Daily Show Exposes Asbestos Hypocrisy in Quebec Canada

Open-pit Mine Asbestos Quebec

As discussed in the May Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) newsletter, the Daily Show did a segment called "Ored to Death" by Herman Hamilton.  The segment is a tongue-in-cheek segment about the reopening of the mine in Asbestos, Quebec.  That is correct as we have discussed here previously the mine in Asbestos Canada that mines chryosilte asbestos is being reopened as a closed-pit mine versus the open-pit mine it used to be.  The asbestos they will be mining will be shipped to India where according to the Bernard Coulombe, executive director of the Jeffrey mine, the people of India are used to pollution and they know how to use it safely.  After seeing the video of the workers in India using the asbestos, we trying to determine if the bandanas they have in that country are HEPA-filtered.  If you love comedy about serious things you will love this video.

Related articles

• Quebec Government Decides to Back Loan to Restart Asbestos Mine (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• Does asbestos mean something different in Quebec than it does everywhere else? (scienceblogs.com)
• The City of Asbestos In Canada Talks About the Safety of the Mineral They Mine and Export - Daily Show (Video) (ducknetweb.blogspot.com)
• First Quebec, Now Zimbabwe (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• Quebec town of Asbestos mocked on U.S. comedy show (theprovince.com)
• Daily Show mocks Asbestos, Que. (cbc.ca)
• Asbestos industry strikes back at Jon Stewart (ctv.ca)

Quebec Government Decides to Back Loan to Restart Asbestos Mine

Image via WikipediaQuebec government announced that it was providing conditional support of the reopening of the Jeffrey Mine Inc in the town of Asbestos through a $58 million loan guarantee.  Economic development minister Clément Gignac also suggested that chrysotile asbestos from that mine could help save lives in India.  Gignac said, the relaunched mine would create 425 full-time jobs in the region plus provide millions of dollars in taxes and royalties to Quebec which in turn will create a $7.5 million economic diversification fund for the region.
To justify the decision, Gignac told reporters that millions of people in India die of cholera every year because they lack access to potable water and proper sanitary infrastructure.  "Excuse me, but the fact is that chrysotile asbestos cement can be used to make many more kilometres of infrastructure because it is less expensive and is a durable material and we can improve the quality of life of citizens in India," he said.

Related articles

• Cancer society 'disappointed' with Quebec asbestos expansion (canada.com)
• Que. hands $7.5M to asbestos mine (cbc.ca)
• Asbestos Expert Demands Canada Retract "Safe Use" Statement (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• Asbestos mine gets $7.5 million from Quebec (canada.com)
• Air has high asbestos levels at Que. worksites: study (cbc.ca)
• In a Town Called Asbestos, a Plan to Restart the Industry That Made It Prosperous (nytimes.com)

Asbestos Expert Demands Canada Retract "Safe Use" Statement

Image via WikipediaLeslie Stayner, an asbestos expert at the University of Illinois's school of public health and a key member of the Canadian Government's expert panel on asbestos is demanding Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis retract recent comments that cited the group's report to promote the "safe use" of asbestos. The expert report, provided to the government in March 2008, was released 13 months later after a long delay under access to information legislation. Paradis, who represents the Quebec town where asbestos is mined, earlier this month told media in Quebec that the government has "adopted a clear position and there have been no new facts since then. Our position remains the same, that of promoting the safe use of asbestos," said Paradis.

However, Leslie Stayner, sent a letter sent to Paradis last week and obtained by Postmedia News, says the comments to the media are a "total misrepresentation" of the expert panel's report, commissioned by Health Canada.  The letter to Paradis, Stayner said the expert panel was never asked to address the question of whether chrysotile asbestos could be used safely.  "Had we been asked this question, I would certainly not have supported the argument that the continued production and use of asbestos in any form, including chrysotile, is safe. It is impossible to believe that developing countries such as India will be able to use chrysotile asbestos in a manner that protects public health when more technically advanced countries like Canada and the United States have failed to do so," Stayner wrote to Paradis.

Visit Canada.com for the full article at: http://www.canada.com/health/Expert+demands+feds+retract+statement+safe+asbestos/4517500/story.html.  It seems Canada (Quebec) is determined to show that chrysotile asbestos should not be regulated and their is a potential safe use for chrysotile asbestos.  We will see if Quebec reopens the Asbestos mine.

Related articles

• Expert demands feds retract statement on 'safe' use of asbestos (canada.com)
• Quebec's asbestos industry could lose union support (ctv.ca)
• Ignatieff fundraiser to be hosted by asbestos supporter (ctv.ca)
• BBC asbestos report slams Canada (cbc.ca)
• Global asbestos trade (bbc.co.uk)
• Asbestos mine backer helped raise cash for federal, Quebec Liberals (canada.com)
• Air at many Quebec worksites high in asbestos levels: study (theglobeandmail.com)
• Duceppe wades into asbestos mining debate (cbc.ca)

ADAO Responds to Potential Canadian Efforts to Revive Jeffrey Mine « ADAO – Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

Image by LHOON via Flickr

ADAO Responds to Potential Canadian Efforts to Revive Jeffrey Mine « ADAO – Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

As the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization notes, Quebec continues to consider chrysotile asbestos less dangerous than other forms of asbestos.  Since Jeffrey Mine, Inc.'s current mine has run out of asbestos, Quebec's government is offering $58 million dollar loan guarantee for Jeffrey Mine to open a new mine and continue mining asbestos.  Unfortunately, the market for this new asbestos is the Third World, where many industries are concerned more about staying in business versus human life.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Overseas demonstrations protest expansion of Quebec asbestos mine (canada.com)
• Asbestos industry in for boost (canada.com)
• Opening of the Jeffrey Underground Mine - Asbestos mobilizes broad support (newswire.ca)
• Letter to Quebec premier calls for halt on asbestos exports (canada.com)