this trial - the court hearings only take place on Monday mornings and his testimony will have to be translated from English. See: Asbestos in the Dock.
Asian Delegation to Visit Canada
Nov 25, 2010
Plans by an Asian delegation to visit Canada for meetings about proposals to build a new asbestos mine in Quebec were publicized on November 24 and November 25 in articles appearing respectively in The Financial Times and Montreal's La Presse newspaper. In the latter article, Journalist Isabelle Hachey quotes from a letter written by Sugio Furuya, the leader of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network delegation, asking Quebec's Premier for a meeting: " We believe that it (the new mine) is an urgent affair and that you have the responsibility to hear us as we are the inhabitants of countries which will pay the price for your decision." See articles: Financial Times and La Presse.
New Report on Asbestos Research
Nov 24, 2010
A Review of Research in Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos-related Diseases was launched at the Wellcome Trust in London on November 23. The review on which this document is based was conducted by the National Centre for Research on Cancer. The report highlighted the need for "established investigators in other areas of cancer or respiratory diseases research, to apply their expertise to the challenges in mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases… the research community should consider the need for enhanced coordination, which could be built on existing structures in a cost-effective manner."
Major Award for Asbestos Campaigner
Nov 22, 2010
On November 20, news was released that Robert Vojakovic, President of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA) had been named the "WA (West Australian) Senior Australian of the Year 2011" for his years of dedication and hard work on behalf of Australians disadvantaged by asbestos-related diseases. Laurie Kazan-Allen, who has known Mr. Vojakovic since 1990, said: "Robert's workload and energy is phenomenal. Working with his team at the ADSA, he has succeeded in improving many aspects of sufferers' lives. He is an example not only to Australians but to people all over the world."
Scathing report by NSW Ombudsmen
Nov 18, 2010
The publication on November 17 of a report on the asbestos problem in New South Wales (NSW) generated huge public and media interest. The 21-page document, written by NSW Ombudsman Bruce Barbour, did not pull its punches. Pointing out that Australian asbestos fatalities will soon exceed deaths from road traffic accidents, the report said: "In NSW there is no single government agency responsible for coordinating the management and containment of asbestos, there is no state-wide government plan for dealing with asbestos, there are gaps in asbestos legislation and funding to deal with these issues is inadequate." See: NSW Ombudsman report.
Parliament Considers New Asbestos Mine
Nov 17, 2010
Questions were posed in Parliament by MP Jim Sheridan, the Chair of the Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Committee, to the Minister of State, Department for International Development, about the implications of Quebec plans to develop a new asbestos mine. Sheridan informed the House that a multimillion dollar loan guarantee being considered by the Quebec Government could result in "millions of tonnes of asbestos being dumped on unsuspecting populations in the years to come." The Minister agreed to raise this issue with the Foreign Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. See: Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).
Denunciation of Canada’s Asbestos Policy
Nov 16, 2010
A public service advertisement was published on November 15, 2010 by RightOnCanada and others which castigated the Canadian Government for its hypocritical stance on asbestos. Headlined “Stephen Harper’s killer legacy,” the full page ad, which appeared in the Ottawa Citizen and the Edmonton Journal, featured a striking image depicting Canada’s culpability for global asbestos deaths. The tag line urges the Canadian Prime Minister to “stop exporting asbestos disease to the developing world.” More than a hundred unions, organizations and health defenders from 23 countries endorsed the ad. See: RightOnCanada website.
16th Asian Games Asbestos-Free?
Nov 15, 2010
The 2010 competition known as the XVI Asiad is taking place in the Chinese city of Guangzhou from November 12 to 27, 2010. Like the Beijing Olympics 2008, it is believed that the use of asbestos has been forbidden in the construction of the Games' infrastructure. A spokesperson for a building supplier based in Guangzhou confirmed that his company had sold in excess of 1.5 million square meters of asbestos-free fibre cement products for use in construction of buildings and facilities for the Games. See: China Expands Asbestos Ban.
Launch of New Victims' Initiative
Nov 14, 2010
On November 16, 2010, a meeting of Korean asbestos victims will be held in Hong- Sung City, Kwang-Chun county, formerly the location of the country's biggest asbestos mine. The event, organized by the Ban Asbestos Network of Korea and the Korean Association for Asbestos Victims and Families, will be attended by scores of mesothelioma sufferers and victims of other asbestos-related diseases. Under discussion will be loopholes in the country's asbestos victims' relief law, mobilizing local support for direct action and initiatives to strengthen the campaign by asbestos victims; a new office will be officially opened by the group representing the asbestos-injured from the mining area.
Support for Asbestos Ban in Brazil
Nov 10, 2010
On November 9, 2010, a study was published by the University of Campinas evaluating the economic impact of banning asbestos in civil construction in Brazil. The authors conclude that Brazil is capable of replacing asbestos-contaminated products with safer alternatives. The study, which was commissioned by a government agency, urges the authorities to pursue an agenda of sustainable development and join other countries which have banned the use of a substance categorized as carcinogenic by global agencies. Asbestos bans in four Brazilian states are under constant attack by powerful vested interests including the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute. See: Announcement (Portuguese).
Asbestos Demand Fuels Eternit Profits
Nov 9, 2010
During the third quarter of 2010, the net income of Eternit, a Brazilian company which mines and processes chrysotile asbestos, skyrocketed. Intense demand for construction material contributed to a 50% growth in net income as the company's chrysotile mining and fiber cement businesses operated at full capacity. "Chrysotile ore sales grew 16.2% year-on-year despite the limitations of production capacity, registering an output of 81.3 thousand tons..." In 2009, total Brazilian chrysotile production was 288,000 tonnes; if production in the 3rd quarter of 2010 was representative, this could be a record-breaking year for Brazil's asbestos profiteers. See: PR Newswire Article.
Low Level Exposures Fatal for UK Women
Nov 8, 2010
Consultant surgeon John Edwards postulates that the rising level of female mesothelioma deaths could be linked to low level exposures such as those experienced by people who work or use asbestos-contaminated schools. Data produced by Cancer Research UK is categorical; amongst women, the greatest rise in cancer incidence (57%) is for mesothelioma. The majority of those affected do not know the source of their exposure. "Asbestos in Schools" campaigner Michael Lees is in no doubt that in the absence of measures to address the country's asbestos legacy, the death toll will continue to rise. See: Daily Mirror article.
Launch of Iconic Book in Mexico
Nov 4, 2010
Giampiero Rossi, the author of the iconic book entitled: The Wool of the Salamander, [La lana e la Salamandra] will be launching the Spanish translation of this book in Mexico City on November 4, 2010 at an evening seminar. The book tells the real life story of a family from the Italian town of Casale Monferrato, where the local asbestos-cement factory was a major employer for decades. The Portuguese translation of this book was published in Sao Paulo, Brazil in August 2010.
