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A coming-of-age book by Sébastien Dulude about growing up in a Canadian asbestos mining town won the Quebec Librarians’ Prize on May 29, 2025. Along with the publicity this literary award generated, the recipient also received $10,000. The author grew up in Canada’s asbestos heartland in Thetford Mines, Quebec. His first novel, entitled Amiante (Asbestos), which was set in 1986-1991, was warmly received by the public and critics, and was nominated for a dozen awards. See: Sébastien Dulude remporte le Prix des libraires du Québec [Sébastien Dulude wins the Québec Librarians' Prize].

According to information released on May 28, 2025, US federal authorities had launched an investigation into the Philadelphia School District’s management of asbestos in school buildings. Two years ago, district officials had admitted that their practices were not in compliance with federal requirements. Hundreds of Philadelphia’s schools, garages, pools, farms, and other structures contain deteriorating asbestos-containing material which is supposed to be periodically monitored. A lack of capacity and resources were blamed for failures to comply with mandatory regulations. See: Philly schools under federal investigation for asbestos management practices.

The extensive use of asbestos on trains belonging to the Swiss Federal Railways (German: Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, SBB) left a deadly and costly legacy. As of 2000, there had been 80 asbestos-related casualties among staff, 58 of which were fatal. In 2017, SBB set up an asbestos compensation scheme for injured workers. Despite previous investigations, asbestos-containing products remain on SBB trains. A new program to identify and eradicate this toxic material is now ongoing. See: Des trains CFF encore en service pourraient contenir une dangereuse substance toxique [SBB trains still in service may contain a dangerous toxic substance].

Overturning a verdict of a lower court, the Trieste Court of Appeal ordered Italy’s Ministry of Education to pay compensation of around €600,000 (US$680,000) to the family of a technical assistant from the A. Volta Institute in Trieste who died in 2016 of pleural mesothelioma as a result of workplace exposures to asbestos. The deceased had worked for 15 years in the Institute’s laboratories and mechanical workshops handling materials containing asbestos as well as removing and disposing of asbestos material, often without adequate protection. See: Tecnico scolastico morì per amianto, ministero risarcirà [School technician died of asbestos, ministry will compensate].

Initial plans to redevelop the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) 22-storey Sydney headquarters at 65 Martin Place in 2021 had to be significantly revised after the discovery of “‘significant’ quantities of bonded and friable asbestos embedded in the fabric and structure of the building.” The first development application (DA) has now been filed with Sydney officials. It has been predicted that eradicating the asbestos hazard in the 60-year old building could cost tens of millions of dollars. See: RBA Files First DA to Fix $1bn Sydney Asbestos Money Pit.

The death was reported last week of Brazilian trade unionist and state/municipal politician Marcos Martins. He died in a São Paulo hospital on May 25, 2025, aged 79. As a councilman in Osasco, an industrial town near São Paulo, Martins had been a stalwart supporter of the group formed in 1995 by Brazilian asbestos victims, many of who had worked at the Osasco asbestos-cement factory owned by the Eternit Group. When he was a member of São Paulo’s Legislative Assembly, Martins authored Law 12.684/07, which banned the use of asbestos in the state of São Paulo. See: Marcos Martins, ex-deputado estadual e histórico militante do PT, morre aos 79 anos [Marcos Martins, former state deputy and historic PT activist, dies at 79].

Plans for constructing a new 20,000-seater stadium in Berlin are proceeding despite multiple delays caused by, amongst other things, the recent discovery of large amounts of asbestos material during demolition work on the old sports complex. The fact that the construction company is currently storing the asbestos waste in the city center has led to public outrage. A complaint was filed with the public prosecutor’s office which argued that due to the ubiquitous historic use of asbestos in East Germany, the presence of asbestos on this site should have been anticipated. See: Germany: Berlin Senate gives green light for Jahn-Sportpark redevelopment!

The commentary cited below detailed the decades-long struggle by shipyard worker Pierre Pluta for the rights of the asbestos injured. Seventy-nine year old Pluta began his working life as a mechanic in 1963, aged 17, building the big ships in the Dunkirk shipyards. None of the workers had any idea that the asbestos raining down on them could cause cancer and other diseases. In 1996, Pluta founded the Regional Association for the Defence of Asbestos Victims (ARDEVA) to formalize the fight for justice for his former colleagues; to date, 846 ARDEVA members have died from asbestos-related diseases. See: Scandale de l’amiante: Pierre Pluta, la voix des disparus [Asbestos scandal: Pierre Pluta, the voice of the disappeared].

