Federal departments differ on response to Zonolite

The Department of National Defence is spending more than $300,000 to remove asbestos-contaminated Zonolite insulation from Manitoba military homes while the Department of Indian Affairs has refused to offer any financial support to remove the insulation from First Nations homes.

Before they renovate any military homes, the Department of National Defence tests them for hazardous materials. As a result of those tests, the military has just awarded a contract to remove Zonolite from 17 homes at Canadian Forces Base Shilo.

• CBC INDEPTH: Deadly dust: More on vermiculite insulation

"The vermiculite containing asbestos is being removed from these units because they are part of a major renovation project to extend the life of the homes for about 20 to 25 years," says Col. Stewart Moore, an assistant deputy minister with DND.

"The vermiculite insulation is being removed because it would, in the course of those renovations, be disturbed and exposed to the interior environment, and therefore present a health hazard to contractors working inside."

Moore admits the cleanup of the homes will be extensive, with a price tag of more than $360,000 more than $20,000 per home.

News of more government money being spent to remove Zonolite from military homes angers Dennis Whitebird, grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. Whitebird says Ottawa has refused to help about a dozen First Nations families in Manitoba who have the contaminated insulation in their living space.

• FROM MARCH 16, 2005: No help for man with Zonolite in First Nations home

However, Whitebird believes the military's proactive approach could help in the lawsuit launched by a Manitoba First Nations family against the federal government. Raven Thundersky is suing Indian and Northern Affairs after she and several of her family members became sick after living in a home with Zonolite insulation at the Poplar River First Nation.

"I think they're acknowledging that is a major concern. It's a health risk and they're doing something about it," he says. "But on the other token, if it deals with First Nations, it's not a priority."

An estimated 300,000 homes across Canada contain Zonolite vermiculite insulation. Health Canada says if the insulation is disturbed, exposure to the asbestos can cause scarring of the lungs and some forms of cancer. If the insulation is not disturbed, officials say, it should cause no health problems.

Links related to this story:

HEALTH CANADA: More on Zonline safety

CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING CORP.: About Your Home: Asbestos