September 4, 2024

Asbestos Hypocrites: Who? Where? How?

For decades, asbestos-producing countries have simultaneously extolled the virtues of the “magic mineral” and refrained from using it. The duplicitous behaviour, which was first observed in Canada, has also been seen in Russia, Kazakhstan and Brazil. It seems more likely than not that China, the only other asbestos producer still in business, will, in due course, be following suit.

Even as Canadian diplomats and lawyers were arguing their country’s case against the 1997 French asbestos ban at the World Trade Organization (WTO),¹ Canada was shipping all the output from its asbestos mines overseas. During the WTO’s adjudication of the case, which lasted from 1998 until 2001, Canadian exports outstripped production by almost 8,000 tonnes. The substance which was too toxic to be used in Canada was safe enough to be used in France and other European Union countries, or so the Canadian legal team argued.

According to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), for years, the majority of output from Russian and Kazakh asbestos mines has also been sent abroad. Now that Canada has left the field, having itself banned asbestos in 1998, these two countries have been making the case for asbestos at international agencies, regional forums and bilateral discussions. At every such meeting the Russians and Kazakhs rigidly advocate the “safe use” position, that is, that the consumption of asbestos is harmless under controlled conditions. Of course, this is nonsense as they well know.²

The asbestos industry’s use of strong-arm tactics is well illustrated by the situation in Ukraine, a county which was formerly a big consumer of asbestos. Ukraine’s political independence (1991), lead to calls for sovereignty over its asbestos policy.³ This was strongly resisted initially by Russian vested interests and latterly by their Kazakh allies, with government representatives including ministers and ambassadors exerting political and economic pressure on Ukrainian counterparts over the 2017 asbestos ban announcement by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health. According to Ukrainian Deputy Roksolana Pidlasa:

“the Kazakh and Russian [asbestos] lobbies opposed the ban for years. ‘It was from these countries according to the Ministry of Health, during 2006-2016 that Ukraine imported 556,000 tons of asbestos: 35.5% and 64.5%, respectively.’”⁴

Even as Ukraine was engaged in a bloody battle against the Russian invaders, it threw off its asbestos yoke. Speaking about the ban asbestos legislation enacted in October 2023, Welsh politician Mick Antoniw, himself of Ukrainian descent, said: “The fact that this [ban] has been achieved during a time when the country has been at war with Russia makes this accomplishment all the more extraordinary.” ⁵

China has achieved the rare feat of being simultaneously a producer, user, importer and exporter of asbestos, exploiting emerging trade routes to sell asbestos to new markets in Africa and Asia in recent months.⁶ According to USGS data, between 2012 and 2022, domestic asbestos consumption in China fell almost 40% from 431,000 tonnes/t to 261,000t. Over the same period, production fell more than 60% from 320,000t/year to 130,000t. While these figures may not be entirely accurate, they are reliable enough to indicate a downward trend in both use and production.⁷

There is no question that the government of China is aware of the asbestos hazard having already taken steps to protect the its citizens as noted below:

• banning the use of asbestos for friction materials in the automotive industry in 2003;
• prohibiting the import and export of amphibole asbestos, including amosite and crocidolite, in 2005;
• outlawing the use of all types of asbestos, including chrysotile (white) asbestos, in siding and wall construction materials in 2011;
• including asbestos in category 3 – the most advanced group for which substitutes have been developed and are being used – of the official list of recommended substitutes for toxic and hazardous materials published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in 2012.

Unfortunately, more needs to be done. In 2022, lung cancer – which is the predominant disease caused by exposure to asbestos – was the most common cancer in China with 1,060,600 cases.⁸ In May this year (2024) a paper in the Chinese Journal of Epidemiology confirmed that:

“the burden of lung cancer incidence and mortality in China is still heavy, especially among the elderly. With the intensification of aging in the future, the disease burden of lung cancer will be further aggravated... actively promoting the implementation of tertiary prevention measures for lung cancer, especially the primary and secondary prevention of lung cancer, may be an effective measure to deal with the current epidemic situation of lung cancer in China.”⁹

It is not unreasonable to postulate that China may, in the not-too distant future, decide to follow the examples set by other asbestos-producing countries – Canada, Russia, Kazakhstan and Brazil – and decrease asbestos use at home even if it continues to ship the output from its mines abroad.¹⁰ While that’s not ideal, it would certainly be a step in the right direction. One can but hope that by the time this comes to pass, international agencies, regional bodies and national governments will have adopted asbestos prohibitions, leaving China with few, if any, customers. When that happens, the only viable option will be to shut down the asbestos mines. Now, that’s something I’d really like to see.

¹ Kazan-Allen, L. WTO Asbestos Case. April 28, 2000.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_wto.php
Kazan-Allen, L. WTO Upholds French Ban on Chrysotile. May 5, 2001.
http://www.ibasecretariat.org/lka_can_wto_appeal_res.php

² International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS). Asbestos Policies of Major International Agencies. Accessed September 1, 2024.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_asb_polic_maj_int_agencies.php

³ Kazan-Allen, L. It’s Official: Asbestos Use Banned in Ukraine. October 25, 2023.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka-its-official-asbestos-use-banned-in-ukraine.php

⁴ This huge consumption figure was verified by data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), according to which Ukraine consumed 586,253 tonnes of asbestos between 2006 and 2016.
Токсичен и вызывает рак – Рада запретила использование асбеста [Toxic and causes cancer - Rada banned the use of asbestos]. September 7, 2022.
https://vesti.ua/strana/toksichen-i-vyzyvaet-rak-rada-zapretila-ispolzovanie-asbesta
This link was no longer working when checked on September 1, 2024.

