Environmental groups in Quebec are calling for an end to asbestos mining, the Montreal Gazette is reporting:
Nature Québec, the Société pour Vaincre la Pollution, and Pour que le Quebec ait meilleure mine say asbestos should not be mined because is too dangerous for human health.
Asbestos is banned in over 50 countries and is strictly controlled in Canada. Hundreds of workers exposed to asbestos have been diagnosed with lung disease, with many dying an early and painful death. One asbestos victim, Conservative MP Chuck Strahl, has called on the government to stop exporting asbestos, which is still used in building materials.
In Quebec, asbestos has been mined in the towns of Thetford Mines and Asbestos. The Quebec government approved a $58 million loan guarantee in April to the company that owns the mine in Asbestos, which plans to expand the mine and continuing exporting for the next 20 years, the Gazette reported.
The United Nations is currently considering whether to add asbestos to a list of hazardous materials.
Image of asbestos fibres by Wikimedia Commons