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Posts by: Steven Kazan

New Hampshire Voices Win Over Asbestos Exposure Threat

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recycling plantDespite more than 70 years of research linking asbestos exposure to the development of several potentially deadly diseases, certain industry stakeholders just don’t understand how justifiably fearful and angry consumers become when talking about the material. That’s why, every now and then, it makes me happy and proud to come across a story of everyday people expressing their voices and demanding to be heard.

What’s even better is when someone listens.

Recently, I followed a story from The Telegraph in New Hampshire, where the residents of the city of Nashua became angry about a proposal to establish an asphalt shingle recycling and grinding operation. Among their worries was the possibility of asbestos exposure.

Neighbors come together
The proposed site of the operation was the facility at Scrap Metal Inc., a salvage and recycling plant. Although residents received letters that the head of the facility applied for permits for the project, they got upset when they learned about the Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing through the newspaper. Once that happened, they decided to gather at the meeting to express their opinions.

Neighbors told the news source about several concerns they had. Specifically, they were worried about the additional traffic burden that would come from trucks delivering asphalt shingles, and they were scared about the possibility of the shingles releasing asbestos fibers into the air.

At the Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting, 150 residents showed up. After listening to the concerns of the people, the board concluded that the proponents of the operation were unable to provide enough reassurance about the project’s impact on traffic, noise levels and environmental health. Ultimately, the proposal was rejected.

Resident Cindy Gallien had this to say about Scrap Metal Inc. owner Ansel Grandmaison:

“We’re not trying to stop him from running his business, we’re just trying to save our lives.”

What is the danger of asphalt shingles?
Asphalt shingles are valuable for recycling because they can be reprocessed to manufacture pavement materials and new roofing materials. However, between 1963 and 1977, three of the largest manufacturers of shingles in the U.S. sold products that contained asbestos fibers.

Normally, asbestos isn’t a health hazard as long as it’s not disturbed. Shingle recycling definitely has the potential to disturb asbestos fibers. Many of the shingle manufacturers weren’t forthcoming about how much asbestos they used because they didn’t want to get sued, so recycling businesses today need to be aware of when and where certain shingles were produced.

If you live near a facility that recycles asphalt and you’re worried about asbestos dust entering your home, be sure to follow these tips:

  • Remove your shoes before entering your house so that you don’t track dirt inside. Also, place doormats outside of each entrance.
  • If you allow pets outside, be sure to clean their fur and feet before letting them back in.
  • When dusting, use a wet rag.
  • Clean uncarpeted floors with a wet mop. To clean carpet, use a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter.
  • If you have area rugs, wash them regularly.
  • When walking, biking or driving outside, stick to paved surfaces.
  • When your kids play outside, allow them to play on covered surfaces only. That includes grass, asphalt, wood chips, pea gravel and rubber.

Knowing that the residents of Nashua refused to tolerate the threat of asbestos exposure is inspirational to us at Kazan Law. It shows what everyday people can accomplish if they band together and raise their collective voice.

Jury Awards $27.3 Million in California Household Asbestos Lawsuit

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Martin and Rose-Marie Grigg

Martin and Rose-Marie Grigg

On June 5, 2013, an Oakland jury completed its award to plaintiffs Rose-Marie and Martin Grigg of a total of $27,342,500 in compensation stemming from Mrs. Grigg’s asbestos-caused mesothelioma.  Mrs. Grigg, now 82, was exposed to asbestos in the course of shaking out and washing her husband’s work clothing. Mrs. Grigg’s then husband was an insulator for a company that used Owens-Illinois, Inc. Kaylo brand insulation products from 1950-1958.

Mrs. and Mr. Grigg were represented by Joseph D. Satterley, Andrea Huston, Ryan Harris and Michael Stewart of Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood.

Evidence introduced during trial showed that Owens-Illinois, Inc. knew that asbestos exposure could cause death as early as the 1930s and that test results on Kaylo showed that exposure to the asbestos in the product could cause fatal disease.