⁵ Kazan-Allen, L. It’s Official: Asbestos Use Banned in Ukraine. October 25, 2023.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka-its-official-asbestos-use-banned-in-ukraine.php

⁶ Kazan-Allen, L. Russia’s Asbestos Cash Cow under Threat? August 13, 2024.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka-russia-s-asbestos-cash-cow-under-threat.php
IBAS Asbestos News Digest. China articles.
http://ibasecretariat.org/abs_archive_news.php?sel=c&c_val=China

⁷ Annual asbestos consumption in China over recent years (2018-22) remains substantial at ~250,000t.

⁸ Han, B., et al. Cancer incidence and mortality in China, 2022. March 2024.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667005424000061#:~:text=Leading%20causes%20of%20new%20cancer,of%20total%20new%20cancer%20cases

⁹ Guo, L., Lin, C. et al. 中国人群肺癌疾病负担分析 [Analysis of lung cancer burden in Chinese population]. May 13, 2024.
http://chinaepi.icdc.cn/zhlxbx/article/html/20240502

¹⁰ 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?] April 9, 2024.
https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20240409A0628P00
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]. August 18, 2024.
https://news.seehua.com/post/1200854
Guo, L., Lin, C. et al. 中国人群肺癌疾病负担分析 [Analysis of lung cancer burden in Chinese population]. May 13, 2024.
http://chinaepi.icdc.cn/zhlxbx/article/html/20240502

August 29, 2024

UK J&J Summer 2024 Audit

Thirteen months after my last impromptu toxic talc audit, I ventured into retail outlets in the London suburb where I live to ascertain whether Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) talc-based baby powder was still being sold, despite the company’s assurances that the product had been withdrawn from global markets. When I last did a spot check on July 16, 2023, I found it on the shelves of a branch of Sainsbury’s, the UK’s second largest chain of supermarkets, and at Savers, a UK chain of 500 health and beauty shops.¹

On August 18, 2024, however, the situation had changed completely and no talc-based J&J baby powder was available in either shop. In its place were cans of J&J cornstarch-based baby powder which, as we know, is a safer option as it does not contain asbestos fibers.

A few containers of J&J cornstarch-based baby powder available on Sunday, August 18, 2024 at Sainsburys.

Only one container of J&J cornstarch-based baby powder available on Sunday, August 18, 2024 at Savers.

Checking online, I only found the cornstarch powder on sale at Tesco’s, Waitrose and Boots. Unfortunately, however, a multipack of two cans of the talc-based J&J baby powder was still available from Amazon.² The product description left no doubt as to the toxic contents: “Johnson’s Baby Talcum Powder Multipack of 2 Clinically Proven Talc for Newborn Delicate Skin Leaves Skin Soft and Smooth 2 x 200g.”

J&J talc-based baby powder on sale on Amazon August 18, 2024.

If J&J cannot stop retailers from selling their discredited and potentially hazardous product, the government must step in to protect consumers.

¹ Kazan-Allen, L. From Consumer Icon to Grim Reaper: The Sorry Tale of J&J Baby Powder. July 17, 2023.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka-blogzxa210.php

² Johnson’s Baby Talcum Powder Multipack of 2 available from Amazon on August 18, 2024.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Johnsons-Multipack-Clinically-Newborn-Delicate/dp/B083MWWC6J/ref=asc_df_B083MWWC6J/

August 1, 2024

Remembering Takao Migita and Eiji Kurita

Present day life is lived at great speed. Twenty-four-hour news cycles mean that what was reported today will be history tomorrow. Matters of life and death, famine and deprivation, scandal and gossip chase each other on news portals before disappearing down a black hole into oblivion. On August 1, 2024 – World Lung Cancer Day – let’s press the pause button and pay tribute to the injured, people caught up in a fight not of their making, and those who brought them solace, compassion and support.

A few weeks ago, a one-hour documentary was broadcast on Kansai TV honoring the memory of Takao Migita, a Japanese mesothelioma sufferer who worked ceaselessly to support others similarly afflicted.¹ From the time he was diagnosed in 2016, until his premature death aged 59 in March 2024, Takao reached out to people marginalized by asbestos illnesses all over Japan individually, collectively and nationally. He was a jovial figure with the capacity to bring humor into the darkest moments. He made his fellow sufferers laugh and would tell them: “I’ll stay healthy until I die.” He paid a terrible price for his dedication – losing friend after friend as each mesothelioma sufferer succumbed to his/her illness.

Takao Migita speaking at a meeting with Japanese Ministry officials on June 1, 2018; Eiji Kurita is sitting on his right. Photographer Sugio Furuya.

Mesothelioma sufferer Eiji Kurita who, is pictured in the photograph above, worked closely with Takao. Eiji was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 33. In 2017, he and Takao founded the Mesothelioma Support Caravan and served as the association’s co-chairs. Eiji died in 2019, nearly 20 years after he had been diagnosed.

After Eiji’s death, Takao and the Caravan’s members rededicated themselves to its work at an online ceremony on April 25, 2021 attended by scores of patients, families and doctors. Up until his death earlier this year, Takao remained available to members of the organization and to newly affected patients at any time by phone, via video calls and when possible at in-person meetings. The emotional toll he paid for his friendship with Caravan members was immense.

Over the last 25 years, I have been privileged to witness and interact with some amazing human beings. People whose lives have been dedicated to improving conditions endured by men and women who contract avoidable and deadly asbestos-related diseases. Some, I knew well, others I only knew by reputation. All of them deserve to be remembered for the selfless work they did to support the individuals and families whose lives had been stolen by ruthless asbestos profiteers.

