Athenæum

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01/14/2004: Nauru Nauru

Heavy Metal
or, Nauru saturated with Cadmium
from PacNews

13 JANUARY 2004 YAREN (Pacnews) - Australia's Opposition Labour Party has questioned whether asylum seekers detained on Nauru are at risk from a toxic, heavy metal. Labour has suggested the detainees could be exposed to high levels of Cadmium.

Cadmium has been linked to lung and prostate cancer, kidney problems and bone disease and is found in potentially dangerous concentrations in phosphate rock on Nauru, which was mined there for nearly a century. Labour's environment spokesman, Kelvin Thomson says dust samples taken on Nauru contain high levels of the heavy metal, and the Australian Government must reveal whether asylum seekers and workers there are at risk.

"It is a potential threat to the health of those who are there," said Mr Thomson...

This place just won't stop getting weirder.


Copyright 2004 Financial Times Information
All rights reserved
Global News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
Copyright 2004 PacNews
PacNews

January 13, 2004

LENGTH: 133 words

HEADLINE: CONCERN OVER TOXIC POISONS FOR NAURU DETAINEES

BODY:



13 JANUARY 2004 YAREN (Pacnews) - Australia's Opposition Labour Party has
questioned whether asylum seekers detained on Nauru are at risk from a toxic,
heavy metal. Labour has suggested the detainees could be exposed to high levels
of Cadmium.

Cadmium has been linked to lung and prostate cancer, kidney problems and bone
disease and is found in potentially dangerous concentrations in phosphate rock
on Nauru, which was mined there for nearly a century. Labour's environment
spokesman, Kelvin Thomson says dust samples taken on Nauru contain high levels
of the heavy metal, and the Australian Government must reveal whether asylum
seekers and workers there are at risk.

"It is a potential threat to the health of those who are there," said Mr
Thomson...

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)


Wednesday the 14th of January, santo26 noted:


So if the asylum seekers sue, who is responsible: the Australian government for putting them there in the first place, the Nauruvian (?) government, for mining the stuff, the birds, for depositing the guano, or Mother Earth, for leaving around stupid shit like cadmium for us to get sick from?