Escalation of Mesothelioma Epidemic
Oct 29, 2010
Data released by the Health and Safety Executive on October 27, 2010 detailing British mesothelioma deaths reveal an inexorable rise in annual fatalities. Between 1990 and 2008, the number of fatalities increased from 895 to 2249. Over the last ten years there has been a 46% increase in mesothelioma deaths (from 1541 in 1998 to 2249 in 2008). See: HSE mesothelioma data tables and/or Graph of these data supplied by G. Tweedale.
Pro-Asbestos Forces Meet in Cuba
Oct 29, 2010
On October 26 and 27 representatives from asbestos-consuming countries in South America gathered in Havana. The talks took place under the auspices of FITAC, an asbestos industry group, and included input from asbestos vested interests from Russia, the leading nation in global asbestos production. Delegates from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Mexico, Cuba, and Panama were in attendance (see: http://www.crom.org.mx/). In the three-year period 2007 to 2009, Cuban asbestos consumption totaled nearly 22,000 tonnes. Canadian asbestos exports to Cuba were around 1,000 tonnes during this time. It is suspected that the remaining imports came from Russia or Brazil.
Asbestos Seminar in Quito
Oct 29 2010
On October 27 & 28, 2010, a seminar on asbestos took place in the capital of Ecuador which brought together civil servants, trade unionists, scientists and public health experts. Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, from Argentina's Ministry of Health, and Dr. Barry Castleman, author of Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspects, participated in plenary and discussion sessions along with local experts who discussed the national use of asbestos and the impact on occupational and public health of hazardous exposures. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, asbestos consumption in Ecuador was respectively 3995, 6642 and 4507 tonnes.
Asbestos Meeting in Russian Capital
Oct 28, 2010
A landmark meeting in Moscow (Oct 14-15) provided the first occasion for a public debate on asbestos to take place in the Russia, the leading nation in asbestos production. Speakers from European countries which have banned asbestos explained the background to their countries prohibitions and the ongoing problems caused by historic asbestos consumption. During the meeting, an issue of the Russian magazine "ECOS" was launched. This issue, which has been described as an "information bomb on asbestos in Russia," examined the hazards of asbestos use, the existence of safer alternatives and the history of the global ban asbestos movement. See: Press Release.
Outrage over Asbestos Scandal
Oct 28, 2010
A special feature in The Globe and Mail (Oct 15), a prestigious and popular Canadian newspaper, considered the country's asbestos policy and asked: "What do you call a country that deliberately sells products abroad that will kill many people? You call it Canada. What do you call it when a state action kills a large numbers of defenseless people? You call it a crime against humanity. So how can exporting death by Canadian asbestos not be a crime against humanity and how can a state that does so not be guilty of committing such a crime?" See: Globe and Mail Article.
Indian Bid for Canadian Mine Condemned
Oct 14, 2010
In a press release issued today, ban asbestos campaigners decried news that an Indian consortium is planning a takeover of the Jeffrey Asbestos mine in Quebec. "It is unconscionable that Indian investors want to open up new asbestos mine that would export this deadly product to India and elsewhere," said Mohit Gupta, Coordinator of Occupational and Health Network of India. Echoing his sentiments, trade unionist Anup Srivastava added: "if the bid is successful… the deadly asbestos from Jeffrey mines would be exported to Asia and other countries for decades to come." See: Press Release.
Newspaper Exposé
Oct 9, 2010
As Canadians prepared for the Thanksgiving weekend, the most important newspaper in Quebec published a damning indictment of the use of Canadian asbestos in Indonesia. Illustrated by a photograph of people rummaging around an asbestos-laden dumpsite, the article exposed the fallacy of industry propaganda claiming that asbestos can be used safely under "controlled conditions." Asbestos waste had been dumped by a major manufacturer of chrysotile asbestos roofing material. Bags with the logo of Lab Chrysotile, a Canadian asbestos mining company, were strewn about the site. Commenting on the photo, LAB's President suggested it could have been "staged".
Confusion follows Appeal Court Verdict
Oct 8, 2010
After a protracted wait, the Court of Appeal handed down its decision today in what is commonly referred to as "the trigger litigation." Disagreement amongst the three judges over various points regarding which Employers' Liability insurance policies are liable to compensate asbestos cancer claimants led them to send the case to the Supreme Court for adjudication.
As the ramifications of the 166 page judgment are being digested, one thing is certain: cases for asbestos sufferers will be delayed and justice will be denied to dying victims of employers' negligence.
Asbestos in Schools
Oct 7, 2010
A ten-minute segment on asbestos contamination of UK schools was aired on the BBC radio program You & Yours. David Ashton of the Health & Safety Executive downplayed the significance of recent findings exposing major shortcomings by local authorities in the management of asbestos in schools, referring twice to "alarmist" warnings about the dangers to school users. Michael Lees, whose schoolteacher wife died from asbestos cancer, criticized the HSE position, explaining that the hazardous state of asbestos in schools which had led to the deaths of 178 schoolteachers was a potent threat to pupils. See: Broadcast (iplayer: segment 7.15-17.56).
Marking Day of Asbestos Awareness
Oct 1, 2010
Campaigners in Argentina have not relaxed attempts to raise asbestos awareness even though a national ban was introduced in 2001. To mark October 1, 2010 - recognized as the "national day of asbestos action" - a postmark was issued which says: "Dia Nacional de lucha contra el asbesto un mundo sin asbesto es posible"; the English translation is: the national day of the fight against asbestos - a world without asbestos is possible." Plans to design and circulate a postal stamp on this subject are being considered. See: Postmark image.
End of Asbestos Mining in Zimbabwe
Sep 30, 2010
A government-owned daily newspaper published in the capital of Zimbabwe on September 30, 2010, announced the demise of the Zimbabwe asbestos mining industry saying: "it can only be a matter of time before Zimbabwe has to conform to world norms and impose (asbestos ) bans here … the asbestos industry… will soon be totally dead and no amount of publicity or pressure can prevent its death." As recently as 2007, Zimbabwe mines were producing 100,000 tonnes a year. Bad management, lack of capital and labor problems have decimated output. See: Herald Report.
ILO Supports Asbestos Ban
Sep 14, 2010
On September 6, 2010, the ILO reiterated previous calls for a global ban on asbestos stating that "the elimination of the future use of asbestos… (is) the most effective means to protect workers from asbestos exposure and to prevent future asbestos-related diseases and deaths." See: ILO position statement.
One week after the ILO's announcement, a press release by The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) was headlined: ILO deals the 'death knoll for asbestos'. The ITUC's Sharan Burrow believes the ILO position statement could have "life-saving consequences, in reinforcing the union case for total asbestos ban." See: ITUC press release.
Mozambique Bans Asbestos
Aug 25 2010
On August 24, 2010 the Council of Ministers of Mozambique approved a comprehensive ban on the production, use, import, export and trade in asbestos and asbestos containing products in order to protect human health and the environment. Infringement of the new law could incur heavy financial penalties. The announcement of the new legislation was made in Maputo by the deputy justice minister and cabinet spokesperson Alberto Nkutumula.
