From three million tons to one million: the Government recalculates the amount of asbestos yet to be removed
The previous figure was established based on a 2001 report.
BarcelonaIn Catalonia, around one million tons of fibrocement (asbestos) remain to be removed, according to estimates released by the Catalan government this Monday through the Asbestos Eradication Commission. This figure represents at least half of the figure previously assumed to be reliable based on censuses compiled by the Generalitat (Catalan government) and local councils. This material, highly polluting and harmful to health when broken, had been commonly used in construction for roofing buildings or lining pipes and water tanks.
Until now, it was believed that there were between two and three million tons still to be removed, according to estimates of the amount of asbestos that had been distributed throughout the country until its use was banned. It has gradually begun to be removed from schools and warehouses, always in a controlled and safe manner. The figure came from a 2001 report. Now, however, a new calculation made with data obtained from the analysis of roofs prepared by the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia (IGCC), the censuses carried out by public institutions, those being carried out by city councils, and data on pipes, downpipes and tanks provided by companies supplying Catalonia is pending withdrawal.
The new law, by the end of the year
The Commission also reported on the progress of the Asbestos Eradication Law in Catalonia, which could be approved by the end of the year. It was also proposed that the National Plan, from which this commission arises, be synchronized with the future law. Furthermore, the meeting reported on the battery of support measures for the municipal sector implemented by the Generalitat, such as the subsidies offered through the Catalan Waste Agency, training activities for municipal staff, regional councils, and provincial councils, assistance to municipalities in preparing censuses, and the new service that has been created for municipalities.
For their part, the Barcelona Provincial Council and the Generalitat have expressed their support for advancing the removal of asbestos in Badia del Vallès. This process could begin sometime in 2025. The commission is made up of the Catalan government's departments of the Presidency, Territory, and Health; Public institutions, such as the provincial councils or the Barcelona City Council; municipal entities, such as the Federation of Municipalities of Catalonia, the Catalan Association of Municipalities or Micro-villages of Catalonia; social agents such as the employers' associations Foment or Pimec, and the unions CCOO and UGT, as well asassociations of affected people and neighborhood entities.
