Chrysotile Asbestos Left Off Global List of Toxic Substances

Chrysotile asbestos has been kept off a "global watch list" of toxic substances by the Rotterdam Convention, according to published reports.

The Rotterdam Convention is a toxic substance international governing trade that determines what toxic substances exporting countries must tell purchasers before shipping. Currently, there are more than 30 toxic substances included on the list. The opposition to include chrysotile asbestos on the list was led by Canada, which said that putting chrysotile asbestos on the list would be equivalent to banning international trade and would threaten jobs.

U.N Environment Program chief Achim Steiner said in published reports that, "the …