Support for Global Asbestos Ban
Aug 18, 2010
An editorial in the Medical Journal of Australia documents the support for a multilateral ban on asbestos. Robert Vojakovic, President of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ADSA), agrees that asbestos remains a serious threat. "Our Society has been dealing with the aftermath of hazardous exposures for over 30 years. Unfortunately, every week we are seeing people whose lives have been decimated by asbestos. The fact that asbestos use is expanding in many developing countries is scandalous. The ADSA supports efforts to ban asbestos worldwide."
See: Asbestos still poses a threat to global health and Declaration by Asbestos Summit, June 2010.
Media Coverage of Asbestos Hazard
Aug 12, 2010
In recent weeks, a special report on asbestos broadcast on Mexican TV exploded many of industry's lies about the "safe use of asbestos." Segments of this report, which went out over a number of days, focused on the price paid by individuals, families and communities for the country's continuing use of asbestos. Contrasting the historical use of asbestos in countries where it is now banned, with the continuing use of asbestos in Mexico, the report highlighted the global consensus that asbestos should be banned to protect human health. See: Special Investigation - Asbestos, The Quiet Killer.
Victory in Rajasthan!
Aug 10, 2010
Plans by commercial interests in India to reopen asbestos mines were dashed by a decision announced on August 3, 2010 that the Government of Rajasthan, the location of the majority of India's asbestos deposits, would not lift a ban on asbestos mining leases. Although it is not unknown for asbestos mining operations to continue in the absence of a valid lease, this decision is a major victory for groups working in India to highlight the asbestos hazard and obtain justice for those who have been injured. See: Asbestos mining: Rajasthan withdraws plea to lift ban.
WHO Upgrades Asbestos Risk
Aug 1, 2010
An asbestos fact sheet recently released by the World Health Organization has increased the estimate of global asbestos-related deaths to 107,000 a year. These fatalities relate to only one class of victims, those whose exposure took place at work. "Currently," the fact sheet states "125 million people in the world are exposed to asbestos at the workplace… One in every three deaths from occupational cancer is estimated to be caused by asbestos." The WHO states "the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related disease is to stop the use of all types of asbestos." See: WHO Asbestos Fact Sheet.
Asbestos Conference in South East Asia
Jul 26, 2010
Trade unionists affiliated with the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) will be holding a conference in Jakarta on August 2-4, 2010. The South East Asia Regional Conference on Asbestos will be addressed by international experts and regional activists including BWI personnel Fiona Murie and Apolinar Tolentino, trade unionist Deb Vallance from Australia and campaigners Sugio Furuya and Yeyong Choi, respectively from Japan and Korea. Issues such as the availability of asbestos-free substitutes, health surveillance and asbestos mapping will be discussed. For more information see Conference Agenda.
Exposé of Asbestos Scandal
July 21, 2010
Today the results of an investigation into the asbestos industry were made public. Researchers from the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, India, Russia and China uncovered an international network of lobby groups which "has spent nearly $100 million since the mid-1980s to preserve the market for asbestos." Over the coming week, additional articles, radio programs and podcasts in the series: Dangers in the Dust - Inside the Global Asbestos Trade will be released.
For more information see: Dangers in the Dust; Exporting an Epidemic: The Asbestos Industry Goes Global; Key Archival Documents.
Asian Ministers Discuss Asbestos
Jul 16, 2010
Representatives of Ban Asbestos Korea and the Asian Ban Asbestos Network raised the issue of asbestos with representatives of international agencies and national governments participating in the Second Ministerial Regional Forum on Environment and Health in Southeast and East Asian Countries which took place on July 14 & 15, 2010 in Jeju, Korea. The ban asbestos campaigners highlighted issues such as Canadian financing of a new asbestos mine in Quebec and the rising tide of asbestos exports to Asia. For more information, see the ECO Health bulletin circulated at this meeting.
Global Unions Call for Ban!
Jul 9, 2010
As a result of deliberations undertaken during the 2nd Congress of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which was held in Vancouver, Canada last month, a resolution was endorsed which highlighted the deadly effects of occupational asbestos exposures. Calling for a global ban on asbestos and other hazardous substances, the text appealed to the Canadian government "to join a total world ban on asbestos," and urged the ITUC, regional organizations and Global Unions to coordinate efforts to achieve the prohibitions needed to safeguard human rights and social justice.
Asbestos: A Silent Killer
Jun 14, 2010
A video uploaded this month provides the opportunity for Asian experts and campaigners to highlight the export of hazardous asbestos technology to developing countries. Although the Malaysian Government has previously stated that a comprehensive national ban would be implemented by 2015, observers are now questioning the government's intention to honor this commitment. Comments by Dr. K. G. Rampal, Sanjiv Pandita, G. Rajasekaran and Apolinar Tolentino Jr. focus on the hazards posed by all types of asbestos and the urgent need for a total ban to be implemented. See: Asbestos: A Silent Killer video.
Ethical Failure of Minister of Health
Jun 10, 2010
A letter was sent on June 9 to Quebec's Minister of Health by 35 medical doctors from 19 countries in North, Central and South America, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia. The physicians charge that Dr. Yves Bolduc is "failing in his duty to protect public health." By supporting Quebec's political agenda on asbestos, he has, so the letter alleges, failed to fulfill obligations stipulated in Quebec's Medical Code of Ethics including requirements to: "not allow false or incomplete information to be given to the public.(s91)." See: June 9 letter to Yves Bolduc.
Raising Asbestos Awareness
Jun 9, 2010
On June 11, a seminar will be held to address the dangers posed by asbestos contamination in Kazakhstan. A report based on research conducted by local NGOs, working with European Union partners, will be distributed at the meeting; it highlights the widespread and unregulated use of asbestos in construction materials and the lack of any controls on dumping of asbestos-containing construction waste. Samples of chrysotile asbestos obtained locally and from Ukraine and Romania which were analyzed by a German laboratory confirm that populations in these countries are routinely being exposed to carcinogenic material.
Pleural Plaques Compensation
Jun 4, 2010
In a statement cited in Hansard on June 2, 2010, MP Jonathan Djanogly, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, confirmed that lump sum payments of £5,000 promised under the previous government for some pleural plaques claimants in England and Wales would be made. It is anticipated that the extra-statutory scheme being adminstered by the Ministry of Justice would begin accepting claims from the end of June 2010. See: Pleural Plaques Payments Scheme.
Historic Verdict Against Government
May 20, 2010
Yesterday, Judge Konishi of the Osaka District Court issued a verdict ordering the Japanese Government to pay 430 million yen ($4.6 m) to 29 claimants including workers and residents who contracted asbestosis and lung cancer. Even though the State had been aware of the asbestos hazard before 1960, it had not ensured the implementation of protective measures. As a direct result of the Government's failures, the plaintiffs suffered the exposures which made them ill. A Japanese news analyst said this is the first time a central government has been found responsile for asbestos-related deaths. See: NHK World video report.
Brazil Debates Asbestos Ban
May 19, 2010
At 10 a.m. today, the High Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia will vote on whether to implement recommendations made in a 677 page dossier on asbestos which concludes that the only way to prevent asbestos-related diseases in Brazil is to ban all asbestos use. The author of this document, Deputy Edison Duarte, will be introducing it to the Legislative Chamber. It is anticipated that asbestos industry stakeholders will bring large numbers of asbestos industry workers to Brasilia to demonstrate in support of the continued mining and use of asbestos.
