Asbestos and your life People have been asking a lot of questions about asbestos during the past few years. They want to know if it is a danger to health, and they want straight answers—not double talk. The problem is that honest answers often sound like double talk. As an example take the first and most impor- tant question: is asbestos a danger to health? The answer is yes, and it can also be no. It all depends on what mea- sures are taken to protect our health. In recent years research has clearly shown that asbestos can be a hazard to health if people are exposed to it in high concentrations. Under certain cir- cumstances, depending on personal health, or the amount a person smokes, or the type of asbestos in- haled, it is possible that even low con- centrations of asbestos could be a hazard. But when you think about it a lot of things have the capacity to be harmful to health. Alcohol can be harm- ful. So can automobiles. Overeating has contributed its share to the poor health and eventual demise of many. Certainly cigarettes have caused many health problems for smokers—and for many people who do not smoke. Water can do you in. It has many virtues, but if used improperly you can drown in it. Fire is essential to us, but improperly handled it can snuff out your life in seconds or leave you injured or 22 scarred. Motorcycles, planes, drugs, even sunlight can cause serious health problems. All of these things have virtues—but improperly used they have the potential to do harm. In this sense, if improperly handled, asbestos can be a danger to your health. You should think about this and learn as much as you can about asbes- tos and its possible effect on the human body if reasonable precautions are not observed, at all times. Introducing a wide range of potential killers is not meant to draw attention away from the dangers attributed to asbestos. But it does demonstrate that there are hazards associated with al- most every activity in which we humans become involved, be it overeating, overdrinking, smoking, high speed driv- ing, or even simply taking too much medicine to cure a cold. Do any of these things to excess and we can ex- pect trouble down the road. And now back to the original ques- tion: Can asbestos be a danger to health? The answer to that question is yes, the exposure to asbestos can lead to health problems. On the other hand, if the proper pre- cautions are taken, if dust masks are worn in areas that do not conform to standards, if smoking is eliminated al- together, and if exposure to asbestos dust is kept within the levels consid- ered safe by medical authorities, then normal health patterns can be ex- pected, provided persons exposed are in good health. Our job at Clinton Creek, therefore, is clear. We must mine, mill and trans- port asbestos in a way that ensures there is no excessive exposure to as- bestos by people on the job. To this end a local Environmental Committee has been in effective operation since 1975. Through this committee, co-operative environmental work involving the Yukon Territorial Government, Cana- dian Mine Workers Union, Local 1, and mine management, has been vital and productive. Indeed, ever since the for- mation of the committee, representa- tives of government, the union and management have demonstrated a high degree of responsibility in matters related to the health and safety of Clin- ton Creek employees. Through the contributions of union, government and management, a co- operative and constructive safety and health forum has focussed attention on serious problem areas, made recom- mendations, raised questions, and found practical solutions to safety and environmental problems. This committee is still on the job and will remain so until the mine closes and Clinton Creek passes into history.