"But if you have been exposed, the risk is there," she said. Lozanski said being exposed to asbestos doesn't automatically lead to an asbestos-related disease. "I'm going to assume this plaster is old … It's probably been releasing fibres from time to time over the years." So we always have quite serious concerns," said Lozanski, who has become one of Canada's most active asbestos educators. "Once the fibres are disturbed they go into the air and that's how we either breathe them in or ingest them. In 2006 the Auditor General said it would cost $10 million to rebuild the home - this new report pegs the costs now at $26 million CBC News obtained a report through Access to Information that discovered there's more asbestos in the ceiling and walls than first believed. Laura Lozanski, an occupational health and safety officer with the Canadian Association of University Teachers, said asbestos in plaster - especially in older homes - can be easily disturbed by rubbing up against it or drilling a hole into it, which can release toxic fibres.ĭuration 2:02 Featured VideoRepairs for the prime minister's official home are now more than double the initial estimate, according to a third-party review of 24 Sussex. "However, in the event that the building is to be renovated, it is recommended that the plaster be removed," said the report. On the plus side, the plaster was in good condition and the engineering team said the walls could be left as long as 24 Sussex is simply re-occupied or maintained as-is. Inspectors found that while the building's white plaster didn't contain asbestos, they felt it couldn't be easily separated from the contaminated plaster. The stone mansion's grey plaster "forms the majority of the walls/ceilings" of the main building, notes the report. It's linked to mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that can develop in the lining of the lungs as a result of inhaling asbestos dust and fibres. However, sampling programs completed as part of the building assessment have demonstrated that grey coarse plaster within the building is asbestos-containing," reads the report, obtained by CBC News through the Access to Information Act.Īsbestos has been condemned by the World Health Organization as a health threat and the once-common fireproofing material is now banned in some 50 countries around the world.Ĭanada was once a leading world supplier of the carcinogenic mineral. "Previous reporting identified the plaster within the building as being non-asbestos. They were given past asbestos reports on the home as a starting point - but they noticed an error. The Exp specialists drilled into the plaster 15 times with a vacuum to extract samples. Anti-asbestos advocate says new rules don't go far enough.Trudeau says he doesn't see himself ever returning to live at 24 Sussex.
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