abestos

Residents of Western Australia are still paying the price for the history of asbestos mining in the region. A new report from the University of Western Australia focuses on people in the region of the now-closed Wittenoom asbestos mine.  The report blames the mine and its products for an “ongoing epidemic of mortality from lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma”.  Australia’s Sad History of Asbestos Mining Asbestos is a mineral once prized for its strength and abundance. It was used around the world in thousands of products, including many construction materials.  Australia has a long history of asbestos mining and exportation. The country was once one of the world’s top producers of asbestos. The Australian Blue Asbestos Company in Wittenoom was…