TIME TO STAND AGAINST ASBESTOS
Canada could undo some of the harm it has caused, writes Kathleen Ruff.
One of the key promises made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is that his government will restore Canada’s badly tarnished image on the international stage. Canada is back, says the prime minister. Canada will support global policies based on evidence and play a positive role at the United Nations. Trudeau’s pledge has been welcomed by most Canadians and by the international community.
But when it comes to asbestos, Trudeau is breaking that pledge.
Asbestos is the biggest killer of Canadian workers. The Trudeau government has prohibited use of asbestos at Public Works and Government Services Canada workplaces and indicated that it will join 55 other countries in banning asbestos.
So it is inexplicable that at UN meetings, the Trudeau government’s position is that it has not made up its mind whether chrysotile asbestos should be put on the Rotterdam Convention’s list of hazardous substances.
How can chrysotile asbestos be hazardous for Canadians and not be hazardous for people overseas?
For 10 years, the convention’s expert scientific committee has called for chrysotile asbestos to be put on the convention’s list of hazardous substances. In 2006, when the recommendation was first made, Canada opposed it in order to protect Canada’s asbestos trade. In 2011, when all other countries had agreed to list chrysotile asbestos, Canada alone opposed the listing.
After the Quebec government stopped supporting the asbestos industry in 2012, Quebec’s last two asbestos mines closed down. The government of Stephen Harper then took the position it was not worth opposing the listing, since Canada was no longer exporting asbestos. Canada refused, however, to support the listing and stayed silent at UN meetings.
The Trudeau government’s failure to support putting chrysotile asbestos on the UN list of hazardous substances is having serious consequences. The Rotterdam Convention is in deep crisis and fighting for its life, and Canada is the country that created this crisis. Countries are asking what use the convention is if a tiny handful of countries can thumb their noses at the scientific evidence and refuse to allow a substance to be listed in order to hide its hazards and profit from its sale.
A special working group, led by Australia, has been established to try to resolve the crisis before the next Conference of the Parties, in May 2017. Canada is participating and — along with the European Union and eight other countries, four asbestos industry organizations, one chemical industry organization and three civil society organizations — has submitted responses to key questions.
In their submissions, the EU, Norway, Switzerland and Japan stated that listing chrysotile asbestos meets all the criteria of the convention.
The International Chrysotile Association, based in Quebec, submitted an aggressive attack on Australia and argued against listing. All four asbestos organizations called for chrysotile asbestos to be deleted from the agenda of the 2017 conference.
Canada’s submission lists reasons both for and against, saying that Canada does not endorse either side.
Under “reasons against listing,” Canada makes statements it knows are false, such as: “it has not been proven that chrysotile asbestos causes cancer” and “chrysotile asbestos can be safely used.”
Canada, for decades, funded and disseminated this false information overseas. It is unconscionable that Canada is regurgitating this deadly, false information now.
No other country submitted reasons to not list chrysotile asbestos — only Canada and the asbestos lobby.
The most recent meeting to try to save the Convention has been taking place in Riga, Latvia, from July 3 to July 5.
Now is a critical moment for Canada to end its sordid global asbestos-promoting history. By supporting scientific evidence and the convention, Canada could have a major impact and help undo the harm it has caused to people overseas.
Prime Minister Trudeau, keep your promise. Respect the science. Play an honourable role at the UN. Show leadership to save the Rotterdam Convention and to list chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous substance. Please.