Owens-Illinois nonetheless advertised Kaylo as “non-toxic” and did not state that the product contained asbestos. Kaylo was packaged in boxes without warning about the health hazards associated with asbestos exposure.

“If we live in a society where product manufacturers are not held responsible for products once those products leave their possession, the world we live in is a dangerous place,” Mr. Satterley said to the jury as he asked them to find justice for Mrs. and Mr. Grigg.

The jury found that Owens-Illinois, Inc. manufactured a defective product, failed to adequately warn Mrs. Grigg, was negligent, and intentionally failed to disclose information about Kaylo-related health hazards to Mrs. Grigg.  The jury also found that Owens-Illinois, Inc. acted with malice, oppression or fraud toward Mrs. Grigg.

The jury awarded Mrs. Grigg $12,000,000 in damages for her pain and suffering, Mr. Grigg $4,000,000 in damages for his loss of consortium, and $342,500 in economic damages. The jury also levied an $11,000,000 punitive damages verdict against Owens-Illinois, Inc.

Keeping Asbestos Abatement Honest

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asbestos abatementI was disturbed to read a story in the Chicago Tribune about an Illinois school district that got in trouble with the law for keeping inaccurate records on asbestos abatement. These incidents may have needlessly put students and faculty at risk of deadly diseases such as malignant mesothelioma.

One teacher is looking for answers
In 2006, the Elm Place, Sherwood and Indian Trail schools of North Shore School District 112 were conducting asbestos abatement projects. However, the jobs were put on hold in the middle of 2007, when the state’s Department of Public Health found violations within the schools’ record keeping practices.

Although the abatement work resumed one month later, Steve Bartel, who teaches fifth grade at Lincoln School, still has questions. He told the news source that he’s worried the asbestos abatement work in 2006 that took place in other schools may have had shoddy record keeping as well.

Bartel has made several impassioned appearances before the school board demanding answers. When he didn’t get them, he filed Freedom of Information Act requests, which also went without a response.

“I can’t understand how they can be so insensitive to people having been exposed to fibers that are linked to asbestosis and mesothelioma,” Bartel told the Chicago Tribune. He also revealed that he had been professionally reprimanded for his actions.

Meanwhile, officials with the school district are reassuring parents that all the asbestos abatement work is conducted by specially trained and licensed professionals, and that air analyses to test for asbestos fibers are conducted by separate contractors. Ultimately, they claimed that no one was harmed throughout this whole process.

Where can asbestos lurk in my child’s school?
It’s important to remember that asbestos doesn’t pose any health hazards as long as it’s left intact. Still, all people, including children, should be aware of the presence of asbestos so they know to avoid it.

When it comes to schools, asbestos is most likely to be used for insulation, flooring and ceiling tiles, cement pipes, corrugated paper pipe wrapping, decorative insulation and spray-applied insulation. The school should have a record of where these items are on campus, and let people know that they’re not to be disturbed.

Schools also need to conduct regular inspections and have a management plan – all of which need to be documented in records that are available for public review.

Don’t give up until you get the answers you need
Experts estimate that every year in the U.S., asbestos-related diseases claim nearly 10,000 lives. Asbestos exposure is clearly no joke, and should be taken seriously by everyone.

That’s why we find this story appalling on several levels. Not only did the school districts fail to maintain accurate and trustworthy records, but they also may have put their teachers and students at risk.

If you have concerns about your child’s school, contact the local education agency and ask to speak with the person who’s designated to handle asbestos-related activities.

Building Demolition Could Put Locals at Risk of Asbestos Exposure

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asbestos_exposureBuilding demolition can stir a lot of different emotions. If the building to be torn down was a beloved space, such as a movie theater, you, as a spectator, may feel grief. If the space is the future home of a business filled with promise, you may be filled with anticipation.

However, if the companies in charge of the demolition try to cut corners, they may put you and others near a demolition site in danger of asbestos exposure – and believe me, there are people out there who are this unscrupulous.

