Poland Making Slow Progress on Asbestos Removal

Poland is making little progress in a nationwide effort to remove asbestos. Between 2004 and 2007 the country replaced 2.75 tons of asbestos containing materials compared to the 15.5 million tons estimated to be in use.

Poland developed a national plan for asbestos removal which aims to remove all asbestos containing materials by 2032 but initial efforts to implement the plan have been ineffective. During that time, the country issued loans totaling just over $7.5 million USD to help pay for removal.

Poland, a country of just over 38-million, faces a logistical challenge for replacing asbestos. Some of the obstacles include inventory of sites and a lack of public education regarding the possible dangers of asbestos.