The Collegium Ramazzini, an international society made up of scientists and clinicians, has joined the efforts to persuade Quebec’s Premier Jean Charest not to support the province’s asbestos industry. The government is currently considering the approval of a $58 million loan that will bolster Quebec’s Jeffrey Mine, one of the last footholds of the asbestos industry in Canada. The loan would see the addition of new mines, new equipment and other expansions which would drastically increase the Jeffrey Mine’s output of chrysotile asbestos.
Asbestos exposure is responsible for the development of several diseases, including mesothelioma, a terminal cancer of the soft tissue which lines our body’s organs. While public awareness of the dangers of asbestos is far from staggering due to the unflinching efforts of asbestos lobby groups, scientists and doctors have been agreeing on the substance’s toxicity for close to a century.
Today more than 90,000 people worldwide die from asbestos related diseases every year, a majority of those in developing nations which heavily import the substance. Many developing nations lack not only the effective asbestos regulations which could bar imports, but also the medical infrastructure that could help treat and prevent asbestos illnesses.
Prominent organizations across the world such as the World Health Organization agree that asbestos causes deadly diseases. More than fifty developed nations have completely banned the dangerous substance, while many others such as the United States have enforced strict regulations and restrictions regarding safe handling and permissible uses.
Many people in Quebec, Canada, however, continue to support the local asbestos industry and despite global disapproval. While a variety of Canadian health organizations and even Quebec’s own doctors repeatedly claim that asbestos exports are indefensible, it appears as if the government will continue to sponsor the industry with the $58 million that will guarantee another 25 years of reliable asbestos exports.
Organizations such as the Collegium Ramazzini which are ultimately aiming for a worldwide asbestos ban are intent on preventing the expansion of the Jeffrey Mine. The Jeffrey Mine, located in the aptly named town of Asbestos in Quebec, Canada, accounts for a majority of the asbestos used in developing nations today.