Recently, I came across a story in the News-Messenger in Ohio, where the owner of a demolition company was sent to prison for not minimizing the potential of exposure to asbestos at job sites in two states.

Where is asbestos found in these buildings?
By the mid-1970s, asbestos was found in more than 3,000 industrial and commercial products. Because of its physical properties, it had been highly regarded as insulation, fireproofing material and for its capacity to strengthen cement products.

Although new uses of asbestos have been banned in the U.S. for about 20 years, it can still be found in vermiculite insulation, old piping insulation, vinyl flooring, roofing shingles, siding and other products.

Typically, asbestos doesn’t pose any risks to people nearby as long as it’s intact.

Demolition company violates clean air laws
Rick Hassinger of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency told the News-Messenger that before a building is torn down, all of the asbestos has to be removed properly by trained professionals. That wasn’t the case with one demolition job in Toldeo, Ohio.

Prior to tearing an elevator factory down, managers from H & M Demolition, a Michigan-based firm, declared the Toledo building free of asbestos. This aroused suspicions in federal EPA investigators because most older buildings have asbestos-containing products. Indeed, building surveys from 2004 and 2005, prior to the demolition, noted the presence of asbestos.

When investigators paid a visit to the site, they found what appeared to be asbestos. The owner of the demolition firm was subsequently charged with violating clean air laws in both Ohio and Michigan, and he was sentenced to 13 months in prison.

Robert Cheugh, a prosecutor with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Environmental Enforcement Section, told the news source that, unfortunately, cases like this are becoming increasingly common because of urban renewal projects.

How are people protected?
Hassinger said that it’s safe to assume that any building to be demolished contains asbestos. With that in mind, building owners and operators have to notify the appropriate state agencies before beginning a demolition project. Federal clean air laws have requirements dictating how asbestos has to be handled, transported, contained and disposed of during a demolition job.

If you live or work in a building and you’re unaware of its asbestos status, contact the managers or owners and ask them about their operations and maintenance program.

Experts estimate that more than 9,900 individuals in the U.S. die every year because of asbestos-related illnesses, including malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer. One of the dangers of asbestos is the fact that it’s odorless. Additionally, many of the mineral fibers are too small to be seen by the naked eye. This makes it hard to tell whether you’re in immediate danger of breathing in the fibers.

The fact that demolition companies try to shirk their duty to protect the public from asbestos is appalling to us at Kazan Law, and we think that consumers deserve better protection.

Breakthrough Gadget Helps Workers to Detect Asbestos

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airborne asbestosOne of the most alarming dangers of asbestos is that the mineral fibers aren’t immediately noticeable. They’re odorless, and they’re usually too small to see once they’re airborne. This is incredibly terrifying because there’s no known safe level of asbestos exposure, and it only takes a small amount of the material to lead to potentially deadly disease.

This is exactly why a team of scientists from the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. decided to invent a new tool that, one day, may help workers all over the world, including carpenters, ship breakers, electricians and automotive brake specialists, easily detect asbestos.

How do you know something has asbestos right now?
For thousands of years, people used asbestos because its physical properties make it strong, fireproof and resistant to heat. It wasn’t until the late 20th century that responsible companies and governments started paying attention to scientific studies linking asbestos use to diseases such as malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer.

The use of asbestos has been somewhat reduced in the U.S. Though new manufacturing uses are forbidden, it’s still allowed in several items, including cement products. Additionally, asbestos is still present in many older buildings that were constructed using such materials.

Today, if it’s unclear whether the air at a work site contains asbestos fibers, trained professionals filter air samples, count any fibers and use X-rays to identify them. An alternative method is to use fiber detecting tools that work in real-time. However, these approaches are often time-consuming or nonspecific.

