News:

News text:

The article cited below was published in the July 2025 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Using data from the Australian Cancer Database covering the period 1982 to 2020, the scientists examined the incidence of mesothelioma, the signature asbestos cancer, according to a variety of factors and predicted future mesothelioma trends. They concluded that: “the greatest risk of mesothelioma in Australia [is] occurring in cohorts with the highest levels of historical cumulative occupational exposure, showing the value of a ban on asbestos…The number of new cases of mesothelioma per year is not expected to decline until after 2030.” See: Mesothelioma Incidence Rates in Australia since 1982: Exploring Age, Period, and Cohort Effects and Future Projections.

Grassroots efforts by Japanese asbestos victims and their supporters have been pivotal in progressing research into mesothelioma, a cancer closely associated with exposure to asbestos. Every year, 1,600 people die in Japan from this disease. The Mesothelioma Treatment Promotion Fund, which was set up in 2010 by victims, has so far raised 50 million yen (US$347,000). In March 2025 14m yen was awarded to fund a clinical study and four research projects. The goal of fund raisers is to amass a total of 300 million yen+ (US$2.1m+) from private and government contributions. See [subscription site]: 中皮腫治療への思い＝大島秀利 [Thoughts on mesothelioma treatment – Hidetoshi Oshima].

Six decades of asbestos production in Kazakhstan will shortly be celebrated by Kostanay Minerals JSC. This conglomerate is the country’s only producer of chrysotile asbestos, 95% of which is exported. According to the text below: “Kostanay Minerals JSC has always paid and continues to pay special attention to the issues of environmental safety and health of employees. The company actively invests in programs to reduce the impact on the environment and ensures strict compliance with international labor safety standards.” See: 60 лет прочности: АО «Костанайские минералы» – стержень индустрии Казахстана [60 years of strength: Kostanay Minerals JSC is the backbone of Kazakhstan's industry].

According to the author of the article cited below, asbestos-cement roofing tiles – formerly an extremely popular product for consumers – have virtually disappeared from sale in Russia and abroad due to the risks posed by toxic exposures to a class 1 carcinogen: asbestos. They have been replaced by safer asbestos-free materials such as metal tiles, flexible tiles and bitumen coatings which do not harm the environment and are safe for human health. See: Шифер из СССР: почему почти исчез из продажи — куда делся символ эпохи [Asbestos-cement tiles from the USSR: why it almost disappeared from sale – where did the symbol of the era go].

The illegal dumping of asbestos-containing waste created by the Eaton and Palisades wildfires in California earlier this year was reported last week. It is believed that cleanup crews working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its main contractor Environmental Chemical Corp. dumped debris at the Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center and Calabasas Landfill. These operations were reported to the landfill operators in mid-April, weeks after they had occurred; neither site was designed to handle hazardous material. See: Federal contractors improperly dumped wildfire-related asbestos waste at L.A. area landfills.

Figures published on July 2, 2025 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) showed a 3% drop in mesothelioma mortality between 2022 and 2023 from 2,280 to 2,218 deaths. Amongst the interesting trends observed were the following: a 3-year reduction in the number of male deaths – the number of female deaths remained level; 70% of all mesothelioma deaths occurred in people 75+ years old; the highest at-risk cohort continues to be men who worked in the building industry. The North East, South East and East of England seem to be the regions with the highest incidences of male mesothelioma mortality and the North East, East and North West for female mortality. See: Latest annual work-related fatalities published.

The sole remaining operational asbestos mine in Latin America is in the Brazilian city of Minaçu. In 2024, the Serra Verde mining company – backed by US investors – began extracting rare earth minerals at a Minaçu site. With the collapse in global asbestos use, local people are looking to this new industrial sector to secure the town’s future. According to Mayor Carlos Alberto Leréia, revenues from Serra Verde “will bring enormous wealth to the city.” While some locals expressed concerns about the adverse environmental and health consequences of the new mining venture, others wondered whether the promised riches would filter down to the company’s workers and local people. See: Brazil’s last asbestos miners are switching to rare earth minerals. Can they offer a brighter future?

The publication cited below by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health (APPG) was released on July 1, 2025 at a meeting at the House of Commons. The 18-page text reviewed the shameful history of Cape Plc, formerly one of the UK’s biggest asbestos conglomerates, and backed calls for a government boycott of the company’s current owner (Altrad) until a £10 million donation is made towards the cost of medical research into asbestos-related cancer. Pursuant to these goals, the APPG will write to ministers and request meetings to progress the report’s recommendations. See: The Legacy of Cape Plc (and Group companies), and the case for justice.

