Twitter

Asbestos

Canada’s asbestos industry could end under PQ – by The Canadian Press (Vancouver Sun – August 30, 2012)

The Vancouver Sun, a broadsheet daily paper first published in 1912, has the largest circulation in the province of British Columbia.

MONTREAL – The party considered the front-runner in the Quebec election is poised to shut down what’s left of Canada’s asbestos industry, following its lengthy and controversial decline.
 
The Parti Quebecois says it would start by cancelling a $58 million loan, promised by the current Liberal government, to help reopen what would be the country’s last asbestos mine.
 
It would then hold consultations with several hundred workers around Asbestos, Que., about diversifying the regional economy and finding replacements for an industry that, according to PQ Leader Pauline Marois, is a relic from another era.
 
Documented links between asbestos and cancer have prompted much of the developed world to stop using it in construction materials. Now Marois says all signs point to a ban. “All the trends are headed there. We know the health studies illustrate that,” Marois said Wednesday, referring to the links with cancer.

Read more

Asbestos industry will be shut down if Parti Québécois wins election – by Kevin Dougherty (Montreal Gazette – August 29, 2012)

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html
 
ROUYN-NORANDA, Q.C. – Pauline Marois announced Wednesday that if she becomes Quebec premier after the provincial election next Tuesday, Quebec will get out of the asbestos mining and exporting business.
 
Marois indicated her mind is made up but said she would first hold hearings before a Quebec national assembly committee to hear what those affected have to say. “I think it is important to hear the workers and their families,” she told reporters. She also wants to hear from entrepreneurs in the Asbestos region who can expect government aid for diversification projects to replace the last jobs.
 
She said she has “very great confidence” in local entrepreneurs, who could draw on a $58-million loan of government money the Charest government committed for the reopening of the underground Jeffrey Mine in the town of Asbestos.
 
She plans to cancel that loan. Late on a Friday afternoon, just before the July 1 weekend, in the town of Asbestos, Yvon Vallières, intergovernmental affairs minister and the outgoing Liberal MNA for Richmond riding, announced the government was lending $58 million to reopen the Jeffry Mine.

Read more

China risks auto exports [over asbestos parts] – by Bloomberg News (National Post – August 16, 2012)

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

An Australian recall Wednesday by China’s two biggest car exporters for potential cancer-producing asbestos parts may threaten plans by Chinese automakers to expand into the U.S. and Europe amid intensifying competition at home.

Australia was to be the “testing area” for Chinese carmakers looking to enter larger markets and the recall has dealt a blow to those ambitions, according to Dunne & Co. Great Wall Motor Co. and Chery Automobile Co. recalled 23,000 of their vehicles sold in Australia after authorities found asbestos in some models.

“It’s a significant setback for the individual companies and development of the industry,” said Michael Dunne, head of industry researcher Dunne & Co. “Chinese car companies will continue to push overseas, but you can bet that other countries that they are moving into, or are exporting to, are going to take a closer look on what’s on offer.”

The use of asbestos in exports raises concerns about the quality and safety of products made in China, which has struggled with repeated health scares that include excessive lead found in toys, melamine-tainted milk and pet food killing children and dogs. Vehicle exports from the country may rise about 50% this year, extending record shipments in 2011, according to the official trade chamber.

Read more

I would ban export of asbestos: Legault – by Kevin Dougherty (Montreal Gazette – August 14, 2012)

 http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

SHERBROOKE – If he was premier, François Legault would ban the export of asbestos while maintaining a $58-million loan that was intended to reopen what would be Quebec’s last asbestos mine.

“Quebec is not a banana republic,” Legault told Sherbrooke reporters Monday, suggesting that while the government would honour its loan, Balcorp Ltd. would have to abandon its goal of reviving the mine. But the company could use the public money for some other purpose.

Balcorp was granted the loan, after it failed to find any private-sector backers, a month before the Sept. 4 election was called. “No bank in Quebec would associate its name with the Jeffery Mine,” Legault noted. The Coalition Avenir Québec leader said banning asbestos, a proven cause of cancers, including mesothelioma, is a matter of principle.

“We can’t let people die to save a job,” he said. “There are limits.”

