Ban-Asbestos-India: Merchants of Death from Quebec Seducing Indian Government & Companies

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Merchants of Death from Quebec Seducing Indian Government & Companies

Press Release

BANI APPEALS TO COMMERCE, FINANCE & ENVIRONMENT MINISTRIES TO AVOID TRADE WITH PROMOTERS OF KILLER QUEBEC ASBESTOS IN INDIA

Merchants of Death from Quebec Seducing Indian Government & Companies

BANI SEEKS INCENTIVES FOR ASBESTOS ALTERNATIVES IN THE BUDGET

New Delhi, 2/2/2011: Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) condemns the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and the Indian Merchants' Chamber at the beginning of the 2011 trade mission to India, organized by a asbestos trade promoter like the Government of Quebec, Canada. The MoU was signed on 31st December, 2011.

A Quebec government’s trade mission led by Clement Gignac, Economic Development Minister is in India from January 30 - February 4. This mission comprises of a representative of Baljit Chadha’s Balcorp Ltd who has been exporting Canadian chrysotile asbestos for 15 years and who heads the consortium of investors interested in the expansion of Jeffrey Mine for asbestos fibers in Quebec. BANI has sent a letter to the Quebec Premier Jean Charest persuading him not to provide fiscal support for the asbestos mines in Quebec. The letter is attached and is available on banasbestosindia.blogspot.com.

This mission is in India with an ulterior motive of drawing up a Quebec-India Collaboration Agreement on “safe use” of chrysotile asbestos. It is noteworthy that not a single reputable medical authority in the world supports the Quebec government and asbestos industry’s position.
The signing of this agreement reveals the callous disregard of the Quebec based asbestos mining companies and Indian asbestos product manufacturing companies towards the health of Indians. "Exporting Quebec" initiative of Quebec government is guilty of promoting killer fibers of asbestos in Indian markets.

An extra-ordinary letter sent to Gignac by Public Health directors of all of Quebec’s eighteen health & social regions reveals how not a single reputable medical authority in Canada or Quebec supports the government/industry’s position on Chrysotile Asbestos. Copies of this letter have been sent to Quebec Premier Jean Charest, Health minister Yves Bolduc, and National Director of Public Health, Alain Poirier. BANI has endorsed the contents of this letter. The original signed letter in French is available here:
http://fmsd-quebec.org/wp-content/uploads/Lettre-Cl%C3%A9ment-Gignac_Amiante-.pdf
The English translation is attached and available on banasbestosindia.blogspot.com.
Gignac is in India this week on a trade mission, accompanied by a representative of Québec’s Occupational Health & Safety Commission and a representative of Balcorp Ltd (who are part of the consortium of investors who want to re-open the Jeffrey mine).

BANI appeals to Mumbai based Indian Merchants' Chamber to desist from indulging in asbestos trade to safeguard the health interests of present and future generation of Indians.

BANI urges Anand Sharma, Union Commerce Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, Union Finance Minister and Jairam Ramesh, Union Environment Minister to take cognizance of the fact that Turkey banned asbestos on December 31, 2010 joining the league of more than 55 countries that have prohibited mining, trade, manufacturing and use of asbestos of all kinds in the interest of their citizens’ health. At least since 1982, Union Finance Ministry has been extending fiscal incentives to asbestos industry, BANI appeals to the Finance Minister to desist from supporting the killer industry. BANI is seeking incentive for the alternatives of asbestos mineral fibers in the upcoming session of the Parliament when the Budget is presented this year.

Instead of succumbing to pressure from Clément Godbout, president of the asbestos lobby group the Chrysotile Institute, Chrysotile Asbestos Products Manufacturers, Asbestos Information Centre and politicians who asbestos companies, concerned ministries must take note of the Ban Asbestos Movement in India and initiate preventive and curative measures to protect the public health of fellow citizens and their human rights as underlined by the Kerala Human Rights
Commission and National Human Rights Commission.

BANI had demonstrated against the trade mission led by Quebec Premier Jean Charest that visited India last year demanding immediate ban on asbestos mining, trade and had sought political action against the crime against humanity.

For Details: Gopal Krishna, Convener, Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI)/Asbestos Mukti Andolan, Mb: 09818089660, 07739308480, Web: banasbestosindia.blogspot.com

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Ban on Asbestos is a Must

A study in a peer-reviewed journal had earlier estimated that there could be more than 6,000 workers affected by asbestosis (an untreatable lung ailment) and another 600 suffering at the minimum from asbestosis-related lung cancer in India at present. Occupational cancer from asbestos, the disease caused by emissions at the work place, poses an increasingly serious health problem. But the subject has attracted relatively little attention from industry, labour, public health bodies or the medical profession. Asbestos is one of the single largest sources of occupational cancer. Indian polticians are acting as if they are bonded workers of asbestos industry.

World Trade Center, New York collapsed Thousands of tons of asbestos became airborne.

Back in 1981, there was research coming out that Asbestos was cancer causing and this ad was in rebuttal to that research touting the benefits of using Asbestos. The text over the Twin Towers states, "When the Fire Alarm Went Off, It Took Two Hours to Evacuate New York's World Trade Center." I do not need to remind anyone of the images of September 11th and this ad. The copy below the ad goes on to mention all of the places that Asbestos was used in the World Trade Center. I can not not think of all of the innocent victims in the area that were exposed to all of the dust, smoke and inherent asbestos that was in the air after the buildings collapsed. The cloud of smoke went across the entire city and potentially exposed hundreds of thousands of individuals to asbestos. Hopefully there can be a cure or treatment for Mesothelioma before all of these potential victims are diagnosed.

Apex Court allocates meagre compensation for asbetsos victims

In 1995, the Supreme Court of India fixed Rs 1 lakh compensation amount and identified National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) as the final authority to certify asbestosis cases. Compensations are given through the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). Two workers in Ahmedabad Electricity Company diagnosed as having asbestosis by NIOH have been compensated by Gujarat High Court. Twenty-five workers in asbestos jointing and packing industry at Mumbai were compensated by the Special medical board of ESIC. The court ruled that the industrial units must maintain a health record of every worker up to a minimum period of 40 years; insure workers under the Employees State Insurance Act or Workmen’s Compensation Act and give health coverage to every worker.

Asbestos Victims

Every day estimated 30 deaths in India is under way due to the ongoing trade and use of white asbestos. 'Asbestos' in Greek means 'indestructible'. Greeks called asbestos the 'magic mineral'. Asbestos is a generic term, referring usually to six kinds of naturally occuring mineral fibres. Of these six, three are used more commonly. Chrysotile is the most common, accounts for almost 90 per cent of the asbestos used in the industry, but it is not unusual to encounter Amosite or Crocidolite as well. Though Crocidolite asbestos is banned in India, it can still be found in old insulation material, old ships that come from other countries for wrecking in India. All types of asbestos tend to break into very tiny fibre, almost microscopic. In fact, some of them may be up to 700 times smaller than human hair. Because of their small size, once released into the air, they may stay suspended in the air for hours or even days. Asbestos fibres are virtually indestructible. They are resistant to chemicals and heat, and are very stable in the environment. They do not evaporate into air or dissolve in water, and they do not break down over time. Because of its high durability and with tensile strength asbestos has been widely used inconstruction and insulation materials - it has been used in over 3,000 different products. Where do we use it? In India, asbestos is used in manufacture of pressure and non pressure pipes used for water supply, sewage, irrigation and drainage system in urban and rural areas, asbestos textiles, laminated products, tape, gland packing, packing ropes, brake lining and jointing used in core sector industries such as automobile, heavy equipment, petro-chemicals, nuclear power plants, fertilizers, thermal power plants, transportation, defence.

Make India Asbestos Free

Ban-Asbestos-India

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Merchants of Death from Quebec Seducing Indian Government & Companies

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