Asbestos News

The use of asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, is expected to be banned in Israel as the Asbestos Bill should reportedly take effect in August, the Jerusalem Post reports.

According to the news provider, in addition to banning the use of asbestos in any form in Israel, the carcinogenic material would also need to be removed from existing structures over the next 10 years.

According to Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry, asbestos has been used in hundreds of millions of square meters of building material throughout the country. While the material can be safe if it is properly contained, it can potentially cause a number of serious illnesses if it breaks up and the deadly mineral fibers become airborne.

The inhalation of such fibers has been proven to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that occurs in the tissues surrounding a majority of the body's internal organs.

"The bill reinforces the 'polluter pays' principle, even if the contamination was decades ago," said Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan in a statement. "No one has the right to pollute the environment and harm the public's health and whoever does will have to pay for the damage caused."