News:

News text:

On August 31, 2026, California became the first US state to address the need for standards that ensure building safety in the aftermath of wildfires like those in Altadena and surrounding areas in 2025. In the wake of such disasters, properties can become contaminated with toxins including asbestos and lead. The new legislation “require California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control and Air Resources Board to develop regulations and guidance on what contaminants need to be addressed after a wildfire, how environmental testing should be conducted and when homes can be considered ready for re-occupancy.” See: When is it safe to return home after a wildfire?

Asbestos mines abandoned in the Limpopo Province of South Africa continue to pose a health risk to local people; recent tests by local authorities confirmed the presence of asbestos contamination in the soil and water. In April 2026, 48-year-old Mampuru Thobejane died from asbestosis; his father Chief Setlamorago Thobejane said that Mampuru “lived in agony in his last days while struggling with the impact of asbestos-related illnesses.” An Integrated Health Screening Programme for people in the former asbestos communities was launched earlier this summer. See: South Africa: Limpopo Asbestos Community Gets Health Screening After Resident's Death.

Complacency in the aftermath of a national asbestos ban is not unusual. The article cited below highlighted the ongoing health hazard posed by even low levels of airborne asbestos in Norway’s rural and municipal spaces. Papers sourced from three major databases, identified 22 studies relevant to the new study: a review of the literature found “that the levels of asbestos fibers in outdoor air are generally low, but that they are still significant…” To better understand the problems, the researchers are keen to investigate “how weathering and degradation of materials containing asbestos can affect levels in the environment.” See: Asbest kan fortsatt finnes ute i lufta [Asbestos can still be found in the air].

Weeks of delay by regional authorities extended the period during which children were exposed to asbestos at a nursery facility for the children of healthcare workers in Roberval, Quebec. Parents were furious about the exposures which could have taken place between June 22, the date when building work began which disturbed the asbestos, and August 18, when the nursery was evacuated. Reassurances that “tests confirmed a low presence of asbestos,” which Santé Québec – the Quebec public health and social services agency – considered a low risk to the health of the children, only added fuel to the fire. See: Amiante au-dessus d’un CPE Quand Santé Québec néglige la santé publique [Asbestos above a daycare centre. When Santé Québec neglects public health].

On September 19 & 20, free health screenings were made available to people at high-risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease in Geoje City, South Korea. Those eligible included people who lived near shipyards for more than 5+ years, residents of houses roofed with asbestos-cement material for 10+ years and people who experienced workplace exposures in the construction, demolition, shipbuilding, ship-repairing, automobile maintenance sectors and their family members. See: 거제시, 석면건강영향조사 무료 검진 실시 [Geoje City to Conduct Free Screenings for Asbestos Health Impact Assessment].

The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that during the years that W.R. Grace’s vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana was operational, 80,000 people could have been exposed to asbestos. The vermiculite produced in Libby was contaminated with asbestos; the workers took the deadly dust home to their families. The toxic waste from the mine was used to pave schoolyards, playgrounds and baseball fields. The EPA designated Libby a Superfund site and in 2009 “declared an environmental public health emergency at the Libby site, the first such declaration under Superfund.” To know more about what happened next, read the publication cited below. See: Libby, Montana: A seminal case in environmental public health.

In the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, it was announced that a medical surveillance program would be set up by the US government to monitor the health of the tens of thousands of children living or studying in lower Manhattan and surrounding neighborhoods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently “seeking applications from researchers to set up the World Trade Center Youth Research Coordinating Center and identify and track a Youth Research Cohort.” While data exists on health issues experienced by adult survivors, little research was done on the effects of childhood exposures on 9/11. See: Children of 9/11 to finally get a major health study.

Information was released last week by a spokesperson for the Lebanese Energy Ministry that after 70 years, 20 tons of asbestos had left the Beddawi oil facilities in Tripoli and was on its way to a treatment plant in France. The cargo left by boat from the Port of Beirut and should arrive in France after a 35-day voyage. Although a sub-hearing of the article cited below mentioned that toxic waste was also sent to Hungary, the majority of the article was behind a paywall so that could not be verified. See: After 70 years, 20 tons of asbestos leave Beddawi oil facilities to France.

