Brazil: Federal Court Decision Prevents Repealing Surveillance of Asbestos In Enclosure Export In Coastal Region

Posted on February 2, 2011 by admin

Brazil: Federal Court Decision Prevents Repealing Surveillance of Asbestos In Enclosure Export In Coastal Region  NOTE: Please use the translation button in the upper right corner of the blog if needed.

The biggest Brazilian company dedicated to export asbestos to Asia named CORTÊS got last year from a first level Judge a preliminary injunction/ temporary restraining order which determined that I was prohibited to inspect its facilities because of my “bias” role as defensor of the ban of asbestos and the victim’s rights after 2 embargos I did (first 3,000 tons; second, 1,800 tons) halting the cargo’s to be shipped to  India through the port of Sri Lanka.

They complained also to the 1st level Judge that the law in Sao Paulo State that bans asbestos, only banned the use of the mineral, but not its export, transportation, trade

In this sentence released last December the 2nd level Judge confirms that our state law bans all the asbestos chain including the export, production.

A very important victory. The struggle goes on …

Fernanda Giannasi, Associação Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto (ABREA) and GBAN Founding Member

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Merchants of Death from Quebec Seducing Indian Government & Companies

Posted on February 2, 2011 by admin

Press Release: New Delhi, 2/2/2011:

BANI APPEALS TO COMMERCE, FINANCE & ENVIRONMENT MINISTRIES TO AVOID TRADE WITH PROMOTERS OF KILLER QUEBEC ASBESTOS IN INDIA  

Merchants of Death from Quebec Seducing Indian Government & Companies 

BANI SEEKS INCENTIVES FOR ASBESTOS ALTERNATIVES IN THE BUDGET 

New Delhi, 2/2/2011: Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) condemns the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and the Indian Merchants’ Chamber at the beginning of the 2011 trade mission to India, organized by a asbestos trade promoter like the Government of Quebec, Canada. The MoU was signed on 31st December, 2011.  Continue reading →

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“Observe time-trends of asbestos use by countries in full motion” by Dr. Ken Takahashi

Posted on January 27, 2011 by admin

People who are concerned about international asbestos issues have probably seen graphic presentations on “time-trends” of asbestos use (for a particular country or region). In our 2010 paper in Environmental Health Perspectives entitled “National use of asbestos in relation to economic development (Le GV et al)” we included a related supplement. The uniqueness of our graph is that its “interactive” (you can choose several options) and the trends are observable in full motion along the time-axis. This was enabled by applying a Google shareware called Motionchart. It is easy to use, so please give it a try by clicking http://envepi.med.uoeh-u.ac.jp/motionchart.html

Lastly but most importantly, our key message of the paper was: “high asbestos use by high-income countries was not sustained” and “each developing country is at a cross road, with an opportunity to choose an earlier reduction and elimination in (asbestos) use.”

Dr. Ken Takahashi (Professor, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan and GBAN Charter Member

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As a mesothelioma widow, I find it appalling, inhumane, and reprehensible that the Indian Supreme Court today refused to ban asbestos! Linda Reinstein

Posted on January 21, 2011 by admin
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“Why are our estimates for missed mesothelioma cases so low?” by Dr. Ken Takahashi

Posted on January 17, 2011 by admin

We already received some feedbacks from readers of our Ahead-of-Print paper of Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) entitled “Global magnitude of reported and unreported mesothelioma.” Several points merit mention in response to the shared concern “why are the estimates so low?” Exact scientific arguments for the conservative estimation are stated in the paper, but in a nutshell, 1) Our estimates are for <already missed cases> for the period 1995-2008 most likely who have missed the opportunity to receive adequate treatment and just compensation. Our estimates are NOT for <presently being missed> cases NOR are they future projections. 2) Our estimates were calculated based on national asbestos consumption levels up to the year 1970. Most countries increased consumption since 1970, so it is very likely that mesothelioma cases from today onwards will increase from the level we reported.

