<
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/03/epa-finally-bans-the-last-type-of-asbestos-used-in-us/>
'The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday finalized a ban on the only type
of asbestos still used in the US, chrysotile asbestos. This move was decades in
the making.
Chrysotile asbestos, aka "white asbestos," is still imported, processed, and
used in the US for diaphragms (including those used to make sodium hydroxide
and chlorine), sheet gaskets, brake blocks, aftermarket automotive
brakes/linings, other vehicle friction products, and other gaskets, the EPA
notes.
Exposure to asbestos is known to cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian
cancer, and laryngeal cancer. And asbestos is linked to more than 40,000 deaths
annually just in the US.
"The science is clear—asbestos is a known carcinogen that has severe impacts on
public health," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. "President
Biden understands that this concern 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."
The US ban comes after decades of efforts, and the US now joins more than 50
other countries that have already passed bans. The EPA originally tried banning
asbestos in 1989 under the George H.W. Bush administration. But a federal court
struck down the ban in 1991 and weakened the EPA's authority. In 2016, Congress
passed amendments to strengthen the 1976
Toxic Substances Control Act,
opening the door to renewing an EPA ban on the fibrous silicate mineral. But,
under the Trump administration, the EPA failed to do so.
Trump has directly supported the use of asbestos, writing in his 1997 book
The
Art of the Comeback that it is "100% safe, once applied." He blamed the mob
for efforts to discontinue its use: "I believe that the movement against
asbestos was led by the mob, because it was often mob-related companies that
would do the asbestos removal." In 2018, a Russian asbestos company began
marketing the carcinogenic mineral with Trump's image and a seal reading
"Approved by Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States." Russia has
been a primary supplier of asbestos to the US.'
Via
Fix the News:
<
https://fixthenews.com/good-news-child-deaths-clean-cooking-conservation-southern-ocean/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