Call to Ban Asbestos in Mexico
May 18, 2010
In the last 45 years, more that 480,000 tonnes of asbestos have been used in Mexico; 75% of it came from Canada. Nowadays, 1,800 companies in Mexico produce asbestos-containing products. The explosion in asbestos use in Mexico has led to an increase in asbestos-related deaths. Dr. Guadalupe Aguilar Madrid details these issues in a video clip uploaded on May 18 which concludes with a call for the Mexican Government to ban asbestos and take measures to tackle the epidemic of asbestos-related disease.
Victory on Pleural Plaques
May 14, 2010
First Scotland and now Northern Ireland (NI) have reinstated the rights of pleural plaques sufferers to receive compensation for the injury. On May 13, 2010, Finance Minister for NI Sammy Wilson published the decision reached after consultation on the House of Lords decision (2007) which shut down pleural plaques compensation. He said: "The reinstatement of the right to claim compensation in negligence is, I believe, just and fair and will ensure that people in Northern Ireland have the same rights and protections as people in Scotland." See: eGov monitor report.
Asbestos on WHO Hit List
May 13, 2010
In a document released today, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for urgent action to protect human health from exposure to 10 chemicals, amongst which is asbestos. The WHO says that "in 2004, asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis from occupational exposures resulted in 107,000 deaths and 1,523,000 DALYs," "the sum of years of potential life lost due to premature mortality and the years of productive life lost due to disability." See WHO release: Preventing Disease Through Healthy Environments. For more information see also: WHO documentation on asbestos.
Ban Asbestos Rally in Ottawa
May 12, 2010
A mass demonstration of support for a Canadian ban on asbestos will take place in the Canadian capital on May 12, 2010 which will provide the opportunity for asbestos victims, international experts, labour activists and campaigners on issues of public health to voice their opposition to Canada's leadership of the global asbestos lobby. A press conference on Capitol Hill at 11 a.m. will be followed by a public rally. The day's activities are being coordinated by the Canadian Union of Public Employees. For more information see: CUPE announcement & agenda
Calls to Shut Down Asbestos Industry
May 1, 2010
A policy paper by the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA), "a voluntary association representing public health in Canada," declared the CPHA's unequivocal support for a Canadian "ban on the mining, use and export of asbestos." The organization is making seven recommendations to the federal government which include: a cessation of funding for the Chrysotile Institute, the implementation of measures to support asbestos victims and communities affected by the industry shut-down and the introduction of legislation mandating asbestos audits and management policies for all public and commercial buildings. See: Position Statement.
Recognition of Environmental ARDs
Apr 29, 2010
At the 6th meeting of the asbestos subcommittee of the Central Environment Council, an advisory body to the Japanese Minister of the Environment, on April 28, 2010 in Tokyo, a recommendation was approved to add asbestosis and diffuse pleural thickening to the list of compensatable diseases for injured people whose exposure to asbestos did not occur occupationally. Until now, this list had only included the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. It is anticipated that these changes will be implemented from July 1, 2010.
Court Verdict for Spanish Asbestos Workers
Apr 15, 2010
A landmark decision against asbestos-cement producers was reached by a Barcelona court on April 9, 2010. Rocalla S.A. and its parent company Uralita were ordered to pay €780,000 compensation to five former employees who contracted asbestos cancer. Their lawyer believed this verdict proved that the company was conscious of the danger to which it had exposed them. It is likely the case will be appealed to the Supreme Court. Decisions are pending in eight other cases with hundreds more actions likely.
Collapse of Consumer Demand
Apr 12, 2010
An article on business developments in Nigeria "Bursting warehouses, safety issues and manufacturers" highlighted current challenges such as the uncertainty caused by the absence of the President and the lack of available credit which suppressed consumer demand. Illustrating the latter point, the journalist wrote: "If you cannot move stock what follows is job loss. This no doubt is why Eternit Nigeria Ltd, an asbestos producer, has embarked on rationalization of staff while Nigerite is planning to rationalize too since it is currently experiencing low sales in the market as Nigerians now prefer aluminum roofing sheets to asbestos." See: BusinessDay article.
Retrograde Step by Government
April 13, 2010
On April 11, 2010, Bangladesh removed requirements for ship-owners to prove that vessels are free of toxic substances prior to bringing them into the country to be dismantled. Environmentalists were highly critical of this economically-motivated U-turn which will have serious health repercussions for workers and people living near the ship-breaking beaches. For over 20 years, commercial ship-breaking operations have been a major business in Bangladesh; scrap steel salvaged during dismantling work, is highly prized by local industries. It is estimated that every year, 1,000 ships are broken down in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Causation of Disease: New Video
Apr 6, 2010
A video using computer graphics to show the pathways through which asbestos enters the human body and sets off the biological reactions which lead to disease was uploaded to YouTube by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat on April 5, 2010. The film is narrated in Portuguese with Portuguese captions on diagrams and illustrations. See: YouTube Video
This version of the film is one in a series produced by asbestos victims groups. For more information see: New Asbestos Initiatives in Asia.
Criminal Case Against Asbestos Executive
Apr 5, 2010
Criminal charges have been brought against the Manager of Gujarat Composites Limited (formerly Sri Digvijay Cement) for infringements of safety and health regulations. The production of asbestos-cement building materials on this site have poisoned generations of workers. The case was filed by the Director of Industrial Safety and Health for the state of Gujarat towards the end of March 2010; the first hearing will take place on April 13, 2010 in Ahmedabad Metropolitan Court. For more information on asbestos misuse in Gujarat, see The Struggle Against Asbestos-Related Diseases in Gujarat in: India's Asbestos Time Bomb.
Asbestos Awareness Week
Apr 1, 2010
In the run-up to its 6th annual conference, the (U.S.) Asbestos Diseases Awareness Organization (ADAO) has made available a range of on-line comments and resources addressing priority subjects in the national asbestos dialogue including: the prevention of exposure, product testing, medical issues, politics and the mobilization of civil society. See: ADAO website.
Events Mark Asbestos Law Anniversary
Mar 29, 2010
A series of events took place in Tokyo last week to mark the fourth anniversary of the non-occupational asbestos victims' relief law. These included: a demonstration outside Sinjuku station (March 26), a mass meeting calling for fundamental improvements to asbestos laws (March 27) and the 22nd annual meeting of Ban Asbestos Japan (BANJAN). Delegates from Korea, including two former asbestos textile workers from Pusan and a representative of the construction trade union, took part in the BANJAN meeting.
Asbestos Diseases Society Report
Mar 25, 2010
The ADSA (Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia) Newsletter of March 22, 2010 contains an informative discussion of the disastrous Australian decision in the case brought by the relatives of Paul Cotton, an ADSA member, for his death from asbestos-related lung cancer. Overturning a claimant’s judgment handed down in the lower courts, the High Court of Australia (equivalent to the U.S. Supreme Court) held “that the evidence established only that exposure to asbestos may have been a cause of Mr. Cotton’s lung cancer, not that it was a probable cause.” See: Statement by High Court of Australia.