The Court of Appeal in Genoa rejected an appeal from the Ministry of Defense (MoD) on a decision by the Court of La Spezia which had awarded compensation of €200,000+ (US$227,000+) to the family of a worker who died in 2022 from mesothelioma. The deceased had worked for decades at the MoD’s La Spezia Naval Base. The retiree filed the lawsuit after receiving his cancer diagnosis but died before the case had been resolved. See: Amianto, ministero condannato in appello a risarcire oltre 200mila euro [Asbestos, ministry ordered on appeal to pay over 200 thousand euros compensation].

A public works project in the capital of Cyprus is replacing 98 kilometers of deteriorating asbestos-cement pipes with modern polyethylene pipes. The budget allocated for this program is €9.5m (US$10.8m). The toxic pipes will be replaced across the central areas of Limassol by December 2027. According to the news report, the construction work will generate approximately 44,000 cubic meters of excavated material which will be disposed of at licensed facilities. See: Limassol €9.5m water infrastructure project to replace 98km of aging pipes.

Three new lawsuits were filed in a Dallas Court last week by lawyers representing claimants who alleged that their cancers had been caused by the use of asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder sold by Johnson & Johnson. According to the article below, this development marked a revival in the “momentum in a historic mass tort after a federal judge blocks Johnson & Johnson’s third bankruptcy gambit.” Tens of thousands of similar cases are pending. See: Johnson & Johnson Hit with New Wave of Talc Lawsuits in Texas After Third Failed Bankruptcy Scheme Backfires in Explosive Mass Tort Comeback.

The toxic legacy of the Soviet occupation of the Czech Republic led the police to begin investigations in 2023 regarding illegal dumping of asbestos waste generated by the demolition of Soviet army buildings in Milovice, a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. According to Seznam Zprávy, a Czech online news website, five people and one construction company are being investigated over the fly-tipping of toxic debris in the forests. Charges of crimes related to environmental damage and illegal handling of hazardous waste are under consideration. See: Полиция предъявила обвинения в нарушении правил утилизации асбеста в Миловице [Police Charge over Violation of Asbestos Disposal Rules in Milovice].

On May 20, 2025 a new health resource center was opened on Main Street, Osborne Park, Perth to support a wide variety of medical needs of local people. The personalised general practice, which is located on the premises of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (ASDA) Health Hub, carries on the ADSA’s long tradition of identifying and addressing unmet medical and support needs of injured workers and their families. Commenting on the clinic’s grand opening, ADSA’s CEO Melita Markey said: “Over the years, we’ve received many requests to share our expertise in workers’ and family health with the broader community. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our staff and supporters, this initiative is now a reality.” See: ADSA GP Family and Workers Clinic.

On May 22, 2025, the Environmental Protection Bureau of Miaoli County Council in central Taiwan announced that additional funding from the county government was being sought to increase the capacity of regulated asbestos disposal sites. The amount allocated for this purpose this year by the Ministry of Environment’s Environmental Recycling Agency enabled the disposal of 140 tons of asbestos waste; the county still has 400 tons to be treated. See: 苗栗石棉废弃物处理量能不足 环保局将争取县府经费支援 [Miaoli asbestos waste treatment capacity is insufficient, and the Environmental Protection Bureau will seek financial support from the county government].

On May 7, 2025, the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) in Libby, Montana – a life-saving medical facility in a town wracked by asbestos-related diseases – was shut as a result of a 2023 legal verdict won by an aggressive US asbestos defendant company: BNSF Railways owned by billionaire Warren Buffett. Federal attorneys have now joined forces with CARD officials and local politicians to fight against the closure of the clinic. Montana State legislator Mike Cuffe expressed serious regret about the shutdown and the consequences for the community. See: Feds join fight to reopen asbestos clinic in Libby.

Dunkirk MP Julien Gokel has announced plans to lobby the French National Assembly to reconstitute an asbestos consultation group which was unceremoniously disbanded last year, much to the consternation of victims’ groups and associations around the country. The objective of this Parliamentary group is to improve the care of victims, increase dialogue between government and asbestos stakeholders and monitor the development of relevant legislation. The first meeting of the group is scheduled for June 2025. See: Le député Dunkerquois Julien Gokel relance un groupe de débat Amiante [Dunkirk MP Julien Gokel relaunches asbestos debate group].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Against the backdrop of a continuing decrease in global asbestos consumption, work to quantify and address toxic industrial legacies was continued this year by grassroots campaigners, civil society stakeholders, national, regional and international authorities. Amongst high-profile topics debated in multiple jurisdictions were the asbestos contamination of schools, water delivery systems and the built environment; the risks posed by asbestos in personal hygiene products and cosmetics; and the unregulated and unsafe dumping of asbestos waste. Technological developments and the building of infrastructure by asbestos stakeholders made manifest their intention to continue profiting from asbestos sales despite the health hazards. It is clear that despite our many successes, much work remains to be done. [Read full article]

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Demonstration in Woluwe Park, Brussels, 2006

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

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