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Displaying first 25 items in reverse date order (default)
 

Victory for Bereaved Family

Oct 1, 2025

A ruling handed down on September 25, 2025 by Japan’s Public Investigation Commission awarded ¥27.5 million (US$184,000) to the family of a man who had died from mesothelioma after having been exposed to asbestos liberated by the operations at a factory belonging to the Nichias group in Hashima City, Gifu Prefecture. Nichias was one of Japan’s largest manufacturers of asbestos-containing building products. The deceased had worked at a textile facility 350 meters from the Nichias plant. See: ニチアス工場周辺のアスベスト被害に2750万円賠償命じる 公調委が責任裁定 [Ordering 27.5 million yen in compensation for asbestos damage around the Nichias plant The Public Investigation Commission is responsible for the ruling].
 

Asbestos Warning!

Oct 1, 2025

On September 26, 2025, an article was uploaded to the website of the Shandong Peninsula Metropolis Daily – “a Chinese-language newspaper published in Shandong province” – to mark International Mesothelioma Day. The article warned people working with asbestos or living near asbestos-producing and/or using facilities of the dire health effects of occupational and environmental exposures to asbestos. China is one of the world’s leading producers and users of asbestos. See: 国际胸膜间皮瘤日丨警惕这个“职业癌”,它比肺癌更凶险狡诈 [International Pleural Mesothelioma Day. Be wary of this “occupational cancer,” which is more dangerous and cunning than lung cancer].
 

SLAPP in Jakarta: Update

Oct 1, 2025

A text on an Indonesian website detailed recent testimony in a lawsuit targeting ban asbestos activists. The witnesses for the accused were: Environmental lawyer Dr Joshua and medical specialist Dr Anna Surya. According to Dr Joshua, the lawsuit by FICMA, an asbestos trade association, was an example of “a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation [SLAPP], a tactic of legal intimidation commonly used to silence public criticism.” Dr Surya explained the nature of “The Asbestos Time Bomb” causing debilitating disease and premature deaths throughout the country. See: Ironi Gugatan Asbes: Industri Tuntut Ganti Rugi, Nyawa Publik Jadi Taruhan [The Irony of Asbestos Lawsuits: Industry Demands Compensation, While Public Lives Are at Stake, Local Initiative for OSH Network].
 

Eradication of Asbestos Asphalt

Oct 1, 2025

The removal of toxic sections of road in the Vaise district of the French city of Lyon was scheduled to begin last week and take until October 10 to complete. The logistics and implementation of the work was time-consuming and expensive as the road surface contained asbestos. According to asbestos removal specialist Cédric Terlon, a manager at the construction company Roger Martin, “We have asbestos in the asphalt at this intersection. Until 1995, it was potentially used in asphalt to improve its strength and abrasion resistance.” The removal of fifteen centimetres of asphalt requires “meticulous and ultra-safe organization,” Terlon said. See: Opération de désamiantage d'envergure à Vaise [Large-scale asbestos removal operation in Vaise].
 

International Mesothelioma Day

Oct 1, 2025

The article cited below was uploaded by the Thoracic Oncology Working Group of the Turkish Thoracic Society on September 27, 2025 to mark International Mesothelioma Day. The authors warned that shortcuts being taken to maintain the frenetic pace of urban transformation projects in Turkey continue to put the population at risk of potentially lethal exposures to asbestos from buildings which had not been decontaminated prior to demolition work. See: Kentsel Dönüşüm Kanser Riskini Artırabilir [Urban Transformation May Increase Cancer Risk].
 

Asbestos in Schools

Oct 1, 2025

A report entitled Civic Observatory on Safety at School was presented to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Italian Parliament, on September 18, 2025. The disturbing contents stated that asbestos contamination was still present in 2,292 school buildings, affecting up to 400,000 students and teachers on a daily basis. The cities with the highest number of toxic schools were: Genoa, Milan and Turin. See: Amianto, killer sempre vivo in 2mila scuole (record a Genova, Milano e Torino): rischiano la vita 350mila alunni e 50mila docenti, Ata e ds [Asbestos, killer always alive in 2,000 schools (record in Genoa, Milan and Turin): 350,000 pupils and 50,000 teachers, Ata and DS risk their lives].
 