Academic Dialogue on Asbestos Research
Mar 25, 2010
In the March 2010 issue of Ann. Occ. Hyg. Drs. Celeste Monforton, Colin L. Soskolne et al critiqued a paper by Dr. Trevor Ogden entitled: “Data Sharing, Federal Role of Evidence 702, and the Lions in the Undergrowth.” Monforton et al highlight “how the tobacco, asbestos, and other industries, through the use of industry-funded scientists and through industry-sponsored research, have systematically suppressed and distorted scientific evidence so as to create doubt about harms caused by their products, thereby influencing governments… to not act to protect public health….” See: above Letter to the Editor, and also Letter from Fernand Turcotte, Morris Greenberg, and Barry Castleman.
Taxpayers Fund Asbestos Mouthpiece
Mar 24, 2010
Voting on a motion to discontinue federal funding for the Chrysotile Institute resumed in a Canadian Parliamentary meeting on Tuesday, March 23, 2010, after a walk-out last week stopped deliberations. Unfortunately, Committee members from all political parties, except Pat Martin and Nathan Cullen from the New Democratic Party, supported continued funding of the Chrysotile Institute (CI) "a taxpayer-supported industry lobby group that defends asbestos through phoney science and aggressive lobbying." The $250,000 Canadian taxpayers give the CI is supplemented by funding from the Quebec Government and industry sources. See: Canadian Dollars for "Corporate Serial Killers".
Negligence in Asbestos Heartland
Mar 23, 2010
Despite a constitutional right to live in a healthy environment, the South African Government has not yet tackled the tragic legacy of asbestos mining in the provinces of the North West, Limpopo, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga, the location of 100 villages with up to 100,000 inhabitants. Costs for dealing effectively with the horrific contamination left behind by decades of commercial operations have been estimated at three billion rands (U.S.$409 million). Considering the extremely high level of risk experienced by local people, one academic report advised closing affected sites and towns to human habitation and relocating rural populations. See: Precious and the asbestos dump.
Development of Asbestos Site Rejected
Mar 22, 2010
An appeal decision [APP/A4710/A/09/2113852] was announced on March 16, 2010 in Bristol which flatly rejected plans to build a 2 storey, 3 bedroom domestic residence, a garage and workshop on land in Hebden Bridge which was formerly the site of an asbestos manufacturing facility. The inspector who issued this decision, Sian Worden, noted that "The concerns of neighbours and others that there may be asbestos dumped at the site, and therefore a risk of significant contamination and danger to health, must be taken very seriously."
Innovative Asbestosis Project
Mar 12, 2010
The Occupational Health & Safety Centre, established in 1988, has been pioneering a ground-breaking project on behalf of people with asbestosis who received hazardous exposures during employment with a company in Mumbai owned by the UK asbestos giant: Turner & Newall Ltd. Having identified injured parties from the workforce of Asbestos Magnesia and Friction Materials Company (later known as Hindustan Ferodo), compensation claims, which were submitted to a UK asbestos trust tasked with adjudicating claims from former T&N workers, are now progressing. For more information see: Full project details or OHSC summary.
Support for Italy's Asbestos Victims
Mar 3, 2010
Members of the International Ban Asbestos Network will take part in a series of events in Turin on March 15 and 16, 2010 to highlight the global responsibility of Eternit, the group whose former directors are facing charges for their alleged role in exposing thousands of Italians to asbestos. Speakers from Latin America, Europe and Asia will detail the tragedies caused by Eternit's operations at a conference on March 16, 2010. Other activities will include a rally outside the Court on March 15, a press conference and media interviews. See: Information Sheet and Agenda.
New Asbestos Law in Korea
Feb 26, 2010
The Korean Parliament passed an asbestos victims' relief law on February 26, 2010 after a sustained campaign by asbestos victims groups and labor federations. From January 1, 2011, the legislation will provide compensation for sufferers of mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer who were environmentally exposed to asbestos.
There are some flaws in the legislation such as very low levels of compensation, which are about 10-20% of those awarded by the occupational insurance system for the same asbestos-related diseases. Campaigners from Ban Asbestos Korea (BANKO) promise to lobby for improvements.
Asbestos Issues on Tehran Agenda
Feb 25, 2010
During the 4th National Congress on Occupational Diseases, which took place in the Iranian capital this week, Drs. Mehrdad, Saleh Pour and Kakooei gave presentations on a range of asbestos-related issues; the topics they covered were Asbestos Use in Asia and Iran, Occupational Lung Cancers and Mesothelioma and Asbestos as an Air Pollutant. These sessions were attended by 200 physicians. Attempts to establish an Asbestos Team in Iran are on-going. With an annual asbestos usage of around 50,000 tonnes, Iran is currently the 5th largest asbestos consumer in Asia.
Deadly Hazard in UK Schools
Feb 22, 2010
A damning report, supported by all the trade unions in the teaching and schools sector, describes a potentially lethal situation. Research conducted at a number of premises indicates that non-compliance with a mandatory duty to manage asbestos is widespread throughout the education sector. The failure to manage asbestos in these workplaces endangers the health and well-being of teachers, support and maintenance staff, and pupils. The report was released days before the Schools Minister Diana Johnson MP is due to meet representatives from the Asbestos in Schools Group.
See: Asbestos in Schools.
Concerns over India's Asbestos Consumption
Feb 20, 2010
Despite the "refusenik" positions adhered to by industry stakeholders, there is a global consensus that asbestos should be banned. That this has not happened leaves the way clear for entrepreneurs to exploit legislative vacuums to profit from an industry which has proved fatal to millions. The current conditions in which asbestos is used in India are discussed by experts as are their dire predictions in an article published in The Lancet today. U.S. asbestos expert Dr. Arthur Frank concludes that "We can expect a lot more death and disease…"
See: Lancet Article.
