Document 2q4GYEV3K9Yamb4OwKNz03o45

FILE NAME Quebec Asbestos Mining Association QAMA DATE 1978 Feb DOC QAMA153 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION QAMA Bulletin Vol 2 No. 2 Re ert ASBESTOS MINING Moe 8KE BAK Seis STOS ASBESTOS MINING MINING ASBESTOSASBESTOS The asbestos lobby In its report on the reasons that led the European Parliament to pass a resolution on health risks relating to asbestos the Commission for the environment public health and con- sumer protection expresses its concern at the stir being raised in member states over the use of as- bestos These currents of opposition are largely the work of a powerful Eu- ropean asbestos lobby whose stridency not to mention its in- fluence - might well be a great deal less if the asbestos mines were situated not at Thetford or Asbestos for example but in Great Britain West Germany or France Phobia Whatever the real motives of this lobby whose financial sources not be entirely disinterested fact remains that the stir it may the has caused among certain European circles has given rise to a kind of asbestos phobia This phobia is fostered by the spreading of misleading information often unsupported by the slightest shred of scientific evidence For sheer incoherence there is little to beat the reporotf the Strasbourg Parliament currently under consideration by the Euro- pean Economic Commission Its recommendations to reduce or even ban the use of asbestos are full of peremptory declarations on the dangers involved with this fibre while the arguments supporting them are inaccurate vague and poorly worked out Thus having affirmed that there is sufficient proof to show that asbestos is dangerous ... and that we must now draw the logical con- clusions the authors of the resolution admit that the diseases which they attribute to asbestos only become apparent after several years and are extremely difficult to diagnose precisely The currently available statistics on these diseases are related to ex- posure to asbestos which took place many years ago It is as yet impossible to draw up statistics on diseases relating to present expo- sure levels Contradictions In addition the European Parliament suggests that the greatest possible effort be made to develop suitable substitutes for asbestos products and in the same breath recommends that research be car- ried out into the carcinogenic nature of all kinds of replacement fibres so as to ascertain the pos- sible carcinogenic effects of fibres used to replace asbestos In other words the members of the European Parliament would like to ban the use of asbestos though they admit that they cannot be sure if it is really dangerous in view of technological developments which have enormously reduced exposure levels -- and replace it with other products whose possible biological effects they know absolutely nothing about We hope that the executive branch of the European Economic Commission is capable of greater ri- gour and discrimination Weighing the facts No one would deny that asbestos though irreplaceable in most of its uses and generally a saver with its qualities of incombustibility and heat insulation can represent a health risk for anyone who is ex- posed to abnormally high dust concentrations over a period of several years . From this point of view the Eu- ropean Parliament's recommen- dation to adopt suitable measures to govern the handling of asbestos in its member states is only reason- able As the authors of the reso- lution themselves recognize this should not present too many problems given that other countries such as Sweden Canada and the United States have already adopted date procedures which can be used as examples And while taking Canada as an example in this respect the authors might also find it useful to consult in Canada the world's largest store of information on the biological effects of asbestos and finally confront the asbestos lobby with the conclusions of fifty years of scientific and medical research which establishes that asbestos pro- ducts in no way endanger the public to which on the other hand they provide innumerable benefits |Bulletin proved Asbestos filters useful and effective chrysolife because through land Brosion or atmospheric fall this ubrous material can infiltrate water and join with other particies on account of its high flotability and " its structural form 1 Counting the fibres A series of analysis carried out by the Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering at Laval University in Qu^'bec City shows that beverages filtered through asbestos filters contain fewer magnesium particles related to chrysotile asbestos fibres than filtered beverages According to this study supervised by Dr Claude Barbeau of the mebrane Chemistry Department filtering through an asbestos membrane not only adds no asbestos fibres to wine but even reduces the concentration of fibres that it contains before filtering In addition the average asbestos content in the wine was found to be about seven times less than the concentration of asbestos found in samples of drinking water taken from large urban areas In Qu^'becand Ontario of the fritration as regards the in- terception of magnesium compound " particles Referring to the magnesium conlent of Montr^'al tap water Dr. Barbeau explained that if we as- sumed that all magnesium particles Comparative analyses measured are chrysotile we would obtain a total of 150 million fibres The was water analysed from various and the cities magnesium per litre But fibre counts made some years ago with an electronic content compared with that of apple microscope showed that Montr^'al juice and grape juice and that of wines bottled or imparted