¹ アスベスト原因・希少がん「中皮腫」と闘った“人生の最期”を記録、カンテレでドキュメンタリー放送。[A documentary broadcast on KTV records the "final days of life" of a man who fought against asbestos-related rare cancer “mesothelioma”]. June 18, 2024.
https://www.hokkoku.co.jp/articles/-/1443446 [Not available August 1 – accessed July 25, 2024.]
アスベスト健康被害の支援の遺志継ぐ、亡き鎌ケ谷の男性 [Late Kamagaya man’s continuous efforts to support [those with] asbestos health damage]. May 12, 2021.
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASP5C74C9P5CUDCB003.html
惜別・右田孝雄さん「笑いと奮闘　苦しみに寄り添い」朝日新聞に掲載されました [Farewell to Takao Migita “Laughter and struggle, empathy for those in pain” featured in the Asahi Shimbun]. May 22, 2024.
https://asbestos.or.jp/archives/5260

July 5, 2024

India Transitioning to Asbestos-Free Technology

Sometimes the information you’ve been looking for crops up in the unlikeliest of places. This is what happened a week ago when I came across a jargon-filled posting on the website of the Financial Express, an English-language Indian business newspaper. The author spoke of PBIT margins, “a CAGR of 3.1 per cent,” nominal gross value-added (GVA) and the ICRA. As the first three sentences of the text spiked my interest – “In FY2023, fibre [asbestos] prices had increased by 25 per cent, amidst the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Russia is the largest exporter of Chrysotile asbestos in the world. Additionally, rupee depreciation and spiking freight costs due to logistical challenges had worsened the price increase” – I persisted.¹

Having deciphered the abbreviations – thank you google – I finally got to the bottom of the article where the really good stuff was:

“While the country [India] still permits the import of chrysotile asbestos, many countries have banned all types of asbestos. With this ban on the mining of asbestos across countries may lead to non-availability of raw materials, which can ultimately impact the companies’ operations.

The market share of the top five companies (in revenue terms) in the asbestos fibre cement (FC) sheet segment is in the range of 80-82 per cent, implying an oligopoly market structure… Considering the moderate growth prospects of the asbestos FC industry, there are no major capex [capital expenditure] plans in the pipeline for the top five players in the medium term... 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.”

India is the world’s biggest asbestos importer. Traditionally, Russia has been the asbestos supplier of choice for Indian importers; however, since the instability caused by the invasion of Ukraine Russia has been replaced by Brazil as the number one asbestos exporter to India.² On August 14, 2024, the Brazilian Supreme Court will rule on the unconstitutionality of allowing asbestos, a substance banned in Brazil, to be mined and exported.³ If things turn out the way we hope India may, in the short-term, be looking for a new source of asbestos.

Asbestos-cement products and off-cuts are widely used for roofing in India. Photograph reproduced with the permission of Hein du Plessis.

In the medium to long term let’s hope that the trend identified above becomes a reality and that Indian building product manufacturers make the leap to healthier technologies that are not reliant on the use of carcinogens.

¹ 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. June 26, 2024.
https://www.financialexpress.com/business/industry-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-3535281/

² Kazan-Allen, L. Russians Losing Key Asbestos Market. June 5, 2024.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka-russians-losing-key-asbestos-market.php
Kazan-Allen, L. Global Asbestos Trade 2023: Spotlight on India. September 28, 2023.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka-global-asbestos-trade%202023-spotlight-on-india.php

³ NÚMERO ÚNICO: 0026228-59.2019.1.00.0000 [UNIQUE NUMBER: 0026228-59.2019.1.00.0000]. AÇÃO DIRETA DE INCONSTITUCIONALIDADE [DIRECT ACTION FOR UNCONSTITUTIONALITY]
https://portal.stf.jus.br/processos/detalhe.asp?incidente=5738022
Brazilian Supreme Court Calendar. Accessed July 4, 2024.
https://portal.stf.jus.br/pauta/pesquisarCalendario.asp

June 13, 2024

Canada, Time to Choose Sides!

Once upon a time, you could easily put a face to the crime. Asbestos pushers from Canada would show themselves at public forums like clockwork – they’d even smile for the camera. Nothing to see here folks, please move on.

Canadian delegation at 2006 Geneva meeting of the UN’s Rotterdam Convention where they declared “Canada does not support the listing of chrysotile asbestos.”

The Canadian diplomats, businessmen and scientists tasked with promoting and protecting the asbestos brand were delegates at international meetings, witnesses at judicial and legislative hearings and members of staff at Canadian embassies around the world. ¹

That was then. In 2018 Canada, like most other developed countries, banned asbestos. All asbestos mining operations ceased and the use and export of asbestos fiber became illegal. Score one for the good guys.

Canada, however, remains complicit in the global asbestos epidemic not only because of the millions of tonnes of Canadian asbestos already incorporated within the built environment² but also because of the country’s tacit support for the asbestos lobby.

The mouthpiece for global asbestos vested interests is the International Chrysotile Association (ICA); it is on the Quebec business registry (number 1147070081) with the address: 3900-1 Place Ville-Marie, Montreal.³ This is the same address provided to the Secretariat of the UN Rotterdam Convention (RC) by ICA directors and officials registered to attend the 2023 Conference of the Parties to the RC, none of whom appear to be resident in Canada. ICA personnel using this address were:

• Tahir Baig Barlas, Director for Pakistan;
• Prakrit Shrestha, Director for Nepal;
• Emiliano Alonso Martin, Marketing & Communication Officer/Executive Board Member;
• Emiliano Alonso Pelegrin, Chairman⁴;
• Josep Monraba Bagan, Executive Officer;
• Patnaree Bhakdikhanasedh, Southeast Coordinator.

As well as sharing the same address in Canada – which turns out to belong to Dentons, the “world's largest global law firm” ⁵ – all those named above had the same phone number which, according to the area code, is located in Belgium, where the public relations company hired by the ICA – Alonso Associates – is based.⁶ The phone number listed on the PR firm’s website is the same as that listed by the ICA personnel: 32 2 230 70 42.

The fact that provincial and federal authorities remain willing to aid and abet former allies, despite the sea-change in Canada’s asbestos policy, is disturbing. If asbestos is too dangerous to be used in Canada, why is the ICA – a “completely foreign-funded” pro-asbestos lobbying organization – deemed to be a legitimate enterprise when its declared aim is the promotion of a class 1 carcinogen? ⁷ Assisting a murderer is a crime; so too is providing sanctuary for those who promote death and destruction. Quantifying and addressing Canada’s lethal role in the global asbestos epidemic will take time but the very least that should be done is for the ICA to be struck off the Quebec business registry. The time is long past due.

¹ Kazan-Allen, L. Rotterdam Treaty Killed by Chrysotile Asbestos! October 17, 2006.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_rott_meet_geneva_oct_06.php

² Between 1900 and 2000, mines in Québec, Newfoundland, British Columbia and the Yukon produced a total of 61 million tons of chrysotile (white asbestos); most of it was exported.
Kazan-Allen, L. Canadian Asbestos: A Global Concern. October 2003.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_ottawa_conf_rep_03_plus.php

³ Quebec Registry. Accessed June 8, 2024.
https://www.registreentreprises.gouv.qc.ca/RQAnonymeGR/GR/GR03/GR03A2_19A_PIU_RechEnt_PC/PageResultat.aspx?T1.JetonStatic=7a5331fd-2cb8-4b49-9a3e-d4dfb8d007bd&T1.CodeService=S00436#CPH_K1ZoneContenu1_Cadr_
IdSectionResultat_IdSectionResultat_K1DetailsRecherche_Ancre
For more on the ICA, see: Ruff, K. Exposé of the International Chrysotile Association. February 18. 2013.
https://rightoncanada.ca/?p=1862
Ruff, K. How Canada Changed from Exporting Asbestos to Banning Asbestos: The Challenges That Had to Be Overcome. October 2017.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664636/

⁴ As of 2020, Emiliano Alonso was also President of the ICA.
Letter to Emiliano Alonso. November 27, 2020.
http://www.ibasecretariat.org/letter-to-president-international-chrysotile-association.pdf

⁵ Website of Dentons Law. Accessed June 10, 2024.
https://www.dentons.com/en/

⁶ Website of Alonso Associates. Accessed June 10, 2024.
https://www.alonsoassociates.com/

⁷ Thibodeau, M. Interdiction de L’amiante au Canada. Le Croisé du Chrysotile [Asbestos Ban in Canada. The Chrysotile Crusader]. December 16, 2016.
https://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/d292ae80-1b67-4e20-b779-b354fec8a85b%7C_0.html

May 23, 2024

Two Countries, Two Different Approaches to the Asbestos Hazard

The unwelcomed discovery of asbestos-contaminated mulch in public spaces in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Canberra, combined with an almost laser-like focus on the deadly repercussions of exposures to engineered stone building products, seem to have reenergized the Australian debate on avoidable dangers at the workplace, in the home and in the environment. As a result, in December, 2023 the Australian federal government announced that as of July 1, 2024 the use of engineered stone would be banned nationwide; Australia is the first country in the world to outlaw this material. ¹

On May 9, 2024, a joint statement on asbestos was issued by Australian trade unions, asbestos victims’ groups, research institutions and campaigning bodies calling on the Government to prioritize the removal of 6.2 million 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.²

A petition entitled “Eradicate Asbestos” was categorical about the threat asbestos still posed to Australians despite the fact that it was banned over two decades ago:

“There is simply no safe level of asbestos. Modelling shows us that if we are to meander along at the same rate of removal, we will still have more than 1 million tonnes in the built environment in the year 2060 and that by the end of the century, 100 years since the ban, we still will have failed to remove all asbestos containing materials. The asbestos in our built environment can be up to sixty years old and is degrading. This is really dangerous. We need asbestos gone – now.”³

In contrast to the proactive stance in Australia is the approach in the UK, where the discovery of another hazard in asbestos-contaminated buildings has generated a totally different response. The 2023/24 scandal over the presence of deteriorating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in UK schools and the “national disgrace” of asbestos contamination of the educational infrastructure resulted in the traditional British reaction in the face of seemingly overwhelming obstacles. After much media coverage and dozens of political promises, some structural engineers are now saying what the Government wants to hear: “We will have to learn to live with Raac as we’ve lived with asbestos…”⁴

This week the conclusions of the five-year public inquiry into the UK’s contaminated blood scandal were published. Multiple causes for the dangerous treatments given to haemophiliacs and others from the 1970s to early 1990s were cited and blame was laid at the door of successive government as well as the NHS. There was denial, obfuscation and a massive cover-up which prioritized “financial and reputational considerations.” As a result, 3,000 people have died and tens of thousands have been infected by toxic blood transfusions or the use of tainted imported blood plasma products.⁵

Will it take another fifty years for the UK government to get to grips with the ongoing crisis of deteriorating asbestos not only in our schools but also in other public buildings? How many more people will die before the callous and dangerous position of the Health and Safety Executive and Government changes?

