With the risks of asbestos being as well-known as they are today, at least in the United States, it is often typical for Americans to assume that asbestos is no longer being mined. And, in the U.S. itself, that is true. The last mines were closed down in the early 2000s.
For one thing, even finding out that there was asbestos mining in 2000 may be concerning to many people. But it is also important to note that production certainly has not stopped on a global scale. In fact, there were 1.2 million metric tons of asbestos that were mined last year. That’s an increase from the 1.1 million metric tons of 2020 or the 1.16 million metric tons of 2019.
It is lower than the numbers seen from 2010 to 2015, which averaged right around 2 million metric tons per year. But production certainly hasn’t been stopped, and the recent statistics do show that it has even grown slightly more common.
Why is this?
The reason for this is that not all countries have the same sorts of health and safety standards as the United States. The U.S. has stopped mining asbestos, but that doesn’t mean that everyone has. Russia and Kazakhstan, for instance, are the top producers.
What this also tells you is that asbestos is still going to be used in products that may find their way into your home. In the global marketplace, and the distribution of asbestos filled goods, it’s clear that asbestos doesn’t need to be mined in the United States to impact Americans.
What options do you have?
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may need to consider your medical options and your legal options.