Asbestos Legislation

Despite protests from a number of sectors, the Canadian province of Quebec recently approved the expansion of the Jeffrey asbestos mine.

The mine, which is appropriately located in a town called Asbestos, had been struggling financially and needed the government to guarantee a loan so that it could be expanded and continue operations. Health experts from around the world spoke out against the mine, pointing out the deadly consequences of asbestos exposure for workers and for people in the developing countries who receive the majority of Canadian asbestos.

In an apparent step backwards for asbestos victims advocates around the world, the Quebec government gave its approval to re-open and expand the Jeffrey mine.

"I told the promoter today that the government has given its agreement in principle to the reopening of the Jeffrey Mine," Industry Minister Clément Gignac said in a release. "This still remains, however, conditional on the finalizing of financing arrangements."

The serious health risks posed by asbestos have been known since the mid-1960s when it was discovered that the naturally occurring mineral can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.