January 31st, 2005

Construction being carried out at the Mackenzie Chown complex of Brock University has raised high levels of concern because of the pollution implications relating to asbestos. Both professors and students are concerned about the asbestos contamination as the Canada University. A professor at the University is leading the campaign against the asbestos-infested complex, and stated:

"At the Dec. 14, 2004, meeting of the Brock University Faculty Association, BUFA President David Hughes gave a brief report on the asbestos situation at Brock, noting that asbestos was being churned up by construction. Hughes stated that various committees have been meeting about the situation…and that [Brock] President David Atkinson had been approached repeatedly about the issue, but that Brock really had no plan to deal with this…Hughes stated that a survey would be done sometime in 2005...that Brock would try to develop some kind of asbestos management plan."

Brock officials have claimed that the asbestos contamination in minimal, but this has not alleviated the fears and concerns of students and professors, and in fact one professor has arranged for his students to be tutored away from the campus because of the concerns about the asbestos. Asbestos is a known carcinogenic that can result in a deadly cancer known as mesothelioma.