Asbestos News

A health and safety campaigner in the UK recently lashed out at the Carlisle City Council for allegedly mishandling an asbestos issue after the carcinogenic material was reportedly dumped near a main road.

According to the News & Star, former city councilor Elsie Martlew reported the discovery of the dangerous asbestos to the local ward councilor, but claims city officials only taped off the area, without putting up asbestos warning signs.

Willie Whalen, the Castle ward councilor who was informed of the issue, agreed with Martlew that more should have been done to protect local residents from the danger of asbestos exposure.

"I went straight down to the Civic Centre to see an environmental health officer," Whalen said. "I told them what I thought it was, but agreed a sample should be examined by a chemist. They put a flimsy cordon around it, but there should have been warning signs."

The health risks of asbestos exposure can include the development of deadly illnesses such as lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that attacks the tissues surrounding a majority of the body's internal organs.