A new tool may come in less than two years
The idea that there may be a more convenient tool to detect asbestos is really exciting to us at Kazan Law, which is why we were so thrilled to read the story from the University of Hertfordshire. A team of scientists from the School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics was motivated to get on the case after looking at the numbers.

Here’s what researcher Paul Kaye had to say:

“Many thousands of people around the world have died from asbestos fiber inhalation. Even today, long after asbestos use was banned in most Western countries, there are many people who become exposed to asbestos that was used in buildings decades earlier, and these people too are dying from that exposure.”

More specifically, the World Health Organization estimates that every year, more than 107,000 lives are lost because of asbestos exposure in the workplace.

Together, Kaye and his team turned to an old concept developed by an American scientist who pointed out that asbestos fibers have unique magnetic properties. The researchers then created a gadget that uses a combination of lasers and magnetic fields to detect asbestos. The advantage to this tool is that it can be used in real-time.

The target price for the first available products in the U.K. and Spain is between $700 and $800, projected to be released 12 to 18 months from now. But if production is successful, that price will go down.

In the meantime, vulnerable workers need to remember that the permissible exposure limit for asbestos is 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter averaged over an eight-hour shift, or 1 fiber per cubic centimeter averaged over 30 minutes. If your job exceeds these limits, your employer is required to provide you with adequate protection, such as respirators, full-body clothing, face shields and vented goggles.

Reducing Dangers of Asbestos Exposures in Natural Disasters

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asbestos_exposureThe recent tornado that tore through Moore, Oklahoma is a national tragedy. Houses, schools and other structures were devastated, and at least 24 people, including nine children, died.

At a time when survivors are overwhelmed by several pressing needs – relocating loved ones and pets, finding adequate shelter, tending to injuries – it’s easy to forget that going through the wreckage can be a very dangerous venture. Among the debris are several hazards, including asbestos exposure. It’s important for all of us in the nation to come together and extend whatever help we can, and at Kazan Law, we’re going to take this as an opportunity to go over some of the safety concerns that surround tornado wreckage.

Where is asbestos found in such a disaster?
Prior to the 1980s, asbestos was quite prevalent in building and construction materials because of physical properties that made it resistant to heat and friction. Once the scientific link between asbestos and deadly diseases such as malignant mesothelioma was established, a growing number of government officials and responsible companies began to reduce their use of this mineral. Still, the asbestos industry successfully lobbied to allow the material to remain a part of the manufacturing process of several products.

When it comes to buildings devastated by tornadoes, asbestos exposure is a risk if the structures had millboard, vermiculite, roofing felt, vinyl flooring, pipeline wrap and asbestos cement products, including corrugated sheets, flat sheets, pipes and shingles.

The Environmental Protection Agency and other government groups have learned a lot from past disasters, such as the tornado that struck parts of Missouri in 2011. Namely, there’s no easy way of telling whether parts of the wreckage contain asbestos unless homeowners remember if the products were clearly labeled. Otherwise, specially trained experts need to conduct scientific analyses. Whenever homeowners are in doubt, they should leave the cleanup work to licensed contractors who know how to handle asbestos.

During cleanup efforts, workers can decrease the risk of asbestos exposure by wearing N-100, P-100 or R-100 respirators that have been approved for use by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

In case it’s absolutely necessary for non-trained individuals to handle the wreckage, they can help reduce the asbestos dangers by wetting the debris with water first. Anything that gets discarded should be stored in leak-proof containers.

You can help the survivors
Protection from asbestos is always necessary, but let’s not forget that survivors are going to need a lot more help in the next few weeks. Even if you live thousands of miles away from Oklahoma, there’s still a lot that you can do to help people in need. Several organizations are collecting monetary donations:

  • The American Red Cross. You can easily contribute $10 to relief efforts by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999.
  • The Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief fund. Sending checks to BGCO, Attn: Disaster Relief, 3800 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK, 73112.
  • United Way of Central Oklahoma. Mail checks to the United Way of Central Oklahoma, P.O. Box 837, Oklahoma City, OK, 73101. Write “May Tornado Relief” in the memo.

