Fighting Mesothelioma: Canada Lose a Battle, U.S. Gears for Another
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Fighting Mesothelioma: Canada Lose a Battle, U.S. Gears for Another

Canadian mesothelioma advocates have lost a major battle in their fight against asbestos, while their American counterparts gear up for another battle of their own in Washington. Despite months of protests by health organizations, mesothelioma activists, including the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Medical Association, the Quebec government has agreed to extend a loan that will reopen Canada’s largest asbestos mine. The $58 million dollar loan has been on the table since the Jeffrey Mine in the town of Asbestos closed last year due to financial problems, laying off some 500 workers. The loan had been contingent on raising seed money from investors. The mine’s president estimates that the loan will keep the mine open for at least another 20 years. While…

Canada Halts Mining of Mesothelioma-Causing Asbestos
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Canada Halts Mining of Mesothelioma-Causing Asbestos

A country that was once the world’s top producer of mesothelioma-causing asbestos has stopped production for the first time in 130 years. Mining of the controversial mineral has come to a halt at Canada’s two remaining asbestos mines because of money and logistical problems. Health officials around the world have been highly critical of Canada’s asbestos industry and its exportation policies because of the clear link between asbestos and deadly mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the tissue encasing the lungs and lining of the abdomen, is on the rise worldwide, especially in third-world countries where asbestos is still used as a cheap additive to building materials.  Many of these countries are top importers of Canadian asbestos. Canada once dominated…

Mesothelioma Causing Mine May Reopen in Canada
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Mesothelioma Causing Mine May Reopen in Canada

Mine that causes mesothelioma will probably stay open. A spokesman for the Canadian Cancer Society says his organization is “deeply disappointed” that the government of Quebec has decided in favor of helping the Jeffrey asbestos mine stay in operation. According to Canadian media reports, the government has agreed to the $58 million dollar loan guarantee that was needed to help secure international funding and keep the chrysotile asbestos mine open. But the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Medical Association, and other health organizations had argued vehemently against the move, citing evidence that asbestos causes deadly malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. Not only are Canadians who work or live around the Jeffrey mine in Quebec at risk for…