Asbestos News

A hotly debated topic in Canada right now is the country's position on asbestos, which some of its legislators want to continue to export, even in the face of a potential ban by the United Nations.

The U.S.'s neighbor to the north is the only Western nation that still exports asbestos, according to the Toronto Star. Nearly 60 nations have banned or severely restricted the substance based on its status as a carcinogen and as the only proven cause of mesothelioma.

Several opinion pieces in the Barrie Examiner have decried the possibility that Canada may continue exporting asbestos.

One, written by Eric Jacoby-Hawkins, argued that the country's international reputation will be irreparably damaged if it decides to continue selling asbestos abroad. The rationalization behind such a move would be specious at best, he wrote in the newspaper.

"Our government's facetious excuse, that other countries should be responsible for regulations to protect their citizens from our poison, is the height of hypocrisy," he said.

Canada is currently the world's fifth largest producer of chrysotile asbestos, exporting around $90 million-worth of the mineral to India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and other underdeveloped nations every year, according to the Global Post.