"MONTREAL - The Quebec government is breathing new life into Canada's dying asbestos industry.

The province is close to backing a loan of $58 million to reopen a mine in the town of Asbestos, a cash injection that could keep it operating for the next 25 years.

Once highly profitable, domestic consumption of the hazardous substance has plummeted, while exports are increasingly under attack from international critics.

The Jeffrey mine in Asbestos is one of two Canadian operations that still exploit the mineral — the other is about 90 kilometres away in Thetford Mines."

Andy Blatchford reports for the Canadian Press June 14, 2010. [2]