Many of these groups, and more, also accept donations through their websites.

In addition to making monetary contributions, remember that medical needs are also pressing. During these times of disaster, consider donating blood to your local Red Cross chapter or other blood bank.

Rotterdam Convention 2013 Summary

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Laurie Kazan-Allen and some of the French activists from ANDEVA = Pour un monde sans amiante – for a world without asbestos

Laurie Kazan-Allen and some of the French activists from ANDEVA = Pour un monde sans amiante – for a world without asbestos

Over the past couple of weeks I have written about the scandal that was the Rotterdam Convention 2013 and the disturbing trend of countries advocating for the asbestos industry. My sister, Laurie Kazan-Allen, coordinator of the International Asbestos Secretariat was awarded observer status at this 6th Conference of the Parties and witnessed firsthand the developments of this important global meeting. I thank her for allowing me to use her frontline diary as the foundation for the summary report which follows.

Monday, May 6, 2013: Arrival / Registration/ Introductions

With the Convention covering a broad list of hazardous chemicals, the observers with a primary focus on the chrysotile asbestos issue included: Dr. Barry Castleman (U.S.), Kathleen Ruff (Canada), Laurie Kazan-Allen and Bill Lawrence (Britain), Alessandro Pugno (Italy), Sugio Furuya (Japan), and Fernanda Giannasi (Brazil).

Tuesday, May 7, 2013:

Delegations from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan Zimbabwe, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and India stated their intention to block the listing of chrysotile asbestos, earning the title “Dirty 7”. It was apparent that this was a political campaign spearheaded by Russia.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013:

cop6_side_event_sugio_2013_822A letter from an Italian asbestos victim’s group that was signed by 28 asbestos victims’ support groups in 15 countries on five continents was presented. Later in the day several speakers described the humanitarian disasters caused by asbestos in their countries. Russian asbestos lobbyist Andrei Kholzakov made several attempts to intervene in the humanitarian session. At one point he stood up and waved a piece of asbestos propaganda headlined “People for Chrysotile.”

Thursday May 9, 2013:

With the rules of the Rotterdam Convention requiring a global unanimous consensus, in an atmosphere of frustration it was determined that the issue of adding chrysotile asbestos to the list of hazardous chemicals would be put on the agenda for the next Conference.

Friday May 10, 2013:

Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program expressed the following comment:

“It’s very easy to say we’ve failed. But the fact of the matter is that asbestos essentially has no future… Do you really believe that after everything that has been discussed here [industry] will invest in this material in the future? No, and in that sense the convention has a direct and indirect value in signaling what are the substances that are not likely to be in the global marketplace in the near or middle term.”

To read the abridged positions and views expressed by delegates, scroll down to the appendix here.

 

DIY Enthusiasts and the Risks of Asbestos Exposure

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asbestos exposurePeople who enjoy taking on home renovation projects themselves are usually cognizant of the safety risks involved. They know when to turn the gas off, how to steer clear of live electric wires and how to keep power tools safely isolated. If the house or building that a do-it-yourself enthusiast is working on is particularly old, he or she should also be aware of the likelihood of asbestos exposure.

The problem, though, is that the material is so ubiquitous that it’s not always easy to tell what contains asbestos and what doesn’t. Recently, I read a blogger’s column that discussed how asbestos can be found in certain doors.

Fire doors ironically can pose safety risks
Australian blogger David Caldwell, who also works as a transport engineer, wrote an entry about how he was installing a new lock on a fire door that was manufactured during the 1980s. The project involved drilling a series of holes through the wood of the door.

As you can imagine, all that drilling produced a lot of dust. Initially, all the dust resembled timber. However, as the sun went down and the work progressed, Caldwell hadn’t noticed that the texture of the dust was changing. It was only after Caldwell started to brush the dust off his clothing that he noticed it contained different colors. When he shined a flashlight on the dust, he saw white and gray coloration.

