Posted on October 1, 2021
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was honored to present at the XXII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work to Discuss “USA Asbestos Retrospective 1970-2020: Consumption, Mortality, Policy, and Exposure Prevention in the 21st Century”.
While we were thrilled to be able to present about the history of asbestos imports and use in the United States, as well as progress and challenges in our journey toward a national ban, we were deeply disappointed to see that that there was a session entitled, “Sound Management of Chemicals at Mining Enterprises In the Russian Federation” by Mr. Dmitry Selyanin, International Alliance of Trade Union Organizations “Chrysotile.”
Mr. Selyanin’s poster defends the industry’s propaganda for safe use and management of chrysotile asbestos, despite the lack of the word asbestos in the title. In fact, by avoiding using the word “asbestos” in the title, the Russian presenters are trying to use the “ABC Defense” (anything but chrysotile), indicating that they do not think chrysotile asbestos is dangerous.
The facts don’t lie. Chrysotile asbestos is the only fiber type that the U.S. imports today. In 2020 alone, the United States imported more than 300 tons of raw chrysotile asbestos from Russia and Brazil. It is a widely known fact that asbestos is a human carcinogen, with no safe level of exposure. Each year, over 40,000 Americans die from preventable asbestos-caused diseases including mesothelioma and cancers of the lung, larynx, and ovaries. Although nearly 70 other countries have banned asbestos, its imports and use continue in the U.S.
Russia has long had a love affair with asbestos, and made it clear that they appreciated former President Trump’s continued dedication to allowing the import and use of asbestos from Russia to the U.S. In fact, in 2019, one of the world’s biggest producers of asbestos, a Russian company with ties to Vladimir Putin, praised President Trump for allowing asbestos to remain legal in the U.S. by posting photos on its Facebook page in 2018 of pallets of its signature product, chrysotile asbestos, wrapped in plastic adorned with Trump’s image.
The World Congress is a crucial global forum for the exchange of information and opinion by experts in safety and health, representatives of companies and employees, decision-makers from government and public authorities, social partners, and anyone active in the area of occupational safety and health. We hope to continue speaking at these events. However, chrysotile asbestos is killing Americans, and it must be banned once and for all.
Let’s make change happen, and protect public health.
Linda Reinstein