News Archive

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.