Labor disputes and the ongoing debate over Canada’s export of  highly toxic asbestos  has forced Quebec-based LAB Chrysotile to announce that they may be closing their Therford Mines in the city of Asbestos.  Although the use of asbestos has been banned in Canada, the country is still exporting copious amounts of the mineral to third world nations where it is yet to be banned or regulated.

“There are personnel problems, there are mining problems, there are all sorts of problems – it’s a business, there’s always something,” said Mine President Simon Dupere, who added that despite the troubles, he is still “very confident” that there is a market for chrysotile asbestos.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen that causes a wide variety of respiratory diseases, including asbestosis and lung cancer.  Mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the lungs, heart, chest and abdomen, is caused exclusively by prolonged asbestos exposure and is a terminal cancer.  Asbestos cancer takes anywhere between 20 and 40 years to develop and usually does not become symptomatic until it reaches stage three or four.  By the time it is diagnosed, even with treatment, the typical mesothelioma prognosis is a life expectancy of no more than 18 months.

The Therford Mine is considered Canada’s only fully-operational asbestos mine.  However, there is another mine in the same city, the Jeffrey Mine, but it only functions part of the year.  Therefore, closing the Therford Mine would likely only increase fervor to do away with Canada’s asbestos mining industry.  With thousands of newly diagnosed mesothelioma cases appearing in Canada each year, ending the Canadian asbestos industry would certainly err in the direction of enhanced workplace safety.

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