Asbestos News

While students are on holiday break, specialists have been working to remove asbestos from nine schools on Australia's Gold Coast, the Gold Coast Bulletin News reports.

However, Education Minister Geoff Wilson recently explained that the asbestos-removal program may not actually be completed by the time the new school term begins, according to the news source.

"As with any building project, completion timeframes are dependent upon variables such as the weather," he said.

According to the news provider, the Queensland State Government is spending approximately $18 million a year on its program to remove asbestos and complete building inspections. Thus far, every asbestos-containing roof on a Queensland State School has been removed and replaced, costing the government nearly $96 million.

Asbestos removal is crucial as exposure to the dangerous material can cause a number of serious illnesses including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. The World Health Organization estimates that such asbestos-related diseases kill approximately 107,000 people worldwide each year.