by the drinking water contained no more than 2 to 3 million chrysotile asbes- Soci^'t^'des alcools du Qu^'bec tos fibres per litre Thus while the magnesium content of drinking water in Montr^'al Since for example 2 million fiwas somewhat under 2...g bres of grade 4 asbestos weigh 0 1 micrograms per litre and that of microgram it would be necessary waler in the Qu^'bec region varied In order to Ingest 5 milligrams of asbestos fibre - which is about half the size of a small pea - to drink 50 000 litres of a liquid con- taining 2 million fibres per litre Moreover points out Dr Bar- C_ WE beau one has been able to establish a relation between stomach cancer and the ingestion of asbes- tos fibres In fact he stated Reduction of magnesium Our results says the study report drawn up for the quality control service of the Soci^'t^'des al- cools du Qu^'bec show that not only does adequate use of an as- bestos filter not add any magne- Sium compounds but it in fact reduces the magnesium content Chrysotile asbestos is a magnesium compound namely a hydrated magnesium silicate whose chemi- cal formula is Mg Si 07 2H 2H 00 The method of analysis and comparison used in this research is based on the measurement of inso- luble magnesium compounds in beverages Even if the method of measuring the magnesium residues does not enable us to distinguish between Abrous and fibrous silicates says Dr Barbeau and gives no indication of the dimension of the fibres it is nonetheless surt- able for assessing the efficiency between 1 and 10...giltre the magnesium content of wines after filtration through asbestos filters varied between 02 and 1 O...glitre Before filtration this content was litre falling to litre after a first filtration and to 0 3...glitre after a second filtration Contrary to previous reports this indicates that a filtration process using asbestos membranes not only adds no fibres to the wines but also has the effect of significantly reducing the natural asbestos content of these wines is natural Dr Barbeau said to an audience of filtration special- 15ls that water should contain the stomach acid should break down chrysotile and leave an amorphous silica residue as usually happens when containing matter is digested as is the case for soil particles or dust which are often taken in when eat- ing Confirmation These findings are borne out by a memorandum published on the 18th of October 1976 by the French Minister of Agriculture which informed the public welfare council Conseil superieur d'hygi^ne publique that proof has yet to be found that the ingestion of asbestos causes any anomaly whatsoever Dr. Barbeau goes as far as to conclude from the overall results of his research on the subject that if all beverages were so well filtered as are the wines it would appear safer to drink bottled beverages than to drink water Health conditions among asbestos workers close study of 6 785 files shows that asbestosis is in decline A study of the medical files of almost all the asbestos mine work- several years it damages the lungs and affects breathing ers in Qu^'becreveals that of the cases considered % show signs of pulmonary fibrosis asbestosis After studying the 6785 files drawn up by the special asbestosis committee the pneumology service These results were compiled diagnosed ten cases of advanced as- after a review in 1977 by the bestosis 53 cases of mild asbes- special asbestosis committee of tosis and 372 cases considered the pneumology service of the Qu^'- as minor bec Workman's Compensation Board of 6785 files relating to workers employed in asbestos Traces of the past mines in Qu^'becin 1975-76 Whereas Dr Selikoff chose Though these results have not yet been the subject of a public report by the W.C.B of the Ministry of Labour Dr Jacques Gauthier director of the pneumology service at the Coeur Hospital in Montreal where the review of the files was carried out has revealed some of the findings in an interview given to the private television network M^'tropole From 80 to % 200 workers for his study who had had more than twenty years exposure to primary activities the files reviewed by the special as- committee concerned alt asbestos workers in 1975-76 It may be observed that the incidence of asbestosis increases with the number of years of exposure but even here the figures for workers having more than twenty years ex- posure is very different from the 80 mentioned Dr Gauthier stressed We wonder how this Asked to comment on the enormous difference between the results drawn from his service's compilations and the allegations arising from a study by Dr I.J. Selikoff of the Mount Sinai Institute according to which 80 of all asbestos workers would be affected by asbestosis Dr Gauthier explained that Dr. Selikoff was referring to radiological anomalies These anomalies Dr Gauthier continued are not necessarily caused by asbestosis They may be effects of infections or pleural plaques which are not attributable to asbeslosis Asbestosis as is generally known is a disease which tends to appear among those who have been exposed to abnormally high concen- trations of asbestos dust over figure of 80 was obtained he added during a later interview from his clinic at the Sacr^'Hos- pital pointing out that the publication of this figure had served to cause a phobia among the work- ers It is worth stressing also that the workers with the greatest number of years of exposure are usually those who were working in mines and mills in the 1920s 30s and 40s At the time the technology for the extraction and processing of asbestos and the means for reaching diagnosis were relatively undevelop ed compared with the hygiene conditions the dust elimination