Asbestos Litigation

A farmer in the Australian state of New South Wales recently filed an asbestos lawsuit against the state government over a basalt quarry it intends to open.

David Mansfield is concerned that the planned quarry, which is on the site of a former asbestos mine, could result in the release of asbestos into the air, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Exposure to this naturally occurring mineral can cause a range of serious illnesses such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

Mansfield filed his asbestos lawsuit against the Minister for Planning and the company behind the quarry Hanson Construction Materials in the Land and Environment Court, reports the news source.

"It is scary. This material is listed as being carcinogenic and it needs only one fiber to kill you," the farmer told the news source.

Mansfield said that he does not believe that the plans in place to prevent the release of asbestos, which was once mined to be used as an insulator and flame retardant, would be effective.

A spokesman for Hanson Construction Materials told the news source that the mine only received approval after a great deal of testing and safety assessments.