If this is the case, it is important to note that while many asbestos test agencies report that they offer confidential test services, this does not mean that a positive test result should be kept secret from a potential buyer or inhabitant of the property.

As disturbing or demolishing structures containing asbestos fibers can be a serious hazard to human health, it is both a moral imperative and a possible legal requirement that the presence of asbestos be disclosed during any real estate transaction.

That one law firm would willfully possess client documentation stolen from another firm, possibly with the intent to poach national settlements or to solicit the clients of the other firm, is quite revealing of the high monetary value of asbestos litigation. This excerpt from the legal complaint filed by Maher against the Weitz & Luxenberg (especially with its talk of the “market strenth” of the competing law firm) is particulary explanatory:

“The enormity and breathtaking scope of stealing the entirety of the Waters, Krause & Paul clients is massive from an anticompetitive and unfair trade practices perspective. The asbestos litigation arena is an area that is continuing and which does not end with a settlement. Unlike a single class action that ends when it is settled, asbestos mesothelioma lawsuits are individual cases, and by current epidemiologic estimates, the disease of mesothelioma will continue almost at its current rate until 2040, and will continue after that but will decrease.

Here, all of the client files contained the confidential settlements. Therefore, defendants could ‘reverse engineer’ the profitability of Waters, Krause & Paul, and with the market strength that defendants have, they can engineer national settlements so as to undercut Waters, Krause & Paul in an attempt to drive down Waters, Krause & Paul settlements which would be severely injurious to Waters, Krause & Paul. Additionally with such confidential settlement information, defendants could use that information to court and solicit also take away known attorney and prospective referrals from Waters, Krause & Paul. This anticompetitive effect could be so significant as to reach well into multiples of tens of millions of dollars over time. …

“The asbestos exhibits stolen from Waters, Krause & Paul have a cost over time in the multiple millions of dollars, having come from hard-fought discovery against opposing lawyers and their clients over decades, as well as from highly paid experts.”

Asbestos exposures have certainly taken a grave toll on individual’s well-being, and a great emotional toll on the families of those afflicted by cancers and disease. Thus it perhaps comes at no surprise that large, profitable, and competitive industries (such as the legal industry) have evolved in the attempt to financially recuperate these losses, while each taking their cut. While the nastiness of deceit and undercutting for profit seem well apart from the realities of coping with asbestos-inflicted mobidity, we can only hope that ultimately these endeavors bring some comfort the families afflicted by asbestos.

Asbestos was long used as a flame-retardant and insulating material in the construction of houses and other buildings. This practice was discouraged when it was discovered that the inhalation of asbestos fibers is extremely hazardous to human health, and can cause very aggressive forms of cancer.

Before habitation, older structures should be thoroughly inspected by someone trained in asbestos abatement. Asbestos could have been used for a wide variety of purposes in various parts of the house. There are a number of places that asbestos may be found in the basement, here are several examples:

• thermal insulation on water boilers and pipes
• pipe lagging
• wall gaskets and lining
• insulation on furnaces and heating ducts
• asbestos floor tiling
• batt insulation
• fill insulation and spray-on insulation

