THE CANADIAN PRESS - OTTAWA - The Conservative government continues to claim that Canada's chrysotile asbestos can be used safely "under controlled conditions."
But with a major international conference in Geneva less than a week away, the government is refusing to say what position Canada will take when its global partners ask that the known carcinogen be included on a list of hazardous chemicals.
Canada has twice played a lead role in blocking the inclusion of asbestos under the Rotterdam Convention, which operates by consensus.
Christian Paradis, currently Canada's minister of Industry, boasted about Canada's blocking role to La Tribune newspaper in Sherbrooke in November 2009.
"We have shown our support for the position of safe use of chrysotile by opposing twice the inclusion of chrysotile under the Rotterdam Convention," he told the newspaper, "and be assured that as long as the Conservative government of Stephen Harper is in power, that's how it will be."
Despite effectively banning asbestos domestically -- and spending tens of millions of dollars to have it removed from public buildings, including Parliament -- Canada is one of the world's main exporters.
Full Article
Source: Huffington
But with a major international conference in Geneva less than a week away, the government is refusing to say what position Canada will take when its global partners ask that the known carcinogen be included on a list of hazardous chemicals.
Canada has twice played a lead role in blocking the inclusion of asbestos under the Rotterdam Convention, which operates by consensus.
Christian Paradis, currently Canada's minister of Industry, boasted about Canada's blocking role to La Tribune newspaper in Sherbrooke in November 2009.
"We have shown our support for the position of safe use of chrysotile by opposing twice the inclusion of chrysotile under the Rotterdam Convention," he told the newspaper, "and be assured that as long as the Conservative government of Stephen Harper is in power, that's how it will be."
Despite effectively banning asbestos domestically -- and spending tens of millions of dollars to have it removed from public buildings, including Parliament -- Canada is one of the world's main exporters.
Full Article
Source: Huffington
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