On September 11, 2026 it was reported that the Milan Court of Appeal had rejected an appeal and confirmed its order to shut-down the blast furnaces at the Ilva steelworks, Taranto within 90 days. Ongoing asbestos hazards and air pollution risks were cited as the reasons for the Court’s decision. This development was considered a “significant setback” for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who had supported efforts to keep Italy’s largest steel plant operating until a buyer could be found. Eight thousand workers were employed at the Ilva steelworks in Taranto. See: Italian court confirms shutdown at large steelworks in blow to Meloni.

Ludrick Donovan worked at the alumina refinery on the island of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands from 1977 to 1984; he was employed by the American corporation Martin Marietta Aluminium. As a result of his 2024 death from pneumoconiosis, his sister filed a civil complaint in Superior Court alleging that her brother’s death had been caused by a lack of workplace protections by a “chronically understaffed” safety department. The claim was brought against Lockheed Martin, the successor to the Martin Marietta Corporation. Similar litigation is pending for ~90 claimants who sustained injuries at other St. Croix industrial facilities. See: Lockheed Martin Sued Over Death of Former St. Croix Alumina Refinery Worker, Toxic Exposure Alleged.

Following a plenary meeting of the Asbestos Department on September 1 2026, Josep Martínez the Mayor of Badia del Vallès – a Catalan town in the Province of Barcelona – confirmed that work will begin this autumn to remove asbestos from ~130 local buildings. According to civil officials, specialist contractors had been appointed and work was due to begin once permits had been authorized. See: Badia del Vallès empezará este otoño la histórica retirada de amianto en casi 130 edificios [Badia del Vallès will begin this autumn the historic removal of asbestos from almost 130 buildings].

The articled cited below, which was in the September 12th issue of the Guardian newspaper, reported that for over 20 years, hundreds of London Underground staff may have worked without mandatory face-fitted masks. This was confirmed by internal company documents written by managers from Transport for London (TfL), the public body responsible for the underground system. Multiple personal injury claims from asbestos-injured TfL workers are currently progressing through the courts. In early 2026 a former TfL inspector, now suffering from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, was awarded a six-figure settlement. See: London Underground workers exposed to asbestos without protective masks, documents reveal.

At a September 8, 2026 Manhattan press conference, the Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani said that 68 boxes of files had been found which showed that city officials had downplayed the health risks to the public and emergency workers from the toxic dust liberated by the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The Mayor announced that 170,000 documents had already been uploaded to a new online portal and many more would be made public in the coming months. See: New Yorkers were ‘lied’ to about toxic air after 9/11 attacks, says Mamdani.

A Court in Catania, Italy ruled [sentence no. 1935/2026] that the death in 2023 from pleural mesothelioma of a local man had been caused by asbestos exposure whilst he served in the Army and then the Catania Fire Brigade. Both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior were found negligent for failures to protect the deceased from toxic exposures. The defendants said that the verdict would be appealed. See: Dall’Esercito ai Vigili del Fuoco di Catania, l’amianto e una morte a 72 anni [From the Army to the Fire Brigade of Catania, asbestos and a death at 72 years old].

Belgium, the EU’s 5th smallest member state by size, seems to have more than its fair share of asbestos victims. The Belgian asbestos industry was founded at the beginning of the 20th Century by members of the Emsens family. Their asbestos company – known as Eternit – set up and ran asbestos companies throughout Europe and overseas. Eternit factories in Belgium wreaked havoc on unsuspecting employees and local people who died prematurely from asbestos-related cancers and diseases. From the early 1960s, Eternit knew about the human health risks posed by asbestos exposures. They did not share this knowledge with the workforce, local communities, customers or government. See: Breathing in cancer: How Belgium's asbestos legacy still torments the country and the world/a>.

A nightmare which began with a 2024 fire which devastated an asbestos-contaminated warehouse owned by the Van Der Vorst family continues. With conflicting advice from government departments and environmental officers, the costs continue to mount and there is “still no solution in sight.” The bill for the initial asbestos remediation work which was commissioned by the municipality remains unpaid by the family. The decontamination carried out was ruled unsafe and did not comply with mandatory guidelines. See: Dubieuze asbestsanering bekend bij omgevingsdienst maar familie krijgt opnieuw de rekening [Dubious asbestos removal known to environmental agency, but family gets the bill again].