TABLE 1: LIST OF BUILDINGS WITH ASBESTOS REMAINING
TABLEAU 1: LISTE DES IMMEUBLES CONTENANT DE L'AMIANT
Province City/Ville Building Name / Nom de l'immeuble
NL Bonavista COCB -21-28 Church Street
NL Trepassey  GOCB -108/110 Harbour Drive
NL St. John's Pleasantville- Bldg 223
NL St. John's Data Taxation Centre
NL Burgeo GOCB -1 Main Road
NL Grand Bank GOCB -2 Church Street
NL St. John's NWAFC - 80 East White Hills Rd.
TOTAL FOR NEWFOUNDLAND / TOTAL POUR TERRE NEUVE = 7
PEI Charlottetown RCMP "L" Division Admin
PEI Charlottetown Daniel J MacDonald
TOTAL FOR PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND / TOTAL POUR L'ÎLE DU PRINCE EDOUARD = 2
NS Dartmouth Marine House 176 Portland St.
NS Amherst GOCB -30-40 Heveloct St
NS Antigonish GOCB -325 Main Street
NS Arichat GOCB -2451 High Road
NS Halifax Ralston Building
NS Kentville GOCB -495 Main St
NS New Glasgow GOCB- 340 East River Rd
NS Sherbrooke GOCB -15 Main St.
NS Shelburne GOCB -162 Mowatt St
NS Westville GOCB -1870 Main Street
NS Yarmouth GOCB -15 Willow Street
NS Sydney Manpower Bldg
NS Yarmouth Fisheries Bldg
NS Halifax RCMP "H" Division
NS Sydney Sydney Arts Bldg
NS Sydney Sydney Science Bldg
NS Halifax GOCB -1713 Bedford Row
TOTAL FOR NOVA SCOTIA / TOTAL POUR LA NOUVELLE ÉCOSSE = 17
NB Clair C&I Border Crossing 790 Main St.
NB Grand Falls GOCB -373-377 Broadway
NB Moncton GOCB -1075 Main Street
NB St. Croix C&I Border Crossing 2785 Route 4
NB Saint John Customs Building
NB Saint John Postal Stn A, Annex
NB St. Leonard C&I Border Crossing
NB Saint Quentin GOCB -193 Canada Street
NB Woodstock GOCB -380 Main Street
NB Moncton Gulf Fisheries Center
NB Shediac DSS Building 10 Weldon
NB Moncton 310 Baig Boulevard
NB Fredericton RCMP J 1445 Regent Street
TOTAL FOR NEW BRUNSWICK / TOTAL POUR LE NOUVEAU BRUNSWICK = 13
Québec Montréal 1420, Ste-Catherine, Montréal
Québec Sherbrooke 50, Place de la Cité, Sherbrooke
Québec Rigaud 475, Ch. Grande Ligne, Rigaud
Québec Montréal 400, Youville/105, McGill, Montréal
Québec Québec 155, Pte-aux-Lièvres, Québec
Québec Québec 165, Pte-aux-Lièvres, Québec
Québec Québec 104, Dalhousie, Québec
Québec Québec 112, Dalhousie, Québec
Québec Québec 130, Dalhousie, Québec
Québec Sept-Îles 701, Laure, Sept-Îles
Québec Matane 150, Dion, Matane
Québec Québec 901, Cap-Diamant, Québec
Québec Rimouski 180, de la Cathédrale, Rimouski
Québec Québec 330, Gare du Palais, Québec
Québec Ste-Foy 1141, de l’Église, Ste-Foy
Québec St-Laurent 3155, Côte-de-Liesse, St-Laurent
Québec Shawinigan 4695, 12e Av, Shawinigan
Québec Montréal 715, Peel, Montréal
Québec Québec Résidence du gouverneur (Citadelle)
Québec - NCA Gatineau Hull Armoury
Québec - NCA Gatineau Portage 1
Québec - NCA Gatineau Portage 2
Québec - NCA Gatineau Portage 3
Québec - NCA Gatineau Portage 4
Québec - NCA Gatineau L'Estrie Language School
Québec - NCA Gatineau Asticou Centre
Québec - NCA Gatineau Bisson Centre
Québec - NCA Gatineau National Printing Bureau
Québec - NCA Gatineau National Printing Bureau CHP
TOTAL FOR QUÉBEC / TOTAL POUR LE QUÉBEC = 29
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Booth Administration
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Brooke Claxton
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Butler Hut
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Canadian Police Information Centre
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Confederation CHP
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Tunney's Pasture CHP
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Exhibition Commission
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Finance
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Finance Annex
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Jean Talon
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Jeanne Mance
Ontario - NCA Ottawa L. H. Nicholson
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Main Statistics
Ontario - NCA Ottawa National Police Service
Ontario - NCA Ottawa R. H. Coats
Ontario - NCA Ottawa RCMP CHP
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Sir Charles Tupper
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Sir William Logan
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Major General Pearkes
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Place de Ville A/B
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Thomas D'Arcy McGee
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Health Protection Branch
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Capital Square
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Anderson Rd #1
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Canadian Police College
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Chemical and Radioactive Ores
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Dressing and Processing Laboratory
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Fuel Research Lab
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Geological Survey of Canada
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Geomatics Canada
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Machine Shops and Stores
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Ore Dressing Laboratory
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Physical Metallurgy Research Lab
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Ore Dressing Laboratory
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Environmental Health Centre
