Members of the McGill university community want the government to look into the presence of asbestos in several buildings on the Macdonald campus, the discovery of which in February following renovations had forced a hasty closure.
The management of the establishment met Friday with the university community to take stock of the presence of asbestos discovered on the Macdonald campus, in the wake of the renovation of the Raymond pavilion. Two other interconnected pavilions, the Barton and Macdonald-Stewart buildings, were also closed in early February.
But the explanations provided by the University do not satisfy Sean Cory, president of the Association of Research Employees of the establishment.
“We still have a lot of questions about what happened, because it is known that these buildings contain asbestos, he denounces. And McGill hasn’t explained what caused it to air. »
If it happened here, and they found out by chance. What tells us that it hasn’t already happened in the past? Or is it not going to happen again?
Sean Cory, President of the Association of Research Employees of McGill University
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The Macdonald campus of McGill University, in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
The Macdonald campus is located in an agricultural sector of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, a city on the west island of Montreal. Saturday morning, students and employees come and go at the entrance of the brown brick buildings in the tradition of Anglo-Saxon campuses. Equipped with protective masks, they must ensure that the research taking place within these walls continues despite everything, found The Press.
“I think we received very good support from the University,” said 30-year-old doctoral student Noura Alsarawi on the spot. With her mask, she claims not to be worried about her health.
“I don’t know too much about it, but I have the impression that the University is doing what it can to ensure our safety”, also believes Christina Lozi, an employee who takes care of the mice and fish destined for looking.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Three buildings on the Macdonald campus have been closed due to asbestos exposure risks. Only essential activities are permitted there.
A bigger problem
“Any work that is likely to move asbestos or that aims to remove asbestos must be carried out according to the standards governing this type of work,” confirmed to The Press McGill University Media Relations Office.
The University, however, did not explain how the mineral could, in this case, have ended up in the three pavilions.
The situation at McGill University is reminiscent of the death of two employees of the University of Montreal (UdeM) in 2020 and 2021 from cancer linked to exposure to the mineral.
The presence of asbestos and the asbestos removal work carried out over the years at UdeM were responsible for these deaths, ruled the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST).
Last Wednesday, Mr. Cory sent an email to the Ministry of Higher Education, denouncing the lack of transparency, in his view, of McGill University. He also asked that an investigation be opened on the presence of asbestos in Quebec universities.
“I think we have to deal with this situation in a broader way, and not just solve the problem in these pavilions,” he said. Perhaps, for example, there should be more regular testing of buildings that contain asbestos. »
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
On the way from The Press Saturday morning, an employee of McGill University was stationed at the entrance of the Macdonald-Stewart building to sign a register for students and employees who had to go there.
“Below regulatory thresholds”
McGill recently received the results of 28 air quality tests conducted this month in the Barton and Macdonald-Stewart buildings, the university said by email. In all cases, “the regulatory thresholds were respected”, she argues, without giving more details on the level of these “thresholds”.
“We are encouraged by the preliminary results which, to date, have not revealed any data of concern,” continues the University.
The concept of “threshold” of exposure to asbestos is disputed. Last April, the CNESST lowered the asbestos exposure standard1 in the air in Quebec at 0.1 fibre/cm3.
“For the CNESST, asbestos is zero tolerance, and the adoption of this exposure standard with regard to the concentration of asbestos in the air is part of this important objective”, said Manuelle at the time. Oudar, President and CEO of the organization.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, PRESS ARCHIVES
The Raymond Building at the Macdonald Campus
Previously, the standard in Quebec was 1 fibre/cm3which is “100 times higher than that prevailing in the Netherlands, Switzerland and France and ten times higher than the standards of the European Union (IFA) and other Canadian provinces (Carex Canada)”, according to the site website of the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec.
“The health and safety of our community is our top priority,” says McGill University. As soon as the test results have been forwarded to us and decisions have been made regarding the measures put in place to resolve this problem, we will inform the community. »
But for Mr. Cory, “there is no safe threshold for asbestos. The only acceptable level should be zero, because any amount [de fibres] in the air, it’s too much”.
The dangers of asbestos
Asbestos fibers in the air can cause chronic lung diseases, such as mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer that affects the envelope of the lungs or the organs located in the abdomen), lung cancer and asbestosis. “Any exposure to asbestos can cause health problems. The more a person is exposed to asbestos, the more likely they are to have health problems,” according to the Quebec government.
Learn more
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- 90
- Number of asbestos-related deaths out of the 116 deaths by occupational disease in Quebec in 2020
Source: Commission for standards, equity, health and safety at work