INDYMEDIA and other internet news archives have been mentioned in the European Parliament’s recent conference on asbestos that discussed a planning application to build 600+ homes and a children's nursery on the site of what was the world's largest asbestos textile factory- Spodden Valley, Rochdale in North West England..
Speaking in the European Parliament...
INDYMEDIA and internet news archives have been mentioned in the European Parliament’s recent conference on asbestos.
Save Spodden Valley campaigners Su Wilson, Nigel Morrell, Mick Coats and Jason Addy travelled to Brussels last week to attend the international conference at the invitation of Dutch MEP Kartika Liotard.
Whilst in Brussels, the campaigners also held 2 separate meetings with 2 north west MEP’s :- Leader of the Labour MEPs in Europe, Gary Titley; and Chairman of the European Union Construction Forum, conservative MEP Den Dover.
Campaign co-ordinator, Jason Addy said:
“It was a privilege to speak at the European Parliament, yet it was very daunting: I looked across the chamber to see dozens of interpreters translating my Rochdale accent into over 15 European languages”.
Nigel Morrell explains how the campaign benefited from the visit:
“It was a chance to speak to Members of the European Parliament representing other states including the Netherlands, Ireland, Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Greece. We also spoke with Senators from the Dutch and Italian national parliaments”.
“Asbestos and health experts from all over the world were at the conference. They were very interested to hear about recent developments at the Turner’s site: They have been given weblinks to the Save Spodden Valley campaign’s news archive:
http://www.spodden-valley.co.uk/news.htm and those of Rochdale Observer newspaper: http://www.rochdaleobserver.co.uk/features/200020_turner_brothers_controversy.html Rochdale Online’s Spodden Valley archive: http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/News/spodden.asp and Indymedia: https://www1.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/manchester/topics/socialstruggles/ .
“The Spodden Valley issues are now known about in beyond Europe in countries such including Brazil, India, the United States and Canada. They see it as a big issue- what happens at the birthplace of the world’s modern asbestos industry could affect the way their asbestos factory sites are cleaned up in the future”.
Mick Coats, Health and Safety lecturer at Bury College said:
“Calls were made to use the example of asbestos contamination in the Spodden Valley as the model for why it is important to decide what constitutes safe contamination limits for soil. A consultation process is underway in Brussels to agree a Europe-wide definition of contaminated land”.
A poignant letter from Barbara Balmer, the daughter of a Turner & Newall asbestos cancer victim was also read out.
Su Wilson comments:
“You could hear a pin drop in the Parliament chamber when a letter was read out that compared the recent apologies made by the Countryside Properties and MMC to the words of a dying man apologising to his family for not being there to see his grandchildren”.
A minute of silence was held as a mark of respect for Alan Balmer and the countless hundreds of thousands of people who have died, and are still dying, because of exposure to asbestos.
Save Spodden Valley campaigners Su Wilson, Nigel Morrell, Mick Coats and Jason Addy travelled to Brussels last week to attend the international conference at the invitation of Dutch MEP Kartika Liotard.
Whilst in Brussels, the campaigners also held 2 separate meetings with 2 north west MEP’s :- Leader of the Labour MEPs in Europe, Gary Titley; and Chairman of the European Union Construction Forum, conservative MEP Den Dover.
Campaign co-ordinator, Jason Addy said:
“It was a privilege to speak at the European Parliament, yet it was very daunting: I looked across the chamber to see dozens of interpreters translating my Rochdale accent into over 15 European languages”.
Nigel Morrell explains how the campaign benefited from the visit:
“It was a chance to speak to Members of the European Parliament representing other states including the Netherlands, Ireland, Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Greece. We also spoke with Senators from the Dutch and Italian national parliaments”.
“Asbestos and health experts from all over the world were at the conference. They were very interested to hear about recent developments at the Turner’s site: They have been given weblinks to the Save Spodden Valley campaign’s news archive:
http://www.spodden-valley.co.uk/news.htm and those of Rochdale Observer newspaper: http://www.rochdaleobserver.co.uk/features/200020_turner_brothers_controversy.html Rochdale Online’s Spodden Valley archive: http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/News/spodden.asp and Indymedia: https://www1.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/manchester/topics/socialstruggles/ . “The Spodden Valley issues are now known about in beyond Europe in countries such including Brazil, India, the United States and Canada. They see it as a big issue- what happens at the birthplace of the world’s modern asbestos industry could affect the way their asbestos factory sites are cleaned up in the future”.
Mick Coats, Health and Safety lecturer at Bury College said:
“Calls were made to use the example of asbestos contamination in the Spodden Valley as the model for why it is important to decide what constitutes safe contamination limits for soil. A consultation process is underway in Brussels to agree a Europe-wide definition of contaminated land”.
A poignant letter from Barbara Balmer, the daughter of a Turner & Newall asbestos cancer victim was also read out.
Su Wilson comments:
“You could hear a pin drop in the Parliament chamber when a letter was read out that compared the recent apologies made by the Countryside Properties and MMC to the words of a dying man apologising to his family for not being there to see his grandchildren”.
A minute of silence was held as a mark of respect for Alan Balmer and the countless hundreds of thousands of people who have died, and are still dying, because of exposure to asbestos.
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Alan Balmer's apology to his grandchildren...
27.09.2005 16:52
A dying man's apology for not being able to see his grandchildren grow up...
Below are the words of a true apology.
An apology said by a husband, father and grandfather before he died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma.
An apology from a dying man who had been exposed by Turner & Newall's asbestos- sentenced to death from simply going to work.
An apology to his wife, children and grandchildren for dying.
Rest in Peace Alan Balmer. You, and the countless hundreds of thousands of people that have died from exposure to asbestos, will never be forgotten.
Worldwide, 100,000 people die each year of asbestos related disease.
The Spodden Valley of Rochdale is where it all began.
Then last year, developers moved on to the former asbestos factory site:
They destroyed surrounding woodlands; disturbed soil; denied the existence of exposed asbestos; bought up domain names; and said in a planning application to build hundreds of homes and a children's nursery on the site "of particular note is the absence of any asbestos contamination".
After independent test were conducted- and some results were positive for asbestos, they then told councillors that results were negative in cleverly worded responses that are chillingly similar to their PR company's 'apology'.
Here is the open letter in response to MMC Development's and Countryside Properties joint 'apology'
To Mr Ian Kelley, Managing Director, Countryside Properties:
When you hold the hand of someone you love and look into their crying eyes as they apologise because they are going to die before they have taught your child the rules of good cricket, how to wrap their first school tie, how to live a good life and not just scrape by, you know it’s an apology from the heart.
Mr Kelley, you have lied, covered up facts, hidden the truth and treated the people who have more knowledge of asbestos than anyone in the world, as ignorant fools. You still aren’t listening. This site is one of a kind, the biggest in the world, and realistically, unsafe for development. Try seeing people and not pound signs.
Barbara Balmer
The Other Tragedy of Turner Brothers
28.09.2005 02:12
Vince Kelly
e-mail:
vince@carbon-fiber.com
Homepage:
http://www.carbon-fiber.com