Quebec Premier Criticized for Asbestos Stance

The dispute over asbestos exports from the Canadian province of Quebec continued to follow the provincial premier, Jean Charest, during his visit to India. While many construction firms in the Subcontinent import Quebec's raw asbestos, labor unions and environmental groups in India are calling on the premier and other government officials to stop their shipping of the dangerous material. Protestors stood outside government offices to denounce Charest's support for the asbestos industry in his home province.

The protests follow a letter signed by more than one hundred leading scientists calling on Charest to stop the production, manufacture and export of asbestos-containing materials within the province. The letter cited the connections between exposure to airborne asbestos fibers and the incidence of mesothelioma, an aggressive and deadly form of cancer that strikes the pleural mesothelium, a protective fluid lining the lungs.

A spokesperson for the Building and Wood Workers International Union's India chapters stated that, despite many of Charest's claims of attempting to make the province's manufacturing firms use more environmentally-friendly methods, his actions in backing the asbestos industry undermine his credibility on "green" issues. The union has also called on federal and state officials in India to ban the import and use of asbestos, but said that the efforts to stop Quebec's efforts to export the material would help to speed up the process.

When approached by reporters for comment, Charest declined to answer any questions regarding the apparent contradiction between his environmental activism and his support of the asbestos producers. Charest did say that, despite the clear link between asbestos and mesothelioma, his office was powerless in enforcing any worker safety laws in other countries. During a news conference in Mumbai, members of another labor union confronted him on his asbestos policies, but he refused to comment.

India is one of the leading importers of asbestos, along with Indonesia, Bangladesh, and other developing nations, and is still in use as insulation and fireproofing material. Most developed nations, including the United States, Canada, and much of Western Europe, have banned the production of asbestos and enforce strict safety rules on how workers can handle, move and dispose of asbestos-laced material.

According to a report from the country's Trade Union Center, almost one out of four workers in India who have been exposed to asbestos developed lung disorders. The lack of uniform standards for worker protection and environmental quality, as well as the cost-prohibitive nature of some of the measures, prevents many firms in the country from implementing even the most basic safety equipment and techniques.

During a conference on climate change, Charest reiterated that his government had no control over the production and export of asbestos. However, one of the last productive asbestos mines lies near the town of Thetford Mines, Quebec. Also, one of the leading asbestos exporters, the Mine Jeffrey company, is based in Quebec and led by Bertrand Coulombe, a staunch political supporter of the premier. Overall, the asbestos industry brings in more than $100 million annually to the province, bringing jobs and prosperity to the small town.

Sources: Associated Press, Globe and Mail

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