In their response following the Rotterdam Convention last week, the European Trade Union Confederation denounced the decision to leave chrysotile asbestos off of the United Nations harmful substances “watch list.”
ETUC Confederal Secretary Walter Cerfeda, who oversees the ETUC occupational health and safety initiative, said the following:
“It’s unacceptable for chrysotile asbestos to once again escape the regulator mechanisms for hazardous substances…the lives of hundreds of thousands are at risk, as is the credibility of the convention.”
The Rotterdam Convention was formed in 1998, and 126 countries, including Canada, the largest chrysotile asbestos exporter, are members. Under Convention law, “before sending off a hazardous substance, the exporting country must issue a warning to the importing country so that it can decide, in full knowledge of the facts, whether or not to accept delivery of the substance in question.”
A chrysotile mining facility in Quebec employs about 1,000 people and exports 43% of their product to India, which also attended the convention in Rome. Canada also exports asbestos to Thailand and Indonesian countries. Recent news reports have revealed that several cases of mesothelioma cancer have been reported in India. Those diagnosed worked at facilities which received the Canadian asbestos and processed the ore to be used in various products.
In response to the Convention decision, the World Health Organization (WHO) released reports that indicate that about 100,000 deaths occur worldwide as a result of asbestos exposure, and ETUC experts stated that at least 400,000 more people would die of asbestos-related diseases by 2030. The European Union has banned asbestos since 2005, but the ETUC stated that asbestos use in India and China (both which import Canadian-mined ore) has actually doubled in the last 30 years.
A ETUC special report entitled “Asbestos in the World,” which was released in 2005, claims that asbestos-exporting countries are “offloading the risks to Asia,” and names Canada as the nation that products the most asbestos (60, 500,000 metric tons by the year 2000) after the Former Soviet Union. The report also claims that “Quebec’s provincial government and national labour unions have an official agenda of boosting asbestos use,” and also states that “Canadian workers enjoy very different levels of protection” when it comes to asbestos safety in the workplace.
Mesothelioma.com shares in the ETUC’s concerns over the Rotterdam Convention decision and urges citizens worldwide to take action. During the month of November, which is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month here in the U.S., it is an especially important time for all citizens to educate themselves on lung-related diseases, including mesothelioma (also known as asbestos cancer) and to increase awareness of these diseases.
For more information regarding asbestos exposure and the related health issues, please visit Mesothelioma.com. Mesothelioma.com is a leading web resource for information focused on mesothelioma, mesothelioma treatment, and more.