After having samples sent to a lab, he learned that the fire door was manufactured with asbestos and that, to his horror, he had been breathing in the dust at eye level.

Why is asbestos present in fire doors?
For thousands of years, civilization has used asbestos because of its physical properties that make it strong and resistant to heat, friction and fire. This led manufacturers of fire doors to use this mineral for their products. Asbestos may also be present in the wood or metal components of regular doors as a form of insulation.

Asbestos usually doesn’t pose a health threat to anyone unless it’s been disturbed somehow. When it comes to maintenance work on doors, that means it’s a good idea to refrain from using power tools, which would damage the material and make mineral fibers airborne. Once these fibers enter a human body, they can cause diseases such as malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer to develop unnoticed for decades.

Where else is asbestos found?
Asbestos use in the U.S. reached its peak around the mid-1970s, when the mineral was present in more than 3,000 commercial and industrial products. That means that buildings and houses that were erected during this time are likely to contain products tainted by asbestos.

If you enjoy doing home maintenance and renovation projects yourself, remember that asbestos may be present in:

  • Vermiculite insulation in the walls or attic
  • Vinyl flooring and backing
  • Textured paint
  • Walls and floors that surround wood-burning stoves
  • Hot water or steam pipes
  • Oil and coal furnaces
  • Unless a product is clearly labeled, you’re not likely to be certain of whether it contains asbestos. If that’s the case, you should assume that it does have asbestos and make an effort not to let anyone disturb it.

But, if you think you’d feel better knowing, send a sample of the object in question to a laboratory for analysis. For your safety, don’t do this yourself. Instead, hire a professional who’s been specially trained to handle asbestos.

Asbestos Roof Materials Can Put Workers at Serious Risk

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asbestos exposureWhether you’re a carpenter or a do-it-yourself enthusiast around the house, you need to know how to protect yourself from asbestos exposure. If you’re working on an older building, you may not know that the material can be found in insulation products, vinyl flooring and other items.

We know all about these hidden dangers at Kazan Law. We once represented a mesothelioma patient who worked hard during the 1970s, buying “fixer-upper” type houses and renovating them with his own hands. What he didn’t know was that many of these properties were tainted with asbestos-containing products.

Roofing materials can be especially worrisome because they’re among the many products that, to this day, are still allowed to include asbestos in the manufacturing process.

What items contain asbestos?
For hundreds of years, people have used asbestos because of its physical properties, which make it strong and resistant to heat and friction. This led to the use of asbestos in the manufacturing of several products used in construction. Roofing materials seemed like a natural fit, as a roof protects a building’s occupants from the elements and, in some cases, retards the spread of a dangerous fire. Buildings that were erected before the 1980s may have roofs with asbestos-tainted asphalt shingles, cement shingles, sealants, flashing and underlayment.

There are several roofing products today that are still allowed to contain asbestos, including felt, coating and cement shingles.

Why is asbestos still allowed?
For more than 70 years, scientists have linked asbestos to several deadly diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. Given those facts, it’s natural for one to wonder: If asbestos is so dangerous, why is it still allowed in the manufacturing process of certain products?

The answer is quite complex, but basically, the asbestos lobby has fought tooth and nail against government efforts to curb use of the material. For example, during the 1970s, federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency began forbidding the use of asbestos in certain types of insulation. The big crackdown, though, came in 1989, when the EPA proposed what was essentially an all-out ban on asbestos use. However, the asbestos industry took this law to court and successfully reversed most of its power.

Today, asbestos is still banned from products such as flooring felt and commercial paper, as well as any new uses. However, it’s still allowed in the manufacturing of many products that have always used it, including roofing materials.

Protection is possible during projects
The most definitive way to tell whether a roofing item contains asbestos is to read the original product label. If that’s unavailable, the determination of asbestos roof content, as well as its removal, are best left to a specially trained professional.

