This week, 126 nations, including Canada and Iran, will meet in Rome, Italy to discuss the addition of chrysotile asbestos to a list of harmful and potentially deadly chemicals. According to Canadian officials, their nation exports 95% of the chrysotile asbestos that is mined there, and it is therefore no surprise to know that Canada opposes the addition of asbestos to the harmful chemicals “watch list.”
Critics from Canada and other nations call their opposition “self-serving.”
Canada exports perhaps the largest percentage of asbestos to India, where it is mixed with other chemicals and used as piping insulation. A series of investigative news articles published by the Ottawa Citizen newspaper recently is tracking the exported asbestos and taking a further look at how the continued export of this deadly toxin has world-wide effects.
The center of Canada’s chrysotile mining industry is located in Quebec, where about 1,000 people work. Although Canada still profits from this industry, other nations such as Zimbabwe and Russia are mining asbestos at a lower cost, which has cut Canada’s profit somewhat. However, Canada reportedly exported $77 million in chrysotile asbestos in 2007 (43% arriving in India).
The Canadian government maintains their position on adding asbestos to the “watch list,” despite acknowledging the deadly health consequences of asbestos exposure, including development of mesothelioma cancer. Canadian residents who wish to contact the Chrysotile Institute can do so by visiting their website, http://www.chrysotile.com/en/index.aspx.