During a June 27, 2025 press conference in Osaka, Japan a former truck driver said that having been denied compensation for contracting asbestos-related lung cancer, he had launched a lawsuit at the Osaka District Court. The claimant alleged that he had been exposed to asbestos contained in building products at multiple construction sites. He was seeking compensation of 11.5 million yen ($US 80,000) from the government. See: 建設アスベスト給付金、不支給は「趣旨を没却」 賠償求め初の提訴 [Construction asbestos benefits, non-payment is “forfeiture” First lawsuit for compensation].

Work has begun in central Struga, a town in the south-western region of North Macedonia, to replace 6.2 kilometers of aging asbestos-cement water pipes “with safe and modern materials”; the budget for the first phase of this program is €1.5 million (US$1.8m). According to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment Izet Mexhiti: “This investment is just part of a broader vision for a sustainable urban environment, with a focus on public health, safe water and modern infrastructure.” See: MMJPH: Filloi faza e parë e rikonstrukcionit dhe zëvendësimit të rrjetit të ujësjellësit në Strugë [MMPPH: The first phase of the reconstruction and replacement of the water supply network in Struga has begun].

A paper that was published on July 1, 2025 in BMC Public Health – “a peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal that covers epidemiology of disease and various aspects of public health” – highlighted the global inconsistencies in the occurrence of laryngeal cancer (LC) resulting from workplace asbestos exposures. Whilst reductions in the incidence of LC have been achieved in some high-income countries “low- and middle-income countries continue to face challenges due to ongoing asbestos use.” See: Global, regional and country-specific burden of larynx cancer due to occupational exposure to asbestos: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

In June, Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart wrote to the Scottish Government about the health hazard posed by the continued delivery of water via asbestos-cement pipes in Scotland. The response from the Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work Gillian Martin was less than reassuring and confirmed her continued support for the status quo. Wishart is now urging the authorities to “commission their own up-to-date assessment of the connection between asbestos piping and gastrointestinal cancers” and not rely on outdated WHO research. See: SNP ministers reject concerns over asbestos in drinking water.

On June 24, 2025, the Constitutional Court of Slovenia handed down a ruling upholding the right of relatives to bring a legal action for the asbestos death of a family member. Central to the case was an argument about equality before the law; denying these plaintiffs the right to bring an “inherited” action for damages deprived them of a right enjoyed by the heirs of beneficiaries who had initiated compensation proceedings prior to death. The Court agreed that it was, indeed, the duty of the legislature to treat both groups of heirs in an equal manner. See: Ustavno sodišče: Neupravičenost dedičev do odškodnine zaradi izpostavljenosti azbestu je neustavna [Constitutional Court: Heirs' ineligibility for compensation for exposure to asbestos is unconstitutional].

A train loaded with almost 1,000 tons of Chinese chrysotile (white) asbestos destined for Uzbekistan departed from the city of Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China last week. According to a news release, this was “the first special train with asbestos from Gansu Province to Central Asia…” Between 2021 and 2023, Uzbekistan used, on average, around 110,000 tonnes of asbestos every year, most of which came from Russia, the world’s largest producer of asbestos. See: Из пров. Ганьсу отправился первый спецпоезд с асбестом в Центральную Азию [The first special train with asbestos went to Central Asia from Gansu].

On June 26, 2025, US Attorney David Metcalf announced that criminal charges had been lodged against the Philadelphia School District over alleged violations of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. According to the charges, city officials had failed to “inspect, remediate, and report damaged asbestos in multiple city schools” in a timely fashion. As a result of their inaction, students and staff experienced toxic exposures in the school buildings. This is the first time that a school district has been criminally charged with violating the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. See: Press Release. United States Attorney Announces Criminal Charges Against the Philadelphia School District Alleging Violations of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response ActM.

On June 25, 2025, the Valeggio Regional Technical Committee for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) blocked plans by the company Progeco Ambiente Spa for the construction of a local asbestos landfill site, after receiving hundreds of objections from local authorities, environmental associations, citizens’ committees and residents in recent months. See: Amianto a Valeggio: primo stop, ma la partita è ancora aperta [Asbestos in Valeggio: first stop, but the game is still open].