When someone is working on a roof that may contain asbestos, there are several measures that can help minimize exposure to the material. First, it’s important to keep all unnecessary personnel out of the area. Also, workers need to be sure they’re wearing respirators with P100 cartridge filters, because ordinary dust masks won’t help. Single-use disposable clothing that can be discarded at the end of the day is also advisable.

Plastic drop cloths around the house will help collect debris. Any materials that contain asbestos should be kept wet at all times. If anything has to be removed from the asbestos roof, it’s important to work slowly in order to minimize the amount of breaking and airborne mineral fibers. Materials that need to be thrown away should be lowered carefully to the ground rather than dropped down.

Once the waste is collected, it should be sealed in leak-tight bags, drums or 6-mil polyethylene sheeting.

At the end of the workday, clothes should be discarded and never reused. Both the exposed skin and the tools need to be washed carefully. Also, workers need to be careful not to track any dust or dirt with them into the house on which they’re working.

The New Asbestos Industry Allies

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asbestos lobbyAlthough civilization has used asbestos in manufacturing for centuries, the last seven decades of scientific research found an undeniable link between the mineral and deadly diseases such as malignant mesothelioma. Slowly but surely, responsible companies in industrialized nations have made it a priority to reduce their use of asbestos.

However, developing nations aren’t as fortunate. Their respective economies leave them with few alternatives to accepting exports from richer countries that mine and produce asbestos-containing materials, and that’s an outrageous injustice.

The international trade community had a chance to right this wrong at this year’s United Nation’s Rotterdam Convention. In the days leading up to the meeting, one activist noted a particularly disturbing trend: While one country that advocated for the asbestos industry has stepped down, two others have taken its place as asbestos industry allies.

Canada disappears from industry’s corner
The Rotterdam Convention is an international, U.N.-sponsored meeting in which international trade stakeholders come together and decide whether certain products for export are to be considered hazardous to human health, making them rightfully difficult to peddle.

During the last few assemblies of the Rotterdam Convention, Canada refused to cooperate with international efforts to list chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous substance. This is appalling, considering that the mineral is considered dangerous within the country’s own borders. Canada’s fight against the Rotterdam Convention on this matter was driven in large part by its once-thriving asbestos industry.

However, in 2011, officials from Quebec announced that they would stop subsidizing the asbestos industry. Kathleen Ruff, co-coordinator of the Rotterdam Convention Alliance, argued that this move is behind what she calls Canada’s new, cynically driven stance on no longer opposing adding chrysotile asbestos to the list of hazardous materials. That’s not to say that Canada will be vocally supporting the move, either, Ruff said.

Two countries fill Canada’s shoes
Ruff’s new concern is that there are two countries that will pick up where Canada left off on the chrysotile asbestos matter as asbestos industry allies: Russia and Zimbabwe.
Here’s how Ruff described the situation in an editorial for The Star in Canada:

“Russia will be attending for the first time as a party to the convention. It has indicated that it intends to use its new status to prevent chrysotile asbestos from being put on the hazardous substance list,” Ruff wrote. “In Russia, with a population of 141 million people, there is not a single scientist or a single scientific organization that opposes the government’s pro-asbestos policy. Or, at any rate, there is not a single scientist or scientific body that dares to do so publicly.”

Additionally, Zimbabwe has indicated interest in reopening its own asbestos mines. Between these two countries, many people will needlessly die from preventable asbestos-induced diseases, including asbestosis and lung cancer.

There are asbestos industry lobbyists who argue that the wealth of scientific information connecting the mineral to health problems has led to safety measures that are adequate enough to not require additional restrictions. However, experts point out that developing countries, some of which have to accept asbestos-tainted exports, don’t have the necessary regulatory bodies to adequately enforce these safety measures.

Let’s not forget how powerful the asbestos lobby is. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a serious crackdown on asbestos use in 1989, but two years later, the industry successfully got most of the ban overturned in federal court. As a result, asbestos is still allowed in many manufacturing processes in the U.S.

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