¹ Kolovus, B. Australia will become the first country to ban engineered stone bench tops. Will others follow? December 14, 2024.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/14/australia-will-become-the-first-county-to-ban-engineered-stone-bench-tops-will-others-follow

² Joint statement. Leading health experts, unions and asbestos victims back national roadmap to remove 6.2m tonnes of asbestos from Australian workplaces, public buildings and homes that will save more than 28,000 lives. May 9, 2024.
https://www.australianunions.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Joint-statement-on-Asbestos-National-Strategic-Plan-9-May-2024.pdf

³ Eradicate Asbestos. Accessed May 20, 2024.
https://www.australianunions.org.au/campaigns/sign-the-petition-to-eradicate-asbestos/

⁴ Johnson, T. We will have to learn to live with Raac as we’ve lived with asbestos, say structural engineers. May 14, 2024.
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/we-will-have-to-learn-to-live-with-raac-as-weve-lived-with-asbestos-say-structural-engineers-14-05-2024/

⁵ Siddique, H., Hall, R. UK infected blood scandal made worse by ‘chilling’ cover-up, inquiry finds. May 20, 2024.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/20/infected-blood-scandal-cover-up-inquiry-concludes?CMP=share_btn_url

May 8, 2024

Turning Swords into Ploughshares

In the aftermath of this year’s World Earth Day (April 22), several Chinese articles were uploaded detailing the ecological restoration of polluted mining sites located in or near the Giant Panda National Park in the Ya’an Area of China’s Sichuan Province. Amongst the abandoned areas on the 5,936 square kilometer section of the nature preserve which were earmarked for reclamation pursuant to The Ecological Restoration Demonstration Project of Historical Abandoned Mines in the Giant Panda National Park were six derelict asbestos mines, the presence of which posed “a threat to the health of people and wild animals.”¹ Additional sub-projects involved remediation work at marble and other mines.

The removal of a large amount of asbestos waste, which was “causing landscape damage, serious soil erosion, encroachment on giant panda habitats, and vegetation destruction” at the Sichuan Xinkang Asbestos Mine in Huilong Town began in 2022; a variety of measures were used for the restoration work, including slope shaping, soil covering, and grass planting. By April 19, 2024, it was reported that the formerly toxic site “had been completely greened, and the grass was verdant and full of life under the sun.”²

According to Li Tianhu, deputy director of the Shimian County Natural Resources and Planning Bureau:

“The implementation of the project has increased the area of suitable habitat for the giant panda, improved the capacity of water conservation and soil and water conservation, improved the ecological environment of the surrounding areas, and improved the ecological environment of the transition zone between the Giant Panda National Park and the human settlement area, so as to better promote the symbiosis and co-protection between man and nature.” ³

More work remains to be done.

For decades, China has been one of the world’s largest asbestos producers and consumers. However, between 1997 (437,000 tonnes/t) and 2017 (125,000t), China’s output of chrysotile (white) asbestos – the only type of asbestos mined in China – fell by over 70%.⁴ Mines that once produced asbestos fell idle and were abandoned.

From the articles circulated on World Earth Day, it seems that serious work is being done to address the toxic legacy left by the presence of redundant asbestos mines in Sichuan Province. The transformation of scarred landscapes into habitats suitable for Giant Pandas and other animals is amazing in both its scale and vision. Of course, the devil is in the detail but in the absence of any contraindications, it seems that the government of Sichuan – home to the country’s only county named after a stone: Asbestos⁵ – is now making the natural environment, biodiversity, and the improvement of living conditions for wildlife and humans a serious priority. Long may it continue.

¹ 廢棄礦山生態修復成效顯著，國家公園重新綠化“重生” [The ecological restoration of abandoned mines has achieved remarkable results, and the national park has been regreened and "reborn" to life]. April 24, 2024. Accessed April 24, 2024; no longer available April 25, 2024.
http://news.cnwest.com/tianxia/a/2024/04/24/22548188.htm
四川雅安废弃矿山生态修复见闻 [Ecological restoration of abandoned mines in Ya'an, Sichuan]. April 25, 2024.
https://finance.sina.com.cn/money/future/wemedia/2024-04-25/doc-inaszaua7001718.shtml
四川雅安：矿山复绿 守护大熊猫家园 [Ya'an, Sichuan: Mine regreening to protect the giant panda home]. April 23, 2024.
https://difang.gmw.cn/2024-04/23/content_37280346.htm
昔日疤痕累累 如今焕发新颜—四川雅安废弃矿山生态修复见闻 [Scarred in the past, now it has a new look – the ecological restoration of abandoned mines in Ya'an, Sichuan]. April 24, 2024.
https://www.findzd.com/industry/153741.html

²一线探访｜推进大熊猫国家公园建设，石棉生态修复项目“加速度” [Front-line visits. Promote the construction of the Giant Panda National Park and “accelerate” the asbestos ecological restoration project]. March 17, 2023.
https://cbgc.scol.com.cn/news/4063005

³ 寫在人民心裡的“綠色答卷 [The “green answer sheet” written in the hearts of the people]. April 22, 2024.
http://sc.people.com.cn/BIG5/n2/2024/0328/c345167-40791617.html

⁴ United States Geological Survey. Asbestos Data. Accessed April 22, 2024.
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/asbestos-statistics-and-information

⁵ The name in Chinese [石棉县] is transliterated as Shimian County; it means Asbestos County.
四川石棉：一个老工业县的新“石”代 [Sichuan asbestos: a new “stone” era in an old industrial county]. January 28, 2021.
https://m.thepaper.cn/baijiahao_10979860

April 22, 2024

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

For years, Brazilian industry stakeholders have been ruthless in their pursuit of asbestos profits. Using a variety measures, illegal as well as legal, they suppressed medical evidence, attacked civil society campaigners, lied to decision-makers and deceived consumers, employees and trade unionists.