Dr. Ken Takahashi (Professor, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan) and GBAN Charter Member

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Association of Lung Specialists, opposing the re-opening of the Jeffrey mine, calling for an international ban on asbestos and calling for Quebec to immediately cease mining asbestos.

Posted on January 15, 2011 by admin

The January 14, 2011 statement of support by the Quebec Lung Specialists Association for not re-opening the Jeffery Mine continues to show the callous disregard for human life by those parties intent on re-opening the Jeffery Mine which would allow continued proliferation of asbestos throughout the world.  “We must not repeat the errors of the past and transport our former evils to countries which do not have the means or resources to protect themselves against asbestos, ”said the president, Dr. Alain Beaupré.

Sincerely, 

Dr. Richard A. Lemen, Assistant U.S. Surgeon General Retired and GBAN Charter Member

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January 11, 2011 Letter to Dr Charles Bernard, President of the Collège des médecins du Québec

Posted on January 12, 2011 by admin

More than 120 medical doctors and health professionals from 25 countries signed this letter to Dr Charles Bernard, President of the Collège des médecins du Québec as part of the effort to have the governments of Quebec and Canada not support the funding of loan guarantee to extend the mining of chrysotile asbestos and sell this material to developing countries where workers are then put at considerable risk for disease and death from its use. It echos support for 53 Quebec physicians who have also addressed this issue.

January 11, 2011 Letter to Dr Charles Bernard, President of the Collège des médecins du Québec

Arthur L. Frank, MD, PhD Chair, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Drexel University School of Public Health, ADAO Science Advisory Board Co-Chair and GBAN Fouding Charter Member

Richard Lemen, PhD, MSPH Assistant Surgeon General, USPHS (Ret.), ADAO Science Advisory Board Co-Chair and GBAN Fouding Charter Member

Canadian Resource Page

Asbestos safety at root of debate: http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Asbestos+safety+root+debate/4091985/story.html

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Canada: “The continued sale of Quebec’s asbestos is indefensible”

Posted on January 8, 2011 by admin

Please take time to read the new January 8, 2011 “The continued sale of Quebec’s asbestos is indefensible” article.  Premier Jean Charest and the asbestos lobby are out of arguments to defend Quebec’s export of asbestos.
 
You can see the numerous letters, news articles and reports since June 2010 on the struggle to stop Quebec re-launching its asbestos industry here on the GBAN Canadian page.  Continue reading →

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India: The Rajasthan Asbestos Mine Workers’ Dharna is Successful

Posted on January 8, 2011 by admin

Former asbestos mine workers on hunger strike in Rajasthan, India

In 2007, the National Institute of Occupational Health conducted a test on Asbestos mining, studying and surveying 164 mine workers to determine the prevalence of the occupational disease Asbestosis. Of those 164 labourers, 93 mine workers were suspected of suffering from Asbestosis. The Mine Labour Protection Campaign (MLPC) and the Rajasthan State Mine Labour Union have sought the list of 93 Asbestosis victims listed in the test from the NIOH. Even after filing for the results under the Right to Information Act, MLPC and these Asbestosis victims have repeatedly been denied the list of the 93 affected workers even though this information is necessary to make a proper medical diagnosis and to file for the necessary relief and compensation. Continue reading →

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Canada: “Quebec doctors make urgent appeal” by Kathleen Ruff

Posted on January 7, 2011 by admin

Quebec doctors make urgent appeal to Quebec College of Physicians to get involved in the fight to stop the Quebec government from financing the Jeffrey mine

Over fifty Quebec medical doctors have made an urgent appeal to the Quebec College of Physicians to take action regarding the refusal of the Quebec government to heed the clear and unanimous demand of Quebec’s medical authorities to not finance the Jeffrey mine.

A consortium of anonymous foreign investors have asked the Quebec government for a $58 million loan guarantee so that the consortium could open a new underground asbestos mine and export 5 million tonnes of asbestos to Asia over the next quarter century. The government’s decision is expected by mid-January. The Quebec trade union movement is lobbying for the government to give the financing. Continue reading →

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