Read more

Asbestos’s future in Quebec election crosshairs – CBC News Montreal (August 12, 2012)

http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/

Quebec’s party leaders tossed around the delicate subject of the province’s still operating asbestos industry on Saturday as they outlined platforms on health and the environment. François Legault, the Coalition Avenir Québec leader, said he would ban exports of asbestos from Quebec, one of a series of environmental initiatives the party laid out.
 
“Exporting a toxic product is morally and scientifically indefensible,” Legault said. “Quebec has to come to terms with an industry that’s stuck in the past.”
 
Legault said a CAQ government would honour the province’s $58-million loan to the Jeffrey asbestos mine in the Eastern Townships, which is set to reopen after it shut down last year in financial distress. But he would work with the company — the last remaining producer of asbestos in Canada — to switch to other lines of business.
 
As recently as 2010, Canada was producing 150,000 tonnes of asbestos annually, all of it in Quebec, and exporting 90 per cent — worth about $90 million — to developing countries. More than 50 countries ban the mining and use of asbestos, but Canada, traditionally a major exporter, has successfully lobbied in the past to keep it off a UN list of hazardous substances.

Read more

Quebec opposition leaders take aim at Liberals over asbestos mine – QMI Agency (Toronto Sun – August 11, 2012)

http://www.torontosun.com/home

MONTREAL – Weeks after the Liberals re-launched Quebec’s asbestos industry with a $58-million loan to the Jeffrey Mine, the Coalition Avenir Quebec vowed to put an end to the “morally and scientifically indefensible” product.

Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois also criticized the Liberal Party on Saturday for its decision to loan investors tens of millions to re-open the mine in Asbestos, Que., about 160 km east of Montreal. “We were very shocked by Mr. Charest’s decision to announce an investment without holding a debate,” she told reporters on the campaign trail Saturday.

She said the PQ would hold a “societal debate” in Quebec’s legislature on the fate of the province’s asbestos industry. CAQ Leader Francois Legault said that no debate was necessary. Legault told reporters on Saturday that if elected, the CAQ wouldn’t cancel the $58-million loan, but would phase out the exportation of asbestos altogether.

“(Asbestos) does not conform to the values of Quebecers,” Legault said. “We have to turn the page.” The Liberal Party announced at the end of June that it was going to help finance the re-opening of the Jeffrey Mine.

Read more

Mining isn’t just good; it’s an “essential service” – by Russell Noble (Canadian Mining Journal – August 2012)

Russell Noble is the editor for the Canadian Mining Journal, Canada’s first mining publication.

As you have probably presumed by now, I’m “pro” mining; otherwise I wouldn’t be working here and writing about the Canadian mining industry and what it’s worth to our economy, and the rest of the world.

In fact, the owners of the magazine, and the industry itself, for that matter, wouldn’t allow someone with my exposure and inside scoop(s) on the business to be anything but supportive of a resource as valuable as mining.

Naturally, I do have moments when I question the behaviour of some of the industry’s fraternity when I hear and read about their seemingly call us disregard for the environment, but on the whole, I’m proud to be associated with the industry.

And why not? When I see what Canadian mining companies are doing insofar as discovering and ultimately producing and converting minerals into essential products, one can’t help but be enthusiastic about the industry.

Let’s face it, no other sector within the industrialized world would exist if it wasn’t for mining and, aside from agriculture (which is also becoming more and more reliant on “mined” fertilizers), it’s the most important thing we do.

Read more

Charest government may have miscalculated announcement to reopen Jeffrey Asbestos Mine with a $58-million loan – by Michelle Lalonde, (Montreal Gazette – July 30, 2012)

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

GAZETTE Environment Reporter

QUEBEC – If the Charest government was hoping to avoid criticism by quietly announcing the relaunch of Quebec’s controversial asbestos industry on the Friday before a holiday weekend, it might have miscalculated.
 
In the month following the June 29 announcement that Quebec would loan $58 million to help reopen and expand the Jeffrey Mine in the town of Asbestos, newspapers across Quebec and Canada have run editorials and columns condemning the decision. The wisdom of staking public money on this project has come under question, and last week an international scientific organization of epidemiologists joined the call for a global ban on asbestos.
 
