Toronto – In a letter sent to Quebec Premier Jean Charest, the Canadian Cancer Society is urging the premier not to approve a $58 million loan guarantee to Jeffrey Asbestos Mines, based in Quebec, for the renewal of asbestos mining and export.
Granting a loan guarantee to the mine will help spread the global epidemic of asbestos-related cancers and damage Canada’s reputation as a global leader in public health, says the letter.
“All forms of asbestos, including chrysotile asbestos mined in Quebec, cause cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society is working to eliminate asbestos-related disease both in Canada and world-wide,” says Peter Goodhand, President and CEO, Canadian Cancer Society. “Canada’s own tragedy of disease arising from asbestos use is now being repeated in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America, where workplace safety practices are lax or non-existent.”
Thu, Nov 4, 2010
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