Another Unfolding UK Asbestos Scandal

Sep 29, 2025

The link below will take you to a September 25th posting on LinkedIn by Nick Garland, a specialist in asbestos management and removal. In his comprehensive exposition, Garland focused on the hazard posed by ingested rather than inhaled asbestos, such as takes place when consumers use water delivered via asbestos-cement pipes. Unfortunately, there is little available information about the location and number of these toxic pipes in the UK, most of which are 50+ years old. The author concluded: “there seems to be enough evidence to take the possibility of a risk posed by [asbestos contaminated] water supplies very seriously.” See: Asbestos in the water – an infrastructure timebomb?
 

Asbestos Truth & Consequences

Sep 29, 2025

The article cited below discussed a recent dissertation submitted by a Masters student from Rio de Janeiro that examined Brazil’s asbestos history with a particular focus on the legal disputes involved in the attempts to outlaw asbestos production and use between 1995 and 2017. The actions of Eternit, S.A., its subsidiary Sociedade Anônima Mineração de Amianto (SAMA), the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute, the Government of Goiás State, the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) and others were analyzed in some detail. See: Por que o amianto, proibido em vários países em razão dos riscos à saúde, ainda é explorado no Brasil? [Why is asbestos, banned in other countries due to health risks, still mined in Brazil?].
 

Asbestos Eradication: Slow Progress

Sep 29, 2025

During a committee meeting on September 23, 2025, members of the Kenyan Parliament called for urgent action for the removal of all asbestos roofing from the built environment due to the health risks posed by the continued presence of the toxic material. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale told committee members that according to an asbestos audit conducted by the National Environment Management Authority, asbestos roofs were still present on public buildings despite a national asbestos ban. The pace of replacement work was, Duale said, slow. See: MPs Issue Directives to NEMA on Banning Asbestos Roofing Across the Country.
 

Legal Victory in Sapporo

Sep 29, 2025

A statement from lawyers representing claimants whose victory at the Sapporo District Court on September 18, 2025, called on the defendant building materials manufacturers – A&A Material, Taiheiyo Cement, and Nichias – to “promptly acknowledge their responsibility in this lawsuit, apologize to the victims, and reach a settlement as soon as possible.” The 13 successful plaintiffs had contracted asbestos-related diseases as a result of workplace exposures at construction sites. See: 北海道建設アスベスト4陣訴訟、札幌地裁で勝訴判決(声明 [Hokkaido Construction Asbestos Fourth Group Lawsuit Wins Sapporo District Court Ruling (Statement)].
 

Unconstitutional Asbestos Tax Exemption

Sep 29, 2025

On September 25, 2025, in the case of M/s. U.P. Asbestos Limited v. State of Rajasthan & Others (and connected matters) Judges BV Nagarathna and KV Viswanathan of India’s Supreme Court ruled that a 2007 sales tax exemption allowed by the Rajasthan Government for local asbestos-cement sheet and brick manufacturers was discriminatory. The legislation which had imposed sales tax on similar goods from other states was, said the Court, “discriminatory” and “unconstitutional.” See: Supreme Court Strikes Down Rajasthan VAT Exemption for Local Asbestos Manufacturers as Discriminatory.
 

Asbestos in Schools

Sep 29, 2025

Although good progress is being made in South Korea’s program to eradicate the asbestos hazard from schools by 2027 – “the average removal rate across the country is 87.2%” – the pace of asbestos removal work differs from province to province. Unfortunately, there remain 451 schools in Gyeonggi Province and 52 in Incheon City, part of the Seoul Metropolitan area, where asbestos contamination persists. See: “아이들 교실에 1급 발암물질이…” 경기 451곳·인천 52곳 석면 미제거 [“Class 1 carcinogens in children's classrooms...” Asbestos not removed from 451 locations in Gyeonggi Province and 52 locations in Incheon].
 

Asbestos Hazard Alert!

