Asbestos Ban Nears for South Africa
According to an article in the South African newspaper The Mercury, final regulations for the banning of asbestos in that country will come into effect today, Environmental Affairs Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk reported.
Addressing a media briefing in the city of Pretoria on Thursday, Van Schalkwyk said the regulations would “prohibit the use, processing, manufacturing and import and export of any asbestos or asbestos-containing materials.” Exemptions would be granted only in very specific circumstances and, where this was the case, they would be strictly controlled, he added.
Penalties for the continued use of asbestos would include a fine which would not exceed R 100,000 (about $12,000 USD) and/or imprisonment of less than 10 years.
Van Schalkwyk pointed out that the country began phasing out the use of asbestos about five years ago, so he expects that the final legislation will not adversely affect the economy of the country.
South Africa mined crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile asbestos extensively from the late 1800s until 2001. Many of the country’s miners have been sickened by or died from ongoing exposure to asbestos.
By issuing a total ban on the use of asbestos, South Africa joins approximately 50 other countries that have done the same, including all the countries of the European Union.
