Asbestos News
Canadian Cancer Society: Don't revive asbestos mining
The Canadian government's recent decision to extend a $58 million loan to support the country's asbestos industry has drawn a great deal of criticism, and now the Canadian Cancer Society has spoken out.The Canadian Cancer Society wrote a letter to Quebec's premier, Jean Charest, urging him not to accept the loan that would allow for an expansion of the province's Jeffrey asbestos mine, according to the Canadian Press.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said that the chrysotile asbestos found in Quebec is not dangerous if it is handled properly, but the president of the Canadian Cancer Society, Peter Goodhand, refutes this point, saying that all forms of asbestos cause serious diseases, such as malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Goodhand also told the news source that chrysotile asbestos is a major contributor to the estimated 90,000 deaths that occur worldwide each year from asbestos-related illnesses.
One of the reasons that Quebec is considering accepting the loan is because labor officials believe it will create more than 400 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect jobs.
Asbestos mining in Canada was once highly profitable, but the industry has fallen off considerably since domestic consumption of the deadly mineral plummeted in recent years.
6/29/10
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