Protect and Preserve Asbestos Documents in New York Public Library

To

Mr Paul LeClerc,
President
The New York Public Library

Subject- Protect and Preserve Asbestos Documents

Dear Mr LeClerc,

Greeting from New Delhi!

I have learnt that the New York Library is proposing to destroy an important collection of asbestos documents.

May I submit that this will not serve the interest of poor asbestos victims in India and elsewhere who are consistently being denied legal relief.

I have reliably been informed that the library has not been able to return the documents to the Mr Paul Brodeur, a noted journalist who donated them. I am aware of Mr Brodeur’s outstanding work as a journalist. He is known globally for having exposed toxic hazards to workers and the public. His contribution in the field of toxic substances control is exemplary.

I have learnt that he was the first journalist to investigate and write in detail about the asbestos disease hazard, its cover-up by the asbestos industry, and the asbestos litigation that brought some measure of compensation to tens of thousands of asbestos victims.

In the light of ongoing struggle to make the world free of killer fibers of asbestos, it would serve the human rights of the present and future generations if you can return the collection to Mr Brodeur in toto or you may consider sharing with us in India instead of destroying it.

Your act of treasuring it for so long and sharing it with research and advocacy groups who work to make their countries asbestos free will be deemed valuable.
It will encourage public spirited people across the globe to share their academic resources with libraries for the benefit of humanity.

On behalf of National Alliance for Asbestos Free India and Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI), I am requesting you earnestly and solemnly to share all these asbestos related documents with Mr Brodeur or me. It will help the innocent victims of asbestos industry in ensuring legal remedy at some point in future.

If you can do so, we in India will remain grateful and will appreciate your gesture for ever.

Warm Regards
Gopal Krishna
Convener
National Alliance for Asbestos Free India
Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI)
New Delhi
Mb: 09818089660, 07739308480
E-mail:krishna2777@gmail.com
Blog:banasbestosindia.blogspot.com