While the industry has appeared on the brink of collapse, Friday’s long-rumoured provincial loan will cover more than two-thirds of the cost of renovating and reopening the Jeffrey Mine in Asbestos, Que. — a move that could keep production going for another 20 years.
Critics here and abroad have taken aim at the asbestos industry, calling it immoral for Canada to be exporting the substance to developing countries where safety standards are suspect.
One of the last two remaining asbestos facilities in Canada, Jeffrey Mine suspended production last year due to financial problems. The other mine, Lac d’amiante du Canada in nearby Thetford Mines, shut down shortly afterward but some proponents hope it can be revived as well.
The Canadian asbestos industry was once hailed for its mining of the mineral used for fireproofing and insulation, not only dominating world production but also creating entire towns at its peak. In 2010, it was still producing about five per cent of the world’s supply.
The terms of the deal will see private investors, led by Balcorp Ltd., kick in another $25 million to refurbish the mine. The owners will have to provide royalties along with annual fees that, over time, will see $7.5 million put aside to diversify the region’s economy.
“This is excellent news for the city of Asbestos and for the region,” said Yvon Vallieres, the local MNA and cabinet minister who is retiring from provincial politics.
“The reopening of the mine will not only create 425 full-time jobs, especially for young people, but it will also contribute to development in Asbestos, a one-industry town.”
He cited predictions that worldwide demand for asbestos would increase — especially in India — while the supply would drop. He said an external audit with a respected firm would monitor whether the material was being handled safely by Jeffrey’s foreign customers.
The announcement came as rumours swirled about a possible provincial election in September. Vallieres, the long-time Liberal legislature member for the area, has announced he is not running.
A senior official of the World Health Organization says it stands by its estimate that asbestos-related diseases, such as certain forms of lung cancer, kill more than 107,000 people around the world each year. The figure relates specifically to people exposed to asbestos fibres at work.
Ivan Ivanov, a team leader in WHO’s department of public health and the environment, said earlier this year the estimate is based on data from published scientific research.
However, Bernard Coulombe, the president of Jeffrey Mine, has challenged the data, calling it an exaggeration based on unfounded evidence.
Source: the star
Author: CP
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