A post by M. Fries and C. Woolums
Introduction
Asbestos is a mineral that is composed of long fibrous crystals, which give it tensile strength, heat resistance, and insulation properties, making it used in everything imaginable, from house insulation to military use, from cement to fireproof vests. It is found all over the world, with the largest mines being located in Canada, Russia, South Rhodesia, and the Union of South Africa. Asbestos is found in 6 forms, chrysotile, also known as white, amosite, known as brown, crocidolite, referred to as blue, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite. The latter 3 are contaminates in other minerals, such as talc or vermiculite. Crocidolite is the most dangerous commercially available, followed by amosite, and then chrysotile, which is the most common, taking up 90-95% of the market.
Due to its properties, It was used in pretty much everywhere, until it got banned in 1976 by the governments of 52 countries, including the U.S, and various European countries, for being a known carcinogen that causes asbestosis, malignant mesothelioma, and various cancers.
Besides the harm done by mining asbestos, little harm is done to the environment. However, it is very dangerous and poisonous to humans. Due to its fibrous nature, the fibers break off and drift through the air and coat everything. In towns that are major producers, such as Asbest, Russia, everyone is constantly coughing as a result of the asbestos particles in the air.
Asbest, Russia
Asbest is located in the Sverdlovsk Oblast region of central Russia, located north of Kazakhstan. It is a town in the Ural mountains, close to the southern border of the Sverdlovsk Oblast Region. It is the site of the largest asbestos mine in Russia, about 1000 feet deep. The general climate in the area is much like the rest of Russia, characterized by long, cold winters.
The town of Asbest is heavily reliant upon the Asbestos mine, with 17% of the town’s population of around 70,000 working as part of that industry. Asbest is what’s known as a Monogorod, a Russian town that has survived in part due to one company, which in Asbest’s case is Uralabest, which operates 19 factories and workshops out of the mine. Established in 1889, it has become the largest producer of chrysotile asbestos, producing 450,000 tons a year, and exporting 78% of what they produce.
According to the inhabitants, the type of asbestos that they mine, chrysotile, is the least dangerous of the types, taking more exposure to develop negative side effects of the carcinogen that gets released. The mine is a huge source of pride for the residents, with many of them hopeful that the western world will reconsider the ban on asbestos, claiming that the west is using expensive substitutes to run them out of business and that the kind that Europe was using was the more dangerous form, amphibole.
Asbestos, Canada
A small town in southeastern Canada, once home to the largest asbestos mine in the world, is now coming to terms with the convergence and conflict of nature, social relations, and meaning. Located in a region of Quebec that is characterized by a long history of various resource and production industries, the Jeffrey Mine and the community it supported, quickly became a success story like many others.
The larger ecological region of southeastern Quebec is characterized by winding waterways, vast forests of coniferous and deciduous trees, and rich mineral deposits. Abundant with undeveloped land and rich in natural resources, the region has attracted many adventurers, farmers, and industrialist over the past two centuries.
As a result of this rich history, it is difficult to understand the nature and social relations of this place without taking into account its meaning in the minds of the people who live and work there. Asbestos, Quebec is a town of just over 7,000 people that grew and developed over much of the 20th century in direct conjunction with the Jeffrey Asbestos Mine. Before closing in 2011 due to health concerns and political shifts, Jeffrey Mine had supported the town for almost 100 years. Reaching peak production and prosperity in the mid-1960s the people who lived and worked there felt a strong affinity for the town and its industry. Many scientists around the world repeatedly urged Canada to cease production of Asbestos, arguing that over 2,000 Canadians a year were dying due to Asbestos related illnesses. For a community supported for decades by the production of Asbestos and the wealth of its industry, the debate was not so clear cut.
In many ways that pride still exists to this day. For instance, as recently as 2016 a long time resident and former miner was interviewed by the Toronto Star Newspaper and said, “What we have to change is the reality, not the image” (Woods, 2016). By this he means what the town needs is realistic solutions to fill the social and economic rift left in the wake of Asbestos production, instead of simply focusing on the political discourse of looking to the future. At the same time, some local residents feel Quebec is still at the epicenter of an epidemic of Asbestos related illness. Most of the time the locals who voice these concerns are employed by other industries such as logging, which also has a well-established history in the region.
Comparison and Conclusion
In both sites analyzed above it becomes apparent that the history of Asbestos production and its effects on the lives of those who produce it is more nuanced and complex than the materials toxic designation. In relation to the places of production Asbestos is often mined and refined in areas that are already largely characterized by heavy industrial development. For the people who call these places home Asbestos can be great source of economic stability.
As is the case in many communities that center around blue collar industrial production the sense of pride and prosperity is central to local identity. For many know the work is dangerous, however within the context of regions that rely on industries like logging and mining, the danger becomes an accepted risk. The lessons we can learn from these narratives and personal accounts is one of contextualizing risk within the realistic characteristics of the region. In these areas the best option for steady pay, union benefits, and local prosperity over all is to put your head down and do the work others are not willing to do.
It is important for consumers of industrial materials such as Asbestos to recognize the social and economic environments these industries exist within. Perhaps instead of victimizing the worker and banning the production of an extremely versatile material, consumers should focus on directing resources to increased regulation and protective gear. When dealing with people’s personal livelihoods it is important to avoid reductionist interpretations and instead acknowledge the different realities these people face. Considering where these materials will be produced in the future and acknowledging that outlawing production in some countries does not mitigate international demand and the exploitation of less developed regions is critical to understanding the discourse of Asbestos production.
Sources Cited
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