Work is underway on a new Canadian registry to identify former mine workers of the now defunct Baie Verte mine who may have developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. The registry is a joint effort by the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC), the Baie Verte Peninsula Miners’ Action Committee and United Steel Workers. The registry, although it presents a first step in gathering statistics on miners’ health, has received criticism for not going far enough. For example, the registry fails to include former miners’ family members, many of whom have contracted asbestos-related cancers from second-hand exposure to asbestos. Also, the government’s compensation policy is inadequate, covering solely lung cancer or mesothelioma, although other cancers can also be caused by asbestos. The Baie Verte Asbestos Mine began operations in 1955 and closed in 1992. About 3,000 people were employed at the mine.
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