Russia, India Block Proposal to Restrict Asbestos Exports

For the fifth consecutive time, a handful of countries blocked a United Nations proposal that effectively would have restricted the exportation of dangerous chrysotile asbestos. Russia, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, Cuba and Kyrgyzstan stopped the proposal to put the toxic mineral on the Rotterdam Convention Hazardous Substances list, which would have tightened shipping regulations and likely reduced the spread of asbestos. Although an overwhelming majority of countries represented last week in Geneva, Switzerland, backed the U.N. proposal, there was no unanimous consensus, which the Rotterdam Convention requires to pass a vote. "This is disappointing. People will suffer because of this," Oladele Ogunseitan, Ph.D., Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention chair at University of California-Irvine, told Asbestos.com. "We all know asbestos is like a ticking time bomb. The more people who are exposed to it now, the more people will be sick and die from it later." Asbestos causes mesothelioma, a rare and almost always terminal cancer that affects the lining that surrounds the lungs, heart and abdominal cavity. The Rotterdam Convention listing does not prohibit trade, but it requires that exporters ensure that destination countries are fully informed of the risks, acknowledging it with a Prior Informed Consent before shipping. It allows developing countries the right to refuse the shipment at any point. Building Industry Still Covets Chrysotile Asbest...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Legislation, Laws & Litigation Source Type: news