Canada’s Asbestos Industry Having Trouble Securing Funds For Revitalization
Despite the heavy political support from the Canadian and Quebec governments, thus far the asbestos industry has not succeeded in its plan to re-open the Jeffrey underground mine in the town of Asbestos, Quebec and revive the town’s asbestos trade –mostly due to the difficulties of raising needed funds.
The Jeffery open pit mine was the largest open pit asbestos mine in the world during its operation and, for most of the past century, provided asbestos for the Johns Manville. The mine has since been closed, having exhausted its asbestos resources. For more than a year Jeffrey Mine Inc. has been trying to re-launch the Quebec asbestos trade by opening an underground mine (which was 90 percent complete in the 1990s). Though the project has the support of a number of Canadian politicians, all of Quebec’s medical and public health officials have opposed it.
The Quebec government has already approved a $58 million loan guarantee for the mine’s investors if the group can come up with $20 million of its own funds. Investors have been working for months to raise the funds from overseas investors, particularly in India, but have been running into trouble due to strong public opposition.
One of the most recent popular oppositions to the mine was The Daily Show’s recent segment titled “Ored to Death,” which exposed the insanity of the mine’s reopening in a satirical way. Also, thanks to the efforts of ban asbestos organizations, such as the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), more people are aware of the dangers of asbestos use.
Asbestos has been linked to terrible diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and certain types of lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a particularly deadly disease, and, sadly enough, it could have been prevented if the asbestos companies had chosen not to place profits over people.
The government has set July 1 as the deadline by which investors have to submit their financial plan –along with the $20 million in funds.
Thus far, efforts to stop the mine’s reopening have kept the project from moving forward, and with continued advocacy, the mine may be kept from reopening.