Asbestos Proposal Buried
Feb 17, 2010
A motion to set up a parliamentary committee to examine issues relating to Quebec's asbestos industry was rejected on February 17, 2010. The proposal was tabled by Dr. Amir Khadir, the leader of Quebec Solidaire (QS), the only political party in Quebec ever to oppose the Province's exploitation of asbestos. Although the Quebecois Party also supported Khadir's motion, the majority Liberals did not. Dr. Khadir, the sole QS Member of the Quebec National Assembly, has declared his opposition to the Quebec Government's "scandalous" double standard on asbestos. See: Newspaper report
Municipal Bill to Ban Asbestos
Feb16, 2010
Councilor Regina Cioffi has tabled a bill to ban asbestos in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais State. Dr. Cioffi, who attended the town's first asbestos meeting last November, heard Brazilian campaigner Engineer Fernanda Giannasi detail the first case of asbestos cancer to be diagnosed locally. It is believed that the exposure which caused the mesothelioma death of Dante Untura Filho occurred at the town's factory operated by the American company Alcoa International. See: Councilor Regina Cioffi's Blog
Asia's Asbestos Tsunami
Feb 15, 2010
An insightful article published online today points out that: "In parts of Asia, carrying 500 grams of one white powder draws a death sentence but importing 1,000 tons of another lethal white dust is both legal and profitable." Author Melody Kemp details the hazardous effects of asbestos mining and processing in Russia and Kazakhstan, and the consequences of asbestos consumption in developing countries like India where politicans work hand in glove with asbestos stakeholders. She highlights work being done by civil society throughout Asia to mobilize support for national asbestos bans. See: CorpWatch article
Asbestos Icon Catches Fire
Feb 8, 2010
The iconic French war ship, the Clemenceau, which wound up in a Hartlepool dry dock after a futile search for a cheap Asian disposal solution caught fire on February 5, 2010. Up to fifty fire fighters took an hour to bring the "major fire" under control. The asbestos decontamination and dismantling of the 32,780 tonne aircraft carrier is one of the largest projects of its kind in Europe; it is due to be completed in April 2010. At the time of the fire, 30% of the on-board asbestos remained in place. See: Clemenceau Debacle Rumbles On.
Quebec Hypocrisy Denounced in Mumbai
Feb 1, 2010
Indian and Canadian reporters attended a press conference held by campaigners, trade unions, NGOs and victims to mark the visit of Quebec's Premier to Mumbai. The purpose of the event was to highlight Quebec's hypocritical stance regarding asbestos, a product being ripped out of public buildings in Quebec and exported in quantity to India. In a press release issued by the conference organizers they urged the Premier to: "act on the behalf of the people of Quebec and ensure that the export of Asbestos is stopped."
Death of an Activist
Feb 1, 2010
Songwriter and activist Alistair Hulett died suddenly in Glasgow, Scotland on January 28, 2010. With a handful of words, Alistair summed up the personal tragedies of so many asbestos victims and their families in his song "He Fades Away." Take just a couple of minutes to listen to it and you will remember why we fight so hard for an international ban on asbestos.
Our thoughts are with his partner, Fatima, his family and his friends in Scotland and Australia. The world is a sadder place without him.
Taiwan Bans Remaining Uses of Asbestos
Jan 27, 2010
Having previously banned the use of asbestos in construction materials (2008), from Jan 1, 2010 Taiwan prohibited asbestos from being added to composite resins (adhesives), waterproofing sealants, anti-corrosive paints, caulking, fireproofing, insulating materials, tape, cloth, rope, mats, filters and asphalt. Registration of new asbestos manufacturers and permission to use asbestos in the products listed above was prohibited from August 2009, (see EPA announcement in: EPM12-08 doc). An ongoing review of work with asbestos-containing building materials will be conducted as part of the EPA's remit to "safeguard the health of the nation and preserve a sustainable environment."
Compensation for Japanese Victims
Jan 20, 2010
An international seminar is being held in Tokyo on February 2, 2010 to consider methods used by national governments to compensate victims whose exposure to asbestos was non-occupational. Speakers from France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK will detail schemes established in their countries for distributing benefits to this category of injured people. This meeting is being organized by the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency, the body responsible for setting up such a relief scheme in Japan.
"Rushed" Development of Asbestos Site
Jan 5, 2010
A planning application to develop a former asbestos site will be considered on January 11, 2009 by Halton Borough Council. No formal community consultation has been done and no environmental impact assessment has been carried out on the land where asbestos manufacturing and dumping took place for more than fifty years. Bereaved daughters Helen Wilson and Catherine Martley, whose father died of mesothelioma from schoolboy exposure to locally dumped asbestos waste, are appalled at the plans to build 100 homes and a hotel on the contaminated site.
Campaigners Raise Asbestos Profile in India
Dec 21, 2009
An Asbestosis Workshop was held in New Delhi on December 21, 2009 by the Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI). Occupationally and environmentally caused cases of asbestosis diagnosed in Rajasthan were discussed. As a result of the presentations and discussions which took place during the day, it was announced that a working party would be convened to investigate occupational and environmental exposures to asbestos (See: Summary Report).
Government Praise for Brazilian Activist
Dec 11, 2009
Carlos Minc, Brazil's Minister for the Environment, paid tribute to the work of factory inspector Fernanda Giannasi and her associates at ABREA - the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed - during the opening of the first National Conference on Environmental Health in Brasilia on December 10, 2009. The official recognition of Engineer Giannasi's work was a unique government accolade as a campaigning individual or NGO fighting the country's powerful asbestos lobby had never before been honored by a government official.
Asbestos Trial Begins!
Dec 10, 2009
What is being dubbed "the Great Asbestos Trial" began at 10 a.m. on December 10 at the Palace of Justice in Turin, Italy. In the courtroom were hundreds of observers including 150 lawyers, 100 journalists, 48 local officials and Judge Giuseppe Casalbore; missing were the defendants, former Eternit executives Stephan Schmidheiny and Jean-Louis de Cartier. Outside, asbestos victims from Italy, Switzerland, France and Belgium mounted protests and waved placards with slogans such as "Eternit: Justice," and "Mister Schmidheiny, we wait for you in Switzerland." The proceedings, which are being brought on behalf of 2,889 asbestos victims, will recommence on January 25. See: Field Report.
Asbestos Exposé Wins Prestigious Award
Nov 17, 2009
On November 24 the Wadsworth Prize for Business History will be presented to Geoffrey Tweedale, co-author, with Jock McCulloch, of Defending the Indefensible – The Global Asbestos Industry and its Fight for Survival, at a ceremony at the National Archives in Kew. This annual prize is awarded by the Business Archives Council for an outstanding contribution to the study of business history.
In a Review of this publication, Dr. Barry Castleman wrote: "This is an authoritative examination of how it has come about that most of the world's people still live in countries where asbestos is carelessly used, and global asbestos use is holding steady or rising in the new century ..."
Rising Asbestos Mortality in Provinces
Nov 16, 2009
According to recent data, between 2002 and 2009, asbestos-related fatalities increased by 69% in British Columbia and 39% in Quebec. Commenting on the new statistics, public health campaigner Kathleen Ruff compared the action of asbestos to that of landmines: "it goes on killing for decades and decades…. We need to recognize that this is a major health crisis in Canada that's ongoing and still increasing (in) numbers every year." See Canadian Press article
Brazil Ban Asbestos Mobilization
Nov 12, 2009
Brazilian efforts to address the country's emerging asbestos epidemic were publicized by events held in the states of São Paulo, Alagoas and Minas Gerais from November 6 to 14, 2009. Asbestos victims, public health campaigners, trade unionists, medical professionals and politicans supported calls for a comprehensive ban on the mining and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. IBAS Coordinator Laurie Kazan-Allen, who participated in these meetings, said: "Despite the continued onslaught by asbestos lobbyists, progress is being made in phasing out the use of asbestos and highlighting the continuing tragedy of the country's asbestos injured."
Call to Ban Asbestos in the U.S.
