Wednesday 26 June 2013

Taking A Stand: The Asbestos Cancer Victims' Rights Campaign


Below is a guest post from Susan Vento, a spokesperson for the Asbestos Cancer Victims' Rights Campaign (ACVRC). The ACVRC is currently working to raise awareness and take action against the Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act. This act will hinder the ability of patients and survivors of asbestos-related diseases to get justice for the harm done to them by companies who used asbestos and allowed employees to be exposed to asbestos despite their knowledge of its terrible health consequences. 

FACT will make the legal process even longer in the U.S., which means even fewer patients and survivors will be compensated for their losses due to their asbestos-related disease. Supporting these companies is not a precedent that should be set in the fight to ban asbestos. Instead, like Susan Vento and ACVRC, let's stand up for patient and survivor rights. 

My husband, Bruce, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives until October 10th, 2000 when he died of pleural mesothelioma––a rare disease caused by asbestos exposure. He was exposed during his work as a laborer, a job he took so he could put himself through college. While many only know of asbestos cancers like mesothelioma from late-night television commercials, there are a growing number of people experiencing the real fate this deadly disease carries.

Mesothelioma is known as being a fast mover after diagnosis, taking most victims’ lives just four to eighteen months later. Tens of millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos; more than 27 million people were occupationally exposed between 1940 and 1979. Millions of those exposed have fallen ill, or will fall ill in the future; many have died and many more will die as a result of their exposure. Despite these terrifying facts, asbestos is STILL not completely banned in the US today.

Asbestos victims rely on compensation from personal injury trusts through asbestos claims to cover their insurmountable medical expenses, but sadly many victims only receive a small percentage of what companies owe them. This places a huge burden on the victims and their families.

Recently, asbestos companies are using their political influence to push a new bill in Congress, led by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). It is called the “Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act”. In short, these companies want to use this bill as a means to delay medical payments, which results in most victims dying before they seek justice. The parties in support of this bill are hiding behind this notion of “transparency”, but the reality is this bill places burdensome reporting requirements on victims applying to the bankruptcy trusts. This requirement is not two-sided, however. The same companies who are to blame won’t have comparable requirements, creating a one-sided and unfair bill designed to debilitate those who have already been injured. Personally identifiable information such as the last four digits of social security numbers, private work history, and personal information of children exposed at an early age would become public, making victims vulnerable to identity theft and discrimination.

This is just the latest attempt by big companies and individuals like the Koch brothers to avoid responsibility for their heinous wrongdoings. Just last week the House Judiciary Committee began fast-tracking this bill. Even though the Committee promised to hold a public hearing to provide an opportunity for a patient and two widows to testify, they instead sent the bill to a full committee markup and vote without bothering to hear the victims’ side of the story.

The time is now for us to take a stand. I am a spokesperson for the Asbestos Cancer Victims’ Rights Campaign. The ACVRC is a national campaign dedicated to protecting the rights and privacy of asbestos victims and their families.  By joining our fight, you can help us defeat this unfair legislation and the potentially dangerous precedent it sets.

I work with the ACVRC to honor Bruce’s legacy as well as do what I can to help other patients and families protect their legal and constitutional rights. While awareness and information surrounding mesothelioma have improved considerably, we need to continue raising our voices. Starting with signing our petition, I encourage you to join our effort. Despite where you reside, be it Canada or the United States, signing your name in support of the ACVRC will still make an impact. With your help, we can put a stop to this legislation. Together, we can work towards building a better tomorrow and truly make a lasting difference.


To stay updated and for more information, be sure to find the Asbestos Cancer Victims' Rights campaign on their website and on Facebook and Twitter



Top 5 Tips of Asbestos Detection and Removal for Homeowners


Tip #1
Do not rely on visual confirmation alone to determine if a material contains asbestos.
While an asbestos inspector who has regularly worked with asbestos might be able to identify it visually at times, the only way to know for sure is with a laboratory test.

