Pulitzer Award Winning Journalist Andrew Schneider Exposes the Deadly Fallacies Behind Current Efforts to Rejuvenate the World's Largest Asbestos Mine

Pulitzer Award winning journalist Andrew Schneider has just published a disturbing article "Will Canada Export Death by Rejuvenating Its Last Asbestos Mine?"

In the article, Schneider details the history of the world's largest asbestos mine located in the city of Asbestos, Quebec. The mine, previously owned by Johns-Manville, has been virtually dormant in recent years. However, efforts are now being made by a foreign consortium to purchase the mine, with assistance from the Canadian government, and ramp up operations to meet the surprising global demand for the deadly mineral which claims the lives of more than 107,000 people worldwide every year.

Schneider explains that while asbestos can no longer be used in Canadian products, and Canada enjoys its reputation for spending more to take care of its citizens than any other nation, many Canadian leaders support the plan to export Canadian asbestos to nations such as India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and others where there are lax or non-existent regulations on asbestos.

In an effort to justify this latest effort to place asbestos profits ahead of public safety, consortium representatives and the Canadian leaders who support them, repeat the of-cited argument that chrysotile, the type of asbestos found in the mine, is not dangerous. Schneider, however, exposes the fallacy of these claims through the conclusions of some of the world's foremost public health experts: former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Richard Lemen, former National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health official Dr. David Egilman, cancer specialist Dr. Michael Harbut and renowned asbestos researcher and historian Barry Castleman.

This article is a must read for anyone who thought that asbestos was a thing of the past, or who ever questioned the lengths to which companies and even governments are willing to go to profit from asbestos at the expense of public health.

Andrew Schneider is a two-time Pulitzer Award winning journalist whose works exposing the plight of innocent victims of public health hazards, including asbestos exposure, have garnered the attention of national and global leaders. He is also the author of the powerful “A Killer in the Attic” a four-part series on W.R. Grace and its asbestos-tainted insulation, Zonolite, present in the attics and walls of millions of homes in the United States.

Don't Sit Back.. Attack!

Fighting words?

You bet. Over 20 years ago, "Don't sit back...Attack!" became my law firm's mantra. I never liked the word "victim," as it suggests powerlessness. Guess what? Folks poisoned by asbestos do have the power to strike back. It's been my job and calling to help asbestos cancer patients dig deep, bow up, and get "rough and rumble" justice.

My firm has been sponsoring bike racers, bike teams and bike race events for many years. This year I'm pleased to share with you that I'm racing for a team whose mission is to raise awareness on cancer treatments and preventions -- Breakaway from Cancer® (BfC). BfC is an initiative of Amgen, Inc, the biotech juggernaut. BfC has chosen to use bike races and rides as a vehicle for spreading the word that just as it takes a team to win a bike race, it also takes a team to help survive cancer.

BfC has agreed to sponsor a bike race I've been sponsoring for years -- The BfC Dana Point Grand Prix (DPGP). In 2011, we will have a cancer fundraiser the night before the race (April 30th, details to follow). A portion of the proceeds from the BfC fundraiser will be donated to the Pacific Meso Center.

For more information about the Breakaway from Cancer® Dana Point Grand Prix, click here.

To learn about the Breakaway from Cancer® masters bike racing team, click here.


Lets roll!

RGW