Nov 11, 2009
At the 2009 meeting of the American Public Health Association, the largest public health group in the world, a resolution was adopted calling for Congressional action to ban the manufacture, sale, import and export of asbestos and asbestos-containing products in, to and from the United States. For more information, see: Cold Truth article
U.S. Dumps Toxic Ship in India
Oct 25, 2009
The arrival of the Platinum II, formerly known as the SS Oceanic and the SS independence, at Alang on October 7, 2009 broke international and national laws. It is believed that the ship is contaminated with 250 tonnes of asbestos and 210 tonnes of PCBs. U.S. authorities permitted the ship to sail after its former owners paid a $500,000 penalty. The ship's arrival in Gujarat contravenes the Basel Convention under which India is not permitted to receive hazardous waste from the U.S. or any foreign source without prior notification and specific consent from the Indian Government. See: CommonDreams.org report
Call to Ban Asbestos in Papua New Guinea
Oct 19, 2009
On October 19, 2009, news was circulated of a call by the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea to ban the import of asbestos and minimize hazardous exposures to asbestos-cement products. Explaining the reason for the Society's demand, President Dr. Mathias Sapuri said: "We already have evidence to show that some of our patients who have died from lung cancer due to mesothelioma (were exposed) to the asbestos from Fibro (asbestos-cement)." Two patients who had contracted mesothelioma worked in the building industry and were referred to by Dr. Sapuri as "the tip of the iceberg." (See: Radio Australia News report).
Asbestos Death from School Exposure
Oct 15, 2009
It is often said that your schooldays are the happiest days of your life. Such was not the case for Dianne Willmore who was exposed to asbestos whilst a pupil at the Page Moss Comprehensive School in Liverpool. On October 15, 2009, the day after the Court of Appeal ruled in her favor, this 49-year-old asbestos cancer sufferer lost her fight for life. The mesothelioma which caused her death was contracted from exposure experienced in the 1970s. Only time will tell how many other deaths will be caused by similar exposures to other pupils, teachers and staff. See: In Remembrance of Dianne Willmore.
Quebec Asbestos U-Turn?
Oct 6 2009
A ministerial meeting level took place on September 21, 2009 in Quebec to consider the health effects of asbestos exposures. According to an article published on October 5, government stakeholders discussed damning reports by the Quebec National Public Health Institute, a letter by scientific and medical experts from Quebec calling for a national asbestos ban and news of the Liberal Party leader's support for a ban. In the absence of an official statement on the outcome of the meeting, Journalist Francois Cardinal predicted that the Quebec government is poised to reconsider is policy of increased asbestos use.
James Hardie to Move to Dublin
Sep 29, 2009
On September 18, 2009, the Australian Government has given permission for the infamous company of James Hardie Industries (JH) to relocate its corporate headquarters from the Netherlands to Ireland. A press release by the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia said that the new arrangements would not alter the binding commitments given by JH "to make future payments to the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund."
U.S. Mesothelioma Awareness Day
Sep 26, 2009
In a U.S. Senate resolution, September 26, 2009 was designated "National Mesothelioma Awareness Day," to raise awareness of a cancer caused by exposures to asbestos such as those experienced by fireman, police officers and rescue workers who were emergency responders to the September 11, 2001 emergencies. More than 3,000 Americans die every year from mesothelioma, a disease for which there is no cure.
To learn more about the devastation asbestos continues to cause in the U.S. see the website: http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/
Calls to Lower EU Asbestos Limit Values!
Sep 23, 2009
Last week, the French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Sanitary Safety (AFSSET) called for the current limit value of 0.1 fibre per cm3 for occupational exposure to asbestos to be reduced tenfold citing an AFSSET report (2009) which highlighted the impact of exposure to short and fine asbestos fibers unseen by optical microscopes. The Agency recommends the introduction of a new asbestos fiber counting technique which requires the use of electron microscopy.
See: http://hesa.etui-rehs.org/uk/newsevents/
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Threat to Brazil's Asbestos Mouthpiece
Sept 19, 2009
Yesterday, a hearing began which could result in the removal of the privileged status currently enjoyed by the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute (IBC), a body which represents the interests of the national asbestos industry. The legal action was initiated by a prosecutor from the Brazilian asbestos mining state of Goiás; should it succeed, the IBC will lose both its status as "a social entity of public interest" and its ability to qualify for government grants. Observers report that the courtroom was packed with individuals representing vested interests from industry, trade unions and the Government.
Pleural Plaques Campaign
Sep 16, 2009
Last night at the annual conference of the Trades Union Congress, delegates debated an Emergency Motion on pleural plaques. In 2007, the House of Lords reversed years of precedents when it ruled that pleural plaques were no longer a compensatable condition. Campaigners are pressing for urgent action to reinstate the rights of English and Welsh victims; the Scottish Government has already reinstated the rights of victims north of the border. A video shown at the TUC conference on the injustice of this situation can be viewed at: http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/page/invite/plaques
Advance in Non-Asbestos Technology
Sep 15, 2009
A breakthrough in phasing out the use of asbestos was reached when Carbocloro, one of Brazil's three producers of chloro-alkalis, announced it had replaced asbestos-containing diaphragms used in its manufacturing operations; it was now employing a technology using teflon and Zirconium oxide. The American–Brazilian owned manufacturer has designed and produced its own asbestos-free diaphragms.
Ban Bill Progressing in the Phillipines
Sep 10, 2009
On September 9, 2009, the lower house of Congress approved a bill consolidating legislation to ban the import, manufacture, processing, use and distribution of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. The Chair of the House Committee on Health said that the new bill would be approved by October 1, 2009. The bill is strongly supported by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine and the Department of Health which believes, as does the ILO and WHO, that the best way to eliminate asbestos-related disease is to stop using asbestos.
New Mesothelioma Initiative
Sep 10, 2009
A major attempt is being made in Brazil to warn workers, consumers and the public of the health hazards associated with asbestos exposure and to raise awareness of the asbestos cancer: mesothelioma. Fifty thousands pamphlets on mesothelioma and 10,000 posters have been printed to disseminate knowledge about the nature of this disease, and information has been uploaded to the National Cancer Institute.
Follow-up seminars and medical workshops are being scheduled in the coming months.
Asbestos Miners on Strike!
Sep 7, 2009
Operations at Zimbabwe’s principal asbestos mine were halted last week when 2,000 workers went on strike over the failure of the State-owned Shabanie Mashaba Mine (SMM) to pay their wages. Since January 2009, the largely bankrupt enterprise has continuously defaulted on its financial obligations. Two mine vehicles have been seized by strikers who plan to sell them to recoup the monies owed. Since the SMM was nationalized by the Government (2005), allegations of looting by top Zanu-PF officials have been rife. After the mine’s previous owner was accused of illegal financial transactions, he fled the country.
Foreign Investors Reject Quebec Deal
Sep 1, 2009
At the 11th hour, Chinese investors withdrew from negotiations to inject $40 million into Canada's sole remaining asbestos mine amidst fears that increasing political and public support could result in Canadian prohibitions on the mining and use of asbestos. The cash injection by a subsidiary of the China Dalian International Corporation was intended for the development of the underground works at the Jeffrey Mine. It seems almost certain that the failure to secure this money will mark the end of asbestos mining in Canada.