Welcoming the new Korean President, who took office on June 4, 2025, civil society groups launched a rolling program of weekly public rallies in the capital to highlight critical issues including the country’s deadly asbestos legacy, the dumping of Fukushima nuclear wastewater and Korea’s humidifier disinfectant disaster. Despite achieving a remarkable success in eradicating the asbestos hazard from schools, dangerous asbestos loopholes and unaddressed problems remain, including failures of compliance with mandatory asbestos regulations; the continued presence of nearly a million asbestos-contaminated buildings; and the lack of support for some groups of asbestos victims. [Read full article]

On June 24, 2025, the Constitutional Court of Slovenia handed down a historic verdict upholding the successor right of relatives to bring a legal action for the asbestos death of a family member. According to the Court, the previous position which barred them from doing so – as laid out in the Act on Remedying the Consequences of Work with Asbestos – was unconstitutional. As a direct consequence of this ruling the National Assembly must adopt measures implementing this policy reversal within one year. In the meantime, heirs of deceased victims whose asbestos-related diseases had been medically recognized may submit compensation claims. [Read full article]

On June 16, 2025, President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed its intention to overturn asbestos prohibitions implemented by the previous administration. According to the EPA’s motion, the process of re-evaluating the 2024 regulations would take at least 30 months and most likely a lot longer. While polluters and vested interests – some of whom formerly employed current EPA officials – are no doubt, delighted with this news others have warned of the dire consequences for American citizens of future asbestos exposures. [Read full article]

Around the world, mobilization over the asbestos hazard continued to accelerate in recent weeks. Among the issues tackled were: the rights of victims, the responsibility of governments, deadly national legacies, the eradication of contaminated infrastructures and the need to outlaw asbestos use in countries which have not yet done so. The initiatives rolled out by civil society groups, trade unions and governments to raise public awareness, support the injured and protect populations in Asia, Africa and Europe confirm that the global asbestos discourse is now an integral part of mainstream discussions on human rights, environmental justice and green technology. [Read full article]

I always knew there was something Quixotic about the confrontation of British mining conglomerate Cape Asbestos by thousands of South Africans from poor mining communities in the late 1990s; just how epic the battle was has taken me 30 years to fully appreciate. The publication of a new book – In A Rain of Dust, Death, Deceit and the Lawyer who Busted Big Asbestos – was a revelation with its tale of corporate crime, apartheid capitalism, boardroom clashes, vulture funds and a huge cast of characters. Summing up the importance of this publication, one UK campaigner said: “This new book has a relevance not just to those of us fighting for the rights of the asbestos-injured but to everyone concerned about human rights, environmental justice and corporate responsibility.” [Read full article]

In a press release issued today, asbestos victims’ groups from around the world came together to welcome a new book: In a Rain of Dust – Death, Deceit and the Lawyer Who Busted Big Asbestos which was published in London on May 13, 2025. The text written by David Kinley joins the pantheon of other English-language classics which stripped away carefully crafted corporate façades to show the ugly reality which lies behind asbestos industry profits. The gripping story of how a London-based human rights solicitor with little prior knowledge about asbestos called to account one of the UK’s biggest asbestos conglomerates is not only a riveting read but also a timely reminder of the consequences of an industrial legacy that continues to cause death and destruction on a global scale. [Read full article]

Around the world, International Workers Memorial Day (IWMD) was celebrated on April 28, 2025 by trade unions, labor federations and groups representing victims of workplace illnesses and accidents. Although the theme of this year’s activities was the threat of artificial intelligence to workers, many of the events held highlighted the imminent hazard posed by asbestos to workers both in countries where its use remains legal and those where it is banned. With millions of tonnes of asbestos material still contaminating national infrastructures and over a million tonnes of asbestos fiber being used every year, neither workers nor the public are safe from deadly exposures. The IWMD slogan: “remember the dead, fight for the living” is as apt now as it’s ever been. [Read full article]

For decades, the existence of a regional asbestos epidemic has been a fact of life for people living in towns near a former asbestos mine in Bahia, a state in the northeast of Brazil. A pionnering pulmonary screening program has now confirmed what local people already knew: there is, indeed, a high incidence of occupationally and environmentally caused asbestos cancers, asbestosis, pleural plaques and other respiratory diseases in the Bahia towns of Bom Jesus da Serra, Poções, Caetanos and Planalto. Recommendations made by the specialists who implemented the surveillance program included: continuous monitoring of at-risk individuals, better recording of disease levels and data and the creation of a local center of excellence for the treatment of lung diseases. [Read full article]

People continue to die from asbestos-related cancers and diseases more than thirty years after asbestos was banned in Italy. For decades, victims’ associations, trade unions, community groups and public prosecutors have sought to hold negligent parties to account for the damage done. One defendant who has been indicted and convicted in multiple jurisdictions is Swiss billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny, former owner and a director of the Swiss Eternit company and the main shareholder of the defunct cement production company Eternit Italia. On April 17, the Turin Court of Appeal confirmed a lower court’s verdict which held him responsible for scores of asbestos deaths even though it reduced the length of the prison sentence. [Read full article]