Tip #2
Treat materials you think could have asbestos in them as if they did.
It is always better to overdo safety precautions than assume the material isn’t hazardous and risk your health. Be sure to not damage the material by drilling through it or sanding it before it is cleared by a laboratory test that it is safe to do so. 

Tip #3
Make sure you call a qualified and experienced contractor.
Not all renovators and contractors have the necessary training to know how to identify and remove asbestos properly so make sure you ask to see their certifications and for references from past customers.

Tip #4
Leave undamaged asbestos materials alone.
Sometimes, it is actually safer to leave undamaged and protected asbestos alone instead of disturbing it by removing it. Make sure this asbestos remains isolated and protected from damage that could release asbestos fibres into the air.

Tip #5
Your asbestos inspector should be different from your asbestos removal professional.
Asbestos removal can be very costly so you want to avoid conflict of interest as much as possible. 

Resources:
Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Protect Your Family. Retrieved June 2013 from http://www2.epa.gov/asbestos/protect-your-family#professionals.
WorkCoverNSW. (2010). Fibro & Asbestos: A Renovator and Homeowner’s Guide. Retrieved June 2013 from http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/fibro_and_asbestos_renvator_homeowner_guide_0315.pdf. 

Monday 24 June 2013

Will Quebec Finally See the Truth About Asbestos?


In April 2013, CBC News published an article about the possible end of Quebec’s asbestos promotion policy. After 11 years of encouraging local construction companies to use asbestos products, the Natural Resources Minister Martine Ouellette finally admitted that there seems to be no safe way to use the fibres. Nearly 40 years after Sweden enacted the world’s first chrysotile asbestos ban, could Canada be finally following suit?

Today, Canada is one of the few industrialized nations that doesn’t ban the known carcinogen. (The United States is another.) In fact, Quebec has been home to a highly profitable chrysotile mining industry since 1879.

Asbestos fibres
Asbestos Use

For years, Canada has been one of the largest exporters of asbestos. Developing nations are especially willing to buy the inexpensive fibres, which they use to add a fireproofing element to many common building products. (These nations consume about 90 percent of Quebec’s asbestos.)

However, Quebec does use plenty of its own chrysotile. A recent survey found asbestos in at least 180 health care sites, including long-term care homes. Abatement is now underway.

Until recently, however, governing bodies insisted that chrysotile asbestos was safe to handle. Lobbyists – often funded by The Chrysotile Institute – argued that the fibres didn’t share the cancer-causing properties of other forms of asbestos, like serpentine. These lobbyists even managed to keep asbestos off the U.N.’s list of toxic substances.

Asbestos Promotion

In the past, the Parti Québécois promoted its use, saying, “Unequivocally, they believe the future of asbestos and asbestos products can play a leading role in many specific sectors.” They suggested that encapsulated asbestos products (such as bricks) were not harmful at all, because the individual fibres weren’t likely to make it to the surface, where they could be inhaled. However, this promotion failed to consider the repercussions that could occur as those products aged naturally or were damaged by construction.

Now, however, the parties in power are starting to consider such factors.

“I don't think we're there anymore,” Natural Resources Minister Martine Ouellet said, when asked about their policies of asbestos promotion.

As a first step, the Pauline Marlois-led government rescinded the previous government’s offer of a $50 million incentive to re-launch production at Quebec’s Jeffrey Asbestos Mine. And while they’ve stopped endorsing production, there’s still plenty of room to improve. Perhaps a complete ban of asbestos will be next.  

Faith Franz writes for The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. She encourages patients to consider the benefits of alternative medicine.

Resources:
CBC News. (5 April 2013). Quebec’s Asbestos Promotion Policy May be Ending. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.canewscanadamontrealstory20130405quebec-asbestos-policy-jeffery-mine-chrysotile-export.html

CBC News. (26 March 2013). Asbestos in at least 180 Quebec Health Care Sites. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.canewshealthstory20130326quebec-asbestos-health-care-contamination.html