Expert Asbestos Doctor Supports Save Spodden Valley Campaign

Laurie Kazan Allan, SSV campaigner Mick Coats and Dr Deleuil at the Asbestos Memorial opposite Rochdale Town Hall.

An expert medical advisor to the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia has visited Rochdale to see first-hand the dangers of the former Turner Brothers asbestos ridden site in Spodden Valley. In an interview with Rochdale Online, he made some worrying comparisons between the site in Rochdale and the one which deeply affects the people of Perth in Western Australia, the city which has witnessed one of the worst incidences of asbestos diseases in the world, due to its proximity to the Wittenoom blue asbestos mine.

Dr. Gregory Deleuil is in the UK to update the UK Parliament on Mesothelioma research being conducted in Western Australia and has visited Rochdale’s infamous Asbestos factory site with Laurie Kazan-Allen, the Founder and Co-ordinator of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. In the company of Save Spodden Valley lead-campaigner Jason Addy, the two arrived at the Rochdale Online offices on Friday, 12 May to describe the high risks that Spodden Valley presents to both the present and future generations.

The Turners factory was at one time the largest Asbestos factory in the world. The company dumped tonnes of waste in the Spodden Valley and there is little doubt that Asbestos is still present on the site and that it is a daily risk to local residents.

Dr, Deleuil said, “I’ve come to the UK to illustrate the parallels between what has happened in the UK and Australia. I have had the opportunity to come to Rochdale and meet people with problems. There is a major problem here of having a hugely contaminated site and what should be done about it. Meeting people like Jason [Addy] and finding parallels between here and Wittenoom, where, forty years on, people are dying from Mesothelioma, it’s very troubling.”
 
In the interview, Dr Deleuil was quick to emphasise the importance of getting a full scientific evaluation of the contaminated area before deciding on any further plan of action. Thus far there have been too many conflicting interest groups looking over the site and the health concerns of the people have not been the major consideration that they should be. The Asbestos diseases expert continued, “Something has to happen to the site, the first step is that the whole site must be honestly evaluated, scientifically, to see what the risks are. Evaluation is the priority, using an outside team that is totally open. A common theme throughout the world is that there are hidden agendas and information about the dangers of sites is withheld.”

“Open enquiry is the key and communication is important, people need to know that this is not a historical problem that will go away, it is a current problem for people living today and it is a problem for the future. Dishonesty is a by-word in this sort of industry and when large amounts of money are involved, people’s health sometimes takes a back-seat and that is not acceptable. You can not just put houses over a contaminated area; you have to gain the knowledge of what you are dealing with...The problem is universal and deceit is duplicity and suffering of the people is universal.”

Dr, Deleuil then showed Rochdale Online the same presentation that he will be giving in Parliament later this month. He described how Mesothelioma is yet to peak and how instances of the disease increase exponentially with time; occurrences of the disease now, relates to Asbestos exposure from over forty years ago but once the disease has taken hold it can take a life in a matter of months. The worry now is that if the Spodden Valley site is disturbed without the extreme caution that is clearly needed, then that forty year cycle will continue for future generations, whilst the Rochdale people are currently exposed to the asbestos that remains above ground.

The fact that people knew about the dangers of Asbestos long before now makes the current situation even more frustrating; Jason Addy has seen a letter to the Turner Brothers factory dating back to the 1930s stating the dangers of the substance to employees. It shows the company failed to heed the warning and dumped tonnes of asbestos into Spodden Valley and left others to deal with the contaminated site. Dr Deleuil said this is the only asbestos contaminated site that is being considered for re-development in the world, all of the others have been completely abandoned. Nobody knows the extent of the contamination in Spodden Valley, until that is found out, is risking more lives acceptable?