Catalonia approves the law to eradicate asbestos and recognize victims

BarcelonaHistoric step to eliminate the toxic legacy originating from urban and industrial growth in Catalonia. This Wednesday, Parliament unanimously approved the law that sets the horizon of 2032 to eradicate the nearly four million tons of asbestos that still remain in the country's constructions. The norm establishes the foundations for the progressive removal of a material prohibited since 2002 but which continues to be present in thousands of buildings, infrastructures, and supply networks.

The law also incorporates the recognition of those affected by decades of exposure to asbestos cement (cement mixed with asbestos fibers) and opens the door to future economic compensation. Furthermore, it creates a national and municipal census of asbestos presence and sets fines of up to 100,000 euros for owners who do not remove it where detected.

This is a law initiated by the government of Pere Aragonès but which lapsed due to the early elections. This Wednesday, all parliamentary groups supported it — although Vox and the PP abstained on some points — in a session attended by victims, entities, and representatives of municipalities with the most asbestos installations.

The Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque, highlighted that it is a "pioneering" law in Europe to ensure that this polluting material "becomes a thing of the past in our country." The minister recalled the "painful impact on the health" of people and the environment and underlined that the norm is the result of the persistence of those affected and of municipal governments and neighborhood associations in municipalities such as Badia del Vallès, Ripollet, Cerdanyola del Vallès, and Barcelona, all of which still have many buildings with asbestos and its derivatives.

A problem the size of Sabadell

Popularly known as uralita, asbestos was the star product of construction throughout the State at the end of the last century because it was cheap and promised solid infrastructure at a time when the priority was to build very quickly. In 2002 its use in any format was prohibited, but Catalonia remains full of constructions with this material because, according to experts, as long as it is not damaged it does not pose a risk to public health and it was not mandatory to remove it. Now Paneque has stressed that with regulatory guarantees, eradication is a "very important challenge".

According to the census of fiber cement roofs consulted by the ACN, Catalonia has 121,982 roofs with the presence of asbestos, representing more than 683,000 tons of this material, which, side by side, would occupy an area of 38.6 km², approximately the area of Sabadell. Roofs are the most visible element, but not the only one: there are also water tanks, pipes, downpipes, and horizontal collectors, as well as water supply networks.

According to government estimates, Catalonia still hosts nearly four million tons of fiber cement, to which are added between 6,000 and 30,000 tons of other materials containing asbestos. The map drawn from the Generalitat's census shows a large extension of asbestos in Barcelona and its metropolitan area, the most densely populated areas. But, in second place and notably, the stain extends strongly in an important area of Ponent, with Lleida as the epicenter, the Ebro Delta, and around Vic – with a significant meat industry – and Manresa.

Subsidies and fines

The approved law establishes the obligation for public administrations to identify, manage, and remove asbestos from movable and immovable property they own, and requires other companies and citizens to report known locations with the presence of asbestos-containing materials. In fact, they must keep their properties "free of this material." Paneque explained that since 2019 the Government has granted subsidies of 100 million euros for removal and expects to increase the amount to 20 million euros annually in future calls.

The new law establishes a sanctioning regime with fines of up to 100,000 euros for owners who do not remove degraded asbestos cement elements. The collection of sanctions will be included in the Fund for the Eradication of Asbestos in Catalonia, created by the law, which will be used to finance management and removal actions or dissemination and awareness activities.

The law incorporates the recognition of asbestos victims, but the development of the regulation, which must include compensation for those affected, is still pending and needs to be specified. This Wednesday, after the vote, former workers from the Macosa-Alstom factory in Barcelona and members of associations that have worked to promote the law have described the approval as a historic milestone, but have warned that it must have economic resources and administrative unity to move forward with the plans.

Miguel Moreno, from the Macosa - Alstom Retirees Affected by Asbestos Association, recalled that at least around 40 colleagues have fallen ill or died from the effects of asbestos and pointed out that the law can have a significant impact globally because it is "internationally pioneering." On the other hand, from the anti-asbestos commission of the FAVB, Joan Maria Soler admitted that the approved text is not the law they had presented, but he valued that an agreement has been reached on the vast majority of aspects and anticipated that the subsidy lines will be exhausted "in a few weeks".

Political reactions

Parliamentary groups have positively valued the new asbestos law, although they have expressed doubts about its implementation. Junts has called for a "quick" application, while the commons have defined it as a "necessary and long-claimed step" and have demanded the necessary resources to implement it.

ERC has claimed the republican origin of the project and has warned that it will closely monitor the regulatory development, and the CUP has celebrated the "progress" that the norm represents, while demanding an ambitious regulation, binding timetables and stable financing.

Both Aliança Catalana and the PP have highlighted that the law responds to a historic demand, but that without a budget it can "remain on paper". Vox has considered it unnecessary due to the increase in bureaucracy it will entail, but has voted in favor to not hinder its approval.