One lesson that every ban asbestos activist learns is the need for patience. There is no timetable for success and there are long periods when nothing seems to happen. This summer, however, was not one of them. Online reports over recent weeks indicated a seismic shift in the global asbestos debate. Even in countries where asbestos use remains legal, steps are being taken to reveal the human consequences and national costs incurred by the use of this outdated and deadly technology. As clearly shown by global asbestos trade data, consumers are increasingly choosing safer alternatives. In 2025, asbestos output was 960,000 tonnes, ~20% of the 1980 total. However you look at it, the industry is on a downward trajectory. The end cannot come soon enough. [Read full article]

India is the largest importer and user of asbestos in the world. Despite the ferocious lobbying by the asbestos sector, change is coming with the introduction of partial bans and the imposition of restrictions. Pursuant to a 2025 judgment of India’s National Green Tribunal, the Central Pollution Control Board launched a public consultation for the creation of guidelines for the “Installation, Dismantling and Disposal of Asbestos Cement Roofing Sheets, Asbestos Cement Wall Sheets and Asbestos Cement Pipes.” The deadline for submissions is September 17, 2026. [Read full article]

On September 8, 2026, NYC Mayor Mamdani told a press conference that 68 boxes of evidence detailing “what the city knew about toxic air around ground zero, when they knew it, and how they acted to limit liability” had been found. In the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Mayor announced that an online portal had been created with 170,000+ documents from the hidden archive. More documents will be uploaded in the coming months. Speaking at City Hall, the Mayor said: “People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air.” Asbestos was found “nearly everywhere” in the vicinity of ground zero; 10 months after the attack, health officials reported finding asbestos half a mile away from the site. [Read full article]

Dr Gregory Deleuil lived life to the full. He made the most of every chance to connect, assist and enjoy opportunities as they presented themselves. He was a medical practitioner who never lost the human touch and was often called upon by patients to translate into ordinary language the jargon transmitted by pulmonary and cancer specialists. He was trusted by his patients and their families who often became personal friends. He was an easy man to love and my whole family did so with gusto. When my son got ill with pneumonia in Perth, Greg treated him. When my daughter invited him to her wedding, he was there at the top table. We loved him to bits. This love will endure long after his passing. The world is a greyer and sadder place without him. [Read full article]

A recent entry on the schedule for Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) revealed that a national asbestos litigation saga may finally be heading towards a resolution. After many setbacks, postponements and interruptions, the STF may be in a position to issue its judgment regarding the unconstitutionality of a Goiás State law which contravened a 2017 STF ruling outlawing the asbestos industry. Campaigners expressed “cautious optimism” that the contentious legislation will be quashed due to the advent of a new Goiás industry: the mining of the magnetic rare earths – neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium – at the Pela Ema mine in Minaçu, Goiás. [Read full article]

The launch in the Philippines of the National Framework for the Prevention of Asbestos-Related Diseases last month marked “a milestone moment” in the national campaign to end asbestos mortality. Rejecting disinformation and propaganda spread by asbestos vested interests, the actions outlined in the Framework accepted the fundamental tenet that: “there's no safe level of asbestos exposure, and tackling it takes everyone working together, not just one agency acting alone.” The comprehensive roadmap delineated at the July event by the Philippine Department of Health was supported by representatives from the government, unions, industry, health agencies and international organizations in attendance. [Read full article]

A Tribunal in New Zealand handed down a ruling on August 17, 2026 holding Kmart – a major toy retailer in Australasia – to account for all the costs incurred by consumers who purchased asbestos-contaminated toys sold by Kmart in Christchurch. As a media statement from Consumer NZ, an independent consumers’ advocacy group, explained: “this is the first Disputes Tribunal ruling in New Zealand concerning the recalled children’s sand.” The Tribunal found that the play sand was “unsafe, not fit for purpose and not of acceptable quality under the Consumer Guarantees Act.” We believe that this is the first such ruling anywhere which ordered a company to pay for decontamination of a claimant’s home and garden as well as other related costs. Thank you to Consumer NZ for permission to upload this text. [Read full article]

Powerful political forces are aligning in Indonesia to support grassroots efforts to eradicate the asbestos hazard from southeast Asia’s largest asbestos-consuming country. Following shortly after the Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto issued a warning about the cancer hazard posed by the use of asbestos roofing, a statement was released by the Central Statistics Agency which categorized houses with asbestos roofs as “uninhabitable” because they did not meet building durability criteria and posed a health risk. The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Housing and Ministry of Environment strongly recommend that asbestos-free roofing should be used to protect Indonesians from toxic exposures to an acknowledged carcinogen. [Read full article]

