Forwarding from a friend in Canada.  The last paragraph pointed out how difficult it is to get safe food in these times (italics mine).
Kath 

> News Releases
> Alarming levels of asbestos found at salmon farm construction site
> 
> Feb 05, 2003
> 
> VANCOUVER - Asbestos levels 10 to 30 times higher than is allowed in
> most municipal garbage dumps have been found at a construction site for
> a farmed salmon hatchery on British Columbia’s central coast, an
> investigation by a First Nation and environmental organizations has
> found.
> 
> Formerly the site of a pulp mill, the land at Ocean Falls is now leased
> to Omega Salmon Ltd. by the provincial government, which did not ensure
> a proper environmental review was conducted before redevelopment began
> in fall 2002, say the Heiltsuk Nation, the Sierra Legal Defence Fund and
> the David Suzuki Foundation.
> 
> “The Heiltsuk Nation is concerned that the site disturbance at Ocean
> Falls from Omega Salmon’s construction activities may be spreading
> contaminants into the environment, including the marine environment,”
> said spokesman Philip Hogan.
> 
> The construction site north of Bella Bella is located in Heiltsuk
> traditional territory and Heiltsuk officials inspected the site in
> December because they feared that wastes from the former pulp mill -
> known for spills and pollution – were not properly cleaned up, Mr. Hogan
> said.
> 
> Soil excavated in the middle of the hatchery construction site was
> white, which is an obvious sign of industrial contamination. Storm water
> runoff from the site was also white and poured into the ocean, he added.
> 
> The David Suzuki Foundation contracted an independent Vancouver
> laboratory, Cantest and Research Services, to analyze the soil samples,
> said Otto Langer, director of the Foundation’s marine conservation
> program.
> 
> “Analyses of soil from where the pulp mill stood indicated that the
> sample containing white soil contained a minimum of 10 per cent and as
> much as 30 per cent by volume of chrysotile asbestos fibres,” Mr. Langer
> said.
> 
> Most landfills will not accept soil with asbestos levels exceeding one
> per cent.
> 
> The pulp mill was decommissioned, and much of the site and the actual
> village of Ocean Falls demolished, in the early 1980s, but no proper
> cleanup of contaminated soils was ever undertaken, Mr. Langer added.
> 
> In order to obtain a construction permit, Omega told government
> officials that they would avoid all contaminated areas from the pulp
> mill when building their hatchery.
> 
> “The federal and provincial governments should not have solely relied on
> Omega to ensure that all contaminated areas were avoided. It is now
> obvious that any testing for contamination where they began construction
> was totally inadequate,” said Mr. Langer.
> 
> All construction activity at the site should be stopped until a proper
> environmental review, including consultation with First Nations and
> environmental groups, is conducted, said Angela McCue, Sierra Legal
> Defence Fund senior counsel, who is representing the Heiltsuk Nation.
> 
> “Resumption of work at the site should only be resumed once a proper
> environmental screening and assessment is completed and indicates that
> development at the site will not harm human health or the environment,”
> said Ms. McCue.
> 
> Both the Workers’ Compensation Board and the regional health authority
> were notified of these elevated asbestos levels so that worker and
> public protection could be immediately addressed. This is vital because
> construction of the hatchery continues despite several recent protests
> by the Heiltsuk and environmentalists that caused temporary shutdowns.
> 
> In Canada, until the early 1990s, asbestos was commonly used in
> construction and in many products because of its strength and excellent
> insulating qualities. Because of severe impacts on human health, its use
> was banned over a decade ago in many products like insulation for
> buildings, flooring felt, and corrugated, commercial or specialty paper,
> in Canada, the U.S. and many European countries.
> 
> Asbestos fibres are very fine and glass-like and when inhaled cause
> significant damage to the lungs. The fibres can migrate through cell
> tissues, causing great damage and even cancer. Researchers have raised
> concern about the presence of asbestos fibres in drinking water and in
> freshwater or marine environments, which is a concern at Ocean Falls
> since the hatchery is being built on the waterfront.
> 
> “Heiltsuk people continue to rely heavily upon marine resources for
> subsistence as well as for cultural and social uses, some of which have
> been recognized as aboriginal rights by Canadian courts,” said Mr.
> Hogan. “Any threat to these marine resources are viewed by the Heiltsuk
> as a direct threat to our ability to continue our way of life, and as a
> grave risk to our aboriginal rights and title.”
> 
> 
> For more information, please contact: Philip Hogan, Heiltsuk Nation
> 250-957-2381; Otto Langer, David Suzuki Foundation 604-732-4228; Angela
> McCue, Sierra Legal Defence Fund 604-790-0745; or Jean Kavanagh, David
> Suzuki Foundation
> 604-732-4228.