BANI Appeal to Canadian Parliament for Ban on Asbestos Trade

To

Mr Peter Milliken, M.P.

Speaker

House of Commons

Speaker's office

Parliament Buildings

Ottawa, Canada

Subject-BANI Appeal to Canadian Parliament for Ban on Asbestos Trade

Sir,

With reference to the scientifically recognized need to make the world asbestos free at the earliest, I wish to submit that the silence of Canadian House of Commons in the matter of human rights violations due to exposure from Canadian asbestos is deafening. The time is now for the Canadian Parliament to legislate a law that puts public health before blind lust for profit of the asbestos industry.

In the aftermath of the 26^th Anniversary of World’s worst industrial disaster caused by Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), a US company, I submit that in the US, Dow Chemicals Company has set aside $2.2 billion to address future asbestos-related liabilities arising out of the UCC’s acquisition. There no such initiative by the Canadian and Indian asbestos companies although it is an established fact that asbestos is a known human carcinogen that claims more than 100,000 lives every year.  

The World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), representing 176 million workers in 151 countries have all called for an end to the use of any form of asbestos, including chrysotile asbestos, which represents 100% of the global asbestos trade.

Amidst a growing demand for a global ban on all kinds of asbestos and its products, Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI), an alliance of occupational and environmental groups and public health researchers’ appeal to the Committee to recommend that ban on asbestos trade with Canada must be deemed a pre-condition for future negotiations on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). On November 16, 2010, Canadian Minister of International Trade Peter Van Loan opened formal talks with our Union Commerce Minister, Anand Sharma on a strategic economic partnership between the two countries.

I submit that BANI which is working to make India asbestos free feels that Canada lost its place as a non-Permanent Member in the UN Security Council because it is fast losing its reputation as a civilized nation because of its position on asbestos trade among other reasons.

BANI is attempting to respond to the public health crisis in India due to trade in asbestos. There is an epidemic of incurable asbestos related diseases and India does not have the environmental and occupational health infrastructure to even diagnose the asbestos diseases.

While Canadian House of Commons is being decontaminated of asbestos, there is not a single building in India including the Indian Parliament which is asbestos free.

I wish to draw your attention towards the fact that a helicopter carrying the President of India hit an asbestos shed at the Bhubaneshwar airport, Orissa (a province in India) on December 9, 2009. The fact is that such asbestos sheds pose a health, environmental and occupational risk to everybody. 

In 2006 alone there were more than 1,000 mesothelioma deaths (asbestos related fatal disease) in Japan which along with some 52 countries has banned asbestos. Some 10, 000 people are dying of asbestos related diseases in the US. Indians face and await a similar fate.

I wish to inform you that The White Asbestos (Ban on Use and Import) Bill, 2009 is pending the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of the Indian Parliament). The issue of health hazards from asbestos has been raised consistently in the Indian Parliament. 

The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the White Asbestos (Ban on Use and Import) Bill, 2009 introduced on 31 July 2009 captures clearly the global stand on this issue:

“The white asbestos is highly carcinogenic even the World Health Organisation has reported that it causes cancer. It is a rare fibrous material that is used to make rooftops and brake linings. More than fifty countries have already banned the use and import of white asbestos. Even the countries that export it to India prefer not to use it domestically. But in our country, it is imported without any restriction. Canada and Russia are the biggest exporters of white asbestos. In 2007, Canada exported almost Ninety five percent of the white asbestos it mined and out of it forty-three percent was shipped to India. It is quite surprising that our country is openly importing huge quantity of a product, which causes cancer. This is despite the fact that safer and almost cheap alternatives to asbestos are available in the country. Instead of importing a hazardous material, it will be better if we spend some money in research and development and use environment friendly product. In view of the above, there is an urgent need for a total ban on the import and use of white asbestos and promote the use of alternative material.”

Through you I wish to Canadian and Quebec government to desist from providing fiscal support to an industry in Quebec which is liable for the fatal asbestos diseases and death of millions of workers and consumers.  

In such a context, through you BANI urges the legislators to ensure that ‘ban on asbestos commerce’ must be made a pre-condition for the proposed free trade agreement between India and Canada.  

I humbly submit that this provides an unprecedented opportunity to the Canadian Parliament to assert its legislative will and stop the group of international investors who want to purchase the Jeffrey asbestos mine that will lead to production of killer fibers of asbestos to expand from 15,000 to 180, 000 tonne/year in 2012 and eventually to 225,000 tonnes.

Sadly, while the production of asbestos fibers will increase, the reputation of Canada as a civilized nation will nose dive to its nadir. Canada as nation is bigger than Canadian and Quebec asbestos industry, the way the members of this august house which you chair acts or does not act will determine the same.     

I will be glad to share more information about the asbestos victims and related issues.

Thanking You

Warm Regards

Gopal Krishna

Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) 

New Delhi

Mb: 9818089660

E-mail: krishna2777@gmail.com

Blog: banasbestosindia.blogspot.com

Cc

Mr Hamid Ansari, Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Upper House of Indian Parliament  

Mrs Meira Kumar, Speaker, Lok Sabha, Lower House Indian Parliament