High asbestos levels in Quebec town

THETFORD MINES, Quebec, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Homes in a mining center in Quebec are severely contaminated with asbestos, a report released Wednesday said.

U.S. and Canadian researchers took soil, air and dust samples in Thetford Mines in 2004. They found asbestos levels that would not be permitted in the United States under current regulations, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

Residents of Thetford Mines have a high risk of developing diseases like lung cancer, mesothelioma -- a cancer of the lining of the lung that is only caused by asbestos exposure -- and asbestosis. These diseases can develop years after exposure, and many experts say there is no safe level of asbestos.

Diane Lapointe said her mother died last year of mesothelioma even though she moved away from the town at age 23. But she said people who still live there don't like to talk about the problem because the asbestos mine means jobs.

"They say it's keeping the town alive," Lapointe said. "But I think it's killing a few people, too."

The authors of the study said they hope the Quebec government will do a more thorough one.