A coalition of civil society groups representing asbestos victims, occupational health and safety campaigners and medical experts from Asia, Europe, Latin America and Australasia is delighted to announce the winners of The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat Children’s Champions Award 2026. All of the people and organizations recognized were “accidental activists” who were drawn into a critical situation not of their making. Individually and collectively they demanded answers about sales of potentially damaging children’s products in New Zealand and Australia. By so doing, they protected the lives of children at home and abroad. As UK campaigner Lynne Squibb said “The world is a safer place for the actions of Elle, David, Benjamin, Terri-Ann, Michael, Robert, Jason and their colleagues.” [Read full article]

With the interconnectivity facilitated by contemporary means of communication, news about the contamination of children’s toys broadcast in late 2025 in New Zealand and Australia reverberated around the world in a matter of days. The discoveries which led to the global alert set off a chain reaction which resulted in recalls of toxic toys in multiple jurisdictions. For the first time, the story of how a few routine tests in a Brisbane laboratory led to international outrage, consumer mobilization and political confusion is recounted by those involved. I’m in no doubt that you’ll be able to see it in a Netflix miniseries before too long, but in the meantime you can read all about it here. [Read full article]

Opposition is growing in India – the world’s biggest asbestos market – to it’s massive use of a mineral classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 1 carcinogen. In 2024, 98,000 people in India died from lung cancer, a disease caused not only by smoking but also by exposures to asbestos and other toxins. Of course, lung cancer is not the only disease caused by asbestos exposures and there is no doubt that if the authorities investigate, they will find increasing numbers of patients with mesothelioma, cancers of the larynx and ovaries, asbestosis and pleural thickening. The data on the explosion in lung cancer incidence should be a wakeup call for Indian civil society and national regulators. The time has come for asbestos use to be phased out – it is a matter of life and death. [Read full article]

Whilst researching an article entitled: Report from the Asbestos Frontline: Summer 2026, I was astonished to see the widespread availability via online retail portals of products containing large amounts of asbestos, in some cases as much as 100%. Further investigations by colleagues in Malaysia, Ukraine, the Philippines, Indonesia and India, revealed a dizzying array of high-content asbestos material on sale in many Asian and East European countries. Despite the known risks posed by the use of products containing a group 1 carcinogen, there were no health hazard warnings visible in the advertisements. [Read full article]

There have been many historical events which took the world by surprise: the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the results of the Brexit referendum, to name just a few. Looking back, however, the signs were there if only people had stopped to look. A look at recent developments in the few asbestos-producing countries which remain indicates that change could be on the horizon. The fortunes of asbestos vested interests in Brazil, China, Russia and Kazakhstan are, like those of other commercial enterprises, susceptible to adverse judicial rulings, social and environmental trends, changing market forces and international sanctions. The writing is on the wall! [Read full article]

The war to end the asbestos slaughter is not just being fought in countries where asbestos use remains legal; battles are ongoing elsewhere over illegal sales of toxic products and historic environmental pollution. The foot soldiers in these skirmishes are parents, local people and regional politicians as well as civil society campaigners, all of whom face daunting challenges as they engage powerful industrial, commercial and government vested interests. A new text which documented key developments in Asia, Oceania and Europe this summer substantiated the author’s conclusion that: “In the fight to end asbestos mortality, there are no civilians: every one of us is on the frontline.” [Read full article]

Earlier this month (July), asbestos victims’ groups in England, Scotland and Wales. and UK cancer charities mounted a myriad of events to remember those lost to deadly asbestos-related diseases. New government data confirmed the lived experience of these campaigners: the country’s asbestos epidemic continues to cause a massive loss of life more than 20 years after asbestos was banned. New toxic exposures continue as a result of asbestos material remaining within the national infrastructure and the import and sale of asbestos-contaminated play sand, toys and decorative household goods. [Read full article]

Global concern over dangerous discoveries in Hungary prompted campaigning groups from around the world to issue a formal statement regarding the “unfolding health emergency in the Hungarian town of Szombathely.” In the Open Letter to Hungarian and EU officials, the signatories stressed that: “The situation is time critical. The health of nearly 1,500 local residents as well as ~1,000 people living in the surrounding streets is being endangered every single day, with children at the highest risk of contracting asbestos-related cancers and diseases!” Government and EU officials in Budapest and Brussels were urged “to stand in solidarity with Szombathely and protect the health of all those at risk from this man-made disaster” (click ide a magyar verzióért of this letter). [Read full article]

Latest Articles:    click titles twice for full article

Topics:

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.

From Article: