Canada told the world Wednesday it opposes placing limits on the export of chrysotile asbestos — a “bombshell” expected to derail international efforts to list the mineral as hazardous.The head of the Canadian delegation at a United Nations summit in Geneva made the statement late Wednesday after a consensus was emerging to label the known carcinogen mined in Quebec as hazardous.
If chrysotile asbestos is listed on Annex III of the United Nations’ Rotterdam Convention, “Prior Informed Consent” would be required before countries could export the mineral. After being informed of the hazards, developing countries that import asbestos could refuse to accept the potentially cancer-causing material if they believe they could not handle it safely.
Until Wednesday’s declaration, the Canadian delegation had remained silent — fuelling speculation from anti-asbestos campaigners that Canada was letting a handful of other countries do its “dirty work.”
The stunning development — confirmed by the UN Environment Program and characterized by the Montreal-based Chrysotile Institute as a“bombshell” — appeared to contradict statements made by Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver just a day earlier, when he told reporters in Ottawa that the question of Canada’s position was “moot” because four other countries — Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine — had already spoken up against the listing.
Under convention protocol, unless consensus among countries is achieved, chrysotile asbestos remains off Annex III. The UN meeting ends Friday.
When pressed by reporters about the possibility of a consensus emerging in the face of Canada’s silence, Oliver also suggested Tuesday that the federal government would accept the listing. “If they want it to be listed, then it will be listed,” he said.
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Source: National Post
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