No Environmental Review for Asbestos in India Trade Deal

Free trade pact won't limit sale of hazardous mineral to its biggest importer.

Embassy, a magazine devoted to Canadian foreign policy, has uncovered a bit of a hitch regarding Canada's planned free trade agreement with India that would deny Canadian citizens the opportunity to raise questions about the exporting of asbestos during an environmental review. The trade deal, named the Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, issued a call for citizens to express any concerns they might have over the pact's environmental impact, but only on the impact it would have on Canada. India likely won't conduct any environmental impact assessment, which is a bit of shame, because, according to Carl Meyer:

Some see the export of the material to India as a major environmental issue that is worth examining. Canada exported $40.3 million worth of asbestos-related products to India in 2010, according to Industry Canada, and the World Health Organization says asbestos causes an estimated 8,000 deaths each year in India—a phenomenon described in a recent Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary as an "epidemic."

That makes India the largest recipient of Canadian asbestos, as it makes up nearly half of the asbestos industry's $90 million a year revenues. And considering that there is nearly total support for the industry from the party in power (give or take a few exceptions), we probably shouldn't expect the Canadian government to raise any of their eyebrows over continuing trade in the cancer-causing agent.