Zonolite Reportedly Not An Issue On MLTC Reserves

Zonolite Reportedly Not An Issue On MLTC Reserves

Friday, August 26, 2005 at 12:59

 

 

A housing official with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council says he hasn’t seen any evidence that vermiculite insulation is a problem on any of the MLTC’s First Nations.

 

This week, Health Canada reported that five buildings on Saskatchewan reserves had been classified as “high risk” due to loose deposits of vermiculite insulation.

 

Commonly referred to as Zonolite, the insulation carries asbestos and is believed to have played a role in the deaths of three female band members in Manitoba.

 

Health Canada would not say which reserves owned the homes, adding it could only clean up the insulation if they were specifically instructed to by local band councils.

 

The MLTC’s William Iron says he hasn’t come across any structures that have a problem with loose Zonolite.

 

He says he heard of one instance at Canoe Lake, though, where a home was believed to have some sort of problem. However, it burned down before he could have a look at it.

 

Earlier this year, an official with the Prince Albert Grand Council said he hadn’t seen loose Zonolite in any of the 3,800 hundred homes on PAGC reserves.

 

Health Canada says inspectors are available to any First Nation that thinks it may have a problem.