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Research undertaken in 2023-2024 by the Quebec Ministry of the Environment in the former asbestos mining region found “high levels” of the carcinogenic mineral in waterways in Val-des-Sources and Thetford Mines. Asbestos fibers liberated by mountains of asbestos mining waste (tailings) “are causing an increase in the concentration of asbestos fibers in the water and sediments” of local waterways. See: Des « niveaux élevés » d’amiante dans des cours d’eau à Val-des-Sources et Thetford Mines [“High levels” of asbestos in waterways in Val-des-Sources and Thetford Mines].

The July 7th article cited below from the New York Times broke the news that plans to derail a 2024 ban on asbestos implemented by the Biden Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had now been dropped. In a document submitted to a US Court of Appeals on July 6, the EPA said: “The agency has further reconsidered… EPA plans to explore whether guidance could provide further clarity to stakeholders as they implement the Rule [the Asbestos Part 1; Chrysotile Asbestos Rule 2024], particularly with respect to any workplace protection measures.” See [subscription site]: Trump Administration, Reversing Itself, Won’t Rewrite a Ban on Asbestos.

An article in a special issue of a magazine which considered multiple health and safety issues at European schools focused on the ubiquitous threat posed by the presence of asbestos material to staff and students. According to the author Tony Musu asbestos contamination of EU schools is widespread: “In France, approximately 80% of the schools built prior to 1997… might still contain asbestos… one in three schools in Germany is still considered to be contaminated with asbestos while up to…3,000 education establishments in Italy” are also affected. See: Asbestos in schools: an invisible scourge for teachers and pupils alike. Pages 29-31 of the special issue: Healthy teachers, better schools of HesaMag 30 – Spring-Summer 2025.

Throughout South Korea, local authorities have been addressing the public and occupational health threat posed by the presence of asbestos in schools. In North Chungcheong Province, in the center of the country, the head of the Education Facilities Division Lee Won-il recently said that: “The current asbestos removal rate… is 86.8%, and the asbestos removal rate during this year's winter vacation is expected to be 92.1%. Except for private kindergartens and 18 schools that have been relocated and closed, we are aiming for a 100% asbestos removal rate by the winter vacation of 2026.” See: 충북교육청, 여름방학기간 중 석면 제거 관계자 교육 실시 [Chungbuk Office of Education conducts training for asbestos removal officials during summer vacation].

The roll-out of a long-awaited asbestos eradication program in Madrid by operatives working for the City Council has left much to be desired. Local people who were affected complained about the lack of prior notice of the start of the project as well as the timing of the work. Prior to the redevelopment of an 8,000-square-meter former municipal warehouse, asbestos specialists descended on the site on July 7 to begin decontamination work. People in the Retiro district are calling for an immediate halt to the work on the contaminated building. See: La historia de la guerra vecinal contra la retirada de amianto de una macroparcela de Retiro [The story of the neighborhood war against the removal of asbestos from a large plot in Retiro Park].

More than six years after the mesothelioma death of 64-year-old municipal worker Giuseppe Failla, the Labour Court of Termini Imerese, Sicily ordered the Italian National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) to pay compensation to his widow. Mr Failla had worked for 33 years for the city of Castelbuono (Palermo) in a number of roles during which time he was regularly exposed to asbestos. INAIL will now pay his wife a monthly pension in addition to the arrears she and her son are owed. See: Castelbuono, morì per esposizione all’amianto: risarcimento ai familiari [Castelbuono, [worker] died due to exposure to asbestos: compensation to family members].

A statement by Altrad, the French conglomerate which now owns the former British asbestos multinational Cape Plc, was highly critical of support shown by a Parliamentary group for a grassroots campaign calling for a one-off £10 million donation for medical research into asbestos cancer. The company said that the MPs call to ban Altrad from public contracts until the donation was made was “tantamount to extortion.” The contentious recommendation was made in a new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health. See: Altrad says MPs’ call to ban firm from public contracts ‘tantamount to extortion.’

On June 30, 2025, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published the monograph entitled Talc and Acrylonitrile, which categorically stated that “asbestos is present in some talc deposits and has been shown to contaminate some talc products… The general population may be exposed via talc-based consumer products, and pathways of exposure include ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, including via the perineum.” As a result of its research, IARC has categorized talc as “probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).” See: Talc and Acrylonitrile. IARC Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans.

On July 3, 2024, the British Navy’s warship HMS Bristol arrived at facilities belonging to the Leyal Ship Dismantling Company in Aliağa, Turkey. According to documentation supplied by the ship, substantial amounts of toxic substances including asbestos are present onboard. Twenty-five other British naval vessels were disposed of by the Aliağa shipyard between 2009 and 2024, with six more due to arrive in the coming months. Turkish campaigners argue that according to international treaties these toxic ships should be dealt with in Britain. See: Son savaşı işçilerle! [Her last war is with the workers!].

The legacy of asbestos mining in Wittenoom, Western Australia (WA) lives on, according to data released in a 10-year follow-up study of 2,464 people who lived in the town as children: “males from the cohort had an increased risk of all cancers and mesothelioma … Females had a significantly elevated risk of all cancers, mesothelioma, and cancers of the ovary and brain. Higher rates of mesothelioma were observed among those with a longer duration of exposure and higher cumulative exposure, consistent with a known exposure-response relationship.” According to the researchers, the figures confirmed the lethal consequences of childhood exposures to asbestos. See: Mortality and Cancer Incidence After Exposure to Blue Asbestos in Childhood: A Further 10 Years of Follow-Up.

Officials in Uljin-gun, a county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, last week announced the renewal of municipal funding for the removal of asbestos-cement roofing tiles (slate) from domestic and non-residential buildings. The ongoing program for the eradication of the asbestos hazard is motivated, said Mayor Son Byeong-bok, by the urgent need to protect citizens from potentially lethal exposures to a known carcinogen. See: 울진군, 하반기 슬레이트 처리 지원사업 대상자 모집 [Uljin-gun, Recruitment of Applicants for the Second Half Slate Processing Support Project].

A highly contentious move by James Hardie – Australia’s one-time asbestos giant – to the New York Stock Exchange has “infuriated many Australian shareholders” who did not get to vote on a deal which was announced on June 27, 2025. Concern over the secret nature of the financial proceedings was also expressed by Australian campaigners representing asbestos victims, with Melita Markey, CEO of the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia, accusing the company of running away from asbestos liabilities estimated to be in the region of $1.47 billion (US $921m). See [subscription site]: James Hardie off to NYSE after months of anger over Azek deal.

The article cited below was published in the July 2025 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Using data from the Australian Cancer Database covering the period 1982 to 2020, the scientists examined the incidence of mesothelioma, the signature asbestos cancer, according to a variety of factors and predicted future mesothelioma trends. They concluded that: “the greatest risk of mesothelioma in Australia [is] occurring in cohorts with the highest levels of historical cumulative occupational exposure, showing the value of a ban on asbestos…The number of new cases of mesothelioma per year is not expected to decline until after 2030.” See: Mesothelioma Incidence Rates in Australia since 1982: Exploring Age, Period, and Cohort Effects and Future Projections.

Grassroots efforts by Japanese asbestos victims and their supporters have been pivotal in progressing research into mesothelioma, a cancer closely associated with exposure to asbestos. Every year, 1,600 people die in Japan from this disease. The Mesothelioma Treatment Promotion Fund, which was set up in 2010 by victims, has so far raised 50 million yen (US$347,000). In March 2025 14m yen was awarded to fund a clinical study and four research projects. The goal of fund raisers is to amass a total of 300 million yen+ (US$2.1m+) from private and government contributions. See [subscription site]: 中皮腫治療への思い＝大島秀利 [Thoughts on mesothelioma treatment – Hidetoshi Oshima].

Six decades of asbestos production in Kazakhstan will shortly be celebrated by Kostanay Minerals JSC. This conglomerate is the country’s only producer of chrysotile asbestos, 95% of which is exported. According to the text below: “Kostanay Minerals JSC has always paid and continues to pay special attention to the issues of environmental safety and health of employees. The company actively invests in programs to reduce the impact on the environment and ensures strict compliance with international labor safety standards.” See: 60 лет прочности: АО «Костанайские минералы» – стержень индустрии Казахстана [60 years of strength: Kostanay Minerals JSC is the backbone of Kazakhstan's industry].

According to the author of the article cited below, asbestos-cement roofing tiles – formerly an extremely popular product for consumers – have virtually disappeared from sale in Russia and abroad due to the risks posed by toxic exposures to a class 1 carcinogen: asbestos. They have been replaced by safer asbestos-free materials such as metal tiles, flexible tiles and bitumen coatings which do not harm the environment and are safe for human health. See: Шифер из СССР: почему почти исчез из продажи — куда делся символ эпохи [Asbestos-cement tiles from the USSR: why it almost disappeared from sale – where did the symbol of the era go].

An intriguing and somewhat confusing headline – Trump Administration, Reversing Itself, Won’t Rewrite a Ban on Asbestos – in the July 7, 2025 issue of the New York Times caught my attention. Three weeks previously, the Republican government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had confirmed its intention to overturn asbestos prohibitions implemented by the previous administration. By July 7, all that had changed. The shift in approach from formal rulemaking to the provision of guidance on complying with the terms of the prohibitions realigns the US with other G7 countries and 36 of the OECD’s 38 members which have banned asbestos. For the time being, the status quo has been reinstated. Whether it remains in place, only time will tell. [Read full article]

In the run-up to the UK’s annual day of asbestos remembrance – Action Mesothelioma Day – the latest national asbestos mortality data was released on July 2, 2025. With the number of deaths from other asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) added to those from mesothelioma, the total annual death toll, once again, exceeds 5,000, more than three times the number of road traffic fatalities and nearly eight times the number of murders which occur every year in the UK. Since the first AMD was held in 2006, it’s been calculated that more than 100,000 Britons have died from asbestos-related diseases. It is tragic to think of the many more lives which will be lost due to government intransigence, bureaucratic obstacles and lack of technical capacity. [Read full article]

Welcoming the new Korean President, who took office on June 4, 2025, civil society groups launched a rolling program of weekly public rallies in the capital to highlight critical issues including the country’s deadly asbestos legacy, the dumping of Fukushima nuclear wastewater and Korea’s humidifier disinfectant disaster. Despite achieving a remarkable success in eradicating the asbestos hazard from schools, dangerous asbestos loopholes and unaddressed problems remain, including failures of compliance with mandatory asbestos regulations; the continued presence of nearly a million asbestos-contaminated buildings; and the lack of support for some groups of asbestos victims. [Read full article]

On June 24, 2025, the Constitutional Court of Slovenia handed down a historic verdict upholding the successor right of relatives to bring a legal action for the asbestos death of a family member. According to the Court, the previous position which barred them from doing so – as laid out in the Act on Remedying the Consequences of Work with Asbestos – was unconstitutional. As a direct consequence of this ruling the National Assembly must adopt measures implementing this policy reversal within one year. In the meantime, heirs of deceased victims whose asbestos-related diseases had been medically recognized may submit compensation claims. [Read full article]

On June 16, 2025, President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed its intention to overturn asbestos prohibitions implemented by the previous administration. According to the EPA’s motion, the process of re-evaluating the 2024 regulations would take at least 30 months and most likely a lot longer. While polluters and vested interests – some of whom formerly employed current EPA officials – are no doubt, delighted with this news others have warned of the dire consequences for American citizens of future asbestos exposures. [Read full article]

Around the world, mobilization over the asbestos hazard continued to accelerate in recent weeks. Among the issues tackled were: the rights of victims, the responsibility of governments, deadly national legacies, the eradication of contaminated infrastructures and the need to outlaw asbestos use in countries which have not yet done so. The initiatives rolled out by civil society groups, trade unions and governments to raise public awareness, support the injured and protect populations in Asia, Africa and Europe confirm that the global asbestos discourse is now an integral part of mainstream discussions on human rights, environmental justice and green technology. [Read full article]

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]

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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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