Asbestos Industry Bias Denied by Quebec Public Health Organization

The debate over the legality of the asbestos industry and the usage of the dangerous mesothelioma-causing fiber has taken a somewhat strange turn, as supporters of the industry are claiming that scientific facts about the dangers of asbestos are based on bias, not research.

According to the Montreal Gazette, supporters of the Jeffrey Mine have accused the Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec - the province’s public health institute – of having a bias against the asbestos industry. The claims of a bias were made after the organization’s recent release of a document that listed 35 recommendations to improve public health based on studies from 2003 to 2009 that related to asbestos-related illnesses.

Among the recommendations contained in the document were calls for Quebec to lower the allowable exposure levels of asbestos in workplaces, the creation of a registry that lists all buildings that contain asbestos, and more careful monitoring of air quality in asbestos mining towns.

In regard to claims of a bias, organization Director Luc Boileau flatly denied that any existed.

"This is a governmental organization connected to the health system which has as its only goal to bring science into (government) decisionmaking and to the attention of the public. ... To try to destabilize the credibility of the institute by questioning the objectivity of the organization is an error. It is wrong."

If you or a loved one has developed mesothelioma after years of asbestos exposure, call Sokolove Law today to learn more about pursuing a mesothelioma claim.