Scientists ask canadian government to release asbestos results

Canada - Two internationally renowned scientists who contributed to a Canadian health study about asbestos and cancer risks have asked the Canadian government to make good on its promise to release the results of the study to the public. Canadian federal agency Health Canada hired seven medical and scientific experts from around the world to compile the report on the risks of asbestos exposure. The experts submitted their report back in March, and say they were told that the Canadian government would release the results to the public within a few weeks. However, the report still hasn’t been made public. Health Minister Tony Clement says the report will be made public only after it has been reviewed by health department officials. Head of the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois, Leslie Stayner, and Trevor Ogden, the chairperson of the panel of medical and scientific experts, have both written letters to Clement asking why the release of the report has been delayed for so long. Stayner wrote, “It is simply unacceptable for this report to continue to be withheld from the public, while individuals who have seen the report and our comments make erroneous allegations about what it contains to suit their political objectives.” Canada is the only developed nation which still produces raw asbestos, the substance which has been labeled a deadly threat by many health agencies, including World Health Organization and the International Association for Cancer Research. The Canadian government continues to believe that asbestos is safe as long as it’s handled properly. The government has spent almost $20 million over the last twenty years to promote exports of asbestos. Most of that has gone to developing nations such as Pakistan, Indonesia, and India, where it is generally used in construction materials. The executive council of the Canadian Labour Congress this weekend passed a resolution calling for a halt to the production of asbestos, and an economic transition for the 700 Quebec asbestos miners who would be affected if the asbestos industry were shut down. Canada’s two asbestos mines are both located in Quebec. The province has one of the highest incidence rates of mesothelioma in the world. In his letter, Stayner wrote that the panel had not been asked to debate on whether or not chrysotile could be used safely, but said that “from a pragmatic point of view, my answer to this question would be that [safe use of chrysotile] is simply not possible.” (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)