New EDP asbestos reports seen as an encouraging sign

Four new reports on asbestos have been released by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which two years ago proposed a ban on the mining and use of asbestos, which it cites as offering a health risk.

Canada’s asbestos industry, which provides close to 30% of the world’s asbestos, has been fighting the proposal ever since, backed by both the federal and Quebec governments.

It was following interventions by Canada and others that the EPA recognized the need for new studies to review the scientific and technical data on asbestos.

But, according to Canada’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, Marcel Masse, the just- released reports from the U.S. agency are of a technical nature only and “provide no indication as to the future regulatory intentions of the EPA.”

However, Masse said, Canada and its asbestos industry welcome the release of the reports as a first and “important” step in the right direction in having the EPA re- evaluate its position.

The U.S. is being urged to adopt the “controlled use” approach followed not only by Canada but by most other countries, in which it is recognized that asbestos can be used safely under controlled conditions.

Meantime, in Canada, an $11- million research and development program is under way for the country’s troubled asbestos industry, launched by the federal and Quebec governments and with the backing of the Montreal-based Asbestos Institute, which promotes the safe use of asbestos in Canada.

The program focuses mainly on research into improvements in asbestos mining techniques, and reduction of production costs, and is not expected to have much impact on the EPA and its current stance.