Asbestos reporting to be mandatory

Saskatchewan is poised to become the first province in Canada to require mandatory reporting of public buildings that are known to contain asbestos.

The Public Health (Howard's Law) Amendment Act passed third reading today. The legislation will require information to be reported about public buildings found to contain asbestos. The public registry applies to buildings owned by health regions and their affiliates, those used by or connected to schools, and buildings owned by the provincial government and prescribed crown corporations. Other buildings can be added in the future through enactment of regulations.

"People want and deserve to have easier access to information about the presence of asbestos in public buildings," Health Minister Dustin Duncan said. "A public registry will help provide residents with relevant information about this important issue."

In November, the province launched a voluntary registry of public buildings that are known to contain asbestos and posted a new online asbestos information guide. The move was in response to the efforts of Howard Willems, an advocate for public reporting of asbestos, who died from a rare form of cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibres.

The new legislation includes requirements for both online and on-site public reporting. For more information, visit www.lrws.gov.sk.ca/asbestos.