OTTAWA, June 1, 2009 – Twenty of Canada’s foremost health, environment and labour organizations are urging Canadian Parliamentarians to heed the call to ban Canadian asbestos being brought to Ottawa by three Grade 10 students from northern British Columbia. The students – Hayley McDermid, Claire Hinchliffe and Chloe Staiger, have written a bill to end Canada’s mining and export of asbestos to developing countries. Their Member of Parliament, Nathan Cullen, is presenting their bill in the House of Commons today.
“We support these students one hundred per cent,” said Diana Daghofer, Co-Chair of Prevent Cancer Now. “We hope that Canada’s political leaders are listening to them and to the massive Canadian and international backing for a ban on the production, use and export of this deadly substance.”
“Canadians should be very proud of the initiative taken by these students.” states Kathleen Cooper of the Canadian Environmental Law Association. “We must also direct resources and assistance to affected communities in Canada, and stop continuing to support a toxic and dying industry.”
“It is time to end the double standard whereby we export a product that we refuse to use in Canada because of the threat we know it poses to public health,” said Kathleen Ruff of the Rideau Institute on International Affairs.
“Asbestos-related disease is the biggest occupational killer in Canada,” said occupational health expert Dr. James Brophy. “We need to stop mining and exporting it; we need a national registry and we need to help those who are living the tragedy of asbestos-related disease.”
Wed, Jun 3, 2009
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