News Archive

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!

On the Asbestos Frontline!

May 27, 2025

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].

Legal Victory in Genoa

May 27, 2025

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].

Asbestos Eradication in Capital

May 27, 2025

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.

Toxic Talc!

May 27, 2025

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.

Prosecution of Asbestos Fly-tippers

May 27, 2025

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].

New Medical Facility!

May 23, 2025

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.

Increasing Capacity for Asbestos Disposal

May 23, 2025

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].

Hope for Shuttered Clinic?

May 23, 2025

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.

New Parliamentary Study Group

May 23, 2025

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].

Subsidies for Asbestos Eradication

May 23, 2025

A project to protect citizens from deadly exposures to asbestos-cement roofing has been announced by officials from Ansan City in South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province. The target of the latest asbestos eradication initiative is building owners or tenants who own or live in asbestos-cement roofed buildings. Funding has been allocated to remove and dispose of this toxic roofing from ten houses and two non-residential buildings: warehouses and barns. See: 팔로워안산시 "낡은 석면 슬레이트 철거 지원해 드립니다" [Ansan City, “We will support the demolition of old asbestos slate”].

New Mesothelioma Data

May 23, 2025

A recently published paper by Colombian and US researchers detailed a project which reviewed Colombian mesothelioma mortality data (1997-2022) from the National Administrative Department of Statistics. Of the 1,539 deaths identified, 65.1% were in men, and 62.6% in people over 62 years old. The vast majority of mesothelioma deaths (92%) occurred in urban areas such as Sibaté, Soacha and Bogotá. There was, the authors of the paper concluded, a high rate of unspecified diagnoses and a serious “need to strengthen diagnostic capacity, improve surveillance, and implement a national asbestos-related disease elimination strategy.” See: Epidemiological Trends in Mesothelioma Mortality in Colombia (1997–2022): A Retrospective National Study.

Good News, Bad News

May 19, 2025

A huge rise in profits and very generous stockholder dividends were reported last week by the French conglomerate Altrad – the current owner of the former UK asbestos giant Cape Plc. Altrad has been widely criticized for failing to engage with asbestos victims and Parliamentarians backing a call for a one-off £10 million (US$13.3m) donation for medical research into diseases caused by exposures to asbestos. In March 2025, Altrad’s CEO Ran Oren declined to take part in “a parliamentary hearing on Cape’s asbestos-related legacy.” See: Profit rises at Altrad amid asbestos-claims warning.

Asbestos Eradication in Almere

May 19, 2025

Responding to the asbestos crisis, a Dutch municipality announced last week plans to pay for the removal of all small asbestos roofs on buildings within its jurisdiction. A remediation campaign launched by the national government in 2019 failed to meet targets. Four hundred thousand Dutch buildings still have asbestos-containing roofs and 1,100+ Dutch citizens die annually from diseases caused by asbestos exposures. The Almere city council approved a plan to fully cover the cost of removing asbestos roofs from 1,000 small structures; by the end of 2026, all asbestos roofs on small buildings in Almere will be gone. See: Almere to remove all small asbestos roofs for free as national effort falters.

Asbestos Surveillance Health Program

May 19, 2025

On May 13, 2025, Mayor Chun Young-ki of South Korea’s Tongyeong City announced that on May 31 & June 1, 2025, the municipality will conduct a health audit of asbestos-exposed residents in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment. The check-ups offered under this program are free of charge for eligible applicants and will be conducted under the Asbestos Damage Relief Act. To qualify, people must have lived near shipyards or in houses with asbestos roofs or worked in asbestos-using industries. Family members of at-risk workers are also eligible for the screening. See: 통영시, 석면피해의심지역 주민 석면 건강영향조사 실시 [Tongyeong City conducts asbestos health impact survey for residents in suspected asbestos damage areas].

Remembering Henri Pezerat

May 19, 2025

The wonderful article by Prathamesh Kabra cited below highlighted the amazing work of French toxicologist Henri Pezerat who was one of the pioneers in the fight for asbestos justice in France. Henri worked closely with workers, as well as scientists, to identify and publicise the deadly occupational and public health consequences of the operations of the French asbestos industry. According to Kabra: “His work broke through the noise of industry-backed studies. He showed the true risks, and that helped change laws to protect people’s health. His life story still reminds me that a single determined voice can spark real change.” See: This Scientist Spent His Life Proving Asbestos Could Kill You.

Asbestos on the Beaches

May 19, 2025

An alert by Auckland Council warned local people to avoid the 5-10cm long fragments of asbestos-cement material (ACM) that had washed up on East Auckland beaches at Glendowie and Karaka Bays and by the Tāmaki River towards Panmure. Downplaying the health hazard, a spokesperson for the Council said: “We are asking people to take a common-sense approach and to simply leave ACM alone for the council to collect. Dogs and children should also be prevented from picking up the material.” Work was, the Council said, underway to decontaminate affected areas. See: Council warns of washed up asbestos on East Auckland beaches.

Good News from Perth!

May 19, 2025

The National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD) in Perth, Western Australia was awarded a A$200,000 (US$128,200) grant from the Medical Research Future Fund to implement an innovative three-year imaging trial for mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, under the leadership of Professor Roslyn Francis. The trial will investigate whether the use of a targeted imaging agent called girentuximab can improve the technique for detecting and monitoring mesothelioma. See: NCARD Secures Funding for Innovative Mesothelioma Imaging Study.

Asbestos Removal Program

May 16, 2025

As part of efforts to modernize the water network, in 2024 the Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority (SEWA) replaced 25 kilometers of old asbestos water pipes with new ones made from Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) material at a cost of 22 million dirhams (US$6m). This year, SEWA plans to replace a further 40 kilometers of old asbestos pipes in different areas of the UAE city of Sharjah, including Al Hazannah, Al Jazat, and Industrial Area 13, at a cost of 40+ million dirhams (US11m). See: SEWA undertakes projects to replace old water networks.

Asbestos Pollution: New Findings

May 16, 2025

A new paper by scientists from Hungary examined the ecological ramifications of asbestos-cement contamination of irrigation water. The research investigated the response of three plant species – Trifolium pratense, Medicago sativa, and Solanum lycopersicum. According to the authors: “When exposed to asbestos in water, plants experience toxic stress that can inhibit photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and germination. Asbestos can also adversely affect cell division and metabolism, risking plant growth, reproduction, and overall health…” See: The impact of asbestos cement pollution in irrigation water on physiological and germination characteristics of Trifolium pratense, Medicago sativa, and Solanum lycopersicum seeds.

New Judgment against INPS

May 16, 2025

Italy’s National Institute for Social Security (INPS) was, once again, condemned by an Italian court for rejecting a claim by an asbestos-injured worker. From 1976 till 1988, metalworker and welder Domenico Di Fraia was routinely exposed to asbestos at the GECOM SpA plant in Pozzuoli, Naples. As a result, he was diagnosed with bilateral pleural thickening, pleural plaques, and lymph node swellings. A labor judge in a Naples Court ordered INPS to recognize the claim and adjust Fraia’s benefits accordingly. See: Pozzuoli, operaio risarcito dopo 12 anni di esposizione ad amianto: «Giustizia arrivata in tempi brevi» [Pozzuoli, worker compensated after 12 years of exposure to asbestos: “Justice arrived quickly”].

Asbestos Clinic Shutdown

May 16, 2025

A vital and valuable resource for a town devastated by asbestos-related diseases was closed by local law enforcement personnel earlier this month. This action resulted from a federal verdict issued against the Card Clinic in a case brought by asbestos defendant BNSF Railways. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, the $3.1 million writ of execution on the Center for Asbestos Related Disease, Inc. was served pursuant to a lawsuit instigated by the BNSF Railway, owned by Warren Buffett, “which accused the clinic of filing hundreds of fraudulent claims over several years.” See: Libby's asbestos clinic shuttered after losing lawsuit to BNSF Railway.

Managing the Asbestos Hazard

May 16, 2025

Last month, the donation of US$4 million additional funding was announced by the Government of Japan and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya “for a vital environmental recovery initiative in Ukraine, where the ongoing war continues to pose environmental challenges.” Under the initiative: Enhancing capacity of hazardous waste management, measures will be implemented for the management of war debris containing asbestos to protect environmental and public health from potentially deadly exposures. See: Japan and UNEP unveil new funding for environmental recovery in war-affected Ukraine.

Toxic Talc

May 16, 2025

The focus of the article cited below was the deadly health hazards posed to consumers through the use of asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder, cosmetics and personal hygiene products. The author detailed steps taken by researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which led them to classify talc as “‘probably carcinogenic’ to humans, especially in relation to ovarian cancer” including animal studies and assessment of mechanistic evidence. See: Perigoso mineral cancerígeno pode estar dentro da sua casa [Dangerous Cancer-Causing Mineral May Be Inside Your Home].

No More Asbestos in Schools!

May 12, 2025

South Africa’s Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube last week told Parliament that her Department had succeeded in eradicating the asbestos hazard from all schools as part of the on-going mission to implement “infrastructure norms and standards.” Other issues still remained to be resolved but good progress was, she said, being made. The Minister, who has been a Member of Parliament for four years represents the Democratic Alliance party. See: DBE tells MPs it's eradicated all schools built with mud, asbestos.