In April 2011, the Liberal government had promised to provide a guarantee on a $58-million loan to the project’s proponents — Westmount businessman Baljit Chadha and Jeffrey Mine president Bernard Coulombe — if and when they could come up with $25 million in private investments to enable the reopening of the mine.
 
The government is now providing a direct loan rather than a guarantee, and critics charge that’s because no financial institution would loan the money, even with a government guarantee.

Read more

Saying no to Canada’s asbestos – National Post Editorial (July 27, 2012)

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

Last month, the Quebec government revealed it would lend $58-million to the Jeffrey Mine, the country’s last operating asbestos mine. At the time, mine officials said the money would be enough to keep it operating for 20 years, and we condemned Quebec premier Jean Charest’s decision to essentially provide mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for a “carcinogenic corporate cadaver.” (The Jeffrey Mine already had closed when the province stepped in with the funds, and was unlikely to have reopened without the government’s intervention.)

Our objection, which is echoed by critics as varied as the New Democratic Party and the Canadian Cancer Society, was based on the fact that nearly all the mine’s clients are developing countries where the prospects of asbestos being used safely are remote. Thailand, India and China represent the core of the mine’s business and funding. Selling them a substance that we Canadians find too dangerous for our own use isn’t illegal, but it is ethically problematic, and thereby harms Canada’s reputation on the world stage.

But now it appears that Thai authorities are actively trying to ban chrysotile asbestos imports within the next few months. In January 2011, Thailand’s National Economic and Social Advisory Council recommended banning imports and sales of asbestos in Thailand due to its link to health problems, including cancer. A month later, Thai authorities adopted a resolution in furtherance of that goal. The package of measures proposed therein will be presented to Thai lawmakers this September.

Read more

Chris Nardi: Thailand’s move to ban asbestos leaves Quebec looking foolish – by Christopher Nardi (National Post – July 26, 2012)

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

Ever wonder what it feels like to loan $58-million to an industry whose biggest clients don’t even want your product and are actively working to ban it? If so, then look no further than Jean Charest for a prime example of an ill-advised investment. Last June, the Quebec Liberals announced a $58-million loan to Mineral Fiber, the company that owns Jeffrey Mine, in order to resuscitate the (rightfully) dead asbestos industry.
 
Nearly all the mine’s clients are developing countries, with Thailand, India and China representing the core of its business, and the core of its funding. Apart from Quebec’s loan, $11-million was invested by Baljit Chadha, leader of the Sikh community in Canada and co-owner of the mine, and $14-million was invested by a Thai company, Ulan Marketing. Ulan Marketing is part of a family of companies in Thailand known as Oran Vanich Co., which is the largest producer of construction products using asbestos in Thailand, with five plants and over 1,000 employees.
 
Surprisingly, La Presse is now reporting that Thai authorities are actively trying to ban chrysotile asbestos imports within the next few months. In January 2011, Thailand’s National Economic and Social Advisory Council recommended banning imports and sales of asbestos in Thailand due to its link to health problems, including cancer.

Read more

Why Canada Can’t Say “No” to Asbestos – by David Suzuki (Huntington Post – July 18, 2012)

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/

Mesothelioma is a nasty cancer that affects the lining around a person’s lungs. It can also damage membranes around the abdomen, heart, and testicles. The prognosis for those who have it is poor. It causes close to 90,000 preventable deaths a year. More than 90 per cent of cases are attributed to asbestos exposure.

Asbestos is made up of tiny fibres that can be inhaled, penetrating the lungs. Because they are mineral-based, they can’t be broken down by the body’s natural defences, so they cause inflammation. The fibres also remain in the lining around the lungs, and over time — often 20 to 30 years or more — may cause mesothelioma or other diseases.

Because asbestos is a known carcinogen, it has been banned by more than 50 countries, including all members of the European Union. They appear to be getting along fine without it, probably because there are safe alternatives for construction, fire-proofing, and other asbestos functions. Canada and the U.S. have not banned it but don’t use it much anymore.

Although Canada doesn’t have a domestic market for asbestos, we actively support the industry and promote exports to other countries, especially India. In fact, Canada is one of only a few countries that still exports asbestos.

