Photo: Michael Borowick

Posted on November 27, 2017

ADAO applauds the Australian Government for their national asbestos awareness efforts and their exemplary proactive measures, including a full asbestos ban and continued emphasis on education and prevention. This week, hundreds of trade unionists, lawmakers, advocates, and scientists from around the globe gathered for the Australian Government’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency’s (ASEA) 4th International Asbestos Awareness and Management Conference in Canberra. ADAO was honored and grateful to the Australian government for the invitation to be a part of this monumental event for a fourth year. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to Australia in person, however, I still had the opportunity to call into the conference.

The 3-day conference funded by the Australian government, moderated by Australian Broadcasting Corporation Senior Journalist Matt Peacock, brought together some of the biggest players in the global fight to ban asbestos. The program featured nearly 30 distinguished speakers representing Australia, the U.S., and the Netherlands. Australia Senator Michaelia Cash gave a ministerial address, and keynote speeches came from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Nienke Smith, from the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment. On Monday I joined the conference remotely, sharing a new video catching folks up on ADAO’s latest ban asbestos efforts and joining a panel of distinguished colleagues by phone for a discussion titled, “Proactivity: national and international programs.” Those who joined me on the panel include Sari Sairanen, Director, Health Safety and Environment at Unifor; Matt Peacock, journalist and author with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation; and Dianne Foggo of the Victorian Asbestos Eradication Agency.

Thank you to the Australian government and ASEA for your leadership in the global struggle against asbestos. We truly hope other public servants will follow your example in increasing national asbestos awareness efforts. It is time for the USA to recognize the need to ban asbestos protect public health and our environment. In fact, with a ban asbestos bill newly introduced in the U.S. Senate, we invite our international allies to sign on to our joint letter to Senate leadership urging their swift passage of this asbestos ban.   Deadline: December 10, 2017.

I look forward to continuing to strengthen international alliances for a world free of asbestos. Stay tuned for ASEA conferences in the future.

In unity,

Linda