News Archive

The latest attempt by Russia to protect its highly valued asbestos market in Indonesia was revealed in the article cited below which documented the existence of the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between Indonesia and Russia. The title of the agreement: Cooperation in the Field of Scientific Research on the “Safe Use of Chrysotile Asbestos” is a misnomer as it is universally acknowledged by reputable authorities that no use of asbestos is safe. The Indonesian Supreme Court acknowledged this when it issued a judgment in 2024 mandating that all asbestos-cement roofing carry warning labels. See: Indonesia-Russia Finalize Key MoUs Ahead of INNOPROM 2026.

Asbestos in Sand

Dec 17, 2025

In 1987 New York pathologist Jerrold Abraham, a specialist in occupational lung disease, found asbestos in his son's backyard sandpit. In an interview with an Australian journalist about recent discoveries of asbestos in colored play sand imported to Australia from China, he said he was “sad but not surprised” that play sand was still contaminated with asbestos. There are, Abraham said, regulatory blind spots in US and Australian regulations; as a result of existing loopholes, the import of toxic material continues to endanger life. See: Fluke discoveries of asbestos in children's sand strike twice decades apart.

Unrealistic Fantasy or Achievable Goal

Dec 17, 2025

The deadly contamination left in the wake of asbestos mining persists not only in the lungs and other organs of workers, family members and local people but also in huge mountains of waste throughout the area. After one hundred years of mining operations, there are now 800 million tonnes of toxic tailings in the land near the Jeffrey Chrysotile Asbestos mine in the town of Val-des-Sources. Local entrepreneurs in collaboration with academics and technical experts claim that valuable minerals can be reclaimed from the tailings, turning them from “toxic waste to green treasure.” See: Turning asbestos from toxic dust to green treasure.

Victims’ Victory in Rome!

Dec 17, 2025

As a result of a ruling finalized by the Court of Rome, asbestos-injured workers from the Videocolor plant in Anagni, Italy will be able to obtain compensation for occupational asbestos exposures experienced between 1990 and 2006 from INAIL, Italy’s Workers’ Compensation Authority. This victory is a result of the verdict won for a maintenance worker with pleural thickenings who had been “exposed continuously, massively and directly to asbestos dust and fibers present in the furnaces, insulation, gaskets, machinery, roller conveyors and numerous structural parts of the plant” for 20 years. The Court confirmed there was a “direct causal link between exposure and pathology.” See: Sentenza Videocolor: riconosciuta esposizione ad amianto [Videocolor ruling: exposure to asbestos recognized].

Gaza Work Environmental Plan

Dec 17, 2025

On December 8, 2025, preliminary measures were announced to address the widespread environmental contamination caused by the war on Gaza. According to the environmental relief and early recovery plan for the Environment Quality Authority (EQA) in Gaza: “debris from destroyed buildings exceeds 60 million tons, including 4 million tons of hazardous waste, 50,000 tons of asbestos, and nearly 100,000 tons of explosives and unexploded ordnance.” To meet the huge challenges faced, a phased plan was devised which aims to provide “relief, recovery and comprehensive environmental rehabilitation.” See: Government operations room reviews the Environmental Relief and Early Recovery Plan of the Environment Quality Authority in Gaza.

Asbestos Deja-Vu, Again

Dec 17, 2025

After the discoveries of asbestos in children’s play sand and wind turbine parts imported from China to Australia, it was announced on December 6 and 9 that asbestos had also been found in 14 imported fire doors at the new Perth campus of Edith Cowan University (see: Asbestos found in new Edith Cowan University campus in Perth CBD) and might be present in activity sets marketed as part of the Bluey, Paw Patrol and Frozen range of toys. The three “sensory activity sets” were being recalled by Kmart as a precautionary measure. See: Popular Bluey, Paw Patrol toy sets recalled over asbestos fears.

Progress Update

Dec 15, 2025

According to the article cited below, another landmark was achieved recently with the approval by municipal officials of a pilot ecological restoration project for derelict and contaminated industrial land in the Giant Panda National Park. The work undertaken successfully eradicated asbestos pollution on an area of 10.55 square kilometers which had formerly been home to the Sichuan asbestos mine. See: 矿山新生，“愈”见大熊猫丨四中全会精神在基层 [Rebirth of Mines, “More” Seen Giant Pandas | The Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session Takes Root at Grassroots Level].

Legacy Asbestos: An Ongoing Health Risk

Dec 15, 2025

A commentary by experts from the Center for Asbestos-Related Disease on the legacy of environmental asbestos contamination highlighted the ongoing public health risk still posed by unremediated infrastructures and land in Montana, Nevada, California and elsewhere in the US, especially in regions where naturally-occurring asbestos is found. Due to the lethal nature of asbestos-related diseases, the best way to deal with them is to prevent toxic exposures. Concluding their text, the coauthors wrote: “Physicians, public health officials, and researchers must evaluate exposed populations and individuals for AID (autoimmune diseases) and raise awareness that legacy asbestos remains a serious health risk around the world.” See: Legacy asbestos: An ongoing public health risk.