Although the commercial exploitation of asbestos was banned by a ruling of the Supreme Court in 2017, production continues at the country’s sole remaining chrystoile (white) asbestos mine, operated by Sama S.A. Mineracoes Associadas (Sama S.A. Mining Associates/SAMA), a subsidiary of Eternit S.A.¹

SAMA’s annual output accounts for 13% of global asbestos production; domestic usage of asbestos from the Minaçu mine is forbidden.² Between February 2023 and February 2024 the value of Brazil’s asbestos exports fell by 12.4%.³ With asbestos litigation pending before Indonesia’s Supreme Court⁴ and high profile ban asbestos mobilization in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,⁵ three out of four of Brazil’s largest markets are now under threat.

The April 2024 announcement by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of an immediate ban on US asbestos imports will almost certainly also have a negative impact on global demand. In comments made to the EPA Asbestos Ban and Phase-out Legislative Hearings in August 1986, Viviano Ferrantini – at the time the General Manager of the Brazilian Asbestos Association – admitted that:

“…every move [the] USA makes – by a government agency or department – as in this case [with the EPA’s 1986 proposed asbestos ban] has a tremendous influence on us all, especially in Latin America… we all have fear that a measure like this one proposed would provoke similar actions by other Governments…”⁶

Combined with the doom and gloom generated by the above developments was yet another dose of despondency for asbestos vested interests created by the release on April 12, 2024 of a document by one of Brazil’s leading health institutions: the Center for Studies on Occupational Health and Human Ecology (CESTEH) of the National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) in Rio de Janeiro. The eight-page text, headlined “About the continued illegal use of asbestos at Dow Brasil in Candeias, Bahia,” excoriated legal arguments accepted by a Bahia Labor court allowing Dow Brazil – a subsidiary of the US multinational Dow Chemical – to continue using asbestos in diaphragms for chlorine production until October 31, 2024 despite the national asbestos ban.⁷ The language used by the authors to condemn Dow’s pleas for an extended phase-out period was categorical:

• the use of asbestos in diaphragms for chlorine production – categorized as a “criminal technology” – was described as an “obsolete and polluting technology [which was] a violation of [the] Rule of Law”;
• “there is no safe dose [of exposure to asbestos] for humans”;
• “on its own, asbestos is the main cause of occupational cancers worldwide”;
• “The abusive use of asbestos in Dow’s chlor-alkali plant in Candeias, Brazil could be an extremely dangerous precedent for Brazilian public health in addition to being dangerous for workers and residents”;
• “People who inhale any amount of asbestos fibers may become ill from one of the diseases caused by [exposure to] the material”;
• “today we have documented more than ten thousand cases of diseases caused by asbestos… where there is asbestos, diseases will appear and where mesothelioma exists, asbestos [exposure] exists or existed”;
• “Lives must be preserved. Asbestos must be banned.”

Asbestos-using companies have had more than enough notice of the need to change their practices; all the other chlor-alkali producers in Brazil have already done so as have former asbestos-using building product manufacturers, friction material producers and others. It is well past time for the judicial authorities to enforce all provisions of the national prohibitions. This means shutting down asbestos production, ending the remaining derogation and stopping asbestos exports. As the authors of the CESTEH paper so eloquently put it: “Lives must be preserved. Asbestos must be banned.”

¹ Kazan-Allen, L. Brazil Asbestos Ban Upheld! February 25, 2023.
http://www.ibasecretariat.org/lka-brazil-asbestos-ban-upheld.php

² Instituto Brasileiro do Crisotila. SAMA S.A Minerações Associadas. Accessed April 21, 2024.
https://ibcbrasil.org.br/parceiro/sama-sa-mineracoes-associadas

³ The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Asbestos in Brazil. Accessed April 21, 2024.
https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/asbestos/reporter/bra?redirect=true

⁴ ANROEV. Asbestos is dangerous for health, LPKSM and LION Indonesia demand state protection from asbestos trafficking. ANROEV OHS Rights Newsletter, Issue 62. April 2024.
https://anroev.org/download/ohs-rights-newsletter-issue-62/#

⁵ Experts for banning asbestos in Bangladesh. April 15, 2024.
https://businesspostbd.com/health/experts-for-banning-asbestos-in-bangladesh
Kazan-Allen, L. Asian Ban Asbestos Network: 2024 Update. March 12, 2024.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka-asian-ban-asbestos-network-2024-update.php

⁶ Comments by Viviano Ferrantini, Brazilian Asbestos Association at the EPA Asbestos Ban and Phase-out Legislative Hearings. Volume VI. EPA archive document file F1-020e. August 8, 1986.
http://www.ibasecretariat.org/epa-file-f1-020e-p111-114.pdf

⁷ Technical Advice. About the continued illegal use of asbestos at Dow Brasil in Candeias, Bahia. April 12, 2024.
http://www.ibasecretariat.org/fiocruz_paper_dow_brasil._12_april_2024.pdf

March 5, 2024

Serendipity in Melbourne

Australia has had its fair share of asbestos scandals.¹ The names below from each of Australia’s six states and two internal territories strike fear in the hearts of those knowledgeable enough to be afraid: Wittenoom, Western Australia,² Baryugil, Woodsreef, Jones’ Creek, New South Wales,³ Wunderlich, Queensland,⁴ Yallourn Power Station & Bendix Brakes, Victoria,⁵ Goliath Portland Cement & Anderson’s Creek, Tasmania,⁶ Robertstown-Truro-Lyndoch, South Australia, Mr Fluffy, Canberra,⁷ and Hurricane Tracy, Darwin.⁸

At each of the places named above, asbestos was mined, processed, used or liberated in sufficient quantities to cause localized epidemics of asbestos-related disease. Decades later, the repercussions of these exposures are still unfolding at medical clinics, contaminated dump sites and throughout the built environment.