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Laboratory Centre for Disease Control
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Willet
Ontario - NCA Ottawa General Records
Ontario - NCA Ottawa L. B. Pearson
Ontario - NCA Ottawa National Library
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Personnel Records
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Sussex Tower
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Tunney's Pasture CHP
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Tunney's Pasture CHP Tunnels
Ontario - NCA Ottawa National Research Centre CHP
Ontario - NCA Ottawa DND Data Centre
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Connaught
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Taxation Centre
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Place Vanier
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Film Storage Building
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Rideau Falls Laboratory
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Federal Studies Centre
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Jackson
Ontario - NCA Ottawa LaSalle Academy
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Plouffe Park
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Saint Andrews Tower
Ontario - NCA Ottawa PBX
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Occupational Health Unit
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Radiation Protection
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Sir Frederick Banting
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Edward Drake
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Insurance
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Sir Leonard Tilley
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Beacon Hill Shopping Centre
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Cornwall Armoury
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Constitution
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Supreme Court of Canada
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Animal Disease Research Institute - Bldg 201
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Animal Disease Research Institute - Bldg 206
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Brouse Slater
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Central Experimental Farm
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Central Experimental Farm CHP
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Central Experimental Farm CHP Tunnels
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Booth Street Central Heating Plant
Ontario - NCA Ottawa CHP - Animal Disease Research Institute
Ontario - NCA Ottawa CIBC
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Cliff Street CHP
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Cliff Street CHP Tunnels
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Hope Chambers
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Justice
Ontario - NCA Ottawa National Capital Commission Garage
Ontario - NCA Ottawa National Press
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Nelms
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Norcano
Ontario - NCA Ottawa NRC M-23
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Oak Street Complex
Ontario - NCA Ottawa O'Brien
Ontario - NCA Ottawa East Block
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Centre Block
Ontario - NCA Ottawa West Block
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Wellington
Ontario - NCA Ottawa National Press
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Brouse/Slater
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Booth Street Complex
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Bank of Montreal
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Dover
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Justice
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Confederation
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Food Production Facility
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Birks Ontario - NCA Ottawa Victoria
Ontario - NCA Ottawa La Promenade
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Bates
Ontario - NCA Ottawa CIBC
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Bank oF Nova Scotia
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Fisher
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Langevin
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Postal Station B
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Hope
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Blackburn
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Norcano
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Saxe
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Marshall
Ontario - NCA Ottawa O'Brien
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Nelms
Ontario - NCA Ottawa Canada Four Corners
Ontario Thunder Bay GOCB (PS "P"), 33 Court
Ontario Kitchener GOCB, 15-29 Duke
Ontario Amherstburg GOCB, 66 Richmond
Ontario Chatham GOCB, 10 Centre
Ontario Windsor GOCB, 441 University Ave
Ontario Windsor GOCB, 185 Ouellette Ave
Ontario Sarnia GOCB, 105 Christina St
Ontario London GOCB, 451 Talbot
Ontario London GOCB (Dom Public), 457 Richmond
Ontario Brantford GOCB, 58-70 Dalhousie E
Ontario Niagara Falls GOCB, 5853 Peer St
Ontario Niagara Falls GOCB, 4551 Zimmerman Ave
Ontario St. Catharines GOCB, 32-46 Church St
Ontario Stratford GOCB, 75 Waterloo St
Ontario Kitchener GOCB (Nat Revenue), 166 Frederick
Ontario CFB Borden GOCB (DSS Print Plant)
Ontario Kapuskasing GOCB, 22 Circle
Ontario Timmins GOCB, 120 Cedar St S
Ontario Sudbury GOCB, 19 Lisgar
Ontario Sioux Lookout GOCB, 45 Prince St
Ontario Fort Frances GOCB, 303 Scott
Ontario Thunder Bay GOCB (Nat Revenue), 201 May St N
Ontario Thunder Bay GOCB, 130 Syndicate Ave
Ontario Kenora GOCB, 100 Fourth Ave
Ontario Thunder Bay GOCB (PS "F"),221 Archibald St N
Ontario Tobermory GOCB, Hwy 6 & Duke
Ontario Chatham GOCB (Judy Lamarsh), 65 William Street S.
Ontario Sault Ste. Marie GOCB, 22 Bay St
Ontario Toronto GOCB, 4900 Yonge St
Ontario Bracebridge GOCB, 98 Manitoba
Ontario Toronto GOCB, 25 St Clair Ave E
Ontario Oshawa GOCB, 310 Simcoe St S
Ontario Kingston GOCB (Custom's House), 294 King
Ontario Kingston GOCB (Old Post Office), 86 Clarence
Ontario Kingston Caretaker's Residence
Ontario Belleville GOCB, 11 Station
Ontario Belleville Regional HQ, 494 Dundas St E
Ontario Parry Sound GOCB, 74 James St
Ontario Toronto GOCB (Dom Public), 1 Front St W
Ontario Toronto GOCB (Dominion Pblc), 338 Keele
Ontario Toronto GOCB (Canda Centre), 200 Town Centre Court
Ontario Barrie GOCB, 48 Owen
Ontario Belleville GOCB, 1 North Front St.
Ontario Cornwall GOCB (Sir Lionel Chevrier), 111 Water Street E.
Ontario Sudbury GOCB (Tax Data Centre), 1050 Notre Dame
Ontario Cornwall Island Customs Building and Warehouse, Inter. Hwy. Bridge
Ontario Toronto GOCB (AES),  Lab Annex
Ontario Toronto
Canadian Atmospheric Research Lab (CARL) - 4905
Dufferin Street
Ontario Toronto GOCB (AES), 4905 Dufferin Street
TOTAL FOR ONTARIO / TOTAL POUR L'ONTARIO = 165
MB Winnipeg RCMP 'D' Division Police Divisional Headquarters
MB Winnipeg RCMP Duplex 1 Units 1 and 2
MB Winnipeg RCMP Duplex 2 Units 1 and 2
MB Winnipeg RCMP Medical Ctr Duplex 3 Units 1 and 2
MB Selkirk Selkirk Shipyard
MB Lockport SALD Warehouse
MB Lockport Lock House at St. Andrews Lock and Dam
MB Lockport Power House at St. Andrews Lock and Dam
MB Lockport Warehouse at St. Andrews Lock and Dam
MB Winnipeg Winnipeg Tax Centre
MB Winnipeg Cdn Grain Commission Building
MB Winnipeg Victory Building
MB Winnipeg Customs Examining Warehouse
MB Winnipeg Stanley Knowles Federal Building
MB Brandon GOCB Brandon Federal Building
MB Winnipeg MacDonald Building
MB Winnipeg Revenue Canada Warehouse
MB Winnipeg Federal Records Centre
TOTAL FOR MANITOBA / TOTAL POUR LE MANITOBA = 18
SK Regina Alvin Hamilton Building
SK Saskatoon GOCB Saskatoon 101 -22 St E
SK Regina GOCB Regina 1975 -Scarth St
SK Regina Income Tax Building 1955 - Smith St
TOTAL FOR SASKATCHEWAN / TOTAL POUR LE SASKATCHEWAN = 4
AB Red Deer GOCB Red Deer 4909- 50 St
AB Edmonton Archives Building
AB Lethbridge J. D. Higinbotham Building
TOTAL FOR ALBERTA / TOTAL POUR L'ALBERTA = 3
BC Vancouver Sinclair Centre - Complex
BC Vancouver Library Square
BC Vancouver Douglas Jung Building
BC Surrey Surrey Taxation Data Centre
BC Surrey Burnaby Fraser Tax Services Building
BC Vancouver Harry Stevens Building
BC Vancouver Standards Building
BC Delta Annacis Marine Base (#1)
BC Delta Annacis Island Office Building (#2)
BC Delta Annacis Island Warehouse (#3)
BC Richmond GOCB -12551 No. 1 Road
BC Victoria 1230 Government Street
BC Victoria 816 Government Street
BC Victoria 1415 Vancouver Street
BC Nanaimo GOCB -60 Front Street
BC Port Alberni GOCB -4877 Argyle Street
BC Campbell River GOCB -940 Alder Street
BC Kamloops GOCB -317 Seymour Street
BC Kelowna GOCB -471 Queensway Avenue
BC Penticton GOCB -277 Winnipeg Street
BC Vernon GOCB -3101 32nd Avenue
BC Clearwater 1121 E Yellowhead Hwy S
BC Revelstoke GOCB -307 3rd Avenue
BC Prince George 280 Victoria Street
BC Prince George 3690 Massey Drive
BC Vanderhoof GOCB -192 Stewart Road West
BC Smithers 3177 Tatlow Road
BC Fort Nelson GOCB -4804 51st Avenue West
BC Prince Rupert GOCB -417 2nd Avenue West
BC Queen Charlotte GOCB -137 Bay Street
BC Surrey Surrey Federal Operation Building
BC Vancouver Fairmont Complex - Operations #1
BC Vancouver Fairmont Complex - Administration  #2
BC Vancouver Fairmont Complex - Barracks #3
BC Vancouver Fairmont Complex - Training Academy #6
BC Vancouver Fairmont Complex - VIP Security #5
BC Vancouver Fairmont Complex - Generator #7
BC Vancouver Fairmont Complex - Storage #8
BC Vancouver Fairmont Complex - PCB Storage #9
BC Vancouver Fairmont Complex - Storage #10
TOTAL FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA / TOTAL POUR LA COLOMBIE BRITANNIQUE = 40
NT Yellowknife Trades Shop Buildings 1 & 2
NT Inuvik Warehouse 1 (Prov Lt B)
NT Norman Wells 4 Bay Garage -woodland Ave
NT Inuvik Warehouse 2 (Prov Lt C)
NT Inuvik Tradeshop (Prov Lt F)
NT Inuvik GOCB Inuvik 187- MacKenzie Rd
NT Inuvik Garage/Appliance Repair Shop (Prov Lt E)
NT Inuvik Warehouse 3 (Prov Lt D)
NT Inuvik Warehouse 4 (Prov Lt F)
NT Hay River GOCB Hay River 10 Capital Cres
NT Fort Simpson GOCB Fort Simpson 9606-100 st
NT Fort Smith GOCB Fort Smith 149 McDougal Rd.
NT Fort Simpson Office Plex 9709-99 st
NT Inuvik Warehouse 9621-102 st
NT Fort Simpson Garage - Ft Simpson
NT Yellowknife Henry Larson Building
TOTAL FOR NORTHWEST TERRITORIES /
TOTAL POUR LES TERRITOIRES DU NORD-OUEST = 16
YK Whitehorse 419 Range Road
YK Whitehorse 421 Quonset Huts
YK Whitehorse 421 Range Road
YK Whitehorse Elijah Smith Building
TOTAL FOR YUKON / TOTAL POUR LE YUKON = 4
TOTAL FOR CANADA / TOTAL POUR LE CANADA  = 318

This information is sourced from a pdf provided by Public Works.

Arguing that “everyone has a right to know when they go into a workplace or when they’re going into a building, it is safe,” Willems is now lobbying for his provincial Saskatchewan government to create a public registry of all buildings still containing asbestos fibers.

Apparently, the government of the province of Quebec already has produced such a registry, but refuses to share it with the public. Canada’s Public Works and Government Services has released a listing of buildings owned by their agency with remaining asbestos.

France and Australia, on the other hand, maintain public national registries of asbestos-laden buildings.  Campaigns for such registries may be effective ways for asbestos activists to pressure property owners and local governments to safely renovate older, hazardous buildings containing asbestos insulation.

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral found and mined worldwide.  It once widely used in building construction and many other applications for its strong insulating and fire-retardant properties.  In addition to the roofs, walls, floor tiles, basements, and garages of some houses, asbestos has been used in brake pads, electrical and pipe insulation, fireplace logs, and even cigarette filters, among other places.

Over the course of the 2oth century, the evidence mounted that asbestos is extremely hazardous to human health.  Inhalation of asbestos dust is now known to cause inflammatory damage to the lungs and malignant lung cancers, including the previously very rare form of lung cancer called mesothelioma.

People concerned about their past or potential exposure to asbestos are advised to take precautions and respond to their situation appropriately.  This site aims to assist and inform people seeking help with a variety of asbestos-related situations:

• Locating where asbestos can be found in houses, apartments, and places of business.
• Proper safety precautions to take when the environmental presence of asbestos is suspected.
• Asbestos testing, remediation and removal techniques, and how to find a competent service that can properly clean up your building.
• How people investigating legal action can find the right attorney for their asbestos and cancer related claims.