News Archive

On October 30, 2025 India’s National Green Tribunal (NGT) – a “specialized judicial body… to handle and expedite legal cases related to environmental protection and the conservation of natural resources – ordered that measures be implemented to reduce health risks and prepare for a gradual transition to asbestos-free materials in schools. The Court acknowledged the medical evidence which showed that exposures to asbestos caused cancer and stated that the use of asbestos in schools was grounds for “health and environmental concerns.” See: NGT stops short of banning asbestos roofs in schools; orders strict safety norms, gradual phase-out.

Asbestos Waste Removal in Sichuan

Nov 6, 2025

The area around abandoned asbestos mines in Sichuan, China has been rehabilitated, as part of an environmental project to widen the ecological corridor for Giant Pandas. The expansion of the Giant Panda National Park was possible after the rehabilitation of 245.22 hectares of contaminated land on which 41.958 million cubic meters of asbestos tailings were deposited. This toxic waste was created by operations at asbestos mines over several decades. See: 四川雅安废弃矿区的“新生”：智慧修复构筑生态走廊 [The “Rebirth” of Abandoned Mining Areas in Ya'an, Sichuan: Smart Restoration Builds an Ecological Corridor].

Asbestos Eradication Program

Nov 6, 2025

According to the Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA), the national program to remove asbestos roofing from public and private buildings has entered its final stage. The eradication work began in 2009 and, to date, has reduced the amount of asbestos roofing in place from 1.69 million square meters to 51,000 square meters. RHA spokesman Yusuf Sindiheba told journalists last week that: “By February 2026, we expect to have removed all remaining asbestos materials from government and public buildings.” See: Effort to eradicate asbestos roofing nears completion.

Concerns over White House Reconstruction

Nov 6, 2025

The article cited below described ongoing efforts by Democratic senators and public health advocates to clarify health and safety protocols put in place by the White House and its contractors to safeguard workers and members of the public from deadly exposures to asbestos, a substance which is believed to have been used in the construction of the East Wing. In a letter signed by three high-ranking US senators, the President was asked for information about the demolition work plan, the identity of the donors funding the project and details of the asbestos and lead paint abatement plans. See: Senators, advocates demand explanation on asbestos risks from East Wing.

Call for Action by APEC

Nov 6, 2025

On October 31, 2025, members of a coalition of civil society groups held a press conference – entitled A Wish for APEC – outside the building where international leaders and advisors were taking part in meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Gyeongju, South Korea. The campaigners demanded an end to the dumping of Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, a solution to the climate crisis, and an end to the use of asbestos throughout the Asia-Pacific region. See: [20251031] APEC에 바란다 - 경주 캠페인 현장사진 [[20251031] A Wish for APEC - Gyeongju Campaign Site Report].

Moby Drea: Update

Nov 6, 2025

The asbestos-laden Italian ferry, the Moby Drea, which was deported from Croatia will now be allowed to stay in Taranto, Italy while asbestos removal work is carried out by the specialized company Ecologica. It is believed that 100 tonnes of asbestos are contained in the wall partitions in the ship’s cabins. The vessel is now owned by the Italian company: Med Fuel Bunkering which obtained authorization from the Port System Authority of the Ionian Sea for the remediation work to be carried out. See: Dopo oltre un mese sbloccata situazione nave Drea a Taranto: concessa banchina per bonifica dall'amianto a bordo [After more than a month, the situation of the Drea ship in Taranto has been unblocked: a quay has been allocated for removal of the asbestos on board].

Stalemate at Court!

Nov 3, 2025

The October 28, 2025 blog by Fernanda Giannasi cited below reported the latest disappointing development at Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) which has, yet again, postponed the decision on a case regarding the unconstitutionality of a State law contravening the 2017 national asbestos ban ordered by the Court. On October 27, 2025 STF Justice André Mendonça declined to cast his ballot in the legal action and claimed that an additional review of the facts was needed. Five votes have already upheld the illegality of the Goiás State exemption which allowed asbestos mining to continue despite the STF ban. See: Amianto: André Mendonça pede vistas e atrasa processo pelo banimento, por Fernanda Giannasi [Asbestos: André Mendonça requests review and delays ban process, by Fernanda Giannasi].

Asbestos Pipes in Sardinia

Nov 3, 2025

Local Sardinian politician Giampaolo Lilliu has denounced the continued use of 9,000 kilometers of asbestos-cement pipes in the territory of Oristano. He demanded that the Sicilian authorities undertake an updated audit of the number and condition of contaminated pipes used for water delivery and analyze the quality of water supplied to islanders. See: “In Sardegna novemila chilometri di condotte in amianto”: gli ex esposti Areas rilanciano l’allarme [“Nine thousand kilometers of asbestos pipes in Sardinia”: former Areas exposed raise the alarm].

Asbestos in the White House?

Nov 3, 2025

In the aftermath of the sudden demolition of the East Wing of the White House, news began circulating about the presence of asbestos in the demolished structure. The work had been ordered by President Donald Trump to clear the way for the construction of a massive new ballroom. Multiple critics have expressed concern over the lack of transparency regarding the planning for and permissions obtained for the President’s “vanity project.” Given the age of the East Wing, it is likely that asbestos was used in its construction. See: Trump’s crew may be spreading asbestos with unpermitted White House teardown: expert.

Uproar in Cleckheaton!

Nov 3, 2025

Residents from the Yorkshire town of Cleckheaton have grown increasingly frustrated by Kirklees Council’s failure to engage in a discussion about the environmental contamination caused by development work. Protestors have complained of asbestos, arsenic, lead and cyanide contamination which “has already resulted in negative health impacts.” According to an October 15 statement by Cleckheaton Against Harmful Development: “Despite repeated complaints, there has been no official testing inside homes, no professional cleaning, and no health screening or medical support for affected families.” See: Pressure grows on Labour council ‘silencing and abandoning’ residents facing toxic asbestos danger.

Victim’s Verdict!

Nov 3, 2025

In a stunning judicial ruling, the Second Panel of the Regional Labor Court of the 6th Region (TRT-6) in Brazil reversed a lower court verdict and awarded a family compensation for the asbestos-related death of a construction worker, 45 years after he had been occupationally exposed to asbestos. The Court concluded that there was sufficient evidence about the deceased’s exposure to asbestos and that this exposure had compromised this worker's pulmonary system and caused his death. See: Segunda Turma do TRT-6 concede indenização por danos morais à família de trabalhador vítima de exposição ao amianto [Second Panel of the TRT-6 awards compensation for moral damages to the family of a worker who was a victim of asbestos exposure].

Mesothelioma Incidence in Casale Monferrato

Nov 3, 2025

The paper cited below was published earlier this month in the Journal of Environmental Health by a team of researchers from Italy and Columbia. Data sourced from the Piedmont Malignant Mesothelioma Registry was used to analyze mesothelioma trends in Casale Monferrato, the epicenter of Italy’s mesothelioma epidemic. The scientists concluded that mesothelioma deaths will continue to occur in this location for at least 20+ years even though asbestos use was banned in Italy in 1992. See: The evolution of an epidemic: age-period-cohort modelling of mesothelioma in Casale Monferrato, 1990–2021, with projections to 2042.

Asbestos in Schools

Oct 30, 2025

Funding from international donors facilitated the removal of deteriorating asbestos roofing from the Don Bosco technical school and staff housing in Makuya, Kenya. The premises were used regularly by 1,000 local people, not only for educational purposes but also for community and religious activities When asked about the improvements, one school user said that the [eradication] “project has given us peace of mind knowing that all the students and staff are no longer exposed to hazardous asbestos.” See: KENYA: Don Bosco Makuya replaces school roof thanks to donor funding from Salesian Missions.

Unsafe Asbestos Removal Practices

Oct 30, 2025

Last week, the Dutch Labor Inspectorate warned that recent inspections had revealed that more than a third of the 18 certified companies responsible for post-asbestos removal inspections had failed to comply with asbestos removal regulations – resulting in buildings being declared safe despite the presence of asbestos residues. According to the reported data, there are ~80,000 asbestos inspections conducted in the Netherlands every year. The Inspectorate is considering measures to improve compliance rates. See: One in three asbestos inspection firms in the Netherlands are failing to ensure safety.

Asbestos Protest in Seoul!

Oct 30, 2025

On October 21, 2025, activists mounted a protest in Seoul, South Korea, calling for an asbestos-free Asia Pacific and demanding that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) act urgently on Asia’s asbestos hazard. Commenting on the event, campaigner Choi Ye-yong said: “In a few days, APEC leaders will be gathering in South Korea for a series of high-level meetings culminating with the APEC annual summit… The continued use of asbestos is contrary not just to APEC’s core objectives but also to the human rights of every individual…” See: APEC 2차 캠페인 - 석면없는 아시아태평양 만들어라 [APEC 2nd Campaign – Create an Asbestos-Free Asia-Pacific].

Wittenoom: Toxic Eyesore, Sacred Land

Oct 30, 2025

Earlier this month, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported the latest developments in the sorry tale of Wittenoom, West Australia, a region despoiled by years of blue asbestos mining and milling operations. Wittenoom's traditional owners, the Banjima tribe, are preparing to sue the State government over widespread contamination in and around the 46,000 hectares which were the location of the now “disappeared” town. A new documentary: Yurlu | Country about the fight to reclaim this land was reviewed in the following citation. See: Wittenoom asbestos contamination prompts legal threat from Banjima traditional owners.

Workplace Asbestos Hazard

Oct 30, 2025

New data from Ontario’s Asbestos Workers Registry (AWR) has found a serious system failure which is resulting in occupational exposures to asbestos despite the national ban and multiple asbestos regulations. Much-needed improvements, an AWR report said, were: more stringent controls informed by increased worker participation, more and better safety training, and streamlined responses to asbestos discoveries. The authors urgently recommended the need for earlier interventions to protect workers from contracting asbestos-related diseases. See: Asbestos Is Banned—But Its Harm Isn’t. Intervene Sooner, says New Ontario Study.

Failures in Asbestos Management

Oct 30, 2025

An article in the current issue of Education Business magazine emphasized the need for “for strong leadership, robust training and a culture of compliance” in the management of asbestos in schools. “Asbestos should,” the author wrote “be viewed as a critical safeguarding issue in education, not an administrative afterthought.” Although progress has been made, a significant number of schools were still not complying with government regulations. The most common failings were inadequate or missing asbestos management plans, and inadequate or missing asbestos surveys. See: Asbestos: a hidden threat demanding visible action.

Update from Turin!

Oct 24, 2025

The latest development in the long running saga that is the battle by Italian asbestos victims to hold Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephen Schmidhieny to account for damage done by the operations of Italian factories owned by the Swiss Eternit Asbestos Group was a Turin Court of Appeal ruling last month which found him guilty of the asbestos deaths of dozens of workers and residents. The defendant was sentenced to 9.5 years for the manslaughter of 91 people. See: Eternit bis, i giudici su Schmidheiny: “Sapeva dei rischi ma scelse di ignorarli” [Eternit retrial: Judges on Schmidheiny: “He knew the risks but chose to ignore them”].

Asbestos Alert!

Oct 24, 2025

A commentary in the Guardian newspaper on October 20, 2025 highlighted the fallout from the continued failure to address the UK’s deadly asbestos legacy. According to the author Tom White, much of the 6 million tonnes of asbestos imported into the UK during the 20th century remains hidden within the national infrastructure. This toxic material is deteriorating; as it does so, carcinogenic fibers are liberated thereby endangering the health of anyone in the vicinity such as workers, building users and members of the public. The laissez-faire attitude towards asbestos in the UK was compared unfavorably to policies adopted by governments in Korea and Australia to minimize toxic exposures. See: It’s still killing people, and the government has yet to act: Britain’s hidden asbestos epidemic.

Canari’s “Project of the Century”

Oct 24, 2025

According to business owners in Canari, Corsica, the ongoing asbestos decontamination work on the site of the island’s former asbestos factory – termed the “Construction Project of the Century” – has not been a boon to local businesses. Although the authorities promised that 15% of the budget, €1+ million (US$1.16m), would go to islanders, anecdotal evidence shows that most of the companies employed at the site were from mainland France. See: Démolition de l'usine d'amiante de Canari: les entreprises corses relativisent l'impact économique [Demolition of the Canari asbestos factory: Corsican companies put the economic impact into perspective].

New Asbestos Trade Data

Oct 24, 2025

Data obtained last week from India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry showed a remarkable development in asbestos imports. In the aftermath of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Brazil became the largest asbestos exporter to India, the world’s largest asbestos market. This position had for many years been held by Russian producers. While Brazil was India’s largest supplier in 2022-23 and 2023-24 exporting 175,994 tonnes [t] and 155,437t respectively compared to Russia’s 96,306t and 129,700t, in 2024-25 Russia resumed its traditional position sending 192,611t to India compared to Brazil’s 133,807t. In recent years, Kazakhstan’s asbestos exports to India also increased from 1,010t in 2020-21 to a peak of 25,168t in 2021-22 before falling in 2024-25 to 19,528t. See: Indian Asbestos Imports 2017-2025.

Asbestos in Schools

Oct 24, 2025

Asbestos contamination of schools in Italy remains widespread; ~5% of the country’s schools, used by 352,000 students and 50,000 teachers and school staff, are affected. Campaigners are petitioning Giuseppe Valditara, the Minister of Education, to implement a nationwide program to prioritize the eradication of the asbestos hazard from the educational infrastructure, provide health monitoring of staff and students, and set up a compensation protocol for the injured. See: Asbestos, thousands of schools contaminated: Italy is lagging behind in removal.

Removal of Asbestos from Schools too Slow

Oct 24, 2025

On October 15, 2025, new data was published by the Ministry of Education which showed that the number of schools in South Korea still containing asbestos exceeded 1,725. According to national guidelines, asbestos removal work at schools is carried out during vacations so as not to disrupt the work of the schools. Critics say that due to the slow speed of progress in eradicating the hazard, the deadline of 2027 for the asbestos decontamination of schools is looking in jeopardy. See: 전국 유치원·학교 1725곳에 '석면'…"2027년까지 제거는 현실적으로 어려워" [‘Asbestos’ in 1,725 kindergartens and schools across the country... “realistically it will be difficult to remove by 2027”].

Victim’s Verdict in Lecce

Oct 20, 2025

Earlier this month, Judge Daniele Gallucci of the Civil Court of Lecce, southern Italy ordered the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to pay compensation of €1 million (US $1.16m) to the family of an 80-year old mesothelioma victim. The MoD was also ordered to pay legal costs of €18,000+ as well as other unspecified costs. According to the judge, there was a causal link between the deceased’s asbestos cancer and the exposure to asbestos he experienced between 1954 and 1994 during his naval service. See: Il Tribunale di Lecce condanna il Ministero della Difesa: 1 mln di euro ai familiari dell’operaio morto per amianto [The Court of Lecce condemns the Ministry of Defense: 1 million euros to the family of the worker who died of asbestos].