Drawing on the national asbestos tragedy – “Australia has one of the highest measured incidence rates of mesothelioma [asbestos cancer] in the world”⁹ – advocacy groups, government bodies, trade unions and campaigners have made common cause with groups in neighboring countries to address asbestos issues throughout the region.¹⁰

Individuals prominent in this forward-thinking outreach work have included: Kate Lee and Phillip Hazelton of Australia’s Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA, Dr. Ken Takahashi, Inaugural Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases at the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute, Peter Tighe, Chair of the Asbestos Diseases Research Foundation, Shane McArdle, International Projects, Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute, Justine Ross, former CEO of the Asbestos Eradication and Safety Agency, and Robert and Rose Marie Vojakovic, Melita Markey and Dr Greg Deleuil, of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia.

This week, the Asbestos 2024 Conference - Sustaining Innovation is taking place at the same time and in the same city (Melbourne) as the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.¹¹ Of the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – only Brunei has banned asbestos.¹² Amongst the others, Indonesia (104,000 tonnes/t), Laos (1,050t), Malaysia (3,830t), the Philippines (2,500t), Thailand (35,300) and Vietnam (26,800t) consumed 173,480t tonnes of asbestos in 2022, accounting for 13% of global usage.

As Australians are daily being reminded – by the unfolding front page asbestos scandal in Sydney, Canberra, Queensland and elsewhere – banning asbestos is just a first step in addressing a country’s asbestos challenges.¹³ In the absence of mandatory regulations and strict protocols regarding management, removal, transport and disposal of asbestos-containing material, citizens remain hostage to the possibility, and in many cases probability, of being exposed to a deadly carcinogen. There are lessons to be learned not only in the ASEAN countries but also in Australia about the urgent need for a joined up, comprehensive and mature strategy for eradicating asbestos-related diseases. Now would be a good time to learn them.

¹ Soeberg, M. et al. Australia’s Ongoing Legacy of Asbestos: Significant Challenges Remain Even after the Complete Banning of Asbestos Almost Fifteen Years Ago. February 2018.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5858453/

² Wikipedia. Wittenoom. Accessed March 4, 2024.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wittenoom,_Western_Australia

³ Asbestos at Baryulgil. Accessed March 4, 2024.
https://www.australianasbestosnetwork.org.au/asbestos-history/asbestos-baryulgil/

⁴ Wunderlich: Another asbestos scandal hits Australia. Accessed March 4, 2024.
https://www.airsafe.net.au/news/wunderlich-another-asbestos-scandal-hits-australia/

⁵ Kazan-Allen, L. Loophole for Asbestos Defendants? February 8, 2003.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_loophole_asb_def.php

⁶ New factory owner managing asbestos tragedy. May 7, 2010.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-05-08/new-factory-owner-managing-asbestos-tragedy/427088

⁷ Wikipedia. Mr Fluffy. Accessed March 4, 2024.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Fluffy

⁸ A Life Devoted to Asbestos Victims. March 29, 2019.
https://mforum.com.au/a-life-devoted-to-asbestos-victims/

⁹ Mesothelioma in Australia 2021. April 4, 2023.
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/mesothelioma-in-australia-2021/summary

¹⁰ Asbestos ban in Australia continues to be undermined by use in Southeast Asia. Undated.
https://www.apheda.org.au/asbestos-ban-in-australia-continues-to-be-undermined-by-use-in-southeast-asia/

¹¹ EAF Editors. Australia engages with the ASEAN it has and works towards the ASEAN the region needs. March 4, 2024.
https://eastasiaforum.org/2024/03/04/australia-engages-with-the-asean-it-has-and-works-towards-the-asean-the-region-needs/

¹² ASEAN website. ASEAN Members. Accessed March 5, 2024.
https://asean.org/member-states/
IBAS. Current Asbestos Bans. October 28, 2022.
http://ibasecretariat.org/alpha_ban_list.php

¹³ Rose, T., Cox, L. Clover Moore attacks NSW government and EPA over ‘regulatory failure’ before asbestos crisis. March 4, 2024.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/04/clover-moore-attacks-nsw-government-and-epa-over-regulatory-failure-before-asbestos-crisis

February 28, 2024

A Marriage Made in Heaven (or Hell)?

The news which broke on February 26, 2024 of the takeover of the Australian building products company CSR by the French-owned “worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction” Saint Gobain was full of the usual blandishments and buzz words: “decisive step,” “trusted and iconic brands,” “comprehensive range of products and solutions,” “customer-centric organization,” “enhanced growth and value creation,” “attractive opportunities.” ¹ The corporate-speak surrounding this story was reminiscent of the empty promises spouted by world leaders addressing the climate crisis which Greta Thunberg, so accurately, condemned as “blah, blah, blah.”²

For all the talk of shared values and corporate culture, market synergies and greater access to “fast-growing markets,” there was no mention of the slice of corporate history also shared by CSR and Saint Gobain: their asbestos crimes, disregard for human life, and titanic battles to off-load asbestos liabilities. In 2022 and 2023, CSR paid asbestos related claims of $22.9 million and $25.3 million respectively; as of March 31, 2023, the company’s asbestos provision was $193.4 million.³ Saint Gobain’s half-yearly accounts issued on July 26, 2023, revealed ongoing judicial battles in France, the US and Brazil to freeze and/or minimize payouts.⁴ Despite the best efforts of their no doubt highly paid lawyers, total compensation paid by Saint Gobain to French victims was €32.1 million (US$~35m) as per the 2023 accounts. While the company’s US victims are yet to receive a penny thanks to the successful manipulation of US bankruptcy laws, legal actions by a few Brazilian claimants have succeeded, with the majority of plaintiffs still waiting for their lawsuits to negotiate various judicial hurdles.

