Asbestos News

A decade ago a city council in Ontario became the first in Canada to pass a resolution to stop the country's export of asbestos.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley told The Observer that it was difficult to get the measure to pass, but it did eventually, by a vote of 5-3.

Canada's asbestos trade has caused worldwide controversy as a number of politicians and businessmen contend that the use of the naturally occurring carcinogen can be safe, despite irrefutable evidence from the scientific community that exposure to asbestos causes lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Bradley said that 10 years after the city council passed the measure, a large amount of work remains to be done.

"It's a sad anniversary really," Bradley said. "It's a long journey, 10 years trying to convince the federal and Quebec governments this is the right thing to do."

Canada is one of the only developed nations that continues to actively participate in the asbestos trade, mining the substance - primarily in Quebec - and shipping it to developing countries around the world such as India.