It is remarkable to witness the heightened engagement of national authorities with asbestos legacies in key global hotspots. The imposition of new restrictions, progression of medical projects, upscaling of impact assessments and implementation of eradication programs are indicative of an ever-growing awareness of the urgent need for action to prevent future deaths. Work is also on-going in scores of other countries in screening at-risk populations, securing compensation for victims of asbestos-related diseases, documenting the crimes of asbestos defendants, highlighting long-standing injustices of compensation schemes, and exposing hazardous workplaces and practices. Scrupulous monitoring of developments is essential to preserve progress made in the battle for global asbestos justice. [Read full article]

A catalog of recent developments are suggestive of major problems at Russia’s second largest asbestos conglomerate: Uralasbest. On March 10, the company announced that the workforce would be put on a three-day week to save money on labor costs. Reacting to this news, panicked Uralasbest employees, already on minimum wage, told reporters that their income could decrease by a further 30%. Many were “seriously considering quitting.” Just a few days after the Uralasbest bombshell had exploded, the company announced that it was abandoning the three-day week in the face of employee “dissatisfaction.” The press service of Uralasbest declined to comment further. [Read full article]

After an eight-year wait, Brazilian and international asbestos watchers were optimistic that the Supreme Court’s (STF’s) definitive ruling on the illegality of asbestos exports would be handed down by March 14. As has happened so many times before, the delivery of an STF asbestos decision was upended. This time, the impasse was caused by Judge Kassio Nunes Marques, an appointee of the disgraced former President Jair Bolsonaro. Marques said he needed more time to consider the arguments of case ADI 6200. As he has been a STF Judge since November 5, 2020, one wonders why he had not found time to study the case files? There might be 103,000,000 reasons for this. [Read full article]

Two initiatives have come to the fore recently highlighting the human, environmental and ecological tragedy which has befallen Slovenia's picturesque Soča Valley. From 1921, this area was the heartland of the country's asbestos-cement industry with a sucession of companies routinely exposing thousands of workers and residents to carcinogenic asbestos fibers. A great debt is owed to author/researcher Jasmina Jerant and documentary photographer and filmmaker Manca Juvan who cast fresh eyes over an old scandal. Using their unique talents, they succeded in thrusting vital questions onto local, national and international agendas and once again forced us to question the compromises ordinary people are forced to make to provide for their families. [Read full article]

Brazilian asbestos, banned at home, continues to poison millions of people in India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe etc. whilst simultaneously enriching Brazilian stakeholders. In 2023, international sales of Brazilian asbestos were worth $103,000,000, making Brazil the world’s 2nd largest exporter. Deadlines published by the Supreme Court (STF) for ending the legal limbo in which exports of this prohibited substance continued were inexplicably postponed in August and October 2024. On the eve of STF proceedings which could end the constitutional impasse, global campaigners issued a press release urging the Court to end this “immoral and unjustifiable double standard.” [Read full article]

There is a special place in hell reserved for the panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit which on November 27, 1991 derailed an incipient US ban on asbestos. The knock-on effect of the verdict was that asbestos use remained legal for another 33 years, creating yet more asbestos victims. It was with a pronounced sense of déjà vu that on Friday, February 21, 2025 I learned that the same court had acceded to demands from the Trump administration to pause implementation of a 2024 national asbestos ban. Under the administration of Republican President George W. Bush the asbestos cancer risk to Americans was ignored in 1991; knowing what we do about Donald Trump, is it likely that the outcome will be different this time around? [Read full article]

A statement issued on February 13th conveyed news of yet another win by Indonesian campaigners against asbestos vested interests. After six months of hearings, motions and deliberations, Chief Judge of the Central Jakarta District Court Marper Pandiangan threw out legal arguments by the asbestos manufacturers association (FICMA) which had sought huge damages from civil society groups following a March 2024 Supreme Court ruling mandating warning labels for asbestos roofing products. FICMA has until the middle of March to file an appeal. [Read full article]

Latest Articles:    click titles twice for full article

Topics:

Demonstration in Woluwe Park, Brussels, 2006

Under cloudy skies, members of Belgian and French Asbestos Victims' Associations from Dunkirk and Bourgogne marched side-by-side in the third annual demonstration organized by ABEVA, the Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims. Erik Jonckheere, ABEVA's Co-chairman, condemned the government which still refuses to recognize the plight of the asbestos injured.

From Article: