Campaigners welcome court judgement over asbestos exposure

Exposed asbestos in the Spodden Valley

Campaigners have welcomed an important judgment made about exposure to asbestos announced by the Supreme Court.

The landmark case could have profound consequences for environmental exposure to asbestos from contaminated 'Brownfield' land, as highlighted by the ongoing Save Spodden Valley campaign relating to the former Turner Brothers Asbestos factory in Rochdale – site of the world's first, then largest asbestos textile factory.

In the joint cases of Willmore and Sienkiewicz (Costello), all seven Supreme Court judges have unanimously confirmed that low levels exposure to asbestos dust can cause the terminal asbestos cancer Mesothelioma. This confirms that the law follows the medical consensus that there is no 'safe' threshold for exposure to asbestos.

Both Dianne Willmore and Enid Costello died of mesothelioma, as a result of small doses of asbestos dust. Mrs Willmore was exposed whilst a pupil at school and Mrs Costello during her work in an office.

Tony Whitston of the Greater Manchester Asbestos Victim Support groups said: “This case involved the wrongful exposure of two people to asbestos, which caused their deaths.

“There is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos. Arguments for a ‘safe’ threshold are everything to do with denying liability for compensation and nothing to do with protecting people.

“This case not only protects compensation for those who have been negligently exposed to low levels of asbestos, but also gives a warning to those who think that workplaces such as schools, which are heavily contaminated with asbestos, are low risk”

Jason Addy of the Save Spodden Valley (SSV) campaign said: “For almost 7 years the SSV campaign has been highlighting the dangers of low level exposure to asbestos and the toxic legacy of the Turner Brothers Asbestos site.

“The Supreme Court has delivered a wake up call and stark warning for those responsible for the remediation of Brownfield sites contaminated with asbestos.

“The medical establishment and the highest court in the land have confirmed that even small exposures to asbestos can kill. As such this vindicates our long running campaign to ensure the Turners site is treated with the utmost respect”.