Goodbye and Good Riddance! Notorious Asbestos Institute Closes Down
May 16, 2012 in Latest News, lungdisease
Finally, the notorious asbestos industry lobbying outfit in Montreal has shut down. The Chrysotile Institute (Formerly the Asbestos Institute) is an industry and Canadian government funded lobby group responsible for defending and promoting use of asbestos internationally. The Institute received more than $50 million from Canadian taxpayers since 1984.
In addition to the funding, the Government of Canada allowed these asbestos salesmen to use Canadian embassies to promote their immoral and deadly product. The Institute has often been accused by the BWI of promoting misinformation on the hazards of asbestos, and several times the BWI came under attack by the Institute, including threats of legal action for libel.
The Montreal-based Chrysotile Institute last week issued the notice of their intention to close down in the Canada Gazette — the government’s official publication for announcing new laws and other public information.
Canadian NDP Member of Parliament Pat Martin — a longtime critic of the asbestos industry and former asbestos miner himself — said the closing of the institute signals the “death knell” of asbestos mining in Canada. “I see it as a real tipping point in the movement to get Canada out of the asbestos industry,” Martin said. “It’s just another demonstration of the death rattle of the asbestos industry in this country.” He said he first learned of the institute’s intention to dissolve Saturday, International Workers’ Memorial Day — the annual day of commemoration for workers injured and killed around the globe.
Canada, which has more than a century-long history of asbestos mining and exportation, has been under pressure both nationally and internationally to stop promoting the use of this toxic mineral. Although Canada has dramatically reduced its own consumption of asbestos in recent years, it continued exporting large amounts of the product to still-developing countries with less stringent regulations like India, China and others in Southeast Asia.
The last two asbestos mines in Canada were closed in 2011, but there has been talk of reopening at least one, pending a government loan guarantee in Quebec.
The Canadian Labour Congress issued a press release saying it welcomes news that the Chrysotile Institute will dissolve and cease operation. The Canadian Labour Congress supports a total prohibition on Canada’s production and export of asbestos along with a just transition program for displaced workers in the industry.
The BWI welcomes the demise of this extremely harmful pro asbestos propaganda machine, and our affiliated unions hope that the industry lobbyists will now stop trying to hamper progress towards a complete ban of asbestos in all countries.