Sep 25, 2023

A segment broadcast on Metro TV, a free-to-air TV news network in West Jakarta, on September 23 2025 included an interview with Indonesian medical specialist Dr Anna Suraya on the human hazards posed by asbestos. The doctor explained that several debilitating diseases and deadly cancers had been linked to asbestos exposures. Before the interview outside the Central Jakarta Court was filmed, Dr Suraya had provided testimony in a lawsuit brought by an asbestos trade association against individuals and organizations that had petitioned the Supreme Court to mandate the use of warning labels on all asbestos roofing products. See: Aktivis Konsumen Digugat Industri Asbes Rp7,9 Triliun [Consumer Activist Sued by Asbestos Industry for IDR 7.9 Trillion].
 

J&J’s Toxic Talc: Update

Sep 25, 2025

In an attempt to draw the line under the scandal which arose over the sale by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) of asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder, the company is negotiating a $700 million settlement with 43 US states and the District of Columbia, and a $6.5 billion offer to settle most of the pending personal injury cancer lawsuits. As the article cited below pointed out: “the path to final resolution remains complex” after multiple attempts at bankruptcy filings had been rejected by US courts. See: Johnson & Johnson Confronts the End of its Talc Legacy with Multi-Billion Dollar Settlements.
 

Calls for Compensation after Court Ruling

Sep 25, 2025

Following a ruling by the Rome Court of Appeal, which recognized that “all the inhabitants of Priolo, Melilli, Augusta and Syracuse have been exposed to asbestos dust,” calls were made for an interministerial collaboration to progress efforts to eradicate asbestos contamination, institute medical and health screening programs and provide pension benefits to individuals classed as high risk in these locations. See: Amianto, ”cittadini esposti.” Pressing dopo la sentenza della Corte d’Appello: “Bonifiche e risarcimenti” [Asbestos, “exposed citizens.” After ruling by the Court of Appeal Pressing for: “Reclamation and compensation”].
 

Asbestos Eradication Program

Sep 25, 2025

Citing health and safety concerns, the Kenyan government plans to spend 648 million Kenya Shilling (US$50,000) to replace decades-old asbestos-cement water pipes at the Aguthi Water Project in the Tetu Constituency. According to Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa, the 1970s pipes can cause multiple health problems, including cancer, and need to be renewed as a matter or public health. They will be replaced with modern High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes, which are “more durable and environmentally friendly,” said Mugaa. See: Government to Spend KSh648 Million to Replace Asbestos Water Pipes in Tetu.
 

Removal of Toxic Pipes

Sep 25, 2025

The Taibilla Canals Association, a water treatment supplier in Cartagena, Spain, announced the commencement of a major infrastructure project to replace two kilometers of aging asbestos-cement water pipes serving Torrevieja, a seaside resort town on Spain's Costa Blanca. This work is being undertaken as part of a European drive to replace hazardous pipes with safer alternatives. The new pipes are made of ductile iron. To avoid disruption to water delivery supplies, the project will be conducted in a phased manner. See: Torrevieja asbestos pipes set for replacement.
 

Slow Progress in Asbestos Eradication

Sep 25, 2025

Deteriorating asbestos-cement roofing, containing up to 15% asbestos, on abandoned buildings throughout South Korea poses a serious threat to public health. This material was widely used in the 1960s and 1970s and was especially popular in rural areas. The progress achieved by the Ministry of Environment on the demolition of these buildings has been slow. Having dealt with 300,000 toxic units since 2011, 813,704 such properties remained as of the end of 2024. Budgetary constraints are the cause of the delays with funding available for the demolition of only 20,000 buildings per year. See: ‘조용한 살인자’ 석면 지붕…“정비 시급” [Asbestos roofs, the “silent killer,” need urgent repairs].
 

A Working Class Hero!

Sep 22, 2025

The pioneering work of Hull asbestos campaigner Richard (Dick) Jackson, the founder of the Hull Asbestos Action Group, was remembered in the timely piece cited below by veteran journalist Angus Young, which reviewed a book published this month called: Bad Dust: A History of the Asbestos Disaster. Until his death from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, Jackson campaigned to raise the asbestos alert and provided support for the injured. All told, he “fought more than 250 compensation cases on behalf of asbestos victims, all of them in a voluntary capacity.” He traveled extensively in the UK and went to important meetings in Europe and Brazil (1994) to spread the word about asbestos. See: The forgotten Hull hero who battled against a hidden killer.
 

Moby Drea: Update

Sep 22, 2025

News circulated last week suggested that maritime authorities in the Italian port of Taranto had prohibited the asbestos-laden Italian ferry the Moby Drea from docking to safeguard public health and protect “the marine and coastal ecosystem of the Ionian area.” The Mayor of Taranto City, Piero Bitetti, concurred with this decision and pledged to keep local people apprised of new developments regarding the “ghost ship.” In August, 2025, the vessel had been sent to Croatia for unspecified renovations but was expelled from the country after a public uproar over the presence of asbestos on the ship. See: Porto di Taranto, stop all’arrivo del "Traghetto dell'Amianto" [Taranto Port: The “Asbestos Ferry” has been stopped].
 

T&N’s Toxic Legacy

Sep 22, 2025

The 20th century operations of the now bankrupt British asbestos multinational Turner & Newall Ltd. (T&N) left a deadly legacy which continues to endanger the lives of people in Bulembu, Eswatini – formally known as Swaziland. Local people live in a landscape dominated by 50 million tonnes of toxic waste created by asbestos mining at T&N’s Havelock Mine, the largest asbestos mine in Africa. According to an expert’s report, this contamination constitutes a “substantial potential environmental hazard” for people living in and/or visiting the area. See: The small town living alongside 50 million tons of asbestos waste.
 

Landmark Project in Corsica

Sep 22, 2025

Work will begin in October 2025 on the deconstruction of the toxic eyesore where asbestos mining and milling operations had been carried out for 60 years on Corsica; the worksite had been nicknamed “the white hell” by the miners. This had been the site of France’s largest asbestos production facility. From 1949 until 1965, it had been owned by a subsidiary of the Eternit asbestos company. The site was abandoned by its former owner and it is the taxpayer who is footing the bill for decontamination work that is scheduled for completion by June 2026 at a cost of €6.9 million (US$8.1m). See: En Corse, l'usine de la plus grande mine d'amiante de France "déconstruite" [In Corsica, the factory of the largest asbestos mine in France “deconstructed”].
 

Bipartisan Support for Asbestos Bill

Sep 22, 2025

On Sept. 16, 2025 a bill – titled: Alan-Reinstein-Ban-Asbestos-Now-Act-of-2025 – was presented to the US Congress by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley (Democrat) and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat) and Don Bacon (Republican) to ban “the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce of all six recognized asbestos fibers” not already prohibited by 2024 legislation adopted by the Biden Administration. Explaining the need for this new legislation, Senator Merkley said: “We know asbestos is a killer, and Americans deserve to have a future free of exposure to this deadly carcinogen.” It has been estimated that 40,000 people die from asbestos-related diseases in the US every year. See: Merkley, Bonamici, Bacon Partner on Bipartisan Legislation to Ban Toxic Asbestos, Save Lives.
 

Government Pro-Asbestos Policy

Sep 22, 2025

In a government press release issued on September 19, 2025 by Uzbekistan, the world’s largest per capita asbestos-using country, the official Information Service Bureau reconfirmed the national policy supporting continued use of asbestos roofing materials. According to the statement: “Uzbekistan produces only chrysotile-asbestos fiber cement roofing sheets, with raw materials imported from Russia, Kazakhstan, and China.” Based on its research, the Ministry of Health concluded that “the use of chrysotile asbestos in the production of roofing materials and wastewater pipelines” did not pose a risk to health. See: Use of Chrysotile-Cement Roofing Sheets Declared Safe — Official Clarification.
 

Update from Jakarta Court

Sep 19, 2025

The article cited below, which was uploaded on September 16, 2025, reported on developments in a case brought by an Indonesian asbestos industry trade association against campaigners and groups that won a Supreme Court verdict mandating the use of hazard warnings on all asbestos-cement roofing products. The accused allege that this litigation is a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) intended to intimidate and silence civil society criticism. These legal proceedings attracted international interest with submissions from groups in Europe, Asia, and Australia supporting the campaigners. See: Central Jakarta District Court Obtains Support From International Experts To Reject Lawsuit Of Asbestos Industry Association.