In early August, news broke out of the United States that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was introducing a new rule that would allow manufacturers to use asbestos in new products after they had been approved by the EPA. After decades of legislation and regulations that made it harder and harder to use asbestos, this is seen as a huge public health risk and a decision that makes no sense. After all, asbestos is a known human carcinogen and has been banned in 60 countries.
Canada introduced new asbestos regulation in January that prohibits the use, sale, import, and export of the material and acknowledged that all forms of the asbestos fibres, if inhaled, can cause cancer (such as mesothelioma) and other diseases.
Up until 2011, Canada was a major exporter of asbestos, and there were numerous mines that produced asbestos. News reports in 2014 showed that, in the Toronto area, pipes containing asbestos were being installed in new condominiums, hospitals, and high-rises. These asbestos-cement pipes were approved for use in both Canada and the United States, although there were many regulations governing the cutting and disposal of these pipes. In fact, from 2010 to 2013, Canada imported $2.2-million in asbestos-containing pipes, tiles, sheets, panels, and tubes.
Is asbestos still being used in Canada? With the new regulations in place, no. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot of asbestos hiding in both old and new buildings across the country. This means that any demolition or repair work must be done by a professional team that’s well-trained in the handling of such a dangerous product. EnviroVac is the company you can trust to clean and decontaminate any building that may contain this carcinogen. We have years of experience cleaning up hazmat materials and can ensure that it’s done in the safest and most environmentally conscious way.
