Import ban fails to curb asbestos danger

BEIRUT: Known for its stunning beaches, the Batroun town of Shekka has a less pristine past that might still be killing its residents. Until 2000, Shekka housed the Eternit Company, the country’s biggest importer of the carcinogen asbestos. In 1998, Lebanon banned imports of most types of asbestos – but it didn’t ban selling or using what was already here. Experts have said that asbestos still poses a serious health risk, both in Shekka and across the country. Read More: