News Archive

Earlier this month, it was reported that a Brazilian Court had unanimously confirmed the conviction of an unnamed company which had been found guilty of causing the asbestosis death of a worker. The Court denied the defendant’s application to exhume the body of the deceased in order to extract samples “to prove that the cause of death was smoking” and not workplace asbestos exposures. The Seventh Panel of the Superior Labor Court increased the compensation award for moral damages to R$150,000 (US$28,280), due to the seriousness of the case and the history of similar lawsuits against the company. See: Justiça nega pedido de exumação para definir causa da morte de trabalhador [Court denies request for exhumation to determine cause of worker's death].

Asbestos Cancer at Steel Mills

Jan 8, 2026

The First Panel of the Regional Labor Court of the 3rd Region (TRT-3) of the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, last month issued a victim’s verdict in a case brought by the family of Manoel Abel de Oliveira who died as a result of nasopharyngeal neoplasia – a rare throat cancer – which had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. Each of the three heirs was awarded R$500,000 (US$93,000) in compensation for indirect moral damages from Oliveira’s employer, the steelmaking company Usiminas, which had failed in its duty to protect workers. See: Reforço na luta da Abrea para as vítimas do amianto [Strengthening ABREA's fight for asbestos victims].

Award for Campaigners!

Dec 19, 2025

The very timely article cited below reported on a ceremony held by São Paulo City to present a prestigious municipal award to the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed which marked its 30th anniversary last week. The December 12, 2025 proceedings at City Hall provided the opportunity for ABREA officials and members, trade unionists, civil servants, São Paulo City and federal politicians to reflect on ABREA’s struggle, the obstacles it faced and the almost insurmountable challenges it overcame. See: Câmara de SP concede a Salva de Prata à Associação Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto [The São Paulo City Council awards the Silver Salute to the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed].

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].

Mexican Asbestos Documentary

Nov 10, 2025

A new documentary from Mexico was premiered in São Paulo by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) at 10 a.m. on November 8, 2025 at the headquarters of the Osasco Trade Union. The film tells the story of people who worked for the asbestos-cement building products’ company Asbestos of Mexico in San Pedro Barrientos. Although operations ceased 35 years ago, former workers and local people are continuing to die from occupational and environmental asbestos exposures. The film was shown with Portuguese subtitles. See: Tepemaxalco: Colina que embala com o vento. (Documentário, 2025) | Trailer Oficial | ABREA [Tepemaxalco: A Hill That Rocks with the Wind. (Documentary, 2025) | Official Trailer | ABREA].

Stalemate at Court!

Nov 3, 2025

The October 28, 2025 blog by Fernanda Giannasi cited below reported the latest disappointing development at Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) which has, yet again, postponed the decision on a case regarding the unconstitutionality of a State law contravening the 2017 national asbestos ban ordered by the Court. On October 27, 2025 STF Justice André Mendonça declined to cast his ballot in the legal action and claimed that an additional review of the facts was needed. Five votes have already upheld the illegality of the Goiás State exemption which allowed asbestos mining to continue despite the STF ban. See: Amianto: André Mendonça pede vistas e atrasa processo pelo banimento, por Fernanda Giannasi [Asbestos: André Mendonça requests review and delays ban process, by Fernanda Giannasi].

Victim’s Verdict!

Nov 3, 2025

In a stunning judicial ruling, the Second Panel of the Regional Labor Court of the 6th Region (TRT-6) in Brazil reversed a lower court verdict and awarded a family compensation for the asbestos-related death of a construction worker, 45 years after he had been occupationally exposed to asbestos. The Court concluded that there was sufficient evidence about the deceased’s exposure to asbestos and that this exposure had compromised this worker's pulmonary system and caused his death. See: Segunda Turma do TRT-6 concede indenização por danos morais à família de trabalhador vítima de exposição ao amianto [Second Panel of the TRT-6 awards compensation for moral damages to the family of a worker who was a victim of asbestos exposure].

Post-Ban Asbestos Issues

Oct 17, 2025

The article cited below considered ongoing health challenges in Brazil despite the national asbestos ban (2017). Having highlighted the hazard posed by asbestos liberated by disasters such as the floods which affected 484 municipalities in 2024, the authors stressed the importance of developing a national asbestos management plan which “should include measures for prevention, safe identification, and removal of materials containing asbestos, as well as providing training and provision of protective equipment for workers and residents, with a focus on vulnerable areas such as urban hillside regions.” See: O perigo oculto do amianto em situações de desastres: reflexões para futuros enfrentament [The hidden danger of asbestos in disaster situations: reflections for future confrontation].

MPT Victory over Eternit in Bahia

Oct 9, 2025

Under Brazilian legislation, when a worker is injured or becomes ill due to working conditions, companies are obliged to communicate this fact – with the use of a form referred to as a CAT – to the Social Security Administration (INSS). For decades Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate: Eternit S/A failed to do this for workers at its factories in Bahia. The Labor Prosecutor's Office (MPT) in 2017 filed a lawsuit against the company for non-compliance. In the latest development in this case, Judge Viviane Maria Leite de Faria ordered Eternit to issue the required documentation to eligible employees. If the company fails to do so, it will be fined. See: Fernanda Giannasi: A Eternit é mais uma vez derrotada na Justiça [Fernanda Giannasi: Eternit is once again defeated in court].

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?].

Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard

Sep 19, 2025

A paper uploaded on September 15, 2024 to the website of SciELO – the Scientific Electronic Library Online is a Brazilian online initiative to facilitate the publication of open access research – delineated problems common to current or former asbestos-using countries stemming from the widespread contamination of national infrastructures. In the event of natural or man-made disasters, damaged asbestos-containing material poses a serious health hazard to first responders, emergency, and humanitarian workers, as well as to people living in affected areas. See: O perigo oculto do amianto em situações de desastres: reflexões para futuros enfrentamentos [The hidden danger of asbestos in disaster situations: reflections for future responses].

Cause and Effect

Sep 12, 2025

A thought-provoking and comprehensive piece by journalism professor Solano Nascimento, juxtaposing deadly political ploys with the human consequences they caused, put into stark relief the actions taken by Eternit SA (Brazil’s sole remaining asbestos conglomerate), the Supreme Court, and Goiás State Governor Ronaldo Caiado to postpone the closure of the chrysotile asbestos mine in Minaçu, Goiás. As endless legal and judicial wrangling continued, victims of asbestos-related diseases in Goiás – most of whom had worked at the mine – now struggled for every breath. See [subscription site]: Questões venenosas. Sociedade para a morte [Poisonous Issues. A Society for Death].

Early Retirement for Asbestos Workers?

Sep 9, 2025

Federal deputies in the lower house of Brazil’s National Congress – the Chamber of Deputies – are actively considering plans to lower the age of retirement for people employed in high-risk occupations, including those who mined, processed or handled raw asbestos in mining and also in downstream industries, such as the manufacture of automotive and/or asbestos-cement products, under provisions of Bill (PLP) 42/2023. Depending on the severity of the occupational exposure, applications for early retirement after 15-25 years of service could be granted. See: Aposentadoria especial: a idade mínima vai mudar [Special retirement: the minimum age will change].

Impact of Asbestos Mining in Bahia

Aug 22, 2025

An outreach program implemented earlier this year revealed the horrific level of damage still being done by asbestos production, even though the local mine in Bahia was shut in 1967. According to recently released data, of the 584 people tested, all of whom at high-risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease, 68 were positive, with almost half of them reporting environmental exposures to asbestos. The research was organized by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed and the Association of Asbestos-Contaminated Victims and Exposed Families in collaboration with workers’ health activists and organizations including Fiocruz, InCOR, Hospital de Amor and the Public Ministry of Labor. See: Mesmo proibido, o amianto ainda faz vítimas [Even though it is banned, asbestos still claims victims].

National Asbestos Dialogue

Aug 20, 2025

The article cited below by Hermano Albuquerque de Castro and Fernanda Giannasi was published last week in the Fiocruz Journal for the 5th National Conference on Workers' Health. Within the context of a discussion on occupational health and the environment, the authors examined legal, political, and social developments in the history of asbestos use in Brazil, for years the world’s 3rd largest asbestos producer. For decades, vested interests advanced the specious policy of “controlled and safe use of asbestos” to prevent the implementation of measures to protect citizens from potentially deadly exposures. See: Workers’ rights in the context of the ‘UNsafe and UNcontrolled’ use of asbestos in Brazil

From Asbestos to Rare Earth Mining

Jul 21, 2025

The lengthy article cited below examined the advantages and disadvantages posed by the shift in economic priorities of a small mining town – Minaçu, in the Brazilian State of Goiás – from asbestos to rare earth mineral mining. Despite reassurances by Mayor Carlos Alberto Lereia, that there is no public health problem in Minaçu, there is a local epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. Inhabitants of the city have expressed concerns over the possible health repercussions of the significant deterioration in water quality as a result of the mining activities for rare earth minerals. See: Do amianto às terras raras, cidade de Goiás vive entre passado e futuro da mineração [From asbestos to rare earths, a city in Goiás lives between the past and future of mining].

From Asbestos to Rare Earth Minerals

Jul 7, 2025

The sole remaining operational asbestos mine in Latin America is in the Brazilian city of Minaçu. In 2024, the Serra Verde mining company – backed by US investors – began extracting rare earth minerals at a Minaçu site. With the collapse in global asbestos use, local people are looking to this new industrial sector to secure the town’s future. According to Mayor Carlos Alberto Leréia, revenues from Serra Verde “will bring enormous wealth to the city.” While some locals expressed concerns about the adverse environmental and health consequences of the new mining venture, others wondered whether the promised riches would filter down to the company’s workers and local people. See: Brazil’s last asbestos miners are switching to rare earth minerals. Can they offer a brighter future?

STF Stalemate Continues

Jun 26, 2025

Although the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) banned asbestos production, processing and sales in 2017, asbestos operations continue at the country’s sole mine. All of the white (chrysotile) fiber produced at the Cana Brava mine is exported. Litigation regarding the unconstitutionality of this state-of-affairs has disappeared into a judicial black hole in Brasilia. On June 21, 2025, Caio Henrique Salgado reported in “O Popular” – a Brazilian newspaper based in the asbestos mining state of Goiás – that the President of the STF had once again postponed a hearing on the asbestos litigation. See [behind paywall]: Presidente do STF prorroga vista e volta a adiar julgamento sobre amianto [President of the Supreme Federal Court extends the hearing and postpones the trial on asbestos again].

Sad News from São Paulo

Jun 2, 2025

The death was reported last week of Brazilian trade unionist and state/municipal politician Marcos Martins. He died in a São Paulo hospital on May 25, 2025, aged 79. As a councilman in Osasco, an industrial town near São Paulo, Martins had been a stalwart supporter of the group formed in 1995 by Brazilian asbestos victims, many of who had worked at the Osasco asbestos-cement factory owned by the Eternit Group. When he was a member of São Paulo’s Legislative Assembly, Martins authored Law 12.684/07, which banned the use of asbestos in the state of São Paulo. See: Marcos Martins, ex-deputado estadual e histórico militante do PT, morre aos 79 anos [Marcos Martins, former state deputy and historic PT activist, dies at 79].

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].

São Paulo Legal Victory

May 6, 2025

Recognizing the causal link between workplace asbestos exposure and the asbestos lung cancer contracted by a retired worker, a São Paulo Regional Labor Court doubled to R$200,000 (US$35,000) the compensation for moral damages and awarded the 80-year-old retired Eternit worker a lifetime monthly pension equivalent to 100% of his final salary. The verdict condemned the company for failing to take timely measures to eliminate the use of asbestos from its production processes. See: Justiça concede dano moral e pensão mensal vitalícia a trabalhador com doença causada por inalação de amianto [Court awards moral damages and a lifetime monthly pension to a worker with a disease caused by asbestos inhalation].

Commentary on Asbestos Stalemate

May 6, 2025

The Spanish language articled cited below from the Argentine online newspaper “Infobae” recapped Brazil’s struggle to ban asbestos, quoting leading campaigners who denounced the country’s failure to end the “environmental racism” represented by the production of asbestos fiber for export purposes only. Brazil, the author noted, “accounts for an estimated 10% of asbestos-related deaths worldwide, estimated at between 110,000 and 150,000, given that many go undiagnosed or unreported, especially in developing countries.” See: El amianto, una sustancia prohibida en Brasil, desató un intenso debate en el Supremo por una mina autorizada en Goiás [Asbestos, a banned substance in Brazil, sparked an intense debate in the Supreme Court over an authorized mine in Goiás].

Pioneering Asbestos Outreach Project

Apr 23, 2025

Results reported this month of a medical surveillance program of at-risk populations in the Brazilian State of Bahia raised serious concerns about the ongoing legacy of the commercial exploitation of asbestos at the Sao Felix Asbestos Mine in Bom Jesus da Serra and Poçoes. Out of a total cohort of 584 people examined, 66 were diagnosed with one or more asbestos-related diseases: 30% had been exposed at work with the remaining 70% exposed to asbestos in the environment. See: Estudo revela impactos do amianto na saúde da população do sudoeste baiano [Study reveals the impacts of asbestos on the health of the population in southwest Bahia].

Asbestos Medical Outreach

Apr 14, 2025

The article cited below reported on the second phase of an asbestos outreach project in a former asbestos mining town in the northeast of Brazil. The results of a screening project organized in 2024 by the Public Ministry of Labor, the Brazilian Association of Asbestos Exposed and the Association of Asbestos-Contaminated Victims and Exposed Families showed that of the 584 people evaluated: 66 were diagnosed with one or more asbestos-related diseases; 30% of participants reported occupational exposures to asbestos; 70% reported environmental exposures. See: Estudo revela impactos do amianto na saúde da população do sudoeste baiano – MPT-BA [Study reveals impacts of asbestos on the health of the population of southwestern Bahia – MPT-BA].

International Asbestos Conference

Apr 7, 2025

The 4th International Seminar on Surveillance of Asbestos Exposed Persons: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Health, Work and the Environment is being held in Rio de Janeiro on April 8 and 9, 2025. The event is being organized by The Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health (ENSP/Fiocruz), the Labor Prosecutor's Office (MPT), the Brazilian Association of Asbestos Exposed Persons (ABREA), and partnering organizations at home and abroad. The packed agenda will feature speakers from Brazil, Italy, Australia, Colombia, Portugal, and the US. See: Exposição ao amianto é tema de seminário internacional [Asbestos exposure is topic of an international seminar].

STF Asbestos Impasse

Mar 24, 2025

The article cited below highlighted the failure of Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) to deliver a ruling by the published deadline of March 14, 2025 regarding the unconstitutionality of a Goiás state law allowing asbestos mining and exporting to continue in contravention of the country’s 2017 asbestos ban. Criticism of the continued stalemate was expressed by Brazilian asbestos victims’ campaigners, academics and medical experts as well as by international activists. See: Amianto: Último refúgio de mineral cancerígeno em GO segue sem destino definido no STF [Asbestos: Last refuge of carcinogenic mineral in GO remains without a defined destination in the STF].

Explanation for Asbestos Stalemate

Mar 20, 2025

As people in Brazil awaited the final decision in a long-standing case over illegal asbestos exports from Brazil, Supreme Court Justice Nunes Marques threw a spanner into the deliberations by claiming he needed more time to study the case (ADI 6200). Coincidentally, an éxpose by the Globo organization was circulating which showed the same Judge partying in September 2024 with Ronaldo Caiado, the Governor of the asbestos mining state of Goiás. See: Ministro Nunes Marques pede vista em Sessão do STF e adia decisão sobre fechamento da SAMA em Minaçu [Minister Nunes Marques requests review of STF session and postpones decision on closing SAMA in Minaçu].

Legal Victory in São Paulo!

Mar 11, 2025

The Labor Court in São Caetano do Sul (Greater São Paulo) ordered Saint-Gobain, the owner of the Brasilit company, to pay compensation of R$1 million (US$170,860) to the family of a worker who died of pleural mesothelioma as a result of workplace exposure to asbestos. The deceased had been employed at the Brasilit factory in São Caetano do Sul. See [subscription site]: Empresa é condenada a pagar R$ 1 mi a família de trabalhador morto após uso de amianto [Company ordered to pay R$1 million to family of worker killed after using asbestos].

Asbestos at Supreme Court

Mar 11, 2025

The article cited below recapped the background to the ongoing deliberations at the Brazilian Supreme Court regarding a Goiás state law which directly contravened a Supreme Court (STF) decision outlawing the production, processing and sale of asbestos fiber. A final decision is expected by March 14, 2025 with campaigners hopeful that the STF’s verdict will support their efforts to protect Brazilian citizens and others from potentially lethal exposures to an acknowledged carcinogen. See: Banido no país, amianto volta a ser pauta no STF por causa de lei em Goiás [Banned in the country, asbestos is once again on the agenda of the STF due to a law in Goiás].

Deadly Exports Despite National Ban

Feb 28, 2025

The ongoing production and export of asbestos from Brazil continues to pose a deadly health hazard to workers as well as members of the public. In contravention of the national asbestos ban, a 2019 Goiás State law allows asbestos production to continue at the Cana Brava mine in Minaçu. According to Engineer Fernanda Giannasi, of the Brazilian Association of People Exposed to Asbestos (ABREA): “every load that leaves the mine exposes workers and communities to risk. The permanence of asbestos in the Brazilian logistics chain is a reflection of the ineffectiveness of laws and the lack of oversight.” See: Brasil permanece como o terceiro maior exportador mundial de amianto [Brazil remains the world's third largest exporter of asbestos].

Legal Victory for Victim’s Family

Feb 10, 2025

Last week, Labor Judge Álvaro Marcos Cordeiro Maia from the Simões Filho court in the Brazilian State of Bahia ordered that a metallurgical company which had employed a furnace operator who had subsequently died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma had been negligent in failing to protect him from toxic exposures. The deceased had worked for the company for fifteen years. The Judge accepted that the fatal cancer had been caused by workplace asbestos exposures and ordered the company to pay the surviving children R$300,000 (US$52,250). See: Filhos de operário morto por exposição a amianto receberão R$ 300 mil [Children of worker killed by asbestos exposure will receive R$300,000].

Remember the São Paulo?

Jan 24, 2025

Almost two years after the infamous Brazilian aircraft carrier the São Paulo was deliberately sunk by the Brazilian navy 350 km off the coast, the article cited below recapped the background to this international scandal, asserting that “the Navy spent R$37.2 million (US$6.1m) to sink the decommissioned aircraft carrier São Paulo, which had been sold for R$10 million.” The vessel was contaminated with a cocktail of toxic products including asbestos-containing fireproofing and insulating materials. See: Porta-aviões da Marinha do Brasil foi afundado no Atlântico após navegar sem rumo por 6 meses [Brazilian Navy aircraft carrier sunk in the Atlantic after sailing aimlessly for 6 months].

Asbestos Ban Proposal in RS

Jan 20, 2025

The Legislative Assembly of the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) is considering a bill submitted by Congressman Gustavo Victorino banning the use of asbestos-containing products by public bodies. Despite a Supreme Court (STF) 2017 verdict that prohibited asbestos use, toxic products remain within the built environment. “For this reason,” Congressman Victorino said “it is necessary to adopt measures that ensure the replacement of materials containing asbestos that have already been installed, in a technical and safe manner, in line with current legislation and the STF decision.” See: Projeto proíbe o uso de produtos à base de amianto nos órgãos da administração pública do RS [Bill prohibits the use of asbestos-based products by public administration bodies in RS].

Goiás’s Defiance of Supreme Court

Jan 16, 2025

Despite a 2017 verdict by Brazil’s Supreme Court outlawing the production, processing and use of asbestos, mining operations in the city of Minaçu continue under an illegal exemption granted by the State of Goiás. Brazil is now the world’s third largest asbestos producer and it seems the Court has lost the inclination to shut down an industry which is liberally dispensing contributions to politicians and others. The consequences for the workers and the townspeople are as predictable as they are dire as the story of one asbestos victim, referred to as B, illustrates. This is a devastating and timely article which deserves to be read. See: Proibido no Brasil, amianto ganha sobrevida com 'lei própria' em Goiás [Banned in Brazil, asbestos gains a new lease of life with its own law in Goiás].

Asbestos Dichotomy

Jan 13, 2025

The continued mining and export of asbestos in contravention of a Supreme Court 2017 verdict outlawing the asbestos industry was the focus of the January 10th opinion piece cited below. Condemning the illegal continuation of this toxic industry, Engineer Fernanda Giannasi said: “It’s not just about mining; every load that leaves the mine exposes workers and communities to risk. The persistence of asbestos in the Brazilian logistics chain is a reflection of the ineffectiveness of the laws and the lack of oversight. How long will the transportation and export of this deadly mineral be tolerated?” See: Brasil é o terceiro maior exportador, mesmo com banimento [Brazil is the third largest exporter, despite the ban].

Legal Victory in Rio de Janeiro

Dec 19, 2024

A Regional Labor Court in Rio de Janeiro ordered the São Paulo company Teadit, a producer of asbestos-containing construction materials, to pay compensation of R$1.1 million (US$179,000) to the family of a former employee who died aged 72 in 2018 from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. According to the judge: “it cannot be forgotten that the employer contributed to the illness that killed the employee, since it did not provide him with the necessary safety to perform his duties.” See: Justiça manda indenizar família de homem morto por exposição a amianto [Court orders compensation for family of man killed by asbestos exposure].

Victim’s Appeal Victory

Dec 17, 2024

A unanimous decision by the Regional Labor Court of Rio Grande do Sul, which overturned a ruling by a lower court, ordered an automotive parts manufacturer to pay compensation of 100,000 Brazilian reais (US$16,600) to a press operator who developed irreversible lung disease – interstitial pulmonary fibrosis – due to workplace asbestos exposures. The claimant had been employed by the company for 38 years. The decision can be appealed. See: Indústria de peças automotivas deve indenizar aposentado que desenvolveu doença pulmonar após mais de 30 anos de trabalho em contato com amianto [Auto parts industry must compensate retiree who developed lung disease after more than 30 years of working in contact with asbestos].

Asbestos Mining Continues Despite Ban

Dec 17, 2024

The extremely thoughtful and informed article cited below described the ongoing asbestos contradiction which exists in Brazil. Despite the fact that the production, processing and transport of asbestos was banned years ago by the Supreme Court, the Cana Brava chrysotile (white) asbestos mine – owned by SAMA Minerações (SAMA Minerals) – continues to operate in Goiás State. In contravention of national asbestos prohibitions, Goiás legislators adopted a law postponing the deadline for ending asbestos mining until 2029. See: Proíbido e cancerígeno, ainda se extrai Amianto no Brasil [Banned and carcinogenic, asbestos is still extracted in Brazil].

Victim’s Victory in São Paulo

Dec 3, 2024

Judge José Luiz Xavier of the 2nd Chamber of the Regional Labor Court of Brazil’s 1st Region (Rio de Janeiro) confirmed a lower court verdict ordering the São Paulo manufacturer of construction materials Teadit to pay compensation of ~R$1.1 million (US$181,200) to the family of an employee who died, aged 72, from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in 2018. According to the Judge: “the employer contributed to the illness that killed the employee, since it did not provide him with the necessary safety to perform his duties…” See: Justiça manda indenizar família de homem morto por exposição a amianto [Court orders compensation for family of man killed by asbestos exposure].

Conflicted Asbestos Policy Reflections

Oct 30, 2024

Brazilian developments are discussed in the feature cited below in light of asbestos prohibitions adopted in the US earlier this year. Although the Supreme Court (STF) banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos in Brazil in 2017, asbestos production for export purposes continues at the asbestos mine in Goiás State. The STF was scheduled to rule on shutting down the mine weeks ago but instead said that the decision had been postponed. See: EUA proíbem compra e uso de amianto no país e estimulam Brasil a discutir prejuízos de ser o terceiro maior produtor do material para exportação no mundo [US bans purchase and use of asbestos in the country and encourages Brazil to discuss the losses of being the third largest producer of this material for export in the world].

Shame on Them!

Oct 25, 2024

The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) once again fudged asbestos litigation intended to shut down mining operations that were in contravention of the country’s constitution as well as a nationwide asbestos ban. STF virtual proceedings began on October 18, 2024. On October 23, Minister (STF Judge) Alexandre de Moraes inexplicably interrupted the trial and said the decision would be postponed indefinitely even though it was known that the majority of STF judges supported shutting down the Goiás State asbestos mine owned by Eternit S.A. – Brazil’s one-time asbestos giant. See: Supremo Tribunal Federal (Supreme Court) Agenda – ADI 6200.

Supreme Court to Rule on Asbestos Mining?

Oct 22, 2024

On October 18, 2024, Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) held a virtual plenary session to discuss proposals which would allow asbestos mining for export purposes to continue for another five years. The law [20.514/2019] under which this contravention of the Brazilian asbestos ban persists was passed by the State of Goiás and is almost certainly unconstitutional. The STF was due to give a final ruling on shutting down mining operations months ago. The scheduled date for the verdict came and went with nothing further said about the pending asbestos litigation. Another hearing is set for October 25, 2024.

Yet Another Legal Defeat for Eternit

Oct 15, 2024

The 4th Division of a Regional Labor Court in São Paulo, last week ordered Brazil’s asbestos giant Eternit, SA to pay compensation of R$1 million (US$178,000) to a worker who had contracted mesothelioma as a result of workplace asbestos exposures. The 76-year old claimant worked for Eternit for thirty years. The plaintiff’s lawyer Janaína Amadeu said the verdict could become a precedent for similar cases. See [subscription site]: Eternit é condenada a pagar R$ 1 milhão a trabalhador que comprometeu pulmão com amianto [Eternit ordered to pay R$1 million to worker whose lungs were compromised by asbestos].

Legal Victory in Porto Alegre

Oct 8, 2024

Judge Rodrigo Machado Coutinho of the 6th Federal Court of Porto Alegre, Brazil ruled on September 29, 2024 that the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) must pay R$100,000 (US$ 18,325) for moral damages to the family of a professor who died of asbestos cancer. The deceased, who had worked as a bacteriologist in a UFRGS lab, had been exposed to asbestos due to UFFRGS’s negligence in failing to implement safeguards. See: UFRGS é condenada a indenizar em R$ 100 mil família de professor que morreu de câncer causado por amianto [UFRGS is ordered to pay R$100,000 in compensation to the family of a professor who died of cancer caused by asbestos].

Increased Payouts for Victims

Sep 17, 2024

The news has been reported from multiple Labor Courts in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais of increased compensation payouts in lawsuits brought by workers for asbestos-related diseases. In a recent trial the amount of damages awarded was raised from R$40,000 (US$7,050) to R$200,000 (US$35,300) by a panel of the Superior Labor Tribunal (TST); another TST panel increased the damages in a similar case from R$50,000 (US$8,900) to R$300,000 (US$53,310) whilst another raised the compensation awarded from R$200,000 (US$35,300) to R$600,000 (US$206,625). See: TST aumenta indenizações a trabalhadores expostos a amianto [TST increases compensation for workers exposed to asbestos].

Asbestos Taskforce in Bahia

Aug 28, 2024

During September 2-21, 2024, 450 asbestos-exposed workers and members of the public in Bom Jesus da Serra and Poções, cities in the Brazilian State of Bahia, will be invited to take part in a medical screening program to detect symptoms of asbestos-related diseases. The pioneering outreach project is jointly coordinated by personnel from the: Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, the Heart Institute of São Paulo and the Labor Public Ministry. Participants will be offered clinical examinations including spirometry tests and computed tomography scans (CTs). See: Ex-funcionários e familiares da SAMA passarão por rastreamento de saúde em Bom Jesus da Serra [Former SAMA employees and their families will undergo health screening in Bom Jesus da Serra].

Mystery at the STF

Aug 16, 2024

The final Supreme Court (STF) verdict on the illegality of asbestos mining in Brazil, in contravention of a 2017 national ban, was scheduled to be handed down on August 14, 2024. Asbestos victims, campaigners and lawyers made their way to Brasilia to stand witness to this historic moment. It never came. With no explanation, the Court carried on business as usual but neglected to deliver the ruling in this case. Observers were dumfounded. Enquiries are ongoing about the reason for the delay/postponement/annulment but, as yet, there is no explanation from the Court. See: STF adia audiência sobre banimento do cancerígeno amianto na mina de Minaçu, em Goiás [STF postpones hearing on banning carcinogenic asbestos at the Minaçu mine in Goiás].

Eternit SA

Aug 16, 2024

As a historic verdict of Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) in an asbestos case was awaited this week, it was reported that a company still profiting from the commercial exploitation of asbestos, which had been banned by the STF in 2017, had seen a 150% increase in exports in recent years. Eternit SA, Brazil’s former asbestos giant, has just emerged from financial restructuring and corporate reorganization after several years of bankruptcy proceedings. The output from the mining operations of the Sama company, an Eternit subsidiary, are exported under an “unconstutional” exemption legislated by Goiás State. See: Eternit fatura com exportação de amianto enquanto espera voto do STF [Eternit makes money from asbestos exports while awaiting the Supreme Court's vote].

Ban Asbestos NOW!

Aug 15, 2024

At the conclusion of a seminar on the “Contemporary challenges of asbestos after the ban” which was held at the headquarters of Fundacentro – the Jorge Duprat Figueiredo Foundation for Occupational Safety and Medicine – in São Paulo City, organizers and speakers signed a letter addressed to the country’s Supreme Court urging that it uphold its 2017 verdict outlawing the asbestos industry. On August 14, the STF is due to give its final ruling on a Goiás State exemption allowing the continued mining of chrysotile (white) asbestos for export purposes. See: Carta ao STF defende banimento total do amianto [Letter to the Supreme Federal Court defends total ban on asbestos].

Eternit Bankruptcy: Update

Aug. 15, 2024

After six years of financial reorganization, on August 9, 2024 Brazilian courts approved the emergence of former asbestos giant Eternit SA from judicial reorganization proceedings necessitated, it was alleged, by the country’s 2017 ban on asbestos. In a statement to reporters, Eternit's chief financial officer Vitor Mallmann said that the process of transitioning from the use of asbestos to polypropylene fiber was “painful.” See: Justiça aprova saída da Eternit (ETER3) da recuperação judicial após 6 anos [Court approves exit of Eternit (ETER3) from judicial reorganization after 6 years].

Upcoming Decision on Asbestos Ban

Jul 16, 2024

The article cited below by veteran ban asbestos campaigner Brazilian Engineer Fernanda Giannasi is an excellent summation of the current state-of-play regarding the process of banning asbestos in Brazil. The commercial exploitation of asbestos was prohibited by order of the Supreme Court (STF) in 2017. Under a state granted exemption, which was and is unconstitutional, asbestos mining continued at the SAMA facility in Goiás State; all the fiber produced was exported. On August 14, 2024, the STF will, after a wait of 7 years, give its ruling on shutting down the mine. See: Fernanda Giannasi: Fim definitivo do amianto no Brasil está nas mãos do STF [Fernanda Giannasi: The definitive end of asbestos in Brazil is in the hands of the STF].

Asbestos Accident in Paraná State

Jul 9, 2024

A truck from the Brazilian city of Goiânia loaded with 47 tonnes of chrysotile asbestos overturned on Brazilian highway PR-092 in Paraná State over the weekend. The 44-year-old driver was injured in the accident and was taken to a local hospital. Broken sacks of asbestos – an acknowledged carcinogen – were photographed on the road and surrounding areas. Brazil’s only operational asbestos mine is located in the city of Minaçu, 300 miles from Goiânia. See: Caminhão carregado de amianto tomba na PR-092, e deixa motorista ferido [Truck loaded with asbestos turns over on PR-092, leaving driver injured].

Rising Exports of Banned Mineral

Jun 4, 2024

The explosive contents of the article cited below have been reverberating throughout Brazilian social media since it appeared last week. The author explained that far from slowing down, asbestos production at the country’s sole remaining mine was increasing, despite a 2017 Supreme Court ruling outlawing the commercial exploitation of asbestos. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Brazil had overtaken Russia as the number one asbestos exporter to India, the biggest asbestos-importing and using country in the world. Campaigners criticized the Supreme Court’s failure to rule on the unconstitutionality of the State law exempting the Cana Brava mine from the national ban. See: Guerra da Ucrânia alavancou exportações de amianto do Brasil [Ukraine war boosted asbestos exports from Brazil].

Exploring the Potential of Mesothelin

May 21, 2024

A paper published by Brazilian pathologists in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Immunology suggested “that the expression of a molecule called mesothelin (a protein synthesized by mesothelioma tumor cells) helps predict the clinical evolution of mesothelioma. And, furthermore, that the protein would be a potential therapeutic target.” In other words, the research findings of A.N. Qualiotto, C.M. Baldavira et al confirmed the importance of mesothelin not only as a biomarker but also as a potential target for treating mesothelioma patients. See: Marcador proteico ajuda a prever mortalidade entre pacientes com tipo agressivo de cancer [Protein marker helps predict mortality among patients with aggressive type of cancer].

Reevaluating National Position on Asbestos

Apr 17, 2024

A well-researched and comprehensive article published on April 12, 2024, reviewed Brazil’s asbestos dossier in light of asbestos prohibitions announced by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last month. The text of this article covered a wide range of material and sources and included a discussion of the World Health Organization’s asbestos policies, Brazilian epidemiological data on asbestos-related diseases and technological progress in creating asbestos-free substitutes. See: Vale a pena ser o terceiro maior produtor de amianto no mundo? [Is it worth being the third largest producer of asbestos in the world?].

Eternit’s Rosy Future?

Mar 4, 2024

Eternit, SA, formerly Brazil’s leading asbestos producing and processing group, has informed the stock exchange of plans to emerge from bankruptcy reorganization in the coming months. Diversification into products for solar energy generation and modular construction have offset losses incurred as a result of the national ban on asbestos. Buoyant statements by CEO Paulo Roberto Andrade about rising corporate profits ring hollow to the Eternit’s many asbestos victims who are still fighting for recognition and compensation for the asbestos-related diseases they contracted as a result of workplace asbestos exposures. See: Muito além do amianto: o futuro da Eternit após a recuperação judicial [Far beyond asbestos: the future of Eternit after judicial recovery].

New Outreach Program in Bahia

Feb 26, 2024

Hundreds of people in the Brazilian cities of Bom Jesus da Serra, Poções, Planalto and Caetanos in the State of Bahia who were exposed to asbestos produced at the São Félix mine will be receiving free medical check-ups under a program to be rolled out over the coming weeks. This initiative is the result of a collaboration among members of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), medical experts in São Paulo and personnel from the Public Ministry of Labor. See: Parceria traz carreta-tomógrafo de última geração para atender vítimas do amianto [Partnership brings state-of-the-art tomograph truck to assist asbestos victims].

Trade Union’s Asbestos Campaign

Jan 26, 2024

FETQUIM – Federação dos Trabalhadores do Ramo Químico da CUT do Estado de São Paulo [Federation of Chemical Workers of CUT of the State of São Paulo] – last week recommitted the union to the fight to ban asbestos in Brazil and protect workers and the public from hazardous exposures. FETQUIM Secretary of Health André H. Alves said: “This fight to ban asbestos belongs to all workers in Brazil. We cannot compromise and the health of workers comes first.” Alves cited the Supreme Court’s 2017 and 2023 decisions banning asbestos and highlighted the important work of the Brazilian Association of the asbestos-exposed in comments he made on January 24, 2024. See: FETQUIM permanece firme na luta contra o amianto [FETQUIM remains firm in the fight against asbestos].

Contentious Proposal by Asbestos Company

Jan 22, 2024

A proposal to compensate asbestos victims with company shares of the defendant which caused their injuries is under consideration by a Brazilian court overseeing the emergence of Eternit S.A. from judicial recovery. Under the scheme, plaintiffs who are awarded in excess of Reais R$250,000 (US$50,750) will be faced with just one realistic option: to receive the R$250,000 in 90 days with the rest being paid in company shares negotiated by the São Paulo Stock Exchange within one year. Alternatively, claimants would have to wait 8½ years to receive the cash value of their court-awarded compensation. See: Eternit propõe indenizar vítima do amianto com… ações da Eternit na Bolsa [Eternit proposes to compensate asbestos victims with… Eternit shares on the stock exchange].

Embracing a Post-Asbestos Future

Jan 10, 2024

Fundocentro – a public institution tasked with promoting occupational health which operates under the auspices of the Brazilian Ministry of Economy – issued a publication outlining the challenges posed to workers by asbestos-containing material incorporated within the national infrastructure. The text in the booklet included information about asbestos and the diseases which can be caused by asbestos exposures; measures for preventing workplace exposures were recommended based on decades of experience in Italy, which banned asbestos in 1992. See: Fundacentro lança cartilhas sobre desamiantagem [Fundacentro launches booklet on asbestos eradication].

Post-Asbestos Regime

Jan 3, 2024

The paper cited below explored some of the ramifications of the asbestos ban promulgated by a 2017 Supreme Court ruling for policy positions adopted by public companies in Brazil. The well-written text focused on issues relating to steps needed to decontaminate the built and natural environment after decades of asbestos mining, processing and consuming. Based on the Portuguese experience, it was suggested that the eradication of the asbestos hazard from schools be prioritized. See: O Banamiento do Amianto no Brasil e os Desafios para as Politicas Publicas em Desemiantagem [Brazil's Asbestos Ban and the Asbestos Removal Policy Challenges for Public Companies].

Brasilia Asbestos Seminar

Nov 28, 2023.

On November 27, 2023, the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee of the Chamber of Deputies held a seminar in Brasilia to consider the risks still posed by asbestos to human health and the environment. In the audience addressed by campaigners and politicians as well as scientific and medical and experts were scores of asbestos victims, family members and supporters. The debate was proposed by Deputy Nilto Tatto, author of Bill 3684/23 which seeks to close “loopholes that still exist” in the mining, commercial exploitation and distribution of asbestos, all of which were banned by the Supreme Court in 2017. See: Comissão realiza seminário para discutir brechas na produção de amianto [Commission will hold seminar to discuss loopholes in asbestos production].

Grassroots Victims’ Support

Nov 24, 2023

On November 22 & 23, 2023, meetings organized by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) took place in Osasco and Capivari, cites in the Brazilian State of São Paulo. Asbestos victims and family members who attended these events were presented with copies of a new ABREA publication updating them on the legal and economic rights of people who had contracted asbestos-related diseases. The sessions were held at the local Chamber of Councillors and were attended by State Deputies as well as local politicians. Next week, ABREA members will travel to Brasilia to demonstrate in front of the Supreme Court over its failure to hand down a decision over an unconstitutional State law allowing asbestos mining to continue despite a Supreme Court asbestos ban.

No Justice for Mario or Bianca

Nov 20, 2023

Naval engineer Mario Necci died aged 75 in 2020 from mesothelioma, having been exposed to asbestos from 1981 to 2013 whilst employed by the Transroll Navegação Company, based in the Brazilian City of Fortaleza. His widow Biana is yet to receive compensation. According to asbestos victims’ campaigner Fernanda Giannasi, although many cases have been settled for workers exposed to asbestos in the metallurgical or construction sectors, there have been few cases brought by workers from the maritime sector. “It is,” she said “difficult in Brazil to convince engineers or specialized workers to take legal action to obtain justice.” See: Vítima do cancerígeno amianto, o engenheiro naval Mario Necci ainda espera por justiça [Victim of the carcinogen asbestos, naval engineer Mario Necci still waits for justice].

Public Hearing in Rio de Janeiro

Nov 20, 2023

A public hearing on asbestos was held on November 7, 2023 in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro; chairing the session was State Deputy Carlos Minc, author of the state’s asbestos ban. Representatives of stakeholders participating in this event included: Eliezer João de Souza, Maria Lúcia Nascimento Carmo and Fernanda Giannasi from the Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), doctors Hermano Castro (Fiocruz) and Jefferson Pires de Freitas (São Paulo Heart Institute), Dr Luiz Tenório (Ministry of Health), Labor Attorney Daniela Elbert and others. See: Fundacentro participa de audiência pública sobre desamiantagem no Rio de Janeiro [Fundacentro participates in public hearing on asbestos eradication in Rio de Janeiro].

Asbestos Propagandists Show of Support

Oct 26, 2023

On October 25, 2023, a delegation of pro-asbestos dignitaries – including Governor Ronaldo Caiado and members of the “Goiás Chrysotile Caucus” – will arrive in Minaçu, in the asbestos mining State of Goiás, to show support for the asbestos industry and voice opposition to plans to interdict mining operations in Minaçu. A Supreme Court (STF) judgment scheduled to be handed down in November could end the state exemption – deemed to be unconstitutional – which allowed mining to continue despite a 2017 STF asbestos ban. See: Comitiva que chega a Minaçu nesta quarta-feira, 25, demonstra força política [Delegation that will arrive in Minaçu this Wednesday, 25th, demonstrates political strength].

Future for Asbestos Giant

Oct 6, 2023

Some while ago, Brazil’s former asbestos giant – Eternit SA– followed the well-trodden path of North American asbestos companies and sought protection from its creditors by going into judicial administration, claiming that Brazil’s asbestos ban had jeopardized the company’s financial prospects. It has remained in judicial reorganization even though it has paid off all its debts. According to one financial analyst: “Despite the obstacles caused by the asbestos ban, Eternit has managed to reinvent itself…[and] undergone a remarkable turnaround, demonstrating substantial improvements in its situation.” See: Turnaround da Eternit (ETER3): Vale a Pena? [Eternit Turnaround (ETER3): Is It Worth It?].

The Recife Charter

Sep 29, 2023

At a meeting of asbestos victims and experts which took place in the Brazilian city of Recife, in the State of Pernambuca earlier this month, participants issued a document called the “Recife Charter” which demanded that workers who had been exposed to asbestos by their employer be provided with the free medical care mandated by Brazilian Law 9,055/1995. Asbestos-injured employees and their family members said that the Brasilit/Saint-Gobain company in Pernambuco was not fulfilling this legal obligation, as a result of which the injured were not able to access medical care. See: Associação Pernambucana dos Expostos ao amianto (APEA) Carta de Recife [Pernambuca Association of those Exposed to Asbestos (APEA) Recife Charter].

José Alberto Siqueira Ate Asbestos

Sep 25, 2023

A rather curious article was uploaded on September 19, 2023 to a news portal in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais; it told the tale of a truck driver who had ingested asbestos fibers after a traffic accident in 1987. When his truck overturned, eight tons of asbestos were scattered on the highway. To reassure reporters on the scene concerned about the hazard posed by the scattered asbestos, driver José Alberto Siqueira ate a handful of it. Now 77 years old, Siqueira told a journalist that he wouldn’t eat asbestos now. See: Estado de Minas descobre vivo o homem que comeu amianto [State of Minas discovers man who ate asbestos alive].

Nasopharyngeal cancer in Minas Gerais

Sep 18, 2023

In Minas Gerais, the family of a Brazilian worker who died from nasopharyngeal cancer was awarded R$600,000 (US$124,420) for moral and material damages, by Labor Judge Luciana Jacob Monteiro de Castro, who ruled that his death had been caused by workplace exposures to asbestos. Previous courts had rejected the case saying that the link between asbestos exposure and cancer had not been proved. See: Família de empregado vítima do amianto será indenizada em meio milhão [Family of employee victim of asbestos will be compensated half a million].

Medical Screening for Asbestos Diseases

Aug 16, 2023

On August 8, group members of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, ABEA & AVICAFE met in Bahia to learn about efforts to set up medical protocols using low dose computed tomography for screening workers who had received toxic exposures at Bahia’s asbestos mine in Bom Jesus da Serra (which closed in 1967), at the Eternit factory in Simões Filho, and at other workplaces where asbestos was used. Prior to this event, an interview on Progresso 103 FM was broadcast, alerting listeners to the health risk posed by the use of Johnson & Johnson baby powder in this very hot part of the country. See: Entrevista de Fernanda Giannasi e Marcos Zanin na Rádio Progresso de Sousa na Paraíba [Interview by Fernanda Giannasi and Marcos Zanin on Rádio Progresso de Sousa in Paraíba].

Confronting the Nation’s Asbestos Legacy

Aug 9, 2023

Outdated laws and practices which allow asbestos stakeholders to exploit legal loopholes were the subject of an interview with Fernanda Giannasi, Co-Founder of ABREA (Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed). ABREA is backing calls by politicians to nullify laws left over from a time before asbestos was banned by the Supreme Court as well as exemptions allowed after the ban which allowed vested interests – represented by the Brazilian Association of the Alkali, Chlorine and Derivatives Industry – to continue to use asbestos in diaphragms for chlorine production ad infinitum. See: Fernanda Giannasi: “Falta pouco para fecharmos a tampa do caixão do amianto” [Fernanda Giannasi: “Not long before we close the lid of the asbestos coffin”].

Asbestos Developments: Update

Aug 9, 2023

The text cited below is a timely commentary on the asbestos stalemate which currently exists in Brazil. Despite a 2017 Supreme Court (STF) verdict outlawing asbestos, asbestos mining continues in Goiás State under cover of a disputed state law. Last week, Federal Deputy Nilto Tatto submitted proposal PL368/23 to the Chamber of Deputies to revoke remnants of Brazil’s outdated “safe use of asbestos” policy. As Brazilians wait for the definitive word on asbestos from the STF, the country remains contaminated and the lives of its citizens are at risk from toxic exposures at home as well as at work. See: Um reforco na luta contra o amianto [Strengthening the fight against asbestos].

The Supreme Court & Asbestos

Aug 7, 2023

A timely commentary featuring an interview with Brazilian ban asbestos campaigner Fernanda Giannasi called on Supreme Court Justices to end the country’s six year and seven months asbestos stalemate and act decisively to uphold the Court’s 2017 verdict outlawing the asbestos industry. A long awaited judgment concerning the illegality of a Goiás state asbestos exemption scheduled to be issued in June 2023 has been delayed yet again until October, 2023. See: Fernanda Giannasi: “Com a devida vênia, ministro, mais um ano para a mineração do amianto equivale à licença para matar no exterior” [Fernanda Giannasi: “With due respect, Minister, one more year for asbestos mining is equivalent to a license to kill abroad”].

Draft Law Proposes Asbestos U-Turn

Aug 7, 2023

On August 2, 2023, Federal Deputy Nilto Tatto tabled law 3684/2023 in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies which called for the repeal of national legislation that, until recently, had supported the fallacious pro-business policy regarding the “safe use of asbestos.” Although asbestos use is now banned in Brazil, asbestos products are ubiquitous throughout the country’s infrastructure. The eradication of the asbestos hazard constitutes a huge liability not only from industrial sites and public buildings but also from privately-owned properties and homes. See: Chamber of Deputies Law PL n. 3684/2023.

Grassroots Asbestos Program

Jul 13, 2023

A short Portuguese language video uploaded to YouTube showed the pioneering work of medical specialists and victims’ campaigners in Brazil. The footage, which was taken in São Paulo on June 22, 2023 and in Rio de Janeiro on June 30 & July 1, 2023, documented the examination and tests conducted on a high-risk cohort of former workers from the asbestos factory once owned by Brasilit, part of the French multinational Saint Gobain. The former asbestos workers travelled to the Heart Institute (INCOR) of the University of São Paulo for medical examinations at the clinic under the supervision of Dr Ubiratan de Paula Santos. The test results were communicated in person during the follow-up meetings. See: Atividades no INCOR, Julho de 2023 [Activities at INCOR, July 2023].

Victim’s Victory in Minas Gerais

Jul 10, 2023

On July 3, 2023, a division of the Superior Labor Court reversed decisions by lower courts and recognized the liability of the owners of a steel plant in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais belonging to Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais SA (Usiminas) for the pharyngeal and throat cancer contracted by an employee who had routinely been exposed to asbestos at work. The complainant had worked for Usiminas for 32 years, beginning in 1979. See: Siderúrgica é responsabilizada por câncer de operador exposto a amianto [Steel company blamed for cancer of operator exposed to asbestos].

Eternit’s Sham “Reinvention”

Jul 6, 2023

Calls by the Brazilian Eternit company, which was the country’s leading asbestos conglomerate for decades and still mines asbestos in the State of Goiás, for government support for its latest business venture promoting the use of solar fiber cement tiles for low cost housing were greeted with outrage by the leaders of asbestos victims’ groups who demanded that before any support was forthcoming, the company must immediately stop all asbestos mining operations and make full restitution to all the workers, members of the public and others who have been injured by exposures to Eternit asbestos. See: Do amianto à energia solar: Eternit leva telha que gera eletricidade para a favela [From asbestos to solar energy: Eternit to make tiles that generate electricity for favela].

Asbestos Eradication of Rio de Janeiro

Jul 4, 2023

In a public hearing on June 29, 2023 at the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, deputy Carlos Minc announced plans to eradicate the asbestos hazard from the State in the presence of asbestos victims, campaigners and their advisors. In due course, deputy Minc will table specific proposals to tackle multiple aspects of the State’s asbestos legacy, including measures that will protect occupational and environmental health, promote sustainable development and safely manage environmental contamination. See: Carlos Minc anuncia audiência pública pelo fim do cancerígeno amianto no Estado, propondo programa pioneiro no país [Carlos Minc announces public hearing for the end of the carcinogen asbestos in the State, proposing a pioneering program in the country].

Supreme Court Criticism

Jun 28, 2023

On a June 22, 2023 transmission of GloboNews – a Brazilian news-based pay TV channel – the journalist and former federal deputy Fernando Gabeira, author in the 1990s of a bill to ban asbestos, criticized Supreme Court Minister (Judge) Alexandre de Moraes who, in a recent judgment, advocated that the production of asbestos at the chrysotile (white asbestos) mine in Goiás State be allowed to continue for another year for export purposes. See: Comentário de Fernando Gabeira: Encontro marcado: Lula e Alexandre de Moraes se aproximam [Comment by Fernando Gabeira: scheduled meeting of Lula and Alexandre de Moraes draws closer].

Asbestos Outreach Project

Jun 28, 2023

A new project has been started by the Department of Health of the Brazilian city of Capivari, São Paulo State to support the asbestos-injured. The aim is to screen 3,000 former workers or others who had toxic exposures for symptoms of asbestos-related diseases and/or cancers such as mesothelioma. Patients will be examined at the health unit at the IST Outpatient Clinic at a convenient time as set by the patient. For additional information about access to this and other related services, contact the Department of Health by phone (19) 3492-8200, from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. See: Campanha de assistência médica gratuita à quem teve contato com amianto tem início [Program of free medical assistance to those who had contact with asbestos begins].

“Crushing Defeat” for Asbestos Industry

Jun 26, 2023

On June 16, 2023, Brazil’s Supreme Court unanimously rejected the arguments of asbestos stakeholders from the National Confederation of Workers in Industry who challenged the legitimacy of asbestos bans in the States of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and City of São Paulo. In a virtual plenary session, the Judges expressed disdain for the asbestos industry’s rhetoric that: chrysotile (white) asbestos could be used safely under controlled conditions; the inhalation of chrysotile fibers are not harmful to human health; banning chrysotile mining, processing and export would cause massive unemployment and financial ruin to communities reliant on the industry. See: Indústria do cancerígeno amianto sofre mais uma derrota no STF [Asbestos carcinogen industry suffers another defeat in the STF].

Supreme Court Asbestos Ruling

Jun 19, 2023

On June 16, 2023, President of the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) Rosa Weber issued her ruling in the long-running case regarding a law passed by Goiás State which countermanded a 2017 Supreme Court verdict outlawing the commercial exploitation of asbestos in Brazil. According to Weber, the Goiás law was unconstitutional; the most important thing, she noted, was the “preservation of the right to health, and to the ecologically balanced environment.” Earlier this month, Judge Alexander Moraes allowed the industry another year to mine asbestos fibers. The other STF judges are yet to issue their decisions. See: Presidente do STF, Rosa Weber, vota contra o cancerígeno amianto [President of the STF, Rosa Weber, votes against carcinogenic asbestos].

Supreme Court: Update

Jun 14, 2023

Years after Brazil’s Supreme Court issued its judgment banning the use of asbestos throughout the country, asbestos is still being produced and exported. Pending litigation before the Court could, once and for all, end the travesty whereby asbestos is deemed too dangerous to be used at home and yet is casually being sold overseas. On June 9, 2023, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued a ruling supporting the continued exploitation of chrysotile (white) asbestos at the country’s sole remaining mine. Decisions from the other Supreme Court justices should be handed down by the middle of the month. See: Ministro Alexandre de Moraes concede mais um ano de sobrevida à indústria do amianto [Minister Alexandre de Moraes grants one more year of survival to the asbestos industry].

Grassroots Asbestos Mobilization

May 25, 2023

On May 20, 2023, former employees of the Brasilit company gathered at an asbestos meeting organized by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) in São Caetano do Sul in São Paulo state. The participants engaged in discussions and planning for a July 2023 ABREA workshop on workers’ rights, which will be open to asbestos victims, family members, and political and social leaders. The event, which is by invitation only, will take place at a venue provided by São Caetano do Sul City Council. See: Picture of ABREA event on May 20, 2023 in São Caetano do Sul, São Paulo State.

Asbestos Abandonment Lawsuit

Apr 21, 2023

The Attorney General (AG) of the Brazilian State of Pernambuco last week demanded compensation of R$322 million (US$65,582,795) from the former owners of the Brazilian navy’s flagship – the São Paulo – which was deliberately sunk by the Navy 350 kilometers off the coast of Pernambuco in February 2023 after it had been abandoned by its Turkish owners. According to the legal documents filed by the AG, the vessel: “contained toxic substances such as asbestos, [which] could have serious impact on the environment…” See: AGU pede R$322 milhões de indenização de empresas que abandonaram porta-aviões no litoral de Pernambuco [AGU asks for R$322 million in compensation from companies that abandoned aircraft carrier off the coast of Pernambuco].

The STF and the Environment

Mar 14, 2023

The February 23, 2023 decision by Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) confirming the country’s ban on asbestos was discussed in the podcast cited below within the context of Brazil’s obligations to progress the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 interconnected global targets, so that “no one in the world would be left behind” in the struggle to achieve an “ecologically balanced environment, essential to a healthy quality of life…” Other recent decisions by the STF illustrate its commitment to preserve “life, dignity, justice and sustainability, with jurisdictional action…” See: Artigo: A força da manifestação do ministro [Article: The strength of minister's demonstration].

Asbestos Defendants Lose Appeal

Mar 9, 2023

On March 5, 2023, the Third Region of Brazil’s Superior Labor Court reinstated a judgment that ordered Distribuidora Meridional Ltda., from the city of Garanhuns in Pernambuco State, and Eternit S.A. to pay compensation for collective moral damages in the amount of R$100,000 (US$19,250) and R$500,000 (US$96,230), respectively, due to their failures to comply with state law (Law 12.589/2004) that prohibited the manufacture, trade and use of asbestos or asbestos in any activity, especially in civil, public and private construction. See: Distribuidora e Eternit são condenadas por violar lei que proíbe amianto em Pernambuco [Distribuidora and Eternit are condemned for violating the law that prohibits asbestos in Pernambuco].

Trust Me, I’m a Doctor!

Mar 7, 2023

In the aftermath of a February 23, 2023 Supreme Court (STF) ruling which banned asbestos in Brazil, the Governor of the country’s only asbestos-producing state once again repeated asbestos industry propaganda, asserting that asbestos mining was safe and that he should know as he’s a medical doctor. On February 28, the Governor of Goiás Ronaldo Caiado made these comments at a mining seminar at the Pedro Ludovico Teixeira Palace in Goiânia, the state capital city. In 2019, Caiado signed a law authorizing asbestos mining to continue despite the 2017 STF asbestos prohibitions. See: Caiado diz que, como médico, afirma que extração de amianto em Minaçu não traz risco à saúde [Caiado says that, as a doctor, he claims that asbestos extraction in Minaçu does not pose a risk to health].

Asbestos ban now “Irrevocable”!

Mar 3, 2023

The February 25, 2023 press release cited below was from a Brazilian law firm which has represented asbestos victims for 18 years. Commenting on the Supreme Court’s (STF) February 23, 2023 decision upholding a 2017 STF verdict banning asbestos, lawyer Gustavo Ramos said: “Most Supreme Court Justices understood that the previous decision prohibiting the production, sale and use of chrysotile asbestos, used mainly for the manufacture of tiles and water tanks, is valid. The Supreme Court had accepted that the article of the federal law that allowed the use of chrysotile asbestos in civil construction was unconstitutional.” See: Supremo consolida banimento do amianto no Brasil [Supreme consolidates asbestos ban in Brazil].

São Paulo Lawsuit

Mar 3, 2023

The Instituto Bioma Brasil (IBB), a Brazilian NGO, has launched a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Pernambuco against the Navy, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) and the companies responsible for allowing the São Paulo aircraft carrier to be buried off the Brazilian coast. The IBB is demanding at least R$ 105.5 million (US$20m) in compensation for environmental damage and collective moral damages. When the ship was deliberately sunk it contained tonnes of asbestos. PCBs, heavy metals and other toxic material. See: See: ONG pede na Justiça reparação por navio afundando em costa brasileira com amianto [NGO seeks compensation in court for sinking of ship containing asbestos off Brazilian coast].

Osasco’s New Asbestos Memorial

Mar 1, 2023

A four minute video which shows in fast motion the construction of a memorial to asbestos victims in Osasco, the former heartland of asbestos-cement production in Brazil, was uploaded to YouTube on February 28,2023 by Brazil’s Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). The accompanying text explained that: “Work is like a tree, which shelters in its shade and feeds with its fruits. It is the symbol that represents the support of life. Each day, however, they were slowly being poisoned.” See: Memorial das Vi´timas do Amianto || A Construção de Um Sonho [Asbestos Victims Memorial || Building a Dream].

Celebrating Historic Victory!

Feb 28, 2023

The interview with ban asbestos campaigner Engineer Fernanda Giannasi in the article cited below considered the implications of a February 23, 2023 Supreme Court ruling. Giannasi concluded her comments saying: “What makes this victory even more valuable for us are: 1) prohibition decided by the Federal Supreme Court, our Constitutional Court, something that has never happened in the world…. 2) asbestos mining was not bankrupt, as occurred in other countries; on the contrary, it was still ‘alive’, active, [and] powerful...” See: Fundadora da ABREA, Fernanda Giannasi comemora decisão do STF de proibir o amianto no Brasil [Founder of ABREA, Fernanda Giannasi celebrates the Supreme Court's decision to ban asbestos in Brazil].

Supreme Court Asbestos Litigation

Feb 20, 2023

A decision by the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) expected on February 16, 2023 regarding the continued mining of asbestos in Minaçu, in contravention of the 2017 STF ban on asbestos production, processing and use, was postponed until February 23. The memorandum cited below expressed the support of the Attorney General's Office (PGR) and the Attorney General for Labor (PGT), representing respectively Federal and Labor Prosecutors, for court action upholding the ban, stating that “there are no reasons of legal certainty or exceptional social interest that override the rights to health and an ecologically balanced environment…” See: PGR e PGT reforçam necessidade de banimento do amianto crisotila no Brasil [PGR and PGT reinforce the need to ban chrysotile asbestos in Brazil].

Environmental Racism & Asbestos

Feb 16, 2023

A timely editorial in O Globo – a daily Brazilian newspaper considered to be right-wing and conservative – was published on February 13 by Fernando Gabeira, a politician and veteran campaigner on environmental issues. Having discussed the sinking by the Brazilian Navy of its former flagship, an international toxic hot potato contaminated with tonnes of asbestos, PCBs etc., Gabeira pointed out that a unilateral Supreme Court decision by Minister Alexandre de Moraes had allowed asbestos mining to continue in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court verdict. Like the sinking of the São Paulo, this wrote Gabeira, was yet another example of environmental racism, sending to other countries a substance too dangerous to use in Brazil. See: O naufrágio da sensatez [The shipwreck of wisdom].

Vital Research Update

Feb 14, 2023

New data revealed by Brazilian researchers confirmed the existence of a national asbestos epidemic, with thousands of deaths from asbestos-related diseases occurring between 1996 and 2017. The statistics were amassed after consulting a variety of records and institutions, including the Health Information System, the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System, the Hospital Admission Communication Archive, the Inca Hospital Cancer Registry of the National Cancer Institute and the Notifiable Diseases Information System. Experts are urging the Supreme Court to consider these facts when considering litigation about banning asbestos in Brazil. See: Exposição ao amianto mata 145 pessoas por ano no Brasil, revela pesquisa [Exposure to asbestos kills 145 people a year in Brazil, reveals research].

Sinking of the São Paulo under Investigation

Feb 13, 2023

An investigation by the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources over the sinking of the São Paulo off the coast of Brazil on February 3 has begun. On the ship were tonnes of asbestos, PCBs, metals and other toxic substances. In a statement by the Ministry of Defense, the Attorney General's Office and the Brazilian Navy, the authorities defended their actions stating that: “[our] analyses considered aspects related to navigation safety and the environment, with special attention to the mitigation of impacts on public health, fishing activities and ecosystems.” See: Porta-aviões com toneladas de amianto e traços de radiação é afundado na costa brasileira [Aircraft carrier with tons of asbestos and traces of radiation is sunk off the Brazilian coast].

A Date with History: February 16

Feb 8, 2023

On February 16, 2023, Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) is scheduled to issue its long-awaited decision in a case over whether the continued production, processing and export of chrysotile (white) asbestos – in contravention of an STF 2017 ruling –were unconstitutional. In previous cases, the STF had ruled that state asbestos bans were constitutional and that the national asbestos policy allowing asbestos use was unconstitutional, in line with damning evidence from the National Cancer Institute about the carcinogenicity of asbestos and the difficulty of preventing deadly workplace exposures. See: Artigo: O STF e a ferida aberta do amianto [Article: The STF and the asbestos open wound].

Judge Rules on the Sinking of the São Paulo

Feb 6, 2023

It was reported on February 2, 2023, that an attempt to obtain an injunction from the Federal Court of Pernambuco to prevent the Brazilian Navy from sinking the former aircraft carrier the São Paulo in the Atlantic Ocean had failed. Although Federal Judge Ubiratan de Couto Maurício of the 9th Pernambuco Court agreed that the sinking would cause environmental damage, he said that the extent of the damage was not known. He ordered that the vessel be sunk 350 km off the Brazilian coast, at a depth of approximately 5,000 meters and outside of Environmental Protection Areas where there were no documented submarine cables. See: Marinha confirma plano de afundar navio feito de amianto [Navy confirms plan to sink ship containing asbestos].

Legal Battle over São Paulo Rages On

Feb 2, 2023

After the Brazilian Navy announced plans to sink the toxic hot potato which is the São Paulo – the retired aircraft carrier and Brazil’s former flagship – the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) filed a public civil action before the 2nd Federal Court of Pernambuco seeking an injunction to stop the ship being scuttled. The MPF told the court that the sinking of the São Paulo which was scheduled for February 1 could cause “irreparable damage to the marine environment, the public health of the population and irreversible health consequences.” See: MPF pede à Justiça que proíba Marinha de afundar porta-aviões aposentado impedido de atracar no Brasil [MPF asks Justices to prohibit Navy from sinking retired aircraft carrier prevented from docking in Brazil].

Navy’s São Paulo Solution

Jan 31, 2023

Despite protests by the Brazilian Minister of the Environment Marina Silva, the Navy announced plans to sink the hull of the São Paulo in the sea off the Brazilian coast. The vessel became something of an international toxic hot potato after the Turkish Government rescinded permission for it to be scrapped in a Turkish shipyard because of concerns over the presence of asbestos and other toxic materials. Since the ship was returned to Brazil, provincial and government authorities have refused permission for it to dock. In its day, the São Paulo was Brazil largest warship with capacity for 40 aircraft. See: Marinha quer afundar casco de porta-aviões barrado pela Turquia [Navy plans to sink hull of aircraft carrier barred by Turkey].

Senator Supports Toxic Industry

Jan 31, 2023

Brazilian Senator Vanderlan Cardoso, whose constituency included Brazil’s sole remaining asbestos mining conglomerate, welcomed a new Supreme Court action which allowed mining to continue despite previous judicial verdicts that had banned the commercialization of asbestos nationwide. According to him: “the [asbestos] ban was a wrong decision that needed to be reversed to guarantee the jobs of the mining company's workers.” See: “Lutei por isso desde que cheguei ao Senado”, disse Vanderlan sobre a liberação da produção de amianto em Minaçu [“I have fought for this since I arrived in the Senate,” said Vanderlan about the sanctioning of asbestos production in Minaçu].

Appeal to President Lula!

Jan 27, 2023

Recapping the São Paulo aircraft carrier fiasco, the editorial cited below quoted a manifesto by Brazilian groups & partners which said the situation was “a cursed legacy of the Bolsonaro government.” Fears that the ship, now in the Navy’s possession, would be sunk impelled the authors to warn this would be “an environmental disaster with political repercussions and immense environmental damage due to the existence of carcinogenic asbestos, possible radioactive sources, arsenic, PCBs, heavy metals, among other harmful agents …” See: Porta-aviões brasileiro com amianto à deriva no oceano Atlântico: Mais uma herança maldita do governo Bolsonaro [Brazilian aircraft carrier with asbestos adrift in the Atlantic Ocean: Another cursed legacy of the Bolsonaro government].

Unwelcome Surprise from STF

Jan 27, 2023

On January 23, 2023, it was announced that Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) had suspended a judgment by the Superior Court of Justice, which had ordered that production at the SAMA asbestos mine be suspended; as a result of this ruling, asbestos mining will remain legal for the time being. In 2017, the STF had issued a verdict prohibiting the extraction, production, sale and use of asbestos in Brazil. Asbestos stakeholders appealed the decision, with the asbestos mining state of Goiás passing a law overruling the STF. See: Minaçu: STF autoriza a retomada da exploração de amianto no município [Minaçu: STF authorizes the resumption of asbestos exploitation in the municipality].

São Paulo Mystery

Jan 25, 2023

Having been refused permission to dock at various Brazilian ports after an aborted trip to Turkey for dismantling, on January 20 the Brazilian Navy took control of the hull of the redundant aircraft carrier the São Paulo following an ultimatum from the Turkish shipowners. The location of the Sao Paulo is unknown but it is believed to be proceeding away from the Brazilian coastline. It is feared by campaigners that the ship, which has become a contentious issue for the authorities, will be deliberately sunk. See: Porta-aviões ‘vagando’ no mar: entenda por que navio foi proibido de atracar no Brasil e Marinha assumiu controle [Aircraft carrier ‘wandering’ at sea: understand why the ship was banned from docking in Brazil and the why the Navy took control].

São Paulo Update

Jan 13, 2023

The São Paulo continues to haunt the Brazilian coast after multiple authorities refused it permission to dock over concerns relating to asbestos and other toxic substances on board. On January 11, the company representing the Turkish owner of the vessel said that if the authorities did not secure the ship a place to berth, it would be abandoned. In response, the Brazilian Navy on January 12 reiterated its position that the responsibility for dealing with the vessel belonged to its owner and not the Navy and that: “the asbestos currently existing in São Paulo does not pose health risks, in the state in which it is found. See: Porta-aviões com amianto no casco é impedido de atracar em Pernambuco por inviabilidade portuária [Aircraft carrier with asbestos in the hull is prevented from docking in Pernambuco due to port unfeasibility].

Asbestos Eradication in Avaré

Jan 5, 2023

In a round-up of municipal accomplishments in 2022, the authorities in Avaré – a Brazilian city in the State of São Paulo – reviewed work which had been done to eradicate the asbestos hazard from regional hotspots. In what was termed “a historic victory for collective health,” the Municipal Secretary of the Environment ordered the removal of approximately 400 tons of asbestos debris that had been illegally dumped over 20 years ago. In addition, asbestos dumped in streams in Avaré was also removed to prevent flooding in the central region. See: Retirada de amianto abandonado foi importante conquista em 2022 [Removal of abandoned asbestos was an important achievement in 2022].

No Berth in Angra!

Jan 4, 2023

The saga of the São Paulo, the former Brazilian flagship which has become an international pariah and a national scandal, continued last month. The Brazilian city of Angra in the southwest of Rio de Janeiro State issued a ban on the docking of all vessels containing asbestos or radioactive material in the municipality. In October, the State of Pernambuco had ruled that the São Paulo would not be allowed to dock in the Port of Suape because of the hazards it posed to human health and the environment. See: Prefeitura de Angra recorre à Justiça para impedir atracação de porta aviões com amianto e vestígio de material radioativo em todos os portos da cidade [City Hall of Angra resorts to Justice to prevent docking of aircraft carriers with asbestos and traces of radioactive material in all ports of the city].

The Endless Voyage of the São Paulo

Dec 9, 2022

The former Brazilian aircraft carrier São Paulo continues its journey to nowhere. After Turkish authorities rescinded permission for the ship to be scrapped in Turkey, the vessel returned to Brazilian waters. Authorities in multiple Brazilian cities refused permission for the ship to dock due to concerns over the presence of asbestos and other hazardous material on board; it is now moored about 30 km off the coast of Pernambuco, near the Port of Suape. According to the Government of Pernambuco, the ship “remains without docking permission and continues on the high seas.” See: NAVIO-FANTASMA: Porto de Suape rebate MSK e nega falta de combustível que ocasionou troca do rebocador do porta-aviões [GHOST SHIP: Suape Port refutes MSK and denies lack of fuel that led to replacement of aircraft carrier tug].

The End of Brazil’s Asbestos Industry?

Dec 8, 2022

A blog reviewing recent judicial developments in the Brazilian State of Goiás highlighted a decision by the Superior Court of Justice which annulled an injunction that had allowed asbestos mining by SAMA Minerações Associadas, a subsidiary of Eternit S.A., to continue at its Minaçu mine in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court decision. In 2019, the Government of Goiás passed a law allowing extraction of asbestos for export purposes only. See: Decisão judicial em Goiás coloca cotas raciais em xeque no mês da Consciência Negra [Judicial decision in Goiás puts racial quotas in check in the month of Black Consciousness].

Asbestos Memorial

Dec 1, 2022

On Sunday morning, December 10, a ceremony will be held in Osasco – the former heart of Brazil’s asbestos-cement industry – to honor workers and members of the public who died from exposure to asbestos. During the event, a 7 meter tall memorial will be unveiled on a roundabout across the street from the site of the former Eternit asbestos factory, the largest such operation in all of Latin America. The event is the result of a collaboration between Osasco City Hall and ABREA, the Brazilian Association of People Exposed to Asbestos. See: Osasco entrega Memorial em homenagem às vítimas do amianto [Osasco delivers Memorial in honor of asbestos victims].

Court Asbestos Ban

Nov 28, 2022

It was announced this month that Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice had ordered the cessation of asbestos mining at the country’s sole asbestos mine, which had been producing asbestos for export despite an earlier Supreme Court (2017) ruling banning asbestos production, sale and use. The judgment annulled an injunction (2019) obtained by the mine owners - Sama Mineração S/A, a company of the Eternit group – under which operations had continued. It remains unknown whether Sama will abide by the new ruling. See: STJ ordena que Sama pare de extrair amianto em Minaçu [STJ orders Sama to stop extracting asbestos in Minaçu].

Municipal Asbestos Law Upheld

Oct 21, 2022

According to a Special Body of the Court of Justice of São Paulo, a law adopted by Jundiaí City that regulated the collection of asbestos-containing construction debris and equipment was constitutional. The law did not, the Court ruled, countermand federal or state legislation: “Municipalities have common competence, together with the other entities of the Federation, to protect the environment and combat pollution in any of its forms… and also legislate on matters of local interest and supplement federal and state legislation, as appropriate.” See: Lei municipal que prevê recolhimento de amianto é constitucional, diz TJ-SP [Municipal law that provides for asbestos collection is constitutional, says TJ-SP].

Asbestos Crimes in Jundiai

Oct 19, 2022

On October 17, 2022, the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) sent a complaint to the Labor Public Ministry (MPT) about non-compliance with health and safety regulations during demolition activities carried out by workers employed by Jundiai municipality, a city in the state of São Paulo. As a result of the illegal flouting of regulations, workers and members of the public were being exposed to asbestos fibers. See: Denúncia enviada, pela ABREA, ao MPT para que sejam tomadas medidas a respeito do descumprimento do Anexo 12 da NR-15, em obra realizada pela Prefeitura Municipal de Jundiaí [Complaint sent by ABREA to the MPT so that measures can be taken regarding non-compliance with Annex 12 of NR-15, in a work carried out by the Municipality of Jundiaí].

Compensation Uplift for Asthma Sufferer

Oct 17, 2022

It was reported on October 13, 2022 that in a unanimous decision Brazil’s Superior Labor Court increased from R$15,000 (US$2815) to R$80,000 (US$15,000) compensation awarded to a quality inspector for a friction materials company who had been exposed to asbestos at work and as a result developed asthma. The claimant’s lawyer had argued for compensation of R$317,000 (US$59,000) which included both physical and moral damages. The Indaiatuba Labor Court had awarded the worker R$300,000 (US$56,300) but the Regional Labor Court of the 15th Region had reduced this amount to R$15,000. See: Turma aumenta indenização a inspetor que desenvolveu asma brônquica por exposição ao amianto [Increased compensation award to inspector who developed bronchial asthma from asbestos exposure].

Brazilian Ghost Ship

Oct 17, 2022

In the article cited below, Brazilian journalist João Lara Mesquita wrote that the former aircraft carrier the São Paulo was a “new ghost ship” with a “cursed” fate. The actions of the various stakeholders in the “pantomime” to export the toxic vessel were detailed at some length with particular attention paid to decisions made by the Brazilian Navy and the Turkish shipyard company Sök Denizcilik. In a publication released on October 6, the Navy claimed that its decision-making regarding the fate of the São Paulo had taken into account international protocols and national regulations. See: Um porta-aviões fantasma a vagar em alto-mar [A phantom aircraft carrier roaming the high seas].

São Paulo Blame Game

Oct 14, 2022

The scandal over illegal plans to export Brazil’s former flagship to Turkey is growing with accusations and denials being spouted by key actors. On October 6, the Navy issued a document claiming that much of the asbestos that had been on the vessel had been removed and that even if it hadn’t, the asbestos on board was not hazardous. Another high-profile article published the same day reported that the Pernambuco Environment Agency had refused permission for the ship to dock at the Port of Suape over environmental concerns. See: Marinha do Brasil diz que amianto presente no casco do NAe São Paulo não oferece riscos [Brazilian Navy says that asbestos present in the hull of the NAe São Paulo poses no risks].

Asbestos Countermeasures

Oct 8, 2022

To help protect citizens of the Brazilian municipality of Florianópolis from hazardous exposures to asbestos, a substance banned in Santa Catarina state by Municipal Law number 10.607/2019 and in all Brazil by a 2017 Supreme Court decision, an asbestos workshop was organized by the Research Institution for Occupational Health: Fundacentro at which Italian engineer Alessia Angelini discussed technical aspects of her country’s fight against asbestos. See: Florianópolis discute os perigos do amianto e a Lei Municipal que proíbe o uso do material [Florianópolis discusses the dangers of asbestos and the Municipal Law that prohibits the use of the material].

Asbestos Schizophrenia

Oct 6, 2022

At the same time as Brazil’s former asbestos giant Eternit S.A. is fighting a rear-guard battle at the Supreme Court to overturn the country’s 2017 asbestos ban, it is also progressing the company’s transition to asbestos-free technology. The article cited below updated markets on Eternit’s development of asbestos-free concrete tiles that generate solar energy as part of the Eternit commitment to a sustainable and greener corporate future. Eternit claims that installation of the tiles can cut electricity bills by up to 90%. See: Economia de luz e melhor para a saúde: conheça a 1ª telha solar do Brasil [Energy saving and better for health: discover the 1st solar tile in Brazil].

Victory in the Battle of the São Paulo

Oct 3, 2022

A press release issued on September 28, 2022 by a coalition of Turkish, Brazilian and European civil society groups broadcast the news that the former Brazilian flagship called the São Paulo would shortly return to Brazilian waters after a fruitless return journey of ~12,500 miles (20,000 km) to Turkey. The Brazilian authorities had auctioned the vessel and the new owners had received permission to scrap it in Turkey ignoring international treaties and protocols. After the Turkish Government rescinded permission for the ship to enter the country, the Brazilian authorities ordered it to return to Rio de Janeiro. See: Toxic aircraft carrier São Paulo rejected by Turkey returning to Brazil.

Asbestos Outreach Project

Sep 30, 2022

An asbestos outreach project – Health in Bom Jesus da Serra – was undertaken by students and staff from the State University of Southwestern Bahia (UESB), Brazil to evaluate the effects of asbestos exposure on residents of Bom Jesus da Serra, a former asbestos mining town in the Brazilian state of Bahia. A variety of tests were carried out on 60 participants, including spirometry, dynamometry, bioimpedance, mobility and flexibility tests, 6-minute walking tests, measurement of cranial compliance and anthropometric assessment; sleep quality and quality of life questionnaires were completed. See: Projetos da Uesb avaliam efeitos da exposição ao amianto em moradores de Bom Jesus da Serra [UESB projects evaluate the effects of exposure to asbestos on residents of Bom Jesus da Serra].

Boomerang Ship on Way Home

Sep 12, 2022

After travelling thousands of miles, Brazil’s former flagship: the São Paulo is on its way home having been barred by the authorities in Gibraltar and Turkey from proceeding any further on its journey to a scrapping yard in Izmir. Due to environmental concerns, many people in Brazil, Turkey and elsewhere opposed the decision to allow the ship to leave Brazil. Now that it is on its way to Rio de Janeiro, campaigners are calling for transparency and consultation on future decisions regarding how to dispose of what has become an international hot potato. See: Após ser proibido de entrar na Turquia, porta-aviões São Paulo está voltando ao Brasil [After being banned from entering Turkey, aircraft carrier São Paulo is returning to Brazil].

Renegade Ship Coming to Europe!

Aug 23, 2022

In a timely and well-documented press release issued on August 17, 2022 NGOs – the Basel Action Network (BAN), the NGO Shipbreaking Platform and partnering organizations – warned national governments and international agencies about the illegal dumping of toxic waste by the Brazilian Navy, which was ignoring international treaties and protocols to off-load the aircraft carrier the São Paulo by exporting it to a Turkish shipyard for dismantling. As well as containing PCBs, lead/cadmium paint and possible traces of radioactive material, the São Paulo is believed to have hundreds of tonnes of asbestos-containing material on-board. See: Brazil Silent as Renegade Aircraft Carrier Moves in Defiance of Injunction and International Law.

Mesothelioma Research: New Findings

Aug 8, 2022

A retrospective study by Brazilian doctors to evaluate the efficacy of measures in place between 2009 and 2020 to diagnose patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) concluded that: “the unfamiliarity of health professionals with MPM and the patient's lack of knowledge of prior asbestos exposure were the major factors to cause a long time interval between the onset of symptoms and beginning of treatment.” As a result of these delays, few patients survived for more than one year. The co-authors called for “progressive improvements in the abilities to recognize MPM…” See: Mesothelioma in a developing country: a retrospective analysis of the diagnostic process.

Asbestos Eradication in Florianópolis

Aug 2, 2022

In a July 28, 2022 news clip on NDTV – a Brazilian state television network based in the city of Florianópolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina State – a reporter announced that city officials had declared their intention to remove asbestos from all public buildings following the practice adopted in countries such as Italy, where measures were being taken to protect occupational and public health by eradicating asbestos from the built environment. According to news reports, Florianópolis is the first Brazilian city to embark on an asbestos eradication program. See: Prefeitura de Florianópolis vai remover amianto de prédios públicos [Florianópolis City Hall will remove asbestos from public buildings].

Toxic Exports to Turkey

Jul 22, 2022

On July 19, 2022, European NGOs sent a five-page letter to Carolina Fiorillo Mariani, the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality of the Brazilian Institute of Environmental and Renewable Natural Resources about plans to send a redundant Brazilian aircraft carrier to Turkey for dismantling. The authors of the text raised multiple concerns about the export of the São Paulo which was, they said, laden with asbestos-containing material, PCBs and other toxins. Having reviewed the Inventory of Hazardous Materials and the Recycling Plan for the ship, they concluded that the “export of the SÃO PAULO to Turkey is likely illegal…Brazil must halt the export. We urge Brazil to do so.” See: Letter to Carolina Fiorillo Mariani.

Asbestos Exports Blocked, Again!

Jul 8, 2022

News was reported this week of the latest decision in what has been called in Brazil the war of the injunctions. In her decision, Judge Alessandra Aranha, ruled that the laws of Goiás State only extend to “the geographical limits of the state.” It follows, therefore, that asbestos fiber mined in Goiás under a state law which countermands a 2017 Supreme Court asbestos ban, cannot be transported through other states, such as São Paulo (SP), which have banned asbestos. Therefore, cargo from the SAMA asbestos mine cannot be exported from SP’s Port of Santos. See [Subscription only]: Mineradora sofre derrota judicial contra exportações de amianto, minério cancerígeno [Mining suffers legal defeat against exports of asbestos, carcinogenic ore].

Understanding National Asbestos Legacy

Jun 1, 2022

A collection of research papers by Brazilian experts was uploaded to a government website which discussed the causation of asbestos cancer, the underreporting of asbestos-related diseases and mortality data. Epidemiologists revealed that hospital and other data on the incidence of rare asbestos cancers were unreliable as so many asbestos cancers remained undiagnosed. To produce better data, medical guidelines for diagnosing malignant pleura mesothelioma were recommended in a paper by Dr. Eduardo Algranti published in May, 2022. “There is,” he said “not only underreporting, but also underdiagnosis of asbestos-associated cancers.” See: AMIANTO: Artigos abordam exposição ocupacional ao asbestos [ASBESTOS: Articles address occupational exposure to asbestos].

Court Condemns Asbestos Sales

May 25, 2022

On May 20, 2022, it was reported that the Pernambuco Court of Justice, in the Northeast region of Brazil, rejected the appeal of a verdict ordering the removal of asbestos-cement tiles and sentencing defendants to pay damages for selling a product which had been banned by a Supreme Court order (2017). The Pernambuco Court said that as Federal Law No. 9,055/95 allowing the sale of this banned product was unconstitutional, the commercial transaction was illegal. In addition, the Court pointed out, Pernambuco State Law No. 12,589/04 completely prohibited the use of all products made from asbestos. See: TJPE Mantém Nulidade em Venda de Produto Cancerígeno [TJPE maintains nullity in the sale of carcinogenic products].

Bahia Asbestos Outreach Initiative

May 25, 2022

On May 14, 2022, a public asbestos seminar – organized by staff from the Federal Institute of Bahia (IFBA), the Brazilian Association of Asbestos Victims (ABREA) and the Association of Victims Contaminated by Asbestos and Exposed Families (AVICAFE) – was held at the IFBA to consider measures for monitoring the health and supporting people with asbestos-related diseases in the Bom Jesus da Serra region. Commercial mining operations at a local asbestos mine and the widespread use of asbestos waste in public and private spaces have resulted in a high incidence of asbestos-related diseases in the region. See: IFBA realiza seminário sobre os efeitos nocivos do amianto na região de Bom Jesus da Serra [IFBA holds a seminar on the harmful effects of asbestos in the Bom Jesus da Serra region].

Progress in Avaré!

May 13, 2022

In what is being termed a “historic victory for public health,” the Municipal Department of the Environment in the Brazilian city of Avaré oversaw efforts to remove 400 tonnes of asbestos waste which had been lingering for years on a public highway. The toxic material had been dumped by the company Auco Automotive Components. The site was remediated and the waste was sent to an authorized Waste Management Center in Guatapará. See: Amianto abandonado há anos é retirado por ação da Prefeitura de Avaré [Asbestos abandoned for years is removed by action of the City Hall of Avaré].

Colorectal Death Caused by Asbestos

May 11, 2022

Last week, a Brazilian Labor Court issued a victim’s verdict awarding the family of a deceased worker the sum of R$500,000 (US$97,200) for his cancer death. Judge Celso Araujo Casseb, from the 5th Labor Court of Osasco/São Paulo, ruled that there was no question about the link between the worker’s occupational exposure to asbestos and the fact that he had died from colorectal cancer. The appeal lodged by Eternit, the defendant, was rejected, with the Judge noting that the death had caused “moral damages to his family members…” See: Eternit pagará R$500 mil a filhos de trabalhador morto por amianto [Eternit will pay R$500,000 to children of worker killed by asbestos].

Expansion of Asbestos Waste Capacity

May 4, 2022

News that the capacity for dealing safely with asbestos waste in several Brazilian cities has been increased has been circulating this week. According to reports, this initiative is being progressed as part of the commercial operations of a company based in the city of Santo André, São Paulo. Santo André Municipal Environmental Sanitation Service (Semasa) is hoping to prevent asbestos fly-tipping in order to protect public health as well as the environment from the illegal dumping of toxic waste. See: Semasa amplia locais para receber resíduos de poda e amianto [Semasa expands sites to receive pruning and asbestos waste].

Improving Health Surveillance for Workers

Apr 25, 2022

On May 4-6, 2022, the Third International Asbestos Seminar will be held in São Paulo, Brazil. This event, which is co-organized by groups representing asbestos victims (ABREA), labor prosecutors (MPT), academics (DIESAT) and others will consider the best measures to provide health surveillance for Brazil’s asbestos-exposed workers. Presentations from Brazilian as well as international medical, environmental, technical, academic and trade union experts will inform the discussion. There will be simultaneous translation into Portuguese and English; virtual observers can apply to attend the online sessions. See: 3rd International Asbestos Seminar, May 4-6, 2022, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Supreme Court Affirms Workers’ Rights

Apr 21, 2022

The Brazilian Supreme Court this week accepted the opinion of the Attorney General’s Office which upheld the legitimacy of an administrative act (Ordinance 1851/2006) issued by the Ministry of Health (MoH) that stipulated that companies which had worked with asbestos provide a list of former employees to the authorities, so that health surveillance of those at-risk groups could be undertaken. The MoH ruling had been suspended by an injunction issued by the Superior Court of Justice after a company had filed a writ of mandamus. This injunction has now been annulled. See: AGU derruba no STJ liminar que prejudicaria controle de exposição ao amianto [AGU overturns an STJ injunction that would harm asbestos exposure control].

Asbestos Disease Hotspots in High Use Areas

Apr 19, 2022

The findings of Brazilian researchers published in the March 19, 2022 issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reported that between 2000 and 2017, there was excess mortality from typical asbestos-related diseases (ARD-T: mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural plaques) as well as an excess of lung cancer deaths in both sexes and ovarian cancer deaths in women in areas where asbestos mines and asbestos-cement plants had operated. It was concluded that: “Analytical studies are necessary to document the impact of asbestos exposure on health, particularly in the future, given the long latency of asbestos-related cancers.” See: Sex-Specific Mortality from Asbestos-Related Diseases, Lung and Ovarian Cancer in Municipalities with High Asbestos Consumption, Brazil, 2000–2017.

Compensation for Asbestos Victims

Apr 11, 2022

On April 8, 2022, Brazil’s Federal Public Ministry and the Public Ministry of the State of Bahia announced that they had guaranteed a reserve of approximately R$ 8.9 million (US$1.9m) to secure priority compensation payments to 49 people in the town of Bom Jesus da Serra, Bahia whose lives had been damaged by exposure to asbestos created by the mining operations of the Sama S/A Minerações Associadas company at the São Félix asbestos mine between 1940 and 1968. See: Contaminados por amianto, moradores do sul da BA ganham direito a prioridade no recebimento de indenizações [Contaminated by asbestos, residents of southern BA are entitled to priority in receiving compensation].

Eternit Brazil: Financial Update

Mar 2, 2022

Information reported by Eternit, Brazil’s former asbestos giant, to the Brazilian Stock Exchange last week, confirmed several disturbing facts regarding the continued production by an Eternit subsidiary of chrysotile asbestos fiber, despite a 2017 Supreme Court ruling banning the production, use and sale of all asbestos: 20% of Eternit’s net revenue comes from chrysotile production; in the last quarter of 2021, Eternit exported 37,000 tonnes of chrysotile, a 27% increase over the same period in 2020; in the last quarter of 2021, export sales of chrysotile generated a net income of R$71 million (US$14m), 35% up on the same period in 2020. See: Eternit (ETER3) has lower profit and projects exit from judicial recovery.

São Paulo Action on Asbestos

Feb 7, 2022

On February 4, 2022, the Policy Commission of the City Council of São Paulo approved draft legislation [PL 609/2020] authored by former councilman Ricardo Teixeira which implemented mandatory requirements for the collection of asbestos tile in São Paulo City. Commenting on this development Councilman Rodrigo Goulart recalled the historic role São Paulo had played in taking action on the asbestos hazard, saying: “The project initiated by former councilman Ricardo Teixeira reinforces the prohibition of asbestos in civil construction (in our City).” See: Projeto de Lei Paulista PL609/2020; a recolha de telhas de amianto e outras provisos [São Paulo Draft Law PL609/2020; the collection of asbestos roofing tiles and other provisions].

Transition from Asbestos Mining

Jan 28, 2022

The article cited below discussed a topic familiar to ban asbestos campaigners: how does a former asbestos mining town transition to a safer and more sustainable future. Interviews with workers, politicians and experts about the future of Minaçu – Brazil’s only remaining asbestos mining town – indicated a new willingness to engage in discussions about measures to diversify the region’s economic base to compensate for the loss of mining jobs. Calls for the asbestos mining company Eternit and government to support initiatives to ensure a just transition were reported. See: Beset by legal battles, Brazil asbestos town eyes a safer future.

Asbestos Outreach Initiative

Jan 19, 2022

A medical program to screen high-risk workers for asbestos-related conditions, which was developed in conjunction with the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), used a mobile Low Dose Computed Tomography unit to examine 223 workers from a former asbestos factory in Pedro Leopoldo City in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. “Pleural plaques or nodules were identified in 19% of individuals, with a median exposure time of 13.5 years. Five individuals had moderate or marked signs of pulmonary fibrosis, and one was diagnosed with low-stage pulmonary adenocarcinoma.” See: Abstract PO-260: Screening of Brazilian underserved [overlooked] workers exposed to asbestos in loco with a mobile low dose computed tomography [unit].

Failing to Square the Circle

Jan 13, 2022

During a 2022 interview with Luís Augusto Barbosa, the CEO of Brazil’s former Asbestos Giant: Eternit S.A., attempted to explain the inexplicable: the Company’s abandonment of asbestos for the manufacture of products destined for Brazil’s consumers with its continuation of asbestos mining for exports to Asia. The operations of the SAMA asbestos mine made a 30% contribution to the conglomerate’s profits for 2020. Eternit’s healthy balance sheet might, said one observer, indicate that the company would soon emerge from judicial recovery. See: Com a palavra... Eternit: Fabricante de telhas tenta desapegar do amianto [By words [alone]... Eternit roofing manufacturer tries to dispose of asbestos [problem]].

Culpability for Brazil’s Asbestos Disaster

Jan 5, 2022

An article which reviewed aspects of the “500 years of Franco-Brazilian relations” discussed the case of Saint-Gobain (SG) and its part in the history and tragic legacy of Brazil’s asbestos mining and production industry. SG played a pivotal role in developing Brazil’s asbestos industrial sector with its ownership of an asbestos mine in the State of Goiás. SG directors took measures to protect asbestos markets in Brazil even after France had banned the use of asbestos. It was not until January 2003 that SG ended the use of asbestos fiber at its Brazilian factories; in December 2003 it sold its interests in the Cana Brava chrysotile asbestos mine. See: Une curieuse histoire des relations franco-brésiliennes [A curious history of Franco-Brazilian relations].

Mining Company Liable for Medical Costs

Nov 29, 2021

Last week, Brazil’s sole remaining asbestos mining company: Sama Minerações Associadas, a subsidiary of the Eternit group, was ordered by a Goiás state court to pay for medical tests for a period of 30 years for former employees who had worked with asbestos at its mine in Minaçu, Goiás. The company is appealing this verdict. In contravention of a Supreme Court ruling issued in 2017, the company announced in November 2021 that it planned to recommence asbestos mining. See: Sama é condenada a pagar exames médicos por 30 anos para ex-funcionários que trabalharam com amianto [Sama is ordered to pay for medical tests for 30 years for former employees who worked with asbestos].

Asbestos Exports Fuel Corporate Profits

Nov 24, 2021

An announcement by the Brazilian conglomerate Eternit SA on November 10, 2021 confirmed a healthy economic position after the company had in 2018 filed for judicial recovery under Brazilian bankruptcy laws, a year after the Supreme Court banned asbestos. Although Eternit – Brazil’s former asbestos giant – no longer uses asbestos in products it manufacturers for domestic consumption, 121,000 tonnes of asbestos fiber produced at its asbestos mine in Goiás State is being exported this year. This is a 165% increase in output compared to 2020. See: Eternit (ETER3) dobra o lucro no balanço do 3T21 [Eternit (ETER3) doubles earnings in the 3Q21 balance sheet].

Asbestos Industry: Illegal and Immoral

Oct 1, 2021

In a commentary of September 28, 2021, Carlos Juliano Barros considered the ludicrous and illegal situation in Brazil which has allowed an asbestos mining company to continue producing and exporting chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber despite a Supreme Court ban. According to Barros: “nothing justifies the mining of a fiber banned in more than 60 countries by express recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO).” He condemned the ineptitude of the judiciary and the short-term outlook and greed of local and federal authorities. See: Nada justifica que o Brasil continue exportando um produto cancerígeno [Nothing justifies Brazil continuing to export a carcinogenic product].

Reinvention of Former Asbestos Giant

Sep 28, 2021

The former Brazilian asbestos conglomerate Eternit S.A. has announced progress in its plans to market a revolutionary asbestos-free roofing technology which makes lower cost photovoltaic tiles available in Brazil. The company abandoned production of asbestos-cement roofing products because there was no longer a “social license” for the sale of this material. Nevertheless, the Eternit subsidiary SAMA continues to mine chrysotile (white) asbestos fiber which is exported to countries around the world. See: Após deixar o amianto e lançar telha de energia solar, a Eternit quer mais [After rejecting asbestos and launching solar energy tile, Eternit wants more].

Reprieve for Export of Toxic Warship

Sep 23, 2021

From the moment plans were announced to export the redundant Brazilian warship the São Paulo to Turkey for scrapping, environmental activists, Turkish politicians and communities in the shipbreaking Province of Izmir have been campaigning to keep the vessel in Brazil. Citing multiple infringements of international protocols and inadequate protections at Turkish scrapyards, the São Paulo has ignited a debate over the dumping of ships, often containing a multitude of toxins including asbestos, in Turkey. The latest development in this saga is a lawsuit filed at the 16th Federal Court of Rio de Janeiro by a group wanting to turn the former aircraft carrier into a museum. See: Ação popular tenta barrar sucateamento de antigo porta-aviões da Marinha [Popular action tries to stop the scrapping of a former Navy aircraft carrier].

Another Brazilian Asbestos Ban

Sep 13, 2021

The Environment Commission of the Brazilian City of São Carlos, São Paulo State has proposed a law to ban asbestos which would set a deadline for the removal of asbestos-containing products from buildings. Under the draft municipal legislation, a two-year period to replace asbestos-cement water tanks would be specified; schools and health centers would have six months to remediate asbestos material. Elsewhere, asbestos products must be replaced with safer alternatives when they have are removed. See: Comissão de Meio Ambiente propõe lei para banir amianto de São Carlos [Environment Commission proposes law to ban asbestos in São Carlos].

Sama Asbestos Mine Reopens

Sep 8, 2021

Operations at Brazil’s sole remaining chrysotile asbestos mine restarted on September 3, 2021 after the Superior Court of Justice suspended an August 19, 2021 order by the Court of the District of Uruaçu-GO which had shut down mining in pursuant of a 2017 Supreme Court verdict. The August order shutting down the mining had been a response to a public civil action which had argued that the Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling had banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos throughout Brazil and that an exemption issued by the State of Goiás was invalid. The latest court order suspends the August decision until “a final decision is given…” See: Produtora de amianto controlada da Eternit, Sama retoma atividades [Eternit controlled asbestos producer Sama resumes activities].

Cessation of Asbestos Mining

Aug 26, 2021

On August 20, 2021, the parent company of the sole operational chrysotile asbestos mine in Brazil – Eternit, S.A. – notified shareholders and the stock market that its subsidiary Sama S.A. Minerações Associadas (Sama) had ceased asbestos mining activities as per an order issued on August 19, 2021 by the Court of the District of Uruaçu-Go. The Court’s ruling responded to a public civil action which had argued that a Supreme Court decision of 2017 had banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos throughout the country and that an exemption issued by the State of Goiás was invalid. See: Eternit S.A. Notification, August 20, 2021.

Legal Victory for Bereaved Family

Aug 24, 2021

On August 12, 2021, Judge Juliana Campos Ferro Lage from the 2nd Labor Court of Pedro Leopoldo, a municipality in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, ordered the company DVG Industrial, formerly Precon, to pay compensation of R$1.8 million (US$332,000) to the bereaved family of one of its former workers who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, having been occupationally exposed to the carcinogen for nearly 20 years whilst employed by Precon at its asbestos-cement factory. See: Justiça manda empresa pagar R$ 1,8 mi à família de funcionário morto por amianto [Court orders company to pay R$1.8 million to the family of an employee killed by asbestos].

Suspension of Illegal Asbestos Mining

Aug 20, 2021

An August 6, 2021 decision by Judge Bruno Teixeira de Castro from the Federal Court in Uruaçu, Goiás ordered an immediate suspension of chrysotile asbestos mining at the Sama Asbestos Mine, Brazil’s sole remaining asbestos mine. The company had been operating under the umbrella of a Goiás State law which had been issued in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court ruling outlawing the commercial exploitation of asbestos throughout the country. It is not known whether the company will appeal this decision. See: Justiça Federal manda suspender exploração de amianto em Minaçu [Federal Court orders the suspension of asbestos mining in Minaçu].

Asbestos Cancer Findings: Brazil

Aug 17, 2021

An article by researchers about the effects on human health posed by working with asbestos was recently published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine; it is unfortunate that the full paper is behind a pay wall. The authors examined data from a cohort of 988 males who had worked in the asbestos-cement industry in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Increased standardized mortality ratios were observed for overall mortality and mortality due to pleural malignant neoplasms (MN), peritoneal MN, laryngeal MN and pulmonary MN. Based on their findings, the researchers confirmed the “causal association between exposure and increased mortality due to pleural MN, pulmonary MN, and asbestosis.” See: Causes of death in former asbestos-cement workers in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

Under-reporting of ARDs in Brazil

Jul 27, 2021

A paper uploaded on July 22, 2021 to the website of the Journal of Occupational Medicine entitled “Underreporting of mesothelioma, asbestosis and pleural plaques in Brazil” examined factors impacting on the reporting of cases of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) in that country. The authors found that there were widespread and systemic failures which ensured that a significant numbers of ARDs were neither diagnosed nor reported over a number of years. Deploring this dysfunctionality they concluded that: “It is urgent to make victims visible, monitor the exposed and protect their labour rights.” See: Underreporting of mesothelioma, asbestosis and pleural plaques in Brazil.

Pioneering São Paulo Outpatient Clinic

Jul 27, 2021

People who worked with asbestos in the city of Pedro Leopoldo in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais on July 22 travelled more than 10 hours by bus so they could be examined by Dr. Ubiritan de Paula Santos and his team at the Incor Pneumology outpatient clinic at the Heart Institute of the University of São Paulo. The medical program under which they were examined was established by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) in collaboration with medical specialists and has, to date, provided care for scores of asbestos-exposed workers from the States of São Paulo and Minas Gerais; medical training and support for professionals in several health centers was provided in cities including Piracicaba, Capivari and others in São Paulo State. See: Photograph.

Spike in Asbestos Exports

July 22, 2021

Despite the fact that the Brazilian Supreme Court banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos in 2017, figures for June 2021 show that since June 2020 there has been a 246% increase in asbestos fiber exports from Brazil’s asbestos producing State of Goiás. Although, the mine’s owners maintain that they have an exemption to produce asbestos for export purposes only, asbestos victims’ groups and their lawyers believe that these actions are illegal under the Supreme Court ruling. Litigation over this matter is proceeding at the Supreme Court. See: Proibido no Brasil, amianto tem recorde de exportação em Goiás [Banned in Brazil, asbestos exports reach record levels in Goiás].

São Paulo Carrier: Asbestos Hot Potato

Jul 3, 2021

The controversy continues over the sale of the former Brazilian warship the São Paulo to the Turkish shipyard Sök Denizcilik Ticaret which plans to scrap the vessel at a dismantling yard in Izmir. The sale of the vessel has not yet been ratified and the São Paulo remains moored at a Brazilian naval base in Rio de Janeiro. The fact that no Inventory of Hazardous Materials for the vessel has been seen, has led campaigners in Brazil and Europe to question the legality of the sale. See: Antigo porta-aviões da Marinha será sucateado na Turquia [Former Navy aircraft carrier to be scrapped in Turkey].

Asbestos Exposure at Steel Mill

Jun 25, 2021

The Brazilian steelmaker Usiminas was ordered by Judge Jedson Marcos dos Santos Miranda, in a Labor Court in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, to pay compensation of R$200,000 (US$40,000) to all members of its workforce who had been occupationally exposed to asbestos over the last 30 years. In addition, the company was instructed to pay for the medical treatment of all the workers who had been affected by asbestos-related conditions. The case had been brought by the Public Ministry of Labor which alleged that the workers in multiple departments of the company had been “directly and habitually” exposed to asbestos at the steel mill. See: Trabalhadores expostos a amianto serão indenizados pela Usiminas [Workers exposed to asbestos will be compensated by Usiminas].

Upholding Asbestos Ban

Jun 14, 2021

A guilty verdict was handed down on June 9, 2021 by a São Paulo (SP) Court which indicted the producers (SAMA), sellers (Eternit SA) and transporters (Transportes Scatuzzi Ltd.) of chrysotile asbestos fiber from the Goiás chrysotile mine for exporting asbestos via ports in SP state including Santos, Guaruja and Cubatão. The defendants were ordered to pay damages exceeding Reais 5 million US ($989,000+). In 2017, the commercial exploitation of asbestos was banned by the Brazilian Supreme Court. To supersede this verdict, a law was passed by Goiás State to allow asbestos mining for export purposes only. This law is unconstitutional and is the subject of pending legal proceedings. See: Uma vitória a comemorar na luta em defesa das vítimas do amianto [A victory to celebrate in the fight to defend asbestos victims].

Brazilian Claimant’s Ruling

May 26, 2021

The family of a worker who died from an occupationally contracted asbestos-related disease was awarded the sum of R$1.2 million (US$225,000) by a court in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. The deceased had routinely been exposed to asbestos at work from 1973 to 1974. He died last year (2020) from mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. The defendant contested the claim, saying that the toxic exposure had not taken place at their premises. Judge Juliana Campos Ferro Lage disagreed and found that “the defendant was negligent, acting in a guilty way for failure to prevent and eliminate risks to the worker's health.” See: Família de ex-trabalhador exposto a amianto receberá R$ 1,2 milhão [Family of ex-worker exposed to asbestos will receive R$1.2 million].

Brazilian State Votes to Ban Asbestos

May 25, 2021

On May 20, 2021, Ceará became the latest Brazilian state to ban asbestos when the Legislative Assembly adopted Law 00228/19 proposed by Deputy Elmano Freitas; the approved bill awaits the Governor’s signature before becoming law. Welcoming the outcome of the vote, Freitas said: “There is no safe use of asbestos. The WHO has already proven that it is a dangerous mineral, capable of causing a series of diseases, such as cancer and that can even kill.” Other states with asbestos bans include: Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais and Amazonas. See: Projeto do dep. Elmano leva Assembleia Legislativa a proibir uso de amianto em todo Ceará [Project Elmano leads Legislative Assembly to ban asbestos use throughout Ceará].

Asbestos Disposal Fiasco

May 6, 2021

Enquiries made by a local reporter have exposed failings in the disposal policy for asbestos-cement tiles in the Brazilian city of Guarulhos, São Paulo State. Municipal dumpsites and collection agencies will not accept asbestos-cement tiles or broken cement tiles suspected of containing asbestos, advising that arrangements must be made for the collection of these toxic products by a specialist commercial company. There is only one such specialist company: Cetes Ambiental. The result of the city’s policy is that people dispose of asbestos-cement material on public roads and vacant lots. See: Guarulhos não sabe o que fazer com telhas que contêm amianto [Guarulhos does not know what to do with tiles containing asbestos].

Victim’s Judgment in Brazil

May 4, 2021

Judge Juliana Campos Ferro Lage of the 2nd Labor Court of Pedro Leopoldo in Belo Horizonte – the 6th largest Brazilian city – last week approved a verdict awarding R$ 571,472 (US$ 106,900) in moral and material damages to a worker who had contracted asbestosis and pleural plaques after having been employed for 25 years at an engineering company. The company, which had employed the plaintiff from 1973 to 1998, claimed that the disease contracted was unrelated to his employment as the provisions of health and safety laws had been implemented. See: Homem será indenizado por empresa, após adoecer por causa de amianto [Man will be compensated by company, after falling ill due to asbestos].

Eternit Profits Post-Ban

Apr 23, 2021

The share price of Brazil’s former asbestos giant – Eternit S.A. – has reached its highest price since 2014 despite the dire warnings the company had given in years gone by about the disastrous impact banning asbestos would have on the company’s financial prospects. Last year (2020), Eternit recorded an adjusted net profit of R$85.7 million (US$15,4m), after having a loss of R$46.8m (US$8.4m) in 2019. Despite the existence of a national asbestos ban, Eternit’s mining subsidiary SAMA exported 75,000 tonnes of asbestos last year, under an unconstitutional Goiás State law which is being contested at the Supreme Court. See: Ação da Eternit chega ao maior valor desde 2014 [Eternit shares reach highest value since 2014].

São Paulo Disposal: Other Options?

Apr 20, 2021

An article in a Brazilian magazine reviewed the current plans to dispose of the decommissioned Brazilian warship the São Paulo at a Turkish scrapping yard, reporting that the reaction by citizens’ groups, environmentalists and technical experts in Turkey had been far from favorable. Looking for an alternative destination for the ship, the article reported that Rear Admiral Mustafa Cihat Yayci of the Turkish navy had suggested converting the vessel into a large military training center. See: Porta Aviões SÃO PAULO pode escapar do desmonte. Contaminantes nucleares, questões ecológicas e novo campo de treinamento para militares são questões levantadas na Turquia [Aircraft carrier São Paulo can escape scrapping. Nuclear contaminants, ecological issues and training camp for military personnel are issues raised in Turkey].

Eternit Prosperity Post-Asbestos

Apr 16, 2021

An interview with the CEO of the former asbestos giant of Brazil – Eternit S.A. – focused on how the company, which had long bemoaned the adverse effect an asbestos ban would have on its financial prospects, has prospered in the years since it transitioned to an asbestos-free technology. By way of explanation, Eternit CEO Luis Augusto Barbosa talked about the the huge sums involved in the technology transfer, the debts incurred, the financial reorganization and divestments needed by the company to adapt to the new reality. See: Como a Eternit se reergueu ao deixar o amianto? Veja entrevista com o CEO [How did Eternit rise when it left asbestos? See interview with the CEO].

Asbestos Company: Truth or Lies?

Apr 6, 2021

Eternit S.A., a company which only just emerged from the Brazilian equivalent of Chapter 11, on March 29, 2021 announced its purchase of a major competitor Confibra at a cost of R $ 110 million (~US$20m). The actions of Eternit lead one to suspect that its finances might not have been in such dire straits after all; it had blamed the 2017 Brazilian asbestos ban as the source of its financial woes. Ban asbestos campaigners had, however, long suspected the company was been less than truthful about the adverse effects of the ban on its financial prospects. See: Eternit compra concorrente do setor de telhas Confibra por R$ 110 milhões [Eternit buys competitor in the Confibra roofing sector for R $ 110 million].

São Paulo Asbestos Injunction

Mar 26, 2021

On March 23, 2021, a labor judge in São Paulo issued an injunction against Tranasportes Scatuzzi Ltda. (for background see: Confidence Tricksters and Asbestos Thugs from the Brazilian State of Goiás) at the request of the Public Ministry of Labor which had alleged that the company was engaged in illegal activities – i.e. the handling, processing and transport of asbestos fiber. These activities were illegal pursuant to a 2017 Supreme Court ruling and São Paulo State laws. In addition to the legal authorities cited, the Public Ministry of Labor said that according to the precautionary principle, all potentially toxic exposures should be avoided. See: Labor Court Injunction.

Eternit Going Green?!

Mar 23, 2021

Since Eternit SA, formerly Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate, was forced to abandon the use of asbestos as a raw material – as a result of a Supreme Court ruling – it has profited from the research and marketing of sustainable products. With great fanfare, the company launched a range of asbestos-free solar roofing products in Brazil. To date, Eternit’s renewable photovoltaic energy projects have been installed in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and in the city of Cambé, in Paraná. See: Eternit começa produção em massa de telhas solares para vender no mercado renovável brasileiro [Eternit's new renewable project involves new solar roof tiles and their mass production].

Victory for Civil Society!

Mar 22, 2021

Campaigners in Brazil and abroad welcomed the news released last week that the former French aircraft carrier Le Foch, purchased by Brazil in 2000 and renamed the São Paulo, will not be sent to an Asian shipbreaking yard for scrapping. After months of intensive lobbying in Brazil as well as France (see: Letter to Brazilian Authorities Regarding Auction of Aircraft Carrier São Paulo), it was announced that the work would be done in Turkey under EU regulations, which will protect workers and local communities from exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos which are present on most ships of this age. See: Porta-aviões São Paulo será desmantelado na Turquia [Aircraft carrier São Paulo to be dismantled in Turkey].

Reinvention of Asbestos Conglomerate

Mar 22, 2021

The financial success currently being enjoyed by the former Brazilian asbestos giant Eternit S.A. is presented in a recent article as a template from which other corporate managers might learn. For years, Eternit had opposed calls by health and safety campaigners to transition to asbestos-free technology. Since they were forced to do so by a 2017 Supreme Court decision banning asbestos, the company has reorganized under bankruptcy laws (2018), divested itself of non-profitable subsidiaries, invested in photovoltaic technology and become a favorite of the Brazilian stock market. See: ETER3: Aprenda a Ver Oportunidades Como a Eternit [ETER3: Learn to See Opportunities Like Eternit].

Get Vaccinated Say Grassroots Campaigners

Mar 17, 2021

Leaders of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) are calling on their fellow citizens to follow the example of ABREA leaders Eliezer João de Souza, Doracy Maggion and Belmiro Silva dos Santos and get themselves vaccinated as a matter of urgency. Follow their example, urged the author of the blog [referenced below] and not the actions of the “moronic” Covid-19 denier President Jair Bolsonaro. See: Vítimas do assassino amianto dão exemplo: Tomam vacina contra covid e não viram jacaré [Victims of the asbestos killer set an example: They get covid vaccine and have not seen the beast].

Future for Iconic Aircraft Carrier

Mar 11, 2021

Brazil’s Ministry of Defense is again trying to sell the iconic aircraft carrier, the São Paulo after previous attempts to off-load the vessel had been unsuccessful. Disposal of the ship is not without controversy as it is contaminated with 700 tonnes of asbestos, which require careful handling to protect workers and local people from toxic exposures. A letter from the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) warned Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva that amongst the companies participating in the auction is one which represents “the interests of a shipyard located on the beaches of South Asia…where it is impossible to contain pollution...” See: Meio ambiente: Um porta-aviões brasileiro que pode poluir as praias do sul da Ásia [Environment: A Brazilian aircraft carrier that can pollute the beaches of South Asia].

Asbestos Cargo Seized!

Mar 8, 2021

On Friday, March 5, 2021 a shipment of 459 tonnes of asbestos was seized by the Health Surveillance Authority at the port of Santos on the south coast of São Paulo. The action was taken following a letter from Brazil’s Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) which had cited State law No. 12,684 (2007) prohibiting asbestos use in the State of São Paulo. The MPT had been alerted to the illegal shipping operation by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed: ABREA. The cargo had originated at the Sama Minerações Associadas asbestos mine in Minaçu and was destined for export to Asian countries. See: Carga com mais de 400 t de amianto é apreendida no Porto de Santos; substância é proibida no Brasil [Cargo with more than 400 tons of asbestos is seized at the Port of Santos; substance is banned in Brazil].

Illegal Asbestos Exports Condemned

Mar 5, 2021

On March 2, the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) denounced the illegal shipment of asbestos cargo from the SAMA asbestos mine in Minaçu to the São Paulo port of Santos saying that as per a 2007 State Law and a 2017 Supreme Court decision the production, transport and export of asbestos had been banned. On Tuesday, 10 trucks carrying 340 tonnes of asbestos left the mine. ABREA alerted the: Santos Port Guard Superintendence, São Paulo Sanitary Surveillance Center, Public Ministry of Labor and Highway Police of the State of São Paulo of these activities. See: ABREA denuncia: Sama afronta de novo o STF, tenta exportar 340 toneladas de amianto [ABREA denounces: Sama contravenes the STF again, tries to export 340 tons of asbestos].

Eternit Update: Post-Asbestos Profits

Mar 5, 2021

The financial results released on March 2, 2021 by Brazil’s former asbestos giant Eternit S.A. continued to show a healthy profit and high stockholder confidence since the company transitioned to asbestos-free technology. In 2020, the company’s shares rose 200%, making it the best performing stock on BOVESPA, the Brazilian stock market. Reflecting on Eternit’s good news, it’s President Luis Augusto Barbosa explained: “A combination of very positive factors favored us. The company's restructuring process, with the replacement of asbestos since 2017, is bearing fruit.” See: Sem amianto e com telha solar, Eternit retoma confiança do investidor [Asbestos-free and with solar tile, investor confidence in Eternit resumes].

Supporting Brazilian Asbestos Ban

Mar 3, 2021

The Constitutional Law Commission of the Brazilian Lawyers Institute (IAB) issued a report on February 24, 2021 upholding claims that a law passed in 2019 by Goiás State allowing the commercial exploitation of asbestos, which was in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court ruling, was unconstitutional and therefore invalid. The IAB has requested that the Supreme Court allow the IAB to act as an amicus curiae in a legal action by the Association of Labor Attorneys disputing the constitutionality of Goiás Law 20,514 / 2019. See: Para o IAB, lei de Goiás que permite a extração de amianto é inconstitucional [For the IAB, the Goiás law that allows for the extraction of asbestos is unconstitutional].

Brazil’s Asbestos Legacy

Feb 25, 2021

In a February 22, 2021 interview on the popular radio program “Viva Maria” with broadcaster Mara Régia, Fernanda Giannasi – leader of the ban asbestos struggle in Latin America and founder of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed – explained that the iconic Hollywood star Steve McQueen had died, like many Brazilian workers, of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. An exhibition to mark McQueen’s 90th birthday is now being held at the Cultural Center of the Bank of Brazil. Ms. Giannasi criticized the Governor of Goiás State Ronaldo Caiado – a medical doctor as well as a politician – who passed a law allowing the commercial exploitation of asbestos in contravention of a Supreme Court ruling. See: Em cartaz no Viva Maria: “Amianto, a fibra assassina” [On air in Viva Maria: “Asbestos, the killer fiber”].

Post-ban Asbestos Hazard

Jan 12, 2021

An interesting briefing on the uses and abuses of asbestos – by a scientific expert – highlighted the hazard asbestos exposures still posed to Brazilians despite a Supreme Court ruling in 2017 which banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos. Asbestos-containing products had been used for decades throughout the country and many toxic products remain hidden within the national infrastructure. The author of this text, Professor Victor Ricardo Ferreira, cited World Health Organization policy which stated that: “there are no safe methods of handling this product and that its risks outweigh the possible benefits.” See: Aminato [Asbestos].

Activist Condemns Brazil Exports

Dec 21, 2020

As asbestos mining recommenced in Brazil in late 2020 – despite a 2017 Supreme Court banning all production and sale – a Brazilian article explored the repercussions of asbestos exports from Brazil to India. During an interview with Pooja Gupta, coordinator of the Indian Ban Asbestos Network, Ms. Gupta said: “Eternit has always known that the asbestos it sells is dangerous and yet it has chosen to do business regardless. They saw what happened in Belgium and how people are still dying from asbestos. They value profit more than people and that is the most inhumane thing that anyone can do.” See: Ativista condena exportação do amianto no Brasil: “A vida dos indianos vale menos” [Activist condemns export of asbestos in Brazil: “The life of the Indians is worth less”].

Corporate Reinvention or Flim-Flam

Dec 9, 2020

In an interview with Luís Augusto Barbosa, CEO of Brazil’s former asbestos giant Eternit SA, Barbosa explained that the turnaround in Eternit’s fortunes was due to its abandonment of “notorious asbestos” in favor of photovoltaic tile technology. “It was the decision to abolish asbestos in 2017,” said Barbosa “which led us to judicial recovery.” Confirming the hazard posed by asbestos exposures to workers on assembly lines, Barbosa maintained that use of asbestos products was harmless. He did not address the health hazard posed to employees at the company’s asbestos mine in Minaçu. See: Do amianto à energia solar, redenção da Eternit (ETER3) faz ação saltar mais de 300% em 2020 [From asbestos to solar energy, Eternit's redemption (ETER3) makes activity jump by more than 300% in 2020].

Asbestos Riddle in Mining State

Nov 26, 2020

Despite the existence of a national asbestos ban as per a 2017 verdict of the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF), it was announced on November 17, 2020 that production of chrysotile (white) asbestos would recommence at the SAMA asbestos mine in Minaçu City, Goiás State under state law No. 20,514 adopted by the Goiás Legislative Assembly. Objections to the law’s unconstitutionality have been lodged with the STF. The Attorney General for Goiás State said that all the asbestos mined would be exported. See: Amianto em Goiás: entenda a disputa jurídica [Asbestos in Goiás: understand the legal dispute].

Medical Program for Asbestos Victims

Nov 24, 2020

On November 18, 2020, 17 asbestos-exposed workers constituted the first cohort in a new healthcare outreach program in the Brazilian city of Piracicaba. The workers underwent free clinical evaluations and imaging tests after being briefed by staff about the protocols to be followed. According to one of the organizers, the purpose of the initiative was “to ensure comprehensive health care, enable mutual knowledge between the parties and create bonds that facilitated the continuity of treatment and mutual cooperation between patients, families and the community.” See: Trabalhadores expostos ao amianto de 5 cidades da região de Piracicaba começam a receber atendimento de saúde [Workers exposed to asbestos in 5 cities in the Piracicaba region start receiving health care].

Asbestos Medical Outreach Program

Nov 18, 2020

Following on from medical outreach efforts conducted on November 7, 2020 in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, on November 14 another group of former asbestos-exposed employees from the Precon company – the last asbestos-cement factory in Brazil to discontinue the use of asbestos – were examined by a medical team, part of a pioneering program to identify and care for asbestos victims (see: Brazilian Success: Pioneering Medical Program to Expand!). Doctors Ubiratan de Paula Santos, Jefferson Benedito Pires de Freitas and Rafael Futoshi Mizutani donated the services of their team to conduct this intervention for high risk individuals. See: Photo [Courtesy of Alexandro Cristino Guimarães, leader of the asbestos victims’ group representing Precon workers].

New Asbestos Outreach Project

Nov 10, 2020

On November 7, 2020 in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, 22 former asbestos-exposed employees from the Precon company – owners of the last asbestos-cement factory in Brazil to discontinue the use of asbestos – were examined by a medical team, part of a pioneering program to identify and care for asbestos victims. The patients received X-ray, tomography and spirometry tests. Although Minas Gerais is one of Brazil’s most economically developed states, the public health system does not, according to an expert “adequately fulfil its role of epidemiological surveillance and health care for its population, especially asbestos victims.” See: Photograph.

Asbestos Expose Wins Prize!

Nov 3, 2020

An expose entitled Doctors of Death by Natara Felizardo, which was uploaded in January 2020 by the Brazilian online publication The Intercept, has won this year’s National Association of Labor Judges (ANAMATRA) of Brazil Award for Human Rights in the electronic media category (internet). This feature article detailed a litany of wrongdoings by medical doctors and researchers linked to the Brazilian asbestos mining company SAMA. Illnesses contracted by SAMA workers were routinely found to be caused by smoking or drinking and not by exposures to asbestos; the results of medical tests provided by SAMA were retained by the company. See: Doutores de la Morte [Doctors of Death].

Brazil’s Asbestos Conundrum

Oct 30, 2020

On October 21, 2020, Brazil’s Inter-Union Department of Health and Work Environment Studies and Research [Departamento Intersindical de Estudos e Pesquisas de Saúde e dos Ambientes de Trabalho/ DIESAT] hosted an online discussion about Brazil’s asbestos conundrum: although the Supreme Court banned asbestos in 2017, the mining and export of asbestos fiber continues under a state-sanctioned dispensation. Speakers who took part included: pneumonologist Dr. Ubiritan, engineer and co-founder of the Brazilian asbestos victims’ group ABREA Fernanda Giannasi, Luciano Lima Leivas, Labor Attorney & Deputy Manager of the National Asbestos Banning Program of the Public Ministry of Labor and others. See: A luta pelo banimento do amianto no Brasil é tema de live [Struggle to ban asbestos in Brazil continues].

Asbestos Mystery

Oct 20, 2020

A blog (cited below) has examined facts reported in a recent feature article which had extolled the bright future for Brazil’s former asbestos giant Eternit SA, whilst ignoring the avalanche of personal injury claims still pending against the company. Since September 2020 and despite Eternit’s financial liabilities, the company’s share price and market value had almost doubled with a huge spike in shares trading on a particular day. The company, it said, was at a loss to explain this development. The volume of Eternit’s asbestos exports from its Goiás mine doubled between 2019 and 2020 even though the Supreme Court banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos in 2017. See: Quem não gosta de amianto? [Who doesn’t like asbestos?].

Asbestos Mining: A Constitutional Crisis

Sep 29, 2020

Although the Brazilian Supreme Court banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos in 2017, the Eternit-owned SAMA chrysotile asbestos mine is still operational under Goiás state law permitting mining to continue. The constitutional crisis revealed by this situation is explored in a blog by retired factory inspector Fernanda Giannasi who deplored the double standards of Eternit’s current policy promoting continued asbestos mining for export as “environmental racism.” See: Fernanda Giannasi (ABREA) comenta a entrevista do Presidente da Eternit, Luis Augusto Barbosa, à revista Exame, publicada em 23/9/2020 [Fernanda Giannasi (ABREA) comments on the interview of Eternit's President, Luis Augusto Barbosa, to Exame magazine, published on 9/23/2020].

No “Social License” for Asbestos Use

Sep 28, 2020

In a press release by Eternit – Brazil’s former “Asbestos Giant” – the company finally admitted, three years after Brazil’s Supreme Court had banned asbestos, that it had no “social license” for the continued use of asbestos in Brazil. The company, which had been a stalwart defender of asbestos and even now continues to mine asbestos for export purposes only at its SAMA chrysotile mine, is publicly repositioning itself as a leader in green technology with its promotion of solar technology and photovoltaic roofing tiles. See: Após deixar o amianto e lançar telha de energia solar, a Eternit quer mais [After leaving asbestos and launching solar energy tiles, Eternit wants to expand].

Court of Shame!

Sep 21, 2020

The Brazilian Supreme Court has been soundly criticized over failing to convene a quorum of judges to hand down its decision on cases against the constitutionality of unilateral asbestos bans. On the court schedule for September 16, 2020 were cases against asbestos bans in the States of Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and Rio de Janeiro and the municipality of São Paulo. Eight of the 11 Justices were required to appear in order to provide a quorum but three declined to take part due to potential conflicts of interest, one was absent without leave and one was on sick leave, leaving the bench two Justices short. See: Fernanda Giannasi: Mais uma vez o STF foge da briga com a indústria da fibra assassina [Fernanda Giannasi: Once again the Supreme Court dodges confrontation with the killer fiber industry].

Maritime Mystery?

Sep 10, 2020

The ultimate fate of the redundant Brazilian flagship aircraft carrier São Paulo has once again given cause for concern. The bidding process to acquire the vessel – which contains up to 900 tonnes of asbestos and asbestos-containing material as well as hundreds of tons of heavy metals and PCBs – was recently suspended without explanation and responsibility of the vessel reverted to the Brazilian Navy which, campaigners fear, might disregard international regulations and the purchase agreement with the French Government and dispose of the ship by selling it to a scrapping company in India. See: Decommissioned Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier returns to Brazilian Navy after bid suspended.

Supreme Court Upholds Asbestos Law

Aug 20, 2020

On August 18, 2020, a ruling by Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) upheld a State law that held asbestos companies liable for paying compensation to injured workers exposed to asbestos at asbestos-cement factories. The legal challenge had been brought by the National Confederation of Industrial Workers which alleged that the issue at hand was outside the State’s jurisdiction. Law no. 4,341 / 2004, of the State of Rio de Janeiro was ruled constitutional by a majority of the STF Judges. See: STF mantém lei do RJ que responsabiliza empresas de fibrocimento por danos do amianto aos trabalhadores [STF upholds Rio de Janeiro law that holds asbestos companies liable for injuries to asbestos-cement workers].

São Paulo Carrier Going to Turkey

Jul 13, 2020

On July 1, 2020 Emgepron – a state owned company linked to Brazil’s Ministry of Defence – announced the French Government’s decision regarding the disposal of the São Paulo aircraft carrier, bought in 2000 from France and formerly named FS Foch. The company awarded the contract for the disposal of the ship was: Mediterranean Ship Breaking; the contract for the dismantling of the vessel was awarded to a ship recycling specialist in Aliga/Izmir, Turkey. Other bidders, including companies based at the Alang ship-breaking yards in Gujarat, India, were unsuccessful in their bids. See: Ata da reunião para pré-credencimento licitação de alienação de bens alienação [Minutes of the meeting for pre-accreditation bidding for the sale of assets].

Producing Banned Asbestos in Brazil

Jul 13, 2020

Last week, Eternit, S.A., – formerly Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate – reported that, despite the national asbestos ban enshrined under a 2017 Supreme Court (SC) ruling, it planned to process thousands of tons of ore to produce asbestos fiber. The company said, it was allowed to do so under the terms of a contentious Goiás State law which countermanded the SC’s opinion. The work will be undertaken by the Eternit subsidiary SAMA, which operated the chrysotile (white) asbestos mine at Minaçu. It remains to be seen how the asbestos shipments will reach the ports as transport over public highways is forbidden. See: Eternit vai processar minério disponível para extração em instalações da SAMA [Eternit to process ore available for extraction at SAMA facilities].

Pioneering Covid-19 Initiative

Jul 7, 2020

Thousands of asbestos-injured citizens in Rio de Janeiro will benefit from a new outreach program by Brazil’s National School of Public Health (ENSP/Fiocruz) which is being coordinated by ENSP director and pulmonologist Hermano Castro and financed by the Public Labor Ministry with funds obtained from judicial penalties against Petrobras, a Brazilian petroleum multinational. Members of the medical team will conduct telephone and on-site interviews to support and assist these patients who are at high-risk of contracting Covid-19. See: ENSP/Fiocruz prestará assistência aos trabalhadores expostos ao amianto no contexto da pandemia [ENSP / Fiocruz will provide assistance to workers exposed to asbestos in the context of the pandemic].

Asbestos Outreach Program

Jun 17, 2020

Earlier this month, Brazilian Pulmonologist Dr. Hermano Castro, director of the Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública (ENSP/ the National School of Public Health), announced that home visits to members of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) living in Rio de Janeiro would be carried out in light of their heightened vulnerability to the coronavirus. During these appointments, health check-ups would be undertaken and flu vaccinations offered by members of the Asbestos Covid-19 Action team. See: Photo of the Action team.

Asbestos Remediation in Mato Grosso

Jun 1, 2020

On May 29, 2020 work on replacing a 40-year old network of asbestos-containing water pipes was recommenced in a neighborhood in Cuiabá, the capital city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, as part of a program to improve the quality of water distributed by the public utility company; the work had been suspended because of the State’s Covid-19 quarantine. The deteriorating asbestos pipes are being removed with safer pipes installed for the transport of water to the localities affected. See: Rede de amianto será substituída na Rua Feliciano Galdino a partir de amanhã [Asbestos network will be replaced on Rua Feliciano Galdino from tomorrow].

Schirlei Azevedo, R.I.P.

Apr 29, 2020

The death has been announced of Schirlei Azevedo, one of the leaders of the campaign for asbestos justice in Santa Catarina State, Brazil and a strong advocate for a state-wide asbestos ban. Schirlei. who died of cancer on April 24, 2020 in the capital city of Florianópolis, was a long-standing member of the Workers’ Party, a founding member of the Santa Catarina (SC) Movement of Women Urban Workers and the SC representative of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). See: A guerreira e leitora do Viomundo Schirlei Azevedo encantou-se; leia notas dos companheiros do PT e Psol [Viomundo warrior and reader Schirlei Azevedo was special; read remembrances from PT and Psol comrades].

Brazil’s Asbestos War

Apr 22, 2020

An interview with Fernanda Giannasi, a leading figure in Brazil’s fight for asbestos justice, published on April 20, 2020 detailed the retired factory inspectors’s 35-year involvement with a grassroots campaign which revolutionized the national dialogue on asbestos. Despite physical threats, verbal assaults, lawsuits and, in the face of intimidation and clashes with corporate, political and bureaucratic forces, Ms. Giannasi worked with asbestos victims to expose the human cost of the asbestos industry’s profits in Osasco, Rio de Janeiro and throughout the country. See: Fernanda Giannasi: “Não há uso seguro para o amianto” [Fernanda Giannasi: “There is no safe use for asbestos].

Covid-19 and Chrysotile Asbestos

Apr 22, 2020

An interesting commentary by Brazilian experts compared the positive action on the Covid-19 pandemic taken by the Governor of Brazil’s asbestos mining state – Ronaldo Ramos Caiado – with his failure to act on the chrysotile asbestos hazard and explored the significance of a Supreme Court ruling which supported the right of States to protect citizens from coronavirus in the face of the President’s continued denial of any serious threat. The co-authors of this text highlighted the Court’s position that, under the constitution the right to life and health are paramount and supersede all commercial and economic arguments. See: Banimento do amianto no Brasil e o enfrentamento à pandemia [Banning asbestos in Brazil and tackling the pandemic].

Funding for Asbestos Healthcare

Apr 2, 2020

On March 30, 2020, news was received of a long-awaited judicial verdict which confirmed that money the Public Ministry had earmarked for the treatment of asbestos victims would be donated, as intended, to FIOCRUZ (Fundação/Foundation Oswaldo Cruz) – the most prominent institution of science and technology in health in Latin America – in Rio de Janeiro. The R$5million (~US$1m) came from a fine levied by the Public Ministry on the Brazilian Petroleum company Petrobas which had caused an environmental disaster via a massive leak of oil from one of its offshore platforms. The money had been blocked for over two years and was finally released as a result of protests by Labor Prosecutors and the Association of the Asbestos-Exposed.

Healthy Company, Dying Workers

Mar 31, 2020

As payments to Brazilian asbestos victims remained frozen due to financial machinations by Eternit, S.A. – formerly the country’s biggest asbestos conglomerate – the group reported good results for 2019 due to its embrace of asbestos-free technology. During the year, sales of asbestos-free fiber cement tiles grew by 18% a quarter and 24% for the year. A statement released by the company said: “Eternit keeps its focus on optimizing its fiber cement roofing manufacturing process, maintaining margins that ensure the sustainability of the business.” See: Eternit lucra R$ 6,7 milhões no final de 2019 e avança em reviravolta sem Amianto [Eternit profits R$6.7 million at the end of 2019 and advances in an asbestos-free turnaround].

Eternit Defies Supreme Court

Mar 16, 2020

A fortnight ago, the Eternit company announced the resumption of chrysotile asbestos production at its mine in Minaçu, Goiás State in direct contravention of a 2017 ruling by the Brazilian Supreme Court. The company said that the activity was legal under Goiás State Law 20,514, passed on July 17, 2019, which permitted the extraction and processing of chrysotile asbestos exclusively for export purposes. Critics said this action was unconstitutional as the Supreme Court ruling applied throughout the country and that the transport of the toxic cargo was banned throughout Brazil. See: Eternit retoma produção de amianto em Goiás [Eternit resumes asbestos production in Goiás].

Confronting Brazil’s Asbestos Legacy

Mar 3, 2020

In a high-profile interview with retired labor inspector and co-founder of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed Fernanda Giannasi (published on February 29, 2020), the former civil servant denounced moves by the Governor of Goiás State and asbestos industry stakeholders to circumvent Brazil’s 2017 asbestos ban. Recapping the evolution of knowledge regarding the hazard posed by exposures to asbestos and the history of asbestos mining and use in Brazil, Ms. Giannasi said: “Our struggle is to permanently protect society from the asbestos hazard…. What was once called the ‘magic mineral’ is now condemned as the “killer fiber.” See: Liberação do amianto em Goiás: “a ‘Lei Caiado’ é um acinte” [Asbestos release in Goiás: “the ‘Caiado Law’ is a provocation].

Asbestos Outrage

Feb 13, 2020

Under cover of a controversial law enacted in 2019 by the Brazilian State of Goiás, Eternit SA – formerly the country’s largest asbestos conglomerate – has announced it will resume processing chrysotile asbestos at a mine owned by its subsidiary Sama in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court ruling which outlawed the commercial exploitation of asbestos. The company said that all the asbestos, estimated to be ~24,000 tonnes, will be exported. Operations at the mine had been paralyzed since February 2019 due to litigation pending at the Supreme Court regarding the unconstitutionality of the Goiás law. See: Eternit vai retomar produção de amianto para exportar, apesar de proibição do STF [Eternit to resume asbestos production for export, despite STF ban].

Attack on Asbestos Victims

Feb 10, 2020

A commentary by Emidio de Souza, a former Mayor of the Brazilian town of Osasco and currently a state deputy, has revealed plans by the São Paulo Governor João Doria to close down in May 2020 a facility at the Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (São Paulo Cancer Institute) which provides radiotherapy for patients in Osasco, the former center of Brazil’s asbestos-cement industry. Souza says that given the size of the population, many of whom are at high-risk of contracting asbestos-related cancers, the facility should be expanded not disbanded. According to figures cited by Souza, the cancer incidence in Brazil is predicted to rise substantially over the next two decades. See: Doria, com saúde não se brinca [Doria, you can't play with health].

Brazil Supreme Court: Delay

Feb 6, 2020

On February 5, 2020, it was learned that a verdict due to be handed down virtually by the Brazilian Supreme Court on February 7, 2020 was being postponed, with no explanation or future date being given. The litigation due to be judged concerned the status of the 2019 law passed by the State of Goiás which allowed the mining and export of chrysotile (white) asbestos to recommence in contravention of a 2017 Brazil Supreme Court decision banning asbestos. At this time, no more information is available regarding this postponement.

Brazilian Asbestos Ban: Update

Feb 5, 2020

On February 7, 2020 the Brazilian Supreme Court will announce its decision regarding the status of the 2019 law passed by the State of Goiás which allowed the mining and export of asbestos to recommence in contravention of a 2017 Supreme Court decision banning asbestos. The decision of the individual judges will only be known once the verdict is handed down “virtually,” with no court appearances scheduled. See: Supremo julgará constitucionalidade da lei que autoriza a extração e exportação de amianto em Goiás [Supreme Court will judge the constitutionality of the law authorizing the extraction and export of asbestos in Goiás].

Corporate Crimes

Feb 3, 2020

The article referenced below, from Anuário Antropológico, a journal of the University of Brasília, discusses experiences of workers and residents in the Brazilian town of Minaçu who were exposed to chrysotile asbestos by the operations of the mining company SA Minerações Associadas (SAMA). The author details social suffering, marginalization and deaths which had ensued and highlights the role played by doctors and other medical professionals linked to SAMA in preventing the injured from accessing compensation or appropriate medical care. See: Sofrimento social entre trabalhadores do amianto e o ocultamento da ocorrência de doenças asbesto-relacionadas na cidade de Minaçu (GO) [Social suffering among asbestos workers and concealing the occurrence of asbestos-related diseases in the city of Minaçu (GO)].

Eternit Embraces Asbestos-Free Future

Jan 22, 2020

Eternit S.A., formerly Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate, is positioning itself as a frontrunner in the campaign for a clean and sustainable environment with its announcement of new photovoltaic roofing tile material – which is asbestos-free. According to the company, this product range is an example of a new corporate orientation to use cutting edge technology to find 21st century solutions to meet the needs of Brazilian citizens. See: Eternit Solar | Programa Cidades e Soluções da GloboNews [Eternit Solar | Globo News Cities and Solutions Program].

Behind Closed Doors

Jan 10, 2020

The Supreme Court of Brazil (STF) has announced that it will issue a decision regarding the constitutionality of a law adopted by the State of Goiás which, contrary to a STF 2017 ruling banning asbestos, allowed asbestos to be mined, processed, sold and exported from the SAMA chrysotile asbestos mine in Goiás. Despite the life and death issues involved, the STF’s Minister Alexandre de Moraes has scheduled proceedings to be virtual with no oral submissions. The decision of the court will not be announced in public but will be available only once the decision is published. See: vai julgar virtualmente lei goiana para proteger indústria [STF will judge Goiás law virtually to protect asbestos industry].

Corporate Betrayal of Workers

Jan 10, 2020

The text referenced below is a commentary on recent revelations regarding the corruption of medical ethics by people employed by or with links to the Brazilian asbestos mining company SAMA, a subsidiary of the Eternit Group. The author highlights how SAMA doctors discredited reports from independent doctors who had diagnosed SAMA workers with asbestos-related diseases. Controversial practices of SAMA medical board members – physicians Mario Terra Filho, Luiz Eduardo Nery and Ericson Bagatin – were also discussed including the board’s nearly universal failure to accept asbestos exposure as the cause of any occupational illness. See: O que a indústria do amianto tenta esconder [What the asbestos industry tries to hide].

Company Doctors Accused

Jan 7, 2019

An exposé of medical doctors and researchers linked to the Brazilian asbestos mining company SAMA, a subsidiary of the Eternit Group, detailed a litany of wrongdoings including: incorrect diagnoses, malpractice and biased research. According to the article, the accused’s objectives were to bolster the official position of SAMA which denied that occupational or environmental exposure to asbestos could cause disease. Illnesses contracted by SAMA workers were routinely found to be caused by smoking or drinking and not be exposure to asbestos; the results of medical tests provided by SAMA were retained by the company. See: Doutores da Morte [Doctors of Death].

Asbestos Update: São Paulo

Dec 19, 2019

The Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), which collaborated with healthcare and medical partners on a remarkable initiative in Minas Gerais (see: Landmark Asbestos Initiative in Brazil) in September 2019, this week visited the Barretos Cancer Hospital in São Paulo State to learn about diagnostic protocols and treatment options for asbestos cancer patients and to talk to staff about the results of medical tests performed on former asbestos workers from the Precon company in Minas Gerais. See: Abrea visita Hospital do Câncer de Barretos [ABREA visits the Barretos Cancer Hospital].

Bahia Asbestos Training Initiative

Dec 17, 2019

The latest initiative by experts from Southwest Bahia State University (UESB) to address the hazards posed by the asbestos legacy in the Brazilian cities of Bom Jesus da Serra and Poções was a collaborative effort with AVICAFE (the Association of Asbestos-Contaminated Victims and Exposed Families) and partnering organizations. The program included training in São Paulo for Bahia doctors in spirometry, pulmonary function and other clinical tests for individuals at high risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases. Spirometry equipment was donated to the UESB to facilitate testing of asbestos-exposed people in Bahia. See: A UESB inicia pesquisa em Bom Jesus da Serra [UESB begins research in Bom Jesus da Serra.].

Addressing Brazil’s Mining Legacy

Dec 12, 2019

A fact-finding mission to Bom Jesus da Serra in the Brazilian State of Bahia was undertaken by personnel from the UESB medical school as part of an initiative to address the consequences of living in a former asbestos mining area. According to co-organizer UESB Professor Thaís Brito, the effectiveness of the program is reliant on efforts with partnering institutions including: the Heart Institute, the University of São Paulo School of Medicine Hospital das Clínicas and groups such as: the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed (ABREA) and the Association of Asbestos-Contaminated Victims and Exposed Families. See: Uesb traça estratégias de enfrentamento à exposição ao Amianto [UESB outlines strategies for coping with asbestos exposure].

Brazil’s Illegal Asbestos Shipments

Dec 11, 2019

Despite a national ban on asbestos, trucks carrying asbestos fiber have been leaving a Brazilian mine in Minaçu, North Goiás since December 6, 2019 destined for the port of Belém do Pará, 1645 kilometers away. According Fernanda Giannasi, co-founder of the Brazilian Association of Asbestos Exposed, the mining and transport companies are flouting Brazilian law. “The resumption of the asbestos trade,” she said, “is an affront to the country's Supreme Court and a threat to the health and life of the Brazilian population.” See: Fernanda Giannasi: Mineradora Sama e transportadoras insistem em afrontar o STF que baniu o amianto no Brasil [Fernanda Giannasi: Mining company and transporters insist on flouting STF asbestos ban].

Asbestos Hot Potato

Dec 11, 2019

A response was received on November 20, 2019 from Deputy Admiral Chief of Staff Eduardo Machado Vazquez to a letter sent on September 26, 2019 by an international consortium of NGOs which raised concerns regarding the proposed public auction of the aircraft carrier São Paulo. Nothing written in the two-page response from Vazquez precluded the sale of the São Paulo to a ship-breaking company which would scrap the vessel at a South Asian beaching yard where health and safety regulations were non-existent and exposures to toxic chemicals, including asbestos, routine. See: Letter from Deputy Admiral Chief of Staff Eduardo Machado Vazquez (in Portuguese).

Asbestos Hearing

Dec 9, 2019

On December 4, 2019, a public hearing on asbestos was held by the Health and Environment Commission of the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul to consider the toxic legacy of asbestos mining and use in Brazil. Experts who gave evidence to the meeting convened by Deputy Valdeci Oliveira included: Dr. Carlos Nunes, Adair da Rocha, President of the Rio Grande do Sul section of the Brazilian Association of Asbestos-exposed (ABREA), Eliezer João de Souza, ABREA President, Fernanda Giannasi, ABREA co-founder and technical advisor, and Aline Brasil from the Public Prosecutor's Office. See: Audiência pública discute danos à saúde ainda causados pelo Amianto [Public hearing discusses asbestos-related health damage].

The Scrapping of the São Paulo?

Oct 21, 2019

The fate of Brazil’s only aircraft carrier and the largest ship in the fleet is up for grabs, according to an article about the disposal of the São Paulo, purchased from the French Government in 2000. The ship, which contains up to 1,000 tonnes of asbestos material, is being auctioned with a December 9 bidding deadline. While it is widely believed the ship will be scrapped, the tender agreement states it must be done so safely and in accordance with procedures to protect the environment. During its years in the Brazilian Navy, the São Paulo was beset with difficulties and was only operational for 206 days. See: Museu ou sucata? O que será do porta-aviões brasileiro que custou R$ 22 milhões [Museum or scrap? What will be the [fate of the] Brazilian aircraft carrier that cost $22 million?].

Appeal to French President

Oct 7, 2019

On October 1, 2019, the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) appealed to the French President to intervene in the upcoming auction in Rio de Janeiro of the former French ship, renamed the São Paulo by the Brazilian Ministry of Defence, which contained large amounts of asbestos. According to the tender notice, it seemed clear that the São Paulo would be sold for demolition and most likely end up on a South Asian beach for dismantling. As per paragraph 8.3 of the tender notice, the French government must authorize the sale of the São Paulo; as the transport of this toxic vessel contravened the Basel Convention and other international protocols, ABREA urged the French President to take urgent action. See: Letters to French President Emmanuel Macron [Portuguese] [French].

Proposed Sale of Aircraft Carrier

Sep 30, 2019

The auction by the Brazilian Ministry of Defence of the Sao Paulo aircraft carrier, operational from 2000 to 2017, was announced for September 27, 2019. A reserve price of $1.25 million was set; $12 million had been paid to the Government of France for the ship. The ultimate fate of Sao Paulo, which was the sister ship of the infamous French carrier Le Clemenceau, was of concern to civil society groups who warned the Brazilians that cash buyers would probably send it for scrapping to Asian beaches (see: Letter Sep 26). After the publication of the letter, news was circulated that the auction was being postponed until December 2019. See: Brazilian aircraft carrier goes on sale for $ 1.275 million.

Asbestos Healthcare: New Initiative

Sep 23, 2019

From September 23 to 27, 2019, hundreds of asbestos-exposed workers from the Precon company’s factory in Pedro Leopoldo will take part in a new medical monitoring scheme in São José da Lapa, a city in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais. They will be examined in the CT truck belonging to the Barretos Cancer Hospital. Municipal officials with close ties to the former asbestos-processing company have continually refused to provide healthcare for the at-risk workforce. This initiative is being supported by Brazil’s Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). See: Photo (courtesy of ABREA).

Increasing Medical Capacity

Sep 18, 2019

On Thursday, September 12, 2019 a public hearing took place in the Brazilian town of Bom Jesus da Serra during which a new spirometer and other equipment were presented to staff from the medical clinic at the Federal University of Bahia to facilitate early diagnoses of asbestos-related respiratory problems in high risk individuals such as those exposed to asbestos whilst employed at the SAMA asbestos mine and members of their families. Attending the event were representatives of local and national asbestos victims’ groups, legal associations, government officials, medical personnel and municipal officers. See: A AVICAFE e ABREA entregam espirômetro à UFBA [AVICAFE and ABREA deliver spirometer to UFBA].

Pro-Victim Ruling: Eternit Condemned

Sep 18, 2019

Brazil’s Superior Labor Court increased the amount awarded against Eternit, formerly Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate, to Reais 600,000 (~US$147,000 ) for moral and material damages for the mesothelioma death of a former employee following workplace asbestos exposures which took place decades ago. He died in 2012, more than 37 years after he had left Eternit; he had been employed for almost one year at the company’s Osasco factory in the manufacture of asbestos-cement pipes. See: Deferida indenização a espólio de ajudante que descobriu câncer 35 anos após dispensa, diz TST [Compensation granted to employee who contracted cancer 35 years after dismissal, says TST].

Increasing Asbestos Restrictions: Update

Sep 16, 2019

Law 10,849/2019 adopted by the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo prohibited the industrialization, trade and use of products, materials or artefacts containing any type of asbestos. A new proposal currently going through the state legislature will further restrict the use of asbestos products such as water tanks and tiles; Bill 699/2019 will prohibit the transportation, import, export, storage and delivery to third parties, even free of charge, of materials or items containing any type of asbestos. These prohibitions are being adopted in recognition of the global consensus regarding the human health risks posed by exposures to asbestos. See: AMIANTO: Projeto fecha cerco contra amianto no ES [ASBESTOS: Project closes siege against asbestos in ES].

Brazil’s Asbestos War

Sep 12, 2019

The almost daily vicissitudes regarding the fate of Brazil’s asbestos ban were detailed in an article published by BBC News Brasil on September 11, 2019. The text summed up the dynamics and processes which led to the 2017 Supreme Court ban on asbestos and highlighted efforts by vested interests to curtail the ban so that asbestos mining and export could continue. The roles played by important stakeholders including ABREA – the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed – Campaigner Fernanda Giannasi, Attorneys Marcia Kamei Lopez and Leonardo Amarante, researchers Drs. Hermano Casto and Arthur Pires Amaral and others were discussed. See: Saúde ou emprego? O dilema do amianto, que fez Goiás desafiar STF [Health or employment? The asbestos dilemma that made Goiás challenge STF].

Eternit Abandons Asbestos!

Sep 9, 2019

In a press release issued by Eternit, S.A. – formerly Brazil’s biggest asbestos conglomerate – company President Luís Augusto Barbosa confirmed that Eternit had “abandoned 100%" asbestos and would now play a leading role in the green revolution by introducing a new asbestos-free photovoltaic tile, capable of transforming solar power into electricity. Product testing is ongoing and Eternit expected the tiles to be on the Brazilian market within 18 months. The USP of the new Eternit product is that the photovoltaic cells are applied onto the tile itself without the need for an additional panel. See: Eternit lança telha de energia solar e diz que superou Amianto [Eternit launches solar power tile and says it has overcome asbestos].

Supreme Court Appeal

Sep 5, 2019

An appeal by Asian Asbestos Victims’ Groups to the Brazilian Supreme Court which is due to announce its decision on the totality of the country’s asbestos ban – in light of appeals by vested interests for exemptions to allow a further 10 years of asbestos mining for export purposes – any day now has been detailed in a feature article on the Brazilian website of Viomundo. The author summarized the background to the current case and quoted from an appeal sent by the asbestos victims to the Court. See: Amianto: organizações fazem apelo aos ministros do STF para que mantenham proibição total [Asbestos: Organizations Appeal to STF Ministers to Maintain Total Ban].

Asbestos & Cocaine: Brazil's Toxic Exports

Sep 2, 2019

A shipment of chrysotile (white) asbestos from the Brazilian Port of Santos, intercepted after Interpol alerted the authorities in South Africa, was found to contain 700 kilograms of cocaine valued at $216 million. It took customs officers 12 days to locate the container with the drugs amongst the 3,000 containers on-board the vessel MSC Spain. It’s alleged that the drugs were being shipped by a Brazilian drugs’ gang headed by Karine de Oliveira Campos and her husband, Marcelo Mendes Ferreira, neither of whom has been apprehended by the police. See: Carga de minério cancerígeno escondeu mais de 700 kg de cocaína, diz PF [Carcinogenic ore load concealed more than 700 kg of cocaine, says PF].

Asbestos: A Regional Concern

Aug 30, 2019

The first of three case studies examined in a new paper about cancer prevention in the Americas focused on the issue of asbestos exposures in Brazil, formerly an asbestos producing and using country. The authors noted that while the long-awaited 2017 Brazilian ban on asbestos was welcomed, it was of serious concern “given the poor visibility of workers’ health compared to other public health priorities of the country,” whether the necessary measures would be implemented by the government to prevent future exposures to asbestos-containing material already within the national infrastructure and environment. See: Pollution in the Americas: a leading cause of disease burden and an opportunity for cancer prevention.

Medical Care for Asbestos Victims

Aug 27, 2019

On August 22, a hearing took place in Capivari regarding arrangements for the dispensation of funds to look after asbestos victims as per a court agreement with the former asbestos company Brasilit. Under discussion were the purchase of equipment and the operation of the diagnostic imaging center to be built next to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Capivari Hospital. Amongst those in attendance were representatives of the Capivari Asbestos Exposed Association, the Brazilian Asbestos Exposed Association and Rodrigo Proença, the Mayor of Capivari. See: Prefeito Rodrigo vai ao Ministério Público do Trabalho para tratar da criação do centro de diagnóstico por imagens [Mayor Rodrigo goes to the Labor Prosecutors’ Office to discuss the creation of the diagnostic imaging center].

Asbestos Ban Upheld

Aug 23, 2019

On August 23, 2019 Federal Supreme Court Minister Ricardo Lewandowski denied a motion by the Sama Minerações (SAMA) asbestos mining company and upheld Brazil’s asbestos ban. As a result, the actions of the São Paulo State Dock Company that prevented SAMA from exporting asbestos through the port of Santos were deemed legitimate. According to Minister Lewandowski, the Supreme Court declared the unconstitutionality of Federal Law 9,055/1995, which allowed the exploitation of chrysotile asbestos. Consequently, the transport and export of chrysotile asbestos was also incompatible with Brazil’s constitution. See: Lewandowski nega liminar e mantém proibição de exportação de Amianto [Lewandowski denies injunction and upholds asbestos export ban].

Mesothelioma Mortality in Brazil

Aug 23, 2019

A newly published academic paper considered measures for reducing the regional cancer incidence in the Americas and highlighted the role played by environmental and occupational exposures to toxins. One of the three case studies focused on the repercussions of exposures to asbestos in Brazil and examined steps taken to identify, monitor and address the problems caused, such as the establishment of a national collaborative research network and a national interdisciplinary epidemiological investigation. Data cited showed that mesothelioma mortality had tripled between the periods 1980-2000 (0.77 per million) and 2000-2012 (2.1 per million). See: Pollution in the Americas: a leading cause of disease burden and an opportunity for cancer prevention.

Asbestos Mining: Expose

Aug 14, 2019

Despite decades of denial, the deadly price paid by workers for the profits of the Brazilian asbestos mining industry is beginning to emerge. A PhD dissertation by Arthur Pires Amaral, which was featured in the article below, revealed the repercussions of occupational exposures to asbestos mine workers and their families at the now closed SAMA chrysotile asbestos mine in the city of Minaçu: “These former SAMA employees died without any medical assistance and financial compensation from the mining company, often being held responsible for the worsening of their poor health conditions,” wrote Amaral. See: Negação do adoecimento pelo Amianto [Denial of Asbestos Disease].

Environmental and Public Health Initiative

Aug 13, 2019

An outreach project entitled Diferentes Formas de Dizer Não – Experiências de proibição; resistência e restrição a mineração [Different Ways to Say No – Prohibition experiences; mining resistance and restrictions] promoted by the Brazilian Environmental Justice Network in the City of Muriaé in the southeast of the State of Minas Gerais – east of Brazil’s former asbestos mining State (Goiás) – is being carried out between August 13 and 15, 2019 to consider the health, economic and environmental impact of mining operations and examine topical issues, such as demands by vested interests to recommence asbestos mining banned by a 2017 ruling by the Supreme Court. See: Poster for the Workshops.

Health Advocates Support Asbestos Ban

Aug 12, 2019

During the 16th National Health Conference this month, a motion circulated by The Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) repudiating efforts by asbestos vested interests to force the Supreme Court to allow asbestos mining for export was strongly supported. The petition condemned Goiás State law 20.512/2019 which permitted chrysotile asbestos mining, processing and transport for export purposes in contravention of the Court’s 2017 ruling outlawing the asbestos industry. See: 16ªCNS: Abrea encaminha menção de repúdio sobre liberação da exportação do amianto ao STF [16th National Health Conference supported ABREA motion rejecting asbestos miners’ appeal to Supreme Court (for export exemption to national ban)].

Supreme Court Asbestos Litigation

Jul 24, 2019

On July 19, 2019, the National Association of Labor Attorneys submitted a motion to the Supreme Court (STF) requesting the suspension of a law adopted on July 16, 2019 by the Brazilian asbestos mining State of Goiás – contrary to the 2017 STF ruling prohibiting the commercial exploitation of asbestos – to allow the recommencement of chrysotile asbestos mining. According to lawyer Mauro Menezes: “the law published by … Goiás should be invalidated, because it is a deliberate repetition of content already declared to be unconstitutional (by the Court).” See: ANPT pede no STF suspensão imediata de lei que libera amianto em Goiás [ANPT asks STF for immediate suspension of law that releases asbestos in Goiás].

Goiás vs. the Supreme Court

Jul 22, 2019

On July 16, 2019, the Governor of the Brazilian asbestos mining state of Goiás Ronaldo Ramos Caiado sanctioned law number 20.514/19 which authorized the recommencement of chrysotile (white) asbestos mining in the State contrary to the 2017 Brazilian Supreme Court ruling banning the production, use, sale and export of asbestos in Brazil. Considering that the parent company of the SAMA asbestos mine, Eternit, SA, had fired all 400 mine workers some weeks ago in light of the national ban, it remains to be seen whether this law has any practical import. See: Mesmo com decisão do STF, Caiado sanciona lei que autoriza amianto em Goiás [Even with STF decision, Caiado sanctioned law that authorizes asbestos in Goiás].

Non-Occupational Asbestos Exposure

Jul 19, 2019

A study of lung cancer data from Osasco, a Brazilian city where asbestos had been processed in building products factories, revealed elevated rates of lung cancer mortality in men and women. There was also evidence of increased mortality from tracheal and bronchial cancer in males. The authors found that the study pointed: “to the possibility of increased mortality due to lung cancer in cities exposed to asbestos, especially chrysotile. The surveillance of lung cancer cases and deaths in these areas is strongly recommended.” See: Lung Cancer Mortality Trends in a Brazilian City with a Long History of Asbestos Consumption.

Uplift in Asbestos Compensation

Jul 16, 2019

A Brazilian Court has increased the amount of compensation awarded to the estate of an employee of Eternit S.A. to R$600,000 (~US$160,520). The deceased was diagnosed with asbestos cancer 35 years after he left the company. Whilst previous courts had acknowledged Eternit’s liability, the lump sum plus monthly pension awarded had been thought insufficient by the family. In the new verdict, the judge wrote: “The main purpose of compensation for moral damages is not only to compensate for the victim's suffering, but also to punish the offender in a pedagogical way, discouraging the repetition of practices considered abusive.” See: Empresa indenizará por morte de ex-funcionário exposto a Amianto [Company to pay for death of former employee exposed to asbestos].

Writing History!

Jul 9, 2019

A book published in April 2019 in São Paulo entitled Eternidade – A Construção Social do Banimento do Amianto no Brasil [Eternit – The Social Construction of the Brazilian Asbestos Ban] is now available on the website of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed. The book details the struggle by victims to achieve justice for the injured, promote research and campaign to ban asbestos. Individual chapters focus on mobilization in the cities of Osasco, Sao Caetano do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Londrina, Goias, Recife, Pedro Leopoldo, and Simoes Filho e Bom Jesus da Serra. See: Eternidade – A Construção Social do Banimento do Amianto no Brasil [Eternit – The Social Construction of the Brazilian Asbestos Ban].

Asbestos Hearing in Brasilia

Jul 4, 2019

On July 2, 2019, a hearing in the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia took place, hosted by federal deputy Nilto Tatto, to discuss the struggle for Brazil’s asbestos ban and the recognition and treatment of the injured, with presentations from: ban asbestos activist Fernanda Giannasi, President of the Association of the Asbestos-Exposed Eliezer João de Souza, medical experts Ubiratan de Paula Santos and Rene Mendes, Dr. Marcia Lopez Aliaga (Labor Prosecutor and Head of Asbestos Ban Program), Marcos Lopes Martins, former state deputy and author of Law No. 12,684 which prohibited asbestos in São Paulo State. See: Nesta terça, Câmara faz audiência sobre o processo de banimento do amianto no Brasil [This Tuesday, the Chamber is hearing about the process of banning asbestos in Brazil].

Book Launch in Rio de Janeiro

Jul 2, 2019

An iconic book entitled Eternidade: the Social construction of Brazil’s asbestos ban was launched at a public hearing in the Chamber of Deputies in Rio de Janeiro June 28, 2019. The event, hosted by Carlos Minc – formerly Minister of the Environment and a Deputy and Secretary of the Environment of Rio de Janeiro State – featured presentations by author Marina Moura, President of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) Eliezer João de Souza and ABREA Co-founder Fernanda Giannasi. ABREA members were in attendance. See: Livro sobre a luta pelo banimento do amianto no Brasil será lançado na Alerj, sexta-feira (28/6) [Book on the fight for banning asbestos in Brazil will be launched at Rio’s Legislative Assembly on Friday (28/6)].

Asbestos Mining: The Legacy

Jul 1, 2019

An article published on June 27, 2019 documented the tragic reality – long denied by the asbestos mining company and the trade union it controlled – that exposures to asbestos at Brazil’s chrysotile (white) asbestos mine in Minaçu had killed generations of workers, family members and local people. Albertino de Oliveira, who had worked at the mine from 1973 till 1988 bagging asbestos fibers, has lost 7 family members to asbestos-related diseases; the deceased – his wife, father, brother, three uncles and a cousin – had all worked at the mine. Although some information in the article has been rendered redundant – mining operations having ceased earlier this year (2019) – the description of the human tragedy caused by the commercial exploitation of asbestos in Minaçu is accurate. See: The Mine that Kills.

Healthcare for Asbestos Workers

Jul 1, 2019

A medical surveillance program for workers exposed to asbestos whilst employed by the Brazilian asbestos manufacturer Brasilit has been set up pursuant to a court agreement whereby the company agreed to provide healthcare for the asbestos-exposed. Brasilit employees and former employees from the cities of Belém, Capivari, Contagem, Esteio, Recife, São Caetano do Sul and Rio de Janeiro can use the new website to apply for free periodic medical examinations. The website will be active until 2032. See: Após acordo de R$ 25 milhões, Brasilit cria site para cadastrar ex-funcionários expostos a Amianto [After agreement of R$ 25 million, Brasilit creates site to register former employees exposed to asbestos].

Enforcing City’s Asbestos Ban

Jun 25, 2019

Pursuant to Municipal Law No. 8,806 / 2017 prohibiting asbestos and asbestos-containing products in the Brazilian city of Campos dos Goytacaza, Rio de Janeiro State, officers have been carrying out spot inspections at retail outlets to ensure that outlawed building products were not being sold. To date, only one shop out of the 20 inspected was found to be contravening the asbestos prohibitions. The supplier was informed that the asbestos tiles on sale were illegal and they were promptly discarded. See: Procon fiscaliza depósitos de construção para coibir venda de amianto em Campos [Procon supervises construction depots to curb the sale of asbestos in Campos].

Asbestos Fines to Fund Clinic

Jun 7, 2019

On June 5, 2019 it was announced that the former Brazilian asbestos-processing company Brasilit had agreed to pay a fine set by the Public Labor Ministry at R$ 25m (~US$ 6.4m) in order to settle lawsuits in the 8th Labor Court of Campinas over illegal occupational asbestos exposures. The money will be used to build a healthcare clinic in Santa Casa de Capivari (São Paolo), where Brasilit workers can be treated for asbestos-related diseases for the next 30 years. The clinic will also provide medical care for community members. See: Empresa que usava amianto fecha acordo de R$ 25 milhões com MPT [Company that used asbestos closes agreement of R$ 25 million with MPT].

Asbestos Mass Sackings

Jun 5, 2019

On May 31, 2019, Brazil’s Eternit Group fired all 400 workers at SAMA, its asbestos mining subsidiary, in the State of Goiás at a cost of R$12 million (~US$3m). The company blamed a 2017 Supreme Court decision banning the commercial exploitation of asbestos for this measure, saying that the mine was being mothballed so it could be reopened should permission to recommence operations be granted by the Court. The mine had been non-operational since February 2019; during that time the workers had been suspended. See: Eternit demite 400 funcionários e hiberna mineradora de Amianto [Eternit dismisses 400 employees and mothballs asbestos mine].

Exposing Brazil’s Asbestos Conspiracy

May 24, 2019

A commentary detailing a plot by commercial and political asbestos industry stakeholders to end Brazil’s prohibition on the commercial exploitation of chrysotile asbestos exposes the means being used by right-wing interests to deconstruct the medical and scientific evidence regarding the human health risk posed by asbestos exposures. The text includes interviews with asbestos victims and medical experts who reiterate the proven consequences of workplace and environmental exposures to asbestos: chronic ill health and premature and avoidable deaths. See: A conspiração infame pela volta do Amianto [The infamous conspiracy about the asbestos revolution].

Asbestos Fight-back

May 20, 2019

Asbestos mining in Brazil ceased on February 1, 2019. Current attempts by right-wing Senators to force a U-turn of the national prohibitions are examined in the article referenced below. In April 2019, a “caravan” of Senators, including Senate President David Samuel Alcolumbre, accompanied the Governor Ronaldo Caiado of Goiás State, to the mining city of Minaçu to support demands for the renewal of asbestos mining. Data from Brazilian medical experts and interviews with asbestos victims explain the deadly consequences of such an action. See: De mineral mágico a poeira assassina: volta do amianto pode causar epidemia de cancer [From magic mineral to killer dust: asbestos revival could cause cancer epidemic].

Asbestos and Occupational Health

May 20, 2019

Decrying the news that asbestos stakeholders are trying to reverse the Supreme Court policy on banning the commercialization of asbestos in Brazil, Fundocentro – a Brazilian institution at the forefront of the campaign to improve occupational health and safety – issued a statement highlighting the wealth of epidemiological evidence and medical information which has been amassed on the adverse health effects of asbestos exposures on Brazilian workers and the work which has been done to train physicians in diagnosing asbestos-related conditions. See: Nota da Fundacentro sobre os impactos do amianto [Fundacentro's note on the impacts of asbestos].

Calls for Asbestos Exemption

May 14, 2019

A 10 minute segment shown on prime time TV (May 12) focused on lobbying by asbestos stakeholders to pressurize the Supreme Court into allowing 10 more years of asbestos mining. Accepting that a 2017 ruling by the Court outlawed asbestos sales in Brazil, the industry is pressing for an exemption to allow exports. Medical doctors, victims and prosecutors explained the hazards posed by exposures while a company doctor and engineer described the “safe use process”, described as a fallacy by retired Factory Inspector Fernanda Giannasi. See: Comissão do Senado vai pedir reabertura de mina de amianto, minério que pode provocar cancer [Senate Commission to request reopening of asbestos mine, ore that can cause cancer].

Offensive by Asbestos Sector

May 14, 2019

On May 7, 2019, draft legislation by the Brazilian asbestos mining State of Goiás was adopted by a vote of 1336:83 (94.2% in favour) for asbestos mining to be permitted for the sole purpose of export. As far as can be ascertained, this is a political show of force and is not binding, as the Supreme Court in 2017 outlawed the commercial exploitation of asbestos throughout the country. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing litigation brought by asbestos industry stakeholders. See: Proposta 2019002488: Autoriza, para fins exclusivos de exportação, a extração e o beneficiamento do amianto da variedade crisotila no Estado de Goiás [Proposition 2019002488: Authorizes for exclusive purpose of export, the extraction of chrysotile asbestos in the State of Goiás].

A Doctor vs. Asbestos Industry

May 13, 2019

An article by Antonio Carlos Lopez, President of the Brazilian Medical Clinic Society, expressed surprise that commercial interests were lobbying for the mining of asbestos to be permitted in Brazil despite a 2017 ban by the Supreme Court. The author was critical of the asbestos lobby and in particular one of its leading campaigners: the Governor of the asbestos mining State of Goiás – Ronaldo Caiado, who was also a doctor. Dr. Lopez wrote: “it is the duty of every physician to hold the life of the human being in the first place, always. If the end of production eliminates jobs, it is up to the political class of Goiás and Brazil to create alternative…” employment for workers. See: A saúde em tempos de predadores [Health in time of predators].

Asbestos Attack on Supreme Court

May 6, 2019

Senators are pressurizing Supreme Court Justices on behalf of chrysotile asbestos mining interests from Goiás State regarding the Court’s ruling declaring the exploitation of asbestos unconstitutional, alleging that the 2017 verdict was given “without scientific basis.” Warning of dire economic consequences for Goiás, the politicians argued that mining for export should be allowed. A spokeswoman for the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed said the Association “is strictly against the export of asbestos, because what we don’t want for ourselves, can’t be allowed to happen to others.” See: Senadores querem que STF autorize exportação do Amianto [Senators want STF to authorize asbestos exports].

Asbestos Legacy

May 3, 2019

A blog by Leonardo Sakamoto, a journalist from São Paulo, Brazil highlighted the ongoing risks to workers and members of the public posed by asbestos-containing products already incorporated within the country’s infrastructure. Sakamoto condemned Federal Senators who visited Brazil’s remaining asbestos mine on April 27, 2019 and supported demands for asbestos mining operations to recommence in order to protect jobs. The author called on politicians and entrepreneurs to provide healthy workplaces and adopt safe technologies. See: Primeiro de Maio: Para celebrar a data, muito amianto para os trabalhadores [May Day: Celebrating the date, too much asbestos for workers].

Support for Asbestos Industry

May 1, 2019

Calls by vested interests in Brazil for Supreme Court action to permit the mining of asbestos were supported by Senators D. Alcolumbre, V. Cardoso, Luiz do Carmo and C. Rodrigues who made a video of a recent trip to Minaçu, the asbestos mining city. Accompanied on their trip by Goiás State Governor Ronaldo Caiado, the Senators endorsed calls by the mining company, workers and local people for the Supreme Court to approve the continued operation of the SAMA asbestos mine. Acknowledging the hazard posed by asbestos exposures, medical experts called on the company and the State to support workers following Brazil’s ban on asbestos. See: Senadores defendem retomada da mineração de Amianto [Senators Defend Resumption of Asbestos Mining].

Book Review: Victims vs The System

Apr 12, 2019

A commentary on a book entitled Eternity – A Social Construction of Banning Asbestos in Brazil highlighted the importance of the work of asbestos victims in achieving a landmark 2017 decision by the Supreme Court which declared the commercialization of asbestos unconstitutional in Brazil. The book’s author pointed out that ample evidence about the hazards posed by exposures to asbestos had been amassed years before the Brazilian asbestos sector became established. The Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, founded in 1995, represented the voice of the victims and condemned the industry and demanded recognition, medical treatment and compensation. See: The Strength of Social Movement in Banning of Asbestos in Brazil.

Asbestos Protest in Brasilia

Apr 8, 2019

On Monday, April 1, 2019 a group of around 150 workers from the Cana Brava chrysotile asbestos mine in Minaçu, a city in the Brazilian state of Goiás, demonstrated in front of the Federal Supreme Court in Brasilia to bring pressure on Ministers (Supreme Court Justices) to reinterpret their 2017 decision banning asbestos, in order to allow the mining and export of asbestos to continue. In January 2019 Eternit SA, whose subsidiary SAMA Minerações Associadas owns the mine, announced that it planned to continue exporting asbestos fiber to “the United States, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and other Asian countries.” See: Trabalhadores da Sama cobram da PGR parecer ao STF [SAMA employees charge PFR opinion to STF].

Court Victory!

Mar 25, 2019

A Labor Court in Bahia, Brazil issued a claimant’s verdict to the family of a worker who had been negligently exposed to asbestos at a thermal insulation factory belonging to the Calorisol company. The deceased had been employed from 1974 to 1976, during which time she handled asbestos-containing products on a daily basis. She was diagnosed in 2014 with mesothelioma and died in 2015, aged 58. The total sum awarded to her surviving family exceeded one million reais (~US$256,175). See: Justiça do Trabalho da Bahia condena a CALORISOL pela morte de trabalhadora por mesotelioma - o câncer do Amianto [Labor Court of Bahia condemns CALORISOL for the asbestos cancer (mesothelioma) death of a worker].

Brazil’s Asbestos Landscape

Mar 18, 2019

An online interview uploaded to mark International Women’s Day highlighted the leadership role played by pioneering engineer and factory inspector Fernanda Giannasi in the battle to ban asbestos in Brazil. Ms. Giannasi explained the paradox whereby even though the Supreme Court declared the asbestos trade unconstitutional, one of its judges took action to allow the mining of asbestos for export to continue. Despite the Court’s ruling, asbestos production continues at the Cana Brava Mine in Minaçu, a city in the Brazilian state of Goiás. See: Fernanda Giannasi e sua luta para banir o Amianto [Fernanda Giannasi and her fight to ban asbestos].

Court Orders Compensation to Family

Mar 14, 2019

As a result of rulings by the First Labor Court of Pedro Leopoldo in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, three surviving heirs of a former worker from a tile factory will each be awarded the sum of (Reals) R$50,000 (US$13,100) for his death from mesothelioma caused by occupational exposure to asbestos. A second lawsuit regarding this death resulted in a verdict awarding the family a further R$100,000 (US$26,215) in moral damages. See: Empresa indenizará família de ex-trabalhador vítima de câncer por exposição ao Amianto [Company will indemnify former worker's family for cancer from asbestos exposure].

Two Deadly Powders

Feb 8, 2019

An operation at the Port of Santos in Brazil’s São Paulo State uncovered 266 kilograms of cocaine hidden within a shipment of raw asbestos fiber. The joint Federal Police and Customs of the Federal Revenue of Brazil taskforce found the drugs on Friday, February 1. The cargo was destined for Chennai, India – the world’s largest asbestos-importing country – with a stop en route in Antwerp, Belgium. A sniffer dog alerted the officials to the presence of the drug. See: Receita Federal apreende 266 kg de cocaína no Porto de Santos [Federal Revenue seizes 266 kg of cocaine in the Port of Santos].

Honoring the Asbestos Dead

Feb 6, 2019

A proposal to erect a monument commemorating those whose lives had been sacrificed to asbestos is working its way through the municipal legislature of Osasco, formerly the center of Brazil’s asbestos-cement sector, under the sponsorship of Mayor Rogério Lins. Thousands of workers and members of the public had died in Osasco from asbestos-related diseases and it was in Osasco in 1995 that the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed was formed. See: Projeto prevê monumento às vítimas do amianto em Osasco [Project proposes monument to asbestos victims in Osasco].

Commentary: Brazil’s Asbestos Legacy

Jan 28, 2019

The invisibility of Brazilian asbestos victims – exacerbated by confidential settlements and the lack of epidemiological data – and the failure to enforce the Supreme Court’s landmark 2017 judgment declaring the asbestos trade unconstitutional are just two of the many factors preventing the national asbestos dialogue from achieving the priority status it warrants as the “ industrial catastrophe of the twentieth century.” It is believed that one million Brazilians have been occupationally and environmentally exposed to asbestos. See: Até Quando o Amianto Occupara as Pautas Sócio-político-ambientais no Brasil? [When will asbestos conform to the socio-political-environmental guidelines in Brazil?].

Asbestos Alert in Brazil

Jan 18, 2019

Asbestos is a hot button topic in Brazil. In an extended interview (see: The fiber of the devil) published this week, ban asbestos campaigner Brazilian Engineer Fernanda Giannasi highlighted the public health emergency caused by decades of asbestos exploitation in Brazil and condemned the impasse caused by the Supreme Court’s failure to take action to shut down the asbestos trade despite its November 2017 ruling. Meanwhile, an article recently uploaded to the health surveillance website of Rio Grande do Sul state contains information about a system being set up to monitor the health of former workers from an asbestos cement plant. See: Vigilância fará estudo sobre exposição ao amianto em ex-trabalhadores de indústria [Surveillance to conduct study on asbestos exposure in former industrial workers].

Asbestos Critique

Jan 16, 2019

In a notification issued to shareholders on January 10, 2019, Eternit SA announced that it had stopped using asbestos in the production of tiles, thereby bringing an end to asbestos manufacturing in Brazil. Commenting on Eternit’s plans to continue mining asbestos for export, Veteran ban asbestos campaigner Fernanda Giannasi condemned the failure of the Supreme Court to implement its November 2017 ruling outlawing Brazil’s asbestos trade; through its inertia, the mining and export of asbestos was continuing. See: Eternit interrompe produção nacional de amianto, mas continuará exportando; vitória de Pirro graças ao STF, critica Fernanda Giannasi [Eternit halts domestic asbestos production, but will continue to export; a pyrrhic victory thanks to STF, criticizes Fernanda Giannasi].

Double Standards

Jan 14, 2019

Responding to consumer demand and market forces, Brazil’s one-time asbestos giant Eternit S.A. has announced that it will no longer manufacture asbestos-containing building products for sale in the domestic market. It will, however, continue to mine chrysotile asbestos fiber at Brazil’s sole remaining mine in the city of Minaçu, Goiás State for export to “dozens of countries” including “the United States, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and other Asian countries”. See: Eternit deixa de usar amianto em seus produtos e mina produzirá só para exportação [Eternit stops using asbestos in its products and mine will produce only for export].

Healthcare for Victims

Dec 31, 2018

Fines levied by a Brazilian court on the country’s largest asbestos manufacturer, Eternit SA – worth US$440,000 – were used in 2018 to fund medical treatment of asbestos victims, in a program jointly run by the São Paulo Heart Institute, the Association of the Asbestos-Exposed and the Labor Public Ministry. The money was spent on the acquisition of new equipment for pulmonary function tests and the wages of an additional doctor and two medical technicians. In 2018, 94 patients were treated; in 2019, doctors hope to treat 200. See: Parceria Incor, Abrea e MPT completa um ano e avança no atendimento às vítimas do Amianto [Incor, Abrea and MPT partnership completes one year of advances in the care of asbestos victims].

Victims’ Triumph

Dec 19, 2018

One of Brazil’s few remaining asbestos-using companies – Eternit S.A. – was ordered last week to pay for life-time medical care for former employees suffering from asbestos-related diseases who had worked at its Rio de Janeiro asbestos-cement factory – by Judge Raquel de Oliveira Maciel in a public civil action brought by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) and endorsed by the Public Prosecutor's Office. Although the company refused to comment on this judgment, it is believed it will appeal as it has done in previous cases. See: Empresa é condenada a pagar tratamento vitalício para expostos ao Amianto [Company is ordered to pay for lifetime treatment for asbestos exposure].

Asbestos Vacuum

Dec 3, 2018

The failure of the Brazilian Supreme Court to publish its full ruling a year after it declared the commercial exploitation of asbestos in Brazil unconstitutional has been soundly criticized by civil society activists who condemn the current situation in which states that do not have current laws banning asbestos can continue to mine, produce and export asbestos despite the Supreme Court’s verdict. Ban asbestos activist Fernanda Giannasi says: “We're still in limbo. The decision continues to be violated by Sama, by Precon from Minas Gerais, and by Precon Anápolis /Goiás from the Eternit group.” See: Um ano após banir o amianto no Brasil, STF ainda não publicou sentença [One year after banning asbestos in Brazil, STF has not yet issued a ruling].

Asbestos Disposal in São Paulo?

Nov 29, 2018

The lack of regulated and supervised locations for the authorized disposal of asbestos waste in São Paulo was exposed in a television broadcast on November 27, 2018 in a primetime news bulletin. According to the report, asbestos-containing building and other material is routinely being dumped on roads and embankments as a result of the failure by the public authorities to act on the environmental hazard posed by the widespread incorporation of toxic products within the country’s infrastructure. See: Falta de locais adequados impede descarte correto de amianto em SP [Lack of adequate locations prevents correct asbestos disposal in SP].

Changing Brazil’s Asbestos Agenda

Nov 22, 2018

Individuals and groups which progressed calls to ban asbestos in Brazil and the means used to achieve this goal are discussed in the paper referenced below; in particular, the authors detail the evidence needed to persuade decision-makers and civil society leaders of the harmful effects posed by asbestos exposures to workers and members of the public. The authors consider the paradox in which the Supreme Court 2017 decision declaring asbestos use unconstitutional is legally flouted by vested interests who continue to mine and sell asbestos in some states. See: La lotta per il bando dell’amianto in Brasile e il 2 Convegno internazionale “Brasile senza amianto” [The fight for the asbestos ban in Brazil and the 2nd International seminar “Brazil without Asbestos”].

Asbestos on the Agenda

Oct 26, 2018

Presentations on asbestos issues were included on the agenda of a seminar organized by the Mauro Menezes & Advogados law firm which took place on October 22 at the University of São Paulo Law School. Topics such as future challenges after the Supreme Court 2017 decision declaring asbestos use unconstitutional were discussed. Looking ahead, lawyer Gustavo Teixeira Ramos commented: “There is still a lot to do, especially in the sense of reparation for victims, criminal liability of companies and total ban on asbestos in the world.” See: Banimento do amianto e impactos da Reforma Trabalhista foram temas de evento na USP [Asbestos ban and impacts of the Labor Reform were themes of the event at USP].

Asbestos Public Hearing

Sep 26, 2018

A public hearing was held on Tuesday, September 25, 2018 in the São Paulo city of Capivari to warn about the human health risks posed by exposures to asbestos. The Public Labor Prosecutor's Office (MPT) of Campinas, which convened the meeting, confirmed the occurrence of occupational exposures to asbestos at a tile and water tank factory in Capivari which was operated by the Brasilit company for 30 years; a thousand workers’ compensation lawsuits are pending. See: MPT apura contaminação por amianto em operários de fábrica em Capivari: ‘Cancerígeno,’ diz médico [MPT Seeks Asbestos Contamination in Factory Workers in Capivari: ‘Carcinogenic’ says doctor].

Asbestos and Workers’ health

Sep 24, 2018

An asbestos public hearing – organized by the Public Labor Ministry – is taking place tomorrow (September 25, 2018) afternoon in Capivari, a city in São Paulo State. The theme of the session which is being chaired by labor attorney Alvamari Cassillo Tebet is “Exposure of workers to asbestos and its consequences to health.” Amongst those attending will be representatives of the Public Ministry of Labor and the Public Prosecutor's Office, labor attorneys and members of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed. See: Audiência Pública discutirá impacto do amianto na saúde do trabalhador [Public Hearing to Discuss Asbestos Impact on Worker’s Health].

Eternit Condemned!

Sep 21, 2018

A Brazilian Court has awarded compensation of R$1 million (US$240,000+) for moral and material damages to a former Eternit employee who contracted asbestos cancer as a result of occupational exposure. The Court held the company liable and condemned Eternit’s failure to protect workers from the human health risks of asbestos exposures; despite knowing that the use of asbestos could cause debilitating and fatal diseases to workers, the company’s use of this substance continued. See: Empresa Eternit é condenada a pagar indenização de 1 milhão para ex-funcionário [Eternit company is ordered to pay compensation of 1 million to former employee].

Mandatory Asbestos Removal

Sep 21, 2018

A decision by Judge Patrícia Erica Luna da Silva from the São Paulo district of Rosana has been handed down in response to a public civil action brought in May 2018 by the São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office; the Judge has given the São Paulo Sewage Company (SABESP) 18 months to replace asbestos-containing water pipes in the Rosana district. The basis for this verdict is Law 12,684/ 2007 prohibiting asbestos use in São Paulo State; the constitutionality of this law was upheld by the Supreme Court in November 2017. See: Juíza manda Sabesp substituir tubulação de amianto no interior de SP [Judge orders SABESP to replace asbestos pipe in the interior of SP].

Asbestos Claimants’ Victories

Sep 19, 2018

Decisions this month have proved beneficial to asbestos-injured workers in Brazil. As a result of revisions to the National Classification System, people with injuries caused by occupational exposures to carcinogens who were insured by the National Social Security Institute can apply for early retirement. The 34th Labor Court of São Paulo awarded R$1million to a former Eternit worker who lost a lung to asbestos cancer following toxic exposures between 1976 and 1991. See: Trabalhador exposto a agente cancerígeno tem direito à contagem de tempo especial para aposentadoria [Worker exposed to carcinogenic agent is entitled to special time count for retirement].

Asbestos Seminar in Bahia

Sep 17, 2018

On September 27, 2018 an asbestos seminar is being held in Vitória da Conquista, a city in the Brazilian State of Bahia, which will be addressed by Brazilian as well as international experts including: Dr. Marcia Kamei Lopez Aliaga, Engineer Fernanda Giannasi, asbestos victims’ leader Mr. Eliezer João de Souza, Professor Annie Thebaud-Mony (France) and Dr. Agata Mazzeo (Italy). The focus of the meeting will be on the public health problems and environmental impact caused by the commercial exploitation of asbestos in the Bahia mining town of Bom Jesus da Serra between 1939 and1967. See: Seminário do Sudoeste Baiano sobre o Amianto [South West Bahia Seminar on Asbestos].

Asbestos: The Battles Continue

Sep 15, 2018

In the aftermath of the Brazilian Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling which declared the use of asbestos unconstitutional, more details have been emerging about the ongoing struggle for official recognition and compensation by workers and their families injured by asbestos exposures. Asbestos defendants – including nationally known companies such as Eternit and Saint Gobain – which had used diverse measures, some illegal, to avoid their asbestos liabilities are now facing an uphill battle as courts recognize the defendants’ responsibilities for causing asbestos injuries to employees and award substantial damages to claimants. See: Mortes silenciosas [Silent deaths].

Transition from Asbestos Use

Aug 6, 2018

A commentary based on a session held at the 12th Brazilian Congress of Collective Health which took place recently in Rio de Janeiro drew on testimony by leading campaigners for the rights of asbestos victims to secure healthcare, social justice, environmental remediation and compensation. Despite the legal victory achieved by the 2017 Supreme Court ruling which declared the use of asbestos unconstitutional, much work remains to be done in the face of intransigent companies such as Dow Chemical which is refusing to transition from outlawed asbestos technology. See: Banimento do amianto: as conquistas de uma luta que precisa perdurar [Asbestos ban: the achievements of a struggle that must endure].

Fighting for Asbestos Justice

Aug 3, 2018

The 10,000 residents of the former asbestos mining town of Bom Jesus da Serra, in Brazil’s Bahia State, are engaged in a battle for social and environmental justice as they fight for the damage done to their town to be recognized and remediated by the guilty parties including the company which profited from the operations of the now derelict chrysotile (white) asbestos mine. From being passive supplicants townspeople have become activists campaigning for justice for the lives lost and damage done to those employed in the mine, their relatives and local people who were exposed to environmental contamination. See: A cidade onde nevava Amianto [The city where Asbestos was snowing].

Toxic Talc: In Brazil

Jul 23, 2018

An 8 minute segment on a Brazilian radio program focusing on the struggle for women’s civil, political and social rights was broadcast last week (July 18); it included an interview with Fernanda Giannasi, renowned ban asbestos campaigner and co-founder of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Injured. Ms. Giannasi discussed a recent US court verdict awarding $4+ billion to claimants who contracted ovarian cancer after using asbestos-contaminated talc products and considered the relevance of this verdict for Brazilian women. See: Viva Maria: Após condenação sobre talco com amianto, associação quer análise do cosmético no Brasil [Viva Maria: After talc asbestos conviction asbestos, association urges analysis of cosmetic in Brazil].

Legacy of Asbestos Mining

Jun 22, 2018

Brazilian photographer Inácio Teixeira was born in Bom Jesus da Serra, Bahia State, Brazil, home to the São Felix Asbestos Mine which for decades poisoned its workers, polluted the environment and exposed consumers and family members to a deadly carcinogen. A photographic exhibit he has produced is now on the website of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed; the stark black and white images “leave no doubt about the trail of destruction caused by this predatory industry…” See: Uma Tragédia Socioambiental de Proporções Ainda Ignoradas [A Socio-Environmental Tragedy of Unkown Proportions So Far].

Bronchial Asthma from Asbestos

Jun 19, 2018

A quality inspector who worked for seven years for TMD Friction do Brasil SA, a company which manufactured auto parts, succeeded in increasing his compensation for workplace asbestos exposure which resulted in him contracting bronchial asthma from R$15,000 (US$4,020) to R$80,000 (US$21,500) in a unanimous decision by the Superior Labor Tribunal. The plaintiff had claimed R$317,000 (US$85,000) in moral damages. See: Turma aumenta indenização a inspetor que desenvolveu asma brônquica por exposição ao Amianto [Compensation increased for inspector who developed bronchial asthma due to exposure to asbestos].

Court Win in Rio de Janeiro

Jun 18, 2018

Rio de Janeiro Labor Judge Mariane Bastos Scorsato issued a plaintiff’s verdict ordering a company to pay R$450,000 (~US$120,000) compensation to the wife of a worker who had died from an asbestos-related occupational disease. The deceased had worked for the company from 1964 until 1991. Despite his smoking history, the Judge concluded that the link between the workplace exposure and the disease, and the failures of the company to take adequate safety measures and inform the workers of the asbestos hazard made it liable to pay the moral damages awarded. See: Morte ocorrida por exposição a amianto gera indenização de R$ 450 mil [Death caused by exposure to asbestos generates indemnity of R$450 thousand].

Asbestos Mining Legacy

Jun 11, 2018

On Thursday, June 7, 2018, local dignitaries and officials attended a public hearing on the deadly asbestos legacy which continues to plague the former asbestos mining town of Bom Jesus da Serra in the Brazilian state of Bahia. Although the mine ceased operations in 1967 after almost 30 years, toxic exposures to local people and the environmental contamination it created pose an on-going threat to the health of residents. During the meeting, a minute’s silence was observed to remember all those whose lives had been sacrificed to the mine including José Nildo Vieira, a former mine employee, who died last week and was buried in the cemetery named “Snow White,” after the white dust created by the chrysotile (white asbestos) mine. See: Poster advertising the June 7, 2018 asbestos hearing.

Another State Asbestos Ban

Jun 4, 2018

On Wednesday, May 16, 2018 Law #11,121/2018 was promulgated in the Official Gazette of the Brazilian State of Paraíba which prohibited the marketing and installation of materials containing asbestos and stipulated that during refurbishment, repair and demolition work asbestos-containing products must be are identified and handled by operatives supplied with Personal Protective Equipment. Infractions of this new legislation are punishable by fines ranging from R$1,000.00 to R $ 1,0000.000,00 (US$250,000+). See: Paraíba proíbe uso de amianto, produto que causa 100 mil mortes por ano [Paraíba prohibits use of asbestos, a product that causes 100,000 deaths per year].

Asbestos Mining in Brazil

May 29, 2018

An academic paper discussing the experiences of workers and community members living in a Brazilian asbestos mining town – São Felix (Bom Jesus da Serra, Bahia, north-eastern Brazil) – highlights the role played by grassroots activism in creating a narrative and fuelling the struggle for social justice which in 2017 saw a federal judge award 500 million reais (~US$156,000) for “moral collective damages” caused by operations at the São Felix mine; the money was earmarked to provide health care for the asbestos-injured. See: The temporalities of asbestos mining and community activism.

Another State Asbestos Ban

May 23, 2018

On May 11, 2018, the legislature of another Brazilian state decreed that “The use of products, materials or devices intended for the consumer, containing asbestos fibers in their composition, is prohibited within the State of Paraíba.” Furthermore, the new law also prohibited the selling and installing of any form of asbestos-containing material and stipulated the use of protective measures for workers required to have contact with previously installed asbestos products. Although the Brazilian Supreme Court banned asbestos throughout the country by a decision handed down in November 2017, state prohibitions are still required. See: Lei Nº 11121 DE 11/05/2018 [Law Nº 11121 OF 05/11/2018].

Plaintiff’s Verdict in Bahia

May 1, 2018

The Regional Labor Court of the 5th Region (TRT-5) in Bahia, Brazil has unanimously overturned previous verdicts which time-barred a personal injury claim from a plaintiff with asbestosis who had worked for Brazil’s asbestos giant Eternit from 1974 until 1984. When in 2006 he sought compensation for the disease diagnosed in 2004, the Labor Court and the TRT-5 dismissed his claim for damages. The finding of TRT-5 upheld the legality of action based not on the time since exposure but on the time since knowledge of the disease was definitive. See: TST afasta prescrição para doença de trabalhador exposto ao Amianto [TST removes prescription for worker’s asbestos disease].

Justice in Bahia!

Apr 22, 2018

A federal court has ruled that the asbestos mining company Sama and the multinational Saint Gobain must pay R$62 million (~US$18m) for collective moral damages due to damage caused by their commercial exploitation of asbestos in the Brazilian State of Bahia. The companies were ordered to identify and demolish buildings made with asbestos tailings, monitor environmental contamination and support cultural, social and environmental projects in Bom Jesus da Serra, a city 464 kilometers from Salvador, the state capital. See: Justiça condena mineradoras a pagar R$ 62 milhões por exploração de Amianto [Justice condemns mining companies to pay R $ 62 million for asbestos exploration].

Victory in Bahia!

Apr 12, 2018

João Batista de Castro Júnior, federal judge of the 1st Court of the Judicial Branch of Vitória da Conquista, has issued a decisive judgment regarding the negligence of SAMA – a subsidiary of Eternit – and Saint-Gobain in spreading contamination throughout the environment of the Bom Jesus da Serra region, southwest of Bahia, Brazil. The Judge ordered the demolition of houses and roads built with asbestos tailings, the removal of the toxic debris and payment of $31 million for collective moral damages. See: Justiça Federal manda derrubar casas construídas com Amianto [Federal court orders to demolish houses built with asbestos].

Under-reporting of Asbestos Cancer

Apr 6, 2018

Scientists in Brazil have devised and implemented an effective protocol for tracking cases of mesothelioma and cancer of the pleura (MCP), the national incidence of which, they say, has been “under-reported.” Using a computer linkage, MCP cases from hospital records not recorded on death certificates in Brazil were recovered. The authors conclude that: “In Brazil, where only recently was the ban on asbestos legally indicated, high standards of surveillance and data record quality of mesothelioma are more than a need; they should be a priority.” See: Recovering missing mesothelioma deaths in death certificates using hospital records.

Making a Difference!

Mar 30, 2018

Yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, retired Labor Inspector Fernanda Giannasi was awarded the prestigious “Prize for Making a Difference to the Brazilian Economy in 2017” for her leadership in the national battle to ban asbestos, at a gala ceremony hosted by the Globo media corporation. Accepting the trophy, she appealed to the Federal Supreme Court not to back down on its historic 2017 decision to outlaw asbestos mining, processing, use and export in the face of huge corporate pressure. See: Prêmio Faz Diferença: pioneira na luta contra o amianto, Fernanda Giannasi Giannasi faz apelo ao STF [Prize for Making a Difference: Pioneer in the fight against asbestos, Fernanda Giannasi appeals to the Supreme Court].

Asbestos Blindness: Corporate Disaster

Mar 24, 2018

Instead of investing in innovation, Eternit S.A., formerly Brazil’s biggest asbestos conglomerate, continued to pay generous dividends despite growing national concern over the company’s reliance on asbestos; with liabilities greater than assets, the company has sought court protection as it strives for solvency. Blinkered leadership has been cited as pivotal in Eternit’s downfall: “Eternit is an example of how a company can be negatively affected – its executives and shareholders ignored the fact that the world was changing, and that it needed to change as well.” See: A cegueira que levou a Eternit à recuperação judicial [The blindness that led Eternit to judicial protection].

Update: Eternit S.A.

Mar 20, 2018

In the aftermath of the November 2017 judgment by Brazil’s Supreme Court banning asbestos, Eternit S.A., the country’s biggest asbestos producer and manufacturer, has taken steps to restructure the company as a step to assuring its viability in light of the impact the prohibitions have had on its finances. According to a statement made this week, the construction company and its subsidiaries have filed for judicial recovery in São Paulo, citing an adverse financial climate and ongoing legal discussions about the asbestos prohibitions. See: Grupo Eternit pede recuperação judicial e cita impacto de proibição do uso de Amianto [Eternit Group seeks judicial recovery and cites impact of ban on the use of asbestos].

First Prize: Fernanda Giannasi!

Mar 6, 2018

On February 11, 2018, it was announced that ban asbestos campaigner Fernanda Giannasi had won the prestigious Globo Award for Making a Difference to the Brazilian Economy in 2017 for decades of work which, finally in November 2017, resulted in the production, trade and use of asbestos being banned in Brazil, formerly the world’s 3rd largest supplier of asbestos fiber. The award presentation will take place at a gala ceremony on March 28 in Rio de Janeiro. See: Prêmio Faz Diferença. Vencedores – Economia: Fernanda Giannasi (Prize for Making a Difference. Winner – Economy: Fernanda Giannasi).

Analysis: Supreme Court Verdict

Jan 22, 2018

A new commentary explores whether the Brazilian Supreme Court’s reliance on international human rights law and international environmental law in its decision to outlaw asbestos use throughout the country has created a new pattern of integration between international and constitutional law for future cases focused on collective fundamental rights. One of the main arguments of the November 29, 2017 plenary decision handed down by the Court in litigation regarding the constitutionality of state asbestos bans was ILO Convention No. 162. See: The Judicial Ban on Asbestos in Brazil: A Turning Point in the Relationship between International Law and Collective Fundamental Rights?

Bahia Bans Asbestos!

Dec 29, 2017

An amendment which would have permitted the use of asbestos in the Brazilian State of Bahia for up to ten years despite a 2017 Supreme Court declaration that asbestos use was unconstitutional was vetoed on December 28, 2017 by Governor Governor Rui Costa, making Bahia the 12th State to outlaw asbestos. Although the Bahia legislature had succumbed to pressure from Dow Chemical Brazil to allow asbestos use in the electrolysis process, the Governor acted in accordance with the law and advice received from public agencies. See: Emenda que permitia uso do amianto até 2016 na Bahia é vetada por governador [Amendment permitting the use of asbestos from 2016 in Bahia is vetoed by governor].

Bahia vs. Supreme Court

Dec 19, 2017

In an astonishing defiance of a definitive November 2017 ruling by Brazil’s Supreme Court, the legislative assembly of Bahia State on December 5, 2017 approved an amendment allowing the chlor-alkali industry in Bahia, in particular Dow Química Brasil, to continue using asbestos in diaphragms for the electrolysis of brine and the production of chlorine until 2026. The Court had ruled that the use of asbestos was illegal throughout all jurisdictions in Brazil. This amendment has already been named the “Dow Amendment,” as Dow is the only Brazilian company still using asbestos diaphragms. See: Nota Oficial: A Bahia na contramão do banimento do Amianto [Official Note: Bahia against asbestos ban].

Victim’s Verdict

Dec 17, 2017

A lawsuit begun in 2013 was recently decided in favour of a former worker from the company Aperam South America – Brazil’s biggest manufacturer of speciality steel – who developed asbestosis in 2012 after having been occupationally exposed to asbestos during more than a quarter of a century employment as a metal turner. The claimant was awarded R$80,000 (US$24,300+) compensation plus a monthly pension despite the company’s repeated denials of negligent behaviour. See: Justiça condena Aperam a pagar indenização e pensão a ex-funcionário contaminado por Amianto [Justice condemns Aperam to pay compensation and pension to former employee contaminated by asbestos].

The Polluter Pays

Dec 8, 2017

Brazil’s Public Prosecutor's Office (MPT) is pioneering programs to monitor workers’ health and diagnose asbestos-related diseases using funds from judicial awards to pay for medical examinations, diagnostic equipment and follow-up programs; asbestos lawsuits have been filed by the MPT in Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, São Paulo and Paraná. There are, in addition, four main public civil actions against Eternit, formerly Brazil’s largest asbestos conglomerate. See: MPT quer reparação dos danos causados pelo amianto no país [MPT wants to repair the damage caused by asbestos in the country].

The End!

Dec 6, 2017

In a press release issued by Eternit S.A., Brazil’s biggest asbestos conglomerate, on December 5, 2017 the company informed its shareholders and the financial markets that it had suspended mining at Brazil’s only chrysotile asbestos mine, which was operated by the Eternit subsidiary SAMA, following the Supreme Court verdict of November 29 declaring the mining, processing, use, sale and export of asbestos and asbestos-containing products unconstitutional throughout the country. Also suspended were the activities of the Eternit subsidiary Precon Goiás, which was a manufacturer of asbestos cement tiles. See: Eternit S.A. Press release.

Eternit Surrenders!

Nov 30, 2017

On November 27, Eternit – Brazil’s Asbestos Giant – announced that due to falling demand the company would phase-out chrysotile asbestos use from December 2018. Last week, a court in Rio de Janeiro gave the company 120 days to shut down production of asbestos tiles in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Currently, Eternit factories in the cities of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Colombo (PR),Simões Filho (BA), Goiânia and Anápolis (GO) use 60% synthetic polypropylene fiber and 40% chrysotile asbestos in the manufacture of tiles. See: Eternit deixará de usar amianto em fabricação de telhas até 2018 [Eternit to stop using asbestos in tile production in 2018].

Asbestos Update: Rio de Janeiro

Nov 23, 2017

Today (November 23, 2017) at 13:30 a public lecture will be given by Brazilian engineer Fernanda Giannasi, former labor inspector and leader of the Latin American ban asbestos campaign, on the status of Brazil’s on-going struggle to ban asbestos. Masters students from the occupational health surveillance department and others are invited to attend. The session, which will take place at the National School of Public Health in the Manguinhos area of Rio de Janeiro, will be moderated by Researcher Luis Carlos Fadel. See: Aula aberta Banimento do amianto: uma luta coletiva e continua [Open class on the banning of asbestos: a collective and continuous struggle].

Asbestos Victims’ Mobilization

Nov 20, 2017

On Saturday, November 18, 2017, a capacity crowd gathered in the town of Bom Jesus da Serra in the Brazilian state of Bahia to consider the way ahead for asbestos victims in light of a court verdict which condemned the former asbestos mining company that owned the Sao Felix do Amianto mine and awarded a total of 500 million Reias (US$153.4m) to workers and families whose lives had been decimated by asbestos exposures. See: Audiência Pública hoje em Bom Jesus da Serra/Bahia com familiares e ex-empregados, vitimados pelo amianto [Public hearing today in Bom Jesus da Serra / Bahia with relatives and former employees, victims of asbestos].

Asbestos Victims’ Mobilization

Nov 13, 2017

On Saturday November 11, 2017, asbestos-exposed ex-employees and relatives of deceased workers who had worked at the Infibra plant in Londrina held discussions regarding the filing of a public civil action against the company, which shut in 2003. Commenting on the lawsuit, Márcia Rodrigues Gamba, whose father died from asbestosis in 2013 and had worked for Infibra from 1985 to 2003, said: “The collective action is related to the health damage of those exposed to asbestos and aims also to provide compensation to relatives of people who died due to [asbestos] diseases.” See: Ex-trabalhadores de Londrina vão cobrar indenizações por Amianto [Former workers in Londrina to collect asbestos indemnities].

Asbestos Documentary

Oct 30, 2017

The documentary “Do not Breathe – Contains Asbestos” was shown in the city of Florianópolis last week, after which a discussion took place that provided the opportunity for the director André Campos, Fernanda Giannasi, retired labor inspector and co-founder of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, Márcia Kamei López Aliaga, manager of the Labor Public Ministry’s National Program to Ban Asbestos and others to consider recent developments regarding the prohibition of asbestos production and use in Brazil. See: Lançado em Florianópolis o Documentário “Não Respire – Contém Amianto” [Released in Florianópolis the Documentary “Do not Breathe – Contains Asbestos”].

Asbestos Civil Action

Oct 23, 2017

The Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) has filed a public civil action against asbestos manufacturer Brasilit, claiming material – medical, hospital, physiotherapeutic and psychological healthcare costs for workers and family members – and moral damages for 2,000 workers exposed to asbestos at the company’s São Caetano do Sul factory. ABREA seeks to annul extrajudicial agreements preventing former employees from filing lawsuits in return for healthcare funded by their former employer. See: ACP contra Brasilit pede indenização a 2 mil ex-empregados contaminados por Amianto [ACP v Brasilit seeks compensation for former 2,000 asbestos-exposed employees].

Asbestos Company Charged

Oct 19, 2017

The first hearing was held on October 17, 2017 in the 2nd Labor Court of Simões Filho, Bahia, Brazil of charges brought by the Public Labor Ministry of Bahia against Eternit S.A. which is alleged to have illegally exposed workers in its Simões Filho headquarters to high levels of toxic asbestos. If convicted the company could face penalties of R$225 million (US$71m). Eternit has 15 days to submit an agreement to phase out asbestos use in its factory. See: Eternit na BA pode ser condenada a indenizar sociedade em R$ 225 mi por uso de amianto [Eternit in BA may be ordered to indemnify society for R $225 million for use of asbestos].

Bahia Victims’ Victory

Oct 6, 2017

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) in Vitória da Conquista in Brazil’s Bahia state has ordered the asbestos mining company Sama Minera Associadas to comply with a court order awarding 11 claimants, injured by exposure to asbestos liberated by the company’s operations, the medical costs for their illnesses, including payment for all clinical treatments plus medications and equipment required, and a life-time monthly stipend equal to one and a half times the minimum wage. See: MPF de Vitória da Conquista pede pagamento de indenização a vítimas de amianto da Sama [MPF of Vitoria da Conquista orders compensation payments to Sama’s asbestos victims].

Victim’s Victory

Oct 2, 2017

On September 15, 2017 Justice Alberto Luiz Bresciani de Fontan Pereira of the Superior Labor Court confirmed a victim’s verdict in a case brought by the asbestos widow of an Eternit employee. The company had been ordered to pay R$300,000 for damages caused to the former employee by occupational asbestos exposures, as a result of which he died from the disease asbestosis, and for failing to comply with occupational health and safety standards. An appeal by the company was unanimously rejected by the Court. See: Viúva de trabalhador contaminado com amianto receberá indenização de R$ 300 mil [Asbestos widow will receive R$ 300,000 (US$94,000) compensation].

Eternit’s Asbestos Clinic

Sep 29, 2017

This Summer it was announced that workers from the Osasco region of São Paulo and family members who had been exposed to Eternit asbestos will be eligible for free treatment at a new outpatient clinic at the Incor (Heart Institute), of the São Paulo Clinical Hospital. Funding for this specialist outpatient clinic comes from a R$1.6m (US$500,000+) fine paid by the Eternit asbestos company which was penalized by the Public Prosecutor's Office for failure to comply with mandatory occupational health and safety protocols. See: Vítimas do amianto terão tratamento especializado no Incor [Asbestos victims will have specialized treatment in the Incor (Hospital)].

Asbestos Crimes

Sep 27, 2017

Seventeen defendants, including the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute, the National Confederation of Workers in the Construction and Furniture Industry, the National Confederation of Workers in Industry, the National Commission of Asbestos Workers and others, were condemned by Judge Rafael Marques de Setta of the 6th Labor Court in Campinas, São Paulo for noncompliance with asbestos regulations and violations of international conventions as a result of a 2015 civil action by the Public Prosecutor's Office to protect at-risk workers. See: Entidades ligadas ao amianto são condenadas por violações em acordos coletivos [Entities linked to asbestos are condemned for violations in collective agreements].

Asbestos Alert

Sep 26, 2017

Brazil’s Confederation of Workers in the Construction and Furniture Industry (CONTRICOM) has issued an alert to relevant stakeholders regarding the repercussions of a decision by Campinas Labor Judge Rafael Marques de Setta which imposes penalties and fines on those guilty of non-compliance with mandatory asbestos obligations for the protection of occupational health especially for at-risk groups of workers in the asbestos and cement industrial sectors. See: Contricom Alerta Entidades Sobre Decisao Judicial Relativa a Utilizacao do Aminato Crisotila [Contricom Alerts Relevant Entities of Judicial Decision on the Use of Chrysotile Asbestos].

Mesothelioma Clinical Trial

Sep 22, 2017

Bristol-Myers Squibb is progressing trials in 19 countries for mesothelioma patients ineligible for surgery, including those at specialist centers in Brazil: Barretos Cancer Hospital, São Paulo and the Institute of Cancer of São Paulo. The phase 3 randomized study is looking at the efficacy of immunotherapy protocols in combination with: Nivolumab, Ipilimumab, Pemetrexed, Cisplatin and Carboplatin. Trials are underway in: Australia, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and the US. See: Estudo clínico sobre mesotelioma pleural recruta pacientes no Brasil [Clinical trial on pleural mesothelioma recruits patients in Brazil].

Collapse of Asbestos Lobby

Sep 20, 2017

The “National Agreement on the Controlled Use of Asbestos” between Brazil’s National Committee of Asbestos Workers and the National Confederation of [Asbestos] Workers in Industry and the country’s asbestos trade association the Chrysotile Institute (Instituto Brasileiro do Crisotila), which allowed for the contravention of mandatory health and safety measures, has been annulled by a court ruling. See: A farsa do lobby do amianto:Sentença – Acordo nacional do uso seguro do amianto celebrado entre CNTA/CNTI e IBC é extinto [The asbestos lobby farce: Judgment – National agreement on the safe use of asbestos signed between CNTA/CNTI and IBC is extinct].

Fact: All Asbestos Banned

Sep 19, 2017

A September 16 commentary on a Brazilian legal website clarified the content and ramifications of Supreme Court (STF) decisions handed down in August regarding the constitutionality of state asbestos bans and the unconstitutionality of the federal government’s asbestos law. The explanation is clear – the STF is competent to declare unconstitutional rules adopted as the basis for decisions even if those rules were not disputed by those bringing the litigation, in this case the National Confederation of [Asbestos] Industrial Workers. See: É proibida a utilização de qualquer forma de amianto no Brasil [The use of any form of asbestos in Brazil is prohibited].

Ban Asbestos: Precedent

Sep 12, 2017

An article regarding the Supreme Court (STF) decision of August 24, 2017 about the unconstitutionality of asbestos use in Brazil highlights the impact of a verdict which cast “doubt about the continuity of the production chain of the substance in Brazil…” By upholding the São Paulo state ban, judges “incidentally declared the unconstitutionality of the federal mechanism that allowed the production chain of chrysotile asbestos in the country.” The precedent of this case will be used by the STF when the legality of the asbestos ban in Rio de Janeiro State is debated in the Court in the coming months. See: Amianto: não se permite nem se proíbe [Asbestos: neither permitted nor prohibited].

Another State Ban!

Sep 4, 2017

In what is being termed the “Supreme Court effects,” the Brazilian State of Rondônia has become the 11th state to approve prohibitions against the storage, commercialization and marketing of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. A vote taken on Rondônia Bill 645/17, sponsored by Deputy Aélcio, during a plenary session (August 30) approved the legislation. During the debate, Deputy Aélcio highlighted the health risks posed by asbestos exposures citing WHO and EU policies. See: Aprovado projeto do deputado Aélcio da TV que proíbe comercialização do amianto em Rondônia [Approved project of Deputy Aélcio of TV that prohibits commercialization of asbestos in Rondônia].

Rio’s Asbestos Alert

Aug 31, 2017

Pursuant to Rio de Janeiro State Law No. 3,579 of June 7, 2001 mandating the transition to asbestos-free technologies, inspection teams have this month been undertaking audits of workplaces. On August 30, 55,000 pieces of asbestos and 184 tonnes of asbestos fiber were found at the Eternit asbestos-cement factory in Guadalupe, Rio. The factory has been shut and orders given for all the toxic material to be disposed of as per regulations. Rio de Janeiro’s inspectors have also been alerting businesses about provisions of the state asbestos ban. See: Vigilância Sanitária interdita fábrica de amianto no Rio de Janeiro [Health surveillance interdicts asbestos factory in Rio de Janeiro].

Towards a Ban

Aug 27, 2017

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s August 24th decision against the national policy allowing asbestos use, the Attorney General Brazil’s Public Labor Ministry (MPT) Dr. Ronaldo Fleury has announced that the MPT will increase inspections and lawsuits against companies to ensure a nationwide and comprehensive ban on asbestos is achieved in Brazil. In 2012 the MPT created the National Asbestos Banishment Program and has already filed several lawsuits against companies using chrysotile asbestos throughout the country. See: MPT intensificará ações contra o Amianto [MPT will intensify fight against asbestos].

Toxic Asbestos Legacy

Aug 20, 2017

Even if asbestos is banned in Brazil, as many experts believe will happen as a result of a landmark Supreme Court decision expected on August 23, many people will die from toxic workplace or environmental exposures. Welcoming the end of asbestos use, former asbestos worker and President of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) Eliezer João de Souza told journalists that there is a lot of work to do in supporting the injured and eradicating the asbestos hazard from the Brazilian infrastructure. See: O amianto no Brasil está com os dias contados, diz ex-funcionário [The days are numbered for asbestos use in Brazil says former employee].

Another Brazilian Ban!

Aug 18, 2017

A bill to end the use of asbestos in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil was presented on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 to the state legislature by Representative Eduardo Rocha, who claimed such action was needed to protect public and occupational health. The proposed law would prohibit the installation or purchase of asbestos-containing products, materials or artifacts. Several other Brazilian states have already banned asbestos. They include: Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Amazonas See: Projeto de lei busca vedar a utilização do amianto no MS [Bill Bans Prohibition of Asbestos Use in MS].

Another delay!

Aug 14, 2017

The long-awaited Supreme Court decision regarding the constitutionality of asbestos use in Brazil, the world’s third largest asbestos producer, scheduled to be handed down on August 10, 2017, brought many people to Brasilia including veteran ban asbestos campaigners Fernanda Giannasi and Eliezer João de Souza from the Brazilian Group of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). After the vote of Justice Dias Toffoli, however, the proceedings were suspended until August 17. See: ‘Atenção, contém amianto’: STF julga futuro da polêmica fibra, comum em telhados no Brasil [‘Attention, contains asbestos’: STF judges future of controversial fiber, common on roofs in Brazil].

Asbestos Phase-Out

Jul 30, 2017

As the Brazilian Supreme Court prepares to recommence hearings on the unconstitutionality of asbestos use, an article has revealed that most asbestos-using companies in Brazil have either transitioned to safer technologies or have signed agreements with the Public Labor Ministry to end use by 2018. Only Eternit, the owner of Brazil’s sole asbestos mine, and Precon remain committed to asbestos use. While Precon has been ordered to phase out the use of asbestos in its manufacturing of tiles by September 2018, Eternit refuses to discuss the subject. See: Amianto: de 9 empresas, 7 já deixaram de usar a fibra ou vão abandoná-la até 2018 [Asbestos: of 9 companies, 7 have already stopped using the fiber or will abandon it by 2018].

Dangers of Asbestos Exposure

Jul 28, 2017

A new Brazilian website and outreach campaign have been launched to raise awareness of the ubiquity of asbestos and hazards relating to its continuing production and use in Brazil. Information available from these sources highlights high risk occupations, such as working in the construction industry, and the public health risk to family members and members of the public living near asbestos processing facilities. The opposition to Brazil’s banning asbestos comes from vested economic interests determined to preserve the status quo. See: Amianto causa cancer [Asbestos causes cancer].

Ending Asbestos Use!

Jul 21, 2017

The Public Labor Ministry in Rio Grande do Sul reached an agreement in May 2017 with Isdralit, the last manufacturing company using chrysotile asbestos in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, to transition to an asbestos-free technology by November 10, 2017 and dispose of all toxic waste and contaminated products according to strict protocols. In addition, the company must establish a medical plan for all employees which provides periodic examinations for a period of 30 years. See: Com TAC, uso de amianto é banido na última indústria utilizadora da fibra no Estado [With TAC (the term of conduct adjustment), asbestos use is banned in the last fiber-using industry in the state].

Supreme Court Ruling?

Jul 21, 2017

Litigation regarding the unconstitutionality of Brazil’s policy allowing the use of asbestos will once more be before the Supreme Court on August 10, 2017. At that time, the Court in Brasilia will hear submissions related to actions regarding the: legality of asbestos bans in São Paulo, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul and the national policy supporting “the controlled use” of a carcinogenic substance which, so the litigants contend, constitutes a violation of the human rights of Brazilians. A 2012 hearing was adjourned with no decision taken. See: Saúde em jogo: Supremo retoma julgamento sobre o uso do Amianto [Health at stake: Supreme resumes judgment on the use of asbestos].

Surveillance Aid

Jul 19, 2017

The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has awarded a bursary to the Paraná branch of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), to purchase a set of ILO Classification Radiographs including ILO Standard Images of Pneumoconiosis, for the diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases by doctors from the State University in Londrina who are implementing a surveillance program for former workers from an ex-asbestos-cement plant belonging to the Infibra company. Thanking IBAS for this award, ABREA President Eliezer João De Souza said: “We are optimistic that the treatment of ABREA members will be improved by access to this new program.”

Brazil-Italian Coalition

Jul 3, 2017

An interview with Fernanda Giannasi, leader of the ban asbestos struggle in Brazil, was published on Sunday, detailing her June mission to Italy during which she strengthened the ties between victims and discussed strategies with comrades from Casale Monferrato, Milan, Bologna, Bari and elsewhere. Ms. Giannasi highlighted the pioneering work undertaken in Brazil by Agata Mazzeo, now known as the “Italian granddaughter of ABREA,” the group representing Brazil’s asbestos victims. See: Fernanda Giannasi: Trabalho conjunto com ONGs italianas foi vital para nossas lutas e vitórias contra o cancerígeno Amianto [Fernanda Giannasi: Working together with Italian NGOs was vital to our struggles and victories against the carcinogenic asbestos].

Support for Ban

Jun 17, 2017

Leading medical experts from Brazil’s National Cancer Institute have condemned the country’s continuing use of asbestos in a commentary published on June 15. Comparing the Brazilian with the United States asbestos legacy, authors Drs. Ubirani Otero and Ana Cristina Pinho suggest that: consumers do not buy asbestos-containing products; unions maintain active surveillance of workers in at-risk trades; and legislators implement national regulations to abolish the use of all forms of asbestos in Brazil. Brazil is currently the world’s third largest producer of chrysotile (white) asbestos. See: Brasil sem Amianto [Brazil without asbestos].

Court Victory!

Jun 12, 2017

In a very strongly worded judgment, a São Paulo court awarded a former Eternit worker who has contracted asbestosis, R$1 million (US$303,220) in “moral damages”; he had been employed in an administrative capacity at one of the company’s asbestos-cement factories. During the course of his employment, he had cause to enter areas where asbestos was being processed. See: Sentença de 2ª instância contra Eternit e SAMA em São Paulo condena empresas a pagar 1 milhão de reais por danos morais a ex-empregado com asbestose [Sentence of the 2nd instance against Eternit and SAMA in São Paulo condemns companies to pay 1 million reais for moral damages to ex-employee with asbestosis].

Ban Asbestos Dialogue

May 30, 2017

On May 8, 2017 an asbestos hearing was held by the Commission of Human Rights at the Federal Senate in Brasília. Amongst those participating were representatives of ABREA (the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed) and the International Federation of Asbestos Workers, a body which alleges that white asbestos – the only asbestos mined in Brazil – can be produced and used safely. Other speakers presented the positions of trade unions, the Public Prosecutor's Office, municipal authorities from Minaçu Goiás and expert witnesses. See: Uso do amianto será debatido na Comissão de Direitos Humanos [Use of asbestos will be discussed at the Commission on Human Rights].

Asbestos Documentary

May 25, 2017

A 70-minute documentary, entitled Do Not Breath – Contains Asbestos, exposing Brazil’s asbestos disaster will be screened at the Ecofalante Environmental Film Festival on June 2, 2017 in São Paulo. The film features conclusive proof revealing dangerous occupational practices involving asbestos-containing materials and filmed segments showing industry leaders asserting that the use of asbestos in Brazil is safe. The damage to workers is substantiated through first person interviews with asbestos disease sufferers, family members, scientists and medical experts. See: Não Respire – Contém Amianto (Trailer em português) [Do Not Breath – Contains Asbestos (Trailer in Portuguese)]. For Facebook users see also: Trailer in English.

Asbestos Class Action

May 22, 2017

On May 20, 2017, asbestos victims’ groups represented by ABREA and Brazil’s main national trade union center CUT (the Central Única dos Trabalhadores/ Unified Workers' Central Federation), agreed to instigate a public civil action lawsuit in Brazil on behalf of former employees of Brasilit/Saint-Gobain for their occupational asbestos exposures in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Similar actions are already ongoing against Brazil’s asbestos giant Eternit S.A. in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Paraná. The use of asbestos remains legal in Brazil under federal legislation; however, several states and cities have taken unilateral action and banned asbestos.

Ban Asbestos Meeting

May19, 2017

Ban asbestos campaigners from 48 cities and towns took part in a conference in São Paulo this week. Even though the 2007 São Paulo state law 12,684 prohibits asbestos use, contaminated products from other states are still available. The objective of the meeting was to raise awareness of the public health hazard posed by asbestos and consider means by which workers and communities might be better protected from toxic exposures. Officials representing the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, President Eliezer João de Souza and advisor Fernanda Giannasi, addressed the meeting. See: Encontro regional combate o Amianto [Regional meeting against asbestos].

Asbestos: No thanks!

May 17, 2017

The increasing unpopularity of asbestos products in Brazil has seen the domestic market for asbestos goods shrink. This fall in demand has impacted negatively on the economy of Minaçu, home to Brazil’s only operational asbestos mine. According to new data, Minaçu lost Reais$10m (US$3.3m) in revenue in two years because of the downturn in the asbestos market. Even though the federal policy allows the use of asbestos, consumers are turning away from these products and many companies have introduced asbestos-free alternatives. See: Amianto: Arrecadação diminui R$ 10 milhões e causa apreensão em Minaçu [Fall of R$10m in revenue devastates Minaçu budget].

Mesothelioma Protocol

May 15, 2017

Key government departments and agencies in Brazil have opened a public consultation regarding the draft of “Diagnostic Guidelines for Pleura Malignant Mesothelioma” to gather valuable feedback from stakeholders including patients. A survey is being conducted with structured clinical questions and other measures for collecting informed views and input. It is hoped that the publication of the final document will raise medical awareness of mesothelioma and thereby help more accurate diagnoses be made. There is currently a significant under-diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma in Brazil. See: Proposta de elaboracao das diretrizes diagnosticas de mesothelioma de maligno de pleura [Proposal for Diagnostic Guidelines for Pleura Malignant Mesothelioma].

Asbestos Health Scandal

May 5, 2017

A commentary which appeared on May 5, 2017 on The Equal Times website documented continuing injustices meted out to Brazilian asbestos victims in a country where the use of asbestos remains legal under legislation designed to protect the country’s asbestos mining and processing industry. Between 2000 and 2011, 2,400 asbestos-related deaths were registered by the Health Ministry; there were many other deaths which remain unacknowledged. Even for those whose diseases are recognized, the process of obtaining recognition and compensation is fraught with administrative and legal obstacles. See: Asbestos ban still under debate in Brazil.

Victory over Asbestos!

Mar 22, 2017

In a decisive verdict handed down yesterday by a court in Rio de Janeiro, the Eternit company – Brazil’s biggest asbestos manufacturer – was ordered to eliminate asbestos use within the next 18 months. The decision is a result of proceedings by the Public Ministry of Labor which had filed a civil action over hazardous workplace exposures to asbestos at Eternit’s Guadalupe, Rio de Janerio plant. Not only did the court order Eternit to transition to asbestos-free technology, but it also specified that exposure levels be kept to the legal limit and that current and former employees be provided with free medical examinations. See: Eternit do Rio de Janeiro condenada a substituir o Amianto em 18 meses [Eternit in Rio de Janeiro condemned to replace asbestos in 18 months].

Asbestos Progress Update

Mar 21, 2017

A Conduct Adjustment Agreement has been signed by the Public Labor Ministry in Rio de Janeiro with the construction materials company Casalite, based in the city of Duque de Caxias in the state of Rio de Janeiro, to cease using asbestos for the production of roofing tiles and gutters. This agreement is part of a Brazilian program – National Asbestos Banishment Program of the Public Labor Ministry – aimed at eliminating the use of asbestos in Brazil. See: MPT-RJ firma acordo com empresa para substituir o amianto de seus processos de produção [MPT-RJ signs agreement with company to replace asbestos from its production processes].

Push to Ban Asbestos

Mar 10, 2017

Brazilian Senator Paulo Paim has submitted a draft bill (PLS 30/2017) to a committee of the Brazilian Congress delineating a road map to make the transition from a national asbestos policy based on the controlled use of asbestos to one banning mining, manufacture, import, storage and transport of asbestos fiber and products containing asbestos within a strict phased timescale. Citing the global consensus regarding the proven risks posed by asbestos exposures, the proposal will, if approved, prohibit all asbestos use, sales, marketing, storage, import and export within four years. See: Manejo do amianto pode se tornar proibido no país [Transition from asbestos management to asbestos ban].

Asbestos Lawsuit by Ministry

Feb 24, 2017

Paraná’s Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) has filed a multimillion reals public civil action against Brazil’s Eternit asbestos company for occupational asbestos exposures at its factory in the city of Colombo. The evidence submitted by the MPT includes data collected since 2008 during inspections carried out at the Eternit facility that substantiated the avoidable risks to the workers in light of the availability of safer fibers and technologies for the production of products such as roofing tiles and water tanks. See: Ministério Público pede indenização de R$ 85 milhões contra a empresa Eternit [Attorney General seeks compensation of R$ 85 million against Eternit company].

Asbestos Propaganda War

Feb 20, 2017

SINTICOMEX, a Brazilian union affiliated to the asbestos industry, has denounced the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed and a legal firm from São Paulo for supporting the family of a worker who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, casting aspersions on the truth of allegations made that the deceased had been occupationally exposed to asbestos as a result of which he contracted cancer and died. The union says that since the 1990s, there have been no cases of asbestos-related disease in their region; the death of this and another worker are clear proof that they are incorrect. See: Movimento contra Amianto invade Pedro Leopoldo [Anti-asbestos movement invades Pedro Leopoldo].

Another State Asbestos Ban!

Jan 14, 2017

A law banning the use of asbestos-containing materials was published in the Gazette of the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina (SC) on January 13; this act means that the ban adopted by the state legislature has now become official and that no use of asbestos is allowed from now on. SC is the 8th state in Brazil to adopt a unilateral asbestos ban; the others are: Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais and Amazonas. The federal government’s asbestos policy supports the continued use of asbestos in Brazil, an asbestos producing country. See: SC proíbe uso de materiais que contenham Amianto [SC prohibits use of materials containing asbestos].

Another State Bans Asbestos!

Dec 15, 2016

By a unanimous vote on December 14, 2016, the legislative assembly of Santa Catarina approved bill 179/2008 prohibiting the asbestos chain of production. This step has been the result of 8 years of negotiation and lobbying by asbestos victims, public health advocates and political activists. Santa Catarina is now the 8th Brazilian state to ban asbestos; while the federal government allows the “controlled use of asbestos,” many municipalities, and towns have also banned its use. See: Alesc aprova projeto de lei que proíbe comercialização de amianto em Santa Catarina [Alesc approves bill prohibiting commercialization of asbestos in Santa Catarina].

Markets to Ban Asbestos in Brazil?

Dec 7, 2016

After more than a decade of consideration, Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) is still unable to decide on whether a federal policy allowing the continued use of asbestos is constitutional. According to industry leaders, however, pressure from environmentalists, the community, public agencies, state and municipal laws, has encouraged companies to adopt asbestos-free technologies: “The trend is that more and more companies will leave the mineral.” See: STF analisa proibir amianto há 12 anos, mas é indústria que vai eliminá-lo? [STF began ban asbestos enquiry 12 years ago, but will industry eliminate its use?].

Asbestos Mobilization in Brazil

Sep 28, 2016

Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and the Inter-Union Department of Studies and Research of Health and Work Environments are hosting a two-day meeting on asbestos in Campinas in October 2016 to explore social and judicial factors related to asbestos use. Shortly after those sessions end, the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed will hold an event to examine global strategies for: ending asbestos use, obtaining justice for the injured and ensuring decontamination of contaminated areas. See: Proibição do amianto no Brasil é foco de Congresso Internacional e Encontro de Vítimas em Campinas [Brazilian asbestos ban is the focus of international congress and victims’ meeting in Campinas].

City leads Brazil’s Asbestos Struggle

Sep 16, 2016

An update on the website of the Social News Agency (Brazil) provides information about a series of upcoming asbestos initiatives next month and pays tribute to the ground-breaking Global Asbestos Congress which took place in the industrial town of Osasco, in São Paulo State in 2000. The events mentioned include an International Seminar on Asbestos: A Socio-Legal Approach on October 6-7 and a National Meeting of Family and Asbestos Victims on October 8. They will be held in the Brazilian city of Campinas. See: Campinas será “capital nacional” da luta contra o amianto e seus impactos [Campinas will be “national capital” of the fight against asbestos and its impacts].

São Paulo Action on Asbestos

Sep 14, 2016

An action plan is being coordinated by bodies in the State of São Paulo to develop activities to raise public awareness of the trade in deadly products containing asbestos and to increase surveillance on companies which might be selling these products. Although São Paulo law (2007) “prohibits the use… of products, materials or devices containing any type of asbestos or, or other minerals that accidentally have asbestos fibers in its composition,” asbestos use is legal in the neighboring states of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul. See: Vigilância alerta sobre comércio ilegal de produtos com Amianto [Surveillance warning about illegal trade of products containing asbestos].

Penalty for Illegal Asbestos Exposures

Sep 1, 2016

A regional labor court has upheld a complaint on appeal against Calegari Materials Construction Ltda., a company headquartered in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, a state which allows asbestos manufacture to continue under strict protocols. The Court found that the company did not provide mandatory safeguards for people working with asbestos and demanded the implementation of strict medical, administrative and other procedures to ensure occupational protections. See: Loja de materiais de construção da Grande Florianópolis sofre ação por vender produtos que contem Amianto [Penalty for store selling asbestos-construction materials in Florianópolis].

Global Asbestos Seminar in São Paulo State

Aug 25, 2016

On October 6 and 7, 2016, Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and the Inter-Union Department of Studies and Research of Health and Work Environments will promote an international seminar entitled “Asbestos: A Socio-Legal Approach.” The event, which is being paid for by penalties levied on São Paulo companies, will highlight the global consensus that asbestos exposures to human beings can cause fatal diseases, in a country which is now the world’s 3rd biggest asbestos supplier. See: Campinas terá seminário internacional sobre amianto, produto banido em 66 países [Campinas will hold international seminar on asbestos, a substance banned in 66 countries].

National Asbestos Ban under Discussion

Jun 29, 2016

Brazil’s Commission of Environment and Sustainable Development is expected to vote this week on a report by Congressman Edson Duarte regarding the need for national legislation to prohibit asbestos. Currently, federal law supports the “controlled use” policy for chrysotile (white) asbestos, the only type of asbestos being sold. The National Association of Labour Court Judges, the National Association of Labour Attorneys and many civil society groups question the constitutionality of this policy which is responsible for ongoing toxic exposures to workers as well as members of the public. See: A proibição do amianto e a cara de nojinho [The prohibition of asbestos and the face of revulsion].

Stricter Asbestos Regulations Agreed

Jun 27, 2016

It was announced last week that an agreement had been reached by Multilit and Isdralit, asbestos-using companies in the Brazilian State of Paraná, with the Labor Court stipulating that until asbestos use is ended the companies’ premises will be subject to environmental assessments to ensure that concentrations of asbestos fibers are below 0.1 f/cm³. In addition, compulsory medical examinations will be provided for current and former asbestos-exposed employees. Failure to comply with these regulations, will incur substantial fines. See: Até banir amianto, empresas precisam passar por avaliação periódica [Until asbestos is banned, companies must undergo periodic evaluations].

Factions and Forces in Asbestos War

Jun 18, 2016

Brazil’s asbestos policy is on the verge of a complete reversal after commercial organizations, under pressure from actions by the Ministry of Labor, decisions by the Courts and changes in consumer demands, have “voluntarily” agreed to phase out asbestos use and implement safer technologies. The stalwart pro-asbestos faction which continues to utilize asbestos and market toxic products consists of four business groups operating eight factories; amongst these stakeholders, the Eternit Group is the largest. See: Fim do Uso do Amianto no Sector de Fibrocimento esta Proximo [End of the Use of Asbestos Cement Near].

Transition to Non-Asbestos Technology

Jun 18, 2016

On June 16, 2016, one of Brazil’s major asbestos cement conglomerates entered into an agreement with the Labor Court to eliminate asbestos-based production by the end of 2018. The company – Multilit Fiber Cement SA, which has its headquarters in the city of São José dos Pinhais in the State of Paraná – pledged to retain 70% of current jobs using the new technology. The company also agreed to pay US$ ~176,000 (Reals 600,000) compensation to the Parananese Association of Asbestos Victims in twenty instalments. See: Em acordo na Justiça do Trabalho, Multilit se compromete a banir amianto até 2018 [In agreement with the Labor Court, Multilit commits to asbestos ban by 2018].

Asbestos Public Hearing in São Paulo

Jun 17, 2016

On June 9, 2016 at an asbestos hearing in São Paulo (SP) held by the Ministry of Labor, State Representative Marcos Martins, author of the 12.684 / 2007 law banning asbestos in SP, reminded delegates: “There is no safe level for the use of asbestos. Exposure to the fiber can cause cancer, pleural mesothelioma and asbestosis, among many other problems, and even lead to death. We need to increase the supervision of traders, warn of damage to health and the extent of the prohibition law regarding the marketing of the [asbestos] products.” See: Comércio de amianto em SP é alvo do Ministério Público do Trabalho [Labour Prosecutor Targets Asbestos Trade in São Paulo].

Hearing Highlights Asbestos Crimes

Jun 10, 2016

Yesterday (June 9, 2016) afternoon, a public hearing on asbestos was held in São Paulo, Brazil convened by the São Paulo’s Ministry of Labor to discuss the illegal trade in asbestos products, which are prohibited in the State, and to remind all stakeholders – including owners of building materials outlets, employers, construction unions and others – of their obligations under São Paulo Law 12.684 of June 26, 2007. State inspectors have identified several commercial premises where asbestos-containing products, especially asbestos-cement roofing tiles, are still being sold. See: Audiência pública discutirá amianto [Asbestos Public Hearing].

Ministry Supports Asbestos Deadline

Jun 7, 2016

Attempts by vested interests in the Brazilian municipality of São José dos Pinhais to secure a postponement of a deadline to end asbestos use have been denounced by the Ministry of Labor in Paraná (MPT) which has issued a statement deploring a legislative amendment that seeks to allow a further six year phase-out period during which asbestos production could continue. The MPT, which called this extension a “really absurd postulation,” has advised local councillors not to approve the amendment. See: MPT recomenda que vereadores não aprovem uso do Amianto [MPT recommends that councillors do not approve use of asbestos].

Implications of Italian Court Ruling

May 24, 2016

A Brazilian blog underlines the significance for asbestos victims in Brazil of a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court expected on May 31, 2016 in Rome. Swiss entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny, whose Eternit asbestos group operated in Italy, Brazil and scores of other countries, faces charges related to the asbestos deaths of 258 people between 1989 and 2014; 66 were former Eternit workers, the rest were members of the public. See: Corte Constitucional Italiana Julga em 31/5 mais um processo crime contra o Billardário Suíça do Amianto, Stephen Schmidheiny [Italian Constitutional Court Judgment May 31 on another Criminal Case against Swiss Billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny].

Claimant 1: Asbestos Defendants 0

May 14, 2016

This week, Brazilian Judge Monica Batista Vieira Puglia ruled on behalf of the family of an asbestos worker who died from asbestosis despite a report by the court’s expert witness who said that the disease was not caused by workplace exposures. The Judge accepted evidence provided by doctors from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation about causation and awarded a monthly pension plus moral damages of Reais100,000 (US$28,520). See: JT garante indenização por amianto mesmo após laudo não apontar relação entre doença e atividade [JT awards compensation for asbestos disease even after report rejected the relationship between the disease and occupational asbestos exposure].

Fine for Brazilian Asbestos Manufacturer

May 11, 2016

An agreement has been signed by the Ministry of Labor in Santa Catarina and Imbralit, the company operating the only factory in the state that used chrysotile asbestos. The firm must: monitor the health of former employees for 30 years, abide by a 2015 asbestos ban, dispose of contaminated stock as per regulations and pay a punitive fine of R$1m (US$300,000) – this money will be used for research into the asbestos hazard at work and at home. See: IMBRALIT fecha acordo de R$ 1 milhão com MPT e se compromete no acompanhamento à saúde dos empregados expostos ao amianto por 30 anos [Imbralit agrees R$1 million deal and commits to monitor health of asbestos-exposed employees for 30 years].

Addressing Paraná’s Asbestos Challenges

May 11, 2016

The launch of a collaborative project by the Ministry of Labor in Paraná and the Paraná Association of the Asbestos Exposed is taking place today in the State capital of Curitiba. As part of this initiative, a center is being established to: undertake the collection and processing of data on workers at high risk of contracting asbestos diseases; monitor the health of selected cohorts; carry out environmental risk assessments; raise both occupational and public health awareness of the asbestos hazard; work towards achieving an asbestos ban. See: Acordo de cooperação técnica monitora uso e doenças causadas pelo Amianto [Technical cooperation monitors use and diseases caused by asbestos].

Ban Asbestos Mobilization in Brazil

Apr 15, 2016

State Deputy for São Paulo Marcos Martins, in collaboration with the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed, will host a ceremony in the legislative assembly today (April 15, 2016) to mark the beginning of Ban Asbestos Week. Fernanda Giannasi, one of the country’s leading ban asbestos campaigners, will address the meeting. Activities in Osasco – an industrial area formerly the heart of Brazil’s asbestos cement industry – will take place from April 18 to 24 to raise public awareness of the asbestos hazard, with an ecumenical service on April 24. See: Ato solene marca abertura da Semana de Combate ao Amianto [Solemn Ceremony Marks Opening Ban Asbestos Week].

São Paulo State vs. Asbestos

Apr 4, 2016

Politicians in São Paulo State, which like the States of Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco has banned asbestos, will increase pressure on the federal government to ban asbestos use during a week of lobbying this month. A session in the São Paulo Legislative Assembly on April 15 will provide the opportunity for State Deputy Marcos Martins, asbestos victims’ campaigners and trade unionists to call for urgent action. Brazil is both an asbestos user and producer; the level of output from the chrysotile asbestos mine in Goiás State makes Brazil the world’s 3rd largest producing nation. See: Poster.

Court Condemns Asbestos “Unions”

Feb 15, 2016

On February 11, 2016, the Regional Labor Court of Campinas confirmed the verdict of a lower court in a civil case brought by the Ministry of Labor against the actions of industry-backed “trade unions.” These bodies – nicknamed “yellow unions” – have made agreements with asbestos companies and associations supporting the controlled use of asbestos. The courts found that these arrangements were highly damaging to the interests of workers. Although several states and municipalities in Brazil have banned asbestos, the federal government supports the industry mythology that asbestos can be used safely under controlled conditions.

Decreasing Brazil’s Asbestos Production

Feb 8, 2016

For several years, Brazil has been the world’s third largest supplier of chrysotile (white) asbestos – from a single mine in Minaçu run by the Sama company. In a recent report, Sama has confirmed that a fall in national and global demand led to the cancellation of production on three days in 2015 and the sacking of 119 workers. According to Sama officials, as well as the general economic crisis, the increasing unpopularity and fear of asbestos has impacted negatively on sales. See: Sama fechou turnos e demitiu 119 trabalhadores em 2015. A crise deve se aguçar em 2016 [Sama cancelled shifts and dismissed 119 workers in 2015. The crisis could sharpen in 2016].

Victims Defeat Asbestos Company

Feb 3, 2016

At the end of January, 2016, a Regional Labor Court in Rio de Janeiro handed down an important decision in a civil action which recognized the right of ABREA, the national association of the asbestos-exposed, to represent victims in a civil lawsuit against Eternit S.A. for hazardous asbestos exposures to workers at its Rio de Janeiro Guadalupe plant; toxic exposures to family members will also be considered. The injured are seeking financial restitution as well as moral damages and comprehensive healthcare costs. See: Mauro Menezes faz defesa que restaura processo da Abrea-RJ contra a Eternit [Defense by Mauro Menezes restores ABREA-Rio de Janeiro lawsuit against Eternit].

Protocols for Toxic Waste in São Paulo

Jan 13, 2016

Documentation uploaded today to the website of the São Paulo State Legislature confirmed changes approved last month (December 2015) which mandated that as of December 1, 2016, asbestos-containing goods must be dumped according to approved practices at authorized waste sites only. Transgressions of the new regulations will attract substantial financial penalties. Should guilty parties reoffend, the authorities have the right to revoke business licenses either temporarily or permanently. See: Alteração na lei que proíbe o uso de amianto prevê descarte responsável do material [Change in law that prohibits the use of asbestos also mandates responsible disposal of toxic material].

Ban Asbestos Breakthrough in São Paulo

Dec 16, 2015

Brazil’s asbestos lobby has suffered its biggest blow when companies in São Paulo pledged to end asbestos use by January 1, 2017, provide comprehensive health care and $R1.6m (US$400,000+) to fund activities to raise awareness of the asbestos hazard. Although asbestos use is already prohibited in São Paulo State, as it is in the states of Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco, asbestos production is currently permitted under court injunctions. See: Em acordo de R$ 1,6 milhão, empresas de SP se comprometem a banir o amianto até 2017 [In R$1.6m agreement SP companies undertake to ban asbestos by 2017].

Tighter Asbestos Protocols in São Paulo

Dec 13, 2015

On December 10, 2015, an amendment to the São Paulo Law 12.684/2007 which banned asbestos was adopted; new Law 16.048 mandates that as of December 1, 2016 asbestos-containing goods must be dumped by companies or owners according to environmentally sound practises at authorized waste sites according to measures stipulated by the state environmental agency. Infringements of the new regulations will attract substantial financial penalties. See: Estado dispõe sobre o uso de produtos, materiais ou artefatos que contenham Amianto [State regulates the use of products, materials or artifacts containing asbestos].

Another City Bans Asbestos

Dec 13, 2015

Three years after the City of Curitiba, the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná, issued legislation (Law 14,172/ 12) banning the sale and use of products containing asbestos, the prohibition came into force on December 7, 2015. The city now joins 30 municipalities and six states that have banned asbestos in their territories in opposition to the federal government which allows asbestos use to continue. The Curitiba law also mandates strict protocols for the disposal of contaminated waste at landfill sites and the replacement of asbestos-containing goods with safer alternatives. See: Entra em vigor lei que proíbe o amianto em Curitiba [Curitiba law banning asbestos comes into force].

Honor for Asbestos Victims’ Advocate

Dec 7, 2015

Brazilian jurist and pioneering advocate for asbestos victims’ Roberto Caldas has been elected to the Presidency of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for the period 2016-2017; his term will begin on January 1, 2016. Dr. Caldas is well-respected in Brazil for his work on behalf of the asbestos injured and has, along with members of his law firm, worked to progress the Brazilian campaign to ban asbestos. See: O juiz brasileiro Roberto Caldas foi eleito para presidência da Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos [Brazilian judge Roberto Caldas elected to the presidency of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights].

Brazil’s Asbestos Schizophrenia

Dec 2, 2015

Last week (November 27), lawyer Luciano Leivas, representing the Ministry of Labor and the National Ban Asbestos Program, addressed a meeting of the Technical Working Group on Environment of the National Confederation of Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism in Rio de Janeiro, to consider how companies can comply with Brazil’s complicated asbestos regime – while some states have banned asbestos comprehensively, others allow use to continue. Leivas told the meeting that a ban is the only way to protect public health. See: Comércio deve estar atento à legislação sobre a venda do amianto pelo setor [Commercial enterprises must be aware of asbestos legislation].

Cities Ban Asbestos as Epidemic Grows

Dec 1, 2015

Asbestos prohibitions adopted by the Brazilian city of Curitiba in 2012 will come into force this week (on December 7, 2015). Next year, an asbestos ban in São José dos Pinhais, approved in 2013, will also become municipal law. These cities, which are home to large asbestos processing companies, are in the State of Paraná. According to incomplete data from Brazil’s Ministry of Health, of the 2,286 cases of pneumoconiosis recognized between 2007 and 2013, 1,119 were due to asbestos exposure. See: Mortes por câncer do amianto dobram em 13 anos [Asbestos cancer deaths double in 13 years].

Guilty Verdict for Negligent Employer

Nov 19, 2015

In a ruling issued this week by Judge Zelaide de Souza Philippi of the 1st Labor Court of San José, the Junkes construction company from Biguaçu City, Santa Catarina State, Brazil was convicted of exposing workers to asbestos; the company must adopt precautionary measures to prevent future exposures as mandated by the State. The civil proceeding was brought in 2014 by the Labor Prosecutor in Santa Catarina. The decision can be appealed. See: Empresa é condenada por expor empregados ao Amianto [Company convicted of exposing employees to asbestos].

Campaigners Meet Supreme Court Minister

Nov 17, 2015

Leading campaigners from the legal and victims’ community met last week (November 12) with a Minister from Brazil’s Supreme Court to discuss a challenge by asbestos vested interests – the National Confederation of Workers in [the Asbestos] Industry – to the asbestos ban in the State of Pernambuco. During the discussions which ensued, the global scientific consensus on asbestos was explained; a consensus which supports phasing out asbestos use to protect human health, in line with the position espoused by the WHO, the ILO and other international agencies. See: Reunião com ministro do STF debate Amianto [Meeting with Minister of the Supreme Court: asbestos debate].

Asbestos Fly-tipping in Brazil

Nov 14, 2015

The Department of the Environment of Nova Odessa, a city in the state of São Paulo, has reported illegal dumping of asbestos debris. According to Deputy Under Secretary for the Environment José Carlos de Castro around 20 toxic tiles were found; the level of risk is heightened by the fact they were broken and deposited near an entrance to a dam. Investigations are proceeding to identify the polluter who is liable for fines of up to R$5000 (US$1300) for infringing municipal legislation which prohibits the inappropriate disposal of waste. See: Meio Ambiente localizou descarte irregular de telhas de amianto próximo a represa [Environmental contamination after illegal asbestos dumping].

Condemnation of Asbestos Use

Nov 9, 2015

On November 6, 2015, Brazil’s Cancer Institute (INCA) joined other medical and health institutions to condemn an ordinance issued on September 30, 2015 by the Ministry of Labour which aims to prolong the country’s commercial exploitation of asbestos. In its statement, INCA referenced the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s categorization of all types of asbestos as carcinogenic and its findings that exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma as well as cancers of the lung, larynx, ovary and is associated with the development of cancers of the pharynx, stomach and colon. See: Uso do amianto é criticado [Asbestos use is criticized].

Making the Polluter Pay

Nov 8, 2015

On November 4, 2015 the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo passed a bill, proposed by Marcos Martin, which increases the penalties for the illegal storage and disposal of asbestos. Under the new provisions, strict compliance with deadlines for the proper environmental disposal of contaminated products to landfill will be required. Failure to safely dispose of the toxic material according to the schedule set will result in financial penalties; repeated offenses could result in the mandatory closure of business operations. See: Projeto de lei de deputado garante descarte ambientalmente correto do amianto [Deputy bill ensures environmentally correct disposal of asbestos].

Attempt to Silence Asbestos Victims

Oct 29, 2015

Official investigations are being pursued over attempts to intimidate Geraldo Mariano da Silva, the President of the Rio de Janeiro (RJ) branch of Brazil’s Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA), who was threatened by two alleged asbestos bullies earlier this month. ABREA-RJ and the Ministry of Labor have filed a billion-Reais lawsuit against Eternit, Brazil’s only producer of asbestos fiber and the dominant force in the country’s industrial asbestos sector. See: Presidente da Associação das vítimas do amianto no RJ é intimidado por defensores da fibra cancerígena [President of the RJ Association of Asbestos Victims intimidated by pro-asbestos supporters].

Routine Flouting of São Paulo Ban!

Oct 18, 2015

Despite bans on the use, sale and transport of asbestos and asbestos-containing material by the City and State of São Paulo, toxic products are currently available for purchase via the internet. Journalists from Globo – a major Brazilian media network – have reported illegal sales of asbestos-cement water tanks and roofing products. Although several states have, like São Paulo, taken unilateral action and banned asbestos, the federal government has not. A Supreme Court decision is pending regarding the constitutionality of asbestos use. See: Mesmo com proibição, caixas d'água e telhas com amianto são vendidas [Despite ban, water tanks and tiles with asbestos are sold].

Condemnation of “Safe Use Policy”

Oct 16, 2015

Brazil’s Center of Occupational Hygiene and Medicine – Fundocentro – has issued a damning indictment of the ordinance on the safe use of asbestos issued on September 30, 2015 by the Ministry of Labor. Calling for the annulment of this measure, Fundocentro’s statement cited statistics which showed that asbestos exposures were responsible for 30% of the occupational cancers diagnosed by Fundocentro doctors and said that there is no such thing as the “safe use of asbestos.” See: Servidores da Fundacentro se posicionam contra portaria sobre uso seguro do amianto [Fundacentro is against ordinance based on the safe use of asbestos].

Experts Support Asbestos Ban

Oct 6, 2015

Brazil’s School of Public Health and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, the most prominent science and technology health institution in Latin America, have jointly criticized Decree no. 1287 of the Ministry of Labor and Employment (September 30, 2015) which constitutes a commission to discuss “the safe use of asbestos.” These revered bodies call for “the immediate repeal” of the Decree because of the deadly hazard posed to Brazilians by the continued production and use of asbestos. See: Escola é contrária à portaria que institui Comissão Especial para Debater o Uso do Amianto no Brasil [School Criticizes Brazilian Decree Establishing Special Asbestos Committee].

Doctors Condemn Ministry Actions

Oct 3, 2015

The Associação Nacional de Medicina do Trabalho (ANAMT) [National Association of Occupational Medicine], representing 10,000+ doctors, has condemned Decree no. 1287 issued on September 30, 2015 by the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE) which aims to prolong the continued use of asbestos in Brazil by setting up an asbestos commission to discuss “the safe use of asbestos.” Highlighting the ethical duty doctors have to protect human health, the ANAMT could not, stay silent in the face of this “political and bureaucratic aberration.” See: Portaria absurda do MTE é favorável ao uso seguro do Amianto [Absurd order of the MTE is favorable to the safe use of asbestos].

Court Supports At-Risk Workers

Sep 30, 2015

An injunction upheld on Sunday, September 27, 2015 by the 6th Labour Court of Campinas, a Brazilian municipality in São Paulo State, outlawed the practice whereby trade unions accepted financial support from asbestos industry employers on the grounds that by doing so the unions compromised their ability to represent members. The civil action by the Ministry of Labor argued that this funding and other practices could adversely affect the health of asbestos-exposed workers. See: MPT consegue liminar em ação contra entidades ligadas à cadeia do Amianto [Ministry of Labor injunction stopping asbestos industry funding of trade union upheld by Court].

Brazilian Firm Outlaws Asbestos

Sep 23, 2015

Cassol Materiais de Construção [Cassol Construction Materials], a major Brazilian building supplies chain has formalized plans for ending the sale of asbestos-containing tiles. In a submission on September 21, 2015 to the Ministry of Labor in Santa Catarina State, the company said protecting workers’ health from the asbestos hazard was its motivation in taking this step. See: Cassol Materiais de Construção, ciente da nocividade do amianto, formaliza a cessação da comercialização de produtos com a substância cancerígena, perante MPT [Cassol Building Materials, aware of the asbestos hazard, formalizes the termination of the marketing of asbestos products with the MPT].

Action on Asbestos Prevention

Sep 18, 2015

The Secretary of Health of Mogi das Cruzes, a city in São Paulo State, has announced plans to implement a program of health inspections during the week of September 21-25, 2015 to ensure that workers are receiving the protections from hazardous asbestos exposures which are mandatory under São Paulo State Law No. 12.684/2007, which prohibits the use of products, materials or artifacts that contain any type of asbestos, raw asbestos or other minerals containing asbestos fibers in its composition. See: Vigilância Sanitária promove Semana de Combate ao Uso do Amianto [Health Surveillance Program on Asbestos].

Asbestos Producer Bans Asbestos

Sep 16, 2015

In a remarkable development, the asbestos company Imbralit de Criciúma in the State of Santa Catarina has accepted the inevitability of Brazilian action to ban asbestos and announced today that it will cease using asbestos in its production of cement building materials as of November 1, 2015. Although there is no federal ban on asbestos, seven states have taken unilateral action to prohibit the use, manufacture, transport and sale of asbestos-containing products. They are: Mato Grosso, Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco and Amazonas. See: Uma Bomba para o Lobby do Amianto [A Bomb for Asbestos Lobby].

Penalties for Asbestos Law Contraventions

Sep 15, 2015

The Superior Labor Court reinstated guilty verdicts and fines for moral damages amounting respectively to R$500,000 (US$129,300) and R$100,000 (US$26,000) against Eternit SA, Brazil’s largest asbestos manufacturer, and Distribuidora Meridional Ltda., a distributor in Pernambuco, for failing to comply with the state law banning the manufacture, trade and use of asbestos especially in civil public and private construction. See: Distribuidora e Eternit são condenadas por violar lei que proíbe amianto em Pernambuco [Distributor and Eternit are convicted of violating the law banning asbestos in Pernambuco].

Another Asbestos Ban

Sep 13, 2015

Against considerable lobbying by asbestos specialist interests, the Council of Poços de Caldas, a city in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, has succeeded in approving a bill to ban the use of asbestos in public buildings. This legislation, which has been under discussion since 2009, was sponsored by Mayor Dr . Regina Cioffi, a highly respected doctor who informed fellow Councilors of scores of national asbestos bans and policies of international agencies supporting asbestos prohibitions to protect public and occupational health. See: Câmara de Poços aprova projeto que proibe amianto em obras públicas [Poços City Council Bans Asbestos].

Federal Prosecution of Asbestos Bodies

Sep 9, 2015

Brazil’s Ministry of Labor has filed a civil suit against 17 entities funded by the asbestos lobby, including trade associations and “yellow unions,” industry-funded bodies purportedly representing asbestos and/or construction workers, whose work, allegedly, is against the national interest as they lobby for measures which are inimical to health and safety and against the rights of Brazilian workers. The case is being heard in the 6th Labour Court of Campinas; judicial damages of Reais$50 million (US$13m) are being sought. See: MPT processa entidades ligadas à cadeia do amianto em R$50 milhões [MPT prosecutes entities linked to asbestos industry for R$50 million].

Protection for At-risk Brazilian Workers

Sep 4, 2015

Earlier this week, a Brazilian federal agency rejected calls to water down vital asbestos safeguards for at-risk workers as mandated in technical note 141/2014. This decision marks a huge defeat for the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute, a trade association representing asbestos mining and commercial organizations, which had claimed that these safeguards represented an unnecessary and burdensome business tax. Asbestos victims groups and labor organizations lobbied hard to retain the guidelines during tense hearings in Brasilia. See: Sem ser discutida, norma técnica do amianto segue inalterada [Without being discussed asbestos technical standard remains unchanged].

Epidemic of Asbestos Deaths

Sep 2, 2015

Data on the incidence of asbestos cancer in Brazil, as in other industrializing countries, is patchy. A paper just published by experts from São Paulo and Minas Gerais analyzed information on mortality for the asbestos cancer mesothelioma from 2000 and 2010. The researchers conclude that despite underreporting, “there is evidence of an increase in mesothelioma mortality, particularly in the State of São Paulo, where almost half of the asbestos industries settled… Our results strongly suggest that a special attention should be given to localized areas of asbestos handling and/or disease clustering.” See: The next mesothelioma wave: Mortality trends and forecast to 2030 in Brazil.

Growth in Asbestos-Free Manufacture

Aug 30, 2015

To satisfy growing consumer demand in Brazil for asbestos-free goods, Brasilit – part of the French Saint Gobain Group – has announced the opening of a new R$ 55 million (US$15+ million) manufacturing facility in Seropédica, in greater Rio de Janeiro, to produce asbestos-free fiber cement products. Brasilit’s five factories producing asbestos-free goods are located in Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul; Belém, Pará; Recife, Pernambuco; and Capivari and Jacarei, in the State of São Paulo. The new 100,000 m² facility will provide 250 jobs. See: Brasilit inaugura unidade em Seropédica [Brasilit opens unit in Seropédica].

Labor Supporting Asbestos Ban

Aug 28, 2015

The Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT / the Unified Workers' Central), Brazil’s national trade union center, is fighting attempts by commercial interests to repeal government guidance – Technical Note 141/2014 – protecting workers and their families from hazardous asbestos exposures. In a resolution issued on August 27, 2015 in São Paulo, CUT reiterated its support for a national asbestos ban and reasserted the need for the maximum protection to be provided for at-risk workers. See: CUT repudia a revogação da Nota sobre uso do Amianto [CUT repudiates repeal of technical guidance note on asbestos].

Tense Ban Asbestos Hearing in Bahia!

Aug 27, 2015

Like the showdown at the OK Corral, pro- and anti- asbestos forces were out in force during hearings held in the Bahia State Legislative Assembly on August 20, 2015. Bill 20,985/2014 authored by State Representative Rosemberg Pinto aims to protect occupational health by prohibiting the use of this acknowledged carcinogen. Supporting the bill were campaigner Fernanda Giannasi and asbestos victims; opposing the prohibitions were Brazilian asbestos lobbyists and trade unionists aligned with the industry who alleged that chrysotile asbestos posed no risk to human beings. See: Audiência pública debate a proibição do Amianto [Public hearing debates asbestos ban].

Award for Pleural Plaques Sufferer

Aug 24, 2015

On August 14, 2015, a Labor Court in Brazil ordered Saint Gobain Industrial Products and Construction Ltd., owner of Brasilit one of the country’s asbestos giants, to pay the sum of $Reais100,000 (US$28,500) in moral damages plus costs for medical examinations to Antonio Martins Santos who has contracted pleural plaques from negligent occupational asbestos exposure. The court dismissed the company’s argument that an extrajudicial agreement reached with the claimant upon the termination of his employment relieved it of any and all liabilities. See: Brasilit Condenada em Processo de Placas Pleurais por Amianto [Brasilit condemned for Asbestos Exposure in Pleural Plaques Case].

Bahia to Ban Asbestos?

Aug 18, 2015

On August 20, the legislative assembly of the Brazilian State of Bahia will discuss a bill to ban the mining, sale and use of asbestos. Of Brazil’s 26 states, seven have already adopted asbestos prohibitions: Mato Grosso, Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco and Amazonas. During the hearing, a presentation supporting this legislation will be made by a representative of the Bahia Association of the Asbestos-Exposed. See: AL-BA discutirá projeto que proíbe extração de amianto na Bahia [AL-BA project will discuss banning asbestos mining in Bahia].

Legal Victory against Eternit S.A

Aug 14, 2015

At a meeting on August 10, 2015 of a special body of the Superior Labor Court, an appeal by Brazil’s asbestos giant Eternit S.A. of a Supreme Court judgment was dismissed. As a result of this decision, the sum of US$285,000 will be awarded to the widow of an Eternit engineer who died in 2005 aged 72 from mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, contracted during his employment during the 1960s at the company’s asbestos-cement factory in Osasco. See: TST nega último recurso da Eternit contra indenização de R$ 1 milhão a viúva de vítima do amianto [TST deny last resort to Eternit against compensation of R$ 1 million to asbestos victim's widow].

Asbestos-free Technology for Brazil

Aug 13, 2015

A leading Brazilian specialist in the sale of industrial goods and tools has sent personnel to Italy for training in the use of asbestos-free technology. The small team from the Armo Company received training on the use of safer alternative products for industrial sealing of fluid and vapour leaks from experts at the Carrara S.p.A company, a leading producer of asbestos-free seal systems for valves and flanges. See: Indústria: Armo vai à Itália para treinamento exclusivo sobre vedação livre de amianto [Industry: Armo going to Italy for exclusive training on asbestos-free sealing].

Monument to Osasco’s Asbestos Victims!

Jul 27, 2015

Eliezer John de Souza and Amauri Lima representing the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) met with Osasco Councilman Aluisio Pinheiro to lobby the municipal authorities for support in constructing a memorial to the town’s asbestos victims, many of whom were employed in Osasco by the Lonaflex company to produce brake pads and by Eternit S.A. to manufacture asbestos-cement building products at the largest such plant in Latin Ameria. Speaking to the press, Councilman Pinheiro welcomed the proposal, saying he felt that Mayor Jorge Lapas would embrace this idea. See: Vitímas do Amianto pedem ajuda a vereador [Asbestos Victims Asking for Political Support].

Support for Brazilian Asbestos Ban!

Jul 13, 2015

According to an item dated July 10 on Santa Catarina’s Public Ministry of Work website, federal as well as state officials and agencies maintain support for the adoption of a Brazilian asbestos ban in order to protect citizens from harmful exposures. Recently, Attorney-General of Labor Luis Camargo, Santa Catarina’s Public Prosecutor Marcia Kamei López Aliaga and others took part in discussions with Manoel Dias, Minister of Labour and Employment, to progress measures to protect workers from the asbestos hazard. The Ministry of Labor favors an asbestos ban. See: PGT reforça importância do combate ao Amianto [PGT reinforces the importance of the fight against asbestos].

Asbestos in Football Championships!

Jul 7, 2015

Eternit, Brazil’s biggest asbestos company, is an official sponsor of Brazil’s Football Cup (Copa do Brasil) which involves 86 teams representing all Brazil’s 26 states; this annual event is organized by the Brazilian Football Confederation and is a very high profile event in a country where football is more like a religion than a sport. The final matches in this competition will be played later this month. Eternit is also sponsoring four football state championships. According to the company, this sponsorship is designed to create a positive association between the Eternit brand and Brazil’s favorite pasttime. See: Eternit marca presença em campeonatos de futebol [Eternit brand presence in football championships].

Guilty Verdict for Asbestos Transporter

Jun 28, 2015

An appeal by an asbestos cargo transporter over a one million Real (US$320,000) fine for the illegal shipment of asbestos through São Paulo, a state which banned asbestos, has been rejected by a unanimous court decision. The case was brought in 2009 by the Ministry of Labor which discovered that a truck belonging to the company was hauling 24 tonnes of asbestos in damaged packaging. Some while after that incident, a traffic accident took place which required clean-up crews to remove asbestos disbursed onto the Anhanguera highway by the company. See: Rápido 900: Finalmente Justiça Feita FEITA [Fast 900: Justice Delivered].

New State Asbestos Ban in Brazil!

May 20, 2015

On April 30, 2015, the Legislative Assembly of the State of Amazonas enacted law 258/15 prohibiting the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. Asbestos use in Brazil is permitted under federal law although the states of São Paulo, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso and Minas Gerais have taken unilateral action to ban asbestos. In 2013, Brazil produced 307,000 tonnes of chrysotile (white) asbestos and consumed 181,168 tonnes. At last week’s meeting of the UN’s Rotterdam Convention, the delegation from Brazil acknowledged the asbestos hazard. See: Uso do amianto é banido por lei no Estado do Amazonas [Asbestos use banned by law in Amazon State].

Gold Medal for Ban Asbestos Crusader

Mar 16, 2015

Officials, guests and 45 honorees gathered on March 12 at the headquarters of the São Paulo 15th region Labor Court for a high-profile ceremony during which retired Labor Inspector Fernanda Giannasi received one of 15 gold medals for her services to the country. Fernanda dedicated the award to “to victims of asbestos, mercury, POPs, nuclear, Shell-Basf, benzene and their families.” (see: photo of Fernanda and colleagues – pictured (from the left) are Labor Prosectuor Maria Stela Guimaraes de Martin, Judge Eleonora Bordinii Coca and Fernanda Giannasi). See: 45 personalidades e instituições com a Ordem do Mérito da JT [ 45 people and institutions are awarded the Order of Judicial Merit].

Asbestos Sales Down by 10%

Mar 13, 2015

Eternit S.A., Brazil’s asbestos giant, has reported a 10.8% decrease in sales of chrysotile asbestos in the 4th quarter of 2014 compared to the same time of year in 2013. The decreased sales of 66,700 tons in 2014 were partially offset by an increase in exports according to a company press statement released on March 12. According to Eternit, the 4.1% rise in consolidated net revenue in 4Q14 was due to increased fiber-cement and chrysotile fiber exports. Although the Brazilian government has not banned asbestos, several states have acted unilaterally and done so. See: Eternit: Operating income grows 9.0% and adjusted EBITDA reaches R$ 54.7 million in 4Q14.

Court Voids Extrajudicial Agreement

Jan 9, 2015

A São Paulo court has issued a claimant’s verdict on behalf of the surviving family of a man who had worked for the Brazilian asbestos manufacturer Brasilit. The worker died in 2013 of mesothelioma after exposure at work during the 1970s. An extrajudicial agreement the family had signed with the company which paid them US$57,325 was “illegal,” according to Judge Luiz Felipe Sampaio Briseli who highlighted the company’s failure to provide a safe workplace environment and awarded $R900,000 (US$340,000) to the family. See: Família de ex-empregado vítima do amianto receberá R$ 900 mil de indenização [Family of former employee victim of asbestos will receive £900,000 compensation].

Court Ordered Asbestos Phase-Out

Jan 6, 2014

On January 5, 2015, a ruling was published in the Brazilian state of Paraná which ordered that Multilit Cement, a company based in the state capital, phase out the use of asbestos in its manufacturing of tiles and water tanks within the next three years. Failure to comply with this directive will be punished by daily fines of R$ 50,000 (US$18,500+); the penalties will be paid to the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). New checks were mandated until the company is asbestos-free. See: Empresa é condenada a substituir amianto na fabricação de telhas e caixas d’água [Company is ordered to replace asbestos in the manufacture of tiles and water tanks].

New Era in Fight for Asbestos Justice

Dec 27, 2014

Raffaele Guariniello, the Italian Prosecutor at the heart of criminal proceedings against former executives of the Eternit Asbestos Group, is progressing investigations related to the asbestos deaths of Italians employed by Eternit in Brazil. Research undertaken in conjunction with the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed has identified 40 Italian families which lost a member to asbestos disease as a result of toxic exposure in Brazil. Documents showing links between Eternit’s asbestos operations in Brazil and Italy could be crucial in establishing the judicial forum for future proceedings. See: Luta das vítimas do amianto ganha novo capítulo [The fight for asbestos victims starts a new chapter].

Asbestos Cancer Data Unrealistic

Dec 11, 2014

An ecologic study conducted of Brazilian mortality data established that between 1980 and 2010, there were 3,718 deaths from the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Annual standardized mortality rate by age reached a maximum of 1.18 per million population in 2002, with the majority of deaths occurring in the Southeast. Considering that Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers and users of asbestos, there can be little doubt that these figures “do not reflect the true magnitude of the problem.” Specific actions are called for by the authors including improvements in medical training, capacity and diagnostic protocols and better surveillance measures. See: Mesothelioma Mortality Rate in Brazil, 1980 to 2010.

Court Victory for Asbestos Victim

Oct 15, 2014

Brasilit, a subsidiary of Saint Gobain Construction Products Industrial Brazil Ltda., has been found guilty by a regional labor court of an asbestos injury sustained by a deceased engineer and ordered to pay “moral damages” to his family. An extrajudicial agreement previously signed by the claimant, and by many other Brasilit asbestos victims, in which they gave up the right to sue the company in return for a paltry settlement was disregarded by the Court. See: Empregado contaminado com Amianto recebe indenizacao por danos morais [Employee with asbestos disease receives compensation for moral damages].

All Asbestos is Carcinogenic!

Oct 9, 2014

On October 7, 2014, as a result of collaborations by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, all types of asbestos, including chrysotile (white) asbestos, were added to Brazil’s List of Human Carcinogens. This major advance underlines the fallacious industry argument that chrysotile is a non-toxic substance essential for developing economies. It constitutes an acknowledgement by Brazil of the asbestos threat and as such will drive forward the momentum for a national ban. See: Portaria Interministerial confirma amianto como cancerígeno [Interministerial ordinance confirms asbestos as a carcinogen].

Contamination After Road Crash

Sep 25, 2014

On the morning of September 24, 2014, two trucks collided in the state of São Paulo causing traffic delays and toxic contamination after asbestos fiber had been liberated in the accident. The Fire Department cordoned off the area and took charge of overseeing decontamination work. Although asbestos is banned in the State of São Paulo (SP) the company that owns the cargo, SAMA mining (part of the Eternit group), routinely transports its asbestos on the public highways en route to SP ports. See: Carga de amianto cai em vicinal após choque entre caminhões em Olímpia [Asbestos cargo on road after truck collision].

Huge Victory for Asbestos Victims

Sep 3, 2014

On September 1, 2014, Minister Celso de Mello of the Federal Supreme Court rejected an injunction by Eternit, Brazil’s leading manufacturer of asbestos-cement products, which barred a $1 billion lawsuit filed by the Public Attorney’s Office of the São Paulo Labor Court on behalf of former employees at the Eternit factory in Osasco, Sao Paulo. As a result, the public prosecutor can now proceed with the compensation claims for 1,000 injured employees and the surviving families of those who have died. See: STF mantém ação de R$ 1 bi contra Eternit por expor trabalhadores a amianto [STF holds share of R$ 1 billion against Eternit for exposing workers to asbestos ].

Pessimism in Asbestos State

Aug 31, 2014

A commentary published on August 29, 2014 in The Journal of Goiás, the Brazilian State which is home to the country’s main asbestos mine, reports a gloomy outlook for the asbestos industry. Multiple factors likely to impact on sales of Goiás asbestos are: bans by several Brazilian states and national governments, opposition to asbestos by Brazilian agencies, including the Ministry of Labor, and non-governmental organizations, public prosecutions of asbestos companies, civil lawsuits, a case being adjudicated by the Supreme Court over the unconstitutionality of asbestos use, market forces and the increasingly popularity of asbestos-free products. See: Tesouro em declínio [Profitability in Decline].

Ministry of Labor Backs State Ban

Aug 25, 2014

In the run-up to a September 2, 2014 vote in the Santa Catarina Legislative Assembly on the adoption of a state-wide ban on asbestos, the Ministry of Labor has mounted a public awareness initiative about the deadly effects of asbestos exposures and the urgent need for a ban. The Ministry is promoting television coverage which began broadcasting 30 second segments on August 24, 2014. Complimenting this campaign are other social media outreach projects, including a petition calling for asbestos to be banned in Santa Catarina. See: Asbestos Awareness Video.

Asbestos: Heritage Product in Favelas

Aug 23, 2014

Interviews with people in poor neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, the favelas, reveal the ubiquity and constancy of asbestos use in the do-it-yourself construction of family dwellings. The most popular covering for these properties is roofing made of asbestos-cement tiles. While some people hire professionals for difficult tasks, such as roof installation, many do these tasks with the help of a few friends on a weekend. As a result of the recycling and trading of materials, asbestos tiles are present throughout the favelas. See: Estudo de caso: As regras tácitas da construção nas favelas [Case Study: The unspoken rules of construction in the slums].

Fernanda Giannasi Honored in Brasilia

Aug 15, 2014

On Monday, August 11, 2014, ban asbestos activist Fernanda Giannasi was awarded Brazil’s highest honor – the Order of Judicial Merit for Labor – at a gala ceremony in Brasilia (see: Picture of ceremony). Having received the commendation, Ms. Giannasi explained that it was: “recognition of a struggle that is not only mine, but all asbestos victims and their families. This shows the concern of the Brazilian judiciary with the exploitation of this deadly fiber which caused a health catastrophe of the century.” See: Top Brazilian Award for Fernenda Giannasi and also Fernanda Giannasi é condecorada com a ordem do mérito [Fernanda Giannasi is awarded the Order of Merit].

Delay in Vote on Ban

Aug 9, 2014

On August 5, 2014, a draft bill to ban asbestos was scheduled for debate at the Santa Catarina Legislative Assembly; four previous attempts had been defeated after pressure from asbestos lobbyists. The deputy-reporter, who is responsible for ascertaining the constitutionality of the bill, postponed the vote until September 2 alleging that more time was needed. Supporters of the ban, who were present at the meeting of the Committee of Justice and Constitutionality, said the delay was politically motivated; the deputy-reporter is known to be opposed to the ban. According to the ban supporters, there is overwhelming public support for unilateral action to protect citizens of the State from the asbestos hazard.

State Move to Ban Asbestos

Jul 31, 2014

The Santa Catarina Legislative Assembly will, for the fifth time, consider draft proposals to prohibit the use, handling and sale of asbestos and asbestos-containing products on August 5, 2014. Previous attempts have been defeated after pressure was exerted on politicians by asbestos lobbyists. The use of asbestos is permitted under federal law although the states of São Paulo, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Gerais have taken unilateral action to ban asbestos. See: Deputados estaduais vão votar projeto que define pelo lucro das empresas ou a vida do trabalhador [State legislators’ vote will either support corporate profits or the workers’ lives].

Another Victory for Brazilian Victims

Jul 10, 2014

For the second time in less than a month, a lawsuit brought by a Brazilian asbestos victim has succeeded against a major asbestos conglomerate: Brasilit. Last week, a former worker from a Brasilit asbestos-cement factory in Sao Caetano do Sul was awarded the sum of US$200,000 which included punitive damages for pleural plaques contracted after occupational exposure to chrysotile asbestos. See: VITÓRIA A&R: Brasilit é condenada a pagar indenização de R$ 200 mil a vítima de amianto crisotila [Victory A&R: Brasilit condemned to compensate asbestos victim].

Landmark Asbestos Ruling in Brazil

Jul 4, 2014

Imbralit, a company which manufactures asbestos-cement tiles in Criciúma, a city in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, has been ordered by Judge Zelaide de Souza Philippi of the Labor Court to pay US$1,000,000 for negligently exposing hundreds of workers to asbestos. Inspections by factory inspectors documented multiple infringements of workplace regulations as a result of which the health of workers was endangered. This verdict is, says labor lawyer Luciano Lima Leiva, a ground-breaking precedent which can be used to punish other law breakers in the construction and manufacturing sectors. See: IMBRALIT é condenada [Imbralit is convicted].

Asbestos Fraud in Mining Sector

Jun 17, 2014

A multimillion dollar fine and jail sentences exceeding five years were handed down by federal judge Mara Elisa Andrade to former business executives who colluded in the operation of a fraud which deprived the state of Goiás and the municipality of Minaçu of financial compensation for exploiting mineral resources – i.e. chrysotile asbestos. The criminal operation ran from 1991 to 1997 and was related to the production of asbestos at the Sama mine; it cost the State more than US$16 million. See: MPF/GO consegue a condenação de envolvidos em estelionato contra o DNPM [Federal prosecutor convicts asbestos mining businessmen].

Football’s World Cup and Asbestos

Jun 16, 2014

Journalist Stephen Bertolino has published a report detailing asbestos contamination caused by clearance of low-income neighborhoods (favelas) undertaken prior to the construction of venues for the 2014 World Cup. In Brazil, the world’s 4th biggest producer of asbestos, asbestos is widely used in construction materials and water tanks; there is no doubt the demolished premises contained asbestos. Bertolino says that the asbestos contamination which has occurred will lead to an epidemic of fatal diseases and cancers. See: Favelas demolite per i mondiali di calcio: in Brasile scoppia l'emergenza Amianto [Favelas demolished for the World Cup: asbestos emergency in Brazil].

Asbestos Giant Hits Out at Critics

Jun 6, 2014

As the Brazilian Supreme Court continues deliberations regarding the constitutionality of asbestos use in Brazil, the trade association representing the country’s asbestos sector has gone on the offensive. In a press release issued last week, Marina Julia Aquino, President of the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute, regurgitated industry propaganda and excuses about why the use of asbestos cannot be prohibited – Brazil’s asbestos is safe, poor people cannot afford alternative products, the deadly effects of asbestos are related to past practices – to counter growing support for a national ban. See: A guerra suja contra o amianto [The dirty war against asbestos].

Asbestos Initiative in Santa Catarina

May 23, 2014

On May 22, 2014, a new public awareness campaign was launched in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina by the Public Ministry which featured a hard-hitting poster warning of the deadly dangers of asbestos exposure. The capital letter headline “ELIMATE ASBESTOS; IT’S A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH” is accompanied by the photograph of Aldo Vincentin, a former asbestos-cement factory worker who died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Santa Catarina has not banned asbestos; the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso and 31 municipalities have.

Moral Damages for Asbestos Death

May 9, 2014

The Supreme Labor Court has ordered the Eternit asbestos company to pay Reais$1 million (US$451,304) to the family of an engineer who died of an asbestos-related disease in 2005, aged 72. The damages include sums for pain and suffering as well as moral damages. The Court increased the amount of compensation awarded by a lower court by over 60% to punish Eternit’s misconduct and incentivize improvements in health and safety protocols. The deceased had worked at Eternit’s Osasco asbestos factory from 1964 to 1967. See: Eternit pagará R$ 1 milhão por morte de trabalhador em contato com amianto [Eternit to pay 1 million Reais for the asbestos death of worker].

Trouble at Eternit Asbestos Group

Apr 15, 2014

Following the untimely death of Eternit S.A.’s long-term President Elio Martins, dissension in the boardroom continues for Brazil’s biggest asbestos-cement company. Luiz Barsi, one of Eternit’s biggest shareholders, was put in charge of the company by the administration board. Since he has been in charge he has been highly critical of the former President’s policies. Barsi heads a group of investors who want to change everything including all the top managers and executives. A board meeting scheduled for April 23 could be as explosive as it is decisive. See: Racha no clube do bilhão [Cracks in the billionaire’s club].

State of Minas Gerais Bans Asbestos

Jan 21, 2014

Minas Gerais has become the sixth Brazilian state to ban the use of asbestos. Law 21.114 signed by Governor Antonio Anastasia prohibits the importation, transportation, storage, processing, marketing and use of products containing asbestos or asbestos fiber. The state joins São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso and 31 municipalities that have prohibited asbestos. During the asbestos phase-out period, strict measures will be introduced to minimize hazardous asbestos exposures. See: Minas Gerais edita lei que bane uso do amianto no estado [Minas Gerais passes a law banning the use of asbestos in the state].

The Curse of Asbestos

Jan 6, 2014

Today, award-winning Brazilian journalist Eliane Brum reported in El Pais, the highest-circulation Spanish language newspaper, efforts by Brazilian asbestos victims from ABREA to have an honor bestowed upon asbestos magnate Stephan Schmidheiny by the Brazilian Government rescinded. ABREA's action was inspired by a petition submitted to Yale University by Italian victims for the revocation of an honorary degree awarded in 1996 to a man convicted 16 years later for his role in the asbestos deaths of thousands of citizens. In Venezuela and Costa Rica civil society groups are considering similar actions. See: A maldição do Amianto [The Curse of Asbestos].

ABREA's Role Acknowledged

Nov 15, 2013

A 24-page segment in a magazine [see: magazine cover] published today by the Brazilian Federal Public Ministry of Labor focuses on the pivotal role played by ABREA, the national asbestos victims' group, in the struggle against the country's notorious asbestos group: Eternit. The text exposes the company's attempts to deceive and co-opt workers into signing extra-judicial agreements absolving their former employer of its liabilities for the negligent and hazarous occupational exposures to asbestos which took place at the Eternit asbestos-cement factories. See: A morte lenta e silenciosa dos empregados da Eternit [The slow and silent death of employees of Eternit].

Allegations that Eternit Bribed Victims

Nov 13, 2013

Eternit, S.A., Brazil's foremost asbestos company, has been charged over attempts to entice asbestos-exposed ex-employees to sign agreements absolving the company of liability through an outreach social program for the "Eternit family" workforce. Letters on this issue have been submitted as part of a legal action by ABREA, the national group representing the asbestos-exposed, many of whom worked for Eternit. Activities offered included barbecues and TV screenings of World Cup games. See: Eternit 'cortejou' ex-funcionários contaminados com amianto para evitar ação na Justiça, diz MPT [Eternit "courted" asbestos-exposed ex-employees to prevent legal action].

Upheaval at Eternit S.A.

Nov 7, 2013

The President of Eternit, S.A., Brazil's leading asbestos producer, died unexpectedly last month. President Elio Martins was a known quantity who had given 38 years of service to the company, the last 13 as President. In the aftermath of his death, investors were reassessing the company's financial performance and asking pointed questions about operating costs, executive salaries, and dividend policy. The change in leadership is particularly problematic in light of a pending Supreme Court ruling on the legality of asbestos use. See: O futuro da Eternit após a morte do presidente Élio Martins [The Future of Eternit after the Death of President Elio Martins].

Another State to Ban Asbestos?

Nov 1, 2013

In Brazil, the world's third biggest supplier of raw chrysotile asbestos fiber, federal law allows the production and use of asbestos. Nevertheless, the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco and Mato Grosso - which account for 90% of the Brazilian population - have adopted state-wide prohibitions. On October 20, law 1.259/11, which banned asbestos, in Minas Gerais State was approved by 48 votes. The bill has one more legislative hurdle to overcome before it is sent to the Governor. See: Plenário aprova projeto que proíbe uso de amianto [Plenary Passes Bill banning use of asbestos].

Eternit, Brazil Launch PR Fight-back

Sep 2, 2013

Efforts are being made by Eternit, S.A., a company named in a landmark Brazilian court judgment last week, to counter adverse publicity and restore public confidence. An Eternit press release issued on August 30 downplays the effect the ruling will have on the company and pledges that a "vigorous defense" will be mounted. The company blames ban asbestos pressure groups for creating the climate in which this case was pursued by the Public Labor Ministry. See: Eternit estima que 110 ex-funcionários atingidos por amianto estão sem assistência médica [Eternit estimates that 110 former employees affected by asbestos are without medical assistance].

Eternit Must Pay for Workers' Healthcare

Aug 24, 2013

Judge Raquel de Oliveira of the 9th Labor Court in São Paulo has ruled this week that Eternit, S.A. must pay the healthcare costs for thousands of former workers from its Osasco asbestos-cement factory; the factory closed in 1993. This civil action, the largest lawsuit for punitive damages ever mounted by Brazil's Labor Public Ministry, could cost the company over US$400 million. The company can appeal. See: Eternit terá de custear saúde de ex-operários devido exposição ao amianto [Eternit will have to pay for healthcare for former asbestos-exposed workers] and TV news journal coverage.

Public Ministry Sues Brazilian Eternit

Aug 18, 2013

Brazil's Labor Public Ministry has filed a R$1 billion (€313 million) civil action against Eternit in the 9th Labor Court in São Paulo. This, the largest lawsuit for punitive damages ever filed by the Ministry, accuses the company of having been responsible for hazardous workplace exposures to asbestos which occurred at its asbestos-cement factory in Osasco. Over fifty years, hundreds of people were employed at this plant; many of them have contracted asbestos-related diseases, including fatal cancers. See: Eternit é processada em R$1 bilhão por contaminação com amianto [Eternit Brazil being sued for R$1 billion for asbestos contamination].

Curitiba Conference Asbestos Agenda

Jun 11, 2013

On June 11 and 12, asbestos sessions at a conference in Curitiba will provide the opportunity for an in-depth examination of the relevance to Brazilians of the landmark appeal court judgment in the Italian case against Eternit asbestos defendants Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne. Italian prosecutors Sara Panelli and Gianfranco Colace and activists Bruno Pesce and Nicola Pondrano will update delegates on the June 3, 2013 Italian verdict and other developments in Turin. Brazilian asbestos experts who will be addressing the meeting include Fernanda Giannasi, Eliezer João de Souza and Urbitan de Paula Santos.

Eternit, Brazil says "It was not us."

Jun 6, 2013

After the landmark verdict by an Italian appeal court on June 3, Brazil's Eternit S.A. issued a news release to "make clear that it has no relationship with Eternit companies in other countries, including Italy." The company also asserted categorically that "there have been no cases of any diseases related to the use of chrysotile asbestos recorded among employees joining the Group from the 80s." There is no mention of the fact that five Brazilian states have banned the use of asbestos or that the Supreme Court is currently considering whether the use of asbestos in Brazil is constitutional. See: Eternit clarifies the asbestos issue.

Brazil will Abstain in UN Chrysotile Vote

Apr 30, 2013

News has been released that Brazil will not support UN action to list chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous substance at next week's meeting of the Rotterdam Convention (RC). This decision was taken even though there was Ministerial support for including chrysotile on Annex III of the RC. The Ministries of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade and Mines and Energy voted to preserve the status quo so that markets for chrysotile asbestos remain unaffected. Civil society campaigners are bitterly disappointed that Brazil has, once again, acted to advance its interests despite the deadly risks posed by exposure to asbestos. See: País vai se abster em decisão sobre restrição ao amianto.

Government Agency Bans Asbestos

Apr 27, 2013

On April 26, 2013, Luis Camargo, Brazil's Attorney General of Labor Affairs, signed Ordinance 281which bans the use of asbestos by the Ministry of Labor. The timing of this action was intended to underline the significance of International Workers Memorial Day which is celebrated on April 28 in countries around the world. Other recent positive developments on asbestos in Brazil include a decision in March by the Superior Labor Court which condemned Brasilit, a major asbestos manufacturer, for its failure to provide mandated medical services to workers. See: Banido uso de amianto no Ministério Público do Trabalho.

Court orders asbestos remediation

Apr 24, 2013

The consequences of asbestos mining operations in the Brazilian town of Bom Jesus da Serra include unquantified amounts of environmental contamination. Although the SAMA mine is now derelict, no attempt has been made to tackle the hazardous situation which remains. A federal court has now ordered SAMA to address the serious health consequences of the contamination and take measures to minimize the health threat, such as fencing off the mining area and erecting signs to warn the public of the danger. This is a huge victory for local activists who have been lobbying for the decontamination of the site for more than a decade. See: SAMA obligated to clean-up asbestos pollution.

Court Orders Replacement of Water Tanks

Apr 17, 2013

Today, Judge Josimar de Miranda Andrade, of the 20th Civil Court of Rio de Janeiro, issued an official sanction against the owners of the "Solarium" building in Silva Street, Ipanema regarding the presence of six asbestos-cement water tanks on the premises. The judge ordered these outlawed products to be replaced within thirty days. The State of Rio de Janeiro, like the States of São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco and Mato Grosso, has adopted legislation banning asbestos. A decision by the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the state asbestos ban remains pending. See: Daily Court News Digest of Globo newspaper.

Eternit: Asbestos-free Technology?

Feb 21, 2013

As Brazil continues to wait for the Supreme Court to decide on whether state bans on asbestos are constitutional, the country's largest asbestos conglomerate, Eternit, is exploring non-asbestos technology at its plant in Parana. Elio A. Martins, Eternit's President, told a Brazilian journalist: "The demand for products without asbestos may increase in coming year…" Eternit owns the only asbestos mine in Latin America and has been at the center of many court cases brought by formers workers injured by exposure to Eternit asbestos. See: Eternit já se prepara para competir sem usar amianto [Eternit preparing to work without using asbestos].

Banning Asbestos in Brazil

Jan 17, 2013

An online interview with Engineer Fernanda Giannasi, leader of the Latin American Ban Asbestos Movement, sums up the current state of the ban asbestos campaign in Brazil. Senior Labor Inspector Giannasi, who last month received the "Professional Personality Award 2012," explains the forces which support the status quo, the human costs of asbestos use in Brazil and the ongoing attempts to shut down an industry generating almost $2 billion/year. See: Banning Asbestos: a long struggle to save life. Also see: Brazil: Asbestos Producer, User, Exporter.

Asbestos on 2014 Agenda

Jan 12, 2013

Fundacentro, an agency of the Brazilian Ministry of Labour, has confirmed that it will partner the Pan-American Health Organization in organizing a symposium on "Asbestos in the Americas" during the XX World Congress on Safety and Health at Work. The Congress takes place between August 24 and 27, 2014, in Frankfurt, Germany. At the last two such events, representatives from the Russian asbestos industry and scientists linked to the industry took part in asbestos debates and exhibited corporate propaganda dismissing the health hazard of exposure to asbestos, Will 2014 be any different? See: Fundocentro Announcement.

Italian Prosecutor Calls for Ban

Nov 10, 2012

In an interview published in this week's edition of CartaCapital, a popular Brazilian weekly magazine, Raffaele Guariniello, the prosecutor in the Turin trial of former asbestos executives, said: "The history of asbestos is the history of human stupidity." Discussing the research on the health hazard of asbestos exposure which was conducted for the trial of Eternit officials Stephen Schmidheiny and Baron Louis Baron Louis de Cartier de Marchienne, Guariniello said there was "overwhelming evidence" that asbestos causes cancer. "Nothing," he said "is more important than human health." Guariniello hoped that Brazil would be the next country to ban asbestos.

Another City Moves to Ban Asbestos

Nov 6, 2012

This week by a vote of 26:7, the councilors of the City of Curitiba, capital of the Brazilian State of Paraná, voted in favour of a bill that would prohibit the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. Should this litigation become law, the greatest impact would be felt in the construction sector. The law must be approved by a second vote on November 7 and then receive the endorsement of the Mayor. In the absence of a federal ban, five states – São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco and Mato Grosso – have taken unilateral action and banned asbestos.

Recall for Chinese Cars

Oct 2, 2012

It was confirmed today that 12,000+ asbestos-contaminated Chery cars manufactured in China and sold in Brazil are being recalled by dealerships around the country. According to a company spokesman, Chery cars have also been recalled in Australia, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina and Singapore due to the presence of asbestos. The cars being recalled in Brazil include Tiggo and Cielo models, both hatchbacks and sedans. As Chery Automobile Co., China's biggest car exporter, shipped 160,200 vehicles overseas in 2011, there is no knowing where the next recall will be. See: Montadora chinesa faz recall de veículos que têm peças com amianto.

Death of TV Star Hebe Camargo

Oct 1, 2012

Hebe Camargo, called the “Queen of Brazilian Television,” died at home on Saturday, September 29, two years after having been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. As one of the pioneers of Brazilian TV, Hebe had received many awards and accolades for her work as a TV host and singer; she was featured in the prestigious Women of the Year Album, 2012 along with President Dilma Rousseff, Michele Obama and Labor Inspector Fernanda Giannasi. Following her chemotherapy, Hebe told fans “I hunger to live.” She was 83 years old. See: Brazilian Actress Hebe Camargo is Dead and Wikipedia: Hebe Camargo.

Media Blackout on Asbestos

Sep 27, 2012

A recent issue of CartaCapital, a popular and widely read Brazilian magazine, featured a cover story entitled: The Truth Under Your Roof. The striking skull and crossbones image on the magazine cover with the headline O amianta mata (mas o Brasil ignora) [in English: Asbestos Kills (but Brazil ignores it)], left the reader in no doubt as to author Rodrigo Martins' concern. His 3,000 word essay, which has been translated into English by the Brazilian trade organization Abifibro, highlights the deafening silence throughout the media regarding the asbestos hearings which took place at the Supreme Court in August 2012. See: A Perfect Day.

Trade Union Supports Ban

Aug 26, 2012

A statement released this weekend by CUT, Brazil's biggest trade union, supports a Brazilian asbestos ban as a "matter of public health and human rights." Referencing the landmark 2012 Italian verdict which convicted Eternit executives of the asbestos deaths of workers and members of the public, CUT highlighted the role played by trade unions in exposing the impact of asbestos on workers' health and called on the Supreme Court to take action. At CUT's Annual General Meeting (July, 2012), a motion was approved supporting state asbestos bans and asserting that the use of asbestos in Brazil was unconstitutional. See: Banning Asbestos: A Matter of Public Health and Human Rights.

Supreme Court Asbestos Hearings

Aug 25, 2012

On August 24, 2012, the first of two days' of public hearings on asbestos took place in the Supreme Court. The subject has divided government opinion with the Ministries of Heath, Environment and Social Welfare advocating a ban and the Ministries of Development, Industry, Foreign Trade and Mines supporting the status quo. Guilherme Franco Netto from the Ministry of Health said: "It is scientifically proven that the product is carcinogenic and that Brazil has technology and raw materials to replace it." Cláudio Scliar from the Ministry of Mines and Energy disagreed, saying: "the controlled and safe use of chrysotile asbestos type is viable." See: Tomorrow in Brasilia.

Court Censures Asbestos Lobbyists

Aug 7, 2012

Court orders issued this week have upheld complaints by Senior Labor Inspector Fernanda Giannasi, the leader of the Latin American campaign to ban asbestos, against Brazilian asbestos stakeholders who have consistently disseminated outrageous and untrue statements about her work and professional competence. The defendants, the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute (IBC), the asbestos mine workers' trade union and freelance journalist Luiz Carlos Bordoni, in the civil case brought by Ms. Giannasi have been ordered to remove offensive remarks about her from websites and blogs within 15 days. Failure to do so will attract daily fines of $2500.

Asbestos Toxic Tour 2012

Jun 21, 2012

"The Future We Want is Asbestos-Free" was the title of a workshop held during the Rio+20 People's Summit on June 15. Representatives of civil society groups from Brazil led discussions amongst American, European and Asian delegates regarding the challenge represented by on-going global asbestos consumption. In the run-up to this event, a demonstration had taken place outside the Eternit asbestos-cement factory in the Guadalupe area of Rio de Janeiro where hundreds of workers are still processing asbestos on a daily basis. A full report on the Asbestos Toxic Tour 2012 is underway.

Law Students Support Asbestos Victims

Jun 6, 2012

A new university project in the State of Paraná is providing support by 5th year law students for asbestos victims as part of an academic outreach campaign dedicated to increasing the human rights of the injured. The project will provide assistance for asbestos claimants who are applying for social security invalidity benefits, retirement rights or other state-awarded assistance to which they may be entitled. The ceremony to launch the project took place on May 25. Legislation to ban asbestos in Paraná has temporarily been derailed by fierce asbestos industry opposition.

Asbestos Lobby's Hired Guns

May 27, 2012

On May 21, 2012, the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute (BCI) notified the Supreme Court of a list of witnesses it plans to call to provide testimony during hearings in August 2012 regarding the implementation of regulations banning asbestos. Amongst the names on this list are well-known industry-linked "experts," including Ericson Bagatin, David Bernstein, and John Bridle. The BCI is participating in the judicial process as an amicus curiae, friend of the court as is the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA). The Supreme Court's decision is expected in November, 2012. See: BCI Court Document.

Media Call for Asbestos Ban

May 21, 2012

In the run-up to Rio+ 20, Brazil's biggest media conglomerate called for a national ban on the mining, use and sale of asbestos in a series of articles, videos, blogs and interviews disseminated throughout its media empire this weekend. The subjects covered include the medical, legal, political and occupational consequences of asbestos use and the growing calls by Brazilian civil society for a ban. The unprecedented amount of attention given to these subjects by the journal O Globo is due to the urgent need to raise awareness of the deadly risk to public health posed by the asbestos industry. See: Brazil without Asbestos.

Lobbyists under Police Investigation

May 9, 2012

Links between Brazil's asbestos lobby and criminal operations have been discovered during a major police investigation into corruption. The ongoing operation, titled "Monte Carlo," has been a huge story with coverage throughout the traditional media as well as online. Three political defenders of the asbestos industry caught up in the scandal are Senator Demóstenes Torres, Federal Deputy Carlos Alberto Leréia and Governor Marconi Perillo, all of whom represent the asbestos-mining state of Goiás. Links to personnel from asbestos companies are detailed as is the closure of the Canadain Chrysotile Institute. See: Operation Monte Carlo Reaches the Parliamentary Asbestos Lobby.

Scandal Engulfs Asbestos Defender

May 2, 2012

Brazilian Federal Deputy Carlos Alberto Leréia Da Silva, defender of the asbestos mining industry, is under investigation in a high-profile corruption scandal - Monte Carlo - which is attracting massive press coverage. Leréia is from the city of Minaçu, home to the infamous chrysotile asbestos mine operated by SAMA/Eternit. He has publicly acknowledged receiving campaign contributions from asbestos vested interests and has defended the asbestos industry on TV and in the legislature. See: Brazilian Ministry of Justice Court Documentation.

The Asbestos Controversy

Mar 10, 2012

A statement issued this week by civil society institutions and leading professionals calls for a Brazilian ban on asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen with no safe level of exposure. Highlighting insidious lobbying and political pressure by asbestos vested interests, the text calls on the government to comply with the Constitution and protect citizen's lives by outlawing asbestos use. It condemns legal threats by the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute, representing the country's asbestos industry, against Dr. Hermano Castro, who works for the Health Ministry in Rio de Janeiro and has reported the rising Brazilian death toll from asbestos-related diseases. See: The Asbestos Controversy (in Portuguese).

Asbestos Ban in Paraná State?

Feb 21, 2012

This month the deputies of Paraná State will vote on a bill to ban the use of asbestos; Paraná State is Brazil's biggest producer of asbestos-cement. The right of states to ban asbestos when federal authorities permit its use is under attack from vested interests that have brought a lawsuit against the Rio Grande do Sol ban. In total, five Brazilian states - São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Pernambuco and Mato Grosso - have prohibited asbestos use; the constitutional right of states to take such action in order to protect public health was upheld by a 2008 Supreme Court ruling. See: History in the Making!

Support for Brazilian Ban

Dec 13, 2011

Last week, Brazil's Attorney General tabled a petition calling for a national ban on asbestos in which he confirmed that federal and state laws which permit the continued mining, industrial and commercial use of asbestos violated the constitutional rights of Brazilian citizens such as the right to health and the right to work and live in a clean environment. Newspaper reports suggest that this document will provide the impetus for the Supreme Court of Brazil, under the leadership of President Carlos Ayres Britto, to consider action in support of a comprehensive and national ban on asbestos in 2012. See: Petition by Brazil's Attorney General (in Portuguese).

Federal Support for Asbestos Ban

Oct 27 2011

On October 27, 2011, Brazil's Attorney General sent a message to the Supreme Court affirming the constitutionality of the São Paulo State ban on asbestos which is currently being contested by asbestos stakeholders trying to overturn it by judicial means. São Paulo is one of five Brazilian states in which the manufacture, use and sale of asbestos is prohibited; the others are: Mato Grosso, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Pernambuco. In July, 2011 Senator Eduardo Suplicy from São Paulo State presented a federal bill to ban asbestos to the Brazilian Parliament. See: Brazilian Supreme Court website.

Eternit Accused!

Aug 26, 2011

Proceedings took place this week before a local judge in a São Paulo court regarding the decontamination of a redundant asbestos mine site in Bahia, a state in the northeast of Brazil. Bahia's federal and state authorities have accused the former mine owner, Eternit, of environmental crime and are demanding that the company clean-up the pollution on the 700 hectare site. Chrysotile asbestos was extracted from the Poções mine from 1937 until 1967; no effort has been made to decontaminate the site and people living nearby continue to be exposed to asbestos on a daily basis.

Brazilian Ban Asbestos Bill

Jul 31, 2011

This week Senator Eduardo Suplicy from São Paulo State presented a bill to ban asbestos to the Brazilian Parliament. Suplicy, a member of the Workers' Party of Brazil, is a long-time advocate of prohibiting the use of asbestos throughout Brazil. Currently, five Brazilian States ban asbestos but the adoption of a national regulation has been prevented by a powerful industry lobby which has distributed huge sums of money to politicans at all levels of government including Parliamentarians in Brasilia. Suplicy's former wife, Marta Suplicy, was the Mayor of São Paulo when a municipal bill was passed to ban asbestos.

Another Asbestos Victory!

Jul 23, 2011

In 2010, Ministry of Labor officials accompanied by armed policemen arrested a shipment of asbestos fiber being transported on the Sao Paulo highways; Sao Paulo is one of five Brazilian states which has banned asbestos.
This action, which was upheld by the lower court last year, has now been vindicated at the Labor Court in Campinas which this week upheld the original Judge's decision supporting the behavior and actions of Labor Inspector Fernanda Giannasi. The inspection of the asbestos-laden articulated lorry carried out by the Labor Inspector and her colleagues can be viewed on YouTube.

New Asbestos Ban in Brazil

Jun 16, 2011

Yesterday, Mato Grosso became the 5th Brazilian state to ban asbestos when state deputies overturned a veto issued earlier this year by Governor Silval Barbosa. Cumulatively, Brazilian state bans, including those in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Pernambuco, affect 80 million people, 40+ % of the population. The "asbestos ban states" account for over 60% of Brazil's gross domestic product. On June 7, 2011, Brazilian lawyer Mauro Menezes said: "While a Brazilian asbestos ban continues to ellude us, there are clear signs it will happen." A national ban may come sooner rather than later.

Court Win for Asbestos Victim!

Jun 8 2011

A case brought by Labour Prosecutors against Multilit Fibrocimento Ltda, a Brazilian company which manufactures asbestos-cement roofing tiles, resulted in a victory for a former employee who was exposed to asbestos during his 10 years of employment. The Court awarded the claimant $700,000 for injuries sustained, which had resulted in the his retirement in 2007 due to pulmonary asbestos disease. The Court said that in the 20th century asbestos had been recognized as one of the world's worst industrial carcinogens and that recent studies confirmed that there is no safe level of exposure to the "murderous dust." See: Fernanda Giannasi's blog.

Judicial Reverses for Defendants

Mar 20, 2011

Last week, decisions handed down in Brazilian regional and federal courts went against major asbestos defendants. On March 13, 2011 a former Eternit S.A. worker Antonio Carlos Dos Santos Gomes was awarded Reias 100,000 (US $60,000) for developing pleural plaques as a result of occupational asbestos exposure. This decision by a Labor Court in the 5th Region has been called "unprecedented." On March 15, a federal court handed down a decision against the defendant Sama S.A. Mineracoes Associadas, a company belonging to the Eternit Group, regarding the company's asbestos operations.See: Fernanda Giannasi's Blog.

Open Letter to Brazilian President

Mar 3, 2011

Despite multiple attempts to obtain information on the construction protocols for the 2014 World Cup from Brazilian and other sources, no one seems eager to engage with the controversial subject of whether chrysotile asbestos is being used. As a last resort, on March 3, 2011 a letter was written to Brazilian President Dilma Vana Roussoff asking that she intervene in this enquiry and provide definitive infromation on whether asbestos, which is already banned in 4 Brazilian states, will be banned in the stadiums and venues being built throughout the country.

Prosecution against Asbestos Producer

Feb 11, 2011

On February 10, 2011, a public prosecution brought against Imbralit, Brazil's 4th biggest asbestos-cement company and the only such business in the State of Santa Catarina, ruled that the company had a period of 90 days to end its use of asbestos, a known carcinogen. The company was also ordered to pay nearly US$3,000,000 for the collective pain and suffering it caused due to the unsafe conditions which persisted at its manufacturing facilities. Although Imbralit had experimented with asbestos-free technology for the production of roofing tiles, it had chosen not to implement it for economic reasons. See: Online article (in Portuguese).

Court Stops Asbestos Exports!

Feb 3, 2011

News is being circulated of a huge judicial victory for the ban asbestos movement in Brazil. A judgment handed down by a federal court has blocked asbestos shipments from a port in Sao Paulo on the grounds that not only is the use of asbestos banned in the State but that the ban extends to all stages of the asbestos production cycle including export. This ruling countermands an injunction obtained last year by the "Cortes" group, a company which specializes in exporting Brazilian chrysotile asbestos to Asian destinations. The decision will force asbestos exporters to use much less convenient ports. See: Fernanda Giannasi's Blog.

Eternit Loses Test Case

Jan 12, 2011

Eternit SA incurred a major defeat in a Brazilian labor court when it was ordered to pay a former employee moral damages of Reais 100,000 (U.S.$59,400) for pleural plaques contracted due to occupational asbestos exposure. The Dec 2010 decision reversed the finding of a lower court that the case was barred for exceeding the statute of limitations, believed to be 10 years. Due to the long latency periods for asbestos-related diseases, the presiding court found that the action should be allowed to proceed. Eternit is appealing this decision which has been called "unprecedented" by a Brazilian legal expert. See: Fernanda Giannasi's Blog (Jan 7, 2011).

Contentious Asbestos Debate in Brasilia

Dec 14, 2010

President of the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) Eliezer Joao de Souza along with ABREA member Fernanda Giannasi and Lawyer Mauro Menezes are taking part in meetings this week regrading the national policy on asbestos use. Asbestos stakeholders are aggressively lobbying the government to rescind restrictions on the use of chrysotile asbestos. The meetings in the capital are taking place in the aftermath of the publication of "research" by industry-linked scientists which "proves" that asbestos-cement products can be used safely. The industry road show is expected to include its usual compliment of lobbyists, legal advisors, paid scientists and pr personnel.

Support for Asbestos Ban in Brazil

Nov 10, 2010

On November 9, 2010, a study was published by the University of Campinas evaluating the economic impact of banning asbestos in civil construction in Brazil. The authors conclude that Brazil is capable of replacing asbestos-contaminated products with safer alternatives. The study, which was commissioned by a government agency, urges the authorities to pursue an agenda of sustainable development and join other countries which have banned the use of a substance categorized as carcinogenic by global agencies. Asbestos bans in four Brazilian states are under constant attack by powerful vested interests including the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute. See: Announcement (Portuguese).

Asbestos Demand Fuels Eternit Profits

Nov 9, 2010

During the third quarter of 2010, the net income of Eternit, a Brazilian company which mines and processes chrysotile asbestos, skyrocketed. Intense demand for construction material contributed to a 50% growth in net income as the company's chrysotile mining and fiber cement businesses operated at full capacity. "Chrysotile ore sales grew 16.2% year-on-year despite the limitations of production capacity, registering an output of 81.3 thousand tons..." In 2009, total Brazilian chrysotile production was 288,000 tonnes; if production in the 3rd quarter of 2010 was representative, this could be a record-breaking year for Brazil's asbestos profiteers. See: PR Newswire Article.

Brazil Debates Asbestos Ban

May 19, 2010

At 10 a.m. today, the High Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia will vote on whether to implement recommendations made in a 677 page dossier on asbestos which concludes that the only way to prevent asbestos-related diseases in Brazil is to ban all asbestos use. The author of this document, Deputy Edison Duarte, will be introducing it to the Legislative Chamber. It is anticipated that asbestos industry stakeholders will bring large numbers of asbestos industry workers to Brasilia to demonstrate in support of the continued mining and use of asbestos.

Causation of Disease: New Video

Apr 6, 2010

A video using computer graphics to show the pathways through which asbestos enters the human body and sets off the biological reactions which lead to disease was uploaded to YouTube by the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat on April 5, 2010. The film is narrated in Portuguese with Portuguese captions on diagrams and illustrations. See: YouTube Video
This version of the film is one in a series produced by asbestos victims groups. For more information see: New Asbestos Initiatives in Asia.

Municipal Bill to Ban Asbestos

Feb16, 2010

Councilor Regina Cioffi has tabled a bill to ban asbestos in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais State. Dr. Cioffi, who attended the town's first asbestos meeting last November, heard Brazilian campaigner Engineer Fernanda Giannasi detail the first case of asbestos cancer to be diagnosed locally. It is believed that the exposure which caused the mesothelioma death of Dante Untura Filho occurred at the town's factory operated by the American company Alcoa International. See: Councilor Regina Cioffi's Blog

Government Praise for Brazilian Activist

Dec 11, 2009

Carlos Minc, Brazil's Minister for the Environment, paid tribute to the work of factory inspector Fernanda Giannasi and her associates at ABREA - the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed - during the opening of the first National Conference on Environmental Health in Brasilia on December 10, 2009. The official recognition of Engineer Giannasi's work was a unique government accolade as a campaigning individual or NGO fighting the country's powerful asbestos lobby had never before been honored by a government official.

Brazil Ban Asbestos Mobilization

Nov 12, 2009

Brazilian efforts to address the country's emerging asbestos epidemic were publicized by events held in the states of São Paulo, Alagoas and Minas Gerais from November 6 to 14, 2009. Asbestos victims, public health campaigners, trade unionists, medical professionals and politicans supported calls for a comprehensive ban on the mining and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. IBAS Coordinator Laurie Kazan-Allen, who participated in these meetings, said: "Despite the continued onslaught by asbestos lobbyists, progress is being made in phasing out the use of asbestos and highlighting the continuing tragedy of the country's asbestos injured."

Threat to Brazil's Asbestos Mouthpiece

Sept 19, 2009

Yesterday, a hearing began which could result in the removal of the privileged status currently enjoyed by the Brazilian Chrysotile Institute (IBC), a body which represents the interests of the national asbestos industry. The legal action was initiated by a prosecutor from the Brazilian asbestos mining state of Goiás; should it succeed, the IBC will lose both its status as "a social entity of public interest" and its ability to qualify for government grants. Observers report that the courtroom was packed with individuals representing vested interests from industry, trade unions and the Government.

Advance in Non-Asbestos Technology

Sep 15, 2009

A breakthrough in phasing out the use of asbestos was reached when Carbocloro, one of Brazil's three producers of chloro-alkalis, announced it had replaced asbestos-containing diaphragms used in its manufacturing operations; it was now employing a technology using teflon and Zirconium oxide. The American–Brazilian owned manufacturer has designed and produced its own asbestos-free diaphragms.

New Mesothelioma Initiative

Sep 10, 2009

A major attempt is being made in Brazil to warn workers, consumers and the public of the health hazards associated with asbestos exposure and to raise awareness of the asbestos cancer: mesothelioma. Fifty thousands pamphlets on mesothelioma and 10,000 posters have been printed to disseminate knowledge about the nature of this disease, and information has been uploaded to the National Cancer Institute.

Follow-up seminars and medical workshops are being scheduled in the coming months.

Ban on Selling Asbestos in Rio de Janeiro

Aug 29, 2009

A judicial decision was handed down regarding the sale of asbestos in Rio de Janeiro, a state which had banned asbestos in 2008. Following the ban, Brazil's asbestos giant - Eternit - had obtained permission to continue to sell its asbestos products in the state pending judicial clarification. On August 26, 2009, the Civil Chamber of the Court of Justice decided that, as in São Paulo, selling these products is now illegal; non-compliance will result in fines of US$25,000/day.

Brazilian Ministry Bans Asbestos

Jul 22, 2009

Earlier today our friend Fernanda Giannasi informed us that the Brazilian Ministry of Health has prohibited the use of asbestos in all its buildings; this follows the previous adoption by the Environment Ministry of an asbestos ban throughout its department. Four Brazilian states and several Brazilian municipalities have now banned the use of asbestos in Brazil although the federal government has not done so.