Dangerous asbestos removal in Barcelona denounced: "No one checks to see if fibers are released."

Barcelona"If the coffins of those killed [by asbestos] were visible to everyone at construction sites, the authorities would do something." Miguel Moreno, from the Association of Macosa-Alstom Retirees Affected by Asbestos, is so emphatic when he denounces the fact that even today, many operations are being carried out to remove this dangerous material without the required safety measures. "We don't learn," he asserts, and he calls for greater vigilance when it has been proven that exposure to this material is directly linked to fatal diseases such as lung cancer.

The Association of Retirees, together with the Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Barcelona (FAVB), is calling for the removal of the remaining asbestos in Barcelona, ​​but always under appropriate conditions. They report several cases of dangerous removals in neighborhoods such as La Verneda, Poblenou, and Eixample, where workers are not wearing the tools or appropriate protective clothing to protect themselves from exposure to a material that "kills" if its fibers are inhaled.

Workers are not the only people at risk, the organizations emphasize, as residents of the areas where the removal is taking place and anyone passing through these areas are also exposed to danger. Moreno gave as an example some actions they have seen in which brooms have been used to collect dust from the floor. "This would be reason enough to automatically stop a construction project if an inspector inspects it," he said. "They are removing asbestos any way they can, and there is no administration to monitor whether fibers are released into the environment," adds Joan Maria Soler, a member of the FAVB.

One of the tools the associations use to change the situation is filing complaints with public authorities. So far, they have filed about five complaints, but they believe they are not working. One of the most scandalous recent cases of dangerous asbestos removal has been that of the roof of the former headquarters of'The Newspaper, in the heart of the Eixample district. Bea Beza, one of the affected residents, explains that asbestos "is like Russian roulette: the higher the concentration, the greater the danger." She emphasizes that while the workers may have protection, the residents do not; therefore, they live with fear, anxiety, and the constant uncertainty of not knowing whether in twenty years they will develop a disease that could kill them.

To remove asbestos from an infrastructure, a work plan is first required, which the company carrying out the asbestos removal must submit and which must be approved by the public authorities before beginning the work. Regardless of this, a building permit is also required, which must be requested from the City Council. Despite this process, the associations believe that the operations are not sufficiently supervised, as there is a significant shortage of inspectors. "It can't be that there is only one in Barcelona. Let them provide as many as necessary, both from City Council and from Labor and the Environment. But let them do it, let them assume responsibility. We want someone responsible for asbestos removal, and we want it now," Moreno demanded.

The Government estimates that there are still around four million tons of fiber cement and between 6,000 and 30,000 tons of other materials containing asbestos in Catalonia. Now, with the new asbestos removal law currently being processed in Parliament, associations fear there will be a wave of requests for removal permits before this legislation comes into force, as safety requirements for this type of work will be stricter.

Pain as a driver of change

The struggle of Macosa-Alstom workers affected by asbestos has been going on for a long time. "Of the company's nearly 40 workers, about 17 have died from a disease that is almost exclusively caused by asbestos. What do they need? We don't see work stopped or measures taken? This is an attack on public health, a disregard for public safety, and we can classify it as criminal," they ins.

Asbestos is a highly durable, low-cost mineral product that was widely used during the second half of the last century in construction and industry. This material has been banned in Spain since 2002, and, in fact, the WHO had already classified it as a group 1 carcinogen in 1977. Inhaling asbestos fibers endangers the health of the population when the materials they contain are damaged or degraded by the passage of time or by inclement weather. In fact, asbestos has a lifespan of 30 to 40 years, and experts warn that it's time to worry: buildings or other elements containing the toxic substance are severely degraded.