Asbestos News
Asbestos advocates speak out against revival of Canadian asbestos mining
The Quebec government's recent decision to guarantee a $58 million loan to revive the province's asbestos mining industry has caused an outcry from many sectors.Industry Minister Clément Gignac announced that the loan will help to expand the Jeffrey mine in the appropriately named town of Asbestos, according to the Montreal Gazette.
The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) wasted no time in condemning the move, which will see tons of asbestos exported to developing countries around the world.
"From a public health point of view, the Quebec government has made the wrong decision as all forms of asbestos cause cancer," Paul Lapierre, CCS vice president of cancer control, told the news source.
Asbestos advocates have been equally outraged by the decision. Writing on the website of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, Laurie Kazan-Allen pulled no punches.
"The recent announcement by the Quebec Government that it will provide a $58 million loan guarantee for a new asbestos mine, subject to minor provisos, signals a total and utter disregard for anyone and anything other than the iconic industry which is held in such high regard in Quebec," she wrote. "Canada and Quebec stand condemned for their crimes against humanity."
Exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.
4/22/11
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