Asbestos News Roundup: 12.1.11

December 1st, 2011. By LucyC

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.

Asbestos News

Montreal, PQ: Asbestos mining has stopped in Canada, for the first time in 130 years, with mining suspended at both sites in the country that produce the toxic substance. Management at the Jeffrey underground asbestos mine is currently waiting for a $58-million loan guarantee from the Quebec government. Plans to resume production at the end of 2010 have been delayed considerably. Lac d’amiante du Canada ceased mining near Thetford Mines earlier this month.

According to a report in the journal, Canadian Mining News, “Canada supplied 85% of the world’s asbestos needs in the early 1900s, and production peaked in the early 1970s. Concerns about the safety of using the fibres has led to a sharp drop in demand in the last 20 years.” Despite pleas from many countries and organizations around the world to close the Jeffrey mine permanently, investors hope to resume production at the mine next spring. (Canadian Mining New.com)

Libby, MT: Asbestos is still being found in the water originating from creeks in and around Libby, the home of the now defunct W.R. Grace & Co mine site.

As a result, federal officials are now in talks with the mining company about ways to clean up the toxic substance which is washing into the Kootenai River. According to media reports, officials don’t know how far downstream the asbestos contamination goes.

The WR Grace Vermiculite mine closed 20 years ago, but high amounts of asbestos are still very much present in the region. The vermiculite ore mined at the site was used for domestic insulation products. The mine generated asbestos dust for miles, and as a consequence, some 400 people have died from diseases related to the dust; nearly 2,000 others have become sick. (kfbb.com)

Asbestos Law

Madison, WI: J.B. Van Hollen, the attorney general for Wisconsin, has issued an order to pay $50,000 in forfeitures and costs to Rolling Meadows Development LLC, an Oshkosh-based development company and contractor Brian Fuchs for alleged violations of state laws regarding the proper handling of asbestos.

According to the complaint, Rolling Meadows Development LLC and Brian Fuchs allegedly committed a series of asbestos violations during the renovation of a former residence care facility into a hotel and conference center located at 1155 South Military Road in Fond du Lac. The property was owned by Rolling Meadows and the company hired Fuchs to renovate the site.

The complaint alleged that during the renovation, which took place between November 18, 2009, and April 9, 2010, Fuchs and his employees, demolished interior walls and disturbed asbestos-containing material on site, and that they did not have certified asbestos workers on hand, among other charges. Legally certified asbestos workers are required by Wisconsin law in these types of situations.

The complaint also claimed that the required notification of asbestos disturbing activity was not forthcoming at the site prior to the work beginning. (Legal Newsline.com)

Tags: Asbestos, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Settlement, asbestosis, asbestos_mesothelioma, mesothelioma

This was posted on Thursday, December 1st, 2011 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Asbestos Mesothelioma . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.