WASHINGTON–()–The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), representing
thousands of asbestos victims, physicians and scientists around the
world, urges the Canadian Parliament to oppose the Quebec government’s
$58 million loan guarantee that would enable Jeffrey
Mine Inc. to open a new underground asbestos mine in Asbestos,
Quebec. Although, the company’s present open-pit mine has run out of
asbestos, with this government subsidy, the Jeffrey Mine will be able to
export 200,000 tons of asbestos – a well-documented, highly carcinogenic
toxin – annually to developing countries for the next quarter of a
century.
“After a century of knowledge concerning the health effects of
asbestos and its devastating trail of disease and death around the
world, such an initiative by Canada is a giant misstep backwards. By
offering this subsidy, Quebec is endangering thousands of lives, both in
Canada and worldwide.”
Asbestos is a known human carcinogen and there is no safe level of
exposure. The World
Health Organization estimates the mineral, regardless of the type,
causes 107,000 preventable deaths each year around the world. No
reputable health agency has ever identified a concentration of asbestos
that will not negatively affect health. These agencies include the U.S.
Surgeon General, Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease
Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Consumer
Product Safety Commission, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, World Health Organization, International Agency for
Research on Cancer, and International Programme for Chemical Safety.
Over 55 countries have banned asbestos. Although asbestos has not been
mined in the United States since 2002, exposure continues as we do not
ban the import of the mineral. The US
Geological Survey (USGS) reported, “the United States is dependent
on imports to meet manufacturing needs. Asbestos consumption in the
United States was estimated to be 1,100 tons, based on asbestos imports
through July 2011. Roofing products were estimated to account for about
60% of U.S. consumption.”
“ADAO is appalled at the recent development whereby the Quebec
Government has provided $58 million to jump-start the Canadian Asbestos
Industry,” said Richard Lemen, PhD, MSPH, Assistant Surgeon General,
USPHS (Ret.) Rear Admiral (Ret.) and ADAO Science Advisory Board
Co-Chair. “After a century of knowledge concerning the health effects of
asbestos and its devastating trail of disease and death around the
world, such an initiative by Canada is a giant misstep backwards. By
offering this subsidy, Quebec is endangering thousands of lives, both in
Canada and worldwide.”
In a news article Canadian
Medical Association president Dr. John Haggie of Gander is
quoted as saying: “I can’t really understand the decision in terms of
health. Chrysotile, which is the asbestos the Jeffrey Mine produces, is
a killer. The number of people whose deaths are attributable to this –
and they are all in Third World countries ’cause nobody here will use
the stuff – is the same as a jumbo jet of people crashing every day the
year around. That’s a huge number. So from a health prospective, I can’t
understand it.”
“As a mesothelioma widow, I am appalled by the support the Quebec
Government has given this deadly material. The Canadian Government
should rescind this loan guarantee and send a global message that the
distribution of asbestos, a known human carcinogen in all forms, is
unacceptable,” said Linda Reinstein, President/CEO and Co-Founder of the
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. “It is time the National
Government of Canada takes a leadership role in curtailing the worldwide
pandemic of asbestos-related disease and death by stopping the mining
and exportation of asbestos from its country.”
About Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by
asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO seeks to give asbestos
victims and concerned citizens a united voice to raise public awareness
about the dangers of asbestos exposure. ADAO is an independent global
organization dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases through
education, advocacy, and community. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.