WA Greens MP Robin Chapple thought he was one of the lucky ones to have emerged from the Wittenoom mine with his health intact. But now he has revealed that is not the case.
West Australian Greens MP Robin Chapple thought he was one of the lucky ones after working in the notorious Wittenoom asbestos mine.The entire town was declared a contaminated site in 2007, and hundreds of deaths have been linked to the siteBut now, at the age of 73, the member for mining and pastoral in the state's Upper House has revealed he was diagnosed with asbestosis earlier this year."And then recently I picked up the diagnosis that I have got asbestosis.
Asbestosis can lead to respiratory or cardiac failure and increases the chances of cancers, including mesothelioma, but Mr Chapple remains positive about his outlook. This included a months-long stint for Hancock Prospecting as a mechanical engineer in 1976, where he said he was exposed to asbestos dust on a daily basis."We'd sweep the floors every morning because of the windblown asbestos that was coming into the workshop."
The population peaked at 20,000 people, but with a decline in the use of asbestos and growing awareness of the health problems, the town was degazetted in 2007 and is now a declared contaminated site.from one of the diseases caused by asbestos, mesothelioma.
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