ID :
164199
Sat, 02/26/2011 - 12:51
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Thailand to completely ban Chrysotile mineral

BANGKOK, Feb 26 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has encouraged members of the public to work towards a “Chrysotile-free Thai society” by the end of this year in order to protect them from the hazardous fibrous mineral silicate, which is now declared as the country’s fourth-most dangerous substance of the year.

The Thai premier, in his capacity as Chairman of the National Health Committee, has proposed that a strict ban be imposed on all Chrysotile-related production, movement and possession in the Kingdom, saying that the proposal requires a Thai Cabinet endorsement before being launched as a nationwide campaign.

Abhisit said that the new directive will be implemented through concerted efforts of concerned parties, including the Thai Ministries of Industry, Public Health, Interior and Commerce the local private sector, covering Chrysotile disposal methods in buildings and the total prohibition of its imports and use among local construction firms; while the Thai Ministry of Finance is authorised to hike import tariffs of the mineral and the Consumer Protection Board is assigned to launch an inspection programme and to redefine product safety requirements to ensure that no Chrysotile is contained in all materials in the country. The Thai prime minister insisted that all the measures are to be implemented by the end of 2011.

Chrysotile, a fibrous mineral silicate, has been proven by public health experts worldwide as a human carcinogen, causing lung cancer and mesothelioma. So far, at least 57 economies worldwide, including Australia, Britain, the European Union (EU) and Japan, have banned the hazardous mineral. (TNA)

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