News:

News text:

On October 3, 2026, Catalan Law 8.2026 came into force. The legislation established the Catalan Register of Asbestos-Containing Materials: “a mandatory framework to accelerate the identification, removal and proper management of this material still present in numerous buildings and facilities.” The law also set out details for a mandatory certification scheme covering companies and individuals authorized to undertake asbestos eradication work. See: Cataluña refuerza la retirada y gestión del amianto con una ley específica [Catalonia strengthens the removal and management of asbestos with a specific law].

On September 30, 2026, the UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) recalled two toys because of asbestos contamination. The items withdrawn from the market were: YongnKids Theme Scene Sandbox Toy Kit sold via Amazon (2609-0148) and SHEIN Children’s Wooden Acrylic Rainbow Sensory Blocks (2609-0191). Both products were made in China.
 
See: YongnKids Theme Scene Sandbox Toy Kit sold via Amazon (2609-0148).
 
SHEIN Children’s Wooden Acrylic Rainbow Sensory Blocks (2609-0191).

A conference on September 30, 2026 provided the opportunity for expert speakers to delineate progress made in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region on asbestos eradication. Among the speakers were technical specialists as well as representatives of local government and state institutions. According to Vice-Marshal Aneta Jedrzejewska: “The year 2032 is fast approaching, and by then asbestos should have disappeared from our homes and farms. Meanwhile, approximately 610,000 tonnes of asbestos have been inventoried in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region, of which only 140,000 tonnes, or 23 percent, have been removed.” See: Poland Without Asbestos – Conference.

Asbestos contamination continued to disrupt plans by the authorities in Quebec, the one-time Canadian asbestos heartland. According to Santé Québec – the state-owned corporation tasked with the day-to-day delivery of public health and social services in Quebec – the opening of an operating room in the city of Dolbeau-Mistassini was delayed due to the discovery of asbestos-contaminated soil and a daycare center in Roberval was shut temporarily after asbestos had been found in the walls of the premises. See: Amiante et sols contaminés: des imprévus dans les bâtiments et les chantiers de Santé Québec au Lac-Saint-Jean [Asbestos and contaminated soils: unforeseen events in Santé Québec's buildings and construction sites in Lac-Saint-Jean].

In the run-up to provincial elections, Mayors in Quebec’s former asbestos region categorized mandatory regulations for handling asbestos-contaminated waste as burdensome and costly. According to Marc-Alexandre Brousseau, the Mayor of Thetford Mines: “We are not saying that asbestos is not carcinogenic. We're just saying that there is a way to protect ourselves from it differently than what we do now.” See: Des maires de Chaudière-Appalaches prônent une meilleure gestion des sols amiantés [Mayors of Chaudière-Appalaches advocate for better management of asbestos-contaminated soils].

Spodden Park Ltd., a new developer of the toxic 75-acre site of the former Turner Brothers Asbestos factory, announced that decontamination work would be carried out by a specialist contractor. Once the site had been remediated, hundreds of houses would be built. There are few details about the remediation work or the contractors chosen for the project. In a statement from the developers they said: “We will share further details in due course and will continue to engage with the local community before any site activity takes place.” See: After decades of decay, Rochdale's Chernobyl is finally getting cleaned up.

Attempts by a regional officer from the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) and a scientist to assess the state of the Kalhara asbestos waste landfill, near Kymore, was complicated by logistical problems including the natural regrowth of vegetation on the dumpsite. The site visit was stimulated by the publicity surrounding the news that hundreds of new asbestos compensation cases had been filed with the T&N Asbestos Trust over toxic exposures created by operations at a Kymore asbestos factory. See: Kymore Asbestos Landfill Probe Exposes a Decade-Old Urban Health Gap.

The September 29, 2026 article cited below was published in the Daily Mail. The author explained that even though the UK had “one of the highest rates of deaths from asbestos in the world,” the country lacked a standardized protocol for protecting people from potentially life-threatening exposures to toxic material found in their homes and in the environment. Some local authorities even allowed residents to dump domestic asbestos waste in landfill sites. Elsewhere, disposal of the waste was prohibitively expensive and fly-tipping was rife. See: Asbestos is a known killer, so why on earth are householders allowed to rip it out themselves – and drive it to their local recycling centre?.

In a press release issued last month by Denmark’s Minister of Employment and Equality Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, it was announced that new regulations would mandate that as of 2027 employees on construction sites would have direct contact with asbestos analysts in order to ensure that the workers were correctly informed about levels of asbestos contamination at their workplaces. These changes were made as a result of a 2025 case where a building consultant had falsified the findings of asbestos tests at a construction site. See: Opgør med asbestfusk: Nye krav på vej [Dealing with asbestos fraud: New requirements on the way].

