The town that asbestos built

Asbestos is classified as a carcinogenic substance by the World Health Organization (WHO) over 45 years ago, completely banned in Europe since 2005, and forbidden in over 60 countries and five Brazilian states. But the 32,000 inhabitants of the town of Minaçu apparently have yet to receive the memo. Located in the north of the state of Goiás, some 365 kilometers from the capital Brasília, this municipality was born, grew, and continues to rely on asbestos to sustain its economy.

Minaçu is home to the only asbestos factory in Latin America — the third-largest in the world, smaller than plants in China and Russia. With its non-stop production, it is responsible for 13 percent of all the asbestos sold around the world, and half of what is consumed in Brazil.

As was once the case in most of the world, asbestos is mixed with cement and used largely in the construction of roofs and water tanks, with an estimated 50 percent of Brazilian homes containing asbestos.

The use of asbestos in buildings is a result of its excellent electric insulation and heat resistance, but inhaling asbestos fibers can provoke lung cancer in humans, leading it to be outlawed in large parts of the globe.

Indeed, the production and sale of asbestos in Brazil were prohibited by a Supreme Court decision in 2017. However, mining company Sama — controlled by concrete firm Eternit, which runs the Minaçu plant — managed to obtain an injunction to continue production until the court decision was published and made unappealable, which occurred in 2019.

But one month after Sama was forced to close and fire its 400 employees last year, Goiás Governor Ronaldo Caiado sanctioned a state law permitting the extraction of asbestos in Goiás, even though the production, sale, and use of products containing the minerals is outlawed nationwide. The local legislation stated that the extracted asbestos could only be used for export, following international transport standards. 

Soon after, Sama went straight...