Impose Immediate Ban on Mining and Trade in White Asbestos (Chrysotile)

1.Mr Jean Charest Premier

Government of Quebec

Quebec City

2.Mr Stephen Harper Prime Minister

Government of Canada

Ottawa

Through Mr Stewart Beck, Government of CanadaⳠHigh Commissioner to India

Subject- Impose Immediate Ban on Mining and Trade in White Asbestos (Chrysotile)

Dear Mr Charest,

This is to express our sense of outrage and dismay at the announcement of a $58 million loan for revival of the Jeffrey Asbestos mine under the influence of Chrysotile Institute, a white asbestos industry funded group. This unscientific decision of the Liberal Party-led Quebec government that was announced on June 29, 2012 by ignoring the views of World Health Organisation (WHO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), National Public Health Institute, Canadian Medical Association and Canadian Cancer Society.

It is shocking to note that you chose to ignore independent scientific evidence regarding white asbestos. The medical scientific fraternity has noted that your decision is based on totally incorrect reading of the WHO position. The relevant WHO position reads: the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop the use of all types of asbestos.Reference:http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs343/en/index.html)the relevant WHO factsheet is attached.  

This misrepresentation of scientific facts and published WHO position is highly unethical. It is unbecoming of a Premier to misrepresent facts which have bearing on public health In Quebec, Canada and elsewhere in the world. This act of yours has belittled Quebec Government and CanadaⳠstature in the comity of nations.

I submit that justifying asbestos trade is akin to justifying slave trade. It does not behove a civilized country to endanger the lives of defenseless citizens and workers in developing country like India by exposing them to the carcinogenic fibers of white asbestos. While we have purposefully persuaded several ministries of Government of India to discourage and phase out white asbestos, India remains one of the key consumers of asbestos from Quebec.

It is quite evident that you have ignored the epidemic of asbestos related diseases that has led to bankruptcy of asbestos companies as a result of their liabilities.

It has come to light that Canadian-Indian Mr Baljit Singh Chadha whose company, Balcorp Ltd is the sales agent for the Jeffrey mine in India has been one of the main fund-raisers of the Liberal Party. It has been reported that Mr Chadha raised $27,000,00 for the party in 2009.

This gave a sense of deja vu. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued a final rule on July 12, 1989, banning most asbestos-containing products. After spending ten million dollars and conducting a ten year study, USEPA accumulated a 100,000 page administrative record, announcing that it would phase out and ban virtually all products containing asbestos. This ban was to apply to the manufacturing, importing, processing and distribution of asbestos products.  US EPAⳠgrounds for the ban states: 㡳bestos is a human carcinogen and is one of the most hazardous substances to which humans are exposed in both occupational and non-occupational settings. But the verdict of October 18, 1991 by the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals of New Orleans in the asbestos matter overturned the ban imposed by USPEA.

I submit that giving a severe blow to the reputation of US judiciary, the Appellate Body of World Trade Orgnisation, World Health Orgsanisation and several other UN agencies besides more than 50 countries found that USEPA was right because it is impossible to use asbestos in safe and controlled manner.

Ironically, in the U.S., Dow Chemicals Company has set aside $2.2 billion to address future asbestos-related liabilities arising out of the Union Carbide acquisition. Liveris heads Dow Chemical Company that purchased Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) and its Indian investments in 1999 has consistently denied inheriting any liability for the Bhopal gas disaster due to leakage of 40 tonnes of lethal methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from UCC plant into the surrounding environment, which has caused more than 20,000 deaths and 100,000 disabilities. UCC formerly made products containing asbestos, and UCC once mined asbestos for sale to customers. The mine of the UCC was sold in 1985. Hundreds of thousands of people have sued asbestos companies that made products containing asbestos. Many manufacturers of asbestos-containing products are bankrupt as a result of asbestos litigation.

I submit that Government of India took the right step on June 21, 2011 when at a meeting of UNⳠRotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade disassociated itself from Canada and other asbestos producing countries in order to get white asbestos listed in the PIC list of hazardous materials. The listing requires would-be exporters of asbestos to warn governments of developing nations on what is being brought to their countries. It was unbecoming of Canadian government to block the efforts to list it under the parochial influence of Quebec asbestos interests.ࠠ

I wish to inform you that "The Government of India is considering the ban on use of chrysotile asbestos in India to protect the workers and the general population against primary and secondary exposure to Chrysotile form of Asbestos." It has noted that "Asbestosis is yet another occupational disease of the Lungs which is on an increase under similar circumstances warranting concerted efforts of all stake holders to evolve strategies to curb this menace". A concept paper by Union Ministry of Labour revealed this at the two-day 5th India-EU Joint Seminar on ㏣cupational Safety and Health䠯n 19th and 20th September, 2011. (http://www.labour.nic.in/lc/Background%20note.pdf)

In the light of the above facts, on behalf of ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), I urge the Quebec government and Canadian government to reconsider its decision and cancel the loan guarantee and help the asbestos disease affected communities in the developing countries. This decision of the Quebec government gives the impression that in Canada ether asbestos industry and the government are one entity or government is subservient to the lust for blind profit at human cost.ࠠ

It is required for both Canada and Quebec to regain its stature as a civilized nation.

Thanking You

Yours faithfully

Gopal Krishna

Convener

ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA)

New Delhi

PIN. 110016