Asbestos News

Worldwide, more than 107,000 people die every year from asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure, according to the World Health Organization. Citing figures like this, retired professor of public health Fernand Turcotte has been pushing the Quebec government to deny loans to a potential asbestos mine in the area.

A republished article in the Montreal Gazette stated that Turcotte has written a strongly worded position paper warning of the dangers inherent in handling chrysotile asbestos, the form of the mineral being considered for mining.

Opening up the Jeffrey Mine, once the world's largest asbestos source, could create an estimated 450 jobs for workers in the the aptly named town of Asbestos, Quebec, politicians and industry leaders told the newspaper.

Turcotte rebutted that engaging in the production of a proven carcinogen will tarnish Canada's image, and potentially harm townspeople.

"The asbestos industry is no longer defendable, either from an economic standpoint, a public health standpoint nor in terms of protecting the international reputation of Quebec," he concluded.

Asbestos exposure is the leading cause of work-related death in Quebec, the news source noted, adding that in 2004 alone more than 600 cases of mesothelioma, asbestosis and related lung cancers were diagnosed in the province.