Blunt tale of asbestos and its end
Good, clear account of the progression of the attempt to revive asbestos mining in Quebec and why it’s a lost cause. In La Presse, Patrick Lagacé also eyes Quebec’s inability to face the music on asbestos with a beady eye.
Jean Naimard 19:33 on 2012/08/11 Permalink
Not to say that asbestos is always totally harmless, but it’s funny that the hysteria against it started right after Québec nationalized asbestos mines some 30 years ago…
Kate 09:14 on 2012/08/12 Permalink
It wasn’t just here, Jean. The discovery of toxicity section of the Wikipedia’s article on asbestos briefly describes similar responses in the U.S. and Australia, and I wouldn’t call it hysteria. The medical world knew about the correlation with mesothelioma earlier, but government and industry tried to stifle the knowledge till it was too overwhelming to be denied. Quebec is the last holdout where efforts are still being made to mine and export the stuff. It’s not smart – even so-called third world countries are clued in by now.
cheese 13:14 on 2012/08/13 Permalink
The timing of the nationalization and the knowledge of the harmful affects of asbestos are likley not coincidence. I expect the mine owners were bailed out by their politician buddies (or they duped the government) so they would get a big pay out and not be left with very expensive but useless assets. I don’t have any facts/details to back this up but this is perhaps another case of the rich getting richer off the backs of the greater population?