Last Form of Asbestos Banned for Use and Import by EPA

By Hamodia Staff

The U.S. government banned Monday the importation and use of the last form of legal asbestos – a chemical once commonly used in construction which was found to cause cancer over 35 years ago.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the law banning chrysotile asbestos, the only known form of asbestos currently used in or imported to the United States. The chemical is used in brake pads and gaskets, and is also used to form sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda, some of which is used for water purification.

Asbestos was a commonplace substance used in the 1930s through the 1960s for home insulation, flooring, and was an ingredient in paints and other household staples. In 1977, its use was heavily restricted, and the ban was expanded in 1989, which ruled out the use of almost every type of asbestos.

In 2016, amendments were made to the nation’s chemical safety law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), to ban the use of chrysotile asbestos, which received near-unanimous support in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

Exposure to asbestos is known to cause many kinds of cancers, including mesothelioma, laryngeal and lung cancer, and it is linked to more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.

“The science is clear – asbestos is a known carcinogen that has severe impacts on public health,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a statement. “President Biden understands that this concern that has spanned generations and impacted the lives of countless people. That’s why EPA is so proud to finalize this long-needed ban on ongoing uses of asbestos. 

 “Under the President’s leadership, EPA has been working expeditiously to put the nation’s chemical safety program back on track and finally realize the protections of the 2016 law. This action is just the beginning as we work to protect all American families, workers, and communities from toxic chemicals.”

“This action marks a major step to improve chemical safety after decades of inadequate protections, helping advance President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot goal to end cancer as we know it,” White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory said in a statement.