Why not simply remove all asbestos?
OVAM’s website explains why the goal is to create an asbestos-safe Flanders rather than an asbestos-free one:
Asbestos-Safe vs. Asbestos-Free
The choice to pursue an asbestos-safe Flanders is a deliberate and well-considered decision. After a societal cost-benefit analysis, a balance was struck between the extremes of "doing nothing" and "working towards an asbestos-free Flanders."
The goal of an entirely asbestos-free Flanders is actually unfeasible. Asbestos is present beneath our roads and buildings, and there are approximately 40,000 km of underground utility lines (sewer and drinking water pipes) made of asbestos.
In an asbestos-free Flanders, all these underground asbestos applications would need to be removed. This would involve demolishing buildings, removing floor slabs, and replacing all pipelines—essentially digging up all of Flanders, causing massive mobility disruptions.
In an asbestos-free Flanders, all these underground asbestos applications would need to be removed. This would involve demolishing buildings, removing floor slabs, and replacing all pipelines—essentially digging up all of Flanders, causing massive mobility disruptions.
Therefore, the decision was made to aim for an asbestos-safe Flanders by 2040. This still means that 90% of the total asbestos burden in Flanders must be removed.
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