ASBESTOS – The grey, gaping open pit of the Jeffrey Mine may have been especially silent since its operations were suspended last November, but today the townspeople of Asbestos are buzzing with anticipation for a rebirth.

All of the locals interviewed are convinced that a $58-million provincial loan granted to Montreal-based Balcorp Ltd. to jump-start the asbestos mining industry here is a very good thing for the region, and welcomed the government’s announcement on Friday to resume their enterprise.

Above all else, they argue the deal will bring economic growth and new life to the community, despite opposition from both national and international health organizations who question the ethics of the industry.

“My first reaction was relief,â€