Rise in Toxic Ship-breaking in Gujarat
Aug 31, 2009
The global recession has led to a rise in the scrapping of redundant ships in Gujarat's ship-breaking yards. Observers estimate that since the economic downturn began, the number of vessels being processed in Alang has doubled. In the coming weeks, two US-government owned ships are due to be beached along the coast, the first time since a 1998 moratorium was imposed by President Clinton. Beach breaking, which is illegal in Europe, exposes workers to a cocktail of toxins including asbestos. See: Alang: The place where ships go to die.
Ban on Selling Asbestos in Rio de Janeiro
Aug 29, 2009
A judicial decision was handed down regarding the sale of asbestos in Rio de Janeiro, a state which had banned asbestos in 2008. Following the ban, Brazil's asbestos giant - Eternit - had obtained permission to continue to sell its asbestos products in the state pending judicial clarification. On August 26, 2009, the Civil Chamber of the Court of Justice decided that, as in São Paulo, selling these products is now illegal; non-compliance will result in fines of US$25,000/day.
Political Parties Shift Position on Asbestos
Aug 26, 2009
News from Canada of a serious breach in the ruling party's pro-asbestos stance. Pat Davidson, a Conservative MP for "Chemical Valley," a place ridden with asbestos-related disease, is advocating a national ban. The same day, Michael Ignatieff, the leader of Canada's Liberty Party, reiterated his anti-asbestos position saying that "science has shown it is a harmful product..."
The New Democratic Party (NDP), however, remains the only political party in Canada's Parliament that has a written policy calling for a global asbestos ban and the shut-down of the asbestos industry. Perhaps one day soon, the others may catch up with the NDP!
Exposé on Asbestos “Killer Company”
Aug 22, 2009
As if fines handed down on August 20, 2009 to disgraced James Hardie (JH) executives by the New South Wales Supreme Court along with sanctions which bar them from managing corporations were not bad enough, a book called: Killer Company: James Hardie Exposed is being published in Sydney which exposes the company’s dirty secrets and corporate asbestos knowledge. An extract published on August 22 of the new book states that JH actively encouraged employees to use asbestos waste for driveways, paths and garage floors even though it knew about the dangers of asbestos.
Medics Back Asbestos Ban
Aug 19, 2009
At a meeting of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) which ended on August 19, 2009, 95% of members supported a resolution calling for a reversal of the Canadian government’s pro-asbestos policy, the listing of chrysotile under the Rotterdam Convention, a domestic ban on production and use and the introduction of asbestos management legislation for products already within the national infrastructure. MP Pat Martin, who has an asbestos-related condition, said: “This may well be the tipping point that brings some sanity to Canada’s shameful asbestos policies.”
Asbestos Public Health Risk
Aug 11, 2009
Military action in 2009 which destroyed thousands of private homes, public buildings, factories and roads also led to widespread environmental asbestos contamination in Gaza; 10% of the 600,000 MT of rubble is asbestos according to a spokesperson from the UN Development Programme. Compounding the public health threat is the fact that nearly 70% of Gaza’s residents, now housed in 8 major camps, live in structures built from asbestos cement.
Medical Asbestos Awareness in Iran
Aug 20, 2009
On August 20, 2009, a medical symposium on asbestos will take place at the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran; subjects on the agenda include screening for asbestos-related diseases, radiological and pathological findings for asbestosis and mesothelioma and treatment therapies.
Asbestos Issues in the UAE
Aug 10, 2009
Our contact in the United Arab Emirates, Charles Faulkner, reports that following the July 2009 meeting of an asbestos focus group "initially intended to raise the awareness of the hazards of asbestos in the UAE (construction industry) and discuss the legislation," work will begin on developing occupational codes for minimizing harmful exposures to at-risk workers. Currently, there is a partial ban on asbestos, however, asbestos-cement water pipes are still legally produced and widely used for water supply and sewerage. Legislation which exists regarding work with asbestos and the use of protective equipment is poorly enforced.
Agenda for Asbestos Action
Aug 10, 2009
Local mobilization on asbestos was the subject of a meeting held at the offices of Walhi Jawa - an environmental NGO -- in Bandung on August 10, 2009. Amongst the issues discussed was progress in: identifying medical specialists, defining community action points, and developing outreach projects for at-risk groups. Future workshops and meetings are planned.
UK Toxic Ship bound for Asia Detained
Aug 7, 2009
On August 7, the Environment Agency (EA) stopped a ship - the Margaret Hill, a 50,700-tonne liquid natural gas tanker - leaving Southampton due to suspicions that it was on its way to South Asia to be scrapped following a tip off from the Platform on Shipbreaking whose Executive Director - Ingvild Jenssen - voiced the NGO's concerns over the on-board presence of asbestos, PCBs and other hazardous substances. This is the first time that the Trans-frontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007 have been invoked to prevent a ship from leaving the UK.
World Conference on Lung Cancer
Aug 5, 2009
From July 31 to August 4, 2009, the 13th World Conference on Lung Cancer took place in San Francisco, California. Amongst the issues on the agenda was the evaluation of results from recent clinical trials related to mesothelioma. The presence of eminent asbestos specialists from around the world reinforced the emphasis on the subject of mesothelioma research and treatment. Amongst the invited speakers were: Ken Takahashi (Japan), Bruce Robinson (Australia), Dean Fennell (UK), Ken O'Bryne (Ireland) and Hedy Kindler and Steven Abelda (US).
Trial of Asbestos Executives in Turin.
Jul 22, 2009
Our colleague Niccolo Bruna reports that: "Finally today, July 22nd 2009, the good news, the only possible solution after many years of struggle for justice. The two Eternit former managers Schmidheiny and De Cartier De Marchienne had been officially charged for intentional disaster. Judge Cristina Palmesino has rejected all the defendant' objections, fixing up the first day of the public hearing on Thursday December 10th, 2009." The accused could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted. See: http://asbestosinthedock.ning.com/
Brazilian Ministry Bans Asbestos
Jul 22, 2009
Earlier today our friend Fernanda Giannasi informed us that the Brazilian Ministry of Health has prohibited the use of asbestos in all its buildings; this follows the previous adoption by the Environment Ministry of an asbestos ban throughout its department. Four Brazilian states and several Brazilian municipalities have now banned the use of asbestos in Brazil although the federal government has not done so.
Canadian TV Asbestos Expose
Jun 10, 2009
The prime-time broadcast of a documentary entitled: Canada's Ugly Secret revealed the uncontrolled use of Canadian asbestos in an Indian textile factory. Workers were filmed picking up raw asbestos with their bare hands to feed into processing equipment; the total lack of all health and safety precautions resulted in the dusty conditions which could be observed. This footage exposes the asbestos industry's fallacious propaganda which alleges that asbestos can be used safely under "controlled conditions." Such conditions have not been achieved anywhere in the developed world and are unlikely to be achieved in developing countries.