More Russian Asbestos LIES!

Dec 15, 2025

On December 4, 2025 comments made at a press conference held by the Chrysotile Association – a Russian body representing asbestos vested interests – were reported acknowledging that “Russian automakers use only asbestos-free brakes…” According to the Russian and US “experts” who addressed the meeting, this policy was ill-advised due to research which, they said, “confirmed the safety of exposure to chrysotile asbestos fibers for car repair and maintenance professionals.” Several other distortions were contained in the text, including the fact that most Russian asbestos is used in Japan; Japan phased out all asbestos use between 2006 and 2012. See: Ученые призывают вернуться к асбестовым колодкам [Scientists call for a return to asbestos pads].

Raising Asbestos Awareness

Dec 15, 2025

In November, it was reported that 160 local people had participated in three classes on the safe handling/removal of asbestos-containing roofing products which had been carried out by personnel from Habitat for Humanity International, Vietnam in collaboration with the People's Committee of Long Quang Commune. Asbestos roofing remains a popular product in mountainous areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. See: Long Quảng: Gần 160 người được hướng dẫn thực hành an toàn khi tiếp xúc với vật liệu nghi ngờ có chứa amiăng và kỹ thuật lợp mái nhà đúng cách [Long Quang: Nearly 160 people were instructed on safe practices when in contact with suspected asbestos-containing materials and proper roofing techniques].

Cancer Warning over Toxic Practices

Dec 15, 2025

At the beginning of this month, a former Penang assemblyman Dr T. Jayabalan issued serious health warnings to delegates attending the “Speak Up for Penang” Forum organized by 11 civil society organizations in George Town, Penang. Dr. Jayabalan expressed his concerns over plans to mine rare earth elements (REE) and the continued use of asbestos water pipes in social housing, both of which could increase the incidence of cancer among the population. “We need,” the medical doctor concluded “to safeguard public health.” See: Former Penang rep sounds alarm over health risks from REE mining, asbestos use.

Shock Rise in Asbestos Liabilities

Dec 15, 2025

According to leading US market analysts, asbestos claims rose almost 29% in 2024 – to $1.27 billion from $986.2 million (2023) – at the same time as insurers were starting to reduce their asbestos reserves. Payment obligations also increased. Commenting on the upward trends, the analysts wrote: “The combination of rising net incurred losses and elevated payment levels in 2024 suggests that the ‘tail’ on these decades-old policies may be longer than many carriers anticipated, with implications for reserve adequacy and capital management extending well into the future.” See: Asbestos losses rising while reserves shrink.

ABC’s Asbestos Legacy

Dec 11, 2025

Inaccurate information provided to a committee meeting of the Australian Senate on December 2, 2025 by senior management from the national broadcaster – the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) – was the focus of the article cited below by ABC’s rival: Sky News. According to reporter Patrick Hannaford, the statement that two ABC employees had died after experiencing asbestos exposures at the broadcaster’s premises in Victoria between 1984 and 1990 was untrue. Retracting this information, ABC’s Melanie Kleyn admitted that there had been 3 deaths after toxic exposures between the 1950s and late 1980s. See: ABC under fire after providing Parliament with incorrect information about asbestos exposure and deaths of former staff.

Moral Damages for Workplace Exposure

Dec 11, 2025

A Regional Labor Court in the State of Rio de Janeiro ordered Eternit and Saint-Gobain to pay compensation of R$ 200,000 (US$37,440) in moral damages to a former worker who had been occupationally exposed to asbestos over his 18-year term of employment. In addition, the companies will have to pay him a pension until he reaches the age of 73 as well as provide lifetime health insurance. The claimant has pleural plaques and reduced lung function as a result of the asbestos exposures he experienced. See [subscription site]: Eternit e Saint-Gobain são condenadas a indenizar ex-funcionário exposto a mineral cancerígeno [Eternit and Saint-Gobain ordered to compensate former employee exposed to carcinogenic mineral].

Asbestos in the East Wing?

Dec 11, 2025

Questions are being asked at the highest levels of the federal and Washington D.C. governments about precipitous actions taken in October 2025 which allowed the unanticipated demolition of the 83-year old East Wing of the White House to make room for a mega-new ballroom. According to an EPA appointee during the Clinton and Obama administrations, Bob Sussman: “For the White House to take this out of the normal permitting process and have it handled in a very, very special way by EPA or by White House employees without any oversight, that would be problematic.” See [subscription site]: White House dodged East Wing asbestos permits.

Pericardial Mesothelioma

Dec 11, 2025

On December 1, 2025, the paper cited below was published in the Special Issue “Mesothelioma Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Emerging Treatments and Pre-Clinical Models” by a team of 26 scientists from various Italian research centers and institutions. The co-authors concluded that Pericardial Mesothelioma (PM) was “an extremely rare and aggressive cancer, with a poor prognosis” for which no standardized diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines existed. It was recommended that an international network to collect PM cases with diagnosis and treatment data be established to improve outcomes for PM patients. See: Pericardial Mesothelioma: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management, a Population-Based Study in Italy.

Prize for Asbestos Documentary

Dec 11, 2025

Last month, a film about asbestos contamination in Western Australia won the highly prestigious Walkey Documentary Award at the Walkley Awards ceremony in Sydney, Australia. Yurlu Country documented the fight by Banjima Elder Maitland Parker “to preserve his culture and heal his homeland in the Pilbara, scarred by the worst contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere.” The pollution was the result of asbestos mining at Wittenoom, a town now so toxic that it has been closed by the State Government. See: Yurlu | Country Wins Walkley Documentary Award.

Update: Asbestos Eradication Program

Dec 11, 2025

On December 2, 2025, Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection published an update on progress made in the implementation of the Asbestos Law for 2011-2023. During that period, 17.8 million sq. meters of asbestos-cement material was removed from public spaces as well as thousands of tons of friable asbestos. Contaminated soil in western Galilee was also removed. The decontamination work was undertaken by licensed contractors using strict health and safety protocols. See: Millions of square meters of asbestos removed from public spaces.

Another Asbestos Discovery!

Dec 8, 2025

The most recent Australian asbestos scandal shows no signs of abating, as a third Australian renewable energy company, Beijing Jingeng Energy International (Australia), confirmed “the presence of asbestos in its wind turbine lift brake pads.” These products were also imported from the Chinese company 3S Industry. The other renewable energy companies that had confirmed they had also used these illegal products were Goldwind Australia and Vestas. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the majority of lift brake pads used by wind turbine operators in Australia were supplied by 3S Industry. See: Third renewable energy company discovers asbestos in wind farm turbine lifts.

Regulatory Failures over Toxic Sand

Dec 8, 2025

According to headteachers and union leaders, New Zealand’s Ministry of Education (MoE) was not keeping a central register of the schools which acknowledged having used asbestos-contaminated sand exported from China for sensory play and craft projects. A spokesperson for the MoE later qualified this lack of oversight by saying that it had “incomplete figures.” Stephanie Mills, the national secretary of New Zealand's largest education union, was appalled: “it is not good enough to take a voluntary approach when we are dealing with asbestos which is a banned substance, which causes long term illness to people, to which we're now exposing children and teachers and other educators.” See: Principals stunned no tally kept of schools testing positive for asbestos from coloured play sand.

Asbestos Shutdown in Toronto

Dec 8, 2025

The discovery of asbestos fire-proofing material on the subway tracks of Line 1 by staff working for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) – the company which operates the public transit services in Canada’s biggest city – led to the overnight closure of the line for decontamination work at the end of last month. After air quality tests were conducted, the line was reopened the following morning. Line 1 is Toronto’s busiest subway line and is used by hundreds of thousands of passengers every day. See: Asbestos discovery prompted temporary shutdown on stretch of Line 1, TTC says.

Decontaminating Flanders’ Schools!

Dec 8, 2025

According to an announcement by the Flanders Region of Belgium at the end of last month, the sum of €3.2 billion (US$3.7bn) was allocated for work under a new construction and remediation program to modernize, decontaminate and build new schools. According to Flemish Education Minister Zuhal Demir: “Asbestos has no place in an environment where children play and learn every day. That is why we will reimburse 100% of costs incurred for the removal asbestos. Not 60%, not 70%, but in full.” See: Flemish Government to invest 3.2 billion euro in the construction and renovation of school buildings.

Asbestos on Farms

Dec 8, 2025

The text cited below contained a timely summation of the serious issues posed by the ubiquity of asbestos-containing materials on British farms and in agricultural buildings. Provisions of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) oblige a range of duty holders to implement rigorous protocols to prevent occurrences of asbestos exposures at non-domestic premises. Mandatory obligations include: assessments, reporting, regular reviews, the compilation and adherence to management plans to safely manage the asbestos on site. See: Asbestos: the hidden hazard on farms and in rural communities and your responsibilities.

Asbestos in Schools

Dec 8, 2025

Widespread asbestos contamination of French schools is a matter of grave concern to teachers and staff members as well as to parents and students. An unprecedented legal complaint was filed on November 19, 2025, by 50+ parents, teachers, and local government employees alleging that they were exposed to asbestos in Marseille schools. The action charges “persons unknown” with “deliberately endangering the lives of others.” The case was backed by as three asbestos victims’ associations and seven education and public sector unions. See (subscription site): Enquête « Notre suivi médical est catastrophique »: face au danger de l’amiante, l’Éducation nationale défaillante? [Investigation “Our medical monitoring is catastrophic”: Facing the danger of asbestos, is the French National Education system failing?].

Why are Illegal Imports Entering NZ

Dec 4, 2025

A commentary by a concerned New Zealand parent regarding the ongoing scandal over asbestos-contaminated sand exported from China for sensory play and craft activities by young children raised several interesting points. According to historian, researcher and advocate Georgie Craw: “our economy is geared towards producing and selling products, rather than safeguarding people and the environment – let alone nurturing us. It also fuels consumerism over meaningful experiences and connections.” She’s not wrong. See: Asbestos in play sand tells us that our economy is valuing the wrong things.