methods and the means of early detecting signs of health changes which scientific and technological progress has now made possible Committees of experts The pneumology service at the Coeur Hospital runs one of the three clinics used by the C.B. pneumology service The two others are at the Maisonneuve Hospital in Montr^'al and at the Laval Hospital in Qu^'becCity Each of these clinics calls upon committees of experts which include at least four doctors of whom one is a chest specialist one a radiologist one a doctor named by the union and one a doctor suggested by the employers Apart from their other numerous responsibilities , these committees provide expertise on industrial lung diseases particularly on the vanious forms of pneumoconiosis such as , talcosis byssinosis etc The C. B pneumology service issues medical certificates to workers employ- ed in all mines and quarries in Qu^'bec after inspection of their medical and radiological files The pneumoconiosis committee assesses on behalf of the W.C B. the degree of incapacity of workers through radiological tests and highly specialised medical examinations equipment . The clinics run by the pneumology service possess the most up to date extensive and available Thus at the Coeur Hospital where the special asbestosis com- mittee reviewed the asbestos workers files once breathing measurements are made in a spe- cial isolating cabin the results are fed into a computer that produces a most accurate diagnosis 3 | | Bulletins Interview with the President of the Qu^'becAsbestos Mining Association are a number of asbestos product plants being built the developing countries and we are making great efforts to increase our market share in these countries On the other hand we hope that in a few years the economy will have picked up and so will our share of the market - How Is the industry reacting to the marketing of substitutes for asbestos Mr. M.J. Messet President of Lake Asbestos is undertakiang second term as President of the Qu^'bec Asbestos Mining Asso- ciation At the outset of his new term of office he gives his com- ments on a number of current topics related to the asbestos industry - What do you think 10 be the reasons for the decline in asbestos deliveries in 1977 There are mainly two reasons First the economy of some of our large consumer countries has been declining Building has been on the decrease and consequently the sale of products thus influencing the sale of our fiber Secondly the USSR has increased its production of asbestos and has put about 50 more fiber on the market While in other years Russian Tiber sales were about 440 000 tons in 1977 these sales were up to 870 tons and as their prices are very competitive our sales have gone down - How to cope with this situation To compete we will have to improve our productivity and tech- nology and consequently lower our 1 costs , there -Following the exageration of the environmental questions linked with asbestos people are looking for substitutes In some areas these products will find their place but in others as in the cement products asbestos will hold its own Basically asbestos IS -- cheaper product All countries have cement to which they can add asbestos to build homes panels pipes etc in the Middle in the East in Africa they are all building asbestos plants and this market will always be import- ant In other areas we feel that it will take a lot of time and re- search to find efficient and econo- mical substitutes to replace asbestos Some substitutes already exist but none has the low cost efficien- cy relation we find in asbestos And talking about risks to health asbestos is no more dangerous to use than other essential products like PVC for example Today we have the technology and knowledge necessary to use asbestos safely while for the substitute products we don't have the historical background and the experience necessary to evaluate their risks Who knows what will be said in 20 years about some substitutes It took more than 60 years before we knew that asbestos could present certain risks to health What do you think of the govern ment proposal to carry out research in with the Industry We welcome initiatives in this area and if government officials can come up with realistic projects with economic possibilities we are certainly ready to collaborate But research is not a universal pana- cea There is a big job to do to change the attitude of architects and construction people towards asbestos and get them to use more containing products Would it not be to make a bigger effort in research into new asbestos products and appli- cations - A lot of research is being carried on For example ten years ago flooring felt which contains 85 asbestos was still unknown Hopefully new products and new applications will be discovered through ongoing research But in the present atmosphere it is difficult to get people to put a lot more money into new asbestos products because of misinterpretation of health problems Research is expensive and requires major in- . vestments Do you think that the government's aim to transform 20 of Qu^'bec's fibre production is re- allstic The Sor^s report does not foresee the realisation of this h jective But the Sor^s report is for investors and investors cannot take risks as important as a govern- ment which can afford to lose money back 30 and 40 years Today with technology we can properly con- trol the environment and reduce dust exposure to employees as can on one hand but create jobs for its people on the other hand Qu^'becis now be verified in our mines and mills in Qu^'bec Europe is one of not an easy market as we do not the oldest consumers of our asbes- buy here a lot of asbestos ing products A big educational program has to be put into action to convince people to use more asbestos products Here in Qu^'bec tos Perhaps some politicians thought they had to make some rules but Europe has been using asbestos products for more than a hundred WB have developed the world's most modern technology on mining milling and grading asbestos but we have not been able to develop the same kind of expertise in trans- formation because you cannot build a strong manufacturing industry if it does not have a strong domestic markel base What towards European bestos is the recent Parliament Parliament industry's attitude resolutions of the concernig as- as- The siluations referred to are mainly those of the past dating years and once this crisis is over 1 am sure that with proper in- formation and knowledge of the safe methods of manufacturing asbestos will continue to be used - How do you see the future of the industry Even if the outlook at this time is somewhat pessimistic in the short term I feel that in the long run we will see an important change in attitudes At the moment we have the health problems the misinformation and exaggeration of inform- ation to cope with But we shall overcome and we possess the brain and energy to do so We have in hand a great product an essential basic raw material of great value which simultaneously offers many qualities that we cannot find in any other product and that's our future > 70 of the Qu^'becasbestos production 15 used in the manufacture of asbes- cement products |Bullm^ i|n Friction products _ and air purity For brake linings and clulch plates asbestos is the ideal friction material Experts acknowledge that friction products made with other fibres do not carry the same advantages as products which are asbestos Asbestos is used ,, ,brake lin- ings because of its thermal stability its relatively high friction level its reinforcing properties and its low cost No substitute provides the same quality compromise Low dust emission Furthermore as the asbestos in the brake linings and clutch is retained in the baked resin hausing the emission of dust into the air is reduced almost to nothing It has in fact been shown that the rise 10 temperature of the main body of the asbestos product causes a chemical conversion of 99 % of the fibre which is thus converted into inert and harmless particles Experts report These conclusions are the result of a research program car- ried out by three American experts Michael G Jacko of the Bendix Corporation Research Lab- oralones Robert T DuCharme of the same company's Automotive Control Systems Group and Joseph H Somers of the Office of Air and Water Programs of the Environmental Protection Agency Conclusive tests The results of this research program published a few years ago have never been contradicted since The aim of the program was to measure the asbestos dust emis- sions from a popular make of auto- mobile fitted with asbestos brake linings Numerous tests were therefore carried out reproducing customary driving conditions for a vehicle fitted with special apparatus enabling the dust emissions to be collected The dust particles were then recovered and their weight calculated They were analysed by means of optical and electionic microscopy techniques Thus after 90 tests it was observ- ed that the asbestos dust emissions accounted for only % of all emissions deriving from wear on the brake linings and that heat con- verted 99 of the asbestos into olivine and fosterite particles which are considered harmless New pit at Carey- Canadian Mines In January Canadian Mines started to develop a new open pit SIX miles from its mining installations at East Broughton When this third pit known as pil A as worked at full capacity it will provide 000 tons of ore per day The Company management estimates that the mine will continue pro- ducing fibre for 12 years The ore will be transported by truck to the mill at East Broughton The opening of pit A will al- low continued feeding to the mill after pil B is finally work- ed out Pit B has reached 320 feet in depth and production will soon be terminated Another pit known as pit C. provides 4 to 5 000 tons of ore per day and is now 405 feet deep Hydraulic shove In addition the company has recently acquired 3 new hydraulic shovel for use in pit A. is a Liebherr R981 D powered by two Diesel engines Its operation is entirely hydraulic which allows for easier operations on soft ground Canadian Mines has a current annual capacity of 200 000 tons consisting mainly of short fibres particularly of grade7 The production of asbestos in 1977 In Qu^'bec Qu^'bec asbestos fibre deliveries totalled 277 short tons in 1977 making a drop of % compared with production in 1978 1 373 941 tons This falling off reflects the general tendency in the world econo- my and also results from a slackening of demand in the United States and in Western Europe On the other hand the estimated value of fibre deliveries in 1977 reached a new peak of over 400 million It should be noted that these figures take no account of production from the Asbestos hil deposit in Northern Qu^'bec The ore which is mined there is sent for processing to Nordenham in the German Federal Republic and the libre produced is therefore considered as being part of the European produc- tion In Canada For Canada as a whole where eight companies are involved in as- World Asbestos Production - 1977 Short Tons USSR 2 596 000 Canada Quebec 1 277 674 578 000 bestos mining fibre deliveries in 1977 totailed 577 990 short tons compared with 250 tons in 1976 Canadian sales on the world market were worth some 520 million in 1977 rising from 452 million in 1976 Qu^'bectopped the list of Cana dian provinces with 81 of de- liveries supplied from the mines located in the Eastern townships which employ more than 800 workers and distribute their products to more than 80 countries all over the world The other Canadian asbestos producers are located in British Columbia in the Yukon in Newfoundland and in Ontario World production Asbestos deposits are to be found in numerous countries and in a wide variety of forms However chrysotile asbestos makes up 90 of world asbestos production and is the only type produced in Canada Although Canada retains first place among producers of asbestos in the western world the Soviet Union has for some years now been the world's major producer Of- ficial figures supplied by the Main Board asbestos industry of USSR Indicate that Soviet fibre production in 1977 was as high as 2 596 000 short tons of groups 3 to 6 inclusive and some 660 000 tons of group 7 in the western world will increase in coming years at a yearly aver- age rate of between 1 and % It IS estimated that the currently known asbestos ore reserves in Ca- Approximate fibre content for various uses Products by weight by cost Asbestos water- proofing products leak joints 50-70 15-20 Friction material molded 50-60 15 Friction material woven 70 30 Asbestos texhles cloth yarn 85-90 40 Asbestos papers fells 80-90 60 Asbestos finished sheets 10-15 30 Asbestos pipes 16 45 Asbestos 8-14 8 Approximately South Africa including Rhodes a 750 000 Europe 330 000 China 220 000 United States 105 000 South America 80.000 80.000 Australia Other countries 75 000 45 000 5 779 000 World production in 1977 may be estimated at around 5 800 000 short tons of which approximately 27 is chrysotile asbestos coming from Canada Other countries with notable production of fibre are South Africa Rhodesia Italy the United States and Australia Perspectives In spite of a slight fall in demand during 1977 is generally considered that the consumption of asbestos nada will be sufficient to meet de- mand well beyond the year 200 2000 Canadian asbestos ore reserves in fact total more than one billion tons and contain about 48 million lons of recoverable fibre In view of the foreseeable evolution of de- mand for asbestos fibre Canada and particularly Quebec should have plenty in stock for some time to come 7 81 million for hygiene conditions iv Canada = Postes Post Canada Postage can Port paye Third Troisi^me class classe 683 Montreal P.Q. Between 1975 and the end of 1977 asbestos producers in Qu^'bec invested a total of 26 134 970 on projects directly related to air purifi- cation in the mines and mills of the mining companies at Thetford Mines and Asbestos These sums however are only part of the investment programs undertaken by the asbestos ing companies since the 1960s and particularly since the beginning of 1970 which aim at meeting the government norm of 0.20mg of asbestos in the total respirable dust to be enforced from 1981 By that time the asbestos mining companies will have devoted some 81 million to works designed to achieve the optimum dust elimination and to improve the hygiene conditions in their mills and other installations These works consist for the most part of the installation of new ventilation equipment and dust elimination systems and of the modernisation of certain plant and laboratory facilities Extensive improvements Thus last year Canadian Mines continued to cover all the screens and conveyors at its mill and undertook to install dust fil- tration units in the drying and packing sections the pilot plant and the recently built laboratory Lake Asbestos carried on the automation of its packing section and installed a new automatic stack er which considerably reduces ex- posure to dust Several conveyors have been completely covered to re- duce the emission of dust Bell Asbestos completed the installation of new equipment in its new mill and the modernisatioonf its original mill and made = sub- stantial improvements to its underground installations and waste disposal system Canadian Manville pursuing its systematic program of modernisation and renovation begun in the 1960s recently changed the 90 000 filter bags at one of its mills The dust level reading in this section has improved by 80 Asbestos Corporation as part of its 30 million air purification program has since the beginning of 1976 set up new dust control units in its installations at Thetford Black Lake and Coleraine Other projects which have been carried out are the construction of a dryhouse at King Beaver no 3 and the installation of a new mechanical vacuum system at the Normandie and British Canadian 1 processing plants A similar system is being installed at King Beaver Also in 1977 the dryers at British Cana- dian 2 were fitted with a dust elim- ination filter sytem In addition co- vers are being fitted to the co- veyors and screens of the different installations New equipment In addition following a survey of all the level monitoring and measuring equipment recommended by the research committee on hygiene in the asbestos industry the Qu^'bec Asbestos Mining Asso- ciation has advised its member companies to buy two monitoring devices namely GCA's continuous surveillance 101-4 for internal APMAPM for and = the checks The Tyndallometer was also recommended for certain applications in the mills All companies now use these devices to maintain a constant check on hygiene conditions in work- ing areas #Bulletin This BULLETIN is published by the Qu^'becAsbestos Mining Association 3 Place Marie suite 603 Montr^'alH3B 2E3 The Post Office Department in Ottawa has authorized postage paid in cash and forwarding of the publication by third class mail