ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
Almost Asbestos, and asbestos Progeny:
New Challenges
University of Vermont, Burlington July 2014
‘Asbestos, killer to defeat’
Ezio Bonanni
Professor and Attorney
Director of Asbestos National Observatory
WELCOME
ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
The disease-producing risk of exposure to
asbestos has been well known from the early last
century, as claimed by Prof. Scarpa of Turin
Teaching Hospital (Policlinico di Torino), and
confirmed by the First Congress on Industrial
Medicine held in Milan in 1906, and from the
legal point of view by the Court of Turin, in 1908,
as well as by Gardner’s modern experimental
research, as early as 1930 (Abrams in 1992).
With studies and research, carried out also as
part of defense inquiries and in civil and criminal
proceedings in the Republic of Italy, there has
emerged a role of synergism and potentiation of
some importance , caused by asbestos on any
other carcinogenic pathology, far beyond the
classic asbestos-related diseases.
The proposed study proves not only the
concomitant role of asbestos in causing many
diseases, and the need, then, to apply the
principle of caution (primary prevention, through
the removal of carcinogenic materials from living
spaces), until the so-called “zero risk”, following
René Truhaut’s warning, but also an aspect
linked to the search for the truth and the
achievement
of
justice
regarding
the
responsibilities of those who perpetrated such
crimes and those who allowed collusion or
negligence.
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
Orange:
United States
Red:
Italy
Domestic production of raw asbestos. Italy and the United
States of America; tons; years:1945-1992
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
Date published: October 2012 in the “National Register of Mesothelioma
(ReNaM – Inail - ISPESL) - Fourth Report, Rome”, which shows the increasing
number of Mesothelioma cases in Italy:
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
ASBESTOS OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
COMPLAINTS AND REPARATION (2010 – 2011) – INDUSTRY AND SERVICES
2010
2011
Complaints
Reparation
Complaints
Reparations
Asbestosis
563
279
Asbestos Cancer
1.005
748
Pleural
651
493
Mesothelioma
Pericardial
Mesothelioma
_
_
_
_
Peritoneal
Mesothelioma
37
29
34
28
Lung Cancer
Tunica Vaginalis
and Testis
Mesothelioma
317
_
226
_
277
1
167
_
Pleural Plaques
Total
699
2.267
540
1.567
792
2.219
527
1.328
Source INAIL (November, 2012)
Asbestos is one of the
principal causes of
professional cancer in
Italy.
Between 1998 and
2006
the
Italian
National Institute for
the Insurance against
Industrial
Accidents
(INAIL)
had
to
compensate an amount
of 152 million Euros to
workers damaged by
Eternit (one of the most
famous
Italian
asbestos manufacturer,
while billions of Euros
have to be paid to
compensate all victims,
except actions for the
differential cost).
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
Evidence of asbestos influence on various carcinogenic pathologies and
on other obstructive diseases as fibrosis, pleural thickening, etc…
Source O.N.A. 2013
Therefore, it is confirmed that in Italy about 5.000 deaths a year are caused by
asbestos.
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
Judgement of the Court of Turin
Turin October 31, 1906
Awareness of the
pathogenic effects of
asbestos since the
early 1900’s.
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
Judgement of the Court of Appeal of Turin
of 1907
In 1907 the Court of
Appeal of Turin
confirmed the decision
of the Court on the
pathogenic nature of
asbestos.
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
According to the Italian
law n. 455 of
12.04.1943 asbestosis
is compensated as an
occupational illness.
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
PRODUCTION AND IMPORTATION OF ASBESTOS
IN ITALY FROM 1946 TO 1992 (100 TONS)
In
Italy,
although,
in
1943 the low n.
455 has limited
the asbestos,
asbestos lobby
has influenced
the legislature
and during the
60s, 70s and
80s it imposed
an exponential
increase in the
use
of
asbestos while
in
other
developed
countries
its
use was in
decline.
Source: O.N.A.
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
The asbestos lobby (1)
The report was used in the course
held in Neuss (Dusseldorf) from the
13th to the 18th of December 1976
at Wirtschaftsverband Asbestzement
and V. (WVAZ) [Union of the
producers of cement-asbestos]. In
this report it possible to read the
sentence
“Dissociate
in
any
discussion from Dr. Selikoff’s
ideas and refrain from quoting
him” (this report has been presented
at ASTM Conference on asbestos
2011 -VT- by Ezio Bonanni and then
it has been lodged on Court of
Turin's trial, and led to the convition
of Mr. Shmidheiny in 2012. Decision
has been confirmed by the Court of
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Appeal in 2014).
ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
The asbestos lobby (2)
Handwritten note on a “meeting” held
at the “Assocemento” in Rome, on
the 17th November 1978. This note
was found among the papers of the
Board of Directors of the company
“Amiantifera of Balongero” (Turin)
and now is held in the Turin State
Archives.
(Asbestos
production
companies ask to slow down the
issue of regulations on limits of
exposure
related
to
worker
production, “the ENPI has adhered to
this request. ...The Minister of Health
has confirmed this fact” – Turin State
Archive).
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
Stephan Schmidheiny would finally face criminal
charges of causing an environmental disaster and
omitting safety measures in the workplace at the
Court of Turin. He was found guilty at the first level of
court and again on appeal where he was sentenced
to 18 years in prison in 2013. The case will go before
the Supreme Court this November for the final ruling.
I suggested that, based on what emerged during the
trial, Schmidheiny could be charged with murder. At
the time, I didn't think that prosecutor Dr. Guariniello
agreed with me, however, it seems that he must have
changed his mind.
Anova Holding, AG and Becon, AG are successor
companies to the Eternit empire, which mined
asbestos in South Africa primarily, and sold it
throughout the world, including to the Johns-Manville
Company. July 2014, verdicts totaling $90.5 million in
11 mesothelioma death cases were rendered in
Superior Court of Middlesex County after years of
litigation and a week of hearings before Judge Ana C.
Viscomi. The families sued Anova Holding AG and
Becon AG for the asbestos that they sold to JohnsManville and which proximately caused their
mesotheliomas, a cancer caused by exposure to
asbestos.
Billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny, pictured in 1996, has an
honorary degree from Yale.
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
Judgement of the Court of Rome
Rome, July 17, 2014
Finally, Court in Rome has
been sentenced “Ferrovie
dello Stato” (Italian state
Railroad).
Verdicts totally 760.000,00
euro ($ 1.033,752, today) to
family only for one victim,
rapresented by the law firm
of Ezio Bonanni
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
Principle of caution
and Zero risk as a
form of Primary
Prevention.
Environmental
Pathology
Clean world = Health
Environmental
Health
Polluted world = Disease
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Prevention
•
•
•
I) Primary Prevention: Avoiding any
source of asbestos exposure, including
chrysotile asbestos to eliminate any
instance of asbestos related diseases;
II) Secondary prevention: health
monitoring, early diagnosis and
therapeutic intervention in cases of
disease;
III)
Tertiary
prevention:
epidemiological investigations, laws
that forbid dangerous and harmful
behavior, repression of crime and
compensation for victims.
Giovanni Bellini, 1475 ca, Madonna con Bambino.
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Activism and Planning
We must increase and develop:
Activism on the part of citizens, scientists, and
other groups
Local reclamation projects
Real program for reclamation
Antonello da Messina, 1478, San Sebastiano.
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Reclamation projects:
positive examples
•
•
•
This
contamination
has
nearly
destroyed the economic value of some
areas; therefore, we should start with
projects to reclaim polluted land
Similar projects, such as in the Ruhr
Valley in Germany, that restore life to
and enhance the quality of previously
contaminated lands are positive
examples that we can emulate
We need the kind of process that will
lead to the total reclamation for the
polluted territories.
ZOLLVEREIN, pit in the Ruhr Valley in Germany. Now
UNESCO heritage.
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Create new beauty
Coordinate effort between health organizations
•
This contamination has nearly
destroyed the economic value of
some areas; therefore, we should
start with projects to reclaim polluted
land that also provide economic
incentives for creating new beauty,
and legal, safe profit.
Botticelli, 1485 ca, ‘Nascita di Venere’
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Create new beauty
Coordinate effort between health organizations
•
•
This would require a coordinated
effort
between
health
organizations
as
aware
as
entrepreneurs
Involving persons and institutions
take care of environment will be a
more reliable a source of
production and aimed at common
good and true step forward
compare to the recent past.
S. Dalì, 1949, ‘Leda atomica’
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ASTM Johnson Conference on Asbestos
“GDP does not
measure neither
our wit nor our
courage, neither
ourwisdom nor
our learning,
neither our
compassion nor
our devotion to
country. Measure
everything, in
short, except that
which makes life
truly worth
living” (Robert F.
Kennedy)
Questions to:
[email protected]
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