Read more

The Jeffrey Mine loan makes sense, demand for asbestos is high – by John Aylen (Montreal Gazette – July 20, 2012

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

John Aylen is a spokesman for the Jeffrey Mine

Alana Wilson’s opinion piece of July 19 (“The asbestos bailout: your tax dollars, not well spent”) draws conclusions based on erroneous facts. As with any argument based on misconceptions and half-truths, the conclusions that follow do not hold.
 
One of the principal assertions Ms. Wilson makes is that the market for chrysotile is declining. Nothing could be further from the truth. Chrysotile asbestos is in high demand as an effective, low-cost and safe material used in the production of cement roofing tiles and pipes. Throughout the developing world (60 per cent of the world’s population), the need and ability to put a low-cost roof over the heads of the poorest of the poor is steadily increasing.

The demand for chrysotile has risen since 2008, and this fact was a key consideration in the reopening of the Jeffrey Mine and in the Quebec government’s decision to provide a loan to the venture.

Read more

The asbestos bailout: your tax dollars, not well spent – by Alana Wilson (Montreal Gazette – July 19, 2012)

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

Alana Wilson is a senior research analyst at the Fraser Institute’s Global Centre for Mining Studies (miningfacts.org)

Canada’s mining industry is globally competitive, and has long succeeded without much in the way of government subsidies. It even thrived in the last recession by responding to market demand. Yet instead of letting markets drive mining investment in Quebec, the provincial government is bailing out the asbestos industry using taxpayer money – and this for a product that is harmful to human health.
 
In recent years, market demand for chrysotile asbestos produced in Canada shrank dramatically, which led to a halt of chrysotile mining. But instead of letting mines stay closed, taxpayer funds are now being used to gamble against markets and reopen an unprofitable chrysotile mine.
 
Premier Jean Charest recently approved a $58-million loan to allow the Jeffrey asbestos mine to reopen. This follows months of negotiation and several extensions of the government loan offer to give private partners more time to raise money.

Read more

Public money should not prop up asbestos mining – by Alana Wilson (Winnipeg Free Press – July 17, 2012)

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/

Alana Wilson is senior research analyst in the Fraser Institute’s global centre for mining studies www.miningfacts.org

Canada’s mining industry is globally competitive, and has long succeeded without much in the way of government subsidies. It even thrived in the last recession by responding to market demand. Yet instead of letting markets drive mining investment in Quebec, the provincial government is bailing out the asbestos industry using taxpayer money — and this for a product that is harmful to human health.

In recent years, market demand for chrysotile asbestos produced in Canada shrunk dramatically which lead to a halt of chrysotile mining. But instead of letting mines stay closed, taxpayer funds will reopen an unprofitable chrysotile mine.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest recently approved a $58 million loan to allow the closed Jeffrey asbestos mine to reopen. Even before the announced bailout, the mine struggled and operated infrequently in recent years. All other Canadian asbestos mines have closed; the last one was shuttered in November.

The demise of Canada’s asbestos industry reflects a declining demand for asbestos, driven by health concerns.

Read more

Kicking up some dust over Quebec’s Asbestos loan – by Antonia Maioni (Globe and Mail -July 9, 2012)

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

Asbestos looms large in Quebec politics. Both the ore and the town it created have been mired in controversy, most recently the announcement of a $58-million loan to help reopen the fabled Jeffrey Mine. On the line are 400 full-time jobs in a region dependent on the industry for more than a century, despite clear warnings about the persistent health and environmental danger of asbestos, a fibre that provides superior insulation but that in some forms has been linked to cancer.

While the industry has suffered a dramatic decline worldwide because of these concerns, Canada continues to actively promote its trade and defy multilateral efforts warning of its hazards. Asbestos is already banned in most countries that Canadians consider their peer group: the European Union, Australia, Japan. In the U.S., the industry is entangled in extensive litigation, bankruptcy filings and class-action suits. The export targets are, instead, countries such as China and especially India, where building booms are fuelling demand for asbestos for use in cement and infrastructure.

The fallout from the announcement reflects a decades-long conflict between the industry and health experts, but also larger questions about the trade-off between local jobs and public health, and the tension between money and science.

Read more