Commenting on the news of the takeover Eliezer João de Souza, President of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), said:

“There are probably hundreds of thousands of skeletons in the locked archives of Saint Gobain and CSR. Innocent workers, relatives, consumers and others who put their trust in these household names to look after their family’s welfare. All the while, these conglomerates were conspiring with industry allies, insurance companies and government agencies to milk the asbestos cash cow, knowing full well that when the bill to pay for their misdeeds came due, they would have the support needed to marginalize the victims and protect the companies’ reputations. It is disheartening to see that amongst all the media coverage of this takeover, no one has mentioned the asbestos-injured. ABREA remains committed to fighting Saint Gobain and others who polluted our lungs as well as our land.”

¹ France's Saint-Gobain strikes agreement to buy Australia's CSR. February 26, 2024.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/frances-saint-gobain-strikes-agreement-buy-australias-csr-2024-02-26/
Saint Gobain Press Release. Saint-Gobain signs a definitive agreement to acquire CSR Limited. February 26, 2024.
https://www.saint-gobain.com/en/news/saint-gobain-signs-definitive-agreement-acquire-csr-limited-establishing-leading-position
Gardner, E. Saint-Gobain signs a definitive agreement to acquire CSR Limited. February 26, 2024.
https://www.worldcement.com/asia-pacific-rim/26022024/saint-gobain-signs-a-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-csr-limited/

² Carrington, D. ‘Blah, blah, blah’: Greta Thunberg lambasts leaders over climate crisis. September 28, 2021.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/28/blah-greta-thunberg-leaders-climate-crisis-co2-emissions#:~:text=Blah%2C%20blah%2C%20blah%2C%E2%80%9D,drown%20in%20their%20empty%20promises.%E2%80%9D

³ CSR Annual report 2023.
https://www.csr.com.au/-/media/corporate/files/annual-reports/2023_csr_limited_annual_report.pdf

⁴ Saint Gobain. Half-year financial report 2023. Pages 30-32.
https://www.saint-gobain.com/sites/saint-gobain.com/files/media/document/Half%20Year%202023%20Financial%20Report.pdf

January 8, 2024

New Year’s News

Activists worldwide are used to the vicissitudes experienced during grassroots campaigns: a change in government, heightened (or depressed) public awareness and the emergence of competing issues can hasten or derail the speed of change. Progress, unfortunately, is rarely, linear.

In December 2023 the first in-person meeting of the Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group took place at the House of Commons since the Covid pandemic forced gatherings to go online.¹ MPs, Members of the House of Lords and scores of civil society stakeholders reported to Committee Room 11 at 2:30 p.m., relocating an hour later to Terrace Meeting Room C, to hear presentations pertinent to the topic: Asbestos: Time to Get Rid of It.

Contributions from Ian Lavery, MP (Labor) and Chair of the Sub-Group, Martin Docherty-Hughes MP (Scottish National Party), Matt Hancock, MP (Conservative), Stephen Timms, MP (Labor), Councillor Stephen McKenna (Green Party), Baroness Donaghy (Labor) and Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (Independent) informed the discussions. The session began with a tribute to Mavis Nye, a much-loved campaigner for mesothelioma sufferers, who died from this asbestos cancer in November, 2023.²

Amongst the subjects discussed were:

• logjams in processing asbestos claims resulting from the closure of the specialist benefits office in Barrow-in-Furness that processed claims for industrial injuries benefits;
• the failure of Westminster and Cardiff Governments to accept responsibility for dealing with asbestos contamination of Welsh schools;
• the importance of evidence-based research to assist decision makers to take action on the unmet needs of asbestos patients;
• the lack of joined-up care for patients with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases in many parts of the country;
• the need for a national asbestos register and a phased removal of asbestos-containing material from the built environment;³
• the ubiquity of asbestos in UK schools and healthcare establishments; the threat posed to building users by the deterioration of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in public buildings also containing asbestos.

All of the speakers agreed that the UK’s asbestos epidemic was far from over and that delays in the delivery of medical care and asbestos removal were intolerable. Liz Darlison, CEO of Mesothelioma UK – a national charity which provides specialist mesothelioma nurses in hospitals across the country – said that she was energized by the strong cross-party support expressed during the meeting. To say that I was somewhat surprised by the recommendation made by of one of the more high-profile Tory speakers was an understatement; he advised campaigners to enter into discussions with leaders of the Labor Party as they were, within months, to be the ones in charge.

There was a real buzz created by the bringing together of asbestos campaigners, victims’ representatives and supporters, politicians, technical specialists and others who were able to do in person what they couldn’t do during skype calls: engage in one-to-one exchanges before and after the formal session. As always, the enthusiasm generated by the discussion of shared goals was both infectious and galvanizing. It was definitely, great to be back!

Roll on a couple of weeks and a holiday or two and it seemed we were back where we had been almost eighteen months ago with another asbestos-laden French-built ship steaming towards shipbreakers in Aliağa, Turkey.⁴ The case of the São Paulo, which was eventually sunk in international waters 350 kilometers off the Brazilian coast by the Brazilian Navy in February 2023, became an international scandal that unfolded over a period of more than two years.