Asbestos mining stops for first time in 130 years

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Source: CBC

Canada's asbestos industry has quietly stopped churning out the controversial fibre, with production halted at the country's two mines for the first time in 130 years.

A shutdown at Quebec's Lac d'amiante du Canada operation earlier this month marked a historic moment for Canada's once-mighty asbestos sector, which has come under increasing scrutiny as science has linked the mineral to serious health issues such as lung disease and cancer.

The news also came as relatives of those who died from asbestos exposure spoke to the press on Parliament Hill, asking for the industry to come to a halt, for good.

Both of Heidi von Palleske's parents died from asbestos-related diseases, she told reporters on Thursday. Her father worked at an asbestos plant, bringing the fibres home with him. Von Palleske's mother died in August of mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos fibres, she said.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/11/24/asbestos-shutdown.html