According to a report published on September 30, 2026 by the Association for Asbestos Victims of Quebec (AVAQ), the health of tenants of pre-2000 buildings in Quebec which are under renovation are being endangered by a lack of health and safety protections. According to AVAQ, none of Quebec's 15 largest municipalities require asbestos audits when building permits are issued for renovations. The report highlighted the exemplary practices of the authorities in Westmount – a city on the Island of Montreal – which mandated asbestos testing for buildings by a certified laboratory prior to the commencement of renovations. See: Les locataires québécois vulnérables à l’amiante [Quebec tenants vulnerable to asbestos].

According to a new study by the Flemish Department of Health, the number of cases of asbestos-related cancer is finally decreasing. Nevertheless, “between 2004 and 2023, there were still twice as many diagnoses and deaths from mesothelioma per 100,000 inhabitants in the area with an asbestos history than outside the area, among both men and women.” Two hundred Flemish people are diagnosed every year with mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. See: Dertig jaar na eerste waarschuwingen zien we nu eindelijk minder longvlieskanker in Vlaanderen [Thirty years after the first warnings, we are now finally seeing less pleural cancer in Flanders].

The open access paper cited below was uploaded on September 29, 2026 to the website of the International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. The article introduced, what the South African authors claimed, was “a groundbreaking Risk-Governed Housing Remediation Framework, derived from South Africa’s Programme on Rectification of Pre-1994 Residential Properties.” The objective of the program was to draw various approaches and technical protocols together in order to formulate “a coordinated governance system.” See: From Prohibition to Protection: A Governance Framework for Asbestos Remediation in Vulnerable Settlements.

A series of articles was published in India last month which revealed the deadly legacy of asbestos operations by the British conglomerate Turner & Newall in India. The articles dealt with the hazardous consequences of workplace as well as environmental exposures and highlighted the lack of preventative measures implemented by the company and the Government. See: School on Brit factory's premises at heart of asbestos exposure row.
 
‘Thousands diagnosed but govt has no health map': British giant's toxic legacy still ails MP's Kymore town.
 
Thousands in India developed cancer, lung disease after British company's asbestos dump.

Plans to revamp the Montparnasse tower – the only skyscraper in central Paris – were rejected by stakeholders who were appalled at the €800 million (US$900m) bill for asbestos decontamination and other development work. The 210-meter 59-storey tower was opened in 1973, during a time when asbestos was widely used. As a result, there is extensive contamination of the structure which will require “a long and complex removal programme.” See: Future of Paris' Montparnasse Tower uncertain after planned revamp collapses.

New information on the asbestos challenges faced by Ukraine published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) detailed “instances of unsafe dumping, worker and community exposure, and regulatory gaps.” There were no specialist asbestos remediation services for decontamination work and no hazardous-waste landfills for the dumping of toxic waste. Until Ukraine banned asbestos in 2023, asbestos-containing products were widely used for roofing, fencing, pipes and heating systems. See: Ukraine’s Asbestos Emergency: War Debris Poses Hazardous Waste Challenge.

The Indian company which since 2003 has run the infamous asbestos-cement factory in Kymore formerly owned by the British asbestos company Turner & Newall and subsequently bought by the Belgian Eternit asbestos conglomerate, reported on September 28, 2026 that none of its employees had ever been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. When asked whether this was also the case for people living near the plant, the company said that it had no information on that matter. See: ‘No asbestos case among staff in 20 yrs, nearby areas never tested’.

On September 12–14, 2026, there was a dynamic and fruitful collaboration between South Korean and Japanese asbestos activists during which news of current developments was exchanged, information about the unmet needs of victims shared and colorful events mounted to highlight the ramifications of national asbestos legacies. Commenting on the solidarity exchange, organizer Yeyong Choi – Director of Asian Citizens’ Center for Environmental Health (Eco-Health), South Korea – said: “The only way change will come is for the victims’ voices to be heard not only at the grassroots but at the very highest levels of government. With solidarity comes progress. The struggle continues.” [Read full article]

After many twists and turns, adjournments, hearings, postponements and reversals, Brazil’s asbestos ban was upheld last week at the highest level. On September 18, 2026, the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous verdict in litigation concerning a Goiás State law (2019) which allowed asbestos mining to continue – for export purposes only – in contravention of a national prohibition put in place in 2017 by the Court. Pursuant to the confirmation that the asbestos ban was inviolable and absolute, the Goiás law was declared unconstitutional. With the annulment of the state exemption for asbestos mining, the chrysotile asbestos mine operated by Sama Minerações Associadas, a subsidiary of Eternit, S.A., will be closed. [Read full article]

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]

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: