News Archive

On August 31, 2026, California became the first US state to address the need for standards that ensure building safety in the aftermath of wildfires like those in Altadena and surrounding areas in 2025. In the wake of such disasters, properties can become contaminated with toxins including asbestos and lead. The new legislation “require California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control and Air Resources Board to develop regulations and guidance on what contaminants need to be addressed after a wildfire, how environmental testing should be conducted and when homes can be considered ready for re-occupancy.” See: When is it safe to return home after a wildfire?

Health Monitoring in Asbestos Region

Sep 21, 2026

Asbestos mines abandoned in the Limpopo Province of South Africa continue to pose a health risk to local people; recent tests by local authorities confirmed the presence of asbestos contamination in the soil and water. In April 2026, 48-year-old Mampuru Thobejane died from asbestosis; his father Chief Setlamorago Thobejane said that Mampuru “lived in agony in his last days while struggling with the impact of asbestos-related illnesses.” An Integrated Health Screening Programme for people in the former asbestos communities was launched earlier this summer. See: South Africa: Limpopo Asbestos Community Gets Health Screening After Resident's Death.

Confronting the Asbestos Challenge

Sep 21, 2026

Complacency in the aftermath of a national asbestos ban is not unusual. The article cited below highlighted the ongoing health hazard posed by even low levels of airborne asbestos in Norway’s rural and municipal spaces. Papers sourced from three major databases, identified 22 studies relevant to the new study: a review of the literature found “that the levels of asbestos fibers in outdoor air are generally low, but that they are still significant…” To better understand the problems, the researchers are keen to investigate “how weathering and degradation of materials containing asbestos can affect levels in the environment.” See: Asbest kan fortsatt finnes ute i lufta [Asbestos can still be found in the air].

Asbestos at the Nursery

Sep 21, 2026

Weeks of delay by regional authorities extended the period during which children were exposed to asbestos at a nursery facility for the children of healthcare workers in Roberval, Quebec. Parents were furious about the exposures which could have taken place between June 22, the date when building work began which disturbed the asbestos, and August 18, when the nursery was evacuated. Reassurances that “tests confirmed a low presence of asbestos,” which Santé Québec – the Quebec public health and social services agency – considered a low risk to the health of the children, only added fuel to the fire. See: Amiante au-dessus d’un CPE Quand Santé Québec néglige la santé publique [Asbestos above a daycare centre. When Santé Québec neglects public health].

Asbestos health Screening

Sep 21, 2026

On September 19 & 20, free health screenings were made available to people at high-risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease in Geoje City, South Korea. Those eligible included people who lived near shipyards for more than 5+ years, residents of houses roofed with asbestos-cement material for 10+ years and people who experienced workplace exposures in the construction, demolition, shipbuilding, ship-repairing, automobile maintenance sectors and their family members. See: 거제시, 석면건강영향조사 무료 검진 실시 [Geoje City to Conduct Free Screenings for Asbestos Health Impact Assessment].

Asbestos Contamination of Libby

Sep 21, 2026

The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that during the years that W.R. Grace’s vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana was operational, 80,000 people could have been exposed to asbestos. The vermiculite produced in Libby was contaminated with asbestos; the workers took the deadly dust home to their families. The toxic waste from the mine was used to pave schoolyards, playgrounds and baseball fields. The EPA designated Libby a Superfund site and in 2009 “declared an environmental public health emergency at the Libby site, the first such declaration under Superfund.” To know more about what happened next, read the publication cited below. See: Libby, Montana: A seminal case in environmental public health.

Health Program for 9/11 Children

Sep 18, 2026

In the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, it was announced that a medical surveillance program would be set up by the US government to monitor the health of the tens of thousands of children living or studying in lower Manhattan and surrounding neighborhoods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently “seeking applications from researchers to set up the World Trade Center Youth Research Coordinating Center and identify and track a Youth Research Cohort.” While data exists on health issues experienced by adult survivors, little research was done on the effects of childhood exposures on 9/11. See: Children of 9/11 to finally get a major health study.

Asbestos Leaves Tripoli for France

Sep 18, 2026

Information was released last week by a spokesperson for the Lebanese Energy Ministry that after 70 years, 20 tons of asbestos had left the Beddawi oil facilities in Tripoli and was on its way to a treatment plant in France. The cargo left by boat from the Port of Beirut and should arrive in France after a 35-day voyage. Although a sub-hearing of the article cited below mentioned that toxic waste was also sent to Hungary, the majority of the article was behind a paywall so that could not be verified. See: After 70 years, 20 tons of asbestos leave Beddawi oil facilities to France.

Closure of Ilva Steelworks

Sep 18, 2026

On September 11, 2026 it was reported that the Milan Court of Appeal had rejected an appeal and confirmed its order to shut-down the blast furnaces at the Ilva steelworks, Taranto within 90 days. Ongoing asbestos hazards and air pollution risks were cited as the reasons for the Court’s decision. This development was considered a “significant setback” for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who had supported efforts to keep Italy’s largest steel plant operating until a buyer could be found. Eight thousand workers were employed at the Ilva steelworks in Taranto. See: Italian court confirms shutdown at large steelworks in blow to Meloni.

Asbestos Litigation in St. Croix

Sep 18, 2026

Ludrick Donovan worked at the alumina refinery on the island of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands from 1977 to 1984; he was employed by the American corporation Martin Marietta Aluminium. As a result of his 2024 death from pneumoconiosis, his sister filed a civil complaint in Superior Court alleging that her brother’s death had been caused by a lack of workplace protections by a “chronically understaffed” safety department. The claim was brought against Lockheed Martin, the successor to the Martin Marietta Corporation. Similar litigation is pending for ~90 claimants who sustained injuries at other St. Croix industrial facilities. See: Lockheed Martin Sued Over Death of Former St. Croix Alumina Refinery Worker, Toxic Exposure Alleged.

Provincial Asbestos Remediation

Sep 18, 2026

Following a plenary meeting of the Asbestos Department on September 1 2026, Josep Martínez the Mayor of Badia del Vallès – a Catalan town in the Province of Barcelona – confirmed that work will begin this autumn to remove asbestos from ~130 local buildings. According to civil officials, specialist contractors had been appointed and work was due to begin once permits had been authorized. See: Badia del Vallès empezará este otoño la histórica retirada de amianto en casi 130 edificios [Badia del Vallès will begin this autumn the historic removal of asbestos from almost 130 buildings].

Underground Asbestos Scandal

Sep 18, 2026

The articled cited below, which was in the September 12th issue of the Guardian newspaper, reported that for over 20 years, hundreds of London Underground staff may have worked without mandatory face-fitted masks. This was confirmed by internal company documents written by managers from Transport for London (TfL), the public body responsible for the underground system. Multiple personal injury claims from asbestos-injured TfL workers are currently progressing through the courts. In early 2026 a former TfL inspector, now suffering from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, was awarded a six-figure settlement. See: London Underground workers exposed to asbestos without protective masks, documents reveal.

Mayor Divulges Hidden Files

Sep 16, 2026

At a September 8, 2026 Manhattan press conference, the Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani said that 68 boxes of files had been found which showed that city officials had downplayed the health risks to the public and emergency workers from the toxic dust liberated by the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The Mayor announced that 170,000 documents had already been uploaded to a new online portal and many more would be made public in the coming months. See: New Yorkers were ‘lied’ to about toxic air after 9/11 attacks, says Mamdani.

Victim’s Verdict in Catania

Sep 16, 2026

A Court in Catania, Italy ruled [sentence no. 1935/2026] that the death in 2023 from pleural mesothelioma of a local man had been caused by asbestos exposure whilst he served in the Army and then the Catania Fire Brigade. Both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior were found negligent for failures to protect the deceased from toxic exposures. The defendants said that the verdict would be appealed. See: Dall’Esercito ai Vigili del Fuoco di Catania, l’amianto e una morte a 72 anni [From the Army to the Fire Brigade of Catania, asbestos and a death at 72 years old].

The Shame that was Eternit

Sep 16, 2026

Belgium, the EU’s 5th smallest member state by size, seems to have more than its fair share of asbestos victims. The Belgian asbestos industry was founded at the beginning of the 20th Century by members of the Emsens family. Their asbestos company – known as Eternit – set up and ran asbestos companies throughout Europe and overseas. Eternit factories in Belgium wreaked havoc on unsuspecting employees and local people who died prematurely from asbestos-related cancers and diseases. From the early 1960s, Eternit knew about the human health risks posed by asbestos exposures. They did not share this knowledge with the workforce, local communities, customers or government. See: Breathing in cancer: How Belgium's asbestos legacy still torments the country and the world/a>.

Asbestos Nightmare in North Brabant

Sep 16, 2026

A nightmare which began with a 2024 fire which devastated an asbestos-contaminated warehouse owned by the Van Der Vorst family continues. With conflicting advice from government departments and environmental officers, the costs continue to mount and there is “still no solution in sight.” The bill for the initial asbestos remediation work which was commissioned by the municipality remains unpaid by the family. The decontamination carried out was ruled unsafe and did not comply with mandatory guidelines. See: Dubieuze asbestsanering bekend bij omgevingsdienst maar familie krijgt opnieuw de rekening [Dubious asbestos removal known to environmental agency, but family gets the bill again].

A Deadly Legacy

Sep 16, 2026

The informative article cited below described the huge burden posed by widespread asbestos contamination of the UK’s building stock, 27 years after asbestos use was unilaterally banned. The figures are frightening: ~1.5 million buildings – including commercial premises, homes, school, hospitals and other public buildings – contain this Group 1 carcinogen. There is no deadline for the removal of asbestos from the UK infrastructure and 5,000+ people die every year from asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung, larynx and ovarian cancers. See: Why Britain's Asbestos Problem Is Getting More Expensive, Not Less.

20 Year Anniversary of Asbestos Ban

Sep 16, 2026

A September 4, 2026 commentary by Hideyuki Takahashi, Komeito, City Council Member of Yachiyo City, marked the 20th anniversary of Japan’s ban on the manufacture and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. Despite steps taken by the Government, thousands of people continue to die from diseases caused by historic and current asbestos exposures. In his concluding remarks, the author pointed out that: “The asbestos problem is not a past pollution issue that has ended. It is an ongoing risk that still lurks in our cities.” See: 健康被害続くアスベスト : ブログ : 公明党八千代市議会議員　たかはし秀行 [Asbestos: Ongoing Health Damage: Blog: Hideyuki Takahashi, Komeito City Council Member, Yachiyo City].

Landmark Decision on Toxic Toys!

Sep 14, 2026

On September 4, 2026, New Zealand’s Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer said that the Government was considering an unsafe goods notice requiring mandatory pre-sale testing of toys and decorative crafts products containing sand. These moves follow 23 governments recalls last year covering 46,000 products which were contaminated with asbestos. “It is vital,” said Brewer that “Kiwi parents, caregivers and teachers can have confidence that products available in New Zealand are safe, and this is an important step forward.” See: New Zealand Government proposes mandatory asbestos testing for children’s sand products!

Toxic Toy Recall!

Sep 14, 2026

On September 4, 2026, the Dutch retail chain Intertoys said it had recalled asbestos-contaminated toy figurines from customers. According to the Intertoys alert, should the recalled toys tear asbestos fibers could become airborne, The recalled items were the ORB Stretchee and Funkee monkey-shaped figures sold at Intertoys’ Dutch stores between August 1, 2024, and July 3, 2026. There are no Intertoys shops outside the Netherlands. See: Nederlandse keten Intertoys waarschuwt voor mogelijke aanwezigheid van asbest in speelgoedfiguren [Dutch chain Intertoys warns of possible presence of asbestos in toy figures].

Asbestos Victories in Liguria

Sep 14, 2026

The article cited below reviewed the growing number of asbestos cases being litigated in the Italian port city of La Spezia by bereaved relatives whose loved ones died from asbestos-related diseases. Amongst the plaintiffs whose cases had been won in recent weeks were the family of: a carpenter who died of lung cancer after toxic exposures building furniture for military ships; an electric welder from the Enel power plant who died from cancer; a firefighter from La Spezia who contracted the fatal asbestos cancer mesothelioma after a career of 35 years. See: Amianto, la strage continua. In tribunale nuovi casi spezzini [Asbestos, the massacre continues. New La Spezia cases in court].

Mesothelioma Research in Southampton

Sep 14, 2026

The Select Mesothelioma Clinic Trial which opened in Southampton last month (August 2026) was designed to test the efficacy of a bio-marker guided drug in targeting “commonly known genomic alterations within their individual mesothelioma tumours…” If they succeed, they could be used to slow down the progression of the cancer. Mesothelioma patients eligible for this trial include those who had first line treatment and whose scans showed progression of pleural or peritoneal disease. See: New Mesothelioma Clinical Trial opens in Southampton.

Legacy of Asbestos Mining in Bahia

Sep 14, 2026

A study was conducted in the former asbestos mining area of Bom Jesus da Serra, Bahia, Brazil to determine the environmental impact of the defunct and unremediated São Félix chrysotile (white) asbestos mine. Multiple sampling sites were monitored between August and November 2022: “Chrysotile fibers were consistently detected in water and sediment samples from all sites, with higher accumulation in sediments, indicating persistent contamination of aquatic ecosystems.” See: Ameaças invisíveis: exposição ambiental ao amianto e contaminação da água em uma antiga área de mineração do Nordeste do Brasil [Invisible threats: environmental asbestos exposure and water contamination in a former mining area of Northeastern Brazil].

Health Screening in Daegu

Sep 14, 2026

From September 3 to 11, 2026, medical personnel from the Asbestos Environmental Health Center of Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital conducted health screening of ~500 residents who lived near the former asbestos factory in Daegu City in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. The objective is to achieve early diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases so that prompt treatment could be provided. The check-ups are conducted free of charge under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment. See: 순천향대천안병원, 대구 석면공장 인근 주민 건강영향조사 실시 [Asbestos Environmental Health Center Conducts Health Impact Survey on Residents Near Asbestos Factory in Daegu].

Scottish Asbestos Reforms?

Sep 11, 2026

Proposals by the Scottish Law Commission currently being considered by the Holyrood Government would improve the rights of asbestos victims. Provisions of the draft Damages (Scotland) Bill reflect a better understanding of the “realities of asbestos disease.” If implemented, the updated regulations would benefit victims of asbestos-related diseases and their families by removing technical barriers to compensation claims for diseases which have notoriously long latency periods. See: Asbestos victims may get more legal rights.